104 results on '"Cerutti, Francesco"'
Search Results
2. Experimental setup of the 239Pu neutron capture and fission cross-section measurements at n_TOF, CERN
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Sanchez-Caballero Adrian, Alcayne Victor, Andrzejewski Józef, Cano-Ott Daniel, Cardinaels Thomas, Dries Peter, Gawlik-Ramiega Aleksandra, González-Romero Enrique, Heyse Jan, Leinders Gregory, Martínez Trinitario, Mendoza Emilio, Moens Andre, Pérez de Rada Alberto, Perkowski Jarosław, Plompen Arjan, Paradela Carlos, Schillebeeckx Peter, Sibbens Goedele, Van Hecke Karen, Vanaken Koen, Vanleeuw David, Verguts Ken, Verwerft Marc, Wynants Ruud, Aberle Oliver, Altieri Saverio, Amaducci Simone, Babiano-Suarez Victor, Bacak Michael, Balibrea Correa Javier, Beltrami Chiara, Bennett Samuel, Bernardes Ana-Paula, Berthoumieux Eric, Beyer Roland, Boromiza Marian, Bosnar Damir, Caamaño Manuel, Calviño Francisco, Calviani Marco, Casanovas Adria, Castelluccio Donato, Cerutti Francesco, Cescutti Gabriele, Chasapoglou Sotirios, Chiaveri Enrico, Colombetti Paolo, Colonna Nicola, Console Camprini Patrizio, Cortés Guillem, Cortés-Giraldo Miguel, Cosentino Luigi, Cristallo Sergio, Dellmann, Di Castro Mario, Di Maria Salvatore, Diakaki Maria, Dietz Mirco, Domingo-Pardo César, Dressler Rugard, Dupont Emmeric, Durán Ignacio, Eleme Zinovia, Fargier Sylvain, Fernández Begoña, Fernández-Domínguez Beatriz, Finocchiaro Paolo, Fiore Salvatore, Furman Valter, García-Infantes Francisco, Gervino Gianpiero, Gilardoni Simone, Guerrero Carlos, Gunsing Frank, Gustavino Carlo, Hillman William, Jenkins David, Jericha Erwin, Junghans Arnd, Kadi Yacine, Kaperoni Kalliopi, Kaur Gurpreet, Kimura Atsushi, Knapová Ingrid, Kokkoris Michael, Kopatch Yury, Krtička Milan, Kyritsis Nikolaos, Ladarescu Ion, Lederer-Woods Claudia, Lerendegui-Marco Jorge, Lerner Giuseppe, Manna Alice, Masi Alessandro, Massimi Cristian, Mastinu Pierfrancesco, Mastromarco Mario, Maugeri Emilio-Andrea, Mazzone Annamaria, Mengoni Alberto, Michalopoulou Veatriki, Milazzo Paolo, Mucciola Riccardo, Murtas Fabrizio, Musacchio-Gonzalez Elizabeth, Musumarra Agatino, Negret Alexandru, Pérez-Maroto Pablo, Patronis Nikolas, Pavón-Rodríguez José-Antonio, Pellegriti Maria, Petrone Cristina, Pirovano Elisa, Plaza del Olmo Julio, Pomp Stephan, Porras Ignacio, Praena Javier, Quesada José-Manuel, Reifarth René, Rochman Dimitri, Romanets Yuriy, Rubbia Carlo, Sabaté-Gilarte Marta, Schumann Dorothea, Sekhar Adhitya, Smith Gavin, Sosnin Nikolay, Stamati Maria-Elisso, Sturniolo Alessandro, Tagliente Giuseppe, Tarifeño-Saldivia Ariel, Tarrío Diego, Torres-Sánchez Pablo, Vagena, Valenta Stanislav, Variale Vincenzo, Vaz Pedro, Vecchio Gianfranco, Vescovi Diego, Vlachoudis Vasilis, Vlastou Rosa, Wallner Anton, Woods Philip-John, Wright Tobias, Zarrella Roberto, and Žugec Petar
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Physics ,QC1-999 - Abstract
The experimental setup of the new measurement of 239Pu fission and capture cross-section in the n_TOF time-of-flight facility at CERN is presented. The measurement aims to address the needs and demands of nuclear data users. The experiment incorporates an innovative fast Fission Fragment Detector and the n_TOF Total Absorption Calorimeter, enabling the implementation of the fission tagging technique. Preliminary results exhibit the robust performance of the detector systems, along with the high quality of the new 239Pu samples. These samples were exclusively produced for this measurement by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Geel.
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- 2024
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3. Phylogeography and genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Italy and Europe with newly characterized Italian genomes between February-June 2020
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Lai, Alessia, Bergna, Annalisa, Toppo, Stefano, Morganti, Marina, Menzo, Stefano, Ghisetti, Valeria, Bruzzone, Bianca, Codeluppi, Mauro, Fiore, Vito, Rullo, Emmanuele Venanzi, Antonelli, Guido, Sarmati, Loredana, Brindicci, Gaetano, Callegaro, Annapaola, Sagnelli, Caterina, Francisci, Daniela, Vicenti, Ilaria, Miola, Arianna, Tonon, Giovanni, Cirillo, Daniela, Menozzi, Ilaria, Caucci, Sara, Cerutti, Francesco, Orsi, Andrea, Schiavo, Roberta, Babudieri, Sergio, Nunnari, Giuseppe, Mastroianni, Claudio M., Andreoni, Massimo, Monno, Laura, Guarneri, Davide, Coppola, Nicola, Crisanti, Andrea, Galli, Massimo, and Zehender, Gianguglielmo
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- 2022
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4. SARS-CoV-2 microfluidic antigen point-of-care testing in Emergency Room patients during COVID-19 pandemic
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Burdino, Elisa, Cerutti, Francesco, Panero, Francesco, Allice, Tiziano, Gregori, Gabriella, Milia, Maria Grazia, Cavalot, Giulia, Altavilla, Andrea, Aprà, Franco, and Ghisetti, Valeria
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- 2022
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5. Measurement of the 235U(n,f) cross section relative to the 10B(n,α) reaction with Micromegas detectors at the CERN n_TOF facility: First results
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Michalopoulou Veatriki, Diakaki Maria, Vlastou Rosa, Kokkoris Michael, Stamatopoulos Athanasios, Tsinganis Andrea, Eleme Zinovia, Patronis Nikolas, Heyse Jan, Schillebeeckx Peter, Tassan-Got Laurent, Barbagallo Massimo, Colonna Nicola, Urlass Sebastian, Macina Daniela, Chiaveri Enrico, Aberle Oliver, Alcayne Victor, Amaducci Simone, Andrzejewski Józef, Audouin Laurent, Babiano-Suarez Victor, Bacak Michael, Bennett Samuel, Berthoumieux Eric, Billowes Jon, Bosnar Damir, Brown Adam, Busso Maurizio, Caamaño Manuel, Caballero-Ontanaya Luis, Calviño Francisco, Calviani Marco, Cano-Ott Daniel, Casanovas Adria, Cerutti Francesco, Cortés Guillem, Cortés-Giraldo Miguel, Cosentino Luigi, Cristallo Sergio, Damone Lucia-Anna, Davies Paul-John, Dietz Mirco, Domingo-Pardo César, Dressler Rugard, Ducasse Quentin, Dupont Emmeric, Durán Ignacio, Fernández-Domínguez Beatriz, Ferrari Alfredo, Finocchiaro Paolo, Göbel Kathrin, Garg Ruchi, Gawlik-Ramięga Aleksandra, Gilardoni Simone, Gonçalves Isabel, González-Romero Enrique, Guerrero Carlos, Gunsing Frank, Harada Hideo, Heinitz Stephan, Jenkins David, Junghans Arnd, Käppeler† Franz, Kadi Yacine, Kimura Atsushi, Knapová Ingrid, Krtička Milan, Kurtulgil Deniz, Ladarescu Ion, Lederer-Woods Claudia, Leeb Helmut, Lerendegui-Marco Jorge, Lonsdale Sarah-Jane, Manna Alice, Martínez Trinitario, Masi Alessandro, Massimi Cristian, Mastinu Pierfrancesco, Mastromarco Mario, Maugeri Emilio-Andrea, Mazzone Annamaria, Mendoza Emilio, Mengoni Alberto, Milazzo Paolo, Mingrone Federica, Moreno-Soto Javier, Musumarra Agatino, Negret Alexandru, Nolte Ralf, Ogállar Francisco, Oprea Andreea, Pavlik Andreas, Perkowski Jarosław, Piersanti Luciano, Petrone Cristina, Pirovano Elisa, Porras Ignacio, Praena Javier, Quesada José-Manuel, Ramos-Doval Diego, Rauscher Thomas, Reifarth René, Rochman Dimitri, Rubbia Carlo, Sabaté-Gilarte Marta, Saxena Alok, Schumann Dorothea, Sekhar Adhitya, Smith Gavin, Sosnin Nikolay, Sprung Peter, Tagliente Giuseppe, Tain José, Tarifeño-Saldivia Ariel, Thomas Benedikt, Torres-Sánchez Pablo, Ulrich Jiri, Valenta Stanislav, Vannini Gianni, Variale Vincenzo, Vaz Pedro, Ventura Alberto, Vescovi Diego, Vlachoudis Vasilis, Wallner Anton, Woods Philip-John, Wright Tobias, and Žugec Petar
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Physics ,QC1-999 - Abstract
Neutron cross section measurements are often made relative to a neutron cross section standard. Thus, the accuracy of the neutron standards determines the best possible accuracy of the neutron measurements. The 235U(n,f) cross section is widely used as reference, while it is considered a standard at thermal point and between 0.15 to 200 MeV. For this reason, additional cross section data for the 235U(n,f) reaction are useful in order to improve the accuracy and to extend the energy range of the standard. In this work, preliminary results of the measurement of the 235U(n,f) cross-section relative to the standard 10B(n,a) reaction are presented. The high accuracy measurement was performed at the experimental area EAR-1 of the n_TOF facility at CERN, aiming at covering the energy range from the thermal region up to approximately 100 keV. The samples were produced at JRC-Geel in Belgium, while the experimental setup was based on Micromegas detectors.
