Longer time to testosterone recovery impacts favorably on outcomes for prostate cancer following androgen deprivation and radiotherapy.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of sustained hypogonadism after androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) associated with radiotherapy in prostate cancer (PCa) patients with biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS).

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of 213 consecutive PCa patients referred for radiotherapy plus ADT was carried out. Follow-up times including time to testosterone recovery (TTR) and bRFS were calculated from the end of ADT.

Practice pattern for the use of intravenous iloprost for the treatment of peripheral vasculopathy in systemic sclerosis: A case-control study from the Italian national multicenter "SPRING" (Systemic Sclerosis Progression InvestiGation) Registry.

Background: Intravenous iloprost has been widely used for the treatment of systemic sclerosis peripheral vasculopathy. No agreement has been found on the regimen and the dosage of intravenous iloprost in different scleroderma subset conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the modalities of intravenous iloprost administration within a large cohort of systemic sclerosis patients from the SPRING Registry and to identify any associated clinical-demographic, instrumental or therapeutic data.

MAPK11 (p38β) is a major determinant of cellular radiosensitivity by controlling ionizing radiation-associated senescence: An in vitro study.

Background And Purpose: MAPKs are among the most relevant signalling pathways involved in coordinating cell responses to different stimuli. This group includes p38MAPKs, constituted by 4 different proteins with a high sequence homology: MAPK14 (p38α), MAPK11 (p38β), MAPK12 (p38γ) and MAPK13 (p38δ). Despite their high similarity, each member shows unique expression patterns and even exclusive functions.

Systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma: clinical and serological features and relationship with other cutaneous subsets in a large series of patients from the national registry 'SPRING' of the Italian Society for Rheumatology.

Objective: To describe demographic, clinical and laboratory features of systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma (ssSSc) in a large multicentre systemic sclerosis (SSc) cohort.

Methods: Data involving 1808 SSc patients from Italian Systemic sclerosis PRogression INvestiGation registry were collected. The ssSSc was defined by the absence of any cutaneous sclerosis and/or puffy fingers.

Plasticity of the hypocretinergic/orexinergic system after a chronic treatment with suvorexant in rats. Role of the hypocretinergic/orexinergic receptor 1 as an autoreceptor.

The hypothalamic hypocretinergic/orexinergic (Hcrt/Ox) system is involved in many physiological and pathophysiological processes. Malfunction of Hcrt/Ox transmission results in narcolepsy, a sleep disease caused in humans by progressive neurodegeneration of hypothalamic neurons containing Hcrt/Ox. To explore the Hcrt/Ox system plasticity we systemically administered suvorexant (a dual Hcrt/Ox receptor antagonist) in rats to chronically block Hcrt/Ox transmission without damaging Hcrt/Ox cells.

Geographical heterogeneity of clinical and serological phenotypes of systemic sclerosis observed at tertiary referral centres. The experience of the Italian SIR-SPRING registry and review of the world literature.

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by a complex etiopathogenesis encompassing both host genetic and environmental -infectious/toxic- factors responsible for altered fibrogenesis and diffuse microangiopathy. A wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes may be observed in patients' populations from different geographical areas. We investigated the prevalence of specific clinical and serological phenotypes in patients with definite SSc enrolled at tertiary referral centres in different Italian geographical macro-areas.

Designing a Person-Centred Integrated Care Programme for People with Complex Chronic Conditions: A Case Study from Catalonia.

Introduction: The prevalence of people with complex chronic conditions is increasing. This population's high social and health needs require person-centred integrated approaches to care.

Methods: To collect data about experiences with the health system and identify priorities for care, we conducted 2 focus groups and 15 semi-structured interviews involving patients with multimorbidity and advanced conditions, caregivers, and representatives of patients' associations.

MRI prostate contouring is not impaired by the use of a radiotherapy image acquisition set-up. An intra- and inter-observer paired comparative analysis with diagnostic set-up images.

Purpose: The use of MRI for radiotherapy planning purposes is growing but image acquisition using radiotherapy set-ups has impaired image quality. Whether differences in image acquisition set-up could modify organ contouring has not been evaluated. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate differences in contouring between paired of image sets that were acquired in the same scanning session using different parameters.

p38β (MAPK11) mediates gemcitabine-associated radiosensitivity in sarcoma experimental models.

Background And Purpose: Gemcitabine is an antitumour agent currently used in the treatment of several types of cancer with known properties as a radiosensitizer. p38MAPK signalling pathway has been shown to be a major determinant in the cellular response to gemcitabine in different experimental models. However, the molecular mechanism implicated in gemcitabine-associated radiosensitivity remains unknown.

