Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is currently largely based on the presence of biomarkers. This may lead to a problematic over-diagnosis if this is incorrectly interpreted.
To counter this problem, a global expert panel led by Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève (HUG), the University of Geneva and the Salpêtrière Hospital have drawn up recommendations. Based on a review of the scientific literature, they advocate that clinical signs as well as biomarkers must be taken into account.
This new approach avoids diagnosing AD in people with abnormal biomarkers who will never develop memory disorders and sets out a monitoring process tailored to each individual. These recommendations have been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association – Neurology (JAMA Neurology).

New findings reported in Biological Psychiatry show that mindfulness meditation engages separate neural pathways from the well documented “placebo effect”.

Philadelphia, October 31, 2024 – Mindfulness meditation, which has been used for centuries for pain management in various cultures, has long been speculated to work by activating processes supporting the placebo response. However, scientists have now shown that this is not the case. A new study in Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier, has revealed that mindfulness meditation engages distinct brain mechanisms to reduce pain, compared to those of the placebo response.

John Krystal, MD, Editor of Biological Psychiatry, says, “Pain is a complex, multifaceted experience shaped by various factors beyond physical sensation, such as a person’s mindset and their expectations of pain. This study highlights the complexity of psychological modulation of pain. The placebo effect, the tendency for a person’s symptoms to improve in response to inactive treatment, is a well-known example of how expectations can significantly alter a person’s experience."

I neuroni della corteccia entorinale laterale che si attivano al richiamo della memoria episodica sono colorati in rosso, in verde i nuclei degli altri neuroni

Una ricerca condotta da un team di ricerca dell’Istituto di neuroscienze del Cnr e del laboratorio di biologia Bio@sns della Scuola normale superiore, pubblicata di recente sulla rivista Cell Reports, indaga il ruolo della corteccia entorinale laterale nella memoria episodica. Comprendere questi meccanismi neurobiologici potrà fornire nuove prospettive nella lotta contro le patologie che coinvolgono il deterioramento cognitivo, come l’ Alzheimer.

As artificial intelligence (AI) technology progresses, the energy demands of training complex models have surged, raising widespread concerns about associated carbon emissions. This rapid growth is fueled by global demand across industries and academia, leading to exponential increases in compute power that carry significant environmental consequences. Given these challenges, in-depth research is essential to fully understand AI's carbon footprint and develop strategies for mitigating its environmental impact.

Terremoto 2023 Antiochia - Turchia

Dall’analisi sismica degli ultimi duemila anni in Turchia orientale, un team di studiosi italiani ha ricostruito il tracciato dei movimenti tellurici temporalmente e spazialmente vicini tra loro, confermando un comportamento sismico complesso, conosciuto meglio come ‘superciclo sismico’ e aprendo nuove prospettive per la comprensione dei terremoti. Lo studio, condotto da ricercatori del Cnr-Igag e dalle Università di Messina e Palermo, è stato pubblicato sulla rivista Nature Communications.

SLF study shows: Water temperatures in European mountain rivers have been rising for decades. This is endangering water quality, fish, industry and the electricity production - and if the trend continues, ecological tipping points could be reached. Current forecasting models have so far ignored important causes of the rise in temperature and should be improved.
The water in mountain rivers and streams is getting warmer, with negative consequences for drinking water, industry, trout and many more. SLF hydrologist Amber van Hamel has ibeen looking into why temperatures are getting warmer and how this is affecting almost 180 rivers in various mountain regions in Europe. She has been tracking both, the long-term average trend and individual extreme situations.

Sorghum possesses unique lipid profiles and bioactive compounds that support health and meet the demand for health-promoting food products.

Sorghum, often relegated to animal feed in developed countries, boasts significant nutritional potential that remains largely untapped for human consumption. This oversight presents a critical challenge for health-conscious consumers and nutritionists who are increasingly searching for sustainable food options to address chronic health issues. Sorghum is not only abundant but also resilient, requiring fewer resources than many other crops, making it environmentally friendly.

Spider Dysdera curvisetae is a species endemic to the Canary Islands. Photo: Pedro Oromí

A project led by the University of Barcelona and the University of La Laguna will sequence the complete genome of the spider Dysdera curvisetae, a species endemic to the Canary Islands that has its natural habitat in the intertidal zone in the coast of Tenerife. This initiative is one of the twenty projects to be promoted by the European Reference Genome Atlas Consortium (ERGA) — the European node of the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) — which aims to sequence reference genomes of species of eukaryotic organisms to improve the management and conservation of biodiversity in European territory.
The D. curvisetae genome sequencing project, led by experts Sara Guirao and Julio Rozas, from the UB’s Faculty of Biology and the Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (IRBio) of, and Nuria Macías, from the research group Systematics, Biogeography and Evolution of Arthropods of the Canary Islands, from the Faculty of Biology of the University of La Laguna.

I risultati degli studi del Consorzio di ricerca internazionale EPIICAL con il coordinamento scientifico dell’Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù.
Tassi di mortalità ancora alti in Africa tra i neonati affetti da HIV nonostante la diagnosi rapida dell’infezione e la disponibilità delle terapie antiretrovirali. È quanto emerge da due nuovi studi condotti dal consorzio di ricerca internazionale EPIICAL guidato dalla Fondazione Penta con il coordinamento scientifico dell’Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù. Queste ricerche hanno portato alla scoperta di due proteine nel sangue predittive del rischio di morte. Dal 2015 i ricercatori del consorzio EPIICAL, composto dai maggiori Centri per l’HIV di Europa, Africa e USA, svolgono attività scientifica e clinica per il controllo dell’infezione in età pediatrica soprattutto nei Paesi svantaggiati dove oggi si concentra il più alto numero di bambini contagiati dal virus.

Se non ci saranno interventi per mitigare subito le emissioni di gas serra, le foreste macroalgali e le fanerogame (fra cui Posidonia oceanica, una pianta superiore endemica del Mediterraneo) sono a rischio estinzione entro il 2100. Il riscaldamento globale rischia di provocare a livello mondiale una riduzione fra l’80 e il 90% degli ambienti adatti alla sopravvivenza di queste specie che potranno trovare rifugio solo nelle regioni polari. Lo scenario emerge da uno studio pubblicato sulla rivista Nature Communications e condotto dalle Università di Helsinki e di Pisa, dall’Istituto superiore per la protezione e la ricerca ambientale (Ispra) e dal Centro di eccellenza australiano per la Biodiversità e il patrimonio naturale (CABAH).