Real world data on long term outcome of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced esthesioneuroblastoma and sinonasal tumor with neuroendocrine differentiation - Results from a single centre study.

INTRODUCTION: Esthesioneuroblastoma and sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinoma (SNEC) are the most common histological subtypes of non-squamous Sinonasal Tumors. A multidisciplinary approach is preferred for locally advanced unresectable esthesioneuroblastoma and SNEC. METHODS: From June 2010 to October 2021, 59 patients with esthesioneuroblastoma and SNEC received NACT. NACT consists of 2-3 cycles of Etoposide-Platinum based chemotherapy. Depending upon response and performance status, subsequent therapy was planned. SPSS descriptive statistics were performed for analysis. Kaplan Meir methods were used for the estimation of Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS). RESULTS: 45 (76.3 %) Esthesioneuroblastoma and 14 (23.7 %) SNEC patients received NACT. The median age of the population was 45 years (range 20-81 years). The majority of patients received 2-3 cycles of Platinum (Cisplatin or Carboplatin) + Etoposide as NACT. 28 patients (47.5%) underwent surgery and 20 patients (33.9%) received definitive chemoradiotherapy after NACT. The most common grade 3 or above adverse events were anemia (13.6%), neutropenia (27.1), and hyponatremia (45.8%). At the time of analysis, the median PFS was 56 months (95% CI 31 months to 77 months), and the median OS was 70 months (95% CI 56 months to 86 months). The most common late toxicities noticed were metabolic syndrome (42.4%), hyperglycemia (39%), nasal bleeding (33.9%), hypertension (17%), dyslipidemia (8.5%), and hypothyroidism (5.1%). CONCLUSION: The study shows that NACT is safe, and can be easily delivered without any life-threatening toxicities, with a favorable response and improved survival in this subset of patients.

Estimation of Functional Connectivity Modulations During Task Engagement and Their Neurovascular Underpinnings Through Hemodynamic Reorganization Method.

This study proposes an approach to understand the effect of task engagement through integrated analysis of modulations in functional networks and associated changes in their neurovascular underpinnings at every voxel. For this purpose, a novel approach that brings reorganization in acquired task-functional magnetic resonance imaging information based on hemodynamic characteristics of every task stimulus is proposed and validated. At first, modulations in functional networks of visual target detection task were estimated at every voxel through proposed methodology. It revealed task stimulus dependency in the modulation of default mode network (DMN). The DMN modulated as task negative network (TNN) during target stimulus. On the contrary, it was not entirely TNN during nontarget stimulus. The frontal-parietal and visual networks modulated as task positive network during both task stimuli. Further, modulations of neurovascular underpinnings associated with engagement of task were estimated by correlating the hemodynamically reorganized task blood oxygen level dependent information with simultaneously acquired electroencephalography frequency powers. It revealed the strong association of neurovascular underpinnings with their modulation of functional networks and the associated neuronal activity during task engagement. Finally, graph theoretical parameters such as local, global efficiency and clustering coefficient were also measured at the specific regions for validating the results of proposed method. Modulation observed in graph theory measures clearly validated the activation and deactivation of functional networks observed by the proposed method during task engagement. Thus, the voxel-wise estimation of task-related modulation of functional networks and associated neurovascular underpinnings through proposed technique provide better insights into neuronal mechanism involved during engagement in a task.

Femtosecond Laser-Induced Plasma Spectrometry of Bimetallic Noble Metal Catalysts.

Femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), a powerful and versatile multi-elemental analysis technique, is employed for quantification of noble metal catalysts (Pt-Pd) loaded on cordierite matrix. The laser-induced plasma was generated on the sample surface using 1 mJ energy from a 50 fs, 1 kHz, Ti-Sa laser system. The spectral emission of the cordierite matrix and noble metals are systematically studied to identify 270.23 nm and 340.42 nm lines for quantitative estimation of Pt and Pd, respectively. Quantification of the LIBS signal is further aided by measurement of excitation temperature and electron density of the laser-ablated plasma. Time-resolved LIBS is used under optimized conditions to evaluate the analytical predictive ability of the technique. Calibration curves for Pt and Pd exhibit good linearity. The limit of detection for Pt and Pd is estimated to be 55 µg/g and 17 µg/g, respectively, of the cordierite matrix.

Reduced Antioxidant Potential of LDL Is Associated With Increased Susceptibility to LDL Peroxidation in Type II Diabetic Patients.

BACKGROUND: Type II diabetes mellitus is a complex heterogeneous group of metabolic conditions characterized by an increased level of blood glucose, due to impairment in insulin action and/or insulin secretion. Hyperglycemia is a major factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in diabetes. Oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein (LDL) is recognized as one of the major processes involved in the early stages of atherosclerosis in type II diabetes. LDL contains different antioxidants, which increase LDL resistance against oxidative modification, this is known as its antioxidant potential (AOP). OBJECTIVES: The present study has been carried out to investigate the sensitivity of LDL to oxidation, AOP of LDL and to assess whether hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus is associated with increased LDL oxidizability, and whether these relationships are related to diabetic complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was carried out on 100 diabetic subjects, divided into two groups according to their glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values, either regulated ( < 0.50 M hexose/ M Hb) or unregulated ( > 0.50 M hexose/ M Hb.) A further 50 healthy subjects were included to determine the sensitivity of LDL oxidation and measurement of LDL AOP. LDL from the serum sample was precipitated by the heparin-citrate precipitation method. The LDL fractions were exposed to oxidation with copper sulphate and their sensitivity to oxidation was evaluated. AOP was measured by taking measurements from 30 subjects in each group. RESULTS: The sensitivity of LDL oxidation was significantly higher in both diabetic groups compared to the control group. AOP was significantly decreased in all diabetic groups compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: In type II diabetes, the increased susceptibility of LDL to oxidation is related to hyperglycemia and low AOP.

Preparation, characterization and biodistribution of ultrafine chitosan nanoparticles.

Chitosan nanoparticles cross-linked with glutaraldehyde have been prepared in AOT/n hexane reverse micellar system. The cross-linking in the polymeric network has been confirmed from FTIR data. Because of the adhesive nature of these particles, their sizes, as measured by QELS, have been found dependent on the particle density in aqueous buffer. The particle size has also been found to vary with the amount of cross-linking. The actual particle size of these chitosan nanoparticles with a particular degree of cross-linking has been determined at infinite dilution of particles in water. The particle size at infinite dilution is approximately 30 nm diameter, when 10% of the amine groups in the polymeric chains have been cross-linked and it shoots up to 110 nm diameter when all the amine groups are cross-linked (100% cross-linked). TEM pictures show that these particles are spherical in shape and remain in the form of aggregation. The biodistribution of these particles after intravenous injections in mice showed that these particles readily evade the RES system and remain in the blood for a considerable amount of time. The gamma image of the rabbit after administration of (99m)Technetium (99mTc) tagged chitosan nanoparticles also confirms the above observation, as the blood pool is readily visible even after 2 h. The gamma picture shows distribution of particles in the heart, liver, kidneys, bladder and the vertebral column. Interestingly, the biodistribution studies of the chitosan nanoparticles have indicated that these particles are distributed in the bone marrow also, implying the possibility of using these nanoparticles for bone imaging and targeting purpose.