Verification and Validation of Forces from Hippotherapy Rein Simulator

The thesis describes the redevelopment, testing, and validation of a rein training device intended to help riders learn to guide a horse during hippotherapy sessions. The thesis aims to validate and verify that the forces read by the redeveloped rein simulator were operant within ± 150 grams of the actual weight applied, as well as to investigate the effect of temperature on the system. The simulator focuses on the use of the English style of riding that uses direct force from the reins to guide a horse to turn or stop. Data was collected by hanging weights from the load cells in the direction a rider would pull on the reins. The error of the system was found to range between ±30 grams for forces below 750 grams, ±50 grams for forces between 750 and 2500 grams, and as high as ±130 grams for forces greater than 2500 grams; therefore, the system operated within the specified ranges. Room temperature conditions were found to cause greater variability in the error of the system as opposed to higher or lower temperature conditions, but the errors were contained within tolerance thus verifying the device was effective for its intended therapeutic application

Las clausulas de tregua sindical en el sistema italiano de relaciones laborales

The peace obligation in Italy was widely discussed in the doctrine in the 50’s. However, the interest for this argument died in that period without a particular solution. Since then, neither the doctrine nor the legislator have been dedicated to study the peace obligation until it appeared the famous “Fiat case”. This case has opened the discussion about the existence and binding force of the trade union truce agreement.El tema de las cláusulas de tregua sindical en Italia fue ampliamente debatido en la doctrina en los años 50, argumento cuyo interés se extinguió en aquel periodo sin haber llegado a una concreta solucion. Desde entonces, ni la doctrina ni tampoco el legislador se habían ocupado del pacto de tregua hasta que apareció el conocido “caso Fiat”, por el cual se ha vuelto a discutir sobre la existencia y la fuerza vinculante del pacto de tregua sindical

The Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants

INTRODUCTION: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by challenges in the areas of repetitive behaviors, social skills, and speech and nonverbal communications. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 54 children (8 years old) in the United States have ASD. AIM: This study aimed to investigate and examine the association between both gestational age & low birth weight (LBW) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: This study used secondary data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), a cross-sectional survey that examines the emotional and physical health of children in the United States from birth to 17 years of age, for the years 2016-2018. Logistic regression models were used to examine any effects that may be due to prematurity and low birth weight on ASD outcomes. The two ASD outcomes considered were whether caretakers had a health care provider who “Ever Told” them their child has an ASD or whether their child “Currently” has an ASD diagnosis. RESULTS: Univariate models showed that both LBW and gestational ages are associated with increased odds of ASD, ever or current diagnosis. When birth weight and gestational age were conjointly considered, there was only a moderate association between preterm birth and ASD. In multivariate models with relevant covariates (e.g., controlling for presence of developmental delays; health insurance) prematurity continued to be associated with ever or current ASD status, but birth weight was not. DISCUSSION: The study fits in with previous literature that have reported consistent associations between preterm birth and ASD, but mixed findings between birth weight and ASD. Most studies do not include both gestational age and birth weight in their analyses. These results may be used to inform future prenatal care research aimed at understanding ASD’s etiology

Literacy Instruction In The Mother Tongue: The Case Of Pupils Using Mixed Vocabularies

In the institutionalization of the mother tongue-basedmultilingual education (MTB-MLE) in the country, several trainings wereconducted introducing its unique features such as the use of the two-trackmethod in teaching reading based on the frequency of the sounds of the firstlanguage (L1). This study attemptedto find out how the accuracy track method worked with Waray pupils using mixedvocabularies. This is a part of a developmental study that aims to improveWaray reading instruction in basic education. The researcher used a checklistof the 100 Most Common Words in Waray for pretest and posttest, interviews,survey questionnaires, and daily observations during the three-weekimplementation of the method. The averages of the pretest and posttest scoreswere compared. Themes and patterns in the responses were likewise analyzed. Theresults showed a big gap in the performance of pupils classified as readers andbeginning readers. Several issues and challenges met were also identified.These imply that the method is less facilitative for effective teaching andlearning in Waray of speakers using mixed vocabularies. This study recommendsto modify the method or to develop an appropriate method for literacyinstruction of speakers without a strong linguistic foundation in their mothertongue

Preclinical discovery of duloxetine for the treatment of depression

Introduction: Affective disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD), are among the most severely disabling mental disorders, and in many cases areIntroduction: Affective disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD), are among the most severely disabling mental disorders, and in many cases are associated with poor treatment outcomes. From the emergence of the monoamine hypothesis of depression, the first-line treatment for MDD had mainly acted by inhibiting monoamine reuptake, and thereby increasing these levels in the synaptic cleft. However, in recent years, several newantidepressant drugs have appeared, including duloxetine, a dual serotonin (5-HT) and noradrenaline (NA) reuptake inhibitor recommended for the treatment of MDD. Areas covered: The article reviews and discusses the biochemical and functional profile of duloxetine splitting the review into acute and long-term treatment with this dual monoamine reuptake inhibitor. In addition, the authors summarize available preclinical behavioral research data, which have demonstrated among other effects, the antidepressant-like activity of duloxetine in several animal models. The authors focus on the most recent literature on synaptic neuroplasticity modulation of this antidepressant drug. Finally, the authors briefly mention other approved indications of duloxetine. Expert opinion: Duloxetine inhibits 5-HT and NA reuptake, effectively desensitizes various autoreceptors and promotes neuroplasticity. Clinically, duloxetine is an effective antidepressant that is well tolerated and has significant efficacy in the treatment of MDD. associated with poor treatment outcomes. From the emergence of the monoamine hypothesis of depression, the first-line treatment for MDD had mainly acted by inhibiting monoamine reuptake, and thereby increasing these levels in the synaptic cleft. However, in recent years, several new antidepressant drugs have appeared, including duloxetine, a dual serotonin (5-HT) and noradrenaline (NA) reuptake inhibitor recommended for the treatment of MDD

Neurotrophins Role in Depression Neurobiology: A Review of Basic and Clinical Evidence

Depression is a neuropsychiatric disorder affecting a huge percentage of the active population especially in developed countries. Research has devoted much of its attention to this problematic and many drugs have been developed and are currently prescribed to treat this pathology. Yet, many patients are refractory to the available therapeutic drugs, which mainly act by increasing the levels of the monoamines serotonin and noradrenaline in the synaptic cleft. Even in the cases antidepressants are effective, it is usually observed a delay of a few weeks between the onset of treatment and remission of the clinical symptoms. Additionally, many of these patients who show remission with antidepressant therapy present a relapse of depression upon treatment cessation. Thus research has focused on other possible molecular targets, besides monoamines, underlying depression. Both basic and clinical evidence indicates that depression is associated with several structural and neurochemical changes where the levels of neurotrophins, particularly of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), are altered. Antidepressants, as well as other therapeutic strategies, seem to restore these levels. Neuronal atrophy, mostly detected in limbic structures that regulate mood and cognition, like the hippocampus, is observed in depressed patients and in animal behavioural paradigms for depression. Moreover, chronic antidepressant treatment enhances adult hippocampal neurogenesis, supporting the notion that this event underlies antidepressants effects. Here we review some of the preclinical and clinical studies, aimed at disclosing the role of neurotrophins in the pathophysiological mechanisms of depression and the mode of action of antidepressants, which favour the neurotrophic/neurogenic hypothesis

Position Paper: Improving Source Code Reuse through Documentation Standardization

In the context of Software Reuse providing techniques to support source code retrieval has been widely experimented. However, much effort is required in order to find how to match classical Information Retrieval and source code characteristics and implicit information. Introducing linguistic theories in the software development process, in terms of documentation standardization may produce significant benefits when applying Information Retrieval techniques. The goal of our research is to provide a tool to improve source code search and retrieval In order to achieve this goal we apply some linguistic rules to the development process

Getting Up After Falling Down: A Tale of Three Communities

Drawing on rich longitudinal data covering a period of more than 15 years, our study highlights specific affective and non-financial components of the entrepreneurial process in the context of community- based entrepreneurship (CBE). Without an understanding of the concrete role of the community in exit, re-entry, and growth, community members of such ventures may lack the awareness and resources to engage in a perennial venture. Despite the importance of community ventures in fostering economic development and growth, little is known about the antecedents, context and processes of entrepreneurial exit and re-entry in the realm of CBE. We, therefore, address this gap through an in-depth case study of a community-based initiative in the Cauca region of Colombia. We investigate how three distinct cultural communities reach successful collaboration after overcoming an initial organizational death. Our findings illustrate that exit was the result of several factors including the lack of a strong sense of community identity. However, over time the community members developed a solid sense of belonging, trust and reliance as they tackled difficult events such as exit and market struggles on one hand and engaged in positive community building events on the other hand. Moreover, the sense of belonging that the three different communities developed are comparable to a unique extended family business, whereby the non-financial aspects of the enterprise meet the communities’ affective needs. We term this affective component “community socio-emotional wealth”