New Trends in Episodic Memory Assessment: Immersive 360° Ecological Videos

How best to measure memory in a reliable and valid way has been intensely debated in neuropsychological literature. Specifically, classical neuropsychological tests often fail to predict real-life performance or capture the multifaceted nature of memory function. To solve these issues, there has been a growing emphasis on the use of more ecological memory assessment. In this scenario, several virtual reality based tools have been developed to evaluate memory function. The aim of the current perspective is to discuss critically the possibilities offered for episodic memory assessment by one of the most innovative trends in the technology field, i.e., 360° videos. Immersivity, egocentric view and realism appear to be crucial features of 360° videos enabling them to enhance the ecological validity of classical assessment tools of memory abilities

Importance of a Rapid and Accurate Diagnosis in Strongyloides Stercoralis and Human T-Lymphotropic Virus 1 Co-infection: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Strongyloides (S.) stercoralis and Human T-Lymphotropic Virus 1 (HTLV-1) share some endemic regions such as Japan, Jamaica, and South America and are mostly diagnosed elsewhere in immigrants from endemic areas. This co-infection has not been documented in Argentina although both pathogens are endemic in the Northwest. We present a case of S. stercoralis and HTLV-1 co-infection with an initial presentation due to gastrointestinal symptoms which presented neither eosinophilia nor the presence of larvae in stool samples in a non-endemic area for these infections. A young Peruvian woman living in Buenos Aires attended several emergency rooms and finally ended up admitted in a gastroenterology ward due to incoercible vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss. Gastrointestinal symptoms started 3 months before she returned to Argentina from a trip to Peru. She presented malnutrition and abdominal distension parameters. HIV-1 and other immunodeficiencies were discarded. The serial coproparasitological test was negative. Computed tomography showed diffuse thickening of duodenal and jejunal walls. At the beginning, vasculitis was suspected and corticosteroid therapy was initiated. The patient worsened rapidly. Skin, new enteral biopsies, and a new set of coproparasitological samples revealed S. stercoralis. Then, HTLV-1 was suspected and infection was confirmed. Ivermectin and albendazole were administrated, until the stool sample remained negative for 2 weeks. Larvae were not observed in fresh stool, Ritchie method, and agar culture 1 week post-treatment. Although she required initial support with parenteral nutrition due to oral intolerance she slowly progressed favorably. It has been highly recommended to include a rapid and sensitive PCR strategy in the algorithm to confirm Strongyloides infection, which has demonstrated to improve early diagnosis in patients at-risk of disseminated strongyloidiasis.Fil: Quintero, Olga. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Berini, Carolina Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Waldbaum, Carlos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Avagnina, Alejandra. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Juarez, María. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Repetto, Silvia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Sorda, Juan. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Biglione, Mirna Marcela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; Argentin

Interés de la elaboración de vídeos didácticos como material de prácticas en la asignatura de "Seguridad Química"

El presente trabajo tiene por objeto presentar el proceso seguido en la elaboración de una serie videográfica constituida por tres videos didácticos, que abordan los aspectos fundamentales de los riesgos derivados de la exposición a sustancias químicas y agentes biológicos en un labo - ratorio universitario. dicho material didáctico innovador, se utilizará en los seminarios teóricos de la asignatura seguridad Química, impartida por los profesores del área de toxicología de la universidad de sevilla. los objetivos fundamentales de dichos videos han sido despertar el mayor interés posible y favorecer la asimilación de conceptos básicos en el alumnado de dicha asignatura, haciendo especial hincapié en la correcta y segura manipulación, el adecuado almacenamiento y la correcta eliminación de las sustancias, contribuyendo en definitiva a la prevención de los riesgos derivados de su exposición.The present work aims to illustrate the process followed to elaborate a set of three didactic illustrate the process followed to elaborate a set of three didactic videos, which shows the main aspects of derived risks from the exposure to the chemical substances and biological agents present in a university laboratory. this innovator didactic material will be used in the subject “chemical security” seminaries lectured by the professors from toxicology area in the university of seville. the most important aims of these videos have been to implicate the students in their learning, making easier for them to assimilate the basic concepts of the subject, such as the correct and secure way of manipulate the chemical substances, its appropriate storage and its suitable elimination, contributing to the prevention of the risks derived from their exposure

Experiencia Inicial en Cardiodesfibrilación Empleando Electrodos de Superficie Fractal

Se presentan los resultados dei implante de una serie de cardiodesfibriladores en 27 pacientes, empleándose en todos los casos, electrodos de superfície fractal, con el objeto de obtener mayor biocompatibilidad, mejores umbrales de estimulación y sensado ventricular, y requerimientos de menor energia para la desfibrilación. El grupo estaba constituído por 8 mujeres y 21 hombres; en el 63% de los casos el generador fue implantado en el abdomen, y en el 37% restante en la zona infraclavicular. El umbral de desfibrilación verdadero (true DFT), fue obtenido em 14 pacientes (promedio 12.85 Joules, SD(n-1) + 3.89, SEM + 1.04). En el resto del grupo (13 pacientes), el menor nivel de energia exitoso (lowest energy succesfully tested) fue establecido en 16.57 Joules, SD (N-1) + 2.53, SEM + 0.677). Pudo determinarse entonces que para todo el grupo estudiado, el umbral requerido fue menor a 20 Joules en el 96.3% de los casos (26 pacientes), siendo necesaria una energía superior a 20 Joules en un único caso (3.7%). Conclusión: los electrodos de superficie fractal constituyen un interesante aporte, para obtener la reversión de la fibrilación ventricular empleando bajos niveles de energía, en pacientes sometidos ai implante de cardiodesfibriladores

Experiencia Inicial en Cardiodesfibrilación Empleando Electrodos de Superficie Fractal

Se presentan los resultados dei implante de una serie de cardiodesfibriladores en 27 pacientes, empleándose en todos los casos, electrodos de superfície fractal, con el objeto de obtener mayor biocompatibilidad, mejores umbrales de estimulación y sensado ventricular, y requerimientos de menor energia para la desfibrilación. El grupo estaba constituído por 8 mujeres y 21 hombres; en el 63% de los casos el generador fue implantado en el abdomen, y en el 37% restante en la zona infraclavicular. El umbral de desfibrilación verdadero (true DFT), fue obtenido em 14 pacientes (promedio 12.85 Joules, SD(n-1) + 3.89, SEM + 1.04). En el resto del grupo (13 pacientes), el menor nivel de energia exitoso (lowest energy succesfully tested) fue establecido en 16.57 Joules, SD (N-1) + 2.53, SEM + 0.677). Pudo determinarse entonces que para todo el grupo estudiado, el umbral requerido fue menor a 20 Joules en el 96.3% de los casos (26 pacientes), siendo necesaria una energía superior a 20 Joules en un único caso (3.7%). Conclusión: los electrodos de superficie fractal constituyen un interesante aporte, para obtener la reversión de la fibrilación ventricular empleando bajos niveles de energía, en pacientes sometidos ai implante de cardiodesfibriladores

Development of a low-cost copro-LAMP assay for simultaneous copro-detection of Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati

Toxocariasis is a zoonotic disease caused mainly by Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati and diagnosis in dogs and cats is an important tool for its control. For this reason, a new coprological loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for the simultaneous detection of these species. The primer set was designed on a region of the mitochondrial cox-1 gene. Amplification conditions were evaluated using a temperature gradient (52°C to 68°C), different incubation times (15-120 min), and different concentrations of malachite green dye (0.004-0.4% w/v). The analytical sensitivity was evaluated with serial dilutions of genomic DNA from T. canis and T. cati adult worms, and with serial dilutions of DNA extracted from feces using a low-cost in-house method. The specificity was evaluated using genomic DNA from Canis lupus familiaris, Felis catus, Escherichia coli, Toxascaris leonina, Ancylostoma caninum, Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto and Taenia hydatigena. The LAMP assay applied to environmental fecal samples from an endemic area showed an analytical sensitivity of 10-100 fg of genomic DNA and 10-5 serial dilutions of DNA extracted from feces using the low-cost in-house method; with a specificity of 100%. Additionally, the total development of the assay was carried out in a basic laboratory and per-reaction reagent cost decreased by ~80%. This new, low-cost tool can help identify the most common agents of toxocariasis in endemic areas in order to manage prevention strategies without having to rely on a laboratory with sophisticated equipment.Fil: Avila, Héctor Gabriel. Universidad Católica de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Tecnológicas. Laboratorio Provincial de Zoonosis Provincial; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Risso, Marikena Guadalupe. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Ruybal, Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Repetto, Silvia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Butti, Marcos Javier. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Microbiología. Laboratorio de Parasitosis Humanas y Zoonosis Parasitarias; ArgentinaFil: Trangoni, Marcos David. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Grune Loffler, Sylvia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Perez, Veronica Mirtha. Gobierno de la Provincia de San Juan. Ministerio de Salud Publica. Direccion de Epidemiologia. Seccion Rabia y Zoonosis.; ArgentinaFil: Periago, Maria Victoria. Fundación Mundo Sano; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Building Embodied Spaces for Spatial Memory Neurorehabilitation with Virtual Reality in Normal and Pathological Aging

