Floating offshore wind potential for Mediterranean countries.

Floating offshore wind is a promising renewable energy source for several Mediterranean Countries. The exploitation of this resource will contribute to reducing carbon dependence and support the clean energy transition towards a climate neutral Europe. This work presents a novel methodology for estimating spatially-resolved Levelised Cost of Energy and offshore wind energy potential to provide optimal design of floating offshore wind farms in the Mediterranean Sea. For the first time, each site is optimised based on electrical grid cable design and wind farm layout optimisation using the Jensen wake model. The largest technical capacity potentials are obtained in Libya, Tunisia, Italy and Greece, accounting for 72.2 % of the total Mediterranean potential with a total installed capacity of 782 GW. The average LCOE is 93.4 €/MWh and the average capacity factor is 31.8 %, while 67.5 % of the technical potential has LCOE below 90 €/MWh which demonstrates that floating offshore wind in the Mediterranean could become soon competitive with other renewable energies. Optimal floating wind farm design parameters show the prevalence of a wind farm array of 10x10 wind turbines with a preferred rated power of 15 MW and the HVDC export cable connection. Among the selected floating platforms, Hywind outperforms WindFloat and GICON-SOF in 59.2 % of the suitable areas due to the lower structure material. Policymakers and stakeholders will primarily benefit from this study, which provides them with important information for careful marine spatial planning and the development of floating offshore wind farms in the Mediterranean.

Proteomic analysis of the effect of hemin in breast cancer.

Heme, an iron-containing prosthetic group found in many proteins, carries out diverse biological functions such as electron transfer, oxygen storage and enzymatic reactions. Hemin, the oxidised form of heme, is used to treat porphyria and also to activate heme-oxygenase (HO) which catalyses the rate-limiting step in heme degradation. Our group has previously demonstrated that hemin displays antitumor activity in breast cancer (BC). The aim of this work has been to study the effect of hemin on protein expression modifications in a BC cell line to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of hemin antitumor activity. For this purpose, we carried out proteome analysis by Mass Spectrometry (MS) which showed that 1309 proteins were significantly increased in hemin-treated cells, including HO-1 and the proteases that regulate HO-1 function, and 921 proteins were significantly decreased. Furthermore, the MS-data analysis showed that hemin regulates the expression of heme- and iron-related proteins, adhesion and cytoskeletal proteins, cancer signal transduction proteins and enzymes involved in lipid metabolism. By biochemical and cellular studies, we further corroborated the most relevant in-silico results. Altogether, these results show the multiple physiological effects that hemin treatment displays in BC and demonstrate its potential as anticancer agent.

Iron cycle disruption by heme oxygenase-1 activation leads to a reduced breast cancer cell survival.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which catalyzes heme degradation releasing iron, regulates several processes related to breast cancer. Iron metabolism deregulation is also connected with several tumor processes. However the regulatory relationship between HO-1 and iron proteins in breast cancer remains unclear. Using human breast cancer biopsies, we found that high HO-1 levels significantly correlated with low DMT1 levels. Contrariwise, high HO-1 levels significantly correlated with high ZIP14 and prohepcidin expression, as well as hemosiderin storage. At mRNA level, we found that high HO-1 expression significantly correlated with low DMT1 expression but high ZIP14, L-ferritin and hepcidin expression. In in vivo experiments in mice with genetic overexpression or pharmacological activation of HO-1, we detected the same expression pattern observed in human biopsies. In in vitro experiments, HO-1 activation induced changes in iron proteins expression leading to an increase of hemosiderin, ROS levels, lipid peroxidation and a decrease of the growth rate. Such low growth rate induced by HO-1 activation was reversed when iron levels or ROS levels were reduced. Our findings demonstrate an important role of HO-1 on iron homeostasis in breast cancer. The changes in iron proteins expression when HO-1 is modulated led to the iron accumulation deregulating the iron cell cycle, and consequently, generating oxidative stress and low viability, all contributing to impair breast cancer progression.

Photo-induced lattice distortion in 2H-MoTe2 probed by time-resolved core level photoemission.

The technological interest in MoTe2 as a phase engineered material is related to the possibility of triggering the 2H-1T' phase transition by optical excitation, potentially allowing for an accurate patterning of metallic areas into a semiconducting canvas via laser irradiation. In this paper, we investigate the photo-induced modifications of a bulk 2H-MoTe2 crystal by means of time-resolved X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. We observe that in the microsecond timescale, the core levels shift to higher kinetic energies due to surface photovoltage fields, while in the sub-nanosecond range, the photoemission peaks shift in the opposite direction. With the support of DFT calculations, we ascribe the latter effect to the deformation of the lattice in the out-of-plane direction, which is along the pathway for the 2H-1T' phase transition. Our data indicate an intermediate lattice excitation state with a measured lifetime in the order of 600 ps, in which the displacement of Mo and Te atoms causes the Te 4d electrons to shift towards higher binding energies.

Reactions of 1,2-diaza-1,3-butadienes with propargyl alcohol as an approach to novel bi-heterocyclic systems.

Here we describe the reaction of 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes and propargyl alcohol furnishing α-(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)hydrazones that are converted into novel alkyl-1-oxa-7,8-diazaspiro[4.4]nona-3,8-dien-6-ones, by means of 2,3-Wittig rearrangement under very mild conditions. The same α-(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)hydrazones, treated with benzyl azides furnish the corresponding α-[(1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy]hydrazones, via Cu(ii)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. Their subsequent base-promoted cyclization produces interesting pyrazolone-triazole derivatives. The impact of this work can be ascribable to the attractiveness of the bi-heterocyclic systems obtained and to the ease of the synthetic methodologies proposed.

Distress and job satisfaction after robbery assaults: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: External/intrusive violence at work can result in psychological distress and can be an important risk to employee health and safety. However, the vast majority of workplace violence studies have employed cross-sectional and correlational research, designed to examine immediate reactions after being assaulted at work. AIMS: To explore whether exposure to robbery as a traumatic event may contribute to the onset of typical symptoms of psychological distress (anxiety depression, dysphoria and loss of confidence) and job dissatisfaction over time. METHODS: We collected data by using a two-wave panel design, in which employees working the days of bank robberies, in an Italian bank, filled in a questionnaire between 48h and 1 week after the robbery (T1) and 2 months after the robbery (T2). We performed structural equation models to evaluate the fit of different models to our data. RESULTS: There were 513 participants at T1 (58% women) and 175 (34%) participants at T2 (62% women). There was a simultaneous association in which psychological distress leads to job dissatisfaction both following robbery and 2 months later. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support a synchronous effects model and suggest that interventions after suffering physical assaults, apart from helping employees to recover their health, should consider restoring their trust and confidence in the organization. This study contributes to understanding the dynamic relationships between a robbery at work and its outcomes over time, by addressing several methodological deficiencies in previous longitudinal studies.

Short communication: Relationship between urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and noninfectious pyuria in dogs.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a neutrophil-derived protein whose concentration increases in plasma and urine with ongoing renal damage. Urinary leucocytes can be a potential source of urinary NGAL. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of urinary neutrophil count and other urinary parameters on urinary NGAL values in urine with negative culture. Urinalysis, urine culture, and determination of urinary NGAL were performed on 33 clinically healthy nonproteinuric dogs with negative urinoculture. The median uNGAL concentration in dogs in this study population was 9.74 ng/mL (IQR 1.93-25.43 ng/mL). In samples with WBCs > 5 hpf (mean 15.9, 6-50 leucocytes/hpf), median uNGAL value was significantly higher than that in samples with WBCs < 5 hpf (mean 0.9, 0-3 leucocytes/hpf), (4.96 pg/mL (0.29-11.34) and 23.65 pg/mL (20.04-29.80), resp.; P = 0.0053). The severity of urinary pyuria and the UPC value were correlated with uNGAL concentration. The results of our study show that urinary NGAL concentration is correlated with WBCs number in urinary sediment of dogs with negative urinoculture. The present study suggests that noninfectious pyuria is significantly correlated with urinary NGAL values and might influence uNGAL values.

