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Student employment is on the increase in many European countries. It takes many forms, from full-time employment to various types of flexible work, which involves short-term, non-standard and informal work. Despite its relevance and complexity, the connection between higher education and concurrent employment has been only partially explored in scholarly debate. This paper investigates the differing patterns of employment for university students, focusing on the role played by parental background, educational choices (i.e. field of study and residential status) and access to benefits. The analyses apply to the Italian higher education system and are based on data collected through a survey carried out among students enrolled at the University of Bologna, which has a highly developed student grant system and a large number of away from home students. Using multinomial logistic regression, the paper shows that students native of Bologna from lower socio-economic backgrounds and enrolled in the humanities and social sciences are more likely than their peers to be in employment. The findings on Right to Study are hence particularly important from a policy perspective, as they highlight the different roles that scholarships and tuition fee waivers play in employment choices whilst at university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water management by gas diffusion electrodes is a fundamental aspect of the performance of electrochemical cells. Herein, we introduce the characteristic constrictions size as a descriptor for microporous layers (MPL). This parameter is calculated by volumetric analysis of focused ion beam nanotomography and compared to mercury intrusion porosimetry measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postbiotics have recently emerged as critical effectors of the activity of probiotics and, because of their safety profile, they are considered potential therapeutics for the treatment of fragile patients. Here, we present recent studies on probiotics and postbiotics in the context of novel discovery tools, such as organoids and organoid-based platforms, and nontransformed preclinical models, that can be generated from intestinal stem cells. The implementation of organoid-related techniques is the next gold standard for unraveling the effect of microbial communities on homeostasis, inflammation, idiopathic diseases, and cancer in the gut. We also summarize recent studies on biotics in organoid-based models and offer our perspective on future directions. Human intestinal organoids express cues of the tissue of origin, including the developmental and disease state. Organotypic cultures are a valuable model for assessing the effects of biotics on mucosal functions and establishing their mechanism of action in driving different signaling pathways in host cells. Postbiotics have emerged as critical effectors of the activity of probiotics and have potential as therapeutics for use by vulnerable patients. Microfluidics devices together with primary organotypic models offer the means to study the complexity of the host–microbiota interaction and the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As the practice of nutritional support in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) during curative radio(chemo)therapy is quite heterogeneous, we carried out a survey among European specialists. Methods: A 19-item questionnaire was drawn up and disseminated via the web by European scientific societies involved in HNC and nutrition. Results: Among 220 responses, the first choice was always for the enteral route; naso-enteral tube feeding was preferred to gastrostomy in the short term, while the opposite for period longer than 1 month. Indications were not solely related to the patient's nutritional status, but also to the potential burden of the therapy. Conclusion: European HNC specialists contextualize the use of the nutritional support in a comprehensive plan of therapy. There is still uncertainty relating to the role of naso-enteral feeding versus gastrostomy feeding in patients requiring < 1 month nutritional support, an issue that should be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this review was to analyze the potential effect of the nutritional support (oral supplementation/counseling, tube feeding, parenteral nutrition) combined with chemotherapy on long-term survival of cancer patients.Methods: Using various electronic databases, we retrieved all English language papers on the combination nutritional support and chemotherapy and including data on long-term survival.Results: 29 trials (4 non-RCT) were retrieved. No significant benefit was observed except for a longer survival in a few selected subgroups of patients, depending on the tumor stage and compliance with the nutritional support. However, no study included survival as primary endpoint or was adequately powered for this purpose, and patients were seldom affected by malnutrition, a condition which would have made them extremely vulnerable and unsafe during an intensive chemotherapy with significant gastrointestinal toxicity. Finally, nutritional regimens were often inappropriate as regards quality and quantity of nutrients or too similar in the two arms of the trial to expect a result.Conclusion: From the review of these trials, it appears clear that there is absence of evidence more than evidence of absence of effect of the supplemental nutritional support. This poor scenario should not discourage future large multicenter trials to assess the potential of an early versus a delayed support in mildly malnourished patients. From the practical point of view, a nutritional supplementation should be considered when severe malnutrition caused by the disease or following repeated oncologic treatments can make the patients poorly compliant with further chemotherapy cycles, as recommended by the international guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To compare the difference in the quality of life between temporomandibular disorders (TMD) patients and non-TMD subjects diagnosed with the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) or the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD).Methods: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE) and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) databases were searched in studies published in English and Portuguese. The search was performed by two independent reviewers in duplicate. A manual search and the gray literature were also included. The inclusion criteria were clinical studies that used the RDC/TMD axis I and quality of life with standard questionnaires in young and middle-aged adult population (18-55 years). The data were analyzed quantitatively by combining the results in a meta-analysis using forest plots. The measure of effect used was the standardized mean difference (SMD) in depression levels. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. The publication bias was assessed by funnel plots. The initial search included 806 articles without duplications.Results: Twenty-four articles were included in the final systematic review. Of these, 9 were included in the meta-analysis, where it was shown a statistically significant in all axis I groups: (a) global TMD-groups I, II and III combined, N = 3829, SMD (95% CI) = 1.06 (0.65-1.51), p = 0.000; (b) group I-muscle disorders, N = 3,056, SMD (95% CI) = 0.82 (0.45-1.18), p = 0.000; (c) group II-disc displacements, N = 3,184, SMD (95% CI) = 0.59 (0.26-0.91), p = 0.000; and (d) group III-arthralgia/arthritis/arthrosis, N = 2781, SMD (95% CI) = 0.98 (0.59-1.36), p = 0.000. When compared to controls.Conclusions: Quality of life is affected in all axis I TMD patients, especially in groups I and III with higher pain intensity and disability as compared to group II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although nutritional interventions are becoming widely used in cancer patients, purposes and results of such treatment are not always well-defined. This is because nutrition is traditionally considered a palliative treatment to be confined to the area of palliative cares, whereas the modern approach includes nutrition as an early supplemental support to improve compliance