Stand structure and anatomical, physical and mechanical characterisation of sessile oak (Quercus petraea Liebl.) wood from central Italy aged coppices.

The present paper aims to implement the knowledge on sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) in Mediterranean area where, although present, for natural or anthropogenic causes, the species is rare. The focus is on two sessile oak stands in Tuscany (central Italy), classified as worthy of protection for their importance both in a local-national and European context. In addition to the environmental and stand structural characteristics, some technological properties of sessile oak wood grown there, comparing the obtained results to the bibliographic data were provided. The examined wood characteristics are anatomical parameters (growth ring thickness, earlywood and latewood thickness, fiber length, earlywood and latewood vessel diameter, amount of earlywood and latewood vessel) and the physical and mechanical parameters (density, modulus of elasticity, strength, hardness). No appreciable technological differences issued between the examined wood in the two stands and the wood from the same species, but from other Italian and French provenances, obtained from literature. Results highlighted, although managed as coppice in the past, the material is suitable for the reforestation of this endangered species in suitable areas, always taking into account that the quality of the wood is determined not only by the basic technological properties of a certain wood, but also, and mostly, by the growing conditions of the trees and particularly by the sylvicultural management of the stand

Medicolegal issues in power morcellation: cautionary rules for gynecologists to avoid unfavorable outcomes

Power morcellation in laparoscopic surgery enables specialists to carry out minimally invasive procedures such as hysterectomies and myomectomies by cutting specimens into smaller pieces using a rotating blade and removing pieces through a laparoscope. Unexpected uterine sarcoma treated by surgery involving tumor disruption could be associated with poor prognosis. The current study aims to shed light on power morcellation from a medicolegal perspective: the procedure has resulted in adverse outcomes and litigation, and compensation for plaintiffs, as published in various journals cited in PubMed and MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and GyneWeb. Considering the claims after the US Food and Drug Administration warnings on morcellation, the current study broadens the scope of research by including search engines, legal databases, and court filings (DeJure, Lexis Nexis, Justia, superior court of New Jersey, and US district court of Minnesota) between 1995 and 2019. Legal records show that courts determine professional responsibility regarding complications, making it essential to document adherence to safety protocols and specific guidelines, when available. Sound medical practices and clearly stated institute best practices result in better patient outcomes and are important when unfavorable clinical outcomes occur; adverse legal decisions can be avoided if there are grounds to prove professional conformity with specific guidelines and the unpredictability of an event

Biocomposites Based on Polyhydroxyalkanoates and Natural Fibres from Renewable Byproducts

Background and Objective: The use of biopolyesters and natural fibres or fillers for production of biobased composites has attracted interest of various application sectors ranging from packaging to automotive components and other high value applications in agreement with a bioeconomy approach. In the present paper biobased composites were produced by using compostable polymers degradable even in soil and marine water such as polyhydroxyalkanoates with natural fibres or fillers derived by food wastes (legumes by-products) and by wood industry.Material and Methods: Polyhydroxyalkanoates were processed with a biobased, biodegradable plasticizer such as acetyltributylcitrate and calcium carbonate as inorganic filler. The selected polymeric matrix was used for the production of composites with variable amounts of natural fibres. Green composites were manufactured by extrusion and injection moulding. Thermal, rheological, mechanical and morphological characterizations of the developed composites were performed.Results and Conclusion: The bio composites properties match the requirements for production of rigid food packaging or other single use items where the market is looking for more sustainable solutions versus the products actually used and hardly recyclable, opening a route for valorization of food residue. Pukanzsky’s model predicts with good accuracy the tensile behavior of the composites showing a medium intensity adhesion between fibres and polymer matrix in both cases analyzed.Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Extracorporeal life support for management of refractory cardiac or respiratory failure: initial experience in a tertiary centre

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have been indicated as treatment for acute respiratory and/or cardiac failure. Here we describe our first year experience of in-hospital ECLS activity, the operative algorithm and the protocol for centralization of adult patients from district hospitals.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>At a tertiary referral trauma center (Careggi Teaching Hospital, Florence, Italy), an ECLS program was developed from 2008 by the Emergency Department and Heart and Vessel Department ICUs. The ECLS team consists of an intensivist, a cardiac surgeon, a cardiologist and a perfusionist, all trained in ECLS technique. ECMO support was applied in case of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) not responsive to conventional treatments. The use of veno-arterial (V-A) ECLS for cardiac support was reserved for cases of cardiac shock refractory to standard treatment and cardiac arrests not responding to conventional resuscitation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 21 patients were treated with ECLS during the first year of activity. Among them, 13 received ECMO for ARDS (5 H1N1-virus related), with a 62% survival. In one case of post-traumatic ARDS, V-A ECLS support permitted multiple organ donation after cerebral death was confirmed. Patients treated with V-A ECLS due to cardiogenic shock (N = 4) had a survival rate of 50%. No patients on V-A ECLS support after cardiac arrest survived (N = 4).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In our centre, an ECLS Service was instituted over a relatively limited period of time. A strict collaboration between different specialists can be regarded as a key feature to efficiently implement the process.</p

