102,776 research outputs found
Radon time series in different site: further insights
No full textIn the framework of the UR. 2 of the project DPC-INGV S3 “Short term earthquake prediction and preparation“ (Albarello, 2013), a database, containing radon data collected and provided by scientific institutions or volunteers, accompanied, when available, by meteorological data recorded by the radon instruments, or from meteorological stations located near the site of detection of radon, was created. The database has 3,961 sites and more than one million records (Martinelli et al., 2013; Riggio et al., 2013). The collected data are related to radon acquired in the air, soil and water, for different purposes (health, environmental, seismological). Consequently, also the types of instruments are different and can be used in active or passive mode, in the first case recording the amount of radon present in the environment, and in the second one aspiring radon through an incorporated pump. They consist of commercially available monitors, monitor prototypes from scientific institutions or amateurs, or by commercially available dosimeters. Another important information to evaluate the data, reported in the database, is given by the characteristics of the site, that is, if the instrument is located in a well, in a basement, in homes, or on the ground, with a probe that aspires in the soil. The sampling time is between ten minutes and twelve hours for the measures considered continuous, and between fifteen days and one year for the discretized ones
Influence of colour on object motor representation
No full textColour conveys specific information about the status/quality of an object; whereas its role in object recognition has been widely studied, little is known about its role in sensorimotor processes. We performed three experiments to assess whether colour influences the motor representation of graspable objects. In Experiment 1, we used a grasp compatibility task, in which participants categorized each object as natural or artifact, by performing reach-to-grasp movements. Response grasps could be compatible or incompatible with the ones normally used to manipulate the objects. Results showed faster reaction times for natural objects displayed in the correct colour compared with both opposite colour and correct colour artifact objects. In Experiment 2, to directly assess the effect of colour on object motor representation, we used an interference task in which an irrelevant object was shown while performing a pre-specified reach-to-grasp movement (i.e., verbal cues: small vs. large). Results highlighted a reversed compatibility effect when objects were shown in their correct colour, but only at the beginning of the movement (10 ms SOA). Finally, we run a third experiment using the same task as in Experiment 2. In this experiment, we compared the grasp compatibility effect driven by natural objects with the grasp compatibility effect driven by dangerous natural objects (e.g., cactus), which are objects that should not elicit a grasping program. The results of Experiment 3 confirm those of Experiment 2, highlighting also specific processes related to dangerous objects. Taken together, these results revealed that colour can be significant for the motor system, highlighting the close link between colour and shape, and also specific processes related to dangerous objects
Hepatic encephalopathy after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt Incidence and risk factors
No full textForty-seven consecutive patients were prospectively evaluated to study the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy as well as modifications in the PSE index after TIPS, Various clinical, laboratory, and angiographic parameters were also recorded to identify risk factors for the development of post-TIPS hepatic encephalopathy (HE), Mean follow-up was 17 +/- 7 months. During follow-up, six patients died and one underwent transplantation, All other patients were followed for at least a year, Fifteen patients (32%) experienced 20 acute episodes of precipitated HE (hospitalization was necessary in 10 instances), and five patients (11%) presented a continuous alteration in mental status with frequent spontaneous exacerbation during follow-up, Both precipitated and spontaneous HE occurred more frequently during the first three months of follow-up, Moreover the PSE index was significantly worse than basal values one month after TIPS, thereafter returning to near basal values, HE was successfully treated in all patients but one who required a reduction in the stent/shunt diameter. Increasing age (>65 years) and low portacaval gradient (10 mm Hg to avoid an unacceptable rate of HE after TIPS
Genetic parameters for somatic cell score according to udder infection status in Valle del Belice dairy sheep and impact of imperfect diagnosis of infection
No full textAbstract Background Somatic cell score (SCS) has been promoted as a selection criterion to improve mastitis resistance. However, SCS from healthy and infected animals may be considered as separate traits. Moreover, imperfect sensitivity and specificity could influence animals' classification and impact on estimated variance components. This study was aimed at: (1) estimating the heritability of bacteria negative SCS, bacteria positive SCS, and infection status, (2) estimating phenotypic and genetic correlations between bacteria negative and bacteria positive SCS, and the genetic correlation between bacteria negative SCS and infection status, and (3) evaluating the impact of imperfect diagnosis of infection on variance component estimates. Methods Data on SCS and udder infection status for 1,120 ewes were collected from four Valle del Belice flocks. The pedigree file included 1,603 animals. The SCS dataset was split according to whether animals were infected or not at the time of sampling. A repeatability test-day animal model was used to estimate genetic parameters for SCS traits and the heritability of infection status. The genetic correlation between bacteria negative SCS and infection status was estimated using an MCMC threshold model, implemented by Gibbs Sampling. Results The heritability was 0.10 for bacteria negative SCS, 0.03 for bacteria positive SCS, and 0.09 for infection status, on the liability scale. The genetic correlation between bacteria negative and bacteria positive SCS was 0.62, suggesting that they may be genetically different traits. The genetic correlation between bacteria negative SCS and infection status was 0.51. We demonstrate that imperfect diagnosis of infection leads to underestimation of differences between bacteria negative and bacteria positive SCS, and we derive formulae to predict impacts on estimated genetic parameters. Conclusions The results suggest that bacteria negative and bacteria positive SCS are genetically different traits. A positive genetic correlation between bacteria negative SCS and liability to infection was found, suggesting that the approach of selecting animals for decreased SCS should help to reduce mastitis prevalence. However, the results show that imperfect diagnosis of infection has an impact on estimated genetic parameters, which may reduce the efficiency of selection strategies aiming at distinguishing between bacteria negative and bacteria positive SCS.</p
