Intralobar pulmonary sequestration in an adult female patient mimicking asthma: a case report.

Pulmonary sequestration (PS) is a rare congenital broncho-pulmonary malformation. The main feature of this disease is that partial lung tissues separate from the main lung during the embryonic period, receiving blood supply from systemic circulation arteries. Pathogenesis of PS is not clear, and categorized into congenital and acquired PS. We report a case of a 38 year old woman smoker with medical history characterized by difficult to treat asthma with frequent exacerbations and infections since childhood. CT scan showed a partial PS of left lower lobe, supplied by an abnormal artery arising from supradiaphragmatic aortic diverticulum. Surgical treatment through a lung sequestrectomy and laterobasal segment resection was performed

On the critical energy required for homogeneous nucleation in bubble chambers employed in dark matter searches

Two equations for the calculation of the critical energy required for homogeneous nucleation in a superheated liquid, and the related critical radius of the nucleated vapour bubble, are obtained, the former by the direct application of the first law of thermodynamics, the latter by considering that the bubble formation implies the overcoming of a barrier of the free enthalpy potential. Comparisons with the currently used relationships demonstrate that the sensitivity of the bubble chambers employed in dark matter searches can be sometimes notably overestimated.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl

Fast-track ruling in/out SARS-CoV-2 infection with rapid 0/1.5 h molecular test in patients with acute coronary syndromes

AIMS: Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) often arrive in the catheterization (cath) lab directly from the field or an emergency department without an accurate triage for Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.Although in the pandemic period the treatment in the cath laboratory of high-risk ACS should not be delayed because the operators wear special protection systems, the subsequent risk of contagion in a non-Covid coronary care unit could be high in the case of patients positive for SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: We tested the possibility of a fast-track protocol in 51 consecutive patients (mean age 65 ± 12 years) transferred from spokes centres or from the field to our HUB centre and admitted to our coronary care unit (CCU). Once the patient had arrived in the cath lab, the nasopharyngeal swab was performed. The real-time PCR to extract RNA for SARS-CoV-2 detection was performed with an automated rapid molecular Xpert Xpress test. Meanwhile, coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention was performed if necessary. RESULTS: In this fast-track protocol, the time to perform nasopharyngeal swab was 11 ± 11 min; time spent to transport nasopharyngeal swab to the laboratory was 29 ± 20 min; time to detect viral nucleic acid was 68 ± 16 min. The overall time from the execution of nasopharyngeal swab to the result was 109 ± 26 min. The results were immediately put into the hospital computer system and made readily available. Depending on the test result, patients were then transferred to the regular CCU or Covid area. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that 0-1.5 h fast-track triage for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) is feasible in patients with ACS. The execution of nasopharyngeal swab in the cath lab and its analysis with a rapid molecular test allows rapid stratification of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Carbapenemase-producing klebsiella pneumoniae colonization and infection in solid organ transplant recipients: A single-center, retrospective study

Carbapenemase-KPC producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (CP-Kp) infection represents a serious threat to solid organ transplant (SOT). All patients admitted between 1 May 2011 and 31 August 2014 undergoing SOT were included in the retrospective study. The primary outcomes included a description of the association of enteric colonization and invasive infections by CP-Kp with one-year mortality. Secondary outcomes were the study of risk factors for colonization and invasive infections by CP-Kp. Results: A total of 5.4% (45/828) of SOT recipients had at least one positive rectal swab for CP-Kp, with most (88.9%) occurring after transplantation. 4.5% (35/828) of patients developed a CP-Kp-related invasive infection, with 68.6% (24/35) being previously colonized. The 1-year mortality was 31.1% in patients with enteric colonization with CP-Kp and, it was 51.4% among patients with CP-Kp-related invasive infections. At univariate analysis, colonization, invasive infections, sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock were significantly associated with 1-year mortality. At multivariate analysis, only invasive infections and the combination of sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock were significantly associated with 1-year mortality, whereas gastrointestinal colonization was significantly associated with survival. In this population, the 1-year mortality was significantly associated with invasive infections; otherwise, gastrointestinal colonization was not associated with increased 1-year mortality

Effects of the thermodynamic conditions on the acoustic signature of bubble nucleation in superheated liquids used in dark matter search experiments

