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This article discusses the use of Exposed Endoscopic Full-Thickness Resection (E-EFTR) for the management of rectal lesions with scarring or suspected deep submucosal invasion. The study was conducted at S. Giovanni Bosco Hospital in Turin, Italy, and included 14 patients. The results showed that E-EFTR was successful in achieving transmural resection of the lesions in all cases, with an en bloc resection rate of 85.7%. The procedure was well-tolerated, with no major adverse events reported. The authors conclude that E-EFTR may be an effective and safe option for the treatment of complex rectal lesions. [Extracted from the article]

This article, published in the journal Endoscopy, discusses a surgical technique for treating colo-vaginal fistulae, a condition that can cause significant morbidity and mortality. The authors report on two cases of elderly women with diverticular disease who were referred to their center after experiencing faecaluria and pneumaturia. Due to the difficulty in identifying the colonic orifice of the fistula, the authors used a combined transvaginal and colonic rendez-vous approach. They inserted an ultrathin gastroscope into the vagina to locate the vaginal orifice, and then used a hydrophilic guidewire to guide a therapeutic gastroscope equipped with an over-the-scope clip for precise closure of the fistula. The authors conclude that this technique is an effective and feasible treatment option for colo-vaginal fistulae. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses a case study of a 78-year-old male patient who underwent surgery for a rectal tumor and developed a complete anastomotic stricture. Traditional methods of dilation or stent placement were not possible due to the severity of the stricture. Instead, a modified rendezvous technique was used, involving the use of a pediatric colonoscope and a therapeutic gastroscope to puncture the stricture and pass a guidewire. This allowed for the successful placement of a lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) to recanalize the stricture. The patient experienced positive outcomes and was able to have the stent removed and colostomy reversal performed. The article concludes that this dual endoscopic-fluoroscopic procedure is a safe and effective treatment option for complete colorectal anastomotic strictures. [Extracted from the article]

This article presents a novel suturing technique used to close a large rectal wall defect following an exposed endoscopic full-thickness resection. The technique involves grasping the distal eschar's margin with a clip tied with a suture thread and attaching it to the margins of the defect with additional clips. The suture is then secured with an Overstitch Suture Cinch. After one month of follow-up, no adverse events were reported, and the eschar healed completely. The video demonstrating the technique is available for further reference. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the safety and efficacy of a variant of Peroral Endoscopic Septotomy (POES) called Muscular-Tunneling Peroral Endoscopic Septotomy (MT-POES) for the treatment of Zenker's diverticulum (ZD). The study included 32 patients with symptomatic ZD who underwent MT-POES treatment. The results showed a 100% technical success rate, with a reduction in dysphagia symptoms for 94% of patients. No major adverse events were reported, although four patients developed subclinical self-limiting pneumomediastinum. The study concludes that MT-POES is a safe and effective treatment option for ZD, but further research and longer follow-up are needed to confirm its validity. [Extracted from the article]

Plants growing on polluted soils need to control the bioavailability of pollutants to reduce their toxicity. This study aims to reveal processes occurring at the soil-root interface of Pistacia lentiscus L. growing on the highly Zn-contaminated tailings of Campo Pisano mine (SW Sardinia, Italy), in order to shed light on possible mechanisms allowing for plant adaptation. The study combines conventional X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with advanced synchrotron-based techniques, micro-X-ray fluorescence mapping (μ-XRF) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Data analysis elucidates a mechanism used by P. lentiscus L. as response to high Zn concentration in soil. In particular, P. lentiscus roots take up Al, Si and Zn from the rhizosphere minerals in order to build biomineralizations that are part of survival strategy of the species, leading to formation of a Si-Al biomineralization coating the root epidermis. XAS analysis rules out Zn binding to organic molecules and indicates that Zn coordinates Si atoms stored in root epidermis leading to the precipitation of an amorphous Zn-silicate. These findings represent a step forward in understanding biological mechanisms and the resulting behaviour of minor and trace elements during plant-soil interaction and will have significant implications for development of phytoremediation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A monitoring survey of the coastal area facing the industrial area of Portoscuso-Portovesme (south-western Sardinia, Italy) revealed intense bioerosional processes. Benthic foraminifera collected at the same depth (about 2m) but at different distances from the pollution source show extensive microbial infestation, anomalous Mg/Ca molar ratios and high levels of heavy metals in the shell associated with a decrease in foraminifera richness, population density and biodiversity with the presence of morphologically abnormal specimens. We found that carbonate dissolution induced by euendoliths is selective, depending on the Mg content and morpho-structural types of foraminiferal taxa. This study provides evidences for a connection between heavy metal dispersion, decrease in pH of the sea-water and bioerosional processes on foraminifera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the first-day return of 182 IPOs listed on the Italian Stock Exchange from 1985 to 2001. It finds a significantly mean positive underpricing (21.87%). Contrary to the evidence detected in the USA by Loughran and Ritter and Ljungqvist and Wilhelm, it highlights that on the main board of the Italian Exchange IPO underpricing decreased in the late 1990s. It claims that such a pattern can be accounted for by two determinants: (i) the evolution of pricing strategies, from fixed-price IPOs to bookbuilding, (ii) the segmentation of the Italian Exchange with the birth of a new board for high-growth and technology firms (Nuovo Mercato). It shows that IPOs are intentionally underpriced: both public and private information available at the IPO is only partially incorporated in pricing the shares. The results suggest that negative feedback learned during the preselling is more fully incorporated into the offer price than positive information. Finally, it shows that price revisions are partially predictable on the basis of public information at the time of the offering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on molecular assessment of clonality in a pre-blast lymphocytic leukemia unusually relapsing as a mature-blast lymphocytic leukemia. Reason of immunophenotype shifts reported in relapses; Definition of intra-lineage shifts; Investigation of bone marrow aspirate for changes in morphology and immunophenotype.

