1,416 research outputs found
Surgery for elastofibroma dorsi: optimizing the management of a benign tumor – an analysis of 70 cases
Background: Elastofibroma dorsi (ED) is a benign soft-tissue tumor of the chest wall located near the
tip of the scapula. Clinical presentation includes swelling, pain and impairment of shoulder movements.
The present literature relies only on few small case series. The aim of this study was to analyze the surgical
management of ED, focusing on the debated topics regarding preoperative evaluation, operative technique,
post-operative outcome and follow-up.
Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort analysis of patients operated for ED between
2003 and 2018. Diagnostic techniques were ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT-scan) and
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). CT-scan represented our preferred imaging study for preoperative
assessment. Surgery was proposed for symptomatic and/or large lesions. Marginal excision through a musclesparing
approach was performed. An open-door follow-up policy was adopted. All clinical, radiological,
perioperative and pathological variables were matched in a univariate analysis. A multivariate analysis
was performed to investigate risk factors for postoperative complications. Correlations analysis between
radiological and pathological measurements of elastofibroma was conducted.
Results: Seventy elastofibromas were excised in 59 patients. Mean age was 59 years and female prevalence
was 59%. All elastofibromas were completely resected with no recurrence. Postoperative complications
rate was 17%. Complications were mild in most cases. At the univariate analysis, patients with body mass
index (BMI) >25 had a longer operative time (P=0.048), patients on antiplatelet medications experienced
a prolonged drainage time (P=0.006) and a higher rate of complications (P=0.038); the occurrence of
complications resulted in prolonged drainage time (P=0.047) and length of stay (P=0.023). A BMI ≤25 was
the only independent risk factor for postoperative morbidity (OR 8.71, P=0.024). CT-scan showed the
highest correlation with pathological size (r=0.819), US the lowest (r=0.421).
Conclusions: Marginal resection through a muscle-sparing approach is safe and effective for the treatment
of ED. CT-scan can be adequate for preoperative assessment. Giving the benign nature of the lesion and the
absence of recurrence after complete resection, an open-door follow-up may be appropriate
A laser gyroscope system to detect the Gravito-Magnetic effect on Earth
Large scale square ring laser gyros with a length of four meters on each side
are approaching a sensitivity of 1x10^-11 rad/s/sqrt(Hz). This is about the
regime required to measure the gravitomagnetic effect (Lense Thirring) of the
Earth. For an ensemble of linearly independent gyros each measurement signal
depends upon the orientation of each single axis gyro with respect to the
rotational axis of the Earth. Therefore at least 3 gyros are necessary to
reconstruct the complete angular orientation of the apparatus. In general, the
setup consists of several laser gyroscopes (we would prefer more than 3 for
sufficient redundancy), rigidly referenced to each other. Adding more gyros for
one plane of observation provides a cross-check against intra-system biases and
furthermore has the advantage of improving the signal to noise ratio by the
square root of the number of gyros. In this paper we analyze a system of two
pairs of identical gyros (twins) with a slightly different orientation with
respect to the Earth axis. The twin gyro configuration has several interesting
properties. The relative angle can be controlled and provides a useful null
measurement. A quadruple twin system could reach a 1% sensitivity after 3:2
years of data, provided each square ring has 6 m length on a side, the system
is shot noise limited and there is no source for 1/f- noise.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures. 2010 Honourable mention of the Gravity Research
Foundation; to be published on J. Mod. Phys.
Gravito-electromagnetism versus electromagnetism
The paper contains a discussion of the properties of the gravito-magnetic
interaction in non stationary conditions. A direct deduction of the equivalent
of Faraday-Henry law is given. A comparison is made between the
gravito-magnetic and the electro-magnetic induction, and it is shown that there
is no Meissner-like effect for superfluids in the field of massive spinning
bodies. The impossibility of stationary motions in directions not along the
lines of the gravito-magnetic field is found. Finally the results are discussed
in relation with the behavior of superconductors.Comment: 13 Pages, LaTeX, 1 EPS figure, to appear in European Journal of
Physic
The GINGER Project and status of the ring-laser of LNGS
A ring-laser attached to the Earth measures the absolute angular velocity of the Earth summed
to the relativistic precessions, de Sitter and Lense-Thirring. GINGER (Gyroscopes IN GEneral
Relativity) is a project aiming at measuring the LenseThirring effect with a ground based detector;
it is based on an array of ring-lasers. Comparing the Earth angular velocity measured
by IERS and the measurement done with the GINGER array, the Lense-Thirring effect can be
evaluated. Compared to the existing space experiments, GINGER provides a local measurement,
not the averaged value and it is unnecessary to model the gravitational field. It is a proposal,
but it is not far from being a reality. In fact the GrossRing G of the Geodesy Observatory of
Wettzell has a sensitivity very close to the necessary one. G ofWettzell is part of the IERS system
which provides the measure of the Length Of the DAY (LOD); G provides information on the fast
component of LOD. In the last few years, a roadmap toward GINGER has been outlined. The
experiment G-GranSasso, financed by the INFN Commission II, is developing instrumentations
and tests along the roadmap of GINGER. In this short paper the main activities of G-GranSasso
and some results will be presented. The first results of GINGERino will be reported, GINGERino
is the large ring-laser installed inside LNGS and now in the commissioning phase. Ring-lasers
provide as well important informations for geophysics, in particular the rotational seismology,
which is an emerging field of science. GINGERino is one of the three experiments of common
interest between INFN and INGV
On a stationary spinning string spacetime
The properties of a stationary massless string endowed with intrinsic spin
are discussed. The spacetime is Minkowskian geometrically but the topology is
nontrivial due to the horizon located on the surface , similar with
Rindler's case. For less than the Planck length , has the
same sign as and closed timelike curves are possible.
