Sensory and physico-psychological metaphor comprehension in children with ASD. A preliminary study on the outcomes of a treatment

Recent research into difficulties in figurative language in children with ASD highlighted that it is possible to devise training interventions to overcome these difficulties by teaching specific strategies. This study describes how children with ASD can improve their capability to explain metaphors with a treatment. Two types of metaphors, in the “X is Y” form, were addressed: sensory and physico-psychological. To face the difficulties posed by these metaphors, the adult taught two strategies: inserting the connective “is like” between “X” and “Y”, which transforms the metaphor into a simile; comparing “X” and “Y” by means of thinking maps. Two tests of metaphor comprehension were used, one based on sensory and the other on physico-psychological metaphors. Sixteen 10 year-old children participated into the study, including an experimental group formed by 8 children with ASD (n = 4) which had received the treatment, and a control group (n = 4) which had not, and 8 typically-developing (TD) children. At the post-test, the experimental group significantly outperformed the controls in explaining both types of metaphors, but only in the sensory metaphors did their performances reach TD children’s levels. These results illuminate how clinical treatment can positively influence the developmental trajectories of metaphor comprehension

Feasibility of a photovoltaic-thermoelectric generator: performance analysis and simulation results

This paper describes a theoretical approach to evaluate the performance of a hybrid solar system made with photovoltaic cells and thermoelectric (TE) modules. After a brief treatment of the integrated system, energy conversion and performance parameters are evaluated through numerical simulations depending on the global radiation and temperature distribution obtained by the Joint Research Center of the European Commission and of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The contribution of TE module to total energy seems significant in southern European towns and less substantial when the locations considered are very distant from the equator and show the possibility of using TE devices for energy production

Brain imaging in Kufs disease type B. case reports

The clinical traits of Kufs disease (KD) type B (CLN13), an adult-onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), are well established according to the neurological features of the cases reported with mutations in CTSF. The neuroradiological characteristics of this uncommon disease have not yet been outlined

THE SITUATION OF MOLDOVAN MINORS AS VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, ASSISTANCE AND LEGISLATION CONCERNING TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS FOR THE PURPOSE OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION IN EU MEMBER STATES

The research, examines the phenomenon of trafficking of moldavan minors for sexual exploitation in the European countries. The research underlines the necessity of harmonization of all the national legislations (up to now 27 different approaches pertaining to each EU member states) according the numerous directives formulated and reproposed by the European authorities

Screening for Tuberculosis in Health Care Workers. Experience in an Italian Teaching Hospital

Health care workers (HCW) are particularly at risk of acquiring tuberculosis (TB), even in countries with low TB incidence. Therefore, TB screening in HCW is a useful prevention strategy in countries with both low and high TB incidence. Tuberculin skin test (TST) is widely used although it suffers of low specificity; on the contrary, the in vitro enzyme immunoassay tests (IGRA) show superior specificity and sensitivity but are more expensive. The present study reports the results of a three-year TB surveillance among HCW in a large teaching hospital in Rome, using TST (by standard Mantoux technique) and IGRA (by QuantiFERON-TB) as first- and second-level screening tests, respectively. Out of 2290 HCW enrolled, 141 (6.1%) had a positive TST; among them, 99 (70.2%) underwent the IGRA and 16 tested positive (16.1%). The frequency of HCW tested positive for TB seems not far from other experiences in low incidence countries. Our results confirm the higher specificity of IGRA, but, due to its higher cost, TST can be considered a good first level screening test, whose positive results should be further confirmed by IGRA before the patients undergo X-ray diagnosis and/or chemotherapy

ANALISI DELLO STATO TENSIONALE IN RESINE EPOSSIDICHE SOTTOPOSTE AD INVECCHIAMENTO IDROTERMICO MEDIANTE TECNICA FOTOELASTICA

In questo lavoro si è analizzato lo stato tensionale che nasce in sistemi epossidici DGEBA quando sono sottoposti ad invecchiamento idro-termico, tramite la tecnica fotoelastica a trasmissione, basata sul metodo a variazione di fase di Compensazione di Tardy. I provini, monitorati ad intervalli di tempo regolari durante i processi di assorbimento e desorbimento di acqua, sono stati osservati al polariscopio circolare. La tecnica ha permesso di analizzare, sia qualitativamente, sia quantitativamente, lo stato tensionale indotto dal non uniforme “swelling” durante l’intero processo di invecchiamento. Inoltre, lo studio ha analizzato anche provini criccati di tipo Single Edge Notched Bending; l’analisi fotoelastica ha evidenziato come all’apice della cricca si crea un sistema di frange fotoelastiche peculiari, influenzato dalla presenza della singolarit

Confocal microscopy study of the distribution, content and activity of mitochondria during Paracentrotus lividus development

In the present paper we applied confocal microscopy and fluorescence technologies for studying the distribution and the oxidative activity of sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) mitochondria during development, by in vivo incubating eggs and embryos with cell-permeant MitoTracker probes. We calculated, by a mathematical model, the intensity values, the variations of intensity, and the variation index of incorporated fluorochromes. Data demonstrate that mitochondrial mass does not change during development, whereas mitochondrial respiration increases. In addition, starting from 16 blastomeres stage, some regions of the embryo contain organelles more active in oxygen consumption

Cardiovascular Responses to Simultaneous Diving and Muscle Metaboreflex Activation

Background: The aim of study was to assess hemodynamic changes during the simultaneous activation of muscle metaboreflex (MM) and diving reflex (DR) in a laboratory setting. We hypothesized that as long as the exercise intensity is mild DR can overwhelm the MM. Methods: Ten trained divers underwent all four phases (randomly assigned) of the following protocol. (A) Postexercise muscle ischemia session (PEMI): 3 min of resting followed by 3 min of handgrip at 30% of maximum force, followed immediately by 3 min of PEMI on the same arm induced by inflating a sphygmomanometer. Three minutes of recovery was further allowed after the cuff was deflated for a total of 6 min of recovery. (B) Control exercise recovery session: the same rest-exercise protocol used for A followed by 6 min of recovery without inflation. (C) DR session: the same rest-exercise protocol used for A followed by 1 min of breath-hold (BH) with face immersion in cold water. (D) PEMI-DR session: the same protocol used for A with 60 s of BH with face immersion in cold water during the first minute of PEMI. Stroke volume (SV), heart rate (HR), and cardiac output (CO) were collected by means of an impedance method. Results: At the end of apnea, HR was decreased in condition C and D with respect to A (−40.8 and −40.3%, respectively vs. −9.1%; p < 0.05). Since SV increase was less pronounced at the same time point (C = +32.4 and D = +21.7% vs. A = +6.0; p < 0.05), CO significantly decreased during C and D with respect to A (−23 and −29.0 vs. −1.4%, respectively; p < 0.05). Conclusion: Results addressed the hypothesis that DR overcame the MM in our setting