2017 update of the WSES guidelines for emergency repair of complicated abdominal wall hernias

Emergency repair of complicated abdominal wall hernias may be associated with worsen outcome and a significant rate of postoperative complications. There is no consensus on management of complicated abdominal hernias. The main matter of debate is about the use of mesh in case of intestinal resection and the type of mesh to be used. Wound infection is the most common complication encountered and represents an immense burden especially in the presence of a mesh. The recurrence rate is an important topic that influences the final outcome. A World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) Consensus Conference was held in Bergamo in July 2013 with the aim to define recommendations for emergency repair of abdominal wall hernias in adults. This document represents the executive summary of the consensus conference approved by a WSES expert panel. In 2016, the guidelines have been revised and updated according to the most recent available literature.Peer reviewe

2013 WSES guidelines for management of intra-abdominal infections

Peer reviewe

First record of phyllorhiza punctata von lendenfeld, 1884 (Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae: Mastigiidae) from Turkey

The Australian spotted jellyfish Phyllorhiza punctata has been reported from several locations in the Mediterranean, but the present report is the first record from Turkish waters. Juveniles of the Erythrean alien shrimp scad, Alepes djedaba, were observed nestling among its tentacles. Possible vectors are mentioned. © 2011 The Author(s)

Macrobenthic assemblages of newly introduced Caulerpa taxifolia from the Eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey

Caulerpa taxifolia is one of the most important and best-studied alien species in the Mediterranean Sea. The present study reveals the macrobenthic assemblages associated with C. taxifolia from the region. We found 26 species from Polychaeta, 31 species from Crustacea, 22 species from Mollusca and 5 species from Echinodermata. In conclusion, C. taxifolia in İskenderun Bay can be considered an ecosystem engineer that modifies local habitats and also enhances biodiversity. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.109Y284 National Council for Scientific ResearchAcknowledgments The authors acknowledged The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) for financial support (Grant number is 109Y284). The authors are also glad to thank Prof. Susan Williams from University of California at Davis for her valuable comments and proofreading

First report of Caulerpa taxifolia (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) on the Levantine coast (Turkey, Eastern Mediterranean)

Since its first accidental introduction into the Mediterranean Sea, Caulerpa taxifolia (Vahl) C. Agardh has spread to six Mediterranean countries and has become a major ecological problem. On the basis of morphological and molecular studies (nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS)), we report for the first time C. taxifolia on the Levantine coast (Gulf of Iskenderun, SE Turkey). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Iskenderun isolate differs from the invasive aquarium strain first observed in Monaco, and falls in another SW Pacific clade (NE Australia, New Caledonia). The introduction in Turkey by shipping (ballast waters or anchor gears of oil tankers) is possible because C. taxifolia was found in the Gulf of Iskenderun, which is a major Eastern Mediterranean petrochemical region. On the other hand, C. taxifolia strains are available in aquarium shops in Turkey, suggesting aquarium dumping as another possible cause. As far as the intense maritime traffic of the region is concerned, further dispersals of this exotic C. taxifolia strain in the Mediterranean Sea are to be expected. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.SUF2003BAP6This study is partially funded by the Cukurova University Research Fund (project no: SUF2003BAP6)

Effect of block architecture on the micellisation and gelation of block copolymers of ethylene oxide and 1,2-butylene oxide in aqueous solution

Block copolymers E106B16, E210B16 and E103B15E103 (E = oxyethylene, B = oxybutylene) were synthesised and characterised by gel permeation chromatography (for molar mass distribution) and 13C NMR spectroscopy (for number-average molar mass and composition). Surface tensiometry was used to determine critical micelle concentrations at several temperatures, and thereby values of the enthalpy of micellisation. In the case of the diblock copolymers the micellisation was athermal. Dynamic and static light scattering were used to characterise the micelles in solution, yielding micellar association number, hydrodynamic and thermodynamic radius, and the related thermodynamic expansion factor. The latter was used to correlate the dilute solution properties of the copolymer micelles with their critical gelation concentrations. The gels were studied by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in tandem with rheology (oscillatory shear). Values of the elastic dynamic modulus (G′) of the gels significantly exceeded 104 Pa across the range of temperatures (25-75°C) and frequency (0.1-100 rad s-1) explored, allowing the gels to be characterised as 'hard'. SAXS, whether from unoriented or shear-oriented gels, showed them to comprise structures with body-centred cubic (bcc, space group Im3̄m) symmetry. In particular, the patterns from the sheared gels were indexed to a highly twinned structure in which a [111] direction of the bcc lattice lay along the shear direction, and flow was mainly in the {211} plane for E103B15E103 gels, but in the intersecting {110}, {211} and {321} planes for the diblock copolymer gels. For one copolymer, E106B16, micellar radii (calculated assuming sphericity) and association numbers in the gel were obtained. Compared with equilibrium (thermodynamic) values in dilute solution, the micellar radii were similar but the micellar association number in the gel was larger