The commissioning of the CUORE experiment: the mini-tower run

CUORE is a ton-scale experiment approaching the data taking phase in Gran Sasso National Laboratory. Its primary goal is to search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay in 130Te using 988 crystals of tellurim dioxide. The crystals are operated as bolometers at about 10 mK taking advantage of one of the largest dilution cryostat ever built. Concluded in March 2016, the cryostat commissioning consisted in a sequence of cool down runs each one integrating new parts of the apparatus. The last run was performed with the fully configured cryostat and the thermal load at 4 K reached the impressive mass of about 14 tons. During that run the base temperature of 6.3 mK was reached and maintained for more than 70 days. An array of 8 crystals, called mini-tower, was used to check bolometers operation, readout electronics and DAQ. Results will be presented in terms of cooling power, electronic noise, energy resolution and preliminary background measurements

Results from the Cuore Experiment

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is the first bolometric experiment searching for neutrinoless double beta decay that has been able to reach the 1-ton scale. The detector consists of an array of 988 TeO2 crystals arranged in a cylindrical compact structure of 19 towers, each of them made of 52 crystals. The construction of the experiment was completed in August 2016 and the data taking started in spring 2017 after a period of commissioning and tests. In this work we present the neutrinoless double beta decay results of CUORE from examining a total TeO2 exposure of 86.3kg yr, characterized by an effective energy resolution of 7.7 keV FWHM and a background in the region of interest of 0.014 counts/ (keV kg yr). In this physics run, CUORE placed a lower limit on the decay half- life of neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te > 1.3.1025 yr (90% C. L.). Moreover, an analysis of the background of the experiment is presented as well as the measurement of the 130Te 2vo3p decay with a resulting half- life of T2 2. [7.9 :- 0.1 (stat.) :- 0.2 (syst.)] x 10(20) yr which is the most precise measurement of the half- life and compatible with previous results

ARTEFACTS: How do we want to deal with the future of our one and only planet?

The European Commission’s Science and Knowledge Service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), decided to try working hand-in-hand with leading European science centres and museums. Behind this decision was the idea that the JRC could better support EU Institutions in engaging with the European public. The fact that European Union policies are firmly based on scientific evidence is a strong message which the JRC is uniquely able to illustrate. Such a collaboration would not only provide a platform to explain the benefits of EU policies to our daily lives but also provide an opportunity for European citizens to engage by taking a more active part in the EU policy making process for the future. A PILOT PROGRAMME To test the idea, the JRC launched an experimental programme to work with science museums: a perfect partner for three compelling reasons. Firstly, they attract a large and growing number of visitors. Leading science museums in Europe have typically 500 000 visitors per year. Furthermore, they are based in large European cities and attract local visitors as well as tourists from across Europe and beyond. The second reason for working with museums is that they have mastered the art of how to communicate key elements of sophisticated arguments across to the public and making complex topics of public interest readily accessible. That is a high-value added skill and a crucial part of the valorisation of public-funded research, never to be underestimated. Finally museums are, at present, undergoing something of a renaissance. Museums today are vibrant environments offering new techniques and technologies to both inform and entertain, and attract visitors of all demographics.JRC.H.2-Knowledge Management Methodologies, Communities and Disseminatio

Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced colorectal cancers at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all 17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period), in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was 30 days from surgery. EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery, palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery, and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster variable. RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years) underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142 (56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for these patients

Safety and Efficacy of Eucaloric Very Low-Carb Diet (EVLCD) in Type 1 Diabetes: A One-Year Real-Life Retrospective Experience

A eucaloric very low carbohydrate diet (EVLCD) is a diet with a daily caloric intake equal to the total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) with a carbohydrate content of <50 g/day. The literature on very low carbohydrate diets (VLCD) in type 1 diabetes (DM 1) is limited, although recently published scientific studies have highlighted their safety and efficacy in managing DM 1. In this retrospective analysis, we report the clinical data of 33 patients affected by DM 1 carrying out insulin therapy who switched voluntarily from their usual diet (high carb, low fat) to an EVLCD. Our aim is to evaluate the glycemic control, the amount of insulin needed in order to maintain glycemic control and safety of EVLCD. The switch improved glycemic control (mean glycated hemoglobin decreased from 8.3% to 6.8% (p < 0.01). The number of patients who reached a glycated hemoglobin value of <7% increased statistically from 12% to 57% (p < 0.01), and there was a statistically significant decrease (p < 0.01) in the units of daily insulin (from 36.7 +/- 14.9 IU to 28.9 +/- 9.1 IU) A reduction from 54% to 24% in clinical level 2 hypoglycemia episodes was reported. No cases of severe hypoglycemia or ketoacidosis were observed. The results of the study support that EVLCD in DM 1 seems safe and effective when adopted under tight medical supervision

