π\pi-Electron Ferromagnetism in Metal Free Carbon Probed by Soft X-Ray Dichroism

Elemental carbon represents a fundamental building block of matter and the possibility of ferromagnetic order in carbon attracted widespread attention. However, the origin of magnetic order in such a light element is only poorly understood and has puzzled researchers. We present a spectromicroscopy study at room temperature of proton irradiated metal free carbon using the elemental and chemical specificity of x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). We demonstrate that the magnetic order in the investigated system originates only from the carbon $\pi$-electron system.Comment: 10 pages 3 color figure

Traumatic rupture of the right atrium with haemopericardium due to blunt car crash accident thoracic trauma, resolved in department of general surgery (Case report)

Secţia Chirurgie, Secţia ATI, Spitalul Judeţean de Urgenţă, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, România, Al XII-lea Congres al Asociației Chirurgilor „Nicolae Anestiadi” din Republica Moldova cu participare internațională 23-25 septembrie 2015Caz clinic: Autorii prezintă un caz de ruptură de atriu drept în urma unui traumatism toracic închis fără fracturi costale şi fără marca traumatică tegumentară, ca urmare a unui accident rutier. Bolnava în vârstă de 31 de ani este adusă la Spitalul Judeţean de Urgenţă Tr-Severin la circă 30 de minute de la producerea accidentului, prezentând stare generală gravă, colaps vascular periferic, stare comatoasă. Investigaţiile imagistice (ecografie, CT) evidențiază numai hemopericard. S-a intervenit chirurgical prin toracotomie stângă şi sternotomie parţiala. S-a găsit ruptura de auricul drept, pentru care s-a practicat ligatura plăgii auriculare. Perioada postoperatorie a fost fără complicaţii, pacienta a supravieţuit.Clinical case: The authors present a case of the right atrium rupture following a blunt chest injury as a result of a car crash accident, without rib fractures and traumatic marks of skin. The patient aged 31 years is transported to Emergency County Hospital Tr-Severin approximately 30 minutes after trauma, presenting poor general condition, peripheral vascular collapse, and coma. Imaging studies (ultrasound, CT) reveal haemopericardium only. Left thoracotomy and partial sternotomy was performed. Auricle rupture was found, which required ligation of auricle wound. Postoperative period was uneventful, and the patient survived

Partial intestinal obstruction due to tumoral form of actinomycosis (Case report)

Secția Chirurgie, Secția ATI, Spitalul Județean de Urgență, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, România, Al XII-lea Congres al Asociației Chirurgilor „Nicolae Anestiadi” din Republica Moldova cu participare internațională 23-25 septembrie 2015Caz clinic: Se prezintă cazul unui bolnav în vârstă de 65 de ani cu sindrom subocluziv intestinal cronic, scădere ponderală cca 20 de kg în ultimul an. La examenul obiectiv: formațiune tumorală palpabilă în fosa iliacă stângă de cca 15/20 cm. Colonoscopia evidențiază stenoza sigmoidiană la cca 15 cm de la orificiul anal. Nu s-a prelevat fragment pentru biopsie. S-a intervenit chirurgical. S-a găsit un bloc tumoral sigmoidian mare și un mic abces între acesta și vezica urinară. S-a practicat colectomie segmentară pe sigmoid. Evoluție postoperatorie favorabilă. Surpriză la examenul anatomo-patologic: actinomicoză.Clinical case: We present the case of a patient aged 65 years with the syndrome of chronic bowel obstruction, and about 20 kg of weight loss during last year. On physical examination: palpable tumoral mass in the left iliac fossa of about 15/20 cm. On colonoscopy sigmoid stenosis at approximately 15 cm from anus is detected. No tissue was taken for biopsy. On surgery was found a large sigmoid tumor and a small abscess between it and the urinary bladder. Segmental sigmoid colectomy is performed. Postoperative evolution was favorable. Surprise on histopathological examination: actinomycosis

European overview of sustainable policies and approaches in COST C25 member countries

