The video endoscopy inguinal lymphadenectomy for vulvar cancer: A pilot study

Abstract Objective This prospective pilot study aims to validate feasibility, efficacy and safeness of the innovative technique of video endoscopy inguinal lymphadenectomy (VEIL) and compare it to open inguinal lymphadenectomy (OIL) in the staging and treatment of vulvar cancer (VC). Material and methods All patients affected by VC suitable for bilateral inguinal-femoral lymphadenectomy were prospectively enrolled and submitted to VEIL on one side and OIL contralaterally, sparing the saphenous vein. The surgical and post-surgical data were collected. Univariate analysis included chi square analysis or Fisher's exact test, when appropriate for categorical variables, and the Student t test and Mann–Whitney test when appropriate for continuous variables. Results Between October 2014 and June 2015 fifteen patients were valuable for the study. Although nodal retrieval was comparable for both procedures, operative time was higher after VEIL. No intraoperative complications were observed in both techniques. Postoperative complications were observed in 3 and 2 cases for OIL and VEIL respectively. One patient needed reoperation after OIL for wound necrosis and infection. According to Campisi's stage, lymphedema resulted significantly to be lower after VEIL (p = 0.024). Conclusions Waiting for larger series and longer follow-up data, the VEIL seems to be feasible allowing a radical removal of inguinal lymph nodes as well as OIL with lower morbidity

Non-hormonal treatment of vulvo-vaginal atrophy-related symptoms in post-menopausal women

In post-menopausal period vulvo-vaginal atrophy (VVA)-related symptoms may seriously affect women's quality of life. Hormonal replacement therapy effectively relieves these symptoms but it is not always safe or accepted, and a non-hormonal treatment is often needed instead. Over a period of 12 weeks, we tested the effect of a twice-a-week vulvo-vaginal application of a hyaluronic acid, AC collagen, isoflavones and vitamins-based cream (Perilei Pausa(®)) on 35 women in post-menopausal period, reporting VVA-related symptoms. After 12 weeks of treatment with Perilei Pausa(®) a significant improvement in vaginal dryness, vulvo-vaginal itching, dyspareunia (P < 0.001), dysuria (P = 0.02), nocturia (P = 0.009) and pollakiuria (P = 0.005) was reported by the women. Colposcopical score assessing the intensity of atrophic colpitis, cervico-vaginal paleness and petechiae was also reduced (P = 0.037, P = 0.016 and P = 0.032, respectively). No significant difference in terms of maturation value of cervico-vaginal epithelium was observed. In conclusion, Perilei Pausa(®) may represent an effective and safe alternative treatment of symptomatic VVA in post-menopausal women

THE MULTIMOLECULE RITZ PROGRAM: RECENT IMPROVEMENTS

$^{a}$ G. Moruzzi, M. Kunzmann, B. P. Winnewisser and M. Winnewisser, Ritz Assignment and Watson Fits of the High-Resolution Ring-Puckering Spectrum of Oxetane, J. Mol. Spectrosc., in press $^{b}$ G. Moruzzi, I. Kleiner, N. Moazzen-Ahmadi, A. R. W. McKellar and J. T. Hougen, 54th Ohio State University International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy, Columbus, June 14--18, 1999, TF10Author Institution: Dipartimento di Fisica ``Enrico Fermi"", dell'Universit\`{a} di Pisa, and INFM, Via FThe last two molecules investigated by the Ritz program, $oxetane^{a}$ and acetaldehyde, have lead to the introduction of new relevant options into the Ritz package. The difficulties encountered in the assignment of the Fourier-Transform FIR spectra of both molecules are due to the occurrence of important overlappings of weak lines, corresponding to low K values. The first new option is the possibility of fitting symultaneously the whole set of assigned lines to a set of Watson Hamiltonians in A reduction, with the further option of selecting any of the three representations $I^{r}, II^{r}$ and $III^{r}$. The resulting feed-back has been vital for the assignment of the low $K_{c}$ sequences $(0 \le K_{c} \le 2)$ of oxetane belonging to the $v_{rp} = 3, 4$ and 5 ring-puckering states. The development of a Hamiltonian reproducing the lowest fundamental band of acetaldehyde, $\nu_{10}$, within the experimeltal errors is the goal of the investigation of this molecule, thus, an analogous approach for acetaldehyde is not possible at the moment. Rather, we have introduced a new graphical option which displays the deviation of the investigated level sequence from its best fit by a Taylor series in $J(J + 1)$, truncated at the first or second power, on the monitor. By clicking on any of the fitted levels, it is possible to display the list of the lines connecting it to ground-state levels, to display the spectral region around each of these lines, and to search for new possible level values connected to the appropriate ground-state levels by transitions whose frequencies are found in the spectrum. The new deviations from the best fitting power series are immediately shown on the monitor. This has lead to the completion of the assignment of the A-symmetry species, filling the $|K| \le 3$ gap present in a previous $report^{b}$, while the completion of the assignment of the E-symmetry species is in progress

