A coordinate deregulation of microRNAs expressed in mucosa adjacent to tumor predicts relapse after resection in localized colon cancer

Up to 20% of colorectal cancer (CRC) node-negative patients develop loco-regional or distant recurrences within 5 years from surgery. No predictive biomarker able to identify the node-negative subjects at high risk of relapse after curative treatment is presently available.Forty-eight localized (i.e. stage I-II) colon cancer patients who underwent radical tumor resection were considered. The expression of five miRNAs, involved in CRC progression, was investigated by qRT-PCR in both tumor tissue and matched normal colon mucosa.Interestingly, we found that the coordinate deregulation of four miRNAs (i.e. miR-18a, miR-21, miR-182 and miR-183), evaluated in the normal mucosa adjacent to tumor, is predictive of relapse within 55 months from curative surgery.Our results, if confirmed in independent studies, may help to identify high-risk patients who could benefit most from adjuvant therapy. Moreover, this work highlights the importance of extending the search for tissue biomarkers also to the tumor-adjacent mucosa

Evaluation of temporomandibular disorders before and after orthognathic surgery: therapeutic considerations on a sample of 76 patients

Temporomandibular disorders may be associated with dental and facial malformations. The aim of this study is to record the prevalence of TMDs in patients scheduled for orthognathic surgery, reporting the development of TMDs and symptoms during the entire period of the treatment, and demonstrating the benefits of a team effort on this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Assessment of temporomandibular status was performed using the RDC/TMD criteria at T0 (prior to orthodontic therapy), T1 (3 months after the surgery), and T2 post-therapeutic cycle (6 to 12 months postoperatively). A total of 76 participants were included in the study; all the patients underwent surgical treatment: 12 had bilateral sagittal split osteotomy, 6 with condylar position devices; 64 had Le Fort I + bilateral sagittal split osteotomy, and 15 with condylar position devices. Results were evaluated with a paired-sample t-test and segmentation analysis. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients were affected by TMDs. At T0, 25 patients experienced TMJ pain, 27 had muscular pain, 31 suffered headaches, 42 had disc dislocation with reduction, and 5 were affected by disc dislocation without reduction. Thirty-five patients had occlusal signs of parafunctions, 8 reported tinnitus, and 7 dizziness. At T1, TMJ pain changed from 33.3% to 4.44%, muscular pain changed from 35.5% to 11.1%, headaches improved from 40% to 6.67%, and disc dislocation from 55.2% to 17.7%. Segmentation analysis highlighted improvement after therapy; 57 patients were considered recovered, 14 improved, none were considered stable, whereas 5 patients demonstrated some worsening, 3 of whom had not presented disc dislocation before surgery. At T2, 71 patients were considered completely recovered or improved. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicates beyond any doubt that both functional status and pain levels related to TMDs can be significantly improved with a multi-disciplinary approach. We concluded that surgeon's intervention need to be modified in the presence of presurgical TMDs

Simulation and management of on-demand irrigation systems: a combined agrohydrological and remote sensing approach

Rational use of water resources in agriculture requires improvements in the efficiency of irrigation. Many irrigation systems, particularly in Mediterranean regions, have been enhanced by replacing open channel conveyance systems with pressurised pipelines. This allows to provide water on-demand. Increased demand of water for civil and industrial uses and a progressive reduction of available water resources compel a more efficient use of irrigation water. To achieve this goal irrigation managers need to understand and to monitor the processes which determine the operation of an irrigation system.In this thesis a procedure integrating the agrohydrological aspects of irrigation with hydraulic and management aspects has been developed. The procedure named SIMODIS (SImulation and Management of On-Demand Irrigation Systems) is based on the integration of different tools such as agrohydrological and hydraulic simulation models, remote sensing and GIS techniques.An irrigation system is described as a set of elementary (e.g. individual fields) connected by the pressurised conveyance system. The spatial distribution of soil water deficit in each elementary unit is computed daily by combining the soil water model SWAP with occasional satellite-based estimates of crop water requirements. A methodology has been developed to obtain spatially distributed input data for the soil water model SWAP i.e. the soil hydraulic properties and the upper and lower boundary conditions.Multispectral satellite images are used to map the crop coefficients needed for the definition of the SWAP upper boundary condition in each elementary unit of the irrigation district. Two different approaches have been proposed. The first is based on classification techniques, where clustering algorithms are applied to derive the spectral classes corresponding to different crop coefficient values. In the second approach, the crop coefficient is analytically related to the canopy variables determining the potential evapotranspiration i.e. leaf area index, surface albedo and crop height. At-surface directional spectral reflectance are used to estimate these canopy variables from which the value of crop coefficient is calculated.The spatial distribution of farmers' water demand is derived on a daily basis from the soil water deficit according to predefined irrigation scheduling criteria. Before applying this farmers' water demand distribution for the given day, the SIMODIS procedure assess whether water demand is consistent with the available amount of water resources and with the structural and operational constraints imposed by the conveyance and distribution system. For this purpose a steady-state simulation model of pipeline hydraulics is used in SIMODIS. The final distribution of farmers' water demand is then resulting from a three-tiered adaptation of irrigation schedule considering: i) the limitation of flow rate at delivery outlets, ii) the limitation of available water resources, iii) the required minimum hydraulic head at the delivery outlets.The procedure SIMODIS has been applied in the Gromola irrigation district of approximately 3000 ha in southern Italy. Measurements of irrigation volumes were used to identify the parameters driving irrigation scheduling. Irrigation efficiency indicators were calculated from the spatial distribution of actual transpiration rates and of the corresponding irrigation volumes applied. To illustrate the use of SIMODIS in support of irrigation decision making, alternative scenarios of water management were simulated and compared.The development of SIMODIS demonstrated that agrohydrological simulation models and remote sensing can be effectively combined to describe the operation of an irrigation system. These techniques have reached a sufficient degree of reliability to be transferred to practical applications. The estimation of crop coefficients by means of remote sensing techniques is of general usefulness in the definition of the upper boundary condition of distributed hydrological simulation models and it can be applied to evaluate with satisfactory accuracy the crop water requirements at regional scale. In the future new types of satellite sensors will probably allow for a more precise determination of the canopy variables, thus providing novel opportunities in the integration between agrohydrological simulation models and remote sensing techniques.</p

