Facing with Collaborative Robots : The Subjective Experience in Senior and Younger Workers

In the past few years, collaborative robots (i.e., cobots) have been largely adopted within industrial manufacturing. Although robots can support companies and workers in carrying out complex activities and improving productivity, human factors related to cobot operators have not yet been thoroughly investigated. The present study aims to understand the subjective experience of younger and senior workers interacting with an industrial collaborative robot. Results show that workers' acceptance of cobots is high, regardless of age and control modality used. Interesting differences between seniors and younger adults emerged in the evaluations of user experience, usability, and perceived workload of participants and are detailed and commented in the last part of the work.Peer reviewe

Action Shapes the Sense of Body Ownership Across Human Development

In this study we investigated, both in childhood and adulthood, the role of action in promoting and shaping the sense of body ownership, which is traditionally viewed as dependent on multisensory integration. By means of a novel action-based version of the rubber hand illusion (RHI), in which participants could actively self-stroke the rubber hand, with (Version 1) or without visual feedback (Version 2) of their own actions, we showed that self-generated actions promote the emergence of a sense of ownership over the rubber hand in children, while it interferes with the embodiment of the rubber hand in adults. When the movement is missing (Version 3, i.e., mere view of the rubber hand being stroked concurrently with one’s own hand), the pattern of results is reversed, with adults showing embodiment of the rubber hand, but children lacking to do so. Our novel findings reveal a dynamic and plastic contribution of the motor system to the emergence of a coherent bodily self, suggesting that the development of the sense of body ownership is shaped by motor experience, rather than being purely sensory

Expression of γ-globin genes in β-thalassemia patients treated with sirolimus: results from a pilot clinical trial (Sirthalaclin)

Introduction: β-thalassemia is caused by autosomal mutations in the β-globin gene, which induce the absence or low-level synthesis of β-globin in erythroid cells. It is widely accepted that a high production of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is beneficial for patients with β-thalassemia. Sirolimus, also known as rapamycin, is a lipophilic macrolide isolated from a strain of Streptomyces hygroscopicus that serves as a strong HbF inducer in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we report biochemical, molecular, and clinical results of a sirolimus-based NCT03877809 clinical trial (a personalized medicine approach for β-thalassemia transfusion-dependent patients: testing sirolimus in a first pilot clinical trial, Sirthalaclin). Methods: Accumulation of γ-globin mRNA was analyzed using reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while the hemoglobin pattern was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The immunophenotype was analyzed using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS), with antibodies against CD3, CD4, CD8, CD14, CD19, CD25 (for analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells), or CD71 and CD235a (for analysis of in vitro cultured erythroid precursors). Results: The results were obtained in eight patients with the β+/β+ and β+/β0 genotypes, who were treated with a starting dosage of 1 mg/day sirolimus for 24–48 weeks. The first finding of this study was that the expression of γ-globin mRNA increased in the blood and erythroid precursor cells isolated from β-thalassemia patients treated with low-dose sirolimus. This trial also led to the important finding that sirolimus influences erythropoiesis and reduces biochemical markers associated with ineffective erythropoiesis (excess free α-globin chains, bilirubin, soluble transferrin receptor, and ferritin). A decrease in the transfusion demand index was observed in most (7/8) of the patients. The drug was well tolerated, with minor effects on the immunophenotype, and an only side effect of frequently occurring stomatitis. Conclusion: The data obtained indicate that low doses of sirolimus modify hematopoiesis and induce increased expression of γ-globin genes in a subset of patients with β-thalassemia. Further clinical trials are warranted, possibly including testing of the drug in patients with less severe forms of the disease and exploring combination therapies. © The Author(s), 2022

Relationship between immune response to SARS-CoV2 vaccines and development of breakthrough infection in solid organ transplant recipients: the CONTRAST cohort

