The use of homophobic labels: A comparison between self-, ingroup- and outgroup- labeling

This research investigates whether the use of derogatory labels affect the perceived self-power and the valence attributed to the derogatory label in different conditions: (a) Self-labeling condition in which the subject label himself with an homophobic label, (b) Ingroup-labeling condition in which a member of the ingroup labels the subject, and (c) Outgroup-labeling condition in which a member of the outgroup labels the subject. Results showed a higher perceived self-power as well as a decrease of the negative valence attributed to the label in the Self-labeling condition in comparison to the Outgroup-labeling condition. Also, results indicate a decrease negativity of the label in the Ingroup-labeling condition in comparison to the Outgrouplabeling condition. In addition, a mediation analysis showed that Self- vs. Outgroup-labeling increased participants’ levels of perceived power, which in turn decreased the perceived negativity of the derogatory label.O presente estudo investigou o efeito do uso de rótulos negativos na perceção do poder individual e na valência atribuída ao rótulo em três condições: a) condição de Self-labeling onde o sujeito etiqueta a si mesmo com um rótulo homofóbico; b) condição de Ingroup-labeling, onde um membro do ingroup rotula o sujeito; e c) condição de Outgroup-labeling onde um membro do outgroup rotula o sujeito. Os resultados evidenciaram a perceção de maior poder individual e uma diminuição da valência negativa atribuída ao rótulo na condição de Self-labeling em comparação com a condição de Outgroup-labeling e uma diminuição da negatividade atribuída ao rótulo homofóbico na condição de Ingroup-labeling em comparação à condição de Outgrouplabeling. Por outro lado, a análise de mediação mostrou que o Self- vs. Outgroup-labeling aumentou os níveis de poder percebidos pelos participantes, que por sua vez diminui a negatividade percebida do rótulo pejorativo

L'unicit\ue0 del Diario di uno scrittore di F. M. Dostoevskij: anatomia di un genere "senza intreccio"

Scegliere di occuparsi del Diario di uno scrittore di F. M. Dostoevskij significa per prima cosa intraprendere un lungo lavoro di ricerca bibliografica, che approda inevitabilmente alla raccolta di una cospicua mole di materiali, per lo pi\uf9 articoli apparsi su riviste specialistiche e saggi inclusi in miscellanee. Fuori dalla Russia l\u2019approfondimento critico di quest\u2019opera ha avuto scarso sviluppo; sono state pubblicate poche cose, dovute quasi sempre alle stesse personalit\ue0 scientifiche (Gri\u161in, Morson). La critica russa, invece, nell\u2019arco del Novecento, ha assunto nei confronti del Diario atteggiamenti molto diversi, dall\u2019indifferenza d\u2019inizio secolo (orientamento marxista), al totale silenzio in epoca sovietica, per arrivare, con la fine degli anni Sessanta, ad una notevole ripresa d\u2019interesse. Curioso notare che il Diario di uno scrittore negli ultimi quarant\u2019anni \ue8 stato oggetto di numerose tesi di dottorato, il pi\uf9 delle volte tradottesi poi in articoli, editi in varie sedi ed in tempi diversi, che ne riprendevano i nuclei tematici fondamentali (Tunimanov, Volgin, Zacharova, Fokin). Quest\u2019ambito di studio dell\u2019opera dostoevskiana evidenzia quindi dinamiche consolidate, ed in particolare la tendenza a sviscerare singole specifiche questioni, come ad esempio la definizione del genere, o il rapporto in esso tra la componente letteraria e quella pubblicistica...Non disponibil

Kinematics of aimed movements in ecological immersive virtual reality: a comparative study with real world

Virtual reality (VR) has recently emerged as a promising technology to rehabilitate upper limb functions after stroke. To promote the recovery of functions, retraining physiological movement patterns is essential. However, it is still unclear whether VR can elicit functional movements that are similar to those performed in the real world (RW). This study aimed to investigate the kinematics of reach-to-grasp and transport movements performed in the real world and immersive VR by examining whether kinematic differences between the two conditions exist and their extent. A within-subject repeated-measures study was conducted. A realistic setup resembling a supermarket shelf unit was built in RW and VR. The analysis compared reaching and transport gestures in VR and RW, also considering potential differences due to: (i) holding the controller needed to interact with virtual items, (ii) hand dominance, and (iii) target positions. Ten healthy young adults were enrolled in the study. Motion data analysis showed that reach-to-grasp and transport required more time in VR, and that holding the controller had no effects. No major differences occurred between the two hands. Joint angles, except for thorax rotation, and hand trajectory curvature were comparable across conditions, suggesting that VR has the potentialities to retrain physiological movement patterns. Results were satisfying, though they did not demonstrate the superiority of ecological environments in eliciting natural gestures. Further studies should determine the extent of kinematic similarity required to obtain functional gains in VR-based upper limb rehabilitation

Increased Plasma Levels of Mitochondrial DNA and Normal Inflammasome Gene Expression in Monocytes Characterize Patients With Septic Shock Due to Multidrug Resistant Bacteria

