Rotational dynamics of CO solvated in small He clusters: a quantum Monte Carlo study

The rotational dynamics of CO single molecules solvated in small He clusters (CO@He_N) has been studied using Reptation Quantum Monte Carlo for cluster sizes up to N=30. Our results are in good agreement with the roto-vibrational features of the infrared spectrum recently determined for this system, and provide a deep insight into the relation between the structure of the cluster and its dynamics. Simulations for large N also provide a prediction of the effective moment of inertia of CO in the He nano-droplet regime, which has not been measured so far

Pilomatrixcarcinoma of the Foot: A New Localization of an Extremely Rare Adnexal Tumour

Pilomatrixcarcinoma is a very rare follicular neoplasm that shows matrical differentiation. The majority of these lesions originate de novo, while only a few cases of transformation of pilomatricoma (calcifying epithelioma of Malherbe) have been described in the literature. The neoplasm affects mostly middle-aged males with a male-to-female ratio of 3–4:1. The most common localizations are the face, head, trunk and extremites, though there are a few reports of pilomatrixcarcinoma of the eyelid, eyebrow, axilla and clitorid. Here, we describe the first case of a pilomatrixcarcinoma on the anterolateral surface of the first toe of the left foot of an 83-year-old patient, which developed in less than six months and led to amputation of the distal phalanx. We report a brief review of the current literature with particular emphasis on histopathological features useful for diagnosis

Cutaneous Metastases from Primary Liver Cancers: The Need for Knowledge and Differential Diagnosis

Primary skin tumors are certainly more frequent than metastatic tumors, but the latter can sometimes be the first sign of otherwise unrecognized neoplastic pathology and always correspond to an advanced stage of the disease. Among the various neoplasms that can metastasize in cutaneous districts, skin metastases from primary malignant neoplasms from the liver and biliary tract are infrequent, and when they do occur they can pose differential diagnosis problems to the pathologist. Here we present two cases of metastatic skin lesions, respectively originating from the liver and the intrahepatic biliary tract, and we conduct a brief review of the current literature

automatic joint attention detection during interaction with a humanoid robot

Joint attention is an early-developing social-communicative skill in which two people (usually a young child and an adult) share attention with regards to an interesting object or event, by means of gestures and gaze, and its presence is a key element in evaluating the therapy in the case of autism spectrum disorders. In this work, a novel automatic system able to detect joint attention by using completely non-intrusive depth camera installed on the room ceiling is presented. In particular, in a scenario where a humanoid-robot, a therapist (or a parent) and a child are interacting, the system can detect the social interaction between them. Specifically, a depth camera mounted on the top of a room is employed to detect, first of all, the arising event to be monitored (performed by an humanoid robot) and, subsequently, to detect the eventual joint attention mechanism analyzing the orientation of the head. The system operates in real-time, providing to the therapist a completely non-intrusive instrument to help him to evaluate the quality and the precise modalities of this predominant feature during the therapy session

Skin Manifestation of SARS-CoV-2: The Italian Experience

At the end of December 2019, a new coronavirus denominated Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. Less than three months later, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) to be a global pandemic. Growing numbers of clinical, histopathological, and molecular findings were subsequently reported, among which a particular interest in skin manifestations during the course of the disease was evinced. Today, about one year after the development of the first major infectious foci in Italy, various large case series of patients with COVID-19-related skin manifestations have focused on skin specimens. However, few are supported by histopathological, immunohistochemical, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) data on skin specimens. Here, we present nine cases of COVID-positive patients, confirmed by histological, immunophenotypical, and PCR findings, who underwent skin biopsy. A review of the literature in Italian cases with COVID-related skin manifestations is then provided

Skin Mycetoma in an 11-Year-Old African Boy: Case Presentation with Emphasis on Histopathological Features and Differential Diagnosis

