Why Italy and not Spain?: comparing two industrialization processes from a dissagregate time-series perspective

This study presents new evidence concerning the uneven processes of industrialization innineteenth century Spain and Italy based on a disaggregate analysis of the productivesectors from which the behaviour of the aggregate indices is comprised. The use of multivariate time-series analysis techniques can aid our understanding and characterization of these two processes of industrialization. The identification of those sectors with key rolesin leading industrial growth provides new evidence concerning the factors that governed thebehaviour of the aggregates in the two economies. In addition, the analysis of the existenceof interindustry linkages reveals the scale of the industrialization process, and wheresignificant differences exist, accounts for many of the divergences recorded in the historiography for the period 1850-1913.

Paralyzed neonatal larynx in adduction. Case series, systematic review and analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Bilateral vocal cord abductor paralysis (BVCAbP) is considered a rare cause of stridor in the newborn. The goal of this work is to present a case series and to review systematically the literature on bilateral vocal cord abductor paralysis in the newborn to better characterize the current knowledge on this entity. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature review with Medline (1950-2011). The authors screened all cases of BVCAbP reported and selected those affecting newborns. RESULTS: Out of the 129 articles screened, 16 were included. A total of 69 cases could be retrieved and analyzed. Associated co-morbidities were found in 54% of the patients, most notably malformative conditions (intracranial or other), or a positive perinatal history (trauma/asphyxia, prematurity). Tracheostomy placement was required in 59% of children, and of these 44% were successfully decannulated. In terms of functional outcome full recovery or improvement were seen in 61% of patients. Major underlying co-morbidities affected negatively the functional outcome (p=.004), but not the need for tracheostomy (p=.604) or the decannulation success rate (p=.063). CONCLUSION: BVCAbP in the newborn is a serious cause of airway obstruction. It can be seen either in a context of multisystem anomalies or as an isolated finding. Newborns with major co-morbidities affecting their normal development are more likely to have poor functional outcomes and to remain tracheostomy-dependant.

Hepatitis G virus infection in primary Sjögren's syndrome: analysis in a series of 100 patients.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and clinical significance of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection in a large cohort of patients with primary Sjögren¿s syndrome (SS). PATIENTS AND METHODS The study included 100 consecutive patients (92 female and eight male), with a mean age of 62 years (range 31¿80) that were prospectively visited in our unit. All patients fulfilled the European Community criteria for SS and underwent a complete history, physical examination, as well as biochemical and immunological evaluation for liver disease. Two hundred volunteer blood donors were also studied. The presence of HGV-RNA was investigated in the serum of all patients and donors. Aditionally, HBsAg and antibodies to hepatitis C virus were determined. RESULTS Four patients (4%) and six volunteer blood donors (3%) presented HGV-RNA sequences in serum. HGV infection was associated with biochemical signs of liver involvement in two (50%) patients. When compared with primary SS patients without HGV infection, no significant differences were found in terms of clinical or immunological features. HCV coinfection occurs in one (25%) of the four patients with HGV infection. CONCLUSION The prevalence of HGV infection in patients with primary SS is low in the geographical area of the study and HCV coinfection is very uncommon. HGV infection alone does not seen to be an important cause of chronic liver injury in the patients with primary SS in this area.

Effect of long-term climbing training on cerebellar ataxia: a case series.

Background. Efficient therapy for both limb and gait ataxia is required. Climbing, a complex task for the whole motor system involving balance, body stabilization, and the simultaneous coordination of all 4 limbs, may have therapeutic potential. Objective. To investigate whether long-term climbing training improves motor function in patients with cerebellar ataxia. Methods. Four patients suffering from limb and gait ataxia underwent a 6-week climbing training. Its effect on ataxia was evaluated with validated clinical balance and manual dexterity tests and with a kinematic analysis of multijoint arm and leg pointing movements. Results. The patients increased their movement velocity and achieved a more symmetric movement speed profile in both arm and leg pointing movements. Furthermore, the 2 patients who suffered the most from gait ataxia improved their balance and 2 of the 4 patients improved manual dexterity. Conclusion. Climbing training has the potential to serve as a new rehabilitation method for patients with upper and lower limb ataxia.

