Management of acute perforated diverticulitis with generalized peritonitis: is this the end of the Hartmann's era?

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Practice parameters for the treatment of colonic diverticular disease: Italian Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (SICCR) guidelines

The mission of the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR) is to optimize patient care. Providing evidence-based practice guidelines is therefore of key importance. About the present report it concernes the SICCR practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of diverticular disease of the colon. The guidelines are not intended to define the sole standard of care but to provide evidence-based recommendations regarding the available therapeutic options

Spontaneous pupillary oscillations increase during mindfulness meditation

A significant body of literature has shown that pupil size varies with cognitive and perceptual states [1,2]. Furthermore, the pupil diameter oscillates spontaneously at low frequencies, sometimes referred to as pupillary hippus [3,4]. Oscillation amplitude varies with many neural factors, including arousal and cortical excitability. Here we show that pupillary oscillations are modulated by mindfulness meditation, increasing by 53% compared to pre- and post-meditation baselines. The effect occurs only in trained meditators and is specific for low frequencies (below 1 Hz), with delta frequencies (1–5 Hz) unchanged. The study suggests that pupil size may be a useful marker of the altered cortical state during meditation. Pomè et al. measured the diameter of the eye pupil in trained mindfulness meditators and found that slow spontaneous pupil oscillations are specifically enhanced during meditation, indicating that the pupils can betray the meditative state

Large-scale progradation, demise and rebirth of a high-relief carbonate platform (Triassic, Lombardy Southern Alps, Italy)

The Upper Anisian to Early Carnian succession of the Middle Val Brembana-Pegherolo Massif (Central Southern Alps of Italy) records a complete depositional cycle from platform inception to growth, demise and rebirth. The depositional architecture of this system reflects different evolutionary stages: an inception stage which postdates a previous drowning of an Anisian carbonate platform with progradation of the carbonate platform from the nucleation areas, an aggradational stage with increasing water depth in the basins, a progradational stage where steep slopes composed of margin-derived breccias develop and a final crisis corresponding to the subaerial exposure of the platform top, followed by the deposition of shales in the basin before the rebirth of a different type of carbonate factory. The record of this evolution reflects the effects of the change in accommodation space (interplay of subsidence and eustacy), which controls the type and storage sites of the sediments produced by the carbonate factory. The effects of the changes in accommodation space are recorded in the shallow water platform as well as in the intraplatform basins, where the sediments, delivered at different rates from the platform top are stored. As a consequence, the aggradational stage corresponds to reduced sedimentation in the basins (i.e. sediments are stored on the platform top) whereas during progradation resedimented limestones are more common in the basin. Subaerial exposure rapidly halted the carbonate production on the platform top, while a major input of shales (probably reflecting a climate change and/or lowering of the base level) is recorded in the basin, where shales onlap the slope of the previous carbonate system. The rebirth of the carbonate factory after subaerial exposure of the platform top is characterized by a different composition of the carbonate factory, probably reflecting changes of the environmental conditions. The step-by-step recording of the evolution of the carbonate system represents a unique opportunity to record a seismic-scale complete evolutionary cycle of a carbonate system in its different sub-environments, from the platform top to the basin

Novel monomers with N-methyl-D-glucamine segments and their application in structured porous materials for arsenic capture

The N-methyl-D-glucamine moieties exhibit high ability and selectivity toward arsenate ions in water by a complexation mechanism that involves their hydroxyl groups. In this work, the syntheses of two monomers containing N-methyl-D-glucamine, namely 4-vinylbenzyl-N-methyl-D-glucamine (VbNMDG), and N-methyl-D-glucamine methacrylamide (MNMDG) were studied. Different synthetic routes were considered in order to obtain liquid monomers able to polymerize and selectively capture arsenic. Furthermore, the incorporation of protective groups like trimethylsilyl moieties in the molecular structure was assessed to prevent transfer reactions during further polymerization. After polymerization, hydroxyl groups were deprotected using hydrofluoric acid. Following this methodology, structured microporous polymeric films based on colloidal crystal templates were prepared. NMR and FTIR techniques were used to follow the reactions and to determine the chemical structure of the obtained products. The morphology of materials was characterized by SEM. The performances of the developed polymeric films to selectively capture arsenic were determined. Films showed an improved and reproducible sensitivity to arsenic detection exhibiting high values of arsenic capturing capability (around 90%)

Some tardigrades from Central Africa with the description of two new species: Macrobiotus ragonesei and M. priviterae (Eutardigrada Macrobiotidae)

Ten species of tardigrades are reported from Central Africa. Isohypsibius arbiter Binda 1980 is new for Africa; two species, Macrobiotus ragonesei and Macrobiotus priviterae are new to science. Macrobiotus ragonesei has two macroplacoids and microplacoid, and areolated eggs with conical processes sculptured in the basal portion and unsculptured in the terminal portion. Macrobiotus priviterae is similar to M. richtersi Murray 1911, M. peteri Pilato et al. 1989, and M. chieregoi Maucci et al. 1980 but differs from them by having eyes, and in the claw and egg characters; it is also similar to M. vanescens Pilato et al. 1991 and to M. danielae Pilato et al. 2001 but differs from them in claw and egg characters. The egg of Minibiotus africanus Binda & Pilato 1995, unknown so far, is described

Lazo de control optoacoplado para fuente conmutada

ResumenSe presenta un ejemplo de lazo de realimentación optoacoplado para controlar la tensión de una fuente conmutada, conservando eléctricamente aisladas las tensiones primarias y de salida. La elevada ganancia del lazo permite compensar la no linealidad del optoacoplador empleado y compensar la deriva de sus características, debidas a variaciones de temperatura y envejecimiento. La compensación se proyecta y calcula considerando al sistema lineal, en virtud de adoptar una frecuencia de conmutación mayor, en más de un orden de magnitud, que la de la respuesta dinámica pretendida

Testing and modelling of multiple-leaf masonry walls under shear and compression

Predicting the behaviour of multiple-leaf masonry walls is a challenging issue, given the influence of a wide range of factors as the mechanical properties of the leaves, their dimensions and the way they are connected to each other. In the present paper, experimental results in large specimens are carefully reviewed together with numerical interpretation of the shear and compressive behaviour of multiple-leaf walls. Simplified calculations for practical assessment of existing walls are also addressed.MURST – Cof. 2000, 2002

Pupillometry correlates of visual priming, and their dependency on autistic traits

In paradigms of visual search where the search feature (say color) can change from trial to trials, responses are faster for trials where the search color is repeated than when it changes. This is a clear example of "priming" of attention. Here we test whether the priming effects can be revealed by pupillometry, and also whether they are related to autistic-like personality traits, as measured by the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ). We repeated Maljkovic and Nakayama's (1994) classic priming experiment, asking subjects to identify rapidly the shape of a singleton target defined by color. As expected, reaction times were faster when target color repeated, and the effect accumulated over several trials; but the magnitude of the effect did not correlate with AQ. Reaction times were also faster when target position was repeated, again independent of AQ. Presentation of stimuli caused the pupil to dilate, and the magnitude of dilation was greater for switched than repeated trials. This effect did not accumulate over trials, and did not correlate with the reaction times difference, suggesting that the two indexes measure independent aspects of the priming phenomenon. Importantly, the amplitude of pupil modulation correlated negatively with AQ, and was significant only for those participants with low AQ. The results confirm that pupillometry can track perceptual and attentional processes, and furnish useful information unobtainable from standard psychophysics, including interesting dependencies on personality traits

Heterogeneity of cancer-initiating cells within glioblastoma.

Malignant gliomas, particularly glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), account for the majority of brain tumors. Their incidence is increasing world wide and they are incurable. Although a transient response to therapy is observed, tumor recurrence is inevitable and occurs within tissue that has received cytotoxic therapy. This suggests that a subpopulation of resistant cells is responsible for tumor regrowth. The treatment of GBMs represents a daunting challenge to clinicians due principally to the lack of effective therapeutic options. One explanation for this is the marked cellular and genetic heterogeneity within and across these types of tumors. Unravelling the cellular composition of gliomas and describing cell lineage relationships are essential for therapeutic breakthroughs. The recent proposal that a small percentage of cells with stem cells characteristics are responsible for tumor initiation and growth has sparked an interest in applying approaches used to study somatic stem cells toward an understanding of the cellular elements responsible for cancer progression and recurrence. To outline the relevance of these findings is the purpose of this review