VALUTAZIONE DELL'EFFETTO DEL TRATTAMENTO CON RADIAZIONI IONIZZANTI SUL CONTENUTO DI MICOTOSSINE NELLA FRUTTA SECCA

Le micotossine sono un gruppo eterogeneo di sostanze chimiche a basso peso molecolare prodotte dal metabolismo secondario di varie specie di funghi tossigeni appartenenti ai generi Aspergillus, Penicillum, Alternaria e Fusarium [1]. Sono molto resistenti al calore e non vengono completamente distrutte durante le normali operazioni di cottura, n\ue9 dai trattamenti fisici, chimici e biologici cui vengono normalmente sottoposte le derrate durante i processi di preparazione degli alimenti. La loro possibile presenza in molti alimenti costituisce oggi un motivo di crescente preoccupazione per la salute dei consumatori poich\ue9 alcune micotossine manifestano caratteristiche di genotossicit\ue0, cancerogenicit\ue0, immunotossicit\ue0, mutagenicit\ue0, nefrotossicit\ue0 e teratogenicit\ue0 [2-4]. Tra i metodi di decontaminazione esistenti ed ampiamente utilizzati, il trattamento degli alimenti con le radiazioni ionizzanti rappresenta un metodo sicuro per ottenere sia una migliore conservazione dei prodotti, sia un controllo delle affezioni alimentari, tramite la riduzione/eliminazione della popolazione patogena [5]. In questo lavoro sono stati valutati gli effetti del processo di irraggiamento con una sorgente di 60Co e dosi comprese tra 0,5 e 3 kGy sul contenuto di micotossine in campioni di frutta secca. In particolare il contenuto di aflatossine G1, G2, B1 e B2, e di ocratossina A (OTA) \ue8 stato valutato, prima e dopo l\u2019irraggiamento, attraverso cromatografia liquida ad alte prestazioni (HPLC) sfruttando le potenzialit\ue0 del rivelatore a fluorescenza. Le analisi HPLC sono precedute da un processo di purificazione del campione che prevede l\u2019utilizzo di colonne di immunoaffinit\ue0 [6-8]. Inoltre sono state valutate le relazioni esistenti tra dose e degradazione delle micotossine

Dealing with the Ups and Downs of Life: Positive Dispositions in Coping with Negative and Positive Events and Their Relationships with Well-Being Indicators

In a four-wave, longitudinal study (N = 323), we tested the relationships between five positive dispositions\u2014mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude, hedonism, and eudaimonism\u2014and time-varying negative affect, positive affect, life satisfaction, and meaning in life. These relationships were tested while controlling for the ups and downs in life across three months, operationalized as the effects, for a respondent, of having experienced more frequent and intense positive and negative events compared to other individuals in the sample (inter-individual variation) and of having experienced more frequent and intense positive and negative events than usual for that person (intra-individual variation). We also tested the interactive effects between each disposition and intra-individual variation in the frequency and intensity of negative and positive events on well-being variables. Results, obtained through multilevel models with repeated observations nested in individuals, showed that each disposition had specific associations with well-being indicators, although stronger effects were detected for eudaimonism and, especially, self-compassion. Moderation analyses showed that: mindfulness and self-compassion buffered intra-individual variation in negative events; people scoring higher on hedonism, eudaimonism, and self-compassion showed less need to rely on positive events to experience positive emotions; experiencing a negative event that was more intense than usual was associated with higher meaning in life for people with high levels of eudaimonism. Overall, findings suggest that mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude, hedonism, and eudaimonism build well-being through different channels. Positive interventions could benefit from mixing these healthy functioning strategies and considering their roles in reactions to events

A deeper look at the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and empathy: Meditation experience as a moderator and dereification processes as mediators

Studies on the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and empathy reported results that vary across specific components of the constructs and employed measures. We investigated the associations between facets of mindfulness (acting with awareness, nonjudging, nonreactivity, describing, observing) and dimensions of empathy (perspective taking, empathic concern, personal distress), while considering meditation experience of respondents as a moderator (Study 1), and variables associated to the mindfulness-related dereification process (adaptive emotion regulation, decentering, reduced rumination, nonattachment, and social connectedness) as mediators (Studies 2 and 3). We hypothesized that most facets of mindfulness would be positively associated with perspective taking and empathic concern, and negatively with personal distress (H1), that the association between mindfulness facets and empathy would be stronger in meditators (H2), and that the relationship between mindfulness and empathy would be mediated by adaptive emotion regulation (H3) and by the other mindfulness-related dereification constructs (H4). Results substantially supported H1, H2, and H3, and H4 for what concerned decentering, nonattachment, and social connectedness; unexpectedly, rumination conveyed a negative indirect effect from mindfulness facets \u2013 except observing \u2013 to empathy. Findings clarify the ambivalent (positive via adaptive emotion regulation and dereification, negative via rumination) relationship between mindfulness and empathy, and the moderating role of meditation

A Deep Dive into Compassion: Italian Validation, Network Analysis, and Correlates of Recent Compassion Scales

The present multi-sample study (N = 723) explores in depth the construct of dispositional compassion and its assessment, relying on two recent multidimensional scales: the Sussex-Oxford Compassion Scale—toward Others (SOCS-O; Gu et al., 2020) and the Compassion Scale (CS; Pommier et al., 2020). First, we validated the two scales in Italian, finding substantial support for their original factor structures and second-order solutions aggregating first-order factors into a general dispositional compassion factor. Second, we tested the simultaneous links between SOCS-O and CS facets via network analysis to identify which facets stand at the core of dispositional compassion or are more distal. Kindness (CS) and Feeling (SOCS-O) facets were more central components of compassion, leaning on the ability to tune in to (CS Mindfulness) and understand others’ pain (SOCS-O Universality) and connected to the urge to alleviate that pain (SOCS-O Acting). Third, we explored the nomological net of correlates of dispositional compassion and examined the differences between the SOCS-O and the CS in their relationship with the correlates. Results supported the convergent and discriminant validity of the scales and showed that the SOCS-O, compared to the CS, may capture some emotionally aversive sides of compassion

What is your couple type? Gender ideology, housework and babies

This paper examines the consistency between gender equality in opinions and attitudes and equality in the division of household labor by building a typology of respondents that combines two indexes for two dimensions of gender equality. The typology identifies four types of couples: gender unequal attitudes and gender unequal housework sharing, gender equal attitudes and gender unequal housework sharing, gender unequal attitudes and gender equal housework sharing, gender equal attitudes and gender equal housework sharing. We assess the impact of the typology on the likelihood of a new childbirth, using two-wave panel data of the Bulgarian, French and Hungarian Generations and Gender Surveys. The impact of the typology varies with parity and gender: taking as reference category the case of gender equal attitudes and gender equal division of housework, the effect of the other couple types on a new childbirth is strong and negative for parity one and female respondents, while it largely disappears for other parities

Observations about fly populations in facilities of Veterinary Medicine Faculty in Bologna University.

The dipteran-fauna observed in the experimental facilities is similar to that reported in livestock farms. The effectiveness of Steckill traps keeps fly number down, saving insecticide treatments

Close to me: The importance of closeness versus superficiality in explaining the positive-negative contact asymmetry

The evidence for differential effects of positive and negative intergroup contact on prejudice is mixed. We propose that the closeness of the relationships respondents have with contact partners can explain inconsistencies in previous findings. In three studies (total N\ua0=\ua0953), we tested the associations between positive intimate, negative intimate, positive superficial, and negative superficial contact and attitudes toward different outgroups (immigrants and gay people). We hypothesized that: (H1) the effect of positive contact would be maximized in intimate interactions; (H2) the effect of negative contact would be maximized in superficial interactions; (H3) positive intimate and negative superficial contact would have similar power in predicting attitudes. Results always supported H1, and supported H2 and H3 only with immigrants. Findings held also when controlling for category salience and agreeableness, but not for social dominance orientation, which instead strengthened the effect of negative superficial contact. Overall, findings clarify the positive\u2013negative contact asymmetry

COVID-19 threat and perceptions of common belonging with outgroups: The roles of prejudice-related individual differences and intergroup contact

COVID-19 represents a multidimensional threat with the potential to worsen intergroup relations, but perceiving a common belonging with various outgroups may prevent intergroup tensions. During the Italian lockdown, we conducted an online survey with 685 Italian participants investigating whether perceptions of common belonging (belonging to a common group, sharing a common destiny, perceiving the difficulties faced by other groups) with disadvantaged and national outgroups were associated with perceived COVID-19 threat and prejudice-related individual differences, namely social dominance orientation (SDO), need for cognitive closure (NFC), deprovincialization, pre-lockdown positive and negative face-to-face contact with immigrants. We also explored the moderating roles of individual differences in the link between perceived threat and perceptions of common belonging. Results showed that common belonging was negatively associated with COVID-19 perceived threat, SDO, and NFC, and positively associated with deprovincialization and positive contact, with differences depending on the common belonging index and on the type of outgroup. Moderations showed that negative relationships between common belonging and COVID-19 threat held only at low levels of NFC (floor effect), deprovincialization, and positive contact. Summarizing, positive contact with minorities and openness to other cultures can favor a sense of communion with other social groups in a global health emergency