Women outperform men in remembering to remember

The study of gender differences in prospective memory (i.e., remembering to remember) has received modest attention in the literature. The few reported studies investigating either subjective or objective evaluations of prospective memory have shown inconsistent data. In this study, we aimed to verify the presence of gender differences during the performance of an objective prospective memory test by considering the weight of specific variables such as length of delay, type of response, and type of cue. We submitted a sample of 100 healthy Italian participants (50 men and 50 women) to a test expressly developed to assess prospective memory: The Memory for Intentions Screening Test. Women performed better than men in remembering to do an event-based task (i.e., prompted by an external event) and when the task required a physical response modality. We discuss the behavioural differences that emerged by considering the possible role of sociological, biological, neuroanatomical, and methodological variables

Structural Characterization of Natural and Processed Zircons with X-Rays and Nuclear Techniques

In ceramic industry, zircon sand is widely used in different applications because zirconia plays a role as common opacifying constituent. In particular, it is used as a basic component of glazes applied to ceramic tiles and sanitary ware as well as an opacifier in unglazed bulk porcelain stoneware. Natural zircon sands are the major source of zirconium minerals for industrial applications. In this paper, long, medium, and short range studies were conducted on zirconium minerals originated from Australia, South Africa, and United States of America using conventional and less conventional techniques (i.e., X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS), and Perturbed Angular Correlations (PAC)) in order to reveal the type and the extension of the regions that constitute the metamict state of zircon sands and themodifications therein produced as a consequence of the industrial milling process and the thermal treatment in the production line. Additionally, HPGe gamma-ray spectroscopy confirms the occurrence of significant levels of natural radioactivity responsible for metamictization in the investigated zircon samples. Results from XRD, PALS, and PAC analysis confirm that the metamict state of zircon is a dispersion of submicron disordered domains in a crystalline matrix of zircon.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

Structural Characterization of Natural and Processed Zircons with X-Rays and Nuclear Techniques

In ceramic industry, zircon sand is widely used in different applications because zirconia plays a role as common opacifying constituent. In particular, it is used as a basic component of glazes applied to ceramic tiles and sanitary ware as well as an opacifier in unglazed bulk porcelain stoneware. Natural zircon sands are the major source of zirconium minerals for industrial applications. In this paper, long, medium, and short range studies were conducted on zirconium minerals originated from Australia, South Africa, and United States of America using conventional and less conventional techniques (i.e., X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS), and Perturbed Angular Correlations (PAC)) in order to reveal the type and the extension of the regions that constitute the metamict state of zircon sands and themodifications therein produced as a consequence of the industrial milling process and the thermal treatment in the production line. Additionally, HPGe gamma-ray spectroscopy confirms the occurrence of significant levels of natural radioactivity responsible for metamictization in the investigated zircon samples. Results from XRD, PALS, and PAC analysis confirm that the metamict state of zircon is a dispersion of submicron disordered domains in a crystalline matrix of zircon.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

Visual BOLD Response in Late Blind Subjects with Argus II Retinal Prosthesis

Retinal prosthesis technologies require that the visual system downstream of the retinal circuitry be capable of transmitting and elaborating visual signals. We studied the capability of plastic remodeling in late blind subjects implanted with the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis with psychophysics and functional MRI (fMRI). After surgery, six out of seven retinitis pigmentosa (RP) blind subjects were able to detect high-contrast stimuli using the prosthetic implant. However, direction discrimination to contrast modulated stimuli remained at chance level in all of them. No subject showed any improvement of contrast sensitivity in either eye when not using the Argus II. Before the implant, the Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) activity in V1 and the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) was very weak or absent. Surprisingly, after prolonged use of Argus II, BOLD responses to visual input were enhanced. This is, to our knowledge, the first study tracking the neural changes of visual areas in patients after retinal implant, revealing a capacity to respond to restored visual input even after years of deprivation

Evaluation of the activity of natural phenolic antioxidants, extracted from industrial coffee residues, on the stability of poly(1,4‐butylene succinate) formulations

