Management of acute diverticulitis with pericolic free gas (ADIFAS). an international multicenter observational study

Background: There are no specific recommendations regarding the optimal management of this group of patients. The World Society of Emergency Surgery suggested a nonoperative strategy with antibiotic therapy, but this was a weak recommendation. This study aims to identify the optimal management of patients with acute diverticulitis (AD) presenting with pericolic free air with or without pericolic fluid. Methods: A multicenter, prospective, international study of patients diagnosed with AD and pericolic-free air with or without pericolic free fluid at a computed tomography (CT) scan between May 2020 and June 2021 was included. Patients were excluded if they had intra-abdominal distant free air, an abscess, generalized peritonitis, or less than a 1-year follow-up. The primary outcome was the rate of failure of nonoperative management within the index admission. Secondary outcomes included the rate of failure of nonoperative management within the first year and risk factors for failure. Results: A total of 810 patients were recruited across 69 European and South American centers; 744 patients (92%) were treated nonoperatively, and 66 (8%) underwent immediate surgery. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Hinchey II-IV on diagnostic imaging was the only independent risk factor for surgical intervention during index admission (odds ratios: 12.5, 95% CI: 2.4-64, P =0.003). Among patients treated nonoperatively, at index admission, 697 (94%) patients were discharged without any complications, 35 (4.7%) required emergency surgery, and 12 (1.6%) percutaneous drainage. Free pericolic fluid on CT scan was associated with a higher risk of failure of nonoperative management (odds ratios: 4.9, 95% CI: 1.2-19.9, P =0.023), with 88% of success compared to 96% without free fluid ( P <0.001). The rate of treatment failure with nonoperative management during the first year of follow-up was 16.5%. Conclusion: Patients with AD presenting with pericolic free gas can be successfully managed nonoperatively in the vast majority of cases. Patients with both free pericolic gas and free pericolic fluid on a CT scan are at a higher risk of failing nonoperative management and require closer observation

A non-invasive approach to the study and characterization of the Antonio Stradivari handwritings

The most important collection of the Antonio Stradivari finds, which includes paper and wooden molds, drawings, annotations, wooden forms and tools, are preserved in the Museo del Violino of Cremona. These finds represent a precious historic heritage since they contain indications and technical notes of the great luthier and provides organologic clues essential to the design and construction of musical instruments. After Antonio Stradivari death (first half of the 18th century) over the centuries, new annotations and handwritings were added to the original finds, often imitating the Stradivari handwriting [1]. The present research was focused on the study and characterization of selected finds objects with written annotation by the use of non-invasive methods in order to obtain precious conservative and archaeometric information. The finds object of this research were selected on the basis of the historical importance and the study was performed through a rigorous preliminary paleographic method [2]. The analytical campaign starts with the observation of surface details through: photography in the visible range, photography of the UV-light induced fluorescence and observations by stereoscopic microscope with a high resolution camera, which is able to perform micrometric measurements of lengths and areas. The elemental study of handwriting inks has then been performed by means of X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). Figure 1 displays, as an example, a general view in visible range of the recto and verso cardboard model relative to a violoncello and the image, acquired by stereo-microscope, of a detail of a letter in the recto handwriting. The detail image shows some features of the ink, which exhibits not homogeneous colour (from dark brown to brown) and the presence of halos around the ink due to Fe ions

A non-invasive approach to the study and characterization of the Antonio Stradivari handwritings

The most important collection of the Antonio Stradivari finds, which includes paper and wooden molds, drawings, annotations, wooden forms and tools, are preserved in the Museo del Violino of Cremona. These finds represent a precious historic heritage since they contain indications and technical notes of the great luthier and provides organologic clues essential to the design and construction of musical instruments. After Antonio Stradivari death (first half of the 18th century) over the centuries, new annotations and handwritings were added to the original finds, often imitating the Stradivari handwriting [1]. The present research was focused on the study and characterization of selected finds objects with written annotation by the use of non-invasive methods in order to obtain precious conservative and archaeometric information. The finds object of this research were selected on the basis of the historical importance and the study was performed through a rigorous preliminary paleographic method [2]. The analytical campaign starts with the observation of surface details through: photography in the visible range, photography of the UV-light induced fluorescence and observations by stereoscopic microscope with a high resolution camera, which is able to perform micrometric measurements of lengths and areas. The elemental study of handwriting inks has then been performed by means of X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). Figure 1 displays, as an example, a general view in visible range of the recto and verso cardboard model relative to a violoncello and the image, acquired by stereo-microscope, of a detail of a letter in the recto handwriting. The detail image shows some features of the ink, which exhibits not homogeneous colour (from dark brown to brown) and the presence of halos around the ink due to Fe ions

A non-invasive approach to the study and characterization of the Antonio Striadivari handwritings

Studio paleografico e analisi chimico-fisica della scrittura di Antonio Stradivari

La mort, les morts dans les sociétés anciennes

Étudier les divers aspects de la relation entre mythe et pensée chez les Grecs, de la période archaïque (Homère et Hésiode) à la période hellénistique, en s'efforçant d'éclairer à la fois les continuités et les ruptures au plan des interprétations et de l' "usage" du mythe, tel est l'objet de cet ouvrage. Les essais qui le composent, extraits des travaux de Louis Gernet, Jean-Pierre Vernant, Pierre Vidal-Naquet et Marcel Detienne (les trois derniers étroitement unis par leur dette commune à l'égard du premier et leurs enseignements parallèles à l'École des Hautes Études depuis plus de dix ans), témoignent tous, à l'exception de celui de Louis Gernet, de la volonté des auteurs de réconcilier les conceptions anciennes, issues pour l'essentiel de Durkheim et de ses élèves, avec le structuralisme tel qu'élaboré par Lévi-Strauss. Vu l'énormité du champ, quatre grands domaines ont été choisis : le mythe comme révélateur de la cohérence interne de l'idée que se faisaient les Grecs du divin ; le mythe comme producteur de sens pour l'ensemble de la culture grecque, pour autant qu'il combine en lui des motifs venus des domaines les plus divers de l'existence ; le rapport entre le mythe et certains secteurs mal assurés de la vie sociale, tels que la valeur de certains objets ou les changements de statut des individus ; enfin, le mythe comme donneur de "formes" dans lesquelles enfreindre les règles, à la fois pour confirmer la norme et pour échapper, symboliquement et réellement, aux lois et aux signifiés sociaux dominants. Ce livre s'adresse à tous ceux qui, quelle que soit leur discipline, s'intéressent au mythe et à la société antique

THE ADA (AGE-D-DIMER-ALBUMIN) SCORE TO PREDICT THROMBOSIS IN SARS-CoV-2

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2)-related pneumonia is associated with venous and arterial thrombosis . Aim of the study was to find-out a new score for predicting thrombosis in patients with SARS-CoV-2. Methods: We included a cohort of 674 patients affected by SARS-CoV-2, not requiring intensive care units, and followed-up during the hospitalization until discharge. Routinary analyses performed at in-hospital admission included also serum albumin and D-dimer while arterial and venous thromboses were the end-points of the study. Results: During the follow-up thrombotic events 110 were registered; patients with thrombotic events were older and had lower albumin and higher D-dimer, compared to thrombotic event-free ones. On multivariable logistic regression with step by stepwise procedure age, serum albumin, D-dimer, were independently associated with thrombotic events. The linear combination of age, D-dimer, albumin allowed to build-up the ADA score, whose AUC was 0.752 (95% CI, 0.708-0.795). ADA score was internally validated by bootstrap sampling procedure giving an AUC of 0.752 (95% CI: 0.708 - 0.794). Conclusions: Combination of age, D-dimer, albumin in the ADA score allows identifying SARS-CoV-2 patients at higher risk of thrombotic events