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Animating Learning: Effects of AI-Based 3D Visual Feedback on Tackling Skill Acquisition, Motivation, and Performance in Youth Soccer
No full textPurpose: The integration of visual feedback (VFB) has become essential in physical education (PE), particularly with the
emergence in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. However, tackling techniques in youth soccer training have received
limited empirical attention, even though they represent a complex and high-risk defensive skill. The purpose of the study
was to analyse the effects of AI-enhanced VFB, using 3D animated motion capture, on the acquisition of tackling skills among
youth soccer players.
Methods: Twenty-three participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG; n = 12), utilizing AI-animated
VFB, or to a control group (CG; n = 11) which received only verbal feedback. Technical performance was evaluated through
four validated success criteria at the 1st, 6th, and 12th training lessons, while biomechanical efficiency was measured by
comparing the trunk-leg angle to a model angle (167.3°). Motivation was evaluated using the Situational Motivation Scale.
Results: The findings show that the EG achieved a significantly greater improvement in technical performance (+179%)
compared to the CG (+96%), with very marked effects for leg-knee positioning (Criteria 3) and ball contact (Criteria 4).
The leg-trunk angle of the EG also improved significantly (+23.84%), approaching the expert model, while the CG showed
only a modest increase (+9.63%). Furthermore, intrinsic motivation increased significantly in the EG (P = .001; d = 1.44),
accompanied by a significant reduction in amotivation (P = .004; d = 1.07).
Conclusions: The AI-enhanced VFB allowed players to analyse their performance through 3D animations, facilitating skill
improvement. These findings highlight the potential of AI-driven visual feedback in sports training, through further research
needed to optimize its application in skill acquisition
Motivation and Academic Success in Tertiary Education: A Scoping Review on European Countries
No full textThe motivations that push young people to enrol in tertiary education have been long analysed, and many studies have tested the association between motivations and academic success. The paper aimed to systematically review these studies and summarise their findings regarding (1) how motivation is conceptualised, (2) how academic success is measured, and (3) the association between motivation and academic success. We selected 13 studies. The comparison of their findings suggested that most studies measured motivation based on the Academic Motivation Scale, still with some differences, that is, some identified motivational profiles while the others distinguished among intrinsic, extrinsic and lack of motivation. Academic success was mainly measured using performance during the academic year, while it was rarely inferred from the completion of the path. Finally, most studies found a positive and statistically significant association between academic success and intrinsic motivation, while results on extrinsic motivation were mixed and inconclusive
An Unusual Case of Listeria monocytogenes-Associated Rhombencephalitis Complicated by Brain Abscesses in Italy, 2024
No full textBackground/Objectives: Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is an extremely rare cause of brain abscesses, accounting for 1–10% of neurolisteriosis cases reported in the literature, associated with high mortality (approximately 23%). Data on diagnosis, management, and treatment is scarce. We report a case of listerial brain abscesses in an elderly patient in Italy who experienced progressively worsening bilateral ptosis. Methods: Diagnostic evaluation included neuroimaging, blood cultures, and microbiological investigations, followed by antimicrobial treatment according to available evidence. The isolated Lm strain underwent whole genome sequencing. Dietary history was also collected. Results: Positive early blood cultures were pivotal in identifying Lm as the aetiological agent. Neuroimaging revealed brain abscesses consistent with neurolisteriosis. The clinical course was complicated by pneumonia and opportunistic co-infecting pathogens, and despite adequate treatment according to the available literature, the outcome was fatal. Genomic characterisation revealed that the patient was infected with an strain belonged to the sequence type 206 and clonal complex 14, described as hypervirulent. The patient reported consuming several foods known to be associated with an increased risk of listeriosis. Conclusions: This case highlights the challenges involved in diagnosing and managing listerial brain abscesses, particularly in elderly patients. Even when the primary central nervous system infection is under control, the prognosis may be significantly impacted by comorbid conditions and hospital-related complications rather than the infection itself. Our findings underscore the need for improved preventive strategies and targeted risk communication regarding high-risk foods, particularly among elderly populations
