Publications by authors named "Ferrari I"

Conventional approaches to predict protein involvement in cancer often rely on defining either aberrant mutations at the single-gene level or correlating/anti-correlating transcript levels with patient survival. These approaches are typically conducted independently and focus on one protein at a time, overlooking nucleotide substitutions outside of coding regions or mutational co-occurrences in genes within the same interaction network. Here, we present CancerHubs, a method that integrates unbiased mutational data, clinical outcome predictions and interactomics to define novel cancer-related protein hubs.

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Introduction: The development of effective vaccines against is critical due to its significant impact on human and animal health. The objective of this study was to design and evaluate and a multivalent vaccine based on the immunogenic potential of three selected open reading frames (ORFs) of .

Methods: The designed construct, named S22, was analyzed to evaluate its physicochemical properties, antigenicity, allergenicity and toxicity.

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Background/objectives: Children participate in various organized and informal physical activities (PAs) in their leisure time, presenting diverse objectives and environments for motor and social development. However, current research often focuses on specific, mostly organized activities, overlooking the complexity of participation across different settings. This study aimed to (1) identify groups of children with similar characteristics based on their participation in five organized and informal sports activities and (2) examine how the groups differ regarding gender, age, BMI, motor competencies (MCs), and attendance in institutionalized care at school.

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In the past few years, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the interest towards textiles with antimicrobial functionalities faced a significant boost. This study proposes a rapid and convenient method, in terms of reactants and equipment, for fabricating antimicrobial coatings on textiles. Through the electroless silver plating reaction, silver coatings were successfully applied on cotton and polyester, rapidly and at room temperature.

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This study investigates the impacts of health shocks among older individuals on the dynamics of their living arrangements in Europe and the United States. Exploiting unpredicted health shocks, we use an event-study difference-in-differences approach to demonstrate that health shocks increase difficulties with activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, thereby increasing the need for care. Our findings indicate that health shocks raise the probability of nursing home residency and co-residence with adult children by 0.

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Integrating video clips in the discharge process may enhance patients' understanding and awareness of their condition. To determine the effect of video clip-integrated discharge discussion on patient comprehension of atrial fibrillation (AF) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and their main complications (stroke and pulmonary embolism), we designed a multicentre, pragmatic, parallel groups, randomised clinical trial, that was conducted at two Emergency Units in Italy. A convenience sample of 144 adult patients (or their caregivers) discharged home with either AF or DVT were randomised to receive standard verbal instructions (control) or video clip-integrated doctor-patient discharge discussion.

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Background: In congenital aortic valve disease, quantifying aortic regurgitation (AR) varies by the measurement site. Our study aimed to identify the optimal site for AR assessment using 2D and 4D MR flow measurements, with a focus on vortices.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 31 patients with congenital aortic valve disease, performing 2D and 4D MR flow measurements at the aortic valve, sinotubular junction (STJ), ascending aorta (AAo), and using midpulmonary artery measurements as a reference.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A total of 43 patients aged 5 to 18 were evaluated, with varying degrees of spinal deformities, including scoliosis and kyphosis, prompting the start of specific physiotherapeutic exercises.
  • * The study emphasizes the importance of targeted screening and regular physical exercise in CF patients to prevent musculoskeletal issues that can adversely affect their pulmonary function and overall quality of life.
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Introduction: The lncRNAs (long non-coding RNAs) are the most diverse group of non-coding RNAs and are involved in most biological processes including the immune response. While some of them have been recognized for their influence on the regulation of inflammatory activity, little is known in the context of infection by , a pathogen that presents significant challenges due to its ability to manipulate and evade the host immune system. This study focuses on characterize the expression profile of LincRNA-cox2, Lethe, lincRNA-EPS, Malat1 and Gas5 during infection of macrophages by .

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Face masks can filter droplets containing viruses and bacteria minimizing the transmission and spread of respiratory pathogens but are also an indirect source of microbes transmission. A novel antibacterial and antiviral Ag-coated polypropylene surgical mask obtained through the and one-step deposition of metallic silver nanoparticles, synthesized by silver mirror reaction combined with sonication or agitation methods, is proposed in this study. SEM analysis shows Ag nanoparticles fused together in a continuous and dense layer for the coating obtained by sonication, whereas individual Ag nanoparticles around 150 nm were obtained combining the silver mirror reaction with agitation.

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Graphene oxide (GO) is known to be a 2D metastable nanomaterial that can be reconstructed under thermal annealing into distinct oxidized and graphitic phases. Up to now, such phase transformation, mainly related to epoxide and hydroxyl functional groups, has been usually achieved by thermally treating layers of GO in the solid state. Here, we present the mild annealing of GO dispersed in an aqueous medium, performed at two temperatures, 50 °C and 80 °C, for different intervals of time.

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Introduction: In infants and young children, good image quality in MRI and CT requires sedation or general anesthesia to prevent motion artefacts. This study aims to determine the safety of ambulatory sedation for children with CHD in an outpatient setting as a feasible alternative to in-hospital management.

Methods: We recorded 91 consecutive MRI and CT examinations of patients with CHD younger than 6 years with ambulatory sedation.

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Background: Chikungunya is associated with high morbidity and the natural history of symptomatic infection has been divided into three phases (acute, post-acute, and chronic) according to the duration of musculoskeletal symptoms. Although this classification has been designed to help guide therapeutic decisions, it does not encompass the complexity of the clinical expression of the disease and does not assist in the evaluation of the prognosis of severity nor chronic disease. Thus, the current challenge is to identify and diagnose musculoskeletal disorders and to provide the optimal treatment in order to prevent perpetuation or progression to a potentially destructive disease course.

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FAM46C is a multiple myeloma (MM) tumor suppressor whose function is only starting to be elucidated. We recently showed that in MM cells FAM46C triggers apoptosis by inhibiting autophagy and altering intracellular trafficking and protein secretion. To date, both a physiological characterization of FAM46C role and an assessment of FAM46C-induced phenotypes outside of MM are lacking.

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The sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been shown to reduce risks of clinical events in patients with heart failure (HF), with early and sustained benefits regardless of ejection fraction, diabetic status, and care setting. As part and parcel of the modern foundational HF therapy, clinicians should be familiar with these drugs, in order to implement their use and limit the potential adverse effects. We present an up-to-date review of current evidence and a practical guide for the prescription of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with HF, highlighting important elements for patient selection, treatment initiation, dosing, and problem solving.

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Background: Arrhythmias after palliation of congenital malformations with functional monoventricle by different Fontan modifications are very common. Sinus node dysfunction and junctional rhythm are known to have a high prevalence and a detrimental impact on the optimal functioning of Fontan circulations. Maintaining sinus node function has high prognostic significance, and some cases have even been described where atrial pacing with restoring of atrioventricular synchrony was able to reverse protein-losing enteropathy with overt failure of the Fontan.

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Background: We analysed the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/serum albumin quotient (Q-Alb) and phenotype in a large cohort of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: Three hundred twenty-eight single-centre consecutive patients with ALS were evaluated for Q-Alb, basic epidemiological and clinical data, motor phenotype, cognitive/behavioural impairment, clinical staging, clinical and neurophysiological indexes of upper (UMN) and lower motor neuron (LMN) dysfunction, and presence of ALS gene mutations.

Results: Q-Alb did not correlate with age but was independently associated with sex, with male patients having higher levels than female ones; the site of onset was not independently associated with Q-Alb.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers have developed a protocol for engineering striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), which could be useful for understanding and treating neurological diseases, particularly Huntington's disease (HD).
  • The protocol achieves high reproducibility and generates functional D1- and D2-MSNs in just 25 days by carefully modulating cell density and specific morphogens.
  • Single-cell RNA sequencing confirms that these engineered cells resemble natural fetal MSNs in terms of gene expression and development, and adjustments to the midkine pathway can enhance MSN production.
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Ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) is a congenital or acquired functionally significant impairment of urinary transport from the renal pelvis to the ureter. Congenital UPJO typically results from intrinsic disease such as the presence of an aperistaltic segment of the ureter, aberrant vessels or kidney abnormalities. Rare conditions can sometimes mimic an UPJO.

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In (pre)school, children acquire and deepen their basic motor competencies (BMCs) and interact with peers and friends. BMCs are a central developmental goal in childhood and the prerequisite for participation in sportive aspects of social life. Both motor competencies and social integration are linked to children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

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The article aims to identify who the "Doctors for Life" are, their academic and professional information, which assumptions have been mobilized for the defense of "early treatment" and the denial of vaccines for COVID-19, and the representativeness of their discourses in the medical practice context in Brazil. The analysis is based on a list of 276 doctors' names, cataloged from their website, and on academic and professional information obtained through research on the Federal Medical Conseil website and the Scientific and Technological Development Nacional Council platform. The content analysis points to the centrality of the medical specialties of homeopathy and acupuncture in the population of Doctors for Life when compared to the set of specialist doctors in Brazil.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers assessed immune response profiles in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients by examining 71 biomarkers across different clinical groups: asymptomatic, mild, and severe cases.
  • They found that certain angiogenesis and cardiovascular disease biomarkers were significantly elevated in severe cases compared to the other groups, indicating distinct immune profiles.
  • The study highlights important differences in cytokines and chemokines among patients, providing insights into potential prognostic markers for understanding disease severity in COVID-19 infections.
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Background: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature-tracking analysis (CMR-FT) provides a quantitative assessment of myocardial contraction with potential for diagnostic and prognostic ability in a wide spectrum of diseases. Ebstein's anomaly (EA) is a rare congenital heart disease characterized by apical displacement of the tricuspid valve. However, it is also considered a disorder of development affecting the global right ventricular myocardium.

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This short review summarizes the improvements on biological fuel cells (BioFCs) with or without ionomer separation membrane. After a general introduction about the main challenges of modern energy management, BioFCs are presented including microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs). The benefits of BioFCs include the capability to derive energy from waste-water and organic matter, the possibility to use bacteria or enzymes to replace expensive catalysts such as platinum, the high selectivity of the electrode reactions that allow working with less complicated systems, without the need for high purification, and the lower environmental impact.

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