Exploiting High Order Magnetic Anisotropy for Advanced Magnetocaloric Refrigerants.

Three new 3 d-4 f complexes of general formula trans-[MF(py)][LnDOTA] (M=Cr or Co, Ln=Dy or Y, py=pyridine and DOTA=tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetate) have been synthetised. The fluoride-bridged systems were designed to achieve perfect tetragonal symmetry by combining four-fold symmetric lanthanide and transition metal building blocks. From single crystal measurements, an unprecedented switch of the tetragonal anisotropy of the Dy complexes has been observed.

Bifunctional heterobimetallic 3d-4f [Co(II)-RE, RE = Dy, Eu, and Y] ionic complexes: modulation of the magnetic-luminescence behaviour.

This work reports the engineering and functional properties of an emerging class of heterobimetallic 3d-4f ionic complexes designed with cobalt and rare-earth (RE) metals. We present a comprehensive examination of the structural, magnetic, optical, and thermal properties of the heterobimetallic ionic complexes with the general formula [Co(hfa)][RE(hfa)tetraglyme] (RE = Dy, Eu, and Y), where the metal centres are coordinated by hexafluoroacetylacetonate (Hhfa = 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedione), β-diketone and tetraglyme (2,5,8,11,14-pentaoxapentadecane) polyether. Structural analysis reveals an octahedral coordination geometry enveloping the cobalt(II) centre, characterized by inherent symmetry properties consistent across the derivatives, while a capped square-antiprism coordination polyhedron is observed for the RE ions.

Temperature Induced Reversible Switching of the Magnetic Anisotropy in a Neodymium Complex Adsorbed on Graphite.

Controlling the magnetic anisotropy of molecular layers assembled on a surface is one of the challenges that needs to be addressed to create the next-generation spintronic devices. Recently, metal complexes that show a reversible solid-state switch of their magnetic anisotropy in response to physical stimuli, such as temperature and magnetic field, have been discovered. The complex Nd(trensal) (Htrensal = 2,2',2''-tris(salicylideneimino)triethylamine) is predicted to exhibit such property.

A dynamical measure of the black hole mass in a quasar 11 billion years ago.

Tight relationships exist in the local Universe between the central stellar properties of galaxies and the mass of their supermassive black hole (SMBH). These suggest that galaxies and black holes co-evolve, with the main regulation mechanism being energetic feedback from accretion onto the black hole during its quasar phase. A crucial question is how the relationship between black holes and galaxies evolves with time; a key epoch to examine this relationship is at the peaks of star formation and black hole growth 8-12 billion years ago (redshifts 1-3).

Pituitary Stalk Hemangioblastoma: Complete Resection through Orbitozygomatic Approach with Extradural Anterior Clinoidectomy.

 Pituitary stalk hemangioblastomas (PSHBLs) are rare vascular tumors and their surgical removal is challenging due to the proximity with several fundamental anatomic structures including the pituitary stalk, third ventricle, hypothalamus, and optic pathways. To date, only few descriptions of transcranial and transsphenoidal approaches for PSHBLs have been reported in the literature and none in video, with suboptimal outcomes in terms of pituitary function preservation. Here, we describe the use of orbitozygomatic (OZ) craniotomy with extradural anterior clinoidectomy (EAC) for the removal of a PSHBL with preservation of the pituitary stalk.

Fertility Preservation Through Oocyte Vitrification: Clinical and Laboratory Perspectives.

Preserving female fertility is crucial in a multifunctional healthcare system that takes care of patients' future quality of life. Oocyte cryopreservation is recognized by several international scientific societies as the gold standard for fertility preservation in postpubertal women, for both medical and non-medical indications. The main medical indications are oncologic diseases, gynecologic diseases such as severe endometriosis, systemic diseases compromising the ovarian reserve, and genetic conditions involving premature menopause.

Leave the past behind: women's reproductive history shows no association with blastocysts' euploidy and limited association with live birth rates after euploid embryo transfers.

