Effect of carrier tunneling on the structure of Si nanowires fabricated by metal assisted etching.

The metal assisted etching mechanism for Si nanowire fabrication, triggered by doping type and level and coupled with choice of metal catalyst, is still very poorly understood. We explain the different etching rates and porosities of wires we observe based on extensive experimental data, using a new empirical model we have developed. We establish as a key parameter, the tunneling through the space charge region (SCR) which is the result of the reduction of the SCR width by level of the Si wafer doping in the presence of the opposite biases of the p- and n-type wafers. This improved understanding should permit the fabrication of high quality wires with predesigned structural characteristics, which hitherto has not been possible.

[Pathomimia and plastic surgery, a case report]. / Pathomimie en chirurgie esthétique, à propos d'un cas.

Pathomimia is defined as a dummy pathology self-induced deliberately and is neither associated with mental confusion nor disturbance of consciousness. This article reports a case of pathomimia in plastic surgery. One of our patients had intentionally injected physiological saline solution into her breast implants in order to increase their volume. Implants removal was necessary because of severe local inflammatory signs. Psychiatric assessment revealed body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) developed on an hysterical personality, which explained the self-induced injuries. This nosologic entity must be promptly identified because it's diagnosis remains problematic and a multidisciplinary medical management is essential.

Traumatic atlanto-axial rotatory subluxation after surgical correction of prominent ears: Case report and review of the literature.

Corrective surgery of prominent ears may be justified for social or aesthetic reasons during childhood or adulthood. Post-operative complications occur in approximately 0 to 8.4% of cases. This case describes a rare atlanto-axoid rotatory subluxation after bilateral surgical correction of prominent ears under general anesthesia. Orthopedic treatment was done after two months of medical roaming outside of our center. The one-year post-operative clinic consultation and radiological exam were normal. Only the psychological impact of the episode remained. Traumatic atlanto-axial rotatory subluxation is a rare complication but should be considered after post-operative torticollis in order to aid with diagnosis and allow doctors to implement the appropriate course of treatment.

Therapy for hepatocellular-carcinoma (review).

Hepatocellular carcinoma remains one of the commonest malignant tumours in the world. It usually arises on a background of hepatic cirrhosis which limits the possibility of resection or transplantation. The literature contains few good randomised trials of therapy for this common tumour. This review discusses the role of surgery and liver transplantation together with recent developments in medical therapy, namely chemoembolisation, percutaneous ethanol injection and hormonal treatment, and arrives at a consensus as to the place of these treatments in the current management of hepatoma.

Use of specific ELISA for the detection of antibodies directed against p53 protein in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIMS: To analyse the significance of antibodies to p53 protein as a serological marker for changes in p53 gene expression in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Thirty eight patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 19 showing accumulation of p53 protein by immunohistochemistry and 19 having no accumulation, were studied. The presence of anti-p53 was tested using a novel ELISA utilising a recombinant p53 protein as a capture system and verified by western blotting. p53 gene mutations were sought by single strand conformational polymorphism and DNA sequencing analyses. RESULTS: Of 19 patients with p53 protein accumulation in tumour tissue, 10 (52%) had antibodies to p53 in serum by ELISA. Four patients with p53 negative immunohistochemistry also had detectable anti-p53. Western blot analysis confirmed the specificity of the ELISA positive serum samples. The presence of anti-p53 was independent of serum alpha-fetoprotein and was detected in 50% of small tumours while only 8% were alpha-fetoprotein positive. Mutations affecting exons 5 and 6 seem to be more frequently associated with development of anti-p53, than mutations in exons 7 or 8. CONCLUSIONS: The ELISA for anti-p53 is a convenient and specific tet for the detection of humoral response to alterations in p53 gene expression and could be of value in the diagnosis and characterisation of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Epirubicin in hepatocellular carcinoma: pharmacokinetics and clinical activity.

