The Ca-activated Cl channel TMEM16B shapes the response time course of olfactory sensory neurons.

Mammalian olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) generate an odorant-induced response by sequentially activating two ion channels, which are in their ciliary membranes. First, a cationic, Ca-permeable cyclic nucleotide-gated channel is opened following odorant stimulation via a G protein-coupled transduction cascade and an ensuing rise in cAMP. Second, the increase in ciliary Ca opens the excitatory Ca-activated Cl channel TMEM16B, which carries most of the odorant-induced receptor current.

The Impact of Postoperative Complications on Recovery of Health-Related Quality of Life and Functional Capacity After Pancreatectomy: Findings From a Prospective Observational Study.

Objective: To evaluate the extent to which postoperative complications impact patient health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and survival after pancreatic surgery.

Background: Pancreatectomy is frequently associated with severe postoperative morbidity, which can affect patient recovery. Few and conflicting data are available regarding the effect of post-pancreatectomy complications on patient-reported HRQoL.

Recovery of health-related quality of life after laparoscopic versus open distal pancreatectomy.

Background: Limited data comparing recovery of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after laparoscopic (LDP) versus open distal pancreatectomy (ODP) are available. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of laparoscopy on postoperative HRQOL after DP using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS).

Methods: Data from consecutive patients who underwent DP (2020-2022) enrolled in a prospective clinical trial were reviewed.

Validation of the PROMIS-29 Questionnaire as a Measure of Recovery After Pancreatic Surgery.

Objective: To contribute evidence for the reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 29 (PROMIS-29) profile questionnaire as a measure of recovery after pancreatic surgery.

Background: PROMIS questionnaires have been recommended to evaluate postdischarge recovery after surgery. Evidence supporting their measurement properties in pancreatic surgery is missing.

Shedding light on human olfaction: Electrophysiological recordings from sensory neurons in acute slices of olfactory epithelium.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought attention to our limited understanding of human olfactory physiology. While the cellular composition of the human olfactory epithelium is similar to that of other vertebrates, its functional properties are largely unknown. We prepared acute slices of human olfactory epithelium from nasal biopsies and used the whole-cell patch-clamp technique to record electrical properties of cells.

Geographical Disparities and Patients' Mobility: A Plea for Regionalization of Pancreatic Surgery in Italy.

Patients requiring complex treatments, such as pancreatic surgery, may need to travel long distances and spend extended periods of time away from home, particularly when healthcare provision is geographically dispersed. This raises concerns about equal access to care. Italy is administratively divided into 21 separate territories, which are heterogeneous in terms of healthcare quality, with provision generally decreasing from north to south.

Prognostic value of preoperative CT scan derived body composition measures in resected pancreatic cancer.

Background: It remains unclear whether preoperative body composition may affect the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients undergoing surgery. The aim of the present study was to assess the extent to which preoperative body composition impacts on postoperative complication severity and survival in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on consecutive patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy with preoperative CT scan imaging available.

Paradoxical electro-olfactogram responses in TMEM16B knock-out mice.

The Ca2+-activated Cl¯ channel TMEM16B carries up to 90% of the transduction current evoked by odorant stimulation in olfactory sensory neurons and control the number of action potential firing and therefore the length of the train of action potentials. A loss of function approach revealed that TMEM16B is required for olfactory-driven behaviors such as tracking unfamiliar odors. Here, we used the electro-olfactogram (EOG) technique to investigate the contribution of TMEM16B to odorant transduction in the whole olfactory epithelium.

Noninvasive Ventilation for Acute Respiratory Failure in Pediatric Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for acute respiratory failure (ARF) in pediatric patients.

Data Sources: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials, and Clinicaltrials.gov with a last update on July 31, 2022.

Development of a predictive model for unplanned intensive care unit admission after pancreatic resection within an enhanced recovery pathway.

Background: It is unclear whether routine postoperative admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) can improve outcomes for patients undergoing elective pancreatic surgery. Aim of the study was to determine preoperative and intraoperative predictors of unplanned ICU access in patients undergoing pancreatectomy treated within an established enhanced recovery pathway (ERP) and compare outcomes between direct and late ICU admission.

Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted on adult patients who underwent pancreatic resection (2015-2019) within an ERP.

Management of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula-related fluid collections after distal pancreatectomy.

Background: Distal pancreatectomy is burdened by a high rate of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF). The presence of a fistula-related abdominal collection often requires additional treatment such as antibiotics, percutaneous drainage, and endoscopic drainage thus prolonging patient recovery. Aim of this study was to describe the management of abdominal collections related to CR-POPF and identify variables associated with the need for invasive procedures.

The Impact of CT-Assessed Liver Steatosis on Postoperative Complications After Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Cancer.

Introduction: Liver steatosis (LS) has been increasingly described in preoperative imaging of patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of preoperative LS on complications after PD and identify possible contributors to LS development in this specific cohort.

Methods: Pancreatic head adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients scheduled for PD, with preoperative CT-imaging available were included in the study.

Supporting Cells of the Human Olfactory Epithelium Co-Express the Lipid Scramblase TMEM16F and ACE2 and May Cause Smell Loss by SARS-CoV-2 Spike-Induced Syncytia.

Background/aims: Quantitative and qualitative alterations in the sense of smell are well established symptoms of COVID-19. Some reports have shown that non-neuronal supporting (also named sustentacular) cells of the human olfactory epithelium co-express ACE2 and TMPRSS2 necessary for SARS-CoV-2 infection. In COVID-19, syncytia were found in many tissues but were not investigated in the olfactory epithelium.

EMG analysis across different tasks improves prevention screenings in diabetes: a cluster analysis approach.

The aim of this work was twofold: on one side to determine the most suitable parameters of surface electromyography (sEMG) to classify diabetic subjects with and without neuropathy and discriminate them from healthy controls and second to assess the role of the task acquired in the classification process. For this purpose 30 subjects were examined (10 controls, 10 diabetics with and 10 without neuropathy) whilst walking and stair ascending and descending. The electrical activity of six muscles was recorded bilaterally through a 16-channel sEMG system synchronised with a stereophotogrammetric system: Rectus Femoris, Gluteus Medius, Tibialis Anterior, Peroneus Longus, Gastrocnemius Lateralis and Extensor Digitorum.

BRCA1/2 variants of unknown significance in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome: Looking for the hidden meaning.

Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome is caused by germline mutations in BRCA1/2 genes. These genes are very large and their mutations are heterogeneous and scattered throughout the coding sequence. In addition to the above-mentioned mutations, variants of uncertain/unknown significance (VUSs) have been identified in BRCA genes, which make more difficult the clinical management of the patient and risk assessment.

Clinical and economic validation of grade B postoperative pancreatic fistula subclassification.

Background: Grade B postoperative pancreatic fistula represents the largest fraction of postoperative pancreatic fistula. A subclassification of grade B postoperative pancreatic fistula has been recently proposed and seems to better stratify postoperative pancreatic fistula clinical and economic burden. Aim of this study was to validate, from a clinical and economic standpoint, grade B postoperative pancreatic fistula subclassification in patients submitted to pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Prognosis of Upfront Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies.

Background: The rate of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy is increasing, but upfront resection is still offered to most patients with resectable or borderline resectable disease. Encouraging data reported in adjuvant chemotherapy trials prompts surgeons towards upfront surgery, but such trials are subject to a significant selection bias. This systematic review aims to summarize available high-quality evidence regarding survival of patients treated with upfront surgery for PDAC.

Early biochemical predictors of clinically relevant pancreatic fistula after distal pancreatectomy: a role for serum amylase and C-reactive protein.

Background: Recent evidence suggests that pancreatic inflammation plays a pivotal role in the occurrence of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) after pancreaticoduodenectomy but few data are available for distal pancreatectomy (DP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of early biochemical markers on the occurrence of CR-POPF after DP.

Methods: Clinical and laboratory data for 432 consecutive DP patients were reviewed.

A Prospective Investigation of Predictive Parameters for Preoperative Volume Assessment in Breast Reconstruction.

Preoperative breast volume estimation is very important for the success of the breast surgery. In this study four different breast volume determination methods were compared. The end-point of this prospective study was to evaluate the concordance between different modalities of breast volume assessment (MRI, BREAST-V, mastectomy specimen weight, conversion from weight to volume of mastectomy specimen) and the breast prosthetic volume implanted.

Predictors of disease recurrence after curative surgery for nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NF-PanNENs): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Patients submitted to curative surgery for non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NF-PanNENs) exhibit a variable risk of disease relapse. Aims of this meta-analysis were to estimate the rate of disease recurrence and to investigate the risk factors for disease relapse in patients submitted to curative surgery for NF-PanNENs.

Methods: Medline/Pubmed and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant studies.

The impact of preoperative anemia on pancreatic resection outcomes.

Background: Preoperative anemia is a risk factor for blood transfusions and delayed postoperative recovery, but few data are available for pancreatic surgery. Aim of the study was to analyze the impact of preoperative anemia on outcomes after pancreatic resection.

Methods: Retrospective review of 1107 patients resected at San Raffaele Hospital (2015-2018).