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- 2023
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6. COVseq is a cost-effective workflow for mass-scale SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance
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Simonetti, Michele, Zhang, Ning, Harbers, Luuk, Milia, Maria Grazia, Brossa, Silvia, Huong Nguyen, Thi Thu, Cerutti, Francesco, Berrino, Enrico, Sapino, Anna, Bienko, Magda, Sottile, Antonino, Ghisetti, Valeria, and Crosetto, Nicola
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- 2021
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7. Specific capture and whole-genome phylogeography of Dolphin morbillivirus
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Cerutti, Francesco, Giorda, Federica, Grattarola, Carla, Mignone, Walter, Beltramo, Chiara, Keck, Nicolas, Lorusso, Alessio, Di Francesco, Gabriella, Di Renzo, Ludovica, Di Guardo, Giovanni, Goria, Mariella, Masoero, Loretta, Acutis, Pier Luigi, Casalone, Cristina, and Peletto, Simone
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- 2020
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8. Overview of the FLUKA code
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Battistoni, Giuseppe, Boehlen, Till, Cerutti, Francesco, Chin, Pik Wai, Esposito, Luigi Salvatore, Fassò, Alberto, Ferrari, Alfredo, Lechner, Anton, Empl, Anton, Mairani, Andrea, Mereghetti, Alessio, Ortega, Pablo Garcia, Ranft, Johannes, Roesler, Stefan, Sala, Paola R., Vlachoudis, Vasilis, and Smirnov, George
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- 2015
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9. Benchmarking of FLUKA production cross sections of positron emission tomography isotopes for in-vivo range verification in hadron therapy
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Aricò Giulia, Battistoni Giuseppe, Cerutti Francesco, Horst Felix, Mairani Andrea, Schuy Christoph, Weber Uli, and Ferrari Alfredo
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Physics ,QC1-999 - Abstract
Protons and carbon ions have been extensively used for radiotherapy treatments, and in comparison to conventional radiotherapy, they allow a more conformal dose to the target tumor, especially in case of deep-seated tumors. However, the accuracy of hadron therapy treatments is affected by uncertainties in the particle range calculations. Several techniques are under development for in-vivo range verification, one of which consists on measuring the activity distributions of positron emitters, such as 10C, 11C and 15O, which are produced in the patient body during proton and carbon ion treatments. A comparison between measured and expected positron emitter activity distributions can provide information on the quality of the delivered treatment and accuracy of the particle range calculations. In this work the FLUKA production cross sections for 10C, 11C and 15O originated from proton and carbon ion beams in carbon and oxygen targets were compared with experimental data, at low and therapeutic energies.
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- 2020
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10. Combination of conventional blood cultures and the SeptiFast molecular test in patients with suspected sepsis for the identification of bloodstream pathogens
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Burdino, Elisa, Ruggiero, Tina, Allice, Tiziano, Milia, Maria Grazia, Gregori, Gabriella, Milano, Rosangela, Cerutti, Francesco, De Rosa, Francesco Giuseppe, Manno, Emilpaolo, Caramello, Pietro, Di Perri, Giovanni, and Ghisetti, Valeria
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- 2014
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11. Applications of FLUKA Monte Carlo code for nuclear and accelerator physics
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Battistoni, Giuseppe, Broggi, Francesco, Brugger, Markus, Campanella, Mauro, Carboni, Massimo, Empl, Anton, Fassò, Alberto, Gadioli, Ettore, Cerutti, Francesco, Ferrari, Alfredo, Ferrari, Anna, Lantz, Matthias, Mairani, Andrea, Margiotta, M., Morone, Cristina, Muraro, Silvia, Parodi, Katia, Patera, Vincenzo, Pelliccioni, Mauricio, Pinsky, Larry, Ranft, Johannes, Roesler, Stefan, Rollet, Sofia, Sala, Paola R., Santana, Mario, Sarchiapone, Lucia, Sioli, Massimiliano, Smirnov, George, Sommerer, Florian, Theis, Christian, Trovati, Stefania, Villari, R., Vincke, Heinz, Vincke, Helmut, Vlachoudis, Vasilis, Vollaire, Joachim, and Zapp, Neil
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- 2011
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12. A Damage Detection Approach for Axially Loaded Beam-like Structures Based on Gaussian Mixture Model.
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Lucà, Francescantonio, Manzoni, Stefano, Cerutti, Francesco, and Cigada, Alfredo
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GAUSSIAN mixture models ,STRUCTURAL health monitoring ,AXIAL loads ,OUTLIER detection ,MIXTURES - Abstract
Axially loaded beam-like structures represent a challenging case study for unsupervised learning vibration-based damage detection. Under real environmental and operational conditions, changes in axial load cause changes in the characteristics of the dynamic response that are significantly greater than those due to damage at an early stage. In previous works, the authors proposed the adoption of a multivariate damage feature composed of eigenfrequencies of multiple vibration modes. Successful results were obtained by framing the problem of damage detection as that of unsupervised outlier detection, adopting the well-known Mahalanobis squared distance (MSD) to define an effective damage index. Starting from these promising results, a novel approach based on unsupervised learning data clustering is proposed in this work, which increases the sensitivity to damage and significantly reduces the uncertainty associated with the results, allowing for earlier damage detection. The novel approach, which is based on Gaussian mixture model, is compared with the benchmark one based on the MSD, under the effects of an uncontrolled environment and, most importantly, in the presence of real damage due to corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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13. Dynamics of two quantum entangled particles interacting with a potential barrier in an EPR experiment
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Petrillo Vittoria, Alberti Giorgia, Celardo Luca, Cerutti Francesco, Franchi Silvano, and Mariani Vittorio
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epr paradox ,entanglement ,quantum correlations ,position and momentum measurements ,potential barrier ,03.65.-w ,03.65.ud ,03.67.mn ,Physics ,QC1-999 - Published
- 2006
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14. Preliminary design of CERN Future Circular Collider tunnel: first evaluation of the radiation environment in critical areas for electronics
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Infantino Angelo, Alía Rubén García, Besana Maria Ilaria, Brugger Markus, and Cerutti Francesco
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Physics ,QC1-999 - Abstract
As part of its post-LHC high energy physics program, CERN is conducting a study for a new proton-proton collider, called Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh), running at center-of-mass energies of up to 100 TeV in a new 100 km tunnel. The study includes a 90-350 GeV lepton collider (FCC-ee) as well as a lepton-hadron option (FCC-he). In this work, FLUKA Monte Carlo simulation was extensively used to perform a first evaluation of the radiation environment in critical areas for electronics in the FCC-hh tunnel. The model of the tunnel was created based on the original civil engineering studies already performed and further integrated in the existing FLUKA models of the beam line. The radiation levels in critical areas, such as the racks for electronics and cables, power converters, service areas, local tunnel extensions was evaluated.
