La qualità dell’assistenza infermieristica in ambito oncologico: protocollo di validazione dello strumento Quality of Oncology Nursing Care Scale (QONCS)

BACKGROUND: Nurses play a key role in the care of people with cancer. Providing quality nursing care means responding appropriately to the physical and psychosocial needs of the patient. The Quality of Oncology Nursing Care Scale (QONCS) tool is the first tool to be developed on a consolidated conceptual model that includes the main themes emerging from previous studies concerning the quality of oncology nursing care. To date, in Italy, there is no tool capable of measuring the quality of nursing care perceived by patients suffering from oncological pathology. OBJECTIVES: The general purpose of the study is to adapt the QONCS tool in the Italian context in order to investigate the quality of nursing care perceived by cancer patients and its related factors. METHODS: The study will be developed into four phases: (a) the cultural adaptation of the instrument to the Italian context; (b) the assessment of the face and content validity of the instrument; (c) the evaluation of construct validity and reliability, and (d) the description of the quality of nursing care as perceived by the patients including factors/items confirmed in the validation process. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: We intend to validate the tool on more than 400 people affected by oncological pathology. The construct that the tool intends to measure will be confirmed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and will report high internal consistency and test-retest reliability.BACKGROUND: Gli infermieri hanno un ruolo fondamentale nella cura delle persone affette da patologia oncologica. Fornire un’assistenza infermieristica di qualità significa provvedere a rispondere in modo pertinente ai bisogni fisici e psicosociali dell’assistito. Lo strumento Quality of Oncology Nursing Care Scale (QONCS) è il primo strumento ad essere costruito su un modello concettuale consolidato che include i principali temi emersi da studi precedenti aventi per oggetto la qualità dell’assistenza infermieristica in ambito oncologico. Non esiste ad oggi in Italia uno strumento capace di misurare la qualità dell’assistenza infermieristica percepita dalla persona affetta da patologia oncologica. OBIETTIVI: Finalità generale dello studio è adattare nel contesto italiano lo strumento QONCS al fine di indagare la qualità dell’assistenza infermieristica percepita dagli assistiti oncologici e i fattori che influiscono su di essa. METODI: Lo studio è articolato in quattro fasi: (a) l’adattamento culturale dello strumento al contesto italiano; (b) la valutazione della validità di facciata e contenuto dello strumento; (c) la valutazione della validità di costrutto e affidabilità dello strumento e (d) la descrizione della qualità dell’assistenza infermieristica come percepita dagli assistiti includendo fattori/item confermati nel processo di validazione. ESITI ATTESI: Si intende validare lo strumento su più di 400 persone affette da patologia oncologica. Il costrutto che lo strumento intende misurare sarà confermato attraverso analisi fattoriale esplorativa e confermativa e riporterà una elevata consistenza interna e affidabilità test-retest

Reusable Cavitand‐Based Electrospun Membranes for the Removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Water

The removal of toxic and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from water is one of the most intractable environmental problems nowadays, because of their resistance to remediation. This work introduces a highly efficient, regenerable membrane for the removal of PAHs from water, featuring excellent filter performance and pH-driven release, thanks to the integration of a cavitand receptor in electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers. The role of the cavitand receptor is to act as molecular gripper for the uptake/ release of PAHs. To this purpose, the deep cavity cavitand BenzoQxCav is designed and synthetized and its molecular structure is elucidated via X-Ray diffraction. The removal efficiency of the new adsorbent material toward the 16 priority PAHs is demonstrated via GC-MS analyses at ng L−1 concentration. A removal efficiency in the 32%, to 99% range is obtained. The regeneration of the membrane is performed by exploiting the pH-driven conformational switching of the cavitand between the vase form, where the PAHs uptake takes place, to the kite one, where the PAHs release occurs. The absorbance and regeneration capability of the membrane are successfully tested in four uptake/release cycles and the morphological stability

Triptycene-Roofed Quinoxaline Cavitands for the Supramolecular Detection of BTEX in Air

Two novel triptycene quinoxaline cavitands (DiTriptyQxCav and MonoTriptyQxCav) have been designed, synthesized, and applied in the supramolecular detection of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in air. The complexation properties of the two cavitands towards aromatics in the solid state are strengthened by the presence of the triptycene moieties at the upper rim of the tetraquinoxaline walls, promoting the confinement of the aromatic hydrocarbons within the cavity. The two cavitands were used as fiber coatings for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) BTEX monitoring in air. The best performances in terms of enrichment factors, selectivity, and LOD (limit of detection) values were obtained by using the DiTriptyQxCav coating. The corresponding SPME fiber was successfully tested under real urban monitoring conditions, outperforming the commercial divinylbenzene\u2013Carboxen\u2013polydimethylsiloxane (DVB\u2013CAR\u2013PDMS) fiber in BTEX adsorption

