Percale

Despite providing considerable benefits to society, dams and weirs threaten riverine ecosystems by disrupting movement and migration of aquatic animals and degrading riverine habitats. Whilst the ecological impacts of large dams are well studied, the ecological effects of low-head weirs that are periodically drowned out by high flows are less well-understood. Here we examine the effects of a low-head weir on fine- and broad-scale movements, habitat use, and breeding behaviour of three species of native freshwater fish in the Nymboida River in coastal eastern Australia...

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to assess safety and efficacy of pre-operative assessment for internal mucosal rectal prolapse (IMRP) in internal hemorrhoids, in order to achieve a tailored transanal stapled surgery. METHODS: All consecutive patients (January 2011 to December 2014; age 18-80 years), affected by prolapses with II-IV degrees hemorrhoids that underwent Longo procedure with EEA® Auto Suture stapler (Covidien) were included in the present study...

Vaginal cuff dehiscence is a rare complication of hysterectomies which seems to be more frequent after surgery with laparoscopic suture of the cuff. We present a clinical case of evisceration of the small bowel emerging from vaginal cuff dehiscence, successfully repaired by positioning a low profile polypropylene ePTFE mesh*.

BACKGROUND: Ventricular fibrillation is routinely induced during implantable cardioverter-defibrillator insertion to assess defibrillator performance, but this strategy is experiencing a progressive decline. We aimed to assess the efficacy of defibrillator therapies and long-term outcome in a cohort of patients that underwent defibrillator implantation with and without defibrillation testing. METHODS: Retrospective observational series of consecutive patients undergoing initial defibrillator insertion or generator replacement...

Delineation of the fish family Percichthyidae (Percomorphaceae) has a long and convoluted history, with recent morphological-based studies restricting species members to South American and Australian freshwater and catadromous temperate perches. Four recent nuclear gene-based phylogenetic studies, however, found that the Percichthyidae was not monophyletic and was nested within a newly discovered inter-familial clade of Percomorphaceae, the Centrarchiformes, which comprises the Centrarchidae and 12 other families...

How individuals respond to environmental change determines the strength and direction of biological processes like recruitment and growth that underpin population productivity. Ascertaining the relative importance of environmental factors can, however, be difficult given the numerous mechanisms through which they affect individuals. This is especially true in dynamic and complex estuarine environments. Here, we develop long-term otolith-based indices of recruitment and growth for estuary perch Percalates colonorum (Bemm River, Australia), to explore the importance of intrinsic (individual, demographic) and extrinsic (hydrologic, climatic, density-dependent) factors in driving estuarine fish productivity...

BACKGROUND: The improvement in intracorporeal anastomotic techniques and the consequent switch from a laparo-assisted (LA) to a totally laparoscopic (TL) right colectomy seem to have overcome the initial concerns, giving rise to the widespread use of such a procedure. By comparing the LA and TL approaches, our study was aimed at verifying the possible advantages of the more recent technique, while also focusing on some technical implications for the surgeon. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We prospectively collected and matched data from 27 consecutive LA right colectomies and 28 consecutive TL right colectomies (TLRCs)...

Proteins of the animal heme peroxidase (ANP) superfamily differ greatly in size since they have either one or two catalytic domains that match profile PS50292. The orf PP_2561 of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 that we have called PepA encodes a two-domain ANP. The alignment of these domains with those of PepA homologues revealed a variable number of insertions with the consensus G-x-D-G-x-x-[GN]-[TN]-x-D-D. This motif has also been detected in the structure of pseudopilin (pdb 3G20), where it was found to be involved in Ca(2+) coordination although a sequence analysis did not reveal the presence of any known calcium binding motifs in this protein...

BACKGROUND: Subtotal colectomy with antiperistaltic cecorectal anastomosis (SCCRA) has proved to be an effective alternative to total colectomy for the treatment of severe slow-transit constipation. The laparoscopic approach has made this procedure even more attractive. This is the first controlled trial on laparoscopic SCCRA. The study compares the laparoscopic and the open approach. METHODS: Since 2001, all SCCRAs have been performed laparoscopically at our institution...

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of subtotal colectomy with cecorectal anastomosis (SCCA) in the treatment of slow-transit constipation, not just in terms of symptom resolution but also the overall impact on patients' quality of life. METHODS: Between 1991 and 2005, 43 patients underwent SCCA at our institution, 22 for slow-transit constipation (STC) and 21 for other types of colic diffuse disease (non-slow-transit constipation: NSTC), the latter being considered controls...