Publications by authors named "Orru G"

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of neuromodulation techniques, including transcranial direct current stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and deep brain stimulation, on the treatments of nicotine dependence. Specifically, our objective was to assess the existing evidence by conducting an umbrella review of systematic reviews. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the standardized tools designed to evaluate systematic reviews.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • West Nile Virus (WNV) can cause severe neurological diseases like meningitis and encephalitis, particularly affecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly.
  • A case study of a 65-year-old woman reveals rapid worsening of her condition, leading to death within 10 days, despite receiving supportive treatment.
  • The diagnosis was confirmed using nucleic acid amplification testing, and the study highlights the usefulness of nasopharyngeal swabs for virus sampling, emphasizing the need to monitor WNV outbreaks, particularly in areas with known circulation among birds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chronic pain (CP) affects about 30% of the global population and poses significant challenges to individuals and healthcare systems worldwide. The interactions between physiological, psychological, and social factors are crucial in the onset and development of CP conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention, examining its impact on perceived stress (PSS), depression and anxiety (BDI-II, PGWBI/DEP, SAS, STAI Y), sleep quality (PSQI), and mindfulness abilities (MAAS) in individuals with CP.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

It is increasingly recognized that interoceptive ability, the capacity to detect, interpret, and consciously integrate signals related to the physiological condition of the body, is central to emotion experience and regulation. Interoceptive ability can be trained and improved through mind-body interventions. This article attempts to provide an integrative review of the link between interoceptive ability and emotion regulation in mind-body interventions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Type 2 diabetes (T2D), characterized by insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction, requires continuous advancements in management strategies, particularly in controlling postprandial hyperglycemia to prevent complications. Current antidiabetics, which have α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, have side effects, prompting the search for better alternatives. In addition, diabetes patients are particularly vulnerable to yeast infections because an unusual sugar concentration promotes the growth of spp.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Adaptive hyperactivity characterized by increased activity levels and novelty-seeking traits without mood disorders is prevalent among older adults in Sardinia's "blue zone," an area with high longevity. This study aims to evaluate the adaptive nature of hyperactivity concerning quality of life, social rhythms, and mood symptoms in individuals from this region, particularly among elderly adults over 80. This observational cross-sectional study included adults and older adults over 80 from Sardinia's blue zone.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Periodontitis is linked to a higher risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and can worsen the prognosis due to increased inflammation and harmful agents from periodontal pathogens.
  • - A study evaluated the prevalence and severity of periodontitis among CRC patients, finding it present in over 94% of those with stage I/II and 100% in stages III/IV, with severe periodontitis more common in advanced stages.
  • - The findings indicate a significant association between severe periodontitis and CRC but no correlation with patients' general or tumor characteristics and drug therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Embodiment (the sensation that arises when the properties of an external instrument are processed as if they are the attributes of one's own biological body) and (tele)presence (the sensation of being fully engaged and immersed in a location other than the physical space occupied by one's body) sustain the perception of the physical self and potentially improve performance in teleoperations (a system that enables human intelligence to control robots and requires implementing an effective human-machine interface). Embodiment and presence may be interdependent and influenced by right temporo-parietal junction (rTPJ) activity. We investigated the interplay between embodiment, (tele)presence, and performance in teleoperation, focusing on the role of the rTPJ.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The AI research community has relied on ad-hoc benchmarks to evaluate the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs), revealing challenges in replicating human-like intelligence, particularly in tasks linked to prefrontal lobe functions.
  • In testing the GPT-3.5, GPT-4, Claude2, and Llama2 models using neuropsychological assessments, GPT-3.5 displayed inconsistent results with weaknesses in planning and social cognition, while GPT-4 performed relatively well across most tasks, except for planning.
  • Overall, these findings suggest that current LLMs exhibit emergent abilities but do not fully mimic human cognitive functioning, indicating the potential of existing neuropsychological tests to effectively assess their performance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - This study focuses on extracting Schott extracts using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with CO₂ at 300 bar and 40°C from mature fruits, resulting in a total fatty acid (FA) content of 795.8 mg/g.
  • - The fatty acid profile identified linoleic acid as the most abundant (386 mg/g), followed by oleic, linolenic, palmitic, and stearic acids.
  • - Comparative tests showed that SFE extracts and others had no significant antimicrobial activity, while only the methanolic extract demonstrated a 11-mm inhibition against specific bacteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • PTSD is a serious mental health condition that can happen after someone goes through a traumatic event, but how common it is can vary a lot between different studies, ranging from 2.5% to 74%.
  • This review looked at many studies to find a more accurate number and found that about 24% of people might have PTSD, regardless of whether they were assessed through interviews or questionnaires.
  • The study also showed that the type of trauma (like whether it was done on purpose or not) didn't greatly change the numbers for PTSD prevalence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In the field of veterinary medicine, the detection of parasite eggs in the fecal samples of livestock animals represents one of the most challenging tasks, since their spread and diffusion may lead to severe clinical disease. Nowadays, the scanning procedure is typically performed by physicians with professional microscopes and requires a significant amount of time, domain knowledge, and resources. The Kubic FLOTAC Microscope (KFM) is a compact, low-cost, portable digital microscope that can autonomously analyze fecal specimens for parasites and hosts in both field and laboratory settings.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: This study explores the issue of paper-and-pencil screening tests for bipolar disorder, often leading to false positives. It discusses hypotheses that connect MDQ positivity with sleep disorders, a decline in health-related quality of life, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mood disorders. The study proposes that MDQ identifies a "Dysregulation of Mood, Energy, and Social Rhythms Syndrome" (DYMERS), indicating a stress-related condition.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/objectives: The tongue harbors about two-thirds of the microorganisms present in the mouth; the stable bacterial population consists mainly of aerobic and facultative anaerobic streptococci. These bacterial colonies, found more frequently on the tongue than on the outside of the hard part of the dental enamel in children younger than 18 months, suggest that the tongue is a potential bacterial reservoir. The aim of this review is to examine the scientific literature to clarify whether the mechanical removal of bacterial biofilm on the tongue can have a positive effect on caries prevention, with the reduction in colony-forming unit (CFU) of salivary streptococcus and the whole-mouth plaque index (FMPS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Health-related quality of life (H-QoL) is a critical measure in bipolar disorder (BD). Recent trials using virtual reality (VR) have shown potential in improving H-QoL. However, VR's effect on the H-QoL of people with BD needs to be further explored.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Italy faced the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak unevenly, with Sardinia having one of the lowest incidence rates, potentially due to its insular characteristics.
  • The study analyzed 2,327 SARS-CoV-2 genomes collected from Sardinia to investigate genetic diversity and evolutionary patterns over three years.
  • Findings indicate that Sardinia experienced unique COVID-19 trends, including the introduction of rare viral lineages caused by tourism and its geographic isolation, affecting the spread of common variants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: A COVID-19 outbreak occurred at the end of October 2021 among pilgrims returning from Medjugorje (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Methodology: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of SARS-CoV-2, epidemiological data, and phylogenetic analysis were used to reconstruct outbreak dynamics.

