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We present chromosome-level genome assemblies from representative species of three independently evolved seagrass lineages: Posidonia oceanica, Cymodocea nodosa, Thalassia testudinum and Zostera marina. We also include a draft genome of Potamogeton acutifolius, belonging to a freshwater sister lineage to Zosteraceae. All seagrass species share an ancient whole-genome triplication, while additional whole-genome duplications were uncovered for C. nodosa, Z. marina and P. acutifolius. Comparative analysis of selected gene families suggests that the transition from submerged-freshwater to submerged-marine environments mainly involved fine-tuning of multiple processes (such as osmoregulation, salinity, light capture, carbon acquisition and temperature) that all had to happen in parallel, probably explaining why adaptation to a marine lifestyle has been exceedingly rare. Major gene losses related to stomata, volatiles, defence and lignification are probably a consequence of the return to the sea rather than the cause of it. These new genomes will accelerate functional studies and solutions, as continuing losses of the 'savannahs of the sea' are of major concern in times of climate change and loss of biodiversity.

Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation has proven effective in modulating parasympathetic autonomic nervous system activity and various cognitive functions.This study investigated the effects of transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on body ownership and interoception in healthy subjects using a within-subjects experimental design (active taVNS/sham).The rubber hand illusion (RHI) and the Heartbeat Counting Task (HCT) were employed.Cardiac activity was recorded throughout the procedure to measure physiological indices of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV).Ownership for the fake hand was observed in both active and sham stimulation, as indicated by drift and scores on illusion-relevant items (Q1-Q3).HR and HRV showed no variations between synchronous/asynchronous RHI or between stimulation conditions. Active taVNS resulted in decreased interoceptive meta-awareness.Individuals with lower interoceptive abilities exhibited heightened susceptibility to RHI during active taVNS, possibly due to perturbation of interoceptive signals and increased reliance on exteroceptive signals in constructing body representation.

It has been highlighted that non-invasive stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (taVNS) have a neuromodulatory effects on several cognitive functions. In-fact, tha vagal system is central for the organism's homeostatic regulation and it has widespread connections with various cortical and subcortical areas. Hence, our focus on studying the impact of this technique on a multifaceted cognitive process essential in human experience, time perception. Healthy subjects underwent explicit (duration discrimination) and implicit (prediction) temporal tasks during two distinct experimental sessions of stimulation with taVNS: a sham condition (offline stimulator) and an active stimulation condition. Participants' cardiac activity (Heart rate variability) was monitored throughout the experiment. Preliminary results show improved performance during the active stimulation condition, particularly for predictive temporal tasks. TaVNS may enhance brain activity in areas crucial for implicit timing (e.g. upper temporal cortex, lower parietal cortex) and supporting the adjustment process of temporal prediction errors.

Transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is increasingly spreading both in research and clinical practice; however, literature often presents non-uniform results in various cognitive domains. We propose a procedure based on the use of taVNS to investigate its effect on executive functions, also considering the modulation of the homeostatic balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. 40 (22F) volunteers participated in two separate sessions (stimulation/sham). After baseline measurements (heart rate variability) and a preliminary stimulation phase, they performed Stroop and go/no go tasks. Throughout the procedure, cardiac activity was recorded to obtain HRV parameters in different experimental conditions. Although performance differences were not identified in the tasks, the modulation of HRV parameters during the tasks indicates how taVNS can influence the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems during the execution of cognitive tasks. This effect is likely attributed to the taVNS acting on vagal tone, supporting the parasympathetic component.

