Studio della contaminazione da IPA del riccio di mare Paracentrotus Lividus in Sardegna

The goal of this work of thesis is to building a pratical method to be used for testing and monitoring the chemical pollution of restricted marine areas. The sea urchin Paracentrotus Lividus (Lamarck - 1816) was the biomarker adopted for this study. This echinoderm, usually present in the shallow coastal water of the Mediterranean sea, is basically herbivorous but can feed on many other organisms like plankton and all marine food falling down in the bentonic area of the coastal sea. Unlike mussels wich filter water it feeds mainly on micro and macroalgae and is not influenced by the sea tide, so it is a reliable instrument to performing analytical checks about local pollutions of coastal areas. To extract from the matrix and analyze the sea urchin’s roes, or better is to say male and female “gonads”, was built a modified “QuEChERS” method (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Rugged and Safe), based on dSPE (dispersive Solid Phase Extraction) instead of SPE (Solid Phase Extraction) as usually performed earlier. The extraction was performed by using only two centrifuge tubes with a little quantity of solvent, avoiding previous separation of fat acids from matrix and isolation phases of the pollutant compounds by gel packed columns and with consumption of a big quantity of solvents. Were investigated to this purpose 17 polycyclic haromatic hydrocarbons in gonads of Paracentrotus Lividus sea urchin. Was performed a validation of the method determining instrument limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), recovery, precision and linearity. Were determinated good parameters with LOD under 1,5 μg/kg and LOQ under 5 μg/kg for all PAH, in agreement with quality criteria of Commission Regulation (EC) n° 333/2007. The recovery ranges were from 72 to 119 %, with RSD ranging from 3 to 17 % in the worst case. Precision and linearity were in accordance with EC SANCO/10684/2009 values. Lipophilic Polycyclic aromatic Carbons were investigated from two Sardinian areas: “Capo Pecora” in west Sardinian coast with low agricultural, industrial and antropic density area, and “Capitana”, with high antropic density.The sea urchins were from rocky sea bottom and from meadows of “Posidonia Oceanica”, a marine sea grass most frequently present in the Mediterranean sea. Many of these pollutants were determined in the gonads of the two areas showing a general ubiquity beginning from the PAH’s with a low number of rings to more heavy pollutants. It’s not hazardous affirm that this work of thesis has been an important step to performing analysis of the PAH’s in sea urchin’s gonads and to use this marine animals as reliable biomarkers on detecting and monitoring the contamination of restricted areas of coastal regions

Evolving trends in the management of acute appendicitis during COVID-19 waves. The ACIE appy II study

Background: In 2020, ACIE Appy study showed that COVID-19 pandemic heavily affected the management of patients with acute appendicitis (AA) worldwide, with an increased rate of non-operative management (NOM) strategies and a trend toward open surgery due to concern of virus transmission by laparoscopy and controversial recommendations on this issue. The aim of this study was to survey again the same group of surgeons to assess if any difference in management attitudes of AA had occurred in the later stages of the outbreak. Methods: From August 15 to September 30, 2021, an online questionnaire was sent to all 709 participants of the ACIE Appy study. The questionnaire included questions on personal protective equipment (PPE), local policies and screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection, NOM, surgical approach and disease presentations in 2021. The results were compared with the results from the previous study. Results: A total of 476 answers were collected (response rate 67.1%). Screening policies were significatively improved with most patients screened regardless of symptoms (89.5% vs. 37.4%) with PCR and antigenic test as the preferred test (74.1% vs. 26.3%). More patients tested positive before surgery and commercial systems were the preferred ones to filter smoke plumes during laparoscopy. Laparoscopic appendicectomy was the first option in the treatment of AA, with a declined use of NOM. Conclusion: Management of AA has improved in the last waves of pandemic. Increased evidence regarding SARS-COV-2 infection along with a timely healthcare systems response has been translated into tailored attitudes and a better care for patients with AA worldwide

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI

Determination of famoxadone, fenamidone, fenhexamid and iprodione residues in greenhouse tomatoes

