Search

Slope movements represent a class of phenomena, which can display a great variety of styles, sizes and displacement rates. Some are extremely rapid, short-lived and highly destructive; others are extremely slow and apparently endless. This paper describes an extremely slow soil slope deformation process that is probably active since thousands of years and will certainly go on for many years to come. The results of in-depth investigations carried out after the 1980 Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake integrated by satellite images covering the time interval 1992–2013 have provided a global and consistent framework that allows to draw a reliable scenario about the effects of the geological processes that are active in the area on slope deformation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite significant research advances on the seismic response analysis, there is still an urgent need for validation of numerical simulation methods for prediction of earthquake response and damage. In this respect, seismic monitoring networks and proper modelling can further support validation studies, allowing more realistic simulations of what earthquakes can produce. This paper discusses the seismic response of the "Pietro Capuzi" school in Visso, a village located in the Marche region (Italy) that was severely damaged by the 2016–2017 Central Italy earthquake sequence. The school was a two-story masonry structure founded on simple enlargements of its load-bearing walls, partially embedded in the alluvial loose soils of the Nera river. The structure was monitored as a strategic building by the Italian Seismic Observatory of Structures (OSS), which provided acceleration records under both ambient noise and the three mainshocks of the seismic sequence. The evolution of the damage pattern following each one of the three mainshocks was provided by on-site survey integrated by OSS data. Data on the dynamic soil properties was available from the seismic microzonation study of the Visso village and proved useful in the development of a reliable geotechnical model of the subsoil. The equivalent frame (EF) approach was adopted to simulate the nonlinear response of the school building through both fixed-base and compliant-base models, to assess the likely influence of soil–structure interaction on the building performance. The ambient noise records allowed for an accurate calibration of the soil–structure model. The seismic response of the masonry building to the whole sequence of the three mainshocks was then simulated by nonlinear time history analyses by using the horizontal accelerations recorded at the underground floor as input motions. Numerical results are validated against the evidence on structural response in terms of both incremental damage and global shear force–displacement relationships. The comparisons are satisfactory, corroborating the reliability of the compliant-base approach as applied to the EF model and its computational efficiency to simulate the soil–foundation–structure interaction in the case of masonry buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between August and November 2016, three major earthquake events occurred in Central Italy. The first event, with M6.1, took place on 24 August 2016, the second (M5.9) on 26 October, and the third (M6.5) on 30 October 2016. Each event was followed by numerous aftershocks. The 24 August event caused massive damages especially to the villages of Arquata del Tronto, Accumoli, Amatrice, and Pescara del Tronto. In total, there were 299 fatalities, generally from collapses of unreinforced masonry dwellings. The October events caused significant new damage in the villages of Visso, Ussita, and Norcia, although not producing fatalities, since the area had largely been evacuated. The Italy–US Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance team investigated earthquake effects on slopes, villages, and major infrastructures. The approach adopted to carry out post-earthquake reconnaissance surveys was to combine traditional reconnaissance activities of on-ground evidences and mapping of field conditions with advanced imaging and damage detection routines enabled by state-of-the-art geomatics technology. Presented herein are the outcomes of the post-event reconnaissance surveys conducted after both the August main shock and the October events, focusing on geotechnical aspects, such as earthquake-triggered slope failures, mud volcanoes, performance of different geotechnical structures (i.e., dams, retaining walls, rockfall barriers, road embankments) and building damage patterns related to site amplification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the seismic performance of slopes, the simplified displacement-based methods represent a good-working balance between simplicity and reliability. The so-called uncoupled methods permit to account for the effects of deformability and ductility by computing separately the dynamic site response and the sliding block displacements. In this paper the procedure proposed by Bray and Rathje (1998) was revised and adapted to Italian seismicity on a set of subsoil models, representative of the different soil classes specified by the Italian and European Codes. The relationship expressing the decrease of the equivalent acceleration with earthquake/soil frequency ratio was then obtained by means of dynamic 1D seismic response analyses. Statistical correlations between calculated Newmark displacements, significant ground motion parameters and the critical acceleration ratio were also derived. To estimate the reference ground motion parameters necessary for the full implementation of the proposed procedure, literature predictive equations, calibrated on strong motion records of international databases, were revised for the Italian seismicity. These ground motion prediction equations, together with simplified displacements relationships, allowed for developing