High quality sweet organic cherry ingredients by osmotic dehydration before freezing: the primary importance of cultivar

Sweet organic cherry (Prunus avium) is worth processing for its important nutritional value, linked to high anthocyanin content. Osmo-dehydrofreezing, a combined process where freezing is preceded by an osmotic dehydration step in concentrated sugar solution, could be the method of choice in order to maintain the original quality of fruit. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the influence of cultivar on solid-liquid exchanges and on colour modification during osmotic dehydration carried out for 45 min at 25°C in a 65% (wt/wt) sucrose solution. For two consecutive years (2004, 2005) nine cultivars of sweet organic cherries were processed: two grown in the South and seven in the North of Italy. Water loss and soluble solids gain values were quite low, as already cited in literature, and they were strongly influenced by the cultivar. The process modi-fied cherry colour, causing a slight lightening mainly in cultivars with higher solid-liquid exchanges. The results underlined the utmost importance of the tis-sue structure, linked to the cultivar

Long‐term overall survival and toxicities of ABVD vs BEACOPP in advanced Hodgkin lymphoma: A pooled analysis of four randomized trials

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Health-related quality of life in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia receiving first-line therapy with nilotinib

BACKGROUND: Although a wealth of efficacy and safety data is available for many tyrosine kinase inhibitors used in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), there is a dearth of information on their impact on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The primary objective of this study was to evaluate HRQOL and fatigue outcomes in patients with CML receiving first-line therapy with nilotinib. METHODS: This was a multicenter, prospective study enrolling 130 patients with chronic-phase CML. HRQOL and fatigue were evaluated with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and its validated Fatigue module at the baseline and then at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. The primary prespecified HRQOL endpoints defined in the study protocol for longitudinal analysis were the Physical Functioning, Social Functioning, Role Functioning, and Fatigue scales. The remaining scales were investigated on an exploratory basis. RESULTS: The rate of baseline compliance with the HRQOL assessment was 95.4% (124 of 130), and the rate of overall compliance with HRQOL forms was 91%. Among the 4 prespecified primary HRQOL endpoints, statistically significant improvements over time were found for Physical Functioning (P =.013), Role Functioning (P =.004), and Fatigue (P <.001). Clinically meaningful improvements were found already 3 months after the treatment start. The baseline patient self-reported fatigue severity was an independent predictive factor for the achievement of a major molecular response with an odds ratio of 0.960 (95% confidence interval, 0.934-0.988; P =.005). CONCLUSIONS: For most patients, HRQOL improvements with nilotinib occur during the early phase of therapy and are maintained over time. Also, a more systematic HRQOL evaluation during the diagnostic workup of CML may help to predict clinical outcomes. Cancer 2018;124:2228-37. © 2018 American Cancer Society

A straightforward multiparametric quality control protocol for proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: Validation and comparison of various 1.5 T and 3 T clinical scanner systems

Purpose: The aim of this study was to propose and validate across various clinical scanner systems a straightforward multiparametric quality assurance procedure for proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Methods: Eighteen clinical 1.5 T and 3 T scanner systems for MRS, from 16 centres and 3 different manufacturers, were enrolled in the study. A standard spherical water phantom was employed by all centres. The acquisition protocol included 3 sets of single (isotropic) voxel (size 20 mm) PRESS acquisitions with unsuppressed water signal and acquisition voxel position at isocenter as well as off-center, repeated 4/5 times within approximately 2 months. Water peak linewidth (LW) and area under the water peak (AP) were estimated. Results: LW values [mean (standard deviation)] were 1.4 (1.0) Hz and 0.8 (0.3) Hz for 3 T and 1.5 T scanners, respectively. The mean (standard deviation) (across all scanners) coefficient of variation of LW and AP for different spatial positions of acquisition voxel were 43% (20%) and 11% (11%), respectively. The mean (standard deviation) phantom T2 values were 1145 (50) ms and 1010 (95) ms for 1.5 T and 3 T scanners, respectively. The mean (standard deviation) (across all scanners) coefficients of variation for repeated measurements of LW, AP and T2 were 25% (20%), 10% (14%) and 5% (2%), respectively. Conclusions: We proposed a straightforward multiparametric and not time consuming quality control protocol for MRS, which can be included in routine and periodic quality assurance procedures. The protocol has been validated and proven to be feasible in a multicentre comparison study of a fairly large number of clinical 1.5 T and 3 T scanner systems

Adherence and future discontinuation of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia. A patient-based survey on 1133 patients

Therapeutic approach for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients has undergone a revolutionary change with the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which improved overall survival and quality of life. Optimal therapy adherence has become of paramount importance to maximize the benefits in the long-term outcome. Several evidences have been reported that personal factors, such as social support, psychological and subjective perceptions about the drug used and the future, could influence adherence. We here report the results of a questionnaire specifically designed to evaluate factors influencing adherence and perceptions about the future, distributed to patients during regional Italian meetings. Overall, 1133 patients compiled the questionnaire: median age was 57 years. High rate of adherence was reported, but 42% of interviewed patients admitted that they had occasionally postponed a dose and 58% had discontinued therapy mainly for forgetfulness. The majority of patients discussed with personal physician about the importance of adherence and received sufficient information about illness and treatment, but would like to have discussed more about discomfort, anxiety and fear of the future. Summarizing personal drug compliance and estimating how many days a month, on average, the patients did not take the drug, the majority answered that it was less than 3 days (55%) and only a minority (4%) admitted that it was more than 7 days. Interviewed about discontinuation, 49% of patients answered that wouldn't interrupt because of fear of losing all the results achieved so far. This study suggests a higher level of satisfaction with more information received but the need of improving communication about possible future treatment free remission

CMS physics technical design report : Addendum on high density QCD with heavy ions

Peer reviewe

Segni eloquenti in necropoli e abitato

This contribution deals with a context-oriented approach for assessing the social impact of sigla in Etruscan communities and society, as an eloquent\u2014even if non-verbal\u2014means of communication. Some 700 entries from 230 objects made it possible to identify the use of sigla in conventions of division, orientation and delimitation. Some of the six groups identified showed a practice of marking in order to divide up a field on the supporting object into segments. While these may at first sight seem to be simply geometric forms that decorate an object without any particular meaning, when they are studied in relation to the other sigla combined with them, it becomes clear that they have a particular significance. For example, the round base of a pot may have incised lines dividing the circular area in half or in quadrants and a siglum may be set in only one quadrant or there may be sigla in two or all four quadrants. Sometimes the additional sigla are written within the quadrants, while at other times they are placed on the outside. In both cases it seems likely that the marks are meant to indicate the location of something very particular, and thus have to do with showing orientation. The vases with the quadrants marked on the outside, dating especially to the Archaic and \u201cClassical\u201d periods, were found particularly in tombs and sacred contexts, incised on cups or bowls, in a very wide geographical area of Etruria proper, Campania, and Etruria Padana, with a wide variety of combining signs. Those with the quadrants marked on the inside, showing a similar chronology, were more numerous in habitation areas, had more variety in the vase forms, and showed an even wider geographical distribution, including also the culture of Golasecca in the north. They featured a varied but different \u201cvocabulary\u201d of combining signs

Segni eloquenti in necropoli e abitato

Premessa (G. B. G.) Nello specifico dei temi di ricerca del gruppo EPIPOLES il nostro contributo riguarda la possibile equivalenza fra mondo dei vivi e mondo dei morti sulla base della testimonianza epigrafica. Desideriamo ringraziare in particolare M.-L. Haack per aver perseverato nell’impresa di pubblicare, a più di cinque anni di distanza, gli atti di un Convegno che ha destato tanto interesse e dibattito. Da tale ricerca iniziale, presentata in questa sede, si è poi sviluppato il progetto..

Quali etruschi maestri di scrittura?

The contributions of this section of the book (M.C. Biella, M. Cantù e A. Gobbi) present study cases  focused on the relation of the inscription to the object, of the inscribed object to its context and on the final visual impact as a whole, in Central Italy during the Orientalising period. Taking into account the results of the three contributors, this contribution aims to study the social aspects of the epigraphic documentation other than the Etruscan. The starting point is the inscribed object studied as a three-dimensional image circulating in a social network. Such an image is created by a multifaceted range of choices concerning: objects, letter forms and alphabetiform signs.As a consequence the inscribed objects could be considered for its considerable role as social indicators in the complex phenomena of building identities in contexts of cultural contact