Assessment of the short -term res ults of laparoscopic vers us open surgery for distal rectal cancer after neoadj uvant therapy

Rectal cancer (RC) rate increases. According to the Bulgarian National Cancer Registry, in 2010 1893 new patients are registered. RR is characterized with specific diagnostic and treatment. Neoadjuvant radiotherapy is a standard in the complex treatment of the T3 tumours leading to reduction of the local recurrence rate. Laparoscopic anterior resection is accepted as a standard in some European and Asian countries, despite some controversial data. There is no significant difference in the 5-year overall survival rate between laparoscopic and open group. Laparoscopic surgery for RR is characterized with more frequent infiltration of the circumferential margin compared to the open surgery. There is no difference in survival between these two groups. Increased perioperative mortality and worse 5-year survival is found in patients with conversion from laparoscopic to open operation. For the period 2008-2012, in thje Clinic of Surgery of MMA and Eurohospital Plovdiv, 120 patients with RC undergo surgery - 68 (56%) for distal cancer and 52 (44%) for cancer in the upper third of the rectum. Some 78 open and 42 (35%) laparoscopic resections are performed. Patients with distal rectal cancer undergo 28 (41%) mini-invasive procedures and 40 open resections. Laparoscopic resections are divided in three groups (low anterior resections - 12, ultralow anterior resections with coloanal anastomosis - 8, video-assissted rectal amputations - 8). All patients undergo neoadjuvant therapy. We have 5 patients with complete pathoanatomical response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. We don`t find infiltration of the circumferential margin after laparoscopic or open resection. There is R1 involvement in 2 patients after open and in one after laparoscopic resection. The laparoscopic anterior resection is characterized with lower blood loss (160 vs. 250 mL), longer operation time (190 vs. 130 min), faster recovery of the bowel function and shorter hospital stay (6 vs. 9 days). Laparoscopic rectal surgery is successful alternative of the open procedure leading to similar long-term results. When performed after neoadjuvant therapy by trained laparoscopic team it leads to low rates of conversion and circumferential margin infiltration, less pain and faster bowel function recovery

Optical, structural and electrochromic properties of sputter deposited W-Mo oxide thin films

Thin metal oxide films were investigated by a series of characterization techniques including impedance spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, Raman spectroscopy, and Atomic Force Microscopy. Thin film deposition by reactive DC magnetron sputtering was performed at the Ångström Laboratory. W and Mo targets (5 cm diameter) and various oxygen gas flows were employed to prepare samples with different properties, whereas the gas pressure was kept constant at about 30 mTorr. The substrates were 5×5 cm2 plates of unheated glass pre-coated with ITO having a resistance of 40 ohm/sq. Film thicknesses were around 300nm as determined by surface profilometry. Newly acquired equipment was used to study optical spectra, optoelectronic properties, and film structure. Films of WO3 and of mixed W–Mo oxide with three compositions showed coloring and bleaching under the application of a small voltage. Cyclic voltammograms were recorded with a scan rate of 5 mV s–1. Ellipsometric data for the optical constants show dependence on the amount of MoOx in the chemical composition. Single MoOx film, and the mixed one with only 8% MoOx have the highest value of refractive index, and similar dispersion in the visible spectral range. Raman spectra displayed strong lines at wavenumbers between 780 cm–1 and 950 cm–1 related to stretching vibrations of WO3, and MoO3. AFM gave evidence for domains of different composition in mixed W-Mo oxide films