Resource-aware construct design in mammalian cells

Resource competition can be the cause of unintended coupling between co-expressed genetic constructs. Here we report the quantification of the resource load imposed by different mammalian genetic components and identify construct designs with increased performance and reduced resource footprint. We use these to generate improved synthetic circuits and optimise the co-expression of transfected cassettes, shedding light on how this can be useful for bioproduction and biotherapeutic applications. This work provides the scientific community with a framework to consider resource demand when designing mammalian constructs to achieve robust and optimised gene expression.

Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on utilisation of community-based mental health care in North-East of Italy: A psychiatric case register study

AIMS

WHO declared that mental health care should be considered one essential health service to be maintained during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aims to describe the effect of lockdown and restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy on mental health services' utilisation, by considering psychiatric diagnoses and type of mental health contacts.

METHODS

The study was conducted in the Verona catchment area, located in the Veneto region (northeastern Italy). For each patient, mental health contacts were grouped into: (1) outpatient care, (2) social and supportive interventions, (3) rehabilitation interventions, (4) multi-professional assessments, (5) day care. A 'difference in differences' approach was used: difference in the number of contacts between 2019 and 2020 on the weeks of lockdown and intermediate restrictions was compared with the same difference in weeks of no or reduced restrictions, and such difference was interpreted as the effect of restrictions. Both a global regression on all contacts and separate regressions for each type of service were performed and Incidence Rate Ratios (IRRs) were calculated.

RESULTS

In 2020, a significant reduction in the number of patients who had mental health contacts was found, both overall and for most of the patients' characteristics considered (except for people aged 18-24 years for foreign-born population and for those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Moreover, in 2020 mental health contacts had a reduction of 57 096 (-33.9%) with respect to 2019; such difference remained significant across the various type of contacts considered, with rehabilitation interventions and day care showing the greatest reduction. Negative Binomial regressions displayed a statistically significant effect of lockdown, but not of intermediate restrictions, in terms of reduction in the number of contacts. The lockdown period was responsible of a 32.7% reduction (IRR 0.673; p-value <0.001) in the overall number of contacts. All type of mental health contacts showed a reduction ascribable to the lockdown, except social and supportive interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the access to community mental health care during the pandemic was overall reduced, the mental health system in the Verona catchment area was able to maintain support for more vulnerable and severely ill patients, by providing continuity of care and day-by-day support through social and supportive interventions.

MIRELLA: a mathematical model explains the effect of microRNA-mediated synthetic genes regulation on intracellular resource allocation

Competition for intracellular resources, also known as gene expression burden, induces coupling between independently co-expressed genes, a detrimental effect on predictability and reliability of gene circuits in mammalian cells. We recently showed that microRNA (miRNA)-mediated target downregulation correlates with the upregulation of a co-expressed gene, and by exploiting miRNAs-based incoherent-feed-forward loops (iFFLs) we stabilise a gene of interest against burden. Considering these findings, we speculate that miRNA-mediated gene downregulation causes cellular resource redistribution. Despite the extensive use of miRNA in synthetic circuits regulation, this indirect effect was never reported before. Here we developed a synthetic genetic system that embeds miRNA regulation, and a mathematical model, MIRELLA, to unravel the miRNA (MI) RolE on intracellular resource aLLocAtion. We report that the link between miRNA-gene downregulation and independent genes upregulation is a result of the concerted action of ribosome redistribution and 'queueing-effect' on the RNA degradation pathway. Taken together, our results provide for the first time insights into the hidden regulatory interaction of miRNA-based synthetic networks, potentially relevant also in endogenous gene regulation. Our observations allow to define rules for complexity- and context-aware design of genetic circuits, in which transgenes co-expression can be modulated by tuning resource availability via number and location of miRNA target sites.