Effects of storage time on total protein and globulin concentrations in bovine fresh frozen plasma obtained for transfusion.

To evaluate the effects of storage conditions on total protein (TP) and globulin fractions in fresh frozen bovine plasma units prepared and stored for transfusion, TP and globulin fractions were evaluated in fresh plasma and at 1 month and 6 and 12 months after blood collection in plasma stored at -20°C. Significant differences in concentrations were found in the median concentration of total protein (P=0.0336), between 0 months and 1 month (P=0.0108), 0 and 6 months (P=0.0023), and 0 and 12 months (P=0.0027), in mean concentration (g/dL) of albumin (P=0.0394), between 0 months and 1 month (P=0.0131), 0 and 6 months (P=0.0035), and 0 and 12 months (P=0.0038), and beta-2 fraction (P=0.0401), between 0 and 6 months (P=0.0401) and 0 and 12 months (P=0.0230). This study suggests that total gamma globulin concentration in bovine frozen plasma is stable for 12 months at -20°C. Total protein, ALB, and beta-2 fraction have significantly different concentrations (g/dL) when compared to prestorage. This study has shown IgG protein fraction stability in bovine fresh frozen plasma collected for transfusion; therefore, bovine fresh frozen plasma seems to be suitable for the treatment of hypogammaglobulinemia (failure of passive transfer) in calves when stored for 12 months at -20°C.

Robot-assisted renal surgery: current indications and results.

Robotic technology is the natural evolution and simplification of traditional laparoscopy. Robotic surgery has the same benefits of traditional laparoscopic surgery in terms of cosmetic results, pain control and short in-hospital stay. However, magnified three-dimensional vision and the use of fully articulated wristed-instruments allow to increase the precision control. Recently, robotic surgery has been even more used in urology. In fact, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is currently the most common treatment used for localized prostate cancer in the United States. Perioperative and functional outcomes resulted significantly better after RARP. As a consequence of the diffusion of RARP, other urological procedures were performed using the robotic approach. Particular attention has been paid to the use of robotic surgery for the treatment of benign and malignant renal diseases. In 2002 the first robot-assisted pyeloplasty was performed followed by the first robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. This last procedure had widespread a lot in the last years and it can currently be considered as the main alternative to the traditional open partial nephrectomy. Finally, the evolution of technology and surgeon skills allowed us to consider the less invasive approaches also for renal transplantation surgery and vena cava tumor thrombectomy. The objective of this review was to analyze current indications and outcomes of robot-assisted procedures for the treatment of benign and malignant renal diseases.

Hyaluronan derivatives bearing variable densities of ferulic acid residues.

A synthetic procedure has been developed to conjugate ferulic acid (FA) to an important natural polysaccharide derivative such as hyaluronic acid (HA). The activation of FA with 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) has been investigated. Two reactive intermediates, namely monoimidazolide 2 [i.e. (E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-one] and bisimidazolide 3 [i.e. (E)-4-(3-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)-3-oxoprop-1-enyl)-2-methoxyphenyl 1H-imidazole-1-carboxylate] were characterized from the point of view of their structure and reactivity. The ready isolation of bisimidazolide 3 and its reactivity support its potential usefulness in the feruloylation of molecular or macromolecular materials bearing hydroxyl moieties. Bisimidazolide derivative 3 has been found to be an effective reagent in the feruloylation of HA to give HAFA graft copolymers showing different grafting degrees (GD), which could be modulated by varying the reaction conditions. A series of HAFA derivatives showing different GD values has been prepared and submitted to an extensive macromolecular and rheological characterization in order to ascertain that the grafting of HA with FA does not degrade the polysaccharide backbone and to evaluate the role of GD in affecting solubility and rheological properties. The results suggested that relatively low GD values were sufficient to confer physical cross-linking capabilities resulting in the features of a strong gel of HAFA dispersions.

