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Can intergroup contact improve native-refugee relations? Are any positive effects of contact amplified when combined with empathy-building education? We answer these questions using a field experiment that brings together Syrian refugees and native Lebanese for a psychosocial support program in Lebanon, where refugees make up 25% of the population. We randomly assign participants to two treatment arms: (1) homogenous vs. heterogeneous (Lebanese-Syrian) classroom; (2) empathy building vs. a placebo (health and nutrition) curriculum. We ask whether these treatments can improve prejudiced attitudes and behavior among Syrian and Lebanese participants --- as well as spillover effects among their parents --- and psychological integration among Syrians in particular. This study thus tests the potential of contact and educational programs to build social cohesion between refugees and host populations, in a context of ongoing economic crisis and pervasive distrust.

Everything is a line. Every boundary, bridge, freeway and river. Yet these lines are not ours — they have been drawn for us, and they shape the policies that determine our lives. While the drawing of lines is inherently consequential, it is often difficult to isolate, identify or hold accountable their individual authors. The borders and policies dictated by these lines are the continuation of centuries-old colonial systems that keep white supremacist power structures firmly in place.

Simple Summary A reliable method for a fast diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) would greatly help in improving therapeutic success in personalized medicine approaches. Thus, in the present study, a new idea was proposed: a morphological single-cell analysis approach combined with a microfluidic device for liquid biopsy. The investigation of the NSCLC sample at different culturing times created the possibility of understanding the evolution of different cell types and their morphological changes, making the Circulating Tumour Cells (CTC) predominance against all other cell classes visible. Abstract Background: To date, in personalized medicine approaches, single-cell analyses such as circulating tumour cells (CTC) are able to reveal small structural cell modifications, and therefore can retrieve several biophysical cell properties, such as the cell dimension, the dimensional relationship between the nucleus and the cytoplasm and the optical density of cellular sub-compartments. On this basis, we present in this study a new morphological measurement approach for the detection of vital CTC from pleural washing in individual non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Materials and methods: After a diagnosis of pulmonary malignancy, pleural washing was collected from nine NSCLC patients. The collected samples were processed with a density gradient separation process. Light scattering analysis was performed on a single cell. The results of this analysis were used to obtain the cell’s biophysical pattern and, later on, as basis for Machine Learning (ML) on unknown samples. Results: Morphological single-cell analysis followed by ML show a predictive picture for an NSCLC patient, screening that it is possible to distinguish CTC from other cells. Moreover, we find that the proposed measurement approach was fast, reliable, label-free, identifying and count CTC in a biological fluid. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that CTC Biophysical Profile by Pure Light Scattering in NSCLC could be used as a promising diagnostic candidate in NSCLC patients.

Widespread acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines is crucial for achieving sufficient immunization coverage to end the global pandemic, yet few studies have investigated COVID-19 vaccination attitudes in lower-income countries, where large-scale vaccination is just beginning. We analyze COVID-19 vaccine acceptance across 15 survey samples covering 10 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia, Africa and South America, Russia (an upper-middle-income country) and the United States, including a total of 44,260 individuals. We find considerably higher willingness to take a COVID-19 vaccine in our LMIC samples (mean 80.3%; median 78%; range 30.1 percentage points) compared with the United States (mean 64.6%) and Russia (mean 30.4%). Vaccine acceptance in LMICs is primarily explained by an interest in personal protection against COVID-19, while concern about side effects is the most common reason for hesitancy. Health workers are the most trusted sources of guidance about COVID-19 vaccines. Evidence from this sample of LMICs suggests that prioritizing vaccine distribution to the Global South should yield high returns in advancing global immunization coverage. Vaccination campaigns should focus on translating the high levels of stated acceptance into actual uptake. Messages highlighting vaccine efficacy and safety, delivered by healthcare workers, could be effective for addressing any remaining hesitancy in the analyzed LMICs., Survey data collected across ten low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia, Africa and South America compared with surveys from Russia and the United States reveal heterogeneity in vaccine confidence in LMICs, with healthcare providers being trusted sources of information, as well as greater levels of vaccine acceptance in these countries than in Russia and the United States.

