The MICROSCOPE mission was designed to test the weak equivalence principle (WEP), stating the equality between the inertial and the gravitational masses, with a precision of 10^{-15} in terms of the Eötvös ratio η. Its experimental test consisted of comparing the accelerations undergone by two collocated test masses of different compositions as they orbited the Earth, by measuring the electrostatic forces required to keep them in equilibrium. This was done with ultrasensitive differential electrostatic accelerometers onboard a drag-free satellite.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Hypoxia is a potent molecular signal for cellular metabolism, mitochondrial function, and migration. Conditions of low oxygen tension trigger regulatory cascades mediated via the highly conserved HIF-1 α post-translational modification system. In the adaptive immune response, B cells (Bc) are activated and differentiate under hypoxic conditions within lymph node germinal centers, and subsequently migrate to other compartments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAccording to the weak equivalence principle, all bodies should fall at the same rate in a gravitational field. The MICROSCOPE satellite, launched in April 2016, aims to test its validity at the 10^{-15} precision level, by measuring the force required to maintain two test masses (of titanium and platinum alloys) exactly in the same orbit. A nonvanishing result would correspond to a violation of the equivalence principle, or to the discovery of a new long-range force.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground The effect of gadolinium-based contrast agents on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) measurements of breast lesions is still not clear. Purpose To investigate gadolinium effects on DWI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in breast lesions and normal parenchyma with 3 Tesla contrast-enhanced MRI. Material and Methods Pre- and post-contrast DWI (b = 0 and b = 1000 s/mm) were acquired in 47 patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Imaging evaluation plays a crucial role in the diagnostic work-up of female infertility. In recent years, the possibility to evaluate tubal patency using 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance (1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to test the accuracy of 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (1.5T MRI) in the preoperative evaluation of axillary lymph nodes in patients with invasive breast cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To identify frequent MRI features of parathyroid adenomas (PTAs) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) using a fast protocol with a 3 T magnet.
Methods: Thirty-eight patients with PHPT underwent a 3 T-MR. All patients had positive US and Tc-99 sestamibi, for a total number of 46 PTAs.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) provided by 3.0T (3T) magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) varied according to the grading of invasive breast carcinoma.
Materials And Methods: A total of 92 patients with 96 invasive breast cancer lesions were enrolled; all had undergone 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for local staging.
Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) provided by 3.0 Tesla diffusion-weighted imaging (3T DWI) varies with the prognostic factors Ki67 and grading in invasive breast cancer.
Materials And Methods: Seventy-three patients with 75 invasive breast cancer lesions who had undergone 3.
Introduction: The IGF system has recently been shown to play an important role in the regulation of breast tumor cell proliferation. However, also breast density is currently considered as the strongest breast cancer risk factor. It is not yet clear whether these factors are interrelated and if and how they are influenced by menopausal status.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of magnetic resonance hysterosalpingography (MR-HSG) to demonstrate fallopian tube patency in infertile women and to improve the MR-HSG technique. Sixteen consecutive infertile women were recruited for this trial. All subjects underwent clinically indicated MR-HSG: 10-15 ml of 1:10 solution of gadolinium and normal sterile saline (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of presurgical breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the surgical management of selected patients with early-stage breast cancer who were candidates for BCT. The sample was built up according to the EUSOMA (European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists) recommendations enrolling women with unifocal unilateral early-stage breast carcinoma diagnosed by mammography, ultrasound (US) examination and in some cases also by histological analysis; all were scheduled for wider local excision. All eligible patients underwent presurgical breast MRI and findings were classified according to the BI-RADS system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the possible effects of IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 molar ratio on mammographic density and assess whether this relationship was similar in subgroups of pre- and postmenopausal women. A group of 341 Italian women of childbearing age or naturally postmenopausal who had performed mammographic examination at the section of radiology of our department a maximum three months prior to recruitment were enrolled. A blood sample was drawn for determination of IGF-1, IGFBP-3 levels and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 molar ratio was calculated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of the present study was to evaluate breast mammographic features, particularly mammographic density in a selected population of infertile women and to assess if these women should be considered at higher risk for breast cancer. The prevalence of female infertility in Western countries is approximately 10-15% and since causes affecting the female are involved in 35-40%, concerns have developed about the future health of these women, specifically whether infertility could represent a risk factor for future cancer development. Moreover, infertility is now often treated with medication and procedures that could modify the hormonal environment and be cofactors in the cellular changes towards cancer development.
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