Reflective Thinking and Simulated Driving: The Importance of Answering Questions

3noRisky driving behaviors are common among young people, who tend to exhibit excessive speeding, speeding for the thrill, driving too close to the followed vehicle, driving while using a mobile phone, and to violate other road traffic rules. Here, consistently with the question-behavior effect [1, 2 ] we ask whether a specific action of a prevention program involving reflective thinking [3] (i.e., answering a questionnaire on driving and traffic safety) can alert participants and induce a concern capable of modifying simulated driving performance. A sample of 116 high school students, including 46 with car driving licence (DL), participated in two sessions of simulated driving tests, separated by a 60-min rest period during which they answered a written questionnaire on either driving safety (24/31 with/without DL) or ICT (22/39 with/without DL). A simulator – designed by ACI safe driving center at Vallelunga – supported realistic driving experience in urban, suburban, and motorway critical situations and the recording of several test parameters: speed and braking reaction time for emergency braking; number of offences (excess speeding, unsignaled lane change, collision, traveling in the emergency lane) for motorway driving. Simulated driving behavior of young adults (with/without driving license) proved to be malleable. Participants who answered the driving safety questionnaire changed their performance towards greater carefulness in the second session, compared to participants in the control group who answered the ICT questionnaire. The Session × Questionnaire interaction was significant (p < 0.001) for both travelling speed and braking reaction time. In the pre-questionnaire session travelling speed was in the 50-52 km/h range, with licence holders driving slightly faster; in the post-questionnaire session participants who answered the driving safety questionnaire (presumably, thinking about risky behaviors and their effects) slowed down, while participants in the control group (induced to think about ICT) increased they average speed. In the second session participants who answered the driving safety questionnaire reacted to the “Brake” signal much faster (from about 860 ms to 760 ms), while participants who answered the ICT questionnaire reacted slightly slower (from about 800 ms to 830 ms). The overall number of offenses decreased in all participants, with a stronger benefit in participants who answered the driving safety questionnaire. In general, driving licence ownership had limited effects on change of simulated driving behavior during participation in a prevention program. Our study provides strong support for the occurrence of a question-behavior effect within the context of a safe driving program. Results and conclusions are consistent with previous research in which behavioral changes were self-reported [2], but constitute a more convincing source of evidence, given that in our study the dependent measures were referred to objective measures of driving performance (not subjective evaluations) and obtained effects emerged from an experimental design including a control group involved in reflective thinking on a topic only partially related to road safety. [1] Sprott,D.E., Spangenberg, E.R., Block, L.G., Fitzsimons, G.J., Morwitz, V.G., Williams, P. (2006). The question-behavior effect: What we know and where we go from here. Social Influence, 1, 128-137 [2] Falk, B. (2009). Does answering a questionnaire promote traffic safety? In Jern, S. & Näslund, J. (Eds.). (2009). Dynamics Within and Outside the Lab. Proceedings from The 6h Nordic Conference on Group and Social Psychology, May 2008, Lund, pp 67-80. [3] Porter B.E. (2011). Handbook of Traffic Psychology. Elsevier.openopenTamburini, Laura; Fantoni, Carlo; Gerbino, WalterTamburini, Laura; Fantoni, Carlo; Gerbino, Walte

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Drives Expansion of Low-Density Neutrophils Equipped With Regulatory Activities

In human tuberculosis (TB) neutrophils represent the most commonly infected phagocyte but their role in protection and pathology is highly contradictory. Moreover, a subset of low-density neutrophils (LDNs) has been identified in TB, but their functions remain unclear. Here, we have analyzed total neutrophils and their low-density and normal-density (NDNs) subsets in patients with active TB disease, in terms of frequency, phenotype, functional features, and gene expression signature. Full-blood counts from Healthy Donors (H.D.), Latent TB infected, active TB, and cured TB patients were performed. Frequency, phenotype, burst activity, and suppressor T cell activity of the two different subsets were assessed by flow cytometry while NETosis and phagocytosis were evaluated by confocal microscopy. Expression analysis was performed by using the semi-quantitative RT-PCR array technology. Elevated numbers of total neutrophils and a high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio distinguished patients with active TB from all the other groups. PBMCs of patients with active TB disease contained elevated percentages of LDNs compared with those of H.D., with an increased expression of CD66b, CD33, CD15, and CD16 compared to NDNs. Transcriptomic analysis of LDNs and NDNs purified from the peripheral blood of TB patients identified 12 genes differentially expressed: CCL5, CCR5, CD4, IL10, LYZ, and STAT4 were upregulated, while CXCL8, IFNAR1, NFKB1A, STAT1, TICAM1, and TNF were downregulated in LDNs, as compared to NDNs. Differently than NDNs, LDNs failed to phagocyte live Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) bacilli, to make oxidative burst and NETosis, but caused significant suppression of antigen-specific and polyclonal T cell proliferation which was partially mediated by IL-10. These insights add a little dowel of knowledge in understanding the pathogenesis of human TB

Thrombosis in Autoimmune Diseases: A Role for Immunosuppressive Treatments?

Autoimmune diseases are not infrequently associated with arterial or venous thrombotic events. Chronic inflammation and immune system impairment are considered the main pathogenetic mechanisms. Some of the drugs used in the treatment of such diseases have been associated with an increased risk of thrombosis. On the contrary, their anti-inflammatory and immune modulator activity could correct some mechanisms leading to thrombosis. In this review, recent evidence available on this topic is examined. There is a lack of adequate studies, but available evidence suggests that glucocorticoids and high-dose immunoglobulins are associated with an increased incidence of venous thromboembolism. Although available data do not allow drawing definite conclusions and more data are needed from future studies and registries, physicians should be aware of these associations

Molecular Mimicry between Helicobacter pylori Antigens and H+,K+–Adenosine Triphosphatase in Human Gastric Autoimmunity

Autoimmune gastritis and Helicobacter pylori–associated gastric atrophy develop through similar mechanisms involving the proton pump H+,K+–adenosine triphosphatase as autoantigen. Here, we report that H. pylori–infected patients with gastric autoimmunity harbor in vivo–activated gastric CD4+ T cells that recognize both H+,K+–adenosine triphosphatase and H. pylori antigens. We characterized the submolecular specificity of such gastric T cells and identified cross-reactive epitopes from nine H. pylori proteins. Cross-reactive H. pylori peptides induced T cell proliferation and expression of T helper type 1 functions. We suggest that in genetically susceptible individuals, H. pylori infection can activate cross-reactive gastric T cells leading to gastric autoimmunity via molecular mimicry