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Background: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC) are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) characterized by a progressive nature of the disease resulting in subsequent intestinal damage, limited efficacy of current treatments and suboptimal disease management and a significant burden for patients., Objectives: The IBD-PODCAST study aims to estimate the proportion of Crohn's disease and UC patients with suboptimal disease control (SDC) in a real-world setting., Methods: A non-interventional and cross-sectional study was conducted across 103 sites in 10 countries (Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and UK). Criteria for SDC were based on STRIDE-II criteria and adapted by an expert panel., Results: 2185 patients (Crohn's disease: n = 1,108, UC: n = 1077) with a mean (SD) age of 44.0 (14.8) years and mean (SD) disease duration of 12.4 (9.2) years were included (52.2% male). Ileal involvement was present in 39.1% of Crohn's disease patients, 35.3% of UC patients had extensive colitis. 77.3% of Crohn's disease and 65.3% of UC patients were on targeted immunomodulators and, according to STRIDE-II-based treatment phases, 85.6% of Crohn's disease and 85.4% of UC patients were assigned to the long-term treatment phase. SDC was detected in 52.2% of Crohn's disease and 44.3% of UC patients predominantly due to impaired quality of life (QoL), clinically significant extraintestinal manifestations, steroid overuse, signs of active inflammation in UC and Crohn's disease, and active fistulas in Crohn's disease. More than one criterion was seen in 37% of patients with SDC. Opportunities for on-label treatment optimization were observed in 49% of Crohn's disease and 61% of UC patients on advanced therapy., Conclusion: The high percentage of SDC in this global, real-world cohort suggests a large disease burden and high unmet medical need in IBD patients. Future analysis should focus on monitoring and responding to SDC in this cohort and on patients' QoL., (© 2024 The Authors. United European Gastroenterology Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of United European Gastroenterology.)

Background: The percentage of overall COVID-19 deaths which occurred in intensive care units (ICU) is unknown. We estimated 18% in Italy from February 21, 2020, to February 21, 2021, using cumulative numbers from publicly available databases. This study aims to confirm this percentage using raw data from Italian and European registries., Methods: We searched PubMed, government health reports, and medical websites to obtain the ratio between number of COVID-19 deaths in ICUs and total number of COVID-19 deaths in the most hit European regions during the first year of the pandemic. When available, we distinguished between different waves and interwaves periods. We performed a forest plot with random effect of proportions to calculate the overall European percentage., Results: We found data for six European countries (United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Denmark, and Germany). The percentage of COVID-19 deaths which occurred in United Kingdom ICUs was 10% and 11% during the first and the second pandemic waves, respectively. Netherlands and Norway counted 13% and 16%. Italy had 18% of the overall COVID-19 deaths occurring in the ICU during both pandemic waves, and 17% during the intra-pandemic period. Denmark and Germany counted 20% and 22%. Overall, 16% of the COVID-19 deaths occurred in European ICUs., Conclusions: The percentage of COVID-19 deaths which occurred in European ICUs was 16% and consistent across different countries, ranging from 10% to 22%. Interestingly, we observed no difference between pandemic waves and intra-pandemic periods.

Bacteria and viruses are a natural component of Earth biodiversity and play an essential role in biochemical and geological cycles. They may also pose problems outside their native range, where they can negatively impact on natural resources, wildlife, and human health. To address these challenges and develop sustainable conservation strategies, a thorough understanding of their invasion related- factors is needed: origin, country and year of introduction, and pathways dynamics. Yet, alien bacteria and viruses are underrepresented in invasion ecology studies, which limits our ability to quantify their impacts and address future introductions. This study provides primary datasets of alien bacteria and viruses of plants and animals present in the European environment. The datasets contain expert-revised data on 446 taxa and their invasion related- factors across terrestrial and aquatic environments. Taxa information are complemented with spatial occurrences. The datasets provide a basis for collaborative initiatives to improve the collection of alien bacteria and viruses' data, and a starting point for data-driven conservation practices., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Introduction: After patents' expiration of biological originators, several biosimilars of infliximab and adalimumab have been authorized. The approval is based on data extrapolated from other indications for which the originator has been previously tested. Despite rigorous approval processes by regulatory entities, physicians' and patients' knowledge about biosimilars is limited and some concerns about their use persist., Areas Covered: This article summarizes the evidence on efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of biosimilars currently approved in Europe for IBD treatment, by reviewing the literature on PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases up to mid-July 2020. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to further improve communication with patients and physicians' knowledge on biosimilars., Expert Opinion: Adoption of biosimilars in clinical practice represents a great opportunity from an economic point of view, reducing healthcare costs and increasing patients' access to effective biologic treatments. Clinicians should be aware and confident of the latest evidence on available biosimilars and be very careful in communicating information to patients. Nocebo effect should not be overlooked since it can negatively influence outcomes of biosimilar-treated subjects, limiting the wide use of biosimilars. Evaluating the outcomes of reverse, multiple, and cross-switch will be a challenge for the next years.

Background: Videolaparoscopic (VL) microwave ablation (MWA) is not included in most of the international guidelines as a therapeutic option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Aim of this study was to assess the safety of VL MWA in patients with HCC for whom resection or percutaneous ablation is unsuitable., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on a prospective database of patients with HCC treated with VL MWA at our institution from 2009 to 2016. Patient demographics, operational characteristics, and complications were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed to identify safety profile, overall survival and recurrence rate., Results: A total of 815 VL MWA were performed in 674 patients with a mean age of 64 years. Patients had a mean Model for End-stage Liver Disease score of 10 (±3); 32.8% were Child B, 44.1% Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer B-C. Perioperative mortality was 0.4%. Overall morbidity was 30.8%, with Dindo-Clavien complications ≥3 in 2%. The median length of stay was 2 days. In 43.1% VL MWA was the first-line therapy. Overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 81.9%, 54.9%, and 35.9%., Conclusions: The present is the largest series of VL ablation and the bigger number of patients with HCC treated with MW reported nowadays. It confirms the safety of a minimally invasive procedure for patients with HCC when resection or percutaneous ablation is not feasible., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

This study details the phylogeographic pattern of the white-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus), a Palearctic, temperate, passerine bird that is exclusively associated with flowing water. Our results reveal a complex phylogeographic structure with at least five distinct lineages for the Western Palearctic region. As for many species of the Western Palearctic fauna and flora, this genetic structure is probably linked to the isolation of populations in different southern refuges during glacial periods. Furthermore, the isolation of populations in Scandinavia and/or Eastern regions, but also in Morocco and probably in Corsica, was accentuated by ecological and biogeographic barriers during Quaternary interglacial periods. During glacial periods, Italy, Sicily and the Balkano-Carpathian region acted as major refuge zones for the dipper. At the end of the last ice age, Western Europe was repopulated by dippers from an Italian refuge, while Eastern Europe was recolonised by Balkano-Carpathian birds. A large contact zone between these two lineages was evidenced and extends from Luxembourg to Hungary. Finally, our results indicate the need to clarify the taxonomic status of the dipper, especially concerning the European subspecies whose validity appears uncertain.