BACKGROUND: Greenhouse tomato production is intended exclusively for fresh consumption. Typical greenhouse conditions provide a conducive environment for the development of different fungi,principally lateblightandgreymould, that can destroy plants and fruits. For this reason, different fungicides with different sites of action are used in integrated pest management strategies. Famoxadone, fenamidone, fenhexamid and iprodione are fungicides of difference classes with different actions that could be used to control tomato pests. RESULTS: TheQuEChERS method showed good recoveries, and the analyticalmethod allowed good separation of the fungicides selected. Good results were obtained in terms of repeatability and intermediate precision, with a coefficient of variation of <9.8%. The limits of determination and quantification of themethodwere far below the maximum residual levels (MRLs) set by the EU for these fungicides in tomatoes. The analysis of fungicide residues showed that cv. Shiren accounted for higher residuelevels than cv. Caramba. The dissipation curves were similar in the two cultivars, indicating that the decrease in pesticides was not related to the tomato type. CONCLUSIONS: Care should be taken when using pesticides in greenhouse conditions, because degradation mainly affects fruit growth. The size of the tomato, in particular its surface/weight ratio, is very important for defining pesticide residues. All fungicides used showed residue levels below the MRLs at the preharvest interval

Hypothalamic involvement in the activation of the pituitary-adrenocortical axis by nerve growth factor.

Intravenous injection of nerve growth factor (NGF) into rats produces a dose-dependent (from 0.1 to 5 nmol/kg) increase in circulating concentrations of adrenocoticotropin (ACTH) and corticosterone. We have investigated whether this effect is produced through a direct action on a component of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis. NGF (50 and 500 nM), added to the incubation medium of in vitro isolated pituitary segments or dispersed adrenal cells, did not modify either basal and stimulated release of biologically active or immunoreactive ACTH or release of corticosterone, respectively. The presence of NGF in the incubation medium of in vitro isolated hypothalami produced a dose-dependent (from 150 to 600 nM) increase of both release and content of some material with corticotropin-releasing, bioactivity. The nature of this corticotropin-releasing bioactivity was determined directly by radioimmunoassays. Results have indicated that NGF induced an increase of both release and content of hypothalamic arginine-vasopressin (AVP), while no changes were observed in the release and content of hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). These results suggest that adrenocortical stimulation by NGF in vivo could be mediated by the release of hypothalamic AVP rather than CRH. The finding that in vivo NGF stimulatory effect was not abolished by the specific CRH antagonist alpha-helical CRH(9-41), while it was accompanied by an increase in circulating AVP levels, supports this interpretation. However, the fact that the hypothalamus is stimulated in vitro by NGF concentrations higher than those expected to reach this structure after systemic injection of active doses raises the possibility that other brain areas such as the hippocampus participate in NGF-induced adrenocortical activation

PROGENY OF MOTHERS DRINKING CORTICOSTERONE DURING LACTATION HAS LOWER STRESS-INDUCED CORTICOSTERONE SECRETION AND BETTER COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE

In order to test the hypothesis that maternal corticosterone influences hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system activity in the adult rat and behaviors related to it, we induced a moderate increase in maternal plasma level of corticosterone by adding the hormone to the drinking water of the dams (200 mug/ml) from the day after delivery to weaning. Our previous experiments have shown that this procedure produces plasma levels of the hormone in the range of those following a mild psychic stress (from 4.3+/-0.5 to 9.5+/-1.8 mug/100 ml in the dams, and from 0.7+/-0.1 to 1.2+/-0.2 mug/100 ml in the pups at 10 days of lactation). Adrenal weights were slightly and temporarily decreased by treatment in both mothers and offspring. Only the male progeny was investigated in this study. Corticosterone-nursed rats had significantly less corticosterone and ACTH in basal conditions and after a 2 min restraint stress at 3 months of age, and showed better performances at weaning and at 1, 2 and 3 months of life in the Morris water maze. Our results demonstrate that a moderate increase in maternal corticosterone during lactation influences the activity of HPA axis and improves spatial learning ability of the adult offspring