Surrogate-based bayesian model updating of a historical masonry tower

This paper presents the surrogate-based Bayesian model updating of a historical masonry bell tower. The finite element model of the structure is updated on the basis of the modal properties experimentally identified thanks to a vibration test. In a general context, model updating results are highly affected by several uncertainties, regarding both the experimental measures and the model. Stochastic approaches to model updating, as the one based on Bayes' theorem, enable to quantify the uncertainties associated to the updated parameters and, consequently, to increase the reliability of the identification. The major drawback of Bayesian model updating is the high computational effort requested to compute the posterior distribution of parameters. For this reason, the paper proposes to integrate the classical procedure with a surrogate model. A Gaussian surrogate is employed for the approximation of the posterior distribution of parameters and the performances of the proposed method are compared to those of an Bayesian numerical method proposed in literature

Training the Moral Self: An 8-Week Mindfulness Meditation Program Leads to Reduced Dishonest Behavior and Increased Regulation of Interoceptive Awareness

Objectives: Recent meta-analyses suggest that mindfulness meditation may enhance prosocial behavior, while evidence regarding moral behavior is still scarce. We combined a randomized controlled mindfulness training design with an ecologically valid moral decision-making task (Temptation to Lie Card Game; TLCG), in which participants were tempted to deceive an opponent to increase their monetary payoff. Method: TLCG and self-report measures (in the domains of attention regulation, body awareness, emotion regulation, and change in the perspective of the self) were administered to participants who underwent the mindfulness meditation training (experimental group, n = 44) or were waitlisted (control group, n = 25) twice: before and after the 8-week training. Results: Concerning moral decision-making, we observed a significant effect involving condition, time, and group. Trained participants deceived significantly less in the post-training as compared with the pre-training phase (p = 0.03), while untrained ones showed no significant change (p = 0.58). In the self-reports, significant effects involving time and group were found for the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-2) in Self-Regulation, Attention Regulation, Body Listening, and for the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) in Non-Reactivity to inner experience. Trained participants showed a time-related increase in all subscales scores, while untrained ones did not. Finally, a moderation analysis revealed a significant interaction between weekly mindfulness meditation training minutes and MAIA-2 Attention Regulation (post-training) on moral behavior change. Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggest that mindfulness meditation practice decreases self-serving dishonest behavior and increases awareness of one’s bodily and emotional state. In particular, the amount of mindfulness meditation practice predicted moral behavior change in practitioners who reported the highest regulation of attention towards internal bodily signals. Preregistration: This study is not preregistered

AVVIO ALLA RICERCA

In una serie di studi recentemente pubblicati o in corso di revisione, abbiamo dimostrato che, sfruttando i meccanismi integrativi multisensoriali attraverso cui il cervello costruisce e aggiorna la rappresentazione del proprio corpo, si può alterare sperimentalmente la capacità di discriminare se stessi dagli altri. Infatti, applicando una stimolazione visuo-tattile sincrona al proprio volto e ad un volto osservato, si induce nei partecipanti la sensazione illusoria di appartenenza del volto altrui e un bias nell'attribuzione di caratteristiche del volto dell'altro al proprio volto. La forza di questa illusione, chiamata ‘Enfacement', varia in funzione sia dei tratti empatici dei partecipanti che di variabili di tipo sociale, come la percezione positiva dell'altra persona. Il presente progetto mira a studiare per la prima volta i cambiamenti della rappresentazione neurale del proprio volto (1) e della percezione di sé (2), indotti dall'aver esperito questa illusione con una persona ritenuta fisicamente e caratterialmente attraente. Ci aspettiamo: 1) che l'enfacement modifichi il processamento neurale del proprio volto; 2) che l'inclusione nella rappresentazione del proprio volto di caratteristiche facciali del volto dell'altra persona quando questa è percepita positivamente (sia in termini di qualità fisiche che caratteriali), modifichi in modo analogo anche la percezione delle qualità fisiche e caratteriali di se stessi. Questo progetto potrebbe dunque configurarsi come uno strumento potenzialmente rilevante in quei disturbi in cui la rappresentazione di sé (fisica o mentale) è disfunzionale, come nel caso di dismorfie facciali o di disturbi della personalità che riguardano la sfera sociale (disturbo della personalità evitante o fobie sociali), caratterizzati da evitamento delle relazioni sociali, da sentimenti di inadeguatezza, ed estrema sensibilità a valutazioni negative nei propri confronti

Impulsive-compulsive disorders in Parkinson’s Disease: influence on individual and social decision-making processes

Aim. Parkinson’s Disease (PD) has been considered for a long time as a neurodegenerative disorder affecting mainly motor functions, because of the involvement of basal ganglia. Recent research has shown that these brain structures have a crucial role even in higher level cognitive and social functions, as executive ones, impulse control and decision-making. Method. A research of the peer-reviewed scientific literature was conducted in order to identify articles on the dysfunctions in individual and social decision-making in PD. Results and discussion. This work provides the reader with a literature review on individual and social decision-making processes in PD, highlighting how the existence of impulse control disorders and the associated reward-seeking behaviors might elucidate the social symptoms of PD, both in terms of abnormal risk proneness and/or reward salience

Emotions, Alexithymia, and Emotion Regulation in Patients With Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic dermatological condition that is frequently associated with problematic patterns of emotional reactivity (the way in which patients react to stimuli), alexithymia (their ability to recognize and label the emotional reaction), and emotion regulation (the ability to enhance or reduce their own emotional reaction). A research in the peer-reviewed scientific literature was conducted in order to identify articles describing the association of psoriasis and affective problems. In particular, we first evaluate studies that have investigated abnormal emotional reactivity (in terms of duration, frequency, or type of the experienced emotions) and its impact on patients’ quality of life; next, we review the role of alexithymia and emotion regulation in modulating the relationship between emotional reactivity and quality of life in this population. From a critical analysis of the reviewed studies, we highlight that altered emotional processing might be particularly important in the characterization of this condition. In particular, we show that this condition is related to an emotional reactivity characterized by negative emotions that have a stronger impact on patients’ quality of life when emotion regulation abilities are weak, especially if patients have alexithymia. Finally, we present suggestions for future directions in both clinical and research fields