Essential Python for the physicist

This book introduces the reader with little or no previous computer-programming experience to the Python programming language of interest for a physicist or a natural-sciences student. The book starts with basic interactive Python in order to acquire an introductory familiarity with the language, than tackle Python scripts (programs) of increasing complexity, that the reader is invited to run on her/his computer. All program listings are discussed in detail, and the reader is invited to experiment on what happens if some code lines are modified. The reader is introduced to Matplotlib graphics for the generation of figures representing data and function plots and, for instance, field lines. Animated function plots are also considered. A chapter is dedicated to the numerical solution of algebraic and transcendental equations, the basic mathematical principles are discussed and the available Python tools for the solution are presented. A further chapter is dedicated to the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations. This is of vital importance for the physicist, since differential equations are at the base of both classical physics (Newton’s equations) and quantum mechanics (Schroedinger’s equation). The shooting method for the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations with boundary conditions at two boundaries is also presented. Python programs for the solution of two quantum-mechanics problems are discussed as examples. Two chapters are dedicated to Tkinter graphics, which gives the user more freedom than Matplotlib, and to Tkinter animation. Programs displaying the animation of physical problems involving the solution of ordinary differential equations (for which in most cases there is no algebraic solution) in real time are presented and discussed. Finally, 3D animation is presented with Vpython

METHANOL AND THE LONG WAY TOWARDS AUTOMATED SPECTRAL INTERPRETATION

$^{a}$ B.P. Winnewisser, J. Reinst\""{a}dtler, K.M.T. Yamada, and J. Behrend, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 136, 12-16 (1989). $^{b}$ G. Moruzzi and F. Strumia, Infrared Phys. 24, 257-260 (1983). $^{c}$ G. Moruzzi, W. Jabs, B.P. Winnewisser, and M. Winnewisser, Analysis of the FIR Cyanamide Spectrum by the ``Multi-Molecule'' Ritz Program, paper presented at The 52nd Ohio State University International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy, Columbus, 1997.Author Institution: Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Universit\`{a} di PisaHigh resolution Fourier transform (FT) molecular spectroscopy has always dealt with extermely large numbers of spectral lines. Hundreds of thousands of absorption lines are observed even in the FIR-IR (from about 20 to about $1000 cm^{-1}$) FT spectra of small five-atom (e.g. $H_{2}NCN$) or six-atom (e.g. $CH_{3}OH$ and all its isotopomers) molecules. The task of assigning such spectra has thus lead the researchers to develop ``computer-aided'' assignment techniques from the very beginning. In practice, all of these techniques rely on the fact that sequences of energy levels sharing all quantum numbers but J can be expanded into rapidly converging Taylor series in $J(J + 1)$ truncated at low orders. This property is reflected onto the structure of line sequences in P and R branches. Historically, the first form of computer-aided line assignment was the use of commercial spreadsheets in order to follow P and R branches. This was followed by the development of programs expressly written for spectral assignments, notably the programs using the Loomis-Wood $method^{a}$. Due to both its theoretical and practical interest much work of many research groups has been devoted to the assignment of the spectrum of methanol and its isotopomers. Two families of programs for the assignment of the methanol spectrum have been developed in Pisa. The first program family was based an the Taylor expansion of the energy levels, rather than the development of the $lines^{b}$, while the second is based on the Rydberg-Ritz combination principle and has recently been extended to other molecules, notably $cyanamide^{c}$. However, all of these programs are still far from true automated spectral interpretation: all of them are highly interactive and rely on some starting assignments done by other methods. Some possibilities for further approaching this goal will be discussed

An automated branch-assignment algorithm for rovibrational spectra of asymmetric-top molecules

There are several methods for isolating a P, Q, or R branch from the rest of the unassigned rovibrational spectrum of an asymmetric-top molecule. But at the moment, to our knowledge, once the branch has been isolated, there is no automated procedure for its assignment. Here, we present a simple semi-empirical algorithm which has proved successful in computer experiments on both S(CN)(2) (a near prolate rotor) and C3H6O (a near oblate rotor.) The limits to the applicability of this method are discussed. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved