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F Di Francesco

Publications and source records attributed to F Di Francesco.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

A composite sensor array impedentiometric electronic tongue Part II. Discrimination of basic tastes.

An impedentiometric electronic tongue based on the combination of a composite sensor array and chemometric techniques aimed at the discrimination of soluble compounds able to elicit different gustative perceptions is presented. A composite array consisting of chemo-sensitive layers based on carbon nanotubes or carbon black dispersed in polymeric matrices and doped polythiophenes was used. The electrical impedance of the sensor array was measured at a frequency of 150 Hz by means of an impedance meter. The experimental set-up was designed in order to allow the automatic selection of a test solution and dipping of the sensor array following a dedicated measurement protocol. Measurements were carried out on 15 different solutions eliciting 5 different tastes (sodium chloride, citric acid, glucose, glutamic acid and sodium dehydrocholate for salty, sour, sweet, umami and bitter, respectively) at 3 concentration levels comprising the human perceptive range. In order to avoid over-fitting, more than 100 repetitions for each sample were carried in a 4-month period. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to detect and remove outliers. Classification was performed by linear discriminant analysis (LDA). A fairly good degree of discrimination was obtained.

Artificial Intelligence↗
PubMed2006

A composite sensor array impedentiometric electronic tongue Part I. Characterization.

A study aimed at the characterization of five compounds with different chemical characteristics and gustative perceptions by measuring the variations of the electrical impedance of a composite sensor array is presented. The array was composed of five sensors of three different types based on carbon nanotubes or carbon black dispersed in polymeric matrices and doped polythiophenes. Measurements were carried out by evaluating the electrical impedance of the sensor array at a frequency of 150 Hz, and the data acquisition process was automated; a mechanical arm and a rotating platform controlled by a data acquisition card and a dedicated software allowed the sequential dipping of sensors in the test solutions. Fifty different solutions eliciting the 5 basic tastes (sodium chloride, citric acid, glucose, glutamic acid and sodium dehydrocholate for salty, sour, sweet, umami and bitter, respectively) at 10 concentration levels comprising the human perceptive range were analysed. More than 100 measurements were carried for each sample in a 4-month period to evaluate the system repeatability and robustness. The impedentiometric composite sensor array is shown to be sensitive, selective and stable for use in an electronic tongue.

Biomimetic Materials↗
PubMed2006

Hepatic hilum management in 250 liver-multivisceral procurements.

An accurate in vivo preparation of the hepatic hilum is a fundamental prerequisite for a successful multiorgan transplantation. Our preferred technique in this surgical setting is in vivo procurement in the heart-beating donor. This technique allows an effective exposition of the hilum structures and recognition of anatomical vascular variants, particularly those of the hepatic artery. Also, the cold ischemia time is drastically reduced, and the back-table preparation is left to a minimum. In this article we show the results of a consecutive series of 250 procurements.

Hepatectomy↗
PubMed2005

[Outcome of isolated small bowel transplantation in adults: experience from a single Italian center].

AIM: Isolated small bowel transplantation is becoming the treatment of choice for adult patients with serious parenteral nutrition (PN) related complications: we report our three-year experience (December 2000-December 2003) from a single Italian center (Modena-Italy), with one of the larger European series. METHODS: We transplanted 14 patients, with a previous mean PN course of 27 months and a mean 21-month post-transplantation follow-up (range 3-36 months), obtaining a one-year actuarial survival rate of 92.3% with no intraoperative deaths. RESULTS: We lost 1 patient (7.2%), died for post-transplantation overwhelming sepsis following Cytomegalovirus (CMV) enteritis. Thirteen patients are alive, with one-year actuarial graft survival rate of 85.1%: 1 patient underwent graft removal (7.2%) for intractable severe acute rejection. Our immunosuppressive regimen was based on tacrolimus and 3 induction protocols: daclizumab (8 patients) with steroids, alemtuzumab (4 patients) and thymoglobulin (2 patients) without steroids. In 9 cases, we added sirolimus. Nine recipients experienced 22 episodes of acute cellular rejection (ACR), treated successfully in all cases but one. One patient (7.2%) was treated successfully for Post Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease (PTLD) and is disease-free after 8 months. CONCLUSIONS: Small bowel transplantation can achieve optimal results depending on appropriate immunosuppressive management and candidate selection, added to shorter ischemia time and careful donor and graft selection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Outcome of isolated small bowel and pancreas transplants retrieved from multiorgan donor: the in vivo technique.

Even when considering the possibility of organ rejection and the complications of immunosuppression, the risks associated with total parenteral nutrition therapy are life-threatening. Therefore, for patients with end-stage bowel disease small bowel transplantation (SBTx) is the only therapeutic option. The preferred method to procure these organs is debated, especially when, graft retrieval is associated with concurrent abdominal organ procurement of the pancreas, which shares part of the vascular inflow and outflow with the small bowel. While many surgeons procure the graft using the en bloc method, dissecting tissue at the back table, our preference is to use an in vivo technique, which results in shorter cold ischemia times and less bleeding during reperfusion of the pancreas/small bowel as well as decreased ascites production during the postoperative period and less edema and capsular bleeding of the pancreatic grafts. This article presents an analysis of 19 multiorgan cadaveric procurements using the in vivo technique with a focus on the quality of pancreas/small bowel postreperfusion properties during the first 5 to 6 postoperative months.

