Studio dell'infiltrato linfocitario peritumorale e dei linfociti circolanti in pazienti affetti da melanoma cutaneo

I linfociti T \u3b3\u3b4 sono un gruppo di effettori \u201cnatural killer\u201d del sistema immunitario innato che hanno rappresentato un interessante oggetto di studio nel corso degli ultimi anni. Il Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche, Oncologiche ed Odontostomatologiche del Policlinico Universitario di Palermo, da anni attivo nei confronti della ricerca scientifica, ha recentemente condotto uno studio mirato alla conoscenza del potenziale effetto immunoterapeutico di questa popolazione linfocitaria verso i melanomi in stadio avanzato. Sulla base della classificazione della American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) i pazienti affetti da melanoma maligno in stadio IV con neoplasia metastatica hanno una prognosi infausta, con una bassa sopravvivenza a 5 anni. Dati statistici stimano che la sopravvivenza globale sia inferiore al 10%, evidenziando come pochi trattamenti terapeutici siano al momento disponibili e ragionevolmente efficaci. I diversi schemi terapeutici proposti ed approvati per il trattamento del melanoma metastatico (interleukina 2 ad alte dosi e chemioterapia) hanno mostrato un tasso di risposta globale del 16% e del 7,5%, con bassa risposta completa e sopravvivenza a lungo termine. Lo studio e l\u2019analisi dell\u2019infiltrato linfocitario peritumorale (TIL) nei pazienti affetti da melanoma maligno e la ricerca di linfociti circolanti nel torrente ematico permetter\ue0 di definire il ruolo chiave dei linfociti T \u3b3\u3b4, e le potenzialit\ue0 del trattamento terapeutico del melanoma maligno metastatico.\u3b3\u3b4 T cells are a group of effectors "natural killer" of the innate immune system, which represented an interesting object of study in recent years. The Department of Surgical, Oncology and Dentistry of the University Hospital of Palermo, active for years in respect of scientific research, has recently conducted a study aimed at understanding the potential effect of this immunotherapeutic lymphocyte population to the advanced-stage melanomas. Based on the classification of the American Joint Committee on Cancer ( AJCC ) patients with stage IV malignant melanoma with metastatic cancer have a poor prognosis, with a low 5-year survival. Statistical data estimate that overall survival is less than 10 %, highlighting how few treatments are currently available and reasonably effective. The different therapeutic schemes proposed and approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma (high-dose interleukin- 2 and chemotherapy) showed an overall response rate of 16 % and 7.5 %, with a low complete response and long-term survival. The study and analysis of the infiltrated peritumoral lymphocytes ( TIL) in patients with malignant melanoma and the pursuit of lymphocytes circulating in the blood stream will allow you to define the key role of \u3b3\u3b4 T cells, and the potential of the therapeutic treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma

To which world regions does the valence–dominance model of social perception apply?

Over the past 10 years, Oosterhof and Todorov’s valence–dominance model has emerged as the most prominent account of how people evaluate faces on social dimensions. In this model, two dimensions (valence and dominance) underpin social judgements of faces. Because this model has primarily been developed and tested in Western regions, it is unclear whether these findings apply to other regions. We addressed this question by replicating Oosterhof and Todorov’s methodology across 11 world regions, 41 countries and 11,570 participants. When we used Oosterhof and Todorov’s original analysis strategy, the valence–dominance model generalized across regions. When we used an alternative methodology to allow for correlated dimensions, we observed much less generalization. Collectively, these results suggest that, while the valence–dominance model generalizes very well across regions when dimensions are forced to be orthogonal, regional differences are revealed when we use different extraction methods and correlate and rotate the dimension reduction solution

What we observe is biased by what other people tell us: beliefs about the reliability of gaze behavior modulate attentional orienting to gaze cues

For effective social interactions with other people, information about the physical environment must be integrated with information about the interaction partner. In order to achieve this, processing of social information is guided by two components: a bottom-up mechanism reflexively triggered by stimulus-related information in the social scene and a top-down mechanism activated by task-related context information. In the present study, we investigated whether these components interact during attentional orienting to gaze direction. In particular, we examined whether the spatial specificity of gaze cueing is modulated by expectations about the reliability of gaze behavior. Expectations were either induced by instruction or could be derived from experience with displayed gaze behavior. Spatially specific cueing effects were observed with highly predictive gaze cues, but also when participants merely believed that actually non-predictive cues were highly predictive. Conversely, cueing effects for the whole gazed-at hemifield were observed with non-predictive gaze cues, and spatially specific cueing effects were attenuated when actually predictive gaze cues were believed to be non-predictive. This pattern indicates that (i) information about cue predictivity gained from sampling gaze behavior across social episodes can be incorporated in the attentional orienting to social cues, and that (ii) beliefs about gaze behavior modulate attentional orienting to gaze direction even when they contradict information available from social episodes

