Autonomous Physical Exploration Influences Spatial Representation: Evidence From Blind and Sighted.

Evidences demonstrated that verbal information allows to construct a mental representation of space, even for persons who have no previous experience of sight. However, the construction of a mental model from verbal description is not presentation-free, as the verbal description anchors participants to a single perspective. The aim of our study is to test the perspective of spatial representation after the physical exploration of space, in order to avoid the influence of format presentation. We asked visual impaired and sighted participants to explore autonomously a room and then to perform a Sentence Verification Task, with sentences presented in an egocentric and in an allocentric version. We measured both response time and accuracy. Data demonstrated a better performance with allocentric perspective, even if the response time suggests that participants are more confident with the egocentric perspective. In conclusion, we suggest that the physical exploration of space leads to the development of an allocentric representation

Saccadic compression can improve detection of Glass patterns

Abstract Around the time of saccadic eye movements, briefly presented stimuli are seen to be displaced from their real positions. The direction of the displacement is always towards the saccadic target, resulting in a compression of visual space (Nature 386 (1997) 598). To examine whether the compression may be used by the visual system to aid performance, we measured sensitivity for detecting horizontal and vertical Glass patterns around the time of saccades. Sensitivity to widely spaced horizontal Glass patterns improved slightly during the period just prior to making a horizontal saccade, while sensitivity to vertical patterns was impaired by the saccade. The results provide further evidence for compression in the direction of the saccade at saccadic onset, and show that it does not only affect the apparent position of visual stimuli, but can also improve performance on a visual task.

Internet Addiction: a prevention action-research intervention

The aim of this paper was to present an action-research intervention for the prevention of Internet addiction (IA) in schools. Applying a pre-experimental research design model, a total of 90 young subjects (45 males and 45 females) were treated using a peer education programme. The Internet Addiction Test was used as a screening tool pre- and post-treatment and analysed using a paired t-test. The results showed a significant positive difference in the post-treatment values for both males and females. This research highlights the link between IA and cultural and social aspects of the disease in addition to discussing the difficulties of IA prevention.&nbsp

Managing low-level HIV viraemia in antiretroviral therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

objective: HIV-1 management has advanced significantly with antiretroviral therapy (ART), yet challenges persist, including low-level HIV-1 viraemia (LLV). LLV presents a complex scenario, with varied definitions in the literature, reflecting uncertainties in its clinical interpretation. questions arise regarding the underlying mechanisms of LLV, whether it signifies ongoing viral replication or stems from other factors. this study aimed to systematically review strategies for LLV management, providing insights into optimal clinical approaches. methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, cochrane library, web of science and canadian agency for drugs and technologies in health were searched for relevant literature on LLV management. We included studies published between 2004 and 2024, assessing interventions such as ART modification, genotypic resistance testing, adherence assessment, performing therapeutic drug monitoring, testing for chronic coinfections and assessing the viral reservoir via HIV DNA quantification. meta-analyses were conducted where feasible. results: the systematic review identified 48 eligible records. findings indicated limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of ART regimen modification in achieving virological suppression among individuals with LLV. however, studies assessing genotypic resistance testing revealed a significant association between resistance-associated mutations and virological suppression during LLV. adherence to ART emerged as a critical determinant of treatment efficacy, with interventions showing promise in achieving viral suppression. the clinical utility of therapeutic drug monitoring in managing LLV remained inconclusive. gaps in the literature were identified regarding follow-up scheduling, managing concurrent chronic infections and assessing inflammatory markers in LLV management. conclusions: While ART modification may not consistently achieve virological suppression, genotypic resistance testing may offer insights into treatment outcomes. adherence to ART emerged as a crucial factor, necessitating tailored interventions. however, further research is needed to elucidate the clinical utility of therapeutic drug monitoring and other management strategies. the study highlights the importance of ongoing research to refine therapeutic approaches and improve patient outcomes in LLV management. prospero registration number: CRD42024511492

Adult IDH wild-type glioblastoma ultrastructural investigation suggests a possible correlation between morphological biomarkers and Ki-67 index

Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain tumor with an average life expectancy between 14 and 16 months after diagnosis. The Ki-67 labeling index (LI), a measure of cellular proliferation, is emerging as a prognostic marker in GBM. In this study, we investigated the ultrastructure of glioblastoma tissue from 9 patients with the same molecular profile (adult IDH wild-type glioblastoma, wild-type ATRX, and positive for TP53 expression, GFAP expression, and EGFR overexpression) to find possible ultrastructural features to be used as biomarkers and correlated with the only parameter that differs among our samples, the Ki-67 LI. Our main results were the visualization of the anatomical basis of astrocyte-endothelial cells crosstalk; the ultrastructural in situ imaging of clusters of hyperactivated microglia cells (MsEVs); the ultrastructural in situ imaging of microglia cells storing lipid vesicles (MsLVs); the ultrastructural in situ imaging of neoplastic cells mitophagy (NCsM). The statistical analysis of our data indicated that MsEVs and MsLVs correlate with the Ki-67 LI value. We can thus assume they are good candidates to be considered morphological biomarkers correlating to Ki-67 LI. The role of NCsM instead must be further evaluated. Our study findings demonstrate that by combining ultrastructural characteristics with molecular information, we can discover biomarkers that have the potential to enhance diagnostic precision, aid in treatment decision-making, identify targets for therapy, and enable personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient. However, further research with larger sample sizes is needed to validate these findings and fully utilize the potential of ultrastructural analysis in managing glioblastoma

Evaluation of HIV Transmission Clusters Among Natives and Foreigners Living in Italy

We aimed at evaluating the characteristics of HIV-1 molecular transmission clusters (MTCs) among natives and migrants living in Italy, diagnosed between 1998 and 2018. Phylogenetic analyses were performed on HIV-1 polymerase (pol) sequences to characterise subtypes and identify MTCs, divided into small (SMTCs, 2\u20133 sequences), medium (MMTCs, 4\u20139 sequences) and large (LMTCs, 6510 sequences). Among 3499 drug-na\uefve individuals enrolled in the Italian Cohort Naive Antiretroviral (ICONA) cohort (2804 natives; 695 migrants), 726 (20.8%; 644 natives, 82 migrants) were involved in 228 MTCs (6 LMTCs, 36 MMTCs, 186 SMTCs). Migrants contributed 14.4% to SMTCs, 7.6% to MMTCs and 7.1% to LMTCs, respectively. HIV-1 non-B subtypes were found in 51 MTCs; noteworthy was that non-B infections involved in MTCs were more commonly found in natives (n = 47) than in migrants (n = 4). Factors such as Italian origin, being men who have sex with men (MSM), younger age, more recent diagnosis and a higher CD4 count were significantly associated with MTCs. Our findings show that HIV-1 clustering transmission among newly diagnosed individuals living in Italy is prevalently driven by natives, mainly MSM, with a more recent diagnosis and frequently infected with HIV-1 non-B subtypes. These results can contribute to monitoring of the HIV epidemic and guiding the public health response to prevent new HIV infections

Geosystemics View of Earthquakes

Earthquakes are the most energetic phenomena in the lithosphere: their study and comprehension are greatly worth doing because of the obvious importance for society. Geosystemics intends to study the Earth system as a whole, looking at the possible couplings among the different geo-layers, i.e., from the earth’s interior to the above atmosphere. It uses specific universal tools to integrate different methods that can be applied to multi-parameter data, often taken on different platforms (e.g., ground,marine or satellite observations). Itsmain objective is to understand the particular phenomenon of interest from a holistic point of view. Central is the use of entropy, together with other physical quantities that will be introduced case by case. In this paper, we will deal with earthquakes, as final part of a long-term chain of processes involving, not only the interaction between different components of the Earth’s interior but also the coupling of the solid earth with the above neutral or ionized atmosphere, and finally culminating with the main rupture along the fault of concern. Particular emphasis will be given to some Italian seismic sequences.Publishedid 4121A. Geomagnetismo e PaleomagnetismoJCR Journa

Magnetic Field and Electron Density Data Analysis from Swarm Satellites Searching for Ionospheric Effects by Great Earthquakes: 12 Case Studies from 2014 to 2016

We analyse Swarm satellite magnetic field and electron density data one month before and one month after 12 strong earthquakes that have occurred in the first 2.5 years of Swarm satellite mission lifetime in the Mediterranean region (magnitude M6.1+) or in the rest of the world (M6.7+). The search for anomalies was limited to the area centred at each earthquake epicentre and bounded by a circle that scales with magnitude according to the Dobrovolsky’s radius. We define the magnetic and electron density anomalies statistically in terms of specific thresholds with respect to the same statistical quantity along the whole residual satellite track (|geomagnetic latitude| ≤ 50°, quiet geomagnetic conditions). Once normalized by the analysed satellite tracks, the anomalies associated to all earthquakes resemble a linear dependence with earthquake magnitude, so supporting the statistical correlation with earthquakes and excluding a relationship by chance.PublishedID 3711A. Geomagnetismo e PaleomagnetismoJCR Journa