The pharmacokinetics and clinical activity of epirubicin were investigated in 16 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who received epirubicin at 75 mg/m2; the drug was given intravenously to 7 patients and via the hepatic artery to 9 patients (7 of whom also underwent embolisation). Lignocaine (1 mg/kg) was also given intravenously to 15 patients, and the metabolite monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) was measured as an indicator of liver function. Epirubicin clearance correlated with serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin and bilirubin values in patients treated intravenously or intraarterially. Although the route of administration did not affect the median total plasma clearance of epirubicin, early- and intermediate-phase clearance was higher following intraarterial administration. MEGX levels correlated with serum bilirubin levels but there was no correlation with albumin or AST values or epirubicin clearance. The rate of response to epirubicin was 3/13 (23%; 95% confidence interval, 8%-50%). Intravenous epirubicin was tolerated well, but intraarterial treatment was associated with significant morbidity. These data confirm that although current recommended dose adjustments are based primarily on serum bilirubin levels, altered epirubicin pharmacokinetics correlate more strongly with AST and albumin values than with serum bilirubin concentrations. However, at this dose and schedule, epirubicin has only modest activity against HCC.

Cornea procurement from very old donors: post organ culture cornea outcome and recipient graft outcome.

AIM: To study the suitability of corneas from very old donors for graft after banking and their clinical and endothelial outcomes in recipients. METHODS: 419 corneas stored in organ culture were divided into group 1, donors under 85 years (330 corneas) and group 2, "very old" donors aged 85 years and over (89 corneas). Endothelial cell density (ECD) before and after organ culture, discard rate before and after storage, and clinical and endothelial outcomes of the 196 penetrating keratoplasties (PKP) (158 in group 1 and 38 in group 2) were compared in a prospective longitudinal study. RESULTS: Initial ECD was lower in group 2 than in group 1 and elimination for low ECD was more frequent in group 2 (respectively 38% v 20.2%, p=0.001). At the end of storage, because very old corneas lost fewer ECs than younger ones (respectively 4.2% v 9.5%, p=0.022), ECD was comparable between the two groups. The corneas of very old donors had a poorer macroscopic appearance at procurement and during surgery. Despite this, in grafted patients, overall graft survival in groups 1 and 2 (respectively 87.4% v 80.6%, p=0.197), visual acuity, and ECD did not differ at completion of the study (mean follow up 25 months). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that endothelial cell count during banking ensures that functional and cellular results of PKPs are not dramatically influenced by very old donor age. Considering Europe's ageing population, the very elderly should not be deemed off limits for corneal procurement.

Adult spinal deformity and respiratory failure. Surgical results in 35 patients.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart and complementary study review. OBJECTIVES: To describe the features of adult patients with spinal deformity and respiratory failure and to analyze the results of surgical treatment. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Many authors have studied the relation between spinal deformities and cardiorespiratory failure, but there exists little information about the benefits of reconstructive surgery in severely compromised patients. METHODS: The charts and complementary studies of 35 adult patients surgically treated between January 1, 1978, and December 31, 1994, were reviewed. The patients were 18 years old or older (average age, 36 years). They had spinal deformity of any etiology with respiratory insufficiency as evidenced by vital capacity of less than 60% of predictive normal, PaO2 less than 80 mm Hg, or PaCO2 more than 45 mm Hg. All had reconstructive spinal surgery in an attempt to improve their respiratory problem. RESULTS: Seven patients died within the first postoperative year, and one patient was lost to follow-up at 6 months. The other 27 patients had a mean follow-up time of 72 months. The 34 patients were divided into three groups: good, fair, and poor evolution. The patients in the good evolution group had a better preoperative general condition, had more correction of their deformities, had more improvement in their respiratory function, and had fewer complications than those in the other groups. The patients in the poor evolution group were older, had more cardiac problems, and had less correction at surgery. CONCLUSION: The results of surgery varied from extremely good to extremely bad. The seven patients who died within the first year had no benefit, but the 27 others did very well, usually gaining significant improvement of their respiratory function. Because the alternative to surgical correction is death, this study shows that, under the right circumstances, correction of spinal deformity and, therefore, correction of respiratory function can be life-saving.

Operative files of legal medical emergency in Calabria: study team.

In Calabria, a study team form legal medicine emergency (LME) formed to initiate a Crisis Unit (CU) able to manage and deal LME with complicated operations and roles, people and technical aspects involvement. First steps are planning, scene study and organization. Everything connecting the first and second emergency to have practicable application.

[Corneal harvesting from donors over 85 years of age: cornea outcome after banking and grafting]. / Prélèvements de cornées après 85 ans: issue des greffons après organoculture et devenir des greffés.

PURPOSE: To study the suitability of corneas from very old donors for graft after organ culture and their clinical and endothelial outcomes in recipients after perforating keratoplasty. METHODS: We stored 419 corneas at 31 degrees C for 13.1 +/- 4 days (mean +/- SD) and then divided them according to donor age: group 1, donors under 85 years of age (n=3 3 0, 79%, 16-84 years old), and group 2, donors over the age of 85 (n=8 9, 21%, 85-100 years old). Endothelial density at the time of harvest and before and after organ culture, rates of suitability for grafting, and clinical and endothelial outcomes of the 196 keratoplasty procedures were compared in a prospective longitudinal study of the 2 groups, with a mean follow-up of 25 months. The corneas were grafted with no pre-established policy on matching with the age of the receiver. Statistical analysis was carried out on SPSS 10.0: Chi(2), Student t test, and Kaplan Meier survival curves. RESULTS: The average age of the donors was 72.1 +/- 16.7 years. The macroscopic aspect of the corneas was judged to be of slightly lower quality in group 2. No statistically significant difference was found in overall suitability for transplantation (group 1, 45% vs group 2, 54%, p=0.17) but elimination for low endothelial density was more frequent in group 2 (67% vs 39%, p=0.001). Cell density at the beginning of organ culture was lower in very old corneas than in younger corneas (respectively, 2116 +/- 368 vs 2 311 +/- 360 cell/mm(2), p=0.002) but no difference was apparent at the end of organ culture (respectively, 2 011 +/- 285 vs 2 090 +/- 296, p=0.12) because very old corneas lost fewer cells than younger ones (respectively, 5.6% vs 10.0%, p=0.001). There was no correlation between donor/receiver age (r=0. 337) but group 1 corneas were slightly more frequently allotted to receivers with normal endothelium (p=0.019). During surgery, the two groups did not differ in terms of the macroscopic aspect of the grafts. In the 196 grafted patients, and without age-matching, overall graft survival (86% vs 79%, p=0.275), visual acuity, and endothelial density (1 194 +/- 469 vs 1098 +/- 545 cells/mm(2), p=0.387) did not differ at the completion of the study. DISCUSSION: The corneas from very old donors were macroscopically of poorer quality and had a lower cellular endothelial density at harvesting, but these differences disappeared after organ culture because of greater cell loss in corneas from younger donors. Selection by organ culture ensures that functional, anatomical, and cellular results are not influenced by very old donor age. CONCLUSION: Considering the aging population in countries with a high standard of living, the techniques available for selecting corneas based on endothelial quality, and the increasing need for corneal grafts, the very old age should not be deemed off-limits for corneal harvesting.

[Cornea donation consent by telephone]. / Recueil du consentement au don de cornée par téléphone.

BACKGROUND: The cornea donation process often runs into problems of obtaining family consent. A face-to-face interview is often not possible for logistical reasons. We carried out a prospective study on the effectiveness of telephone contact in obtaining donation consent. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consent was obtained by a single, non medical, hospital coordinator. He contacted families selected on good staff-family relations during the patient's stay. If a face-to-face interview was not possible, a telephone interview was conducted using a standardized procedure. RESULTS: Over 21 months, 334 families were contacted, either in a face-to-face interview (142, 42.5%) or by telephone (192, 57.5%). Donation consent was obtained in 66.5% of cases, 106 times by telephone (47.7%) and 116 times in the face-to-face interview (52.3%). The acceptance rate was 55.2% by telephone and 81.6% face to face (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The telephone interview was an effective method for obtaining consent for cornea donation. Although the acceptance rate using this method is lower than the face-to-face interview, using the telephone should not be overlooked as this enabled procurement of nearly half the corneas in our hospital.

[Use of a pair of blood culture bottles for sterility testing of corneal organ culture media]. / Intérêt de l'utilisation de flacons à hémoculture pour le contrôle de stérilité microbiologique des greffons cornéens.

PURPOSE: To test the effectiveness and rapidity of a pair of blood culture bottles in the diagnosis of bacterial and fungal contamination of corneal organ culture media. MATERIAL: and methods: Seven hundred and sixty one microbiological analysis of storage media (Inosol(R) and Exosol(R), Opsia, Toulouse, France), sampled in all phases of the organ culture at 31 degrees C of 410 consecutive corneas, were analyzed. Each medium was inoculated in a pair of Bactec Plus Aerobic/F(R) and Bactec Lytic/10 Anaerobic/F(R) blood bottles (Becton Dickinson, Cockeysville, MD) and placed in a Bactec 9240 incubator for 14 days at 37 degrees C and in a Sabouraud broth at 20 degrees C. Changes in color or turbidity of storage media were evaluated daily at the corneal bank. Recipients were screened after graft for signs of infection. RESULTS: The overall contamination rate was 2.4% (18/761). Contamination was detected in less than 1 day in 78% (14/18) and in less than 2 days in 94% (17/18). Positivity of the microbiological controls of starting media preceded medium color changes in 10 out of 14 cases. Bactec blood bottles allowed detection of bacteria as well as Candida sp. yeasts. DISCUSSION: The use of a pair of aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles is a simple, effective and rapid method for the diagnosis of a wide range of microbiological contaminations of organ-cultured corneas during banking. CONCLUSION: The validation of this protocol will require a prospective study to compare it with the conventional microbiological method.

[Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsy (HNPP): a diagnostic trap]. / Neuropathie héréditaire avec hypersensibilité à la pression: un piège diagnostique: à propos de deux cas.

The authors report two clinical cases of a rarely observed pathology in orthopedic surgery daily practice: hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsy (HNPP), which leads to dysesthesiae, hypoesthesiae and regressive palsies. Onset, clinical signs and electromyographic abnormalities are described. Forensic consequences can occur in early postoperative period. Knowledge of this familial pathology allows precautionary measures at surgery and avoids unnecessary surgical revisions.

Radiation dose in cardiac CT angiography: protocols and image quality.

This paper aims to evaluate the radiation dose exposure of patients submitted to cardiac computed tomography angiography. The effective dose was obtained from the product of dose-length product values and the conversion factor established in the European Working Group for Guidelines on Quality Criteria in CT. The image noise and contrast- and signal-to-noise ratios were obtained for all images. Sixty-four- and 256-slice CT angiographies were used in 211 (68.5 %) and 97 (31.5 %) patients, respectively. The calculated mean effective dose with prospective CT angiography was 6.0±1.0 mSv and the retrospective mode was 8.4±1.2 mSv. The mean image noise values were 38.5±9.5 and 21.4 ± 5.3 for prospective and retrospective modes, respectively. It was observed that the image noise increased by 44.4 % using a prospective mode. Prospective CT angiography reduces radiation dose by ∼29 % compared with the retrospective mode, while maintaining diagnostic image quality and the ability to assess obstructions in patients.

[Skin metastasis of lung carcinoma like Dupuytren's disease]. / Métastase cutanée d'un cancer pulmonaire simulant une maladie de Dupuytren.

Metastasis in the hand is uncommon. We report a case of metastasis of bronchial cancer to the hand mimicking Dupuytren's disease, which was operated using a skin graft with a good functional result. General prognosis is still very bad and the treatment should be palliative.