Impaired emotional processing and clinical psychopathology: a case control study using a hierarchical bifactor model

Introduction. Emotional processing (EP) represents a change from an unresolved emotional state to a resolved one. This transition successfully occurs for most people. However, failures can happen at the facet level, including 1) the tendency to avoid emotions, 2) the suppression of emotions, 3) the inability to control the expression of emotions, and 4) an impaired emotional experience. Thus, people who persist in an unresolved state, show 5) signs of unprocessed emotions, impeding other experiences and behaviors to proceed without disruption. With the widespread use of the Emotional Processing Scale (EPS), there is evidence that mental disorders are associated with EP failures, as shown by differences between healthy and clinical samples. Because these failures can be represented by a hierarchical arrangement of facets with one broad factor on the top, we propose that this general factor, representing a global impairment in EP, might be a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor. Methods: We administered the EPS to a mixed psychiatric sample (n=183) and a control group (n=231). The patients were classified as psychotics or bipolar disorders, depressed, affective disorders, and personality disorders. A bifactor model was used to obtain hierarchical factor scores subsequently used to compare patients to healthy controls and specific patient groups. Results: Model’s fit was acceptable (CFI=.92, TLI=.90, RMSEA=.05, SRMR=.06) and the general factor accounted for was 65% of the variance. Using the summated ratings, the psychiatric sample obtained systematically higher scores than healthy controls on the five facets and the total score. Conversely, using factor scores there were significant differences in the general factor only. Comparing patient groups, no differences were found using summated ratings, while we found marginally significant differences at the facet level (especially 2 and 3). Conclusions. Our findings are consistent with the transdiagnostic hypothesis

TRATAMENTO QUIRURGICO DE LOS TUMORES DE CAVIDAD NASAL Y SENOS PARANASALES

Se evaluaron cuarenta y cuatro pacientes con neoplasias de cavidad nasal y senos paranasales, a quienes se les practicó intervención quirúrgica con intención curativa como parte de su enfoque terapéutico. Veintitrés en cavidad nasal, quince en antro maxilar y seis en etmoides. El reporte histológico definitivo más frecuente fue el de carcinoma escamoso. Los procedimientos oscilaron desde las maxilectomías parciales o totales, hasta los abordajes craneofaciales anteriores, de acuerdo a la ubicación de la lesión y su extensión. El grupo de la cavidad nasal presento los menores porcentajes de recaídas locales y decesos. El tratamiento operatorio es multidisciplinario y complejo, debido a la frecuente necesidad de resección de parte del esqueleto facial y a la proximidad de estructuras vitales contiguas como el ojo y el encéfalo

Cirugía de revisión en infecciones cervicofaciales profundas

La cirugía de revisión o “second look” en las infecciones cervicofaciales profundas, se define como aquella intervención quirúrgica designada para apreciar directamente la evolución de la patología posterior a un primer intento de drenaje de colecciones extensas o desbridamiento del tejido necrotico. Se realizo un estudio descriptivo, cuantitativo y transversal de doce pacientes con infecciones cérvicofaciales profundas sometidos a cirugía de revisión, evaluándose la clínica, diagnostico y procedimientos realizados. La mitad de la casuística correspondió al diagnostico de fascitis necrotizante cervical. Un 25% presentó infección cervical profunda con colecciones purulentas extensas, sin enfisema. El otro 25% por rinitis fúngicas invasivas. Un 16,6% presentó compromiso de la vía aérea superior y requirieron traqueotomía. La dificultad técnica para la remoción completa del tejido necrotico determinó la decisión para la cirugía de revisión. La aplicación del concepto descrito y el manejo terapéutico multidisciplinario previenen la progresión al shock séptico y la falla multiorgánica. TitleRevision surgery in deep cervicofacial infectionsAbstract The second look surgery in the head and neck deep infections is the surgical intervention for value the evolution of the pathology after the first intention of removes the necrotics tissues. To evaluate twelve patients with head and neck deep infections underwent second look surgery. We analysed the clinical picture, diagnosis and therapeutic approaches. The half of the series corresponds to cervical necrotizing fascitis. The 25% presented neck infections with purulent collections of many spaces, without emphysema. The other 25% were invasive mucormycosis. The 16.6% presents compromise of airway and require tracheotomy. The difficult technique for remove the necrotic tissue determinate the decision of the second look surgery and the multidisciplinary prevent the septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction

Monitoring of Pb Contamination in Loire Estuary: Trends, Distribution and Isotopic composition

