Three-systems for visual numerosity: A single case study

Abstract Humans possess the remarkable capacity to assess the numerosity of a set of items over a wide range of conditions, from a handful of items to hundreds of them. Recent evidence is starting to show that judgments over such a large range is possible because of the presence of three mechanisms, each tailored to specific stimulation conditions. Previous evidence in favour of this theory comes from the fact that discrimination thresholds and estimation reaction times are not constants across numerosity levels. Likewise, attention is capable of dissociating the three mechanisms: when healthy adult observers are asked to perform concurrently a taxing task, the judgments of low numerosities

"bisphenol a: An emerging threat to male fertility"

Background: Among the factors causing male infertility, one of the most debated is the exposure to environmental contaminants. Recently, the chemical compound Bisphenol A (BPA) has drawn attention from the reproductive science community, due to its ubiquitous presence in day-to-day life. Its toxic action appears to mainly affect the male reproductive system, directly impacting male fertility. Main: The purpose of this review is to investigate current research data on BPA, providing an overview of the findings obtained from studies in animal and human models, as well as on its supposed mechanisms of action. Conclusion: A clear understanding of BPA action mechanisms, as well as the presumed risks deriving from its exposure, is becoming crucial to preserve male fertility. The development and validation of methodologies to detect BPA toxic effects on reproductive organs can provide greater awareness of the potential threat that this chemical represents

Microfluidic interactions between red blood cells and drug carriers by image analysis techniques

This paper was presented at the 4th Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2014), which was held at University College, London, UK. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Italian Union of Thermofluiddynamics, IPEM, the Process Intensification Network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Heat Transfer Society, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group, and the Energy Institute, ASME Press, LCN London Centre for Nanotechnology, UCL University College London, UCL Engineering, the International NanoScience Community, www.nanopaprika.eu.Blood is a complex biological fluid composed of deformable cells and platelets suspended in plasma, a protein-rich liquid. The peculiar nature of blood needs to be considered when designing a drug delivery strategy based on systemically administered carriers. Here, we report on an in vitro fluid dynamic investigation of the influence of the microcapillary flow of red blood cells (RBCs) on micron sized carriers by high speed imaging methods. The experiments were carried out in a 50μm diameter glass capillary that mimicked the hydrodynamic conditions of human microcirculation. Spherical μ particles (μ-Ps), with sizes ranging between 0.5 and 3μm, were tested. Images of the flowing RBCs and μ-Ps were acquired by a highspeed/ high-magnification microscopy. The transport and distribution of rigid particles in a suspension of RBCs under shear flow were followed for: i) the migration of RBCs towards the vessel centerline due to their deformability; ii) the cross-flow migration of μ-Ps towards the vessel wall due to their hydrodynamic interactions with RBCs; iii) the radial distribution of μ-Ps in the presence of RBCs. This study suggests that the therapeutic efficacy of μ-Ps could be ultimately affected by their interactions with the flowing RBCs in the vasculature

Yield of array-CGH analysis in Tunisian children with autism spectrum disorder

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with strong genetic underpinnings. Microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) technology has been proposed as a first-level test in the genetic diagnosis of ASD and of neurodevelopmental disorders in general. Methods: We performed aCGH on 98 Tunisian children (83 boys and 15 girls) diagnosed with ASD according to DSM-IV criteria. Results: “Pathogenic” or “likely pathogenic” copy number variants (CNVs) were detected in 11 (11.2%) patients, CNVs of “uncertain clinical significance” in 26 (26.5%), “likely benign” or “benign” CNVs were found in 37 (37.8%) and 24 (24.5%) patients, respectively. Gene set enrichment analysis involving genes spanning rare “pathogenic,” “likely pathogenic,” or “uncertain clinical significance” CNVs, as well as SFARI database “autism genes” in common CNVs, detected eight neuronal Gene Ontology classes among the top 10 most significant, including synapse, neuron differentiation, synaptic signaling, neurogenesis, and others. Similar results were obtained performing g: Profiler analysis. Neither transcriptional regulation nor immune pathways reached significance. Conclusions: aCGH confirms its sizable diagnostic yield in a novel sample of autistic children from North Africa. Recruitment of additional families is under way, to verify whether genetic contributions to ASD in the Tunisian population, differently from other ethnic groups, may involve primarily neuronal genes, more than transcriptional regulation and immune-related pathways

