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Purpose To determine the risk for infection in trigger finger release surgery after preoperative corticosteroid injection. Methods We retrospectively evaluated all patients undergoing trigger finger release by 16 surgeons over a 2-year period. Data collected included demographic information, medical comorbidities, trigger finger(s) operated on, presence of a prior corticosteroid injection, date of most recent corticosteroid injection, postoperative signs of infection, and need for surgery owing to deep infection. Superficial infection was defined per Centers for Disease Control criteria. Deep infection was defined as the need for surgery related to a surgical site infection. Results In this cohort of 2,480 fingers in 1,857 patients undergoing trigger release surgery, 53 (2.1%) developed an infection (41 superficial [1.7%] and 12 deep [0.5%]). Before surgery, 1,137 fingers had no corticosteroid injection. These patients developed 1 deep (0.1%) and 17 superficial (1.5%) infections. In contrast, 1,343 fingers had been given a corticosteroid injection before surgery. These patients developed 11 deep (0.8%) and 24 superficial (1.8%) infections. Median time from corticosteroid injection to trigger release surgery was shorter for fingers that developed a deep infection (63 days) compared with those that developed no infection (183 days). The risk for developing a deep infection in patients who were operated on within 90 days of an injection (8 infections in 395 fingers) was increased compared with patients who were operated on greater than 90 days after an injection (3 infections in 948 fingers). Conclusions Preoperative corticosteroid injections are associated with a small but statistically significantly increased rate of deep infection after trigger finger release surgery. The risk for postoperative deep infection seems to be time dependent and greater when injections are performed within 90 days of surgery, especially in the 31- to 90-day postinjection period. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.

We undertake a comparative mammalian zoogeographic analysis with the aim of revealing the extent to which the Dmanisi Early Pleistocene large mammal assemblage resembles, at the genus level, African, Arabian, and Eurasian localities of similar age. The inclusion of Old World Pliocene and Pleistocene mammalian faunas provides us with insights into the provincial origins of specific mammalian taxa and permits us to assess the relative affiliation of the Dmanisi mammalian faunas to other faunas in the Old World. Our analysis also allows us to consider hypotheses about the timing and direction of zoogeographic connections between western Eurasia and Africa during the Early Pleistocene. We utilize multiple zoogeographic analytical tools as a cross-comparison of Dmanisi with 42 other Eurasian and African mammalian-bearing localities between 2.7 and 0.7 Ma. Overall, we find that Dmanisi compares most closely with a subgroup of Greek, Italian, and Spanish localities that are slightly younger than Dmanisi itself. This could suggest a progressive dispersal from East to West of the large mammal communities during the late Early Pleistocene and the first occurrence at Dmanisi, and then later in Western Europe, of some taxa such as Stephanorhinus ex gr. etruscus-hundsheimensis, Equus altidens, Bison georgicus, Soergelia minor, Megantereon whitei, Canis borjgali, Canis (Xenocyon) lycaonoides. Dmanisi's habitats included drier areas, probably of open wooded savannah and grassland and by mountainous to semiarid rocky terrain. There is evidence that Dmanisi records short intervals of increased aridity in the middle part of the succession contemporaneous with the occurrence of Homo.