Cadaver↗
PubMed2001

Video-assisted thoracic surgery major pulmonary resections. Present experience.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this report is to review our experience of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) major pulmonary resections. METHODS: From January 1993 to December 1999 we proposed VATS, for major pulmonary resections, with these indications: benign lesions and solitary metastases not removable by wedge resection and stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The maximum size of the lesion had to be less than 4 cm. RESULTS: There were 125 patients, 87 men and 38 women with a mean age of 62. We successfully performed VATS procedure in 112 cases (one hamartoma, one tubercoloma, 12 typical carcinoids, 11 metastases and 87 lung cancers), while in another 13 (10.4%) a conversion to open surgery was required. There were 108 lobectomies, three bilobectomies and one pneumonectomy. Out of the first three cases of NSCLC, in all patients mediastinal node sampling or lymphadenectomy was performed. We recorded 13 (11.6%) postoperative complications, one of which required re-operation (bleeding). In the 99 patients without complications, the mean postoperative stay was 5.8 days. In a mean follow-up period of 36 months with patients having lung cancer we achieved a 3-year survival rate of 85+/-9 and 90+/-8% when only the patients in Stage I were considered. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that VATS, in performing pulmonary lobectomy, is a safe and effective approach and it seems to give the same long-term results as open surgery. Now the main problems concern the indications that should be strictly respected and the conversion to thoracotomy which should be undertaken without hesitation when the anatomic or pathologic conditions are not favourable.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy for typical bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumors.

BACKGROUND: Indications for the use of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy are a controversial matter. This study aims to provide a retrospective evaluation of VATS lobectomy in typical bronchopulmonary carcinoids. METHODS: Patient selection criteria for VATS lobectomy were as follows: (a) typical carcinoids with clear diagnosis; (b) centrally located lung tumors not amenable to bronchial resection with bronchoplastic procedures, or tumors located in peripheral lung tissues; (c) no hilar or mediastinal lymph node enlargement; and (d) normal respiratory function. Between January 1995 and December 1999, 12 patients (eight men and four women with a mean age of 57 years) were treated, seven with a peripheral and five with a centrally located tumor. Preoperative examination included chest roentgenograms, computed tomography (CT) of the chest, bronchoscopy, and spirometry; diagnosis was established by direct bronchoscopy in five cases, transbronchial biopsy in two cases, transthoracic biopsy in two cases, and video thoracoscopic wedge resection in three cases. Eleven VATS lobectomies and one VATS bilobectomy were performed. All patients underwent hilar lymphadenectomy and mediastinal sampling. RESULTS: There were no intraoperative complications. The only postoperative complication, hematothorax (8.3%), required VATS reoperation. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 5.33 days. Pathological examination of the resected specimens confirmed that the procedure was radical in all 12 patients and revealed eight T1N0 and four T2N0. At a mean follow-up of 30 months, no signs of recurrence were recorded. CONCLUSION: VATS lobectomy in the treatment of selected typical carcinoids, both central and peripheral, seems to yield favorable results and is therefore preferable to thoracotomy since it is less invasive.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Video thoracoscopic treatment in pleural empyema].

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the possible role and the effectiveness of videothoracoscopy (VATS) in the treatment of pleural empyema. METHODS: Personal experience on 40 cases of pleural empyema treated by (VATS) during 5 years is reported. The underlying diseases were: pneumonia (32), pneumothorax (3), tuberculosis (2), abdominal diseases (2) and lung cancer (1). Before VATS at least one thoracentesis was performed to evaluate the characteristic of the pleural fluid. RESULTS: Due to complications related to thick pleural adhesions, in one case (2.5%) the procedure was converted to open surgery, while in the remaining 39 cases VATS was able to achieve a complete cleaning of the pleural space with re-expansion of the pulmonary parenchyma. The improvement of the clinical symptoms were observed after a mean period of 3.5 days (range: 1-12 days). Chest tube was removed in a mean period of 4.8 days (range: 3-11 days); five patients had prolonged air leak from 6 to 10 days after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion we are of the opinion that VATS has to be considered a very important mean for the treatment of pleural empyema; its use in the fibrinopurulent phase of the disease should give very good results, while in the following phase its indications are controversial.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

[Voluminous hemorrhagic cyst of the abdominal wall].

A case of great bleeding cyst formation in the abdominal wall is presented. Some aspects of differential diagnosis are discussed and the technique used to close the resultant hole in the intestinal wall after removing the cyst. The particular technical method they used permitted the reconstruction without using artificial materials.

Abdominal Muscles↗