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Emotional Blunting and Time Estimation in Depression
No full textBackground Various cognitive and emotional factors shape our perception of time. Notably, individuals experiencing depressive symptoms often report changes in their time perception, characterized by a phenomenon termed depressive time dilation, or a subjective slowing of temporal flow. However, research on this topic has yielded conflicting and inconclusive findings, leaving the mechanisms behind altered time perception in depression largely unknown. In this study, we aim to explore the neural dynamics underlying the influence of emotional experiences on time perception in relation to depressive symptomatology. Methods A total of 120 university students participated in a retrospective time estimation task after watching either sad or neutral emotion-eliciting videos. Moreover, participants’ electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded for the whole duration of the experiment by means of a high-density EEG cap. The severity of depressive symptoms was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Results Our findings revealed notable differences between individuals with depressive symptoms and healthy control individuals. Specifically, emotional modulation influenced time estimations exclusively in healthy control individuals. Moreover, individuals with depressive symptoms exhibited a significant relationship between beta band power and retrospective time estimations, specifically after watching the neutral video. Conclusions These results suggest that cognitive processes related to depression may disrupt the link between emotions and time perception. Overall, our study contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between emotional experience, cognitive processes, and time perception in individuals with depressive symptoms
Fed the same way? Exploring the influence of breastfeeding, weaning, and childhood diet on adult sex ratios through stable isotope analysis of incremental dentine in Medieval Tuscany, Italy (11th–15th c. CE)
No full text: In this paper we investigate whether infant and childhood feeding practices influenced the imbalanced adult sex ratio reported in medieval Europe from historical and osteological evidence. First, we examine hypotheses for the observed imbalanced sex ratios in Europe and the evidence presented to support these hypotheses. We then use stable isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N) of incremental dentine in 64 first molars from adults at three medieval sites (Aulla, Badia Pozzeveri, and Montescudaio) in north-western Tuscany (11th-15th c. CE) to investigate the timing and pattern of breastfeeding and weaning. Our results show that males were exclusively breastfed for a shorter period and were weaned earlier than females in all three samples (Aulla M: 2.2 yrs, F: 2.6 yrs; Badia Pozzeveri M: 2.3 yrs, F: 3.0 yrs; Montescudaio M: 2.2 yrs, F: 2.9 yrs). In addition, both males and females consumed an isotopically similar diet early in life with greater variability during the post-weaning years. We explore how gender differences in the social roles of young males and females may have influenced infant and childhood feeding practices. It appears that these practices did not significantly disadvantage young females. In addition, we do see evidence for changing patterns of breastfeeding and weaning over time
Estimates of a possible gap related to the energy equality for a class of non-Newtonian fluids
No full textThe paper is concerned with the 3D-initial value problem for power-law fluids with shear dependent viscosity in a spatially periodic domain. The goal is the construction of a weak solution enjoying an energy equality. The results hold assuming an initial data v_0 ∈ J^2(Ω) and for p∈(9/5,2). It is interesting to observe that the result is in complete agreement with the one known for the Navier-Stokes equations. Further, in both cases, the additional dissipation, which measures the possible gap with the classical energy equality, is only expressed in terms of energy quantities
Crossing Languages A Portuguese Case in Contemporary Literature A Conversation with João Reis
No full textA composite indicator framework integrating regulator perspectives for assessing water service quality
No full textThis study presents an innovative approach to assessing service quality in the water supply and wastewater treatment sectors, using directional Benefit-of-the-Doubt (BoD) models tailored to regulator needs. Unlike previous research, this work integrates the regulator preferences throughout the entire evaluation process, from selecting key performance metrics to determining reference weights and validating results through sensitivity analyses. A new index for the Assessment of the Quality of Services (AQS) was constructed using a set of indicators chosen by the regulator, ensuring a direct alignment with regulatory priorities. Additionally, the study examines the relationship between service quality and cost efficiency, the latter computed using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology, to address the inherent tension in the water sector between these often conflicting goals. By providing a comprehensive comparison of wholesale utilities’ performance, the findings highlight that cost efficiency and service quality do not always align. This underscores the need for a balanced regulatory approach that fosters service quality improvements while maintaining cost control, promoting sustainable and effective management of the sector
Semi-Synthetic H2S Releasing Compounds with Antioxidant and Vasorelaxant Properties
No full textHypertension represents a severe cardiovascular pathology linked to the increase in reactive oxygen species that impair blood vessel function. Herein, we report on the synthesis of hybrid compounds designed to release H2S and incorporate natural or semisynthetic scaffolds capable of activating the Nrf2 pathway. The molecular hybrids enable a multitarget approach concurrently inducing vasorelaxation upon H2S release and mitigating oxidative stress through Nrf2-dependent antioxidant responses via the upregulation of cytoprotective proteins, including HO-1. The itaconate derivative 8b displayed an optimal H2S release in both amperometric and cellular assays. In human aortic smooth muscle cells, compound 8b counteracted ROS production and cytotoxicity in H2O2-injured cells and led to the activation of potassium channels with consequent cell hyperpolarization and vasorelaxation, which was also observed in isolated rat aortic rings. Overall, our findings indicate that simultaneous Nrf2 activation and H2S release hold significant potential as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of hypertension
Diverging contaminant profiles and prokaryotic assemblages in Arctic and Antarctic lake sediment
No full textIntroduction: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and trace metals are increasingly recognized as critical drivers of ecological change in polar environments. However, their combined impact on sediment microbial communities remains largely unexplored.
