40 research outputs found
“The functional and structural neural basis of individual differences in loss aversion”
No full text"\"Decision making under risk entails the anticipation of prospective outcomes, typically leading to the greater sensitivity to losses than gains known as loss aversion. Previous studies on the neural bases of choice-outcome anticipation and loss aversion provided inconsistent results, showing either bidirectional mesolimbic responses of activation for gains and deactivation for losses, or a specific amygdala involvement in processing losses. Here we focused on loss aversion with the aim to address interindividual differences in the neural bases of choice-outcome anticipation. Fifty-six healthy human participants accepted or rejected 104 mixed gambles offering equal (50%) chances of gaining or losing different amounts of money while their brain activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We report both bidirectional and gain\\\/loss-specific responses while evaluating risky gambles, with amygdala and posterior insula specifically tracking the magnitude of potential losses. At the individual level, loss aversion was reflected both in limbic fMRI responses and in gray matter volume in a structural amygdala-thalamus-striatum network, in which the volume of the \"output\" centromedial amygdala nuclei mediating avoidance behavior was negatively correlated with monetary performance. We conclude that outcome anticipation and ensuing loss aversion involve multiple neural systems, showing functional and structural individual variability directly related to the actual financial outcomes of choices. By supporting the simultaneous involvement of both appetitive and aversive processing in economic decision making, these results contribute to the interpretation of existing inconsistencies on the neural bases of anticipating choice outcomes.\"
High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T and the Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease in the Emergency Room: The Importance of Combining Cardiovascular Biomarkers with Clinical Data
No full textBackground. Nowadays, it is still not possible to clinically distinguish whether an increase in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) values is due to myocardial injury or an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Moreover, predictive data regarding hs-cTnT in an emergency room (ER) setting are scarce. This monocentric retrospective study aimed to improve the knowledge and interpretation of this cardiac biomarker in daily clinical practice. Methods. Consecutive adult patients presenting at the ER and hospitalized with a first abnormal hs-cTnT value (≥14 ng/L) were enrolled for 6 months. The baseline hs-cTnT value and the ensuing changes and variations were correlated with the clinical presentation and the type of diagnosis. Subsequently, multivariable models were built to assess which clinical/laboratory variables most influenced hospital admissions in the investigated population analyzed according to the final reason for hospitalization: (1) cardiovascular vs. non-cardiovascular diagnosis, and (2) ACS vs. non-ACS one. Results. A total of 4660 patients were considered, and, after a first screening, 4149 patients were enrolled. Out of 4129 patients, 1555 (37.5%) had a first hs-cTnT ≥14 ng/L, and 1007 (65%) were hospitalized with the following types of diagnosis: ACS (182; 18%), non-ACS cardiovascular disease (337; 34%) and non-cardiovascular disease (487; 48%). Higher hs-cTnT values and significant hs-cTnT variations were found in the ACS group (p < 0.01). The mean percentage of variation was higher in patients with ACS, intermediate in those with non-ACS cardiovascular disease, and low in those with non-cardiovascular disease (407.5%, 270.6% and 12.4%, respectively). Only syncope and CRP (OR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02–0.39, p < 0.01 and OR: 0.9988, 95% CI: 0.9979–0.9998, p = 0.02, respectively) or CRP (OR: 0.9948, 95% CI: 0.9908–0.9989, p = 0.01) and NT-proBNP (OR: 1.0002, 95% CI: 1.0000–1.0004, p = 0.02) were independent predictors of a cardiovascular disease diagnosis. On the other hand, only chest pain (OR: 22.91, 95% CI: 3.97–132.32, p < 0.01) and eGFR (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.004–1.083, p = 0.03) were associated with the ACS diagnosis. Conclusions. Differently from the investigated biomarkers, in this study, only clinical variables predicted hospitalizations in different patients’ subgroups
The functional and structural neural basis of individual difference in loss aversion
