Search results for "PROFILES"
showing 10 items of 143 documents
Subtyping treatment-seeking gaming disorder patients
2021
Abstract Background and aims Gaming Disorder (GD) is characterized by a pattern of persistent and uncontrolled gaming behavior that causes a marked impairment in important areas of functioning. The evolution of the worldwide incidence of this disorder warrants further studies focused on examining the existence of different subtypes within clinical samples, in order to tailor treatment. This study explored the existence of different profiles of patients seeking treatment for GD through a data-driven approach. Methods The sample included n = 107 patients receiving treatment for GD (92% men and 8% women) ranging between 14 and 60 years old (mean age = 24.1, SD = 10). A two-step clustering anal…
Monitoring cognitive changes: Psychometric properties of six cognitive tests
2004
Objectives. Repeated neuropsychological assessments are often used to monitor change in cognitive functioning over time. Thus, knowledge about the reliability and stability of neuropsychological tests and the effects of age and IQ is of paramount importance. In this study we document, for six cognitive tests: test-retest reliabilities, practice effects, reliable change (RC) indices corrected for practice, and the impact of premorbid IQ and age. Design. A sample of 188 normal adults (aged 40-70 years) were administered, on two occasions, one or more of the following tests: the Graded Naming Test (GNT), the Silhouettes Test, two tests of verbal fluency, the Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Tes…
Effects of Air Tightness Tests on Steel Thin-Wall Box Structures with Circular and Rectangular Cross Sections
2019
In this paper, the effects of air tightness tests on steel box structures with rectangular or circular cross sections typical of port cranes (legs, arms, and crosspieces) are analyzed. Legs and arms are generally made with elements with profiles having a square or rectangular cross section, while the diagonal struts are made with profiles having circular cross sections. To verify the air tightness of these elements, a necessary requirement to protect them from corrosion if they are not protected with other protection techniques, air tightness tests are performed. These tests, in the framework of durability tests, must be carried out while maintaining the structure elasticity well below the …
Focus on the unique mechanisms involved in thoracic aortic aneurysm formation in bicuspid aortic valve versus tricuspid aortic valve patients: clinic…
2013
OBJECTIVES: The involvement of different factors in the onset of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) in patients with a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) vs those with a tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) is well recognized. However, the molecular, genetic and cellular mechanisms driving TAA remain unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the different mechanisms involved in TAA development in patients with BAV vs TAV. METHODS: Aorta specimens and DNA samples were collected from 24 BAV (18 men and 6 women; mean age: 54.2 ± 14.39 years) and 110 TAV (79 men and 31 women, mean age: 66 ± 9.8 years) patients. A control group of 128 subjects (61 men and 67 woman, mean age: 61.1 ± 5.8 years) was also enrolle…
The accretion flow to the intermittent accreting ms pulsar, HETE J1900.1-2455, as observed by XMM-Newton and RXTE
2012
We present a study of the accretion flow to the intermittent accreting millisecond pulsar, HETE J1900.1-2455, based on observations performed simultaneously by XMM-Newton and RXTE. The 0.33-50 keV spectrum is described by the sum of a hard Comptonized component originated in an optically thin {\tau}~1 corona, a soft kTin~0.2 keV component interpreted as accretion disc emission, and of disc reflection of the hard component. Two emission features are detected at energies of 0.98(1) and 6.58(7) keV, respectively. The latter is identified as K{\alpha} transition of Fe XXIII-XXV. A simultaneous detection in EPIC-pn, EPIC-MOS2, and RGS spectra favours an astrophysical origin also for the former, …
Active faulting and continental slope instability in the Gulf of Patti (Tyrrhenian side of NE Sicily, Italy): a field, marine and seismological joint…
2016
The Gulf of Patti and its onshore sector represent one of the most seismically active regions of the Italian Peninsula. Over the period 1984–2014, about 1800 earthquakes with small-to-moderate magnitude and a maximum hypocentral depth of 40 km occurred in this area. Historical catalogues reveal that the same area was affected by several strong earthquakes such as the Mw = 6.1 event in April 1978 and the Mw = 6.2 one in March 1786 which have caused severe damages in the surrounding localities. The main seismotectonic feature affecting this area is represented by a NNW–SSE trending right-lateral strike-slip fault system called ‘‘Aeolian–Tindari–Letojanni’’ (ATLFS) which has been interpreted a…
A Model for Developing an Academic Activity Index for Higher Education Instructors Based on Composite Indicators
2020
The assessment of the teacher performance is a subject of criticism due to the lack of a well-establish methodology. This study develops an overall score to measure the dimensions that encompass the academic activities. To that end, a Benefit-of-the-doubt model is proposed. The advantage of this technique is the flexibility in the weights, so that the model selects for each teacher the most favourable set of weights. Furthermore, the paper proposes the barycentric coordinate system as a method to classify the teachers in clusters depending on their contribution to the dimensions. A specific pie chart has been proposed as an efficient way to report the contribution of the teachers to the di…
Neural Crest-Derived Chondrocytes Isolation for Tissue Engineering in Regenerative Medicine
2020
Chondrocyte transplantation has been successfully tested and proposed as a clinical procedure aiming to repair articular cartilage defects. However, the isolation of chondrocytes and the optimization of the enzymatic digestion process, as well as their successful in vitro expansion, remain the main challenges in cartilage tissue engineering. In order to address these issues, we investigated the performance of recombinant collagenases in tissue dissociation assays with the aim of isolating chondrocytes from bovine nasal cartilage in order to establish the optimal enzyme blend to ensure the best outcomes of the overall procedure. We show, for the first time, that collagenase H activity alone …
Latent burnout profiles in a sample of frontline healthcare professionals after the peak of the Italian COVID-19 pandemic
2022
Background: In Italy since February 2020, the unexpected massive afflux of COVID-19 patients exposed healthcare professionals to high work-related stress, high time pressure and increased the risk of being infected. This is the first study that aimed to investigate the psychological impact of COVID-pandemic at the end of the peak, by identifying latent burnout profiles in a sample of front-line healthcare professionals that worked in Italy during the peak of the pandemic. Methods: A total of 589 subjects filled in an online ad-hoc questionnaire and the Italian version of Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey. Results: A higher presence of burnout profile in healthcare profession…
ADCP velocity profiles analisys in the Castellammare gulf
2009
Velocity profiles have been collected in three points within the Castellammare gulf at around 1500 m far from the coastline. This area is characterized by the presence of an aquaculture farm that positioned 5 floating cages in this zone. The impact of this activity on the environment strictly depends on the currents and water exchange. The general aim of this research is the characterization of the circulation characteristics of this area. The analysis of the free surface oscillations shows the typical behaviour of tide forcing, with high minima and maxima during the night, due to the higher moon attraction during these hours compared with the morning hours. A prevalent current direction fr…