Publications by authors named "Alessandra Rocco"

Thanks to the recent development of innovative instruments and software with high accuracy and resolution, 3D modelling provides useful insights in several sectors (from industrial metrology to cultural heritage). Moreover, the 3D reconstruction of objects of artistic interest is becoming mandatory, not only because of the risks to which works of art are increasingly exposed (e.g.

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AFG3L2 is a mitochondrial protease exerting protein quality control in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Heterozygous AFG3L2 mutations cause spinocerebellar ataxia type 28 (SCA28) or dominant optic atrophy type 12 (DOA12), while biallelic AFG3L2 mutations result in the rare and severe spastic ataxia type 5 (SPAX5). The clinical spectrum of SPAX5 includes childhood-onset cerebellar ataxia, spasticity, dystonia and myoclonic epilepsy.

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Context: Applanation tonometry enables the noninvasive analysis of arterial pressure wave morphology. Applanation tonometry provides the augmentation index (AIx, %), an index of arterial stiffness that partially reflects arterial-ventricular (A-V) coupling. In addition, applanation tonometry provides the dP/dt (rate of intraventricular pressure variation over time), which reflects myocardial contractility, and the sub-endocardial viability ratio (SEVR, %), which is an indicator of myocardial oxygen supply and demand.

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Context: Myeloma bone disease (MBD) is a devastating complication of multiple myeloma that leads to severe pain.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of tapentadol prolonged release (PR) in the management of patients with MBD suffering from moderate-to-severe cancer pain.

Methods: A 12-week prospective study was carried out in 25 opioid-naïve MBD patients.

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Nausea and vomiting are common gastrointestinal symptoms following opioid administration, for either chronic or acute pain management. As a consequence, patients' dissatisfaction has a negative impact on treatment efficacy. A number of mechanisms have been identified, involving both central and peripheral sites.

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We report on efficient cw high-power second harmonic generation in a periodically poled LiTaO3 crystal placed in a resonant enhancement cavity. We tested three configurations, differing in the coupling mirror reflectivity, and a maximum conversion efficiency of about 76%, corresponding to 6.1 W of green light with 8.

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We report on a continuous-measurement campaign carried out in Vulcano (Aeolian islands, Sicily), devoted to the simultaneous monitoring of CO2 and H2O concentrations. The measurements were performed with an absorption spectrometer based on a semiconductor laser source emitting around a 2-microm wavelength. The emitted radiation was selectively absorbed by two molecular ro-vibrational transitions specific of the investigated species.

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Background: Anorexia nervosa is associated with lower left ventricular mass (LVM) and systolic dysfunction. Whether these abnormalities reflect chronic protein-energy malnutrition or are primarily related to lower cardiac workload is unclear.

Objective: The objective of the study was to verify whether low LVM in anorexia nervosa is explained by low hemodynamic load.

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Integrated backscatter signal (IBS) has been proposed as a tool to measure cardiac fibrosis. To overcome problems associated with machine settings and attenuation of the chest wall, IBS has been expressed in relation to posterior pericardium, as a variation across cardiac cycle, or both. Depth of the reflecting structure has never been considered as a source of variability.

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