APHRODITE: Design and Preliminary Tests of an Autonomous and Reusable Photo-sensing Device for Immunological Test aboard the International Space Station

Preliminary results of the design and manufacturing of APHRODITE, a compact and versatile device for carrying out analyses of biological fluids during space missions that will be used as a technological demonstrator on board the International Space Station (ISS) for the quantitative determination of salivary biomarkers indicators of alterations of functionality of the immune system. The paper addresses the design of the main subsystems of the analytical device and the preliminary results obtained during the first implementations of the device subsystems and testing measurements. In particular, the system design and the experiment data output of the lab-on-chip photosensors and of the front-end readout electronics are reported in detail

seasonal abundance of the nearctic gall midge obolodiplosis robiniae in italy and the impact of its antagonist platygaster robiniae on pest populations

The Nearctic gall midge Obolodiplosis robiniae (Haldeman, 1847) (Diptera Cecidomyiidae) infesting black locusts, Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Fabaceae), was detected in Asia in 2002 and in Europe (first in Italy) in 2003. Its distribution in Europe has expanded dramatically, probably favored by extensive distribution of its host plant along the main routes. The results of a 3-yr study on the seasonal abundance of O. robiniae in northern Italy are reported here. O. robiniae can develop three to four generations per year by exploiting plants of different ages and vigor. Overwintering takes place as diapausing larvae and adults emerge in spring. Two generations are completed on mature plants where populations decline in summer. Two additional generations can develop on root suckers from midsummer onward. Pest population densities reach their highest levels in late spring. Gall midge larvae were attacked by various predators, but parasitism by the platygastrid Platygaster robiniae Buhl & Duso was particularly significant. The impact of parasitism by P. robiniae is indicated as a key factor in reducing O. robiniae population densities

18F-FDG PET/CT versus bone scintigraphy in the follow-up of gastric cancer

A 53-year-old patient underwent a positron emission tomography/computed tomography with 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (18F-FDG PET/CT) in the suspicious of gastric tumor recurrence (mediastinal and abdominal lymph nodes). PET/CT identified only an area of 18F-FDGuptake in the twelfth thoracic vertebrae. Unexpectedly, a bone scintigraphy revealed many "hot" spots changing the diagnosis (single metastasis versus plurimetastatic disease) and impacting on patient's management

GRAVITATIONAL FIELD-FLOW FRACTIONATION INTEGRATED WITH CHEMILUMINESCENCE DETECTION FOR A SELF-STANDING POINT-OF-CARE COMPACT DEVICE IN BIOANALYSIS

A \u201cPoint-Of-Care-Testing\u201d (POCT) system relies on portable and simply operated self-standing analytical devices. To fulfill diagnostic requirements, the POCT system should provide highly sensitive simultaneous detection of several biomarkers of the pathology of interest (multiplexing) in a short assay time. One of the main unsolved issues in POCT devices development is the integration of pre-analytical sample preparation procedures in the miniaturized device. In this work, an integrated POCT system based on gravitational field-flow fractionation (GrFFF) and chemiluminescence (CL) detection is presented for the on-line sample pre-analytical treatment and/or clean-up and analysis of biological fluids. As a proof of principle for the new GrFFF-CL POCT system, the automatic on-line analysis of plasma alkaline phosphatase activity, a biomarker of obstructive liver diseases and bone disorders, starting from whole blood sample was developed. The GrFFF-CL POCT system was able to give quantitative results on blood samples from control and patients with low sample volume (0.5 microL) and reagents consumption, short analysis time (10 minutes), high reproducibility and with a linear range of 50-1400 IU/L.The system can be easily applied to on-line prepare plasma from whole blood for other clinical biomarkers and for other assay formats, based on immunoassay or DNA hybridization

