Narrativas en Internet. El caso de influencers en Instagram y YouTube: entre el mercado y las hegemonías alternativas

El eje de esta ponencia es reflexionar en torno a las lógicas narrativas que se visibilizan en Internet recuperando los casos de los llamados influencers en redes sociales online como Instagram y YouTube. Consideramos que los influencers se constituyen como formadores de opinión en estas redes sociales, ya que instalan pautas de consumo y establecen temas de conversación. Algunas de estas figuras son contratadas por empresas de servicios o de fabricación de indumentarias, juguetes, juegos como modelos de sus marcas; mientras que otras se legitiman como referentes de temas socio-políticos. Por eso, planteamos las tensiones entre las lógicas del Mercado y las lógicas de la construcción de hegemonías alternativas que emergen en las prácticas de los influencers. También analizamos las estéticas y narrativas presentes en las producciones de esos influencers vinculadas a las lógicas de Internet, que se articulan con nuevos modos de producción de lo cultural-artístico.Facultad de Periodismo y Comunicación Social (FPyCS

Narrativas en Internet. El caso de influencers en Instagram y YouTube: entre el mercado y las hegemonías alternativas

El eje de esta ponencia es reflexionar en torno a las lógicas narrativas que se visibilizan en Internet recuperando los casos de los llamados influencers en redes sociales online como Instagram y YouTube. Consideramos que los influencers se constituyen como formadores de opinión en estas redes sociales, ya que instalan pautas de consumo y establecen temas de conversación. Algunas de estas figuras son contratadas por empresas de servicios o de fabricación de indumentarias, juguetes, juegos como modelos de sus marcas; mientras que otras se legitiman como referentes de temas socio-políticos. Por eso, planteamos las tensiones entre las lógicas del Mercado y las lógicas de la construcción de hegemonías alternativas que emergen en las prácticas de los influencers. También analizamos las estéticas y narrativas presentes en las producciones de esos influencers vinculadas a las lógicas de Internet, que se articulan con nuevos modos de producción de lo cultural-artístico.Facultad de Periodismo y Comunicación Social (FPyCS

Narrativas en Internet. El caso de influencers en Instagram y YouTube: entre el mercado y las hegemonías alternativas

El eje de esta ponencia es reflexionar en torno a las lógicas narrativas que se visibilizan en Internet recuperando los casos de los llamados influencers en redes sociales online como Instagram y YouTube. Consideramos que los influencers se constituyen como formadores de opinión en estas redes sociales, ya que instalan pautas de consumo y establecen temas de conversación. Algunas de estas figuras son contratadas por empresas de servicios o de fabricación de indumentarias, juguetes, juegos como modelos de sus marcas; mientras que otras se legitiman como referentes de temas socio-políticos. Por eso, planteamos las tensiones entre las lógicas del Mercado y las lógicas de la construcción de hegemonías alternativas que emergen en las prácticas de los influencers. También analizamos las estéticas y narrativas presentes en las producciones de esos influencers vinculadas a las lógicas de Internet, que se articulan con nuevos modos de producción de lo cultural-artístico.Facultad de Periodismo y Comunicación Social (FPyCS

Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) Reactivation in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: A Brief Narrative Review

Systemic or pulmonary reactivations of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) have been reported in critically ill patients with COVID-19, posing a dilemma for clinicians in terms of their diagnostic and clinical relevance. Prevalence of HSV-1 reactivation may be as high as > 40% in this population, but with large heterogeneity across studies, likely reflecting the different samples and/or cut-offs for defining reactivation. There is frequently agreement on the clinical significance of HSV-1 reactivation in the presence of severe manifestations clearly attributable to the virus. However, the clinical implications of HSV-1 reactivations in the absence of manifest signs and symptoms remain controversial. Our review aims at providing immunological background and at reviewing clinical findings on HSV-1 reactivations in critically ill patients with COVID-19

Comparative Analysis of Five Multiplex RT-PCR Assays in the Screening of SARS-CoV-2 Variants

The rapid and presumptive detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants may be performed using multiplex RT-PCR assays. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of five qualitative RT-PCR tests as compared with next-generation sequencing (NGS). We retrospectively examined a multi-variant panel (n = 72) of SARS-CoV-2-positive nasopharyngeal swabs categorized as variants of concern (Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta), variants under monitoring (Iota and Kappa) and wild-type strains circulating in Liguria (Italy) from January to August 2021. First, NGS libraries of study samples were prepared and mapped to the reference genome. Then, specimens were screened for the detection of L452R, W152C, K417T, K417N, E484Q, E484K and N501Y mutations using the SARS-CoV-2 Variants II Assay Allplex, UltraGene Assay SARS-CoV-2 452R & 484K & 484Q Mutations V1, COVID-19 Ultra Variant Catcher, SARS-CoV-2 Extended ELITe MGB and Simplexa SARS-CoV-2 Variants Direct. The overall accuracy of these assays ranged from 96.9% to 100%. Specificity and sensitivity were 100% and 96-100%, respectively. We highly recommend the use of these assays as second-level tests in the routine workflow of SARS-CoV-2 laboratory diagnostics, as they are accurate, user friendly, low cost, may identify specific mutations in about 2-3 h and, therefore, optimize the surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants

Detection of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus in a patient travelling from Shanghai to Italy in July 2018: an uncommon clinical presentation in a non-seasonal period

