Publications by authors named "Montanaro M"

Background: This study aimed to validate a method for characterizing and quantifying the multi-elemental profiles of different insect flours to enable their distinction, identification, and quality assessment. The focus was on three insect species: cricket ( ), buffalo worm (), and mealworm ( ).

Methods: Mealworms were powdered in the laboratory through mechanical processing.

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Background: Cancer is a significant health challenge and the leading cause of mortality globally. Tumor cells use multiple mechanisms to acquire their distinctive capacity for uncontrolled proliferation, one of which is the evasion of apoptosis. It has been shown that in breast, colon, and liver cancer, evasion of apoptosis is associated with the overexpression of enzymes that metabolize arachidonic acid (AA) because free AA is a strong inducer of apoptosis.

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In the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, articular cartilage and bone represent the target tissues, respectively, but muscle is also involved. Since many changes in energy metabolism occur in muscle with aging, the aim of the present work was to investigate the involvement of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1b (Cpt1b) in the muscle pathophysiology of the two diseases. Healthy subjects (CTR, = 5), osteoarthritic (OA, = 10), and osteoporotic (OP, = 10) patients were enrolled.

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  • - Environmental pollution significantly threatens human health, especially in relation to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), as highlighted through various studies.
  • - Epidemiological research shows a clear link between exposure to various pollutants (air, water, soil) and an increased risk of conditions like hypertension and stroke, while molecular studies identify mechanisms like oxidative stress and inflammation as contributing factors.
  • - The review emphasizes the need to understand these connections for developing effective interventions and policies aimed at reducing pollution's negative impacts on cardiovascular health, underscoring the importance of preventive measures for public health.
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The transcription factor ΔNp63 plays a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity of stratified epithelial tissues by regulating the expression of distinct target genes involved in lineage specification, cell stemness, cell proliferation and differentiation. Here, we identified the ABC transporter subfamily member as a novel ΔNp63 target gene. We found that in immortalized human keratinocytes and in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells, ∆Np63 induces the expression of ABCC1 by physically occupying a p63-binding site (p63 BS) located in the first intron of the gene locus.

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  • * Researchers used virtual reality to create a situation where participants moved their right hand but received touch feedback on their left ankle, simulating a spatial incongruence.
  • * Results showed that this mismatch led to a decrease in motor cortical excitability in the right hand after the task, suggesting that the brain can reorganize itself based on conflicting sensory and motor inputs, which is linked to functional plasticity mechanisms.
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Multisensory integration plays a crucial role in building the sense of body ownership, i.e., the perceptual status of one's body for which the body is perceived as belonging to oneself.

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Asteroids with diameters less than about 5 km have complex histories because they are small enough for radiative torques (that is, YORP, short for the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect) to be a notable factor in their evolution. (152830) Dinkinesh is a small asteroid orbiting the Sun near the inner edge of the main asteroid belt with a heliocentric semimajor axis of 2.19 AU; its S-type spectrum is typical of bodies in this part of the main belt.

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Interacting with the environment often requires the integration of visual and haptic information. Notably, perceiving external objects depends on how our brain binds sensory inputs into a unitary experience. The feedback provided by objects when we interact (through our movements) with them might then influence our perception.

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Introduction: Our brain continuously maps our body in space. It has been suggested that at least two main frames of reference are used to process somatosensory stimuli presented on our own body: the anatomical frame of reference (based on the somatotopic representation of our body in the somatosensory cortex) and the spatial frame of reference (where body parts are mapped in external space). Interestingly, a mismatch between somatotopic and spatial information significantly affects the processing of bodily information, as demonstrated by the "crossing hand" effect.

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Finding one's way in unfamiliar environments is an essential ability. When navigating, people are overwhelmed with an enormous amount of information. However, some information might be more relevant than others.

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The onset of chronic diseases in childhood represents a stressful event for both young patients and their caregivers. In this context, coping strategies play a fundamental role in dealing with illness-related challenges. Although numerous studies have explored coping strategies employed by parents of children with chronic diseases, there remains a gap in the understanding of children's coping strategies and their correlation with their and their parents' anxiety.

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Purpose: Undeniably, in the last 2 decades, surgical approaches in the field of abdominal wall repair have notably improved. However, the best approach to provide a durable repair with low morbidity rate has yet to be determined. The purpose of this study is to outline our long-term results following the Transverse Abdominis Release (TAR) approach in patients with complex ventral hernias, focusing on the incidence of recurrence and overall patient satisfaction following surgery.

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The highly dynamic nature of chromatin's structure, due to the epigenetic alterations of histones and DNA, controls cellular plasticity and allows the rewiring of the epigenetic landscape required for either cell differentiation or cell (re)programming. To dissect the epigenetic switch enabling the programming of a cancer cell, we carried out wide genome analysis of Histone 3 (H3) modifications during osteogenic differentiation of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. The most significant modifications concerned H3K27me2/3, H3K9me2, H3K79me1/2, and H3K4me1 that specify the process of healthy adult stem cell differentiation.

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The transcription factor ΔNp63 regulates epithelial stem cell function and maintains the integrity of stratified epithelial tissues by acting as transcriptional repressor or activator towards a distinct subset of protein-coding genes and microRNAs. However, our knowledge of the functional link between ∆Np63 transcriptional activity and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) expression is quite limited. Here, we show that in proliferating human keratinocytes ∆Np63 represses the expression of the lncRNA NEAT1 by recruiting the histone deacetylase HDAC1 to the proximal promoter of NEAT1 genomic locus.

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Purpose: This study set out to evaluate the psychosocial effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among adolescents with cancer, and whether these effects are significantly different among adolescents who were undergoing therapy or had completed it.

Materials And Methods: The AIEOP Adolescents Working Group and the AIEOP Psychosocial Working Group adapted a questionnaire, which was completed by 214 adolescent cancer patients ( Mage =16.3 y, range: 15 to 19 y old) treated at 16 AIEOP centers in the North (38%), South (31%), and Center (31%) of Italy.

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Objectives: To investigate whether high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is involved in unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (uRPL).

Methods: Plasma levels of HMGB1 were measured by ELISA in non-pregnant women with (n=44) and without (n=53 controls) uRPL. Their platelets and plasma-derived microvesicles (MVs) were also assayed for HMGB1.

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Objectives: Aim of the study was to evaluate the role of a Domiciliary Hematologic Care Unit (DHCU) compared to standard DH setting in the active frontline treatment with hypomethylating agents (HMAs) +/- venetoclax of frail patients with acute myelogenous leukemia/high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (AML/HR-MDS).

Methods: All patients with newly diagnosed AML/HR-MDS unfit for intensive care and treated frontline with HMAs from January 2010 to April 2021 were retrospectively included.

Results: Among 112 patients (62 AML/50 HR-MDS), 69 (61.

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Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death among men in 2020. The clinical decision making for prostate cancer patients is based on the stratification of the patients according to both clinical and pathological parameters such as Gleason score and prostate-specific antigen levels. However, these tools still do not adequately predict patient outcome.

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  • Chronic illnesses like type 1 diabetes and cancer in children are linked to poorer sleep quality, impacting both the children’s and their caregivers' psychological and physical health.
  • * The study involved 150 participants (56 with T1D, 33 with cancer, and 61 healthy) who completed surveys about sleep disturbances, anxiety, and well-being.
  • * Results showed that children with cancer had the worst sleep quality, which negatively affected their psychological adjustment, while their caregivers also experienced higher anxiety and sleep issues related to their children's sleep problems.*
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many families had to manage new difficulties, especially those of chronically ill children. More and more research has focused on the negative effects of the pandemic on psychological wellbeing, while less is known about the resources. The present study aimed to explore the role of time spent with mothers in chronically ill children's populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The understanding of the pathogenesis of renal cell carcinoma led to the development of targeted therapies, which dramatically changed the overall survival rate. Nonetheless, despite innovative lines of therapy accessible to patients, the prognosis remains severe in most cases. Kidney cancer rarely shows mutations in the genes coding for proteins involved in programmed cell death, including p53.

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Having cancer in childhood is a risk factor for separation anxiety symptoms, with negative effects on the disease and psychological wellbeing. The Covid-19-pandemic-related concerns could have a negative effect. The present study explores the interplay between separation anxiety symptoms and COVID-19-related worries in pediatric cancer patients and their mothers, compared to a group of healthy children and their mothers, during the pandemic.

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  • * EHF expression was analyzed in 152 samples, revealing that lesions with ≥40% EHF positive cells signaled a significantly higher risk (40 times greater) of developing metastasis within five years compared to those with ≤30% positive cells.
  • * The findings suggest that EHF could serve as an important immunohistochemical biomarker to enhance prostate cancer management, aiding in better diagnosis and treatment, ultimately improving patient quality of life.
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SignificanceΔNp63 is a master regulator of skin homeostasis since it finely controls keratinocyte differentiation and proliferation. Here, we provide cellular and molecular evidence demonstrating the functional role of a ΔNp63 interactor, the R-loop-resolving enzyme Senataxin (SETX), in fine-tuning keratinocyte differentiation. We found that SETX physically binds the p63 DNA-binding motif present in two early epidermal differentiation genes, Keratin 1 (KRT1) and ZNF750, facilitating R-loop removal over their 3' ends and thus allowing efficient transcriptional termination and gene expression.

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