Cau Oliveros, Miguel Angel: Cerámica tardorromana de cocina de las Islas Baleares, estudio arqueométrico, BAR International Series 1182, 2003.

La sensació que un té quan acaba de llegir el llibre Cerámica tardorromana de cocina de las Islas Baleares. Estudio arqueométrico, de Miguel Angel Cau Ontiveros, és la d'haver llegit diversos libres en un de sol. No sé si hi ha intencionalitat en aquest fet o simplement és fruit d'una preocupa ció més amplia que l'estrictament proposada pel títol de l'obra. Per una part, el propi estudi arqueometric, on les referencies arqueologiques es prenen d'estudis previs fets per altres autors, a excepció deljaciment de Sa Mesquida (Calvia, Mallorca), amb una finalitat clarament historica, la caracterització d'una serie de ceramiques, totes atribuIble s a l'ambit de la cuina en una epoca concreta, per tal de poder determinar basicament el grau d'autosuficiencia d'uns espais insulars.

Epibulbar osseous choristomaa clinicopathological case series and review of the literature

Background:¦Choristomas are benign, congenital tumours composed of normal tissue in an¦abnormal location. Osseous choristomas represent the rarest form of epibulbar choristomas,¦with now 65 cases reported in the literature. We did a retrospective clinicopathological study¦of all patients with epibulbar osseous choristoma observed at our institution since 1982 and¦updated the last review of the literature.¦History and Signs:¦Three Caucasian male patients, aged between 3 months and 11 years,¦were identified. All osseous choristomas were located under the superotemporal bulbar¦conjunctiva of the right eye.¦Therapy and Outcome:¦All lesions were managed with surgical excision. Histopathology¦revealed the presence of lamellar bone in all cases, one of which was associated with a¦dermolipoma.¦Conclusions:¦We report a small rare case series of 3 epibulbar osseous choristomas and did a¦review of the literature. In one patient, the osteoma was associated with a dermolipoma,¦corresponding to the fourth reported complex choristoma of this type, in an otherwise normal¦eye, in the literature.

Expression of MYC, IgM, As Well As Non-Germinal Centre B-Cell Like Immunophenotype and Positive Immunofish Index Predict a Worse Progression Free Survival and Overall Survival in a Series of 670 De Novo Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas Included in Clinical Trials: A GELA Study of the 2003 Program

