'Parachute' accessory mitral leaflet and pulmonary valve stenosis in an asymptomatic 85-year-old man

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Mitigation of Acrylamide Content in Biscuits through Combined Physical and Chemical Strategies

Acrylamide in biscuits represents a major concern. This research work was aimed at modifying the current formulation of biscuits to reduce the acrylamide content while maintaining the chemical, physical, and sensory characteristics of the original product. A strategy based on the FoodDrinkEurope Acrylamide Toolbox was adopted. The content of the leavening agent ammonium bicarbonate, the baking temperature program, and the time duration of steam released during the baking process were the three factors evaluated through a factorial design of experiment. The partial replacement of ammonium bicarbonate (from 9.0 g to 1.5 g per 500 g of flour) with sodium bicarbonate (from 4.5 g to 12.48 g), lowering of the temperature in the central phase of the baking process (from 170 degrees C to 150 degrees C), and the release of steam for 3 min resulted in an 87.2% reduction in acrylamide concentration compared to biscuits of reference. CIELab color indices and a(w) were the parameters that showed the most significant correlation with acrylamide concentration in biscuits and could, therefore, become markers to predict the acrylamide content along production lines for an instant evaluation

Peculiarities of presentation and evolution over time of Hashimoto's thyroiditis in children and adolescents with Down's syndrome

Studies concerning presentation and evolution over time of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) in children with Down's syndrome (DS) are few, are based on limited study populations and do not include control HT groups without DS. The aim of this multicenter study was to shed further light on the relationships between DS and HT in childhood

The VEI 2 Christmas 2018 Etna Eruption: A Small But Intense Eruptive Event or the Starting Phase of a Larger One?

The Etna flank eruption that started on 24 December 2018 lasted a few days and involved the opening of an eruptive fissure, accompanied by a seismic swarm and shallow earthquakes, significant SO2 flux release, and by large and widespread ground deformation, especially on the eastern flank of the volcano. Lava fountains and ash plumes from the uppermost eruptive fissure accompanied the opening stage, causing disruption to Catania International Airport, and were followed by a quiet lava effusion within the barren Valle del Bove depression until 27 December. This was the first flank eruption to occur at Etna in the last decade, during which eruptive activity was confined to the summit craters and resulted in lava fountains and lava flow output from the crater rims. In this paper, we used ground and satellite remote sensing techniques to describe the sequence of events, quantify the erupted volumes of lava, gas, and tephra, and assess volcanic hazards.Publishedid 9056V. Pericolosità vulcanica e contributi alla stima del rischioJCR Journa

Influence of Hashimoto thyroiditis on the development of thyroid nodules and cancer in children and adolescents

It is unclear whether patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) are predisposed to develop thyroid nodules and/or thyroid cancer. The objective of our study was therefore to assess the prevalence of thyroid nodules and/or cancer in patients with HT and to look for possible prognostic factors. A retrospective survey of 904 children/adolescents with HT (709 females, 195 males) regularly followed in nine Italian centers of pediatric endocrinology was performed. Median period of follow-up was 4.5 years (1.2 to 12.8 years). We evaluated free T4, TSH, thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), thyroglobulin antibodies, and thyroid ultrasound yearly. One hundred seventy-four nodules were detected, with an annual incidence rate of 3.5%. Ten nodules were malignant (8 papillary and 2 papillary follicular variant), giving a 5.7% prevalence of cancer among patients with nodules. The severity of hypo-echogenity at ultrasound, TPOAb, and free T4 serum concentrations were predictive for the appearance of new nodules. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between TPOAb titer and the development of thyroid cancer. In conclusion, HT seems to influence the development of thyroid nodules, but not cancer in children and adolescents

Nonlinear operators on graphs via stacks

International audienceWe consider a framework for nonlinear operators on functions evaluated on graphs via stacks of level sets. We investigate a family of transformations on functions evaluated on graph which includes adaptive flat and non-flat erosions and dilations in the sense of mathematical morphology. Additionally, the connection to mean motion curvature on graphs is noted. Proposed operators are illustrated in the cases of functions on graphs, textured meshes and graphs of images

Monitoring the December 2015 summit eruptions of Mt. Etna (Italy): Implications on eruptive dynamics

