Influence of stimuli emotional features and typicality on memory performance: insights from a virtual reality context.

The present study tested the influence of stimuli emotional valence, emotional arousal, and typicality on memory recollection in three groups of participants exposed to the same environment through different modalities: in vivo exposure (i.e., real-life), 3D virtual reality (i.e., VR), and 2D pictures. Context-related free-recall, recognition accuracy, and recognition confidence were analyzed. The results showed that memory performance was best in the real-life modality, and participants in the VR and 2D pictures modalities performed comparably. Interesting effects of stimuli emotional valence and typicality emerged: in the VR and 2D pictures modalities, positive items were better recalled than negative items; typicality was relevant only in the real-life modality, with less common objects within the explored setting (i.e., an office) recalled more often. Furthermore, recognition accuracy and confidence were significantly higher in the real-life modality than in the VR and 2D pictures modalities. Further research is needed to support the creation of VR environments that are sufficiently comparable to real-life contexts in order to obtain higher ecological validity in studies of cognitive performance. In particular, the impact of stimuli typicality and emotional valence in VR contexts should be investigated to gain insight into how these features might improve memory recall in virtual scenarios.

In silico screening of nanoporous materials for urea removal in hemodialysis applications.

The design of miniaturized hemodialysis devices, such as wearable artificial kidneys, requires regeneration of the dialysate stream to remove uremic toxins from water. Adsorption has the potential to capture such molecules, but conventional adsorbents have low urea/water selectivity. In this work, we performed a comprehensive computational study of 560 porous crystalline adsorbents comprising mainly covalent organic frameworks (COFs), as well as some siliceous zeolites, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and graphitic materials. An initial screening using Widom insertion method assessed the excess chemical potential at infinite dilution for water and urea at 310 K, providing information on the strength and selectivity of urea adsorption. From such analysis it was observed that urea adsorption and urea/water selectivity increased strongly with fluorine content in COFs, while other compositional or structural parameters did not correlate with material performance. Two COFs, namely COF-F6 and Tf-DHzDPr were explored further through Molecular Dynamics simulations. The results agree with those of the Widom method and allow to identify the urea binding sites, the contribution of electrostatic and van der Waals interactions, and the position of preferential urea-urea and urea-framework interactions. This study paves the way for a well-informed experimental campaign and accelerates the development of novel sorbents for urea removal, ultimately advancing on the path to achieve wearable artificial kidneys.

The COVID-19 lockdown and psychological distress among Italian parents: Influence of parental role, parent personality, and child difficulties.

The Italian lockdown following the spread of COVID-19 exposed residents to a long and unexpected period of managing offspring at home. Throughout this time, most parents continued to work remotely. The present research aimed at assessing multiple sociodemographic and psychological variables for parental well-being during the lockdown. An online survey was administered from 6 to 11 April 2020. Respondents were 917 parents aged 23-67 years with up to six children, aged 3-13 years. The measures employed were: 14 demographic questions, the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), the Emotional Symptoms and Hyperactivity-Inattention subscales of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-P), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Multiple moderated linear regression analyses were performed. Motherhood, higher levels of education, higher neuroticism, lower extroversion, and more child emotional and hyperactivity-inattention symptoms were found to be significant predictors of parent distress. Furthermore, a significant two-way interaction between child emotional problems and parent extroversion was found. Overall, parents showed high rates of psychological distress, signalling severe difficulties during the lockdown. Families with a child suffering from emotional and behavioural difficulties should immediately be detected by social services to activate support interventions to prevent chronic and amplified manifestations of these problems.

Medico-Legal aspects of an unusual complication from an ear swab test: was the procedure necessary?

A 65-year-old woman affected by chronic pruritus in both ears was referred by her family physician to a private laboratory to undergo an ear swab test for microbiological and cultural examination. During the procedure on the right side, the patient experienced sudden pain, immediately followed by auricular fullness and dizziness. The clinician performing the swab did not perform an otoscopy and did not administer any topical or general medications. A few days later, purulent discharge appeared. Follow-up showed tympanic membrane perforation and mixed severe hearing loss. Indications for ear swab tests are currently unclear, and complications deriving from this apparently simple procedure are seldom reported.

[Pneumothorax following dry needling treatment: legal and ethical aspects]. / Pneumotorace successivo a trattamento riabilitativo con tecnica "dry needling": aspetti medico legali e etico-deontologici.

Trigger point "dry needling" is a technique used to treat myofascial pain. It involves using filiform needles which are inserted into muscles to give local pain relief. Few cases of serious adverse events following this treatment have been reported in the literature. In this paper we describe the case of a professional swimmer who developed pneumothorax after dry needling treatment and discuss the medicolegal and ethical aspects related to competencies and responsibilities of medical doctors and physiotherapists performing the procedure.

Modelling Across Multiple Scales to Design Biopolymer Membranes for Sustainable Gas Separations: 2-Multiscale Approach.

The majority of materials used for membrane-based separation of gas mixtures are non-renewable and non-biodegradable, and the assessment of alternative bio-based polymers requires expensive and time-consuming experimental campaigns. This effort can be reduced by adopting suitable modelling approaches. In this series of works, we propose various modelling approaches to assess the CO2/CH4 separation performance of eight different copolymers of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) using a limited amount of experimental data for model calibration. In part 1, we adopted a fully atomistic approach based on Molecular Dynamics (MD), while, in this work, we propose a multiscale methodology where a molecular description of the polymers is bridged to a macroscopic prediction of its gas sorption behaviour. PHBV structures were simulated using MD to obtain pressure-volume-temperature data, which were used to parametrise the Sanchez-Lacombe Equation of State. This, in turn, allows for the evaluation of the CO2 and CH4 solubility in the copolymers at various pressures and compositions with little computational effort, enabling the estimate of the sorption-based selectivity. The gas separation performance obtained with this multiscale technique was compared to results obtained with a fully atomistic model and experimental data. The solubility-selectivity for the CO2/CH4 mixture is in reasonable agreement between the two models and the experimental data. The multiscale method presented is a time-efficient alternative to fully atomistic methods and detailed experimental campaigns and can accelerate the introduction of renewable materials in different applications.

Molecular Simulations of Hydrogen Sorption in Semicrystalline High-Density Polyethylene: The Impact of the Surface Fraction of Tie-Chains.

The modeling of the barrier properties of semicrystalline polymers has gained interest following the possible application of such materials as protective liners for the safe supply of pressurized hydrogen. The mass transport in such systems is intimately related to the complex intercalation between the crystal and amorphous phases, which was approached in this work through an all-atom representation of high-density polyethylene structures with a tailored fraction of amorphous-crystalline connections (tie-chains). Simulations of the polymer pressure-volume-temperature data and hydrogen sorption were performed by means of molecular dynamics and the Widom test particle insertion method. The discretization of the simulation domains of the semicrystalline structures allowed us to obtain profiles of density, degree of order, and gas solubility. The results indicated that the gas sorption in the crystalline regions is negligible and that the confinement of the amorphous phase between crystals induces a significant increase in density and a drop in the sorption capacity, even in the absence of tie-chains. Adding ties between the crystal and the amorphous phase results in further densification, an increase of the lamella tilt angle, and a decrease in the degree of crystallinity and hydrogen sorption coefficient, in agreement with several literature references.

Outpatient rehabilitation in post-acute COVID-19 patients: a combined progressive treatment protocol.

