Chapter La rappresentazione del territorio peri-urbano tra city modelling, rilievo e fotografia

The 43rd UID conference, held in Genova, takes up the theme of ‘Dialogues’ as practice and debate on many fundamental topics in our social life, especially in these complex and not yet resolved times. The city of Genova offers the opportunity to ponder on the value of comparison and on the possibilities for the community, naturally focused on the aspects that concern us, as professors, researchers, disseminators of knowledge, or on all the possibile meanings of the discipline of representation and its dialogue with ‘others’, which we have broadly catalogued in three macro areas: History, Semiotics, Science / Technology. Therefore, “dialogue” as a profitable exchange based on a common language, without which it is impossible to comprehend and understand one another; and the graphic sign that connotes the conference is the precise transcription of this concept: the title ‘translated’ into signs, derived from the visual alphabet designed for the visual identity of the UID since 2017. There are many topics which refer to three macro sessions: - Witnessing (signs and history) - Communicating (signs and semiotics) - Experimenting (signs and sciences) Thanks to the different points of view, an exceptional resource of our disciplinary area, we want to try to outline the prevailing theoretical-operational synergies, the collaborative lines of an instrumental nature, the recent updates of the repertoires of images that attest and nourish the relations among representation, history, semiotics, sciences

Is thyroid nodule location associated with malignancy risk?

PURPOSE: Nodules located in the upper pole of the thyroid may carry a greater risk for malignancy than those in the lower pole. We conducted a study to analyze the risk of malignancy of nodules depending on location. METHODS: The records of patients undergoing thyroid-nodule fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) at an academic thyroid cancer unit were prospectively collected. The nodules were considered benign in cases of a benign histology or cytology report, and malignant in cases of malignant histology. Pathological findings were analyzed based on the anatomical location of the nodules, which were also scored according to five ultrasonographic classification systems. RESULTS: Between November 1, 2015 and May 30, 2018, 832 nodules underwent FNAC, of which 557 had a definitive diagnosis. The prevalence of malignancy was not significantly different in the isthmus, right, or left lobe. Among the 227 nodules that had a precise longitudinal location noted (from 219 patients [155 females], aged 56.2±14.0 years), malignancy was more frequent in the middle lobe (13.2%; odds ratio [OR], 9.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.95 to 48.59). This figure was confirmed in multivariate analyses that took into account nodule composition and the Thyroid Imaging, Reporting, and Data System (TIRADS) classification. Using the American College of Radiologists TIRADS, the upper pole location also demonstrated a slightly significant association with malignancy (OR, 6.92; 95% CI, 1.02 to 46.90; P=0.047). CONCLUSION: The risk of thyroid malignancy was found to be significantly higher for mid-lobar nodules. This observation was confirmed when suspicious ultrasonographic features were included in a multivariate model, suggesting that the longitudinal location in the lobe may be a risk factor independently of ultrasonographic appearance

Il ruolo dello screening per il carcinoma differenziato della tiroide in rapporto al sesso e in specifiche popolazioni

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Loss of function SETD2 mutations in poorly differentiated metastases from two Hürthle cell carcinomas of the thyroid

Hürthle cell carcinomas (HCC) are rare differentiated thyroid cancers that display low avidity for radioactive iodine and respond poorly to kinase inhibitors. Here, using next-generation sequencing, we analyzed the mutational status of primary tissue and poorly differentiated metastatic tissue from two HCC patients. In both cases, metastatic tissues harbored a mutation of SETD2, each resulting in loss of the SRI and WW domains of SETD2, a methyltransferase that trimethylates H3K36 (H3K36me3) and also interacts with p53 to promote its stability. Functional studies of the novel p.D1890fs6* mutation (case 1) revealed significantly reduced H3K36me3 levels in SETD2-mutated tissue and primary cell cultures and decreased levels of the active form of p53. Restoration of SETD2-wildtype expression in the SETD2-mutant cells significantly reduced the expression of four well-known stemness markers (OCT-4, SOX2, IPF1, Goosecoid). These findings suggest potential roles for SETD2 loss-of-function mutations in HCC progression, possibly involving p53 destabilization and promotion of stemness. Their prevalence and potential treatment implications in thyroid cancer, especially HCC, require further study

Policy and Practice for Digital Archaeological Archiving in Italy

his article highlights how the Italian Central Institute for Archaeology (ICA) is developing the National Geoportal for Archaeology (GNA), based on the ARIADNEplus infrastructure and its policy framework. Thanks to the GNA project, it will be possible to search and learn about archaeological documentation managed by Superintendencies and Universities holding a significant amount of archaeological data, much of which is either completely or partially unpublished

Association between proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) and metronomic capecitabine (MCAP) as salvage treatment for patients with advanced gastro-intestinal tumoursa. A randomized phase II study

Background: Several researches have shown that acidification of tumor microenvironment is the basis for tumor invasiveness, ability to metastasize S382 Abstracts and cytotoxic agents resistance; therefore proton pump inhibitors (PPI) could significantly increase the chemosensitivity. In our retrospective work we have investigated the role of capecitabine (mCAP) at metronomic dosage of 1500 mg/die as salvage chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, showing a moderately activity and well tolerability. In this prospective study we evaluated safety and activity of mCAP in the advanced gastro-intestinal patients and the putative chemosensitizing activity of a specific PPI (Rabeprazole) in association to this therap

