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Real-world evidence is needed to determine the value of tofacitinib (TOFA) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). To assess the safety and effectiveness of TOFA in clinical practice. TOFA-UC is a multicenter, observational study performed among the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SN-IBD). All consecutive patients with UC starting TOFA from its introduction in Sicily (July 2021) to July 2022 were included. 111 patients were included (mean follow-up: 31.7 ± 14.9 weeks; biologic-experienced: 92.8%). Nineteen adverse events were reported (17.1%; incidence rate: 28.2 per 100 patient years), including 11 cases of hypercholesterolemia and 3 infections (no cases of herpes zoster reactivation. At week 8, the rates of clinical response, steroid free clinical remission, and CRP normalization were 74.8%, 45.0%, and 56.9%, respectively, and 68.5%, 51.4%, and 65.2%, respectively, at the end of follow-up. Eighteen patients experienced a loss of response after successful induction (21.7%; incidence rate: 33.2 per 100 patient years). Twenty-six patients (23.4%) discontinued TOFA over time, of whom 3 due to AEs, and 23 to non response or loss of response. TOFA is safe and effective in patients with UC, including those with history of multiple failures to biological therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of Vedolizumab (VDZ) as therapeutic option for the postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease (CD) following ileocolonic resection is unknown. To assess the effectiveness of VDZ in this setting. All consecutive CD patients with a baseline colonoscopy at 6–12 months from the ileocolonic resection showing postoperative recurrence (Rutgeerts score ≥i2) and treated with VDZ after the baseline colonoscopy were extracted from the cohort of the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (SN-IBD). The primary outcome was endoscopic success, assessed at the first colonoscopy following initiation of VDZ and defined as reduction of at least one point of Rutgeerts score. The secondary outcome was clinical failure, assessed at one year and at the end of follow-up. Fifty-eight patients were included (mean follow-up: 24.8 ± 13.1 months). Endoscopic success was reported in 47.6% of patients. Clinical failure was reported in 19.0% of patients at one year, and in 32.8% of patients at the end of follow-up. A new resection was required in 7 patients (12.1%). VDZ may be an effective option for the treatment of postoperative recurrence of CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims There is an unmet need to better understand the effectiveness of different biologics in inflammatory bowel diseases. We aimed at performing a multicentre, real-life comparison of the effectiveness of infliximab [IFX] and adalimumab [ADA] in Crohn's disease [CD]. Methods Data of consecutive patients with CD treated with IFX and ADA from January 2013 to May 2017 were extracted from the cohort of the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. We used propensity score-matching accounting for the main baseline characteristics in TNF-α inhibitor-naïve and non-naïve patients. Results A total of 632 patients [735 total treatments] were included. Among naïve patients, a clinical benefit [the sum of steroid-free remission plus clinical response] was achieved in 81.8% patients treated with ADA and in 77.6% patients treated with IFX (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.23, 95% CI 0.63-2-44, p = 0.547] at 12 weeks; after 1 year, a clinical benefit was achieved in 69.2% of patients treated with ADA and in 64.5% patients treated with IFX [adjusted OR: 1.10, 95% CI 0.61–1.96, p = 0.766]. Among non-naïve patients, a clinical benefit was achieved in 61.7% of patients treated with ADA and in 68.1% of patients treated with IFX [adjusted OR: 0.72, 95% CI 0.21–2.44, p = 0.600] at 12 weeks; after 1 year, a clinical benefit was achieved in 48.9% of patients treated with ADA and in 40.4% patients treated with IFX [adjusted OR: 1.23, 95% CI 0.54–2.86, p = 0.620]. Conclusions In this propensity score-matched comparison of ADA and IFX in CD, both drugs showed high rates of clinical benefit, without significant differences between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The effectiveness of vedolizumab in real-world practice is under evaluation, while its role in inflammatory bowel disease-associated spondyloarthritis is still unclear. Aims To report real-world data about the effectiveness of vedolizumab on intestinal and articular symptoms after 10 and 22 weeks of treatment. Methods Web-based data from the cohort of the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SN-IBD) were extracted to perform a prospective multicentre