Functional evaluation of hepatic parenchyma with dynamic tests (Indocyanine green and Hippurate ratio) in patients with HCC

Our aim was to assess hepatic functionality in patients with HCC and candidate for liver resection. We used dynamic tests of liver functionality Indocyanine green (ICG) and Hippurate ratio, for the evaluation of surgical risk and postoperative clinical course. The clinical and predictive value of the tests has been compared with each other and with routine tests. Tests have been performed on 11 patients with HCC, in 8 before surgery and after 6 months, in 1 before TACE and after 6 months. The results showed a significative correlation with the endpoints: survival, liver failure, general condition of the patients, and parallelism in the clinical assessment of patients. ICG and Hippurate ratio are useful in patients undergoing liver resection and in the follow up

Functional evaluation of hepatic parenchyma with dynamic tests (Indocyanine green and Hippurate ratio) in patients with HCC

Our aim was to assess hepatic functionality in patients with HCC and candidate for liver resection. We used dynamic tests of liver functionality Indocyanine green (ICG) and Hippurate ratio, for the evaluation of surgical risk and postoperative clinical course. The clinical and predictive value of the tests has been compared with each other and with routine tests. Tests have been performed on 11 patients with HCC, in 8 before surgery and after 6 months, in 1 before TACE and after 6 months. The results showed a significative correlation with the endpoints: survival, liver failure, general condition of the patients, and parallelism in the clinical assessment of patients. ICG and Hippurate ratio are useful in patients undergoing liver resection and in the follow up

Gli ausiliari nelle guerre daciche e loro rappresentazione sulla colonna Traiana

I Romani supportarono sempre i loro eserciti ricorrendo ai soldati alleati, noti con il nome di auxilia in quanto letteralmente aiutavano i cittadini che militavano nelle legioni. Fin dalla media repubblica ogni legione era affiancata da un\u2019ala e molti eserciti includevano contingenti di alleati non italici, che combattevano spesso secondo le loro usanze e di solito provenivano dalla zona in cui si svolgevano le operazioni militari. Anche sulla colonna Traiana l\u2019incidenza numerica degli auxilia risulta molto elevata, fatto questo che costituisce un riconoscimento significativo e del tutto nuovo nell\u2019arte celebrativa romana dell\u2019apporto di queste unit\ue0 per l\u2019ottenimento della vittoria di Traiano contro i Daci di Decebalo.Les Romains ont toujours eu recours aux soldats alli\ue9s, appel\ue9s auxilia : ces derniers aidaient litt\ue9ralement les citoyens qui combattaient dans les l\ue9gions. Depuis l\u2019\ue9poque m\ue9dio-r\ue9publicaine, chaque l\ue9gion \ue9tait flanqu\ue9e d\u2019une ala et de nombreuses arm\ue9es incluaient des contingents d\u2019alli\ue9s non italiens, qui combattaient souvent selon leurs propres usages et provenaient habituellement des zones dans lesquelles se d\ue9roulaient les op\ue9rations militaires. Sur la colonne Trajane \ue9galement l\u2019importance num\ue9rique des auxilia se r\ue9v\ue8le tr\ue8s importante. Cela constitue une reconnaissance significative et tout \ue0 fait nouvelle, dans l\u2019art triomphal romain, de la contribution de ces unit\ue9s \ue0 la victoire de Trajan contre les Daces de D\ue9c\ue9bale

Mefitis "dea salutifera"?

This paper aims to analyze closely the figure of Mefitis, goddess whose cult is attested in southern Italy, Rome and Cisalpine Gaul. She is a deity difficult to understand, who has 'plusieurs visages' and brings together various meanings: celestial, infernal, telluric, of water-springs, salutary, mediatrix; she answers for unions and fertility, with autstanding erotic features. Finally she is the goddess of smelly places. The study is based mainly on literary sources and not on existing archaeological evidences concerning the worship of this deity

Hematological and Genetic Markers in the Rational Approach to Patients With HCV Sustained Virological Response With or Without Persisting Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis

Background and Aims: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) usually lead to improvement/remission of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CV), although symptoms may persist/recur after a sustained virological response (SVR). We evaluated hematological and genetic markers in patients with HCV-SVR vasculitis with and without persisting/recurring symptoms to early predict the CV outcome. Approach and Results: Ninety-eight patients with HCV-CV were prospectively enrolled after a DAA-induced SVR: Group A: 52 with complete clinical response; Group B: 46 with symptom maintenance/recurrence. Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis, t(14;18) translocation, and abnormal free light chains κ/λ ratios were detected by flow cytometry or nested-PCR or nephelometry in 4% Group A versus 17% Group B (P = 0.04) patients, 17% Group A versus 40% Group B patients (P = 0.02), and 17% Group A versus 47% Group B (P = 0.003) patients, respectively. At least 1 out of 3 clonality markers was altered/positive in 29% of Group A versus 70% of Group B patients (P < 0.0001). When available, pretherapy samples were also tested for t(14;18) translocation (detected in 12/37 [32%] Group A and 21/38 [55%] Group B) and κ/λ ratios (abnormal in 5/35 [14%] Group A and 20/38 [53%] Group B) (P = 0.0006), whereas at least one clonality marker was detected/altered in 16/37 (43%) Group A and 30/38 (79%) Group B (P = 0.002). CV-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms were tested by real-time PCR. Among them, notch4 rs2071286 T minor allele and TT genotype showed a higher frequency in Group B versus Group A (46% vs. 29%, P = 0.01, and 17% vs. 2%, P = 0.006, respectively). Conclusions: Hematological or genetic analyses could be used to foresee the CV clinical response after DAA therapy and could be valuable to assess a rational flowchart to manage CV during follow-up

Impact of sulphurous water Politzer inhalation on audiometric parameters in children with otitis media with effusion

Objectives: The positive effects of spa therapy on ear, nose, and throat pathology are known but robust literature in this field, is still lacking. The aim of this study was to assess through a retrospective analysis, the effects on otitis media with effusion of Politzer endotympanic inhalation of sulphurous waters in children aged 5-9 years. Methods: A cohort of 95 patients was treated with Politzer insufflations of sulphurous water: 58 patients did a cycle consisting of a treatment of 12 days per year for three consecutive years; 37 patients followed the same procedure for 5 years consecutively. The control population was represented by untreated, age-matched children. A standard audiometric test was used before and after each cycle of treatment. Results: One cycle of Politzer inhalation of sulphur-rich water improved the symptoms. Three cycles definitively stabilized the improvement of hearing function. Conclusion: Our results show that otitis media with effusion in children can be resolved by an appropriate non-pharmacological treatment of middle ear with sulphur-rich water

Super-heavy fermion material as metallic refrigerant for adiabatic demagnetization cooling

Low-temperature refrigeration is of crucial importance in fundamental research of condensed matter physics, as the investigations of fascinating quantum phenomena, such as superconductivity, superfluidity and quantum criticality, often require refrigeration down to very low temperatures. Currently, cryogenic refrigerators with $^3$He gas are widely used for cooling below 1 Kelvin. However, usage of the gas is being increasingly difficult due to the current world-wide shortage. Therefore, it is important to consider alternative methods of refrigeration. Here, we show that a new type of refrigerant, super-heavy electron metal, YbCo$_2$Zn$_{20}$, can be used for adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration, which does not require 3He gas. A number of advantages includes much better metallic thermal conductivity compared to the conventional insulating refrigerants. We also demonstrate that the cooling performance is optimized in Yb$_{1-x}$Sc$_x$Co$_2$Zn$_{20}$ by partial Sc substitution with $x\sim$0.19. The substitution induces chemical pressure which drives the materials close to a zero-field quantum critical point. This leads to an additional enhancement of the magnetocaloric effect in low fields and low temperatures enabling final temperatures well below 100 mK. Such performance has up to now been restricted to insulators. Since nearly a century the same principle of using local magnetic moments has been applied for adiabatic demagnetization cooling. This study opens new possibilities of using itinerant magnetic moments for the cryogen-free refrigeration