Περιεγχειρητική διαχείριση ασθενών που υποβάλλονται σε οισοφαγεκτομή για νεοπλασία. Ανασκόπηση βιβλιογραφίας.

Η περιεγχειρητική διαχείριση παίζει καθοριστικό ρόλο στη βελτιστοποίηση των αποτελεσμάτων για ασθενείς που υποβάλλονται σε οισοφαγεκτομή για νεοπλασία. Αυτή η ανασκόπηση εστιάζει στις διάφορες πτυχές της περιεγχειρητικής φροντίδας, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της προεγχειρητικής αξιολόγησης, των διεγχειρητικών στρατηγικών και της μετεγχειρητικής διαχείρισης, με στόχο τη μείωση των επιπλοκών και τη βελτίωση της έκβασης των ασθενών. Οι βασικοί τομείς που εξετάζονται περιλαμβάνουν την αναισθησιολογική διαχείριση, την αναπλήρωση υγρών, τον έλεγχο του πόνου, τη διατροφική υποστήριξη, την πρώιμη εντερική σίτιση, την πνευμονική υγιεινή, την πρόληψη μετεγχειρητικών επιπλοκών και την πρώιμη κινητοποίηση του ασθενούς. Τονίζεται η σημασία μιας πολυεπιστημονικής προσέγγισης και εξατομικευμένης φροντίδας για την αντιμετώπιση των ειδικών αναγκών και προκλήσεων που σχετίζονται με τη χειρουργική νεοπλασίας του οισοφάγου.Perioperative management plays a crucial role in optimizing outcomes for patients undergoing esophagectomy for neoplasia. This review focuses on the various aspects of perioperative care, including preoperative evaluation, intraoperative strategies, and postoperative management, aimed at reducing complications and improving patient outcomes. Key areas discussed include anesthetic management, fluid resuscitation, pain control, nutritional support, early enteral feeding, pulmonary hygiene, prevention of postoperative complications, and early mobilization of the patient. The importance of a multidisciplinary approach and individualized care is emphasized to address the specific needs and challenges associated with esophageal neoplasia surgery

Evaluation of the chemical and physical changes induced by KrF laser irradiation of tempera paints

A systematic study of the chemical and physical changes induced by exposure to UV (248 nm) excimer laser light of unvarnished tempera paint samples has been undertaken as a part of the research activities included in the European project "Advanced workstation for controlled laser cleaning of artworks". The direct exposure of the paint to the UV laser configures the worst case scenario of laser cleaning, as a thin protective layer of varnish is normally left to minimize the dose of UV radiation that reaches the paint surface. However, in the practice of laser cleaning, there is a need to characterize and quantify the possible effects of direct UV laser irradiation of unvarnished paints. To this purpose, a broad range of techniques have been used including profilometry, colorimetry, optical and vibrational spectroscopic techniques, such as laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), Fourier transform Raman (FTR) and infrared (FTIR), and analytical mass spectrometric techniques, like direct-temperature-resolved mass spectrometry (DTMS) and laser desorption and ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (LDI-TOF). Integration of the results obtained by these techniques allowed the investigation of the nature and degree of change of the irradiated paint systems. These were observed to strongly depend on the type of paint system. © 2003 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved

Effects of static and dynamic femtosecond laser modifications of Ti/Zr multilayer thin films

The experimental study of the static and dynamic femtosecond laser ablation of the multilayer 15x(Ti/Zr)/Si system is reported. The layer-by-layer selective laser ablation mechanism was studied by analysis of the surface morphology and elemental composition in static single pulse irradiation in a range of pulse energy from 10 to 17 \upmu J. The selective ablations, as number of concentric circles in modified spots are increased with the pulse energy. The boundary between the circles was shown a change in the depth, comparable to the thickness of the individual layers. Changes in the elemental composition at the edges are associated with the removal of the layer by layer. The dynamic multipulse irradiation was observed via the production of lines with laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) at different laser parameters (scan velocities and laser polarization). The spatial periodicity of the formed LIPSS depends on changes in the effective number of pulses and laser polarization, as well as the nature of the material. For better interpretation of the experimental results, simulations have been conducted to explore the thermal response of the multiple layered structure 15x(Ti/Zr) after static single pulse irradiation

