Individual Differences in the Recognition of Enjoyment Smiles: No Role for Perceptual–Attentional Factors and Autistic-Like Traits

Adults show remarkable individual variation in the ability to detect felt enjoyment in smiles based on the Duchenne marker (Action Unit 6). It has been hypothesized that perceptual and attentional factors (possibly correlated to autistic-like personality traits in the normative range) play a major role in determining individual differences in recognition performance. Here, this hypothesis was tested in a sample of 100 young adults. Eye-tracking methodology was employed to assess patterns of visual attention during a smile recognition task. Results indicate that neither perceptual–attentional factors nor autistic-like personality traits contribute appreciably to individual differences in smile recognition

Sewer networks monitoring through a topological backtracking

The interest in wastewater monitoring is always growing, with applications mainly aimed at detection of pollutants and at the environmental epidemiological surveillance. However, it often happens that the strategies proposed to manage these problems are inapplicable due to the lack of information on the hydraulics of the systems. To overcome this problem, the present paper develops and proposes a topological backtracking strategy for the optimal monitoring of sewer networks, which acts by subrogating the hydraulic information with the geometric ones, e.g., diameter and slope, thus not requiring any hydraulic simulation. The topological backtracking approach aims at evaluating an impact coefficient for each node of the network used to face with the problems of sensor location and network coverage for purposes related to the spread of contaminants and pathogens. Finally, the positioning of the sensors for each monitoring scheme is addressed by a priority rank, based on the efficiency of each sensor in terms of network coverage with respect to a specific weight (e.g., length, flow). The main goal is to design a monitoring scheme that provide the required coverage of the network by minimizing the number of sensors with respect to specific measurement threshold value. The results show the effectiveness of the strategy in supporting the optimal design with the topological-based backtracking approach without the necessity of performing hydraulic simulations, with great advantage in terms of required data and computational time

Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) incorporated into bladder cancer clinical practice: what’s the perspectives beyond diagnostic accuracy?

No abstract availabl

Serological and Molecular Investigations of Babesia Microti in Dogs from Southern Italy

Piroplasmosis is now considered emerging tick-borne zoonosis worldwide and domestic animals have been proposed as potential reservoirs for some piroplasm infections. The aim of this research was to identify the frequency of Babesia microti infection in untravelled dogs from Southern Italy (Sicily). Blood samples from 89 dogs were examined for the presence of Babesia microti antibodies and DNA. The dogs were infested with ticks. Among the examined dogs only one (1.16%) had B. microti antibodies, associated to B. canis, A. phagocytophilum and R. conorii infections. In the PCR assay, the dog was also found positive for B. microti and R. conorii DNA, and negative for other microorganisms. The infected dog showed a non-specific flu-like syndrome, with depression, disorexia, hyperthermia (39.6°C), light dehydration, moderate lymphadenopathy and heavy tick infestation (>20). No significant changes were present in the cell blood count. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of serological and molecular identification of B. microti piroplasm in a dog from Southern Italy. Because specific antibodies and DNA were detected in an untraveled dog, babesiosis is probably due to an autochthonous tick infection. However, this study indicates that Babesia microti is not widely distributed in dog populations in Sicily, as demonstrated by low prevalence of infection. So, in Sicily the dog would not appear to represent a reservoir of infection, but rather an accidental host

Multiparametric MRI of the bladder: inter-observer agreement and accuracy with the Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) at a single reference center

