Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Romano

Publications and source records attributed to P Romano.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

[Which graft for which patient? and when? II. Organ supply and allocation].

Despite progress realised in transplantation and organ procurement, there is an increasing gap between the number of patients on the national waiting list and the number of harvested organs. As a result, the appropriate organs must be matched with the appropriate patient, with two constraints: equity and efficacy. In a context of lack of organs, another public health problematic is to conciliate both the interests of a given patient and the interests of those on the waiting lists. In 1996, the French secretary of state for health instituted a public consultation committee chaired by the vice-president of the Comité consultatif national d'éthique, Counsellor Jean Michaud, to study organ allocation rules and to plan recommendations for the future. Using, as a starting point, the allocation rules initiated in the past by France Transplant and transiently applied by l'Etablissement français des Greffes, the committee conducted a large audition of health care professionals concerned with transplantation, individuals qualified in ethics, laws, sociology or ethnology, politicians and a sample representation of the population. A new corpus of allocation rules and procedures was then defined according to the committee recommendations and the advice of all medico-surgical transplantation teams, and published as a ministerial order in the Journal officiel de la République française in november 1996. It specifies shared principles and organ by organ specific allocation rules.

France↗
PubMed1997

Molecular Probe Data Base (MPDB).

Molecular Probe Data Base contains detailed information on synthetic oligonucleotides with a sequence of up to 100 nucleotides. This database prevalently contains information related to human oligonucleotides used in diagnostics. Molecular Probe Data Base has been made available on-line through the Internet by means of Network Information Retrieval (NIR) tools since 1993. Two years ago, a collaboration with EMBL Data Library was also set up, so that the Molecular Probe Data Base has been integrated with other molecular biology data banks in the sphere of the SRS WWW network browser. In this paper, the most recent enhancements and the current status of the Molecular Probe Data Base are briefly presented.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Secondary products formation as a tool for discriminating non-Saccharomyces wine strains. Strain diversity in non-Saccharomyces wine yeasts.

A total of 78 strains of non-Saccharomyces yeasts were isolated: 30 strains of Kloeckera apiculata, 20 of Candida stellata, 8 of Candida valida and 20 of Zygosaccharomyces fermentati. The diversity of yeast species and strains was monitored by determining the formation of secondary products of fermentation, such as acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate and higher alcohols. Within each species, the strains were distinguishable in phenotypes through the production of different amounts of by-products. In particular, a great variability was found in C. stellata, where six different phenotypes were identified by means of the production of acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, isobutanol and isoamyl alcohol. At different stages of the spontaneous fermentation different phenotypes of the non-Saccharomyces yeasts were represented, characterized by consistent differences in some by-products involved in the wine bouquet, such as acetaldehyde.

Acetaldehyde↗
PubMed1997

Glycerol and other fermentation products of apiculate wine yeasts.

Ninety-six strains of apiculate wine yeasts were studied for their ability to produce glycerol, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide in synthetic medium. Hanseniaspora guilliermondii produced smaller quantities of glycerol, acetaldehyde and hydrogen sulphide than Kloeckera apiculata, whereas the production of ethyl acetate and sulphur dioxide was found to be similar. Strains characterized by different capacities and properties were found for both species. The existence of apiculate strains differing in secondary compound production is of technological interest, as these yeasts constitute potential flavour producers. Selected strains of apiculate yeasts might favour an enhanced flavour formation and yield desirable characteristics to the final product.

Acetaldehyde↗
PubMed1997

[Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography: a new cardiologic diagnostic tool. Initial experience with 150 patients].

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography is a new diagnostic tool and its potential has been investigated mainly in international centers dealing with research in the field of cardiac pathologies. The clinical usefulness and the potential additional information over multiplane transesophageal echocardiography in daily clinical practice have not been exstensively studied. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to assess the feasibility and to define the potential role of three-dimensional technique in a clinical cardiology department. POPULATION AND METHODS: One hundred-fifty patients (73 males, 77 females) aged 17-82 underwent a three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic study. Indications for the study were the following: 39 mitral (26%), 13 aortic (8%) and 4 tricuspidal (2%) valvulopathies, 23 valvular prostheses (15%), 6 aortic diseases (4%), 16 sources of embolism (10%), 16 congenital heart diseases (10%), 14 ischemic heart diseases (9.3%), 14 cardiomyopathies (9%), 5 other pathologies (3%). The 3 D examination quality was graded as insufficient, sufficient and good. The information obtained by "volume rendered" and "anyplane" three-dimensional echocardiography were compared with the traditional two-dimensional images to determine whether they provided additional information. RESULTS: A total of 288 acquisitions were obtained in the 150 patients (1.9 acquisitions per patient). Examinations were graded of good quality in 99 patients (61%), sufficient in 36 (24%) and insufficient in 15 patients (10%). Additional informations were obtained in 33 patients (22%) by "volume rendered" echocardiography and by "anyplane echocardiography", including mitral regurgitation or repair for valvular prolapse (11 patients), aortic valve malformations and endocarditis (4 patients), congenital heart diseases (9 patients), right ventricular dysplasia (6 patients) or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (1 patient), tricuspid regurgitation (2 patients). The additional information were obtained in patients in the group of good 3 D reconstructions quality in all but two cases. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic use of the transesophageal technique with 3 D facilities permitted to obtain an overall 22% of additional information. These results will stimulate further study to evaluate the advantages of the three-dimensional technique in specific clinical fields of application.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Molecular probe data base (MPDB).

