1,266 research outputs found
Biphenotypic Sinonasal Sarcoma-Case Report and Review of Clinicopathological Features and Diagnostic Modalities.
Background
Biphenotypic sinonasal sarcoma is a recently described malignancy showing dual differentiation with both myogenic and neural elements. Due to its histologic similarities to other sinonasal malignancies, it is a diagnostic challenge.
Objective
The main purpose of this article is to report a case of biphenotypic sinonasal sarcoma and to consolidate data and provide a comprehensive review regarding pathological differences between biphenotypic sarcoma and other sinonasal malignancies and diagnostic modalities used for biphenotypic sarcoma.
Material and Methods
A systematic review of all cases of biphenotypic sinonasal sarcoma was performed using electronic databases (PubMed and Medline). Data collected included age, gender, symptoms, sub-site of origin, immunophenotyping, metastasis, recurrence, treatment, duration of follow-up, and survival outcomes.
Results
Ninety-five cases of biphenotypic sarcoma were found with mean age at diagnosis of 52.36 years (range, 24-87 years). Female to male ratio was 2.27:1. Extra-sinonasal extension was present in 28%. Immunophenotyping revealed that S-100 and SMA (smooth muscle actin) were consistently positive, while SOX-10 was consistently negative. PAX3-MAML3 fusion [t (2; 4) (q35; q31.1)] was the most common genetic rearrangement. Surgical excision with or without adjuvant radiotherapy was the most frequent treatment modality used. Recurrence was observed in 32% of cases with follow-up. None of the cases reported metastasis. Three patients had died at the time of publication that included one case with intracranial extension.
Conclusion
Biphenotypic sarcoma is distinct sinonasal malignancy with unique clinicopathological features. Testing involving a battery of myogenic and neural immunomarkers is essential for diagnostic confirmation and is a clinically useful endeavor when clinical suspicion is high.
© 2019 Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart. New York
Measuring magnitude and rate of vertical movements in the offshore Capo Vaticano (W Calabria) using lowstand coastal prisms and wavebuilt terraces
The magnitude and rate of vertical movements have been
measured in the offshore Capo Vaticano (western Calabria) for
the Late Pleistocene - Holocene on the basis of the depth of
submerged coastal prism and associated wave-built terrace
formed during the sea-level lowstand of the Last Glacial
Maximum (LGM). Uplifted and submerged terraces have
proved to be valuable recorders of vertical motion in many
locations around the world (e.g. DICKINSON, 2001; WEBSTER et
alii, 2004) as the depth of their tops appear to be controlled by
the sea-level. In the eastern Tyrrhenian margins, depending on
the hydraulic energy conditions (i.e. waves and wind-induced
currents), the average water depth of terraced surface of
lowstand coastal prisms was probably 15-20 m (CHIOCCI &
ORLANDO, 1996).
A series of LGM lowstand coastal prisms and associated
wave-built terraces were identified on a new set of very highresolution
reflection seismic profiles acquired along the
continental shelf and upper slope of the western Calabria
continental margin. Data processing included time-depth
conversion and the interpretation of the resulting seismic lines
was performed using a GIS-based software package.
Seismic interpretation highlight that along the offshore
Capo Vaticano the slope-breaks associated with wave-built
terraced formed during the LGM deepens from ~130 m (cluster
A) to ~170 m (cluster B) below sea level (bsl) as one moves
from southwest to the northeast, over a distance of ~21 km
(Fig. 1). Farther to the north, along the western flank of the
Calabrian Arc, an average depth for the slope-breaks of ~165 m
is measured. Removal of the non tectonic component of vertical changes
using an ice-volume equivalent eustatic sea-level compilation
(LAMBECK et alii, 2011) indicates ~15 (± 5) m of uplift and
~25 (± 5) m of subsidence during the post-LGM for the
southern and northern sectors offshore Capo Vaticano,
respectively. The resulting average uplift and subsidence rates
(both regional and local components) for the last 20 (± 2) k.y.
are 0.75 (±0.325) mm/y and 1.25 (±0.375) mm/y, respectively.
The integration of the new data with those available in the
literature (e.g. TORTORICI et alii, 2003; CUCCI & TERTULLIANI,
2010; FERRANTI et alii, 2011) may provide information on
fault kinematics and constraints on slip rates of tectonic
structures that are relevant for earthquake hazard analysis of
western Calabrian margin.
REFERENCES
CHIOCCI, F. L. & ORLANDO L. (1996) - Lowstand terraces on
Tyrrhenian Sea steep continental scope. Marine Geology,
134, 127-143.
CUCCI, L. & TERTULLIANI A. (2010) - The Capo Vaticano
(Calabria) coastal terraces and the 1905 M7 earthquake:
the geomorphological signature of regional uplift and
coseismic slip in southern Italy. Terra Nova, 22, 378–389.
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3121.2010.00961.x
DICKINSON, W.R. (2001)- Paleoshoreline record of relative
Holocene sea levels on Pacific islands. Earth-Science
Reviews, 55, p. 191–234. doi: 10.1016/S0012-8252
(01)00063-0.
FERRANTI L., SCICCHITANO G., SPAMPINATO C. R., ANTONIOLI
F., MONACO C. (2011) - Holocene coastal uplift at Capo
Vaticano, Calabria: implications for differential
deformation rates. Riassunti VIII Forum FIST Geoitalia
2011, 19-23 Settembre 2011, Torino. Epitome, 4, 153.
LAMBECK, K., F. ANTONIOLI, M. ANZIDEI, L. FERRANTI, G.
LEONI, G. SCICCHITANO & S. SILENZI (2011) - Sea level
change along the Italian coast during the Holocene and
projections for the future. Quaternary International, 232,
250-257.
WEBSTER, J.M., WALLACE, L., SILVER, E., APPLEGATE, B.,
POTTS, D., BRAGA, J.C., RIKER-COLEMAN, K. & GALLUP, C.
(2004) - Drowned carbonate platforms in the Huon Gulf,
Papua New Guinea. Geochemistry Geophysics
Geosystems, 5, p. Q11008, doi: 10.1029/2004GC000726.
TORTORICI, G., BIANCA, M., DE GUIDI, G., MONACO, C. &
TORTORICI, L. (2003) - Fault activity and marine terracing
in the Capo Vaticano area (southern Calabria) during the
Middle-Late Quaternary. Quatern. Int., 101–102, 269–27
Full counting statistics in the gapped XXZ spin chain
We exploit the knowledge of the entanglement spectrum in the ground state of the gapped XXZ spin chain to derive asymptotic exact results for the full counting statistics of the transverse magnetisation in a large spin block of length \u2113. We found that for a subsystem of even length the full counting statistics is Gaussian, while for odd subsystems it is the sum of two Gaussian distributions. We test our analytic predictions with accurate tensor networks simulations. As a byproduct, we also obtain the symmetry (magnetisation) resolved entanglement entropies
Transcranial Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Focused Ultrasound Treatment at 1.5 T: A Retrospective Study on Treatment- and Patient-Related Parameters Obtained From 52 Procedures
Objective: To present a retrospective analysis of patient- and sonication-related parameters of a group of patients treated with a transcranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided focused ultrasound (tcMRgFUS) system integrated with a 1.5-T MRI unit. Methods: The data obtained from 59 patients, who underwent the tcMRgFUS procedure from January 2015 to April 2019, were retrospectively reviewed for this study. The following data, among others, were mainly collected: skull density ratio (SDR), skull area (SA), number of available transducer elements (Tx), and estimated focal power at target (FP). For each of the four different treatment stages, we calculated the number of sonication processes (S-n), user-defined sonication power (S-p), effective measured power (S-mp), sonication duration (S-d), user-defined energy (E), effective measured energy (E-m), maximum temperature (T-max), and MR thermometry plane orientation. Furthermore, the time delay between each sonication (S-t) and the total treatment time (T-t) were recorded. Results: Fifty-two patients (40 males and 12 females; age 64.51 +/- SD 11.90 years; range 26-86 years), who underwent unilateral Vim thalamotomy (left = 50, 96.15%; right = 2, 3.85%) for medication-refractory essential tremor (n = 39; 78%) or Parkinson tremor (n = 13; 22%) were considered. A total of 1,068 (95.10%) sonication processes were included in our final analysis (average S-n per treatment: 20.65 +/- 6.18; range 13-41). The energy released onto the planned target was found to decrease with the SDR for all temperature ranges. A positive correlation was observed between the slope of T-max vs. E-m plot and the SDR (R-2 = 0.765; p < 0.001). In addition, the T-max was positively correlated with SDR (R-2 = 0.398; p < 0.005). On the contrary, no significant correlation was found between SDR and SA or Tx. An analysis of the MR thermometry scanning plane indicated that, at our site, the axial and the coronal planes were used (on average) 10.4 (SD +/- 3.8) and 7.7 (SD +/- 3.0) times, respectively, whereas the sagittal plane was used only 2.5 (SD +/- 3.0) times per treatment. Conclusion: Our results confirm the factors that significantly influence the course of a tcMRgFUS procedure even when a 1.5-T MRI scanner is used for procedure guidance. The experience we gained in this study indicates that the SDR remains one of the most significant technical parameters to be considered in a tcMRgFUS procedure. The possibility of prospectively setting the sonication energy according to the presented curves of energy delivery as a function of SDR for each treatment stage could provide a further understanding and a greater awareness of this emerging technology
Characterization of the terminal column of TRIGA Mark II reactor of Mainz through of alanine pellets.
