The so‐called ‘Tunguska Event’ refers to a major explosion that occurred on 30 June 1908 in the Tunguska region of Siberia, causing the destruction of over 2000 km2 of taiga, globally detected ...pressure and seismic waves, and bright luminescence in the night skies of Europe and Central Asia, combined with other unusual phenomena. The ‘Tunguska Event’ may be related to the impact with the Earth of a cosmic body that exploded about 5–10 km above ground, releasing in the atmosphere 10–15 Mton of energy. Fragments of the impacting body have never been found, and its nature (comet or asteroid) is still a matter of debate. We report results from the investigation of Lake Cheko, located ∼8 km NNW of the inferred explosion epicenter. Its funnel‐like bottom morphology and the structure of its sedimentary deposits, revealed by acoustic imagery and direct sampling, all suggest that the lake fills an impact crater. Lake Cheko may have formed due to a secondary impact onto alluvial swampy ground; the size and shape of the crater may have been affected by the nature of the ground and by impact‐related melting and degassing of a permafrost layer.
To assess the efficacy of an alternative disinfection method for hospital water distribution systems contaminated with Legionella.
Disinfection with peracetic acid was performed in a small hospital ...contaminated with L. pneumophila serotype 1. The disinfectant was used at concentrations of 50 ppm (first three surveillance phases) and 1,000 ppm (fourth surveillance phase) for 30 minutes.
Environmental monitoring revealed that disinfection was maintained 1 week after treatment; however, levels of recontamination surpassing baseline values were detected after approximately 1 month. Comparison of water temperatures measured at the distal outlets showed a statistically significant association between temperature and bacterial load. The circulating water temperature was found to be lower in the two wards farthest away from the hot water production plant than in other wards. It was thought that the lower water temperature in the two wards promoted the bacterial growth even after disinfection.
Peracetic acid may be useful in emergency situations, but does not provide definitive protection even if used monthly.
Chronic cough and phlegm in young adults Cerveri, I; Accordini, S; Corsico, A ...
European respiratory journal/The European respiratory journal
22, Številka:
3
Journal Article
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The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines underline that the presence of chronic cough and sputum production before airflow obstruction offers a unique opportunity ...to identify subjects at risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for an early intervention. Current epidemiological data on these subjects are scant. Between 1998-2000, the authors evaluated the prevalence and characteristics of these symptoms by a multicentre cross-sectional survey of Italian people aged between 20-44 yrs from the general population (Italian Study on Asthma in Young Adults (ISAYA)). Besides the questions on asthma, more than 18,000 subjects answered the question: "Have you had cough and phlegm on most days for as much as 3 months per year and for at least two successive years?" The adjusted prevalence of subjects with chronic cough and phlegm was 11.9%, being 11.8% in males and 12.0% in females. From these subjects approximately 20% reported coexisting asthma and approximately 30%, predominately females, were nonsmokers. The survey showed that sex (female), smoking and low socioeconomic status were significantly and independently associated with chronic cough and phlegm, current smoking playing the major role. The prevalence of subjects with chronic cough and phlegm is startlingly high among young adults. Further follow-up studies are needed to establish how many of them will go on to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Several effects of nitric oxide (NO) on the control of L-type calcium current (ICa) and of calcium handling in cardiomyocytes have been described. Cardiomyocytes have been shown to express in ...different conditions all types of nitric oxide synthases (NOS), but the role of NO in the regulation of calcium current remains controversial. Previously, we have shown in guinea pig ventricular cells a stimulatory effect of NOS inhibitors on ICa. Here we investigate the intracellular mechanisms involved in the putative inhibitory role of NO on basal ICa in ventricular cells. The stimulatory effect of the NOS inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) (1 mM) was present also in calcium transient measurements, but only after a preincubation with L-arginine (L-arg, 0.1 mM). The nitric oxide scavenger 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO, 0.5 mM) increased peak ICa in a similar manner to NOS inhibitors in whole-cell voltage-clamp experiments. Also ODQ (1H-1,2,4oxidiazolo4,3-aquinoxaline-1-one, 0.1 mM), a specific inhibitor of a target of NO, the soluble guanylate cyclase, was able to stimulate ICa. The block of type II phosphodiesterase (cGMP-activated) by EHNA (erythro-9-2-hydroxy-3-nonylladenine, 30 microM) exerted a similar effect on ICa as PTIO and ODQ. Carbachol (CCh, 1 microM) was able to revert the stimulatory effect on ICa observed with PTIO, ODQ, and EHNA. We propose that the increase of basal ICa in guinea pig cardiomyocytes previously observed with L-NMMA depends on the removal of a tonic NO inhibition. This increase of ICa is mimicked by blocking at different steps the cGMP-cascade activated by NO, suggesting a NO-guanylate cyclase mechanism in the basal control of ventricular calcium current.
