The study of virus shell stability is key not only for gaining insights into viral biological cycles but also for using viral capsids in materials science. The strength of viral particles depends ...profoundly on their structural changes occurring during maturation, whose final step often requires the specific binding of 'decoration' proteins (such as gpD in bacteriophage lambda) to the viral shell. Here we characterize the mechanical stability of gpD-free and gpD-decorated bacteriophage lambda capsids. The incorporation of gpD into the lambda shell imparts a major mechanical reinforcement that resists punctual deformations. We further interrogate lambda particle stability with molecular fatigue experiments that resemble the sub-lethal Brownian collisions of virus shells with macromolecules in crowded environments. Decorated particles are especially robust against collisions of a few kBT (where kB is the Boltzmann's constant and T is the temperature ~300 K), which approximate those anticipated from molecular insults in the environment.
Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth leading cause of death in women worldwide and despite the introduction of screening programs about 30% of patients presents advanced disease at diagnosis and 30-50% ...of them relapse in the first 5-years after treatment. According to FIGO staging system 2018, stage IB3-IVA are classified as locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC); its correct therapeutic choice remains still controversial and includes neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy, external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, hysterectomy or a combination of these modalities. In this review we focus on the most appropriated therapeutic options for LACC and imaging protocols used for its correct follow-up. We explore the imaging findings after radiotherapy and surgery and discuss the role of imaging in evaluating the response rate to treatment, selecting patients for salvage surgery and evaluating recurrence of disease. We also introduce and evaluate the advances of the emerging imaging techniques mainly represented by spectroscopy, PET-MRI, and radiomics which have improved diagnostic accuracy and are approaching to future direction.
To identify similarities and differences between visual (VA) and automated assessment (AA) of systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) at chest computed tomography (CT) in terms ...of clinical applicability.
Medline, Embase, and Web of Science were searched to identify all studies investigating VA and AA for SSc-ILD assessment, from inception to 31 July 2022. Exclusion criteria were manuscripts not in English, absence of full-text, reviews, diseases other than ILD in SSc, CT not analysed with both VA and AA, VA and AA not adopted for the same purpose or not compared, overlap syndromes, SSc-ILD data not extractable, and studies with <10 patients.
Ten full-text studies (804 patients) were included. The most adopted VAs were the Warrick or Goh score (four studies each), while densitometry (eight studies) or lung texture analysis (LTA, two studies) were utilised as AAs. The main field of investigation was the correlation with baseline pulmonary function tests (PFT, six studies). Warrick VA showed lower correlations compared to densitometry, while Goh VA demonstrated more heterogeneous results. Compared to LTA, Goh VA obtained lower correlations with lung volumes but similar or stronger coefficients with alveolar diffusibility.
VA and AA may show heterogeneous results comparing their correlations with PFT, probably depending on the specific analysis adopted for each method. More data are needed on VA versus LTA. Comparisons between VA and AA regarding correlation with PFT follow-up and as prognostic elements, or for disease monitoring, are lacking. AAs in progressive fibrosis diagnosis remain to be tested.
•Chest CT Visual (VA) and Automated Assessments (AA) are both feasible in SSc-ILD.•Densitometry may show higher correlations with PFT than pure semiquantitative VA.•More data are needed to compare visual scores with texture analysis and radiomics.•VA and AA have to be compared in prognostic stratification and follow-up.•AA needs to be tested for progressive fibrosis diagnosis and monitoring.
Transport planning and mobility management is nowadays of paramount importance, particularly in the urban context where innovative, sustainable, smart, and green mobility solutions are required to ...satisfy the citizen’s needs. Such ambitious objective requires a multidisciplinary research approach to address the problem from different perspectives from urban and geographical analysis to social studies including 3D mapping and urban infrastructure analysis. To collect and manage huge amount of data acquired and produced, big data and IOT/IOE technologies are exploited together with 3D city digital twin representations of the urban scenario to simulate, plan and evaluate urban policies and guide the urban development of the future. In this paper, the activities that will be carried out by an interdisciplinary group of researchers of the University of Florence, within the sustainable mobility centre (MOST), are presented and discussed.
Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a novel imaging-guided surgical technique that allows the performance of noninvasive and radiation-free ablation. Presently, computed ...tomography (CT)-guided radiofrequency ablation, a minimally invasive percutaneous technique, is the standard for treating symptomatic osteoid osteomas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of MRgFUS ablation for the treatment of nonspinal osteoid osteomas in terms of technical success, complications, and clinical success through one year of follow-up.
In this prospective multicenter study, thirty consecutive patients with a nonspinal osteoid osteoma were enrolled between May 2010 and April 2012 at three different university centers; twenty-nine of the patients were treated with use of MRgFUS. Lesions had been previously diagnosed on the basis of imaging, including dynamic contrast-enhanced MR. The mean number of sonications and energy deposition were determined. Technical success was evaluated through an assessment of complications immediately after treatment. Clinical success was determined on the basis of pain reduction as measured with a visual analog scale (VAS), recurrence, and long-term complications through twelve months.
Technical success of MRgFUS was observed for all twenty-nine patients. The mean number of sonications (and standard deviation) was 7 ± 3, and the mean delivered acoustic energy was 1180 ± 736 J. At the twelve-month follow-up, complete clinical success was observed in twenty-six (90%) of the twenty-nine patients (95% confidence interval CI = 84 to 95; mean VAS, 0 ± 0 points). Partial success was observed in three (10%) of the twenty-nine patients (95% CI = 5 to 16; mean VAS score, 5 ± 0 points); two of these patients subsequently underwent CT-guided radiofrequency ablation, and one underwent open surgery. Pain score values showed a significant reduction (p < 0.001) between baseline (mean VAS score, 8 ± 1 points) and post treatment (mean VAS score, 1 ± 2 points). No complications were observed.
