A note on the star order in Hilbert spaces

We study the star order on the algebra L(H) of bounded operators on a Hilbert space H. We present a new interpretation of this order which allows to generalize to this setting many known results for matrices: functional calculus, semi-lattice properties, shorted operators and orthogonal decompositions. We also show several properties for general Hilbert spaces regarding the star order and its relationship with the functional calculus and the polar decomposition, which were unknown even in the finitedimensional setting. We also study the existence of strong limits of starmonotone sequences and nets.Fil: Antezana, Jorge Abel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto Argentino de Matemática Alberto Calderón; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Matemáticas; ArgentinaFil: Cano, Cristina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; ArgentinaFil: Mosconi, Irene. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; ArgentinaFil: Stojanoff, Demetrio. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Matemáticas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto Argentino de Matemática Alberto Calderón; Argentin

Pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery mimicking a solid lesion

A 64-year-old man presented to the hospital because of hematemesis; on admission, he had weakness and pale skin, tachycardia and hypotension. Laboratory tests revealed severe anemia (hemoglobin 7.8 g/dL); liver, renal and pancreatic function tests were normal. An upper digestive endoscopy revealed a gastric ulcer of the cardia, treated with metallic clips and adrenalin injection. The patient was treated with fluids and was transfused with three units of red blood cells. In the previous two months, due to the presence of bloating and diarrhea, associated with abdominal distension, a colon-computed tomography (CT) revealed a large retroperitoneal hypodense mass, 53x37 mm in size, without contrast enhancement localized between the body and the tail of the pancreas and the stomach, near the splenic artery and without signs of infiltration. To better define the mass, endoscopic ultrasound and biopsy were performed; however histopathology of multiple biopsies was not diagnostic, because of the presence of necrotic tissue and inflammatory cells. Since hematemesis recurred, the patient underwent a second upper digestive endoscopic examination, but no source of bleeding was found. Then a new contrast enhanced CT was performed that showed a size reduction of the mass, the presence of blood in the stomach and a small pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery. Because of these findings an angiograpghic study was carried out; angiography confirmed a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm that was successfully embolized with metal microcoils

Some operator inequalities for unitarily invariant norms

Let L(H) be the algebra of bounded operators on a complex separable Hilbert space H. Let N be a unitarily invariant norm defined on a norm ideal J ⊆ L(H). Given two positive invertible operators P,Q ∊ L(H) and k ∊ (−2, 2], we show that N (PTQ−1 + P−1TQ + kT) ≥ (2 + k)N(T), T ∊ J. This extends Zhang’s inequality for matrices. We prove that this inequality is equivalent to two particular cases of itself, namely P = Q and Q = P−1. We also characterize those numbers k such that the map γ : L(H) → L(H) given by γ(T) = PTQ−1 +P−1TQ+kT is invertible, and we estimate the induced norm of γ−1 acting on the norm ideal J. We compute sharp constants for the involved inequalities in several particular cases.Universidad del ComahueFacultad de Ciencias Exacta

UV sensor based on polyurethane foam

Ultraviolet light (UV) present in solar radiation has an important effect on the health of human skin. For that reason, we developed a disposable and easy-to-manufacture UV light sensor based on surface color change of a polyurethane (PU) film and examined its performance against radiation received from a lamp or from the sun. The chemical modification after UV exposition and the consequent color variation from light yellow to brown in PU sensor were studied by using RGB image analysis and a reflectance prototype containing an Arduino board. It was found that the photochemical modification of PU films increases absorption of visible radiation in the blue spectrum range. Furthermore, PU surface was more sensitive to UV (<390) than that found in visible light when exposed to sunlight, which was associated with the presence of a chromophore in the material modified. In addition, it was found that the extract obtained from irradiated PU showed its maximum absorption at 309 nm. Hence, the use of this economical light radiation sensor seems to be a very promising tool to determine exposure to UV light from the solar spectrum.Fil: Stragliotto, María Fernanda. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Mosconi, Giuliana. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Strumia, Miriam Cristina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Romero, Marcelo Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Gomez, Cesar Gerardo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada; Argentin

Prospective Evaluation of MGMT-Promoter Methylation Status and Correlations with Outcomes to Temozolomide-Based Chemotherapy in Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors

Temozolomide (TEM) as a single agent or in combination with capecitabine (CAPTEM) is active in well-differentiated advanced neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of gastro-entero-pancreatic and thoracic origin. The predictive role of MGMT-promoter methylation in this setting is controversial. We sought to prospectively evaluate the MGMT-promoter methylation status ability to predict outcomes to TEM-based chemotherapy in patients with NET. A single-center, prospective, observational study has been conducted at the ENETS Center-of-Excellence Outpatient Clinic of the IRCCS Policlinico Sant’Orsola-Malpighi in Bologna, Italy. Patients with advanced, gastro-entero-pancreatic or lung well-differentiated NETs candidate to TEM-based chemotherapy and with available tumor samples for MGMT-promoter methylation assessment were included. The MGMT-promoter methylation status was analyzed by using pyrosequencing. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) by the MGMT-promoter methylation status. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety. Survival outcomes were compared by restricted mean survival time (RMST) difference. Of 26 screened patients, 22 were finally enrolled in the study. The most frequent NET primary sites were the pancreas (64%) and the lung (23%). MGMT promoter was methylated in five tumors (23%). At a median follow-up time of 47.2 months (95%CI 29.3–89.7), the median PFS was 32.8 months (95%CI 17.2–NA), while the median OS was not reached. Patients in the methylated MGMT group, when compared to those in the unmethylated MGMT group, had longer PFS (median not reached [95%CI NA–NA] vs. 30.2 months [95%CI 15.2–NA], respectively; RMST p = 0.005) and OS (median not reached [95%CI NA–NA] vs. not reached [40.1–NA], respectively; RMST p = 0.019). After adjusting for confounding factors, the MGMT-promoter methylation status was independently associated to the PFS. Numerically higher ORR (60% vs. 24%; p = 0.274) and DCR (100% vs. 88%; p = 1.00) were observed in the methylated vs. unmethylated MGMT group. TEM-based chemotherapy was well-tolerated (adverse events grade ≥3 &lt; 10%). In this prospective study, MGMT-promoter methylation predicted better outcomes to TEM-based chemotherapy in patients with NET

Sclerosing Angiomatoid Nodular Transformation of the Adrenal Gland: A Case Report of a Novel Histopathological Entity

The finding of an indeterminate adrenal mass at radiological investigations is a challenge for physicians. Complex diagnostic work-up, periodic follow-up, or surgical intervention are therefore needed to rule out malignant lesions. Tertiary care hospitals are provided with F-18-fludeoxyglucose (F-18-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and F-18-dihydroxyphenylalanine (F-18-DOPA) PET, which aid in the characterization of indeterminate adrenal masses. Nevertheless, the histopathological examination may be required to exclude malignancy or rare etiologies. A 54-year-old woman presented to our clinic 6 months after a cerebral hemorrhage. She was hypertensive and had recently discovered a left adrenal mass of 15 mm during an abdominal ultrasound. Contrast-enhanced CT, following adrenal protocol, revealed a 14-mm adrenal mass without characteristics suggestive of an adrenal adenoma. Tumor markers were negative. Functional tests excluded hormone hypersecretion. An F-18-DOPA PET was negative. An F-18-FDG PET showed mild uptake of both the adrenal glands, with a more circumscribed pattern in the left one (maximum standardized uptake value 5 4). As the clinical diagnosis was still indeterminate, we performed laparoscopic left adrenalectomy. The histopathological examination described a sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation (SANT) of the adrenal gland, a benign lesion already described as a rare occurrence only in the spleen. IgG4 levels were reduced. In conclusion, this is a report of a SANT of the adrenal gland, a novel entity that should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of indeterminate adrenal masses at CT scan. Copyright (C) 2019 Endocrine Societ

Original antifouling strategy: Polypropylene films modified with chitosan-coated silver nanoparticles

A new coating strategy of polypropylene (PP) films with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is proposed to obtain surfaces with antifouling properties. As a first step, the photograft polymerization is used to produce polyacrylic acid-grafted PP (PAA-grafted PP) films. A green AgNP synthesis is used by thermal reduction of AgNO3 with amino groups of chitosan (CS), which controls ion diffusion and stabilizes nanoparticles. AgNP/CS complexes are adsorbed on PAA-grafted PP by electrostatic interactions, yielding AgNP/CS-coated PP films. These films show an excellent antimicrobial activity, even for AgNP contents as low as 0.08 wt %, reducing more than 4 log units in the viable Staphylococcus aureus concentration or inducing Escherichia coli death. This trend is consistent with an adequate amount of small AgNP adsorbed in an organized manner within a thin surface layer. Therefore, the antimicrobial activity of this film seems to be more than promising, used as an active surface for a wide range of applications.Fil: Mosconi, Giuliana. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Química Orgánica; ArgentinaFil: Stragliotto, María Fernanda. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Química Orgánica; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Slenk, Walte. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Química Orgánica; ArgentinaFil: Valenti, Laura Elisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Fisicoquímica; ArgentinaFil: Giacomelli, Carla Eugenia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Strumia, Miriam Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Gomez, Cesar Gerardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; Argentin

Efficacy of radioembolization according to tumor morphology and portal vein thrombosis in intermediate–advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose: We analyzed overall survival (OS) following radioembolization according to macroscopic growth pattern (nodular vs infiltrative) and vascular invasion in intermediate-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Between September 2005 and November 2013, 104 patients (50.0% portal vein thrombosis [PVT], 29.8% infiltrative morphology) were treated. Results: Median OS differed significantly between patients with segmental and lobar or main PVT (p = 0.031), but was 17 months in both those with patent vessels and segmental PVT. Median OS did not differ for infiltrative and nodular HCC. Median OS was prolonged in patients with a treatment response at 3 months (p = 0.023). Prior TACE was also a significant predictor of improved OS. Conclusion: A further indication for radioembolization might be infiltrative HCC, since OS was similar to nodular types

PSMA PET for the Evaluation of Liver Metastases in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Patients: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

Simple Summary Visceral involvement in prostate cancer (PCa) represents a negative prognostic factor. Liver metastases typically occur in systemic, late-stage, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The diagnostic performance of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11-PET for visceral metastases of CRPC patients has never been systematically assessed. Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of PSMA-PET compared to conventional imaging, i.e., CT or MRI, or liver biopsy in the detection of liver metastases in CRPC patients. The secondary aim was to assess the ability of radiomics to predict the presence of liver metastases. Regarding liver metastases assessment in CRPC patients, [68Ga]-PSMA-11-PET demonstrated moderate sensitivity while high specificity, positive predictive value, and reproducibility compared to conventional imaging and liver biopsy. However, nuclear medicine physicians should carefully assess the liver parenchyma on PET images, especially in patients at higher risk for liver metastases and with high PSA values. Moreover, radiomic features may aid in recognizing higher-risk patients to develop them. Background: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of PSMA-PET compared to conventional imaging/liver biopsy in the detection of liver metastases in CRPC patients. Moreover, we evaluated a PSMA-PET/CT-based radiomic model able to identify liver metastases. Methods: Multicenter retrospective study enrolling patients with the following inclusion criteria: (a) proven CRPC patients, (b) PSMA-PET and conventional imaging/liver biopsy performed in a 6 months timeframe, (c) no therapy changes between PSMA-PET and conventional imaging/liver biopsy. PSMA-PET sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy for liver metastases were calculated. After the extraction of radiomic features, a prediction model for liver metastases identification was developed. Results: Sixty CRPC patients were enrolled. Within 6 months before or after PSMA-PET, conventional imaging and liver biopsy identified 24/60 (40%) patients with liver metastases. PSMA-PET sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy for liver metastases were 0.58, 0.92, 0.82, 0.77, and 0.78, respectively. Either number of liver metastases and the maximum lesion diameter were significantly associated with the presence of a positive PSMA-PET (p &lt; 0.05). On multivariate regression analysis, the radiomic feature-based model combining sphericity, and the moment of inverse difference (Idm), had an AUC of 0.807 (95% CI:0.686-0.920). Conclusion: For liver metastases assessment, [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11-PET demonstrated moderate sensitivity while high specificity, PPV, and inter-reader agreement compared to conventional imaging/liver biopsy in CRPC patients