Altres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya The carnivore guild of the Early Pleistocene site of Dmanisi is among the most diverse of the Early Pleistocene of the entire Old World. It includes 14 carnivoran taxa: Homotherium latidens, Megantereon whitei, Panthera onca georgica, Acinonyx pardinensis, Lynx issiodorensis; Pachycrocuta brevirostris; Canis (Xenocyon) lycaonoides, Canis borjgali, Vulpes alopecoides; Ursus etruscus; Lutra sp., Martes sp., Meles sp., and Pannonictis sp. The analysis of this rich carnivore guild was carried out under different methodological approaches to compare the assemblage with other chronological coeval European, Asian, and African sites from a paleobiological perspective. To achieve the goal, we used a permutational hierarchical method called boostrapping cluster analysis based on taxonomic absence/presence matrices (at both generic and specific level) and on ecological matrices (considering dietary preferences/hunting strategies of each carnivoran) and carried out Mantels tests assessing magnitude of time, space, ecology, and taxonomy as source of difference between guilds. Our results suggest a close similarity among the Dmanisi carnivore assemblage and other guilds recorded from European late Villafranchian sites such as Pirro Nord, Venta Micena, and Apollonia 1 and, in a lesser extent, to European Epivillafranchian sites as Vallonnet, Untermassfeld, or the Vallparadís Section. Early to Middle Pleistocene Asian carnivore assemblages display several similarities with the Dmanisi guild mainly in the record and diversity of felid and the canid ecomorphotypes. Eastern African sites such as Olduvai and Omo, as well as South African sites, display a lower similarity with the studied sample, basically for the most diverse hyenid taphocoenoses. To sum up, the present study suggests a close similarity between the Dmanisi carnivore guild and other European Late Early Pleistocene assemblages without close parallels with African or Asian assemblages.

The insular environment of Sardinia is renowned for its extensive palaeontological Palaeogene record, extending from the Eocene until recent times. In Sardinia, one of the most important localities for Quaternary faunas is the fillings of the karst fissures of the Monte Tuttavista site complex, which contain an impressive amount of fossil remains of around 70 vertebrate taxa. Several studies that have examined the network of the karst fissure cavities and their fossils have revealed some issues regarding the biochronological ordering, as well as some peculiarities in the recovered faunal associations (such as the presence of several carnivores). In this study, we analysed the record of the two large mustelids from this site, the genera Pannonictis and Enhydrictis. Our analyses point out several singular morphological and morphometric features of these taxa that suggest their attribution to two new species, Pannonictis baroniensis nov. sp. and Enhydrictis praegalictoides nov. sp. The proportions and the robust morphologies of P. baroniensis resemble those of other European taxa, such as P. pliocaenica, although other dentognatic and cranial features exclude a conspecific identity with previously known taxa. Conversely, E. praegalictoides represents the earliest member of the genus and shows a mixed pattern of derived features that are shared with the peculiar E. galictoides recovered from other Middle-Late Pleistocene Sardinian localities, as well as other more primitive characteristics that do not occur in this endemic mustelid. Considering the controversial debate regarding the evolutionary history of the tribe Galictini, the record of these new endemic species expands our knowledge of the systematics and the biogeography of the galictines and enriches the diversity of the tribe during the Early and Middle Pleistocene.

A number of recent genetic and systematic reviews have changed our knowledge of the taxonomy of Mustelidae. In particular, the subfamily Galictinae Reig, 1956 has been recently grouped in the subfamily Ictonychinae Pocock, 1921. Among the Eurasian fossil taxa of this subfamily, the first to be described were Enhydrictis Major, 1901 and Pannonictis Kormos, 1931. The latter genus is well characterised from the Plio-Pleistocene deposits of central and southern Europe, whereas Enhydrictis is an endemic and enigmatic form, recovered from late Pleistocene localities of Sardinia. Other recent studies have revealed a more palaeodiverse and complex taxonomic scenario than was previously thought. Based on various evidence, this review proposes a reinterpretation of the material of the galictini from early Pleistocene sites such as St. Vallier and Olivola, historically named “Mustela” ardea Gervais, 1848–1852, and its attribution to Martellictis gen. nov. The definition of Martellictis ardea reveals a more complex systematic panorama of western Eurasian Ictonychinae, and at the same time, this re-ascription stresses the importance of understanding the possible origin of the different morphological adaptations (such as those of Enhydrictis) and clarifying the phylogenetic relationships among these taxa.

The North African fossil record of the family Canidae is scarce and scattered and for this reason poorly known. This is particularly true for the genus Canis, fossils of which only come from a few sites of Morocco and Algeria. Here, we provide the description of the first material of Canis from the early Middle Pleistocene site of Wadi Sarrat (Tunisia), recovered in association with other fossil mammal taxa and Acheulian lithic artifacts. A cranial specimen is described and compared to other fossil and extant canid species by anatomical and morphometric analyses. The specimen shows cranio-dental morphologies and proportions considerably different from other fossil and extant African canids. Remarkably, its proportions resemble more closely those of Eurasian Early-Middle Pleistocene taxa, e.g., Canis mosbachensis Soergel, 1925, although its principal morphological features cannot be referred to any of the known Eurasian taxa. Therefore, we suggest to ascribe this material to a new species of canid, Canis othmanii sp. nov. The presence of new species of Canis with Eurasian affinities in the northern part of the African continent has a high significance for the fossil record of this region, as well as strong implications on the paleobiogeography of canids during the Middle Pleistocene.

Several species of the genus Canis (Carnivora: Canidae) have been recorded from the European Early Pleistocene, but the phylogenetic relationships among them and in relation to extant members of this genus are still unclear. This is particularly true for the medium-sized and wolf-like extinct species Canis mosbachensis. It has been considered by many researchers as a descendant of the larger Canis etruscus and as a likely putative ancestor of extant wolves (Canis lupus). Other scholars, in contrast, have advocated instead for a closer relationship between C. mosbachensis and the extinct Canis arnensis, and even a close relationship between C. mosbachensis and C. lupus has been questioned. Here we describe the previously unpublished medium-sized Canis remains from the late Early Pleistocene site of Vallparadis Estacio, along with additional new Canis material from the roughly coeval site of Cueva Victoria (both in the Iberian Peninsula), and compare them qualitatively and morphometrically with both extant and extinct species of this genus. The described material most closely resembles in craniodental size and shape the remains from Central and Southern Europe that have been previously assigned to C. mosbachensis, to which they are hence formally attributed. The excellent preservation of the newly described specimens (which include the most complete skull of this taxon) enables the description of features previously unknown for this species, which further support a close phylogenetic link with living wolves. Based on the described material, we review the role played by C. mosbachensis in the evolutionary history of European fossil canids, and conclude that this extinct species is most closely related to C. lupus and other closely-allied species, such as Canis anthus and Canis latrans.

In this work, the objective is to examine a novel approach on the biodegradability of polystyrene is examined. A two-step method for the degradation of polystyrene to chemically useful products has been devised. Initially, polystyrene is liquefied via a thermal degradation procedure predominantly into styrene monomers at low temperatures and left to cool down. Application of microorganisms in a second step targets the breaking of the polymer into smaller organic molecules. Microorganisms tested were Rhodococcus zopfii stoecker, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas putida and Salmonella with the last two being the most effective. A third step is required to treat the organic products accordingly. The suggested method exhibits total conversion of polystyrene. While the method has only been examined on a small scale, its potential advantages for the recycling of polystyrene waste, are minimized energy costs due to low temperatures of thermal treatment used and the extremely fast degradation kinetics observed.

The fossil canid material recovered from the Early Pleistocene site of Poggio Rosso offers the opportunity to revise the taxonomical status of the Arno River dog, Canis arnensis . To date, the identification of this species is still a matter of debate due, on the one hand, to the poor state of preservation of the type specimens, and on the other hand to the lack of homogeneous descriptions and a clear diagnosis. The fossils recovered from Poggio Rosso show a good state of preservation with little (if any) plastic deformation, allowing re-evaluation of the dental and cranial characters typical of this species, as well as the proposal, for the first time, of a precise and specific diagnosis. The anatomical and morphometric features of C. arnensis exclude a close taxonomical relationship with the coeval Canis etruscus , suggesting instead a closer affinity to modern canids. The C. arnensis arrived in Italy around 1.9 Ma as the result of a dispersal event, and Poggio Rosso is the first Italian site recording the occurrence of this species. The dispersal of C. arnensis represents the arrival of the first modern canids in Europe and is therefore a significantly important biochronological event in European faunal assemblages.

