Challenge:NOWiSeNets: A Network of Wireless Sensor Networks for Internetworking the Physical World

Wireless Sensor Networks(WiSENets), in which several tiny, wireless sensor nodes are connected in a multi-hop fashion have been subject of intense research in recent years. In a year future, it is expected that several WiSeNets will actually be deployed for environments, instrusion detection systems, factory monitoring, and so on, and the issue of how to deal with interactions between different WiSeNets will naturally arise. In this paper, we propose a version of our future WiSeNets-instrumented world, in which WiSeNets (each of which composed of up to several thousands of sensor nodes)are networked together. This Network of WiSeNets (NOWiSeNets) can be seen as extending the concept of internetworking to the physical world. The goal of this paper is to describe our view of the NOWiSeNets paradigm, to provide examples that show the potential advantages of interconnecting WiSeNets, and to discuss the many research challenges that must be solved to realize this paradigm

Minimally invasive esophagectomy for cancer in COVID hospitals and oncological hubs: are the outcomes different?

Introduction The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused significant delays in oncological care worldwide due to restriction of elective surgery and intensive care unit capacity. It has been hypothesized that COVID-free oncological hubs can provide safer elective cancer surgery compared to COVID hospitals. The primary aim of the present study was to analyze the outcomes of minimally invasive esophagectomy for cancer performed in both hospital settings by the same surgical staff. Methods All esophagectomies for cancer performed during the pandemic by a single team were reviewed and data were compared with control patients operated during the preceding year. Screening for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was performed prior to surgery, and special precautions were taken to mitigate hospital-related transmission of COVID-19 among patients and healthcare workers. Results Compared to the prepandemic period, the esophagectomy volume decreased by 64%. Comorbidities, time from onset of symptoms to first visit, waiting time between diagnosis and surgery, operative approach and technique, and the pathological staging were similar. None of the patients tested positive for COVID-19 during in-hospital stay, and esophagectomy was associated with similar outcomes compared to control patients. Conclusion Outcomes of minimally invasive esophagectomy for cancer performed in a COVID hospital after implementation of a COVID-free surgical pathway did not differ from those obtained in an oncological hub by the same surgical team

Parallelism of DOG1 expression with recurrence risk in gastrointestinal stromal tumors bearing KIT or PDGFRA mutations

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are characterized by mutations of KIT (v-kit Hardy-Zuckerman 4 feline sarcoma viral oncogene homolog) or PDGFRA (platelet-derived growth factor receptor α) that may be efficiently targeted by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Notwithstanding the early responsiveness to TKI, the majority of GISTs progress, imposing the need for alternative therapeutic strategies. DOG1 (discovered on GIST-1) shows a higher sensitivity as a diagnostic marker than KIT, however its prognostic role has been little investigated. METHODS: We evaluated DOG1 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 59 patients with GISTs, and correlated its levels with clinical and pathological features as well as mutational status. Kaplan-Meier analysis was also applied to assess correlations of the staining score with patient recurrence-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: DOG1 was expressed in 66 % of CD117(+) GISTs and highly associated with tumor size and the rate of wild-type tumors. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that a strong DOG1 expression demonstrated by IHC correlated with a worse 2-year RFS rate, suggesting its potential ability to predict GISTs with poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a prognostic role for DOG1, as well as its potential for inclusion in the criteria for risk stratification

Cutaneous Metastases from Primary Liver Cancers: The Need for Knowledge and Differential Diagnosis

Primary skin tumors are certainly more frequent than metastatic tumors, but the latter can sometimes be the first sign of otherwise unrecognized neoplastic pathology and always correspond to an advanced stage of the disease. Among the various neoplasms that can metastasize in cutaneous districts, skin metastases from primary malignant neoplasms from the liver and biliary tract are infrequent, and when they do occur they can pose differential diagnosis problems to the pathologist. Here we present two cases of metastatic skin lesions, respectively originating from the liver and the intrahepatic biliary tract, and we conduct a brief review of the current literature

NPPA-Associated Atrial Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Genotypic and Phenotypic Insights From an Ultrarare Inherited Disorder

