Master surgery scheduling with consideration of multiple downstream units

We consider a master surgery scheduling (MSS) problem in which block operating room (OR) time is assigned to different surgical specialties. While many MSS approaches in the literature consider only the impact of the MSS on operating theater and operating staff, we enlarge the scope to downstream resources, such as the intensive care unit (ICU) and the general wards required by the patients once they leave the OR. We first propose a stochastic analytical approach, which calculates for a given MSS the exact demand distribution for the downstream resources. We then discuss measures to define downstream costs resulting from the MSS and propose exact and heuristic algorithms to minimize these costs.     

预防性抗生素用于胆囊切除术对术后感染性并发症的预防作用

目的观察预防性抗生素用于胆囊切除术对术后感染性并发症的预防作用。方法选取2013年5月—2015年9月普宁市人民医院肿瘤外科收治的106例胆囊疾病患者为研究对象,按随机数字表法分为两组各53例,对照组行腹腔镜胆囊切除术治疗,观察组另行胆囊切除术及预防性抗生素治疗,观察两组围术期指标[手术时间、手术切口、术中出血量、住院时间],同时观察两组术后感染性并发症发生情况。结果观察组手术时间、手术切口、出血量、住院时间治疗指标均较对照组小,只有住院时间两组间差异显著(P0.05),其它差异均无统计学意义(P0.05)。且观察组术后感染性并发症总发生率1.89%较对照组11.32%低,但不具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论胆囊切除术中合理使用预防性抗生素可显著减小患者住院时间,但对患者术后感染性并发症发生无显著预防作用。由于本次样本量较少,需进一步研究。     

CO laser applications in surgery

An investigation of the potential of CO lasers ( = 5–6 μm) in surgery is presented. CO laser radiation appears to have better cutting and coagulating characteristics than the CO₂ laser, which is currently widely used in medicine.     

心脏外科手术后脑梗死患者的影像学特点及相关因素分析

本文对心脏外科手术后脑梗死患者的影像学特点及发生脑梗死的相关因素进行探讨。选取本院心脏外科手术患者286例作为研究对象,术后34例发生脑梗死,按照手术方式的不同将脑梗死患者分为体外循环组(11例)和非体外循环组(23例),比较两组术后脑梗死的影像学特点,并对心脏外科手术后脑梗死的影响因素进行分析。研究发现,两组穿支梗死、分水岭梗死、多发梗死、陈旧梗死的发生率比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);体外循环组皮层梗死的发生率明显低于非体外循环组,体外循环组大面积梗死、双侧梗死的发生率明显高于非体外循环组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。经单因素分析,性别、空腹血糖、TC、TG、LDL-C、Hcy、吸烟、饮酒不是心脏外科手术后脑梗死的影响因素(P>0.05),年龄、文化程度、高血压病史、糖尿病为心脏外科手术后脑梗死的影响因素(P<0.05),经多因素二元Logistic回归分析,年龄高、文化程度低、高血压病史≥10、有糖尿病,是心脏外科手术后脑梗死的独立影响因素(P<0.05)。结果显示,体外循环手术常为大面积梗死、双侧梗死,症状较重,而非体外循环手术常为皮层梗死,且两者分水岭梗死较多,均与栓塞和低灌注有关。心脏外科手术后脑梗死与年龄高、文化程度低、高血压病史≥10、有糖尿病密切相关,早期给予针对性预防干预可能降低脑梗死的发生。     

Weakly measurable cardinals

In this article, we introduce the notion of weakly measurable cardinal, a new large cardinal concept obtained by weakening the familiar concept of a measurable cardinal. Specifically, a cardinal κ is weakly measurable if for any collection $\mathcal {A}$ containing at most κ⁺ many subsets of κ, there exists a nonprincipal κ‐complete filter on κ measuring all sets in $\mathcal {A}$. Every measurable cardinal is weakly measurable, but a weakly measurable cardinal need not be measurable. Moreover, while the GCH cannot fail first at a measurable cardinal, I will show that it can fail first at a weakly measurable cardinal. More generally, if κ is measurable, then we can make its weak measurability indestructible by the forcing Add(κ, η) for any η while forcing the GCH to hold below κ. Nevertheless, I shall prove that weakly measurable cardinals and measurable cardinals are equiconsistent. © 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim     

A Degradable Sustained-Release Drug Delivery System for Bleb-Forming Glaucoma Surgery

Fibrosis of the filtering bleb is one of the main causes of failure after bleb-forming glaucoma surgery. Intraoperative application of mitomycin C (MMC) is the current gold standard to reduce the fibrotic response. However, MMC is cytotoxic and one-time application is often insufficient. A sustained-release drug delivery system (DDS), loaded with MMC, may be less cytotoxic and equally or more effective. Two degradable (polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)) MMC-loaded DDSs are developed. Release kinetics are first assessed in vitro followed by rabbit implants in conjunction with the PRESERFLO MicroShunt. As a control, the MicroShunt is implanted with adjunctive use of a MMC solution. Rabbits are euthanized at postoperative day (POD) 28 and 90. The PLGA and PCL DDSs release (on average) 99% and 75% of MMC, respectively. All groups show functioning blebs until POD 90. Rabbits implanted with a DDS show more inflammation with avascular thin-walled blebs when compared to the control. However, collagen is more loosely arranged. The PLGA DDS shows less inflammation, less foreign body response (FBR), and more complete degradation at POD 90 when compared to the PCL DDS. Further optimization with regard to dosage is required to reduce side effects to the conjunctiva.