Entertainment-education interventions (aka edutainment interventions) attempt to create social change by embedding content in entertainment programs intended to change viewer’s attitudes, norms, and / or behavior. In this research, we will test whether entertainment-education interventions that portray the challenges and successes of intergroup interactions can decrease intergroup animosity and improve intergroup relations. We also aim to test whether narratives are more effective when they include an explicit acknowledgement of intergroup anxiety vs. no mention of intergroup anxiety. Finally, we aim to test whether entertainment-education interventions are more effective in reducing intergroup animosity when consumed alone vs. with others. This research will be conducted with a sample of Christians (n = 2500) in Kaduna, Nigeria, a region with a history of tension and conflict between Christians and Muslims.

In recent years, many developing countries have begun to introduce digital or biometric identity cards (eIDs), in an attempt to improve citizen-state legibility (Scott 1998, Lee and Zhang 2016). In the best case, expanding and deepening legibility can help states govern more efficiently and fairly, and expand citizen access to public services. But eID initiatives also represent a significant expansion of state surveillance, and raise important questions about citizen privacy and data protection, especially for groups with a history of mistrust in or conflict with the state. We conceptualize two types of marginalized group relations with the state: (1) politically marginalized (“opposition groups”) and (2) security marginalized (“securitized groups”), and compare their responses to those of dominant group relations with the state. We conceptualize opposition groups as those historically marginalized in national politics and we conceptualize securitized groups as those disproportionately policed by the state, e.g. for (stated) reasons of national security. Through these comparisons, we assess whether eID initiatives could ultimately have the effect of exacerbating, rather than reducing, inequality in access to public goods and services. We use the example of the legally contested rollout of an eID system in Kenya – the Huduma Namba card program – as an entry point to explore the perceived costs and benefits of increasing citizen legibility to the state and implications for intergroup inequality. In a conjoint experiment with 2,050 respondents drawn from regions across Kenya, we examine how potential policies governing the eID program, including those on data security, integration with voting and taxation systems, and information about program benefits affect support for the eID program, intended eID uptake, and views on the implications of eIDs for data privacy, ease of access to services, and considerations surrounding political participation. Focusing on heterogeneous treatment effects among historically dominant, opposition, and securitized groups, we examine the degree to which different groups are willing to “trade off” privacy for potentially better access to public goods and services.

Background In several species, paraoxonase‐1 (PON‐1) decreases during inflammation, because of the presence of oxidative stress; its measurement recently has been validated in horses, but its role as a clinical biomarker is unknown. Objectives To evaluate sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratio of PON‐1 activity to identify systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)‐positive horses or horses with a poor prognosis. Animals One hundred seventy‐two blood samples from 58 sick horses from 3 different veterinary hospitals. Methods In a cross‐sectional study, PON‐1 activity was measured upon admission and at 24‐hour intervals until discharge or death, and results were analyzed based on SIRS status and outcome. Results No statistically significant difference was found in median PON‐1 activity between SIRS and non‐SIRS cases or between survivors and non‐survivors except for mares, in which PON‐1 activity was significantly lower in SIRS‐positive horses (P = .05). The sensitivity of PON‐1 activity in identifying horses with SIRS or negative outcome was low (0.0%‐46.2% depending on the examined group) but its specificity was high (87.0%‐100.0%). However, when PON‐1 is low, the likelihood of death is 2.40‐3.89 times higher than the likelihood of survival. Repeated measurement of PON‐1 after treatment does not predict outcome. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Evaluation of PON‐1 activity in horses with inflammation might be advisable in the future, but only low activity at admission may be relevant in predicting SIRS or negative outcome.

