Publications by authors named "Ventura A"

High-energy nuclear collisions create a quark-gluon plasma, whose initial condition and subsequent expansion vary from event to event, impacting the distribution of the eventwise average transverse momentum [P([p_{T}])]. Disentangling the contributions from fluctuations in the nuclear overlap size (geometrical component) and other sources at a fixed size (intrinsic component) remains a challenge. This problem is addressed by measuring the mean, variance, and skewness of P([p_{T}]) in ^{208}Pb+^{208}Pb and ^{129}Xe+^{129}Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.

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Among non-coding RNAs, microRNAs are pivotal post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in higher eukaryotes. Through a titration-based mechanism of interaction with their target RNAs, microRNAs can mediate a weak but pervasive form of RNA cross-regulation, as different endogenous RNAs can be effectively coupled by competing for microRNA binding (a phenomenon now known as "crosstalk"). Mathematical modeling has been proven of great help in unraveling many features of these competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) interactions.

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Focal gene amplifications are among the most common cancer-associated mutations but have proven challenging to engineer in primary cells and model organisms. Here we describe a general strategy to engineer large (more than 1 Mbp) focal amplifications mediated by extrachromosomal DNAs (ecDNAs) in a spatiotemporally controlled manner in cells and in mice. By coupling ecDNA formation with expression of selectable markers, we track the dynamics of ecDNA-containing cells under physiological conditions and in the presence of specific selective pressures.

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Background: Responsive feeding is recommended and occurs when caregivers use infants' behavioral cues to guide the timing, pacing, and duration of feeding. Paced bottle-feeding is an approach designed to promote responsive bottle-feeding by mimicking the behavioral benefits of breastfeeding. This study evaluates the efficacy of paced bottle-feeding compared to typical bottle-feeding and breastfeeding for promoting responsive feeding and other markers of healthy feeding outcomes, such as slower feeding rates and lower likelihood of spitting up.

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Objectives: The purposes of this study were to (1) prospectively evaluate clinical and functional outcomes of athletes following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction up to 12 months after surgery, (2) to identify the correlations between functional and subjective tests, and (3) to determine which factors influence patients' capability to resume sports at pre-injury level.

Methods: Patients who underwent ACL reconstruction using doubled autologous hamstring graft were prospectively assessed pre-operatively, 6, and 12 months after surgery using International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Form, Tegner activity level, and ACL-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) scale. Jumping ability was instrumentally assessed using a test battery including bipodalic squat jump (SJ), bipodalic countermovement jump (CMJ), monopodalic CMJ, and monopodalic side-hop test.

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Galectin-3 is an endogenous lectin which binds mainly to β-galactosides on the cell surface and extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoproteins. In the thymus, this lectin is constitutively expressed, being involved in thymocyte adhesion, migration, and death. Galectin-3 has been related to type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease characterized by pancreatic β-cell destruction mediated by autoreactive T lymphocytes.

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A search for the exclusive hadronic decays W^{±}→π^{±}γ, W^{±}→K^{±}γ, and W^{±}→ρ^{±}γ is performed using up to 140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=13  TeV. If observed, these rare processes would provide a unique test bench for the quantum chromodynamics factorization formalism used to calculate cross sections at colliders. Additionally, at future colliders, these decays could offer a new way to measure the W boson mass through fully reconstructed decay products.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The ATLAS experiment at the LHC conducted a search for long-lived particles (LLPs) using a large dataset (140 fb^{-1}) from proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV, focusing on LLPs with masses from 5 to 55 GeV that decay within the inner detector.
  • - The study considered scenarios where LLPs are produced from exotic Higgs boson decays and models involving axionlike particles (ALPs).
  • - No significant findings above expected background levels were detected, leading to the establishment of upper limits on various production rates involving the Higgs boson and the top quark related to LLPs and ALPs.
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  • The study investigates the associated production of Higgs and W bosons, focusing on how the relative signs of the Higgs couplings to W and Z bosons impact the process.
  • Two specific searches were conducted using large amounts of collision data from the LHC to analyze different coupling scenarios: one for opposite-sign couplings and another for same-sign (standard model-like) couplings.
  • The results significantly exclude the opposite-sign coupling hypothesis and set a strict upper limit on the production rate of this process compared to standard model predictions.
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Current infant feeding recommendations promote responsive feeding, wherein caregivers respond to infants' cues to determine feeding pace and duration, to support infant self-regulation and healthy weight outcomes. A central tenet of responsive feeding is that infants will effectively signal hunger, receptiveness to feeding, needs to disengage from feeding, and satiation, yet there is a lack of research available to support this assumption. Rather, previous research illustrates substantial variability exists for the extent to which infants exhibit behavioral cues during feeding and that many mothers feel their infants do not clearly communicate satiation, suggesting certain caregivers need tailored support to understand their infants' needs during feeding interactions.

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Introduction And Objectives: In patients with established chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), the significance of persistent angina is controversial. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic role of persistent angina in symptomatic CCS patients with abnormal stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and altered angiographic findings undergoing percutaneous revascularization.

Methods: We analyzed 334 CCS patients with Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina class ≥2, perfusion deficits on stress CMR and severe lesions in angiography who underwent medical therapy optimization plus CMR-guided percutaneous revascularization.

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  • Water scarcity in California is worsening due to drought, climate change, pollution, and population growth, particularly impacting drinking water in socially disadvantaged communities.
  • A study collected tap water samples from various regions, focusing on low-income areas with high breast cancer rates, analyzing a total of 251 organic and 32 inorganic contaminants.
  • Results revealed frequent mixtures of contaminants exceeding safety levels across all regions, underscoring the need for further research to link these exposures to health risks like breast cancer in vulnerable populations.
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This Letter presents results from a combination of searches for Higgs boson pair production using 126-140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. At 95% confidence level (CL), the upper limit on the production rate is 2.9 times the standard model (SM) prediction, with an expected limit of 2.

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This Letter presents the first study of the energy dependence of diboson polarization fractions in WZ→ℓνℓ^{'}ℓ^{'}(ℓ,ℓ^{'}=e,μ) production. The dataset used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector. Two fiducial regions with an enhanced presence of events featuring two longitudinally polarized bosons are defined.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals of increasing concern to human health. PFAS contamination in water systems has been linked to a variety of sources including hydrocarbon fire suppression activities, industrial and military land uses, agricultural applications of biosolids, and consumer products. To assess PFAS in California tap water, we collected 60 water samples from inside homes in four different geographic regions, both urban and rural.

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This study aimed to perform in vitro antiparasitic and antimicrobial tests with the essential oil (EO) of Schinus terebinthifolius against of fish and shrimp. The chemical composition of the EO of S. terebinthifolius was determined by gas chromatography.

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Asymptotic giant branch stars are responsible for the production of most of the heavy isotopes beyond Sr observed in the solar system. Among them, isotopes shielded from the r-process contribution by their stable isobars are defined as s-only nuclei. For a long time the abundance of ^{204}Pb, the heaviest s-only isotope, has been a topic of debate because state-of-the-art stellar models appeared to systematically underestimate its solar abundance.

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Ligand-receptor systems, covalent modification cycles, and transcriptional networks are the fundamental components of cell signaling and gene expression systems. While their behavior in reaching a steady-state regime under step-like stimulation is well understood, their response under repetitive stimulation, particularly at early time stages is poorly characterized. Yet, early-stage responses to external inputs are arguably as informative as late-stage ones.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Pneumonia is a common and serious infectious disease, significantly impacting mortality rates and healthcare resources.
  • - The OPENIN Group, comprised of specialists in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, focuses on improving clinical processes related to pneumonia diagnosis and treatment through a review of existing scientific research.
  • - The group's initial meeting in October 2023 addressed optimizing pneumonia diagnosis, possibly reducing antibiotic treatment duration, and exploring the use of immunomodulatory strategies like steroids, leading to expert recommendations based on their findings.
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Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased substance-related morbidity and mortality and transformed care for opioid use disorder (OUD). We assessed the perceived impacts of the pandemic on substance use and related consequences among patients in office-based addiction treatment (OBAT).

Methods: We recruited patients with OUD on buprenorphine from July 2021 to July 2022, with data collection at baseline and 6 months.

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Statistical combinations of searches for charginos and neutralinos using various decay channels are performed using 139  fb^{-1} of pp collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Searches targeting pure-wino chargino pair production, pure-wino chargino-neutralino production, or Higgsino production decaying via standard model W, Z, or h bosons are combined to extend the mass reach to the produced supersymmetric particles by 30-100 GeV. The depth of the sensitivity of the original searches is also improved by the combinations, lowering the 95% C.

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  • Critically ill pediatric patients often face fluid accumulation (FA) due to administered fluids, which can lead to severe health complications and worsen outcomes.
  • A systematic review and meta-analysis of 120 studies involving 44,682 children showed that FA significantly increased the risks of mortality, acute kidney injury, prolonged mechanical ventilation, and longer ICU stays.
  • The findings suggest that careful monitoring and management of fluid levels in these patients is crucial to improve their overall health outcomes.
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Objectives: As xylazine increasingly adulterates the unregulated opioid supply, people who use drugs (PWUD) are more likely to experience sequalae from xylazine. Given xylazine exposure is consistently associated with development of wounds which can heal with medically directed wound care, we sought to understand the level of preparedness and ability of front-line addiction professionals who interact with PWUD to provide wound care treatment.

Methods: We administered a 26-item online survey assessing participant and organizational characteristics, level of wound care training, ability to test for xylazine and treat xylazine-associated wounds, and funding and billing characteristics to a national sample of addiction professionals using a listserv of over 11,000 individuals.

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