524 research outputs found
Where do bright ideas occur in our brain? Meta-analytic evidence from neuroimaging studies of domain-specific creativity
Many studies have assessed the neural underpinnings of creativity, failing to find a clear anatomical localization. We aimed to provide evidence for a multi-componential neural system for creativity. We applied a general activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis to 45 fMRI studies. Three individual ALE analyses were performed to assess creativity in different cognitive domains (Musical, Verbal, and Visuo-spatial). The general ALE revealed that creativity relies on clusters of activations in the bilateral occipital, parietal, frontal, and temporal lobes. The individual ALE revealed different maximal activation in different domains. Musical creativity yields activations in the bilateral medial frontal gyrus, in the left cingulate gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule and in the right postcentral and fusiform gyri. Verbal creativity yields activations mainly located in the left hemisphere, in the prefrontal cortex, middle and superior temporal gyri, inferior parietal lobule, postcentral and supramarginal gyri, middle occipital gyrus, and insula. The right inferior frontal gyrus and the lingual gyrus were also activated. Visuo-spatial creativity activates the right middle and inferior frontal gyri, the bilateral thalamus and the left precentral gyrus. This evidence suggests that creativity relies on multi-componential neural networks and that different creativity domains depend on different brain regions
Poly(HPMA)-based copolymers with biodegradable side chains able to self assemble into nanoparticles
N-(2-Hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) is a water soluble monomer used in the synthesis of
biocompatible and non-immunogenic polymers. In particular, poly(HPMA) can be exploited to sterically
stabilize nanoparticles (NPs) suitable for the delivery of lipophilic therapeutics without the concerns
related to the use of the polyethylene glycol (PEG), such as allergic reactions and the accelerated blood
clearance effect. In addition, the use of the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of a lactone in the
presence of an initiator that bears a double bond and a hydroxyl group is a promising way (the so called
âmacromonomer methodâ) to produce oligoester-based monomers and, in turn, to obtain biodegradable
NPs via free radical polymerization. However, HPMA cannot be used as initiator being a secondary
alcohol and thus hampering the control over the polymer molecular weight (MW). For this reason, in this
work, a novel class of amphiphilic block copolymers that consists of a poly(HPMA) backbone and several
short oligo(3-caprolactone) side chains were produced via the adoption of the reversible additionâ
fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and the âinversionâ of the macromonomer method.
The oligoester was first synthesized via the ROP of 3-caprolactone in the presence of a primary alcohol
and then attached to HPMA using a succinic acid unit as spacer. The NPs obtained via the self-assembly
of these novel block copolymers are designed to degrade into completely water soluble poly(HPMA)
chains with a MW lower than the threshold value for the renal excretion. The cytotoxicity of these novel
carriers and their ability to load trabectedin, a hydrophobic anticancer therapeutic, were assessed
The Relationships between Cognitive Styles and Creativity: The Role of Field Dependence-Independence on Visual Creative Production
Previous studies explored the relationships between field dependent-independent cognitive
style (FDI) and creativity, providing misleading and unclear results. The present research explored
this problematic interplay through the lens of the Geneplore model, employing a product oriented
task: the Visual Creative Synthesis Task (VCST). The latter requires creating objects belonging
to pre-established categories, starting from triads of visual components and consists of two
steps: the preinventive phase and the inventive phase. Following the Amabileâs consensual assessment
technique, three independent judges evaluated preinventive structures in terms of originality
and synthesis whereas inventions were evaluated in terms of originality and appropriateness. The
Embedded Figure Test (EFT) was employed in order to measure the individualâs predisposition
toward the field dependence or the field independence. Sixty undergraduate college students (31
females) took part in the experiment. Results revealed that field independent individuals outperformed
field dependent ones in each of the four VCST scores, showing higher levels of creativity.
Results were discussed in light of the better predisposition of field independent individuals in mental
imagery, mental manipulation of abstract objects, as well as in using their knowledge during
complex tasks that require creativity. Future research directions were also discussed
The role of emotional landmarks in embodied and not-embodied tasks
The role of emotional landmarks in navigation has been scarcely studied. Previous findings
showed that valence and arousal of landmarks increase landmarkâs salience and improve performance
in navigational memory tasks. However, no study has directly explored the interplay between valence
and arousal of emotionally laden landmarks in embodied and not-embodied navigational tasks.