an original quick procedure to evaluate the seismic slope performance by specifying the probability of exceedance of a threshold displacement, based only on few seismic input motion parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are few articles in the literature reporting the histological changes of groin structures affected by inguinal hernia. A deeper knowledge of this matter could represent an important step forward in the identification of the causes of hernia protrusion. This study aimed to recognise the pathological modifications of muscular structures in autopsy specimens excised from tissues surrounding the hernia orifice. Methods: Inguinal hernia was identified in 30 autopsied cadavers, which presented different varieties of hernia, including indirect, direct and mixed. Tissue specimens were resected for histological study from structures of the inguinal area surrounding the hernia opening, following a standardised procedure. The histological examination was focussed on the detection of structural changes in the muscle tissues. The results were compared with biopsy specimens resected from corresponding sites of the inguinal region in a control group of 15 fresh cadavers without hernia. Results: Significant modification of the muscular arrangement of the inguinal area was recognized. Pathological alterations such as atrophy, hyaline and fibrotic degeneration, as well as fatty dystrophy of the myocytes were detected. These findings were observed consistently in the context of multistructural damage also involving vessels and nerves. In cadavers with hernia these alterations were always present independent of hernia type. No comparable damage was found in control cadavers without hernia. Conclusions: The high degree of degenerative changes in the muscle fibres in the inguinal area involved in hernia protrusion described in this report seems to be consistent with chronic compressive damage. These alterations could embody one important factor among the multifactorial sources of hernia genesis. Conjectures concerning its impact on the physiology and biodynamics of the inguinal region are made. The relationship between the depicted degenerative injuries and the genesis of inguinal hernia is also a focus of discussion in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few scientific reports to date describe the histological modification of structures outlining a hernia opening. This article is focused on the identification of the pathological changes in vascular structures in tissues excised from cadavers with inguinal hernia. A deeper comprehension of this topic could lead to essential improvements in the detection of hernia genesis. Materials and methods: Different kinds of hernia, including indirect, direct and mixed, were identified in 30 autopsied subjects. Tissue samples were resected for histological study from abdominal wall structures close to the hernia opening. Histological examination focused on the detection of structural changes in arteries and veins. The results were compared with tissue specimens excised from equivalent sites of the inguinal area in a control group of 15 fresh cadavers without hernia. Results: Significant modification of vascular structures were identified in the tissue specimens examined. The veins demonstrated parietal fibrosis, perivascular edema and vascular dilation due to congestion and stasis. The arterial structures detected showed thickening of the media due to medial hyperplasia, ranging from luminal sub-occlusion to a manifest artery occlusion. These findings are present independent of hernia type in cadavers with inguinal hernia. These pathological changes were lacking in the control group of cadavers without hernia. Conclusions: The notable changes in vascular structures described in the report could be the result of a steady compressive effect exerted by the abdominal viscera in the inguinal area. These pathological changes could represent one of the factors involved in the weakening of the inguinal region leading to hernia protrusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the April 6th, 2009 Abruzzo mainshock, the Italian Civil Protection Department promoted a multidisciplinary study aimed at developing seismic microzonation maps for post-earthquake reconstruction planning. In the framework of this project, a Working Group, including the authors, was assembled to carry out a microzonation study on six villages located in the Middle Aterno valley. This paper focuses on the villages of Castelnuovo and Poggio Picenze, which experienced MCS intensity values of IX-X and VIII-IX, respectively. 1D and 2D linear equivalent site response analyses were carried out on representative geological cross-sections through the damaged centres and the expansion zones. The subsoil models resulting from geological, geotechnical and geophysical investigations were calibrated by comparing numerical amplification functions, in the linear range, with horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio derived from both aftershocks and noise recordings. The input motions adopted for the analyses were five artificial accelerograms compatible with three response spectra obtained from the Italian seismic code, as well as from ad hoc probabilistic and deterministic studies. The results were expressed in the form of horizontal profiles of amplification factors in terms of peak ground acceleration, F, as well as of the Housner intensity, FH, in two different range of periods; this latter parameter was shown to be almost independent of the input motion and allowed to express the dependency of site amplification on the frequency range. The amplification factors computed along the representative geological sections were finally extended with a rational procedure to the surrounding areas to draw Grade-3 microzonation maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral involvement is an unusual complication in multiple myeloma: herein