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Purpose: In this multicenter phase 2 feasibility study, we investigated the impact of preoperative accelerated partial breast irradiation (PAPBI) on local control, breast fibrosis, and cosmetic outcome.Methods and Materials: Women aged >60 years with an invasive, unifocal (mammography and magnetic resonance imaging), nonlobular adenocarcinoma of the breast were treated with PAPBI. Six weeks after radiation therapy, a wide local excision was performed. Radiation therapy consisted of 10 × 4 Gy (2010-2013) or 5 × 6 Gy (after 2013) to the tumor (gross target volume) with a 25 mm margin (20 mm from gross target volume to clinical target volume, 5 mm planning target volume).Results: One hundred thirty-three patients treated between 2010 and 2016 were analyzed with a median follow-up of 5.0 years (0.9-8.8 years). Seventy-eight (59%) patients were treated with 10 × 4 Gy in 2 weeks and 55 (41%) patients with 5 × 6 Gy in 1 week. Eighteen postoperative complications (14%) occurred in 15 patients (11%). The proportion of patients with no to mild fibrosis in the treated part of the breast at 2 years and later time points was around 90%. Cosmesis improved over time in several patients: excellent to good cosmetic score as rated by the physician was 68% at 6 months and 92% at 5 years. Seventy-seven percent (6 months) to 82% (5 years) of patients were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their cosmetic outcome. Three recurrences were detected in the biopsy track and 1 recurrence in the ipsilateral breast.Conclusions: PAPBI is a feasible method with a low postoperative complication rate, limited fibrosis, and good to excellent cosmetic outcome. The local recurrence rate was 3% at 5 years; however, no local recurrences were observed since removal of the needle biopsy track. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Close proximity usually shortens the travel distance of reaction intermediates, thus able to promote the catalytic performance of CO 2 hydrogenation by a bifunctional catalyst, such as the widely reported In 2 O 3 /H-ZSM-5. However, nanoscale proximity ( e.g. , powder mixing, PM) more likely causes the fast deactivation of the catalyst, probably due to the migration of metals ( e.g. , In) that not only neutralizes the acid sites of zeolites but also leads to the reconstruction of the In 2 O 3 surface, thus resulting in catalyst deactivation. Additionally, zeolite coking is another potential deactivation factor when dealing with this methanol-mediated CO 2 hydrogenation process. Herein, we reported a facile approach to overcome these three challenges by coating a layer of silicalite-1 (S-1) shell outside a zeolite H-ZSM-5 crystal for the In 2 O 3 /H-ZSM-5-catalyzed CO 2 hydrogenation. More specifically, the S-1 layer (1) restrains the migration of indium that preserved the acidity of H-ZSM-5 and at the same time (2) prevents the over-reduction of the In 2 O 3 phase and (3) improves the catalyst lifetime by suppressing the aromatic cycle in a methanol-to-hydrocarbon conversion step. As such, the activity for the synthesis of C 2 hydrocarbons under nanoscale proximity (PM) was successfully obtained. Moreover, an enhanced performance was observed for the S-1-coated catalyst under microscale proximity ( + , granule mixing, GM) in comparison to the S-1-coating-free counterpart. This work highlights an effective shielding strategy to secure the bifunctional nature of a CO e.g. , granule mixing, GM) in comparison to the S-1-coating-free counterpart. This work highlights an effective shielding strategy to secure the bifunctional nature of a CO 2 hydrogenation catalyst., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

In an era of globalized trade relations where food and pharmaceutical products cross borders effortlessly, consumers face counterfeit and deteriorated products at elevated rates. This paper presents multifunctional, biodegradable hydrogel microparticles that can provide information on the authenticity and the potential deterioration of the tagged food or pharmaceutical formulations. These microparticles integrate spatially patterned authenticity code with two sensors-the first one detects possible presence of pathogenic microbes through monitoring pH while the second one identifies products stored above optimal temperatures via optical monitoring of the microparticle degradation. Particles are synthesized from a biocompatible polymer and a photoinitiator, dextran modified with 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate and riboflavin, respectively, using a continuous, high throughput method stop-flow lithography. The proposed synthesis approach also enables crosslinking with visible light bringing about additional flexibility to flow lithography. Model liquid and solid food and pharmaceutical products are successfully labeled with microparticles and the functionality of the sensors in aqueous solutions is demonstrated., (© 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background and Purpose: The aim of this study is to assess the toxicity and cosmetic outcome of preoperative accelerated partial breast irradiation (PAPBI) for breast cancer patients with low risk on local recurrence., Material and Methods: Women aged ⩾60years with an invasive, unifocal ⩽3cm on MRI, (non-lobular) adenocarcinoma of the breast and a negative sentinel node received PAPBI (40Gray in 10 fractions over 2 weeks). Six weeks after radiotherapy a wide local excision was performed., Results: 70 patients with a median follow-up of 23 months (3-44 months) were evaluated. The overall postoperative infection rate was 11%. At 1, 2 and 3 years of follow-up respectively 89%, 98% and 100% of patients had no or mild induration-fibrosis. Fibrosis was only found in a small volume of the breast. The global cosmetic outcome was good to excellent in 77% at 6 months to 100% at 3 years. Two patients developed a local recurrence., Conclusion: Our first results show limited fibrosis in a small volume and good to excellent cosmetic outcome. In selected patients, preoperative radiotherapy appears to be a good option for breast conserving therapy., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.)