Autoimmune Atrophic Gastritis: A Clinical Review.

Autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AAG) is a chronic condition characterized by the presence of atrophy in the oxyntic mucosa due to anti-parietal cell antibodies. This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of autoimmune atrophic gastritis, reporting recent evidence on epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, clinical presentation, risk of malignancies, and management. The prevalence of AAG has been estimated at between 0.

Endoscopic Management of Dysplastic Barrett's Oesophagus and Early Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma.

Barrett's oesophagus is a pathological condition whereby the normal oesophageal squamous mucosa is replaced by specialised, intestinal-type metaplasia, which is strongly linked to chronic gastro-oesophageal reflux. A correct endoscopic and histological diagnosis is pivotal in the management of Barrett's oesophagus to identify patients who are at high risk of progression to neoplasia. The presence and grade of dysplasia and the characteristics of visible lesions within the mucosa of Barrett's oesophagus are both important to guide the most appropriate endoscopic therapy.

Determinants of early antibody responses to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in a cohort of exposed and naïve healthcare workers.

Background: Two doses of mRNA vaccination have shown >94% efficacy at preventing COVID-19 mostly in naïve adults, but it is not clear if the second dose is needed to maximize effectiveness in those previously exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and what other factors affect responsiveness.

Methods: We measured IgA, IgG and IgM levels against SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) antigens from the wild-type and S from the Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants of concern, after BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccination in a cohort of health care workers (N=578). Neutralizing capacity and antibody avidity were evaluated.

[Devices for the prevention of contrast-induced acute kidney injury in interventional cardiology].

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) consists in acute decline in renal function following iodinated contrast media exposure. It has a significant impact on long-term prognosis and mortality, development of chronic kidney disease and on the rate of hospitalization due to cardiovascular or renal events. Anamnestic and procedural aspects linked to higher risk of CI-AKI have been investigated and new devices have been designed in order to prevent it.

Ultrasound- Versus Fluoroscopy-Guided Femoral Access for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of Chronic Total Occlusions: Insights From FOUND BLOOD CTO Registry.

Objective: To compare vascular complications in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusions (CTO) using ultrasound guidance (USG) versus fluoroscopy guidance (FSG) for femoral access.

Background: In patients undergoing PCI, using the arterial femoral access increases the risk of vascular complications compared using the radial access. USG reduces time to access, number of attempts, and vascular complications compared with FSG, but the efficacy of USG has never been tested in the setting of CTO-PCI.

Side effects of long-term use of proton pump inhibitors: practical considerations.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most commonly prescribed drugs due to the increasing incidence of acid‑related disorders, but a large number of prescriptions are issued with inappropriate indications. Despite PPIs being effective and well tolerated, there have been growing concerns about potential adverse effects associated with long‑term use of these drugs. Indeed, pharmacovigilance agencies have issued broad-based product warnings on the association between treatment with PPIs and long‑term complications, including increased risk of fractures and impaired magnesium absorption.

Does the left circumflex coronary artery location impact on the success of chronic total occlusion recanalization? A single-center cohort study.

We sought to determine whether the chronic total occlusions (CTO) recanalization results differ between circumflex artery (CX) and other coronary arteries in our center. The study dataset encompassed 428 consecutive procedures. J-CTO score was highest in the right coronary artery (RCA) and lowest in CX lesions.

[Treatment of coronary artery calcification: state of the art].

Coronary artery calcification enhances percutaneous treatment complexity, increasing the likelihood of procedural failure and complications and affecting acute and long-term outcomes. In order to deal with such lesions, several devices and technologies, including balloons, atherectomy and intravascular lithotripsy, have been developed. The combination of the aforementioned technologies and the guidance of intracoronary imaging can help skilled interventional cardiologists in achieving better acute and long-term results in this setting.

Using the coronary lithotripsy system for coronary artery disease.

Severe coronary artery calcification increases percutaneous treatment complexity and the risk of intraprocedural complications, affecting acute and long-term outcomes. Current use of specialty balloons and atherectomy technologies is limited due to the higher risk of complications, degree of technical difficulty and operator experience. Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is a novel technology for severe calcified coronary artery disease that facilitates vessel preparation, enhancing vessel compliance.

An unusual spirometric shape that you must not forget.

http://bit.ly/30iHRCp.

[Management of coronary perforations during angioplasty].

Coronary perforation represents a terrible complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) which, if not promptly recognized and treated, can lead to catastrophic consequences for the patient. Hence, acquisition of the basic techniques for the treatment of coronary perforations is critical for the interventional cardiologist in order to safely perform PCIs. Although the incidence of coronary perforations remains low during PCI, it is possible to recognize some subgroups of patients and some types of coronary lesions, such as chronic coronary total occlusions, that are associated with increased risk.

Prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders having an impact on tablet levothyroxine absorption: should this formulation still be considered as the first-line therapy?

Purpose: In patients with hypothyroidism, levothyroxine (LT4) is the treatment of choice, and tablets are the most commonly prescribed formulation. Despite multiple scenarios being reported in the literature with impaired tablet absorption and likely missed TSH targets, it is yet unclear what the implications are for clinical practice and the role of liquid solution (LS) and soft gel (SG) formulations. We have thus conducted a narrative review evaluating the prevalence within the general population of gastrointestinal disorders impacting tablet LT4 absorption.

Performance of Five Ultrasound Risk Stratification Systems in Selecting Thyroid Nodules for FNA.

Context: Ultrasound (US) risk stratification systems (RSSs) have been developed to reduce the number of unnecessary fine-needle aspiration procedures (FNA) in patients with thyroid nodules.

Objective: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the ability of the 5 most common US RSSs for the appropriate selection of thyroid nodules for FNA.

Data Sources: This systematic review and meta-analysis was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019131771).

Inhaled Corticosteroids And Risk Of Tuberculosis In Patients With Obstructive Lung Diseases: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Non-randomized Studies.

Background: An association between systemic corticosteroids and tuberculosis (TB) is reported in the literature. Here within, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on the risk of TB in patients with obstructive lung diseases.

Methods: The review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42018095874).

A procedure for human safety assessment during hydropeaking events.

A method for human safety assessment on a hydropeaked river reach is proposed and applied to an Alpine river. The human safety analysis during hydropeaking events is of particular interest because most of the Alpine watercourses are affected by hydropower plant energy production that cause rapid and frequent flow alterations (hydropeaking), but at the same time these watercourses are used by the population for recreational purposes. In literature, many studies have focused on the effect of hydropeaking on the biota but a study of the interaction between a hydropeaking wave and human safety does not yet exist.

Different physiological and behavioural effects of e-cigarette vapour and cigarette smoke in mice.

Nicotine is the primary addictive substance in tobacco smoke and electronic cigarette (e-cig) vapour. Methodological limitations have made it difficult to compare the role of the nicotine and non-nicotine constituents of tobacco smoke. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of traditional cigarette smoke and e-cig vapour containing the same amount of nicotine in male BALB/c mice exposed to the smoke of 21 cigarettes or e-cig vapour containing 16.

The future of PACS in healthcare enterprises.

Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), which was originally designed as a tool for facilitating radiologists in interpreting images more efficiently, is evolving into a hospital-integrated system storing diagnostic imaging information that often reaches far beyond Radiology. The continuous evolution of PACS technology has led to a gradual broadening of its applications, ranging from teleradiology to CAD (Computer-Assisted Diagnosis) and multidimensional imaging, and is moving into the direction of providing access to image data outside the Radiology department, so to reach all the branches of the healthcare enterprise. New perspectives have been created thanks to new technologies (such as holographic media and GRID computing) that are likely due to expand PACS-based applications even further, improving patient care and enhancing overall productivity.

Cooling electrons by magnetic-field tuning of Andreev reflection.

A solid-state cooling principle based on magnetic-field-driven tunable suppression of Andreev reflection in superconductor/two-dimensional electron gas nanostructures is proposed. This cooling mechanism can lead to very large heat fluxes per channel up to 10;{4} times greater than currently achieved with superconducting tunnel junctions. This efficacy and its availability in a two-dimensional electron system make this method of particular relevance for the implementation of quantum nanostructures operating at cryogenic temperatures.

Prevalence of abuse of alcohol and other drugs among injured drivers presenting to the emergency department of the University Hospital of Modena, Italy.

Among those drivers responsible for injury-producing traffic crashes in a town of northern Italy (Modena) and its surrounding territory, we evaluated the percentage that was positive for alcohol or other drugs affecting CNS function. A total of 115 crash-responsible injured drivers (90 males and 25 females) consecutively presenting to the emergency department at the University Hospital of Modena were enrolled. A urine sample was requested from each driver; the presence of alcohol or drugs was detected by means of various procedures (enzyme immunoassay, liquid or gas chromatography, mass spectrometry).

New forensic anthropological approachment for the age determination of human fetal skeletons on the base of morphometry of vertebral column.

The anthropometrical study was carried out on 107 human fetal/newborn skeletons (54 male, 43 female, and 9 of unknown sex). The age of the individuals ranged from 4 to 10 lunar months. Each fetal or newborn vertebral region (cervical, thoracal and lumbar) has its own distinguishing features that are easily identifiable even in fragmentary bones.

Dopaminergic control of renal tubular function in patients with compensated cirrhosis.

In normal humans, plasma dopamine levels rise during head-out water immersion or saline intravenous infusion. Dopamine inhibits Na+,K+-ATPase activity in the proximal tubule and blunts aldosterone secretion leading to increased diuresis and natriuresis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of endogenous dopaminergic activity in the intrarenal sodium handling in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis.

Cimetidine administration and tubular creatinine secretion in patients with compensated cirrhosis.

Cimetidine inhibits the tubular secretion of creatinine, without altering the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). During cimetidine administration the creatinine/inulin clearance ratio approaches unity in patients with renal failure. We determined the clearance of lithium (an index of fluid delivery to the distal nephron), inulin (a measure of the actual GFR) and creatinine during cimetidine administration to investigate the occurrence of tubular creatinine secretion in patients with compensated cirrhosis.