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The analysis of co-citations, which occurs when two publications or authors are mentioned together in the same text, has long been established as a practice within scientometrics, particularly in the field of "science mapping". However, historiography has shown less openness to utilizing co-citation analysis for distant reading purposes. To address this gap, this article presents a comprehensive methodology for applying co-citation analysis to extensive collections of historical documents, specifically 17th-century letters indexed in the ePistolarium database. In science mapping, co-citation serves as an indicator for tracking the development of scientific fields. Similarly, I employ co-citation to map the Dutch socio-intellectual landscape during the Scientific Revolution period (1623–87) and evaluate the strengths and limitations of this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We see mathematics as the foundation of natural sciences, whereas in the second half of the sixteenth century the question was whether mathematics was a science at all. Ever since its foundation in 1540, the Society of Jesus had had one mission - to restore order where Luther, Calvin and the other instigators of the Reformation had brought chaos. For a long time, historians have been under the impression that Renaissance mathematics was a pure science, the mathematician a scholar whose only job was to solve abstract problems (Roux [12]). Of course, Renaissance mathematics contained the seeds of what would later become modern mathematics. [Extracted from the article]

Argument: The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of Giordano Bruno's conception of mathematics. Specifically, it intends to highlight two aspects of this conception that have been neglected in previous studies. First, Bruno's conception of mathematics changed over time and in parallel with another concept that was central to his thought: the concept of infinity. Specifically, Bruno undertook a reform of mathematics in order to accommodate the concept of the infinitely small or "minimum," which was introduced at a later stage. Second, contrary to what Héléne Védrine claimed, Bruno believed that mathematical objects were mind-dependent. To chart the parallel development of the conceptions of mathematics and infinity, a seven-year time span is considered, from the publication of Bruno's first Italian dialogue (La cena de le ceneri, 1584) to the publication of one of his last Latin works (De minimo, 1591). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eventual confirmation of the Rossi et al. findings in a larger sample of patients during a multicenter and prospective study (see later) would trigger a revision of the current law. Stratifying patients for lesion type and age is relevant because in certain clinical conditions, as when extensive facial lesions are present, it may be difficult to explore cranial reflexes, and only the apnea test can be reliably carried out. Thus, at first sight, the authors consider that a relatively long time period of observation is not useful, but rather it may even be detrimental in terms of organ donation, as 1.4% of these patients died throughout the death ascertainment for a cardiac arrest despite ventilation support. [Extracted from the article]

Argument: The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of Giordano Bruno's conception of mathematics. Specifically, it intends to highlight two aspects of this conception that have been neglected in previous studies. First, Bruno's conception of mathematics changed over time and in parallel with another concept that was central to his thought: the concept of infinity. Specifically, Bruno undertook a reform of mathematics in order to accommodate the concept of the infinitely small or "minimum," which was introduced at a later stage. Second, contrary to what Héléne Védrine claimed, Bruno believed that mathematical objects were mind-dependent. To chart the parallel development of the conceptions of mathematics and infinity, a seven-year time span is considered, from the publication of Bruno's first Italian dialogue (La cena de le ceneri, 1584) to the publication of one of his last Latin works (De minimo, 1591). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder and its burden on patients, families, and society grows significantly with lifespan. Early modifications of risk-enhancing lifestyles and treatment initiation expand personal autonomy and reduce management costs. Many clinical trials with potentially disease-modifying drugs are devoted to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) prodromal-to-Alzheimer's disease. The identification of biomarkers for early diagnosis may thus be crucial for early intervention and identification of high-risk subjects, the most appropriate target of new drugs as soon as they will be discovered. INTERCEPTOR is a strategic project by the Italian Ministry of Health and the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), aiming to validate the best combination (highly accurate, non-invasive, available on the whole national territory and financially sustainable) of biomarkers and organizational model for early diagnosis. 500 MCI subjects will be enrolled at baseline and followed-up for 3 years for at least 400 of them in order to define a "hub & spoke" nationwide model with recruiting (spokes) centers for MCI identification and expert (hubs) centers for risk diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to shed light on an understudied aspect of Giordano Bruno's intellectual biography, namely, his career as a mathematical practitioner. Early interpreters, especially, have criticized Bruno's mathematics for being "outdated" or too "concrete". However, thanks to developments in the study of early modern mathematics and the rediscovery of Bruno's first mathematical writings (four dialogues on Fabrizio's Mordente proportional compass), we are in a position to better understand Bruno's mathematics. In particular, this article aims to reopen the question of whether Bruno anticipated the concept of infinitesimal quantity. It does so by providing an analysis of the dialogues on Mordente's compass and of the historical circumstances under which those dialogues were written. • Giordano Bruno might have envisioned the concept of infinitesimal quantity. • Bruno's mathematics is best understood in the context of mathematical practices. • Bruno's idea of geometric minimum originated from the controversy with Mordente. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Machine Learning (ML)-based approaches are able to predict the Alzheimer's disease (AD). • MCI represents a target population to test and validate early diagnostic methods. • ML algorithms predict MCI conversion to AD with different prognostic results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the turn of the seventeenth century, Bruno and Cavalieri independently developed two theories, central to which was the concept of the geometrical indivisible. The introduction of indivisibles had significant implications for geometry - especially in the case of Cavalieri, for whom indivisibles provided a forerunner of the calculus. But how did this event occur? What can we learn from the fact that two theories of indivisibles arose at about the same time? These are the questions addressed in this paper. Relying on the methodology of “historical epistemology”, this paper asserts that the similarities and differences between the theories of Bruno and Cavalieri can be explained in terms of “shared knowledge”. The paper shows that the idea - on which both Bruno and Cavalieri build - that geometrical objects are generated by motion was part of the mathematical culture of the time. Tracing this idea back to its Pythagorean origins thus sheds light on the relationship between motion and continuum in mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this post-hoc analysis of the AXEPT study, 855 patients were analyzed, 544 (63.6%) females. The mean (± SD) MMSE score in women vs men was 20.8 ± 2.6 vs. 21.2 ± 2.5; p = 0.0087, and women were more likely affected by psychiatric disorders (n = 76, 14.0% women vs. n = 21, 6.8% men; p = 0.0015). Men were mainly assisted by their wives (n = 207, 66.6%), women mainly by their daughters (n = 243, 44.7%) and only in a minority of cases by their husbands (n = 92, 16.9%). Women less frequently cohabited with their caregivers than men (n = 233, 43.1% vs. n = 240, 77.9%, p < 0.0001), and received less daily time of caregiving (mean (± SD): 10.0 ± 7.2 vs. 15.2 ± 8.2; p < 0.0001). No gender differences were highlighted in compliance to treatment and caregiver satisfaction, while gender differences in caregiving were found at disadvantage of women affected by more severe cognitive and psychiatric conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent study, analyzing the modulation of γ-band oscillations, Naro and colleagues demonstrated that transcranial alternating current stimulation could drive the gamma rhythms in the human EEG in cognitive healthy elderly subjects but not in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) prodromal to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in early AD patients. Therefore, this method is proposed to intercept early in the disease course those MCI subjects who are in a pre-symptomatic stage of an already established AD. This prediction index may help the clinician to adopt a better prevention/follow-up strategy. In this direction, the novel advances in EEG analysis for the evaluation of brain reactivity and connectivity-namely via innovative mathematical approach, i.e., graph theory-represent a promising tool for a non-invasive and easy-to-perform neurophysiological marker that could be used for the pre-symptomatic diagnosis of AD and to predict MCI progression to dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The human brain contains about 100 billion neurons forming an intricate network of innumerable connections, which continuously adapt and rewire themselves following inputs from external and internal environments as well as the physiological synaptic, dendritic and axonal sculpture during brain maturation and throughout the life span. Growing evidence supports the idea that Alzheimer''s disease (AD) targets selected and functionally connected neuronal networks and, specifically, their synaptic terminals, affecting brain connectivity well before producing neuronal loss and compartmental atrophy. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the dismantling of neuronal circuits and the implementation of ‘clinically oriented’ methods to map-out the dynamic interactions amongst neuronal assemblies will enhance early/pre-symptomatic diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression. More important, this will open the avenues to innovative treatments, bridging the gap between molecular mechanisms and the variety of symptoms forming disease phenotype. In the present review a set of evidence supports the idea that altered brain connectivity, exhausted neural plasticity and aberrant neuronal activity are facets of the same coin linked to age-related neurodegenerative dementia of Alzheimer type. Investigating their respective roles in AD pathophysiology will help in translating findings from basic research to clinical applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Located at a distance of approximately 3200 km from Iceland, where the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, Italy was affected by volcanic ash transported by middle altitude air masses across Europe. Volcanic emissions from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in April 2010 were detected in Rimini (44° 2′ 28" N, 12° 34′ 3" E) (Italy) by means of in-situ measurements (sampling of bulk depositions). Sampling was carried out during the period April–August 2010, and the following parameters were determined: grain size, TSP, mineralogy, particle morphology and chemical content in terms of Br−, Cl−, F−, , Al, As, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Li, Lu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, Tb, Te, Ti, Tl, U, V, Y, Zn and Zr. Information from the Hysplit-NOAA back trajectory helped to identify the origin of the air mass. The results obtained from the observations are in good agreement with similar studies carried out by other European scientists, confirming that the Eyjafjallajökull ash plume also had a surface impact in Italy. The findings of our study support observations made by researchers of the CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory at the EARLINET station in Southern Italy and enlarge the geographical area known to have been affected by fallout from the April–May 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objectives: The principle underlying this project is that, despite nervous reorganization following upper limb amputation, original pathways and CNS relays partially maintain their function and can be exploited for interfacing prostheses. Aim of this study is to evaluate a novel peripheral intraneural multielectrode for multi-movement prosthesis control and for sensory feed-back, while assessing cortical reorganization following the re-acquired stream of data. Methods: Four intrafascicular longitudinal flexible multielectrodes (tf-LIFE4) were implanted in the median and ulnar nerves of an amputee; they reliably recorded output signals for 4weeks. Artificial intelligence classifiers were used off-line to analyse LIFE signals recorded during three distinct hand movements under voluntary order. Results: Real-time control of motor output was achieved for the three actions. When applied off-line artificial intelligence reached >85% real-time correct classification of trials. Moreover, different types of current stimulation were determined to allow reproducible and localized hand/fingers sensations. Cortical organization was observed via TMS in parallel with partial resolution of symptoms due to the phantom-limb syndrome (PLS). Conclusions: tf-LIFE4s recorded output signals in human nerves for 4weeks, though the efficacy of sensory stimulation decayed after 10days. Recording from a number of fibres permitted a high percentage of distinct actions to be classified correctly. Reversal of plastic changes and alleviation of PLS represent corollary findings of potential therapeutic benefit. Significance: This study represents a breakthrough in robotic hand use in amputees. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Brain plasticity can be considered the main result of brain communication with the 'external' and 'internal' environment. Learning new skills as well as endogenous brain function recovery following a lesion are based on neural plasticity, a dynamic phenomenon occurring in response to modification of conscious and pre- or sub-conscious experiences as they progressively stabilize at the synaptic and neural networks level. In spite of previously accepted theory, brain plasticity occurs throughout lifespan being an inner property of the system. Different models of brain plasticity are examined in relation with different modifications of the CNS: healthy brain ageing, neurodegenerative disorders, ischemic stroke and multiple sclerosis. A clarification of advantageous as well as of aberrant brain plasticity mechanisms in pathological conditions may help to improve the development of rehabilitation methods to better address and facilitate such processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: “Neural efficiency” hypothesis posits that cortical activity is spatially focused in experts. Here we tested the hypothesis that compared to non-athletes, elite athletes are characterized by a reduced cortical activation during visuo-motor tasks related to the field of expertise, as a function of movement side. EEG data (56 channels; EB-Neuro) were continuously recorded in the following right-handed subjects: 11 non-athletes, 11 elite fencing athletes, and 11 elite karate athletes. During the EEG recordings, they observed pictures with fencing and karate attacks, and had to quickly click a right (left) keyboard button for the attacks at right (left) monitor side. The EEG data were averaged with respect to the movement onset, and were spatially enhanced by surface Laplacian estimation. The potentials related to the preparation (readiness potential) and initiation (motor potential) of the movements were measured. For the right movement, the potentials overlying supplementary motor and contralateral sensorimotor areas were higher in amplitude in the non-athletes than in the elite karate and fencing athletes. Furthermore, the amplitude of the motor potential over ipsilateral sensorimotor area was higher in the elite karate than fencing athletes, and its distribution over bilateral sensorimotor areas was less asymmetrical in the karate than in the other two groups. For the left movement, these potentials showed no difference between the groups. The present results suggest that “neural efficiency” hypothesis does not fully account for the organization of motor systems in elite athletes. “Neural efficiency” would depend on several factors including side of the movement, hemisphere, and kind of athletes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: It has been shown that a new procedure (implicit function as squashing time, IFAST) based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) is able to compress eyes-closed resting electroencephalographic (EEG) data into spatial invariants of the instant voltage distributions for an automatic classification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) subjects with classification accuracy of individual subjects higher than 92%. Methods: Here we tested the hypothesis that this is the case also for the classification of individual normal elderly (Nold) vs. MCI subjects, an important issue for the screening of large populations at high risk of AD. Eyes-closed resting EEG data (10–20 electrode montage) were recorded in 171 Nold and in 115 amnesic MCI subjects. The data inputs for the classification by IFAST were the weights of the connections within a nonlinear auto-associative ANN trained to generate the instant voltage distributions of 60-s artifact-free EEG data. Results: The most relevant features were selected and coincidently the dataset was split into two halves for the final binary classification (training and testing) performed by a supervised ANN. The classification of the individual Nold and MCI subjects reached 95.87% of sensitivity and 91.06% of specificity (93.46% of accuracy). Conclusions: These results indicate that IFAST can reliably distinguish eyes-closed resting EEG in individual Nold and MCI subjects. Significance: IFAST may be used for large-scale periodic screening of large populations at risk of AD and personalized care. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The functional organization of working memory (WM) in the human prefrontal cortex remains unclear. The present study used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to clarify the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) both in the types of information (verbal vs. spatial), and the types of processes (maintenance vs. manipulation). Subjects performed three independent experiments (1-back and 2-back tasks) while rTMS was applied over dlPFC for 500ms in the last period of the delay. In two experiments (1 and 2) physically identical stimuli (letters shown at different locations on a screen) under different domain conditions (letters or locations) were employed. Under these conditions, we discovered a double dissociation only in the 2-back task: during the letter condition, when applied to the right dlPFC, rTMS significantly delayed task performance, whereas, the same result was present during the location condition, but only when rTMS was applied to the left dlPFC. The other 2-back task (experiment 3), in which we had eliminated the task-irrelevant information (i.e. we used stimuli that varied only in one domain), did not show significant results. We propose that the functional dichotomy of the hemispheres may be due to mechanisms of cognitive control on interference, which resolve conflict through the inhibition of task-irrelevant information only during high WM load. In conclusion, these findings confirm the role of dlPFC in implementing top-down attentional control, and provide evidence for the theoretical suggestion that working memory serves to control selective attention in the normal human brain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Physiological brain aging is characterized by a loss of synaptic contacts and neuronal apoptosis that provokes age-dependant decline of sensory processing, motor performance, and cognitive function. Neural redundancy and plastic remodelling of brain networking, also secondary to mental and physical training, promotes maintenance of brain activity in healthy elderly for everyday life and fully productive affective and intellectual capabilities. However, age is the main risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer''s disease (AD) that impact on cognition. Oscillatory electromagnetic brain activity is a hallmark of neuronal network function in various brain regions. Modern neurophysiological techniques including electroencephalography (EEG), event-related potential (ERP), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can accurately index normal and abnormal brain aging to facilitate non-invasive analysis of cortico–cortical connectivity and neuronal synchronization of firing and coherence of rhythmic oscillations at various frequencies. The present review provides a perspective of these issues by assaying different neurophysiological methods and integrating the results with functional brain imaging findings. It is concluded that discrimination between physiological and pathological brain aging clearly emerges at the group level, with applications at the individual level also suggested. Integrated approaches utilizing neurophysiological techniques together with biological markers and structural and functional imaging are promising for large-scale, low-cost and non-invasive evaluation of at-risk populations. Practical implications of the methods are emphasized. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Objective: This paper presents the results obtained with the innovative use of special types of artificial neural networks (ANNs) assembled in a novel methodology named IFAST (implicit function as squashing time) capable of compressing the temporal sequence of electroencephalographic (EEG) data into spatial invariants. The aim of this study is to assess the potential of this parallel and nonlinear EEG analysis technique in distinguishing between subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer''s disease (AD) patients with a high degree of accuracy in comparison with standard and advanced nonlinear techniques. The principal aim of the study was testing the hypothesis that automatic classification of MCI and AD subjects can be reasonably correct when the spatial content of the EEG voltage is properly extracted by ANNs. Methods and material: Resting eyes-closed EEG data were recorded in 180 AD patients and in 115 MCI subjects. The spatial content of the EEG voltage was extracted by IFAST step-wise procedure using ANNs. The data input for the classification operated by ANNs were not the EEG data, but the connections weights of a nonlinear auto-associative ANN trained to reproduce the recorded EEG tracks. These weights represented a good model of the peculiar spatial features of the EEG patterns at scalp surface. The classification based on these parameters was binary (MCI versus AD) and was performed by a supervised ANN. Half of the EEG database was used for the ANN training and the remaining half was utilised for the automatic classification phase (testing). Results: The best results distinguishing between AD and MCI reached to 92.33%. The comparative results obtained with the best method so far described in the literature, based on blind source separation and Wavelet pre-processing, were 80.43% (p <0.001). Conclusion: The results confirmed the working hypothesis that a correct automatic classification of MCI and AD subjects can be obtained extracting spatial information content of the resting EEG voltage by ANNs and represent the basis for research aimed at integrating spatial and temporal information content of the EEG. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Studies have revealed the potential risks to which human health and ecosystems are exposed in the Venice Lagoon, due to the atmospheric deposition of persistent pollutants such as trace metals and organic compounds. A total of 77 atmospheric bulk deposition samples were collected monthly from April 2002 to December 2004, from three sites located in the cities of Mestre and Venice, and inside the industrial area of Porto Marghera. Samples were analyzed by HRGC/HRMS for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content. Spatial variations of atmospheric fallout were investigated, and source identification was attempted using diagnostic ratios and multivariate statistical analysis. Different conditions were recorded, with three anthropic signatures: i) industrial, mainly affected by local industrial sources and diesel engine emissions, ii) urban, mostly influenced by high traffic density, especially petrol car emissions and iii) lagoonal, characterized by diesel emissions from boat engines and oil burning, with random transport of industrial emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the ecosystem of the Lagoon of Venice were studied, in order to provide a general picture of conditions in the lagoon in terms of contamination by persistent organic pollutants (POPs). We present here novel data on atmospheric deposition, water, sediment and clam samples collected in the lagoon during the period January 2001–December 2004. Atmospheric deposition was sampled monthly at six sites located both close and far from large industrial and urban sources. Water samples were collected monthly from fifteen stations, and twenty-five samples of sediments and clams (Tapes philippinarum) were collected in four areas where clams are farmed and harvested inside the lagoon. All samples were analysed for PCDD/Fs, PCBs and HCB by HRGC/HRMS in the same laboratory. All samples examined (atmospheric deposition and water) substantially confirmed the spatial pattern reported in previously published data on sediments and atmospheric deposition: the zone surrounding the Porto Marghera petrochemical plant always had the highest levels of POPs (i.e., PCDD/Fs: atmosphere ∼6pg of 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents (I-TE) m−2 d−1; water 0.37pgI-TEl−1; sediment: 300ngkg−1; clam 2.8pg I-TE g−1), and the minima were found at points on the margins of the lagoon (PCDD/Fs: atmosphere ∼1pgI-TEm−2 d−1; water 0.05pgI-TEl−1; sediment: ∼5ngkg−1; clam ∼0.2pg I-TE g−1). Intermediate values were often encountered in the historical city centre of Venice and in the central part of the lagoon. To confirm this, new data on correlation between levels of PCDD/F in sediments and clams are reported, both for absolute values and for the PCDD/F “fingerprint”. There is always a clear fingerprinting signature (PCDF/PCDD>1) for samples collected near Porto Marghera, and the opposite (PCDF/PCDD<1) in the rest of the lagoon. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

From 2000 to 2002, sediment contamination by Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn was analysed in the Pialassa Baiona salt marsh, which receives petrochemical wastewaters from the industrial district of Ravenna (Italy). The recent contamination levels were compared with data of previous studies carried out in 1982, in order to assess whether environmental policies and remedial measures reduced sediment pollution. Sedimentary profiles of Cu and Pb were homogeneous along the uppermost 0–10 cm horizon, which corresponded to the sedimentation in the last 30 years. Concentrations of Zn attained a peak (up to 800 mg kg−1 dry weight) in the 0–4 cm sediment horizon, which was assumed to correspond to the last 10–15 years. A wide-spread contamination by Hg was detected in the salt marsh as well as in the main channel with peaks up to 20–40 mg kg−1 dry weight. Nonetheless, recent sediments resulted less contaminated, since Hg discharge from industrial plants ceased about 20 years ago. Contamination levels by Hg values were two orders of magnitude higher than the international sediment quality standards. Cadmium, which was analysed for the first time in 2000–2002, attained a peak in the surface layers (1–2.5 mg kg−1 d.w.), with a progressive decline along the sediment column. Through comparison with pre-industrial values detected in the deeper sediment horizons (before 1920), Hg showed the highest enrichment factor, up to 300 times. Cd and Zn concentrations in recent sediments were from 2 to 10 times higher than background values. In terms of possible adverse effects, Hg posed the highest risk, and Cd and Zn were frequently above the recommended thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to estimate the importance of atmospheric fall-out of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) around the industrial district of Porto Marghera, Italy, atmospheric depositions of POPs were collected using bulk samplers inside the Lagoon of Venice. Seventy-seven atmospheric deposition samples were collected monthly over a 12-month period (March 2003–March 2004) at seven sites located close to the industrial area of Porto Marghera. Samples were analysed by HRGC/HRMS for PCDD-Fs, PCBs, HCB and PAHs. Differences in mean daily fluxes of all organic pollutants between industrial, urban and lagoonal stations were clear, atmospheric depositions at industrial sites being higher than target values for dioxin deposition recommended by the EU strategy on dioxins, furans and polychlorobiphenyls. In order to calculate atmospheric loadings of POPs around the industrial district, we considered an area defined by a distance of 10 km from the hypothetical centre-point of the main sources of atmospheric emissions from Porto Marghera. The calculated loadings, compared with the previous estimates, show that annual loadings of POPs are 12, 510, 90 and 130 kg of PCDD-Fs, PCBs, HCB and PAHs, respectively, corresponding to 350–500 mg TEQ, thus indicating a slight decrease in PCBs and a great decrease in HCB with respect to 1998–99. The input coming from the atmosphere is of the same order of magnitude of that due to the watershed runoff and approximately one-half of the direct industrial discharges. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Number processing is known to involve several sites within the posterior regions of parietal cortex. Here, we investigated whether neural activity in the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) is essential for number processing, by observing the effects of interfering with its activity during the execution of a standard number comparison task. Subjects performance on the task was significantly slowed down when we delivered trains of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimuli (rTMS) to the posterior parietal scalp site overlying the left IPL, while rTMS did not affect the number comparison task if delivered to homologous, contralateral (right) IPL. In conclusion, the present findings add support to a growing body of evidence from neuropsychology and neuroimaging studies that the left inferior parietal lobule is an important component of the networks subserving the representation of quantity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cognitive neuroscientists use transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in several ways, from aiming to increase understanding of brain–behavior relationships to transiently improving performance, both in normals and in patients with neurological and neuropsychological deficits. Different types of TMS (single-pulse, paired-pulse, repetitive) are able to interfere with higher brain functions that require the cooperation of different brain areas and complex neuronal networks. Currently, behavioral TMS effects on the brain are usually short-lived and their underlying mechanisms not yet wholly understood. However, the aim of using TMS to develop rehabilitative strategies for motor, perceptive and cognitive functions represents an intriguing challenge. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Contrary to what previously believed, recent research advances have demonstrated that the adult brain has a certain capacity for plastic reorganization and self-repair after a lesion such as cerebrovascular accidents. The mechanisms subtending post-stroke recovery are probably complex and operating at different levels, from molecular to synaptic to anatomical reorganization. The integrated use of functional neuroimaging techniques, by overcoming the limitations of each specific methodology is likely to shed much light on plasticity mechanisms. In this review we discuss the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology possibly underlying reorganization of the central nervous system, as well as the experimental evidence of "in vivo" post-stroke plasticity. Better understanding of these mechanisms can provide neurorehabilitation with powerful tools in designing and implementing new therapeutic approaches to stroke patients both in the acute and the chronic stages after a brain tissue lesion has occurred and stabilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovery of function after a stroke is attributable to several factors, including events in the first few days (eg, reabsorption of perilesional oedema, tissue reperfusion). However, consistent reorganisation and recovery after a stroke takes weeks or months. In the early stages, recovery from stroke can vary greatly among patients with identical clinical symptoms. Neuroimaging techniques that enable us to assess baseline and task-related functions, and neurophysiological techniques that measure brain function in “real time”, can be used to study the recovery of brain lesions after a stroke. In this review, we discuss important neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies of post-stroke brain reorganisation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background This article introduces a novel index aimed at uncovering specific brain connectivity patterns associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), defined according to neuropsychological patterns. Methods Electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings of 370 people, including 170 healthy subjects and 200 mild-AD patients, were acquired in different clinical centres using different acquisition equipment by harmonising acquisition settings. The study employed a new derived Small World (SW) index, SWcomb, that serves as a comprehensive metric designed to integrate the seven SW parameters, computed across the typical EEG frequency bands. The objective is to create a unified index that effectively distinguishes individuals with a neuropsychological pattern compatible with AD from healthy ones. Results Results showed that the healthy group exhibited the lowest SWcomb values, while the AD group displayed the highest SWcomb ones. Conclusions These findings suggest that SWcomb index represents an easy-to-perform, low-cost, widely available and non-invasive biomarker for distinguishing between healthy individuals and AD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurodegenerative processes of various types of dementia start years before symptoms, but the presence of a "neural reserve", which continuously feeds and supports neuroplastic mechanisms, helps the aging brain to preserve most of its functions within the "normality" frame. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between dementia and normal brain aging. About 50% of MCI subjects are already in a stage that is prodromal-to-dementia and during the following 3 to 5 years will develop clinically evident symptoms, while the other 50% remains at MCI or returns to normal. If the risk factors favoring degenerative mechanisms are modified during early stages (i.e., in the prodromal), the degenerative process and the loss of abilities in daily living activities will be delayed. It is therefore extremely important to have biomarkers able to identify—in association with neuropsychological tests—prodromal-to-dementia MCI subjects as early as possible. MCI is a large (i.e., several million in EU) and substantially healthy population; therefore, biomarkers should be financially affordable, largely available and non-invasive, but still accurate in their diagnostic prediction. Neurodegeneration initially affects synaptic transmission and brain connectivity; methods exploring them would represent a 1st line screening. Neurophysiological techniques able to evaluate mechanisms of synaptic function and brain connectivity are attracting general interest and are described here. Results are quite encouraging and suggest that by the application of artificial intelligence (i.e., learning-machine), neurophysiological techniques represent valid biomarkers for screening campaigns of the MCI population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two commercial coating systems, each one consisting of both a primer and an antifouling ("System 1" based on Copper Oxide and "System 2" based on Zinc Oxide), have been analyzed in order to investigate their environmental impacts through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and laboratory tests. A cradle-to-grave analysis has been performed in order to quantify the environmental footprint of each coating solution and to define which element, material, or process mainly affect the environmental impact of such products. Moreover, it was performed a comparison between the different products to determine the most environmentally sustainable choice. In addition to LCA, several incubations of coated metal samples, by means of an innovative incubation system developed by the authors, have also been performed in marine water (Gulf of Naples, Mediterranean Sea, Italy), as critical environment favoring metal corrosion and biofouling generation. The life cycle analysis has showed that the production phase presents the highest environmental impact in almost all categories, mainly due to the use of chemical compounds. Moreover, after the laboratory tests, strong biotoxicity and contaminant diffusion, contributing to the marine toxicity potential, have been observed for both the commercial paints. As a final remark, there are straightforward indications of a strong need for anti-Microbial-Induced-Corrosion commercial coatings to substitute the toxic compounds with others in order to develop a greener solution. • The environmental impacts of two commercial coating systems have been detected. • LCA analysis and laboratory tests on coated metal samples have been performed. • Samples were incubated in seawater by means of an innovative incubation system. • Results highlight a strong need for commercial coatings to develop greener solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This article traces the development of ECT from its origin until today. • The advent of rTMS in the neuropsychiatric field is described. • ECT and rTMS play a complementary role in treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was applied for the first time in humans in 1938: after 80 years, it remains conceptually similar today except for modifications of the original protocol aimed to reduce adverse effects (as persistent memory deficits) without losing clinical efficacy. We illustrate the stages of development as well as ups and downs of ECT use in the last eighty years, and the impact that it still maintains for treatment of certain psychiatric conditions. Targeted, individualized and safe noninvasive neuromodulatory interventions are now possible for many neuropsychiatric disorders thanks to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) that injects currents in the brain through electromagnetic induction, powerful enough to depolarize cortical neurons and related networks. Although ECT and rTMS differ in basic concepts, mechanisms, tolerability, side effects and acceptability, and beyond their conceptual remoteness (ECT) or proximity (rTMS) to "precision medicine" approaches, the two brain stimulation techniques may be considered as complementary rather than competing in the current treatment of certain neuropsychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The present literature points to an alteration of the human K‐complex during non‐rapid eye movement sleep in Alzheimer's disease. Nevertheless, the few findings on the K‐complex changes in mild cognitive impairment and their possible predictive role on the Alzheimer's disease conversion show mixed findings, lack of replication, and a main interest for the frontal region. The aim of the present study was to assess K‐complex measures in amnesic mild cognitive impairment subsequently converted in Alzheimer's disease over different cortical regions, comparing them with healthy controls and stable amnesic mild cognitive impairment. We assessed baseline K‐complex density, amplitude, area under the curve and overnight changes in frontal, central and parietal midline derivations of 12 amnesic mild cognitive impairment subsequently converted in Alzheimer's disease, 12 stable amnesic mild cognitive impairment