Long-term cognitive and behavioral therapies, combined with augmentative communication, are related to uncinate fasciculus integrity in autism

Recent evidence points to white-matter abnormalities as a key factor in autism physiopathology. Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging, we studied white-matter structural properties in a convenience sample of twenty-two subjects with low-functioning autism exposed to long-term augmentative and alternative communication, combined with sessions of cognitive and behavioral therapy. Uncinate fasciculus structural properties correlated significantly with therapy length and early onset, as well as to clinical outcome, independently from IQ, age or symptoms severity at therapy onset. Moreover, adherence to therapy was linked with better clinical outcome and uncinate fasciculus structural integrity. The results point to the capability of a long-term rehabilitation of subjects with low-functioning autism to produce white-matter structural modifications, which could thus play a role in the rehabilitative outcome

Comparing continuous lumbar plexus block, continuous epidural block and continuous lumbar plexus block with a parasacral sciatic nerve block on post-operative analgesia after hip arthroplasty

Study Objective: To compare post-operative analgesia obtained by continuous lumbar epidural block (CLEB) versus continuous lumbar plexus block (CLPB) versus CLPB associated with a single shot parasacral sciatic nerve block (CLEBS) after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Study design: Randomized clinical trial. Setting: Operating room, postoperative care unit, orthopedic surgical ward. Methods: 78 ASA I-III patients undergoing elective THA were randomly assigned to receive CLEB (n=24, 15-20 ml of 5 mg/ml ropivacaine, sufentanil 10 mg, clonidine 1 mg/ml), CLPB (n=22, 3mg/kg of 5 mg/ml of ropivacaine, max. 40 ml, clonidine 1 mg/ml, sufentanil 10 mg) or CLPBS (n=23, CLPB as described above; sciatic nerve: 20 ml of ropivacaine 5 mg/ml, clonidine 1 mg/ml). All patients received continuous infusion of 2 mg/ml of ropivacaine, 8 ml/h for 48 hours. Primary outcome was pain intensity assessment (VAS and VS). Secondary outcomes were postoperative total opioid consumption, hemodynamic stability, motor blockade, blood loss, intraoperative sufentanil and propofol consumption, patient satisfaction and complications. Results: VAS was lower in the CLEB group than in the CLPB and CLPBS groups respectively for 6 and 12 hours postoperatively (post-surgery p<0.001, 2h p<0.001, 6h p<0.001, 12h p<0.03)(Table 2). Moreover, CLPSB patients reported lower VAS than CLPB patients from the end of the surgery till the 12th follow up hour (Table 2). VS was lower in the CLEB group from the end of surgery to 6h postoperatively (Table 3). The CLPB group showed higher morphine consumption than the CLPSB and CLEB groups over 12 h postoperatively (p=0.05); thereafter, no statistically significant diferences were observed between groups at the end of follow up (48h) (p=0.4) (Table 4). onclusion: In conclusion, continuous lumbar plexus block in association with single shot sciatic nerve block is a valid alternative to epidural technique in managing postoperative analgesia after THA, with an improved risk-benefit balanc

High-Energy Neutrino Astronomy

Kilometer-scale neutrino detectors such as IceCube are discovery instruments covering nuclear and particle physics, cosmology and astronomy. Examples of their multidisciplinary missions include the search for the particle nature of dark matter and for additional small dimensions of space. In the end, their conceptual design is very much anchored to the observational fact that Nature accelerates protons and photons to energies in excess of $10^{20}$ and $10^{13}$ eV, respectively. The cosmic ray connection sets the scale of cosmic neutrino fluxes. In this context, we discuss the first results of the completed AMANDA detector and the reach of its extension, IceCube. Similar experiments are under construction in the Mediterranean. Neutrino astronomy is also expanding in new directions with efforts to detect air showers, acoustic and radio signals initiated by super-EeV neutrinos.Comment: 9 pages, Latex2e, uses ws-procs975x65standard.sty (included), 4 postscript figures. To appear in Proceedings of Thinking, Observing, and Mining the Universe, Sorrento, Italy, September 200

Re-Evaluation of the Role of Antifibrinolytic Therapy with Lysine Analogs in Liver Transplantation in The Post-Aprotinin Era

