WSES Jerusalem guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis

Acute appendicitis (AA) is among the most common cause of acute abdominal pain. Diagnosis of AA is challenging; a variable combination of clinical signs and symptoms has been used together with laboratory findings in several scoring systems proposed for suggesting the probability of AA and the possible subsequent management pathway. The role of imaging in the diagnosis of AA is still debated, with variable use of US, CT and MRI in different settings worldwide. Up to date, comprehensive clinical guidelines for diagnosis and management of AA have never been issued. In July 2015, during the 3rd World Congress of the WSES, held in Jerusalem (Israel), a panel of experts including an Organizational Committee and Scientific Committee and Scientific Secretariat, participated to a Consensus Conference where eight panelists presented a number of statements developed for each of the eight main questions about diagnosis and management of AA. The statements were then voted, eventually modified and finally approved by the participants to The Consensus Conference and lately by the board of co-authors. The current paper is reporting the definitive Guidelines Statements on each of the following topics: 1) Diagnostic efficiency of clinical scoring systems, 2) Role of Imaging, 3) Non-operative treatment for uncomplicated appendicitis, 4) Timing of appendectomy and in-hospital delay, 5) Surgical treatment 6) Scoring systems for intra-operative grading of appendicitis and their clinical usefulness 7) Non-surgical treatment for complicated appendicitis: abscess or phlegmon 8) Pre-operative and post-operative antibiotics.Peer reviewe

On the dispersion systems of graphene-like two-dimensional materials: From fundamental laws to engineering guidelines

Dispersion systems such as solutions, suspensions and composites are frequently studied in the field of graphene and two-dimensional materials. The rapid development of these materials demands comprehensive insight into their dispersion systems. Here we present an innovative and systematic investigation on the dispersion systems of graphene-like two-dimensional materials. It is found that different dispersion systems exhibit similar fundamental laws which can be described based on a Most Probable Percolation Threshold (MPPT) theory. Two-dimensional sheets contact with their neighboring ones at around their MPPT concentrations and thus lead to sudden changes in various properties of dispersion systems, such as liquid crystal behavior, viscosity, mechanical strength, electrical conductivity and thermal properties. Starting from the MPPT theory, six new strategic guidelines for the engineering of dispersion systems are established. Based on these studies, we find that, appropriate size, appropriate thickness, and appropriate concentration, are the keys to the success of 2dMs dispersion systems in practical applications, and the MPPT theory could tell where it is appropriate. These investigations provide new theories, methodologies and guidelines for the science, engineering and developments of graphene and two-dimensional materials. © 2016 Elsevier Lt

Novel analysis of the Harderian gland transcriptome response to Newcastle disease virus in two inbred chicken lines

Abstract Behind each eye of the chicken resides a unique lymph tissue, the Harderian gland, for which RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis is novel. We characterized the response of this tissue to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in two inbred lines with different susceptibility to NDV across three time points. Three-week-old relatively resistant (Fayoumi) and relatively susceptible (Leghorn) birds were inoculated with a high-titered (107EID50) La Sota strain of NDV via an oculonasal route. At 2, 6, and 10 days post infection (dpi) Harderian glands were collected and analyzed via RNA-seq. The Fayoumi had significantly more detectable viral transcripts in the Harderian gland at 2 dpi than the Leghorn, but cleared the virus by 6 dpi. At all three time points, few genes were declared differentially expressed (DE) between the challenged and nonchallenged birds, except for the Leghorns at 6 dpi, and these DE genes were predicted to activate an adaptive immune response. Relative to the Leghorn, the Fayoumi was predicted to activate more immune pathways in both challenged and nonchallenged birds suggesting a more elevated immune system in the Fayoumis under homeostatic conditions. Overall, this study helped characterize the function of this important tissue and its response to NDV