of patients with the oncologic therapies and total parenteral nutrition may be recommended in patients who would be destined to succumb prior from starvation-malnutrition than from tumour progression. Purpose of this paper if to define the potential as well as the limitations of nutritional interventions on both the survival and the quality of life of the advanced cancer patients. Recent findings: Some RCT on the use of oral, enteral and supplemental parenteral nutrition in patients on oncologic therapy show some benefit on compliance with therapy and in some domains of quality of life. Some malnourished (hypo)aphagic incurable cancer patients may survive longer thanks to parenteral nutrition, while few data suggest that quality of life may be maintained for a limited period of time. Summary: With a few exceptions, oncology and nutrition have till recently travelled on parallel tracks without talking each other. The oncologist who knows the natural history of the patients should understand which risk of complication and of poor tolerance to the treatment can malnourished patients carry and which is the potential of parenteral nutrition in hypophagic incurable patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The role of parenteral nutrition in the treatment of malignant bowel obstruction is underestimated since palliative literature mainly focuses on gastric aspiration, nothing per os and antisecretory therapy. The purpose of this review is the appraisal of the literature with a focus on the potential contribution of parenteral nutrition.Methods: Literature included in a recent meta-analysis and in a Cochrane review on parenteral nutrition in malignant bowel obstruction and updated through PUBMED until March 2019 has been reviewed.Results: Prompt withholding of food intake, nasogastric aspiration and then the use of antisecretory agents represent the milestones of treatment which are applied to all patients with malignant bowel obstruction. After this initial approach, excluding few surgical patients and those defined as imminently dying, there is a heterogeneous group of patients achieving a benefit in a few days but with a prompt recurrence of symptoms as they attempt to reassume some food intake. Parenteral nutrition in hospital or at home addresses to these patients provided their life expectancy is likely to depend on progressive nutritional deterioration due to the prolonged starvation more than on the tumour spread. These patients on home parenteral nutrition can survive a few months with some indefinite benefit on quality of life whereas untreated patients have a survival of few weeks.Conclusion: Parenteral nutrition should be considered in selected patients who benefit from standard palliative treatment of malignant obstruction and are obliged to maintain a total bowel rest for weeks or months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents case studies of 54-year-old never-smoker woman with no significant medical history and 58-year-old never-smoker woman with unremarkable medical history. Topics discussed include undergoing a brain CT scan for the abrupt onset of dizziness, worsening headache, and difficulty with handgrip; histologic findings revealing metastasis of adenocarcinoma of the lung; and diagnosis of RET-rearranged non–small-cell lung cancers.

Literature concerning nutritional interventions in elderly patients with gastrointestinal cancer, with special reference to randomized clinical trials, has been critically reviewed. This segment of oncologic population was found to be penalized by a high prevalence of malnutrition and sarcopenia which translated in an increased rate of toxicity from chemotherapy, poor compliance with oncologic treatments, and, finally, with a poor prognosis. Attempts to reverse this condition included a potentiation of nutrients intake which should sequentially proceed through the use of dietary counseling and administration of standard or ω-3 fatty acid-enriched oral supplements to finally come to enteral or parenteral nutrition. Randomized clinical trials investigating the effects of simple dietary advice and use of standard oral supplements were disappointing as regards long-term compliance and results. Nutritional and clinical benefits were reported with the use of ω-3 fatty acid-enriched oral supplements and especially with long-term supplemental parenteral nutrition. Despite the general recommendation of the scientific community that emphasizes the use of the enteral route, whenever possible, for delivering the nutritional support, it appears from the literature that more consistent benefits can be achieved, especially in the long-term nutritional support, when an insufficient oral nutrition is partnered with intravenous nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jugular foramen (JF) metastasis is rare and often presents as JF syndrome. A 73-year-old male complained of left-sided mastoid pain that irradiated to the neck since the past 3 months. Onset of facial nerve (FN) palsy and persistence of the symptomatology despite corticosteroid therapy demanded radiologic evaluation. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a wide osteolytic lesion of the left JF with involvement of the third segment of the FN. The patient underwent transmastoid incisional biopsy. Histopathological examination showed an adenocarcinoma that was suggested to be of respiratory origin. A primary pulmonary lesion and metastasis to other sits were detected. The patient died 1 month after the initiation of the chemotherapy. Persistent mastoid pain and progressive FN palsy must be considered indicative of JF malignant lesions. Despite early diagnosis, secondary lesions of the JF are characterized by a poor prognosis; however, accurate diagnosis may avoid unnecessary aggressive surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Since there is no information regarding quality of life of caregivers assisting patients with advanced malignancy on home parenteral nutrition, herewith we report a preliminary series of 19 patients who received total parenteral nutrition at home under the strict supervision of their relatives.Methods: The relatives of 19 incurable patients with cancer-related cachexia, discharged from the hospital with a home parenteral nutrition program, were prospectively studied. They filled out a validated questionnaire, the Family Strain Questionnaire Short Form, prior to patient discharge and after 2 weeks of home care. The questionnaire included 30 items, which explored different domains regarding the superimposed burden on caregivers in relation to the assistance given to their relatives.Results: Our findings show that the basal level of strain was relatively high (about three quarters of positive answers) but did not increase after 2 weeks of home care. Similarly, there was no difference in the nutritional status and quality of life of the patients. Eight patients and their relatives could be also analyzed after 2 months and the results maintained unchanged.Conclusion: This preliminary investigation shows that home parenteral nutrition does not exacerbate the level of strain on caregivers involved in surveillance of such a supportive intervention. It is possible that the perception of an active contribution to the benefit of patients, who maintained unchanged their nutritional status and quality of life, could gratify caregivers despite the objective burden in the constant supervision of administering Parenteral Nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcopenia has recently emerged as a new condition that, independently from malnutrition, may adversely affect the prognosis of cancer patients. Purpose of this narrative review is to define the prevalence of sarcopenia in different primaries, its role in leading to chemotherapy toxicity and decreased compliance with the oncological therapy and the effect of some drugs on the onset of sarcopenia. Finally, the review aims to describe the current approaches to restore the muscle mass through nutrition, exercise and anti-inflammatory agents or multimodal programmes with a special emphasis on the results of randomized controlled trials. The examination of the computed tomography scan at the level of the third lumbar vertebra--a common procedure for staging