Craniofacial morphometric variation and the biological history of the peopling of Sardinia.

The aim of this work is to explore the pattern of craniofacial morphometric variation and the relationships among five prehistoric Sardinian groups dated from Late Neolithic to the Nuragic Period (Middle and Late Bronze Age), in order to formulate hypotheses on the peopling history of Sardinia. Biological relationships with coeval populations of central peninsular Italy were also analysed to detect influences from and towards extra-Sardinian sources. Furthermore, comparison with samples of contemporary populations from Sardinia and from continental Italy provided an indication of the trend leading to the final part of the peopling history. Finally, Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic samples were included in the analyses to compare the prehistoric Sardinians with some of their potential continental ancestors. The analysis is based on multivariate techniques including Mahalanobis D(2) distance, non-parametric multidimensional scaling (MDS) and principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed the tendency to progressive differentiation between Sardinian groups and peninsular Italian groups, with the possible exception of a discontinuity showed by the Bonnànaro (Early Bronze Age) Sardinian sample. Several aspects of the morphological results were found to agree with the current genetic evidence available for the present-day Sardinian population and a Nuragic sample: (1) biological divergence between the Sardinian and peninsular Italian populations; (2) similarity/continuity among Neolithic, Bronze Age and recent Sardinians; (3) biological separation between the Nuragic and Etruscan populations; (4) contribution of a Palaeo-Mesolithic gene pool to the genetic structure of current Sardinians.

Tanning lamps ultraviolet emissions and compliance with technical standards.

In this work the compliance of tanning lamps with technical standards EN 60335-2-27 'Household and similar electrical appliances-Safety. Part 2: Particular requirements for appliances for skin exposure to ultraviolet and infrared radiation' was analysed. Results of this analysis showed that none of the examined technical documentation produced by the lamps manufacturers is fully compliant with the standard technique. Furthermore data reported in the same manuals, such as effective radiant exposure or irradiance, would indicate that these sources may be the cause of undue exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. For this reason a measurement campaign on UV lamps used in tanning salons was organised. The first results of these measurements seem to confirm the doubts raised from the analysis of the lamp manuals: the use of a tanning lamp can lead to UV radiation exposure levels higher than reference maximum values recommended by EN 60335-2-27.

Unusual morphological features in a presumably Neolithic individual from Riparo della Rossa, Serra San Quirico (Ancona, Italy).

The present study describes human skeletal remains from Riparo della Rossa, a rock shelter in the Marche region (Central Italy). The remains consist of a cranial vault and a few non-articulated postcranial bones, possibly belonging to the same adult individual. As the cranial vault showed some morphological features that are unusual for a modern human (marked prominence of the supraorbital region, very prominent nasal bones and rather high thickness of the vault), an accurate anthropological analysis and quantification of the antiquity of the bones were required. The remains were dated with two different absolute dating methods, AMS (14)C and (235)U-(231)Pa non-destructive gamma-ray spectrometry (NDGRS), which produced discordant results: the uncalibrated (14)C dating produced 5690 +/- 80 BP for the cranial vault and 6110 +/- 80 BP for the clavicle; the NDGRS dating produced 10,000 +/- 3000 BP for the cranial vault. The sex discriminant morphological characters on the skull are not unequivocal, though the masculine ones appear more evident. The aims of the present paper are: to provide a morphological and metric description of the remains; to interpret their unusual morphological features; to attempt to attribute them to male or female sex and to one of the possible prehistoric cultural groups, according to dating results (Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic or Neolithic). The attribution was obtained by a Bayesian procedure taking into account the reliability of the combined information of morphological/metric features and absolute dating results. The results suggest that the Riparo della Rossa remains are best attributed to a male individual of the Neolithic age.

Ray-tracing techniques to assess the electromagnetic field radiated by radio base stations: application and experimental validation in an urban environment.

