Our experience in surgical treatment of intraorbital tumors

Orbital tumors are complex lesions representing a great challenge for the neurosurgeons and ophthalmologist.Methods: We analyse the database for 57 patients who underwent surgery for the treatment of orbital tumors at our institution between 2001 and 2010. Data from clinical notes, surgical reports, and radiological findings were extracted for the statistical analysis.Results: Predominant symptoms were exophthalmos (68%), visual disturbance (42%) and ocular mobility limitation (37%). The most used surgical approache was superior orbitotomy. Orbital tumors histopathological results showed that hemangiomas were the most common tumors type (35%). Malignant tumors accounted for 23% of cases. Total resection of tumors was achieved in 78% of patients.Conclusion: Surgical treatment could be considered an optimal treatment option for most of the orbital tumor. A better imaging anatomy analysis of the orbit correlated with good surgical skills is needed to overcome the pitfalls of intraorbital surgery

Seismic hazard for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). Part 2: broadband scenarios at the Fier Compressor Station (Albania)

AbstractTo ensure environmental and public safety, critical facilities require rigorous seismic hazard analysis to define seismic input for their design. We consider the case of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is a pipeline that transports natural gas from the Caspian Sea to southern Italy, crossing active faults and areas characterized by high seismicity levels. For this pipeline, we develop a Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) for the broader area, and, for the selected critical sites, we perform deterministic seismic hazard assessment (DSHA), by calculating shaking scenarios that account for the physics of the source, propagation, and site effects. This paper presents a DSHA for a compressor station located at Fier, along the Albanian coastal region. Considering the location of the most hazardous faults in the study site, revealed by the PSHA disaggregation, we model the ground motion for two different scenarios to simulate the worst-case scenario for this compressor station. We compute broadband waveforms for receivers on soft soils by applying specific transfer functions estimated from the available geotechnical data for the Fier area. The simulations reproduce the variability observed in the ground motion recorded in the near-earthquake source. The vertical ground motion is strong for receivers placed above the rupture areas and should not be ignored in seismic designs; furthermore, our vertical simulations reproduce the displacement and the static offset of the ground motion highlighted in recent studies. This observation confirms the importance of the DSHA analysis in defining the expected pipeline damage functions and permanent soil deformations

The Role of EZH2 in the Regulation of the Activity of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Prostate Cancer Cells

Degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), a critical step in cancer metastasis, is determined by the balance between MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases) and their inhibitors TIMPs (tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases). In cancer cells, this balance is shifted towards MMPs, promoting ECM degradation. Here, we show that EZH2 plays an active role in this process by repressing the expression of TIMP2 and TIMP3 in prostate cancer cells. The TIMP genes are derepressed by knockdown of EZH2 expression in human prostate cancer cells but repressed by overexpression of EZH2 in benign human prostate epithelial cells. EZH2 catalyzes H3K27 trimethylation and subsequent DNA methylation of the TIMP gene promoters. Overexpression of EZH2 confers an invasive phenotype on benign prostate epithelial cells; however, this phenotype is suppressed by cooverexpression of TIMP3. EZH2 knockdown markedly reduces the proteolytic activity of MMP-9, thereby decreasing the invasive activity of prostate cancer cells. These results suggest that the transcriptional repression of the TIMP genes by EZH2 may be a major mechanism to shift the MMPs/TIMPs balance in favor of MMP activity and thus to promote ECM degradation and subsequent invasion of prostate cancer cells

In vitro irradiation of basement membrane enhances the invasiveness of breast cancer cells

Following removal of the primary breast tumour by conservative surgery, patients may still have additional malignant foci scattered throughout the breast. Radiation treatments are not designed to eliminate all these residual cancer cells. Rather, the radiation dose is calculated to optimise long-term results with minimal complications. In a tumour, cancer cells are surrounded by a basement membrane, which plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression. Using an invasion chamber, we have shown that irradiation before cell plating of a reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel; Becton Dickinson, Bedford, MA, USA) increased the invasiveness of the breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231. This radiation enhancement of invasion was associated with the upregulation of the pro-invasive gene matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2. The expression of membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP), which are required to activate the MMP-2, were also increased. Confirming the role of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP, radiation enhancement of cancer cell invasion was prevented by an MMP-2 inhibitor and an anti-MT1-MMP antibody. This study also demonstrated that radiation can potentially enhance the invasion ability by inducing the release of pro-invasive factors stored in the Matrigel. Conversely, no enhancement of invasiveness was observed with the low metastatic cell line MCF-7. This lack of invasiveness correlated with the absence of the MMP-2 activator MT1-MMP in the MCF-7 cells. Radiotherapy is an efficient modality to treat breast cancer which could be further improved by inhibiting the pro-invasive gene upregulated by radiation

Landslides susceptibility in central part of Albanian coast

In Albania, landslides are one of the most important natural hazards. In the last few years, landslides damaged buildings, destroyed farming lands and roads etc. For this reason, the regional landslide susceptibility assessments have crucial importance for the landslide – prone areas of Albania. The assessment of the landslide susceptibility is conducted by direct mapping techniques, considering the topography, geomorphology, lithology hydrogeology, earthquakes, anthropogenic actions, rainfalls, erosion, and also the distribution and the characteristics of the phenomena in the area. The zoning map of the area based on their susceptibility to landslide risk was compiled. Five levels of susceptibility are carried out in Durresi bay (central part of Albanian coast): high, medium-high, medium, medium-low and low risk. The high and medium-high susceptibility zones, in entire areas under study are controlled by slope inclination. But frequently, high and medium high susceptibilities, for similar geological settings, are situated also in gentle slopes, due to the inappropriate anthropogenic action. This map reveals very useful as a preliminary work in urban planning and technical preventative measures

Reconstruction of geological underground model in the city center of Tirana (Albany).

The work is focused on the reconstruction of a geological underground model in the center of Tirana. The study has been developed on a data set made by: continuous core survey, laboratory/field geothecnical tests, digital terrain model, othophotos, groundwater table levels and historical topographic maps. This data set via a multidisciplinary analysis, using also GIS and CAD software, allowed to develop geological sections, a morphological structures map, a 3D groundwater flow model, a crhonology of recent events and a 3D litho-stratigraphic arrangement