Publications by authors named "Anna Spina"

Botanical and herbal supplements contain diverse compounds that support health and prevent disease by influencing biological pathways. In ruminant nutrition, such supplements are rarely used as most integrations focus on production improvements using synthetic additives. This review explores the potential of Mediterranean herbs, namely, garlic, oregano, and rosemary, in dairy ruminant diets, emphasizing their effects on milk production, antioxidant activity, weaning management, in vitro studies, and economic impacts.

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The axis CXCL12-CXCR4 is highly expressed in ovarian cancer where contributes to disease progression. Aim of the work was to evaluate the effect of the newly developed CXCR4 antagonist R54 on human ovarian cancer cells aggressiveness. CXCL12-CXCR4 axis was evaluated in human ovarian cancer cells through proliferation, migration and signaling CXCL12-dependents.

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  • In ovarian cancer, a comprehensive study examined various metabolism-related markers to understand their prognostic value, but results showed mixed outcomes in large patient groups.
  • The study used advanced techniques on tissue samples from over 300 patients to analyze markers tied to glycolysis, glutamine metabolism, and hypoxia, but found that only one marker (GLS) hinted at a connection to patient survival, which was not statistically significant after adjustments.
  • Ultimately, the research highlights the diversity of metabolism markers in ovarian cancer and suggests their expression patterns may still be relevant for future drug development, even if they don't currently correlate with treatment outcomes.
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  • There are currently no specific biomarkers to identify patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma who are responsive to bevacizumab (BEV), a key treatment option.
  • A study analyzed TP53 mutations and p53 expression in advanced ovarian cancer patients undergoing BEV treatment, finding that unclassified missense TP53 mutations significantly improved overall survival.
  • The results suggest that unclassified TP53 mutations could serve as a favorable prognostic indicator in these patients, indicating the need for further research to explore their potential role in predicting treatment outcomes.
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Currently, in dairy farming, there is growing concern for the welfare of calves during the critical period between the separation from their dams and weaning. During weaning, rationed feeding is a practice used to improve feed efficiency and control the calves' growth, but it could also have negative consequences associated with hunger and feed restriction behavior. One such consequence could be the performance by calves of stereotyped behaviors indicative of poor welfare, such as non-nutritive oral behaviors.

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  • The study investigates the presence of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and antibiotic resistance proteins in bovine milk from various breeds, focusing on both intensive and non-intensive farming practices.
  • Using advanced techniques like LAP-MALDI mass spectrometry and metaproteomics, researchers analyzed milk samples to identify and characterize these proteins while successfully distinguishing Podolica breed milk from other breeds with an impressive accuracy rate.
  • The findings revealed a significant diversity in the bacterial ecosystem of milk and identified specific resistance proteins, like beta-lactamases, across samples, indicating no significant differences linked to the breed of cow.
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Sports trainers have recently shown increasing interest in innovative methods, including transcranial electric stimulation, to enhance motor performance and boost the acquisition of new skills during training. However, studies on the effectiveness of these tools on fast visuomotor learning and brain activity are still limited. In this randomized single-blind, sham-controlled, between-subjects study, we investigated whether a single training session, either coupled or not with 2 mA online high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (hf-tRNS) over the bilateral primary motor cortex (M1), would affect dart-throwing performance (i.

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  • Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) status is important for predicting how ovarian cancer patients will respond to treatment with PARP inhibitors, and the Myriad myChoiceCDx Assay is an FDA-approved method for assessing this status.
  • In a study of 100 untreated ovarian cancer patients, HRD analysis was conducted using three different commercial panels and compared to the Myriad reference test, showing strong agreement in results.
  • The findings suggest that these commercial tests can reliably assess HRD status and are associated with patient outcomes, indicating their potential for clinical use alongside the Myriad test.
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The Podolica cattle breed is widespread in southern Italy, and its productivity is characterized by low yields and an extraordinary quality of milk and meats. Most of the milk produced is transformed into "Caciocavallo Podolico" cheese, which is made with 100% Podolica milk. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is the technique that, in this research work, was applied together with machine learning to discriminate 100% Podolica milk from contamination of other Calabrian cattle breeds.

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  • The bee gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the interactions between bees, their environment, and other organisms, contributing to ecological balance and health.
  • Metaproteomics, a technique used in this study, reveals the complex community of bacteria, fungi, and parasites in bees, demonstrating their dynamic and functional traits, including virulence and antimicrobial resistance.
  • By analyzing both the microbial and host proteomes, this research enhances our understanding of bee gut microbiota's structure and functions, offering insights into addressing issues like antimicrobial resistance and environmental health.
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The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of the starter restriction and of the TMR (total mixed ration) inclusion on intake, growth performance, rumination time (RT), and health condition of Holstein dairy calves during weaning. We randomly assigned thirty female Holstein calves (with an average weight of 38.5 ± 1.

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  • * Analytical techniques like mid-infrared spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared are commonly used in the dairy industry to identify potential hazards without needing to know every component's identity.
  • * This paper examines recent developments in mid-infrared spectroscopy for identifying and measuring adulterants, diluted milk, harmful bacteria, veterinary drugs, and other dangerous substances in milk.
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Background: Adding immunotherapy to first-line chemotherapy might improve outcomes for patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. We aimed to compare carboplatin and paclitaxel versus avelumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel as first-line treatment with avelumab given concurrent to chemotherapy and as maintenance after the end of chemotherapy.

