STUDY ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SELF-ESTEEM, COPING AND CLINICAL SYMPTOMS IN A GROUP OF YOUNG ADULTS: A BRIEF REPORT

The aim of this research is to analyze how the experiences and representations of self-esteem correlate with clinical symptoms, as well as specific non-functional coping strategies in order to overcome difficulties in the development of autonomy and decision-making.Data show that the coping resources of individuals are directed more towards the Self than towards the social, sometimes even in terms of preoccupation with the Self and social isolation. Low self-esteem has correlations with somatization. It is especially in the female gender and is related to an image of Self that is not positive

Editorial: Sociomateriality in Children With Typical and/or Atypical Development.

L'idea di sociomaterialità ha origine principalmente dalla vasta area di prospettive sullo sviluppo psicologico legate all'empirismo. In termini semplici, si potrebbe dire che la sociomaterialità sottolinea il contributo dell'esperienza individuale e collettiva ponendo maggiormente l'accento sul ruolo che la corporeità, i contesti fisici e gli oggetti giocano nello sviluppo o nell'emergere di funzioni psicologiche. Purtroppo, come ogni semplificazione, anche questa ha dei limiti oggettivi. Ciò che rende difficile stabilire un quadro unificato per definire la sociomaterialità, e soprattutto per determinare la sua relazione con lo sviluppo psicologico, è prima di tutto una questione epistemologica che è ancora oggetto di un ampio dibattito in diverse aree scientifiche, tra cui la filosofia (Searle, 2007) archeologia e culture materiali (Malafouris, 2013), ergonomia (Geslin, 2017), antropologia e sociologia (Latour, 2005), scienze cognitive (Clark, 2008), psicoterapia (Searles, 1960), psicologia dello sviluppo (Iannaccone et al. 2018; Moro e Rodríguez, 1998; Moro, 2016) e l'apprendimento stesso (Engeström, 2015; Iannaccone, 2017; Cattaruzza et al., 2019). Nella misura limitata di questa introduzione al variegato Topic ospitato da Frontiers in Psychology, possiamo identificare il cuore del problema epistemologico in due domande fondamentali: (a) quali sono i confini della mente rispetto alla corporeità e al contesto in cui opera? e (b) quale potrebbe essere il contributo reale che gli artefatti danno allo sviluppo delle funzioni psicologiche, in particolare l'apprendimento?The idea of sociomateriality mainly originates from the vast area of perspectives on psychological development related to empiricism. In simple terms, it could be said that sociomateriality stresses the contribution of individual and collective experience by putting more emphasis on the role that corporeity, physical contexts, and objects play in the development or emergence of psychological functions. Unfortunately, like any simplification, this one has objective limits. What makes it difficult to establish a unified framework to define sociomateriality, and above all to determine its relationship to psychological development, is, first of all, an epistemological question that is still the subject of a wide debate in several scientific areas, including philosophy (Searle, 2007) archaeology and material cultures (Malafouris, 2013), ergonomics (Geslin, 2017), anthropology and sociology (Latour, 2005), cognitive sciences (Clark, 2008), psychotherapy (Searles, 1960), developmental psychology (Iannaccone et al. 2018; Moro and Rodríguez, 1998; Moro, 2016) and learning itself (Engeström, 2015; Iannaccone, 2017; Cattaruzza et al., 2019). Within the limited extent of this introduction to the variegated Topic hosted by Frontiers in Psychology, we can identify the heart of the epistemological problem in two fundamental questions: (a) what are the boundaries of the mind with respect to corporeity and the context in which it operates? and (b) what could be the real contribution that artefacts give to the development of psychological functions, particularly learning

Objects as Communicative Mediators in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

In recent years, the socio-material perspective has informed an important interdisciplinary debate concerning the role of the physical world (i.e., the objects) in human psychological development. Several studies in the field of developmental psychology showed positive achievements in explaining the relationship between the subject and the social context through a socio-material approach, in particular in the early development. The importance of objects was also recognized in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), showing that these children are characterized by alterations in the use of the objects from early development. Some studies highlighted that objects could be a facilitator in the interactions between children with ASD and peers. However, the role of objects was not sufficiently investigated in interactions between children with ASD and adults. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate in children with ASD the communicative function that the activities with objects assume in the interactions with adults, highlighting the mediator role of objects in these interactions. More generally, this study also aims to highlight the relevance of adopting a socio-material perspective to explore some neglected aspects of the psychological activity of children with ASD. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an extensive exploratory study, collecting data from a sample of 3-year-old (N = 18; F = 3) and 4-year-old (N = 26; F = 3) with ASD. Children were observed in a free-play situation with an adult. They were free to choose an object from a predefined set. Through quantitative data, we have described the general characteristics of the manipulation of objects; through qualitative data, we aimed to capture and describe, in microgenetic sequences, some characteristics of children\u2019s activities, defined as socio-material. The analysis of the socio-material activities suggested the role of objects as mediator of the interactions between children with ASD and adults