No full textDecision making under risk entails the anticipation of prospective outcomes, typically leading to the greater sensitivity to losses than gains known as loss aversion. Previous studies on the neural bases of choice-outcome anticipation and loss aversion provided inconsistent results, showing either bidirectional mesolimbic responses of activation for gains and deactivation for losses, or a specific amygdala involvement in processing losses. Here we focused on loss aversion with the aim to address interindividual differences in the neural bases of choice-outcome anticipation. Fifty-six healthy human participants accepted or rejected 104 mixed gambles offering equal (50%) chances of gaining or losing different amounts of money while their brain activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We report both bidirectional and gain/loss-specific responses while evaluating risky gambles, with amygdala and posterior insula specifically tracking the magnitude of potential losses. At the individual level, loss aversion was reflected both in limbic fMRI responses and in gray matter volume in a structural amygdala–thalamus–striatum network, in which the volume of the “output” centromedial amygdala nuclei mediating avoidance behavior was negatively correlated with monetary performance. We conclude that outcome anticipation and ensuing loss aversion involve multiple neural systems, showing functional and structural individual variability directly related to the actual financial outcomes of choices. By supporting the simultaneous involvement of both appetitive and aversive processing in economic decision making, these results contribute to the interpretation of existing inconsistencies on the neural bases of anticipating choice outcomes
Forward Factory: soluzioni digitali dal mondo startup per ottimizzare i processi snelli della manifattura
No full textIl presente elaborato si incentrerà sullo studio e sulla comprensione di come gli strumenti digitali dal mondo Startup, sfruttati dalle Corporate per implementare la digital transformation, possano aiutare nell’implementazione di una metodologia Lean in azienda. Il focus verterà su Corporate e Startup appartenenti al mondo del manufacturing.
L'elaborato si sviluppa partendo dallo studio dei principali cluster tecnologici e delle aree strategiche che permettono di puntare al raggiungimento del vantaggio competitivo sul mercato. I bisogni delle aziende e i business digitali proposti dalle Startup saranno classificati secondo queste due metriche e ne verranno studiati i legami più o meno stretti con i principi alla base della Lean production.
Verranno presi in esame alcuni casi di successo rappresentati da Startup appartenenti al programma di accelerazione di Forward Factory. Tali esempi verranno utilizzati per vedere nel pratico come i principi alla base della Lean vengano coinvolti in maniera più o meno volontaria durante la collaborazione tra Corporate e Startup digitali del mondo del manufacturing. Non può essere tralasciato il fatto che queste diverse realtà collaborano e si interfacciano sotto la supervisione e la guida attenta del team di Forward Factory.
Tale sinergia ha influito in maniera determinate e molto positiva sugli ottimi risultati ottenuti, come verrà evidenziato nella presente analisi
Zero fluoroscopy catheter ablation of premature ventricular contractions: a multicenter experience
No full textBackground: Catheter ablation has become an established treatment option for premature ventricular complexes (PVCs). The use of fluoroscopy exposes patients and medical staff to potentially harmful stochastic and deterministic effects of ionizing radiations. We sought to analyze procedural outcomes in terms of safety and efficacy using a “zero fluoroscopy” approach for catheter ablation of PVCs. Methods: The present retrospective, multicenter, observational study included 131 patients having undergone catheter ablation of PVCs using “zero fluoroscopy” between 2019 and 2020 in four centers compared with another group who underwent the procedure with fluoroscopy. Results: Median age was 51.0 ± 15.9 years old; males were 77 (58.8%). Among the study population, 26 (19.8%) had a cardiomyopathy. The most frequent PVC origin was right ventricular outflow tract (55%) followed by the left ventricle (16%), LVOT and cusps (13.7%), and aortomitral continuity (5.3%). Acute suppression of PVC was achieved in 127 patients (96.9%). At 12 months, a complete success was documented in 109 patients (83.2%), a reduction in PVC burden in 18 patients (13.7%), and a failure was recorded in four patients (3.1%). Only two minor complications occurred (femoral hematoma and arteriovenous fistula conservatively treated). Conclusions: The PVC ablation with a “zero” fluoroscopy approach appears to be a safe procedure with no major complications and good rates of success and recurrence in our multicenter experience
Metal-Catalyzed Enantioselective Dicarbofunctionalization of Alkenylboron Compounds:
