Semantic interference mechanisms on long-term visual memory and their eye-movement signatures in mild cognitive impairment

Objective: Long-term visual memory representations degrade as a function of semantic interference, as measured by recognition performance, and their strength is related to eye-movement responses. Even though clinical research has examined interference mechanisms in pathological cognitive ageing and explored the diagnostic potential of eye-movements in this context, little is known about their interaction in long-term visual memory. Method: An eye-tracking study compared a Mild Cognitive Impaired group with healthy controls. Participants watched a stream of 129 naturalistic images from different semantic categories, presented at different frequencies (1, 6, 12, 24) to induce semantic interference (SI), then asked in a 2-Alternative Forced Choice paradigm to verbally recognize the scene they remembered (old/novel). Results: Recognition accuracy of both groups was negatively impacted by SI, especially in the healthy controls. A wider distribution of overt attention across the scene predicted better recognition, especially by the MCI participants, although these fixation patterns were influenced by SI. MCI compensated the detrimental effect of SI by focusing overt attention during encoding and so accrue distinctive details of the scene, while they widened it during recognition to boost retrieval. Independently of the group: (a) the re-instatement of fixations indicated a more successful recall and increased as a function of SI; and (b) attending visually salient regions negatively impacted on recognition accuracy, although the reliance on such regions grew as SI increased. Conclusions: Semantic interference is reduced due to pathological ageing and coupled with subtle oculo-motor compensatory strategies, confirming the intimate connection between overt attention and memory processes

Improving the electrical performance of solution processed oligothiophene thin-film transistors via structural similarity blending

Here we show that the blending of structurally similar oligothiophene molecules is an effective approach to improve the field-effect mobility and Ion/Ioff as compared to single component based transistors. The effect of addition of each component is studied extensively using a wide array of methods such as X-ray diffraction, ToF-SIMS, and ambient UPS correlated with the electrical characterization

Development of a new predictive index (Bathing water quality index, bwqi) based on escherichia coli physiological states for bathing waters monitoring

Bacterial pathogens in coastal aquatic ecosystems pose a potential public health hazard for bathing water use. The European Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC) currently relies on the culturability of fecal pollution bacterial indicators such as Escherichia coli, without considering dormant or quiescent (Viable But Not Culturable, VBNC) cells, whose possible resuscitation after bathers ingestion cannot be excluded. Standard methods are also time-consuming and therefore hardly meet early warning needs of marine monitoring. To solve this issue, a new index, the Bathing Water Quality Index (BWQI), has here been developed, allowing to identify the most favorable coastal zones for recreational use. The index was calculated by combining numerical simulations of living and dormant E. coli abundances and their residence times. To specifically set up the model with the different physiological states of the whole E. coli population, an ad hoc experiment based on the fluorescent antibody method was performed. The BWQI application to Santa Marinella bathing area highlights a potential risk for human health in the zone most frequented by bathers. This study provides a predictive tool to support preventive decisions of the competent authorities and to properly protect bathers’ health, stressing the need for improved methods for environmental monitoring

ECOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR APPROACH TO THE ASSESSMENT OF OIL POLLUTION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN TWO COASTAL MARINE (MEDITERRANEAN AND PATAGONIAN) ECOREGIONS

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Svalbard Fjord Sediments as a Hotspot of Functional Diversity and a Reservoir of Antibiotic Resistance

The sea bottom acts as a key natural archive where the memory of long-term timescale environmental changes is recorded. This study discusses some ecological and chemical features of fjord sediments that were explored during the AREX cruise carried out in the Svalbard archipelago in the summer of 2021. The activity rates of the enzymes leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), beta-glucosidase (GLU), and alkaline phosphatase (AP) and community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) were studied with the aim of determining the functional diversity of the benthic microbial community, while bacterial isolates were screened for their susceptibility to antibiotics in order to explore the role of these extreme environments as potential reservoirs of antibiotic resistance. Enzyme activity rates were obtained using fluorogenic substrates, and CLPPs were obtained using Biolog Ecoplates; antibiotic susceptibility assays were performed through the standard disk diffusion method. Spatial trends observed in the functional profiles of the microbial community suggested variability in the microbial community’s composition, presumably related to the patchy distribution of organic substrates. Complex carbon sources, carbohydrates, and amino acids were the organic polymers preferentially metabolized by the microbial community. Multi-resistance to enrofloxacin and tetracycline was detected in all of the examined samples, stressing the role of sediments as a potential reservoir of chemical wastes ascribable to antibiotic residuals. This study provides new insights on the health status of fjord sediments of West Spitsbergen, applying a dual ecological and biochemical approach. Microbial communities in the fjord sediments showed globally a good functional diversity, suggesting their versatility to rapidly react to changing conditions. The lack of significant diversification among the three studied areas suggests that microbial variables alone cannot be suitable descriptors of sediment health, and that additional measures (i.e., physical–chemical characteristics) should be taken to better define environmental status

Pericytes of Stria Vascularis Are Targets of Cisplatin-Induced Ototoxicity: New Insights into the Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Blood-Labyrinth Barrier Breakdown

The stria vascularis (SV) contributes to cochlear homeostasis and consists of three layers, one of which contains the blood-labyrinthic barrier (BLB), with a large number of bovine cochlear pericytes (BCPs). Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic drug that can damage the SV and cause hearing loss. In this study, cell viability, proliferation rate, cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species production were evaluated. The protein content of phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) 1/2, total ERK 1/2, phospho-cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), total cPLA2 and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and the release of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from BCPs were analyzed. Finally, the protective effect of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) on BCPs treated with cisplatin was investigated. Cisplatin reduced viability and proliferation, activated ERK 1/2, cPLA2 and COX-2 expression and increased PGE2 and VEGF release; these effects were reversed by Dexamethasone. The presence of PDGF-BB during the treatment with cisplatin significantly increased the proliferation rate. No studies on cell regeneration in ear tissue evaluated the effect of the PDGF/Dex combination. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cisplatin on cochlear pericytes and propose new otoprotective agents aimed at preventing the reduction of their vitality and thus maintaining the BLB structure

Nanoscale electrical investigation of layer-by-layer grown molecular wires

Nanoscopic metal-molecule-metal junctions consisting of Fe-bis(terpyridine)-based ordered nanostructures are grown in layer-by-layer fashion on a solid support. Hopping is demonstrated as the main charge-transport mechanism both experimentally and theoretically

Per una vita "cenobitica". Montale e il "Journal intime" di Amiel

Nell’articolo presentato l’autore intende indagare il rapporto esistente fra Eugenio Montale e Henri-Frédéric Amiel, sulla base della lettura attestata da parte di Montale a partire dal Quaderno genovese. Tale comunanza viene esposta attraverso l’individuazione e l’analisi di alcuni temi comuni ai due pensatori: l’inettitudine, l’impossibilità all’azione, la ricerca del miracolo, l’annullamento del sé materiale