Diagnosis of EGPA Syndrome in a Patient With Chronic Polypoid Rhinosinusitis Presenting as Loeffler Syndrome.

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Calcium Ascorbate Coating Improves Postharvest Quality and Storability of Fresh-Cut Slices of Coscia and Abate Fétel Pears (Pyrus communis L.)

Flesh firmness is closely related to fruit ripeness and is typically a reliable indicator of shelf-life potential so it could be considered a crucial quality index for the determination of pear quality. Flesh softening after cutting could considerably affect consumer acceptance of fresh-cut pears (Pyrus communis L.). Indeed, mechanical stress (cutting, peeling, etc.) could lead to ethylene production that results in the hydrolysis of pectic substances in the cell walls. The effectiveness of an edible coating treatment on the physical-chemical, nutraceutical, and sensorial analysis was evaluated on two pear cultivars: the summer-ripening ‘Coscia’ and the late-ripening ‘Abate Fétel’, both harvested at their commercial ripening stage. Pear fruit slices were treated with calcium ascorbate, xanthan gum or HPMC coating and stored at 4◦C for 12 days. Weight loss, flesh firmness, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, ∆E color, browning surface, total polyphenol content, and antioxidant capacity were measured. Sensory analysis was carried out. Results showed that calcium ascorbate treatment applied to fruit slices significantly extended their shelf-life because it considerably inhibited browning and color changes in fresh-cut slices of both pear cultivars over seven days of storage. Furthermore, pear slices treated with calcium ascorbate revealed a higher antioxidant capacity and a lower content of total phenols during cold storage

Quality of life in patients treated by organ preservation surgery for early laryngeal carcinoma

Eugenia Allegra, Teresa Franco, Serena Trapasso, Teodoro Aragona, Rossana Domanico, Aldo GarozzoDepartment of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, ItalyBackground and objective: Supracricoid partial laryngectomy (SCL) was introduced as an organ preservation procedure for treating selected early laryngeal cancer. However, the recovery of the voice after SCL may result in different degrees of dysphonia. To improve the functional recovery and quality of the voice, we realized a modified supracricoid laryngectomy (MSCL) using sternohyoid muscles for neoglottic reconstruction in selected patients affected by T1b–T2 laryngeal cancer. In this study, we evaluate the quality of life (QoL) in patients treated by SCL and MSCL.Methods: The quality of life (QoL) evaluation was undertaken using the Italian version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire.Results: The overall QoL, assessed with European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30, was better in patients treated with MSCL than in those treated with SCL. The better QoL correlates with the highest response scores to the questions on the relative global functioning scales in patients treated with MSCL.Conclusion: The new surgical technique has improved the QoL of patients with early laryngeal cancer, with improved communication ability achieved. Reconstruction of neocords in MSCL improves speech function in comparison to SCL, and patients experience less discomfort and achieve an almost normal communication performance.Keywords: supracricoid laryngectomy, quality of life, laryngeal carcinoma, EORTC QL

Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Parotid: Extracapsular Dissection Compared with Superficial Parotidectomy—A 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the complication rates and effectiveness of extracapsular dissection compared with superficial parotidectomy for pleomorphic adenomas of the parotid gland from 2002 to 2012. The authors carried out a retrospective cohort study of 198 patients with pleomorphic adenomas of the parotid gland. Extracapsular dissection (ED) or superficial parotidectomy (SP) was performed. The recurrence rate and complications of the two surgical techniques were measured with a univariate analysis of each variable using the appropriate statistical analysis (chi-squared test or t-test). A total of 198 patients were enrolled between January 2003 and December 2012. The study included 97 females (48.99%) and 101 males (51.01%) whose mean age was 50.97 years (range 14–75). The type of surgery performed was ED in 153 patients (77.27%, 80 males and 73 females) and SP in 45 patients (22.73%, 21 males and 24 females). The mean follow-up time was 61.02 +/− 4.9 months for the patients treated with ED and 66.4 +/− 4.5 months for the patients treated with SP. Transient facial nerve injury and facial paralysis were significantly more frequent after SP than after ED (P=0.001 and P=0.065, resp.). No significant differences in capsular rupture, recurrence, and salivary fistula were observed after SP or ED: 2.2% versus 3.9%, 2.2% versus 3.3%, and 2.2% versus 0.65%, respectively. Extracapsular dissection may be considered the treatment of choice for pleomorphic adenomas located in the superficial portion of the parotid gland because this technique showed similar effectiveness and fewer side effects than superficial parotidectomy

Alteration of Smell and Taste in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic COVID-19 Patients in Sicily, Italy.

