Publications by authors named "Quaranta M"

Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) harbor mutations in the APC gene and will develop adenoma and early colorectal cancer. There is no validated treatment, and animal models are not sufficient to study FAP. Our aim was to investigate the early events associated with FAP using the intestinal organoid model in a single-center study using biopsies from nonadenomatous and adenomatous colonic mucosa of FAP patients and from healthy controls (HCs).

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Background: Cytoreductive surgery is critical for optimal tumor clearance in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Despite best efforts, some patients may experience R2 (>1 cm) resection, while others may not undergo surgery at all. We aimed to compare outcomes between advanced EOC patients undergoing R2 resection and those who had no surgery.

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The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, responsible for approximately 7 million deaths worldwide, highlights the urgent need to understand the molecular mechanisms of the virus in order to prevent future outbreaks. The Spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, which is critical for viral entry through its interaction with ACE2 and other host cell receptors, has been a focus of this study. The present research goes beyond receptor recognition to explore Spike's influence on cellular metabolism.

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  • - The World Health Organization reported that in 2022, 10.6 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) and 1.3 million died, highlighting a growing problem with multi-drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains of the bacteria.
  • - TB bacteria have adapted to survive inside host cells by producing their own amino acids, which means targeting amino acid biosynthesis could help develop new treatments that outsmart the bacteria's defenses.
  • - Recent progress in drug discovery shows that inhibitors of tryptophan biosynthesis are promising, suggesting that focusing on optimizing these compounds could enhance the development of effective TB therapies in the future.
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To enhance international and joint research collaborations in prostate cancer research, data from different sources should use a common data model (CDM) that enables researchers to share their analysis scripts and merge results. The OMOP CDM maintained by OHDSI is such a data model developed for a federated data analysis with partners from different institutions that want to jointly investigate research questions using clinical care data. The German Cancer Society as the scientific lead of the Prostate Cancer Outcomes (PCO) study gathers data from prostate cancer care including routine oncological care data and survey data (incl.

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Background And Aims: We aimed to characterize the epidemiologic and comorbidities profiles of patients with chronic Hepatitis D (CHD) followed in clinical practice in Italy and explored their interferon (IFN) eligibility.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of the PITER cohort consisting of consecutive HBsAg-positive patients from 59 centers over the period 2019-2023. Multivariable analysis was performed by logistic regression model.

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  • - ZFYVE21 is a protein found in endothelial cells that plays a key role in maintaining vascular barrier function, especially in aging kidneys, but its exact functions were previously unclear.
  • - In a study, researchers created mice that lack ZFYVE21 specifically in endothelial cells, revealing that these mice exhibited serious health issues such as reduced nitric oxide activity and kidney problems as they aged.
  • - The study indicates that ZFYVE21 influences the movement of certain proteins within cells to keep endothelial nitric oxide synthase (ENOS) active, which is important for kidney function in older individuals.
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The treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) with direct-acting antivirals (DAA) leads to high sustained virological response (SVR) rates, but hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk persists in people with advanced liver disease even after SVR. We weighted the HCC risk in people with cirrhosis achieving HCV eradication through DAA treatment and compared it with untreated participants in the multicenter prospective Italian Platform for the Study of Viral Hepatitis Therapies (PITER) cohort. Propensity matching with inverse probability weighting was used to compare DAA-treated and untreated HCV-infected participants with liver cirrhosis.

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  • Interspecific transmission of pathogens among wild bees is primarily influenced by honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies, which act as reservoirs for these pathogens, leading to significant concerns for wild bee populations in Italy due to limited data availability.
  • A study sampled 3,372 bees across 11 Italian regions, finding that 68.4% were infected with at least one pathogen, with DWV, BQCV, N. ceranae, and CBPV being the most common.
  • The research identified that factors such as meteorological conditions and agricultural practices have a larger impact on pathogen spread than apiary density, highlighting the need for conservation efforts to protect wild bee health and populations.
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Background: The area sourrounding the Mediterranean basin is recognised as a major biodiversity hotspot for bees, and Italy is amongst the European countries with the highest bee species richness. Detailed knowledge of bee distribution is crucial for understanding bee biology and designing tailored conservation strategies, but is still insufficient in southern European countries, especially in Italy.

New Information: We report recent finds of 48 bee species that yield significant novelties for the Italian bee fauna.