No full textThesis advisor: James P. MorkenThis dissertation will discuss the development of three methodologies for the enantioselective synthesis of organoboron compounds. The first chapter will discuss the initial discovery and development of a palladium-catalyzed reaction that enables the combination of an organolithium, an organoboronic ester and C(sp2)-OTf electrophiles in an enantioselective fashion. This conjunctive cross-coupling takes place through a 1,2-metallate shift which is induced from an alkenylboron ‘ate’ species through interaction with the palladium catalyst. The second chapter of this manuscript will discuss the development of the first nickel-catalyzed version of the conjunctive cross- coupling reaction, which operates enantioselectively with in situ generated 9-BBN boranes. The third and last chapter will discuss the development of complementary method to the conjunctive cross-coupling which enables the enantioselective addition of organozinc reagents and alkyl halides across alkenylboronic esters. This system departs from the metal-induced 1,2-metallate shift mode of reactivity in favor of a Ni- catalyzed radical/addition cross-coupling cascade reaction. This process can be operated in both an inter- and intra-molecular fashion to afford enantiomerically-enriched alkylboronic ester compounds.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2019.Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: Chemistry
Sex–related differences in non-ischemic myocardial injury in the emergency department: A real-world perspective
No full textBackground: Myocardial injury is associated with adverse outcomes. No data are reported about sex differences in incidence and factors associated with myocardial injury in an emergency department (ED) setting from a real-world perspective. We aimed to assess whether sex plays a major role in the diagnosis of myocardial injury in the ED. Methods: In this subanalysis of a retrospective study, patients presenting at the ED with at least one high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) value and without acute coronary syndromes diagnosis were compared. Results: 31,383 patients were admitted to the ED, 4660 had one hs-cTnT value, and 3937 were enrolled: 1943 females (49.4%) and 1994 males (50.6%). The diagnosis of myocardial injury was higher among men (36.8% vs. 32.9%, p < 0.01). Male sex was independently associated with myocardial injury. An older age, an elevated NT-proB-type Natriuretic Peptide and a lower estimated glomerular filtrate rate were independently associated with myocardial injury in both sexes. Conclusions: In the ED, from a real-world perspective, myocardial injury occurred more frequently in males, and it was associated with older age and the presence of cardiac, lung, and kidney disease but not higher hs-cTnT values
The semantics of number marking: reference to kinds, counting, and optional classifiers
No full textThis dissertation examines the semantics of number marking in Turkish and the phenomena revolving around it, primarily in comparison to English. I argue that the Turkish number marking system patterns with the English number marking system, as well as offering novel insights into the variations between the two. Specifically, I claim that morphologically unmarked nouns (Turkish kitap; English book) are semantically marked as singular, whereas morphologically marked plural nouns (Turkish kitap+lar; English book+s) exhibit semantic unmarkedness, having a number neutral denotation (following Krifka 2003, Sauerland et al. 2005, Spector 2007, and Zweig 2009 for English, cf. Bliss 2004, Bale et al. 2010, and Gorgulu 2012 for Turkish).
The investigation includes the semantics of kind reference, in the sense of Chierchia (1998) and Dayal (2004), the effects of which are revealed more significantly in Turkish than in English, extending to phenomena that pertain to naming kinds (cf. Carlson 1977 and Krifka et. al 1995). The analysis also expands to the semantics pseudo-incorporation, which I argue involves singular kind reference in Turkish. This account applies to so-called weak definites of English differing minimally from a very similar account of Hindi pseudo-incorporation (Dayal 2011, 2015 and Aguilar-Guevara and Zwarts 2010).
This dissertation also addresses what these findings imply with regards to the semantics of counting. Turkish counting expressions differ from English in the form of the nominal complement of numerals (Turkish iki kitap; English two book+s) and having an optionally realized numeral classifier (iki (tane) kitap). I start by showing that these variations do not signal variation in the nominal semantics of the two languages. Then, I examine the optional numeral classifier tane, the analysis of which illuminates the semantics of counting in general. With the aim to bring new insights to this little-understood element of counting expressions, the findings are compared to two more optional classifier languages, Western Armenian and Persian. The exploration of these languages provides striking confirmation of my claims regarding not only the semantics of counting but also the semantics of number marking and kind reference.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical reference