The implementation of the principles and methods towards a Sustainable Construction varies across different countries in Europe. In some countries, the sustainability of the construction sector has been effectively taken into consideration over the last years, while in other its implementation is at an initial stage. Many reasons may be pointed out for this situation. Different countries have different understandings of what is entailed in Sustainable Construction. Different cultural and educational backgrounds, along with different priorities in each country, are also contributing for the lack of a common European approach. General frameworks, aiming to cover every aspect of Sustainable Construction and to provide a consistent and integrated approach, such as Agenda 21 for Sustainable Construction, gave a major advance in the search for a common approach for the construction sector. However, general agreed methodologies and tools to make this common approach operational are still missing.European Science Foundation - COST Action C2

Gold nanorods:contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging

Gold nanorods are seen as possible contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging since they have strong absorption peaks at near-infrared wavelengths. Also they are easy to conjugate with various proteins. If these particles can be conjugated with cancer affinity proteins then these particles can accumulate specifically at a tumor site. By detecting the presence of accumulation of gold nanorods inside the tissue the indirect detection of tumor can be realized. When these particles are irradiated with light pulses of appropriate temporal properties and energy the temperature around these particles can be high enough to induce apoptosis or necrosis in the surrounding cells. In order to use these particles at their full potential we must determine precisely their optical properties. We simulated the optical properties of gold nanorods synthesized by us using the DDSCAT code. The simulated spectra agree qualitatively with the spectra determined using spectrometry and also determined using photoacoustic spectroscopy. Further the values of molar extinction coefficient derived from the simulations were similar to the data measured experimentally by other groups. These results validated qualitatively the model used in the simulations. During simulations we found that the choice of the dielectric function used in simulations plays an important role in the results

Surgical treatment of Barrett's esophagus with complications

Catedra de Chirurgie Nr 4, Universitatea de Stat de Medicină și Farmacie ,,Nicolae Testemițanu”, IMSP Spitalul Clinic Republican "Timofei Moșneaga", Chișinău, Republica Moldova, Al XIII-lea Congres al Asociației Chirurgilor „Nicolae Anestiadi” și al III-lea Congres al Societății de Endoscopie, Chirurgie miniminvazivă și Ultrasonografie ”V.M.Guțu” din Republica MoldovaIntroducere: Formele asimptomatice de Esofagul Barret (EB) asociat cu displazie determină în timp un risc anual de până la 60% de dezvoltare a adenocarcinomului esofagian, dar și mai frecvent a complicațiilor acute precum ulcere esofagiene, hemoragii digestive superioare (HDS) sau dezvoltarea în timp a stenozelor cicatriceale. Tratamentul complicațiilor determinate de EB reprezintă intervenții chirurgicale laborioase ce au o mortalitate înaltă și o supraviețuire la 5 ani de până la 15%. Material și metode: Un studiu clinic pe serii de cazuri de 62 de bolnavi care au fost diagnosticați și tratați în clinica de chirurgie nr 4 pentru EB pe parcursul a 20 de ani. Complicații ale EB în lotul de cercetare au fost atestate în 22 cazuri (35,4%). Rezultate: Din lotul complicațiilor în 9 cazuri (56%) a fost atestat un adenocarcinom pe fundalul metaplaziei intestinale, 6 cazuri esofag Barrett cu HGD, stenozele au constituit 4 cazuri (40%), iar HDS pe fundalul ulcerului Barrett 3 cazuri (19%). În 100% cazuri acestea au necesitat intervenții chirurgicale rezective, de substituție a esofagului. În 48% din cazuri am utilizat stomacul, în 27% au fost efectuate esofagoplastii cu intestin subtire și în 25% cu colonul. Complicații postoperatorii au fost apreciate în 34% cazuri (dehiscența de anastomoze, fistule), în 5 cazuri (31%) a fost necesară etapizarea intervenției chirurgicale prin aplicarea primară a unei gastrostome, durata medie de spitalizare a constituit 16 zile, iar mortalitate postoperatorie 25%. Concluzii: Complicatile EB deși nu au o incidență înaltă, acestea reprezintă forme evolutive grave cu un prognostic nefavorabil, necesită frecvent intervenții chirurgicale laborioase și au o mortalitate înaltă.Introduction: The asimptomatic forms of BE associated with dysplasia determine a risk up to 60% of evolution into esophageal adenocarcinoma, even more frequent acute complications such as superior digestive hemorrhage or later cicatricial stenosis. The treatment of complications determined by BE represent laborious surgical interventions with a high mortality rate and a 5 year survival rate of 15%. Material and methods: A study comprised of 62 patients, that were diagnosed and treated in Department Nr.4 of Surgery during the last 20 years. Complications of BE in the surveyed batch were determined in 22 cases (35,4%). Results: From the batch with complications, 9 cases (56%) with adenocarcinoma as a result of intestinal metaplasia, 6 cases of Barrett's esophagus with HGD, stenosis - 4 cases (40%), SDH as a consequence of Barrett ulcer – 3 cases (19%). All of them required surgical treatment of esophageal substitution. In 48% stomach was used, in 27 % esophagoplasty with small intestine, 25 % with colon. Postoperative complications occurred in 34 % (anastomotic dehiscence, fistulae), 5 cases (31%) needed split surgery, first being performed the gastrostomy. The average length of hospital stay was 16 days, postoperative mortality – 25%. Conclusions: Even though the complications of BE are rare, they represent severe forms of evolution with an unfavorable outcome that necessitates complicated surgeries with a high mortality rate

