Relationship between electroencephalographic data and comfort perception captured in a Virtual Reality design environment of an aircraft cabin

Successful aircraft cabin design depends on how the different stakeholders are involved since the first phases of product development. To predict passenger satisfaction prior to the manufacturing phase, human response was investigated in a Virtual Reality (VR) environment simulating a cabin aircraft. Subjective assessments of virtual designs have been collected via questionnaires, while the underlying neural mechanisms have been captured through electroencephalographic (EEG) data. In particular, we focused on the modulation of EEG alpha rhythm as a valuable marker of the brain's internal state and investigated which changes in alpha power and connectivity can be related to a different visual comfort perception by comparing groups with higher and lower comfort rates. Results show that alpha-band power decreased in occipital regions during subjects' immersion in the virtual cabin compared with the relaxation state, reflecting attention to the environment. Moreover, alpha-band power was modulated by comfort perception: lower comfort was associated with a lower alpha power compared to higher comfort. Further, alpha-band Granger connectivity shows top-down mechanisms in higher comfort participants, modulating attention and restoring partial relaxation. Present results contribute to understanding the role of alpha rhythm in visual comfort perception and demonstrate that VR and EEG represent promising tools to quantify human-environment interactions

A snapshot of Physical Education in Italian primary schools: assessing the resources available for an instrument of health promotion

Background: Regular physical activity is crucial in preventing chronic diseases. International health authorities recommend that children and adolescents engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day to achieve health benefits. Offering regular exercise opportunities to young people can promote the development of healthy lifestyles. In 2021, a new regulation introduced up to two compulsory hours of Physical Education per week in Italy and established that Physical Education should be entrusted to adequately trained teachers. The present study aimed to assess, from the perspective of the new teachers, the resources available for Physical Education in Italian primary schools. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among primary school Physical Education teachers during the year 2022-2023. Their opinion about the school resources were analyzed in light of their demographic characteristics and work experience. Results: Out of the 118 participating teachers, 96 (81.3%) reported the presence of a gym in their school. Participants expressed satisfaction with the size and windows of the gym, particularly for the schools of the North, as well as the adequacy of outdoor spaces. However, lower levels of satisfaction for locker rooms and gym small equipment emerged, especially among those teachers with less work experience. Conclusions: The introduction of the Physical Education teacher figure in Italian primary schools was an important step for health promotion in our country. However, some aspects related to the structural resources should be considered in future policies

Patient-Reported Outcomes After Swallowing (SWOARs)-Sparing IMRT in Head and Neck Cancers: Primary Results from a Prospective Study Endorsed by the Head and Neck Study Group (HNSG) of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO)

Objectives To prospectively investigate changes in M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) scores in patients affected by naso- and oropharynx cancer after definitive radiochemotherapy (ChemoRT) using swallowing organs at risk (SWOARs)-sparing IMRT. Methods MDADI questionnaires were collected at baseline and at 6 and 12 months after treatment. MDADI scores were categorized as follows: >= 80 "optimal," 80-60 "adequate," < 60 "poor" deglutition-related quality of life (QoL) group, and dichotomized as "optimal" vs "adequate/poor" for the analysis. A mean MDADI composite (MDADI-C) change of 10 points was considered as minimal clinically important difference (MCID). Results Sixty-three patients were enrolled of which 47 were considered for the analysis. At baseline, 26 (55%) were "optimal" and 21 (45%) were "adequate/poor." The mean baseline MDADI-C score was 93.6 dropping to 81 at 6 months (p = 0.013) and slightly rising to 85.5 at 12 months (p = 0.321) for the "optimal" group. Indeed, the mean baseline MDADI-C score was 64.3 rising to 77.5 at 6 months (p = 0.006) and stabilizing at 76 at 12 months (p = 0.999) for the "adequate/poor" group. A statistically significant but not clinically relevant worsening of the MDADI-C score was reported for the "optimal" group, whereas both a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement of the MDADI-C score were reported for the "adequate/poor" group from before to post-treatment. Conclusion Our results suggest a doubly clinical benefit of dose optimization to SWOARs to minimize the RT sequalae in patients with a baseline "optimal" deglutition-related QoL and to recover from cancer dysphagia in those with a baseline "adequate/poor" deglutition-related QoL

A review of nature-based solutions for urban water management in European circular cities: a critical assessment based on case studies and literature

