CXCR4 Expression as a Prognostic Biomarker in Soft Tissue Sarcomas.

Poor long-term survival in localized high-risk soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) of the extremities and trunk highlights the need to identify new prognostic factors. CXCR4 is a chemokine receptor involved in tumor progression, angiogenesis, and metastasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between CXCR4 expression in tumor tissue and survival in STSs patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy.

Histopathological, Clinical, And Molecular (HICAM) score for patients with colorectal liver metastases.

Background: Histopathological and molecular features have been proposed to hold prognostic information, but few have been validated. The aim of this retrospective study was to validate the Genetic And Morphological Evaluation ('GAME') score and assess the impact of histological characteristics on the prognosis in patients with colorectal liver metastases.

Methods: Data were collected from 176 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer undergoing liver resection at Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

Effect of Support Matrix and Crosslinking Agents on Nutritional Properties of Orange Juice during Enzyme Clarification: A Comparative Study.

This study investigated the impact of a support matrix and active group on the support to the nutritional properties of orange juice after juice clarification. Pectinase was immobilized on chitosan and aminated silica supports, activated with genipin or glutaraldehyde, and applied for juice clarification. The effects on various juice properties, including reducing sugars, total soluble solids, vitamin C, and phenolic compounds, juice color, and pH, were evaluated.

Prediction of the Long-Term Performance of an Existing Warm Recycled Motorway Pavement.

Warm mix asphalt (WMA) technologies allow the production, lay-down and compaction of asphalt mixtures at reduced temperatures and the use of higher amounts of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) with respect to conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA), leading to significant environmental benefits and energy savings. However, limited data is available on the long-term performance of such pavements. The objective of this study was to predict the long-term performance of an existing warm recycled motorway pavement (made with WMA mixtures containing RAP) constructed in 2016 in central Italy, along with the corresponding hot recycled pavement (made with HMA mixtures containing RAP).

SIIV position paper: clinical approach to vulval diseases. Need for quality standards.

This paper summarizes the position of the Italian Society of Vulvology on the clinical approach to vulval disease. A thorough history (general medical, gynaecological, and vulval history) is essential for a successful and fruitful vulvological examination. Characteristics of pruritus (itch) and pain, that are the two main vulval symptoms, should be collected and reported with precision, according to duration, temporal course, location, provocation, and intensity.

Deep ocean drivers better explain habitat preferences of sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus than beaked whales in the Bay of Biscay.

Species Distribution Models are commonly used with surface dynamic environmental variables as proxies for prey distribution to characterise marine top predator habitats. For oceanic species that spend lot of time at depth, surface variables might not be relevant to predict deep-dwelling prey distributions. We hypothesised that descriptors of deep-water layers would better predict the deep-diving cetacean distributions than surface variables.

Frequency and clinical relevance of DPYD genetic variants in gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of loss-of-function variants in the dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase gene in patients with gastrointestinal neoplasms, assess their clinical relevance, and evaluate the  implementation of a multidisciplinary circuit at three months from its  implementation.

Method: This is a descriptive, observational and retrospective study, which  included adult patients with gastrointestinal cancer treated at a tertiary  university hospital who underwent dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase genotyping between September 2019 and December 2020. The  variables collected were sex, age, type of cancer, location, stage, treatment received, indication of treatment and degree of toxicity  developed during the first three cycles.

Influence of Geocomposite Properties on the Crack Propagation and Interlayer Bonding of Asphalt Pavements.

The application of geocomposites as reinforcement in asphalt pavements is a promising solution for the maintenance/rehabilitation of existing pavements and for the construction of new pavements, whose effectiveness strongly depends on the physical and mechanical properties of the geocomposite. This study aims at assessing the influence of four different geocomposites, obtained by combining a reinforcing geosynthetic with a bituminous membrane, on the crack propagation and interlayer bonding of asphalt pavements. First, a laboratory investigation was carried out on double-layered asphalt specimens.

Towards a better characterisation of deep-diving whales' distributions by using prey distribution model outputs?

In habitat modelling, environmental variables are assumed to be proxies of lower trophic levels distribution and by extension, of marine top predator distributions. More proximal variables, such as potential prey fields, could refine relationships between top predator distributions and their environment. In situ data on prey distributions are not available over large spatial scales but, a numerical model, the Spatial Ecosystem And POpulation DYnamics Model (SEAPODYM), provides simulations of the biomass and production of zooplankton and six functional groups of micronekton at the global scale.

A novel electrochemical platform based on mesoporous silica/titania and gold nanoparticles for simultaneous determination of norepinephrine and dopamine.

An amorphous and mesoporous silica/titania (SiTi) material was synthesized by sol-gel method and its surface was modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNP) previously stabilized in a chitosan solution. The presence of small AuNP, with diameter lower than 10 nm was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Carbon paste electrodes were prepared to test the electrochemical properties by using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in [Fe(CN)] solution probe whereby the material silica-titania/gold nanoparticles (SiTi/AuNP) showed a huge improvement in the redox peak current and low charge transfer resistance.

Novel Somatic Genetic Variants as Predictors of Resistance to EGFR-Targeted Therapies in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients.

Background: About 40% of wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients undergoing anti-EGFR-based therapy have poor outcomes. Treatment failure is not only associated with poorer prognosis but higher healthcare costs. Our aim was to identify novel somatic genetic variants in the primary tumor and assess their effect on anti-EGFR response.

Genetic Variants as Predictors of Irinotecan-Induced Severe Gastrointestinal Toxicity in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients.

