Potential Mechanisms of Ovarian Protection with Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist in Breast Cancer Patients: A Review

The use of chemotherapy in premenopausal cancer patients may lead to chemotherapy-induced premature ovarian failure. Pharmacological temporary ovarian suppression obtained with the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) administered concomitantly with chemotherapy has been investigated as a technique capable to reduce the gonadotoxicity, reducing the risk of developing premature menopause. In recent years, important evidence has become available on the efficacy and safety of this strategy that should now be considered a standard option for ovarian function preservation in premenopausal breast cancer patients. However, in women interested in fertility preservation, this is not an alternative to cryopreservation strategies, which remains the first option to be proposed. The purpose of this review is to summarize the mechanisms of GnRHa in the preservation of fertility in premenopausal cancer patient candidates to receive chemotherapy, highlighting the areas of doubt that require further investigation

Magnetic resonance imaging in locally advanced rectal cancer : quantitative evaluation of the complete response to neoadjuvant therapy

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for the discrimination of complete responder (CR) from the non-complete responder (n-CR) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) undergoing chemotherapy and radiation (CRT). Material and methods: Between December 2009 and January 2014, 32 patients (33 lesions: one patient had two synchronous lesions) were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients underwent a pre- and post-CRT conventional MRI study completed with DWI. For both data sets (T2-weighted and DWI), the pre- and post-CRT tumour volume (VT2; VDWI) and the tumour volume reduction ratio (ΔV%) were determined as well as pre- and post-CRT apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and ADC change (ΔADC%). Histopathological findings were the standard of reference. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to compare performance of T2-weighted and DWI volumetry, as well as ADC. Results: The area under the ROC curve (AUC) revealed a good accuracy of pre- and post-CRT values of VT2 (0.86; 0.91) and VDWI (0.82; 1.00) as well as those of ΔVT2% (0.84) and ΔVDWI% (1.00) for the CR assessment, with no statistical difference. The AUC of pre- and post-CRT ADC (0.53; 0.54) and that of ΔADC% (0.58) were significantly lower. Conclusions: Both post-CRT VDWI and ΔVDWI% (AUC = 1) are very accurate for the assessment of the CR, in spite of no significant differences in comparison to the conventional post-CRT VT2 (AUC = 0.91) and ΔVT2% (AUC = 0.84). On the contrary, both ADC and ΔADC% values are not reliable

Interaction optomécanique à trois modes et refroidissement d'un micro-résonateur mécanique

We present a very sensitive optical measurement of the mechanical fluctuations of a micro-mirror in a high finesse Fabry-Perot cavity. The micro-mirror is formed by a micrometric silicon resonator typically oscillating at few megahertz and coated with a high reflectivity dielectrical multilayer. The very high sensitivity of interferometric measurements allows in principle to measure the zero-point fluctuations of the resonator. Its thermal energy becomes negligible with respect to ground state energy when its effective temperature is lower than 30 microKelvin: in order to meet this very stringent condition, we both made use of cryogenic techniques and a cooling laser technique based on dynamical radiation-pressure effects in a detuned cavity. We have thus explored the possibility of performing high-sensitivity optical measurements once the micro-resonator and the cavity are cooled in a flowing helium cryostat. We measured the thermal noise spectrum at cryogenic temperature and realized the radiation pressure cooling of the micro-mirror. We studied a new kind of optomechanical coupling as well, which involves three modes and will enable a more efficient active cooling. We demonstrated the possibility of either increase or decrease the effective temperature, depending on the coupling between the modes. Furthermore, this technique is useful to study the parametric instabilities which are likely to play a role in second generation of gravitational-waves interferometers.Dans ce manuscrit nous présentons une expérience de mesure optique ultrasensible des vibrations mécaniques d'un micro-miroir dans une cavité Fabry-Perot de grande finesse. Le micro-miroir est constitué d'un résonateur de taille micrométrique en silicium, de fréquence de résonance de l'ordre du mégahertz, sur lequel est déposé un traitement optique de haute réflectivité. La sensibilité très élevée des mesures interférométriques est en principe suffisante pour observer les fluctuations quantiques de point zéro du résonateur. Pour atteindre le régime où l'énergie d'agitation thermique du micro-résonateur devient négligeable devant celle de l'état quantique fondamental, sa température doit être inférieure à 30 microKelvin. Afin d'approcher cette température, nous avons utilisé à la fois des méthodes cryogéniques traditionnelles et une technique de refroidissement laser basée sur les effets dynamiques de la pression de radiation dans une cavité désaccordée. Nous avons ainsi étudié la possibilité de combiner mesures optiques de haute sensibilité et cryogénie en plaçant le micro-résonateur et la cavité dans un cryostat à circulation d'hélium liquide. Nous avons mesuré le spectre de bruit thermique à température cryogénique et réalisé un refroidissement par pression de radiation du micro-résonateur. Nous avons également étudié un nouveau mécanisme de couplage optomécanique à trois modes, à bandes latérales résolues, plus efficace pour refroidir un micro-résonateur. Nous avons mis en évidence à la fois un effet de réduction et d'augmentation de la température effective du micro-miroir selon le couplage des modes optiques. Cette technique permet également d'étudier le phénomène des instabilités paramétriques pouvant apparaître dans les interféromètres gravitationnels de seconde génération

