MAPLE-Deposited Perylene Diimide Derivative Based Layers for Optoelectronic Applications.

Nowadays, the development of devices based on organic materials is an interesting research challenge. The performance of such devices is strongly influenced by material selection, material properties, design, and the manufacturing process. Usually, buckminsterfullerene (C60) is employed as electron transport material in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices due to its high mobility.

Organic Heterostructures with Dendrimer Based Mixed Layer for Electronic Applications.

Recently, much research has focused on the search for new mixed donor-acceptor layers for applications in organic electronics. Organic heterostructures with layers based on the generation 1 poly(propylene thiophenoimine) (G1PPT) dendrimer, N,N'-diisopropylnaphthalene diimide (MNDI), and a combination of the two were prepared and their electrical properties were investigated. Single layers of G1PPT and MNDI and a mixed layer (G1PPT:MNDI) were obtained via spin coating on quartz glass, silicon, and glass/ITO substrates, using chloroform as a solvent.

The Flexible Rhino-Laryngoscope for Awake Nasotracheal Intubation.

Difficulties or failures in securing the airway still occur and can lead to permanent disabilities and mortality. Patients with head and neck pathologies obstructing airway access are at risk of airway management failure once they lose spontaneous respiration. Awake flexible scope intubation is considered the gold standard for controlling the airway in such patients.

Intraoperative Ultrasound guided Palliative Radiofrequency Ablation of Unresectable Nonmetastatic Pancreatic Malignancies: A Pilot Observational Study.

Background And Aims: Radiofrequency ablation of unresectable pancreatic tumors represents a palliative method in selected patients. The lack of standardization of the technique used as well as the non-homogeneous immediate and long-term results from the reports in the literature made us evaluate in a pilot study the application of a standardized technique through a surgical approach, with the evaluation of the immediate and long-term results.

Methods: Ten consecutive patients diagnosed with unresectable nonmetastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma were referred for radio-frequency ablation by surgical approach.

The Learning Curve for Pancreaticoduodenectomy: The Experience of a Single Surgeon.

Background And Aims: Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is a complex and high-skill demanding procedure often associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, the results have improved over the past two decades. However, there is a paucity of research concerning the learning curve for PD.

Trends in Preoperative Airway Assessment.

Airway management is a vital part of anesthesia practices, intensive care units, and emergency departments, and a proper pre-operative assessment can guide clinicians' plans for securing an airway. Complex airway assessment has recently been at the forefront of anesthesia research, with a substantial increase in annual publications during the last 20 years. In this paper, we provide an extensive overview of the literature connected with pre-operative airway evaluation procedures, ranging from essential bedside physical examinations to advanced imaging techniques such as ultrasound (US), radiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Multiple Pancreatic Metastasis of Clear Renal Cell Carcinoma Associated with Neuroendocrine Tumor.

Metastatic tumors of the pancreas are uncommon, but renal cell carcinoma is one of the few known cancers that can metastasize to the pancreas. Few cases have been reported as being metachronous multicentric metastases to the pancreas, but none associated with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and reported in literature, to our knowledge. Case presentation: We describe a case of 66-year-old woman who was diagnosed with multicentric pancreatic metastases from clear renal cell carcinoma associated with concomitant pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, after 14 years from the initial diagnosis of kidney cancer.

The Influence of Intravenous Lidocaine Infusion on Postoperative Outcome and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Colorectal Cancer Patients. A Pilot Study.

Background And Aims: In the last years increasing scientific evidence drew attention on the potential effects of anesthetic drugs on postoperative outcome in cancer patients. Local anesthetics, especially lidocaine, have been intensively studied in relation with postoperative outcome in colorectal cancer patients. Our study objectives were to investigate the effects of perioperative intravenous lidocaine infusion on neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and short-term postoperative outcome.

Macrocyclic Compounds: Metal Oxide Particles Nanocomposite Thin Films Deposited by MAPLE.

Nanocomposite films based on macrocyclic compounds (zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) and 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl) 21H,23H-porphyrin (TPyP)) and metal oxide nanoparticles (ZnO or CuO) were deposited by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). 1,4-dioxane was used as a solvent in the preparation of MAPLE targets that favor the deposition of films with a low roughness, which is a key feature for their integration in structures for optoelectronic applications. The influence of the addition of ZnO nanoparticles (~20 nm in size) or CuO nanoparticles (~5 nm in size) in the ZnPc:TPyP mixture and the impact of the added metal oxide amount on the properties of the obtained composite films were evaluated in comparison to a reference layer based only on an organic blend.

Effects of Solvent Additive and Micro-Patterned Substrate on the Properties of Thin Films Based on P3HT:PC70BM Blends Deposited by MAPLE.

Lately, there is a growing interest in organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells due to the organic materials' properties and compatibility with various types of substrates. However, their efficiencies are low relative to the silicon ones; therefore, other ways (i.e.

Sedation for Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Elderly Patients - the Effect of Intravenous Lidocaine Infusion. A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial.

Background: Sedation of elderly patients with associated comorbidities, subjected to ERCP procedure, can produce serious complications including respiratory instability and hemodynamics caused by the administration of anesthetic substances. In this study we aimed to evaluate whether the administration of lidocaine in continuous infusion during ERCP procedure reduces the consumption of propofol and the rate of complications in these patients.

Methods: 83 patients over 65-year old, ASA II-IV score, undergoing an ERCP procedure were randomized in two groups: lidocaine group (group L) who received 1.

Laparoscopic Pancreatoduodenectomy in Elderly Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background and Aims: Recent single-center retrospective studies have focused on laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy (LPD) in elderly patients, and compared the outcomes between the laparoscopic and open approaches. Our study aimed to determine the outcomes of LPD in the elderly patients, by performing a systematic review and a meta-analysis of relevant studies. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted utilizing the Embase, Medline, PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane databases to identify all studies that compared laparoscopic vs.

Postoperative Analgesia after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy - Prospective, Randomized, Double Blind, Control Trial.

In this prospective, randomized, double blind control trial we aim to investigate which of the most used analgesic techniques after laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the most efficient. This study included 81 patients that were randomly distributed into 3 groups using a computer-generated random number which was enclosed in a sealed envelope: group A (control) received classic multimodal iv opioid analgesia, group B received Tap block in oblique subcostal approach (OSTAP) and group C received local anesthetic infiltration of the trocar insertion sites (LAI). The primary outcome of this trial was to evaluate the efficacy of each analgetic technique by measuring VAS pain scores.

Spleen Preserving, Splenic Vessels Spearing, Pure Laparoscopic Total Duodenopancreatectomy for Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Pancreatic Neoplasia (IPMN): Case Report and Technique.

Total duodenopancreatectomy (TDP), performed exclusively by laparoscopic approach is considered one of the most complex abdominal surgical procedures. TDP with preservation of spleen vessels (operation Kimura) is a more technically-demanding procedure, but is beneficial in selected cases. While some high-volume centers have gained experience in minimally-invasive pancreatectomies, laparoscopic approach remains a recommendation for well selected patients with benign or low-grade malignant tumors and should be performed with caution, by experienced HPB surgeons.

The Role of Radio-Frequency and Stereotactic Ablation in the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a very aggressive tumor with a low overall survival rate. The prognostic and the treatment of this disease are strongly interconnected and highly dependent on the resectability criteria of the tumor, surgical excision being the golden standard. For local advance disease or for unresectable tumors, with or without metastasis we can take into consideration as adjuvant therapy, together with chemotherapy, the radiofrequency ablation or stereotactic ablation radiotherapy of the solid tumor mass.

Rare Causes of Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Focus on Pancreatic Pathology and Visceral Artery Aneurysms.

Beside the common situations of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) managed by endoscopy, there are clinical situations when the endoscopic approach is limited by the amount of blood, the hemodynamic instability, the intermittent nature of bleeding and a proper diagnosis and treatment requires radiological interventional methods and even surgery. The pancreatic pathology is rarely considered as a possible cause for patients that presents in emergencies with GIB. The rupture of visceral artery aneurysms (VAAs), without underlying pancreatic pathology, should also be regarded in the differential diagnosis of GIB.

Arylenevinylene Oligomer-Based Heterostructures on Flexible AZO Electrodes.

We investigated the optical and electrical properties of flexible single and bi-layer organic heterostructures prepared by vacuum evaporation with a p-type layer of arylenevinylene oligomers, based on carbazole, 3,3' bis(N hexylcarbazole)vinylbenzene = L13, or triphenylamine, 1,4 bis [4 (N,N' diphenylamino)phenylvinyl] benzene = L78, and an n-type layer of 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyrydil)21H,23H-porphyne = TPyP. Transparent conductor films of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) with high transparency, >90% for wavelengths > 400 nm, and low resistivity, between 6.9 × 10 Ω·cm and 23 × 10 Ω·cm, were deposited by pulsed laser deposition on flexible substrates of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Association of Moral Distress with Anxiety, Depression, and an Intention to Leave among Nurses Working in Intensive Care Units during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Wide geographical variations in depression and anxiety rates related to the ethical climate have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic in intensive care units (ICUs). The objective was to investigate whether moral distress is associated and has predictive values for depression, anxiety, and intention to resign.

Methods: 79 consenting ICU nurses completed MMD-HP and PHQ-4 scales in this cross-sectional study between October 2020-February 2021, after ethical approval.

Silicon Metalens Fabrication from Electron Beam to UV-Nanoimprint Lithography.

This study presents the design and manufacture of metasurface lenses optimized for focusing light with 1.55 µm wavelength. The lenses are fabricated on silicon substrates using electron beam lithography, ultraviolet-nanoimprint lithography and cryogenic deep reactive-ion etching techniques.

Role of radio-ablative technique for optimizing the survival of patients with locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (Review).

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most common and frequently diagnosed malignant tumor of the pancreas with few treatment options and poor life expectancy. Despite the advances in the surgical field, 40% of the patients are diagnosed with locally advanced disease which is not suitable for surgery. Radio-frequency ablation (RFA) has been described as a new 'weapon' in the multimodal treatment of PDAC, representing a cytoreductive procedure which must be completed with radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy.

Nanomedicine and contrast enhanced imaging. Applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Objective: Nanotechnology and its applications in medicine made us live a new era of healthcare, particularly in oncology. The objective of this paper is to review the contribution of nanotechnology in clinical use of contrast agents for gastrointestinal cancer diagnosis and follow-up and to offer an overview of the impact of nanotechnology in the management of cancer.

Materials And Methods: In this regard, we reviewed the main areas of expertise where nanotechnology has contributed to the improvement of diagnostic methods (CE-US, CE-CT, MRI), along with the therapeutic applications that nanoparticles can have.

Desmoid tumor of the mesentery. Case report of a rare non-metastatic neoplasm.

Desmoid tumors (DT) are rare non-metastatic neoplasms that occur through myofibroblast proliferation in musculoaponeurotic or fascial structures of the body, being commonly diagnosed in young women during pregnancy or in the post-partum period. We present the case of a 38-year-old woman, who recently gave birth, manifesting non-specific abdominal symptoms. Computed tomography indicated the presence of a solitary tumor arising from the intestinal wall or from the mesentery.