Emotion Regulation and Parental Bonding in Families of Adolescents With Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms

Parental bonding and emotional regulation, while important to explain difficulties that may arise in child development, have mainly been studied at an individual level. The present study aims to examine alexithymia and parental bonding in families of adolescents with psychiatric disorders through different generations. The sample included a total of 102 adolescent patients with psychiatric disorders and their parents. In order to take a family level approach, a Latent Class Analysis was used to identify the latent relationships among alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale), perceived parental bonding (Parental Bonding Instrument) and the presence of adolescent internalizing or externalizing psychiatric symptoms (Youth Self-Report). Families of internalizing and externalizing adolescents present different and specific patterns of emotional regulation and parenting. High levels of adolescent alexithymia, along with a neglectful parenting style perceived by the adolescent and the father as well, characterized the families of patients with internalizing symptoms. On the other hand, in the families with externalizing adolescents, it was mainly the mother to remember an affectionless control parental style. These results suggest the existence of an intergenerational transmission of specific parental bonding, which may influence the emotional regulation and therefore the manifestation of psychiatric symptoms

Spin geometry of the rational noncommutative torus

We discuss the structure of topologically non-trivial almost-commutative manifold for spectral triples realized on the algebra of smooth functions on the noncommutative torus with rational parameter. This is done by showing isomorphisms with a spectral triple on the algebra of sections of certain bundle of algebras, and with a spectral triple on a certain invariant subalgebra of the product algebra. The isomorphisms intertwine also the grading and real structure. This holds for all four inequivalent spin structures, which are explicitly constructed in terms of double coverings of the noncommutative torus (with arbitrary real parameter). These results are extended also to a class of curved (non flat)spectral triples, obtained as a perturbation of the standard one by eight central elements

Flowering patterns in sub-Mediterranean grasslands: a functional approach

Background and aims – Temporal phenological segregation among species within a plant community can be viewed as a niche differentiation that promotes species co-existence. Following this hypothesis the functional assessment of the flowering pattern was analysed in sub-Mediterranean mountain grassland. Methods – The study was carried out in two sites at different elevations. Four fenced plots of 50 m2 each were established in both sites. Phenological relevés were carried out in each plot every fifteen days and soil samples were collected in each plot. The functional traits sets of the flowering species were analysed at each considered time interval. Key results – Each phenological phase tends to be linked to a group of functional traits (e.g. bulbs or tuber/rhizome, low height and spring green leaves for the early spring period; rhizome or tuber, hemicryptophyte caespitose, mid height, presence of stolons and persistent green leaves for the late spring period). Dominant species reach their maximum phenological forwardness in the middle of the vegetative season, while nondominant species ‘exploit’ the beginning and end of the vegetative season. Two main sets of strategies allowing non-dominant species to co-exist with the dominant ones were highlighted. The first characterizes the tall graminoids-dominated patches, where a pattern of traits allows subordinate species to differentiate the flowering temporal niche compared to the dominant ones. The second set of strategies is related to some small-sized species, which can co-exist with dominant species by exploiting gaps due to livestock disturbance, or by forming patches given their clonal ability. This strategy allows them to share the optimal temporal niche with dominant species. Conclusions – Flowering pattern promotes species co-existence and is driven by functional differentiation of species that in turn is filtered by environmental stress/disturbance type and intensity

Behavioural Differences in Sensorimotor Profiles: A Comparison of Preschool-Aged Children with Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorders

Sensory Processing Disorders (SPDs) define dysfunctions in modulating, organising, and using information from several sensory channels for regulating motor, behavioural, emotional and attention responses. Although SPD can be identified also as an isolated condition in young children, its presence in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) population is really frequent. The study purpose is to explore the SPD clinical expression and the putative correlation with several behavioural aspects both in children with ASD and in those with isolated SPD. Therefore, 43 preschool-aged children (25 ASD vs. 18 SPD) were recruited, and their parents completed three questionnaires (Developmental Profile-3, Sensory Processing Measure–Preschool, Repetitive Behaviour Scale-Revised) to evaluate behavioural alterations and developmental levels. The main result is that both ASD and SPD groups had significantly sensory-related behavioural symptoms, although ASD children seem to be more impaired in all areas. Several significant correlations were found between sensory processing difficulties and repetitive behaviours, but in the SPD group a specific relationship between Body Awareness and Ritualistic/Sameness Behaviour was found. Conversely, in the ASD group, more diffuse interlinks between sensory processing difficulties and motor behaviours were significant. In conclusion, the present study confirms the key role of sensory–motor skills in early diagnosis and intervention among children at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders

Acupressure therapy for insomnia in adolescents: a polysomnographic study

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of acupressure therapy in a sample of adolescents with insomnia using a standard polysomnographic evaluation. Methods: For this study, 25 adolescents affected by psychophysiological insomnia (mean age 15.04 \ub1 1.18 years, 12 boys) were enrolled. A device known as the Sea-Band\uae was used by the patients in order to improve their symptoms related to difficulty in falling asleep. All subjects enrolled underwent two sets of consecutive overnight polysomnographic studies in the Sleep Laboratory of the Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, comprising two studies at baseline (before treatment) and another two studies at the end of 6 months of treatment. Results: At the end of 6 months of treatment, there was a significant increase in all macrostructural parameters of sleep duration, and a reduction in sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, and stage 2 sleep. Moreover, the study group showed a significant increase in percent sleep efficiency (P , 0.001) and in slow wave sleep representation. Conclusion: Acupressure is a noninvasive, safe, and effective method for the management of insomnia in adolescents, with good compliance and no adverse effects

Biofilms: Novel strategies based on antimicrobial peptides

The problem of drug resistance is very worrying and ever increasing. Resistance is due not only to the reckless use of antibiotics but also to the fact that pathogens are able to adapt to different conditions and develop self-defense mechanisms such as living in biofilms; altogether these issues make the search for alternative drugs a real challenge. Antimicrobial peptides appear as promising alternatives but they have disadvantages that do not make them easily applicable in the medical field; thus many researches look for solutions to overcome the disadvantages and ensure that the advantages can be exploited. This review describes the biofilm characteristics and identifies the key features that antimicrobial peptides should have. Recalcitrant bacterial infections caused by the most obstinate bacterial species should be treated with a strategy to combine conventional peptides functionalized with nano-tools. This approach could effectively disrupt high density infections caused by biofilms. Moreover, the importance of using in vivo non mammalian models for biofilm studies is described. In particular, here we analyze the use of amphibians as a model to substitute the rodent model

A Revised Sex Assessment of the Epigravettian Human Remain ST1 from San Teodoro Cave (Messina, Sicily)

Bias in skeletal sexing is well known and depends upon the completeness of the skeletal remains. The problem is very hard concerning prehistorical remains. We applied \u2018Visual methods\u2019 and \u2018Probabilistic Sex Diagnosis\u2019 (DSP) on the coxal bones on the Epigravettian skeleton (ST1) from San Teodoro (Messina, Sicily). On the basis of cranial characters and the overall robustness of the postcranial skeleton, it was suggested, since the time of the discovery, a male sex for ST1. This determination was later modified on the basis of the pelvic girdle morphology, and the skeleton was attributed the female sex for many years by large consensus. Our results indicate without ambiguity that ST1 is a male and show the importance of applying update methods of sex determination to ancient remains