Total Surface Research Articles

G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signal Intersection at the Primary Cilium.

Primary cilia are singular projections that extend from the surface of most vertebrate cell types. The surface area of the primary cilium (PC) is estimated to represent only 1/100th of the total membrane surface of an average cell. Despite this, the PC provides essential contributions to inter- and intracellular communication by housing receptors and downstream effectors for myriad cell-signaling cascades. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) commonly enrich along ciliary membranes to control a diverse range of cellular behaviors by signaling through a shared pool of downstream effectors. This suggests the hypothesis that the PC provides an environment that is conducive to complementary or competitive GPCR Signal Crosstalk. In this Hypothesis Bio Essay, we use the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway as a case study to inform models of how GPCR signals could intersect in primary cilia and suggest general strategies to test each model.

Surface water irrigation reservoirs improve groundwater recovery in a heavily stressed aquifer.

Expansion of irrigated cropland area in eastern Arkansas has led to the formation of regional cones of depression and creation of critical groundwater areas for the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA) in Arkansas. In response, use of surface water reservoirs for irrigation in the Grand Prairie critical groundwater area (GPCGA) has been implemented toward improving groundwater recovery, but effects of this strategy are unclear. We leverage publicly available satellite imagery and geospatial computational resources to estimate in GPCGA: (1) total surface water area on cropland and non-cropland potentially used for irrigation using a supervised classification model and (2) causal effect of surface water area on groundwater depth-to-water measurements using a two-way fixed effects (FE) model. We show persistent surface water area can be accurately predicted with confusion matrix accuracy ranging from 97.1% to 98.7% compared with known surface water reservoirs. Causal effect of cropland surface water reservoirs on depth-to-groundwater shows an approximate 0.4m or 3.3% decrease in mean depth-to-water measurements for a given growing season for watersheds with a 100 ha increase in surface water area. Greatest reductions in depth-to-water measurements occur in those watersheds overlying regional cones of depression, corroborating previous groundwater simulation experiments. We note that alternate specifications of FE model exhibited similar effects, indicating FE model robustness. While conversion of arable land to surface water reservoirs incurs economic impacts, surface water reservoirs present a viable groundwater conservation strategy and tool for groundwater resource recovery for MRVA and other heavily stressed aquifers.

Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Properties of Selected Pyrrole-Containing Azomethine Compounds in Neurotoxicity Models In Vitro

Neurodegenerative diseases involve oxidative stress and enzyme dysregulation, necessitating novel neuroprotective agents. This study evaluates the neuroprotective and antioxidant potential of seven pyrrole-based compounds with predicted radical scavenging activity and inhibitory effects on monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The compounds were tested in vitro using SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and subcellular rat brain fractions, including synaptosomes, mitochondria, and microsomes. Neuroprotective and antioxidant effects were assessed in oxidative stress models, including H2O2-induced stress in SH-SY5Y cells, 6-hydroxydopamine toxicity in synaptosomes, tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced stress in mitochondria, and non-enzyme lipid peroxidation in microsomes. In silico screening for lipophilicity, hydrogen bonding, total polar surface area (TPSA), and ionization properties, was performed to evaluate bioavailability. All compounds exhibited a weak neurotoxic effect on the subcellular fractions at a concentration of 100 µM. However, in oxidative stress models, they demonstrated significant neuroprotective and antioxidant effects at 100 µM. In SH-SY5Y cells, compounds 7, 9, 12, 14, and 15 exhibited low toxicity and strong protective effects at concentrations as low as 1 µM. In silico analysis prioritized compounds 1, 7, 9, 12, and 14 for further development based on their favorable bioavailability. The tested pyrrole-based compounds exhibit promising neuroprotective and antioxidant properties, with several candidates showing potential for further development based on both in vitro efficacy and predicted oral bioavailability.

