Search

Shrimp fishing in Sicily is carried out by fishing companies using trawlers and multifunctional vessels equipped with trawling nets, in a complex and worrisome context, because of the decrease in catch over the last few years. After analysing the structural characteristics of Sicilian trawling, the study concentrates on the three most important shrimp fishing ports in Sicily: Mazara del Vallo, Sciacca, and Porto Empedocle. For each fleet, through a sample analysis, economic performance has been evaluated for the period from 2001 to 2003. Finally, a comparative analysis of the economic performance of the surveyed companies is carried out through a comparison of daily economic productivity indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 75-year-old woman with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia was admitted because of persistent melaena. Endoscopic examination showed multiple angiodysplastic lesions, with active bleeding in small and large bowel. Electro-coagulation of some lesions, octreotide, conjugated oestrogens and selective embolization of jejunal vessels did not change transfusion requirements. After 8 month-transfusions, ethinylestradiol + norethisterone in association with octreotide was started, leading to no transfusion over the following 9 months. Bleeding recurred after withdrawing octreotide and substituting ethinylestradiol + norgestrel for the ethinylestradiol + norethisterone combination. Re-introduction of octreotide did not improve bleeding; however, a reduction of transfusion requirement was observed when the ethinylestradiol + norethisterone pill was re-administered. The association of octreotide and of an oestrogen-progesterone combination was helpful in the difficult management of recurrent bleeding in this patient with diffuse gastrointestinal vascular abnormalities and a severe condition predisposing to bleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of the utilization for clinical reporting of the evaluation of digital images of bone marrow aspirates by morphologists and their comparability with the classic microscopic morphological evaluation. Methods: We scanned 180 consecutive bone marrow needle aspirates smears using the "Metafer4 VSlide" whole slide imaging (WSI) digital scanning system. We evaluated the statistical comparability and the risk of bias of the microscopic readings with those performed on the screen on the digitized medullary images. Results: The evaluation of cellularity on the screen was equivalent, with a higher frequency of "normal" than the analysis of digital preparations. The means and medians of the percentage values obtained on the different cell populations with the microscopic and digital reading were comparable as the main categories are concerned, with an average difference equal to 0 for the neutrophilic and eosinophilic granulocytic series, at −0.2% for the total myeloid cells, at 1.2% for the erythroid series, at −0.4% for the lymphocytes and at −0.4% for the blasts. Dysplastic features were consistently identified in 69/71 cell lineages. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that screen evaluation of digitized bone marrow needle aspirates provides quantitative and qualitative results comparable to traditional microscopic analysis of the corresponding slide smears. Digital images offer significant benefits in reducing the workload of experienced operators, reproducibility and sharing of observations, and image preservation. Even in routine diagnostic activities, their use does not alter the quality of the results obtained in evaluating bone marrow needle aspirates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite aggressive control of modifiable risk factors, recurrent acute coronary syndromes are still common, and the underlying mechanisms largely elusive. Glycoprotein (Gp) is one of several collagen receptors involved in platelet adhesion. A C807T gene variant of Gp is related to Gp receptor density on the platelet surface, with the density proportionate to the number of T alleles. Previous case-control studies in white subjects have associated this variant with acute ischaemic heart disease. As it is not known whether the 807T allele may also predict recurrent acute coronary syndromes, this was investigated in 117 survivors of a first acute coronary event, patients were followed for up to five years.

