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Background: Radiation therapy (RT) is a mainstay for the treatment of head and neck (HN) cancers, with 80% of patients receiving such treatment. Radiation-induced malignancies represent a life-threatening long-term effect of RT, with an incidence of 0.5% to 15%. Case Description: After 13 years, a 33-year-old woman treated with chemo-radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma developed a locally advanced, radiation-induced, p16-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) at the base of the tongue. Chemo/immunotherapy was administered as a first-line treatment. Given the optimal response and the feasibility of surgery, after three cycles, the patient underwent a total glossectomy, bilateral neck dissection, and reconstruction with a thoraco-dorsal free flap. A histological examination found SCC with a residual cancer burden of 70% and free margins. Discussion: The mechanisms responsible for carcinogenesis after RT are still not completely clear. Diagnosis may be challenging due to the previous treatment; growth patterns are unusual, and lymphotropism is lower. Prognosis is usually poor since surgical resectability is often not achievable. Conclusions: Radiation-induced malignancies are difficult to treat. Patient management should always be discussed at a multidisciplinary level. Future research is needed to assess whether the promising results of clinical studies with pre-operative immunotherapy in locally advanced HN SCC patients may be translated into radiation-induced cancers.

Abstract Access to clean water is limited by the increasing amount of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), since current methods fail to remove POPs completely. Therefore, new treatment technologies of surface water and wastewater are needed. In this study, two treatment methods are combined in one step, i.e., membrane filtration and thermocatalytic chemical oxidation of POPs. A perovskite‐type catalyst with formula Sr0.85Ce0.15FeO3‐δ (SCF) is incorporated into an alumina membrane using a simple two‐step heat treatment to minimize any chemical reaction of the catalytic active perovskite with alumina. First, a sintering process under inert atmosphere, then, a heat‐treatment under oxidative conditions to oxidize the iron species in the perovskite structure. The well‐known thermocatalytic properties of SCF make the membrane thermocatalytic and thus able to degrade pollutants under dark conditions without addition of oxidants. The SCF content in the membrane is varied between 0 and 15 wt% to explore the change in membrane properties. Results demonstrate that the thermocatalytic membranes have great potential for continuous membrane filtration and simultaneous degradation of POPs. When considering methyl orange, up to 100% removal is obtained at room temperature, whereas up to 93% of bisphenol A is removed at temperatures approaching 60 °C.

BackgroundPregnancy-associated cancer (PAC) occurs during pregnancy or within 12 months after the delivery. Head and neck cancer (HNC) during pregnancy is infrequent, therefore diagnosis and personalized therapy are intricate.MethodsWe investigated outcomes of 15 PAC patients (5 salivary, 4 nasopharyngeal, 3 thyroid, 2 oral cavity, one HPV-related carcinoma) diagnosed in the period 2005-2019. A literature review on PAC is provided.ResultsMedian gestational age at PAC diagnosis was 28 weeks (range: 16–40 weeks) in ten cases, at 5 months after delivery (range: 1 week–6 months) in the remaining five. Treatments included surgery (3 during pregnancy, 5 after childbirth), chemoradiation (8), and 3 patients with upfront metastatic disease received chemotherapy. Median survival was 6.6 years (eight women remain with no evidence of disease six years after diagnosis).ConclusionAll patients received state-of-the-art therapy, with encouraging long-term results, highlighting treatment safety in women with HNC during pregnancy.

Background: Numerous options to manage local reconstruction following transoral partial glossectomy are possible. In this work, we present our experience using a matrix for mucosal regeneration, Integra®, after transoral resections of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients treated for tongue carcinoma and reconstruction with Integra®, from September 2017 to September 2022. Functional outcomes were evaluated by measuring swallowing and speech abilities, tongue motility, and subjective quality of life. Results: The series accounts for 13 consecutive patients, staged from Tis to T3, no positive resection margins were found, average defect size was 17.8 cm2. The average histologically measured depth of invasion was 4.1 mm (range 2–12 mm), and no recurrences were observed during follow-up. All patients maintained excellent swallowing function, the average number of recognized words by an external listener during a phone call was 70.5 out of 75, the lingual motility test was good (a mean score of 4.5 out of 6 movements correctly executed) and subjective questionnaires results were optimal. Less satisfying functional results were recorded in elderly patients receiving a wider surgical resection. Conclusions: This reconstructive technique for allows obtaining optimal healing and functional outcomes in patients with tumors suitable for transoral glossectomy.

Abstract Around the world, the 2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has raised serious public health problems and major medical challenges. The Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP) published several papers on the impact of COVID-19 on the current management, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic gastrointestinal, hepatic, immune-mediated, and functional disorders. The present article summarizes the most relevant SIGENP reports and consensus during and after the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, including the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), indications and timing of digestive endoscopy, and insights into the novel hepatitis.

Abstract Manganese(III/IV) oxide is a promising pseudocapacitive material for supercapacitor electrodes due to favorable attributes such as its chemical resilience, high earth abundance and low specific cost. Herein, the morphological, compositional and electrochemical characteristics of co‐precipitated manganese(III/IV) oxide products, each described by the general formula NaxKyMnOz, are investigated to establish how these properties are influenced by synthesis conditions. NaxKyMnOz growths in low‐temperature (

Mechanical stimulation, such as fluid-induced wall shear stress (WSS), is known that can influence the cellular behaviours. Therefore, in some tissue engineering experiments in vitro, mechanical stimulation is applied via bioreactors to the cells in cell culturing to study cell physiology and pathology. In 3D cell culturing, porous scaffolds are used for housing the cells. It is known that the scaffold porous geometries can influence the scaffold permeability and internal WSS in a bioreactor (such as perfusion bioreactor). To calculate the WSS generated on cells within scaffolds, usually computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is needed. However, the limitations of the computational method for WSS calculation are: (i) the high time cost of the CFD simulation (in particular for the highly irregular geometries); (ii) accessibility to the CFD model for some cell culturing experimentalists due to the knowledge gap. To address these limitations, this study aims to develop an empirical model for calculating the WSS based on scaffold permeability. This model can allow the tissue engineers to efficiently calculate the WSS generated within the scaffold and/or determine the bioreactor loading without performing the computational simulations.

