Implicit mechanisms of body image alterations: The covert attention exposure effect.

Visual exposure to extreme-sized bodies elicits explicit self-body image variations. Several features of such modulation remain to be clarified. In this study we explored whether this effect: (i) acts on implicit mechanisms in modifying one's body-size perception, (ii) is body-exposure-specific also at the implicit level, and (iii) is modulated by interoceptive sensibility. We assigned a covert attention task to 100 women, exposing them to extreme-sized bodies (thin and fat) or extreme-sized objects (thin and fat bottles). Before and after the attentional exposure, we tested the association between the "self/others" and "thin/fat" concepts using an Implicit Association Test. We also collected a measure of interoceptive sensibility by means of a self-report questionnaire. Results showed that participants exposed to fat bodies implicitly presented a stronger association between the "self" and "thin" concepts. This association was significantly weaker in the group exposed to thin bodies. This effect was absent after exposure to thin and fat bottles. Notably, participants with a higher tolerance of negative bodily interoceptive signals were less susceptible to the malleability of body image exerted by the exposure attentional task. Our findings shed new light on the relationship between the perception of internal (e.g., visceral) and external (e.g., visual) signals in the representation of our body.

Chagas disease knocks on our door: a cross-sectional study among Latin American immigrants in Milan, Italy.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors for Chagas disease (CD) in Latin American immigrants and to evaluate the accuracy of diagnostic tests. Moreover, we offered to all positive subjects a complete free-of-charge clinical/instrumental evaluation as well as benznidazole treatment in order to stage the disease and verify drug tolerability. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of CD among Latin Americans living in Milan and its metropolitan area was conducted between July 2013 and July 2014. Blood samples were tested for serologic evidence of CD together with a questionnaire covering demographic and clinical-epidemiological information. RESULTS: Forty-eight (9.6%) of the 501 tested subjects were conclusively diagnosed as having CD. The highest prevalence of CD was among those from Bolivia (43/169, 25.4%) and El Salvador (4/68, 5.9%). Older age (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)] 1.05, p =0.004), a Bolivian origin (aOR 8.80; p =0.003), being born in the department of Santa Cruz (aOR 3.72, p =0.047), having lived in mud houses (aOR 2.68; p =0.019), and having an affected relative (aOR 12.77, p =0.001) were independently associated with CD. The ARCHITECT Chagas test showed the highest sensitivity (100%) and specificity (99.8%). Twenty-nine of the subjects with CD (60.4%) underwent disease staging, 10 of whom (35.7%) showed cardiac and/or digestive involvement. Benznidazole treatment was associated with high frequency of adverse reactions (19/27, 70.4%) and permanent discontinuation (8/27, 29.6%). CONCLUSIONS: CD is highly prevalent among Bolivians and Salvadorans living in Milan. Regions with a large Latin American immigrant population should implement programmes of active detection and treatment.

The experience of implementing a 'TB village' for a pastoralist population in Cherrati, Ethiopia.

SETTING: In Cherrati District, Somali Regional State (SRS), Ethiopia, despite a high burden of tuberculosis (TB), TB control activities are virtually absent. The majority of the population is pastoralist with a mobile lifestyle. TB care and treatment were offered using a 'TB village' approach that included traditional style residential care, community empowerment and awareness raising, provision of essential social amenities and essential food and non-food items. OBJECTIVE: To describe 1) key aspects of the implementation of the TB village approach, 2) TB treatment outcomes and 3) the lessons learnt during implementation. DESIGN: Descriptive study. RESULTS: A total of 297 patients entered the TB village between September 2006 and October 2008; 271 (91%) patients were treated successfully, nine (3%) defaulted and 13 (4%) died. CONCLUSIONS: For pastoralist populations, a TB village approach may be effective for improving access to TB care, ensuring proper adherence to treatment and achieving good overall TB outcomes. The successes and challenges of this approach are discussed.

Pharmacologic treatment can prevent pancreatic injury after ERCP: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The identification of therapeutic agents that can prevent the pancreatic injury after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is of considerable importance. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis including 28 clinical trials on the use of somatostatin (12 studies), octreotide (10 studies), and gabexate mesilate (6 studies) after ERCP. Outcome measures evaluated were the incidence of acute pancreatitis, hyperamylasemia, and pancreatic pain. Three analyses were run separately: for all available studies, for randomized trials only, and for only those studies published as complete reports. RESULTS: When all available studies were analyzed, somatostatin and gabexate mesilate were significantly associated with improvements in all three outcomes. Odds ratios (OR) for gabexate mesilate were 0.27 (95% CI [0.13, 0. 57], p = 0.001) for acute pancreatitis, 0.66 (95% CI [0.48, -0.89], p = 0.007) for hyperamylasemia, and 0.33 (95% CI [0.18, 0.58], p = 0. 0005) for post-procedural pain. Somatostatin reduced acute pancreatitis (OR 0.38: 95% CI [0.22, 0.65], p < 0.001), pain (OR 0. 24: 95% CI [0.14, 0.42], p < 0.001), and hyperamylasemia (OR 0.65: 95% CI [0.48, 0.90], p = 0.008). Octreotide was associated only with a reduced risk of post-ERCP hyperamylasemia (OR 0.51: 95% CI [0.31, 0.83], p = 0.007) but had no effect on acute pancreatitis and pain. The statistical significance of data did not change after analyzing randomized trials only or studies published as complete reports. For each considered outcome, the publication bias assessment and the number of patients that need to be treated to prevent one adverse effect were, respectively, higher and lower for somatostatin than for gabexate mesilate. CONCLUSIONS: The pancreatic injury after ERCP can be prevented with the administration of either somatostatin or gabexate mesilate, but the former agent is more cost-effective. Additional studies comparing the efficacy of short-term infusion of somatostatin versus gabexate mesilate in patients at high risk for post-ERCP complications seem warranted.

CA 19-9 production by a cystadenoma with mesenchymal stroma of the common hepatic duct: a case report.

A case of a CA 19-9 producing cystadenoma with mesenchymal stroma originating from the common hepatic duct is presented, with a review of the literature. The findings of ultrasound and CT scans and the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography picture allowed the establishment of a confident pre-operative diagnosis. Although there was an elevation of CA 19-9 serum levels, the resected specimen did not show any malignant focus at pathologic examination. After surgical excision, CA 19-9 serum levels returned to normal.

[Choledocholithiasis: semeiotic and diagnostic accuracy of cholangiography with magnetic resonance]. / Calcolosi del dotto coledoco: semeiotica e accuratezza diagnostica della colangiografia con risonanza magnetica.

The authors report their experience in the optimization of the diagnostic accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Cholangiography (MRC) to detect choledochal stones; pre- and post-MIP post-processing images were compared. Thirty patients with dilated biliary ducts (mean age: 55.6 years) were examined with MRC; two of them had stones in the intrahepatic biliary ducts. The gold standard and the inclusion criterion was ERCP. MRC was carried out with a 1.5 T superconductive magnet (Signa) with T2-weighted FAST SE sequences (TR/TE; 10000/256, matrix: 256 x 128, slice thickness: 3 mm, TA: 6 min 28 s). Coronal MR images were blindly studied before and after MIP post-processing; Friedman's test was used for statistical analysis (p < .05). ERCP showed 92 cases of choledocholithiasis, with the stones ranging .2 to 3.4 cm; MRC before MIP post-processing had 97.1% diagnostic accuracy, 97.8% sensitivity and 95.8% specificity. These values are significantly different from those obtained after MIP (91.4%, 86.9% and 95.8% respectively). In our experience, pre- and post-MIP post-processing MRC can be considered a reliable and accurate noninvasive technique to detect choledochal stones.

[Endoscopic therapy of giant choledochal calculosis]. / Terapia endoscopica della calcolosi coledocica gigante.

The paper reports the results of conventional endoscopic treatment in 100 consecutive cases of giant lithiasis of the common bile duct. A giant calculus is one whose dimensions exceed 2 cm. Endoscopic therapy proved successful in 73% of cases, with an 8% incidence of complications. The success of endoscopic treatment is related to the anatomical conditions of the biliary tract and the diameter of calculi. Mechanical lithotripsy has proved efficacious in all cases where it was used, whereas poor results were obtained using MTBE infusion through a naso-biliary tube. ESWL provided encouraging results. Cases which were not resolved using endoscopic methods were treated using intervention radiology or surgery, or both.

[Introduction to the use of 125 iodine in interstitial radiotherapy (author's transl)]. / Nota introduttiva sull'impiego del 125I in radioterapia interstiziale.

The 125-iodine is employed for definitive implantation in the treatment of some apical and non apical lung tumors, and in pancreas and prostate tumors. The results obtained by the authors are not evaluable and the results of north-american literature are reported. The 125-iodine properties are original and allows a very important progress above all of the protection problems.