Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to outline the profile of Italian tourists belonging to the new generations: Millennials or Generation Y (approximately people born in the 1980-1995 period) and ...post-Millennials or Generation Z (approximately people born in the 1996-2010 period).
Design/methodology/approach
After reviewing some of the more interesting research on Millennials and post-Millennials, the paper will present the results of an unpublished online empirical survey conducted on a sample of 200 Italian web users who agreed to participate. The questionnaire, administered via computer-assisted web interviewing system, consists of structured questions concerning the practices, attitudes, emerging needs and use of new technologies that characterize Millennials and post-Millennials, with a special focus on tourism.
Findings
The research will consider the differences between the two groups, as well as possible differences within each group linked to other socio-demographic variables (such as gender and area of residence).
Originality/value
The paper addresses a series of innovative questions: what are the practices of Millennials and Post-Millennials as tourists? What are the needs of these generations that the tourist industry must respond to? How do new technologies support Millennials and post-Millennials in their tourism choices? What are the main differences between Millennials and post-Millennials?
This book examines the lifestyles, expectations and plans of Millennials and Generation Z and how they are redefining tourism. It demonstrates that if the tourism industry is to enjoy future growth, ...it must understand and meet the particular needs of these two generations. The volume explores the present and future challenges faced by the tourism industry as a result of the generational turnover, and seeks to answer the following questions: What contribution can the new generations make to the future of tourism? How are technological advancements and social networks shaping future travel trends? Can a generational perspective be useful to help the tourism industry recover from the COVID-19 crisis? The book will be of interest to researchers and students of sociology and tourism studies, as well as tourism professionals.
Early and accurate diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a necessary to distinguish this untreatable disease from treatable rapidly progressive dementias, and to prevent iatrogenic ...transmission. Currently, definitive diagnosis of CJD requires detection of the abnormally folded, CJD-specific form of protease-resistant prion protein (PrP(CJD)) in brain tissue obtained postmortem or via biopsy; therefore, diagnosis of sporadic CJD in clinical practice is often challenging. Supporting investigations, including MRI, EEG and conventional analyses of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, are helpful in the diagnostic work-up, but do not allow definitive diagnosis. Recently, novel ultrasensitive seeding assays, based on the amplified detection of PrP(CJD), have improved the diagnostic process; for example, real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) is a sensitive method to detect prion-seeding activity in brain homogenate from humans with any subtype of sporadic CJD. RT-QuIC can also be used for in vivo diagnosis of CJD: its diagnostic sensitivity in detecting PrP(CJD) in CSF samples is 96%, and its specificity is 100%. Recently, we provided evidence that RT-QuIC of olfactory mucosa brushings is a 97% sensitive and 100% specific for sporadic CJD. These assays provide a basis for definitive antemortem diagnosis of prion diseases and, in doing so, improve prospects for reducing the risk of prion transmission. Moreover, they can be used to evaluate outcome measures in therapeutic trials for these as yet untreatable infections.
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is commonly associated with neurocognitive dysfunction, altered neuropsychological performance and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Quantifiable neuropsychological ...changes in sustained attention, working memory, executive function, verbal learning and recall are the hallmark of HCV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HCV-AND). This constellation is at variance with the neuropsychological complex that is seen in minimal hepatic encephalopathy, which is typified by an array of alterations in psychomotor speed, selective attention and visuo-constructive function. Noncognitive symptoms, including sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety and fatigue, which are less easily quantifiable, are frequently encountered and can dominate the clinical picture and the clinical course of patients with chronic HCV infection. More recently, an increased vulnerability to Parkinson's disease among HCV-infected patients has also been reported. The degree to which neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric changes are due to HCV replication within brain tissues or HCV-triggered peripheral immune activation remain to be determined. Without absolute evidence that clearly exonerates or indicts HCV, our understanding of the so-called "HCV brain syndrome", relies primarily on clinical and neuropsychological assessments, although other comorbidities and substance abuse may impact on neurocognitive function, thus confounding an appropriate recognition. In recent years, a number of functional and structural brain imaging studies have been of help in recognizing possible biological markers of HCV-AND, thus providing a rationale for guiding and justifying antiviral therapy in selected cases. Here, we review clinical, neuroradiological, and therapeutic responses to interferon-based and interferon-free regimens in HCV-related cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorder.
Progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are associated with chronic demyelination, axonal loss, neurodegeneration, cortical and deep gray matter damage, and atrophy. These changes are strictly ...associated with compartmentalized sustained inflammation within the brain parenchyma, the leptomeninges, and the cerebrospinal fluid. In progressive MS, molecular mechanisms underlying active demyelination differ from processes that drive neurodegeneration at cortical and subcortical locations. The widespread pattern of neurodegeneration is consistent with mechanisms associated with the inflammatory molecular load of the cerebrospinal fluid. This is at variance with gray matter demyelination that typically occurs at focal subpial sites, in the proximity of ectopic meningeal lymphoid follicles. Accordingly, it is possible that variations in the extent and location of neurodegeneration may be accounted for by individual differences in CSF flow, and by the composition of soluble inflammatory factors and their clearance. In addition, "double hit" damage may occur at sites allowing a bidirectional exchange between interstitial fluid and CSF, such as the Virchow-Robin spaces and the periventricular ependymal barrier. An important aspect of CSF inflammation and deep gray matter damage in MS involves dysfunction of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier and inflammation in the choroid plexus. Here, we provide a comprehensive review on the role of intrathecal inflammation compartmentalized to CNS and non-neural tissues in progressive MS.
Although sport historically represents an important vehicle for the dissemination of values and principles, it is often an arena of discrimination, most all based on gender (Balbo, 2001). The paper ...is aimed at analyzing the issue of the participation of transgender women in female sports in order to identify which are the main discrimination factors. To achieve this goal, the article analyzes the online conversations on the House Bill 2706 of Arizona that proposes that transgender female student athletes should not take part in female sporting activities, as they have physiological benefits that would make unequal the sport competitions. In particular, the paper studies the contents about this issue hosted on Twitter, the popular real-time microblogging social network. The method is based on design data mining analysis, supported by the use of software for quantitative analysis of the content. The study considers Tweets published during the period between February and March 2020. Sentiment analysis of Tweets shows that the road to the complete acceptance of the female transgender universe in sport is still very long and difficult to follow.
Background:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Although cognitive impairment (CI) affects a large proportion of MS patients, only few ...data are available about its prognostic value associated with advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) metrics.
Objectives:
We aimed at investigating the relationship between the early CI and the disease progression over 8-year follow-up in MS patients.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective 8-year longitudinal study involving 78 patients with relapsing-remitting MS, who completed neuropsychological examination and structural MRI at the time of diagnosis. Each patient was clinically evaluated every 6 months, and cortical thickness was quantified at baseline and at the end of the follow-up. Patients were classified as having normal cognition and mild or severe CI.
Results:
The results show that CI at the time of diagnosis is a good predictor of conversion to definite MS (p < 0.001), disability progression (p < 0.001), as well as of transition to secondary progressive phase (p < 0.001) and of cortical thinning (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
We confirmed and extended the evidence that early CI might be helpful in the identification of MS patients at high risk of disability progression and poor clinical outcome and should be considered as a marker of most aggressive pathology.
Background
A biallelic intronic AAGGG repeat expansion in the Replication Factor C subunit 1 (
RFC1
) gene has been recently associated with Cerebellar Ataxia, Neuropathy, Vestibular Areflexia ...Syndrome, a disorder often presenting as a slowly evolving sensory neuropathy at the onset. “Chronic Idiopathic Axonal Polyneuropathy” (CIAP) is a common indolent axonal neuropathy of adulthood which remains without an identifiable cause despite thorough investigations.
Methods
We screened 234 probands diagnosed with CIAP for a pathogenic biallelic
RFC1
AAGGG repeat expansion. Patients were selected from 594 consecutive patients with neuropathy referred to our tertiary-care center for a sural nerve biopsy over 10 years.