Along with deficits in spatial cognition, a decline in body-related information is observed in aging and is thought to contribute to impairments in navigation, memory, and space perception. According to the embodied cognition theories, bodily and environmental information play a crucial role in defining cognitive representations. Thanks to the possibility to involve body-related information, manipulate environmental stimuli, and add multisensory cues, virtual reality is one of the best candidates for spatial memory rehabilitation in aging for its embodied potential. However, current virtual neurorehabilitation solutions for aging and neurodegenerative diseases are in their infancy. Here, we discuss three concepts that could be used to improve embodied representations of the space with virtual reality. The virtual bodily representation is the combination of idiothetic information involved during virtual navigation thanks to input/output devices; the spatial affordances are environmental or symbolic elements used by the individual to act in the virtual environment; finally, the virtual enactment effect is the enhancement on spatial memory provided by actively (cognitively and/or bodily) interacting with the virtual space and its elements. Theoretical and empirical findings will be presented to propose innovative rehabilitative solutions in aging for spatial memory and navigation

Identification of two regions in the p140Cap adaptor protein that retain the ability to suppress tumor cell properties

p140Cap is an adaptor protein that negatively controls tumor cell properties, by inhibiting in vivo tumor growth and metastasis formation. Our previous data demonstrated that p140Cap interferes with tumor growth and impairs invasive properties of cancer cells inactivating signaling pathways, such as the tyrosine kinase Src or E-cadherin/EGFR cross-talk. In breast cancer p140Cap expression inversely correlates with tumor malignancy. p140Cap is composed of several conserved domains that mediate association with specific partners. Here we focus our attention on two domains of p140Cap, the TER (Tyrosine Enriched Region) which includes several tyrosine residues, and the CT (Carboxy Terminal) which contains a proline rich sequence, involved in binding to SH2 and SH3 domains, respectively. By generating stable cell lines expressing these two proteins, we demonstrate that both TER and CT domains maintain the ability to associate the C-terminal Src kinase (Csk) and Src, to inhibit Src activation and Focal adhesion kinase (Fak) phosphorylation, and to impair in vitro and in vivo tumor cell features. In particular expression of TER and CT proteins in cancer cells inhibits in vitro and in vivo growth and directional migration at a similar extent of the full length p140Cap protein. Moreover, by selective point mutations and deletion we show that the ability of the modules to act as negative regulators of cell migration and proliferation mainly resides on the two tyrosines (Y) inserted in the EPLYA and EGLYA sequences in the TER module and in the second proline-rich stretch contained in the CT protein. Gene signature of cells expressing p140Cap, TER or CT lead to the identification of a common pattern of 105 down-regulated and 128 up-regulated genes, suggesting that the three proteins can act through shared pathways. Overall, this work highlights that the TER and CT regions of p140Cap can efficiently suppress tumor cell properties, opening the perspective that short, defined p140Cap regions can have therapeutic effects

Virtual reality as a potential tool to face frailty challenges

The aging population and the corresponding increase in age-related diseases present scientific community and public health authorities with imminent challenges. One of these challenges deals with a deeper understanding of functional status of elderly in order to prevent and/or delay the onset of late-life disability (Rodr\uedguez-Artalejo and Rodr\uedguez-Ma\uf1as, 2014). The syndrome of \u201cfrailty\u201d has been recently introduced in literature to specifically characterize the health of older individuals who deserve special attention because of their increased vulnerability to adverse health outcomes (Afilalo et al., 2010). Although there is not a unique definition of frailty (Morley et al., 2013), the majority of studies refers to the five operational criteria (Fried et al., 2001): decreased gait speed, reduced grip strength, prolonged and unmotivated exhaustion, low physical activity, unintended weight loss. The problem of different definitions leads also to a large variation in reported prevalence rates, which range approximately from 5 to 60% (Collard et al., 2012). However, this multifaceted decline in different physiological systems make frail older individuals progressively more exposed to stressors (Clegg et al., 2013), making urgent the need for better care intervention