This paper aims to validate a ray-tracing model for electromagnetic field calculation, which is used in urban environments to predict irradiation from radio base stations for population exposure evaluation. Validation was carried out through a measurement campaign by choosing measurement points in order to test different propagation environments and analysing broadcast control channels through narrow band measurements. Comparison of the calculated and measured fields indicates that the ray-tracing model used calculates electric field with good accuracy, in spite of the fact that the propagation environment is not described in detail, because of difficulties in modelling the geometrical and electrical characteristics of urban areas. Differences between the calculated and measured results remain below 1.5 dB, with a mean value of 1 dB.

Hearing aids' electromagnetic immunity to environmental RF fields.

In this work, the electromagnetic interference on hearing aids was evaluated. Electromagnetic (EM) immunity tests on different types of hearing aids were carried out, using signals of intensity and modulation comparable to those present in the environment. The purpose of this work is to characterise the interference, establishing the immunity threshold for different frequencies and finding out which types of hearing aids are more susceptible, and in which frequency range. The tests were carried out in a GTEM cell on seven hearing aids, using AM and GSM signals in the radiofrequency (RF) range.

Exposure measuring techniques for wide band mobile radiocommunications.

The paper illustrates the limits and performances of different experimental monitoring techniques, which are applied to digitally modulated radiofrequency electromagnetic fields used for mobile telecommunications. Different experimental set-ups have been developed, verified and applied for the analysis and characterisation of wide band probes and narrow band measuring procedures.

The influence of intense ballet training on trabecular bone mass, hormone status, and gonadotropin structure in young women.

A cross-sectional study on young dancers and exdancers was performed to evaluate the effects of intense weight-bearing exercise and dietary restriction, started during puberty, on bone mineral density (BMD), menarche age, menstrual function, and gonadotropin structure. Twenty current dancers (group 1) and 9 exdancers (group 2) were compared with a control group of 30 age-matched, regularly cycling women. Body weight, body mass index, total daily caloric intake, and nutritional markers were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in groups 1 and 2 than in controls. Using Quantitative Computed Tomography for the BMD evaluation, 12 dancers and 5 exdancers had Z-scores less than 2.5 SD below the mean of the controls; whereas, in 6 dancers and in 2 exdancers, BMD was between 1 and 2.5 SD. Groups 1 and 2 had a delay of menarche, which correlated positively with years of dance before menarche (r = 0.8; P < 0.001). Dancers had low levels and altered structure of circulating gonadotropins, which improved after GnRH stimulation. In conclusion, ballet training performed by dancers during puberty, dietary restriction, and low body mass index can all be associated with reduction in BMD and altered gonadotropin isoforms, with subsequent delay of menarche, menstrual dysfunctions, and insufficient peak bone mass. A longitudinal study must be conducted to confirm the persistence of low lumbar spine bone density in adult age.

Outdoor background ELF magnetic fields in an urban environment.

Classification of 'exposed/non-exposed' subjects in epidemiological studies concerning the possible cancer risk associated with ELF magnetic field exposure is based on the a priori assumption of magnetic field value cut-off points that, often, are defined equal to minimum exposure levels typical of a population residing near high voltage facilities (0.1-4.2 microT), but in some cases an environmental magnetic field level not associated with transmission lines can exist. The results of an ELF magnetic field survey in an Italian urban area (about 1 million inhabitants) are presented: average field levels are correlated with population density of different districts. Exposure indexes are obtained, which are compared with those evaluated in studies regarding domestic exposure: background average levels result in comparable to cut-off points in epidemiological studies, but in some districts with high population density, they are much higher. This shows that knowledge of background magnetic field level in urban areas can assume a significant role in exposure assessment.

Population exposure to electromagnetic fields generated by radio base stations: evaluation of the urban background by using provisional model and instrumental measurements.

Electromagnetic radiation, which is used by broadcasting and mobile telephone systems to transmit information, permeates the city environment. In order to properly evaluate population exposure to electromagnetic fields, knowledge of their intensity and spectral components is necessary. In this study the results of radiofrequency field monitoring carried out in Torino, a large town located in the north-west of Italy are shown: the variation of the electromagnetic field strength is evaluated as a function of the height from the ground, the location in the urban area and the frequency. separating the contributions of the different sources (broadcasting antennas and radio base stations for mobile phones). Furthermore, the contribution of the radio base stations is theoretically evaluated, adding the emissions off all installations situated in Torino and examining the field strength maps calculated, considering the orography, for different heights. The theoretical values are also compared with those measured in the frequency range of mobile telephony emissions.

