Advanced chondrosarcoma of the pelvis: a rare case of urinary obstruction

Chondrosarcoma is the second most common malignant tumor of the bone with an incidence of 1 in 200.000 per year. Axial skeleton is frequently involved showing poorer oncological outcomes than appendicular one: human pelvis is a site predilection. It is rarely associated to urinary obstruction but according to its localization, it can be frequently linked to compression of pelvic organs as bladder, prostate or bowel. We describe the case of a 52 years old caucasian male with history of advanced pelvic chondrosarcoma and severe hydronephrosis due to total bladder dislocation

A Wi-Fi cloud-based portable potentiostat for electrochemical biosensors

The measurement of the analyte concentration in electrochemical biosensors traditionally requires costly laboratory equipment to obtain accurate results. Innovative portable solutions have recently been proposed, but usually, they lean on personal computers (PCs) or smartphones for data elaboration and they exhibit poor resolution or portability and proprietary software. This paper presents a low-cost portable system, assembling an ad hoc -designed analog front end (AFE) and a development board equipped with a system on chip integrating a microcontroller and a Wi-Fi network processor. The wireless module enables the transmission of measurements directly to a cloud service for sharing device outcome with users (physicians, caregivers, and so on). In doing so, the system does not require neither the customized software nor other devices involved in data acquisition. Furthermore, when any Internet connection is lost, the data are stored on board for subsequent transmission when a Wi-Fi connection is available. The noise output voltage spectrum has been characterized. Since the designed device is intended to be battery-powered to enhance portability, investigations about battery lifetime were carried out. Finally, data acquired with a conventional benchtop Autolab PGSTAT-204 electrochemical workstation are compared with the outcome of our developed device to validate the effectiveness of our proposal. To this end, we selected ferri/ferrocyanide as redox probe, obtaining the calibration curves for both the platforms. The final outcomes are shown to be feasible, accurate, and repeatable

IoT and Biosensors: A Smart PortablePotentiostat With AdvancedCloud-Enabled Features

Recent advances in Internet-of-Things technology have opened the doors to new scenariosfor biosensor applications. Flexibility, portability, and remote control and access are of utmost importanceto move these devices to people’s homes or in a Point-of-Care context and rapidly share the results withusers and their physicians. In this paper, an innovative portable device for both quantitative and semi-quantitative electrochemical analysis is presented. This device can operate autonomously without the needof relying on other devices (e.g., PC, tablets, or smartphones) thanks to built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. Thedeveloped hardware is integrated into a cloud-based platform, exploiting the cloud computational powerto perform innovative algorithms for calibration (e.g., Machine Learning tools). Results and configurationscan be accessed through a web page without the installation of dedicated APPs or software. The electricalinput/output characteristic was measured with a dummy cell as a load, achieving excellent linearity.Furthermore, the device response to five different concentrations of potassium ferri/ferrocyanide redox probewas compared with a bench-top laboratory instrument. No difference in analytical sensitivity was found.Also, some examples of application-specific tests were set up to demonstrate the use in real-case scenarios.In addition, Support Vector Machine algorithm was applied to semi-quantitative analyses to classify theinput samples into four classes, achieving an average accuracy of 98.23%. Finally, COVID-19 related testsare presented and discussed (PDF) IoT and Biosensors: A Smart Portable Potentiostat With Advanced Cloud-Enabled Features. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355214115_IoT_and_Biosensors_A_Smart_Portable_Potentiostat_With_Advanced_Cloud-Enabled_Features [accessed Oct 25 2021]

COVID-19 respiratory support outside the ICU's doors. An observational study for a new operative strategy

During the first wave of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, we faced a massive clinical and organizational challenge having to manage critically ill patients outside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This was due to the significant imbalance between ICU bed availability and the number of patients presenting Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure caused by SARS-CoV-2-related interstitial pneumonia. We therefore needed to perform Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) in non-intensive wards to assist these patients and relieve pressure on the ICUs and subsequently implemented a new organizational and clinical model. This study was aimed at evaluating its effectiveness and feasibility

Rapid Quantification of SARS-Cov-2 Spike Protein Enhanced with a Machine Learning Technique Integrated in a Smart and Portable Immunosensor

An IoT-WiFi smart and portable electrochemical immunosensor for the quantification of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein integrated with machine learning features was developed. The immunoenzymatic sensor is based on the immobilization of monoclonal antibodies directed to SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunit on Screen-Printed Electrodes functionalized with gold nanoparticles, the analytical protocol involving a single-step sample incubation. Immunosensor performance was assessed by validation carried out in viral transfer medium, which is commonly used for de-sorption of nasopharyngeal swabs. Remarkable specificity of the response was demonstrated by testing H1N1 Hemagglutinin from swine-origin influenza A virus and Spike Protein S1 from Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Machine learning was successfully used for data processing and analysis: different support vector machine classifiers were evaluated proving that algorithms affect the classifier accuracy. The test accuracy of the best classification model in terms of true positive/true negative sample classification was 97.3%. In addition, ML algorithm can be easily integrated into the developed cloud-based portable Wi-Fi device. Finally, the immunosensor was successfully tested using a third generation replicating incompetent lentiviral vector pseudotyped with SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, thus proving the applicability of the immunosensor to whole virus detection

