Neurobiological insight into hyperbaric hyperoxia

Aim: Hyperbaric hyperoxia (HBO) is known to modulate aerobic metabolism, vasoreactivity and blood flow in the brain. Nevertheless, mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects, especially in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke patients, are debated. The present study aimed at investigating regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) distribution during acute HBO exposure. Methods: Regional cerebral blood flow response was investigated in seven healthy subjects exposed to either normobaric normoxia or HBO with ambient pressure/inspired oxygen pressure of 101/21 and 250/250 kPa respectively. After 40 min at the desired pressure, they were injected a perfusion tracer and subsequently underwent brain single photon emission computed tomography. rCBF distribution changes in the whole brain were assessed by Statistical Parametric Mapping. Results: During HBO, an increased relative rCBF distribution was found in sensory-motor, premotor, visual and posterior cingulate cortices as well as in superior frontal gyrus, middle/inferior temporal and angular gyrus and cerebellum, mainly in the dominant hemisphere. During normobaric normoxia, a higher 99mTc-HMPAO distribution in the right insula and subcortical structures as well as in bilateral hippocampi and anterior cingulated cortex was found. Conclusions: The present study firstly confirmed the rCBF distribution increase during HBO in sensory-motor and visual cortices, and it showed for the first time a higher perfusion tracer distribution in areas encompassed in dorsal attention system and in default mode network. These findings unfold both the externally directed cognition performance improvement related to the HBO and the internally directed cognition states during resting-state conditions, suggesting possible beneficial effects in TBI and stroke patients

Self-tuning Personalized Information Retrieval in an Ontology-Based Framework

Reliability is a well-known concern in the field of personalization technologies. We propose the extension of an ontology-based retrieval system with semantic-based personalization techniques, upon which automatic mechanisms are devised that dynamically gauge the degree of personalization, so as to benefit from adaptivity but yet reduce the risk of obtrusiveness and loss of user control. On the basis of a common domain ontology KB, the personalization framework represents, captures and exploits user preferences to bias search results towards personal user interests. Upon this, the intensity of personalization is automatically increased or decreased according to an assessment of the imprecision contained in user requests and system responses before personalization is applied

Vinculando la danza y la educación: el caso del internado Beatriz Hernández

Informe que muestra el proceso de sistematización y teorización de gestión del conocimiento realizado para instalar el proyecto “La danza clásica desde la mirada educativa: una propuesta para la educación del cuerpo” en el internado para niñas de bajos recursos Beatriz Hernández, el cual depende de la Secretaría de Educación Jalisco (SEJ). Este proyecto tuvo el objetivo de diseñar un método educativo basado en la danza y en la conversación para incidir en el conocimiento del cuerpo, el desarrollo cognitivo y el socioafectivo de las alumnas del internado y lograr instalar este método como parte del currículo de la institución. Los resultados de este proyecto permiten tener un nuevo acercamiento al conocimiento de la práctica de la danza como herramienta metodológica para favorecer, por su naturaleza física, expresiva y cognitiva, la integración de mente, cuerpo y emociones. Además, posibilita abrir espacios para ampliar la visión tradicional de los procesos de cognición, aporta nuevos recursos a los normalmente utilizados en el currículo escolar, abre la reflexión sobre el cuerpo como medio de exploración y apropiación de los conocimientos y contribuye a la vinculación de la educación y el arte al proponer la danza como estrategia de formación en el currículo escolar. *A lo largo de este trabajo, la autora hace referencia a entrevistas y registros de clases en audio y video, los cuales no están agregados en este registro

Morphometric maps of bilateral asymmetry in the human humerus: An implementation in the R package morphomap

In biological anthropology, parameters relating to cross-sectional geometry are calculated in paired long bones to evaluate the degree of lateralization of anatomy and, by inference, function. Here, we describe a novel approach, newly added to the morphomap R package, to assess the lateralization of the distribution of cortical bone along the entire diaphysis. The sample comprises paired long bones belonging to 51 individuals (10 females and 41 males) from The New Mexico Decedent Image Database with known biological profile, occupational and loading histories. Both males and females show a pattern of right lateralization. In addition, males are more lateralized than females, whereas there is not a significant association between lateralization with occupation and loading history. Body weight, height and long-bone length are the major factors driving the emergence of asymmetry in the humerus, while interestingly, the degree of lateralization decreases in the oldest individuals

Analysis of sightings of white sharks in Gansbaai (South Africa)

In Gansbaai (South Africa), at Dyer Island Nature Reserve, a large White shark population is present and can be observed due to the support of local ecotourism operators authorised to reach the field observation sites. Between 2009 and 2019, it was possible to create a database including information about each individual observed. In total, 423 white sharks were sighted during 462 direct observation hours from the boat, that included 220 hours from the diving "cage". The mean sighting rate was 0.91 (range 0.18-1.53) sharks per hour and sighting rates dramatically declined in the last three years of the study period. Ninety-nine unique Photo-Ids of the dorsal fin were collected and only five re-sightings occurred, which indicate a transient behaviour for the Gansbaai White shark population. The sex ratio showed that females were always prevalent over males throughout the duration of the observations: the ratios were 1:2.2:0.8 for males, females, and unsexed sharks, respectively, and showed the prevalence of immature female individuals (immature: 51 males, 201 females, and 40 unsexed; adults: 49 males, 14 females, and 1 unsexed; undefined maturity: 5 males, 19 females, and 43 unsexed sharks). The predominance of immatures only applies to the females; there were as many immature males (51) as mature (49). The total length for all the individuals was between 150 cm and 500 cm (mean 308 cm, n = 423) with few young-of-the-year and adults recorded, indicating that Gansbaai Area is not a nursery area nor an adult aggregation site, but a seasonal feeding ground. The interannual sighting trend showed a consistent long-term increasing peak (ca. 4-5 years) and this could confirm that, in Gansbaai, the White shark frequency is not affected by ecotourism but, since 2017, a consistent loss of sightings was also due to recorded transient killer whales' unusual fatal attacks

Cortical metabolic arrangement during olfactory processing:proposal for a 18F-FDG PET/CT methodological approach

The aim of this article is to investigate the cortical metabolic arrangements in olfactory processing by using 18F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Twenty-six normosmic individuals (14 women and 12 men; mean age 46.710 years) were exposed to a neutral olfactory condition (NC) and, after 1 month, to a pure olfactory condition (OC) in a relatively ecological environment, that is, outside the scanner. All the subjects were injected with 185-210 megabecquerel of 18F FDG during both stimulations. Statistical parametric mapping version 2 was used in order to assess differences between NC and OC. As a result, we found a significant higher glucose consumption during OC in the cuneus, lingual, and parahippocampal gyri, mainly in the left hemisphere. During NC, our results show a relative higher glucose metabolism in the left superior, inferior, middle, medial frontal, and orbital gyri as well as in the anterior cingulate cortex. The present investigation, performed with a widely available functional imaging clinical tool, may help to better understand the neural responses associated to olfactory processing in healthy individuals and in patients with olfactory disorders by acquiring data in an ecologic, noise-free, and resting condition in which possible cerebral activations related to unwanted attentional processes might be avoided

The impact of fixed triple therapy with beclometasone/formoterol/glycopyrronium on health status and adherence in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in an italian context of real life: The TRITRIAL study protocol

Background: The fixed triple combination Beclometasone dipropionate/Formoterol fuma- rate/Glycopyrronium (BDP/FF/G, Trimbow\uae), an extrafine formulation in a unique pressur- ized metered dose inhaler, is indicated for the maintenance treatment in adult patients with moderate to severe COPD, not adequately treated by ICS/LABA or LABA/LAMA. Besides the evidence from three randomized controlled trials, the impact of fixed triple therapy has not been extensively evaluated in a real-world population of COPD patients. TRITRIAL (TRIple Therapy in Real life: Impact on Adherence and HeaLth status) is a non- interventional study to assess the effect of BDP/FF/G in a real world setting in Italy. Design: TRITRIAL is a 12-month, multicenter, cohort, prospective, longitudinal observational study. Two follow-up visits will be performed at 6 and 12 months, respectively. The study includes the collection of anamnestic clinical and functional data before the start of BDP/FF/G. The study is built for digital conduction, from signature of the informed consent on a dedicated web platform, to the collection of questionnaires and clinical data on the eCRF. Population: A total of 800 patients with COPD ranging from Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages 2 to 4, receiving therapy with BDP/FF/G accord- ing to the Summary of Product Characteristics and local clinical practice, will be recruited. All concomitant therapies will be permitted for the duration of the study. Evaluations: The primary endpoint is the change of CAT score at 12 months versus baseline. Secondary endpoints are adherence, health-related quality of life, sleep quality, disease-related outcomes (lung function and COPD exacerbations), device usability, eco- nomic resources consumption, and safety. Conclusion: TRITRIAL study is expected to give relevant information about effectiveness of BDP/FF/G fixed triple therapy in a real-life setting of patients with COPD, where adherence, usability of inhalers and patient\u2019s preference of the device are crucial factors for the success of the therapy

Cerebellar metabolic involvement and its correlations with clinical parameters in vestibular neuritis

Although vestibular neuritis (VN) cortical models are described in the literature, there is lack of knowledge regarding the exclusive cerebellar involvement. The aim of the present study was to analyze, by [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDGPET)/ computer tomography, regional cerebellar FDG uptake in eight right-handed VN patients (five females; three males; mean age 48 ? 7 years) during the first few days (PET0) and after 1 month (PET1) since symptoms onset. At both phases, patients underwent otoneurological examination and filled in a battery of validated questionnaires. Twenty-six cerebellar volumes of interest (VOI) were identified by the automated anatomical labeling library and normalized to thalamus FDG-PET uptake. Mean intensity within VOIs was calculated in both phases and processed by within-subjects ANOVA. A significantly lower (

Involvement of subcortical brain structures during olfactory stimulation in multiple chemical sensitivity

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) patients usually react to odour compounds and the majority of neuroimaging studies assessed, especially at the cortical level, many olfactory-related correlates. The purpose of the present study was to depict sub-cortical metabolic changes during a neutral (NC) and pure (OC) olfactory stimulation by using a recently validated 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography/computer tomography procedure in 26 MCS and 11 healthy (HC) resting subjects undergoing a battery of clinical tests. Twelve subcortical volumes of interest were identified by the automated anatomical labeling library and normalized to thalamus FDG uptake. In both groups, when comparing OC to NC, the within-subjects ANOVA demonstrated a relative decreased metabolism in bilateral putamen and hippocampus and a relative increased metabolism in bilateral amygdala, olfactory cortex (OLF), caudate and pallidum. The between-groups ANOVA demonstrated in MCS a significant higher metabolism in bilateral OLF during NC. As in HC subjects negative correlations were found in OC between FDG uptake in bilateral amygdala and hippocampus and odor pleasantness scale, the latter positively correlated with MCS subjects\u27 bilateral putamen FDG uptake in OC. Besides FDG uptake resemblances in both groups were found, for the first time a relative higher metabolism increase in OLF in MCS subjects at rest with respect to HC was found. When merging this aspect to the different subcortical FDG uptake correlations patterns in the two groups, the present study demonstrated to describe a peculiar metabolic index of behavioral and neurological aspects of MCS complaints