Publications by authors named "Ferretti F"

Interspecific interactions are important drivers of population dynamics and species distribution. These relationships can increase niche partitioning between sympatric species, which can differentiate space and time use or modify their feeding strategies. Roe deer and red deer are two of the most widespread ungulate species in Europe and show spatial and dietary overlap.

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Background: In pediatric patients, celiac disease (CD) may influence the health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Aims: The study aimed to assess HRQoL and further characterise the clinical factors associated with reduced HRQoL, in a large multicenter pediatric cohort with CD.

Methods: The disease-specific questionnaire CD Dutch Questionnaire (CDDUX) and the generic questionnaire Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) were used to assess the HRQoL.

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Background/objectives: In Italy, the prevalence of celiac disease (CeD) among children exceeds 1.5% and has steadily increased with a linear trend over the past 25 years. The clinical presentation is heterogenous and a change in onset symptoms has been described in recent years.

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: Ocular proprioception is implicated in balance control and heterophoria is associated with abnormal posture, though previous research focused mainly on the role of vertical phoria and the use of vertical prisms. This study aims to evaluate whether ocular misalignment and prismatic correction of horizontal phoria affect posture. : Sixty-nine ( = 69) young healthy subjects were included and equally divided by horizontal distance phoria: orthophoria ( = 23), esophoria ( = 23) and exophoria ( = 23).

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Background: Renal functional reserve (RFR) measures the difference between the stimulated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and the baseline GFR to detect early signs of renal functional decline. The protein load test (RFR-T) is the gold standard for RFR assessment but is a complicated procedure. Renal intraparenchymal resistance index (RRI) variation test (DRRI-T) is a non-invasive method to measure renal function reserve using ultrasound.

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Several studies showed a positive effect of stories on Theory of Mind (ToM) performance. The aim of the present exploratory study was to investigate whether and how a specific aspect of narrative, i.e.

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Violence against women impacts a minimum of 35% of the global female population, encompassing sexual, physical, and psychological forms. Perpetrators of this violence include partners, family members, or strangers. Its ramifications are substantial, evident in the prevalence of chronic pain reported by between 48% and 84% of women who have experienced abuse, with an odds ratio of 2.

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  • - The study reviews literature from the past decade on mastoid obliteration in adults, comparing outcomes of autologous (patient's own tissue) vs. heterologous (donor tissue) grafts, using data from various medical databases.
  • - A total of 37 studies were included, focusing on long-term results (over 12 months), highlighting that neither technique is definitively better, but both have unique benefits in cholesteatoma surgery.
  • - The findings reveal that while heterologous grafts generally show lower rates of recurrent cholesteatoma, they have higher rates of complications like otorrhea and tympanic membrane perforations, illustrating a trade-off between the two graft types.
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  • Patients with Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases (IMIDs) face a higher risk of cancer, although the reasons behind this link are still debated.
  • The review discusses how factors like environmental influences, genetics, and chronic inflammation contribute to both IMIDs and cancer development, focusing on mechanisms such as an inflammatory microenvironment and abnormal cell communication.
  • The authors emphasize the need for further research to address existing gaps in knowledge and improve patient care related to the connections between IMIDs and cancer.
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Coral reef ecosystems are highly threatened and can be extremely sensitive to the effects of climate change. Multiple shark species rely on coral reefs as important habitat and, as such, play a number of significant ecological roles in these ecosystems. How environmental stress impacts routine, site-attached reef shark behavior, remains relatively unexplored.

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Marine natural products (MNPs) continue to be tested primarily in cellular toxicity assays, both mammalian and microbial, despite most being inactive at concentrations relevant to drug discovery. These MNPs become missed opportunities and represent a wasteful use of precious bioresources. The use of cheminformatics aligned with published bioactivity data can provide insights to direct the choice of bioassays for the evaluation of new MNPs.

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Background: Studies have indicated an association between cesarean section (CS), especially elective CS, and an increased risk of celiac disease (CD), but the conclusions of other studies are contradictory. The primary aim of this study (CD-deliver-IT) was to evaluate the rate of CS in a large population of CD patients throughout Italy.  METHODS: This national multicenter retrospective study was conducted between December 2020 and November 2021.

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We introduce a multiscale model for affinity maturation, which aims to capture the intraclonal, interclonal, and epitope-specific organization of the B-cell population in a germinal center. We describe the evolution of the B-cell population via a quasispecies dynamics, with species corresponding to unique B-cell receptors (BCRs), where the desired multiscale structure is reflected on the mutational connectivity of the accessible BCR space, and on the statistical properties of its fitness landscape. Within this mathematical framework, we study the competition among classes of BCRs targeting different antigen epitopes, and we construct an effective immunogenic space where epitope immunodominance relations can be universally characterized.

