The Key Role of the Amygdala in Stress

Several data highlighted that stress exposure is strongly associated with several psychiatric disorders. The amygdala, an area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing, has a pivotal role in psychiatric disorders and it has been demonstrated to be highly responsive to stressful events. Here we will review evidences indicating how the amygdala changes its functionality following exposure to stress and how this contributes to the onset of anxiety disorders

Unbalance between Excitation and Inhibition in Phenylketonuria, a Genetic Metabolic Disease Associated with Autism

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is the most common genetic metabolic disease with a well-documented association with autism spectrum disorders. It is characterized by the deficiency of the phenylalanine hydroxylase activity, causing plasmatic hyperphenylalaninemia and variable neurological and cognitive impairments. Among the potential pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in autism spectrum disorders is the excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalance which might result from alterations in excitatory/inhibitory synapse development, synaptic transmission and plasticity, downstream signalling pathways, and intrinsic neuronal excitability. Here, we investigated functional and molecular alterations in the prefrontal cortex (pFC) of BTBR-Pah(enu2) (ENU2) mice, the animal model of PKU. Our data show higher frequency of inhibitory transmissions and significant reduced frequency of excitatory transmissions in the PKU-affected mice in comparison to wild type. Moreover, in the pFC of ENU2 mice, we reported higher levels of the post-synaptic cell-adhesion proteins neuroligin1 and 2. Altogether, our data point toward an imbalance in the E/I neurotransmission favouring inhibition in the pFC of ENU2 mice, along with alterations of the molecular components involved in the organization of cortical synapse. In addition to being the first evidence of E/I imbalance within cortical areas of a mouse model of PKU, our study provides further evidence of E/I imbalance in animal models of pathology associated with autism spectrum disorders

QRouteMe: A Multichannel Information System to Ensure Rich User-Experience in Exhibits and Museums

In this article the QRouteMe system is presented. QRouteMe is a multichannel information system built to ensure rich user experiences in exhibits and museums. The system starts from basic information about a particular exhibit or museum while delivering a wide user experience based on different distribution channels. The organization of the systems’ components allow to build different solutions that can be simultaneously delivered on different media. A wide range of media from touch-screen installations to portable devices like smartphones have been used. The used devices can communicate each others to increase the usability and the user experience for the visitors. Another important feature of the system is the definition of an inexpensive auto-localization system based on fiduciary marks distributed all around the building. In this article the system is presented from an architectural and functional point of view. A case study and analysis of experimental results are also provided in a real environment where the system was deployed

Can deep sub-wavelength cavities induce Amperean superconductivity in a 2D material?

Amperean superconductivity is an exotic phenomenon stemming from attractive effective electron-electron interactions (EEEIs) mediated by a transverse gauge field. Originally introduced in the context of quantum spin liquids and high-Tc superconductors, Amperean superconductivity has been recently proposed to occur at temperatures on the order of 1-20 K in two-dimensional, parabolic-band, electron gases embedded inside deep sub-wavelength optical cavities. In this work, we first generalize the microscopic theory of cavity-induced Amperean superconductivity to the case of graphene and then argue that this superconducting state cannot be achieved in the deep sub-wavelength regime. In the latter regime, indeed, a cavity induces only EEEIs between density fluctuations rather than the current-current interactions which are responsible for Amperean pairing.Comment: 25 pages. Replaced with a greatly modified version, with the addition of an entirely new Section. This new Section presents a Green's function approach to EEEIs that highlights the profound difference between planar optical cavities and sub-wavelength cavitie

QRouteMe: A Multichannel Information System to Ensure Rich User-Experiences in Exhibits and Museums, Journal of Telecommunications and Information Technology, 2012, nr 1

In this article the QRouteMe system is presented. QRouteMe is a multichannel information system built to ensure rich user experiences in exhibits and museums. The system starts from basic information about a particular exhibit or museum while delivering a wide user experience based on different distribution channels. The organization of the systems’ components allow to build different solutions that can be simultaneously delivered on different media. A wide range of media from touch-screen installations to portable devices like smartphones have been used. The used devices can communicate each others to increase the usability and the user experience for the visitors. Another important feature of the system is the definition of an inexpensive auto-localization system based on fiduciary marks distributed all around the building. In this article the system is presented from an architectural and functional point of view. A case study and analysis of experimental results are also provided in a real environment where the system was deployed

High Risk of Secondary Infections Following Thrombotic Complications in Patients With COVID-19

Background. This study’s primary aim was to evaluate the impact of thrombotic complications on the development of secondary infections. The secondary aim was to compare the etiology of secondary infections in patients with and without thrombotic complications. Methods. This was a cohort study (NCT04318366) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients hospitalized at IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital between February 25 and June 30, 2020. Incidence rates (IRs) were calculated by univariable Poisson regression as the number of cases per 1000 person-days of follow-up (PDFU) with 95% confidence intervals. The cumulative incidence functions of secondary infections according to thrombotic complications were compared with Gray’s method accounting for competing risk of death. A multivariable Fine-Gray model was applied to assess factors associated with risk of secondary infections. Results. Overall, 109/904 patients had 176 secondary infections (IR, 10.0; 95% CI, 8.8–11.5; per 1000-PDFU). The IRs of secondary infections among patients with or without thrombotic complications were 15.0 (95% CI, 10.7–21.0) and 9.3 (95% CI, 7.9–11.0) per 1000-PDFU, respectively (P = .017). At multivariable analysis, thrombotic complications were associated with the development of secondary infections (subdistribution hazard ratio, 1.788; 95% CI, 1.018–3.140; P = .043). The etiology of secondary infections was similar in patients with and without thrombotic complications. Conclusions. In patients with COVID-19, thrombotic complications were associated with a high risk of secondary infections

Adaptive voice interaction for 3D representation of Cultural Heritage site

In the area of cultural heritage preservation and fruition the development of electronics and information technologies has opened new scenarios of research in the field of survey, representation and communication of Cultural Heritage. The aim is thus to make the fruition of works of art available to as many users as possible by using survey techniques and multimodal interaction. In this paper we propose a multimodal fruition of a virtual representation of a medieval ceiling, built in the XIV century, which covers the "Sala Magna" in the Steri of Palermo. The research deals with the design of an intelligent relational agent which interacts with the user in a natural way. To address this very issue a vocal guide has been implemented and wrapped around on the 3D model. This guide assists the user during the visit by means of vocal interaction, so the user can easily navigate the 3D model using voice command. An intelligent relational agent embodied into the system, provides user with a more natural and intelligent way of interactio