Introduction: Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) represent a heterogeneous disease with variable clinical outcome. Identifying phenotypic biomarkers of tumor cells on paraffin sections that predict different clinical outcome remain an important goal that may also help to better understand the biology of this lymphoma. Differentiating non-germinal centre B-cell-like (non-GCB) from Germinal Centre B-cell-like (GCB) DLBCL according to Hans algorithm has been considered as an important immunohistochemical biomarker with prognostic value among patients treated with R-CHOP although not reproducibly found by all groups. Gene expression studies have also shown that IgM expression might be used as a surrogate for the GCB and ABC subtypes with a strong preferential expression of IgM in ABC DLBCL subtype. ImmunoFISH index based on the differential expression of MUM-1, FOXP1 by immunohistochemistry and on the BCL6 rearrangement by FISH has been previously reported (C Copie-Bergman, J Clin Oncol. 2009;27:5573-9) as prognostic in an homogeneous series of DLBCL treated with R-CHOP. In addition, oncogenic MYC protein overexpression by immunohistochemistry may represent an easy tool to identify the consequences of MYC deregulation in DLBCL. Our aim was to analyse by immunohistochemistry the prognostic relevance of MYC, IgM, GCB/nonGCB subtype and ImmunoFISH index in a large series of de novo DLBCL treated with Rituximab (R)-chemotherapy (anthracyclin based) included in the 2003 program of the Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes de l'Adulte (GELA) trials. Methods: The 2003 program included patients with de novo CD20+ DLBCL enrolled in 6 different LNH-03 GELA trials (LNH-03-1B, -B, -3B, 39B, -6B, 7B) stratifying patients according to age and age-adjusted IPI. Tumor samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry using CD10, BCL6, MUM1, FOXP1 (according to Barrans threshold), MYC, IgM antibodies on tissue microarrays and by FISH using BCL6 split signal DNA probes. Considering evaluable Hans score, 670 patients were included in the study with 237 (35.4%) receiving intensive R-ACVBP regimen and 433 (64.6%) R-CHOP/R-mini-CHOP. Results: 304 (45.4%) DLBCL were classified as GCB and 366 (54.6%) as non-GCB according to Hans algorithm. 337/567 cases (59.4%) were positive for the ImmunoFISH index (i.e. two out of the three markers positive: MUM1 protein positive, FOXP1 protein Variable or Strong, BCL6 rearrangement). Immunofish index was preferentially positive in the non-GCB subtype (81.3%) compared to the GCB subtype (31.2%), (p<0.001). IgM was recorded as positive in tumor cells in 351/637 (52.4%) DLBCL cases with a preferential expression in non-GCB 195 (53.3%) vs GCB subtype 100(32.9%), p<0.001). MYC was positive in 170/577 (29.5%) cases with a 40% cut-off and in 44/577 (14.2%) cases with a cut-off of 70%. There was no preferential expression of MYC among GCB or non-GCB subtype (p>0.4) for both cut-offs. Progression-free Survival (PFS) was significantly worse among patients with high IPI score (p<0.0001), IgM positive tumor (p<0.0001), MYC positive tumor with a 40% threshold (p<0.001), ImmunoFISH positive index (p<0.002), non-GCB DLBCL subtype (p<0.0001). Overall Survival (OS) was also significantly worse among patients with high IPI score (p<0.0001), IgM positive tumor (p=0.02), MYC positive tumor with a 40% threshold (p<0.01), ImmunoFISH positive index (p=0.02), non-GCB DLBCL subtype (p<0.0001). All significant parameters were included in a multivariate analysis using Cox Model and in addition to IPI, only the GCB/non-GCB subtype according to Hans algorithm predicted significantly a worse PFS among non-GCB subgroup (HR 1.9 [1.3-2.8] p=0.002) as well as a worse OS (HR 2.0 [1.3-3.2], p=0.003). This strong prognostic value of non-GCB subtyping was confirmed considering only patients treated with R- CHOP for PFS (HR 2.1 [1.4-3.3], p=0.001) and for OS (HR 2.3 [1.3-3.8], p=0.002). Conclusion: Our study on a large series of patients included in trials confirmed the relevance of immunohistochemistry as a useful tool to identify significant prognostic biomarkers for clinical use. We show here that IgM and MYC might be useful prognostic biomarkers. In addition, we confirmed in this series the prognostic value of the ImmunoFISH index. Above all, we fully validated the strong and independent prognostic value of the Hans algorithm, daily used by the pathologists to subtype DLBCL.

Prenatal diagnosis of urinary malformations: results in a series of 93 consecutive cases.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pertinence of prenatal diagnosis in cases of congenital uropathy. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective evaluation over a period of 6.5 years. METHOD: 93 cases were involved in the comparison of prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis with neonatal findings, autopsy results, and follow-up data. RESULTS: 33 fetuses had renal parenchymal lesions, 44 had excretory system lesions, and 6 had bladder and/or urethral lesions. Seventy-three pregnancies lead to live births. Eighteen terminations of pregnancy were performed on the parents' request for extremely severe malformations. Two intrauterine deaths were observed, and two infants died in the postnatal period. Prenatal diagnosis was obtained at an average of 27 weeks gestation. Diagnostic concordance was excellent in 82% and partial in 12% of cases with renal parenchymal lesions; the false-positive rate was 6%. For excretory system lesions, concordance was excellent in 87% and partial in 7.4% of cases, with a false-positive rate of 5.6%. Finally, concordance was excellent in 100% of cases of bladder and/or urethral lesions. The overall rate of total concordance was 86%. Partial concordance cases consisted of malformations different from those previously diagnosed, but prenatal diagnosis nevertheless lead to further investigations in the neonatal period and to proper management. The false-positive diagnoses (5.4%) never lead to termination of pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Prenatal diagnosis of congenital uropathy is effective. A third-trimester ultrasonographic examination is necessary to ensure proper neonatal management, considering that the majority of cases are diagnosed at this gestational age.

