6,596 research outputs found
Client-Clinician Texting: An Expansion of the Clinical Holding Environment
While there has been a surge in the texting literature related to the innovative uses of mobile technology in clinical social work practice, there is a dearth of knowledge related to the use of texting between clients and clinicians. Regardless of a clinician’s individual preference for using texting, cultural paradigm shifts in communication and interpersonal expectations will require incorporation of texting technology to meet client demands. This two-part dissertation provides a critical review of the literature that chronicles the rapid diffusion of texting into American culture and identifies its current use in psychotherapy. It demonstrates a significant gap related to its impact on the therapeutic relationship, as well as the absence of theoretical evolution to guide practice. An accompanying article expands relational theory as a way to conceptualize texting and texting behaviors in order to make responsible and purposeful decisions when integrating this technology. Composite case vignettes will demonstrate how “theoretical knowing” can be translated into “clinical doing” to address this current gap between theory and practice
The occurrence of mood and anxiety difficulties in males and females with pervasive developmental disorders
An emerging literature consistently shows that individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) experience higher rates of mood and anxiety difficulties than typically developing populations. The current review considers the evidence for the increased relative prevalence rates and addresses the queried validity of such diagnoses in PDD populations. The complex issue of assessment in this population, particularly with regards to self-report, is discussed. The evidence that psychiatric co-morbidity forms part of the broad autism phenotype is also reviewed. Possible etiological factors are then explored, including the hypothesised role of self- concept and friendships. The implications of these findings for the understanding of and assessment of PDD are presented
Effect of different biopolymer-based structured systems on the survival of probiotic strains during storage and in vitro digestion
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of different biopolymer systems on the viability of two probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Streptococcus thermophilus) during storage and in vitro digestion. Methylcellulose (MC), sodium alginate (SA), and whey protein (WP)-based structures were designed and characterized in terms of pH, rheological properties, and visual appearance. RESULTS: The results highlighted that the WP-system ensured probiotic protection during both storage and in vitro digestion. This result was attributed to a combined effect of the physical barrier offered by the protein gel network and whey proteins as a nutrient for microbes. On the other hand, surprisingly, the viscous methylcellulose-based system was able to guarantee good microbial viability during storage. However, this was not confirmed during in vitro digestion. The opposite results were obtained for sodium alginate beads. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the capacity of a polymeric structure to protect probiotic bacteria is a combination of structural organization and system formulation. \ua9 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of high-pressure homogenization on droplet size distribution and rheological properties of ice cream mixes.
The effect of different homogenization pressures (15/3 MPa and 97/3 MPa) on fat globule size and distribution as well as on structure-property relationships of ice cream mixes was investigated. Dynamic light scattering, steady shear, and dynamic rheological analyses were performed on mixes with different fat contents (5 and 8%) and different aging times (4 and 20 h). The homogenization of ice cream mixes determined a change from bimodal to monomodal particle size distributions and a reduction in the mean particle diameter. Mean fat globule diameters were reduced at higher pressure, but the homogenization effect on size reduction was less marked with the highest fat content. The rheological behavior of mixes was influenced by both the dispersed and the continuous phases. Higher fat contents caused greater viscosity and dynamic moduli. The lower homogenization pressure (15/3 MPa) mainly affected the dispersed phase and resulted in a more pronounced viscosity reduction in the higher fat content mixes. High-pressure homogenization (97/3 MPa) greatly enhanced the viscoelastic properties and the apparent viscosity. Rheological results indicated that unhomogenized and 15/3 MPa homogenized mixes behaved as weak gels. The 97/3 MPa treatment led to stronger gels, perhaps as the overall result of a network rearrangement or interpenetrating network formation, and the fat globules were found to behave as interactive fillers. High-pressure homogenization determined the apparent viscosity of 5% fat to be comparable to that of 8% fat unhomogenized mix
Custodial SU(2) Violation and the Origin of Fermion Masses
Custodial breaking due to dynamical fermion masses is studied in a
rather general context and it is shown how some well known limiting cases are
correctly described. The type of ``gap equation'' which can systematically lead
to extra negative contributions to the so--called --parameter is
emphasized. Furthermore general model independent features are discussed and it
is shown how electro--weak precision measurements can be sensitive to the
fermion content and/or dynamical features of a given theory.Comment: HD-THEP-92-55, 18 pages and 2 pages of figures appended as Postscript
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Long-term trends of PM10-bound arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and lead across the Veneto region (NE Italy)
Since the mid-90s, the European Community has
adopted increasingly stringent air quality standards.
Consequently, air quality has generally improved across
Europe. However, current EU standards are still breached
in some European hotspots.
The Veneto region (NE Italy) lies in the eastern
part of the Po Valley, a major European hotspot for air
pollution, where EU standards for particulate matter,
nitrogen oxides and ozone are still breached at some
sites.
This study aims to analyse the PM10-bound
arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and lead concentrations over a
10 years-long period (2010-2020) in the Veneto Region
by using data collected by the local environmental
protection agency (ARPAV) in 20 sampling stations
mostly distributed across the plain areas of the region
and categorized as rural (RUR), urban (URB), and
suburban (SUB) background, industrial (IND) and traffic
(TRA) hotspots (Figure 1). The comprehensive dataset
discussed in this study was statistically investigated to
detect the seasonal trends, their relationship with other
air pollutants and meteorological parameters and their
spatial variations at a regional scale. This study
completes previous air quality studies over the Veneto
region for gaseous pollutants and bulk PM10 (Masiol et al.
2017).
Samplings were carried out according to CEN EN
12341:1998 standard on quartz fibre filters and were
continuous for 24 h, starting at midnight. The gravimetric
determination of PM10 mass was measured following
the CEN EN 12341:2014 standard. The elemental analysis
was performed using an ICP-MS (Agilent 7700) after acid
digestion (EN 14902:2005).