four patients who presented myelomatous meningitis with multiple intraparenchymal lesions or a localized cerebral plasmacytoma are described. Two of these patients relapsed with meningeal involvement and a very limited disease outside the central nervous system after an initial complete remission obtained with induction chemotherapy. In the other two cases, the cerebral tumor appeared during first-line treatment. Cytological examination of the cerebrospinal fluid and magnetic resonance were essential for diagnosis. Different modalities of treatment were used, including intrathecal chemotherapy, cranial irradiation, and systemic chemotherapy with high-dose methotrexate and cytarabine, achieving improvement of neurological symptoms in three of four patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the potential of projection-reconstruction (PR) MR microscopy in the accurate measurement of cartilage thickness. Short-TE PR microimages were acquired at 7.05 T on bone-cartilage cylindrical plugs excised from four regions of two disarticulated femoral heads (i. e. superior, inferior, posterior and anterior), using an NMR instrument equipped with a microimaging accessory. The PR microimages were then correlated with conventional spin-echo (SE) microimages and with histology. On PR microimages, acquired with an echo time of 3.2 ms, the cartilage signal was increased, allowing an accurate delineation of the cartilage from the tidemark/cortical bone region. As a consequence, by the PR method a more precise measurement of cartilage thickness compared with that performed by the conventional SE approach was feasible. An excellent correlation between PR microimages and histology was also obtained (r = 0.90). By the proposed method it is possible to accurately determine the cartilage thickness better than with the conventional SE sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares harvest and hematological recovery data of 100 lymphoma patients who underwent BM harvest either after a short course of G-CSF (16 μg/kg for 3 days) (n = 57) or in steady-state conditions (n = 43). G-CSF allowed the attainment of a significantly higher median number of total nucleated cells × 108/kg (4.4, range 1.4–17, vs 2.1, range 0.6–4.2; P < 0.0001), mononuclear cells × 108/kg (0.55, range 0.20–1.4, vs 0.41, range 0.15–0.76, P < 0.0001) and cfu-gm/ml (310, range 10–5500, vs 80, range 10–3800, P = 0.008), with lower volumes of blood collected (17.5 ml/kg, range 8–31 vs 21.0, range 15–30, P = 0.0001). Hematological recovery was faster in patients who received pre-treated BM (median time to PMN >0.5 × 109/l and to platelets >20 × 109/l was 12, range 10–14, and 13, range 10–18, days, respectively) than in those autotransplanted with steady-state BM (median time to PMN >0.5 × 109/l and to platelets >20 × 109/l 13, range 10–18 and 14, range 10–20 days, respectively, P = 0.004 and P = 0.01). Transfusional requirement was significantly different and patients of the G-CSF group needed shorter hospitalization (17 days, range 12–24, vs 20 days, range 14–32; P = 0.02). These data suggest that treating patients with G-CSF before BM harvest improves the quality of the harvest and accelerates engraftment and hematological recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primitive haemopoietic cells are required for studies in both the clinical and research fields and a number of systems have been developed to facilitate isolation of these haemopoietic cell populations. We have analysed the results from several European centres using positive selection of CD34+ cells from haemopoietic tissues (n = 110). Four selection techniques including immunoaffinity columns (Ceprate LC), immunomagnetic beads (Dynabeads, Baxter Isolex 50) and submicroscopic magnetic beads (MACS) were used and the selected CD34+ cells were assessed for purity, yield and enrichment of colony-forming cells (CFC). The mean purities for all samples ranged from 68.4–78.4% for MACS, 33.9–69.9% for Dynabeads, 46.9–66.8% for Ceprate LC and 43.2–65% for Baxter Isolex 50. Yields were variable with all techniques. On average CFC enrichment using the immunoaffinity columns was greater than that observed for the other systems. Some techniques appear to be problematic and may require further expertise to improve the results. Nevertheless, the study demonstrates that highly purified CD34+ cells can be isolated from various haemopoietic sources, though yield and CFC enrichment varies significantly depending on the technique selected. This extends our previous report indicating that not all selection methods generate similar results and that there are differences in the purity, number and colony-forming ability of the cells recovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to retrospectively evaluate the outcome of patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in first complete (CR) or partial (PR) remission, according to the age-adjusted International Prognostic Index (IPI). Fifty-two consecutive patients, aged less than 60 years, with intermediate- or high-grade NHL, and at least one of the following adverse risk factors: bulky disease, B symptoms or Ann Arbor stage III–IV, and at least a PR after CHT (and radiotherapy (RT) on residual mediastinal mass when required), underwent ASCT conditioned with BAVC. Sixty-five percent (33/52) of the patients achieved CR after CHT; 69% (36/52) after CHT + RT; 90% (47/52) after CHT ± RT + ASCT. One death during conditioning and three major toxic events after ASCT were recorded. Overall survival (OS) is 98% at 37 months (16–88); disease-free survival (DFS) is 100% at 27 months (7–82). Comparing the observed results with those expected if patients were treated only with CHT, the sequential treatment including ASCT conferred an advantage in terms of CR rate of 14, 23 and 54%, respectively, in the low-intermediate (LI), high-intermediate (HI) and high (H)-risk groups, respectively. The 2-year OS advantage is 10, 