A scheme for time-dependent resource reservation in QoS-enabled IP networks

Abstract. A number of distributed applications require communication services with Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees. The QoS provisioning issue in the Internet has been addressed by the IETF with the definition of the Integrated Services (IntServ) and Differentiated Services (Diffserv) frameworks. Resource reservation mechanisms on which these models are based are totally time-unaware. Yet, we believe that, in some cases, associating a time interval to network resource reservations could be useful for both users and network providers. In this paper we present a distributed scheme for time-dependent reservations in QoS-enabled IP networks. We also show how the standard signalling protocol RSVP may support this new reservation style, with only a few minor modifications. Finally, we present a first prototype implementation of the major component of the proposed architecture and we provide some hints on future applicability scenarios of the advance reservation paradigm and its impact on related topics such as policing and charging techniques in QoS-enabled IP networks.

Inflammation management in ophthalmology: new evidences for cataract surgery and beyond

Inflammation represents the manifestation of the host's vascular and cellular response to tissue damage, hypersensitivity of the immune system or autoimmunity. As soon as the damage is detected, the mechanisms of localization and removal of foreign substances and damaged tissues are triggered. This response is amplified by the activation of inflammatory cells and by the production of chemical mediators derived from arachidonic acid, vasoactive substances and cytokines.At the ocular level, among the different responses implemented by various inflammation mediators, the action of prostaglandins is mainly expressed in three ways: i) change of intraocular pressure; ii) induction of miosis; iii) increase of protein concentration in the aqueous humor.Ocular inflammation may continue long after the cessation of the initial cause and may also lead to serious consequences, including permanent vision reduction. For this reason, it is essential to establish a correct and effective therapeutic strategy, which allows to control inflammation, the symptoms and the clinical signs associated with it.This article therefore deals with therapeutic strategies to control inflammation, with a particular focus on the role of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in cataract surgery

A Preliminary Study on Light Transmittance Properties of Translucent Concrete Panels with Coarse Waste Glass Inclusions

This paper investigates the potential reuse of coarse glass wastes as insert in a high performance cement matrix to produce translucent concrete panels for architectural applications such as interior walls. The effects of the addition of glass scraps on chemical and optical properties of concrete were studied. Alkali-silica reactivity resistance tests were carried out to evaluate the reactivity between amorphous waste glass and alkaline concrete pore solution. Light transmittance LT was evaluated through Radiance simulations and measurements on sample prototypes. The increase in the amount of daylight in a sample room and the reduction in the energy demand for lighting EDl were investigated through Daysim simulations. Compared to two opaque side walls, the use of two translucent concrete walls with a LT of 5% allowed a reduction in EDl up to 16% in Palermo (L=38.3°N)

A Scheme for Time-Dependent Resource Reservation in QoS-Enabled IP Networks

Abstract. A number of distributed applications require communication services with Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees. The QoS provisioning issue in the Internet has been addressed by the IETF with the definition of the Integrated Services (IntServ) and Differentiated Services (Diffserv) frameworks. Resource reservation mechanisms on which these models are based are totally time-unaware. Yet, we believe that, in some cases, associating a time interval to network resource reservations could be useful for both users and network providers. In this paper we present a distributed scheme for time-dependent reservations in QoS-enabled IP networks. We also show how the standard signalling protocol RSVP may support this new reservation style, with only a few minor modifications. Finally, we present a first prototype implementation of the major component of the proposed architecture and we provide some hints on future applicability scenarios of the advance reservation paradigm and its impact on related topics such as policing and charging techniques in QoS-enabled IP networks.

Informing women about hormone replacement therapy: the consensus conference statement

Background: The risks/benefits balance of hormone replacement therapy is controversial. Information can influence consumers' knowledge and behavior; research findings about hormone replacement therapy are uncertain and the messages provided by the media are of poor quality and incomplete, preventing a fully informed decision making process. We therefore felt that an explicit, rigorous and structured assessment of the information needs on this issue was urgent and we opted for the organisation of a national consensus conference (CC) to assess the current status of the quality of information on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and re-visit recent research findings on its risks/ benefits. Methods: We chose a structured approach based on the traditional CC method combined with a structured preparatory work supervised by an organising committee (OC) and a scientific board (SB). The OC and SB chose the members of the CC's jury and appointed three multidisciplinary working groups (MWG) which were asked to review clinical issues and different aspects of the quality of information. Before the CC, the three MWGs carried out: A literature review on the risk/benefit profile of HRT and two surveys on the quality of information on lay press and booklets targeted to women. A population survey on women's knowledge, attitude and practice was also carried out. The jury received the documents in advance, listened the presentations during the two-day meeting of the CCs, met immediately after in a closed-door meeting and prepared the final document. Participants were researchers, clinicians, journalists as well as consumers' representatives. Results: Key messages in the CC's deliberation were: a) women need to be fully informed about the transient nature of menopausal symptoms, about HRT risks and benefits and about the availability of non-pharmacological interventions; b) HRT is not recommended to prevent menopausal symptoms; c) the term "HRT" is misleading and "post menopausal hormone therapy" should be the preferred definition. Conclusion: This CC led to the identification of specific information drawbacks. Women are exposed to messages that are often partial, non evidence-based nor transparently developed. The structured and participative methodology of this CC allowed a multidisciplinary perspective and a substantial lay people input

