Ultrafast Surface Plasmonic Switch in Non-Plasmonic Metals

We demonstrate that ultrafast carrier excitation can drastically affect electronic structures and induce brief surface plasmonic response in non-plasmonic metals, potentially creating a plasmonic switch. Using first-principles molecular dynamics and Kubo-Greenwood formalism for laser-excited tungsten we show that carrier heating mobilizes d electrons into collective inter and intraband transitions leading to a sign flip in the imaginary optical conductivity, activating plasmonic properties for the initial non-plasmonic phase. The drive for the optical evolution can be visualized as an increasingly damped quasi-resonance at visible frequencies for pumping carriers across a chemical potential located in a d-band pseudo-gap with energy-dependent degree of occupation. The subsequent evolution of optical indices for the excited material is confirmed by time-resolved ultrafast ellipsometry. The large optical tunability extends the existence spectral domain of surface plasmons in ranges typically claimed in laser self-organized nanostructuring. Non-equilibrium heating is thus a strong factor for engineering optical control of evanescent excitation waves, particularly important in laser nanostructuring strategies

Welfare Spending and Mortality Rates for the Elderly Before the Social Security Era

We analyze the impact of the original means-tested Old Age Assistance (OAA) programs on the health of the elderly prior to the first Social Security pension payments. Before 1935 a number of states had enacted their own OAA laws. After 1935 the federal government began offering matching grants and thus stimulated the adoption of OAA programs by the states. A new panel data set of 75 cities for each year between 1929 and 1938 combines mortality rates for older age groups with three measures of the OAA programs, spending on non-age-specific relief and a rich set of correlates. The data are analyzed using difference-in-difference-in-difference and instrumental variables methods. Our results suggest that Old Age Assistance in the 1930s had little impact on the death rate of the elderly. Our sense is that the OAA programs in the 1930s transferred the elderly from general relief programs without necessarily increasing the resources available to them.

Breast reconstruction on actinic affected territory by using of the latissimus dorsi flap plasty and dermotension (Case report)

Clinica de Chirurgie Plastică și Microchirurgie Reconstructivă, USMF “Nicolae Testemițanu”, Chișinău, Republica Moldova, Al XII-lea Congres al Asociației Chirurgilor „Nicolae Anestiadi” din Republica Moldova cu participare internațională 23-25 septembrie 2015Caz clinic: Lucrarea reflectă cazul clinic al unei femei de 33 ani supusă amputației totale de sîn pe motiv oncologic. Postoperator a urmat 3 cure de radioterapie. La 6 luni de la intervenția chirurgicală primară a susținut un examen complex după care a primit acordul medical la refacerea plastică a sânului. La momentul examinării în Clinica de chirurgie plastică prezenta dureri în regiunea cicatricei rămase după amputația sânului. La prima etapă de tratament s-a decis înlăturarea cicatricelor aderate agresiv de hemitorace și plastia defectului rămas cu un lambou insular din latissimus dorsi. Etapa a doua a urmat după obținerea regenerării primei etape – implantarea unui expander tisular cu un volum maximal de 500 ml. Etapa a treia a avut loc după umplerea balonului expandat. Sub surplusul tegumentar în schimbul expanderului am plasat o proteză mamară. Cunoscând că un component al tratamentului a fost iradierea actinică, temerea pentru înlaturarea cicatricei și plastia defectului cu țesuturi locale era argumentată. Astfel motivați am decis să folosim lamboul insular latissimus dorsi din regiunea sănătoasă. Dimensiunile lui maxime au permis expandarea, care a rezultat cu refacerea sânului prin punerea unui implant mamar. Concluzii: Utilizarea metodelor de chirurgie plastică-reconstructivă și estetică într-o consecutivitate corectă permit refacerea sânului după amputații oncologice, chiar dacă regiunea marcată este tratată actinic.Clinical case: We present a clinical case of 33 years old female, which was subjected to total breast amputation. After surgery she followed 3 cycles of radiation therapy. At 6 months after primary surgery she underwent a comprehensive examination after which has received medical agreement for plastic restoring of the breast. At the moment of the examination she has been complaining on pain in the region of the scar. In the first stage of the treatment it was decided to remove the aggressive adhered on hemithorax scars and to do the plasty of the defect with a free latissimus dorsi flap. The second stage was constituted of implanting a tissue expander. The third stage: under the tissue’s excess instead of expander we have placed a mammary prosthesis. Knowing that one of the treatment factors was actinic radiation, the fear for the removal of the scar and the plasty of the defect with local tissues was substantiated. Thus, we decided to use latissimus dorsi flap from the healthy region. Its maximal dimensions have allowed expanding resulting with restoration of the breast by placing a mammary implant. Conclusion: Using the methods of plastic-reconstructive and aesthetic surgery in a correct order allows the rebuilding of the breast after oncological amputations, even if the region was exposed to actinic treatment

