Together, we provided support for the critical role of gut microbiota in the development of ITP and established a foundation for further research characterizing gut microbiota in relation to corticosteroid resistance of ITP.

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a key phosphate-regulating hormone that has been associated with adverse outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Emerging data suggest that FGF23 plays a specific role in type 2 diabetes, partly independent of kidney function. We aimed to summarize current literature on the associations between FGF23 and outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes with or without CKD.

Several cohort studies have shown strong associations between plasma FGF23 and cardiovascular outcomes in diabetic CKD. Moreover, recent data suggest that FGF23 are elevated and may also be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality in type 2 diabetes patients without CKD, although the magnitude of the association is smaller than in CKD patients. Diabetes-related factors may influence plasma FGF23 levels, and a higher FGF23 levels seem to contribute to a higher cardiovascular and mortality risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. Although this risk may be relevant in diabetic indely a disease severity marker or a contributor to adverse outcomes in type 2 diabetes and establish if antidiabetic medication can modify FGF23 levels.

The COVID-19 pandemic has radically impacted the world lifestyle. Epidemics are well-known to cause mental distress, and patients with a current or past history of obesity are at increased risk for the common presence of psychological comorbidities. This study investigates the psychological impact of the current pandemic in patients participating in a bariatric surgery program.

Patients were consecutively enrolled during the Italian lockdown among those waiting for bariatric surgery or attending a post-bariatric follow-up, and were asked to complete through an online platform the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 and a self-assessment questionnaire of 22 items evaluating the resilience, change in eating behavior and emotional responses referring to the ongoing pandemic.

59% of the 434 enrolled subjects reported of being worried about the pandemic, and 63% specifically reported of being worried about their or their relatives’ health. 37% and 56% felt lonelier and more bored, respectively. 66% was hungrier with increased frequency of snacking (55%) and 39% reported more impulse to eat. Noteworthy, 49% felt unable to follow a recommended diet. No difference in terms of psychological profile was recorded among pre and post-bariatric subjects. Logistic regression analysis on post-bariatric patients showed a relationship between snacking, hunger, eating impulsivity, and anxiety, stress, and/or depression symptoms.

The pandemic led to increased psychological distress in patients with a current or past history of obesity, reducing quality of life and affecting dietary compliance. Targeted psychological support is warranted in times of increased stress for fragile subjects such as pre- and post-bariatric patients.

Level V cross-sectionaldescriptive study.

Level V cross-sectional descriptive study.Two diametrically opposed positions predominate discourse for the care and treatment of persons with severe mental illness anti-deinstitutionalization and anti-institutionalization. Both share the same goal of ensuring best quality of life for those with severe psychiatric disorders, but pathways to achieving this goal are very different and have resulted in much contention. Supporters of each position espouse a different belief system regarding people with psychiatric disorders and their presumed capabilities, placing varying emphasis on maximizing protection of the community versus protection of individual rights, and result in contrasting mental health policies and practice orientations. The authors delineate the history from which these positions evolved, consequent views, and policies and practices that emerged from these differing attitudes. The article culminates in a proposed practice approach that offers a more balanced approach to serving adults with mental illness -navigating risk management by preserving freedom and opportunities of risk while affording mutually satisfactory „risk control.”

to examine the relationship between religiosity, social support, trauma, quality of life and experienced stigma of mental illness amongst a population diagnosed with mental ill-health.

A cross-sectional survey of day service users in Northern Ireland (n = 295) covering a range of issues including religiosity, social support, quality of life and prior experience of trauma. Stigma was measured using a recognised stigma scale. We used multinomial logistic regression to examine risk factors associated with experienced stigma.

Univariate analysis showed significant associations between stigma and age, number of friends, social support, quality of life and prior experience of trauma. Age, quality of life, and trauma remained independently associated with stigma in a multivariate logistic regression model (x

(12) = 98.40, p < 0.001).

Younger people, those with less social support, prior experience of trauma and with poorer quality of life are at increased risk of experiencing stigma related to their diagnosis of mental illness. The findings provide further understanding of stigma and are useful for those overseeing programmes to improve access to mental health treatment.

Younger people, those with less social support, prior experience of trauma and with poorer quality of life are at increased risk of experiencing stigma related to their diagnosis of mental illness. The findings provide further understanding of stigma and are useful for those overseeing programmes to improve access to mental health treatment.

