Laparoscopic incisional hernia repair does not seem to be a better procedure than the open anterior technique in terms of operative time, hospitalization, complications, pain or quality of life.

Vincent van Gogh's still lifes Irises and Roses were investigated to shed light onto the degree to which the paintings had changed, both individually and in relation to each other since they were painted, particularly in regard to the fading of the red lakes. Non-invasive techniques, including macroscopic X-ray fluorescence mapping, reflectance imaging spectroscopy, and X-radiography, were combined with microanalytical techniques in a select number of samples. The in-depth microchemical analysis was necessary to overcome the complications that arise when evaluating by non-invasive methods alone the compositions of passages with complex layering and mixing of paints. The results obtained by these two approaches were complemented by color measurements performed on paint cross-sections and on protected edges, and with historical information provided by the artist's own descriptions, early reviews and reproductions, and the data was used to carry out digital color simulations that provided, to a certain extent, a visualization of how the paintings may have originally appeared.

To compare soil porosity measurements, manual, semiautomatic and automatic 2D-image analyses were performed on three sets of images of the same fields. The first and second image sets were obtained, by a fluorescence microscope, on the polished surfaces of soil blocks impregnated with a fluorescent resin and on the thin sections made from them, respectively. A scanning electron microscope in backscattered mode was used to acquire the third set of images on the thin sections. In the manual image analysis procedure, image segmentation was based on the best visual impression and carried out individually for each image with the UTHSCSA Image Tool software. For the semiautomatic method, the software mu CTanalySIS was used; the images were segmented by double hysteresis, after interactive selection of the thresholding values. Automatic thresholding, based on an analysis of the image intensity histogram, was performed using the image analysis software Image-Pro((R)) Plus. Average microporosity measurements were compared between image types and image analysis methods using marginal regression models for continuous outcomes. The mean area covered by pores was significantly different depending on the type of image and the method of image analysis. Results after the automatic procedure were significantly larger than after manual or semiautomatic thresholding. On the other hand, average porosities were larger for backscattered electron images than for fluorescent images, regardless of the image analysis procedure used. These results stress the need for standardization of image analysis protocols and warn of the dangers of comparing soil porosity measurements performed on different types of images

Alchemy (1947, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice) is one of the most materic works by J. Pollock, whose palette is extensive, ranging from white to yellow, red, green, violet, blue, black, and silver. Each layer of color was laid on top of a previously dried one and effectively separated from the lower one forming a quite complex stratigraphy with colors intersecting each other. In this study, a non-invasive multi-technique method combining point analysis with Vis-NIR multispectral imaging has been exploited to give insights on the painting technique of the American abstract expressionist. The molecular identification of pigments, colorants and extenders contained in fifteen different paints has been achieved combining key spectral markers from elemental, electronic and vibrational spectroscopies. For those colors exhibiting similar hues but different chemical compositions, a mapping procedure based on false color rendering, obtained by properly mixing three spectral planes from the Vis-NIR multispectral imaging set, has been successfully applied. Relevant for the understanding of the evolution of Pollock's drip technique is the identification of both traditional oil-based paints and oil-modified alkyd media. Point analysis by reflection FTIR scattered throughout the painting enabled mapping the distinct use of traditional and new binding media among painted, squeezed and dripped paints.

No abstract