A narrative review on rare types of pancreatic cancer: should they be treated as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas?

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest malignancies in humans and it is expected to play a bigger part in cancer burden in the years to come. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents 85% of all primary pancreatic malignancies. Recently, much attention has been given to PDAC, with significant advances in the understanding of the mechanisms underpinning disease initiation and progression, along with noticeable improvements in overall survival in both localized and metastatic settings.

Seasonal variations of plasma testosterone among colour-morph common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis).

Sexual steroids influence reproductive behaviours and promote secondary sexual traits. In male lizards, increasing levels of testosterone (T) bolster conspicuous colouration, stimulate territoriality, and trigger antagonistic interactions among rivals. Moreover, in colour polymorphic species, reproductive strategy, aggressiveness and T levels can differ between morphs.

Neurotoxicity of European viperids in Italy: Pavia Poison Control Centre case series 2001-2011.

Context: Some clinical aspects about neurotoxicity after snakebites by European viper species remain to be elucidated.

Objective: This observational case series aims to analyze neurological manifestations due to viper envenomation in Italy in order to describe the characteristic of neurotoxicity and to evaluate the clinical response to the antidotic treatment, the outcome, and the influence of individual variability in determining the appearance of neurotoxic effects.

Materials And Methods: All cases of snakebite referred to Pavia Poison Centre (PPC) presenting peripheral neurotoxic effects from 2001 to 2011 were included.

Refugia within refugia as a key to disentangle the genetic pattern of a highly variable species: the case of Rana temporaria Linnaeus, 1758 (Anura, Ranidae).

Two distinct lineages of Rana temporaria are known in the Palaearctic region, but it is uncertain whether this species persisted in one or more Pleistocene refugia. We resolved the phylogeographic history and genetic variability of R. temporaria in the Italian peninsula, a 'traditional' Pleistocene refugium, and related our findings to patterns described for other European populations.

Sex-, morph- and size-specific susceptibility to stress measured by haematological variables in captive common wall lizard Podarcis muralis.

In polymorphic species of animals, colour morphs may show alternative physiological properties, and hence evolve or be maintained as an indirect response to selection exerted on these physiological attributes. In this study, we investigated if different colour morphs (white, red and yellow) of the polymorphic common wall lizard differed in their physiological responses to a long-term stress by determining variation between capture and release in leukocytes profiles, haemoparasite loads and body condition of male and females maintained in captivity throughout the breeding season. We found that most blood parameters of lizards varied significantly following captivity, and this variation was sex-, morph- and size-dependent.