We have studied the ESR response of alanine pellets with and without gadolinium exposed to the thermal column of the TRIGA Mark II research reactor at the University of Mainz (Germany). The choice of Gd as additive nucleus is due to its very high capture cross section to thermal neutrons and to the possibility for secondary particles produced after interaction with thermal neutrons of releasing their energy in the neighborhood of the reaction site. In particular, it was found that low concentration (5% by weight) of Gd brings about a neutron sensitivity enhancement of more than 10 times without heavily reducing tissue equivalence. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of both response of alanine and Gd-alanine pellets with FLUKA code were performed and the results were compared with the experimental values
Active shape correction of a thin glass/plastic X-ray mirror
Optics for future X-ray telescopes will be characterized by very large
aperture and focal length, and will be made of lightweight materials like glass
or plastic in order to keep the total mass within acceptable limits. Optics
based on thin slumped glass foils are currently in use in the NuSTAR telescope
and are being developed at various institutes like INAF/OAB, aiming at
improving the angular resolution to a few arcsec HEW. Another possibility would
be the use of thin plastic foils, being developed at SAO and the Palermo
University. Even if relevant progresses in the achieved angular resolution were
recently made, a viable possibility to further improve the mirror figure would
be the application of piezoelectric actuators onto the non-optical side of the
mirrors. In fact, thin mirrors are prone to deform, so they require a careful
integration to avoid deformations and even correct forming errors. This however
offers the possibility to actively correct the residual deformation. Even if
other groups are already at work on this idea, we are pursuing the concept of
active integration of thin glass or plastic foils with piezoelectric patches,
fed by voltages driven by the feedback provided by X-rays, in intra-focal setup
at the XACT facility at INAF/OAPA. In this work, we show the preliminary
simulations and the first steps taken in this project
Ampiezza e tassi dei movimenti verticali a Capo Vaticano (Calabria occidentale,Italia) negli ultimi 20 mila anni determinati sulla base di cunei progradanti epiattaforme di abrasione.
Ampiezza e tassi dei movimenti tettonici verticali sono stati quantificati nel settore offshore di Capo
Vaticano (Calabria occidentale), nell’intervallo Pleistocene superiore – Olocene, sulla base delle profonditĂ
del ciglio dei cunei progradanti infralitorali e delle piattaforme di abrasione formatesi durante l’ultimo
massimo glaciale (LGM). I cunei progradanti sono stati riconosciuti in profili sismici a riflessione ad alta
risoluzione Sparker. I dati sismici sono stati acquisiti lungo la piattaforma e la scarpata continentale
superiore, durante le crociere oceanografiche Marisk 2010 e 2012 organizzate dall’IAMC del CNR di
Napoli, il DISTEM dell’Università di Palermo e il Dip. di Scienze della Terra dell’Università di Napoli.
