3D ultrasound angioscan with MV-Flow™: Enhancing fetal brain low-flow microvascular neuroimaging.

MVFlow™ is a 3D algorithm that enhances the study of the microvasculature, useful in the study of tumoral lesions or in assessing the slow-flow of the placenta vessels and the developing fetal brain. It may improve the study of the corpus callosum in normal fetuses and be applied in the characterization of brain pathologies.

Development of sea bream (Sparus aurata) semen vitrification protocols.

The long-term goal of this research project is to set up efficient protocol that can be used to develop a standardized approach for vitrification of marine fish spermatozoa. In particular, the aim of the present study was to develop a vitrification protocol for sea bream (Sparus aurata) spermatozoa. To draw up the protocol, we tested two different dilution media (1% NaCl and Mounib medium), three different vitrification devices (loops, drops and cut straws), different cryoprotectants (CPs) and three different equilibration times (30, 60 and 120 s).

Genotypic diversity of Legionella pneumophila in environmental and clinical strains assessed by Sequence-Based Typing, in association with retrospective clinical surveillance in Northern Italy.

Objective: The study aimed to evidence previous cases of legionellosis or proven or suspected pneumonia in seven hospital facilities for the mentally disabled in Northern Italy, where no clinical surveillance had been previously carried out. An additional aim was to highlight the occurrence of strains of Legionella pneumophila of clinical and environmental origin by Sequence-Based Typing (SBT), comparing them to world surveillance.

Materials And Method: A clinical survey was perfomed from 2003-2012, analyzing 615 medical records for hospital- and community-acquired pneumonia, with particular attention to legionellosis.

[Assessment of pesticide residues in food of plant origin in Milan (Italy), 2008-2011].

Objectives: To monitor the presence of pesticide residues in food of plant origin in Milan from 1 July 2008 to 31 December 2011.

Materials And Methods: Food of plant origin found in fruit and vegetable markets and in supermarkets was analysed, to evaluate whether it was contaminated by any seventy active principles of pesticides.

Results: Two hundred seventy-seven samples of fruits and vegetables were analysed.

Environmental surveillance of Legionella pneumophila in two Italian hospitals.

The aim of this study was to identify the most effective disinfection protocol to reduce the presence of Legionella pneumophila in the water system of two Italian hospitals. From 2004 to 2009, 271 samplings of hot water were carried out in 11 hospital units to detect the presence of L. pneumophila.

Assessment of natural or enhanced in situ bioremediation at a chlorinated solvent-contaminated aquifer in Italy: a microcosm study.

A microcosm study was used to assess the potential for in situ natural or enhanced bioremediation at a chloroethane- (i.e., tetrachloroethane, TeCA) and chloroethene-contaminated (i.