The Ecological Distribution and Physical Characteristics of Mondia whitei (Hook F.) In the Bamboutos and Mayo Banyo High Lands of Cameroon

Purpose: The aim of this study is to assess the distribution and the physical characteristics of Mondia whitei (Hook F) in the Bamboutos and Mayo Banyo highlands in Cameroon. Mondia whitei (Hook F) is an African medicinal plant species found in Cameroon that humans have gained benefits from. Materials and Methods: This study employed a purposive sampling technique were plots of 100m by 100m were set guided by occurrence sites obtained from semi structured questionnaires and focus group discussions. In each plot, all Mondia whitei trees, diameter at breast height and height were recorded. Liana stem diameter was measured at 130cm from rooting point and plants grouped in to exclusive DBH classes of ≤1.2 and 1.2 to 3.5. Descriptive statistics, maps and nonparametric test were done. Findings: The result showed that a total of 346 trees of Mondia whitei were recorded on a total surface area of 65 hectares on the Bamboutos high land. While 280 trees of Mondia whitei were recorded over a surface area of 36 hectares at Mayo Banyo. Areas of high abundance was within elevations of 1542 to 1738m at Topelu and Bamegnia in Bamboutos high land at the Babajou subdivision with density of 8.0(stem/ha). On the other hand at Mayo Banyo highlands Mondia whitei had the highest occurrence of tree density of 29.2(stem/ha) at elevations of 860-1070 found within Bankim subdivision. Both Bamboutos and Mayo Banyo had more adults than juveniles’ plants of Mondia whitei. There was no significant difference value between the adults and juveniles of Mondia whitei within elevations of Bamboutos. Mayo Banyo had a significant difference in adults and juveniles of Mondia whitei within elevation. Bamboutos and Mayo Banyo, had a greater proportion of non-exploitable as compared to exploitable plants of Mondia whitei Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Practice: Further studies on the influence of climate and edaphic factors on distribution pattern within the area in order to project possible distribution sites.

Abstract 5784: An image based assay platform for drug screening with a 3D bioprinted vascularized lung cancer model

Abstract 3D tissue models that mimic the physiology of human tissues and organs are being developed in multi-well plate format as predictive assays for drug screening. 3D bioprinting enables the fabrication of tissues with precision and reproducibility in a 96-well plate for medium throughput drug screening. We have established robust protocols for the 3D bioprinting vascularized lung tissue models using human primary pulmonary endothelial cells constitutively expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP), pericytes, and fibroblasts mixed with a fibrin-based hydrogel. We create a vascularized lung tissue model in a ring-shaped structure that facilitates image-based quantification of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. This bioprinted vascularized lung tissue model was used as a tumor microenvironment to grow lung cancer cells. We incorporated three immortalized lung cancer cell lines, A549, H1975, and H460, constitutively expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) into the 3D bioprinted vascularized lung tissues. Cancer cells were added as single cells embedded in the hydrogel (1K cancer cells/well) covering the bioprinted vasculature. Fluorescence microscopy was used to quantify the growth and morphology of the cancer cells by measuring total red fluorescence intensity surface roundness and compactness of red fluorescence objects, as well as angiogenesis from the green fluorescence intensity. After 21 days of culture, the three cancer cell lines showed distinct growth morphology and migration patterns. We characterized tumor localization according to the three regions of interest: angiogenesis outwards or inwards and tumor growth inside or outside the bioprinted vasculature area. A549 and H1975 showed a strong tendency to migrate towards the bioprinted vascularized structure, growing as low compact structures. The H460 cell line formed small compact spheroid structures and did not prefer the vasculature area. We also compared cancer cell growth and morphology with and without vascular components to assess any effects of the vasculature on tumor growth. We observed that this study helps demonstrate the usefulness of the bioprinted vascularized lung tissue cancer model as an assay platform for screening for anti-cancer drugs in an assay that includes the tumor microenvironment. Keywords: 3D bioprinted, 3D cancer-vascularized lung tissue model, drug Screening, Citation Format: Fahimeh Shahabipour, Yuchi Yuchi Chen, Yen-Ting Tung, Marc Ferrer, Min Jae Song. An image based assay platform for drug screening with a 3D bioprinted vascularized lung cancer model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 5784.