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- 2017
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15. Nuclear model developments in FLUKA for present and future applications
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Cerutti Francesco, Empl Anton, Fedynitch Anatoli, Ferrari Alfredo, Ruben GarciaAlia, Sala Paola R., Smirnov George, and Vlachoudis Vasilis
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Physics ,QC1-999 - Abstract
The FLUKAS code [1–3] is used in research laboratories all around the world for challenging applications spanning a very wide range of energies, projectiles and targets. FLUKAS is also extensively used for in hadrontherapy research studies and clinical planning systems. In this paper some of the recent developments in the FLUKAS nuclear physics models of relevance for very different application fields including medical physics are presented. A few examples are shown demonstrating the effectiveness of the upgraded code.
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- 2017
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16. Analysis of different medulloblastoma histotypes by two-dimensional gel and MALDI-TOF
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Zanini, Cristina, Mandili, Giorgia, Bertin, Daniele, Cerutti, Francesco, Baci, Denisa, Leone, Marco, Morra, Isabella, di Montezemolo Cordero, Luca, and Forni, Marco
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- 2011
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17. Evaluation of a novel real-time PCR system for cytomegalovirus DNA quantitation on whole blood and correlation with pp65-antigen test in guiding pre-emptive antiviral treatment
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Allice, Tiziano, Cerutti, Francesco, Pittaluga, Fabrizia, Varetto, Silvia, Franchello, Alessandro, Salizzoni, Mauro, and Ghisetti, Valeria
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- 2008
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18. Analysis of the Photoneutron Field Near the THz Dump of the CLEAR Accelerator at CERN With SEU Measurements and Simulations.
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Lerner, Giuseppe, Coronetti, Andrea, Kempf, Jean Mael, Alia, Ruben Garcia, Cerutti, Francesco, Prelipcean, Daniel, Cecchetto, Matteo, Gilardi, Antonio, Farabolini, Wilfrid, and Corsini, Roberto
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STATIC random access memory ,PHOTONUCLEAR reactions ,ELECTRON accelerators ,LINEAR accelerators - Abstract
We study the radiation environment near the terahertz (THz) dump of the CERN Linear Electron Accelerator for Research (CLEAR) electron accelerator at CERN, using FLUktuierende KAskade in German (FLUKA) simulations and single-event upset (SEU) measurements taken with 32-Mbit Integrated Silicon Solution Inc. (ISSI) static random access memories (SRAMs). The main focus is on the characterization of the neutron field to evaluate its suitability for radiation tests of electronics in comparison with other irradiation facilities. Neutrons at CLEAR are produced via photonuclear reactions, mostly initiated by photons from the electromagnetic cascades that occur when the beam is absorbed by the dump structure. Good agreement is generally found between the measured single-event upset (SEU) rates and the expected values obtained from FLUKA simulations and the known SEU response of the ISSI SRAMs to neutrons, while one position is found to be potentially affected by photon-driven SEUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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19. A(H1N1)pdm09 hemagglutinin D222G and D222N variants are frequently harbored by patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and advanced respiratory assistance for severe A(H1N1)pdm09 infection
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Ruggiero, Tina, De Rosa, Francesco, Cerutti, Francesco, Pagani, Nicole, Allice, Tiziano, Stella, Maria L., Milia, Maria G., Calcagno, Andrea, Burdino, Elisa, Gregori, Gabriella, Urbino, Rosario, Di Perri, Giovanni, Ranieri, Marco V., and Ghisetti, Valeria
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- 2013
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20. Ranking viruses: measures of positional importance within networks define core viruses for rational polyvalent vaccine development
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Anderson, Tavis K., Laegreid, William W., Cerutti, Francesco, Osorio, Fernando A., Nelson, Eric A., Christopher-Hennings, Jane, and Goldberg, Tony L.
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- 2012
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21. Clinical Evaluation of the COBAS AmpliPrep™/COBAS TaqMan™ for HCV RNA Quantitation in Comparison With the Branched-DNA Assay
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Pittaluga, Fabrizia, Allice, Tiziano, Abate, Maria Lorena, Ciancio, Alessia, Cerutti, Francesco, Varetto, Silvia, Colucci, Giuseppe, Smedile, Antonina, and Ghisetti, Valeria
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- 2008
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22. Circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants in Italy, October 2020–March 2021.
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Lai, Alessia, Bergna, Annalisa, Menzo, Stefano, Zehender, Gianguglielmo, Caucci, Sara, Ghisetti, Valeria, Rizzo, Francesca, Maggi, Fabrizio, Cerutti, Francesco, Giurato, Giorgio, Weisz, Alessandro, Turchi, Chiara, Bruzzone, Bianca, Ceccherini Silberstein, Francesca, Clementi, Nicola, Callegaro, Annapaola, Sagradi, Fabio, Francisci, Daniela, Venanzi Rullo, Emmanuele, and Vicenti, Ilaria
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SARS-CoV-2 ,VACCINE effectiveness ,COVID-19 testing ,NUCLEOTIDE sequencing - Abstract
A growing number of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants is being identified worldwide, potentially impacting the effectiveness of current vaccines. We report the data obtained in several Italian regions involved in the SARS-CoV-2 variant monitoring from the beginning of the epidemic and spanning the period from October 2020 to March 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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23. The Pion Single-Event Latch-Up Cross Section Enhancement: Mechanisms and Consequences for Accelerator Hardness Assurance.
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Coronetti, Andrea, Alia, Ruben Garcia, Cerutti, Francesco, Hajdas, Wojtek, Soderstrom, Daniel, Javanainen, Arto, and Saigne, Frederic
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LINEAR energy transfer ,MONTE Carlo method ,PIONS ,NUCLEAR reactions ,HARDNESS - Abstract
Pions make up a large part of the hadronic environment typical of accelerator mixed fields. Characterizing device cross sections against pions is usually disregarded in favor of tests with protons, whose single-event latch-up (SEL) cross section is, nonetheless, experimentally found to be lower than that of pions for all energies below 250 MeV. While Monte Carlo simulations are capable of reproducing such behavior, the reason for the observed pion cross-section enhancement can only be explained by a deeper analysis of the underlying mechanisms dominating proton–silicon and pion–silicon reactions. The mechanisms dominating the SEL response are found to vary with the energy under consideration. While a higher pion nuclear reaction rate, that is, probability of interaction, can explain the observed latch-up cross-section enhancement at energies >100 MeV, it is the volume-equivalent linear energy transfer (LETEQ) of the secondary ions that keeps the pion latch-up response high at lower energies. The higher LETEQ of secondary ions from pion–silicon interactions is caused by the pion absorption mechanism, which is highly exothermic. In spite of the observed higher cross section for pions, the high-energy hadron approximation is found to still provide reliable estimations of the latch-up response of a device in mixed fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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24. Feline morbillivirus in northwestern Italy: first detection of genotype 1-B.