Objective: To investigate the possible link between the G20210A prothrombin gene variant and different forms of ischaemic heart disease.Design: Phenotype-specific meta-analysis of 19 studies published within March 2002, globally including 4944 patients and 7090 controls. Sample size, inclusion criteria, geographical location, clinical presentation, age, cardiovascular risk factors, and angiographic extent of disease were extracted from each study. Analyses were done according to Mantel-Haenszel.Results: Overall, the odds ratio (OR) for unspecified ischaemic heart disease associated with the 20210A allele was 1.21 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99 to 1.59, n = 12 034). Similar findings were seen for acute coronary syndromes (unstable angina and myocardial infarction) and for myocardial infarction without age limits (OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.63, n = 10 240; and OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.58, n = 9765). The effects were similar in male and female subjects. In the 1931 subjects < 55 years of age, the OR for myocardial infarction increased to 1.77 (95% CI 1.16 to 3.42) and in the 1359 subjects < 45 years to 2.30 (95% CI 1.27 to 4.59). No significant association was found between the 20210A allele and the presence of angiographically documented coronary disease (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.64, n = 3444). However, patients with 0/1 vessel disease at angiography showed a greater prevalence of the A allele than those with multivessel disease (relative risk 2.0, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.1, n = 2376).Conclusions: G20210A prothrombin gene polymorphism may represent a modest but significant risk factor for myocardial infarction at young ages and favour the expression of ischaemic heart disease among individuals who have a limited extent of coronary atherosclerosis at angiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidemiological and clinical information on primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) are rarely reported. The aims are to evaluate the clinical features, prognostic factors, and efficacy of treatments in pPCL.Patients and methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort study was carried out from January 2000 to December 2008 in 26 Italian hematology divisions. A total of 128 cases of plasma cell leukemia were collected, and 73 of them (57%) were classified as primary (male/female 43/30).Results: Sixty-four patients had at least 1 sign of end-organ damage and 10 had extramedullary localization. One patient died early; of the remaining patients, 36 (50%) received anthracycline-based regimens as first-line therapy, 17 (24%) single alkylating agents, and 30 (42%) bortezomib or thalidomide as additional (n = 11) or unique treatments (n = 19). Twenty-three patients (31%) underwent autologous and/or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The median overall survival (OS) was 12.6 months; complete or partial response was achieved in 22 (30%) and 18 patients (25%), respectively; the median duration of response (DOR) was 16.4 months. HSCT patients had a longer OS and DOR (median 38.1 and 25.8 months, respectively) compared with nontransplanted patients (9.1 and 7.3 months, respectively, P < 0.001). OS was influenced by nonresponse to treatment, hypoalbuminemia, and HSCT. DOR was favorably influenced only by HSCT.Conclusions: pPCL is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis and a low response rate to conventional therapy. HSCT is effective, increasing OS and DOR by 69% and 88%, respectively. The use of bortezomib and thalidomide may improve outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The A>G polymorphism at position 19911 of the prothrombin gene is associated with a mildly increased risk of venous thromboembolism, alone or in association with such common thrombophilia mutations as factor V Leiden and prothrombin 20210 GA. Its role in cerebral sinus-venous thrombosis (CSVT) is not known. The presence of prothrombin 19911 A>G was investigated in a case-control study of 107 patients with cerebral thrombosis and factor V Leiden ( n = 25), prothrombin 20210 GA ( n = 47), without known thrombophilia ( n = 35) and 842 healthy individuals with the corresponding coagulation profile. Prothrombin 19911 A>G did not increase the risk of CSVT in carriers of factor V Leiden (adjusted odds ratio 1.6, 95%CI 0.6-4.7), prothrombin 20210 GA (odds ratio 1.1, 95%CI 0.6-2.2), nor in patients without known thrombophilia (odds ratio 1.3, 95%CI 0.5-3.1). Prothrombin 19911 A>G polymorphism does not appear to be a risk factor for CSVT, alone or in association with factor V Leiden or prothrombin 20210GA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fishery activities in the Mediterranean Sea are characterized by a number of distinctive features which include relative extension of national to international waters, straddling and shared stocks, overall characteristics of fishing activities, availability of scientific information and the absence of a policy fisheries management in many coastal States. Therefore, the principal objective of this paper is to portray a framework on the politics of management of the fish resources in the Channel of Sicily, by examining both the CFP in the Mediterranean or the Italian–Tunisian relationship, and then to inspect the fishing effort of the