Publications by authors named "Donna M"

The topic of sustainable water management has become of paramount importance at a global level, especially when considering the high-amount of water used in agriculture, which is a threat to water resource balance. Focused on 38 inventories of nonirrigated vineyard management in the Franciacorta wine-growing region in Italy, this study aims to understand how agronomic practices impact water resources. The integrated statistical approach, based on generalized linear models, reveals how context variables influence different water footprint indicators, such as water scarcity, acidification and freshwater ecotoxicity.

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Introduction: The NOTCH3 gene encodes for an evolutionarily conserved protein, whose functions encompass both embryonic cell proliferation and adult tissue-specific differentiation. Among others, a pivotal role in maintaining functional integrity of neurovascular unit (NVU) is supported by the association of several NOTCH3 gene mutations with neuroimaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). Indeed, a pathogenic role of NOTCH3 is recognised in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL).

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Background: The role of Vascular risk factors (VRFs) in the progression of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and cognitive decline remains to be elucidated, with previous studies resulting in conflicting findings. The possible impact of age-specific mechanisms of resilience/vulnerability is an under addressed issue. We evaluated the association of VRFs with markers of amyloid deposition, neurodegeneration, and blood-brain-barrier (BBB) permeability (Albumin quotient, Qalb), stratifying patients into early-onset (< 65, EOAD), classic late-onset (65-75, cLOAD) and very late-onset (> 75, vLOAD), to evaluate the moderating effect of age of onset.

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Lecanemab (Leqembi, Biogen), a humanized anti-amyloid-beta monoclonal antibody, has been approved for early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) in several countries, including the US and Japan. However, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recently issued a negative opinion on its marketing authorization, reflecting concerns over the clinical value and manageability of anti-amyloid treatments. This decision highlights the ongoing disconnect between research advancements and clinical practice, where the focus on biological markers over tangible clinical improvements remains contentious.

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Parenchymal liver metastases from ovarian cancer, occurring in 2-12.5% of cases, significantly worsen prognosis. While surgery and systemic treatments remain primary options, unresectable or chemotherapy-resistant multiple liver metastases pose a significant challenge.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The meta-analysis included data from 17 studies, revealing that VEIL had significantly lower rates of major complications compared to OIL (12.6% vs. 41.1%), though other factors like blood loss and hospital stay were similar between the two methods.
  • * While VEIL appears to be a safer option, OIL is quicker, making it a valid alternative; further randomized trials are needed to better assess these outcomes.
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Lower extremity lymphedema (LEL) is a common complication following surgical staging of endometrial cancer. LEL is a chronic condition associated with significant impact on patient morbidity and quality of life (QoL). This review aimed to report the current evidence in the literature on secondary LEL after surgical staging for endometrial cancer, focusing on the incidence based on different approaches to lymph node staging, diagnosis, risk factors, and the impact on QoL.

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  • The study aimed to evaluate whether using a V-Y reconstructive flap after surgery for vulvar cancer improves surgical outcomes compared to surgery without reconstruction.
  • It involved a comparison of 361 patients, identifying risk factors for complications, with results showing that higher body mass index, diabetes, and age were linked to increased risk of wound issues.
  • Findings indicated that V-Y reconstruction significantly decreased postoperative complications, especially in patients with larger lesions, highlighting its benefits for those with significant surgical defects.
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Background: Different strategies have been proposed for the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC), with different impacts on patient's quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to analyze urinary, bowel, and sexual dysfunctions in a series of LACC patients who underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, radical surgery, or a combination of these treatments.

Methods: Patients with LACC who underwent neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy (NART/CT; = 35), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT; = 17), exclusive radio-chemotherapy (ERT/CT; = 28), or upfront surgery (UPS; = 10) from November 2010 to September 2019 were identified from five oncological referral centers.

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Article Synopsis
  • Medical R&D is crucial for innovation and healthcare improvement, but low-income countries face challenges like limited funding and regulatory issues.
  • A study in Paraguay highlighted the country's low ranking in research output and funding, with significant barriers to medical research identified, such as lack of career incentives and experience.
  • Qualitative research was conducted through interviews and policy reviews to explore the state of medical research in Paraguay and develop strategies for enhancing R&D efforts in the region.
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Introduction: Inflammation is an important player in Alzheimer's disease (AD), whose effects can be influenced by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Here, we investigated the relationship between BBB permeability, indicated by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/plasma albumin quotient (Qalb), and CSF indexes of neuroinflammation in a cohort of biologically defined AD patients.

Methods: Fifty-nine consecutive patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early AD (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] >22) underwent CSF analysis for inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, Il-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interferon-γ [IFN-γ], granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF], granulocyte colony-stimulating factor [G-CSF]).

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Introduction: The historical approach to LEER is laparotomic, but recently laparoscopy has been proposed. The objective of this study was to compare surgical and oncological outcomes between the two approaches and to assess the overall quality of life (QoL).

Materials And Methods: Women submitted to LEER between October 2012 and March 2020 were retrospectively recruited.

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Background: Despite the high sensitivity of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid beta (Aβ) to detect amyloid pathology, the Aβ/Aβ ratio (amyR) better estimates amyloid load, with higher specificity for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, whether Aβ and amyR have different meanings and whether Aβ represents more than an Aβ-corrective factor remain to be clarified. Our study aimed to compare the ability of Aβ and amyR to detect AD pathology in terms of p-tau/Aβ ratio and brain glucose metabolic patterns using fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET).

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Borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) comprise 15-20% of primary ovarian neoplasms and represent an independent disease entity among epithelial ovarian cancers. The present study (Clinical Trial ID: NCT05791838) aimed to report a retrospective analysis of the management and outcomes of 86 consecutive BOTs patients, 54 of which were at a reproductive age. All patients with BOTs undergoing surgical treatment from January 2010 to December 2017 were included.

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Study Objective: To show how advanced pelvic Schwannoma can be safely managed with a laparoscopic approach.

Design: Demonstration of the laparoscopic technique with narrated video footage.

Setting: Schwannomas are benign tumors that arise from well-differentiated Schwann cells (glial cells) of peripheral nerve sheaths.

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Rye is a secondary crop that is characterized by a higher tolerance to climatically less favorable conditions than other cereal species. For this reason, rye was historically used as a fundamental raw material for bread production and as a supply of straw in northern parts of Europe as well as in mountain environments, such as Alpine valleys, where locally adapted landraces have continued to be cultivated over the years. In this study, rye landraces collected in different valleys in the Northwest Italian Alps have been selected as the most genetically isolated within their geographical contexts and cultivated in two different marginal Alpine environments.

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Background: The most common subtype of ovarian cancer (OC) showing immunogenic potential is represented by the high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), which is characterized by the presence of tumor-infiltrating immune cells able to modulate immune response. Because several studies showed a close correlation between OC patient's clinical outcome and expression of programmed cell death protein-1 or its ligand (PD-1/PD-L1), the aim of our study was to investigate if plasma levels of immunomodulatory proteins may predict prognosis of advanced HGSOC women.

Patients And Methods: Through specific ELISA tests, we analyzed plasma concentrations of PD-L1, PD-1, butyrophilin sub-family 3A/CD277 receptor (BTN3A1), pan-BTN3As, butyrophilin sub-family 2 member A1 (BTN2A1), and B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) in one hundred patients affected by advanced HGSOC, before surgery and therapy.

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Background: Many transversal mechanisms act synergistically at different time-points in the cascade of Alzheimer's disease (AD), since amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition, tau pathology, and neuroinflammation influence each other.

Objective: We explored the contributions of microglia and astrocytes in patients with symptomatic sporadic AD stratified according to AT(N) system and APOE genotype.

Methods: We compared the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of sTREM-2 and markers of astrocytic activation (GFAP; β-S100) from 71 patients with AD (23 A+T-,48 A+T+; 38 APOEɛ3, 33 APOEɛ4) and 30 healthy controls (HC).

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Objective: To identify the best method among the radiologic, laparoscopic and laparotomic scoring assessment to predict the outcomes of cytoreductive surgery in patients with advanced ovarian cancer (AOC).

Methods: Patients with AOC who underwent pre-operative computed tomography (CT) scan, laparoscopic evaluation, and cytoreductive surgery between August 2016 and February 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Predictive Index (PI) score and Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI) scores were used to estimate the tumor load and predict the residual disease in the primary debulking surgery (PDS) and interval debulking surgery (IDS) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) groups.

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The aim of our study was to investigate regional glucose metabolism with 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography in a population of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in relation to cerebrospinal (CSF) levels of striatal dopamine transporter (DAT). All patients underwent lumbar puncture and received a biomarker-based diagnosis of AD. Differences in regional brain glucose metabolism were assessed by Statistical Parametric Mapping version 12 with the use of age, gender, and MMSE as covariates in the analysis.

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: We aimed to evaluate Progression Free Survival (PFS), Overall Survival (OS), and relapse rate in women affected by endometrioid ovarian cancer and synchronous endometrial-ovarian endometrioid cancer (SEO-EC). As secondary outcome, we assessed whether systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy could be considered a determinant of relapse rate in this population. : We performed a retrospective analysis of women with diagnosis of endometrioid ovarian cancer or SEO-EC between January 2010 to September 2020, and calculated PFS, OS and relapse rate.

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Although a surgical approach is one of the key treatments for stages IA1-IIA2, results of the Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) published in 2018 radically changed the field, since minimally invasive surgery was associated with a four-fold higher rate of recurrence and a six-fold higher rate of all-cause death compared to an open approach. We aimed to evaluate surgical outcomes of abdominal radical hysterectomy (ARH) and total laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (TLRH) for cervical cancer, including data collected before the LACC trial. In our retrospective analysis, operative time was significantly longer in TLRH compared to ARH ( < 0.

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