Phenotypical Characterization of Gastroenterological and Metabolic Manifestations in Patients With Williams-Beuren Syndrome.

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common in patients with Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS), but their prevalence and possible causes are not yet fully known. This study assessed GI symptoms' prevalence and their possible origin by performing a predefined set of tests in adult WBS patients. Laboratory tests and a questionnaire were administered to assess GI symptoms and dietary habits.

Hepatincolaceae (Alphaproteobacteria) are Distinct From Holosporales and Independently Evolved to Associate With Ecdysozoa.

The Hepatincolaceae (Alphaproteobacteria) are a group of bacteria that inhabit the gut of arthropods and other ecdysozoans, associating extracellularly with microvilli. Previous phylogenetic studies, primarily single-gene analyses, suggested their relationship to the Holosporales, which includes intracellular bacteria in protist hosts. However, the genomics of Hepatincolaceae is still in its early stages.

Comparison of the Accuracy, Completeness, Reproducibility, and Consistency of Different AI Chatbots in Providing Nutritional Advice: An Exploratory Study.

: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for obtaining healthcare advice is greatly increased in the general population. This study assessed the performance of general-purpose AI chatbots in giving nutritional advice for patients with obesity with or without multiple comorbidities. : The case of a 35-year-old male with obesity without comorbidities (Case 1), and the case of a 65-year-old female with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, sarcopenia, and chronic kidney disease (Case 2) were submitted to 10 different AI chatbots on three consecutive days.

Bowel preparation for small bowel capsule endoscopy: standard regimen with 2 L polyethylene glycol versus 1 L polyethylene glycol plus ascorbate.

Background/aims: Optimization of bowel preparation for small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) is debated. Guidelines recommend 2 L of iso-osmolar polyethylene glycol (PEG) to improve SBCE visibility. We compared the efficacy of the standard 2 L PEG solution with a 1 L PEG plus ascorbate (PEG-ASC) preparation, which has already been established for large-bowel preparation.

CAT-Posterior Mean Site Frequencies Improves Phylogenetic Modeling Under Maximum Likelihood and Resolves Tardigrada as the Sister of Arthropoda Plus Onychophora.

Tardigrada, the water bears, are microscopic animals with walking appendages that are members of Ecdysozoa, the clade of molting animals that also includes Nematoda (round worms), Nematomorpha (horsehair worms), Priapulida (penis worms), Kinorhyncha (mud dragons), Loricifera (loricated animals), Arthropoda (insects, spiders, centipedes, crustaceans, and their allies), and Onychophora (velvet worms). The phylogenetic relationships within Ecdysozoa are still unclear, with analyses of molecular and morphological data yielding incongruent results. Accounting for across-site compositional heterogeneity using mixture models that partition sites in frequency categories, CATegories (CAT)-based models, has been shown to improve fit in Bayesian analyses.

High-Statistics Measurement of the Cosmic-Ray Electron Spectrum with H.E.S.S.

Owing to their rapid cooling rate and hence loss-limited propagation distance, cosmic-ray electrons and positrons (CRe) at very high energies probe local cosmic-ray accelerators and provide constraints on exotic production mechanisms such as annihilation of dark matter particles. We present a high-statistics measurement of the spectrum of CRe candidate events from 0.3 to 40 TeV with the High Energy Stereoscopic System, covering 2 orders of magnitude in energy and reaching a proton rejection power of better than 10^{4}.

Description of Macrobiotus kathyae sp. nov. (Parachela: Macrobiotidae) and first records of tardigrades from Indiana (USA).

The integrative description of the new species Macrobiotus kathyae sp. nov. is reported in this study along with the first tardigrade records for Indiana (United States of America).

Effect of antithrombotic therapies on small bowel bleeding: an European multicenter retrospective study.

Background/aims: Small bowel bleeding (SBB) is the main indication for videocapsule endoscopy (VCE); the diagnostic yield (DY) could be influenced by antithrombotic therapies. We explored the effects of these therapies on SBB.

Methods: Consecutive patients from two centers (Milan, Italy and Sheffield, UK) who underwent VCE between March 2001 and July 2020 were considered.

Mannitol for bowel preparation: Efficacy and safety results from the SATISFACTION randomised clinical trial.

Background: Bowel preparation represents a significant issue to high-quality colonoscopy. Oral mannitol requires a single dose, is of low volume, and has a pleasant taste and rapid action.

Aims: This SATISFACTION study compared single-dose (same day) oral mannitol 100 g/750 mL with standard split-dose PEG-ASC2 L (MoviPrep®).

