Implementation and Preliminary Evaluation of a 12-Week Cognitive Behavioural and Motivational Enhancement Group Therapy for Cannabis Use Disorder.

Background: The purpose of this paper is to provide a preliminary evaluation of treatment outcomes, retention and client satisfaction following a 12-week combined cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and motivational enhancement therapy (MET) group treatment for cannabis use disorder (CUD) delivered in an outpatient setting. Implementation of the program is also described.

Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted using data collected from medical records and self-report assessments.

Impact of antithrombotics on the fecal immunochemical test for colorectal cancer screening : a multi-center Belgian experience.

Background: Impact of antithrombotics on the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening remains unclear.

Methods: Patients undergoing colonoscopy for positive FIT in 2015 were assessed at 3 Belgian centers. Significant findings were advanced polyps (AP) (sessile serrated, tubular or villous adenomas >1cm or high-grade dysplasia) and CRC.

Self-expandable metal stents for obstructing colonic and extracolonic cancer: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Guideline - Update 2020.

The following recommendations should only be applied after a thorough diagnostic evaluation including a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan. 1 : ESGE recommends colonic stenting to be reserved for patients with clinical symptoms and radiological signs of malignant large-bowel obstruction, without signs of perforation. ESGE does not recommend prophylactic stent placement.

Ulcerative colitis treatment : an insight into daily clinical practice.

Background: The natural history of ulcerative colitis (UC) is unpredictable. Factors associated with the need for different types of step-up therapy in UC patients failing on 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) or corticosteroids are understudied.

Aims: Describe step-up therapy in patients with UC the first year after failing on 5-ASA or corticosteroids.

Mild-to-moderate renal pelvis dilatation identified during pregnancy and hospital admissions in childhood: An electronic birth cohort study in Wales, UK.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing contributor to the global burden of noncommunicable diseases. Early diagnosis and treatment can reduce the severity of kidney damage and the need for dialysis or transplantation. It is not known whether mild-to-moderate renal pelvis dilatation (RPD) identified at 18-20 weeks gestation is an early indicator of renal pathology.

Long-term outcomes of urinary tract infection (UTI) in Childhood (LUCI): protocol for an electronic record-linked cohort study.

Introduction: Current guidelines advise the prompt diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infection (UTI) in children to improve both short and longer term outcomes. However, the risk of long-term complications following childhood UTI is unclear.UTI is relatively common but difficult to diagnose in children as symptoms are non-specific.

Randomized trial of working memory training as an adjunct to inpatient substance use disorder treatment.

Despite interest in computerized working memory training as a transdiagnostic intervention, little is known about its feasibility and efficacy in addiction treatment settings. This double-blind, randomized controlled trial examined the efficacy of working memory training for improving performance on standardized measures of executive function during inpatient substance use disorder treatment. Secondary outcomes included delay discounting, adherence to cognitive training, and posttreatment relapse.

An unusual cause of severe, persistent diarrhoea.

We present two cases of patients with severe persistent diarrhoea, in whom duodenal biopsies revealed villous atrophy that could be attributed to the use of olmesartan. The differential diagnosis of villous atrophy without serological markers of celiac disease should include drugs as possible cause, with olmesartan as a recently discovered culprit. Gastroenterologist should be aware of this entity.

Ten-year survival after endoscopic stent placement as a bridge to surgery in obstructing colon cancer.

Background And Aims: Self-expandable metal stents are used increasingly in the treatment of obstructing colorectal cancer (CRC). Although endoscopic colon stenting is widely accepted in palliation, disagreement exists about its role in a curative setting. This study aims to describe long-term survival data in a large patient group treated with colon stenting as a bridge to surgery for CRC.

The monster in the mirror: reasons for wanting to change appearance.

Purpose: Many adults are dissatisfied with their body, regardless of their weight, and weight loss is commonly perceived as an effective solution to this dissatisfaction. The main purpose of this study was to examine the reasons for wanting to modify one's bodily appearance (shape and weight), and to compare these reasons by sex, age, and weight group.

Methods: The sample consisted of 796 French-speaking Canadian adults (100 men, 696 women; M age = 27.

Self-expandable metal stents for obstructing colonic and extracolonic cancer: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Clinical Guideline.

This Guideline is an official statement of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE). This Guideline was also reviewed and endorsed by the Governing Board of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system was adopted to define the strength of recommendations and the quality of evidence.