4-Demethoxydaunorubicin (4-DMDR) and its major metabolite 4-demethoxy-13-hydroxydaunorubicin (4-DMDRol) were investigated for their cytotoxicity and mode of action against human leukemic cells. The drug and its metabolite appeared to be equally potent as both inhibitors of cell proliferation and inducers of DNA double-strand breaks in the OCI AML-3 cell line and cells derived directly from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This suggests that 4-DMDRol plays an important role in the antileukemic activity of 4-DMDR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal cell carcinoma is rarely diagnosed during pregnancy and its management represents a real challenge. Pregnancy demands special consideration in terms of diagnostic evaluation and management, particularly during the second trimester. We report a patient undergoing left radical nephrectomy using a thoracoretroperitoneal approach at 22 weeks’ gestation. Histological analysis revealed a pT2R0G2 chromophobic renal cell carcinoma. Furthermore, we review the sparse literature available. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Various bacteria- and host-related factors are determinants of the consequences of H. pylori infection in the gastric mucosa. HP-NAP has been suggested to be an important virulence factor. Recent observations suggest that HP-NAP is able to display different functions and is mainly involved in chemotaxis of neutrophils and monocytes. HP-NAP antibodies are found in the immune response of about 60% of H. pylori infected adults, but there are no pertinent epidemiological data among children. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with presence of HP-NAP antibodies in a population based sample of children with H. pylori infection. Methods HP-NAP was cloned and expressed in Bacillus subtilis and purified. Serum samples from 163 asymptomatic H. pylori infected children aged 10 to 13 years (mean age 10.8 ± 0.65 years) were tested for the presence of HP-NAP-specific antibodies with an inhouse ELISA. CagA-antibodies were determined using a commercial Western blot. Sociodemographic and medical data were obtained by a standardized questionnaire. Results Prevalence of HP-NAP-antibodies was 36.4% (95% confidence interval = 29.0-44.3%) and was not associated with gender, age and nationality of the children. Prevalence of HP-NAP antibodies was slightly higher among the 39 children with CagA positive infection (43.6%) then among the 124 children with CagA negative infection (34.2%) but this association was not statistically significant (p=0.29). Conclusion About a third of the infected children showed antibodies against HP-NAP. There was no clear association between prevalence of CagA and HP-NAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a method for the search of parent Hamiltonians of input wave functions based on the structure of their reduced density matrix. The two key elements of our recipe are an ansatz on the relation between the reduced density matrix and parent Hamiltonian that is exact at the field theory level, and a minimization procedure on the space of relative entropies, which is particularly convenient due to its convexity. As examples, we show how our method correctly reconstructs the parent Hamiltonian correspondent to several nontrivial ground state wave functions, including conformal and symmetry-protected-topological phases, and quantum critical points of two-dimensional antiferromagnets described by strongly coupled field theories. Our results show the entanglement structure of ground state wave functions considerably simplifies the search for parent Hamiltonians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sulcis-Iglesiente district (SW Sardinia, Italy) has been, until recently, one of the most important Italian polymetallic mining areas for the extraction of lead. Epidemiological studies conducted over several decades have indicated this site at high risk of environmental crisis with possible adverse effects on the public health. In the present paper we discuss Pb isotope signatures in human scalp hair and road dust collected from the Sulcis-Iglesiente area in order to trace the exposure of populations to potential Pb sources. A total of 23 determinations (20 on hair samples and 3 on road dust samples) of lead isotope ratios ( 206 Pb/ 207 Pb and 208 Pb/ 206 Pb) were carried out. The obtained results were integrate with literature data regarding the total content of Pb in hair samples from the same study area. Hair from children living in Sant'Antioco exhibited lead isotope ratios in the ranges 1.152–1.165 for 206 Pb/ 207 Pb and 2.101–2.108 for 208 Pb/ 206 Pb, while hair samples from Iglesias resulted less radiogenic: 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ~ 1.147–1.154 and 208 Pb/ 206 Pb ~ 2.106–2.118. These values pointed to a multi-source mixing between the less radiogenic sources, corresponding to the Pb ore deposits, and the more radiogenic sources identified in local background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Micrometre-sized aeolian dust particles stored in Antarctic firn and ice layers are a useful tool for reconstructing climate and environmental changes in the past. The mineral content, particle concentration and chemical composition of modern dust in firn cores from the peripherycal dome (Talos Dome) and coastal area of East Antarctica (Ross Sea sector) were investigated. During analyses there was a considerable decrease in microparticle concentrations within a few hours of ice sample melting, accompanied by a systematic increase in the concentration of calcium ions (Ca2+) in solution. Based on mineralogical phase analyses, which reveal the presence of anhydrous and hydrous calcium carbonates such as calcite (CaCO3), monohydrocalcite (CaCO3·H2O) and ikaite (CaCO3·6H2O, hexahydrate calcium carbonate), the observed variations in concentrations are ascribed to the partial dissolution of the carbonate content of samples. Soluble carbonate compounds are thus primary aerosols included into the samples along with insoluble aluminosilicate minerals. We hypothesize hydrous carbonates may derive from the sea ice surface, where ikaite typically forms at the early stages of sea ice formation. Back trajectory calculations show that favourable events for air mass advection from the sea ice surface to Talos Dome are rare but likely to occur. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]