Perirenal fat thickness is associated with metabolic risk factors in patients with chronic kidney disease

Luis D´Marco,Juan Salazar,Marie Cortez,María Salazar,Marjorie Wettel,Marcos Lima-Martínez,Edward Rojas,Willy Roque,Valmore Bermúdez 대한신장학회 2019 Kidney Research and Clinical Practice Vol.38 No.3

Background: Adipose tissue accumulation in specific body compartments has been associated with diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia. Perirenal fat (PRF) may lead to have direct lipotoxic effects on renal function and intrarenal hydrostatic pressure. This study was undertaken to explore the association of PRF with cardiovascular risk factors and different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: We studied 103 patients with CKD of different stages (1 to 5). PRF was measured by B-mode renal ultrasonography in the distal third between the cortex and the hepatic border and/or spleen. Results: The PRF thickness was greater in CKD patients with impaired fasting glucose than in those with normal glucose levels (1.10 ± 0.40 cm vs. 0.85 ± 0.39 cm, P < 0.01). Patients in CKD stages 4 and 5 (glomerular filtration rate [GFR] < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2) had the highest PRF thickness. Serum triglyceride levels correlated positively with the PRF thickness; the PRF thickness was greater in patients with triglyceride levels ≥ 150 mg/dL (1.09 ± 0.40 cm vs. 0.86 ± 0.36 cm, P < 0.01). In patients with a GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, uric acid levels correlated positively with the PRF thickness (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In CKD patients, the PRF thickness correlated significantly with metabolic risk factors that could affect kidney function.

Effect of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy on relapse pattern in primary epithelial ovarian cancer: a propensity score based case-control study

Marco Ceresoli,Apollonia Verrengia,Giulia Montori,Luisa Busci,Federico Coccolini,Luca Ansaloni,Luigi Frigerio,Marco Ceresoli 대한부인종양학회 2018 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.29 No.3

Objective: Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has been proposed as a treatment in ovarian cancer. A recently published RCT demonstrated that HIPEC prolongs disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in ovarian cancer. The aim of the study was to investigate oncologic results of cytoreductive surgery+HIPEC compared with cytoreductive surgery alone in advanced primary ovarian cancer with a particular attention to the pattern of recurrence. Methods: This is a retrospective case control study with a propensity score (PS) matching of the patients. All the patients treated for primary advanced ovarian cancer who underwent interval surgery with or without HIPEC were collected; a PS was calculated in order to match cases to controls. Results: Among 77 eligible patients 56 patients were included in the study. Preoperative patients' characteristics were homogeneous. No difference in morbidity and mortality after surgery were recorded. DFS was not different among the 2 groups (13.2 vs. 13.9 months, p=0.454) but OS was better in patients treated with HIPEC with no median reached vs. 35.5 months (p=0.048). Patients treated with cytoreductive surgery alone were more likely to have a peritoneal recurrence (43% vs. 14%). Conclusion: HIPEC seems to affect the relapse pattern with lesser peritoneal recurrence. This difference in relapse pattern seems to affect the OS with better results in patients treated with HIPEC. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Chondroblastoma’s Lung Metastases Treated with Denosumab in Pediatric Patient

Marco Focaccia,Marco Gambarotti,Rossella Hakim,Anna Paioli,Marilena Cesari,Benedetta Spazzoli,Paolo Spinnato,Davide Donati,Michele Rocca,Alessandra Longhi 대한암학회 2021 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.53 No.1

Chondroblastoma is a rare benign chondrogenic tumor that occurs in skeletally immature patients between ages 10 and 20 years old. In literature are reported few cases of lung metastases, mainly occurred after surgery or local recurrences. There is no evidence on the pathogenesis of lung metastasis, as well as pulmonary disease course. Few treatments for metastases with aggressive behavior were based on chemotherapy regimen employed in other sarcoma with no results or not satisfying ones. Denosumab is approved for treatment of giant cell tumors and it is under investigation for other giant cell-rich bone tumors. Here, we report a case of a 16-year-old male chondroblastoma of the left humerus with bilateral lung metastases at presentation and progressing during follow-up, treated with denosumab for almost 2 years. We confirm that denosumab treatment can be effective in controlling chondroblastoma metastasis and it has been a safe procedure in an adolescent patient.

