Ganciclovir penetrates into the cerebrospinal fluid of an infant with congenital cytomegalovirus infection

Currently, there is no evidence whether ganciclovir, or its oral prodrug valganciclovir, penetrates into the cerebrospinal fluid of human infants treated for congenital cytomegalovirus infection. Here we report a case study providing evidence that ganciclovir, administered as valganciclovir, reaches the infant's cerebrospinal fluid when used at the currently recommended dose for congenital cytomegalovirus infection

In-field assessment of sodium oxybate effect in pediatric type 1 narcolepsy: An actigraphic study

Study Objectives: Sodium oxybate (SXB) is a GABAergic agent widely used as off-label treatment in pediatric type 1 narcolepsy (NT1). Here, we aimed at analyzing by wrist actigraphy the sleep/wake profile of NT1 children and adolescents in drug-na\uefve condition and after 1 year of SXB treatment. As secondary aim, we investigated changes on sleepiness, cataplexy, and children's anthropometric profile after 1 year of SXB treatment. Methods: Twenty-four drug-na\uefve NT1 children underwent 7 days of actigraphy during the school week. Information on sleepiness, narcolepsy symptoms, and anthropometric features were collected during the same week with questionnaires and semistructured clinical interview. Children started SXB treatment and underwent a second evaluation encompassing actigraphy, clinical interview, questionnaires, and anthropometric assessment after 1 year of stable treatment. Results: Actigraphy effectively documented an improvement of nocturnal sleep quality and duration coupled with a reduction of diurnal total sleep time, nap frequency, and duration at 1 year follow-up. Reduction of sleepiness, cataplexy frequency and severity, and weight loss, mainly in obese and overweight NT1 children, were also observed at the 1 year follow-up. Conclusions: Actigraphy objectively documented changes in nocturnal sleep quality and diurnal napping behavior after 1 year of SXB treatment, thus representing a valid approach to ecologically assess SXB treatment effect on NT1 children's sleep/wake profile. NT1 symptoms severity and children's anthropometric features also changed as expected. Actigraphy offers the possibility to longitudinally follow up children and has potential to become a key tool to tailor treatment in pediatric patients

General relativistic effects on the evolution of binary systems.

When a radio pulsar brakes down due to magnetodipole emission,its gravitational mass decreases accordingly. If the pulsar is hosted in a binary system, this mass loss will Increase the orbital period of the system. We show that this relativistic effect can be indeed observable if the neutron star is fast and magnetized enough and that, if observed, it will help to put tight constraints to the equation of state of ultradense matter. Moreover, in Low Mass X-ray Binaries that evolve towards short periods, the neutron star lights up as a radio pulsar during the "period gap". As the effect we consider contrasts the orbital period decay, the system spends a longer time in this phase. As a consequence, the neutron star can survive this phase only if it is non-supramassive, Since in such bianries similar to 0.84M(circle dot) can be accreted onto the neutron star, short period (P <= 2 h) millisecond Xray pulsars like SAX J1808.4-3658 can be formed only if either a large part of the accreting matter has been ejected from the system, or the equation of state of ultradense matter is very stiff

The effect of four mutations on the expression of iduronate-2-sulfatase in mucopolysaccharidosis type II

AbstractMucopolysaccharidosis type II (Hunter syndrome; OMIM 309900) is a rare X-linked recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of the enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS; EC 3.1.6.13). Different alterations at the IDS locus, mostly missense mutations, have been demonstrated, by expression study, as deleterious, causing significant consequences on the enzyme function or stability. In the present study we report on the results of the transient expression of the novel K347T, 533delTT, N265I and the already described 473delTCC (previously named ΔS117) mutations in the COS 7 cells proving their functional consequence on IDS activity. This type of information is potentially useful for genotype–phenotype correlation, prognosis and possible therapeutic intervention