At the aim, 115 college students have been subdivided in five groups according to the landmarks
they were exposed (High Positive Landmarks HPL; Low Positive Landmarks LPL; High Negative
Landmarks HNL; Low Negative Landmarks LNL and Neutral Landmarks NeuL). In the embodied
tasks participants were asked to learn a path in a first-person perspective and to recall it after five
minutes, whereas in the not-embodied tasks participants were asked to track the learned path on
a silent map and to recognize landmarks among distractors. Results highlighted firstly the key role of
valence in the embodied task related to the immediate learning, but not to the delayed recall of the
path, probably because of the short retention interval used. Secondly, results showed the importance
of the interplay between valence and arousal in the non-embodied tasks, specifically, neutral and high
negative emotional landmarks yielded the lowest performance probably because of the avoidance
learning eect. Implications for future research directions are discussed
Low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women with type-2 diabetes: The prescriptive approach in the real world
Background: The long-Term efficacy of low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events in postmenopausal women with type-2 diabetes is controversial. Therefore, it is recommended only on an individual basis, recommendation of grade C. Methods: We enrolled 275 consecutive postmenopausal women with type-2 diabetes, without an increased bleeding risk and without preexisting CV disease as coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease, but with a high risk assessed by score >10%, aged 60-69 years. All were receiving aspirin (75-100 mg daily), aspirin group (AG). 170 postmenopausal women with type-2 diabetes and without preexisting cardiovascular (CV) disease, but not on aspirin treatment, despite a high risk assessed by score >10%, were control group (CG). Mean age was 66 ± 4 years for AG and 65 ± 7 years for CG. Our goal was to identify the prevalence of low-dose aspirin prescriptions in these populations according to different clinical conditions. Results: Women with only high risk were 41/275 (15%) on AG and 72/170 (42.3%) on CG, Chi-squared 41, Odds ratio 0.2, c.i. 95%, P < 0.0001. Women affected by metabolic syndrome were 105/275 (38.1%) on AG and 47/170 (27.6%) on CG, Chi-squared 5.1, Odds ratio 1.6, c.i. 95%, P < 0.02. Women affected by metabolic cardiomyopathy were 111/275 (40.3%) on AG and 44/170 (25.9%) on CG, Chi-squared 8, Odds ratio 1.8, c.i. 95%, P < 0.004. Women affected by diabetic cardiomyopathy were 18/275 (6.6%) on AG and 7/170 (4.2%) on CG, Chi-squared 1.2, Odds ratio 16, c.i. 95%, P < 0.2 n.s. Conclusions: Low-dose aspirin in our population is prescribed preferentially in postmenopausal women with type-2 diabetes when affected by metabolic syndrome or metabolic cardiomyopathy, at the opposite women with only high risk have lower chance to receive aspirin
The Contribution of Cognitive Factors to Compulsive Buying Behaviour: Insights from Shopping Habit Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic
The last decade has seen an increase in compulsive behaviours among young adults worldwide, particularly in 2020, during restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Importantly, even if shopping is an ordinary activity in everyday life, it can become a compulsive behaviour for certain individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of working memory and decision-making style in compulsive behaviour. A total of 105 participants (65 F, 40 M) were recruited online from May 2020 to December 2020. They completed a series of questionnaires to measure shopping compulsive behaviour, decision-making styles, deficits in working memory and online shopping habits. The results show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people spent much more time shopping online, made more purchases and spent more money than prior to the pandemic. Moreover, both higher working memory deficits and spontaneous decision-making style predicted a greater tendency to engage in compulsive buying. These results suggest the need to develop specific training programs to improve cognitive aspects related to compulsive shopping behaviour
GPS Digital Nudge to Limit Road Crashes in Non-Expert Drivers
Many automotive industries are developing technologies to assist human drivers in sug-gesting wiser choices to improve driversâ behaviour. The technology that makes use of this modality is defined as a âdigital nudgeâ. An example of a digital nudge is the GPS that is installed on smart-phones. Some studies have demonstrated that the use of GPS negatively affects environmental learning because of the transformation of some spatial skills. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the use of the GPS nudge and its relationship with spatial ability, together with its function in supporting the driving behaviour of non-expert drivers, in order to reduce the number of road crashes. A total of 88 non-expert drivers (M age = 21 years) filled in questionnaires and carried out tasks to measure spatial abilities, sense of direction, driver behaviour, and six different real-life driving scenarios. The results reveal that the higher the spatial skills are, the greater the GPS use is, and that drivers who use GPS improve their sense of direction. Moreover, people with high visuospatial abilities use GPS more extensively. Finally, young drivers do not consider the GPS aid to be useful when they have no time pressure. The results are discussed by taking into account the familiarity-and-spatial-ability model
Eating disorders: What age at onset?
Age at onset (AAO) of eating disorders has classically been described in adolescence. We analyzed data from 806 subjects with anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN) and performed a normal distribution admixture analysis to determine their AAO. No significant differences were found concerning the AAO functions of AN and BN subjects. Both groups had a mean AAO of about 18 years. Most of the subjects with AN (75.3%) and BN (83.3%) belonged to the early onset group. The definition of AAO for ED may be crucial for planning treatment modalities, with specific consideration of their clinical history and course
"Where am I?" A snapshot of the developmental topographical disorientation among young Italian adults
In the last decade, several cases affected by Developmental Topographical Disorientation (DTD) have been described. DTD consists of a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting the ability to orient in the environment despite well-preserved cognitive functions, and in the absence of a brain lesion or other neurological or psychiatric conditions. Described cases showed different impairments in navigational skills ranging from topographic memory deficits to landmark agnosia. All cases lacked a mental representation of the environment that would allow them to use high-order spatial orientation strategies. In addition to the single case studies, a group study performed in Canada showed that the disorder is more widespread than imagined. The present work intends to investigate the occurrence of the disorder in 1,698 young Italian participants. The sample is deliberately composed of individuals aged between 18 and 35 years to exclude people who could manifest the loss of the ability to navigate as a result of an onset of cognitive decline. The sample was collected between 2016 and 2019 using the Qualtrics platform, by which the Familiarity and Spatial Cognitive Style Scale and anamnestic interview were administered. The data showed that the disorder is present in 3% of the sample and that the sense of direction is closely related to town knowledge, navigational strategies adopted, and gender. In general, males use more complex navigational strategies than females, although DTD is more prevalent in males than in females, in line with the already described cases. Finally, the paper discusses which protective factors can reduce DTD onset and which intervention measures should be implemented to prevent the spread of navigational disorders, which severely impact individuals' autonomy and social relationships
Imaging spectroscopic performances for a Si based detection system
We present the imaging and spectroscopic capabilities of a system based on a single photon counting chip (PCC) bump-bonded on a Si pixel detector. The system measures the energy spectrum and the flux, produced by a standard mammographic tube. We have also made some images of low contrast details, achieving good results
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