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Narrative identity allows individuals to integrate their personal experiences into a coherent and meaningful life story. Addictive disorders appear to be associated with a disturbed sense of self, reflected in problematic and disorganized self-narratives. In recent literature, a growing body of research has highlighted how narrative approaches can make a dual contribution to the understanding of addiction: on the one hand, by revealing crucial aspects of self structure, and, on the other, by supporting the idea that addiction is a disorder related to unintegrated self-states in which dissociative phenomena and the resulting sense of 'loss of self' are maladaptive strategies for coping with distress.

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The study investigated the application of Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) as a tool for monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in a city in northern Italy from October 2021 to May 2023. Based on a previously used deterministic model, this study proposed a variation to account for the population characteristics and virus biodegradation in the sewer network. The model calculated virus loads and corresponding COVID-19 cases over time in different areas of the city and was validated using healthcare data while considering viral mutations, vaccinations, and testing variability.

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  • The study investigates factors affecting transmural healing in Crohn's disease patients on anti-TNF therapy who have been in clinical remission for over a year.
  • It involved 68 patients, with assessments of clinical features, anti-TNF drug levels, and ultrasound findings to determine correlations with bowel wall thickening.
  • Results highlighted that higher BMI and lower bowel wall thickening at baseline were linked to transmural healing, while low drug levels and strictures were associated with treatment non-response.
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Violence against women is a phenomenon that involves at least 35% of women worldwide. Violence can be sexual, physical, and/or psychological, perpetrated by the partner, another family member, or a stranger. Violence is a public health problem because its consequences include higher morbidity, higher mortality, and short and long-term physical and psychological health diseases.

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  • This study explores how various post-printing treatments and aging affect the mechanical properties of 3D-printed materials, specifically focusing on white opaque and flexible photopolymers used in surgical simulators.
  • The researchers conducted tensile and Shore hardness tests on 3D-printed specimens with different removal methods (dry vs. water) and surface treatment using glycerol, revealing significant changes in properties like elongation at break and tensile strength.
  • Findings show that glycerol increases rigidity in flexible photopolymers initially, but aging restores their elongation, while rigid photopolymers become more deformable over time, highlighting the need for careful material selection and processing for durable surgical models.
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Introduction: In the last decades, a large body of literature has explored the topic of perceived safety and fear of crime in urban environments. The effects of psychological factors on such feelings have been studied, but rarely using prospective studies, and never when these factors intercept a worldwide dramatic event like the pandemic. This research aimed to analyze the variations of the feelings of urban safety during the pandemic, the role of resiliency and the effect of psychological stressors such as anxiety, stress, and depression.

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  • Inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of genetic skin disorders that cause blisters from minor injuries, affecting the quality of life (QoL) for patients and caregivers.
  • The study aimed to create and test Italian translations of two validated EB-specific questionnaires, QOLEB and EB-BoD, to assess patient and family disease burden.
  • The translation process involved creating two initial versions, reconciling them with experts, and successfully pilot-testing them with 17 families, confirming their clarity and usability in clinical practice.
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  • The study investigates the diagnostic delay experienced by pediatric patients with celiac disease across 13 referral centers in Italy, covering cases from 2010 to 2019 and analyzing data in 2023.
  • It finds that the median diagnostic delay for these patients is about 5 months, with a notable portion experiencing extreme delays of 11 months or more.
  • Factors such as age at diagnosis influence delays, with younger patients (under 3 years) generally facing shorter wait times for diagnosis.
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The Influenza A H1N1 subtype can present with a wide spectrum of severity, from mild symptoms of influenza to severe respiratory distress. The morbidity and mortality connected to influenza are mostly associated with secondary bacterial infections. The influenza syndrome alone can cause a massive release of cytokines with dysregulation of the immune system, and it can act in synergy with other bacteria which can enhance cytokines secretion.

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Background: Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor recently approved to induce and maintain remission in ulcerative colitis (UC).

Aims: Considering the number of anti-TNF non-responders, this study aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of tofacitinib in a cohort of multi-failure patients with moderate-to-severe UC at 52 weeks.

Methods: From January 2021 to March 2023, we performed a prospective multicenter study observing adult patients with moderate-to-severe UC starting tofacitinib after an anti-TNF failure for a 52-week-long period.

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Wildlife must adapt to human presence to survive in the Anthropocene, so it is critical to understand species responses to humans in different contexts. We used camera trapping as a lens to view mammal responses to changes in human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across 163 species sampled in 102 projects around the world, changes in the amount and timing of animal activity varied widely.

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Wild ungulates can influence various trophic levels, regulating carnivore abundance and affecting habitat structure. Conservation problems can arise when high ungulate densities threaten species or habitats with conservation concern. Assessing factors influencing the intensity of their impact is important to identify appropriate measures enhancing habitat conservation.

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