Covert brand recognition engages emotion-specific brain networks

Consumer goods' brands have become a major driver of consumers' choice: they have got symbolic, relational and even social properties that add substantial cultural and affective value to goods and services. Therefore, measuring the role of brands in consumers' cognitive and affective processes would be very helpful to better understand economic decision making. This work aimed at finding the neural correlates of automatic, spontaneous emotional response to brands, showing how deeply integrated are consumption symbols within the cognitive and affective processes of individuals. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was measured during a visual oddball paradigm consisting in the presentation of scrambled pictures as frequent stimuli, colored squares as targets, and brands and emotional pictures (selected from the International Affective Picture System [IAPS]) as emotionally-salient distractors. Affective rating of brands was assessed individually after scanning by a validated questionnaire. Results showed that, similarly to IAPS pictures, brands activated a well-defined emotional network, including amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, highly specific of affective valence. In conclusion, this work identified the neural correlates of brands within cognitive and affective processes of consumers

Le basi neurologiche del rapporto tra il consumatore e la marca. Il contributo del neuro-imaging alle ricerche di marketing

Consumer develop very tight relationships with brands. In many cases, consumers develop positive relationships with their preferred brands and goods. In some of these cases true “love” relationship may occur. Sometimes, also negative relationships arise, often as a reaction toward unsatisfactory experiences, bad practices, etc. Companies aim at developing strong and positive emotional relationships between their brands and their customers. When they succeed, the brand is immediately recognized, it elicits positive affective responses, it is more difficult to be substituted for by competitors. The aim of the present study is to measure behavioral and emotional brain responses to covert visual recognition of brands. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity in 15 healthy subjects (7 females, 23-33 years) that were exposed to four stimulus types: coloured scrambled pictures, coloured squares, brand logos, and IAPS pictures with positive and negative valence scores. Sixty-three popular brands were selected among 8 different product categories. Two specific patterns of activation emerged for like (amygdale) and dislike brands (anterior medial cingulate, left inferior frontal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, medial cuneus). Implications for interpreting the role of brands in consumer mental processes are given, with special reference to the asymmetry between positive and negative evaluations

Exploring the boundaries in an interdisciplinary context through the Family Resemblance Approach: The Dialogue Between Physics and Mathematics

Among the relevant aspects of the family resemblance approach (FRA), our study focuses on the potential of the approach to elaborate on disciplinary identities in an interdisciplinary context, specifically regarding the interplay between physics and mathematics. We present and discuss how the FRA wheel can be used and intertwined with the framework of boundary objects and boundary crossing mechanisms (Akkerman & Bakker, Review of Educational Research, 81, 132–169, 2011), which is well-known in STEM education for dealing with interdisciplinarity. The role of the FRA discussed in the article is dual: both practical and theoretical. It is practical in that we show how its use, in combination with the Akkerman and Bakker framework, appears effective in fostering productive discussions among prospective teachers on disciplinary identities and interdisciplinarity in historical cases. It is theoretical in that the combination of the two frameworks provides the vocabulary to characterise the ‘ambiguous nature’ of interdisciplinarity: like boundaries, interdisciplinarity both separates disciplines, making their identities emerge, and connects them, fostering mechanisms of crossing and transgressing the boundaries. This empirical study reveals how the theoretical elaboration took advantage of the prospective teachers’ contributions. We initially presented the FRA to characterise disciplinary identities, but the prospective teachers highlighted its potential to characterise also the boundary zone and the dialogue between physics and mathematics. The data analysis showed that the combination of the two frameworks shaped a complex learning space where there was room for very different epistemic demands of the prospective teachers: from those who feel better within the identity cores of the disciplines, to those who like to inhabit the boundary zone and others who like to re-shape boundary spaces and move dynamically across them

Archeologia delle alte quote sulla montagna veneta: la campagna di ricognizione di superficie 2019 a Recoaro Terme (Vicenza)