Purpose of review: Hemorrhage, blood and blood product transfusions and the need for surgical re-exploration for bleeding can have a detrimental effect on patient outcome during liver surgery. Following the suspension of aprotinin from the market only the antifibrinolyticstranexamic acid (TA) and epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA) are left as pharmacological options to reduce hemostatic activation and associated bleeding complications. Considering the apparent usefulnes of aprotinin in liver surgery and transplantation, its loss has left a void within the armamentarium of drugs available to reduce blood loss. The need for large independent safety studies has become evident. The current review focuses on the drugs that are available, the safety and efficacydata that supports their use and the indications warranting further trailsRecent findings Both TA and EACA are effective in reducing blood loss and transfusion requirements in liver surgery. Analysis of data is complicated as the dosing regimens, especially for tranexamic acid, varies enormously and the agents are highly overdosed in most relevant trials. New data indicates that in a dose-dependent fashion, TA is associated with an increase in adverse events with transient renal failure highlighted as a particular problem. It appears that all the anti-fibrinolyticshave side effects that may impact on morbidity and mortality and it may be that aprotinin is no worse. The use of these agents needs to be balanced against benefitespecially in the management of high risk cases

Strong enhancement of extremely energetic proton production in central heavy ion collisions at intermediate energy

The energetic proton emission has been investigated as a function of the reaction centrality for the system 58Ni + 58Ni at 30A MeV. Extremely energetic protons (EpNN > 130 MeV) were measured and their multiplicity is found to increase almost quadratically with the number of participant nucleons thus indicating the onset of a mechanism beyond one and two-body dynamics.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter

Measurement of the atmospheric muon depth intensity relation with the NEMO Phase-2 tower

The results of the analysis of the data collected with the NEMO Phase-2 tower, deployed at 3500 m depth about 80 km off-shore Capo Passero (Italy), are presented. Cherenkov photons detected with the photomultipliers tubes were used to reconstruct the tracks of atmospheric muons. Their zenith-angle distribution was measured and the results compared with Monte Carlo simulations. An evaluation of the systematic effects due to uncertainties on environmental and detector parameters is also included. The associated depth intensity relation was evaluated and compared with previous measurements and theoretical predictions. With the present analysis, the muon depth intensity relation has been measured up to 13 km of water equivalent.Comment: submitted to Astroparticle Physic

Size and asymmetry of the reaction entrance channel: influence on the probability of neck production

The results of experiments performed to investigate the Ni+Al, Ni+Ni, Ni+Ag reactions at 30 MeV/nucleon are presented. From the study of dissipative midperipheral collisions, it has been possible to detect events in which Intermediate Mass Fragments (IMF) production takes place. The decay of a quasi-projectile has been identified; its excitation energy leads to a multifragmentation totally described in terms of a statistical disassembly of a thermalized system (T$\simeq$4 MeV, E$^*\simeq$4 MeV/nucleon). Moreover, for the systems Ni+Ni, Ni+Ag, in the same nuclear reaction, a source with velocity intermediate between that of the quasi-projectile and that of the quasi-target, emitting IMF, is observed. The fragments produced by this source are more neutron rich than the average matter of the overall system, and have a charge distribution different, with respect to those statistically emitted from the quasi-projectile. The above features can be considered as a signature of the dynamical origin of the midvelocity emission. The results of this analysis show that IMF can be produced via different mechanisms simultaneously present within the same collision. Moreover, once fixed the characteristics of the quasi-projectile in the three considered reactions (in size, excitation energy and temperature), one observes that the probability of a partner IMF production via dynamical mechanism has a threshold (not present in the Ni+Al case) and increases with the size of the target nucleus.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication on Nuclear Physics

Contemporary presence of dynamical and statistical production of intermediate mass fragments in midperipheral 58^{58}Ni+58^{58}Ni collisions at 30 MeV/nucleon

The $^{58}Ni+^{58}Ni$ reaction at 30 MeV/nucleon has been experimentally investigated at the Superconducting Cyclotron of the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud. In midperipheral collisions the production of massive fragments (4$\le$Z$\le$12), consistent with the statistical fragmentation of the projectile-like residue and the dynamical formation of a neck, joining projectile-like and target-like residues, has been observed. The fragments coming from these different processes differ both in charge distribution and isotopic composition. In particular it is shown that these mechanisms leading to fragment production act contemporarily inside the same event.Comment: 9 pages, minor correction

NEMO: A Project for a km3^3 Underwater Detector for Astrophysical Neutrinos in the Mediterranean Sea

The status of the project is described: the activity on long term characterization of water optical and oceanographic parameters at the Capo Passero site candidate for the Mediterranean km$^3$ neutrino telescope; the feasibility study; the physics performances and underwater technology for the km$^3$; the activity on NEMO Phase 1, a technological demonstrator that has been deployed at 2000 m depth 25 km offshore Catania; the realization of an underwater infrastructure at 3500 m depth at the candidate site (NEMO Phase 2).Comment: Proceeding of ISCRA 2006, Erice 20-27 June 200