The desire of parenthood. Correlation between co-parental interactions and the romantic relationship quality among Italian same-sex couples.

In several longitudinal studies, co-parental interactions have been formerly observed during the pregnancy, demonstrating how these interactive dynamics can predict the quality of family interactions with the presence of the baby. Cooperation between the parents during the first year after childbirth is the most predictive factor of the best future adjustment of the baby during the school age and social and affective development.In the last years, research focused on such interactive dynamics recognisable during the process of transition to parenthood; nevertheless, these studies pointed out features regarding a particular type of family defined as \u201ctraditional\u201d, formed by a mother, a father and their biological children. Thanks to the development of the medicine concerning the medical assisted procreation, nowadays parenthood is accessible by gay and lesbian couples as well; gay and lesbian parenting is becoming a reality increasingly relevant also in Italy. Couple satisfaction, co-parental interactions and intuitive parental competences have been evaluated among a sample formed by 45 stable heterosexual, gay and lesbian couples without a child that want to become parents in the future. We used the systemic approach by the prenatal Lausanne Trilogue Play, a semi-naturalistic role-play: this tool involves in a cooperative task the two \u201cparents\u201d and a doll, which represents the child-to-be. Couple satisfaction has been evaluated with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS Spanier, 1976). Preliminary data suggest that there are no differences between the three groups regarding co-parental intuitive competences and that a higher cohesion between the couple involves a better cooperation between the partners

Allelic diversity of S‑RNase alleles in diploid potato species

S-ribonucleases (S-RNases) control the pistil specificity of the self-incompatibility (SI) response in the genus Solanum and several other members of the Solanaceae. The nucleotide sequences of S-RNases corresponding to a large number of S-alleles or S-haplotypes have been characterised. However, surprisingly few S-RNase sequences are available for potato species. The identification of new S-alleles in diploid potato species is desirable as these stocks are important sources of traits such as biotic and abiotic resistance. S-RNase sequences are reported here from three distinct diploid types of potato: cultivated Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja, S. tuberosum Group Stenotomum, and the wild species Solanum okadae. Partial S-RNase sequences were obtained from pistil RNA by RT-PCR or 3’RACE (Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends) using a degenerate primer. Full length sequences were obtained for two alleles by 5’RACE. Database searches with these sequences, identified sixteen S-RNases in total, all of which are novel. The sequence analysis revealed all the expected features of functional S-RNases. Phylogenetic analysis with selected published S-RNase and S-like-RNase sequences from the Solanaceae revealed extensive trans-generic evolution of the S-RNases and a clear distinction from S-like-RNases. Pollination tests were used to confirm the self-incompatibility status and cross-compatibility relationships of the S. okadae accessions. All the S. okadae accessions were found to be self-incompatible as expected with crosses amongst them exhibiting both cross-compatibility and semi-compatibility consistent with the S-genotypes determined from the S-RNase sequence data. The progeny analysis of four semi-compatible crosses examined by allele-specific PCR provided further confirmation that these are functional S-RNases

On Verification of Designed Energy Systems Using Distributed Co Simulations

An essential part of the energy systems design procedure is simulation, since it serves as a tool for verification of the respective design. It serves the verifying of a stable operation of developed energy systems infrastructure, before it comes to the realization. As energy systems integration becomes an important part in a low carbon energy scenario in the future, the cooperation of experts specialized in various domains crucial to single aspects of the energy system is indispensable. Cosimulation, yet, enables the modelling in the familiar environment of the experts, but requires a detailed coordination of the simulation interfaces between the specific expert models. Hence, standardized interfaces are crucial to the efficient use of expert knowledge in distributed co simulations. Therefore, in the presented paper a workflow for the co simulation development of energy systems simulations, which simplifies the coordination procedure significantly by standardizing the interfaces between the models and their simulations, is introduced. The approach is exemplarily applied to the energy system design of a district comprising electricity and heat in order to show its successful performanc

Orthogonal Polynomials and Quadratic Transformations

Starting from a sequence #left brace#P_n#right brace#n#>=#o of monic polynomials orthogonal with respect to a linear functional #mu#, we find a linear functional#nu# such that Q_n n#>=#o, with either Q_2_n(#chi# P_n(T(#chi#)) or Q_2_n+1(#chi#) (#chi# - #alpha#)P_n(T(#chi#) where T is a monic quadratic polynomial and #alpha# a complex number, is a sequence of monic orthogonal polynomials with respect to #nu#. In particular, we discuss the case when #mu# and #nu# are both positive definite linear functionals. Thus, we obtain a solution for an inverse problem which is a converse, for quadratic mappings, of one analyzed by J.Geronimo and W.Van Assche ("Orthogonal Polynomials on Several Intervals via a Polynomial Mapping, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc., 308 (2),1988,559-581)Available from Departamento de Matematica, Universidade de Coimbra, 3000 Coimbra, Portugal / FCT - Fundação para o Ciência e a TecnologiaSIGLEPTPortuga

Generating new classes of orthogonal polynomials

Given a sequence of monic orthogonal polynomials (MOPS), #left brace#P_n#right brace#, with respect to a quasi-definite linear functional #mu#, we find necessary and sufficient conditions on the parameters a_n and b_n for the sequence Pn(#chi#)+a_nP_n_-_1(#chi#)+b_nP_n_-_2(#chi#),n#>=#1P_0(#chi#)#ident to#1,P_-_1(x)#ident to#0 to be orthogonal. in particular, we can find explicitly the linear functional #upsilon# such that the new sequence is the corresponding family of orthogonal polynomials. Some applications for Hermite and Tchebychev orthogonal polynomials of second kind are obtained. We also solve a problem of this type for orthogonal polynomials with respect to a Hermitian linear functionalAvailable from Departamento de Matematica, Universidade de Coimbra, 3000 Coimbra, Portugal / FCT - Fundação para o Ciência e a TecnologiaSIGLEPTPortuga