The Formation of Chemical Degraders during the Conservation of a Wooden Tudor Shipwreck.

Determining the nature, evolution, and impact of acid-generating sulfur deposits in the Mary Rose wooden hull is crucial for protecting Henry VIII's famous warship for generations to come. Here, a comprehensive X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) study sheds vital light on the evolution of complex sulfur-based compounds lodged in Mary Rose timbers as a function of drying time. Combining insights from infrared spectroscopy correlates the presence of oxidized sulfur species with increased wood degradation via the loss of major wood components (holocellulose). Intriguingly, zinc is found to co-exist with iron and sulfur in the most degraded wood regions, indicating its potential contributing role to wood degradation. This study provides crucial information on the degradation processes and resulting products within the wood, which can be used to develop remediation strategies to save the Mary Rose.

Satisfaction and Impact on Quality of Life of Clinical and Instrumental Surveillance and Prophylactic Surgery in BRCA-mutation Carriers.

INTRODUCTION: BRCA 1 and 2 mutation carriers are invited to follow intensive clinical and instrumental surveillance programs or are offered prophylactic breast and ovarian surgery. These recommendations impact many aspects of their life. This study aims to evaluate the satisfaction with surveillance and prophylactic surgery and the impact of these procedures on the quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 174 BRCA1-2 mutation carriers. RESULTS: A total of 95% of women comply with the scheduled checks every 6 months. Periodic examinations are considered useful for early diagnosis of breast/ovarian cancer by 91.5% of responders. Among those women who received prophylactic breast surgery, 95% believe that this procedure can reduce cancer risk, but only 65% were completely satisfied by the cosmetic outcome. Among women who underwent prophylactic ovarian surgery, 90.5% would choose it again, mainly owing to a lower degree of concern about ovarian cancer risk. The early onset of menopausal symptoms was the most frequently reported side effects, but only 21% of patients use any treatment to relieve them. CONCLUSION: Women who follow a surveillance program show a good level of satisfaction, thanks to the lowering of concerns of cancer risk. The degree of satisfaction about the prophylactic surgery is generally high. Risk-reducing mastectomy is usually well-accepted, despite the fact that cosmetic results are not entirely satisfactory. Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy may impact on quality of life because of the symptoms associated with early surgical menopause, even if it can be treated with hormonal replacement therapies.

Ovarian cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation carriers: analysis of prognostic factors and survival.

OBJECTIVES: To compare clinical-pathological characteristics and outcome between sporadic ovarian cancer and ovarian cancer in patents with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC). METHODS: Twenty-four patients with ovarian cancer treated between 2000 and 2009 who tested positive for BRCA1/2 mutation (BRCA+) and a control group of 64 age-matched patients with no family history of breast/ovarian cancer (controls) were enrolled. Clinical-pathological characteristics, surgical outcome, overall (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The high-grade serous histotype was more represented in BRCA+ than in controls (70.8% versus 53.1%) (p > 0.05). BRCA+ cancers were more frequently diagnosed at stage II than controls (20.83% versus 4.69%) (p = 0.024). Radical primary surgery was performed in 70% of women in both groups, with no difference in debulking results. In patients undergoing surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, in all BRCA+ patients, optimal cytoreduction was achieved (versus 70% of the controls). PFS was significantly longer for BRCA+ patients compared to controls (60 months versus 22 months; p = 0.039). No significant difference was observed in OS between BRCA+ patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: At a median follow-up time of 46 months, BRCA+ patients have a better prognosis than controls in terms of PFS. Higher chemosensitivity of BRCA+ tumours was observed.