Banche dati del servizio geologico provinciale

Fin dalla sua sostanziale nascita negli anni \u201980, il Servizio Geologico della Provincia di Venezia, al fine di potere svolgere al meglio le molteplici competenze accresciutesi nel tempo, ha raccoltio un numero elevato di informazioni di carattere tecnico su supporto sia cartaceo che digitale. L\u2019utilizzo a partire del 1985 di \u201csoftware GIS\u201d ha permesso la realizzazione di banche dati informatizzate e georeferenziate dedicate alle scienze della terra e alla difesa del suolo anche relative a studi realizzati in precedenza con le tecniche allora tradizionali. Le principali banche dati gestite dal servizio Geologico della Provincia di Venezia sono relative a: suolo; indagini geognostiche; idrogeologia; geoscambio; geositi; cave e migliorie fondiarie; subsidenza; rischio di mareggiata. Esiste inoltre un nutrito archivio informatico, costituito da tematismi derivanti da vari studi e progetti condotti nel territorio provinciale anche in collaborazione con Universit\ue0 ed altri Enti; tali tematismi sono disponibili, utilizzabili ed aggiornabili in relazione alle nuove conoscenze

SIP-Based Service Platform for On-Demand Optical Network Services

This paper reports the experimental validation of a SIP-based service platform for optical transport networks. The platform enables applications to trigger network resource reservation during the session signaling thanks to a consistent network node configuration

SIP-Based Service Platform for On-Demand Optical Network Services

Abstract: This paper reports the experimental validation of a SIP-based service platform for optical transport networks. The platform enables applications to trigger network resource reservation during the session signaling thanks to a consistent network node configuration. © 2008 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: (060.4250) Networks; (060.4256) Networks, network optimizatio

One-day surgery for acquired forefoot deformity: sciatic nerve blockade with mepivacaine vs mepivacaine+ropivacaine: a prospective, randomized study.

AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the doses of ropivacaine combined with mepivacaine for sciatic nerve blockade to enable the extension of analgesia without prolonged motor blockade, for the management of very painful operations in one-day surgery. METHODS: After obtaining approval by the ethics committee and written informed consent, we recruited 30 ASA I-III patients undergoing corrective orthopedic surgery of the forefoot in one-day surgery with sciatic nerve blockade. The patients were randomly divided into 3 groups: one control group, treated by 1.5% mepivacaine (300 mg), and two groups differentiated by the dose of 0.5% ropivacaine (25 and 40 mg) used in combination with 1.5% mepivacaine (225 mg). The offset data of the blockade were obtained by a self-assessment form filled in by the patients, and a direct check on discharge by a blinded observer. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the duration of the blockade among the 3 groups; the extension of analgesia was significant (P<0.003) in the group treated by mepivacaine+ropivacaine 40 mg (mean 477+/-255 min). CONCLUSION: Adequate doses of ropivacaine added to mepivacaine for peripheral blockade produce and increase the duration of analgesia without influencing the criteria for discharge after Day Surgery

Integrated FDG PET/CT in patients with persistent ovarian cancer: Correlation with histologic findings

PURPOSE: To prospectively evaluate the accuracy of integrated positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) for depiction of persistent ovarian carcinoma after first-line treatment, with use of histologic findings as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-one women (mean age, 55.9 years) with ovarian carcinoma treated with primary cytoreductive surgery and followed up with platinum regimen chemotherapy were included. All 31 patients were scheduled for surgical second-look. Before surgical second-look, all patients underwent fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT. At PET/CT, three main categories of persistent disease were considered for data analysis: lymph nodal lesion, peritoneal lesion, and pelvic lesion. In all patients, imaging findings were compared with results of histologic examination after surgical second-look to determine the diagnostic accuracy of PET/CT in the evaluation of disease status. The \u3ba statistic (Cohen \u3ba) was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Seventeen (55%) of 31 patients had persistent tumor at histologic analysis after surgical second-look, and fourteen (45%) had no histologically proved tumor. The total number of lesions that was positive for tumor cells at histologic analysis was 41 (lymph nodes, n = 16; peritoneal lesions, n = 21; pelvic lesions, n = 4); maximum diameter of these lesions was 0.3-3.2 cm (mean, 1.7 cm). A correlation was found between PET/CT and histologic analysis (\u3ba = 0.48). The overall lesion-based sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of PET/CT were 78%, 75%, 77%, 89% and 57%, respectively. In the detection of a tumor, a size threshold could be set at 0.5 cm, as this was the largest diameter of a lesion missed at PET/CT. CONCLUSION: Integrated PET/CT depicts persistent ovarian carcinoma with a high positive predictive value