Corticosteroid treatment has no effect on hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Since the start of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, corticosteroid use has been the subject of debate. The available evidence is uncertain, and knowledge on the subject is evolving. The aim of our cohort study was to evaluate the association between corticosteroid therapy and hospital mortality, in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 after balancing for possible confounders. One thousand four hundred forty four patients were admitted to our hospital with a positive RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2, 559 patients (39%) were exposed to corticosteroids during hospital stay, 844 (61%) were not exposed to corticosteroids. In the cohort of patients exposed to corticosteroids, 171 (30.6%) died. In the cohort of patients not exposed to corticosteroids, 183 (21.7%) died (unadjusted p < 0.001). Nonetheless, exposure to corticosteroids was not associated with in-hospital mortality after balancing with overlap weight propensity score (adjusted p = 0.25). Patients in the corticosteroids cohort had a reduced risk of ICU admission (adjusted p < 0.001). Treatment with corticosteroids did not affect hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 after balancing for confounders. A possible advantage of corticosteroid therapy was to reduce Intensive Care Unit admission, which could be useful in reducing pressure on Intensive Care Units in times of limited resources, as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Superior mesenteric vein thrombosis following open right hemicolectomy and cholecystectomy. Casr report.

AIM: Superior mesenteric vein thrombosis (SMVT) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening postoperative complication of colorectal surgery. Risk factors and prognosis of SMVT have been poorly described and data to create gold standard criteria for diagnosis and management are lacking. SMVT has a wide spectrum of clinical presentation, hence, its early identification may be a diagnostic challenge. CASE REPORT: 56 year old obese female patient with inherited prothrombotic condition underwent an open right hemicolectomy plus cholecystectomy; the immediate postoperative course was uneventful but on postoperative day 8, already at home, she experienced post-prandial abdominal pain without any other local or systemic signs or symptoms. The CT scan showed a complete thrombosis of the superior mesenteric vein without any bowel complications. Immediately submitted to systemic subcutaneous anticoagulation bridge therapy to a lifelong oral anticoagulation she had a complete clinical recovery on postoperative day 17, despite the persistence at CT scan of complete SMVT without any intestinal suffering. DISCUSSION: SMVT is a multifactorial event where both local and general factors are involved. Conclusive data about comparison of SMVT incidence in laparoscopic vs open colorectal surgery and those about its incidence in cancer vs non cancer groups of patients in relation to the surgical technique are missing. Variability of clinical course and the absence of specific signs, symptoms and laboratory findings make diagnosis of SMVT challenging, therefore it is crucial to have high suspicion. As for the treatment, first line approach is systemic anticoagulation therapy with LMWH for at least 6 months, followed by oral anticoagulation, the earlier we initiate the therapy the greater rate of recanalization we will get. CONCLUSION: prompt diagnosis and more aggressive thromboprophylaxis in patients with inherited or acquired risk factors may prevent the negative evolution towards bowel necrosis of SMVT. KEY WORDS: Colorectal surgery, Superior mesenteric vein thrombosis, Hypercoagulable disorders, Thromboprophylaxis.

Distribution and assessment of marine debris in the deep Tyrrhenian Sea (NW Mediterranean Sea, Italy).

Marine debris is a recognized global ecological concern. Little is known about the extent of the problem in the Mediterranean Sea regarding litter distribution and its influence on deep rocky habitats. A quantitative assessment of debris present in the deep seafloor (30-300 m depth) was carried out in 26 areas off the coast of three Italian regions in the Tyrrhenian Sea, using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The dominant type of debris (89%) was represented by fishing gears, mainly lines, while plastic objects were recorded only occasionally. Abundant quantities of gears were found on rocky banks in Sicily and Campania (0.09-0.12 debris m(-2)), proving intense fishing activity. Fifty-four percent of the recorded debris directly impacted benthic organisms, primarily gorgonians, followed by black corals and sponges. This work provides a first insight on the impact of marine debris in Mediterranean deep ecosystems and a valuable baseline for future comparisons.

Demography and conservation of the Mediterranean fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus): what clues can be obtained from photo-identification data.

Long-lived and slow reproducing species, such as cetaceans, are among the most critical conservation units: a demographic approach can be very useful for their management and conservation. In the present work, we examined, by demographic tools, the most exhaustive photo-identification database available for the Mediterranean fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) population, recorded by Tethys Research Institute between 1990 and 2007 in the Western Ligurian Sea. A total of 31,782 km were covered and 548 fin whale sightings were recorded. The occurrence of the target species was uneven across the years and months: an anomalous reduction of sightings occurred between 2001 and 2004. Moreover, the target species is likely to concentrate in the study area in the summer months and probably moves to other areas in the early autumn. Using the photo-identification technique, 431 different individuals were photo-identified, but only 318 of them were sized: 6 calves (≤ 10 meters), 33 immature (10-15 m), 261 adolescent-adult (> 15 m) and 18 olds (≥ 20 m). For the first time the site of the fin whale sub-population in the Pelagos Sanctuary was obtained by photo-identification and mark-recapture techniques. These techniques were used to estimate the site of the sub-population composed by individuals > 15 meters as 539 fin whales (95% confidence interval = 345-732) over the period 1990-1999. The number of calves was likely underestimated, as the sighting period (late spring-summer) was shifted with respect to the peak of births (late autumn). To fill this gap of knowledge we propose a simple mathematical model for the yearly dynamics of calves. After correcting the number of calves, a static life history table for the period 1990-2007 was set out. Our results highlight the highest survival proportions between calf and immature (61.1%) and the minimum between adolescent-adult and old (2.5%) vital stages. The overall life expectancy is estimated to be 6.3 years while the life expectancy of individuals entering the adolescent-adult stage is 14.3 years. This paper aims at providing a contribution for improving the conservation efforts and the demographic knowledge on fin whales in the Pelagos Sanctuary.