Characterization and mitigation of gene expression burden in mammalian cells

Despite recent advances in circuit engineering, the design of genetic networks in mammalian cells is still painstakingly slow and fraught with inexplicable failures. Here, we demonstrate that transiently expressed genes in mammalian cells compete for limited transcriptional and translational resources. This competition results in the coupling of otherwise independent exogenous and endogenous genes, creating a divergence between intended and actual function. Guided by a resource-aware mathematical model, we identify and engineer natural and synthetic miRNA-based incoherent feedforward loop (iFFL) circuits that mitigate gene expression burden. The implementation of these circuits features the use of endogenous miRNAs as elementary components of the engineered iFFL device, a versatile hybrid design that allows burden mitigation to be achieved across different cell-lines with minimal resource requirements. This study establishes the foundations for context-aware prediction and improvement of in vivo synthetic circuit performance, paving the way towards more rational synthetic construct design in mammalian cells.

The balance of adult mental health care: provision of core health versus other types of care in eight European countries

AIMS

Although many mental health care systems provide care interventions that are not related to direct health care, little is known about the interfaces between the latter and core health care. 'Core health care' refers to services whose explicit aim is direct clinical treatment which is usually provided by health professionals, i.e., physicians, nurses, psychologists. 'Other care' is typically provided by other staff and includes accommodation, training, promotion of independence, employment support and social skills. In such a definition, 'other care' does not necessarily mean being funded or governed differently. The aims of the study were: (1) using a standard classification system (Description and Evaluation of Services and Directories in Europe for Long Term Care, DESDE-LTC) to identify 'core health' and 'other care' services provided to adults with mental health problems; and (2) to investigate the balance of care by analysing the types and characteristics of core health and other care services.

METHODS

The study was conducted in eight selected local areas in eight European countries with different mental health systems. All publicly funded mental health services, regardless of the funding agency, for people over 18 years old were identified and coded. The availability, capacity and the workforce of the local mental health services were described using their functional main activity or 'Main Types of Care' (MTC) as the standard for international comparison, following the DESDE-LTC system.

RESULTS

In these European study areas, 822 MTCs were identified as providing core health care and 448 provided other types of care. Even though one-third of mental health services in the selected study areas provided interventions that were coded as 'other care', significant variation was found in the typology and characteristics of these services across the eight study areas.

CONCLUSIONS

The functional distinction between core health and other care overcomes the traditional division between 'health' and 'social' sectors based on governance and funding. The overall balance between core health and other care services varied significantly across the European sites. Mental health systems cannot be understood or planned without taking into account the availability and capacity of all services specifically available for this target population, including those outside the health sector.

Characterization of doctor-patient communication using heartbeat nonlinear dynamics: A preliminary study using Lagged Poincaré Plots

Emphatic doctor-patient communication has been associated with an improved psycho-physiological well-being involving cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses. Nevertheless, a comprehensive assessment of heartbeat linear and nonlinear/complex dynamics throughout the communication of a life-threatening disease has not been performed yet. To this extent, we here study heart rate variability (HRV) series gathered from 17 subjects while watching a video where an oncologist discloses the diagnosis of a cancer metastasis to a patient. Further 17 subjects watched the same video including additional affective emphatic contents. For the assessment of the two groups, linear heartbeat dynamics was quantified through measures defined in the time and frequency domains, whereas nonlinear/complex dynamics referred to measures of entropy, and combined Lagged Poincare Plots (LPP) and symbolic analyses. Considering differences between the beginning and the end of the video, results from non-parametric statistical tests demonstrated that the group watching emphatic contents showed HRV changes in the LF/HF ratio exclusively. Conversely, the group watching the purely informative video showed changes in vagal activity (i.e., HF power), LF/HF ratio, as well as LPP measures. Additionally, a Support Vector Machine algorithm including HRV nonlinear/complex information was able to automatically discern between groups with an accuracy of 76.47%. We therefore propose the use of heartbeat nonlinear/complex dynamics to objectively assess the empathy level of healthy women.

Pre-discharge factors predicting readmissions of psychiatric patients: a systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Readmission rate is considered an indicator of the mental health care quality. Previous studies have examined a number of factors that are likely to influence readmission. The main objective of this systematic review is to identify the studied pre-discharge variables and describe their relevance to readmission among psychiatric patients.

