Next-Generation Structural Adhesives Composed of Epoxy Resins and Hydrogen-Bonded Styrenic Block Polymer-Based Thermoplastic Elastomers.

Structural adhesives are currently applied in the assembly of automobiles, aircraft, and buildings. In particular, epoxy adhesives are widely used due to their excellent mechanical strength and durability. However, cured epoxy resins are typically rigid and inflexible; thus, they have low peel and impact strength.

Risk factors for the long-term persistent genitourinary toxicity after stereotactic body radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer: A single-center, retrospective study of 306 patients.

Objectives: To identify risk factors for the long-term persistent genitourinary toxicity (GUT) after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for localized prostate cancer (PCa).

Methods: A total of 306 patients who underwent SBRT at our institution between March 2017 and April 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. SBRT was performed at 35 Gy in five fractions over 5 or 10 days.

An unusual case of severe asphyxia with the fetal position unexpectedly inverted in a malformed uterus: a case report.

Background: We present a severe neonatal consequence due to the unexpected and crucial inversion of the fetal position after sudden termination of tocolysis during early labor of a woman with congenital uterine anomaly. It has been reported that congenital uterine anomalies latently affect the fetal position. The clinical pitfalls in childbirth with uterine anomalies are discussed here on the basis of clinical evidence.

Clinical Outcomes of Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty with a Conjoined Tendon-Preserving Posterior Approach for Femoral Neck Fractures.

: The conventional posterior approach in the lateral decubitus position is widely used for femoral neck fractures in femoral hemiarthroplasty. Postoperative dislocation is the major problem with this approach. The conjoined tendon-preserving posterior (CPP) approach is a less invasive surgical approach than the conventional posterior approach to the hip, maintains posterior stability, and preserves short external rotators and joint capsules.

Factors affecting number of third molars extracted in a single visit.

Objective: This cross-sectional study evaluated the number and characteristics of third molars extracted in a single visit in primary care and their associations with patient's age and sex and operator's experience.

Materials And Methods: The data included all appointments where routine and surgical extractions of third molars were performed in 2016 in primary care of the City of Helsinki. Statistics included and Mann-Whitney tests, and binomial logistic regression.

Intrathoracic neurogenic tumors (ITNs): Management of solid and cystic lesions.

Background: Intrathoracic neurogenic tumors (INTs) are derived from nerve tissue and grow within the chest. Preoperative diagnosis can be challenging and only complete surgical exeresis enables confirmation of the suspected diagnosis. Here, we analyzed our experience on management of paravertebral lesions with solid and cystic patterns.

Intraoperative ventilatory leak: Real-time guidance for management of air leak in lung cancer patients undergoing VATS lobectomy.

Background: Persistent air leak (PAL) is a common complication after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy. We aimed to evaluate whether the intraoperative quantitative measurement of air leaks using a mechanical ventilation test could predict PAL and identify those patients needing additional treatment for the prevention of PAL.

Methods: This was an observational, retrospective, single-center study that included 82 patients who underwent VATS lobectomy with a mechanical ventilation test for VL.

Outcomes of Thoracoscopic Lobectomy after Recent COVID-19 Infection.

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak had a massive impact on lung cancer patients with the rise in the incidence and mortality of lung cancer.

Methods: We evaluated whether a recent COVID-19 infection affected the outcome of patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer using a retrospective observational mono-centric study conducted between January 2020 and August 2022. Postoperative complications and 90-day mortality were reported.

Managers' Perspectives of Quality of Care in Service Housing and Home Care Services: A Qualitative Study.

The aim of this study was to illuminate facilitators and barriers to the quality of care in service housing and home care services, as described by managers. In total, 17 service housing and home care service front-line managers participated in this study. The interviews were conducted in Finland during October 2021 using semi-structured interviews.

Ultrasound location of ground-glass opacity during thoracoscopic surgery.

Objectives: Application of video-assisted thoracoscopy brought lung surgery into the minimally invasive era; the lack of tactile feedback using VATS, remains a disadvantage because surgeons are unable to locate lesions with a finger or device. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness, the applicability and the utility of intraoperative ultrasound (IU), for the localization of small ground-glass opacity (GGO) lesions in the parenchyma, as a guide in finding their margins in a deflated lung.

Materials And Methods: We included 15 consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic resection of GGOs via VATS in the Thoracic Surgery Unit of the University of 'Luigi Vanvitelli' of Naples from November 2019 to December 2021.

The use of ultrasound in the evaluation of postoperative pneumothorax and lung re-expansion in patients after lung resection.

Introduction: Many clinical studies have shown ultrasonography (US) is useful for the diagnosis of different abnormalities involving pleura; chest ultrasound (CUS) is widely used to detect pneumothorax in patients, but there is no data on its use for the follow-up of lung re-expansion after lung resection.

Materials And Methods: We performed a unicentric observational study all patients between January 2018 and May 2021 undergoing lobectomy in which lung re-expansion was assessed daily with chest ultrasound (CUS) and chest radiography (CXR) until chest drainage was removed. Ultarsound clinical signs indicating a pneumothorax were: the detection of a positive lung point, absence of sliding or a consistent stratosphere sign with an absence of lung pulse, B-lines, I-lines or consolidations.

