85 research outputs found
MODIAC: a Modular Integrated Microprocessor System for Industrial Automation and Process Control
No full textA Multidisciplinary Approach for On Board Stability System
No full textThe aim of this paper is to present the main results arisen from the joint efforts of the public-private partnership in being between Centro Cultura Innovativa d’Impresa (CCII) of University of Salento and Avio S.p.A. This paper will focus on the results of the core of the On Board Stability System (OBSS) module that, starting from the exact 3D geometry of a ship hull, described by a discrete model in a standard format, the distribution of all weights onboard and the data acquired by the system, calculates ship asset
Epidemiology of melanoma: the importance of correctly reporting to the cancer registries.
No full textIn Italy, few epidemiologic studies have been conducted by tracing melanoma reports directly in the electronic registers of the operating units of pathologic anatomy. The Cancer Registers of the Italian regions receive only partial and incomplete data on the diagnoses of melanoma, for this reason, the incidences are usually underestimated. Our work offers a precise picture of the epidemiologic situation of melanoma in a homogenous sample of patients residing in a geographic area traditionally considered to have a high incidence of melanoma
Book review: W. Vivian Davies and Derek A. Welsby (eds), Travelling the Korosko Road. Archaeological exploration in Sudan’s Eastern Desert, Sudan Archaeological Research Society 24, London: Archaeopress, 2020
No full textThe Korosko Road is one of the most important desert shortcuts in the Nile Valley, hence its frequent presence in general studies on Nubian history and archaeology. The volume, edited by William Vivian Davies and Derek Anthony Welsby, with contributions by Alfredo Castiglioni, Angelo Castiglioni, Mahmoud Suliman Bashir, Andrea Manzo, Serena Massa, Francesco M. Rega, Philippe Ruffieux and Donatella Usai, has long been awaited, at least by this reviewer, hoping to clear up much of the uncertainties surrounding the Korosko Road until now
UHPLC-MS Method for the Analysis of the Molecular Adjuvant Sulfavant A
No full textA fast and sensitive method that is based on Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) for the measurement of Sulfavant A, a molecular adjuvant with a sulfolipid skeleton, is described. The method has been validated over the linearity range of 2.5-2000 ngmL(-1) using a deuterated derivative (d(70)-Sulfavant A) as internal standard. Chromatographic separation is based on a UHPLC Kinetex(R) 2.6 mu m PS C18 column and a gradient of methanol in 0.32 mM ammonium hydroxide solution buffered at pH 8. The lowest limit of quantification of Sulfavant A was 6.5 ngmL(-1). The analytical procedure was tested on an extract of mice lung spiked with 30, 300, and 1500 ng of Sulfavant A. The analysis revealed a precision and accuracy value (as a mean value of all the quality control samples analyzed) of 4.7% and 96% in MeOH and 6.4% and 93.4% in the lung extracts, respectively
Access to pyrrolo-pyridines by gold-catalyzed hydroarylation of pyrroles tethered to terminal alkynes
No full textIn a simple procedure, the intramolecular hydroarylation of N-propargyl-pyrrole-2-carboxamides was accomplished with the aid of gold(III) catalysis. The reaction led to differently substituted pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridine and pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridine derivatives arising either from direct cyclization or from a formal rearrangement of the carboxamide group. Terminal alkynes are essential to achieve bicyclic pyrrolo-fused pyridinones by a 6-exo-dig process, while the presence of a phenyl group at the C–C triple bond promotes the 7-endo-dig cyclization giving pyrrolo-azepines
PLEUROPULMONARY BLASTOMA: A DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF CHRONIC COUGH. LONG TERM SURVIVALAFTER MULTIMODAL AGGRESSIVE THERAPY
No full textITAL J PEDIATR 2006;32:122-125
CASE REPORT
CASO CLINICO
Pleuropulmonary blastoma: a differential diagnosis of chronic cough. Long-term survival after multimodal aggressive therapy
Blastoma pleuro-polmonare: rara diagnosi differenziale da tosse cronica.