METHODS

Studies on the association between pre-discharge variables and readmission after discharge with a main psychiatric diagnosis were searched in the bibliographic databases Ovid Medline, PsycINFO, ProQuest Health Management and OpenGrey. Relevant publications published between January 1990 and June 2014 were included. For each variable, the number of papers that considered it as a predictor of readmission and that found a significant association was recorded, together with the association direction and whether it was found respectively in bivariate and in multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Of the 734 articles identified in the search, 58 papers were included in this review, mainly from the USA and concerning patients with severe mental disorders. Analysed variables were classified according to the following categories: patients' demographic, social and economic characteristics; patients' clinical characteristics; patients' clinical history; patients' attitude and perception; environmental, social and hospital characteristics; and admission and discharge characteristics. The most consistently significant predictor of readmission was previous hospitalisations. Many socio-demographic variables resulted as influencing readmission, but the results were not always homogeneous. Among other patients' clinical characteristics, diagnosis and measures of functional status were the most often used variables. Among admission characteristics, length of stay was the main factor studied; however, the results were not very consistent. Other relevant aspects resulted associated with readmission, including the presence of social support, but they have been considered only in few papers. Results of quality assessment are also reported in the review. The majority of papers were not representative of the general psychiatric population discharged from an inpatient service. Almost all studies used multivariate analytical methods, i.e., confounders were controlled for, but only around 60% adjusted for previous hospitalisation, the variable most consistently considered associated to readmission in the literature.

CONCLUSIONS

The results contribute to increase knowledge on pre-discharge factors that could be considered by researchers as well as by clinicians to predict and prevent readmissions of psychiatric patients. Associations are not always straightforward and interactions between factors have to be considered.

Minichromosome maintenance protein 7: a reliable tool for glioblastoma proliferation index

At present there is increasing evidence concerning the value of minichromosome maintenance (MCM) protein expression as a novel indicator of proliferation. In the present study, 15 glioblastoma samples, classified according to WHO, were analysed to evaluate the expression of the principal proliferation markers. The samples examined were subdivided into 2 cytological subsets, small cell (SC) or multiforme cell (MC) glioblastoma, according to the predominant cell type defined in individual specimens. MCM7 detected more cells in the cycle than Ki67 and PCNA and all cases of SC glioblastoma, the most aggressive subset, displayed a significant increase of MCM7-stained nuclei versus those stained with Ki67. These results suggest that the cell cycle-associated proteins MCM are not only useful markers of proliferation, but also valid aids for diagnosis in cerebral glioblastoma.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with a novel extra-repeat insertional mutation in the PRNP gene

The authors investigated two unrelated patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) with clinical features of sporadic CJD (sCJD) carrying one extra octapeptide repeat in the prion protein (PrP) gene (PRNP). A synaptic type PrP distribution throughout the cerebral gray matter and plaque-like PrP deposits in the subcortical gray structures were detected immunocytochemically. The different patterns of PrP deposition were associated with distinct types of protease-resistant PrP, similar to type 1 and type 2 of sCJD. The features suggest that this insertion is a pathogenic mutation.

Modulation of host cell activation during feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection

The authors describe the mitogenic effect of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection (1) in vitro, on feline resting peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), and (2) in vivo, in experimentally infected cats. Infected PBL were more readily recruited than non-infected PBL, into the G1 phase of the cell cycle and showed increased expression of the specific cell-cycle markers p53 and p56. In-vivo lymphocyte activation following FIV infection was demonstrated by increased germinal centre activity in infected lymph nodes, together with a high expression of CD30, a B-cell activation marker. These results suggest that early events in FIV infection include modulation of host cell activation. Possible implications for pathogenesis are discussed.

