Papers by Francesco Rucci
Journal of Affective Disorders, 2009
Background-While previous attempts to elucidate the factor structure of depression tended to agre... more Background-While previous attempts to elucidate the factor structure of depression tended to agree on a central focus on depressed mood, other factors were not replicated across studies. By examining data from a large number of items covering the range of depressive symptoms, the aim of the present study is to contribute to the identification of the structure of depression on a lifetime perspective.
For a complex autonomous robotic system such as a humanoid robot, the learning-based sensory pred... more For a complex autonomous robotic system such as a humanoid robot, the learning-based sensory prediction is considered effective to develop a perceptual environment model by itself. We developed a learning system for an autonomous robot to predict the next sensory information from the current sensory information and the expected action. The system we consider contains a learning procedure and a behavior generation procedure. The learning procedure uses a multi layer perceptron minimizing the error between a given sensory input and its predicted value. The behavior generation procedure is based on a uniform probablistic density function to sample the learning data randomly, which is the effective strategy when the system does not have any assumption or knowledge of the environment. We also investigated sensory blind prediction which should allow action plannning as well as offer a reliable forecast for a safe evolution of the robot in the environment. The simulation and experimental results show that the system learns interaction between the robot and the environment in high fidelity.
Histamine release from nasal mucosal mast cells in patients with chronic hypertrophic non-allergic rhinitis, after parasympathetic nerve stimulation
Inflammation Research, 1988
The vidian nerve provides the main parasympathetic nerve supply to nasal respiratory and maxillar... more The vidian nerve provides the main parasympathetic nerve supply to nasal respiratory and maxillary sinus mucosa, and its electrical stimulation causes apparent secretory and vasodilatatory effects in animals. The present investigation was carried out in 8 patients with chronic hypertrophic non-allergic rhinitis (C.H.N.A.R.) undergoing therapeutic vidian nerve resection. The vidian nerve was electrically stimulated before the resection. Samples were taken from nasal sinus mucosa for histamine determination and microscopical observation before and after the stimulation period. Vidian nerve stimulation causes a significant decrease in histamine content and mast cell density in the mucosa sample, differentially influenced by eserine and atropine pretreatment.
Inflammation Research, 1989
Parasympathetic innervation of the respiratory tract of nasal mucosa plays an important role in t... more Parasympathetic innervation of the respiratory tract of nasal mucosa plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic hypertrophic non-allergic rhinitis (C.H.N.A.R.), the vidian nerve providing the main parasympathetic nerve supply to respiratory mucosa. The present study investigates the effect of vidian nerve resection in 22 patient with intractable C.H.N.A.R. on histamine content and formation and on the number of mast cells and their degranulation in the respiratory tract. Samples were taken from respiratory mucosa for histamine and histidine-decarboxylase assay, and for microscopic observations for mast cell density and degranulation index, before and 12–24 months after vidian nerve resection. Neurectomy of the vidian nerve completely cured the clinical symptomatology, evaluated by rhinoreomanometry, and also significantly decreased both the high histamine levels and histidine-decarboxylase activity in patients with C.H.N.A.R. The density and degranulation index of mast cells were also significantly lower after surgery. These data suggest a relationship between cholinergic activity and the secretory response of mast cells and indicates a correlation between the parasympathetic nerve supply and chronic hyperthrophic non-allergic rhinitis. The significant reduction in mast cell density, histamine levels and histidine-decarboxylase activity also lends support to the hypothesis that the parasympathetic nerve supply plays a role in the regulation of mast cell histamine.
Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, 2008
Background: DSM-IV identifies three stress response disorders (acute stress disorder (ASD), postt... more Background: DSM-IV identifies three stress response disorders (acute stress disorder (ASD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adjustment disorder (AD) that derive from specific life events. An additional condition of complicated grief (CG), well described in the literature, is triggered by bereavement. This paper reports on the reliability and validity of the Structured Clinical Interview for Trauma and Loss Spectrum (SCI-TALS) developed to assess the spectrum of stress response. The instrument is based on a spectrum model that emphasizes soft signs, low-grade symptoms, subthreshold syndromes, as well as temperamental and personality traits comprising clinical and subsyndromal manifestations.
Jealousy and Subthreshold Psychopathology: A Serotonergic Link
Neuropsychobiology, 2003
A few studies suggest that different neurotransmitters may play a role in the expression of jealo... more A few studies suggest that different neurotransmitters may play a role in the expression of jealousy. Our study aimed to explore the serotonergic system by means of the specific binding of (3)H-paroxetine ((3)H-Par) to platelet membranes of healthy subjects with and without excessive jealousy concerns, according to a specific self-administered questionnaire [Questionnaire for affective relationships (QAR)]. The study sample includes 21 subjects concerned by jealousy thoughts and 21 control subjects without jealousy concerns, as shown by their QAR scores. Subjects of the first group were administered a battery of self-report instruments designed to detect the presence of typical, atypical and subthreshold psychopathology. Platelet membranes and (3)H-Par binding were carried out according to standardized protocols. Subjects with excessive jealousy concerns had a reduced density of (3)H-Par binding as compared with control subjects without jealousy concerns and had one or more psychiatric spectrum conditions. Our findings suggest that excessive jealousy is associated with various forms of psychopathology and may be underlain by alteration of the serotonergic system, as reflected by the lower density of the platelet serotonin transporter.