Remissione a lungo termine dopo aggressiva terapia multimodale
P. D''ANGELO, V. MANZO*, S. VENEZIA*, R. ALAGGIO", E SIRACUSA*,
M. LO CURTO*
Unità Operativa di Oncoematologia Pediatrica, Ospedale dei Bambini " G . Di Cristina",
Palermo; * Dipartimento Materno Infantile, Università di Palermo; ** Istituto di Anatomia
Patologica, Università di Padova
Summary
Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) in childhood is a rare clinicopathologic entity distinct
from adult pneumoblastoma. This tumour may originate from the lung, the pleura, or the
mediastinum; it can metastasize and is usually associated with a poor outcome. We report
the case of a 5-year-old boy who developed PPB manifesting with respiratory distress. At
the standard x-ray and magnetic resonance imaging of the chest there was opacity covering
the entire right lung. The histological and immunohistological tests led to the diagnosis
of blastematous, malignant mesenchymatous PPB with pluridirectional differentiation.
Treatment consisted of preoperative chemotherapy to reduce tumour volume, complete
surgical resection of the residuai tumour mass, and post-surgical chemotherapy. Following
this approach, the child is alive in continuous complete remission 9 years after diagnosis.
Riassunto
II Blastoma Pleuro-Polmonare (BPP) infantile è un ''entità clinico patologica ben distinta
dal Pneumoblastoma dell''adulto. Questo tumore può prendere origine dal polmone, dalla
pleura o dal mediastino; può metastatizzare e ha spesso una prognosi infausta. Riportiamo
il caso di un bambino di 5 anni, in cui il BPP si manifestò con un distress respiratorio;
la radiografia del torace e la Risonanza Magnetica hanno evidenziato una grossa
massa che occupava l''emitorace destro. L''esame istopatologico ha permesso di porre
diagnosi di BPP. Il paziente è stato trattato con chemioterapia, che ha ridotto il volume
della massa, con asportazione del tumore e chemioterapia post-operatoria; tale trattamento
ha consentito i''eradicazione della malattia; il paziente è in remissione completa
continua a 9 anni dalla diagnosi.
Introduction
Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is an extremely rare and aggressive malignancy
of childhood. It was originally described as a distinct entity by Manivel
et al. ''. Prior to its identification it was reported in the early literature by
Spencer as pulmonary blastoma or embryonic sarcoma 2.
It is characterized by primitive mesenchymal tissue and epithelial tubular
structures resembling the foetal lung. The eponymous PPB defines the paediatric
variety of pulmonary blastoma. In PPB, the dysembrionic neoplasm
shows blastematous and sarcomatous components and a lack of carcinomatous
components (which are instead present in adult pulmonary blastoma),
sometimes on previous dysplastic pulmonary conditions 3 . PPB is classified
in 3 subtypes: type I (cystic), type II (mixed solid and cystic) and type III
(solid)4.
Key words
Pleuropulmonary blastoma •
Childhood lung cancer • Adjuvant
chemotherapy
Parole chiave
Blastoma pleuropolmonare •
Tumore polmonare infantile •
Chemioterapia post-operatoria
Submitted: March 16, 2005
Accepted: July 19, 2005
Correspondence:
Prof. Margherita Lo Curto
Dipartimento di Pediatria
Università di Palermo
Istituto Materno Infantile
via Cardinale Rampolla 1
Palermo, Italy
Tel. +39 091 6555476
E-mail:
[email protected].
122
PLEUROPULMONARY BLASTOMA IN A CHILD
The predominant clinical features are cough, tachypnea,
fever, respiratory distress; secondary pneumothorax
5 and chest pain have also been reported 6. Since
these features are not specific, an infectious disease is
often erroneously diagnosed; hence, when eventually
detected, the neoplasm is often very large, may even involve
an entire hemithorax, and present metastases.