Novel sample-substrates for the determination of new psychoactive substances in oral fluid by desorption electrospray ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry

A reliable screening and non invasive method based on the use of microextraction by packed sorbent coupled with desorption electrospray ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the detection of new psychoactive substances in oral fluid. The role of different sample substrates in enhancing signal intensity and stability was evaluated by testing the performances of two polylactide-based materials, i.e. non-functionalized and functionalized with carbon nanoparticles, and a silica-based material compared to commercially available polytetrafluorethylene supports. The best results were achieved by using the nonfunctionalized polylactide substrates to efficiently ionize compounds in positive ionization mode, whereas the silica coating proved to be the best choice for operating in negative ionization mode. LLOQs in the low μg/L, a good precision with CV% always lower than 16% and RR% in the 83(±4)-120(±2)% range, proved the suitability of the developed method for the determination of the analytes in oral fluid. Finally, the method was applied for screening oral fluid samples for the presence of psychoactive substances during private parties, revealing mephedrone in only one sample out of 40 submitted to analysis

Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced colorectal cancers at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all 17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period), in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was 30 days from surgery. EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery, palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery, and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster variable. RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years) underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142 (56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for these patients

Primary Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphoma: An Update on Pathologic and Molecular Features

Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (PCBCLs) account for 25% of all primary cutaneous lymphomas. Three major types are currently recognized by the WHO classification: primary cutaneous marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (PCMZL), primary cutaneous follicle centre lymphoma (PCFCL) (both considered indolent lymphomas) and primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg-type (PCDLBCL-LT), which is, instead, a very aggressive disease. Nowadays, the PCBCL’s category also includes some rare entities such as intravascular B-cell lymphoma (IVBL) and the EBV+ mucocutaneous ulcer (EBVMCU). Furthermore, controversies still exist concerning the category of primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PCDLBCL), because some cases may present with clinical and histological features between PCFCL and PCDLBCL-LT. Therefore, some authors proposed introducing another category called PCDLBCL, not otherwise specified (NOS). Regardless, PCBCLs exhibit distinct features and differ in prognosis and treatment from their nodal/systemic counterparts. Therefore, clinicopathologic analysis is a key diagnostic element in the work-up of these lymphomas

Primary Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphoma: An Update on Pathologic and Molecular Features

Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (PCBCLs) account for 25% of all primary cutaneous lymphomas. Three major types are currently recognized by the WHO classification: primary cutaneous marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (PCMZL), primary cutaneous follicle centre lymphoma (PCFCL) (both considered indolent lymphomas) and primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg-type (PCDLBCL-LT), which is, instead, a very aggressive disease. Nowadays, the PCBCL’s category also includes some rare entities such as intravascular B-cell lymphoma (IVBL) and the EBV+ mucocutaneous ulcer (EBVMCU). Furthermore, controversies still exist concerning the category of primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PCDLBCL), because some cases may present with clinical and histological features between PCFCL and PCDLBCL-LT. Therefore, some authors proposed introducing another category called PCDLBCL, not otherwise specified (NOS). Regardless, PCBCLs exhibit distinct features and differ in prognosis and treatment from their nodal/systemic counterparts. Therefore, clinicopathologic analysis is a key diagnostic element in the work-up of these lymphomas

Epstein-Barr Virus positive aggressive lymphoma as a consequence of immunosuppression after multiple salvage treatments for follicular lymphoma.

a patient with follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) who developed a fatal high-grade Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive NHL after conventional chemotherapies. The sudden onset of the high-grade lymphoma was accompanied by increasing circulating EBV genome copies and was complicated by spontaneous rupture of the spleen. Splenic tissue was diffusely infiltrated by large B cells. In situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr-encoded RNA (EBER) 1-2 was positive in 70% of cells, and molecular analysis revealed the presence of EBV DNA and a monoclonal IgH gene rearrangement. This case shows that the immunosuppression of multiple treatments may induce uncontrolled reactivation of a latent EBV infection, contributing to high-grade transformation in heavily treated lymphoma patients

Cavitand-based solid-phase microextraction coating for the selective detection of nitroaromatic explosives in air and soil

A selective cavitand-based solid-phase microextraction coating was synthesized for the determination of nitroaromatic explosives and explosive taggants at trace levels in air and soil. A quinoxaline cavitand functionalized with a carboxylic group at the upper rim was used to enhance selectivity toward analytes containing nitro groups. The fibers were characterized in terms of film thickness, morphology, thermal stability, and pH resistance. An average coating thickness of 50 (±4) μm, a thermal stability until 400 °C, and an excellent fiber-to-fiber and batch to batch repeatability with RSD lower than 4% were obtained. The capabilities of the developed coating for the selective sampling of nitroaromatic explosives were proved achieving LOD values in the low ppbv and ng kg−1 range, respectively, for air and soil samples