Composition and biodiversity of soil and root-associated microbiome in Vitis vinifera cultivar Lambrusco distinguish the microbial terroir of the Lambrusco DOC protected designation of origin area on a local scale

Introduction Wines produced from the same grape cultivars but in different locations possess distinctive qualities leading to different consumer's appreciation, preferences, and thus purchase choices. Here, we explore the possible importance of microbiomes at the soil-plant interface as a determinant of the terroir properties in grapevine production, which confer specific growth performances and wine chemo-sensory properties at the local scale. MethodsIn particular, we investigated the variation in microbial communities associated with the roots of Vitis vinifera cultivar Lambrusco, as well as with surrounding bulk soils, in different vineyards across the "Consorzio Tutela Lambrusco DOC" protected designation of origin area (PDO, Emilia Romagna, Italy), considering viticultural sites located both inside and outside the consortium in two different seasons (June and November 2021). ResultsAccording to our findings, rhizospheric and soil microbiomes show significant structural differences in relation to the sampling site, regardless of seasonality, while endophytic microbiomes seem to be completely unaffected by such variables. Furthermore, a deeper insight into the microbial terroir of PDO areas highlighted the presence of some rhizospheric microorganisms enriched inside the consortium and characterizing the PDO regardless of both sampling season and farming strategy. These include Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Azospirillum, which are all well-known plant growth-promoting bacteria. DiscussionTaken together, our results suggest a connection between soil and root microbiomes of V. vinifera cultivar Lambrusco and the local designation of origin, emphasizing the potential role of PDO-enriched plant growth-promoting bacteria in vine growing and final quality of the Lambrusco DOC wine

perceived social support and clinical symptomatology in italian university students

Social support can influence the perceptions of individual and social well-being for university students. We sought to verify whether the perceptions of social support correlate with the manifestation of clinical symptoms in young university students. A total of 26 participants, 58% female and 42% male, between the ages of 19 and 27 were included. The following tests were administered: SCL-90-R – scale for the self-evaluation of general psychopathology and MSPSS – self-assessment scale for the perception of social support. The students who perceived low levels of social support had high levels of clinical symptomatology (especially for internalised disorders). The index for a high intensity of symptoms Positive Symptom Total is correlated with a low level of perceived social support. Keywords: Clinical symptomatology, perceived social support, university students

Clinical scenarios of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-related mortality : Relevance of age and stage of disease at presentation

The evolving epidemiology of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has progressively changed our perception of HCM-related mortality. However, recent studies detailing individual causes of death based on age and clinical setting are lacking. Thus, the present study aimed to describe the modes of death in a consecutive cohort of HCM patients based on presenting clinical features and stage of disease.By retrospective analysis of a large HCM cohort, we identified 161 patients with >1 year follow-up who died between 2000 and 2020 and thoroughly investigated their modes of death. HCM stage at presentation was defined as "classic", "adverse remodeling" or "overt dysfunction".Of the 161 patients, 103 (64%) died of HCM-related causes, whereas 58 (36%) died of non-HCM-related causes. Patients who died of HCM-related causes were younger than those who died of non-HCM related causes. The most common cause of death was heart failure (HF). Sudden cardiac death (SCD) ranked third, after non cardiovascular death, and mostly occurred in young individuals. The proportion of HF related death and SCD per stage of disease was 14% and 27% in "classic", 38% and 21% in "adverse remodeling" and 74% and 10% in "overt dysfunction".Most HCM patients die due to complications of their own disease, mainly in the context of HF. While SCD tends to be juvenile, HF related deaths often occur in age groups no longer amenable to cardiac transplant. Modes of death vary with the stage of disease, with SCD becoming less prevalent in more advanced phases, when competitive risk of HF becomes overwhelming

Current approaches for treatment of coronary chronic occlusions

Introduction: Coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) represent a challenging subset in interventional cardiology. Areas covered: During the last decade, improvements in materials, techniques, and meticulous pre-procedural lesion assessment have increased the success rate in CTO lesions. Several scores have been developed to address overall lesion evaluation and help select the most appropriate treatment strategy. In addition, specific algorithms such as the hybrid algorithm have been introduced to provide a framework for CTO operators and a rapid management of the various challenging aspects of the procedure. The hybrid approach requires opera

Coronary Plaque Characteristics Associated with Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Atherosclerotic Patients and Lesions