The “MetaCopepod” project: Designing an integrated DNA metabarcoding and image analysis approach to study and monitor the diversity of zooplanktonic copepods and cladocerans in the Mediterranean Sea

The timely and accurate analysis of marine zooplankton diversity is a challenge in ecological and monitoring studies. Morphology-based identification of taxa, which requires taxonomy experts, is time consuming and cannot provide accurate resolution at species level in several cases (e.g. immature stages, cryptic species, broken specimens). The “MetaCopepod” project is aimed at overcoming these limitations by developing a high-throughput and cost effective methodology that integrates DNA metabarcoding and image analysis. Utilizing the accuracy of DNA metabarcoding in species recognition and the quantitative results of image analysis, zooplankton diversity (mainly of copepods and cladocerans) is assessed both qualitatively (species' composition) and quantitatively (abundance, biomass and size-distribution). To achieve this goal, bulk zooplankton samples are first scanned and analyzed with ZooImage and then massively sequenced for a selected fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. Through a bioinformatic pipeline, sequences are compared to a reference genetic database, constructed within the project, and identified at species- level. The methodology was calibrated by using both mock and taxonomically identified samples and demonstrated on samples collected monthly from monitoring stations across the Mediterranean Sea. It is currently optimized for higher integration and accuracy and is expected to become a powerful tool for monitoring zooplankton in the long term and for early warning of bioinvasions and other ecosystem change

Yellowing Effect And Discoloration Of Pigments: Experimental And Theoretical Studies

Two issues of great interest in the field of lasers in artwork conservation are the so-called yellowing effect and the discoloration of pigments. We have viewed these issues from a comprehensive point of view, considering all our present experimental results as well as ongoing modeling and theoretical calculations. The first concern to be discussed is the yellowing effect in laser cleaning of marble or stone artifacts. Although, in most cases, a yellowish layer exists underneath the black encrustation, the so-called \u27patina\u27, it has become clear that there are situations where yellowing cannot be attributed to an existing layer. In the present study, a light scattering model that may account for the yellowing is presented. This model considers a thin absorbent layer and the surface roughness and/or created voids and accounts for the reflectance spectra measured by (i) hyper-spectral imaging and (ii) integrating sphere. Additional experimental data, such as the absence of yellowing when the third harmonic of a Q-swihed Nd:YAG laser is used, support this model. A thorough understanding of the quantitative characteristics of pigment discoloration, on the other hand, has been attempted by means of X-ray diffraction and theoretical studies. The model developed suggests a nucleation process for cinnabar resulting in a structural modification within the volume of a pigment\u27s crystal or particle close to the \u27ablation front\u27, which extends for a few nanometers from its surface. © 2003 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved

MEX 3D Printed HDPE/TiO₂ Nanocomposites Physical and Mechanical Properties Investigation

Aiming to develop more robust, mechanically advanced, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) materials, High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) nanocomposites were developed in the current research work. Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) was selected as filler to be incorporated into the HDPE matrix in concentration steps of 0.5, 2.5, 5, and 10 wt.%. 3D printing nanocomposite filaments were extruded in ~1.75 mm diameter and used to 3D print and test tensile and flexion specimens according to international standards. Reported results indicate that the filler contributes to increasing the mechanical strength of the virgin HDPE at certain filler and filler type concentrations; with the highest values reported to be 37.8% higher in tensile strength with HDPE/TiO2 10 wt.%. Morphological and thermal characterization was performed utilizing Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Raman, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), while the results were correlated with the available literature

Dielectric Behavior of Stretchable Silicone Rubber–Barium Titanate Composites

In this study, elastomer composites, including silicone rubber and barium titanate, were fabricated by mechanical mixing, a low-cost, fast, and easy technique to produce highly dielectric materials. The resulting composites were investigated in terms of their dielectric and mechanical properties in terms of filler percentage in the mixture. Dielectric permittivity measurements were taken using the microwave regime, and uniaxial tensile tests were carried out for the study of the materials’ mechanical properties, while combined experiments were also carried out to investigate potential correlations between them. The experimental results show that barium titanate inclusions in silicone matrix significantly improve the dielectric constant while reducing the mechanical properties of composites. In addition, combined experiments show that the composites exhibit a nearly stable dielectric profile under mechanical deformations. Consequently, mechanically mixed barium titanate–silicone elastomer composites could potentially become a cost-effective alternative in the extensive market for insulating materials and flexible electronics

Engineering Cell Adhesion and Orientation via Ultrafast Laser Fabricated Microstructured Substrates

Cell responses depend on the stimuli received by the surrounding extracellular environment, which provides the cues required for adhesion, orientation, proliferation, and differentiation at the micro and the nano scales. In this study, discontinuous microcones on silicon (Si) and continuous microgrooves on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates were fabricated via ultrashort pulsed laser irradiation at various fluences, resulting in microstructures with different magnitudes of roughness and varying geometrical characteristics. The topographical models attained were specifically developed to imitate the guidance and alignment of Schwann cells for the oriented axonal regrowth that occurs in nerve regeneration. At the same time, positive replicas of the silicon microstructures were successfully reproduced via soft lithography on the biodegradable polymer poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA). The anisotropic continuous (PET) and discontinuous (PLGA replicas) microstructured polymeric substrates were assessed in terms of their influence on Schwann cell responses. It is shown that the micropatterned substrates enable control over cellular adhesion, proliferation, and orientation, and are thus useful to engineer cell alignment in vitro. This property is potentially useful in the fields of neural tissue engineering and for dynamic microenvironment systems that simulate in vivo conditions

Sub-ps Pulsed Laser Deposition of Boron Films for Neutron Detector Applications

In view of the demand for high-quality thermal neutron detectors, boron films have recently attracted widespread research interest because of their special properties. In this work, we report on the deposition of boron films on silicon substrates by sub-picosecond pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at room temperature. Particular emphasis was placed on the investigation of the effect of the laser energy density (fluence) on the ablation process of the target material, as well as on the morphological properties of the resulting films. In addition, based on the study of the ablation and deposition rates as a function of the fluence, the ablation/deposition mechanisms are discussed. We show that well-adherent and stable boron films, with good quality surfaces revealing a good surface flatness and absence of cracks, can be obtained by means of the PLD technique, which proves to be a reliable and reproducible method for the fabrication of thick boron coatings that are suitable for neutron detection technology

Obtaining Nanostructured ZnO onto Si Coatings for Optoelectronic Applications via Eco-Friendly Chemical Preparation Routes

Although the research on zinc oxide (ZnO) has a very long history and its applications are almost countless as the publications on this subject are extensive, this semiconductor is still full of resources and continues to offer very interesting results worth publishing or warrants further investigation. The recent years are marked by the development of novel green chemical synthesis routes for semiconductor fabrication in order to reduce the environmental impacts associated with synthesis on one hand and to inhibit/suppress the toxicity and hazards at the end of their lifecycle on the other hand. In this context, this study focused on the development of various kinds of nanostructured ZnO onto Si substrates via chemical route synthesis using both classic solvents and some usual non-toxic beverages to substitute the expensive high purity reagents acquired from specialized providers. To our knowledge, this represents the first systematic study involving common beverages as reagents in order to obtain ZnO coatings onto Si for optoelectronic applications by the Aqueous Chemical Growth (ACG) technique. Moreover, the present study offers comparative information on obtaining nanostructured ZnO coatings with a large variety of bulk and surface morphologies consisting of crystalline nanostructures. It was revealed from X-ray diffraction analysis via Williamson–Hall plots that the resulting wurtzite ZnO has a large crystallite size and small lattice strain. These morphological features resulted in good optical properties, as proved by photoluminescence (PL) measurements even at room temperature (295 K). Good optical properties could be ascribed to complex surface structuring and large surface-to-volume ratios