Corrigendum: The new Italian registry of infantile thrombosis (RITI): a reflection on its journey, challenges and pitfalls.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1094246.].

Knowledge assessment among subjects with chronic venous leg ulcer in outpatient setting: Translation and adaptation of a tool to identify subjects at risk of poor understanding.

Promotion of self-care is an important issue in the treatment of chronic diseases such as venous leg ulcers, as adequate self-care can prevent complications and ulcer recurrence. However, only a few tools have been developed and tested to assess the knowledge of patients with venous leg ulcers. This study aimed to translate, adapt and validate in an Italian language and context a questionnaire to assess the knowledge of patients with venous leg ulcers about their disease (pathophysiology, risk factors, lifestyle changes due to ulcer) and the proper management of the ulcer to prevent recurrence. This is a cross-sectional study divided into two phases: (1) translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the 'Educational Interventions in Venous Leg Ulcer Patients' tool in a six-stage process and (2) validation and reliability study with patients with active ulceration. There was great agreement for the English-to-Italian translation. In content validation, the tool showed good applicability among experts. Adjustments were made to improve semantic equivalence, and the questionnaire was made to be easy and quick to administer. The results of the target population showed a low level of knowledge among the patients. Knowing the deficiencies of the patients makes it possible to create educational projects to improve their abilities. Now more than ever, it is necessary to improve self-care and patient knowledge, allowing home care, improving autonomy, and avoiding hospital care that results in higher costs and risks. This questionnaire could be used in future studies to identify topics that need to be reinforced through education and to improve the awareness and self-care of these patients.

Italian pediatric intensive care units admitting critically ill cancer children: results from a national survey.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric patients affected by oncologic disease have a significant risk of clinical deterioration that requires admission to the intensive care unit. This study reported the results of a national survey describing the characteristics of Italian onco-hematological units (OHUs) and pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) that admit pediatric patients, focusing on the high-complexity treatments available before PICU admission, and evaluating the approach to the end-of-life (EOL) when cared in a PICU setting. METHODS: A web-based electronic survey has been performed in April 2021, involving all Italian PICUs admitting pediatric patients with cancer participating in the study. RESULTS: Eighteen PICUs participated, with a median number of admissions per year of 350 (IQR 248-495). Availability of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation therapy and the presence of intermediate care unit are the only statistically different characteristics between large or small PICUs. Different high-level treatments and protocols are performed in OHUs, non depending on the volume of PICU. Palliative sedation is mainly performed in the OHUs (78%), however, in 72% it is also performed in the PICU. In most centers protocols that address EOL comfort care and treatment algorithms are missing, non depending on PICU or OHU volume. CONCLUSIONS: A non-homogeneous availability of high-level treatments and in OHUs is described. Moreover, protocols addressing EOL comfort care and treatment algorithms in palliative care are lacking in many centers.

The new Italian registry of infantile thrombosis (RITI): A reflection on its journey, challenges and pitfalls.

Introduction: Thrombotic events in neonates and children represent a rare although severe occurrence in view of the associated risk of mortality and sequelae. Quality evidence is limited in this field, and registry studies provide an essential base for research. The aim of this paper is to present the new Italian Registry of Infantile Thrombosis (RITI), set it into the scene of international thrombosis and stroke registries, and provide some insight on the challenges associated with registry management. Methods: We present the detailed structure and content of the new RITI registry, a brief overview of its main data, and a reflection on its features, pitfalls and the main challenges related to its management. Results: The RITI, initially started in 2007 and officially re-launched in 2017 after structural modifications, is a non-interventional retrospective and prospective registry study collecting data on neonatal and pediatric patients (0-18 years) who experienced a systemic or cerebral thrombotic event in Italy. The RITI is managed by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in pediatric thrombosis, and participation is open to all Italian physicians, on a voluntary basis. The overall aim of the registry is to acquire new evidence to better characterize the population of children with thrombotic events and improve their management and outcome. 48 Italian pediatric and intensive care units are actively involved in the RITI, including 85 medical doctors from 16 Italian regions. A total of 1,001 neonates and children affected by cerebral or systemic thrombosis have been enrolled. Discussion: The RITI is one of the largest available European registries of neonatal and pediatric thrombosis. National registries like the RITI represent a model for the study of rare conditions based on multidisciplinary and multicenter collaboration, aimed at overcoming the limitations due to small populations of patients, and creating a network of experts for patient referral and continuous education. Moreover, registry studies have a pivotal role in the research on pediatric thrombosis, due to the limited feasibility of high-quality studies. In our experience, the main critical stages, pitfalls and challenges in registry management include adequate registry designing, diffusion, data completeness and quality control.

