Hemorrhage from primitive rectal varices in patient with idiophatic thrombosis of portal vein: case report

Introduction. Rectal varices, primitive or secondary to hypertensive or thrombotic disorders of mesenteric-portal circle, represent an uncommon cause of lower digestive bleeding. The presence of rectal varices associated to idiopathic venous portal thrombosis represents a distinct nosologic entity, with important clinical and therapeutic problems related to it. Case report. Patient of young age, with positive anamnesis for primitive rectal varicies, admitted to our department for a serious rettorragy. The laboratory underlined moderate anaemia and the endoscopy documented the presence of multiple rectal varices, without evident signs of bleeding; the endoscopy documented the presence of two esophageal small varicose cords F1. The hepatobiliary sonography and the portography showed the massive thrombosis of the portal vein. The new serious episode of rectal bleeding induced us to subject the patient to a surgical operation of Hartmann recto-sigmoid resection. Conclusion. Because of the slight number of reported cases of primitive rectal varices and because of the scattering of many dates it’s difficult to draw an univocal diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm. Clinical framing and subsequent therapeutic approach rise often up from personal experience rather than well defined guidelines. The treatment is controversial, time by time many therapeutic options are reported either conservative or interventist. The failure of conservative therapy and the recurrent episodes of bleeding give indication to surgical treatment, that is represented by Hartmann colonic resection and/or the porto-systemic shunts in the cases of portal hypertension; in our case we made colonic resection sec. because of lapsed performing status of the patient

La riparazione dell’ernia ombelicale nella donna in postmenopausa

Gli Autori riportano la loro esperienza sull’impiego della protesi dual-mesh in PTFEe per il trattamento delle ernie ombelicali nelle donne in postmenopausa. La riparazione protesica vs l’intervento classico di Mayo trova giustificazione nella maggior parte dei casi per i deficit biostrutturali delle strutture muscolo-fasciali delle donne in menopausa, deficit legati alla riduzione della funzione ovarica e aggravati da pregresse gravidanze. Una corretta valutazione del trofismo delle strutture della parete addominale e delle dimensioni delle ernie è comunque indispensabile nel porre indicazione alla chirurgia protesica. Nella nostra casistica la morbilità riferita a complicanze precoci è assolutamente trascurabile. A tutt’oggi, sebbene il follow-up sia ancora piuttosto breve, non abbiamo riscontrato casi di recidiva

Enhanced Bioactivity of Pomegranate Peel Extract following Controlled Release from CaCO3 Nanocrystals

none9Pomegranate peel extract is rich of interesting bioactive chemicals, principally phenolic compounds, which have shown antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidative properties. The aim of this work was to improve extract’ bioactivity through the adsorption on calcium carbonate nanocrystals. Nanocrystals revealed as efficient tools for extract adsorption reaching 50% of loading efficiency. Controlled release of the contained metabolites under acidic pH has been found, as it was confirmed by quantitative assay and qualitative study through NMR analysis. Specific functionality of inorganic nanocarriers could be also tuned by biopolymeric coating. The resulting coated nanoformulations showed a great antimicrobial activity against B. cinerea fungus preventing strawberries disease better than a commercial fungicide. Furthermore, nanoformulations demonstrated a good antiproliferative activity in neuroblastoma and breast cancer cells carrying out a higher cytotoxic effect respect to free extract, confirming a crucial role of nanocarriers. Finally, pomegranate peel extract showed a very high radical scavenging ability, equal to ascorbic acid. Antioxidant activity, measured also in intracellular environment, highlighted a protective action of extract-adsorbed nanocrystals twice than free extract, providing a possible application for new nutraceutical formulations.Regione Puglia, Project Research for Innovation (REFIN) “Sintesi di un sistema teranostico a base di nano-cellulosa per la detection e la cura dei tumori” Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, bando “AGRIFOOD” D.M. 5 marzo 2018 Capo III. Prog. N. F/200060/01-03/X45 PERSEFONE - Punica granatum e Nanotecnologie: una value chain per la valorizzazione degli scarti e sottoprodotti finalizzata alla produzione di integratori alimentari e compost. PON Ricerca e Innovazione 2014-2020 - Avviso per la presentazione di progetti dei Ricerca Industriale e Sviluppo Sperimentale nelle 12 aree di specializzazione individuate dal PNR 2015 – 2020, di cui al Decreto Direttoriale MIUR del 13 luglio 2017, n. 1735 NanotEcnologie chiMiche green per la protEzione Sostenibile delle pIante (NEMESI) ARS01_01002 Area di Specializzazione “Chimica Verde” CUP: F36C18000180005, Ministero dell'Università e Ricerca. “Olivicoltura e difesa da Xylella fastidiosa e da insetti vettori in Italia - (Oli.Di.X.I.It)”, prot. Mipaaf n.0011485 del 05/04/2017 Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.openFrancesca Baldassarre; Viviana Vergaro; Federica De Castro; Francesca Biondo; Gian Paolo Suranna; Paride Papadia; Francesco P. Fanizzi; Domenico Rongai; Giuseppe CiccarellaBaldassarre, Francesca; Vergaro, Viviana; DE CASTRO, Federica; Biondo, Francesca; Suranna, Gian Paolo; Papadia, Paride; Fanizzi, Francesco P.; Rongai, Domenico; Ciccarella, Giusepp