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Coagulation disorders are described in COVID-19 and long COVID patients. In particular, SARS-CoV-2 infection in megakaryocytes, which are precursors of platelets involved in thrombotic events in COVID-19, long COVID and, in rare cases, in vaccinated individuals, requires further investigation, particularly with the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants. CD147, involved in the regulation of inflammation and required to fight virus infection, can facilitate SARS-CoV-2 entry into megakaryocytes.

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Background & Aims: Sustained virological response (SVR) by direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) may reverse the hypercoagulable state of HCV cirrhosis and the portal vein thrombosis (PVT) risk. We evaluated the incidence and predictive factors of de novo, non-tumoral PVT in patients with cirrhosis after HCV eradication.

Methods: Patients with HCV-related cirrhosis, consecutively enrolled in the multi-center ongoing PITER cohort, who achieved the SVR using DAAs, were prospectively evaluated.

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  • The XBB.1.16 variant of SARS-CoV-2, derived from the XBB lineage, possesses additional spike mutations that may help it evade the immune response effectively compared to other viruses.
  • * Despite these mutations, XBB.1.16 shows a slower evolutionary rate and limited diversification, indicating it is not as dangerous as other rapidly evolving variants.
  • * Ongoing genomic monitoring is crucial for tracking the evolution of the XBB.1.16 variant and understanding its impact in relation to other circulating lineages.
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  • The EG.5 lineage of SARS-CoV-2 is a new variant that is being closely monitored due to an increase in its prevalence, but concerns about its threat level are being evaluated.
  • Current genetic and structural data suggest that EG.5 does not show a significant ability for widespread transmission or increase in population size, with its evolutionary rate remaining relatively low.
  • These findings highlight the importance of continuous genome-based monitoring to stay prepared and informed about the situation as it develops.
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An essential prerequisite to safeguard pollinator species is characterisation of the multifaceted diversity of crop pollinators and identification of the drivers of pollinator community changes across biogeographical gradients. The extent to which intensive agriculture is associated with the homogenisation of biological communities at large spatial scales remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated diversity drivers for 644 bee species/morphospecies in 177 commercial apple orchards across 33 countries and four global biogeographical biomes.

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Recombination events are very common and represent one of the primary drivers of RNA virus evolution. The XBF SARS-CoV-2 lineage is one of the most recently generated recombinants during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a recombinant of BA.

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(1) Background: Ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T) is a novel β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor with excellent activity against the multidrug-resistant (MDR) . Continuous infusion (CI) dosing allows the optimization of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) properties of β-lactam antibiotics and may support patients' treatment as outpatients. (2) Methods: Adult patients receiving their entire course of C/T as a CI in the outpatient setting were retrospectively included in the study.

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Bats are well-known to be natural reservoirs of various zoonotic coronaviruses, which have caused outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2002 and 2019, respectively. In late 2020, two new were found in Russia, isolated in bats, i.e.

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Autophagy is a highly conserved cellular degradation process that regulates cellular metabolism and homeostasis under normal and pathophysiological conditions. Autophagy and metabolism are linked in the hematopoietic system, playing a fundamental role in the self-renewal, survival, and differentiation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and in cell death, particularly affecting the cellular fate of the hematopoietic stem cell pool. In leukemia, autophagy sustains leukemic cell growth, contributes to survival of leukemic stem cells and chemotherapy resistance.

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Objectives The primary objective was to determine the prevalence of endometrial cancer in asymptomatic and symptomatic postmenopausal women referred to the hysteroscopy service for incidental finding of thickened endometrium. The secondary objectives were to identify, for the asymptomatic cohort, an acceptable threshold of endometrial thickness (ET) which should trigger endometrial sampling and its related sensitivity and specificity. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of 136 asymptomatic and 602 symptomatic postmenopausal women with an ET of >4 mm referred to the endometrial cancer diagnostic service in a gynecology oncology center over a period of one year.

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Background: Chronic low back pain, common from the sixth decade, negatively impacts the quality of life of patients and health care systems. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been introduced in the management of degenerative discogenic pain. The present study summarizes the current knowledge on the effectiveness of MSCs in patients with discogenic back pain.

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The Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway plays a critical role in orchestrating immune and inflammatory responses, and it is essential for a wide range of cellular processes, including differentiation, cell growth, and apoptosis. Over the years, this pathway has been heavily investigated due to its key role in the pathogeneses of several chronic inflammatory conditions, e.g.

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