Consecutive fecal calprotectin measurements to predict relapse in patients with ulcerative colitis receiving infliximab maintenance therapy.

Background: This study examined whether fecal calprotectin can be used in daily practice as a marker to monitor patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) receiving infliximab maintenance therapy.

Methods: This prospective multicenter study enrolled adult patients with UC in clinical remission under infliximab maintenance therapy. Fecal calprotectin levels were measured every 4 weeks.

Self-Expanding Metal Stenting for Palliation of Patients with Malignant Colonic Obstruction: Effectiveness and Efficacy on 255 Patients with 12-Month's Follow-up.

Background. Self-expanding metal stents can alleviate malignant colonic obstruction in incurable patients and avoid palliative stoma surgery. Objective.

Colonic stenting as a bridge to surgery in malignant large-bowel obstruction: a report from two large multinational registries.

Objectives: To date, this is the largest prospective series in patients with malignant colorectal obstruction to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of colonic self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs) as an alternative to emergency surgery. SEMSs allow restoration of bowel transit and careful tumor staging in preparation for elective surgery, hence avoiding the high morbidity and mortality associated with emergency surgery and stoma creation.

Methods: This report is on the SEMS bridge-to-surgery subset enrolled in two multicenter international registries.

Mixture designs in the optimisation of PLGA nanoparticles: influence of organic phase composition on β-aescin encapsulation.

The objective of this study was to enhance the encapsulation of the antileishmanial saponin aescin in poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs). We prepared the NPs by the O/W and W/O/W combined emulsification solvent evaporation/salting-out technique and investigated the influence of organic phase composition on the NPs' size, zeta potential and entrapment efficiency (EE%) using mixture designs. The obtained NPs were monodispersed with Z(ave)<300 nm and exhibited negative zeta potentials.

PLGA nanoparticles loaded with the antileishmanial saponin β-aescin: factor influence study and in vitro efficacy evaluation.

Colloidal carriers are known to improve the therapeutic index of the conventional drugs in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) by decreasing their toxicity whilst maintaining or increasing therapeutic efficacy. This paper describes the development of poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) for the antileishmanial saponin β-aescin. NPs were prepared by the W/O/W emulsification solvent evaporation technique and the influence of five preparation parameters on the NPs' size (Z(ave)), zeta potential and entrapment efficiency (EE%) was investigated using a 2(5-2) fractional factorial design.

Self-expandable metal stents for relieving malignant colorectal obstruction: short-term safety and efficacy within 30 days of stent procedure in 447 patients.

Background: The self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) can alleviate malignant colonic obstruction and avoid emergency decompressive surgery.

Objective: To document performance, safety, and effectiveness of colorectal stents used per local standards of practice in patients with malignant large-bowel obstruction to avoid palliative stoma surgery in incurable patients (PAL) and facilitate bowel decompression as a bridge to surgery for curable patients (BTS).

Design: Prospective clinical cohort study.

Development and characterization of Cyclosporine A loaded nanoparticles for ocular drug delivery: Cellular toxicity, uptake, and kinetic studies.

Dry eye syndrome is a common disorder of the tear film caused by decreased tear production or increased evaporation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential effectiveness of Cyclosporine A (CsA) nanoparticles (NPs) for the treatment of inflammation of the eye surface. Topical CsA is currently the only and safe pharmacologic treatment of severe dry eye symptoms.

Second primary malignancies in patients with a gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumour: a case report and review of the literature.

A second primary malignancy (SPM) is frequently reported in patients with a gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumour (NET). The majority of SPM are located in the gastrointestinal tract, but malignancies at other sites are described as well. This phenomenon might just be coincidental due to high incidence rates of asymptomatic NET lesions in patients who are operated or who undergo autopsy for another primary malignancy.

Development of mucoadhesive poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles for ocular application.

Pilocarpine loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles were prepared by solvent evaporation method and coated with various mucoadhesive polymers, in particular chitosan, sodium alginate and poloxamers. The size of chitosan-coated nanoparticles was larger than the size of all the other particles obtained. Their surface charge was changed from negative (-22.

Solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) formulations as a potential tool for the reduction of cytotoxicity of saponins.

The present pilot study explored the potential of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) to entrap saponins and reduce the membrane toxicity of these compounds. SLN composed of different types of solid lipid were prepared by the cold homogenisation technique. Combinations of anionic, cationic and non-ionic stabilisers were selected in order to obtain negatively, positively and neutrally charged SLN.