In this study, no difference in the rate of CVC-related VTE was detected between patients receiving enoxaparin and patients receiving placebo. The dose of enoxaparin used in this study proved to be safe. Clinical trials evaluating higher enoxaparin doses could optimize the efficacy of this agent for this indication.

AND is a frequent sequela of endoluminal repair in the mid-term. Severe AND developed in a small percentage of our patients, compromising integrity of AAA repair. Patients with large aneurysms and aortic necks and patients with aortic neck circumferential thrombus are at high risk for aortic neck enlargement after endoluminal repair of AAA.

Deep vein thrombosis of upper limb is a common complication of CVC in patients with cancer. In these patients the risk factors for CVC-related thrombosis are not completely defined. The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for CVC-related thrombosis in patients included in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study aimed at assessing the efficacy and safety of enoxaparin for the prophylaxis of CVC-related thrombosis. CVC-related thrombosis was screened by mandatory venography after 6 weeks of study treatment. A number of patient baseline characteristics were assessed as potential risk factors for CVC-related deep vein thrombosis. Crude associations between risk factors and clinical outcomes were assessed by chi(2) test or Fisher's exact test. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors. A CVC-related thrombosis was found in 50 out of 310 patients (16.1%). At multiple logistic regression analysis, CVC tip misplaced in the upper half of superior vena cava (OR 4.05, 95%CI 1.64-10.02), left-sided CVC insertion (OR 2.29, 95%CI 1.01-5.51) and chest radiotherapy (OR 7.01, 95%CI 1.42-34.66) were independent risk factors for thrombosis. In addition to these risk factors, the presence of distant metastases (OR 9.36, 95%CI 1.53-57.05) increased the risk of thrombosis in patients who received placebo. An inadequate position of the CVC tip, left-sided CVC insertion and chest radiotherapy are independent risk factors for CVC-related thrombosis in cancer patients. Patients with distant metastases have an increased risk for thrombosis in absence of antithrombotic prophylaxis.

This article is the third part of a comprehensive review on the pancreatic arterial blood supply and deals with the inferior pancreaticoduodenal a. The aim of this review is to summarise the anatomical studies, starting from Haller's reports, and to supply as far as possible, with original material, angiographic evidences for the classic anatomical notions. For this purpose, the overall research was carried out by picking out and studying 1015 selective angiographies (celiac trunk and its branches, superior mesenteric a.) taken from the angiographic archives of the Institutes of Radiology of Siena, Rome (Catholic University), and Perugia. Angiographically, the authors observed the inferior pancreaticoduodenal a., present in most instances, as arising from the superior mesenteric a., from the right accessory hepatic a., or from a common trunk with the first or the first two jejunal aa. Some variations of the course have been shown. The authors underline and discuss the discordant opinions still existing regarding the incidence of the different ways the inferior pancreaticoduodenal a. arises and the surgical importance of the variation of origin of this artery.

A novel design method for lossy Blass matrix\ud beam-forming networks (LBMBFNs) is presented. Compared\ud to those formerly developed, the new method allows the design\ud of an LBMBFN in order to generate not only two simultaneous\ud beams but also an arbitrary number of them. This skill is obtained\ud by means of a new approach to minimize losses that allows one\ud to transform a nonlinear multivariable programming problem\ud into a linear one-variable problem. The solution of such a design\ud problem, then, can be carried out in a very straightforward way\ud by applying Gram–Schmidt orthogonalization. Such a design\ud method takes into account also the limited availability of coupling\ud values of directional couplers. Numerical results obtained through\ud the application of such a design method are then presented.\ud The ease, accuracy, and efficiency of this novel method for the\ud design of LBMBFN make it very useful in modern applications of\ud multibeam antenna arrays