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Introduction: Incidental meningiomas pose a prognostic challenge; while conservative management is generally accepted there are no definitive statistics which tell us which proportion of these patients progress and how best to predict this. A number of studies have reported the natural history of incidental meningiomas however it is challenging to accurately identify trends in isolation. To this end we aimed to undertake the first systematic review and meta-analysis of papers reporting on the surveillance of incidental meningiomas. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement and was prospectively registered with the PROSPERO database (CRD42016045550). Pubmed, CINAHL, google scholar and Embase were searched for the MeSH terms “incidental meningioma follow up” and “asymptomatic meningioma follow up”. Searches were conducted independently by two of the authors AP and KA and disputes were resolved until mutual agreement was reached. Papers including surveillance of asymptomatic meningiomas were included. Papers describing any interventions at the initial stage of management were excluded. Results: 11 papers were identified totalling 800 patients. 34% (weighted mean) of tumours showed progression along the course of surveillance with a weighted average of 54 months follow up. 4 papers reported the number of patients who developed symptoms which ranged from 3.4% to 12.5%. Calcification significantly reduced the risk of having tumour growth: OR 3.18[1.87,5.40] (P

Several studies have reported that the antioxidant properties of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) can provide cardiac protection through scavenging of free radicals. The present study was aimed to assess the efficacy of NAC for cardiac protection in patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair.Fifty adult patients undergoing (AAA) repair were randomly allocated to receive NAC infusion (n = 25) or placebo infusion (n = 25). NAC infusion in group I (NAC group) was started at a rate of 0.3 mg/kg/min intravenously during surgery then decreased to a rate of 0.2 mg/kg/min for 24 h post-operatively. Group II (placebo group) received an equivalent rate of placebo infusion. The following parameters: myocardial-specific protein troponin-I, creatine phosphokinase-MB (CPK-MB), plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1β], were assessed at the following time points: preoperatively and at 1 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 96 h after surgery. Furthermore, serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured preoperatively as a baseline, during aortic clamping, 30 min after declamping, at the end of surgery, 2 h after surgery, 12 h after surgery, and 24 h after surgery.NAC infusion patients had significantly lower post-operative concentrations of myocardial-specific protein [cTnI, CPK-MB] and pro-inflammatory cytokines [TNF-α, IL-1β]. In addition, MDA level was less and TAC was higher in patients who received NAC infusion.NAC infusion provided cardiac protection through scavenging of oxygen free radicals.

Part of the rehabilitation of the 70-year-old Simon Kenton Suspension Bridge in Maysville, Kentucky included a full sidewalk and deck replacement for the main suspension spans. As an alternate to the planned contract sequence, the contractor proposed a different sequence of deck replacement. To satisfy contractual requirements, an analysis was required to show that the alternate deck replacement sequence would have no adverse effects on the structure. This paper details the 3-D nonlinear analysis carried out to show that this bridge could endure the alternate deck replacement sequence proposed for its renewal.

A new type of sensor for distributed strain or temperature readings on structures, based on the use of Optical Fibres (OF) utilising the Brillouin scattering effect, has been recently proposed. The use of this new sensor has been successfully carried out not only in laboratory, but also in field tests on bridges and dams. As a matter of fact, several authors have shown that, by means of distributed experimental strain readings, it is easy the safety monitoring and assessment of large structures as bridges, pipes, high rise buildings, dams and tunnels. Moreover, the greatest utility of this new sensors is demonstrated by the present Authors to detect the raising of defects in large structures, and accuracy and reliability of measurements are discussed. Some uncertainties of this kind of measure related both to mechanical aspects of the sensor response and to the optical signal processing are still present. In particular, the mechanical response of optical fibre, when bonded on a straining structure was deeply addressed by some of the present Authors. The sensors were modelled in the framework of elastic Functionally Graded Material Cylinders (FGMCs), under symmetrical load conditions. Analytical closed form solutions both for the decaying and for non-decaying cases were already found and also assessed from the experimental point of view. In particular, for the application of these sensors to the interesting case of rods and wires, which constitute elements widely present in many types of bridge structures, the theoretical mechanical response of the sensors connected to the elements to be monitored, was already obtained. The base theoretical results already carried out, have shown that thanks to the embedding technique of the bonding of the sensor to the rod element, a non-decaying response of the optical sensor should be expected. Indeed, in this case, the axial strain transmitted by the deforming rod to the central glass core of the optical fibre, should equate with the supporting one. With the aim to show consistency and accuracy of the proposed theory concerning the mechanical response of the couple rod-OF-sensor (OFS), in the present work laboratory tests are carried out on aluminium large rods in extension, equipped with embedded-type optic fibre sensors. Experimental strains read by means of embedded OFS, showed very good agreement with the forecasts obtained by means of the above cited theory. This result confirms, from the experimental point of view, the reliability of the theoretical provisions. In particular, the adopted measuring technique, which utilises embedded OFS, shows great consistency and accuracy for a class of important problems related to rod structures. Rods are commonly used in several structural systems, such as trusses, suspension or cable-stayed bridges. Currently, some experiments are under preparation for the detection of surface deficiencies on high strength steel bridge wire surface, using the new Optical Fibre Sensors. The work on the bridge wire application is a joint research effort between the University of Naples Federico II and Bridge Technology Consulting in the United States. Finally, the characterization of the mechanical response of optical fibres, joined with some new solutions obtained for FGMCs, leads to a very accurate calibration of the sensors when they are utilised for strain distributed readings.