192 research outputs found
Downside: The perpetrator of violence in the representations of social and health professionals
Gender-based violence is a widespread phenomenon and pandemic that affects womenâs lives. Many interventions have been activated for perpetrators, but the dropout rate is still high. In order to draw up guidelines for responsibly and sustainably dealing with the phenomenon, this study is aimed at investigating the professionalsâ perception of the perpetrator as a useful element in designing innovative intervention policies. Open interviews were carried out with welfare and health professionals and the Grounded Theory Methodology was used to analyze the collected data. These results detect attitudes of social health personnel and their feelings of impotence towards gender-based perpetrators because of the emergence of an inevitable repetitiveness of the violent behavior, as well as the ânormality of violenceâ in a patriarchal culture and its âtransversalityâ. This reflective knowledge allows for the opportunity to develop best transformative attitudes toward the phenomenon. According to the results, it is urgent to establish an active and convinced alliance with the healthy part of the man, through specific prevention paths, in order to activate an authentic motivation for change and its sustainability
Value of a Multidisciplinary Approach in Sinonasal Inverted Papilloma with Extensive Ossification
Objective: Background: Casa Report: Conclusions: Rare disease Inverted papilloma is a benign epithelial lesion of the nasal cavities. Although commonly encountered in clinical practice, it rarely presents with extensive ossification and few cases have been described in the literature. Herein, we describe the case of a 51-year-old man who presented to clinical attention for persistent right nasal obstruction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans of the facial bones showed a lobated lesion with ossification occupying most of the right nasal cavity. The lesion was removed by endoscopic sinus surgery, leaving the surrounding bone structures intact. On pathological examination, mature bone tissue was found within an inverted papilloma. The pathologist contacted the surgeon, who confirmed that no healthy bone tissue was removed during the procedure. Therefore, a diagnosis of inverted papilloma with ossification could be made without the use of ancillary techniques. Inverted papilloma with ossification is a common lesion with a rare feature. Our report investigates the diagnostic difficulties of a paradigmatic case, highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary teamwork in reach-ing the final diagnosis
MRI-localized biopsies reveal subtype-specific differences in molecular and cellular composition at the margins of glioblastoma
Glioblastomas (GBMs) diffusely infiltrate the brain, making complete removal by surgical resection impossible. The mixture of neoplastic and nonneoplastic cells that remain after surgery form the biological context for adjuvant therapeutic intervention and recurrence. We performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and histological analysis on radiographically guided biopsies taken from different regions of GBM and showed that the tissue contained within the contrast-enhancing (CE) core of tumors have different cellular and molecular compositions compared with tissue from the nonenhancing (NE) margins of tumors. Comparisons with the The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset showed that the samples from CE regions resembled the proneural, classical, or mesenchymal subtypes of GBM, whereas the samples from the NE regions predominantly resembled the neural subtype. Computational deconvolution of the RNA-seq data revealed that contributions from nonneoplastic brain cells significantly influence the expression pattern in the NE samples. Gene ontology analysis showed that the cell type-specific expression patterns were functionally distinct and highly enriched in genes associated with the corresponding cell phenotypes. Comparing the RNA-seq data from the GBM samples to that of nonneoplastic brain revealed that the differentially expressed genes are distributed across multiple cell types. Notably, the patterns of cell type-specific alterations varied between the different GBM subtypes: the NE regions of proneural tumors were enriched in oligodendrocyte progenitor genes, whereas the NE regions of mesenchymal GBM were enriched in astrocytic and microglial genes. These subtypespecific patterns provide new insights into molecular and cellular composition of the infiltrative margins of GBM
Recruitment of lateral rostral prefrontal cortex in spontaneous and task-related thoughts