Abstract Background Severely ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) show an increased risk of new‐onset atrioventricular blocks (AVBs), associated with high rates of short‐term mortality. Recent data suggest that the uncontrolled inflammatory activation observed in these patients, specifically interleukin (IL)‐6 elevation, may play an important pathogenic role by directly affecting cardiac electrophysiology. The aim of our study was to assess the acute impact of IL‐6 changes on electrocardiographic indices of atrioventricular conduction in severe COVID‐19. Methods We investigated (1) the behavior of PR‐interval and PR‐segment in patients with severe COVID‐19 during active phase and recovery, and (2) their association with circulating IL‐6 levels over time. Results During active disease, COVID‐19 patients showed a significant increase of PR‐interval and PR‐segment. Such atrioventricular delay was transient as these parameters rapidly normalized during recovery. PR‐indices significantly correlated with circulating IL‐6 levels over time. All these changes and correlations persisted also in the absence of laboratory signs of cardiac strain/injury or concomitant treatment with PR‐prolonging drugs, repurposed or not. Conclusions Our study provides evidence that in patients with severe COVID‐19 and high‐grade systemic inflammation, IL‐6 elevation is associated with a significant delay of atrioventricular conduction, independent of concomitant confounding factors. While transient, such alterations may enhance the risk of severe AVB and associated short‐term mortality. Our data provide further support to current anti‐inflammatory strategies for severe COVID‐19, including IL‐6 antagonists.

Forest school is a form of outdoor learning that takes children into regular and repeated learning experiences in natural settings. Being based on a comprehensive experience with nature, it is assumed to be beneficial for learning and to promote restorative effects on cognitive and emotional function in preschool children. This review aimed to examine the available evidence on the benefits of forest school compared to indoor school activities in children aged 3 to 6 years. We searched for studies on forest school for preschool children in PsycInfo, JSTOR, and Scopus, with no restriction on publication year. The risk of bias was assessed using Joanna Briggs's criteria for quasi-experimental design. Of the 190 articles identified, 16 studies were reviewed (N = 1560). Higher benefits were found in children attending forest school compared to those attending indoor school in various areas of child development: cognitive function, motor coordination and balance, connectedness to nature, and health and well-being outcomes. There is, however, still a shortage of empirical evidence, and the methodological quality of most studies was limited. The literature on forest schools for preschool children in general supports positive effects in a wide range of variables that promote child health and development, but more evidence is needed to assess their effectiveness. Due to the methodological weaknesses of the reviewed studies, one should interpret their findings with caution.

The upper part of the frequency spectrum (millimeter waves, MMW) applied by modern communications technologies (5G and beyond), makes skin the dominantly exposed tissue to electromagnetic fields. In this work, a methodology for murine skin dosimetry evaluation is presented, intended to contribute to animal studies with mice exposed to MMW radiation, in particular 27.5 GHz. A stratified skin model is proposed and the variations of the skin layers’ thicknesses during a hair cycle are measured in mice. The variations of skin layers’ dielectric properties due to age, based on the changes of total body water, are also evaluated. The impact of these variations in dosimetric metrics (i.e., mean absorbed power density, APD, and power loss) within each layer is assessed and found to be significant. Changes in the skin layers’ thicknesses throughout a hair cycle considerably affect the APD, resulting in a two-fold increase, compared to changes in the dielectric properties due to aging or due to hair presence inside the skin.

Before calcification begins, the early embryonic and fetal skeletal development of both mammalian Homo sapiens and the chondrichthyan fish Raja asterias consists exclusively of cartilage. This cartilage is formed and shaped through processes involving tissue segmentation and the frequency, distribution, and orientation of chondrocyte mitoses. In the subsequent developmental phase, mineral deposition in the cartilage matrix conditions the development further. The stiffness and structural layout of the mineralized cartilage have a significant impact on the shape of the anlagen (early formative structure of a tissue, a scaffold on which the new bone is formed) and the mechanical properties of the skeletal segments. The fundamental difference between the two studied species lies in how calcified cartilage serves as a scaffold for osteoblasts to deposit bone matrix, which is then remodeled. In contrast, chondrichthyans retain the calcified cartilage as the definitive skeletal structure. This study documents the distinct mineral deposition pattern in the cartilage of the chondrichthyan R. asterias, in which calcification progresses with the formation of focal calcification nuclei or “tesserae”. These are arranged on the flat surface of the endo-skeleton (crustal pattern) or aligned in columns (catenated pattern) in the radials of the appendicular skeleton. This anatomical structure is well adapted to meet the mechanical requirements of locomotion in the water column. Conversely, in terrestrial mammals, endochondral ossification (associated with the remodeling of the calcified matrix) provides limb bones with the necessary stiffness to withstand the strong bending and twisting stresses of terrestrial locomotion. In this study, radiographs of marine mammals (reproduced from previously published studies) document how the endochondral ossification in dolphin flippers adapts to the mechanical demands of aquatic locomotion. This adaptation includes the reduction in the length of the stylopodium and zeugopodium and an increase in the number of elements in the autopodium’s central rays.