Methods: MITO END-3 is an open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial conducted at 31 cancer institutes, hospitals, and universities in Italy.

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Background: Validated prognostic biomarkers for anti-angiogenic therapy using the anti-VEGF antibody Bevacizumab in ovarian cancer (OC) patients are still an unmet clinical need. The EGFR can contribute to cancer-associated biological mechanisms in OC cells including angiogenesis, but its targeting gave disappointing results with less than 10% of OC patients treated with anti-EGFR compounds showing a positive response, likely due to a non adequate selection and stratification of EGFR-expressing OC patients.

Methods: EGFR membrane expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 310 OC patients from the MITO-16A/MANGO-OV2A trial, designed to identify prognostic biomarkers of survival in patients treated with first line standard chemotherapy plus bevacizumab.

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  • Goat cheese is a key part of the Mediterranean diet known for its health benefits and unique flavor, influenced by its microbiota.
  • A new study used two techniques, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metaproteomics, to examine the microbiota in raw goat milk cheese at different ripening stages and depths.
  • The findings revealed a stable microbiota that plays a crucial role in fermentation, with the outer rind protecting cheese integrity and the core microbiota contributing to its health benefits and taste.
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To find prognostic factors for advanced ovarian cancer patients undergoing first-line therapy with carboplatin, paclitaxel and bevacizumab, we investigated the expression of a disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 (ADAM17) in cancer tissues. ADAM17 has been involved in ovarian cancer development, progression and cell resistance to cisplatin. Tissue microarrays from 309 ovarian cancer patients enrolled in the MITO16A/MANGO-OV2 clinical trial were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for ADAM17 protein expression.

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Background: Low-grade serous ovarian and peritoneal cancer (LGSC) is a rare disease and few data on the clinical and genomic landscape have been published.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with LGSC between 1996 and 2019 was conducted in MITO centers. Objective Response Rate (ORR) to treatments, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed.

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In Italy, buffalo mozzarella is a largely sold and consumed dairy product. The fraudulent adulteration of buffalo milk with cheaper and more available milk of other species is very frequent. In the present study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), in combination with multivariate analysis by partial least square (PLS) regression, was applied to quantitatively detect the adulteration of buffalo milk with cow milk by using a fully automatic equipment dedicated to the routine analysis of the milk composition.

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This study investigated the prognostic role of the CXCR4-CXCL12-CXCR7 axis in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients receiving first-line treatment within the MITO16A/MaNGO-OV2 phase-IV trial. CXCR4-CXCL12-CXCR7 expression was evaluated in the epithelial and stromal component of 308 EOC IHC-stained tumor samples. The statistical analysis focused on biomarkers' expression, their association with other variables and prognostic value.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Results indicated that most cheeses exhibited varying levels of beneficial compounds like fatty acids and vitamins depending on the month, with many showing higher nutritional quality in spring.
  • * The research concluded that the unique characteristics of each cheese are tied to their production area, emphasizing that spring production enhances the presence of healthy compounds due to better feeding practices.
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Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a rare, highly lethal disease. In a subset of high grade EOC patients, maintenance therapy with the antiangiogenic drug Bevacizumab (BEV) is a valuable option. To date, no validated predictive or prognostic biomarkers exist for selecting EOC patients that might benefit from BEV treatment.

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The growth of filamentous fungi on fodder is recognized as responsible for fungal deterioration and mycotoxin contamination of the plant mass leads to economic losses in the dairy cow production system. Mycotoxin contamination has significant implications for human and animal health and is one of the major concerns in the food and feed chain. This research provides an insight into the variety of viable molds (i.

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The objective of this study was to evaluate MilkoScan FT-plus for the estimation of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) content in bovine and ovine colostrum. Between April and May 2016, a total of 94 colostrum samples (54 from Simmental dairy cows and 39 from Sarda ewes) were collected within 6 h (T0) and after 24 h (T24) from parturition. Colostrum samples were subjected to the radial immunodiffusion (RID) assay for the quantification of IgG and to MilkoScan FT-plus for the estimation of protein content (TP, %), which was then used as an indirect method for the evaluation of colostrum quality.

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A nutritional supplement (Ecotrofin™, by Vetoquinol Italia S.r.l) recommended in ruminants feeding to strengthen the physiological condition and improve digestive performance was tested in 20 pluriparae grazing goats divided in two groups (control and treated) to assess its possible effects on milk yield and quality and to assess eventual adverse effects.

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Fluoro-edenite (FE), asbestiform fiber found in Biancavilla (Sicily, Italy), presents various characteristics similar to the asbestos group, in particular two fibrous phases tremolite and actinolite. Indeed, epidemiological studies have shown that FE fibers have similar effects to those of asbestos fibers. Such studies have reported a high incidence of malignant mesothelioma (MM), an aggressive neoplasm of the serosal membranes lining the pleural cavity, in individuals residing there due to FE exposure in Biancavilla related to environmental contamination.

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