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Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) represents a safe and feasible option for the surgical treatment of gynecologic malignancies, offering benefits, including reduced blood loss, lower complications, and faster recovery, without compromising oncological outcomes in selected patients. MIS is widely accepted in early-stage gynecologic malignancies, including endometrial cancer, cervical tumors measuring 2 cm or less, and early-stage ovarian cancer, considering the risk of surgical spillage. Despite its advantages, MIS does not rule out the possibility of adverse events such as postoperative infections. This retrospective study on 260 patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery at Parma University Hospital for gynecologic malignancies explores the incidence and risk factors of postoperative infectious complications. The Clavien-Dindo classification was used to rank postoperative surgical complications occurring 30 days after surgery and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) recommendations put into practice. In our population, 15 (5.8%) patients developed infectious complications, predominantly urinary tract infections (9, 3.5%). Longer surgical procedures were independently associated with higher postoperative infection risk (p = 0.045). Furthermore, C1 radical hysterectomy correlated significantly with infectious complications (p = 0.001, OR 3.977, 95% CI 1.370–11.544). In conclusion, compared to prior research, our study reported a lower rate of infectious complications occurrence and highlights the importance of adopting infection prevention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Stage IVB endometrial cancer, as defined in the 2009 edition of the FIGO staging system, encompasses a diverse group of patients with a wide-ranging distribution of disease, including intra- and extra-abdominal metastasis. The presence of peritoneal carcinomatosis and/or distant or parenchymal metastasis complicates the establishment of definitive recommendations regarding the optimal primary treatment and adjuvant therapy. Current guidelines advocate for primary cytoreductive surgery when feasible, while there are no stringent indications for adjuvant treatment. Meanwhile, neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is increasingly employed, primarily due to the growing reassuring evidence in ovarian cancer. However, evidence in the context of advanced-stage endometrial cancer mainly derives from retrospective case series. A systematic review of the current literature may assist in identifying which factors should be considered when determining the optimal management for stage IVB endometrial cancer patients. (1) Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is a common gynecological malignancy, often diagnosed at an early stage with a high overall survival rate. Surgical treatment is the primary approach, guided by pathological and molecular characteristics. Stage IVB EC, characterized by intra and/or extra-abdominal metastasis, presents a significant challenge with no clear consensus on optimal management. (2) Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted from January to May 2023, covering studies from 2000 to 2023. Eligible studies included retrospective case series, prospective trials, and randomized clinical trials. (3) Results: Of 116 studies identified, 21 were deemed relevant: 7 on primary surgery, 10 on neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), and 4 on adjuvant treatment. Notably, the impact of residual tumor after primary surgery was a critical factor affecting survival. The use of NACT followed by interval debulking surgery showed promise, particularly in cases deemed unresectable. Adjuvant treatment, combining radiotherapy and chemotherapy, demonstrated improved survival but lacked consensus regarding its role. (4) Conclusions: Stage IVB EC poses a complex challenge with limited evidence to guide management. Optimal cytoreduction remains crucial, and NACT should be considered for unresectable cases. Multimodality adjuvant therapy may benefit patients, even with disease spread beyond the pelvis. Future advances in molecular classification and targeted therapies are expected to enhance treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Software for the purposes of determination of solar potential of rooftops. In the context of encouraging the development of renewable energy, this paper deals with the description of a software solution for mapping out solar potential in a large scale and in high resolution. We leverage the performance provided by Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to accelerate shadow casting procedures (used both for direct sunlight exposure and the sky view factor), as well as use off-the-shelf components to compute an average weather pattern for a given area. Application of the approach is presented in the context of the solar cadaster of Greater Geneva (2000 km2). The results show that doing the analysis on a square tile of 3.4 km at a resolution of 0.5 m takes up to two hours, which is better than what we were achieving with the previous work. This shows that GPU-based calculations are highly competitive in the field of solar potential modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of distributor system operators is experiencing a gradual but relevant change to include enhanced ancillary and energy dispatch services needed to manage the increased power provided by intermittent distributed generations in medium voltage networks. In this context, the paper proposes the insertion, in strategic points of the network, of specific power electronic systems, denoted as active nodes, which permit the remote controllability of the active and reactive power flow. Such capabilities, as a further benefit, enable the distributor system operators to provide ancillary network services without requiring any procurement with distributed generation systems owners. In particular, the paper highlights the benefits of active nodes, demonstrating their capabilities in reducing the inverse power flow issues from medium to high voltage lines focusing on a network cluster including renewable energy resources. As a further novelty, this study has accounted for a real cluster operated by the Italian distributor system operator Areti. A specific simulation model of the electrical lines has been implemented in DigSilent PowerFactory (DIgSILENT GmbH–Germany) software using real operating data obtained during a 1-year measurement campaign. A detailed cost-benefit analysis has been provided, accounting for different load flow scenarios. The results have demonstrated that the inclusion of active nodes can significantly reduce the drawbacks related to the reverse power flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]