LINKING HISTONE LACTYLATION TO THE EPIGENETIC REPROGRAMMING OF CD4+ T REGULATORY LYMPHOCYTES IN THE TUMOR ECOSYSTEM
No full textTumor infiltrating regulatory T cells (TI-Tregs) exhibit a complex interplay with various cell types, including tumor cells, immune cells, and stromal cells thereby promoting tumor growth and invasion. TI-Treg are transcriptionally and epigenetically adapted to the hostile tumor microenvironment (TME), which is characterized by nutrient- deprivation, hypoxic conditions and accumulation of lactic acid. Here we describe our findings on epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming of TI-Treg, mediated by lactic acid which fuels their suppressive function. Using integrated single-cell RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics datasets, we first correlated the expression of lactate metabolism–related genes in TI-Tregs with highly glycolytic and hypoxic regions of colorectal cancer. We then demonstrated that Tregs maintained strong suppressive activity under glucose-restricted, lactic-acid rich environments, which correlates with a global increase in protein lactylation signal in TI-Tregs isolated from human colorectal and breast tumors and is further enhanced by concomitant exposure to hypoxia. Since we are particularly interested in the role of histone lactylation in Treg cells epigenetic rewiring, we performed comprehensive post-translational modification mass spectrometry (PTM-MS) experiments and discovered three previously undescribed key lactylated histone lysine residues, H3K122la, H4K91la and H2AK9la induced by TME- like cues. To further explore their functional relevance, we are generating monoclonal antibodies against these lactylated lysine residues. Consistent with our hypothesis, ChIP-seq analyses revealed precise deposition of histone lactylation around transcription start sites (TSS) of Treg genes involved in synergistic transcriptional responses to lactic acid and hypoxia, thereby linking lactylation with gene activation in Tregs for the first time. Overall, these findings suggest histone lactylation as a key mechanism underlying TI-Tregs adaptation to the TME. Ongoing mechanistic studies of lactylation are expected to uncover novel therapeutic opportunities to dampen Treg suppressive activity through metabolic and epigenetic modulation
CHANGES IN VE/VCO2 SLOPE OVER TIME IN LVAD RECIPIENTS
No full textAbstract
Background: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is essential in the evaluation of patients with heart failure (HF), including left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) recipients. Peak oxygen uptake (pVO2) and VE/VCO2 slope are key prognostic parameters, but their values after LVAD implantation and relationship with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction remain poorly understood.
Methods: We conducted a multicentre study evaluating with advanced HF patients supported by a LVAD. Fourteen patients were retrospectively analysed and eleven prospectively enrolled between 2012 and 2025. CPET was performed using standardized ramp protocols, and results were compared with matched HF controls from the MECKI score database for sex, BMI, and pVO2 in a 1:3 fashion.
Results: Twenty-five LVAD patients (mean age 69 ± 6.5 years) were evaluated 265 [IQR 111-455] days post-implant. Exercise capacity was severely reduced (pVO2 12.1 ± 2.5 ml/kg/min, 47% predicted), with a significant elevation in VE/VCO2 slope (36.6 [IQR 33.1–53.8]). Longitudinal analysis showed an increase in VE/VCO2 slope one year from implantation, despite stable pVO2 and workload. Comparison with matched HF controls confirmed higher VE/VCO2 slope in LVAD recipients.
Conclusions: LVAD patients show an increasing ventilatory inefficiency over time, resulting in rising VE/VCO2 slope after one year from implantation. Evaluation of VE/VCO2 slope may provide earlier insight into RV dysfunction and improve long-term risk stratification. Further prospective multicentre studies are needed to validate our findings
LA DIMENSIONE COSTITUZIONALE DEL DIRITTO ALL¿ORIENTAMENTO SESSUALE
No full textThe doctoral dissertation, entitled La dimensione costituzionale del diritto all’orientamento sessuale, aims to reconstruct a right to sexual orientation within the Italian constitutional framework, moving beyond the traditional heterosexual paradigm. The approach adopted relies on an evolutionary and consistent reading of the constitutional text, intending to outline a right fully embedded in the Italian constitutional architecture.
