Italian translation and cross cultural comparison with the Childhood Attachment and Relational Trauma Screen (CARTS)

Background: The Childhood Attachment and Relational Trauma Screen (CARTS) is a computer-administered survey designed to assess retrospectively the socio-ecological context in which instances of child abuse may have occurred. To date, studies supporting the validity of the CARTS have only been undertaken in English-speaking North American populations. Validation projects in other countries and cross-cultural comparisons are therefore warranted. Objective: Develop and preliminarily evaluate the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the CARTS on college students and compare such observations to data acquired from Canadian students. Method: Seventy-nine undergraduate students from the University of Padua (Italy) completed an Italian translation of the CARTS as well as measures of childhood experiences, mental health and attachment, responses to which were compared to those obtained in 288 Canadian students who completed the CARTS in English. Results: Internal consistency and convergent validity with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Parental Bonding Instrument were found to be acceptable for the Italian translation. Within the Italian sample, correlation analyses suggested that CARTS Mother ratings referring to attachment and abuse were associated with romantic attachment, whereas CARTS Father ratings were significantly correlated to PTSD symptoms and other symptoms of psychopathology-distress. Significant differences between Italian and Canadian students across the relationship types for the CARTS abuse and attachment scales were found, indicating that Italian students rated their mothers and fathers as simultaneously less abusive, but also less as a source of secure attachment. Conclusions: The results of this preliminary study seem to suggest convergent validity of the Italian CARTS and the association between childhood attachment-related experiences and romantic attachment. Cultural variations were identified between Canadian and Italian students in both attachment and abuse scales. Future studies to investigate cross-cultural variations in the relational context of childhood abuse and in order to boost Italian CARTS psychometric features are warranted

3D EDX microanalysis by FIB-SEM: Elemental quantification enhancement

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, July 29 - August 2, 201

Geometrical Description of Quantum Mechanics - Transformations and Dynamics

In this paper we review a proposed geometrical formulation of quantum mechanics. We argue that this geometrization makes available mathematical methods from classical mechanics to the quantum frame work. We apply this formulation to the study of separability and entanglement for states of composite quantum systems.Comment: 22 pages, to be published in Physica Script

Domain wall displacement in Py square ring for single nanometric magnetic bead detection

A new approach based on the domain wall displacement in confined ferromagnetic nanostructures for attracting and sensing a single nanometric magnetic particles is presented. We modeled and experimentally demonstrated the viability of the approach using an anisotropic magnetoresistance device made by a micron-size square ring of Permalloy designed for application in magnetic storage. This detection concept can be suitable to biomolecular recognition, and in particular to single molecule detection.Comment: 8pages, 3figure

Multivariate Statistical Analysis tool for the interpretation and the quantification of hyperspectral data: application to 3D EDX/FIB images

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, July 29 - August 2, 201

Focused Ion Beam Nano-Tomography Using Different Detectors

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, August 7-August 11, 201

Piezoelectric materials parameters for piezoelectric thin films in GHz applications

Piezoelectric thin films have existing and promising new applications in microwave filter technologies. The final performance depends on many parameters, and very specifically on the materials properties of each involved material. In this article, materials and properties for thin-film bulk acoustic wave resonators are discussed on some selected issues: the piezoelectric coefficients and acoustic losses of AlN, the relation of the first one with microstructural parameters, the inclusion of parasitic elements, and the merits of and problems with ferroelectric material