125 research outputs found
Levels of plasma homocysteine in pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.
BACKGROUND: To examine levels of serum homocysteine (Hcy), vitamin B12 and folic acid in patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEXG), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and healthy control subjects.
METHODS: This study included 36 patients with PEXG, 40 with POAG, and 40 age-matched healthy subjects. Fasting plasma Hcy concentrations and levels of serum vitamin B12 and folic acid were measured using competitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay; values exceeding 14 μm/l were considered elevated. RESULTS:
Mean plasma Hcy was significantly higher in PEXG (16.55 ± 7.23 μm/l) compared with POAG (13.91 ± 3.61 μm/l) and controls (13.12 ± 5.13 μm/l) (p = 0.03 and p = 0.0007 respectively). There were no statistical differences in serum vitamin B12 and folic acid levels among PEXG, POAG and control subjects (p > 0.05). A moderate, although statistically significant, relationship between Hcy and folic acid levels was found in the PEXG group (R(2) = 0.23, p = 0.003). Hcy levels were found not to be related with folic acid or vitamin B12 in either POAG or control subjects.
CONCLUSIONS: In this study, plasma Hcy is significantly higher in PEXG group than the POAG and control groups. Hyper-Hcy might play a role in the pathogenesis of PEXG. Hyper-Hcy may be an independent factor stressing vasculopathy in addition to pseudoexfoliation, so might be a modifiable risk factor for PEXG
Atti del Workshop: Tecniche Speciali e Avanzate di Dosimetria e Radioprotezione
Atti del Workshop organizzato dall'Associazione Italiana di Radioprotezione (AIRP) in collaborazione con l'Università degli Studi di Palermo, dal titolo "Tecniche Speciali e Avanzate in Dosimetria e Radioprotezione" che si svolgerà venerdì 24 Giugno a Palermo presso l'Aula Magna del Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 18.
L'evento rientra tra i 210 Eventi organizzati per i 210 anni dalla fondazione dell'Ateneo palermitano su iniziativa del Magnifico Rettore, Prof. Fabrizio Micari.
L’evento prevede la discussione di 4 tematiche in ambito della dosimetria e della radioprotezione in campo sanitario ed ambientale (Dosimetria Clinica, Dosimetria Ambientale, Dosimetria Retrospettiva e Tecniche Dosimetriche avanzate in Radioprotezione) ciascuna delle quali ha una relazione generale ad invito e alcune brevi comunicazioni orali.
Le sessioni sono moderate da Dirigenti Fisici medici di due delle più importanti Aziende Ospedaliere Siciliane, Dirigenti dell’Istituto Superiore di Sanità e l’ex Rettore dell’Ateneo e membro del CdA del CNR, il Prof. Roberto Lagalla.
Interverranno il magnifico Rettore dell’Università di Palermo, l’Assessore alla Sanità della Regione Sicilia, il Direttore dell’Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Sicilia, il Direttore Generale dell’Agenzia per la Protezione dell’Ambiente Sicilia, il Direttore del Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, il Direttore di ATeN Center (Advanced Technologies Network), Dirigenti Fisici dell’Istituto Superiore di Sanità e dell’Istituto Europeo Oncologico di Milano.
Hanno contribuito alla parte organizzativa e scientifica Dirigenti dell’ARPA Sicilia, Dirigenti dell’ARNAS Civico di Palermo, Docenti dell’Università di Palermo e di Milano, Ricercatori del CNR e Specializzandi UniPa.
Questo evento è di grande rilevanza nazionale in termini di divulgazione scientifica vista la presenza dei relatori e moderatori invitati che ne danno lustro e rilevanza.
Sarà un'occasione di confronto e di analisi retrospettiva a quarant'anni della giornata di studio “Problemi e prospettive della Fisica Sanitaria nel settore medico” organizzata dalla Prof.ssa Maria Brai
Comparative analysis for the assessment of restoration treatments on stone material from the roman theater of Merida (Spain)
The overall goal of the project is the study of effects of conservation treatments
applied
on
stone material from archaeological sites, i
n terms of superficial changes, effectiveness and
durability. In this sense, one of the first premises is characterize the surface of the treated and
untreated material in order to determine changes in physical and chemical properties
NDT for the detection and characterization of superficial treatments on stone material from archaeological sites of Merida (Spain)
Environmental Metal Pollution Considered as Noise: Effects on the Spatial Distribution of Benthic Foraminifera in two Coastal Marine Areas of Sicily (Southern Italy)
We analyze the spatial distributions of two groups of benthic foraminifera
(Adelosina spp. + Quinqueloculina spp. and Elphidium spp.), along Sicilian
coast, and their correlation with six different heavy metals, responsible for
the pollution. Samples were collected inside the Gulf of Palermo, which has a
high level of pollution due to heavy metals, and along the coast of Lampedusa
island (Sicily Channel, Southern Mediterranean), which is characterized by
unpolluted sea waters. Because of the environmental pollution we find: (i) an
anticorrelated spatial behaviour between the two groups of benthic foraminifera
analyzed; (ii) an anticorrelated (correlated) spatial behaviour between the
first (second) group of benthic foraminifera with metal concentrations; (iii)
an almost uncorrelated spatial behaviour between low concentrations of metals
and the first group of foraminifera in clean sea water sites. We introduce a
two-species model based on the generalized Lotka-Volterra equations in the
presence of a multiplicative noise, which models the interaction between
species and environmental pollution due to the presence in top-soft sediments
of heavy metals. The interaction coefficients between the two species are kept
constant with values in the coexistence regime. Using proper values for the
initial conditions and the model parameters, we find for the two species a
theoretical spatial distribution behaviour in a good agreement with the data
obtained from the 63 sites analyzed in our study.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, 5 table
Electron Spin Resonance and Thermoluminescence dating of shells and sediments from Sambaqui (shell mound) Santa Marta II, Brazil
In Tupi, the word Sambaqui means “mound of shells”. These archaeological sites are cultural vestiges left by the prehistoric occupation of the Brazilian coast from five to six thousand years ago. Mollusks, fishes, and other marine edible foods were important for the survival of this population. The remains of foods, mainly shells, were heaped up, giving a mound of different proportions, which became part of the landscape of the Brazilian coastal plain. Due to the large number of Sambaquis in Brazil and considering that Sambaqui Santa Marta II, Laguna, SC, has not yet been dated, Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) measurements were performed in aragonite shells collected from different layers of Sambaqui Santa Marta II, starting from the base to the center of the Sambaqui. Radiocarbon analysis by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) at Beta Analytic laboratory were also performed for comparison with ESR results. Before measurements, shells were chemically etched, after drying, were pulverized and sieved. The sediments were separated into small portions which were irradiated with gamma radiation from a 60Co source with doses from 5 up to 120 Gy. Ages around 2,000 to 4,000 years have been obtained. The results obtained are consistent with the dates of others Sambaquis of the region, possibly were built at the same time
EPR dating of shells from Malhada Marsh, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The formation of the coastal plain of the Brazilian sea is mainly due to the fluctuation of relative sea level in the past. Armação dos Buzios or simply Buzios is a municipality in the microregion of lakes, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. In this region there is a lowland area about two meters above current sea level. This lowland areais also known as coastal plain of Una River. It is expected that during the Holocene period the sea level reached a maximum about 2.5 meters above the current level. During that time billions of mollusks lived and proliferated in the shallow waters around the coastal plain of the Una River. As they died their shells formed a layer in the soil including Malhada Marsh that belongs to the Una River plain. In this study, shells were collected from this region and dated using the techniques of Electronic Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR). Ages from 2480±130 to 4490±270 years were obtained. Radiocarbon dating were performed at the Beta Analytic Lab, USA for comparison with the EPR results. Shells ages obtained are compatible with geological data from the Holocene period relative to past sea level fluctuations
OUTCOME DI SVILUPPO A BREVE TERMINE IN SOGGETTI SOTTOPOSTI A TRATTAMENTO IPOTERMICO
Trattamento ipotermico, asfissi
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