Publications by authors named "Pacini A"

Background: Physical performance is poorly addressed in dialysis patients, due to several clinical and organizational barriers. In this study we investigated the physical functional status of a cohort of dialysis patients, using a multidimensional assessment.

Methods: Four hundred and forty-six individuals from 8 hemodialysis centers (176 females), mean age 67.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Understanding anatomical variability is key for diagnosing and treating pain, as different conditions may present similarly but have different underlying causes.
  • The sciatic nerve (SN) shows significant variability in its anatomical structures, particularly its relationship with the piriformis muscle (PM), as evidenced by six case reports from dissections of cadavers aged 58 to 84.
  • Knowledge of these variations is crucial for effective medical interventions, improving treatment outcomes through proper understanding of anatomy and its implications for procedures like imaging and surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A large-scale survey conducted in Latin America found that on average, 30.4% of managed honey bee colonies and 39.6% of stingless bee colonies were lost each year over a two-year period (2016-2018).
  • Summer losses for stingless bees (30.9%) were higher compared to winter losses (22.2%), while honey bee losses did not show the same seasonal pattern.
  • The survey revealed significant differences in colony loss rates between countries and over the years, indicating challenges in maintaining bee colony health and economic viability for those involved in beekeeping.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Several odontocete species depredate catch and bait from fishing gear, resulting in their bycatch and causing substantial economic costs. There are no known mitigation methods for odontocete depredation in pelagic longline fisheries that are effective, do not harm odontocetes and are commercially viable. Understanding odontocetes' depredation strategies can contribute to mitigating this human-wildlife conflict.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: The declaration of the end of the Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 on May 11th, 2023, has shifted the global focus led by WHO and CDC towards monitoring the evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Augmenting these international endeavors with local initiatives becomes crucial to not only track the emergence of new variants but also to understand their spread. We present a cost-effective digital PCR-based pooled sample testing methodology tailored for early variant surveillance.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Cigarette smoke is the leading preventable cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and smoking cessation can improve respiratory and metabolic health.
  • A study assessed current smokers' respiratory functions and metabolic changes after one month of quitting using various tests and methods, including spirometry and blood samples.
  • Results showed significant improvements in lung function, reduced exhaled carbon monoxide levels, increased vitamin D, and lower cholesterol after one month of smoking cessation, highlighting the benefits of quitting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Anatomical variability in the human body is not as rare as was previously hypothesised. Indeed, as recently reviewed, the term 'norm' in anatomy can be considered an approximation. Thus, anatomical variations occur quite often, as largely demonstrated during non-invasive diagnosis, surgical intervention, or post mortem investigations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nepal is a low-middle income country which is considered to be a collectivist culture and has a significant mental health treatment gap for young people. The dominant approach in the global mental health literature has been to import western treatments with varying degrees of cultural adaptation. We argue that this approach is at best cost-ineffective, and at worst harmful, particularly where young people receive interventions outside of their community.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Household cleaning products are the second most common cause of unintentional poisoning in children < 6 years old in the United States. The aim of this study is to characterize exposures to household cleaning substances in this age group from data collected from the Nation's Poison Control Centers.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed all household cleaner calls classified as age < 6 years old made to the American Association of Poison Control Centers between January 1st 2000 and December 31th 2015.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Neurotoxicity of chemotherapeutics involves peculiar alterations in the structure and function, including abnormal nerve signal transmission, of both the peripheral and central nervous system. The lack of effective pharmacological approaches to prevent chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity necessitates the identification of innovative therapies. Recent evidence suggests that repeated treatment with the pentacyclic pyridoindole derivative DDD-028 can exert both pain-relieving and glial modulatory effects in mice with paclitaxel-induced neuropathy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Understanding frictional phenomena is a fascinating fundamental problem with huge potential impact on energy saving. Such an understanding requires monitoring what happens at the sliding buried interface, which is almost inaccessible by experiments. Simulations represent powerful tools in this context, yet a methodological step forward is needed to fully capture the multiscale nature of the frictional phenomena.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Understanding the health status of long-lived species is crucial for their management, but traditional monitoring methods are slow, often taking decades to reveal changes in populations.
  • A new approach using Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) photogrammetry was tested to assess the age structure of bottlenose dolphins, offering a potential early warning system for population decline.
  • Results showed that UAS estimates can accurately determine the total body length of dolphins and classify age groups effectively, with a high percentage of individuals being correctly allocated to their age classes within two years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Objective: A compact nidus is a well-known feature of good outcome after treatment in brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVM). This item, included in the "Supplementary AVM grading system" by Lawton, is subjectively evaluated on DSA. The present study aimed to assess whether quantitative nidus compacity along with other angio-architectural bAVM features were predictive of angiographic cure or the occurrence of procedure-related complications.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Understanding the variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is essential for better predictions of our changing climate. Here we present an updated time series (August 2014 to June 2020) from the Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program. The 6-year time series allows us to observe the seasonality of the subpolar overturning and meridional heat and freshwater transports.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We report on the synthesis and characterization of a novel class of hyperbranched polymers, in which a copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction (the prototypical "click" reaction) is used as the polymerization step. The AB monomers bear two azide functionalities and one alkyne functionality, which have been installed onto a 1,3,5 trisubstituted benzene aromatic skeleton. This synthesis has been optimized in terms of its purification strategies, with an eye on its scalability for the potential industrial applications of hyperbranched polymers as viscosity modifiers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Grinding is a finishing process for high precision, high surface quality parts, and hard materials, including tool fabrication and sharpening. The recycling of grinding scraps, which often contain rare and costly materials such as tungsten carbide (WC-Co), has been established for decades. However, there is a growing need for more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly recycling processes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Infestation with Varroa destructor parasites negatively impacts the survival of honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera), particularly in winter, making it crucial to assess infestation levels and apply treatments in autumn.
  • The study highlights that re-invasion of treated colonies by Varroa mites can occur due to various factors, such as the status of untreated colonies and the layout of colonies within the apiary.
  • Research conducted across six apiaries revealed that colonies arranged in a linear pattern and with more available brood are more susceptible to Varroa re-invasion, emphasizing the importance of strategic colony management for effective pest control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

With the recent advances in medicine, human life expectancy is increasing; however, the extra years of life are not necessarily spent in good health or free from disability, resulting in a significantly higher incidence of age-associated pathologies. Among these disorders, neurodegenerative diseases have a significant impact. To this end, the presence of the protective blood-brain barrier (BBB) represents a formidable obstacle to the delivery of therapeutics.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: the negative consequences of COVID-19 distancing measures on older adults' mental health and ability to access services have been well documented. Online cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness interventions for older adults, carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, have shown that these interventions are feasible and have potential mental health benefits. However, little research has been carried out on older adults' experiences of engaging with online psychological therapy, and specifically mindfulness therapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) are charged particles, originating from galactic and/or extra-galactic Supernova Remnants (SNR), that continuously permeate the Heliosphere. The GCRs are modulated in the heliosphere by convection by solar wind (SW), drift via gradients and curvatures in the Heliospheric Magnetic Field (HMF), diffusion from fluctuations in the HMF, and adiabatic cooling in the expanding SW. An improved understanding of their modulation is imperative as studies on the variations in solar activity levels and solar eruptions in the past rely heavily on the relationship between their modulation and formation of the secondary particles in the Earth's atmosphere.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 has created an enormous workload for laboratories worldwide resulting in a restriction at the time of massive testing. Pool testing is a strategy that reduces time and costs. However, beyond the detection of infectious diseases in blood banks, this approach is rarely implemented in routine laboratories.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF