Impact of previous lumbar spine surgery on total hip arthroplasty and vice versa: How long should we be concerned about mechanical failure?

Introduction: This registry study aims to assess the prevalence and demographic characteristics of patients with lumbar spine (LS) surgical procedures who undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA), to compare the long-term survival and causes of failure of THA in patients who previously underwent LS fusion and non-fusion surgical procedures, and to evaluate the risk of undergoing a revision LS surgery after THA. Materials and methods: Patients who underwent LS surgery followed by THA were identified by cross-referencing data from the Orthopedic Prosthetic Implants Registry and the Regional Hospital Discharge Database. Three groups of THA patients were identified: patients who underwent previous lumbar surgery with fusion (LS fusion-THA), without fusion (LS non-fusion-THA), and a control group with only THA (No LS surgery–THA). Demographic data, THA survival, number and causes of failure, and data on revision procedures on THA and LS were collected. Results: Of the total of 79,984 THA, 2.2% of patients had a history of LS procedures. THA only patients showed better results, while patients in the LS fusion-THA group had worse implant survival at 5-year follow-up. In the LS fusion-THA and LS non-fusion-THA, mechanical THA failures were more frequent in the first two years after implantation. There were no differences between groups regarding the risk of undergoing LS revision surgery. Conclusions: LS surgery negatively affects THA survivorship. In patients who previously underwent LS fusion and non-fusion surgical procedures, most THA failure occurs in the first two years after implant. The study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the hip and the LS and provides useful guidance for clinical practice

Il back-reshoring manifatturiero nei processi di internazionalizzazione: inquadramento teorico ed evidenze empiriche

Obiettivo del paper. Il paper si prefigge di inquadrare il fenomeno del back-reshoring manifatturiero - ovvero la rilocalizzazione nel paese di origine delle attivit\ue0 produttive precedentemente delocalizzate all\u2019estero -nell\u2019ambito dei processi di internazionalizzazione dell\u2019impresa. Metodologia. L\u2019approccio metodologico utilizzato \ue8 di tipo esplorativo, data la mancanza di una letteratura consolidata specifica. In particolare si \ue8 fatto ricorso a dati secondari raccolti in maniera originale attraverso una pluralit\ue0 di fonti. Risultati. \uc8 stata identificata una definizione operativa di back-reshoring inserendo tale fenomeno in un framework teorico rappresentativo del processo evolutivo di internazionalizzazione dell\u2019impresa. Sulla base delle evidenze empiriche, sono state proposte delle direttrici di sviluppo per future attivit\ue0 di ricerca. Implicazioni manageriali. Sono state evidenziate le conseguenze che il fenomeno pu\uf2 avere sulla competitivit\ue0 e le performance economica delle imprese che adottano strategie di reshoring. Originalit\ue0 e limiti della ricerca. Il principale elemento di originalit\ue0 del lavoro \ue8 rappresentato dall\u2019utilizzo di una metodologia di ricerca esplorativa che ha coniugato l\u2019analisi della letteratura di International business e quella di Supply chain management con l\u2019analisi di evidenze empiriche raccolte in maniera originaria. Le scelte metodologiche effettuate rappresentano anche il principale limite del contributo, le cui conclusioni non sono generalizzabili ma costituiscono la base per ulteriori approfondimenti del dibattito scientifico, per i quali si sono identificate delle specifiche direttrici

A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study of Photodouble Ionization of Water at 32 eV Excess Energy and Unequal Energy Sharing

In this paper we present a part of our investigation of the photodouble ionization (PDI) of gaseous water. Synchrotron radiation from ELETTRA storage ring was used to ionize the water molecule, and the two emitted electrons were collected in coincidence after angle and energy selection. We have compared the measured dication states with those known from literature and showed the angular distributions of the two photoelectrons measured for the first time, for different excess energies and under different energy sharing conditions. A detailed comparison with theoretical calculations is given to help understand some details of the PDI mechanism.Fil: Penson, Conner. Embry-riddle Aeronautical University; Estados UnidosFil: Turri, Giorgio. Full Sail University; Estados UnidosFil: Avaldi, Lorenzo. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; ItaliaFil: Randazzo, Juan Martin. Comisión Nacional de Energí­a Atómica. Gerencia del Area Investigación y Aplicaciones No Nucleares. Gerencia de Física (Centro Atómico Balseiro). División Colisiones Atómicas; Argentina. University of Central Florida; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Ancarani, Lorenzo Ugo. Université de Lorraine; FranciaFil: Bolognesi, Paola. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Itali

T-Cell Receptor Repertoire Sequencing and Its Applications: Focus on Infectious Diseases and Cancer

The immune system is a dynamic feature of each individual and a footprint of our unique internal and external exposures. Indeed, the type and level of exposure to physical and biological agents shape the development and behavior of this complex and diffuse system. Many pathological conditions depend on how our immune system responds or does not respond to a pathogen or a disease or on how the regulation of immunity is altered by the disease itself. T-cells are important players in adaptive immunity and, together with B-cells, define specificity and monitor the internal and external signals that our organism perceives through its specific receptors, TCRs and BCRs, respectively. Today, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) applied to the TCR repertoire has opened a window of opportunity to disclose T-cell repertoire development and behavior down to the clonal level. Although TCR repertoire sequencing is easily accessible today, it is important to deeply understand the available technologies for choosing the best fit for the specific experimental needs and questions. Here, we provide an updated overview of TCR repertoire sequencing strategies, providers and applications to infectious diseases and cancer to guide researchers' choice through the multitude of available options. The possibility of extending the TCR repertoire to HLA characterization will be of pivotal importance in the near future to understand how specific HLA genes shape T-cell responses in different pathological contexts and will add a level of comprehension that was unthinkable just a few years ago

Running Scaling Dimensions in Holographic Renormalization Group Flows

Holographic renormalization group flows can be interpreted in terms of effective field theory. Based on such an interpretation, a formula for the running scaling dimensions of gauge-invariant operators along such flows is proposed. The formula is checked for some simple examples from the AdS/CFT correspondence, but can be applied also in non-AdS/non-CFT cases.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure

Radiotherapy and High-Dose Interleukin-2: Clinical and Immunological Results of a Proof of Principle Study in Metastatic Melanoma and Renal Cell Carcinoma

High-dose interleukin-2 (HD IL-2) has curative potential in metastatic melanoma (MM) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Radiotherapy (RT) kills cancer cells and induces immunomodulatory effects. Prospective trials exploring clinical and immunological properties of combined RT/HD IL-2 are still needed. We designed a phase II, single-arm clinical trial for patients with MM and RCC. The treatment schedule consisted of 3 daily doses of 6-12 Gy of RT to 1-5 non-index metastatic fields, before IL-2 at the first and third treatment cycle. HD IL-2 was administered by continuous infusion for 72 hours and repeated every 3 weeks for up to 4 cycles, thereafter every 4 weeks for a maximum of 2 cycles. The primary endpoint was the immunological efficacy of the combined RT/HD IL-2 treatment (assessed by IFN-γ ELISPOT). Nineteen out of 22 patients were evaluable for immunological and clinical response. Partial response occurred in 3 (15.7%) patients and stable disease was observed in 7 (36.8%). The disease control rate was 52.6% after a median follow up of 39.2 months. According to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events 4.0 (CTCAE 4.0), the majority of toxicities were grade 1-2. Immunological responses were frequent and detected in 16 (84.2%) patients. Increased levels of IL-8 and IL-10 in melanoma, circulating effector memory CD4+ and intratumoral CD8+ T cells in both tumor types were detected after therapy. Overall the treatment was well tolerated and immunologically active. Immunomonitoring and correlative data on tumor and peripheral blood cell subsets suggest that this combination treatment could be a promising strategy for patients progressing after standard treatments

The state of HRM in the Middle East:Challenges and future research agenda

Based on a robust structured literature analysis, this paper highlights the key developments in the field of human resource management (HRM) in the Middle East. Utilizing the institutional perspective, the analysis contributes to the literature on HRM in the Middle East by focusing on four key themes. First, it highlights the topical need to analyze the context-specific nature of HRM in the region. Second, via the adoption of a systematic review, it highlights state of development in HRM in the research analysis set-up. Third, the analysis also helps to reveal the challenges facing the HRM function in the Middle East. Fourth, it presents an agenda for future research in the form of research directions. While doing the above, it revisits the notions of “universalistic” and “best practice” HRM (convergence) versus “best-fit” or context distinctive (divergence) and also alternate models/diffusion of HRM (crossvergence) in the Middle Eastern context. The analysis, based on the framework of cross-national HRM comparisons, helps to make both theoretical and practical implications