3D #DigitalInvasions: a crowdsourcing project for mobile user generated content

This paper introduces the #InvasioniDigitali project which is an online crowdsourcing initiative started in Italy in 2013 with the aim to promote the value of and engagement with local heritage. The paper focuses on two case studies of pilot ‘invasions’ using 3D data capture by students at museums and heritage sites in Sicily

The effects of body exposure on self-body image and esthetic appreciation in anorexia nervosa.

Repeated exposures to thin-idealized body shapes may alter women's perceptions of what normal (e.g., accepted) and ideal (e.g., desired) bodies in a cultural environment look like. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether exposure to thin and round body shapes may change the subsequent esthetic appreciation of others' bodies and the perceptual and cognitive-affective dimensions of self-body image in patients suffering from anorexia nervosa (AN). Thirteen AN patients and 13 matched healthy controls were exposed to pictures of either thin or round unfamiliar body models and, before and after exposure, they were required to either express liking judgments about round and slim figures of unfamiliar bodies (esthetic task) or to adjust distorted pictures of their own body to their perceptual (How do you see yourself?), affective (How do you feel yourself?), metacognitive (How do others see you?) and ideal (How would you like to look like?) body image (self-body adjustment task). Brief exposures to round models increased liking judgments of round figures in both groups. However, only in AN patients, exposure to round models induced an increase in thin figures liking, which positively correlated with their preoccupation with dieting. Furthermore, exposure to round bodies in AN patients, but not in controls, increased the distortion for the perceptual body image and decreased the size of the ideal one. No differences between the two groups were obtained after adaptation to thin models. Our results suggest that AN patients' perception of their own and others' body is more easily malleable by exposure to round figures as compared to controls. Crucially, this mechanism may strongly contribute to the development and maintenance of self-body image disturbances

Surgical complications after pancreatic transplantation: A computed tomography imaging pictorial review

pancreatic transplantation should start with the evaluation of the arterial Y-graft, the venous anastomosis and the duodenojejunostomy. With regard to complications, CT allows for the identification of vascular complications, such as thrombosis or stenosis of blood vessels supplying the graft, the detection of pancreatic fluid collections, including pseudocysts, abscesses, or leaks, the assessment of bowel complications (anastomotic leaks, ileus or obstruction), and the identification of bleeding. The aim of this pictorial review is to illustrate CT findings of surgical-related complications after pancreatic transplantation. The knowledge of surgical techniques is of key importance to understand postoperative anatomic changes and imaging evaluation. Therefore, we first provide a short summary of the main techniques of pancreatic transplantation. Then, we provide a practical imaging approach to pancreatic transplantation and its complications providing tips and tricks for the prompt imaging diagnosis on CT.Pancreatic transplantation is considered by the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes an acceptable surgical procedure in patients with type 1 diabetes also undergoing kidney transplantation in pre-final or end-stage renal disease if no contraindications are present. Pancreatic transplantation, however, is a complex surgical procedure and may lead to a range of postoperative complications that can significantly impact graft function and patient outcomes. Postoperative computed tomography (CT) is often adopted to evaluate perfusion of the transplanted pancreas, identify complications and as a guide for interventional radiology procedures. CT assessment afte

Performance Analysis of Sidelink 5G-V2X Mode 2 through an Open-Source Simulator

The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has recently published a new set of specifications to enable advanced driving applications in fifth generation (5G) vehicle-to-everything (V2X) scenarios, with particular effort dedicated to the sidelink resource allocation in the autonomous mode, named Mode 2. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of Mode 2 performance via an open-source system-level simulator, which implements the 5G New Radio (NR) flexible numerology and physical layer aspects together with the newly specified sidelink resource allocation modes for V2X communications and different data traffic patterns. Results collected through extensive simulation campaigns, under a wide variety of vehicle density, data transmission settings and traffic patterns, showcase the effects of the new 5G-V2X features on the sidelink resource allocation performance and provide some insights into possible ways to further improve Mode 2 performance

Mie-excitons: understanding strong coupling in dielectric nanoparticles

We theoretically analyse the hybrid Mie-exciton optical modes arising from the strong coupling of excitons in organic dyes or transition-metal dichalcogenides with the Mie resonances of high-index dielectric nanoparticles. Detailed analytic calculations show that silicon--exciton core--shell nanoparticles are characterised by a richness of optical modes which can be tuned through nanoparticle dimensions to produce large anticrossings in the visible or near infrared, comparable to those obtained in plexcitonics. The complex magnetic-excitonic nature of these modes is understood through spectral decomposition into Mie-coefficient contributions, complemented by electric and magnetic near-field profiles. In the frequency range of interest, absorptive losses in silicon are sufficiently low to allow observation of several periods of Rabi oscillations in strongly coupled emitter-particle architectures, as confirmed here by discontinuous Galerkin time-domain calculations for the electromagnetic field beat patterns. These results suggest that Mie resonances in high-index dielectrics are promising alternatives for plasmons in strong-coupling applications in nanophotonics, while the coupling of magnetic and electric modes opens intriguing possibilities for external control

Neuropathological findings from COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms argue against a direct brain invasion of SARS-CoV-2: A critical systematic review

