Eye Tracking Impact on Quality-of-Life of ALS Patients

Chronic neurological disorders in their advanced phase are characterized by a progressive loss of mobility (use of upper and lower limbs), speech and social life. Some of these pathologies, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis, are paradigmatic of these deficits. High technology communication instruments, such as eye tracking, can be an extremely important possibility to reintroduce these patients in their family and social life, in particular when they suffer severe disability. This paper reports and describes the results of an ongoing experimentation about Eye Tracking impact on the quality of life of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. The aim of the experimentation is to evaluate if and when eye tracking technologies have a positive impact on patients' live

ALS in Italian professional soccer players: the risk is still present and could be soccer-specific

We previously found an increased risk for ALS in Italian professional soccer players actively engaged between 1970 and 2001 (n=7325). The present study extends previous work with a prospective follow-up of the original cohort to 2006 and investigates the risk of ALS in two other cohorts of professional athletes, basketball players (n=1973) and road cyclists (n=1701). Standardized morbidity ratios (SMRs) were calculated. Among soccer players three new cases of ALS were identified, reaching a total of eight ALS cases (mean age of onset, 41.6 years). The number of expected cases was 1.24, with an SMR of 6.45 (95% CI 2.78-12.70; p5 years, for midfielders, and for players engaged after 1980. No basketball player and no cyclist developed ALS. This prospective extension of the Italian soccer players cohort survey confirms the highly significant risk of developing ALS, the young age of onset, the dose-effect risk and a predilection for midfielders. The absence of ALS cases in professional road cyclists and basketball players indicates that ALS is not related to physical activity per s

Role of environmental factors for the vertical distribution (0–1000 m) of marine bacterial communities in the NW Mediterranean Sea

Bacterioplankton plays a central role in energy and matter fluxes in the sea, yet the factors that constrain its variation in marine systems are still poorly understood. Here we use the explanatory power of direct multivariate gradient analysis to evaluate the driving forces exerted by environmental parameters on bacterial community distribution in the water column. We gathered and analysed data from a one month sampling period from the surface to 1000 m depth at the JGOFS-DYFAMED station (NW Mediterranean Sea). This station is characterized by very poor horizontal advection currents which makes it an ideal model to test hypotheses on the causes of vertical stratification of bacterial communities. Capillary electrophoresis single strand conformation polymorphism (CE-SSCP) fingerprinting profiles analyzed using multivariate statistical methods demonstrated a vertical zonation of bacterial assemblages in three layers, above, in or just below the chlorophyll maximum and deeper, that remained stable during the entire sampling period. Through the use of direct gradient multivariate ordination analyses we demonstrate that a complex array of biogeochemical parameters is the driving force behind bacterial community structure shifts in the water column. Physico-chemical parameters such as phosphate, nitrate, salinity and to a lesser extent temperature, oxygen, dissolved organic carbon and photosynthetically active radiation acted in synergy to explain bacterial assemblages changes with depth. Analysis of lipid biomarkers of organic matter sources and fates suggested that bacterial community structure in the surface layers was in part explained by lipids of chloroplast origin. Further detailed analysis of pigment-based phytoplankton diversity gave evidence of a compartmentalized influence of several phytoplankton groups on bacterial community structure in the first 150 m depth

Petrology and tectonic evolution of late Paleozoic mafic-ultramafic sequences and the Leones Pluton of the Eastern Andean Metamorphic Complex (46-47°S), southern Chile

The metamorphosed mafic-ultramafic sequences of the Eastern Andean Metamorphic Complex outcropping in the Patagonian Andes are critical to disclose the late Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the southwestern margin of Gondwana. In the study area, mafic-ultramafic bodies are thrusted onto polydeformed metasedimentary rocks and intruded by the mid-Carboniferous composite Leones Pluton. The metabasalts (mostly tremolite-chlorite schists and amphibolites) show N-MORB and BABB chemical affinities pointing that formed part of an oceanic crustal section with components of the marginal basin, emplaced after the main pulse of Devonian arc magmatism, possibly in a retreating convergent margin. Interleaved serpentinites consist of serpentine polymorphs (antigorite, lizardite, and late chrysotile) and magnetite, with variably distributed minor amounts of chlorite, tremolite, and traces of ilmenite. Serpentinites have high Cr, Ni, Ti, and Yb contents, and show slightly enriched LREE and flat HREE patterns with a noticeable Eu positive anomaly. Mineralogical and geochemical features indicate that olivine-rich clinopyroxene-spinel-bearing peridotites were metamorphosed in a newly formed east-dipping subduction zone. The closure of the marginal basin continued with the tectonic underthrusting and tectonic juxtaposition of mafic-ultramafic rocks within an accretionary wedge. The tectonic cycle of the oceanic basin finished with the intrusion of mid-Carboniferous subduction-related plutons and pluton-driven thermal metamorphism.Fil: Rojo, D.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentina. Universidad Arturo Prat; ChileFil: Calderón, M.. Universidad Andrés Bello; ChileFil: Hervé, F.. Universidad Andrés Bello; ChileFil: Díaz, J.. Universidad Andrés Bello; ChileFil: Quezada, P.. Universidade Federal do Paraná; Brasil. Universidad de Aysén; ChileFil: Suárez, Rodrigo Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Ghiglione, Matias. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Fuentes, F.. Universidad Mayor; ChileFil: Theye, T.. Universität Stuttgart; AlemaniaFil: Cataldo, J.. Universidad Andrés Bello; ChileFil: Sándoval, J.. Universidad Andrés Bello; ChileFil: Viefhaus, T.. Universität Stuttgart; Alemani

Early skewed differentiation and PD-1 expression in CD4+ cells relate to immune dysfunction and viral persistence in individuals living with HIV 1 year post-cART initiation

Achieving HIV functional cure is a priority. Strategies such as adoptive cell transfer have been assayed, without success yet mainly due to immune dysfunctions observed among individuals. Samples from 25 HIV+ subjects were collected at diagnosis (baseline sample, BSL) and one year post-cART initiation (post- cART ). At BSL, bulk and HIV-specific CD4 phenotype (CD45RO , CCR 7, CD95 and PD1 expression) was assessed by flow cytometry after a short stimulation with HIV peptides. Also, proportion of CD4+/HLA-DR+/ CD38+ cells was measured. At post-cART , HIV-specific CD8TC s were obtained after 2-week expansion with peptides. Phenotype and antiviral activity (VIA and VITA L assays) were evaluated post-expansion. Plasma CXCL10 (IP-10) was assessed by ELISA. Cell-associated HIV DNA (total and integrated) and unspliced (US) and multiply-spliced (MS) RNA were quantified by real-time PCR. Non-parametric statistics were applied. Early CD4TC exhaustion, elevated activation and inadequate differentiation seem to be associated with viral persistence, inflammation, as well as with the phenotype and antiviral capacity of HIV-specific CD8TC s that persist one year after cART is initiated. These parameters could serve as predictors of CD8TC function on treated subjects.Fil: Salido, Jimena Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Czernikier, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Trifone, César Ariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Figueroa, M. I.. Fundación Huésped; ArgentinaFil: Salomon, Horacio Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Cahn, P.. Fundación Huésped; ArgentinaFil: Sued, O.. Fundación Huésped; ArgentinaFil: Laufer, Natalia Lorna. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Juan A. Fernández"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Ghiglione, Yanina Alexandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Turk, Gabriela Julia Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; Argentin

Sedimentological imprint on subseafloor microbial communities in Western Mediterranean Sea Quaternary sediments

An interdisciplinary study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between geological and paleoenvironmental parameters and the bacterial and archaeal community structure of two contrasting subseafloor sites in the Western Mediterranean Sea (Ligurian Sea and Gulf of Lion). Both depositional environments in this area are well-documented from paleoclimatic and paleooceanographic point of views. Available data sets allowed us to calibrate the investigated cores with reference and dated cores previously collected in the same area, and notably correlated to Quaternary climate variations. DNA-based fingerprints showed that the archaeal diversity was composed by one group, Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group (MCG), within the Gulf of Lion sediments and of nine different lineages (dominated by MCG, South African Gold Mine Euryarchaeotal Group (SAGMEG) and <i>Halobacteria</i>) within the Ligurian Sea sediments. Bacterial molecular diversity at both sites revealed mostly the presence of the classes <i>Alphaproteobacteria</i>, <i>Betaproteobacteria</i> and <i>Gammaproteobacteria</i> within <i>Proteobacteria</i> phylum, and also members of <i>Bacteroidetes</i> phylum. The second most abundant lineages were <i>Actinobacteria</i> and <i>Firmicutes</i> at the Gulf of Lion site and <i>Chloroflexi</i> at the Ligurian Sea site. Various substrates and cultivation conditions allowed us to isolate 75 strains belonging to four lineages: <i>Alpha-</i>, <i>Gammaproteobacteria</i>, <i>Firmicutes</i> and <i>Actinobacteria</i>. In molecular surveys, the <i>Betaproteobacteria</i> group was consistently detected in the Ligurian Sea sediments, characterized by a heterolithic facies with numerous turbidites from a deep-sea <i>levee</i>. Analysis of relative betaproteobacterial abundances and turbidite frequency suggested that the microbial diversity was a result of main climatic changes occurring during the last 20 ka. Statistical direct multivariate canonical correspondence analyses (CCA) showed that the availability of electron acceptors and the quality of electron donors (indicated by age) strongly influenced the community structure. In contrast, within the Gulf of Lion core, characterized by a homogeneous lithological structure of upper-slope environment, most detected groups were <i>Bacteroidetes</i> and, to a lesser extent, <i>Betaproteobacteria</i>. At both site, the detection of <i>Betaproteobacteria</i> coincided with increased terrestrial inputs, as confirmed by the geochemical measurements (Si, Sr, Ti and Ca). In the Gulf of Lion, geochemical parameters were also found to drive microbial community composition. Taken together, our data suggest that the palaeoenvironmental history of erosion and deposition recorded in the Western Mediterranean Sea sediments has left its imprint on the sedimentological context for microbial habitability, and then indirectly on structure and composition of the microbial communities during the late Quaternary

Learning to teach data journalism: Innovation, influence and constraints

Journalism education has tended to respond slowly to developments in digital journalism, such as data journalism, despite or because of close links with the industry. This paper examines the obstacles to innovation in journalism education with particular reference to data journalism, drawing on the literature, a review of stakeholders and course documents, and the author’s reflections on developing a data journalism module as part of a new MA programme. It highlights the complexities linked to the particular demands of data journalism, and identifies critical issues around student satisfaction; reputation and job/career outcomes; relevance, currency and appeal; programme management; and coherence. Rather than holding it back, more specialized socialization could assist journalism education to innovate effectively, the author suggests

A Dynamic Interplay of Circulating Extracellular Vesicles and Galectin-1 Reprograms Viral Latency during HIV-1 Infection

Combined Antiretroviral therapy (cART) suppresses HIV replication but fails to eradicate the virus, which persists in a small pool of long-lived latently infected cells. Immune activation and residual inflammation during cART are considered to contribute to viral persistence. Galectins, a family of b-galactoside-binding proteins, play central roles in host-pathogen interactions and inflammatory responses. Depending on their structure, glycan binding specificities and/or formation of distinct multivalent signaling complexes, different members of this family can complement, synergize, or oppose the function of others. Here, we identify a regulatory circuit, mediated by galectin-1 (Gal-1)–glycan interactions, that promotes reversal of HIV-1 latency in infected T cells. We found elevated levels of circulating Gal-1 in plasma from HIV-1-infected individuals, which correlated both with inflammatory markers and the transcriptional activity of the reservoir, as determined by unspliced-RNA (US-RNA) copy number. Proinflammatory extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from the plasma of HIV-infected individuals induced Gal-1 secretion by macrophages. Extracellularly, Gal-1 interacted with latently infected resting primary CD41 T cells and J-LAT cells in a glycan-dependent manner and reversed HIV latency via activation of the nuclear factor kB (NF-kB). Furthermore, CD41 T cells isolated from HIV-infected individuals showed increased HIV-1 transcriptional activity when exposed to Gal-1. Thus, by modulating reservoir dynamics, EV-driven Gal-1 secretion by macrophages links inflammation with HIV-1 persistence in cART-treated individuals. IMPORTANCE Antiretroviral therapy has led to a dramatic reduction in HIV-related morbidity and mortality. However, cART does not eradicate the virus, which persists in resting CD41 T cells as the main viral reservoir, consequently requiring lifelong treatment. A major question is how the functional status of the immune system during antiretroviral therapy determines the activity and size of the viral reservoir. In this study, we identified a central role for galectin-1 (Gal-1), a glycan-binding protein released in response to extracellular vesicles (EVs), in modulating the activity of HIV reservoir, thus shaping chronic immune activation in HIV-infected patients. Our work unveils a central role of Gal-1 in linking chronic immune activation and reservoir dynamics, highlighting new therapeutic opportunities in HIV infection.Fil: Rubione, Julia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Pérez, Paula Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Czernikier, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Duette, Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Pereyra Gerber, Federico Pehuén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Salido, Jimena Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Fabiano, Martina P.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Ghiglione, Yanina Alexandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Turk, Gabriela Julia Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Laufer, Natalia Lorna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Cagnoni, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Pérez Sáez, Juan Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Merlo, Joaquín Pedro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Pascuale, Carla Antonela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Stupirski, Juan Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Sued, Omar Gustavo. Fundación Huésped; ArgentinaFil: Varas Godoy, Manuel. Universidad San Sebastián; ChileFil: Lewin, Sharon R.. Monash University; Australia. University of Melbourne; AustraliaFil: Mariño, Karina Valeria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Ostrowski, Matias. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; Argentin

The Tara Pacific expedition—A pan-ecosystemic approach of the “-omics” complexity of coral reef holobionts across the Pacific Ocean

Coral reefs are the most diverse habitats in the marine realm. Their productivity, structural complexity, and biodiversity critically depend on ecosystem services provided by corals that are threatened because of climate change effects—in particular, ocean warming and acidification. The coral holobiont is composed of the coral animal host, endosymbiotic dinoflagellates, associated viruses, bacteria, and other microeukaryotes. In particular, the mandatory photosymbiosis with microalgae of the family Symbiodiniaceae and its consequences on the evolution, physiology, and stress resilience of the coral holobiont have yet to be fully elucidated. The functioning of the holobiont as a whole is largely unknown, although bacteria and viruses are presumed to play roles in metabolic interactions, immunity, and stress tolerance. In the context of climate change and anthropogenic threats on coral reef ecosystems, the Tara Pacific project aims to provide a baseline of the “-omics” complexity of the coral holobiont and its ecosystem across the Pacific Ocean and for various oceanographically distinct defined areas. Inspired by the previous Tara Oceans expeditions, the Tara Pacific expedition (2016–2018) has applied a pan-ecosystemic approach on coral reefs throughout the Pacific Ocean, drawing an east–west transect from Panama to Papua New Guinea and a south–north transect from Australia to Japan, sampling corals throughout 32 island systems with local replicates. Tara Pacific has developed and applied state-of-the-art technologies in very-high-throughput genetic sequencing and molecular analysis to reveal the entire microbial and chemical diversity as well as functional traits associated with coral holobionts, together with various measures on environmental forcing. This ambitious project aims at revealing a massive amount of novel biodiversity, shedding light on the complex links between genomes, transcriptomes, metabolomes, organisms, and ecosystem functions in coral reefs and providing a reference of the biological state of modern coral reefs in the Anthropocene