Sicilians and Tunisian productive structures to carry out a comparative analysis. We also analysed the economic performance of the representative segments of the island fleet in the Channel of Sicily. The information gained from the economic results can be used by local institutions to draw up plans for intervention following European requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daratumumab (DARA) is a human IgG-K monoclonal antibody (MoAb) targeting CD38 that is approved alone or in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone or lenalidomide and dexamethasone for relapsed or refractory MM (RRMM) in patients previously exposed or double refractory to proteasome inhibitors (PI) and immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs). However, there are limited data on its clinical activity and tolerability in real-world patients. Therefore, in the present study, we aim to determine the efficacy and toxicity profile of daratumumab in a real-life setting. In this study, we report the experience of the multiple myeloma GIMEMA Lazio Group in 62 relapsed/refractory MM patients treated with daratumumab as monotherapy who had previously received at least two treatment lines including a PI and an IMiDs or had been double refractory. Patients received DARA 16 mg/kg intravenously weekly for 8 weeks, every 2 weeks for 16 weeks, and every 4 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The overall response rate to daratumumab was 46%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival reached 2.7 and 22.4 months, respectively. DARA was generally well tolerated; however, 2 patients interrupted their therapy due to adverse events. Present real-life experience confirms that DARA monotherapy is an effective strategy for heavily pre-treated and refractory patients with multiple myeloma, with a favorable safety profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background China may have the largest number of Budd-Chiari syndrome ( BCS) cases in the world (at least 1914 original papers were published, and at least 20 191 BCS patients were reported). Considering the discrepancy in the clinical profiles and preferred treatment selection of primary BCS between the West and China, understanding its aetiology in these two different regions is very important. Aim To review the data from large cohort studies and meta-analyses to illustrate the epidemiology of risk factors for BCS in the West and China. Methods Relevant papers were identified by major English- and Chinese-language databases, conference abstracts, and by manual search. Results Risk factors reviewed include myeloproliferative neoplasms ( MPNs) and their related gene mutations, anti-phospholipid syndrome, paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria ( PNH), hyperhomocysteinaemia and 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR) C677T mutation, factor V Leiden ( FVL) and prothrombin G20210A mutations, inherited anti-thrombin, protein C and protein S deficiencies, pregnancy and puerperium, poverty, and family history. Conclusions We examined the differences in the aetiological distribution of BCS between the West and China. Several recommendations should be considered in Chinese BCS patients: (i) screening for hyperhomocysteinaemia and MTHFR mutation should be regularly performed; (ii) screening for MPNs, PNH, and anti-phospholipid syndrome should be selectively performed; (iii) inherited anti-thrombin, protein C, and protein S deficiencies should be actively explored; (iv) screening for FVL and prothrombin G20210A mutations may be unnecessary; and (v) the clinical significance of pregnancy and puerperium, poverty with bacterial infections and unsanitary environments, and family history as possible risk factors should never be neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Accurate photometric redshifts for large samples of galaxies are among the main products of modern multiband digital surveys. Over the last decade, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has become a sort of benchmark against which to test the various methods. Aims. We present an application of a new method to the estimation of photometric redshifts for the galaxies in the SDSS Data Release 9 (SDSS-DR9). Photometric redshifts for more than 143 million galaxies were produced. Methods. The Multi Layer Perceptron with Quasi Newton Algorithm (MLPQNA) model, provided within the framework of the DAta Mining and Exploration Web Application REsource (DAMEWARE), is an interpolative method derived from machine learning models. Results. The obtained redshifts have an overall uncertainty of σ = 0.023 with a very small average bias of ∼3 × 10-5, and a fraction of catastrophic outliers (ΙΔzΙ > 2σ) of ∼5%. This result is slightly better than what was already available in the literature in terms of the smaller fraction of catastrophic outliers as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses research on the prevalence of mutations of epigenetic regulators and of spliceosome enzymes as transforming events in therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MN) compared with leukemias that evolved from chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Researchers learned that the highest frequency of mutations in acute leukemias evolved from MPN. They also revealed that the incidence of mutations varies in t-MN according to the type of previous malignancy.