When learning an environment from virtual navigation people gain knowledge about landmarks, their locations, and the paths that connect them. The present study newly aimed to investigate all these domains of knowledge and how cognitive factors such as visuospatial abilities and wayfinding inclinations might support virtual passive navigation. A total of 270 participants (145 women) were tested online. They: (1) completed visuospatial tasks and answered questionnaires on their wayfinding inclinations; and (2) learnt a virtual path. The environmental knowledge they gained was assessed on their free recall of landmarks, their egocentric and allocentric pointing accuracy (location knowledge), and their performance in route direction and landmark location tasks (path knowledge). Visuospatial abilities and wayfinding inclinations emerged as two separate factors, and environmental knowledge as a single factor. The SEM model showed that both visuospatial abilities and wayfinding inclinations support the environmental knowledge factor, with similar pattern of relationships in men and women. Overall, factors related to the individual are relevant to the environmental knowledge gained from an online virtual passive navigation.

There is growing interest recently in the outdoor environment surrounding schools where students spent time during breaks, in-school activities, and after-school programs. Several reviews have examined the impact of long-term exposures to nearby nature on students' academic achievement, but none has focused on the effects of short-term contacts with nature on students' cognitive performance. The aim of this review is to understand the context in which short-term passive exposures to greenness occur, how cognitive performance is measured, and the conditions under which cognitive benefits emerge at various educational levels. We reviewed 14 studies in the extant literature that report investigations involving students at different educational levels, from elementary school to university, in a short exposure to nature lasting from 10 to 90 min during a study day. The review shows that in 12 out of the 14 studies, across educational levels, cognitive benefits emerge in terms of directed attention restoration from mental fatigue due to contact with nature. A no-cost opportunity to sustain students' cognition is a break in a green environment after mentally demanding activities.

Abstract When learning an environment from virtual navigation people gain knowledge about landmarks, their locations, and the paths that connect them. The present study newly aimed to investigate all these domains of knowledge and how cognitive factors such as visuospatial abilities and wayfinding inclinations might support virtual passive navigation. A total of 270 participants (145 women) were tested online. They: (i) completed visuospatial tasks and answered questionnaires on their wayfinding inclinations; and (ii) learnt a virtual path. The environmental knowledge they gained was assessed on their free recall of landmarks, their egocentric and allocentric pointing accuracy (location knowledge), and their performance in route direction and landmark location tasks (path knowledge). Visuospatial abilities and wayfinding inclinations emerged as two separate factors, and environmental knowledge as a single factor. The SEM model showed that both visuospatial abilities and wayfinding inclinations support the environmental knowledge factor, with similar pattern of relationships in men and women. Overall, factors related to the individual are relevant to the environmental knowledge gained from an online virtual passive navigation.

Retro-reflective (RR) materials, applied to building envelopes, constitute an option to tackle Urban Heat Island phenomenon, thanks to their capability to reflect the sunlight predominantly towards the solar incidence direction. RR coatings are obtained with the deposition of glass beads on traditional diffusive materials. During their lifetime, outdoor aging and soiling affect their optical behavior. In addition, without a proper protection, some glass beads could detach from the paint and disperse in the environment. Hence, a necessity arises for the application of a safeguarding stratum on RR materials to avert the separation of glass beads in RR coatings following the aging process. In this paper, five RR samples were produced, employing a highly reflective paint as foundation, RR glass beads and a protective layer. A diffusive sample, without glass beads, was made for comparison. Samples underwent spectrophotometric and angular distribution analyses. The effect of the protective layer on the optical behavior was assessed comparing the results with those obtained for the same RR materials without the protective layer. RR samples with a protective layer exhibit a higher reflectance with respect to the same RR sample without a protective layer. In the near-infrared (NIR) region, a lower reflectance occurs for all RR samples with a protective layer. A less concentrated angular distribution of the reflected light was observed for all RR samples with the addition of a protective layer.