(4S)-4-(3-[

F]Fluoropropyl)-L-glutamic acid ([

F]FSPG) measures system x

transporter activity and shows promise for oncologic imaging. We present data on tumor uptake of this radiopharmaceutical in human subjects with head and neck cancer (HNC), colorectal cancer (CRC), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

A total of 15 subjects with HNC (n = 5), CRC (n = 5), or NHL (n = 5) were recruited (mean age 66.2 years, range 44-87 years). 301.4 ± 28.1 MBq (8.1 ± 0.8 mCi) of [

F]FSPG was given intravenously to each subject, and 3 PET/CT scans were obtained 0-2 h post-injection. All subjects also had a positive [

F]FDG PET/CT scan within 1 month prior to the [

F]FSPG PET scan. Semi-quantitative and visual comparisons of the [

F]FSPG and [

F]FDG scans were performed.

[

F]FSPG showed strong uptake in all but one HNC subject. The lack of surrounding brain uptake facilitated tumor delineation in the HNC patients. [

F]FSPG also showed tumor uptake in all CRC subjects, but variable uptake in the NHL subjects. Whn tumor biology. The tumor-to-background ratios were greater with [18F]FSPG than [18F]FDG in the cancer types evaluated. Future studies based on larger numbers of subjects and those with a wider array of primary and recurrent or metastatic tumors are planned to further evaluate the utility of this novel tracer.

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar las características de fermentación de proteínas de diversas fuentes mediante microbiota intestinal humana. Se seleccionaron proteínas de cereales (arroz y avena), proteínas de carne roja (carne de cerdo y res), proteínas de pollo y caseína como sustratos para la digestión gastrointestinal simulada (SGID), y se recogieron muestras fecales humanas de donantes sanos como el inóculo de fermentación. En este estudio, analizamos aún más las correlaciones de las composiciones de aminoácidos (AA), las producciones de fermentación y la microbiota intestinal. Como resultado, los grupos de proteínas animales tuvieron un mayor grado de hidrólisis (DH) después de la digestión y mayores niveles de nitrógeno amoniacal (NH

-N) después de la fermentación que las proteínas de cereales. El valor del pH del líquido de fermentación disminuyó a medida que se agregaron proteínas durante la fermentación. Los grupos de proteínas de cereales promovieron la microbiota intestinal para producispp. y Bifidobacterium spp. mientras que las proteínas de la carne roja estimularon el crecimiento de Peptoclostridium spp. En conjunto, nuestra investigación implica que el cereal proLas teínas tienen mejores caracteres de fermentación que las proteínas de la carne roja.In the original publication of the article, the word „complimentary”.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic chronic inflammatory disease that affects synovial joints and has various extra-articular manifestations, including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Patients with RA experience a higher risk of CVD, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Inflammation is a common phenomenon in RA and CVD. The pathophysiological association between these diseases is still not clear, and, thus, the risk assessment and detection of CVD in such patients is of clinical importance. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has gained prominence in advancing healthcare and, therefore, may further help to investigate the RA-CVD association. There are three aims of this review (1) to summarize the three pathophysiological pathways that link RA to CVD; (2) to identify several traditional and carotid ultrasound image-based CVD risk calculators useful for RA patients, and (3) to understand the role of artificial intelligence in CVD risk assessment in RA patients. Our search strategy involves extensively searches in PubMed and Web of Science databases using search terms associated with CVD risk assessment in RA patients. A total of 120 peer-reviewed articles were screened for this review. We conclude that (a) two of the three pathways directly affect the atherosclerotic process, leading to heart injury, (b) carotid ultrasound image-based calculators have shown superior performance compared with conventional calculators, and (c) AI-based technologies in CVD risk assessment in RA patients are aggressively being adapted for routine practice of RA patients.Chronic inflammation starting early in life and continuing into adulthood may predispose children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) to cardiovascular (CV) complications. To compare non-invasive CV risk markers- left ventricular mass index (LVMi), brachial artery flow mediated dilatation (FMD) and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) between patients with JIA and healthy controls. Measurements of LVMi, CIMT and FMD and lipid profile were compared between 4 and 18 year old 81 patients with JIA and 78 age and sex matched healthy controls. Among 81, 20 had systemic onset, 19 enthesitis related arthritis, 9 polyarticular rheumatoid factor (RF) + ve, 19 polyarticular RF -ve, 11 oligo-articular, and 3 un-differentiated JIA. FMD was significantly lower (p  less then  0.001), CIMT and LVMi significantly higher in patients (p ≤  0.001). CIMT showed positive correlation with blood pressure (p = 0.001), disease duration (p  ≤  0.001) and negative correlation with high density lipoprotein (HDL) (p ≤  0.001).