Modello predittivo dell'insufficienza epatica irreversibile dopo resezione epatica per epatocarcinoma su cirrosi: il "resection score"

Background and aim Liver resection is the one of the curative therapeutic options for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) on hepatic cirrhosis, with radical intent, and the best results in terms of survival rate and HCC recurrence can be achieved compared to liver transplantation. The risk of postoperative irreversible liver failure, increased by underlying cirrhosis, is one of the principal limits of liver resection. The aim of this study is to obtain a predictive score of irreversible liver failure and early death post-hepatectomy, available for clinic practice in the assessment of HCC patients on cirrhosis that could potentially undergo liver resection. Materials and Methods The study cohort included 367 patients that underwent liver resection for HCC on cirrhosis in the Padua Hepato-biliary Surgery Center from Jan.01, 2000 till Dec. 31,2013. Using uni and multi-variate logistic regression predictive variables of post-hepatectomy irreversible liver failure â early death (within 6 months from resection) were identified in order to build a predictive score; the predictive power of mid- long term survival of the score was tested. We validated the score with another cohort of 343 patients that underwent liver resection for HCC on cirrhosis at the Mount Sinai Institute of New York. Results Early death rate on the study cohort was 10% and 12% in the validation cohort. 1, 3 and 5 years survival rate on study and validation cohort were 82% vs 85%, 57% vs 71%, 45% vs 63%, respectively. At multi-variate logistic regression early death correlate variables were age (p= 0.0021), positivity to hepatitis B (p= 0.0151), sodium level 8 (p= 0.0026), excessing âup to sevenâ criteria (p= 0.0016) for neoplastic characteristics. In the study cohort patients that obtained a score >10 had a median survival of 32 months if BCLC A-0 and 42 months if BCLC B-C, versus a median survival of 69 and 42 months in patients with a score 10 had a median survival of 25 months if BCLC A-0 and 14 months if BCLC B-C, versus a median survival of 120 and 63 months in patients with a score <10. Conclusion The obtained score can predict irreversible liver failure and early death post-hepatectomy, with a mid-long term survival survey. External validation makes this score calculator a potentially available instrument for clinic practice in the evaluation of HCC candidates on cirrhosis for liver resection

Exploiting Tannery Sludge as Renewable Resource for Biogas and Short-chain Fatty (SCFAs) Acids Production

The tannery industry is a very lucrative and widespread sector in Italy, and it is yet one of the most polluting, mainly due to the tannery sludge’s disposal in landfills, as it is considered a special residue by Italian legislation. An evaluation of the performance of the anaerobic fermentation process to obtain biogas and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) has been performed in this paper in different conditions concerning temperature, total solids content, and oxidizing and/or thermal pretreatments. The batch test trials revealed that the hydrogen peroxide pretreatment proved to be effective in increasing the biogas production, already at low doses but reaching the highest amount of 204 mL with the dose of 0.6 g H2O2/gTS. Regarding the SCFAs production, the combined microwave and hydrogen peroxide (MW-H2O2) pretreatment followed by thermophilic conditions gave the best results, with maximal SCFA concentration above 24 g CODSCFA/L. In the tests conducted without pretreatment, the mesophilic temperature seem preferable since the acidification performances were comparable to or even better than their thermophilic counterparts while being less energy intensive. The obtained results proved that tannery sludge can be employed in different ways and provide a viable alternative to landfilling, to handle this waste in a greener way, in a circular economy approach

Embodied Language Learning and Cognitive Bootstrapping:Methods and Design Principles

Co-development of action, conceptualization and social interaction mutually scaffold and support each other within a virtuous feedback cycle in the development of human language in children. Within this framework, the purpose of this article is to bring together diverse but complementary accounts of research methods that jointly contribute to our understanding of cognitive development and in particular, language acquisition in robots. Thus, we include research pertaining to developmental robotics, cognitive science, psychology, linguistics and neuroscience, as well as practical computer science and engineering. The different studies are not at this stage all connected into a cohesive whole; rather, they are presented to illuminate the need for multiple different approaches that complement each other in the pursuit of understanding cognitive development in robots. Extensive experiments involving the humanoid robot iCub are reported, while human learning relevant to developmental robotics has also contributed useful results. Disparate approaches are brought together via common underlying design principles. Without claiming to model human language acquisition directly, we are nonetheless inspired by analogous development in humans and consequently, our investigations include the parallel co-development of action, conceptualization and social interaction. Though these different approaches need to ultimately be integrated into a coherent, unified body of knowledge, progress is currently also being made by pursuing individual methods

Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in ZZ-tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at s=\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against a $Z$ boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 $< p_{\textrm{T}} < 100$ GeV and in the pseudorapidity range $2.5 < \eta < 4$. The data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb$^{-1}$. Triple differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb public pages

Study of the B−→Λc+Λˉc−K−B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-} decay