A network model of Italy shows that intermittent regional strategies can alleviate the COVID-19 epidemic

The COVID-19 epidemic hit Italy particularly hard, yielding the implementation of strict national lockdown rules. Previous modelling studies at the national level overlooked the fact that Italy is divided into administrative regions which can independently oversee their own share of the Italian National Health Service. Here, we show that heterogeneity between regions is essential to understand the spread of the epidemic and to design effective strategies to control the disease. We model Italy as a network of regions and parameterize the model of each region on real data spanning over two months from the initial outbreak. We confirm the effectiveness at the regional level of the national lockdown strategy and propose coordinated regional interventions to prevent future national lockdowns, while avoiding saturation of the regional health systems and mitigating impact on costs. Our study and methodology can be easily extended to other levels of granularity to support policy- and decision-makers

The ICRF antenna of DTT: Design status and perspectives

The basis of design for the Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequency (ICRF) antennas of the Divertor Tokamak Test facility (DTT) is defined and the most suitable design solutions abiding by such requirements are shown. DTT will be equipped with one, two or three ICRF modules – the final choice to be taken during the first years of operations – and each module will have two antennas. Each antenna has to reliably couple a radiofrequency (RF) power ≥1.5 MW in the range 60÷90 MHz to the single-null, 6 T, 5.5 MA, DTT scenario and allow for remote (dis)assembling and maintenance operations of its plasma-facing components. Most documented antenna concepts are considered and a large set of alternatives, based on toroidal arrays of two, three or four straps with different shapes and constraints, is quantitatively assessed in terms of RF performances. Two most promising candidates are identified: the one, selected to access a detailed design phase, relies on traditional radiating elements, the other is an innovative concept requiring some R&D

A multi-lab test of the facial feedback hypothesis by the Many Smiles Collaboration

Following theories of emotional embodiment, the facial feedback hypothesis suggests that individuals' subjective experiences of emotion are influenced by their facial expressions. However, evidence for this hypothesis has been mixed. We thus formed a global adversarial collaboration and carried out a preregistered, multicentre study designed to specify and test the conditions that should most reliably produce facial feedback effects. Data from n = 3,878 participants spanning 19 countries indicated that a facial mimicry and voluntary facial action task could both amplify and initiate feelings of happiness. However, evidence of facial feedback effects was less conclusive when facial feedback was manipulated unobtrusively via a pen-in-mouth task

A Multi-Lab Test of the Facial Feedback Hypothesis by the Many Smiles Collaboration

Following theories of emotional embodiment, the facial feedback hypothesis suggests that individuals’ subjective experiences of emotion are influenced by their facial expressions. However, evidence for this hypothesis has been mixed. We thus formed a global adversarial collaboration and carried out a preregistered, multicentre study designed to specify and test the conditions that should most reliably produce facial feedback effects. Data from n = 3,878 participants spanning 19 countries indicated that a facial mimicry and voluntary facial action task could both amplify and initiate feelings of happiness. However, evidence of facial feedback effects was less conclusive when facial feedback was manipulated unobtrusively via a pen-in-mouth task

Follow My Eyes: The Gaze of Politicians Reflexively Captures the Gaze of Ingroup Voters

Studies in human and non-human primates indicate that basic socio-cognitive operations are inherently linked to the power of gaze in capturing reflexively the attention of an observer. Although monkey studies indicate that the automatic tendency to follow the gaze of a conspecific is modulated by the leader-follower social status, evidence for such effects in humans is meager. Here, we used a gaze following paradigm where the directional gaze of right- or left-wing Italian political characters could influence the oculomotor behavior of ingroup or outgroup voters. We show that the gaze of Berlusconi, the right-wing leader currently dominating the Italian political landscape, potentiates and inhibits gaze following behavior in ingroup and outgroup voters, respectively. Importantly, the higher the perceived similarity in personality traits between voters and Berlusconi, the stronger the gaze interference effect. Thus, higher-order social variables such as political leadership and affiliation prepotently affect reflexive shifts of attention