Study Question: Is there an association between patients' reproductive history and the mean euploidy rates per biopsied blastocysts (m-ER) or the live birth rates (LBRs) per first single vitrified-warmed euploid blastocyst transfers?

Summary Answer: Patients' reproductive history (as annotated during counselling) showed no association with the m-ER, but a lower LBR was reported after euploid blastocyst transfer in women with a history of repeated implantation failure (RIF).

What Is Known Already: Several studies have investigated the association between the m-ER and (i) patients' basal characteristics, (ii) ovarian stimulation strategy and dosage, (iii) culture media and conditions, and (iv) embryo morphology and day of full blastocyst development. Conversely, the expected m-ER due to women's reproductive history (previous live births (LBs), miscarriages, failed IVF cycles and transfers, and lack of euploid blastocysts among prior cohorts of biopsied embryos) still needs investigations.

Assessment and management of the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in an IVF laboratory.

Research Question: The study set out to identify corrective measures aimed at reducing the risk of aerosol-mediated viral infection within an IVF laboratory.

Design: A failure modes and effect analysis (FMEA) was conducted by a multidisciplinary IVF team. A schematic representation of new protocols and procedures adopted during COVID-19 emergency has been defined, including directives about the behaviour to adopt when entering the clinic and the laboratory, in case of face-to-face contact with patients and between staff members.

Full-Endoscopic Removal of Lumbar Juxtafacet Cysts: A Prospective Multicentric Study.

Background: Lumbar juxtafacet cysts are benign lesions that grow at the level of facet joints or within neighboring structures. Recently, there is an ongoing trend toward less invasive procedures for treating degenerative spine diseases. Here we report a multicenter study of full-endoscopic surgery for juxtafacet cyst removal.

Is Full Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy Less Invasive Than Conventional Surgery? A Randomized MRI Study.

Background: In the present randomized prospective study, we compared the surgical invasiveness using a quantitative volumetric analysis of postoperative paravertebral muscle signal intensity changes between transforaminal full endoscopic lumbar discectomy (FELD) and open discectomy (OD).

Methods: We prospectively collected the data from 50 patients with a single-level lumbar foraminal herniation, invalidating radicular pain, and adequate imaging studies available (postoperative magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] <24 hours). These patients had been randomly assigned to FELD (n = 25) or OD (n = 25).

Ruptured Tentorial Arteriovenous Fistula: Endoscopic-Assisted Microsurgical Disconnection Using Indocyanine Green Videoangiography Guidance.

Tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas are rare causes of intracranial hemorrhage and nervous tissue venous congestion. Due to their extensive arterial supply and difficult transvenous endovascular navigation, they are frequently managed microsurgically. Precise identification of the venous drainage, its retractorless exposition, and real-time verification of arteriovenous disconnection are the mainstays of surgery.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage in the eighties: to treat or not to treat.

Background: Life expectancy has in the last few years increased and, as a consequence, also the number of elderly patients admitted to an Emergency Department with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. We wanted to detect any difference in term of outcomes and adverse events between two groups of patients of different age, in relation to types of treatment and clinical status at presentation.

Methods: We selected and analyzed two groups of patients (group A and group B) among 458 retrospectively collected cases admitted to two neurosurgical centers with a diagnosis of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage over a 7.

A Novel Hybrid Endoscopic Approach for Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion and a Meta-Analysis of the Literature.

Background: We describe our experience in the endoscopic treatment of cervical spondylosis. We present a "hybrid" technique that is similar to an open anterior cervical discectomy with fusion but is performed endoscopically. We also analyzed data from studies on endoscopic cervical discectomies published in the past 2 decades.

Purely Endoscopic Resection of Cavernoma of the Septum Pellucidum.

The intraventricular location of a cavernoma is a rare entity and accounts for approximately 2.5% of all cavernomas of the central nervous system. They are commonly found in the lateral ventricle followed by the third and fourth ventricles.

Fast and inefficient star formation due to short-lived molecular clouds and rapid feedback.

