Publications by authors named "Michele Stasi"

Article Synopsis
  • Multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) is a rare metabolic disorder caused by genetic mutations, affecting the body's ability to process fatty and amino acids, occurring in about 1 in 200,000 live births.
  • MADD manifests in three ways: severe neonatal-onset, which may include additional congenital anomalies, and a milder late-onset variant, with diagnosis supported by advanced urine and blood tests.
  • Researchers successfully diagnosed a newborn with a unique intronic mutation using whole-genome and RNA sequencing, emphasizing the need to analyze RNA to uncover hidden genetic issues that typical methods might miss.
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Dynamic combinatorial chemistry (DCC) creates libraries of molecules that are constantly interchanging in a dynamic combinatorial library. When a library member self-assembles, it can displace the equilibria, leading to emergent phenomena like its selection or even its replication. However, such dynamic combinatorial libraries typically operate in or close to equilibrium.

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One of science's greatest challenges is determining how life can spontaneously emerge from a mixture of molecules. A complicating factor is that life and its molecules are inherently unstable-RNA and proteins are prone to hydrolysis and denaturation. For the de novo synthesis of life or to better understand its emergence at its origin, selection mechanisms are needed for unstable molecules.

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Life continuously transduces energy to perform critical functions using energy stored in reactive molecules like ATP or NADH. ATP dynamically phosphorylates active sites on proteins and thereby regulates their function. Inspired by such machinery, regulating supramolecular functions using energy stored in reactive molecules has gained traction.

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Objectives: To assess the incidence (1 year) and the cumulative incidence (3 years) of the condition of patients accruing cumulative effective doses (CED) of ≥ 100 mSv and their variability among different hospitals. To establish and validate a reference level for the CED in patients with recurrent exposures (RERL) and provide a RERL value.

Methods: Data of CT exposure was collected in 9 similar hospitals.

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Radioligand therapy (RLT) with lutetium (Lu) oxodotreotide is an approved therapy in combination with somatostatin analogues (SSAs) for patients with advanced, well-differentiated G1-G2, gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs) that progress on SSAs. We conducted a series of round table meetings throughout Italy to identify issues related to RLT delivery to patients with GEP-NETs. Four key issues were identified: (1) the proper definition of tumour progression prior to RLT initiation; (2) the impact of RLT in patients with bone metastases and/or high hepatic tumour burden; (3) the optimal follow-up protocol after RLT; and (4) organisational issues related to RLT use and managerial implications.

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Article Synopsis
  • Liquid-liquid phase separation creates spherical droplets that can merge into a larger stable droplet to minimize free energy.
  • Chemically fueled phase separation involves reactions that continuously supply energy, allowing for the creation of dynamic, non-equilibrium structures.
  • The study reveals that active spherical droplets can transform into liquid shells, with performance linked to material gradients, indicating potential biological applications like the formation of membraneless organelles.
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Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. Since the discovery of the highly penetrant susceptibility genes and , many other predisposition genes that confer a moderate risk of BC have been identified. Advances in multigene panel testing have allowed the simultaneous sequencing of with these genes in a cost-effective way.

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Complex coacervation describes the liquid-liquid phase separation of oppositely charged polymers. Active coacervates are droplets in which one of the electrolyte's affinity is regulated by chemical reactions. These droplets are particularly interesting because they are tightly regulated by reaction kinetics.

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In 2006, the European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) adopted the "Malaga Declaration". The declaration asserted the fundamental role of Medical Physics professionals in the radiation protection of patients, workers, general public, carers and comforters and research participants in hospitals. However, since that time the Medical Physics profession has evolved in Europe and new regulations and documentation have been issued, such as directive 2013/59/Euratom and the "European Guidelines on Medical Physics Expert" (RP174).

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A series of pseudorotaxanes with supramolecular organometallic silver(I) and gold(I) pillarplexes acting as rings and different α,ω-dicarboxylic acids as axle components are reported. The successful formation of the host-guest complexes is shown by H NMR spectroscopy and respective NMR titration. Additional evaluation with ITC titration experiments yielded dissociation constants (K ) ranging from 10 to 10  M.

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Purpose: To study how the quantitative parameters of 18F-FDG PET imaging change with the emission scan duration (ESD) and the body-mass-index (BMI) in phantom and patients on a time-of-flight (TOF)-PET/CT system.

Methods: The image-quality phantom with (b-NEMA-IQ, BMI = 29.2 kg/m) and without (NEMA-IEC, BMI = 21.

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In life, molecular architectures, like the cytoskeletal proteins or the nucleolus, catalyze the conversion of chemical fuels to perform their functions. For example, tubulin catalyzes the hydrolysis of GTP to form a dynamic cytoskeletal network. In contrast, myosin uses the energy obtained by catalyzing the hydrolysis of ATP to exert forces.

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Article Synopsis
  • Molecular machines like ATPases and motor proteins use the energy from chemical reactions to change shape and perform motion, primarily by hydrolyzing nucleotide triphosphates.
  • The aim of nanotechnology is to create nanomachines that can replicate similar functions, speed, and precision as biological molecular machines.
  • By merging DNA nanotechnology for precision with fast chemical reaction cycles from systems chemistry, researchers are developing DNA devices that can control their conformational states and perform specific functions.
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Membraneless organelles are droplets in the cytosol that are regulated by chemical reactions. Increasing studies suggest that they are internally organized. However, how these subcompartments are regulated remains elusive.

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Combining the selectivity of G-quadruplex (G4) ligands with the spatial and temporal control of photochemistry is an emerging strategy to elucidate the biological relevance of these structures. In this work, we developed six novel V-shaped G4 ligands that can, upon irradiation, form stable covalent adducts with G4 structures via the reactive intermediate, quinone methide (QM). We thoroughly investigated the photochemical properties of the ligands and their ability to generate QMs.

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The ICD phenomenon has drawn a lot of attention in recent years in applicable fields such as chiral sensing and chiroptical devices. In this work, we first gaze at the issues of thin spin-coated films not being able to deliver consistent ICD signals. A hypothesis of the underlying problem is proposed through a brief elucidation of the spin-coating process.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques have been implemented in the field of Medical Imaging for more than forty years. Medical Physicists, Clinicians and Computer Scientists have been collaborating since the beginning to realize software solutions to enhance the informative content of medical images, including AI-based support systems for image interpretation. Despite the recent massive progress in this field due to the current emphasis on Radiomics, Machine Learning and Deep Learning, there are still some barriers to overcome before these tools are fully integrated into the clinical workflows to finally enable a precision medicine approach to patients' care.

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This recommendation by the Italian Associations of Nuclear Medicine (AIMN) and Medical Physics (AIFM) focuses on the dosimetric optimization of Nuclear Medicine Therapy (NMT) as clearly requested by the article 56 of the EURATOM Directive 2013/59 and its consequent implementation in article 158 in the Italian Law n. 101/2020. However, this statement must deal with scientific and methodological limits that still exist and, above all, with the currently available limited resources.

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Purpose: The influence of basic plan parameters such as slice thickness, grid resolution, algorithm type and field size on calculated small field output factors (OFs) was evaluated in a multicentric study.

Methods And Materials: Three computational homogeneous water phantoms with slice thicknesses (ST) 1, 2 and 3 mm were shared among twenty-one centers to calculate OFs for 1x1, 2x2 and 3x3 cm field sizes (FSs) (normalized to 10x10 cm FS), with their own treatment planning system (TPS) and the energy clinically used for stereotactic body radiation therapy delivery. OFs were calculated for each combination of grid resolution (GR) (1, 2 and 3 mm) and ST and finally compared with the OFs measured for the TPS commissioning.

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Purpose: To report how the adoption of a Lean Thinking mindset in the management of a national working group (WG) on the physics of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) contributed to achieve SBRT standardization objectives.

Methods: Vision for the WG has been established as fragmentation reduction and process harmonization enhancement in SBRT for Italian centers. Two main research themes of the technical aspects of SBRT emerged as areas with major standardization improvement needs, small field dosimetry and SBRT planning comparisons, to be investigated through multi-institutional studies.

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Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has been recognized as a standard treatment option for many anatomical sites. Sophisticated radiation therapy techniques have been developed for carrying out these treatments and new quality assurance (QA) programs are therefore required to guarantee high geometrical and dosimetric accuracy. This paper focuses on recent advances on in-vivo measurements methods (IVM) for SBRT treatment.

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Purpose: The aim of this multicenter study was to evaluate the performance of the upgraded version of the Ingenuity TF PET/CT scanner, according to the NEMA NU-2 2012 standards.

Methods: Spatial resolution, sensitivity, count rate response, scatter fraction, image quality and accuracy were evaluated on three Ingenuity TF scanners installed in Italian hospitals. Furthermore, energy and timing resolution were measured.

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In this review a summary of the published literature pertaining to the stereotactic body radiation therapy multiplanning comparison, data sharing strategies, and implementation of benchmark planning cases to improve the skills and knowledge of the participating centers was investigated. A total of 30 full-text articles were included. The studies were subdivided in 3 categories: multiplanning studies on dosimetric variability, planning harmonization before clinical trials, and technical and methodologic studies.

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