The prognostic value of sentinel lymph node micrometastases in patients with invasive breast carcinoma

The prognostic value of sentinel lymph node micrometastases in invasive breast cancer patients is still widely debated. Even if, in the absence of unequivocal guidelines, the axillary lynphadenectomy is not still performed in the routine clinical care of these patients.We have retrospectively analyzed 746 patients with operable invasive breast cancer and clinically negative axillary lymph nodes. These patients underwent conservative surgery or total mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy. Patients with micrometastases in the sentinel lymph node treated with axillary dissection has been checked and the involvement of the remaining lymph nodes analyzed. Patients with micrometastases in th…

Affezioni benigne della tiroide: indicazioni al trattamento chirurgico ed attuale ruolo della tiroidectomia totale

Total thyroidectomy is the most popular surgical option in a wide range of indications for the treatment of benign disease of the thyroid. The preference for the procedure derives from a long period of observation and clinical experience dating as far back as the early 'seventies and confirms its safety and efficiency. Nevertheless, many doubts still exist as to the indications in the context of benign thyroid disease, as well as the incidence and seriousness of the complications which, though not frequent, are often invalidating. On the basis of the experience gained over the period from January 1994 to November 2002 in 697 patients undergoing surgery for benign disease of the thyroid, the…

The interrelation between socio-spatial and institutional context and family business characteristics

Tomaselli, Agrò, Fazio e Fricano show how family firms draw strength from the regional institutional context (where the region is properly intended as an administrative sub-unit at national level), as well as contribute to its evolution via their own actions. The variation in family competencies and internal dynamics lead to differences in family firms's overlla performance. The relationship with the regional institutional system in mutually sinergic - even marginal family businesses add their voice to whole, resulting in grater collective political influence, and at the same time the institutions at the regional level provide some degree of legitimacy to all players.

MMP-2, MMP-9 and activin A blood levels in patients with breast cancer or prostate cancer metastatic to the bone.

Background: The clinical significance of the circulating levels of activin A and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and -9 (MMP-9) was investigated in patients with breast cancer (BC) or prostate cancer (PC) with (M1) or without (M0) bone metastasis. Patients and Methods: MMP-2, MMP-9 and activin A blood concentrations were measured by enzyme immunoassays in 79 cancer patients and in 57 healthy blood donors (HS) who served as a control group. The diagnostic accuracy of these molecules to discriminate between M0 and M1 patients was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and compared to that of tumor markers CA15.3 or prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Results: Activin A…

Microwave Response of Ceramic MgB2 Samples

The microwave response of ceramic MgB2 has been investigated as a function of temperature and external magnetic field by two different techniques: microwave surface impedance and second-harmonic emission measurements. The measurements of the surface resistance have shown that microwave losses in MgB2 are strongly affected by the magnetic field in the whole range of temperatures below Tc, even for relatively low field values. The results have been accounted for in the framework of the Coffey and Clem model hypothesizing that in different temperature ranges the microwave current induces fluxons to move in different regimes. In particular, the results at temperatures close to Tc have been quan…

Ductal lavage: a valid method of risk assessment and of early diagnosis in breast cancer.

Microwave Surface Resistance and Upper-Critical-Field Anisotropy of MgB2 Superconductor

The field-induced variations of the microwave surface resistance are investigated in two different samples of powdered MgB2. The experimental results can be justified in the framework of the Coffey and Clem model with fluxons moving in the flux-flow regime, provided that the anisotropy of the upper critical field is taken into due account. Assuming the angular dependence of the upper critical field expected from the anisotropic Ginzburg-Landau theory, we determine the anisotropy factor by fitting the experimental data of the field dependence of the microwave surface resistance. We show that the anisotropy factor is constant in a range of temperatures of about 3 K below Tc and it takes on di…

Fluxon dynamics by microwave surface resistance measurements in MgB2

Field-induced variations of the microwave surface resistance, Rs(H), have been investigated in high-density ceramic MgB2. At low temperatures, several peculiarities of the Rs(H) curves cannot be justified in the framework of models reported in the literature. We suggest that they are ascribable to the unconventional vortex structure in MgB2, related to the presence of two gaps. On the contrary, the results near Tc can be accounted for by the Coffey and Clem model, with fluxons moving in the flux-flow regime, provided that the anisotropy of the upper critical field is taken into due account.

Activin A circulating levels in Patients with primary osteoporosis or bone metastases from brest cancer

Mutational analysis of BRCA1 gene in sicilian patients at risk for inherited breast and/or ovarian cancer: experience of reference centre for the biomolecular characterization of neoplasms and genetic screening of hereditary tumors.

La coagulazione elettrotermica bipolare (ligasure bipolar vessel sealing system) in chirurgia della tiroide

Over the past few years different methods of achieving haemostasis in surgery have been developed. Among these methods, bipolar electrothermal coagulation carried out with the "LigaSure Bipolar Vessel Sealing System" has found numerous applications in some types of abdominal and pelvic surgery, especially when performed laparoscopically, where traditional methods of haemostasis sometimes prove more difficult to perform and are often unsafe. The authors also experimented with the use of electrothermal cautery in thyroid surgery, evaluating its efficacy in achieving haemostasis, as well as in reducing a number of complications such as hypoparathyroidism and recurrent palsy, which can be obtai…