Behavioural and neuroimaging studies suggest that spontaneous and task-related thought processes share common cognitive mechanisms and neural bases. Lateral rostral prefrontal cortex (RPFC) is a brain region that has been implicated both in spontaneous thought and in high-level cognitive control processes, such as goal/subgoal integration and the manipulation of self-generated thoughts. We therefore propose that the recruitment of lateral RPFC may follow a U-shaped function of cognitive demand: relatively high in low-demand situations conducive to the emergence of spontaneous thought, and in high-demand situations depending on processes supported by this brain region. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate brain activity while healthy participants performed two tasks, each with three levels of cognitive demands, in a block design. The frequency of task-unrelated thoughts, measured by questionnaire, was highest in the low cognitive demand condition. Low and high cognitive demand conditions were each compared to the intermediate level. Lateral RPFC and superior parietal cortex were recruited in both comparisons, with additional activations specific to each contrast. These results suggest that RPFC is involved both when (a) task demands are low, and the mind wanders, and (b) the task requires goal/subgoal integration and manipulation of self-generated thoughts
Neural Mechanisms of Interference Control in Working Memory: Effects of Interference Expectancy and Fluid Intelligence
A critical aspect of executive control is the ability to limit the adverse effects of interference. Previous studies have shown activation of left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex after the onset of interference, suggesting that interference may be resolved in a reactive manner. However, we suggest that interference control may also operate in a proactive manner to prevent effects of interference. The current study investigated the temporal dynamics of interference control by varying two factors - interference expectancy and fluid intelligence (gF) - that could influence whether interference control operates proactively versus reactively.A modified version of the recent negatives task was utilized. Interference expectancy was manipulated across task blocks by changing the proportion of recent negative (interference) trials versus recent positive (facilitation) trials. Furthermore, we explored whether gF affected the tendency to utilize specific interference control mechanisms. When interference expectancy was low, activity in lateral prefrontal cortex replicated prior results showing a reactive control pattern (i.e., interference-sensitivity during probe period). In contrast, when interference expectancy was high, bilateral prefrontal cortex activation was more indicative of proactive control mechanisms (interference-related effects prior to the probe period). Additional results suggested that the proactive control pattern was more evident in high gF individuals, whereas the reactive control pattern was more evident in low gF individuals.The results suggest the presence of two neural mechanisms of interference control, with the differential expression of these mechanisms modulated by both experimental (e.g., expectancy effects) and individual difference (e.g., gF) factors
Incidence and Outcome of Invasive Fungal Diseases after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Prospective Study of the Gruppo Italiano Trapianto Midollo Osseo (GITMO).
AbstractEpidemiologic investigation of invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) may be useful to identify subpopulations who might benefit from targeted treatment strategies. The Gruppo Italiano Trapianto Midollo Osseo (GITMO) prospectively registered data on 1858 consecutive patients undergoing allo-HSCT between 2008 and 2010. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for proven/probable IFD (PP-IFD) during the early (days 0 to 40), late (days 41 to 100), and very late (days 101 to 365) phases after allo-HSCT and to evaluate the impact of PP-IFDs on 1-year overall survival. The cumulative incidence of PP-IFDs was 5.1% at 40Â days, 6.7% at 100Â days, and 8.8% at 12Â months post-transplantation. Multivariate analysis identified the following variables as associated with PP-IFDs: transplant from an unrelated volunteer donor or cord blood, active acute leukemia at the time of transplantation, and an IFD before transplantation in the early phase; transplant from an unrelated volunteer donor or cord blood and grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in the late phase; and grade II-IV acute GVHD and extensive chronic GVHD in the very late phase. The risk for PP-IFD was significantly higher when acute GVHD was followed by chronic GVHD and when acute GVHD occurred in patients undergoing transplantation with grafts from other than matched related donors. The presence of PP-IFD was an independent factor in long-term survival (hazard ratio, 2.90; 95% confidence interval, 2.32 to 3.62; PÂ <Â .0001). Our findings indicate that tailored prevention strategies may be useful in subpopulations at differing levels of risk for PP-IFDs
The projected degradation of subtropical coral assemblages by recurrent thermal stress
1. Subtropical coral assemblages are threatened by similar extreme thermal stress events to their tropical counterparts. Yet, the midâ and longâterm thermal stress responses of corals in subtropical environments remain largely unquantified, limiting our capacity to predict their future viability.
2. The annual survival, growth and recruitment of 311 individual corals within the Solitary Islands Marine Park (Australia) was recorded over a 3âyear period (2016â2018), including the 2015/2016 thermal stress event. These data were used to parameterise integral projection models quantifying the effect of thermal stress within a subtropical coral assemblage. Stochastic simulations were also applied to evaluate the implications of recurrent thermal stress scenarios predicted by four different Representative Concentration Pathways.
