Virtual and Augmented Reality in Basic and Advanced Life Support Training

The use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) for life support training is increasing. These technologies provide an immersive experience that supports learning in a safe and controlled environment. This review focuses on the use of AR and VR for emergency care training for health care providers, medical students, and nonprofessionals. In particular, we analyzed (1) serious games, nonimmersive games, both single-player and multiplayer; (2) VR tools ranging from semi-immersive to immersive virtual and mixed reality; and (3) AR applications. All the toolkits have been investigated in terms of application goals (training, assessment, or both), simulated procedures, and skills. The main goal of this work is to summarize and organize the findings of studies coming from multiple research areas in order to make them accessible to all the professionals involved in medical simulation. The analysis of the state-of-the-art technologies reveals that tools and studies related to the multiplayer experience, haptic feedback, and evaluation of user’s manual skills in the foregoing health care-related environments are still limited and require further investigation. Also, there is an additional need to conduct studies aimed at assessing whether AR/VR-based systems are superior or, at the minimum, comparable to traditional training methods

Platinum, Palladium and Rhodium deposition to the Prunus laurus cerasus leaf surface as an indicator of the vehicular traffic pollution in the city of Varese area. An easy and reliable method to detect PGEs released from automobile catalytic converters

Background, aim, and scope The widespread use of some Platinum Group Elements (PGE) as catalysts to minimize emission of pollutants from combustion engines produced a constantly growing increase of the concentration of these elements in the environment; their potential toxicological properties explain the increasing interest in routine easy monitoring. We have found that leaves of Prunus laurus cerasus are efficient collectors of particulate with a dimension < 60-80 \u3bcm, and a simple and reliable procedure was developed to reveal traces of platinum, palladium and rhodium released from automotive catalysts. The analysis of the dust deposited on the foliage is a direct indicator of traffic pollution. Materials and methods Leaves of prunus laurus cerasus were washed by sonication in a mixture of water and 2 propanol and the washings, to be discarded, were separated by centrifugation to yield typically 0.05-1.2 g of dust that, after mineralization, were directly submitted to Atomic Absorption analysis. Results Comparison of the 2007 and 2004-5 results showed a dramatic reduction of the platinum levels and revealed that palladium is now the main component of this traffic related pollution. Discussion The results are consistent with the increasing diffusion of cars with a diesel engine whose catalysts are made up of Pt and/or Pd alone, and gives a significant insight into the recent evolution in catalyst design that replaces platinum for palladium. Conclusion The proposed analytical procedure is simple, with short preparation times, and greatly reduces matrix effects so that atomic absorption spectroscopy can easily detect the three noble metals at the ng/g level in the dust. Recommendation and perspectives The results clearly show that Pd concentrations have increased over time, and must be cause of concern

Niñez y juventud en movimiento : Talleres de Danzas Urbanas y Taekwondo en La Casita de los Pibes

El presente proyecto de Centros Comunitarios de Extensión Universitaria, se propuso desarrollar talleres para niños/as y jóvenes, que asisten a La Casita de los Pibes. A partir de una demanda formulada, ante la falta de actividades relacionadas con la educación física, para los chicos/as que asisten a diario a La Casita, y a través de la secretaría de extensión de la FaHCE, nos acercamos con el propósito de conformar un equipo de integrantes de la carrera de educación física, que pudiera dar respuesta a la demanda de la organización. Así, durante el 2016, establecimos contacto con los referentes de la organización, conocimos sus actividades, a los chicos/as que asisten a la misma y generamos en forma coordinada, la realización de eventos, que nos posibilitaron establecer un vínculo con los integrantes de la organización y los pibes, y conocer aquellas actividades que resultaran de interés en ellos. En estos eventos pudimos relevar el interés de los/as chicos y chicas entorno al taekwondo y la danza. A partir de esta construcción en respuesta a la demanda, queremos desarrollar a través de la presentación y ejecución de este proyecto, una propuesta de formación que aborde a estas dos prácticas.Mesa 2: Educación física y extensión.Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) - Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Niñez y juventud en movimiento : Talleres de Danzas Urbanas y Taekwondo en La Casita de los Pibes

