Gas leak-detection system

Data monitoring of gas leakage in satellites and spacecraft is facilitated by adding gaseous radioisotopes to cold compressed gas and mounting a detector in the thrust nozzle

In vitro and in vivo selection of potentially probiotic lactobacilli from Nocellara del Belice table olives

Table olives are increasingly recognized as a vehicle as well as a source of probiotic bacteria, especially those fermented with traditional procedures based on the activity of indigenous microbial consortia, originating from local environments. In the present study, we report characterization at the species level of 49 Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) strains deriving from Nocellara del Belice table olives fermented with the Spanish or Castelvetrano methods, recently isolated in our previous work. Ribosomal 16S DNA analysis allowed identification of 4 Enterococcus gallinarum, 3 E. casseliflavus, 14 Leuconostoc mesenteroides, 19 Lactobacillus pentosus, 7 L. coryniformis, and 2 L. oligofermentans. The L. pentosus and L. coryniformis strains were subjected to further screening to evaluate their probiotic potential, using a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches. The majority of them showed high survival rates under in vitro simulated gastro-intestinal conditions, and positive antimicrobial activity against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) pathogens. Evaluation of antibiotic resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, or erythromycin was also performed for all selected strains. Three L. coryniformis strains were selected as very good performers in the initial in vitro testing screens, they were antibiotic susceptible, as well as capable of inhibiting pathogen growth in vitro. Parallel screening employing the simplified model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, fed the Lactobacillus strains as a food source, revealed that one L. pentosus and one L. coryniformis strains significantly induced prolongevity effects and protection from pathogen-mediated infection. Moreover, both strains displayed adhesion to human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells and were able to outcompete foodborne pathogens for cell adhesion. Overall, these results are suggestive of beneficial features for novel LAB strains, which renders them promising candidates as starters for the manufacturing of fermented table olives with probiotic added value

Percutaneous combined therapy for painful sternal metastases: a radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFTA) and cementoplasty protocol

Radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFTA) has recently been introduced for the treatment of painful bone metastases. We report the outcome of one combined protocol session of percutaneous RFTA and cementoplasty on a painful sternal breast cancer metastasis of a 66-year-old patient

Surgical treatment of central grade 1 chondrosarcoma of the appendicular skeleton.

Diagnosis and treatment of low-grade chondrosarcoma remain controversial. We performed a review of a single-center series with the aims of assessing the oncologic outcome of these patients, verifying if intralesional curettage can be adequate treatment, and defining clinical criteria to support the surgeon and the oncologist in decision-making for surgery and subsequent follow-up

Interleukin-2 inhalation therapy in renal cell cancer: a case report and review of the literature

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common malignancy of the kidney. One third of RCC presents metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, usually leading to a fatal outcome. Small response rates were seen with most cytotoxic agents including gemcitabine and vinorelbine, whereas systemic therapy with high doses of interleukin 2 (IL-2) has been shown to provide durable complete remissions. However, in consideration of its severe toxicity, IL-2 immunotherapy is restricted to selected patients. Aerosol IL-2 has been introduced as an alternative therapy in cancer patients. However, only very few data are available on its use in patients with pulmonary metastatic RCC. This paper briefly summarizes current clinical experience with the use of inhaled IL-2 therapy, either as a single therapy or in combination with other treatments. In addition, we report on a male patient with pulmonary metastasized RCC who achieved a durable complete response to combined gemcitabine/vinorelbine and interleukin-2 inhalation therapy

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in cancer prevention and therapy

Long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be regarded as an effective approach for cancer chemoprevention, as demonstrated by a bulk of clinical and experimental evidence. However, the clinical use of these drugs as chemopreventive agents is limited by many open questions about the optimal drug, dose, duration of therapy and knowledge about the mechanism(s) by which these drugs act. In particular, the recent data on cardiovascular toxicity of coxibs has posed some limitations on the use of NSAIDs for cancer chemoprevention in the general population. The situation is different in certain genetically susceptible subgroups, such as in individuals with genetic mutations associated with hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) or familiar adenomatous polyps (FAP) in whom lifetime risk increases up to 70-90% and in whom the benefit of a chemopreventive drug might justify its use even in the presence of adverse effects

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in cancer prevention and therapy

Long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be regarded as an effective approach for cancer chemoprevention, as demonstrated by a bulk of clinical and experimental evidence. However, the clinical use of these drugs as chemopreventive agents is limited by many open questions about the optimal drug, dose, duration of therapy and knowledge about the mechanism(s) by which these drugs act. In particular, the recent data on cardiovascular toxicity of coxibs has posed some limitations on the use of NSAIDs for cancer chemoprevention in the general population. The situation is different in certain genetically susceptible subgroups, such as in individuals with genetic mutations associated with hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) or familiar adenomatous polyps (FAP) in whom lifetime risk increases up to 70-90% and in whom the benefit of a chemopreventive drug might justify its use even in the presence of adverse effects

Caregiver distress in the early phases of cancer

Principal caregivers (PCs) of cancer patients experience high levels of stress that may significantly impact their quality of life (QoL). PCs' QoL during early phases of the disease (when patients were still on chemotherapy) were assessed

Caregiver distress in the early phases of cancer

Principal caregivers (PCs) of cancer patients experience high levels of stress that may significantly impact their quality of life (QoL). PCs' QoL during early phases of the disease (when patients were still on chemotherapy) were assessed