65 research outputs found
Integration of Consonant and Pitch Processing as Revealed by the Absence of Additivity in Mismatch Negativity
Consonants, unlike vowels, are thought to be speech specific and therefore no interactions would be expected between consonants and pitch, a basic element for musical tones. The present study used an electrophysiological approach to investigate whether, contrary to this view, there is integrative processing of consonants and pitch by measuring additivity of changes in the mismatch negativity (MMN) of evoked potentials. The MMN is elicited by discriminable variations occurring in a sequence of repetitive, homogeneous sounds. In the experiment, event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while participants heard frequently sung consonant-vowel syllables and rare stimuli deviating in either consonant identity only, pitch only, or in both dimensions. Every type of deviation elicited a reliable MMN. As expected, the two single-deviant MMNs had similar amplitudes, but that of the double-deviant MMN was also not significantly different from them. This absence of additivity in the double-deviant MMN suggests that consonant and pitch variations are processed, at least at a pre-attentive level, in an integrated rather than independent way. Domain-specificity of consonants may depend on higher-level processes in the hierarchy of speech perception
Taxonomic diversity and identification problems of oncaeid microcopepods in the Mediterranean Sea
The species diversity of the pelagic microcopepod
family Oncaeidae collected with nets of 0.1-mm mesh
size was studied at 6 stations along a west-to-east transect
in the Mediterranean Sea down to a maximum depth of
1,000 m. A total of 27 species and two form variants have
been identified, including three new records for the
Mediterranean. In addition, about 20, as yet undescribed,
new morphospecies were found (mainly from the genera
Epicalymma and Triconia) which need to be examined
further. The total number of identified oncaeid species was
similar in the Western and Eastern Basins, but for some cooccurring
sibling species, the estimated numerical dominance
changed. The deep-sea fauna of Oncaeidae, studied
at selected depth layers between 400 m and the near-bottom
layer at >4,200 m depth in the eastern Mediterranean
(Levantine Sea), showed rather constant species numbers
down to ∼3,000 m depth. In the near-bottom layers, the
diversity of oncaeids declined and species of Epicalymma
strongly increased in numerical importance. The taxonomic
status of all oncaeid species recorded earlier in the
Mediterranean Sea is evaluated: 19 out of the 46 known
valid oncaeid species are insufficiently described, and most
of the taxonomically unresolved species (13 species) have
originally been described from this area (type locality). The
deficiencies in the species identification of oncaeids cast
into doubt the allegedly cosmopolitan distribution of some
species, in particular those of Mediterranean origin. The
existing identification problems even of well-described
oncaeid species are exemplified for the Oncaea mediacomplex,
including O. media Giesbrecht, O. scottodicarloi
Heron & Bradford-Grieve, and O. waldemari Bersano &
Boxshall, which are often erroneously identified as a single
species (O. media). The inadequacy in the species identification
of Oncaeidae, in particular those from the Atlantic
and Mediterranean, is mainly due to the lack of reliable
identification keys for Oncaeidae in warm-temperate and/or
tropical seas. Future efforts should be directed to the
construction of identification keys that can be updated
according to the latest taxonomic findings, which can be
used by the non-expert as well as by the specialist. The
adequate consideration of the numerous, as yet undescribed,
microcopepod species in the world oceans, in
particular the Oncaeidae, is a challenge for the study of the
structure and function of plankton communities as well as
for global biodiversity estimates
Determinants of weight, psychological status, food contemplation and lifestyle changes in patients with obesity during the COVID-19 lockdown: a nationwide survey using multiple correspondence analysis
Introduction The corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced most of the Italian population into lockdown from 11 March to 18 May 2020. A nationwide survey of Italian Clinical Nutrition and Dietetic Services (Obesity Centers or OCs) was carried out to assess the impact of lockdown restrictions on the physical and mental wellbeing of patients with obesity (PWO) who had follow-up appointments postponed due to lockdown restrictions and to compare determinants of weight gain before and after the pandemic. Methods We designed a structured 77-item questionnaire covering employment status, diet, physical activity and psychological aspects, that was disseminated through follow-up calls and online between 2 May and 25 June 2020. Data were analyzed by multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and multiple linear regression. Results A total of 1,232 PWO from 26 OCs completed the questionnaires (72% female, mean age 50.2 +/- 14.2 years; mean BMI 34.7 +/- 7.6 kg/m(2); 41% obesity class II to III). During the lockdown, 48.8% gained, 27.1% lost, while the remainder (24.1%) maintained their weight. The mean weight change was +2.3 +/- 4.8 kg (in weight gainers: +4.0 +/- 2.4 kg; +4.2% +/- 5.4%). Approximately 37% of participants experienced increased emotional difficulties, mostly fear and dissatisfaction. Sixty-one percent reduced their physical activity (PA) and 55% experienced a change in sleep quality/quantity. The lack of online contact (37.5%) with the OC during lockdown strongly correlated with weight gain (p < 0.001). Using MCA, two main clusters were identified: those with unchanged or even improved lifestyles during lockdown (Cluster 1) and those with worse lifestyles during the same time (Cluster 2). The latter includes unemployed people experiencing depression, boredom, dissatisfaction and increased food contemplation and weight gain. Within Cluster 2, homemakers reported gaining weight and experiencing anger due to home confinement. Conclusions Among Italian PWO, work status, emotional dysregulation, and lack of online communication with OCs were determinants of weight gain during the lockdown period
Search for Event Rate Modulation in XENON100 Electronic Recoil Data
We have searched for periodic variations of the electronic recoil event rate
in the (2-6) keV energy range recorded between February 2011 and March 2012
with the XENON100 detector, adding up to 224.6 live days in total. Following a
detailed study to establish the stability of the detector and its background
contributions during this run, we performed an un-binned profile likelihood
analysis to identify any periodicity up to 500 days. We find a global
significance of less than 1 sigma for all periods suggesting no statistically
significant modulation in the data. While the local significance for an annual
modulation is 2.8 sigma, the analysis of a multiple-scatter control sample and
the phase of the modulation disfavor a dark matter interpretation. The
DAMA/LIBRA annual modulation interpreted as a dark matter signature with
axial-vector coupling of WIMPs to electrons is excluded at 4.8 sigma.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Adherence to antibiotic treatment guidelines and outcomes in the hospitalized elderly with different types of pneumonia
Background: Few studies evaluated the clinical outcomes of Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP), Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) and Health Care-Associated Pneumonia (HCAP) in relation to the adherence of antibiotic treatment to the guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) in hospitalized elderly people (65 years or older). Methods: Data were obtained from REPOSI, a prospective registry held in 87 Italian internal medicine and geriatric wards. Patients with a diagnosis of pneumonia (ICD-9 480-487) or prescribed with an antibiotic for pneumonia as indication were selected. The empirical antibiotic regimen was defined to be adherent to guidelines if concordant with the treatment regimens recommended by IDSA/ATS for CAP, HAP, and HCAP. Outcomes were assessed by logistic regression models. Results: A diagnosis of pneumonia was made in 317 patients. Only 38.8% of them received an empirical antibiotic regimen that was adherent to guidelines. However, no significant association was found between adherence to guidelines and outcomes. Having HAP, older age, and higher CIRS severity index were the main factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: The adherence to antibiotic treatment guidelines was poor, particularly for HAP and HCAP, suggesting the need for more adherence to the optimal management of antibiotics in the elderly with pneumonia
Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study
: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI
Vivara. From prehistory to digital information
During the Mycenaean era, the prehistoric settlement of Vivara was a place of intense exchanges between civilizations and people traveling throughout the Mediterranean along routes that, from the Near East and Greece, skimmed the shores of North Africa and then proceeded up to land on the coasts of southern Italy. To the island of Procida, pottery and objects arrived that, like live furrows of ancient sea lanes, the archaeological excavations are returning from the earth, and in this earth, which was mud that swept over everything, signs of disastrous events are detected, signs that have severed the succession of historical events. The subjects of our research are the new methods and tools for the detection of contexts (3D laser scanner devices for the scanning of submerged heritage, image-based systems, structured light scanners) and new forms of management and representation of data for the understanding of new forms of cultural fruition. What is being proposed here is an active approach to data production, aimed both at the recording of the moments and the space of an excavation and both at the verification of forms of their use within a scalar logic that include the study of phenomena, interpolation of data for complex analysis, teaching carried out in context with a simultaneous research activity, and forms of multi-level representation of digital information. Hence the results of our research: the activation of highly specializing training; the opening at Terra Murata of the TERRA exhibition, where every year the results of the experiments are illustrated
Virtual simulation of a late antique shipwreck at Marzamemi, Sicily: Integrated processes for 3D documentation, analysis and representation of underwater archaeological data
Three‐dimensional (3D) models derived from digital survey techniques have increasingly become a
mainstay of archaeological research and cultural heritage management. The high accuracy of such
modelling makes it an attractive solution for a wide range of challenges from site recording
and interpretation to object analysis and reconstruction. The present paper focuses on a new 3D
digitization method using stereoscopic video for the documentation, analysis, and representation
of archaeological contexts as part of shipwreck investigations off southeast Sicily at Marzamemi.
This sixth‐century CE vessel sank in shallow water (7–8m) while carrying a massive cargo of largely
prefabricated architectural elements intended for the construction and decoration of a church
somewhere in the late antique west. This dynamic site presents significant challenges to the
interpretation of depositional and post‐depositional events as well the reconstruction of the
original cargo and individual architectural elements. Therefore, 3D documentation underwater at
Marzamemi has centred on new methods for stereoscopic scanning of the site, topography, and
large architectural finds, allowing not only more rapid and precise mapping but insights into site
formation processes and the organizational mechanisms behind the cargo assemblage. The
adoption of this new system based on a precise workflow and simple, inexpensive hardware
combined with readily available software allows more accurate and rapid digital recording underwater
to a high standard across scales, from the site level down to the individual artefact. This process,
named ISU3D (Integrated System for Underwater 3D Digitization), offers innovative solutions not
only for archaeological field research but for heritage management and public outreach
ZNF687 mutations are frequently found in pagetic patients from South Italy: implication in the pathogenesis of Paget's disease of bone
Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a skeletal disorder whose molecular basis is not fully elucidated. However, 10% of patients show a familial PDB and 35% of them carry mutations in the SQSTM1 gene. We recently reported a founder mutation (p.Pro937Arg) in the ZNF687 gene, underlying PDB complicated by giant cell tumor (GCT/PDB) and rarely occurring in PDB patients without neoplastic degeneration. Since 80% of Italian GCT/PDB patients derive from Avellino, we hypothesized that ZNF687 mutation rate was higher in this region than elsewhere. Interestingly, our molecular analysis on 30 PDB patients showed that 33% hosted ZNF687 mutations, with the p.Pro937Arg identified in 8 familial cases. Two novel ZNF687 mutations (p.Pro665Leu and p.Gln784Glu) were detected in 2 sporadic patients. Only 2 subjects were positive for the p.Pro392Leu mutation in SQSTM1. ZNF687-mutated patients showed a severe PDB, with a remarkable number of affected sites. in vitro studies revealed that the ZNF687-mutant osteoclasts appeared as giant sized with up to 150 nuclei, never described in PDB. Finally, we also confirmed the causality of the p.Pro937Arg mutation in 4 additional GCT/PDB cases deriving from the same geographic area, indicating that PDB and GCT/PDB represent 2 sides of the same coin
On a sea-rescue tecnique exploiting the ship's wake
Submitted to: Sea Technology.SIGLEITItal
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