many tumours--has allowed the oncologist to evaluate the muscle mass and to collect many retrospective data on the prevalence of sarcopenia and its clinical consequences. Sarcopenia is a condition affecting a high percentage of patients with a range depending on type of primary tumour and stage of disease. It is noteworthy that patients may be sarcopenic even if their nutritional status is apparently maintained or they are obese. Sarcopenic patients exhibited higher chemotherapy toxicity and poorer compliance with oncological treatments. Furthermore, several antineoplastic drugs appeared to worsen the sarcopenic status. Therapeutic approaches are several and this review will focus on those validated by randomized controlled trials. They include the use of x-3-enriched oral nutritional supplements and orexigenic agents, the administration of adequate highprotein regimens delivered enterally or parenterally, and programmes of physical exercise. Better results are expected combining different procedures in a multimodal approach. In conclusion, there are several premises to prevent/treat sarcopenia. The oncologist should coordinate this multimodal approach by selecting priorities and sequences of treatments and then involving a nutrition health care professional or a physical therapist depending on the condition of the single patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses why some policy approaches on nuclear waste disposal in the United States are effective while others are not. While there are several types of nuclear waste in the US, the three used in this analysis are transuranic, low-level, and high-level radioactive wastes. Through a comparative case study model, the outcomes of the policies surrounding the creation and operation of nuclear disposal facilities associated with these three radioactive wastes are examined. The outcomes of the policies are understood through the successes and failures of the disposal sites (Waste Isolation Pilot Program, Clive and Andrews Sites, and Yucca Mountain). From analyzing the disposal facilities, three important factors (technical, social, and political) are found to influence the effectiveness of nuclear waste disposal policy in the US. These impact of these factors in each nuclear waste disposal policy serve as a guide for policymakers to avoid potential problems and to design effective policy. Having lessons learned from an effective and failed nuclear waste disposal policies in the US is especially necessary as the Trump administration reconsiders opening a failed nuclear waste disposal site located at Yucca Mountain for high-level nuclear waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper, considering the relevance of Shera thoughts and its repercussions, is to reposition, in epistemological- historical terms, Jesse Shera's approaches and their impacts according to a relation between life and work of the epistemologist. Without the intention of an exhaustive discussion, the purpose is to understand some unequivocal relations between the Shera critique for the context of its theoretical formulation and the consequences of this approach contrary to some tendencies originating from the technical and bureaucratic roots of the field (before and after World War II). It is deduced that Shera, rather than observing the sociopolitical reality and technical partner in which the texture of a library-based thought (but visualized by him as documentaryinformational), establishes, in his own praxis, social epistemology as a sort of "critique of the future," that is, as a praxis of the reflexive activity of the subject inserted in this episteme. In our discussion, the epistemological-social approach represents a vanguard for the context of its affirmation, a reassessment for the immediate decades to its presentation (years 1960 and 1970) and a critique for the future of what was consolidated under the notion of information Science, anticipating affirmations of "social nature" of the 1980s and 1990s in the field of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that almost complex manifolds of real dimension 4 for which the image of the Nijenhuis tensor forms a non-integrable bundle, called torsion bundle, admit a -structure locally, that is, a double absolute parallelism. In this way, the problem of equivalence for such almost complex manifolds can be solved; moreover, the classification of locally homogeneous manifold is explicitly given when the Lie algebra of its infinitesimal automorphisms is non-solvable (indeed reductive). It is also shown that the group of the automorphisms of is a Lie group of dimension less than or equal to 4, whose isotropy subgroup has at most two elements, and that there are not non-constant holomorphic functions on . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study presents the preliminary data of a prospective multi-centre investigation on the screening of the nutritional status of cancer outpatients with the purpose to define: (1) prevalence and rate of weight loss and nutritional risk in this patient population, and (2) to assess the association among some patient-dependent, tumour-dependent and therapy-dependent variables with the nutritional status and the nutritional risk.Materials and Methods: Seventeen centres were involved to collect demographic data (age and sex), oncologic data (site of primary tumour, stage, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance State, oncologic therapy) and presence and severity of systemic and digestive/nutritional symptoms (fatigue, anorexia, nausea/vomiting, early satiety, dysgeusia/dysosmia, dysphagia/odynophagia, diarrhoea/constipation). Furthermore, the percentage of the weight loss on the usual body weight and the body mass index were computed. The nutritional risk was assessed according to the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 questionnaire which scores the risk from 0 to 7.Main Results: On the first 1,000 screened patients, a significant weight loss (>or=10%) and a nutritional risk score >or=3 were observed in 39.7% and 33.8% of patients, respectively. Weight loss was higher in upper gastrointestinal tumours, in advanced stages of disease and in patients with a poor performance status. Similarly, the nutritional risk was higher in esophageal and pancreatic cancer and in those with a worse performance status. There was a good correlation between the severity of anorexia and the rate of the weight loss The majority of patients with no weight loss or a weight loss <10% were not anorectic; on the contrary, the majority of those with more severe weight loss had some degree of anorexia.Conclusions: Weight loss and nutritional risk are frequent in an unselected series of cancer outpatients. Site of primary tumour, stage and performance state appear to be associated, at a preliminary analysis, with significant weight loss and nutritional risk. Anorexia and weight loss are closely related, and this supports the concept that nutritional depletion can play a major role in the onset of malnutrition-cachexia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary biological organic aerosols (PBOA) represent a major component of the coarse organic matter (OMCOARSE, aerodynamic diameter > 2.5 µm). Although this fraction affects human health and the climate, its quantification and chemical characterization currently remain elusive. We present the first quantification of the entire PBOACOARSE mass and its main sources by analyzing size-segregated filter samples collected during the summer and winter at the rural site of Payerne (Switzerland), representing a continental Europe background environment. The size-segregated water-soluble OM was analyzed by a newly developed offline aerosol mass spectrometric technique (AMS). Collected spectra were analyzed by three-dimensional positive matrix factorization (3D-PMF), showing that PBOA represented the main OMCOARSE source during summer and its contribution to PM10 was comparable to that of secondary organic aerosol. We found substantial cellulose contributions to OMCOARSE, which in combination with gas chromatography mass spectrometry molecular markers quantification, underlined the predominance of plant debris. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis instead revealed that the sum of bacterial and fungal spores mass represented only a minor OMCOARSE fraction (<0.1%). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analysis of C and N binding energies throughout the size fractions revealed an organic N increase in the PM10 compared to PM1 consistent with AMS observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Chronic ulceration of the lower legs is a relatively common condition amongst adults: one that causes pain and social distress and results in considerable healthcare and personal costs. The technique of punch grafting offers an alternative approach to the treatment of ulcers of the lower limbs. Objective. Combining platelet-rich plasma and skin graft enhances the efficacy of treating chronic diabetic wounds by enhancing healing rate and decreasing recurrence rate. Platelet-rich plasma could, by stimulating dermal regeneration, increase the take rate after skin grafting or speed up reepithelialization. Methods and Materials. The ulcer was prepared by removing fibrin with a curette and the edges of the ulcer were freshened. The platelet-rich plasma has been infiltrated on the bottom and edges of the ulcer. The punch grafts were placed in 5 mm holes arranged. The ulcer was medicated with hydrogel and a pressure dressing was removed after 8 days. Results. After a few days the patient did not report more pain. Granulation tissue appeared quickly between implants. Most of the grafts were viable in 2-3 weeks. The grafts gradually came together to close the ulcer and were completed in four months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fetal growth restriction (intra-uterine growth restriction [IUGR]) has a considerable impact on perinatal morbidity. Preterm IUGR infants are prone to impaired intestine function. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used to monitor oxygenation status of the brain and of the intestine.Patients and Methods: We conducted a prospective case-control study at our NICU in 20 preterm infants of whom 10 infants complicated by compared with 10 non-IUGR preterm infants. Splanchnic and cerebral regional oximetry values were measured with NIRS. Three hours of consecutive recordings were performed in the first 24 h of life, T0, and during the transitional period, T1. The cerebral/splanchnic oxygenation ratio, CSOR, (cerebral regional saturations [rScO2]/splanchnic regional saturations [rSsO2]) was also calculated.Results: Both in the IUGR and the non-IUGR infants, at T0 and T1 monitoring time-points, the rSO2 values were higher in the cerebral district when compared to those of the splanchnic area. Comparison of the NIRS parameters between the IUGR and non-IUGR infants at T0 showed no difference in rScO2, while rSsO2 was significantly lower in the IUGR group. At T1, rScO2 was significantly lower and rSsO2 higher in the IUGR group.Conclusions: Cerebral/splanchnic vascular adaptation of IUGR infants to the extra-uterine environment is characterized by a postnatal persistence of the brain sparing effect with reperfusion in the transitional period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field deployments of the Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) have significantly advanced real-time measurements and source apportionment of non-refractory particulate matter. However, the cost and complex maintenance requirements of the AMS make its deployment at sufficient sites to determine regional characteristics impractical. Furthermore, the negligible transmission efficiency of the AMS inlet for supermicron particles significantly limits the characterization of their chemical nature and contributing sources. In this study, we utilize the AMS to characterize the water-soluble organic fingerprint of ambient particles collected onto conventional quartz filters, which are routinely sampled at many air quality sites. The method was applied to 256 particulate matter (PM) filter samples (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10, i.e., PM with aerodynamic diameters smaller than 1, 2.5, and 10 µm, respectively), collected at 16 urban and rural sites during summer and winter. We show that the results obtained by the present technique compare well with those from co-located online measurements, e.g., AMS or Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM). The bulk recoveries of organic aerosol (60-91 %) achieved using this technique, together with low detection limits (0.8 µg of organic aerosol on the analyzed filter fraction) allow its application to environmental samples. We will discuss the recovery variability of individual hydrocarbon ions, ions containing oxygen, and other ions. The performance of such data in source apportionment is assessed in comparison to ACSM data. Recoveries of organic components related to different sources as traffic, wood burning, and secondary organic aerosol are presented. This technique, while subjected to the limitations inherent to filter-based measurements (e.g., filter artifacts and limited time resolution) may be used to enhance the AMS capabilities in measuring size-fractionated, spatially resolved long-term data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field deployments of the Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) have significantly advanced real-time measurements and source apportionment of non-refractory particulate matter. However, the cost and complex maintenance requirements of the AMS make its deployment at sufficient sites to determine regional characteristics impractical. Furthermore, the negligible transmission efficiency of the AMS inlet for supermicron particles significantly limits the characterization of their chemical nature and contributing sources. In this study, we utilize the AMS to characterize the water-soluble organic fingerprint of ambient particles collected onto conventional quartz filters, which are routinely sampled at many air quality sites. The method was applied to 256 particulate matter (PM) filter samples (PM1, PM2:5, and PM10, i.e., PM with aerodynamic diameters smaller than 1, 2.5, and 10 µm, respectively), collected at 16 urban and rural sites during summer and winter. We show that the results obtained by the present technique compare well with those from co-located online measurements, e.g., AMS or Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM). The bulk recoveries of organic aerosol (60-91%) achieved using this technique, together with low detection limits (0.8 µg of organic aerosol on the analyzed filter fraction) allow its application to environmental samples. We will discuss the recovery variability of individual hydrocarbon ions, ions containing oxygen, and other ions. The performance of such data in source apportionment is assessed in comparison to ACSM data. Recoveries of organic components related to different sources as traffic, wood burning, and secondary organic aerosol are presented. This technique, while subjected to the limitations inherent to filter-based measurements (e.g., filter artifacts and limited time resolution) may be used to enhance the AMS capabilities in measuring size-fractionated, spatially resolved long-term data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite still a suitable effective treatment method for COVID-19 is lacking, the destructive effect of most diseases like sarcopenia, which can sever the patients' clinical condition during hospitalization, are untreated. The main concern about sarcopenia is that if it does not lead to severe conditions during hospitalization, it can lead to severe disabilities at higher ages. The close mechanism of sarcopenia and COVID-19 outcomes like the same inflammation, hormone change, hospitalization, and malnutrition pathways put these patients at a higher risk of sarcopenia than other diseases. Therefore, sarcopenia, nutritional, and depression monitoring, nutrition therapy using oral and enteral nutrition, providing daily in-Bed activities, and psychological interventions should be considered as the first line of hospital interventions as well as medical and hormone therapy in COVID-19 patients. To control sarcopenia, providing at least 30 kcal energy and 1.2-grams protein per kilogram body weight during hospitalization for all patients is suggested. However, sarcopenia risk factors