PURPOSE: to investigate the effectiveness of a 4-week combined progressive program on functional abilities, disability status and quality of life (QoL) in COVID-19 recovered patients. MATERIALS & METHODS: 18 COVID-19 recovered patients performed a combined rehabilitation treatment accounting for 12 sessions, including both respiratory and motor training sessions. A careful monitoring of exercise intensity, duration and progression to tailor complexity evolution on patients' competencies was carried out. Patients were monitored with different functional scales and self-reported questionnaires before (T0) and after (T1) rehabilitation. RESULTS: 6-Minutes Walk Test, Timed Up and Go Test and Short Physical Performance Battery significantly improved, while Physiological Cost Index presented a significant reduction after rehabilitation. Moreover, Barthel Index significantly improved and patients presented significantly increased upper and lower limbs strength at T1. Furthermore, mMRC Dyspnoea Scale presented a significant reduction after training. Finally, physical and psychological well-being scales improved according to Short-Form 36; while, self-reported questionnaires related to mood and depression showed no significant modification after rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: results evidenced the efficacy of the combined progressive intervention in COVID-19 recovered patients. The specific customization on patients' needs and the careful exercise monitoring promoted improvements on functional abilities and disability status, with positive impact on QoL.

Post-acute COVID-19 patients could require an adequate respiratory and neuromotor rehabilitation plan.Rehabilitative intervention should include a combined progressive training program.A 4-week progressive combined intervention seems effective in COVID-19 recovered patients.The specific customization on patients' needs and the careful exercise monitoring promotes improvements on functional abilities and disability status and patients' quality of life.

Identification of Psychological Treatment Dropout Predictors Using Machine Learning Models on Italian Patients Living with Overweight and Obesity Ineligible for Bariatric Surgery.

According to the main international guidelines, patients with obesity and psychiatric/psychological disorders who cannot be addressed to surgery are recommended to follow a nutritional approach and a psychological treatment. A total of 94 patients (T0) completed a battery of self-report measures: Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), Binge-Eating Scale (BES), Obesity-Related Well-Being Questionnaire-97 (ORWELL-97), and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). Then, twelve sessions of a brief psychodynamic psychotherapy were delivered, which was followed by the participants completing the follow-up evaluation (T1). Two groups of patients were identified: Group 1 (n = 65), who fully completed the assessment in both T0 and T1; and Group 2-dropout (n = 29), who fulfilled the assessment only at T0 and not at T1. Machine learning models were implemented to investigate which variables were most associated with treatment failure. The classification tree model identified patients who were dropping out of treatment with an accuracy of about 80% by considering two variables: the MMPI-2 Correction (K) scale and the SCL-90-R Phobic Anxiety (PHOB) scale. Given the limited number of studies on this topic, the present results highlight the importance of considering the patient's level of adaptation and the social context in which they are integrated in treatment planning. Cautionary notes, implications, and future directions are discussed.

Integrating Machine Learning in the Coarse-Grained Molecular Simulation of Polymers.

Machine learning (ML) is having an increasing impact on the physical sciences, engineering, and technology and its integration into molecular simulation frameworks holds great potential to expand their scope of applicability to complex materials and facilitate fundamental knowledge and reliable property predictions, contributing to the development of efficient materials design routes. The application of ML in materials informatics in general, and polymer informatics in particular, has led to interesting results, however great untapped potential lies in the integration of ML techniques into the multiscale molecular simulation methods for the study of macromolecular systems, specifically in the context of Coarse Grained (CG) simulations. In this Perspective, we aim at presenting the pioneering recent research efforts in this direction and discussing how these new ML-based techniques can contribute to critical aspects of the development of multiscale molecular simulation methods for bulk complex chemical systems, especially polymers. Prerequisites for the implementation of such ML-integrated methods and open challenges that need to be met toward the development of general systematic ML-based coarse graining schemes for polymers are discussed.

Modelling across Multiple Scales to Design Biopolymer Membranes for Sustainable Gas Separations: 1-Atomistic Approach.

In this work, we assessed the CO2 and CH4 sorption and transport in copolymers of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV), which showed good CO2 capture potential in our previous papers, thanks to their good solubility-selectivity, and are potential biodegradable alternatives to standard membrane-separation materials. Experimental tests were carried out on a commercial material containing 8% of 3-hydroxyvalerate (HV), while molecular modelling was used to screen the performance of the copolymers across the entire composition range by simulating structures with 0%, 8%, 60%, and 100% HV, with the aim to provide a guide for the selection of the membrane material. The polymers were simulated using molecular dynamics (MD) models and validated against experimental density, solubility parameters, and X-ray diffraction. The CO2/CH4 solubility-selectivity predicted by the Widom insertion method is in good agreement with experimental data, while the diffusivity-selectivity obtained via mean square displacement is somewhat overestimated. Overall, simulations indicate promising behaviour for the homopolymer containing 100% of HV. In part 2 of this series of papers, we will investigate the same biomaterials using a macroscopic model for polymers and compare the accuracy and performance of the two approaches.

The Effectiveness of Paracetamol to Reduce the Post-Vaccination SARS-CoV-2 Adverse Effects in an Italian Vaccination Center.

The arrival of specific vaccines was crucial for the eradication of COVID-19. Despite the security of the vaccination, the administration of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines often causes systemic side effects for a short time after the injection, such as headache, fatigue, fever, muscle pain and nausea. These side effects can limit the adherence to COVID-19 vaccines administration, especially in healthcare workers. This study aims to analyze the impact of the prophylactic use of paracetamol to reduce the post-vaccination Comirnaty/Pfizer adverse effects. The study took place at the San Giovanni Battista Hospital in Rome and included all hospital employees who received two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech. The vaccination health personnel recommended the preventive intake of 1 g of paracetamol before the inoculation of the vaccine and then every 6 h in the first 24 h. Information was collected through forms and subsequent telephone recall. A total of 403 volunteers were involved in the study, with 391 of them receiving two doses and twelve individuals only one dose of the vaccine. The main results demonstrated that the prophylactic therapy influenced the lower onset of asthenia in the first and second doses. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of fever, headache and localized pain. Paracetamol had a good impact on the side effect of COVID-19 vaccination, reducing asthenia in both doses and mitigating the total of symptoms during the second vaccination.

Evaluation of the Factors Associated with Reinfections towards SARS-CoV-2 Using a Case Control Design.

OBJECTIVE: The risk of reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 has been rapidly increased with the circulation of concerns about variants. So, the aim of our study was to evaluate the factors that increase the risk of this reinfection in healthcare workers compared to those who have never been positive and those who have had only one positivity. METHODS: A case-control study was carried out at the Teaching Hospital Policlinico Umberto I in Rome, Sapienza University of Rome, in the period between 6 March 2020 and 3 June 2022. Cases are healthcare workers who have developed a reinfection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, while controls were either healthcare workers who tested positive once or those who have never tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: 134 cases and 267 controls were recruited. Female gender is associated with a higher odds of developing reinfection (OR: 2.42; 95% CI: 1.38-4.25). Moreover, moderate or high alcohol consumption is associated with higher odds of reinfection (OR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.19-1.87). Diabetes is also associated with higher odds of reinfection (OR: 3.45; 95% CI: 1.41-8.46). Finally, subjects with increased red blood cell counts have higher odds of reinfection (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.21-2.25). CONCLUSION: From the prevention point of view, these findings indicate that particular attention should be paid to subjects with diabetes mellitus, women and alcoholic drinkers. These results could also suggest that contact tracing represents a fundamental approach model against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, together with the health information of participants.

Synergistic Effect between SARS-CoV-2 Wave and COVID-19 Vaccination on the Occurrence of Mild Symptoms in Healthcare Workers.

BACKGROUND: Since the beginning of the pandemic, five variants of epidemiological interest have been identified, each of them with its pattern of symptomology and disease severity. The aim of this study is to analyze the role of vaccination status in modulating the pattern of symptomatology associated with COVID-19 infection during four waves. METHODS: Data from the surveillance activity of healthcare workers were used to carry out descriptive analysis, association analyses and multivariable analysis. A synergism analysis between vaccination status and symptomatology during the waves was performed. RESULTS: Females were found at a higher risk of developing symptoms. Four SARS-CoV-2 waves were identified. Pharyngitis and rhinitis were more frequent during the fourth wave and among vaccinated subjects while cough, fever, flu syndrome, headache, anosmia, ageusia, arthralgia/arthritis and myalgia were more frequent during the first three waves and among unvaccinated subjects. A correlation was found between vaccination and the different waves in terms of developing pharyngitis and rhinitis. CONCLUSION: Vaccination status and viruses' mutations had a synergic effect in the mitigation of the symptomatology caused by SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers.

Modelling Sorption and Transport of Gases in Polymeric Membranes across Different Scales: A Review.

Professor Giulio C. Sarti has provided outstanding contributions to the modelling of fluid sorption and transport in polymeric materials, with a special eye on industrial applications such as membrane separation, due to his Chemical Engineering background. He was the co-creator of innovative theories such as the Non-Equilibrium Theory for Glassy Polymers (NET-GP), a flexible tool to estimate the solubility of pure and mixed fluids in a wide range of polymers, and of the Standard Transport Model (STM) for estimating membrane permeability and selectivity. In this review, inspired by his rigorous and original approach to representing membrane fundamentals, we provide an overview of the most significant and up-to-date modeling tools available to estimate the main properties governing polymeric membranes in fluid separation, namely solubility and diffusivity. The paper is not meant to be comprehensive, but it focuses on those contributions that are most relevant or that show the potential to be relevant in the future. We do not restrict our view to the field of macroscopic modelling, which was the main playground of professor Sarti, but also devote our attention to Molecular and Multiscale Hierarchical Modeling. This work proposes a critical evaluation of the different approaches considered, along with their limitations and potentiality.

Obesity and Psychological Factors Associated with Weight Loss after Bariatric Surgery: A Longitudinal Study.

Bariatric surgery is indicated for treatment of severely obese people and can lead to significant weight loss as well as reduction of comorbidities associated with obesity. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between different psychological factors (e.g., tendency to binge eating, impulsivity, alexithymia), adherence to the nutritional plan, and weight loss after bariatric surgery. Forty-five candidates for bariatric surgery accessing a center for the care of obesity were assessed at T0 (pre-surgery) and T1 (6 months post-surgery) through anthropometric and psychometric measures. Simple linear correlations and linear regressions were conducted to evaluate the relationship between the psychological variables, adherence to nutritional plan, and weight loss 6 months after bariatric surgery. Non-planning impulsivity was the principal factor that succeeded in explaining adherence to the diet plan among all the variables considered. Adherence to the nutritional plan and non-planning impulsivity were considered reliable short-term predictors of weight loss after bariatric surgery. This evidence explains the usefulness of promoting research on psychological predictors of outcome in bariatric surgery. Mid- and long-term weight maintenance and quality of life need to be investigated through further follow-up.

Flu Vaccination among Healthcare Professionals in Times of COVID-19: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior.

The seasonal flu vaccine is the most important way to prevent influenza epidemics, so it is useful to increase the awareness of health professionals. The aim of our study is to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and behavior about flu vaccination among healthcare professionals in times of COVID-19. METHODS: A cross sectional study was carried out between November 2020 and April 2021. Participants were recruited in teaching hospital 'Policlinico Umberto I' of Rome. A survey of 24 questions about flu vaccination was administered, evaluating their knowledge, attitude, and practice about this topic. RESULTS: 872 healthcare professionals were involved in the study (36.9% men, 63.1% women). More than 90% of the HCWs, especially physicians, recognize the importance of getting influenza vaccination: The main reasons for not getting vaccinated were fear of vaccine side effects (20.3%) and fear of the needle (6.4%). Nevertheless, 40.7% of the healthcare providers consider mandatory vaccination as unethical, especially if they work in low-intensity wards. CONCLUSION: a high percentage of healthcare workers agree with the importance of influenza vaccination and only a small percentage is still opposed. It is therefore important to continue to promote the influenza vaccination through communication and health education programs.

