887 results on '"Girelli L."'
Search Results
2. Cognitive Reserve Potential: Capturing cognitive resilience capability in adolescence
- Author
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Conte, F, Rinaldi, L, Gerosa, T, Mondini, S, Costantini, G, Girelli, L, Conte F., Rinaldi L., Gerosa T., Mondini S., Costantini G., Girelli L., Conte, F, Rinaldi, L, Gerosa, T, Mondini, S, Costantini, G, Girelli, L, Conte F., Rinaldi L., Gerosa T., Mondini S., Costantini G., and Girelli L.
- Abstract
Cognitive reserve (CR) represents the adaptive response of the cognitive system responsible for preserving normal functioning in the face of brain damage. Experiential factors such as education, occupation, and leisure activities influence the development of CR. Theoretically, such factors build up from childhood and across adulthood. Thus, appropriate tools to define and measure CR as early as adolescence are essential to understand its developmental processes. To this aim, we introduce the construct of “Cognitive Reserve Potential” (CRP) and its corresponding index of experiential factors tailored to youth. We investigated prototypical youth exposures potentially associated with the lifelong development of CR (e.g., sport practice, musical experiences, cultural activities, and relationships with peers and family). Principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis identified and replicated the CRP factor structure on two independent samples of Italian students: N = 585 (295 F) and N = 351 (201 F), ages 11 to 20. CRP was associated mainly with family socio-cultural status (i.e., socioeconomic status [SES], Home Possessions, and Books at Home). Results confirmed the strength of the factorial model and warranted the proposal of the CRP-questionnaire as an innovative tool for understanding CR evolutionary dynamics.
- Published
- 2023
3. Pneumonectomy for broncho-pulmonary carcinoids: a single centre analysis of surgical approaches and patient outcomes.
- Author
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Diotti C, Bertolaccini L, Girelli L, Uslenghi C, Donghi SM, Guarize J, Spada F, Fazio N, and Spaggiari L
- Abstract
Background: Pneumonectomy is a radical surgical procedure associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Its application in the context of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumours, including carcinoid tumours, requires meticulous preoperative planning and intraoperative precision. This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of pneumonectomy in the management of these rare and challenging neoplasms., Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent pneumonectomy for pulmonary carcinoid tumours at our institution over a specified period was conducted. Data regarding patient demographics, tumour characteristics, surgical techniques, intraoperative complications, perioperative management, and long-term outcomes were collected and analysed., Results: Between March 2001 and October 2022, 21 patients (7 male, 14 female) with carcinoid tumours underwent pneumonectomy on a total of 459 surgical operations for carcinoid. Preoperative bronchoscopic procedures were conducted in 90.4% of cases, leading to histological diagnoses for most. The median hospital stay was eight days, with no reported perioperative deaths. Median follow-up after surgery was 73 months, with a five-year overall survival of 65.4 months. Recurrences occurred in 28.6% of cases, primarily in atypical carcinoids., Conclusion: Despite the rarity of bronchial carcinoids, pneumonectomy is effective for low-grade malignancies, demonstrating positive short-and long-term outcomes. Radical lymph node dissection is fundamental in pathological staging and overall survival., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Diotti, Bertolaccini, Girelli, Uslenghi, Donghi, Guarize, Spada, Fazio and Spaggiari.)
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- 2024
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4. How General and Inflammatory Status Impacts on the Prognosis of Patients Affected by Lung Cancer: State of the Art.
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Mazzella A, Orlandi R, Maiorca S, Uslenghi C, Chiari M, Bertolaccini L, Casiraghi M, Lo Iacono G, Girelli L, and Spaggiari L
- Abstract
Pulmonary cancer is often associated with systemic inflammation and poor nutritional status and these two aspects are strongly correlated and related to the scarce infiltration of a tumor by immune cells. We reviewed all English literature reviews from 2000 to 2024 from PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar, including original articles, review articles, and metanalyses. We excluded non-English language articles and case reports/case series. Generally speaking, nutritional and inflammatory status largely affect medium and long-term prognosis in lung cancer patients. A correct stratification of patients could improve their preoperative general functional nutritional and inflammatory status, minimizing, therefore, possible treatment complications and improving long-term prognosis.
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- 2024
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5. A Study on the Sense of Parental Competence, Health Locus of Control and Levels of Anxiety, Depression and Somatization in Parents of Children with Type 1 Diabetes: Evidence on a Possible Relationship.
- Author
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Carosi Arcangeli I, Celia G, Girelli L, Fioretti C, and Cozzolino M
- Abstract
Background : Parents of children with chronic conditions face challenges that go beyond basic care and parenting responsibilities. Parents' experiences can be influenced by perceived stress, emotional experiences, feelings of helplessness, low sense of self-efficacy, anxiety and depression, reducing their quality of life. It is therefore not surprising that parents of children with chronic illnesses are more likely to experience stress, anxiety and depression than parents of healthy children. A prevalent chronic condition is type 1 diabetes. Methods : Parents (31 with children with type 1 diabetes diagnosis and 71 with children without chronic illness) were recruited to complete the measures of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), the Parent Health Locus of Control (PHLOC) and Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC). Results : Significant differences in depression and internal locus of control were found; there was a positive correlation between internal LOC and efficacy in both samples; furthermore, there was a negative correlation between somatization and satisfaction in the experimental group. Conclusions : The ongoing experiences and challenges faced daily make parents perceive themselves as capable. Active involvement in supporting and managing the needs of child with type 1 diabetes could be a source of empowerment for the parent, contributing to the maintenance of their sense of competence. It is important, therefore, to consider the well-being and perception of the parent at a personal level, regardless of the child's situation.
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- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Cognitive Reserve Potential: Capturing cognitive resilience capability in adolescence
- Author
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Conte, F., Rinaldi, L., Gerosa, T., Mondini, S., Costantini, G., Girelli, L., Conte, F, Rinaldi, L, Gerosa, T, Mondini, S, Costantini, G, and Girelli, L
- Subjects
Cognitive Reserve ,Cognitive Reserve Potential ,Cognitive Reserve, Adolescence, Self-report, Cognitive Reserve Potential, Experiential Factors, Lifelong Development ,Lifelong Development ,Experiential Factors ,Self-report ,Adolescence - Abstract
Cognitive reserve (CR) represents the adaptive response of the cognitive system responsible for preserving normal functioning in the face of brain damage. Experiential factors such as education, occupation, and leisure activities influence the development of CR. Theoretically, such factors build up from childhood and across adulthood. Thus, appropriate tools to define and measure CR as early as adolescence are essential to understand its developmental processes. To this aim, we introduce the construct of "Cognitive Reserve Potential" (CRP) and its corresponding index of experiential factors tailored to youth. We investigated prototypical youth exposures potentially associated with the lifelong development of CR (e.g., sport practice, musical experiences, cultural activities, relationships with peers and family). Principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis identified and replicated the CRP factor structure on two independent samples of Italian students: N=585 (295 F) and N=351 (201 F), ages 11-20. CRP was associated mainly with family socio-cultural status (i.e., SES, Home Possessions and Books at Home). Results confirmed the strength of the factorial model and warranted the proposal of the CRP-questionnaire as an innovative tool for understanding CR evolutionary dynamics.
- Published
- 2023
7. Nonsymbolic numerosity in sets with illusory-contours exploits a context-sensitive, but contrast-insensitive, visual boundary formation process
- Author
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Adriano, A, Rinaldi, L, Girelli, L, Adriano A., Rinaldi L., Girelli L., Adriano, A, Rinaldi, L, Girelli, L, Adriano A., Rinaldi L., and Girelli L.
- Abstract
The visual mechanisms underlying approximate numerical representation are still intensely debated because numerosity information is often confounded with continuous sensory cues (e.g., texture density, area, convex hull). However, numerosity is underestimated when a few items are connected by illusory contours (ICs) lines without changing other physical cues, suggesting in turn that numerosity processing may rely on discrete visual input. Yet, in these previous works, ICs were generated by black-on-gray inducers producing an illusory brightness enhancement, which could represent a further continuous sensory confound. To rule out this possibility, we tested participants in a numerical discrimination task in which we manipulated the alignment of 0, 2, or 4 pairs of open/closed inducers and their contrast polarity. In Experiment 1, aligned open inducers had only one polarity (all black or all white) generating ICs lines brighter or darker than the gray background. In Experiment 2, open inducers had always opposite contrast polarity (one black and one white inducer) generating ICs without strong brightness enhancement. In Experiment 3, reverse-contrast inducers were aligned but closed with a line preventing ICs completion. Results showed that underestimation triggered by ICs lines was independent of inducer contrast polarity in both Experiment 1 and Experiment 2, whereas no underestimation was found in Experiment 3. Taken together, these results suggest that mere brightness enhancement is not the primary cause of the numerosity underestimation induced by ICs lines. Rather, a boundary formation mechanism insensitive to contrast polarity may drive the effect, providing further support to the idea that numerosity processing exploits discrete inputs.
