In this study, we present an investigation of the chromium-related electrical performance degradation of anode-supported SOFCs with a LSM/YSZ composite cathode. A traditional ferritic interconnect ...steel with high chromium content is established as the primary chromium source and chromium poisoning of the cathode is carried out at relevant SOFC operating conditions. The prolonged influence of the gaseous chromium species on the cell performance and cathode microstructure under constant current conditions was examined quantitatively. Physical deposition of chromium(III) compounds (mainly spinel-type (Cr,Mn)3O4 phases) was observed at the electrochemically active region adjacent to the electrolyte only under realistic constant current conditions. The microstructural degradation associated with the formation of secondary phases correlated directly with the performance degradation, the effective chromium partial pressure and the current density. Furthermore, the influence of the presence of a number of protecting layers on the interconnect steel was evaluated with regard to the cathode poisoning. It was shown that chromium-induced degradation was reduced drastically when an additional manganese reservoir layer and a Cr getter layer were applied.
Abstract
Background
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage is a frequent and challenging complication in neurosurgery, especially in the posterior fossa, with a prevalence of 8%. It is associated with ...substantial morbidity and increased healthcare costs. A novel dural sealant patch (LIQOSEAL) was developed for watertight dural closure. The objective of this study is to clinically assess the safety and effectiveness of LIQOSEAL as a means of reducing intra- as well as postoperative CSF leakage in patients undergoing elective posterior fossa intradural surgery with a dural closure procedure compared to the best currently available dural sealants.
Methods
We will conduct a two-arm, randomized controlled, multicenter study with a 90-day follow-up. A total of 228 patients will be enrolled in 19 sites, of which 114 will receive LIQOSEAL and 114 an FDA-approved PEG sealant. The composite primary endpoint is defined as intraoperative CSF leakage at PEEP 20 cm H
2
O, percutaneous CSF leakage within 90 days of, wound infection within 90 days of or pseudomeningocele of more than 20cc on MRI or requiring intervention. We hypothesize that the primary endpoint will not be reached by more than 10 patients (9%) in the investigational arm, which will demonstrate non-inferiority of LIQOSEAL compared to control.
Discussion
This trial will evaluate whether LIQOSEAL is non-inferior to control as a means of reducing CSF leakage and safety
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov
NCT04086550
. Registered on 11 September 2019
TROPHY registry — status report Thomale, U. W.; Auer, C.; Spennato, P. ...
Child's nervous system,
11/2021, Letnik:
37, Številka:
11
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Introduction
The TROPHY registry has been established to conduct an international multicenter prospective data collection on the surgical management of neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage ...(IVH)-related hydrocephalus to possibly contribute to future guidelines. The registry allows comparing the techniques established to treat hydrocephalus, such as external ventricular drainage (EVD), ventricular access device (VAD), ventricular subgaleal shunt (VSGS), and neuroendoscopic lavage (NEL). This first status report of the registry presents the results of the standard of care survey of participating centers assessed upon online registration.
Methods
On the standard of treatment forms, each center indicated the institutional protocol of interventions performed for neonatal post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus (nPHH) for a time period of 2 years (Y1 and Y2) before starting the active participation in the registry. In addition, the amount of patients enrolled so far and allocated to a treatment approach are reported.
Results
According to the standard of treatment forms completed by 56 registered centers, fewer EVDs (Y1 55% Y2 46%) were used while more centers have implemented NEL (Y1 39%; Y2 52%) to treat nPHH. VAD (Y1 66%; Y2 66%) and VSGS (Y1 42%; Y2 41%) were used at a consistent rate during the 2 years. The majority of the centers used at least two different techniques to treat nPHH (43%), while 27% used only one technique, 21% used three, and 7% used even four different techniques. Patient data of 110 infants treated surgically between 9/2018 and 2/2021 (13% EVD, 15% VAD, 30% VSGS, and 43% NEL) were contributed by 29 centers.
Conclusions
Our results emphasize the varying strategies used for the treatment of nPHH. The international TROPHY registry has entered into a phase of growing patient recruitment. Further evaluation will be performed and published according to the registry protocol.
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Approximately 20% of cancer patients (including lung, melanoma, breast, renal, and colorectal cancer patients) develop brain metastases. Current systemic therapies often show ...limited efficacy for brain metastasis treatment and support palliative care only.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
In this preclinical study, short-term cultured primary cancer cells from brain metastasis patients were molecularly characterized using next-generation sequencing and functionally evaluated using high-throughput in vitro drug screening to identify pharmacological treatment sensitivities.
RESULTS
Next-generation sequencing identified matched genetic alterations between brain metastasis tissues and corresponding patient-derived cultured cancer cells. Mutant allele frequencies indicated that short-term cultures of cancer cells reflect the existence of distinct subpopulations of cancer cells within brain metastases. This indicates that our short-term cultured primary brain metastasis cells are suitable models for recapitulating heterogeneity in the sensitivity of tumor cells to anti-cancer drugs. Employing our in-house high-throughput in vitro drug screening platform, we additionally screened primary cultures from the brain metastasis patients for response to 267 anticancer compounds, and integrated the molecular and high-throughput drug screening data sets.
CONCLUSION
Our preclinical study thus provides proof-of-concept for combining molecular profiling with in vitro drug screening for improved prediction of therapeutic vulnerabilities in brain metastasis patients. This approach could advance the use of patient-derived cancer cells in clinical practice and might eventually facilitate decision-making for personalized drug treatment.
Background:
It has been variously reported that women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of cervical dysplasia. We aimed to assess in a large, accurately phenotyped, ...case‐controlled population whether women with IBD had increased rates of abnormal cervical smears and if this was affected by immunosuppressant therapy or disease phenotype.
Methods:
Women with IBD diagnosed prior to the age of 60 were studied at a single tertiary referral center in Scotland. Full cervical smear histories were available on 411 women (204 Crohn's disease, 207 ulcerative colitis, median age at diagnosis 28.4 years, median current age 44.1 years). All the cases were matched 1:4 to healthy controls (n = 1644) from the same geographical location.
Results:
There was no difference in rates of abnormal smears between patients with IBD (80.5% negative, 10.5% low‐grade, and 9.0% high‐grade dysplasia) and controls (85.4%, 7.7%, and 6.9%, P = 0.37). The use of immunosuppressant therapy had no impact on rates of cervical dysplasia or neoplasia. Furthermore, there was no effect of disease location, behavior, or oral contraceptive use. However, there were significantly more abnormal cervical smears in IBD patients who were current smokers compared with exsmokers and those who had never smoked (27.4% versus 11.4%, P = 0.001, odds ratio = 2.95, 95% confidence interval = 1.55–5.50).
Conclusions:
Women with IBD are not at increased risk of abnormal cervical smears unless they smoke. These data suggest that young women with IBD should be managed as per the background population; attending for regular smear testing, and undergoing vaccination against cervical cancer when available. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2009)
We tested prospectively 30 hypotensive shock patients using a continuous, on-line, real-time hemodynamic and oxygen transport monitoring system with a previously described predictive index, modified ...for the clinical conditions in our ICU. Continuous monitoring and display of cardiac output and 20 or more derived variables, together with the predictive index, were a feasible and useful approach. Unlike previously documented series of elective postoperative general surgical patients, our series consisted of patients with multiple trauma, myocardial infarction, sepsis, and other medical emergencies as well as postoperative cardiac and general surgical patients, all of whom had respiratory failure (acute respiratory distress syndrome). In addition to these differences, our patients were invariably admitted to the ICU after the nadir of their hypotensive crisis. To compare the continuous recorded values with previous studies that used intermittent measurements, three comparable time intervals were selected; data at these time intervals and the predictions derived from them were in satisfactory agreement with prior studies. Moreover, therapeutic goals based on the median values of survivors of the present series were similar, but not identical, to prior series despite differences in the clinical mix and the later postresuscitation ICU admissions of our series.
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