Applying cathodically polarised substrata to the restoration of a high value coral.

Larval settlement of the high value red coral, Corallium rubrum, was studied on three different CaCO(3) substrata, viz. lithogenic (marble), electro-accreted calcium carbonate in the presence and in the absence of cathodic polarisation. The last two substrata consisted of stainless steel plates galvanically coupled with Zn anodes. The electrochemical characterization of the settlement device was studied in order to investigate correlations between cathodic parameters (polarisation potential, current density, calcareous deposit composition) and larval settlement. The results obtained in the natural habitat (at 35 m depth) showed that settlement was five times lower on the electro-accreted aragonite in the presence of low cathodic current densities (i≤1 µA cm(-2)) compared to both marble tiles and electro-accreted aragonite in the absence of polarisation. These last two substrata showed similar settlement values. The implications of these findings on restoration strategies for C. rubrum are discussed.

Population dynamics and conservation biology of the over-exploited Mediterranean red coral.

The main goal of ecologists is nowadays to foster habitat and species conservation. Life-history tables and Leslie-Lewis transition matrices of population growth can be powerful tools suitable for the study of age-structured over harvested and/or endangered species dynamics. Red coral (Corallium rubrum L 1758) is a modular anthozoan endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. This slow growing, long lived species has been harvested since ancient times. In the last decades harvesting pressure increased and the overall Mediterranean yield reduced by 23. Moreover, mass mortality (putatively-linked to global warming) recently affected some coastal populations of this species. Red coral populations are discrete genetic units, gonochoric, composed by several overlapping generations and provided of a discrete (annual) reproduction. A population of this precious octocoral was studied in detail and its static life table was compiled. In order to simulate the trends overtime of the population under different environmental conditions and fishing pressures, a discrete, non-linear model, based on Leslie-Lewis transition matrix, was applied to the demographic data. In this model a bell-shaped curve, based on experimental data, representing the dependence of recruitment on adult colonies density was included. On these bases the stability of the population under different density, reproduction and mortality figures was analysed and simulations of the population trends overtime were set out. Some simulations were also carried out applying to the studied population the mortality values measured during the anomalous mass mortality event which really affected some red coral populations in 1999. The population under study showed high stability and a strong resilience capability, surviving to a 61% reduction of density, to a 27.7% reduction of reproduction rate and to an unselective harvesting affecting 95% of the reproductive colonies.

Ecology through time, an overview.

This brief review is an attempt to condense the major events in the history of Ecology into short 10 sections. In little more than two generations, a new science has emerged and developed into a fundamental part of our lives, spurred on by increasing interest in "natural systems" and concerns over the environmental changes we are witnessing. Ecology, rather neglected until the early decades of last century, flourished and established itself as mature science during the mid-1900s, producing many theories, models, hypothesis and trends of thought. Ecology deals with interacting natural systems and eclectically applies tools drawn from several different sciences (Biology, Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry, Geology, Physics and so on). The beauty of the subject and its multidisciplinary approach makes Ecology extremely intriguing for researchers. One of the main goals of Ecology is to forecast population, community and ecosystem trends over time. Ecological systems are complex: they are composed of such a large number of different, interacting components that their overall behavior can only be understood in terms of emerging properties. Therefore, some interactions and effects are difficult to predict. However, some insights into population and community trends can be inferred from exhaustive data sets and sufficiently long-term, time-series data and dynamic models. Unfortunately, due to the limited funding of environmental data collection, only a few exhaustive, long-term samplings have been carried out, and systematic record keeping for the purposes of ecological research has only recently become widespread. However, it is still possible to garner some insights from historical reports (proxies), which clearly show how the population structures of most of today's communities have been affected by human activities. This short review is based on a talk given at Arcidosso (Grosseto, Italy) during the September, 2005 workshop: "Scientific research and society during the last fifty years", organized by the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Complex Systems of the University of Pisa (CISSC), in cooperation with the Domus Galilaeana. The talk was addressed to scientists in various fields with the threefold aim of presenting Ecology as a true science, stimulating curiosity and laying the bases for further insights. We hope that this review, as brief as it is, may at least partially attain such goals.