Status and trend of ground-level ozone at the CONECOFOR plots, 1996 - 2005

Ozone measurements are performed since 1996 at the Permanent Monitoring Plots (PMPs) of the National Integrated Programme for Forest Ecosystem Monitoring (CONECOFOR). Weekly ozone concentrations are determined by passive samplers during spring and summer months, over a time period of 10 yrs. We analyzed data collected over a time period of ten years. Ozone shows potentially phytotoxic concentrations especially at the plots located in the central and Southern regions. Although monitoring periods at the different plots are not homogeneous, statistically significant differences between yearly concentrations of subsequent years were observed, highlighting a considerable temporal variability of ozone pollution levels. Trend analysis performed on ten years data series points out an increase of ozone concentrations over the considered time period at seven plots, all located in central and Southern Italy. The same analysis performed on data collected during the vegetative period (April - September) at the different PMPs from 2001 to 2005 shows significant positive trends at 5 plots, three of them located in the Alpine region, and 2 in Southern Italy

Theoretical and Experimental Essentials on Baryon Form Factors

This brief review is a practical guide on the basic concepts, pivotal formulae, standard relations, and some unusual, often forgotten, but sometimes revealing features of baryons' form factors. All available measured values of nucleon form factors in the space-like and time-like regions extracted from scattering and annihilation cross-sections are also reported

Effects of Isolated Systolic Hypertension and Essential Hypertension on Large and Middle-sized Artery Compliance

Systolic hypertension of the elderly is characterized by a reduction in arterial compliance. Whether and to what extent this involves arteries of various structure and size is not well known.To study carotid and radial artery compliance in systolic hypertension of the elderly, compared to essential hypertension and normotension.We investigated 28 elderly patients with systolic hypertension (age 68.6 +/- 1.4 years, mean +/- SE; systolic blood pressure160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure90 mmHg) plus 17 age-matched patients with essential hypertension and 15 age-matched healthy normotensive subjects. Radial and carotid artery compliance were evaluated using echotracking techniques. In both arteries compliance was assessed statistically and dynamically, i.e. as compliance values throughout the diasto-systolic pressure range. Measurements included intima-media wall thickness of the radial artery.Compared to normotensive subjects, carotid artery compliance was reduced in essential hypertension and more so in systolic hypertension. However, although in both groups radial artery wall thickness was markedly greater than in the normotensive group, radial artery compliance was markedly reduced in systolic hypertension, but unchanged in essential hypertension.In systolic hypertension of the elderly the reduction of arterial compliance is marked in both muscular and large elastic arteries, while in elderly essential hypertensives changes in arterial compliance are more heterogeneous, i.e. only carotid artery compliance is reduced. The different effects of these two types of hypertension on arterial mechanics are visible throughout the physiological range of blood pressure and probably accounted for by different alterations in vessel wall structure

Radiobiology of stereotactic radiotherapy

This paper focuses on the radiobiological mechanisms underlying the effects of stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) which, despite SRT expansion, have not yet been fully elucidated. Some authors postulated that radiobiology principles, as applied to conventional fractionations (5R: reoxygenation, repair, repopulation, redistribution, radioresistence), suffice in themselves to account for the excellent clinical results of SRT; others argued that the role of the 5R was limited. Recent preclinical data showed that hypofractionated ablative treatments altered the microenvironment, thus determining cell death either directly or indirectly. Furthermore, dead tumor cells released quantities of antigens, which stimulated antitumor immunity, thus reducing the risk of relapse and metastasis. Better understanding of the radiobiological mechanisms underlying response to high-dose radiation treatment is essential for predicting its short- and long-term effects on the tumor and surrounding healthy tissues and, consequently, for improving its related therapeutic index

Enhanced Arteriogenesis and Wound Repair in Dystrophin-Deficient <i>mdx</i> Mice

Background— The absence of functional dystrophin in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients and in mdx mice results in progressive muscle degeneration associated with necrosis, fibrosis, and inflammation. Because vascular supply plays a key role in tissue repair, we examined whether new blood vessel development was altered in mdx mice. Methods and Results— In a model of hindlimb ischemia on femoral artery dissection, hindlimb perfusion, measured by laser Doppler imaging, was higher in mdx mice (0.67±0.26) than in wild-type (WT) mice (0.33±0.18, P <0.03). In keeping with these data, a significant increase in arteriole length density was found in mdx mice (13.6±8.4 mm/mm 3 ) compared with WT mice (7.8±4.6 mm/mm 3 , P <0.03). Conversely, no difference was observed in capillary density between mice of the 2 genotypes. The enhanced regenerative response was not limited to ischemic skeletal muscle, because in a wound-healing assay, mdx mice showed an accelerated wound closure rate compared with WT mice. Moreover, a vascularization assay in Matrigel plugs containing basic fibroblast growth factor injected subcutaneously revealed an increased length density of arterioles in mdx (46.9±14.7 mm/mm 3 ) versus WT mice (19.5±5.8 mm/mm 3 , P <0.001). Finally, serum derived from mdx mice sustained formation of endothelium-derived tubular structures in vitro more efficiently than WT serum. Conclusions— These results demonstrate that arteriogenesis is enhanced in mdx mice both after ischemia and skin wounding and in response to growth factors

La chimica delle deposizioni atmosferiche e gli inquinanti atmosferici nelle aree del programma CONECOFOR nell\u27anno 2012

Atmospheric deposition was sampled in 13 forest sites in Italy, in the open field, under tree canopy and on stemflow, and analyzed for major ions, dissolved organic carbon and total nitrogen. Ozone concentration was also measured during spring and summer. The results were compared with time series dating back to 1997

Breast cancer in the elderly: Treatment of 1500 patients

There is a significant difference in the extent of treatment offered to the elderly with breast cancer; in the United States, while 98% of patients less than 65 years of age receive standard treatment, 81% of those older than 65 years were treated according to protocol. This study's goal was to evaluate disease-specific survival and local-regional recurrence in breast cancer patients more than 65 years of age at diagnosis. A total of 1500 patients with invasive breast carcinoma were treated consecutively from May 1971 to July 2002 at the University of Florence, Florence, Italy. All patients were more than 65 years of age. The median age was 70.6 years (range 65.1-87.3 years). The median follow-up was 8.7 years (range 1-30 years). The crude probability of survival (or relapse occurrence) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and survival (or relapse occurrence) comparisons were carried out using Cox proportional hazard regression models. The Cox regression model by stepwise selection showed as independent prognostic factors for disease-specific survival (DSS), the occurrence of a local relapse (p < 0.0001), pN status (p < 0.0001), the type of surgery (p < 0.0001), and the use of radiotherapy (p < 0.0006) and chemotherapy (p = 0.01). For local disease-free survival (LDFS), the Cox regression model by stepwise selection showed that mastectomy (p < 0.0001), histotype (p < 0.0001), pN status (p < 0.0001), and pT status (p = 0.001) were the only independent prognostic factors. Age was not a prognostic factor for DSS nor LDFS. We suggest treating patients with appropriate treatment for their prognostic factors

La chimica delle deposizioni atmosferiche e gli inquinanti atmosferici nelle aree del programma CONECOFOR nell\u27anno 2011

Atmospheric deposition was sampled in 22 forest sites in Italy, in the open field, under tree canopy and on stemflow, and analyzed for major ions, dissolved organic carbon and total nitrogen. Ozone concentration was also measured during spring and summer. The results were compared with time series dating back to 1997