Il microcarcinoma papillare della tiroide. Implicazioni cliniche e strategia terapeutica

Gli Autori riportano la propria esperienza sulle implicazioni cli - niche e le strategie terapeutiche del microcarcinoma papillare della tiroide, valutando 412 pazienti sottoposti ad intervento chirurgico per patologia tiroidea. Essi sottolineano l’attuale problematica della diagnosi “incidentale” postoperatoria, la relativa strategia terapeutica adiuvante, il frequente riscontro di una patologia tiroidea benigna associata, fattori che giustificano, oltre le note motivazioni oncologi - che, la scelta della tiroidectomia totale di principio

Determination of reference values for optical properties of liquid phantoms based on Intralipid and India ink

A multi-center study has been set up to accurately characterize the optical properties of diffusive liquid phantoms based on Intralipid and India ink at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. Nine research laboratories from six countries adopting different measurement techniques, instrumental set-ups, and data analysis methods determined at their best the optical properties and relative uncertainties of diffusive dilutions prepared with common samples of the two compounds. By exploiting a suitable statistical model, comprehensive reference values at three NIR wavelengths for the intrinsic absorption coefficient of India ink and the intrinsic reduced scattering coefficient of Intralipid-20% were determined with an uncertainty of about 2% or better, depending on the wavelength considered, and 1%, respectively. Even if in this study we focused on particular batches of India ink and Intralipid, the reference values determined here represent a solid and useful starting point for preparing diffusive liquid phantoms with accurately defined optical properties. Furthermore, due to the ready availability, low cost, long-term stability and batch-to-batch reproducibility of these compounds, they provide a unique fundamental tool for the calibration and performance assessment of diffuse optical spectroscopy instrumentation intended to be used in laboratory or clinical environment. Finally, the collaborative work presented here demonstrates that the accuracy level attained in this work for optical properties of diffusive phantoms is reliable

Customer satisfaction in a public service of work medicine for harassed workers

Deep changes in labor market, re-engineering of organizations and the considerable growing of dysfunctional relations at work, have severe consequences in workers' health. Many public services of work medicine had recently born offering clinical assistance, evaluations, certifications and counseling. In order to adjust the quality and the efficiency of services for harassed workers, an exploratory research in customer satisfaction was run. 66 workers who had been helped by a public service of work medicine were interviewed filling up a questionnaire made of 14 items. Results had shown that there are many difficulties in access these services: workers are sent mostly by lawyers and others clinical specialist, when their job situation or their mental health are compromised. Workers access these services especially to obtain certifications that can be later utilized in law controversy or in illness evaluation. The most useful aspect for customers is the possibility to have assistance and councils deciding how to front the situation, while satisfaction is strictly linked to the ability of the service to answer to customers' need of sustain. Results underline that an improvement of efficacy would be reached with prolonged assistance and a local distribution on the territory

Antenna Phase Center Analysis for the LOFAR Radio Telescope

Knowledge of the phase centers of the constituting antennas is important to obtain an accurate array response. This contribution shows an analysis of the antenna phase centers for a station of the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope. Based on simulated patterns, the positions of the phase centers for 46 antennas have been computed at 32 MHz showing considerable deviations from their physical positions due to mutual coupling. The flatness of the phase patterns significantly improves when the phase center is considered

DEK Expression is controlled by E2F and deregulated in diverse tumor types

Deregulation of the retinoblastoma (pRB) tumor suppressor pathway associated with aberrant activity of E2F transcription factors is frequently observed in human cancer. Microarray based analyses have revealed a large number of potential downstream mediators of the tumor suppressing activity of pRB, including DEK, a fusion partner of CAN found in a subset of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients carrying a (6; 9) translocation. Here we report that the expression of DEK is under direct control of E2F transcription factors. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays show that the DEK promoter is bound by endogenous E2F in vivo. The DEK promoter is transactivated by E2F and mutation of E2F binding sites eliminates this effect. Expression levels of DEK in human tumors have been investigated by tissue micro array analysis. We find that DEK is overexpressed in many solid tumors such as colon cancer, larynx cancer, bladder cancer, and melanoma