Calibration and evaluation of uncertainty in the measurement of environmental electromagnetic fields.

After a brief description of the reference systems for the calibration of the electromagnetic field meters set up at IEN and the Ivrea Department of ARPA, the procedures for the evaluation of the measurement uncertainty are discussed, with reference to the problem of identifying and quantifying the different uncertainty components. which are due both to the field meter characteristics and to the measurement procedure and conditions. The problem of how to compare a measurement result, which consists of the measurement value and its associated uncertainty, with a limit fixed by the standards is also faced.

Numerical and experimental analysis of e-field scattering from the ground for base station antennae.

Based on the numerical determination of the complete irradiation volume of a commercial RBS antenna--performed using the FDTD method and the Kirchhoff integral formula for near to far field transformation--open site estimations of the electric field are made and compared with experimentally measured values. To describe the actual behaviour of the radiation field, the inherently complex phasic nature of plane waves is taken into account, together with their two independent states of polarisation. This information is contained in the radiation pattern previously deduced. Moreover, a reflected contribution from flat ground is introduced, along with the line-of-sight ray. Amplitude and phase of the reflected wave are calculated using Fresnel formulae for stratified ground and two polarisation states, i.e. normal and parallel to the plane of incidence. Good agreement with measured values is achieved only by using such assumptions.

Molecular and epidemiological characterization of vaginal Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates.

Although vaginitis caused by Saccharomyces cerevisiae is extremely rare, in recent years we have experienced an increasing frequency of S. cerevisiae isolation from the vaginas of fertile-age women. In order to investigate the epidemiology of these vaginal infections, a total of 40 isolates of S. cerevisiae derived from symptomatic and asymptomatic women were characterized by two DNA typing approaches, named ribosomal DNA (rDNA) hybridization and Ty917 hybridization, based on the Southern blotting technique. After transfer, the polymorphic DNA restriction fragments were hybridized with the entire repeat of S. cerevisiae rDNA for one method and with the entire sequence of the Ty917 retrotransposon for the other. After elaboration with computer-assisted analysis, the results of each method showed that Ty917 hybridization is endowed with a discriminatory power higher than that of rDNA hybridization. With the Ty917 hybridization method, all of the S. cerevisiae isolates tested appeared very heterogeneous, with the exception of those collected from individual patients with recurrent vaginitis. This allowed us to exclude a possible common source of infection while the high relatedness among S. cerevisiae sequential isolates from recurrent-vaginitis patients could suggest a pattern of relapse rather than frequent reinfection.

PCR-restriction enzyme analysis for detection of Candida DNA in blood from febrile patients with hematological malignancies.

Blood samples were drawn daily from 72 patients who had hematological malignancies, neutropenia, and fever and who had failed to respond to broad-spectrum antibiotics. Each sample was used for conventional fungal blood cultures and for detection and identification of Candida DNA by a PCR method with subsequent restriction enzyme analysis (REA) recently developed in our laboratory. The PCR method was able to detect five CFU of Candida spp. per ml of blood, and subsequent REA of the amplicons allowed the identification of the Candida species most commonly implicated in cases of candidiasis. Thirty-one patients were PCR-REA positive, and four of these patients were also culture positive. The ultimate diagnosis for 13 of these patients and 1 patient who was PCR-REA negative was disseminated candidiasis (confirmed by clinical data, multiple cultures, histology, autopsy, and/or ultrasonographic evidence of hepatosplenic candidiasis). The molecular method is significantly more sensitive than conventional fungal blood cultures and has a high negative predictive value (97.5%) for the development of disseminated candidiasis in neutropenic patients.

Height, weight, height velocity of primary school population sample in Campania region.

