Search results for " GRADE"
showing 10 items of 178 documents
Long-term results of photodynamic therapy with 5-aminolevulinic acid for superficial Barrett's cancer and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia
2005
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has proven to be safe and effective in patients with early neoplasia in Barrett's esophagus. However, long-term results in patients with high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN) or with early cancer are still lacking.The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of ALA-PDT and the survival of patients with early Barrett's neoplasia. ALA-PDT was carried out in 66 patients. Protoporphyrin IX induced by oral administration of ALA (60 mg/kg body weight orally applied 4-6 hours before PDT) was used as the photosensitizer. Acid suppression was maintained in all patients.Between September 1996 and September 2002, 667 patients with …
The impact of re-transurethral resection on clinical outcomes in a large multicentre cohort of patients with T1 high-grade/Grade 3 bladder cancer tre…
2015
Objectives To determine if a re-transurethral resection (TUR), in the presence or absence of muscle at the first TUR in patients with T1-high grade (HG)/Grade 3 (G3) bladder cancer, makes a difference in recurrence, progression, cancer specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Patients and methods In a large retrospective multicentre cohort of 2451 patients with T1-HG/G3 initially treated with bacille Calmette–Gu erin, 935 (38%) had a re-TUR. According to the presence or absence of muscle in the specimen of the primary TUR, patients were divided in four groups: group 1 (no muscle, no re-TUR), group 2 (no muscle, re-TUR), group 3 (muscle, no re-TUR) and group 4 (muscle, re-TUR). Clinical out…
The efficacy of BCG TICE and BCG Connaught in a cohort of 2,099 patients with T1G3 non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer
2016
BACKGROUND Potential differences in efficacy of different bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) strains are of importance for daily practice, especially in the era of BCG shortage. OBJECTIVE To retrospectively compare the outcome with BCG Connaught and BCG TICE in a large study cohort of pT1 high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Individual patient data were collected for 2,451 patients with primary T1G3 tumors from 23 centers who were treated with BCG for the first time between 1990 and 2011. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Using Cox multivariable regression and adjusting for the most important prognostic factors in this nonrandomiz…
Preparation of three-layered porous PLA/PEG scaffold: relationship between morphology, mechanical behavior and cell permeability.
2015
Interface tissue engineering (ITE) is used to repair or regenerate interface living tissue such as for instance bone and cartilage. This kind of tissues present natural different properties from a biological and mechanical point of view. With the aim to imitating the natural gradient occurring in the bone-cartilage tissue, several technologies and methods have been proposed over recent years in order to develop polymeric functionally graded scaffolds (FGS). In this study three-layered scaffolds with a pore size gradient were developed by melt mixing polylactic acid (PLA) and two water-soluble porogen agents: sodium chloride (NaCl) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Pore dimensions were controll…
Mechanical behavior of polylactic acid/polycaprolactone porous layered functional composites
2016
Abstract Biopolymeric porous devices exhibiting graded properties can play a crucial role in several fields, such as tissue engineering or controlled drugs release. In this context, the gradient of a specific property can be achieved by developing porous laminates composed by different types of materials. This work presents for the first time a multi-phasic porous laminate based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic acid (PLA) prepared by combining melt mixing, compression molding and particle leaching. All the materials were characterized from a morphological and a mechanical point of view. The results put into evidence the possibility to tune and to predict the mechanical properties by…
The first operating thermolytic reverse electrodialysis heat engine
2020
Abstract Thermolytic reverse electrodialysis heat engine (t-RED HE) has been recently proposed as a technology for converting low-temperature waste heat into electricity. The construction and operation of the first world lab-scale prototype unit are reported. The system consists of: (i) a reverse electrodialysis unit where, the concentration gradient between two solutions of thermolytic salts is converted into electricity and (ii) a thermally-driven regeneration unit where low-temperature heat is used to restore the initial conditions of the two feed streams. Regeneration is based on a degradation process of salts into gaseous ammonia and carbon dioxide, which can be removed almost entirely…
PLA-based functionally graded laminates for tunable controlled release of carvacrol obtained by combining electrospinning with solvent casting
2020
Abstract A novel approach was designed to fabricate high-added value manufacts, starting from cost-effective materials and combining well-known processing techniques. Bi- and three-layered, functionally graded laminates were achieved by direct electrospinning onto dense substrates. The architecture of each multilayer comprises a dense layer formed by solvent casting, which is constituted by polylactic acid (PLA) and carvacrol, and one or two electrospun fibrous skin layers, consisting of PLA only. Processing-structure-properties relationships of such materials were investigated. As regards mechanical behavior, the amount of fibrous PLA layers determined an increase of stiffness from 20 to 3…
Additive Manufacturing of Multi‐Scale Porous Soft Tissue Implants That Encourage Vascularization and Tissue Ingrowth
2021
Medical devices, such as silicone-based prostheses designed for soft tissue implantation, often induce a suboptimal foreign-body response which results in a hardened avascular fibrotic capsule around the device, often leading to patient discomfort or implant failure. Here, it is proposed that additive manufacturing techniques can be used to deposit durable coatings with multiscale porosity on soft tissue implant surfaces to promote optimal tissue integration. Specifically, the “liquid rope coil effect”, is exploited via direct ink writing, to create a controlled macro open-pore architecture, including over highly curved surfaces, while adapting atomizing spray deposition of a silicone ink t…
Development of polymeric functionally graded scaffolds: a brief review.
2016
Over recent years, there has been a growing interest in multilayer scaffolds fabrication approaches. In fact, functionally graded scaffolds (FGSs) provide biological and mechanical functions potentially similar to those of native tissues. Based on the final application of the scaffold, there are different properties (physical, mechanical, biochemical, etc.) which need to gradually change in space. Therefore, a number of different technologies have been investigated, and often combined, to customize each region of the scaffolds as much as possible, aiming at achieving the best regenerative performance. In general, FGSs can be categorized as bilayered or multilayered, depending on the number…
Spark Plasma Sintering tool design for preparing alumina-based Functionally Graded Materials
2016
Abstract A way to produce Functionally Graded Materials (FGM) is by means of Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and specifically designated tools. These new tools permit a current density modulation and therefore a temperature variation along the z-axis. The key feature relies on a varying die section. FEM modelling has given the suitable range of die dimensions between the top and the bottom to obtain a given temperature gradient (around 300 °C) out of roughly a 15 mm height. Experiments conducted in different configurations (with or without samples) and the measurement of the associated thermal gradient led to improvements of the mould (in particular the introduction of a counter-piston). By th…