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On March 25th 2019, the Belle II detector recorded the first collisions delivered by the SuperKEKB accelerator. This marked the beginning of the physics run with vertex detector. The vertex detector was aligned initially with cosmic ray tracks without magnetic field simultaneously with the drift chamber. The alignment method is based on Millepede II and the General Broken Lines track model and includes also the muon system or primary vertex position alignment. To control weak modes, we employ sensitive validation tools and various track samples can be used as alignment input, from straight cosmic tracks to mass-constrained decays. With increasing luminosity and experience, the alignment is approaching the target performance, crucial for the first physics analyses in the era of Super-BFactories. We will present the software framework for the detector calibration and alignment, the results from the first physics run and the prospects in view of the experience with the first data.

The Belle II experiment features a substantial upgrade of the Belle detector and will operate at the SuperKEKB energy-asymmetric e+e− collider at KEK in Tsukuba, Japan. The accelerator completed its first phase of commissioning in 2016, and the Belle II detector saw its first electron-positron collisions in April 2018. Belle II features a newly designed silicon vertex detector based on double-sided strip layers and DEPFET pixel layers. A subset of the vertex detector was operated in 2018 to determine background conditions (Phase 2 operation). The collaboration completed full detector installation in January 2019, and the experiment started full data taking. This paper will report on the final arrangement of the silicon vertex detector part of Belle II with a focus on online monitoring of detector conditions and data quality, on the design and use of diagnostic and reference plots, and on integration with the software framework of Belle II. Data quality monitoring plots will be discussed with a focus on simulation and acquired cosmic and collision data.

Competing Interests: No direct funding was received for this Comment. CPW receives research salary support from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number T32CA225617. AS receives consulting fees from Freenome and Iterative Health. SHI receives research support from Freenome and Exact Sciences Corporation, and consulting fees from Exact Sciences Corporation and Geneoscopy. All other authors declare no competing interests. The content is solely the responsibility of the listed authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies listed.

Background & Aims: Gastric cancer (GC) remains a leading cause of mortality among certain racial, ethnic, and immigrant groups in the United States (US). The majority of GCs are diagnosed at advanced stages, and overall survival remains poor. There exist no structured national strategies for GC prevention in the US., Methods: On March 5-6, 2020 a summit of researchers, policy makers, public funders, and advocacy leaders was convened at Stanford University to address this critical healthcare disparity. After this summit, a writing group was formed to critically evaluate the effectiveness, potential benefits, and potential harms of methods of primary and secondary prevention through structured literature review. This article represents a consensus statement prepared by the writing group., Results: The burden of GC is highly inequitably distributed in the US and disproportionately falls on Asian, African American, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaskan Native populations. In randomized controlled trials, strategies of Helicobacter pylori testing and treatment have been demonstrated to reduce GC-specific mortality. In well-conducted observational and ecologic studies, strategies of endoscopic screening have been associated with reduced GC-specific mortality. Notably however, all randomized controlled trial data (for primary prevention) and the majority of observational data (for secondary prevention) are derived from non-US sources., Conclusions: There exist substantial, high-quality data supporting GC prevention derived from international studies. There is an urgent need for cancer prevention trials focused on high-risk immigrant and minority populations in the US. The authors offer recommendations on how strategies of primary and secondary prevention can be applied to the heterogeneous US population., (Copyright © 2022 AGA Institute. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Endoscopist recommendations regarding a repeat colonoscopy after inadequate bowel cleanliness have not been fully described. Our aim was to evaluate the timing of recommendations for repeat colonoscopy after inadequate bowel preparation using a large, national colonoscopy registry., Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of all outpatient screening and surveillance colonoscopies among adults ages 50 to 75 reported in the GI Quality Improvement Consortium from 2011 to 2018. The primary outcome was a recommendation to repeat colonoscopy within 1 year. Secondary outcomes were recommendations based on indication of colonoscopy and colonoscopy findings and predictors of a recommendation to follow-up within 1 year., Results: There were 260,314 colonoscopies with inadequate bowel preparation performed at 672 different sites by 4001 endoscopists. Of these, 31.9% contained a recommendation for follow-up within 1 year. This did not differ meaningfully by examination indication. The severity of colonoscopy findings influenced the recommendations for follow-up (within 1 year in 84.0% of cases with adenocarcinoma, 51.8% with any advanced lesion, and 23.2% with 1-2 small adenomas). Younger age, more severe pathology, location in the Northeast, and performance by an endoscopist with an adenoma detection rate ≥25% were associated with recommendations for follow-up within 1 year., Conclusions: Only some colonoscopies with inadequate bowel preparation are recommended to be repeated within 1 year, which may have implications for potential missed lesions. Further understanding of reasons driving recommendations is an important next step to improving guideline-concordant colonoscopy practice., (Copyright © 2022 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Gastroenterologists at all levels of practice benefit from formal mentoring. Much of the current literature on mentoring in gastroenterology is based on expert opinion rather than data. In this study, we aimed to identify gender-related barriers to successful mentoring relationships from the mentor and mentee perspectives., Methods: A voluntary, web-based survey was distributed to physicians at 20 academic institutions across the United States. Overall, 796 gastroenterology fellows and faculty received the survey link, with 334 physicians responding to the survey (42% response rate), of whom 299 (90%; 129 women and 170 men) completed mentorship questions and were included in analysis., Results: Responses of women and men were compared. Compared with men, more women preferred a mentor of the same gender (38.6% women vs 4.2% men, P < 0.0001) but less often had one (45.5% vs 70.2%, P < 0.0001). Women also reported having more difficulty finding a mentor (44.4% vs 16.0%, P < 0.0001) and more often cited inability to identify a mentor of the same gender as a contributing factor (12.8% vs 0.9%, P = 0.0004). More women mentors felt comfortable advising women mentees about work-life balance (88.3% vs 63.8%, P = 0.0005). Nonetheless, fewer women considered themselves effective mentors (33.3% vs 52.6%, P = 0.03). More women reported feeling pressured to mentor because of their gender (39.5% vs 0.9% of men, P < 0.0001). Despite no gender differences, one-third of respondents reported negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their ability to mentor and be mentored., Discussion: Inequities exist in the experiences of women mentees and mentors in gastroenterology, which may affect career advancement and job satisfaction., (Copyright © 2021 by The American College of Gastroenterology.)