Mycetoma is an uncommon, chronic infective disease of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, characterized by the triad of tumefaction, draining sinuses, and the presence in the exudate of colonial grains. In cases of long-term disease, the presence of colonial grains together with the host's derivative material can lead to the formation of real sinuses. Histological analysis is of fundamental importance to allow an accurate etiological diagnosis and to understand if the basic pathogen is an actinomycete (bacterium) or a real fungus (eumycetic mycetomas) and is also fundamental for therapy, which is quite different. Here, we present a case of Mycetoma in an 11-year-old patient who emigrated from Djibouti, Somalia, and showed the essential histopathological features of this rare and forgotten nosographic entity in the industrialized world and briefly discuss the major and most important differential diagnoses

Dedifferentiated Melanoma: A Diagnostic Histological Pitfall! Review of the Literature with Case Presentation

Dedifferentiated melanoma is a particular form of malignant melanoma with a progressive worsening of the patient's clinical outcome. It is well known that melanoma can assume different histo-morphological patterns, to which specific genetic signatures correspond, sometimes but not always. In this review we address the diagnostic difficulties in correctly recognizing this entity, discuss the major differential diagnoses of interest to the dermatopathologist, and conduct a review of the literature with particular attention and emphasis on the latest molecular discoveries regarding the dedifferentiation/undifferentiation mechanism and more advanced therapeutic approaches

Factors Associated With Severe Gastrointestinal Diagnoses in Children With SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome

Importance Severe gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations have been sporadically reported in children with COVID-19; however, their frequency and clinical outcome are unknown. Objective To describe the clinical, radiological, and histopathologic characteristics of children with COVID-19 presenting with severe GI manifestations to identify factors associated with a severe outcome. Design, Setting, and Participants A multicenter retrospective cohort study (February 25, 2020, to January 20, 2021) enrolled inpatient and outpatient children (aged <18 years) with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, confirmed by positive real-time reverse-transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction on nasopharyngeal swab or fulfilling the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The study was conducted by pediatricians working in primary care or hospitals in Italy participating in the COVID-19 Registry of the Italian Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. Main Outcomes and Measures The occurrence of severe GI manifestations, defined by a medical and/or radiological diagnosis of acute abdomen, appendicitis (complicated or not by perforation and/or peritonitis), intussusception, pancreatitis, abdominal fluid collection, and diffuse adenomesenteritis requiring surgical consultation, occurring during or within 4 to 6 weeks after infection with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs of factors potentially associated with severe outcomes. Results Overall, 685 children (386 boys [56.4%]; median age, 7.3 [IQR, 1.6-12.4] years) were included. Of these children, 628 (91.7%) were diagnosed with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and 57 (8.3%) with MIS-C. The presence of GI symptoms was associated with a higher chance of hospitalization (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.89-3.69) and intensive care unit admission (OR, 3.90; 95% CI, 1.98–7.68). Overall, 65 children (9.5%) showed severe GI involvement, including disseminated adenomesenteritis (39.6%), appendicitis (33.5%), abdominal fluid collection (21.3%), pancreatitis (6.9%), or intussusception (4.6%). Twenty-seven of these 65 children (41.5%) underwent surgery. Severe GI manifestations were associated with the child’s age (5-10 years: OR, 8.33; 95% CI, 2.62-26.5; >10 years: OR, 6.37; 95% CI, 2.12-19.1, compared with preschool-age), abdominal pain (adjusted OR [aOR], 34.5; 95% CI, 10.1-118), lymphopenia (aOR, 8.93; 95% CI, 3.03-26.3), or MIS-C (aOR, 6.28; 95% CI, 1.92-20.5). Diarrhea was associated with a higher chance of adenomesenteritis (aOR, 3.13; 95% CI, 1.08-9.12) or abdominal fluid collection (aOR, 3.22; 95% CI, 1.03-10.0). Conclusions and Relevance In this multicenter cohort study of Italian children with SARS-CoV-2 infection or MIS-C, 9.5% of the children had severe GI involvement, frequently associated with MIS-C. These findings suggest that prompt identification may improve the management of serious complications