Intumescent flame retardant properties of graft co-polymerized vinyl monomers onto cotton fabric

In this paper, an intumescent flame retardant treatment, obtained by a combination of vinylphosphonic acid (VPA) and methacrylamide (MAA), was applied to cotton fabrics. In order to improve the cross-linking degree onto cellulose polymers, potassium persulfate was used as initiator of a radical polymerization technique. The application on cotton was carried out by padding, followed by drying and a curing treatment. The treated samples were characterized by SEM, TGA and FTIR-ATR analyses and tested in terms of flammability and washing fastness. The thermal and fire behavior of the treated fabrics was thoroughly investigated. The results clearly showed that the VPA/MAA coating was able to exert a protective action, giving rise to the formation of a stable char on the surface of textile fibers upon heating, hence improving the flame retardant performance of cotton. Horizontal flame spread tests confirmed that the coated fabrics achieved self-extinction, and the residues well preserved the original weave structure and fiber morphology ; at variance, the uncoated fabric left only ashes. A remarkable weight loss was observed only after the first washing cycle, then the samples did not show any significant weight loss, hence confirming the durability of the self-extinguishing treatment, even after five laundering cycles

Simple solid-phase spectrophotometric method for free iron(III) determination

A simple and rapid solid-phase spectrophotometric procedure to determine free Fe(III) in environmental and biological samples is proposed. In particular, a deferoxamine (DFO) self assembled monolayer on mesoporous silica (DFO SAMMS) is developed and here applied as a sensor for iron(III). The solid product became brownish when put in contact with iron(III) solutions; so an immediate application as colorimetric sensor is considered. In order to optimize the DFO SAMMS synthesis and to obtain the best product for iron(III) sensing, a factorial experimental design is performed selecting the maximum absorption at 425 nm as response. The robustness of the spectrophotometric method is also proved

Modeling Northern Hemisphere ice-sheet distribution during MIS 5 and MIS 7 glacial inceptions

The present manuscript compares Marine Iso- tope Stage 5 (MIS 5, 125–115 kyr BP) and MIS 7 (236– 229 kyr BP) with the aim to investigate the origin of the difference in ice-sheet growth over the Northern Hemi- sphere high latitudes between these last two inceptions. Our approach combines a low resolution coupled atmosphere– ocean–sea-ice general circulation model and a 3-D thermo- mechanical ice-sheet model to simulate the state of the ice sheets associated with the inception climate states of MIS 5 and MIS 7. Our results show that external forcing (orbitals and GHG) and sea-ice albedo feedbacks are the main fac- tors responsible for the difference in the land-ice initial state between MIS 5 and MIS 7 and that our cold climate model bias impacts more during a cold inception, such as MIS 7, than during a warm inception, such as MIS 5. In addition, if proper ice-elevation and albedo feedbacks are not taken into consideration, the evolution towards glacial inception is hardly simulated, especially for MIS 7. Finally, results high- light that while simulated ice volumes for MIS 5 glacial in- ception almost fit with paleo-reconstructions, the lack of pre- cipitation over high latitudes, identified as a bias of our cli- mate model, does not allow for a proper simulation of MIS 7 glacial inception

MAPKAPK2 (mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2)

Review on MAPKAPK2 (mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated

Prognosis of selected triple negative apocrine breast cancer patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy

Background: Triple negative breast cancer encompasses several biological entities with different outcomes and is a priority to identify which patients require more treatment to reduce the risk of recurrence and which patients need less treatment. Patients and methods: Among the 210 women with first primary invasive apocrine non metastatic breast cancer operated on between January 1998 and December 2016 at the European Institute Oncology, Milan, we identified 24 patients with a pT1-pT2, node-negative, triple negative subtype and Ki-67 64 20% who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy (CT). We compared the outcome of this cohort with a similar group of 24 patients with ductal tumors who received adjuvant chemotherapy, matched by pathological stage and biological features and also with a similar group of 12 patients with apocrine tumors who received adjuvant chemotherapy. Results: The median age was 64 and 61 years in the apocrine (w/o CT) and ductal group, respectively. The median value of Ki-67 expression was 12% in the apocrine group (w/o CT) and 16% in the ductal group (p < 0.001). After a median follow-up of 7.5 years, no patients in the apocrine group (w/o CT) experienced a breast cancer related event compared with 4 events in the ductal carcinoma group (Gray test p-value = 0.11). Conclusions: The outcome of selected apocrine triple negative breast cancer patients who did not received adjuvant chemotherapy is excellent and supports a treatment de-escalation. Multicenter projects focusing on the possibility of avoiding adjuvant chemotherapy in selected subtypes of triple negative breast cancers with favorable outcome are warranted

Factors that predict early treatment failure for patients with locally advanced (T4) breast cancer

Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is associated with dire prognosis despite progress in multimodal treatments. We evaluated several clinical and pathological features of patients with either noninflammatory (NIBC, cT4a-c) or inflammatory (IBC, cT4d) breast cancer to identify subset groups of patients with high risk of early treatment failure. Clinical and pathological features of 248 patients with LABC, who were treated with multimodality treatments including neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical surgery and radiotherapy were reassessed. Tumour samples obtained at surgery were evaluated using standard immunohistochemical methods. Overall, 141 patients (57%) presented with NIBC (cT4a-c, N0-2, M0) and 107 patients (43%) with IBC (cT4d, N0-2, M0). Median follow-up time was 27.5 months (range: 1.6–87.8). No significant difference in terms of recurrence-free survival (RFS) (P=0.72), disease-free survival (DFS) (P=0.98) and overall survival (OS) (P=0.35) was observed between NIBC and IBC. At the multivariate analysis, patients with ER- and PgR-negative diseases had a significantly worse RFS than patients with ER- and/or PgR-positive diseases (hazard ratio: 2.47, 95% CI: 1.33–4.59 for overall). The worst RFS was observed for the subgroup of patients with endocrine nonresponsive and HER2-negative breast cancer (2-year RFS: 57% in NIBC and 57% in IBC) A high Ki-67 labelling index (>20% of the invasive tumour cells) and the presence of peritumoral vascular invasion (PVI) significantly correlated with poorer RFS in overall (HR 2.69, 95% CI: 1.61–4.50 for Ki-67>20% and HR 2.27, 95% CI: 1.42–3.62 for PVI). Patients with endocrine nonresponsive LABC had the most dire treatment outcome. High degree of Ki-67 staining and presence of PVI were also indicators of higher risk of early relapse. These factors should be considered in therapeutic algorithms for LABC

Spatial distribution and sampling plans for grapevine plant canopy-inhabiting Scaphoideus titanus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) nymphs

The paper deals with the study of the spatial distribution and the design of sampling plans for estimating nymph densities of the grape leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus Ball in vine plant canopies. In a reference vine-20 yard sampled for model parameterization, leaf samples were repeatedly taken according to a multistage, stratified, random sampling procedure, and data were subjected to an ANOVA. There were no significant differences in density neither among the strata within the vineyard nor between the two strata with basal and apical leaves. The significant differences between densities on trunk and productive shoots led to the adoption of two-stage (leaves and plants) and three-stage (leaves, shoots, and plants) sampling plans for trunk shoots- and productive 25 shoots-inhabiting individuals, respectively. The mean crowding to mean relationship used to analyze the nymphs spatial distribution revealed aggregated distributions. In both the enumerative and the sequential enumerative sampling plans, the number of leaves of trunk shoots, and of leaves and shoots of productive shoots, was kept constant while the number of plants varied. In additional vineyards data were collected and used to test the applicability of the distribution model and the sampling plans. The tests confirmed the applicability 1) 30 of the mean crowding to mean regression model on the plant and leaf stages for representing trunk shoot inhabiting distributions, and on the plant, shoot, and leaf stages for productive shoot-inhabiting nymphs, 2) of the enumerative sampling plan, and 3) of the sequential enumerative sampling plan. In general, sequential enumerative sampling was more cost efficient than enumerative sampling