Background and Aims: With an increasing number of women joining procedural fields, including gastroenterology, optimizing the work environment for learning, teaching, and clinical practice is essential to the well-being of both physicians and their patients. We queried female and male gastroenterologists on their beliefs toward the endoscopy suite environment, as well as their experiences in learning and teaching endoscopic skills., Methods: We distributed a web-based survey to 403 gastroenterology fellows and practicing gastroenterologists at 12 academic institutions and 3 large private practices. We used univariate and multivariate analysis to compare the responses of female and male gastroenterologists., Results: The overall response rate was 32% (n = 130); 54 women and 61 men completed the survey in its entirety and were included in the analysis (15 respondents did not meet the inclusion criteria). Baseline demographics were comparable between the groups. Overall, fewer women than men were trained using tactile instruction (41% vs 67%; P = .004). Of those trained using tactile instruction, 60.3%, with no gender differences, felt it was also important for endoscopic learning. More women reported experiencing gender bias toward themselves during training (57.4% vs 13.1%; P = .001) as well as in their current careers (50.0% vs 9.8%; P = .001). When queried on treatment of gastroenterologists by endoscopy staff, 75.9% of women reported that men were treated more favorably, whereas 70.5% of men felt that both male and female gastroenterologists were treated equally., Conclusions: Inequities exist with regard to the experience of men and women in gastroenterology, and specific challenges for women may have an impact on their career choices and ability to safely and effectively learn, teach, and practice endoscopy., (Copyright © 2021 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Goal: The goal of this study was to study the incidence of fungal infection in necrotizing pancreatitis (NP) and its impact on mortality., Background: Infected pancreatic necrosis is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in patients with NP. While pancreatic fungal infection (PFI) has frequently been identified in patients with NP, its effect on the clinical outcomes is unclear., Materials and Methods: A literature search was performed in Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), and the Cochrane library. All prospective and retrospective studies that examined the incidence of fungal infection in NP with subgroup mortality data were included. For fungal infection of NP, studies with fungal isolation from pancreatic necrotic tissue were included. Newcastle Ottawa Scale and Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal tool were used for bias assessment., Results: Twenty-two studies comprising 2151 subjects with NP were included for the quantitative analysis. The mean incidence of fungal infection was 26.6% (572/2151). In-hospital mortality in the pooled sample of NP patients with PFI (N=572) was significantly higher [odds ratio (OR)=3.95, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.6-5.8] than those without PFI. In a separate analysis of 7 studies, the mean difference in the length of stay between those with and without fungal infection was 22.99 days (95% CI: 14.67-31.3). The rate of intensive care unit admission (OR=3.95; 95% CI: 2.6-5.8), use of prophylactic antibacterials (OR=2.76; 95% CI: 1.31-5.81) and duration of antibacterial therapy (mean difference=8.71 d; 95% CI: 1.33-16.09) were all significantly higher in patients with PFI. Moderate heterogeneity was identified among the studies on estimating OR for mortality (I2=43%) between the 2 groups., Conclusions: PFI is common in patients with NP and is associated with increased mortality, intensive care unit admission rate, and length of stay. Further prospective studies are needed to better understand the pathophysiology of PFIs and to determine the role for preemptive therapeutic strategies, such as prophylactic antifungal therapy., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In 2020, only 19% of 63 matched advanced endoscopy (AE) fellows were women. This study evaluates the gender-specific factors that influence gastroenterologists to pursue careers in AE., Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed to gastroenterology fellows and attendings through various gastroenterology society online forums. Data were collected on demographics, training, mentorship, current practice, family planning, and career satisfaction., Results: Women comprised 71.1% of the 332 respondents. 24.7% of female fellows plan to pursue an AE career compared with 37.5% of male fellows (P = 0.195). The main motivating factor for both genders was interest in the subject area. Interest in another subspecialty was the main deterring factor for both genders. Women were more deterred by absence of same-sex mentors (P < 0.001), perception of gender-based bias in the workplace (P = 0.009), family planning (P = 0.018), fertility/pregnancy risks from radiation (P < 0.001), and lack of ergonomic equipment (P = 0.003). AE gastroenterologists of both genders were satisfied with their career decision and would recommend the field to any fellow. Most respondents (64%) believed that more female role models/mentors would improve representation of women in AE., Discussion: There are multiple gender-specific factors that deter women from pursuing AE. Increasing the number of female role models is strongly perceived to improve representation of women in AE. Most AE attendings are satisfied with their career and would recommend it to fellows of any gender. Thus, early targeted mentorship of female trainees has potential to improve recruitment of women to the field., (Copyright © 2021 by The American College of Gastroenterology.)

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a common reason for hospital admission in older adult patients and carries a high morbidity and mortality if not properly managed. Risk factors include advanced age, Helicobacter pylori infection, medication use, smoking, and history of liver disease. Patients with known or suspected liver disease and suspected variceal bleeding should also receive antibiotics and somatostatin analogues. Risk stratification scores should be used to determine patients at highest risk for further decompensation. Upper endoscopy is both a diagnostic and therapeutic tool used in the management of upper GI bleeding. Endoscopy should be performed within 24 hours of presentation after appropriate resuscitation. Management of anticoagulation in upper GI bleeding largely depends on the indication for anticoagulation, the risk of continued bleeding with continuing the medication, and the risk of thrombosis with discontinuing the medication. A multidisciplinary approach to the decision of anticoagulation continuation is preferred when possible., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: There is little guidance regarding when to stop surveillance colonoscopy in individuals with a history of adenomas or colorectal cancer (CRC). We evaluated both yield and recommendations for follow-up colonoscopy in a large cohort of older individuals undergoing colonoscopy, using the GI Quality Improvement Consortium registry., Methods: We analyzed the yield of colonoscopy in adults aged ≥75 years, comparing those who had an indication of surveillance as opposed to an indication of diagnostic or screening, stratified by 5-year age groups. Our primary outcome was CRC and advanced lesions. We also evaluated recommended follow-up intervals by age and findings., Results: Between 2010 and 2017, 376,686 colonoscopies were performed by 3,976 endoscopists at 628 sites, of which 43.2% were for surveillance. Detection of CRC among surveillance patients increased with age from 0.51% (age 75-79 years) to 1.8% (age ≥ 90 years); however, these risks were lower when compared with both the diagnostic and screening for the same age band (P < 0.0001). Yield of advanced lesions also increased by every 5-year interval of age across all groups by indication. Even at the most advanced ages and in those with nonadvanced findings, only a minority of patients were recommended for no further colonoscopy. For example, in patients aged 90 years and older with only low risk findings, 62.9% were recommended to repeat colonoscopy., Discussion: Surveillance colonoscopy is frequently recommended at advanced ages even when recent findings may be clinically insignificant. Further work is needed to develop guidelines to inform best practice around when to stop surveillance in older adults.