A large, prospective, multicentre study of left main PCI using a latest-generation zotarolimus-eluting stent: the ROLEX study.

BACKGROUND: Data on left main (LM) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) have mostly been obtained in studies using drug-eluting stent (DES) platforms without dedicated large-vessel devices and with limited expansion capability. AIMS: Our study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of LM PCI with the latest-generation Resolute Onyx DES. METHODS: ROLEX (Revascularization Of LEft main with resolute onyX) is a prospective, multicentre study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03316833) enrolling patients with unprotected LM coronary artery disease and a SYNTAX score <33 undergoing PCI with the Resolute Onyx zotarolimus-eluting coronary stent, that includes dedicated extra-large vessel platforms. The primary endpoint (EP) was target lesion failure (TLF): a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (TVMI) and ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularisation (ID-TLR), at 1 year. All events were adjudicated by an independent clinical event committee. An independent core lab analysed all procedural angiograms. RESULTS: A total of 450 patients (mean age 71.8 years, SYNTAX score 24.5±7.2, acute coronary syndrome in 53%) were enrolled in 26 centres. Of these, 77% of subjects underwent PCI with a single-stent and 23% with a 2-stent technique (8% double kissing [DK] crush, 6% culotte, 9% T/T and small protrusion [TAP] stenting). Intravascular imaging guidance was used in 45% (42% intravascular ultrasound [IVUS], 3% optical coherence tomography [OCT]). At 1 year, the primary EP incidence was 5.1% (cardiac death 2.7%, TVMI 2.7%, ID-TLR 2.0%). The definite/probable stent thrombosis rate was 1.1%. In a prespecified adjusted subanalysis, the primary EP incidence was significantly lower in patients undergoing IVUS/OCT-guided versus angio-guided PCI (2.0 vs 7.6%; hazard ratio [HR] 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13-0.58; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this large, multicentre, prospective registry, LM PCI with the Resolute Onyx DES showed good safety and efficacy at 1 year, particularly when guided by intracoronary imaging.

Systemic Catheter-Related Venous Thromboembolism in Children: Data From the Italian Registry of Pediatric Thrombosis.

Background: Central venous catheters (CVCs) represent one of the main risk factors for venous thrombotic events (VTEs) in children. Methods: We studied the Italian Registry of Pediatric Thrombosis (RITI) with regard to systemic radiologically confirmed CVC-related VTEs (CVC-VTEs) occurred during 6.5 years in children aged 29 days to 18 years. Results: A total of 78 CVC-VTEs were included, which occurred in 76 patients (40/76, 53% males). CVC-VTEs comprised 67 non-cardiac VTEs (86%) and 11 intracardiac thrombotic events (ICTEs) (14%); the median age at onset was 19 and 17 months, respectively. The most frequent reason for CVC insertion was supportive therapy. The catheters were placed percutaneously in 85% of cases (56/66) and surgically in the remaining 15% (10/66). Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) were used in 47% (31/66) cases, partially implanted catheters in 42% (28/66), non-implantable catheters in 7% (5/66), and totally implanted catheters (Port) in 2% (1/66). CVC-VTEs were symptomatic in 77% of cases (60/78), while in the remaining 23%, they were incidentally detected on the imaging performed for the underlying condition. The median time between CVC insertion and the onset of symptoms was 10 days in non-cardiac VTEs and 39 days in ICTEs. Doppler ultrasound was the diagnostic technique most frequently used. The venous compartment most frequently affected was the veins of the lower extremities (52%, 43/73). Anti-thrombotic treatment was administered in 96% of CVC-VTEs (75/78). About 2.6% (2/76) of patients experienced a second thrombotic event. At discharge, post-thrombotic syndrome was reported in 13.5% (5/37) events with available data, CVC replacement in 10.8% (4/47), and ischemic necrosis with toe finger amputation in 2.7% (1/37). Three patients died due to an underlying condition; no CVC-VTE-related deaths were reported. Conclusions: We have carried out a registry-based study on CVC-VTEs in the children in Italy, providing the data that may help improve the detection and management of this CVC-related complication.

[Mortality study of residents of the municipality of Piazzola sul Brenta (Veneto Region, Northern Italy), 2003-2018]. / Profilo di mortalità per causa nel Comune di Piazzola sul Brenta (Padova), anni 2003-2018.

Currently, there are more and more requests for a characterization of the health profile by populations living in areas affected by several types of environmental contaminations, notably for the presence of previously unknown and accidentally discovered landfills. The aim of the present paper is to describe the mortality profile of the residents of Piazzola sul Brenta (Veneto Region, Northern Italy). In this area, it was discovered an environmental contamination of the soil in the nearby of a large school building, where was formerly located a phosphate fertiliser plant. Using cause of death data provided by the Italian National Institute of Health, 10th International Classification 2013-2018, standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) and 90% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by gender and specific causes of death. Compared to the provincial reference population, no excess was found, for both genders, for all-causes mortality and for circulatory diseases. However, an excess for malignant tumours was found, 523 observed deaths over 498 expected deaths, an SMR of 105 (IC90% 98-113), and 85% probability of excess cancer mortality; lung cancer (SMR 117; IC90% 100-135) and lympho-hematopoietic tumours (in men only, SMR 134; IC90% 101-178).In light of these results and of the potential human exposure to carcinogenic substances, present results support further epidemiological investigations and environmental remediation.

Systematic review with meta-analysis: artificial intelligence in the diagnosis of oesophageal diseases.

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) has recently been applied to endoscopy and questionnaires for the evaluation of oesophageal diseases (ODs). AIM: We performed a systematic review with meta-analysis to evaluate the performance of AI in the diagnosis of malignant and benign OD. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, EMBASE Classic and the Cochrane Library. A bivariate random-effect model was used to calculate pooled diagnostic efficacy of AI models and endoscopists. The reference tests were histology for neoplasms and the clinical and instrumental diagnosis for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The pooled area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (AUROC), sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratio (PLR and NLR) and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were estimated. RESULTS: For the diagnosis of Barrett's neoplasia, AI had AUROC of 0.90, sensitivity 0.89, specificity 0.86, PLR 6.50, NLR 0.13 and DOR 50.53. AI models' performance was comparable with that of endoscopists (P = 0.35). For the diagnosis of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, the AUROC, sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR and DOR were 0.97, 0.95, 0.92, 12.65, 0.05 and DOR 258.36, respectively. In this task, AI performed better than endoscopists although without statistically significant differences. In the detection of abnormal intrapapillary capillary loops, the performance of AI was: AUROC 0.98, sensitivity 0.94, specificity 0.94, PLR 14.75, NLR 0.07 and DOR 225.83. For the diagnosis of GERD based on questionnaires, the AUROC, sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR and DOR were 0.99, 0.97, 0.97, 38.26, 0.03 and 1159.6, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: AI demonstrated high performance in the clinical and endoscopic diagnosis of OD.

Monitoring Patients Reported Outcomes after Valve Replacement Using Wearable Devices: Insights on Feasibility and Capability Study: Feasibility Results.

Wearable devices (WDs) can objectively assess patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) in clinical trials. In this study, the feasibility and acceptability of using commercial WDs in elderly patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) will be explored. This is a prospective observational study. Participants were trained to use a WD and a smartphone to collect data on their physical activity, rest heart rate and number of hours of sleep. Validated questionnaires were also used to evaluate these outcomes. A technology acceptance questionnaire was used at the end of the follow up. In our participants an overall good compliance in wearing the device (75.1% vs. 79.8%, SAVR vs. TAVR) was assessed. Half of the patients were willing to continue using the device. Perceived ease of use is one of the domains that scored higher in the technology acceptance questionnaire. In this study we observed that the use of a WD is accepted in our frail population for an extended period. Even though commercial WDs are not tailored for clinical research, they can produce useful information on patient behavior, especially when coordinated with intervention tailored to the single patient.

Propensity Score Analysis with Partially Observed Baseline Covariates: A Practical Comparison of Methods for Handling Missing Data.

