272 research outputs found

    Sphincter-sparing surgery after preoperative radiotherapy for low rectal cancers: feasibility, oncologic results and quality of life outcomes

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    The present study assesses the choice of surgical procedure, oncologic results and quality of life (QOL) outcomes in a retrospective cohort of 53 patients with low-lying rectal cancers (within 6 cm of the anal verge) treated surgically following preoperative radiotherapy (RT, median dose 45 Gy) with or without concomitant 5-fluorouracil. QOL was assessed in 23 patients by using two questionnaires developed by the QOL Study Group of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer: EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-CR38. After a median interval of 29 days from completion of RT, abdominoperineal resection (APR) was performed in 29 patients (55%), low anterior resection in 23 patients (20 with coloanal anastomosis) and transrectal excision in one patient. The 3-year actuarial overall survival and locoregional control rates were 71.4% and 77.5% respectively, with no differences observed between patients operated by APR or restorative procedures. For all scales of EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-CR38, no significant differences in median scores were observed between the two surgical groups. Although patients having had APR tended to report a lower body image score (P = 0.12) and more sexual dysfunction in male patients, all APR patients tended to report better physical function, future perspective and global QOL. In conclusion, sphincter-sparing surgery after preoperative RT seems to be feasible, in routine practice, in a significant proportion of low rectal cancers without compromising the oncologic results. However, prospective studies are mandatory to confirm this finding and to clarify the putative QOL advantages of sphincter-conserving approaches. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

    Validation of a combined CFD/FEM methodology for the evaluation of thermal load acting on aluminum alloy pistons through hardness measurements in internal combustion engines

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    This work presents the results of amultidisciplinary research project, carried outin close collaboration with Ducati MotorHolding S.p.A., for the development of anintegrated methodology to design enginecomponents in aluminum alloy under highthermal loads. The results refer to the study ofan AA2618 (Al-Cu-Mg) alloy piston for highperformance motorcycle engines. The pistonhas been selected as the pilot component forthe development and validation of anadvanced Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and FiniteElement (FE) simulation methodology for theprediction of the inner thermal diffusion. Thesubsequent validation has been achievedthrough both the mechanical andmicrostructural characterization of thecomponent. The methodology here presentedconsists of close interaction between fluiddynamics(CFD) simulations of the combustionprocess and Finite Element (FEM) simulations ofthe thermal diffusion inside the components.Combustion is the main engine heat sourceand is simulated by means of a threedimensionalCFD code for reactive flows (FIREv2008-AVL), with the use of advancedcombustion (ECFM) and wall interactionmodels. The temperature map on the surfacesis based on the results of the iteration with FEMsimulation of thermal diffusion. The FEM modelused for the diffusion analysis receives theresults of combustion analysis as input. Twodifferent methods have been tested for thetransfer of the CFD thermal load to the FEMmodels: a) imposition on the piston crown of aspatial distribution of heat flux averaged overthe mean engine cycle; b) imposition on thepiston crown of both heat flux coefficients and..

    Theoretical estimates of the anapole magnetizabilities of C4H4X2 cyclic molecules for X=O, S, Se, and Te

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    Calculations have been carried out for C4H4X2 cyclic molecules, with X=O, S, Se, and Te, characterized by the presence of magnetic-field induced toroidal electron currents and associated orbital anapole moments. The orbital anapole induced by a static nonuniform magnetic field B, with uniform curl C =∇× B, is rationalized via a second-rank anapole magnetizability tensor aαβ , defined as minus the second derivative of the second-order interaction energy with respect to the components Cα and Bβ. The average anapole magnetizability a equals −χ, the pseudoscalar obtained by spatial averaging of the dipole-quadrupole magnetizability χα,βγ . It has different sign for D and L enantiomeric systems and can therefore be used for chiral discrimination. Therefore, in an isotropic chiral medium, a homogeneous magnetic field induces an electronic anapole Aα, having the same magnitude, but opposite sign, for two enantiomorphs.Fil: Pagola, Gabriel Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Ferraro, Marta Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Provasi, Patricio Federico. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Modelado e Innovación Tecnológica. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Modelado e Innovación Tecnologica; ArgentinaFil: Pelloni, Stefano. Universidad de Modena y Reggio Emilia. Departamento de Química; ItaliaFil: Lazzeretti, Paolo. Universidad de Modena y Reggio Emilia. Departamento de Química; Italia; Itali

    How Friedman and Schwartz Became Monetarists

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    During the late-1940s and the early-1950s Milton Friedman favored a rule under which fiscal policy would be used to generate changes in the money supply with the aim of stabilizing output at full employment. He believed that the economy is inherently unstable because of endogenous movements in money supply under a fractional-reserve banking system. In her work, Anna Schwartz downplayed the role of monetary factors of business cycles and the role of monetary policy as a stabilization tool. We show how the joint work of Friedman and Schwartz from 1948 to 1958 led Friedman to view money as the "primary mover" in the business cycle and underpinned his shift to a rule based on money growth so that discretionary monetary policy would not act as a source of destabilizing shocks. The decisive factor in the evolution of Friedman's thinking was the empirical confirmation that the Great Depression had been both initiated and deepened by the Fed. The largely neglected influence of Clark Warburton on the evolution of Friedman's thinking provides a missing - but crucial - link in explaining Friedman's recognition of the role of monetary factors in the Great Depression and of the Fed's ability to offset the destabilizing effects produced by shifts from deposits into currency under a fractional-reserve banking system
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