Inverse metamorphic zonation in very low-grade Tibetan zone series of SE Zanskar and its tectonic consequences (NW India, Himalaya)

The metamorphism of the carbonate rocks of the SE Zanskar Tibetan zone has been studied by `'illite crystallinity'' and calcite-dolomite thermometry. The epizonal Zangla unit overlies the anchizonal Chumik unit. This discontinuous inverse zonation demonstrates a late to post-metamorphic thrust of the first unit over the second. The studied area underwent a complex tectonic history: - The tectonic units were stacked from the NE to the SW, generating recumbent folds, NE dipping thrusts and the regional metamorphism. The compressive movements were active under lower temperature conditions, resulting in late thrusts that disturbed the metamorphic zonation. The discontinuous inverse metamorphic zonation dates from this phase. - A NE vergent backfolding phase occurred at lower temperature conditions. It caused the uplift of more metamorphic levels. - A late extensional phase is revealed by the presence of NE dipping low angle normal faults, and a major high angle fault, the Sarchu fault. The low angle normal faults locally run along earlier thrusts (composite tectonic contacts). Their throw has been sufficient to reset a normal stratigraphic superposition (young layers overlying old ones), but insufficient to erase the inverse metamorphic relationship. However, the combined action of backfolding and normal faulting can locally lessen, or even cancel, the inverse metamorphic superposition. After deduction of the normal fault translation, the vertical component of the original thrust displacement through stratigraphy is 400 m, which is a value far too low to explain the temperature difference between the two units. The horizontal component of displacement is therefore far more important than the vertical one. The regional distribution of metamorphism within the Zangla unit points out to an anchizonal front and an epizonal inner part. This fact is in agreement with nappe tectonics.

Highly diverse T cell recognition of a single Plasmodium berghei peptide presented by a series of mutant H-2Kd molecules.

We have tested 21 independent CTL clones for recognition of a single peptide derived from the Plasmodium berghei circumsporozoite protein in the context of 13 mutants of the murine MHC class I molecule H-2Kd. In this series of Kd mutants, amino acid residues located on the upper surface of the alpha-helices were individually substituted by alanine. Remarkably, most clones displayed individual recognition patterns on the Kd mutants. We had previously found that this series of CTL clones was likewise highly diverse in terms of both TCR primary structure and peptide fine specificity. Our data thus reinforce the concept that multiple T cell epitopes are available on the surface of a single peptide-MHC class I complex for recognition by specific TCR.

Lag-one autocorrelation in short series: Estimation and hypothesis testing

In the first part of the study, nine estimators of the first-order autoregressive parameter are reviewed and a new estimator is proposed. The relationships and discrepancies between the estimators are discussed in order to achieve a clear differentiation. In the second part of the study, the precision in the estimation of autocorrelation is studied. The performance of the ten lag-one autocorrelation estimators is compared in terms of Mean Square Error (combining bias and variance) using data series generated by Monte Carlo simulation. The results show that there is not a single optimal estimator for all conditions, suggesting that the estimator ought to be chosen according to sample size and to the information available of the possible direction of the serial dependence. Additionally, the probability of labelling an actually existing autocorrelation as statistically significant is explored using Monte Carlo sampling. The power estimates obtained are quite similar among the tests associated with the different estimators. These estimates evidence the small probability of detecting autocorrelation in series with less than 20 measurement times.