THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common pediatric disability causing long-term functional limitations. CP remarkably influences the life of those affected and their families. For this reason it is important and necessary to direct attention not only type of the CP, but also the impact the disorder has on the child, parents, siblings and the entire family as a whole. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of CP on the child’s quality of life, considering parents’ perceptions about their child's illness, in order to underline the impact the illness has not only on the child but also his/her family. Methods: The study included both parents of the 36 subjects enrolled (19 mal…

Daytime sensible heat flux estimation over heterogeneous surfaces using multitemporal land‐surface temperature observations

Equations based on surface renewal (SR) analysis to estimate the sensible heat flux (H) require as input the mean ramp amplitude and period observed in the ramp‐like pattern of the air temperature measured at high frequency. A SR‐based method to estimate sensible heat flux (HSR‐LST) requiring only low‐frequency measurements of the air temperature, horizontal mean wind speed, and land‐surface temperature as input was derived and tested under unstable conditions over a heterogeneous canopy (olive grove). HSR‐LST assumes that the mean ramp amplitude can be inferred from the difference between land‐surface temperature and mean air temperature through a linear relationship and that the ramp freq…

Rehabilitative treatment proposals in pediatric non-verbal syndrome

Nonverbal learning disability (NVLD) can be defined as a specific learning disorder peculiar for deficits in non-verbal area, such as visuospatial and visuo-constructive difficulties, fine motor coordination impairments, and poor mathematics achievement, associated with well-developed language skills. aim of the present work is suggesting rehabilitative proposal for management treatment of NVLD in pediatric age tailored on children and based on EBM.

Assessing actual evapotranspiration in irrigation districts using Landsat TM images and SEBAL model: Potential uses for irrigation monitoring

Satellite imagery allows the observation of large land stretches and the acquisition of worthwhile information that can be used efficaciously in agro-hydrologic systems. On the other hand, remotely sensed data coupled with energy balance models represent reliable tools to estimate actual evapotranspiration (ET). Objective of the research was to propose a methodology to estimate ET by using Landsat TM images and surface energy balance, thus allowing the monitoring of current irrigation practices and/or possible vegetation stress. The proposed methodology was applied in an irrigation district managed by “Consorzio di Bonifica Agrigento 3”, Castelvetrano, Sicily (Italy), in which water is dist…

A MINIREVIEW ABOUT SPORTING PRACTICE IN EPILEPTIC CHILDREN

Movement is important for neuropsycho-physical development, ensuring the correct growth and giving many benefits from childhood to adulthood. Motor activity plays a pivotal role in psychological, educational and social terms: sport practice induces harmonious physical development with common important benefits independently from sport type and each sport imposes rules respect that children learns to know and respect step by step improving the social skills and cognitive abilities. Sport has a very important role in the growth of children and adolescents. Sport and physical activity work as a moral laboratory to practice decision-making and problem-solving skills, as well as teamwork and coo…

Orexin system: Network multi-tasking

Orexin system regulates sleep/wake states and its deficiency result in narcolepsy thus indicating the crucial role of orexins in maintaining wakefulness. There are two types of orexin peptides: the orexin-A (OXA or hypocretin 1) and orexin-B (OXB or hypocre- tin 2). The Majority of the central nervous system orexin peptides are synthesized in neurons located in the lateral and back hypotha- lamus and send projections throughout the brain regions Orexin neurons are “multi-tasking” hence regulating also energy homeosta- sis, reward systems and feeding behaviour through connection with hypothalamic nuclei and through responsiveness to leptine and glucose. It has recently been found a connectio…

Internalizing problems are related to sleep patterns disordered in children affected by primary headache

Introduction: Migraine is a common disorder in children and adolescents, associated with various disorders such as emotions, behavioral problems, and sleep disturbances. Aim of the study is to verify the relationship between psychological problems of cephalalgic patients and sleep disturbances. Materials and methods: 64 subjects (27 females), aged 8-12 years (mean 9.4 years, SD ± 1.03) with primary headache were enrolled. CBCL 6-18 scale and the SDSC scale were used for behavioral screening and for assessing sleep habits. Results: According to the ICHD-III criteria, the distribution of the headache subtype was as follows: headaches without aura (71.87%), headache episodes typical of tensio…