(1) Background: Propensity score methods gained popularity in non-interventional clinical studies. As it may often occur in observational datasets, some values in baseline covariates are missing for some patients. The present study aims to compare the performances of popular statistical methods to deal with missing data in propensity score analysis. (2) Methods: Methods that account for missing data during the estimation process and methods based on the imputation of missing values, such as multiple imputations, were considered. The methods were applied on the dataset of an ongoing prospective registry for the treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery disease. The performances were assessed in terms of the overall balance of baseline covariates. (3) Results: Methods that explicitly deal with missing data were superior to classical complete case analysis. The best balance was observed when propensity scores were estimated with a method that accounts for missing data using a stochastic approximation of the expectation-maximization algorithm. (4) Conclusions: If missing at random mechanism is plausible, methods that use missing data to estimate propensity score or impute them should be preferred. Sensitivity analyses are encouraged to evaluate the implications methods used to handle missing data and estimate propensity score.

Using Social Networks to Estimate the Number of COVID-19 Cases: The Incident (Hidden COVID-19 Cases Network Estimation) Study Protocol.

Recent literature has reported a high percentage of asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic cases in subjects with COVID-19 infection. This proportion can be difficult to quantify; therefore, it constitutes a hidden population. This study aims to develop a proof-of-concept method for estimating the number of undocumented infections of COVID-19. This is the protocol for the INCIDENT (Hidden COVID-19 Cases Network Estimation) study, an online, cross-sectional survey with snowball sampling based on the network scale-up method (NSUM). The original personal network size estimation method was based on a fixed-effects maximum likelihood estimator. We propose an extension of previous Bayesian estimation methods to estimate the unknown network size using the Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. On 6 May 2020, 1963 questionnaires were collected, 1703 were completed except for the random questions, and 1652 were completed in all three sections. The algorithm was initialized at the first iteration and applied to the whole dataset. Knowing the number of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases is extremely important for reducing the spread of the virus. Our approach reduces the number of questions posed. This allows us to speed up the completion of the questionnaire with a subsequent reduction in the nonresponse rate.

Usability and Accuracy of a Smartwatch for the Assessment of Physical Activity in the Elderly Population: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity (PA) contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and reduces the risk of premature death. Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a variety of chronic disorders such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, bone and joint diseases (eg, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis), depression, and colon and breast cancer. Population aging and the related increase in chronic diseases have a major impact on the health care systems of most Western countries and will produce an even more significant effect in the future. Monitoring PA is a valuable method of determining whether people are performing enough PA so as to prevent chronic diseases or are showing early symptoms of those diseases. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the accuracy of wearable devices in quantifying the PA of elderly people in a real-life setting. METHODS: Participants aged 70 to 90 years with the ability to walk safely without any walking aid for at least 300 meters, who had no walking disabilities or episodes of falling while walking in the last 12 months, were asked to walk 150 meters at their preferred pace wearing a vívoactive HR device (Garmin Ltd) and actual steps were monitored and tallied by a researcher using a hand-tally counter to assess the performance of the device at a natural speed. A Bland-Altman plot was used to analyze the difference between manually counted steps and wearable device-measured steps. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was computed (with a 95% confidence interval) between step measurements. The generalized linear mixed-model (GLMM) ICCs were estimated, providing a random effect term (random intercept) for the individual measurements (gold standard and device). Both adjusted and conditional ICCs were computed for the GLMM models considering separately the effect of age, sex, BMI, and obesity. Analyses were performed using R software (R Foundation for Statistical Computing) with the rms package. RESULTS: A total of 23 females and 26 males were enrolled in the study. The median age of the participants was 75 years. The Bland-Altman plot revealed that, excluding one observation, all differences across measurements were in the confidence bounds, demonstrating the substantial agreement between the step count measurements. The results were confirmed by an ICC equal to .98 (.96-.99), demonstrating excellent agreement between the two sets of measurements. CONCLUSIONS: The level of accuracy of wearable devices in quantifying the PA of elderly people in a real-life setting that was found in this study supports the idea of considering wrist-wearable nonmedical devices (widely available in nonspecialized stores) as reliable tools. Both health care professionals and informal caregivers could monitor the level of PA of their patients.