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Muratore, Elvira, Cerutti, Francesco, Colombino, Elena, Biasibetti, Elena, Caruso, Claudio, Brovida, Claudio, Cavana, Paola, Poncino, Laura, Caputo, Maria Pia, Peletto, Simone, Masoero, Loretta, and Capucchio, Maria Teresa
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Objectives: A novel morbillivirus was recently described in stray and domestic cats in Asia, the USA and Europe. Most cats infected with feline morbillivirus (FeMV) showed lower urinary tract or kidney disease. Although the association of FeMV infection and kidney diseases has been suggested, the virus pathogenicity remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the distribution of FeMV infection, as well as the relationship between FeMV infection and kidney diseases in cats from northwestern Italy. Methods: A total of 153 urine samples (150 individuals and three pools) and 50 kidney samples were collected and included in the study; total RNA was extracted and a reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was performed in order to identify FeMV. Kidneys were also submitted to anatomopathological examination. Phylogenetic analysis and isolation attempts were carried out on positive samples. In FeMV-positive cats, urinalysis and blood analysis were performed. Results: FeMV RNA was detected in 7.3% of urine samples and in 8% of kidney samples, both in healthy cats and in cats with clinical signs/post-mortem lesions compatible with kidney disease. At histopathological examination, tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) was shown in 3/4 positive kidney samples, but a clear relationship between FeMV and TIN was not observed. Isolation attempts were unsuccessful, although the urine sample of one castrated male cat hosted in a cattery showed a positive signal in RT-qPCR until the fourth cell passage. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this FeMV strain belonged to genotype 1-B. In the same cattery, a second genotype 1-B variant was detected from a urine pool. Urinalysis showed proteinuria in three cats, while at blood analysis three cats presented altered creatinine levels. Conclusions and relevance: Data reported suggest the presence of a FeMV sub-cluster distinct from the strain previously isolated in Italy, whose role in renal disorders remains uncertain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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25. Evidence of mosquito-transmitted flavivirus circulation in Piedmont, north-western Italy
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Cerutti Francesco, Giacobini Mario, Mosca Andrea, Grasso Ivan, Rambozzi Luisa, Rossi Luca, and Bertolotti Luigi
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Usutu virus ,Insect Flavivirus ,Culex pipiens ,Ochlerotatus caspius ,Infectious and parasitic diseases ,RC109-216 - Abstract
Abstract Background Flavivirus is a highly heterogeneous viral genus that includes important human pathogens and several viral strains with unknown zoonotic potential. Mosquito-borne flaviviruses have been isolated and characterized in Northern Italy: West Nile virus and Usutu virus were detected in mosquitoes and in different host species and recent studies provided evidence about the circulation of “insect Flavivirus” strains. Methods In order to clarify the diffusion and the distribution of the mosquito-transmitted flaviviruses in Italy, we analyzed Culex and Ochlerotatus mosquitoes collected in 2009 and 2010 in an area divided evenly between hills and plains and where the landscape is dominated by mixed agricultural patches, rice fields, deciduous tree forests, and urban environments. Each mosquito pool was tested for the presence of Flavivirus strains and we characterized positive samples by genetic sequencing. Results Positive mosquito pools revealed low infection prevalence, but suggested a continuous circulation of both Usutu virus and insect Flavivirus. Interestingly, phylogenetic analyses based on NS5 gene partial sequences showed a closer relationship among new Usutu virus strains from Piedmont and the reference sequences from the Eastern Europe, with respect to Italian samples characterized so far. Moreover, NS5 gene phylogeny suggested that mosquito flaviviruses found in Italy could belong to different lineages. Conclusions Our results contribute to a wider point of view on the heterogeneity of viruses infecting mosquitoes suggesting a taxonomical revision of the Mosquito-borne Flavivirus group.
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- 2012
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26. Taxon ordering in phylogenetic trees by means of evolutionary algorithms
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Cerutti Francesco, Bertolotti Luigi, Goldberg Tony L, and Giacobini Mario
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Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics ,R858-859.7 ,Analysis ,QA299.6-433 - Abstract
Abstract Background In in a typical "left-to-right" phylogenetic tree, the vertical order of taxa is meaningless, as only the branch path between them reflects their degree of similarity. To make unresolved trees more informative, here we propose an innovative Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) method to search the best graphical representation of unresolved trees, in order to give a biological meaning to the vertical order of taxa. Methods Starting from a West Nile virus phylogenetic tree, in a (1 + 1)-EA we evolved it by randomly rotating the internal nodes and selecting the tree with better fitness every generation. The fitness is a sum of genetic distances between the considered taxon and the r (radius) next taxa. After having set the radius to the best performance, we evolved the trees with (λ + μ)-EAs to study the influence of population on the algorithm. Results The (1 + 1)-EA consistently outperformed a random search, and better results were obtained setting the radius to 8. The (λ + μ)-EAs performed as well as the (1 + 1), except the larger population (1000 + 1000). Conclusions The trees after the evolution showed an improvement both of the fitness (based on a genetic distance matrix, then close taxa are actually genetically close), and of the biological interpretation. Samples collected in the same state or year moved close each other, making the tree easier to interpret. Biological relationships between samples are also easier to observe.
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- 2011
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27. Taxon ordering in phylogenetic trees: a workbench test
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Goldberg Tony L, Bertolotti Luigi, Cerutti Francesco, and Giacobini Mario
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Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics ,R858-859.7 ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 - Abstract
Abstract Background Phylogenetic trees are an important tool for representing evolutionary relationships among organisms. In a phylogram or chronogram, the ordering of taxa is not considered meaningful, since complete topological information is given by the branching order and length of the branches, which are represented in the root-to-node direction. We apply a novel method based on a (λ + μ)-Evolutionary Algorithm to give meaning to the order of taxa in a phylogeny. This method applies random swaps between two taxa connected to the same node, without changing the topology of the tree. The evaluation of a new tree is based on different distance matrices, representing non-phylogenetic information such as other types of genetic distance, geographic distance, or combinations of these. To test our method we use published trees of Vesicular stomatitis virus, West Nile virus and Rice yellow mottle virus. Results Best results were obtained when taxa were reordered using geographic information. Information supporting phylogeographic analysis was recovered in the optimized tree, as evidenced by clustering of geographically close samples. Improving the trees using a separate genetic distance matrix altered the ordering of taxa, but not topology, moving the longest branches to the extremities, as would be expected since they are the most divergent lineages. Improved representations of genetic and geographic relationships between samples were also obtained when merged matrices (genetic and geographic information in one matrix) were used. Conclusions Our innovative method makes phylogenetic trees easier to interpret, adding meaning to the taxon order and helping to prevent misinterpretations.
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- 2011
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28. On the SARS-CoV-2 "Variolation Hypothesis": No Association Between Viral Load of Index Cases and COVID-19 Severity of Secondary Cases.
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Trunfio, Mattia, Longo, Bianca Maria, Alladio, Francesca, Venuti, Francesco, Cerutti, Francesco, Ghisetti, Valeria, Bonora, Stefano, Di Perri, Giovanni, and Calcagno, Andrea
- Subjects
SARS-CoV-2 ,COVID-19 ,VIRAL load ,MIDDLE East respiratory syndrome ,COVID-19 pandemic - Abstract
Background: Emerging evidence supports the "variolation hypothesis" in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), but the derivative idea that the viral load of index cases may predict disease severity in secondary cases could be unsubstantiated. We assessed whether the prevalence of symptomatic infections, hospitalization, and deaths in household contacts of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases differed according to the SARS-CoV-2 PCR cycle threshold (Ct) from nasal-pharyngeal swab at diagnosis of linked index cases. Methods: Cross-sectional study on household contacts of COVID-19 cases randomly sampled from all the infections diagnosed in March at our Microbiology Laboratory (Amedeo di Savoia, Turin). Data were retrospectively collected by phone interviews and from the Piedmont regional platform for COVID-19 emergency. Index cases were classified as high (HVl) and low viral load (LVl) according to two exploratory cut-offs of RdRp gene Ct value. Secondary cases were defined as swab confirmed or symptom based likely when not tested but presenting compatible clinical picture. Results: One hundred thirty-two index cases of whom 87.9% symptomatic and 289 household contacts were included. The latter were male and Caucasian in 44.3 and 95.8% of cases, with a median age of 34 years (19–57). Seventy-four were swab confirmed and other 28 were symptom based likely secondary cases. Considering both, the contacts of HVl and LVl did not differ in the prevalence of symptomatic infections nor COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. No difference in median Ct of index cases between symptomatic and asymptomatic, hospitalized and not hospitalized, or deceased and survived secondary cases was found. Negative findings were confirmed after adjusting for differences in time between COVID-19 onset and swab collection of index cases (median 5 days) and after removing pediatric secondary cases. Conclusions: The amount of SARS-CoV-2 of the source at diagnosis does not predict clinical outcomes of linked secondary cases. Considering the impelling release of assays for SARS-CoV-2 RNA exact quantification, these negative findings should inform clinical and public health strategies on how to interpret and use the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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29. Longitudinal Direct Ionization Impact of Heavy Ions on See Testing for Ultrahigh Energies.
