PREOPERATIVE ASSESSMENT OF RECTAL CANCER: AN ACCURATE MRI PROTOCOL A RADIOLOGICAL TEMPLATE

The aims of our poster are: -to review the MRI technique and protocol in preoperative local staging of rectal cancer (RC); -to identify radiological signs that are useful for both the clinician and the surgeon; -to provide some “tips & tricks” in the radiological evaluation of MR images in RC staging

Quality Changes during Frozen Storage of Mechanical-Separated Flesh Obtained from an Underutilized Crustacean

Despite their high nutritional value, high quantities of fish caught in the Adriatic Sea are underused or discarded for their insignificant economic value. Mechanical separation of flesh represents an opportunity for developing innovative semi-finished products, even if it can promote an increased quality degradation rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate physico-chemical modifications of mechanically separated mantis shrimp flesh during deep-freezing storage. Flesh samples obtained using a belt-drum separator, frozen and vacuum-packed, were stored at 3 temperatures (industrial: -26 \ub0C; domestic: -18 \ub0C and abuse: -10 \ub0C) for 12 months. During storage, qualitative (color, water content, pH, fatty acids (FA) and lipid oxidation) were evaluated. Fish freshness parameters (e.g., trimethylamine (TMA), dimethylamine (DMA) and amino acids) were assessed using nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR). The mechanical separation process accelerated the initial oxidation phenomena, promoting color alterations, compared to manual separation. The main degradation phenomena during storage were significantly affected by temperature and were related to changes in luminosity, oxidation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), increased lipolysis with release of free FA, production of TMA and DMA by residual enzymatic activity, and changes in amino acids due to proteolysis. The inter-disciplinary approach permitted important findings to be made, in terms of the extent of different degradative phenomena, bound to processing and storage conditions of mechanically separated mantis flesh

ROLE OF VIRTOPSY IN THE POST MORTEM DIAGNOSIS OF DROWNING

Purpose: Due to admitted limits of autopsy-based studies in the diagnosis of drowning, virtopsy is considered the new imaging horizon in these post-mortem studies. The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of virtopsy performed through computed tomography (CT) in the forensic diagnosis of drowning. Materials and methods: We retrospectively examined the CT data of four cadavers recovered from sea water and suspected to have died by drowning. Each patient underwent a full-body post-mortem CT scan, and then a traditional autopsy. Conclusion: To date, there are no autopsy findings pathognomonic of drowning. This study proves that virtopsy is a useful tool in the diagnosis of drowning in that it allows us to understand if the victim was alive or dead when he entered the water and if the cause of death was drowning. Results: All the cadavers showed fluid in the airways and patchy ground-glass opacities in the lung. Only one patient had no fluid in the digestive tract; this patient had a left parietal bone fracture with a large gap and other multiple bone fractures (nose, clavicle, first rib and patella). One of the three patients who had fluid in the digestive tract had no fluid in the paranasal sinuses. This latter patient showed cerebral oedema with subarachnoid and intraventricular haemorrhage, multiple bone fractures (orbital floor, ribs, sacrum and acetabular edge) and air in the heart, in the aorta and in bowel loops. © 2014, Italian Society of Medical Radiology

Quality of housing for inner areas between specialised supply, proximity welfare and production of new economies

This paper focuses on the issue of housing in inner areas, presenting a project of the candidacy of the Campania region for the PINQuA national funding programme, which was launched by the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in 2020. The project is based on the hypothesis that it is possible to reverse the demographic trend in marginalised areas – characterised by a declining population, a high old-age index, a lack of basic services and, at the same time, a high potential for innovation – with building renovation and differentiated housing offers with high standards of quality and services. Through a systemic and place-based approach, the research uses pilot cases to experiment on themes linked to new housing demands, digital and green innovation, proximity welfare and social cohesion through a multi-actor and multi-level process

Cambios en las propiedades químicas de un suelo molisol de la región pampeana argentina con diferente historia de manejo = Changes on the chemical properties of a mollisol soil under different management systemas in the Pampean region, Argentina