Results: The results suggest that only in one case, associated with the SARS-CoV-2 sub-lineage AY.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) can take place in the presence of three elements: Light with an appropriate wavelength; a photosensitizer; and the presence of oxygen. This type of treatment is very effective overall against bacterial, viral and mycotic cells. In the last 10 years many papers have been published on PDT with different types of photosensitizers (, methylene blue, toluidine blue, indocyanine green, curcumin-based photosensitizers), different wavelengths (, 460 nm, 630 nm, 660 nm, 810 nm) and various parameters (, power of the light, time of illumination, number of sessions).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A subset of bacterial species that holds genes encoding for β-glucuronidase and β-galactosidase, enzymes involved in the metabolism of conjugated estrogens, is called the "estrobolome." There is an emerging interest embracing this concept, as it may exert a selective impact on a number of pathologies, including oral cancer. Although the estrobolome bacteria are typically part of the gut microbiota, recent experimental pieces of evidence have suggested a crosstalk among oral and gut microbiota.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We investigated if interoceptive deficits could be the link between alexithymic traits and eating spectrum manifestations in a non-clinical sample. One-hundred sixty-one young adults (mean age: 23.2 ± 2.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Plantago major L. and Plantago lagopus L. are cosmopolitan species, belonging to the Plantaginaceae family, used in traditional and modern medicine.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on the oral health challenges faced by patients with Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), highlighting issues such as dryness, gum disease, and mouth opening restrictions compared to healthy individuals.
  • Researchers utilized various clinical assessments and quality of life surveys to evaluate both SSc patients and healthy controls, finding significant disparities in oral manifestations and overall well-being.
  • Results revealed that SSc patients experience more severe oral symptoms and noticeably reduced quality of life, while oral videocapillaroscopy was identified as a valuable tool for detecting microcirculation changes specific to SSc.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: A significant body of research has suggested that the contraction of SARS-CoV-2 may cause memory impairment, even in the months following recovery. In this regard, studies suggest that COVID-19 predominantly targets structures and cortices within the temporal lobe, and the hippocampus, a critical brain structure for memory and spatial navigation.The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on subjective memory complaints, which represent an individual's perception of subtle changes in memory in the absence of an objective memory impairment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF