Dosimetric characterization of GafChromic EBT3 films in Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) radiotherapy treatments

Questo lavoro di tesi, svolto presso l'Unità Operativa di Radioterapia dell'Ospedale Bellaria di Bologna, si pone l'obiettivo di caratterizzare dosimetricamente i film radiocromici GafChromic EBT3 al fine di implementarne l'utilizzo clinico nell'ambito dei controlli di qualità su piani di trattamento radioterapici VMAT (Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy). I controlli di qualità per trattamenti VMAT sono attualmente effettuati grazie ad un sistema fantoccio-detector a camere a ionizzazione, Octavius 4D, in grado di ricostruire in maniera accurata la distribuzione di dose tridimensionale depositata su tutto il volume del fantoccio stesso. Nonostante ciò, la risoluzione spaziale offerta da questo strumento è limitata in particolari casi in cui è necessario conoscere la distribuzione di dose rilasciata ai tessuti con precisione inferiore a qualche millimetro, mentre il punto di forza della dosimetria a film risiede proprio nella elevata risoluzione spaziale. Con il seguente lavoro abbiamo voluto testare le pellicole EBT3 nella pratica della dosimetria clinica su piani altamente modulati come i VMAT, osservando la risposta del film rispetto a quella del sistema Octavius procedendo per crescenti livelli di difficoltà dei piani irradiati, per consolidare la procedura sperimentale. Abbiamo osservato che, in termini di indice gamma, il più usato per comparare quantitativamente mappe di dose, il passing rate nel confronto tra piani di trattamento calcolati e misurati con il sistema Octavius è del 100% per proiezioni bidimensionali e del 99.7% su ricostruzioni tridimensionali (entro limiti descritti dettagliatamente nel paragrafo 3.1). I film invece raggiungono in un solo caso un passing rate superiore al 95%, soglia di accettabilità nella pratica clinica. Tuttavia, è stato possibile mostrare l'efficacia dei film nella ricostruzione di profili di dose accurati, evidenziando la loro superiorità in risoluzione spaziale rispetto alla tecnica dosimetrica correntemente impiegata

Late Bilinguals Are Sensitive to Unique Aspects of Second Language Processing: Evidence from Clitic Pronouns Word-Order.

In two self-paced reading experiments we asked whether late, highly proficient, English-Spanish bilinguals are able to process language-specific morpho-syntactic information in their second language (L2). The processing of Spanish clitic pronouns' word order was tested in two sentential constructions. Experiment 1 showed that English-Spanish bilinguals performed similarly to Spanish-English bilinguals and revealed sensitivity to word order violations for a grammatical structure unique to the L2. Experiment 2 replicated the pattern observed for native speakers in Experiment 1 with a group of monolingual Spanish speakers, demonstrating the stability of processing clitic pronouns in the native language. Taken together, the results show that late bilinguals can process aspects of grammar that are encoded in L2-specific linguistic constructions even when the structure is relatively subtle and not affected for native speakers by the presence of a second language

Dialogue exchanges between children's centers and families: building digital narratives with Digital Storytelling for educational documentation

The integrated system of education and training 0-6 years children (D.L. 65/17) highlights the primary educational function of families by encouraging their involvement in the educational and school community. This confirms the horizontal educational continuity between families and services for 0-6, as an undisputed indicator of quality. Communication represents a founding element in the methodological approach of socio-cultural animation. It places educational services in privileged places in activating participatory processes and empowerment development for family education. Within this perspective, the integration of ICT in the promotion and mediation of communication processes is now at the center of a debate of scientific and methodological interest. The results of a project-based research will be presented on digital narrative documentation developed in a network of 8 childcare centers and involving 184 parents. The Digital Storytelling technique was used to define possible strategies and actions to innovate communication practices and activate participatory processes. The construction of a pedagogical environment based on accessibility and sustainability favored by the adoption of digital documentation practices emerged as an effective communication strategy with families

It Takes a Village: Using Network Science to Identify the Effect of Individual Differences in Bilingual Experience for Theory of Mind

An increasing amount of research has examined the effects of bilingualism on performance in theory of mind (ToM) tasks. Bilinguals outperform monolinguals in ToM when comparing groups. However, it is unclear what aspects of the bilingual experience contribute to this effect in a dynamic construct like ToM. To date, bilingualism has been conceptualized as a dichotic skill that is distinct from monolingualism, obscuring nuances in the degree that different bilingual experience affects cognition. The current study used a combination of network science, cognitive, and linguistic behavioral measurements to explore the factors that influence perspective-taking ToM based on participants’ current and previous experience with language, as well as their family networks’ experience with language. The results suggest that some aspects of the bilingual experience predict task performance, but not others, and these predictors align with the two-system theory of ToM. Overall, the findings provide evidence for the extent to which individual differences in bilingualism are related to different cognitive outcomes

Deficiency of the purinergic receptor 2X7 attenuates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis induced by high-fat diet. possible role of the NLRP3 Inflammasome

Molecular mechanisms driving transition from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a critical step in the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to cirrhosis, are poorly defined. This study aimed at investigating the role of the purinergic receptor 2X7 (PR2X7), through the NLRP3 inflammasome, in the development of NASH. To this end, mice knockout for the Pr2x7 gene (Pr2x7 −/−) and coeval wild-type (WT) mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or normal-fat diet for 16 weeks. NAFLD grade and stage were lower in Pr2x7 −/− than WT mice, and only 1/7 Pr2x7 −/− animals showed evidence of NASH, as compared with 4/7 WT mice. Molecular markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis were markedly increased in WT-HFD mice, whereas no or significantly reduced increments were detected in Pr2x7 −/− animals, which showed also decreased modulation of genes of lipid metabolism. Deletion of Pr2x7 gene was associated with blunted or abolished activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and expression of its components, which were induced in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells challenged with appropriate stimuli. These data show that Pr2x7 gene deletion protects mice from HFD-induced NASH, possibly through blunted activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, suggesting that PR2X7 and NLRP3 may represent novel therapeutic targets

Personal values in mental disorders: an exploratory analysis

AbstractPersonal values have increasingly become central in socio-psychological research. However, the relationships between values and psychopathological variables have been scarcely investigated, with mixed results. This study aimed to explore potential differences in value orientation in a sample of people with psychotic disorders and mood disorders compared to a non-clinical sample using the Schwarz's values framework. A clinical sample of 162 subjects (92 subjects with psychotic disorders and 70 with mood disorders) and a non-clinical sample of 217 subjects completed the self-report measures of affective states (PANAS) and personal values (PVQ). Irrespective of the diagnostic group, the clinical sample showed higher expression of Conservation values (i.e., Tradition, Conformity, Security). Conservation and Self-enhancement values positively correlated with PANAS-positive affectivity in the clinical sample; in the non-clinical sample, Self-enhancement values only correlated with PANAS-positive affectivity. The expression of Conservation values in individuals with a mental disorder could reflect an orientation toward Conformity underlying fundamental affiliative goals. The complex relationship between personal values and clinical constructs should be further investigated, with important theoretical and clinical implications in mental health