The CNR activities for NBFC Spoke 7 “Biodiversity and society: communication, education and social impact”

Promoting a more responsible behaviour and enhancing a more sustainable management of biodiversity

The innovative Cherenkov camera based on SiPM sensors of the ASTRI-Horn telescope: from the T/M and electrical design to the full assembly and testing in a harsh environment

ASTRI-Horn is a prototypal telescope of an imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope developed by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), proposed for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) Observatory. The CTA Observatory represents the next generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes and will explore the very highenergy domain from a few tens of GeV up to few hundreds of TeV. It will be composed of large-, medium-, and small sized telescopes; ASTRI-Horn is an end-to-end prototype proposed for the Small Sized array. The main scientific instrument of the ASTRI-Horn telescope is an innovative and compact Camera with Silicon- Photomultiplier based detectors and a specifically designed fast read-out electronics based on a custom peak-detector mode. The thermo-mechanical assembly is designed to host both the entire electronics chain, from the sensors to the raw data transmission system and the calibration system, and the complete thermoregulation system. This contribution gives a high level description of the T/M and electrical design of the Cherenkov Camera, it describes the assembling procedure of its different subsystems and their integration into the complete camera system. A discussion about possible design improvements coming from the problems/difficulties encountered during assembly is also presented. Finally, results from engineering tests conducted in-field are also presented

Ruxolitinib in cytopenic myelofibrosis: Response, toxicity, drug discontinuation, and outcome

Background: Patients with cytopenic myelofibrosis (MF) have more limited therapeutic options and poorer prognoses compared with patients with the myeloproliferative phenotype. Aims and methods: Prognostic correlates of cytopenic phenotype were explored in 886 ruxolitinib-treated patients with primary/secondary MF (PMF/SMF) included in the RUX-MF retrospective study. Cytopenia was defined as: leukocyte count <4 × 109 /L and/or hemoglobin <11/<10 g/dL (males/females) and/or platelets <100 × 109 /L. Results: Overall, 407 (45.9%) patients had a cytopenic MF, including 249 (52.4%) with PMF. In multivariable analysis, high molecular risk mutations (p = .04), intermediate 2/high Dynamic International Prognostic Score System (p < .001) and intermediate 2/high Myelofibrosis Secondary to Polycythemia Vera and Essential Thrombocythemia Prognostic Model (p < .001) remained associated with cytopenic MF in the overall cohort, PMF, and SMF, respectively. Patients with cytopenia received lower average ruxolitinib at the starting (25.2 mg/day vs. 30.2 mg/day, p < .001) and overall doses (23.6 mg/day vs. 26.8 mg/day, p < .001) and achieved lower rates of spleen (26.5% vs. 34.1%, p = .04) and symptom (59.8% vs. 68.8%, p = .008) responses at 6 months compared with patients with the proliferative phenotype. Patients with cytopenia also had higher rates of thrombocytopenia at 3 months (31.1% vs. 18.8%, p < .001) but lower rates of anemia (65.6% vs. 57.7%, p = .02 at 3 months and 56.6% vs. 23.9% at 6 months, p < .001). After competing risk analysis, the cumulative incidence of ruxolitinib discontinuation at 5 years was 57% and 38% in patients with cytopenia and the proliferative phenotype (p < .001), whereas cumulative incidence of leukemic transformation was similar (p = .06). In Cox regression analysis adjusted for Dynamic International Prognostic Score System score, survival was significantly shorter in patients with cytopenia (p < .001). Conclusions: Cytopenic MF has a lower probability of therapeutic success with ruxolitinib as monotherapy and worse outcome. These patients should be considered for alternative therapeutic strategies