Microhematuria at Point of Care

The case of a 35-year-old man presenting microscopic hematuria allows the following topics to be examined in depth: 1. How is hematuria defined and classified? 2. What are the causes of hematuria? 3. Hematuria is an important sign for the diagnosis of cancer of the urinary system. What are the risk factors for bladder carcinoma? 4. What is the role of the urinary dipstick test in the diagnosis of hematuria? 5. What is the role of the examination of urine sediment in the diagnosis of hematuria? 6. Once microscopic hematuria is confirmed, how can we proceed to reach a final diagnosis

Prevalence of interstitial pneumonia suggestive of COVID-19 at 18F-FDG PET/CT in oncological asymptomatic patients in a high prevalence country during pandemic period: a national multi-centric retrospective study

67sinonenoneAlbano, Domenico; Bertagna, Francesco; Alongi, Pierpaolo; Baldari, Sergio; Baldoncini, Alfonso; Bartolomei, Mirco; Boccaletto, Franco; Boero, Michele; Borsatti, Eugenio; Bruno, Andrea; Burroni, Luca; Capoccetti, Francesca; Castellani, Massimo; Cervino, Anna Rita; Chierichetti, Franca; Ciarmiello, Andrea; Corso, Angelo; Cuocolo, Alberto; De Rimini, Maria Luisa; Deandreis, Desiree’; Dottorini, Massimo Eugenio; Esposito, Filomena; Farsad, Mohsen; Gasparini, Massimo; Grana, Chiara Maria; Gregianin, Michele; Guerra, Luca; Loreti, Fabio; Lupi, Andrea; Martino, Gianluigi; Milan, Elisa; Modoni, Sergio; Morbelli, Silvia; Muni, Alfredo; Nicolai, Emanuele; Palumbo, Barbara; Papa, Sergio; Papaleo, Alberto; Pellerito, Riccardo; Poti, Carlo; Romano, Pasquale; Rossetti, Claudio; Rossini, Pierluigi; Rubini, Giuseppe; Ruffini, Livia; Sacchetti, Gianmauro; Savelli, Giordano; Schiavariello, Saverio; Sciagrà, Roberto; Sciuto, Rosa; Seregni, Ettore; Sestini, Stelvio; Sicolo, Michele; Spanu, Angela; Storto, Giovanni; Balducci, Massimo Tosti; Trifirò, Giuseppe; Versari, Annibale; Vignati, Alberto; Volterrani, Duccio; Calcagni, Maria Lucia; Marzola, Maria Cristina; Garufo, Antonio; Evangelista, Laura; Maroldi, Roberto; Schillaci, Orazio; Giubbini, RaffaeleAlbano, Domenico; Bertagna, Francesco; Alongi, Pierpaolo; Baldari, Sergio; Baldoncini, Alfonso; Bartolomei, Mirco; Boccaletto, Franco; Boero, Michele; Borsatti, Eugenio; Bruno, Andrea; Burroni, Luca; Capoccetti, Francesca; Castellani, Massimo; Cervino, Anna Rita; Chierichetti, Franca; Ciarmiello, Andrea; Corso, Angelo; Cuocolo, Alberto; De Rimini, Maria Luisa; Deandreis, Desiree’; Dottorini, Massimo Eugenio; Esposito, Filomena; Farsad, Mohsen; Gasparini, Massimo; Grana, Chiara Maria; Gregianin, Michele; Guerra, Luca; Loreti, Fabio; Lupi, Andrea; Martino, Gianluigi; Milan, Elisa; Modoni, Sergio; Morbelli, Silvia; Muni, Alfredo; Nicolai, Emanuele; Palumbo, Barbara; Papa, Sergio; Papaleo, Alberto; Pellerito, Riccardo; Poti, Carlo; Romano, Pasquale; Rossetti, Claudio; Rossini, Pierluigi; Rubini, Giuseppe; Ruffini, Livia; Sacchetti, Gianmauro; Savelli, Giordano; Schiavariello, Saverio; Sciagrà, Roberto; Sciuto, Rosa; Seregni, Ettore; Sestini, Stelvio; Sicolo, Michele; Spanu, Angela; Storto, Giovanni; Balducci, Massimo Tosti; Trifirò, Giuseppe; Versari, Annibale; Vignati, Alberto; Volterrani, Duccio; Calcagni, Maria Lucia; Marzola, Maria Cristina; Garufo, Antonio; Evangelista, Laura; Maroldi, Roberto; Schillaci, Orazio; Giubbini, Raffael