Physiology of orofacial pain pathways embraces primary afferent neurons, pathologic changes in the trigeminal ganglion, brainstem nociceptive neurons, and higher brain function regulating orofacial nociception. The goal of this study was to investigate the nitroxidergic system alteration at brainstem level (spinal trigeminal nucleus), and the role of peripheral P2 purinergic receptors in an experimental mouse model of pediatric inflammatory orofacial pain, to increase knowledge and supply information concerning orofacial pain in children and adolescents, like pediatric dentists and pathologists, as well as oro-maxillo-facial surgeons, may be asked to participate in the treatment of these patients. The experimental animals were treated subcutaneously in the perioral region with pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2 ′ ,4 ′ -disulphonic acid (PPADS), a P2 receptor antagonist, 30 minutes before formalin injection. The pain-related behavior and the nitroxidergic system alterations in the spinal trigeminal nucleus using immunohistochemistry and western blotting analysis have been evaluated. The local administration of PPADS decreased the face-rubbing activity and the expression of both neuronal and inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase isoforms in the spinal trigeminal nucleus. These results underline a relationship between orofacial inflammatory pain and nitroxidergic system in the spinal trigeminal nucleus and suggest a role of peripheral P2 receptors in trigeminal pain transmission influencing NO production at central level. In this way, orofacial pain physiology should be elucidated and applied to clinical practice in the future.

14 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, supplementary material https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.953895/full#supplementary-material.-- Data availability statement: The data presented in this study are included in the supplementary material (SM1; SM10), further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors, Among the main measures adopted to reduce anthropogenic impacts on elasmobranch communities, understanding the ecology of deep-sea sharks is of paramount importance, especially for potentially vulnerable species highly represented in the bycatch composition of commercial fisheries such as the blackmouth catshark Galeus melastomus. In the present work, we unravelled the first indication of population genetic structure of G. melastomus by using a novel and effective panel of nuclear, and polymorphic DNA markers and compared our results with previous findings supporting high genetic connectivity at large spatial scales. Given the lack of species-specific nuclear markers, a total of 129 microsatellite loci (Simple Sequence Repeats, SSRs) were cross-amplified on blackmouth catshark specimens collected in eight geographically distant areas in the Mediterranean Sea and North-eastern Atlantic Ocean. A total of 13 SSRs were finally selected for genotyping, based on which the species exhibited signs of weak, but tangible genetic structure. The clearcut evidence of genetic differentiation of G. melastomus from Scottish waters from the rest of the population samples was defined, indicating that the species is genetically structured in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent North-eastern Atlantic. Both individual and frequency-based analyses identified a genetic unit formed by the individuals collected in the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Strait of Sicily, distinguished from the rest of the Mediterranean and Portuguese samples. In addition, Bayesian analyses resolved a certain degree of separation of the easternmost Aegean sample and the admixed nature of the other Mediterranean and the Portuguese samples. Here, our results supported the hypothesis that the interaction between the ecology and biology of the species and abiotic drivers such as water circulations, temperature and bathymetry may affect the dispersion of G. melastomus, adding new information to the current knowledge of the connectivity of this deep-water species and providing powerful tools for estimating its response to anthropogenic impacts, This research was funded by RFO and Canziani grants given to FT and AC, and by the RFO grant of the University of Bologna for the research fellowships of AF, With the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)

Oxidative stress plays an important role in brain aging and in neurodegenerative diseases. New therapeutic agents are necessary to cross the blood–brain barrier and target disease pathogenesis without causing disagreeable side effects. Resveratrol (RSV) may act as a neuroprotective compound, but little is known about its potential in improving the cognitive and metabolic aspects that are associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effects and the underlying mechanisms of RSV against hypoxia-induced oxidative stress in neuronal PC12 cells. For the induction of the hypoxia model, the cells were exposed to oxygen-deprived gas in a hypoxic chamber. Cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by a fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was analyzed by using dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) and 5-(and-6)-chloromethyl-2’,7’-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate, acetyl ester (CM-H2DCFDA) tests. The expression of activated caspase-3, -9, Bcl-2, Bax, p53, and SOD was investigated by a Western blot analysis. We found that hypoxia reduced PC12 viability by inducing apoptosis, while RSV treatment attenuated the ROS-induced damage by reducing caspase-3, -9, and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. The RSV treated groups were found to improve cellular health, with a 7.41% increase in the S phase population in the 10 µM group, compared to the control. Hence, RSV has a protective effect in neuronal cells and may halt the cell cycle in the G1/S phase to repair the intracellular damage. Therefore, RSV could be a good candidate to act as an antioxidant and promising preventive therapeutic agent in neurodegenerative diseases for personalized medicine.