Chêneau brace for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: long-term results. Can it prevent surgery?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Chêneau brace in the management of idiopathic scoliosis. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study according to SOSORT and SRS (Scoliosis Research Society) recommendations involving 48 girls with documented progressive idiopathic scoliosis, treated with Chêneau brace. A statistical analysis was performed with STATA MP11.2 to validate the obtained results. RESULTS: No patient needed surgery. The average curve angle measured in Cobb degrees passed from 27° ± 6.7° at the beginning (T0), to 7.6° ± 7.4° in brace (T1) (72 % of correction), to 8.5° ± 8.6° (69 % of correction) at the end of treatment (T2), to 11.0° ± 7.4° (59.3 % of correction) at final follow-up (mean 5 years and 5 months) (T3). CONCLUSION: Conservative treatment with Chêneau brace and physiotherapy was effective in our hands for halting scoliosis progression in 100 % of patients.

Erectile dysfunction after prostate three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy. Correlation with the dose to the penile bulb.

PURPOSE: Erectile dysfunction is associated with all the common treatment options for prostate cancer. The aim of this research was to evaluate the relationship between erectile function and radiation dose to the penile bulb (PB) and other proximal penile structures in men receiving conformal radiotherapy (CRT) without hormonal therapy (HT) for prostate cancer, whose sexual function was known before treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 19 patients treated with 3D-CRT for localized prostate cancer at our department, who were self-reported to be potent before treatment, had not received HT, and had complete follow-up data available. Our evaluation was based on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). Dose-volume histograms (DVHs) were used to evaluate the dose to the PB. Statistical analysis was performed with an unconditional logistic regression model. RESULTS: All patients reported change in potency after radiation. Eight patients (42%) remained potent but showed a decrease of 1 or 2 levels of potency, as defined by the IIEF-5 questionnaire (reduced potency group), while 11 patients (58%) reported a change of higher levels and revealed a severe erectile dysfunction after 2 years (impotence group). Multivariate analysis of morphological and dosimetric variables yielded significance for the mean dose (p = 0.05 with an odds ratio of 1.14 and 95% CI 1-1.30). Patients receiving a mean dose of less than 50 Gy to the PB appear to have a much greater likelihood of maintaining potency. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest a possible existence of a dose-volume correlation between the dose applied to the PB and radiation-induced impotence.

Vertebral body reconstruction system B-Twin® versus corset following non-osteoporotic Magerl A1.2 thoracic and lumbar fracture. Functional and radiological outcome at 12 month follow-up in a prospective randomized series of 50 patients.

