Multimodal imaging for clinical target volume definition in prone whole-breast irradiation: a single institution experience

Aim: The aim was identification of reference structures for breast clinical target volume (CTV) in prone position, throughout image fusion process. Materials & methods: We analyzed breast glandular tissue distribution in 20 diagnostic MRIs, referring to structures reported in ESTRO guidelines for supine irradiation. The volume containing breast glandular tissue in all cases was defined as MRI prone CTV (MRIpCTV). Then in ten subsequent patients planned for prone irradiation, MRI and computed tomography (CT) simulation was acquired. MRIpCTV was defined followed by our findings and transferred to CT for definitive delineation. Results: MRIpCTV was defined by the caudal edge of clavicular head, 3 mm above inframammary fold, by the medial thoracic artery, by a plane passing through the lateral surface of pectoralis muscles, by the anterior surface of pectoralis muscles and 3 mm from the skin. Deformed CTV was consistent with anatomy on CT; the limits chosen for MRIpCTV fit adequately also for CT. Conclusion: Prone irradiation is an alternative set up for selected cases, so the sample is very small. However, our suggestions could be of aid in defining prone CTV. The good consistency between MRI and CT seems to confirm that MRI may be unnecessary in routine practice

"Secondo Rapporto quinquennale sulle dipendenze patologiche in provincia di Bergamo"

Report on the state of legal and illegal substances use in the territory of Bergamo Province.Il Report analizza il fenomeno delle dipendenze nella provincia di Bergamo. La descrizione del fenomeno si sviluppa intorno all\u27analisi degli indicatori individuati dall\u27Osservatorio Europeo delle Dipendenze di Lisbona (OEDT): 1-uso di sostanze nella popolazione generale (questo indicatore va a rilevare i comportamenti nei confronti di alcol e sostanze psicoattive da parte della popolazione generale); 2-prevalenza d\u27uso problematico delle sostanze psicoattive; 3-domanda di trattamento degli utilizzatori di sostanze; 4-mortalit? degli utilizzatori di sostanze; 5-malattie infettive. Altri due importanti indicatori che si stanno sviluppando, e che vengono qui illustrati, sono l\u27analisi delle Schede di Dimissione Ospedaliera (SDO) e gli indicatori relativi alle conseguenza sociali dell\u27uso di droghe (criminalit? droga correlata). Inoltre sono state applicate diverse metodologie standard di stima sia per quantificare la quota parte sconosciuta di utilizzatori di sostanze che non afferiscono ai servizi, sia per identificarne alcune caratteristiche

Scene Classification for a Mobile Interactive Robot

The use of social robots increased in the past few years. Current technology, however, lacks in deploying a single robot for different applications without the help of a human being. Current solutions are time-consuming, labour intensive and hard to generalize. Being aware of its surroundings, in terms of environment and context, the robot can select the appropriate application that the situation needs. We propose a multi-modal, knowledge-based hybrid scene classification method for applying awareness to the robot. As scene we refer to the combination of the environment and the context of the surroundings; a study on how to describe a scene has been done through knowledge-engineering methods that comprehend an anonymous online questionnaire and observations. The method inputs features of the type of objects, audio, and human detection and understanding; and outputs the probabilities of the possible social roles for the robot (Receptionist, Tutor and Waiter). The classification is based on a hybrid approach and trained and validated on a real-time multi-modal data-set collected by a mobile robot. The training experiment aimed to collect the data-set, to select the features that describe different roles and to calculate their weights. The validation experiments aimed to measure the performance and the generalization of the method. Results show that the robot was able to successfully classify the Receptionist role with an accuracy of 83.4%; the Tutor role with 82.7%; and finally, the Waiter role with 55.9%. On average, the method generalizes for 74% of unseen data.Electrical Engineer | Embedded System

Evidence of poly (ADP-ribosylation) in the cockroach Periplaneta americana.

Poly(ADP-ribosylation) is a post-translational modification of nuclear proteins typical of most eukaryotic cells. This process participates in DNA replication and repakandisnlainly regulated by two enzymes, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, which is responsible for the synthesis of polymers of ADP-ribose, and poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase, which perfonns polymer degradation. The aim 'of this work was to investigate in the cockroach Periplaneta americana L. (Blattaria: Blattidae) the behaviour of poly(ADPribosylation). In particular, we addressed: (i) the possible modulation of poly(ADP-ribosylation) during the embryonic development; (ii) the expression of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and glycobydrolase in dilierent tissues; and (iii) the role of poly(ADPribosylation) during spennatogenesis. In this work we demonstrated that: (i) as revealed, by specific biochemical assays, active poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and glycohydrolase are present exclusively in P. americana embryos at early stages of development; (ii) an activity carrying out poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis was fouod in extracts from testes; and (iii) the synthesis of poly(ADPribose) occurs preferentia1ly in differentiating spermatids/spennatozoa. CoHectively, oUI results indicate that the poly(ADP-ribosylation) process in P. americana, which is a hemimetabolous insect, displays catalytical and structural features similar to those described in the holometabolous insects and in 'mammalian cells. Furthermore, this process appears to be modulatedduring embryonic development and spermatogenesis

Multimodal imaging for clinical target volume definition in prone whole-breast irradiation: a single institution experience

