Use of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Systems after radical vulvectomy for advanced vulvar cancer

A retrospective cohort study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of negative pressure wound therapy in improving vulvectomy healing. Women who underwent radical vulvectomy with complete inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy for advanced vulvar cancer were divided into two groups according to immediate postoperative care: patients treated with negative pressure wound therapy using the device applied on the site of the wound (including vulva and inguinal region), and patients receiving conventional care. Eighteen patients were included in the study. Seven (38.9%) women were treated with negative pressure wound therapy immediately after the surgery and were included in the intervention group, and 11 (61.1%) patients were included in the control group. Women who received negative pressure wound therapy had significantly lower length of stay in the hospital (14.2 ± 4.7 vs 17.1 ± 6.1 days, mean difference -6.90 days, 95% confidence interval -11.91 to -1.89), and significantly lower length for wound healing (-31.90 days, 95% confidence interval -43.48 to -20.32). In conclusion, the utilization of the negative wound pressure therapy may contribute to reduce hospitalization after radical vulvectomy for vulvar cancer. Large and well-designed randomized trials with cost effectiveness analyses are needed to confirm these findings

OCTIS: Comparing and optimizing topic models is simple!

In this paper, we present OCTIS, a framework for training, analyzing, and comparing Topic Models, whose optimal hyper-parameters are estimated using a Bayesian Optimization approach. The proposed solution integrates several state-of-the-art topic models and evaluation metrics. These metrics can be targeted as objective by the underlying optimization procedure to determine the best hyper-parameter configuration. OCTIS allows researchers and practitioners to have a fair comparison between topic models of interest, using several benchmark datasets and well-known evaluation metrics, to integrate novel algorithms, and to have an interactive visualization of the results for understanding the behavior of each model. The code is available at the following link: https://github.com/MIND-Lab/OCTIS

CCD CAMERA for astrometric observation

Small-field astrometry has taken advantage of the progress achieved by the CCD technology, especially in the field of quantum efficiency enhancement and of the production of very large devices. Furthermore, the improvement in the design and manufacturing of scientific CCD controllers has greatly enhanced the overall performances of CCD systems. State of the art controllers are able to operate a wide variety of CCDs and more importantly, they are able to readout simultaneously from two or four outputs so as to reduce the time to read the whole image. As a consequence of that, CCD astrometric observations have increased both in quantity and in quality. We are currently designing a CCD camera system to be placed at the 61 cm Schmidt telescope of the Catania Astrophysical Observatory on Mount Etna. The camera will perform astrometric observations and wide band photometric observations of minor objects of the solar system and in particular of near earth objects (NEO). The CCD detector will be operated using the CCD controller developed for the italian national telescope "Galileo". Here we report on the preliminary design and on the expected performances of the system

OIG and Sarg CCD's characterization

CCDs characterization is the preliminary step to perform before the CCD can be prop¬erly used at the telescope. Most of the scientific instrumentation at the Italian National Telescope "Galileo" use CCDs as detectors. In particular the optical imager (OIG) and the high resolution spectrograph (SARG) use a mosaic of two 2k x 4k CCD manufactured by EEV (EEV 4280). The technical characteristics of the EEV4280 can be found in Cosentino et al (these proceedings)

Age-related impairment in insulin release: the essential role of ϐ(2)-adrenergic receptor.

In this study, we investigated the significance of ϐ (2)-adrenergic receptor (ϐ (2)AR) in age-related impaired insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. We characterized the metabolic phenotype of ϐ (2)AR-null C57Bl/6N mice (ϐ (2)AR(-/-)) by performing in vivo and ex vivo experiments. In vitro assays in cultured INS-1E ϐ-cells were carried out in order to clarify the mechanism by which ϐ (2)AR deficiency affects glucose metabolism. Adult ϐ (2)AR(-/-) mice featured glucose intolerance, and pancreatic islets isolated from these animals displayed impaired glucose-induced insulin release, accompanied by reduced expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ, pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1), and GLUT2. Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of human ϐ (2)AR rescued these defects. Consistent effects were evoked in vitro both upon ϐ (2)AR knockdown and pharmacologic treatment. Interestingly, with aging, wild-type (ϐ (2)AR(+/+)) littermates developed impaired insulin secretion and glucose tolerance. Moreover, islets from 20-month-old ϐ (2)AR(+/+) mice exhibited reduced density of ϐ (2)AR compared with those from younger animals, paralleled by decreased levels of PPARγ, PDX-1, and GLUT2. Overexpression of ϐ (2)AR in aged mice rescued glucose intolerance and insulin release both in vivo and ex vivo, restoring PPARγ/PDX-1/GLUT2 levels. Our data indicate that reduced ϐ (2)AR expression contributes to the age-related decline of glucose tolerance in mice

