The downsized hand in Personal Neglect

Objective: Personal neglect (PN) refers to a form of hemi-inattention toward the contralesional body space and it usually occurs following a right brain lesion. Recent studies suggest that PN indicates a disorder of body representation. Specifically, patients with PN show difficulties in identifying differences between left and right hands and have an altered visuospatial body map, which is associated with disrupted mental body representations. However, the metric representation of the body, and in particular the hands, has not been systematically addressed in patients showing this form of neglect. Method: In the present study, we have investigated this representation by testing the perceived hands’ width of 11 hemiplegic patients with right hemisphere cerebral lesions (5 with PN) and 12 healthy controls on a judgment of passability task. Patients and controls were asked to imagine inserting their hand (left and right) through a series of vertical apertures of different sizes and to judge whether their hand could fit through. Due to the heterogeneity of the data, both parametric and non-parametric approaches were used. Furthermore, additional single-case analyses were conducted by using Crawford and Howell’s (1998) method. Results: Study findings showed that patients with PN showed a significant underestimation of the left hand compared with their right hand. In contrast, whilst the right hand was equally distorted in both patients’ groups, the hemiplegic patients with no evidence of PN tended to perceive the affected hand as larger than their ipsilesional one. Conclusions: In line with the literature, our findings confirm an underlying distorted body representation following right brain damage. However, for the first time, we report both a quantitative and qualitative difference in impact of hemiplegia and PN on body representation of the contralesional body space

Waste by-products from Olea europaea as a potential application in Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome

The use of agri-food by-products represents an important resource in the nutraceutical field in a circular economy perspective oriented to the valorization of our territory products: among these, the olive tree (Olea europaea, Coratina cultivar in particular), is an excellent nutraceutical even though it derives from food waste. In this study we present a polyphenolic complex - derived from the mechanical filtration process of wastewater resulting from olive oil production - called MOMAST®. Based on the results obtained from the chemical composition analysis, we hypothesized a possible application of the phytocomplex as a food supplement in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) [1] [2]. After testing three different types of extracts (MOMAST Plus30, PW25, and HY100) on some IBS-related targets, we verified their antioxidant action and effects on spontaneous and induced intestinal contractility of ileum and colon [3, 4]. From the scientific evidence found, MOMAST® compounds have proved to be excellent candidates to become food supplements in the treatment of IBS [5]: in particular, Plus30 also showed an interesting action against some microorganisms due to its high concentration of polyphenols and oleuropein. References [1] L. Recinella, A. Chiavaroli, G. Orlando, L. Menghini, C. Ferrante, L. Di Cesare Mannelli, C. Ghelardini, L. Brunetti, S. Leone, Molecules, 2019, 24, 3002. [2] T. Tian, Z. Wang, J. Zhang, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017, 2017, 4535194. [3] J.K. Triantafillidis, A. Triantafyllidi, C. Vagianos, A. Papalois, Annals of Gastroenterology, 2016, 29, 268. [4] M. Micucci, M. Malaguti, T.G. Toschi, G. Di Lecce, R. Aldini, A. Angeletti, A. Chiarini, R. Budriesi, S. Hrelia, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2015, 2015, 318125. [5] M.J. Oliveras-López, G. Berna, E.M. Carneiro, H.L.G. De La Serrana, F. Martin, M.C. López, The Journal of Nutrition, 2008, 138, 1074

Organizational psychology and technology: ethical, legal and practical issues related to active listening and work-related stress monitoring in Italy and Europe

