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Purpose: A MASCC/ISOO Clinical Practice Statement (CPS) is aimed at generating a concise tool for clinicians, which concentrates practical information needed for the management of oral complications of cancer patients. This CPS is focused on the management of oral manifestations of chronic graft-versus-host-disease (cGVHD). Methods: This CPS was developed based on critical evaluation of the literature followed by a structured discussion of a group of leading experts, members of the Oral Care Study Group of MASCC/ISOO. The information is presented in the form of succinct bullets and table to generate a short manual about the best standard of care. Results: The treatment goals in oral cGVHD are to relieve pain and xerostomia, improve oral function, prevent secondary infection, prevent deterioration of the dentition, and detect malignant transformation as early as possible. The prevention and treatment measures for oral mucosal lesions, hypofunction of the salivary glands, and sclerodermatous changes in the oral and perioral tissues are detailed, as well as the possible complications and side effects of these interventions. Conclusions: Patients post allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantations, with cGVHD manifest in the oral and perioral tissues, should be regularly monitored and treated as needed by an oral care practitioner. This CPS provides the clinician with practical tools for examining, preventing, and treating the various sequalae that may affect the oral cavity in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Oral mucositis is a common complication for patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and causes pain and difficulties in functions like eating and swallowing, resulting in lower quality of life and greater need of treatment with opioids and parenteral nutrition. This prospective multicenter study focused on pediatric recipients of HSCT in the neutropenic phase concerning oral complications, timing, severity, and patient experience. Methods: The cohort comprised 68 patients, median age 11.1 years (IQR 6.3) receiving allogeneic HSCT at three clinical sites. Medical records were retrieved for therapy regimens, concomitant medications, oral and dental history, and subjective oral complaints. Calibrated dentists conducted an oral and dental investigation before HSCT. After HSCT graft infusion, study personnel made bedside assessments and patients filled out a questionnaire once or twice a week until neutrophil engraftment. Results: We followed 63 patients through the neutropenic phase until engraftment. 50% developed oral mucositis of grades 2–4. Peak severity occurred at 8–11 days after stem cell infusion. Altogether, 87% had subjective oral complaints. The temporal distribution of adverse events is similar to the development of oral mucositis. The most bothersome symptoms were blisters and oral ulcerations, including mucositis; 40% reported severe pain and major impact on activities of daily living despite continuous use of opioids. Conclusion: This study highlights the burden of oral complications and their negative effect on the health and quality of life of HSCT recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate whether there is a correlation between otitis and dental malocclusions. Methods: Electronic databases were searched for observational studies published until July 2021 without language or time restrictions. PROSPERO: CRD42021270760. Observational studies on children with and without OM and/or malocclusion were included. After removing duplicates and excluding not-eligible articles, two reviewers screened relevant articles independently. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed data quality and validity through the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) quality assessment tool for non-randomized studies. Results: Five studies met the selection inclusion criteria and were included in the studies for a total of 499 patients. Three studies investigated the relationship between malocclusion and otitis media, while the remaining two studies analyzed the inverse relationship and one of them considered eustachian tube dysfunction as a proxy of OM. An association between malocclusion and otitis media and vice versa emerged, although with relevant limitations. Conclusion: There is some evidence that there is an association between otitis and malocclusion; however, it is not yet possible to establish a definitive correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a key concept in pediatric oncology. This systematic review aims to update the conceptual HRQOL model by Anthony et al. (Qual Life Res 23(3):771–789, 2014), covering physical, emotional, social and general HRQOL aspects, and to present a comprehensive overview of age- and disease-specific HRQOL issues in children with cancer. Methods: Medline, PsychINFO, the Cochrane Database for Systematic Reviews (CDSR), and the COSMIN database were searched (up to 31.12.2020) for publications using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and qualitative studies in children with cancer (8–14-year) or their parents. Items and quotations were extracted and mapped onto the conceptual model for HRQOL in children with cancer mentioned above. Results: Of 2038 identified studies, 221 were included for data extraction. We identified 96 PROMS with 2641 items and extracted 798 quotations from 45 qualitative studies. Most items and quotations (94.8%) could be mapped onto the conceptual model. However, some adaptations were made and the model was complemented by (sub)domains