PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF A POTENZIATED PIEZOSURGERGICAL DEVICE AT THE RABBIT SKULL

The number of available ultrasonic osteotomes has remarkably increased. In vitro and in vivo studies have revealed differences between conventional osteotomes, such as rotating or sawing devices, and ultrasound-supported osteotomes (Piezosurgery®) regarding the micromorphology and roughness values of osteotomized bone surfaces. Objective: the present study compares the micro-morphologies and roughness values of osteotomized bone surfaces after the application of rotating and sawing devices, Piezosurgery Medical® and Piezosurgery Medical New Generation Powerful Handpiece. Methods: Fresh, standard-sized bony samples were taken from a rabbit skull using the following osteotomes: rotating and sawing devices, Piezosurgery Medical® and a Piezosurgery Medical New Generation Powerful Handpiece. The required duration of time for each osteotomy was recorded. Micromorphologies and roughness values to characterize the bone surfaces following the different osteotomy methods were described. The prepared surfaces were examined via light microscopy, environmental surface electron microscopy (ESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and atomic force microscopy. The selective cutting of mineralized tissues while preserving adjacent soft tissue (dura mater and nervous tissue) was studied. Bone necrosis of the osteotomy sites and the vitality of the osteocytes near the sectional plane were investigated, as well as the proportion of apoptosis or cell degeneration. Results and Conclusions: The potential positive effects on bone healing and reossification associated with different devices were evaluated and the comparative analysis among the different devices used was performed, in order to determine the best osteotomes to be employed during cranio-facial surgery

Setting-up and calibration of the ALICE Silicon Pixel Detector

The Silicon Pixel Detector (SPD) forms the two innermost layers of the Inner Tracking System (ITS) of the ALICE experiment at LHC. The SPD is the closest detector to the interaction point and therefore it is one of the key detectors for tracking and vertexing capabilities. The SPD is based on hybrid silicon pixel detectors. The detector element, called ladder, consists of a two-dimensional sensor matrix of 256 × 160 pixel cells bump bonded to 5 ALICE1LHCb front-end chips. The SPD contains 240 ladders and 1200 front-end chips for a total of about 9.8 · 106 channels. The detector response can be optimized by tuning the configuration of several 8-bit DACs embedded in the front-end chip. In this contribution the detector setup and calibration procedures aiming to optimize the detector performance are presented together with the results based on the use of the on-chip programmable amplitude pulser

Bmi1 is required for tumorigenesis in a mouse model of intestinal cancer

The epigenetic regulator BMI1 is upregulated progressively in a wide variety of human tumors including colorectal cancer. In this study, we assessed the requirement for Bmi1 in intestinal tumorigenesis using an autochthonous mouse model in which Apc was conditionally ablated in the intestinal epithelium. Germline mutation of Bmi1 significantly reduced both the number and size of small intestinal adenomas arising in this model, and it acted in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, in contrast to wild-type controls, Bmi1[superscript −/−] mice showed no increase in median tumor size, and a dramatic decrease in tumor number, between 3 and 4 months of age. Thus, Bmi1 is required for both progression and maintenance of small intestinal adenomas. Importantly, Bmi1 deficiency did not disrupt oncogenic events arising from Apc inactivation. Instead, the Arf tumor suppressor, a known target of Bmi1 epigenetic silencing, was upregulated in Bmi1 mutant tumors. This was accompanied by significant upregulation of p53, which was confirmed by sequencing to be wild-type, and also elevated apoptosis within the smallest Bmi1[superscript −/−] adenomas. By crossing Arf into this cancer model, we showed that Arf is required for the induction of both p53 and apoptosis, and it is a key determinant of the ability of Bmi1 deficiency to suppress intestinal tumorigenesis. Finally, a conditional Bmi1 mutant strain was generated and used to determine the consequences of deleting Bmi1 specifically within the intestinal epithelium. Strikingly, intestinal-specific Bmi1 deletion suppressed small intestinal adenomas in a manner that was indistinguishable from germline Bmi1 deletion. Thus, we conclude that Bmi1 deficiency impairs the progression and maintenance of small intestinal tumors in a cell autonomous and highly Arf-dependent manner.Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer ResearchNational Science Foundation (U.S.)National Cancer Institute (U.S.

Elevated neck circumference and associated factors in adolescents

Background: Upper body subcutaneous fat, estimated by neck circumference (NC), may present greater metabolic risk than visceral fat. the aim of this study was to determine cutoff values for NC in adolescents that identify overweight and obesity, the prevalence of elevated NC, and its association with associated factors.Methods: Cross-sectional study with adolescents from public schools in São Paulo. Anthropometric variables, blood pressure and pubertal stage were collected. Cutoff values for NC were determined by Receiver Operating Characteristic curves. A binary logistic regression was used to determine relationships between NC and associated factors.Results: Among 1668 adolescents studied, 54.92% were female. the cutoff values of NC in girls and boys that identified overweight were 31.25 and 34.25 cm, and obesity, 32.65 and 37.95 cm, respectively, and the prevalence of adolescents with high NC was 32.63% in females and 37.63% among males. NC for overweight was observed that there was an association with sex, weight, body mass index, arm, waist and thigh circumferences, pubertal stages and body fat percent (BF%). NC for obesity was found association with gender, weight, arm and thigh circumferences, and BF% (p < 0.001).Conclusion: It was concluded that there is high prevalence of elevated NC and higher risks for this outcome considering overweight and obesity, sex, weight, arm and thigh circumferences, BF%, besides being an easy and simple measure for use in clinical practice.Adolescent Division, Pediatric Department, Federal University of São PauloUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Adolescent Care & Support Ctr, Dept Pediat, Adolescent Med Sector, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Taubate, Dept Nursing & Nutr, São Paulo, BrazilCtr Phys Fitness Lab Studies Sao Caetano do Sul C, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Adolescent Care & Support Ctr, Dept Pediat, Adolescent Med Sector, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Unmanned Marine Vehicles

Water covers nearly 70% of the Earth’s surface, and throughout history, oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, etc [...

