1,721,208 research outputs found
Conventional Techniques: Transthoracic Approach
No full textThymomas are the most frequent neoplasms of the anterior mediastinal compartment, accounting for approximately 20% of all mediastinal tumors in adults. They are, however, a rare neoplasm, with an incidence of approximately 0.15 cases in 100,000 habitants per year in the USA [1]. Thymomas are neoplasms of epithelial origin which, despite being considered tumors with an often indolent growth pattern, have a well-documented capability to invade adjacent structures and develop metastases in the pleura as well as, though more rarely, distant metastases. Although several histological classifications have been proposed over the last few years, today there is a wide consensus on the use of the classification proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999, as reviewed and confirmed in 2003, which breaks down thymic neoplasms into 6 groups based on the presence of cellular atypias and based on the relationship between epithelial and lymphatic cells (Table 16.1) [2]. By now, a unanimous consensus has been reached on the staging system proposed by Masaoka in 1981 and reviewed in 1994 (Table 16.2) [3], which classifies neoplasms based on the presence or absence of a macroscopic or microscopic invasion of the capsule, of adjacent structures, and the presence of metastases. © 2008 Springer Milan
Neurophysiology of gait
No full textBeyond the classic clinical description, recent studies have quantitatively evaluated gait and balance dysfunction in cerebellar ataxias by means of modern motion analysis systems. These systems have the aim of clearly and quantitatively describing the differences, with respect to healthy subjects, in kinematic, kinetic, and surface electromyography variables, establishing the basis for a rehabilitation strategy and assessing its efficacy. The main findings which characterize the gait pattern of cerebellar patients are: increased step width, reduced ankle joint range of motion with increased coactivation of the antagonist muscles, and increased stride-to-stride variability. Whereas the former is a compensatory strategy adopted by patients to keep the center of mass within the base of support, the latter indicates the inability of patients to maintain dynamic balance through a regular walking pattern and may reflect the primary deficit directly related to cerebellar dysfunction and the consequent lack of muscle coordination during walking. Moreover, during the course of the disease, with the progressive loss of walking autonomy, step length, and lower-limb joint range of motion are drastically reduced. As to the joint coordination defect, abnormal intralimb joint coordination during walking, in terms of both joint kinematics and interaction torques, has been reported in several studies. Furthermore, patients with cerebellar ataxia show a poor intersegmental coordination, with a chaotic coordinative behavior between trunk and hip, leading to increased upper-body oscillations that affect gait performance and stability, sustaining a vicious circle that transforms the upper body into a generator of perturbations. The use of motion analysis laboratories allows a deeper segmental and global characterization of walking impairment in these patients and can shed light on the nature of both the primary specific gait disorder and compensatory mechanisms. Such deeper understanding might reasonably represent a valid prerequisite for establishing better-targeted rehabilitation strategies
Il trattamento chirurgico del cancro del polmone non a piccole cellule infiltrante la parete toracica
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Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Prognostic role of clusterin in resected adenocarcinomas of the lung
No full textPrognostic role of clusterin in resected adenocarcinomas of the lung.
Panico F, Casali C, Rossi G, Rizzi F, Morandi U, Bettuzzi S, Davalli P, Corbetta L, Storelli ES, Corti A, Fabbri LM, Astancolle S, Luppi F.
Source
Section of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Oncology, Haematology & Pulmonology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Abstract
RATIONALE:
Clusterin expression may change in various human malignancies, including lung cancer. Patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including adenocarcinoma, have a poor prognosis, with a relapse rate of 30-50% within 5 years. Nuclear factor kB (Nf-kB) is an intracellular protein involved in the initiation and progression of several human cancers, including the lung.
OBJECTIVES:
We investigate the role of clusterin and Nf-kB expression in predicting the prognosis of patients with early-stage surgically resected adenocarcinoma of the lung.
FINDINGS:
The level of clusterin gradually decreased from well-differentiated to poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. Clusterin expression was significantly higher in patients with low-grade adenocarcinoma, in early-stage disease and in women. Clusterin expression was inversely related to relapse and survival in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Finally, we observed an inverse correlation between Nf-kB and clusterin.
CONCLUSIONS:
Clusterin expression represents an independent prognostic factor in surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma and was proven to be a useful biomarker for fewer relapses and longer survival in patients in the early stage of disease. The inverse correlation between Nf-kB and clusterin expression confirm the previously reported role of clusterin as potent down regulator of Nf-kB
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