observational study. Results 163 patients (84 with Crohn's disease and 79 with ulcerative colitis) were included. At week 10, a steroid-free remission was achieved in 71 patients (43.6%), while at week 22 a steroid-free remission was obtained in 40.8% of patients. A response on articular symptoms was reported after 10 weeks of treatment in 17 out of 43 (39.5%) patients with active spondyloarthritis at baseline, and in 10 out of 22 (45.4%) patients at week 22. The only factor associated with articular response was the coexistence of clinical benefit on intestinal symptoms (at week 10: OR 8.471, p  = 0.05; at week 22: OR 5.600, p  = 0.08). Conclusions Vedolizumab showed good effectiveness after 10 and 22 weeks of treatment. A subset of patients reported improvement also on articular symptoms, probably as a consequence of the concomitant control of gut inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A typical problem of BiPV systems (Building Integrated Photovoltaic) is the power loss due to temperature increase, because modules often operate close to the building envelope with low ventilation. It is thus essential to properly evaluate and compare the PV temperature conditions of different PV module categories (in terms of PV technology and material type). Several explicit correlations exist for the evaluation of the PV module temperature, among which the simplest and most handy is a linear expression (i.e. T mod =T amb +k G) which links T mod with the ambient temperature (T amb ) and the incident solar radiation flux (G). Within this expression the value of the dimensional parameter k, known as the Ross coefficient, depends on several aspects (i.e. module type, wind velocity and integration characteristics). However, dispersed values for this parameter can be found in literature (in the range of 0.02-0.06K m2/W) according to different module types, while more information are provided regarding different integration characteristics. This paper aims at giving an overview of the value of k for different module types according to monitored data registered over one year time period at the ABD-PV plant in Bolzano (Italy). The highest values of k, which means the highest module temperature at a certain G, are registered for the three glass-glass (G-G) module types (k Tmod,c from 0.033K m2/W to 0.037K m2/W). The glass-tedlar (G-T) module types operate at slight lower temperature values (k Tmod,c ranging from 0.029K m2/W to 0.032K m2/W). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Photovoltaic (PV) module temperature predictions are crucial to accurately assess the efficiency of PV installations. In this study we focus on the cooling effect of wind on PV cell temperature. We show that for most of the technologies installed at a PV test facility in Bolzano (Italy), models including wind data predict PV cell temperature better than standard approaches which do not include wind data. Moreover, we show that wind data from numerical weather prediction models can replace in-situ wind measurements: when they are used as model input, the prediction also improves significantly compared to the standard approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hirsutism is recognized to cause profound distress in affected women, due to cosmetic and psychosexual implications. It was evaluated in the present study by methods found to be valid and reliable in psychosomatic research. Fifty women with hirsutism belonging to the spectrum of disorders from idiopathic hirsutism to polycystic ovary syndrome, after complete medical work-up, underwent the same psychometric evaluation as 50 healthy non-hirsute women, matched for sociodemographic variables. Hirsute women had a Ferriman and Gallwey score ranging from 8 to 19. Psychometric evaluation for quality of life was carried out by the following methods: (a) Kellner's Brief Problem List, a 12 item self-rating list of psychosocial problems; (b) Kellner's Symptom Rating Test (SRT), a 46 item self-rating scale that yields a total score of distress as well as six subscales (anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms, anger-hostility, cognitive and psychotic symptoms); and (c) Marks' Social Situations Questionnaire (SSQ), a 30 item self-rating scale concerned with social phobia. Patients with hirsutism displayed significantly higher social fears at the SSQ than controls (P < 0.01). They also showed more anxiety (P < 0.01) and psychotic symptoms (P < 0.01) at the SRT, whereas there were no significant differences in depression, somatization, anger-hostility and cognitive symptoms. These results suggest that the complex management of hirsute women, in addition to pharmacological and/or cosmetic measures, may require specific psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]