On the adoption of canonical quasi-crystalline laminates to achieve pure negative refraction of elastic waves.

A way to achieve negative refraction of elastic anti-plane shear waves is a transmission across an interface between a homogeneous substrate and a periodic transverse laminate. To achieve negative refraction, the frequency of the source should be lower than the upper limit of the second transition zone (TZ) of the harmonic spectrum of the laminate. An effective way to control the location of TZ is to consider a configuration for the laminate, a concept that originates from the properties of quasi-crystalline sequences among which the Fibonacci one is a particular case.

Totally Laparoscopic Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Comparison Between Early and Late Phase of an Initial Single-Center Learning Curve.

Despite recent advances in minimally invasive pancreatic surgery, laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) has not reach a wide diffusion, mainly due to its technical difficulty. Considering its potential benefits, efforts should be made to improve its adoption. Between January 2017 and March 2020, LPD was offered as the primary approach to all the patients with an indication to pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Hepatic vascular anomalies during totally laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy: challenging the challenge.

The presence of hepatic vascular anomalies may add challenges to an already difficult surgery such as pancreatoduodenectomy, particularly when performed laparoscopically. Thus, our aim was to assess the impact of an aberrant right hepatic artery (aRHA) on postoperative outcomes during laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy (LPD) . Data of patients who underwent LPD were prospectively gathered and retrospectively analyzed.

Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair in patients with obesity: should we be scared of body mass index?

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for ventral hernia development and affects up to 60% of patients undergoing ventral hernia repair. It is also associated with a higher rate of surgical site occurrences and an increased risk of recurrence after ventral hernia repair, but data is lacking on the differences between obesity classes.

Methods: Between 2008 and 2018, 322 patients with obesity underwent laparoscopic ventral hernia repair in our department: class I n = 231 (72%), II n = 55 (17%), III n = 36 (11%).

Postoperative risk of pancreatic fistula after distal pancreatectomy with or without spleen preservation.

Introduction: Outcomes after distal pancreatectomy with or without splenectomy are controversial. The present study aims to investigate differences in short-term and long-term outcomes between spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (SPDP) and distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy (DPS).

Methods: In this retrospective review of consecutive patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy with or without splenectomy from January 2011 until December 2017 for benign disease, the primary endpoint was to compare postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF).

Totally Laparoscopic Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Technical Notes.

Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodendectomy is still rarely adopted due to its inherent complexity. We hereby present our experience of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy focused on technical notes. Technical description: A 5 trocars technique is used.

On the universality of the frequency spectrum and band-gap optimization of quasicrystalline-generated structured rods.

The dynamical properties of periodic two-component phononic rods, whose elementary cells are generated adopting the Fibonacci substitution rules, are studied through the recently introduced method of the toroidal manifold. The method allows all band gaps and pass bands featuring the frequency spectrum to be represented in a compact form with a frequency-dependent flow line on the surface describing their ordered sequence. The flow lines on the torus can be either closed or open: in the former case, (i) the frequency spectrum is periodic and the elementary cell corresponds to a canonical configuration, (ii) the band gap density depends on the lengths of the two phases; in the latter, the flow lines cover ergodically the torus and the band gap density is independent of those lengths.

Plasma Exchange for the Treatment of Transient Extreme Hypertriglyceridemia Associated with Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Acute Pancreatitis.

Unlabelled: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can quite frequently present in association with acute pancreatitis (AP) caused by transient severe hypertriglyceridemia (HTG). Here we report the case of a patient presenting with DKA, severe HTG and AP who received urgent plasma exchange for HTG control, and who reached adequate serum triglyceride levels only after appropriate DKA management. The treatment of patients presenting with DKA and coexistent AP associated with severe HTG should focus first on appropriate DKA management.

Severe Milk-Alkali Syndrome in a Patient with Hypoparathyroidism Associated with 1,25(OH)2D, Hydrochlorothiazide and Anthranoid Laxative Consumption.

Background: Milk-alkali syndrome is a life-threatening condition defined by the triad of hypercalcaemia, metabolic alkalosis and acute renal failure, and is associated with consumption of calcium and absorbable alkali.

Methods: We report the case of a patient admitted to a step-down unit of a large hospital in Italy.

Results: The patient was a 59-year-old woman with hypoparathyroidism and mild chronic kidney insufficiency, treated for a preceding episode of hypocalcaemia with high doses of calcitriol and calcium carbonate, who was also taking hydrochlorothiazide and unreported herbal anthranoid laxatives.

NANOG Plays a Hierarchical Role in the Transcription Network Regulating the Pluripotency and Plasticity of Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells.

The stromal vascular cell fraction (SVF) of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT and SAT) has increasingly come into focus in stem cell research, since these compartments represent a rich source of multipotent adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). ASCs exhibit a self-renewal potential and differentiation capacity. Our aim was to study the different expression of the embryonic stem cell markers (homeobox protein NANOG), (SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 2) and (octamer-binding transcription factor 4) and to evaluate if there exists a hierarchal role in this network in ASCs derived from both SAT and VAT.

Transanal endoscopic video-assisted (TEVA) resection of early rectal lesions using a SILS port A single center experience.

Unlabelled: represents a safe and complete technique to remove benign lesions of the rectum not treatable by endoscopy and malignant rectal lesions at early stage. It is a valid alternative to transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM), to conventional transanal surgery and to transabdominal resection.

Methods: In our operating Unit we performed a resection of 8 voluminous adenoma in the rectal ampulla with SILSTM-Port.

Sustained response to combination therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C who failed to respond to interferon.

Background/aims: The best treatment for chronic hepatitis C patients who do not respond to interferon is still unknown. Reported rates of response to treatment vary as the result of heterogeneous definitions of non-responders and small study size.

Methods: One hundred nineteen hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA-positive non-responders to high-dose interferon monotherapy received alpha-interferon, 5 MU tiw plus oral ribavirin, 1000-1200 mg/day for 48 weeks (Group A, n=74) or alpha-interferon, 5 MU daily for 4 weeks, followed by 5 MU tiw plus oral ribavirin, 1000-1200 mg/day for 44 weeks (Group B, n=45) according to the Institution where they were followed.

Iron reduction and sustained response to interferon-alpha therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C: results of an Italian multicenter randomized study.

Objectives: It has been suggested that iron depletion improves the response to interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C. We aimed to evaluate whether iron reduction by phlebotomy before interferon improves the rate of virological sustained response in previously untreated noncirrhotic patients.

Methods: One hundred fourteen hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA positive patients with hepatic iron concentrations of > or =700 microg/g dry wt (men) and > or =500 microg/g dry wt (women), stratified according to HCV genotype and gamma-glutamyltransferase values, were randomly allocated to interferon alone (6 MU three times a week) (group A) or to phlebotomy until iron depletion followed by interferon (6 MU three times a week) (group B).