Publications by authors named "Ferramosca A"

Wearable technology has advanced significantly, offering real-time monitoring of athletes' physiological parameters and optimizing training and recovery strategies. Recent developments focus on biosensor devices capable of monitoring biochemical parameters in addition to physiological ones. These devices employ noninvasive methods such as sweat analysis, which reveals critical biomarkers like glucose, lactate, electrolytes, pH, and cortisol.

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  • Advanced hybrid closed loop (AHCL) systems are the latest insulin therapy for adults with type 1 diabetes, aiming to assess their effectiveness during nighttime hours.
  • A study of 55 adults evaluated three AHCL systems (Minimed 780G, Tandem t:slim X2 with Control-IQ, and DBLG1) based on continuous glucose monitoring over 14 nights.
  • All systems met glycemic targets, but the Tandem t:slim X2 with Control-IQ system achieved a significantly higher percentage of time in range (TIR), suggesting better overall performance.
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Background: Oxidative stress, associated with diseases and aging, underscores the therapeutic potential of natural antioxidants. Flavonoids, known for scavenging free radicals and modulating cell signaling, offer significant health benefits and contribute to longevity. To explore their in vivo effects, we investigated the antioxidant activity of quercetin, apigenin, luteolin, naringenin, and genistein, using as a model organism.

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The volatilome profile of some biofluids (blood, urine, and human semen) identified by Solid-Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) and collected from young men living in two high-pollution areas in Italy, i.e., Land of Fires and Valley of Sacco River, have been coupled to sperm parameters obtained by spermiogram analysis to build general multiple regression models.

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  • The study focuses on proteins Ctp1 and Yhm2 in yeast that help transport citrate across the mitochondrial inner membrane, affecting metabolic pathways and respiration.
  • Researchers conducted experiments on yeast mutant cells lacking these proteins to see how it impacted mitochondrial respiration and the organization of respiratory complexes III and IV.
  • Findings revealed that deleting either protein led to impaired respiration, with differences in subunit expression and increased sensitivity to oxidative damage in cells lacking Yhm2, highlighting the connection between citrate transport and respiratory chain activity.
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Differently from higher eukaryotic cells, in the yeast there are two mitochondrial carrier proteins involved in the transport of citrate: Ctp1 and Yhm2. Very little is known about the physiological role of these proteins. Wild-type and mutant yeast strains deleted in and were grown in media supplemented with a fermentable (glucose) or a nonfermentable (ethanol) carbon source.

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Phytoestrogens, such as isoflavones, are bioactive compounds found in plants with defense and protection functions. In the human body, they simulate the behavior of the hormone estradiol and can modulate the function of the male hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. This study aims to describe the effects of genistein on sperm quality of Wistar rats (male/adult) after a short oral administration protocol (50 mg/day, for 5 days), focusing on mitochondrial function.

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The mitochondrial citrate carrier (CIC) is a member of the mitochondrial carrier family and is responsible for the transit of tricarboxylates and dicarboxylates across the inner membrane. By modulating the flux of these molecules, it represents the molecular link between catabolic and anabolic reactions that take place in distinct cellular sub-compartments. Therefore, this transport protein represents an important element of investigation both in physiology and in pathology.

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The cytochrome complex is an essential component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain of the yeast It is composed of ten protein subunits, three of them playing an important role in electron transfer and proton pumping across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Cytochrome , the central component of this respiratory complex, is encoded by the mitochondrial genome, whereas all the other subunits are of nuclear origin. The assembly of all these subunits into the mature and functional cytochrome complex is therefore a complicated process which requires the participation of several chaperone proteins.

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Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation and glucose dysmetabolism are pathological signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Dietary aluminum (Al) overload is often used to induce AD in rodents and trigger the onset of oxidative-stress hallmarks resembling those of the human disease. The Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), owing to its key role in redox homeostasis, mitochondrial function and inflammation, is a promising drug target for neurological disorders, but only a few data are available on its modulatory effects on glucose transporter expression levels.

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  • Mathematical models are essential for understanding how pathogens spread and for assessing the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in populations.
  • Recent strategies aim to minimize either the peak number of infections or the overall epidemic size, but there's no agreement on how to optimize both at the same time while limiting the negative impacts of interventions.
  • This study introduces a new approach to managing SIR-type models by distinguishing between short-term and long-term control goals, demonstrating its effectiveness through detailed analysis and simulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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  • The citrate carrier (CIC) is a protein in the inner mitochondrial membrane that moves citrate out of mitochondria into the cytosol, playing a key role in various metabolic processes.
  • Research has extensively analyzed the CIC's structure, function, and regulation across different organisms, revealing its complex impact on metabolism and physiology.
  • The review highlights the CIC's roles in cellular functions, how its activity is influenced by nutritional and hormonal states, and the importance of citrate movement between subcellular compartments.
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Diet might affect male reproductive potential, but the biochemical mechanisms involved in the modulation of sperm quality remain poorly understood. While a Western diet is considered a risk factor for male infertility, the Mediterranean diet seems to protect against male infertility; moreover, the role of a vegetarian habitus in the preservation of sperm quality is controversial. The aim of this review is to analyze the molecular effects of single nutrients on sperm quality, focusing on their involvement in biochemical mechanisms related to sperm bioenergetics.