Ut ita dicam and cognates: a pragmatic account

AbstractThis paper deals with the Latin functional marker</jats:p

Functional expansions of temporal adverbs and discursive connectives. From Latin tum, tunc, dumque to Old Italian dunque

This paper examines the synchronic competition and diachronic substitution of three Latin temporal expressions: tum, tunc (\u2018at that time\u2019, \u2018then\u2019), and later dumque (originally, \u2018while-and\u2019), and its Old Italian outcome dunque (\u2018then\u2019). Besides providing a new path of development and a new etymology for Italian dunque, we describe in detail the steps by which these forms gradually replaced one another and examine the factors at play in their renewal, showing that such forms all display a similar inference-driven functional expansion from propositional to discourse-organizational meanings. However, their subsequent development led to a functional similarity that is only partial, as is often the case in semantic\u2013pragmatic cycles. While discussing the nature of this cycle, we focus on the speaker\u2019s role in this type of change, which in our view can be summarized in the speaker\u2019s cyclical application of recurrent functional principles: phonetic efficiency, analogy, and regularity in semantic chang

Interaction optomécanique à trois modes et refroidissement d'un micro-résonateur mécanique

PARIS-BIUSJ-Biologie recherche (751052107) / SudocSudocFranceF

Positioning the Self and Others

Though positioning has been addressed in social psychology and in identity construction, less attention has been paid to the specific linguistic markers which are drawn upon in discourse to position the self and other(s). This volume focusses on address terms, pragmatic markers, code switching/choice and orthography, the indexicalities of which are explored in different communicative activities.The volume is unusual in: i) the range of languages which are covered: Bergamasco, Brazilian Portuguese, English, Finnish, French, Georgian, Greek, Italian, Latin, Russian, Spanish and Swedish; ii) the inclusion of different communicative settings and text-types: workplace emails, everyday and institutional conversations, interviews, migrant narratives, radio phone-ins, dyadic and group settings, road-signs, service encounters; iii) its consideration of both synchronic and diachronic factors; iv) its mix of theoretical and methodological approaches.The volume illustrates some of the linguistic means speakers draw on to position themselves and others and hopes to stimulate further research studies in this vein

Discourse and pragmatic markers from Latin to the Romance languages

This book examines the historical development of discourse and pragmatic markers across the Romance languages. These markers serve to indicate the organization of the discourse, the speaker's relationship with the interlocutor, and the speaker's stance with regard to the information expressed. Their relevance is in assisting interpretation, despite the fact that they have little or no propositional content. In this book, distinguished scholars from different theoretical backgrounds analyse the different classes of discourse and pragmatic markers found in Latin and the Romance languages and explore both their diachronic development and their synchronic properties. Following an introduction and overview of the development of these markers, the book is divided into two parts: the first part investigates pragmatic markers developed from verbs, such as Latin quaeso, Romanian ma rog, and Spanish o sea; the second looks at adverbs as discourse markers, such as French déjà and Italian già, Romanian atunci and Portuguese aliás. Chapters address a variety of theoretical issues such as the cyclic nature of functional developments, the nature of grammaticalization and pragmaticalization, semantic change, and the emergence of new pragmatic values. The arguments presented also have consequences for any analysis of the interfaces between grammar, discourse, and interaction

Update on the Management of Breast Cancer during Pregnancy

The diagnosis of breast cancer during pregnancy represents a challenging situation for the patient, her caregivers and physicians. Pregnancy adds complexity to oncological treatment planning, as many therapies can be potentially dangerous to the fetus. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach is needed to offer a proper care for obtaining the best possible outcomes for the mother and the future child. Breast surgery is feasible throughout the pregnancy while radiotherapy should be postponed after delivery. Administration of chemotherapy is considered safe and can be given during the second and third trimesters, while it is contraindicated in the first trimester due to the high risk of fetal malformations. Endocrine therapy and targeted agents are not recommended during the whole pregnancy period; however, limited data are available on the use of the majority of new anticancer drugs in this context. The aim of the current review is to provide an update on the current state of art about the management of women diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy