Default Mode Network alterations in alexithymia: An EEG power spectra and connectivity study

Recent neuroimaging studies have shown that alexithymia is characterized by functional alterations in different brain areas [e.g., posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)], during emotional/social tasks. However, only few data are available about alexithymic cortical networking features during resting state (RS). We have investigated the modifications of electroencephalographic (EEG) power spectra and EEG functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) in subjects with alexithymia. Eighteen subjects with alexithymia and eighteen subjects without alexithymia matched for age and gender were enrolled. EEG was recorded during 5 min of RS. EEG analyses were conducted by means of the exact Low Resolution Electric Tomography software (eLORETA). Compared to controls, alexithymic subjects showed a decrease of alpha power in the right PCC. In the connectivity analysis, compared to controls, alexithymic subjects showed a decrease of alpha connectivity between: (i) right anterior cingulate cortex and right PCC, (ii) right frontal lobe and right PCC, and (iii) right parietal lobe and right temporal lobe. Finally, mediation models showed that the association between alexithymia and EEG connectivity values was directed and was not mediated by psychopathology severity. Taken together, our results could reflect the neurophysiological substrate of some core features of alexithymia, such as the impairment in emotional awareness

Analytics dei testi riflessivi scritti dai docenti neoassunti nel portfolio digitale

In this paper, we present the preliminary results of the analysis performed on 50,000texts written by the Newly Qualified Teachers to reflect on their practice. The Italian InductionProgramme for NQT includes online activities to be carried out in the E-portfoliomanaged by Indire. As part of the training monitoring with the aim to evaluate our supportand to improve instructional scaffolding to teachers, we analysed teachers’ reflectivewriting mixing a new developed framework for teachers’ reflective writing andNatural Language Processing (NLP) techniques. In providing a case study of a large-scaleanalysis of textual teachers’ data in an institutional setting, this paper wants to contributeto the field of learning analytics. We will describe the context, the characteristics of thedata analysed, how all of this has shaped the analytics design. We will describe its implementationand therefore the procedures, tools and metrics developed to representthe content of the teachers’ reflective writing, and we will try to evaluate if and howthese preliminary results can help us to reach the research goals and to understand thestrengths and weaknesses of different methodologies.Presentiamo i risultati preliminari e l’analisi svolta su circa 50.000 testi scritti dai docentineo nominati in ruolo per riflettere su due attività didattiche svolte con gli studenti, nelcontesto del percorso dell’anno di formazione e prova 2016/17. Il percorso prevede attivitàin presenza e attività a distanza completate sul portfolio digitale, ospitato nell’ambienteonline gestito dall’Indire. Nell’ambito del monitoraggio della formazione, con il fine di ottimizzaregli strumenti e il supporto fornito, abbiamo interrogato i dati testuali prodottidai docenti nell’interazione con l’ambiente per capire se i testi presentassero evidenze riconducibilialle scritture riflessive. Obiettivi dell’indagine sono stati la definizione di unoschema per la classificazione dei testi sulla base del livello di riflessività evidenziato e l’impiego di strumenti di Trattamento Automatico del Linguaggio (TAL) per l’analisi dell’interocorpus testuale prodotto dai docenti. Descriveremo il contesto scientifico e progettuale,le caratteristiche dei dati analizzati, come questo abbia determinato il disegno d’indagine;descriveremo inoltre la sua implementazione e dunque le procedure, gli strumenti e lemetriche adottate o elaborate per rappresentare il contenuto dei dati; infine discuteremoi primi risultati e alcuni vantaggi e limiti dell’approccio adottato

Impaired mitochondrial biogenesis is a common feature to myocardial hypertrophy and end-stage ischemic heart failure

Mitochondrial (mt) DNA depletion and oxidative mtDNA damage have been implicated in the process of pathological cardiac remodeling. Whether these features are present in the early phase of maladaptive cardiac remodeling, that is, during compensated cardiac hypertrophy, is still unknown. We compared the morphologic and molecular features of mt biogenesis and markers of oxidative stress in human heart from adult subjects with compensated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and heart failure. We have shown that mtDNA depletion is a constant feature of both conditions. A quantitative loss of mtDNA content was associated with significant down-regulation of selected modulators of mt biogenesis and decreased expression of proteins involved in mtDNA maintenance. Interestingly, mtDNA depletion characterized also the end-stage phase of cardiomyopathies due to a primary mtDNA defect. Oxidative stress damage was detected only in failing myocardium