Abstract Nature-based solutions (NBS) can protect, manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems. They are a multidisciplinary, integrated approach to address societal challenges and some natural hazards effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits. NBS applications can be easily noticed in circular cities, establishing an urban system that is regenerative and accessible. This paper aims to offer a review on NBS for urban water management from the literature and some relevant projects running within the COST Action 'Implementing nature-based solutions for creating a resourceful circular city'. The method used in the study is based on a detailed tracking of specific keywords in the literature using Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Academia.edu, ScienceDirect and Scopus. Based on this review, three main applications were identified: (i) flood and drought protection; (ii) the water-food-energy nexus; and (iii) water purification. The paper shows that NBS provide additional benefits, such as improving water quality, increasing biodiversity, obtaining social co-benefits, improving urban microclimate, and the reduction of energy consumption by improving indoor climate. The paper concludes that a systemic change to NBS should be given a higher priority and be preferred over conventional water infrastructure

The Relationship between Oscillations in Brain Regions and Functional Connectivity: A Critical Analysis with the Aid of Neural Mass Models

Propagation of brain rhythms among cortical regions is a relevant aspect of cognitive neuroscience, which is often investigated using functional connectivity (FC) estimation techniques. The aim of this work is to assess the relationship between rhythm propagation, FC and brain functioning using data generated from neural mass models of connected Regions of Interest (ROIs). We simulated networks of four interconnected ROIs, each with a different intrinsic rhythm (in θ, α, β and γ ranges). Connectivity was estimated using eight estimators and the relationship between structural connectivity and FC was assessed as a function of the connectivity strength and of the inputs to the ROIs. Results show that the Granger estimation provides the best accuracy, with a good capacity to evaluate the connectivity strength. However, the estimated values strongly depend on the input to the ROIs and hence on nonlinear phenomena. When a population works in the linear region, its capacity to transmit a rhythm increases drastically. Conversely, when it saturates, oscillatory activity becomes strongly affected by rhythms incoming from other regions. Changes in functional connectivity do not always reflect a physical change in the synapses. A unique connectivity network can propagate rhythms in very different ways depending on the specific working conditions

Evidence of X-ray emission from the Warm Hot Intergalactic Medium

The Universe has evolved from an initial diffuse, uniform gas to a complexstructure that includes both voids and high-density galaxy clusters connectedby gaseous filaments, known as the Cosmic Web, and traced by 3D surveys ofgalaxies. The filamentary structure contains a significant fraction of thebaryonic matter and is predicted to be mostly in the form of a moderately hightemperature plasma, the Warm Hot Intergalactic Medium. Plasma at thistemperature and ionization level emits mostly in soft X-rays. The filamentarystructure, however, is hard to detect because the other sources contributing tothe Diffuse X-ray Background are much brighter and, currently, there are veryfew reported detections of emission from the filaments. We report the firsthigh-confidence level indirect detection of X-ray emission from the Warm HotIntergalactic Medium. Applying the Power Spectrum Analysis to XMM-Newton andeROSITA data, we separated its contribution from other sources modeled inprevious studies. Our result is in good agreement with numerical simulationsand fills a critical gap in the picture of the large-scale structure of theUniverse, in which filamentary gas, galaxies and dark matter interact andco-evolve

The Directionality of Fronto-Posterior Brain Connectivity Is Associated with the Degree of Individual Autistic Traits

Altered patterns of brain connectivity have been found in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and associated with specific symptoms and behavioral features. Growing evidence suggests that the autistic peculiarities are not confined to the clinical population but extend along a continuum between healthy and maladaptive conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a differentiated connectivity pattern could also be tracked along the continuum of autistic traits in a non-clinical population. A Granger causality analysis conducted on a resting-state EEG recording showed that connectivity along the posterior-frontal gradient is sensitive to the magnitude of individual autistic traits and mostly conveyed through fast oscillatory activity. Specifically, participants with higher autistic traits were characterized by a prevalence of ascending connections starting from posterior regions ramping the cortical hierarchy. These findings point to the presence of a tendency within the neural mapping of individuals with higher autistic features in conveying proportionally more bottom-up information. This pattern of findings mimics those found in clinical forms of autism, supporting the idea of a neurobiological continuum between autistic traits and ASD

Microclimatic and Environmental Surveillance of Operating Theaters: Trend and Future Perspectives

The health risk level in operating rooms is correlated to the safety levels of microclimatic parameters, thermal indices, anesthetic gases and microbiological parameters. The objective of this study was to estimate the staff and medical service management compliance with the suggestions resulting from monitoring. Methods: The environmental conditions of 38 different operating rooms in the Sicily region, Italy, from January 2011 to December 2020 were monitored. The results were compared with specific standards suggested by national and international laws and guidelines. Results: Almost all microclimatic and microbiological parameters were outside the limits. The monitoring of the anesthetic gases showed that 5.6% of sevoflurane measurements exceeded the limit values. Conclusions: Constant environmental monitoring is an essential element for maintaining optimal living conditions in the working environment. The compliance of staff with guidelines and rules is a fundamental parameter for achieving this objective