Differential human gut microbiome assemblages during soil-transmitted helminth infections in Indonesia and Liberia.

Background: The human intestine and its microbiota is the most common infection site for soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), which affect the well-being of ~ 1.5 billion people worldwide. The complex cross-kingdom interactions are not well understood.

Perianal Crohn's disease - association with significant inflammatory activity in proximal small bowel segments.

Objectives: Perianal Crohn's disease (CD) prevalence varies according to the disease location, being particularly frequent in patients with colonic involvement. We aimed to evaluate small bowel involvement and compare small bowel capsule endoscopy findings and inflammatory activity between patients with and without perianal disease.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective single-center study including 71 patients - all patients with perianal CD (17 patients) who performed a small bowel capsule endoscopy were included, and non-perianal CD patients were randomly selected (54 patients).

Capsule endoscopy with PillCamSB2 versus PillCamSB3: has the improvement in technology resulted in a step forward?

Aim: To compare the findings and completion rate of PillCam® SB2 and SB3.

Methods: This was a retrospective single-center study that included 357 consecutive small bowel capsule endoscopies (SBCE), 173 SB2 and 184 SB3. The data collected included age, gender, capsule type (PillCam® SB2 or SB3), quality of bowel preparation, completion of the examination, gastric and small bowel transit time, small bowel findings, findings in segments other than the small bowel and the detection of specific anatomical markers, such as the Z line and papilla.

Role of capsule endoscopy in alarm features and non-responsive celiac disease: A European multicenter study.

Background And Aim: The role of capsule endoscopy (CE) in established celiac disease (CD) remains unclear. Our objective was to analyze the usefulness of CE in the suspicion of complicated CD.

Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter study.

ORBIT score: an useful predictor of small bowel rebleeding in patients under chronic anticoagulation.

Background And Study Aims: Available scoring systems to assess the risk for major bleeding in patients on chronic anticoagulation seem inadequate in predicting higher diagnostic yields of small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) or higher rebleeding rates in patients with suspected small bowel bleeding. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the new ORBIT score in predicting positive findings of SBCE or higher rebleeding rates in chronically anticoagulated patients with suspected small bowel bleeding.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective analysis of 570 patients who consecutively underwent SBCE for the study of suspected small bowel bleeding.

Pillar[4]pyridinium: a square-shaped molecular box.

Numerous applications of Stoddart's 'blue-box', a pyridinium containing macrocycle of rectangular shape, encouraged us to seek successors of this amazing molecule. Using a one-step cyclization reaction we synthesized a square-shaped cyclic tetramer consisting of 4-methylenepyridinium units - pillar[4]pyridinium (P[4]P). Pillar[4]pyridinium is a quadruply positively charged water-soluble macrocycle with a highly symmetric, strained structure and an electron-deficient cavity.

Capsule endoscopy in young patients with iron deficiency anaemia and negative bidirectional gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Background: Recent data imply young patients (age ≤50 years) undergoing small-bowel (SB) capsule endoscopy (CE) for iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) show higher diagnostic yield (DY) for sinister pathology. We aimed to investigate DY of CE in a large cohort of young IDA patients, and evaluate factors predicting significant SB pathology.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective, multicentre study (2010-2015) in consecutive, young patients (≤50 years) from 18 centres/12 countries, with negative bidirectional gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy undergoing SBCE for IDA.

[Radiological outcomes of unstable thoraco-lumbar fractures without neurological deficit treated through percutaneous surgery].

Objective: To analyse the radiological outcomes in the long term of unstable thoracic and lumbar fractures treated through percutaneous surgery.

Material And Methods: Retrospective review of a series of patients with unstable thoracic and lumbar fractures treated with percutaneous minimally invasive surgery between 2010 and 2015 in three different hospital centres. Six radiological parameters were measured annually during a 2-year period: Fracture angle, kyphotic deformity, sagittal index, percentage of compression, degree of displacement and deformation angle.

High prevalence of inadequate sitting and sleeping postures: a three-year prospective study of adolescents.

There is a paucity of information regarding the development of body posture during adolescence. This three-year prospective study aimed to evaluate sitting and sleeping postures among adolescents, and to determine whether these postures are associated with age and sex. We assessed 525 adolescents aged 11-16 years from the fifth to eighth grades.

A low-cost bioprosthetic semilunar valve for research, disease modelling and surgical training applications.

Objectives: This paper provides detailed instructions for constructing low-cost bioprosthetic semilunar valves for animal research and clinical training. This work fills an important gap between existing simulator training valves and clinical valves by providing fully functioning designs that can be employed in ex vivo and in vivo experiments and can also be modified to model valvular disease.

Methods: Valves are constructed in 4 steps consisting of creating a metal frame, covering it with fabric and attaching a suture ring and leaflets.

Femicides: a study in Brazilian state capital cities and large municipalities.

This study analyses the relationship between femicides and indicators of socio-economic condition, demography, access to communications, and health situation, in Brazilian state capitals and large-population municipalities. It is an ecological study using the standardized mean coefficient of female mortality due to aggression as a marker for femicide in the years 2007-09 and 2011-13. The Pearson Correlation test was used for the statistical analysis between the outcome and 17 independent variables, and those that were statistically significant (p < 0.

Can we rely on inflammatory biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring Crohn's disease activity?