In this paper we present the preliminary results of the 2019 field survey conducted in the framework of the project “Beyond the border. Study and enhancement of the highlands between Veneto and Trentino”. The aim of this overarching project, which applies a multidisciplinary approach, is threefold: to detect in this mountain landscape the main activity areas and reconstruct possible connections between them; to analyse the long-term relationships between Trentino and Prealpine Veneto from prehistory to the present day; and to study the evolving function of this frontier area during periods of conflict/interaction. Several methods were employed to shed light on the above-mentioned research aims: field-walking survey, analysis of aerial photos, ethnographic and archival research, GIS-based landscape analysis and predictive modelling, and LiDAR data for feature detection in wooded areas. The combined use of all these approaches allowed us to identify long-term exploitation activities, which are documented also by both the ethnographic and archaeological data. The major periods of conflict in these areas are also highlighted in the archaeological record. The 2019-survey campaign opens up new research directions such as the future excavation of Bronze Age occupation zones; network and connectivity analysis between Prealpine Veneto and Trentino; hillforts and their interaction with the highlands. Digital ArchaeologyClassical & Mediterranean ArchaeologyEuropean Prehistor

Dual mechanism of TRKB activation by anandamide through CB1 and TRPV1 receptors

Background. Administration of anandamide (AEA) or 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG) induces CB1 coupling and activation of TRKB receptors, regulating the neuronal migration and maturation in the developing cortex. However, at higher concentrations AEA also engages vanilloid receptor TRPV1, usually with opposed consequences on behavior. Methods and Results. Using primary cell cultures from the cortex of rat embryos (E18) we determined the effects of AEA on phosphorylated TRKB (pTRK). We observed that AEA (at 100 and 200 nM) induced a significant increase in pTRK levels. Such effect of AEA at 100 nM was blocked by pretreatment with the CBI antagonist AM251 (200 nM) and, at the higher concentration of 200 nM by the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine (200 nM), but mildly attenuated by AM251. Interestingly, the effect of AEA or capsaicin (a TRPV1 agonist, also at 200 nM) on pTRK was blocked by TRKB.Fc (a soluble form of TRKB able to bind BDNF) or capsazepine, suggesting a mechanism dependent on BDNF release. Using the marble-burying test (MBT) in mice, we observed that the local administration of ACEA (a CBI agonist) into the prelimbic region of prefrontal cortex (PL-PFC) was sufficient to reduce the burying behavior, while capsaicin or BDNF exerted the opposite effect, increasing the number of buried marbles. In addition, both ACEA and capsaicin effects were blocked by previous administration of k252a (an antagonist of TRK receptors) into PL-PFC. The effect of systemically injected CB1 agonist WIN55,212-2 was blocked by previous administration of k252a. We also observed a partial colocalization of CBI /TRPV1 /TRKB in the PL-PFC, and the localization of TRPV1 in CaMK2+ cells. Conclusion. Taken together, our data indicate that anandamide engages a coordinated activation of TRKB, via CB1 and TRPV1. Thus, acting upon CBI. and TRPV1, AEA could regulate the TRKB-dependent plasticity in both pre- and postsynaptic compartments.Peer reviewe

The role of extracellular vesicles in the removal of aggregated TDP43 responsible for ALS/FTD diseases

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) are two related neurodegenerative diseases. ALS is caused by the death of both upper and lower motoneurons, while FTD is characterized predominantly by circumscribed atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes. ALS and FTD overlap each other. This is demonstrated by the presence of cognitive and behavioral dysfunction in up to 50% of ALS patients and by the presence of frontotemporal atrophy in patients with ALS. Moreover, these diseases are both characterize by the presence of TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP43) inclusions in affected cells. These inclusions, observed in 97% of patients with ALS and 50% of patients with FTD, are composed by TDP43 and its C-terminal fragments of 35 kDa (TDP35) and 25 kDa (TDP25). These fragments are highly aggregation-prone and probably neurotoxic. Thus, their removal is protective for cells. The mechanism responsible for the clearance of aggregates and misfolded proteins is the intracellular protein quality control (PQC) system. It consists of molecular chaperones/co- chaperones and the degradative pathways. PQC controls the folding status of proteins and prevents the aggregation of misfolded proteins by refolding them or degrading. Recent data demonstrated that also extracellular secretory pathway, represented especially by exosomes (EXOs) and microvesicles (MVs), might be involved in the removal of misfolded proteins from affected cells. Thus, we evaluated the role of EXOs and MVs in the secretion of TDP43 and its C-terminal fragments, using neuronal cell models. We used ultracentrifugation, that allowed us to separate MVs from EXOs on the basis of their dimension. Then we analyzed them through i) Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NanoSight) to establish their number and sizes, and ii) western blot analysis, to characterize their protein content. Our preliminary results show that TDP43, TDP35 and TDP25 are all secreted, mainly by MVs. In particular, we found that MVs are enriched of insoluble forms of TDPs and also of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), another ALS-related protein. Finally, both in EXOs and in MVs, we observed the presence of some important PQC-components, suggesting an interplay between the two pathways. GRANTS: Fondazione Cariplo, Italy (n. 2017_0747); Universit\ue0 degli Studi di Milano e piano di sviluppo UNIMI - linea B

Autophagic and proteasomal mediated removal of mutant androgen receptor in muscle models of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is an X-linked motoneuron disease (MND) caused by a mutant androgen receptor (AR) containing an elongated polyglutamine (polyQ) tract. ARpolyQ toxicity is triggered by androgenic AR ligands, which induce aberrant conformations (misfolding) of the ARpolyQ protein that aggregates. Misfolded proteins perturb the protein quality control (PQC) system leading to cell dysfunction and death. Spinal cord motoneurons, dorsal root ganglia neurons and skeletal muscle cells are affected by ARpolyQ toxicity. Here, we found that, in stabilized skeletal myoblasts (s-myoblasts), ARpolyQ formed testosterone-inducible aggregates resistant to NP-40 solubilization; these aggregates did not affect s-myoblasts survival or viability. Both wild type AR and ARpolyQ were processed via proteasome, but ARpolyQ triggered (and it was also cleared via) autophagy. ARpolyQ reduced two pro-autophagic proteins expression (BAG3 and VCP), leading to decreased autophagic response in ARpolyQ s-myoblasts. Overexpression of two components of the chaperone assisted selective autophagy (CASA) complex (BAG3 and HSPB8), enhanced ARpolyQ clearance, while the treatment with the mTOR independent autophagy activator trehalose induced complete ARpolyQ degradation. Thus, trehalose has beneficial effects in SBMA skeletal muscle models even when autophagy is impaired, possibly by stimulating CASA to assist the removal of ARpolyQ misfolded species/aggregates

Role of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2C receptors of the dorsal periaqueductal gray in the anxiety- and panic-modulating effects of antidepressants in rats

Antidepressant drugs are first-line treatment for panic disorder. Facilitation of 5-HT1A receptor-mediated neurotransmission in the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG), a key panic-associated area, has been implicated in the panicolytic effect of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine. However, it is still unknown whether this mechanism accounts for the antipanic effect of other classes of antidepressants drugs (ADs) and whether the 5-HT interaction with 5-HT2C receptors in this midbrain area (which increases anxiety) is implicated in the anxiogenic effect caused by short-term treatment with ADs. The results showed that previous injection of the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635 in the dPAG blocked the panicolytic-like effect caused by chronic systemic administration of the tricyclic AD imipramine in male Wistar rats tested in the elevated T-maze. Neither chronic treatment with imipramine nor fluoxetine changed the expression of 5-HT1A receptors in the dPAG. Treatment with these ADs also failed to significantly change ERK1/2 (extracellular-signal regulated kinase) phosphorylation level in this midbrain area. Blockade of 5-HT2C receptors in the dPAG with the 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB-242084 did not change the anxiogenic effect caused by a single acute injection of fluoxetine or imipramine in the Vogel conflict test. These results reinforce the view that the facilitation of 5-HT1A receptor mediated neurotransmission in the dPAG is a common mechanism involved in the panicolytic effect caused by chronic administration of ADs. On the other hand, the anxiogenic effect observed after short-term treatment with these drugs does not depend on 5-HT2C receptors located in the dPAG.Peer reviewe

Elastase-2 Knockout Mice Display Anxiogenic- and Antidepressant-Like Phenotype : Putative Role for BDNF Metabolism in Prefrontal Cortex

Several pieces of evidence indicate that elastase-2 (ELA2; chymotrypsin-like ELA2) is an alternative pathway to the generation of angiotensin II (ANGII). Elastase-2 knockout mice (ELA2KO) exhibit alterations in the arterial blood pressure and heart rate. However, there is no data on the behavioral consequences of ELA2 deletion. In this study, we addressed this question, submitting ELA2KO and wild-type (WT) mice to several models sensitive to anxiety- and depression-like, memory, and repetitive behaviors. Our data indicates a higher incidence of barbering behavior in ELA2KO compared to WT, as well as an anxiogenic phenotype, evaluated in the elevated plus maze (EPM). While a decrease in locomotor activity was observed in ELA2KO in EPM, this feature was not the main source of variation in the other parameters analyzed. The marble-burying test (MBT) indicated increase in repetitive behavior, observed by a higher number of buried marbles. The actimeter test indicated a decrease in total activity and confirmed the increase in repetitive behavior. The spatial memory was tested by repeated exposure to the actimeter in a 24-h interval. Both ELA2KO and WT exhibited decreased activity compared to the first exposure, without any distinction between the genotypes. However, when submitted to the cued fear conditioning, ELA2KO displayed lower levels of freezing behavior in the extinction session when compared to WT, but no difference was observed during the conditioning phase. Increased levels of BDNF were found in the prefrontal cortex but not in the hippocampus of ELA2KO mice compared to WT. Finally, in silico analysis indicates that ELA2 is putatively able to cleave BDNF, and incubation of the purified enzyme with BDNF led to the degradation of the latter. Our data suggested an anxiogenic- and antidepressant-like phenotype of ELA2KO, possibly associated with increased levels of BDNF in the prefrontal cortex.Peer reviewe

Stratification of unresponsive patients by an independently validated index of brain complexity.

OBJECTIVE: Validating objective, brain-based indices of consciousness in behaviorally unresponsive patients represents a challenge due to the impossibility of obtaining independent evidence through subjective reports. Here we address this problem by first validating a promising metric of consciousness-the Perturbational Complexity Index (PCI)-in a benchmark population who could confirm the presence or absence of consciousness through subjective reports, and then applying the same index to patients with disorders of consciousness (DOCs). METHODS: The benchmark population encompassed 150 healthy controls and communicative brain-injured subjects in various states of conscious wakefulness, disconnected consciousness, and unconsciousness. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to define an optimal cutoff for discriminating between the conscious and unconscious conditions. This cutoff was then applied to a cohort of noncommunicative DOC patients (38 in a minimally conscious state [MCS] and 43 in a vegetative state [VS]). RESULTS: We found an empirical cutoff that discriminated with 100% sensitivity and specificity between the conscious and the unconscious conditions in the benchmark population. This cutoff resulted in a sensitivity of 94.7% in detecting MCS and allowed the identification of a number of unresponsive VS patients (9 of 43) with high values of PCI, overlapping with the distribution of the benchmark conscious condition. INTERPRETATION: Given its high sensitivity and specificity in the benchmark and MCS population, PCI offers a reliable, independently validated stratification of unresponsive patients that has important physiopathological and therapeutic implications. In particular, the high-PCI subgroup of VS patients may retain a capacity for consciousness that is not expressed in behavior