The trends were analysed using different
approaches on the monthly-averaged data. The shape of
trends and their seasonal variations were assessed
through the seasonal-trend decomposition time series
procedure based on “Loess” (STL). The linear trends were
computed by the Mann-Kendall trend test (p < 0.05) and
the Theil-Sen nonparametric estimator of slope (MK-TS).
Since this latter analysis assumes monotonic linear
trends and does not consider the shape of trends, the
presence of possible breakpoints was investigated using
the piecewise regression.
Generally, monthly patterns of all analysed
elements show higher concentrations during winter,
following PM10 concentrations. Some exceptions were
detected and discussed. Results of trend analysis indicate
statistically significant negative (decreasing) or null linear
trends in almost all stations. A few positive (increasing)
but not statistically significant trends were also detected.
Some sites showed rapid decreases occurred in
short periods and linked to peculiar events or local
causes. Among others, several sites across the Venice
area showed significant drops of arsenic concentrations
after the REACH (Registration Evaluation Authorisation
of Chemicals) implementation (Formenton et al., 2021).
Data used in this study are provided by ARPAV (Agenzia
Regionale per la Prevenzione e Protezione Ambientale
del Veneto, https://www.arpa.veneto.it/)
Air quality during uncontrolled fires: a multi-years case of study
Exposure to high level of pollutant as a consequence of uncontrolled fire is a issue that must be managed in the right way in order to protect environment and ensure a
safe habitat for humans, flora and fauna, because is
well know that emissions occurred during those events
could serious contaminate air soil and water, and some pollutant could be hazardous for the human health (Lemieux, 2002). During uncontrolled fires a lot of contaminants may be emitted, but in high concern for the human
health are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and
PAHs (Coudon et al., 2019, Zhang et al., 2008).
Moreover uncontrolled burning could release polychlorinated biphenyls dioxin-like (PCB dl), that are generated as by-product during industrial combustions. Those pollutants are all of high concern for human health because they have well-known carcinogenic and
mutagenic properties, e.g. is well known that PAHs is the main carcinogenic constituent of ambient aerosol (Zhang et al., 2008, Fent et al., 2018; Ravindra et al., 2008). Moreover, PCDD/PCDF, frequently referred as
dioxin, are recognized as toxic chemical pollutant, with endocrine proprieties and toxic dioxin congener is classified as group1 carcinogen by the international agency for research in cancer (IARC).
The aim of this study is evaluate how uncontrolled
fires can affect air quality by characterizing persistent organic pollutant emitted from some events occurred
from 2015 to 2018 in Veneto region (northern Italy).
This area is one of the most polluted and urbanized areas in Europe (Larsen et al., 2012)and uncontrolled
fire can further enhance this severe situation, leading
air pollution to critical level.
During those accidental events the Environmental Protection Agency of Veneto (ARPAV), in order to monitoring the effect of fires, and ensure public health, collected some air samples using Hi-vol samplers
equipped with quartz fiber filter (QFF) for collecting
“particulate” phase compounds and a polyurethane foam plug (PUF) for retaining “gas-phase” compounds. Subsequently, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF), polychlorinated biphenyls dioxin-like (PCB dl) and
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were analysed using a High Resolution Gas Chromatography
(HRGC), coupled with High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS). As expected results show large increase of
PCDD/PCDF, PCB dl and PAHs during and immediately after incidental fires, with differences in pollutant
composition. It’s noticeable how, in a few time (hours to days) pollutant concentration presented a clear and strong drop, leading air quality to better conditions. This drop is probably due to meteorological factors, that will be investigated
Electromagnetic filaments and edge modifications induced by electrode biasing in the RFX-mod tokamak
Cross-code comparison of the edge codes SOLPS-ITER, SOLEDGE2D and UEDGE in modelling a low-power scenario in the DTT
As reactor-level nuclear fusion experiments are approaching, a solution to the power exhaust issue in future fusion reactors is still missing. The maximum steady-state heat load that can be exhausted by the present technology is around 10 MW m-2. Different promising strategies aiming at successfully managing the power exhaust in reactor-relevant conditions such that the limit is not exceeded are under investigation, and will be tested in the Divertor Tokamak Test (DTT) experiment. Meanwhile, the design of tokamaks beyond the DTT, e.g. EU-DEMO/ARC, is progressing at a high pace. A strategy to work around the present lack of reactor-relevant data consists of exploiting modelling to reduce the uncertainty in the extrapolation in the design phase. Different simulation tools, with their own capabilities and limitations, can be employed for this purpose. In this work, we compare SOLPS-ITER, SOLEDGE2D and UEDGE, three state-of-the-art edge codes heavily used in power exhaust studies, in modelling the same DTT low-power, pure-deuterium, narrow heat-flux-width scenario. This simplified, although still reactor-relevant, testbed eases the cross-comparison and the interpretation of the code predictions, to identify areas where results differ and develop understanding of the underlying causes. Under the conditions investigated, the codes show encouraging agreement in terms of key parameters at both targets, including peak parallel heat flux (1%-45%), ion temperature (2%-19%), and inner target plasma density (1%-23%) when run with similar input. However, strong disagreement is observed for the remaining quantities, from 30% at outer mid-plane up to a factor 4-5 at the targets. The results primarily reflect limitations of the codes: the SOLPS-ITER plasma mesh not reaching the first wall, SOLEDGE2D not including ion-neutral temperature equilibration, and UEDGE enforcing a common ion-neutral temperature. Potential improvements that could help enhance the accuracy of the code models for future applications are also discussed
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