MRgFUS may be an effective and safe alternative approach in the treatment of nonspinal osteoid osteoma. A complete clinical success rate of 90% was demonstrated without adverse events. MRgFUS is totally noninvasive and eliminates radiation exposure.
Lamotrigine is an anticonvulsant medication that also has utility in the treatment of bipolar disorder. It has been associated with many side effects, including rashes that can progress to ...Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis. It has also been associated with the development of motor tics, most commonly in the head, neck, and shoulders. We will now present the case of a 45-year-old woman who developed tics that involved the entire left side of her body after her dose of lamotrigine was increased from 200 mg daily (2.0 mg/kg/day) to 225 mg daily (2.3 mg/kg/day). We will review the prior cases of lamotrigine induced tics, and compare them to the circumstances surrounding our patient. We will also discuss the neurobiology of tics and make suggestions to improve the tics, based on the reported cases.
Aim To investigate the correlation between conventional computed tomography (CT) features, quantitative texture analysis (QTA), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, and survival rates ...in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Materials and methods Sixty-eight patients were evaluated for conventional CT features and QTA in this retrospective study. A multiple logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis versus death and EGFR status was performed for CT features and QTA in order to assess correlation between CT features, QTA, EGFR mutations, and survival rates. A p -value <0.05 was regarded to indicate a statistically significant association. Results An EGFR mutation was identified in 26/68 tumours (38.2%). A negative association was found between EGFR mutation and emphysema ( p < 0.0001) whereas a positive correlation was found with necrosis ( p =0.017), air bronchogram ( p =0.0304), and locoregional infiltration ( p =0.0018). Mean, standard deviation, and skewness were found to have significant correlation with EGFR mutation ( p =0.0001; p =0.0001; p =0.0459; Fig 3). The only parameter correlated with the event death was entropy ( r =0.2708; p =0.0329). Conclusion Both qualitative and quantitative analysis disclosed potential associations between CT features and QTA parameters, EGFR mutations and prognosis; these correlations need to be confirmed in larger studies to be used as imaging biomarkers in the management of patients affected by lung adenocarcinoma.
Background
Transpeople often look for sex reassignment surgery (SRS) to improve their quality of life (QoL). The hormonal therapy has many positive effects before and after SRS. There are no studies ...about correlation between hormonal status and QoL after SRS.
Aim
To gather information on QoL, quality of sexual life and body image in transpeople at least 2 years after SRS, to compare these results with a control group and to evaluate the relations between the chosen items and hormonal status.
Subjects and methods
Data from 60 transsexuals and from 60 healthy matched controls were collected. Testosterone, estradiol, LH and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-100) self-reported questionnaire were evaluated. Student’s
t
test was applied to compare transsexuals and controls. Multiple regression model was applied to evaluate WHOQOL’s chosen items and LH.
Results
The QoL and the quality of body image scores in transpeople were not statistically different from the matched control groups’ ones. In the sexual life subscale, transwomen’s scores were similar to biological women’s ones, whereas transmen’s scores were statistically lower than biological men’s ones (
P
= 0.003). The quality of sexual life scored statistically lower in transmen than in transwomen (
P
= 0.048). A significant inverse relationship between LH and body image and between LH and quality of sexual life was found.
Conclusions
This study highlights general satisfaction after SRS. In particular, transpeople’s QoL turns out to be similar to Italian matched controls. LH resulted inversely correlated to body image and sexual life scores.
EUSO-Balloon
is a pathfinder for
JEM-EUSO
, the mission concept of a spaceborne observatory which is designed to observe Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Ray (UHECR)-induced Extensive Air Showers (EAS) by ...detecting their UltraViolet (UV) light tracks “from above.” On August 25, 2014,
EUSO-Balloon
was launched from Timmins Stratospheric Balloon Base (Ontario, Canada) by the balloon division of the French Space Agency CNES. After reaching a floating altitude of 38 km,
EUSO-Balloon
imaged the UV light in the wavelength range ∼290–500 nm for more than 5 hours using the key technologies of
JEM-EUSO
. The flight allowed a good understanding of the performance of the detector to be developed, giving insights into possible improvements to be applied to future missions. A detailed measurement of the photoelectron counts in different atmospheric and ground conditions was achieved. By means of the simulation of the instrument response and by assuming atmospheric models, the absolute intensity of diffuse light was estimated. The instrument detected hundreds of laser tracks with similar characteristics to EASs shot by a helicopter flying underneath. These are the first recorded laser tracks measured from a fluorescence detector looking down on the atmosphere. The reconstruction of the direction of the laser tracks was performed. In this work, a review of the main results obtained by
EUSO-Balloon
is presented as well as implications for future space-based observations of UHECRs.
This review focuses on the biochemical, biophysical, and catalytic properties of terminase, an enzyme involved in bacteriophage lambda genome packaging. The holoenzyme possesses ATPase, DNA ...strand-separation, and site-specific nuclease activities that work in concert to insert a viral genome into the confines of a performed capsid. Moreover, the terminase subunits are part of a series of nucleoprotein complexes involved in genome packaging, including remarkably stable intermediates that transition to a highly mobile DNA packaging 'machine.' Models for the assembly and interconversion of these complexes are presented. Interactions between the catalytic sites in the enzyme complex, and modulation of these catalytic activities as it relates to the assembly and relative stability of the packaging intermediates are discussed. This ordered progression of nucleoprotein intermediates is a common theme in biology as demonstrated by mechanistic similarities between viral DNA packaging, the initiation of chromosomal replication, and the initiation of transcription. Terminase is thus part of a growing number of examples of biological 'machines' or molecular 'motors.'
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