Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric dysbiosis: Can probiotics administration be useful to treat this condition?

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is responsible for one of the most common infections in the world. 'e prevalence exceeds 50% of the population in developing countries, and approximately one-third of the adults are colonized in North Europe and North America. It is considered a major pathogenic agent of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, atrophic gastritis, gastric cancer, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALT). Hp colonization modifies the composition of gastric microbiota that could drive the development of gastric disorders. Currently, an emerging problem in Hp treatment is represented by the increasing rate of antimicrobial therapy resistance. In this context, the search for adjuvant agents can be very useful to overcome this issue and probiotics administration can represent a valid option. The aim of this review is to describe the gastric microbiota changes during Hp colonization, the mechanisms of action, and a possible role of probiotics in the treatment of this infection

Involvement of recreational anglers in the eradication of alien brook trout from high altitude lakes

Stocking programmes for recreational angling are primarily responsible for the spread and ecological impact of introduced sh in high-altitude, originally shless lakes. In 2013, the Gran Paradiso National Park started an eradication campaign of brook trout by intensive gill-netting. Local anglers were invited to attend two angling sessions to start the eradication before gill-netting in an experimental lake, as part of an education action devoted to these critical stakeholders. The angling sessions turned out to be a valuable help for the eradication campaign and the aim of this study is to report on the outcomes of these angling sessions. Angling techniques were highly size-selective, removing a substantial part of the adult population and of the sh biomass, but their contribution to the eradication of small sh (<15cm) was irrelevant. Therefore, angling cannot completely eradicate age-structured populations. However, there is scope to use angling sessions as a support for eradication campaigns and as an emergency measure for recent sh introduc- tions. Similar actions should be considered whenever a sh eradication programme is planned. These ndings, however, do not imply a general endorsement for angling within protected areas

Polybia (Myrapetra) scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) foraging on flies at carcasses of Rattus norvegicus (Rodentia: Muridae)

Social wasps stand out due to their role in the trophic balance of the ecosystems. These insects can get nutrients by preying on other insects, such as Lepidoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and the decomposing remains of vertebrates. Some species, such as Polybia scutellaris, can also use pollen and nectar stored in their nests to produce honey. Some studies lay emphasis on the prey captured by social wasps, showing that predation, in some conditions, is directed to Lepidoptera larvae, such as for Polybia occidentalis, Polybia paulista and Polybia ignobilis. Other species like P. scutellaris focus on flies of the Tabanidae, Syrphidae, Muscidae and Anthomyiidae families. There are few studies with social wasps that feed on animal carcasses; this way, our study aims to report the predation on individuals of the Sarcophagidae family, which use Rattus norvegicus carcasses as a food source, by the social wasp Polybia scutellar

Multidisciplinary approach in the removal of post-trauma foreign bodies in the head and neck district: Cases report and review of literature

Introduction: The management of foreign bodies (FBs) penetrating the head and neck district is a condition rare but at risk for the patient’s life because this district is particularly rich in vital structures. Therefore, their management requires a multidisciplinary approach. Materials and methods: In this study we retrospectively examine two emblematic cases among 183 that occurred in our hospital from January 2008 to December 2017. Results: There were 183 cases of FBs of the head and neck district submitted to extraction with a range of age of between 18 months old and 79 years old. Of 183 patients, 112 were children, 60 were adults. The incidence was prevalent among children, with 112 cases against 60 cases in adults (including 11 post-dental care cases). Only 2 remaining cases described are characterized by the involvement of several districts Conclusion: Both cases evidenced like as a multidisciplinary approach is important to minimize potential complications and sequelae

Haptic-guided shared control for needle grasping optimization in minimally invasive robotic surgery

During suturing tasks performed with minimally invasive surgical robots, configuration singularities and joint limits often force surgeons to interrupt the task and re- grasp the needle using dual-arm movements. This yields an increased operator’s cognitive load, time-to-completion, fatigue and performance degradation. In this paper, we propose a haptic-guided shared control method for grasping the needle with the Patient Side Manipulator (PSM) of the da Vinci robot avoiding such issues. We suggest a cost function consisting of (i) the distance from robot joint limits and (ii) the task-oriented manipulability over the suturing trajectory. We evaluate the cost and its gradient on the needle grasping manifold that allows us to obtain the optimal grasping pose for joint-limit and singularity free movements of the needle during suturing. Then, we compute force cues that are applied to the Master Tool Manipulator (MTM) of the da Vinci to guide the operator towards the optimal grasp. As such, our system helps the operator to choose a grasping configuration allowing the robot to avoid joint limits and singularities during post-grasp suturing movements. We show the effectiveness of our proposed haptic- guided shared control method during suturing using both simulated and real experiments. The results illustrate that our approach significantly improves the performance in terms of needle re-grasping

