Human Cortical Excitability Increases with Time Awake

Prolonged wakefulness is associated not only with obvious changes in the way we feel and perform but also with well-known clinical effects, such as increased susceptibility to seizures, to hallucinations, and relief of depressive symptoms. These clinical effects suggest that prolonged wakefulness may be associated with significant changes in the state of cortical circuits. While recent animal experiments have reported a progressive increase of cortical excitability with time awake, no conclusive evidence could be gathered in humans. In this study, we combine transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor cortical excitability in healthy individuals as a function of time awake. We observed that the excitability of the human frontal cortex, measured as the immediate (0-20 ms) EEG reaction to TMS, progressively increases with time awake, from morning to evening and after one night of total sleep deprivation, and that it decreases after recovery sleep. By continuously monitoring vigilance, we also found that this modulation in cortical responsiveness is tonic and not attributable to transient fluctuations of the level of arousal. The present results provide noninvasive electrophysiological evidence that wakefulness is associated with a steady increase in the excitability of human cortical circuits that is rebalanced during slee

Additive Manufacturing of Al Alloys and Aluminium Matrix Composites (AMCs)

In this chapter a large description of additive manufacturing techniques for obtaining Al alloys and Al matrix composites is given. Results on mechanical properties, roughness and microstructure achievable with such fabrication route on Al alloys are reported

La disabilità al tempo del Covid-19

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Microsatellite diversity of the Nordic type of goats in relation to breed conservation: how relevant is pure ancestry?

In the last decades, several endangered breeds of livestock species have been re-established effectively. However, the successful revival of the Dutch and Danish Landrace goats involved crossing with exotic breeds and the ancestry of the current populations is therefore not clear. We have generated genotypes for 27 FAO-recommended microsatellites of these landraces and three phenotypically similar Nordic-type landraces and compared these breeds with central European, Mediterranean and south-west Asian goats. We found decreasing levels of genetic diversity with increasing distance from the south-west Asian domestication site with a south-east-to-north-west cline that is clearly steeper than the Mediterranean east-to-west cline. In terms of genetic diversity, the Dutch Landrace comes next to the isolated Icelandic breed, which has an extremely low diversity. The Norwegian coastal goat and the Finnish and Icelandic landraces are clearly related. It appears that by a combination of mixed origin and a population bottleneck, the Dutch and Danish Land-races are separated from the other breeds. However, the current Dutch and Danish populations with the multicoloured and long-horned appearance effectively substitute for the original breed, illustrating that for conservation of cultural heritage, the phenotype of a breed is more relevant than pure ancestry and the genetic diversity of the original breed. More in general, we propose that for conservation, the retention of genetic diversity of an original breed and of the visual phenotype by which the breed is recognized and defined needs to be considered separately

Intraperitoneal drain placement and outcomes after elective colorectal surgery: international matched, prospective, cohort study

Despite current guidelines, intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery remains widespread. Drains were not associated with earlier detection of intraperitoneal collections, but were associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased risk of surgical-site infections.Background Many surgeons routinely place intraperitoneal drains after elective colorectal surgery. However, enhanced recovery after surgery guidelines recommend against their routine use owing to a lack of clear clinical benefit. This study aimed to describe international variation in intraperitoneal drain placement and the safety of this practice. Methods COMPASS (COMPlicAted intra-abdominal collectionS after colorectal Surgery) was a prospective, international, cohort study which enrolled consecutive adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery (February to March 2020). The primary outcome was the rate of intraperitoneal drain placement. Secondary outcomes included: rate and time to diagnosis of postoperative intraperitoneal collections; rate of surgical site infections (SSIs); time to discharge; and 30-day major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade at least III). After propensity score matching, multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the independent association of the secondary outcomes with drain placement. Results Overall, 1805 patients from 22 countries were included (798 women, 44.2 per cent; median age 67.0 years). The drain insertion rate was 51.9 per cent (937 patients). After matching, drains were not associated with reduced rates (odds ratio (OR) 1.33, 95 per cent c.i. 0.79 to 2.23; P = 0.287) or earlier detection (hazard ratio (HR) 0.87, 0.33 to 2.31; P = 0.780) of collections. Although not associated with worse major postoperative complications (OR 1.09, 0.68 to 1.75; P = 0.709), drains were associated with delayed hospital discharge (HR 0.58, 0.52 to 0.66; P < 0.001) and an increased risk of SSIs (OR 2.47, 1.50 to 4.05; P < 0.001). Conclusion Intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery is not associated with earlier detection of postoperative collections, but prolongs hospital stay and increases SSI risk

Aquilino Giovenco, Il poema dei Vangeli

Il "Poema dei Vangeli" è il titolo che si è ritenuto opportuno attribuire al poema scritto da Giovenco, "Evangeliorum libri IV". La motivazione di questa scelta rispecchia la volontà di adeguarsi all'intenzione dell'A. stesso di gareggiare con Virgilio, suo grande ispiratore e modello. La nascita, i miracoli, il costante, rigoroso e decisivo proselitismo, l'energia, che può persino apparire non adatta all'immagine tutta dolcezza della predicazione del Cristo che circola fra i seguaci antichi e moderni di questa religione, il tradimento e il suicidio di Giuda, la rinnegazione di Pietro atterrito dall'arresto dell'umano e del divino Maestro, il problematico processo e l'esecuzione di Gesù sulla Croce: tutto è narrato con straordinaria partecipazione e grande pregio stilistico e metrico. L'introduzione evidenzia l'importanza letteraria della scelta stilistica di Giovenco, inventor del genere letterario della parafrasi biblica

L'occupation italienne [La France pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, atlas historique]

[dans le chapitre 2 : La France sous contrôle, p.48-69

La prise en charge de 115 enfants s\ue9par\ue9s de la famille d'origine et plac\ue9s en foyer d'accueil

La recherche se centre sur le ph\ue9nom\ue8ne des enfants hors famille en analysant le processus de prise en charge, dans un internat, de 115 enfants 0-6 ans, plac\ue9s \ue0 cause de precarit\ue9 economique-sociale et/ou psychologique-relationnel entre le 1998 et le 2005. Le but est de r\ue9flechir sur l'efficacit\ue9 de l'aide que les internats aujourd'hui, d\ue9s qu'on a surmont\ue9 la culture de l'institutionnalisation, peuvent donner aux enfants dans la perspective du droit de l'enfant \ue0 grandir dans sa propre famille