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Wyrwoll, Vanessa, Alia, Ruben Garcia, Roed, Ketil, Cazzaniga, Carlo, Kastriotou, Maria, Fernandez-Martinez, Pablo, Coronetti, Andrea, and Cerutti, Francesco
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ION bombardment ,IMPACT ionization ,HEAVY ions ,DAUGHTER ions ,MONTE Carlo method ,HEAVY-ion atom collisions ,TESTING - Abstract
Ultrahigh-energy (UHE) heavy ions show various advantages at testing single-event effect (SEE) in modern technologies, due to their highly penetrating nature. However, the intercepting material in the beam line contributes to the modification of the beam structure by generation of fragments produced via nuclear interactions. This is especially relevant for UHE heavy ion beams, representative of energies in space, which are not fully investigated through conventional ground-level testing. This article is dedicated to the study of the longitudinal energy deposition mechanisms in silicon by the aforementioned heavy ion beams and their fragments. The presented studies have been carried out using Monte Carlo simulations triggered by experimentally observed phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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30. Heavy Ion Nuclear Reaction Impact on SEE Testing: From Standard to Ultra-high Energies.
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Wyrwoll, Vanessa, Alia, Ruben Garcia, Roed, Ketil, Fernandez-Martinez, Pablo, Kastriotou, Maria, Cecchetto, Matteo, Kerboub, Nourdine, Tali, Maris, and Cerutti, Francesco
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MONTE Carlo method ,HEAVY ions ,SINGLE event effects ,NUCLEAR fusion ,ION energy ,NUCLEAR reactions ,ENERGY transfer ,HEAVY-ion atom collisions - Abstract
We perform Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to describe heavy ion (HI) nuclear interactions in a broad energy range (4 MeV/n–150 GeV/n), focusing on the single event effect (SEE) sub-linear energy transfer (LET) impact. Previously retrieved single event latch-up (SEL) experimental data have indicated that standard energy ions (~10 MeV/n) can produce high-LET secondaries through fusion reactions which are expected to strongly influence the SEE cross section in the sub-LET region. Alternatively, interactions of higher energy ions (>100 MeV/n) yield secondaries of a similar LET distribution as from the projectile, for projectile-like fragments, and high-energy proton reactions, for target-like fragments. Hence, the factor of relevance to the sub-LET SEE cross section is correlated to low-energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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31. SEE Tests With Ultra Energetic Xe Ion Beam in the CHARM Facility at CERN.
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Fernandez-Martinez, Pablo, Alia, Ruben Garcia, Cecchetto, Matteo, Kastriotou, Maria, Kerboub, Nourdine, Tali, Maris, Wyrwoll, Vanessa, Brugger, Markus, Cangialosi, Chiara, Cerutti, Francesco, Danzeca, Salvatore, Delrieux, Marc, Froeschl, Robert, Gatignon, Lau, Gilardoni, Simone, Lendaro, Jerome, Mateu, Isidre, Ravotti, Federico, Wilkens, Henric, and Gaillard, Remi
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ION bombardment ,HEAVY ions ,ION beams ,ELECTRONIC equipment ,HARDNESS testing ,PENTAQUARK ,PARTICLES (Nuclear physics) - Abstract
Taking advantage of the heavy ion acceleration program, tests on radiation effects with Ultrahigh Energy (UHE) xenon ion beams (with Energy > 5 GeV/nucleon) have been performed in several experimental areas of the CERN accelerator complex. Specifically, the outcomes of the first UHE heavy ion test campaign carried out at the CHARM facility are presented and discussed in this contribution. UHE ion beams have the advantage of not requiring a previous modification of the samples or testing in vacuum, owing to their large penetration range. The unique nature of the UHE ions motivated the study of their interaction with matter, with regard to the induction of SEE. To that end, great effort was paid on the calibration of the beam line instrumentation, typically prepared for the traditional proton runs. Electronic components sensitive to single event upset (SEU) and single-event latchup (SEL) were irradiated by an UHE xenon beam, with a particular interest in studying the sub-LET cross section region and benchmarking against the standard heavy ion test beams. Finally, the suitability of UHE ion testing for Radiation Hardness Assurance is also discussed in the contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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32. Study of the Impact of the LHC Radiation Environments on the Synergistic Displacement Damage and Ionizing Dose Effect on Electronic Components.
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Ferraro, Rudy, Danzeca, Salvatore, Cangialosi, Chiara, Alia, Ruben Garcia, Cerutti, Francesco, Tsinganis, Andrea, Dilillo, Luigi, Brugger, Markus, and Masi, Alessandro
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ELECTRONIC equipment ,BIPOLAR integrated circuits ,POLAR effects (Chemistry) ,LARGE Hadron Collider ,RADIATION - Abstract
Bipolar-based components can exhibit a higher (or lower) degradation when exposed to both total ionizing dose (TID) and displacement damage (DD) effects simultaneously than the sum of the two separated effects. This paper investigates the implications of this synergistic effect on the radiation qualification process of large hadron collider’s (LHC’s) electronic equipment. More specifically, the impact of the wide range of DD/TID rate ratios of the LHC’s areas on the synergistic degradation rates is investigated. An analysis of the ratios of a crucial part of the accelerator is performed. A demonstration of the ability of the CHARM mixed-field facility of CERN to perform radiation tests in representative LHC’s ratios is also presented as well as radiation test results of a bipolar integrated circuit exposed to these different ratios are presented. Finally, the impact of this effect on the CERN radiation hardness assurance process is discussed and a simple method is proposed to qualify component against such effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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33. Evaluation of DNA isolation procedures from meat-based foods and development of a DNA quality score.
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Cravero, Diego, Cerutti, Francesco, Maniaci, Maria Grazia, Barzanti, Paola, Scaramagli, Sonia, Riina, Maria Vittoria, Ingravalle, Francesco, Acutis, Pier Luigi, and Peletto, Simone
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- *
BEEF products , *DNA - Abstract
Abstract Adding undeclared species in meat-based food is an illicit practice with possible commercial, ethical and consumer health consequences. DNA-based quantitative methods are the most promising ones and their performance can be deeply affected by the quality of the input DNA. In this study, we performed a comprehensive evaluation of the DNA obtained using four common methodologies. DNA was isolated from three experimental food matrices (minced meat, ravioli filling and ragout) prepared with different percentages of beef and pork meat. Hundred and eighty DNA preps, including all matrix/percentage/kit combinations, were obtained and submitted to downstream quality assessment. Mean values and their statistical significance, obtained by parameter analysis and pairwise comparison, were used to calculate a DNA Quality Score (DQS), integrating quality parameters. DQS identified the salting-out based protocol as the best performing method for all the considered food matrices (p < 0.05); in DNA purification from ragout, the Cetyl-trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) reagent-based protocol showed comparable results to those obtained by the salting-out method (p < 0.05). An optimal DNA purification is the first step for accurate species quantification in complex meat food. Highlights • Experimental meat-food matrices prepared in the lab. • DNA isolation based on different methodologies. • Comprehensive analysis of DNA quality from meat foods. • Development of a DNA Quality Score (DQS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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34. FIRST IDENTIFICATION OF PORCINE PARVOVIRUS 3 IN A WILD BOAR IN ITALY BY VIRAL METAGENOMICS – SHORT COMMUNICATION.
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AMOROSO, Maria Grazia, CERUTTI, Francesco, D’ALESSIO, Nicola, LUCIBELLI, Maria Gabriella, CERRONE, Anna, ACUTIS, Pier Luigi, GALIERO, Giorgio, FUSCO, Giovanna, and PELETTO, Simone
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PARVOVIRUSES ,METAGENOMICS ,WILD boar ,IMMUNOLOGY ,PHYLOGENY - Abstract
Metagenomic analysis revealed the presence of porcine parvovirus 3 (PPV3) in the pool of the internal organs of a wild boar found dead in Southern Italy. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete coding sequences showed that the newly detected virus is most closely related to those found also in wild boars in Romania during 2010–2011. Even though the death could not be associated with this virus, PPV3 could have contributed to lowering the host's immunological defences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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35. Ultraenergetic Heavy-Ion Beams in the CERN Accelerator Complex for Radiation Effects Testing.
