Background-The proper treatment option for patients with type A intramural hematoma (IMH), a variant form of classic aortic dissection (AD), remains controversial. We assessed the outcome of our institutional policy of urgent surgery for unstable patients and initial medical treatment for stable patients with surgery in cases with complications. .56). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of IMH patients were 87.6Ϯ3.6%, 84.9Ϯ3.7%, and 83.1Ϯ4.1%, respectively. There was no statistical difference of overall survival rates between patients with IMH and surgically treated AD patients (Pϭ0.787). Conclusions-The clinical outcome of IMH patients receiving treatment by our policy was comparable to that of surgically treated AD patients. However, adverse clinical events were not uncommon with medical treatment alone, and initial aorta diameter and hematoma thickness may identify patients who might benefit from urgent surgery.

Organic bulk‐heterojunction solar cells using thin‐film single‐walled carbon‐nanotube (SWCNT) anodes deposited on glass are reported. Two types of SWCNT films are investigated: spin‐coated films from dichloroethane (DCE), and spray‐coated films from deionized water using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) or sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate (SDBS) as the surfactant. All of the films are found to be mechanically robust, with no tendency to delaminate from the underlying substrate during handling. Acid treatment with HNO3 yields high conductivities >1000 S cm−1 for all of the films, with values of up to 7694 ± 800 S cm−1 being obtained when using SDS as the surfactant. Sheet resistances of around 100 Ω sq−1 are obtained at reasonable transmission, for example, 128 ± 2 Ω sq−1 at 90% for DCE, 57 ± 3 Ω sq−1 at 65% for H2O:SDS, and 68 ± 5 Ω sq−1 at 70% for H2O:SDBS. Solar cells are fabricated by successively coating the SWCNT films with poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulphonate) (PEDOT:PSS), a blend of regioregular poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and 1‐(3‐methoxy‐carbonyl)‐propyl‐1‐phenyl‐(6,6)C61 (PCBM), and LiF/Al. The resultant devices have respective power conversions of 2.3, 2.2 and 1.2% for DCE, H2O:SDS and H2O:SDBS, with the first two being at a virtual parity with reference devices using ITO‐coated glass as the anode (2.3%).

We report the fabrication of efficient indium-tin-oxide-free organic solar cells based on poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT: PCBM). All layers of the devices from the lowermost silver nanowire cathode to the uppermost conducting polymer anode are deposited from solution and processed at plastic-compatible temperatures < 200 °C. Owing to the absence of an opaque metal electrode, the devices are semitransparent with potential applications in power-generating windows and tandem-cells. The measured power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 2.3 and 2.0 % under cathode-and anode-side illumination, respectively, match previously reported PCE values for equivalent semitransparent organic solar cells using indium tin oxide.Transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs), which make electrical contact to other functional layers for current supply/extraction while also transmitting light, are essential components of optoelectronic devices. State-of-the-art TCEs are made of metal oxides, most

Single‐walled carbon‐nanotube absorbers are experimentally demonstrated for laser mode‐locking. A saturable absorber device is used to mode‐lock three different bulk solid‐state lasers in a 500 nm‐wide wavelength interval. The devices exhibit a low saturation fluence of <10 µJ cm−2, low scattering losses, and an exceptionally rapid relaxation, with time constants reaching <100 fs. The latter two properties are explained by a decreased curling tendency and increased tube‐to‐tube interactions of the nanotubes, respectively. These properties are the result of an optimized manufacturing procedure in combination with the use of a starting material with a higher microscopic order. The decreased scattering enables universal use of these devices in bulk solid‐state lasers, which tend to be highly sensitive against non‐saturable device losses as caused by scattering. The favorable saturable absorption properties are experimentally verified by mode‐locking the three lasers, which all exhibit near transform‐limited performance with about 100 fs pulse duration. The complete and unconditional absence of Q‐switching side bands verifies the small saturation fluence of these devices.

Objective: The presence of central neck lymph node (LN) metastases (defined as pN1a according to Tumor Node Metastasis classification) in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is known as an independent risk factor for recurrence. Extent of LN metastasis and the completeness of removal of metastatic LN must have an impact on prognosis but they are not easy to measure. Moreover, the significance of the size of metastatic tumors in LNs has not been clarified. This study was to evaluate the impact of the extent of LN metastasis and size of metastatic tumors on the recurrence in pathological N1a PTC. Design: This retrospective observational cohort study enrolled 292 PTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection from 1999 to 2005. LN ratio was defined as the number of metastatic LNs divided by the number of removed LNs, which was regarded as variable reflecting both extent of LN metastasis and completeness of resection, and LN size as the maximal diameter of tumor in metastatic LN. Results: The significant risk factors for recurrence in univariate analysis were large primary tumor size (defined as larger than 2 cm), high LN ratio (defined as higher than 0.4), and presence of macrometastasis (defined as larger than 0.2 cm). Age, sex, clinical node status, and microscopic perithyroidal extension had no effect on recurrence. In multivariate analysis, high LN ratio and presence of macrometastasis were independent risk factors for recurrence. Conclusion: LN ratio and size of metastatic nodes had a significant prognostic value in pathological N1a PTC. We suggest that risk stratification of pathological N1a PTC according to the pattern of LN metastasis such as LN ratio and size would give valuable information to clinicians.