Computed Tomography Evaluation of Normal Canine Abdominal Lymph Nodes: Retrospective Study of Size and Morphology According to Body Weight and Age in 45 Dogs.

The morphological characteristics of the largest lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes of the body have been described through ultrasonography, although food and gas in the gastrointestinal tract can often have negative effects on the response of small abdominal structures. The aim of the study was to describe the size of normal abdominal lymph nodes (ALs) in dogs affected by disease, not including lymphadenomegaly or lymphadenopathy, and divided according to body weight and age. The ALs studied included the jejunal, medial iliac, portal, gastric, splenic, and pancreaticoduodenal lymph nodes.

Distinguishing features between patients with acute diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding: Results from the REMAD registry.

Background: Pathogenesis of acute diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding remains poorly defined, and few data compare directly risk factors for these complications.

Aims: to assess differences in clinical features, lifestyles factors and concurrent drug use in patients with acute diverticulitis and those with diverticular bleeding.

Methods: Data were obtained from the REMAD Registry, an ongoing 5-year prospective, observational, multicenter, cohort study conducted on 1,217 patients.

Serum zonulin and its diagnostic performance in non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.

Objective: Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is characterised by intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms related to the ingestion of gluten-containing foods, in the absence of coeliac disease (CD) and wheat allergy. No biomarkers are available to diagnose NCGS and the gold standard double-blind placebo-controlled gluten challenge is clinically impractical. The aim of our work was to investigate the role of serum zonulin as a diagnostic biomarker of NCGS and to develop a diagnostic algorithm.

A prognostic score for clinical success after revascularization of critical limb ischemia in hemodialysis patients.

Objective: The revascularization of critical limb ischemia (CLI) in hemodialysis (HD) patients features poor results in terms of patient survival and limb salvage. Recent predictive models in CLI revascularization did not specifically address HD patients. The aim of this study was to define risk factors for clinical success (CS) after revascularization of CLI in HD patients and to transform findings in a prognostic score.

Prevalence, distribution, and clinical characteristics of hemangiosarcoma-associated skeletal muscle metastases in 61 dogs: A whole body computed tomographic study.

Background: Skeletal muscle metastases (SMMs) have been described sporadically in canine oncology.

Hypothesis/objectives: To determine the prevalence, localization, and clinical signs of SMMs associated with hemangiosarcoma (HSA) in a population of dogs presented for whole body computed tomography (CT).

Animals: Dogs with a histologically confirmed HSA and a tissue core specimen or fine needle aspirate of suspected metastatic lesions were included in the study.

Profiling plasma N-Acylethanolamine levels and their ratios as a biomarker of obesity and dysmetabolism.

Objective: N-acylethanolamines play different roles in energy balance; anandamide (AEA) stimulates energy intake and storage, N-palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) counters inflammation, and N-oleoylethanolamide (OEA) mediates anorectic signals and lipid oxidation. Inconsistencies in the association of plasma N-acylethanolamines with human obesity and cardiometabolic risk have emerged among previous studies, possibly caused by heterogeneous cohorts and designs, and by unstandardized N-acylethanolamine measurements. We aimed to characterize changes in the plasma profile, including N-acylethanolamine levels and ratios associated with obesity, menopause in women, and ageing in men, and to define the significance of such a profile as a biomarker for metabolic imbalance.

Point quantification elastography in the evaluation of liver elasticity in healthy volunteers: a reliability study based on operator expertise.

Purpose: The assessment of liver fibrosis is essential in the management of patients with chronic liver diseases. Liver biopsy is considered the gold standard procedure for this purpose, though the recent development of new elastosonographic techniques to measure liver stiffness (LS) noninvasively is promising. Point quantification elastography (PQE) showed good results but less is known about the level of skill needed to obtain reliable results.

Inter-operator variability and source of errors in tumour response assessment for hepatocellular carcinoma treated with sorafenib.

Objectives: To assess the inter-operator concordance and the potential sources of discordance in defining response to sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: All patients who received sorafenib between September 2008 and February 2015 were scrutinised for this retrospective study. Images were evaluated separately by three radiologists with different expertise in liver imaging (operator 1, >10 years; operator 2, 5 years; operator 3, no specific training in liver imaging), according to: response evaluation radiological criteria in solid tumours (RECIST) 1.

