Quality of life after revision mastoidectomy with mastoid obliteration / Calidad de la vida después mastoidectomia de revisión con obliteración mastoidea

Aims To evaluate the postoperative quality of life (QoL) after revision canal wall down mastoidectomy with mastoid obliteration (rCWD). Material and methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients treated by rCWD for cholesteatoma between 2016 and 2019. A control group including all patients treated by primary canal wall down with mastoid obliteration (pCWD) for cholesteatoma between 2009 and 2014 was used for the comparison of the postoperative QoL, assessed by the COMQ-12. Results The rCWD and pCWD groups respectively counted 38 and 78 patients with an average follow-up of 30 and 62 months respectively. No significant difference was found in terms of QoL between the two groups. An intra-group analysis among rCWD patients, showed that patients treated by canal wall down (CWD) at the primary surgery had a significantly worse post-revision QoL compared to those initially treated by canal wall up (CWU), specifically in the hearing and balance domains of the questionnaire. Conclusions Revision mastoid obliteration leads to similar QoL results to those obtained after primary CWD with obliteration. Patients who had undergone a CWD as primary surgery complain worse hearing and balance problems compared to those primarily submitted to CWU, even after revision surgery. (AU)

Objetivo Evaluar la calidad de la vida (CdV) post-operatoria después de mastoidectomia de revisión con obliteración mastoidea y timpanoplastia abierta. Materiales y métodos Ha sido efectuada una análisis retrospectiva in pacientes afectados por colesteatoma y tratados con mastoidectomia de revision con obliteración mastoidea entre el 2016 y el 2019. Pacientes afectados por colesteatoma y tratados con timpanoplastia abierta primaria con obliteración mastoidea entre el 2009 y el 2014 representan el grupo de control. La CdV post-operatoria ha sido analizada con el cuestionario COMQ-12. Resultados El grupo de estudio y el grupo control cuentan respectivamente 38 y 78 pacientes con un seguimiento medio de 30 y 62 meses. La CdV no era significativamente diferente entre los dos grupos. Una sub-análisis en el grupo de estudio ha demostrado que la CdV era significativamente peor en pacientes primitivamente tratados con timpanoplastia abierta en comparación con pacientes primitivamente tratados con timpanoplastia serrada, en particular en los dominios de la audición y del equilibrio. Conclusiones La CdV obtenida después de la obliteración mastoidea de revisión es comparable a aquella obtenida con timpanoplastia abierta primaria con obliteración mastoidea. Los pacientes sometidos a cirugía de revisión que habían sido tratados con timpanoplastia abierta primaria presentan una CdV peor de los pacientes precedentemente tratados por timpanoplastia cerrada en los dominios de la audición y del equilibrio. (AU)

Quality of life after revision mastoidectomy with mastoid obliteration.

AIMS: To evaluate the postoperative quality of life (QoL) after revision canal wall down mastoidectomy with mastoid obliteration (rCWD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients treated by rCWD for cholesteatoma between 2016 and 2019. A control group including all patients treated by primary canal wall down with mastoid obliteration (pCWD) for cholesteatoma between 2009 and 2014 was used for the comparison of the postoperative QoL, assessed by the COMQ-12. RESULTS: The rCWD and pCWD groups respectively counted 38 and 78 patients with an average follow-up of 30 and 62 months respectively. No significant difference was found in terms of QoL between the two groups. An intra-group analysis among rCWD patients, showed that patients treated by canal wall down (CWD) at the primary surgery had a significantly worse post-revision QoL compared to those initially treated by canal wall up (CWU), specifically in the hearing and balance domains of the questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: Revision mastoid obliteration leads to similar QoL results to those obtained after primary CWD with obliteration. Patients who had undergone a CWD as primary surgery complain worse hearing and balance problems compared to those primarily submitted to CWU, even after revision surgery.

Effect of the Combination of Gold Nanoparticles and Polyelectrolyte Layers on SERS Measurements.

In this study, polyelectrolyte (PE) layers are deposited on substrates made by glass covered with an array of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). In particular, the samples studied have 0 PE layers (GGPE0), 3 PE layers (GGPE3), 11 PE layers (GGPE11), and 21 PE layers (GGPE21). All samples have been studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy. An acetic acid solution (10% v/v) has been used as a standard solution in order to investigate the SERS effect induced by different numbers of PE layers in each sample. The Surface Enhancement Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) effect correlating to the number of PE layers deposited on the samples has been shown. This effect is explained in terms of an increase in the interaction between the photon of the laser source and the plasmonic band of the GNPs due to a change of the permittivity of the surrounding medium around the GNPs. The trends of the ratios of the intensities of the Raman bands of the acetic acid solution (acetic acid and water molecules) on the band at 1098 cm-1 ascribed to the substrates increase, and the number of PE layers increases.

Multivariate Statistics, Mineralogy, and Radiological Hazards Assessment Due to the Natural Radioactivity Content in Pyroclastic Products from Mt. Etna, Sicily, Southern Italy.