La deformazione tettonica verticale del promontorio di Capo Vaticano e del suo prolungamento offshore
è caratterizzata da una marcata asimmetria, con profondità dei cigli dei cunei infralitorali che si
approfondisce progressivamente procedendo verso NE. La rimozione della componente non tettonica dei
movimenti verticali, ottenuta utilizzando dati sulle variazioni glacio-eustatiche del tardo Quaternario
[Lambeck et al., 2011], indica nell’area in esame ~11 (± 5) m di sollevamento e di ~25 (± 5) m di
subsidenza, nell’intervallo post-LGM, muovendoci da sud-ovest verso nord-est, su una distanza di ~22 km. Il
valore medio del tasso di sollevamento e di subsidenza (considerando la componente sia regionale sia locale)
per gli ultimi 20.350 (± 1,35) anni sono pari a 0,52 (± 0,28) mm/anno e di 1,23 (± 0,32) mm/anno,
rispettivamente.
I valori dell’ampiezza e il pattern dei movimenti verticali ottenuti attraverso l’analisi dei cunei
progradanti infralitorali sono comparabili, sebbene a tassi parzialmente differenti, sia con quelli determinati
attraverso marker geomorfologici tardo Olocenici [Spampinato et al., 2012] che con i tassi di sollevamento a
lungo termine calcolati sulla base delle posizioni dei terrazzi marini formatisi a 80 a 215 mila anni [Cucci &
Tertulliani, 2010]. L’integrazione dei nuovi dati con quelli disponibili in letteratura indica che il
basculamento del promontorio di Capo Vaticano è episodico ed è avvenuto principalmente tra 215 e 125
mila anni e nel post-LGM
Seasonal patterns of estuarine acidification in seagrass beds of the Snohomish Estuary, WA
Recent studies have begun to explore physical and biogeochemical mechanisms of carbonate chemistry variability in a variety of coastal habitats, including coral reefs, upwelling margins, and inland seas. To our knowledge, there have been limited mechanistic studies of annual carbonate chemistry variability in nearshore estuarine environments. Here, we present autonomous sensor and grab sample data of carbonate chemistry covering a 10 month period from two subtidal seagrass bed sites in Possession Sound, WA. Simple mass balance stoichiometric models are used to evaluate seasonal drivers of carbonate system parameters in the seagrass beds. Simulations of increasing anthropogenic carbon (Canth) burdens in the habitats reveal seasonal differences in the magnitude of carbonate system responses. The addition of Canth alters the thermodynamic buffer factors (e.g. the Revelle factor) of the carbonate system, decreasing the system’s ability to buffer natural variability in the seagrass habitat on high-frequency (e.g. tidal, diel) and seasonal timescales. As a result, the most harmful carbonate system indices for many estuarine organisms (minimum pHT, minimum Ωarag, and maximum pCO2(s.w.)) change most rapidly with increasing Canth. We highlight how the observed seasonal climatology and non-linear response of the carbonate system to increasing Canth drive the timing of the crossing of established physiological stress thresholds for endemic organisms, as well as thresholds relevant for water quality management. In this system, the relative benefits of the seagrass beds in locally mitigating ocean acidification during the growing season increase with the higher atmospheric CO2 levels predicted toward 2100. Presently however, these mitigating effects are mixed due to intense diel cycling of CO2 driven by community metabolism
Are Coronae of Magnetically Active Stars Heated by Flares? III. Analytical Distribution of Superimposed Flares
(abridged) We study the hypothesis that observed X-ray/extreme ultraviolet
emission from coronae of magnetically active stars is entirely (or to a large
part) due to the superposition of flares, using an analytic approach to
determine the amplitude distribution of flares in light curves. The
flare-heating hypothesis is motivated by time series that show continuous
variability suggesting the presence of a large number of superimposed flares
with similar rise and decay time scales. We rigorously relate the amplitude
distribution of stellar flares to the observed histograms of binned counts and
photon waiting times, under the assumption that the flares occur at random and
have similar shapes. Applying these results to EUVE/DS observations of the
flaring star AD Leo, we find that the flare amplitude distribution can be
represented by a truncated power law with a power law index of 2.3 +/- 0.1. Our
analytical results agree with existing Monte Carlo results of Kashyap et al.
(2002) and Guedel et al. (2003). The method is applicable to a wide range of
further stochastically bursting astrophysical sources such as cataclysmic
variables, Gamma Ray Burst substructures, X-ray binaries, and spatially
resolved observations of solar flares.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap
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