Affect Recognition in Autism: a single case study on integrating a humanoid robot in a standard therapy.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted developmental disorder that comprises a mixture of social impairments, with deficits in many areas including the theory of mind, imitation, and communication. Moreover, people with autism have difficulty in recognising and understanding emotional expressions. We are currently working on integrating a humanoid robot within the standard clinical treatment offered to children with ASD to support the therapists. In this article, using the A-B-A' single case design, we propose a robot-assisted affect recognition training and to present the results on the child’s progress during the five months of clinical experimentation. In the investigation, we tested the generalization of learning and the long-term maintenance of new skills via the NEPSY-II affection recognition sub-test. The results of this single case study suggest the feasibility and effectiveness of using a humanoid robot to assist with emotion recognition training in children with ASD

Topological two-body bound states in the interacting Haldane model

We study the topological properties of the two-body bound states in an interacting Haldane model as a function of interparticle interactions. In particular, we identify topological phases where the two-body edge states have either the same or the opposite chirality as compared to single-particle edge states. We highlight that in the moderately interacting regime, which is relevant for the experimental realization with ultracold atoms, the topological transition is affected by the internal structure of the bound state, and the phase boundaries are consequently deformed

Catchment based analysis of macronutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and organic carbon dynamics: new modelling and participatory tools

Ecosystem services (ESs) are increasingly being considered in decision-making with respect to mitigating future climate impacts. To capture complex variation in spatial and temporal dynamics, ecosystem models require spatially explicit data that are often difficult to obtain for model development and validation. Citizen science allows for the participation of trained citizen volunteers in research or regulatory activities, resulting in increased data collection and increased participation of the general public in resource management. Despite the increasing experience in citizen science, these approaches have seldom been used in the modelling of provisioning ecosystem services. The development of new approaches for the analysis of long-term changes in riverine carbon, hydrological and nutrient cycles is important to identify potential alteration on the biogeochemical cycles and potential impacts on the ecosystem services provided to the local population. The Basin scale approach is useful to evaluate the pressures on river ecosystems that may be distant from the receiving watercourse, including the effects of soil or water management activities that propagate or amplify downstream. However, the lack of process-based and basin-scale models for carbon transport has limited effective basin management of organic carbon fluxes from soils, through river networks and to receiving marine waters. In the present study, were examined the temporal and spatial drivers in macronutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) and sediment delivery, carbon storage and sequestration and water yield in a major Italian river catchment and under different NBS scenarios. Information on climate, land use, soil and river conditions, as well as future climate scenarios, were used to explore future (2050) benefits of NBS on local and basin scales, followed the national and European directives related to water quality (Directive 2000/60/EC) and habitat (Directive 92/43/EEC). It was developed and validate a spatially semi-distributed mass balance modelling approach to estimate organic carbon delivery at a sub-basin scale and which allows exploration of alternative river basin management scenarios and their impact on DOC and POC dynamics. The model is built as an open-source plugin for QGIS and can be easily integrated with other basin scale decision support models on nutrient and sediment export. Furthermore, was performed an estimation of the benefits of individual and combined NBS approaches related to river restoration and catchment reforestation. To complete the ESs overall evaluation and prioritization was developed a new method in order to attributing a weight to the best NBS scenarios based on the natural stoichiometric ratio between the elements carbon, silicon, nitrogen, phosphorus (C:Si:N:P

L’intervento psicologico nelle emergenze e negli eventi critici

En los últimos años asistimos a un aumento progresivo en la realización de programas psicosociales dentro de la asistencia humanitaria, la cooperación al desarrollo y las situaciones de emergencia nacional, como resultado de una toma de conciencia generalizada acerca de la importancia de lo psicológico y su contribución en las intervenciones de apoyo a grupos y comunidades afectadas por eventos críticos. El resultado de esta sensibilización difusa en concomitancia con las necesidades específicas, es que no quede "sólo" en una propuesta por la Psicología de la emergencia y de la colectividad, una verdadera norma para el apoyo psico-social en las catástrofes. La Psicología de la emergencia se ocupa de la preparación para hacer frente a tales situaciones como ayuda a la persona y a la sociedad en su conjunto. Los daños psicológicos provocados por el subdesarrollo desde las catástrofes naturales o por las guerras a los individuos y las comunidades, también fruto de la exasperación en las situaciones de cercanía entre diferentes culturas y costumbres, la dificultad para elaborar y readaptar respuestas diarias a los contextos / eventos considerados críticos, no son menos importantes que las de orden social, higiénico - sanitario, nutricional o de vivienda. Es necesario, por consiguiente los psicólogos para equiparlos de un repertorio específico de conocimientos y competencias que los coloque en posición de hacer frente profesionalmente a las tareas complejas que se han llamado a desarrollar en los contextos locales, nacionales e internacionales. La sinergia que se crearía en la formación de grupos mixtos de socorristas, psicólogos y bomberos, no sólo podría traer una gran cantidad de competencias, sino también en las relaciones que representarían un recurso incomparable en el momento operativo.In the last years we assisted to a progressive increase in the realization of psycho-social programs within the humanitarian assistance, of the cooperation to the development and of the national emergencies, as a result of a taking of conscience generalized of the importance of the psychological contribution in the support interventions of the groups and the communities struck by critical events. The result of this diffused sensitization in concomitance with to rise up of specific needs, is that they don’t remain anymore “only” a proposal that accords that are for the Category today, for the Psychology of the emergency and for the collectivity a real norm for the Psycho-social Support in the catastrophes. The Psychology of the emergency deals its with to prepare to face such situations as I help to the person and the society in its complex. The psychological damages provoked by the underdevelopment from the natural catastrophes or from the wars to the individuals and the communities, but also from the exasperation of the situations of proximity with different cultures and habits, to the difficulty to elaborate re-adaptive answers to the daily contexts / events considered critical, they are not less important than those of social order, hygienic - sanitary, nutritional or housing. It is necessary therefore for the psychologists to equip them of a specific repertoire of knowledges and competences that puts them in degree to face in way professionally adjusted the complex assignments that have called to develop in the local, national and international contexts. The synergy that would be created forming mixed groups of rescuers, psychologists and firefighters, could not only bring a wealth of competences but also of relationships that would represent an incomparable resource in the operational moment.Negli ultimi anni si è assistito ad un progressivo incremento nella realizzazione di programmi psicosociali nell’ambito dell’assistenza umanitaria, della cooperazione allo sviluppo e delle emergenze nazionali, come conseguenza di una presa di coscienza generalizzata dell’importanza dell’apporto psicologico negli interventi a sostegno dei gruppi e delle comunità colpite da eventi critici. Questa diffusa sensibilizzazione in concomitanza con l’insorgere di specifici bisogni, ha fatto sì che non rimangano più “solo” una proposta quegli accordi che sono oggi per la Categoria, per la Psicologia dell’Emergenza e per la collettività una vera e propria “norma” per il Supporto Psicosociale nelle catastrofi. La psicologia dell’emergenza si occupa di preparare ad affrontare tali situazioni come aiuto alla persona ed alla società nel suo complesso. I danni psicologici provocati dal sottosviluppo, dalle catastrofi naturali o dalle guerre agli individui e alle comunità, ma anche dall’esasperazione delle situazioni di prossimità con culture ed abitudini altre, alla difficoltà di elaborare risposte riadattive ai contesti/eventi quotidiani considerati critici, non sono meno importanti di quelli di ordine sociale, igienico - sanitario, nutrizionale o abitativo. È dunque necessario per gli psicologi attrezzarsi di un repertorio specifico di conoscenze e di competenze che li metta in grado di affrontare in modo professionalmente adeguato i compiti complessi che sono chiamati a svolgere nei contesti locali, nazionali ed internazionali. La sinergia che si creerebbe formando gruppi misti di soccorritori, psicologi e vigili del fuoco, potrebbe apportare una ricchezza non solo di competenze ma anche di relazioni che nel momento operativo rappresenterebbero una risorsa ineguagliabile.peerReviewe

