Effectiveness of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in Adults with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of the osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A literature resview was carried out on the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Cinahl, Scopus, PEDro and ClinicalTrials.gov.

In vitro angiogenesis inhibition with selective compounds targeting the key glycolytic enzyme PFKFB3.

Abnormal glycolytic metabolism contributes to angiogenic sprouting involved in atherogenesis. We investigated the potential anti-angiogenic properties of specific 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase-3 (PFKFB3) inhibitors in endothelial cells (ECs). ECs were treated with PFKFB3 inhibitors (named PA-1 and PA-2) and their effects on metabolic and functional characteristics of ECs were investigated.

High-current stream of energetic α particles from laser-driven proton-boron fusion.

The nuclear reaction known as proton-boron fusion has been triggered by a subnanosecond laser system focused onto a thick boron nitride target at modest laser intensity (∼10^{16}W/cm^{2}), resulting in a record yield of generated α particles. The estimated value of α particles emitted per laser pulse is around 10^{11}, thus orders of magnitude higher than any other experimental result previously reported. The accelerated α-particle stream shows unique features in terms of kinetic energy (up to 10 MeV), pulse duration (∼10 ns), and peak current (∼2 A) at 1 m from the source, promising potential applications of such neutronless nuclear fusion reactions.

Impact of sex on comparative outcomes of bivalirudin versus unfractionated heparin in patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing invasive management: a pre-specified analysis of the MATRIX trial.

Aims: Our aim was to assess whether bivalirudin compared with unfractionated heparin (UFH) is associated with consistent outcomes in males and females with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing invasive management.

Methods And Results: In the MATRIX programme, 7,213 patients were randomised to bivalirudin or UFH. Patients in the bivalirudin group were subsequently randomly assigned to receive or not a post-PCI bivalirudin infusion.

Acute Kidney Injury After Radial or Femoral Access for Invasive Acute Coronary Syndrome Management: AKI-MATRIX.

Background: It remains unclear whether radial access (RA), compared with femoral access (FA), mitigates the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI).

Objectives: The authors assessed the incidence of AKI in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) enrolled in the MATRIX-Access (Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by Transradial Access Site and Systemic Implementation of Angiox) trial.

Methods: Among 8,404 patients, 194 (2.

Large area CMOS bio-pixel array for compact high sensitive multiplex biosensing.

A novel CMOS bio-pixel array which integrates assay substrate and assay readout is demonstrated for multiplex and multireplicate detection of a triplicate of cytokines with single digit pg ml(-1) sensitivities. Uniquely designed large area bio-pixels enable individual assays to be dedicated to and addressed by single pixels. A capability to simultaneously measure a large number of targets is provided by the 128 available pixels.

Comparison of risk of acute kidney injury after primary percutaneous coronary interventions with the transradial approach versus the transfemoral approach (from the PRIPITENA urban registry).

The risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major issue after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), especially in the setting of ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Preliminary data from large retrospective registries seem to show a reduction of AKI when a transradial (TR) approach for PCI is adopted. Little is known about the relation between vascular access and AKI after emergent PCI.

One-year follow-up of patients treated with new-generation polymer-based 38 mm everolimus-eluting stent: the P38 study.

Objectives: To assess the clinical outcome at 1-year follow-up of real-world patients with long coronary lesions treated with the 38 mm Xience Prime (Abbott Vascular) everolimus-eluting stent (EES).

Background: Long-lesions present special challenges to the interventional cardiologists, including increased risk of restenosis, periprocedural injury, geographical miss, and stent deliverability. Indeed, results obtained with shorter stent in the treatment of simpler lesions are of limited applicability to longer stents.

Bivalirudin or heparin in primary angioplasty performed through the transradial approach: results from a multicentre registry.

Background: Data on the effect of bivalirudin therapy in primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) performed through the transradial approach are limited. The aim of our study was to evaluate bleeding complications and clinical outcomes in primary PCI performed through the transradial approach with bivalirudin therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated primary PCI performed through the transradial approach from January 2008 to June 2013.

Case-control registry of excimer laser coronary angioplasty versus distal protection devices in patients with acute coronary syndromes due to saphenous vein graft disease.

Laser atherectomy might decrease procedural complications during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of degenerated saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) in case of unstable or thrombotic lesions because of its ability to debulk and vaporize thrombus. We aimed at prospectively evaluating the safety and efficacy of excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) as a primary treatment strategy in consecutively unstable patients undergoing PCI of degenerated SVG lesions. Seventy-one consecutive patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (mean age 69 ± 10 years, 66 men [89%]) undergoing PCI of degenerated SVG were enrolled in a prospective case-control registry, using 2 different distal protection devices (DPDs; FilterWire EZ [Boston Scientific, Natick, Massachusetts; n = 24] and SpiderRX [Ev3, Plymouth, Minnesota; n = 23]) or ELCA (n = 24).

Neutron capture cross section of unstable 63Ni: implications for stellar nucleosynthesis.

The 63Ni(n,γ) cross section has been measured for the first time at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN from thermal neutron energies up to 200 keV. In total, capture kernels of 12 (new) resonances were determined. Maxwellian averaged cross sections were calculated for thermal energies from   kT=5-100  keV with uncertainties around 20%.

Five-year outcomes in patients with chronic total coronary occlusion treated with drug-eluting vs bare-metal stents: a case-control study.

Background: Limited data exist on long-term safety and effectiveness of drug-eluting stents (DESs) in true chronic total coronary occlusion (CTO) settings. We evaluated 5-year clinical outcomes of patients with CTO treated successfully with DES vs bare-metal stent (BMS).

Methods: We compared the 5-year clinical outcomes of 156 patients treated with DES implantation with outcomes of a historical cohort of 159 patients treated with BMS.

Serum levels of γ-glutamyltransferase and progression of coronary atherosclerosis.

Background: Progression of coronary atherosclerosis (ATS) has clinical implications. Serum levels of γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), a marker of oxidative stress, predict the risk of cardiovascular events. However, the role of GGT levels in the progression of coronary ATS has never been established.

Late (3 years) follow-up of successful versus unsuccessful revascularization in chronic total coronary occlusions treated by drug eluting stent.

The success rate of recanalization of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) has improved in recent years, but the clinical benefit associated with successful CTO recanalization in the drug-eluting stent (DES) era is not well known. A cohort of 317 consecutive patients (mean age 65 ± 10, 84% men) with CTOs (defined as Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction [TIMI] flow grade 0 and duration >3 months) of native coronary vessels in which percutaneous coronary intervention was attempted was enrolled from June 2005 to March 2009. All successful procedures (196 patients) were performed by DES implantation.

Filter no-reflow during percutaneous coronary intervention of saphenous vein grafts: incidence, predictors and effect of the type of protection device.

Aims: To assess the main predictors and significance of filter no-reflow (FNR) in protected saphenous vein graft (SVG) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and the effect of two different filter-based devices on FNR incidence. The phenomenon of FNR has been described as a transient impairment of blood flow due to debris plugging of a filter-based device used to shield the distal microvasculature during SVG PCI.

Methods And Results: Fifty consecutive patients treated with SVG PCI were enrolled, using two different filter-based devices (FilterWire EZ™ [Boston Scientific, Natick, MA, USA] and SpiderRX® [Ev3, Plymouth, MN, USA]).

Investigating incorporation and distribution of radionuclides in trinitite.

Most of the surface explosions in nuclear tests have released radioactivity to the environment in the form of bulk glassy materials originating from the melting of sandy soil in the neighbourhood of ground zero. In view of clarifying issues concerning the mechanism of formation and the radiological impact of these materials, we investigated incorporation and volume distribution of radionuclides in a typical fragment of trinitite, the glassy substance generated following the first nuclear test (Trinity Site, New Mexico, 1945). Specific activities were determined by γ-spectrometry for the most significant fission and activation products.

Eosinophil cationic protein and clinical outcome after bare metal stent implantation.

Objective: we assessed the association between baseline eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels, a sensitive marker of eosinophil activation, and clinical outcome in patients undergoing bare metal stent (BMS) implantation.

Methods: basal ECP levels were measured in 110 patients (69±11 years, 88 men) undergoing BMS implantation. Major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), defined as cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or clinically-driven target lesion revascularization, were registered at 24-month follow-up.

A case of myocardial infarction effectively treated by emergency coronary stenting soon after a Bentall-De Bono aortic surgery.

Postoperative ischemia may complicate cardiac surgery, despite myocardial protection and recent technical developments. Its medical management in the intensive cardiac care unit is usually efficient, although sometimes it requires the revision of the surgical site. In other cases, urgent coronary angiography and subsequent coronary stenting may resolve the situation.

Angiographic predictors of recurrent stent thrombosis (from the Outcome of PCI for stent-ThrombosIs MultIcentre STudy [OPTIMIST]).

Stent thrombosis is a catastrophic occurrence burdened by a high mortality rate and a tendency to recur. We sought to evaluate the angiographic risk factors for recurrent stent thrombosis (rST) in a subpopulation of 91 Outcome of PCI for stent-ThrombosIs Multicenter STudy (OPTIMIST) patients who underwent quantitative angiographic evaluation by an independent core laboratory. The Academic Research Consortium criteria were used for rST adjudication.

Eosinophil cationic protein: A new biomarker of coronary atherosclerosis.

Aims: Coronary atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, but different inflammatory biomarkers may reflect different phases of atherosclerotic plaque evolution. We aimed at assessing the role of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), a sensitive marker of eosinophil activation, and C-reactive protein (CRP) in coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods And Results: Consecutive anginal patients with angiographic evidence of CAD [stable angina (SA) or non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS)], or with angiographically normal coronary arteries (NCA) were enrolled.

Cardiac structure and function in humans: a new cardiovascular physiology laboratory.

As the traditional cardiovascular control laboratory has disappeared from the first-year medical school curriculum, we have recognized the need to develop another "hands-on" experience as a vehicle for wide-ranging discussions of cardiovascular control mechanisms. Using an echocardiograph, an automatic blood pressure cuff, and a reclining bicycle, we developed protocols to illustrate the changes in cardiac and vascular function that occur with changes in posture, venous return, and graded exercise. We use medical student volunteers and a professional echocardiographer to generate and acquire data, respectively.

Pre-intervention eosinophil cationic protein serum levels predict clinical outcomes following implantation of drug-eluting stents.

Aims: Eosinophils have been identified in post-mortem studies as important players of both restenosis and thrombosis after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. We aimed at assessing the association between baseline levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), a marker of eosinophil activation, and recurrence of clinical events in a consecutive series of patients who underwent DES implantation.

Methods And Results: Two hundred patients (age 63 +/- 10.