Cause of Death and Predictors of All-Cause Mortality in Anticoagulated Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation : Data From ROCKET AF

M. Kaste on työryhmän ROCKET AF Steering Comm jäsen.Background-Atrial fibrillation is associated with higher mortality. Identification of causes of death and contemporary risk factors for all-cause mortality may guide interventions. Methods and Results-In the Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared with Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation (ROCKET AF) study, patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation were randomized to rivaroxaban or dose-adjusted warfarin. Cox proportional hazards regression with backward elimination identified factors at randomization that were independently associated with all-cause mortality in the 14 171 participants in the intention-to-treat population. The median age was 73 years, and the mean CHADS(2) score was 3.5. Over 1.9 years of median follow-up, 1214 (8.6%) patients died. Kaplan-Meier mortality rates were 4.2% at 1 year and 8.9% at 2 years. The majority of classified deaths (1081) were cardiovascular (72%), whereas only 6% were nonhemorrhagic stroke or systemic embolism. No significant difference in all-cause mortality was observed between the rivaroxaban and warfarin arms (P=0.15). Heart failure (hazard ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.33-1.70, P= 75 years (hazard ratio 1.69, 95% CI 1.51-1.90, P Conclusions-In a large population of patients anticoagulated for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, approximate to 7 in 10 deaths were cardiovascular, whereasPeer reviewe

Advances in research on the use of biochar in soil for remediation: a review

Purpose: Soil contamination mainly from human activities remains a major environmental problem in the contemporary world. Significant work has been undertaken to position biochar as a readily-available material useful for the management of contaminants in various environmental media notably soil. Here, we review the increasing research on the use of biochar in soil for the remediation of some organic and inorganic contaminants.  Materials and methods: Bibliometric analysis was carried out within the past 10 years to determine the increasing trend in research related to biochar in soil for contaminant remediation. Five exemplar contaminants were reviewed in both laboratory and field-based studies. These included two inorganic (i.e., As and Pb) and three organic classes (i.e., sulfamethoxazole, atrazine, and PAHs). The contaminants were selected based on bibliometric data and as representatives of their various contaminant classes. For example, As and Pb are potentially toxic elements (anionic and cationic, respectively), while sulfamethoxazole, atrazine, and PAHs represent antibiotics, herbicides, and hydrocarbons, respectively.  Results and discussion: The interaction between biochar and contaminants in soil is largely driven by biochar precursor material and pyrolysis temperature as well as some characteristics of the contaminants such as octanol-water partition coefficient (KOW) and polarity. The structural and chemical characteristics of biochar in turn determine the major sorption mechanisms and define biochar’s suitability for contaminant sorption. Based on the reviewed literature, a soil treatment plan is suggested to guide the application of biochar in various soil types (paddy soils, brownfield, and mine soils) at different pH levels (4–5.5) and contaminant concentrations ( 50 mg kg−1).  Conclusions: Research on biochar has grown over the years with significant focus on its properties, and how these affect biochar’s ability to immobilize organic and inorganic contaminants in soil. Few of these studies have been field-based. More studies with greater focus on field-based soil remediation are therefore required to fully understand the behavior of biochar under natural circumstances. Other recommendations are made aimed at stimulating future research in areas where significant knowledge gaps exist