In this article, an investigation of the natural radioactivity content of pyroclastic products from Mt. Etna, eastern Sicily, Southern Italy, was carried out. In particular, the assessment of the average activity concentration of the investigated radionuclides, related to the mineralogical phase composition of the analyzed samples, and the radiological health risk for the population, was performed. High Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometry was employed in order to quantify the average specific activity of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K natural radioisotopes. The absorbed gamma dose rate (D), the radium equivalent activity (Raeq), the hazard indices (Hin and Hex), the annual effective dose equivalent outdoor (AEDEout), and the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were also estimated in order to assess any possible radiological hazard for the population. In our case, they were found to be lower than the maximum recommended values for the population members, thus reasonably excluding radiological hazard effects. Moreover, the identification of the source of the aforementioned naturally occurring radionuclides was attempted by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Micro-Raman Scattering (MRS), thereby recognizing the main radioisotope-bearing minerals present in the investigated pyroclastic products. Finally, Pearson correlation, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) were performed by processing observed radioactivity and radiological parameters in order to determine their correlation with the sampling locations.

Radioactivity, Metals Pollution and Mineralogy Assessment of a Beach Stretch from the Ionian Coast of Calabria (Southern Italy).

In the present article, a case study is reported regarding an investigation carried out in order to assess radioactivity concentration, heavy metals pollution and mineralogy of a beach stretch extending from Soverato to Squillace municipalities of the Ionian coast of Calabria, South of Italy, a popular tourist destination, especially in summer. The analysis of radionuclides contents was performed by using a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray detector, in order to quantify the average specific activity of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K natural radionuclides and 137Cs anthropogenic radioisotope. The absorbed dose rate and the annual effective dose equivalent radiological hazard indices were also estimated. Furthermore, X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry measurements were carried out for the quantitative elemental analysis of the sand, in order to investigate any possible chemical pollution by heavy metals. For this aim, different indices such as Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Contamination Factor (CF) and Pollution Load Index (PLI) were applied to estimate the level of toxicity imposed on the ecosystem by the detected heavy metals. Finally, in order to identify the crystalline mineral components of the investigated sand samples, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Micro-Raman Scattering (MRS) measurements were carried out.

Micro-photoluminescence of Carbon Dots Deposited on Twisted Double-Layer Graphene Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Carbon-based nanomaterials, such as carbon dots (CDs) and graphene (Gr), feature outstanding optical and electronic properties. Hence, their integration in optoelectronic and photonic devices is easier thanks to their low dimensionality and offers the possibility to reach high-quality performances. In this context, the combination of CDs and Gr into new nanocomposite materials CDs/Gr can further improve their optoelectronic properties and eventually create new ones, paving the way for the development of advanced carbon nanotechnology. In this work, we have thoroughly investigated the structural and emission properties of CDs deposited on single-layer and bilayer graphene lying on a SiO2/Si substrate. A systematic Raman analysis points out that bilayer (BL) graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition does not always respect the Bernal (AB) stacking, but it is rather a mixture of twisted bilayer (t-BL) featuring domains with different twist angles. Moreover, in-depth micro-photoluminescence measurements, combined with atomic force microscopy (AFM) morphological analysis, show that CD emission efficiency is strongly depleted by the presence of graphene and in particular is dependent on the number of layers as well as on the twist angle of BL graphene. Finally, we propose a model which explains these results on the basis of photoinduced charge-transfer processes, taking into account the energy levels of the hybrid nanosystem formed by coupling CDs with t-BL/SiO2.

High-resolution interference microscopy with spectral resolution for the characterization of individual particles and self-assembled meta-atoms.

We apply a high-resolution interference microscope with spectral resolution to investigate the scattering response of isolated meta-atoms in real space. The final meta-atoms consist of core-shell clusters that are fabricated using a bottom-up approach. The meta-atoms are investigated with an increasing complexity. We start by studying silica and gold spheres and conclude with the investigation of the meta-atom, which consists of a silica core sphere onto which gold nanospheres are attached. Numerical simulations entirely verify the measured data. The measuring process involves recording the intensity and phase of the total field emerging from the scattering process of an incident light at the particle in the transmitted half-space with spectral and high spatial resolution. We show that spectrally resolved high-resolution interference microscopy can be used to differentiate between nanoparticles and characterize single meta-atoms, something that is rarely accomplished.

3D Yolk@Shell TiO2- x/LDH Architecture: Tailored Structure for Visible Light CO2 Conversion.

CO2 photoconversion into hydrocarbon solar fuels by engineered semiconductors is considered as a feasible plan to address global energy requirements in times of global warming. In this regard, three-dimensional yolk@shell hydrogenated TiO2/Co-Al layered double hydroxide (3D Y@S TiO2- x/LDH) architecture was successfully assembled by sequential solvothermal, hydrogen treatment, and hydrothermal preparation steps. This architecture revealed a high efficiency for the photoreduction of CO2 to solar fuels, without a noble metal cocatalyst. The time-dependent experiment indicated that the production of CH3OH was almost selective until 2 h (up to 251 µmol/gcat. h), whereas CH4 was produced gradually by increasing the time of reaction to 12 h (up to 63 µmol/gcat. h). This significant efficiency can be ascribed to the engineering of 3D Y@S TiO2- x/LDH architecture with considerable CO2 sorption ability in mesoporous yolk@shell structure and LDH interlayer spaces. Also, oxygen vacancies in TiO2- x could provide excess sites for sorption, activation, and conversion of CO2. Furthermore, the generated Ti3+ ions in the Y@S TiO2 structure as well as connecting of structure with LDH plates can facilitate the charge separation and decrease the band gap of nanoarchitecture to the visible region.