The ASTRI camera for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) foresees, in its southern site (Chile), the implementation of up to 70 small-sized telescopes (SSTs), which will extend the energy coverage up to hundreds of TeV. It has been proposed that one of the first set of CTA SSTs will be represented by the ASTRI mini-array, which includes (at least) nine ASTRI telescopes. The endto-end prototype of such telescopes, named the ASTRI SST-2M, is installed in Italy and it is now completing the overall commissioning and entering the science verification phase. ASTRI telescopes are characterized by an optical system based on a dual-mirror Schwarzschild-Couder design and a camera at the focal plane composed of silicon photomultiplier sensors managed by a fast read-out electronics specifically designed. Based on a custom peak-detector mode, the ASTRI camera electronics is designed to perform Cherenkov signal detection, trigger generation, digital conversion of the signals and data transmission to the camera server. In this contribution we will describe the main features of the ASTRI camera, its performance and results obtained during the commissioning phase of the ASTRI SST-2M prototype in view of the ASTRI mini-array implementation

The power of video in science communication: the EDUlab media production

Avvicinare la scienza e la ricerca alle persone, in ogni aspetto, significa avvicinare il pubblico a temi complicati, inspirando buone norme comportamentali di rispetto e tutela ambientale ma anche avvicinare la scienza a chi ogni giorno è in grado di decidere, attraverso i finanziamenti, quali lavori scientifici supportare. Proprio in coscienza di questo, negli ultimi decenni la scienza ha smesso di essere autoreferenziale, comprendendo che divulgare contenuti altamente scientifici a ad un pubblico non specialistico è fondamentale. Divulgare vuol dire creare quell’anello di congiunzione tra la ricerca scientifica più avanzata e il pubblico, significa saper capire il linguaggio spesso criptico dei ricercatori e di adattarlo senza stravolgimenti in qualcosa di comprensibile alle persone comuni. Con questa mission, nel 2015 nasce ufficialmente il gruppo “EDULab dell’IAS-CNR di Capo Granitola”, ovvero un laboratorio creativo di divulgazione scientifica in cui ricercatori, tecnologi e tecnici di varie discipline che condividono la passione di divulgare la scienza e i risultati da essa prodotti nei propri ambiti di competenza. Nel tempo, l’attività del gruppo si è consolidata, portando a numerosi risultati e ad un numero ragguardevole di progetti e programmi. Tra gli innumerevoli prodotti divulgativi sviluppati, l’uso dei media, ed in particolare dei video, si è rivelato uno strumento eccezionale di “comunicazione empatica” attraverso cui il pubblico riesce ad “immergersi” letteralmente nei contenuti proposti, recependo e facendo propri contenuti anche molto complessi. Nell’era del web e dei social-media, infatti, i video sono ormai lo strumento più veloce ed efficace per veicolare informazioni ad un’ampia fetta di popolazione

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

IN "POLPO ... SITION" E ALTRI BREVI RACCONTI

Assalito dalla felicità corsi al mare, guardai l’acqua e fui preso da una forza, non mia, non umana che mi trascinò in acqua. Lì venni rapito da fantastiche sensazioni, l’adrenalina salì a mille, vidi un enorme creatura che suscitò in me delle emozioni mai provate prima, si era avvicinata talmente tanto che stava per toccarmi e, appena lo fece, il mio corpo si illuminò magicamente, le mie mani iniziarono pian piano ad assottigliarsi, il mio petto diventava sempre più piccolo e tondo e da lì a poco, ero diventato un polpo