Autopsy findings of fatal retroperitoneal hemorrhage after traumatic rupture of bilateral renal angiomyolipoma.

The present work reports the autopsy findings of a unique case characterized by fatal retroperitoneal hemorrhage following the traumatic rupture of bilateral renal angiomyolipomas. Renal angiomyolipomas are generally benign tumors with an unpredictable clinical course, ranging from asymptomatic to sudden rupture and hemorrhagic shock. They may be associated with genetic disorders such as tuberous sclerosis complex.

Comparison of commercial allergen ELISA kits for egg detection in food matrices.

Consumption of low levels of egg already can evoke harmful physiological responses in humans in those allergic to eggs. By detection of egg in food products, using Egg ELISA kits to determine its unintended presence, food producers can respond to avoid potential safety or quality risks of their products. Selection of an ELISA kit fit for the issue at hand is challenging due to, amongst others, lack of information on assay performances with specified matrices.

Homo-AMPA in the periaqueductal grey modulates pain and rostral ventromedial medulla activity in diabetic neuropathic mice.

The 2-amino-4-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)-butyric acid, homo-AMPA, an analog of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) and 2-aminoadipic acid, has shown no activity towards ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 receptors (mGluR1-7), agonist activity at mGluR6 while the activity at mGluR8 was never investigated. The effect of homo-AMPA on pain control has been never investigated. In this study we evaluated the effect of intra-ventrolateral periaqueductal grey (VL PAG) microinjections of homo-AMPA on pain responses and the activity of pain-responding neurons of the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), the "pronociceptive" ON cells, and the "antinociceptive" OFF cells.

PEA-OXA ameliorates allodynia, neuropsychiatric and adipose tissue remodeling induced by social isolation.

Chronic social isolation generates a persistent state of stress associated with obesity along with some neuro-endocrine disorders and central behavioral sequelae (eg anxiety, depression, aggression, and allodynia). In this study, we evaluated the effect of social isolation on body weight, depressive- and anxious-aggressive-like behavior, as well as on phenotypic changes of adipocytes from visceral adipose tissue of control (group-housed) or socially isolated (single-housed) male mice. The effect of treatment with pentadecyl-2-oxazoline (PEA-OXA), a natural alpha2 antagonist and histamine H3 protean partial agonist, on these alterations was also evaluated.

Controlling micropollutants in tertiary municipal wastewater by O/HO, granular biofiltration and UV/HO for potable reuse applications.

A comprehensive pilot study was carried out to experimentally assess the potential of newly developed treatment trains integrating two-stage AOPs and biofiltration to reach potable reuse water quality standards from municipal wastewater. The processes consisted of a two-stage AOPs with (carbon or limestone) biofiltration, the first AOP (O/HO) serving as pre-treatment to biofiltration and the second AOP (UV/HO) serving as post-biofiltration finishing step to ensure advanced disinfection. A comprehensive monitoring campaign was put in place resulting from the combination of targeted, non-targeted and suspect screening measurements.

Necrotizing fasciitis. Possible profiles of professional liability with reference to two cases.

Unlabelled: Necrotizing fasciitis is one of the most dangerous complication of an abscess and it is still a disease with a high mortality. In this work, we decided to consider two cases: the first one concerns a male subject, aged 66, deceased because of a fatal necrotizing fasciitis associated to a cervical descending mediastinitis, which evolved from a primary peritonsillar abscess; the second is about a 50-year-old woman with a perineal abscess, then evolved into necrotizing fasciitis associated to a fatal septis shock. After a systematic consideration of necrotizing fasciitis as pathology and an analysis of the possible related risks to a diagnostic or therapeutic delay, we analyzed the particular history of both cases to underline the possible critical issues in professional behavior of the medical staff intervened.

Identification of the Geographic Origin of Parmigiano Reggiano (P.D.O.) Cheeses Deploying Non-Targeted Mass Spectrometry and Chemometrics.

Parmigiano Reggiano is an Italian product with a protected designation of origin (P.D.O.

Nonischemic left ventricular scar and cardiac sudden death in the young.

Nonischemic left ventricular scar (NLVS) is a pattern of myocardial injury characterized by midventricular and/or subepicardial gadolinium hyperenhancement at cardiac magnetic resonance, in absence of significant coronary artery disease. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of NLVS in juvenile sudden cardiac death and to ascertain its etiology at autopsy. We examined 281 consecutive cases of sudden death of subjects aged 1 to 35 years.

[Regulatory aspects and medicolegal considerations regarding clinical drug trials].

This article aims to explore the regulatory and medicolegal aspects of experimental drug trials. Firstly, the authors provide definitions of drug according to WHO, the European Community and our official Pharmacopoeia, and that of experimental studies. They then explain the distinction between pure or basic research and drug trials and explain the various phases of the latter.

Quantitative targeted and retrospective data analysis of relevant pesticides, antibiotics and mycotoxins in bakery products by liquid chromatography-single-stage Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

In addition to 'traditional' multi-residue and multi-contaminant multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometric techniques devoted to quantifying a list of targeted compounds, the global food industry requires non-targeted methods capable of detecting other possible potentially hazardous compounds. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography combined with a single-stage Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer (UHPLC-HRMS Exactive™-Orbitrap Technology) was successfully exploited for the complete selective and quantitative determination of 33 target compounds within three major cross categories (pesticides, antibiotics and mycotoxins) in bakery matrices (specifically milk, wheat flour and mini-cakes). Resolution was set at 50 000 full width at half maximum (FWHM) to achieve the right compromise between an adequate scan speed and selectivity, allowing for the limitations related to the necessary generic sample preparation approach.