La intensificación del uso agrícola del suelo provoca degradación, la cual puede revertirse implementando rotaciones de cultivos, labranzas conservacionistas, forestaciones o incorporando pasturas. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los cambios en el contenido de carbono orgánico total (COT), nitrógeno potencialmente mineralizable (NAN), conductividad eléctrica (CE) y pH en ocho sitios con diferente manejo: cinco rotaciones agrícolo-ganaderas; dos forestaciones, monte de eucaliptus (ME) y de acacia (MA); y un pastizal natural (PN), ubicados en un establecimiento con suelo mollisol. Se analizaron muestras a dos profundidades: 0-5 y 5-20 cm. Los valores más elevados de COT y NAN en superficie se presentaron en MA, alcanzado niveles de 85,2 g kg-1 y 426,8 mg kg-1, respectivamente. PN y ME presentaron valores intermedios de COT (47,8 g kg-1). ME no difirió del resto de los manejos (37,2 g kg-1). El NAN en PN (235,1 mg kg-1) fue menor que en MA, pero mayor que en los otros manejos. Los manejos con pasturas tuvieron valores de NAN intermedios entre agricultura continua (80,7 mg kg-1) y PN (235,1 mg kg-1). Entre 5-20 cm, COT fue menor que en superficie y mayor en MA. El NAN presentó diferencias entre manejos (entre 58,5 y 232,5 mg kg-1), constituyéndose en un indicador más sensible que COT. Por otra parte, CE varió entre 1,11 y 0,46 dS m-1 en superficie, valores que no afectan el normal desarrollo de las plantas. El pH no presentó diferencias ni hubo acidificación por manejo.Agriculture intensification leads to soil degradation, which can be reversed by performing crop rotations, conservation tillage, forest plantations or pastures The objective of this work was to analyze the changes in soil organic carbon (SOC), potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN), electrical conductivity (EC) and pH in eight different sites submitted to different management systems: five sites under livestock pasture rotations, two sites planted with trees and a natural grassland (NG) site. Soil samples from 0-5 and 5- 20 cm depth were analyzed. The highest SOC and PMN values in surface soil (0-5 cm deep) were observed in the AF, reaching values of 85.2 g kg-1 and 426.8 mg kg-1, respectively. EF and NG showed intermediate SOC values (47.8 g kg-1). EF did not differ from the other management practices (37.2 g kg-1). PMN in the NG (235.1 mg kg-1) was lower than in the AF but higher than in the rest of the sites. The pastures showed PMN values that ranged between those obtained in sites under continuous agriculture (80.7 mg kg-1) and NG (235.1 mg kg-1). SOC was lower at 5-20 cm depth but higher in the AF. PMN presented differences between treatments (between 58.5 and 232.5 mg kg-1) indicating that is a more sensitive indicator of chemical changes than SOC. EC ranged between 1.11 and 0.46 dS m-1 at 0- 5 cm soil depth, values that do not affect normal plant growth. Soil pH did not differ nor were found evidences of acidification due to management.EEA BalcarceFil: Rodríguez, Silvia. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Videla, Cecilia del Carmen. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Zamuner, Ester Cristina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Picone, Liliana Inés. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Pose, Nélida Nancy. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Maceira, Nestor Oscar. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentin

Adverse events following immunization of elderly with COVID-19 inactivated virus vaccine (CoronaVac) in Southeastern Brazil: an active surveillance study

Healthcare workers, the elderly and other vulnerable populations were the first to receive COVID-19 vaccines in public health programs. There were few vaccine safety data available on the elderly. This observational study aimed to evaluate the inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac) safety in the elderly, at the beginning of the vaccination program, in Sao Paulo city, Brazil. The elderly people that received CoronaVac at the Reference Center for Special Immunobiologicals (CRIE) or at home, administered by the Interdisciplinary Home Care Team (NADI) of the Hospital das Clinicas were invited to participate in this phase 4 observational study. The vaccination schedule included two CoronaVac doses 28 days apart. The information on solicited and unsolicited adverse events following immunization were collected by phone calls on days 4 and 8 after each vaccine dose. We enrolled 158 adults aged 65 to 101 years (mean of 84.1 years); 63.9% were females and 95.6% had chronic conditions, 21.5% had moderate or severe impairment in daily living activities; 34.2% were pre-frail and 19.6% were frail. We were able to contact 95.6% and 91.6% of the vaccinated people, after the first and second doses, respectively; 31.8% and 23.4% of the contacted participants reported some adverse events (AE) following the first and second doses, respectively. Pain at the injection site, fatigue, myalgia and headaches were the most frequent solicited AE. Most AE were mild to moderate. There were eight severe adverse events, but none of them were considered related to the vaccine. The CoronaVac was safe and well tolerated by these adults of advanced age with frailty and comorbidities