We describe the successful unrelated cord blood transplantation in two patients affected by a Zap-70 deficiency and an Omenn-like syndrome, respectively. The patients were hospitalised for recurrent ...infections at the age of 13 and 2 months, respectively. An unrelated cord blood unit was found for each. The conditioning regimen was cyclophosphamide, busulfan and antithymocyte globulin. The total number of infused cells was 15.1 x 10(7)/kg and 17 x 10(7)/kg, respectively. Neutrophil engraftment was achieved on days +15 and +23, and platelet count >50 x 10(9)/l was achieved on days +21 and +52, respectively. One patient presented acute Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) grade I and the other grade III. Chimerism was mixed and full donor. Normal lymphoproliferative response to mitogens and alloantigens was detectable at 6 months for both. No chronic GVHD was observed in either. The patients are alive and well at 53 and 15 months after transplantation. In conclusion, umbilical cord blood represents a valid alternative source of haemopoietic stem cells.
Analysis of the virologic and immunomodulatory effects of an association of efavirenz (EFV), nelfinavir (NFV), and stavudine (d4T) was performed in 18 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and ...highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-experienced patients who failed multiple therapeutic protocols. Patients (<500 CD4(+) cells/ micro l; >10,000 HIV copies/ml) were nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-naive and were treated for 10 months with EFV (600 mg/day) in association with NFV (750 mg three times daily) and d4T (30 or 40 mg twice daily). Measurement of HIV peptide- and mitogen-stimulated production of interleukin-2 (IL-2), gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), IL-4, and IL-10 as well as quantitation of mRNA for the same cytokines in unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells were performed at baseline and 2 weeks (t1), 2 months (t2), and 10 months (t3) into therapy. The results showed that HIV-specific (but not mitogen-stimulated) IL-2 and IFN-gamma production was augmented and IL-10 production was reduced in patients who received EFV, NFV, and d4T. Therapy was also associated with a reduction in HIV RNA in plasma and an increase in CD4(+) cell count. These changes occurred in the first year of therapy (t2 and t3) and were confirmed by quantitation of cytokine-specific mRNA. Therapy with EFV, NFV, and d4T increases HIV-specific type 1 cytokine production as well as CD4 counts and reduces plasma viremia. This therapeutic regimen may be considered for use in cases of advanced HIV infection.
Background: Italian data on the prevalence of allergic rhinitis are sparse and with wide variations, maybe because of different diagnostic criteria and methods of investigation. This study analyzes ...the information on rhinitis collected in northern Italy through standardized methods within the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.
Methods: A screening questionnaire was sent by mail to a random sample of the general population aged 20–44 years, and nonresponders were contacted again by phone, achieving a final response rate of 86% (6031/7000). Among the responders, 914 randomly selected underwent a standardized clinical interview, skin prick test (SPT) and total and specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E determination.
Results: The overall prevalence of self‐reported allergic rhinitis was 15.9% (95% CI 15.0–16.8%). Allergic rhinitis was more common in men below 35 years and in women older than that (P = 0.006), in urban areas (P < 0.001) and in early responders (P < 0.001). A larger percentage of subjects (37.7%) reported nasal symptoms when exposed to indoor or outdoor allergens. Atopy was present in 79% of the subjects reporting allergic rhinitis.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in northern Italy is similar to the prevalence observed in other European countries and that this disease is more common in urban areas.
We extended the investigation of the virus-host interaction in developing countries by analysing Indian HIV-infected and uninfected individuals from Maharashtra-Mumbai. Results showed that CXCR4 ...messenger RNA and surface expression, as well as IL-4 mRNA and T allele frequency at the -589 site in the IL-4 gene (high IL-4 production) were significantly increased in Indian compared with Italian individuals. Because IL-4 stimulates CXCR4 expression this observation could be explained by the higher frequency of the -589T IL-4 polymorphism.
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