Developing Agent Based Applications with JADE

JADE (Java Agent Development Framework) is an "open source" FIPA-compliant software environment to build agent systems. JADE offers an agent middleware to implement efficient FIPA2000 compliant multi-agent systems and supports their development through the availability of a predefined programmable agent model, an ontology development support, and a set of management and testing tools. This chapter describes JADE and its use in three international projects to develop applications in the fields of: corporate memory management, integration of fixed and mobile networks, and integration of Web services

Phenotypic spectrum of NRXN1 mono- and bi-allelic deficiency: A systematic review

Neurexins are presynaptic cell adhesion molecules critically involved in synaptogenesis and vesicular neurotransmitter release. They are encoded by three genes (NRXN1-3), each yielding a longer alpha (α) and a shorter beta (β) transcript. Deletions spanning the promoter and the initial exons of the NRXN1 gene, located in chromosome 2p16.3, are associated with a variety of neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, neurological and neuropsychological phenotypes. We have performed a systematic review to define (a) the clinical phenotypes most associated with mono-allelic exonic NRXN1 deletions, and (b) the phenotypic features of NRXN1 bi-allelic deficiency due to compound heterozygous deletions/mutations. Clinically, three major conclusions can be drawn: (a) incomplete penetrance and pleiotropy do not allow reliable predictions of clinical outcome following prenatal detection of mono-allelic exonic NRXN1 deletions. Newborn carriers should undergo periodic neuro-behavioral observations for the timely detection of warning signs and the prescription of early behavioral intervention; (b) the presence of additional independent genetic risk factors should always be sought, as they may influence prognosis; (c) children with exonic NRXN1 deletions displaying early-onset, severe psychomotor delay in the context of a Pitt-Hopkins-like syndrome 2 phenotype, should undergo DNA sequencing of the spared NRXN1 allele in search for mutations or very small insertions/deletions

Diagnostic yield and clinical impact of chromosomal microarray analysis in autism spectrum disorder

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by high heritability estimates and recurrence rates; its genetic underpinnings are very heterogeneous and include variable combinations of common and rare variants. Array-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) offers significant sensitivity for the identification of copy number variants (CNVs), which can act as susceptibility or causal factors for ASD. Methods: The aim of this study was to evaluate both diagnostic yield and clinical impact of aCGH in 329 ASD patients of Italian descent. Results: Pathogenic/likely pathogenic CNVs were identified in 50/329 (15.2%) patients, whereas 89/329 (27.1%) carry variants of uncertain significance. The 10 most enriched gene sets identified by Gene Ontology Enrichment Analysis are primarily involved in neuronal function and synaptic connectivity. In 13/50 (26.0%) patients with pathogenic/likely pathogenic CNVs, the outcome of array-CGH led to the request of 25 additional medical exams which would not have otherwise been prescribed, mainly including brain MRI, EEG, EKG, and/or cardiac ultrasound. A positive outcome was obtained in 12/25 (48.0%) of these additional tests. Conclusions: This study confirms the satisfactory diagnostic yield of aCGH, underscoring its potential for better, more in-depth care of children with autism when genetic results are analyzed also with a focus on patient management

Trans-heterozygosity for mutations enhances the risk of recurrent/chronic pancreatitis in patients with Cystic Fibrosis

Background: Recurrent (RP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) may complicate Cystic Fibrosis (CF). It is still unknown if mutations in genes involved in the intrapancreatic activation of trypsin (IPAT) or in the pancreatic secretion pathway (PSP) may enhance the risk for RP/CP in patients with CF.Methods: We enrolled: 48 patients affected by CF complicated by RP/CP and, as controls 35 patients with CF without pancreatitis and 80 unrelated healthy subjects. We tested a panel of 8 genes involved in the IPAT, i.e. PRSS1, PRSS2, SPINK1, CTRC, CASR, CFTR, CTSB and KRT8 and 23 additional genes implicated in the PSP.Results: We found 14/48 patients (29.2%) with mutations in genes involved in IPAT in the group of CF patients with RP/CP, while mutations in such genes were found in 2/35 (5.7%) patients with CF without pancreatitis and in 3/80 (3.8%) healthy subjects (p < 0.001). Thus, we found mutations in 12 genes of the PSP in 11/48 (22.9%) patients with CF and RP/CP. Overall, 19/48 (39.6%) patients with CF and RP/CP showed one or more mutations in the genes involved in the IPAT and in the PSP while such figure was 4/35 (11.4%) for patients with CF without pancreatitis and 11/80 (13.7%) for healthy controls (p < 0.001).Conclusions: The trans-heterozygous association between CFTR mutations in genes involved in the pathways of pancreatic enzyme activation and the pancreatic secretion may be risk factors for the development of recurrent or chronic pancreatitis in patients with CF

PIEZO1-R1864H rare variant accounts for a genetic phenotype-modifier role in dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis.

phenotype-modifier role in dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis Dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis (DHS) is an autosomal dominant hereditary hemolytic anemia characterized by erythrocyte dehydration due to loss of the cation content. Affected subjects exhibit highly variable clinical presentation, ranging from absence of clinical symptoms to lethal perinatal edema. They may present severe iron overload leading to hepatic transplantation, or life-threatening thromboembolic disease after splenectomy, thus making the diagnosis of this condition problematic.1 DHS results in two different forms: i) DHS1, the most frequent, is caused by mutations in PIEZO1, encoding a cation selective channel activated by mechanical force; ii) DHS2 due to an altered KCNN4 gene, encoding a Ca2+-sensitive (Gardos) channel.2-4 In particular, PIEZO1 is a large and highly polymorphic gene. Several electrophysiology studies demonstrated that the mutations cause a gain-of-function phenotype with delayed inactivation of the channel.5-10 We studied 7 DHS patients from two unrelated families (A-B) showing highly variable clinical expressivity and carrying the same new PIEZO1 mutation. We demonstrated that the presence of an additional de novo PIEZO1 rare missense variant in one of the 2 probands accounts for a more severe phenotype

Restructuring surgical training after COVID-19 pandemic: A nationwide survey on the Italian scenario on behalf of the Italian polyspecialistic young surgeons society (SPIGC)

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the disruption of surgical training. Lack of communication, guidelines for managing clinical activity as well as concerns for safety in the workplace appeared to be relevant issues. This study aims to investigate how surgical training has been reorganized in Italy, almost 2 years after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: A 16-item-electronic anonymous questionnaire was designed through SurveyMonkey© web application. This survey was composed of different sections concerning demographic characteristics and impacts of the second COVID-19 pandemic wave on surgical and research/didactic activities. Changes applied in the training programme and activities carried out were also investigated. The survey was carried out in the period between June and October 2021. Results: Four hundred and thirty responses were collected, and 399 were considered eligible to be included in the study analysis. Three hundred and thirty-five respondents continued working in Surgical Units, with a significant reduction (less than one surgical session per week) of surgical sessions in 49.6% of them. With concern to didactic and research activities, 140 residents maintained their usual activity, while 116 reported a reduction. A sub-group analysis on resident moved to COVID-19 departments showed a reduction of research activities in 35% of them. During the period considered in this survey, the surgical training program was not substantially modified for most of participants (74.6%). Conclusion: Our survey demonstrated that surgical residency programs haven't improved 2 years after the beginning of the pandemic. Further improvements are needed to guarantee completeness of surgical training, even in emergency conditions