This article summarizes current knowledge regarding the incidence of and risk factors associated with recurrent lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The literature regarding medical, endoscopic, and surgical methods to prevent rebleeding from diverticulosis, angioectasia, and chronic hemorrhagic radiation proctopathy is reviewed. In addition, the evidence for endoscopic clipping as primary prophylaxis against postpolypectomy bleeding is explored., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Opinion Statement: Purpose of review Benign epithelial gastric polyps, although typically asymptomatic, are identified incidentally on upper endoscopy in up to 23% of patients. These include fundic gland, hyperplastic, and adenomatous polyps. Their appropriate characterization is critical as some have malignant potential, may be indicative of a gastric mucosal field defect, or may be related to an underlying polyposis syndrome. This review will discuss the current management of benign epithelial gastric polyps. Recent findings Association of gastric polyps with proton pump inhibitor use, Helicobacter pylori infection, risk of malignant transformation, and association with polyposis syndromes have been the focus of recent literature. Summary All symptomatic polyps, polyps larger than 1 cm in size, and polyps later found to contain dysplasia or cancer should be completely removed. Additionally, random biopsies from the intervening non-polypoid mucosa should be obtained. Finally, identification of multiple polyps of fundic gland type and/or concomitant dysplasia should raise suspicion for an underlying polyposis syndrome and prompt appropriate workup. Surveillance is generally only indicated if there is confirmed dysplasia and/or carcinoma within the polyp itself or if preneoplastic changes are identified in the non-polypoid gastric mucosa.

Antithrombotic agents are used widely to reduce the risks of thromboembolic events in patients with a variety of cardiovascular and other conditions. This review focuses on the management of patients undergoing endoscopic procedures who are taking antithrombotic medications, and includes specific information and recommendations., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Colonoscopy is a frequently performed procedure that requires extensive training and a high skill level., Objective: Quantification of forces applied to the external portion of the colonoscope insertion tube during the insertion phase of colonoscopy., Design: Observational cohort study of 7 expert and 9 trainee endoscopists for analysis of colonic segment force application in 49 patients. Forces were measured by using the colonoscopy force monitor, which is a wireless, handheld device that attaches to the insertion tube of the colonoscope., Setting: Academic gastroenterology training programs., Patients: Patients undergoing routine screening or diagnostic colonoscopy with complete segment force recordings., Main Outcome Measurements: Axial and radial force and examination time., Results: Both axial and radial force increased significantly as the colonoscope was advanced from the rectum to the cecum. Analysis of variance demonstrated highly significant operator-independent differences between segments of the colon (zones) in all axial and radial forces except average torque. Expert and trainee endoscopists differed only in the magnitude of counterclockwise force, average push/pull force rate used, and examination time., Limitations: Small study, observational design, effect of prototype device on insertion tube manipulation., Conclusion: Axial and radial forces used to advance the colonoscope increase through the segments of the colon and are operator independent., (Copyright © 2012 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Minimizing endoscopic complications includes attention to the details about each patient's current medical condition before they undergo an invasive procedure. This article focuses on critical issues about proper preparation for endoscopic procedures and examines potential modifications to a patient's medical regimen near the time of an endoscopic procedure, highlighting recently published standards and guidelines. This article also reviews important issues related to infection control in endoscopy.

It is estimated that by 2020, >16% of people in the United States will be > or =65 years of age and that nearly 20 million will be >85 years of age. Aging imparts a variety of physiologic changes in the oropharynx, esophagus, and stomach that increase the risk for esophageal and gastrointestinal disorders. Older individuals also tend to have a higher prevalence of comorbid factors, such as Helicobacter pylori infection, smoking, presence of other diseases, or use of medications (e.g., nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]) that increase their risk for acid-related disorders. Given these physiologic and comorbidity factors, the elderly are at higher risk for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), pill-induced esophagitis, peptic ulcer disease, and complications related to the use of NSAIDs. Unfortunately, in the elderly patient with these disorders--even those with severe disease or complications--symptom presentation may be subtle or atypical, resulting in a delayed diagnosis. Endoscopy remains the "gold standard" for the identification of mucosal disease and should be performed in all patients with "new-onset" or persistent symptoms who are >45 years of age, as well as in individuals of any age who present with alarm symptoms, such as weight loss, vomiting, anemia, dysphagia, or evidence of gastrointestinal bleeding. In general, the treatment of older individuals with peptic ulcer or GERD and its complications is similar to that of younger individuals. Proton pump inhibitors are the mainstay of therapy for symptom relief, healing of erosive esophagitis, resolution of peptic ulceration, reduction of the risk for NSAID-induced mucosal damage, and prevention of disease recurrence.

New-onset idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not uncommon among the elderly, although more common are colonic infection, ischemia, or neoplasia, all of which may mimic IBD. Although the clinical presentation of IBD in the elderly often resembles that of younger subjects, atypical manifestations are common and may lead to difficulty in diagnosis. Much progress has been made in both medical and surgical therapy for IBD, but such therapy poses additional challenges in the elderly, who are more likely to experience adverse effects of medications or complications of surgery. The elderly generally have a favorable outcome to both medical and surgical therapy for IBD. Although concern about possible untoward effects of therapy is warranted, treatment should not be withheld because of fear of complications.

The ischemic bowel diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders usually seen in elderly individuals. They represent ischemic damage to different portions [figure: see text] of the bowel and produce a variety of clinical syndromes and outcomes. Colonic ischemia is the commonest of these disorders and has a favorable prognosis in most cases. In contrast, acute mesenteric ischemia, most commonly caused by a superior mesenteric artery embolus, is a disease with a poor prognosis. Acute mesenteric ischemia secondary to nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia usually is a [figure: see text] catastrophic complication of other severe medical illnesses, most notably atherosclerosis. Proper diagnosis and management of patients with ischemic bowel disease requires vigilance on the part of the physician and a willingness to embark on an aggressive plan of diagnosis and management in the appropriate setting.

Objective: It is widely believed that Clostridium difficile (C. difficile)-associated diarrhea is a more severe disease in the elderly than in the young, associated with increased morbidity and mortality. These beliefs are largely anecdotal, and there are few data supporting them., Methods: We conducted an evaluation in an urban, tertiary care hospital of 89 inpatients in whom C. difficile-associated diarrhea was identified. These patients were evaluated prospectively, and the group was divided by age into those < 60 yr of age (younger) and those > or = 60 yr (elderly)., Results: There was no difference in mortality or morbidity in elderly individuals with C. difficile-associated diarrhea when compared with younger persons similarly infected. The response to standard treatment was similar in both groups. Older patients were more likely to have an elevated white blood cell count in association with C. difficile-associated diarrhea (60% vs 26%, p < 0.05), and were more likely to have acquired their infection in the hospital (89% vs 50%, p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: In the elderly, C. difficile-associated diarrhea is almost always acquired in institutions, and may not be obvious among patients' other problems. The elderly do not seem to have an increase in C. difficile diarrhea-associated morbidity or mortality. There is no evidence that C. difficile-associated diarrhea is more severe in the elderly than it is in the young.

Colon ischemia is expressed in a broad clinical spectrum, from mild, reversible ischemia to intestinal infarction and gangrene. In most cases, the precipitating cause is unknown, and colonic blood flow usually has normalized by the time the patient seeks medical attention. Satisfactory treatment begins with accurate diagnosis, which depends on serial colonoscopic or roentgenographic studies and the exclusion of other disorders that may mimic colon ischemia. Prognosis typically is good, and most patients require only supportive care with close follow-up. More aggressive therapy, including surgery, is indicated in patients who early in their course develop massive bleeding, perforation, or signs of fulminant colitis or who subsequently develop symptomatic strictures or persistent symptoms of colitis.

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is an uncommon manifestation of AIDS despite the frequent involvement of the GI tract by infections, malignancies, and a variety of other disorders. GI bleeding may occur from a variety of causes, some specifically associated with AIDS and others unrelated to immunocompromise; most patients with AIDS who have lower GI bleeding have causes attributable to AIDS-specific lesions. Just as in an incompetent patient, an aggressive approach to diagnosis and treatment of GI bleeding in AIDS patients is warranted.

Colonic ischemia encompasses a wide clinical spectrum from mild, reversible disease to severe, irreversible injury. It is a frequent disorder of the large bowel in the elderly, and can mimic certain diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and neoplasms. The clinical course is variable, but often includes crampy, lower abdominal pain and the passage of red or maroon blood mixed with stool. In most cases, management is expectant, with supportive care and attention for signs of complicated disease. Prognosis typically is favorable, with a majority of patients completely resolving their illness; a minority go on to develop irreversible injury including strictures and chronic segmental colitis. Successful management of a patient with ischemic colitis requires a high degree of clinical suspicion, early diagnosis, careful follow-up, and prompt recognition of persistent disease.

This infection first surfaced as a U.S. public health problem in the early 1980s. The problem persists, in the United States and elsewhere. Illness may resemble that in other infectious colitides and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ischemic colitis. Prompt diagnosis may be made by specific stool culture.