Characteristics of people living in Italy after a cancer diagnosis in 2010 and projections to 2020

BACKGROUND: Estimates of cancer prevalence are widely based on limited duration, often including patients living after a cancer diagnosis made in the previous 5 years and less frequently on complete prevalence (i.e., including all patients regardless of the time elapsed since diagnosis). This study aims to provide estimates of complete cancer prevalence in Italy by sex, age, and time since diagnosis for all cancers combined, and for selected cancer types. Projections were made up to 2020, overall and by time since diagnosis. METHODS: Data were from 27 Italian population-based cancer registries, covering 32% of the Italian population, able to provide at least 7 years of registration as of December 2009 and follow-up of vital status as of December 2013. The data were used to compute the limited-duration prevalence, in order to estimate the complete prevalence by means of the COMPREV software. RESULTS: In 2010, 2,637,975 persons were estimated to live in Italy after a cancer diagnosis, 1.2 million men and 1.4 million women, or 4.6% of the Italian population. A quarter of male prevalent cases had prostate cancer (n\u2009=\u2009305,044), while 42% of prevalent women had breast cancer (n\u2009=\u2009604,841). More than 1.5 million people (2.7% of Italians) were alive since 5 or more years after diagnosis and 20% since 6515 years. It is projected that, in 2020 in Italy, there will be 3.6 million prevalent cancer cases (+\u200937% vs 2010). The largest 10-year increases are foreseen for prostate (+\u200985%) and for thyroid cancers (+\u200979%), and for long-term survivors diagnosed since 20 or more years (+\u200945%). Among the population aged 6575 years, 22% will have had a previous cancer diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The number of persons living after a cancer diagnosis is estimated to rise of approximately 3% per year in Italy. The availability of detailed estimates and projections of the complete prevalence are intended to help the implementation of guidelines aimed to enhance the long-term follow-up of cancer survivors and to contribute their rehabilitation need

The Monastery of Sant Miquel d’Escornalbou: multidisciplinary research for the understanding of the relation between the religious complex, the territory and the European Franciscan network.

This research is part of the European project F-ATLAS – Franciscan Landscapes the Observance between Italy, Portugal and Spain, which aim is to study the Franciscan Observance network and to find effective strategies for the conservation, protection and promotion of this important heritage. The contribution is focused on the multidisciplinary study of the Monastery of Sant Miquel d’Escornalbou (Tarragona, Spain). The historical, architectural and patrimonial research on this last and interesting centre of medieval spirituality has been developed jointly by the Italian and Spanish teams of the project. From its foundation until the last reconstruction by Eduard Toda around 1910, the complex’s function and shape have changed significantly: during the centuries, several interventions have modified it to the point of making it difficult today to read its origin and evolutionary phases. The integrated laser-scanner and photogrammetric survey, together with the creation of a digital catalogue of geo-referenced convents and the results of the international workshop carried out in November 2021, represent the bases for further analysis regarding the evolutionary phases of the complex, the buildings’ structure conditions and the definition of possible strategies for redevelopment

Itch/β-arrestin2-dependent non-proteolytic ubiquitylation of SuFu controls Hedgehog signalling and medulloblastoma tumorigenesis

Suppressor of Fused (SuFu), a tumour suppressor mutated in medulloblastoma, is a central player of Hh signalling, a pathway crucial for development and deregulated in cancer. Although the control of Gli transcription factors by SuFu is critical in Hh signalling, our understanding of the mechanism regulating this key event remains limited. Here, we show that the Itch/β-arrestin2 complex binds SuFu and induces its Lys63-linked polyubiquitylation without affecting its stability. This process increases the association of SuFu with Gli3, promoting the conversion of Gli3 into a repressor, which keeps Hh signalling off. Activation of Hh signalling antagonises the Itch-dependent polyubiquitylation of SuFu. Notably, different SuFu mutations occurring in medulloblastoma patients are insensitive to Itch activity, thus leading to deregulated Hh signalling and enhancing medulloblastoma cell growth. Our findings uncover mechanisms controlling the tumour suppressive functions of SuFu and reveal that their alterations are implicated in medulloblastoma tumorigenesis

Adolescent mothers’ experiences in the feeding care of their children

Objective: Understanding the meanings produced by adolescent mothers who experience the feeding care of their children. Methods: Qualitative research carried out with nine primiparous teenagers. Semi-structured interview and thematic content analysis were applied. Results: From the analysis, meaning categories of feeding care emerged, related to insecurity, responsibility, pleasure, satisfaction, frustration, dissatisfaction, impatience, burden, and losses. Feeding care implies insecurity and great responsibility to the mother, who recognizes it as a determinant of her child’s health and an indicator of maternal competence. There also emerged senses of pleasure and satisfaction, frustrations and dissatisfactions, derived from food acceptance or rejection by the child. Senses of impatience and burden were produced, too, as preparing and offering food to the child requires time and patience. Taking responsibility for this care is assigned to the sense of losses for the teenagers, who drop out of school and move away from their social groups. Conclusions: It is concluded that experiencing motherhood in adolescence and properly feeding the child is a task surrounded by expectations and uncertainties that require a special attention at this life stage, when self-care is not consolidated, yet