Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced colorectal cancers at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all 17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period), in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was 30 days from surgery. EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery, palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery, and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster variable. RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years) underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142 (56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for these patients

L’adattamento al contesto come predittore del successo accademico : quale ruolo per le risorse individuali? = Academic Adjustment as a Predictor of Academic Success : What Role Do Personal Resources Have?

L’Italia è tra i Paesi dell’UE con il minor numero di laureati. La prevenzione dei tassi di abbandono e il miglioramento del benessere della popolazione adulta possono essere raggiunti attraverso il potenziamento dei fattori che promuovono un maggiore successo accademico. L’obiettivo del presente studio è quindi quello di indagare le risorse personali e le percezioni del contesto che possono avere un impatto sul rendimento accademico (in termini di esami superati). Il presente studio è stato condotto presso il Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroalimentari dell’Università di Bologna. Un campione di 571 studenti (60.4% maschi; età media = 20.66 anni) ha compilato un questionario online. Le ipotesi sono state testate attraverso la macro PROCESS in SPSS, versione 23. I risultati ottenuti hanno supportato gli effetti indiretti ipotizzati, in quanto la relazione tra adattamento accademico e rendimento è mediata in serie dall’autoefficacia accademica e dalla presenza di un’attribuzione di causalità interna. Gli esiti della ricerca possono essere utilizzati per progettare azioni specifiche per promuovere il successo accademico degli studenti universitari, ad esempio programmi di orientamento in itinere incentrati sul rafforzamento delle risorse e competenze personali degli studenti e azioni di sostegno individualizzate

Mucosal Overexpression of Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin and Proinflammatory Cytokines in Patients With Autoimmune Atrophic Gastritis

The immune mechanisms underlying human autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AAG) are poorly understood. We sought to assess immune mucosal alterations in patients with AAG

Delineation of the ADULT syndrome phenotype due to arginine 298 mutations of the p63 gene.

Contains fulltext : 51135.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)The ADULT syndrome (Acro-Dermato-Ungual-Lacrimal-Tooth, OMIM 103285) is a rare ectodermal dysplasia associated with limb malformations and caused by heterozygous mutations in p63. ADULT syndrome has clinical overlap with other p63 mutation syndromes, such as EEC (OMIM 604292), LMS (OMIM 603543), AEC (106260), RHS (129400) and SHFM4 (605289). ADULT syndrome characteristics are ectrodactyly, ectodermal dysplasia, mammary gland hypoplasia and normal lip and palate. The latter findings allow differentiation from EEC syndrome. LMS differs by milder ectodermal involvement. Here, we report three new unrelated ADULT syndrome families, all with mutations of arginine 298. On basis of 16 patients in five families with R298 mutation, we delineate the ADULT syndrome phenotype. In addition, we have documented a gain-of-function effect on the dNp63gamma isoform caused by this mutation. We discuss the possible relevance of oral squamous cell carcinoma in one patient, who carries this p63 germline mutation