[Ag-NORs, nucleus-nucleolus-associated antigens (Ki67, PCNA, P-105 and p-120): prognostic markers of meningioma recurrence]

The predictive significance of some nucleus-nucleolus associated markers, such as Ag-NOR, Ki67, PCNA, p-120, P-105, for the recurrency of meningiomas was investigated. A retrospective analysis was performed on a series of transitional meningiomas and of their recurrencies. Similar meningiomas but with no recidivism were used as controls. All cases were represented by women between the V and the VI decade of age. Besides, having all tumors presented with a cranial convexity localization total removal had been achieved. Recurrencies had taken place after 4.5 and 7.5 years in ten and two women, respectively. In all cases considered, the tumoral histotype did never present with structural elements in general suggestive of recurrence, such as high degree of cellularity, atypia, nuclear polymorphism, necrosis, appreciable mitotic index. On histological seriated 3 microns thick sections the silver staining technique of nucleolar organizer region-associated proteins (NORs) and the Ki67, PCNA, p-120, P-105 immunostaining ABC technique were applied. For each case 1000 tumoral cells were counted, with evaluation of the number of Ag-NOR dots and the percentage of Ki67, PCNA, p-120, P-105 positive cells. From the analysis, a mean value of Ag-NOR dots resulted of 6.44 +/- 0.65 in primitive meningiomas and of 6.53 +/- 0.88 in their respective recurrencies. In the control tumors the mean value of Ag-NOR dots resulted to be 3.53 +/- 0.55. Such difference between tumors that had repeated and controls that had not, was statistically significant (p < 0.001). For what concerns the expression of immunocytochemical relevant markers the percentage of positive cells, in primitive tumors (P), in recurrencies (R) and in the controls (C) was, namely, as follows: Ki67 (P: 14%, R: 12%, C: 6%); PCNA (P: 38%, R: 37%, C: 8%); and p-120 (P: 57%, R: 62%, C: 12%). The expression of P-105 was but occasional and without significance. From the data described, one can conclude that the evaluation of the whole of the markers considered in transitional meningiomas does predict recidivism.

Somatostatin gene expression in pancreatic islet cells is directed by cell-specific DNA control elements and DNA-binding proteins

Somatostatin is a peptide synthesized in the pancreatic islets, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, and thyroid gland. Factors that control islet cell-specific expression of the somatostatin gene were analyzed by expression of fusion genes consisting of 5' rat somatostatin gene sequences linked to coding sequences of the receptor genes, bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and human growth hormone. Fusion genes containing 900 and 250 base pairs (bp) of 5'-flanking DNA were preferentially expressed at 5-10-fold higher levels in somatostatin-producing islet cell lines, as compared with islet cell lines that produced insulin and glucagon, and in three non-islet cell lines. A deletional mutation consisting of only 65 bp of 5'-flanking sequence of the rat somatostatin gene expressed in all islet cell lines but not in non-islet lines, indicating the existence of a negative-acting islet cell-specific element located between nucleotides -250 and -65. The 65-bp sequence contains the octameric cAMP-responsive enhancer (CRE) TGACGTCA (nucleotides -48 to -41). Fine mapping of sequences responsible for islet-specific expression by substitution of synthetic oligonucleotide cassettes revealed full retention of expression by deletion to nucleotides -48 and complete loss of expression at nucleotides -42 of the CRE. Substitution of the 9 bp adjacent 3' to the CRE of the somatostatin gene (nucleotides -40 to -32) with the corresponding sequence located 3' to the CRE of the glucagon gene abolished expression. By gel mobility shift and DNaseI footprinting analyses, proteins in extracts of islet cells bound to the 24 bp including the CRE and downstream adjacent 9 bp (nucleotides -58 to -35). An additional upstream region of DNA was protected from DNase I digestion (nucleotides -110 to -80). Proteins from non-islet cells bound to the region from nucleotides -58 to -35, but patterns of DNase I protection differed from those using proteins from islet cells. These observations indicate that several DNA-binding proteins interact with cis-acting elements located between 35 and 58 bp upstream of the transcriptional start site of the rat somatostatin gene to determine islet cell-specific gene expression. CRE-binding protein(s) is ubiquitous among phenotypically different cells, and expression of the somatostatin gene in non-somatostatin-producing islet cells appears to be inhibited by a negative-acting element located upstream of the CRE.

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the kidney

A 53-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of end-stage renal failure of unknown etiology. She had to begin hemodialysis a few days later. An open biopsy showed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the kidney. The patient died after the first cycle of chemotherapy and necroscopy confirmed that the lymphomatous involvement of the kidney was primary. From the current literature we are not aware of other cases of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the kidney.

Palatal "myoclonus" and inferior olive hypertrophy with one-sided cerebellar lesion. Clinico-pathological report of one patient

A case of palatal myoclonus and inferior olive hypertrophy is reported. Lesions located other than in the medulla were cerebellar infarction, lymphomatous infiltrates and, supratentorially, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. It is suggested that double innervation of the olives from either side dentate nucleus may be why in the case reported here and in several cases in the literature, one-sided supra-olivary lesions can produce bilateral hypertrophy. As with palatal "myoclonus" and olivary hypertrophy, it is proposed that if the characteristic rhythmical movements occur, lesions besides those along the dentate-olivary pathway and the olivary hypertrophy itself have to be present.

Relationship between growth inhibition and mitochondrial function in petite-negative yeasts. II. Effects of central nervous system drugs upon pathogenic and non-pathogenic Candida species

Six nervous system drugs which inhibited vegetative reproduction of S. cerevisiae arrested also mitotic division of C. utilis, C. albicans and C. tropicalis. Chlorpromazine and chlorpheniramine which proved to be the most effective, affected respiration and cytochrome biosynthesis. Electrophoretic bands with MW congruent to 100 K were faint in silver-stained electrophoregrams of proteins from cells grown in the presence of a sub-inhibitory concentration of chlorpromazine.

Relationship between growth inhibition and mitochondrial function in petite-negative yeasts. I. Effects of antibiotics and dyes upon pathogenic and non-pathogenic Candida species

Antibiotics and dyes which preclude growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in media containing oxidizable carbon sources arrested the growth of Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Candida utilis even in glucose medium. The growth in the presence of sub-inhibitory concentrations of the various antibiotics and dyes determined a reduction in the cell survival but with no accumulation of respiratory deficient mutants. Under these culture conditions, the total respiration declined leaving a residual antimycin A-resistant--hydroxamate-sensitive O2 uptake, and the amount of the respiratory cytochromes aa3 and b synthesized was reduced. SDS gel electrophoresis of soluble proteins prepared from the antibiotic-treated cells showed some bands in the MW range 92-100 K, which became faint after the cells were grown in the presence of some mitochondrial inhibitors. The ultrastructural analysis of these cells evidenced disappearance of the mitochondrial cristae and their replacement by unfolded membranes. The data obtained suggest that the petite negative trait of Candida could depend on the non-viability or on the very low viability of those cells which have lost their mitochondrial function.

Cerebral mycosis: clinico-pathological report of four cases observed in fifteen months

Cerebral mycosis is a rare condition, difficult to diagnose in life, but is not easily missed at post-mortem examination. We report clinical and pathological findings in four patients with long duration prodromes, seizures and psychiatric symptoms. All of them had been misdiagnosed. Actinomycotic granules in two and Aspergillus filaments in the other patients were ascertained at histological examination. Two of the patients were in their twenties and apparently healthy. We suggest that the possibility of mycotic infection should be considered even in cases where no lowering of the body's defences can be postulated. Cell mediated immunity defects may be assumed as underlying these infections. Therefore we would suggest the importance of immunological tests for type IV immune responsiveness in all intracranial infective processes of undefined etiology.

Skeletal muscle and peripheral nerve changes caused by chronic arterial insufficiency--significance and clinical correlations--histological, histochemical and ultrastructural study

A histological, histochemical and ultrastructural study on muscle changes in chronic arterial insufficiency has been carried out in 40 patients. Muscle biopsy probes were taken in each patient either from the gastrocnemius or rectus femoris. In 7 patients submitted for amputation of a lower limb due to a more severe vascular disease, specimens were also obtained from both the sciatic and sural nerve for light and electron microscopic study. Our findings confirm the previous histological, histochemical and ultrastructural data on chronic ischemia of the skeletal muscle, suggesting that muscle damage is mainly based on a neurogenic noxa initiated by an ischemic peripheral neuropathy. In addition, many morphologic features also show the presence of a primary myopathic noxa, possibly depending on the direct damage of the mitochondrial respiratory chain by the deficit of the muscle blood supply.

The squash-smear technique in the diagnosis of spinal cord neurinomas. Report of three cases

The squash-smear technique was used instead of frozen sections for the rapid intraoperative diagnosis of three neurinomas of the thoracic spinal cord. Characteristic cytologic features that could be considered of diagnostic value were the absence of recognizable cytoplasmic outlines, the elongated, sometimes-wavy appearance of the nuclei and the dense fibrillary background. Nuclear palisades with formation of Verocay bodies were present in one case; these were also identified in the paraffin-embedded permanent sections. Histologically, the tumors were predominantly Antoni type A neurinomas.

Creutzfeld-Jakob disease: clinical, EEG and neuropathological findings in a cluster of eleven patients

10 of 11 Creutzfeld-Jakob disease patients were seen between February 1975 and November 1979. Whilst the clinical and EEG findings were uniform, the neuropathological changes were not: astrogliosis was always diffuse and widespread but the other typical changes (neuronal loss and spongiosis) varied greatly both in degree and location.

Cytology of giant-cell glioblastoma

A case is presented in which smears and touch imprints of a parietal tumor in a 58-year-old female revealed two distinct and easily recognizable cellular populations. The first was predominant and consisted of densely packed cells of an astroglial nature. The other was made up of unusually large giant cells with highly malignant features. The cytology of these combined cell types allowed the correct diagnosis of giant-cell glioblastoma at the time of surgery. Their cytomorphology, which has seldom been reported, supported the interpretation of an astroglial nature of this tumor.

Symptomatic subependymoma of the fourth ventricle. Case report

Symptomatic subependymomas of the fourth ventricle are rare and usually not included in the preoperative differential diagnosis of tumors in this region. The case of a 63-year-old man with fourth ventricle subependymoma is described. For several years he had suffered with nausea and vomiting, and now presented signs of direct involvement of the posterior fossa. He was investigated preoperatively with computerized tomography, but the ultimate diagnosis was not suspected at that time. The tumor was diagnosed as an subependymoma at operation and was totally excised. This tumor type can easily be recognized on intraoperative frozen section, and its diagnosis should always lead to an attempt at complete surgical removal.

Fine structure of granular cell tumor of Abrikosov

The case report illustrates the microscopical and ultrastructural findings obtained in a case of Abrikossoff's tumor. On the basis of the light and ultrastructural data a neural histogenesis is suggested.

Darier's keratosis follicularis: an ultrastructural study during and after topical treatment with retinoic acid alone or in combination with 5-fluorouracil

An ointment containing 0.05% retinoic acid (RA) was applied to the anterior surface of the chest in a patient suffering from Darier's keratosis follicularis. A mixture of two ointments containing equal amounts of 5% 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and 0.05% RA was used on the dorsum of the same patient. Biopsies were taken 30 days and 70 days after treatment started. Retinoic acid gave rise to an initial disorganisation of desmosomes; the "corps ronds" and "grains" disappeared, the lacunae gradually decreased in size, and the epidermis was practically normal when the clinical manifestations of the skin had disappeared. The damage induced with the RA + 5-FU mixture was more serious, but when the skin lesions relapsed they did so later and in a less severe way than the recurrences observed after treatment with RA alone.

