The assessment of hemineglect syndrome with cancellation tasks. A comparison between the bells test and the Apples test

Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is a frequent consequence of acquired brain injury, especially following right hemisphere damage. Traditionally, unilateral spatial neglect is assessed with cancellation tests such as the Bells test. Recently, a new cancellation test, the Apples test, has been proposed. The present study aims at comparing the accuracy of these two tests in detecting hemispatial neglect, on a sample of 56 right hemisphere stroke patients with a diagnosis of USN. In order to evaluate the agreement between the Apples and Bells tests, Cohen's kappa and McNemar's test were used to assess differences between the two methods of evaluation. Poor agreement and statistically significant differences emerged between the Apples and Bells tests. Overall, the Apples test was significantly more sensitive than the Bells test in detecting USN. Based on these results, the use of the Apples test for peripersonal neglect assessment is therefore highly recommende

Distribution of the brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) in the Central Apennines, Italy, 2005-2014

Despite its critical conservation status, no formal estimate of the Apennine brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) distribution has ever been attempted, nor a coordinated effort to compile and verify all recent occurrences has ever been ensured. We used 48331 verified bear location data collected by qualified personnel from 20052014 in the central Apennines, Italy, to estimate the current distribution of Apennine brown bears. Data sources included telemetry relocations, scats and DNA-verified hair samples, sightings, indirect signs of presence, photos from camera traps, and damage to properties. Using a grid-based zonal analysis to transform raw data density, we applied ordinary kriging and estimated a 4923 km2 main bear distribution, encompassing the historical stronghold of the bear population, and including a smaller (1460 km2) area of stable occupancy of reproducing female bears. National and Regional Parks cover 38.8% of the main bear distribution, plus an additional 19.5% encompassed by the Natura 2000 network alone. Despite some methodological and sampling problems related to spatial and temporal variation in sampling effort at the landscape scale, our approach provides an approximation of the current bear distribution that is suited to frequently update the distribution map. Future monitoring of this bear population would benefit from estimating detectability across a range on environmental and sampling variables, and from intensifying the collection of bear presence data in the peripheral portions of the distribution

Freight distribution with electric vehicles: A case study in Sicily. RES, infrastructures and vehicle routing

Abstract This paper deals with the issue of the production of electricity required for an electric delivery van to carry out its daily mission. In particular, the technical solutions adopted for the generation and management of energy from renewable energy sources will be illustrated. Subsequently a vehicle routing problem with time windows is formulated in order to optimize the freight distribution at urban level completing the exploration of two aspects, infrastructures and management of the service, considered fundamental for dealing with the distribution of freight in a system scenario. The article describes a case study for the delivery of freight within the last mile in which the installation of renewable energy production plants is proposed in the same place where the urban distribution center has been planned. The area dedicated to freight handling is thus proposed in the work as an energy platform as well as logistics. The optimization of a freight delivery service is performed in order to reduce the energy used by the vehicle in its daily travels and some aspects related to the governance (i.e. time windows allowed for the delivery/pick-up operations) are included in the problem constraints. A test application, considering a set of 84 retailers, has been carried out as case study in the Capo d'Orlando municipality (Sicily, Italy)

Freight distribution with electric vehicles: A case study in Sicily. Delivery van development

Abstract A change in the logistics sector in terms of environmental sustainability is necessary to support the achievement of the social challenges associated with freight transport. Unfortunately, the policy responses to solving congestion and emissions issues are mainly dedicated to the movement of people. The most valued opportunities to reduce the negative effects of freight delivery (the goal of EU policy is CO2 free urban logistics by 2030) regards both the use of electric vehicles to perform the distribution and the introduction of distribution centres that encourage the use of light commercial vehicles. However, the combination of zero emission vehicles in logistic and transportation activities requires some additional challenges from the organizational and operational point of view. In order to avoid the delocalization of polluting emissions it is necessary that the production of electricity related to the new needs comes from renewable sources preferably distributed throughout the territory. This paper explores the integration of electric vehicles in logistics operations executed through light commercial vehicles, taking into consideration, during the design phase of a new concept delivery van, the technical connections with the production systems and its possible applications also in areas other than urban. The results of the case study presented encourage the development of a type of vehicle with features not yet covered by the market and which are of particular relevance for sustainable logistics applied to small towns or small islands, which are widespread in Italy

