Publications by authors named "S DI STEFANO"

Craniofacial syndromes present with exorbitism and airway obstruction as a result of upper and middle facial hypoplasia. Classical subcranial Lefort III (LF III) or monobloc distraction osteogenesis (DO) using an external craniofacial device is used to treat these deformities. These procedures are done during mixed dentition, in most cases, advancing an abnormal face, to a more normal position.

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The outstanding efficiency and selectivity of enzymatic reactions, such as C-H oxidation by nonheme iron oxygenases, stems from a precise control of substrate positioning inside the active site. The resulting proximity between a specific moiety (a certain C-H bond) to the reactant (a FeIV(O) active species) translates into higher rates and selectivity, that can be in part replicated also with artificial supramolecular catalysts. However, structural modification of the position and orientation of the binding site both in enzymes and in artificial catalysts often leads to significant variations in reactivity that can be difficult to rationalize due to the system's complexity.

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Flight-Initiation Distance (FID)-a direct measure of an individual animal's escape response-is a widely used method to study escape ecology in fauna. The technique has primarily been applied to bird species that are active by day. Indexing the escape behaviour of nocturnal species has been limited due to the need for light to detect and observe animals which confounds behavioural responses.

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Hydrogen sulfide (HS), a known inhibitor of the electron transport chain, is endogenously produced in the periphery as well as in the central nervous system, where is mainly generated by glial cells. It affects, as a cellular signaling molecule, many different biochemical processes. In the central nervous system, depending on its concentration, it can be protective or damaging to neurons.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores how controlling the unfolding and refolding of proteins can impact their functions, with potential applications in areas like drug release and protein-based devices.
  • It demonstrates a method using albumin, a common protein, where the addition of nitroacetic acid induces a controlled change in the protein's structure by altering pH levels through a chemical reaction.
  • The results show that this process is reversible and that the protein can fully return to its original structure, highlighting a novel way to manipulate protein behaviors in a time-efficient manner.
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