Publications by authors named "C Branca"
Persistence is the capacity to sustain goal-oriented behavior despite recurring obstacles and setbacks. Recent studies have underscored the importance of this attribute as an integral facet of resilience and a protective factor against depression. In animal models, persistence is commonly examined through operant paradigms, wherein it is operationalized as resistance to the extinction of reward-directed actions.
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- Plastic pollution in Special Protected Areas for Migratory Birds is increasingly threatening habitats, with a study assessing litter at Montorsoli and Pylon Beaches along the Strait of Messina.
- Montorsoli Beach showed a higher density of plastic litter (1.2 pieces/m) compared to Pylon Beach (0.1 pieces/m), with the most common items being plastic pieces 0.5 cm to 50 cm in size and a notable presence of various polymers, including Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and cotton fibers.
- The findings highlight significant ecological risks, especially for marine birds that rely on these protected areas, and provide essential data for future regional environmental management.
Effect of TiO nanoparticles on the assembly of a copolymer-clay dispersion.
J Colloid Interface Sci
February 2025
Nanocomposites based on copolymer and clay minerals are attracting increasing attention as they are appropriate for extensive applications. In this work, we present results from an experimental study on the effects of TiO nanoparticles on a pluronic-F127/laponite water solution in the sol state. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Attenuated Total Reflection Spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) were used to characterize the systems.
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- Researchers are looking for new treatments for Tourette syndrome (TS) because current medicines don't work well and can have bad side effects.
- They experimented with a special drug called xanomeline on mice that have TS-like behaviors to see if it could help reduce tics.
- The results showed that xanomeline was effective, especially by targeting certain receptors in the brain, suggesting it could be a new way to treat TS in humans.
Tics are sudden, repetitive movements or vocalizations. Tic disorders, such as Tourette syndrome (TS), are contributed by the interplay of genetic risk factors and environmental variables, leading to abnormalities in the functioning of the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuitry. Various neurotransmitter systems, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine, are implicated in the pathophysiology of these disorders.
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