IntroductionThe study assessed outcomes and toxicities of different treatment modalities for local and/or regional recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in a non-endemic area.MethodsPatients treated with curative intent for recurrent NPC with salvage surgery, photon-based radiotherapy, proton therapy (PT), with or without chemotherapy, at different Italian referral centers between 1998 and 2020 were included. Adverse events and complications were classified according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Characteristics of the patients, tumors, treatments, and complications are presented along with uni- and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors. A survival predictive nomogram is also provided.ResultsA total of 140 patients treated from 1998 to 2020 were retrospectively assessed. Cases with lower age, comorbidity rate, stage, and shorter disease-free interval (DFI) preferentially underwent endoscopic surgery. More advanced cases underwent re-irradiation, fairly distributed between photon-based radiotherapy and PT. Age and DFI were independent factors influencing overall survival. No independent prognostic effect of treatment modality was observed. No significant difference in the morbidity profile of treatments was observed, with 40% of patients experiencing at least one adverse event classified as G3 or higher.ConclusionRecurrent NPC in a non-endemic area has dissimilar aspects compared to its endemic counterpart, suggesting the need for further studies that can guide the choice of the best treatment modality.

Abstract Background Inflammatory blood markers have been associated with oncological outcomes in several cancers, but evidence for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is scanty. Therefore, this study aims at investigating the association between five different inflammatory blood markers and several oncological outcomes. Methods This multi-centre retrospective analysis included 925 consecutive patients with primary HPV-negative HNSCC (median age: 68 years) diagnosed between April 2004 and June 2018, whose pre-treatment blood parameters were available. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic inflammatory marker (SIM), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) were calculated; their associations with local, regional, and distant failure, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) was calculated. Results The median follow-up was 53 months. All five indexes were significantly associated with OS; the highest accuracy in predicting patients’ survival was found for SIM (10-year OS = 53.2% for SIM

SiO2@TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via a simple, reproducible, and low-cost method and tested for methylene blue adsorption and UV photodegradation, with a view to their application in wastewater treatment. The monodisperse SiO2 core was obtained by the classical Stöber method and then coated with a thin layer of TiO2, followed by calcination or hydrothermal treatments. The properties of SiO2@TiO2 core-shell NPs resulted from the synergy between the photocatalytic properties of TiO2 and the adsorptive properties of SiO2. The synthesized NPs were characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy, HR-TEM, FE–SEM, and EDS. Zeta potential, specific surface area, and porosity were also determined. The results show that the synthesized SiO2@TiO2 NPs that are hydrothermally treated have similar behaviors and properties regardless of the hydrothermal treatment type and synthesis scale and better performance compared to the SiO2@TiO2 calcined and TiO2 reference samples. The generation of reactive species was determined by EPR, and the photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the methylene blue (MB) removal in aqueous solution under UV light. Hydrothermally treated SiO2@TiO2 showed the highest adsorption capacity and photocatalytic removal of almost 100% of MB after 15 min in UV light, 55 and 89% higher compared to SiO2 and TiO2 reference samples, respectively, while the SiO2@TiO2 calcined sample showed 80%. It was also observed that the SiO2-containing samples showed a considerable adsorption capacity compared to the TiO2 reference sample, which improved the MB removal. These results demonstrate the efficient synergy effect between SiO2 and TiO2, which enhances both the adsorption and photocatalytic properties of the nanomaterial. A possible photocatalytic mechanism was also proposed. Also noteworthy is that the performance of the upscaled HT1 sample was similar to one of the lab-scale synthesized samples, demonstrating the potentiality of this synthesis methodology in producing candidate nanomaterials for the removal of contaminants from wastewater.

Abstract Objective Recently, a novel host‐related index, the Host‐index (H‐index), including both inflammatory and nutritional markers, has been described and observed to stratify prognosis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity more accurately than other host‐related indexes This study aimed to investigate the prognostic performance of the H‐index using pretreatment blood tests in patients receiving up‐front surgery for SCC of the larynx. Methods This retrospective observational study included a multicenter series of consecutive patients with SCC of the larynx diagnosed between 1 January 2009 and 31 July 2018, whose pretreatment blood tests were available and included the parameters necessary for the calculation of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the H‐index. Their association with disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was measured. Results A total of 231 patients were eligible for the present analysis (median [range] age, 68 [37‐96] years; 191 [82.7%] men). The median follow‐up was 73 months. In multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models, increasing age (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.07 per year; 95% CI, 1.04‐1.09), advanced pT stage (aHR = 1.71 95% CI: 1.07‐2.71), and having close or positive surgical margins (aHR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.21‐3.33) were significantly associated with poor OS. Among blood parameters, a higher neutrophil count was a strong predictor of both worse DFS (aHR for recurrence/death = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.24‐4.40) and OS (aHR for death = 2.67; 95% CI: 1.51‐4.71). Among inflammatory blood indexes, while NLR was not significantly associated with DFS or OS, patients with H‐index ≥8.37 showed a higher aHR for both recurrence/death (2.82; 95% CI: 1.65‐4.79) and death (2.22; 95% CI: 1.26‐3.89). Conclusion In conclusion, the present study confirms the prognostic value of pretreatment H‐index, an easily measurable inflammatory and nutritional index, in patients with SCC of the larynx. Level of Evidence III