Microbial community and antimicrobial resistance in fecal samples from wild and domestic ruminants in Maiella National Park, Italy

This study aimed to provide new insights about antimicrobial resistance genes abundance and microbial communities of wild and domestic ruminants in wildlife-livestock interface. In total, 88 fecal samples were recovered from Apennine chamois, red deer, goat, cattle and sheep, and were collected in pools. The populations under study were selected based on ecological data useful to define sympatric and non-sympatric populations. Samples were screened for commonly used in farms under study or critically important antimicrobial resistance genes (aadA2, TetA, TetB, TetK, TetM, mcr-1). The microbial community composition was found to be different based on the species and land use of animals under study. Indeed, it was mostly characterized by phyla Firmicutes in bovine, Bacteroidota in chamois and Proteobacteria in red deer. Additionally, positive correlations between antibiotic resistance genes and microbial taxa (e.g., Tet genes correlated with Firmicutes and Patescibacteria) were described. Of the antimicrobials investigated, the abundance of mcr-1 gene suggests the importance of monitoring the wildlife in order to detect the emerging resistance genes contamination in environment. This study provides new data that highlight the importance of multidisciplinary and uncultured study in order to describe the spreading of antimicrobial resistance and related contamination in the environment

Occurrence of Tetracycline Resistance Gene TetA(P) in Apennine wolves (Canis lupus italicus) from different human-wildlife interfaces

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Strategies for Psychiatric Rehabilitation and their Cognitive Outcomes in Schizophrenia: Review of Last Five-year Studies

Background: Cognitive deficits are core features of Schizophrenia, showing poor response to antipsychotic treatment, therefore non-pharmacological rehabilitative approaches to such a symptom domain need to be identified. However, since not all patients with Schizophrenia exhibit the same cognitive impairment profile, individualized rehabilitative approaches should be set up. Objectives: We explored the last five-year literature addressing the issue of cognitive dysfunction response to rehabilitative methodologies in Schizophrenia to identify possible predictors of response and individualized strategies to treat such a dysfunction. Conclusion: A total of 76 studies were reviewed. Possible predictors of cognitive rehabilitation outcome were identified among patient-specific and approachspecific variables and a general overview of rehabilitative strategies used in the last five years has been depicted. Studies suggest the existence of multifaced and multi-domain variables that could significantly predict pro-cognitive effects of cognitive rehabilitation, which could also be useful for identifying individual-specific rehabilitation trajectories over time. An individualized rehabilitative approach to cognitive impairment in Schizophrenia is possible if taking into account both patient and approach specific predictors of outcomes

EVALUACIÓN CUALITATIVA DE ENDOPARASITOS DE FELINOS SEMI DOMICILIADOS EN EL MUNICIPIO DE MARINGÁ, PARANÁ, BRAZIL

The occurrence of endoparasitoses in domestic animals has been reported routinely in the medical clinic of small animals, where wandering and domiciled cats are considered important reservoirs, evidencing the role of felines in the contamination of the environment by the infective forms of these parasites. Many animals are asymptomatic, but those with high parasitic load evidence clinical signs such as inappetence, anorexia, vomiting and diarrhea. The present study aimed to identify the different parasites found in faecal samples of semi - domed felines; for this, 45 fecal samples of cats were collected, regardless of age, sex or race, from different households in the municipality of Maringá, PR, Brazil. The collected samples were submitted to coproparasitological tests by means of the Willis & Mollay flotation method, carried out in the Veterinary Parasitology laboratory of the Veterinary Clinic of Uningá, Centro Universitário Ingá (UNINGÁ) between April and May 2017 The results obtained confirmed infestation by Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle & Manceaux, 1908), Cryptosporidium sp. (Tyzzer, 1907), Cystoisospora sp. (Frenkel,1977), Giardia sp. (Kunstler,1882), Strongyloides sp. (Bavay, 1876), Toxocara cati (Schrank, 1788), Ancylostoma tubaeforme (Zeder, 1800), Toxascaris leonina (Sprent,1959) and Dipylidium sp. (Leuckart, 1886). Therefore, the study emphasizes the periodic monitoring of coproparasitological examsin the clinical routine of small animal clinics in order to minimize enteric alterations and pharmacological resistance