First One - Pot Copper-Catalyzed Synthesis of α-Hydroxy-β-Amino Acids in Water. A New Protocol for Preparation of Optically Active Norstatines
Cheminform, 2004
Alpha-hydroxy-beta-amino acids were synthesized with excellent yields for the first time in water... more Alpha-hydroxy-beta-amino acids were synthesized with excellent yields for the first time in water and by a simple procedure based on a copper catalytic cycle, which included the recovery and reuse of the catalyst and is possible to realize by using only water as reaction medium.
European Psychiatry, 2003
Background. -Jealousy is a heterogenous emotion ranging from normality to pathology. Several prob... more Background. -Jealousy is a heterogenous emotion ranging from normality to pathology. Several problems still exist in the distinction between normal and pathological jealousy.
Hepatology, 2007
The aims of this study were to determine the diagnostic effectiveness of fasting and postprandial... more The aims of this study were to determine the diagnostic effectiveness of fasting and postprandial serum bile acid determinations in liver diseases, and to compare results with those of conventional liver function tests.In 322 patients with biopsy-proved liver disease and 93 healthy subjects, fasting and postprandial (2 hr) serum levels of cholic, chenodeoxycholic, and lithocholic acid conjugates and conventional liver function tests were evaluated. Data were subjected to variance and discriminant and factor analyses.Fasting serum bile acids were higher in patients when compared to controls and were significantly higher in severe than in mild liver diseases. Determination of cholic plus lithocholic acid provided the highest discrimination capacity.The percent of correct allocation was 75.4% for conventional liver function tests, 70.1% for fasting serum bile acids and increased to 79.6% when liver function tests plus serum bile acids were considered. Postprandial percentages were always lower than fasting. Factor analysis identified two factors possibly related to cytolysis and protein synthesis. The serum bile acid concentrations highly correlated with both factors.We conclude that serum bile acid determinations increase the diagnostic and discriminant capacities of liver function tests and are more sensitive and discriminant when obtained in fasting than postprandially.
Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, 2006
The formation of social bonding is fundamental for several animals, including humans, for its rel... more The formation of social bonding is fundamental for several animals, including humans, for its relevant and obvious impact upon reproduction and, thus, survival of the species. Recent data would suggest that oxytocin might be one of the mediators of this process. Given the paucity of data on the possible involvement of oxytocin in human attachment, the present study was aimed to explore the possible relationships between the plasma levels of this neuropeptide and romantic attachment in healthy subjects. Forty-five healthy subjects who volunteered for the study, were included in the study. The romantic attachment was assessed using the Italian version of the socalled "Experiences in Close Relationships" (ECR), a self-report questionnaire for measuring this parameter in adults. The results showed that attachment anxiety and oxytocin are positively linked in romantic attachment to a statistically significant degree (r = 0.30, p = 0.04), that is, the higher the oxytocin levels the higher the score on the anxiety scale of the ECR. The authors suggest the hypothesis that this link represents one of the biological processes resulting in those rewarding emotions related to romantic attachment.
Gene Therapy, 2005
An important factor implicated in tumor cell predisposition for invasion and metastasis is the ma... more An important factor implicated in tumor cell predisposition for invasion and metastasis is the malignancy-related upregulation of urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR). uPAR signals by activating different tyrosine kinases in different cells. We examined the effects of inhibiting uPAR signaling by inhibition of uPAR expression with antisense oligonucleotides (aODNs) in PC3 human prostate cancer cells and evaluated aODN effect in a mouse model of prostate cancer bone metastasis. Following uPAR aODN treatment, PC3 cells exhibited a strong decrease in uPAR expression, evaluated by flow cytometry and by polymerase chain reaction, and of FAK/JNK/Jun phosphorylation. The synthesis of cyclins A, B, D1 and D3 was inhibited, as shown by Western blotting, flow cytometry and polymerase chain reaction, and PC3 cells accumulated in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. PC3 cells' adhesion was unaffected, while proliferation and invasion of Matrigel were impaired. A total of 60 mice were subjected to intracardiac injection of PC3 cells and were randomly assigned to three groups: aODN (treated with 0.5 mg intraperitoneum/mouse/day), dODN (treated with the same amounts of a degenerated ODN) and control (injected with a saline solution). At 28 days after heart injection, mice were subjected to a digital scan of total body radiography, which revealed 80% reduction in mice affected by bone metastasis. The use of uPAR aODNs produced a substantial prophylactic effect against prostate cancer bone metastasis, which has to be ascribed to downregulation of uPAR expression. Gene Therapy (2005) 12, 702-714.
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Papers by Francesco Rucci