El presente proyecto de Centros Comunitarios de Extensión Universitaria, se propuso desarrollar talleres para niños/as y jóvenes, que asisten a La Casita de los Pibes. A partir de una demanda formulada, ante la falta de actividades relacionadas con la educación física, para los chicos/as que asisten a diario a La Casita, y a través de la secretaría de extensión de la FaHCE, nos acercamos con el propósito de conformar un equipo de integrantes de la carrera de educación física, que pudiera dar respuesta a la demanda de la organización. Así, durante el 2016, establecimos contacto con los referentes de la organización, conocimos sus actividades, a los chicos/as que asisten a la misma y generamos en forma coordinada, la realización de eventos, que nos posibilitaron establecer un vínculo con los integrantes de la organización y los pibes, y conocer aquellas actividades que resultaran de interés en ellos. En estos eventos pudimos relevar el interés de los/as chicos y chicas entorno al taekwondo y la danza. A partir de esta construcción en respuesta a la demanda, queremos desarrollar a través de la presentación y ejecución de este proyecto, una propuesta de formación que aborde a estas dos prácticas.Mesa 2: Educación física y extensión.Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) - Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Niñez y juventud en movimiento : Talleres de Danzas Urbanas y Taekwondo en La Casita de los Pibes

El presente proyecto de Centros Comunitarios de Extensión Universitaria, se propuso desarrollar talleres para niños/as y jóvenes, que asisten a La Casita de los Pibes. A partir de una demanda formulada, ante la falta de actividades relacionadas con la educación física, para los chicos/as que asisten a diario a La Casita, y a través de la secretaría de extensión de la FaHCE, nos acercamos con el propósito de conformar un equipo de integrantes de la carrera de educación física, que pudiera dar respuesta a la demanda de la organización. Así, durante el 2016, establecimos contacto con los referentes de la organización, conocimos sus actividades, a los chicos/as que asisten a la misma y generamos en forma coordinada, la realización de eventos, que nos posibilitaron establecer un vínculo con los integrantes de la organización y los pibes, y conocer aquellas actividades que resultaran de interés en ellos. En estos eventos pudimos relevar el interés de los/as chicos y chicas entorno al taekwondo y la danza. A partir de esta construcción en respuesta a la demanda, queremos desarrollar a través de la presentación y ejecución de este proyecto, una propuesta de formación que aborde a estas dos prácticas.Mesa 2: Educación física y extensión.Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) - Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Mitofusin-2 Down-Regulation Predicts Progression of Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Identification of markers predicting disease outcome is a major clinical issue for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The present study aimed to determine the role of the mitochondrial proteins Mitofusin-2 (Mfn2) and caseinolytic protease P (ClpP) in predicting the outcome of NMIBC. The study population consisted of patients scheduled for transurethral resection of bladder tumor upon the clinical diagnosis of bladder cancer (BC). Samples of the main bladder tumor and healthy-looking bladder wall from patients classified as NMIBC were tested for Mfn2 and ClpP. The expression levels of these proteins were correlated to disease recurrence, progression. Mfn2 and ClpP expression levels were significantly higher in lesional than in non-lesional tissue. Low-risk NMIBC had significantly higher Mfn2 expression levels and significantly lower ClpP expression levels than high-risk NMIBC; there were no differences in non-lesional levels of the two proteins. Lesional Mfn2 expression levels were significantly lower in patients who progressed whereas ClpP levels had no impact on any survival outcome. Multivariable analysis adjusting for the EORTC scores showed that Mfn2 downregulation was significantly associated with disease progression. In conclusion, Mfn2 and ClpP proteins were found to be overexpressed in BC as compared to non-lesional bladder tissue and Mfn2 expression predicted disease progression

Antioxidant phytocomplexes extracted from pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) using hydrodynamic cavitation show potential anticancer activity in vitro

Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC), as an effective, efficient, and scalable extraction technique for natural products, could enable the affordable production of valuable antioxidant extracts from plant resources. For the first time, whole pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits, rich in bioactive phytochemicals endowed with anti-cancer properties, were extracted in water using HC. Aqueous fractions sequentially collected during the process (M1–M5) were lyophilized (L), filtered (A), or used as such, i.e., crude (C), and analyzed for their biochemical profile and in vitro antioxidant power. The fractions M3 and M4 from the L and C series showed the highest antiradical activity and phytochemical content. While the lyophilized form is preferable for application purposes, sample L-M3, which was produced faster and with lower energy consumption than M4, was used to assess the potential antiproliferative effect on human breast cancer line (AU565-PAR) and peripheral blood mononuclear (PBMC) cells from healthy donors. In a pilot study, cell growth, death, and redox state were assessed, showing that L-M3 significantly reduced tumor cell proliferation and intracellular oxygen reactive species. No effect on PBMCs was detected. Thus, the antioxidant phytocomplex extracted from pomegranate quickly (15 min), at room temperature (30 °C), and efficiently showed potential anticancer activity without harming healthy cells

The Italian COVID-19 Psychological Research Consortium (IT C19PRC): General Overview and Replication of the UK Study

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a major stressor for the psychological health of people worldwide. In the UK, the COVID19-Psychological Research Consortium Study (C19PRC) launched to evaluate the psychological impact of COVID-19 in the general population and its implications. The project was then extended to Italy and several other countries. This article provides an overview of the Italian C19PRC study and its replication of two specific findings from the UK C19PRC. In the first part, the relationship between anxiety and somatic symptomatology is examined. In the second part, we analyze the association between several factors and psychological health outcomes: depression/anxiety, traumatic stress, COVID-19 anxiety. In line with the study conducted in the UK, an online survey was administered to the adult Italian general population. The sample included 1038 respondents (age, mean = 49.94, SD = 16.14, 51.15% females) taken from four regions: Lombardia, Veneto, Lazio, and Campania. The relationship between predictors and outcomes was evaluated by means of logistic regression models. Somatic indices showed a positive association with anxiety, worse somatic symptoms were associated with mourning a loss of a beloved one due to COVID-19 and with precarious health conditions. Females showed a higher incidence of psychological issues. No differences in anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress were found across regions but the Campania region showed the most severe somatic symptomatology. In the second analysis, the factors associated with more severe psychological outcomes (i.e., anxiety and/or depression, traumatic stress, and COVID-19 related anxiety) were younger age, the presence of minors in the household, traumatic stressors, and precarious health conditions. No differences across regions emerged. The Italian results correspond to the UK findings for anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress. Both in the UK and Italy, the factors associated with worse psychological health were gender (female), younger age, having children, pre-existing health issues (both for oneself or someone close), and the moderate/high perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 within one month. In Italy, unlike the UK, lower household income and having (had) COVID-19 were not associated with poorer mental health. The psychological impact of COVID-19 can last for months; future research should explore all aspects of the psychological burden of COVID-19 in order to implement psychological interventions and promote psychological health

Prolonged contact with dendritic cells turns lymph node‐resident NK cells into anti‐tumor effectors

Abstract Natural killer (NK) cells are critical players against tumors. The outcome of anti‐tumor vaccination protocols depends on the efficiency of NK‐cell activation, and efforts are constantly made to manipulate them for immunotherapeutic approaches. Thus, a better understanding of NK‐cell activation dynamics is needed. NK‐cell interactions with accessory cells and trafficking between secondary lymphoid organs and tumoral tissues remain poorly characterized. Here, we show that upon triggering innate immunity with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), NK cells are transiently activated, leave the lymph node, and infiltrate the tumor, delaying its growth. Interestingly, NK cells are not actively recruited at the draining lymph node early after LPS administration, but continue their regular homeostatic turnover. Therefore, NK cells resident in the lymph node at the time of LPS administration become activated and exert anti‐tumor functions. NK‐cell activation correlates with the establishment of prolonged interactions with dendritic cells (DCs) in lymph nodes, as observed by two‐photon microscopy. Close DC and NK‐cell contacts are essential for the localized delivery of DC‐derived IL‐18 to NK cells, a strict requirement in NK‐cell activation