Taller-than-wide shape: a new definition improves the specificity of TIRADS systems

Introduction: A taller-than-wide (TTW) shape is a suspicious feature of thyroid nodules commonly defined as an anteroposterior/transverse diameter (AP/T) ratio >1. An intraobserver variability of up to 18% in AP diameter evaluations has been described, which may lead to overreporting of this feature. To potentially improve the reliability of the TTW definition, we propose an arbitrary ratio of ≥1.2. Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of this definition on diagnostic performance. Methods: We prospectively analyzed 553 thyroid nodules referred for cytology evaluation at an academic center. Before fine-needle aspiration, two examiners jointly defined all sonographic features considered in risk stratification systems developed by the American Thyroid Association (ATA), the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), the American College of Radiology (ACR TIRADS), the European Thyroid Association (EU-TIRADS), and the Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (K-TIRADS). TTW was defined according to the current definition (AP/T diameter ratio >1) and an arbitrary alternative definition (AP/T ratio >1.2). Results: The alternative definition classified fewer nodules as TTW (28, 5.1% vs. 94, 17%). The current and proposed definitions have a sensitivity of 26.2 and 11.9% (p = 0.03) and a specificity of 83.8 and 95.5% (p < 0.001). Thus, as a single feature, the arbitrary definition has a lower sensitivity and a higher specificity. When applied to sonographic risk stratification systems, however, the proposed definition would increase the number of avoided biopsies (up to 58.2% for ACR TIRADS) and the specificity of all systems, without negative impact on sensitivity or diagnostic odds ratio. Conclusions: Re-defining TTW nodules as those with an AP/T ratio ≥1.2 improves this marker's specificity for malignancy. Using this definition in risk stratification systems will increase their specificity, reducing the number of suggested biopsies without significantly diminishing their overall diagnostic performance

Clinical and mutational profile of AT-rich interaction domain 1A-mutated cancers

Aim: AT-rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A) encodes a key component of the SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex that participates in gene expression. ARID1A alterations are quite common among cancer patients, although their role remains debated. The aim of this article was to study ARID1A-mutated cancer patients. Methods: Molecular and clinical data of cancer patients evaluated at Phase 1 Unit of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS were collected. Molecular analyses were performed using FoundationOne® CDx (Foundation Medicine Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States). Cancer patients with at least one molecular alteration in ARID1A gene were identified as ARID1A+. Results: Among the 270 patients undergoing molecular analysis, we found 25 (9%) with at least one pathogenic alteration in ARID1A. The vast majority of these patients were female (84%). The median age at diagnosis was 59; most of the cancers (15, 60%) were gynecological (especially endometrioid endometrial cancers and clear cell ovarian cancers), diagnosed at an early stage. Frameshift alterations in ARID1A were the most common (19/31, 61%) alterations. The median number of mutations in ARID1A+ population was higher compared to ARID1A– population (6 vs. 4), as well as tumor mutational burden (TMB) [20 mutations/megabase (mut/Mb) vs. 1.26 mut/Mb]. Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), catenin beta 1 (CTNNB1), and lysine methyltransferase 2D (MLL2) mutations were enriched in ARID1A+ population. In this cohort, ARID1A did not display any relation with response to platinum chemotherapy. Cancers with double alterations in ARID1A (ARID1A2+) were all gynecological cancers (83% endometrioid endometrial cancers). Conclusions: This analysis provides clinical and molecular details about the phenotypes of ARID1A+ cancers, in particular the subgroup of gynecologic cancers. The high frequency of concurrent mutations in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway among endometrioid endometrial cancers may support the proposal of a new treatment strategy based on the combination of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) inhibitor and PIK3CA inhibitor

Broadband 3-D shared aperture high isolation nine-element antenna array for on-demand millimeter-wave 5G applications

The paper presents the results of a novel 3-D shared aperture 3 × 3 matrix antenna-array for 26 GHz band 5 G wireless networks. Radiation elements constituting the array are hexagonal-shaped patches that are elevated above the common dielectric substrate by 3.35 mm and excited through a metallic rod of 0.4 mm diameter. The rod protrudes through the substrate of 0.8 mm thickness. It is shown that by isolating each radiating element in the array with a wall suppresses unwanted electromagnetic (EM) wave interactions, resulting in improvement in the antenna’s impedance matching and radiation characteristics. Moreover, the results show that by embedding hexagonalshaped slots in the patches improve the antenna’s gain and radiation efficiency performance. The subwavelength length slots in the patches essentially transform the radiating elements to exhibit metasurface characteristics when the array is illuminated by EM-waves. The proposed array structure has an average gain and radiation efficiency of 20 dBi and 93%, respectively, across 24.0–28.4 GHz. The isolation between its radiation elements is greater than 22 dB. Compared to the unslotted array the improvement in isolation between radiating elements is greater than 11dB, and the gain and efficiency are better than 10.5 dBi, and 25%, respectively. The compact array has a fractional bandwidth of 16% and a form factor of 20 × 20 × 3.35 mm3.Dr. Mohammad Alibakhshikenari acknowledges support from the CONEX-Plus programme funded by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 801538. Also, this work was supported by Project RTI2018-095499-B-C31, funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Gobierno de España (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE)