1,720,996 research outputs found
MRI and CT findings of a primary malignant fibrous hystiocitoma presenting as a huge glissonian mass; imaging findings with surgical and histological correlations
No full textThe present case report describes imaging findings (CT and MRI features) of a primary malignant fibrous hystiocitoma, presenting as a dual stage lesion, completely exophytic along liver surface with surgical and histological correlations. Imaging characteristics suggested the nature of the lesion (mesenchymal) and the behavior (expansile growth pattern) which addressed surgeons to a conservative excision
Primary giant hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma: A case report
No full textAbstractCarcinoid tumours arise from neuroendocrine cells and may develop in almost any organ. These type of tumours actually are correctly termed neuroendocrine tumours. Hepatic neuroendocrine carcinomas rarely arise as primary tumour; in fact on 100 cases reported in literature just a few of these are of primary nature. We report the case of a giant hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma in a 55-year-old man. The symptoms were only recurrent hypoglycemia and an abdominal mass. Diagnosis was performed by blood analysis, ultrasonography, TC scan and In111-DTPA-octreotide scan. Surgical treatment occurred by an en bloc removal of the mass and a wide resection with free margins. Histological examination confirmed diagnosis. Clinical and instrumental diagnostic follow-up show the patient still alive, in very good conditions and disease free two years after surgery
Robot-assisted liver surgery in a general surgery unit with a "referral centre hub&spoke learning program". Early outcomes after our first 70 consecutive patients
No full textBACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate safety, feasibility and short-term outcomes of our first 70 consecutive patients treated by robotic-assisted liver resection after a reversal proctoring between a high HPB volume centre and our well-trained center in minimally invasive General Surgery. Six surgeons were involved in this Hub&Spoke learning program. METHODS: From September 2012 to December 2016, 70 patients underwent robotic-assisted liver resections (RALR). We treated 18 patients affected by colorectal and gastric cancer with synchronous liver lesions suspected for metastases in a one-stage robotic-assisted procedure. For the first 20 procedures we had a tutor in the operatory room, who was present also in the next most difficult procedures. RESULTS: The 30-and 90-day mortality rate was zero with an overall morbidity rate of 10.1%. Associated surgical procedures were performed in about 65,7% of patients. The observed conversion rate was 10%. The results of the first 20 cases were similar to the next 50 showing a shortned learning curve. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive robot-assisted liver resection is a safe technique; it allows overcoming many limits of conventional laparoscopy. This innovative, time-enduring Hub&Spoke may allow patients to undergo a proper standard of care also for complex surgical procedures, without the need of reaching referral centres
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
Induction of Protective Genes Leads to Islet Survival and Function
Full text linkIslet transplantation is the most valid approach to the treatment of type 1 diabetes. However, the function of transplanted islets is often compromised since a large number of β cells undergo apoptosis induced by stress and the immune rejection response elicited by the recipient after transplantation. Conventional treatment for islet transplantation is to administer immunosuppressive drugs to the recipient to suppress the immune rejection response mounted against transplanted islets. Induction of protective genes in the recipient (e.g., heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), A20/tumor necrosis factor alpha inducible protein3 (tnfaip3), biliverdin reductase (BVR), Bcl2, and others) or administration of one or more of the products of HO-1 to the donor, the islets themselves, and/or the recipient offers an alternative or synergistic approach to improve islet graft survival and function. In this perspective, we summarize studies describing the protective effects of these genes on islet survival and function in rodent allogeneic and xenogeneic transplantation models and the prevention of onset of diabetes, with emphasis on HO-1, A20, and BVR. Such approaches are also appealing to islet autotransplantation in patients with chronic pancreatitis after total pancreatectomy, a procedure that currently only leads to 1/3 of transplanted patients being diabetes-free
Prognosis of patients with spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis
Full text linkThe treatment of cirrhotic patients with spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial and largely dependent on general conditions of the patients and compensation of the underlying cirrhosis. We retrospectively reviewed clinical, imaging and surgical records of 24 consecutive cirrhotic patients (17 males, 7 females; age range 52-88 years) with hemoperitoneum from spontaneous rupture of HCC observed from June 2004 to January 2010 at our Institution. When indicated, patients were referred to surgery or trans-arterial embolization (TAE). Advanced decompensated patients were conservatively treated and clinically followed up. Spontaneous rupture of HCC was assessed by aspiration of bloody ascites at paracentesis in all cases. The presence of large blood-clots over HCC and liver surface at US and/or CT was considered a specific sign of ruptured HCC in 14 cases. In two out of four patients who underwent TAE active bleeding from tumor surface could be demonstrated. In 2 cases, the active hemorrhage from the HCC surface could be assessed by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. Four out of 24 patients underwent surgery. Three out of four of these patients died within 2 weeks, 8 months, and 20 months after operation, respectively. The remaining patient is still alive at 52 months follow-up. Four patients underwent TAE and died at 1, 2, 6 and 10 months after treatment, because of recurrent peritoneal bleeding and/or liver failure. Sixteen patients with ruptured HCC in the advanced Child C cirrhosis were treated conservatively with blood derivative transfusion and with procoagulant drugs. All patients, but one died within 2-18 days. One patient survived the acute hemorrhage from ruptured HCC and died of liver failure after 3 months. We concluded that spontaneous rupture of HCC is usually a fatal event in patients with poor liver function, even after successful TAE. In compensated patients, timely surgical treatment can result in long term and even tumor-free survival of the patient
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
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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