Which affects affect the use of new technologies? Italian adaptation of the Internet Motive Questionnaire for Adolescents (IMQ-A) and criterion validity with problematic use and body dissatisfaction

Given the negative role of problematic use of new technological devices (NTD) in behavioral and psychological domains, the aim of the study is the Italian adaptation and validation of the Internet Motive Questionnaire for Adolescents (IMQ-A) in order to understand the motivation for the use of NTD. A total of 769 students 10-19 aged (M = 13.22, SD = 1.56) completed the IMQ-A, the Collins Figures Rating Scale, and two measures regarding the problematic NTD use, focused on overuse during the night and during meals. The IMQ-A showed adequate internal consistency with regard to its four subscales: Coping (α = .84), Social (α = .80), Enhancement (α = .80), and Conformity (α = .68) motives. However, with regard to factorial structure, a threefactor model (excluding Conformity subscale) showed slightly better fit indices than the original model. Coping motive was correlated with problematic NTD use and succeeded in predicting higher scores in body dissatisfaction as evidence of criterion-related and external validity. The Italian adaptation of the IMQ-A can be useful in both research and clinical fields, in order to propose alternative strategies for coping to users and to improve emotion regulation facets

Clinical significance of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in laryngeal carcinoma: Its role in the different subsites

Background: During epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cancer cells lose adhesion capacity gaining migratory properties. The role of the process on prognosis has been evaluated in 50 cases of laryngeal carcinoma. Methods: E-cadherin, N-cadherin, β-catenin, α-catenin, γ-catenin, caveolin-1, and vimentin immunohistochemical expression were evaluated using a double score based on staining intensity and cellular localization. Results: Cytoplasmic E-cadherin and α/γ catenin staining were associated with a decrease in survival, cytoplasmic β-catenin was associated with advanced stage, and N-cadherin and vimentin expression were associated with poor differentiation and tumor relapse. On the basis of cancer cells, epithelial or mesenchymal morphological and immunophenotypic similarity we identified 4 main subgroups correlated with a transition to a more undifferentiated phenotype, which have a different pattern of relapse and survival. Conclusion: The negative prognostic role of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition has been confirmed and a predictive role in glottic tumors has been suggested, leading us to propose epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition as an additional adverse feature in laryngeal carcinoma

Trends of influenza B during the 2010–2016 seasons in 2 regions of north and south Italy: The impact of the vaccine mismatch on influenza immunisation strategy

Influenza A and B viruses are responsible for respiratory infections, representing globally seasonal threats to human health. The 2 viral types often co-circulate and influenza B plays an important role in the spread of infection. A 6-year retrospective surveillance study was conducted between 2010 and 2016 in 2 large administrative regions of Italy, located in the north (Liguria) and in the south (Sicily) of the country, to describe the burden and epidemiology of both B/Victoria and B/Yamagata lineages in different healthcare settings. Influenza B viruses were detected in 5 of 6 seasonal outbreaks, exceeding influenza A during the season 2012–2013. Most of influenza B infections were found in children aged ≤ 14 y and significant differences were observed in the age-groups infected by the different lineages. B/Victoria strains prevailed in younger population than B/Yamagata, but also were more frequently found in the community setting. Conversely, B/Yamagata viruses were prevalent among hospitalized cases suggesting their potential role in the development of more severe disease. The relative proportions of viral lineages varied from year to year, resulting in different lineage-level mismatch for the B component of trivalent influenza vaccine. Our findings confirmed the need for continuous virological surveillance of seasonal epidemics and bring attention to the adoption of universal influenza immunization program in the childhood. The use of tetravalent vaccine formulations may be useful to improve the prevention and control of the influenza burden in general population

Chemo-Archaeological Downsizing in a Hierarchical Universe: Impact of a Top Heavy IGIMF

We make use of a semi-analytical model of galaxy formation to investigate the origin of the observed correlation between [a/Fe] abundance ratios and stellar mass in elliptical galaxies. We implement a new galaxy-wide stellar initial mass function (Top Heavy Integrated Galaxy Initial Mass Function, TH-IGIMF) in the semi-analytic model SAG and evaluate its impact on the chemical evolution of galaxies. The SFR-dependence of the slope of the TH-IGIMF is found to be key to reproducing the correct [a/Fe]-stellar mass relation. Massive galaxies reach higher [a/Fe] abundance ratios because they are characterized by more top-heavy IMFs as a result of their higher SFR. As a consequence of our analysis, the value of the minimum embedded star cluster mass and of the slope of the embedded cluster mass function, which are free parameters involved in the TH-IGIMF theory, are found to be as low as 5 solar masses and 2, respectively. A mild downsizing trend is present for galaxies generated assuming either a universal IMF or a variable TH-IGIMF. We find that, regardless of galaxy mass, older galaxies (with formation redshifts > 2) are formed in shorter time-scales (< 2 Gyr), thus achieving larger [a/Fe] values. Hence, the time-scale of galaxy formation alone cannot explain the slope of the [a/Fe]-galaxy mass relation, but is responsible for the big dispersion of [a/Fe] abundance ratios at fixed stellar mass.We further test the hyphothesis of a TH-IGIMF in elliptical galaxies by looking into mass-to-light ratios, and luminosity functions. Models with a TH-IGIMF are also favoured by these constraints. In particular, mass-to-light ratios agree with observed values for massive galaxies while being overpredicted for less massive ones; this overprediction is present regardless of the IMF considered.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures, 2 tables. (Comments most welcome). Summited to MNRA

COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza Vaccination: Cross-Protection, Co-Administration, Combination Vaccines, and Hesitancy

SARS-CoV-2 and influenza are the main respiratory viruses for which effective vaccines are currently available. Strategies in which COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are administered simultaneously or combined into a single preparation are advantageous and may increase vaccination uptake. Here, we comprehensively review the available evidence on COVID-19/influenza vaccine coadministration and combination vaccine candidates from the standpoints of safety, immunogenicity, efficacy, policy and public acceptance. While several observational studies have shown that the trained immunity induced by influenza vaccines can protect against some COVID-19-related endpoints, it is not yet understood whether co-administration or combination vaccines can exert additive effects on relevant outcomes. In randomized controlled trials, co-administration has proved safe, with a reactogenicity profile similar to that of either vaccine administered alone. From the immunogenicity standpoint, the immune response towards four influenza strains and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in co-administration groups is generally non-inferior to that seen in groups receiving either vaccine alone. Several public health authorities have advocated co-administration. Different combination vaccine candidates are in (pre)-clinical development. The hesitancy towards vaccine co-administration or combination vaccines is a multifaceted phenomenon and may be higher than the acceptance of either vaccine administered separately. Public health implications are discussed

Heterogeneous and anisotropic dynamics of a 2D gel

We report X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS) results on a bidimensional (2D) gel formed by a Langmuir monolayer of gold nanoparticles. The system allows an experimental determination of the fourth order time correlation function which is compared to the usual second order correlation functions and to the mechanical response measured on macroscopic scale. The observed dynamics is anisotropic, heterogeneous and super-diffusive on the nanoscale. Different time scales, associated with fast heterogeneous dynamics inside 2D cages and slower motion of larger parts of the film, can be identified from the correlation functions

Pancreatic ablation : minimally invasive treatment options

Despite the significant improvement of knowledge and technologies in tumor treatments, pancreatic tumor remains a complex disease still characterized by a poor prognosis. The increasing role of minimally invasive techniques started to drive the effort of scientific medicine to evaluate the possibilities of application of these techniques to pancreatic cancer. The purpose of this paper is to present a brief summary of the different ablative techniques available and proposed for pancreatic tumor treatment considering invasive, noninvasive, thermal and non-thermal techniques

How should vaccination services be planned, organized, and managed? Results from a survey on the Italian vaccination services

BACKGROUND: Quality improvement is an increasingly recognized approach to maximize service effectiveness and minimize costs in public health. However, the Italian law never provided for the institutional accreditation of vaccination services. Furthermore, a recently approved law added six more compulsory vaccinations to the original four, which has led to a considerable increase in vaccination efforts, without any previous resources evaluation. The aim of the study was to investigate structural, organizational and managerial characteristics of the Italian vaccination services, in order to suggest the adoption of adequate quality standards. STUDY DESIGN: A survey involving the representatives of the Italian Regions and Autonomous Provinces was performed between September 2017 and September 2018. METHODS: An online questionnaire, including 26 items, designed to evaluate the structural, organizational and managerial characteristics of vaccination services was administered. The correlation between the number of vaccination centres and the coverage for each region was used to evaluate the performance of the vaccination services. RESULTS: Respondents from seven Regions, totaling &gt;15,000,000 inhabitants, answered the questionnaire. Overall, each vaccination service was potentially accessed by an average of 519 children aged zero to 24 months, with a \u3b2-coefficient of -0.87 (p = 0.01) for infant vaccination coverage in 2016. Eighty-five percent of vaccination services were provided with architectural features to accommodate the disabled but only 49% provided reserved parking lots. An average of 0.4 physicians and 0.6 other healthcare workers per 10,000 inhabitants were employed in vaccination services, with complete computerization in 74% of them. CONCLUSION: The inverse relation between vaccination services' spatial accessibility and vaccination coverage suggests that distance and accessibility of vaccination services should be considered in planning. This survey constitutes a baseline data for Italian vaccination services that could be useful for decision makers in establishing minimum requirements to provide high-quality preventive healthcare service