The nervous system is one of the most complex expressions of biological evolution. Its high performance mostly relies on the basic principle of the action potential, a sequential activation of local ionic currents along the neural fiber. The implications of this essentially electrical phenomenon subsequently emerged in a more comprehensive electromagnetic perspective of neurotransmission. Several studies focused on the possible role of photons in neural communication and provided evidence of the transfer of photons through myelinated axons. A hypothesis is that myelin sheath would behave as an optical waveguide, although the source of photons is controversial. In a previous work, we proposed a model describing how photons would arise at the node of Ranvier. In this study we experimentally detected photons in the node of Ranvier by Ag+ photoreduction measurement technique, during electrically induced nerve activity. Our results suggest that in association to the action potential a photonic radiation takes place in the node.
Background: In this prospective study, we hypothesized that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may represent not only the tumor but also the microenvironment, reflecting the heterogeneity and microstructural complexity of neoplasms. We investigated the correlation between both diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI with the pathological factors in oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). Methods: A total of 37 patients with newly diagnosed OSCCs underwent an MR examination on a 3T system. The diffusion coefficient (D), the kurtosis parameter (K), the transfer constants Ktrans and Kep and the volume of extravascular extracellular space ve were quantified. A histogram-based approach was proposed to investigate the associations between the imaging and the pathological factors based on the histology and immunochemistry. Results: Significant differences in the DCE-MRI and DKI parameters were found in relation to the inflammatory infiltrate, tumor grading, keratinization and desmoplastic reaction. Relevant relationships emerged between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and DKI, with lower D and higher K values being associated with increased TILs. Conclusion: Although a further investigation is needed, these findings provide a more comprehensive biological characterization of OSCCs and may contribute to a better understanding of DKI-derived parameters, whose biophysical meaning is still not well-defined.
Background: Excessive waiting time intervals for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer can influence their prognosis but they remain unclear. The objective was to describe time intervals from the medical visit to diagnostic imaging and to treatment and their prognostic impact in pancreatic cancer in one French region. Methods: This retrospective observational multicentre study included all patients with pancreatic cancer seen for the first time in 2017 in multidisciplinary team meetings (MTMs), where clinical data were collected. A probabilistic matching with the medico-administrative data from the French national healthcare database ( Système National des Données de Santé) was performed to define the care pathway from clinical presentation to the beginning of treatment. Median key time intervals were estimated for both resected and unresected tumours. Factors associated with 1-year survival were studied using Cox model. Results: A total of 324 patients (88% of total patients with MTM presentation) were matched and included: male 54%, mean age 72 years ±9.2, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) PS > 1 19.5%, metastatic disease at diagnosis 47.4%, tumour resection 16%. At 1 year, 57% had died (65% in the unresected group and 17% in the resected group). The median time interval from the medical visit to diagnostic imaging was 15 days [Q1–Q3: 8–44]. After imaging, median time intervals to definite diagnosis and to first treatment were 11 and 20 days, respectively. Significant prognostic factors associated with the risk of death at 1 year were ECOG PS > 1 (hazard ratio (HR) 2.1 [1.4–3.0]), metastasis (HR 2.7 [1.9–3.9]), no tumour resection (HR 2.7 [1.3–5.6]) and time interval between the medical visit and diagnostic imaging ⩾25 days (HR 1.7 [1.2–2.3]). Conclusion: Delay in access to diagnostic imaging impacted survival in patients with pancreatic cancer, regardless of whether tumour resection had been performed.
Objectives To estimate the prevalence of malnutrition in elderly cancer patients and its association with frailty and primary cancer treatment recommendations in patients with the two most prevalent cancers (colorectal cancer, CRC and breast cancer, BC) in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Methods The entire cohort of 704 patients aged 75 years or older presenting with cancer who underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) between 2014 and 2017 was included. Nutritional status, frailty (defined by the Balducci classification system based on CGA parameters and comorbidity), and pathological criteria were analyzed in terms of the cancer treatment recommendations suggested by geriatricians both in the whole cohort and in those with CRC and BC. Results In the whole group of 704 patients (84.3 +/- 4.8 years), the prevalence of malnutrition was 62.9%, and was higher in CRC than in BC patients (71.1% vs 55.4%, P < 0.01). In a multivariate analysis, malnutrition and frailty (as determined by the Balducci classification system) were independently related in CRC patients (OR: 7.28, 95%CI, 1.58~34.03; P = 0.012) and were unrelated to metastasis [odds ratio (OR): 1.34, 95%CI, 0.56~3.18; P = 0.5]. By contrast, malnutrition in BC patients was related exclusively to the extent of metastasis (OR: 3.52, 95%CI, 1.50~8.24; P = 0.002). It was also demonstrated that geriatricians had a greater tendency to suggest only palliative care to CRC patients presenting with malnutrition (15.4% vs 2.7%, P = 0.006) than to BC patients (9.8% vs 5.4%, NS). Conclusion Malnutrition in elderly cancer patients is prevalent, especially in those with colorectal cancer, where malnutrition is frailty-related and may strongly impact on cancer treatment strategies.
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