Implicit and Explicit Routes to Recognize the Own Body: Evidence from Brain Damaged Patients

Much research suggested that recognizing our own body-parts and attributing a body-part to our physical self-likely involve distinct processes. Accordingly, facilitation for self-body-parts was found when an implicit, but not an explicit, self-recognition was required. Here, we assess whether implicit and explicit bodily self-recognition is mediated by different cerebral networks and can be selectively impaired after brain lesion. To this aim, right- (RBD) and left- (LBD) brain damaged patients and age-matched controls were presented with rotated pictures of either self- or other-people hands. In the Implicit task participants were submitted to hand laterality judgments. In the Explicit task they had to judge whether the hand belonged, or not, to them. In the Implicit task, controls and LBD patients, but not RBD patients, showed an advantage for self-body stimuli. In the Explicit task a disadvantage emerged for self-compared to others' body stimuli in controls as well as in patients. Moreover, when we directly compared the performance of patients and controls, we found RBD, but not LBD, patients to be impaired in both the implicit and explicit recognition of self-body-part stimuli. Conversely, no differences were found for others' body-part stimuli. Crucially, 40% RBD patients showed a selective deficit for implicit processing of self-body-part stimuli, whereas 27% of them showed a selective deficit in the explicit recognition of their own body. Additionally, we provide anatomical evidence revealing the neural basis of this dissociation. Based on both behavioral and anatomical data, we suggest that different areas of the right hemisphere underpin implicit and explicit self-body knowledge

The Neurobiology of Time Processing

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi affect total phenolics content and antioxidant activity in leaves of oak leaf lettuce varieties

Plant secondary metabolites are considered key bioactive compounds for a healthy diet. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may interact with host plant metabolism, inducing the accumulation of health-promoting phytochemicals and antioxidant molecules. Lettuce is a largely consumed vegetable, which may interact with AMF to alter its content of secondary metabolites and natural antioxidants molecules, as previously shown in cultivars belonging to var. capitata or var. longifolia. In this study, the effects of red and green leaf Lactuca sativa var. crispa inoculation with different AMF species, Rhizoglomus irregulare and Funneliformis mosseae, were investigated, by assessing the total phenolics and anthocyanins content, and the antioxidant activity of leaf tissue. A significant increase of antioxidant activity and of phenolics were observed in plants of both cultivars inoculated with R. irregulare, compared to non inoculated plants. Likewise, anthocyanins (in red leaf lettuce) were more abundant in inoculated plants than in controls. Altogether, the results indicate that R. irregulare strain showed a stronger ability than F. mosseae in affecting plant metabolism and that mycorrhizal inoculation may be used to enhance concentration of phenolics in leaf type lettuces, provided that a suitable AMF is selected

Agresto: A natural product from unripe grape

The interest aroused by consumers stimulated the development of an experimental project to produce a seasoning named “Agresto” in the specific area of Amiata Mountain with the aim of affirming the territorial specificities of a natural product derived from unripe grapes obtained from local grapevine varieties to enhance their use in gastronomy. With this project, we intended to adopt several strategies in the vineyard and in processing in order to obtain a final product from grapes cultivated by “organic farming” having sensory characteristics suitable for various types of dish combinations. For this purpose were chosen local varieties grown in the ampelographic collection located in Cinigiano (Gr) and the hybrid ‘Isabella’ from which were obtained three experimental Agresto. In several years (from 2010 to 2014) was also produced from ‘Sangiovese’ the “Traditional Agresto” according to an ancient recipe. Tue variety ‘Isabella’ is grown sporadically without pesticide treatments while the other varieties were cultivated according to the organic farming method. Moreover the Agresto is produced without alcoholic fermentation, so as the final product is free from methyl alcohol. Tue goal is to get to the production of a unique and genuine seasoning through natural methods and without preservatives. Tue main composition of different Agresto produced was determined as well as antioxidant activity and microbial analysis. Interesting sensory profiles were obtained using a parametric sheet specially adapted to this type of product. Tue traditional Agresto currently marketed in very modest amounts remains a niche product particularly required by Tuscany kitchen. It is believed that its use will expand providing more opportunities for the productive sector