Methods: We analyzed sediments from 12 high-latitude lakes and ponds, five from the Arctic (Svalbard) and seven from the Antarctic (South Shetland Islands/ Deception Island), to examine contaminant profiles (polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs] and trace metals) and prokaryotic community structure using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Finally, we assessed the associations between the identified communities and detected pollutants, and compared these associations across lakes and sites.
Results: The results revealed distinct chemical signatures between poles: Arctic sediments were mainly contaminated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑PAHs, 18.5–685.7 ppb; phenanthrene was the most abundant), whereas Antarctic sediments showed relatively higher concentrations of chlorobenzenes (∑CBs, 1.9–3.6 ppb) and polychlorinated biphenyls (∑PCBs, 0.9–1.4 ppb), with 2-methylnaphthalene as the most abundant PAH. Manganese was the most abundant metal in both regions, reaching 760 ppm in the Arctic, while elevated arsenic and lead characterized specific Antarctic sites. Amplicon sequencing identified five dominant phyla (i.e., Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria, and Desulfobacterota) with significant compositional shifts between poles.
Discussion: Notably, the distinct contaminant signatures between regions appeared to be associated with shifts in microbial community composition, suggesting that both the type and intensity of POP and metal exposure may influence bacterial diversity and ecological functions in polar lake sediments. These findings provide a robust baseline for Arctic–Antarctic comparisons, positioning polar lakes as sensitive sentinels of contaminant-driven ecological change. They also underscore the urgent need for functional studies and long-term monitoring to evaluate ecosystem resilience under accelerating climate change
Prompt-Based Consistent Video Colorization
No full textExisting video colorization methods struggle with temporal flickering or demand extensive manual input. We propose a novel approach automating high-fidelity video colorization using rich semantic guidance derived from language and segmentation. We employ a language-conditioned diffusion model to colorize grayscale frames. Guidance is provided via automatically generated object masks and textual prompts; our primary automatic method uses a generic prompt, achieving state-of-the-art results without specific color input. Temporal stability is achieved by warping color information from previous frames using optical flow (RAFT); a correction step detects and fixes inconsistencies introduced by warping. Evaluations on standard benchmarks (DAVIS30, VIDEVO20) show our method achieves state-of-the-art performance in colorization accuracy (PSNR) and visual realism (Colorfulness, CDC), demonstrating the efficacy of automated prompt-based guidance for consistent video colorization
Translation and validation of the Italian version of the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory-Eye (NPSI-Eye) questionnaire for evaluation of ocular neuropathic pain
No full textPurpose: The aim of the study was to translate the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory - Eye (NPSI-Eye) questionnaire into the Italian language and to validate its psychometric properties for assessing the neuropathic component of ocular pain in chronic eye pain patients. Methodology: The translation and validation process were conducted according to standardized methods for cross-cultural adaptation of psychometric tools. Patients presenting to the Ophthalmology Unit complaining of chronic ocular pain were enrolled and completed the questionnaire. Objective assessment of ocular surface dysfunction was performed. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were determined. Validity was assessed as face validity, construct validity (convergent and divergent validity) and criterion validity. Factor analysis was performed using Exploratory Factor Analysis. Results: The Italian version of the NPSI-Eye questionnaire showed optimal internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.889, p < 0.001) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.991, p < 0.001). Five of the ten symptom items were endorsed by at least 60%. There were moderate-to-high correlations between NPSI-Eye score and comparison pain questionnaires, and lower correlations with dry eye questionnaire scores, demonstrating good convergent and divergent validity. Concerning criterion validity, the questionnaire score showed significant positive correlation with dry eye discordance score (Spearman ρ = 0.530, p < 0.001), and the mean NPSI-Eye score was significantly higher in patients reporting no or partial analgesic response to anesthetic drop instillation (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The Italian version of the NPSI-Eye questionnaire proved to be a valid and reliable tool to measure neuropathic component of ocular pain. It demonstrated psychometric properties comparable to those of the original English instrument in a demographically and clinically distinct population. The NPSI-Eye can be used to assess and quantify distinct dimensions of ocular neuropathic pain across diverse patient groups, offering a standardized means of assessing this complex and often underrecognized pain phenotype
