Test of Einstein Equivalence Principle for 0-spin and half-integer-spin atoms: Search for spin-gravity coupling effects

We report on a conceptually new test of the equivalence principle performed by measuring the acceleration in Earth's gravity field of two isotopes of strontium atoms, namely, the bosonic $^{88}$Sr isotope which has no spin vs the fermionic $^{87}$Sr isotope which has a half-integer spin. The effect of gravity upon the two atomic species has been probed by means of a precision differential measurement of the Bloch frequency for the two atomic matter waves in a vertical optical lattice. We obtain the values $\eta = (0.2\pm 1.6)\times10^{-7}$ for the E\"otv\"os parameter and $k=(0.5\pm1.1)\times10^{-7}$ for the coupling between nuclear spin and gravity. This is the first reported experimental test of the equivalence principle for bosonic and fermionic particles and opens a new way to the search for the predicted spin-gravity coupling effects.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. New spin-gravtity coupling analysis on the data added to the manuscrip

Oncoplastic conservative surgery for breast cancer: long-term outcomes of our first ten years experience

The main goal of oncoplastic breast surgery (OBS) is to optimize cosmetic outcomes and reduce patient morbidity, while still providing an oncologically-safe surgical outcome and extending the target population of conservative surgery. Although the growing number of reported experiences with oncoplastic surgery, few studies account for the long-term outcomes

Oncological safety of stromal vascular fraction enriched fat grafting in two-stage breast reconstruction after nipple sparing mastectomy: long-term results of a prospective study

OBJECTIVE: Autologous fat transfer (AFT) is commonly used to treat implant palpability and prevent fibrosis and thinning in mastectomy skin flaps. A major limit to this procedure is volume retention over time, leading to the introduction of fat enrichment with stromal vascular fraction (SVF+AFT). Oncological concerns have been raised over the injection of an increased concentration of progenitors cells (ASCs) in the SVF. The aim of the study is to evaluate the long-term cancer recurrence risk of SVF+AFT cases compared to AFT, in patients undergoing Nipple Sparing Mastectomy (NSM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was designed to compare three groups of patients undergoing NSM followed by SVF+AFT, AFT or none (control group), after a two-stage breast reconstruction. Patients were strictly followed-up for at least 5-years from the second stage reconstructive procedure. Loco-regional and systemic recurrence rate were evaluated over time as the primary outcome. Logistic regression was used to investigate which factors were associated with recurrence events and independent variables of interest were: surgical technique, age above 50 years old, lympho-vascular invasion, oncological stage, adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant radiotherapy and adjuvant hormone therapy. RESULTS: 41 women were included in G1 (SVF+AFT), 64 in G2 (AFT), and 64 in G3 (control group). Loco-regional recurrence rate was 2.4% for G1, 4.7% for G2, and 1.6% for G3. Systemic recurrence was 7.3%, 3.1%, and 3.1%, respectively. Among the variables included, there were no significant risk factors influencing a recurrence event, either loco-regional or systemic. In particular, SVF+AFT (G1) did not increase the oncological recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that both centrifuged and SVF-enhanced fat transfer have a similar safety level in comparison to patients who did not undergo fat grafting in breast reconstruction after NSM

Coverage of exposed hardware after lower leg fractures with free flaps or pedicled flaps

Abstract. – OBJECTIVE: The placement of osteosynthetic materials in the leg may be complicated by hardware exposure. Successful soft tissue reconstruction often provides a critical means for limb salvage in patients with hardware exposure in the leg. Free flaps are currently considered the standard surgical procedure for soft tissue coverage of the wounds with internal hardware exposure. However, to date, no conclusive literature shows the superiority of a specific type of flap. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current review compares data from the literature concerning outcomes and complications of free and pedicled flaps for exposed osteosynthetic material preservation in the leg. RESULTS: A total of 81 cases from twelve different articles presenting internal hardware exposure of the leg were analyzed in our study. Thirty-two patients underwent immediate reconstructive surgery with pedicled flaps, while forty-nine patients underwent free flap reconstruction. The overall survival rate for pedicled flaps was 96.77%, while for free flaps it was 97.77%. The overall implant preservation rate was 78.12% for pedicled flaps and 53.33% for free flaps. With reference to postoperative complications, the overall complication rate was 46.87% for pedicled flaps and 10.20% for free flaps. CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference was found in terms of overall flap survival. However, a significant difference was found regarding successful implant preservation (78.12% in the pedicled flap group vs. 53.33% in the free flap group). In particular, the first observation appears to be in contrast with the current trend of considering the free flaps the first choice procedure for soft tissue coverage of the wounds with internal hardware exposure. Nevertheless, a higher occurrence of postoperative complications was observed in the pedicled flap group (46.87% vs. 10.20%). The choice of the most appropriate reconstructive procedure should take into account several issues including the size of the wounds with internal hardware exposure, the possibility of soft tissue coverage with pedicled flaps, the availability of recipient vessels, general conditions of the patients (such as age, diabetes, smoking history), patients’ preference and presence of a microsurgical team. However, according to the results of this review, we believe that pedicled flap reconstruction should be reconsidered as a valid alternative procedure for skin tissue loss with hardware exposure whenever it is possible