INTRODUCTION: Kyphoplasty and percutaneous vertebroplasty are two effective procedures for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, but there have been few publications on their use in non-osteoporotic forms. B-Twin(®) vertebral body reconstruction is a new minimally invasive vertebral body reconstruction technique developed for non-osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures of the thoracolumbar junction and lumbar spine. OBJECTIVES: The present study describes this novel technique and assessed efficacy compared to a conservative method. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Inclusion criteria were: Magerl type A1.2 non-osteoporotic thoracolumbar or lumbar spinal compression fractures in patients aged over 18 years, free of neurologic compromise. Patients were randomized to management by corset (group 1) or by the B-Twin(®) spacer (group 2). Follow-up used a visual analog scale (VAS) to assess pain, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and, on radiology, the vertebral (VK) and regional (RK) kyphosis angles and anterior and medial height indices at baseline, 3 months and 12 months. RESULTS: Group 1 comprised 26 patients; group 2 comprised 24 patients, with 44 implants. In group 1, mean VK was 10.7° (± 1.73°) at baseline, 11.9° (± 1.56°) at 3 months and 12.3° (± 1.6°) at 12 months. Mean RK was respectively 9.7° (± 0.97°), 11.10° (± 1.07°) and 11.8° (± 1.27). Mean medial height (medial-to-posterior [MH/PH] height ratio was respectively 0.75 [±0.05], 0.70 [±0.06] and 0.65 [±0.04]). Mean anterior height (anterior-to-posterior [AH/PH] height ratio) was respectively 0.79 [± 0.06], 0.76 [± 0.05] and 0.73 [± 0.05]). Mean VAS score was respectively 8.6 (± 0.52), 3.8 (± 0.82) and 2.3 (± 0.83). In group 2, mean VK was 13.8° (± 0.47°) at baseline, 4.88° (± 0.65°) at 3 months and 4.88° (± 0.65°). Mean RK was respectively 9.82° (± 1.67°), 4.47° (± 0.86°) and 4.82° (± 0.98°). Mean MH/PH ratio was respectively 0.69 (± 0.05), 0.86 (± 0.03) and 0.86 (± 0.03). Mean AH/PH ratio was respectively 0.73 (± 0.04), 0.90 (± 0.03) and 0.90 (± 0.03). Mean VAS score was 8.88 (± 0.47) at baseline, 2 (± 1) at 1-day post-surgery, 1.71 (± 0.88) at 3 months and 1.12 (± 0.23) at 12 months. The increase in vertebral body height in patients managed by B-Twin(®) was maintained at 6 and 12 months (P<0.0001). The study showed better results with the vertebral spacer than on conservative treatment, with a 95% reduction in bed-rest: 4-6 weeks in the conservative group vs. 2-3 days in the surgical group. CONCLUSIONS: The vertebral body reconstruction technique provided anatomic vertebral body reconstruction and quick return to household activity without resort to a corset. Deformity was durably reduced. At 12-month follow-up, pain reduction and stasis were achieved. The risk of injected cement leakage was slight.

Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation in neuromuscular scoliosis.

The study design is retrospective. The aim is to describe our experience about the treatment of patients with neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS) using Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation. Neuromuscular scoliosis are difficult deformities to treat. A careful assessment and an understanding of the primary disease and its prognosis are essential for planning treatment which is aimed at maximizing function. These patients may have pelvic obliquity, dislocation of the hip, limited balance or ability to sit, back pain, and, in some cases, a serious decrease in pulmonary function. Spinal deformity is difficult to control with a brace, and it may progress even after skeletal maturity has been reached. Surgery is the main stay of treatment for selected patients. The goals of surgery are to correct the deformity producing a balanced spine with a level pelvis and a solid spinal fusion to prevent or delay secondary respiratory complications. The instrumented spinal fusion (ISF) with second-generation instrumentation (e.g., Luque-Galveston and unit rod constructs), are until 1990s considered the gold standard surgical technique for neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS). Still in 2008 Tsirikos et al. said that "the Unit rod instrumentation is a common standard technique and the primary instrumentation system for the treatment of pediatric patients with cerebral palsy and neuromuscular scoliosis because it is simple to use, it is considerably less expensive than most other systems, and can achieve good deformity correction with a low loss of correction, as well as a low prevalence of associated complications and a low reoperation rate." In spite of the Cotrel-Dubousset (CD) surgical technique, used since the beginning of the mid 1980s, being already considered the highest level achieved in correction of scoliosis by a posterior approach, Teli et al., in 2006, said that reports are lacking on the results of third-generation instrumentation for the treatment of NMS. Patients with neuromuscular disease and spinal deformity treated between 1984 and 2008 consecutively by the senior author (G.D.G.) with Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation and minimum 36 months follow-up were reviewed, evaluating correction of coronal deformity, sagittal balance and pelvic obliquity, and rate of complications. 24 patients (Friedreich's ataxia, 1; cerebral palsy, 14; muscular dystrophy, 2; polio, 2; syringomyelia, 3; spinal atrophy, 2) were included. According the evidence that the study period is too long (1984-2008) and that in more than 20 years many things changed in surgical strategy and techniques, all patients were divided in two groups: only hooks (8 patients) or hybrid construct (16 patients). Mean age was 18.1 years at surgery (range 11 years 7 months-max 31 years; in 17 cases the age at surgery time was between 10 and 20 years old; in 6 cases it was between 20 and 30 and only in 1 case was over 30 years old). Mean follow-up was 142 months (range 36-279). The most frequent patterns of scoliosis were thoracic (10 cases) and thoracolumbar (9 cases). In 8 cases we had hypokyphosis, in 6 normal kyphosis and in 9 hyperkyphosis. In 8 cases we had a normal lordosis, in 11 a hypolordosis and in 4 a hyperlordosis. In 1 case we had global T4-L4 kyphosis. In 8 cases there were also a thoracolumbar kyphosis (mean value 24°, min 20°-max 35°). The mean fusion area included 13 vertebrae (range 6-19); in 17 cases the upper end vertebra was over T4 and in 11 cases the lower end vertebra was over L4 or L5. In 7 cases the lower end vertebra was S1 to correct the pelvic obliquity. In 5 cases the severity of the deformity (mean Cobb's angle 84.2°) imposed a preoperative halo traction treatment. There were 5 anteroposterior and 19 posterior-only procedures. In 10 cases, with low bone quality, the arthrodesis was performed using iliac grafting technique while in the other (14 cases) using autologous bone graft obtained in situ from vertebral arches and spinous processes (in all 7 cases with fusion extended until S1, it was augmented with calcium phosphate). The mean correction of coronal deformity and pelvic obliquity averaged, respectively, 57.2% (min 31.8%; max 84.8%) and 58.9% (mean value preoperative, 18.43°; mean value postoperative, 7.57°; mean value at last follow-up, 7.57°). The sagittal balance was always restored, reducing hypo or hyperkyphosis and hypo or hyperlordosis. Also in presence of a global kyphosis, we observed a very good restoration (preoperatory, 65°; postoperatory, 18° kyphosis and 30° lordosis, unmodified at last f.u.). The thoracolumbar kyphosis, when present (33.3% of our group) was always corrected to physiological values (mean 2°, min 0°-max 5°). The mean intraoperative blood lost were 2,100 cc (min 1,400, max 5,350). Major complications affected 8.3% of patients, and included 1 postoperative death and 1 deep infection. Minor complications affected none of patients. CD technique provides lasting correction of spinal deformity in patients with neuromuscular scoliosis, with a lower complications rate compared to reports on second-generation instrumented spinal fusion.

