13 research outputs found
A Rare Pancreatic Tail Metastasis from Squamous Cell Lung Carcinoma Diagnosed by EUS-FNB and a Small Review of the Literature
Differential diagnosis of pancreatic lesions is really challenging, especially when the patient is diagnosed with primary cancer at another site. In this case report, we managed to histologically confirm pancreatic metastasis from squamous cell lung carcinoma, which is a very rare entity, using endoscopic ultrasound fine needle biopsy
The Evolution from Design to Verification of the Antenna System and Mechanisms in the AcubeSAT mission
AcubeSAT is an open-source CubeSat mission aiming to explore the effects of
microgravity and radiation on eukaryotic cells using a compact microfluidic LoC
platform. It is developed by SpaceDot, a volunteer, interdisciplinary student
team at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and supported by the "Fly Your
Satellite! 3" program of the ESA Education Office. The scientific data of the
mission is comprised of microscope images captured through the on-board
integrated camera setup. As the total size of the payload data is expected to
be close to 2GB over 12 months, a fast and efficient downlink fulfilling the
restrictive power, cost and complexity budgets is required. Currently, there is
no open-source communications system design which fully supports these specific
constraints, so we opted to develop our own solutions. The antenna system
underwent multiple iterations as the design matured, a process highly aided by
the feedback received from the ESA experts. The final communications system
configuration consists of an S-band microstrip antenna operating at 2.4GHz and
a UHF deployable antenna, for the payload data and TM&TC respectively, both
in-house designed. In this paper, we will present AcubeSAT's antenna system
iterations that span over 3 years, as well as the rationale and analysis
results behind each. The development decisions will be highlighted throughout
the paper in an effort to aid in the future development of such a low-cost
CubeSat mission communications system.Comment: 74th International Astronautical Congres
Expression of insulinâlike growth factorâ1 receptor in circulating tumor cells of patients with breast cancer is associated with patient outcomes
In patients with breast cancer, markers of aggressiveness such as dysregulation of the insulinâlike growth factor receptor (IGF1R) system and Eâcadherin loss are commonly observed. Reduced IGF1R expression is correlated with decreased Eâcadherin levels and increased cell motility. We assessed IGF1R and Eâcadherin expression in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with breast cancer. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of early (n = 87)â and metastatic (n = 126)âstage breast cancer patients (obtained prior to adjuvant and firstâline chemotherapy) were evaluated using double immunofluorescence (IF) staining for cytokeratin (CK) and IGF1R. Triple IF using CK, IGF1R, and Eâcadherin antibodies was performed in selected CTC(+) patients. IGF1R(+) CTCs were more frequently observed in early disease than in metastatic disease (86% vs 68% of CTCs, P = 0.04) stage, whereas IGF1R(â) CTCs were more common in metastatic than in early disease (32% vs 14% of CTCs, P = 0.002). 100% of CTC(+) patients with early disease, compared to 79% of those with metastatic disease, harbored IGF1R(+) CTCs (P = 0.007). Patients with early disease and exclusively IGF1R(+) CTCs had longer diseaseâfree (P = 0.02) and overall survival (P = 0.001) compared to patients with both IGF1R(+) and IGF1R(â) CTC populations. 67% of earlyâstage CTC(+) patients evaluated had exclusively IGF1R(+)/Eâcadherin(+) CTCs, 33% also had IGF1R(â)/Eâcadherin(â) CTCs, and none had exclusively IGF1R(â)/Eâcadherin(â) CTCs compared to 17%, 75%, and 8% of metastatic patients, respectively (P = 0.027). Similarly, in paired samples of patients with early disease that progressed to metastatic disease, the proportion of IGF1R(+)/Eâcadherin(+) CTCs was reduced and IGF1R(â)/Eâcadherin(â) CTCs were increased in the metastatic stage compared to early disease stage. IGF1R(+) CTCs are commonly detected in breast cancer, and their frequency decreases in the metastatic disease stage. IGF1R(+)/Eâcadherin(+) CTCs also decrease in metastatic patients. IGF1R(+) CTCs are associated with favorable outcomes in early disease stage, suggesting that IGF1R expression is correlated with reduced metastatic potential in breast cancer
Point-prevalence survey of healthcare facility-onset healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile infection in Greek hospitals outside the intensive care unit: The C. DEFINE study.
