Chemoradiation of locally advanced biliary cancer: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review.

Introduction: Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are rare and aggressive neoplasms. The current management of locally advanced or unresectable BTC is primarily based on chemotherapy (CHT) alone, linked to a median overall survival (OS) of approximately 12 months. However, international guidelines still consider concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) as an alternative treatment option.

Development of a predictive model for patients with bone metastases referred to palliative radiotherapy: Secondary analysis of a multicenter study (the PRAIS trial).

Background: The decision to administer palliative radiotherapy (RT) to patients with bone metastases (BMs), as well as the selection of treatment protocols (dose, fractionation), requires an accurate assessment of survival expectancy. In this study, we aimed to develop three predictive models (PMs) to estimate short-, intermediate-, and long-term overall survival (OS) for patients in this clinical setting.

Materials And Methods: This study constitutes a sub-analysis of the PRAIS trial, a longitudinal observational study collecting data from patients referred to participating centers to receive palliative RT for cancer-induced bone pain.

Recycling of Rare Earth Elements: From E-Waste to Stereoselective Catalytic Reactions.

Raw mixtures of Rare Earths Elements, REE, recovered by E-waste, were used as catalysts to promote the (stereoselective) synthesis of highly valuable compounds. YO, the major species that is recovered by the E-waste, can be easily converted into the catalytically active Y(OTf) that is able to efficiently promote the Michael addition of indoles to benzylidene malonates and the stereoselective Diels-Alder cycloaddition between cyclopentadiene and 4-(S)-3 acryloyl 4-tert-butyl 2-oxazolidinone. Additionally, the raw mixtures were immobilissed onto silica and used to construct packed reactors, resulting in values for Productivity and Space-Time Yields that were significantly higher than those of the corresponding batch conversions.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy: an educational review.

This educational review provides information about the epidemiology of diabetes and heart failure (diabetic cardiomyopathy) and the challenges in diagnosis and screening. Details on how to investigate patients with imaging and other modalities are discussed, as well as an update regarding the efficacy and safety of novel agents for treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Effects of non-invasive respiratory support in post-operative patients: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Re-intubation secondary to post-extubation respiratory failure in post-operative patients is associated with increased patient morbidity and mortality. Non-invasive respiratory support (NRS) alternative to conventional oxygen therapy (COT), i.e.

Augmented reality in brachytherapy: A narrative review.

Brachytherapy (BRT) plays a pivotal role in the treatment of tumors, offering precise radiation therapy directly to the affected area. However, this technique demands extensive training and skills development, posing challenges for widespread adoption and ensuring patient safety. This narrative review explored the utilization of augmented reality (AR) in BRT, seeking to summarize existing evidence, discuss key findings, limitations, and quality of research as well as outline future research directions.

Sarcopenic Obesity in Cervical Carcinoma: A Strong and Independent Prognostic Factor beyond the Conventional Predictors (ESTHER Study-AFRAID Project).

Locally advanced cervical cancer represents a significant treatment challenge. Body composition parameters such as body mass index, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity, defined by sarcopenia and BMI ≥ 30 kg/m, have been identified as potential prognostic factors, yet their overall impact remains underexplored. This study assessed the relationship between these anthropometric parameters alongside clinical prognostic factors on the prognosis of 173 cervical cancer patients.

Fungal Infections and Colonization after Bilateral Lung Transplant: A Six-Year Single-Center Experience.

Fungal infections (FIs) are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality within the first year of lung transplant (LT) in LT recipients (LTRs). Their prompt identification and treatment are crucial for a favorable LTR outcome. The objectives of our study were to assess (i) the FI incidence and colonization during the first year after a bilateral LT, (ii) the risk factors associated with FI and colonization, and (iii) the differences in fungal incidence according to the different prophylactic strategies.

Complete metabolic response after Partially Ablative Radiotherapy (PAR) for bulky retroperitoneal liposarcoma: A case report.

In the management of symptomatic inoperable retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS), palliative radiotherapy (RT) is a potential treatment option. However, the efficacy of low doses used in palliative RT is limited in these radioresistant tumors. Therefore, exploring dose escalation strategies targeting specific regions of the tumor may enhance the therapeutic effect of RT in relieving or preventing symptoms.

Decoding the Complexity of Systemic Inflammation Predictors in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer, with Hemoglobin as the Hidden Key (the ESTHER Study).

Locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) is treated with concurrent chemoradiation (CRT). Predictive models could improve the outcome through treatment personalization. Several factors influence prognosis in LACC, but the role of systemic inflammation indices (IIs) is unclear.

The role of training simulators in interventional radiation therapy (brachytherapy) training: A narrative review.

Simulators have revolutionized medical education and training across various disciplines, offering unique advantages in skill acquisition and performance improvement. In the context of interventional radiation therapy (IRT), simulators have emerged as valuable tools for training healthcare professionals in these complex procedures. This narrative review summarized the available evidence on the use of simulators in IRT training, highlighting their impact on proficiency, engagement, and self-confidence as well as their benefits for medical physicists and radiation therapists.

Classical Prognostic Factors Predict Prognosis Better than Inflammatory Indices in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: Results of a Comprehensive Observational Study including Tumor-, Patient-, and Treatment-Related Data (ESTHER Study).

Systemic inflammation indices were found to be correlated with therapeutic outcome in several cancers. This study retrospectively analyzes the predictive role of a broad range of systemic inflammatory markers in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) including patient-, tumor-, and treatment-related potential prognostic factors. All patients underwent definitive chemoradiation and pretreatment values of several inflammatory indices (neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio, monocyte/lymphocyte ratio, systemic immune inflammation index (SII), leukocyte/lymphocyte ratio, combination of platelet count and NLR, aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index, aspartate aminotransferase/lymphocyte ratio index, systemic inflammatory response index, and aspartate transaminase/neutrophil ratio index) were calculated.

Oxytocin system polymorphisms rs237887 and rs2740210 variants increase the risk of depression in pregnant women with early abuse.

Prepartum depression is associated with early adversity, pregnancy complications, preterm delivery, postpartum depression, and long-term effects on child neurodevelopment. The oxytocin (OXT) system is affected by early adverse experiences and has been associated with depression. In the current study, we investigated risk factors for prenatal depressive symptoms, mainly the effects of early childhood and adolescence trauma, in combination with the presence of certain variants of polymorphisms of OXT and OXT receptor (OXTR) genes.

Recovery of Valuable Materials from End-of-Life Photovoltaic Solar Panels.

The disposal of end-of-life (EOL) photovoltaic solar panels has become a relevant environmental issue as they are considered to be a hazardous electronic waste. On the other hand, enormous benefits are achieved from recovering valuable metals and materials from such waste. Eventually, physical and chemical processing will become the most important stages during the recycling process.

Stereoselective [2 + 2] photodimerization: a viable strategy for the synthesis of enantiopure cyclobutane derivatives.

The [2 + 2] photodimerization of cinnamic acid derivatives to afford enantiopure cyclobutanes has been investigated. The use of a chiral auxiliary represents a convenient and straightforward method to exert enantiocontrol on the reaction. By exploiting Evans oxazolidinones, the stereoselective light-driven cyclisation affords a functionalised cyclobutane ring with up to 99% enantiocontrol after removing the chiral auxiliary.

How smart is artificial intelligence in organs delineation? Testing a CE and FDA-approved Deep-Learning tool using multiple expert contours delineated on planning CT images.

Background: A CE- and FDA-approved cloud-based Deep learning (DL)-tool for automatic organs at risk (OARs) and clinical target volumes segmentation on computer tomography images is available. Before its implementation in the clinical practice, an independent external validation was conducted.

Methods: At least a senior and two in training Radiation Oncologists (ROs) manually contoured the volumes of interest (VOIs) for 6 tumoral sites.

New Materials and Technologies for Durability and Conservation of Building Heritage.

The increase in concrete structures' durability is a milestone to improve the sustainability of buildings and infrastructures. In order to ensure a prolonged service life, it is necessary to detect the deterioration of materials by means of monitoring systems aimed at evaluating not only the penetration of aggressive substances into concrete but also the corrosion of carbon-steel reinforcement. Therefore, proper data collection makes it possible to plan suitable restoration works which can be carried out with traditional or innovative techniques and materials.

Thyroid function disorders and secondary cancer following haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in pediatrics: State of the art and practical recommendations for a risk-based follow-up.

Thyroid disorders (TD) represent a remarkable share of all the late morbidities experienced following pediatric haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), with long-term reported occurrence often exceeding 70%. In addition, the data collected on wide cohorts of survivors assessed longitudinally outlined a progressive increase in the cumulative incidence of TD as far as 30 years following transplantation. Accordingly, a life-long monitoring of thyroid health is warranted among patients exposed to HSCT in childhood, in order to early detect TD and undertake a prompt dedicated treatment.