Introduction: The activity and regulation of inflammasome is receiving increasing attention in septic shock. Moreover, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can play a role as biomarker of disease severity and even mortality both in adults and children in critically ill setting. However, no data are available on the amount of circulating mtDNA and inflammasome gene expression in multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria septic shock. For this reason, the aim of this study was to determine whether plasma mtDNA levels and inflammasome gene expression in monocytes could be related to severity in patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) with septic shock due to MDR pathogens. Materials and Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and plasma were isolated from up to 20 ml of venous blood by density gradient centrifugation in patients admitted to ICU with the diagnosis of septic shock due to MDR-bacteria. Then, CD14+ monocytes were sorted, and RNA and DNA were extracted. NLRP3, PYCARD, AIM2 and NAIP expression level was analyzed by RT-PCR. Plasma circulating mtDNA levels were quantified by digital droplet PCR. Basal and outcome characteristics of the patients were collected. Age-matched healthy subjects were chosen as controls. Results: Nineteen patients with septic shock and 20 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. A small trend toward an increased expression of inflammasome genes was observed in septic shock patients, who also displayed a marked tendency to an increased expression of IL-18 and IL-1\u3b2 genes. Circulating mtDNA levels were significantly higher in septic shock patients if compared to healthy subjects, and patients who died in ICU were characterized by higher level of mtDNA if compared to those who were dismissed after 7 days. No correlations were found between mtDNA and inflammasome level and other clinical variables. Conclusion: Despite many limitations, our data suggest that in patients with septic shock caused by MDR pathogens the expression of main inflammasome genes was comparable to that of healthy patients without infection. Furthermore, our data evidence a possible role of mtDNA as a prognostic marker of severity in septic shock from MDR

Genotoxic stress modulates the release of exosomes from multiple myeloma cells capable of activating NK cell cytokine production: role of HSP70/TLR2/NF-kB axis

Exosomes are a class of nanovesicles formed and released through the late endosomal compartment and represent an important mode of intercellular communication. The ability of anticancer chemotherapy to enhance the immunogenic potential of malignant cells mainly relies on the establishment of the immunogenic cell death (ICD) and the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Here, we investigated whether genotoxic stress could promote the release of exosomes from multiple myeloma (MM) cells and studied the immunomodulatory properties they exert on NK cells, a major component of the antitumor immune response playing a key role in the immunosurveillance of MM. Our findings show that melphalan, a genotoxic agent used in MM therapy, significantly induces an increased exosome release from MM cells. MM cell-derived exosomes are capable of stimulating IFNg production, but not the cytotoxic activity of NK cells through a mechanism based on the activation of NF-kB pathway in a TLR2/ HSP70-dependent manner. Interestingly, HSP70 positive exosomes are primarily found in the bone marrow (BM) of MM patients suggesting that they might have a crucial immunomodulatory action in the tumor microenvironment. We also provide evidence that the CD56high NK cell subset is more responsive to exosome-induced IFNg production mediated by TLR2 engagement. All together, these findings suggest a novel mechanism of synergism between chemotherapy and antitumor innate immune responses based on the drug-promotion of nanovesicles exposing DAMPs for innate receptors

Residual matrix from different separation techniques impacts exosome biological activity

Exosomes are gaining a prominent role in research due to their intriguing biology and several therapeutic opportunities. However, their accurate purification from body fluids and detailed physicochemical characterization remain open issues. We isolated exosomes from serum of patients with Multiple Myeloma by four of the most popular purification methods and assessed the presence of residual contaminants in the preparations through an ad hoc combination of biochemical and biophysical techniques - including Western Blot, colloidal nanoplasmonics, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning helium ion microscopy (HIM). The preparations obtained by iodixanol and sucrose gradients were highly pure. To the contrary, those achieved with limited processing (serial centrifugation or one step precipitation kit) resulted contaminated by a residual matrix, embedding the exosomes. The contaminated preparations showed lower ability to induce NfkB nuclear translocation in endothelial cells with respect to the pure ones, probably because the matrix prevents the interaction and fusion of the exosomes with the cell membrane. These findings suggest that exosome preparation purity must be carefully assessed since it may interfere with exosome biological activity. Contaminants can be reliably probed only by an integrated characterization approach aimed at both the molecular and the colloidal length scales

Coaching through technology: a systematic review into efficacy and effectiveness for the ageing population

Background: Despite the evidence on the positive role of self-management, the adoption ofhealth coaching strategies for older people is still limited. To address these gaps, recent efforts havebeen made in the ICT sector in order to develop systems for delivering coaching and overcomingbarriers relating to scarcity of resources. The aim of this review is to examine the efficacy of personalhealth coaching systems for older adults using digital virtual agents.Methods: A systematic reviewof the literature was conducted in December 2019 analyzing manuscripts from four databases overthe last 10 years. Nine papers were included.Results: Despite the low number of studies, there wasevidence that technology-integrated interventions can deliver benefits for health over usual care.However, the review raises important questions about how to maintain benefits and permanence ofbehavior change produced by short-term interventions.Conclusion: These systems offer a potentialtool to reduce costs, minimize therapist burden and training, and expand the range of clients who canbenefit from them. It is desirable that in the future the number of studies will grow, considering otheraspects such as the role of the virtual coaches’ characteristics, social-presence, empathy, usability,and health literac

Draft Methodology for FAIR-by-Design Learning Materials

This document describes a methodology for FAIR-by-design production of learning materials based on the backward instructional process that is extended with additional activities focusing on the implementation of the FAIR guiding principles. A general discussion on important aspect of implementation such as granularity, scope, metadata schema, interoperability and publication in relevant repositories is provided together with a step by step six stage workflow and checklists that help implement the FAIR-by-design process. The outlined methodology will be used as a blueprint for a train-the-trainer course aiming to present the practical FAIR-by-design instructional design