Despite the different therapeutic procedures - surgery,
chemotherapy and radiotherapy - prognosis is often
poor: Indolfi et al. 7 report 42% and Priest et al. 6 45%
of event free survival (EFS) at 2 years. Poor prognostic
factors are histological subtype II or III6 , a maximum
diameter greater than 5 cm 7 , failure to completely remove
the mass, extrapulmonary effusion such as pleura
or pericardium, metastases 8.
We report the case of a five-year-old child who, despite
the large tumour size at diagnosis and histological subtype
II, after a treatment with chemotherapy before and
after surgery, is in continuous complete remission
(CCR) nine years after the diagnosis.
Case report
A 5-year-old boy was admitted to our ward for hyporexia,
cough, shortness of breath, progressive thinning
and pallor in the previous 2 months. The physical
examination showed poor clinical conditions, tachydyspnea
(R.F. 45/min.), hypophonesis and reduction of
the physiologic vescicular murmure of the middle and
lower regions of the right lung, meteoric abdomen with
the liver margin 5 cm below the right costai margin.
The results of the laboratory investigations were Hb 8.5
g/dl, white blood cells 18.800/ul (N 68%, L 22%, M
6%, E 4%), platelets 611.000/u.l, VES (K.I.) 65, CRP
2.4 mg/dl; serum levels of copper 168 ixg/dl, ferritin
292 ng/dl, LDH 1.261 u/1, oc-FP 6.3 u/1.
Chest radiographs showed a bulky mass in the right
hemithorax displacing the mediastinum leftward and
the liver downward (Fig. 1).
The thoracic-abdominal ultrasound scan showed a
poorly confined voluminous mass, having diameters of
120 x 86 mm, with echogenic-hyperechogenic structure
and some hypo-anechogenic areas, arising in right
hemithorax and displacing the liver and right kidney
downwards.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the thorax
showed a mass involving entirely the right hemitorax,
with a centrai hemorrhagic component that displaced
the mediastinum and the heart to the left.
The patient underwent surgical thoracotomy, which revealed
an unencapsulated mass with smooth surface
and tense-elastic consistency, entirely covered by pleura,
not adherent to the thoracic wall; since the conspicuous
extension of the mass did not allow resection, only
a biopsy was performed.
Microscopically, the biopsy specimen showed a predominantly
solid neoplasm with focal cysts. The tumour
contained mesenchymal elongated cells arranged
in sheets, and more primitive blastematous foci. There
Fig. 1. Posterior-anterior chest radiograph at presentation,
showing a bulky mass, displacing the mediastinum.
was no evidence of typical rhabdomyoblasts or cartilage.
Cysts exhibited an epithelial lining, with flattened
to columnar cells and an underlying layer of primitive
mesenchymal cells. The morphologic appearance was
consistent with a diagnosis of PPB type II. Immunostains
emphasized the doublé component with a positive
staining for cytokeratin (MNF116, pancytokeratin) in
the epithelial component and a positive vimentin staining
in mesenchymal component. Occasionai spindle
cells were positive for desmin; oc-fetoprotein, S-100
protein, CD99, NB84A were negative in both the epithelial
and the stremai component.
In order to stage the disease the patient underwent total
body bone scan with "Tc-MDP, brain and abdominal
CT scan, and bone marrow aspirate; no metastatic
spread was detected, and a stage III was defined.
The child underwent chemotherapy with carboplatinum
(CBP) 400 mg/m2 + etoposide (VP16) 150 mg/m2 days
1, 2; vincristine (VCR) 1.5 mg/m2 + actinomycin-D
(ACT-D) 1.5 mg/m2 day 21 + ifosfamide (IFO) 1500
mg/m2 days 21-23, for overall 3 cycles; thereafter, 2 cycles
were scheduled, including VCR 1.5 mg/m2 + ACTD
1.5 mg/m2 day 1, doxorubicin 40 mg/m2 days 1-2 and
IFO 1500 mg/m2 days 1-3. The number of cycles were
established according to the features of imaging studies.
A chest x-ray survey showed a very good response
(Fig. 2) to chemotherapy. Six months after the diagnosis
complete resection of the tumour was performed
through a right posterior-lateral thoracotomy by the
fifth intercostal space. The tumour was capsulated and
located between the upper and middle lobe of the right
lung, displacing caudally the middle and lower pulmonary
lobes. The centrai zone of the mass was composed
of hyalinized fibrous stroma nodules and very
small fragments of blastomatosous tumoral tissue, at
about 2 cm from the resection borders. The neoplasm
was almost entirely necrotic.
123
P. D''ANGELO ET AL.
Fig. 2. Posterior-anterior chest radiograph, after chemotherapy,
before surgical excision.
After surgery the patient underwent 2 more cycles of
chemotherapy with CBP 400 mg/m2 + VP 16 150
mg/m2/day x 2 days.
There was clinical and imaging evidence of a progressive
normalisation of lung morphology and function.
The patient was monitored with clinical and radiological
investigations according to the following schedule:
chest radiograms every 3 months the first year, every 6
months the second and third year, every 12 months for
the 4t h, 5l h and 6* year; MRI at 1 and 3 years after withdrawal
of therapy.
Nine years after the diagnosis, the child is in continuous
complete remission.
Discussion
PPB in childhood is very rare. Our patient, as most of
those reported in the literature 5 8 , presented unspecific
respiratory symptoms; the x-ray revealed a large intrathoracic
mass, suggesting the need for further imaging
studies. It is important to emphasize the role of an
early imaging examination (x-ray, ultrasound scan, CT
or MRI) to detect as soon as possible the mass, in order
to proceed to more specific investigations to elucidate
the nature and staging of this malignant tumour. Radiographic
findings of pleuropulmonary blastoma are not
specific, especially when most of the neoplasm is cystic,
resembling the radiographic features of teratoma.
In this respect we note that PPB may initially manifest
with clinical and radiologie signs and symptoms of
pneumothorax 5 and may arise from other dysplastic
conditions; as a matter of fact, cystic pulmonary adenomatoid
malformation (CPAM) can be associated
with PPB, which is also described in association with
some congenital dysembriogenic abnormalities as cystic
nephroma 3 . The clinical and radiological presentation
in our patient showed mediastinal involvement;
the mass was not excisable at the first surgical look because
the neoplasm involved the pleura and was very
large. The histopathologic diagnosis was consistent
with type II PPB.
The features described usually correlate with a poor
prognosis 6 8 . The patient was submitted to intensive
multiagent neoadiuvant chemotherapy, which reduced
the tumour mass, making the complete surgical resection
feasible, and allowing eradication of the malignancy.
Such intensive multiagent chemotherapy is in most cases
necessary for the reduction and complete excision of
the tumor, which represents the most favourable factor
for long term survival.
In a recent report describing 11 patients 7 , two underwent
total excision of the tumour at diagnosis, and
were both alive without disease at 23 and 132 months
respectively, with no adjuvant chemotherapy administered
in the latter; another 3 patients remained disease
free, two after macroscopic total resection and polychemotherapy
and one after polychemotherapy and delayed
complete surgery.
The effectiveness of chemotherapy has also been reported
by other Authors 8 1°. The choice of the antiblastic
agents used in our patients was due to their known
effectiveness on mesenchymal and epithelial tumors n.
Our patient was not treated with radiotherapy, which
has proven to be effective in few patients 1.
In conclusion, this case suggests that PPB may be taken
in consideration for the differential diagnosis in respiratory
distress. According to our experience and to
other literature reports, total remission of this condition
may be achieved with complete surgical excision (primary
or delayed) and intensive chemotherapy.
References
1 Manivel JC, Priest JR, Watterson J, Steiner M, Woods WG, Wick
MR. Pleuropulmonary blastoma: the so called pulmonary blastoma
of childhood. Cancer 1988;62:1516-26.
2 Spencer H. Pulmonary blastoma. J Pathol Bacteriol 1961 ;82:161-5.
3 Priest JR, Watterson J, Woods WG, Brid RI. Pleuropulmonary
blastoma: a marker forfamilial disease. J Pediatr 1996;128:220-4.
