A developmental model of audio-visual attention (MAVA) for bimodal language learning in infants and robots.

A social individual needs to effectively manage the amount of complex information in his or her environment relative to his or her own purpose to obtain relevant information. This paper presents a neural architecture aiming to reproduce attention mechanisms (alerting/orienting/selecting) that are efficient in humans during audiovisual tasks in robots. We evaluated the system based on its ability to identify relevant sources of information on faces of subjects emitting vowels.

Exosomal Functional Cargoes from Liquid Biopsy of Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review of Studies With Potential Clinical Relevance.

Background/aim: Liquid biopsy (LB) is a promising non-invasive tool to detect cancer. Over the last few years, exosomes recruited from LB have attracted the attention of researchers for their involvement in cancer. We focused on the role of LB exosomes in gastric cancer (GC).

Retinal Vascular Assessment in Psoriasis: A Multicenter Study.

Purpose: To investigate the vascular status of the macula in psoriasis patients without history of ocular inflammation by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA).

Methods: This prospective cross-sectional multicenter study included 55 psoriasis patients and 55 control healthy subjects. A complete eye examination and 6 mm × 6 mm OCTA imaging were performed.

Combined Analysis of Intragastric Malignant Exfoliation and Ca 72.4 Concentration in Stomach Adenocarcinoma: The "GL1 Ca 72.4" Parameter.

Introduction/objective: Differently from other digestive malignancies, gastric cancer (GC) pathobiology is still little known and understood. Recently, cytopathology and molecular biology on gastric juice/gastric lavage (GJ/GL) of GC patients have provided novel and interesting results in terms of screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. However, entertaining cytologic examination and molecular test as a unified solo-run test is previously unreported.

Elevated Gastric Juice Carbohydrate Antigen 72.4 (Ca 72.4) Is an Independent Prognostic Factor of Poor Survival for Gastric Cancer Patients.

Background/aim: As of 2020, carbohydrate antigen 72.4 (Ca 72.4) has been rarely investigated in the gastric juice (GJ) of patients with gastric cancer (GC).

Wnt4 from the Niche Controls the Mechano-Properties and Quiescent State of Muscle Stem Cells.

Satellite cells (SCs) reside in a dormant state during tissue homeostasis. The specific paracrine agents and niche cells that maintain SC quiescence remain unknown. We find that Wnt4 produced by the muscle fiber maintains SC quiescence through RhoA.

Gastric Lavage Malignant Cells (yGL) and Hypohemoglobinemia (yAnemia) as New Systems of Tumor Regression Grading and Prognostic Prediction for Gastric Cancer After Neoadjuvant Treatment.

Background/aim: Although reckoned necessary for survival benefit, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) of gastric cancer (GC) patients has so far provided questionable results. Consequently, searching for new and clearer systems of response to NAC, post-NAC re-evaluation and prognostic prediction appears essential. The purpose of this study was to examine endogastric cytopathology and hemoglobin level count as new features, potentially useful for GC patients after NAC.

Quantitative Clonal Analysis and Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveal Division Kinetics, Hierarchy, and Fate of Oral Epithelial Progenitor Cells.

The oral mucosa is one of the most rapidly dividing tissues in the body and serves as a barrier to physical and chemical insults from mastication, food, and microorganisms. Breakdown of this barrier can lead to significant morbidity and potentially life-threatening infections for patients. Determining the identity and organization of oral epithelial progenitor cells (OEPCs) is therefore paramount to understanding their roles in homeostasis and disease.

Preoperative gastric lavage in gastric cancer patients undergoing surgical, endoscopic or minimally invasive treatment: An oncological measure preventing peritoneal spillage of intragastric cancer cells and development of related metastases.

In addition to classical metastatic pathways, recently gastric cancer was described having an alternative route called "endoluminal exfoliation". Provisional analyses demonstrated, in fact, this kind of shedding is associated with several clinico-pathological features indicative of aggressive behavior and resulted to be an independent prognostic factor entailing poor prognosis. Compared with non-sowing counterparts, in fact, patients affected with exfoliating early and advanced gastric carcinomas met with shorter overall survival, disease free survival, progression free survival and time to tumor progression.

Laparoscopic Intragastric Surgery for Treating Early Gastric Cancer.

Background/aim: Although there is an increasing number of studies on laparoscopic resection of early gastric cancer (EGC), as of 2018 no standardized strategy exists. We reviewed available literature dealing with laparoscopic intragastric (intraluminal) surgery (LIGS) conducted for patients with EGC to better define indications, benefits and limitations of this particular minimally invasive technique.

Materials And Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and ResearchGate were the search engines investigated.

Gastric Cancer Cells in Peritoneal Lavage Fluid: A Systematic Review Comparing Cytological with Molecular Detection for Diagnosis of Peritoneal Metastases and Prediction of Peritoneal Recurrences.

Background/aim: Detecting free tumor cells in the peritoneal lavage fluid of gastric cancer patients permits to assess a more accurate prognosis, predict peritoneal recurrence and select cases for a more aggressive treatment. Currently, cytology and molecular biology comprise the two most popular methods of detection that are under constant study by researchers.

Materials And Methods: We burrowed into the available literature comparing cytological with molecular detection of free intraperitoneal gastric cancer cells.

Gastric Juice MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers for Screening Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Background/aim: To date, the combination of gastroscopy with biopsy remains the only test validated for screening gastric cancer (GC). Currently, analysis of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) is providing interesting information on GC prognosis, but since these molecules are shared by several types of cancer, its clinical use could be questionable and difficult. MicroRNAs in gastric juice (GJ) could represent a cogent alternative to screening GC by biopsy.

Utility of Nasogastric Tube for Medical and Surgical Oncology of Gastric Cancer: A Prospective Institutional Study on a New and Precious Application of an Old and Economic Device.

