Use of telemedicine in the postoperative assessment of proctological patients: a case-control study

Background: Telemedicine is emerging as an easy way to communicate between patients and surgeons. Use of telemedicine increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. WhatsApp is one of the most common smartphone applications for user-friendly telemedicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate patient perception of health quality and positive outcomes using a diary sent by the patient to the surgeon via WhatsApp during the first post-discharge week after proctologic surgery. Methods: Ninety-eight patients discharged after proctologic surgery at the Israelite Hospital of Rome and the AOU Policlinico Umberto I of Rome in 1 January-31 December 2019 were divided into two groups: the WhatsApp group (group A), (n = 36) and the no WhatsApp group (group B) (n = 62). Group A patients received a protocol to follow for the day-by-day diary during the first post-discharge week and sending it by WhatsApp to the surgeon. Group B patients only received recommendations at discharge. The tool's usefulness was assessed by a questionnaire one month after the intervention. Results: The two groups were homogeneous for age, sex, schooling, employment, and proctologic pathology. Group A patients had less difficulty keeping a diary (p < 0.0001). Group A patients had the perception of better follow-up post-discharge (p = 0.002). The use of the diary sent by WhatsApp significantly improved the perception of positive post-intervention outcomes (p = 0.007). WhatsApp was the only independent predictor of perception of post-surgical positive outcomes (odds ratio = 4.06; 95% CI 1.35-12.24; p = 0.01). Conclusions: The use of WhatsApp in the post-discharge period improves the lifestyle quality of the patients and their perception of the safety and quality of care received

3-Ethyl-5-(4-meth­oxy­phen­oxy)-2-(pyridin-4-yl)-3H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine

In the title compound, C20H18N4O2, the imidazopyridine fused ring system is almost perpendicular to the benzene ring [dihedral angle = 87.6 (5)°]. The pyridine ring makes a dihedral angle of 35.5 (5)° with the mean plane of the imidazopyridine fragment. The crystal structure is stabilized by an aromatic π–π stacking inter­action between the phenyl rings of neighbouring mol­ecules [centroid–centroid distance = 3.772 (2) Å, inter­planar distance = 3.546 (2) Å and slippage = 1.286 (2) Å]

1-{1-[2,8-Bis(trifluoro­meth­yl)-4-quin­olyl]-5-methyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl}ethanone

There are two independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C16H10F6N4O. The triazole ring is not coplanar with the quinoline ring system; the dihedral angle between the two planes being 74.47 (12) and 63.97 (13)° in the two mol­ecules. The crystal structure is characterized by inter­molecular C—H⋯F, C—H⋯N and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonding. Weak intra­molecular C—H⋯F inter­actions are observed. Disorder is observed in two F atoms of one of the trifluoro­methyl groups of one independent mol­ecule [occupancy ratios 0.77 (3):0.23 (3) and 0.77 (4):0.23 (4)] and in all three F atoms of one of the trifluoro­methyl groups of the second independent mol­ecule [occupancy ratios 0.520 (14):0.480 (14), 0.615 (17):0.385 (17) and 0.783 (11):0.217 (11)]. The O atom is also disordered over two positions with occupancies of 0.60 (13) and 0.40 (13) in the first mol­ecule

"Chimica Attiva"

Un percorso di chimica che, prendendo spunto dall'osservazione dei fenomeni, si propone di offrire un'interpretazione della struttura della materia e delle sue trasformazion

Sesquiterpene compounds from Inula Viscosa

Two new compounds, 2,5-dihydroxyisocostic acid and 2,3-dihydroxycostic acid together with three known sesquiterpene compounds, Isocostic acid, Carabrone and Tomentosine, have been isolated from the acetone extract of Inula viscosa (L.) Aiton. The structures of all new compounds were determined by spectroscopic methods, in particular 1D and 2D 1H- and 13C-NMR. The 13C NMR spectra of Isocostic acid and of Tomentosine are reported here for the first time

L'Avventura delle Scienze - Tomo C

Over 800 cities globally now offer bikeshare programs. One of their purported benefits is increased physical activity. Implicit in this claim is that bikeshare replaces sedentary modes of transport, particularly car use. This paper estimates the median changes in physical activity levels as a result of bikeshare in the cities of Melbourne, Brisbane, Washington, D.C., London, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. This study is the first known multi-city evaluation of the active travel impacts of bikeshare programs. To perform the analysis, data on mode substitution (i.e. the modes that bikeshare replaces) were used to determine the extent of shift from sedentary to active transport modes (e.g. when a car trip is replaced by bikeshare). Potentially offsetting these gains, reductions in physical activity when walking trips are replaced by bikeshare was also estimated. Finally a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis was conducted to estimate confidence bounds on estimated impacts on active travel given uncertainties in data sources. The results indicate that on average 60% of bikeshare trips replace sedentary modes of transport (from 42% in Minneapolis/St. Paul to 67% in Brisbane). When bikeshare replaces a walking trip, there is a reduction in active travel time because walking a given distance takes longer than cycling. Considering the active travel balance sheet for the cities included in this analysis, bikeshare activity in 2012 has an overall positive impact on active travel time. This impact ranges from an additional 1.4 million minutes of active travel for the Minneapolis/St. Paul bikeshare program, to just over 74 million minutes of active travel for the London program The analytical approach adopted to estimate bikeshare’s impact on active travel may act as the basis for future bikeshare evaluations or feasibility studies