IOC consensus statement on elite youth athletes competing at the Olympic Games: essentials to a healthy, safe and sustainable paradigm.

With the pronounced ongoing growth of global youth sports, opportunities for and participation of youth athletes on the world sports stage, including the Olympic Games, are expected to escalate. Yet, adolescence is a vulnerable period of development and inherently dynamic, with non-linear and asynchronous progression of physical, physiological, psychological and social attributes. These non-concurrent changes within and between individuals are accompanied by irregular and unpredictable threats and impediments.

Cross-tolerance and convergent dependence between morphine and cannabimimetic agent WIN 55,212-2 in the guinea-pig ileum myenteric plexus.

The cross-tolerance and convergent dependence between morphine and the cannabimimetic agent R(+)-[2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3[(morpholinyl)methyl]pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]-1,4-+ ++benzoxazin-yl]-(1-naphthalenyl) methanone mesylate (WIN 55,212-2) were assessed in vitro on guinea-pig ileum. To induce tolerance and dependence the myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle was incubated at 37 degrees C for 5 h with a fixed concentration representing the IC50 for each compound. Myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle exposed to WIN 55,212-2 (5 x 10(-8) M) was less sensitive to its inhibitory effect on electrically evoked contractions than naive myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle.

Radiotherapy, local control and survival in brain tumors.

High grade glial brain tumors and brain metastases are a complex subject with still unsatisfactory therapeutic results for the frequent absence of early and precise diagnosis as well as for the limited therapeutic interval between the tumor and presumed healthy tissues. The therapeutic problems of cellular hypoxia, the rapid recovery of sublethal damage for neoplastic cells, the rapid regrowth, have led to a number of efforts to deliver the dose of radiotherapy in various associations. The constant technological trend to increase the high dose gradient to the peripheral tumor, is reported.

Molecular heterogeneity of regulatory elements of the mouse GATA-1 gene.

The GATA-1 gene encodes a transcription factor expressed in early multipotent haemopoietic progenitors, in more mature cells of the erythroid, megakaryocytic and other lineages, but not in late myeloid precursors; its function is essential for the normal development of the erythroid and megakaryocytic system. To define regulatory elements of the mouse GATA-1 gene, we mapped DNaseI-hypersensitive sites in nuclei of erythroid and haemopoietic progenitor cells. Five sites were detected.

A phase II study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin epirubicin and VP-16 for stage III unresectable non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: The survival rate for surgically resected stage III N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is less than 10%.

Methods: A phase II study of cisplatin, epirubicin, and VP-16 (PEV) was undertaken in an attempt to improve the curative potential of surgery. Forty-one patients with stage III N2 NSCLC received 3 cycles of pEV.

Redundant functions of B-Myb and c-Myb in differentiating myeloid cells.

We show in this report that the human myeloid leukemia cell line GFD8 is a useful model to compare the biological function of the structurally related c-Myb and B-Myb proto-oncogenes and to investigate the c-myb domains required for this function. GFD8 cells are dependent for growth on granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and differentiate in response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). We have stably transfected this cell line with constructs constitutively expressing c-Myb or B-Myb.

Organ preservation in the treatment of brain tumors.

Within the many histological forms, the preservation of function in the central nervous system has always been predominant. However, the limited or null therapeutic interval for high grade gliomas enables organ preservation in small neoplasms only. In case of favorable histology (e.

[Exclusive radical radiotherapy of laryngeal tumors: 10-year experience].

Exclusive irradiation is used to treat primary neoplasms localized to the larynx because it is known to be able to cure, or at least control, the disease in a high percentage of cases without affecting speech. We report our ten-year experience in the Radiotherapy Department of Chieti Hospital. From 1985 to 1994, exclusive radiotherapy was used to treat 87 patients bearing histologically proved epidermoid carcinomas of the larynx.

Cholera toxin effects on body temperature changes induced by morphine.

The present study evaluates the influence of cholera toxin and its B-subunit on thermic responses to morphine in the rats. The holotoxin (1 microg/rat) and the B-subunit (5 microg) were administered ICV and three days later rats were challenged ICV with morphine and tested for changes of body temperature. Cholera toxin, but not its B-subunit, modified the time course of the hyperthermic response induced by a low dose of morphine (2.

Quality assurance procedures in radiotherapy of brain tumors.

Within the wide range of brain tumor types and their various radiotherapy treatments, quality assurance (QA) criteria play a major role. Attention should be paid to the definition of GTV, CTV, PTV, relevant to 3D stereotactic radiotherapy. In fact the need for delivering high doses with acceptable toxicity, requires an interdisciplinary evaluation of the clinical case as well as a millimetric precision and safety.

Regulation of hematopoietic cell proliferation and differentiation by the myb oncogene family of transcription factors.

The myb family of genes include the virally encoded v-myb oncogene, its normal cellular equivalent c-myb and two related members called A-myb and B-myb. They are all transcription factors that recognize the same DNA sequence (PyAACG/TG) and are all involved in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation in different cell types, including hematopoietic cells. C-myb is most highly expressed in hematopoietic cells and its oncogenic activation leads to transformation of these cells.

Chronomodulated infusion of 5-fluorouracil, folinic acid and carboplatin in colorectal cancer: a pilot study.

We investigated if chronomodulated infusion of fluorouracil, folinic acid in combination with carboplatin shows antitumor efficacy in patients advanced metastatic colorectal cancer. Thirteen patients entered into the study. Each treatment cycle consisted of a 5 day course of continuous venous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU; 500 mg/m2/die), folinic acid (FA; L-form, 150 mg/m2/die) and carboplatin (CBDCA; the dose being calculated according to the Calvert's formula).

Intestinal effect of morphine 6-glucuronide: in vivo and in vitro characterization.

Morphine 6-glucuronide, a major metabolite of morphine with potent analgesic actions, is a potent inhibitor of intestinal motility when administered to rats by the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.

Influence of pertussis toxin on thermic responses to morphine and neurotensin in rats.

The influence of pertussis toxin (PTX) on thermic responses elicited by morphine and neurotensin was evaluated in unrestrained rats kept at 22 degrees C. High doses of morphine (9-36 micrograms/rat i.c.

Influence of omega-conotoxin on morphine analgesia and withdrawal syndrome in rats.

The effect of omega-conotoxin on opiate analgesia and withdrawal syndrome was investigated in rats. omega-Conotoxin given i.c.

Bombesin receptor antagonists. 2. Analogues based on substance P antagonists.

Although bombesin (BN) and substance P share only the C-terminal dipeptide amide, some substance P receptor antagonists are also weak bombesin receptor antagonists. In order to increase the selectivity of the antagonism for the BN receptor, a series of hybrid peptides were synthesized by the solid-phase methodology, and screened on 3T3 fibroblasts for binding and mitogenic activity. The analogues inhibiting BN-induced thymidine incorporation were further tested for peripheral (amylase release and urinary bladder contraction) and central activity (grooming behaviour).

[Familial paragangliomas of the neck: integrated imaging and the planning of family screening].

The authors have studied a case of familial paraganglioma of the neck with integrated diagnostic methods: sonography (US) and MR imaging. They verified, through personal experience and literature review, the utility of familial diagnostic screening and of clinico-diagnostic screening planning. The main aim was to detect the elements which could help plan the screening, thus improving the early diagnosis of paragangliomas.

Antinociceptive properties of lysozyme fragments.

The in vitro digestion of hen egg white lysozyme with artificial gastric juice gave a complex mixture of peptides, from which a peptide corresponding to the aminoacid sequence 39-53 was isolated. Its further hydrolysis with artificial enteric juice gave two smaller fragments having the aminoacid sequence 39-45 and 46-53 respectively. These products, like lysozyme, showed antinociceptive activity in rats against foot hyperalgesia induced by a subplantar injection of brewer's yeast.

Cerebral extract from morphine-tolerant rats shows antiopiate properties in guinea pig ileum bioassay.

The existence of an endogenous antiopiate system which counteracts endogenous opiate effects has been proposed. The present study set out to seek substance/s with morphine-antagonist activity in the brain and serum of morphine-tolerant rats. Cerebral extracts were partly purified on Sephadex G 25 and serum was ultrafiltered through membranes with pore diameter smaller than 0.

Binding studies of dermorphin and its L-form on rat brain opioid receptors.

It is well known dermorphin is a potent and long-acting opioid peptide while its synthetic L-form is almost completely devoid of biological activity. We investigated whether the L-Ala2 residue might affect the affinity of the compound for opioid receptors or make [L-Ala2] dermorphin more sensitive to metabolic degradation. Dermorphin and [L-Ala2] dermorphin were assayed in [3H]naloxone binding to opioid receptors in rat brain preparations in the absence and presence of peptidase inhibitors bestatin, captopril and thiorphan.

[Radiotherapy of inoperable, loco-regional epidermoid carcinoma of the lung. 5-year experience].

Results of chest radiotherapy on 48 patients with inoperable squamous-cell carcinoma are reported; 25 patients had continuous treatment whereas the remaining 23 patients had split-course. Objective remission was obtained in 71% of the cases; mean survival was 11.7 months for the whole series, and 14 months for responders.