[Renal lesions in a case of tuberous sclerosis: association of angiomyolipoma, bilateral polycystic kidney and renal clear-cell carcinoma]

Association cases of tuberous sclerosis (ST) and renal displasia-tumors are infrequently seen in literature. These tumors are bilateral renal cystic displasia (RP) rare hamartomas, p.e. angiomyolipomas, and malignant neoplasms, p.e. renal clear cell carcinomas. There therefor as to the frequency of those pathological associations with ST, AML are frequently seen (50-80%). Reports of polycystic renal disease with ST are rare, whereas occasional associations of renal cell carcinomas with ST are founded out. By extensive literature examination of it's evident that the synchronous association of these pathological lesions is exceptional. This report describes one case of AML, RP and renal clear cell carcinoma in a female, 22 years old, with ST; the pathological, clinical and pathogenetic features are discussed.

On the pathology of meningiomas. A study of 412 cases

Some pathological features of tumors arising primarily in the meninges are discussed on the basis of 412 surgically treated meningiomas during the period running from 1964 to 1978. Cases of meningeal sarcomas were not considered. Except for a few cases, pathology and clinical course have been generally in agreement. The incidence of histological types like meningotheliomatous, fibroblastic, angioblastic or atypical meningiomas has been verified in relation to sex, age and intracranial or spinal conventional locations. The problem of recurrencies has been studied either comparing the histological features with the first observation or comparing histopathological types with location and details of surgical procedure. Additional criteria like uni or multifocal origin of the tumors and histological features of the peri-lesional tissues, often harbouring small meningiomatous nests, have been taken into account.

Meningiomas. A light and electron microscopy study

A morphological and ultrastructural study was undertaken from a personal series of meningiomas. Especially the fine structure of the tumour has been described by the electron microscopic study of 16 meningotheliomatous and 4 fibroblastic meningiomas. In all cases, it was possible to distinguish certain cells with epithelial features such as desmosomes, microfilaments and interdigitating extensions. Also the cytological patterns of fibroblastic meningiomas usually were similar to the meningotheliomatous type, anyhow the intercellular space between the interdigitating extensions of adjacent cells was occupied by collagen-fibers. At present, it has been impossible to demonstrate the capability of the tumour cells to synthetize collagen. Since the tumour cells of both the meningiomas are substantially similar to the subarachnoid space meningocyte, it is concluded that the neoplasm rises from a cell with double potentiality for fibroblastic and epithelial differentiation.

Computer-assisted karyotyping system of banded chromosomes

The banding automatic system (BAS) we describe in this paper is a computer-assisted karyotyping system suitable for the analysis of both normal and abnormal karyotypes in banded chromosome specimens. In the BAS system recognition of the various features and constituents of the chromosomes is performed by an operator, whereas chromosome identification and classification are entrusted to a computer. The connection between operator and computer is the CYGEN1 program, which is tailored to distinguish chromosome morphology on the basis of the operator input band patterns alone. The karyotyping operation is therefore significantly speeded up: the operator simply has to read through a certain number of banded metaphases, encoding band-pattern data to the computer. The machine signals when the operation has gone through the whole karyotype or, for instance, when chromosomes are missing or present in extra number above the significance level from the analyzed metaphases. Chromosome identification and classification are then carried out by the computer, which performs as a real-time recognizing key. Moreover, the data being accumulated in the computer will provide a file of cytogenetic records accessible to the operator, as well as to the computer, for further diagnostic operations. The efficacy of the BAS system is demonstrated for the diagnosis of various structural aberrations, including a complex translocation. The processing of 20 metaphases by the method described takes 40-45 min, and a cytogenetic technician can make effective use of the system after 25-30 h of intensive training.

[Epidemic due to group B Coxsackie viruses in a newborn infants' department (author's transl)]

Virological and clinical researches have been done on hospitalized newborn infants' with various infectious diseases (respiratory infections, aseptic meningitis, serious generalized disease). Initially from some newborn children Coxsackie B5 virus has been isolated and later from other patients Coxsackie B3 virus. The pathological findings, in those newborn who died as a result of serious generalized disease were dominated by hemorragic lesions in different organs.