The first chapter retraces the history of homosexuality, highlighting how it has been perceived and regulated over the centuries. From Ancient Greece to the present day, homosexuality has been subjected to repression and silence, through alternating phases of tolerance, freedom, persecution, and marginalization. This trajectory was initially shaped by Christian morality, which established the heterosexuality/homosexuality dichotomy and relegated the latter to the realm of sin, and later, in the nineteenth century, by the process of pathologization, whose effects have had a lasting impact on the social and legal perception of homosexuality and on the configuration of LGBTQ+ rights.
The second chapter examines the constitutional foundations of the protection of sexual orientation, focusing on the fundamental principles of the Italian Constitution, such as the primacy of the individual, equality, and non-discrimination. The aim is to demonstrate how these principles can provide a solid basis for the recognition of the right to sexual orientation, not as a newly created right, but as an implicit one that may emerge from the constitutional order. The chapter also considers the role of dialogue with supranational sources – most notably the European Convention on Human Rights – in affirming legal protection for sexual orientation.
The third chapter investigates the individual dimension of the right to sexual orientation, addressing crucial issues such as the right to health, freedom of expression, and the right to asylum for LGBTQ+ persons facing persecution. Despite legal and normative advances, the research highlights the persistence of discrimination, stigmatization, and marginalization, still influenced by the legacy of pathologization.
The following chapter addresses the relational dimension of the right to sexual orientation, focusing on the rights to marriage and parenthood for same-sex couples. While certain jurisprudential developments and limited legislative progress can be observed, the heterosexual paradigm continues to prevail, perpetuating inequalities and limiting the recognition of same-sex and rainbow families. The fifth chapter turns to the collective dimension of sexual orientation, centering on the representation of the LGBTQ+ community in the public and legal spheres. The community should not be regarded as a “traditional” minority, but rather as a vulnerable group which, while characterized by a plurality of identities and orientations, shares a common history of oppression and discrimination. The research analyzes the forms of social and legal representation of the LGBTQ+ community, highlighting the fundamental role of legal and political language in processes of recognition.
Ultimately, the dissertation demonstrates that the full protection of the right to sexual orientation constitutes an essential component of the constitutional project of a society committed to guaranteeing the development of personality and the dignity of every individual. The failure to recognize the rights of LGBTQ+ persons not only violates the principle of equality but also signals a broader deterioration of democracy and of the State’s capacity to ensure the inclusion of all its citizens
La Repubblica "invisibile". Il racconto museale
No full textUna riflessione sulla presenza della tradizione repubblicana negli allestimenti museali italiani, dalla fine dell'Ottocento al secondo dopoguerr
Temporal Cognition in Animals
No full textHumans and non-human animals alike rely on temporal cues to coordinate behaviour. This Element investigates whether non-human animals possess genuine temporal cognition—the capacity to mentally represent time rather than merely respond to temporal cues. It examines the evolution of cognitive architectures that support temporal coordination and considers the philosophical implications of time representation. Challenging the long-standing view that non-human animals operate in a ‘permanent present’ and lack the ability to mentally represent time, the Element offers a comparative analysis across apes, marine mammals, terrestrial mammals, birds, insects, and human infants. Drawing on current empirical evidence, it explores how different species represent time and coordinate action accordingly. By bringing together empirical research and philosophical analysis, the Element addresses a critical gap in the literature and advances the view that temporal cognition is widespread in natur
Deep Learning for DDoS Attack Detection in IoT: A Survey
No full textThe Internet of Things (IoT) is evolving rapidly in many sectors, including personal health, home automation, industrial controls, and smart city infrastructures, with the number of connected devices constantly increasing. However, this growth has also increased the vulnerability space for Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which are becoming more frequent and sophisticated, making it difficult to detect them using conventional methods. To address this issue, machine learning approaches, especially deep learning-based techniques, have emerged as powerful tools for detecting and mitigating DDoS attacks. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art deep learning techniques for detecting DDoS attacks in the IoT. We have analyzed the origin, evolution, and taxonomy of DDoS attacks, benchmark datasets, ongoing research challenges, and future research directions