21, 31 and 63%, respectively, and the 2-year DFS advantage is 12, 26, 38 and 39%, respectively. Even more striking is the 5-year projected advantage in the number of patients alive without disease, even when considering only the low (L) (P < 0.0001) and the li (P < 0.0001) risk groups. for patients in the higher (hi + h) risk groups, asct should be included in the initial plan of treatment as consolidation of first cr or pr, but the differences seen in this study suggest a formal comparison in a randomized study also for patients in the li risk group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence suggests that the hepatitis C virus (HCV) might be involved in the pathogenesis of B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). Since several HCV genotypes are currently identifiable and might be involved in the pathogenesis of different diseases (with different severity and responsiveness to therapy), the aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of viral genotypes in a group of patients with HCV-related NHL. Among 470 consecutive patients, 42 HCV Ab-positive cases were identified. HCV RNA could be detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and genotyping performed in 31 of these cases. As compared to our control group (211 healthy blood donors and patients with chronic liver disease), a striking high prevalence of genotype 2ac was detected among B cell NHL (48.4 vs 9.0%), with a relative risk of infection of 5.37 (P < 0.0001). No major differences were observed in the distribution of NHL histotypes and in the clinical features among patients with genotype 1b (the other most frequent genotype) or 2ac, a part from a trend towards a higher percentage of liver disease and a lower likelihood of response to interferon for patients with genotype 1b. The same high prevalence of genotype 2ac has been recently reported in patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC), monoclonal gammopathies, B cell NHL complicating MC and autoimmune hepatitis. All these data taken together suggest that genotype 2ac might be involved in the pathogenesis of lymphoproliferative and autoimmune disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After being successfully applied to other intraabdominal organs, the laparoscopic approach has been applied to the spleen since 1991. The experience with 17 cases of laparoscopic splenectomy performed due to immune thrombocytopenia purpura (10 instances), hereditary spherocytosis (2 cases), and Hodgkin's disease where the staging was done according to Standford (5 cases), have been reported. With the patient in anti-Trendelenburg position, and the surgeon between the patient's legs, four or five trocars are introduced into the upper abdominal quadrants and the spleen hilum is isolated. Hilar vessels are dissected and ligated with a surgical stapler. A plastic bag is introduced into the abdomen cavity and the spleen is slipped inside; it is then extracted through an umbilical incision after morcellation. Advantages of the open operation include a decrease in postoperative pain, a decrease in pulmonary sequelae, a reduced incidence of subphnic abscesses, and cosmetic advantages. The decrease of postoperative sequelae reduces hospitalization and costs, which are higher for the operation itself (materials and staff's training). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Albrecht von Graefes Archiv für Klinische und Experimentelle Ophthalmologie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Presents a letter to the editor reporting response rate and survival after thalidomide-based therapy in 248 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Laparoscopic gastric surgery is gaining momentum, especially in the treatment of benign disease. Simultaneous endoscopy and laparoscopy allow precise localization of lesions. Because of the stomach's size, mobility, and distensibility, relatively large lesions can be safely excised. Wedge resection for anterior lesions and a transgastric or intragastric approach for posterior lesions are feasible laparoscopically. Two cases of posterior gastric leiomyomas successfully resected laparoscopically are presented. The use of stapling devices greatly facilitates this procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A retrospective review is given of the authors' experience with a consecutive series of acute small-bowel obstruction unresponsive to medical management.Methods: There were 33 exploratory laparoscopies. The etiology was accurately diagnosed in 100% of the cases. Twenty-five (76%) were secondary to postoperative adhesions, of which 18 (72%) were successfully treated by laparoscopic lysis of adhesions. Minilaparotomy was needed to treat iatrogenic perforation (two), gangrenous bowel (one), and Meckel's diverticulectomy (one). Formal laparotomy was utilized for small-bowel resection (two), malignant adhesions (two), and intolerance of pneumoperitoneum (one). Four cases of incarcerated hernias were treated by conventional herniorrhaphy.Results: Overall, 67% of our cases were spared formal laparotomy.Conclusion: We conclude that laparoscopy is an excellent diagnostic modality in acute small-bowel obstruction, the majority of which can be simultaneously managed laparoscopically. Laparotomy should be reserved for malignant adhesions, surgical misadventure, or when the pathology dictates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of an error during the editorial process the first name initial of author Ernesto Ausilio was incorrectly given as A. (A. Ausilio) in the initial online publication. It should obviously be E. Ausilio. The original article has been corrected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal metastasis from distant primary malignancies is an uncommon occurrence. The first case of a clear cell carcinoma of the kidney metastatic to the esophagus 5 yr after nephrectomy is reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]