Role of virtopsy in the postmortem diagnosis of drowning

Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for 7% of all injury related deaths[1]. The autopsy diagnosis of drowning is one of the major problems in forensic medicine, especially when there is delay in recovering the corpse[2]. The main limit in the diagnosis of drowning is that even if a body is recovered from sea water, it may not have drowned and the proof that death was due to drowning may constitute a difficult problem to solve in forensic medicine. Due to the admitted limits of autopsy-based studies in the diagnosis of drowning, virtopsy is considered the new imaging horizon in these post-mortem studies[3-6]. The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of virtopsy performed through CT in forensic diagnosis of drowning

Nutrimetabolomics: An Integrative Action for Metabolomic Analyses in Human Nutritional Studies

The life sciences are currently being transformed by an unprecedented wave of developments in molecular analysis, which include important advances in instrumental analysis as well as biocomputing. In light of the central role played by metabolism in nutrition, metabolomics is rapidly being established as a key analytical tool in human nutritional studies. Consequently, an increasing number of nutritionists integrate metabolomics into their study designs. Within this dynamic landscape, the potential of nutritional metabolomics (nutrimetabolomics) to be translated into a science, which can impact on health policies, still needs to be realized. A key element to reach this goal is the ability of the research community to join, to collectively make the best use of the potential offered by nutritional metabolomics. This article, therefore, provides a methodological description of nutritional metabolomics that reflects on the state‐of‐the‐art techniques used in the laboratories of the Food Biomarker Alliance (funded by the European Joint Programming Initiative "A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life" (JPI HDHL)) as well as points of reflections to harmonize this field. It is not intended to be exhaustive but rather to present a pragmatic guidance on metabolomic methodologies, providing readers with useful "tips and tricks" along the analytical workflow

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) seroprevalence, cervical HPV prevalence, genotype distribution and cytological lesions in solid organ transplant recipients and immunocompetent women in Sao Paulo, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at increased risk of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) persistent infection and disease. This study aimed to evaluate HPV seroprevalence, cervical HPV prevalence, genotype distribution, and frequency of HPV-related cervical lesions in SOT recipients in comparison to immunocompetent women. METHODS: Cross-sectional study including SOT and immunocompetent women aged 18 to 45 years who denied previous HPV-related lesions. Cervical samples were screened for HPV-DNA by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based DNA microarray system (PapilloCheck®) and squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) by liquid-based cytology. A multiplexed pseudovirion-based serology assay (PsV-Luminex) was used to measure HPV serum antibodies. RESULTS: 125 SOT and 132 immunocompetent women were enrolled. Cervical samples were collected from 113 SOT and 127 immunocompetent women who had initiated sexual activity. HPV-DNA prevalence was higher in SOT than in immunocompetent women (29.6% vs. 20.2%, p = 0.112), but this difference was not statistically significant. High-risk (HR)-HPV was significantly more frequent in SOT than in immunocompetent women (19.4% vs. 7.9%, p = 0.014). Simultaneous infection with ≥2 HR-HPV types was found in 3.1% of SOT and 0.9% of immunocompetent women. HPV seropositivity for at least one HPV type was high in both groups: 63.8% of 105 SOT and 69.7% of 119 immunocompetent women (p = 0.524). Low-grade (LSIL) and high-grade SIL (HSIL) were significantly more frequent in SOT (9.7% and 5.3%, respectively) than in immunocompetent women (1.6% and 0.8%, respectively) (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results may reflect the increased risk of HPV persistent infection and disease progression in SOT women due to chronic immunosuppression