X-ray Imaging Investigation on the Gilding Technique of an Ancient Egyptian Taweret Wooden Statuette.

Diagnostic physical methods are increasingly applied to Cultural Heritage both for scientific investigations and conservation purposes. In particular, the X-ray imaging techniques of computed tomography (CT) and digital radiography (DR) are non-destructive investigation methods to study an object, being able to give information on its inner structure. In this paper, we present the results of the X-ray imaging study on an ancient Egyptian statuette (Late Period 722-30 BCE) belonging to the collection of Museo Egizio in Torino and representing an Egyptian goddess called Taweret, carved on wood and gilded with some colored details. Since few specific studies have been focused on materials and techniques used in Ancient Egypt for gilding, a detailed investigation was started in order to verify the technical features of the decoration in this sculpture. Specifically, DR and CT analyses have been performed at the Centro Conservazione e Restauro "La Venaria Reale" (CCR), with a new high resolution flat-panel detector, that allowed us to perform tomographic analysis reaching a final resolution better than the one achievable with the previous apparatus operating in the CCR.

Validated Nomogram Predicting 6-Month Survival in Pancreatic Cancer Patients Receiving First-Line 5-Fluorouracil, Oxaliplatin, and Irinotecan.

BACKGROUND: FOLFIRINOX (leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin) is an option for fit patients with metastatic (MPC) and locally advanced unresectable (LAPC) pancreatic cancer. However, no criteria reliably identify patients with better outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated putative prognostic factors among 137 MPC/LAPC patients treated with triplet chemotherapy. Association with 6-month survival status (primary endpoint) was assessed by multivariate logistic regression models. A nomogram predicting the risk of death at 6 months was built by assigning a numeric score to each identified variable, weighted on its level of association with survival. External validation was performed in an independent data set of 206 patients. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03590275). RESULTS: Four variables (performance status, liver metastases, baseline carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) were found to be associated with 6-month survival by multivariate analysis or had sufficient clinical plausibility to be included in the nomogram. Accuracy was confirmed in the validation cohort (C index = 0.762; 95% confidence interval, 0.713-0.825). After grouping all cases, 4 subsets with different outcomes were identified by 0, 1, 2, or > 2 poor prognostic features (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: The nomogram we constructed accurately predicts the risk of death in the first 6 months after initiation of FOLFIRINOX in MPC/LAPC patients. This tool could be useful to guide communication about prognosis, and to inform the design and interpretation of clinical trials.

Management of neoplastic pericardial effusions.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Malignant pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade are known complications of many advanced malignancies such as breast cancer, lung cancer, lymphomas and leukemias. Overall survival is low, due to other metastatic localizations. The present study evaluated the clinical outcome and prognosis in patients with advanced cancer with pericardial effusion. METHODS: We studied 7 patients, 4 men and 3 women, with malignant pericardial effusion, affected by breast cancer (2 patients), lung cancer (adenocarcinoma in 3 patients, microcytoma in 1 patient), and B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (1 patient). All patients underwent pericardiocentesis; 3 patients underwent an instillation of thiotepa. RESULTS: One terminal patient treated with pericardiocentesis died after only a few hours. All the remaining patients experienced immediate symptomatic improvement and no operative complications. At the end of the study period, 2 patients were alive at 59 and 33 months, respectively, and 4 died of disease progression at 1 to 32 months (mean, 10.5). CONCLUSIONS: Pericardiocentesis is an active necessary approach, and intrapericardial treatment with thiotepa was able to reduce pericardial effusion and to prevent its reaccumulation. The standard treatment of malignant effusion and cardiac tamponade has not yet been defined. Physicians should consider the status and the prognosis of each case.

[Pure red cell aplasia in patient affected by myelodysplastic syndrome treated with R-Epo]. / Aplasia eritroide pura in un paziente con anemia refrattaria in trattamento con eritropoietina ricombinante.

Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) is a rare condition described in patients with chronic kidney disease during alpha-Epo treatment subcutaneous administered generated by anti-R-Epo antibodies. Recently two cases of PRCA have been reported in patients affected by myelodysplastic syndrome treated with R-Epo. We described one more case of PRCA in a patient with refractory anemia treated with R-Epo.

[Description of a clonal T cell population in peripheral blood and bone marrow from a patient with B lymphocytic lymphoma]. / Riscontro di una popolazione T clonale nel sangue periferico e nel midollo osseo di una paziente con linfoma linfocitico B.

A clonal T cell population in peripheral blood of patients with multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia has recently been observed. We describe a 73 years old woman with B cell lymphoma who presented a clonal T cell population in peripheral blood and bone marrow.