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Objectives To review the clinical findings and outcome in dogs diagnosed with insulinoma, and to assess which factors are predictors of overall survival. Additionally, to describe the neurological manifestations of this population and their correlation with survival. Materials and methods Retrospective multicentric study of canine insulinoma cases (2009 to 2020). Signalment, clinical history, neurological examination, diagnostic findings, treatment and outcome were obtained from clinical records. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare the overall survival. Results One hundred and sixteen cases were included. Median duration of clinical signs before presentation was 1.5 months. The most common presenting clinical signs were weakness (59.5%), epileptic seizures (33.6%) and changes in consciousness or behaviour (27.6%). Three dogs were suspected to have paroxysmal dyskinesia. Thirty-two dogs had an abnormal neurological examination, most commonly showing obtundation (28.1%), decreased withdrawal reflexes (21.9%) and absent menace response (18.8%). Overall survival for dogs undergoing surgery (20 months) was significantly longer than in medically treated (8 months; adjusted hazard ratio: 0.33; 95% confidence interval: 0.18, 0.59). Presence of metastases was the only other variable associated with prognosis (adjusted hazard ratio 1.72; 95% confidence interval: 1.02, 2.91). Clinical significance Clinical signs of canine insulinoma are vague and non-specific. Weakness, epileptic seizures and changes in mentation or behaviour were the most commonly reported. Obtunded mentation and forebrain neurolocalisation were the main neurological manifestations. Dogs undergoing surgery had a longer overall survival compared to medically treated cases, and dogs with metastasis had a shorter overall survival regardless of treatment modality. Abnormalities in the neurological examination did not correlate with prognosis.

The increase in green cane mechanized harvesting is making available a large volume of additional biomass, sugarcane trash, which can be used in bioenergy and/or as feedstock for production of cellulosic ethanol. Trash requires a supply chain for its collection and industrial processing, and currently two routes are being used: the baling system and the integral harvesting system. The baling system consists of the collection of dry trash (moisture less than 15%) through large square bales with a weight of 500 kg and dimension of 1.2×0.9×2.4 m, and integral harvesting is the transportation of the trash with the chopped cane during harvesting through the reduction of cleaning efficiency of sugarcane harvesters. The decision of which is the best collection route is very complex, and must consider qualitative and quantitative variables. Six dimensions have been created to aid the decision-making process and the dimensions are: supply guarantee, agricultural operations, industrial processing, biomass quality, storage, and investment.

Hepatic fibrosis is a dynamic process whereby the liver responds to conditions of persistent damage. This leads to deposition of fibrillar extracellular matrix, altered hepatocyte regeneration, deranged microvascular architecture and cirrhosis. Accumulating data demonstrate that obesity and insulin resistance are associated with a more severe and faster progression of the fibrogenic process indifferent chronic liver diseases, and attention has focused on possible links between the adipose tissue and liver repair.ADIPOCYTOKINEs are cytokines secreted primarily by adipose tissue, they are relevant for adipose tissue physiology and metabolism.Alterations in the adipocytokine pattern are involved in different obesity-related diseases, such as hypertension, atherosclerosis and type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Numerous recent studies have analyzed the role played by adipocytokines in the process of hepatic 'wound healing' and fibrogenesis. In particular, data have accumulated on the role of adiponectin and leptin. This review summarizes the more significant and recent findings concerning the role played by different adipocytokines in hepatic fibrogenesis, discussing the actions of adipocytokines on the biology of liver cells, and their effects in different animal models. The variations in the circulating levels and intrahepatic expression of different adipocytokines in patients with fibrogenic liver diseases are also discussed.

Summary Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis has been recognized as a significant cause of end-stage liver disease and hepatic decompensation. Despite the growing interest in this condition, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of fibrosis in this setting are only partially understood. In this article, the cellular and molecular basis of fibrosis in chronic liver disease are briefly outlined. In addition, mechanisms specifically operating in the context of fatty liver and steatohepatitis are examined, including: insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Finally, recent developments indicating the possible contribution of cytokines derived from adipose tissue (adipokines) to liver fibrosis is discussed.