The use of a vascularized pedicle jejunal graft as a treatment for anastomosis dehiscence after transanal pull-through, with a combined approach, in two dogs.

A pedicled jejunal graft was successfully used to treat a colorectal anastomotic dehiscence, which eliminated the tension on the anastomotic site.

Enhanced yield of oleuropein from olive leaves using ultrasound-assisted extraction.

The aim of this study was to optimize the extraction of oleuropein from olive leaves through a systematic study of the effects of different parameters of ultrasound-assisted extraction (USAE) on the oleuropein yield, in comparison with conventional maceration extraction. A range of operational parameters were investigated for both conventional maceration extraction and USAE: solvent type, olive leaf mass-to-solvent volume ratio, and extraction time and temperature. Oleuropein yield was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography, with total phenolics content also determined.

Bacterial Composition, Genotoxicity, and Cytotoxicity of Fecal Samples from Individuals Consuming Omnivorous or Vegetarian Diets.

This study analyzes the composition of viable fecal bacteria and gut toxicology biomarkers of 29 healthy volunteers, who followed omnivorous, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, or vegan diets. In particular, the research was focused on the prevalence of some representative viable bacteria from the four dominant phyla (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria) commonly present in human feces, in order to evaluate the relationship between microorganisms selected by the habitual dietary patterns and the potential risk due to fecal water (FW) genotoxicity and cytotoxicity, considered as biomarkers for cancer risk and protective food activity. The relative differences of viable bacteria among dietary groups were generally not statistically significant.

Dolphin Morbillivirus in a Cuvier's Beaked Whale (), Italy.

Dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) has caused several mortality events in Mediterranean striped () and bottlenose () dolphins populations since 19; in the last 5 years, the virus was reported to infect new hosts in this basin, such as fin whales (), sperm whales (), and even a harbor seal (). Very recently, a calf Cuvier's beaked whale () calf stranded on the Southern Italian coastline with mild pathological findings suggestive of morbilliviral infection, received the first confirmation of DMV infection in this species by biomolecular evidences on lung tissue. This new cross-species infection report, along with 19% of the cetaceans specimens examined by the Italian Stranding Network being found positive to DMV, support the hypothesis of an endemic circulation of this virus among Mediterranean cetaceans.

Amniotic Epithelial Cells: A New Tool to Combat Aging and Age-Related Diseases?

The number of elderly people is growing at an unprecedented rate and this increase of the aging population is expected to have a direct impact on the incidence of age-related diseases and healthcare-associated costs. Thus, it is imperative that new tools are developed to fight and slow age-related diseases. Regenerative medicine is a promising strategy for the maintenance of health and function late in life; however, stem cell-based therapies face several challenges including rejection and tumor transformation.

Cetacean Morbillivirus-Associated Pathology: Knowns and Unknowns.

The present minireview deals with the pathology of Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) infection in free-ranging cetaceans. In this respect, while "classical" CeMV-associated lesions were observed in the lung, brain, and lymphoid tissues from striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and pilot whales (Globicephala melas) which were victims of the 1990-1992 and 2006-2008 epidemics in the Western Mediterranean, an apparent reduction in CeMV neurovirulence, along with a different viral antigen's tissue and cell distribution, were found during the 2010-2011 and the 2013 outbreaks in the same area. Of remarkable concern are also the documented CeMV ability to induce maternally acquired infections in wild cetaceans, coupled with the progressively expanding geographic and host range of the virus in both Hemispheres, as well as in conjunction with the intriguing forms of "brain-only" morbilliviral infection increasingly reported in Mediterranean-striped dolphins.

Regulation of hypothalamic neuropeptides gene expression in diet induced obesity resistant rats: possible targets for obesity prediction?

Several factors play a role in obesity (i.e., behavior, environment, and genetics) and epigenetic regulation of gene expression has emerged as a potential contributor in the susceptibility and development of obesity.

Biogenic amines in italian pecorino cheese.

The quality of distinctive artisanal cheeses is closely associated with the territory of production and its traditions. Pedoclimatic characteristics, genetic autochthonous variations, and anthropic components create an environment so specific that it would be extremely difficult to reproduce elsewhere. Pecorino cheese is included in this sector of the market and is widely diffused in Italy (∼62.

Multistarter from organic viticulture for red wine Montepulciano d'Abruzzo production.

In the last years the use of a multistarter fermentation process has been proposed to improve the organoleptic characteristics of wines. In the present study the fermentation performances and the interactions of mixed and sequential cultures of Hanseniasporauvarum, Candida zemplinina, and a strain of Saccharomycescerevisiae isolated from organic musts were investigated. To evaluate the oenological performances of the tested strains microvinifications in pasteurized red grape juice from Montepulciano d'Abruzzo cultivar were compared.

The endocannabinoid system: an overview.

Upon the identification of anandamide (AEA) in the porcine brain, numerous studies contributed to the current state of knowledge regarding all elements that form the "endocannabinoid system (ECS)."How this complex system of receptors, ligands, and enzymes is integrated in helping to regulate fundamental processes at level of central nervous and peripheral systems and how its regulation and dysregulation might counteract disturbances of such functions, is nowadays still under investigation. However, the most recent advances on the physiological distribution and functional role of ECS allowed the progress of various research tools aimed at the therapeutic exploitation of endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling, as well as the development of novel drugs with pharmacological advantages.