Estrogen-related differences in antitumor immunity and gut microbiome contribute to sexual dimorphism of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a multifaceted disease whose development and progression varies depending on tumor location, age of patients, infiltration of immune cells within cancer lesions, and the tumor microenvironment. These pathophysiological characteristics are additionally influenced by sex-related differences. The gut microbiome plays a role in initiation and progression of CRC, and shapes anti-tumor immune responses but how responsiveness of the immune system to the intestinal microbiota may contribute to sexual dimorphism of CRC is largely unknown.

Serum zonulin and colorectal cancer risk.

Intestinal permeability has been related to colorectal cancer (CRC) development. Zonulin, a protein able to regulate tight junction function and intestinal permeability, emerges as a promising marker to elucidate the contribution of bacterial translocation in CRC. An Italian case-control study included 77 CRC cases, 72 intestinal adenoma and 76 healthy controls (for a total of 148 tumor-free subjects), aged 20-85.

Clinical features and risk factors for colorectal gas explosion during digestive endoscopy and surgery: a systematic review.

Background And Aims: Colorectal gas explosion (CGE) is an exceptional but potentially fatal complication of digestive endoscopy or surgery. The role played by bowel preparations and endoscopic or surgical devices in the risk of CGE is still unclear. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify risk factors for CGE.

Computer aided villi morphometric quantification in video-capsule enteroscopy: A newly developed software to quantify small bowel atrophy.

Background And Aims: Small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) has an established role in patients with non-responsive celiac disease (CeD). A non-invasive method to quantify small bowel atrophy is still lacking.

Methods: We analysed SBCE frames from CeD patients from 2018 to 2020.

Distribution of esophageal inflammation in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis and its impact on diagnosis and outcome.

Background: This study aimed to assess the distribution of esophageal inflammation in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and its impact on diagnosis and outcome.

Aims And Methods: Data from consecutive adult EoE patients who were followed-up at four Italian referral centers from October 2022 to October 2023 were retrospectively collected.

Results: One hundred forty-nine patients were included.

Patterns of sexual dimorphism in the armoured tardigrades.

Sexual dimorphism is widespread among animals, with diverse patterns and proposed explanations observed across the Tree of Life. Here we present the first formal analysis of the patterns of sexual dimorphism in body size and cephalic sensory appendages across 40 species (from 10 genera) of armoured tardigrades (Echiniscidae). Phylogenetic signal was found for body size traits and the cephalic papilla relative size, indicating that the association between these traits between the sexes has high evolutionary persistence.

fuels colorectal cancer through CHI3L1-mediated iNKT cell-driven immune evasion.

The interaction between the gut microbiota and invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells plays a pivotal role in colorectal cancer (CRC). The pathobiont influences the anti-tumor functions of CRC-infiltrating iNKT cells. However, the impact of other bacteria associated with CRC, like , on their activation status remains unexplored.

AIEC-dependent pathogenic Th17 cell transdifferentiation in Crohn's disease is suppressed by and deletion.

Mucosal enrichment of the Adherent-Invasive (AIEC) pathotype and the expansion of pathogenic IFNγ-producing Th17 (pTh17) cells have been linked to Crohn's Disease (CD) pathogenesis. However, the molecular pathways underlying the AIEC-dependent pTh17 cell transdifferentiation in CD patients remain elusive. To this aim, we created and functionally screened a transposon AIEC mutant library of 10.

Endangered bird species of one of the last remnants of lowland Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil: pressures and preservation measures.

The lowland Atlantic Forest, at altitudes of below 500 m, is highly fragmented, and is home to many threatened species of birds. The Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro has a high concentration of threatened birds in the Americas and is an important residual of the dense ombrophilous formations of the Atlantic Forest, which includes the Reserva Biológica União, a high priority area for conservation of Atlantic Forest birds. This study compiled empirical and secondary records of threatened birds in this reserve and discusses potential factors determining their local occurrence.

Properties of Cosmic Deuterons Measured by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.

Precision measurements by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) on the International Space Station of the deuteron (D) flux are presented. The measurements are based on 21×10^{6} D nuclei in the rigidity range from 1.9 to 21 GV collected from May 2011 to April 2021.

Incomplete small bowel capsule endoscopy: Risk factors and cost-effectiveness of real-time viewing.

International guidelines recommend real-time viewing (RTV) in capsule endoscopy for gastric emptying monitoring, yet it is often overlooked in clinical practice. We aimed to assess risk factors for incomplete small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) and evaluate the clinical relevance and cost-effectiveness of RTV implementation. We included consecutive SBCEs from 2013 to 2020.