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Bleeding remains one of the most serious complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and can increase mortality. Even if several patient-related and intraoperative factors increase the risk of bleeding, complete hemostasis should be achieved at the end of each surgical procedure. Although irrigation is a standard step, its importance is often underestimated. This commentary highlights the efficacy of peritoneal lavage in identifying bleeding sources and the effect of saline temperature.

Elena Schembari, Carlo Bortolussi, Ornella Coco, Michele Teodoro, Edoardo Mattone, Valentina Palumbo, Sarita Magazù, Isidoro Di CarloDepartment of Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “GF Ingrassia”, University of Catania, Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania 95126, ItalyCorrespondence: Isidoro Di CarloDepartment of Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “GF Ingrassia”, University of Catania, Cannizzaro Hospital, Via Messina 829, Catania 95126, ItalyTel +39 095 726 4863Fax +39 095 726 3020Email idicarlo@unict.itAbstract: Bleeding remains one of the most serious complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and can increase mortality. Even if several patient-related and intraoperative factors increase the risk of bleeding, complete hemostasis should be achieved at the end of each surgical procedure. Although irrigation is a standard step, its importance is often underestimated. This commentary highlights the efficacy of peritoneal lavage in identifying bleeding sources and the effect of saline temperature.Keywords: bleeding, prevention, cholecystectomy, peritoneal lavage

Over the past decades, Sicily has undergone an increasing sequence of extreme weather events that have produced, besides huge damages to both environment and territory, the death of hundreds of people together with the evacuation of thousands of residents, which have permanently lost their properties. In this framework, with this paper we have investigated the impact of different grid spacing and geographic data on the performance of forecasts over complex orographic areas. In order to test the validity of this approach we have analyzed and discussed, as case study, the heavy rainfall occurred in Sicily during the night of October 10, 2015. In just 9 h, a Mediterranean depression, centered on the Tunisian coastline, produced a violent mesoscale storm localized on the Peloritani Mountains with a maximum rain accumulation of about 200 mm. The results of these simulations were obtained using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) Model, version 3.7.1, at different grid spacing values and the Two Way Nesting procedure with a sub-domain centered on the area of interest. The results highlighted that providing correct and timely forecasts of extreme weather events is a challenge that could have been efficiently and effectively countered using proper employment of high spatial resolution models.

Background: Previous studies have shown that exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields induces alterations in simple organic systems such as proteins in bidistilled water solution. Objective: The aim of this study was to test the shielding action of sodium chloride in bidistilled water solution against exposure to a high frequency electromagnetic field, in order to evaluate if the addition of NaCl in proteins aqueous solution can be considered a valuable bioprotector against electromagnetic fields. Method: Samples of 250 μl of different hemoglobin aqueous solutions, in the absence or presence of sodium-chloride, were exposed for 3 hours to an electromagnetic field at 1750 MHz at a power density around 1 W/m2 emitted by an operational mobile phone. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy was used to study the effects of exposure on the secondary structure of hemoglobin also in the presence of sodium-chloride. Results: Spectral analysis evidenced that significant increase in intensity of the Amide I and II vibration bands in hemoglobin bidistilled water solution occurred after exposure to the electromagnetic field. This result can be due to the increase of dipole moment of the protein due to the alignment of α-helix towards the direction of the field. In contrast, no appreciable change was observed in hemoglobin in sodium-chloride water solution after exposure. Conclusion: This protective effect of sodium-chloride can be explained by the orientation of water molecules due to the strong electric field around each ion that reduces the possibility of rotation of the protein in response to an applied electromagnetic field.

The aim of this article was to study the effects of mobile phone electromagnetic waves at 1750 MHz on the Amide I and Amide II vibration bands of some proteins in bidistilled water solution by means of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Fourier self-deconvolution (FSD) analysis. The proteins that were used for the experiment were hemoglobin, myoglobin, bovine serum albumin and lysozyme. The exposure system consisted of microwaves emitted by an operational mobile phone at the frequency at 1750 MHz at the average power density of 1 W/m2. Exposed and control samples were analyzed using FTIR spectroscopy and FSD analysis. The main result was that Amide I band of the proteins that were used increased significantly (p < 0.05) after 4 h of exposure to MWs, whereas Amide II band did not change significantly. This result can be explained assuming that the α-helix structure of the proteins aligned itself with the direction of the electromagnetic field due to the alignment of C = O stretching and N - H bending ligands that are oriented along with the α-helix axis that give rise to the Amide I mode.