for 'treatment burden', 'treatment involvement', and 'financial issues'. Physical and psychological aspects were more frequently covered than social issues. Discussion: This review provides a comprehensive overview of HRQOL issues for children with cancer. Our findings mostly support the HRQOL model by Anthony et al. (Qual Life Res 23(3):771–789, 2014), but some adaptations are suggested. This review may be considered a starting point for a refinement of our understanding of HRQOL in children with cancer. Further qualitative research will help to evaluate the comprehensiveness of the HRQOL model and the relevance of the issues it encompasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical stimuli are fundamental in the development of organs and tissues, their growth, regeneration or disease. They influence the biochemical signals produced by the cells, and, consequently, the development and spreading of a disease. Moreover, tumour cells are usually characterized by a decrease in the cell mechanical properties that may be directly linked to their metastatic potential. Thus, recently, the experimental and computational study of cell biomechanics is facing a growing interest. Various experimental approaches have been implemented to describe the passive response of cells; however, cell variability and complex experimental procedures may affect the obtained mechanical properties. For this reason, in-silico computational models have been developed through the years, to overcome such limitations, while proposing valuable tools to understand cell mechanical behaviour. This being the case, we propose a combined continuous-tensegrity finite element (FE) model to analyse the mechanical response of a cell and its subcomponents, observing how every part contributes to the overall mechanical behaviour. We modelled both Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) indentation and micropipette aspiration techniques, as common mechanical tests for cells and elucidated also the role of cell cytoplasm and cytoskeleton in the global cell mechanical response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the therapies administered to Italian adolescents with primary herpetic gingivostomatitis (PHGS) Methods: The medical records of 74 adolescents with PHSG were reviewed. The following data were recorded: age, gender, day of onset, type of treatment, lesions' severity, pain scoring, eating, and drinking ability. The oral examination was performed at the first evaluation (T0) and after one week (T1). Results: All patients showed up at the first visit at least 48 h after the onset of symptoms. No patient was prescribed an antiviral therapy. An antibiotic therapy was prescribed in order to prevent secondary bacterial infections. Fifteen patients had been treated with non alcoholic chlorhexidine rinses (group A), 29 patients with non alcoholic chlorhexidine rinses plus hyaluronic acid gel (group B); 30 patients with non alcoholic chlorhexidine rinses plus Mucosyte® (group C). A significant improvement of the pain scoring and lesions' severity was noted in group C. Conclusion: In Italian adolescents, PHGS is diagnosed at least 48 h after onset and the antibiotic therapy is widely prescribed in order to prevent overinfections. Among topical therapies, an association of verbascoside and sodium hyaluronhate seems to favour a faster healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report a study of the seismic noise measured in the underground Baksan neutrino observatory in the framework of the site qualification for third generation Gravitational Wave detectors like the Einstein Telescope (Einstein gravitational wave telescope conceptual design study, ET-0106C-10. http://et-gw.eu/etdsdocument, 2011) and Cosmic Explorer (https://cosmicexplorer.org/). The main spectral feature below 1 Hz is the oceanic microseism, while for greater frequencies the measured horizontal and vertical accelerations approach the Peterson low noise model. Using two synchronized seismometers, we also studied the coherence in the microseismic band (0.1–0.5Hz) between three underground stations located at 0.3 km, 1.4 km and 3.7 km from the tunnel entrance. Finally, on the base of our measurements, we evaluate the Newtonian noise contribution from the seismic noise background of body waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for long-term predictions of the performance of old nuclear power plants concrete shielding all around the world has recently relaunched the issue of predictive modeling of the deterioration mechanisms associated to irradiated concrete, both theoretically and numerically. A robust numerical model for describing concrete affected by prolonged nuclear irradiation, based on a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical formulation, is proposed and the main features that are phenomenologically responsible for the degradation of concrete material at the mesoscale level are discussed. The study is conducted at the mesoscale to account for the antagonist action of the cement paste and aggregates when irradiated. Radiation-induced damage is assimilated to mechanical damage in the proposed formulation in that radiation-induced volumetric expansion of aggregates is conceived as the source of triggering of damage in the surrounding paste. The numerical results for plain concrete samples exposed to severe radiation fluences and high temperature are juxtaposed with experimental data, showing that the model agrees satisfactorily with the general tendency of the irradiated concrete stiffness evolution and dehydrated water mass of the sample. On the other hand, the model tends to underestimate its global radiation-induced volumetric expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the problem of viscoelastic beams characterized by a fractional constitutive model and dynamically excited by longitudinal harmonic point loads. Damped systems of this kind undergo parametric resonance for specific values of the amplitude and frequency of the load. The study addresses the definition of the instability regions of the system when damping is related to a fractional-order derivative of transverse displacements. By using a Galerkin variational approach on multiple-degree-of-freedom beam systems, differently constrained, the problem is formulated as a set of fractional differential equations. The harmonic balance method is then extended to the fractional problem to determine the first region of instability of such systems. The results are presented in the form of stability regions in the parameter space. They are discussed for different constraint conditions, fractional order, and degree of damping. Particularly, the order of the fractional operator seems to affect the shape and the size of such regions. It is found that a fractional order in the range 0–0.5 shifts the regions of instability to high excitation frequencies, while it is conversely for a fractional order in the range 0.5–1, thus changing the resonant properties of the system. A comparison with the undamped conservative solution is made, which confirms that the presence of diffuse dissipation forces generally increases the stability margins of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Black extrinsic discoloration is a common clinical and aesthetic problem. This study aims to evaluate the potential in vitro antagonistic activity of two commercial probiotics, Streptococcus salivarius M18 and Lactobacillus reuteri ProDentis, against microorganisms associated with black stains. Methods: Streptococcus salivarius M18 and Lactobacillus reuteri were tested against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Actinomyces naeslundiiusing their cell-free fermentative broth in a planktonic growth inhibition test. Results: Both probiotic cell-free supernatants showed the ability to reduce the pathogenic bacteria growth in a dose-dependent way. Streptococcus salivarius M18 showed a stronger antimicrobial activity than Lactobacillus reuteri ProDentis against the two indicator strains used. A. naeslundi was less susceptible to the probiotic activity of both S. salivarius and L. reuteri compared to A. actinomycetemcomitans. Conclusions: The obtained results demonstrate a potent antagonistic ability of probiotics to reduce the growth of microorganisms associated with black tooth stains. Therefore, these strains could be evaluated for a therapeutic use against dental pigmentations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider a one-dimensional Mindlin model describing linear elastic behaviour of isotropic materials with microstructural effects. After introducing the kinetic and the potential energy, we derive a system of equations of motion by means of the Euler–Lagrange equations. A class of exact solutions is obtained. They have a wave behaviour due to a good property of the potential energy. We transform the set of hyperbolic partial differential equations in a particular form, which makes clear how to impose boundary conditions correctly. Next numerical solutions are obtained by using a weighted essentially non-oscillatory finite difference scheme coupled by a total variation diminishing Runge–Kutta method. A comparison between exact and numerical solutions shows the robustness and the accuracy of the numerical scheme. A numerical example of solutions for an inhomogeneous material is also shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To update the clinical practice guidelines for the management of oral mucositis (OM) that were developed by the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society of Oral Oncology (MASCC/ISOO). This part focuses on honey, herbal compounds, saliva stimulants, probiotics, and miscellaneous agents.Methods: A systematic review was conducted by the Mucositis Study Group of MASCC/ISOO. The body of evidence for each intervention, in each clinical setting, was assigned an evidence level. The findings were added to the database used to develop the 2014 MASCC/ISOO clinical practice guidelines. Based on the evidence level, one of the following guidelines were determined: Recommendation, Suggestion, No Guideline Possible.Results: A total of 78 papers were identified within the scope of this section, of which 49 were included in this review and merged with nine publications that were reported in the previous guidelines update. A new Suggestion was made for honey (combined topical and systemic delivery) for the prevention of OM in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. A new Suggestion clarified that chewing gum is not effective for the prevention of OM in pediatric patients with hematological or solid cancer treated with chemotherapy. No guideline was possible for other interventions.Conclusions: Numerous natural products and herbal remedies were studied for the management of OM. Of the agents reviewed in this systematic review, a guideline in favor was made for honey (combined topical and systemic), while a guideline against was made for chewing gum. Additional research is warranted to clarify the potential of other interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To systematically review the literature and update the evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the use of