ORal anticoagulants In fraGile patients with percutAneous endoscopic gastrostoMy and atrIal fibrillation: the (ORIGAMI) study

BACKGROUND: Randomized trials support the safety and efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, leading to increased use of these compounds. Crushed forms of DOACs have been shown to be reliable, but evidence supporting percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) delivery is lacking. PEG is a long-term option for enteral food and drug delivery in patients unable to maintain oral intake, bypassing the risks and disadvantages of parenteral nutrition.AIMS: The ORal anticoagulants In fraGile patients with percutAneous endoscopic gastrostoMy and atrIal fibrillation (ORIGAMI) study investigates the safety and efficacy of Edoxaban administered via PEG in patients with atrial fibrillation and a clinical indication for a long-term anticoagulation.DESIGN: In this prospective, single-centre observational study, 12 PEG-treated patients with indication to anticoagulation will receive edoxaban via PEG and will be followed up to 6 months. Plasma antifactor Xa activity and edoxaban concentrations will be assessed. Thromboembolic (ischaemic stroke, systemic embolism, venous thromboembolism) and bleeding events (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction) will be recorded at 1 and 6 months.PRELIMINARY CASES: A retrospective analysis of five atrial fibrillation cases undergoing PEG implantation at our Institution who received edoxaban via PEG showed plasma anti-FXa levels at a steady state of 146 ± 15 ng/ml, without major adverse event at a mean follow-up of 6 months.CONCLUSION: ORIGAMI prospectively investigates PEG-administration of edoxaban in PEG-treated patients requiring long-term anticoagulation. Our preliminary retrospective data support this route of DOAC administration. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT04271293

Bowel preparation for elective colorectal resection: multi-treatment machine learning analysis on 6241 cases from a prospective Italian cohort

background current evidence concerning bowel preparation before elective colorectal surgery is still controversial. this study aimed to compare the incidence of anastomotic leakage (AL), surgical site infections (SSIs), and overall morbidity (any adverse event, OM) after elective colorectal surgery using four different types of bowel preparation. methods a prospective database gathered among 78 Italian surgical centers in two prospective studies, including 6241 patients who underwent elective colorectal resection with anastomosis for malignant or benign disease, was re-analyzed through a multi-treatment machine-learning model considering no bowel preparation (NBP; No. = 3742; 60.0%) as the reference treatment arm, compared to oral antibiotics alone (oA; No. = 406; 6.5%), mechanical bowel preparation alone (MBP; No. = 1486; 23.8%), or in combination with oAB (MoABP; No. = 607; 9.7%). twenty covariates related to biometric data, surgical procedures, perioperative management, and hospital/center data potentially affecting outcomes were included and balanced into the model. the primary endpoints were AL, SSIs, and OM. all the results were reported as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). results compared to NBP, MBP showed significantly higher AL risk (OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.23-2.71; p = .003) and OM risk (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.10-1.72; p = .005), no significant differences for all the endpoints were recorded in the oA group, whereas MoABP showed a significantly reduced SSI risk (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.25-0.79; p = .008). conclusions MoABP significantly reduced the SSI risk after elective colorectal surgery, therefore representing a valid alternative to NBP

Abdominal drainage after elective colorectal surgery: propensity score-matched retrospective analysis of an Italian cohort

background: In italy, surgeons continue to drain the abdominal cavity in more than 50 per cent of patients after colorectal resection. the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of abdominal drain placement on early adverse events in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. methods: a database was retrospectively analysed through a 1:1 propensity score-matching model including 21 covariates. the primary endpoint was the postoperative duration of stay, and the secondary endpoints were surgical site infections, infectious morbidity rate defined as surgical site infections plus pulmonary infections plus urinary infections, anastomotic leakage, overall morbidity rate, major morbidity rate, reoperation and mortality rates. the results of multiple logistic regression analyses were presented as odds ratios (OR) and 95 per cent c.i. results: a total of 6157 patients were analysed to produce two well-balanced groups of 1802 patients: group (A), no abdominal drain(s) and group (B), abdominal drain(s). group a versus group B showed a significantly lower risk of postoperative duration of stay >6 days (OR 0.60; 95 per cent c.i. 0.51-0.70; P < 0.001). a mean postoperative duration of stay difference of 0.86 days was detected between groups. no difference was recorded between the two groups for all the other endpoints. conclusion: this study confirms that placement of abdominal drain(s) after elective colorectal surgery is associated with a non-clinically significant longer (0.86 days) postoperative duration of stay but has no impact on any other secondary outcomes, confirming that abdominal drains should not be used routinely in colorectal surgery

Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced colorectal cancers at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all 17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period), in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was 30 days from surgery. EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery, palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery, and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster variable. RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years) underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142 (56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for these patients

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI