Ontogenetic trophic segregation between two threatened smooth-hound sharks in the Central Mediterranean Sea

Elasmobranchs are among the species most threatened by overfishing and a large body of evidence reports their decline around the world. As they are large predators occupying the highest levels of marine food webs, their removal can alter the trophic web dynamic through predatory release effects and trophic cascade. Suitable management of threatened shark species requires a good understanding of their behaviour and feeding ecology. In this study we provide one of the first assessments of the trophic ecology of the \u201cvulnerable\u201d smooth-hounds Mustelus mustelus and M. punctulatus in the Central Mediterranean Sea, based on stomach contents and stable isotope analyses. Ontogenetic diet changes were addressed by comparing the feeding habits of three groups of individuals: juveniles, maturing and adults. Our results highlighted that the two species share a similar diet based mostly on the consumption of benthic crustaceans (e.g. hermit crabs). Their trophic level increases during ontogeny, with adults increasing their consumption of large-sized crustaceans (e.g. Calappa granulata, Palinurus elephas), cephalopods (e.g. Octopus vulgaris) and fish (e.g. Trachurus trachurus). Our results provide also evidence of ontogenetic shifts in diet for both species showing a progressive reduction of interspecific trophic overlap during growth. The results of this study contribute to improve the current knowledge on the trophic ecology of these two threatened sharks in the Strait of Sicily, thus providing a better understanding of their role in the food web

British sharks in Sicily: records of long distance migration of tope shark (Galeorhinus galeus) from North-eastern Atlantic to Mediterranean Sea.

The study reports information about the recapture of two tagged adult females of tope shark, Galeorhinus galeus (Linnaeus 1758), in the central Mediterranean Sea (south coasts of Sicily) in 2014 and 2017. The two females were tagged in North-East Atlantic, respectively in Scotland in 2009 and Ireland in 2015. The Scottish specimen was a 175 cm female increasing of about 10 kg in body weight and 37 cm in total length during its 1967 days at liberty (5.39 years). The Irish one, was a pregnant female of an estimated age of 15-17 year which spent 248 days at liberty increasing 14 cm during this period. The growth rate of the two specimens was therefore between 6.8 and 7.8 cm year-1, faster than the annual increments of adults suggested in previous studies. Previous tope recapture records in the Mediterranean Sea were limited to the Alboran Sea, coast of Valencia and the Algerian coasts. The two tope females recaptured in the Strait of Sicily provided the first evidence of long distance entrance of NE Atlantic tope in the Mediterranean Sea. The well known occurrence of mature females and juveniles in this area of the Mediterranean suggest the hypothesis of a migration of adults female from their feeding grounds in north eastern Atlantic to lower latitudes up to the Mediterranean Sea for parturition

Leukotriene receptor antagonists in monotherapy or in combination with antihistamines in the treatment of chronic urticaria: a systematic review

In vitro and in vivo clinical and experimental data have suggested that leukotrienes play a key role in inflammatory reactions of the skin. Antileukotriene drugs, ie, leukotriene receptor antagonists and synthesis inhibitors, are a class of anti-inflammatory drugs that have shown clinical efficacy in the management of asthma and in rhinitis with asthma. We searched MEDLINE database and carried out a manual search on journals specializing in allergy and dermatology for the use of antileukotriene drugs in urticaria. Montelukast might be effective in chronic urticaria associated with aspirin (ASA) or food additive hypersensitivity or with autoreactivity to intradermal serum injection (ASST) when taken with an antihistamine but not in mild or moderate chronic idiopathic urticaria [urticaria without any possible secondary causes (ie, food additive or ASA and other NSAID hypersensitivity, or ASST)]. Evidence for the effectiveness of zafirlukast and the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, zileuton, in chronic urticaria is mainly anecdotal. In addition, there is anecdotal evidence of effectiveness of antileukotrienes in primary cold urticaria, delayed pressure urticaria and dermographism. No evidence exists for other physical urticarias, including cholinergic, solar and aquagenic urticarias, vibratory angioedema, and exercise-induced anaphylaxis

PTX3 Intercepts Vascular Inflammation in Systemic Immune-Mediated Diseases

PTX3 is a prototypic soluble pattern recognition receptor, expressed at sites of inflammation and involved in regulation of the tissue homeostasis. PTX3 systemic levels increase in many (but not all) immune-mediated inflammatory conditions. Research on PTX3 as a biomarker has so far focused on single diseases. Here, we performed a multi-group comparative study with the aim of identifying clinical and pathophysiological phenotypes associated with PTX3 release. PTX3 concentration was measured by ELISA in the plasma of 366 subjects, including 96 patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), 42 with Takayasu's arteritis (TA), 10 with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), 63 with ANCA-associated systemic small vessel vasculitides (AAV), 55 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 21 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 79 healthy controls (HC). Patients with SLE, AAV, TA and GCA, but not patients with RA and PMR, had higher PTX3 levels than HC. PTX3 concentration correlated with disease activity, acute phase reactants and prednisone dose. It was higher in females, in patients with recent-onset disease and in those with previous or current active vasculitis at univariate analysis. Active small- or large- vessel vasculitis were the main independent variables influencing PTX3 levels at multivariate analysis. High levels of PTX3 in the blood can contribute to identify an increased risk of vascular involvement in patients with systemic immune-mediated diseases

PTX3 Intercepts Vascular Inflammation in Systemic Immune-Mediated Diseases

PTX3 is a prototypic soluble pattern recognition receptor, expressed at sites of inflammation and involved in regulation of the tissue homeostasis. PTX3 systemic levels increase in many (but not all) immune-mediated inflammatory conditions. Research on PTX3 as a biomarker has so far focused on single diseases. Here, we performed a multi-group comparative study with the aim of identifying clinical and pathophysiological phenotypes associated with PTX3 release. PTX3 concentration was measured by ELISA in the plasma of 366 subjects, including 96 patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), 42 with Takayasu's arteritis (TA), 10 with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), 63 with ANCA-associated systemic small vessel vasculitides (AAV), 55 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 21 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 79 healthy controls (HC). Patients with SLE, AAV, TA and GCA, but not patients with RA and PMR, had higher PTX3 levels than HC. PTX3 concentration correlated with disease activity, acute phase reactants and prednisone dose. It was higher in females, in patients with recent-onset disease and in those with previous or current active vasculitis at univariate analysis. Active small- or large- vessel vasculitis were the main independent variables influencing PTX3 levels at multivariate analysis. High levels of PTX3 in the blood can contribute to identify an increased risk of vascular involvement in patients with systemic immune-mediated diseases

Mobile health applications in kidney stone disease management: A reliable support for patients?

Introduction: Mobile health applications (MHAs) represent an interesting issue to assist and improve the quality of life of patients affected by Kidney Stone Disease (KSD). Despite this, their scientific quality and adherence to guidelines are not yet addressed.Material and methods: On 2 November 2022, we conducted an observational cross-sectional descriptive study of all MHAs on KSD. A search in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store was performed. We reviewed all mobile apps from Apple App Store and Google Play Store for KSD and evaluated their usage in screening, prevention, management, and adherence to EAU guidelines.Results: In total 13 MHA were included in the final analysis. All MHAs, 4 (30.8%) from the Apple App Store and 9 (69.2%) from the Google Play Store are geared towards the patient. Engagement ranged from 1.73 to 4.06; Functionality ranged from 3.17 to 4.75; Aesthetics ranged from 1.9 to 4.12; Information ranged from 2.25 to 4.27, and Subjective quality ranged from 1.58 to 3.23. MHAs reported low and medium adherence to EAU guidelines.Conclusions: MHAs provide a very useful assistance in several medical fields, including KSD. Despite MHAs development is constantly increasing, the scientific validation, content, and quality are not yet solved. Future research is necessary to improve the quality of the apps and promote new user designed, and high-quality apps

Three vs. Four Cycles of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Localized Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Undergoing Radical Cystectomy: A Retrospective Multi-Institutional Analysis

Three or four cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the standard neoadjuvant treatment prior to cystectomy in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Although NCCN guidelines recommend 4 cycles of cisplatin-gemcitabine, three cycles are also commonly administered in clinical practice. In this multicenter retrospective study, we assessed a large and homogenous cohort of patients with urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) treated with three or four cycles of neoadjuvant cisplatin-gemcitabine followed by radical cystectomy, in order to explore whether three vs. four cycles were associated with different outcomes