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Background and Aim: Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is usually managed by conservative treatment, but in selected cases, especially in the presence of a tubo‐ovarian abscess (TOA), surgical management is a recognized treatment option. We compared the trends in managing PID and short‐term outcomes before and during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic. Methods: This is a retrospective study performed in three Italian gynecological centers. We included patients admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of PID. Demographic characteristics, management, time to diagnosis, and time to treatment were compared before versus during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic. Results: One hundred nineteen PID patients were screened, eighty‐one before the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic, and thirty‐eight after the onset. At admission, leukocytosis (median 19.73 vs. 13.99 WBC/mm3, p‐value = 0.02) was significantly higher in patients who underwent surgery after the onset of the pandemic. TOA incidence was higher in patients who underwent surgery during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic, but the difference did not reach statistically significance (p = 0.06). The proportion of patients treated with surgery dropped to 26.3% after the onset from 46% of patients before the onset of pandemic (p = 0.03). Furthermore, a higher percentage of emergency surgical procedures on day 0 of hospital admission were performed after the onset of the pandemic (50% vs. 13.1%, p = 0.01). Conclusions: In this retrospective cohort study, we found that the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic influenced the clinical presentation and management of PID in favor of conservative treatment. Patients who underwent surgery during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic had higher inflammatory markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cristina Zennaro,1 Maria Pia Rastaldi,2 Gerald James Bakeine,3 Riccarda Delfino,1 Federica Tonon,1 Rossella Farra,4 Gabriele Grassi,1,5 Mary Artero,6 Massimo Tormen,7 Michele Carraro1 1Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, 2Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, 3Department of Radiology, San Martino University Hospital, University of Genoa, Genoa, 4Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, 5Department of Life Sciences, Cattinara University Hospital, University of Trieste, 6Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata di Trieste, Trieste, 7IOM-CNR Area Science Park, Trieste, Italy Abstract: Although it is well recognized that cell–matrix interactions are based on both molecular and geometrical characteristics, the relationship between specific cell types and the three-dimensional morphology of the surface to which they are attached is poorly understood. This is particularly true for glomerular podocytes – the gatekeepers of glomerular filtration – which completely enwrap the glomerular basement membrane with their primary and secondary ramifications. Nanotechnologies produce biocompatible materials which offer the possibility to build substrates which differ only by topology in order to mimic the spatial organization of diverse basement membranes. With this in mind, we produced and utilized rough and porous surfaces obtained from silicon to analyze the behavior of two diverse ramified cells: glomerular podocytes and a neuronal cell line used as a control. Proper differentiation and development of ramifications of both cell types was largely influenced by topographical characteristics. Confirming previous data, the neuronal cell line acquired features of maturation on rough nanosurfaces. In contrast, podocytes developed and matured preferentially on nanoporous surfaces provided with grooves, as shown by the organization of the actin cytoskeleton stress fibers and the proper development of vinculin-positive focal adhesions. On the basis of these findings, we suggest that in vitro studies regarding podocyte attachment to the glomerular basement membrane should take into account the geometrical properties of the surface on which the tests are conducted because physiological cellular activity depends on the three-dimensional microenvironment. Keywords: podocytes, neurons, nanotechnology, basement membrane, differentiation, adhesion

Research was conducted to examine the issue of the local structure in an epitaxial semiconductor thin film undergoing strain relaxation caused by extended defects when the critical thickness for their introduction is exceeded. X-ray absorption fine spectroscopy was used to investigate the nearest neighbor environment. Results prove that the bond lengths have an identical behavior as a function of the mean residual strain independently from its elastic or plastic origin.

By employing diverse surface sensitive synchrotron radiation spectroscopies we demonstrate that the fluorine content of initial C60F48 deposited at room temperature on Ag(111) varies with molecular coverage. At the very early stages of deposition, C60F48 fully de-fluorinates and transforms into C60. Strong indications of silver fluoride formation are provided. The chemical footprint of fluorinated fullerenes emerges at relatively low molecular coverage indicating that the degree of fullerene de-fluorination decreases (from total to partial de-fluorination) as molecules are deposited. Full de-fluorination stops well before the substrate surface is completely covered by fullerenes. At the molecular level, the fluorine loss observed by spectroscopic techniques is supported by scanning tunneling microscopy imaging. Both molecules and metal surface are importantly involved in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]