La escucha activa es una herramienta poderosa para la prevención y reducción de enfermedades laborales y estrés, así como para mejorar el desempeño e incluso el desarrollo de la responsabilidad social corporativa. La escucha activa y el monitoreo más amplio del estrés relacionado con el trabajo, como se ha demostrado en la literatura y en varias experiencias de investigación en curso, se pueden hacer particularmente efectivos si se implementan en organizaciones a través de métodos tradicionales y tecnológicos, como chats telefónicos y web, síncronos y herramientas de comunicación y mensajería de video asíncronas, buzones electrónicos anónimos y soluciones de denuncia de irregularidades, cuestionarios electrónicos y tecnologías de monitoreo activo, por nombrar sólo algunos. Si bien estas tecnologías pueden tener un impacto positivo en la intervención psicológica en las organizaciones y, por lo tanto, en la vida de los trabajadores, plantean una serie de problemas éticos y legales. Algunos de ellos aún son objeto de arduos debates y están bajo el escrutinio de juntas profesionales y organismos gubernamentales. En Italia, la Junta Nacional de Psicólogos ha publicado recientemente directrices para la práctica psicológica basada en la web. Los parlamentos europeos e italianos también han producido varias normas nuevas que afectan la posibilidad de intervenciones psicológicas. La tecnología no sólo implica la dificultad de los sistemas legales para seguir el ritmo de su evolución, sino que también plantea dificultades concretas en las aplicaciones psicológicas profesionales, a menudo relacionadas con la brecha tecnológica entre las posibilidades teóricas y las capacidades e instrumentos de las organizaciones. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar algunos de estos problemas legales y prácticos, y proponer, sobre la base de un amplio análisis legal y debates reales de estudios de casos, soluciones concretas para aumentar la eficacia de las intervenciones psicológicas.Active listening is a powerful tool for the prevention and reduction of organizational disease and stress as well as for performance enhancement and even corporate social responsibility development. Active listening and wider work-related stress monitoring, as proven in literature and by several ongoing action-research experiences, can be made particularly effective if implemented in organizations through both traditional and technological methods, such as telephone and web-based chats, synchronous and asynchronous video-messaging and communicating tools, anonymous e-dropboxes and whistleblowing solutions, electronic questionnaires, and active monitoring technologies, just to name a few. While these technologies can have a positive impact on psychological intervention in organizations and, therefore, on the life of workers, they pose a series of ethical and legal issues. Some of them are still strongly debated and are under scrutiny of professional boards and governmental bodies. In Italy, the National Board of Psychologists has recently published guidelines for the web-based psychological practice. The European and Italian Parliaments have also produced several new norms that impact on the possibility of psychological interventions. Technology does not only involve the difficulty of the legal systems to follow the pace of its evolution, but also poses concrete difficulties in professional psychological applications, often related with the technological gap between the theoretical possibilities and the capabilities and instruments of the target organizations. This work aims to analyze some of these legal and applied issues and to propose, on the basis of a wide legal analysis and real case-study discussions, concrete solutions for incrementing the efficacy of the psychological interventions.peerReviewe

Diagnostic and prognostic values of PBMC proteins in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron disease for which there are no validated biomarkers. Previous exploratory studies have identified a panel of candidate protein biomarkers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) that include peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase A (PPIA), heat shock cognate protein 71 kDa (HSC70), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 (hnRNPA2B1) and TDP-43. It has also been found that PPIA plays a key role in the assembly and dynamics of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes and interacts with TDP-43. Its absence accelerates disease progression in a SOD1 mouse model of ALS, and low levels of PPIA in PBMCs are associated with early-onset ALS. However, the diagnostic and prognostic values of PPIA and the other candidate protein biomarkers have not been established. We analyzed the PBMC proteins in a well-characterized cohort of ALS patients (n=93), healthy individuals (n=104) and disease controls (n=111). We used a highly controlled sample processing procedure that implies two-step differential detergent fractionation. We found that the levels of the selected PBMC proteins in the soluble and insoluble fraction, combined, have a high discriminatory power for distinguishing ALS from controls, with PPIA, hnRNPA2B1 and TDP-43 being the proteins most closely associated with ALS. We also found a shift toward increased protein partitioning in the insoluble fraction in ALS and this correlated with a worse disease phenotype. In particular, low PPIA soluble levels were associated with six months earlier death. In conclusion, PPIA is a disease modifier with prognostic potential. PBMC proteins indicative of alterations in protein and RNA homeostasis are promising biomarkers of ALS, for diagnosis, prognosis and patient stratification

Occipital atrophy signature in prodromal Lewy bodies disease

Introduction: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is typically characterized by parietal, temporal, and occipital atrophy, but less is known about the newly defined prodromal phases. The objective of this study was to evaluate structural brain alterations in prodromal DLB (p-DLB) as compared to healthy controls (HC) and full-blown dementia (DLB-DEM). Methods: The study included 42 DLB patients (n = 20 p-DLB; n = 22 DLB-DEM) and 27 HC with a standardized neurological assessment and 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging. Voxel-wise analyses on gray-matter and cortical thickness were implemented to evaluate differences between p-DLB, DLB-DEM, and HC. Results: p-DLB and DLB-DEM exhibited reduced occipital and posterior parieto-temporal volume and thickness, extending from prodromal to dementia stages. Occipital atrophy was more sensitive than insular atrophy in differentiating p-DLB and HC. Occipital atrophy correlated to frontotemporal structural damage increasing from p-DLB to DLB-DEM. Discussion: Occipital and posterior-temporal structural alterations are an early signature of the DLB continuum and correlate with a long-distance pattern of atrophy

Afectaciones otológicas y trastornos del lenguaje en niños operados de fisuras alveolo palatinas