photobiomodulation (PBM), such as laser and other light therapies, for the prevention and/or treatment of oral mucositis (OM).Methods: A systematic review was conducted by the Mucositis Study Group of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society for Oral Oncology (MASCC/ISOO) using PubMed and Web of Science. We followed the MASCC methods for systematic review and guidelines development. The rigorously evaluated evidence for each intervention, in each cancer treatment setting, was assigned a level-of-evidence (LoE). Based on the LoE, one of the following guidelines was determined: Recommendation, Suggestion, or No Guideline Possible.Results: Recommendations are made for the prevention of OM and related pain with PBM therapy in cancer patients treated with one of the following modalities: hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, head and neck (H&N) radiotherapy (without chemotherapy), and H&N radiotherapy with chemotherapy. For each of these modalities, we recommend 1-2 clinically effective protocols; the clinician should adhere to all parameters of the protocol selected. Due to inadequate evidence, currently, No Guideline Possible for treatment of established OM or for management of chemotherapy-related OM. The reported clinical settings were extremely variable, limiting data integration.Conclusions: The evidence supports the use of specific settings of PBM therapy for the prevention of OM in specific patient populations. Under these circumstances, PBM is recommended for the prevention of OM. The guidelines are subject to continuous update based on new published data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To update the clinical practice guidelines for the use of natural and miscellaneous agents for the prevention and/or treatment of oral mucositis (OM).Methods: A systematic review was conducted by the Mucositis Study Group of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer / International Society of Oral Oncology (MASCC/ISOO). The body of evidence for each intervention, in each cancer treatment setting, was assigned an evidence level. The findings were added to the database used to develop the 2014 MASCC/ISOO clinical practice guidelines. Based on the evidence level, the following guidelines were determined: Recommendation, Suggestion, and No Guideline Possible.Results: A total of 78 papers were identified within the scope of this section, out of which 29 were included in this part, and were analyzed with 27 previously reviewed studies. A new Suggestion was made for oral glutamine for the prevention of OM in head and neck (H&N) cancer patients receiving radiotherapy with concomitant chemotherapy. The previous Recommendation against the use of parenteral glutamine for the prevention of OM in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients was re-established. A previous Suggestion for zinc to prevent OM in H&N cancer patients treated with radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy was reversed to No Guideline Possible. No guideline was possible for other interventions.Conclusions: Of the vitamins, minerals, and nutritional supplements studied for the management of OM, the evidence supports a Recommendation against parenteral glutamine in HSCT patients and a Suggestion in favor of oral glutamine in H&N cancer patients for the management of OM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study the behavior of the Casimir energy of a 'multi-cavity' across the transition from the metallic to the superconducting phase of the constituting plates. Our analysis is carried out in the framework of the ARCHIMEDES experiment, aiming at measuring the interaction of the electromagnetic vacuum energy with a gravitational field. For this purpose it is foreseen to modulate the Casimir energy of a layered structure composing a multy-cavity coupled system by inducing a transition from the metallic to the superconducting phase. This implies a thorough study of the behavior of the cavity, in which normal metallic layers are alternated with superconducting layers, across the transition. Our study finds that, because of the coupling between the cavities, mainly mediated by the transverse magnetic modes of the radiation field, the variation of energy across the transition can be very large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral mucositis is a common complication in pediatric cancer patients, affecting up to 80% of children. Due to neutropenia and disruption of the mucosal barrier, chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis is often complicated by super-infections. Case report: A 16-years old male with stage 3 Burkitt's lymphoma developed chemotherapy induced oral mucositis grade 3 (according to WHO scale). Ulcers were quickly growing (reaching a maximum diameter of 3 cm) and became greyish in colour, resulting in dysphagia and pain. A swab of the lesions was taken and microbiological tests were performed. The sample grew for Raoultella planticola, an encapsulated Gram-negative bacterium whose full pathogenic potential still needs to be defined. Treatment: The patient received antibiotic combination therapy with Amikacin and Ceftazidime for 8 days. Complete healing of the lesions and resolution of the symptoms were reached and he completed his antineoplastic therapy without further complications. Follow-up: Twelve months after the infection, he is alive and well, with no oral complaints. Conclusion: This is the first report of a Raoultella planticola infection in a patient with chemotherapy induced oral mucositis. This type of infection must be added to the list of organisms to be