- Author
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Alia, Ruben Garcia, Martinez, Pablo Fernandez, Kastriotou, Maria, Brugger, Markus, Bernhard, Johannes, Cecchetto, Matteo, Cerutti, Francesco, Charitonidis, Nikolaos, Danzeca, Salvatore, Gatignon, Lau, Gerbershagen, Alexander, Gilardoni, Simone, Kerboub, Nourdine, Tali, Maris, Wyrwoll, Vanessa, Ferlet-Cavrois, Veronique, Boatella Polo, Cesar, Evans, Hugh, Furano, Gianluca, and Gaillard, Remi
- Subjects
NUCLEAR reactors ,HEAVY ions ,LINEAR energy transfer ,CYCLOTRONS ,SINGLE event effects - Abstract
Traditional heavy-ion testing for single-event effects is carried out in cyclotron facilities with energies around 10 MeV/n. Despite their capability of providing a broad range of linear energy transfer (LET) values, the main limitations are related to the need of testing in a vacuum and with the sensitive region of the components accessible to the low range ions. In this paper, we explore the use of ultrahigh energy (UHE) (5–150 GeV/n) ions in the CERN accelerator complex for radiation effects on electronics testing. At these energies, we show, both through simulations and experimental data, the significant impact of the ion energy on the ionization track structure and associated volume-restricted LET value, highlighting the possible limitations for radiation hardness assurance for high-energy accelerator applications. In addition, we show that from a nuclear interaction perspective, UHE ions behave similar to protons independently of their significantly larger mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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36. The microbiota of hematophagous ectoparasites collected from migratory birds.
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Cerutti, Francesco, Modesto, Paola, Rizzo, Francesca, Cravero, Alessandra, Jurman, Irena, Costa, Stefano, Giammarino, Mauro, Mandola, Maria Lucia, Goria, Mariella, Radovic, Slobodanka, Cattonaro, Federica, Acutis, Pier Luigi, and Peletto, Simone
- Subjects
- *
MIGRATORY birds , *BIRD parasites , *BLOODSUCKING animals , *MICROBIAL communities , *RIBOSOMAL RNA - Abstract
Arthropod vectors are responsible for the transmission of human pathogens worldwide. Several arthropod species are bird ectoparasites, however, no study to date has characterized their microbiota as a whole. We sampled hematophagous ectoparasites that feed on migratory birds and performed 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding to characterize their microbial community. A total of 194 ectoparasites were collected from 115 avian hosts and classified into three groups: a) Hippoboscidae diptera; b) ticks; c) other arthropods. Metabarcoding showed that endosymbionts were the most abundant genera of the microbial community, including Wolbachia for Hippoboscidae diptera, Candidatus Midichloria for ticks, Wolbachia and Arsenophonus for the other arthropod group. Genera including pathogenic species were: Rickettsia, Borrelia, Coxiella, Francisella, Bartonella, Anaplasma. Co-infection with Borrelia-Rickettsia and Anaplasma-Rickettsia was also observed. A global overview of the microbiota of ectoparasites sampled from migratory birds was obtained with the use of 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. A novel finding is the first identification of Rickettsia in the common swift louse fly, Crataerina pallida. Given their possible interaction with pathogenic viruses and bacteria, the presence of endosymbionts in arthropods merits attention. Finally, molecular characterization of genera, including both pathogenic and symbiont species, plays a pivotal role in the design of targeted molecular diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
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37. SEE Testing in the 24-GeV Proton Beam at the CHARM Facility.
- Author
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Garcia Alia, Ruben, Brugger, Markus, Cecchetto, Matteo, Cerutti, Francesco, Danzeca, Salvatore, Delrieux, Marc, Kastriotou, Maria, Tali, Maris, and Uznanski, Slawosz
- Subjects
LARGE Hadron Collider ,PARTICLE accelerators ,MONTE Carlo method - Abstract
A 24-GeV proton beam is available at the Cern High energy AcceleRator Mixed field facility which can be used to test components and boards for single-event effects (SEEs) at a worst case energy for both accelerator and interplanetary space applications. The main beam characteristics are described, and SEE results for three different components are presented in combination with Monte Carlo results, focusing on the significant energy dependence, and risk of underestimating the operational error rate for hard spectral environments when considering SEE cross sections measured at proton cyclotron facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
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38. Proton and helium ion radiotherapy for meningioma tumors: a Monte Carlo-based treatment planning comparison.
- Author
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Tessonnier, Thomas, Mairani, Andrea, Chen, Wenjing, Sala, Paola, Cerutti, Francesco, Ferrari, Alfredo, Haberer, Thomas, Debus, Jürgen, and Parodi, Katia
- Subjects
MENINGIOMA ,MONTE Carlo method ,HELIUM ions ,RADIOTHERAPY ,PROTON therapy ,THERAPEUTICS - Abstract
Background: Due to their favorable physical and biological properties, helium ion beams are increasingly considered a promising alternative to proton beams for radiation therapy. Hence, this work aims at comparing in-silico the treatment of brain and ocular meningiomas with protons and helium ions, using for the first time a dedicated Monte Carlo (MC) based treatment planning engine (MCTP) thoroughly validated both in terms of physical and biological models.Methods: Starting from clinical treatment plans of four patients undergoing proton therapy with a fixed relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of 1.1 and a fraction dose of 1.8 Gy(RBE), new treatment plans were optimized with MCTP for both protons (with variable and fixed RBE) and helium ions (with variable RBE) under the same constraints derived from the initial clinical plans. The resulting dose distributions were dosimetrically compared in terms of dose volume histograms (DVH) parameters for the planning target volume (PTV) and the organs at risk (OARs), as well as dose difference maps.Results: In most of the cases helium ion plans provided a similar PTV coverage as protons with a consistent trend of superior OAR sparing. The latter finding was attributed to the ability of helium ions to offer sharper distal and lateral dose fall-offs, as well as a more favorable differential RBE variation in target and normal tissue.Conclusions: Although more studies are needed to investigate the clinical potential of helium ions for different tumour entities, the results of this work based on an experimentally validated MC engine support the promise of this modality with state-of-the-art pencil beam scanning delivery, especially in case of tumours growing in close proximity of multiple OARs such as meningiomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2018
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39. LHC and HL-LHC: Present and Future Radiation Environment in the High-Luminosity Collision Points and RHA Implications.
- Author
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Garcia Alia, Ruben, Brugger, Markus, Cerutti, Francesco, Danzeca, Salvatore, Ferrari, Alfredo, Gilardoni, Simone, Kadi, Yacine, Kastriotou, Maria, Lechner, Anton, Martinella, Corinna, Stein, Oliver, Thurel, Yves, Tsinganis, Andrea, and Uznanski, Slawosz
- Subjects
PARTICLES (Nuclear physics) ,ELECTROMAGNETIC compatibility ,ELECTRON accelerators ,ELECTROMAGNETISM ,DISPLACEMENT currents (Electric) ,GAMMA rays - Abstract
The high-luminosity large hadron collider (HL-LHC) is a novel machine configuration which will rely on a number of key innovative technologies to enhance the performance of the present LHC machine as of 2025. The upgrade will also involve increased radiation levels that need to be predicted by combining scaled measurements and calculations in order to define the qualification requirements for electronic systems. In this paper, we describe such levels, first of all, by introducing the monitoring and calculation approaches used for the present LHC machine, and second, by applying scaling factors and dedicated simulations for the future HL-LHC accelerators. We present the levels according to the different areas relevant for the operation of electronics-based equipment, and discuss the associated radiation hardness assurance implications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2018
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40. Characterization of the upper and lower respiratory tract microbiota in Piedmontese calves.
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Nicola, Isabella, Cerutti, Francesco, Grego, Elena, Bertone, Iride, Gianella, Paola, D'Angelo, Antonio, Peletto, Simone, and Bellino, Claudio
- Published
- 2017
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41. Isolation and molecular characterisation of Halicephalobus gingivalis in the brain of a horse in Piedmont, Italy.
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Pintore, Maria Domenica, Cerutti, Francesco, D'Angelo, Antonio, Corona, Cristiano, Gazzuola, Paola, Masoero, Loretta, Colombo, Corrado, Bona, Roberto, Cantile, Carlo, Peletto, Simone, Casalone, Cristina, and Iulini, Barbara
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- *
BRAIN diseases , *HORSE health , *MENINGOENCEPHALITIS , *PHYLOGENY , *ZOONOSES , *WEST Nile virus - Abstract
Background: A fatal case of meningoencephalitis was reported in a 13-year-old Koninklijk Warmbloed Paard Nederland stallion, suspected of West Nile virus (WNV) infection, in the Piedmont region of Italy. Clinical signs included right head tilt and circling, depression alternated with excitability, fever and lateral strabismus. Combined treatment consisting of dimethylsulfoxide, dexamethasone, sulphonamides and sedative was administered, but because of the poor conditions the horse was euthanatized and submitted for necropsy. Results: At post-mortem examination no skin lesions were observed, all organs appeared normal on gross evaluation and only head and blood samples were further investigated. Neuropathological findings consisted of granulomatous meningoencephalitis and larvae and adult females of Halicephalobus gingivalis were isolated and identified from the digested brain. Frozen brain was submitted to PCR amplification and 220 bp multiple sequence alignment was analysed by Bayesian phylogenetic analysis. Conclusions: Phylogenetic inference revealed that the isolate belongs to H. gingivalis Lineage 3. WN surveillance can help to deepen our knowledge of horse neurological disorders investigating their causes and incidence. Moreover, it can help to understand the geographic distribution of the H. gingivalis, to unravel epidemiological information, and to estimate risk for humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
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42. Proton Dominance of Sub-LET Threshold GCR SEE Rate.
- Author
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Garcia Alia, Ruben, Brugger, Markus, Ferlet-Cavrois, Veronique, Brandenburg, Sytze, Calcutt, Jordan, Cerutti, Francesco, Daly, Eamonn, Ferrari, Alfredo, Muschitiello, Michele, Santin, Giovanni, Uznanski, Slawosz, Van Goethem, Marc-Jan, and Zadeh, Ali
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MONTE Carlo method ,HEAVY ions ,GALACTIC cosmic rays ,SINGLE event effects ,NUCLEAR reactions ,RADIATION hardening (Electronics) - Abstract
We apply a Monte Carlo based integral rectangular parallel-piped (IRRP) approach to evaluate the impact of heavy ion reaction products on the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) Single Event Effect (SEE) rate, concluding that owing to their similar high-energy (>100 MeV/n) SEE cross section and much larger abundance, protons are expected to be the dominating contributor. In addition, a broad set of components, ions and energies is used to explore the sub-LET threshold experimental region for standard ground-level heavy ion test energies, identifying an overall decreasing trend in the 10-80 MeV/n range due to the decreased contribution of complete and break-up fusion, and pointing out the limitations associated to the application of Monte Carlo SEE models in this energy interval. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2017
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43. Phylogeography, phylodynamics and transmission chains of bovine viral diarrhea virus subtype 1f in Northern Italy.
- Author
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Cerutti, Francesco, Luzzago, Camilla, Lauzi, Stefania, Ebranati, Erika, Caruso, Claudio, Masoero, Loretta, Moreno, Ana, Acutis, Pier Luigi, Zehender, Gianguglielmo, and Peletto, Simone
- Subjects
- *
PHYLOGEOGRAPHY , *BOVINE viral diarrhea virus , *NUCLEOTIDE sequencing ,CATTLE viruses - Abstract
Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) type 1 in Italy is characterized by high genetic diversity, with at least 20 subtypes. Subtype 1f is endemic in a restricted geographic area, meaning that it has local distribution. We investigated the population dynamics of BVDV-1f in Northern Italy and characterized the transmission chains of a subset of samples from Piedmont and Aosta Valley regions. A total of 51 samples from 1966 to 2013 were considered and 5′ UTR sequences were used for phylogeography. A subset of 12 samples was selected for Npro gene sequencing and further characterization of the transmission chains using both molecular and epidemiological data. Phylogeography estimated the root of BVDV-1f tree in Veneto in 1965. Four significant subclades included sequences clustering by region: Lombardy (n = 3), Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna (n = 7), Piedmont (n = 17), Piedmont and Aosta Valley (n = 21). The Piedmont-only subclade has a ladder-like branching structure, while the Piedmont and Aosta Valley subclade has a nearly complete binary structure. In the subset, the outbreak reconstruction identified one sample from Piedmont as the most probable source of infection for the Aosta Valley cases. An ad hoc questionnaire submitted to public veterinarians revealed connections between sampled and non-sampled farms by means of trades, exhibitions and markets. According to the phylogeography, BVDV-1f moved westward, entering from Veneto, and spreading to Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna in the early 1990s, and finally to Piedmont and Aosta Valley in the first decade of 2000s. Both phylogeographic analyses on the whole dataset and on the selection of Npro dataset pointed out that subtype 1f entered Aosta Valley from Piedmont. The integration of molecular and epidemiological data revealed connections between farms, and such approach should be considered in any control plan. In Aosta Valley, the study showed that BVDV1f can be controlled only monitoring the introduction of cattle from Piedmont region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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44. The genome of Border disease virus genotype 8 from chamois using next generation sequencing.
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Cerutti, Francesco, Caruso, Claudio, Modesto, Paola, Orusa, Riccardo, Masoero, Loretta, Acutis, Pier Luigi, and Peletto, Simone
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- 2019
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45. The FlUKA Code: An Accurate Aimulation Tool for Particle Therapy.
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Battistoni, Giuseppe, Sala, Paola R., Bauer, Julia, Tessonnier, Thomas, Boehlen, Till T., Cerutti, Francesco, Chin, Mary P. W., Ferrari, Alfredo, Ortega, Pablo G., Schoofs, Philippe, Vlachoudis, Vasilis, Dos Santos Augusto, Ricardo, Kozłowska, Wioletta, Parodi, Katia, Magro, Giuseppe, and Mairani, Andrea
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MONTE Carlo method ,RADIOTHERAPY - Abstract
Monte Carlo (MC) codes are increasingly spreading in the hadrontherapy community due to their detailed description of radiation transport and interaction with matter. The suitability of a MC code for application to hadrontherapy demands accurate and reliable physical models capable of handling all components of the expected radiation field. This becomes extremely important for correctly performing not only physical but also biologically based dose calculations, especially in cases where ions heavier than protons are involved. In addition, accurate prediction of emerging secondary radiation is of utmost importance in innovative areas of research aiming at in vivo treatment verification. This contribution will address the recent developments of the FLUKA MC code and its practical applications in this field. Refinements of the FLUKA nuclear models in the therapeutic energy interval lead to an improved description of the mixed radiation field as shown in the presented benchmarks against experimental data with both 4He and 12C ion beams. Accurate description of ionization energy losses and of particle scattering and interactions lead to the excellent agreement of calculated depth-dose profiles with those measured at leading European hadron therapy centers, both with proton and ion beams. In order to support the application of FLUKA in hospital-based environments, Flair, the FLUKA graphical interface, has been enhanced with the capability of translating CT DICOM images into voxel-based computational phantoms in a fast and well-structured way. The interface is capable of importing also radiotherapy treatment data described in DICOM RT standard. In addition, the interface is equipped with an intuitive PET scanner geometry generator and automatic recording of coincidence events. Clinically, similar cases will be presented both in terms of absorbed dose and biological dose calculations describing the various available features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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46. Range verification methods in particle therapy: underlying physics and Monte Carlo modeling.
- Author
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Kraan, Aafke Christine, Sihver, Lembit, and Cerutti, Francesco
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HADRONS ,RADIOTHERAPY ,MONTE Carlo method - Abstract
Hadron therapy allows for highly conformal dose distributions and better sparing of organs-at-risk, thanks to the characteristic dose deposition as function of depth. However, the quality of hadron therapy treatments is closely connected with the ability to predict and achieve a given beam range in the patient. Currently, uncertainties in particle range lead to the employment of safety margins, at the expense of treatment quality. Much research in particle therapy is therefore aimed at developing methods to verify the particle range in patients. Non-invasive in vivo monitoring of the particle range can be performed by detecting secondary radiation, emitted from the patient as a result of nuclear interactions of charged hadrons with tissue, including β
+ emitters, prompt photons, and charged fragments. The correctness of the dose delivery can be verified by comparing measured and pre-calculated distributions of the secondary particles. The reliability of Monte Carlo (MC) predictions is a key issue. Correctly modeling the production of secondaries is a non-trivial task, because it involves nuclear physics interactions at energies, where no rigorous theories exist to describe them. The goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of various aspects in modeling the physics processes for range verification with secondary particles produced in proton, carbon, and heavier ion irradiation. We discuss electromagnetic and nuclear interactions of charged hadrons in matter, which is followed by a summary of some widely used MC codes in hadron therapy. Then, we describe selected examples of how these codes have been validated and used in three range verification techniques: PET, prompt gamma, and charged particle detection. We include research studies and clinically applied methods. For each of the techniques, we point out advantages and disadvantages, as well as clinical challenges still to be addressed, focusing on MC simulation aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2015
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47. Molecular characterization of flaviviruses from field-collected mosquitoes in northwestern Italy, 2011-2012.
