A.R.D.S. (Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome) Rilievi clinici e terapeutici su una casistica di grandi traumatizzati toracici.

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Le emergenze toraciche nel nostro territorio. Studio sull'incidenza, osservazioni tecno-organizzative, necessità e proposte operative

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Curioso comportamento di un corpo estraneo (protesi dentaria) migrato dalle vie aeree nel tubo digerente

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Non-universal minimal Z' models: present bounds and early LHC reach

We consider non-universal 'minimal' Z' models, whose additional U(1) charge is a non-anomalous linear combination of the weak hypercharge Y, the baryon number B and the partial lepton numbers (L_e, L_mu, L_tau), with no exotic fermions beyond three standard families with right-handed neutrinos. We show that the observed pattern of neutrino masses and mixing can be fully reproduced by a gauge-invariant renormalizable Lagrangian, and flavor-changing neutral currents in the charged lepton sector are suppressed by a GIM mechanism. We then discuss the phenomenology of some benchmark models. The electrophilic B-3L_e model is significantly constrained by electroweak precision tests, but still allows to fit the hint of an excess observed by CDF in dielectrons but not in dimuons. The muonphilic B-3L_mu model is very mildly constrained by electroweak precision tests, so that even the very early phase of the LHC can explore significant areas of parameter space. We also discuss the hadrophobic L_mu-L_tau model, which has recently attracted interest in connection with some puzzling features of cosmic ray spectra.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figure

Colectomy rate in steroid-refractory colitis initially responsive to cyclosporin: a long-term retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: There is consistent evidence that 50% of patients with acute, steroid-resistant flare of ulcerative colitis (UC) may achieve remission and avoid colectomy if treated with cyclosporin (CsA). However, follow-up of the responders has shown that most of them relapse and need surgery shortly after the response. We compared the records of our CsA-treated patients with those of other groups in order to help clarify this matter. METHODS: All patients admitted consecutively to our Unit with an attack of UC and treated with CsA between January 1991 and December 1999 were studied. Patients were begun on continuously-infused CsA at 2 mg/kg/day (1991–1996), or on NEORAL at an initial dose of 5 mg/kg/day (1996–1999). The maintenance treatment included oral CsA for 3–6 months with or without azathioprine (AZA). CsA failure was defined as a relapse requiring steroids with or without progression to colectomy; the cumulative probability of relapse/colectomy was assessed by Fisher's exact tests and Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Among the patients, 39/61 (63%) initially responded. These 39 included a fatality and 4 drop-outs (unrelated to the side-effects of CsA), leaving 34 patients for the study. Of these, 61% and 35% were colectomy-free at 1 and 7 years, respectively; the corresponding figures were 80 and 60% respectively in the subset treated with AZA, but 47% and 15% in the AZA-untreated subgroup (p= 0.0007 at 7 years). Among the 34 patients, 44% were relapse-free at 1 year, but all had relapsed at 7 years (p = 0.0635). The overall resort to colectomy was 72%, while 19% of the patients remained colectomy-free. CONCLUSION: Sixty percent of a cohort of patients with steroid-refractory colitis responded to CsA and 60% of these responders retained the colon after 1 year. These figures fell to 35% at 7 years but improved to 60% on AZA. The overall need for colectomy remains high in these patients and toxicity must be monitored

π+\pi^+ photoproduction on the proton for photon energies from 0.725 to 2.875 GeV

Differential cross sections for the reaction $\gamma p \to n \pi^+$ have been measured with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) and a tagged photon beam with energies from 0.725 to 2.875 GeV. Where available, the results obtained here compare well with previously published results for the reaction. Agreement with the SAID and MAID analyses is found below 1 GeV. The present set of cross sections has been incorporated into the SAID database, and exploratory fits have been made up to 2.7 GeV. Resonance couplings have been extracted and compared to previous determinations. With the addition of these cross sections to the world data set, significant changes have occurred in the high-energy behavior of the SAID cross-section predictions and amplitudes.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figure

Prevalence and type distribution of human papillomavirus infection in women from North Sardinia, Italy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with several disorders of the genital tract, skin and oropharynx. The aims of our study were to evaluate the prevalence of HPV infection in women between 15 and 54 years of age in North Sardinia, Italy, to identify the prevalence of High Risk - Human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV) genotypes and to establish a correlation between molecular and cytological results.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From 2007 to 2009 we consecutively enrolled women aged 15-54 years admitted to public and private outpatient settings. All the participants filled in a questionnaire about the socio-cultural state, sexual activity and awareness about HPV. 323 cervical specimens were tested for HPV-DNA and HPV genotypes with INNO-LiPA HPV Genotyping CE Amp kit. Samples showing positivity to some HPV genotypes were re-tested using "in house" quantitative Real-Time PCR assays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall HPV-DNA positivity was detected in 35.9% of the women. The prevalence of HR-HPV infection among HPV positive samples was 93.1% with a specific prevalence of HPV 16, 51, 31, 53 and 18 of 54.3%, 37.9%, 10.3%, 6.9% and 5.2%, respectively. Co-infection with any HPV, HR-HPV, LR-HPV and HR/LR-HPV type was 18.3%, 14.9%, 0.9% and 2.5%, respectively; HPV 16/51 co-infection was detected in 64.6% of the HR-HPV co-infection group. The most frequent HPV-genotypes detected were 16 (32.5%) and 51 (22.7%). Among the 57 patients harboring mono-infection the most prevalent HPV genotypes were 16 (38.6%) and 31(10.5%). A multivariate analysis identified a statistical significant association between HPV infection and age and between HPV infection and previous sexual transmitted diseases. A statistically significant association between cytological cervical lesions and generic HPV exposure was identified.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>To our knowledge, this is the first survey evaluating the prevalence of HPV infection in Northern Sardinia and drawing attention to the unusual high proportion of genotype HPV 51. Given the recent implementation of a widespread immunization program with vaccines not containing HPV 51, it has been relevant to prove the high prevalence of this HPV genotype from the start of the vaccination campaign, in order to avoid in the future attributing to the vaccination program a possible selection effect (HPV replacement).</p