L’omicidio volontario tra gli immigrati: autori e vittime

The paper analyzes the data concerning to the foreigners authors and victims of homicide, deriving from the EURES Report on the homicide in Italy 2013.The analysis of these shows that the homicide in Italy has undergone a significant decrease in the last twenty years, disproving the xenophobic panicking that superficially and generally it tends to find the cause of the increase in crime among immigrants. In fact, since 2008 a progressive decrease there was with regard to the homicide of foreign known author: from 129 to 121. With reference to foreign victims in 2012 there is the lowest number since the last decade with 108 victims compared to 132 in 2011Il contributo analizza i dati relativi agli stranieri autori e vittime di omicidio provenienti dal Rapporto EURES sull’omicidio in Italia 2013. L’analisi di questi mostra come l’omicidio in Italia abbia subito un forte decremento negli ultimi venti anni, confutando l’allarmismo xenofobo che tende superficialmente e generalmente a riscontrare la causa dell’aumento della criminalità negli immigrati.Dal 2008, infatti, si è avuta una progressiva diminuzione per quanto attiene agli omicidi con autore di straniero noto, passando da 129 a 121. Con riferimento alle vittime straniere, nel 2012 si registra il più basso numero rispetto all’ultimo decennio con 108 vittime rispetto alle 132 del 2011

[Columba livia domestic breed, invasive entity also alien for Italy]

[The Rock Dove (Columba livia) is a polytypic species originally confined to coastal and inland cliffs of western Palaearctic and northern Ethiopian regions and to those of Indian subcontinent. The present distribution is confused by extensions of range through hybridization with feral stock, which have determined its diffusion in geographical areas and environments that are very different and distant from the original ones, with a naturalized distribution now virtually cosmopolitan. Besides a substantial number of domestic breeds reared and maintained in this state, Columba livia is now represented by the original wild populations, generally in decline, and by feral populations, originated from abandoned or escaped domestic individuals. These populations developed above all, but no exclusively, in the cities, starting from the end of the XVIII century, with a further significant increase during the second post-war period, In this work, after having examined and discussed the distribution of the species resulting from the Pleistocene fossil findings and from the historical ornithological literature, we advance the hypothesis that wherever there are free-living populations showing phenotypic, biometric or genetic characteristics different from the wild morphotype, it is legitimate to consider these populations as an alien complex of domestic origin, to be controlled by culling and, when possible, eradicated. On the side-lines of this work, the Authors hope for a reconsideration of Italian names of this species.] [Article in Italian

Amorphous-silicon visible-light detector integrated on silicon nitride waveguides

: Visible-light integrated photonics is emerging as a promising technology for the realization of optical devices for applications in sensing, quantum information and communications, imaging, and displays. Among the existing photonic platforms, high-index-contrast silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguides offer broadband transparency in the visible spectral range and a high scale of integration. As the complexity of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) increases, on-chip detectors are required to monitor their working point for reconfiguration and stabilization operations. In this Letter, we present a semi-transparent in-line power monitor integrated on Si3N4 waveguides that operates in the red-light wavelength range (660 nm). The proposed device exploits the photoconductivity of a hydrogenated amorphous-silicon (a-Si:H) film that is evanescently coupled to an optical waveguide. Experimental results show a responsivity of 30 mA/W, a sensitivity of -45 dBm, and a sub-µs time response. These features enable the use of the proposed photoconductor for high-sensitivity monitoring and control of visible-light Si3N4 PICs

Laser Scanning Application for Geostructural analysis of Tuffaceous Coastal Cliffs: the case of Punta Epitaffio, Pozzuoli Bay, Italy

This study presents the results of a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) application aimed at characterizing the structural pattern of Punta Epitaffio tuffaceous coastal cliff, Pozzuoli Bay, Eastern Tyrrhenian margin. The study site is located in the Campi Flegrei, an active volcanic caldera, characterized by dense urbanization, near the town of Naples, Italy. The 3D digital model of the Punta Epitaffio cliff derived from TLS data, provided a base for the classification of rock discontinuities by geostatistical analysis. In particular, the work flow of geostructural data processing included: 1) statistical analysis of spatial orientation of the facets of the 3D mesh derived by the TLS survey; 2) extraction of the best-fit attitudes (dip and dip direction) of discontinuity sets for each sub-planar patch of the rock face; 3) cluster analysis of best-fit structural discontinuities; 4) definition of all the discontinuity sets and geo-structural classification of 3D model facets; 5) kinematic analysis for the definition of possible failure mechanisms. Kinematic analysis took into account primarily structurally-controlled failure mechanisms (planar sliding, wedge sliding, flexural toppling, and direct toppling). The method illustrated in this research can be extensively applied to identify unstable areas along tuffaceous coastal cliffs and define shape and volume of rocks potentially involved by failures