- Published
- 2022
8. Temporal perception in closed-skill sports: An experimental study on expert swimmers and runners
- Author
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Perrone, S, Rinaldi, L, Gatti, D, Girelli, L, Perrone, S, Rinaldi, L, Gatti, D, and Girelli, L
- Abstract
The cognitive benefits of closed-skill sports practice have so far been scantily investigated. Here, we thus focused on the potential impact of swimming and running - two sports that highly rely on a precise control of timing - on time processing. To investigate the impact of these closed-skill sports on time perception and estimation, three groups of participants (for a total of eighty-four young adults) took part in the present study: expert swimmers, expert runners, and non-athletes. The ability to process temporal information in the milliseconds and seconds range was assessed through a time reproduction and a finger-tapping tasks, while a motor imagery paradigm was adopted to assess temporal estimation of sport performance in a wider interval range. We also employed the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire to assess the individual's ability of motor imagery. Results showed that closed-skill sports, specifically time-related disciplines, enhance motor imagery and time perception abilities. Swimmers were more accurate and consistent in perceiving time when compared to runners, probably thanks to the sensory muffled environment that leads these athletes to be more focused on the perception of their internal rhythm.
- Published
- 2023
9. What does gender has to do with math? Complex questions require complex answers
- Author
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Girelli, L and Girelli, L
- Abstract
Whether mathematics is a gendered domain or not is a long-lasting issue bringing along major social and educational implications. The females' underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been considered one of the key signs of the math gender gap, although the current view largely attributes the origin of this phenomenon to sociocultural factors. Indeed, recent approaches to math gender differences reached the universal conclusion that nature and nurture exert reciprocal effects on each other, establishing the need for approaching the study of the math gender issue only once its intrinsic complexity has been accepted. Building upon a flourishing literature, this review provides an updated synthesis of the evidence for math gender equality at the start, and for math gender inequality on the go, challenging the role of biological factors. In particular, by combining recent findings from different research areas, the paper discusses the persistence of the “math male myth” and the associated “female are not good at math myth,” drawing attention to the complex interplay of social and cultural forces that support such stereotypes. The suggestion is made that longevity of these myths results from the additive effects of two independent cognitive biases associated with gender stereotypes and with math stereotypes, respectively. Scholars' responsibility in amplifying these myths by pursuing some catching lines of research is also discussed.
- Published
- 2023
10. Variabilità nella frequenza cardiaca e nella conduttanza cutanea come misura di attenzione sostenuta. Uno studio comparativo
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Conte, F, Bricolo, E, Cocchia, L, De Benedictis, G, Gasparini, F, Girelli, L, Petilli, M, Daini, R, Conte Federica, Bricolo Emanuela, Cocchia Lisa, De Benedictis Gaia, Gasparini Francesca, Girelli Luisa, Petilli Marco, Daini Roberta, Conte, F, Bricolo, E, Cocchia, L, De Benedictis, G, Gasparini, F, Girelli, L, Petilli, M, Daini, R, Conte Federica, Bricolo Emanuela, Cocchia Lisa, De Benedictis Gaia, Gasparini Francesca, Girelli Luisa, Petilli Marco, and Daini Roberta
- Abstract
L'attenzione sostenuta, la capacità di mantenere l'attenzione su un compito per un periodo di tempo prolungato senza distrarsi, è alla base di molte attività quotidiane. I questionari di autovalutazione tipicamente usati per misurarla presentano notevoli limiti: valutare la propria attenzione durante lo svolgimento di un compito può interferire con il compito stesso, mentre valutarla a posteriori difficilmente permette di coglierne i cambiamenti nel tempo. Al contrario, alcuni parametri fisiologici potrebbero costituire una misura oggettiva dell’attivazione cognitiva nel tempo senza alterare l’attività svolta. La recente disponibilità di strumenti accurati e poco invasivi per registrare questi parametri permetterebbe di studiarli anche in situazioni più vicine all’esperienza quotidiana. Questo studio mira a validare, come indicatori di attenzione sostenuta, misure basate sulla variabilità della frequenza cardiaca e della conduttanza cutanea. Un gruppo di 30 partecipanti volontari (20-28 anni) ha eseguito al computer due test neuropsicologici di attenzione sostenuta: il Jumping Square Task e il Sustained-Pace Finger Tapping task, indossando contemporaneamente un device da polso per la registrazione dei parametri fisiologici. La capacità di attenzione sostenuta è stata operazionalizzata dal punto di vista comportamentale come il cambiamento in correttezza e in tempi di risposta tra la prima e la seconda metà di ciascun compito. I parametri fisiologici sono stati analizzati in modo analogo. I risultati mostrano un'associazione, anche se moderata, tra la capacità di attenzione cognitiva e il cambiamento nei parametri fisiologici.
- Published
- 2023
11. What does gender has to do with math? Complex questions require complex answers
- Author
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Girelli, L and Girelli, L
- Subjects
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience ,gender stereotype ,mathematical learning ,gender difference ,math myth ,math anxiety - Abstract
Whether mathematics is a gendered domain or not is a long-lasting issue bringing along major social and educational implications. The females' underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been considered one of the key signs of the math gender gap, although the current view largely attributes the origin of this phenomenon to sociocultural factors. Indeed, recent approaches to math gender differences reached the universal conclusion that nature and nurture exert reciprocal effects on each other, establishing the need for approaching the study of the math gender issue only once its intrinsic complexity has been accepted. Building upon a flourishing literature, this review provides an updated synthesis of the evidence for math gender equality at the start, and for math gender inequality on the go, challenging the role of biological factors. In particular, by combining recent findings from different research areas, the paper discusses the persistence of the “math male myth” and the associated “female are not good at math myth,” drawing attention to the complex interplay of social and cultural forces that support such stereotypes. The suggestion is made that longevity of these myths results from the additive effects of two independent cognitive biases associated with gender stereotypes and with math stereotypes, respectively. Scholars' responsibility in amplifying these myths by pursuing some catching lines of research is also discussed.
- Published
- 2022
12. Visual illusions as a tool to hijack numerical perception: Disentangling nonsymbolic number from its continuous visual properties
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Adriano, A, Rinaldi, L, Girelli, L, Adriano A., Rinaldi L., Girelli L., Adriano, A, Rinaldi, L, Girelli, L, Adriano A., Rinaldi L., and Girelli L.
- Abstract
The past few years have witnessed a fervent theoretical debate about the exact visual mechanisms supporting nonsymbolic number processing. The idea that quantity information is extracted through a primitive visual segmentation algorithm has been challenged by recent models, which rather tap on low-level features confounded with numerosity (i.e., density, convex hull, or total area). Here we used an original manipulation based on visual illusions to disentangle whether visual numerosity processing operates over discrete units or rather over continuous variables. In particular, we generated a set of stimuli composed by open inducers (e.g., like a pac-man shape) that simulate physical connections with Kanizsa-like illusory contours (ICs). Test sets contained pairs of collinear open inducers items that prompted 0 IC, 2 IC, or 4 IC lines connecting 2 objects. Critically, low-level visual features were fully controlled across connectedness levels. We found a systematic underestimation as we increased the IC connections when participants had to select the larger between 2 sets of objects (Experiment 1) but not in the case of aligned closed inducers preventing illusory lines (Experiments 2A and 2B). We also found a systematic numerosity underestimation when both IC connections and continuous features (e.g., convex hull) were independently manipulated in test stimuli (Experiment 3). Finally, these results were shown to be task independent because the same effects of IC connections were replicated in an estimation task (Experiment 4). Taken together, our findings indicate that numerosity perception relies on basic visual-segmentation mechanisms, pointing out the need of new theoretical frameworks integrating both continuous and discrete perceptual number signals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Public Significance Statement—This study indicates that our brain is endowed with the ability to rapidly extract approximate information about the number o
- Published
- 2021
13. The ratio effect in visual numerosity comparisons is preserved despite spatial frequency equalisation
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Adriano, A, Girelli, L, Rinaldi, L, Adriano A., Girelli L., Rinaldi L., Adriano, A, Girelli, L, Rinaldi, L, Adriano A., Girelli L., and Rinaldi L.