Irinotecan is widely used in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) despite its severe toxicities. Toxicity is often associated with the genotype. An explanation for idiopathic toxicity beyond the biomarker, however, remains a major concern for clinicians.

Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self-Measure to assess the perceived burden in patients with chronic inflammatory vulvar diseases: an observational study.

Background: Chronic inflammatory vulvar diseases can have a huge detrimental impact on patient welfare. A few studies have addressed this issue so far, mainly measuring patients' quality of life or sexual dysfunction.

Objective: To assess the burden of suffering in patients with chronic inflammatory vulvar diseases using the Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self-Measure (PRISM), a visual, non-verbal instrument.

Evidence of Enantiomers of Spiroglycol. Distinction by Using α,α'-Bis(trifluoromethyl)-9,10-anthracenedimethanol as a Chiral Solvating Agent and by Derivatization with Chiral Acids.

Herein, we perform for the first time a preliminary NMR and computational study of the spiroglycol structure. Spiroglycol is a highly symmetrical molecule, but it should be chiral due to the presence of a chiral axis. The presence of two enantiomers was demonstrated performing NMR enantiodifferentiation experiments using α,α'-bis(trifluoromethyl)-9,10-anthracenedimethanol (ABTE) as a chiral solvating agent (CSA).

Clinical value of next generation sequencing of plasma cell-free DNA in gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) initiation and evolution is commonly framed by KIT/PDGFRA oncogenic activation, and in later stages by the polyclonal expansion of resistant subpopulations harboring KIT secondary mutations after the onset of imatinib resistance. Thus, circulating tumor (ct)DNA determination is expected to be an informative non-invasive dynamic biomarker in GIST patients.

Methods: We performed amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) across 60 clinically relevant genes in 37 plasma samples from 18 GIST patients collected prospectively.

Pharmacogenetic clinical randomised phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of FOLFIRI with high-dose irinotecan (HD-FOLFIRI) in metastatic colorectal cancer patients according to their UGT1A 1 genotype.

Background: Patients harbouring the UGT1A1*28/*28 genotype are at risk of severe toxicity with the standard irinotecan dose. However, this dose is considerably lower than the dose that can be tolerated by UGT1A1*1/*1 and *1/*28 patients. This randomised phase II trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of the FOLFIRI regimen with high-dose irinotecan (HD-FOLFIRI) in metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

From unknown to known: Identification of the remains at the mausoleum of fosse Ardeatine.

During the Second World War, on 24th March 1944, 335 Italians were massacred near Rome by the occupying forces of Nazi Germany. Four months later forensic examination led to the identification of 323 out of 335 victims. After approximately 60 years, the identification of the remaining unidentified twelve victims began with anthropological and genetic analysis carried out by a team of Italian forensic experts.

Combining topical tretinoin with mometasone furoate in the treatment of vulvar lichen sclerosus: Results of dermoscopic assessment.

The main purpose of the present study was to compare the dermoscopic changes on vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) induced by two different 12-week treatment protocols, namely mometasone furoate 0.1% ointment plus tretinoin 0.05% cream in short-contact therapy (group A) versus the same corticosteroid plus emollient (group B).

Dermoscopy of Inflammatory Genital Diseases: Practical Insights.

Diagnosis of genital inflammatory disorders may be difficult for several reasons, such as their similar appearance, possible misdiagnosis with infectious and malignant conditions, and peculiar anatomic conditions that may lead to modification of clinical features. Dermoscopy could be included as a part of the clinical inspection of genital diseases to support diagnosis, as well as to ideally avoid unnecessary invasive investigation. Practical guidance for the use of dermoscopy in the assessment of the main inflammatory genital diseases is provided, namely for lichen sclerosus, lichen planus, psoriasis, lichen simplex chronicus, and plasma cell mucositis.

How many sightings to model rare marine species distributions.

Despite large efforts, datasets with few sightings are often available for rare species of marine megafauna that typically live at low densities. This paucity of data makes modelling the habitat of these taxa particularly challenging. We tested the predictive performance of different types of species distribution models fitted to decreasing numbers of sightings.

Relevance of CYP3A4*20, UGT1A1*37 and UGT1A1*28 variants in irinotecan-induced severe toxicity.

Severe irinotecan-induced toxicity is associated with UGT1A1 polymorphisms. However, some patients develop side-effects despite harbouring a normal UGT1A1 genotype. As CYP3A4 is also an irinotecan-metabolizing enzyme, our study aimed to elucidate the influence of the CYP3A4*20 loss-of-function allele in the toxicity profile of these patients.

A vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) methodology for the measurement of enantiomeric excess in chiral compounds in the solid phase and for the complementary use of NMR and VCD techniques in solution: the camphor case.

For the first time, the success of a methodology for the determination of enantiomeric excess (% ee) in chiral solid samples by vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy is reported. We have used camphor to determine the % ee in a blind sample constituted by a mixture of its two enantiomers as a test for the validity of our approach. IR and VCD spectra of different enantiomeric mixtures of R/S-camphor in Nujol mulls were recorded and linear regressions of VCD intensities (ΔAbs.

Gender differences in genital lichen sclerosus: data from a multicenter Italian study on 729 consecutive cases.

Background: Studies specifically conducted to assess gender differences in genital lichen sclerosus (GLS) are not available. This multicenter study aimed to identify possible gender-related differences on GLS clinical features, history and course, through collecting data from a large mixed-sex sample of patients.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on 729 subjects (53.