Measuring the quality of teacher-child interaction in autistic disorder

The teacher-child relationship fulfils critical functions for the well being of the child, affecting emotive development, academic achievements, behavioral conducts and relationships with peers. The goal of the presented study is to compare the perceptions of the class teacher and of the support teacher concerning their relationship with subjects with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD; N=14; Mean age =90.07 months; SD=19.36) and with children of the control group (4 classmates per every subject of the experimental group, for a total of 56 pupils, Mean age = 80.36 months; SD=18.33). The perception by the teacher of the class, concerning the relationship with children with ASD, is characterized by higher levels of Conflict, and lower levels of Closeness, if compared with perceptions about the relationship with children of the control group (Conflict: t=-3.317; df= 14.931; p<0.01; Closeness: t= 5.638; df = 65; p < 0.001). The perception of the two teachers only correlates with regards to the Conflict dimension (r=0.769; p < 0.01). In reference to the child's adaptive skills only the social skills scale correlates with the Closeness. This is true in the perception of the support teacher (r=0.598; p<0.05). Finally, we take into account how the perception of the relationship relates with the socio-personal and professional data of the teachers and with the social features of the children

Physical, Emotional, and Sexual Victimization Across Three Generations: a Cross-Sectional Study

Using data gathered from grandparents (G1), parents (G2), and young adults (G3), this study examines the continuity of intergenerational victimization (physical, emotional, and sexual) across three generations. The study included data from 168 participants within three generations: grandparents, G1 (19.2% male, 80.8% female, M = 78.13 years old); parents, G2 (25.5% male, 74.5% female, M = 50.13 years old); and young adults, G3 (40% male, 60% female, M = 21.10 years old). The data is analyzed at two levels: (1) bivariate analyses to address relationships between the variables studied by Spearman’s correlations, and (2) a path model to examine the intergenerational abuse simultaneously considering all variables. Overall, path modeling showed that experienced abuse demonstrated continuity from G1 to G2 and from G2 to G3. Specifically, findings indicated that grandparents’ physical and psychological victimization has a direct effect on parents’ sexual and physical abuse victimization, respectively. Additionally, parents’ physical victimization has a direct effect on young adults’ psychological and sexual victimization, while parents’ psychological victimization has a direct effect on young adults’ physical and sexual victimization. These findings highlight the need for preventive interventions focused on breaking intergenerational cycles of abuse

Liposomes : Formulation and characterisation as contrast agents and as vaccine delivery systems