A lengthy period of eruptive activity fromthe summit craters ofMt. Etna started in January 2011. It culminated in early December 2015 with a spectacular sequence of intense eruptive events involving all four summit craters (Voragine, Bocca Nuova,NewSoutheast Crater, and Northeast Crater). The activity consisted of high eruption columns, Strombolian explosions, lava flows andwidespread ash falls that repeatedly interferedwith air traffic. The most powerful episode occurred on 3 December 2015 from the Voragine. After three further potent episodes fromthe Voragine, activity shifted to the NewSoutheast Crater on 6 December 2015, where Strombolian activity and lava flow emission lasted for two days and were fed by the most primitive magma of the study period. Activity once more shifted to the Northeast Crater, where ash emission and weak Strombolian activity took place for several days. Sporadic ash emissions from all craters continued until 18 December, when all activity ceased. Although resembling the summit eruptions of 1998–1999, which also involved all four summit craters, thismultifaceted eruptive sequence occurred in an exceptionally short time window of less than three days, unprecedented in the recent activity of Mt. Etna. It also produced important morphostructural changes of the summit area with the coalescence of Voragine and Bocca Nuova in a single large crater, the “Central Crater”, reproducing themorphological setting of the summit cone before the formation of Bocca Nuova in 1968. The December 2015 volcanic crisis was followed closely by the staff of the Etna Observatory to monitor the on-going activity and forecast its evolution, in accordance with protocols agreed with the Italian Civil Protection Department.Published53-695V. Dinamica dei processi eruttivi e post-eruttiviJCR Journa

Central Precocious Puberty in Italian Boys: Data From a Large Nationwide Cohort

Context: There are only a few nationwide studies on boys with central precocious puberty (CPP) and the last Italian study is a case series of 45 boys that dates back to 2000. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the causes of CPP in boys diagnosed during the last 2 decades in Italy and the relative frequency of forms with associated central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared to idiopathic ones. Methods: We performed a national multicenter retrospective study collecting data from 193 otherwise normal healthy boys with a diagnosis of CPP. Based on MRI findings, the patients were divided into: Group 1, no CNS abnormalities; Group 2, mild abnormalities (incidental findings) unrelated to CPP; and Group 3, causal pathological CNS abnormalities. Results: The MRI findings show normal findings in 86%, mild abnormalities (incidental findings) in 8.3%, and causal pathological CNS abnormalities in 5.7% of the cases. In Group 3, we found a higher proportion of patients with chronological age at diagnosis < 7 years (P = .00001) and body mass index greater than +2 SDS (P < .01). Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue therapy was started in 183/193 subjects. The final height appeared in the range of the target height in all groups and in 9 patients in whom the therapy was not started. Conclusion: In our study on a large nationwide cohort of boys referred for precocious puberty signs, the percentage of forms associated with CNS abnormalities was one of the lowest reported in the literature

MT. ETNA FEBRUARY-APRIL 2013 ERUPTION

European FP7 MED-SUV (MEditerranean SUpersite Volcanoes). Grant Number: 308665 European Research Council European FP7 (FP/2007-2013)/ERC. Grant Number: 279802 SIGMA (Sistema Integrato di sensori in ambiente cloud per la Gestione Multirischio Avanzata

Development of a Nomogram Predicting the Risk of Persistence/Recurrence of Cervical Dysplasia

Background: Cervical dysplasia persistence/recurrence has a great impact on women's health and quality of life. In this study, we investigated whether a prognostic nomogram may improve risk assessment after primary conization. Methods: This is a retrospective multi-institutional study based on charts of consecutive patients undergoing conization between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2014. A nomogram assessing the importance of different variables was built. A cohort of patients treated between 1 January 2015 and 30 June 2016 was used to validate the nomogram. Results: A total of 2966 patients undergoing primary conization were analyzed. The median (range) patient age was 40 (18-89) years. At 5-year of follow-up, 6% of patients (175/2966) had developed a persistent/recurrent cervical dysplasia. Median (range) recurrence-free survival was 18 (5-52) months. Diagnosis of CIN3, presence of HR-HPV types, positive endocervical margins, HPV persistence, and the omission of HPV vaccination after conization increased significantly and independently of the risk of developing cervical dysplasia persistence/recurrence. A nomogram weighting the impact of all variables was built with a C-Index of 0.809. A dataset of 549 patients was used to validate the nomogram, with a C-index of 0.809. Conclusions: The present nomogram represents a useful tool for counseling women about their risk of persistence/recurrence after primary conization. HPV vaccination after conization is associated with a reduced risk of CIN2+