Critical Issues in Assessing Occupational Exposure to Diesel Dust Exhaust.

The Italian Interministerial Decree of February 11, 2021, introduces the diesel engine exhaust (DDE) among the carcinogenic occupational compounds, also establishing an occupational exposure limit. Elemental carbon (EC), improperly called black carbon, has been proposed as a tracer of DDE exposure; EC is the carbon that is quantified in the ambient matrixes after all the organic carbon has been removed; traditionally, EC is measured with a thermo-optical analytical technique. EC determination and relative interpretation are challenging for the following reasons: (i) the scarce availability of equipped laboratories hampers EC analysis, (ii) EC interpretation is not easy due to the lack of reference values.

Encoding Manual Dexterity through Modulation of Intrinsic α Band Connectivity.

The human hand possesses both consolidated motor skills and remarkable flexibility in adapting to ongoing task demands. However, the underlying mechanisms by which the brain balances stability and flexibility remain unknown. In the absence of external input or behavior, spontaneous (intrinsic) brain connectivity is thought to represent a prior of stored memories.

The spatio-temporal architecture of everyday manual behavior.

In everyday activities, humans move alike to manipulate objects. Prior works suggest that hand movements are built by a limited set of basic building blocks consisting of a set of common postures. However, how the low dimensionality of hand movements supports the adaptability and flexibility of natural behavior is unknown.

Dynamic brain states in spatial neglect after stroke.

Previous studies indicated that spatial neglect is characterized by widespread alteration of resting-state functional connectivity and changes in the functional topology of large-scale brain systems. However, whether such network modulations exhibit temporal fluctuations related to spatial neglect is still largely unknown. This study investigated the association between brain states and spatial neglect after the onset of focal brain lesions.

Formaldehyde and Acetaldehyde Exposure in "Non-Traditional" Occupational Sectors: Bakeries and Pastry Producers.

Introduction: Formaldehyde, a colorless and highly irritating substance, causes cancer of the nasopharynx and leukemia. Furthermore, it is one of the environmental mutagens to which humans are most abundantly exposed. Acetaldehyde was recently classified as carcinogen class 1B and mutagen class 2 in Annex VI EC regulation.

Development of Real-Time Kinematic Magnetic Resonance Imaging (kMRI) Techniques for Studying the Kinematics of the Spine and Joints in Dogs-Preliminary Study on Cadavers.

Kinematic MRI (kMRI) is a novel human imaging technique that couples the excellent soft tissue contrast and multiplanar capabilities of traditional MRI with kinematic potential. The study's goals are: (1) testing the feasibility of spinal cord and joints real-time kMRI; and (2) evaluating the quality of these kinematic studies as a new diagnostic option in veterinary medicine. Standard and real-time kinematic MRI were performed on cervical spine, elbow, and stifle joints of seven cadavers.

Volumetric assessment and longitudinal changes of subcortical structures in formalinized Beagle brains.

High field MRI is an advanced technique for diagnostic and research purposes on animal models, such as the Beagle dog. In this context, studies on neuroscience applications, e.g.

Reduced Segregation of Brain Networks in Spatial Neglect After Stroke.

To investigate the association between the degree of spatial neglect and the changes of brain system segregation (SyS; i.e., the ratio of the extent to which brain networks interact internally and with each other) after stroke.

Benefits of Exercise in Multidisciplinary Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder in Adolescents with Obesity.

Obesity in childhood and adolescence represents a serious health problem worldwide. Similarly, eating disorders (EDs) are complex diseases that affect adolescents with an increasing prevalence and are an alarming health concern to both physical and mental health. Traditionally, obesity and EDs, particularly binge eating disorder (BED), have been considered separate conditions, but there is emerging evidence such as etiology, comorbidities, risk factors, psychosocial impairment, and prevention approaches, highlighting important overlaps among these conditions.

A Magnetic Resonance-Relaxometry-Based Technique to Identify Blood Products in Brain Parenchyma: An Experimental Study on a Rabbit Model.

Magnetic resonance relaxometry is a quantitative technique that estimates T1/T2 tissue relaxation times. This has been proven to increase MRI diagnostic accuracy of brain disorders in human medicine. However, literature in the veterinary field is scarce.

Risk Perception and Ethnic Background in Construction Workers: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study in a Group of Trainees of a Vocational School in Italy.

Risk perception can be influenced by cultural background. The study aims to evaluate risk perception, considering different ethnicities of construction workers from vocational schools in Italy. We administered a questionnaire investigating four different dimensions: Perceived behavioral control (PBC), Danger perception (DP), Safety climate (SC), and Attitude towards safe actions (ATSA).

Brain Topological Reorganization Associated with Visual Neglect After Stroke.

To identify brain hubs that are behaviorally relevant for neglect after stroke as well as to characterize their functional architecture of communication. Twenty acute right hemisphere damaged patients underwent neuropsychological and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging sessions. Spatial neglect was assessed by means of the Center of Cancellation on the Bells Cancellation Test.

Temporal modes of hub synchronization at rest.

The brain is a dynamic system that generates a broad repertoire of perceptual, motor, and cognitive states by the integration and segregation of different functional domains represented in large-scale brain networks. However, the fundamental mechanisms underlying brain network integration remain elusive. Here, for the first time to our knowledge, we found that in the resting state the brain visits few synchronization modes defined as clusters of temporally aligned functional hubs.

