Transformative interventions. An ecological-enactive approach to art practices

Starting from an ecological-enactive approach to human cognition (Rietveld, Kiverstein 2014) I have articulated a series of transformative interventions whose purpose is to explore how art practices can reorganize our form of life (Noë, 2015; Rietveld, 2019). To do this, I discuss how a plethora of heterogeneous tools traceable in the performing arts, such as masks, puppets, and hybrid costumes, can help us, through what I call monstrous practices, to explore imaginative dimensions that our own bodies "cannot afford." This is the core of the transformative chain that I will define monster-monstrous-Monster: we feed imaginative “monsters” to become “monstrous”– that is, to pool and cross-fertilize our abilities – to confront the "Monsters" in our lives. My main interest is in analyzing how it is possible to create or collect new affordances so as to transfigure one's repertoire of possibilities and transform a shared practice. Each transformative intervention is not only defined through written words but is also developed through unorthodox sociomaterial invitations, usually not used in philosophical practice: storyboards, visual ethnographies, performance projects, and installations, which I will define more properly through an enriched notion of real-life thinking model (Rietveld; RAAAF)

COVID-19 occurring during Natalizumab treatment: a case report in a patient with extended interval dosing approach

Background: The novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which was identi fied after a recent outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, has generated a global pandemic impacting over 200 countries around the world. Recent reports suggest that ACE2, which is the target protein to invade the host, has a ubiquitous presence in human organs, including lung parenchyma, gastrointestinal tract, nasal mucosa, renal and urinary tract, airway epi- thelia, lymphoid tissues, reproductive organs, vascular endothelium and neurons. In this scenario, neurologists are particularly involved into considering even more speci fic therapeutic strategies according to the available data during the pandemic. In particular, MS patients are usually receiving disease -modifying therapies (DMTs) with immunosuppressant or immunomodulatory e ffects, which increase the risk of infections and morbidity, compared with the general population. Development of PML or other serious opportunistic infections during treatment with natalizumab forces to consider whether de -risking strategies are needed in this particular context and how to manage a high -e fficacy treatment. Methods: In this paper we report on a patient treated with natalizumab for relapsing MS who developed COVID- 19 and recovered in a few days without complications. Results: After recovery natalizumab has been administered in the window of the extended interval dosing (EID), without reporting any worsening or new symptoms. Discussion: This case supports the opportunity to avoid discontinuing or delaying the retreatment over 8 weeks in patients recovered from a recent COVID-19

Gray zone and skilled co-presence

My aim is to extend the notion of gray zone, presented by Claire Bishop in her 2018 essay, Black Box, White Cube, Gray Zone, through that of skilled intentionality, proposed by Erik Rietveld and colleagues (Rietveld, Denys, Van Westen, 2018) in the field of embodied cognitive science. Starting, thus, from an ecological-enactive approach to cognition, I will present the notion of skilled co-presence through which I try to shed light on how we are able to extend our abilities by hybridizing with others, materials, and technologies. To do this I will rest my reflection on the notion of autopoietic feedback loop presented by Erika Fisher-Lichte (Fisher-Lichte, 2008). Rietveld and colleagues' proposal revolves around the enrichment of the notion of affordance (Gibson 1979, Rietveld,Kiverstein 2014), understood as the relationship between an aspect of the sociomaterial environment and the abilities available in a life form. New affordances emerge when aspects of the material environment are captured by skills usually used in other practices. I believe that at the emergence of a gray zone, it is possible to observe, in a paradigmatic way, how new skills can arise through pooling and cross-fertilization

Philosophy Through Unorthodox Means

An overwhelming scientific consensus confronts us with the need to radically transform our habits to cope with the climate crisis in which we are living. The production of data – in addition to the re- lated flow of information and images regarding the threat to our survival and ecosystems – is not enough to activate our pro-environment actions. To set radical change in motion, it is necessary to design imaginative interventions based on the knowledge gained in embodied cognitive science so that interventions are directed not at disembodied minds but at situated indi- viduals enacting within a rich landscape of affordances. By way of experimenting with philosophy through unorthodox means, I will present a concrete artwork, Infinity Pool, whose purpose is to enact tangible invitations addressed to a situated community through a monstrous education of attention, that is, through an imaginative invitation that offers an opportunity to bring attention to aspects of the environ- ment usually ignored

Should we treat pediatric radiologically isolated syndrome? An 18-year follow-up case report

Background: Radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) describes asymptomatic individuals with incidental radiologic abnormalities suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS). Much of RIS literature is about adult-onset cases. Treatment of RIS is controversial, especially in pediatric age, but early treatment in selected patients might improve long-term outcomes. Case presentation: We report a single RIS patient who followed up for 18 years in our MS center. At first, she was only monitored with follow-up MRIs. Then, as the lesion load increased, she was treated with a first-line disease-modifying treatment (DMT) reaching MRI stability. Conclusion: This report highlights how treatment can be an appropriate choice in pediatric forms of RIS