During pregnancy thrombo-prophylaxis could be required in high risk women. If a severe allergic reaction to low-molecular-weight-heparin (LMWH) or a heparin-induced-thrombocytopenia (HIT) occurs, it's mandatory to stop the drug. Fondaparinux could be an effective option. In the present review, the maternal and pregnancy outcomes of 65 pregnancies in women using Fondaparinux were reported. It was well-tolerated and rate of pregnancy complications was similar to that observed in general population. Regarding congenital malformations, further studies are necessary to investigate the safety of the drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the influence of major cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus) on the association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism and echocardiographic left ventricular mass in 225 patients with sustained hypertension, assessed by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. When the study population was analyzed as a whole, the 3 ACE genotypes did not differ in left ventricular mass (II, 47 g/m2.7; ID, 49 g/m2.7; DD, 51 g/m2.7; p = NS). No difference was found in subjects (n = 135) in whom at least 1 major cardiovascular risk factor was present (II, 51 g/m2.7; ID, 51 g/m2.7; DD: 52 g/m2.7; p = NS). In contrast, in the absence of cardiovascular risk factors, DD subjects (n = 32) exhibited left ventricular mass index higher than non-DD (ID/II) subjects (n = 75; p <0.05). After controlling for age and sex, in the absence of cardiovascular risk factors, the risk of left ventricular hypertrophy was 3.8-fold higher in DD than in non-DD patients (odds ratio 3.8; 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 12.1, p <0.02). We conclude that in the present setting of patients with established sustained systemic hypertension, the absence of risk factors potentially affecting cardiovascular adaptation allows for the detection of a positive association between homozygosity for the D allele of the ACE gene and left ventricular hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Early life experiences can influence hypotalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation and adult attachment styles. Furthermore, several studies showed that in patients with eating disorders (EDs) there is a prevalence of insecure attachment. However, the relationship between adult attachment style, HPA axis functioning and onset of EDs is largely unknown. Objectives and aims In order to evaluate possible associations between attachment styles and HPA axis functioning in EDs, we investigated Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) in ED patients with different attachment styles. Methods Twenty adult patients with EDs were classified in three groups, according to the Experience in Close Relationship questionnaire (6 with secure attachment, 6 with anxious attachment and 8 with avoidant attachment). Saliva samples were collected at awakening and 15, 30 and 60 minutes after. Results There was a significant difference among the groups in both awakening and post-awakening cortisol concentrations. In particular, compared to secure and avoidant groups, the anxious group exhibited lower cortisol concentrations at awakening and post-awakening with a preservation of the timing of the CAR. Discussion Present findings demonstrate that anxious attachment style is linked to flattened CAR in EDs. This pattern has been associated with other psychiatric disorders. Therefore, attachment style could influence the HPA functioning and it could play, although not specifically, a role in pathophysiology of EDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study about the safety of early Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) administration after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It has been mentioned this study aims to assess the safety and the potential efficacy on cardiac function and perfusion of G-CSF administration. In this study, there were eight patients enrolled with a first anterior AMI with various qualifications.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to report and discuss the preliminary data obtained in a homogeneous series of 50 patients affected by multiple myeloma treated with bisphosphonates.Methods: Patients were followed for a minimum of 1 year. Main orthopaedic data were recorded. Visual Analogue Score and QLQ-C30 and MY 20 were used to assess the quality of life.Results: Statistical analysis showed less lytic lesions in the group with zoledronate therapy and stable primary disease compared with a greater number of lesions in the non-treated group. Results regarding VAS score and QLQ-C30 and MY were statistically better in the first group than in the second.Conclusions: Our results confirm the efficacy of zoledronate in ensuring an acceptable quality of life restraining the aggressiveness of the myeloma on bone tissue, especially in spine although further prospective studies have to be conducted to determine its correct use in myeloma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a letter to the editor and a response from the authors for the article "Thrombosis in antithrombin-III-deficient persons: Report of a large kindred and literature review," by C. Demers, J. S. Ginsberg, M. A. Blajchman, and others.