Mammary implants: laboratory simulation of recreational diving conditions

To ascertain whether mammary implants are prone to changes in conformation or structure if they are submitted to recreational dives, eight mammary implants were submitted to 40 simulated dives to imitate an average recreational diving schedule. Matching implants were used as a control group. Photographs were taken before and after completion of the protocol. All implants were observed for changes in volume and checked for integrity. Variations in density were evaluated using a Tc scan. No changes in volume occurred after each dive. None of the implants showed ruptures, and Tc scanning failed to reveal any differences in density between tested and control implants. Cohesive-gel implants submitted to the simulated dives showed some morphological alterations. This study indicates that the mammary implants tested could be implanted in a sports diver, but raises concern about whether the increased exposure to stress could negatively affect their durability. (C) 2002 The British Association of Plastic Surgeons

Negative Emotions in Skin Disorders: A Systematic Review

The main purpose of this study is to describe how negative emotions were investigated in the sphere of dermatological diseases, in order (1) to summarize literature trends about skin disorders and emotions, (2) to highlight any imbalances between the most studied and neglected emotions, (3) and to offer directions for future research. A computerized literature search provided 41 relevant and potentially eligible studies. Results showed that the study of emotions in skin disease is limited to Sadness/depression and Fear/anxiety. The emotions of Anger and Disgust have been poorly explored in empirical studies, despite they could be theoretically considered a vulnerability factor for the development of skin disorders and the dermatological extreme consequences, as negative emotionality toward self and the pathological skin condition. The bibliometric qualitative analysis with VOSViewer software revealed that the majority of the studies have been focused on the relationships between vitiligo and Sadness/depression, dermatitis and Fear/anxiety, psoriasis, and Anger, suggesting the need of future research exploring Disgust and, in general, a wider emotional spectrum

Breast cancer surgery in elderly patients: postoperative complications and survival

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Old age is associated with comorbidity and decreased functioning which influences treatment decisions in elderly breast cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for complications after breast cancer surgery in elderly patients, and to assess mortality in patients with postoperative complications. METHODS: We retrospectively considered all female patients aged 65 years and older with invasive and in situ breast cancer who were diagnosed and treated between 1997 and 2012 in the Department of General and Geriatric Surgery of the University of Naples "Federico II". RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: 449 patients received surgery, of whom 18,2% (n = 82) developed one or more postoperative complications. The odds ratio of having postoperative complications show an increase with age, reaching statistical significance only for patients older than 85 [OR 5,75 (95% confidence interval 2,38-14,04); p < 0,001]. Number of concomitant diseases [OR 2,51 (95% CI 1,17 - 5,45); p = 0,01 for 3 or more concomitant diseases] and polypharmacy [OR 16,7 (95% CI 9,12 - 30,58); p < 0,0001) are associated to an increased risk of postoperative complications. Overall survival was worse in patients with postoperative complications [HR 2,06 (95% CI 1,52-2,70), p < 0,001]. This increased risk of mortality is probably due to geriatric parameters such as comorbidity or poor physical function, more than to higher complication rates

Undertreatment of breast cancer in the elderly

AIMS: The effect of undertreatment with adjuvant hormonal therapy, chemotherapy or radiation was studied in elderly women with breast cancer. METHODS: A prospectively maintained database was used to identify women undergoing potentially curative surgery between 1997 and 2011. The presentation, pathologic findings, treatment and outcomes of 449 women over 65 were compared to the findings in 1049 younger patients. Moreover, conventionally treated and undertreated elderly patients were identified and their characteristics and outcomes were compared. RESULTS: Both young and old patients presented most frequently with mammographic findings, but older patients presented more frequently with mammographic masses while younger patients presented more frequently with mammographic calcifications. Cancers of older patients were signicantly more favorable than cancers in younger patients with more infiltrating lobular, fewer ductal carcinoma in situ and more frequently estrogen receptor positive and fewer were poorly differentiated. Elderly patients had less axillary surgery, less adjuvant radiation therapy and more hormonal therapy. Fourty-six percent of the 449 elderly patients were undertreated by conventional criteria. Undertreated patients were more frequently in situ, better differentiated, smaller, and more often estrogen receptor positive. Forty-four percent of the undertreated patients died during follow-up without disease recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Despite undertreatment, local and distant disease-free survival was comparable to patients who were not undertreated