The TNM classification of breast cancer: need for change

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Improving PARSEC models for very low mass stars

Many stellar models present difficulties in reproducing basic observational relations of very low mass stars (VLMS), including the mass-radius relation and the optical colour-magnitudes of cool dwarfs. Here, we improve PARSEC (PAdova-TRieste Stellar Evolution Code) models on these points. We implement the T- \ufffd relations from PHOENIX BT-Settl model atmospheres as the outer boundary conditions in the PARSEC code, finding that this change alone reduces the discrepancy in the mass-radius relation from 8 to 5 per cent. We compare the models with multiband photometry of clusters Praesepe and M67, showing that the use of T- \ufffd relations clearly improves the description of the optical colours and magnitudes. But anyway, using both Kurucz and PHOENIX model spectra, model colours are still systematically fainter and bluer than the observations. We then apply a shift to the above T- \ufffd relations, increasing from 0 at Teff = 4730 K to ~14 per cent at Teff = 3160 K, to reproduce the observed mass-radius relation of dwarf stars. Taking this experiment as a calibration of the T- \ufffd relations, we can reproduce the optical and near-infrared colour-magnitude diagrams of low-mass stars in the old metal-poor globular clusters NGC 6397 and 47 Tuc, and in the intermediate-age and young solar-metallicity open clusters M67 and Praesepe. Thus, we extend PARSEC models using this calibration, providing VLMS models more suitable for the lower main-sequence stars over a wide range of metallicities and wavelengths. Both sets of models are available on PARSEC webpage. \ufffd 2014 The Authors

The High Voltage Protection Boards for the RICH detectors of LHCb

We present the circuit protection system for the monitoring of the High Voltage bias for the Hybrid Photon Detectors (HPDs), of the Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors of LHCb. The protection system buffers the voltage lines, attenuated by about 12700 V/V, in normal operating conditions and limits the output voltage excursion to the ADC monitoring system to a safe range (between -2.5 V and +5 V) in case of discharge. The circuit is designed and tested to be radiation tolerant. The protection system has been fully characterized with radiation and temperature under the whole expected working conditions of LHCb. Results have shown that the developed protection boards are fully adequate for the whole LHCb lifetime

Analisi teoriche e sperimentali sulla solidificazione di compositi a matrice di lega di alluminio

none6S. Arnaboldi; P. Bassani; M. Pini; A. Tuissi; M. Vedani; G. VimercatiS., Arnaboldi; Bassani, Paola; M., Pini; A., Tuissi; Vedani, Maurizio; Vimercati, Gianmarc

From life-threatening to chronic disease: Is this the case of cancers? A systematic review

Problem identification Given the importance of a common scientific background on what clinicians mean by the term chronic cancer (CC), the present review examines whether and to what extent a shared definition of CC exists in the literature. Literature Search A systematic search of the existing literature dealing with the definition of CC was performed. Synthesis Considering a statement of the American Cancer Society on CC, a list of attributes for a cancer to be considered chronic was drawn up and used as a common schema to evaluate and organize a description of CC provided by relevant articles. Conclusions Overall, most of the relevant articles recognized a time criterion as a peculiar attribute of a CC, however, there is only a limited degree of overlap within the literature definitions of CC. Implication for Practice It may be useful to talk about a chronic phase within a broader cancer disease continuum

Co-culture of Caco2 and HT-29 cells as an innovative method to mimic in vitro the morphology and permeability properties of human intestinal epithelium

For investigating the complexity of the human intestinal epithelium, a valid experimental approach is represented by co-culture. In the present study an intestinal co-culture Caco2/HT-29 (70/30) was set up starting from the parental populations of differentiated cells as previously described [1, 2]. Co-culture was harvested at 0 (T0), 6 (T6), and 14 (T14) days of post confluence after plating. Transmission electron microscopy was carried out to monitor the morphological features of cell differentiation. Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Aminopeptidase N (APN) and Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV (DPP IV) activity were assayed as known markers of intestinal cell differentiation. The measure of TEER and the apparent permeability of Lucifer Yellow allows to monitor the integrity of the tight junctions and the permeability of the cell layer formed. At T0 a classical monolayer is present, with a mixed population of immature absorptive elements and secretive cells. At T6 and T14, cells are progressively organized in a multilayer with a parallel growth of microvilli. At T6, co-culture demonstrates good properties of permeability and barrier components, such as mucus, representing an appropriate model for absorption study. At T14, the brush border is even more developed respect to T6 and, together with the increase of the specific activity of ALP, APN, and DPP IV, indicate co-culture as a good model for digestion study. The advantage of this co-culture described is the use of the whole cell population without particular inducers of subclones and growth support In conclusion, the morphological and biochemical features of co-cultured parental cells change with time, strongly supporting i) an active interaction between the two parental cell lines and ii) the versatility of this model, with more than one prevalent cell type depending on the post confluent stage