The Prediction of Fissure Integrity by Quantitative Computed Tomography Analysis.

Background: Incomplete interlobar fissure may increase the difficulty of thoracoscopic lobectomy. Herein, we compared the accuracy of visual versus quantitative analysis to predict fissure integrity in lung cancer patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy and evaluated the effects of fissure integrity on surgical outcome.

Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study including consecutive patients undergoing VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery) lobectomy for lung cancer.

Prediction of preoperative intrathoracic adhesions for ipsilateral reoperations: sliding lung sign.

Introduction: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for ipsilateral reoperations is controversial, because after the first surgical intervention, pleural adhesions occur frequently in the thoracic cavity and/or chest wall. This study assessed the usefulness of preoperative ultrasonography to reduce the incidence of lung injury at the time of the initial port insertion during secondary ipsilateral VATS.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center study.

Acidity effects of medium fluids on anhydrous proton conductivity of acid-swollen block polymer electrolyte membranes.

Proton-conductive polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) were prepared by infiltrating sulfuric acid (Sa) or phosphoric acid (Pa) into a polystyrene--poly(4-vinylpyridine)--polystyrene (S-P-S) triblock copolymer. When the molar ratio of acid to pyridyl groups in S-P-S, , the acid doping level (ADL), is below unity, the P-block/acid phase in the PEMs exhibited a moderately high glass transition temperature ( ) of ∼140 °C because of consumption of acids for forming the acid-base complexes between the pyridyl groups and the acids, also resulting in almost no free protons in the PEMs; therefore, the PEMs were totally glassy and exhibited almost no anhydrous conductivity. In contrast, when ADL is larger than unity, the s of the phase composed of acid and P blocks were lower than room temperature, due to the excessive molar amount of acid serving as a plasticizer.

Management of residual spaces after lung resections and air leaks: Ultrasound and pneumoperitoneum.

Prolonged chest tube drainage is one of the most common postoperative complications of pulmonary resections; it is related to complications such as residual pleural spaces or continuous alveolar air leaks. We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of artificial intraoperative pneumoperitoneum in the treatment of such complications after lung resections. The presence of a residual space associated with prolonged air leaks can be difficult to treat, exposes the patient to a high risk of infection, prolongs hospitalization, and in some cases mandates reoperation.

Bleeding during Learning Curve of Thoracoscopic Lobectomy: CUSUM Analysis Results.

Background: The management of intraoperative bleeding during thoracoscopic lobectomy is challenging, especially for non-experienced surgeons. We evaluated intraoperative bleeding in relation to learning curve of thoracoscopic lobectomy, the strategies to face it, the outcomes, and the target case number for gaining the technical proficiency.

Methods: This was a retrospective single center study including consecutive patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer.

A Case of Metaplastic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Breast that Showed a Pathological Complete Response After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with Weekly Paclitaxel.

BACKGROUND Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast is a rare type of metaplastic breast carcinoma, characterized by resistance to conventional chemotherapy agents. We report a case of metaplastic squamous cell carcinoma of the breast in which a pathological complete response was achieved after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel and in which the patient remained disease free for 15 years and 7 months. CASE REPORT A 40-year-old woman had a palpable 5-cm-diameter tumor in the right breast that was diagnosed as metaplastic squamous cell carcinoma of the breast based on core needle biopsy.

A Trimodality, Four-Step Treatment including Chemotherapy, Pleurectomy/Decortication and Radiotherapy in Early-Stage Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Single-Institution Retrospective Case Series Study.

Background: Multimodality treatment is considered the best treatment strategy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). However, the ideal combination of them is still a matter of controversy. Here, we report a case series of MPM treated with a trimodality approach: induction chemotherapy (CT), pleurectomy/decortication (P/D), postoperative radiotherapy (RT) and post-operative CT.

A new indication and surgical procedure to reduce fat necrosis after breast-conserving surgery using an inframammary adipofascial flap.

Background: There is little information on the risk factors for fat necrosis after breast-conserving surgery using an inframammary adipofascial flap (IAF).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study from a single institution evaluating the risk factors for fat necrosis after breast-conserving surgery using an IAF (n = 41) performed from 2005 to 2020 for newly diagnosed stage 0-2 breast cancer or phyllodes tumor.

Results: Age (≥50 years of age vs.

Prognostic Accuracy of the qSOFA Score for In-Hospital Mortality in Elderly Patients with Obstructive Acute Pyelonephritis: A Multi-Institutional Study.

Prognostic accuracy of the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) score for mortality may be limited in elderly patients. Using our multi-institutional database, we classified obstructive acute pyelonephritis (OAPN) patients into young and elderly groups, and evaluated predictive performance of the qSOFA score for in-hospital mortality. qSOFA score ≥ 2 was an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality, as was higher age, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) ≥ 2.

Quality of care plans in long-term care facilities for the older persons-How well is information from RAI assessments utilised in care planning?

Background: In Finland, care plans at long-term care facilities (LTCF) for the older persons should be based on information from Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) assessments and the principles of structured data. Hence, managers are responsible for ensuring that the RAI system is used to a satisfactory extent, the provided information is used in care planning, and that staff members are competent at composing high-quality care plans.

Aim: To explore the congruence between first-line managers' assessments of the extent to which care plans include RAI information and separately observed RAI-related contents of care plans.