Transport coefficients of correlated electron systems are often useful for mapping hidden phases with distinct symmetries. Here we report a transport signature of spontaneous symmetry breaking in the ...magnetic Weyl semimetal cerium-aluminum-germanium (CeAlGe) system in the form of singular angular magnetoresistance (SAMR). This angular response exceeding 1000% per radian is confined along the high-symmetry axes with a full width at half maximum reaching less than 1° and is tunable via isoelectronic partial substitution of silicon for germanium. The SAMR phenomena is explained theoretically as a consequence of controllable high-resistance domain walls, arising from the breaking of magnetic point group symmetry strongly coupled to a nearly nodal electronic structure. This study indicates ingredients for engineering magnetic materials with high angular sensitivity by lattice and site symmetries.
Purpose
We aimed to compare the complication rate between port catheters (PC) and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) for the administration of postoperative chemotherapy for breast ...cancer.
Methods
All patients treated from January 2010 to August 2012 at the Centre Henri Becquerel for early breast cancer requiring postoperative chemotherapy were retrospectively screened. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of a major complication related to the central venous catheter. Major complications were defined as any grade 3 event according to CTCAE 4.0, delay in chemotherapy >7 days, change of the device, life-threatening event, event requiring a hospitalization, or a prolongation of hospitalization.
Results
A total of 448 patients were included; 290 had a PC and 158 a PICC. Overall, 31 major complications related to the central venous catheter were observed: 13 for patients with a PC (4.5 %) and 18 for patients with a PICC (11.4 %). In univariate analysis, having a PICC was the only factor significantly associated with a higher risk of major complications (HR = 2.83,
p
= 0.0027). We observed a trend for a higher risk of major complications for patients older than 60 years or with BMI >25 (
p
= 0.06). In multivariate analysis, having a PICC was the only predictive factor of major complications (HR = 2.89,
p
= 0.004).
Conclusions
In univariate and multivariate analysis, having a PICC instead of a PC was the only predictive factor of device-related major complication. If confirmed prospectively by the NCT02095743 ongoing trial, this result might modify the management of adjuvant chemotherapy administration.
Postoperative infections occur in approximately 10% of pediatric cardiac surgeries, involving Staphylococcus species in most cases. Nasal decontamination of Staphylococcus with mupirocin has been ...reported to reduce postoperative Staphylococcus infections after cardiac surgery in adults, but the effect of preoperative decontamination in children undergoing cardiac surgery has not been sufficiently studied to reach consensus.
We conducted a single-center retrospective study to evaluate the impact of systematic preoperative decolonization with intranasal mupirocin application and skin-washing with chlorhexidine soap on postoperative Staphylococcus infection in children undergoing cardiac surgery. Our population was divided into three groups according to decolonization protocol (group N: no decolonization; group T: targeted decolonization in Staphylococcus aureus SA carriers only; and group S: systematic decolonization).
A total of 393 children were included between October 2011 and August 2015 (122 in group N, 148 in group T, and 123 in group S). The Staphylococcus infection rate significantly decreased in group S compared to group N (0.8% vs. 7.7%; p < 0.05) and tended to decrease in group S compared to group T (0.8% vs. 4.7%; p = 0.06). Systematic decontamination also significantly reduced the rate of infections starting from the skin (including surgical site infections and bloodstream infections) compared to targeted decolonization or lack of decolonization, but had no effect on the rate of pulmonary infections.
The results of our study suggest that systematic preoperative skin and nasal decontamination, regardless of SA carriage status, could reduce the rate of postoperative Staphylococcus infections after cardiac surgery in children.
The present review analyses the literature data reported on the partial oxidation of propane to organic compounds (acrolein, acrylic acid and acrylonitrile) over mixed metal oxides, mainly magnesium ...vanadates, vanadia bismuth molybdates and vanadia antimony. The data were compared to those reported on the partial oxidation of propylene over bismuth molybdate and antimony—tin multicomponent oxides and over cuprous simple oxide. For both reactions, we analyzed the involved reaction mechanisms, intermediate species, active phases and active sites. The role of water produced during the reaction and that of the Brönsted acid sites were shown to be important in the determination of the selectivity of the expected products. The main conclusion of our study is that a good mix of acid-base and redox properties of the oxide surface should permit a controlled orientation of the reaction towards selective products.
A method allowing species-selective determination of atomic mercury, non-polar dialkylated mercury compounds, polar monoalkylated species and inorganic mercury complexes in natural gas condensates ...was developed. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was employed as a detection method for capillary gas chromatography and compared with microwave induced plasma atomic emission detection for the analysis of hydrocarbon-rich matrices. The method was based on two consecutive injections allowing comprehensive speciation analysis. First a sample aliquot was diluted with toluene and analysed for Hg
0 and individual dialkylmercury compounds. Then, another aliquot was butylated with a Grignard reagent for the species specific determination of Hg(II) and monoalkylated mercury species. The detection limits were down to 0.08 pg level.
Abstract Purpose The study evaluates the pre- and post-training lesion localisation ability of a group of novice observers. Parallels are drawn with the performance of inexperienced radiographers ...taking part in preliminary clinical evaluation (PCE) and ‘red-dot’ systems, operating within radiography practice. Materials and methods Thirty-four novice observers searched 92 images for simulated lesions. Pre-training and post-training evaluations were completed following the free-response the receiver operating characteristic (FROC) method. Training consisted of observer performance methodology, the characteristics of the simulated lesions and information on lesion frequency. Jackknife alternative FROC (JAFROC) and highest rating inferred ROC analyses were performed to evaluate performance difference on lesion-based and case-based decisions. The significance level of the test was set at 0.05 to control the probability of Type I error. Results JAFROC analysis ( F (3,33) = 26.34, p < 0.0001) and highest-rating inferred ROC analysis ( F (3,33) = 10.65, p = 0.0026) revealed a statistically significant difference in lesion detection performance. The JAFROC figure-of-merit was 0.563 (95% CI 0.512,0.614) pre-training and 0.677 (95% CI 0.639,0.715) post-training. Highest rating inferred ROC figure-of-merit was 0.728 (95% CI 0.701,0.755) pre-training and 0.772 (95% CI 0.750,0.793) post-training. Conclusions This study has demonstrated that novice observer performance can improve significantly. This study design may have relevance in the assessment of inexperienced radiographers taking part in PCE or commenting scheme for trauma.
Pemetrexed has recently been approved for use in combination with cisplatin as first-line chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Radiation therapy is frequently administered to the ...thoracic orifices and no data are available about the interactions between radiotherapy and pemetrexed. We report the first case of radiation recall dermatitis occurring after pemetrexed chemotherapy in a patient with MPM previously treated with radiation therapy to the thoracoscopy and drainage orificies. The patient received chemotherapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin 19 days after completion of chest wall radiation therapy delivering 21 gray in 3 days. Conventional premedication by folic acid and intramuscular administration of Vitamin B
12 and prednisolone was correctly performed. Twelve days later, confluent erythematous and pruritus rash of the irradiated skin was observed. The toxicity grade of this lesion was evaluated at 2 according to the Acute Radiation Morbidity Scoring Criteria proposed by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. Pemetrexed challenge was performed without worsening of skin lesions. Three weeks later, skin cicatrisation was observed after a desquamative phase. Persistant hyperpigmentation was seen in the irradiated skin. Pemetrexed could also act as a radiosensitizing agent that should be used with care for several weeks after radiotherapy.
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