Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of liver disease worldwide. Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) has proven to be feasible, safe, and effective in the management of obesity. We performed the first systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating NAFLD and other metabolic parameters 12 months post-ESG. Four observational studies with a total of 175 patients were included. The results showed a significant (p < 0.05) reduction of 4.85 in hepatic steatosis index (95% CI - 6.02, - 3.67), 0.5 in NAFLD fibrosis score (95% CI - 0.80, - 0.19), 6.32 U/l in ALT (95% CI - 9.52, - 3.11), 17.28% in TWL (95% CI - 18.24, - 16.31), 6.31 kg/m2 in BMI (95% CI - 8.11, - 4.52), 47.97% in EWL (95% CI - 49.10, - 46.84), and 0.51% in HbA1c (95% CI - 0.90, - 0.12). ESG improves liver parameters, provides weight loss, and reduces HbA1c levels in patients suffering from NAFLD.

Sustainability is now a priority issue that governments, businesses and society in general must address in the short term. In their role as major global institutional investors and risk managers, insurance companies and pension funds are strategic players in building socio-economic and sustainable development. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the current state of action and research on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in the insurance and pension sectors, we conduct a systematic literature review. We rely on the PRISMA protocol and analyze 1 731 academic publications available in the Web of Science database up to the year 2022 and refer to 23 studies outside of scientific research retrieved from the websites of key international and European organizations. To study the corpus of literature, we introduce a classification framework along the insurance value chain including external stakeholders. The main findings reveal that risk, underwriting and investment management are the most researched areas among the nine categories considered in our framework, while claims management and sales tend to be neglected. Regarding ESG factors, climate change, as part of the environmental factor, has received the most attention in the literature. After reviewing the literature, we summarize the main sustainability issues and potential related actions. Given the current nature of the sustainability challenges for the insurance sector, this literature review is relevant to academics and practitioners alike.

In July 2020, the European Commission\'s High-Level Expert Group on AI (HLEG-AI) published the Assessment List for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (ALTAI) tool, enabling organizations to perform self-assessments of the fit of their AI systems and surrounding governance to the \"7 Principles for Trustworthy AI.\" Prior research on ALTAI has focused primarily on specific application areas, but there has yet to be a comprehensive analysis and broader recommendations aimed at proto-regulators and industry practitioners. This paper therefore starts with an overview of this tool, including an assessment of its strengths and limitations. The authors then consider the success by which the ALTAI tool is likely to be of utility to industry in improving understanding of the risks inherent in AI systems and best practices to mitigate such risks. It is highlighted how research and practices from fields such as Environmental Sustainability, Social Justice, and Corporate Governance (ESG) can be of benefit for addressing similar challenges in ethical AI development and deployment. Also explored is the extent to which the tool is likely to be successful in being taken up by industry, considering various factors pertaining to its likely adoption. Finally, the authors also propose recommendations applicable internationally to similar bodies to the HLEG-AI regarding the gaps needing to be addressed between high-level principles and practical support for those on the front-line developing or commercializing AI tools. In all, this work provides a comprehensive analysis of the ALTAI tool, as well as recommendations to relevant stakeholders, with the broader aim of promoting more widespread adoption of such a tool in industry.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to individually evaluate IGB and ESG procedures and compare the efficacy, durability, and safety of these procedures.
METHODS: Bibliographic databases were systematically searched for studies investigating the use of IGB and ESG for the treatment of obesity. Studies reporting percent total weight loss (%TWL) or percent excess weight loss (%EWL) with at least 12 months of follow-up were included.
RESULTS: A total of 28 studies were included in the final analysis. Only 1 study directly compared ESG to IGB, 9 studies evaluated ESG alone, while 18 studies evaluated IGB. At 12-month follow-up after ESG, mean %TWL was 17.51 (95% CI 16.44-18.58), and %EWL was 60.51 (95% CI 54.39-66.64). Mean %TWL and %EWL after IGB at 12 months was 10.35 (95% CI 8.38-12.32) and 29.65 (95% CI 25.40-33.91), respectively. Mean %TWL and %EWL after IGB were significantly decreased at 18 or 24 months compared to 6 months indicating weight regain after IGB removal. ESG achieved significantly superior weight loss compared to IGB, the difference in mean %TWL was 7.33 (95% CI 5.22-9.44, p value = 0.0001) at 12 months. Serious adverse events were observed in < 5% for both procedures.
CONCLUSIONS: Although ESG and IGB are safe and effective for weight loss, our study suggests that ESG results in more significant and sustained weight loss. Nevertheless, a variety of approaches are essential to care for this underserved population, and there are several factors other than weight loss that should be considered in selecting the ideal therapy for individual patients.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) has emerged as a promising technique in endoscopic bariatric and metabolic therapies (EBMTs). We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide an update on its efficacy and safety.
METHODS: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. MEDLINE, Cochrane, EMBASE, and LILACS were searched to identify the studies related to ESG.
RESULTS: Eleven studies with a total of 2170 patients were included. The average BMI pre-ESG was 35.78 kg/m2. Pooled mean %TWL observed at 6, 12, and 18 months was 15.3%, 16.1%, and 16.8% respectively. Pooled mean %EWL at 6, 12, and 18 months was 55.8%, 60%, and 73% respectively. No procedure-related mortality was reported.
CONCLUSIONS: ESG is a safe and effective procedure for primary obesity therapy with promising short- and mid-term results.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) has gained momentum as a promising, minimally invasive bariatric therapy worldwide.
OBJECTIVE: We performed the first comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of studies to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and procedural technique of ESG.
METHODS: Bibliographic databases were systematically searched for studies assessing patients who underwent ESG for the treatment of obesity. Studies were included if they reported percent total weight loss or percent excess weight loss and the incidence of serious adverse events. Studies with <15 patients, follow-up period <6 months, and overlapping patients were excluded.
RESULTS: Eight observational studies with 1859 patients were included. Pooled mean percent total weight loss at 6, 12, and 24 months was 14.86 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 13.83-15.90), 16.43 (95%CI: 15.23-17.63), and 20.01 (95%CI:  16.92-23.11), respectively. Pooled mean percent excess weight loss at 6, 12, and 24 months was 55.75 (95%CI: 50.61-60.89), 61.84 (95%CI: 54.75-68.93), and 60.40 (95%CI: 48.88-71.92), respectively. The pooled incidence of serious adverse events was 2.26% (95%CI 1.25-4.03) and no mortality was reported. Gastrointestinal bleeding and perigastric fluid collection were the most common reported serious adverse events; however, the pooled incidence of both was <1%. Variations in procedural technique were seen, but the full-thickness nature of suturing was reported in all studies. A layer of reinforcement sutures was performed in the majority of studies (n = 6). Limitations include the lack of controlled studies, long-term follow-up data, and standardization of technique.
CONCLUSIONS: ESG, a minimally invasive bariatric therapy, is reproducible among centers worldwide with effective weight loss and favorable safety profile outcomes. Controlled studies would be valuable to further corroborate these findings.

Endoscopic gastric plication or gastroplasty for morbid obesity is gaining worldwide recognition. Data concerning safety and efficacy are rather scarce. Furthermore, clear guidelines are yet to be established. The objective of this meta-analysis is to update the data and investigate the efficacy and safety of the procedure. An online comprehensive search using Cochrane, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase on endoscopic gastric plication was completed. The primary outcome was defined as weight loss at 6 months or more after the procedure. Secondary outcomes were defined as the occurrence of adverse events or complications including insufficient weight loss or regain. I2 statistic was used to define the heterogeneity across studies. Twenty-two cohort studies on 7 different devices met the inclusion criteria, with a total of 2475 patients. The mean baseline BMI was 37.8 ± 4.1 kg/m2 (median 37.9; range 28.0-60.2). Either a transoral endoluminal stapling or (suction based) (full-thickness) stitching and/or anchor device was used to obtain gastric volume reduction and/or alter gastric outlet. The mean follow-up was 13 months (median 12; range 6-24) for the specified outcomes of each study. Two active, FDA-approved devices were taken into account for meta-analysis: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) and the primary obesity surgery endolumenal (POSE™). Average pooled %EWL at 6 months (p = 0.02) and 12 months (p = 0.04) in favor of ESG was 57.9 ± 3.8% (50.5-65.5, I2 = 0.0), 44.4 ± 2.1% (40.2-48.5, I2 = 0.0), and 68.3 ± 3.8% (60.9-75.7, I2 = 5.8), 44.9 ± 2.1% (40.9-49.0, I2 = N/A) for ESG and POSE respectively. Major adverse events without mortality were described in 25 patients (9 studies, p = 0.63). ESG and POSE are both safe and feasible procedures with good short-term weight loss. ESG seems to be superior in terms of weight loss at this point. Few major adverse events are reported and long-term results are awaited.

Sustainability reporting has been increasingly adopted by corporations worldwide given the demand of stakeholders for greater transparency on both environmental and social issues. The popularity of such reporting is evidenced by the development of a range of tools in the last two decades - Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), AA1000 and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) inter alia. These tools, referred to collectively as corporate sustainability reporting tools (SRTs) are important as they serve to inform the progress of corporations towards achieving sustainability goals. However, the rapid growth of corporate SRTs, with different criteria and methodology has created major complications for stakeholders. This paper makes a genuine contribution by providing a review of some of these major tools, spanning across a wide spectrum - framework, standards, ratings and indices. A critique of SRTs is also given. Institutional investors, governments, practitioners and individuals may find this review useful in terms of understanding the nature of different corporate SRTs. As well, it can serve as a useful reference for the development of the next generation of corporate SRTs.