Il Nibbio reale Milvus milvus svernante in Italia, sintesi di cinque anni di monitoraggio

Beginning in December 2011, CISO has promoted a monitoring project for Red kite\u2019s wintering population in Italy. This paper shows the results of the first five survey seasons, ie from December 2011 to January 2016. The censuses, always done at sunset, covered the eleven Central-Southern regions for which winter roosts were already known. The number of actual kites censuses each winter varied between about 1500 and over 1700 individuals, with strong oscillations for single roosts. The population is mainly concentrated in Basilicata with more than 64% of the entire winter population. Interesting data were also been found in Lazio, Abruzzo and Molise, which altogether host about 25% of the national population. Encouraging data come from Tuscany where, following a reintroduction project, a wintering roost of about 80 units was found. Bad results are from censuses conducted in Campania, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia, where the population seems to be greatly reduced

Measurement of the atmospheric muon flux with the NEMO Phase-1 detector

The NEMO Collaboration installed and operated an underwater detector including prototypes of the critical elements of a possible underwater km3 neutrino telescope: a four-floor tower (called Mini-Tower) and a Junction Box. The detector was developed to test some of the main systems of the km3 detector, including the data transmission, the power distribution, the timing calibration and the acoustic positioning systems as well as to verify the capabilities of a single tridimensional detection structure to reconstruct muon tracks. We present results of the analysis of the data collected with the NEMO Mini-Tower. The position of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) is determined through the acoustic position system. Signals detected with PMTs are used to reconstruct the tracks of atmospheric muons. The angular distribution of atmospheric muons was measured and results compared with Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: Astrop. Phys., accepte

NEMO: A Project for a km3^3 Underwater Detector for Astrophysical Neutrinos in the Mediterranean Sea

The status of the project is described: the activity on long term characterization of water optical and oceanographic parameters at the Capo Passero site candidate for the Mediterranean km$^3$ neutrino telescope; the feasibility study; the physics performances and underwater technology for the km$^3$; the activity on NEMO Phase 1, a technological demonstrator that has been deployed at 2000 m depth 25 km offshore Catania; the realization of an underwater infrastructure at 3500 m depth at the candidate site (NEMO Phase 2).Comment: Proceeding of ISCRA 2006, Erice 20-27 June 200

Il Nibbio reale Milvus milvus svernante in Italia, sintesi di cinque anni di monitoraggio

Beginning in December 2011, CISO has promoted a monitoring project for Red kite\u2019s wintering population in Italy. This paper shows the results of the first five survey seasons, ie from December 2011 to January 2016. The censuses, always done at sunset, covered the eleven Central-Southern regions for which winter roosts were already known. The number of actual kites censuses each winter varied between about 1500 and over 1700 individuals, with strong oscillations for single roosts. The population is mainly concentrated in Basilicata with more than 64% of the entire winter population. Interesting data were also been found in Lazio, Abruzzo and Molise, which altogether host about 25% of the national population. Encouraging data come from Tuscany where, following a reintroduction project, a wintering roost of about 80 units was found. Bad results are from censuses conducted in Campania, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia, where the population seems to be greatly reduced

IMPRESSÕES SOBRE A GÊNESE DO RACISMO E DEMAIS FORMAS DE DISCRIMINAÇÃO

O texto pretende situar a passagem da crí­tica do esclarecimento (nas concepções do iluminismo e racionalismo) e a reflexão sobre a gênese do racismo e demais formas de discriminação, na ênfase do pensamento da Escola de Frankfurt, estabelecendo-se uma relação entre violência, tortura, vida nua e repressão da mí­mesis no pensamento esclarecido

“Screwed from the start”: How women perceive opportunities and barriers for building a successful research career

After finishing the PhD, the researcher enters a stage in their early research career where more independence is expected. Within a relatively short time period, the researcher needs to gather research experience and support in the form of tangible resources as funding, and intangible resources like access to research networks, close collaborations, and mentorship to support their next career stage. How resources are allocated are therefore important determinants for the success of researchers. However, research shows that the resource allocation decisions in academia are biased in favor of men, with many of these gender biases that influence the success of research careers increasing. In this study, we asked women employed as early-career researchers (WECRs) about how they view their opportunities and potential for long-term success within academia, and how this relates to the resources that they have access to. We found that the WECRs were given few resources and support, and that they perceived that finding resources important for their career was up to themselves. The noticeable male dominance in who receives resources and positions within the university and the lack of women as role-models signals to WECRs that they are not wanted in academia. The WECRs suggest several ways to improve the possibilities for a successful research career for women on more equal terms as their male collegues: these include transparent processes for resource allocations, equal opportunity officers in all hiring processes, and mandatory gender training for all senior research and administrative staff. All the actions suggested are within the control of the university