are not limited to hospitals, and because of these patients exceptional condition and sarcopenia metabolism, sarcopenia can continue developing long after discharge of COVID-19 patients. Malnutrition, depression, and low physical activities are the main factors that could develop sarcopenia in COVID-19 patients after discharge. To control sarcopenia after the discharge, interventions, and monitoring must be continued until ensuring the risk will be lifted with special concentrate on nutritional and physical activity interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The exclusion of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) that have lost epithelial antigens during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process by using Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) based capture methods is still a matter of debate. In this study, cells obtained after depletion procedure from blood samples of squamous cell lung cancer (SQCLC) patients were identified based on morphology and characterized with the combination of FISH assessment and immunophenotypic profile. Materials and Methods: Five mL blood samples, collected from 55 advanced SQCLC patients, were analyzed by a non-EpCAM-based capture method. After depletion of leukocytes and erythroid cells, the negative fraction was characterized by both FISH using a fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) probe and by immunocytochemistry. Thirty healthy donors were also tested. Results: Based on morphology (nuclear dimension ≥10 μm, shape and hypercromatic aspect) suspicious circulating cells clearly distinguishable from contaminant leukocytes were observed in 49/55 (89%) SQCLC patients. Thirty-four of the 44 (77%) samples evaluable for FGFR1 FISH showed ≥ 6 FGFR1 gene copy number on average per cell. Vimentin expression involved 43% (18/42) of pooled circulating SQCLC cells, whereas only 29% (14/48) were EpCAM positive. Confocal microscopy confirmed the localization of FGFR1 probe in suspicious circulating cells. Suspicious circulating elements were also observed in healthy donors and did not show any epithelial associated antigens. A significantly lower number of suspicious circulating cells in healthy donors compared to SQCLC patients was found. Conclusions: Among the heterogeneous cell population isolated by depletion procedure, the coexistence of cells with epithelial and/or mesenchymal phenotype suggests that EMT may participate to transendothelial invasion and migration of tumor cells in advanced SQCLC. The finding of cells with neither EpCAM or EMT phenotype, retrieved after non-EpCAM-based systems, underlines the presence of suspicious elements in the blood of both SQCLC patients and healthy donors. Further phenotyping and molecular analyses are necessary to fully characterize these circulating elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of home parenteral nutrition (HPN) in incurable cancer patients is extremely varied across different countries and institutions. In order to assess the clinical impact implied, we previously conducted a survey of incurable cancer patients receiving HPN, which shows that survival was markedly affected by Karnofsky performance status (KPS), tumor spread, Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) and tumor site. The aim of this study was to develop a nomogram incorporating the above factors for survival prediction. Patients and methods: We gathered a series of 579 patients, all receiving HPN, which was randomly split into a training and a testing sample. Using Cox proportional hazard regression modeling, a nomogram was built in the training sample, in order to estimate median survival or survival probability at 3 and 6 months according to individual patient characteristics. The nomogram performance was then verified in the testing sample. Results: In the training sample, median survival was 3.2 (95% CI 3.0-3.7) months. GPS, KPS, tumor site and spread were confirmed to be significant prognostic factors. A significant interaction was also shown between the site and spread while weight loss (WL), adjusted for body mass index, failed to provide any substantial prognostic contribution. In the testing sample, nomogram performance was good in terms of calibration and discreet regarding discrimination. Conclusion: With the growing availability of new oncological treatments and their tendency to transform the trajectory of the advanced cancer into a chronic condition characterized by progressive WL and poor nutrients intake, an increasing number of patients are expected to receive HPN. In such a setting, tools for predicting the survival outcome may play a role toward personalized medicine and for investigating novel experimental therapies. Our proposed nomogram is a step forward in this direction but needs to be made stronger in order to definitely have clinical utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunosenescence results from a continuous deterioration of immune responses resulting in a decreased response to vaccines. A well-described age-related alteration of the immune system is the decrease of de novo generation of T and B cells. In addition, the accumulation of memory cells and loss of diversity in antigen specificities resulting from a lifetime of exposure to pathogens has also been described. However, the effect of aging on subsets of γδTCR+ T cells and Tregs has been poorly described, and the efficacy of the recall response to common persistent infections in the elderly remains obscure. Here, we investigated alterations in the subpopulations of the B and T cells among 24 healthy young (aged 19–30) and 26 healthy elderly (aged 53–67) individuals. The analysis was performed by flow cytometry using freshly collected peripheral blood. γδTCR+ T cells were overall decreased, while CD4+CD8− cells among γδTCR+ T cells were increased in the elderly. Helios+Foxp3+ and Helios−Foxp3+ Treg cells were unaffected with age. Recent thymic emigrants, based on CD31 expression, were decreased among the Helios+Foxp3+, but not the Helios−Foxp3+ cell populations. We observed a decrease in Adenovirus-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and an increase in CMV-specific CD4+ T cells in the elderly. Similarly, INFγ+TNFα+ double-positive cells were decreased among activated T cells after Adenovirus stimulation but increased after CMV stimulation. The data presented here indicate that γδTCR+ T cells might stabilize B cells, and functional senescence might dominate at higher ages than those studied here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field deployments of the Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) have significantly advanced real-time measurements and source apportionment of non-refractory particulate matter. However, the cost and complex maintenance requirements of the AMS make impractical its deployment at suffcient sites to determine regional characteristics. Furthermore, the negligible transmission efficiency of the AMS inlet for supermicron particles significantly limits the characterization of their chemical nature and contributing sources. In this study, we utilize the AMS to characterize the water-soluble organic fingerprint of ambient particles collected onto conventional quartz filters, which are routinely sampled at many air quality sites. The method was applied to 256 particulate matter (PM) filter samples (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) collected at 16 urban and rural sites during summer and winter. We show that the results obtained by the present technique compare well with those from co-located online measurements, e.g. AMS or Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM). The bulk recoveries of organic aerosol (60-91%) achieved using this technique, together with low detection limits (0.8 μg of organic aerosol on the analyzed filter fraction) allow its application to environmental samples. We will discuss the recovery variability of individual hydrocarbon, oxygen containing and other ions. The performance of such data in source apportionment is assessed in comparison to ACSM data. Recoveries of organic components related to different sources as traffic, wood burning and secondary organic aerosol are presented. This technique, while subjected to the limitations inherent to filter-based measurements (e.g. filter artifacts and limited time resolution) may be used to enhance the AMS capabilities in measuring size-fractionated, spatially-resolved long-term datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA metabolism controls multiple biological processes, and a specific class of small RNAs, called piRNAs, act as genome guardians by silencing the expression of transposons and repetitive sequences in the gonads. Defects in the piRNA pathway affect genome integrity and fertility. The possible implications in physiopathological mechanisms of human diseases have made the piRNA pathway the object of intense investigation, and recent work suggests that there is a role for this pathway in somatic processes including synaptic plasticity. The RNA-binding fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP, also known as FMR1) controls translation and its loss triggers the most frequent syndromic form of mental retardation as well as gonadal defects in humans. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that germline, as well as somatic expression, of Drosophila Fmr1 (denoted dFmr1), the Drosophila ortholog of FMRP, are necessary in a pathway mediated by piRNAs. Moreover, dFmr1 interacts genetically and biochemically with Aubergine, an Argonaute protein and a key player in this pathway. Our data provide novel perspectives for understanding the phenotypes observed in Fragile X patients and support the view that piRNAs might be at work in the nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiologic studies show that malnutrition frequently afflicts elderly cancer patients. Malnutrition, (expressed as weight loss, or depletion of some body compartments or alteration of nutritional clinical or biochemical scores) is associated with higher morbidity/mortality, poor quality of life, reduced tolerance to oncologic therapy and poor efficacy of chemotherapy. Recently, sarcopenia, regardless of the presence of weight loss, has been identified as an independent risk factor for chemotherapy toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the epidemiological profile of cancer is a key step in planning national cancer policy. The main objective of this study was to characterize the epidemiological profile of cancer in Angola based on cases of cancer registered at the National Oncology Centre (NOC) of Luanda, the only Angolan hospital to specialize in cancer treatment and diagnosis. The study consisted of a cross-sectional historical review of cases treated at the NOC between 2007 and 2011. The following variables were analysed: tumour location, diagnostic basis, and source of referral, as well as patient age, sex, place of residence, and the stage of the disease. The NOC registered a total of 4,791 patients throughout the study period, at an annual average of 958 cases. The most commonly diagnosed cancers were breast (20.5%), cervical (16.5%), and head and neck cancer (10.6%), followed by lymphoma (7.2%), Kaposi sarcoma (6.1%), and prostate cancer (4%). A total of 76% of patients were under 60 years old, and 10% were less than 15 years old. Of the total number of patients with cancer treated at the NOC, 77.3% lived in the Luanda province. Staging data were only available for patients with breast or cervical cancer, and an analysis of this variable showed that most of these individuals were in advanced stages of the disease. In the absence of a population-based cancer registry, this study constitutes a reasonable assessment of the epidemiological profile of cancer in Angola. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Top of the food chain predators are often not predated upon. However, even though the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is in that category, the literature mentions many species as potential predators, including the jaguar (Panthera onca). Notwithstanding up until now there has been no registered confirmation of jaguar predation on giant otters. A predation of a jaguar on an adult female giant otter was recorded for the first time during our radio-telemetry study on giant otters in Balbina hydroelectric reservoir in Central Brazilian Amazon. The female had had a transmitter implanted on February 2012 and was killed by a jaguar ninety-four days after the surgery. This giant otter was a solitary specimen, which was captured by a jaguar while asleep in a shelter under a fallen tree trunk on the banks of one of the reservoir's islands. The solitary pattern found in such individuals combined with the frequent use of shelters, allows predators to access them more easily and may have contributed to the predation observed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The results achieved through the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) approach in gastrointestinal surgery have led to its enthusiastic acceptance in pancreatic surgery. However, the ERAS program also involves an early oral feeding that is not always feasible after pan-creatoduodenectomy. The aim of this review was to investigate in the literature whether the difficulty with early oral feeding in these patients was adequately balanced by perioperative enteral or parenteral nutritional support as recommended by the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) guidelines or whether these recommendations have lost value in the "bundle" of the ERAS. Methods: We reanalyzed both ESPEN guidelines and literature regarding the ERAS program in surgical pancreatic patients. Results: There was a high prevalence of malnutrition (and consequently of postoperative complications) in patients with pancreatic cancer, and there is evidence that many of these patients should be candidates for perioperative nutritional support according to ESPEN guidelines. The start of oral fluid and solid feeding was quite variable in literature reporting the use of ERAS in pancreatic cancer surgery, with a consistent gap between the recommended and the effective start of both the feedings. The use of nasogastric/jejunal tube or of a needle-catheter jejunostomy was discouraged by the ERAS guidelines but their use could prove beneficial in patients who are recognized at high risk for postoperative complications according to the scores available in the literature. Conclusion: The current practice of the ERAS program in these patients appears to neglect some ESPEN recommendations. On the other hand, both ESPEN and ERAS recommendations could be combined for a supplemental benefit for the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study shows that the outcome of cachectic incurable cancer patients on home parenteral nutrition (HPN), although on average longer than that allowed in starvation, is heterogeneous. On the basis of Karnofsky PS, Glasgow Prognostic Score and tumour spread, we could identify distinct prognostic groups, possibly deserving consideration when assessing indication to HPN in individual patients.Background The role of home parenteral nutrition (HPN) in incurable cachectic cancer patients unable to eat is extremely controversial. The aim of this study is to analyse which factors can influence the outcome. Patients and methods We studied prospectively 414 incurable cachectic (sub)obstructed cancer patients receiving HPN and analysed the association between patient or clinical characteristics and surviving status. Results Median weight loss, versus pre-disease and last 6-month period, was 24% and 16%, respectively. Median body mass index was 19.5, median KPS was 60, median life expectancy was 3 months. Mean/median survival was 4.7/3.0 months; 50.0% and 22.9% of patients survived 3 and 6 months, respectively. At the multivariable analysis, the variables significantly associated with 3- and 6-month survival were Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) and KPS, and GPS, KPS and tumour spread, respectively. By the aggregation of the significant variables, it was possible to dissect several classes of patients with different survival probabilities. Conclusions The outcome of cachectic incurable cancer patients on HPN is not homogeneous. It is possible to identify groups of patients with a ≥6-month survival (possibly longer than that allowed in starvation). The indications for HPN can be modulated on these