Introduction: cleft palate predisposes to ear infections, hearing loss, speech and oral communication.Objective: to characterize the otologic affectations and speech disorders in children operated on for cleft palate.Methods: observational, descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study in 31 patients operated for alveolo-palatine clefts in the Maxillofacial Surgery Service at Pepe Portilla Provincial Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Pinar del Rio, between 2014 and 2020. A non-probabilistic intentional sampling was carried out, comprising a sample of 20 patients. Evaluation by Otolaryngology and Speech Therapy was carried out, as well as the review of clinical histories. Descriptive statistics was applied. Results: patients who presented incomplete fissures reached 55 % and 50 % of them received mixed feeding. The analysis of the quality of the surgical-orthodontic intervention assessed 75 % as good quality. Sixty percent of the patients presented ear infections, being of a very frequent type in 20 % of the cases; 35 % presented some degree of affectation of the auditory sphere and 80 % presented language disorders, the latter being mild in 40 %; and 55 % of the patients presented phonetic-auditory affectations, where 50 % of the cases presented good level of school learning and social-emotional adaptation.Conclusions: patients who underwent surgery for alveolo-palatal fissures presented mostly mild language and auditory alterations, with very frequent ear infections and phonetic-auditory affectation that influenced on their school-learning and social-emotional adjustment.Introducción: las fisuras de paladar predisponen a infecciones del oído, pérdida de la audición, el habla y la comunicación oral.Objetivo: caracterizar las afectaciones otológicas y trastornos del lenguaje en niños operados de fisuras alveolo palatinas.Método: estudio observacional, descriptivo, longitudinal y retrospectivo en 31 pacientes operados por fisuras alveolo palatinas en el Servicio de Cirugía Maxilofacial del Hospital Pediátrico Provincial Docente “Pepe Portilla” de Pinar del Río, entre 2014 y 2020. Se realizó un muestreo intencional no probabilística conformando una muestra de 20 pacientes. Se realizó evaluación por Otorrinolaringología y Logofonoaudiología, así como la revisión de las historias clínicas. Se empleó estadística descriptiva.Resultados: el 55 % de los pacientes presentaron fisuras incompletas y que el 50 % recibió alimentación mixta. El análisis de la calidad de la intervención quirúrgico-ortodóncica catalogó al 75 % como de buena calidad. El 60 % de los pacientes presentaron infecciones óticas, siendo de tipo muy frecuentes en el 20 % de los casos. El 35 % presentó algún grado de afectación de la esfera auditiva y el 80 % presentaron afecciones en el lenguaje, siendo las últimas leves en el 40 %. El 55 % de los pacientes presentaron afectaciones fonético-auditiva, donde el 50 % de los casos presentaron buen nivel de aprendizaje escolar y adaptación social-emocional.Conclusiones: Los pacientes intervenidos quirúrgicamente por fisuras alveolo-palatinas presentaron mayormente alteraciones leves del lenguaje y auditivas, con infecciones óticas muy frecuentes y afectación fonético-auditivas que incidieron en su aprendizaje escolar y adaptación social-emocional

Immune tuning scaffold for the local induction of a pro-regenerative environment

In mammals, tissue regeneration is accomplished through a well-regulated, complex cascade of events. The disruption of the cellular and molecular processes involved in tissue healing might lead to scar formation. Most tissue engineering approaches have tried to improve the regenerative outcome following an injury, through the combination of biocompatible materials, stem cells and bioactive factors. However, implanted materials can cause further healing impairments due to the persistent inflammatory stimuli that trigger the onset of chronic inflammation. Here, it is described at the molecular, cellular and tissue level, the body response to a functionalized biomimetic collagen scaffold. The grafting of chondroitin sulfate on the surface of the scaffold is able to induce a pro-regenerative environment at the site of a subcutaneous implant. The early in situ recruitment, and sustained local retention of anti-inflammatory macrophages significantly reduced the pro-inflammatory environment and triggered a different healing cascade, ultimately leading to collagen fibril re-organization, blood vessel formation, and scaffold integration with the surrounding native tissue

Immunosuppression by monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells in patients with pancreatic ductal carcinoma is orchestrated by STAT3

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly devastating disease with an overall 5-year survival rate of less than 8%. New evidence indicates that PDAC cells release pro-inflammatory metabolites that induce a marked alteration of normal hematopoiesis, favoring the expansion and accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). We report here that PDAC patients show increased levels of both circulating and tumor-infiltrating MDSC-like cells. Methods: The frequency of MDSC subsets in the peripheral blood was determined by flow cytometry in three independent cohorts of PDAC patients (total analyzed patients, n = 117). Frequency of circulating MDSCs was correlated with overall survival of PDAC patients. We also analyzed the frequency of tumor-infiltrating MDSC and the immune landscape in fresh biopsies. Purified myeloid cell subsets were tested in vitro for their T-cell suppressive capacity. Results: Correlation with clinical data revealed that MDSC frequency was significantly associated with a shorter patients' overall survival and metastatic disease. However, the immunosuppressive activity of purified MDSCs was detectable only in some patients and mainly limited to the monocytic subset. A transcriptome analysis of the immunosuppressive M-MDSCs highlighted a distinct gene signature in which STAT3 was crucial for monocyte re-programming. Suppressive M-MDSCs can be characterized as circulating STAT3/arginase1-expressing CD14+ cells. Conclusion: MDSC analysis aids in defining the immune landscape of PDAC patients for a more appropriate diagnosis, stratification and treatment