Pathologic use of video games and gotivation. Can the Gaming Motivation Scale (GAMS) predict depression and trait anxiety?

Videogaming is an increasingly prevalent activity among adolescents worldwide. The present study aimed at adapting the Gaming Motivation Scale (GAMS) to the Italian context, assessing its psychometric properties and verifying its sensitivity to predict depression and anxiety levels. From a sample of 1899 participants, a group of 388 adolescents who participated in the survey was divided into two subgroups of Heavy (HG, N = 188) and Light Gamers (LG, N = 200). A sub-sample of N = 172 adolescents also filled-in CESD and STAI to assess, respectively, depression and trait anxiety. Internal consistency and factorial structure of the Italian version of GAMS (GAMS-it) have been evaluated. Moreover, a latent regression structural equation model by predicting the CES-D and STAI scores with the GAMS-it factors has been carried out. GAMS-it has adequate validity and reliability levels, showing a very similar factorial structure to the original version. Therefore, this scale can be used to evaluate gaming motivation, which is useful for gaming motivation screening. Finally, it has been found that lower gaming motivation can be related to high level of depression and anxiety. The present findings provide a coherent picture, supporting the reliability and validity of the GAMS-it, that appears potentially useful in predicting anxiety and depression levels in a population of adolescent

Mechatronic Design of a Robot for Upper Limb Rehabilitation at Home

AbstractThis paper addresses the design of a novel bionic robotic device for upper limb rehabilitation tasks at home. The main goal of the design process has been to obtain a rehabilitation device, which can be easily portable and can be managed remotely by a professional therapist. This allows to treat people also in regions that are not easily reachable with a significant cost reduction. Other potential benefits can be envisaged, for instance, in the possibility to keep social distancing while allowing rehabilitation treatments even during a pandemic spread. Specific attention has been devoted to design the main mechatronic components by developing specific kinematics and dynamics models. The design process includes the implementation of a specific control hardware and software. Preliminary experimental tests are reported to show the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed design solution

Clowns Benefit Children Hospitalized for Respiratory Pathologies

The study aims at evaluating health-generating function of humor therapy in a hospital ward hosting children suffering from respiratory pathologies. The main scope of this study is to investigate possible positive effects of the presence of a clown on both the clinical evolution of the on-going disease, and on some physiological and pain parameters. Forty-three children with respiratory pathologies participated in the study: 21 of them belonged to the experimental group (EG) and 22 children to the control group (CG). During their hospitalization, the children of the EG interacted with two clowns who were experienced in the field of pediatric intervention. All participants were evaluated with respect to clinical progress and to a series of physiological and pain measures both before and after the clown interaction. When compared with the CG, EG children showed an earlier disappearance of the pathological symptoms. Moreover, the interaction of the clown with the children led to a statistically significant lowering of diastolic blood pressure, respiratory frequency and temperature in the EG as compared with the control group. The other two parameters of systolic pressure and heart frequency yielded results in the same direction, without reaching statistical significance. A similar health-inducing effect of clown presence was observed on pain parameters, both by self evaluation and assessment by nurses. Taken together, our data indicate that the presence of clowns in the ward has a possible health-inducing effect. Thus, humor can be seen as an easy-to-use, inexpensive and natural therapeutic modality to be used within different therapeutic settings

Adattamento italiano della Assessment of Internet and Computer game Addiction scale (AICAs-Ita)

Il videogaming è un'attività sempre più diffusa tra adolescenti e adulti di tutto il mondo. Il presente studio ha l’obiettivo di adattare e valutare le proprietà psicometriche della versione italiana della Assessment of Internet and Computer Game Addiction scale (AICAs-Ita), una scala sviluppata e validata recentemente in Germania. Sono stati condotti tre distinti studi: il primo per confermare la struttura fattoriale della scala, il secondo per valutare la validità di costrutto, e il terzo per valutare se i punteggi dell’AICAs-Ita possano predire i livelli di depressione e ansia dei videogiocatori. A tal fine sono stati coinvolti tre diversi campioni di adolescenti italiani (di età compresa tra 14 e 19 anni) cui è stato chiesto di compilare l’AICAsIta, oltre alle scale GAMS e BIS-11 per lo studio 2, e CESD e STAI per lo studio 3. I risultati hanno sottolineato la qualità psicometrica dell'AICAs-Ita in termini di affidabilità e validità. La versione italiana della scala appare quindi essere uno strumento utile per valutare la dipendenza da videogiochi che potrà fruttuosamente essere utilizzato in questo crescente ambito di ricerca, per definire popolazioni di individui a potenziale rischio di dipendenza da nuove tecnologieVideogaming is an increasingly popular activity among teenagers and adults around the world. The present study aims to adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Assessment of Internet and Computer Game Addiction Scale (AICAs-Ita), a scale recently developed and validated in Germany. Three separate studies were conducted: the first to confirm the factorial structure of the scale, the second to evaluate the validity of the construct, and the third to assess whether AICAs-Ita scores can predict levels of depression and anxiety among gamers. To this end, three different samples of Italian adolescents were involved (aged between 14 and 19) who were asked to complete the AICAs-Ita, in addition to the GAMS and BIS-11 scales for study 2, and CESD and STAY for study 3. The results underlined the psychometric quality of AICAs-Ita in terms of reliability and validity. The Italian version of the scale therefore appears to be a useful tool for assessing video game addiction that can be fruitfully used in this growing field of research, to define populations of individuals at potential risk of dependence on new technologies

Preface to "Oscillator-Amplifier Free Electron Lasers an Outlook to Their Feasibility and Performances"

Free Electron Lasers (FELs) are certainly among the most interesting devices, belonging to the realm of coherent radiation sources [...

Ageing and neurodegenerative disorders

Editoria

A questionnaire for the assessment of violent behaviors in young couples. The Italian version of dating violence questionnaire (DVQ)

In the last years, intimate partner violence (IPV) became a relevant problem for community and for social life, particularly in young people. Its correct assessment and evaluation in the population is mandatory. Our objectives were: Confirm factor structure of Dating Violence Questionnaire (DVQ) and investigate its convergent and divergent validity. The DVQ along with other personality measures were filled by a sample of 418 university students (Females = 310) of average age of 23 y.o. (SD = 4.71). A subsample of participants (223 students) consented in being involved also in retest and filled also the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (short form) and a brief scale for describing the behavior of the (past) partner after the breaking of the relationship (BRS). The 8-factor structure, with respect to the two other competing models, reported better fit indexes and showed significant correlations with other personality measures. Personality traits, both Neuroticism and Psychoticism, correlated with Sexual Violence, while Detachment correlated only with Neuroticism and Coercion, Humiliation and Physical Violence correlated with only Psychoticism. Extraversion did not report significant relationships with any of the 8 DVQ factors. Also the predictive validity of DVQ was satisfactory with the partner violent reaction to the break of relationship predicted positively predicted by Coercion (b = 0.22) and by Humiliation (b = 0.20) and negatively by Emotional Punishment (b = -0.18). The present results indicate a good factor structure of the questionnaire, and interesting correlations with personality traits, allowing to identify psychological aspects with a predisposing role for anti-social aggressive behaviors. Further studies will be aimed at ascertaining other possible determinants of intimate partner violence and the weight of cultural aspects

"Real men" need keepsakes too: both Italian men and women use inanimate objects to cope with separation

IntroductionUsing tangible objects to alleviate distress contradicts the traditional masculinity that is stereotypically attributed to Italian men. This study tested whether the willingness to use a photograph of a romantic partner as a substitute for that person and as a cue for nostalgia in the situation of unavoidable separation depends on gender and conformity to the traditional masculine norms of Italian adults.Material and methodsThe study involved 119 Italian adults. Participants were randomly assigned to the separation or the connection condition. Next, they described the willingness to use a photograph of their partner as a substitute and as a cue for nostalgia; then we measured men's differences in their conformity to masculine norms.ResultsWe did not find support for the hypotheses that gender or traditional masculine norms impede using inanimate objects to regulate emotions.ConclusionsIt is worth considering photographs as reminders of social bonds that are accessible for both men and women

Albumin nanoparticles for glutathione-responsive release of cisplatin: new opportunities for medulloblastoma treatment

Redox-responsive nanoparticles were synthesized by desolvation of bovine serum albumin followed by disulfide-bond crosslinking with N, Nʹ-Bis (acryloyl) cystamine. Dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy studies revealed spherical nanoparticles (mean diameter: 83 nm, polydispersity index: 0.3) that were glutathione-responsive. Confocal microscopy revealed rapid, efficient internalization of the nanoparticles by Daoy medulloblastoma cells and healthy controls (HaCaT keratinocytes). Cisplatin-loaded nanoparticles with drug:carrier ratios of 5%, 10%, and 20% were tested in both cell lines. The formulation with the highest drug:carrier ratio reduced Daoy and HaCaT cell viability with IC50 values of 6.19 and 11.17 μg mL-1, respectively. The differential cytotoxicity reflects the cancer cells’ higher glutathione content, which triggers more extensive disruption of the disulfide bond-mediated intra-particle cross-links, decreasing particle stability and increasing their cisplatin release. These findings support continuing efforts to improve the safety and efficacy of antineoplastic drug therapy for pediatric brain tumors using selective nanoparticlebased drug delivery systems

Visuospatial working memory abilities in children analyzed by the bricks game task (BGT)

The study of the development of visuospatial memory processes is useful for devising personalized educational interventions as well as for understanding the changes in cognitive functioning in an era characterized by technological progress. The present research is aimed at investigating spatial working memory ability in children that attended the first three years of primary school by means of the Brick Game Task (BGT), a novel visuospatial working memory test. BGT is a small-scale ecological test inspired by behavioral walking tasks with nine white bricks in different spatial configurations as well as to Corsi Block-Tapping test. 228 Italian children (121 F; mean age: 7.22 ± 1.18) were assigned to three groups based on the primary school class attended: Group 1 (N = 85; 40 F; mean age 6.18 ± .5), Group 2 (N = 61; 36 F; mean age 7.2 ± .83), and Group 3 (N = 82; 44 F; mean age 8.32 ± .94). All participants were asked to complete the Digit Span test, the Corsi Block-Tapping test, and to explore the three spatial configurations of the BGT with the form of Matrix, M-BGT, Cluster, CL-BGT, Cross, CR-BGT. MANOVA revealed a main significant effect for Group (F12,434 = 15.06; p < .0001) indicating that the group of older obtained a better global executive performance than 1 and 2 groups. Multiple linear regression indicated that Corsi Block-Tapping test performance and Age significantly predicted the M-BGT score. Moreover, Corsi Block-Tapping test and Digit Span significantly predicted the CL-BGT performance, showing how a higher score results in a better CL- BGT performance. Finally, Corsi Block-Tapping test, Digit Span, and Age were positively associated with the CR- BGT performance. The present findings evidenced that novel BGT is a sensible visuospatial working memory task suggesting thus its use to assess the children’s executive performance in ecological way. These results open to the development of personalized educational interventions