The decay $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ is studied in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment. In the $\Lambda_{c}^+ K^{-}$ system, the $\Xi_{c}(2930)^{0}$ state observed at the BaBar and Belle experiments is resolved into two narrower states, $\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}$ and $\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}$, whose masses and widths are measured to be $$m(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = 2924.5 \pm 0.4 \pm 1.1 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ m(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = 2938.5 \pm 0.9 \pm 2.3 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = \phantom{000}4.8 \pm 0.9 \pm 1.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},\\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = \phantom{00}11.0 \pm 1.9 \pm 7.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},$$ where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The results are consistent with a previous LHCb measurement using a prompt $\Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ sample. Evidence of a new $\Xi_{c}(2880)^{0}$ state is found with a local significance of $3.8\,\sigma$, whose mass and width are measured to be $2881.8 \pm 3.1 \pm 8.5\,\mathrm{MeV}$ and $12.4 \pm 5.3 \pm 5.8 \,\mathrm{MeV}$, respectively. In addition, evidence of a new decay mode $\Xi_{c}(2790)^{0} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ is found with a significance of $3.7\,\sigma$. The relative branching fraction of $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ with respect to the $B^{-} \to D^{+} D^{-} K^{-}$ decay is measured to be $2.36 \pm 0.11 \pm 0.22 \pm 0.25$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third originates from the branching fractions of charm hadron decays.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-028.html (LHCb public pages

Measurement of the ratios of branching fractions R(D∗)\mathcal{R}(D^{*}) and R(D0)\mathcal{R}(D^{0})

The ratios of branching fractions $\mathcal{R}(D^{*})\equiv\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}\to D^{*}\tau^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}\to D^{*}\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu})$ and $\mathcal{R}(D^{0})\equiv\mathcal{B}(B^{-}\to D^{0}\tau^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(B^{-}\to D^{0}\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu})$ are measured, assuming isospin symmetry, using a sample of proton-proton collision data corresponding to 3.0 fb${ }^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity recorded by the LHCb experiment during 2011 and 2012. The tau lepton is identified in the decay mode $\tau^{-}\to\mu^{-}\nu_{\tau}\bar{\nu}_{\mu}$. The measured values are $\mathcal{R}(D^{*})=0.281\pm0.018\pm0.024$ and $\mathcal{R}(D^{0})=0.441\pm0.060\pm0.066$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The correlation between these measurements is $\rho=-0.43$. Results are consistent with the current average of these quantities and are at a combined 1.9 standard deviations from the predictions based on lepton flavor universality in the Standard Model.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-039.html (LHCb public pages

Modello predittivo dell'insufficienza epatica irreversibile dopo resezione epatica per epatocarcinoma su cirrosi: il "resection score"

Background and aim Liver resection is the one of the curative therapeutic options for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) on hepatic cirrhosis, with radical intent, and the best results in terms of survival rate and HCC recurrence can be achieved compared to liver transplantation. The risk of postoperative irreversible liver failure, increased by underlying cirrhosis, is one of the principal limits of liver resection. The aim of this study is to obtain a predictive score of irreversible liver failure and early death post-hepatectomy, available for clinic practice in the assessment of HCC patients on cirrhosis that could potentially undergo liver resection. Materials and Methods The study cohort included 367 patients that underwent liver resection for HCC on cirrhosis in the Padua Hepato-biliary Surgery Center from Jan.01, 2000 till Dec. 31,2013. Using uni and multi-variate logistic regression predictive variables of post-hepatectomy irreversible liver failure â early death (within 6 months from resection) were identified in order to build a predictive score; the predictive power of mid- long term survival of the score was tested. We validated the score with another cohort of 343 patients that underwent liver resection for HCC on cirrhosis at the Mount Sinai Institute of New York. Results Early death rate on the study cohort was 10% and 12% in the validation cohort. 1, 3 and 5 years survival rate on study and validation cohort were 82% vs 85%, 57% vs 71%, 45% vs 63%, respectively. At multi-variate logistic regression early death correlate variables were age (p= 0.0021), positivity to hepatitis B (p= 0.0151), sodium level 8 (p= 0.0026), excessing âup to sevenâ criteria (p= 0.0016) for neoplastic characteristics. In the study cohort patients that obtained a score >10 had a median survival of 32 months if BCLC A-0 and 42 months if BCLC B-C, versus a median survival of 69 and 42 months in patients with a score 10 had a median survival of 25 months if BCLC A-0 and 14 months if BCLC B-C, versus a median survival of 120 and 63 months in patients with a score <10. Conclusion The obtained score can predict irreversible liver failure and early death post-hepatectomy, with a mid-long term survival survey. External validation makes this score calculator a potentially available instrument for clinic practice in the evaluation of HCC candidates on cirrhosis for liver resection .Introduzione La resezione epatica è una delle opzioni terapeutiche ad intento curativo per l'epatocarcinoma (HCC) su cirrosi epatica, ad intento radicale, con i migliori risultati in termini di sopravvivenza e recidiva di malattia, insieme al Trapianto di fegato. Il principale limite della resezione epatica è rappresentato dal rischio di insufficienza epatica postoperatoria, gravato dalla presenza della cirrosi. Il nostro intento è di realizzare uno score predittivo dell'insufficienza epatica irreversibile postoperatoria e quindi della morte precoce, che sia di aiuto nella pratica clinica per la valutazione dell'indicazione alla resezione. Materiali e Metodi Lo studio è stato condotto retrospettivamente su 367 pazienti, sottoposti a resezione epatica per epatocarcinoma su cirrosi dal 1/01/2000 al 31/12/2013 presso il Centro di Chirurgia Epatobiliare di Padova. Attraverso una regressione logistica uni e multivariata abbiamo identificato le variabili predittive di insufficienza epatica irreversibile - morte precoce dopo resezione; con tali variabili abbiamo formulato uno score predittivo di cui abbiamo valutato la potenza prognostica della sopravvivenza a lungo termine. Lo score è stato validato con una coorte di 343 pazienti, sottoposti a resezione epatica per epatocarcinoma su cirrosi presso il Mount Sinai Istitute di New York. Risultati L'incidenza di morte precoce è stata del 10% nella coorte di studio e del 12% nella coorte di validazione. La sopravvivenza della coorte di studio e di validazione rispettivamente a 1, 3 e 5 anni è stata rispettivamente del 82% vs 85%, 57% vs 71%, 45% vs 63%. Le variabili che all'analisi multivariata sono risultate significativamente correlate con la morte precoce sono l'età  (p= 0.0021), la positività  all'epatite B (p= 0.0151), la sodiemia8 (p= 0.0026), il superamento dei criteri "up to seven" (p= 0.0016) per le caratteristiche tumorali. Nella coorte di studio i pazienti con punteggio dello score ottenuto> 10 avevano una sopravvivenza mediana di 32 mesi se in stadio BCLC A-0 e di 21 mesi se in stadio BCLC B-C, rispetto ad una sopravvivenza di 69 e 42 mesi per uno score10 implica una sopravvivenza mediana di 25 mesi e 14 mesi nei pazienti BCLC A-0 e BCLC B-C, rispetto ad una sopravvivenza di 120 e 63 mesi, per uno score <10. Conclusione Lo score ottenuto ha potere predittivo di insufficienza epatica irreversibile e morte precoce dopo resezione, stimando anche la sopravvivenza a medio e lungo termine. La validazione esterna rende il calcolatore uno strumento potenzialmente utilizzabile nella pratica clinica nella valutazione dei candidati a resezione epatica per HCC su cirrosi

Object transport by modular robots that self-assemble

SCOPUS: cp.pinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

An Ad-Hoc Pyrolized Phoenix-like Covalent Triazine Framework for the Selective CO2-to-Formate Electroreduction

Selective electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to formic acid (HCOOH) represents a promising strategy for renewable energy storage other than being a key environmental route for CO2 recycling/mitigation. Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are highly versatile N,C nanoarchitectures whose employment for electrochemical CO2RR as metal-based composites or metal-free systems has been documented in a number of seminal contributions. Here, we unveiled a silent electrochemical potentiality of a metal-free CTF sample already known as only moderately active in the CO2-to-CO electroreduction. Ad-hoc pyrolysis conditions gave rise to a unique and robust metal-free CTF catalyst with superior CO2RR selectivity toward the almost exclusive production of formic acid, at low overpotential values in aqueous electrolyte (FEHCOOH as high as 66% at −0.4 V vs. RHE). As a modern phoenix, the mythological bird that regenerates from its own ashes, the CTFph material described in this contribution demonstrates the impact that pyrolysis conditions have on the ultimate electrochemical properties of these samples

Microwave-Hydrogen Peroxide Assisted Anaerobic Treatment as an Effective Method for Short-Chain Fatty Acids Production from Tannery Sludge

Tannery sludge is disposed of in landfills as it is considered a special residue by the Italian legislation, creating pollution and waste. This paper aims at evaluating the performance of the anaerobic fermentation process to obtain short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from this waste. The assessment of the most appropriate conditions, in terms of pH, temperature, initial total solids (TSs) content, and application of oxidizing-thermal pretreatment has been developed. The batch test trials revealed that the combined microwave and hydrogen peroxide (MW-H2O2) pretreatment followed by thermophilic conditions gave the best results, in terms of the acidification yield (0.31 gCODSCFA/gVS0) and maximal SCFA concentration (above 26 g CODSCFA/L). In the tests conducted without pretreatment, the mesophilic temperature should be preferred since the acidification performances were comparable to or even better than their thermophilic counterparts. The SCFA composition analysis showed that in mesophilic fermentation, tannery sludge can generate up to 50% acetic acid (CODAc/CODSCFA), if previously pretreated (MW-H2O2). This research acts as a forerunner for the appropriate handling of this resource, to employ it for the development of a new tannery industry focused on a circular approach, rather than to simply dispose of it in landfills