The molecular probe data base (MPDB) contains detailed information on synthetic oligonucleotides, including their identification, target genes, applications and bibliographic references. It is available on-line through Internet and can be searched by using Network Information Retrieval tools. In this article the most recent enhancements of MPDB, both in terms of data contents and new ways of access, are described. These include a recently established collaboration with EMBL Data Library, in the sphere of SRSWWW network browser, in view of a better integration of MPDB with other molecular biology databases.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed1996

The flocculation of wine yeasts: biochemical and morphological characteristics in Kloeckera apiculata.

The floc-forming ability of flocculent strains of Kloeckera apiculata, isolated from musts, was tested for susceptibility to proteinase and sugar treatments. Three different flocculation phenotypes were discriminated by protease digestion, whereas the inhibition of flocculation by sugars distinguished two definite patterns: one mechanism of flocculation involved a galactose-specific protein and the other a broad-specificity lectin. SEM and TEM observation of the cell surface of two different Kloeckera strains revealed fine fibrils and a diffuse structure at the point of contact in one strain, and thick masses of mucus on the cell wall of the other strain.

Carbohydrates↗
PubMed1996

Isolated lung perfusion with platinum in the treatment of pulmonary metastases from soft tissue sarcomas.

A multimodality approach including operation and isolated lung perfusion with platinum was used in six patients with lung metastases from soft tissue sarcomas. Staged thoracotomies were used in two patients with bilateral lesions. The inclusion criteria generally applied for surgical excision were adopted in this study. The pulmonary artery and a portion of the left atrium were isolated from systemic circulation and cannulated. The cannulas were then connected to a perfusion circuit and normothermic isolated lung perfusion was done for 60 minutes. The lung was then flushed and metastasectomy was done. Serial blood (systemic and pulmonary), tissue (normal lung and tumor), and urine samples were obtained for platinum content measurement by flameless atomic absorption spectroscopy. Lung damage was assessed by light and electron microscopy examination and by serial respiratory tests. Isolated lung perfusion was accomplished in all patients without any death, operative complication, or systemic toxicity. After operation, interstitial and alveolar edema developed in two patients (48 hours after treatment), necessitating respiratory support in one case. Total platinum concentrations in pulmonary plasma were about 43 times greater than those in systemic plasma. No differences in platinum concentrations between normal lung and metastatic tissue were found. Thus the proposed isolated lung perfusion technique is feasible and safe enough to be offered as a valid model to study combined chemosurgical approaches in the treatment of lung metastases.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Chlorinated pesticides and PCB content in thermal aquaculture of sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii).

One hundred sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii) with an initial weight of about 80 g each were fed on wet pellets (3% of live weight) for about 2 years and bred in part of the cooling water of a thermoelectric power station. Every 3 months five fish were sacrified and muscle samples were collected. Pesticide and PCB concentrations were measured by high resolution gas chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the multiple ion detection mode. The mean levels of PCBs and DDT metabolites after 24 months of breeding were 28.4 +/- 2.1 micrograms/kg d.w. respectively. Values were negligible compared with those observed in other fish species living in the River Po. Furthermore, a remarkable growth of fishes was observed owing to the use of cooling water.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Multiple strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on a single grape vine.

On the basis of the levels of secondary product formation four different phenotypes were represented among the 28 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated during the spontaneous fermentation of grape juice. The genetic analysis indicated that four different strains, representing each phenotypic class, were derived, one from the other, by mutation. The spontaneous fermentation of a Malvasia must was dominated by different strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at different stages of fermentation.

Acetaldehyde↗
PubMed1996

Determination of 2,3-butanediol in high and low acetoin producers of Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine yeasts by automated multiple development (AMD).

High performance thin layer chromatography with automated multiple development was used to determine 2,3-butanediol levels in wine produced by high and low acetoin-forming strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. An inverse correlation between acetoin and 2,3-butanediol content was found suggesting a leaky mutation in acetoin reductase of the low 2,3-butanediol producing strains.

Acetoin↗