Thermal adaptation and physiological responses to environmental stress in tunicates

Understanding the multifaceted nature of environmental fluctuations is crucial to predicting the physiological adjustments utilised by organisms in resisting or adapting to changes over time. Here we investigate the effects of 2 environmental stressors on tunicates, whose fitness can have important repercussions on the quality of habitat. Specifically, we report respiration rate (RR), clearance rate (CR), and assimilation efficiency (AE) of the ascidian Styela plicata in response to a range of temperatures and varying food availability. Temperature-dependent RR was observed only within a portion of the thermal window of the species. Significant differences in clearance rates were detected among organisms fed with varying algal concentrations, while no significant influence of food concentrations on AE was observed. This plasticity of the physiological rates and the development of ubiquitous mechanisms such as temperature-insensitive aerobic metabolism suggest a competitive advantage of this group. Such knowledge may allow for more accurate predictions of the physiological and evolutionary mechanisms driving current and future distribution of this species

Vacuum-Assisted Wound Closure with Mesh-Mediated Fascial Traction Achieves Better Outcomes than Vacuum-Assisted Wound Closure Alone: A Comparative Study

In the original article the credit line for the reuse of Fig. 1 from an article published in the open access journal, World Journal of Emergency Surgery is missing

Vacuum-Assisted Wound Closure with Mesh-Mediated Fascial Traction Achieves Better Outcomes than Vacuum-Assisted Wound Closure Alone: A Comparative Study

Background Open abdomen (OA) permits the application of damage control surgery principles when abdominal trauma, sepsis, severe acute peritonitis and abdominal compartmental syndrome (ACS) occur. Methods Non-traumatic patients treated with OA between January 2010 and December 2015 were identified in a prospective database, and the data collected were retrospectively reviewed. Patients\u2019 records were collected from charts and the surgical and intensive care unit (ICU) registries. The Acosta \u2018\u2018modified\u2019\u2019 technique was used to achieve fascial closure in vacuum-assisted wound closure and mesh-mediated fascial traction (VAWCM) patients. Sex, age, simplified acute physiology score II (SAPS II), abdominal compartmental syndrome (ACS), cardiovascular disease (CVD) and surgical technique performed were evaluated in a multivariate analysis for mortality and fascial closure prediction. Results Ninety-six patients with a median age of 69 (40\u201378) years were included in the study. Sixty-nine patients (72%) underwent VAWCM. Forty-one patients (68%) achieved primary fascia closure: two patients (5%) were treated with VAWC (37 median days) versus 39 patients (95%) who were treated with VAWCM (10 median days) (p = 0.0003). Forty-eight patients underwent OA treatment due to ACS, and 24 patients (50%) survived compared to 36 patients (75%) from the \u2018\u2018other reasons\u2019\u2019 group (p = 0.01). The ACS group required longer mechanical ventilator support (p = 0.006), length of stay in hospital (p = 0.005) and in ICU (p = 0.04) and had higher SAPS II scores (p = 0.0002). Conclusions The survival rate was 62%. ACS (p = 0.01), SAPS II (p = 0.004), sex (p = 0.01), pre-existing CVD (p = 0.0007) and surgical technique (VAWC vs VAWCM) (p = 0.0009) were determined to be predictors of mortality. Primary fascial closure was obtained in 68% of cases. VAWCM was found to grant higher survival and primary fascial closure rate

Fifteen years of research in innovative HVAC plants at DTG

At the Department of Management and Engineering (DTG) of the University of Padova (Italy), the research team led by Prof. Renato Lazzarin, formed by the au-thors, worked during the first fifteen years of the millennium on different topics fo-cused on innovative HVAC technologies. Both experimental and theoreti-cal/modelling studies were carried on: condensing boilers performances were eval-uated in different climates; a liquid desiccant system for the air conditioning of one of the DTG buildings, operating both in winter and in summer mode, was designed, realized and tested; a self-regenerating liquid desiccant cooling system able to de-humidify, heating or cooling the ambient air by an electric heat pump was installed in a new building of the Vicenza hospital, and a data logging system was set up to monitor several parameters; a Gas Engine Heat Pump plant for the air conditioning of another building of the DTG was designed, realized and monitored for a long pe-riod; a multi-source heat pump system for a school building was modelled and dy-namically simulated, and then designed and monitored; hybrid water/phase change materials tanks were modelled, designed and tested for thermal energy storage; fi-nally, thermal and electric solar cooling plants were modelled and dynamically simulated for evaluating energy performance. The paper summarizes the main ideas and results of the research during the fifteen years period of work together

Solitary metastasis from melanoma causing bowel perforation

Skin melanoma can metastasize to any organ or tissue. The median survival in patient with intestinal metastases is inferior to 7 months compared to other sites metastasis. A wide intestinal resection including the resection of the mesentery with lymph nodes remains the main treatment due to the low morbidity and mortality rate it is also associated with