Prognostic value of H-index in patients surgically treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, a novel host-related index, the Host-index (H-index), including both inflammatory and nutritional markers, has been described and observed to stratify prognosis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity more accurately than other host-related indexes This study aimed to investigate the prognostic performance of the H-index using pretreatment blood tests in patients receiving up-front surgery for SCC of the larynx. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included a multicenter series of consecutive patients with SCC of the larynx diagnosed between 1 January 2009 and 31 July 2018, whose pretreatment blood tests were available and included the parameters necessary for the calculation of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the H-index. Their association with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was measured. RESULTS: A total of 231 patients were eligible for the present analysis (median [range] age, 68 [37-96] years; 191 [82.7%] men). The median follow-up was 73 months. In multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models, increasing age (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.07 per year; 95% CI, 1.04-1.09), advanced pT stage (aHR = 1.71 95% CI: 1.07-2.71), and having close or positive surgical margins (aHR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.21-3.33) were significantly associated with poor OS. Among blood parameters, a higher neutrophil count was a strong predictor of both worse DFS (aHR for recurrence/death = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.24-4.40) and OS (aHR for death = 2.67; 95% CI: 1.51-4.71). Among inflammatory blood indexes, while NLR was not significantly associated with DFS or OS, patients with H-index ≥8.37 showed a higher aHR for both recurrence/death (2.82; 95% CI: 1.65-4.79) and death (2.22; 95% CI: 1.26-3.89). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the present study confirms the prognostic value of pretreatment H-index, an easily measurable inflammatory and nutritional index, in patients with SCC of the larynx. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III

Epidermoid cyst of the adult testis. Case report and literature review

BACKGROUND: Testicular epidermoid cysts (TEC) are rare lesions often incidentally discovered and radically treated. They present as testicular firm palpable mass. Ultrasound and MR may be useful in characterizing the lesion. Diagnosis depends on histology. The real understanding of biological behaviour and clinical management is unresolved. We report the case of a young male who underwent to surgical keratocyst enucleation. CASE REPORT: A 16 y.o. male presented for a firm mass in the testis. The right testis presented with a palpable painless mass in the middle portion. Inguinal and supraclavicular lymph nodes were negative. Serum markers (AFP, bHCG, PLAP and LDH) were normal. Scrotal sonography (US) reported a well circumscribed 2 centimetres mass with intervening septa and coexisting solid areas: intralesional calcifications were not described. Magnetic Resonance (MR) ruled out secundarisms and intralesional contrast enhancement. Biopsy with was offered. RESULTS: Frozen section was suggestive for mature keratocyst and surgical enucleation of the mass was offered. DISCUSSION: TEC are benign tumors which arise from ectoderm, endoderm or mesoderm tissues. They account for around 1-2% of all testicular masses and tipically present in mid-adulthood. The etiology is still debated and whether these should be classed as a variant of mature teratoma is still under discussion. Simple TEC correspond to the prepubertal-type teratoma of the 2018 WHO classification and are unrelated to germ cell neoplasm in situ (GCNIS). Post-pubertal variant may be more frequently associated with invasive GCT and should be radically treated especially when bad prognostic features coexist: due to this reason the are identifyed as complex TEC. Clinically keratocysts are highly indistinguishable to all testicular neoplasms. Serum markers are negative too. Sonographic study (US) may guide diagnosis: they present as non-vascular, well marginated intratesticular masses with a lamellar ‘onion skin’ or ‘bull-eye’ image and avascular centre. Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and Magnetic Resonance (MR) also provide with more informations since the absence of contrast enhancement highly suggest the benign nature of the lesions. Diagnosis only depends on histology: differentiation from coexisting enthities such as teratomas, germ cell tumors (GCT) and granulomatous disease is mandatory also in pre-pubertal forms. Microscopically, cellular atypia, mitotic activity, necrosis, hemorrhage and epythelial hyperplasia are usually missing in pre-pubertal ones totally suggesting a benign behaviour. Moreover, no case of recurrence or metastases have been to date reported in literature: partial orchiectomy or testis-sparing excision with frozen section is becoming day by day the standard treatment. CONCLUSION: Testicular keratocysts are rare lesions commonly presenting in young male and indistinguishable from other testicular lesions. Pre- and post-pubertal form represent the main variants. Biologic behaviour and clinical management is still unresolved. Pre-pubertal form are not related to IGCNIS and no cases of spreading have been reported to date: differently from post-pubertal ones they are considered benign tumors to date. Serum markers, sonographic features and MR may be helpful in making diagnosis and surgical planning. Only histology confirms the nature of the lesion and ruling out coexisting histotype. The importance of accurate diagnosis is crucial for preventing unncessary orchiectomy since testicular sparing surgery shoudl be offered

An integrated IoT-Wi-Fi board for remote data acquisition and sharing from innovative immunosensors. Case of study: Diagnosis of celiac disease

A new compact diagnostic device exploiting the integration of screen printed electrode-based immunosensors and remote-controlled IoT-WiFi acquisition board has been realized and validated for diagnosis of Celiac Disease as case of study. The immunodevice is based on chemisorption of open tissue transglutaminase enzyme on the surface of gold nanoparticles-functionalized carbon screen printed electrodes. IgA and IgG anti-tissue transglutaminase target antibodies are recognized by the immobilized bioreceptor as highly specific biomarkers related to Celiac Disease. The signal from the amperometric sensor is acquired and processed through on-purpose developed IoT-WiFi integrated board, allowing for real-time data sharing on cloud services to directly notify all users (physicians, caregivers, etc.) on device outcome. The proposed solution does not require customized hardware or software. The analytical performances of the immunosensors were optimized by experimental design, obtaining diagnostically useful limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) values (LODIgA=3.2 AU mL−1; LODIgG=1.4 AU mL−1; LOQIgA=4.6 AU mL−1; LOQIgG =2.3 AU mL−1) as well as good intermediate precision (RSD < 5%). The high discrimination capability of the IoT-Wi-Fi device between positive and negative serum control resulted to be suitable for diagnostic purposes, with outstanding statistical significance (p < 0,001