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Surgical site infection (SSI) is a significant cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality. As oncologic care advances, the use of surgical adjuncts such as intraoperative ultrasound (US), 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), and neurophysiologic monitoring has increased. This study set out to identify whether the use of surgical adjuncts in supratentorial tumor surgery lead to increased operative time or increased rates of SSI. This is a retrospective study at a large tertiary clinical neurosciences center in the UK. We included all patients who underwent an elective supratentorial craniotomy for a tumor over a 12 month period. We retrospectively assessed whether patients had had a postoperative infection at 30 days or 4 months using our electronic patient record system. A total of 267 patients were included. The median age was 58 years (range: 17–87 years) with roughly equal numbers of men and women (men: 138 of 267, 52%). Most operations were carried out for gliomas (149 of 267, 56%) or metastases (61 of 267, 23%). The median length of surgery was 3 hours 6 minutes, with 24% lasting >4 hours. The overall infection rate was 4.5%. Intraoperative monitoring and 5-ALA was associated with longer operative times although not necessarily larger craniotomy sizes, whereas intraoperative US was associated with a shorter operative time and smaller craniotomy size. These adjuncts were not associated with an increased risk of infection. This study adds reassurance that although some surgical adjuncts lead to increased operative times, in our study there was no apparent increased risk of infection as a result of this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Consensus for the management of PCa recurrence following EBRT is lacking. • Salvage SBRT represents an effective and safe treatment option. • Literature on dosimetric constraints for safe and effective re-irradiation is scarce. • The study provides a useful benchmark for re-irradiation planning. The primary aim of this study is to provide preliminary indications for safe constraints of rectum and bladder in patients re-irradiated with stereotactic body RT (SBRT). Data from patients treated for prostate cancer (PCa) and intraprostatic relapse, from 1998 to 2016, were retrospectively collected. First RT course was delivered with 3D conformal RT techniques, SBRT or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). All patients underwent re-irradiation with SBRT with heavy hypofractionated schedules. Cumulative dose-volume values to organs at risk (OARs) were computed and possible correlation with developed toxicities was investigated. Twenty-six patients were included. Median age at re-irradiation was 75 years, mean interval between the two RT courses was 5.6 years and the median follow-up was 47.7 months (13.4–114.3 months). After re-irradiation, acute and late G ≥ 2 GU toxicity events were reported in 3 (12%) and 10 (38%) patients, respectively, while late G ≥ 2 GI events were reported in 4 (15%) patients. No acute G ≥ 2 GI side effects were registered. Patients receiving an equivalent uniform dose of the two RT treatments < 131 Gy appeared to be at higher risk of progression (4-yr b-PFS: 19% vs 33%, p = 0.145). Cumulative re-irradiation constraints that appear to be safe are D 30% < 57.9 Gy for bladder and D 30% < 66.0 Gy, D 60 % < 38.0 Gy and V 122.1 Gy < 5% for rectum. Preliminary re-irradiation constraints for bladder and rectum have been reported. Our preliminary investigation may serve to clear some grey areas of PCa re-irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pigmented rice varieties are rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds (e.g. anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins). Therefore, their consumption could exert beneficial effects, particularly in people suffering from chronic diseases (e.g., celiac disease). Pigmented rice is commonly consumed as brown rice, but technological treatments could be applied to reduce its cooking time and improve its nutritional value (vitamins and minerals). In this study, two relatively new pigmented varieties (Violet and Orange) were characterized in terms of phenolic content and antioxidant capacity and the impact of two technological treatments (e.g., milling and parboiling) on their phytochemical composition was evaluated. Two pigmented and one non-pigmented Italian varieties were included for comparison. Both technological processes affected the concentration of phenolic compounds and their relative antioxidant property. Although milling mainly reduced the phenolic content and the antioxidant activity, anthocyanins seem to be more affected by parboiling (reduction of 91.5%). Despite the effects of technological treatments on active compounds, pigmented varieties still represent an interesting antioxidant source when compared to the non-pigmented ones. [Display omitted] • Two relatively new