Higher education branding: Nova School of Business and Economics and Bocconi University

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and EconomicsIn this thesis it is shown a comparison between two of the top thirty European Business School 2013 Ranking of the Financial Times: Nova School of Business and Economics and Bocconi University. The analysis is carried out focusing on the brands and the stakeholders perceptions by analyzing the findings of twenty-four in-depth interviews. These interviews were conducted to students and alumni from both universities in order to show the gaps in brand image. Findings indicate different impacts of two different realities stemming from their history, value and culture. The aim of this work is to show some tools business school can use to better manage and capture stakeholder’s value

Prvi nalaz školjkaša Tellimya tenella (Lovén, 1846) u talijanskom dijelu Jadranskog mora

Alive specimens belonging to Tellimya tenella (Lovén, 1846) were recorded for the first time in Adriatic Sea. Up to date, only few pleistocene fossils or empty valves of this species had been reported in Italian waters.Žive jedinke Tellimya tenella (Lovén, 1846.) prvi su puta zabilježeni u Jadranskom moru. Do danas je u talijanskim vodama zabilježeno svega nekoliko pleistocenskih fosila ili praznih ljuski ove vrste

Prvi nalaz vrste Paradiopatra bihanica (Polychaeta, onuphidae) u Jadranskom moru

Paradiopatra bihanica (Intes & Le Loeuff, 1975) (Polychaeta, Onuphidae) is reported for the first time in the Adriatic Sea. In this study the morphological characters of the observed individuals are provided, as well as the extension of its hitherto geographical distribution.Paradiopatra bihanica (Intes & Le Loeuff, 1975) (Polychaeta, Onuphidae) je po prvi put pronađena u Jadranskom moru. U ovom radu su prikazane morfološke karakteristike istraživanih jedinki, te su priloženi podaci o njezinoj geografskoj raspodjeli

Virological and histological evaluation of intestinal samples in COVID-19 patients

BACKGROUNDSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the pathogen responsible for pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is a highly contagious virus which primarily affects the respiratory tract, nevertheless, the lungs are not the only target organs of the virus. The intestinal tract could represent an additional tropism site for SARS-CoV-2. Several observations have collectively suggested that enteric infections can occur in COVID-19 patients. However, the detection of viral RNA in gastrointestinal (GI) tissue samples has not been adequately investigated and results are conflicting.AIMTo detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in intestinal mucosa samples and to evaluate histological features.METHODSThe COVID-19 patients hospitalized at an Italian tertiary hospital from April 2020 to March 2021 were evaluated for enrollment in an observational, monocentric trial. The study population was composed of two groups of adult patients. In the first group (biopsy group, 30 patients), patients were eligible for inclusion if they had mild to moderate disease and if they agreed to have a rectal biopsy; in the second group (surgical specimen group, 6 patients), patients were eligible for inclusion if they underwent intestinal resection during index hospitalization. Fifty-nine intestinal mucosal samples were analyzed.RESULTSViral RNA was not detectable in any of the rectal biopsies performed (0/53). Histological examination showed no enterocyte damage, but slight edema of the lamina propria with mild inflammatory lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. There was no difference in inflammatory infiltrates in patients with and without GI symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in fecal samples in 6 cases out of 14 cases examined (42.9%). In the surgical specimen group, all patients underwent emergency intestinal resection. Viral RNA was detected in 2 surgical specimens of the 6 examined, both of which were from patients with active neoplastic disease. Histological examination also pointed out abundant macrophages, granulocytes and plasma cells infiltrating the muscular layer and adipose tissue, and focal vasculitis.CONCLUSIONMild-moderate COVID-19 may not be associated with rectal infection by the virus. More comprehensive autopsies or surgical specimens are needed to provide histological evidence of intestinal infection

Anadara kagoshimensis (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Arcidae) in Adriatic Sea: morphological analysis, molecular taxonomy, spatial distribution, and prediction

Morphological analysis, molecular characterization, and information on distribution and density of Anadara kagoshimensis (Tokunaga, 1906) specimens collected in the Adriatic Sea were here carried out as based on various material and data from five surveys conducted from 2010 to 2014, for a total of 329 bottom trawl hauls. The morphological and molecular analyses allowed to clarify the confused taxonomy regarding the biggest ark clam alien species invading the Italian waters and the Mediterranean Sea. The analysis on distribution and density revealed that A. kagoshimensis mostly occurs along the Italian coast at depths from 8 to 50 m, with a catch frequency of more than 98% in all hauls performed on silty-clay sediment at 8-30 m depth. The hotspot map clearly shows a reduction of its distribution area from 2010 to 2012

Lymphogranuloma venereum proctitis mimicking inflammatory bowel diseases in 11 patients: a 4-year single-center experience

ABSTRACT Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) serovars L1–L3. Our study wants to underline the similarities between rectal LGV and idiopathic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which can share clinical, endoscopic and histopathological findings

Radiomic Features from Post-Operative 18F-FDG PET/CT and CT Imaging Associated with Locally Recurrent Rectal Cancer: Preliminary Findings

