The contribution of targeted therapy to the neoadjuvant chemoradiation of rectal cancer.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy is a commonly used option aimed to make less aggressive surgery approaches and to improve quality of life allowing a high proportion of patients operated with sphincter-sparing surgical techniques in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). During the last 5 years a number of studies have tested the efficacy of more intensive chemotherapeutic approaches by combining irinotecan or oxaliplatin with fluoropyrimidines and standard radiation treatments as well as testing combined treatments with targeted agents directed against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or angiogenesis. Herein, we review the results and critiques of the published studies based on the introduction of novel targeted agents in neoadjuvant therapy of LARC

Sperm storage by males causes changes in sperm phenotype and influences the reproductive fitness of males and their sons

Recent studies suggest that environmentally induced effects on sperm phenotype can influence offspring phenotype beyond the classic Mendelian inheritance mechanism. However, establishing whether such effects are conveyed purely through ejaculates, independently of maternal environmental effects, remains a significant challenge. Here, we assess whether environmentally induced effects on sperm phenotype affects male reproductive success and offspring fitness. We experimentally manipulated the duration of sperm storage by males, and thus sperm age, in the internally fertilizing fish Poecilia reticulata. We first confirm that sperm ageing influences sperm quality and consequently males reproductive success. Specifically, we show that aged sperm exhibit impaired velocity and are competitively inferior to fresh sperm when ejaculates compete to fertilize eggs. We then used homospermic (noncompetitive) artificial insemination to inseminate females with old or fresh sperm and found that male offspring arising from fertilizations by experimentally aged sperm suffered consistently impaired sperm quality when just sexually mature (four months old) and subsequently as adults (13 months old). Although we have yet to determine whether these effects have a genetic or epigenetic basis, our analyses provide evidence that environmentally induced variation in sperm phenotype constitutes an important source of variation in male reproductive fitness that has far reaching implications for offspring fitness

Performance of a large limited streamer tube cell in drift mode

The performance of a large (3x3 $cm^2$) streamer tube cell in drift mode is shown. The detector space resolution has been studied using cosmic muons crossing an high precision silicon telescope. The experimental results are compared with a GARFIELD simulation.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures. Accepted by Nucl. Instr. and Methods

Identification of periodic bursts in surface EMG: Applications to the erector spinae muscles of sitting violin players

Objective: This work compares two known and one novel techniques for the detection of surface EMG (sEMG) quasi-periodic burst-like signals and the estimation of their frequency. The novel method (ES) is based on the spectral analysis of the envelope signal, the other two methods use a fixed (FT) or automatically selected optimal threshold (OT). Methods: The methods are compared using both simulated signals and samples of High Density sEMG experimental signals collected using electrode arrays applied to the erector spinae muscles of violinists. Results: The ES method does not require thresholds. It detects presence/absence of bursts and their frequency, even in cases of a few missing bursts. It does not provide their duration. The FT method requires the selection of a fixed threshold value, estimates burst duration but is applicable only if bursts are present. The OT method identifies an optimal threshold, estimates burst duration but behaves irregularly when bursts are small or absent. Conclusions: The ES method provides the estimates closest to those of an expert human counter and is not sensitive to amplitude fluctuations. It is suitable when the general bursts periodicity is of interest even if some bursts may be missing. The FT and OT methods are sensitive to amplitude fluctuations and identify random threshold crossings as bursts even when burst activity is absent. Significance: Postural muscles are often activated in a burst-like fashion. The proposed ES method identifies presence/absence of bursts and their frequency, which is important for studying the neurophysiological mechanism generating them

Plasma Membranes in Psoriatic Cells. A Freeze-fracture Study

A freeze-fracture study of affected and unaffected psoriatic skin has demonstrated the presence of marked modification of the plasma membrane in the psoriatic lesion. In the lower layers of the epidermis, an increase of membrane associated particles was observed in many keratinocytes, possibly representing the morphological intramembranous equivalent of changes in the outer cell membrane demonstrated with cytochemical techniques. Furthermore, in the malphighian layer, numerous gap junctions have been found, which may be interpreted as a phenomenon compensating the uncontrolled proliferation, and may represent a point of differentiation between cell proliferation in psoriasis and neoplasia. This technique confirmed the poor tendency to adhesion of keratinocytes in extrajunctional areas, which had already been shown by other morphological techniques

Influenza vaccination of elderly: relaunch time

Influenza can be a serious disease and constitutes a threat to the population. Every year, seasonal influenza epidemics affect about 5-15% of the world's population. Some frail categories (such as the elderly) can develop complications, request hospitalization, and may die. In order to reduce the medical, social and economic burden of influenza, vaccination is recommended by many health authorities worldwide. Italy has a national programme of influenza vaccination which targets specific categories, such as subjects with chronic conditions, pregnant women, healthcare workers and those over 65 years old. Despite this opportunity for prevention, however, vaccination coverage in Italy does not reach the minimum recommended threshold of 75%. This paper reports some interventions that can improve coverage rates of the elderly, such as "tailor-made" information campaigns, healthcare workers training and the adoption of innovative communication strategies in order to implement vaccination strategies that take into account the needs of the elderly population, the involvement of elderly people's associations in awareness-raising activities and strengthening the role of general practitioners in promoting influenza vaccination