omoting cognitive health. We performed a systematic review to summarize the clinical features, diagnostic methods, treatment, and outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with pericarditis. We searched electronic databases from inception to 17 December 2020. Studies that reported clinical data on patients with COVID-19 and pericarditis were included. Descriptive statistics were used for categorical and continuous variables [mean ± standard deviation or median (interquartile range)]. As an exploratory analysis, differences between patients with acute pericarditis and myopericarditis were compared. A total of 33 studies (32 case reports and 1 case series) involving 34 patients were included. The mean age was 51.6 ± 19.5 years and 62% of patients were men. Sixty-two percentage of patients were diagnosed with myopericarditis. The most frequent electrocardiographic pattern (56%) was diffuse ST-elevation and PR depression. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/gsk2879552-2hcl.html Pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade were reported in 76 and 35% of cases, respectively. The median values of C-reactive protein [77 mg/dl (12-177)] and white blood cells [12 335 cells/μl (5625-16 500)] were above the normal range. Thirty-eight percent and 53% of patients were treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and colchicine, respectively. These drugs were more frequently used in patients with acute pericarditis compared with myopericarditis. The in-hospital mortality was 6% without a significant difference between both groups. Our review shows that COVID-19 patients with pericarditis had similar clinical features to other viral cardiotropic infections. However, NSAIDs and colchicine were used in half or less of the cases. Overall, the short-term prognosis was good across groups. Our review shows that COVID-19 patients with pericarditis had similar clinical features to other viral cardiotropic infections. However, NSAIDs and colchicine were used in half or less of the cases. Overall, the short-term prognosis was good across groups. To evaluate the current interpretation of the lower doses of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) dabigatran, apixaban, edoxaban and rivaroxaban in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. A questionnaire of 14 statements to which the possible answers were fully agree/partially agree/partially disagree/fully disagree or yes/no was prepared within the board of the Italian Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Study Group and forwarded to individual Italian physicians. A total of 620 complete questionnaires were received from nearly all the Italian regions and physicians of various medical specialists, either enabled or not for the prescription of DOAC. A wide agreement was found as regards the pharmacological, as well as clinical consequences of the administration of the lower dose of factor-Xa inhibitors both in patients with and without clinical and/or laboratory criteria requiring dose reduction. Wide agreement was also found as regards the presence of moderate kidney insufficiency in selecting the dose of DOAC. Instead, more debated were issues regarding the proportionality between dabigatran dose and plasma concentration and selection of dabigatran dose, as well as the role of measuring drug plasma concentration and/or determine the anticoagulant activity of factor-Xa inhibitors when used at the lower dose. The interpretation of the lower doses of DOAC in current Italian clinical practice appears largely correct and shared. Because of the persistence of some residual uncertainties, essentially regarding dabigatran, however, continuous educational effort still appears warranted. The interpretation of the lower doses of DOAC in current Italian clinical practice appears largely correct and shared. Because of the persistence of some residual uncertainties, essentially regarding dabigatran, however, continuous educational effort still appears warranted. In multiethnic societies, it has frequently and repeatedly been shown that some minority groups have higher rates of traditional coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors, different rates of treatment with revascularization procedures, and excess morbidity and mortality from CAD when compared with the white population. In the last two decades, Italy is becoming a diverse society with more than five millions of inhabitants from minority ethnic groups for this reason, we decided to investigate whether ethnic differences in our metropolitan area are similar compared with the experience of Western countries. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 1285 patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) hospitalized at Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU), Heart Center of ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy between 2014 and the end of 2019. Six percent of these patients were South-Asian, North-African, and South-American. Despite the younger age of nonwhite patients, their comorbid conditions and traditional cardiovascular risk factors showed peculiar differences. We did not observe any difference in terms of the number of coronary arteries involved at the enrollment, patients candidate to coronary artery bypass graft and either intra-hospital or at follow-up mortality. Nevertheless, the rate of re-infarction at follow-up was significantly higher in the nonwhite group. We believe that a better knowledge and understanding of epidemiological changes in Italian society could improve our clinical practice, in particular, in order to better customize treatments and therapies. We believe that a better knowledge and understanding of epidemiological changes in Italian society could improve our clinical practice, in particular, in order to better customize treatments and therapies. Electrical vagal nerve stimulation is known to decrease gut permeability and alleviate gut injury caused by traumatic hemorrhagic shock. However, the specific mechanism of action remains unclear. Glycocalyx, located on the surface of the intestinal epithelium, is associated with the buildup of the intestinal barrier. Therefore, the goal of our study was to explore whether vagal nerve stimulation affects enterocyte glycocalyx, gut permeability, gut injury, and remote lung injury. Male Sprague Dawley rats were anesthetized and their cervical nerves were exposed. The rats underwent traumatic hemorrhagic shock (with maintenance of mean arterial pressure of 30-35 mmHg for 60 min) with fluid resuscitation. Vagal nerve stimulation was added to two cohorts of animals before fluid resuscitation, and one of them was injected with methyllycaconitine to block the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Intestinal epithelial glycocalyx was detected using immunofluorescence. Intestinal permeability, the degree of gut and lung injury, and inflammation factors were also assessed.