Prognostic factors associated with survival in a large cohort of gastric cancer patients resected over a decade at a single Italian center: the Cremona experience.

Background: Incidence of gastric cancer (GC) shows different distribution in Italy, with higher incidence in the north and center. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients resected at the Hospital of Cremona between January 2007 and December 2016. Available clinical variables were linked with survival to identify possible prognostic factors.

First-line dose-dense chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) plus panitumumab in patients with locally advanced or metastatic cancer of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction: final results and biomarker analysis from an Italian oncology group for clinical research (GOIRC) phase II study.

Background: Survival for patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancer (AGC) using standard treatment regimens is poor. EGFR overexpression is common in AGC and associated with poor prognosis. We hypothesized that increasing the dose intensity of chemotherapy and adding panitumumab could improve efficacy.

Microsatellite Instability in Medullary Carcinoma of the Colon.

Medullary carcinoma (MC) of the large intestine is a relatively new histological type of adenocarcinoma characterized by poor glandular differentiation and an intraepithelial lymphocytic infiltrate. MC can be associated to a defective mechanism for DNA mismatch repair, caused by the so-called microsatellite instability (MSI). We present the case of a 44 years old Caucasian woman, who referred to the Emergency Room with symptoms mimicking an acute appendicitis.

Safety and efficacy of dose-dense chemotherapy with TCF regimen in elderly patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dose-dense TCF in elderly (≥65 years) compared to younger patients.

Methods: Safety and efficacy data relative to 119 consecutive patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer treated at our institution and enrolled in different phase II trials were retrospectively collected. All patients were treatment-naive and received docetaxel 70 mg/m2 day 1, cisplatin 60 mg/m2 day 1, l-folinic acid 100 mg/m2 days 1-2, followed by 5-fluorouracil 400 mg/m2 bolus days 1-2, and then 600 mg/m2 as a 22-hour continuous infusion days 1-2, every 14 days, plus pegfilgrastim 6 mg on day 3.

Efficacy and tolerability of chemotherapy with modified dose-dense TCF regimen (TCF-dd) in locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer: final results of a phase II trial.

Background: We previously studied a dose-dense TCF (TCF-dd) regimen demonstrating its feasibility and an activity comparable to epirubicin-based chemotherapy and TCF q3w in terms of overall survival and time to progression (TTP). We report here the final results of a phase II study of chemotherapy with a modified TCF-dd regimen in locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer (MGC).

Methods And Study Design: Patients with histologically confirmed measurable MGC, not previously treated for advanced disease, received docetaxel 70 mg/m(2) day 1, cisplatin 60 mg/m(2) day 1, l-folinic acid 100 mg/m(2) days 1 and 2, followed by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 400 mg/m(2) bolus days 1 and 2, and then 600 mg/m(2) as a 22-h continuous infusion days 1 and 2, every 14 days, plus pegfilgrastim 6 mg on day 3.

Ecological risk assessment of contaminated sediments in a harbour site.

During major dredging operations in the harbour of Genoa, one of the largest in Italy, a monitoring study was carried out on the quality of marine sediment output, with a view to identifying possible pollutants engendering environmental and ecological risk. The concentration range of all the pollutants evaluated fell within acceptable limits. The only pollutant with concentrations approaching ecological risk levels was nickel.

Development of particle-based biofilms for degradation of xenobiotic organic compounds.

The aim of the experiments performed in this work was to develop a biofilm airlift suspension (BAS) process for the degradation of a mixture of organic sulfonates contained in the infiltration water from a contaminated site. To achieve this goal, active biomass growing on the contaminating xenobiotic organics as the sole source of carbon was obtained by enriching a mixed microbial culture sampled from an activated sludge treatment plant. After kinetic characterisation, the enriched culture was inoculated in the BAS reactor, where it colonised carrier particles and formed stable and uniform biofilms.

Conventional and fast pyrolysis of automobile shredder residues (ASR).

This work aims at comparing performance and product yields in conventional pyrolysis and fast pyrolysis of automotive shredded residues. In both processes, carbon conversion to gaseous and liquid products was more than 80%. Gas production was maximised in conventional pyrolysis (about 35% by weight of the initial ASR weight), while fast pyrolysis led to an oil yield higher than 55%.

An environmentally sustainable decision model for urban solid waste management.

The aim of this work is to present the structure and the application of a decision support system (DSS) designed to help decision makers of a municipality in the development of incineration, disposal, treatment and recycling integrated programs. Specifically, within a MSW management system, several treatment plants and facilities can generally be found: separators, plants for production of refuse derived fuel (RDF), incinerators with energy recovery, plants for treatment of organic material, and sanitary landfills. The main goal of the DSS is to plan the MSW management, defining the refuse flows that have to be sent to recycling or to different treatment or disposal plants, and suggesting the optimal number, the kinds, and the localization of the plants that have to be active.

Terminal settling velocity and bed-expansion characteristics of biofilm-coated particles.

Fluid dynamic behavior of biofilm-coated particles in ambient water has been investigated. New experimental results are presented and compared with published data. From experimental measurements of the single particle terminal settling velocity the corresponding drag coefficient was found to be larger (by a factor of 1.

An experimental model of biofilm detachment in liquid fluidized bed biological reactors.

Dimensional analysis was applied for the description of biofilm detachment in liquid fluidized bed biological reactors. This technique allowed the identification of the significant parameters influencing detachment mechanisms and suggested suitable experiments for the characterization of involved phenomena. The influence of the significant variables was established on a lab-scale reactor and an empirical model was proposed to correlate experimental results.

[Multiple primary malignant neoplasms].

Multiple primary malignant neoplasms (MPMN) are tumors that arise independently in the same organ or tissues and different organs; they may present simultaneously (synchronous) or at least 6 months later (metachronous). The authors report the case observed: 20 multiple neoplasms in 5 years (5.8% of the tumors).

[Efferent loop obstruction by a phytobezoar after gastrectomy].

The authors present one case of intestinal obstruction due to phytobezoar of the efferent loop, in a previously undergone gastric surgery patient. They report, in the light of bezoar's peculiar location, that is usually it found in the stomach or small bowel.

[Biliary ileus].

The authors report a retrospective review of four cases of gallstone ileus seen at Semeiotica Chirurgica, at Patologia Chirurgica II and Clinica Chirurgica II of Policlinico San Matteo I.R.C.

An experimental study on fluorocarbons as blood substitutes.

A fluorocarbon emulsion (Fluosol DA 20%) was experimented as a blood substitute. Fourty-five rats weighing 320 +/- 30 g. underwent different degrees of hemodilution, by isovolemic exanguino-transfusions.

[Contamination of the operating room by anesthetic gases and vapors. II. Gas chromatographic analysis of nitrous oxide].

The contamination by nitrous oxide of an operating room atmosphere was studied in a number of experiments, in the absence of personnel and using a gaschromatographic method. The evacuating device of the anesthesia machine proved to be ineffective to overcome the hazard of leaks in the breathing system, whereas the air conditioning flow rates (12 outside air changes per hour) minimized waste anesthetic gas concentrations.

[Contamination of the operating room with anesthetic gases and vapors. Analytical methods].

An approach for the measurement of the contamination of the operating room air is presented. The measurements were performed in three operating rooms used for general surgery, partly in model experiments and partly while anesthesia was in progress. During anesthesia, the measurements were taken when oxygen 3 l/min containing ethrane 1.