Aim: The aim was identification of reference structures for breast clinical target volume (CTV) in prone position, throughout image fusion process. Materials & methods: We analyzed breast glandular tissue distribution in 20 diagnostic MRIs, referring to structures reported in ESTRO guidelines for supine irradiation. The volume containing breast glandular tissue in all cases was defined as MRI prone CTV (MRIpCTV). Then in ten subsequent patients planned for prone irradiation, MRI and computed tomography (CT) simulation was acquired. MRIpCTV was defined followed by our findings and transferred to CT for definitive delineation. Results: MRIpCTV was defined by the caudal edge of clavicular head, 3 mm above inframammary fold, by the medial thoracic artery, by a plane passing through the lateral surface of pectoralis muscles, by the anterior surface of pectoralis muscles and 3 mm from the skin. Deformed CTV was consistent with anatomy on CT; the limits chosen for MRIpCTV fit adequately also for CT. Conclusion: Prone irradiation is an alternative set up for selected cases, so the sample is very small. However, our suggestions could be of aid in defining prone CTV. The good consistency between MRI and CT seems to confirm that MRI may be unnecessary in routine practice

Molecular Dynamics for the Optimal Design of Functionalized Nanodevices to Target Folate Receptors on Tumor Cells

Atomistic details on the mechanism of targeting activity by biomedical nanodevices of specific receptors are still scarce in the literature, where mostly ligand/receptor pairs are modeled. Here, we use atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, free energy calculations, and machine learning approaches on the case study of spherical TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) functionalized with folic acid (FA) as the targeting ligand of the folate receptor (FR). We consider different FA densities on the surface and different anchoring approaches, i.e., direct covalent bonding of FA γ-carboxylate or through polyethylene glycol spacers. By molecular docking, we first identify the lowest energy conformation of one FA inside the FR binding pocket from the X-ray crystal structure, which becomes the starting point of classical MD simulations in a realistic physiological environment. We estimate the binding free energy to be compared with the existing experimental data. Then, we increase complexity and go from the isolated FA to a nanosystem decorated with several FAs. Within the simulation time framework, we confirm the stability of the ligand–receptor interaction, even in the presence of the NP (with or without a spacer), and no significant modification of the protein secondary structure is observed. Our study highlights the crucial role played by the spacer, FA protonation state, and density, which are parameters that can be controlled during the nanodevice preparation step

Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, static intensity-modulated and helical intensity-modulated radiotherapy in glioblastoma. Dosimetric comparison in patients with overlap between target volumes and organs at risk.

Aims and background. Radiotherapy is the standard treatment of glioblastoma. Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy is the standard technique to treat glioblastoma. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy and helical intensity-modulated radiotherapy (tomotherapy) are becoming widely used. The present study compared three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy and tomotherapy in terms of target coverage and preservation of organs at risk.Methods. Ten patients treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, with a target volume close to or superimposed to the organs at risk, were retrospectively selected. The plans were re-planned with step-and-shoot 3/5 fields intensity-modulated radiotherapy and tomotherapy. Target coverage and sparing of organs at risk were statistically compared. Results. Mean planning target volume V95% improved with sophisticated techniques (87.2%, 93.2%, 97.6% with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy and tomotherapy, respectively). The comparison of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy did not show significant differences, whereas differences were significant when three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and tomotherapy as well as intensity-modulated radiotherapy and tomotherapy were compared. Mean planning target volume/clinical target volume D99-D98-D95 were not different between three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy, but they were different between tomotherapy and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy, with better clinical target volume/and planning target volume coverage with the tomotherapy plans. Brain D33/66 were 31.1/11.8 Gy, 37.5/18.3 Gy and 28.5/14.7 Gy with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy and tomotherapy, respectively. Mean brainstem, optic nerves and chiasma Dmax were always within the defined constraints. The homogeneity index improved with intensity-modulated radiotherapy/tomotherapy compared to three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. Tomotherapy was better than intensity-modulated radiotherapy in all patients. Conclusions. In this selected group of patients, a significant dosimetric advantage was evident for tomotherapy compared with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy. Significant advantages were evident in terms of panning target volume coverage (V95), D99, D98 and D95. The clinical significance of the results should be defined

The Mitochondrial Disulfide Relay System Protein GFER Is Mutated in Autosomal-Recessive Myopathy with Cataract and Combined Respiratory-Chain Deficiency

A disulfide relay system (DRS) was recently identified in the yeast mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS) that consists of two essential components: the sulfhydryl oxidase Erv1 and the redox-regulated import receptor Mia40. The DRS drives the import of cysteine-rich proteins into the IMS via an oxidative folding mechanism. Erv1p is reoxidized within this system, transferring its electrons to molecular oxygen through interactions with cytochrome c and cytochrome c oxidase (COX), thereby linking the DRS to the respiratory chain. The role of the human Erv1 ortholog, GFER, in the DRS has been poorly explored. Using homozygosity mapping, we discovered that a mutation in the GFER gene causes an infantile mitochondrial disorder. Three children born to healthy consanguineous parents presented with progressive myopathy and partial combined respiratory-chain deficiency, congenital cataract, sensorineural hearing loss, and developmental delay. The consequences of the mutation at the level of the patient's muscle tissue and fibroblasts were 1) a reduction in complex I, II, and IV activity; 2) a lower cysteine-rich protein content; 3) abnormal ultrastructural morphology of the mitochondria, with enlargement of the IMS space; and 4) accelerated time-dependent accumulation of multiple mtDNA deletions. Moreover, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae erv1R182H mutant strain reproduced the complex IV activity defect and exhibited genetic instability of the mtDNA and mitochondrial morphological defects. These findings shed light on the mechanisms of mitochondrial biogenesis, establish the role of GFER in the human DRS, and promote an understanding of the pathogenesis of a new mitochondrial disease