B-Mode and Contrast Enhanced Ultrasonography Features of Gastric Inflammatory and Neoplastic Diseases in Dogs.

Canine gastric disorders are common in veterinary clinical practice and among these neoplasms require rapid identification and characterization. Standard ultrasound (US) is the imaging modality of choice for gastric wall assessment. The aim of this prospective study is to describe the specific B-mode and contrast enhanced US (CEUS) features of normal, inflammatory, and neoplastic gastric wall in dogs.

Reliability of fNIRS for noninvasive monitoring of brain function and emotion in sheep.

The aim of this work was to critically assess if functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can be profitably used as a tool for noninvasive recording of brain functions and emotions in sheep. We considered an experimental design including advances in instrumentation (customized wireless multi-distance fNIRS system), more accurate physical modelling (two-layer model for photon diffusion and 3D Monte Carlo simulations), support from neuroanatomical tools (positioning of the fNIRS probe by MRI and DTI data of the very same animals), and rigorous protocols (motor task, startling test) for testing the behavioral response of freely moving sheep. Almost no hemodynamic response was found in the extra-cerebral region in both the motor task and the startling test.

Spontaneous Beta Band Rhythms in the Predictive Coding of Natural Stimuli.

The regularity of the physical world and the biomechanics of the human body movements generate distributions of highly probable states that are internalized by the brain in the course of a lifetime. In Bayesian terms, the brain exploits prior knowledge, especially under conditions when sensory input is unavailable or uncertain, to predictively anticipate the most likely outcome of upcoming stimuli and movements. These internal models, formed during development, yet still malleable in adults, continuously adapt through the learning of novel stimuli and movements.

Functional Autonomy Affects Elderly Spatial Perception in Body-Centered Coordinates.

According to the action-specific theory of perception, a person's dynamic ability to act in the environment affects her/his spatial perception. Empirical evidence shows that the elderly perceive distances as farther compared with younger adults and that the harder the ground surface to walk, the farther the perceived distance. Such results suggest a general perceptual readaptation promoted by the aging process that is fine-tuned with the decline of the motor resources.

Ethnic background and risk perception in construction workers: development and validation of an exploratory tool.

Objectives: Among occupational sectors, construction is still one of the branches with the highest reported numbers of work-related injuries and diseases, which can even lead to death and in many cases induce permanent health consequences. The vast majority of these occupational injuries and diseases are preventable; accordingly, an improvement in preventive strategies, also through a better knowledge of the main factors involved in these events, is one of the most important objectives for better occupational health and safety in the construction sector. Considering the individual factors associated with a higher risk of work-related adverse health effects in workers, an inadequate perception of occupational risks is among the most relevant issues.

Neural bases of self- and object-motion in a naturalistic vision.

To plan movements toward objects our brain must recognize whether retinal displacement is due to self-motion and/or to object-motion. Here, we aimed to test whether motion areas are able to segregate these types of motion. We combined an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment, brain mapping techniques, and wide-field stimulation to study the responsivity of motion-sensitive areas to pure and combined self- and object-motion conditions during virtual movies of a train running within a realistic landscape.

The Impact of the Geometric Correction Scheme on MEG Functional Topology at Rest.

Spontaneous activity is correlated across brain regions in large scale networks (RSN) closely resembling those recruited during several behavioral tasks and characterized by functional specialization and dynamic integration. Specifically, MEG studies revealed a set of central regions (dynamic core) possibly facilitating communication among differently specialized brain systems. However, source projected MEG signals, due to the fundamentally ill-posed inverse problem, are affected by spatial leakage, leading to the estimation of spurious, blurred connections that may affect the topological properties of brain networks and their integration.

The potential role of magnetic resonance brain relaxometry in veterinary medicine: a preliminary study.

Magnetic Resonance (MR) is a non-invasive modality of choice for the evaluation of brain morphology, with superior performance as compared to other techniques. However, MR images are typically assessed qualitatively, thus relying on the experience of the involved radiologist. This may lead to errors of interpretation in the presence of subtle alterations and does not exploit the full potential of this technique as a quantitative diagnostic tool.

Evaluation of Occupational Exposure to Perchlorethylene in a Group of Italian Dry Cleaners Using Noninvasive Exposure Indices.

Recent data suggest a general trend in decreased occupational exposure to perchlorethylene (PCE) in the dry-cleaning sector. The aims of this study were to confirm this trend to lower exposure levels in a group of Italian dry cleaners and to evaluate the current occupational PCE exposure in these works using noninvasive biological indices. Environmental exposure was assessed by personal sampling in 60 operators working in 21 dry cleaning shops in North Italy.

Interfraction prostate displacement during image-guided radiotherapy using intraprostatic fiducial markers and a cone-beam computed tomography system: A volumetric off-line analysis in relation to the variations of rectal and bladder volumes.

Purpose: Prostate motion during the radiotherapy course is an important issue. This study investigated the inter-fraction prostate motion in controlled rectal filling condition.

Methods: 10 prostate cancer patients underwent image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) using a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) system, after the insertion of fiducial markers (FMs).

Topology of Functional Connectivity and Hub Dynamics in the Beta Band As Temporal Prior for Natural Vision in the Human Brain.

Networks hubs represent points of convergence for the integration of information across many different nodes and systems. Although a great deal is known on the topology of hub regions in the human brain, little is known about their temporal dynamics. Here, we examine the static and dynamic centrality of hub regions when measured in the absence of a task (rest) or during the observation of natural or synthetic visual stimuli.