Association between coping strategies and drug use in a large cohort of students from a northern italian university

Background and aim of the work: Illicit drug (ID) use/abuse represent a social and economic burden for most countries worldwide which, in spite of the efforts to prevent this phenomena, is often a growing habit especially in the young adults. Preventive measurements, are needed to reduce the adverse health and social consequences of ID use/abuse. Methods: This study investigated the relationship between coping strategies and ID use in students (N=12316) from the University of Parma, Italy. Information about the ID use in the past 12 months and coping strategies were collected with a cross-sectional research design using an online questionnaire. Results: More than 25% of the participants used ID in the past year; men were more likely to use drugs than female; the likelihood of using drugs was inversely related to age. The relationship between coping strategies and ID use was analyzed with a multilevel logistic model taking into account the within-department nested structure of data. Analysis revealed that transcendence-orientation and problem-orientation were associated with a reduction of the likelihood to have used drugs. Conversely, avoidance and positive attitude were associated with an increase of the likelihood to have used drugs. Finally, seeking social support revealed a positive but modest association with increasing in drug use. Conclusions: The ID use association factors identified in this study could be utilized by the appropriate institutions/authorities as a critical review in order to develop relevant public health policies and preventive measures aimed at minimizing the use of ID in this critical age group. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Ingroup identification, hope and system justification: Testing hypothesis from social identity model of system attitudes (SIMSA) in a sample of LGBTQIA+ individuals

The social identity model of system attitudes (SIMSA) suggests that system justification among low-status groups can be explained by ingroup identification and the hope for a collective future improvement. In this report, we summarize the results of a cross-sectional investigation concerning the relationship between system justification, hope and identification based on a sample of 200 LGBTQIA+ individuals (identifying themselves as non-normative with respect to gender identity and sexual orientation). The results were supportive of SIMSA expectations and showed that system justification was positively linked to hope for future advancement. Importantly, hope played a key role influencing the relations between ingroup identification and perceived ingroup status: for low-status individuals who had high hope, ingroup identification was positively associated with system justification. Limits are acknowledged

Intergroup alliance orientation among intermediate-status group members: The role of stability of social stratification

Three studies have tested the hypothesis that intermediate-status groups are more oriented to ally with outgroups when their social position is under threat. In study 1, participants believed that their ingroup was intermediate in status and social stratification was manipulated as either stable or status-detrimental unstable. Results indicated that participants were more likely to seek alliances a) with a high-status group and b) when social stratification was status-detrimental unstable. Study 2 showed that participants were more likely to seek alliances with a lower status group when social stratification was status-detrimental unstable rather than stable, while they were supportive of policies helping disadvantaged groups regardless of the stability of social stratification. Study 3 showed that when social stratification was status-detrimental unstable, intermediate-status group members were more oriented to ally with a low-status group, equally supportive of policies helping disadvantaged groups, but less oriented to supplying direct help to a low-status group

Attitudes towards Interprofessional Education among Medical and Nursing Students: the Role of Professional Identification and Intergroup Contact

This research analyses the effect of professional identification and intergroup contact on attitudes towards interprofessional education (IPE) among medical and nursing students. Three hundred fifty-eight nursing and medical students were surveyed measuring attitudes towards IPE and professional identification. Moreover, students were asked to report the hours of practical training that they had already done, as measure of intergroup contact. Results indicated that ingroup identification increased attitude towards IPE among nursing students, while it decreased attitude among medical students. Intergroup contact, instead, had not significant effect. Results are discussed on the basis of social identity theory and status differences between professional groups

La Nozione di Verità tra Naturwissenschaften e Geisteswissenschaften.

The notion of truth is a central notion in most of the sciences, whether we refer to the Human Sciences, but also to the Natural Sciences. However, it transcends the ambit of any particular discipline, its analysis takes the form of a properly philosophical analysis. An analysis that have to be 'analytical' and 'critical' at the same time: it have to examine its limits and possibilities, formalizing them. it seems possible to assert that truth is co-originary with philosophy: philosophy starts from its intrinsic need to seek the first principle, in Heideggerian terms to un-veil the origin, to clarify the concept of truth. Not by chance the word “truth” corresponds, in ancient Greek, to ἀλήθεια: literally it can be translate as disclosure; “unveiling” which denotes the activity of the same philosophy: clarifying, unveiling what is hidden. This dissertation aims to analyze the notion of truth by a formal point of view, using the results of formal logic and the position of Martin Heidegger (strongly influenced by the concept of ontological difference)

Nurse-physician collaboration: a meta-analytical investigation of survey scores.

This meta-analysis investigated differences between nurses and physicians in interprofessional collaboration (IPC) ratings. Fifty-one surveys, representing a total of 18 782 professionals and students (13 132 nurses and nursing students, and 5650 physicians and medical students), were meta-analyzed, considering several moderating variables. Overall, nurses scored higher on IPC than physicians. Sensitivity analysis revealed that while physicians perceived more existing collaboration than nurses, nurses had a more positive attitude toward collaboration than physicians. Moreover, IPC ratings of nursing and medical students did not differ from those of practitioners. Finally, it appeared that interprofessional education interventions were able to reduce the difference in IPC between nurses and physicians

Local anaesthesia efficacy as postoperative analgesia for open shoulder instability surgery. a prospective randomised controlled study

Background and objectives: The aim of present study was to evaluate for the first time, the clinical effect of local anaesthetic infiltration as postoperative analgesia in open shoulder surgery for anterior-inferior instability. The comparison of the local infiltration and interscalenic brachial plexus block to a control group test the local anaesthetic efficacy in this surgery. Methods: 78 patients scheduled for open shoulder surgery were enrolled and randomly assigned to one of three groups: local infiltration anaesthesia (LIA), interscalenic brachial plexus block (IBPB) and control (C). All patients received standardized general anaesthesia and all injections were performed with the same dose and volume of anaesthetic. The number boluses delivered by a PCA pump applied at the end of surgery and the visual analogue score (VAS) at 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours after intervention were recorded. A patient satisfaction score was also assessed. Results: Mean bolus consumption of the rescue analgesic, compared to C, was significantly less both in the LIA and IBPB groups (P<0.05). The IBPB group showed VAS scores that were significantly better than C group at all time points (P<0.05). The VAS scores for LIA group were clinically comparable to IBPB, and only at the 2 and 6 hours, postoperative time points there were no significant differences found in respect to the C group. IBPB and LIA showed comparable patient satisfaction scores. Conclusion: The local anaesthetic infiltration as postoperative analgesia appears to be a clinically valid alternative, statistically comparable to IBPB, with no clinical meaningful adverse effects

Do Superordinate Identification and Temporal/Social Comparisons Independently Predict Citizens’ System Trust? Evidence From a 40-Nation Survey

Do superordinate in-group bias as well as temporal and social comparisons offer standalone explanations for system justification? We addressed this question using the latest World Value Survey (7th Wave), combining the responses of 55,721 participants from 40 different nations. Results from a random slope multilevel model showed that superordinate (national) identification, temporal comparison (i.e., the outcomes of an individual relative to those of his/her parents at different time points), and social comparison (based on income levels) were independent and positive predictors of system justification. Specifically, system justification increased when national identification was high, when income increased (i.e., the socioeconomic comparison was positive), and when the outcomes of citizens improved relative to the outcomes of their parents at relevant time points (i.e., the temporal comparison was positive). Incidentally, we also observed an interaction between national identification and temporal comparison (but not with social comparison), indicating that positive temporal comparison seemed to have a reduced effect (but still significant) for highly identified citizens. These results are supportive of the social identity approach to system justification and suggest that support for societal systems is a positive function of people’s personal and group interests

Functionomics: the analysis of a postgenomic concept on the basis of pregenomic pharmacological studies in smooth muscle

The term functionomics (Amin 2003, Neumann et al. 2004) refers to a postgenomic integrated Systems Biology (Attur et al. 2002) using a multidimensional approach for cells, tissues and organs. It considers current or future involvement among genomics, proteomics or metabolomics, including the main factors that cause biological responses and modulation under different conditions. Our objective in the present review is to summarize the contemporary understanding of functionomics of smooth muscle pharmacology, based on the results obtained on the pregenomic era during several years in our laboratory. The present approach is based on the knowledge of the dynamics of the receptor system, which comprises a cascade of phenomena, leading from the drug administration to the final biological response. We will describe several conditions in which the final effect is modified, based on perturbations induced on drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, interaction with receptors and mobilization of second messengers, as well as by interactions with a second receptor system. We will also discuss the gaps that need to be fulfilled in order to obtain a clear and better understanding of the receptor system in smooth muscle, and to narrow the bridge between ourknowledge of the function of biological systems, genomics, and other recently introduced areas.O termo funcionômica (Amin 2003, Neumann et al. 2004) refere-se a um estudo posgenômico de Biologia de Sistemas (Attur et al. 2002), usando um enfoque multidimensional, dinâmico e simultâneo para células, tecidos e órgãos. Considera o envolvimento presente e futuro da genômica, proteômica e metabolômica incluindo os principais fatores que causam a resposta biológica final e sua modulação em diferentes condições. Nosso objetivo na presente revisão é resumir o nosso conhecimento atual em relação à funcionômica da farmacologia da musculatura lisa, baseada em resultados que obtivemos ainda na era pregenômica, durante vários anos em nosso laboratório. O presente enfoque baseia-se no que sabemos hoje em dia sobre a dinâmica do sistema receptor, que compreende uma cascata de fenômenos, que vão desde a administração de uma droga até a resposta biológica. Descreveremos várias condições nas quais a resposta é modificada, com base em perturbações produzidas na absorção, distribuição e metabolismo de fármacos, interação com receptores, mobilização de segundos mensageiros, bem como interações com um segundo sistema receptor. Discutiremos também o papel da genômica e as inúmeras falhas que devem ser preenchidas, para que se chegue a um conhecimento integrado e cada vez melhor dos sistemas receptores na musculatura lisa e para encurtar a ponte entre as funções do sistema biológico, genômica e outras áreas recentemente introduzidas.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de FarmacologiaUNIFESP, Depto. de FarmacologiaSciEL