Disassembly line scheduling with genetic algorithms.

International audienceDisassembly is part of the demanufacturing and it is meant to obtain components and materials from end-of-line products. An essential performance objective of a disassembly process is the benefits it brings, that is the revenue brought by the retrieved parts and material, diminished by the cost of their retrieval operations. A decision must be taken to balance an automatic disassembly line. A well balanced line will decrease the cost of disassembly operations. An evolutionary (genetic) algorithm is used to deal with the multi-criteria optimization problem of the disassembly scheduling

Laparoscopic re-interventions for bile duct injuries

Clinica Chirurgie II, Timișoara, România, Al XI-lea Congres al Asociației Chirurgilor „Nicolae Anestiadi” din Republica Moldova și cea de-a XXXIII-a Reuniune a Chirurgilor din Moldova „Iacomi-Răzeșu” 27-30 septembrie 2011Lucrarea prezintă 2 cazuri exemplificate cu filme video în care intervenţia chirurgicală laparoscopică a fost indicată pentru rezolvarea unor suferinţe biliare postcolecistectomie pe cale clasică. Primul caz a fost o pacientă cu colecistectomie clasică incompletă la care s-a efectuat totalizarea colecistectomiei pe cale laparoscopică la două luni după intervenţia clasică. Acest caz susţine ideea din literatura actuală conform căreia vechiul termen de neocolecist corespundea unor colecistectomii incomplete. Abordul laparoscopic este posibil, dar recomandabil în centre cu multă experienţă în chirurgia laparoscopică. Al doilea caz a fost o pacientă cu o leziune de coledoc după o colecistectomie clasică. Această leziune a fost reparată laparoscopic în urgenţă la 8 zile după prima intervenţie. Evoluţia ambelor paciente a fost simplă, dovedind că în unele cazuri reintervenţia pe cale laparoscopică este fezabilă, sigură şi benefică pentru pacient.This paper presents 2 case reports illustrated by surgical video. In both cases laparoscopic intervention was indicated for repair of bile duct injuries produced during open cholecystectomy. The first case describes a female patient who underwent an incomplete open cholecystectomy. Two months after the first intervention cholecystectomy was completed by the laparoscopic approach. This case supports the idea circulating in the actual medical literature that postoperative dilatation of cystic duct (neocholecyst) is the consequence of the incomplete cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic approach is possible but can be recommended only in centers with experience in minimally invasive surgery. The second case was a patient with bile duct injury after classic cholecystectomy. This lesion was repaired in emergency by laparoscopic approach 8 days after the first operation. The evolution of both patients was uneventful, therefore proving that in selected cases laparoscopic re- intervention is a safe and feasible treatment option

The Robotic Approach in Rectal Cancer

Since a robotic surgical system was developed in the early 1990s and the first robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy was reported in 2001, robotic surgery has spread in many surgical specialties, changing surgical management. Currently, compared to other colorectal procedures, robotic surgery appears to offer great benefits for total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer. Abdominal cavity other procedures such as right hemicolectomy and high anterior resection are relatively uncomplicated and can be performed easily by laparoscopic surgery. First reports have focused on the clinical benefits of robotic rectal cancer surgery compared with laparoscopic surgery. The indications for robotic and laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery are not different. The recently published results of the ROLARR trial, comparing robot-assisted TME to laparoscopic TME, show no advantages of robot assistance in terms of intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, plane of surgery, 30-day mortality, bladder dysfunction, and sexual dysfunction. A drawback of the study is the variability in experience of the participating surgeons in robotic surgery. After correction of this confounder, an advantage for robotic assistance was suggested in terms of risk of conversion to open surgery. For robotic rectal cancer surgery to become the preferred minimally invasive option, it must demonstrate that it does not have the technical difficulties and steep learning curve of laparoscopic surgery. Robotic surgery has several technical advantages over open and laparoscopic surgery. The system provides a stable operating platform, three-dimensional imaging, articulating instruments and a stable surgeon controlled camera which is mainly beneficial in areas where space and maneuverability is limited such as the pelvis

Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis Associated with Abscesses—An Unknown Dual Pathology

(1) Introduction and Aims: Little is known about the relationship between renal pathology and gallbladder pathology, although the two organs (the gallbladder and the right kidney) are in close proximity to one another. If a renal abscess disseminates, the gallbladder would be one of the secondary organs involved. As the bile provides a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic germs, it allows for the development of acute cholecystitis, even if calculi are absent, thus resulting in the development of acute acalculous cholecystitis. The aim of our study was to analyze the association between acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) and renal abscesses. (2) Methods: A department-wide retrospective cohort observational study including 67 patients with renal abscesses, with a mean age of 34.5+/−16.21 years and with five males and 62 females, was conducted. All of the patients were examined by an abdominal ultrasound. The lab tests included CBC with differential liver enzymes and serum bilirubin (in order to assess alterations in the liver function which can be associated with AAC) and serum creatinine (in order to assess the renal function). Blood culture and urine culture tests were also performed. (3) Results: Of the 67 patients with renal abscesses, eight (11.94%) were associated with acute cholecystitis: four cases (5.97%) of acalculous cholecystitis and four cases (5.97%) of calculous cholecystitis, two of which presented biliary sludge (acute micro-calculous cholecystitis). All four cases of acute acalculous cholecystitis presented with sepsis, and there was one case of septic shock at onset. We did not observe an impairment in renal function in the patients presenting with acute acalculous cholecystitis, and hepatic impairment was inconstant and moderate. All of the cases had a favorable outcome after a prompt initiation of intensive antibiotic therapy; both the renal abscess and the acute acalculous cholecystitis receded without further complications. (4) Conclusions: The association of acute acalculous cholecystitis with renal abscesses could be related to the possibility of germ dissemination from the infectious focus. In the case of a renal abscess, careful clinical, lab, and imaging exams of the gallbladder are recommended in order to ensure early therapeutic intervention in the event of an association with acute acalculous cholecystitis

Monitoring Approach of Fatality Risk Factors for Patients with Severe Acute Pancreatitis Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. A Retrospective, Monocentric Study

Acute pancreatitis is an unpredictable disease affecting the pancreas and it is characterized by a wide range of symptoms and modified lab tests, thus there is a continuing struggle to classify this disease and to find risk factors associated with a worse outcome. The main objective of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with the fatal outcome of the intensive care unit’s patients diagnosed and admitted for severe acute pancreatitis, the secondary objective was to investigate the prediction value for the death of different inflammatory markers at the time of their admission to the hospital. This retrospective study included all the patients with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Emergency County Hospital Timisoara between 1 January 2016 and 31 May 2021. The study included 53 patients diagnosed with severe acute pancreatitis, out of which 21 (39.6%) survived and 32 (60.4%) died. For the neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio, a cut-off value of 12.4 was found. When analyzing age, we found out that age above 52 years old can predict mortality, and for the platelets/lymphocytes ratio, a cut-off value of 127 was found. Combining the three factors we get a new model for predicting mortality, with an increased performance, AUROC = 0.95, p < 0.001. Multiple persistent organ failure, age over 50, higher values of C reactive protein, and surgery were risk factors for death in the patients with severe acute pancreatitis admitted to the intensive care unit. The model design from the neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio, platelets/lymphocytes ratio, and age proved to be the best in predicting mortality in severe acute pancreatitis

The Value of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) for Predicting the Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (NAC) in Breast Cancer according to the Molecular Subtypes

Introduction: The antitumor host immune response is an important factor in breast cancer, but its role is not fully established. The role of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) as an immunological biomarker in breast cancer has been significantly explored in recent years. The number of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has increased and the identification of a biomarker to predict the probability of pCR (pathological complete response) is a high priority. Materials and methods: We evaluated 334 cases of BC treated with NAC followed by surgical resection from 2020–2022 at the Ist Clinic of Oncological Surgery, Oncological Institute “Prof Dr I Chiricuta” Cluj Napoca. Of the above, 122 cases were available for histological evaluation both in pre-NAC biopsy and post-NAC resection tissue. Evaluation of biopsy fragments and resection parts were performed using hematoxylin eosin (H&E). The TIL evaluation took place according to the recommendations of the International TIL Working Group (ITILWG). Results: There was a strong association between elevated levels of pre-NAC TIL. At the same time, there is a statistically significant correlation between stromal TIL and tumor grade, the number of lymph node metastases, the molecular subtype and the number of mitoses (p p < 0.005). We also demonstrated that high pre-NAC STIL represents a strong predictive marker for pCR. Conclusion: This study reveals the role of TIL as a predictive biomarker in breast cancer not only for the well-established TNBC (triple negative breast cancer) and HER2+ (Her2 overexpressed) subtypes but also in Luminal A and B molecular subtypes. In this scenario, the evaluation of sTIL as a novel predictive and therapy-predicting factor should become a routinely performed analysis that could guide clinicians when choosing the most appropriate therapy

Acute Mesenteric Ischemia in COVID-19 Patients

Acute mesenteric ischemia is a rare but extremely severe complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The present review aims to document the clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings, management, and outcomes of acute intestinal ischemia in COVID-19 patients. A comprehensive search was performed on PubMed and Web of Science with the terms &ldquo;COVID-19&rdquo; and &ldquo;bowel ischemia&rdquo; OR &ldquo;intestinal ischemia&rdquo; OR &ldquo;mesenteric ischemia&rdquo; OR &ldquo;mesenteric thrombosis&rdquo;. After duplication removal, a total of 36 articles were included, reporting data on a total of 89 patients, 63 being hospitalized at the moment of onset. Elevated D-dimers, leukocytosis, and C reactive protein (CRP) were present in most reported cases, and a contrast-enhanced CT exam confirms the vascular thromboembolism and offers important information about the bowel viability. There are distinct features of bowel ischemia in non-hospitalized vs. hospitalized COVID-19 patients, suggesting different pathological pathways. In ICU patients, the most frequently affected was the large bowel alone (56%) or in association with the small bowel (24%), with microvascular thrombosis. Surgery was necessary in 95.4% of cases. In the non-hospitalized group, the small bowel was involved in 80%, with splanchnic veins or arteries thromboembolism, and a favorable response to conservative anticoagulant therapy was reported in 38.4%. Mortality was 54.4% in the hospitalized group and 21.7% in the non-hospitalized group (p &lt; 0.0001). Age over 60 years (p = 0.043) and the need for surgery (p = 0.019) were associated with the worst outcome. Understanding the mechanisms involved and risk factors may help adjust the thromboprophylaxis and fluid management in COVID-19 patients

Research and Science Today No. 2(6)/2013

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE TODAY is a biannual science journal established in 2011. The journal is an informational platform that publishes assessment articles and the results of various scientific research carried out by academics. We provide the authors with the opportunity to create and/or perfect their science writing skills. Thus, each issue of the journal (two per year and at least two supplements) will contain professional articles from any academic field, authored by domestic and international academics. The goal of this journal is to pass on relevant information to undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students as well as to fellow academics and researchers; the topics covered are unlimited, considering its multi-disciplinary profile. Regarding the national and international visibility of Research and Science Today, it is indexed in over 30 international databases (IDB) and is present in over 200 online libraries and catalogues; therefore, anybody can easily consult the articles featured in each issue by accessing the databases or simply the website

Research and Science Today Supplement No. 1/2013

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE TODAY is a biannual science journal established in 2011. The journal is an informational platform that publishes assessment articles and the results of various scientific research carried out by academics. We provide the authors with the opportunity to create and/or perfect their science writing skills. Thus, each issue of the journal (two per year and at least two supplements) will contain professional articles from any academic field, authored by domestic and international academics. The goal of this journal is to pass on relevant information to undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students as well as to fellow academics and researchers; the topics covered are unlimited, considering its multi-disciplinary profile. Regarding the national and international visibility of Research and Science Today, it is indexed in over 30 international databases (IDB) and is present in over 200 online libraries and catalogues; therefore, anybody can easily consult the articles featured in each issue by accessing the databases or simply the website