Background: Small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) is a very important tool in the diagnosis and monitoring of Crohn's disease (CD). The Lewis score (LS) and Capsule Endoscopy Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CECDAI) are used to quantify and standardize inflammatory activity observed in the SBCE.

Aim: To evaluate the correlation between the LS and CECDAI scores and inflammation biomarkers (C-reactive protein [CRP] and erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]).

Monocyte dysregulation and systemic inflammation during pediatric falciparum malaria.

Background: Inflammation and monocytes are thought to be important to human malaria pathogenesis. However, the relationship of inflammation and various monocyte functions to acute malaria, recovery from acute malaria, and asymptomatic parasitemia in endemic populations is poorly understood.

Methods: We evaluated plasma cytokine levels, monocyte subsets, monocyte functional responses, and monocyte inflammatory transcriptional profiles of 1- to 10-year-old Kenyan children at the time of presentation with acute uncomplicated malaria and at recovery 6 weeks later; these results were compared with analogous data from asymptomatic children and adults in the same community.

Cardioscopically Guided Beating Heart Surgery: Paravalvular Leak Repair.

Purpose: There remains a paucity of direct visualization techniques for beating-heart intracardiac procedures. To address this need, we evaluated a novel cardioscope in the context of aortic paravalvular leaks (PVLs) localization and closure.

Description: A porcine aortic PVL model was created using a custom-made bioprosthetic valve, and PVL presence was verified by epicardial echocardiography.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: confirming the clinical benefits far beyond anthropometry.

Objectives: The real benefit of gastrostomy is still a matter of debate. We aimed to prospectively evaluate the global impact of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in patients followed at a specialized multidisciplinary clinic, namely, the impact on the need for healthcare resources, anthropometric measures, pressure ulcers prevention and healing, and nutritional and hydration status.

Patients And Methods: From the 201 patients who underwent PEG between May 2011 and September 2014, 60 were included in a prospective study.

Observation of partial relaxation mechanisms via anisotropic strain relief on epitaxial islands using semiconductor nanomembranes.

In this work we attempt to directly observe anisotropic partial relaxation of epitaxial InAs islands using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and synchrotron x-ray diffraction on a 15 nm thick InAs:GaAs nanomembrane. We show that under such conditions TEM provides improved real-space statistics, allowing the observation of partial relaxation processes that were not previously detected by other techniques or by usual TEM cross section images. Besides the fully coherent and fully relaxed islands that are known to exist above previously established critical thickness, we prove the existence of partially relaxed islands, where incomplete 60° half-loop misfit dislocations lead to a lattice relaxation along one of the 〈110〉 directions, keeping a strained lattice in the perpendicular direction.

Stress fractures in older athletes: a case report and literature review.

The incidence of stress injuries in older athletes is increasing, associated with a more active older population. The same principles apply for its prevention and treatment, but older athletes usually present a more adverse outcome. It is mandatory to raise awareness to this common, but frequently neglected pathology.

[Long term radiological outcomes of unstable thoraco-lumbar fractures without neurological deficit].

Objective: To analyse the radiological outcomes in the long term of unstable thoraco-lumbar fractures.

Material And Methods: Retrospective review of 100 patients with unstable thoracolumbar fractures treated with posterolateral fusion and short screw fixation for compression and flexion-distraction type fractures, and long segment posterior fixation for fractures-dislocations or more than one vertebra fractured, between 2000 and 2010 at three different hospital centers. Six radiological parameters were measured annually during a 4-year period: Fracture angle, kyphotic deformity, sagittal index, percentage of compression, degree of displacement and deformation angle.

Randomized Controlled Trial for Helicobacter pylori Eradication in a Naive Portuguese Population: Is Sequential Treatment Superior to Triple Therapy in Real World Clinical Setting?

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori eradication has become increasingly difficult as resistances to several antibiotics develop. We aimed to compare Helicobacter pylori eradication rates between triple therapy and sequential therapy in a naive Portuguese population.

Material And Methods: Prospective randomized trial including consecutive patients referred for first-line Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment.

The experience of rural families who remain in halfway houses during cancer treatment.

Objective: to understand the experience of rural families who remain in halfway houses during the cancer treatment of an adult family member.

Methods: qualitative research based on Symbolic Interaction and narrative research. Seven rural families participated in the study, 14 people staying in halfway houses in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Direct experimental manipulation of intestinal cells in Ascaris suum, with minor influences on the global transcriptome.

Ascaris suum provides a powerful model for studying parasitic nematodes, including individual tissues such as the intestine, an established target for anthelmintic treatments. Here, we add a valuable experimental component to our existing functional, proteomic, transcriptomic and phylogenomic studies of the Ascaris suum intestine, by developing a method to manipulate intestinal cell functions via direct delivery of experimental treatments (in this case, double-stranded (ds)RNA) to the apical intestinal membrane. We developed an intestinal perfusion method for direct, controlled delivery of dsRNA/heterogeneous small interfering (hsi) RNA into the intestinal lumen for experimentation.

Role of capsule endoscopy in suspected celiac disease: A European multi-centre study.

Aim: To analyze the diagnostic yield (DY), therapeutic impact (TI) and safety of capsule endoscopy (CE).

Methods: This is a multi-centre, observational, analytical, retrospective study. A total of 163 patients with suspicion of celiac disease (CD) (mean age = 46.