Excessive daytime sleepiness is a symptom experienced by more than one-third of patients with Parkinson's disease and is associated with disease duration and severity, dopaminergic therapy, and several non-motor symptoms. In recent years, growing evidence has been suggesting “primary” sleepiness as a symptom in Parkinson's disease due to common pathophysiological features: for this reason, it is crucial to recognize sleepiness in these patients and to investigate and exclude other conditions possibly leading to sleepiness (e.g., heavy dopaminergic therapy or breathing disorders during sleep). For both inpatients and outpatients, the key to a correct diagnosis is a structured clinical interview, together with questionnaires, for a better characterization of symptoms and the use of objective measures as the most precise method to assess excessive daytime sleepiness. Finally, there are some therapeutical approaches that may be attempted for these patients, and although there is still no consensus on a standardized therapy, clinical trials with new drugs are currently persevered on.

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a lipid carrier in both the peripheral and the central nervous systems (CNSs). Lipid-loaded ApoE lipoprotein particles bind to several cell surface receptors to support membrane homeostasis and brain injury repair. In the brain, ApoE is produced predominantly by astrocytes, but it is also abundantly expressed in most neurons of the CNS. In this study, we addressed the role of ApoE in the hippocampus in mice, focusing on its role in response to radiation injury. To this aim, 8-week-old, wild-type, and ApoE-deficient (ApoE−/−) female mice were acutely whole-body irradiated with 3 Gy of X-rays (0.89 Gy/min), then sacrificed 150 days post-irradiation. In addition, age-matching ApoE−/− females were chronically whole-body irradiated (20 mGy/d, cumulative dose of 3 Gy) for 150 days at the low dose-rate facility at the Institute of Environmental Sciences (IES), Rokkasho, Japan. To seek for ApoE-dependent modification during lineage progression from neural stem cells to neurons, we have evaluated the cellular composition of the dentate gyrus in unexposed and irradiated mice using stage-specific markers of adult neurogenesis. Our findings indicate that ApoE genetic inactivation markedly perturbs adult hippocampal neurogenesis in unexposed and irradiated mice. The effect of ApoE inactivation on the expression of a panel of miRNAs with an established role in hippocampal neurogenesis, as well as its transcriptional consequences in their target genes regulating neurogenic program, have also been analyzed. Our data show that the absence of ApoE−/− also influences synaptic functionality and integration by interfering with the regulation of mir-34a, mir-29b, and mir-128b, leading to the downregulation of synaptic markers PSD95 and synaptophysin mRNA. Finally, compared to acute irradiation, chronic exposure of ApoE null mice yields fewer consequences except for the increased microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. Exploring the function of ApoE in the hippocampus could have implications for developing therapeutic approaches to alleviate radiation-induced brain injury.

BackgroundThe rapid global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was met with the rollout of vaccination campaigns at mass vaccination centers. The Palazzo delle Scintille, Milan, was designated by the Lombardy regional administration as a vaccination site with the target of processing about 9,000 users daily.MethodsFor this observational study, we compared data on vaccinations delivered at the Palazzo delle Scintille with coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related regional data.ResultsBetween 25 April 2021 and 28 February 2023, a total of 1,885,822 COVID-19 doses were administered; the mean hourly rate was 289 (247.2), the mean daily rate was 3185.5 (3104.5), the mean user age was 49.5 years (10.7). The Comirnaty vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) was most often given (1,072,030/1,885,822; 56.8%). Between 4 December 2021 and 15 January 2022, the daily dose rate was above the maximum daily capacity set by the regional administration.ConclusionThe trend for daily dose rates administered at the Palazzo delle Scintille center was in line with COVID-19-related regional data. The center played a major role in the regional mass vaccination campaign.