Influenza is one of the most common infectious diseases in travellers, especially in those returning from subtropical and tropical regions.In late June 2018 an influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus infection was diagnosed in a 36-years-old man, returned from a travel in Shanghai and hospitalized at the Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy, with a diagnosis of fever and an uncommon clinical presentation characterised by a persistent leukopenia. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a closeness with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 strains circulating in the US in May-June 2018.Prompt recognition of influenza infection led to a proper case management, demonstrating the crucial role of the continuous influenza surveillance programme

Prevalence of resistance-associated substitutions to NS3, NS5A and NS5B inhibitors at DAA-failure in hepatitis C virus in Italy from 2015 to 2019

: Despite the high efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), the selection of resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) after virological failure of hepatitis C virus (HCV) DAAs can impair the cure of chronic HCV. The aim of the study was to characterize RASs after virological failure of DAAs in Italy over the years. Within the Italian network VIRONET-C, the change in prevalence of NS3/4A-NS5A-NS5B RASs was retrospectively evaluated in patients who failed a DAA regimen over the years 2015-2019. NS3, NS5A and NS5B Sanger sequencing was performed using homemade protocols and the geno2pheno system was used to define HCV-genotype/subtype and predict drug resistance. The changes in the prevalence of RASs over time were evaluated using the chi-square test for trend. Predictors of RASs at failure were analysed by logistic regression. Among 468 HCV-infected patients, HCV genotype 1 was the most prevalent (1b in 154, 33% and 1a in 109, 23%). DAA regimens were: ledipasvir (LDV)/sofosbuvir (SOF) in 131 patients (28%), daclatasvir (DCV)/SOF in 109 (23%), ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir+dasabuvir (3D) in 89 (19%), elbasvir (EBR)/grazoprevir (GRZ) in 52 (10.5%), velpatasvir (VEL)/SOF in 53 (11%), glecaprevir (GLE)/pibrentasvir (PIB) in 27 (6%) and ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (2D) in 7 (1.5%); ribavirin was administered in 133 (28%). The NS5A fasta sequence was available for all patients, NS5B and NS3/4A both for 93%. The prevalence of NS5A and NS3/4A RASs significantly declined from 2015 to 2019; NS5B RAS remained stable. Independent predictors of any RASs included older age and genotype 1a (vs G2 and vs G4). Notably, at least partial susceptibility to all the agents included in the GLE/PIB and VEL/SOF/Voxilaprevir (VOX) combinations was predicted in >95% of cases. As RASs remain common at the failure of DAAs, their identification could play a crucial role in optimizing re-treatment strategies. In Italy RAS prevalence has been decreasing over the years and susceptibility to the latest developed drug combinations is maintained in most cases

Study of weighted fusion methods for the measurement of surface geometry

Four types of weighted fusion methods, including pixel-level, least-squares, parametrical and non-parametrical, have been classified and theoretically analysed in this study. In particular, the uncertainty propagation of the weighted least-squares fusion was analysed and its relation to the Kalman filter was studied. In cooperation with different fitting models, these four weighted fusion methods can be applied to a range of measurement challenges. The experimental results of this study show that the four weighted fusion methods compose a computationally efficient and reliable system for multi-sensor measurement problems, especially for freeform surface measurement. A comparison of weighted fusion with residual approximation-based fusion has also been conducted by providing the input datasets with different noise levels and sample sizes. The results demonstrated that weighted fusion and residual approximation-based fusion are complementary approaches applicable to most fusion scenarios

No evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome in five Italian hospitals from 1st November 2019 to 29th February 2020

Background On 9th January 2020, China CDC reported a novel coronavirus (later named SARS-CoV-2) as the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Identifying the first appearance of virus is of epidemiological importance to tracking and mapping the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in a country. We therefore conducted a retrospective observational study to detect SARS-CoV-2 in oropharyngeal samples collected from hospitalized patients with a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) enrolled in the DRIVE (Development of Robust and Innovative Vaccine Effectiveness) study in five Italian hospitals (CIRI-IT BIVE hospitals network) (1st November 2019 – 29th February 2020). Objectives To acquire new information on the real trend in SARS-CoV-2 infection during pandemic phase I and to determine the possible early appearance of the virus in Italy. Materials and methods Samples were tested for influenza [RT-PCR assay (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B/Yam, B/Vic)] in accordance with the DRIVE study protocol. Subsequently, swabs underwent molecular testing for SARS-COV-2. [one-step real-time multiplex retro-transcription (RT) PCR]. Results In the 1683 samples collected, no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 was found. Moreover, 28.3% (477/1683) of swabs were positive for influenza viruses, the majority being type A (358 vs 119 type B). A/H3N2 was predominant among influenza A viruses (55%); among influenza B viruses, B/Victoria was prevalent. The highest influenza incidence rate was reported in patients aged 0–17 years (40.3%) followed by those aged 18–64 years (24.4%) and ≥65 years (14.8%). Conclusions In Italy, some studies have shown the early circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in northern regions, those most severely affected during phase I of the pandemic. In central and southern regions, by contrast no early circulation of the virus was registered. These results are in line with ours. These findings highlight the need to continue to carry out retrospective studies, in order to understand the epidemiology of the novel coronavirus, to better identify the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in comparison with other acute respiratory illnesses (ARI), and to evaluate the real burden of COVID-19 on the healthcare system