Publications by authors named "A F Perna"

Microplastic particles are ubiquitous in aquatic environments and are considered a major threat to the large range of heterotrophic organisms that involuntarily consume them. However, there is current uncertainty around the mechanisms underpinning microplastic uptake by aquatic consumers and the consequences for both the fate of the microplastics and the growth potential of consumer populations. We performed a feeding experiment, exposing a model freshwater ciliate, Tetrahymena pyriformis, to six different microplastic concentrations and measured microplastic uptake and population growth over the course of several generations.

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Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, the incidence of OSCC is increasing, and the mortality rate remains high. This systematic review aims to examine the potential association between the composition of the oral microbiota and OSCC.

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The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of supplementing the diets of Comisana ewes with rumen protected methionine and lysine (RP-ML) for a duration of 60 days on quantitative-qualitative production of milk, antioxidant parameters of milk and blood, biochemical parameters of blood, and lambs' growth performance. Two groups of 15 ewes with equal average body weight were considered for the trial. The control group was administered a standard diet (Control, C) and the experimental group the standard diet supplemented with 1.

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(1) Background: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by the accumulation of an altered prion protein, which usually leads to death within one year after clinical onset. CJD patients usually present with rapid cognitive impairment associated with declines in cerebellar, motor, visual, behavioral, and swallowing functions. Moreover, CJD patients lose their ability to eat and take medications orally very early on in treatment; nevertheless, there are no specific nutritional guidelines for this disease shared worldwide.

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Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is the most common inherited ataxia, primarily impacting the nervous system and the heart. It is characterized by GAA repeat expansion in the FXN gene, leading to reduced mitochondrial frataxin levels. Previously, we described a family displaying two expanded GAA alleles, not only in the proband affected by late-onset FRDA but also in the younger asymptomatic sister.

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