Samples of hemoglobin and bovine serum albumin in different bi-distilled water solutions were exposed to a 50 Hz electromagnetic field at the intensity of 1 mT to investigate the response of hydrogen bonding to the applied field after exposure of 3 h by means of Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Spectral analysis evidenced a significant decrease in the absorbance signal of the Amide I vibration in exposed samples of hemoglobin and bovine serum albumin water solutions. In addition, Fourier self-deconvolution analysis and min-max normalization applied in the mid-infrared region to exposed and unexposed hemoglobin samples revealed a significant increase in the absorbance signal of the Amide II band and an up-shift toward the high energies of 1.5 cm−1 after exposure. Similar findings were observed after exposure of bovine serum albumin. These results can be easily explained assuming that hydrogen bonding in the secondary structure of these proteins in bi-distilled water solutions was enhanced a...

In this study, we report the effects of static magnetic fields (SMFs) at 200 mT on different hemoglobin aqueous solutions, in the absence and in the presence of sucrose and trehalose, studied by FTIR spectroscopic techniques. Significant decrease in intensity of Amide I and Amide II vibration bands was observed after 6 h exposure for hemoglobin in bidistilled water solution. Also, it was observed that the decrease in intensity of the Amide I band was larger than the Amide II after exposure. This result can be explained assuming that an SMF induces increase of hydrogen bonding in hemoglobin in bidistilled water solution. In particular, the use of second-derivative analysis highlighted two absorption peaks at 1907 and 2022 cm−1 that can be attributed to nitrogen monoxide vibration and antisymmetric stretch of azide ion bound, respectively. These vibrations increased significantly after exposure to the SMF (P

The aim of the present work is to utilize a new functionality within the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF&ndash, Chem) that allows simulating emission, transport, and settling of pollutants released during the Etna 2015 volcanic activities. This study constitutes the first systematic application of the WRF&ndash, Chem online-based approach to a specific Etna volcanic eruption, with possible effects involving the whole Mediterranean area. In this context, the attention has been focused on the eruption event, recorded from 3&ndash, 7 December 2015, which led to the closure of the nearby Catania International Airport. Quantitative meteorological forecasts, analyses of Etna volcanic ash transport, and estimates of the ash ground deposition have been performed. In order to test the performance of the proposed approach, the model outputs have been compared with data provided by satellite sensors and Doppler radars. As a result, it emerges that, as far as the selected eruption event is concerned, the WRF&ndash, Chem model reasonably reproduces the distribution of SO2 and of volcanic ash. In addition, this modeling system may provide valuable support both to airport management and to local stakeholders including public administrations.

Extremophiles are optimal models in experimentally addressing questions about the effects of cosmic radiation on biological systems. The resistance to high charge energy (HZE) particles, and helium (He) ions and iron (Fe) ions (LET at 2.2 and 200 keV/&micro, m, respectively, until 1000 Gy), of spores from two thermophiles, Bacillushorneckiae SBP3 and Bacilluslicheniformis T14, and two psychrotolerants, Bacillus sp. A34 and A43, was investigated. Spores survived He irradiation better, whereas they were more sensitive to Fe irradiation (until 500 Gy), with spores from thermophiles being more resistant to irradiations than psychrotolerants. The survived spores showed different germination kinetics, depending on the type/dose of irradiation and the germinant used. After exposure to He 1000 Gy, D-glucose increased the lag time of thermophilic spores and induced germination of psychrotolerants, whereas L-alanine and L-valine increased the germination efficiency, except alanine for A43. FTIR spectra showed important modifications to the structural components of spores after Fe irradiation at 250 Gy, which could explain the block in spore germination, whereas minor changes were observed after He radiation that could be related to the increased permeability of the inner membranes and alterations of receptor complex structures. Our results give new insights on HZE resistance of extremophiles that are useful in different contexts, including astrobiology.

The starting point of the results summarized in this brief note is represented by the assumption that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the microwaves (MWs) range can interact with the sophisticated electromagnetic circuits of livings, in particular at some frequencies named ‘natural resonant frequencies’...

To provide a contribution to the Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection, here we present the results of a study focused on the potentially toxic elements (PTE) content in agricultural soils' representative for the Mediterranean region. To reach this aim, samples of 22 Italian (NE Peloritani Mountains, Sicily) and 18 Turkish (Amik Plain, Hatay) soils were collected and analyzed to evaluate their PTE content. The Italian and Turkish sites have been selected because they represent very important cultivation zones. In Amik Plain (Turkey), the dominant crops consist of cotton, wheat, corn and olives, whereas in NE Peloritani Mountains, Sicily (Italy), an appreciate citrus variety, known as the "Interdonato lemon", guaranteed by Protected Geographical Indication label, is produced. The collected results include: (1) the assessment of PTE levels in soils; (2) the identification of the PTE sources; (3) the relationships between PTE contents and soil properties (pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, CaCO3, and clay). Several multivariate statistical methods such as correlation matrix, cluster analysis and main component analysis were applied to individuate the anthropogenic vs natural origin of the PTE sources. The detected PTE levels are in decreasing order Mn>Zn>V>Cr>Cu>Ni>As>Pb>Co>Sb>Se>Cd for the Italian soils, and Mn>Ni>V>Zn>Cr>Cu>Pb>Co>As>Se>Sb>Cd for the Turkish soils. The overall obtained results allowed to define: (a) a main lithogenic source for PTE detected in the Italian soils, except for Zn which origin is also associated to anthropogenic input; (b) a lithogenic origin for all of the PTE detected for the Turkish soils, with an associate anthropogenic contribution for Cr, Ni, V, Cu and V. The results obtained in this work enhance the knowledge in the individuation of PTE pollution sources in agricultural soils of the European Mediterranean region.

