Simple scoring system to predict in-hospital mortality after surgery for infective endocarditis

BACKGROUND: Aspecific scoring systems are used to predict the risk of death postsurgery in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). The purpose of the present study was both to analyze the risk factors for in-hospital death, which complicates surgery for IE, and to create a mortality risk score based on the results of this analysis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Outcomes of 361 consecutive patients (mean age, 59.1\ub115.4 years) who had undergone surgery for IE in 8 European centers of cardiac surgery were recorded prospectively, and a risk factor analysis (multivariable logistic regression) for in-hospital death was performed. The discriminatory power of a new predictive scoring system was assessed with the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Score validation procedures were carried out. Fifty-six (15.5%) patients died postsurgery. BMI >27 kg/m2 (odds ratio [OR], 1.79; P=0.049), estimated glomerular filtration rate 55 mm Hg (OR, 1.78; P=0.032), and critical state (OR, 2.37; P=0.017) were independent predictors of in-hospital death. A scoring system was devised to predict in-hospital death postsurgery for IE (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.780; 95% CI, 0.734-0.822). The score performed better than 5 of 6 scoring systems for in-hospital death after cardiac surgery that were considered. CONCLUSIONS: A simple scoring system based on risk factors for in-hospital death was specifically created to predict mortality risk postsurgery in patients with IE

Centrality evolution of the charged-particle pseudorapidity density over a broad pseudorapidity range in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN)=2.76TeV

Peer reviewe

Synthesis and characterization of arabinose-palmitic acid esters by enzymatic esterification

The direct esterification of palmitic acid with L-(+)-arabinose has been carried out. The use of Candida antartica lipase B as the catalyst and the choice of suitable solvent and experimental conditions allowed carrying out the reaction successfully. In particular 10% dimethyl-sulfoxide in tert-butanol was found to be the optimal solvent. The product has been fully characterized by means of FTIR, ESI-MS, DSC, mono and bidimensional 1H and 13C NMR. These techniques confirm that only the primary alcoholic group was involved in the esterification reaction

Integrated Geophysical Investigation of a Buried Roman Villa in Pompeii

In archaeological research non-invasive techniques are commonly used to characterize a site or part of it. Among them, geophysical surveying is a valuable, non-destructive tool for archaeologists in evaluating sites and guiding excavation programmes within already discovered sites. In this paper we describe the results of an integrated geophysical survey carried out over a buried Roman Villa in Via Nolana, Pompeii. The area was partially unearthed in 1985 showing the remnants of a villa from the first Imperial Age. The excavation found also some frescos and traces of rural activities. The remnants were successively earthed again. The survey included high-resolution Geoelectrical, Magnetometric, Seismic and Ground Penetrating Radar measurements. They were performed both over the known buried structures and in the unexplored area immediately adjacent to the remnants, with the aim of verifying the presence of other unearthed villa structures beyond the explored area. Data processing included advanced filtering techniques, such as Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT, Fedi & Florio, 2003), allowing an effective filtering of localized and directional noise. Furthermore, the use of multi-scale potentialfield techniques such as Enhanced Horizontal Derivative (EHD; Fedi & Florio, 2001) and Depth from Extreme Points (DEXP; Fedi, 2007) allowed positioning the lateral edges of the buried structures and characterizing their shape and depth. The results yielded by the different methods showed a rather good consistency in terms of position and size of the buried structures. Furthermore, the integration of the outcome of each geophysical technique reduced the intrinsic ambiguities of each method. Our interpretation revealed the presence of remnants in the unearthed area, in continuation of the already discovered section of the villa, and highlighted preferential areas for future archaeological diggings

Use of food-grade proteases to recover umami protein\u2013peptide mixtures from rice middlings

The effects of enzymatic hydrolysis induced by food-grade exo- plus endo-proteases (i.e. Umamizyme and Flavourzyme) on the sensory characteristics and functional properties of rice middlings were investigated. Enzymatic hydrolysis was confirmed by sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), by monitoring the rate of hydrolysis with the Coefficient of Protein Degradation (CPD). The presence of medium-low size polypeptides at the end point of 24. h was detected, resulting from 24.84 \ub1 1.28 % and 67.04 \ub1 0.55 % hydrolysis for Flavourzyme and Umamyzyme, respectively. Sensory and functional properties, including emulsifying and foaming properties, were evaluated on hydrolysates obtained after 24. h incubation. The sensory analysis described the umami taste as the most intense attribute for all the products and good emulsifying and foaming properties were observed, mainly in Umamizyme hydrolysates. Then the hydrolysis procedure here described could be convenient to provide ingredients characterized by a good taste profile and by functional properties useful for industrial food processing, storage and consumption

Multimodality imaging approach to paradoxical embolism: a cauliflower mass on the Eustachian valve

The Eustachian valve was first described by Bartolomeo Eustachio (Italian anatomist) at 1552. It is an embryological remnant of the inferior vena cava valve that prenatally directs the oxygenated blood from inferior vena cava across the patent foramen ovale (PFO) into systemic circulation. Generally, following birth, after the closure of the foramen ovale it gradually regresses and not have a specific function, but it may persist in some patients as a floating membrane in the right atrium (RA), a nonpathological functionless structure.1 The prevalence of Eustachian valve in the normal population is unknown. Generally, it is an incidental finding without any significant pathophysiological consequences, but in some particular cases, unfortunately, it can become the site of thrombus formation and paradoxical embolic source.1 In our case report we describe a particular case of paradoxical systemic embolism due to a giant cauliflower thrombus on Eustachian valve, which caused ischemic stroke, pulmonary embolism and splenic infarctio

Chemistry of α-mangostin. Studies on the semisynthesis of minor xanthones from <i>Garcinia mangostana</i>

<div><p>α-Mangostin is the major prenylated xanthone from <i>Garcinia mangostana</i> and it has been used also in recent times as starting material for the semisynthetic preparation of various biologically active derivatives. Its structure is characterised by the presence of few functional groups amenable to chemical manipulations, but present in the molecule in multiple instances (three phenolic hydroxyl groups, two prenyl chains and two unsubstituted aromatic carbons). This study represents a first approach to the systematic investigation of the reactivity of α-mangostin and describes the semisynthesis of some minor xanthones isolated from <i>G. mangostana</i>.</p></div

Imaging monolithic silicon detector telescopes

We show the results of some test beams performed on a new monolithic strip silicon detector telescope developed in collaboration with the INFN and ST-microelectronics. Using an appropriate design, the induction on the DE stages, generated by the charge released in the E stage, was used to obtain the position of the detected particle. The position measurement, together with the low threshold for particle charge identification, allows the new detector to be used for a large variety of applications due to its sensitivity of only a few microns measured in both directions