PRIMEIRA OCORRÊNCIA DE NEMÁTODAS DA FAMÍLIA STRONGYLIDAE E GÊNERO Physaloptera sp. EM PRIMATAS NA CIDADE DE MARINGÁ, PR

A cidade de Maringá, PR, abrange três parques ecológicos (Parque do Ingá, Bosque II e Horto Florestal) separadas por avenidas, ruas, comércio e residências. A construção de estradas e rodovias promove a fragmentação de habitats e entre muitas consequências, favorece ao atropelamento da fauna silvestre. Os animais que habitam os parques são nativos da floresta original e se encontram livres dificultando o acesso aos mesmos. Por diversos motivos, alguns animais vão para o entorno dos parques e acabam sendo atropelados. O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar a fauna parasitária de animais silvestres atropelados. Três animais vítimas fatais de atropelamento, dois macacos-prego (Sapajus nigritus) e um sagui-de-tufo-branco (Callithrix jacchus), foram recolhidos do entorno da floresta urbana conhecida como Bosque II pelo Centro de Controle de Zoonoses e encaminhados ao Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária do Centro Universitário Ingá – UNINGÁ no ano de 2018 para necropsia e coleta de material. Foram encontrados cinco nemátodas somente nos macacos-prego, sendo quatro pertencentes ao gênero Physaloptera sp., parasitando estômago, e um da Família Strongylidae parasitando intestino grosso. Pesquisas envolvendo parasitos de animais silvestres são importantes para o conhecimento da fauna regional e estudo sanitário de populações, sendo que vários parasitos são importantes causadores de zoonoses. Esta é a primeira ocorrência de parasitos do gênero Physaloptera sp. e Família Strongylidae na cidade de Maringá

Machine learning-based ability to classify psychosis and early stages of disease through parenting and attachment-related variables is associated with social cognition

Background: Recent views posited that negative parenting and attachment insecurity can be considered as general environmental factors of vulnerability for psychosis, specifically for individuals diagnosed with psychosis (PSY). Furthermore, evidence highlighted a tight relationship between attachment style and social cognition abilities, a key PSY behavioral phenotype. The aim of this study is to generate a machine learning algorithm based on the perceived quality of parenting and attachment style-related features to discriminate between PSY and healthy controls (HC) and to investigate its ability to track PSY early stages and risk conditions, as well as its association with social cognition performance. Methods: Perceived maternal and paternal parenting, as well as attachment anxiety and avoidance scores, were trained to separate 71 HC from 34 PSY (20 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia + 14 diagnosed with bipolar disorder with psychotic manifestations) using support vector classification and repeated nested cross-validation. We then validated this model on independent datasets including individuals at the early stages of disease (ESD, i.e. first episode of psychosis or depression, or at-risk mental state for psychosis) and with familial high risk for PSY (FHR, i.e. having a first-degree relative suffering from psychosis). Then, we performed factorial analyses to test the group x classification rate interaction on emotion perception, social inference and managing of emotions abilities. Results: The perceived parenting and attachment-based machine learning model discriminated PSY from HC with a Balanced Accuracy (BAC) of 72.2%. Slightly lower classification performance was measured in the ESD sample (HC-ESD BAC = 63.5%), while the model could not discriminate between FHR and HC (BAC = 44.2%). We observed a significant group x classification interaction in PSY and HC from the discovery sample on emotion perception and on the ability to manage emotions (both p = 0.02). The interaction on managing of emotion abilities was replicated in the ESD and HC validation sample (p = 0.03). Conclusion: Our results suggest that parenting and attachment-related variables bear significant classification power when applied to both PSY and its early stages and are associated with variability in emotion processing. These variables could therefore be useful in psychosis early recognition programs aimed at softening the psychosis-associated disability