Downstream or upstream administration of P2Y12 receptor blockers in non-ST elevated acute coronary syndromes: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The optimal timing to administer a P2Y12 inhibitor in patients presenting with a non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome remains a topic of debate. Pretreatment with ticagrelor before coronary anatomy is known as a widely adopted strategy. However, there is poor evidence on how this compares with administration of a P2Y12 inhibitor after defining coronary anatomy (i.e., downstream administration). Moreover, there are limited head-to-head comparisons of the two P2Y12 inhibitors-ticagrelor and prasugrel-currently recommended by the guidelines. STUDY DESIGN: DUBIUS is a phase 4, multicenter, parallel-group, double randomized study conducted in NSTE-ACS patients designed to compare a pretreatment strategy (including only ticagrelor) versus a downstream strategy (including prasugrel or ticagrelor) and to compare downstream prasugrel with downstream ticagrelor. A total of 2520 patients will be randomly assigned to pretreatment with ticagrelor or to no pretreatment. The PCI group of the downstream arm will be further randomized to receive prasugrel or ticagrelor. The two primary hypotheses are that the downstream strategy is superior to the upstream strategy and that downstream ticagrelor is non-inferior to downstream prasugrel, both measured by the incidence of a composite efficacy and safety endpoint of death from vascular causes, non-fatal MI, or non-fatal stroke, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 3, 4, and 5 bleedings. CONCLUSIONS: The DUBIUS study will provide important evidence related to the benefits and risks of pretreatment with ticagrelor compared with a strategy of no pretreatment. Moreover, the clinical impact of using downstream ticagrelor compared with downstream prasugrel will be assessed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02618837 . Registered on 1 December 2015.

Timing of Oral P2Y12 Inhibitor Administration in Patients With Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Although oral P2Y12 inhibitors are key in the management of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome, the optimal timing of their administration is not well defined. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare downstream and upstream oral P2Y12 inhibitors administration strategies in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome undergoing invasive treatment. METHODS: We performed a randomized, adaptive, open-label, multicenter clinical trial. Patients were randomly assigned to receive pre-treatment with ticagrelor before angiography (upstream group) or no pre-treatment (downstream group). Patients in the downstream group undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention were further randomized to receive ticagrelor or prasugrel. The primary hypothesis was the superiority of the downstream versus the upstream strategy on the combination of efficacy and safety events (net clinical benefit). RESULTS: We randomized 1,449 patients to downstream or upstream oral P2Y12 inhibitor administration. A pre-specified stopping rule for futility at interim analysis led the trial to be stopped. The rate of the primary endpoint, a composite of death due to vascular causes; nonfatal myocardial infarction or nonfatal stroke; and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium type 3, 4, and 5 bleeding through day 30, did not differ significantly between the downstream and upstream groups (percent absolute risk reduction: -0.46; 95% repeated confidence interval: -2.90 to 1.90). These results were confirmed among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (72% of population) and regardless of the timing of coronary angiography (within or after 24 h from enrollment). CONCLUSIONS: Downstream and upstream oral P2Y12 inhibitor administration strategies were associated with low incidence of ischemic and bleeding events and minimal numeric difference of event rates between treatment groups. These findings led to premature interruption of the trial and suggest the unlikelihood of enhanced efficacy of 1 strategy over the other. (Downstream Versus Upstream Strategy for the Administration of P2Y12 Receptor Blockers In Non-ST Elevated Acute Coronary Syndromes With Initial Invasive Indication [DUBIUS]; NCT02618837).

Heel Pressure Injuries: Consensus-Based Recommendations for Assessment and Management.

Significance: A systematic approach to develop experts-based recommendations could have a favorable impact on clinical problems characterized by scarce and low-quality evidence as heel pressure ulcers. Recent Advances: A systematic approach was used to conduce a formal consensus initiative. A multidisciplinary panel of experts identified relevant clinical questions, performed a systematic search of the literature, and created a list of statements. GRADE Working Group guidelines were followed. An independent international jury reviewed and voted recommendations for clinical practice. Consent was developed according to Delphi rules and GRADE method was used to attribute grade of strength. Critical Issues: The extensive search of the literature retrieved 42 pertinent articles (26 clinical studies, 7 systematic reviews or meta-analysis, 5 other reviews, 2 consensus-based articles, and 2 in vitro studies). Thirty-five recommendations and statements were created. Only 1 of 35, concerning ankle-brachial pressure index reliability in diabetic patients, was rejected by the panel. No sufficient agreement was achieved on toe brachial index test to rule out the orphan heel syndrome, removing dry eschar in adult patients without vascular impairment, and using an antimicrobial dressing in children with infected heel pressure injuries. Eleven recommendations were approved with a weak grade of strength. Experts strongly endorsed 20 recommendations. Offloading, stages I and II pressure injuries, and referral criteria were areas characterized by higher level of agreement. Future Directions: We believe that the results of our effort could improve practice, especially in areas where clear and shared opinions emerged. Barriers and limits that could hinder implementation are also discussed in the article.

