1,720,956 research outputs found
Suspected Drinking Water Poisoning in a Domestic Kitten with Methemoglobinemia
No full textAbstract: A 4-month-old male indoor cat was referred for dyspnea, mental dullness and weakness, which appeared two days earlier. The cat had been adopted at 3 months of age. Physical exam showed cyanosis, dyspnea and mild hypothermia. The “spot test” was supportive of methemoglobinemia. Co-oximetry blood gas analysis revealed severe methemoglobinemia (81.40%), severe hyperchloremia and mild hyponatremia. CBC, biochemistry and urinalysis were within normal limits, blood smear showed the presence of Heinz bodies. Treatment was instituted with oxygen therapy, methylene blue 1% solution, ascorbic acid, intravenous fluid therapy. The clinical course was favorable with rapid improvement of cyanosis and methemoglobinemia (4.2%). Acquired methemoglobinemia was hypothesized. Two weeks after discharge the cat was asymptomatic but mild methemoglobinemia (15.60%) and hyperchloremia were evident. Exposure to oxidants contained in drinking water was suspected so the owners were instructed to use bottled water only. One month later the cat was asymptomatic, and methemoglobinemia and chloremia were within normal limits. Even if a congenital form due to cytochrome b5 reductase deficiency cannot be ruled out, drinking water intoxication is the most likely cause of methemoglobinemia in this cat
Canine splenic hemangiosarcoma: literature review and experience at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Parma
No full textLa milza è un organo comunemente interessato da neoplasie benigne e maligne, primitive e metastatiche. L’emangiosarcoma è il tumore maligno splenico maggiormente riscontrato nei cani; in particolare, rappresenta il 44-65% delle neoformazioni spleniche maligne (O'Byrne & Hosgood, 2019; Sherwood, et al., 2016; Day, et al., 1995; Johnson, et al., 1989).
L’obiettivo del presente studio retrospettivo consiste nell’analizzare i dati dei pazienti presentanti neoformazioni di pertinenza splenica e sottoposti a chirurgia al fine di valutarne i tempi di sopravvivenza, confrontarli con i dati riportati in letteratura ed evidenziare eventuali fattori prognostici.
Sono stati inclusi 54 cani afferiti all’Ospedale Veterinario Didattico Universitario dell’Università di Parma in un periodo compreso tra il 1° Gennaio 2014 e 1° Aprile 2022. Tutti i pazienti sono stati sottoposti ad ecografia addominale e radiografia toracica, ad eccezione di 3 cani, i quali sono stati sottoposti a TC; 5 cani hanno eseguito FNA di fegato e milza. La razza maggiormente rappresentata è data dai meticci, seguiti da cani di razza Pastore Tedesco, Boxer e Labrador Retriever. Sono stati sottoposti a splenectomia 23 femmine intere, 8 femmine sterilizzate, 22 maschi interi e un maschio castrato. Il 60% degli animali splenectomizzati con emangiosarcoma splenico era di sesso femminile, anche se non esiste una differenza statisticamente significativa tra i due generi in termini di sopravvivenza. L’età di insorgenza mediana era di 10 anni e in particolare di 9 anni per l’emangiosarcoma splenico. Istologicamente, il 68.5% dei cani era affetto da un tumore di natura benigna mentre il rimanente 31.5% presentava un tumore maligno; tra quest’ultimi, il 58.8% dei cani presentava emangiosarcoma splenico; ciò è in contrapposizione con la cosiddetta “regola dei 2/3” riportata in letteratura, secondo cui 2/3 delle neoformazioni spleniche sono maligne e i 2/3 di questi sono emangiosarcomi (Steve, et al., 2016; Davies & Taylor, 2020). Inoltre, il 53.5% dei cani presentava patologie concomitanti al momento della chirurgia e quasi il 10% era affetto da altre neoplasie, rinvenute in tempi successivi alla chirurgia; dal punto di vista statistico, queste comorbidità non hanno influenzato i tempi di sopravvivenza. Le neoformazioni spleniche avevano un diametro variabile da 1 a 30 cm; in particolare, gli emangiosarcomi splenici presentavano un diametro inferiore ai 10 cm. Per quanto riguarda il MST, si evidenzia che circa il 50% dei soggetti sottoposti a splenectomia per qualsiasi tipologia di neoformazione splenica sopravvive per più di un anno mentre il MST dei cani con emangiosarcoma splenico è stato di 124.5 giorni (109 giorni escludendo due outliers). Circa eventuali fattori prognostici quali caratteristiche individuali, comorbidità o la presenza di emoaddome, rinvenibilenel 90% dei cani con emangiosarcoma, si evince che solo l’emoaddome rappresenta un fattore prognostico negativo.The spleen is an organ commonly affected by benign and malignant, primary and metastatic neoplasms. Hemangiosarcoma is the most common splenic malignant tumor found in dogs; in particular, it represents 44-65% of malignant splenic neoformations (O'Byrne & Hosgood, 2019; Sherwood, et al., 2016; Day, et al., 1995; Johnson, et al., 1989).
The aim of this retrospective study is to analyze patients’ data with spleen neoformations undergoing surgery in order to evaluate their survival times, compare them with the literature and highlight any prognostic factors.
54 dogs were included in the University Veterinary Hospital of the University of Parma in a period between 1st January 2014 and 1st April 2022. All patients underwent abdominal ultrasound and chest X-ray, except for 3 dogs, which have undergone CT; 5 dogs performed liver and spleen FNA. The most represented breed is given by mixed-breed, followed by German Shepherd, Boxer and Labrador Retriever dogs. 23 whole females, 8 spayed females, 22 whole males and only one neutered dog were subjected to splenectomy, while 60% of the splenectomized dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma were female, although there is no statistically significant difference between the two genders in terms of survival. The median age of onset was 10 years and 9 years for splenic hemangiosarcoma. Histologically, 68.5% of the dogs had a benign tumor while 31.5% had a malignant tumor; among these, nearly 60% of dogs presented with splenic hemangiosarcoma; this is in contrast with the so-called "2/3 rule" reported in the literature, according to which 2/3 of splenic neoformations are malignant and 2/3 of these are hemangiosarcomas (Steve, et al., 2016; Davies & Taylor, 2020). Furthermore, 53.5% of the dogs presented concomitant pathologies at the time of surgery and almost 10% were affected by other neoplasms, discovered after surgery; statistically, these comorbidities did not affect survival times. The splenic neoformations had a diameter ranging from 1 to 30 cm; in particular, the splenic hemangiosarcomas had a diameter of less than 10 cm. As for the MST, about 50% of subjects undergoing splenectomy for any type of splenic neoformation survive for more than one year while the MST of dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma lasted 124.5 days (109 days excluding two outliers). About any prognostic factors such as individual characteristics, comorbidities or the presence of hemoabdomen, found in 90% of dogs with hemangiosarcoma, it is evident that only the abdominal bleeding represents a negative prognostic factor
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
The Effect of Different Opioids on Acid-Base Balance and Blood Gas Analysis in Hospitalized Dogs.
No full textPain management is central to veterinary practice, contributing to successful case
outcomes and enhancement of the veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Analgesic
drugs represent one of the pillars of the multimodal approach to acute and chronic
pain management. In dogs, the most used opioids are methadone, buprenorphine
and tramadol. Several episodes of hypoglycemia in people treated with tramadol and
methadone have recently been described. The aim of this work is to evaluate the
changes in the glycemic and acid-base balance induced by tramadol, methadone and
buprenorphine in hospitalized dogs. A retrospective review of themedical records of dogs
hospitalized for both medical and surgical reasons was performed. During 2018-2020, a
total of 876 canine patients were treated with opioids, including 228 with tramadol, 273
with methadone and 375 with buprenorphine. Of all these dogs, only a small percentage
met the inclusion criteria presented in the initial design. All the hospitalized animals
were monitored daily through clinical examination and blood sampling. Blood samples
were obtained before opioid administration (T0), and 24 h (T1) and 48 h (T2) after ◦pioid
administration. The following parameters were evaluated: blood gas value (pH, pCO2),
acid-base state (cHCO3), oxymetric values (ctHb, haematocrit), electrolyte values (K+,
Na+, iCa, Cl-) and metabolic values (glucose, lactate, anion GAP K+c). The glycemic
value in enrolled dogs showed a decrease over time, regardless of the type of opioid
used, but remained within the physiological range. The highest average glycemic drop
was recorded for methadone, between T0 and T1, followed by tramadol between T1 and
T2, while buprenorphine recorded the highest overall glycemic drop between T0-T2 when
compared to the other two opioids. Female dogs showed the greatest drop in glycemic
value. Lactate concentration always presented values beyond the physiological range at
an early stage, which then normalized quickly.Measurement of electrolyte concentrations
showed a consistent increase in the values of iCa, Na and Cl. In hospitalized dogs treated
with opioidsmonitoring of gas analytic parameters is important andmore attention should
be paid to patients hospitalized with certain metabolic and endocrine diseases
Effetto della chemioterapia metronomica sul sistema immunitario e sulla prognosi di cani affetti da neoplasia
No full textImmunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs) are part of the tumor microenvironment and contribute
to the establishment of neoplastic tolerance, promoting tumor development and progression by
dampening antitumor immune responses.
Metronomic chemotherapy (MC) is defined as the oral administration of low doses of chemotherapy
on a continuous schedule of treatment, without extended drug-free breaks. MC has been shown to be
a multitarget therapy and to act not only on neovascularization, cancer stem cells and tumor
quiescence but also being able to interact with the patient's immune response to cancer, reversing the
state of immune tolerance by selectively depleting the number of Tregs and impairing their functions.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of MC consisting of daily administration of
cyclophosphamide, meloxicam and thalidomide, on the absolute number of circulating Tregs in a
population of patients with different cancer diseases, over the medium/long term.