considered when caring for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to simulate the charge transport in a monolayer graphene on a substrate. This requires the inclusion of the scatterings of the charge carriers with the impurities and the phonons of the substrate, besides the interaction mechanisms already present in the graphene layer. As physical model, the semiclassical Boltzmann equation will be assumed. Two approaches will be used for the simulations: a numerical scheme based on the Discontinuous Galerkin method for finding deterministic (non stochastic) solutions and a new Direct Monte Carlo Simulation formulated in Romano et al. (J Comput Phys 302:267-284, 2015) in order to deal in the appropriate way with the Pauli exclusion principle for degenerate Fermi gases. A cross validation of the deterministic and stochastic solutions shows the robustness and accuracy of both the approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnostic value of narrow band imaging (NBI) in the 'optical biopsy' of leukoplakias (LP) and erythroplakias (EP) in different oral cavity (OC) and oropharyngeal (OP) subsites is still to be defined. We evaluated 128 unbiopsied and untreated OC/OP LP and EP by conventional oral examination (COE), white light (WL) endoscopy, and NBI and categorized them as 'suspicious' or 'innocuous'. All lesions were treated by excisional biopsy. True positives were those considered as 'suspicious' and with histopathology ranging from mild dysplasia to invasive carcinoma. Epithelia were classified as follows: type 1, keratinized thick stratified (gingiva, hard palate, dorsal tongue); type 2a, non-keratinized thin stratified (floor of mouth, vestibule, ventral tongue, soft palate, palatine tonsils, base of tongue); type 2b, non-keratinized, very thick stratified (retromolar trigon, lateral tongue, labial and buccal mucosa). Histopathology revealed 32 % benign lesions, 13 % mild to moderate dysplasias, 15 % severe dysplasias/carcinoma in situ, 16 % microinvasive, and 23 % invasive carcinomas. The false positive rates were 32 % at COE, 27 % at WL, and 15 % at NBI. The false negative rates were 49, 22, and 11 %, respectively. Diagnositic performance was higher for NBI compared to COE ( p < 0.001) and to WL ( p = 0.004). Comparison of the diagnostic value of NBI among different OC/OP subsites did not show statistically significant difference. NBI as an 'optical biopsy' tool significantly reduces the rates of false positives and false negatives in diagnosis of OC/OP cancer compared with COE and WL. No statistically significant difference was noted in its diagnostic value among different OC/OP subsites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For electron devices that make use of innovative materials, a basic step in the development of models and simulation computer aided design (CAD) tools is the determination of the mobility curves for the charge carriers. These can be obtained from experimental data or by directly solving the electron semiclassical Boltzmann equation. Usually the numerical solutions of the transport equation are obtained by Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) approaches with the unavoidable stochastic noise due to the statistical fluctuations. Here we derive the mobility curves numerically solving the electron semiclassical Boltzmann equation with a deterministic method based on a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) scheme in the case of monolayer graphene. Comparisons with analytical mobility formulas are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to verify if low-level laser therapy could be useful to reduce chemotherapy-related oral mucositis grading and pain in childhood undergoing chemotherapy. A randomized double-blind clinical trial was carried out. Patients from 3 to 18 years of age undergoing cancer therapy and presenting OM grade 2 or more were eligible for this study. Patients were randomly divided in two groups: group A received laser therapy from the day of OM diagnosis and other 3 consecutive days (830 nm wavelength, power 150 mW, spot size 1 cm(2), 30 s per cm(2), energy density 4.5 J/cm(2)); group B received sham therapy (placebo) with the same timing. Two blind clinicians performed OM scoring and pain evaluation at day 1 (immediately before the beginning of laser treatment-T0), day 4 (after finishing laser therapy cycle-T1) and at day 7 (T2) as follow-up. A total of 123 patients were included in the study. Group A was composed of 62 children while group B is 61; in both groups, there was a progressive reduction in grade of OM, and at day 7, not every mucosal lesion disappeared. The difference in the decline of OM grading between the two groups resulted not statistically significant (p = 0.07). A statistically significant difference in pain reduction between two groups both at T1 and at T2 (p < 0.005) was observed. This study demonstrated the efficacy of LLLT in reducing pain due to chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in children, while no significant benefit was noted in reducing OM grade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06141-9 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal -regulated kinase (ERK) pathway has a master control role in various cancer-related biological processes as cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis. It also regulates many transcription factors that control microRNAs (miRNAs) and their biosynthetic machinery. To investigate on the still poorly characterised global involvement of miRNAs within the pathway, we profiled the expression of 745 miRNAs in three colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines after blocking the pathway with three different inhibitors. This allowed the identification of two classes of post-treatment differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs: (1) common DE miRNAs in all CRC lines after treatment with a specific inhibitor (class A); (2) DE miRNAs in a single CRC line after treatment with all three inhibitors (class B). By determining the molecular targets, biological roles, network position of chosen miRNAs from class A (miR-372, miR-663b, miR-1226*) and class B (miR-92a-1*, miR-135b*, miR-720), we experimentally demonstrated that they are involved in cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and globally affect the regulation circuits centred on MAPK/ERK signaling. Interestingly, the levels of miR-92a-1*, miR-135b*, miR-372, miR-720 are significantly higher in biopsies from CRC patients than in normal controls; they also are significantly higher in CRC patients with mutated KRAS than in those with wild-type genotypes (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.05): the latter could be a downstream effect of ERK pathway overactivation, triggered by KRAS mutations. Finally, our functional data strongly suggest the following miRNA/target pairs: miR-92a-1*/PTEN-SOCS5; miR-135b*/LATS2; miR-372/TXNIP; miR-663b/CCND2. Altogether, these results contribute to deepen current knowledge on still uncharacterized features of MAPK/ERK pathway, pinpointing new oncomiRs in CRC and allowing their translation into clinical practice and CRC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete is commonly used as a biological shield against nuclear radiation. As long as, in the design of nuclear facility, its load carrying capacity is required together with its shielding properties, changes in the mechanical properties due to nuclear radiation are of particular significance and may have to be taken into account in such circumstances. The study presented here allows for reaching first evidences on the behavior of concrete when exposed to nuclear radiation in order to evaluate the consequent effect on the mechanical field, by means of a proper definition of the radiation damage, strictly connected with the strength properties of the building material. Experimental evidences on the decay of the elastic modulus of concrete have allowed for implementing the required damage law within a 3D F.E. research code which accounts for the coupling among moisture, heat transfer and the mechanical field in concrete treated as a fully coupled porous medium. The upgrade of the numerical model allows for assessing the durability of concrete under the effects of a radioactive environment; considerations on the ultimate strength resource in the lifetime of a nuclear structure can finally lead to its restoration in the damaged parts of the concrete slabs to preserve their load bearing capacity. The development of the damage front in a concrete shielding wall is analyzed under neutron radiation and results within the wall thickness are reported for long-term radiation spans and several concrete mixtures in order to discuss the resulting shielding properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (MIRs) perform critical regulatory functions within cell networks, both in physiology as well as in pathology. Through the positional gene candidate approach, we have identified three MIRs (MIR152, MIR200B, and MIR338) that are located in regions frequently altered in neuroblastoma (NB) and target mRNAs encoding proteins involved in cell proliferation, neuroblast differentiation, neuroblast migration, and apoptosis. Expression analysis in NB biopsies and NB cell lines showed that these MIRs are dysregulated. We have characterized a CpG island, close to the gene encoding MIR200B and hypermethylated in NB samples, that explains its negative regulation. Expression of MIR152, MIR200B, and MIR338 is specifically modulated in NB cell lines during differentiation and apoptosis. Functional genomic experiments through enforced expression of MIR200B and knockdown of MIR152 resulted in a significant decrease of the invasion activity of SH-SY5Y cells. Reconstruction of a NB network comprising MIR152, MIR200B, and MIR338 allowed us to confirm their role in the control of NB cell stemness and apoptosis: This suggests that altered regulation of these MIRs could have a role in NB pathogenesis by interfering with the molecular mechanisms, which physiologically control differentiation and death of neuroblasts. Accordingly, they could be considered as new NB biomarkers and potential targets of antagomirs or epigenetic therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibility of obtaining geophysical information from the system for controlling the position of the mirrors of the VIRGO laser-interferometric gravitational antenna and from angular perturbations of the vertical mirror lines is examined. Results from a study of tidal horizontal deformations are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results of a discontinuous Galerkin scheme applied to deterministic computations of the transients for the Boltzmann-Poisson system describing electron transport in semiconductor devices. The collisional term models optical-phonon interactions which become dominant under strong energetic conditions corresponding to nano-scale active regions under applied bias. The proposed numerical technique is a finite element method using discontinuous piecewise polynomials as basis functions on unstructured meshes. It is applied to simulate hot electron transport in bulk silicon, in a silicon n +- n- n + diode and