Effects of pre-operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery: an international prospective cohort study

We aimed to determine the impact of pre-operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery during the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We performed an international prospective cohort study including patients undergoing elective surgery in October 2020. Isolation was defined as the period before surgery during which patients did not leave their house or receive visitors from outside their household. The primary outcome was postoperative pulmonary complications, adjusted in multivariable models for measured confounders. Pre-defined sub-group analyses were performed for the primary outcome. A total of 96,454 patients from 114 countries were included and overall, 26,948 (27.9%) patients isolated before surgery. Postoperative pulmonary complications were recorded in 1947 (2.0%) patients of which 227 (11.7%) were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients who isolated pre-operatively were older, had more respiratory comorbidities and were more commonly from areas of high SARS-CoV-2 incidence and high-income countries. Although the overall rates of postoperative pulmonary complications were similar in those that isolated and those that did not (2.1% vs 2.0%, respectively), isolation was associated with higher rates of postoperative pulmonary complications after adjustment (adjusted OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.05-1.36, p = 0.005). Sensitivity analyses revealed no further differences when patients were categorised by: pre-operative testing; use of COVID-19-free pathways; or community SARS-CoV-2 prevalence. The rate of postoperative pulmonary complications increased with periods of isolation longer than 3 days, with an OR (95%CI) at 4-7 days or >= 8 days of 1.25 (1.04-1.48), p = 0.015 and 1.31 (1.11-1.55), p = 0.001, respectively. Isolation before elective surgery might be associated with a small but clinically important increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Longer periods of isolation showed no reduction in the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. These findings have significant implications for global provision of elective surgical care

Museo della scuola e dell’educazione popolare: Università degli Studi del Molise - Campobasso, Italia. // Museum of School and Popular Education: Università degli Studi del Molise - Campobasso, Italy

(ES) Este documento tiene como objetivo presentar la experiencia del Museo della scuola e dell’educazione popolare (Museo de la escuela y de la educación popular) de la Università degli Studi del Molise (Universidad de Molise, Campobasso, Italia). En concreto, el artículo pretende ilustrar las múltiples funciones e iniciativas llevadas a cabo por la estructura establecida en 2013 como emanación del Centro di Documentazione e Ricerca sulla Storia delle Istituzioni Scolastiche, del Libro Scolastico e della Letteratura per l’Infanzia, Ce.S.I.S. (Centro de Documentación e Investigación sobre la Historia de las Instituciones Educativas, el Libro Escolar y la Literatura Infantil) de la misma Universidad, con el fin de mejorar las diversas colecciones que componen las huellas del patrimonio educativo que se conserva. El museo cuenta con una rica exposición de documentos y materiales fotográficos sobre la historia de la escuela y una variada colección de objetos de la cultura material escolar, así como una colección de historias orales de maestros jubilados. También se presentan aquí los diferentes tipos de actividades que desarrolla el Museo. // (EN) This document aims to present the experience of the Museo della Scuola e dell'educazione popolare (Museum of School and Popular Education) of the Università degli Studi del Molise (University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy). Specifically, the article intends to illustrate the multiple functions and initiatives carried out by the structure established in 2013 as an emanation of the Center for Documentation and Ricerca sulla Storia delle Istituzioni Scolastiche, the Scolastico Book and the Letteratura per l'Infanzia, Ce. SIS (Center for Documentation and Research on the History of Educational Institutions, School Books and Children's Literature) of the same University, in order to improve the various collections that make up the traces of the educational heritage preserved. The museum has a rich exhibition of documents and photographic materials on the school's history and a varied collection of objects from school material culture, as well as a collection of oral histories of retired teachers. Also presented here are the different types of activities that the Museum develops

Microwave-driven carbonation of brucite

The water-mediated mineral carbonation represents a promising solution for the capture and the storage of atmospheric CO2. Even though this reaction might be spontaneous for a number of Mg- and Ca-rich mineral phases, it is characterized by considerable activation barriers. In order to make it effective, associated energy costs related to the achievement of adequate reaction conditions must be minimized. Microwave chemistry is known to provide for substantial increments of the reaction rate for several systems. We applied here microwave chemistry to the process of carbonation of aqueous slurries of brucite, a model system of Mg-rich mineral, subjected to partial pressures of CO2 as low as 6 bar and to no other additive. The temperature of the reactor was finely varied while the radiation power and the reactor pressure were monitored in real-time. The radiation power was used to estimate the radiation energy budget needed to complete the carbonation process, whereas the reactor pressure was used as a proxy of reaction progression. We show a detailed evolution of the carbonate products obtained in terms of mineral phases, morphological properties, and degree of crystallinity, both as precipitate and as solid residue in the exsiccated supernatant reaction liquid

Impact of Underlying Disease and Preoperative Factors on Postoperative Outcomes After Laparoscopic Splenectomy: A Bicentric Retrospective Analysis

Although the laparoscopic approach is considered the gold standard for elective splenectomy, it is still debated whether the underlying disease affects postoperative outcomes. Given the importance of good patient selection in the early stages of the learning curve for laparoscopic splenectomy (LS), this study aimed to compare the postoperative outcomes following LS for malignant diseases and benign diseases (MDs and BDs)