Neural markers of a greater female responsiveness to social stimuli

Abstract Background There is fMRI evidence that women are neurally predisposed to process infant laughter and crying. Other findings show that women might be more empathic and sensitive than men to emotional facial expressions. However, no gender difference in the brain responses to persons and unanimated scenes has hitherto been demonstrated. Results Twenty-four men and women viewed 220 images portraying persons or landscapes and ERPs were recorded from 128 sites. In women, but not in men, the N2 component (210–270) was much larger to persons than to scenes. swLORETA showed significant bilateral activation of FG (BA19/37) in both genders when viewing persons as opposed to scenes. Only women showed a source of activity in the STG and in the right MOG (extra-striate body area, EBA), and only men in the left parahippocampal area (PPA). Conclusion A significant gender difference was found in activation of the left and right STG (BA22) and the cingulate cortex for the subtractive condition women minus men, thus indicating that women might have a greater preference or interest for social stimuli (faces and persons).</p

Topic Maps e XTM per l'e-learning

Topic Maps are a methodology whose aim is describing knowledge structures and associating them with information resources. XML Topic Maps (XTM) is an XML-based encoding scheme to represent topic maps and similar knowledge structures (e.g. semantic networks, associative networks, concept maps, mind maps, etc.). In this paper Topic Maps and XTM are proposed as a knowledge representation system to be exploited in e-learning environments for a suited integration with semantic web technologies. They may be a useful tool to facilitate the design of learning contents and their delivery in diverse contexts. After a short survey of the Topic Maps standardization process, in this paper key elements and characteristics of TM and XTM paradigm are described. Then it is briefl y discussed about Topic Maps applications in e-learning context and also a short survey of related works is presente

Application des techniques physiques, géochimiques et isotopiques pour l'évaluation de l'infiltration sous climat tempéré