Background and purpose: Neuropathological studies can elucidate the mechanisms of nervous system damage associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite literature on this topic is rapidly expanding, correlations between neurological symptoms and brain pathology findings in COVID-19 patients remain largely unknown. Methods: We performed a systematic literature review on neuropathological studies in COVID-19, including 438 patients from 45 articles published by April 22, 2021. We retrieved quantitative data regarding demographic, clinical, and neuropathological findings. We carried out a Wilcoxon rank sum test or χ2 test to compare patients' subgroups based on different clinical and brain pathology features. Results: Neuropathological findings in COVID-19 patients were microgliosis (52.5%), astrogliosis (45.6%), inflammatory infiltrates (44.0%), hypoxic-ischemic lesions (40.8%), edema (25.3%), and hemorrhagic lesions (20.5%). SARS-CoV-2 RNA and proteins were identified in brain specimens of 41.9% and 28.3% of subjects, respectively. Detailed clinical information was available from 245 patients (55.9%), and among them, 96 subjects (39.2%) had presented with neurological symptoms in association with typical COVID-19 manifestations. We found that: (i) the detection rate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and proteins in brain specimens did not differ between patients with versus those without neurological symptoms; (ii) brain edema, hypoxic-ischemic lesions, and inflammatory infiltrates were more frequent in subjects with neurological impairment; (iii) neurological symptoms were more common among older individuals. Conclusions: Our systematic revision of clinical correlates in COVID-19 highlights the pathogenic relevance of brain inflammatory reaction and hypoxic-ischemic damage rather than neuronal viral load. This analysis indicates that a more focused study design is needed, especially in the perspective of potential therapeutic trials

Regulation of gastric epithelial cell homeostasis by gastrin and bone morphogenetic protein signaling

We reported that transgenic expression of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling inhibitor noggin in the mouse stomach, leads to parietal‐cell (PC) loss, expansion of transitional cells expressing markers of both mucus neck and zymogenic lineages, and to activation of proliferative mechanisms. Because these cellular changes were associated with increased levels of the hormone gastrin, we investigated if gastrin mediates the expression of the phenotypic changes of the noggin transgenic mice (NogTG mice). Three‐month‐old NogTG mice were crossed to gastrin‐deficient (GasKO mice) to generate NogTG;GasKO mice. Morphology of the corpus of wild type, NogTG, GasKO, and NogTG;GasKO mice was analyzed by H&E staining. Distribution of PCs and zymogenic cells (ZCs) was analyzed by immunostaining for the H+/K+‐ATPase and intrinsic factor (IF). Expression of the H+/K+‐ATPase and IF genes and proteins were measured by QRT‐PCR and western blots. Cell proliferation was assessed by immunostaining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen. The corpus of the NogTG;GasKO mice displayed a marked reduction in the number of PCs and ZCs in comparison to NogTG mice. Further, cellular proliferation was significantly lower in NogTG;GasKO mice, than in the NogTG mice. Thus, gastrin mediates the increase in gastric epithelial cell proliferation induced by inhibition of BMP signaling in vivo. Moreover, gastrin and BMP signaling exert cooperative effects on the maturation and differentiation of both the zymogenic and PC lineages. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the factors involved in the control of gastric epithelial cell homeostasis.We investigated the role of gastrin and BMP signaling in the regulation of gastric epithelial homeostasis by crossing mice expressing the BMP inhibitor noggin in the stomach (NogTG mice) to gastrin‐deficient mice (GasKO mice). Analysis of these animals indicates that gastrin mediates the increase in gastric epithelial cell proliferation induced by inhibition of BMP signaling in vivo. Moreover, gastrin and BMP signaling exert cooperative effects on the maturation and differentiation of both the zymogenic and parietal‐cell lineages.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113157/1/phy212501.pd

Toward 6G Vehicle-to-Everything Sidelink: Nonorthogonal Multiple Access in the Autonomous Mode

The cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) sidelink technology, specified in the long-term evolution (LTE) and further improved in the 5G new radio (NR) standards to facilitate direct data exchange between vehicles, will play a crucial role in revolutionizing transportation systems. However, the demand for very high reliability and ultralow latency services especially challenges the sidelink resource allocation mechanism when performed by distributed vehicles, in the so-called autonomous mode. One of the major causes of ­performance degradation is the resource allocation mechanism, which was designed for orthogonal multiple access (OMA) and can generate interference and collisions under high load conditions. In this context, here we argue in favor of the use of non-OMA (NOMA) as a game changer for the sidelink in the upcoming 6G V2X, and the purpose of this article is to provide a reference for further intriguing studies in the field. Additionally, the gain achievable over conventional allocation schemes by enabling NOMA through the use of successive interference cancelation (SIC) at the receiver is measured through realistic simulations conducted when considering the latest C-V2X specifications

Health-related quality of life assessment in eating disorders: adjustment and validation of a specific scale with the inclusion of an interpersonal domain

Purpose: Quality of life is a fundamental aspect of both clinical practice and research on eating disorders (ED) due to the significant impacts these disorders have on everyday life. Disorder-specific scales can improve the quality of research and findings and offer greater sensitivity and responsiveness. However, no specific instrument is available in Italian for ED. The aim of this paper is to adjust and to validate a reliable scale with specific items regarding physical and interpersonal well-being. Methods: The Italian version of the Eating Disorder Quality of Life (IEDQOL) scale was developed, on the basis of the original English scale, with the addition of items pertaining to physical well-being and interpersonal interactions. In this study, 180 ED patients and 190 healthy controls from the community were enrolled both from inpatient units and outpatient services. A statistical analysis with an exploratory factorial approach was performed in order to validate the tool. Results: The results showed that the IEDQOL has very good psychometric properties with test–retest validity and sensitivity between patients and controls (d = 2.17 for total score). Moreover, the interpersonal domain showed excellent psychometric values (Cronbach’s α > 0.70 in all the subgroups) and a robust correlation with other quality of life constructs. Conclusion: Future studies on the Italian population should use IEDQOL as outcome element that can be useful also with other disorder-specific psychopathological constructs and corroborate the reliability of the data. Future research in the ED field should only use this specific tool. Level of evidence: Case–control analytic study, Level III