Abstract 4603: Monoclonal P40 antibody BC28 identifies neoplastic cells with basal-like differentiation in a subset of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Abstract Background: Transcriptomic analysis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has identified classical and basal-like subtypes of PDAC as discrete entities with distinct outcomes that require transcriptomic analysis for accurate diagnosis. Adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas (ASPC) is a histologic variant of pancreatic cancer with a basal-like transcriptomic phenotype and a distinctly poor prognosis. Current guidelines for diagnosing ASPC require the presence of at least 30% squamous component. We hypothesized that classical and basal-like PDAC may exist along a spectrum with ASCP at one end. DeltaNp63 (P40) immunohistochemistry (IHC) is an excellent marker for diagnosing primary lung squamous cell carcinoma. The use of P40 IHC in pancreatic carcinoma is less well established. This study was performed to determine the percentage P40 positive cells in ASCP and PDAC. Method: Archived tissue slides and blocks from patients with PDAC (N = 58) and ASPC (N = 3) were retrieved from the files of Hoag Hospital using Hoag tumor registry data. Tissue sections of selected blocks from each case were stained by IHC using monoclonal anti-P40 antibody clone BC28 (Abcam, Waltham, Mass). IHC staining was performed with the BOND III automated immunostainer (Leica Biosystems, Nusslock, Germany). Any neoplastic cells with strong nuclear P40 staining were considered P40+. For tumors with P40+ neoplastic cells, the percentage of tumor surface area that contained P40+ neoplastic cells was estimated and the percentage of P40+ cells within the P40 positive component was estimated. IRB approval was obtained to conduct the study with exemption for patient consent. Results: Greater than 90% of the surface area and >90% of the tumor cells in each ASCP tumor studied were P40 positive. Within the 58 PDAC, 12 cases (21%) contained P40 positive tumor cells. The median percentage of P40 positive cells within the P40+ PDAC components was 3.5%. P40 positive cells were distributed focally in 10 cases and diffusely in 2 cases. In PDAC cases with focal P40 staining, the P40+ components represented between 5% and 50% of the total surface area of the tumor. Most P40+ neoplastic cells in PDAC were cytologically indistinguishable from P40 negative tumor cells, but a subset had a flattened shape and peripheral distribution within the neoplastic glands reminiscent of basal cells. The median length of follow-up/survival in the study cohort was 18 months. Thirty-one of the PDAC patients were alive and 24 were dead. The survival status of 3 patients was not recorded in the registry data. 42% of PDAC patients with P40+ cells were alive at the time of study whereas 60% of patients with P40 negative PDAC were alive, but this difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that a subset of PDAC contains a minor population of neoplastic cells with basal-like differentiation. Citation Format: Sourat Darabi, Derek Cridebring, Daniel Von Hoff, Haiyong Han, Michael J. Demeure, F. Scott Heinemann. Monoclonal P40 antibody BC28 identifies neoplastic cells with basal-like differentiation in a subset of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 4603.

Physical and Psychosocial Outcome Comparisons in Similar Groups of Pediatric Burn Patients in the US and Mexico: A National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Burn Model System Study.

Previous research has shown that 20 percent of pediatric massive burn survivors experience impairment in long-term physical function and psychosocial distress.1 Pediatric patients from the United States and Mexico with major burns likely receive similar care during the initial hospitalization given that many US burn centers treat children with injuries from Mexico. However, follow-up care may differ, possibly impacting physical and psychosocial outcomes. This retrospective cohort study investigated differences in psychological and physical outcomes between pediatric burn patients residing in the US and those residing in Mexico. Analysis included 100 patients, aged 8-17 years, residents of the US or Mexico, who were hospitalized for burn injuries between 2015 and 2023 and enrolled in the Burn Model System database. Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures Information System measures of physical and psychological functioning were analyzed. Using univariate analyses, there was a significant difference in severity of burns, with the patients from Mexico having greater total surface area of burn and increased likelihood of amputation. Differences in mechanism of burn, length of hospital stay, and ventilator days were not statistically significant when controlled for TBSA. Linear regression analyses examining the association between physical outcomes and country of residence (controlling for age, sex, TBSA, etiology of burn, and amputation) showed a significant difference in physical function outcomes at 6 months (p=0.012) but no difference in fatigue, pain interference, or pain intensity. Analysis of psychosocial outcomes showed no significant difference in anger, depression, anxiety, or peer relationships at 6 months.

Single center experience of the first 300 patients treated with bromelain-based enzymatic debridement.

Single center experience of the first 300 patients treated with bromelain-based enzymatic debridement.

Bacterial contamination of ultrasound probes in emergency departments: A multicentre observational study.

Ultrasound is frequently used in emergency departments (ED) for patient evaluation and diagnosis. Despite the risk of probe contamination from body fluids and blood, the rate of such contamination remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate bacterial contamination of ultrasound probes in EDs, focusing on hospital types and reprocessing methods. A multicentre prospective observational study was conducted at a university hospital, a non-academic tertiary hospital, and a regional hospital in 2023. Samples were collected from probes used on ED patients. Reprocessing methods included water-moistened wipes alone, water-moistened wipes with ethanol wipes, quaternary ammonium wipes alone, and quaternary ammonium wipes with ethanol or hypochlorite wipes. Outcomes included the level of bacterial contamination, measured by colony-forming units (CFU) per total surface area of each probe, and resistant bacterial strains. The median CFU was 10 (IQR: 0-50) at the university hospital, 40 (10-135) at the non-academic tertiary hospital, and 30 (1-95) at the regional hospital. By reprocessing method, the median CFU was 20 (1-90) for water-moistened wipes alone, 10 (0-20) for water-moistened wipes and additional ethanol wipe, 90 (40-180) for quaternary ammonium wipes alone, and 20 (1-50) for quaternary ammonium wipe and additional ethanol or hypochlorite wipe. Resistant bacterial strains were found on 18.2% of probes. High levels of bacterial contamination, including resistant strains, were observed on ultrasound probes in EDs, regardless of facility type and reprocessing method. Not applicable.

Implementation of a multimodal pain protocol in adult burn patients.

Implementation of a multimodal pain protocol in adult burn patients.

Modification of coconut insoluble dietary fiber by enzymatic extraction and high-pressure homogenization: physicochemical property changes and inhibitory effects on pancreatic lipase activity.

Modification of coconut insoluble dietary fiber by enzymatic extraction and high-pressure homogenization: physicochemical property changes and inhibitory effects on pancreatic lipase activity.

Synergistic Treatment with Ozone Water and Morpholine Fatty Acid Salts Improves Postharvest Quality in Mandarin Oranges.

Citrus rot seriously reduces the quality of citrus, causes economic losses, and is an urgent problem for the citrus industry. Effective preservation and pretreatment methods have an important impact on the maintenance of mandarin orange quality. In this study, mandarin orange was pretreated through single and synergistic treatments with ozone water and morpholine fatty acid salts in order to assess their effects on the fruit's physicochemical properties. First, the parameters of the ozone water treatment, including time and ozone water concentration, were optimized to determine the optimal pretreatment conditions for the subsequent mandarin orange preservation. Subsequently, the mandarin oranges subjected to different pretreatments (ozone water, morpholine fatty acid salts, ozone water + morpholine fatty acid salts, water, and blank control) were stored at 25 ± 2 °C and 75% relative humidity for 20 d to simulate retail conditions (shelf-life). Finally, the surface microbial content, firmness, weight loss, total soluble solids content, respiration rate, decay rate, and surface morphology of mandarin orange peel were assessed during the storage period. The results showed that the synergistic treatment with ozone water and morpholine fatty acid salts significantly reduced the surface microbial content (Lg CFU/g = 3.91), weight loss (2.79%), decay rate (2.5%), and firmness losses on day 20 compared to other single treatments (p < 0.05). Hence, synergistic treatment with ozone water and morpholine fatty acid salts is a new green mandarin orange preservation technology with promising applications in controlling postharvest diseases and extending the storage period.

Diamond Wire Wear and Its Effect on Surface Quality in Cutting of Monocrystalline Silicon.

Monocrystalline silicon is widely used in the semiconductor industry. During wafer machining with a diamond wire saw (DWS), a worn diamond wire can affect the slicing quality. To assess the effect of diamond wire wear on wafer machining, in this study, the impact of diamond wire wear on the wafer's total thickness variation (TTV) and surface quality was examined at a wire velocity of 1.8 m/s and a feed rate of 0.5 mm/min. Through a single-factor experiment, the effects of the wire velocity, feed rate, and workpiece thickness on diamond wire wear were explored. The outcomes demonstrate that the wear rate was higher in the early and late wear periods, and the wafer machining quality was poor in these two periods. During the stable wear period, the machined wafer exhibited high quality, while the wear rate remained stable. Under the condition of machining the same area of the workpiece, with an increase in wire velocity, the wear quantity for the diamond wire was reduced. As the feed rate and workpiece thickness increased, the wear quantity of the diamond wire increased. The diamond wire wear remained roughly constant when the wire velocity and feed rate increased at the same ratio.

Ice nucleating particle sources and transports between the Central and Southern Arctic regions during winter cold air outbreaks

Ice nucleating particles (INPs) initiate ice formation, affecting the liquid versus ice distribution and radiative properties of clouds. INPs have been measured around the Arctic, but few INP concentration measurements have been reported for air during movement south out of central Arctic pack ice regions during cold air outbreaks (CAOs). We analyzed cases of transports connecting the Central Arctic location of the Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition to the near sea ice edge in Svalbard and across ice-free ocean to the Cold-air Outbreaks in the Marine Boundary Layer Experiment (COMBLE) site at Andenes, Norway, during the 2019–2020 Arctic winter. Aerosol surface area concentration measurements during CAOs indicate a switch from primarily accumulation mode at MOSAiC toward marine coarse mode (from sea spray emissions) at COMBLE. INP concentrations were independent of aerosol surface area or volume over the pack ice in MOSAiC in winter. At Svalbard, INPs related best to supermicron aerosol surface area and supermicron volume. At the COMBLE site, INPs related best with total aerosol surface area and total aerosol volume. In 5 of 6 case studies analyzed, INP concentrations increased in association with the transition to a dominance of sea spray aerosols. The INPs at COMBLE had a unique INP concentration mode near −18°C and higher ice nucleation active site densities (e.g., INPs per surface area) compared to those previously reported for other open ocean regions dominated by marine aerosols. While the INP sources in this case appear to be from oceanic emissions from shallower oceans under turbid water conditions, attribution solely to sea spray aerosols versus mixing down of free tropospheric aerosols by CAO clouds remains as a future topic. These studies provide a basis for parameterization of INPs for numerical modeling studies of CAO cloud systems.

Examining the effect of preoperative antibiotics for skin grafting surgery on the microbiome in burn patients: a pilot study

Aim: Severely burn injured patients present in an immunocompromised state with loss of skin integrity. Systemic antibiotics are necessary to treat infection in this population, but even small doses may select resistant organisms and alter the host microbiome. Despite this, preoperative antibiotics in burn injury remain debated and their impact on the host microbiome has not been fully elucidated. This work examined the effect of a single preoperative antibiotic dose on the microbiome and clinical outcomes in burn patients. Methods: Patients with burns &lt; 10% total body surface area (TBSA) requiring a single excision and grafting operation were enrolled and randomized to receive a single preoperative dose of cefazolin (ABX) or no antibiotics (no-ABX). Blood samples, wound swabs, and buccal swabs were obtained serially during and after hospitalization to determine bacterial taxonomy characteristics. Graft loss was determined at clinic follow-up. Results: In ABX patients, there were 29 enriched bacterial taxa within wound beds at dressing takedown [log(LDA) ≥ 2, P ≤ 0.05] and greater than 10 bacterial taxa in buccal swabs at follow-up [log(LDA) ≥ 2, P ≤ 0.05]. There was increasing alpha diversity in ABX patients intraoperatively and at dressing takedown. There were no significant differences in graft loss between groups. Extremophile infiltration was noted in oral and wound microbiomes in ABX patients. Conclusion: Though not affected clinically, these data suggest that a single preoperative antibiotic dose significantly impacts the wound and oral microbiome. Innovative approaches to examining the antibiotic impact on the host microbiome of burn patients may help better tailor antibiotic stewardship.

Experiences from Burn Registry Pilot Study in Northern India: Patient Profile and Implementation Perspectives.

In India, burns represent a serious public health concern due to high death and disability rates. A national burn registry was proposed under the National Program on Prevention and Management of Burn Injuries. This study reports experiences from the first pilot burn registry in India, presenting patient profiles and implementation perspectives. Five burn centres were selected to implement a prospective, multicentric burn registry in northern India. Every burn patient at the study sites who met the inclusion criteria was recruited. Patients' sociodemographic and burn injury profiles, determinants of mortality, and predictors of poor recovery outcome (death or discharge with disability) are presented based on descriptive, bivariate and binary logistic regression analyses. From August 2020 to March 2022, a total of 908 patients were enrolled, with 61% being male and 39% female. Approximately 43% of acute burn patients were referred from other health facilities. The most frequent causes of burns were flame (37%), hot liquid (28%), and electric (28%). Accidental burns accounted for 88% of cases, with 73% occurring at patients' homes, and 48% being classified as major burns (≥20% Total Body Surface Area [TBSA]). Mortality was significantly higher among female patients with TBSA higher than 40% and non-accidental burns. The odds of poor recovery were higher for TBSA >40%, electric burns, and non-accidental burns. The implementation experience highlights the need to broaden the scope of the burn registry to include more comprehensive data, which can enhance the planning and delivery of burn care services.

Prenatal alcohol exposure alters brain structure and neurocognitive outcomes for 6‐ to 7‐year‐old children in a South African birth cohort

AbstractBackgroundSeveral studies have demonstrated an association between prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and altered brain structure. However, more research is needed to understand how structural brain changes may influence neurocognitive performance in children with PAE at the age of school entry. We investigated the associations between PAE and cortical and subcortical gray matter morphology and whether PAE‐related structural brain changes mediate the associations between PAE and neurocognitive outcomes in 6‐ to 7‐year‐old children.MethodsOne hundred fifty‐eight children (49 PAE, 109 unexposed controls; 46% female; mean age 76 ± 5 months) who participated in a brain imaging substudy of the population‐based Drakenstein Child Health Study were included. The children had moderate‐to‐high PAE without other substance exposure, except prenatal tobacco exposure. T1‐weighted brain structural scans were acquired using a 3T MRI scanner. General linear models and mediation analyses tested the associations of PAE with cortical and subcortical metrics and associated neurocognitive outcomes.ResultsPAE was associated with a smaller total cortical surface area and had multivariate effects on regional cortical volume and surface area in the temporal lobe. The smaller volume and surface area of the left middle temporal gyrus mediated associations between PAE and neurocognitive outcomes for numeracy and mathematics and/or cognition and executive functioning. Findings persisted when adjusting for age, sex, maternal education, prenatal tobacco exposure, and, in volumetric and surface area models, intracranial volume.ConclusionThis study suggests that there is persistent altered brain structural development in children with PAE, consistent with previous findings in this cohort at infancy and age 2–3 years. Cortical changes in regions known to play a role in numeracy and semantic memory mediated associations between PAE and neurocognitive deficits, highlighting clinical relevance. Efforts to prevent PAE and improve neurocognitive development in children with PAE should be implemented as early as possible after birth.

Brucella anthropi bacteremia in an immunocompromised patient due to severe burn infection

We present a clinical case of Brucella anthropi bacteremia associated with a central line catheter in an immunocompetent patient with a long hospital stay owing to complications from a burn injury. This is a man in his 20s who was admitted several days after being burned with oil (chicken fat) on the chest, upper limbs, genital area, and thighs, affecting 12% of the total body surface. The patient underwent various surgical procedures and subsequent skin grafting. The patient’s progress was good after infection associated with the central venous catheter was treated, and the lesions were covered.

Geomorphological Effects of Land Reclamation on the Coastal Plain East of the Venice Lagoon (Italy)

The present study aimed at identifying the transformations that occurred since the 1600s in a low-lying territory located east of the Venice Lagoon. The environmental modifications were examined in a GIS environment through the interpretation of multidisciplinary data. The analysis of historical maps realized from 1641 to 1943, as well as aerial photographs and satellite images taken in the last few decades, was fundamental to reconstruct the evolution of the study area mainly in relation to anthropogenic processes. Over the past few centuries, various attempts of land reclamation partially or totally failed. However, even if an overall general decrease in both the total pond surface area and the marsh extension has been observed since the 19th century, the territory appeared entirely dry back only in the 1940s owing to the efficacy of the main most recent works.

Amputations in adult burns patients: a 10-year retrospective study.

Amputation is an uncommon but potentially life-changing complication of burns. No studies of amputation among UK burns patients currently exist. A 10-year review of burns patients with amputations at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham was conducted. Descriptive analysis was undertaken to identify patient characteristics. Statistical analysis was conducted to identify relationships between patient and injury details and the number of amputations, and relationships between the number of amputations and patient outcomes. Thirty-five adult burns patients (mean age 48.1 years, 65.7% male) were identified, 62.9% of whom suffered flame burns. The median total body surface area (TBSA) burned was 24%. The amputation risk among admitted burns patients was 1.2%. Major burns patients (≥25% TBSA burned) underwent more minor (p=0.018) and upper limb amputations (p=0.035) compared with minor burns patients. Median length of hospital stay was 67.5 days. Length of stay was positively correlated with the number of total (p=0.001), minor (p=0.004) and upper limb (p=0.002) amputations. In total, 67.6% of amputees underwent revisional procedures. The number of revisions was positively correlated with the number of major (p=0.010) and lower limb (p=0.001) amputations. A minority of adult burns patients underwent amputations. Patient and injury information may predict a greater number of amputations, which in turn may predict longer hospital stays and a requirement for more revisional procedures. This information could be used to better counsel patients about their likely outcomes. A multicentre case-control study is required to clarify risk factors for amputation in burns.