Do electrospray mass spectra of surfactants mirror their aggregation state in solution?

One important feature in the gas phase chemistry of surfactants is to ascertain whether their aggregates produced by electrospray ionization reflect those formed in the starting solution. With this aim, we have performed ESI-MS, ESI-MS/MS and ER-MS spectra of bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOTNa) solutions in different solvents, i.e. water, water/methanol, methanol and n-hexane. The results clearly indicate that, notwithstanding the strongly different aggregation state in solution (direct micelles in water and in water/methanol, molecular dispersion in methanol and reverse micelles in n-hexane) and marked effects of the solvent polarity on the total ionic current, the surfactant aggregates in gas phase show identical structural features. Analogous conclusions can be drawn analyzing the infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectra of AOTNa solutions in water/methanol and n-hexane. Moreover, according to the idea that gas phase can be considered an apolar environment par excellence, data consistently suggest a reverse micelle-like aggregation. Some peculiarities of the mechanisms leading to aggregate formation through electrospray ionization of surfactant solutions in solvent media with different polarity have been also discussed.

Prevalence of AIP mutations in a large series of sporadic Italian acromegalic patients and evaluation of CDKN1B status in acromegalic patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia.

BACKGROUND: Germline mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein (AIP) gene and the p27(KIP1) encoding gene CDKN1B have been associated with two well-defined hereditary conditions, familial isolated pituitary adenoma (FIPA) and multiple endocrine neoplasia type 4 (MEN4). Somatotropinomas are present in most AIP mutated FIPA kindreds, as well as in two-thirds of MEN4 patients who carry pituitary tumors. METHODS: Germline DNA samples of 131 Italian sporadic acromegalic patients including 38 individuals with multiple tumors, and of six FIPA families (four homogeneous for prolactinomas and two heterogeneous with prolactin/nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas) were collected in a multicentric collaborative study. The prevalence of AIP and CDKN1B gene point mutations and copy number variations were evaluated. RESULTS: Two novel (IVS3+1G>A and c.871G>A) and one previously described (c.911G>A) AIP mutations were detected in four apparently sporadic cases (3.1%) with relatively high age at diagnosis (49+/-18, range 30-67). No mutations/rearrangements were detected in FIPA families. The highly conserved c.871G>A substitution was detected in a patient who also carried a MEN1 mutation suggesting that she is a double heterozygote. The possible pathogenic effect on AIP splicing of the silent substitution c.144G>A found in another patient was ruled out using a minigene-based approach. CDKN1B mutations/rearrangements were neither identified in patients with multiple neoplasia nor in FIPA families. CONCLUSION: AIP is mutated in about 3% of apparently sporadic acromegalic patients. The relatively high age at diagnosis, as well as its sporadic presentation, suggests that these patients are carriers of mutations with reduced pathogenicity. p27(KIP1) is unlikely to represent the common unifying nonendocrine etiology for acromegaly and cancer.

Clinical characteristics and treatment outcome of depression in patients with and without a history of emotional and physical abuse.

Clinical features and treatment outcome were compared in depressed outpatients with and without a history of emotional and physical abuse (EPA), including childhood maltreatment. Patients were initially randomized to IPT or SSRI and then augmented with the second treatment if they did not remit with monotherapy. Assessments included the SCID-I, the SCID-II for DSM-IV diagnoses, the HRSD, the QIDS and the Mood Spectrum Self-Report (MOODS-SR). Seventy-eight (25%) patients reported a history of EPA; 60 (76.9%) were women. Patients with a history of EPA did not differ from those without on HRSD scores at baseline, but showed an earlier age at onset of depression and a longer duration of illness. The two groups differed on several mood spectrum factors, namely: 'depressivemood' (15.6+/-4.9 vs. 13.5+/-5.4; p<0.004), 'psychomotorretardation' (11.7+/-4.5 vs. 9.6+/-4.7; p<0.001), 'drugandillness-relateddepression' (1.3+/-1.3 vs. 0.6+/-1.0; p<0.0001), and 'neurovegetativesymptoms' (8.3+/-2.6 vs. 6.9+/-2.9; p<0.0001). Patients with EPA had also a significantly longer time to remission (89 vs. 67days, log-rank test, p=0.035). The need for augmentation treatment was significantly more frequent among patients with EPA than in those without. The present study suggests that patients with a history of EPA show a subtype of depression characterized by poor treatment response and more severe neurovegetative and psychomotor symptoms.

Silylene defect at the dihydrogen terminated (100) Si surface.

Density functional calculations for both periodic slabs and different size cluster models of the hydrogen-terminated (100) surface of silicon are used to study a new configuration, formed by a silylene center interacting with vicinal silicon dihydrides through nonconventional hydrogen bonds. A comparison between slab-model and cluster-model approaches to modeling surface silylene defect formation processes is presented. The cluster models are used to analyze the structure and bonding of the silylene with a Lewis acid and base, showing the Zwitterionic nature of the defect. The silylene is also demonstrated to behave as a strong Brønsted acid. The stabilization of the silylene defect via interaction with species unavoidably present in the HF(aq)-etching solution is investigated. Finally, the negative chemical shift observed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in the HF(aq)-etched (100) Si surface is attributed to the occurrence of silylene defect.

How silylene defects at (100) Si surfaces can account for the anomalous features observed via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

A theoretical analysis of the hydrogen-terminated (100) surface of silicon leads to the identification of a new configuration, formed by a silylene center interacting with vicinal silicon dihydrides. This structure may be viewed as a metastable configuration of 2 x 1 (100) (SiH)(2). Silylene can however be stabilized via interaction with water. The paper proposes that some of the anomalous features observed at the hydrogen-terminated or oxidized (100) Si can be attributed to silylene centers datively stabilized by oxo groups or to structures resulting from their decomposition.