Heart Valve Abnormalities in Systemic Sclerosis Patients: A Multicenter Cohort Study and Review of the Literature.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease that is characterized by vasculopathy and fibrosis of the skin and visceral organs. Heart valve diseases are poorly described and generally not considered typical of SSc. We aimed to describe valvular abnormalities in a multicenter cohort of SSc patients and to investigate their correlation with SSc features.

[HOSPITALS AS PROMOTERS OF SMOKELESS SPACES: STRATEGIES AIMED AT SMOKING CONTROL].

The objective of this study was to describe the measures introduced at the Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, aimed at achieving a smoke-free environment, and encouraging research, training, and clinical approaches with respect to smoking. The experience gained as a center attached to the Catalan Network of Smokeless Hospitals since 2002 shows that preventing and controlling smoking requires a specific agenda developed by a competent committee comprising workers from all hospital areas. Likewise, coordination with other centers in the network is essential as it permits the sharing of experiences.

Aortic root dilation in associated with the reduction in capillary density observed at nailfold capillaroscopy in SSc patients.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by endothelial dysfunction and fibroblasts activation. Microvascular disease may be easily observed by means of nailfold capillaroscopy. Recent evidences emphasized also the involvement of large-medium arteries in SSc, mainly in terms of increased stiffness of the vessel wall.

Radiotherapy is safe in patients with implantable cardiac devices. Analysis of a systematic interrogation follow-up.

Introduction: The number of patients who have a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIEDs) that undergo a course of radiotherapy is increasing due to the ageing population. The majority of clinical studies only evaluate any CIED malfunction at the end of a course of irradiation or in a case of there being symptoms of possible malfunction. As a result, little data has been collected on CIED status acquired during an active course of irradiation.

The Transition Between Slow-Wave Sleep and REM Sleep Constitutes an Independent Sleep Stage Organized by Cholinergic Mechanisms in the Rostrodorsal Pontine Tegmentum.

There is little information on either the transition state occurring between slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, as well as about its neurobiological bases. This transition state, which is known as the intermediate state (IS), is well-defined in rats but poorly characterized in cats. Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated that cholinergic stimulation of the perilocus coeruleus α nucleus (PLCα) in the pontine tegmentum of cats induced two states: wakefulness with muscle atonia and a dissociated sleep we have called the SPGO state.

An MRI comparative image evaluation under diagnostic and radiotherapy planning set-ups using a carbon fibre tabletop for pelvic radiotherapy.

Purpose: To quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate and compare MR images acquired from the usual diagnostic set-up with images acquired in a radiotherapy set-up.

Materials And Methods: MR images of a phantom and 18 prostate cancer patients imaging using the usual diagnostic set-up with a curved tabletop (DX-set-up) and using a radiotherapy set-up (RT-set-up) with a flat tabletop, were analysed retrospectively. Quantitative assessments were made by measuring signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR).

Does postoperative irradiation improve survival in early-stage endometrial cancer?

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer in developed countries. Postoperative irradiation has been shown to lower locoregional relapses among high-intermediate risk endometrial cancer patients. In addition, vaginal cuff brachytherapy has demonstrated similar control to external beam radiotherapy but with lower toxicity.

Measurement of associated Z + charm production in proton-proton collisions at .

A study of the associated production of a boson and a charm quark jet ( ), and a comparison to production with a quark jet ( ), in collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 are presented. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 , collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC.

Measurements of the production cross section and the branching fraction, and constraints on anomalous triple gauge couplings at .

Four-lepton production in proton-proton collisions, , where or , is studied at a center-of-mass energy of 13 with the CMS detector at the LHC. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 .

Vaginal cuff brachytherapy in endometrial cancer - a technically easy treatment?

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynecological cancers among women in the developed countries. Vaginal cuff is the main location of relapses after a curative surgical procedure and postoperative radiation therapy have proven to diminish it. Nevertheless, these results have not translated into better survival results.

The usefulness of fleet rectal enemas on high-dose-rate intracavitary cervical cancer brachytherapy. A prospective trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of rectal enemas on rectal doses during radical high-dose-rate (HDR) intracavitary cervical brachytherapy (BT).

Material And Methods: Twenty patients suffering from cervical cancer and treated with external beam radiotherapy and HDR-BT were included in a prospective trial. The first brachytherapy fraction was considered the basal status, and patients were instructed to self-administer two rectal cleansing enemas before the second fraction.

Measurement of the WZ production cross section in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] and 8[Formula: see text] and search for anomalous triple gauge couplings at [Formula: see text].

The WZ production cross section is measured by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in proton-proton collision data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 4.9[Formula: see text] collected at [Formula: see text], and 19.6[Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text].