Wood is an increasingly demanded biomaterial used in many industries, including construction, materials, furniture, packaging and energy production. Consumption trend indicates a significant increase in wood waste production, which could potentially be harnessed in various processes. In Europe, about 53 % of wood waste is incinerated while the 46 % is recycled. In Italy, almost the 95 % of wood waste is used in the production of chipboard and particleboard. There are many other processes available for enhancing wood recycling, but it is crucial to understand how to treat wood waste, depending on its source matrix. Wood waste is a heterogeneous material that may contain contaminants, pollutants and additives. Therefore, effective wood waste management relies on the analysis of its material composition, which provides valuable insights for waste management strategies. To address this need, a decision tool (DT) has been proposed for determining the destiny of wood waste based on its chemical composition. The DT provides quick recommendations by categorizing wood waste into four quality grades, primarily based on pollutant analysis. It assesses cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose content, and Lower Heating Value (LHV) to suggest recycling or incineration options for wood waste. Subsequently, this paper provides a brief overview of wood waste utilization. Finally, a case study is presented in which the DT was applied to wood waste obtained from a local waste management company in Perugia, Italy.

A detailed characterization of in vitro and in vivo phenotypes of Pfn1 knockout cells demonstrates that loss of this gene results in cytoskeletal alterations, leading to mitotic defects and genome instability.

IntroductionSelf-evaluations about orientation and navigation in the environment contribute to individual differences in spatial cognition. Evidence suggests that they may change, even slightly, with the progression of adulthood. It is necessary to improve the framing of environment-related subjective self-evaluations in adulthood and aging by examining how they change and the factors related to them. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the developmental trajectories of sense of direction, spatial anxiety, and attitude in exploring place across the adult lifespan while also considering gender and education.Materials and methodsA sample of 1,946 participants (1,068 women), aged 18–87 years, completed the sense of direction and spatial representation, spatial anxiety, and attitude in exploring scales.ResultsThe regression models showed a linear increase in sense of direction with age, stable spatial anxiety until age 66 years when anxiety began increasing, and a stable attitude in exploring with a deflection by age 71 years. Gender played a role in all three types of self-evaluations, with men reporting higher ratings in sense of direction and attitude toward exploring (especially in older men), and lower levels of spatial anxiety than women did. Education also played a role, with higher education years associated with lower ratings in spatial anxiety and a higher sense of direction, nullifying gender differences in the latter.DiscussionThese results offer, in the spatial cognition framework, a better understanding of how specific environment-related self-evaluations develop with age and related factors, such as education. This underscores the importance of enhancing them, particularly in women and older adults.

IntroductionOne of various non-pharmacological treatments for people with dementia (PwD) is horticultural therapy. The aim of this double-blind, pre- and post-test, pilot study was to examine the effects of horticultural activities (HA) for PwD at a residential and daytime care facility. Whether combining HA with elements drawn from other psychosocial interventions (cognitive stimulation) would maximize any benefits was also newly examined.Materials and methodsTwenty-four PwD were involved either in HA, alone (TG1, N = 7) or combined with some cognitive stimulation (TG2, N = 8), or in indoor treatment-as-usual activities (CG, N = 9). Benefits were assessed in terms of general cognitive functioning (for participants with mild-to-moderate dementia), mood, behavioral and psychological symptoms, and quality of life.ResultsNo differences emerged between TG1 and TG2 in any outcome measure, so the two groups were combined (N = 15). Compared with the CG, the TG involved in HA exhibited less frequent and severe behavioral and psychological symptoms and an improved mood after the intervention. Caregivers also reported less distress in the TG after the intervention than in the CG. Considering only PwD with mild-to-moderate dementia, the TG also showed benefits in a measure of general cognitive functioning, and self-reported quality of life, compared with the CG.DiscussionOur results further confirm that engaging PwD in participatory HA in contact with natural elements can decrease their dementia symptoms and their caregivers’ distress, but also increase PwD’s quality of life. Our findings also suggest the need to consider dementia severity when assessing the benefits of horticultural therapy.

Cigarette butts (CBs) are the most diffuse waste in the world, often abandoned into the environment without proper disposal. They are dangerous because of the numerous harmful chemicals potentially released by them into the environment. In the literature, there are several technological options for CB recycling, but some critical concerns could affect their effectiveness due to the quality and quantity of CB litter that is collected in the proper way. The extended producer responsibility scheme for CBs is proposed at the Europe level as an action to tackle CB litter and encourage sustainable product development. The present paper focuses on analyzing the existing literature to identify critical issues within the policy framework, social behavior, waste collection and transport, and technological processes. The collection and transport of CB waste is a major issue, being a key step for bringing CB to the recycling process. The main concern is the small quantity of CBs collected: 0.06% of the municipal waste and 0.18% of the unsorted waste in the case study’s administrative area of Perugia. Another crucial issue is the need for behavioral interventions to increase education and awareness of citizens that are smokers, addressing the discrepancy between smokers’ behaviors and beliefs. The main results, along with the critical issues related to the topics, are highlighted.

IntroductionExposure to nature is known to support psychological wellbeing, and can support People with Dementia (PwD). Here we describe a case study conducted at a care facility for PwD to examine the effect of their exposure to nature after intervention to renovate an existing Therapeutic Garden (TG). Changes in frequency of attendance and behavior in the TG were examined. A single case was also considered to assess individual benefits.Materials and methodsTwenty-one PwD participated in the study. Their behavior in the TG was observed for 4 weeks before and after the intervention (using behavioral mapping), and measures of individual characteristics (general cognitive functioning, behavioral/neuropsychiatric symptoms, depression, and quality of life) were administered.ResultsTen of the 21 PwD visited the TG more often after the intervention, their social behaviors (e.g., talking to others) increased, and their active isolated behavior in the garden (e.g., smelling, touching flowers) tended to increase. The increase in social behavior related to less severe baseline depressive symptoms. Passive isolated behaviors related to more impaired baseline cognitive functioning. The case of Mrs. A extended the findings for the whole sample: although her dementia symptoms (apathy, motor disturbances) worsened, she visited the TG more often after the intervention, her social exchanges and active isolated actions increased, and her agitation and wandering decreased.DiscussionThese results support the benefits of exposure to nature for PwD, and underscore the importance of considering users’ profiles to optimize their use of a TG.

Background: Severely ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) show an increased risk of new‐onset atrioventricular blocks (AVBs), associated with high rates of short‐term mortality. Recent data suggest that the uncontrolled inflammatory activation observed in these patients, specifically interleukin (IL)‐6 elevation, may play an important pathogenic role by directly affecting cardiac electrophysiology. The aim of our study was to assess the acute impact of IL‐6 changes on electrocardiographic indices of atrioventricular conduction in severe COVID‐19. Methods: We investigated (1) the behavior of PR‐interval and PR‐segment in patients with severe COVID‐19 during active phase and recovery, and (2) their association with circulating IL‐6 levels over time. Results: During active disease, COVID‐19 patients showed a significant increase of PR‐interval and PR‐segment. Such atrioventricular delay was transient as these parameters rapidly normalized during recovery. PR‐indices significantly correlated with circulating IL‐6 levels over time. All these changes and correlations persisted also in the absence of laboratory signs of cardiac strain/injury or concomitant treatment with PR‐prolonging drugs, repurposed or not. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence that in patients with severe COVID‐19 and high‐grade systemic inflammation, IL‐6 elevation is associated with a significant delay of atrioventricular conduction, independent of concomitant confounding factors. While transient, such alterations may enhance the risk of severe AVB and associated short‐term mortality. Our data provide further support to current anti‐inflammatory strategies for severe COVID‐19, including IL‐6 antagonists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles are being increasingly studied to enhance radiation effects. Among them, nanodiamonds (NDs) are taken into great consideration due to their low toxicity, inertness, chemical stability, and the possibility of surface functionalization. The objective of this study is to explore the influence of the chemical/physical properties of NDs on cellular radiosensitivity to combined treatments with radiation beams of different energies. DAOY, a human radioresistant medulloblastoma cell line was treated with NDs—differing for surface modifications [hydrogenated (H-NDs) and oxidized (OX-NDs)], size, and concentration—and analysed for (i) ND internalization and intracellular localization, (ii) clonogenic survival after combined treatment with different radiation beam energies and (iii) DNA damage and apoptosis, to explore the nature of ND–radiation biological interactions. Results show that chemical/physical characteristics of NDs are crucial in determining cell toxicity, with hydrogenated NDs (H-NDs) decreasing either cellular viability when administered alone, or cell survival when combined with radiation, depending on ND size and concentration, while OX-NDs do not. Also, irradiation at high energy (γ-rays at 1.25 MeV), in combination with H-NDs, is more efficient in eliciting radiosensitisation when compared to irradiation at lower energy (X-rays at 250 kVp). Finally, the molecular mechanisms of ND radiosensitisation was addressed, demonstrating that cell killing is mediated by the induction of Caspase-3-dependent apoptosis that is independent to DNA damage. Identifying the optimal combination of ND characteristics and radiation energy has the potential to offer a promising therapeutic strategy for tackling radioresistant cancers using H-NDs in conjunction with high-energy radiation.