Systems based on alginate hydrogel fibers for tissue engineering applications

Naturally derived hydrogels are frequently employed for biomedical applications because of their properties similar to the extracellular matrix of the natural tissues. Alginates are probably the most extensively studied and characterized hydrogels for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine fields. The gelation reaction of alginate is produced when cations such Ca2+ diffuse into solution and interact with specific segments of the polymer chains. In the present work polymeric fibers were produced by wet spinning, exploiting the ionotropic gelation of alginate. The method consists in immersing the needle of a disposable syringe loaded with the alginate aqueous solution, into a calcium chloride cross-linking solution. To obtain the optimum hydrogel formulation, several aspects were considered such as concentration of both alginate and calcium chloride. Different processing parameters were considered to determine the best conditions required to achieve the most adequate response in terms of mechanical stability of the produced systems. Morphology, size and shape of the produced fibers were observed by light microscopy and the mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile tests. In vitro weight loss tests were carried out to evaluate the water content of the fibers. The release properties of the fibers were tested, using albumin as model molecule, in order to evaluate the use of the fibers for the production of bioactive scaffolds. Cell encapsulation experiments were performed to assess the viability of cells incorporated into the developed hydrogel fibers and to optimize the encapsulation conditions. Fiber meshes were prepared and cell culture tests were performed to investigate the ability of the produced systems to support cell adhesion and proliferation

Thermal, Mechanical, and Rheological Properties of Biocomposites Made of Poly(lactic acid) and Potato Pulp Powder

The thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties of biocomposites of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) with potato pulp powder were investigated in order to (1) quantify how the addition of this filler modifies the structure of the polymeric material and (2) to obtain information on the possible miscibility and compatibility between PLA and the potato pulp. The potato pulp powder utilized is a residue of the processing for the production and extraction of starch. The study was conducted by analyzing the effect of the potato pulp concentration on the thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties of the biocomposites. The results showed that the potato pulp powder does not act as reinforcement but as filler for the PLA polymeric matrix. A progressive decrease in elastic modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at break was observed with increasing the potato pulp percentage. This moderate loss of mechanical properties, however, still meets the technical requirements indicated for the production of rigid packaging items. The incorporation of potato pulp powder to PLA offers the possibility to reduce the cost of the final products and promotes a circular economy approach for the valorization of agro-food waste biomass

Episiotomy: a medicolegal vicious cycle

The present study aims to analyze the litigation trends and ensuing compensatory damages brought about by the use of episiotomy, in order to outline a set of cautionary rules meant to limit the scope of legal aftermath for both doctors and health care facilities. The authors have set out to gain an insight into the controversial practice of episiotomy, in light of available research data and official positions of various scientific and medical associations, with a close focus on the legal and medical viability of the procedure itself. Court data and trial records have been taken into account as well, via searches into legal databases and search engines (Justia, Lexis, Jurist.org, Venice Courthouse, etc...). The review showed that most episiotomy-related lawsuits stemmed from a routine use of that procedure, which is almost universally advised against, and without valid informed consent having been gained. Ultimately authors have seen fit to underscore the need for patients potentially eligible for an episiotomy (selective episiotomy) to receive thorough and understandable information in a timely fashion including the necessity and the effectiveness of the procedure as well as the risks involved, so that a well-informed decision can be made based on factual data

POLY(LACTIC ACID) (PLA) BASED NANO-STRUCTURED FUNCTIONAL FILMS FOR PERSONAL CARE APPLICATIONS

Replacing petro-based materials in personal care sector with renewable biodegradable counterparts is a correct strategy for taking care of the environment. Textured films are currently used in several applications in contact with skin, such as diaper and napkins. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), fully renewable and compostable, with an intrinsic anti-microbial property, has enormous potentialities but it is necessary processing it by flat die extrusion to obtain flexible films. The plasticization of selected polymeric blends, obtained by using biodegradable and partially biobased polyesters as well as a citrate, and the control of melt viscosity by proper additives during extrusion were thus investigated

Anatomical and chemical analyses on wooden artifacts from a Samnite sanctuary in Hirpinia (Southern Italy)

International audienceObjects of this study are the wooden artifacts discovered in the archaeological excavation of Mephitis goddess sanctuary in the Ansanto Valley (Rocca San Felice e AV, Southern Italy). At the moment of discovery, in the mid of last century, woods were waterlogged and mineralized, and they were restored to allow their preservation. Purpose of this work was the wood identification, in order to gain information on some technological aspects, and the analysis of wood preservation state. Wood species were identified by means of magnifiers or optical and scanning electron microscopes, while the state of preservation was studied through microscopy and chemical analyses (FTIR-ATR, ash content and pH measurement). Four different taxa have been identified with certainty among all the findings: Quercus sp., Fagus sylvatica L., Rosaceae, Populus/Salix. It was not possible to identify the wood of all the findings, because some sampled fragments were too small or because of the deformation of wood tissues. The state of preservation showed a great variability over the analyzed findings. A general damage degree was observed, sometimes also macroscopically visible. The polarized light microscope and FTIRATR spectroscopy demonstrated the absence of cellulose in the analyzed samples. The wood cell wall was not detectable by means of SEM because it is completely covered by restoration material. Because of the lack of visibility, it was impossible to identify the type of biological damage occurred to the wood