Evidence of Spiro-OMeTAD De-doping by tert-Butylpyridine Additive in Hole-Transporting Layers for Perovskite Solar Cells

The development of solid-state hole-transporting materials (HTMs) dates back to the first reports on solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells in 1998, which provided solar cell efficiencies around 1%. The need for these components has then steadily grown with the advent in 2009 of perovskite-based photovoltaics, which cannot sustain any liquid electrolyte. Spiro-OMeTAD molecules have been for many years the material of choice for this application. When doped with LiTFSI salts and tert-butylpyridine, the resulting mixture can efficiently extract photogenerated holes in the perovskite absorber and transport them to the collecting electrode. This benchmark for hole transport in third-generation hybrid photovoltaics suffers from intrinsic limitations, which have been studied widely over the years. A detailed molecular-level understanding of the processes involved in Spiro-OMeTAD-based HTM degradation is a key requirement for the future development of new stable and efficient substitutes for this task

Beyond the Concepts of Elder and Marginal in DCD Liver Transplantation: A Prospective Observational Matched-Cohort Study in the Italian Clinical Setting

Donation after circulatory determination of death (DCD) is a valuable strategy to increase the availability of grafts for liver transplantation (LT). As the average age of populations rises, the donor pool is likely to be affected by a potential increase in DCD donor age in the near future. We conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate post-transplantation outcomes in recipients of grafts from elderly DCD donors compared with younger DCD donors, and elderly donors after brainstem determination of death (DBD). From August 2020 to May 2022, consecutive recipients of deceased donor liver-only transplants were enrolled in the study. DCD recipients were propensity score matched 1:3 to DBD recipients. One-hundred fifty-seven patients were included, 26 of whom (16.6%) were transplanted with a DCD liver graft. After propensity score matching and stratification, three groups were obtained: 15 recipients of DCD donors & GE;75 years, 11 recipients of DCD donors <75 years, and 28 recipients of DBD donors & GE;75 years. Short-term outcomes, as well as 12 months graft survival rates (93.3%, 100%, and 89.3% respectively), were comparable among the groups. LT involving grafts retrieved from very elderly DCD donors was feasible and safe in an experienced high-volume center, with outcomes comparable to LTs from younger DCD donors and age-matched DBD donors

Autophagy is defective in collagen VI muscular dystrophies and its reactivation rescues myofiber degeneration

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Renal-Resistive Index and Acute Kidney Injury in Aortic Surgery: An Observational Pilot Study

Objective: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common perioperative complication in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery, increasing mortality, morbidities, and costs. Recently, growing interest has risen in the use of the renal-resistive index (RRI) as a predictor of perioperative AKI. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of RRI variation to identify postoperative AKI. Design: An observational, prospective, pilot study. Setting: Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Padova. Participants: The study authors included 53 consecutive patients undergoing aortic surgery from September 2018 to June 2019. Measurements and main results: Basal and daily postoperative serum creatinine and urine output were assessed. RRI was measured preoperatively and on the first postoperative day. AKI was defined using Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcome criteria. Twelve patients out of 53 developed AKI. The RRI percentage increase (%RRI) was associated with the development of AKI by univariate regression (p = 0.01). The receiver operating characteristic curve showed an overall diagnostic accuracy of 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 58.2-92.6). The cutoff of 7 percentage points in the %RRI resulted in early identification of AKI onset with 90% specificity (95% CI, 76.9-97.3). The net benefit of postoperative RRI-based management was 11%. Conclusions: RRI variation could be a useful tool to investigate kidney function in patients undergoing aortic surgery. The %RRI in the perioperative time seems to detect AKI onset early and potentially could enhance renal-protective management within 24 hours after surgery

The Impact of Time Interval between Hepatic Resection and Liver Transplantation on Clinical Outcome in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatic resection (HR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may require secondary liver transplantation (SLT). However, a previous HR is supposed to worsen post-SLT outcomes. Data of patients treated by SLT between 2000 and 2018 at two tertiary referral centers were analyzed. The primary outcome of the study was to analyze the impact of HR on post-LT complications. A Comprehensive Complication Index ≥ 29.6 was chosen as cutoff. The secondary outcome was HCC-related death by means of competing-risk regression analysis. In the study period, 140 patients were included. Patients were transplanted in a median of 23 months after HR (IQR 14–41). Among all the features analyzed regarding the prior HR, only time interval between HR and SLT (time HR-SLT) was an independent predictor of severe complications after LT (OR = 0.98, p p p = 0.796). This study showed that time HR-SLT was key in predicting complications after LT, without affecting HCC-related death

Heterotopic auxiliary segment 2\u20133 liver transplantation with delayed total hepatectomy: New strategies for nonresectable colorectal liver metastases

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The Importance of Multiorgan Procurement in the Improvement of Residents’ Open Surgical Skills

Introduction: The multiorgan procurement (MOP) represents a chance for the general surgery resident to learn the fundamental steps of open abdominal surgery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of MOP on the residents’ open surgical skills. Methods: Residents’ surgical skills were assessed during a 6-month transplant rotation (October 2020-March 2021) using a modified Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills with the global rating scale. The surgeries were self-assessed by residents and tutors based on 9 specific steps (SS) and 4 general skills (GS). Each item was rated from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) with a maximum score of 45 points for SS and 20 for GS. A crossed-effects linear regression analysis was performed both to evaluate any associations between GS/SS scores and some prespecified covariates, and to study differences in the assessments performed by residents and tutors. Results: Residents actively participated in a total of 59 procurements. In general, therewere no significant differences in SS/GS mean scorings between residents (n 1⁄4 15) and tutors (n 1⁄4 5). There was a significantly positive association between mean GS/SS scorings and the number of donor surgeries performed (at least 5). Comparing the evaluations of the tutors with the residents, this significance was retained only when scorings were assigned by the tutors. Conclusions: MOP was shown to improve basic open surgical skills among residents. Awareness of the utility of a clinical rotation in transplant surgery should be raised also on an institutional level