Salivary cortisol and cortisone responses to short-term psychological stress challenge in late adolescent and young women with different hyperandrogenic states.

Hyperandrogenic disorders have been associated with psychological distress, reduced quality of life, anxiety and depression. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a pivotal role in the adaptive response to stressor events. Salivary cortisol (SalF) and cortisone (SalE) testing have been proven to be useful in the evaluation of HPA-axis activity.

Real-time elastography for the detection of fibrotic and inflammatory tissue in patients with stricturing Crohn's disease.

Purpose: The distinction between active inflammation and fibrosis of the bowel wall is essential for therapeutic decisions in stricturing Crohn's disease. We aimed to assess whether real-time elastography (RTE) with strain ratio measurement could be useful in differentiating fibrotic from inflamed bowel strictures and to evaluate the possible relationship between US techniques and the histology of the stenotic bowel wall.

Materials And Methods: Bowel ultrasonography (including RTE, color-Doppler and CEUS examination) was prospectively evaluated in 26 patients with symptomatic stricturing Crohn's disease, before surgery.

Clomiphene citrate effect in obese men with low serum testosterone treated with metformin due to dysmetabolic disorders: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Context: Low testosterone (T) levels are often found in obese men with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and overt type 2 diabetes (T2DM); however, the mechanisms underlying this condition and its correct therapy are still under debate.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of clomiphene citrate (CC) in increasing endogenous T levels in obese men with low serum T and with IGT or T2DM treated with metformin (MET).

Design: Cross-over, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

New insights on diabetes in Turner syndrome: results from an observational study in adulthood.

Objective: To explore the characteristics of diabetes mellitus in adults with Turner syndrome.

Design: Observational study consisting of a prospective phase after the access of adults with Turner syndrome to the Endocrinology Unit (median period of follow-up 15.6, interquartile range: 12.

Plasma 2-arachidonoylglycerol is a biomarker of age and menopause related insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in lean but not in obese men and women.

Objective: The endocannabinoid system hypertonicity features obesity. Excess circulating 2-arachidonoylglycerol was variously associated with obesity-related metabolic impairment; however, unstandardized experimental and analytical settings have clouded its usefulness as a dysmetabolism biomarker. We aimed at assessing the influence of body mass index (BMI), menopause in women, and aging in men on 2-arachidonoylglycerol relationship with metabolic parameters.

Can Imaging Predict Subclinical Cortisol Secretion in Patients With Adrenal Adenomas? A CT Predictive Score.

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine whether any correlation between CT findings and functional parameters exists to predict subclinical glucocorticoid secretion.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective database study of 55 patients with incidentally discovered adenomas, investigated through CT with an adrenal protocol, assessing diameters and attenuation values on the unenhanced and contrast-enhanced phases. Patients underwent blood cortisol and corticotropin evaluation and overnight dexamethasone suppression test (DST), in accordance with clinical recommendations.

Survey on attitudes of Italian pediatricians toward cough.

Context: Children's cough is a daily concern for most pediatricians. The management of both acute and chronic cough requires a systematic and comprehensive approach. Despite the approved protocols for management, the pediatric assessment of cough and the corresponding prescribing attitude frequently do not fit these protocols, which can be affected by parental suggestions - sometimes substantially.

Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: Prognostic Value of Maternal DNAemia at Amniocentesis.

Background: Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common cause of childhood hearing loss and can lead to neurodevelopmental delay. To date, few studies have examined the correlation between maternal viremia and congenital HCMV infection. The aim of our study was to ascertain if HCMV DNA in the peripheral blood of pregnant women with primary HCMV infection at the time of amniocentesis may have a prognostic value in terms of congenital infection and neonatal symptomatic disease.

Laminin-5 and insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA binding protein-3 (IMP3) expression in preoperative biopsy specimens from oral cancer patients: Their role in neural spread risk and survival stratification.

Perineural invasion (PNI) hinders the ability to establish local control of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). To date, PNI can be evaluated only in surgical specimens and not in preoperative biopsy material, rendering timely therapeutic planning impossible. Insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA binding protein-3 (IMP3) expression appears to be of diagnostic and prognostic utility for many solid tumours, and laminin-5 expression in surgical specimens has been identified as a valid predictor of neural spread of head-and-neck neoplasms.

New insights in the selection and management of cancer patients applicants for ovarian tissue cryopreservation.

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC), representing a promising strategy to preserve ovarian function in cancer patients, is recommended to women younger than 35 years. This study aimed to identify endocrine and biometric parameters as additional selection criteria for OTC. One hundred and ninety-one cancer patients before chemoradiotherapy and OTC and 43 controls were investigated.

Acute abdominal pain in the emergency department of a university hospital in Italy.

Background: Acute abdominal pain (AAP) is one of the most common causes of referral to an emergency department (ED), but information about its impact is limited.

Objectives: The objectives of this article are to define the prevalence of AAP among ED visits in a large university hospital and analyze its main clinical features.

Methods: All patients admitted at the Sant'Orsola, Malpighi University Hospital of Bologna ED on 12 a priori selected sample days in 2013 were included.

Does homeopathic medicine have a preventive effect on respiratory tract infections? A real life observational study.

Background: Homeopathic medicine is a branch of integrative medicine that has been gaining increasing popularity. However, its clinical application remains controversial. To improve the understanding of homeopathy, observational studies-which monitor the effects of homeopathy in real-life clinical settings-are a helpful adjunct to randomized controlled trials.

Is Serum Total LDH Evaluation Able to Differentiate between Alimentary Lymphoma and Inflammatory Bowel Disease in a Real World Clinical Setting?

Context: An increase in enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum is a negative prognostic factor for survival in cats affected by lymphoma. Measuring LDH at the time of diagnosis has been studied for differentiating neoplastic disease from non-neoplastic disease in dogs. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and alimentary lymphoma are common diseases in cats.

Defining Hyperandrogenism in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Challenging Perspective.

Objective: This study was designed to assess the steroid profiling by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry in PCOS women with different phenotypes.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: University hospital of Bologna, Italy.

Short-term effects of a nicotine-free e-cigarette compared to a traditional cigarette in smokers and non-smokers.

Background: A few studies have assessed the short-term effects of low-dose nicotine e-cigarettes, while data about nicotine-free e-cigarettes (NF e-cigarettes) are scanty. Concerns have been expressed about the use of NF e-cigarettes, because of the high concentrations of propylene glycol and other compounds in the e-cigarette vapor.

Methods: This laboratory-based study was aimed to compare the effects of ad libitum use of a NF e-cigarette or and a traditional cigarette for 5 min in healthy adult smokers (n = 10) and non-smokers (n = 10).

Does additional antimicrobial treatment have a better effect on URTI cough resolution than homeopathic symptomatic therapy alone? A real-life preliminary observational study in a pediatric population.

Background: The effectiveness of a homeopathic syrup on cough has been demonstrated in an adult population in a previous double-blind randomized study. The present prospective observational study investigated children affected by wet acute cough caused by non-complicated URTIs, comparing those who received the homeopathic syrup versus those treated with the homeopathic syrup plus antibiotic.

Objectives: The aims were: 1) to assess whether the addition of antibiotics to a symptomatic treatment had a role in reducing the severity and duration of acute cough in a pediatric population, as well as in improving cough resolution; 2) to verify the safety of the two treatments.

Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy and Surgery Versus Surgery Alone in Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: A Single-Center Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial Which Failed to Achieve Accrual Targets.

Objective: The objective of the study is to evaluate the usefulness of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in resectable pancreatic cancer.

Methods: A single-center RCT of patients affected by resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma which included arm A (surgery alone) and arm B (neoadjuvant chemoradiation and surgery). The primary endpoint was R0 resection; the secondary endpoints were toxicity; number of patients who completed the neoadjuvant therapy; radiological and pathological response after chemoradiation; and pTNM stage, postoperative morbidity, mortality, and overall and disease-free survival.