SAFETRANS: a system for 3D visibility estimation and cloud cover detection.

The estimation of visibility is of significant importance in aviation safety and forms part of the measurements routinely collected in real time to provide safety guidelines and decisions. Our work concerns the creation and implementation of a lidar-based visibility estimation system as part of the SAFETRANS research program. We created a reproducible system to (1) support standard airport equipment, (2) serve simultaneously as a visibility meter and a ceilometer reporting on cloud cover, (3) offer increased accuracy and improved capabilities compared to standardized equipment currently in use while (4) requiring minimal user training to function. This work presents the visibility estimation and cloud cover algorithms and subsequently reports on results of field tests in a number of Greek airports under various atmospheric conditions.

Urinary diversion: 30 years experience of a single centre in Republic of Macedonia.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this report is to present our 30 years experience with various types of urinary diversions, in particular the Bricker and Studer techniques for the management of muscle invasive bladder cancer at our institution. Perioperative, early and late complications are also evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1977 and 2007, 186 male and 15 female patients underwent combined radical cystectomy, pelvic lymphadenectomy and urinary diversion. In two subgroups of patients we evaluated the complications, divided as early and late, and subdivided as those related or unrelated to the neobladder. Mean follow up time was 28 months (range 12-60 months). RESULTS: Two main types of urinary diversion were performed: the ileal conduit diversion using a technique previously described by Bricker and the ileal neobladder diversion using a technique previously described by a Studer. The ages at surgery ranged from 40 to 82 years with a mean age of 60 years. Histopathologically, transitional cell carcinoma was the most common tumor cell type (93,7%), followed by difuse papilomatosis (5.5%) and adenocarcinoma (0.7%). The pathological tumor stage was pT1 (4.7%), pT2 (31.4%), pT3 (50.3 %) and pT4a (13,3%). Histological evidence of regional lymph node involvement was seen in 25% of the cases. From 52 patients from the Studer subgroup perioperative complications were found in 16 patients (30.7%). Specific early complications directly related to the neobladder occurred in 14 (26.9%) patients. Prolonged ileus in 2 patient (3.8%), ureteral leakage in 9 patients (17.3%), mucous buildup within the diversion in 3 patients (5.7%). Late complications occurred in 10 patients (19.2%): retention of the urine in 4 patients (7.6%) (stricture of the urethra-pouch anastomosis in one 1 patient) and to big reservoir in 3 patients. One patient (1.9%) developed prolonged metabolic acidosis. Stone formation was observed in one patient, two years postoperatively. Unilateral hydroureteronephrosis was observed in 2 patients whereas bilateral hydroureteronephrosis was observed in one patients at one year postoperatively. Perioperative and late complications were similar in the 32 patients from the Bricker subgroup. CONCLUSION: We show that our results with urinary diversion are promising in patients requiring radical cystoprostatectomy. The two methods preferred in our institution offer a sufficient protection of the upper urinary tract with a low complication rate, good voiding function and continence.

Radical retropubic prostatectomy for prostate carcinoma; first results of the Clinic of Urology in Skopje.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this retrospective study is to present our experience and results in the management of prostate carcinoma, with radical retropubic prostatectomy, for a period of seven years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From December 1997 to April 2005, 61 radical retropubic prostatectomies for prostate carcinoma were performed at the Clinic of Urology in Skopje. Mean age of the treated patients was 66.4 years. Mean serum PSA level was 32.75 ng/ml. None of the patients had distant or bone metastases. Mean operative time was 160 minutes and from 2 to 4 units of blood were transfused intra and postoperatively. Mean follow up time was 39 months. RESULTS: In all of 61 patients, the RRP was performed for adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The pathological findings postoperatively showed the following pTNM grade: pT2a in 8, pT2b in 10, pT3a in 10, pT3b in 27and pT4 in 6 patients. Positive lymph nodes were found in 14 cases. Intraoperative complications occurred in 6 patients. Early postoperative complications were seen in 12 patients. Urine leakage was seen in 2 patients, incontinence (day and night) in 8 and pulmonary embolia in 2 patients. Late postoperative complications occurred in 11 patients. Stenosis of the vesicourethral anasthomosis was seen in 3 patients and incontinence (during the night only) in 8 patients. The rate of potency was not evaluated but in the last 30 cases we insisted on preservation of the neurovascular bundles in the cases that it was possible. CONCLUSION: Radical retropubic prostatectomy is the method of choice and the golden standard for treatment of organ confined prostate carcinoma in patients with long life expectancy, no neither local nor distant metastases and good overall status. With this technique complication rates are minimal, the cure rate is very big and the patients have high quality of life. The experience of the surgeon is very important since the learning curve is crucial for diminishing operative time, postoperative complications and blood transfusions.

[Late postoperative results of anti-reflux ureterocystoneostomy]. / Kasni postoperativni rezultati antirefluksnih ureterocistoneostomija.

Presented are the postoperative results of 13 of the 15 operations on the urethrovesicular junction. Most (8) were treated by the Politano-Leadbetter method; three (3) by Cohen, and two (2) by the Swinney-Avata modification of the Politano-Leadbetter method which is described and shown schematically. Reasons for applying these treatments were stenosis of various origins localized in the terminal part of the urethra, gynecological damages to the urethra ("iatrogenic" injuries), displacement of the urethra, vesicular-urethral reflux, and megaurethra. At check-ups from 3 months to 6 years after the operation, 84.6% of the operations proved successful. In comparison with 18 operations for the same reasons in which an ordinary reimplantation of the urethra was performed, the former is 12.3% better. The Cohen operations achieved good results. However, should the need arise later, it is impossible to perform retrograde manipulations of the urethra with a probe in the usual way. Thus the authors ascribe the advantages to those operations that can develop naturally with the reimplantation of the submucous membrane of the urethra.