4 Dehner LP. Watterson J, Priest J. Pleuropulmonaiy blastoma. A
unique intrathoracìc-pulmonary neoplasm of childhood. In: Askin
FB, Langston C, Rosemberg HS, eds. Pulmonary disease: perspectives
in pediatrie pathology. Basel: Karger 1995, p. 214-26.
5 Guler E, Kutluk MT, Yalcin B, Cila A, Kale G, Buyukpamukcu
M. Pleuropulmonary blastoma in a child presenting with pneumothorax.
Tumori 2001;87:340-2.
6 Priest JR, McDermott MB, Bathia S, Watterson J, Manivel JC,
Dehner LP. Pleuropulmonary blastoma. A clinic-pathologic study
ofSOcases. Cancer 1997;80:146-61.
7 Indolfi P, Casale F, Carli M, Bisogno G, Ninfo V, Cecchetto G, et
al. Pleuropulmonary blastoma: management and prognosis of 11
cases. Cancer 2000;89:1396-401.
8 Romeo C, Impellizzeri P, Grosso M, Vitarelli E, Gentile C. Pleu-
124
PLEUROPULMONARY BLASTOMA IN A CHILD
ropulmonary blastoma: long-term survival and literature review.
Med Pediatr Oncol 1999;33:372-6.
Parsons SK, Fishman SJ, Hoorntje LE, Jaramillo D, Marcus KC,
Perez-Atayde AR, et al. Aggressive multimodal treatment of pleuropulmonary
blastoma. Ann Thorac Surg 2001;72:939-42.
Ozkajnak MF, Ortega JA, Laug W, Gilsanz V, Isaacs H Jr. Role of
chemotherapy in pediatrie pulmonary blastoma. Med Pediatr Oncol
1990;18:53-6.
12
Effect of biotic and abiotic stimuli on volatile emission of Achillea collina Cv. SPAK grown in the Alps
No full textVolatile compounds from plants play a central role in plant-environment interactions by affecting key life processes such as reproduction, defense and communication. Plants normally produce organic volatile compounds (VOCs) but biotic and abiotic stimuli can influence the biosynthesis of novel compounds, and involving hormone signaling pathways, in particular jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, abscisic acid and ethylene (1). A specific group of VOCs related to herbivores are called herbivore induced plant volatiles (HIPV) or ‘inducible volatile organic compounds’ (IVOCs) and are emitted from plant foliage after herbivore damage (2).
Achillea collina Becker ex Rchb., a tetraploid proazulenes-containing species of the Achillea millefolium aggregate (yarrow) cultivated in European alpine areas, was a good source of important bioactive compounds. Yarrow is a host plant for several aphids including the generalist green peach aphid Myzus persicae Sulzer and the specialist aphid Macrosiphoniella millefolii (De Geer). Recent work reported that essential oils from several species of the genus Achillea showed some activity as aphid repellents (3).
This study describes the application of Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) to characterize the volatile organic compounds emitted in vivo by Achillea collina in response to Myzus persicae and Macrosiphoniella millefolii infestation, to mechanical damage simulating the aphid’s damage and to jasmonic acid treatment. The volatile emission of Achillea collina, Pisum sativum (L.) and Prunus persica (L. Batsh) infested by Myzus persicae was also compared. In A. collina infested plants and treated with jasmonic acid, we observed a great increase in terpenes fractions. Many authors also found variations in the terpene profile of plants infested by aphids and this result suggested terpenes as a chemical class highly sensitive to this biotic stress (4,5). Several changes among alcohols occurred in response to mechanical damage simulating the aphid’s damage. Among this chemical classes, some author reporting an enhancement of the production of 2-hexen-1-ol and germacrene D after aphid infestation in different crop species, and the last one was suggested to be useful in attracting natural enemies of aphids as well as in having anti-feeding/repellent effects (6).
