108 research outputs found
Proton Beam Therapy in the Reirradiation Setting of Brain and Base of Skull Tumour Recurrences
No full textThe therapeutic management of local tumour recurrence after a first course of radical radiotherapy is always complex. Surgery and reirradiation carry increased morbidity due to radiation-induced tissue changes. Proton beam therapy (PBT) might be advantageous in the reirradiation setting, thanks to its distinct physical characteristics. Here we systematically reviewed the use of PBT in the management of recurrent central nervous system (CNS) and base of skull (BoS) tumours, as published in the literature. The research question was framed following the Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes (PICO) criteria: the population of the study was cancer patients with local disease recurrence in the CNS or BoS; the intervention was radiation treatment with PBT; the outcomes of the study focused on the clinical outcomes of PBT in the reirradiation setting of local tumour recurrences of the CNS or BoS. The identification stage resulted in 222 records in Embase and 79 in Medline as of March 2023. Sixty-eight duplicates were excluded at this stage and 56 were excluded after screening as not relevant, not in English or not full-text articles. Twelve full-text articles were included in the review and are presented according to the site of disease, namely BoS, brain or both brain and BoS. This review showed that reirradiation of brain/BoS tumour recurrences with PBT can provide good local control with acceptable toxicity rates. However, reirradiation of tumour recurrences in the CNS or BoS setting needs to consider several factors that can increase the risk of toxicities. Therefore, patient selection is crucial. Randomised evidence is needed to select the best radiation modality in this group of patients
Fire-smart solutions for sustainable wildfire risk prevention: Bottom-up initiatives meet top-down policies under EU green deal
No full textFuel management for wildfire risk prevention generally lacks economic sustainability. In marginal areas of southern Europe, this limits fuel treatment programs from reaching the critical mass of required treated area to modify landscape flammability, the fire regime and its impacts. This study investigates key fuel management initiatives for wildfire risk prevention in southern EU countries. We compared local approaches through a bottom-up selection of 38 initiatives, which we analyzed systematically through a set of fire-smart criteria: sustainability, cost-benefit ratio, synergies and inter-sectoral cooperation, integration between strategic prevention planning and multiple land governance goals (e.g., rural development, biodiversity conservation, energy supply), innovation and knowledge transfer, and adaptive management. We summarized lessons learned from the most innovative initiatives, by identifying solutions and functional approaches for building sustainable fuel management at the landscape scale, under fire-smart management principles. These make synergistic use of private, public and European resources to activate value chains that valorize the products, by-products and services generated by fuel management activities and their positive externalities on ecosystem services. The multiple mechanisms include fire-marketing, Payment for Ecosystem Services schemes, specific taxes, or environmental compensatory measures. These mechanisms catalyze the interest of multiple stakeholders (economic actors, private owners, land and fire management agencies) improving the cost-efficiency of landscape fuel management. We contend that the EU Green Deal offers the political backing and framework (mainstreaming of EU strategies and funding opportunities) to enable the replication of documented fire-smart models and functional approaches to wildfire risk prevention
‐10 diagnostic coding
No full textThe cost and comorbidity of obesity in hospitalized inpatients, is less known. A retrospective study of patients presenting to a large district hospital in Western Sydney (April 2016-February 2017) using clinical, pathological as well as diagnostic coding data for obesity as per ICD-10. Of 43 212 consecutive hospital presentations, 390 had an obesity-coded diagnosis (Ob, 0.90%), of which 244 were gender and age matched to a non-obesity coded cohort (NOb). Weight and BMI were higher in the Ob vs NOb group (126 ± 37 vs 82 ± 25 kg; BMI 46 ± 12 vs 29 ± 8 kg/m2 , P < .001) with a medical record documentation rate of 62% for obesity among Ob. The Ob cohort had 2-5 higher rates of cardiopulmonary and metabolic complications (P < .001), greater pharmacologic burden, length of stay (LOS, 225 vs 89 hours, P < .001) and stay in intensive care but no differences in the prevalence of mental disorders. Compared with BMI 35 kg/m2 were 5 more likely to require intensive care (OR 5.08 [1.43-27.3, 95% CI], P = .0047). The initiation of obesity-specific interventions by clinical teams was very low. People with obesity who are admitted to hospital carry significant cost and complications, yet obesity is seldom recognized as a clinical entity or contributor
Moytirra: Discovery of the first known deep-sea hydrothermal vent field on the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge north of the Azores