Objectives: To evaluate accuracy and inter-observer variability using Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) for discrimination between non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Methods: Between September 2017 and July 2018, 78 patients referred for suspected bladder cancer underwent multiparametric MRI of the bladder (mpMRI) prior to transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). All mpMRI were reviewed by two radiologists, who scored each lesion according to VI-RADS. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for each VI-RADS cutoff. Receiver operating characteristics curves were used to evaluate the performance of mpMRI. The Ƙ statistics was used to estimate inter-reader agreement. Results: Seventy-five patients were included in the final analysis, 53 with NMIBC and 22 with MIBC. Sensitivity and specificity were 91% and 89% for reader 1 and 82% and 85% for reader 2 respectively when the cutoff VI-RADS > 2 was used to define MIBC. At the same cutoff, PPV and NPV were 77% and 96% for reader 1 and 69% and 92% for reader 2. When the cutoff VI-RADS > 3 was used, sensitivity and specificity were 82% and 94% for reader 1 and 77% and 89% for reader 2. Corresponding PPV and NPV were 86% and 93% for reader 1 and 74% and 91% for reader 2. Area under curve was 0.926 and 0.873 for reader 1 and 2 respectively. Inter-reader agreement was good for the overall score (Ƙ = 0.731). Conclusions: VI-RADS is accurate in differentiating MIBC from NMIBC. Inter-reader agreement is overall good. Key Points: • Traditionally, the local staging of bladder cancer relies on transurethral resection of bladder tumor. • However, transurethral resection of bladder tumor carries a significant risk of understaging a cancer; therefore, more accurate, faster, and non-invasive staging techniques are needed to improve outcomes. • Multiparametric MRI has proved to be the best imaging modality for local staging; therefore, its use in suitable patients has the potential to expedite radical treatment when necessary and non-invasive diagnosis in patients with poor fitness

VI-RADS Scoring Criteria for Alternative Risk-adapted Strategies in the Management of Bladder Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This ability to differentiate non–muscle-invasive from muscle invasive BCa was used to predict BCa upstaging at repeat TURBT in a recent prospective series (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.93, 95% CI 0.87– 0.97) and therefore VI-RADS has been proposed for avoiding repeat TURBT according to the European Association of Urology guidelines. This may be particularly useful in cases lacking muscularis propria in the specimen or in the setting of a unifocal, small, high-grade Ta/T1 tumor, for which a preoperative VI-RADS score of 1–2 may indicate a low likelihood of tumor understaging and therefore patients may be quickly directed to appropriate adjuvant intravesical therapy for follow-up. This relatively safe approach might minimize potential exposure to COVID19 infection by avoiding a second hospital admission for a surgical procedure that is not devoid of possible complication

Standardization of body composition status in patients with advanced urothelial tumors: the role of a CT-based aI-powered software for the assessment of sarcopenia and patient outcome correlation

Background: Sarcopenia is a well know prognostic factor in oncology, influencing patients' quality of life and survival. We aimed to investigate the role of sarcopenia, assessed by a Computed Tomography (CT)-based artificial intelligence (AI)-powered-software, as a predictor of objective clinical benefit in advanced urothelial tumors and its correlations with oncological outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively searched patients with advanced urothelial tumors, treated with systemic platinum-based chemotherapy and an available total body CT, performed before and after therapy. An AI-powered software was applied to CT to obtain the Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI-L3), derived from the area of the psoas, long spine, and abdominal muscles, at the level of L3 on CT axial images. Logistic and Cox-regression modeling was implemented to explore the association of sarcopenic status and anthropometric features to the clinical benefit rate and survival endpoints. Results: 97 patients were included, 66 with bladder cancer and 31 with upper-tract urothelial carcinoma. Clinical benefit outcomes showed a linear positive association with all the observed body composition variables variations. The chances of not experiencing disease progression were positively associated with ∆_SMI-L3, ∆_psoas, and ∆_long spine muscle when they ranged from ~10-20% up to ~45-55%. Greater survival chances were matched by patients achieving a wider ∆_SMI-L3, ∆_abdominal and ∆_long spine muscle. Conclusions: A CT-based AI-powered software body composition and sarcopenia analysis provide prognostic assessments for objective clinical benefits and oncological outcomes

Atherogenic dyslipidemia on admission is associated with poorer outcome in people with and without diabetes hospitalized for COVID-19

Identifying metabolic factors associated with critical disease can help to improve management of patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). High triglycerides and low HDL levels characterize the atherogenic dyslipidemia closely related to insulin resistance and diabetes. We examined associations of atherogenic dyslipidemia detected on admission with outcome of COVID-19 during hospitalization