in a double gated 12 nm MOSFET. Additionally, the obtained results are compared to those of a high order WENO scheme simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-dependent solutions to the Boltzmann-Poisson system in two spatial dimensions and three-dimensional velocity space are obtained by using a recently developed high order WENO scheme. The collision operator of the Boltzmann equation models the scattering processes between electrons and phonons which are assumed to be in thermal equilibrium. In this paper, the deterministic numerical solutions for a double gate silicon MOSFET are compared with Monte Carlo simulations. The main aim of this investigation is to show how direct solutions of the Boltzmann transport equation coupled with the Poisson equation can, through comparisons, suggest improvements of the DSMC algorithms such as, in particular, the charge assignment to the mesh, the treatment of the boundary conditions and the free flight duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present preliminary results of a high order WENO scheme applied to deterministic computations for two dimensional formulation of the transients for the Boltzmann-Poisson system describing electron transport in semiconductor devices. The collisional term models optical-phonon interactions which become dominant under strong energetic conditions corresponding to nanoscale active regions under applied bias. We treat the Boltzmann Transport equation in a spherical coordinate system for the wave-vector space. The problem is three dimensional in the wave-vector space and two dimensional in the physical space, plus the time variable driving to steady states. The new formulation avoids the singularity due to the spherical coordinate system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we present preliminary results of a high order WENO scheme applied to a new formulation of the Boltzmann equation (BTE) describing electron transport in semiconductor devices with a spherical coordinate system for the phase velocity space. The problem is two dimensional in the phase velocity space and one dimensional in the physical space, plus the time variable driving to steady states. The new formulation avoids the singularity due to the spherical coordinate system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a new procedure for structural assessment of tunnel constructions during fire is presented. In particular, it consists of two steps: the first one deals with a realistic evaluation of thermal fluxes, both convective and radiative, for the whole tunnel. In the fires recently occurred in some European tunnels, the duration of the fire was longer than expected and the produced temperature fields were much more severe than those considered in standard codes. Therefore, such a kind of evaluation is of great importance. As second step, a simulation of the hygro-thermo-mechanical behaviour of concrete structure will be carried out using thermal fluxes previously calculated as thermal input for a fully coupled code, which considers concrete as a multiphase porous material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was employed before and after a single dose of gabapentin to evaluate how this drug affects the activity of excitatory and inhibitory circuits within the motor cortex. Eleven healthy volunteers were studied. For the evaluation of cortical excitability, the following parameters were taken into account: resting and active motor threshold (RMT, AMT); cortical silent period (CSP); and intracortical inhibition (ICI) and facilitation (ICF). Peripheral silent period (PSP) was also detected. All parameters were measured before and 3 and 24 hours after 800 mg gabapentin was administered in a single oral dose. Gabapentin deepened the ICI and suppressed the ICF at 3 h but not at 5 h after dosing. We conclude that, in the normal human brain, gabapentin may act on intracortical excitability by shifting the balance towards less excitation and more inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral complications are a significant cause of morbidity and potential mortality for children undergoing hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). Oral complications can occur at all stages of HCT and can interfere significantly with transplant recovery. Mucosal disease caused by conditioning regimen toxicity and infection are frequent clinical problems. Untreated dental caries and periodontal disease may result in severe infections of the mouth and/or life-threatening systemic spread of the microbial pathogens. In the course of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which can complicate HCT, lichenoid and ulcerative lesions of the mucosa are observed. Furthermore, total-body irradiation utilized in the conditioning regimens can cause early xerostomia and consequent dental decay and also result in significant dental and skeletal developmental anomalies. The dental health care team should have a key role in the support of HCT patients. The team's primary responsibilities are those related to the prevention of severe infections originating in the mouth, which includes providing instruction on oral prophylaxis and hygiene as well as direct intervention. Prevention and/or diagnosis and management of oral complications of HCT by the dental team can improve the success of a transplant by reducing morbidity, improving the quality of life, and reducing the cost of care. The authors present specific protocols for the diagnosis and prevention and for the management of oral complications in pediatric HCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]