3. We report differential shifts in population growth rates (λ) among coral populations during both stress and nonâstress periods, confirming contrasting bleaching responses among taxa. However, even during nonâstress periods, the observed dynamics for all taxa were unable to maintain current community composition, highlighting the need for external recruitment sources to support the community structure.
4. Across all coral taxa, projected stochastic growth rates (λs) were found to be lowest under higher emissions scenarios. Correspondingly, predicted increases in recurrent thermal stress regimes may accelerate the loss of coral coverage, species diversity and structural complexity within subtropical regions.
5. We suggest that these trends are primarily due to the susceptibility of subtropical specialists and endemic species, such as Pocillopora aliciae, to thermal stress. Similarly, the viability of many tropical coral populations at higher latitudes is highly dependent on the persistence of upâcurrent tropical systems. As such, the inherent dynamics of subtropical coral populations appear unable to support their future persistence under unprecedented thermal disturbance scenarios
Non-small cell lung cancer testing on reference specimens: an italian multicenter experience
Introduction: Biomarker testing is mandatory for the clinical management of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Myriads of technical platforms are now available for biomarker analysis with differences in terms of multiplexing capability, analytical sensitivity, and turnaround time (TAT). We evaluated the technical performance of the diagnostic workflows of 24 representative Italian institutions performing molecular tests on a series of artificial reference specimens built to mimic routine diagnostic samples.
Methods: Sample sets of eight slides from cell blocks of artificial reference specimens harboring exon 19 EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) p.E746_AT50del, exon 2 KRAS (Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homologue) p.G12C, ROS1 (c-ros oncogene 1)-unknown gene fusion, and MET (MET proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase) Î exon 14 skipping were distributed to each participating institution. Two independent cell block specimens were validated by the University of Naples Federico II before shipment. Methodological and molecular data from reference specimens were annotated.
Results: Overall, a median DNA concentration of 3.3 ng/ÎŒL (range 0.1â10.0 ng/ÎŒL) and 13.4 ng/ÎŒL (range 2.0â45.8 ng/ÎŒL) were obtained with automated and manual technical procedures, respectively. RNA concentrations of 5.7 ng/ÎŒL (range 0.2â11.9 ng/ÎŒL) and 9.3 ng/ÎŒL (range 0.5â18.0 ng/ÎŒL) were also detected. KRAS exon 2 p.G12C, EGFR exon 19 p.E736_A750del hotspot mutations, and ROS1 aberrant transcripts were identified in all tested cases, whereas 15 out of 16 (93.7%) centers detected MET exon 14 skipping mutation.
Conclusions: Optimized technical workflows are crucial in the decision-making strategy of patients with NSCLC. Artificial reference specimens enable optimization of diagnostic workflows for predictive molecular analysis in routine clinical practice
Mood and cognition in healthy older European adults: the Zenith study
YesBackground: The study aim was to determine if state and trait intra-individual measures of everyday affect predict
cognitive functioning in healthy older community dwelling European adults (n = 387), aged 55-87 years.
Methods: Participants were recruited from centres in France, Italy and Northern Ireland. Trait level and variability in
positive and negative affect (PA and NA) were assessed using self-administered PANAS scales, four times a day for
four days. State mood was assessed by one PANAS scale prior to assessment of recognition memory, spatial working
memory, reaction time and sustained attention using the CANTAB computerized test battery.
Results: A series of hierarchical regression analyses were carried out, one for each measure of cognitive function as the
dependent variable, and socio-demographic variables (age, sex and social class), state and trait mood measures as the
predictors. State PA and NA were both predictive of spatial working memory prior to looking at the contribution of trait
mood. Trait PA and its variability were predictive of sustained attention. In the final step of the regression analyses, trait
PA variability predicted greater sustained attention, whereas state NA predicted fewer spatial working memory errors,
accounting for a very small percentage of the variance (1-2%) in the respective tests.
Conclusion: Moods, by and large, have a small transient effect on cognition in this older sample
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