Fashion knowledge encourages people to properly dress and faces not only physiological necessity of users, but also the requirement of social practices and activities. It usually includes three jointly related aspects of: occasion, person and clothing. Nowadays, social media platforms allow users to interact with each other online to share opinions and information. The use of social media sites such as Instagram has already spread to almost every fashion brand and been evaluated as business take-off tools. With the heightened use of social media as a means of marketing communication for fashion brands, it has become necessary to empirically analyse and extract fashion knowledge from them. Thus, social brands are investing on them. In this way, they can understand the consumer’s preferences. This change is also having a significant impact on social media data analysis. To solve this issue, the Deep learning (DL) methods are proven to be effective solutions due to their automatic learning capability. However, little systematic work currently exists on how researchers have applied DL for analysing fashion knowledge from social media data. Hence, this contribution outlines DL-based techniques for social media data related to fashion domain. In this study, a review of the dataset within the fashion world and the DL methods applied on, it is presented to help out new researchers interested in this subject. In particular, five different tasks will be considered: Object Detection, that includes Clothes Landmark Detection, Clothes Parsing and Product Retrieval, Fashion Classification, Clothes Generation, Automatic Fashion Knowledge Extraction and Clothes Recommendation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to underline the multiple applications within the fashion world using deep learning techniques. However, this review does not cover all the methods used: in fact, only Deep Learning methods have been analyzed. This choice was made since, given the huge amount of fashion social media data that has been collected, Deep Learning methods achieve the best performance both in terms of accuracy and time. Limitations point towards unexplored areas for future investigations, serving as useful guidelines for future research directions.

Individual factors can play a relevant role in explaining gender differences in environmental learning in terms of visuospatial abilities and beliefs about spatial abilities, such as stereotypes and growth mindset about navigation ability. In this study, we aim to investigate how mental rotation ability and spatial beliefs interact in the acquisition of egocentric and allocentric spatial knowledge. A sample of 244 participants (140 women) completed individual difference measures, including a mental rotation test (MRT) and questionnaires on gender stereotypes and growth mindsets about navigation ability. Participants then learned a specific route in a virtual environment and performed an egocentric pointing task and an allocentric pointing task. Men performed better in mental rotation and egocentric pointing tasks. Moreover, mental rotation ability predicted both egocentric and allocentric pointing performance; growth mindset predicted allocentric pointing. In general, these results suggest that, despite gender differences in some spatial measures, cognitive abilities and beliefs contribute to supporting environmental knowledge in both men and women.

This study newly explored the relationship between individual characteristics (i.e., connectedness to nature, a preference for natural rather than built environments, personality, visuospatial preferences) with perceived restorativeness, as well as affective and memory-related benefits of exposure to the nature. Eighty adults were individually exposed to nature by walking in a landscape garden. Measures of connectedness to nature, preference for natural environments, personality traits, and visuospatial preferences were administered. Before and after walking in the garden, participants completed measures of affect (positive and negative emotions) and memory (short-term and working memory, and spatial memory). After walking they completed a Perceived Restorativeness scale. Perceived Restorativeness was found to be significantly explained by Extraversion (personality trait) and Connectedness to Nature. There was no significant influence of individual characteristics on benefits to affect and memory measures. Overall, the results showed that perception of the restorative effect of a natural environment is related to connectedness to nature and personality (extraversion trait). Taken together, our findings highlight the importance of considering individual characteristics to better capture restorative/recovery effects of a natural environment in an individual, and to tailor/implement nature-based solutions to ensure a sustainable urban green environment and to promote quality of life for their citizens.