The Loire River is one of the largest river systems in Western Europe and a major source of continental inputs to the marine environment in the Bay of Biscay. Its catchment area drains agricultural and industrial zones and its estuary is increasingly urbanized. Even if the Loire River is not considered as a highly polluted system, studies have shown estuarine Pb contamination due to industrial inputs and combustion of leaded gasoline until the mid 1990’s. A retrospective study, based on the analysis (Pb levels and isotopic composition) of mussel samples collected by the French mussel watch program (RNO/ROCCH) has highlighted this contamination and its trend between 1985-2005 (Couture et al., 2010). This poster furthers the work initiated by Couture et al. Here, Pb levels and isotopic signatures in samples from the environmental sample bank from RNO/ROCCH over the last 10 years will be presented and confronted to measurements of other environmental samples

Depressive Anxiety Symptoms in Hospitalized Children with Chronic Illness during the First Italian COVID-19 Lockdown

COVID-19 is continuing to spread around the world, having a direct impact on people’s daily lives and health. Although the knowledge of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population is now well established, there is less information on its effect on specific and vulnerable populations, such as children with chronic illness (CI). We conducted a multi-centered cross-sectional study among pediatric patients in six public children’s hospitals in Italy during the first lockdown, with the aim of assessing the proportion of children with CI presenting anxiety and depressive symptoms, and the clinical and demographic characteristics affecting such symptomatology. We included children with at least one chronic condition, with no cognitive delay, aged between 11 and 18 years. Brief standardized questionnaires were administered during medical scheduled visits to screen anxiety and depressive symptoms. We found a very high proportion of children showing mild to severe depressive and anxiety symptomatology (approximately 68% and 63%, respectively). Our results highlight the need of ensuring tailored psychological interventions to protect children with CI from the effect of the pandemic (and related restrictive measures such as quarantine and social distancing), with the final aim of promoting mental health and psychological well-being in this vulnerable population

Litter decomposition in Mediterranean ecosystems: Modelling the controlling role of climatic conditions and litter quality

A new process-based model of litter decomposition, characterized by detailed climatic data input and simple litter quality parameters, is proposed. Compared to existing litter carbon models, specific implementations for temperature and moisture limiting effects have been adopted. The model is capable to represent decomposition processes in Mediterranean ecosystems, with summer drought slowing down, even at optimal temperatures, the litter decay rates of sclerophyll plants whose leaf masses are rich in structural compounds and low in N content. The model was calibrated by a best fitting procedure of two different datasets. First, unpublished results of litterbag experiments on leaf litter of 9 Mediterranean species, decomposing under controlled and not limiting temperature and water conditions, have been used to estimate the decay rate dependency from litter quality that was defined by only three initial C pools (labile, stable and recalcitrant compounds) instead of traditional N-based indices. Second, a set of published data from three medium-term field experiments on a single species, Phillyrea angustifolia, decomposing under different climatic conditions, have been used to estimate the limiting effects of temperature and moisture. The model was then validated against published data on seven other species and showed a correct reproduction of the major patterns of litter mass loss during decomposition processes of other seven different Mediterranean species. The model simulations, satisfactory for different litter types under a wide range of climatic conditions, suggest that factors which were not taken into account, such as initial litter N contents, microclimatic variations related to stand structure, soil chemistry and texture, and microbial communities, are not very significant for assessing decomposition dynamics in Mediterranean ecosystems. The minimal requirements of input data, the simple structure, and the easiness of parameterisation make our model, among the many other available litter carbon models, an attractive alternative for different research purposes, at least for Mediterranean ecosystems

Diameters and Fluorescence Calibration for Extracellular Vesicle Analyses by Flow Cytometry

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in the intercellular crosstalk. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived EVs (MSC-EVs), displaying promising therapeutic roles, contribute to the strong rationale for developing EVs as an alternative therapeutic option. EV analysis still represents one of the major issues to be solved in order to translate the use of MSC-EV detection in clinical settings. Even if flow cytometry (FC) has been largely applied for EV studies, the lack of consensus on protocols for FC detection of EVs generated controversy. Standard FC procedures, based on scatter measurements, only allows the detection of the "tip of the iceberg" of all EVs. We applied an alternative FC approach based on the use of a trigger threshold on a fluorescence channel. The EV numbers obtained by the application of the fluorescence triggering resulted significantly higher in respect to them obtained from the same samples acquired by placing the threshold on the side scatter (SSC) channel. The analysis of EV concentrations carried out by three different standardized flow cytometers allowed us to achieve a high level of reproducibility (CV < 20%). By applying the here-reported method highly reproducible results in terms of EV analysis and concentration measurements were obtained