Background: SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in solid organ transplant (SOT) is associated with poorer antibody response (AbR) compared to non-SOT recipients. However, its impact on the risk of breakthrough infection (BI) should yet be assessed. Methods: Single-center prospective longitudinal cohort study enrolling adult SOT recipients who received SARS-CoV2 vaccination during 1-year period from February 2021, and followed-up to April 30th 2022. Patients were tested for AbR at multiple timepoints. Primary endpoint was BI (laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV2 infection ≥14 days after 2nd dose). Immunization (positive AbR) was considered an intermediate state between vaccination and BI. Probabilities of being in vaccination, immunization and BI states were obtained for each type of graft and vaccination sequence with multistate survival analysis, then multivariable logistic regression was performed to analyse the risk of BI in AbR levels. Results: 614 SOT (275 kidney, 163 liver, 137 heart, 39 lung) recipients were included. Most patients (84.7%) received three vaccine doses, the first two consisted of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 in 73.5% and 26.5% of cases, respectively; while at the third dose mRNA-1273 was administered in 59.8% of patients. Overall, 75.4% of patients reached immunization and 18.4% developed BI. Heart transplant recipients showed lowest probability of immunization (0.418) and highest of BI (0.323), all-mRNA-1273 vaccine-sequence showed higher probability of immunization (0.732) and lowest of BI (0.098). Risk of BI was higher for non-high-level AbR, younger age and shorter time from transplant. Conclusions: SOT patients with non-high-level AbR, shorter time from transplantation, and heart recipients are at highest risk of BI

I.S.Mu.L.T. Achilles Tendon Ruptures Guidelines

This work provides easily accessible guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of Achilles tendon ruptures. These guidelines could be considered as recommendations for good clinical practice developed through a process of systematic review of the literature and expert opinion, to improve the quality of care for the individual patient and rationalize the use of resources. This work is divided into two sessions: 1) questions about hot topics; 2) answers to the questions following Evidence Based Medicine principles. Despite the frequency of the pathology andthe high level of satisfaction achieved in treatment of Achilles tendon ruptures, a global consensus is lacking. In fact, there is not a uniform treatment and rehabilitation protocol used for Achilles tendon ruptures

Evaluation of the Kinetics of Antibody Response to COVID-19 Vaccine in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: The Prospective Multicenter ORCHESTRA Cohort

Previous studies assessing the antibody response (AbR) to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are limited by short follow-up, hampering the analysis of AbR kinetics. We present the ORCHESTRA SOT recipients cohort assessed for AbR at first dose (t0), second dose (t1), and within 3 ± 1 month (t2) after the first dose. We analyzed 1062 SOT patients (kidney, 63.7%; liver, 17.4%; heart, 16.7%; and lung, 2.5%) and 5045 health care workers (HCWs). The AbR rates in the SOTs and HCWs were 52.3% and 99.4%. The antibody levels were significantly higher in the HCWs than in the SOTs (p < 0.001). The kinetics showed an increase (p < 0.001) in antibody levels up to 76 days and a non-significant decrease after 118 days in the SOT recipients versus a decrease up to 76 days (p = 0.02) and a less pronounced decrease between 76 and 118 days (p = 0.04) in the HCWs. Upon multivariable analysis, liver transplant, ≥3 years from SOT, mRNA-1273, azathioprine, and longer time from t0 were associated with a positive AbR at t2. Older age, other comorbidities, mycophenolate, steroids, and impaired graft function were associated with lower AbR probability. Our results may be useful to optimize strategies of immune monitoring after COVID-19 vaccination and indications regarding timing for booster dosages calibrated on SOT patients’ characteristics.The ORCHESTRA project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 101016167Peer reviewe

Comparison between Culture Conditions Improving Growth and Differentiation of Blood and Bone Marrow Cells Committed to the Endothelial Cell Lineage

The aim of this study was to compare different cell sources and culture conditions to obtain endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) with predictable antigen pattern, proliferation potential and in vitro vasculogenesis. Pig mononuclear cells were isolated from blood (PBMCs) and bone marrow (BMMCs). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were also derived from pig bone marrow. Cells were cultured on fibronectin in the presence of a high concentration of VEGF and low IGF-1 and FGF-2 levels, or on gelatin with a lower amount of VEGF and higher IGF-1 and FGF-2 concentrations. Endothelial commitment was relieved in almost all PBMCs and BMMCs irrespective of the protocol used, whilst MSCs did not express a reliable pattern of EPC markers under these conditions. BMMCs were more prone to expand on gelatin and showed a better viability than PBMCs. Moreover, about 90% of the BMMCs pre-cultured on gelatin could adhere to a hyaluronan-based scaffold and proliferate on it up to 3 days. Pre-treatment of BMMCs on fibronectin generated well-shaped tubular structures on Matrigel, whilst BMMCs exposed to the gelatin culture condition were less prone to form vessel-like structures. MSCs formed rough tubule-like structures, irrespective of the differentiating condition used. In a relative short time, pig BMMCs could be expanded on gelatin better than PBMCs, in the presence of a low amount of VEGF. BMMCs could better specialize for capillary formation in the presence of fibronectin and an elevated concentration of VEGF, whilst pig MSCs anyway showed a limited capability to differentiate into the endothelial cell lineage