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The ITER ECH&CD system is designed to inject 20 MW of millimetre-wave at 170 GHz into the vacuum vessel. The system is composed of many sub-systems, namely High-Voltage Power Supplies (HVPS), Gyrotrons, Transmission Lines (TL), Ex-vessel Waveguides (EW), Launchers. It is the role of the EC Plant Controller (ECPC) to integrate all the Sub-system Control Units (SCU), to prepare the system for operation and to execute the real-time requests coming from the plasma control system. The ECPC also implements plant level protection functions involving more than one sub-system and it interfaces with the ITER Central I&C. This paper gives an overview of the EC system and a description of the control system development focusing on the architecture and the interfaces. Control and protection functions are presented together with a functional allocation to better define interfaces and responsibilities. The preliminary design of the interface with the Plasma Control System to implement advanced control functions is also presented.

The ITER ECH&CD system is designed to inject 20 MW of millimetre-wave at 170 GHz into the vacuum vessel. The system is composed of many sub-systems, namely High-Voltage Power Supplies (HVPS), Gyrotrons, Transmission Lines (TL), Ex-vessel Waveguides (EW), Launchers. It is the role of the EC Plant Controller (ECPC) to integrate all the Sub-system Control Units (SCU), to prepare the system for operation and to execute the real-time requests coming from the plasma control system. The ECPC also implements plant level protection functions involving more than one sub-system and it interfaces with the ITER Central I&C. This paper gives an overview of the EC system and a description of the control system development focusing on the architecture and the interfaces. Control and protection functions are presented together with a functional allocation to better define interfaces and responsibilities. The preliminary design of the interface with the Plasma Control System to implement advanced control functions is also presented.

Pericardial mesothelioma (PM) is an extremely rare cancer with a poor prognosis and no consensus on diagnostic and therapeutic management. We conducted a registry-based study on PM cases in Italy diagnosed between 1993 and 2021. Based on data from the Italian National Mesothelioma Registry (ReNaM), we performed a descriptive analysis of PM cases including clinical presentation, diagnostic work-up, asbestos exposure, and therapeutic management. Overall survival was calculated. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for selected variables were estimated with univariate and multivariate Cox models. We identified 72 cases (46 men and 26 women). Median age was 66 years (range 22-89). The most frequent histological subtypes were epithelioid and unspecified mesothelioma. Almost two-thirds of cases had been exposed to asbestos. The most common clinical presentation was pericardial effusion. Overall median survival was 2.8 months (95% CI 1.2-6.6) and older age at diagnosis was a negative prognostic factor. Clinical and treatment data were available for 47 patients (65%). Approximately one out of two patients underwent surgery (palliative, in one-third of cases). Adjuvant therapy was administered to seven patients (15%). In cases with treatment information, sarcomatoid subtype (HR 2.74, 95% CI: 1.06-7.06) was a negative prognostic factor; adjuvant therapy was associated with better survival (HR 0.38, 95% CI 0.14-1.02), but confounding by indication cannot be excluded. We confirmed the very poor prognosis of PM. An international network collecting PM cases with treatment information is needed to improve patient quality of life and survival.

Fewer studies compared the improvement of plasma lipid levels after different types of surgery, in particular compared to one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB). The aim of our study was to investigate how laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and OAGB impact on weight loss and lipid profile 18 months after surgery, in patients with severe obesity. Forty-six patients treated with OAGB were matched to eighty-eight patients submitted to LSG. Weight loss after OAGB (33.2%) was more evident than after LSG (29.6%) (p = 0.024). The difference in the prevalence of dyslipidemia showed a statistically significant reduction only after OAGB (61% versus 22%, p < 0.001). After adjustment for delta body mass index (BMI), age and sex, we demonstrated a statistically significant decrease of the differences between the changes before and after (delta Δ) the two surgery procedures: Δ total cholesterol values (p < 0.001), Δ low density lipoprotein-cholesterol values (p < 0.001) and Δ triglycerides values (p = 0.007). Patients with severe obesity undergoing to OAGB presented a better improvement of lipid plasma values than LSG patients. The reduction of lipid plasma levels was independent of the significant decrease of BMI after surgery, of age and of sex.

A definitive relationship between adiposity and MP production is yet to be demonstrated. The aim of our study was to prospectively evaluate the levels of microparticles (MP) in a group of 20 III degree obese patients before and after weight loss. Plasma levels of annexin V-MP, endothelial-derived MP, platelet-derived MP (CD61+ and P-Selectin+), leukocyte-derived MP, tissue factor-bearing (TF+) and CD36+MP were prospectively measured in 20 patients with III degree obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m 2 ) before (T0) and 3 (T3) and 12 (T12) months after sleeve gastrectomy (SLG). Obese patients had lost 18 % of their body weight at T3 and 41 % at T12. We find that considering all MP, except for endothelial-derived MP, which had significantly decreased at T3, all MP subtypes had significantly decreased at T12. At T12, subjects showed a higher median level of all types of MP, except endothelial-derived MP, compared to T3, but without a statistically significant difference. The percentages of reduction of all the MP were significantly correlated with the percentage of reduction of BMI. The reductions of leukocyte-derived, TF+ and CD36+MP were significantly correlated with the reduction of leptin. Moreover, the reductions of leukocyte-derived and CD36+MP were significantly correlated with hs-CRP decrease. The decrease of BMI post-SLG in morbid obesity was matched with a decrease of circulating MP of endothelial, platelet, leukocyte origin, TF+ and CD36+. A trend of slight increase in all MP subtypes, except endothelial-derived, was detected 12 months after gastrectomy, indicating a possible underlying slow low-grade inflammatory/hypercoagulability state from adipose tissue before the potential overt weight gain.