Elective cancer surgery in COVID-19-free surgical pathways during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: An international, multicenter, comparative cohort study

PURPOSE As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19–free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19–free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19–free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19–free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score–matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19–free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS: Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

High wear resistance white ceramic glaze containing needle like zircon single crystals by the addition of sepiolite n-ZrO2

Sepiolite with homogeneous zirconia nanoparticles distribution has been added to a transparent ceramic glaze to study opacification, mechanical and wear resistance properties. It has been observed that monodispersed zircon single crystals with needle-like shape have been formed in the ceramic glaze. These in situ zircon single crystals give white color and increase opacification (L= 94 vs L= 90), mechanical properties (hardness and toughness) and wear resistance by a factor of 4 compared to the commercial crystalline glaze containing a similar fraction of micrometer commercial zircon. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.This research has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under project DOMINO (CENIT-2007-1001).Peer Reviewe

Esmalte cerámico con brillo metálico, procedimiento de obtención y aplicación

Fecha de solicitud: 18-12-2008.- Titular: Consejo Suiperior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)The present invention concerns a ceramic enamel with metallic brilliance characterized in that it is constitued by: - A powder of micro/nanometric metal from the type of Cu, Ni, Cd, Ru, Fe, Pd, Au, Ag, Co, W, Mo, Pt, Rh and Ir, and possible alloys thereof with the former or other metals, and/or particles of various oxides having metallic character in the optical range (Fe3 O4,Co3 O 4, NbO, TaO, Mn3O4, Mox Oy and Wx Oy ) or precursors used for obtaining the previous conductive oxides - One frit and kaolin; and smoke black. And also the method for preparation of said enamel.La presente invención se refiere a un esmalte cerámico con brillo metálico caracterizado porque está constituído por. - Un polvo de metal de tamaño micro/nanométrico del tipo de Cu, Ni, Cd. Ru, Fe, An, Ag, Co, W, Mo, Pt, Rh e Ir, y sus posibles aleaciones con éstos u otros metales, y/o por partículas de distintos óxidos que presenten carácter metálico en el rango óptico (Fe3 04, Co3 = 4, NbO, TaO, Mn304, Mo, O, y W2 0y) o precursores que permitan obtener los óxidos conductores anteriores. Una frita y caolín; y -Negro de humo. Así como el procedimiento de obtención de dicho esmalte.Peer reviewe

Development of nanostructrured multifunctional glazes

Este trabajo ha obtenido el premio Alfa de oro en la Feria Internacional de Cerámica CEVISAMA 2009[ES] El desarrollo de nuevos esmaltes con características innovadoras para la industria de pavimentos y revestimientos cerámicos se ha realizado mediante la dispersión de nanopartículas sobre partículas matriz basadas en fibras de sepiolita de diámetro nanométrico, <50 nm. La sepiolita es una arcilla fibrilar de composición compatible con el esmalte. Los aspectos más relevantes de la investigación realizada han permitido acondicionar las partículas matrices para soportar y proteger diferentes tipos de nanopartículas dispersas de naturaleza metálica u oxídica. Los esmaltes desarrollados tienen la cualidad de encontrarse nanoestructurados y ser multifuncionales, ya que pueden combinarse en un solo esmalte diferentes propiedades como la de tener aspecto metalizado, propiedades hidrofóbicas, bactericidas, fungicidas y de autolimpieza. El concepto de nanopartículas soportadas utiliza de forma eficiente los procesos actuales de tecnología de nanopartículas para obtener multifuncionalidades en los esmaltes, ofreciendo producto cerámico innovador y de mayor valor añadido.[EN] The development of new glazes with innovative characteristics for the tile industry was afforded by using disperse nanoparticles on host sepiolite particles. Sepiolite clay has fibrillar morphology with a diameter <50 nm and with a composition compatible with the glaze. The host particles were conditioned to support and to protect different disperse nanoparticles having metallic or oxidic nature. The developed glazes possess a nanostructure which is responsible for different properties. Different functionalities could be combined in a single glaze as a multifunctional glaze: metallic aspect, hydrophobic response, bactericide and fungicide properties, and self cleaning characteristics. The efficiency of the supported nanoparticles allows the use of the nanoparticles technology to obtain multifunctional glazes and powered the innovations into the tile product with added value.Peer reviewe

Giant magneto-optical/faraday effect in flexible non-magnetic/plasmonic polymer matrix composites

Resumen del póster presentado al International Workshop on Nanopalsmonics for Energy and the Environment celebrado en Sanxenxo (España) del 8 al 10 de junio de 2011.In selected metals (Ag, Au), surface plasmon resonantes appear when monodisperse nanoparticles embedded into a transparent medium interact with visible radiation. One of the main difficulties for preparing plasmonic materials is the strong tendency of nanoparticles to aggregate. In this sense, a new approach is herewith presented in which, metallic nanoparticles were obtained on sepiolite (a hydrated magnesium silicate) microparticles. These microparticles which actas nanoparticle carriers were dispersed into transparent polymers (LDPE and PS) by conventional methods. As a result, tinted films (from 50 to 100 ?m thick) with very good mechanical stability were obtained. These films present a very good degree of transparency due to the index matching between sepiolite and polymeric matrices, which minimize the light scattering by defects. Additionally they present well defined surface plasmon resonance absorption peaks. Due to the excellent optical quality of these materials, it has been possible to measure a giant magneto-optical Faraday rotation. In fact, according to theoretical models, (Hui and Stroud, APL, 50, 950 (1987)) non-magnetic plasmonic dilutions may present a notable Faraday rotation. In this work, gold and silver sepiolites dispersed in 60 pm PS films present Faraday rotation of about 3.10(4) º/T.m in the neighbourhood of the SPR spectral region. More precisely, the Faraday rotation reaches the maximum at the long wavelength edge of the SPR absorption curve, being approximately O at the maximum of SPR absorption curve. The measured Faraday rotation value is of the same order of magnitude to that reported for transparent magnetic materials. Therefore, it is shown that gold and silver nanoparticles may be employed for fabricating magnetic field sensors in a simple procedure which can be easily scaled-up.Peer Reviewe

Synthesis, conforming, linear, and non-linear optical properties of gold nanoparticles-sepiolite compacts

Gold monodispersed nanoparticles (smaller than 10 nm) have been embedded into sepiolite fibres and sintered by spark plasma sintering (SPS) in order to preserve their nanometre size. The optical properties of these nanoparticles have been measured showing the surface plasmon resonance. Plasmon absorption curves have been successfully fitted by using the quasistatic approximation for gold nanoparticles. It has been observed that the sintering process decreases the plasmon width. SPS sintered nanostructured compacts present large values of the non-linear third-order dielectric susceptibility related to the gold concentration. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.We would like to thank to the projects MAT 2006-10249-C02-01, PTR1995-0832-OP, TEC 2005-00074, and TEC 2008-01183 funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.Peer Reviewe