Ethics committees in the time of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: ethics committees (ECs) protect the rights, safety, and well-being of research participants and ensure the scientific correctness of clinical research. COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown from 9 March to 16 May 2020 have potentially influenced several activities, including ECs. OBJECTIVES: to assess the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on Italian ECs and their performance during the lockdown. DESIGN: cross-sectional survey. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: the survey was conducted in mid-June 2020 in Italy contacting all the 90 local ECs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: amount and kind of activities performed during the lockdown, characteristics of submitted studies and adoption of standard protocols of evaluation of research applications during the pandemic. Chi-square test was used to estimate the differences between territories with higher incidence (HI) and lower incidence (LI) of COVID-19. RESULTS: 258 questionnaires were collected from 46 ECs that participated in the study. Ten were excluded due to missing substantial data. Responses were divided into two groups according to location of EC: the HI (125 responses) and the LI (123 responses). Seventy-five percent of the HI describe an increase in the number of studies submitted, while 53% of the LI does not (p=0.001). Due to the pandemic and its effects on research, the 15% of participants belonging to HI territories reported that consideration and respect of research-related and general ethical principles could have decreased, as well the adoption of standard protocols of evaluation of research applications. EC secretariats located in HI Regions moved to smart working more than in LI ones (75% vs 59%; p=0.001). Where the EC workload increased significantly, it was reported that it was impossible to perform an accurate analysis of the submitted documentation, with the effect of providing a favorable opinion to studies of not excellent quality, though always ensuring the respect of ethical principles and patients' safety. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 impact on ECs has been heavier in HI territories, but smart working has been effective in ensuring EC activities and the subsequent activation of clinical studies potentially useful to face the pandemic. Clear differences arise between ECs belonging to the Italian Regions that have recorded a HI of COVID-19 cases compared to those located in Regions with a LI of cases. In some EC members' perception, the high number of studies in the most affected Regions together with the emergency experienced during the lockdown may have exposed ECs to the risk of decreasing the adoption of ethical principles and standard protocols of evaluation of research applications.

The Role of Genetic Factors in Characterizing Extra-Intestinal Manifestations in Crohn's Disease Patients: Are Bayesian Machine Learning Methods Improving Outcome Predictions?

(1) Background: The high heterogeneity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) makes the study of this condition challenging. In subjects affected by Crohn's disease (CD), extra-intestinal manifestations (EIMs) have a remarkable potential impact on health status. Increasing numbers of patient characteristics and the small size of analyzed samples make EIMs prediction very difficult. Under such constraints, Bayesian machine learning techniques (BMLTs) have been proposed as a robust alternative to classical models for outcome prediction. This study aims to determine whether BMLT could improve EIM prediction and statistical support for the decision-making process of clinicians. (2) Methods: Three of the most popular BMLTs were employed in this study: Naϊve Bayes (NB), Bayesian Network (BN) and Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART). They were applied to a retrospective observational Italian study of IBD genetics. (3) Results: The performance of the model is strongly affected by the features of the dataset, and BMLTs poorly classify EIM appearance. (4) Conclusions: This study shows that BMLTs perform worse than expected in classifying the presence of EIMs compared to classical statistical tools in a context where mixed genetic and clinical data are available but relevant data are also missing, as often occurs in clinical practice.

Oxidative stress and the altered reaction to it in Fabry disease: A possible target for cardiovascular-renal remodeling?

