[Vincenzo Cuomo, health officer and general practitioner on the Isle of Capri].

We provide a broad review of the scientific output of Vincenzo Cuomo, general practitioner and health officer on the Isle of Capri. As well as his work as a doctor he was a close observer of the environment and in particular of the island's splendid climate and its benefits not only for the local population in general but also for visitors from northern Europe's colder climes. These mainly included tuberculosis sufferers in search of the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean climate, as well as those suffering from asthma and chronic bronchitis.

[The Pharaohs: slave merchants or organizers of an efficient welfare system? Re-writing history through new documentation and research].

The Authors have studied documents dating from the era of the Pharaohs, that is to say: the papyruses of Ebers and Smith, and have come to the conclusion that the recent claims by some archaeologists that the Egyptian workmen who built the Pyramids, were protected by health regulations and not treated as slaves, is true. This is a new interpretation of Egyptian history, because up to now, it has always been thought that the workmen were slaves. The construction of the Pharaoh's tomb was a team work including members of the upper classes (architects, physicians) and the lower classes (masons, workmen) and was the demonstration of a contribution and a symbol of recognition from all members of the team to the head of the society (the Pharaoh), who was their employer and took their interests into consideration e.

[Within the foundation of the Rome Institute of Experimental Hygiene in the year 1885: the climate of Rome].

To celebrate Prof.rs Vittorio Del Vecchio and Salvatore Ugo D'Arca, respectively the sixth and the seventh director of the Institute of Hygiene of the University of Rome, the Authors present and discuss the conferences on The climate of Rome given by Prof. Corrado Tommasi-Crudeli, founder and first director of such an Institute back in 1885.

[The registry for asbesto-related tumors].

The author stresses the importance of DPCM 10 December 2002 no.308, which determines the format and the rules to fill the registry for the cases of asbestos-related mesothelioma, according to art 36, comma 3, DLgs 277/91. The Author admits the usefulness of such a registry, but comments that its official approval came very late, because it actually was started in 1993 by ISPESL (The Higher Institute for Prevention and Safety of Labor), after the approval of DLgs 277/91.

[The century of work].

The new Series of papers on Occupational Hygiene, now that the hygienists have been qualified also as "competent physicians", intends to make a comparison between the present and the past conditions of the human work. The present work is characterized by high specialization, more sophisticated technologies and continuous evolution, although in Italy we have consider a drop of the general occupational rate. According to such a situation, Italy must make alliance with the other countries, because, due to the globalization, the occupational problem has overcome the domestic borders.

[The flu syndrome: update and therapeutic and prophylactic approach].

Authors in the present work analyse the history of the flu from V century A.C. until our days.

[Corrado Tommasi-Crudeli, hygienist].

To celebrate the centennary of the death of Prof. Corrado Tommasi-Crudeli, the founder and first director of the "Istituto di Igiene Sperimentale" in Rome (1885), the authors remember this eminent scientist who spent his life not only working in scientific experimental research but also was a member of the Parliament and promotor of important laws regarding social and health problems. It should be remembered that, prior to 1870, Hygiene was not a discipline in itself, but was part of Medicine and taught in theoretical courses such as Public Health Inspection and Legal Medicine.

Activin, inhibin, and follistatin in zebrafish ovary: expression and role in oocyte maturation.

Activins, inhibins, and follistatins are important regulators of mammalian reproduction. However, their roles in lower vertebrates are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the expression of activin A, inhibin A, and follistatins in the zebrafish ovary and determined their role in final oocyte maturation.

[Pertussis].

A synthesis concerning whooping cough is presented with the object of taking stock of the situation regarding the pediatric disease which, in spite of developments in antibiotic therapy and vaccine prophylaxis is still a cause for series concern in view of its all but rare complications, especially in infants of less than one year, and of the uncertainties surrounding the validity of specific vaccines. An up-date on this is certainly not superfluous, especially now when we are at a true turning point in prophylaxis with the use of acellular vaccines obtained by genetic enegenering. This is particularly interesting for the practitioner who is in direct contact with the actual situation.

[Sterilization with ethylene oxide].

In the above brief note, the authors discuss the validity of sterilization with ethylene oxide in hospital. The use of this agent requires most accurate attention by the operator and precise specific indication in view of the many negative factors which limit its widespread use, above all its marked toxicity and the fact that it is not easy to handle.

[The prevalence of rhinopharyngeal staphylococcal carriers among those employed in the communal food services of the province of Rome].

Microbial food contamination is at present less frequent than in the past. Nevertheless, Staphylococcus aureus food poisoning is still among the most frequent ones in Italy. The authors screened nasal swabs of 112 person working in five communal feeding services in Rome province; of these, 53 were found to be positive.

[Yersiniosis].

The authors' objective in the above review was to stress the epidemiological importance of Yersinia enterocolitica infections. They therefore detail the clinical and epidemiologic features of acute or primary as well as of secondary forms and complications of Yersinia enterocolitica infections. Further, they dwell on the management of these infections and illustrate the properties, toxic effects and other side effects of the antibiotics commonly used in therapy and for the prevention of complications.

[The tasks and aims of prevention].

The purpose of the above note was to offer an overall view of preventive medicine the fundamental object of which is the safeguard of the state of health before the manifestation of disease. Prevention is therefore closely related to epidemiology which looks for causes and identifies risk factors. These tasks must be performed with constant effort and tenacity on the one hand by the state via the necessary public health organizations (personnel, facilities, programming), and on the other by the community as well as by the individual citizen who, being the user and driving force, must take advantage of the benefits and at the same time work for better results through changes in his own behavior and lifestyle.

[HIV infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. III].

The present third note describes diagnostic procedures, prognosis, prophylaxis, therapy, and forensic medical problems connected with HIV infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). All these are topics of the utmost public health importance which have elicited much interest both among scientists and the general public also during the recent international conference held in Florence last June. HIV infection and the associated syndromes are extremely worrying in view of their increasing diffusion and extreme severity.