Autonomic Regulation In Autism Spectrum Disorders

Introduction: The sinactive developmental model provides suggests a different way for the brain study by observing the children behavior. In all neurodevelopmental disorders, we can observe autonomic alteration comprising sleep disorders, meal behaviour alteration and self-regulatory impairment. These alterations/impairment are very frequent in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (1-12). Aim of the present preliminary study is the assessment of metabolic rate in children affected by ASD. Material s and methods. 5 males affected by ASD aged 7-10 years (mean age 6.73±3:39), were recruited. The average score at the ADOS scale was 12.24 (SD± 3.29). The control group consisted of 5 males typically d…

Ketogenic diet as antiepileptic therapy: Administration and formulas

In 1921 Wilder defined classical cholesterol diet providing the patient with a daily calorie intake of less than 20% compared to age-related requirements. The main macronutrient is represented by saturated and long chain unsaturated fatty acids, in the ratio of 4: 1 to carbohydrates and proteins (4 grams of lipids per gram of carbohydrates and proteins). One of the first therapeutic protocols proposed is that of John Hopkins that the onset of the diet should take place in a hospital environment to assess the patient's response in a controlled situation.

Potential of thermal images and simulation models to assess water and salt stress: Application to potato crop in central Tunisia

The growing water scarcity is a real concern in Mediterranean countries characterized by semi-arid or arid climate such as Tunisia, where it is crucial to improve water use efficiency without affecting agricultural productivity. The importance of identifying methods and technologies to optimize water use in agriculture has been recognized worldwide, in response to the limited water availability. Objective of the paper was to verify the potential of the combined use of infrared thermography and simulation models to assess the effects of water and salt stress on potato crop parameters and crop yield, under the environmental conditions of central Tunisia. The database collected with field expe…

Borderline intellectual functioning and parental stress: An italian case-control study

Introduction: Borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) children comprises a group of subjects whit intelligence quotient (IQ) ranging 71-85, with a prevalence about 13.6%. Several studies pinpointed the role of parenting on BIF management. Aim of present study was evaluating with objective and validated tool the parental stress rate in mothers of an Italian sample of BIF children. Materials and methods: 26 BIF children (20 males and 6 females) aged 6-10 years (mean age 10.36± 2.03), according to DSM-5 criteria, and 53 (42 males and 11 females) typical developing children (mean age 10.58 ± 1.97) were recruited for present study. Mothers of all enrolled children underwent an evaluation with …

EMotional Intelligence And Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome In Children: Preliminary Case-Control Study

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) affects up to 4% of pediatric population, with many co-morbidities in the medium-long term. Functional alterations in prefrontal cortex (PFC) may explain why OSAS impacts aspects such as: executive functions, memory, motor control, attention, visual-spatial skills, learning and mood regulation. Emotional intelligence (EI) is a complex neuropsychological function that could be impaired in many clinical conditions. Aim of the study is to evaluate the difference in emotional intelligence skills among children with OSAS and healthy subjects Materials and methods: 29 children (16 males) mean age 9.5 ± 1.54 years, affected by OSAS were compare…

THE SYNACTIVE THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT: THE KEYWORD FOR NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS

The synactive theory of development may be considered the keyword for neurodevelopmental disorders, considering that each one presents constantly autonomic troubles such as sleep disorders, feeding problems.

Study of vegetation evolution in Sicily using time series analysis of remote sensing and climatic data.

During last 10 years, several studies confirmed that drought phenomena are affecting southern Mediterranean areas. One of the effects of a persistent drought is a modification of the vegetation cover and biomass. The aim of our research is to investigate and monitor the evolution of this phenom- enon in Sicily using remote sensing techniques. To do this, a data set of NOAA-AVHRR multispectral images, acquired monthly from 1988 to 2005, has been calibrated and processed. A time series analysis (TSA) has been applied both on the NDVI and precipitation data sets in order to study the main characteristics of vegetation distribution during the period under investigation and to compare the vegeta…

Sensory perception in preschool children affected by autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behavioral syndrome caused by a developmental disorder, biologically determined, with onset in the first three years of life. The areas concerned are mainly those related to social communication, social interaction and mutual functional and symbolic play. In the last decades, different conceptions of autism have taken, also emphasizing different sensory-perceptual abnormalities as the basis of the central features of disorder. This pilot study intends to address the issue of sensory perception in preschool children affected by ASD. Material and methods: 11 ASD children were enrolled (7 males, 4 female) aged between 2.3 years and 4.6 years, (…

Anxiety levels in mothers of children affected by x-fragile syndrome

Introduction: Anxiety is the psychological process by which the individual reacts to dangerous external stimuli, triggering responses (mediated by norepinephrine, GABA and serotonin) involving physiological reactions and cognitive strategies. Anxiety can be differentiated in state anxiety and trait anxiety. Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a disorder most commonly caused by a triplet repeat expansion of > 200 cytosine-guanine-guanine (CGG) repeats in the 50 untranslated region of the Fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. Aim of the present study is investigating the state or trait anxiety in a sample of mothers of children affected by X-fragile. Materials and methods: 84 mothers (mean age …

Comparative analysis of surface energy balance models for actual evapotranspiration estimation through remotely sensed images

Mind, brain and altered states of consciousness

The consciousness is the expression of an enormous and complex variety of neurobiological events, phenomenological and psychological that, from the early stages of development, prepare the emergence soil of the Self. It is a complex of tangible and intan- gible characters distinct from one another - neural infrastructure, awareness, temporality, qualitative subjectivity, intentionality - to such an extent as to seem welded faces of the same prism. Consciousness is not a simple function of the mind, but its organization. In this paper we intend to show how its order is not strictly hierarchical, but sustained by multiple horizontal levels, each of which in a structural and functional continu…

Executive functioning in preschool children affected by autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a complex set of neurological dysfunction and development characterized by deficits in social and non-verbal interaction. Few studies have explored the executive functioning in ASD preschoolers. The aim of this pilot study is the assessment of executive functioning in preschool children with ASD. Material and methods: 8 ASD children (7 males, 1 female) mean age 3.09 (SD ± 0.83 years) were enrolled in the study and compared with a control group of 15 typically developing children (12 males, 3 females) (mean age 24.3 ± 0.61). All subjects underwent assessment of executive functioning with the BRIEF-P test. Results: The two groups were matched …

CALYPSO, a permanent and operational network of High-Frequency radar observing systems for real-time monitoring of surface currents in the Malta-Sicily channel

Illegal migration often results in dramatic loss of lives that can be avoided with timely Search and Rescue (SAR) interventions; such SAR services require accurate information such as on sea-state and operational tools such as trajectory forecasting for floating objects at sea. The maritime transport of oil crossing this region accounts for 25% of the global maritime traffic and for nearly 7% of the world oil accidents over the last 25 years. In combination with localized oil extraction plants existing in the shelf zones this situation presents a serious threat to both the open-sea and coastal-zone habitats, with consequent impacts on local economic activities as tourism and fisheries, impa…

CALYPSO: a new HF RADAR network to monitor sea surface currents in the Malta-Sicily channel (Mediterranean sea)

Located in one of the main shipping lanes in the Mediterranean Sea, and in a strategic region for oil extraction platforms, the Malta-Sicily channel is exposed to significant oil spill risks. Shipping and extraction activities constitute a major threat for marine areas of relevant ecological value in the area, and impacts of oil spills on the local ecosystems and the economic activities, including tourism and fisheries, can be dramatic. Damages would be even more devastating for the Maltese archipelago, where marine resources represent important economic assets. Additionally, North Africa coastal areas are also under threat, due to their proximity to the Malta-Sicily Channel. Prevention and…

"Front Matter: Volume 9637", Proc. SPIE 9637, Remote Sensing for Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Hydrology XVI

This proceedings volume includes papers presented during the conference on Remote Sensing for Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Hydrology. The conference was part of the International Symposium on Remote Sensing sponsored by SPIE. The symposium was held at the Centre de Congrès Pierre Baudis, Toulouse, France, 21- 24 September 2015. The conference is dedicated to providing rapid dissemination of scientific and technical information, and attracts scientists and professionals from throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Approximately 34 oral and 25 poster presentations were given this year, covering a broad range of topics in the field of remote sensing applications in environmental sci…