and 12 healthy controls. We also assessed delta electroencephalogram power, to determine if K‐complex alterations in amnesic mild cognitive impairment occur with modification of the electroencephalogram power in the frequency range of the slow‐wave activity. We found a reduced parietal K‐complex density in amnesic mild cognitive impairment subsequently converted in Alzheimer's disease compared with stable amnesic mild cognitive impairment and healthy controls, without changes in K‐complex morphology and overnight modulation. Both amnesic mild cognitive impairment groups showed decreased slow‐wave sleep percentage compared with healthy controls. No differences between groups were observed in slow‐wave activity power. Our findings suggest that K‐complex alterations in mild cognitive impairment may be observed earlier in parietal regions, likely mirroring the topographical progression of Alzheimer's disease‐related brain pathology, and express a frontal predominance only in a full‐blown phase of Alzheimer's disease. Consistently with previous results, such K‐complex modification occurs in the absence of significant electroencephalogram power changes in the slow oscillations range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Healthy elderly, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease populations have been among the most affected in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the direct effects of the virus, and numerous indirect effects now emerge and will have to be carefully assessed over time. Methods: This article reviews the main articles that have been published so far about the direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on these particularly fragile populations. Results: The pandemic associated to COVID-19 has shifted most of the health resources to the emergency area and has consequently left the three main medical areas dealing with the elderly population (oncology, time-dependent diseases and degenerative disease) temporarily "uncovered". In the phase following the emergency, it will be crucial to guarantee to each area the economic and organizational resources to quickly return to the level of support of the prepandemic state. Conclusions: The emergency phase represented a significant occasion of discussion on the possibilities of telemedicine which will inevitably become increasingly important, but all the limits of its use in the elderly population have to be considered. In the post-lockdown recovery phase, alongside the classic medical evaluation, the psychological evaluation must become even more important for doctors caring about people with cognitive decline as well as with their caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human behavior and cognition are characterized by engagement of functional distributed networks within the brain. Such networks organization is especially significant for higher functions including abstract reasoning, memory and action planning and requires a high degree of intra-modal and inter-modal integration of information flow arriving from several, different and often remote brain sources. It will be reported the topological changes in functional brain networks during physiological and pathological aging by graph theoretical analysis of resting-state EEG recordings. Furthermore, evidences illustrate possible way to investigated neurodegeneration such as in Alzheimer’s disease through the study of the brain connectivity modulation. Theoretical graph approach is a promising tool, able to catch some global and local features in the functional connectivity patterns estimated from the EEG along the physiological and pathological brain aging. Applying modern graph theory looking for EEG pathological brain aging from both cortical sources powers and connectivity to a large cohort allowed us to demonstrate a continuous line connecting normal elderly subjects and demented patients passing through MCI. Altogether, we concluded that coupling measures can discriminate cortical network features distinguishing physiological from pathological neurodegenerative brain aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strokes causing similar lesions and clinical states can be followed by diverse regains of neurological functions, indicating that the clinical recovery can depend on individual modulating factors. A promising line to disclose these factors, to finally open new therapeutic strategies, is to search for individual indices of recovery prognosis. Here, we pursued on strengthening the value of acute phase electrophysiological biomarkers for poststroke functional recovery in a wide group of patients. We enrolled 120 patients affected by a monohemispheric stroke within the middle cerebral artery territory (70 left and 50 right damages) and collected the NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) score in the acute phase (T0, median 4 days) and chronic follow-up (T1, median 6 months). At T0, we executed electrophysiological noninvasive assessment (19-channel electroencephalography (EEG) or 28 channels per side magnetoencephalography (MEG)) of brain activity at rest by means of band powers in the contra- and ipsilesional hemispheres (CLH, ILH) or the homologous area symmetry (HArS). Low-band (2-6 Hz) HArS entered the regression model for predicting the stabilized clinical state (p<0.001), with bilateral impairment correlated with a poor outcome. Present data strengthen the fact that low-band impairment of homologous ipsi- and contralesional hemispheric regions in the acute stroke indicate a negative prognosis of clinical recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: : Impairment of episodic memory is largely considered the main cognitive marker of prodromic Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nevertheless, the neuropathological process in AD starts several years before and, apart from biomarkers well defined in the Amyloid (A), Tauopathy (T), Neurodegeneration (N) framework, early clinical and neuropsychological markers able to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD before the appearance of memory disorders are lacking in clinical practice. Investigations on semantic memory have shown promising results in providing an earlier marker of dementia in MCI patients. Methods: : A total of 253 MCI subjects were followed up every 6 months for 6 years—186 converted to dementia and 67 remained stable at the sixth year of follow‐up. Twenty‐seven patients progressed in the first 2 years (fast converters), 107 in the third to fourth year (intermediate converters), and 51 after the fourth year of follow‐up (slow converters). Results: : Stable MCI subjects performed better than fast decliners in Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE), several long‐term memory scores, and category verbal fluency test (CFT); stable and intermediate converters differ only in MMSE and CFT tests; and stable and slow converters differ only in MMSE