Ischaemic preconditioning improves upper-body endurance performance without altering V̇O2 kinetics.

PURPOSE: Whilst pre-exercise ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) can improve lower-body exercise performance, its impact on upper-limb performance has received little attention. This study examines the influence of IPC on upper-body exercise performance and oxygen uptake (V̇O2) kinetics. METHODS: Eleven recreationally-active males (24 ± 2 years) completed an arm-crank graded exercise test to exhaustion to determine the power outputs at the ventilatory thresholds (VT1 and VT2) and V̇O2peak (40.0 ± 7.4 ml·kg-1·min-1). Four main trials were conducted, two following IPC (4 × 5-min, 220 mmHg contralateral upper-limb occlusion), the other two following SHAM (4 × 5-min, 20 mmHg). The first two trials consisted of a 15-minute constant work rate and the last two time-to-exhaustion (TTE) arm-crank tests at the power equivalents of 95% VT1 (LOW) and VT2 (HIGH), respectively. Pulmonary V̇O2 kinetics, heart rate, blood-lactate concentration, and rating of perceived exertion were recorded throughout exercise. RESULTS: TTE during HIGH was longer following IPC than SHAM (459 ± 115 vs 395 ± 102 s, p = .004). Mean response time and change in V̇O2 between 2-min and end exercise (ΔV̇O2) were not different between IPC and SHAM for arm-cranking at both LOW (80.3 ± 19.0 vs 90.3 ± 23.5 s [p = .06], 457 ± 184 vs 443 ± 245 ml [p = .83]) and HIGH (96.6 ± 31.2 vs 92.1 ± 24.4 s [p = .65], 617 ± 321 vs 649 ± 230 ml [p = .74]). Heart rate, blood-lactate concentration, and rating of perceived exertion did not differ between conditions (all p ≥ .05). CONCLUSION: TTE was longer following IPC during upper-body exercise despite unchanged V̇O2 kinetics.HighlightsWhilst pre-exercise ischaemic preconditioning can improve lower-body exercise performance and alter V̇O2 kinetics, its impact on upper-limb performance has received little attention.An acute bout of ischaemic preconditioning prior to arm-crank ergometry exercise significantly improved time to exhaustion compared to a sham control condition.V̇O2 kinetics in response to ischaemic preconditioning remained unchanged, suggesting alternative mechanisms may explain performance improvements.

Radiographers and COVID-19 pneumonia: Diagnostic performance using CO-RADS.

INTRODUCTION: A more structured role of radiographers is advisable to speed up the management of patients with suspected COVID-19. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of radiographers in the detection of COVID-19 pneumonia on chest CT using CO-RADS descriptors. METHODS: CT images of patients who underwent RT-PCR and chest CT due to COVID-19 suspicion between March and July 2020 were analysed retrospectively. Six readers, including two radiologists, two highly experienced radiographers and two less experienced radiographers, independently scored each CT using the CO-RADS lexicon. ROC curves were used to investigate diagnostic accuracy, and Fleiss'κ statistics to evaluate inter-rater agreement. RESULTS: 714 patients (419 men; 295 women; mean age: 64 years ±19SD) were evaluated. CO-RADS> 3 was identified as optimal diagnostic threshold. Highly experienced radiographers achieved an average sensitivity of 58.7% (95%CI: 52.5-64.7), an average specificity of 81.8% (95%CI: 77.9-85.2), and a mean AUC of 0.72 (95%CI: 0.68-0.75). Among less experienced radiographers, an average sensitivity of 56.3% (95%CI: 50.1-62.2) and an average specificity of 81.5% (95%CI: 77.6-84.9) were observed, with a mean AUC of 0.71 (95%CI: 0.68-0.74). Consultant radiologists achieved an average sensitivity of 60.0% (95%CI: 53.7-65.8), an average specificity of 81.7% (95%CI: 77.8-85.1), and a mean AUC of 0.73 (95%CI: 0.70-0.77). CONCLUSION: Radiographers can adequately recognise the classic appearances of COVID-19 on CT, as described by the CO-RADS assessment scheme, in a way comparable to expert radiologists. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Radiographers, as the first healthcare professionals to evaluate CT images in patients with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection, could diagnose COVID-19 pneumonia by means of a categorical reporting scheme at CT in a reliable way, hence playing a primary role in the early management of these patients.

Practice parameters for the treatment of colonic diverticular disease: Italian Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (SICCR) guidelines.

The mission of the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR) is to optimize patient care. Providing evidence-based practice guidelines is therefore of key importance. About the present report it concernes the SICCR practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of diverticular disease of the colon. The guidelines are not intended to define the sole standard of care but to provide evidence-based recommendations regarding the available therapeutic options.

Clinical indications for computed tomographic colonography: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) and European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR) Guideline

This is an official guideline of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) and the European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR). It addresses the clinical indications for the use of computed tomographic colonography (CTC). A targeted literature search was performed to evaluate the evidence supporting the use of CTC. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system was adopted to define the strength of recommendations and the quality of evidence. Main recommendations 1 ESGE/ESGAR recommend computed tomographic colonography (CTC) as the radiological examination of choice for the diagnosis of colorectal neoplasia. ESGE/ESGAR do not recommend barium enema in this setting (strong recommendation, high quality evidence). 2 ESGE/ESGAR recommend CTC, preferably the same or next day, if colonoscopy is incomplete. Delay of CTC should be considered following endoscopic resection. In the case of obstructing colorectal cancer, preoperative contrast-enhanced CTC may also allow location or staging of malignant lesions (strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence). 3 When endoscopy is contraindicated or not possible, ESGE/ESGAR recommend CTC as an acceptable and equally sensitive alternative for patients with symptoms suggestive of colorectal cancer (strong recommendation, high quality evidence). 4 ESGE/ESGAR recommend referral for endoscopic polypectomy in patients with at least one polyp  ≥  6  mm in diameter detected at CTC. CTC surveillance may be clinically considered if patients do not undergo polypectomy (strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence). 5 ESGE/ESGAR do not recommend CTC as a primary test for population screening or in individuals with a positive first-degree family history of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, it may be proposed as a CRC screening test on an individual basis providing the screenee is adequately informed about test characteristics, benefits, and risks (weak recommendation, moderate quality evidence).

Imaging techniques for assessment of inflammatory bowel disease: joint ECCO and ESGAR evidence-based consensus guidelines.

The management of patients with IBD requires evaluation with objective tools, both at the time of diagnosis and throughout the course of the disease, to determine the location, extension, activity and severity of inflammatory lesions, as well as, the potential existence of complications. Whereas endoscopy is a well-established and uniformly performed diagnostic examination, the implementation of radiologic techniques for assessment of IBD is still heterogeneous; variations in technical aspects and the degrees of experience and preferences exist across countries in Europe. ECCO and ESGAR scientific societies jointly elaborated a consensus to establish standards for imaging in IBD using magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, ultrasonography, and including also other radiologic procedures such as conventional radiology or nuclear medicine examinations for different clinical situations that include general principles, upper GI tract, colon and rectum, perineum, liver and biliary tract, emergency situation, and the postoperative setting. The statements and general recommendations of this consensus are based on the highest level of evidence available, but significant gaps remain in certain areas such as the comparison of diagnostic accuracy between different techniques, the value for therapeutic monitoring, and the prognostic implications of particular findings.

Preparation and characterization of antimicrobial wound dressings based on silver, gellan, PVA and borax.

Silver-loaded dressings are designed to provide the same antimicrobial activity of topical silver, with the advantages of a sustained silver release and a reduced number of dressing changes. Moreover, such type of dressing must provide a moist environment, avoiding fiber shedding, dehydration and adherence to the wound site. Here we describe the preparation of a novel silver-loaded dressing based on a Gellan/Hyaff(®) (Ge-H) non woven, treated with a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/borax system capable to enhance the entrapment of silver in the dressing and to modulate its release. The new hydrophilic non woven dressings show enhanced water uptake capability and slow dehydration rates. A sustained silver release is also achieved. The antibacterial activity was confirmed on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Patients' expectations and satisfaction of complete denture therapy and correlation with locus of control.

Considering the importance of patients' satisfaction with complete denture therapy and the influence of psychosocial aspects and expectations regarding satisfaction with their dentures, the present study aimed to test for a correlation between locus of control profiles and expectations before and satisfaction after complete denture therapy. Sixty-four patients rated their expectations for aesthetic and functional results of complete denture therapy on a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS), using scores from 0 (worst results) to 10 (best results). A similar questionnaire was used regarding satisfaction after final denture adjustments. Patients also answered a locus of control questionnaire in the initial interview. ANOVA and a chi-squared test were used to test for correlations among ratings, patient gender and locus of control profiles. The significance level adopted was 0.05. The expectation ratings before treatment were significantly lower than the post-treatment completion ratings, both for aesthetics (P < 0.001) and function (P = 0.004). There was no correlation between locus of control profiles and patients' ratings or between gender and VAS scores. No correlation was found between locus of control profiles and scores for expectations before and satisfaction after complete dentures.

Leg muscle atrophy in idiopathic congenital clubfoot: is it primitive or acquired?

PURPOSE: To investigate whether atrophy of the leg muscles present in congenital clubfoot (CCF) is primitive or secondary to treatment of the deformity. METHODS: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of both legs was taken in three cohorts of patients with unilateral congenital clubfoot (UCCF): eight untreated newborns (age range 10 days to 2 weeks); eight children who had been treated with the Ponseti method (age range 2-4 years); eight adults whose deformity had been corrected by manipulation and casting according to Ponseti, followed by a limited posterior release performed at age 2-3 months (age range 19-23 years). All of the treated patients wore a brace until 3 years of age. Muscles were measured on transverse MRI scans of both legs taken midway between the articular surface of the knee and the articular surface of the ankle, using a computer program (AutoCAD 2002 LT). The same program was used to measure leg muscles in the histologic cross sections of the legs of two fetuses with UCCF, spontaneously aborted at 13 and 19 weeks of gestation, respectively. Measurements of the whole cross section of the leg (total leg volume: TLV), of the muscular tissue (muscular tissue volume: MTV), and of the adipose tissue (adipose tissue volume: ATV) of the tibia, fibula, and of the other soft tissues (tendons, nerves, and vessels) were taken by using an interactive image analyzer (IAS 2000, Delta System, Milan, Italy). RESULTS: Marked atrophy of the leg muscles on the clubfoot side was found in both fetuses and untreated newborns, with a percentage ratio of MTV between the normal and the affected leg of 1.3 and 1.5, respectively. Leg muscle atrophy increased with growth, and the percentage ratio of MTV between the normal and the affected leg was, respectively, 1.8 and 2 in treated children and adults. On the other hand, fatty tissue tended to increase relatively from birth to adulthood, but it could not compensate for the progressive muscular atrophy. As a result, the difference in TLV tended to increase from childhood to adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that leg muscular atrophy is a primitive pathological component of CCF which is already present in the early stages of fetal CCF development and in newborns before starting treatment. Muscular atrophy increases with the patient's age, suggesting a mechanism of muscle growth impairment as a possible pathogenic factor of CCF.

The Fur-like protein Mur of Rhizobium leguminosarum is a Mn(2+)-responsive transcriptional regulator.

In wild-type Rhizobium leguminosarum, the sitABCD operon specifies a Mn(2+) transporter whose expression is severely reduced in cells grown in the presence of this metal. Mutations in the R. leguminosarum gene, mur (manganese uptake regulator), whose product resembles the Fur transcriptional regulator, cause high-level expression of sitABCD in the presence of Mn(2+). In gel-shift mobility assays, purified R. leguminosarum Mur protein bound to at least two regions near the sitABCD promoter region, although this DNA has no conventional consensus Fur-binding sequences (fur boxes). Thus, in contrast to gamma-proteobacteria, where Fur binds Fe(2+), the R. leguminosarum Fur homologue, Mur, act as a Mn(2)-responsive transcriptional regulator.

Fur is not the global regulator of iron uptake genes in Rhizobium leguminosarum.

Rhizobium leguminosarum fur mutants were unaffected in Fe-dependent regulation of several operons that specify different Fe uptake systems, yet cloned R. leguminosarum fur partially corrected an Escherichia coli fur mutant and R. leguminosarum Fur protein bound to canonical fur boxes. The lack of a phenotype in fur mutants is not due to functional redundancy with Irr, another member of the Fur superfamily found in the rhizobia, since irr fur double mutants are also unaffected in Fe-responsive regulation of several operons involved in Fe uptake. Neither Irr nor Fur is needed for symbiotic N(2) fixation on peas. As in Bradyrhizobium japonicum, irr mutants accumulated protoporphyrin IX. R. leguminosarum irr is not regulated by Fur and its Irr protein lacks the motif needed for haem-dependent post-translational modification that occurs in B. japonicum Irr. The similarities and differences in the Fur superfamily in the rhizobia and other Gram-negative bacteria are discussed.