Sedimentable mineral organic detritus as radioecological indicator.

The sedimentable mineral organic detritus (SMOD) drawn by rivers can be considered an important matrix for the monitoring of contaminants in aquatic environments. In Italy the collection and radioactivity analysis of SMOD has been introduced and standardised in the 80s. However hydrological parameters, like the flow and the amount of suspended matter close to the sampling points, must be considered to improve the methodology. This technique has been applied by the authors since 1992 to monitor the concentration of both 137Cs (following the Chernobyl accident) and 131I (because of possible waste discharge from Perugia University Hospital) along the Umbrian course of the Tiber River. In this paper the results of 137Cs water concentration are presented and discussed in the light of our interpretative working hypothesis based on hydrological parameters. This work allowed us to reduce the number of sampling points without loss of radioecological information.

Sonochemical production of a non-crystalline phase of palladium.

A non-crystalline phase of palladium was produced by cavitation technique starting from a solution of palladium acetylacetonate and toluene. The microscopic structure of the sample, a very fine powder, was investigated by X-ray diffraction and it showed the characteristic features of a disordered system. Further details about the phase of the sample were gained by studying the crystallization process induced by thermal treatments.

[Morphological findings on the terminal tract of the ureter in patients with vesico-ureteral reflux associated with neurogenic bladder]. / Rilievi morfologici sul tratto terminale dell'uretere in pazienti portatori di reflusso vescico-ureterale associato a vescica neurologica.

Vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR) associated to neurogenic bladder dysfunctions is well known as pathologic entity; in particular, its radiologic and urodynamic aspects have been widely debated in recent years, even in infancy and childhood. In our study, histologic features of the vesico-ureteral junction have been investigated in a group of patients with neurogenic bladder and VUR, who underwent antireflux surgery. Structural aspects of these vesico-ureteral junctions have been then compared to refluxing junctions taken from non-neurogenic bladders and non-refluxing junctions from normal bladders.

[Morphologic findings on the terminal tract of the ureter in patients with primary vesico-ureteral reflux]. / Rilievi morfologici sul tratto terminale dell'uretere in pazienti portatori di reflusso vesico-ureterale primitivo.

Primary vesico-ureteral reflux (V.U.R.) in children has been widely investigated in several reports in the last two decades, but the morphologic aspects of refluxing vesico-ureteral junction are still incompletely codified or incompletely described. The authors report the results of a histologic study on the terminal refluxing ureter in a group of 20 patients with primitive V.U.R., random chosen from a series of over 400 subjects who underwent antireflux surgery for primitive V.U.R. at the Pediatric Surgery Department of the University of Bologna. Connections between muscular hypertrophy and reflux degree are herein reported and discussed.

[Papilloma of the bladder in childhood. Description of a case]. / Il papilloma vescicale in età pediatrica. Descrizione di un caso.

Epithelial tumours of the bladder are very rare entities in childhood. A case of a bladder papilloma in a 10 years old boy is herein reported. Basing on this observation, the pathological, therapeutic and prognosis aspects are mainly discussed.