We assume an elementary particles' spin originates in the frame dragging
effect produced by the rotation of the source. The Sagnac time delay is
calculated and proves to be constant.Comment: revised version of hep-th/0602014 v1, 7 pages, title changed, sec.5
removed, talk given at "Recent Developments in Gravity" (NEB XII), Nafplio,
Greece, 29 June 200
Brachiopod-based oxygen-isotope thermometer: Update and review
In the early 1950\u2019s, McCrea and Epstein and co-workers laid the foundation for the oxygen isotope-based thermometers. Many variations of the thermometer have been since formulated based on synthetic and biogenic carbonates. Overall, the use and application of oxygen isotope thermometers must consider and be specific as to the mineralogy, and whether it is synthetic, abiogenic or biogenic carbonate. Here, we propose an updated and refined oxygen-isotope thermometer based on a large database of articulated brachiopods from high to low latitudes, cold to warm and shallow to deep-water regimes. In general, brachiopod-based oxygen isotopes are offset from abiogenic calcite precipitated in thermodynamic equilibrium by about -1 . They maintain this offset and that allows for the determination of robust ambient water temperatures over the full marine spectrum. Thus, the specific brachiopod-based oxygen-isotope thermometer applies, with few exceptions, to most modern articulated brachiopods, and potentially their ancient counterparts, and it is as follows: T\ub0C =17.3750 \u2013 4.2535 (\u3b4c-\u3b4w) + 0.1473 (\u3b4c-\u3b4w)2 (N=578, r2 = 0.980) Furthermore, it is imperative that mineralogy and taxa be considered for their appropriateness in the application of oxygen isotope thermometers on synthetic, abiogenic and biogenic marine carbonates. Articulated brachiopods are ideal recorders of oceanographic parameters due to their sessile nature, widespread distribution, high abundance in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic, high resilience to most environmental stresses (e.g., climate change - global warming, ocean acidification), and the resistance of the calcite shell \u2013 the archive \u2013 to post-depositional diagenetic alteration
Serafino Zappacosta: An Enlightened Mentor and Educator
With this article, the authors aim to honor the memory of Serafino Zappacosta, who had been their mentor during the early years of their career in science. The authors discuss how the combination of Serafino Zappacosta's extraordinary commitment to teaching and passion for science created a fostering educational environment that led to the creation of the “Ruggero Ceppellini Advanced School of Immunology.” The review also illustrates how the research on the MHC and the inspirational scientific context in the Zappacosta's laboratory influenced the authors' early scientific interests, and subsequent professional work as immunologists
Measuring Gravito-magnetic Effects by Multi Ring-Laser Gyroscope
We propose an under-ground experiment to detect the general relativistic
effects due to the curvature of space-time around the Earth (de Sitter effect)
and to rotation of the planet (dragging of the inertial frames or
Lense-Thirring effect). It is based on the comparison between the IERS value of
the Earth rotation vector and corresponding measurements obtained by a
tri-axial laser detector of rotation. The proposed detector consists of six
large ring-lasers arranged along three orthogonal axes.
In about two years of data taking, the 1% sensitivity required for the
measurement of the Lense-Thirring drag can be reached with square rings of 6
side, assuming a shot noise limited sensitivity ().
The multi-gyros system, composed of rings whose planes are perpendicular to one
or the other of three orthogonal axes, can be built in several ways. Here, we
consider cubic and octahedron structures. The symmetries of the proposed
configurations provide mathematical relations that can be used to study the
stability of the scale factors, the relative orientations or the ring-laser
planes, very important to get rid of systematics in long-term measurements,
which are required in order to determine the relativistic effects.Comment: 24 pages, 26 Postscript figure
Zeta function method and repulsive Casimir forces for an unusual pair of plates at finite temperature
We apply the generalized zeta function method to compute the Casimir energy
and pressure between an unusual pair of parallel plates at finite temperature,
namely: a perfectly conducting plate and an infinitely permeable one. The high
and low temperature limits of these quantities are discussed; relationships
between high and low temperature limits are estabkished by means of a modified
version of the temperature inversion symmetry.Comment: latex file 9 pages, 3 figure
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