Virtual Social Interaction in a Multiplayer-Online Video Game Increases Implicit Learning: An EEG Study.

It is well known that social interaction enhances learning processes, improving abilities such as attention and memorization. However, it is not clear whether similar advantages may be obtained even in virtual environments. Here, we investigate whether virtual interactions in a video game, similarly to real-life social interactions, may improve individuals' performance in a subsequent implicit learning task.

Shared attention in virtual immersive reality enhances electrophysiological correlates of implicit sensory learning.

Shared attention effects on learning and memory demonstrate that experiences are amplified when we are not alone. Virtual reality poses new challenges to the study of co-presence. Above all, is coattending together with someone else's avatar in an immersive VR setting comparable with shared experiences at a neural processing level? In the present study we investigate shared attention effects in VR for the first time.

Relationship of advanced glycation end-products in hypertension in diabetic patients: a systematic review.

Diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension are among the five risk factors that increase mortality in the world. Both are chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), that have a pathophysiological association. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), produced by the lack of glycemic control in diabetic patients, interact with their AGE receptors (AGER) resulting in increased arterial stiffness, inflammation and endothelial changes - which increases the risk of developing hypertension and other complications.

The Impact of Smoking on Bone Metabolism, Bone Mineral Density and Vertebral Fractures in Postmenopausal Women.

Background: Smoking is recognized among the risk factors for osteoporosis, but only few studies have comprehensively explored its influence on bone metabolism and strength. We aimed to evaluate smoking effects on calcium-phosphate metabolism, bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk in postmenopausal women.

Methods: Our sample included 1067 postmenopausal women who arrived to our osteoporosis outpatient clinic.

Parathormone, vitamin D and the risk of atrial fibrillation in older adults: A prospective study.

Background & Aims: Vitamin D and parathormone (PTH) have been associated with cardiovascular outcomes, but their impact on atrial fibrillation (AF) onset is still unclear. We explored the influence of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and PTH on AF risk in older adults.

Methods And Results: Data come from 2418 participants enrolled in the Progetto Veneto Anziani study.

Phase angle and metabolic equivalents as predictors of frailty transitions in advanced age.

Objectives: The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether two cellular and metabolic health indices, phase angle (PhA) and metabolic equivalents (METs), can predict changes in frailty states in fit community-dwelling older people.

Methods: A sample of 118 individuals aged ≥65 years who attended a twice-weekly mild fitness program of aerobic and/or resistance exercises was enrolled in the study. At baseline and after three years, individuals underwent a clinical examination, biochemical determinations, bioelectrical impedance analysis, body composition assessment with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, physical performance tests, and frailty and sarcopenia assessment.

The Effect of Different Compatibilizers on the Properties of a Post-Industrial PC/PET Blend.

The substitution of virgin resins by recycled ones is a worldwide tendency that is supported by the fluctuation of oil prices and the transition to a circular economy. Polymeric blends have been intensively studied because of their ability to provide tailored properties for particular applications. However, in their design phases, the issue of end-life re-use had not been well addressed, and now difficulties in their recycling are arising.

Influence of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, fat-free mass, and fat mass on bone density, geometry and strength, in healthy young and elderly adults.

Purpose: The association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels and cortical/trabecular bone parameters has been explored in the elderly, but less so in younger adults; body composition may also influence bone parameters across the life span. We aimed to investigate, with peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT), the relationship between serum 25-OHD levels and bone geometry and strength and, at the same time, to explore the influence of fat mass and fat-free mass on bone parameters, for the tibia and radius, in healthy young and elderly adults.

Methods: The study involved 149 healthy adults grouped by age: 65 were under 65 years old, and 84 were older.

Effect of Diacerein on Metabolic Control and Inflammatory Markers in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Using Antidiabetic Agents: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Studies have shown that T2DM is an inflammatory disease. Thus, the present study was aimed at evaluating whether diacerein could improve the metabolic and inflammatory profile among patients with T2DM under long-term treatment with glucose-lowering agents.

Methods: This is a double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled trial with 72 participants randomly assigned to diacerein 50 mg or placebo for 12 weeks.

Identification of asymptomatic frailty vertebral fractures in post-menopausal women.

Purpose: Vertebral fractures are associated with persistent pain, disability and mortality. However, around two thirds of women with vertebral fractures are unaware of them. We aimed to analyze which factors could mostly be associated to the presence of vertebral fractures in post-menopausal women, and evaluate the effectiveness of current screening criteria for the detection of vertebral fractures in an outpatient setting.

Effect of diacerein on renal function and inflammatory cytokines in participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease: A randomized controlled trial.

Unlabelled: Diacerein seems to improve metabolic control and reduce inflammatory marker levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (Type 2 DM), but for participants with chronic kidney disease (CKD) its effect is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of diacerein vs. placebo on urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and inflammatory cytokines in type 2 DM participants with CKD.

Effects of acetyl-L-carnitine in diabetic neuropathy and other geriatric disorders.

A long history of diabetes mellitus and increasing age are associated with the onset of diabetic neuropathy, a painful and highly disabling complication with a prevalence peaking at 50% among elderly diabetic patients. Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is a molecule derived from the acetylation of carnitine in the mitochondria that has an essential role in energy production. It has recently been proposed as a therapy to improve the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.

Notes on Human Trials of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation between 1960 and 1998.

: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is investigated to modulate neuronal function including cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychiatric therapies. While cases of human stimulation with rudimentary batteries date back more than 200 years, clinical trials with current controlled stimulation were published intermittently since the 1960s. The modern era of tDCS only started after 1998.

Anti-Mullerian hormone and insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent disease affecting women of reproductive age. It may be associated with metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance (IR) and obesity. The anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels seem to be higher in patients with PCOS.

Serum homocysteine levels in renal transplant recipients with and without hypercholesterolemia.

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia seems to be frequent after renal transplantation. No study so far has assessed the role of homocysteine (Hcy) associated with dyslipidemia in Brazil.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (serum Hcy >15 mmol/l) in stable renal transplant recipients and to evaluate the role of serum lipids and graft function in serum Hcy levels.

[Early diagnosis of HCMV infections in patients undergoing transplantation of the kidney].

HCMV infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality following kidney transplantation. Clinical diagnosis is difficult, and rapid and sensitive diagnostic methods are needed since antiviral therapy is available. One hundred-forty-five consecutive kidney-transplanted patients were studied during a period of three months after transplantation.