Background: Atrial standstill is a rare arrhythmogenic disorder characterized by complete atrial electrical and mechanical inactivity. We report the 15th documented case of atrial dilated cardiomyopathy associated with the homozygous c.449G>A (p.Arg150Gln) NPPA mutation. Case summary: A 31-year-old woman presented with persistent atrial fibrillation, biatrial enlargement, and junctional rhythm. Electrophysiological studies confirmed atrial inexcitability. Despite preserved ventricular function, she required permanent His-bundle pacing. Genetic testing later revealed a homozygous NPPA mutation, whereas heterozygous family members remained asymptomatic. Discussion: This case highlights the diagnostic value of genetic testing in young patients with atrial fibrillation and no structural heart disease. Early recognition of NPPA-related atrial dilated cardiomyopathy may guide arrhythmia management and anticoagulation strategies, reducing thromboembolic risk. Take-home message: Broader implementation of genetic screening in selected individuals with isolated atrial dysfunction may support earlier diagnosis, personalized treatment, and better outcomes in this ultrarare condition

Localized formation and size tuning of CdS nanocrystals upon irradiation of metal precursors embedded in polymer matrices

We present a method of spatial and dimensional controlled formation of CdS quantum dots into polymer matrices by light irradiation. The initial samples consist of Cd thiolate precursors doped in TOPAS polymer matrix. Under pulsed UV laser irradiation the precursors are photolysed driving to the nucleation of CdS nanocrystals, with increasing size and concentration, related to the number of UV pulses. The formed quantum dots are localized in the irradiated area, while the host polymer remains macroscopically unaffected by the UV irradiation. In this study we investigate how the formation of the nanocrystals (size, dimensions, and concentration) is affected by the use of different irradiation conditions (wavelength, number of pulses), revealing information about the different pathways followed during the formation. The change of the size of the dots results in the change of the peak of their emission due to the quantum size effect, which is studied by fluorescence measurements. The results are reinforced by TEM microscopy and by XRD measurements. The main advantages of the presented method are the size tuning of the produced dots and their spatial confinement inside the host matrix, not possible by the other methods used until now (thermal annealing, mixing etc.)

Quantitative serological evaluation as a valuable tool in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign

Objectives: After exceptional research efforts, several vaccines were developed against SARS-CoV-2 which sustains the pandemic COVID-19. The Comirnaty vaccine showed high efficacy in clinical trials and was the first to be approved for its distribution to the general population. We evaluated the immune response induced by the first vaccine dose in different sex/age groups and subjects with or without naturally present anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Methods: As part of an Italian multicenter project (Covidiagnostix), serum samples from 4,290 health-professionals were serologically tested the day of the first vaccination dose, and 21 days later, using two different instrumentations (Siemens-Healthineers and Roche). Results: In total, 97% of samples showed the presence of specific antibodies 21 days after the vaccination dose; the percentage of non-responders increased with age in both genders. Remarkably, naturally seropositive individuals showed antibody persistence up to 11 months and an exceptionally higher vaccination response compared to subjects never infected by SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions: This study highlighted the importance of the serological test i) to identify naturally SARS-CoV-2 seropositive individuals and ii) to evaluate the antibody level elicited by the first vaccination dose. Both tests, highlighted differences in the immune response, when subjects were stratified by sex and age, and between naturally seropositive and seronegative subjects.The data obtained show how serological tests could play a crucial role in the triage of the population subjected to the vaccination campaign for COVID-19. The definition of suitable instrumentation-specific thresholds is needed to correctly follow eventually acquired post-vaccination immunity in the general population

Quantification of Lateralized Overgrowth and Genotype-Driven Tissue Composition

Lateralized overgrowth (LO) is characterized by excessive growth of one side of the body compared to the other. LO can present as isolated (ILO) or within syndromes, like Beckwith-Wiedemann Spectrum (BWSp) and PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS). Currently, the diagnosis of LO relies on clinical evaluation and lacks a standardized method. In this study, we evaluated total body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (TB-DXA) as a potential tool for standardizing LO assessment. Patients with LO underwent both clinical evaluation and TB-DXA. TB-DXA data, including total mass, mass of the three main tissue components (adipose, muscle, and bone), total mass discrepancy ratio, relative tissue composition, and discrepancy of relative tissue composition were calculated and compared with clinical findings. Differences between affected regions and the contralateral side were assessed. A total of 46 patients (61% PROS, 24% BWSp, 15% ILO) were included in this study. TB-DXA detected overgrowth regions aligned with clinical evaluation in 91% of cases and was able to identify localized overgrowth even when clinically overlooked. Additionally, TB-DXA revealed differences in tissue composition between affected and unaffected regions for symmetrical body areas, with these differences varying by diagnostic subgroup. Different patterns of tissue composition overgrowth were observed among different conditions, with PROS predominantly showing adipose tissue overgrowth, while BWSp/ILO mainly osteo-muscular overgrowth. TB-DXA is an accurate, safe, and reproducible tool in the clinical setting providing an objective method for identifying and quantifying LO. It offers valuable guidance for clinicians in the diagnosis and management of LO