Locally Recurrent Rectal Cancer (LRRC) remains a major clinical concern, it rapidly invades pelvic organs and nerve roots, causing severe symptoms. Curative-intent salvage therapy offers the only potential for cure but it has a higher chance of success when LRRC is diagnosed at an early stage. Imaging diagnosis of LRRC is very challenging due to fibrosis and inflammatory pelvic tissue which can mislead even the most expert reader. This study exploited a radiomic analysis to enrich, through quantitative features, the characterization of tissue properties, thus favouring an accurate detection of LRRC by Computed Tomography (CT) and 18F-FDG-Positron Emission Tomography/CT (PET/CT). Of 563 eligible patients, undergoing radical resection (R0) of primary RC, 57 patients with suspected LRRC were included, 33 of which histologically confirmed. After manually segmenting suspected LRRC in CT and PET/CT, 144 radiomic features (RFs) were generated, and RFs were investigated for univariate significant discriminations (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, p<0.050) of LRRC from NO LRRC. Five RFs in PET/CT (p<0.017) and 2 in CT (p<0.022) enabled, individually, a clear distinction of the groups, and one RF was shared by PET/CT and CT. Besides confirming the potential role of radiomics to advance LRRC diagnosis, the aforementioned shared RF describes LRRC as tissues having high local inhomogeneity due to evolving tissue’s properties

Adaptive Individualized high-dose preoperAtive (AIDA) chemoradiation in high-risk rectal cancer: a phase II trial

Purpose To evaluate the pathological complete response (pCR) rate of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) after adaptive high-dose neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CRT) based on (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18) F-FDG-PET/CT).Methods The primary endpoint was the pCR rate. Secondary endpoints were the predictive value of (18) F-FDG-PET/CT on pathological response and acute and late toxicity. All patients performed (18) F-FDG-PET/CT at baseline (PET0) and after 2 weeks during CRT (PET1). The metabolic PET parameters were calculated both at the PET0 and PET1. The total CRT dose was 45 Gy to the pelvic lymph nodes and 50 Gy to the primary tumor, corresponding mesorectum, and to metastatic lymph nodes. Furthermore, a sequential boost was delivered to a biological target volume defined by PET1 with an additional dose of 5 Gy in 2 fractions. Capecitabine (825 mg/m(2) twice daily orally) was prescribed for the entire treatment duration.Results Eighteen patients (13 males, 5 females; median age 55 years [range, 41-77 years]) were enrolled in the trial. Patients underwent surgical resection at 8-9 weeks after the end of neoadjuvant CRT. No patient showed grade > 1 acute radiation-induced toxicity. Seven patients (38.8%) had TRG = 0 (complete regression), 5 (27.0%) showed TRG = 2, and 6 (33.0%) had TRG = 3. Based on the TRG results, patients were classified in two groups: TRG = 0 (pCR) and TRG = 1, 2, 3 (non pCR). Accepting p < 0.05 as the level of significance, at the Kruskal-Wallis test, the medians of baseline-MTV, interim-SUVmax, interim-SUVmean, interim-MTV, interim-TLG, and the MTV reduction were significantly different between the two groups. (18) F-FDG-PET/CT was able to predict the pCR in 77.8% of cases through compared evaluation of both baseline PET/CT and interim PET/CT.Conclusions Our results showed that a dose escalation on a reduced target in the final phase of CRT is well tolerated and able to provide a high pCR rate

The impact of anastomotic leak on long-term oncological outcomes after low anterior resection for mid-low rectal cancer: extended follow-up of a randomised controlled trial

The impact of anastomotic leaks (AL) on oncological outcomes after low anterior resection for mid-low rectal cancer is still debated. The aim of this study was to evaluate overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and local and distant recurrence in patients with AL following low anterior resection

The Heterogeneity of Skewness in T2W-Based Radiomics Predicts the Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Our study aimed to investigate whether radiomics on MRI sequences can differentiate responder (R) and non-responder (NR) patients based on the tumour regression grade (TRG) assigned after surgical resection in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). Eighty-five patients undergoing primary staging with MRI were retrospectively evaluated, and 40 patients were finally selected. The ROIs were manually outlined in the tumour site on T2w sequences in the oblique-axial plane. Based on the TRG, patients were grouped as having either a complete or a partial response (TRG = (0,1), n = 15). NR patients had a minimal or poor nCRT response (TRG = (2,3), n = 25). Eighty-four local first-order radiomic features (RFs) were extracted from tumour ROIs. Only single RFs were investigated. Each feature was selected using univariate analysis guided by a one-tailed Wilcoxon rank-sum. ROC curve analysis was performed, using AUC computation and the Youden index (YI) for sensitivity and specificity. The RF measuring the heterogeneity of local skewness of T2w values from tumour ROIs differentiated Rs and NRs with a p-value ≈ 10−5; AUC = 0.90 (95%CI, 0.73–0.96); and YI = 0.68, corresponding to 80% sensitivity and 88% specificity. In conclusion, higher heterogeneity in skewness maps of the baseline tumour correlated with a greater benefit from nCR