[EN] In the framework of the search for dark matter in the form of WIMPs using superheated liquids, a study is conducted to establish a computational procedure aimed at determining how the thermodynamic conditions kept inside a particle detector affect the acoustic signal produced by bubble nucleation. It is found that the acoustic energy injected into the liquid by the growing vapour bubble increases as the liquid pressure is decreased and the superheat degree is increased, the former effect being crucial for the generation of a well-intelligible signal. A good agreement is met between the results of the present study and some experimental data available in the literature for the amplitude of the acoustic signal. Additionally, the higher loudness of the alpha-decay events compared with those arising from neutron-induced nuclear recoils is described in terms of multiple nucleations.The authors are grateful to Walter Fulgione for the valuable discussions and suggestions and for his help in reviewing the manuscript.Ardid Ramírez, M.; Baschirotto, A.; Burgio, N.; Corcione, M.; Cretara, L.; De Matteis, L.; Felis-Enguix, I.... (2019). Effects of the thermodynamic conditions on the acoustic signature of bubble nucleation in superheated liquids used in dark matter search experiments. The European Physical Journal C. 79(11):1-9. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-019-7485-xS197911W.J. Bolte et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. A 577, 569–573 (2007)E. Behnke et al., Astropart. Phys. 90, 85–92 (2017)M. Felizardo et al., E3S Web Conf. 12, 03002 (2016)E. Behnke et al., Phys. Rev. D 88, 021101 (2013)C. Amole et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 251301 (2017)A. Antonicci et al., Eur. Phys. J. C 77, 752 (2017)D.A. Glaser, Phys. Rev. 87, 655 (1952)F. Seitz, Phys. Fluids 1, 2–13 (1958)E. Behnke et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 021303 (2011)D.A. Glaser, D.C. Rahm, Phys. Rev. 97, 474–479 (1955)Yu.N. Martynyuk, N.S. Smirnova, Sov. Phys. Acoust. 37, 376–378 (1991)F. Aubin et al., New J. Phys. 10, 103017 (2008)M. Felizardo et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. A 589, 72–84 (2008)P.K. Mondal, B.K. Chatterjee, Phys. Lett. A 375, 237–244 (2011)S. Archambault et al., New J. Phys. 13, 043006 (2011)C. Amole et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 231302 (2015)R. Sarkar et al., Phys. Lett. A 381, 2531–2537 (2017)I.A. Pless, R.J. Plano, Rev. Sci. Instr. 27, 935–937 (1956)D.V. Bugg, Progr. Nucl. Phys. 7, 2–52 (1959)A. Norman, P. Spiegler, Nucl. Sci. Eng. 16, 213–217 (1963)A.G. Tenner, Nucl. Instr. Meth. 22, 1–42 (1963)Ch. Peyrou, In Bubble and Spark Chambers (Academic Press, New York, 1967)C.R. Bell et al., Nucl. Sci. Eng. 53, 458–465 (1974)G. Bruno et al., Eur. Phys. J. C 79, 183 (2019)B.M. Dorofeev, V.I. Volkova, High Temp. 43, 620–627 (2005)L.D. Landau, E.M. Lifshitz, Fluid Mechanics. Course of Theoretical Physics, vol 6, 2nd edn. (Butterworth-Heinemann, Kidlington, Oxford, 1987)Y.Y. Sun, B.T. Chu, R.E. Apfel, J. Comp. Phys. 103, 126–140 (1992)M.S. Plesset, S.A. Zwick, J. Appl. Phys. 25, 493–500 (1954)L.E. Scriven, Chem. Eng. Sci. 10, 1–13 (1959)H.S. Lee, H. Merte, Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 39, 2427–2447 (1996)A.J. Robinson, R.L. Judd, Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 47, 5101–5113 (2004)F. d’Errico, Rad. Prot. Dos. 84, 55–62 (1999)B.B. Mikic, W.M. Rohsenow, P. Griffith, Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 13, 657–666 (1970)P.J. Linstrom, W.G. Mallard (eds.) NIST Chemistry WebBook, NIST-SRD 69 (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD). https://doi.org/10.18434/T4D303M. Barnabé-Heider et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. A 555, 184–204 (2005)D.V. Jordan et al., Appl. Rad. Isot. 63, 645–653 (2005

Comparing the safety and effectiveness of five leading new-generation devices for transcatheter aortic valve implantation: Twelve-month results from the RISPEVA study

