Screening for developmental disorders in 3- and 4-year-old italian children: a preliminary study

BACKGROUND: The "Osserviamo" project, coordinated by the Municipality of Rome and the Department of Pediatrics and Child Neuropsychiatry of Sapienza University, aimed to validate an Italian version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 and to collect, for the first time in Italy, data on developmental disorders in a sample of 4,000 children aged 3 and 4 years. The present paper presents the preliminary results of the "Osserviamo" project. METHODS: 600 parents of children between 39 and 50 months of age (divided in two age stages: 42 and 48 months) were contacted from 15 kindergarden schools. RESULTS: 23.35% of the whole sample scored in the risk range of at least one developmental area of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3rd Edition (ASQ-3) and 7.78% scored in the clinical range. Specifically, 23.97% of the children in the 42-month age stage scored in the risk range and 5.79% scored in the clinical range. Males scored lower than females in the fine motor skills and personal-social development domains. Moreover, 22.79% of the children in the 48-month age stage scored in the risk range, while 9.55% scored in the clinical range. Males scored lower than females in fine motor skills. CONCLUSION: Italian validation of the ASQ-3 and recruitment of all 4,000 participants will allow these data on the distribution of developmental disorders to be extended to the general Italian pediatric population. One main limitation of the study is the lack of clinical confirmation of the data yielded by the screening programme, which the authors aim to obtain in later stages of the study

Petrology, Mineral and Isotope Geochemistry of the External Liguride Peridotites (Northern Apennines, Italy)

Mantle peridotites of the External Liguride (EL) units (Northern Apennines) represent slices of subcontinental lithospheric mantle emplaced at the surface during early stages of rifting of the Jurassic Ligurian Piemontese basin. Petrological, ion probe and isotopic investigations have been used to unravel the nature of their mantle protolith and to constrain the timing and mechanisms of their evolution. EL peridotites are dominantly fertile spinel Iherzolites partly recrystallizfd in the plagiodase Iherzplite stability field Clinopyroxenes stable in the spinel-facies assemblage have nearly fiat REE patterns (CeN/SmN=0·6-0·8) at (10-16)×C1 and high Na, Sr, Ti and Zr contents. Kaersutitic-Ti-pargasitic amphiboles also occur in the spinel-facies assemblage. Their LREE-depleted REE spectra and very low Sr, Zr and Ba contents indicate that they crystallized from hydrous fluids with low concentrations of incompatible elements. Thermometric estimates on the spinelfacies parageneses yield lithospheric equilibrium temperatures in the range 1000-1100°C, in agreement with the stability of amphibole, which implies T<1100°C. Sr and Nd isotopic compositions, determined on carefully handpicked clinopyroxene separates, plot within the depleted end of the MORB field (87Sr/86Sr=0·70222-0·70263; 143Nd/144Nd=0·513047-0·513205) similar to many subcontinental orogenic spinel Iherzolites from the western Mediterranean area (e.g. Ivrea Zpne and Lanzfl N). The interpretation of the EL Iherzolites as subcontinental lithospheric mantle is reinforced by the occurrence of one extremely depleted isotopic composition (87Sr/86Sr=0·701736; 143Nd/144Nd=0·513543). Sr and Nd model ages, calculated assuming both CHUR and DM mantle sources, range between 2·4 Ga and 780 Ma. In particular, the 1·2-Ga Sr age and the 780-Ma Nd age can be regarded as minimum ages of differentiation. The transition from spinel-to plagioclase-facies assemblage, accompanied by progressive deformation (from granular to tectonite-mylonite textures), indicate that the EL Iherzolites experienced a later, subsolidus decompressional evolution, starting from subcontinental lithospheric levels. Sm/Nd isochrons on plagioclase-clinopyroxene pairs furnish ages of ∽165 Ma. This early Jurassic subsolidus decompressional history is consistent with uplift by means of denudation in response to passive and asymmetric lithospheric extension. This is considered to be the most suitable geodynamic mechanism to account for the exposure of huge bodies of subcontinental lithospheric mantle during early stages of opening of an oceanic basi

Geometria e modellazione di un sistema di retro-scorrimenti attivosulla base di dati di geofisica marina ad alta risoluzione:la Dorsale di Amendolara (Golfo di Taranto).

Nuovi dati sismici ad alta (Sparker) ed altissima (Subbottm Chirp) risoluzione, acquisiti durante la Campagna Oceanografica “Teatioca_2010”, integrati da dati sismici multicanale ad alta penetrazione, pubblici disponibili sul sito www.videpi.com, calibrati con pozzi profondi, batimetrici multifascio e carotaggi, rivelano che la dorsale di Amendolara, estensione sottomarina della zona frontale del sistema a thrust dell’Appennino meridionale, è stata controllata nel Quaternario da un sistema di retro-scorrimenti e faglie transpressive (ATFS) che dislocano verso SW la catena mio-pliocenica NE-vergente. Il pacco di sequenze deposizionali attribuito, sulla base della facies sismica e della presenza di discordanze controllate dalle oscillazioni glacio-eustatiche, al Pleistocene medio-superiore risulta piegato in maniera consistente con le strutture desumibili dai profili multicanale. I dati morfometrici e sismici documentano che la dorsale, orientata NW-SE, è formata da 3 banchi lunghi ~10-20 km, cresciuti sopra rampe di sovrascorrimenti ciechi (~2 km) disposti en-echelon a formare un sistema segmentato. Sono stati individuati e modellati i segmenti di Amendolara a NW e Cariati a SE, collegati da una più piccola rampa laterale (segmento di Rossano). La modellazione numerica calibrata sui dati batimetrici e sismici indica che le rampe hanno inclinazione di ~45° e sono radicate a ~10 km di profondità a possibili scollamenti o strutture maggiori. I tassi di scorrimento negli ultimi 4-500 ka, calcolati per i segmenti sulla base degli strati di crescita nei bacini sin tettonici variano da 0.5-0-9 mm/a per il segmento di Amendolara a 0.35-0.5 mm/a per quello di Cariati. L’ATFS coincide con una fascia di moderata sismicità (Mw<4.7) con meccanismi focali inversi o transpressivi. L’orientazione degli assi di strain incrementale (sismico) e finito (geologico, come documentano i dati a terra) suggerisce per i segmenti dell’ATFS un movimento da inverso a obliquo sinistro. In base alla dimensione dei segmenti di faglia, nell’ipotesi di deformazione puramente elastica, si stima una magnitudo potenziale massima per l’ATFS di M~6.1-6.4, ma è verosimile che buona parte della deformazione sia asismica o microsismica. L’epicentro macrosismico del terremoto del 1988 (Mw=4.9) ricade su un tratto del segmento di Cariati che mostra rotture a fondo mare e possibile risalita di fluidi localizzata lungo strutture attive. La crescita dell’ATFS è stata verosimilmente controllata da un interfaccia meccanica tra la spessa crosta apula e la crosta ionica assottigliata o in parte oceanica, quando in tempi recenti la convergenza Adria-Europa ha prevalso sull’arretramento della cerniera della subduzione ionica

Bullous systemic lupus erythematosus associated with lupus nephritis: report of two cases

Bullous systemic lupus erythematosus is recognized as a distinct entity related to autoimmunity to type VII collagen. In some cases, the flare of bullous disease coincides with the exacerbation of systemic lupus erythematosus, and especially lupus nephritis. Two cases of young female patients with vesiculobullous eruption on sun-exposed and non-exposed areas associated to lupus nephritis are described. Diagnosis was proved by characteristic histopathology and direct immunofluorescence. Corticosteroids and dapsone therapy may be effective.O lúpus eritematoso sistêmico bolhoso é reconhecido como entidade distinta relacionada à auto-imunidade contra colágeno VII. Em alguns casos, a presença de doença bolhosa coincide com a exacerbação do lúpus eritematoso sistêmico, especialmente da nefrite lúpica. São descritos dois casos de mulheres jovens com erupção vésico-bolhosa em áreas expostas e não expostas ao sol associada à nefrite lúpica. O diagnóstico foi comprovado pela histopatologia e imunofluorescência direta características. O tratamento com corticosteróide e dapsona costuma ser eficiente.Sociedade Brasileira de DermatologiaComplexo Hospitalar Heliópolis Serviço de ReumatologiaUNIFESPComplexo Hospitalar Heliópolis Serviço de DermatologiaUNIFESPSciEL

Why are we not flooded by involuntary thoughts about the past and future? Testing the cognitive inhibition dependency hypothesis

© The Author(s) 2018In everyday life, involuntary thoughts about future plans and events occur as often as involuntary thoughts about the past. However, compared to involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs), such episodic involuntary future thoughts (IFTs) have become a focus of study only recently. The aim of the present investigation was to examine why we are not constantly flooded by IFTs and IAMs given that they are often triggered by incidental cues while performing undemanding activities. One possibility is that activated thoughts are suppressed by the inhibitory control mechanism, and therefore depleting inhibitory control should enhance the frequency of both IFTs and IAMs. We report an experiment with a between-subjects design, in which participants in the depleted inhibition condition performed a 60-min high-conflict Stroop task before completing a laboratory vigilance task measuring the frequency of IFTs and IAMs. Participants in the intact inhibition condition performed a version of the Stroop task that did not deplete inhibitory control. To control for physical and mental fatigue resulting from performing the 60-min Stroop tasks in experimental conditions, participants in the control condition completed only the vigilance task. Contrary to predictions, the number of IFTs and IAMs reported during the vigilance task, using the probe-caught method, did not differ across conditions. However, manipulation checks showed that participants’ inhibitory resources were reduced in the depleted inhibition condition, and participants were more tired in the experimental than in the control conditions. These initial findings suggest that neither inhibitory control nor physical and mental fatigue affect the frequency of IFTs and IAMs.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

