Publications by authors named "Giacomo A"

Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) is a major concern for pig producers, as stress and early weaning increase susceptibility to enteropathogens like enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium).

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: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication impairments and repetitive behaviors. Recent reports show that one in thirty-six 8-year-old children are autistic, signifying a considerable public health concern. According to previous studies, emotional dysregulation (ED) affects 50-60% of individuals with ASD and includes symptoms such as poor emotional control, heightened reactivity, and a low frustration tolerance.

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Obtaining efficient blue emission from CdSe nanoplatelets (NPLs) remains challenging due to charge trapping and sub-bandgap emission. Thanks to a design-of-experiments (DoE) approach, we significantly improved the NPL synthesis, obtaining precise control over the lateral aspect ratio (length/width). We raised the photoluminescence quantum efficiency up to 66% after growth of a CdS crown, with complete elimination of trap-state emission.

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Background And Aim: Elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a marker of tumor aggressiveness and metabolic alterations, may predict treatment response and overall survival across various tumors. This study investigates the correlation between serum LDH levels and clinical outcomes in glioblastoma patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study analysed patients with IDH wild-type glioblastoma (IDH-wt GB) treated at the Radiotherapy Department of Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Senese from 2018 to 2023.

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  • A phase 3 trial found that 12 months of adjuvant pembrolizumab significantly improved recurrence-free survival (RFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in patients with high-risk stage III melanoma compared to placebo, with longer follow-up data available.
  • With a median follow-up of 6.9 years, the pembrolizumab group showed a 50% RFS at 7 years versus 36% for the placebo group, and a 54% DMFS compared to 42% in the placebo group.
  • The results indicated consistent positive outcomes across various melanoma subtypes, confirming the long-term benefits of pembrolizumab in improving survival metrics in these patients.
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Background And Aim: Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is an established treatment for melanoma brain metastases (MBM). Recent evidence suggests that perilesional edema volume (PEV) might compromise the delivery and efficacy of radiotherapy to treat BM. This study investigated the association between SRT efficacy and PEV extent in MBM.

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  • Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs), with immune-mediated pneumonitis (im-PN) being a rare but serious complication that requires prompt diagnosis and management to prevent severe outcomes and allow for continued cancer treatment.
  • A study collected data from 1004 cancer patients treated with ICIs, finding that 24 (2%) developed im-PN, with varying degrees of severity; most patients responded well to steroid treatment, leading to recovery in 21 individuals within an average of 14 weeks.
  • Three main radiologic patterns of im-PN were identified (organizational pneumonia-like, pulmonary eosinophilia, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis), and bronchoalve
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Purpose: In phase III CheckMate 238, adjuvant nivolumab significantly improved recurrence-free survival compared with ipilimumab in patients with resected stage IIIB-C/IV melanoma without a significant difference in overall survival (OS). Here, we investigate progression-free survival (PFS) and OS after postrecurrence systemic therapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients 15 years or older with resected stage IIIB-C/IV melanoma were stratified by stage and tumor PD-L1 status and randomly assigned to receive nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks, or ipilimumab 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks for four doses and then every 12 weeks for 1 year or until disease recurrence, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal of consent.

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Purpose: Recent literature has focused attention on the presence of autistic-like symptoms in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), who often exhibit social difficulties, posing challenges for a distinct clinical diagnosis. The current study aimed to identify the specific pattern of autistic symptoms in subjects with ADHD or Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), examining similarities or differences at both the domain and individual item levels.

Patients And Methods: In this study, we enrolled 43 school-age children divided into the following: the ADHD group (n=25) consisted of children initially referred for ASD symptoms but subsequently clinically diagnosed with ADHD, and the ASD group consisted of 18 children with ASD.

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The almost-two-centuries history of spectrochemical analysis has generated a body of literature so vast that it has become nearly intractable for experts, much less for those wishing to enter the field. Authoritative, focused reviews help to address this problem but become so granular that the overall directions of the field are lost. This broader perspective can be provided partially by general overviews but then the thinking, experimental details, theoretical underpinnings and instrumental innovations of the original work must be sacrificed.

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Background: Avelumab maintenance after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy represents a cornerstone for the treatment of metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). However, identifying prognostic biomarkers is paramount for optimizing patients' benefits while minimizing toxicity. Cytokines represent circulating mediators of the complex interaction between cancer, the immune system, and inflammation.

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Real-time analysis of fine ash in volcanic plumes, which represent magma fragments expelled from the crater during explosive eruptions, is a valuable tool for volcano monitoring and hazard assessment. To obtain the chemical characterization of the juvenile pyroclastic material emitted in volcanic plumes, many analytical techniques can be used. Among them, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is the one that can most easily be adapted to advanced applications in extreme environments.

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  • Panax ginseng, a key remedy in ancient Eastern medicine, gained popularity in the West in the late 19th century, but understanding of its action mechanisms was limited.
  • Recent research aims to explore how ginseng's active ingredients affect the intestinal microbiota, which plays a crucial role in immune and metabolic balance.
  • The study suggests that ginseng may improve specific intestinal conditions and overall health by positively influencing gut microbiota interactions with the brain and liver.
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Several established procedures are now available to prepare zinc blende CdSe nanoplatelets. While these protocols allow for detailed control over both thickness and lateral dimensions, the chemistry behind their formation is yet to be unraveled. In this work, we discuss the influence of the solvent on the synthesis of nanoplatelets.

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Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive primary brain tumor, that is refractory to standard treatment and to immunotherapy with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Noteworthy, melanoma brain metastases (MM-BM), that share the same niche as GBM, frequently respond to current ICI therapies. Epigenetic modifications regulate GBM cellular proliferation, invasion, and prognosis and may negatively regulate the cross-talk between malignant cells and immune cells in the tumor milieu, likely contributing to limit the efficacy of ICI therapy of GBM.

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Introduction: Immunomodulating therapies harness the power of the immune system to combat disease. In advanced melanoma, immune checkpoint inhibitors have significantly improved survival outcomes by activating the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. In psoriasis, interleukin inhibitors effectively suppress inflammation and improve disease symptoms.

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Background: Pain is common in patients with cancer. The World Health Organisation recommends paracetamol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for mild pain and combined with other agents for moderate/severe pain. This study estimated associations of NSAIDs with recurrence-free survival (RFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and the incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in high-risk patients with resected melanoma in the EORTC 1325/KEYNOTE-054 phase III clinical trial.

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  • The POD1UM-203 study tested retifanlimab, a monoclonal antibody that targets PD-1, on patients with specific solid tumors that have had successful responses to immune checkpoint therapies in the past.
  • A total of 121 patients with various cancers (melanoma, NSCLC, urothelial carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma) were treated, showing overall response rates ranging from 23.5% to 40% across different cohorts.
  • Results indicate that retifanlimab has durable anti-tumor effects and a safety profile similar to other PD-(L)1 inhibitors, supporting further investigation in solid tumors.
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Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, representing approximately 4% of all cutaneous neoplasms and accounting for up to 80% of deaths. Advanced stages of melanoma involve metastatic processes and are associated with high mortality and morbidity, mainly due to the rapid dissemination and heterogeneous responses to current therapies, including immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are currently used in the treatment of metastatic melanoma (MM) and despite being linked to an increase in patient survival, a high percentage of them still do not benefit from it.

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Chronic diseases are a growing problem for global health due to the large number of people they involve, the repercussions they have on the mental and physical well-being of those affected, and the costs to society. Particularly, chronic illnesses of childhood have important psychological implications, not only for affected children but also for their parents. Among these pathologies, neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA-U) may affect mental and physical health, emotions, memory, learning, and socializing.

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Nanoparticle-enhanced laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and Tag-LIBS are two approaches that have been shown to significantly enhance LIBS sensitivity and specificity. In an effort to combine both of these approaches, we have initiated a study on the effect of the presence of Silver nanoparticle concentrations on Europium (Eu) and Ytterbium (Yb) LIBS signals. These elements are part of metal-loaded polymers conjugated to antibodies.

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Background: The primary analysis of the phase III NIBIT-M2 study showed a 41% 4-year overall survival (OS) of melanoma patients with asymptomatic brain metastases treated with ipilimumab plus nivolumab.

Methods: Here, we report the 7-year efficacy outcomes and the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) analyses of the NIBIT-M2 study.

Results: As of May 1, 2023, at a median follow-up of 67 months (mo), the median OS was 8.

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