and phonological/semantic discrepancy score. Conclusion: : Early impairment of semantic memory could predict the evolution to AD before the onset of episodic memory disorders, and the discrepancy between phonological and semantic verbal fluency could be able to detect this impairment in advance in respect of simple CFT tests. The assessment of different aspects of semantic memory and its degradation could represent an early cognitive marker to intercept MCI due to AD in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human brain is a complex container of interconnected networks. Network neuroscience is a recent venture aiming to explore the connection matrix built from the human brain or human "Connectome." Network-based algorithms provide parameters that define global organization of the brain; when they are applied to electroencephalographic (EEG) signals network, configuration and excitability can be monitored in millisecond time frames, providing remarkable information on their instantaneous efficacy also for a given task's performance via online evaluation of the underlying instantaneous networks before, during, and after the task. Here we provide an updated summary on the connectome analysis for the prediction of performance via the study of task-related dynamics of brain network organization from EEG signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The aim of the present study was to understand whether modeling brain function in terms of network structure makes it possible to find markers of prediction of motor learning performance in a sensory motor learning task. By applying graph theory indexes of brain segregation – such as modularity and transitivity – to functional connectivity data derived from electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythms, we further studied pre- (baseline) versus post-task brain network architecture to understand whether motor learning induces changes in functional brain connectivity. The results showed that, after the training session with measurable learning, transitivity increased in the alpha1 EEG frequency band and modularity increased in the theta band and decreased in the gamma band, suggesting that brain segregation is modulated by the cognitive task. Furthermore, it was observed that theta modularity at the baseline negatively correlated with the performance improvement; namely, the lower this connectivity index at the baseline pre-task period, the higher the improvement of performance with training. The present results show that brain segregation is modulated by the cognitive task and that it is possible to predict performance by the study of pre-task EEG rhythm connectivity parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Clinical diagnostic utility of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been established in neurological disorders. • Paired-pulse TMS exhibits utility in neurodegenerative, movement, episodic, and functional disorders. • TMS-EEG provides novel parameter (cortical excitability, effective connectivity, response complexity) for neurological diseases. The review provides a comprehensive update ( previous report: Chen R, Cros D, Curra A, Di Lazzaro V, Lefaucheur JP, Magistris MR, et al. The clinical diagnostic utility of transcranial magnetic stimulation: report of an IFCN committee. Clin Neurophysiol 2008;119(3):504 – 32 ) on clinical diagnostic utility of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in neurological diseases. Most TMS measures rely on stimulation of motor cortex and recording of motor evoked potentials. Paired-pulse TMS techniques, incorporating conventional amplitude-based and threshold tracking, have established clinical utility in neurodegenerative, movement, episodic (epilepsy, migraines), chronic pain and functional diseases. Cortical hyperexcitability has emerged as a diagnostic aid in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Single-pulse TMS measures are of utility in stroke, and myelopathy even in the absence of radiological changes. Short-latency afferent inhibition, related to central cholinergic transmission, is reduced in Alzheimer's disease. The triple stimulation technique (TST) may enhance diagnostic utility of conventional TMS measures to detect upper motor neuron involvement. The recording of motor evoked potentials can be used to perform functional mapping of the motor cortex or in preoperative assessment of eloquent brain regions before surgical resection of brain tumors. TMS exhibits utility in assessing lumbosacral/cervical nerve root function, especially in demyelinating neuropathies, and may be of utility in localizing the site of facial nerve palsies. TMS measures also have high sensitivity in detecting subclinical corticospinal lesions in multiple sclerosis. Abnormalities in central motor conduction time or TST correlate with motor impairment and disability in MS. Cerebellar stimulation may detect lesions in the cerebellum or cerebello-dentato-thalamo-motor cortical pathways. Combining TMS with electroencephalography, provides a novel method to measure parameters altered in neurological disorders, including cortical excitability, effective connectivity, and response complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a very complex clinical syndrome that may lead to ischemic cerebral hypoxia condition. The aim of the present study is to analyze the effects of CHF on brain activity through electroencephalographic (EEG) complexity measures, like approximate entropy (ApEn). Methods: Twenty patients with CHF and 18 healthy elderly people were recruited. ApEn values were evaluated in the total spectrum (0.2–47 Hz) and main EEG frequency bands: delta (2–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz), alpha 1 (8–11 Hz), alpha 2 (11–13 Hz), beta 1 (13–20 Hz), beta 2 (20–30 Hz), and gamma (30–45 Hz) to identify differences between CHF group and control. Moreover, a correlation analysis was performed between ApEn parameters and clinical data (i.e., B‐type natriuretic peptides (BNP), New York Heart Association (NYHA), and systolic blood pressure (SBP)) within the CHF group. Results: Statistical topographic maps showed statistically significant differences between the two groups in the total spectrum and theta frequency band. Within the CHF group, significant negative correlations were found between total ApEn and BNP in O2 channel and between theta ApEn and NYHA scores in Fp1, Fp2, and Fz channels; instead, a significant positive correlation was found between theta ApEn and SBP in C3 channel and a nearly significant positive correlation was obtained between theta ApEn and SBP in F4 channel. Conclusion: EEG abnormalities in CHF are very similar to those observed in cognitive‐impaired patients, suggesting analogies between the effects of neurodegeneration and brain chronic hypovolaemia due to heart disorder and underlying high brain sensitivity to CHF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]