An active oblique-contractional belt at the transition between the Southern Apennines and Calabrian Arc: The Amendolara Ridge, Ionian Sea, Italy

High-resolution, single-channel seismic and multibeam bathymetry data collected at the Amendolara Ridge, a key submarine area marking the junction between the Apennine collision belt and the Calabrian subduction forearc, reveal active deformation in a supposedly stable crustal sector. New data, integrated with existing multichannel seismic profiles calibrated with oil-exploratory wells, show that middle to late Pleistocene sediments are deformed in growth folds above blind oblique-reverse faults that bound a regional pop-up. Data analysis indicates that ~10 to 20 km long banks that top the ~80 km long, NW-SE trending ridge are structural culminations above en echelon fault segments. Numeric modeling of bathymetry and stratigraphic markers suggests that three 45\ub0 dipping upper crustal (2\u201310km) fault segments underlie the ridge, with slip rates up to ~0.5mm/yr. Segments may be capable with M~ 6.1\u20136.3 earthquakes, although an unknown fraction of aseismic slip undoubtedly contributes to deformation. The fault array that bounds the southern flank of the ridge (Amendolara Fault System) parallels a belt of Mw<4.7 strike-slip and thrust earthquakes, which suggest current left-oblique reverse motion on the array. The eastern segment of the array shows apparent morphologic evidence of deformation and might be responsible for Mw 64 5.2 historic events. Late Pliocene-Quaternary growth of the oblique contractional belt is related to the combined effects of stalling of Adriatic slab retreat underneath the Apennines and subduction retreat of the Ionian slab underneath Calabria. Deformation localization was controlled by an inherited mechanical interface between the thick Apulian (Adriatic) platform crust and the attenuated Ionian Basin crust

New Constraints on Dispersive Form Factor Parameterizations from the Timelike Region

We generalize a recent model-independent form factor parameterization derived from rigorous dispersion relations to include constraints from data in the timelike region. These constraints dictate the convergence properties of the parameterization and appear as sum rules on the parameters. We further develop a new parameterization that takes into account finiteness and asymptotic conditions on the form factor, and use it to fit to the elastic \pi electromagnetic form factor. We find that the existing world sample of timelike data gives only loose bounds on the form factor in the spacelike region, but explain how the acquisition of additional timelike data or fits to other form factors are expected to give much better results. The same parameterization is seen to fit spacelike data extremely well.Comment: 24 pages, latex (revtex), 3 eps figure

Beam Test Performance and Simulation of Prototypes for the ALICE Silicon Pixel Detector

The silicon pixel detector (SPD) of the ALICE experiment in preparation at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is designed to provide the precise vertex reconstruction needed for measuring heavy flavor production in heavy ion collisions at very high energies and high multiplicity. The SPD forms the innermost part of the Inner Tracking System (ITS) which also includes silicon drift and silicon strip detectors. Single assembly prototypes of the ALICE SPD have been tested at the CERN SPS using high energy proton/pion beams in 2002 and 2003. We report on the experimental determination of the spatial precision. We also report on the first combined beam test with prototypes of the other ITS silicon detector technologies at the CERN SPS in November 2004. The issue of SPD simulation is briefly discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, prepared for proceedings of 7th International Position Sensitive Detectors Conference, Liverpool, Sept. 200

Measurements of the reaction pˉp→ϕη\bar{p}p \to \phi \eta of antiproton annihilation at rest at three hydrogen target densities

The proton-antiproton annihilation at rest into the $\phi\eta$ final state was measured for three different target densities: liquid hydrogen, gaseous hydrogen at NTP and at a low pressure of 5 mbar. The yield of this reaction in the liquid hydrogen target is smaller than in the low-pressure gas target. The branching ratios of the $\phi\eta$ channel were calculated on the basis of simultaneous analysis of the three data samples. The branching ratio for annihilation into $\phi\eta$ from the $^3S_1$ protonium state turns out to be about ten times smaller as compared to the one from the $^1P_1$ state.Comment: 10 pages, 3 Postscript figures. Accepted by Physics Letters