Publications by authors named "Santoro F"

We here simulate in the gas phase the population dynamics of guanine/cytosine (GC) and cytosine/guanine (CG) stacked dimers in B-DNA and A-DNA arrangement, following excitation in the lowest-energy band, and considering the four lowest-energy ππ* bright excited states, the three lowest-energy π* states, and the G → C charge-transfer (CT) state. We resort to a generalized Linear Vibronic Coupling (LVC) model parametrized with time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) computations, exploiting a fragment-based diabatization and we run nonadiabatic quantum dynamical simulations with the multilayer version of the Multiconfigurational Time-Dependent Hartree (ML-MCTDH) approach. G → C CT results in a major decay process for GC in B-DNA but less in A-DNA arrangement, where also the population transfer to the lowest-energy excited state localized on C is an important intermonomer process.

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Intracellular electrophysiology is essential in neuroscience, cardiology, and pharmacology for studying cells' electrical properties. Traditional methods like patch-clamp are precise but low-throughput and invasive. Nanoelectrode Arrays (NEAs) offer a promising alternative by enabling simultaneous intracellular and extracellular action potential (iAP and eAP) recordings with high throughput.

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Background: It is crucial to distinguish type-1 myocardial infarction (T1MI) from type-2 myocardial infarction (T2MI) at admission and during hospitalization to avoid unnecessary invasive exams and inappropriate admissions to the acute cardiac care unit.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to define a simple profile derived from commonly used biomarkers to differentiate T1MI from T2MI.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled in an observational study 213 iconsecutive patients with a provisional diagnosis of non-ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) admitted to the Cardiology Department.

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The integration of organic electronic materials with biological systems to monitor, interface with, and regulate physiological processes is a key area in the field of bioelectronics. Central to this advancement is the development of cell-chip coupling, where materials engineering plays a critical role in enhancing biointerfacing capabilities. Conductive polymers have proven particularly useful in cell interfacing applications due to their favorable biophysical and chemical properties.

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  • Congenital Tracheal Stenosis (CTS) is a rare but serious condition in children, often treated with slide tracheoplasty (ST) involving sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass.
  • The study analyzed surgical outcomes of 20 CTS patients treated from 2012 to 2022, revealing a 5% mortality rate post-surgery, with 40% requiring further interventions, but no need for tracheostomy.
  • A tailored, multidisciplinary approach is recommended for treating CTS, allowing for alternative procedures based on individual patient evaluations, rather than relying solely on the traditional ST method.
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The brain integrates activity across networks of interconnected neurons to generate behavioral outputs. Several physiological and imaging-based approaches have been previously used to monitor responses of individual neurons. While these techniques can identify cellular responses greater than the neuron's action potential threshold, less is known about the events that are smaller than this threshold or are localized to subcellular compartments.

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Background: Extensive myocardial edema is a key feature of acute takotsubo syndrome (TTS) and it can be quantitatively assessed by T2 mapping cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Clinical correlates of myocardial edema in TTS are not well characterized.

Methods: Sixty patients with acute TTS underwent CMR with T2 mapping within one week of hospitalization.

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Estimation of cochlear length is gaining attention in the field of cochlear implants (CIs), mainly for selecting of CI electrode lengths. The currently available tools to estimate the cochlear duct length (CDL) are only valid for normal inner anatomy. However, inner ear malformation (IEM) types are associated with different degrees of cystic apices, limiting the application of CDL equations of normal anatomy inner ear.

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We report the resolution of a long-standing puzzle in molecular spectroscopy: the origin of the shoulder in the room temperature solution absorption spectrum of crystal violet (CV) - an archetypal cationic triphenylmethane dye. This was achieved by comparing experimental and theoretical results for CV in solution at room temperature and as an isolated cation in gas-phase at 5 K. The two lowest energy electronically excited states involved in the visible region absorption are degenerate and coupled a Jahn-Teller (JT) mechanism involving phenyl torsions, making CV particularly sensitive to environmental perturbations.

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  • Research in metallodrugs is growing, but a key challenge is their low water solubility; to address this, new ligands (NaHL) were synthesized that show improved solubility.
  • The ligands' ability to bind with Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions was studied, leading to the isolation of metal complexes and the determination of their structure and stability.
  • Initial tests on cell lines indicated that the Cu(II) complexes had significant cytotoxic effects, achieving approximately 40-45% growth inhibition, while Zn(II) complexes showed no toxic effects in normal cells.
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The development of organic artificial synapses that exhibit biomimicry features also may enable a more seamless integration of neuroelectronic devices in the nervous system, allowing artificial neuromodulation to be perceived as natural behavior by neuronal cells. Nevertheless, the capability to interact with both electroactive and non-electroactive neurotransmitters remains a challenge since state-of-the-art devices mainly rely on the oxidation of electroactive species. Here, the study proposes an organic artificial synapse engineered to enable interaction with non-electroactive species present in the central nervous system.

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  • The study focused on the use of plasma transfusions in 85 anaesthetized dogs, analyzing when and why plasma was administered, along with monitoring for adverse events and human errors during transfusion processes.
  • The primary reasons for plasma transfusion included sepsis (58% of dogs) and perianaesthetic hypotension, particularly with 39% of dogs experiencing hypotension as the sole trigger for the transfusion.
  • Despite a common practice of bolusing plasma rather than following recommended slow rates, no transfusion reactions were clearly identified, indicating potential masking effects due to anaesthesia in critically ill dogs.
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  • Disk battery ingestion in children can cause serious health issues and even death, prompting a study about effective management practices.
  • The research involved analyzing cases from June 2010 to January 2024, using a set protocol that includes specialized scans and a team of various medical experts for treatment.
  • The study treated 22 patients, all of whom survived, thanks to the established protocol, but some required additional surgeries due to complications; the findings emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for better patient outcomes.
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  • The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a quadratus lumborum (QL) block for pain relief in female cats (queens) undergoing ovariectomy.
  • A total of 37 healthy queens were split into two groups: one received the QL block and the other was a control group with no block; the QL group needed significantly less intraoperative fentanyl for pain management.
  • The results showed that the QL block significantly reduced the need for additional fentanyl during surgery, but no major differences were found in postoperative recovery or complications between the two groups.
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In recent years, there has been a growing interest in exploring the non-classical symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), with a particular focus on cognitive impairments associated with the disease's progression. These cognitive symptoms are now recognized as crucial elements in the assessment of disease activity. In this context, neurophysiology has emerged as a valuable and accessible tool for studying and addressing cognitive decline in individuals with MS.

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Contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and plasma membrane (PM) play a crucial role in governing calcium regulation and lipid homeostasis. Despite their significance, the factors regulating their spatial distribution on the PM remain elusive. Inspired by observations in cardiomyocytes, where ER-PM contact sites concentrate on tubular PM invaginations known as transverse tubules, we hypothesize that PM curvature plays a role in ER-PM contact formation.

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The present work reports the development and validation of a chromosomal expression system in Streptococcus pneumoniae which permits gene expression under the control of Lactococcus lactis lantibiotic nisin. The system is based on the integrative and conjugative element (ICE) Tn5253 of S. pneumoniae capable of site-specific chromosomal integration and conjugal transfer to a variety of bacterial species.

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Background: Few data are available on long-term drug therapy and its potential prognostic impact after Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). Aim of the study is to evaluate clinical characteristics and long-term outcome of TTS patients on Renin Angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi).

Methods: TTS patients were enrolled in the international multicenter GEIST (GErman Italian Spanish Takotsubo) registry.

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  • A phase 2a clinical trial demonstrated that the leishmaniasis vaccine ChAd63-KH is safe and can generate an immune response in Sudanese patients with post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL).
  • A follow-up phase 2b randomized trial assessed its therapeutic efficacy, comparing the vaccine to a placebo in 86 participants with uncomplicated PKDL.
  • Results indicated no significant improvement in clinical outcomes or severity of PKDL, suggesting that ChAd63-KH does not provide therapeutic benefits for this condition in the studied population.
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, a pathogen capable of causing diseases ranging from mild to life-threatening, has a large arsenal of virulence factors. Notably, extracellular vesicles have emerged as significant players in the pathogenesis of this organism. However, the full range of their functions is still being studied, and difficulties related to vesicle purification (long protocols, low yields, and specialized instruments) have become a major obstacle for their characterization.

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  • Frailty in older patients (over 75) with non-ST elevation acute myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is linked to worse clinical outcomes and lower rates of undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
  • The study followed 141 older patients with NSTEMI, finding that those with frailty had significantly higher mortality rates after 30 days and 6 months compared to those without frailty, regardless of whether they received PCI.
  • Despite frailty being associated with a higher risk of death, receiving PCI positively influenced long-term survival rates, suggesting careful patient selection for revascularization could improve outcomes in this population.
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Aquaporin-4 antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4-NMOSD) is an autoimmune disease characterized by suboptimal recovery from attacks and long-term disability. Experimental data suggest that AQP4 antibodies can disrupt neuroplasticity, a fundamental driver of brain recovery. A well-established method to assess brain LTP is through intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS).

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