pigmented varieties (violet and orange) were characterized. • Pigmented rice varieties showed unique phytochemical characteristics. • Milling and parboiling negatively affected the rice phytochemical compounds. • Pigmented rice still represents an interesting antioxidant source after treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypofractionated proton beam radiotherapy (PBT) is gaining attention in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC). However, there is a large unmet need to define indications, prescription doses and potential adverse events of protons in this clinical scenario. Hence, the present work aims to provide a critical literature revision, and to investigate associations between fractionation schedules/ biological effective doses (BEDs), oncological outcomes and toxicities.Materials and Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis complied with the PRISMA recommendations. Inclusion criteria were: 1) curative-intent hypofractionated PBT for ES-NSCLC (≥3 Gy(RBE)/fraction), 2) report of the clinical outcomes of interest, 3) availability of full-text written in English. The bibliographic search was performed on the NCBI Pubmed, Embase and Scopus in September 2021; no other limitations were applied. The BED was calculated for each included study (α/β = 10 Gy); the median BED for all studies was used as a threshold for stratifying selected evidence into "high" and "low"-dose subgroups. Heterogeneity was tested using chi-square statistics; inconsistency was measured with the I2 index. Pooled estimate was obtained by fitting both the fixed-effect and the DerSimonian and Laird random-effect model.Results: Eight studies and 401 patients were available for the meta-analysis; median follow-up was 32.8 months. The median delivered BED was 105.6 Gy(RBE). A BED ≥ 105.6 Gy(RBE) consistently provided superior OS, CSS, DFS and LC rates (i.e.: 4-year OS: 0.56 [0.34-0.76] for BED < 105.6 Gy(RBE) and 0.78 [0.64-0.88] for BED ≥ 105.6 Gy(RBE)). The meta-analysis of proportions showed a comparable probability of developing acute grade ≥ 2 toxicity between the two groups, while the probability of any late grade ≥ 2 event was almost three-times greater for BED ≥ 105.6 Gy(RBE), with rib fractures being more common in the high dose group.Conclusion: Hypofractionated PBT is a safe and effective treatment option for ES-NSCLC; the delivery of BED ≥ 105.6 Gy(RBE) with advanced techniques for uncertainty management has been associated with improved oncological outcomes across all considered time points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: AIRmax and AIRmin mouse lines show a differential lung inflammatory response and differential lung tumor susceptibility after urethane treatment. The transcript profile of ∼24,000 known genes was analyzed in normal lung tissue of untreated and urethane-treated AIRmax and AIRmin mice. In lungs of untreated mice, inflammation-associated genes involved in pathways such as “leukocyte transendothelial migration”, “cell adhesion” and “tight junctions” were differentially expressed. Moreover, gene expression levels differed significantly in urethane-treated mice; in AIRmin mice, modulation of expression of genes involved in pathways associated with inflammatory response paralleled the previously observed persistent infiltration of inflammatory cells in the lung of these mice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The high diffusion of Plant Food Supplements raised concerns about their safety. • Adverse effects due to PFS are normally mild but some fatal case occurred. • Green tea and valerian were the plants most frequently involved in adverse effects. • Prebiotic fibers were often involved in adverse effects on gastrointestinal system. The use of Plant Food Supplements (PFS) has increased significantly in the last decades. The wide diffusion of these products has raised concerns about their safety and to solve at least some critical points the EU Project PlantLIBRA was financed. The project included among its goals the collection of adverse effects due to PFS; using different sources: 1) the scientific literature; 2) European Poison Centers; 3) the PlantLIBRA consumer survey. New data from the Pavia Poison Centre, ANSES and FDA were elaborated after the end of EU Project. Adverse effects were analysed according to the WHO causal relationship criteria. Valeriana officinalis and Camellia sinensis were the plants most frequently involved in adverse effects in European countries. Although mild/moderate symptomatology were generally described, some severe outcomes occurred, including fatal cases. Nervous and gastrointestinal systems were the main targets; the intestinal disorders were associated with fibres and polyphenols present in some plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus aurantium L. (bitter orange) is frequently used as an ingredient of food supplements aimed to reduce body weight or improve general physical performances. The most active compounds of C. aurantium are amines having adrenergic activity: octopamine, synephrine, tyramine, N-methyl-tyramine and hordenine. The quantification of these amines is critical since their content in food supplements is regulated by national/international rules. Some methods for the quantification of C. aurantium amines have been published, including the official method developed by AOAC, but most of them are not totally satisfactory for the analysis of complex matrixes, such as extracts or food supplements. A new HPLC-UV-fluorescence procedure has therefore been developed; the method is quick and simple, and allows the analysis of samples after a rapid extraction procedure without any further cleaning step. The assay, using one or two detectors, showed good results during the validation tests performed according to the FDA guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Positive sentinel node biopsy (SLNB) after neoadjuvant therapy (NAST) is an issue. • Positive SLNB is associated with high rate of residual positive lymph nodes. • Positive SLNB after NAST warrants treatment of axilla (dissection/radiotherapy-RT) • Predictors of positive axilla lymph nodes distribution might help to tailor RT fields. To assess the rate of positive non-sentinel lymph nodes (non-SLNs) after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST) in breast cancer (BC) following positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). From institutional database, 265 consecutive patients receiving NAST for cT1-3, any N, M0 BC between 2001 and 2018 were identified. Patients presented clinically negative axilla before surgery and were candidate for SLNB. Following metastatic SLNB, completion axillary lymph node dissection (AxLND) was performed. Non-SLNs rate was investigated using multivariate (MV) logistic regression models. The distribution of non-SLNs across the axilla was observed. Positive non-SLNs were found in 62.3% of cases and showed no correlation with SLN metastasis size. At MV, statistically significant variables associated with non-SLNs were older age (p = 0.025), clinically positive lymph nodes (p = 0.002), SLN extracapsular extension (ECE, p = 0.001), and higher ratio of positive SLNs/total SLNs (p = 0.016). ECE and higher nodal ratio were independent predictors of III axillary level positivity. By categorizing patients in intermediate- and high-risk groups using the study variables, positive non-SLNs were found in the range of 23–56% across the three axillary levels, rates which did not support radiotherapy volume de-escalation. The III axillary level lower involvement (6.3%) was better identified with the RAPCHEM trial criteria based on the ypN status after AxLND. Involved non-SLNs rate following positive SLNB after NAST is nearly double the rate observed after primary surgery, supporting some intervention on the axilla. If AxLND is limited to I and II level, the involvement of the III level up to 31% of the cases seems to require some additional treatment, while the omission in selected cases needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Using different platforms for radiomic extraction affects models' performance. • Variables' relevance is inconsistent among platforms. • MRI features are correlated to radiosurgery response in brain metastases from NSCLC. • Higher number of radiomic features does not necessarily imply better performance. Radiomics enables the mining of quantitative features from medical images. The influence of the radiomic feature extraction software on the final performance of models is still a poorly understood topic. This study aimed to investigate the ability of radiomic features extracted by two different radiomic platforms to predict clinical outcomes in patients treated with radiosurgery for brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer. We developed models integrating pre-treatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived radiomic features and clinical data. Pre-radiotherapy gadolinium enhanced axial T1-weighted MRI scans were used. MRI images were re-sampled, intensity-shifted, and histogram-matched before radiomic extraction by means of two different platforms (PyRadiomics and SOPHiA Radiomics). We adopted LASSO Cox regression models for multivariable analyses by creating radiomic, clinical, and combined models using three survival clinical endpoints (local control, distant progression, and overall survival). The statistical analysis was repeated 50 times with different random seeds and the median concordance index was used as performance metric of the models. We analysed 276 metastases from 148 patients. The use of the two platforms resulted in differences in both the quality and the number of extractable features. That led to mismatches in terms of end-to-end performance, statistical significance of radiomic scores, and clinical covariates found significant in combined models. This study shed new light on how extracting radiomic features from the same images