Generation of a flat-top laser beam for gravitational wave detectors by means of a nonspherical Fabry-Perot resonator

We have tested a new kind of Fabry-Perot long-baseline optical resonator proposed to reduce the thermal noise sensitivity of gravitational wave interferometric detectors--the "mesa beam" cavity--whose flat top beam shape is achieved by means of an aspherical end mirror. We present the fundamental mode intensity pattern for this cavity and its distortion due to surface imperfections and tilt misalignments, and contrast the higher order mode patterns to the Gauss-Laguerre modes of a spherical mirror cavity. We discuss the effects of mirror tilts on cavity alignment and locking and present measurements of the mesa beam tilt sensitivity

HOME-BIO (sHOtgun MEtagenomic analysis of BIOlogical entities): a specific and comprehensive pipeline for metagenomic shotgun sequencing data analysis

Background: Next-Generation-Sequencing (NGS) enables detection of microorganisms present in biological and other matrices of various origin and nature, allowing not only the identification of known phyla and strains but also the discovery of novel ones. The large amount of metagenomic shotgun data produced by NGS require comprehensive and user-friendly pipelines for data analysis, that speed up the bioinformatics steps, relieving the users from the need to manually perform complex and time-consuming tasks. Results: We describe here HOME-BIO (sHOtgun MEtagenomic analysis of BIOlogical entities), an exhaustive pipeline for metagenomics data analysis, comprising three independent analytical modules designed for an inclusive analysis of large NGS datasets. Conclusions: HOME-BIO is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that can be run also by users with limited computational expertise. It allows in-depth analyses by removing low-complexity/ problematic reads, integrating the analytical steps that lead to a comprehensive taxonomy profile of each sample by querying different source databases, and it is customizable according to specific users’ needs

Surgical Treatment with Locoregional Flap for the Nose

Nonmelanotic skin cancers (NMSCs) are the most frequent of all neoplasms and nasal pyramid represents the most common site for the presentation of such cutaneous malignancies, particularly in sun-exposed areas: ala, dorsum, and tip. Multiple options exist to restore functional and aesthetic integrity after skin loss for oncological reasons; nevertheless, the management of nasal defects can be often challenging and the best "reconstruction" is still to be found. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed a total of 310 patients who presented to our Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for postoncological nasal reconstruction between January 2011 and January 2016. Nasal region was classified into 3 groups according to the anatomical zones affected by the lesion: proximal, middle, and distal third. We included an additional fourth group for complex defects involving more than one subunit. Reconstruction with loco regional flaps was performed in all cases. Radical tumor control and a satisfactory aesthetic and functional result are the primary goals for the reconstructive surgeon. Despite tremendous technical enhancements in nasal reconstruction techniques, optimal results are usually obtained when "like is used to repair like." Accurate evaluation of the patients clinical condition and local defect should be always considered in order to select the best surgical option

Towards the development of antioxidant cerium oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications: Controlling the properties by tuning synthesis conditions

In this work CeO2 nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) were synthesized through the thermal de-composition of Ce(NO3)3·6H2O, using as capping agents either octylamine or oleylamine, to evaluate the effect of alkyl chain length, an issue at 150 °C, in the case of octylamine and at 150 and 250 °C, in the case of oleylamine, to evaluate the effect of the temperature on NPs properties. All the nanoparticles were extensively characterized by a multidisciplinary approach, such as wide-angle X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, UV-Vis, fluorescence, Raman and FTIR spectroscopies. The analysis of the experimental data shows that the capping agent nature and the synthesis temperature affect nanoparticle properties including size, morphology, aggregation and Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio. Such issues have not been discussed yet, at the best of our knowledge, in the literature. Notably, CeO2-NPs synthesized in the presence of oleylamine at 250 °C showed no tendency to aggregation and we made them water-soluble through a further coating with sodium oleate. The obtained nanoparticles show a less tendency to clustering forming stable aggregates (ranging between 14 and 22 nm) of few NPs. These were tested for biocompatibility and ROS inhibiting activity, demonstrating a remarkable antioxidant activity, against oxidative stress