Background. The clinical value of high-risk coronary plaque characteristics (CPCs) to inform intensified medical therapy or revascularization of non-flow-limiting lesion remains uncertain. Objectives. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to study the prognostic impact of CPCs on patient-level and lesion-level major cardiovascular adverse events (MACE).Methods. Thirty studies (21 retrospective, 9 prospective) with 30,369 patients evaluating the association of CPC with MACE were included. CPCs included high plaque burden, low minimal lumen area, thin cap fibroatheroma, high lipid core burden index, low attenuation plaque, spotty calcification, napkin ring sign, or positive remodelling. Results. CPCs were evaluated by intracoronary modalities in 9 studies (optical coherence tomography=4, intravascular ultrasound imaging=3, near-infrared spectroscopy intravascular ultrasound imaging=2) and by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in 21 studies. CPCs significantly predicted patient-level and lesion-level MACE in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses. For most CPCs, accuracy for MACE was modest to good at the patient-level and moderate to good at the lesion-level. Plaques with more than one CPC had the highest accuracy for lesion-level MACE (AUC 0.87). As the prevalence of CPCs among plaques was low, estimated positive predictive values for lesion-level MACE were modest. Results were mostly consistent across imaging modalities, clinical presentation and in studies with prevailing hard outcomes.Conclusions. Characterization of CPCs identifies high-risk atherosclerotic plaques that place lesions and patients at risk for future MACE, albeit with modest sensitivity and positive predictive value (PROSPERO identifier:CRD42021251810).<br/

Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction. The Multicenter ATHERO-APS Study

The prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is unknown. A prospective multicenter cohort study including 125 patients was conducted: 91 primary APS (PAPS), 18 APS-SLE, and 16 carriers. HFpEF was diagnosed according to the 2019 European Society of Cardiology criteria: patients with ≥5 points among major and minor functional and morphological criteria including NT-ProBNP > 220 pg/mL, left atrial (LA) enlargement, increased left ventricular filling pressure. Overall, 18 (14.4%) patients were diagnosed with HFpEF; this prevalence increased from 6.3% in carriers to 13.2% in PAPS and 27.8% in APS-SLE. Patients with HFpEF were older and with a higher prevalence of hypertension and previous arterial events. At logistic regression analysis, age, arterial hypertension, anticardiolipin antibodies IgG > 40 GPL (odds ratio (OR) 3.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-10.77, p = 0.035), anti β-2-glycoprotein-I IgG > 40 GPL (OR 5.28, 1.53-18.27, p = 0.009), lupus anticoagulants DRVVT > 1.25 (OR 5.20, 95% CI 1.10-24.68, p = 0.038), and triple positivity (OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.11-11.47, p = 0.033) were associated with HFpEF after adjustment for age and sex. By multivariate analysis, hypertension (OR 19.49, 95% CI 2.21-171.94, p = 0.008), age (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.00-1.14, p = 0.044), and aβ2GPI IgG > 40 GPL (OR 8.62, 95% CI 1.23-60.44, p = 0.030) were associated with HFpEF. HFpEF is detectable in a relevant proportion of APS patients. The role of aPL in the pathogenesis and prognosis of HFpEF needs further investigation

Variant-specific vulnerability in metabolic connectivity and resting-state networks in behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia.

Brain connectivity measures represent candidate biomarkers of neuronal dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. Previous findings suggest that the behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and its variants (i.e., frontal and temporo-limbic) may be related to the vulnerability of distinct functional connectivity networks. In this study, 82 bvFTD patients were included, and two patient groups were identified as frontal and temporo-limbic bvFTD variants. Two advanced multivariate analytical approaches were applied to FDG-PET data, i.e., sparse inverse covariance estimation (SICE) method and seed-based interregional correlation analysis (IRCA). These advanced methods allowed the assessment of (i) the whole-brain metabolic connectivity, without any a priori assumption, and (ii) the main brain resting-state networks of crucial relevance for cognitive and behavioural functions. In the whole bvFTD group, we found dysfunctional connectivity patterns in frontal and limbic regions and in all major brain resting-state networks as compared to healthy controls (HC N = 82). In the two bvFTD variants, SICE and IRCA analyses identified variant-specific reconfigurations of whole-brain connectivity and resting-state networks. Specifically, the frontal bvFTD variant was characterised by metabolic connectivity alterations in orbitofrontal regions and anterior resting-state networks, while the temporo-limbic bvFTD variant was characterised by connectivity alterations in the limbic and salience networks. These results highlight different neural vulnerabilities in the two bvFTD variants, as shown by the dysfunctional connectivity patterns, with relevance for the different neuropsychological profiles. This new evidence provides further insight in the variability of bvFTD and may contribute to a more accurate classification of these patients