Thermal Actuators Relying on Elastomer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals: From Imines with Supramolecular Chirality and Ferroelectricity to Soft Robots.

The locomotion of various organisms relies on the alternated elongation-contraction of their muscles or bodies. Such biomimicry can offer a promising approach to developing soft robotic devices with improved mobility and efficiency. Most strategies to mimic such motions rely on reversible size modifications of some materials upon exposure to external stimuli.

[A Somehow Different Cause of an Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding].

We report a case of an 89-year-old patient, who presented with melena and physical degradation at the emergency department. As cause for his symptoms, we found an upper GI-bleeding from a metastasis of a follicular thyroid carcinoma, for which the patient was surgically treated in the year 1996.

Decrease in Primary Caregivers' Quality of Life During the Care of a Relative with Palliative Care Needs: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Background/objectives: The quality of life is a complex concept that is insufficiently assessed in clinical practice. It is influenced by different factors, as follows: the individual's characteristics, personal values and beliefs, physical and mental state, and relationship to other members of their community. The quality of life of the primary caregiver influences their health and the quality of their care interventions.

Multivariate Analysis of the Determinants of Total Mortality in the European Union with Focus on Fat Intake, Diabetes, Myocardial Infarction, Life Expectancy, and Preventable Mortality: A Panel Data Fixed-Effects Panel Data Model Approach.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the European Union (EU), and while the mortality rates of diabetes, myocardial infarction, and the total fat intake have been extensively studied, we believe that understanding the interaction between such closely correlated determinants is crucial to the development of effective health policies in the EU. Our paper's novelty is represented by the econometric modelling, and its ability to capture both temporal and unit variations. The research methodology consists of using a panel data model with fixed effects for the 27 EU member states over the period 2010-2021.

Emergency-Driven Multiple Simultaneous Invasive Procedures in Haemophilia.

Despite the controversies regarding the appropriateness and justification of simultaneous bi- and multi-concomitant surgical procedures, this operative technique is increasingly undertaken for economic reasons. This paper discusses three cases of simultaneous interventions: two involving osteoarticular procedures and one involving a complex approach encompassing general and plastic surgery. The indications in emergency-driven cases are mandatory, life-saving, and limb-saving, and not subject to debate.