using two different platforms could yield several discrepancies. That may lead to acute consequences on drawing conclusions, comparing results across the literature, and translating radiomics into clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Novel cationic cyclometallated Ir(III) complexes bearing diaza- or monoazafluorene substituted or not with a C60-fullerene moiety have been synthesized together with a novel interesting ligand 9-fulleriden-4-monoazafluorene and the related Ir(III) neutral complex [Ir(ppy)2(9-fulleriden-4-monoazafluorene)]. All complexes show a negative large value of μβ 1.907 (−600 to −2190×10−48 esu), as determined by the Electric Field Induced Second Harmonic generation (EFISH) technique working at 1.907μm in 10−3 M CH2Cl2 solution. The NLO response increases upon introduction of the fullerene moiety, due to a decrease of the interaction forces between the anion and cation within the ion pair which leads to an increase of the percentage of free ions, as evidenced by diffusion NMR experiments. Besides, it appeared that for the neutral complex [Ir(ppy)2(9-fulleriden-4-monoazafluorene)] the EFISH μβ 1.907 value is lower than that of cationic Ir(III) complexes, but comparable or slightly lower to the values of other neutral Ir(III) complexes such as [Ir(ppy)2(RCOCR′COR)] (ppy=cyclometallated 2-phenylpyridine; R=Me, Ph; R′=H, 2,4-dinitrophenyl), confirming that the second-order NLO response of these neutral chromophores is dominated by ILCT processes concerning cyclometallated 2-phenylpyridines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: 3-(Aryl)methyl-4-hydroxycoumarins were produced in good to excellent yields by reaction between 4-hydroxycoumarin and (hetero)aromatic aldehydes in the presence of Hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridine (HEH) which works as an hydride donor (i.e., in a sequential Knoevenagel–reductive Michael addition). The sonochemical-assisted procedure (method B) provides an improved and accelerated conversion when compared to conventional silent reactions (method A). Experiments carried out according to method B showed that the reaction could be more efficiently run in the absence of organic solvents, at 30–40°C in open vessel, without the need of an excess HEH and with simplified work-up and separation procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An important role played by trophoblast cells at the feto-maternal interface is to exert immunomodulatory functions, including recognition of bacterial and viral agents and recruitment of leucocytes to eradicate pathogens. In this study we present data showing that the trophoblast cell line HTR8/SVneo and freshly isolated human first trimester trophoblast cells (CTBs) synthesize complement molecules C4, C3 and the late complement components, as assessed by ELISA and RT-PCR. Both cell types secrete C4 and C3, and HTR8/SVneo trophoblast cells secrete C6 in a measurable amount. The expression of C4 by HTR8/SVneo trophoblast cells and of C3 and C4 by CTBs was up-regulated by IFNγ, while IL-1α and TNFα had no effect on the expression of complement components. In conclusion, we show that trophoblast cells produce complement components, and that synthesis of these proteins may be regulated by the pro-inflammatory cytokine IFNγ. Complement synthesis by trophoblast cells potentially contributes to placental immune defence from pathogen infection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: The sialidase Neu2 is a cytosolic enzyme which is fully expressed in mature muscle myofibers. Methods: To investigate Neu2 expression during muscle atrophy, we employed an in vitro model consisting of terminally differentiated C2C12 myotubes exposed to different pro-atrophic stimuli that triggered catabolic pathways involved in proteasome activation or autophagy. Results: Neu2 expression was unchanged in myotubes treated with TNF-alpha, a cytokine known to activate the proteasome. However, Neu2 transcript levels and enzymatic activity were downregulated in starved or dexamethasone-treated myotubes that showed proteosomal activation and several hallmarks of macroautophagy, such as formation of autophagosomes, the accumulation of LC3 dots and bulk degradation of long-lived proteins. Neu2 activity and protein levels were rescued upon cotreatment with the lysosomotropic agent NH4Cl, the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine or cathepsin inhibitors, as well as by insulin administration, but were unaffected upon pharmacological inhibition of the proteasome. Moreover, HA- or GST-Neu2 recombinant fusion proteins were rapidly degraded in vitro by purified cathepsin L and B. Overall, we may conclude that Neu2 is degraded by lysosomal enzymes in myotubes undergoing autophagy-mediated atrophy. General significance: This study demonstrates that Neu2 enzyme degradation occurs in atrophic myotubes via macroautophagy and independently of proteasome activation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]