Role of Nutrition in Pediatric Patients with Cancer

: Children with cancer are at high risk for developing short-term and long-term nutritional problems related to their underlying disease and side effects of multimodal treatments. Nutritional status (NS) can influence several clinical outcomes, such as overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS), treatment tolerance, risk of developing infections and quality of life (QoL). However, the importance of nutrition in children with cancer is still underestimated. This review focuses on alterations of NS that occurs in children during cancer treatment. In particular, we reviewed the pathogenesis of undernutrition in oncological children, as well as how NS affects treatment tolerance and response, the immune system and the risk of infections of children with cancer. Thanks to recent advances in all types of supportive therapy and to the progress of knowledge on this topic, it has been realized that NS is a modifiable prognostic factor that can be intervened upon to improve the outcome of these patients. Currently, there is a lack of a systematic approach and standard recommendations for nutritional care in the pediatric cancer population. Literature analysis showed that it is essential to define the NS and treat any alterations in a timely manner ensuring proper growth and development. Nutritional follow-up should become an integral part of the care pathway. Regular nutritional monitoring should be performed at diagnosis, during treatment and during follow-up. A close collaboration and sharing of expertise between pediatric oncologists and nutrition specialists, combined with careful and participatory sharing of the feeding experience with the family and the child (after age 6 years), is strongly required

Validation of techniques to mitigate copper surface contamination in CUORE

In this article we describe the background challenges for the CUORE experiment posed by surface contamination of inert detector materials such as copper, and present three techniques explored to mitigate these backgrounds. Using data from a dedicated test apparatus constructed to validate and compare these techniques we demonstrate that copper surface contamination levels better than 10E-07 - 10E-08 Bq/cm2 are achieved for 238U and 232Th. If these levels are reproduced in the final CUORE apparatus the projected 90% C.L. upper limit on the number of background counts in the region of interest is 0.02-0.03 counts/keV/kg/y depending on the adopted mitigation technique.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 6 table

Search for 14.4 keV solar axions from M1 transition of Fe-57 with CUORE crystals

We report the results of a search for axions from the 14.4 keV M1 transition from Fe-57 in the core of the sun using the axio-electric effect in TeO2 bolometers. The detectors are 5x5x5 cm3 crystals operated at about 10 mK in a facility used to test bolometers for the CUORE experiment at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. An analysis of 43.65 kg d of data was made using a newly developed low energy trigger which was optimized to reduce the detectors energy threshold. An upper limit of 0.63 c kg-1 d-1 was established at 95% C.L.. From this value, a lower bound at 95% C.L. was placed on the Peccei-Quinn energy scale of fa >= 0.76 10**6 GeV for a value of S=0.55 for the flavor-singlet axial vector matrix element. Bounds are given for the interval 0.15 < S < 0.55.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, submitted to JCA

Precisiones conceptuales acerca del trabajo psíquico de simbolización sobre la construcción del marco teórico: parte I

La propuesta de este trabajo es presentar avances teóricos conceptuales del equipo de investigación formado por docentes y adscriptos de las cátedras Psicología Evolutiva I y Psicología Clínica de Niños y Adolescentes de la Facultad de Psicología de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata, integrantes del proyecto de investigación “El jugar como actividad sublimatoria. Procesos de simbolización en niños y adolescentes de la ciudad de La Plata: un estudio exploratorio”, bajo la dirección y codirección de las profesoras Andrea Mirc y Roxana Gaudio. Dicho proyecto tuvo como propósito indagar la actividad de elaboración simbólica en la infancia y en la adolescencia, ligada al jugar y al mecanismo defensivo de la sublimación, en su relación con los modos culturales. La obra freudiana constituye un aporte esencial para pensar los procesos de simbolización en la infancia ligados a los destinos defensivos posibles para la pulsión. Sigmund Freud propone un concepto cercano a la noción de simbolización: el concepto de simbolismo. Por su parte, Wilfred Bion elabora una teoría del pensamiento mediante la cual permite incluir el desarrollo de pensamientos y el desarrollo del aparato para manejarlos. Ambos desarrollos están determinados por la cualidad de las experiencias emocionales que los enmarcan. Este autor tomó como base para la capacidad de simbolización el pensar, así como Donald Winnicott hizo de la experiencia del jugar un espacio psíquico ligado a la creación.Facultad de Psicologí

Precisiones conceptuales acerca del trabajo psíquico de simbolización sobre la construcción del marco teórico: parte I

La propuesta de este trabajo es presentar avances teóricos conceptuales del equipo de investigación formado por docentes y adscriptos de las cátedras Psicología Evolutiva I y Psicología Clínica de Niños y Adolescentes de la Facultad de Psicología de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata, integrantes del proyecto de investigación “El jugar como actividad sublimatoria. Procesos de simbolización en niños y adolescentes de la ciudad de La Plata: un estudio exploratorio”, bajo la dirección y codirección de las profesoras Andrea Mirc y Roxana Gaudio. Dicho proyecto tuvo como propósito indagar la actividad de elaboración simbólica en la infancia y en la adolescencia, ligada al jugar y al mecanismo defensivo de la sublimación, en su relación con los modos culturales. La obra freudiana constituye un aporte esencial para pensar los procesos de simbolización en la infancia ligados a los destinos defensivos posibles para la pulsión. Sigmund Freud propone un concepto cercano a la noción de simbolización: el concepto de simbolismo. Por su parte, Wilfred Bion elabora una teoría del pensamiento mediante la cual permite incluir el desarrollo de pensamientos y el desarrollo del aparato para manejarlos. Ambos desarrollos están determinados por la cualidad de las experiencias emocionales que los enmarcan. Este autor tomó como base para la capacidad de simbolización el pensar, así como Donald Winnicott hizo de la experiencia del jugar un espacio psíquico ligado a la creación.Facultad de Psicologí

