Different structure of polytene chromosome of Phaseolus coccineus suspensors during early embryogenesis. 3. Chromosome pair VI

Different regions of polytene chromosomes pair VI have been characterized by: 1. morphological observations, 2. incorporation of 3H-thymidine and 3H-uridine, 3. cytophotometry of DNA and associated proteins, 4. hybridization with satellite DNA and highly repeated DNA sequences. The collected data indicate that DNA and RNA puffs are organized by heterochromatic segments. DNA puffs show often a clustered pattern of labeling by 3H-thymidine and RNA puffs are always labeled by 3H-uridine. Each heterochromatic segment is characterized by a definite ratio between DNA and associated fast-green stainable proteins. Satellite DNA binds mostly to heterochromatic blocks at centromere, highly repeated DNA sequences bind, with approximately the same frequency, to centromeric heterochromatin and to the main intercalary heterochromatic band. The telomeric portions of euchromatin seem to be also enriched in highly repeated DNA sequences. The results indicate that heterochromatic chromosome segments might be sites of intense localized DNA replication. The same chromosome regions are also engaged in an active transcription process. The response to hybridization suggests that heterochromatic blocks of chromosome pair VI are heterogeneous in nucleotide sequences. The present studies also indicate that DNA and RNA puffs organized by different chromosome sites are specific of particular steps of embryo differentiation. The observed metabolic aspects of the suspensors's polytene chromosomes are discussed in relation to the synthesis of growth regulators which is known to occur in the suspensor

LA DIAGNOSI ED IL TRATTAMENTO DEL CONDROSARCOMA

La linea guida affronta l’approccio alla diagnosi e al trattamento del condrosarcoma dello scheletro degli arti e del cingolo pelvico e scapolare. Non è incluso nel presente documento il trattamento del condrosarcoma della colonna vertebrale. È stata eseguita una ricerca bibliografica su PubMed, utilizzando le parole chiave chondrosarcoma, cartilaginous tumor, chondroid tumor, selezionando studi inerenti la diagnosi ed il trattamento del condrosarcoma dello scheletro pubblicati negli ultimi 15 anni. Sono stati considerati anche alcuni studi pubblicati in precedenza per la particolare rilevanza delle casistiche. Per l’introduzione descrittiva è stato utilizzato come riferimento il manuale del professor Mario Campanacci Bone and soft tissue tumors edito da Springer Verlag nel 1999. Sono state valutate infine le pubblicazioni relative all’esperienza nel trattamento del condrosarcoma degli Istituti internazionali più accreditati nella diagnosi e cura dei tumori dell’apparato muscolo-scheletrico. Il metodo di grading delle prove utilizzato per il Progetto Linee Guida SIOT è quello descritto nel manuale metodologico del Sistema Nazionale Linee Guida (www.snlg.it) dell’Istituto Superiore di Sanità. Le raccomandazioni vengono qualificate con un livello di evidenza (da I a IV) e di forza della raccomandazione (da A a E). Nel caso del presente documento tuttavia, a causa della difficoltà o dell’impossibilità nell’eseguire studi controllati randomizzati, la letteratura di supporto è costituita integralmente da studi retrospettivi tipo caso-controllo e studi osservazionali, in particolare provenienti da Istituzioni specializzate che effettuano sistematicamente la documentazione e l’archiviazione dei casi trattati (Box 1: Studi clinici). Questo documento è stato inviato ad un panel di esperti in ambito nazionale al fine di valutare la chiarezza, la rilevanza clinica e l’applicabilità delle raccomandazioni. I revisori esterni sono i rappresentanti dei principali Centri di Riferimento Nazionali per la diagnosi e la cura dei tumori dell’apparato muscolo-scheletrico ed esperti di metodologia di ricerca clinica del GLOBE

Postpartum depression screening in mothers and fathers at well-child visits: a feasibility study within the NASCITA cohort

Objective To assess the feasibility of the family paediatrician’s (FP) role in identifying the signs of postpartum depression in parents in time to guarantee child well-being.Design, setting and participants Data for this observational prospective study were collected within the NASCITA (NAscere e creSCere in ITAlia) cohort. During the first visit, paediatricians collected sociodemographic data regarding the parents and information about their health status, the pregnancy and the delivery. Whooley questions were administered during the first and second visits (scheduled 60–90 days after childbirth). Moreover, on the third visit (5–7 months after childbirth) the FP was asked to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a question on the parental postpartum depression, based on his knowledge and on the acquired information.Results In 2203 couples who completed the assessment, 529 mothers (19.9%), 141 fathers (6.3%) and 110 (5%) couples reported any depressive symptomatology. Of these, 141 mothers (5.3% of the total sample) and 18 fathers (0.8% of the total sample) were classified as ‘likely depressed’. An association was found between maternal postnatal depressive symptoms and having a diagnosed psychiatric disorder during pregnancy (OR 9.49, 95% CI: 3.20 to 28.17), not exclusively breastfeeding at hospital discharge (OR 1.76, 95% CI: 1.19 to 2.61) and the presence of child sleeping disorders at 3 (OR 2.46, 95% CI: 1.41 to 4.28) and 6 months (OR 2.18, 95% CI: 1.37 to 3.47). Another significant predictor of postpartum depression was being primiparous (OR 1.99, 95% CI: 1.31 to 3.02). Concerning the fathers, a significant association was reported only between likely depressed fathers and child sleeping disorders at 3 months (OR 7.64, 95% CI: 2.92 to 19.97). Moreover, having a likely depressed partner was strongly associated with depressive symptoms in fathers (OR 85.53, 95% CI 26.83 to 272.69).Conclusions The findings of this study support the feasibility of an active screening programme for parental postnatal depression during well-child visits as an integral part of postpartum care.Trial registration number NCT03894566; Pre-results