Objectives: Alteration of smell and taste has been reported in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The incidence and clinical-symptomatic manifestation of COVID-19 is different between northern and southern Italy. This study aims to evaluate the onset of alteration of smell and taste in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients in Sicily (extreme south of Italy). Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was performed on asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 patients tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) from May 1 to May 15, 2020. A questionnaire was used for evaluating the prevalence of smell and taste disorders in COVID-19 patients before performing nasopharyngeal swab. Results: Of the total 292 patients, 242 (83.2%) were negative for SARS-CoV-2 and 50 were positive (16.8%). Twenty-six of the 50 (52%) SARS-CoV-2 positive patients reported smell/taste disorders. Twenty-eight of the 50 (57.1%) SARS-CoV-2 positive patients were hospitalized (group A), and 22 (42.9%) were nonhospitalized (group B). The mean age in group A and group B was 45.4 ± 13.7 years and 57.0 ± 15.0, respectively ( P = .007). The symptoms reported by hospitalized patients were fever (71.4%), cough (64.2%), fatigue (82.1%), and dyspnea (100%), while in nonhospitalized patients, the most reported symptoms were sore throat (72.7%), rhinorrhea (77.2%), and altered smell (81.8%). Anosmia/hyposmia reported in group A and group B was 28.5% and 81.8%, respectively ( P = .001). Conclusion: These preliminary results indicate that the majority of SARS-Cov-2 positive patients in southern Italy did not require hospitalization and presented with milder symptoms or no symptoms and the alterations in smell and taste occurred

Pere di IV gamma: la qualità dipende anche dal film edibile

Nell’ultimo ventennio la IV gamma ortofrutticola ha trovato maggiore successo sul mercato grazie all’azione sinergica che ha svolto soddisfacendo le nuove esigenze del consumatore e facilitando il consumo che ne ha elevato il valore aggiunto. Tali requisiti sono conseguenziali al processo a cui sono sottoposti i prodotti indicati con il termine IV gamma, ready to use e ready to eat minimally processed, quali: cernita, mondatura, taglio, lavaggio, asciugatura e, infine, il confezionamento in vaschette o plastic bags, prima della loro vendita in banconi refrigerati. È evidente che i diversi stadi in cui si articola tale processo accentuano la deperibilità dell’ortofrutta e, pertanto, sono indispensabili interventi ad allungare il periodo di commerciabilità dei prodotti di IV gamma. Oggi le ricerche scientifiche riguardano soprattutto l’adozione di tecniche innovative su soluzioni edibili che possano preservare la shelf life dei prodotti di IV gamma. I film edibili possono essere incolori e insapori, applicati direttamente sul frutto mediante immersione o spraying, costituiti da matrici idrocolloidali come polisaccaridi e proteine, nonché lipidi e cere, che agiscono come barriera selettiva agli scambi gassosi tra l’alimento e l’ambien-te circostante, prevenendo così anche la comparsa di muffe, lieviti e batteri. I primi rivestimenti commestibili, utilizzati negli anni 30, erano costituiti da microemulsioni di «cera d’acqua» con la finalità di migliorare la luminosità dei frutti e metterne in risalto il colore. Attualmente, il ritrovato interesse nei confronti dei rivestimenti è dovuto alle loro proprietà tecnologiche di preservare i frutti dalla perdita di acqua e allo stesso tempo di prolungare la shelf life

Use of xanthan gum and calcium ascorbate to prolong cv. Butirra pear slices shelf life during storage

After cut, pear fruit (Pyrus communis L.) during shelf-life can be subjected to colour and flavour changes. To maintain flesh colour and firmness, different technologies could be employed during shelf-life, such as chemical, physical and edible coating treatments. In the present study, the effects of two edible coating formulations containing xanthan gum and calcium ascorbate on fresh-cut pear fruit were investigated. After harvest, 200 fruits were cut and coated with Xanthan Gum (XAN) and distilled water or Xanthan gum + Calcium Ascorbate (ASC), respectively, while control (CTR) pear fruit slices were soaked in distilled water and lastly packed in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packages sealed with a composite film (PP-PET). All samples were stored at 5±0.5°C with RH 90% for 10 days. Measurements were carried out at 3, 5, 7 and 10 days of storage evaluating visual quality score, browning index, color, total solid soluble content (TSS), flavor, ascorbic acid content and total phenols content. The results showed that ASC treatment was the most efficient treatment in terms of color changes, ascorbic acid content, visual quality score and browning index, until the 7th day of storage. Moreover, ASC treatment reported lower mean values in terms of taste and flavour score if compared to CTR and XAN treatments. Untreated pear slices (CTR) kept good values concerning flavor score until the 3rd day of storage while on the 5th and 7th day off-flavour values were the same as treated samples.