Publications by authors named "Pacifico L"

The Irpinia Fault, also known as the Monte Marzano Fault System, located in the Southern Apennines (Italy), is one of the most seismically active structures in the Mediterranean. It is the source of the 1980, Ms 6.9, multi-segment rupture earthquake that caused significant damage and nearly 3,000 casualties.

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The genus Sarcocystis includes protozoan parasites with an indirect life cycle. Sarcocystis spp. can infect various animal species and humans, causing sarcocystosis, a parasitosis of economic importance and zoonotic concern.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effectiveness of waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) compared to waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) in identifying youths at risk for cardiometabolic issues.
  • Data from over 34,000 children and adolescents from multiple countries was analyzed, focusing on those with cardiometabolic risk factors, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), and arterial stiffness.
  • Results showed that WHtR, WC, and BMI performed similarly in identifying at-risk youths, with WHtR being highlighted as a simple and effective screening tool for clinical use.
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Article Synopsis
  • Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasingly common in kids aged 6-17, but existing definitions are complex and hard to use in practice.
  • A new simplified definition was proposed and tested against two established definitions (IDF and NCEP) across 10 global pediatric populations, involving almost 20,000 youths.
  • The simplified definition proved effective in identifying MetS risk, showing good agreement with existing methods and could help pediatricians quickly assess and monitor MetS in various populations for better prevention strategies.
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Pacemakers are effective treatments for a variety of bradyarrhythmias. Cardiac pacemakers generally consist of a pulse generator and one or more leads. The conventional temporary transvenous ventricular cardiac pacemaker utilizing a passive fixation lead is commonly associated with multiple complications such as increased infection rate, lead dislodgement, venous thrombosis, longer duration of hospital stay, and atrioventricular (AV) dyssynchrony.

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Article Synopsis
  • Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is being explored as a screening tool for central obesity and cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents, but a uniform cut-off of 0.50 may not work universally across different countries.
  • A study analyzing data from 24,605 youths aged 6-18 across ten countries found that optimal WHtR cut-offs varied significantly, ranging between the 75th and 95th percentiles and generally clustering regardless of factors like sex and measurement method.
  • For youths in Europe and the US, the optimal WHtR cut-off was around 0.50, while in Asian, African, and South American populations, it was lower at about 0.46, indicating the need
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The increase of wild boar populations density and their meat consumption across Europe could expose humans to a plethora of foodborne diseases as sarcocystosis, caused by the zoonotic protozoan Sarcocystis suihominis. Humans become infected by eating raw or undercooked pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) containing S. suihominis sarcocysts.

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The worldwide increase in fire events has attracted global attention, as potentially toxic elements (PTEs) have been widely recognised within the produced ash. Ash is transported, dispersed by wind, and deposited into the soil and surficial waters even far from fires. Considering that their composition can be enriched in PTEs, they represent a potential hazard for humans and other animals exposed to airborne particles and, afterwards, to resuspended matter, even at a considerable distance from the source.

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A global need exists for new and more effective contrast agents for computed tomography and traditional X-ray modalities. Among the few options available nowadays, limitations imposed by industrial production, performance, and efficacy restrict the use and reduce the potential of both imaging techniques. The use of nanomaterials as new contrast agents for X-ray and computed tomography is an innovative and viable way to increase the options and enhance performance.

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Background: Cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to rely on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, whose expression in the testis is among the highest in the body. Additionally, the risk of mortality seems higher among male COVID-19 patients, and though much has been published since the first cases of COVID-19, there remain unanswered questions regarding SARS-CoV-2 impact on testes and potential consequences for reproductive health. We investigated testicular alterations in non-vaccinated deceased COVID-19-patients, the precise location of the virus, its replicative activity, and the immune, vascular, and molecular fluctuations involved in the pathogenesis.

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Background And Aim: Recently, the European Society of Cardiology task force released a Consensus document (ESC-CD) on pediatric hypertension (HTN) supporting the use of normative tables (age range 6-16 years) for the diagnosis of HTN, while the Hypertension Canada Guidelines (HTN-CGs) proposed static cutoffs. We aimed to assess the prevalence of HTN by ESC-CD or HTN-CGs and their association with glomerular function and left ventricular (LV) geometry in youths with overweight/obesity (OW/OB).

Methods And Results: Data of 3446 youths were analyzed.

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As a result of the increase of game meat intended for human consumption through Europe, a plethora of food-borne diseases, including trichinellosis, may occur in consumers, posing a relevant public health threat. Thus, this study aims to a citizen science approach to monitor the occurrence of spp. in wild boar meat intended for human consumption, evaluating the risk of infection for consumers.

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Congenital coronary anomalies can be an incidental finding in the adult population. Implications of an anomalous coronary artery vary depending on its course and the anomaly. An interarterial course of an anomalous coronary artery is considered malignant with a high risk of sudden cardiac death.

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Wellens' syndrome (WS) is a pattern on an electrocardiogram (ECG) characterized by biphasic T waves or deeply inverted T waves in leads V2-V3 with a recent clinical history of angina. Wellens' pattern on the ECG is particular for critical left anterior descending artery (LAD) stenosis. Wellens' sign and WS have been used interchangeably in the literature.

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Patients are generally keen to understand and obtain more information about their medical conditions. There exists a need to develop updated and thorough yet concise patient education handouts and to encourage healthcare providers (HCPs) to use uniform patient education methods. A thorough review of literature on patient education material was performed prior to starting the study.

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Aims: To compare the association of high serum uric acid (HUA) or metabolic syndrome (MetS) with fatty liver disease (FLD) in youths with overweight/obesity (OW/OB).

Materials And Methods: Cross-sectional study of anthropometrics, biochemical variables, and liver ultrasound of 3104 individuals with OW/OB (age 5-17 years). Metabolic syndrome was defined by ≥ 3 criteria among (1) high waist circumference; (2) high triglycerides; (3) low high-density lipoproteins; (4) fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dl; (5) blood pressure ≥95 percentile in children, and ≥130/80 mmHg in adolescents.

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Eucoleus garfiai (syn. Capillaria garfiai) is a nematode infecting lingual tissue of domestic and wild swine. Prevalence data for this parasite are scant and often related to accidental findings, occurring only in Japan and a few European countries.

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Background: Studies in adults have shown that several metabolites across multiple pathways are strongly associated with hypertension. However, as yet, to our knowledge, no study has investigated such association in childhood. We, therefore, compared the serum metabolite profile of children with normal and elevated blood pressure (BP) to identify potential metabolic markers and pathways that could be useful for the assessment of pediatric hypertension.

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Mammography has a crucial role in breast cancer detection. The National Cancer Institute (INCA) estimates that 29.7% of the cancer cases in Brazil are related specifically to the breast.

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Background And Aims: Perilipin 2 (PLIN2) regulates intracellular lipid metabolism in macrophages, and thus, plays a role in atherosclerosis. Aim of the study was to evaluate whether PLIN2 dysregulation is involved in the onset of preclinical atherosclerosis in children with overweight/obesity and to explore dysregulation mechanisms.

Methods: Sixty-three children with overweight/obesity and 21 normal weight children (controls) of the same age and sex were enrolled.

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Acanthocheilonema reconditum is a filarial parasite transmitted by arthropods (fleas, lice, and ticks) that infect dogs. There is minimal published data available to date on potential haematological and biochemical changes associated with this parasitic infection. Study aims were (i) provide an overview of A.

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Objective: To compare the prevalence of mildly reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (MRGFR) (eGFR >60 and < 90 mL/min/1.73 m), calculated by two creatinine-based equations, and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF) in youth with overweight (OW)/obesity (OB).

Methods: This is a multicenter cross-sectional study involving university and non-university hospital pediatrics departments.

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Donkeys have been used as working animals for transport and farm activities worldwide. Recently, in European countries, there has been an increasing interest in donkeys due to their use as pets, onotherapy or milk production. During 2014-2016, a countrywide survey was conducted to determine prevalence and risk factors of principal helminth infections in 1775 donkeys in 77 Italian farms.

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