210 research outputs found
Oncoplastic conservative surgery for breast cancer: long-term outcomes of our first ten years experience
The main goal of oncoplastic breast surgery (OBS) is to optimize cosmetic outcomes and reduce patient morbidity, while still providing an oncologically-safe surgical outcome and extending the target population of conservative surgery. Although the growing number of reported experiences with oncoplastic surgery, few studies account for the long-term outcomes
Intraoperative ultrasound and oncoplastic combined approach: an additional tool for the oncoplastic surgeon to obtain tumor-free margins in breast conservative surgeryâa 2-year single-center prospective study
In case of breast postoncologic reconstructive surgery when an oncoplastic approach is adopted and volume replacement with glandular flap mobilization is performed, tumor-positive margins may create a significant problem. We present our experience with intraoperative ultrasound as an adjunctive tool to guide breast surgeons to improve margin-free management of neoplastic breast lesions in patients undergoing oncoplastic surgery
Oncological safety of stromal vascular fraction enriched fat grafting in two-stage breast reconstruction after nipple sparing mastectomy: long-term results of a prospective study
OBJECTIVE: Autologous fat transfer (AFT) is commonly used to treat implant palpability and prevent fibrosis and thinning in mastectomy skin flaps. A major limit to this procedure is volume retention over time, leading to the introduction of fat enrichment with stromal vascular fraction (SVF+AFT). Oncological concerns have been raised over the injection of an increased concentration of progenitors cells (ASCs) in the SVF. The aim of the study is to evaluate the long-term cancer recurrence risk of SVF+AFT cases compared to AFT, in patients undergoing Nipple Sparing Mastectomy (NSM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was designed to compare three groups of patients undergoing NSM followed by SVF+AFT, AFT or none (control group), after a two-stage breast reconstruction. Patients were strictly followed-up for at least 5-years from the second stage reconstructive procedure. Loco-regional and systemic recurrence rate were evaluated over time as the primary outcome. Logistic regression was used to investigate which factors were associated with recurrence events and independent variables of interest were: surgical technique, age above 50 years old, lympho-vascular invasion, oncological stage, adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant radiotherapy and adjuvant hormone therapy. RESULTS: 41 women were included in G1 (SVF+AFT), 64 in G2 (AFT), and 64 in G3 (control group). Loco-regional recurrence rate was 2.4% for G1, 4.7% for G2, and 1.6% for G3. Systemic recurrence was 7.3%, 3.1%, and 3.1%, respectively. Among the variables included, there were no significant risk factors influencing a recurrence event, either loco-regional or systemic. In particular, SVF+AFT (G1) did not increase the oncological recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that both centrifuged and SVF-enhanced fat transfer have a similar safety level in comparison to patients who did not undergo fat grafting in breast reconstruction after NSM
Is Macronutrients Intake a Challenge for Cardiometabolic Risk in Obese Adolescents?
(1) Background: Pediatric obesity is an emerging public health issue, mainly related to western diet. A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the association between macronutrients intake and cardiometabolic risk factors in obese adolescents. (2) Methods: Ninety-three Italian obese adolescents were recruited; anthropometric parameters, body composition, glucose and lipid metabolism profiles were measured. Macronutrients intake was estimated by a software-assisted analysis of a 120-item frequency questionnaire. The association between macronutrients and cardiometabolic risk factors was assessed by bivariate correlation, and multiple regression analysis was used to adjust for confounders such as age and sex. (3) Results: By multiple regression analysis, we found that higher energy and lower carbohydrate intakes predicted higher body mass index (BMI) z-score, p = 0.005, and higher saturated fats intake and higher age predicted higher HOmeostasis Model Assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and lower QUantitative Insulin-sensitivity ChecK (QUICK) index, p = 0.001. In addition, a saturated fats intake <7% was associated with normal HOMA-IR, and a higher total fats intake predicted a higher HOMA of percent \u3b2-cell function (HOMA-\u3b2), p = 0.011. (4) Conclusions: Higher energy intake and lower carbohydrate dietary intake predicted higher BMI z-score after adjustment for age and sex. Higher total and saturated fats dietary intakes predicted insulin resistance, even after adjustment for confounding factors. A dietary pattern including appropriate high-quality carbohydrate and reduced saturated fat intakes could result in reduced cardiometabolic risk in obese adolescents
The Effect of Endurance Training on Pulmonary VËO2 Kinetics in Solid Organs Transplanted Recipients
BACKGROUND: We investigated the effects of single (SL-ET) and double leg (DL-ET) high-intensity interval training on O2 deficit (O2Def) and mean response time (MRT) during square-wave moderate-intensity exercise (DL-MOD), and on the amplitude of VËO2p slow component (SCamp), during heavy intensity exercise (DL-HVY), on 33 patients (heart transplant = 13, kidney transplanted = 11 and liver transplanted = 9). METHODS: Patients performed DL incremental step exercise to exhaustion, two DL-MOD tests, and a DL-HVY trial before and after 24 sessions of SL-ET (n = 17) or DL-ET (n = 16). RESULTS: After SL-ET, O2Def, MRT and SCamp decreased by 16.4% ± 13.7 (p = 0.008), by 15.6% ± 13.7 (p = 0.004) and by 35% ± 31 (p = 0.002), respectively. After DL-ET, they dropped by 24.9% ± 16.2 (p < 0.0001), by 25.9% ± 13.6 (p < 0.0001) and by 38% ± 52 (p = 0.0003), respectively. The magnitude of improvement of O2Def, MRT, and SCamp was not significantly different between SL-ET and DL-ET after training. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that SL-ET is as effective as DL-ET if we aim to improve VËO2p kinetics in transplanted patients and suggest that the slower, VËO2p kinetics is mainly caused by the impairment of peripherals exchanges likely due to the immunosuppressive medications and disuse
The Large-Scale Polarization Explorer (LSPE)
The LSPE is a balloon-borne mission aimed at measuring the polarization of
the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) at large angular scales, and in
particular to constrain the curl component of CMB polarization (B-modes)
produced by tensor perturbations generated during cosmic inflation, in the very
early universe. Its primary target is to improve the limit on the ratio of
tensor to scalar perturbations amplitudes down to r = 0.03, at 99.7%
confidence. A second target is to produce wide maps of foreground polarization
generated in our Galaxy by synchrotron emission and interstellar dust emission.
