Maladaptive Daydreaming in an Adult Italian Population During the COVID-19 Lockdown

During the COVID-19 outbreak, individuals with or without mental disorders may resort to dysfunctional psychological strategies that could trigger or heighten their emotional distress. The current study aims to explore the links between maladaptive daydreaming (MD, i.e., a compulsive fantasy activity associated with distress and psychological impairment), psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, and negative stress, and COVID-19-related variables, such as changes in face-to-face and online relationships, during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. A total of 6,277 Italian adults completed an online survey, including socio-demographic variables, COVID-19 related information, the 16-item Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16), and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21 Items (DASS-21). Based on an empirically derived cut-off score, 1,082 participants (17.2%) were identified as probable maladaptive daydreamers (MDers). A binary logistic regression revealed that compared to controls, probable MDers reported that during the COVID-19 lockdown they experienced higher levels of anxiety and depression, decreased online social relationships, and, surprisingly, stable or increased face-to-face social relationships. Given the peculiar characteristics of the pandemic context, these findings suggest that the exposure to the risk of contagion had probably exacerbated the tendency of probable MDers to lock themselves inside their mental fantasy worlds, which in turn may have contributed to further estrangement from online social relationships and support, thus worsening their emotional distress

AVALIAÃÃO DA EFICIÃNCIA DE FOSSA SÃPTICA DE BAIXO CUSTO DESENVOLVIDA PARA O SANEAMENTO RURAL

O tratamento do esgoto sanitário é essencial para a vida saudável, à proteção da biodiversidade, à recuperação e manutenção dos recursos ambientais. Entretanto, apesar dos avanços nos últimos anos, o saneamento básico no Brasil ainda apresenta uma situação crítica. Nesse contexto, soluções alternativas são de extrema importância, sobretudo no meio rural que possui uma proporção ainda maior de população sem serviços de saneamento. Contudo, o uso de tecnologias alternativas requer precauções, especialmente em relação às características dos efluentes gerados no tratamento. Assim, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a eficiência de uma fossa séptica econômica (FSE) destinada ao saneamento rural, construída no assentamento Horto Aimorés, município de Pederneiras/SP. Baseada nos princípios do tanque séptico de câmaras em série, a tecnologia avaliada (FSE) constitui uma alternativa desenvolvida pela Secretaria Municipal de Agricultura de Caratinga/MG, como solução de baixo custo a partir da configuração proposta pelo corpo técnico da Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária. Para tanto, foram considerados indicadores da capacidade de eliminar agentes patogênicos e reduzir a carga poluidora. Como resultado, a análise de parâmetros como coliformes totais e Escherichia coli, Demanda Bioquímica de Oxigênio, pH e teor de Sólidos Totais, indicaram que a FSE representa uma solução promissora, mas que requer estudos complementares para destinação dos efluentes que, pelo resultado das avaliações, não atenderam as exigências para lançamento em corpos hídricos. Portanto, em trabalhos futuros pretende-se o aprofundamento das análises, visando maiores informações sobre o lodo gerado e, assim, apoiar seu manejo e destinação adequados. Palavras-chave: Esgoto doméstico; tecnologia social; baixo custo. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF LOW-COST SEPTIC TANK APPLIED TO RURAL SANITATION ABSTRACT The wastewater treatment is mandatory for the healthy life, biodiversity protection, even as to reclamation and maintenance of environmental resources. However, in spite of the advancements in the last years, the basic sanitation in Brazil still presents a critical situation to overcome. In this context, alternative solutions are extremely important, especially in the rural area, where there is a ratio even larger of people without sewage system. Nevertheless, the use of alternative technologies requires precautions, mainly in relation to the treatment effluents. Thus, the present paper aims to analysis the performance of an economical septic tank (EST) applied to the rural sanitation, built in the Horto Aimoré settlement, Pederneiras city, São Paulo State, Brazil. Based on the principles of septic tank of chambers in series, the assessed technology was developed by Municipal Department of Agriculture of Caratinga city, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from the proposal of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Agency. For that, capability indicators of eliminating pathogens and reducing the polluting load were considered. As a result, the analyses of parameters as total coliforms and Escherichia coli, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, pH and Total Solids content, indicated that the ETS can be considered a promising solution, but it requires further studies with regard to effluents disposal that, by the analyses results, do not meet the requirements to disposal in hydrous bodies. Therefore, in future works the intend is the deepening of the analyses, in order to obtain more information on the sludge generated and to support its adequate handling and disposal. Keywords: Domestic wastewater; social technology; low-cost

Longitudinal associations between maladaptive daydreaming and psychological distress during the COVID-19 health crisis

Background and aims: Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) is a suggested syndrome where individuals become addicted to fantasizing vividly for hours on end at the expense of engaging in real-world relationships and functioning. MD can be seen as a behavioral addiction. However, a paucity of longitudinal research means that there is no empirical evidence confirming the stability of this alleged addiction. Moreover, the direction of its association with psychopathology is unclear. Methods: We examine, for the first time, long-term stability and longitudinal associations between MD, psychological distress (stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms) and COVID-19 related exposure. Results: Participants (N 5 814) completed an online survey twice, with a lag of 13 months. A two-wave structural equation model demonstrated high MD stability and positive cross-lagged pathways from MD to psychological distress. COVID-19 related exposure was not a longitudinal predictor. Discussion and conclusions: MD is a stable condition and a risk factor for an increase in psychological distress