BACKGROUND: Fabry disease is characterized by deficient expression/activity of α-GalA with consequent lysosomal accumulation in various organs of its substrate Gb3. Despite enzyme replacement therapy, Fabry disease progresses with serious myocardial, cerebral and renal manifestations. Gb3 accumulation may induce oxidative stress (OxSt), production of inflammatory cytokines and reduction of nitric oxide, which may impact on Fabry disease's clinical manifestations. METHODS: OxSt status was characterized in 10 patients compared with 10 healthy subjects via protein expression of p22phox, subunit of NADH/NADPH oxidase, (Western blot), Heme oxygenase (HO)-1 levels (ELISA), antioxidant/anti-inflammatory, lipid peroxidation as malondialdehyde (MDA) production (colorimetric assay), phosphorylation state of Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase (ERK)1/2 and Myosin Phosphatase Target Protein (MYPT)-1 (Western blot), marker of Rho kinase activation, both involved in OxSt signaling. Cardiac left ventricular (LV) mass was also evaluated (M-mode echocardiography). RESULTS: LV mass was higher in Fabry's males (123.72±2.03SEM g/m2) and females (132.09±6.72g/m2). p22phox expression was also higher in patients (1.04±0.09 d.u. vs 0.54±0.05 d.u. p<0.01) as well as MDA levels (54.51±3.97 vs 30.05±7.11 nmol/mL p = 0.01) while HO-1 was reduced (8.84±0.79 vs 14.03±1.23 ng/mL, p<0.02). MYPT-1's phosphorylation was increased in patients (0.52±0.11 d.u. vs 0.03±0.08 d.u., p<0.01) while phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was reduced (0.91±0.08 d.u. vs 1.53±0.17 d.u., p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: This study documents OxSt activation and the altered reaction to it in Fabry patients. Cardiac remodeling, Rho kinase signaling activation and reduction of protective HO-1 might suggest that, in addition to enzyme replacement therapy, OxSt inhibition by either pharmacological or nutritional measures, is likely to prove useful for the prevention/treatment of Fabry patients' cardiovascular-renal remodeling.

Anchoring Vignettes in EQ-5D-5L Questionnaire: Validation of a New Instrument.

BACKGROUND: Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is an indicator of patient's physical, psychological and social life. HRQoL is influenced by experience, beliefs, perceptions and expectations, and measures subjective perspective of the patient himself. EQ-5D-5L and SF-12 questionnaires are validated instruments useful to measure HRQoL, increasingly administered in electronic formats. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose is to evaluate the feasibility of anchoring vignettes for the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire, with the aim to improve intergroup comparability of responses among different subjects. A comparison with SF-12 questionnaire is carried out. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the ambulatories of cardiology of the University Hospital of Padova, in Italy. Thirty-eight subjects with a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease or at risk of cardiovascular disease were enrolled. A factorial analysis has been performed to assess the convergent validity of EQ-5D-5L questionnaire compared to Sf-12. Moreover, a compound Hierarchical Ordered Probit (Chopit) model has been estimated to evaluate if the questionnaire form affects the subjective evaluation process in order to compare EQ-5D-5L with and without vignettes. RESULTS: Correlation and factor analysis demonstrate that EQ_5D questionnaire is coherent with SF-12 in paper format. Chopit model estimation shows that questionnaire format does not affect the subjective question interpretation. Moreover, in a parametric model including vignettes, education attainment, disease severity, and gender are predictors of HRQoL status. CONCLUSION: The EQ-5D including vignettes in electronic format seems to be a valid tool to measure HRQoL as compared to EQ-5D without vignettes in paper format and to SF-12 questionnaire.

Electronic Questionnaires Design and Implementation.

BACKGROUND: Nursing and health care research are increasingly using e-questionnaires and e-forms for data collection and survey conduction. The main reason lies in costs, time and data-entry errors containment, increased flexibility, functionality and usability. In spite of this growing usage, no specifc and comprehensive guidelines for designing and submitting e-questionnaires have been produced so far. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to collect information on the current best practices, taking them from various fields of application. An evaluation of the efficacy of the single indication is provided. METHOD: A literature review of guidelines currently available on WebSM (Web Survey Methodology) about electronic questionnaire has been performed. Four search strings were used: "Electronic Questionnaire Design", "Electronic Questionnaire", "Online Questionnaire" and "Online survey". Articles' inclusion criteria were English language, relevant topic in relation to the aim of the research and the publication date from January 1998 to July 2014. RESULTS: The review process led to identify 48 studies. The greater part of guidelines is reported for Web, and e-mail questionnaire, while a lack of indications emerges especially for app and e-questionnaires. CONCLUSION: Lack of guidelines on e-questionnaires has been found, especially in health care research, increasing the risk of use of ineffective and expensive instruments; more research in this field is needed.