Study on chemical and fatty acid modifications of cow's milk in relation to fat globules diameter

Studies regarding the range of values for variations in the size of milk fat globules have been conducted over the years by various Authors, based on objective observation and mathematical extrapolation. In 1969,Walstra calculated the existence of a population of globules smaller than 1 μm and identified a population of larger globules, distributed in a "Gaussian" manner and showing a peak at a diameter of around 3-4 micrometers; later Timmen e Patton (1988) separated the cream from the rest of the milk by centrifugation and classified the fat globules into small and large sizes

The prognostic value of 18f-fdg pet imaging at staging in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma: A literature review

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy, frequently diagnosed at locally-advanced/metastatic stages. Due to a very poor prognosis and limited treatment options, the need to identify new prognostic markers represents a great clinical challenge. The prognostic role of metabolic information derived from Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with 18F-Fluoro-deoxy-glucose (18F-FDG) has been investigated in different MPM settings, however with no definitive consensus. In this comprehensive review, the prognostic value of FDG-PET imaging exclusively performed at staging in MPM patients was evaluated, conducting a literature search on PubMed/MEDLINE from 2010 to 2020. From the 19 selected studies, despite heterogeneity in several aspects, staging FDG-PET imaging emerges as a valuable prognostic biomarker, with higher tumor uptake predictive of worse prognosis, and with volumetric metabolic parameters like Metabolic Tumor Volume, (MTV) and Total Lesion Glycolisis (TLG) performing better than SUVmax. However, PET uptake parameters were not always confirmed as independent prognostic factors, especially in patients previously treated with pleurodesis and with a non-epithelioid histotype. Future prospective studies in larger and clinically homogeneous populations, and using more standardized methods of PET images analysis, are needed to further validate the value of staging FDG-PET in the prognostic MPM stratification, with a potential impact on better patient-tailored treatment planning, in the perspective of personalized medicine

Game Based Learning on Urban Sustainability: The "Sustain" Project

SUSTAIN is an ERASMUS+ project with an innovative perspective on urban sustainability. Its target is to promote the importance of sustainability on the everyday problems of the cities among the students of higher education, which are the policy makers of tomorrow and the ones that will shape the future. In order to achieve its goals, the research team will develop a course that will be based on an interactive game with an analytical style of education. This game will allow students to learn about transportation sustainability and societal metabolism through playing. In addition, the research team will develop small and illustrative simulation models, which will make the definitions more concrete and allow students to experiment in a consequence-free environment. It is a quite innovative and hybrid perspective way of learning, in the sense that it will combine game-based learning with a cognitive and analytical style of education

A Bio-Imaging Signature as a Predictor of Clinical Outcomes in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Purpose: To evaluate the predictive value of 18F-FDG PET/CT semiquantitative parameters of the primary tumour and CA 19-9 levels assessed before treatment in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Methods: Among one-hundred twenty patients with LAPC treated at our institution with initial chemotherapy followed by curative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) from July 2013 to January 2019, a secondary analysis with baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT was conducted in fifty-eight patients. Pre-treatment CA 19-9 level and the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumour volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of primary tumour were measured. The receiving operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was performed to define the cut-off point of SUVmax, MTV, TLG and CA 19-9 values to use in prediction of early progression (EP), local progression (LP) and overall survival (OS). Areas under the curve (AUCs) were assessed for all variables. Post-test probability was calculated to evaluate the advantage for parameters combination. Results: For EP, CA 19-9 level > 698 U/mL resulted the best marker to identify patient at higher risk with OR of 5.96 (95% CI, 1.66–19.47; p = 0.005) and a Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 61%. For LP, the most significant parameter was TLG (OR 9.75, 95% CI, 1.64–57.87, p = 0.012), with PPV of 83%. For OS, the most significant parameter was MTV (OR 3.12, 95% CI, 0.9–10.83, p = 0.07) with PPV of 88%. Adding consecutively each of the other parameters, PPV to identify patients at risk resulted further increased (>90%). Conclusions: Pre-treatment CA 19-9 level, as well as MTV and TLG values of primary tumour at baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT and their combination, may represent significant predictors of EP, LP and OS in LAPC patients

A bio-imaging signature as a predictor of clinical outcomes in locally advanced pancreatic cancer

Purpose: To evaluate the predictive value of18F-FDG PET/CT semiquantitative parameters of the primary tumour and CA 19-9 levels assessed before treatment in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Methods: Among one-hundred twenty patients with LAPC treated at our institution with initial chemotherapy followed by curative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) from July 2013 to January 2019, a secondary analysis with baseline18F-FDG PET/CT was conducted in fifty-eight patients. Pre-treatment CA 19-9 level and the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumour volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of primary tumour were measured. The receiving operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was performed to define the cut-off point of SUVmax, MTV, TLG and CA 19-9 values to use in prediction of early progression (EP), local progression (LP) and overall survival (OS). Areas under the curve (AUCs) were assessed for all variables. Post-test probability was calculated to evaluate the advantage for parameters combination. Results: For EP, CA 19-9 level > 698 U/mL resulted the best marker to identify patient at higher risk with OR of 5.96 (95% CI, 1.66\u201319.47; p = 0.005) and a Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 61%. For LP, the most significant parameter was TLG (OR 9.75, 95% CI, 1.64\u201357.87, p = 0.012), with PPV of 83%. For OS, the most significant parameter was MTV (OR 3.12, 95% CI, 0.9\u201310.83, p = 0.07) with PPV of 88%. Adding consecutively each of the other parameters, PPV to identify patients at risk resulted further increased (>90%). Conclusions: Pre-treatment CA 19-9 level, as well as MTV and TLG values of primary tumour at baseline18F-FDG PET/CT and their combination, may represent significant predictors of EP, LP and OS in LAPC patients

Applications for a hybrid operating room in thoracic surgery: from multidisciplinary procedures to image-guided video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

ABSTRACT The concept of a hybrid operating room represents the union of a high-complexity surgical apparatus with state-of-the-art radiological tools (ultrasound, CT, fluoroscopy, or magnetic resonance imaging), in order to perform highly effective, minimally invasive procedures. Although the use of a hybrid operating room is well established in specialties such as neurosurgery and cardiovascular surgery, it has rarely been explored in thoracic surgery. Our objective was to discuss the possible applications of this technology in thoracic surgery, through the reporting of three cases

Проектирование системы электроснабжения цементного завода

Проектирование системы электроснабжения Топкинского цементного завода. На основе исходных данных был произведен эффективный метод расчета, проделан поэтапный расчет электрических нагрузок Топкинского цементного завода и ремонтно-механического цеха, проведен выбор кабельных линий и проверка при нормальном и послеаварийном режиме работы.Design of power supply system Topkinsky cement plant. Based on the initial data, an effective method of calculation, a step-by-step calculation of electrical loads Topkinsky cement plant and mechanical repair shop, a selection of cable lines and a check at the normal and after-accident operation