Efficient preparation and stabilization of Re-188-MDP under physiological conditions

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The Italian Job: Navigating the (im)perfect storm of participatory fisheries research in the Northern Adriatic Sea

In fisheries management there is now a broad consensus on the importance of including and integrating fishermen and their knowledge. This shift reflected by the latest reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy indicates, at least in principle, a move away from the traditional centralised ‘top-down’ model to a more decentralised ‘networked’ system of governance. What happens though to this ideal of participation when there is limited agreement about what the problems are and how to handle them? The GAP project case study in Chioggia, located in the Northern Adriatic, provides an opportunity to illustrate this question through exploring the differing perceptions and competing narratives surrounding ‘la crisi’ (the crisis) in the fisheries in question. Simply put, ‘la crisi’ represents a crisis in the sector, with stock collapse and the ruination of local fisheries-based livelihoods a likely outcome should the status quo be maintained. This perspective is held by many fishermen and a number of scientists working with them and yet is opposed by a counter narrative of ‘stability and ecosystem health’, promoted by regional fisheries managers and affiliated scientists. The Chioggia case study, a participatory research initiative between scientists and local fishermen, seeks to bridge this gap in knowledge by mapping the spatial and temporal distribution of resources and fishing effort in the Northern Adriatic Sea. The paper emphasises the challenges and opportunities that this research collaboration entails and assesses its capacity to catalyse or inhibit the conditions necessary for mobilising collective action in fisheries management

NICeSim: An open-source simulator based on machine learning techniques to support medical research on prenatal and perinatal care decision making

This paper describes NICeSim, an open-source simulator that uses machine learning (ML) techniques to aid health professionals to better understand the treatment and prognosis of premature newborns. The application was developed and tested using data collected in a Brazilian hospital. The available data were used to feed an ML pipeline that was designed to create a simulator capable of predicting the outcome (death probability) for newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units. However, unlike previous scoring systems, our computational tool is not intended to be used at the patients bedside, although it is possible. Our primary goal is to deliver a computational system to aid medical research in understanding the correlation of key variables with the studied outcome so that new standards can be established for future clinical decisions. In the implemented simulation environment, the values of key attributes can be changed using a user-friendly interface, where the impact of each change on the outcome is immediately reported, allowing a quantitative analysis, in addition to a qualitative investigation, and delivering a totally interactive computational tool that facilitates hypothesis construction and testing. Our statistical experiments showed that the resulting model for death prediction could achieve an accuracy of 86.7% and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.84 for the positive class. Using this model, three physicians and a neonatal nutritionist performed simulations with key variables correlated with chance of death. The results indicated important tendencies for the effect of each variable and the combination of variables on prognosis. We could also observe values of gestational age and birth weight for which a low Apgar score and the occurrence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) could be less or more severe. For instance, we have noticed that for a newborn with 2000 g or more the occurrence of RDS is far less problematic than for neonates weighing less. The significant accuracy demonstrated by our predictive model shows that NICeSim might be used for hypothesis testing to minimize in vivo experiments. We observed that the model delivers predictions that are in very good agreement with the literature, demonstrating that NICeSim might be an important tool for supporting decision making in medical practice. Other very important characteristics of NICeSim are its flexibility and dynamism. NICeSim is flexible because it allows the inclusion and deletion of variables according to the requirements of a particular study. It is also dynamic because it trains a just-in-time model. Therefore, the system is improved as data from new patients become available. Finally, NICeSim can be extended in a cooperative manner because it is an open-source system

La Réforme en France et en Italie

Le déroulement de la Réforme en France et en Italie présente en même temps des similitudes frappantes et des différences évidentes. Première rencontre consacrée aux comparaisons, aux contrastes et aux contacts entre ces deux mouvements de renouveau religieux, puissants, mais qui finalement échouent au moins partiellement, le colloque réuni à Rome les 27-20 octobre 2005 avait plusieurs objectifs : en premier lieu, étudier les rapports directs entre les individus et les événements dans ces deux pays, beaucoup plus importants que ce que beaucoup d’historiens avaient pu penser ; ensuite, favoriser la rencontre entre des méthodes et des questionnements historiographiques différents, qui doit conduire à de nouvelles voies de recherches pour chaque pays ; enfin, mener une comparaison systématique entre les deux courants pour éclairer des thématiques et des problèmes majeurs jusqu’ici rarement abordés qui suscitent de nouvelles réflexions problématiques plus larges sur les deux Réformes

Heterozygous mutations of the kinesin KIF21A in congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles type 1 (CFEOM1).

Congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles type 1 (CFEOM1; OMIM #135700) is an autosomal dominant strabismus disorder associated with defects of the oculomotor nerve. We show that individuals with CFEOM1 harbor heterozygous missense mutations in a kinesin motor protein encoded by KIF21A. We identified six different mutations in 44 of 45 probands. The primary mutational hotspots are in the stalk domain, highlighting an important new role for KIF21A and its stalk in the formation of the oculomotor axis