Publications by authors named "Simonini S"

Cell division is a fundamental process shared across diverse life forms, from yeast to humans and plants. Multicellular organisms reproduce through the formation of specialized types of cells, the gametes, which at maturity enter a quiescent state that can last decades. At the point of fertilization, signalling lifts the quiescent state and triggers cell cycle reactivation.

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  • About 20% of familial ALS cases are linked to mutations in the SOD1 gene, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) is identified as a possible risk factor.
  • Researchers studied the effects of repetitive TBI on ALS progression in SOD1 mouse models and the role of Sarm1, a regulator of axonal degeneration.
  • Results showed that TBI worsened ALS symptoms and disease progression, but losing Sarm1 helped improve outcomes and reduced nerve damage, indicating potential for SARM1-targeted treatments.
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Various proteins interact with specific genome regions, playing crucial roles in gene regulation. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is the most commonly used method to study protein-DNA interactions in vivo. By combining ChIP with high-throughput sequencing, ChIP-seq allows for studying the genome-wide localization of proteins.

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In multicellular organisms, sexual reproduction relies on the formation of highly differentiated cells, the gametes, which await fertilization in a quiescent state. Upon fertilization, the cell cycle resumes. Successful development requires that male and female gametes are in the same phase of the cell cycle.

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The gynoecium is critical for the reproduction of flowering plants as it contains the ovules and the tissues that foster pollen germination, growth, and guidance. These tissues, known as the reproductive tract (ReT), comprise the stigma, style, and transmitting tract (TT). The ReT and ovules originate from the carpel margin meristem (CMM) within the pistil.

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Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for COVID-19 infected patients are exposed to stressful and traumatic events with potential for severe and sustained adverse mental and physical health consequences. Our aim was to assess the magnitude of physical and mental health outcomes of HCWs due to the prolonged use of personal protective equipment (PPE) treating COVID-19 patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the symptoms of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and psychological resilience using the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics (SAVE) scale, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Resilience Scale (RS), respectively, in Italy between 1st February and 31st March 2022.

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  • Occupational Physicians (OPs) play a crucial role in promoting health in the workplace, but there is limited research on their knowledge and views regarding health promotion (HP).
  • Between September and December 2022, a survey conducted by the Italian Society of Occupational Medicine revealed that a majority of OPs recognized HP as a shared responsibility and an investment in social health, with many actively involved in organizing or collaborating on HP plans over the past five years.
  • The findings suggest a strong interest among OPs in health promotion, although there is a need for better information on the benefits of HP to align with their perceptions and enhance the effectiveness of HP interventions.
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The mapping of pastures can serve to increase productivity and reduce deforestation, especially in Amazon Biome regions. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore precision agriculture technologies for assessing the spatial variations of soil pH and biomass indicators (i.e.

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  • The body plan of multicellular organisms is shaped by coordinated cell divisions and pattern formation, with Polycomb group (PcG) proteins, particularly the PRC2 complex, playing a crucial role.
  • MEDEA, a component of PRC2 in Arabidopsis, is essential for both seed development and embryonic patterning, contradicting previous notions that PRC2 only impacts post-embryonic stages.
  • MEDEA influences embryonic growth and patterning by regulating the cell cycle through the repression of CYCD1;1, highlighting a shared epigenetic mechanism in controlling embryo development across both animals and plants.
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mRNA methylation at the position of adenosine (mA) enables multiple layers of post-transcriptional gene control, often via RNA-binding proteins that use a YT521-B homology (YTH) domain for specific mA recognition. In , normal leaf morphogenesis and rate of leaf formation require mA and the YTH-domain proteins ECT2, ECT3 and ECT4. In this study, we show that and mutants also exhibit slow root and stem growth, slow flower formation, defective directionality of root growth, and aberrant flower and fruit morphology.

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Specification of new organs from transit amplifying cells is critical for higher eukaryote development. In plants, a central stem cell pool maintained by the pluripotency factor SHOOTMERISTEMLESS (STM), is surrounded by transit amplifying cells competent to respond to auxin hormone maxima by giving rise to new organs. Auxin triggers flower initiation through Auxin Response Factor (ARF) MONOPTEROS (MP) and recruitment of chromatin remodelers to activate genes promoting floral fate.

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Multicellular organisms, such as plants, fungi, and animals, develop organs with specialized functions. Major challenges in developing such structures include establishment of polarity along three axes (apical-basal, medio-lateral, and dorso-ventral/abaxial-adaxial), specification of tissue types and their coordinated growth, and maintenance of communication between the organ and the entire organism. The gynoecium of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana embodies the female reproductive organ and has proven an excellent model system for studying organ establishment and development, given its division into different regions with distinct symmetries and highly diverse tissue types.

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The plant hormone auxin regulates numerous aspects of the plant life cycle. Auxin signalling is mediated by auxin response factors (ARFs) that dimerise with modulating Aux/IAA repressors. ARF3 (ETTIN or ETT) is atypical as it does not interact with Aux/IAA repressors.

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Objectives: A thorough and fully application of the principles of gender mainstreaming, in accordance with the European Community guidelines, to the health and safety at work, implies the systematic review of the whole prevention from the gendered point of view. This means that both biology- and gender-based differences between male and female workers should be conceived not only as determinants of health but also as factors affecting either positively or negatively the health and safety risk prevention. In this evolutionary cultural step the role of the occupational physician is particularly important.

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Objectives: A literature review was performed to highlight which work-related diseases express sex/gender differences in health outcomes and focus the main limits of studies in this field.

Methods: The research, carried out on PubMed by specific search string, identified 4828 articles (1997-2017 period) of which 381 are eligible for review (4-22%, depending on the disease).

Results: Among them, 68% reported sex/gender differences in health outcomes, which in most cases appear to be due to different exposure and/or work segregation rather than to biological differences.

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Organ formation in multicellular organisms depends on the coordinated activities of regulatory components that integrate developmental and hormonal cues to control gene expression and mediate cell-type specification. For example, development of the gynoecium is tightly controlled by distribution and synthesis of the plant hormone auxin. The functions of several transcription factors (TFs) have been linked with auxin dynamics during gynoecium development; yet how their activities are coordinated is not known.

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The phytohormone auxin governs crucial developmental decisions throughout the plant life cycle. Auxin signaling is effectuated by auxin response factors (ARFs) whose activity is repressed by Aux/IAA proteins under low auxin levels, but relieved from repression when cellular auxin concentrations increase. ARF3/ETTIN (ETT) is a conserved noncanonical ARF that adopts an alternative auxin-sensing mode of translating auxin levels into multiple transcriptional outcomes.

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Tissue patterning in multicellular organisms is the output of precise spatio-temporal regulation of gene expression coupled with changes in hormone dynamics. In plants, the hormone auxin regulates growth and development at every stage of a plant's life cycle. Auxin signaling occurs through binding of the auxin molecule to a TIR1/AFB F-box ubiquitin ligase, allowing interaction with Aux/IAA transcriptional repressor proteins.

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Introduction: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a relatively rare tumor, with the epithelioid type occurring more frequently. Several biomarkers have been suggested for screening and early diagnosis of MPM. Currently, high levels of soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP), plasma osteopontin (pOPN) and vimentin have been reported in patients with MPM as promising markers for diagnosis, but their clinical use in monitoring is still discussed.

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Healthcare workers who use or may be exposed to needles are at risk of needlestick injuries, which can lead to serious infections by bloodborne pathogens. These injuries can be avoided by eliminating the unnecessary use of needles and using safety devices. The present study was aimed at evaluating the impact of a safety-engineered device, with passive fully automatic needlestick protection, on the rate of needlestick injuries among healthcare workers.

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In this paper, we present, in detail, the simplified perfusion technique that we have adopted since January 2009 and that we have utilized in 200 cases for cardiac minimally invasive valvular procedures that were performed through a right lateral mini-thoracotomy in the 3(rd)-4(th) intercostal space. Cardiopulmonary bypass was achieved by means of the direct cannulation of the ascending aorta and the insertion of a percutaneous venous cannula in the femoral vein. A flexible aortic cross-clamp was applied through the skin incision and cardioplegic arrest was obtained with the antegrade delivery of a crystalloid solution.

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The BASIC PENTACYSTEINE (BCP) family is a poorly characterized plant transcription factor family of GAGA BINDING PROTEINS. In Arabidopsis, there are seven members (BPC1-7) that are broadly expressed, and they can potentially bind more than 3000 Arabidopsis GAGA-repeat-containing genes. To date, BPCs are known to be direct regulators of the INNER NO OUTER (INO), SEEDSTICK (STK), and LEAFY COTYLEDON 2 (LEC2) genes.

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Upon hormonal signaling, ovules develop as lateral organs from the placenta. Ovule numbers ultimately determine the number of seeds that develop, and thereby contribute to the final seed yield in crop plants. We demonstrate here that CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON 1 (CUC1), CUC2 and AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) have additive effects on ovule primordia formation.

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Background: MADS-domain transcription factors play important roles during plant development. The Arabidopsis MADS-box gene SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) is a key regulator of two developmental phases. It functions as a repressor of the floral transition during the vegetative phase and later it contributes to the specification of floral meristems.

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