Anabolic Androgenic Steroid (AAS) related deaths: autoptic, histopathological and toxicological findings.

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) represent a large group of synthetic derivatives of testosterone, produced to maximize anabolic effects and minimize the androgenic ones. AAS can be administered orally, parenterally by intramuscular injection and transdermally. Androgens act by binding to the nuclear androgen receptor (AR) in the cytoplasm and then translocate into the nucleus.

Novel analytical method to measure formaldehyde release from heated hair straightening cosmetic products: Impact on risk assessment.

Hair straightening cosmetic products may contain formaldehyde (FA). In Europe, FA is permitted for use in personal care products at concentrations ⩽ 0.2g/100g.

Targeted screening of pesticides, veterinary drugs and mycotoxins in bakery ingredients and food commodities by liquid chromatography-high-resolution single-stage Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

In the food industry, it is frequently necessary to check the quality of an ingredient to decide whether to use it in production and/or to have an idea of the final possible contamination of the finished product. The current need to quickly separate and identify relevant contaminants within different classes, often with legal residue limits on the order of 1-100 µg kg(-1), has led to the need for more effective analytical methods. With thousands of organic compounds present in complex food matrices, the development of new analytical solutions leaned towards simplified extraction/clean-up procedures and chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.

Trace detection of the chlorohydrins of epoxidized soybean oil in foodstuffs by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS.

Epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) is used as an authorized plasticizer and a stabilizer for plastic polymers such as poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Recently, however, there has been a concrete effort devoted to its substitution for other plasticizers such as polyadipates. ESBO is exploited particularly in food closure gaskets for metal lids used to seal glass jars and bottles.

Tumor regression in mesorectal lymphnodes after neoadjuvant chemoradiation for rectal cancer.

Aims: The histological modification produced by neoadjuvant chemoradiation on primary rectal cancer has been investigated by many authors, and a prognostic value of tumor regression grade (TRG) has been identified. Tumor regression grade on metastatic mesorectal lymphnodes has been never evaluated. The purpose of this study is to analyse the TRG on mesorectal lymphnodes (lymphnode regression grade, LRG) after preoperative chemoradiation in rectal cancer patients and to determine the correlation with TRG of primary tumor.

Subcellular shift of the hepatic growth hormone receptor with progression of hepatitis C virus-related chronic liver disease.

Aims: To evaluate the cytoplasmic and nuclear expression of hepatic growth hormone receptor (GHR) in different stages (S0, S1, S3 and S4, according to Knodell's classification) of chronic liver disease (CLD) and in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods And Results: Liver specimens from 31 patients with hepatitis C virus-related CLD, five patients with HCC and nine controls were examined for expression of hepatic GHR by immunohistochemistry with MAb 263. Cytoplasmic and nuclear staining were evaluated as a percentage of positively stained cells.

An echocardiographic survey of primary school children for bicuspid aortic valve.

Primary school students (817 apparently healthy 10-year olds) were screened by transthoracic 2-dimensional echocardiography to assess for the prevalence of bicuspid aortic valve. Bicuspid aortic valve was found in 0.5% of cases, with a higher prevalence in males than females (0.

Quality of life after tailored combined surgery for stage I non-small-cell lung cancer and severe emphysema.

Background: We analyzed the early and long-term quality of life changes occurring in 16 patients undergoing tailored combined surgery for stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and severe emphysema.

Methods: Mean age was 65 +/- 5 years. All patients had severe emphysema with severely impaired respiratory function and quality of life.

Efficacy, tolerability and influence on "quality of life" of nifedipine GITS versus amlodipine in elderly patients with mild-moderate hypertension.

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to compare efficacy, tolerability and influence on quality of life (QOL) of nifedipine gastrointestinal therapeutic system (NI) 30-60 mg once a day vs amlodipine (AM) 5-10 mg once a day in elderly patients with mild-moderate hypertension.

Design: This was a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter study. After a 2-week single-blind placebo run-in, patients were randomized to either NI 30 mg or AM 5 mg.

[Supravalvular aortic stenosis. Report of 3 cases].

In the following article three cases of supravalvular aortic stenosis are presented: the first two cases refer to two brothers. The older, a 22-year-old man presenting with palpitations, underwent echocardiography and Doppler that showed an hour-glass supravalvular aortic stenosis with a peak gradient of 115 mmHg, associated with dilation of the left main coronary artery and stenosis of the left carotid artery at its origin. The patient's family was evaluated by echocardiography, and an 18-year-old brother was similarly found to have an hour-glass supravalvular aortic stenosis, graded mild to moderate (peak gradient 40 mmHg).

[Biventricular heart pacing and left ventricular heart pacing].

This report describes the case of a 60-year-old patient, affected by alcoholic hypokinetic dilated cardiomyopathy, drug refractory, without surgical indication for ischemic and valvular diseases, implanted with a biventricular pacemaker. The implant was followed by a rapid clinical improvement which allowed the patient's discharge in satisfactory conditions and with strongly reduced diuretic therapy. Ventricular pacing became only left due to increased right ventricular threshold.