No full textGeological, biological, morphological, and hydrochemical data are presented for the newly discovered Moytirra vent field at 45oN. This is the only high temperature hydrothermal vent known between the Azores and Iceland, in the North Atlantic and is located on a slow to ultraslow-spreading mid-ocean ridge uniquely situated on the 300 m high fault scarp of the eastern axial wall, 3.5 km from the axial volcanic ridge crest. Furthermore, the Moytirra vent field is, unusually for tectonically controlled hydrothermal vents systems, basalt hosted and perched midway up on the median valley wall and presumably heated by an off-axis magma chamber. The Moytirra vent field consists of an alignment of four sites of venting, three actively emitting “black smoke,” producing a complex of chimneys and beehive diffusers. The largest chimney is 18 m tall and vigorously venting. The vent fauna described here are the only ones documented for the North Atlantic (Azores to Reykjanes Ridge) and significantly expands our knowledge of North Atlantic biodiversity. The surfaces of the vent chimneys are occupied by aggregations of gastropods (Peltospira sp.) and populations of alvinocaridid shrimp (Mirocaris sp. with Rimicaris sp. also present). Other fauna present include bythograeid crabs (Segonzacia sp.) and zoarcid fish (Pachycara sp.), but bathymodiolin mussels and actinostolid anemones were not observed in the vent field. The discovery of the Moytirra vent field therefore expands the known latitudinal distributions of several vent-endemic genera in the north Atlantic, and reveals faunal affinities with vents south of the Azores rather than north of Iceland
Proton Beam Therapy in the Oligometastatic/Oligorecurrent Setting: Is There a Role? A Literature Review
No full textBackground: Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) with conventional photon radiotherapy (XRT) are well-established treatment options for selected patients with oligometastatic/oligorecurrent disease. The use of PBT for SABR-SRS is attractive given the property of a lack of exit dose. The aim of this review is to evaluate the role and current utilisation of PBT in the oligometastatic/oligorecurrent setting. Methods: Using Medline and Embase, a comprehensive literature review was conducted following the PICO (Patients, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes) criteria, which returned 83 records. After screening, 16 records were deemed to be relevant and included in the review. Results: Six of the sixteen records analysed originated in Japan, six in the USA, and four in Europe. The focus was oligometastatic disease in 12, oligorecurrence in 3, and both in 1. Most of the studies analysed (12/16) were retrospective cohorts or case reports, two were phase II clinical trials, one was a literature review, and one study discussed the pros and cons of PBT in these settings. The studies presented in this review included a total of 925 patients. The metastatic sites analysed in these articles were the liver (4/16), lungs (3/16), thoracic lymph nodes (2/16), bone (2/16), brain (1/16), pelvis (1/16), and various sites in 2/16. Conclusions: PBT could represent an option for the treatment of oligometastatic/oligorecurrent disease in patients with a low metastatic burden. Nevertheless, due to its limited availability, PBT has traditionally been funded for selected tumour indications that are defined as curable. The availability of new systemic therapies has widened this definition. This, together with the exponential growth of PBT capacity worldwide, will potentially redefine its commissioning to include selected patients with oligometastatic/oligorecurrent disease. To date, PBT has been used with encouraging results for the treatment of liver metastases. However, PBT could be an option in those cases in which the reduced radiation exposure to normal tissues leads to a clinically significant reduction in treatment-related toxicities
Characterization Of Laser Cladding Wc-co Composite Coatings [caracterização De Revestimentos Compósitos Wc-co Depositados Por Fusão A Laser]
No full textA number of works have shown that, if a proper selection of the operating parameters is made, laser cladding enables for the production of composite coatings with an homogeneous distribution of hard particles in a tough matrix free from defects, such as porosity or cracks. In the present work WC-Co composite coatings were produced by this technique. A powder mixture with 70%wt. of WC and 30%wt. of Co was used to produce the coating and an AISI 1045 steel was used as substrate. The microstructural characterization was made by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (with EDS microprobe) and X-ray diffraction. Vickers microhardness tests were made in the cross section of the coatings. The microstructure of the coatings is essentially formed by a cobalt rich matrix with WC and Co3W3C carbide particles. Nevertheless, it was found that small local changes in the chemical composition results in different solidification paths that leads to dramatic modifications of the morphologies of the microstructural components. This results are discussed and analyzed on the basis of the C-Co-W ternary phase diagram.34213430Jeng, M.C., Yan, L.Y., Doong, J.L., Wear behaviour of cobalt-based alloys in laser surface cladding (1991) Surface and Coatings Technology, 48, pp. 225-231Zhenda, C., Chew, L.L., Ming, Q., Laser cladding of WC-Ni composite (1996) Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 62, pp. 321-323Hidouci, A., Microstructural and mechanical characteristics of laser coatings (2000) Surface and Coatings Technology, 123, pp. 17-23Przybylowicz, J., Kusinski, J., Structure of laser cladded tungsten carbide composite coatings (2001) Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 109, pp. 154-160Xi-Chen, Y., Laser cladding of WC-Co powder (1991) Proceedings of SPIE ICALEO'90, 1601, pp. 130-136. , Laser Materials ProcessingBoas, M., Bamberger, M., Structural characterization of laser-processed WC/Co layer (1993) Thin Solid Films, 235, pp. 142-148Li, Q., Leit, C., Chen, W.Z., Microstructural characterization of WCp reinforced Ni-Cr-B-Si-C composite coatings (1999) Surface and Coatings Technology, 114, pp. 285-291Yang, Y., Man, H.C., Microstructure evolution of laser clad layers of W-C-Co alloy powders (2000) Surface and Coatings Technology, 132, pp. 130-136Gassmann, R., Laser cladding of hard particles rich alloys (1992) Proceedings of SPIE - ICALEO 92, 1990, pp. 288-299Amende, W., Nowak, G., Hard phase particles in laser processed cobalt rich claddings (1990) Proceedings of ECLAT'90, pp. 417-428. , Surface Treatments - Liquid StateLuft, A., Microstructures and dissolution of carbides occurring during the laser cladding of steel with tungsten carbide reinforced Ni- and Co-hard alloys (1995) Praktische Metallographie, 32 (5), pp. 235-247Cadenas, M., Wear behaviour of laser cladded and plasma sprayed WC-Co coatings (1997) Wear, 212, pp. 244-253Zong, High-power laser cladding stellite 6 + WC with various volume rates (2001) Journal of Laser Applications, 13 (6), pp. 247-251. , DecRautala, P., Norton, J.T., (1995) Handbook of Ternary Alloy Phase Diagrams, 5, p. 6588. , ASM International, Ed. P.Villars, A. Prince, H. OkamotoBasu, S.N., Sarin, V.K., Oxidation behavior of WC-Co (1996) Materials Science and Engineering A, A209, pp. 206-212Vinayo, M.E., Plasma sprayed WC-Co coatings - Influence of spray conditions (atmospheric and low-pressure plasma spraying) on the crystal-structure, porosity, and hardness (1985) Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A - Vacuum Surfaces and Films, A3 (6), pp. 2479-2482Guilemany, J.M., Characterization of the W2C phase formed during the high velocity oxygen fuel spraying of a WC + 12 pet Co powder (1999) Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 30 A, pp. 1913-1921. , AugustRiabkina-Fishman, M., Laser produced functionally graded tungsten carbide coatings on M2 high-scpeed tool steel (2001) Materials Science and Engineering A, A302, pp. 106-114Guillermet, A.F., (1995) Handbook of Ternary Alloy Phase Diagrams, 7, p. 8361. , ASM International, Ed. P.Villars, A. Prince, H. OkamotoScussel, H.J., Friction and Wear of Cemented Carbides (1992) ASM Handbook, 18, p. 795. , ASM Internationa
Synergistic Effect between Cisplatin and Sunitinib Malate on Human Urinary Bladder-Cancer Cell Lines
No full textThe aim of this paper is to analyse sunitinib malate in vitro ability to enhance cisplatin cytotoxicity in T24, 5637, and HT1376 human urinary bladder-cancer cell lines. Cells were treated with cisplatin (3, 6, 13, and 18 mu M) and sunitinib malate (1, 2, 4, 6, and 20 mu M), either in isolation or combined, over the course of 72 hours. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay, acridine orange, and monodansylcadaverine staining and flow cytometry were performed. The combination index (CI) was calculated based on the Chou and Talalay method. In isolation, cisplatin and sunitinib malate statistically (p < 0.05) decrease cell viability in all cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, with the presence of autophagic vacuoles. A cell cycle arrest in early S-phase and in G(0)/G(1) -phase was also found after exposure to cisplatin and sunitinib malate, in isolation, respectively. Treatment of urinary bladder-cancer cells with a combination of cisplatin and sunitinib malate showed a synergistic effect (CI < 1). Autophagy and apoptosis studies showed a greater incidence when the combined treatment was put into use. This hints at the possibility of a new combined therapeutic approach. If confirmed in vivo, this conjugation may provide a means of new perspectives in muscle-invasive urinary bladder cancer treatment
Multi-Stage 20-m Shuttle Run Fitness Test, Maximal Oxygen Uptake and Velocity at Maximal Oxygen Uptake.
No full textThe multi-stage 20-m shuttle run fitness test (20mMSFT) is a popular field test which is widely used to measure aerobic fitness by predicting maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and performance. However, the velocity at which VO2max occurs (vVO2max) is a better indicator of performance than VO2max, and can be used to explain inter-individual differences in performance that VO2max cannot. It has been reported as a better predictor for running performance and it can be used to monitor athletes' training for predicting optimal training intensity. This study investigated the validity and suitability of predicting VO2max and vVO2max of adult subjects on the basis of the performance of the 20mMST. Forty eight (25 male and 23 female) physical education students performed, in random order, a laboratory based continuous horizontal treadmill test to determine VO2max, vVO2max and a 20mMST, with an interval of 3 days between each test. The results revealed significant correlations between the number of shuttles in the 20mMSFT and directly determined VO2max (r = 0.87, p<0.05) and vVO2max (r = 0.93, p<0.05). The equation for prediction of VO2max was y = 0.0276x + 27.504, whereas for vVO2max it was y = 0.0937x + 6.890. It can be concluded that the 20mMSFT can accurately predict VO2max and vVO2max and this field test can provide useful information regarding aerobic fitness of adults. The predicted vVO2max can be used in monitoring athletes, especially in determining optimal training intensity
Platelet-derived Growth Factor (PDGF) and PDGF Receptor Expression and Function in Folliculostellate Pituitary Cells
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