- Abstract
How non-symbolic numerosity is visually extracted remains a matter of intense debate. Most evidence suggests that numerosity is directly extracted on individual objects following Weber's law, at least for a moderate numerical range. Alternative accounts propose that, whatever the range, numerosity is indirectly derived from summary texture-statistics of the raw image such as spatial frequency (SF). Here, to disentangle these accounts, we tested whether the well-known behavioural signature of numerosity encoding (ratio effect) is preserved despite the equalisation of the SF content. In Experiment 1, participants had to select the numerically larger of two briefly presented moderate-range numerical sets (i.e., 8–18 dots) carefully matched for SF; the ratio between numerosities was manipulated by levels of increasing difficulty (e.g., 0.66, 0.75, 0.8). In Experiment 2, participants performed the same task, but they were presented with both the original and SF equalised stimuli. In both experiments, the results clearly showed a ratio-dependence of the performance: numerosity discrimination became harder and slower as the ratio between numerosities increased. Moreover, this effect was found to be independent of the stimulus type, although the overall performance was better with the original rather than the SF equalised stimuli (Experiment 2). Taken together, these findings indicate that the power spectrum per se cannot explain the main behavioural signature of Weber-like encoding of numerosities (the ratio effect), at least over the tested numerical range, partially challenging alternative indirect accounts of numerosity processing.
- Published
- 2021
14. Intellect is not that expensive: differential association of cultural and socio-economic factors with crystallized intelligence in a sample of Italian adolescents
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Conte, F, Costantini, G, Rinaldi, L, Gerosa, T, Girelli, L, Conte F., Costantini G., Rinaldi L., Gerosa T., Girelli L., Conte, F, Costantini, G, Rinaldi, L, Gerosa, T, Girelli, L, Conte F., Costantini G., Rinaldi L., Gerosa T., and Girelli L.
- Abstract
Current theories of intelligence maintain that intellectual development is the expression of a strict interplay among different cognitive abilities and the environment. Yet, the environment in which the individual develops has often been reduced to a single measure in empirical research, which thus loses sight of its inherent multifaceted structure. This work stems from the need to grasp such multifaceted complexity, by differentiating the associations of cultural and socioeconomic factors with crystallized and fluid intelligence in adolescence. An updated and digitalized version of the Verbal task from the Primary Mental Abilities battery (PMA Verbal) was administered to a large group of Italian adolescents as a measure of crystallized intelligence. Item Response Theory confirmed the good psychometric properties of the test. The relationship among cognitive abilities and the environment was explored through a Network Analysis on measures of crystallized intelligence (PMA Verbal), fluid intelligence (Raven SPM) and various environmental dimensions (socioeconomic status, home possessions, books at home, reading habits). Network Analysis is particularly suited for highlighting the individual role of each variable within such a complex system. Our results illustrated a key role of books at home, which was positively connected to verbal abilities on the one hand and to reading habits on the other, whereas no relationship to fluid intelligence was found. Crucially, these findings were independent of socioeconomic status. This study indicates that a more detailed conceptualization of the environment provides a better understanding of how cognitive abilities develop.
- Published
- 2020
15. Anastomosis Complications after Bronchoplasty: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Treatment Options Reported by a Referral Cancer Center.
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Girelli L, Bertolaccini L, Casiraghi M, Petrella F, Galetta D, Mazzella A, Donghi S, Lo Iacono G, Cara A, Guarize J, and Spaggiari L
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- Humans, Incidence, Retrospective Studies, Anastomosis, Surgical adverse effects, Anastomosis, Surgical methods, Risk Factors, Lung Neoplasms pathology
- Abstract
Background: Sleeve lobectomy with bronchoplasty is a safe surgical technique for the management of lung cancer and endobronchial localization of extrapulmonary cancers. However, anastomotic complications can occur, and treatment strategies are not standardized., Methods: Data from 280 patients subjected to bronchoplasty were retrospectively analyzed, focusing on surgical techniques, anastomotic complications, and their management. Multivariate analysis was performed, and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to determine survival., Results: Ninety percent of 280 surgeries were for lung cancer. Anastomotic complications occurred in 6.42% of patients: late stenosis in 3.92% and broncho-pleural fistula in 1.78%. The median survival was 65.90 months (95% CI = 41.76-90.97), with no difference ( p = 0.375) for patients with (51.28 months) or without (71.03 months) anastomotic complications. Mortality at 30 days was higher with anastomotic complications (16.7% vs. 3%, p = 0.014). Multivariable analysis confirmed pathological stage (N+) as a risk factor for anastomotic complications ( p = 0.016). Our mortality (3.93%) and morbidity rate (41.78%) corresponded to recent series results., Conclusions: In our experience, surgery is preferred to avoid life-threatening complications in bronchopleural fistulas. Bronchoscopic balloon dilatation is preferred for benign strictures. The nodal stage is related to complications ( p = 0.0014), reflecting the aggressiveness of surgery, which requires extended radical lymphadenectomy.
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- 2023
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16. Developmental Coordination Disorder and Developmental Dyspraxia. Towards a shared knowledge and clinical practice? [Disturbo di sviluppo della coordinazione motoria e disprassia evolutiva È possibile una condivisione di conoscenze e pratiche cliniche?]
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Zoia, S, Biancotto, M, Girelli, L, Zoia, S, Biancotto, M, and Girelli, L
- Abstract
Despite increasing attention towards Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), as reflected by the publication of the International Clinical Practice Recommendations (Blank et al., 2012; 2019), the absence of prevalence data in the Italian population well attests the extent to which this clinical condition is overlooked and misrecognised in our country. Aim of this discussion is to call for a concerted effort in understanding the reasons for which DCD is still unfamiliar to most of the clinicians facing with the assessment and the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders. By defining DCD and Developmental dyspraxia respectively, as well as by promoting general awareness on the psychosocial consequences of DCD, the hope is to extend to the Italian community recognition, early identification, and targeted support to individuals with developmental coordination disorders.
- Published
- 2022
17. Number is not just an illusion: Discrete numerosity is encoded independently from perceived size
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Adriano, A, Girelli, L, Rinaldi, L, Adriano, Andrea, Girelli, Luisa, Rinaldi, Luca, Adriano, A, Girelli, L, Rinaldi, L, Adriano, Andrea, Girelli, Luisa, and Rinaldi, Luca
- Abstract
While seminal theories suggest that nonsymbolic visual numerosity is mainly extracted from segmented items, more recent views advocate that numerosity cannot be processed independently of nonnumeric continuous features confounded with the numerical set (i.e., such as the density, the convex hull, etc.). To disentangle these accounts, here we employed two different visual illusions presented in isolation or in a merged condition (e.g., combining the effects of the two illusions). In particular, in a number comparison task, we concurrently manipulated both the perceived object segmentation by connecting items with Kanizsa-like illusory lines, and the perceived convex-hull/density of the set by embedding the stimuli in a Ponzo illusion context, keeping constant other low-level features. In Experiment 1, the two illusions were manipulated in a compatible direction (i.e., both triggering numerical underestimation), whereas in Experiment 2 they were manipulated in an incompatible direction (i.e., with the Ponzo illusion triggering numerical overestimation and the Kanizsa illusion numerical underestimation). Results from psychometric functions showed that, in the merged condition, the biases of each illusion summated (i.e., largest underestimation as compared with the conditions in which illusions were presented in isolation) in Experiment 1, while they averaged and competed against each other in Experiment 2. These findings suggest that discrete nonsymbolic numerosity can be extracted independently from continuous magnitudes. They also point to the need of more comprehensive theoretical views accounting for the operations by which both discrete elements and continuous variables are computed and integrated by the visual system.
- Published
- 2022
18. The Role of Surgery in Primary Chest Wall Tumors: Over 20 Years' Experience in Resection and Reconstruction.
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Lo Iacono G, Mazzella A, Mohamed S, Petrella F, Sedda G, Casiraghi M, Girelli L, Bertolaccini L, and Spaggiari L
- Abstract
Background: Primary chest wall tumors comprise a heterogeneous group of neoplasms arising from soft tissues and bones. While surgical excision is the standard of care for benign tumors, the management of malignant tumors requires multimodal treatment. We conducted a predictive analysis of outcome, recurrence-free and overall survival., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and pathological records of all patients treated in our center between 1998 and 2020., Results: 53 patients (15-85 years) were treated in our department. The average tumor diameter was 65 ± 35 mm (10-160 mm). Negative margins were obtained in 48 patients (90.6%), whereas in the remaining 5, R1 resection was accomplished. Median overall survival was 63,03 months (1-282 months). Overall survival was 90% at 1 year, 78% at 2 years, and 61% at 5 years. Our analysis identified tumor diameter, postoperative complications, and high grade of malignancy as factors that can influence prognosis., Conclusions: The treatment of primary chest wall tumors remains a very challenging process. Different histological types preclude definition of an unequivocal approach. Complete resection with healthy margins remains a definitive cornerstone in the treatment of these cancers as part of a more comprehensive approach.