Initial performance of the CUORE-0 experiment

CUORE-0 is a cryogenic detector that uses an array of tellurium dioxide bolometers to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of ^{130}Te. We present the first data analysis with 7.1 kg y of total TeO_2 exposure focusing on background measurements and energy resolution. The background rates in the neutrinoless double-beta decay region of interest (2.47 to 2.57 MeV) and in the {\alpha} background-dominated region (2.70 to 3.90 MeV) have been measured to be 0.071 \pm 0.011 and 0.019 \pm 0.002 counts/keV/kg/y, respectively. The latter result represents a factor of 6 improvement from a predecessor experiment, Cuoricino. The results verify our understanding of the background sources in CUORE-0, which is the basis of extrapolations to the full CUORE detector. The obtained energy resolution (full width at half maximum) in the region of interest is 5.7 keV. Based on the measured background rate and energy resolution in the region of interest, CUORE-0 half-life sensitivity is expected to surpass the observed lower bound of Cuoricino with one year of live time.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, version 2 as published in Eur. Phys. J.

Comfort and energy performance of a hvac systems under real conditions for an office block

In the present work, we performed a dynamic simulation of an air-conditioning system for an office block using a mathematical model via Matlab-Simulink. Both the accomplishment of the desired human comfort within the conditioned space and the variation of energy request due to different measurements of volume flow rate have been evaluated, as requested by the European regulation EN 13779 on non-residential buildings. The model has been applied to an office block located in Bologna (Italy), but can also be used for other types of buildings, as well. The HVAC system in the study uses external air supply, with either constant or variable flow rate, and includes three different ways of air treatment: heating and humidification in winter, cooling and dehumidification in summer, and ventilation only, other ways. The study estimated: i) the conditions that can ensure the requested performances at the lowest energetic cost; ii) the energetic gain deriving from the installation of a heat recovery, or/and using carbon dioxide sensors within the conditioned space. The calculation of the energy required has been evaluated in both a typical winter and summer day

Pediatric Gaucher Disease Presenting with Massive Splenomegaly and Hepatic Gaucheroma

Gaucher Disease (GD) is a condition resulting from an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern, characterized by a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme beta-glucocerebrosidase. This leads to the accumulation of glucocerebroside and other glycolipids in multiple tissues, causing damage to various organ systems. The diagnosis of GD can be challenging due to its heterogeneity, non-specific symptoms, and variability across different geographic regions and age groups. Although GD is suspected based on symptoms or signs, the diagnosis is confirmed through the measurement of deficient b-glucocerebrosidase activity and the identification of biallelic pathogenic variants in the GBA gene. Intravenous enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is recommended for GD patients. In this paper, we report a case of a 2-year and 8-month-old girl with massive splenomegaly and radiological finding of hepatic gaucheroma, in whom a genetic study showed homozygous mutation on the GBA gene at c.1448T&gt;C (p.Leu483Pro) and certified the diagnosis of GD. This patient represents the youngest child reported to have gaucheroma and also the first one presenting with gaucheroma at the diagnosis and not during the follow up, highlighting that GD should be routinely included in the differential diagnosis of children presenting with splenomegaly and hepatomegaly, taking into account that the early start of ERT can change the natural history of the disease-preventing serious complications

Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: Adiposopathy as a Triggering Factor and Therapeutic Options

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are major public health concerns associated with serious morbidity and increased mortality. Both obesity and T2DM are strongly associated with adiposopathy, a term that describes the pathophysiological changes of the adipose tissue. In this review, we have highlighted adipose tissue dysfunction as a major factor in the etiology of these conditions since it promotes chronic inflammation, dysregulated glucose homeostasis, and impaired adipogenesis, leading to the accumulation of ectopic fat and insulin resistance. This dysfunctional state can be effectively ameliorated by the loss of at least 15% of body weight, that is correlated with better glycemic control, decreased likelihood of cardiometabolic disease, and an improvement in overall quality of life. Weight loss can be achieved through lifestyle modifications (healthy diet, regular physical activity) and pharmacotherapy. In this review, we summarized different effective management strategies to address weight loss, such as bariatric surgery and several classes of drugs, namely metformin, GLP-1 receptor agonists, amylin analogs, and SGLT2 inhibitors. These drugs act by targeting various mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of obesity and T2DM, and they have been shown to induce significant weight loss and improve glycemic control in obese individuals with T2DM

Database of subsidence in major coastal cities around the world

This database aims to be an open-source, accurate, peer-reviewed and comprehensive database of coastal cities currently experiencing land subsidence and its main and secondary causes. It aims to facilitate future research regarding subsidence in both priorly identified at-risk areas and in areas where the potential impact of subsidence is still unknown. The selection of the cities is based on the following papers: · Nicholls, R. J. (2008). The Exposure of Port Cities to Flooding: A Comparative Global Analysis. · Hallegatte, S., Green, C., Nicholls, R. J., & Corfee-Morlot, J. (2013). Future flood losses in major coastal cities. Nature climate change, 3(9), 802-806. · Solari, L., Del Soldato, M., Bianchini, S., Ciampalini, A., Ezquerro, P., Montalti, R., ... & Moretti, S. (2018). From ERS 1/2 to Sentinel-1: subsidence monitoring in Italy in the last two decades. Frontiers in Earth Science, 6, 149.This work was developed in the framework of the project RESERVOIR (sustainable groundwater RESources managEment by integrating eaRth observation deriVed monitoring and flOw modelIng Results) funded by the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) programme supported by the European Union (Grant Agreement 1924; https://reservoir-prima.org/)