Results
The
RFC1
AAGGG repeat expansion was common in patients with pure sensory neuropathy (21/40, 53%) and less frequent in cases with predominantly sensory (10/56, 18%,
P
< 0.001) or sensorimotor (3/138, 2%,
P
< 0.001) neuropathy. The mutation was associated with sensory ataxia (
τ
b
= 0.254,
P
< 0.001), autonomic disturbances (35% vs 8%, Prevalence Odds Ratio—POR 6.73 CI 95% 2.79–16.2,
P
< 0.001), retained deep tendon reflexes (score 18.0/24 vs 11.5/24,
R
= 0.275,
P
< 0.001). On pathology, we observed absent/scant regenerative changes (
τ
b
= − 0.362,
P
< 0.001), concomitant involvement of large (100% and 99%, n.s.), small myelinated (97% vs 81%, POR 7.74 CI 95% 1.03–58.4,
P
= 0.02) and unmyelinated nerve fibers (85% vs 41%, POR 8.52 CI 95% 3.17–22.9,
P
< 0.001). Cerebellar or vestibular involvement was similarly rare in the two groups.
Conclusions
This study highlights the frequent occurrence of the
RFC1
AAGGG repeat expansion in patients diagnosed with CIAP and characterizes the clinical and pathological features of the related neuro(no)pathy.
When, how, and which disciplines started to deal with which forms and aspects of LGBT+ parenthood is not a coincidence but is linked to occasions of discussion as well as to visibility, acceptance, ...and recognition in the wider social and political contexts. This particularly applies to sociological contributions which look at families and parenting involving relations to social institutions and their impact and shaping of forms, challenges, and meanings of parenting and family life. In Italy, issues about LGBT+ parenting began to appear in the sociological literature some thirty years ago. Since then, the debate has seen different waves and shifts, which show both how external movements, occasions, and discussions influenced the sociological debate and how the latter has, in turn, contributed to the construction and recognition of the phenomenon. Against this background, using a data mining approach, the article presents an analysis of the most recent sociological literature on LGBT+ parenting, highlighting the main dimensions of the debate and outlining expressions, concepts, and words most used on this topic. Using Italian sociology as an example, the critical analysis of these findings shows how issues of topicality and (in)visibility are both reflected and reiterated by contextual sociological discourses and debates.
A test for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease using nasal brushings Orrú, Christina D; Bongianni, Matilde; Tonoli, Giovanni ...
New England journal of medicine/The New England journal of medicine,
08/2014, Letnik:
371, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Definite diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in living patients remains a challenge. A test that detects the specific marker for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the prion protein (PrP(CJD)), ...by means of real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) testing of cerebrospinal fluid has a sensitivity of 80 to 90% for the diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. We have assessed the accuracy of RT-QuIC analysis of nasal brushings from olfactory epithelium in diagnosing sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in living patients.
We collected olfactory epithelium brushings and cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with and patients without sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and tested them using RT-QuIC, an ultrasensitive, multiwell plate-based fluorescence assay involving PrP(CJD)-seeded polymerization of recombinant PrP into amyloid fibrils.
The RT-QuIC assays seeded with nasal brushings were positive in 30 of 31 patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (15 of 15 with definite sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, 13 of 14 with probable sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and 2 of 2 with inherited Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) but were negative in 43 of 43 patients without Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, indicating a sensitivity of 97% (95% confidence interval CI, 82 to 100) and specificity of 100% (95% CI, 90 to 100) for the detection of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. By comparison, testing of cerebrospinal fluid samples from the same group of patients had a sensitivity of 77% (95% CI, 57 to 89) and a specificity of 100% (95% CI, 90 to 100). Nasal brushings elicited stronger and faster RT-QuIC responses than cerebrospinal fluid (P<0.001 for the between-group comparison of strength of response). Individual brushings contained approximately 10(5) to 10(7) prion seeds, at concentrations several logs10 greater than in cerebrospinal fluid.
In this preliminary study, RT-QuIC testing of olfactory epithelium samples obtained from nasal brushings was accurate in diagnosing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and indicated substantial prion seeding activity lining the nasal vault. (Funded by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and others.).
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