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- 2023
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19. Non-symbolic numerosity encoding escapes spatial frequency equalization
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Adriano, A, Girelli, L, Rinaldi, L, Adriano, Andrea, Girelli, Luisa, Rinaldi, Luca, Adriano, A, Girelli, L, Rinaldi, L, Adriano, Andrea, Girelli, Luisa, and Rinaldi, Luca
- Abstract
The exact visual mechanisms underpinning the approximate number system are still debated. Recent evidence suggests that numerosity is extracted on segmented visual objects, at least for a moderate numerical range (e.g., < 100 items), whereas alternative models rather propose that numerosity is derived from low-level features (e.g., power spectrum) of an unsegmented image, independently from the range. Here, to disentangle these accounts, we generated stimuli that were equalized for spatial frequency amplitude spectrum and luminance across sets of moderate range numerosities (e.g., 9-15 dots), while independently manipulating the perceived item segmentation by connecting dots with illusory contours (ICs). In Experiment 1, participants performed a numerical discrimination task, in which they had to select the numerically larger between two stimuli: a reference stimulus (always 12 dots) and a test stimulus (from 9 to 15 dots) containing 0, 2 or 4 pairs of dots grouped by ICs lines. In Experiment 2, participants were presented only the test stimulus and performed an estimation task. Results clearly showed that in both experiments participants' performance followed well-known numerical signatures (e.g., distance effect and scalar variability), with numerosity that was underestimated as the illusory connections increased. Crucially, this was found despite spatial frequencies and luminance were kept constant across all the experimental stimuli and these variables were thus uninformative about numerosity. Taken together, these findings indicate that power spectrum in its own cannot explain numerical processing. Rather, visual segmentation mechanisms may be crucial in such processing at least for a moderate numerosity range.
- Published
- 2021
20. 89P Long-term clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of upfront surgery as a first-line therapy in pathological N2 NSCLC
- Author
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Bertolaccini, L., primary, Prisciandaro, E., additional, Sedda, G., additional, Girelli, L., additional, and Spaggiari, L., additional
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- 2021
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21. What makes a word so attractive? Disclosing the urge to read while bisecting
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Girelli, L, Previtali, P, Arduino, L, Girelli L., Previtali P., Arduino L. S., Girelli, L, Previtali, P, Arduino, L, Girelli L., Previtali P., and Arduino L. S.
- Abstract
Expert readers have been repeatedly reported to misperceive the centre of visual stimuli, shifting systematically to the left the bisection of any lines (pseudoneglect) while showing a cross-over effect while bisecting different types of orthographic strings (Arduino et al., 2010, Neuropsychologia, 48, 2140). This difference has been attributed to asymmetrical allocation of attention that visuo-verbal material receives when lexical access occurs (e.g., Fischer, 2004, Cognitive Brain Research, 4, 163). The aim of this study was to further examine which visual features guide recognition of potentially orthographic materials. To disentangle the role of orthography, heterogeneity, and visuo-perceptual discreteness, we presented Italian unimpaired adults with four experiments exploiting the bisection paradigm. The results showed that a cross-over effect emerges in most discrete strings, especially when their internal structure, that is being composed of heterogeneous elements, is suggestive of orthographically relevant material. Interestingly, the cross-over effect systematically characterized the processing of letter strings (Experiment 2) and words (Experiments 3 and 4), whether visually discrete or not. Overall, this pattern of results suggests that neither discreteness nor heterogeneity per se are responsible for activating visual scanning mechanisms implied in text exploration, although both contribute to increasing the chance of a visual stimulus undergoing a perceptual analysis dedicated to pre-lexical processing
- Published
- 2018
22. A Practical Assessment of the Postoperative Management in Lung Cancer Surgery.
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Bertolaccini L, Mohamed S, Uslenghi C, Chiari M, Girelli L, Lo Iacono G, and Spaggiari L
- Abstract
Postoperative management after major and minor thoracic surgeries is crucial for patient recovery and can be challenging. Major thoracic surgeries, such as extensive pulmonary resections, especially in patients with poor health status, may require intensive surveillance, particularly during the first 24-72 h after surgery. Moreover, thanks to the demographic development and medical progress in perioperative medicine, more patients with comorbidities undergoing thoracic procedures require proper management in the postoperative period to improve prognosis and decrease hospital stay. Here, we summarize the main thoracic postoperative complications in order to clarify how to prevent them through a series of standardized procedures.
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- 2023
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23. Network-based validation of the psychometric questionnaire EDI-3 for the assessment of eating disorders.
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Punzi C, Tieri P, Girelli L, and Petti M
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- Humans, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Feeding and Eating Disorders diagnosis, Anorexia Nervosa psychology, Bulimia
- Abstract
Assessing the validity of a psychometric test is fundamental to ensure a reliable interpretation of its outcomes. Few attempts have been made recently to complement classical approaches (e.g., factor models) with a novel technique based on network analysis. The objective of the current study is to carry out a network-based validation of the Eating Disorder Inventory 3 (EDI-3), a questionnaire designed for the assessment of eating disorders. Exploiting a reliable, open source sample of 1206 patients diagnosed with an eating disorder, we set up a robust validation process encompassing detection and handling of redundant EDI-3 items, estimation of the cross-sample psychometric network, resampling bootstrap procedure and computation of the median network of the replica samples. We then employed a community detection algorithm to identify the topological clusters, evaluated their coherence with the EDI-3 subscales and replicated the full validation analysis on the subpopulations corresponding to patients diagnosed with either anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Results of the network-based analysis, and particularly the topological community structures, provided support for almost all the composite scores of the EDI-3 and for 2 single subscales: Bulimia and Maturity Fear. A moderate instability of some dimensions led to the identification of a few multidimensional items that should be better located in the intersection of multiple psychological scales. We also found that, besides symptoms typically attributed to eating disorders, such as drive for thinness, also non-specific symptoms like low self-esteem and interoceptive deficits play a central role in both the cross-sample and the diagnosis-specific networks. Our work adds insights into the complex and multidimensional structure of EDI-3 by providing support to its network-based validity on both mixed and diagnosis-specific samples. Moreover, we replicated previous results that reinforce the transdiagnostic theory of eating disorders., (© 2023. The Author(s).)
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- 2023
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24. Surgical management of superior sulcus tumors: A twenty-year experience of an oncological high volume referral centre.
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Bertolaccini L, Casiraghi M, Galetta D, Petrella F, Mazzella A, Lo Iacono G, Girelli L, Bardoni C, Mohamed S, Musso V, Sedda G, and Spaggiari L
- Abstract
Objectives: Superior sulcus tumour, which affects the lung's apex, is an uncommon subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The current study examined the clinical characteristics and management of superior sulcus NSCLC patients in a high-volume referral oncological centre over 22 years., Methods: Retrospective review of 100 surgeries with curative intent for superior sulcus NSCLC over 22 years (July 1998 - December 2020). The surgical approach was defined according to the lesion site and the anatomy of the thoracic inlet. Survival curves, including non-cancer-related deaths, were drawn using the Kaplan-Meier methods, and the log-rank test was used to evaluate differences in survival across groups of patients. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the association between selected clinical and pathologic characteristics on OS., Results: 54 patients received induction treatments. The surgical approach was anterior thoracotomy in 53 patients, Paulson incision in 30, and a combined in 8. The median postoperative length of stay was 11 days (range: 5 - 27 days). Overall 90-day mortality was 6.93%. The median OS was 24.3 months. After a median follow-up of 3 years, 5-year and 10-year OS rates were 33.9% and 26.4%, respectively. A significantly lower 5-year OS was observed in patients with the nodal disease (46.6% in pN0 vs 13.2% in pN+; p = 0.024), without preoperative treatments (41.0% in patients without preoperative treatments versus 17.4%; p = 0.09) and anteriorly located tumour (anterior vs posterior: 17.4% vs 49.1%; p = 0.032). Cox proportional hazards regression showed better survival in the pT1 stage (HR = 4.6; 95% CI: 1.9 - 11.2; p = 0.00076) and in R0 (HR = 4.2; 95% CI: 1.4 - 12.5; p = 0.010)., Conclusions: Superior sulcus tumours still represent a life-threatening condition that, while curable in a significant proportion of cases, requires complex procedures with high surgical risks and a multimodality treatment setting. An optimal surgical approach should be planned to maximise resection completeness and survival. Other factors affecting survival are related to tumour staging, emphasising the importance of a meticulous preoperative workup and candidate selection to identify those expected to benefit from a survival benefit., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Bertolaccini, Casiraghi, Galetta, Petrella, Mazzella, Lo Iacono, Girelli, Bardoni, Mohamed, Musso, Sedda and Spaggiari.)
