Type IV Thoraco-Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (TAAA IV) with Occlusion of Celiac and Superior Mesenteric Arteries in a High Risk Patient: Successful Treatment with a Hybrid Traditional Vascular and Endovascular Procedure

Abstract We describe a novel hybrid open and endovascular repair for a dumbbell shaped lower thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a high risk patient, with celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery occlusions. We used a two-staged approach consisting of an open infrarenal AAA repair with a by-pass to superior mesenteric artery and reimplantation of inferior mesenteric artery. This was followed by an antegrade insertion of a thoracic endograft via a PFTE graft on the thoracic aorta to allow precise deployment of the stent graft above the renal arteries

Imbalance of Mg Homeostasis as a Potential Biomarker in Colon Cancer

Background: Increasing evidences support a correlation between magnesium (Mg) homeostasis and colorectal cancer (CRC). Nevertheless, the role of Mg and its transporters as diagnostic markers in CRC is still a matter of debate. In this study we combined X-ray Fluorescence Microscopy and databases information to investigate the possible correlation between Mg imbalance and CRC. Methods: CRC tissue samples and their non-tumoural counterpart from four patients were collected and analysed for total Mg level and distribution by X-Ray Fluorescence Microscopy. We also reviewed the scientific literature and the main tissue expression databases to collect data on Mg transporters expression in CRC. Results: We found a significantly higher content of total Mg in CRC samples when compared to non-tumoural tissues. Mg distribution was also impaired in CRC. Conversely, we evidenced an uncertain correlation between Mg transporters expression and colon malignancies. Discussion: Although further studies are necessary to determine the correlation between different cancer types and stages, this is the first report proposing the measurement of Mg tissue localisation as a marker in CRC. This study represents thus a proof-of-concept that paves the way for the design of a larger prospective investigation of Mg in CRC

Estudio prospectivo de las primo infecciones por Babesia bovis en terneros Brahman y Brangus de un área enzoótica de Corrientes, Argentina

Se evaluaron primo-infecciones causadas por Babesia bovis en terneros Brahman y Brangus en zona endémica de Corrientes, mediante la detección de: anticuerpos por ELISA-i, hematocrito y parasitemia en 48 vacas gestantes (195 días), de sus crías dentro de las 6 horas de vida (M1) y periódicamente hasta los 10 meses de edad (M2-M9). Para determinar la ingestión de calostro se utilizó la prueba del glutaraldehído (M1). La prevalencia de B. bovis en vacas fue del 97,91%. Los niveles de anticuerpos (M1) en terneros calostrados (n=15) fue 79,4 (14/15) Porcentaje de Positividad (PP), y el de sus madres 57,5% (47/48) PP (p<0,05) y en los no calostrados - anticuerpos generados durante la gestación - (n=33) fue 4,6 (1/33) PP. Hubo 4 perfi les serológicos, hasta 60 días (37%), 90 (23%), 120 (30%) y después de los 120 (10%). A los 9 meses de edad el 100% de los terneros presentó anticuerpos, sin padecer enfermedad.Occurrence of primary B. bovis infections were evaluated in calves Brahman and Brangus from endemic areas of Corrientes, throughout antibody-detection by iELISA, hematocrit determination and parasitaemia in 48 pregnant cattle (195 days of pregnancy) and their calves within 6 hours of born (M1) and periodically until 10 months of age (M2-M9). Colostrums’ ingestion was determinate by glutaraldehid test (M1). Prevalence of B. bovis in cattle was 97,91%. The level of antibodies (M1) in calves that consumed colostrums (n=15) was 79,4 PP and 57,5 PP in their mothers (p<0,05). In calves that did not consume colostrums -gestation-generated antibodies - it was 4,6 PP. There were 4 serologic profi les that suggest the occurrence of early infections, before day 60th (37%), 90th (23%), 120yh (30%) and belated after 120 days (10%). At the 9th month of age 100% of calves were infected, without evidence of illness.EEA RafaelaFil: Martinez, I. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: Jacobo, Roberto. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosa ; ArgentinaFil: Cipolini, M.F. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosa ; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, Diana. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: Storani, C.A. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: Ragazzi, A. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Producción Bovina; ArgentinaFil: Echaide, Ignacio Eduardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; ArgentinaFil: Torioni, Susana Marta. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; Argentin

Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography in neoadjuvant chemotherapy monitoring: a comparison with breast magnetic resonance imaging

Background: Neoadjuvant-chemotherapy (NAC) is considered the standard treatment for locally advanced breast carcinomas. Accurate assessment of disease response is fundamental to increase the chances of successful breast-conserving surgery and to avoid local recurrence. The purpose of this study was to compare contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) and contrast-enhanced-MRI (MRI) in the evaluation of tumor response to NAC.Methods: This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board and written informed consent was obtained. Fifty-four consenting women with breast cancer and indication of NAC were consecutively enrolled between October 2012 and December 2014. Patients underwent both CESM and MRI before, during and after NAC. MRI was performed first, followed by CESM within 3 days. Response to therapy was evaluated for each patient, comparing the size of the residual lesion measured on CESM and MRI performed after NAC to the pathological response on surgical specimens (gold standard), independently of and blinded to the results of the other test. The agreement between measurements was evaluated using Lin's coefficient. The agreement between measurements using CESM and MRI was tested at each step of the study, before, during and after NAC. And last of all, the variation in the largest dimension of the tumor on CESM and MRI was assessed according to the parameters set in RECIST 1.1 criteria, focusing on pathological complete response (pCR).Results: A total of 46 patients (85%) completed the study. CESM predicted pCR better than MRI (Lin's coefficient 0.81 and 0.59, respectively). Both methods tend to underestimate the real extent of residual tumor (mean 4.1mm in CESM, 7.5mm in MRI). The agreement between measurements using CESM and MRI was 0.96, 0.94 and 0.76 before, during and after NAC respectively. The distinction between responders and non-responders with CESM and MRI was identical for 45/46 patients. In the assessment of CR, sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 84%, respectively, for CESM, and 87% and 60% for MRI.Conclusion: CESM and MRI lesion size measurements were highly correlated. CESM seems at least as reliable as MRI in assessing the response to NAC, and may be an alternative if MRI is contraindicated or its availability is limited

Energy Resolution Performance of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

The energy resolution performance of the CMS lead tungstate crystal electromagnetic calorimeter is presented. Measurements were made with an electron beam using a fully equipped supermodule of the calorimeter barrel. Results are given both for electrons incident on the centre of crystals and for electrons distributed uniformly over the calorimeter surface. The electron energy is reconstructed in matrices of 3 times 3 or 5 times 5 crystals centred on the crystal containing the maximum energy. Corrections for variations in the shower containment are applied in the case of uniform incidence. The resolution measured is consistent with the design goals

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI

Differential cross section measurements for the production of a W boson in association with jets in proton–proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV

Measurements are reported of differential cross sections for the production of a W boson, which decays into a muon and a neutrino, in association with jets, as a function of several variables, including the transverse momenta (pT) and pseudorapidities of the four leading jets, the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta (HT), and the difference in azimuthal angle between the directions of each jet and the muon. The data sample of pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV was collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb[superscript −1]. The measured cross sections are compared to predictions from Monte Carlo generators, MadGraph + pythia and sherpa, and to next-to-leading-order calculations from BlackHat + sherpa. The differential cross sections are found to be in agreement with the predictions, apart from the pT distributions of the leading jets at high pT values, the distributions of the HT at high-HT and low jet multiplicity, and the distribution of the difference in azimuthal angle between the leading jet and the muon at low values.United States. Dept. of EnergyNational Science Foundation (U.S.)Alfred P. Sloan Foundatio

Search for stop and higgsino production using diphoton Higgs boson decays

Results are presented of a search for a "natural" supersymmetry scenario with gauge mediated symmetry breaking. It is assumed that only the supersymmetric partners of the top-quark (stop) and the Higgs boson (higgsino) are accessible. Events are examined in which there are two photons forming a Higgs boson candidate, and at least two b-quark jets. In 19.7 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collision data at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV, recorded in the CMS experiment, no evidence of a signal is found and lower limits at the 95% confidence level are set, excluding the stop mass below 360 to 410 GeV, depending on the higgsino mass

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis