3,072 research outputs found
Targeting angiogenesis in metastatic renal cell carcinoma
No full textIntroduction: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and particularly its clear cell histological subtype, is commonly characterized by genetic alterations in the Von Hippel Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene, leading to a typically exasperated angiogenesis. However, other biological and genetic peculiarities contribute to differentiate this malignancy from other solid tumors, including its immunogenicity. Areas covered: This review focuses on the present and future role of antiangiogenic drugs, administered either alone (as it has been in the past few years), or in combination with other agents (e.g. immune checkpoint inhibitors), in the treatment of metastatic RCC. Expert commentary: Due to its peculiar pathogenesis, it is unrealistic to expect to be able to get rid of antiangiogenic agents for the treatment of this disease; however, we do expect that combinations of VEGF/VEGFRs-targeting agents with immune checkpoint inhibitors will gradually replace antiangiogenic monotherapies as the standard of care, at least in the first line setting of metastatic RCC patients. Biomarkers discovery remains the highest priority in order to further improve the percentage of patients benefitting of our treatment
Assessment of human-animal relationship in cattle kept on slatted floor
No full textThe nature of human contacts toward cattle can affect their subsequent behavioural response. The aim of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of some variables used to assess the quality of human–animal relationship. These variables were: time needed to isolate a subject from the group in a corner of the pen (TI), isolation time (IT) and number of flight attempts (FA). They were recorded in 1 farm on 30 Italian Freisian males aged 10 months. Observations were conducted in the home pens by two trained people: one always recording the variables (observer), the other always performing the test (handler). Three recordings were performed at 15 day intervals. Reliability was tested using the Kendall’s W coefficient. The three observations were significantly similar (P<0.05, P<0.001 and P<0.01 for TI, IT and FA, respectively), although the W coefficient was high for IT (0.81) but lower for TI (0.50) and FA (0.67). In addition, the Spearman coefficient showed a significant correlation between IT and FA (rs=-0.40, P<0.05). These results indicate that the time of isolation may be a reliable indicator of the animal responsiveness to the stockperson
Valutazione del benessere della bufala a livello aziendale: ripetibilità di alcuni indicatori biologici
No full textThe aim of this study was to evaluate the repeatability of some animal related variables. Recordings were performed in 3 dairy buffalo farms. For each farm 30-40 animals were selected. Observations were conducted by a team of 8 trained assessors. Animals were observed in 3 occasions at 3 week intervals. Each animal was always assessed by the same observer. The variables collected were the behaviour during milking (stepping and kicking), avoidance distance, lameness and cleanliness. For each farm and each variable repeatability was computed using the Kendall coefficient of concordance (W) and a ratio between the variance of the animal and the sum of the latter with the error variance. These two methods yielded similar results which indicated that avoidance distance, stepping and kicking were repeatable
Evidence of small fiber neuropathy in a patient with Ehlersâ Danlos syndrome, hypermobility-type
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On-farm welfare assessment in dairy cattle and buffaloes: evaluation of some animal-based parameters.
No full textThe aim of this study was to evaluate the repeatability of some animal related variables, which could be used in protocols developed for assessing animal welfare at farm level. Recordings were performed in seven dairy farms (four for cattle and three for buffaloes). The animals were observed in three occasions at three-week intervals. Each farm was always assessed by the same pair of observers. The variables collected for each animal were the following: behaviour during milking (stepping and kicking), avoidance distance, lameness and cleanliness. For each farm and each variable repeatability was computed using the Kendall coefficient of concordance (W). In buffalo farms avoidance distance may be considered highly reliable (W > 0.64), whereas in dairy cattle its reliability ranged from medium (W = 0.43 to 0.59) to high (W = 0.64). Behavioural recordings at milking showed that the reliability of stepping was either medium or high for both buffaloes and cattle (W = 0.51 to 0.66 and W = 0.52 to 0.76 for buffaloes and cattle, respectively). Conversely, kicking was less reliable. In cattle farms the reliability for cleanliness ranged from medium (W = 0.51) to high (W = 0.62 to 0.71), conversely, it was not reliable in the sole buffalo farm where this variable was monitored. In cattle farms, the concordance for lameness score was high in two farms (W = 0.62 and 0.66) and moderate in one farm (W = 0.43), whereas no animals displayed lameness in the fourth farm. In all buffalo farms no animals showed lameness. For each species, the Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance with one factor (farm) was performed to evaluate the effect of farm on recorded variables. For cattle, avoidance distance (P<0.001), stepping (P<0.001), cleanliness (P<0.001) and lameness (P<0.01) were affected by farm, whereas kicking was not significantly different between farms. In buffaloes a significant effect of farm was observed only for avoidance distance (P<0.01). The Mann-Whitney U test performed on data obtained from the farm where both species were present showed that avoidance distance was lower in buffaloes than cattle (P<0.001). This variable is reliable, feasible and able to discriminate among farms. Lameness and cleanliness scores were able to discriminate only cattle farms, whereas these two parameters, albeit feasible, seem to have low significance for buffaloes. Although stepping during milking was reliable and different among cattle farm, its use in on-farm assessment may be difficult because it is more time consuming, thus less feasible
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