The physics of star formation and the deposition of mass, momentum and energy into the interstellar medium by massive stars ('feedback') are the main uncertainties in modern cosmological simulations of galaxy formation and evolution. These processes determine the properties of galaxies but are poorly understood on the scale of individual giant molecular clouds (less than 100 parsecs), which are resolved in modern galaxy formation simulations. The key question is why the timescale for depleting molecular gas through star formation in galaxies (about 2 billion years) exceeds the cloud dynamical timescale by two orders of magnitude.

Microsurgical Disconnection of Ruptured Intracranial Pial Arteriovenous Fistula Guided by Indocyanine Green Videoangiography.

Intracranial arteriovenous fistulas, rare causes of spontaneous intracerebral bleeding, are direct communications between an arterial feeder and an arterialized vein that drains a normal brain. Arteriovenous disconnection is the only effective treatment for this type of vascular malformation, which is often reached microsurgically due to the difficult endovascular access. Intraoperative indocyanine green videoangiography (ICG-VA) is a valuable help in identifying the arterialized draining vein and its direct communication with the arterial feeder and in confirming real-time interruption of the fistula.

Preliminary results of a novel pure endoscopic procedure in the treatment of degenerative lumbar spinal disorders: double endoscopic technique.

Background: With increased experience and the availability of new technical instrumentations, the surgical endoscopic indications for lumbar spinal pathologies have moved from simple prolapsed disk to canal stenosis. The available endoscopes come in two different sizes (10 mm and 6.3 mm in diameter); however, one is too bulky to use inside the spinal canal and the other is too small to achieve a fast bone decompression.

Skin Glue for Wounds Closure in Brain Surgery: Our Updated Experience.

Background: Traditional wound closure techniques include skin sutures and metal clips. Cyanoacrylate has good neovascularization, epithelialization, and antimicrobial activity properties and a fast application procedure. This study presents our long-term experience.

Associations of blastocyst features, trophectoderm biopsy and other laboratory practice with post-warming behavior and implantation.

Study Question: Are trophectoderm biopsy or other pre-vitrification features or laboratory practices associated with differences in blastocyst post-warming behavior (degeneration, re-expansion and live birth after single embryo transfer (SET))?

Summary Answer: Blastocyst morphology, day of full development and artificial shrinkage (either laser-assisted or biopsy-induced) are the pre-vitrification parameters/practices most strongly associated with post-warming behavior and implantation potential while there was no association with trophectoderm biopsy.

What Is Known Already: Since the introduction of vitrification, the adoption of cycle segmentation, freeze-all and SET policies, as well of trophectoderm biopsy-based aneuploidy testing (i.e.

The use ultrasound guided for refilling intrathecal baclofene pump in complicated clinical cases: A practical approach.

Muscular spasticity due to neurological disorders is a heavy cause of severe pain and disability for many patients, compromising the independence and quality life. Baclofene is a good tool to guarantee patients independence and pain control. Anyway in chronic therapy oral treatment become unsatisfactory.

Type II Fractures in Older Adults: Can They Be Treated Conservatively?: A Single-Center Experience and Review of the Literature.

Background: Odontoid fractures are the most common acute cervical spinal fractures in the geriatric population. Their rate is increasing along with the rising age of the elderly population. Whereas conservative management with external immobilization is reported as the treatment of choice for type I and III odontoid fractures, there are no clear indications concerning the best treatment for type II fractures.

Lumbar canal stenosis: can we treat it endoscopically?

Background: The common treatment for lumbar canal stenosis involves an open surgical decompression with laminectomy and foraminotomy, even if spinal surgery is moving towards minimal invasiveness procedures. Minimally-invasive surgery initially and recently spinal endoscopic techniques are becoming the standard procedures for lumbar disk prolapsed in consideration of the less surgical invasiveness with a considerable reducing in the amount of normal anatomy violation, in less risk of iatrogenic postoperative instability, minimal scar tissue formation and negligible blood loss when compared to the standard open approach. These techniques also reduce the postoperative pain with consequent less need of using pain medications as well as reduced hospital stay.