Short-term effects on emergency room access or hospital admissions for cardio-respiratory diseases: methodology and results after three years of functioning of a waste-to-energy incinerator in Turin (Italy).

This study is part of the health surveillance system set up with the construction of a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Turin (Italy). Circulatory and respiratory diseases in emergency room (ER) accesses and first hospital admissions were considered. Main concerns of population living in the area near WTE were to know whether single and repeated peaks in emissions would correspond to adverse health effects.

High prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies among patients with immunosuppression and hepatic disorders in eastern Poland.

Introduction: The incidence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections in Poland is largely unknown. This study aimed to describe seroprevalence of markers of HEV infection among patients with immunodeficiency of diverse etiology and patients with advanced chronic liver diseases.

Material And Methods: Four hundred fifty patients were enrolled; among them, 180 persons were solid organ transplant recipients, 90 patients were HIV-infected and 180 persons had confirmed liver cirrhosis of different etiology.

Long term effect of air pollution on incident hospital admissions: Results from the Italian Longitudinal Study within LIFE MED HISS project.

Background: The LIFE MED HISS project aims at setting up a surveillance system on the long term effects of air pollution on health, using data from National Health Interview Surveys and other currently available sources of information in most European countries. Few studies assessed the long term effect of air pollution on hospital admissions in European cohorts.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to estimate the long term effect of fine particulate matter (PM2.

Mast cells tryptase in patients after renal transplantation.

Mast cells (MC) are involved in the pathogenesis of interstitial fibrosis, acute renal transplant rejection, and chronic allograft nephropathy. The aim of this study was to evaluate MC tryptase concentrations in the sera of 58 renal transplant recipients at various times after surgery in relation to graft function. We observed that kidney transplantation patients showed much higher serum tryptase concentrations than healthy controls.

What information do breast cancer screening programmes provide to Italian women?

Background: The necessity for building transparent communications on screening, both on risks and benefits, is shared by different sides. There is a general agreement that women cannot express informed participation in a screening programme unless they are given sufficient and adequate information. In the screening context, invitation letters and leaflets often represent the principal source of information.

[Deep non-penetrating sclerectomy with implant versus trabeculectomy m. Cairns four years of experience].

The aim of this study is to present four years of experience with new surgery technique--deep sklerectomy with implant.

[Transcleral fixation as lens surgery method].

Purpose: The aim of study is the presentation and retrospective analysis of our experience in implantations of posterior chamber lenses with transcleral fixation.

Material And Methods: 172 eyes were analysed after implantations of posterior chamber lenses with transcleral fixation. We analysed operative technique, complications and results.

[Deep sclerectomy ab externo with implant: description of surgery technique].

The authors present the modified associated technique of deep sclerectomy ab externo with implant. The indications, advantages and disadvantages are presented.

Autoantibodies reactive with extracellular matrix proteins in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.

Autoantibodies reacting with extracellular matrix proteins have been extensively studied in various autoimmune connective tissue diseases. Because of the possibility that such antibodies may play a role in orbital connective tissue inflammation in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), we studied the humoral immune response against specific extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, namely: collagen types I, III, IV, V (CI, CIII, CIV, CV), fibronectin (FN), and laminin (LM). Anti-ECM antibodies of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and IgM classes were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Ketanserin: a new perspective in posttransplant erythrocytosis?

We have recently shown that ketanserin, an antagonist of peripheral serotonin 5-HT2 receptors lowers blood erythropoietin (Epo) levels in some chronic hemodialysis patients. Based on this finding, a preliminary study was undertaken to investigate the effect of a 3-week oral ketanserin administration on serum Epo concentration and relevant hematological parameters in 4 renal allograft recipients with posttransplant erythrocytosis (PTE). We found a marked decrease in Epo concentrations following ketanserin administration, from 48% to 76% of the abnormally elevated pretreatment values with subsequent increases at 3 weeks after discontinuation of the drug in all patients studied.

[Evaluation of selected parameters of hemostasis in patients with nephrotic syndrome].

Thromboembolic complication are often seen in patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS). A comprehensive study of haemostasis and fibrinolysis has been performed in a group of 39 patients with nephrotic syndrome. We have found increased level of fibrinogen, fibronectin, fibrin monomers, alfa 2 macroglobulin, protein C and C 1 esterase inhibitor, whereas level of alfa 2 antiplasmin, alfa 1 antitrypsin were decreased.

Motor outflow to cervical motoneurons from raccoon motorsensory cortex.

Motor outflow from forelimb motorsensory cortex (MsI) to forelimb muscle motoneurons in raccoon has been investigated using three approaches: 1) determination of latencies for cortically evoked efferent discharge in forelimb nerves; 2) determination of latencies for cortical facilitation of forelimb monosynaptic reflexes; and 3) intracellular recording of cortically evoked synaptic potentials. All three approaches indicated a major polysynaptic pathway (minimally disynaptic) for corticofugal facilitation or inhibition of cervical motoneurons. Suggestive evidence for a monosynaptic connection between forelimb MsI and cervical motoneurons was found for only one motoneurons.

Raccoon forelimb motorsensory cortex: II. Somatosensory inputs to single neurons.

Somatosensory input to 431 neurons in MsI has been studied in unanesthetized, paralyzed raccoons (Procyon lotor). The type of sensory input to neurons in lateral sigmoid gyrus (cytoarchitectonic area 4) and in posterior sigmoid gyrus (areas 4 and 3a) was not significantly different. Of these neurons, 36% were activated by superficial cutaneous stimulation (touch, tap or hair deflection) and 26% by deep stimulation (pressure or joint movement).

Raccoon forelimb motorsensory cortex: I. Somatic afferent inputs to different cytoarchitectonic areas.

The distribution of potentials evoked in and around forelimb MsI by graded electrical stimulation of forelimb nerves has been studied in the raccoon (Procyon lotor). These data have been correlated with cytoarchitectonic characteristics of pericruciate cortical tissue. Potentials evoked by cutaneous nerve stimulation were widely distributed in MsI and SmI, but were smaller in amplitude and of longer latency in MsI than in SmI.

Patterns of resting discharge in neurons of the raccoon main cuneate nucleus.

1. The presence and pattern of resting discharge were examined in 100 single neurons of the raccoon main cuneate nucleus (MCN). Of these, 66 were activated, either antidromically or synaptically, by electrical stimulation of the contralateral thalamic ventrobasal complex (VB), and 34 were activated by stimulation of the ipsilateral cerebellum (CB).

Concentric versus eccentric isokinetic strengthening of the rotator cuff. Objective data versus functional test.

Twenty-two male and female college varsity tennis players trained for 6 weeks, one group using eccentric isokinetic internal and external shoulder rotation, and the second group using concentric isokinetic internal and external shoulder rotation. Subjects pretested and posttested both concentrically and eccentrically, so that training overflow and specificity could be examined. Three maximally hit tennis serves made before and after training, which were analyzed by high speed cinematography to obtain ball velocity, served as a functional performance measurement.

Shortening of bleeding time after intranasal administration of 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin to patients with chronic uremia.

1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) was administered intranasally in a dose of 2 micrograms/kg BW to 17 uremic patients (16 maintained on chronic hemodialysis and 1 treated conservatively). The bleeding time was significantly shortened 120 minutes after DDAVP administration (from 18.1 +/- 7.

Response properties of raccoon cuneothalamic neurons.

Microelectrodes were used to record the extracellular activity of 80 single neurons of the main cuneate nucleus (MCN) of raccoons anesthetized with either methoxyflurane or pentobarbital sodium. All 80 MCN neurons had peripheral receptive fields (RFs) that lay entirely on the glabrous surfaces of the forepaw and were responsive to light mechanical stimulation. Neurons were characterized according to the nature of their response to mechanical stimulation of their RFs, as well as to their response to electrical stimulation of the contralateral thalamic ventrobasal complex (VB).

Distribution of cerebellar mossy fibers arising from neurons of the raccoon main cuneate nucleus.

The present study demonstrates that fibers originating in the raccoon main cuneate nucleus are not segregated in specific cortical regions of target cerebellar folia as reported in studies of the cat cuneocerebellar tract. This observation supports the hypothesis that exteroceptive and proprioceptive divisions of the raccoon cuneocerebellar tract do not exist as distinct structural entities. The findings of this study do not preclude the possibility that projections from the external and main cuneate nuclei are segregated within the cerebellar cortex on the basis of functional modality rather than nucleus of origin.

Electrophysiology of raccoon cuneocerebellar neurons.

Electrophysiological experiments were undertaken in order to locate and functionally characterize cells of the raccoon main cuneate nucleus (MCN) that can be activated by electrical stimulation of the cerebellum. A total of 98 such units were studied in pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized, methoxyflurane-anesthetized, or decerebrate preparations. Aside from a greater likelihood of resting discharge in the decerebrate preparations, no appreciable variability in physiological properties of the neurons could be attributed to differences in the type of preparation.

A horseradish peroxidase study of projections from the main and external cuneate nuclei to the cerebellum of the North American raccoon.

Neurons of the raccoon main (MCN) and external (ECN) cuneate nuclei having terminal fields in the anterior lobe and paramedian lobule of the cerebellum were studied by means of the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In the MCN, neurons of the polymorphic regions, but not of the round cell clusters, were labeled following HRP injections of the anterior lobe. HRP-labeled fusiform, triangular, and stellate cells were observed from 3-4 mm caudal to the obex to 2-3 mm rostral to it.

Correlation of peripheral receptive field area and rostrocaudal locus of neurons within the raccoon cuneate nucleus.

There is a significant positive correlation between peripheral receptive field (RF) area and neuron locus within the rostrocaudal extent of the raccoon cuneate nucleus for units having tactile RFs on the glabrous surfaces of the forepaw digits, larger RFs being associated with more rostrally located neurons, smaller ones with caudally situated neurons, but not for units having tactile RFs on the glabrous surfaces of the palm. For digits and palm, RF areas of neurons of the cuneate nucleus are approximately 40 and 100 times larger, respectively, than RF areas of primary afferent fibers of the cuneate fasciculus.