Depuis plusieurs années, la Zone Non Saturée d'une parcelle expérimentale au nord de l'Italie (plaine du Pô) a fait l'objet de nombreuses études sur les caractéristiques physiques et géologiques du milieu, ainsi que sur les modalités du mouvement des eaux d'infiltration. Le site a été équipé de 6 tensiomètres à mercure, 6 bougies poreuses pour l'échantillonnage de l'eau et d'un tube d'accès pour la sonde à neutrons.L'application des différentes méthodes d'évaluation a fourni, pour la période d'étude (Septembre 1994-Août 1995), des valeurs de l'infiltration sensiblement différentes. La méthode physique, basée sur le calcul du bilan hydrique annuel, et considérant le sol comme un unique réservoir monocouche, a indiqué que 19% du total des précipitations arrive à s'infiltrer. D'autre part, un modèle de simulation intégrant les caractéristiques hydrodynamiques du sol a permis d'évaluer la recharge à 29% des précipitations annuelles. Le calcul de la répartition de la teneur en eau sur le profil porte sur la description des fluctuations temporelles du plan de flux nul, en relation avec les épisodes pluvieux et l'intensité de l'évaporation.La méthode géochimique du "profil en ions conservés" entre l'eau de pluie et du sol a permis, quant à elle, d'évaluer la lame d'eau infiltrée à environ 12% des précipitations annuelles. La composition isotopique des eaux extraites du sol manifeste un enrichissement global en isotopes lourds (2H et 18O) par rapport aux eaux météoriques, conséquence d'une évaporation intense. L'infiltration semble être de type "piston flow" dispersif. Elle suit, seulement pendant l'hiver, un flux où la composante convective dans la microporosité est prédominante sur la composante diffusive qui a lieu, de préférence, dans la macroporosité.In groundwater management, it is necessary to define water movement, evaluate infiltration and evapotranspiration rates, and quantify the physico-chemical evolution of transported solutes throughout the unsaturated zone (UZ). Traditionally, in temperate regions, recharge rate is evaluated by the comparison between physical methods (based on direct measurements of hydrological parameters with lysimeters, tensiometers and neutron gauges) and geochemical approaches (conservative ions, stable isotope profiles and artificial tracers).In the Po Plain (Northern Italy) intensive agricultural irrigation and overexploitation of groundwater profoundly affect the quality and availability of shallow groundwater resources. The region has been intensively cultivated with corn and rice during the last 5 centuries. Irrigation canals have been constructed in order to distribute water from alpine rivers to areas more favourable to agriculture. In the past, only the water balance method has been applied to obtain recharge rates in these situations.An experimental field site has been operational since 1987 in the ENEA-EUREX Nuclear Centre of Saluggia. The experimental plot represents an unsaturated zone in fluvio-glacial deposits (Holocene) of the Dora Baltea River, formed by gravel and sand, interlayered with silt levels. The water table is usually at a depth of 200 cm but it varies as a function of the river level. The objectives of the present study were to describe water movement throughout the UZ and to evaluate infiltration and evapotranspiration rates using different physico-chemical methodologies. The Saluggia plot was equipped with six tensiometers, a neutron gauge hole and 6 porous cups, up to a depth of 160 cm.During 10 years of monitoring, the most favourable period for understanding infiltration processes and water movement through the UZ is September 1994 - August 1995. This period is characterised by an exceptional rain event (300 mm in 48 hours), followed by a river flood. Water samples collected with porous cups at various depths have been analysed for chemistry and stable isotope composition, together with rainfall and Dora Baltea River water.In October 1994 (beginning of the rainy period) and May 1995 (beginning of the dry period) soil samples were collected at different depths and water was extracted under vacuum conditions. Stable isotope analyses were performed on extracted waters. Soil samples were also analysed for granulometry, chemical and mineralogical composition.Reducing soil to an unique monolayer aquifer, the water balance method suggests that only 19% of the total precipitation infiltrates, whereas a simulation model taking into account soil hydrodynamic characteristics estimates an infiltration rate of 29% of the rainfall. The position of the Zero Flux Plane (ZFP) fluctuates seasonally between the surface and the maximum studied depth, as a consequence of precipitation events and evaporation fluxes. In some periods, the ZFP is level with the water table and direct discharge may occur.Measurements of the stable isotopic composition (δ2H and δ18O) of soil water allows a quantitative estimate of direct groundwater discharge. On a δ2H versusδ18O plot, pore waters from the UZ have an isotopic composition that differs from that of the majority of groundwater samples, plotting below the local rain water line and indicating some degree of evaporation during the recharge process. The isotopic enrichment is particularly significant at the evaporation front, suggesting that pore water in soil reflects a different recharge regime from those of the regional ground waters. Water isotope and solute composition were substantially modified from their original composition during the infiltration process within the soil, via mechanisms such as anion exchange with soil particles, salt precipitation/dissolution or isotopic fractionation.Arial recharge was also evaluated using the depth distribution of a conservative solute. Assuming that chloride is derived from precipitation alone, Cl- content in soil and in rain water suggests that 12% of total rainfall infiltrates. Therefore, the recharge rate is estimated to be less than 100 mm/a. These data are in agreement with other results obtained by the chloride concentration profile method, in areas of the Po Valley, but are considerably different from those evaluated by the traditional physical methods

Naturally Occurring PCSK9 Inhibitors

Genetic, epidemiological and pharmacological data have led to the conclusion that antagonizing or inhibiting Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) reduces cardiovascular events. This clinical outcome is mainly related to the pivotal role of PCSK9 in controlling low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. The absence of oral and affordable anti-PCSK9 medications has limited the beneficial effects of this new therapeutic option. A possible breakthrough in this field may come from the discovery of new naturally occurring PCSK9 inhibitors as a starting point for the development of oral, small molecules, to be used in combination with statins in order to increase the percentage of patients reaching their LDL-cholesterol target levels. In the present review, we have summarized the current knowledge on natural compounds or extracts that have shown an inhibitory effect on PCSK9, either in experimental or clinical settings. When available, the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles of the listed compounds are described

Study of low frequencies on cooled water: Development and analysis

The development of new and sustainable technologies to avoid hazards created by the freezing of substances has been a priority of safety more and more in the past decades. With this study, we want to give a first glance and start a series of experiments and researches which would lead us to results useful for future technologies. By starting from a numerical model, we studied the effects of constant frequencies applied to a cylindrical vessel filled with water. The enhancement of certain heat transfer processes was verified with particularly strange reactions for certain values of gain

Buona Scuola Digitale in Liguria

In questo lavoro si propone un\u2019analisi dello stato della Scuola digitale in Liguria sulla base dei dati disponibili e dell\u2019esperienza diretta di progetti condotti dagli autori. Dopo una prima parte di inquadramento del percorso di innovazione regionale nell\u2019ambito di quello nazionale, si descrive un percorso di innovazione iniziato da tempo: in una prima fase in modo sporadico e individuale, grazie soprattutto alla spinta innovativa personale di singoli dirigenti scolastici o singoli docenti, oggi grazie a progetti a cui si fa riferimento in questo lavoro in modo sempre pi\uf9 condiviso e coordinato

Dissociating object familiarity from linguistic properties in mirror word reading

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is known that the orthographic properties of linguistic stimuli are processed within the left occipitotemporal cortex at about 150–200 ms. We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) to words in standard or mirror orientation to investigate the role of visual word form in reading. Word inversion was performed to determine whether rotated words lose their linguistic properties.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>About 1300 Italian words and legal pseudo-words were presented to 18 right-handed Italian students engaged in a letter detection task. EEG was recorded from 128 scalp sites.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ERPs showed an early effect of word orientation at ~150 ms, with larger N1 amplitudes to rotated than to standard words. Low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) revealed an increase in N1 to rotated words primarily in the right occipital lobe (BA 18), which may indicate an effect of stimulus familiarity. N1 was greater to target than to non-target letters at left lateral occipital sites, thus reflecting the first stage of orthographic processing. LORETA revealed a strong focus of activation for this effect in the left fusiform gyrus (BA 37), which is consistent with the so-called visual word form area (VWFA). Standard words (compared to pseudowords) elicited an enhancement of left occipito/temporal negativity at about 250–350 ms, followed by a larger anterior P3, a reduced frontal N400 and a huge late positivity. Lexical effects for rotated strings were delayed by about 100 ms at occipito/temporal sites, and were totally absent at later processing stages. This suggests the presence of implicit reading processes, which were pre-attentive and of perceptual nature for mirror strings.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The contrast between inverted and standard words did not lead to the identification of a purely linguistic brain region. This finding suggests some caveats in the interpretation of the inversion effect in subtractive paradigms.</p

Candidate Genes and MiRNAs Linked to the Inverse Relationship Between Cancer and Alzheimer&#8217;s Disease: Insights From Data Mining and Enrichment Analysis

The incidence of cancer and Alzheimer\u2019s disease (AD) increases exponentially with age. A growing body of epidemiological evidence and molecular investigations inspired the hypothesis of an inverse relationship between these two pathologies. It has been proposed that the two diseases might utilize the same proteins and pathways that are, however, modulated differently and sometimes in opposite directions. Investigation of the common processes underlying these diseases may enhance the understanding of their pathogenesis and may also guide novel therapeutic strategies. Starting from a text-mining approach, our in silico study integrated the dispersed biological evidence by combining data mining, gene set enrichment, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses while searching for common biological hallmarks linked to AD and cancer. We retrieved 138 genes (ALZCAN gene set), computed a significant number of enriched gene ontology clusters, and identified four PPI modules. The investigation confirmed the relevance of autophagy, ubiquitin proteasome system, and cell death as common biological hallmarks shared by cancer and AD. Then, from a closer investigation of the PPI modules and of the miRNAs enrichment data, several genes (SQSTM1, UCHL1, STUB1, BECN1, CDKN2A, TP53, EGFR, GSK3B, and HSPA9) and miRNAs (miR-146a-5p, MiR-34a-5p, miR-21-5p, miR-9-5p, and miR-16-5p) emerged as promising candidates. The integrative approach uncovered novel miRNA-gene networks (e.g., miR-146 and miR-34 regulating p62 and Beclin1 in autophagy) that might give new insights into the complex regulatory mechanisms of gene expression in AD and cancer