These will be important to map Galactic magnetic fields and to study the
properties of ionized gas and of diffuse interstellar dust in our Galaxy. The
mission is optimized for large angular scales, with coarse angular resolution
(around 1.5 degrees FWHM), and wide sky coverage (25% of the sky). The payload
will fly in a circumpolar long duration balloon mission during the polar night.
Using the Earth as a giant solar shield, the instrument will spin in azimuth,
observing a large fraction of the northern sky. The payload will host two
instruments. An array of coherent polarimeters using cryogenic HEMT amplifiers
will survey the sky at 43 and 90 GHz. An array of bolometric polarimeters,
using large throughput multi-mode bolometers and rotating Half Wave Plates
(HWP), will survey the same sky region in three bands at 95, 145 and 245 GHz.
The wide frequency coverage will allow optimal control of the polarized
foregrounds, with comparable angular resolution at all frequencies.Comment: In press. Copyright 2012 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation
Engineers. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only.
Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this
paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of
the paper are prohibite
Cyst nematode bio-communication with plants: implications for novel management approaches
Bioâcommunication occurs when living organisms interact with each other, facilitated by the exchange of signals including visual, auditory, tactile and chemical. The most common form of bioâcommunication between organisms is mediated by chemical signals, commonly referred to as âsemiochemicalsâ, and it involves an emitter releasing the chemical signal that is detected by a receiver leading to a phenotypic response in the latter organism. The quality and quantity of the chemical signal released may be influenced by abiotic and biotic factors. Bioâcommunication has been reported to occur in both aboveâ and belowâground interactions and it can be exploited for the management of pests, such as cyst nematodes, which are pervasive soilâborne pests that cause significant crop production losses worldwide. Cyst nematode hatching and successful infection of hosts are biological processes that are largely influenced by semiochemicals including hatching stimulators, hatching inhibitors, attractants and repellents. These semiochemicals can be used to disrupt interactions between host plants and cyst nematodes. Advances in RNAi techniques such as hostâinduced gene silencing to interfere with cyst nematode hatching and host location can also be exploited for development of synthetic resistant host cultivars. © 2020 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry
A coherent polarimeter array for the Large Scale Polarization Explorer balloon experiment
We discuss the design and expected performance of STRIP (STRatospheric
Italian Polarimeter), an array of coherent receivers designed to fly on board
the LSPE (Large Scale Polarization Explorer) balloon experiment. The STRIP
focal plane array comprises 49 elements in Q band and 7 elements in W-band
using cryogenic HEMT low noise amplifiers and high performance waveguide
components. In operation, the array will be cooled to 20 K and placed in the
focal plane of a meter telescope providing an angular resolution of
degrees. The LSPE experiment aims at large scale, high sensitivity
measurements of CMB polarization, with multi-frequency deep measurements to
optimize component separation. The STRIP Q-band channel is crucial to
accurately measure and remove the synchrotron polarized component, while the
W-band channel, together with a bolometric channel at the same frequency,
provides a crucial cross-check for systematic effects.Comment: In press on the Proceedings of the SPIE Conference Astronomical
Telescopes + instrumentation 2012, Amsterdam, paper 8446-27
Identification of subclinical cardiac amyloidosis in aortic stenosis patients undergoing transaortic valve replacement using radiomic analysis of computed tomography myocardial texture
Transcriptome of Aphanomyces euteiches: New Oomycete Putative Pathogenicity Factors and Metabolic Pathways
Aphanomyces euteiches is an oomycete pathogen that causes seedling blight and root rot of legumes, such as alfalfa and pea. The genus Aphanomyces is phylogenically distinct from well-studied oomycetes such as Phytophthora sp., and contains species pathogenic on plants and aquatic animals. To provide the first foray into gene diversity of A. euteiches, two cDNA libraries were constructed using mRNA extracted from mycelium grown in an artificial liquid medium or in contact to plant roots. A unigene set of 7,977 sequences was obtained from 18,864 high-quality expressed sequenced tags (ESTs) and characterized for potential functions. Comparisons with oomycete proteomes revealed major differences between the gene content of A. euteiches and those of Phytophthora species, leading to the identification of biosynthetic pathways absent in Phytophthora, of new putative pathogenicity genes and of expansion of gene families encoding extracellular proteins, notably different classes of proteases. Among the genes specific of A. euteiches are members of a new family of extracellular proteins putatively involved in adhesion, containing up to four protein domains similar to fungal cellulose binding domains. Comparison of A. euteiches sequences with proteomes of fully sequenced eukaryotic pathogens, including fungi, apicomplexa and trypanosomatids, allowed the identification of A. euteiches genes with close orthologs in these microorganisms but absent in other oomycetes sequenced so far, notably transporters and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases, and suggests the presence of a defense mechanism against oxidative stress which was initially characterized in the pathogenic trypanosomatids
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