High concordance between trained nurses and gastroenterologists in evaluating recordings of small bowel video capsule endoscopy (VCE)

Background & Aims: The video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is an accurate and validated tool to investigate the entire small bowel mucosa, but VCE recordings interpretation by the gastroenterologist is time-consuming. A pre-reading of VCE recordings by an expert nurse could be accurate and cost saving. We assessed the concordance between nurses and gastroenterologists in detecting lesions on VCE examinations. Methods: This was a prospective study enrolling consecutive patients who had undergone VCE in clinical practice. Two trained nurses and two expert gastroenterologists participated in the study. At VCE pre-reading the nurses selected any abnormalities, saved them as “thumbnails” and classified the detected lesions as a vascular abnormality, ulcerative lesion, polyp, tumor mass, and unclassified lesion. Then, the gastroenterologist evaluated and interpreted the selected lesions and, successively, reviewed the entire video for potential missed lesions. The time for VCE evaluation was recorded. Results: A total of 95 VCE procedures performed on consecutive patients (M/F: 47/48; mean age: 63 ± 12 years, range: 27−86 years) were evaluated. Overall, the nurses detected at least one lesion in 54 (56.8%) patients. There was total agreement between nurses and gastroenterologists, no missing lesions being discovered at a second look of the entire VCE recording by the physician. The pre-reading procedure by nurse allowed a time reduction of medical evaluation from 49 (33-69) to 10 (8-16) minutes (difference:-79.6%). Conclusions: Our data suggest that trained nurses can accurately identify and select relevant lesions in thumbnails that subsequently were faster reviewed by the gastroenterologist for a final diagnosis. This could significantly reduce the cost of VCE procedure

Effect of electrical stimulation and others genetic and environmental factors on colour of lamb meat

The research aimed to assess the effect of breed, sex, age at slaughter, rearing system and electrical stimulation on some colorimetric characteristics measured on the muscles Longissimus dorsi (LD), Gluteobiceps (Gb), Semimembranosus (Sm) and Rectus femoris (RF) of lambs belonging to the genetic types Gentile di Puglia (GP), Ile de France (IF) and the cross-breeds F1, F2 and F3. The IF lambs provided meat with the highest value of hue and lightness and the lowest chroma and redness. The F1 lambs showed the highest values of redness while the F2 crossbreed significantly differed from the other three genetic types only in pH, which was always the lowest. The F3 crossbreed revealed similar behaviour to the other genetic types, except for the pH which was always higher than in GP, F1 and F2. The differences between sexes were restricted to L* and pH values, being higher in the male. The lambs slaughtered at 56 days showed high a* values, while b* and hue were on average higher in younger lambs (35 days). The lambs reared with maternal milk in comparison with the artificially reared ones provided meat with the highest a* chroma and b* and the lowest hue values. Electrical stimulation of the carcass seems to have produced the same effects as the usual ageing time in cold store. The RF muscle provided the brightest meat; Sm showed the highest values of b* and chroma; LD provided the “darkest” meat and the lowest values of b* and hue; Gb produced a lower a* value than muscles LD, RF and Sm

Algebraic entropy for algebraic maps

We propose an extension of the concept of algebraic entropy, as introduced by Bellon and Viallet for rational maps, to algebraic maps (or correspondences) of a certain kind. The corresponding entropy is an index of the complexity of the map. The definition inherits the basic properties from the definition of entropy for rational maps. We give an example with positive entropy, as well as two examples taken from the theory of Backlund transformations

Association between diverticulosis and colonic neoplastic lesions in individuals with a positive faecal immunochemical test

Background The association between diverticulosis and colonic neoplastic lesions has been suggested, but data in literature are conflicting. This study aimed to investigate such a relationship in patients participating in a colorectal cancer screening program who underwent high-quality colonoscopy.Methods Data from consecutive individuals 50-75 years of age with a positive faecal immunological test were considered. Diverticulosis was categorised as present or absent. The prevalence of neoplastic lesions (adenoma, advanced adenoma, and cancer) between individuals with and those without diverticula was compared. A multivariate analysis was performed.Results Overall, data from 970 consecutive individuals were evaluated, and diverticulosis was detected in 354 (36.5%) cases. At least one adenoma was detected in 490 (50.5%) people, at least one advanced adenoma in 264 (27.2%), multiple adenoma in 71 (7.3%), whilst a cancer was diagnosed in 48 (4.9%) cases. At univariate analysis, the adenoma detection rate in patients with diverticula was significantly higher than in controls (55.9% vs 47.4%; p=0.011). At multivariate analysis, presence of diverticulosis was an independent risk factor for both adenoma detection rate (OR=1.58; 95% CI=1.14-2.18; p=0.006) and advanced adenoma (OR=1.57; 95% CI=1.10-2.24; p=0.013), but not for colorectal cancer.Conclusions In a colorectal screening setting, the adenoma detection rate was significantly higher in individuals with diverticulosis than in controls

Backlund transformations and Hamiltonian flows

In this work we show that, under certain conditions, parametric Backlund transformations (BTs) for a finite dimensional integrable system can be interpreted as solutions to the equations of motion defined by an associated non-autonomous Hamiltonian. The two systems share the same constants of motion. This observation lead to the identification of the Hamiltonian interpolating the iteration of the discrete map defined by the transformations, that indeed will be a linear combination of the integrals appearing in the spectral curve of the Lax matrix. An application to the Toda periodic lattice is given.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figures. to appear in J. Phys.

An application of the integrative method for extending part lactation milk record in Mediterranean Italian buffalo reared in Caserta province

This study was performed on 21,622 lactation of Mediterranean Italian dairy buffalo recorded by AIA with ICAR standard from 1992 to 1996 in Caserta province. The extending of lactation was performed using integrative methods (Pilla et al., 1979), taking into account the effect of lactation number per day, calving order and month of calving. The results showed that the obtained coefficient was able to extending the lactation at 270 days with good approximation also beginning from a part –lactation of 90 days. In this case, the correlation coefficient between real and estimate milk yield varied from 0.91 to 0.93 in the considered groups. Moreover, the percentage of difference between real and estimated average milk yield is not over 5%

Land take and landscape loss: Effect of uncontrolled urbanization in Southern Italy

The present paper describes a research that, based on the evolutionary data of the urban settlement over a period of half a century, shows the changes undergone by the various landscape categories of Southern Italy. The regions involved are four (Campania, Basilicata, Puglia and Calabria) and share renowned urban, economic and social issues such as unauthorised development, low income per capita and organised crime. All this has produced profound transformations on some of the most important and rare Italian landscapes, such as coastal plains and coastal carbonate slabs. Uncontrolled urban sprawl has further provoked an environmental crisis and eco-friendly insularisation of the yet numerous and valuable protected areas of this geographical area, thus leading to a high density of buildings and infrastructures even in national parks, breaking European records in this respect. Through finalised indicators, the characteristics of the evolution occurred have been analytically highlighted, and by using the latest generation satellite data, it is shown how such phenomena have continued to take place with significant energy over the last few years. The result is a picture of environmental threats still very prominent in this southern extremity of the peninsula, above all towards those naturalistic qualities and landscapes that are the main attractions of an intense national and international tourism whose income, however, has not been conveyed in a correct and inclusive way to allow high-level socio-economic conditions of the resident population. Keywords: Urban growth, Land take, Landscape loss, Urban sprinkling, South Ital

Control of Molecular Packing in Crystal and Electron Communication of Two Ferrocenyl Moieties across Chiral Isomannide or Isosorbide Bridge

Intramolecular electronic communication between electrochemically active groups connected by a bridging moiety can be modified through small changes in the spatial disposition of the redox active moieties and/or by the nature of the central core. In this study, chiral bio-based compounds, namely isomannide and isosorbide, were employed as cheap and easy-to-functionalize chiral scaffolds to bridge two ferrocenyl electroactive moieties. The crystal structures of both bis-ferrocenyl diester complexes were studied and they showed that the chirality of the bridge results in an open or tight helical crystal packing. The electron communication between the two electroactive units in the mixed valent monocations was also investigated using electrochemistry (cyclic voltammetry and differential pulsed voltammetry), and spectroelectrochemistry in the UV-Vis NIR. A computational study through time-dependent DFT was also employed to gain greater insight into the results obtained

Intrahepatic persistent fetal right umbilical vein: a retrospective study

Introduction: To appraise the incidence and value of intrahepatic persistent right umbilical vein (PRUV). Methods: This was a single-center study. Records of all women with a prenatal diagnosis of intrahepatic PRUV were reviewed. The inclusion criteria were women with gestational age greater than 13 weeks of gestation. Exclusion criteria were fetuses with situs abnormalities, due to the hepatic venous ambiguity, and extrahepatic PRUV. The primary outcome was the incidence of intrahepatic PRUV in our cohort. The secondary outcomes were associated malformations. Results: 219/57,079 cases (0.38%) of intrahepatic PRUV were recorded. The mean gestational age at diagnosis was 21.8 ± 2.9 weeks of gestations. PRUV was isolated in the 76.7%, while in 23.3% was associated with other major or minor abnormalities. The most common associated abnormalities were cardiovascular abnormalities (8.7%), followed by genitourinary abnormalities (6.4%), skeletal abnormalities (4.6%), and central nervous system abnormalities (4.1%). Within the cardiovascular abnormalities, the most common one was ventricular septal defect (six cases). Conclusion: In most cases PRUV is an isolated finding. Associated minor or major malformations are presented in the 23.3% of the cases, so this finding should prompt detailed prenatal assessment of the fetus, with particular regard to cardiovascular system