Background/aim: Concerning gastric cancer (GC), nasogastric tube (NGT) is routinely employed for peri-operative decompression and palliative enteral nutrition. Additionally, we believe to have found a further application.

Patients And Methods: Between April 2012 and April 2017, 96 GC patients received preoperative nasogastric lavage (GL).

Presence of cancer cells in gastric lavage of gastric cancer patients as an indicator of advanced disease, predictor of tumour aggressive phenotype and independent prognostic factor for poor survival: The endoluminal metastatic pathway of gastric cancer and GL0/GL1 classification.

Objective: As of 2017, the pathobiology of gastric cancer (GC) is far from fully understood; consequently, new methods of basic and advanced research have been proposed and tested. The presence (GL1) vs absence (GL0) of malignant cells exfoliated in gastric lavage (GL) of GC patients was formerly evaluated with diagnostic intent but not for staging or prognostic assessment. We investigated this hitherto unreported application of cytopathology.

Early Gastric Cancer Exfoliating into Gastric Lavage (GL1 EGC) Shows a More Aggressive Behavior and Poorer Survival Compared to the Non-Exfoliative Counterpart (GL0 EGC).

Background/aim: Early gastric cancer (EGC) is usually associated with excellent prognosis. Some cases, however, entail a poorer survival. Our aim was to assess if EGC exfoliating into gastric lavage (GL) has a more aggressive behavior than the non-exfoliative counterpart.

Measuring Intragastric Tumor Markers in Gastric Cancer Patients: a Systematic Literature Review on Significance and Reliability.

As of 2017, no serum tumor marker has shown high levels of sensitivity or specificity for early detection, classification, staging, prediction and prognosis of patients affected by gastric cancer. In this regard, since 1975 several authors have investigated the gastric juice or gastric lavage of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma in order to determine the concentrations of intragastric tumor markers and discover the perfect antigen for this cancer. To date, however, a systematic review of the literature on intragastric tumor markers is still unreported.

Detection of cancer cells and tumor markers in gastric lavage of patients with gastric cancer: Do these findings have a clinicopathological significance and oncological implication?

Although decreasing in the incidence over the last years, currently gastric adenocarcinoma represents the second cause of cancer related-death worldwide. Further knowledge and novel therapies are desperately needed in order to make the prognosis of these patients more acceptable. Infact, even though in recent years numerous staging parameters have been largely studied and unanimously recognized for their clinical and prognostic value, today too many shadows still exist around the capacity to predict exactly the natural history or post-treatment behavior of this cancer even among patients of the same stage.

Analyzing Gastric Lavage of Gastric Cancer Patients: A Prospective Observational Study on Cytopathology and Determination of Intragastric CEA, CA 19.9, CA 72.4, and CA 50.

Objectives: To investigate gastric lavage (GL) cytopathology and immunometric analysis as novel clinicopathologic and prognostic parameters for gastric cancer (GC).

Study Design: In 38 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma, we performed a cytopathologic analysis and an immunometric assay of GL using four tumor markers (CEA, CA 19.9, CA 72.

The burden of comorbidity and the C-reactive protein levels in nonthyroidal illness syndrome with metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular complications.

Thyroid hormones undergo significant modifications during severe illnesses, and the low T3 levels are the hallmark of nonthyoidal illness syndrome (NTIS), due to a reduced extrathyroidal conversion from T4. We examined 41 patients with NTIS by a modified cumulative illness rating scale (CIRS) and the measurement of FT3, FT4, TSH, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Fifty-seven control subjects were enrolled.

[Gastric pacing to treat morbid obesity: two years experience in four patients].

Background: Gastric pacing to treat morbid obesity has been found to be safe and the implant technique simple to perform. Appetite is reduced and satiety is increased after the implant. There are two components in the Implantable Gastric Stimulation (IGS): (a) an electrical stimulator connected to a (b) bipolar lead that is positioned in the muscle wall of the stomach.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis in subjects with subclinical thyroid diseases: the impact of the negative feedback mechanism.

Objective: To evaluate the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis in patients with subclinical thyroid dysfunction recently reported to have either symptoms or organ involvements with potential morbidity, in order to better differentiate these patients with respect to controls.

Patients: Sixtythree patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism (HyperT), 178 normal subjects (EuT) and 106 patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (HypoT) were enrolled; the groups presented normal thyroid hormone (FT4, FT3) levels and, respectively, reduced (HyperT), normal (EuT) and increased (HypoT) TSH levels. The negative feedback was simultaneously evaluated by multiple linear regression.

Effects of mental stress on cardiovascular and endocrine response in Air Force Academy cadets.

Objectives: Pilots are exposed to the "stress of flight" and the chronically activated stress response may play an important role in circulatory system disease progression. We studied the effect of an experimental mental stress on cardiovascular and neuroendocrine activity, in Air Force Academy cadets, before and after one month intensive course.

Design: Nine cadets were submitted to a psychometric evaluation before Stroop test (ST), including Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI X1 and X2 form) and Reaction Scheme Test.

Sex-related variations in serum nerve growth factor concentration in humans.

A role of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the neuro-endocrine-immune interactions has been recently suggested by the presence of NGF and its receptors in cells of the immune and endocrine systems. The improvement in the comprehension of the role played by NGF in humans is linked to the availability of a sensitive and reliable method to quantify NGF concentrations in body fluids and tissues. As a consequence of different methods used, normal levels of human serum NGF reported in the literature show wide differences.

High incidence of hyperandrogenism-related clinical signs in patients with multiple sclerosis.

A mild prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) is present in females (2:1). To elucidate the pathogenetic role of sex steroids on the disease, we studied 76 women affected by MS, compared to 50 healthy women (mean age +/- SD, 34.9 +/- 0.