Colovesicular Fistula

A fistula is an atypical connection between two epithelial surfaces, in the case of an enterovesical fistula between the urinary and gastrointestinal systems. These may be the result of a number of causes including: 1. Congenital abnormalities 2. Inflammatory diseases of the bowel (such as diverticulitis and Crohn’s Disease) 3. Cancer 4. Infection 5. Trauma 6. Iatrogenic (such as a post-operative complication) [3] A colovesical fistula (colovesicular fistula), an abnormal connection between the bladder and colon, is a known complication of diverticular disease, occurring in around 2%-22% of patients suffering from diverticulosis. These fistulae tend to occur three times more often in males than in females. The difference in occurrence is thought to be related to the fact that in females there is the uterus which may prevent the colon and bladder from coming into contact with each other. In fact in females other types of fistulae, such as vesicovaginal and enterovaginal, occur more frequently than colovesical fistulae. [2] Aim: This article highlights the importance of the early identification and management of colovesical fistulae, which although uncommon complications of diverticulitis, can be very uncomfortable for the patient and if not treated early, can lead to high morbidity.peer-reviewe

Coastal Capital: Dominican Republic: Case Studies on the Economic Value of Coastal Ecosystems in the Dominican Republic

Illustrates the benefits coralline beaches, reefs, and mangroves in various parts of the country offer, including providing protection against beach erosion, habitats for fisheries, potential tourism growth in protected marine areas, and local tourism

Structural features of the intracellular domains of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common human genetic disease, occurring prevalently in the Caucasian population at a rate of 1 to 2500 newborns. It is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis trans-membrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which encodes a chloride channel expressed mainly in epithelial cells, but which is also involved in the bicarbonate–chloride exchange. The most common CF symptoms include progressive lung disease and chronic problems of the digestive apparatus (Riordan et al., 1989), whose degree of severity depends on other genetic and/or environmental factors. CF pathogenesis is characterised by the build-up of thick, sticky mucus in multiple mucin-producing organs, such as lungs, sinuses, intestine, pancreas and reproductive organs. For this reason, CF is also denominated mucoviscidosis, implying that mucins - polymeric, gel-forming O-linked glycoproteins responsible for the viscoelastic properties of the mucus - play a critical role in the disease (Kreda et al., 2012). The aim of the present Ph. D. work was to investigate the structural features of two CFTR domains: the nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) - responsible for the gating mechanisms of the channel, and which have been proposed to serve as drug targets - and the regulatory domain (RD), directly involved in the activation of the channel. Knowledge of these aspects could likely improve understanding of the aberrant functionality of defective CFTR, and also help designing therapeutic strategies to either correct the defective protein in situ, and/or to potentiate its physiologic channel activity. The present thesis refers essentially to the four published papers containing most of the results obtained during the 3 year-doctorate course. The first one reports on some biochemical and structural features of NBDs, which were investigated using biochemical assays and measures of small angle x ray scattering (SAXS), while the second paper dealt with the interaction of NBDs with a potentiator (2-pyrimidin-7,8-benzoflavone, PBF) of CFTR activity. Instead, the third and the fourth papers considered RD under non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated conditions, and the influence of phosphorylation on the conformation of the domain as followed by circular dichroism (CD) and SAXS experiments. Briefly, the obtained results allowed us to draw the following principal conclusions. NBDs When in an equimolar mixture and in the presence of ATP, NBDs form a dimer, whose conformation can be significantly changed by PBF. In addition, data could be exploited to reconstruct the ab-initio model of NBDs both as dimer (with or without PBF) and as isolated monomers. RD In this case, obtained results on biochemical, structural and thermodynamic RD aspects allowed us to reconstructing a low-resolution, 3-D model of the native and phosphorylated protein, and to underline how phosphorylation induces the conformational change of the domain and the decreasing of RD stability

Irrigation Communities in the Roman World Through Epigraphic Sources and Justinian’s Digest

This paper deals with local irrigation systems organized by villages and communities that existed in the Roman world. It will examine some epigraphic and literary texts and relevant jurisprudential sources belonging to Justinian’s Digest on this topic. In all these cases, the need for joint water use led to the development of at least initial forms of ‘associations’among so called rivales. These ‘associations’ dealt with different matters such as: a) the distribution of water; b) the regulation of the hydraulic work, such as digging and maintenance; and c) the arbitration of possible disputes between users. For their part, the juridical texts provide a good insight into the ‘legal status’ of these communities, namely how internal relationships between rivales were considered

Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia

Draws on detailed information to analyze current threats to coral reefs across Southeast Asia and provides an economic valuation of what will be lost if destructive fishing, over-fishing, and marine based and inland pollution coastal development continue

The Fountain Hills meteorite: A new CBa chondrite from Arizona

We describe a new member of the CR chondrite clan and compare it to other members of this group

"MADE IN ITALY" AND "MADE IN CHINA". EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS AND INDUSTRIAL POLICY IMPLICATIONS

quality, sectoral specialisation, international trade, price differentials

Coastal Capital -- Economic Valuation of Coral Reefs in Tobago and St. Lucia

Presents findings on the economic benefits of coral reefs to the local economies of Tobago and St. Lucia, using a new, broadly applicable methodology that focuses on benefits to tourism, fisheries, and shoreline protection. Includes policy applications