Concerning the Lewis acidity of NO+ and NO2/+ as measured by their affinity to selected bases

Recently published theoretical results concerning the NO+ and NO2/+ gas-phase affinities of a few selected molecules, as well as the correlation between the above quantities and the corresponding proton affinities, are examined in the context of the much larger body of experimental and theoretical data already reported in the literature.Fil: Cacace, Fulvio. Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza"; ItaliaFil: Ciuffo, Gladys Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: De Petris, Giulia. Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza"; Itali

Presence of a Mitovirus Is Associated with Alteration of the Mitochondrial Proteome, as Revealed by Protein–Protein Interaction (PPI) and Co-Expression Network Models in Chenopodium quinoa Plants

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Plants often harbor persistent plant virus infection transmitted only vertically through seeds, resulting in no obvious symptoms (cryptic infections). Several studies have shown that such cryptic infections provide resilience against abiotic (and biotic) stress. We have recently discovered a new group of cryptic plant viruses infecting mitochondria (plant mitovirus). Mitochondria are cellular organelles displaying a pivotal role in protecting cells from the stress of nature . Here, we look at the proteomic alterations caused by the mitovirus cryptic infection of Chenopodium quinoa by Systems Biology approaches allowing one to evaluate data at holistic level. Quinoa is a domesticated plant species with many exciting features of abiotic stress resistance, and it is distinguished by its exceptional nutritional characteristics, such as the content and quality of proteins, minerals, lipids, and tocopherols. These features determined the growing interest for the quinoa crop by the scientific community and international organizations since they provide opportunities to produce high-value grains in arid, high-salt and high-UV agroecological environments. We discovered that quinoa lines hosting mitovirus activate some metabolic processes that might help them face drought. These findings present a new perspective for breeding crop plants through the augmented genome provided by accessory cryptic viruses to be investigated in the future. ABSTRACT: Plant mitoviruses belong to Mitoviridae family and consist of positive single-stranded RNA genomes replicating exclusively in host mitochondria. We previously reported the biological characterization of a replicating plant mitovirus, designated Chenopodium quinoa mitovirus 1 (CqMV1), in some Chenopodium quinoa accessions. In this study, we analyzed the mitochondrial proteome from leaves of quinoa, infected and not infected by CqMV1. Furthermore, by protein–protein interaction and co-expression network models, we provided a system perspective of how CqMV1 affects mitochondrial functionality. We found that CqMV1 is associated with changes in mitochondrial protein expression in a mild but well-defined way. In quinoa-infected plants, we observed up-regulation of functional modules involved in amino acid catabolism, mitochondrial respiratory chain, proteolysis, folding/stress response and redox homeostasis. In this context, some proteins, including BCE2 (lipoamide acyltransferase component of branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex), DELTA-OAT (ornithine aminotransferase) and GR-RBP2 (glycine-rich RNA-binding protein 2) were interesting because all up-regulated and network hubs in infected plants; together with other hubs, including CAT (catalase) and APX3 (L-ascorbate peroxidase 3), they play a role in stress response and redox homeostasis. These proteins could be related to the higher tolerance degree to drought we observed in CqMV1-infected plants. Although a specific causative link could not be established by our experimental approach at this stage, the results suggest a new mechanistic hypothesis that demands further in-depth functional studies

Monochorionic twins and the early mother-infant relationship: an exploratory observational study of mother-infant interaction in the post-partum period

The extraordinary increase in twin rates and specifically monochorionic twin pregnancies represents a major public health issue due to the associated increased risks for the mother, the child and their relationship. The aim of the present study was to examine the quality of mothers’ behaviour during mother–infant interaction in the early postpartum period by comparing mothers of twins and mothers of singletons during face-to-face interaction with their infants. Demographic and clinical information was collected by trained research psychologists from the mothers’ and the childrens’ clinical records and from interviews with the mothers. At three months (corrected for prematurity), the interactions of the dyads (11 mother-twin infant dyads and 11 mother-singleton dyads) were filmed at participants’ homes in accordance with the procedure of the Global Rating Scales. Maternal behaviour during interactions was assessed and rated by two trained research psychologists. With regard to the mothers’ interaction with each twin, no differences were found between mothers’ scores in every GRS subscale, indicating that mothers did not interact differently with their twins. Comparisons between mothers of MC twins and mothers of singletons showed that the quality of maternal sensitive behaviour during the interactions were lower in mothers of twins (0.35) Mothers of twins were also more distant during interactions with their babies and more likely to experience depression symptoms than mothers of singletons (0.05). Future research should examine mother-infant relationships following twin birth with larger samples. Such research will be especially useful in evaluating the potential benefits of interventions to promote positive mother-infant interactions

The Italian language postpartum specific anxiety scale [PSAS-IT]: translation, psychometric evaluation, and validation

IntroductionWhile often positive, the lifecourse transition to motherhood is susceptible to the risk for developing mood disorders. Postpartum anxiety has often been overshadowed by other perinatal-specific mental health disorders, such as postpartum depression, and therefore has not been at the forefront or center of as much empirical study. This has meant there is a lack of effective and reliable tools with which to measure it, despite growing evidence suggesting its detrimental impact on mothers, their babies, wider family and social contacts, and on healthcare systems. This current study aimed to translate and validate the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale [PSAS] into the Italian language, and to validate the tool for its use in detecting anxiety specific to motherhood.MethodsThe study (N = 457) comprised 4 stages: English-Italian translation and back-translation to obtain the Italian version [PSAS-IT]; a preliminary pilot study to adapt the PSAS to the characteristics of the Italian population; measurement invariance; and internal reliability of subscales.ResultsThe PSAS-IT demonstrates similar psychometric properties as the original English-language PSAS, with acceptable acceptability, construct and convergent validity, and internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis for multiple groups (Italy and United Kingdom) showed that the factor structure of the PSAS was valid for both groups [χ2 (2436) = 4679.481, p < 0.001, TLI = 0.969, CFI =0.972, RMSEA = 0.045, SRMR =0.064].DiscussionThe resulting findings offer a reliable measure of postpartum anxiety in Italian language up to six months after birth

The future of road transport

A perfect storm of new technologies and new business models is transforming not only our vehicles, but everything about how we get around, and how we live our lives. The JRC report “The future of road transport - Implications of automated, connected, low-carbon and shared mobility” looks at some main enablers of the transformation of road transport, such as data governance, infrastructures, communication technologies and cybersecurity, and legislation. It discusses the potential impacts on the economy, employment and skills, energy use and emissions, the sustainability of raw materials, democracy, privacy and social fairness, as well as on the urban context. It shows how the massive changes on the horizon represent an opportunity to move towards a transport system that is more efficient, safer, less polluting and more accessible to larger parts of society than the current one centred on car ownership. However, new transport technologies, on their own, won't spontaneously make our lives better without upgrading our transport systems and policies to the 21st century. The improvement of governance and the development of innovative mobility solutions will be crucial to ensure that the future of transport is cleaner and more equitable than its car-centred present.JRC.C.4-Sustainable Transpor

Concerning the Lewis acidity of NO+ and NO2+ as measured by their affinity to selected bases.

Recently published theoretical results concerning the NO1 and NO12 gas-phase af®nities of a few selected molecules, as well as the correlation between the above quantities and the corresponding proton af®nities, are examined in the context of the much larger body of experimental and theoretical data already reported in the literature. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Postpartum-specific anxiety and maternal-infant bonding:A predictive validity study amongst Italian speakers

The role of anxiety is unknown in relation to postpartum bonding, unlike the well known detrimental effect of postpartum depression has on the relationship between mother and child. This study investigates how anxiety affects mother-infant bonding after childbirth, comparing the Italian version of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS-IT) with generalised measures of anxiety. Examining 324 non-randomly selected participants responding to various scales, including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS-IT), Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ), and Baby Care Questionnaire (BCQ-2); initial results suggest a link between certain postpartum anxiety symptoms and attachment problems. Surprisingly, anxiety measured with the PSAS has no direct influence on attachment, however, it is a strong predictor of bonding, even when maternal age, general anxiety, and depression are taken into account explaining 3% of the variance in scores (β = .26, p &lt; 0.001). This emphasises the importance of early identification and intervention of postpartum anxiety in promoting bonding between mother and child.<br/

Running Away from the War in Ukraine: The Impact on Mental Health of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Refugees in Transit in Poland

: A growing body of research highlights how communities traumatized by conflict and displacement suffer from long-term mental and psychosocial illnesses. The Russian army's attack on Ukraine has resulted in an estimated 10 million people being internally or externally displaced from Ukraine, of whom more than 3.8 million have left Ukraine to seek refuge elsewhere in Europe. Soleterre has decided to launch an intervention to provide psychological support to Ukrainian refugees and IDPs, aimed at containing war trauma, assessing the severity of symptoms, and enabling those affected to receive psychological support. The intervention model envisioned the administration of an intake form to provide a rapid collection of qualitative and quantitative information for those arriving in Poland or Lviv from Ukraine. Our results showed how most of the samples reported high or very high levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. Moreover, results highlighted how being close to families or being able to keep in touch with them work as a protective factor in enhancing resilience, as well as a support network. These findings underscored the importance of re-thinking our perception of "family" in a broader sense, considering the new facets it can take on in post-conflict situations