Ascitic fluid analysis for diagnosis and monitoring of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
No full textPolymorphonuclear (PMN) cell count in the ascitic fluid is essential for the diagnosis and management of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). To date, PMN cell count is routinely performed by traditional manual counting. However, this method is time-consuming, costly, and not always timely available. Therefore, considerable efforts have been made in recent years to develop an alternative test for a more rapid diagnosis and monitoring of SBR The use of urinary reagent strips was proposed to achieve an "instant" bedside diagnosis of SBR A series of reports evaluated the urine strip test for SBP diagnosis and reported promising results. However, a recent large multicenter study revealed a surprising lack of diagnostic efficacy of the urine screening test for SBP diagnosis. Another method, more recently proposed as an alternative to the manual PMN count, is the measurement of lactoferrin in ascitic fluid, but the data available on the diagnostic value of this test are limited to a single study. However, both urinary reagent strips and ascitic lactoferrin tests are qualitative methods and need, therefore, to be further confirmed by standard cytology of the ascitic fluid. To date, the only quantitative method proposed as a valid alternative to manual PMN counting is automated blood cell counters, commonly used in all laboratories for blood cell counting. Data available in the literature on the diagnostic performance of this method are limited but very promising, and this tool seems to have the potential to replace the manual counting method. (c) 2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserve
What matters is the underlying experience: Similar motor responses during processing observed hand actions and hand-related verbs
No full textIt is well-accepted that processing observed actions involves at some extent the same neural mechanisms responsible for action execution. More recently, it has been forwarded that also the processing of verbs expressing a specific motor content is subserved by the neural mechanisms allowing individuals to perform the content expressed by that linguistic material. This view is also known as embodiment and contrasts with a more classical approach to language processing that considers it as amodal. In the present study, we used a go/no-go paradigm, in which participants were requested to respond to real words and pictures and refrain from responding when presented stimuli were pseudowords and scrambled images. Real stimuli included pictures depicting hand- and foot-related actions and verbs expressing hand- and foot-related actions. We, therefore, directly compared the modulation of hand motor responses during the observation of actions and the presentation of verbs, expressing actions in the same category. The results have shown that participants gave slower hand motor responses during the observation of hand actions and the processing of hand-related verbs as than observed foot actions and related verbs. These findings support embodiment showing that whatever the modality of presentation (observed action or verb), the modulation of hand motor responses was similar, thus suggesting that processing seen actions and related verbs shares common mechanisms most likely involving the motor system and the underlying motor experience
The Simon Effect Is Modulated by Effector-Stimulus Proximity and Not by Hand-Stimulus Proximity
No full textSpirulina (Arthrospira platensis) e Klamath (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) come ingredienti per prodotti da forno: analisi sulla materia prima, sul prodotto e valutazione di accettabilità sensoriale
No full textIn un contesto segnato da emergenze climatiche e prospettive di significativa crescita demografica, la ricerca di alimenti sostenibili e, al contempo, nutrienti diventa prioritaria. Le microalghe – inclusi i cianobatteri – risultano ingredienti promettenti, perché ricche di nutrienti e composti bioattivi.
Nella sperimentazione, si è scelto di arricchire prodotti da forno, nello specifico grissini, rispettivamente con polveri di Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina), nota per il suo tradizionale uso alimentare in numerose parti del mondo (Habib et al., 2008), e di Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (Klamath), anch’essa apprezzata per l’alto valore nutrizionale. I grissini sperimentali sono stati studiati, per ogni cianobatterio, a due diverse concentrazioni: 5% e 10% (rispetto al peso della farina).
Scopo dello studio è stato verificare, attraverso analisi chimico-fisiche, la composizione sia delle polveri di Spirulina e Klamath che dei prodotti da forno con esse arricchiti alle due concentrazioni, esaminandone poi il grado di accettabilità da parte dei consumatori.
Le polveri di Spirulina e Klamath (confrontate con la farina di controllo) sono state sottoposte a determinazione del colore, contenuto di ceneri, proteine tramite azoto organico (Kjeldahl) e lipidi totali (Soxhlet), nonché sul profilo degli acidi grassi (GC-MS) e aminoacidi (HPLC-UV). Sulle farine arricchite, alle due percentuali, è stata valutata la capacità di assorbimento di acqua e olio, importanti indici per la previsione della reologia dell’impasto.
Infine, sui quattro prodotti sperimentali sono stati condotti, oltre alle analisi centesimali, test dinamometrici, misurazioni del valore di attività dell’acqua (aw) e un test di accettabilità da parte dei consumatori.
Sui campioni sperimentali è stato osservato un incremento significativo, rispetto al controllo, sia di alcuni costituenti, in particolare le proteine, che della friabilità del prodotto (Mirto, 2023); mentre, il gradimento da parte dei consumatori è risultato tendere maggiormente verso i prodotti arricchiti al 5%, e in particolare per quello con Spirulina (Riggio, 2023)
Chromosomal aberration in a young drug-addicted subject and normalization when drug discontinued
No full textA young drug-addict was found to be affected by a chromosomal aberration. A FOLLOW-up study, at 24 30, and 39 mth after the drug had been discontinued, showed a progressive normalization. The amount of drug intake was relatively small, but the family study of the subject indicated the presence of one case of Down's syndrome and of pharmacological allergy
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