Cytological Diagnoses Associated with Noninvasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasms with Papillary-Like Nuclear Features According to the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The recent introduction of noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasms with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) in the World Health Organization classification of thyroid tumors has significantly modified the risk of malignancy of cytological diagnoses. In fact, while this tumor was previously classified as a carcinoma (the encapsulated, noninvasive form follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma), it is now considered a neoplasm with low malignant potential. Given that the cytological features of NIFTP are not specific and overlap with other pathologic entities, there is no specific cytological diagnostic category for NIFTP. To obtain more robust information about the cytological findings associated with NIFTP, published articles were systematically reviewed, and a meta-analysis of the data was conducted. The review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus databases was conducted using a combination of terms "noninvasive," "encapsulated," "follicular variant," "NIFTP," and "thyroid cancer." The search was updated to June 2018, and references of the retrieved articles were also screened. Only original articles reporting the classification of histologically proven NIFTPs with cytological findings according to The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology were eligible for inclusion. The literature search revealed 117 articles, of which 15 were included in the study. All studies were retrospective. A total of 915 NIFTP cases were retrieved. The incidence of cases cytologically classified according to the Bethesda system was as follows: non-diagnostic 3%, benign 10%, atypia of undetermined significance or follicular lesion of undetermined significance 30%, follicular neoplasm or suspicious for a follicular neoplasm 21%, suspicious for malignancy 24%, and malignant 8%. Mild heterogeneity between the studies was found. Publication bias was absent. This meta-analysis shows that the cytological diagnoses associated with NIFTP by fine-needle aspiration cytology includes a wide spectrum of findings. The majority of cases are cytologically indeterminate, and the remainder may be read as non-diagnostic, benign, or malignant. In order to develop an accurate presurgical diagnosis of these cases, further cytological and/or molecular characteristics need to be identified

The ultrasound risk stratification systems for thyroid nodule have been evaluated against papillary carcinoma. A meta-analysis

Thyroid imaging reporting and data systems (TIRADS) are used to stratify the malignancy risk of thyroid nodule by ultrasound (US) examination. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the pooled cancer prevalence and the relative prevalence of papillary, medullary, follicular thyroid cancer (PTC, MTC, and FTC) and other malignancies among nodules included in studies evaluating their performance. Four databases were searched until February 2020. Original articles with at least 1000 nodules, evaluating the performance of at least one TIRADS among AACE/ACE/AME, ACR-TIRADS, ATA, EU-TIRADS, or K-TIRADS, and reporting data on the histological diagnosis of malignant lesions were included. The number of malignant nodules, PTC, FTC, MTC and other malignancies in each study was extracted. For statistical pooling of data, a random-effects model was used. Nine studies were included, evaluating 19,494 thyroid nodules. The overall prevalence of malignancy was 34% (95%CI 21 to 49). Among 6162 histologically proven malignancies, the prevalence of PTC, FTC, MTC and other malignancies was 95%, 2%, 1%, and 1%, respectively. A high heterogeneity was found for all the outcomes. A limited number of studies generally conducted using a retrospective design was found, with possible selection bias. Acknowledging this limitation, TIRADSs should be regarded as accurate tools to diagnose PTC only. Proposed patterns and/or cut-offs should be revised and other strategies considered to improve their performance in the assessment of FTC, MTC and other malignancies

Multiphase oxidation of alcohols and sulfides with hydrogen peroxide catalyzedby heteropolyacids

This work describes the application of a multiphase system for the oxidation of alcohols to ketones or aldehydes, and the selective conversion of sulfides to sulfoxides or sulfones using Keggin-type heteropolyacids and hydrogen peroxide. Benzylic and secondary alcohols were oxidized to ketones or aldehydes at 70 °C in good yield and selectivity. Similarly, sulfides were converted to sulfoxides or sulfones at room temperature with high yields and selectivity

Neoadjuvant and adjuvant doxorubicin chemotherapy in a case of feline soft tissue sarcoma

A 7-year old male neutered domestic shorthair cat was presented with a 2 month history of a slow-growing mass on the right zygomatic area. A CT scan revealed a soft tissue mass in the right zygomatic region with no alterations of the underlying bone and features of local invasiveness. Cytology was suggestive of a mesenchymal tumour and histopathology from an incisional biopsy was consistent with a soft tissue sarcoma (STS). The cat was treated with neoadjuvant intravenous doxorubicin chemotherapy at a dose of 25 mg/m2, every two weeks. The patient experienced a partial response and underwent surgical excision of the tumour. Doxorubicin was continued as an adjuvant treatment for three further chemotherapy sessions, at a dose of 25 mg/m2 every 21 days. Local tumour recurrence was detected on clinical examination and cytologically confirmed 259 days following surgery

Procuring Socially Responsible Services Within Sustainability-Driven Thessaloniki

This descriptive exploratory case study reveals the current state of an innovative municipal services’ design for socially responsible tenders, as well as its sustainability findings. A mixed-method approach enables the collection of rich, contextual information from the 60 participating organisations that contribute to the three-step design of this socially responsible framework. Data is analysed using bivariate analysis against the different research variables. Findings indicate an individual notion of strongly correlated procuring public services, involving traditional and digital communication approaches. They lead to innovative public private socioeconomic synergies in supply chain management (SCM), as well as the reestablishment of the city’s social and environmental profile. Growing implications in the Greek public and private sectors link the role of social responsibility to sustainable supply chain management practices (SSCM). As a result, current municipal tenders are reflecting a socially responsible framework design for the city’s growth and sustainable development. In a European post-financial crisis era where budgets are limited, this study contributes to (i) European sustainability socially responsible services and (ii) lessons learned from the participating actors of an SR design, setting a valuable SSCM example for other European counties

Sport, doping and male fertility

It is universally accepted that lifestyle interventions are the first step towards a good overall, reproductive and sexual health. Cessation of unhealthy habits, such as tobacco, alcohol and drug use, poor nutrition and sedentary behavior, is suggested in order to preserve/improve fertility in humans. However, the possible risks of physical exercise per se or sports on male fertility are less known. Being fit does not only improve the sense of well-being, but also has beneficial effects on general health: in fact physical exercise is by all means a low-cost, high-efficacy method for preventing or treating several conditions, ranging from purely physical (diabetes and obesity) to psychological (depression and anxiety), highly influencing male reproduction. If male sexual and reproductive health could be positively affected by a proper physical activity, inadequate bouts of strength - both excessive intensity and duration of exercise training - are more likely to have detrimental effects. In addition, the illicit use of prohibited drugs (i.e. doping) has reached pandemic proportions, and their actions, unfortunately very often underestimated by both amateur and professional athletes, are known to disrupt at different levels and throughout various mechanisms the male hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, resulting in hypogonadism and infertility

Overview of the JET results

Since the installation of an ITER-like wall, the JET programme has focused on the consolidation of ITER design choices and the preparation for ITER operation, with a specific emphasis given to the bulk tungsten melt experiment, which has been crucial for the final decision on the material choice for the day-one tungsten divertor in ITER. Integrated scenarios have been progressed with the re-establishment of long-pulse, high-confinement H-modes by optimizing the magnetic configuration and the use of ICRH to avoid tungsten impurity accumulation. Stationary discharges with detached divertor conditions and small edge localized modes have been demonstrated by nitrogen seeding. The differences in confinement and pedestal behaviour before and after the ITER-like wall installation have been better characterized towards the development of high fusion yield scenarios in DT. Post-mortem analyses of the plasma-facing components have confirmed the previously reported low fuel retention obtained by gas balance and shown that the pattern of deposition within the divertor has changed significantly with respect to the JET carbon wall campaigns due to the absence of thermally activated chemical erosion of beryllium in contrast to carbon. Transport to remote areas is almost absent and two orders of magnitude less material is found in the divertor

Procuring Socially Responsible Services Within Sustainability-Driven Thessaloniki

This descriptive exploratory case study reveals the current state of an innovative municipal services’ design for socially responsible tenders, as well as its sustainability findings. A mixed-method approach enables the collection of rich, contextual information from the 60 participating organisations that contribute to the three-step design of this socially responsible framework. Data is analysed using bivariate analysis against the different research variables. Findings indicate an individual notion of strongly correlated procuring public services, involving traditional and digital communication approaches. They lead to innovative public private socioeconomic synergies in supply chain management (SCM), as well as the reestablishment of the city’s social and environmental profile. Growing implications in the Greek public and private sectors link the role of social responsibility to sustainable supply chain management practices (SSCM). As a result, current municipal tenders are reflecting a socially responsible framework design for the city’s growth and sustainable development. In a European post-financial crisis era where budgets are limited, this study contributes to (i) European sustainability socially responsible services and (ii) lessons learned from the participating actors of an SR design, setting a valuable SSCM example for other European counties

Energy Demand in Agricultural Biomass Production in Parana state, Brazil

Energy flow analysis is an interesting approach to assess and to improve sustainability of agricultural production systems, represented by the economy of energy resources and other inputs translated into energy terms. This type of analysis can complement the economic view contributing to more efficient production systems. Moreover, assessing crops with traditional food use may play an important role in energy provision. Energy efficiency tools were applied in order to determine the energy demand as well as the efficiency of the biomass production of several forage crops in mechanized systems conducted at Paraná state, Brazil. Material flow, input and output energy, energy balance, energy return over investment and embodied energy were used and identified that maize and sorghum were the crops that uses energy in the most efficient way, represented by the best results at net energy availability, profitability and embodied energy at the final product. Oat and ryegrass were the crops the presented the least efficient energy uses in the biomass production systems.   Keywords: Bioenergy, energy indicators, sustainability, embodied energy. &nbsp

Tailoring discrete quantum walk dynamics via extended initial conditions: Towards homogeneous probability distributions

We study the evolution of initially extended distributions in the coined quantum walk on the line by analyzing the dispersion relation of the process and its associated wave equations. This allows us, in particular, to devise an initially extended condition leading to a uniform probability distribution whose width increases linearly with time, with increasing homogeneity.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure