Active and Stable Embedded Au@CeO2 Catalysts for Preferential Oxidation of CO

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Effect of initial levothyroxine dose on neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes in children with congenital hypothyroidism

We designed a multicentre open prospective randomized trial to evaluate the risk-benefit profile of two different initial treatment schemes with levothyroxine (L-T4), 10-12.5 μg/kg/day vs 12.6-15 μg/kg/day, on growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) detected by neonatal screening to identify the best range dose to achieve optimal neurocognitive development

CRISIS AFAR: an international collaborative study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and service access in youth with autism and neurodevelopmental conditions

BackgroundHeterogeneous mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic are documented in the general population. Such heterogeneity has not been systematically assessed in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). To identify distinct patterns of the pandemic impact and their predictors in ASD/NDD youth, we focused on pandemic-related changes in symptoms and access to services.MethodsUsing a naturalistic observational design, we assessed parent responses on the Coronavirus Health and Impact Survey Initiative (CRISIS) Adapted For Autism and Related neurodevelopmental conditions (AFAR). Cross-sectional AFAR data were aggregated across 14 European and North American sites yielding a clinically well-characterized sample of N = 1275 individuals with ASD/NDD (age = 11.0 ± 3.6 years; n females = 277). To identify subgroups with differential outcomes, we applied hierarchical clustering across eleven variables measuring changes in symptoms and access to services. Then, random forest classification assessed the importance of socio-demographics, pre-pandemic service rates, clinical severity of ASD-associated symptoms, and COVID-19 pandemic experiences/environments in predicting the outcome subgroups.ResultsClustering revealed four subgroups. One subgroup-broad symptom worsening only (20%)-included youth with worsening across a range of symptoms but with service disruptions similar to the average of the aggregate sample. The other three subgroups were, relatively, clinically stable but differed in service access: primarily modified services (23%), primarily lost services (6%), and average services/symptom changes (53%). Distinct combinations of a set of pre-pandemic services, pandemic environment (e.g., COVID-19 new cases, restrictions), experiences (e.g., COVID-19 Worries), and age predicted each outcome subgroup.LimitationsNotable limitations of the study are its cross-sectional nature and focus on the first six months of the pandemic.ConclusionsConcomitantly assessing variation in changes of symptoms and service access during the first phase of the pandemic revealed differential outcome profiles in ASD/NDD youth. Subgroups were characterized by distinct prediction patterns across a set of pre- and pandemic-related experiences/contexts. Results may inform recovery efforts and preparedness in future crises; they also underscore the critical value of international data-sharing and collaborations to address the needs of those most vulnerable in times of crisis

"Trop savant en ses architectures". Problématiques littéraires au discours architectural : l’exemple de la réception et de la réécriture du Poliphile à l’âge baroque. : Colloque "Les sciences et leurs langages : artifices et adoptions (Paris 2008).

Corpus "Colloques AAR"L’évolution des moyens d’expression linguistiques pour la description d’objets et de phénomènes scientifiques et artistiques est assujettie à des lois propres. Par rapport aux découvertes scientifiques et aux changements morphologiques et stylistiques dans le champ des arts, le langage se développe plus lentement, et ce sont précisemment ces mutations qui stimulent son épanouissement. Plus une période (Antiquité, Renaissance, Siècle des lumières, Avant-garde) innove, plus s’accentue l’écart entre les mots et les choses, en faisant croître le temps nécessaire pour traduire, par des formules justes et prégnantes, les bouleversements politiques et sociaux, les nouvelles réflexions sur les réglementations institutionnelles, sur les techniques, et les res novae émergeant dans les domaines de l’art, de la musique et de l’architecture. Les méthodologies empiriques, elles aussi, font appel à des artifices linguistiques, des métaphores, des moyens poétiques et littéraires, lors de la description de phénomènes scientifiques. Ce rapport inné entre science et littérature, qui n’a pas encore fait l’objet d’une réflexion intégrale, est au centre de notre colloque. On peut montrer que (selon la période) des auteurs d’épopées et de drames, des poètes et des romanciers affinent, aiguisent et intensifient le regard sur les objets, tout en définissant des terminologies de l’analyse historique et en consolidant ou, à l’inverse, en ébranlant des dogmes esthétiques, sociaux et politiques. En tenant compte d’une clarification linguistique qui prit naissance à la fin du XVIIIe siècle et qui se manifeste au XXe siècle dans tous les langages scientifiques, il s’agit ici d’une tentative pour définir les mécanismes de ces transformations synergiques, c’est-à-dire de décrire les styles épistémologiques déterminés et de s’interroger sur la présentation et l’expression linguistique du savoir. Guidé par l’objectif d’une émulation interdisciplinaire, le colloque embrasse les domaines de l’histoire (ancienne, médiévale et moderne), de l’histoire de l’art, de sciences littéraires, de la sociologie et des sciences politiques

IAmHero: Preliminary Findings of an Experimental Study to Evaluate the Statistical Significance of an Intervention for ADHD Conducted through the Use of Serious Games in Virtual Reality

The use of new technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), represents a promising strategy in the rehabilitation of subjects with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We present the results obtained by administering the IAmHero tool through VR to a cohort of subjects with ADHD between 5 and 12 years of age. The trial time was approximately 6 months. In order to assess the beneficial effects of the treatment, standardised tests assessing both ADHD symptoms and executive functions (e.g., Conners-3 scales) were administered both before and at the end of the sessions. Improvements were observed at the end of treatment in both ADHD symptoms (especially in the hyperactivity/impulsivity domain) and executive functions. One of the strengths of the VR approach is related above all to the acceptability of this tool and its flexibility. Unfortunately, to date, there are still few studies on this topic; therefore, future studies are essential to expand our knowledge on the utility and benefits of these technologies in the rehabilitation field

Analysis of RBFOX1 gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines of Italian discordant autism spectrum disorders sib-pairs

Several lines of evidence suggest that RBFOX1 is a key regulator of transcriptional and splicing programs in neural cells during development, and that it is expressed in a neuronal module enriched for known autism susceptibility genes. We have investigated its expression by semiquantitative RT-PCR in accessible nonbrain resources in eighteen autism spectrum disorder sib-pairs belonging to the Italian Autism Network cohort. RBFOX1 gene expression was detected in lymphoblastoid cell lines but not in lymphocytes. No significant differences between autism spectrum disorders and non-affected brothers were found. We were not able to replicate in lymphoblastoid cell lines the previously reported RBFOX1 gene downregulation in autism, even if a trend was observed. This might be due to less pronounced transcription level differences in RBFOX1 gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines than in brain samples. \ua9 2014 Elsevier Ltd

CRISIS AFAR: an international collaborative study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and service access in youth with autism and neurodevelopmental conditions

BackgroundHeterogeneous mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic are documented in the general population. Such heterogeneity has not been systematically assessed in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). To identify distinct patterns of the pandemic impact and their predictors in ASD/NDD youth, we focused on pandemic-related changes in symptoms and access to services.MethodsUsing a naturalistic observational design, we assessed parent responses on the Coronavirus Health and Impact Survey Initiative (CRISIS) Adapted For Autism and Related neurodevelopmental conditions (AFAR). Cross-sectional AFAR data were aggregated across 14 European and North American sites yielding a clinically well-characterized sample of N = 1275 individuals with ASD/NDD (age = 11.0 ± 3.6 years; n females = 277). To identify subgroups with differential outcomes, we applied hierarchical clustering across eleven variables measuring changes in symptoms and access to services. Then, random forest classification assessed the importance of socio-demographics, pre-pandemic service rates, clinical severity of ASD-associated symptoms, and COVID-19 pandemic experiences/environments in predicting the outcome subgroups.ResultsClustering revealed four subgroups. One subgroup-broad symptom worsening only (20%)-included youth with worsening across a range of symptoms but with service disruptions similar to the average of the aggregate sample. The other three subgroups were, relatively, clinically stable but differed in service access: primarily modified services (23%), primarily lost services (6%), and average services/symptom changes (53%). Distinct combinations of a set of pre-pandemic services, pandemic environment (e.g., COVID-19 new cases, restrictions), experiences (e.g., COVID-19 Worries), and age predicted each outcome subgroup.LimitationsNotable limitations of the study are its cross-sectional nature and focus on the first six months of the pandemic.ConclusionsConcomitantly assessing variation in changes of symptoms and service access during the first phase of the pandemic revealed differential outcome profiles in ASD/NDD youth. Subgroups were characterized by distinct prediction patterns across a set of pre- and pandemic-related experiences/contexts. Results may inform recovery efforts and preparedness in future crises; they also underscore the critical value of international data-sharing and collaborations to address the needs of those most vulnerable in times of crisis