Organic contaminants in Ganga basin: from the Green Revolution to the emerging concerns of modern India

The Ganga basin includes some of the most densely populated areas in the world, in a region characterised by extremely high demographic and economic growth rates. Although anthropogenic pressure in this area is increasing, the pollution status of the Ganga is still poorly studied and understood. In the light of this, we have carried out a systematic literature review of the sources, levels and spatiotemporal distribution of organic pollutants in surface water and sediment of the Ganga basin, including for the first time emerging contaminants (ECs). We have identified 61 publications over the past thirty years, with data on a total of 271 organic compounds, including pesticides, industrial chemicals and by-products, artificial sweeteners, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). The most studied organic contaminants are pesticides, whereas knowledge of industrial compounds and PPCPs, among which some of the major ECs, is highly fragmentary. Most studies focus on the main channel of the Ganga, the Yamuna, the Gomti and the deltaic region, while most of the Ganga’s major tributaries, and the entire southern part of the catchment, have not been investigated. Hotspots of contamination coincide with major urban agglomerations, including Delhi, Kolkata, Kanpur, Varanasi and Patna. Pesticides levels have decreased at most of the sites over recent decades, while potentially harmful concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organotin compounds (OTCs) and some PPCPs have been detected in the last ten years. Considering the limited geographical coverage of sampling and number of analysed compounds, this review highlights the need for a more careful selection of locations, compounds and environmental matrices, prioritizing PPCPs and catchment-scale, source-to-sink studie

Whole brain radiotherapy with adjuvant or concomitant boost in brain metastasis: dosimetric comparison between helical and volumetric IMRT technique

To compare and evaluate the possible advantages related to the use of VMAT and helical IMRT and two different modalities of boost delivering, adjuvant stereotactic boost (SRS) or simultaneous integrated boost (SIB), in the treatment of brain metastasis (BM) in RPA classes I-II patients

Radiotherapy for adult medulloblastoma: Long term result from a single institution. A review of prognostic factors and why we do need a multi-institutional cooperative program

AimWe retrospectively analyzed our Institution experience with these patients. The endpoints of the analysis were overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), local control (LC), metastasis free survival (MFS); results were compared with the literature.BackgroundMedulloblastoma in adult patients is a very rare disease; the 5 and 10-year overall survival rates range between 33–78% and 27–56%, respectively. The collection of more clinical data is strongly needed.Materials and methodsFrom September 1975 to October 2006, we treated 16 adult patients (9 males and 7 females) with a histological diagnosis of medulloblastoma. Acute and late toxicities were scored according to RTOG toxicity scale. Karnofski performance status (KPS) and neurological performance status (NPS) pre- and post-RT were reported.Median age was 27 years (range 18–53 years). All the patients received cranio-spinal irradiation, two patients were also given chemotherapy. Median follow-up period was 121.5 months.ResultsIn January 2014, 10/16 patients were alive without evidence of disease, 6/16 died with progressive disease (1 local and spinal, 3 spinal and 2 extraneural). Ten-year LC, OS, DFS, MFS were, respectively, 84%, 67%, 60% and 59%. Univariate analysis shows that gross total resection is associated with better survival.No acute or late G3–G4 toxicity was observed.ConclusionsThis experience and the analysis of the literature confirm the efficacy of postoperative RT but also the need of large datasets to better define prognostic factors and the possible role of the association of chemotherapy

Radiotherapy for adult medulloblastoma: Long term result from a single institution. A review of prognostic factors and why we do need a multi-institutional cooperative program

Abstract AIM: We retrospectively analyzed our Institution experience with these patients. The endpoints of the analysis were overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), local control (LC), metastasis free survival (MFS); results were compared with the literature. BACKGROUND: Medulloblastoma in adult patients is a very rare disease; the 5 and 10-year overall survival rates range between 33-78% and 27-56%, respectively. The collection of more clinical data is strongly needed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From September 1975 to October 2006, we treated 16 adult patients (9 males and 7 females) with a histological diagnosis of medulloblastoma. Acute and late toxicities were scored according to RTOG toxicity scale. Karnofski performance status (KPS) and neurological performance status (NPS) pre- and post-RT were reported. Median age was 27 years (range 18-53 years). All the patients received cranio-spinal irradiation, two patients were also given chemotherapy. Median follow-up period was 121.5 months. RESULTS: In January 2014, 10/16 patients were alive without evidence of disease, 6/16 died with progressive disease (1 local and spinal, 3 spinal and 2 extraneural). Ten-year LC, OS, DFS, MFS were, respectively, 84%, 67%, 60% and 59%. Univariate analysis shows that gross total resection is associated with better survival. No acute or late G3-G4 toxicity was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This experience and the analysis of the literature confirm the efficacy of postoperative RT but also the need of large datasets to better define prognostic factors and the possible role of the association of chemotherap

Response to: 'Correspondence on 'Association between treatment with colchicine and improved survival in a single-centre cohort of adult hospitalised patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome'' by Kawada

No abstract availabl

Bovisa Connection. Tasselli urbani per scenari resilienti

L'articolo presenta lo scenario progettuale per l'ambito di Bovisa a Milano tratteggiando una strategia di intervento aperta e incrementale

Bovisa Connection. Tasselli urbani per scenari resilienti

none15noneArcidiacono Andrea; Ascari Jacopo; Del Curto Davide; Galuzzi Paolo; Ghirardelli Federico; Ginnari Stefano; Gonzales Matias; Longhi Giovanna; Mazzoleni Paolo; Menini Giacomo; Oppio Alessandra; Trevisan Alessandro; Pareglio Stefano; Prandolini Alessandro; Vitillo PiergiorgioArcidiacono, Andrea; Ascari, Jacopo; DEL CURTO, Davide; Galuzzi, Paolo; Ghirardelli, Federico; Ginnari, Stefano; Gonzales, Matias; Longhi, Giovanna; Mazzoleni, Paolo; Menini, Giacomo; Oppio, Alessandra; Trevisan, Alessandro; Pareglio, Stefano; Prandolini, Alessandro; Vitillo, Piergiorgi

The treatment of patients with 1-3 brain metastases: is there a place for whole brain radiotherapy alone, yet? A retrospective analysis

To evaluate the efficacy of whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) with or without other treatments in patients (pts) with 1-3 brain metastases (BM)