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234 results on '"Sortino A."'

20. Drug resistant epilepsies: A multicentre case series of steroid therapy.

Author

Falsaperla, Raffaele, Collotta, Ausilia Desiree, Marino, Simona D., Sortino, Vincenzo, Leonardi, Roberta, Privitera, Grete Francesca, Pulvirenti, Alfredo, Suppiej, Agnese, Vecchi, Marilena, Verrotti, Alberto, Farello, Giovanni, Spalice, Alberto, Elia, Maurizio, Spitaleri, Orazio, Micale, Marco, Mailo, Janette, and Ruggieri, Martino

Abstract

• Drug-resistant epilepsies (DRE) are a challenge for paediatricians. • The steroid must be considered a therapeutic option in these forms of epilepsy. • 62.68 % of patients presented a reduction in epileptic seizures greater than 50 %. • DREs with structural and immune aetiology respond better than genetic forms. • The most effective steroid protocol is methylprednisolone 30 mg/kg/day for 3 days. Our study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of corticosteroids on seizure control in drug-resistant epilepsies (DREs). Our primary goal was to assess the response to steroids for various underlying etiologies, interictal electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns and electroclinical seizure descriptions. Our second goal was to compare steroid responsiveness to different treatment protocols. This is a retrospective multicentre cohort study conducted according to the STROBE guidelines (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology). The following data were collected for each patient: epilepsy etiology, interictal EEG pattern, seizure types and type of steroid treatment protocol administered. Thirty patients with DRE were included in the study. After 6 months of therapy, 62.7 % of patients experienced reduced seizure frequency by 50 %, and 6.6 % of patients experienced complete seizure cessation. Findings associated with favourable response to steroids included structural/lesional etiology of epilepsy, immune/infectious etiology and focal interictal abnormalities on EEG. Comparing four different steroid treatment protocols, the most effective for seizure control was treatment with methylprednisolone at the dose of 30 mg/kg/day administered for 3 days, leading to greater than 50 % seizure reduction at 6 months in 85.7 % of patients. Treatment with dexamethasone 6 mg/day for 5 days decreased seizure frequency in 71.4 % of patients. Hydrocortisone 10 mg/kg administered for 3 months showed a good response to treatment in 71 %. In our study, two-thirds of patients with DRE experienced a significant seizure reduction following treatment with steroids. We suggest considering steroids as a potential therapeutic option in children with epilepsy not responding to conventional antiseizure medicines (ASM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
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27. Is ketogenic diet a 'precision medicine'? Recent developments and future challenges.

Author

Falsaperla, Raffaele, Sortino, Vincenzo, Striano, Pasquale, Kluger, Gerhard, Ramantani, Georgia, and Ruggieri, Martino

Subjects
KETOGENIC diet, INDIVIDUALIZED medicine, UNSATURATED fatty acids, PEOPLE with epilepsy, ANTICONVULSANTS
Abstract

Recently, precision medicine has attracted much attention in the management of epilepsies, but it remains unclear if the increasingly utilized ketogenic diet approaches can truly be considered precision medicine in all epilepsy treatment. Currently, it is the standard treatment for patients with GLUT1 deficiency and the latest NICE guidelines highlight ketogenic diet as a therapeutic option for multi-drug resistant epilepsy patients. Ketogenic diet is presumed to be a precision medicine tool when applied to the treatment of seizures secondary to GLUT1 transporter deficiency. In contrast, the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms modulated by ketogenic diet and underlying its efficacy in other epilepsy types can only be hypothesized to relate to mechanisms of neuroprotection, neuromodulation, and reduction of neuroinflammation. Early ketogenic diet initiation in well-selected patients, would allow immediate action in the direction of neuroprotection and modulation of neuroinflammation, ensuring higher success rates and lower "cost" to the patient in terms of quality of life and comorbidities. These considerations have fueled an increasing interest in investigating the efficacy, side effects, and adherence to long-term use of the ketogenic diet in epilepsy treatment in large contemporary cohorts, available within the scope of multicentric collaborations, such as the European Network for Therapy in Rare Epilepsies (NETRE). Future directions should involve the use of precision medicine, applied to each patient with the help of "omics", whose use should be expanded and inclusive. • Ketogenic diet in pediatric multi drug resistant epilepsy changes the transcriptomic profile of epileptogenesis. • Ketogenic diet and anti-seizure medications influence the epigenetic processes modulating gene expression. • Ketogenic diet is presumed to be a precision medicine when applied to the treatment of GLUT1 transporter deficiency syndrome. • Ketone bodies and polyunsaturated fatty acids induce neuroprotection and decrease neuroinflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
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38. Chemical–physical characteristics, polyphenolic content and total antioxidant activity of three Italian-grown pomegranate cultivars

Author

Vittorio Farina, Anna Myriam Perrone, Filippo Saletta, Giuseppe Gianguzzi, Roberta Passafiume, Giuseppe Sortino, Carla Gentile, Passafiume, Roberta, Perrone, Anna, Sortino, Giuseppe, Gianguzzi, Giuseppe, Saletta, Filippo, Gentile, Carla, and Farina, Vittorio

Subjects
0301 basic medicine, Antioxidant, medicine.medical_treatment, Punica granatum, Fruit quality, Antioxidant activity, Phytochemical, Physico-chemical characteristic, Bioactive compound content, Titratable acid, lcsh:TX341-641, Biology, 03 medical and health sciences, chemistry.chemical_compound, 0302 clinical medicine, Nutraceutical, Aril, Settore BIO/10 - Biochimica, medicine, Cultivar, 030109 nutrition & dietetics, Nutrition and Dietetics, lcsh:TP368-456, food and beverages, Settore AGR/03 - Arboricoltura Generale E Coltivazioni Arboree, Antioxidant capacity, Horticulture, lcsh:Food processing and manufacture, chemistry, Polyphenol, Anthocyanin, 030221 ophthalmology & optometry, lcsh:Nutrition. Foods and food supply, Food Science
Abstract

Background: In Mediterranean countries, there is an increasing demand for pomegranate fruits due to their antioxidant properties and nutritional values. The large diffusion of new genotypes and cultivars requires the knowledge of all fruit characteristics in connection with the cultivation area, to satisfy the market demand. This study seeks to determine the fruit quality attributes and nutraceutical values of three pomegranate cultivars (Wonderful, Acco and Kamel) grown in the Mediterranean climate. Methods: The fruits were evaluated for their main physico-chemical traits (weight, volume, height, width, thickness, total arils number, total arils weight, juiciness, fruit index, peel index and total soluble solids content/titratable acidity ratio), bioactive compounds (total phenolic content and total anthocyanin content) and antioxidant activities (radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing power).Results: The data showed that Acco fruit is bigger, juicier and sweeter when compared with the cultivars Wonderful and Kamel. Wonderful is the smallest, least juicy and least sweet but the reddest among all the studied cultivars. Regarding the phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity (radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing power), cultivar Wonderful has the highest values and cultivar Acco contains the most anthocyanin content. Conclusions: This study showed that pomegranate cultivars grown in the Mediterranean area exhibit an appreciable quality, but there are significant differences in quality properties of the arils and juice. Keywords: Punica granatum, Fruit quality, Antioxidant activity, Phytochemical, Physico-chemical characteristic, Bioactive compound content

Published
2019

39. Root growth and soil carbon turnover in Opuntia ficus-indica as affected by soil volume availability

Author

Giorgia Liguori, Mounir Louhaichi, Luciano Gristina, Agata Novara, Giuseppe Sortino, Paolo Inglese, Sawsan Hassan, Hassan, Sawsan, Inglese, Paolo, Gristina, Luciano, Liguori, Giorgia, Novara, Agata, Louhaichi, Mounir, and Sortino, Giuseppe

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Soil test, Soil Science, Plant Science, complex mixtures, 01 natural sciences, Dry weight, Cladodes, δ 13 C, PEAR, Cactus pear, SOC turnover, biology, δ13C, 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences, Soil carbon, biology.organism_classification, Settore AGR/02 - Agronomia E Coltivazioni Erbacee, Settore AGR/03 - Arboricoltura Generale E Coltivazioni Arboree, Agronomy, Soil water, Cactus, 040103 agronomy & agriculture, 0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, Agronomy and Crop Science, 010606 plant biology & botany
Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of soil volume restriction, i.e. root confinement, on below-and-above ground growth of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill) as well as the effect on root architecture and turnover, and soil carbon turnover. In May 2014, 1- year-old cladodes were planted in five different pots size (50, 33, 18, 9 and 5 L). Soil samples were collected from each pot and dried before SOC and δ13C determination. Roots of each plant were divided visually into three groups depending on their diameter, and then measured and weighed. Results indicated a significant effect of soil volume and sampling dates on total root length, root dry mass and δ13C. Our data showed a linear positive and significant effect of the soil volume on the large and fine roots mass, during the four sampling dates. Roots of the plants placed in the smallest soil volume had higher C root turnover (% per year) and Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) showed a significant increase in relation to sampling dates (6, 12, 18 and 24 months). Our research showed that the significant effect of the interaction between sampling date and soil volume (pot size) clearly indicates how soil availability is relevant SOC contribution. Based on the new findings of our study, cactus pear could enhance accumulation of SOC in soils.

Published
2019

41. Potential applications of biosurfactants produced by different Pseudomonas syringae: A comparative study on interfacial activity, antimicrobial efficacy, and cytotoxicity.

Author

Haidar, Carla N., Taddia, Antonela, Sortino, Maximiliano, López, Debora, and Malpiedi, Luciana Pellegrini

Subjects
CYTOTOXINS, BIOSURFACTANTS, RHAMNOLIPIDS, PSEUDOMONAS syringae, VEGETABLE oils, STAPHYLOCOCCUS aureus, SURFACE active agents, COMPARATIVE studies
Abstract

Finding novel biocompatible compounds with adequate interfacial activity and low toxicity still represents a great challenge for the scientific community. In this context , this work aims to compare for the first time the potential applications of biosurfactants produced by three Pseudomonas syringae pathovars : P. syringae pv tabaci (TA), P. syringae pv tomato (TO) and P. syringae pv syringae (SY). Isolated lipopeptides proved excellent emulsifying activity against a great variety of hydrocarbons and vegetable oils. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations against the pathogenic strain Staphylococcus aureus were observed for the biosurfactants produced by TA and SY (0.375 mg/mL). Non-cytotoxic effects were observed for concentrations of up to 10 mg/mL for these BS, and they proved differential cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines. These results open perspectives for the application of these surfactants as low-toxic bioemulsifiers and biotherapeutics. • All Psedomonas syringae pathovars produced a mixture of lipopeptides. • Biosurfactants exhibited notable emulsifying capacity against hydrophobic substrates. • Antibacterial assessments confirm inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus. • Cytotoxicity evaluation shows low-toxicity against normal human cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
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50. Stability analysis in milling by taking into account the influence of forced vibrations on the actual tool-workpiece engagement conditions

Author

Tamás Insperger, G. Totis, M. Sortino, and Gabor Stepan

Subjects
0209 industrial biotechnology, Computer science, Forced Vibrations, Mechanical engineering, 02 engineering and technology, Stability (probability), Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, 020901 industrial engineering & automation, Complex geometry, Linearization, 0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering, Chatter, Milling, General Environmental Science, Dynamics, Prediction, Regenerative Vibrations, Tool, Control and Systems Engineering, Steady state, 020208 electrical & electronic engineering, Work (physics), Process (computing), Vibration, General Earth and Planetary Sciences, Constant (mathematics)
Abstract

In order to increase the material removal rate in milling, advanced cutting tools with complex geometry are typically applied under extreme cutting conditions which may trigger undesired chatter vibrations of the machining system. Recently some dynamic milling models were proposed in the literature which take into account the higher geometrical complexity of these tools. In these works, the tool-workpiece engagement conditions are computed from a purely geometric-kinematic analysis of the milling operation. Moreoever, they are kept constant throughout the stability analysis, independently from any possible increase of the axial depth of cut. In many cases the experimental validation of the proposed models is incomplete. In this work a novel methodology for assessing milling stability is presented, which is based on the correct linearization of the regenerative perturbations around the actual steady state forced vibrations. When the axial depth of cut is progressively increased, the resulting forced vibrations may cause a variation of each tooth-workpiece contact conditions, thus influencing the process dynamic behavior. This effect is more dominant when the degree of symmetry is poor as in the case of variable pitch cutters, when there is significant teeth runout, and when the average chip thickness is concurrently very small as in peripheral milling. The proposed approach for chatter prediction consists of an incremental linear stability analysis which does progressively adapt to the gradually increasing depth of cut up to the stability border. The concept was successfully verified with experimental cutting tests.

Published
2018

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