Many volatiles appeared as new compounds after aphids infestation as well as after mechanical damage and jasmonic acid treatment, proposing these compounds as herbivore induced plant volatiles (HIPV). Some of this compounds were common for biotic and abiotic stimuli but the emission of other VOCs was induced only in response to specific stimuli.
Finally, the comparison of the volatile emission of A. collina, P. sativum and P. persica in response to M. persicae infestation indicated that there were specie-specific and common new induced volatile organic compounds. The common emissions of same VOCs from different plant species when infested by the same aphid suggest the activation of a common set of biosynthetic pathways shared by different plant families. These compounds were produced as bioactive agents against elicitors associated with aphid’s saliva.
In conclusion, this method was useful in evaluating the fingerprints of volatile compounds of A. collina under different physiological conditions. This approach could open new perspective for further studies leading to a better understanding of plant- insect interaction mechanisms providing new insights into crop science and insect pest management
Archaeological research at Adulis: the Eritrean-Italian joint project 2011-2015
No full textThe Eritrean-Italian Archaeological Project in the ancient town of Adulis started in 2011 in
collaboration with the Local Authorities, under the direction and coordination of the National
Museum of Eritrea, the Museum of Massawa and the Research Center on Eastern Desert
(Ce.R.D.O.)., and in collaboration with the Università degli studi “L’Orientale” of Naples, the
Politecnico of Milan, the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan.
The project aims at the rediscovery, study and valorisation of the archaeological remains of the
town, also with the intent to create the first archaeological park in sub-Saharan Africa, for the
touristic development of the region.
The wide research themes inherent to an area that in antiquity represented a crucial point within
the net of cultural contacts and exchanges between Mediterranean, Africa and Orient, the complex
issues regarding the site conservation and fruition, represent an important opportunity to improve
the interdisciplinary contributions of the traditional research areas of the different Universities
involved and of the Eritrean team of archaeologists, in a perspective of public archaeology.
In the conference the results of the first five fieldworks, concerning different excavation areas of the
ancient Adulis, will be presented. Sector 1, Sector 3 and Sector 5, investigated by the Università
degli Studi “L’Orientale”of Naples, with evidences related to the domestic settlement from the 1st-
2nd to the early 7th century AD. The religious buildings in Sector 2 and Sector 4: the church in the
central northern sector of the town – the so called ‘Altar of the Sun’ – and the church located at its
eastern border, the excavation of which is entrusted to the Catholic University of Milan. The
operations of conservation and programmed maintenance, conducted by the Politecnico of Milan,
which represent an important part of the project
Direct evidence of the impact of aqueous self-assembly on biological behavior of amphiphilic molecules: the case study of molecular immunomodulators Sulfavants
No full textSulfavant A and Sulfavant R, sulfoquinovoside-glycerol lipids under study as vaccine adjuvants, structurally differ only for the configuration of glyceridic carbon, R/S and R respectively. The in vitro activity of these substances follows a bell-shaped dose–response curve, but Sulfavant A gave the best response around 20 μM, while Sulfavant R at 10 nM. Characterization of aqueous self-assembly of these molecules by a multi-technique approach clarified the divergent and controversial biological outcome. Supramolecular structures were present at concentrations much lower than critical aggregation concentration for both products. The kind and size of these aggregates varied as a function of the concentration differently for Sulfavant A and Sulfavant R. At nanomolar range, Sulfavant A formed cohesive vesicles, while Sulfavant R arranged in spherical micellar particles whose reduced stability was probably responsible for an increase of monomer concentration in accordance with immunomodulatory profile. Instead, at micromolar concentrations transition from micellar to vesicular state of Sulfavant R occurred and thermodynamic stability of the aggregates, assessed by surface tensiometry, correlated with the bioactivity of Sulfavant A at 20 μM and the complete loss of efficacy of Sulfavant R. The study of Sulfavants provides clear evidence of how self-aggregation, often neglected, and the equilibria between monomers and aqueous supramolecular forms of lipophilic molecules deeply determine the overall bio-response
- …