Serratia marcescens in a neonatal intensive care unit: two long-term multiclone outbreaks in a 10-year observational study

We investigated two consecutive Serratia marcescens (S. marcescens) outbreaks which occurred in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary level hospital in North Italy in a period of 10 years (January 2003-December 2012). Risk factors associated with S. marcescens acquisition were evaluated by a retrospective case-control study. A total of 21,011 clinical samples was examined: S. marcescens occurred in 127 neonates: 43 developed infection and 3 died. Seven clusters were recorded due to 12 unrelated clones which persisted for years in the ward, although no environmental source was found. The main epidemic clone A sustaining the first cluster in 2003 reappeared in 2010 as an extended spectrum ?-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strain and supporting the second epidemic. Birth weight, gestational age, use of invasive devices and length of stay in the ward were significantly related to S. marcescens acquisition. The opening of a new ward for non-intensive care-requiring neonates, strict adherence to alcoholic hand disinfection, the timely identification and isolation of infected and colonized neonates assisted in containing the epidemics. Genotyping was effective in tracing the evolution and dynamics of the clones demonstrating their long-term persistence in the ward

Patch-Based Far-Infrared Radiation (FIR) Therapy Does Not Impact Cell Tracking or Motility of Human Melanoma Cells In Vitro

far-infrared radiation (FIR) is emerging as a novel non-invasive tool for mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress, offering potential benefits for certain medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease and chronic inflammatory disorders. we previously demonstrated that the application of patch-based FIR therapy on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) reduced the expression of inflammatory biomarkers and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). several in vitro studies have shown the inhibitory effects of FIR therapy on cell growth in different cancer cells (including murine melanoma cells), mainly using the wound healing assay, without direct cell motility or tracking analysis. the main objective of the present study was to conduct an in-depth analysis of single-cell motility and tracking during the wound healing assay, using an innovative high-throughput technique in the human melanoma cell line M14/C2. This technique evaluates various motility descriptors, such as average velocity, average curvature, average turning angle, and diffusion coefficient. our results demonstrated that patch-based FIR therapy did not impact cell proliferation and viability or the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the human melanoma cell line M14/C2. moreover, no significant differences in cell motility and tracking were observed between control cells and patch-treated cells. altogether, these findings confirm the beneficial effects of the in vitro application of patch-based FIR therapy in human melanoma cell lines, although such effects need to be confirmed in future in vivo studies

TET2 regulates mast cell differentiation and proliferation through catalytic and non-catalytic activities

Dioxygenases of the TET family impact genome functions by converting 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in DNA to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). Here, we identified TET2 as a crucial regulator of mast cell differentiation and proliferation. In the absence of TET2, mast cells showed disrupted gene expression and altered genome-wide 5hmC deposition, especially at enhancers and in the proximity of downregulated genes. Impaired differentiation of Tet2- ablated cells could be relieved or further exacerbated by modulating the activity of other TET family members, and mechanistically it could be linked to the dysregulated expression of C/EBP family transcription factors. Conversely, the marked increase in proliferation induced by the loss of TET2 could be rescued exclusively by re-expression of wild-type or catalytically inactive TET2. Our data indicate that, in the absence of TET2, mast cell differentiation is under the control of compensatory mechanisms mediated by other TET family members, while proliferation is strictly dependent on TET2 expression

Enhancers dysfunction in the 3D genome of cancer cells

Eukaryotic genomes are spatially organized inside the cell nucleus, forming a threedimensional (3D) architecture that allows for spatial separation of nuclear processes and for controlled expression of genes required for cell identity specification and tissue homeostasis. Hence, it is of no surprise that mis-regulation of genome architecture through rearrangements of the linear genome sequence or epigenetic perturbations are often linked to aberrant gene expression programs in tumor cells. Increasing research efforts have shed light into the causes and consequences of alterations of 3D genome organization. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on how 3D genome architecture is dysregulated in cancer, with a focus on enhancer highjacking events and their contribution to tumorigenesis. Studying the functional effects of genome architecture perturbations on gene expression in cancer offers a unique opportunity for a deeper understanding of tumor biology and sets the basis for the discovery of novel therapeutic targets