CT-based tumour response criteria compared after combined treatment for liver metastases of colorectal cancer

open6noPurpose: The aim of this analysis is to compare different tumour response criteria (TRC) after chemotherapy combined with bevacizumab in liver metastases from colorectal cancer (mCRC) to ascertain the best early prognostic indicator of response. Methods and Materials: 103 target liver metastases from 65 mCRC patients treated with chemoterapy plus bevacizumab were examined at the Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCSS (March 2008-January 2013). All patients had baseline CT and at least one follow-up scan. Tumour response was retrospectively analyzed by two radiologists using RECIST1.1, modified Choi, and Chun morphologic criteria. Tumour response, classified as good (complete or partial response) or poor (stable or progressive disease), was compared with progression-free survival (PFS) at first follow-up (t1) and time of best response. Interobserver agreement and concordance between TRC were measured. Results: At t1, 32.31% showed a good response according to RECIST1.1 (median PFS 11.1), 84.62% according to Choi (median PFS 10.8). These percentages rose to 49.23% (median PFS 12.1) and 87.69% (median PFS 10.8), respectively, at the time of best response. According to Chun, 67.69% showed a good response at the time of best response (median PFS 10.8). The Choi criteria detected a higher proportion of good responders at t1, showing a better correlation with PFS; all methods correlated with PFS at the time of best response. Conclusion: The Choi criteria proved more consistent in the early detection of response in mCRC treated with chemotherapy plus bevacizumab, underscoring the importance of using these criteria in the early assessment of response to combined treatment.openopenVarotto, A.; Di Grazia, L.; Aliberti, C.; Bergamo, F.; Nardin, M.; Pomerri, F.Varotto, A.; Di Grazia, L.; Aliberti, C.; Bergamo, F.; Nardin, M.; Pomerri, Fabi

Ovarian function during hormonal contraception assessed by endocrine and sonographic markers: a systematic review

This systematic review focuses on the literature evidence for residual ovarian function during treatment with hormonal contraceptives. We reviewed all papers which assessed residual ovarian activity during hormonal contraceptive use, using endocrine markers such as serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations, FSH, LH, oestradiol, progesterone and sonographic markers such as antral follicle count (AFC), ovarian volume and vascular indices. We considered every type (oestroprogestin or only progestin) and dosage of hormonal contraceptive and every mode of administration (oral, vaginal ring, implant, transdermal patch). We performed an electronic database search for papers published from 1 January 1990 until 30 November 2015 using PubMed and MEDLINE. We pre-selected 113 studies and judged 48 studies suitable for the review. Most studies showed that follicular development continues during treatment with hormonal contraceptives, and that during treatment there is a reduction in serum concentrations of FSH, LH and oestradiol, and also a reduction in endometrial thickness, ovarian volume and the number and size of antral follicles. The ovarian reserve parameters, namely AFC and ovarian volume, are lower among users than among non-users of hormonal contraception; regarding the effect of hormonal contraception on AMH, there are still controversies in the literature

The use of mice deficient in MCT8 to identify a mechanism regulating thyroid hormone secretion

The mechanism of thyroid hormone (TH) secretion from the thyroid gland into the bloodstream is still unknown. The aim of my thesis has been to investigate the role of monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) in this process. To accomplish the goal, we used the Mct8 deficient mice (Mct8KO), generated by homologous recombination. MCT8 is a specific transporter of TH across the cell membrane, active in both uptake and efflux. Mutations of MCT8 gene cause in human severe psychomotor retardation and thyroid function test abnormalities. The Mct8KO mice faithfully replicate the endocrine aberrances observed in humans, including a low concentration of serum thyroxine (T4). This latter finding cannot be fully explained by increased deiodination. Here, we have shown that Mct8 is localized at the basolateral membrane of thyrocytes and that the serum TH concentration is reduced in Mct8KO mice early after being taken off a treatment that almost completely depleted the thyroid gland of TH. Furthermore, thyroid glands in Mct8KO mice contained 2.3-fold and 1.5-fold more non thyroglobulin associated T4 and triiodothyronine (T3), respectively, than did those in wild-type (Wt) mice. This was independent of deiodination, as comparable increases were also found in Mct8KO mice which lacked the types 1 and 2 deiodinases. In addition, depletion of thyroidal TH content was slower during iodine deficiency. After administration of 125I, the rate of both its secretion from the thyroid gland and its appearance in the serum as trichloroacetic acid-precipitable radioactivity were greatly reduced in Mct8KO mice. Similarly, the secretion of T4 induced by injection of thyrotropin was reduced in Mct8KO in which endogenous TSH and T4 were suppressed by administration of T3. This study is the first to demonstrate that Mct8 is involved in the secretion of TH from the thyroid gland. The defect in the efflux contributes, in part, to the low serum T4 level observed in Mct8 deficiency