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- 2023
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25. The effects of hemispheric dominance, literacy acquisition, and handedness on the development of visuospatial attention: A study in preschoolers and second graders
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Rinaldi, L, di Luca, S, Toneatto, C, Girelli, L, Rinaldi Luca, di Luca Samuel, Toneatto Carlo, Girelli Luisa, Rinaldi, L, di Luca, S, Toneatto, C, Girelli, L, Rinaldi Luca, di Luca Samuel, Toneatto Carlo, and Girelli Luisa
- Abstract
A tendency to over-attend the left side of the space (i.e., pseudoneglect) has been repeatedly reported in Western adult populations and is supposed to reflect a right hemisphere dominance in the control of visuospatial attention. This neurobiological hypothesis has been partially challenged by growing evidence showing that pseudoneglect is profoundly triggered by cultural practices such as reading and writing habits. Accordingly, more recent theoretical accounts suggest a strict coupling between nature and nurture dimensions at the origins of such bias. To further explore this possibility, here we first administered a digitized cancellation task to right-handed Western children before and after literacy acquisition. Results showed an incremental leftward shift of attention in the cancellation of the first target and an increasing preference for a left-to-right visual search from preschoolers to second graders. Yet, despite these differences, the overall distribution of visuospatial attention was biased to the left in both groups. To explore the role of handedness in visuospatial asymmetries, we also tested a group of left-handed second graders. Results showed an impact of handedness on visuospatial performance, with an accentuated rightward-oriented visual search for left-handed children, although the overall distribution of attention was again biased to the left hemispace. Taken together, these findings do not provide support to a pure neurobiological view of visuospatial biases. Rather, our study indicates that the control of visuospatial attention is mediated by a dynamic interplay among biological (i.e., right hemisphere dominance), biomechanical (i.e., hand dominance), and cultural (i.e., reading habits) factors.
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- 2020
26. How difficult is it for adolescents to maintain attention? The differential effects of video games and sports
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Petilli, M, Rinaldi, L, Trisolini, D, Girelli, L, Vecchio, L, Daini, R, Petilli, Marco Alessandro, Rinaldi, Luca, Trisolini, Daniela Carmen, Girelli, Luisa, Vecchio, Luca Piero, Daini, Roberta, Petilli, M, Rinaldi, L, Trisolini, D, Girelli, L, Vecchio, L, Daini, R, Petilli, Marco Alessandro, Rinaldi, Luca, Trisolini, Daniela Carmen, Girelli, Luisa, Vecchio, Luca Piero, and Daini, Roberta
- Abstract
Despite a large body of evidence suggests positive effects of playing action video games and practising sports on various visual attentional skills, the impact of these activities on the ability to maintain attention over prolonged periods of time (i.e., sustained attention) has been largely neglected. Here, we first explored free-time habits on a group of 310 adolescents by means of a self-reported questionnaire. We found an inverse relationship between the time spent with sports and video games, but not with other extra-scholastic activities: the time spent practising sports and playing video games clearly competed with each other, with the more-intensive-sport practitioners being less involved in video game play. Next, we directly measured sustained attention and other attentional skills in a subgroup of 76 participants, divided as a function of their time spent in sports and action video games. In particular, sustained attention was assessed by means of two tasks: a classic exogenous task, requiring participants to attend to a flashing visual stimulus; and an internal (endogenous) sustained attention task, requiring participants to synchronise their manual responses to the rhythm of auditory pulses presented in an earlier phase. As previously documented, we found that action video game players displayed worse ability to maintain attention over time, as compared with non-action players. In striking contrast, intensive sports practice was associated with an increased ability to maintain attention over time. Overall, these findings unveil distinct cascading effects on sustained attention induced by doing sport and playing action video games.
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- 2020
27. 92P Predictors, surrogate and patient-reported outcomes in neoadjuvant immunotherapy for lung cancer: A single-center retrospective study
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Bertolaccini, L., Mohamed, S., Galetta, D., Petrella, F., Casiraghi, M., Diotti, C., Mazzella, A., Iacono, G. Lo, Girelli, L., Sedda, G., de Marinis, F., and Spaggiari, L.
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- 2023
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28. Minimally Invasive Anatomical Segmentectomy versus Lobectomy in Stage IA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
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Bertolaccini L, Prisciandaro E, Bardoni C, Cara A, Diotti C, Girelli L, and Spaggiari L
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Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to assess potential differences in perioperative outcomes and disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with pathological stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent minimally invasive anatomical segmentectomy or lobectomy., Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A systematic search of EMBASE (through Ovid), MEDLINE (via PubMed), and Cochrane CENTRAL was conducted. Two researchers independently reviewed each eligible study that included patients with stage IA NSCLC who underwent minimally invasive anatomical segmentectomy and lobectomy and compared perioperative and/or survival outcomes of patients., Results: A total of 887 publications were identified. Of these, 10 articles met our eligibility criteria. A significantly higher number of lymph nodes were harvested in lobectomies. The two groups did not significantly differ in postoperative complication rates, DFS, and OS. Patients who underwent segmentectomy had shorter postoperative hospital stays., Conclusions: Minimally invasive lobectomy and segmentectomy showed comparable short-term and long-term outcomes in stage IA NSCLC patients. Postoperative complication rates were similar. Minimally invasive lobectomies are associated with a higher number of harvested lymph nodes, although this did not affect the final staging or the survival outcomes.
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- 2022
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29. Validation study of the Italian brief version of the multidimensional jealousy scale: Psychometric properties, measurement invariance across gender, and convergent validity.
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Diotaiuti P, Valente G, Mancone S, Girelli L, Cavicchiolo E, and Chirico A
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Introduction: The multidimensional jealousy scale (MJS) is among the most internationally used instruments for the assessment of jealousy in its three dimensions: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. This study aimed to replicate the Italian validation process of the shortened MJS in order to confirm its psychometric properties and measurement invariance across gender., Materials and Methods: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted in a large sample of adults ( n = 2,928). To reliably estimate mean differences across gender, the measurement invariance of the scale was first established by means of CFA. Convergent validity was than tested by administrating the tool to a convenient sample ( n = 304)., Results: A 15-item version of the Italian MJS was retained in its three-factor structure. The tool showed good fit with both the CFA (χ
2 = 211.827, CFI = 0.969, TLI = 0.959, RMSEA = 0.047, RMSEA 90% CI = 0.039-0.055) and the results confirmed the strong measurement invariance of the MJS across gender. The internal consistency measures were found to be fully satisfactory. Predictive associations with constructs such as avoidance and anxiety referred to attachment in relationships (ECR-R), obsessive jealousy, depressive jealousy, jealousy associated with separation anxiety, paranoid jealousy (QUEGE), and basic self-esteem (BSE) were confirmed., Discussion: The MJS is particularly apt to collect information quickly and efficiently about jealousy in a current relationship. The multidimensional and brief structure makes it particularly suitable for preliminary screening, couple therapy assessment, and research purposes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Diotaiuti, Valente, Mancone, Girelli, Cavicchiolo and Chirico.)- Published
- 2022
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30. COVID-19 related conspiracy beliefs and their relationship with defense strategies, emotions, powerlessness, attitudes, and time perspective.
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Celia G, Lausi G, Girelli L, Cavicchiolo E, Limone P, Giannini AM, and Cozzolino M
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The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted individual's life and society, and such an emergency has increased the likelihood of recurring conspiratorial thinking. There is much research on broader conspiratorial thinking and studies on COVID-19-related conspiratorial thinking has been growing worldwide, moreover, the negative consequences of COVID-19 specific conspiratorial beliefs for people's health are clear. However, person-centered research aiming at identify groups of individuals who share patterns of relations between COVID-19 specific conspiratorial beliefs and other psychological features is still scarce. A sample of 1.002 people (18-40 years old, M = 23; SD = 5.19) responded to a questionnaire administered online. The aim was to identify groups of individuals based on their beliefs about COVID-19 conspiracy theories and to compare the groups identified in terms of psychological characteristics associated such as automatic defense mechanisms, coping strategies, powerlessness, emotions, emotional regulation, attitudes toward the COVID-19, social distancing discontent, perceptions of COVID-19 severity and temporal perspective. A k-mean cluster analysis identified the groups of Believers (22.26%), Ambivalent believers (34.3%), and Non-believers (43.21%). The three groups differ particularly in terms of defense mechanisms, and time perspective. Results suggested the need to tailor interventions for individuals believing in COVID-19 conspiratorial theories based on differences in the psychological characteristics among the three groups., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Celia, Lausi, Girelli, Cavicchiolo, Limone, Giannini and Cozzolino.)
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- 2022
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31. Internet addiction in young adults: The role of impulsivity and codependency.