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound: a Simple and Effective Tool in Defining a Rapid Diagnostic Work-up for Small Nodules Detected in Cirrhotic Patients during Surveillance

Disappearance of portal blood flow and arterial vascularization is the hallmark of hepatocarcinogenesis. The capability of a dynamic imaging modality detecting arterial hypervascularization of small nodules is crucial to promote a rapid diagnostic and therapeutic work-up improving survival. We aimed to evaluate the capability of CEUS to detect arterial vascularization of ≤ 2 cm HCC nodules arising during surveillance so as to shorten the diagnostic and therapeutic work-up

Molecular mechanisms of skin wound healing in non-diabetic and diabetic mice in excision and pressure experimental wounds

Experimental models for chronic skin lesions are excision and pressure ulcer, defined as "open" and "closed" lesions, respectively, only the latter characterized by tissue hypoxia. Moreover, systemic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, affect wound repair. Thus, models for testing new therapies should be carefully selected according to the expected targets. In this study, we present an extensive and comparative histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular characterization of these two lesions in diabetic (db/db) and non-diabetic (C57BL/6 J) mice. In db/db mice, we found significant reduction in PGP9.5-IR innervation, reduction of capillary network, and reduced expression of NGF receptors. We found an increase in VEGF receptor Kdr expression, and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway at the core of the altered molecular network. Db/db mice with pressure ulcers showed an impairment in the molecular regulation of hypoxia-related genes (Hif1a, Flt1, and Kdr), while extracellular matrix encoding genes (Itgb3, Timp1, Fn1, Col4a1) were upregulated by hyperglycemia and lesions. Overall, the molecular analysis suggests that db/db mice have a longer inflammatory phase of the wound repair process, delaying the progression toward the proliferation and remodeling phases

Effects of exercise during pregnancy in women with short cervix: Secondary analysis from the Italian Pessary Trial in singletons

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effects of exercise during pregnancy in asymptomatic singleton pregnancies without prior spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) but with short transvaginal ultrasound cervical length (TVU CL). STUDY DESIGN: This is a secondary analysis of the Italian Pessary Trial for the Italian Preterm Birth Prevention (IPP) Working Group. In the original prospective randomized controlled trial asymptomatic singleton pregnancies without prior SPTB but with TVU CL ≤ 25 mm at 18 0/6-23 6/7 weeks were randomized into 1:1 ratio to either cervical pessary or no pessary. During their follow-up visits, women were asked about their activity. For the purpose of this secondary analysis, women were classified in the following groups, using the information obtained in the follow-up visit one month after randomization: 1) Exercise group, defined as women performing exercise ≥2 days a week for ≥20 min each day. 2) No exercise group, defined as women performing exercise <2 days a week for ≥20 min each day. The primary outcome of this secondary analysis was PTB < 37 weeks. RESULTS: 300 women were included in this analysis. 99 (33.0%) were included in the exercise group. 201 (67.0%) were included in the no exercise group. Of the 201 women in the no exercise group, 90 (44.8%) affirmed that they had reduced their activity after the diagnosis of short cervix despite the research staff recommendations, while the other 111 (55.2%) women performed a sedentary life style even before the diagnosis of short cervix. PTB < 37 weeks occurred in 22 women (22.2%) in the exercise group, and 66 women (32.8%) in the no exercise group (aOR 0.65, 95% CI 0.33-1.03). CONCLUSION: In asymptomatic singleton pregnancies with short cervix, performing exercise ≥2 days a week for ≥20 min each day does not increase the risk of PTB but is indeed associated with a non-significant reduction in PTB < 37 weeks by 32%