Treatment of the posttraumatic damage of the pelvic limb in patients with diabetes

Catedra de ortopedie și traumatologie, USMF ”Nicolae Testemițanu”, Clinica de chirurgie plastică și microchirurgie reconstructivă a locomotorului, IMSP IMU, Chișinău, Republica Moldova, Conferința stiințifică „Nicolae Anestiadi – nume etern al chirurgiei basarabene” consacrată centenarului de la nașterea profesorului Nicolae Anestiadi 26 august 2016Introducere. Riscul de fractura a piciorului la persoanele cu diabet zaharat este legat de existenta neuropatiei diabetice periferice, ce reprezintă un factor important in dezvoltarea defectelor piciorului, infecțiilor si amputațiilor de membre inferioare Scop. Analiza defectelor posttraumatice in asociere cu polineuropatia diabetica a membrului pelvin si posibilități de acoperire a acestora. Material și metodă. Cei 15 pacienți au fost împărțiți in 4 categorii: lambouri de vecinătate, lambouri la distanta, plastie cu piele libera despicata, amputație. Parametrii urmăriți sunt: vârsta, sex, tipul diabetului zaharat, localizarea. Rezultate. 4 femei si 11 bărbați au fost repartizați in 4 categorii după tipul intervențiilor chirurgicale: plastii cu lambouri de vecinătate 4, lambouri la distanta 2, plastie cu piele libera despicata 7, amputație 2. Din lotul total de pacienți cu diabet zaharat tip II au fost 12 pacienți, iar 3 pacienți cu diabet zaharat insulin-dependent. Cei 15 pacienți, care au beneficiat de reconstrucții prin lambouri, au avut defecte la gamba distala si picior, iar pacienții care au suferit amputație per primam, au avut leziuni la nivelul gambei proximale, care au constat in necroze tegumentare si de părți moi, cu afectare osoasa si osteita, semn al gradului avansat al afectării vasculare. La pacienții care au beneficiat de plastie cu piele libera despicata, majoritatea defectelor au fost la nivelul gambei si erau prezente leziuni tegumentare. Concluzii. Defectele posttraumatice la pacienții cu polineuropatii diabetice a membrului pelvin pot fi rezolvate prin plastie cu piele libera despicata, reconstrucții prin lambouri, astfel rata amputațiilor scade.Introduction. Leg fracture risk at people with diabetes is related to the existence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, which is an important factor in the development of foot defects, infections and amputations of lower limb. Purpose. Analysis of the posttraumatic damage coupled with diabetic polyneuropathy of the pelvic limb and possibilities of healing the defects. Material and methods. The 15 patients were divided in 4 subgroups according to the type of surgical procedure performed: split skin grafts, the neighboring flaps, distant flaps, amputation at different levels. The descriptive parameters included: age, gender, the presence of type I or type II diabetes, the location. Results. 15 patients included in this study, out of which 4 women and 11 men were divided into four subgroups based on type of performed surgeries: the neighboring flaps - 4, distant flaps - 2, split skin grafts - 7, amputation in 2 cases. 12 patients had diabetes of type II, and the remaining 3 patients were insulin dependent. The 6 patients who had reconstruction through flaps, had distal defects (foot or ankle), whereas the patients who suffered per primam amputation had lesions at the ankle which were skin and soft tissue necrosis, with bone disease and osteitis, with signs of severe vascular disease. The majority of patients who had benefited from split skin grafts, suffered from skin lesion at the ankle level. Conclusions. Posttraumatic defects in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy of the pelvic limb can be treated through flaps or split skin grafts, so the amputation rate decreases significantly

The Involvement of Epigenetic Mechanisms in HPV‐Induced Cervical Cancer

High‐risk human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes infection associates with cervical dysplasia and carcinogenesis. hr‐HPV transforming potential is based on E6 and E7 viral oncoproteins actions on cellular proteins. A persistent infection with hr‐HPV leads to progression from precursor lesions to invasive cervical cancer inducing changes in host genome and epigenome. Pathogenesis and development of cancer associated with both genetic and epigenetic defects alter transcriptional program. An important role for malignant transformation in HPV‐induced cervical cancer is played by epigenetic changes that occur in both viral and host genome. Furthermore, there are observations demonstrating that oncogenic viruses, once they integrated into host genome, become susceptible to epigenetic alterations made by host machinery. Epigenetic regulation of viral gene expression is an important factor in HPV‐associated disease. Gene expression control is complex and involves epigenetic changes: DNA methylation, histone modification, and non‐coding RNAs activity. Persistent infection with hr‐HPV can cause viral DNA integration into host genome attracting defense mechanisms such as methylation machinery. In this chapter, we aim to review HPV infection role in chromatin modification/remodeling and the impact of HPV infection on non‐coding RNAs in cervix oncogenesis. The reversible nature of epigenetic alterations provides new opportunities in the development of therapeutic agents targeting epigenetic modification in oncogenesis