Reproduction is a complex process, which is based on the cooperation between the endocrine–immune system and the microbiota. Testicular immunity is characterized by the so-called immune privilege, a mechanism that avoids autoimmune attacks against proteins expressed by spermatozoa. Testicular microbiota is connected with the gut microbiota, the most prevalent site of commensals inthe body. Both microbiotas take part inthe development of the immune system and protection againstpathogen invasion. Dysbiosis is caused by concurrent pathologies, such as obesity, diabetes, infections and trauma. The substitution of beneficial bacteria with pathogens may lead to destruction of spermatozoa directly or indirectly and, ultimately, to male infertility. Novel therapeutic interventions, i.e., nutritional interventions and supplementation of natural products, such as, probiotics, prebiotics, antioxidants and polyphenols, may lead to the restoration of the otherwise-impaired male reproductive potential, even if experimental and clinical results are not always concordant. In this review, the structure and immune function of the testis will be described with special reference to the blood–testisbarrier. The regulatory role of both the gut and testicular microbiota will be illustrated in health and disease, also emphasizing therapeutic attempts with natural products for the correction of male infertility, in the era of personalized medicine.

The human intestine is colonized by a huge number of microorganisms from the moment of birth. This set of microorganisms found throughout the human body, is called the microbiota; the microbiome indicates the totality of genes that the microbiota can express, i.e., its genetic heritage. Thus, microbiota participates in and influences the proper functioning of the organism. The microbiota is unique for each person; it differs in the types of microorganisms it contains, the number of each microorganism, and the ratio between them, but mainly it changes over time and under the influence of many factors. Therefore, the correct functioning of the human body depends not only on the expression of its genes but also on the expression of the genes of the microorganisms it coexists with. This fact makes clear the enormous interest of community science in studying the relationship of the human microbiota with human health and the incidence of disease. The microbiota is like a unique personalized “mold” for each person; it differs quantitatively and qualitatively for the microorganisms it contains together with the relationship between them, and it changes over time and under the influence of many factors. We are attempting to modulate the microbial components in the human intestinal microbiota over time to provide positive feedback on the health of the host, from intestinal diseases to cancer. These interventions to modulate the intestinal microbiota as well as to identify the relative microbiome (genetic analysis) can range from dietary (with adjuvant prebiotics or probiotics) to fecal transplantation. This article researches the recent advances in these strategies by exploring their advantages and limitations. Furthermore, we aim to understand the relationship between intestinal dysbiosis and pathologies, through the research of resident microbiota, that would allow the personalization of the therapeutic antibiotic strategy.

Can online exposure to news about and created by out-groups promote perspective-taking and reduce prejudice in deeply divided societies? Does such exposure encourage in-group members to consume additional out-group news? We address these questions through a field experiment designed in collaboration with a Jerusalem-based NGO that translates popular Facebook posts and disseminates them to Facebook users across communities in Jerusalem. Specifically, we randomly assign Jewish Facebook users living in Jerusalem to receive personal news content, non-personal news content, or no content at all about Arab residents of their city for a period of two weeks. Following this exposure period, we collect attitudinal and behavioral measures to identify whether online news about out-group members---with or without a ``human face''--- can shift intergroup attitudes and lead to engagement with additional out-group news online. We hope our findings will contribute to the prejudice-reduction literature by providing a novel, scalable and replicable approach to intergroup engagement online, and help inform the growing literature on the attitudinal and political consequences of online ``echo chambers''.