The continuous search for hybrid inorganic–organic compounds to be used in a variety of applications points obviously to the abundant, cheap, and environmental friendly copper. Cu(I) complexes exhibit a high structural diversity and are emissive with several classes of ligands with properties varying markedly with structure and environment. Solid state materials that display reversible stimuli-responsive emission are attracting considerable attention because of their basic science interest and potential applications in sensors, displays, and memory fields. While the photochemical and photophysical properties of Cu(I) complexes and clusters have been extensively studied, their optoelectronic characterization in view of second order non linear optical and electroluminescent applications has been performed more recently. However, the excellent results so far obtained in studies concerning OLED devices based on some highly stable Cu(I) complexes have proved the great potentiality of these materials in low cost flat panel displays and solid state lighting technologies. This review gathers the literature concerning stimuli responsive, electroluminescent and second order non linear optical studies on Cu(I) compounds published up to late 2014.

Fossil foxes, genus Vulpes, are known since the Late Miocene of North America and the Old World but their record is utterly scarce, fragmentary, and referred to a number of different species, often of uncertain affinity. Although the European Pleistocene fossil record of foxes is relatively more abundant, several species were described on the basis of partial, scanty or incomplete specimens. Among them Vulpes alopecoides, V. praeglacialis and V. praecorsac. Here we describe in detail the holotype of V. alopecoides further including in the hypodigm of this species the only complete cranium of the European fossil record. Taking into account the inter- and intraspecific variability displayed by selected Vulpes species (e.g., red fox, arctic fox, corsac fox), we performed morphological and morphometric comparisons between the fossil remains from different European localities. The results clearly suggest that the interspecific variability of V. alopecoides-V. praeglacialis-V. praecorsac is consistent and even lower than the observed intraspecific variability of the extant V. vulpes. All the analyzed European Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene fox specimens can be reasonably accommodated into a single species, i.e., V. alopecoides with V. praeglacialis and V. praecorsac as junior subjective synonyms of the former.

Solid state luminescent materials are the subject of ever growing interest both from a scientific and a technological point of view because high-tech applications of light emitting materials very often require their use in the condensed phase. Aggregation caused quenching processes however represent an obstacle to the development of most luminogens in the condensed phase. This is why particularly fascinating are those materials showing high emission intensity in the solid state. Aggregation caused quenching is particularly detrimental for π-extended polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, for example perylene tetracarboxylic acid diimides which are characterized by a near-unity fluorescence quantum yield in solution but are far less emissive in the solid state. Here we report on the easy preparation and on the optical investigation of perylene tetracarboxylic acid diimide derivatives linked to the inorganic cage of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes. These new hybrid perylene diimide–polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane dyes show in solution the typical absorption and emission features of the perylene diimide fragment, with a quantum efficiency close to unity. Moreover, in the solid state (both as spin-coated films and powders) the electronic absorption spectra indicate a reduced fluorophore aggregation and significant quantum yield efficiencies induced by the positive effect of the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane cage.

Introduction In our facility an operational process intervention was implemented to decrease overcrowding. The intervention consisted of implementing criteria (developed from a series of 8 interactive workshops led by the investigators with all charge and staff nurses) describing when we should "close the waiting room." The purpose of this study was to explore the charge nurses' perceptions of the intervention and their experiences with implementation several months after the operational change began. Methods All charge nurses were invited to attend 1 of 2 focus groups that elicited participants' knowledge of the closing criteria as well as their use and perceptions of the criteria. Participants were asked to identify how often they had been able to close the waiting room or keep it closed and to note whether they used the developed criteria. Barriers and facilitators to closing the waiting room were also discussed. Results Charge nurses had internalized the criteria and reported that most of the time the waiting room was often closed between the hours of 3 and 9 am. Evening charge nurses, in particular, reported feeling a positive impact from waiting room closure during these hours earlier in the day. Facilitators included charge nurses receiving positive feedback from patients and perceiving an improvement in patient safety as fewer patients were waiting. Specific barriers included negative staff attitudes and hospital overcrowding. Discussion Feedback from focus group analysis with charge nurses responsible for closing the ED waiting room suggests that the operational change has been positive because of the staff-based participatory research methodology used to create the intervention.