The treatment of skin ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis

Systemic Sclerosis (Ssc) is a complex disease of the connective tissue, characterized by progressive thickening and fibrosis of the skin and the internal organs and by diffused damage of the microvascular system. The fibrosis ones of the skin associated to the characteristic vascular alterations lead to the genesis of ulcers, more or less extended, often multiple, peripheral localization, chronic course, painful, able to influence patient's quality of life. Indeed, immunity reactivity, the thinning and the loss of elasticity of the skin, the peripheral neurological damage and the eventual drug assumption that can reduce regenerative/reparative abilities, can easy chronicizzate an ulcer and become infected complicating still more the patient disease, rendering more difficult the cure often, ulcer evolves to gangrene, and in some cases, in amputation too. For all these reasons, we have begun to study ulcers therapy (local and systemic), considering this activity it leave integrating of the charitable distance of the sclerodermico patient, putting to point on strategy both diagnostic and therapeutic, but above all with the primary scope, if possible, is to prevent ulcers, in contrary case, to alleviate the pain and to render the quality of the life of the patient better

Chromatin organisation and computer aided karyotyping of Triticum durum Desf. cv. Timilia

Abstract The tribe Triticeae includes three cereal genera Secale, Hordeum and Triticum and because of their economical and agronomical importance, the relationships among species on the tribe have been extensively investigated. The wild wheat relatives are an important source of genetic variation for cultivated species and wheat is an important crop of the mediterranean region. Banding pattern of metaphase chromosomes and nuclear DNA content in root meristematic cells of an old sicilian landrace "Timilia" were determined. Microdensitometric evaluation of nuclear absorption at different thresholds of optical density indicates the organization of chromatin in the interphase nuclei. Chromosome morphometric data, karyotype simmetry, the TF% values and Syi indices were determined. The results are compared with the data of other durum wheat varieties as Capeiti and Simeto

Primary Care Physicians’ Support of Shared Decision Making for Different Cancer Screening Decisions

Despite widespread advocacy, shared decision making (SDM) is not routinely used for cancer screening. To better understand implementation barriers, we describe primary care physicians’ (PCPs’) support for SDM across diverse cancer screening contexts

Appendix to “Costs and Projected Effect of a Federally Qualified Health Center-Based Mailed Colorectal Cancer Screening Program in Texas”

The appendix accompanies the published article “Costs and Projected Effect of a Federally Qualified Health Center-Based Mailed Colorectal Cancer Screening Program in Texas” (link TBD) and contains (1) results of the sensitivity analyses, (2) a detailed model description, and (3) the CHEERS checklist.Public Affair

Right ventricular function in AL amyloidosis: characteristics and prognostic implication

AIM: The importance of right ventricle (RV) dysfunction in AL amyloidosis has been underestimated. This study was designed to comprehensively evaluate RV function and its prognostic role in patients with AL amyloidosis with and without echocardiographic evidence of cardiac involvement. METHOD AND RESULTS: Fifty-two biopsy-proven AL amyloidosis patients underwent a thorough echocardiographic evaluation. Twenty-seven patients (CA) met the international echocardiographic criteria for cardiac involvement [left ventricular (LV) wall thickness >/= 12 mm] and 25 patients had no cardiac amyloidosis features (NCA). Patients were compared with a sex- age-matched control group. Patients and controls underwent traditional, tissue Doppler (TDI), speckle-tracking left and RV echocardiographic evaluation. No difference was observed between groups in RV diastolic diameter, whereas CA patients showed increased RV free wall thickness (P< 0.0001). Compared with controls and NCA patients, traditional echocardiography, TDI, and speckle-tracking evaluation detected significantly (P< 0.0001) depressed RV longitudinal systolic function in CA patients. No difference was observed between groups at Doppler diastolic evaluation, whereas at tricuspidal annulus TDI analysis, CA subject showed significantly lower E' and A' values with increased E/E' ratio (P< 0.0001). Over a 19 months median follow-up period, 18 patients died. Cox multivariate analysis showed that N-terminal pro-Brain natriuretic peptide and RV longitudinal strain were the strongest death predictor. CONCLUSION: Our data show that in patients with AL amyloidosis, RV involvement develops later than LV amyloid deposition but when it occurs, prognosis dramatically worsens. Moreover RV longitudinal strain was the only echocardiographic predictor of prognosis. We suggest that RV function analysis should be performed routinely as a part of echocardiographic evaluation in these patients

Extreme Rainfall in the Mediterranean: What Can We Learn from Observations?

Abstract Flash floods induced by extreme rainfall events represent one of the most life-threatening phenomena in the Mediterranean. While their catastrophic ground effects are well documented by postevent surveys, the extreme rainfall events that generate them are still difficult to observe properly. Being able to collect observations of such events will help scientists to better understand and model these phenomena. The recent flash floods that hit the Liguria region (Italy) between the end of October and beginning of November 2011 give us the opportunity to use the measurements available from a large number of sensors, both ground based and spaceborne, to characterize these events. In this paper, the authors analyze the role of the key ingredients (e.g., unstable air masses, moist low-level jets, steep orography, and a slow-evolving synoptic pattern) for severe rainfall processes over complex orography. For the two Ligurian events, this role has been analyzed through the available observations (e.g., Meteosat Second Generation, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, the Italian Radar Network mosaic, and the Italian rain gauge network observations). The authors then address the possible role of sea–atmosphere interactions and propose a characterization of these events in terms of their predictability

LE ATTIVITA’ INFORMATIVE DELL’INGV IN EMERGENZA SISMICA: MOTIVAZIONI E IPOTESI DI SVILUPPO FUTURO

Negli ultimi anni, in particolare a partire dalla sequenza sismica aquilana del 2009, il tema dell’informazione e della comunicazione collegata ad una situazione di emergenza sismica è diventato oggetto di dibattito pubblico, di discussione all’interno della comunità scientifica, di studio in ambienti disciplinari molto diversi (sociologia della comunicazione, psicologia dell’emergenza, ambito giuridico, ecc.) e di riflessione più generale all’interno del Sistema di protezione civile. In questa nostro lavoro si intende discutere del tema più generale dell’informazione che il Sistema di protezione civile (e la comunità scientifica che ne è una componente essenziale) produce in situazioni di emergenza o post-emergenza. Indubbia è l’importanza di una buona comunicazione, attentamente testata, in momenti di crisi. Essa infatti può aiutare a migliorare la risposta all’emergenza, ridurre i costi del disastro, migliorare la trasparenza del processo decisionale e aumentare il potenziale di accettazione delle conseguenze (Del Lungo, 2012; Wendling et al., 2013). Lo scopo del presente lavoro è quello di sintetizzare ragioni, forme e contenuti delle attività informative che, in modo sempre più organico, sono state realizzate in numerose occasioni, a partire principalmente dal 2009, ipotizzando uno schema di protocollo operativo per la gestione di tali attività. Va ricordato che le esperienze qui descritte sono state realizzate in modo coordinato con il Dipartimento della Protezione Civile e che questa attività è formalmente parte del programma di lavoro annuale all’interno della convenzione decennale DPC-INGV

GT2004-54214 THE COARSENING KINETIC OF γ&apos; PARTICLES IN NICKEL-BASED SUPERALLOYS DURING AGING AT HIGH TEMPERATURES

ABSTRACT Nickel-based superalloys are widely used in applications requiring strength at high temperature, and in particular in manufacturing of several important components of both aeronautics and land based gas turbines. The main property of these materials is due to their particular microstructure consisting of a fcc lattice nickel matrix (γ phase), strengthened by precipitation of a second phase Ni 3 (Ti,Al) (γ&apos; phase), having fcc lattice. During aging at high temperatures, γ&apos; precipitates increase their size, following a kinetic law described by the classical LSW theory

What have we learned from antiproton proton scattering?

From recent charge exchange measurements in the extreme forward direction, an independent and precise determination of the pion nucleon coupling constant is possible. This determination has reopened the debate on the value of this fundamental coupling constant of nuclear physics. Precise measurements of charge exchange observables at forward angles below 900 MeV/c would also give a better understanding of the long range part of the two-pion exchange potential. For example, the confirmation of the coherence of the tensor forces from the pion exchange and the isovector two-pion exchange would be very valuable. With the present data first attempts at an \NbarN partial wave analysis have been made where, as in nucleon nucleon scattering, the antinucleon nucleon high J partial waves are mainly given by one-pion exchange. Finally a recent \pbarp atomic cascade calculation and the fraction of P-state annihilation in gas targets is commented on.Comment: 10 pages, Latex, to be published in Nucl. Phy

A Complete Meteo/Hydro/Hydraulic Chain Application to Support Early Warning and Monitoring Systems: The Apollo Medicane Use Case

Because of the ongoing changing climate, extreme rainfall events’ frequency at the global scale is expected to increase, thus resulting in high social and economic impacts. A Meteo/Hydro/Hydraulic forecasting chain combining heterogeneous observational data sources is a crucial component for an Early Warning System and is a fundamental asset for Civil Protection Authorities to correctly predict these events, their effects, and put in place anticipatory actions. During the last week of October 2021 an intense Mediterranean hurricane (Apollo) affected many Mediterranean countries (Tunisia, Algeria, Malta, and Italy) with a death toll of seven people. The CIMA Meteo/Hydro/Hydraulic forecasting chain, including the WRF model, the hydrological model Continuum, the automatic system for water detection (AUTOWADE), and the hydraulic model TELEMAC-2D, was operated in real-time to predict the Apollo weather evolution as well as its hydrological and hydraulic impacts, in support of the early warning activities of the Italian Civil Protection Department. The WRF model assimilating radar data and in situ weather stations showed very good predictive capability for rainfall timing and location over eastern Sicily, thus supporting accurate river flow peak forecasting with the hydrological model Continuum. Based on WRF predictions, the daily automatic system for water detection (AUTOWADE) run using Sentinel 1 data was anticipated with respect to the scheduled timing to quickly produce a flood monitoring map. Ad hoc tasking of the COSMO-SkyMed satellite constellation was also performed to overcome the S1 data latency in eastern Sicily. The resulting automated operational mapping of floods and inland waters was integrated with the subsequent execution of the hydraulic model TELEMAC-2D to have a complete representation of the flooded area with water depth and water velocity