Pancreatic cystosis in cystic fibrosis. Sometimes a bike ride can help you decide

Pancreatic cystosis (PC) is an uncommon manifestation of pancreas involvement in cystic fibrosis (CF), characterized by the presence of multiple macrocysts partially or completely replacing pancreas. Only few reports are available from literature and management (surgery vs follow up) is commonly based on the presence of symptoms or complications due to local mass effect, although evidence-based recommendations are still not available. We here report the case of a young adult CF patient with PC, in which cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) provided important information to be integrated to the radiological finding of inferior vena cava compression by the multicystic pancreas complex. Through the analysis of oxygen kinetic cardiodynamic phase pattern, CPET may be helpful to safely exclude significant mass effects on blood venous return and to improve the decision-making process on whether to consider surgery or not in patients with PC

Discrete phase-space approach to mutually orthogonal Latin squares

We show there is a natural connection between Latin squares and commutative sets of monomials defining geometric structures in finite phase-space of prime power dimensions. A complete set of such monomials defines a mutually unbiased basis (MUB) and may be associated with a complete set of mutually orthogonal Latin squares (MOLS). We translate some possible operations on the monomial sets into isomorphisms of Latin squares, and find a general form of permutations that map between Latin squares corresponding to unitarily equivalent mutually unbiased sets. We extend this result to a conjecture: MOLS associated to unitarily equivalent MUBs will always be isomorphic, and MOLS associated to unitarily inequivalent MUBs will be non-isomorphic

Cardiac magnetic resonance characterization of atrial pseudo-mass in Erdheim-Chester disease

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Carbonate assimilation in open magmatic systems: the role of melt-bearing skarns and cumulate-forming processes

The geochemical characteristics of volcanic products in a variety of tectonic settings demonstrate that incorporation of crustal material into magmas is a relatively common process. Contamination of magmas by crustal components, in turn, can have a significant effect on magma composition and rheology. Despite this, the mechanism by which contamination occurs is still not well established and its efficacy is denied by some. In this study we focus on magma-carbonate interaction and on the rock shells (cumulates and skarns) formed at the contact between a magma chamber and its wall-rocks. We deduce that previous, unsuccessful attempts at carbonate assimilation-fractional crystallization (AFC) modelling can be related to the paucity of information about the cumulate zone in contact with skarns. We use one of the best examples of a magmatic plumbing system emplaced within a thick carbonate substratum (the Colli Albani Volcanic District in Central Italy) to demonstrate that a “skarn environment” can act as a source of CaO-rich silicate melts, and that the assimilation of these melts into the primitive magma is the main process responsible for magma contamination, rather than the ingestion of solid carbonate wall-rocks. In particular, by means of microtextural observations, mineral chemistry, whole-rock geochemical data and MELTS simulations we highlight the effect of high Ca-Tschermaks (CaAl2SiO6) activity in the melt on the stability of Cr-spinel, olivine, and clinopyroxene in cumulate rocks, define a reaction-cumulate zone where clinopyroxene crystallization is favoured, and model the magmatic differentiation processes active in this zone

Assessing the volcanic hazard for Rome. 40Ar/39Ar and In-SAR constraints on the most recent eruptive activity and present-day uplift at Colli Albani Volcanic District

We present new 40Ar/39Ar data which allow us to refine the recurrence time for the most recent eruptive activity occurred at Colli Albani Volcanic District (CAVD) and constrain its geographic area. Time elapsed since the last eruption (36 kyr) overruns the recurrence time (31 kyr) in the last 100 kyr. New interferometric synthetic aperture radar data, covering the years 1993–2010, reveal ongoing inflation with maximum uplift rates (>2 mm/yr) in the area hosting the most recent (<200 ka) vents, suggesting that the observed uplift might be caused by magma injection within the youngest plumbing system. Finally, we frame the present deformation within the structural pattern of the area of Rome, characterized by 50 m of regional uplift since 200 ka and by geologic evidence for a recent (<2000 years) switch of the local stress-field, highlighting that the precursors of a new phase of volcanic activity are likely occurring at the CAVD

Abitare la scuola. Ricerca esplorativa sulle opportunità educative offerte dallo spazio, in prospettiva inclusiva

Recently in the Western countries, within a wider debate on the improvement and enhancement of education, the theme of architecture of school buildings is taking a growing interest. In Italy it became a debated theme, with the approvation, at a regional level, of the New Provincial Guidelines for School Building in Alto Adige (2009) and, at a national level, with the New Guidelines for School Building (2013). This research aims to explore the theme of the physical space in education and to understand what are the opportunities that a physical space provides for inclusive education to promote equal opportunities for the development of students. This research also aims to know the priorities of the architects involved in the design of school buildings in order to understand how these priorities relate to education. In order to answer these questions the author chose to interview privileged witnesses as architects and interior designers dealing with school spaces. Author chose to adopt a qualitative investigation process using a semi-structured interview. From the data analysis emerge the variables to consider, in the design of a school building, in order to offer opportunities for each student and promote his development. Moreover data explain that architects who have the mandate to design school spaces, have neither a comparison with teachers, nor with experts in education. This inattention could have an impact on teaching and other educational dimensions causing possible forms of micro-exclusion. Finally, the different relationship between the architecture, the furniture, and the educational dimension that allow a dialogue between disciplines, has been tracked

Magnetic resonance imaging 3t and total fibrotic volume in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

INTRODUCTION: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common renal hereditary disorder. Several authors have attempted to identify a kidney damage marker for predicting the prognosis and the effectiveness of therapy in ADPKD. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify in ADPKD, through a novel MR protocol with 3 Tesla (MRI 3Tesla), the presence of parenchymal fibrotic tissue at early stage of disease, able to correlate the glomerular filtrate and to predict the loss of the function renal. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 15 ADPKD patients undergone to renal MRI 3Tesla at T0 and revaluated after follow up (T1) of 5 years. We have evaluated renal function, plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), insulin resistance and surrogate markers of atherosclerosis (carotid intima media thickness (IMT), ankle/brachial index (ABI) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI). RESULTS: Our study showed a significant negative correlation between total kidney volume and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) during observational observation (p<0.02). Moreover, we showed a negative correlation between eGFR with Total Fibrotic Volume (TFV) (p<0.04) and Total Perfusion Volume/Total kidney Volume(<0.02). Moreover TFV was correlated positively with PAC (p<0.05), insulin values (p<0.05), ABI (p <0.05) and LVMI(p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The MRI 3Tesla, despite the high costs, could be considered an useful and non-invasive method in the evaluation of fibrotic tissue and progression of the disease in ADPKD patients. Further clinical trials on larger group are due to confirm the results of this pilot study, suggesting that MRI 3Tesla can be useful to evaluate the effectiveness of new therapeutic strategies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Report on advances for pediatricians in 2018: allergy, cardiology, critical care, endocrinology, hereditary metabolic diseases, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, neonatology, nutrition, respiratory tract disorders and surgery.

This review reported notable advances in pediatrics that have been published in 2018. We have highlighted progresses in allergy, cardiology, critical care, endocrinology, hereditary metabolic diseases, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, neonatology, nutrition, respiratory tract disorders and surgery. Many studies have informed on epidemiologic observations. Promising outcomes in prevention, diagnosis and treatment have been reported. We think that advances realized in 2018 can now be utilized to ameliorate patient car