In this work, the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of natural phenolic compounds is performed and compared to that of a conventional antioxidative agent. Phenolic molecules, extracted from industrial processing coffee residues, are added to a matrix of poly(1,4-butylene succinate) (PBS). The apparent activation energy (Ea) of the thermo-oxidative degradation is calculated by employing different methods like Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Friedman. The results are compared with the antioxidant activity evaluation obtained through the ABTS radical scavenging assay. From the average activation energies, it is observed that the addition of the natural antioxidants led to an increase in the activation energy of the degradation process as a function of the phenolic compound content. This trend is confirmed by the results of the ABTS assay. Hence, this study proves that the active molecules extracted from agri-food waste could be employed to improve the antioxidant capacity of the biopolymer, even if the composition of the extract must be evaluated in order to mitigate the effects of other components

Monomers, Materials and Energy from Coffee By-Products: A Review

open11siIn recent years, the circular economy and sustainability have gained attention in the food industry aimed at recycling food industrial waste and residues. For example, several plant-based materials are nowadays used in packaging and biofuel production. Among them, by-products and waste from coffee processing constitute a largely available, low cost, good quality resource. Coffee production includes many steps, in which by-products are generated including coffee pulp, coffee husks, silver skin and spent coffee. This review aims to analyze the reasons why coffee waste can be considered as a valuable source in recycling strategies for the sustainable production of bio-based chemicals, materials and fuels. It addresses the most recent advances in monomer, polymer and plastic filler productions and applications based on the development of viable biorefinery technologies. The exploration of strategies to unlock the potential of this biomass for fuel productions is also revised. Coffee by-products valorization is a clear example of waste biorefinery. Future applications in areas such as biomedicine, food packaging and material technology should be taken into consideration. However, further efforts in techno-economic analysis and the assessment of the feasibility of valorization processes on an industrial scale are needed.openSisti, Laura; Celli, Annamaria; Totaro, Grazia; Cinelli, Patrizia; Signori, Francesca; Lazzeri, Andrea; Bikaki, Maria; Corvini, Philippe; Ferri, Maura; Tassoni, Annalisa; Navarini, LucianoSisti, Laura; Celli, Annamaria; Totaro, Grazia; Cinelli, Patrizia; Signori, Francesca; Lazzeri, Andrea; Bikaki, Maria; Corvini, Philippe; Ferri, Maura; Tassoni, Annalisa; Navarini, Lucian

Phytotoxins produced by Lasiodiplodia laeliocattleyae involved in Botryosphaeria dieback of grapevines in Brazil

Botryosphaeria dieback (BD) is an important trunk disease affecting grapevines. Several Lasiodiplodia species have been shown to be involved in BD affecting the perennial organs of grapevine, mainly causing cankers. (R)-(-)-mellein and tyrosol, two well-known fungal phytotoxins, were isolated from the organic extract of culture filtrate of Lasiodiplodia laeliocattleyae (syn. egyptiacae), which had been isolated from grapevines affected by BD in Brazil. This increases knowledge of the secondary metabolites produced by Lasiodiplodia species, confirming that (R)-(-)-mellein is a toxin typically produced by Botryosphaericeae species

Structural Characterization of Natural and Processed Zircons with X-Rays and Nuclear Techniques

In ceramic industry, zircon sand is widely used in different applications because zirconia plays a role as common opacifying constituent. In particular, it is used as a basic component of glazes applied to ceramic tiles and sanitary ware as well as an opacifier in unglazed bulk porcelain stoneware. Natural zircon sands are the major source of zirconium minerals for industrial applications. In this paper, long, medium, and short range studies were conducted on zirconium minerals originated from Australia, South Africa, and United States of America using conventional and less conventional techniques (i.e., X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS), and Perturbed Angular Correlations (PAC)) in order to reveal the type and the extension of the regions that constitute the metamict state of zircon sands and themodifications therein produced as a consequence of the industrial milling process and the thermal treatment in the production line. Additionally, HPGe gamma-ray spectroscopy confirms the occurrence of significant levels of natural radioactivity responsible for metamictization in the investigated zircon samples. Results from XRD, PALS, and PAC analysis confirm that the metamict state of zircon is a dispersion of submicron disordered domains in a crystalline matrix of zircon.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta