Uncommon 18F-FDG-PET/CT findings in patients affected by limbic encephalitis: Hyper-hypometabolic pattern with double antibody positivity and migrating foci of hypermetabolism

Autoimmune limbic encephalitis (LE) is a rare disorder; its diagnosis can be challenging.We report two uncommon cases of LE evaluated by brain 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/ computed tomography describing themetabolic imaging patterns, which were different from those observed in previous studies: the first one presented an unprecedented 18F-FDG brain mixed pattern, involving also themidbrain, despite negative magnetic resonance imaging exams; the second one showed migrating foci of hypermetabolism, one of which turned into hypometabolism at a later examination

Prevention of dental caries: a review of effective treatments

The objective of this study is to review medical and non medical treatments for prevention of caries. A comprehensive literature search of the most relevant and updated published studies from 01/01/2002 through December 2015 in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus databases regarding the efficacy of strategies and treatments aiming to prevent the development of caries was performed selecting papers on the basis of the Evidence-based Medicine Criteria. We identified thirty systematic reviews on prevention of caries. Analyzing the data the retrieved literature, performance of prevention treatments seems to be high. Prevention treatments may have a relevant impact on the avoiding the development of caries planning

Leukocyte modifications during the first month after foaling in mares and their newborn foals

During early post-partum period both neonatal foals and peripartum mares are most susceptible to diseases. The aim of this study was to establish physiologic modifications of leukogram during the first month after foaling in mares and their newborn foals. To this end blood samples were collected from nine mares and nine foals (T0-T10), every three days from the 1st day until the 30th day after foaling. Samples were analysed for white blood cell (WBC) count and differential leucocyte counts. Two-way repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed, in postpartum mares WBC showed significant higher values at T0 (9.02±0.76) in respect to other time points, and at T2 (8.08±0.53) and T3 (7.92±0.59) compared to T1 (6.98±0.43), whereas in foals lower WBC values at T0 (6.11±0.49) compared to other experimental periods except T1 (6.90±0.94), and at T1 compared to T8 (7.95±0.61) and T10 (7.90±0.36) were observed. The differential leucocyte counts showed significant modifications in the percentage of neutrophils (π<0.001) and lymphocytes (p<0.001) both in postpartum mares and in foals during the experimental period. Furthermore ANOVA showed significant differences between postpartum mares and foals (P<0.01) in all studied parameters, and between postpartum mares and control mares in WBC and neutrophils values. The obtained results provide suitable information about the influence of foaling on leukogram of periparturient mares and reveal WBC dynamics in newborn foals during the first month post-partum

Role of PET and SPECT in the study of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has been defined as a "heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative syndromes characterized by progressive muscle paralysis caused by the degeneration of motor neurons allocated in primary motor cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord." A comprehensive diagnostic workup for ALS usually includes several electrodiagnostic, clinical laboratory and genetic tests. Neuroimaging exams, such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and spinal cord myelogram, may also be required. Nuclear medicine, with PET and SPECT, may also play a role in the evaluation of patients with ALS, and provide additional information to the clinicians.This paper aims to offer to the reader a comprehensive review of the different radiotracers for the assessment of the metabolism of glucose (FDG), the measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF), or the evaluation of neurotransmitters, astrocytes, and microglia by means of newer and not yet clinically diffuse radiopharmaceuticals

Gitelman syndrome disclosed by calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease: Early diagnosis by ultrasonographic study

Gitelman's syndrome is a rare autosomal-recessive tubular disorder characterized by hypomagnesemia and hypocalciuria associated to hypokalemia. The clinical spectrum is wide and usually characterized by chronic fatigue, cramps, muscle weakness and paresthesiae. We describe a case of a 43 year-old male patient with early onset of knee arthritis and no other symptoms. Ultrasound revealed diffuse and confluent hyperechoic deposits in cartilage, fibrocartilage of the menisci and synovium and calcium pyrophosphate crystals were observed in the synovial fluid of the knee. The concomitant presence of hypomagnesemia, hypocalciuria and hypokalemia made clear the diagnosis of Gitelman's syndrome associated with chondrocalcinosis

Serum Compounds of Energy Metabolism Impairment Are Related to Disability, Disease Course and Neuroimaging in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by primary inflammation, demyelination, and progressive neurodegeneration. A biochemical MS feature is neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction, compensated by anaerobic metabolism increase, likely aggravating progression of neurodegeneration. Here, we characterized a pragmatic serum profile of compounds related to mitochondrial energy metabolism of potential clinical use. Blood samples of 518 well characterized (disability, disease course) MS patients and 167 healthy controls were analyzed for serum purines, pyrimidines, creatinine, and lactate. Nine of the 15 compounds assayed, hypoxanthine, xanthine, uric acid, inosine, uracil, β-pseudouridine, uridine, creatinine, and lactate, differed significantly between MS patients and controls (p < 0.0001). Using these nine compounds, a unifying Biomarker Score was calculated. Controls and MS patients had mean Biomarker Scores of 0.4 ± 0.7 and 4.4 ± 1.9, respectively (p < 0.00001). The Biomarker Score was higher in patients with progressive (6.0 ± 1.8 than with relapsing remitting disease course (3.6 ± 1.5, p < 0.00001). High association between the Biomarker Score and increase in disability (EDSS) was also observed. Additionally, in 50 patients who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), increase in the Biomarker Score correlated to neuroanatomical alterations. These results, obtained in a large cohort of MS patients evaluated for serum metabolic compounds connected to energy metabolism, demonstrated that the Biomarker Score might represent a pragmatic, resource saving, easy to obtain, laboratory tool useful to monitor MS patients and predict at an early stage who will switch from an RR to a progressive disease course. For the first time, it was also clearly shown a link between mitochondrial dysfunction and MRI lesions characteristic of MS

SKU sales forecasting: meta learner versus LSTM

LAUREA MAGISTRALEQuesta tesi analizza le previsioni di vendita per migliaia di prodotti al dettaglio nei principali ipermercati e supermercati in Italia. Si confronta in questo settore, il framework di meta-learning, sviluppato da Ma and Fildes (2021), che si basa su reti neurali convoluzionali profonde avanzate, con le reti Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) che proponiamo. Inoltre, introduciamo un framework di previsione probabilistica per costruire intervalli di confidenza per i modelli di Meta Learner e LSTM tramite la Conformal Prediction, un metodo non parametrico. Gli esperimenti basati su dati settimanali ILD di Circana dimostrano che le previsioni dirette dai modelli LSTM superano nettamente l'approccio di meta-apprendimento in termini di tutte le metriche considerate. Inoltre, i modelli LSTM offrono una maggiore interpretabilità rispetto al framework di meta-apprendimento, poiché richiedono l'interpretazione di un solo modello rispetto ai numerosi previsori di base utilizzati nell'approccio di meta-apprendimento.This thesis investigates sales forecasts for thousands of retail products across the most important hypermarkets and supermarkets in Italy. We compare a benchmark model in this sector, the meta-learning framework, developed by Ma and Fildes (2021), which relies on advanced deep Convolutional Neural Networks with a Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) networks we propose. Moreover, we introduce a probabilistic forecasting framework to build confidence intervals for the Meta Learner and LSTM models through Conformal Prediction, a non parametric method. Experiments based on Circana ILD weekly data demonstrate that direct forecasts from LSTM models strongly outperform the meta-learning approach in terms of all considered metrics. Additionally, LSTM models offer greater interpretability than the meta-learning framework, as they require the explanation of only one model compared to the multiple base forecasters utilized in the meta-learning approach

Is Aspirin Effective in Helping to Prevent Breast Cancer in Women Ages 45 Years and Older?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not aspirin is effective in helping to prevent breast cancer in women ages 45 years and older. STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary studies published in 2005, 2007, and 2008 DATA SOURCES: Two randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trials and one prospective, population based cohort study comparing aspirin to placebo were found using PubMed and Cochrane databases. OUTCOMES MEASURED: Breast cancer development was measured in several ways. Tumor characteristics were measured at diagnosis, including size, metastasis to lymph nodes, histology of the mass, histology differentiation, and estrogen and progesterone status. Outcomes were also measured by pathology reports, cytology reports, on strong clinical and radiologic or laboratory marker evidence, and also self reported questionnaire. RESULTS: The two randomized controlled trials showed that the use of aspirin has no significant effect on the prevention of breast cancer. The cohort study showed an inverse relationship between the use of aspirin and the risk of cancer incidence and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Although the two RCTs showed no effect of aspirin on the prevention of breast cancer, the cohort study showed some promise in the use of aspirin and breast cancer prevention. The dose of aspirin used in the RCTs was only 100mg, and the doses in the cohort study varied based on individual reporting. Increasing the dose of aspirin to 325mg in future studies may show some effect in the prevention of breast cancer