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Diotaiuti P, Mancone S, Corrado S, De Risio A, Cavicchiolo E, Girelli L, and Chirico A
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Excessive Internet use has demonstrated comorbidity with other psychological symptoms and psychiatric disorders, as well as impairments in the management of daily life, relationships and emotional stability. Recent findings in the literature have consistently supported the relationship between impulsivity and Internet addiction. The present study hypothesized that, in addition to impulsivity, a further predictor of Internet addiction might be relational co-dependency, which is also associated in the literature with addiction phenomena, but mainly substance addiction. This paper investigates the role and predictive weight of impulsivity and codependency on Internet addiction on a sample of young adult university students (n = 481) by using a hierarchical regression analysis. The participants were administered the UADI-2, the BIS-11 and the SFCDS. In terms of percentage distribution, 38 % of the participants were in the dependency range, while 37.7 % demonstrated Internet abuse behavior. The results confirmed the role of impulsiveness (β = 0.312) and added to the literature by showing the significant role of relational codependency (β = 0.275), gender (β = 0.174) and age (β = 0.196). Thus, male participants were more dependent, more impulsive and more co-dependent, with increasing age in the given range (18-30). The present study shed light to the presence of this issue among young adults and that, as a preventive and restraining measure, there is a need not only for targeted awareness-raising programmes but also for interventions to promote greater emotional control and a more balanced management of personal relationships., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Diotaiuti, Mancone, Corrado, De Risio, Cavicchiolo, Girelli and Chirico.)
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- 2022
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32. Cover always the bronchial stump! A flap could prevent catastrophic complications even in complete broncho-pleural fistula.
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Lo Iacono G, Prisciandaro E, Mohamed S, Bertolaccini L, Girelli L, Sedda G, Mazzella A, Guarize J, Donghi S, and Spaggiari L
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Broncho-pleural fistula after pneumonectomy is a life-threatening condition with very high mortality rate, even if detected early. All symptomatic patients should be treated immediately. The diagnosis in the absence of symptoms poses the real difficulties of management. Early detection of asymptomatic post-pneumonectomy broncho-pleural fistula is usually fortuitous. The use of bronchoscopy allows direct and accurate evaluation of the stump. This reported case allows us to make several considerations on the treatment of fistulas, but above all to consider that the systematic bronchial stump coverage is fundamental not only for preventing fistulas, but also for limiting their enlargement and communication with the residual cavity, in order to prevent catastrophic complications., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare to have no conflict of interest directly or indirectly, financial and non-financial, related to the manuscript contents., (© Indian Association of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgeons 2022, corrected publication 2022.)
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- 2022
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33. Correction to: Cover always the bronchial stump! A flap could prevent catastrophic complications even in complete broncho‑pleural fistula.
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Lo Iacono G, Prisciandaro E, Mohamed S, Bertolaccini L, Girelli L, Sedda G, Mazzella A, Guarize J, Donghi S, and Spaggiari L
- Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s12055-022-01386-3.]., (© Indian Association of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgeons 2022.)
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- 2022
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34. Psychometric properties and measurement invariance across gender of the Italian version of the tempest self-regulation questionnaire for eating adapted for young adults.
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Diotaiuti P, Girelli L, Mancone S, Valente G, Bellizzi F, Misiti F, and Cavicchiolo E
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The prevalence of overweight and obesity in young adults has increased dramatically in recent decades. The unhealthy eating habits that develop at this time can often lead to negative health consequences in the future. It is therefore important to learn about self-regulation and self-control strategies and help young adults to have healthy eating behaviours. This study aims to present an Italian version of the Tempest Self-Regulation Questionnaire for Eating (TESQ-E) adapted for young adults. The instrument assesses self-regulation and self-control strategies to counteract the desire and temptation to eat unhealthy food and to choose healthy foods. A total of 645 students (271 males and 374 females with an average age of 24.82 and SD = 4.34) took part in the study. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported the six first-order factors model concerning specific self-regulation strategies and a higher-order structure of the TESQ-E [χ
2 (152) = 336.480, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.04; SRMR = 0.04]: three correlated second-order factors (addressing the temptation directly, addressing the psychological meaning of temptation, and addressing the goal directly) and one-third-order factor (self-regulatory competence). The results also confirmed the strong measurement invariance of the TESQ-E across gender. To have reliable comparisons across males and females, the latent mean differences tests were performed on the six specific self-regulation strategies. The analysis showed that females appear to prefer strategies that directly address the goal by expressing explicit intentions or plans to eat in a healthy way. Convergence validity was tested through correlations with Eating-Self-Efficacy Brief Scale (ESEBS), Emotional Eating Scale (EES), Scale of Attitudes towards Healthy Eating (SAHE), and Body Mass Index (BMI). In conclusion, the TESQ-E appears to be a psychometrically sound questionnaire that can be effectively used with young adults to measure self-regulation strategies in eating in order to plan personalised interventions for the prevention and control of the metabolic syndrome, and to reduce a wide range of diet-related diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Diotaiuti, Girelli, Mancone, Valente, Bellizzi, Misiti and Cavicchiolo.)- Published
- 2022
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35. Long-term clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of upfront surgery as a first-line therapy in biopsy-proven clinical N2 non-small cell lung cancer.
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Bertolaccini L, Prisciandaro E, Guarize J, Girelli L, Sedda G, Filippi N, de Marinis F, and Spaggiari L
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Background: Multimodality therapy offers the best opportunity to improve pathological N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) prognosis. This paper aimed to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes and the prognostic factors of upfront surgery as first-line therapy in biopsy-proven clinical N2., Methods: Retrospective review of biopsy-proven cN2 NSCLC patients operated between 2007 and 2017. Upfront surgery was considered if the primary tumour was deemed completely resectable, with mediastinal nodal involvement confined to a single station and no preoperative evidence of extranodal tumour invasion., Results: Two hundred eighty-five patients who underwent radical resections were included. One hundred fifty-nine patients (55.8%) received induction chemotherapy. At follow-up completion, 127 (44.6%) patients had died. For the induction chemotherapy group, the median overall survival (OS) was 49 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 38-70 months], and the 5-year OS was 44.4%. The median and 5-year OS for the up front surgery group was 66 months (95% CI: 40-119 months) and 66.3%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between treatment approaches (p = 0.48). One hundred thirty-four patients (47.0%) developed recurrence. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 5 years was 17% (95% CI: 11-25%) for induction chemotherapy and 22% (95% CI: 9-32%) for upfront surgery; there were no statistically significant differences between groups (p = 0.93). No significant differences were observed based on the clinical N status (OS, p = 0.36; RFS, p = 0.65)., Conclusions: Upfront surgery as first-line therapy for biopsy-proven cN2 NSCLC showed favourable clinical outcomes, similar to those obtained after induction chemotherapy followed by surgery. Therefore, it should be considered one of the multimodality treatment options in resectable N2 NSCLC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Bertolaccini, Prisciandaro, Guarize, Girelli, Sedda, Filippi, de Marinis and Spaggiari.)
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- 2022
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36. Adolescents' Characteristics and Peer Relationships in Class: A Population Study.
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Cavicchiolo E, Lucidi F, Diotaiuti P, Chirico A, Galli F, Manganelli S, D'Amico M, Albarello F, Girelli L, Cozzolino M, Sibilio M, Zelli A, Mallia L, Germani S, Palombi T, Fegatelli D, Liparoti M, Mandolesi L, and Alivernini F
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Female, Friends, Humans, Infant, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Students, Academic Success, Peer Group
- Abstract
Background: This study aimed to investigate differences in adolescents' social relationships with classmates of diverse gender, socioeconomic status, immigrant background, and academic achievement., Methods: A population of 10th-grade students (N = 406,783; males = 50.3%; M
age = 15.57 years, SDage = 0.75) completed the Classmates Social Isolation Questionnaire (CSIQ), an instrument specifically designed to measure two distinct but correlated types of peer relationships in class: peer acceptance and peer friendship. To obtain reliable comparisons across diverse adolescent characteristics, the measurement invariance of the CSIQ was established by means of CFAs and then latent mean differences tests were performed., Results: Immigrant background, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status all proved to be important factors influencing relationships with classmates, while being a male or a female was less relevant. Being a first-generation immigrant adolescent appears to be the foremost risk factor for being less accepted by classmates, while having a low academic achievement is the greatest hindrance for having friends in the group of classmates, a finding that diverges from previous studies., Conclusions: This population study suggests that adolescent characteristics (especially immigrant background, socioeconomic status, and academic achievement) seem to affect social relationships with classmates.- Published
- 2022
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37. The "Balloon-Like" Sign: Differential Diagnosis between Postoperative Air Leak and Residual Pleural Space: Radiological Findings and Clinical Implications of the Young-Laplace Equation.
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Petrella F, Rizzo S, Bertolaccini L, Casiraghi M, Girelli L, Lo Iacono G, Mazzella A, and Spaggiari L
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In this paper, we propose a radiological sign for an appropriate differential diagnosis between postoperative pleural space and active air leak after lung resection. In the case of residual pleural space without any active air leak, the lung takes the form of a round balloon due to the hyperinflation condition, which is governed by the Young-Laplace equation describing the capillary pressure difference sustained across the interface between two static fluids, such as water and air, due to the phenomenon of wall tension. The two principal mechanisms by which a lung forms a spherical image are shear-controlled detachment induced by shear stress on the membrane surface, and spontaneous detachment induced by a gradient in Young-Laplace pressure. On the contrary, the lung maintains its tapered shape in the case of an active air leak because the continuous air refill does not allow a complete parenchyma re-expansion.
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- 2022
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38. Impulsivity and Depressive Brooding in Internet Addiction: A Study With a Sample of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Lockdown.
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Diotaiuti P, Girelli L, Mancone S, Corrado S, Valente G, and Cavicchiolo E
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This contribution presents a study conducted on a sample of Italian adolescents ( n = 411) in the period of the first COVID-19 lockdown. The study investigated the role and predictive weight of the impulsivity and depressive brooding variables on Internet addiction, using a hierarchical regression analysis. The participants were administered the Uso-Abuso e Dipendenza da Internet [Internet Use-Abuse and Addiction] (UADI-2), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS). In terms of percentage distribution, 28% of the participants were in the full dependency range, while 34.7% demonstrated Internet abuse behavior. The results highlighted not only the predictive value of impulsiveness (β = 0.323) and ruminative thinking (β = 0.258), but also the role of gender (β = -0.205) on Internet addiction. Thus, male participants showed higher levels of Internet addiction, with higher scores on impulsiveness and brooding way of thinking. The study shows that the issue in question is significantly present among adolescents; in addition, not only targeted awareness programmes but also psycho-educational and clinical interventions to promote greater emotional and cognitive control would be necessary as a preventive and mitigating measure. Psychological interventions can help increase self-awareness, develop emotional regulation and impulse control, and correct maladaptive cognitions which in adolescents are mostly driven by a ruminative cognitive style., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Diotaiuti, Girelli, Mancone, Corrado, Valente and Cavicchiolo.)
- Published
- 2022
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39. Colours + Numbers differs from colours of numbers: cognitive and visual illusions in grapheme-colour synaesthesia
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Ranzini, M, Girelli, L, Ranzini, Mariagrazia, Girelli, Luisa, Ranzini, M, Girelli, L, Ranzini, Mariagrazia, and Girelli, Luisa
- Abstract
This study investigates the bi-directionality of synaestesic experience by means of a flanked bisection paradigm in TT, a number-colour synaesthete. Previous studies have shown that bisection is shifted towards the larger digit flanker (e.g., Ranzini & Girelli, 2012). TT and controls performed line bisections with lines flanked by black digits (experiment 1), by TT’s photism colours (experiment 2), and by congruently (experiment 3), or incongruently coloured digits (experiment 4). While the results of the control group mainly replicated previous findings, only the colour-digit congruence elicited in TT the larger-digit bias. TT’s absence of effects in the other conditions was not due to reduced sensitivity to luminance effects (experiment 5), or to mathematical expertise (experiment 6). We suggest that grapheme-colour synaesthesia might be characterised by a rigid access to semantic representation when the inducer is task-irrelevant.
- Published
- 2019
40. Improving University Students' Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From an Online Counseling Intervention in Italy.
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Celia G, Tessitore F, Cavicchiolo E, Girelli L, Limone P, and Cozzolino M
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Background: The mental health of university students is significantly affected when faced with public health emergencies and requires specific interventions to help support and prevent any long-lasting effects that the pandemic may have on their mental health status. This study aims to evaluate the impact of an online individual counseling intervention provided by the University of Foggia and carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health status of a sample of university students., Methods: 32 Italian undergraduate students took part in a one-group pretest-posttest research design. The data was gathered in two times: before the start of the counseling intervention (T1), positive and negative affect, satisfaction with life, global mental distress, anxiety, stress, and future time perspective were collected, at the end of the counseling intervention (T2), the same dimensions were measured. A one-way repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed, and single Bonferroni-corrected dependent t -tests were conducted on variables showing a significant change over time., Results: The results showed that positive affect, subjective well-being, and future time perspective increased significantly after the intervention. In contrast, the participants reported significantly lower levels of negative affect, global mental distress, state and trait anxiety, as well as perceived stress over time., Conclusions: The study demonstrates the promising impact of online counseling intervention and its efficient contribution in promoting the well-being of university students. The results contribute to the ongoing debate concerning the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young adults, helping professionals develop more efficient clinical and psychological interventions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Celia, Tessitore, Cavicchiolo, Girelli, Limone and Cozzolino.)
- Published
- 2022
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41. The Psychometric Properties of the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3): Factorial Structure, Invariance and Validity in the Italian Context.
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Cavicchiolo E, Sibilio M, Lucidi F, Cozzolino M, Chirico A, Girelli L, Manganelli S, Giancamilli F, Galli F, Diotaiuti P, Zelli A, Mallia L, Palombi T, Fegatelli D, Albarello F, and Alivernini F
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Psychometrics, Reproducibility of Results, Surveys and Questionnaires, Exercise, Motivation
- Abstract
Background: Motivation to engage in physical activity plays a central role in ensuring the health of the population. The present study investigated the psychometric properties and validity in Italy of the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3), a widely used instrument for assessing individuals' motivation to exercise based on self-determination theory (SDT)., Methods: A large sample (N = 2222; females = 55.4%; M
age = 36.4 years, SDage = 13.9, min = 20, max = 69) of young people, and middle aged and older adults completed the Italian translation of the BREQ-3, also indicating their intentions to exercise in the following weeks., Results: Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the posited six-factor structure of the BREQ-3 fitted the data well (CFI = 0.96; RMSEA = 0.05; SRMR = 0.04) and provided evidence for full measurement invariance across gender and different age groups. The construct validity of the BREQ-3 was supported by the latent correlations among the subscales, which were consistent with the quasi-simplex pattern theorized by SDT. The overall level of self-determination and the intention to exercise were positively correlated, providing evidence for the criterion validity of the scale., Conclusions: The Italian version of the BREQ-3 has proved to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring the behavioral regulation of exercise in individuals with different demographic characteristics.- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. The representation of episodic and autobiographical events in working memory: evidence for different Mental Time Lines
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Rizzi, E, Rinaldi, L, Girelli, L, Rizzi, E, Rinaldi, L, and Girelli, L
- Abstract
Humans from different cultures tend to represent time on a spatially oriented Mental Time Line (MTL). This is supported by research showing that response selection is faster when salient features of the stimulus (i.e., past and future) and of the response (i.e., left and right, or back and forward) are congruent to each other in working memory. Yet, whether the spatial frame of reference onto which the MTL is anchored (i.e., horizontal or sagittal) depends on the specific content to be processed (i.e., autobiographical and episodic) is still unknown. The present study aims to investigate whether personal and non-personal events activate different spatial frame of reference in WM. Fifty-one university students performed a computerized stimulus-response compatibility task and they classified as past or future, personal (e.g., First Kiss) and non-personal (e.g., Twin Towers) events with manual movements along the horizontal plane (i.e., leftward/rightward oriented movements) and along the sagittal plane (i.e., by making backward/forward movements). Results showed that the preferential spatial mapping representation depends on the nature of the event. In particular, non-personal events were represented only along the horizontal plane (i.e., past/future events responded faster with leftward/rightward movements compared to the opposite condition). On the contrary, personal events were represented only along the sagittal plane (i.e., past/future events responded faster with backward/forward movements). These findings indicate that the content (i.e., autobiographical, episodic) of a word in working memory may activate different spatial frames of reference onto which the MTL is mapped.
- Published
- 2018
43. More far is more right: Manual and ocular line bisections, but not the Judd illusion, depend on radial space
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Rinaldi, L, Bertolini, G, Bockisch, C, Maravita, A, Girelli, L, Brugger, P, Bockisch, CJ, Rinaldi, L, Bertolini, G, Bockisch, C, Maravita, A, Girelli, L, Brugger, P, and Bockisch, CJ
- Abstract
Line bisection studies generally find a left-to-right shift in bisection bias with increasing distance between the observer and the target line, which may be explained by hemispheric differences in the processing of proximo-distal information. In the present study, the segregation between near and far space was further characterized across the motor system and contextual cues. To this aim, 20 right-handed participants were required to perform a manual bisection task of simple lines presented at three different distances (60, 90, 120 cm). Importantly, the horizontal spatial location of the line was manipulated along with the viewing distance to investigate more deeply the hemispheric engagement in the transition from near to far space. As the motoric component of the manual task producing activations of left premotor and motor areas may be partially responsible for the observed transition, participants were also involved in an ocular bisection task. Further, participants were required to bisect Judd variants of the target lines, which are known to elicit a Müller-Lyer-type illusion. Since the Judd illusion depends on areas in the ventral visual stream, we predicted that line bisections of Judd-type lines would be unaffected by viewing distance. Results showed that manual bisection of simple lines was modulated separately by viewing distance and the hemispace of presentation, with this pattern being similar for ocular bisection. Critically, bisections in the Judd illusion task were not modulated by viewing distance, whether performed by hand or by eye. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that the right hemisphere plays a dominant role in the processing of space close to the body. They also present novel evidence for a general reduction of this dominance at farther distances, whether hand motor actions are involved or not. Finally, our study documents a dissociation between the processing of pure visuospatial information and that of a visual illusion as a f
- Published
- 2018
44. Smelling the Space Around Us: Odor Pleasantness Shifts Visuospatial Attention in Humans
- Author
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Rinaldi, L, Maggioni, E, Olivero, N, Maravita, A, Girelli, L, Rinaldi, L, Maggioni, E, Olivero, N, Maravita, A, and Girelli, L
- Abstract
The prompt recognition of pleasant and unpleasant odors is a crucial regulatory and adaptive need of humans. Reactive answers to unpleasant odors ensure survival in many threatening situations. Notably, although humans typically react to certain odors by modulating their distance from the olfactory source, the effect of odor pleasantness over the orienting of visuospatial attention is still unknown. To address this issue, we first trained participants to associate visual shapes with pleasant and unpleasant odors, and then we assessed the impact of this association on a visuospatial task. Results showed that the use of trained shapes as flankers modulates performance in a line bisection task. Specifically, it was found that the estimated midpoint was shifted away from the visual shape associated with the unpleasant odor, whereas it was moved toward the shape associated with the pleasant odor. This finding demonstrates that odor pleasantness selectively shifts human attention in the surrounding space. (PsycINFO Database Record
- Published
- 2018
45. Arithmetic, working memory, and visuospatial imagery abilities in children with poor geometric learning
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Bizzaro, M, Giofrè, D, Girelli, L, Cornoldi, C, BIZZARO, MARZIA LUCIA, Giofrè, David, Girelli, Luisa, CORNOLDI, CESARE, Bizzaro, M, Giofrè, D, Girelli, L, Cornoldi, C, BIZZARO, MARZIA LUCIA, Giofrè, David, Girelli, Luisa, and CORNOLDI, CESARE
- Abstract
Many children fail in geometric learning, but factors underlying these failures have not been explored in detail. The present study addresses this issue by comparing fifth and sixth-grade children who had good or poor geometric learning, and were otherwise comparable on verbal intelligence, gender and age. Results showed that children with poor geometric learning have deficits in both arithmetic and geometric problem solving but they are more impaired in the latter. Results also showed that poor geometric learners have weaknesses in working memory, calculation, and visuospatial mental imagery. The results from logistic regressions pointed out that mental imagery skills and arithmetic problem solving ability had the highest discriminatory power in distinguishing between the two groups. Theoretical and practical implications of this research for designing interventions to help poor geometric learners are discussed.
- Published
- 2018
46. Keeping an eye on serial order: Ocular movements bind space and time
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Rinaldi, L, Brugger, P, Bockisch, C J, Bertolini, G, Girelli, L, Rinaldi, L, Brugger, P, Bockisch, C J, Bertolini, G, and Girelli, L
- Abstract
The present study examined whether traveling through serially-ordered verbal memories exploits overt visuospatial attentional resources. In a three-phase behavioral study, five single-digits were presented sequentially at one spatial location in phase 1, while recognition and verbal recall were tested in phases 2 and 3, respectively. Participants' spontaneous eye movements were registered along with the verbal responses. Results showed that the search and the retrieval of serially-ordered information were mediated by spontaneous ocular movements. Specifically, recognizing middle items of the memorized sequence required longer inspection times and, importantly, a greater involvement of overt attentional resources, than recognizing the serially first-presented item and, to a lesser extent, the last-presented item. Moreover, serial order was found to be spatially encoded from left-to-right, as eye position during vocal responses deviated the more to the right, the later the serial position of the retrieved item in the sequence. These findings suggest that overt spatial attention mediates the scanning of serial order representation.
- Published
- 2015
47. Single synchronous pulmonary metastasis from placental site trophoblastic tumor and teratoma
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Billè A, Girelli L, Colecchia M, Pastorino U, Billè, A, Girelli, L, Colecchia, M, and Pastorino, U
- Published
- 2015
48. Results of Surgical Resection of Locally Advanced Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Tumors.
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Girelli L, Casiraghi M, Sandri A, Petrella F, Galetta D, Gasparri R, Maisonneuve P, Fazio N, and Spaggiari L
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Disease-Free Survival, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Lung Neoplasms diagnosis, Male, Middle Aged, Neuroendocrine Tumors diagnosis, Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography, Retrospective Studies, Treatment Outcome, Young Adult, Lung Neoplasms surgery, Neoplasm Staging, Neuroendocrine Tumors surgery, Pneumonectomy methods
- Abstract
Background: Pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors include well-differentiated and poorly differentiated histology for which cell type has proved to be a determinant of survival in many studies. In patients diagnosed with bronchial carcinoid and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), surgery is the treatment of choice even in the case of locally advanced disease with lymph node involvement., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients undergoing anatomic lung resection for bronchial carcinoid or LCNEC with lymph node involvement (N1/N2) at the final pathologic examination (pN+). Characteristics of patients and differences in overall survival and disease-free survival are presented according to tumor type. Overall survival of distinct histologic groups was compared with survival in our institutional experience in stage I patients, without nodal involvement (pN0)., Results: In all, 325 patients underwent surgical resection for neuroendocrine tumors; 89 patients had nodal involvement. Five-year survival was 89% in pN+ bronchial carcinoid both for typical carcinoid and atypical carcinoid but worse for pN+ LCNEC (47%). Cell type did not influence the prognosis in N0 disease, and no differences in survival were evident between N0 and N+ in the bronchial carcinoid group. In the group of LCNEC, 5-year overall survival was much worse for pN+ LCNEC (47%) compared with pN0 LCNEC (91%)., Conclusions: Bronchial carcinoids have the best prognosis, and surgery remains the treatment of choice for both early and locally advanced disease. On the contrary, aggressive forms (LCNEC) with lymph nodal metastasis have a poor prognosis, and they need to be treated with an aggressive multidisciplinary approach., (Copyright © 2021 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
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49. Commentary: From 'sense of number' to 'sense of magnitude' - The role of continuous magnitudes in numerical cognition
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Rinaldi, L, Girelli, L, Rinaldi, L, and Girelli, L
- Published
- 2017
50. Infants' detection of increasing numerical order comes before detection of decreasing number
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de Hevia, Md, Addabbo, Margaret, Nava, E, Croci, E, Girelli, L, Cassia, Vm, Addabbo, M (ORCID:0000-0002-8414-6853), de Hevia, Md, Addabbo, Margaret, Nava, E, Croci, E, Girelli, L, Cassia, Vm, and Addabbo, M (ORCID:0000-0002-8414-6853)
- Abstract
Ordinality is a fundamental aspect of numerical cognition. However, preverbal infants' ability to represent numerical order is poorly understood. In the present study we extended the evidence provided by Macchi Cassia, Picozzi, Girelli, and de Hevia (2012), showing that 4-month-old infants detect ordinal relationships within size-based sequences, to numerical sequences. In three experiments, we showed that at 4 months of age infants fail to represent increasing and decreasing numerical order when numerosities differ by a 1:2 ratio (Experiment 1), but they succeed when numerosities differ by a 1:3 ratio (Experiments 2 and 3). Critically, infants showed the same behavioral signature (i.e., asymmetry) described by Macchi Cassia et al. for discrimination of ordinal changes in area: they succeed at detecting increasing but not decreasing order (Experiments 2 and 3). These results support the idea of a common (or at least parallel) development of ordinal representation for the two quantitative dimensions of size and number. Moreover, the finding that the asymmetry signature, previously reported for size-based sequences, extends to numerosity, points to the existence of a common constraint in ordinal magnitude processing in the first months of life. The present findings are discussed in the context of possible evolutionary and developmental sources of the ordinal asymmetry, as well as their implication for other related cognitive abilities. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
- Published
- 2017
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