The correlation of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) with in-hospital morbidity is important in hospital settings where broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents are routinely used, such as in Greece. The C. DEFINE study aimed to assess point-prevalence of CDI in Greece during two study periods in 2013.There were two study periods consisting of a single day in March and another in October 2013. Stool samples from all patients hospitalized outside the ICU aged â„18 years old with diarrhea on each day in 21 and 25 hospitals, respectively, were tested for CDI. Samples were tested for the presence of glutamate dehydrogenase antigen (GDH) and toxins A/B of C. difficile; samples positive for GDH and negative for toxins were further tested by culture and PCR for the presence of toxin genes. An analysis was performed to identify potential risk factors for CDI among patients with diarrhea.5,536 and 6,523 patients were screened during the first and second study periods, respectively. The respective point-prevalence of CDI in all patients was 5.6 and 3.9 per 10,000 patient bed-days whereas the proportion of CDI among patients with diarrhea was 17% and 14.3%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that solid tumor malignancy [odds ratio (OR) 2.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18-6.15, p = 0.019] and antimicrobial administration (OR 3.61, 95% CI: 1.03-12.76, p = 0.045) were independent risk factors for CDI development. Charlson's Comorbidity Index (CCI) >6 was also found as a risk factor of marginal statistical significance (OR 2.24, 95% CI: 0.98-5.10). Median time to CDI from hospital admission was shorter with the presence of solid tumor malignancy (3 vs 5 days; p = 0.002) and of CCI >6 (4 vs 6 days, p = 0.009).The point-prevalence of CDI in Greek hospitals was consistent among cases of diarrhea over a 6-month period. Major risk factors were antimicrobial use, solid tumor malignancy and a CCI score >6
Point-prevalence survey of healthcare facility-onset healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile infection in Greek hospitals outside the intensive care unit: The C. DEFINE study.
The correlation of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) with in-hospital morbidity is important in hospital settings where broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents are routinely used, such as in Greece. The C. DEFINE study aimed to assess point-prevalence of CDI in Greece during two study periods in 2013.There were two study periods consisting of a single day in March and another in October 2013. Stool samples from all patients hospitalized outside the ICU aged â„18 years old with diarrhea on each day in 21 and 25 hospitals, respectively, were tested for CDI. Samples were tested for the presence of glutamate dehydrogenase antigen (GDH) and toxins A/B of C. difficile; samples positive for GDH and negative for toxins were further tested by culture and PCR for the presence of toxin genes. An analysis was performed to identify potential risk factors for CDI among patients with diarrhea.5,536 and 6,523 patients were screened during the first and second study periods, respectively. The respective point-prevalence of CDI in all patients was 5.6 and 3.9 per 10,000 patient bed-days whereas the proportion of CDI among patients with diarrhea was 17% and 14.3%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that solid tumor malignancy [odds ratio (OR) 2.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18-6.15, p = 0.019] and antimicrobial administration (OR 3.61, 95% CI: 1.03-12.76, p = 0.045) were independent risk factors for CDI development. Charlson's Comorbidity Index (CCI) >6 was also found as a risk factor of marginal statistical significance (OR 2.24, 95% CI: 0.98-5.10). Median time to CDI from hospital admission was shorter with the presence of solid tumor malignancy (3 vs 5 days; p = 0.002) and of CCI >6 (4 vs 6 days, p = 0.009).The point-prevalence of CDI in Greek hospitals was consistent among cases of diarrhea over a 6-month period. Major risk factors were antimicrobial use, solid tumor malignancy and a CCI score >6
Comparative characteristics of patients with diarrhea with and without <i>Clostridium difficile</i> infection (CDI).
<p>Comparative characteristics of patients with diarrhea with and without <i>Clostridium difficile</i> infection (CDI).</p
Primary and secondary variables of point-prevalence of each phase of the study.
<p>Primary and secondary variables of point-prevalence of each phase of the study.</p
Impact of solid tumor malignancy and Charlsonâs Comorbidity Index score more than 6 on the time until development of CDI.
<p>Impact of solid tumor malignancy and Charlsonâs Comorbidity Index score more than 6 on the time until development of CDI.</p