Desensitizing the attention system to distraction while idling: A new latent learning phenomenon in the visual attention domain

For the good and the bad, the world around us is full of distraction. In particular, onset stimuli that appear abruptly in the scene grab attention, thus disrupting the ongoing task. Different cognitive mechanisms for distractor filtering have been proposed, but prevalent accounts share the idea that filtering is accomplished to shield target processing from interference. Here we provide novel evidence that challenges this view, as passive exposure to a repeating visual onset is sufficient to trigger learning-dependent mechanisms to filter the unwanted stimulation. In other words, our study shows that during passive exposure the cognitive system is capable of learning about the characteristics of the salient yet irrelevant stimulation, and to reduce the responsiveness of the attention system to it, thus significantly decreasing the impact of the distractor upon start of an active task. However, despite passive viewing efficiently attenuates the spatial capture of attention, a short-lived performance cost is found when the distractor is initially encountered within the context of the active task. This cost, which dissipates in a few trials, likely reflects the need to familiarize with the distractor, already seen during passive viewing, in the new context of the active task. Although top-down inhibitory signals can be applied to distractors for the successful completion of goal-directed behavior, our results emphasize the role of more automatic habituation mechanisms for distraction exclusion based on a neural model of the history of the irrelevant stimulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)

Context-specific distractors rejection: contextual cues control long-term habituation of attentional capture by abrupt onsets

The possibility to counteract visual distraction is fundamental for an efficient interaction with the environment, particularly when a salient but irrelevant stimulation repeatedly impinges our visual system. Previous studies have shown that such unwanted attentional capture is subject to habituation, a widespread form of behavioural plasticity that allows rejecting the unwanted stimulation. Although habituation is generally considered to be a non-associative form of learning, here we directly tested the possibility that habituation of attentional capture triggered by a salient onset is context specific. In two experiments we showed that distractor filtering achieved via habituation was specific for the visual context (naturalistic or geometric) in which the distractor was presented. When the same distractor presented during the training phase appeared in a new context in the test phase, a recovery of the previously habituated capture was observed. By contrast, no recovery of capture was found when the background did not change. Habituation mechanisms provide a straightforward explanation for our findings, which show that distractor filtering is achieved by taking into account the spatial context in which the distracting stimulus is encountered

Adherence to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Recommendations among Patients with Substance Use Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rome, Italy

Adherence to vaccination recommendations is a challenge for national immunization programs. We quantified adherence to COVID-19 vaccination recommendations in people with substance use disorders (SUDs) attending an outpatient addiction center in Rome, Italy; we investigated the determinants of adherence, and also analyzed patient risk perception and compliance with preventive measures. A multivariable logistic regression model identified predictors of adherence to vaccination recommendations, with statistical validity tested by estimating adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). From December 2021 to January 2022, 200 SUD patients completed a questionnaire, 80% of whom reported being vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 (minimum one dose). Negative predictors of vaccine uptake included being non-Italian (aOR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.13–0.97), having coexisting comorbidities (aOR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.13–0.95), and previous use of heroin (aOR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.08–0.71). No difference was found for cocaine use, demographic characteristics, previous COVID-19 infection, methadone therapy, or compliance with preventive measures. Major reasons for non-adherence to vaccination recommendations were fear of side effects, insufficient recognition of the importance of vaccination, bureaucratic issues, and lack of trust in the authorities. Given their vulnerability, additional efforts are needed to facilitate access to vaccination for people with SUDs, and to limit disinformation around vaccines.

Appropriateness of antiplatelet therapy for primary and secondary cardio- and cerebrovascular prevention in acutely hospitalized older people

Aims: Antiplatelet therapy is recommended for the secondary prevention of cardio- and cerebrovascular disease, but for primary prevention it is advised only in patients at very high risk. With this background, this study aims to assess the appropriateness of antiplatelet therapy in acutely hospitalized older people according to their risk profile. Methods: Data were obtained from the REPOSI register held in Italian and Spanish internal medicine and geriatric wards in 2012 and 2014. Hospitalized patients aged ≥65 assessable at discharge were selected. Appropriateness of the antiplatelet therapy was evaluated according to their primary or secondary cardiovascular prevention profiles. Results: Of 2535 enrolled patients, 2199 were assessable at discharge. Overall 959 (43.6%, 95% CI 41.5–45.7) were prescribed an antiplatelet drug, aspirin being the most frequently chosen. Among patients prescribed for primary prevention, just over half were inappropriately prescribed (52.1%), being mainly overprescribed (155/209 patients, 74.2%). On the other hand, there was also a high rate of inappropriate underprescription in the context of secondary prevention (222/726 patients, 30.6%, 95% CI 27.3–34.0%). Conclusions: This study carried out in acutely hospitalized older people shows a high degree of inappropriate prescription among patients prescribed with antiplatelets for primary prevention, mainly due to overprescription. Further, a large proportion of patients who had had overt cardio- or cerebrovascular disease were underprescribed, in spite of the established benefits of antiplatelet drugs in the context of secondary prevention

Commento agli articoli 75-81 c.p.c., Delle parti, in Codice di procedura civile. Commentario diretto da Claudio Consolo. Vol. 1

Commento sistematico agli articoli da 75 a 81 del c.p.c. alla luce delle interpretazioni dottrinali e degli orientamenti giurisprudenzial

Commento agli articoli 267-272 c.p.c., Dell’intervento di terzi

Commento sistematico agli articoli da 267-272 del c.p.c. alla luce delle interpretazioni dottrinali e degli orientamenti giurisprudenzial

Commento agli articoli 90-98 c.p.c., Delle responsabilità delle parti per le spese e per i danni processuali

Commento sistematico agli articoli da 90 a 98 del c.p.c. alla luce delle interpretazioni dottrinali e degli orientamenti giurisprudenzial

Commento agli articoli 88-89 c.p.c., Dei doveri delle parti e dei difensori,

Commento sistematico agli articoli 88 e 89 del c.p.c. alla luce delle interpretazioni dottrinali e degli orientamenti giurisprudenzial

Codice di procedura civile. Commentario diretto da Claudio Consolo, VI ed., IPSOA - gruppo Wolters Kluwer, Tomo I

Commento sistematico agli articoli da 82 a 87 del c.p.c. alla luce delle interpretazioni dottrinali e degli orientamenti giurisprudenzial