Experiencing Forest Therapy in the Italian Landscape: Bathing in the Selva of Castelfidardo

According to several evidence, forest environmental seems able to provide beneficial effects on functional and psychological parameters, related to cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory functions as well depression and anxiety. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a one-day forest walking in the Selva of Castelfidardo (AN, Italy) on 37 participants aged 21-68, most of them living in either urban or suburban areas of large cities. We observed a statistically significant effect on sympathicovagal balance by the means of heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body temperature, skin temperature, skin conductance, HRV parameters (AVNN, SDNN, rMSSD, pNN50, LF, HF, LF/HF ratio), oxygen oximetry, PEF, FEV1. A significant difference was also detected on the Perceived Stress Scale responses (19.27 pre vs 13.81 post- immersion, p=<0,05; -28,3% variation). Our data contribute to increase the body of literature about the effect of forest walking, adding data on an Italian area assigned to forest bathing

Protocols of Anesthesia Management in Parturients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Background: Our hospital became a referral center for COVID-19-positive obstetric patients from 1 May 2020. The aim of our study is to illustrate our management protocols for COVID-19-positive obstetric patients, to maintain safety standards for patients and healthcare workers. Methods: Women who underwent vaginal or operative delivery and induced or spontaneous abortion with a SARS-CoV-2-positive nasopharyngeal swab using real-time PCR (RT-PCR) were included in the study. Severity and onset of new symptoms were carefully monitored in the postoperative period. All the healthcare workers received a nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR serially every five days. Results: We included 152 parturients with COVID-19 infection. None of the included women had general anesthesia, an increase of severe symptoms or onset of new symptoms. The RT-PCR test was “negative” for the healthcare workers. Conclusions: In our study, neuraxial anesthesia for parturients’ management with SARS-CoV-2 infection has been proven to be safe for patients and healthcare workers. Neuraxial anesthesia decreases aerosolization during preoxygenation, face-mask ventilation, endotracheal intubation, oral or tracheal suctioning and extubation. This anesthesia management protocol can be generalizable

Physical Exercise Moderates the Effects of Disability on Depression in People with Multiple Sclerosis during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Physical disability impacts psychosocial wellbeing in people with multiple sclerosis. However, the role of physical activity in this context is still debated. By taking advantage of a previous survey, conducted online from 22 April to 7 May 2020, we performed a post-hoc analysis with the aim to assess the associations between disability, physical exercise, and mental health in multiple sclerosis. We retrieved the following data: (i) sociodemographic information, (ii) changes in lifestyle (including exercise), (iii) physical disability, as measured with the Patient-Determined Disease Steps scale, and (iv) anxiety feelings and depressive symptoms assessed via the items included in the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders measurement system. Examination of the interaction plot showed that the effect of disability on depression, but not on anxious symptoms, was significant for all levels of physical exercise (low: b = 1.22, 95% C.I. 0.85, 1.58, p < 0.001; moderate: b = 0.95, 95% C.I. 0.66, 1.24, p < 0.001; and high: b = 0.68, 95% C.I. 0.24, 1.13, p = 0.003). Based on these data, we can conclude that disability significantly impacted depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, with physical activity playing a moderating role. Our results suggest that favoring exercise in multiple sclerosis (MS) would ameliorate psychological wellbeing regardless of the level of physical disability

Pregnancy and COVID-19: The Possible Contribution of Vitamin D

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with the severity of COVID-19. The role of vitamin D in pregnant women with COVID-19 has been poorly investigated to date. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of vitamin D in affecting some clinical features in pregnancy between SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative patients. Methods: Vitamin D pathway related polymorphisms and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were quantified in pregnant women followed from the first to the third trimester of pregnancy. Vitamin D deficiency was considered with values ≤ 30 ng/mL. Results: In total, 160 women were enrolled: 23 resulted positive for at least one SARS-CoV-2 related test (molecular swab or antibody tests). Vitamin D-associated polymorphisms were able to affect vitamin D levels in SARS-CoV-2 negative and positive subjects: remarkably, all the VDR TaqICC genotype patients were negative for SARS-CoV-2. In a sub-population (118 patients), vitamin D levels correlated with pregnancy-related factors, such as alpha-fetoprotein levels. Third-trimester vitamin D levels were lower in preterm births compared to full-term pregnancy: this trend was highlighted for SARS-CoV-2 positive patients. Conclusions: This is the first study demonstrating a role of vitamin D in affecting the clinical characteristics of pregnant women during the COVID-19 era. Further studies in larger and different cohorts of patients are required to confirm these findings