Aim of this study was to plot height, weight and height velocity values of primary school civic population of Portici and Ercolano, Campania towns, on Tanner's charts in order to verify the overlapping of percentile distribution. On May 1994 height and weight were measured in 3504 children (1735 boys and 1769 girls, aged 5.4-16.1 years, mean age = 8.6 years) from the 1st, 2nd and 5th year of primary schools in Portici and Ercolano. One year later, on May 1995, we remeasured and reweighed 1583 (781 boys and 802 girls, aged 6.4-14.2 years, mean age = 9.6 years) out of total children and we calculated height velocity (HV). The height and weight profiles of our population sample show that children in Portici and Ercolano are taller and fatter than those measured by Tanner and Whitehouse 25-30 years ago. The calculation of body mass index (BMI) confirmed that 30% of total children were obese. Furthermore, the evaluation of one-year HV revealed a clear improvement of linear growth. Our data suggest that Tanner and Whitehouse charts should be updated, and it should be useful to elaborate also height, weight and HV standards derived from present-day population.

Electric field and current density distributions induced in an anatomically-based model of the human head by magnetic fields from a hair dryer.

We have used the impedance method to calculate the induced electric (E) fields and current densities (J) for the spatially varying vector magnetic fields due to a hair dryer. In this method, applicable for low-frequency exposures where the quasi-static approximation may be made, the biological body or the exposed parts thereof are represented by a three-dimensional (3-D) network of impedances whose individual values are obtained from the electrical properties sigma, epsilon r for the various tissues. We have measured the 3-D variations of the 50-Hz magnetic fields from a typical hair dryer and found that the various components correlate well with those for a helical coil. The non-uniform magnetic fields thus obtained are used to calculate the induced E and J with a resolution of 1.31 cm for the model of the head and neck. The induced E values are compared with the fields endogenous to the body and the minimum detectable E-field limits based on the cellular thermal noise model proposed by Weaver and Astumian (1990, 1992).

Spectral analysis of magnetic fields from domestic appliances and corresponding induced current densities in an anatomically based model of the human head.

Magnetic fields emitted by electric appliances such as razors, hair dryers, and drills were measured in the frequency domain. Results show the presence of high-frequency components (up to 96 kHz for razors, up to 3.4 kHz for hair dryers, and up to 8.6 kHz for drills) in the harmonic content of the fields. The measured fields were used to calculate the induced current densities in an anatomically based model of the human head (resolution 1.31 cm) by using the impedance method. The harmonic field contribution to the current density was higher than that from the carrier frequency for all the tested appliances.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and immune system.

Complex and bidirectional relationships operate between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the immune system (IS) and either in vivo or in vitro evidence supports a physiological role of the HPA axis-IS network. A part of the well-known pharmacological effects of glucocorticoid hormones (GC) as immunodepressive agents, the direct effects of many HPA axis hormones on IS functions are actually documented also in physiologic conditions. Conversely, numerous IS soluble mediators are reported to affect the HPA axis functions at various steps of HPA axis regulation, in both physiologic and pathologic conditions. Stress and aging may represent two paradigmatic conditions to show the relevance of the bidirectional network between HPA axis and IS, as in both HPA activation and IS impairment are frequently coexistent. Finally, in the context of the wide spectrum of HIV-related HPA axis abnormalities, a case of a Cushing's syndrome associated to an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS-related complex) in a 24-year-old homosexual drug abuser is reported.

Extremely-low-frequency and very-low-frequency magnetic fields emitted by video display units.

Extremely-low-frequency (ELF) and very-low-frequency (VLF) magnetic fields as emitted by monochrome and multichrome video display units (VDUs) were measured for their frequency domains. The rms magnetic-flux densities (MFDs) were measured as a function of distance from all six sides of VDUs of four types. The MFDs at a distance of 30 cm from the screen (defined as the operator's position) were between 0.06 and 0.6 microT in the ELF range and between 0.02 and 0.06 microT in the VLF range. The contribution of harmonics to the total MFD was the same for both frequency ranges, less than 6%. For the first three harmonics, the MFD of each higher harmonic was one-half that of the immediately lower harmonic.