clinical/biochemical indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To detect predictors of feeding tolerance in intrauterine growth restriction ( IUGR) infants with or without brain-sparing effect ( BS). Methods We conducted a case-control study in 70 IUGR infants (35 IUGR with BS, matched for gestational age with 35 IUGR infants with no BS). BS was classified as pulsatility index ( PI) ratio [umbilical artery ( UAPI) to middle cerebral artery ( MCAPI) ( U/ C ratio)] > 1. Clinical parameters of feeding tolerance - days to achieve full enteral feeding ( FEF) - were compared between the IUGR with BS and IUGR without BS infants. Age at the start of minimal enteral feeding ( MEF) was analysed. Results Achievement of FEF was significantly shorter in IUGR infants without BS than in IUGR with BS. IUGR with BS started MEF later than IUGR without BS infants. Significant correlation of MEF and FEF with UA PI, U/ C ratio and CRIB score was found. Multiple linear regression analysis showed significant correlations with CRIB score and caffeine administration ( MEF only), and sepsis ( FEF only) and U/ C ratio (for both). Conclusion Impaired gut function can be early detected by monitoring Doppler patterns and clinical parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preterm infants are often considered too unstable to be fed enterally so they are exposed to complications related to a prolonged enteral fasting. Our study aims to compare feeding tolerance of adequate for gestational age (AGA) versus small for gestational age (SGA) infants and to evaluate which perinatal factors affect feeding tolerance (measured as time to achieve full enteral feeding, FEF). Inborn infants with a gestational age (GA) less than 32 weeks, born from January 2006 to December 2010, were eligible for this study. We enrolled 310 infants. The time to FEF was longer for SGA infants than for AGA, while a longer GA was associated to a reduced time to FEF. A beneficial effect was observed for antenatal steroids, while Apgar score below 7, the administration of inotrops or caffeine, the occurrence of sepsis or NEC and the presence of PDA were associated to a longer time to FEF. When evaluated jointly with a multivariate analysis, GA ( p < 0.0001), antenatal steroids prophylaxis ( p = 0.002), SGA ( p < 0.0001) and occurrence of NEC ( p = 0.0002) proved to have independent prognostic impact on the time to FEF. Feeding tolerance is better as GA increases, and worsen in SGA infants. Antenatal betamethasone is effective in reducing the time to FEF in both AGA and SGA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This review focuses on the nutritional support of the non-surgical cancer patient. The following topics are reviewed: cancer cachexia (definition and staging, prevalence and impact on clinical outcome); nutritional screening to identify potential candidates for nutritional support; nutritional requirements in terms of macro-and micro-nutrients of the advanced cancer patient. Finally, the indications and results of nutritional support are presented with a special focus on the following issues: routes of delivering nutritional support, the use of standard or n−3 fatty acids-enriched oral nutritional supplements during radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy, tube feeding during RT (with/without chemotherapy), parenteral nutrition during chemotherapy, nutritional support during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, (home) enteral or total and supplemental parenteral nutrition in the incurable patient. Lastly, the bioethical aspects of feeding patients with incurable disease are briefly reviewed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The incomplete excision rate is a useful clinical and performance indicator, as it correlates with the treatment, the recurrence rate, the patient's morbidity and mortality. Methods of preoperative assessment of tumoral margins are therefore of paramount importance. Dermoscopy is a simple, non-invasive method, and can also be used for the diagnosis of epithelial tumors. Objective: The aim of the study is to assess the preoperative evaluation of margins with digital dermoscopy, and compare it with clinical evaluation; to ameliorate the surgical performance. Patients and methods: Ninety-four patients with histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinomas were initially selected for traditional surgical excision. Subsequently, the margin of excision was determined by both clinical (group A, 46 patients) and dermoscopy evaluation (group B, 48 patients). Results: In group A, margin involvement was observed in eight (17%) patients. Positive margins were seen in three (6%) patients of group B. Conclusions: Preoperative digital dermoscopy is a better method for detecting tumoral margins than clinical evaluation, and is an effective, simple, non-invasive method for the presurgical evaluation of margins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Molecular profiling of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has become essential for predicting customized medical treatment decision. In light of recent advances in non-invasive diagnostic procedures in NSCLC, we aimed to demonstrate the reliability of assessing molecular tests for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and KRAS genes on cytological samples by comparing the molecular profile obtained on cells from scraped smears with that on paired needle washing in a series of NSCLC cases. Methods: Thirty-two cytological specimens obtained by fine-needle aspiration biopsy procedures from primary or metastatic lesions of NSCLCs were Giemsa stained for a rapid on-site evaluation and, in case of an adequate sampling, the cellular material obtained from needle washing was collected into a saline solution. Scraped smears and needle washings were tested for EGFR and KRAS by polymerase chain reaction followed by direct sequencing. Results: The concordance between EGFR and KRAS mutational status in 29 paired scraped smears and needle washing was 100%, with 7 paired samples showing the same EGFR mutation (4 L858R mutation, 2 E746_A750 deletion and 1 A767_V769 duplication) and 8 paired samples showing the same KRAS mutations (4 G12D, 1 G12A, 1 G12V and 2 G12C). Three scraped smears, uninformative for poor DNA quality, resulted EGFR mutated on paired needle washings. Conclusions: Needle washing obtained in the course of NSCLC non-invasive fine needle diagnostic procedures allows reliable mutation testing and can be regarded as an additional important source of biological material for molecular profiling of advanced NSCLC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: There is little information about the nutritional status of cancer outpatients because the practice of nutritional screening is rarely performed. This study aims to define the pattern of scores of nutritional risk in 1,453 outpatients and factors associated with a high nutrition risk score, to facilitate the identification of such patients by the oncologists. Methods: We prospectively screened the nutritional status of cancer outpatients according to the NRS-2002 score which combines indicators of malnutrition and of severity of the disease (1-3 points, respectively). A score ≥3 indicates 'nutritional risk'. The association of the nutritional scores with some patient/tumour/therapy-related variables was investigated through univariable and multivariable linear regression models. Results: Thirty-two percent of outpatients were at nutritional risk. Primary tumour site, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score and presence of anorexia or fatigue were significantly associated with the nutrition risk score. Depending on the combination of these variables, it was possible to estimate different probabilities of nutritional risk. Conclusions: The frequency of a relevant nutritional risk was higher than expected considering the favourably selected population. The nutritional risk was associated with common clinical variables which are usually recorded in the charts and could easily alert the oncologist on the need of a further nutritional assessment or a nutritional support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Stellate-made crystals formation in spermatocytes is the phenotypic manifestation of a disrupted crystal-Stellate interaction in testes of Drosophila melanogaster. Stellate silencing is achieved by the piRNA pathway, but many features still remain unknown. Here we outline the important role of the crystal-Stellate modifiers. These have shed light on the piRNA pathways that defend genome integrity against transposons and other repetitive elements in the gonads. In particular, we illustrate the finding that HSP90 participates in the molecular pathways of piRNA production. This observation has relevance for the mechanisms underlying the evolutionary canalization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with alcohol- or drug-related traffic crashes (TC) in a sample of TC victims who were admitted to the two emergency rooms of Porto Alegre in southern Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study with consecutive samples was used. Victims of non-fatal TCs (as drivers, passengers or pedestrians) who had presented at emergency rooms during the 45days of data collection were selected. Subjects participated in a structured interview, were breathalyzed and underwent salivary drug testing. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to verify factors associated with alcohol or drug use. Results: Of the 609 victims who participated in the interview, 72% were male, and the median age was 29years (interquartile range 23.0–40.0years). The drivers were mostly men (p <0.001), with a higher binge drinking rate (p =0.003) and marijuana use (p =0.005) than seen in pedestrian and passengers. The prevalence of a positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC) ranged from 7.8% among the drivers to 9.2% among the pedestrians (p =0.861), and the cannabis prevalence was 13.3% among the drivers. The variables associated with an alcohol-related accident were binge drinking in the prior 12 months (OR 2.4; CI 95% 1.1–5.1) and coming from a party/bar (OR 8.7; CI 95% 2.8–26.7). Alcohol abuse or dependence increased by 5.2-fold the chance of another substance-related TC. Conclusion: The large number of individuals found in TC-related emergency room visits in a short time frame is evidence of the Brazilian epidemic of TC. The data showed that alcohol abuse or dependence also increases the risk of intoxication by other drugs, and they point to alcohol and drug use as a major problem requiring specific TC-related public policies and law enforcement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Trastuzumab has recently shown efficacy in the treatment of HER2-positive advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. Although antibody-based therapies target the metastatic disease, HER2 status is usually evaluated in the primary tumour because metastatic sites are rarely biopsied. The aim of this study was to compare HER2 status in primary and paired metastatic sites of gastric adenocarcinoma.Methods: The HER2 status was assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 72 secondary lesions of gastric adenocarcinoma and in the corresponding primary tumours.Results: Concordance of FISH results, evaluable in 68 primary and matched metastatic sites, was 98.5%. Concordance of IHC results, available in 39 of the 72 paired cases, was 94.9%. Only one case showed discordance between primary tumour and metastasis, being negative by both IHC and FISH in the primary and showing HER2 overexpression and amplification in the corresponding pancreatic lymph node metastasis.Conclusion: The high concordance observed between HER2 results obtained by both IHC and FISH on primary tumours and corresponding metastases suggests that in gastric cancer HER2 status is maintained in most cases unchanged during the metastatic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe common etiologies and diagnostic evaluations performed on term and late preterm neonates with neonatal apnea and to compare these etiologies and evaluations with those infants with infantile acute life threatening event (ALTE). Methods: Infants %isn't in document < 3 months of age and gestational age > 35 weeks, with diagnosis of apnea or ALTE were identified at Boston Children's Hospital from June 2000 to June 2009. Medical records were reviewed for diagnostic evaluations and discharge diagnoses. For analysis, neonates who presented with neonatal apnea within the first week of life and prior to discharge from the birth hospitalization were classified as the Inpatient Group and infants who presented with apnea post discharge were identified as the Outpatient Group. Infants with clear presenting etiologies were excluded from the study. Results: One hundred otherwise healthy subjects with diagnosis of apnea or ALTE in the study period were identified. Approximately one third were classified as the Inpatient Group. Diagnostic evaluations were highly variable, but testing for bacterial or viral sepsis was most commonly performed. In most cases, an etiology was not determined, and the diagnosis of "apnea of immaturity" was assigned. Other defined etiologic diagnoses included viral infection or pertussis, reflux/aspiration, laryngomalacia, and seizures. Conclusions: Diagnostic evaluation for apnea, in otherwise well-appearing full-term and late preterm infants, remains highly variable. Testing for infection, seizure, laryngomalacia and reflux may determine the majority of treatable etiologies. Guidelines for diagnostic evaluations and treatment strategies are clearly needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Eukaryotic porins or VDACs are a class of transmembrane proteins mainly localized in the outer mitochondrial membrane, whose function is to allow the diffusion of metabolites between the cytosol and the mitochondrion. In Drosophila melanogaster, as in other organisms, a small family of genes encoding porins has been discovered from the sequence of the genome. It is of general interest to understand whether these genes represent functional entities or not, and whether their product is associated to any particular tissue. In previous work we reported about the transcriptional and translational analysis of porin 1 and porin 2, and we proposed the specific presence of the latter in spermatozoa of the fly. In this paper we performed real time RT-PCR quantification of porin 1 and porin 2 transcripts in germ cells of the fly. It indicates that Porin 1 is abundantly expressed in both male and female tissues; Porin 2 instead, is very abundant in testis and it is present in ovaries as well, but in a small amount. The immuno-histological stain of ovaries shows that Porin isoform 1 is selectively targeted to follicular cells while Porin isoform 2 is present in mitochondria of the epithelial sheath cells of the ovariole. The implications of the subcellular distribution of these porin isoforms and the specific localization in germ tissues are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To compare dinoprostone gel and insert in achieving successful vaginal delivery in nulliparous and multiparous women. Study design: 220 nulliparous and 100 multiparous with a Bishop score ≤7 were randomized to receive dinoprostone either gel or insert for cervical ripening. The main outcome measures were the rate and latency of vaginal delivery. Results: In nulliparous women no significant differences were found between the gel and insert groups in the rate of vaginal delivery (85.6% vs. 80.7%) delivery ≤12 (36.8% vs. 32.9%) and ≤24h (85.3% vs. 93.4%) regardless of the preinduction Bishop score. Nulliparous with Bishop score ≤4 treated with the insert had a decreased risk (p <0.05) of post partum hemorrhage (4.8%) when compared with nulliparous treated with gel (16.7%). On the contrary, in multiparous the time to delivery interval was significantly shorter in the gel treated group (9.9±4.9h vs. 13.1±5h; p <0.001) with more patients delivering vaginally ≤12h (75% vs. 37.5%, p <0.001), regardless of the preinduction Bishop score. Conclusion: Both dinoprostone gel and insert are efficient in achieving cervical ripening and successful labor in nulliparous and multiparous. In multiparous, however, the gel significantly reduces the time to vaginal delivery with more patients delivering vaginally ≤12h, regardless of the Bishop score. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]