Objectives. The management of severe aortic stenosis has been revolutionized by the introduction of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), especially in patients at intermediate, high, or prohibitive surgical risk. There is uncertainty, however, regarding the comparative effectiveness and safety of contemporary TAVI devices. Methods. We queried detailed data from the ongoing national Italian TAVI registry and compared baseline features, procedural details, and 12-month outcomes of Acurate Neo (Boston Scientific), Evolut Pro/R (Medtronic), Lotus (Boston Scientific), Portico (Abbott Vascular), and Sapien/ Sapien S3 Ultra (Edward Lifesciences) transcatheter aortic valves. Several endpoints were collected and appraised, including the composite of death, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), major bleeding, major vascular complication, surgical aortic valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve reimplantation, which were deemed major adverse events (MAEs). Results. A total of 1976 patients were included, with 234 treated with Acurate, 703 with Evolut, 151 with Lotus, 347 with Portico, and 541 with Sapien. Twelve-month events were not significantly different among the 5 devices, including death (P=.29) and MAE (P=.21), with the notable exception of major vascular complications, which were more common with Acurate and Sapien (P<.001) and permanent pacemaker implantation, which was more frequent with Lotus and Evolut (P<.001). Differences in MAE were more pronounced in women and subjects with prior cardiac surgery, with the lowest event rates in the Evolut group. Propensity-score adjusted analysis suggested that Acurate, Evolut, Portico, and Sapien were all associated with similarly favorable results, whereas adverse events were more evident with Lotus (P<.05). Conclusion. Leading current-generation TAVI devices offer similarly favorable results at mid-term follow-up

The interleukin (IL)-31/IL-31R axis contributes to tumor growth in human follicular lymphoma

Interleukin (IL)-31A binds to an heterodimer composed of IL-31 receptor A (IL-31RA) and Oncostatin M Receptor (OSMR). The IL-31/ IL-31R complex is involved in the pathogenesis of various skin diseases, including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. No information is available on the relations between the IL-31/IL-31R complex and B-cell lymphoma. Here we have addressed this issue in follicular lymphoma (FL), a prototypic germinal center(GC)-derived B-cell malignancy. IL-31 enhanced primary FL cell proliferation through IL-31R-driven signal transducer and activator of transcription factor 1/3 (STAT1/3), extracellular signal–regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and Akt phosphorylation. In contrast, GC B cells did not signal to IL-31 in spite of IL-31R expression. GC B cells expressed predominantly the inhibitory short IL-31RA isoform, whereas FL cells expressed predominantly the long signaling isoform. Moreover, GC B cells lacked expression of other IL-31RA isoforms potentially involved in the signaling pathway. IL-31 protein expression was significantly higher in surface membrane than in cytosol of both FL and GC B cells. IL-31 was detected in plasma membrane microvesicles from both cell types but not released in soluble form in culture supernatants. IL-31 and IL-31RA expression was higher in lymph nodes from FL patients with grade IIIa compared with grade I/II, suggesting a paracrine and/or autocrine role of IL-31/IL-31RA complex in tumor progression through microvesicle shedding

High tie versus low tie of the inferior mesenteric artery: a protocol for a systematic review

In anterior resection of rectum, the section level of inferior mesenteric artery is still subject of controversy between the advocates of high and low tie. The low tie is the division and ligation to the branching of the left colic artery and the high tie is the division and ligation at its origin at the aorta. We intend to assess current scientific evidence in literature and to establish the differences comparing technique, anatomy and physiology. The aim of this protocol is to achieve a meta-analysis that tests safety and feasibility of the two procedures with several types of outcome measures

Incidence and prognosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients with covid-19: A multicenter study

The primary objective of this multicenter, observational, retrospective study was to assess the incidence rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in intensive care units (ICU). The secondary objective was to assess predictors of 30-day case-fatality of VAP. From 15 February to 15 May 2020, 586 COVID-19 patients were admitted to the participating ICU. Of them, 171 developed VAP (29%) and were included in the study. The incidence rate of VAP was of 18 events per 1000 ventilator days (95% confidence intervals [CI] 16–21). Deep respiratory cultures were available and positive in 77/171 patients (45%). The most frequent organisms were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (27/77, 35%) and Staphylococcus aureus (18/77, 23%). The 30-day case-fatality of VAP was 46% (78/171). In multivariable analysis, septic shock at VAP onset (odds ratio [OR] 3.30, 95% CI 1.43–7.61, p = 0.005) and acute respiratory distress syndrome at VAP onset (OR 13.21, 95% CI 3.05–57.26, p &lt; 0.001) were associated with fatality. In conclusion, VAP is frequent in critically ill COVID-19 patients. The related high fatality is likely the sum of the unfavorable prognostic impacts of the underlying viral and the superimposed bacterial diseases