Collisionless Shock Acceleration of protons in a plasma slab produced in a gas jet by the collision of two laser-driven hydrodynamic shockwaves

We recently proposed a new technique of plasma tailoring by laser-driven hydrodynamic shockwaves generated on both sides of a gas jet [J.-R. Marqu\`es et al., Phys. Plasmas 28, 023103 (2021)]. In the continuation of this numerical work, we studied experimentally the influence of the tailoring on proton acceleration driven by a high-intensity picosecond-laser, in three cases: without tailoring, by tailoring only the entrance side of the ps-laser, or both sides of the gas jet. Without tailoring the acceleration is transverse to the laser axis, with a low-energy exponential spectrum, produced by Coulomb explosion. When the front side of the gas jet is tailored, a forward acceleration appears, that is significantly enhanced when both the front and back sides of the plasma are tailored. This forward acceleration produces higher energy protons, with a peaked spectrum, and is in good agreement with the mechanism of Collisionless Shock Acceleration (CSA). The spatio-temporal evolution of the plasma profile was characterized by optical shadowgraphy of a probe beam. The refraction and absorption of this beam was simulated by post-processing 3D hydrodynamic simulations of the plasma tailoring. Comparison with the experimental results allowed to estimate the thickness and near-critical density of the plasma slab produced by tailoring both sides of the gas jet. These parameters are in good agreement with those required for CSA

Recommendations from an international expert panel on the use of neoadjuvant (primary) systemic treatment of operable breast cancer: new perspectives 2006

Neoadjuvant (primary systemic) treatment has become a standard option for primary operable disease for patients who are candidates for adjuvant systemic chemotherapy, irrespective of the size of the tumor. Because of new treatments and new understandings of breast cancer, however, recommendations published in 2006 regarding neoadjuvant treatment for operable disease required updating. Therefore, a third international panel of representatives of a number of breast cancer clinical research groups was convened in September 2006 to update these recommendations. As part of this effort, data published to date were critically reviewed and indications for neoadjuvant treatment were newly define

Endocrine-responsive lobular carcinoma of the breast: features associated with risk of late distant recurrence

BACKGROUND: Invasive lobular carcinomas (ILCs) account for 10-15% of all breast cancers. They are characterized by an elevated endocrine responsiveness and by a long lasting risk of relapse over time. Here we report for the first time an analysis of clinical and pathological features associated with the risk of late distant recurrence in ILCs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed all consecutive patients with hormone receptor-positive ILC operated at the European Institute of Oncology (EIO) between June 1994 and December 2010 and scheduled to receive at least 5\u2009years of endocrine treatment. The aim was to identify clinical and pathological variables that provide prognostic information in the period beginning 5\u2009years after definitive surgery. The cumulative incidence of distant metastases (CI-DM) from 5\u2009years after surgery was the prospectively defined primary endpoint. RESULTS: One thousand eight hundred seventy-two patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The median follow-up was 8.7\u2009years. Increased tumor size and positive nodal status were significantly associated with higher risk of late distant recurrence, but nodal status had a significant lower prognostic value in late follow-up period (DM-HR, 3.21; 95% CI, 2.06-5.01) as compared with the first 5\u2009years of follow-up (DM-HR, 9.55; 95% CI, 5.64-16.2; heterogeneity p value 0.002). Elevated Ki-67 labeling index (LI) retained a significant and independent prognostic value even after the first 5\u2009years from surgery (DM-HR, 1.81; 95% CI 1.19-2.75), and it also stratified the prognosis of ILC patients subgrouped according to lymph node status. A combined score, obtained integrating the previously validated Clinical Treatment Score post 5\u2009years (CTS5) and Ki-67 LI, had a strong association with the risk of late distant recurrence of ILCs. CONCLUSION: We identified factors associated with the risk of late distant recurrence in ER-positive ILCs and developed a simple prognostic score, based on data that are readily available, which warrants further validation