Susceptibility towards Chickenpox, Measles and Rubella among Healthcare Workers at a Teaching Hospital in Rome.

Immunization is the best protection against chickenpox, measles and rubella. It is important to identify and immunize susceptible healthcare workers to prevent and control hospital infections. Our aim was to estimate the susceptibility level of healthcare workers at a Teaching Hospital in Rome concerning these diseases and the factors associated to the susceptibility. Methods: a cross sectional study was carried out at the Department of Occupational Medicine of the Umberto I General Hospital of Rome. Participants were recruited during routine occupational health surveillance. As far as inclusion criteria, the following professionals were considered: doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and other health professionals. Concerning the exclusion criteria, patients with HIV, cancer and diseases of the immune system, and acute illness or fever more than 38.5 °C, were not included in the study. A blood sample was tested for the presence of antibodies against measles, rubella and chicken pox. Results: 1106 healthcare professionals were involved in the study (41.8% nurses, 30.4% doctors, 12.3% laboratory technicians, 15.1% other health professionals): 25 (2.3%), 73 (6.6%) and 35 (3.2%) of these were susceptible to measles, rubella and chicken pox, respectively. The only variable associated with susceptibility of measles was age (p < 0.001). Furthermore, there was evidence of an association between various susceptibilities, particularly between measles and chickenpox (OR: 4.38). Conclusion: this study showed that even if the majority of our healthcare professionals are immunized for MRV, it is necessary not to underestimate the seronegativity of non-immune ones. All health professionals should be vaccinated to ensure safety for patients, especially the weakest.

How Has COVID-19 Affected Mental Health and Lifestyle Behaviors after 2 Years? The Third Step of a Longitudinal Study of Italian Citizens.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its protective measures had a tremendous effect on the general population's mental health and deeply affected their lifestyle. The present study carried out a longitudinal analysis to evaluate the long-lasting psychological effects of the pandemic and its impact on the general population's day-to-day routine. Three points in time were considered: the initial period of the lockdown (T1; n = 2766; March 2020), the final period of the lockdown (T2; n = 439; May 2020) and two years after the lockdown (T3; n = 268; July 2022). Frequency analyses were carried out to examine which behavioral changes were maintained following the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown; furthermore, a repeated measures ANOVA test was run to measure differences in depression, stress, and anxiety levels between the three periods considered; lastly, multivariable ordinal logistic regression analyses were carried out to examine which variables were associated with psychological distress more than two years after the lockdown. The results highlighted that depression at T3 was associated with depression at T2 and negative affect, whereas stress at T3 was associated with stress at T2 and detachment. The psychological effects and lifestyle changes are also discussed.

High Expressed Emotion (HEE), Assessed Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS), as a Predictor of Psychiatric Relapse in Patients with Schizophrenia and Major Depressive Disorder: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression.

Expressed Emotion (EE) describes the tone of a caregiver's response to a patient with a mental disorder, and it is used to predict relapse. The Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS) is a 5-min interview with a caregiver that evaluates only two EE dimensions. The present study aimed at evaluating HEE (High Expressed Emotion) as a predictor of relapse in patients with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. Six studies were selected for the meta-analysis. In total, the studies included 297 subjects. The analyses included a random effects model; a meta-analysis excluding the study with the smallest sample; a cumulative meta-analysis; a meta-regression with random effects, using patient age and duration of illness as moderators; a leave-one-out meta-analysis; and a funnel plot to estimate publication bias. The FMSS emerged as a valid and reliable tool for measuring EE as a predictor of relapse in patients with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. Patient age and duration of illness had no significant effect on the results. Future meta-analyses should include more studies to reduce publication bias. EE may be a good predictor of relapse when examined through a fast measurement technique such as the FMSS, which may also be useful to analyze the psychopathological structure of caregivers.