It was hypothesized that during metronomic chemotherapy, the absolute number of circulating Tregs
would progressively decrease; furthermore, good tolerability with few adverse effects was expected.
This prospective study included 29 canine cancer patients. To determine circulating Tregs we
performed a complete blood count (CBC) and a cytofluorimetric examination of the lymphocytes. A
blood sample was collected before and 15, 30, 90 and 180 days after the start of metronomic treatment
(cyclophosphamide at 12,5 mg/m2, meloxicam at 0,1 mg/kg and thalidomide at 3-6 mg/kg). The
percentage of circulating CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs obtained by cytofluorimetry was then related to
the absolute number of circulating lymphocytes to obtain the absolute number of circulating Tregs of
each sample.
We found that the duration of MC administration has a statistically significant influence on the
reduction of circulating Tregs absolute number, but not on the circulating Tregs percentage.
Furthermore, in our cohort, tumor type or previous surgery did not seem to have any effect on the
circulating Tregs absolute number.
Our patients did not develop any moderate or severe adverse effects, and long-term treatment was
well tolerated.
This is the first time that the effect of the metronomic combination of cyclophosphamide, meloxicam,
and thalidomide on circulating Tregs is evaluated in a canine population with cancer, showing a
reduction in their absolute number over time. This is an interesting result that should motivate to
gather more knowledge about the interactions between immune system and different tumor types, in
order to be able to use MC in a more targeted way. Furthermore, flow cytometry is a readily available
tool that could be of great value in daily clinical practice to analyze the pattern of circulating Tregs
during MC to detect early tumor progression.Le cellule T regolatorie immunosoppressive (Tregs) fanno parte del microambiente tumorale e contribuiscono all'instaurarsi della tolleranza neoplastica, promuovendo lo sviluppo e la progressione del tumore riducendo le risposte immunitarie antitumorali.
La chemioterapia metronomica (MC) è definita come la somministrazione continuativa per via orale di farmaci chemioterapici a bassi dosaggi. La MC ha dimostrato di essere una terapia multitarget e di agire non solo sulla neo-vascolarizzazione, sulle cellule staminali tumorali e sulla quiescenza tumorale, ma anche sulla risposta immunitaria del paziente nei confronti del cancro, invertendo lo stato di tolleranza immunitaria attraverso la deplezione selettiva del numero di Tregs e la compromissione delle loro funzioni.
L'obiettivo di questo studio è stato quello di valutare, nel medio-lungo termine, gli effetti della chemioterapia metronomica sul numero assoluto dei Tregs circolanti in una popolazione di pazienti affetti da diversi istotipi tumorali.
Si ipotizzava che durante la chemioterapia metronomica il numero assoluto di Tregs circolanti sarebbe progressivamente diminuito; inoltre, ci si aspettava una buona tollerabilità con pochi effetti avversi.
Questo studio prospettico ha incluso 29 cani neoplastici. Per determinare i Tregs circolanti sono stati eseguiti un esame emocromocitometrico e un esame citofluorimetrico. Un campione di sangue è stato raccolto prima e 15, 30, 90 e 180 giorni dopo l'inizio del trattamento metronomico (ciclofosfamide a 12,5 mg/m2, meloxicam a 0,1 mg/kg e talidomide a 3-6 mg/kg). Per ciascun campione, la percentuale di Tregs CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ circolanti ottenuta mediante citofluorimetria è stata poi rapportata al numero assoluto di linfociti, ottenuto tramite l’esame emocromocitometrico, per ottenere il numero assoluto di Tregs circolanti.
Abbiamo scoperto che la durata della somministrazione di MC ha un'influenza statisticamente significativa sulla riduzione del numero assoluto di Tregs circolanti. Inoltre, nella nostra popolazione, la tipologia tumorale o la precedente chirurgia non sembrano avere alcun effetto sul numero assoluto di Tregs circolanti. Il trattamento a lungo termine è stato ben tollerato e non ci sono state evidenze di effetti avversi di grado moderato o grave.
È la prima volta che viene valutato l'effetto della combinazione metronomica di ciclofosfamide, meloxicam e talidomide sui Tregs circolanti in una popolazione canina affetta da diversi istotipi tumorali, dimostrando una riduzione del loro numero assoluto nel tempo. Si tratta di un risultato interessante che dovrebbe motivare ad implementare le nostre conoscenze sulle interazioni tra sistema immunitario e istotipi tumorali, per poter utilizzare la MC in modo più mirato. La citofluorimetria e l’emocromo sono strumenti accessibili per le indagini di routine anche in ambito veterinario e potrebbero essere di grande utilità nella pratica clinica quotidiana per analizzare l’andamento dei Tregs circolanti durante la chemioterapia metronomica e rilevare la progressione precoce del tumore
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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