Green Synthesis of Spiro Compounds with Potential Anticancer Activity through Knoevenagel/Michael/Cyclization Multicomponent Domino Reactions Organocatalyzed by Ionic Liquid and Microwave-Assisted.

In this work a microwave-assisted Knoevenagel/Michael/cyclization multicomponent domino methodology, using ethanol as solvent and the ionic liquid 1-methylimidazolium chloride as catalyst was developed for the synthesis of spiro compounds. The reaction conditions considered ideal were determined from a methodological study varying solvent, catalyst, amount of catalyst, temperature, and heating mode. Finally, the generality of the methodology was evaluated by exploring the scope of the reaction, varying the starting materials (isatin, malononitrile, and barbituric acid).

Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sarcopenia but Were Afraid to Ask: A Quick Guide for Radiation Oncologists (Impact of Sarcopenia in Radiotherapy: The AFRAID Project).

Sarcopenia (SP) is a syndrome characterized by age-associated loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. SP worsens both acute and late radiation-induced toxicity, prognosis, and quality of life. Myosteatosis is a pathological infiltration of muscle tissue by adipose tissue which often precedes SP and has a proven correlation with prognosis in cancer patients.

From Survey Results to a Decision-Making Matrix for Strategic Planning in Healthcare: The Case of Clinical Pathways.

Background: It is a well-known fact that the information obtained from a survey can be used in a healthcare organizational analysis; however, it is very difficult to compare the different results found in the literature to each other, even through the use of metanalysis, as the methodology is often not consistent.

Methods: Data from a survey analyzing the organizational and managerial responses adopted in pathology-specific clinical pathways (CPs) during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic were used for constructing a decisional matrix, a tool called SPRIS system, consisting of four different sheets. The first sheet reports the results of the survey and, using a streetlight color system, identifies strengths and weaknesses; the second one, by assigning a priority score, establishes the priority of intervention on each of the strengths and weaknesses identified; the third sheet reports the subjective items of the questionnaire in order to identify threats and opportunities and their probability of happening; in the last sheet, a SWOT Analysis is used to calculate the performance index of the whole organization.

Impact and Treatment of Sarcopenia in Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy: A Multidisciplinary, AMSTAR-2 Compliant Review of Systematic Reviews and Metanalyses.

Background: Sarcopenia (SP) is defined as the quantitative and functional impairment of skeletal muscles. SP is commonly related to older age and is frequent in patients with cancer. To provide an overview of SP in patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) and to evaluate the current evidence, we analyzed the available systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Thyroid Disorders Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Childhood: Impact of Conditioning Regimen on Thyroid Dysfunction, Volume Changes, and Occurrence of Nodules.

Thyroid late effects are among the most frequent sequelae reported after pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Although the detrimental effects of radiotherapy on the developing thyroid gland have been extensively assessed, the role of chemotherapy-only conditioning regimens remains controversial. We aimed to describe the occurrence, monitoring, and management of thyroid function disorders (ie, Graves disease, Hashimoto thyroiditis, and nonautoimmune hypothyroidism), nodules, and volumetric changes over a 20-year observation period in a single pediatric transplantation unit.

Metastasis-Free Survival and Patterns of Distant Metastatic Disease After Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Positron Emission Tomography (PSMA-PET)-Guided Salvage Radiation Therapy in Recurrent or Persistent Prostate Cancer After Prostatectomy.

Purpose: Prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (PSMA-PET) is increasingly used to guide salvage radiation therapy (sRT) in patients with prostate cancer and biochemical recurrence/persistence after prostatectomy. This work examined (1) metastasis-free survival (MFS) after PSMA-PET guided sRT and (2) the metastatic patterns on PSMA-PET images after sRT.

Methods And Materials: This retrospective, multicenter (9 centers, 5 countries) study included patients referred for PSMA-PET due to recurrent/persistent disease after prostatectomy.

CARE-compliant stereotactic radiotherapy of urothelial nodal metastases: A case report.

The aim of the present study was to report the case of a 58-year-old male patient with ureteral carcinoma who underwent ureteroileostomy treatment. At 2 years following surgery, six lymph node metastases (LNMs) were detected in the patient's para-aortic and pelvic regions using F-labeled fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT. All LNMs were treated using stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT; 35-40 Gy/5 fractions).