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  • Yeast serves as an effective model organism for studying basic cellular functions that are similar to those in human cells, particularly how both organisms manage their metabolism based on environmental conditions and nutrient availability.
  • Mitochondrial carriers are crucial in these metabolic processes, facilitating the transport of substrates between mitochondria and the cytosol, which influences various cellular functions.
  • This review focuses on the identified mitochondrial carriers in yeast and their roles in metabolic pathways like oxidative phosphorylation and lipid metabolism, aiming to enhance our understanding of their function and relevance to human diseases.
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Mathematical models describing SARS-CoV-2 dynamics and the corresponding immune responses in patients with COVID-19 can be critical to evaluate possible clinical outcomes of antiviral treatments. In this work, based on the concept of virus spreadability in the host, antiviral effectiveness thresholds are determined to establish whether or not a treatment will be able to clear the infection. In addition, the virus dynamic in the host - including the time-to-peak and the final monotonically decreasing behavior - is characterized as a function of the time to treatment initiation.

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Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) analysis is usually applied in pollution assessment by checking for toxic or harmful volatile compounds in air, water and soil samples. In this study, exogenous VOCs and their derivatives, metabolized by cells, were valued into specific body fluids. In particular, the VOC profiles of blood, urine and human semen samples collected from young men living in two high pollution areas in Italy, i.

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Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor2 (Nrf2) is a redox-sensitive transcription factor. Its activation by low dietary intake of ligands leads to antioxidant effects (eustress), while pro-oxidant effects (oxidative distress) may be associated with high doses. NADPH oxidases (NOXs) and the mitochondrial electron transport chain are the main sources of intracellular ROS, but their involvement in the biphasic/hormetic activity elicited by Nrf2 ligands is not fully understood.

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Several studies demonstrated that some types of physical exercise might affect male reproductive potential, even though the potential mechanisms involved in the modulation of sperm quality remain poorly understood. Therefore, we propose a new role for gamete mitochondria as a key hub that coordinates molecular events related to the effects induced by physical exercise.

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Plant bioactives, such as polyphenols, can differentially affect (positively or negatively) sperm quality, depending on their concentration. These molecules have been proposed as natural scavengers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for male infertility treatment. However, few data are available about their effects on the molecular mechanisms related to sperm quality and, in particular, to sperm mitochondrial function.

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Background: In man two mitochondrial aspartate/glutamate carrier (AGC) isoforms, known as aralar and citrin, are required to accomplish several metabolic pathways. In order to fill the existing gap of knowledge in Drosophila melanogaster, we have studied aralar1 gene, orthologue of human AGC-encoding genes in this organism.

Methods: The blastp algorithm and the "reciprocal best hit" approach have been used to identify the human orthologue of AGCs in Drosophilidae and non-Drosophilidae.

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Social distancing strategies have been adopted by governments to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, since the first outbreak began. However, further epidemic waves keep out the return of economic and social activities to their standard levels of intensity. Social distancing interventions based on control theory are needed to consider a formal dynamic characterization of the implemented SIR-type model to avoid unrealistic objectives and prevent further outbreaks.

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Mitochondria are double membrane-bound organelles which are essential for the viability of eukaryotic cells, because they play a crucial role in bioenergetics, metabolism and signaling [...

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The widespread cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) led to a widespread use of selective herbicides to which GMOs are resistant, thus increasing the concern about human exposure to them. Glyphosate (GLY) and glufosinate ammonium (GA), the active principles of the main formulations, have been investigated for their effects on human health, mainly cancer and reproductive toxicity. However, little is known about their effects on the molecular mechanisms related to sperm quality.

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While many epidemiological models were proposed to understand and handle COVID-19 pandemic, too little has been invested to understand human viral replication and the potential use of novel antivirals to tackle the infection. In this work, using a control theoretical approach, validated mathematical models of SARS-CoV-2 in humans are characterized. A complete analysis of the main dynamic characteristic is developed based on the reproduction number.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Fruit fly mitochondrial carrier genes resemble human genes, sharing over 50% sequence identity, yet exhibit distinct features such as more transcript variants and duplication.
  • * The research reviews the functions and roles of these carriers in metabolism, emphasizing their importance for understanding mitochondrial processes and highlighting differences with human carriers.
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