ZNF804A Gene Variants Have a Cross-diagnostic Influence on Psychosis and Treatment Improvement in Mood Disorders

Marco Calabrò,Laura Mandelli,Concetta Crisafulli,Marco Di Nicola,Roberto Colombo,Luigi Janiri,Soo-Jung Lee,Tae-Youn Jun,Sheng Min Wang,Prakash S Masand,Ashwin A Patkar,Changsu Han,Chi-Un Pae,Alessandr 대한정신약물학회 2020 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.18 No.2

Objective: Genetic variations in the gene encoding zinc finger protein 804A gene (ZNF804A) have been associated with major depression and bipolar disorder. In this work we focused on the potential influence of ZNF804A variations on the risk of developing specific sub-phenotypes as well as the individual response to available treatments. Methods: We used two samples of different ethnic origin: a Korean sample, composed by 242 patients diagnosed with major depression and 132 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder and 326 healthy controls; an Italian sample composed 151 major depression subjects, 189 bipolar disorder subjects and 38 outpatients diagnosed for a primary anxiety disorder. Results: Our analyses reported an association of rs1344706 with psychotic phenotype in the cross-diagnostic pooled sample (geno p = 4.15 × 10−4, allelic p = 1.06 × 10−4). In the cross-diagnosis Italian sample but not in the Korean one, rs7597593 was involved with depressive symptoms improvement after treatment (geno p = 0.025, allelic p = 0.007). Conclusion: The present study evidenced the role of ZNF804A alterations in symptoms improvement after treatment. Both manic and depressive symptoms seem to be modulated by ZNF804A, though the latter was observed in the bipolar pooled sample only. The role of this factor is likely related to synaptic development and maintenance; however, further analyses will be needed to better understand the molecular mechanics involved with ZNF804A.

Msgr. Marco Sprizzi

Marco Sprizzi 신학과사상학회 2018 가톨릭 신학과 사상 Vol.- No.81

Pantograph-catenary Dynamic Interaction for a Overhead Line Supported by Noise Barrier

Marco Belloli,Andrea Collina,Bruno Pizzigoni 한국철도학회 2012 International Journal of Railway Vol.5 No.2

Subject of the paper is a particular configuration of overhead line, in which noise barrier structure is used as supports of the catenary instead of standard poles. This configuration is foreseen in case the noise barrier position is in conflict with the poles location. If the catenary is supported by the noise barrier, the motion that the latter undergo due to wave pressure associated to train transit is transmitted to the overhead line, so that potentially it influences the interaction between the catenary itself and the pantograph of the passing train. The paper focuses on the influence of such peculiar configuration on the quality of the current collection of high speed pantograph, for single and double current collection. The study has been carried out first with an experimental investigation on the pressure distribution on noise barrier, both in wind tunnel and with in-field tests. Subsequently a numerical analysis of the dynamics of the barrier subjected to the wave pressure due to train transit has been carried out, and the output of such analysis has been used as input data for the simulation of the pantograph-dynamic interaction at different speeds and with front or rear pantograph in operation. Consideration of structural modifications was then highlighted, in order to reduce the influence on the contact loss percentage.

Hwarangs and Yueguang Tongzi: A New Analysis of the Relationship, With the Help of Textual Philology

Marco Campa 한국학중앙연구원 한국학중앙연구원 2023 THE REVIEW OF KOREAN STUDIES Vol.26 No.1

In this article I will address the question of religion the hwarang group professed and its relationship with Chinese heterodox sects. Particularly, those sects were built around the cult of Candraprabhākumāra, a minor character becoming the center of devotion not unlike that of Maitreya during the post-Han era, specifically during Sui-Tang dynasties. The major concerns of this paper are if Silla and hwarangs may have known about this heterodox figure, and if so, how and when. There will be a tentative of verification of Prof. Pankaj Mohan’s thesis in the light of other scholars, in particular Hubert Michael Seiwert, and most importantly Erich Zürcher, who tried first to study the Candraprabhākumāra’s cults. There will be an assessment of what we know about the hwarangs and what we know about Candraprabhākumāra that could be more related to them. More specifically, the Shouluo biqiu jing, a text examined by all there three scholars, will be analyzed in philological terms. On this basis and on the historical accounts known to us, new hypotheses will be formulated. The conclusions are that the Shouluo jing and the Candraprabhākumāra’s cults were known in Silla though the text was likely written in China as opposed to Pankaj Mohan’s hypothesis of its origin in the southern Korean kingdom. The hwarangs likely also knew that, by mediation of Baekje: the neighbor kingdom likely acted as a mediator for this particular form of Maitreya’s cult.

High Performance Zinc Alloys

Marco Roesch,Michael Dietz 한국표면공학회 2017 한국표면공학회 학술발표회 초록집 Vol.2017 No.11

Spatial and Temporal Assessment of Particulate Matter Using AOD Data from MODIS and Surface Measurements in the Ambient Air of Colombia

Marco Andrés Guevara Luna,Fredy Alejandro Guevara Luna,Juan Felipe Méndez Espinosa,Luis Carlos Belalcázar Cerón 한국대기환경학회 2018 Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment (AJAE) Vol.12 No.2

Particulate matter (PM) measurements are important in air quality, public health, epidemiological studies and decision making for short and long-term policies implementation. However, only few cities in the word have advance air quality-monitoring networks able to provide reliable information of PM leaves in the ambient air, trends and extent of the pollution. In Colombia, only major cities measure PM concentrations. Available measurements from Bogota, Medellin and Bucaramanga show that PM concentration are well above World Health Organization guidelines, but up to now levels and trends of PM in other cities and regions of the country are not well known. Satellite measurements serve as an alternative approach to study air quality in regions were surface measurements are not available. The aim of this study is to perform a spatial and temporal assessment of PM in the ambient air of Colombia. We used Aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieved by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite of NASA and surface measurements from the air quality networks of Bogota, Medellin and Bucaramanga. In a first step, we estimated the correlation between MODIS-AOD and monthly average surface measurements (2000 to 2015) from these three cities, obtaining correlation coefficient R values over 0.4 for the cities under study. After, we used AOD and PM10 measurements to study the temporal evolution of PM in different cities and regions. Finally, we used AOD measurements to identify cities and regions with the highest AOD levels in Colombia. All the methods presented in this paper may serve as an example for other countries or regions to identify and prioritize locations that require the implementation of more accurate air quality measurements.

Added masses computation for unconventional airships and aerostats through geometric shape evaluation and meshing

Marco Tuveri,Alessandro Ceruti,Pier Marzocca 한국항공우주학회 2014 International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sc Vol.15 No.3

The modern development in design of airships and aerostats has led to unconventional configurations quite different from the classical ellipsoidal and spherical ones. This new class of air-vehicles presents a mass-to-volume ratio that can be considered very similar to the density of the fluid displaced by the vehicle itself, and as a consequence, modeling and simulation should consider the added masses in the equations of motion. The concept of added masses deals with the inertia added to a system, since an accelerating or decelerating body moving into a fluid displaces a volume of the neighboring fluid. The aim of this paper is to provide designers with the added masses matrix for more than twenty Lighter Than Air vehicles with unconventional shapes. Starting from a CAD model of a given shape, by applying a panel-like method, its external surface is properly meshed, using triangular elements. The methodology has been validated by comparing results obtained with data available in literature for a known benchmark shape, and the inaccuracies of predictions agree with the typical precision required in conceptual design. For each configuration, a CAD model and a related added masses matrix are provided, with the purpose of assisting the practitioner in the design and flight simulation of modern airships and scientific balloons.