Liposome systems are well reported for their activity as vaccine adjuvants; however novel lipid-based microbubbles have also been reported to enhance the targeting of antigens into dendritic cells (DCs) in cancer immunotherapy (Suzuki et al 2009). This research initially focused on the formulation of gas-filled lipid coated microbubbles and their potential activation of macrophages using in vitro models. Further studies in the thesis concentrated on aqueous-filled liposomes as vaccine delivery systems. Initial work involved formulating and characterising four different methods of producing lipid-coated microbubbles (sometimes referred to as gas-filled liposomes), by homogenisation, sonication, a gas-releasing chemical reaction and agitation/pressurisation in terms of stability and physico-chemical characteristics. Two of the preparations were tested as pressure probes in MRI studies. The first preparation composed of a standard phospholipid (DSPC) filled with air or nitrogen (N2), whilst in the second method the microbubbles were composed of a fluorinated phospholipid (F-GPC) filled with a fluorocarbon saturated gas. The studies showed that whilst maintaining high sensitivity, a novel contrast agent which allows stable MRI measurements of fluid pressure over time, could be produced using lipid-coated microbubbles. The F-GPC microbubbles were found to withstand pressures up to 2.6 bar with minimal damage as opposed to the DSPC microbubbles, which were damaged at above 1.3 bar. However, it was also found that DSPC-filled with N2 microbubbles were also extremely robust to pressure and their performance was similar to that of F-GPC based microbubbles. Following on from the MRI studies, the DSPC-air and N2 filled lipid-based microbubbles were assessed for their potential activation of macrophages using in vitro models and compared to equivalent aqueous-filled liposomes. The microbubble formulations did not stimulate macrophage uptake, so studies thereafter focused on aqueous-filled liposomes. Further studies concentrated on formulating and characterising, both physico-chemically and immunologically, cationic liposomes based on the potent adjuvant dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDA) and immunomodulatory trehalose dibehenate (TDB) with the addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG). One of the proposed hypotheses for the mechanism behind the immunostimulatory effect obtained with DDA:TDB is the ‘depot effect’ in which the liposomal carrier helps to retain the antigen at the injection site thereby increasing the time of vaccine exposure to the immune cells. The depot effect has been suggested to be primarily due to their cationic nature. Results reported within this thesis demonstrate that higher levels of PEG i.e. 25 % were able to significantly inhibit the formation of a liposome depot at the injection site and also severely limit the retention of antigen at the site. This therefore resulted in a faster drainage of the liposomes from the site of injection. The versatility of cationic liposomes based on DDA:TDB in combination with different immunostimulatory ligands including, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly (I:C), TLR 3 ligand), and CpG (TLR 9 ligand) either entrapped within the vesicles or adsorbed onto the liposome surface was investigated for immunogenic capacity as vaccine adjuvants. Small unilamellar (SUV) DDA:TDB vesicles (20-100 nm native size) with protein antigen adsorbed to the vesicle surface were the most potent in inducing both T cell (7-fold increase) and antibody (up to 2 log increase) antigen specific responses. The addition of TLR agonists poly(I:C) and CpG to SUV liposomes had small or no effect on their adjuvanticity. Finally, threitol ceramide (ThrCer), a new mmunostimulatory agent, was incorporated into the bilayers of liposomes composed of DDA or DSPC to investigate the uptake of ThrCer, by dendritic cells (DCs), and presentation on CD1d molecules to invariant natural killer T cells. These systems were prepared both as multilamellar vesicles (MLV) and Small unilamellar (SUV). It was demonstrated that the IFN-g secretion was higher for DDA SUV liposome formulation (p<0.05), suggesting that ThrCer encapsulation in this liposome formulation resulted in a higher uptake by DCs.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

INFN What Next: Ultra-relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions

This document was prepared by the community that is active in Italy, within INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare), in the field of ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The experimental study of the phase diagram of strongly-interacting matter and of the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) deconfined state will proceed, in the next 10-15 years, along two directions: the high-energy regime at RHIC and at the LHC, and the low-energy regime at FAIR, NICA, SPS and RHIC. The Italian community is strongly involved in the present and future programme of the ALICE experiment, the upgrade of which will open, in the 2020s, a new phase of high-precision characterisation of the QGP properties at the LHC. As a complement of this main activity, there is a growing interest in a possible future experiment at the SPS, which would target the search for the onset of deconfinement using dimuon measurements. On a longer timescale, the community looks with interest at the ongoing studies and discussions on a possible fixed-target programme using the LHC ion beams and on the Future Circular Collider.Comment: 99 pages, 56 figure

Radiation damage of silicon strip detectors in the NA50 experiment

Abstract During operation of the multiplicity detector in the NA50 experiment the single sided AC-coupled p-on-n silicon strip detectors were exposed to charged particle fluences up to 10 14 eq n/cm 2 and ionising doses up to 20 Mrad, with a very non-uniform radiation spatial distribution. Radiation effects in the detectors observed during the '96 lead ion run as well as results of the post-run measurements are presented in this paper

Analysis of radiation effects on silicon strip detectors in the NA50 experiment

Abstract During the operation of the Multiplicity Detector in the NA50 experiment the single sided AC-coupled p-on-n silicon strip detectors were exposed to charged particle fluences resulting in an equivalent 1 MeV neutron fluence up to 10 14 eq. n/cm 2 and a total ionising dose up to 20 Mrad, with a very non-uniform radiation spatial distribution. In this paper detailed analysis of radiation effects observed on the detectors during the 1996 lead ion run as well as results of measurements performed after the run are presented