The investigation of the structural features in biological membranes represents a central topic in many aspects of biological science. It involves the study of the collective behavior of a great number of interacting macromolecules, while the study of the structure-function relationship require the observation and calculation of a large number of key factors. The self-assembly processes involved in biomembranes represent the cornerstone of the biological systems functioning, due to the special role of the complex macromolecular assemblies containing lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and other active components. In this article, we describe the main techniques and approaches employed for the investigation of biological membranes, which are characterized by a wide range of the space-time domains. The future challenge in this research field must provide the integration of the different research models and approaches into a common background based on multi- and interdisciplinary method that combine the expertise coming from the different disciplines.

Geopolymers are synthetic materials, which attract increasing interest because they represent a supplementary cementitious material as an alternative to Portland cement. Geopolymers are considered as environmentally friendly materials, due to the low processing temperature and the absence of CO2 gas emissions. These ecological features, linked to their technical properties, such as high strength, high acid resistance, and/or high-temperature resistance, make them very innovative technological materials. In addition, geopolymers show good performance if realized by the utilization of secondary raw materials (industrial wastes like fly ash or slag), thus improving strong interest in such technology from countries with growing industrialization. Here, in order to reduce global impacts and to stimulate the Sicilian green economy, we provide the evaluation of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) through the employ of local raw materials to produce geopolymers in Sicily. To reach this aim, geopolymers have been produced in collaboration with a Sicilian cement industry, through the use of local raw materials (furnace blast slag from Sicilian steelworks and Calabrian kaolinite) and the construction of a pilot plant. The obtained results show, for different scenarios, a considerable reduction of both CO2 emissions and energy consumption, but also a general improvement of the environmental indicators.

In the present paper an approach concerning the formalism of time dependent Pair Correlation Functions (PCF), which characterize the time-space properties of material systems and their Fourier Transforms (FT) is presented. In particular, the effects of the system-probe interaction are dealt by taking into account the coupling between the system properties, through the PCF, and the instrument response function, through its resolution function. Such an approach shows the effects of the instrumental resolution function on the time dependent PCF and on its FT. It emerges that the system dynamics that occurs on a time scale longer than the instrumental energy resolution, is entirely summed up in the elastic contribution whereas the system dynamics on a time scale shorter than the instrumental energy resolution is weighted by the resolution function. As a consequence, by changing the instrumental resolution one can register a crossover between a condition dominated by the elastic contribution to a condition dominated by the quasi-elastic contribution; this occurs when the system relaxation time matches the instrumental resolution time. This procedure reveals to be useful for the analysis of elastic and quasi-elastic signals.

Proteins in aqueous solution are complex systems that are made of many interacting and non-interacting elements whose behavior can be predictable upon the application of non-linear models. The aim of this study was to show that this complex system behaves like a viscoelastic system under exposure to high frequency electromagnetics (HF-EMFs). To this aim, typical proteins in water solution were exposed for 3 h to a high frequency electromagnetic field at the power density of 1 W/m^2. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to study the response of proteins to exposure to HF-EMFs. Proteins α-helices aligned along the direction of the field and the integrated areas of proteins β-sheet content increased linearly as a function of proteins dipole moment. This result can be explained assuming that proteins in aqueous solution under HF-EMF behave like a viscoelastic system.

The aim of this paper was to study the response of methyl (CH3) and methylene (CH2) vibration bands in amino acids of some typical proteins diluted in bidistilled water solution after exposure to a high-frequency electromagnetic fields using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. Hemoglobin in H2O solution and bovine serum albumin and myoglobin diluted in different D2O solutions were exposed for 4 h to a power density of 0.95 W/m2 at the frequency of 1750 MHz, emitted by operational mobile phones Nokia model 105 and Samsung model GT-E1270, in order to study the response of stretching vibrations of CH3 and CH2 that are in amino acids of those proteins. The main result was that CH3 stretching bands increased significantly in myoglobin in D2O solution because this protein is represented by a single protein chain so that the torque induced by the applied field is larger than that induced on the other two proteins. Otherwise, CH2 stretching vibrations decreased in intensity significantly for all exposed proteins. This result can be explained as well, assuming that, given a fixed volume, a decrease of population of CH2 occurred after exposure because of the alignment of proteins α-helices along the direction of the applied electromagnetic field.