- Author
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Rizzo, Francesca, Cerutti, Francesco, Ballardini, Marco, Mosca, Andrea, Vitale, Nicoletta, Radaelli, Maria Cristina, Desiato, Rosanna, Prearo, Marino, Pautasso, Alessandra, Casalone, Cristina, Acutis, Pierluigi, Peletto, Simone, and Mandola, Maria Lucia
- Abstract
Background: The genus Flavivirus comprises several mosquito-borne species, including the zoonotic pathogens West Nile and Usutu virus, circulating in animals and humans in Italy since 1998. Due to its ecological and geographical features, Piedmont is considered a risk area for flavivirus transmission. Here we report the results of a flavivirus survey (detection and genetic characterization) of mosquitoes collected in Piedmont in 2012 and the genetic characterization of three strains detected in 2011. Methods: Pools of 1–203 mosquitoes, upon RNA extraction with TRIzol, were screened by a PCR assay for a 263 bp fragment of the Flavivirus NS5 gene. All positive samples were tested with a specific PCR for the E protein gene of Usutu virus and a generic Flavivirus RT-nested-PCR for a larger tract of the NS5 gene before sequencing. Phylogenetic trees were built with both NS5 fragments of representative Flavivirus species. DNA extracts of part of the positive pools were tested to detect sequences integrated in the host genome. Results: Thirty-four mosquito pools resulted positive for flaviviruses, and twenty-five flavivirus sequences underwent phylogenetic analysis for the short NS5 fragment. Among the 19 sequences correlating with the insect-specific flavivirus group, ten samples, retrieved from Aedes albopictus, clustered within Aedes flavivirus, while the other nine aggregated in a separate clade composed of strains from various mosquito species (mainly Aedes vexans) from Piedmont and the Czech Republic. Six out of these nine also presented a DNA form of the sequence. The remaining sequences belonged to the mosquito-borne group: four, all from Culex pipiens, correlated to Italian Usutu virus strains, whereas two, from Ochlerotatus caspius, were highly similar to Marisma mosquito virus (MMV). Conclusions: Our findings confirm the circulation of Usutu virus and of the potentially zoonotic Marisma mosquito virus in Piedmont. This is the first detection of Aedes flavivirus in Piedmont. Finally, further evidence for the integration of Flavivirus nucleic acid into the host genome has been shown. These results underline the importance of continuing intense mosquito-based surveillance in Piedmont, supported by a mosquito control program in areas at high risk for human exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2014
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48. Aujeszky's Disease in Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes): Phylogenetic Analysis Unravels an Unexpected Epidemiologic Link.
- Author
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Caruso, Claudio, Dondo, Alessandro, Cerutti, Francesco, Masoero, Loretta, Rosamilia, Alfonso, Zoppi, Simona, D'Errico, Valeria, Grattarola, Carla, Acutis, Pier Luigi, and Peletto, Simone
- Abstract
The article describes the case of Aujeszky's Disease (AD) in a female red fox in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Topics covered include the cause of the infectious disease AD or pseudorabies, the wild, domestic and fur-bearing animals that are susceptible of AD infection and the use of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis.
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- 2014
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49. Recent outbreak of aseptic meningitis in Italy due to Echovirus 30 and phylogenetic relationship with other European circulating strains.
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Milia, Maria Grazia, Cerutti, Francesco, Gregori, Gabriella, Burdino, Elisa, Allice, Tiziano, Ruggiero, Tina, Proia, Maria, De Rosa, Giulia, Enrico, Eugenia, Lipani, Filippo, Di Perri, Giovanni, and Ghisetti, Valeria
- Subjects
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MENINGITIS diagnosis , *ECHO viruses , *CLADISTIC analysis , *MOLECULAR epidemiology , *VIRAL disease diagnosis , *CEREBROSPINAL fluid , *REVERSE transcriptase polymerase chain reaction - Abstract
Abstract: Background: Enteroviruses (EVs) are common human viral pathogens, causing a variety of diseases, including aseptic meningitis. Recently, EV aseptic meningitis outbreaks have been reported across Europe, but, in Italy, knowledge of recent EV molecular epidemiology is very limited. Objectives: We report an outbreak of EV aseptic meningitis in 10 adults in North-Western Italy, from October to November 2012. Patients were parents or close relatives of children <5 years old attending the same class of a nursery school, suffering from a mild febrile upper respiratory disease. Phylogenetic relationship with other European circulating strains was analyzed updating E30 circulation in Italy in recent years. Study design: EVs were detected from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens with a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and virus isolation was achieved from rectal and pharyngeal swabs. For cluster definition and phylogenetic studies, viral VP1 region was directly amplified and sequenced from CSF. Results: EVs were identified in CSF from all patients and from rectal and pharyngeal swabs in 7 of them. Direct sequencing of CSF revealed the presence of the same Echovirus 30 (E30) in all patients and phylogenetic analysis identified it as a diverging clade within E30 genotype VII, the most recent strain circulating in UK, Finland and Denmark since 2006. Conclusion: Molecular techniques allowed the rapid identification and typing of E30 from CSF. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the cluster might be due to a new E30 variant within the genotype VII currently circulating in Europe, thus updating the epidemiology of EV circulation in Italy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
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- 2013
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50. A( H1 N1)pdm09 hemagglutinin D222 G and D222 N variants are frequently harbored by patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and advanced respiratory assistance for severe A( H1 N1)pdm09 infection.
- Author
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Ruggiero, Tina, De Rosa, Francesco, Cerutti, Francesco, Pagani, Nicole, Allice, Tiziano, Stella, Maria L., Milia, Maria G., Calcagno, Andrea, Burdino, Elisa, Gregori, Gabriella, Urbino, Rosario, Di Perri, Giovanni, Ranieri, Marco V., and Ghisetti, Valeria
- Subjects
H1N1 influenza ,HEMAGGLUTININ ,EXTRACORPOREAL membrane oxygenation ,SEVERITY of illness index ,INTENSIVE care units ,GENETIC mutation ,BINDING sites - Abstract
Background In patients with A( H1 N1)pdm09 infection, severe lung involvement requiring admission to intensive care units ( ICU) has been reported. Mutations at the hemagglutinin ( HA) receptor binding site ( RBS) have been associated with increased virulence and disease severity, representing a potential marker of critical illness. Objectives To assess the contribution of HA- RBS variability in critically ill patients, A( H1 N1)pdm09 virus from adult patients with severe infection admitted to ICU for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support ( ECMO) during influenza season 2009-2011 in Piemonte (4·2 million inhabitants), northwestern Italy, was studied. Patients and methods We retrospectively analyzed HA- RBS polymorphisms in ICU patients and compared with those from randomly selected inpatients with mild A( H1 N1)pdm09 disease and outpatients with influenza from the local surveillance program. Results By HA- RBS direct sequencing of respiratory specimens, D222G and D222N viral variants were identified in a higher proportion in ICU patients ( n = 8/24, 33·3%) than in patients with mild disease ( n = 2/34, 6%) or in outpatients ( n = 0/44) (Fisher's exact test P < 0·0001; OR 38·5; CI 95% 4·494-329·9). Eleven ICU patients died (42%), three of them carrying the D222G variant, which was associated with RBS mutation S183P in two. D222G and D222N mutants were identified in upper and lower respiratory samples. Conclusions A( H1 N1)pdm09 HA substitutions D222 G and D222 N were harbored in a significantly higher proportion by patients with acute respiratory distress for A( H1 N1)pdm09 severe infection requiring ICU admission and ECMO. These data emphasize the importance of monitoring viral evolution for understanding virus-host adaptation aimed at the surveillance of strain circulation and the study of viral correlates of disease severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2013
- Full Text
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