A compact and portable gas sensor based on quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) for the detection of methane (C1), ethane (C2), and propane (C3) in natural gas (NG)-like mixtures is reported. An interband cascade laser (ICL) emitting at 3367 nm is employed to target absorption features of the three alkanes, and partial least-squares regression analysis is employed to filter out spectral interferences and matrix effects characterizing the examined gas mixtures. Spectra of methane, ethane, and propane mixtures diluted in nitrogen are employed to train and test the regression algorithm, achieving a prediction accuracy of ∼98%, ∼96%, and ∼93% on C1, C2, and C3, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Minimal access liver surgery (MALS) is considered superior to open liver resection (OLR) in reducing the perioperative risk in patients affected by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). No national-level comparisons exist based on procedure complexity. This study aims to compare postoperative complications, postoperative ascites (POA), and major complications (MC) between MALS and OLR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Posterior fossa syndrome (PFS), also known as cerebellar mutism syndrome, occurs in about 25% of pediatric patients undergoing resection of a posterior cranial fossa medulloblastoma. It is characterized primarily by mutism or reduced/impaired speech and may include variable symptoms such as motor dysfunction (apraxia, ataxia, hypotonia), supranuclear cranial nerve palsies, neurocognitive changes, and emotional lability. Long-term multidisciplinary rehabilitation is typically required, with recovery taking approximately six months, though many children experience long-term residual deficits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVoltage-gated potassium channels (VGKCs) comprise the largest and most complex families of ion channels. Approximately 70 genes encode VGKC alpha subunits, which assemble into functional tetrameric channel complexes. These subunits can also combine to form heteromeric channels, significantly expanding the potential diversity of VGKCs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe extended application of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has revealed the problem of graft size mismatching, potentially leading to the "small-for-size syndrome" (SFSS). SFSS is a rare dysfunction that may affect a partial liver graft, characterized by coagulopathy, cholestasis, ascites, and encephalopathy. A key role in the physiopathology of SFSS is played by portal hypertension (PHT) to which a small allograft is submitted after reperfusion, resulting in sinusoidal congestion and hemorrhage.
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