A hidden deadly venomous insect: First ecoepidemiological assessment and risk mapping of lonomism in Argentina

Background: Envenomation by the South American Lonomia saturniid caterpillars, named lonomism, constitutes an emerging and somewhat neglected public health issue in Argentina and neighboring countries. Considering that there is an intricate relationship between environment and human health in such cases, this study aimed to analyze the eco-epidemiological profile of 40 accidents and 33 occurrences of Lonomia spp. in Misiones (Argentina) between January 2014 and May 2020. Methodology/Principal Findings: We described the eco-epidemiological variables and characterized the abiotic scenario of such cases. Additionally, we obtained a density map that shows the punctual intensity of Lonomia records throughout Misiones. Most of the accidents occurred in the Department of Guaraní and involved male victims younger than 20 years old. The accidental/occasional occurrence of Lonomia spp. (considering both adult and caterpillar stages together) was significantly higher in the rural area, whereas only adult specimens were found in urban areas. We determined that the presence of this insect in Misiones is positively related to higher temperatures and solar radiation, and larger precipitation and evapotranspiration throughout the year. Conclusion/Significance: This study represents an initial step towards the global understanding of lonomism as a public health problem in Argentina. It provides a map of the risk level for this envenomation in Misiones, which could help authorities address public health policy efforts to implement sustainable strategies for prevention and response to this threat in Northeastern Argentina and neighboring regions.Fil: Casafús, Milena Gisela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán". Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical; ArgentinaFil: Melo Favalesso, Marília. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán". Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical; Argentina. Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Pará; BrasilFil: Gritti, Micaela Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán". Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical; ArgentinaFil: Coronel, Juan Manuel. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste; ArgentinaFil: Bittencourt Guimaraes, Ana Tereza. Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Pará; BrasilFil: Peichoto, María Elisa. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán". Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical; Argentina. Universidade Federal da Integração Latinoamericana; Brasil. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentin

Sexual Dimorphism in the Brain Correlates of Adult-Onset Depression: A Pilot Structural and Functional 3T MRI Study

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a disabling illness affecting more than 5% of the elderly population. Higher female prevalence and sex-specific symptomatology have been observed, suggesting that biologically-determined dimensions might affect the disease onset and outcome. Rumination and executive dysfunction characterize adult-onset MDD, but sex differences in these domains and in the related brain mechanisms are still largely unexplored. The present pilot study aimed to explore any interactions between adult-onset MDD and sex on brain morphology and brain function during a Go/No-Go paradigm. We hypothesized to detect diagnosis by sex effects on brain regions involved in self-referential processes and cognitive control. Twenty-four subjects, 12 healthy (HC) (mean age 68.7 y, 7 females and 5 males) and 12 affected by adult-onset MDD (mean age 66.5 y, 5 females and 7 males), underwent clinical evaluations and a 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) session. Diagnosis and diagnosis by sex effects were assessed on regional gray matter (GM) volumes and task-related functional MRI (fMRI) activations. The GM volume analyses showed diagnosis effects in left mid frontal cortex (p < 0.01), and diagnosis by sex effects in orbitofrontal, olfactory, and calcarine regions (p < 0.05). The Go/No-Go fMRI analyses showed MDD effects on fMRI activations in left precuneus and right lingual gyrus, and diagnosis by sex effects on fMRI activations in right parahippocampal gyrus and right calcarine cortex (p < 0.001, ≥ 40 voxels). Our exploratory results suggest the presence of sex-specific brain correlates of adult-onset MDD-especially in regions involved in attention processing and in the brain default mode-potentially supporting cognitive and symptom differences between sexes

DNA damage contributes to neurotoxic inflammation in Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome astrocytes

Aberrant induction of type I IFN is a hallmark of the inherited encephalopathy Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS), but the mechanisms triggering disease in the human central nervous system (CNS) remain elusive. Here, we generated human models of AGS using genetically modified and patient-derived pluripotent stem cells harboring TREX1 or RNASEH2B loss-of-function alleles. Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis reveals that spontaneous proinflammatory activation in AGS astrocytes initiates signaling cascades impacting multiple CNS cell subsets analyzed at the single-cell level. We identify accumulating DNA damage, with elevated R-loop and micronuclei formation, as a driver of STING- and NLRP3-related inflammatory responses leading to the secretion of neurotoxic mediators. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of proapoptotic or inflammatory cascades in AGS astrocytes prevents neurotoxicity without apparent impact on their increased type I IFN responses. Together, our work identifies DNA damage as a major driver of neurotoxic inflammation in AGS astrocytes, suggests a role for AGS gene products in R-loop homeostasis, and identifies common denominators of disease that can be targeted to prevent astrocyte-mediated neurotoxicity in AGS

Ethical Systems for Artificial Intelligence

Recent technological advancements have brought about rapid growth in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. AI is broad in nature and has been adopted by many different sectors such as manufacturing, health care, transport, communication, banking, commerce, etc. AI applications such as visual recognition, autonomous robots, autonomous vehicles, virtual assistants, predictive analysis, and interaction with the environment and humans are profoundly changing the reality in which we live. For some years now, various entities and expert groups across the globe have been working to develop ethical guidelines and moral systems to guide the design of AI and its impact on society. These initiatives have resulted in a growing number of AI principles and recommendations. The proliferation of guidelines from different entities highlights the prominence and complexity of the issue of ethics. However, the multiple approaches being used are causing a high degree of ambiguity and confusion. Therefore, it is important to have clear, structured ethical guidelines for the development, implementation, and use of AI. Keeping this in mind, this chapter provides an overview and analysis of different ethical approaches emerging from the ethical declarations of different stake- holders—governmental, profit corporation, no-profit organization, and university or research centers—in order to draw up more structured guidelines and to provide future directions for both research and society

Managing and Developing the Human Capital as the Key Asset in the Italian Museums

Quality management is well established in the industrial manufacturing sector. More recently, interest has started to grow in the service sector and notably in the area of cultural and artistic organisations, such as museums. Several public and private museums have started to use quality management in order to improve their operations and quality of core services. The purpose of this paper is to examine and discuss the effects of training on the quality of human capital in Italian private and public museums and the general effects of quality management on the health of the museum staff. Bringing these aspects together could provide synergies and finding to manage and develop the human capital in the museum. Furthermore, the empirical basis of the paper consists of two successful case studies

How Does It Feel to Be Online? Psychotherapists’ Self-Perceptions in Telepsychotherapy Sessions During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent extreme restrictions imposed by governments across the world forced psychotherapists to abruptly change their working modality. The first aim of the current study was to assess psychotherapists’ self-perceptions (i.e., affective and cognitive perceptions about their self and their self in relation to clients) when providing telepsychotherapy during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. The second aim was to explore the associations between psychotherapists’ self-perceptions, characteristics, and clinical practices. Method: An online survey was administered to 281 Italian licensed psychotherapists (M(age)=45.15; SD=10.2; 83.6% female) between April 5 and May 10, 2020. The survey comprised ad-hoc questions that were designed to collect sociodemographic details and information related to working practices. Moreover, a semantic differential (SD) scale was developed to assess psychotherapists’ self-perceptions, and a factor analysis was performed from the SD items. Results: The SD scale showed an overall trend of positive psychotherapist self-perception during telepsychotherapy, despite reports of greater fatigue and directive and talkative behavior during sessions. Four SD factors accounted for 45% of the variance: “Affective Availability,” “Attitude Predisposition,” “Well-being,” and “Interventionism.” Scores on the first three factors were indicative of psychotherapists’ Positive vs. Negative self-perception. A comparison of the Positive and Negative attitudinal profiles using the chi-squared test with Yates’s correction and a Monte Carlo simulation found that psychotherapists with a Positive profile reported greater satisfaction with the telematic modality and were more likely to perceive that their clients were able to maintain privacy during sessions. Conclusion: The results suggest that Italian psychotherapists have been able to promptly adapt to the imposed telematic modality during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they may have attempted to compensate for their physical distance from clients by intervening more during sessions. These findings may support psychotherapists who are currently practicing and inform future practitioners who are considering the use of telematic treatment as a routine component of psychotherapeutic care