Axillary Reverse Mapping Using Indocyanine Green in Breast Cancer: Standardization of the Technique.

Purpose: To validate the Axillary Reverse Mapping (ARM) technique with indocyanine green (ICG), focusing on the detection rate and the procedure's feasibility. The predictive factors for metastatic involvement of ARM nodes are also analyzed to define the target population for ARM indication.

Methods: This prospective, observational, non-randomized study of patients with breast cancer included patients with an indication for axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) performed between June 2021 and June 2023.

New PCL/PEC Blends: In Vitro Cell Response of Preosteoblasts and Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

In this study, new blends of PCL/PEC have been prepared in an easy manner by casting with the objective of obtaining new biomaterials to apply to tissue engineering and bone regeneration. The PCL/PEC blends obtained, together with neat polymer blends, were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). This full characterization is the key to disentangle the miscibility, which means good compatibility, of the polymer blends used in this work.

Preparation and characterization of maleoylagarose/PNIPAAm graft copolymers and formation of polyelectrolyte complexes with chitosan.

A water soluble derivative in 98% yield with 23.1% incorporation of maleoyl groups was obtained by esterification of agarose with maleic anhydride. Graft copolymers were synthesized through vinyl groups of maleoylagarose with N-isopropylacrylamide using ceric ammonium nitrate or ammonium persulfate as initiator, by conventional method or microwave irradiation.

New blends of ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymers with thermoplastic starch. Characterization and bacterial biodegradation.

Ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymer (EBA) with 13% of butyl acrylate content was used to produce blends with 10, 30 and 60% of thermoplastic starch (TPS) plasticized with glycerol. Ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer (EAA) was used as compatibilizer at 20% content with respect to EBA. The blends were characterized by X-ray diffraction, ATR-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), water-Contact Angle measurements (CA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Stress-strain mechanical tests.