A design for soliciting, selecting, and aggregating community-provided socio-political models predicting Covid-19 mortality.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection could be considered a social disease, both for its high incidence, especially in younger subjects, and for the risk of neoplastic evolution linked to viral infection. Therefore, the National Health System, in collaboration with the state, must help women to understand the oncological risk of HPV and suitable methods of prevention. We conducted an Italian monocentric survey on HPV risk information as part of cervical cancer screening. An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 200 women with high-risk positive HPV and low-grade cervical lesions during second-level cervical cancer screening at the Gynecology and Obstetrics Unit of the “San Paolo” Hospital. From this survey, the need to improve communication for patients has emerged, as currently it is not exhaustive. In response to this need, organizational changes have been implemented to centralize the moment of counseling in the second levels of screening and to improve the training of health workers in level I as well as family doctors. In addition, psychological support was also proposed to patients who requested it, as was the dissemination of material such as that produced by GISCI (Italian Cervico-Carcinoma Screening Group) and updated in May 2018, which provides 100 answers to questions on HPV in order to achieve effective and comprehensive communication. This investigation requires further development, and the expansion of this investigation to the multicenter level is already underway. Therefore, this survey will represent a cornerstone for further discussion on the topic considering the necessity of appropriate communication in the oncological context.

We track the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in eight Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) in Asia, Africa, and South America utilizing repeated surveys of 21,162 individuals. Many respondents were interviewed over multiple rounds pre- and post-pandemic, allowing us to control for time trends and within-year seasonal variation in mental health. We demonstrate how mental health fluctuates with agricultural crop cycles, deteriorating during pre-harvest “lean” periods. Ignoring this seasonal variation leads to unreliable inferences about the effects of the pandemic. Controlling for seasonality, we document a large, significant, negative impact of the pandemic on mental health, especially during the early months of lockdown. In a random effects aggregation across samples, depression symptoms increased by around 0.3 standard deviations in the four months following the onset of the pandemic. The pandemic could leave a lasting legacy of depression. Absent policy interventions, this could have adverse long-term consequences, particularly in settings with limited mental health support services, which is characteristic of many LMICs.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains a significant issue for global health, the economy, and society. When SARS-CoV-2 began to spread, the most recent serious infectious disease of this century around the world, with its high morbidity and mortality rates, it is understandable why such infections have generally been spread in the past, mainly from international travel movements. This perspective review aimed to provide an update for clinicians on the recent developments related to the microbiological perspectives in pandemics, diagnostics, prevention (such as the spread of a virus), vaccination campaigns, treatment options, and health consequences for COVID-19 based on the current literature. In this way, the authors attempt to raise awareness on the transversal nature of these challenges by identifying the main risk/vulnerability factors that the scientific community must face including our current knowledge on the virus capacity of the mechanism of entry into the cells, the current classifications of viral variants, the knowledge of the mathematical model on the spread of viruses (the possible routes of transmission), and the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns in a global context of pandemic, particularly from COVID-19, with a look at new or future vaccines.

Primary Malignant Melanoma of the Esophagus (PMME) is an extremely rare cancer of the esophagus, accounting for 0.1–0.8% of all oro-esophageal cancers and

Primary caregiving fathers (PCGFs) are a growing population that experience unique struggles on a day-to-day basis. The current study aimed to explore how fathers interpret and experience their daily responsibilities and interactions with social support, as they undertake their roles as primary caregivers. Using grounded theory, 14 PCGFs defined as those providing sole care for their 1–10 year olds for at least 25 h per week, participated in semi-structured interviews regarding their experiences of fatherhood and social supports. Participants highlighted the ways in which social support, particularly adult companionship, helped them find a social balance and allowed them to re-energise and be better fathers. In particular, the men reported that interaction with people with similar experiences was important in helping them to discursively negotiate their non-traditional roles. Analysis revealed a three-stage identity transition process where the men initially took on primary responsibility, then began to embody the primary care giver role, and finally transitioned to a new normal. The PCGFs in the study provide evidence that we may be observing a shift from what may be classed as outdated notions of one-dimensional fathering to a more well-informed masculine ideal that embraces caring and nurturing qualities. However, providing further avenues of support for PCFGs is important in order to mitigate possible social isolation and to enhance their wellbeing.