Encefalopatia ipertensiva cronica (EIC): sensibilita\u300 delle sequenze GE-T2* a confronto con le SWI nell'identificazione dei micro-sanguinamenti

L'EIC e\u300 caratterizzata dalla presenza di lesioni parenchimali irreversibili, risultato di una lunga esposizione a regimi pressori patologici specie in pazienti che non seguono o non rispondono alle comuni terapie mediche. Si riscontrano quali reperti tipici multipli esiti gliotici, leucoaraiosi e multiple lesioni lacunari con predilezione per le localizzazioni profonde ai nuclei lenticolari, ai talami e al ponte. Piu\u300 raramente possono evidenziarsi minuti foci emorragici parenchimali, piu\u300 frequentemente localizzati nei gangli della base ma anche nel ponte e nel cervelletto, che in alcuni casi possono rappresentare la manifestazione principale della patologia: questi microsanguinamenti, visibili incostantemente in TC, sono classicamente ben individuabili in RM come aree di netta ipointensita\u300 di segnale in GRE (Gradient Recalled Echo) T2* pesate. Scopo del nostro lavoro e\u300 quello di presentare due casi in cui l'EIC si manifesta prevalentemente con un quadro micro-emorragico confrontando la sensibilita\u300 delle convenzionali sequenze GRE T2* pesate con sequenze sensibili al fenomeno della suscettivita\u300 magnetica (Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging, SWI) di piu\u300 recente introduzione nella routine diagnostica

Vertical‑Surface Navigation in the Neotropical Whip Spider \u3ci\u3eParaphrynus laevifrons\u3c/i\u3e (Arachnida: Amblypygi)

Studies on whip spider navigation have focused on their ability to locate goal locations in the horizontal plane (e.g., when moving along the ground). However, many species of tropical whip spiders reside and move along surfaces in the vertical plane (e.g., trees). Under controlled laboratory conditions, the current study investigated the ability of the tropical whip spider, Paraphrynus laevifrons, to return to a home shelter on a vertical surface in the presence of numerous, similar, and competing refuge sites, as well as the distribution of navigational errors in the vertical, horizontal, and diagonal plane. We also assessed the relative importance of sensory cues originating from a previously occupied home shelter compared to the position of a previously occupied shelter in guiding shelter choice. It was found that P. laevifrons displays robust fidelity in relocating a home shelter on a vertical surface. When navigational errors did occur, they were not significantly different in all three directions. Additionally, cue-conflict test trials revealed that cues associated with an original home shelter, likely self-deposited chemical signals, were more important than sources of positional information in guiding the shelter choice of P. laevifrons

Spontaneous Resorption of an Occipital Meningocele: Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation

Cranial meningocele is a very rare variant of encephalocele. Meningocele can be associated with other disorders and may cause complications. Therapy is usually based on surgical treatment. To our knowledge, we describe the first case of spontaneous resorption of an occipital meningocele in a full-term newborn boy. A full-term newborn was noted to have a large non-skin covered, semitransparent cystic lump in the occipital bone. He underwent computed tomography and a diagnosis of meningocele was proposed. After a few hours, the cystic lump spontaneously readsorbed. After 1 week the patient underwent magnetic resonance. Histology confirmed the diagnosis

Diagnóstico de la fertilidad de suelos en dos parcelas para cultivo de cacao (Theobroma cacao) y café (Coffea arábica) en el municipio de San Buenaventura

En el norte del departamento de La Paz, la frontera agrícola fue incrementándose vertiginosamente por el ingreso del cultivo de caña de azúcar, actividades ganaderas, asentamientos en áreas para la extracción ilegal de la madera, entre otras, que van en desmedro de la biodiversidad; el trabajo consistió en diagnosticar la fertilidad de suelos para la implementación de cultivos con cacao y café, en dos comunidades (San Silvestre y Esmeralda), tomando como base los datos obtenidos por Miranda et al. (2021) sobre análisis físico-químico de suelos. El procedimiento fue: a) sistematización de información secundaria y primaria, b) análisis de ingresos y salidas de nutrientes del suelo y c) dosificación de nutrientes en base al balance de los mismos para el cultivo de cacao y café. De acuerdo al análisis realizado, En la comunidad Esmeralda para tener adecuados rendimientos en cacao se debe adicionar 738.5 kg N ha-1 y 76.07 kg P2O5 ha-1 y en café 212.5 kg N ha-1, los mismos por su bajo porcentaje de saturación de acidez no requieren encalado. En la comunidad San Silvestre, se requiere adición de 788.09 kg N ha-1, 229.03 kg P2O5 ha-1 y 403.86 kg K2O para el cultivo de cacao y para el cultivo de café 262.09 kg N ha-1 21.20 kg P2O5. Por otro lado, los suelos presentan un alto porcentaje de saturación de acidez recomendado con 46.73 %, mayor al porcentaje de saturación de cultivo de cacao (20 %) y café (25 %) sugiriendo la adición de 4.327 kg de cal agrícola para el cultivo de cacao por planta y 0.439 kg para el cultivo de café, sugiriendo los mismos ser aplicados en dos etapas

The OSIRIS-REx Visible and InfraRed Spectrometer (OVIRS): Spectral Maps of the Asteroid Bennu

The OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS) is a point spectrometer covering the spectral range of 0.4 to 4.3 microns (25,000-2300 cm-1). Its primary purpose is to map the surface composition of the asteroid Bennu, the target asteroid of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission. The information it returns will help guide the selection of the sample site. It will also provide global context for the sample and high spatial resolution spectra that can be related to spatially unresolved terrestrial observations of asteroids. It is a compact, low-mass (17.8 kg), power efficient (8.8 W average), and robust instrument with the sensitivity needed to detect a 5% spectral absorption feature on a very dark surface (3% reflectance) in the inner solar system (0.89-1.35 AU). It, in combination with the other instruments on the OSIRIS-REx Mission, will provide an unprecedented view of an asteroid's surface.Comment: 14 figures, 3 tables, Space Science Reviews, submitte

Hepatic incidentaloma: An asymptomatic ectopic thyroid tissue

: An ectopic thyroid is a form of thyroid dysgenesis in which the entire thyroid gland or parts of it may be located in another part of the body than the usual place. The most frequent location is the base of the tongue. Although most cases are asymptomatic, symptoms related to tumor size and its relationship with surrounding tissues, hormonal dysfunction, and seldom malignancy may also occur. Here, we describe the case of an asymptomatic woman who was thyroidectomized 19 years previously for a toxic goiter and treated with conventional L-thyroxine therapy, until we enacted a progressive reduction of dosage of the replacement therapy. Incidentally, because of occasional abdomen discomfort, she was hospitalized in our Division of Endocrinology as there was ultrasound evidence of a large mass in the liver dislocating and imprinting the choledochal duct in the pre-pancreatic site, the gallbladder, and the cystic duct, which could not be dissociated from the contiguous hepatic parenchyma and was in very close proximity to the second duodenal portion and the head of the pancreas. Imaging techniques, such as TC, MR, TC/PET, and 131I scintigraphy, confirmed the large lesion with a diameter on the axial plane of about 8 × 5.5 cm and a cranio-caudal extension of about 6 cm. The impossibility of surgical debulking and/or radiometabolic 131I therapy, in the absence of compression symptoms, led to the multidisciplinary decision of a clinical and instrumental follow-up of this rare lesion

Claudicating patients with peripheral artery disease have meaningful improvement in walking speed after supervised exercise therapy

Objective Supervised exercise therapy (SET) is a first-line treatment for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). The efficacy of SET is most commonly expressed by significant statistical improvement of parameters that do not clarify how each individual patient will benefit from SET. This study examined the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in walking speed in claudicating patients with PAD after SET. Methods A total of 63 patients with PAD-related claudication (Fontaine stage II PAD) participated in a 6-month SET program. Self-selected walking speed was measured before and after SET. Distribution and anchor-based approaches were used to estimate the MCID for small and substantial improvement. The ability to walk one block and the ability to climb one flight of stairs questions were chosen as anchor questions from the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form questionnaire. Receiver operating characteristics curve analyses were performed to detect the threshold for MCID in walking speed after treatment. Results The distribution-based method estimated 0.03 m/s as a small improvement and 0.08 m/s as a substantial improvement after SET. Small and substantial improvements according to the anchor question walking one block were 0.05 m/s and 0.15 m/s, respectively. For the climbing one flight of stairs anchor question, 0.10 m/s was a small improvement. Receiver operating characteristics curve analyses identified an increase of 0.04 m/s and 0.03 m/s for improvement based on walking one block and climbing one flight of stairs, respectively. Conclusions We report our findings for the MCID for walking speed among claudicating patients receiving SET. Claudicating patients who increase walking speed of 0.03 m/s or greater are more likely to experience a meaningful improvement in walking impairment than those who do not. The MCID reported in this study can serve as a benchmark for clinicians to develop goals and interpret clinically meaningful progress in the care of claudicating patients with PAD

Osteoporosis risk factors in HIV positive women with osteoporosis: A retrospective analysis

Multifactorial risk factors such as HIV/HCV co-infection and antiretroviral therapy (ARV) have been associated with osteoporosis in HIV+ women. We retrospectively analysed which known risk factors were associated with the diagnosis of osteoporosis, according to the WHO definition, in HIV positive women who were followed-up at the AIDS Centre of the University of Palermo, Italy between January 2011 and December 2014. Twenty-one HIV+ women with osteoporosis (13 HIV+ mono-infected and 8 HIV/HCV co-infected females) who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and liver stiffness assessment were included in the study. No significant differences between the HIV and HIV/HCV group were found regarding liver stiffness and lumbar/femoral osteoporosis scores. In a univariate analysis, we observed a positive linear correlation between LBD score (Lumbar Bone Density) with pre-fractures (p-value = 0.0082), smoke (p-value = 0.0008), alcohol (p-value < 0.0001) and ARV exposure score (p-value = 0.0039), while there were no significant negative linear correlations. In multivariate analysis, pre-fractures, smoke and alcohol were positive predictors of LBD score, while previous antiretroviral therapy (ARV) (years) score was a negative predictor compared to others. Univariate analysis showed a positive linear correlation between FDB (Femoral Bone Density) with smoke (p-value = 0.0303) and alcohol (p-value = 0.0050), while there were no significant negative linear correlations. In multivariate analysis, alcohol was a positive predictor of FDB score compared to others, while ARV score was a negative predictor compared to others. This preliminary study suggests that other factors besides ARV score and liver fibrosis may affect the skeletal system in osteoporotic women with HIV infection. Some of these factors, such as alcohol and smoking, are modifiable. Additional research into impact on osteoporosis in HIV women with osteoporosis is required

STAFNE BONE CYST IN THE ANTERIOR MANDIBLE: AN UNUSUAL LOCATION

To describe clinical features of the anterior Stafne bone cyst. To supply radiologist a guide for diagnosis and classification of Stafne bone cyst