Disentangling parental monitoring. The role of family communication in achieving parental knowledge

In this study, parental monitoring construct was disentangled through the introduction of the family communication variable. Two mediation models were tested: The model in which parental solicitation was significantly associated to youth disclosure, and in which both solicitation and youth disclosure fostered the development of positive family communication, fitted data better than the model in which family communication fostered parents' and children's monitoring behaviors. In the first model parental knowledge was achieved through two paths: (1) parental control was directly related to parental knowledge, and (2) family communication mediated the relation of parental solicitation and youth disclosure with parental knowledge, thereby highlighting more complex dynamics

Projectively Cohen-Macaulay surfaces of small degree in P^5

In this paper we consider the nondegenerate projectively Cohen-Macaulay (p.C.M.) surfaces of small degree in P^5 . We determine those of degree d ≤ 9  and all candidate rational surfaces as p.C.M. surfaces

Cultivating practices of inclusion towards same-sex families in Italy: A comparison among educators, social workers, and healthcare professionals

AbstractLGB+ parented families in recent years are becoming more visible, but limited information exists about how professionals interact with people in these family forms. This study used the framework of intergroup contact theory to investigate whether contact with lesbians and gay men, same‐sex couples, and same‐sex parents respectively increase inclusive practices towards same‐sex families, and whether this association is mediated by professionals' prejudice and endorsement of same‐sex families' rights. A questionnaire with scales on: (a) intergroup contact, (b) professionals' orientation towards same‐sex families' inclusive practices, (c) professionals' prejudices, and (d) support of same‐sex couples' rights was administered to 460 professionals (9.8% males) working in social (N = 103), education (N = 156), and healthcare (N = 201) services in Italy. Path analysis was used to test the prediction that contact increases professionals' intention to embrace inclusive practices towards same‐sex families through the mediation of both prejudice and support to same‐sex couples' rights to have and raise children. Results showed that contact reduced prejudices towards same‐sex families and increased the endorsement of same‐sex families' rights, which in turn favoured professionals' willingness to modify their practices to include these family forms. Implications for the training and development of inclusive models are discussed. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement

Tributo : um instrumento econômico de conservação ambiental

Orientador : Ana Maria Jara Botton FariaCoorientador : Saulo Gomes KarvatMonografia (especialização) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Agrárias, Curso de Especialização em Direito AmbientalInclui referênciasResumo : O antropocentrismo humano e até mesmo a economia mundial, dispõe a questão ambiental em situação de destaque no que se refere a preservação e conservação do meio ambiente. Buscando proporcionar qualidade de vida presente e futura para todos, em 1988 ocorreu a promulgação da Carta Magna, Constituição de 1988. Além disso, a Lei nº 6.938/81, Lei de Política Nacional do meio ambiente, foi um agregado para fortalecer os aparatos quanto às questões ambientais, seja o Licenciamento Ambiental ou as responsabilidades danosas. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo compreender a tributação brasileira e sua relação com o meio ambiente, exemplificando os diversos tipos de tributos ambientais disponíveis na legislação brasileira, e com isso identificar as dificuldades de sua eficácia na aplicação. Para isso, o Direito Tributário Ambiental Brasileiro e seus principais princípios serão conceituados. As competências de cada entidade governamental, as formas e as espécies de tributos serão tipificadas conforme a legislação e a doutrina majoritária brasileira, com a finalidade de compreender e analisar a eficácia da aplicação desses Tributos Ambientais. Por fim, para o desenvolvimento do mesmo, fez-se a utilização de materiais bibliográficos na forma de artigos e referenciais eletrônicos jurisprudenciais. Palavras-chave: Direito Tributário, Meio Ambiente, Tributos, Tributo Ambiental

Italian validation of Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES IV) short version for adolescents: SAD_FACES

This study validated the Italian short version of FACES-IV (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale) for adolescents, namely SAD_FACES. The scale assessed adolescents’ perceptions of their families’ adaptive and maladaptive functioning along the six dimensions of cohesion, flexibility, disengagement, enmeshment, rigidity and chaos as defined by the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems. SAD_FACES was administrated to a sample of secondary school students (Age = 14–16 years; N = 446). The Family Communication Scale (FCS), measuring positive communication skills used in the family system, was also administered to assess external validity. ESEM was performed and evaluation of model fit was based on values of the comparative fit index (CFI), the Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). The scores that were computed as the sum of the intended items and latent traits were both considered for each dimension. Results showed that SAD_FACES (24 items) has the same structure and internal consistency of the Italian version of FACES IV validated with adolescent samples. Implications for the validity and usage of a short scale for the assessment of adolescents’ perception of family functioning and their wellbeing are discussed. Future research should validate SAD_FACES with different age cohorts of adolescents and belonging to different cultural contexts as well as consider clinical samples of adolescents. The agility of SAD_FACES could facilitate investigations with clinical samples of adolescents. Future research is needed in this area

Deep understanding of shopper behaviours and interactions using RGB-D vision

AbstractIn retail environments, understanding how shoppers move about in a store's spaces and interact with products is very valuable. While the retail environment has several favourable characteristics that support computer vision, such as reasonable lighting, the large number and diversity of products sold, as well as the potential ambiguity of shoppers' movements, mean that accurately measuring shopper behaviour is still challenging. Over the past years, machine-learning and feature-based tools for people counting as well as interactions analytic and re-identification were developed with the aim of learning shopper skills based on occlusion-free RGB-D cameras in a top-view configuration. However, after moving into the era of multimedia big data, machine-learning approaches evolved into deep learning approaches, which are a more powerful and efficient way of dealing with the complexities of human behaviour. In this paper, a novel VRAI deep learning application that uses three convolutional neural networks to count the number of people passing or stopping in the camera area, perform top-view re-identification and measure shopper–shelf interactions from a single RGB-D video flow with near real-time performances has been introduced. The framework is evaluated on the following three new datasets that are publicly available: TVHeads for people counting, HaDa for shopper–shelf interactions and TVPR2 for people re-identification. The experimental results show that the proposed methods significantly outperform all competitive state-of-the-art methods (accuracy of 99.5% on people counting, 92.6% on interaction classification and 74.5% on re-id), bringing to different and significative insights for implicit and extensive shopper behaviour analysis for marketing applications

Fine tuning of atomic point charges classical simulations of pyridine in different environments

Abstract A correct description of electrostatic contributions in force fields for classical simulations is mandatory for an accurate modeling of molecular interactions in pure liquids or solutions. Here, we propose a new protocol for point charge fitting, aimed to take into the proper account different polarization effects due to the environment employing virtual sites and tuning the point charge within the polarizable continuum model framework. The protocol has been validated by means of molecular dynamics simulations on pure pyridine liquid and on pyridine aqueous solution, reproducing a series of experimental observables and providing the information for their correct interpretation at atomic level

Risk factors for Haemophilus influenzae and pneumococcal respiratory tract colonization in CVID

To the Editor: Disease-specific studies focused on infection risk in common variable immune deficiencies (CVIDs) are needed to define strategies for controlling respiratory infections predominantly due to bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae.1 Little information is available on the rate of airway bacterial carriage and its consequence in hypogammaglobulinemias. Despite IgG replacement, recurrent respiratory infections are common in CVID, possibly leading to chronic lung damage2 and poor quality of life.3 Thus, patients are often prescribed antibiotics and/or long-term antimicrobial prophylactic regimens. Several regimens are used including rotation or periodically changing antibiotics.4 However, antibiotics influence antimicrobial resistance among airway microbiota. In a recent meta-analysis on patients with chronic lung diseases, 30% of S pneumoniae showed resistance to macrolides.

Wheeled mobility: the perception of parents of children with cerebral palsy

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often use mobility devices as facilitators of their functionality and independence, and these devices may have a positive impact on their caregivers’ quality of life. Considering a family-centered approach, parents assume a decisive role in different stages of the therapeutic process, guiding several actions of the rehabilitation professionals during the search, development and/or adaptation of equipment that meet the specific needs of customers. The aim of this research was to understand the perceptions of parents of children with CP on the use of the wheelchair in the daily routines of their children. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with 16 parents of CP children who were wheelchair users assisted at ‘Associação Mineira de Reabilitação’. Content analysis grounded the categorization of themes that emerged from the interviews. The results expressed in themes such as “The look on the daily routine” and “The look on the equipment” pointed out characteristics related to the benefits of the use of the wheelchair in promoting child participation at home, at school, and in community environments, as well as different features of wheelchairs that facilitate or hamper their use in children’s daily routine

Modifications of residual viraemia in human immunodeficiency virus-1-infected subjects undergoing repeated highly active antiretroviral therapy interruptions

Residual viraemia is detectable in the majority of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects with plasma HIV-1 RNA <50 copies ml−1. In the present study, the impact of repeated treatment interruptions on residual HIV-1 viraemia was investigated in 58 subjects enrolled in the ISS-PART, a multicentre, randomized clinical trial comparing 24 months of continuous (arm A) and intermittent (arm B) highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Residual viraemia was measured by a modified Roche Amplicor HIV-1 RNA assay (limit of detection 2.5 copies ml−1). At baseline, the median value of residual viraemia was 2.5 copies ml−1in both arms; after 24 months, the median value was 2.5 in arm A and 8.3 in arm B. The median change from baseline to month 24 was significantly different between patients under continuous or intermittent HAART: 0 copies ml−1(range −125.2 to +82.7) of HIV-1 RNA in arm A versus 2.1 copies ml−1(range −80 to +46.8) in arm B (P=0.024). These results suggest that intermittent HAART tends to modify HIV-1 viraemia set point even if a virological response is achieved after HAART reinstitution