Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Update of CT-Based Radiomics Applications in the Pre-Surgical Prediction of the Risk of Post-Operative Fistula, Resectability Status and Prognosis.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Surgical resection is the main driver to improving survival in resectable tumors, while neoadjuvant treatment based on chemotherapy (and radiotherapy) is the best option-treatment for a non-primally resectable disease. CT-based imaging has a central role in detecting, staging, and managing PDAC.

Spectral characterization of postage stamp printing inks by means of Raman spectroscopy.

Time travel through 150 years of Italian postage stamp issues has allowed defining the evolution of the recurring pigments in stamp designs by means of Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. Numerous exemplars have been analyzed, covering the entire production of stamps for both the Italian Kingdom and Republic. Raman and FTIR spectra showed the changeover from Prussian blue to copper phthalocyanine inks in 1958.

Spectral database for postage stamps by means of FT-IR spectroscopy.

A Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy study on the entire Italian postage stamps production is presented in this work. Crossing 150 years of issues from the unification of Italy until today, a time line of the major components constituting the stamps has been defined, based on the wide spectral database built on the basis of the numerous analyzed exemplars. Even though it is easy to find reports about stamps' issues history, information arising from these investigations contributes to throw light upon the substances incorporated in the stamps, which could be described as hybrid or composite materials (a sort of undisclosed or hidden story).

Effects of short-term calcium depletion and repletion on biochemical markers of bone turnover in young adult women.

The skeletal responses to calcium depletion and repletion in rodents have been well characterized, but those in humans are poorly understood. The present study sought to evaluate the effects of short term dietary calcium depletion and repletion on biochemical markers of bone turnover in 15 young Caucasian women (age, 21-30 yr). The study contained 3 phases: 1) 5 days of a regular diet containing more than 800 mg/day calcium to establish baseline values (baseline phase), 2) 22 days of a restricted diet containing less than 300 mg/day calcium (depletion phase), and 3) 7 days of a normal diet containing more than 800 mg/day calcium (repletion phase).