Publications by authors named "A Balestra"
We report a cluster of infections with genetically related toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae linked to an outbreak among asylum seekers in Switzerland that subsequently affected patients without known exposure. This discovery highlights the importance of rapid, interdisciplinary outbreak investigations and regular vaccination status assessment, especially in elderly populations with waning immunity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUterine Artery Embolization before Myomectomy: Is It Worth the Trouble?
J Minim Invasive Gynecol
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- This study compared the outcomes of myomectomy performed with preoperative uterine artery embolization (UAE) versus myomectomy alone, focusing on blood loss and complications.
- Results showed that blood loss was significantly lower in the UAE group, but there were similar rates for postoperative complications between the two groups.
- Long-term fertility outcomes were concerning for the UAE group, with higher rates of adhesions, miscarriages, and obstetrical complications compared to the non-UAE group.
The year 2022 was marked by the mpox outbreak caused by the human monkeypox virus (MPXV), which is approximately 98% identical to the vaccinia virus (VACV) at the sequence level with regard to the proteins involved in DNA replication. We present the production in the baculovirus-insect cell system of the VACV DNA polymerase holoenzyme, which consists of the E9 polymerase in combination with its co-factor, the A20-D4 heterodimer. This led to the 3.
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- The Aurora family of kinases is crucial for chromosome division and cell separation, relying on specific protein scaffolds for regulation, but the malaria-causing Plasmodium spp. have unique aurora-related kinases (ARK1-3) that operate without many typical scaffolds.
- The study focuses on ARK2 in Plasmodium berghei's sexual reproduction, using advanced imaging and analysis techniques to demonstrate its role at spindle microtubules during cell division.
- Key findings show that ARK2 and its interactors, like EB1, are important for non-traditional chromosome segregation, highlighting how the malaria parasite adapts its molecular mechanisms for survival and reproduction.
Critical events in the life cycle of malaria-causing parasites depend on cyclic guanosine monophosphate homeostasis by guanylyl cyclases (GCs) and phosphodiesterases, including merozoite egress or invasion of erythrocytes and gametocyte activation. These processes rely on a single GCα, but in the absence of known signaling receptors, how this pathway integrates distinct triggers is unknown. We show that temperature-dependent epistatic interactions between phosphodiesterases counterbalance GCα basal activity preventing gametocyte activation before mosquito blood feed.
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