Theory of mind in the social sciences: an experiment on strategic thinking in children

This study investigates mentalizing and strategic thinking in children in elementary school age (from 7 to 12 years old). Drawing from previous literature in behavioral and experiments economics and cognitive science, we conduct experiments in which children of different ages make choices in a series of one-shot, simultaneous move two-person games in normal form. We test the ability of our subjects to reason strategically and compare their behavioral patterns with those of adult players engaged in similar tasks (Di Guida and Devetag 2012). Our results show that even younger children are capable of perspective taking: they seem to grasp the essence of strategic thinking, to recognize similarities across games, and behave consistently. In addition, children are sensitive to the attractive power of focal points (Di Guida and Devetag 2012), which are perceived as natural coordination devices even when they are not part of the game equilibria, in line with previous results. Children are also able to perceive the risk-return tradeoffs implied in strategic decisions, as shown by their preference for “safe” strategies (i.e., strategies yielding an acceptable payoff for any choice of the opponent). Finally, only a minority behaves according to naïve heuristics such as opting for the strategy giving the maximum payoff. Our findings contribute to the interdisciplinary literature on the origin of fairness-based norms within societies and on the cognitive and social determinants of strategic interaction

Theory of mind in the social sciences: an experiment on strategic thinking in children

This study investigates mentalizing and strategic thinking in children in elementary school age (from 7 to 12 years old). Drawing from previous literature in behavioral and experiments economics and cognitive science, we conduct experiments in which children of different ages make choices in a series of one-shot, simultaneous move two-person games in normal form. We test the ability of our subjects to reason strategically and compare their behavioral patterns with those of adult players engaged in similar tasks (Di Guida and Devetag 2012). Our results show that even younger children are capable of perspective taking: they seem to grasp the essence of strategic thinking, to recognize similarities across games, and behave consistently. In addition, children are sensitive to the attractive power of focal points (Di Guida and Devetag 2012), which are perceived as natural coordination devices even when they are not part of the game equilibria, in line with previous results. Children are also able to perceive the risk-return tradeoffs implied in strategic decisions, as shown by their preference for \u201csafe\u201d strategies (i.e., strategies yielding an acceptable payoff for any choice of the opponent). Finally, only a minority behaves according to na\uefve heuristics such as opting for the strategy giving the maximum payoff. Our findings contribute to the interdisciplinary literature on the origin of fairness-based norms within societies and on the cognitive and social determinants of strategic interaction

A sensitivity analysis of the damage behavior of a leading-edge subject to bird strike

This paper aims to investigate the crashworthiness capability of a commercial aircraft metallic sandwich leading edge, subjected to bird strike events. A sensitivity analysis is presented, aimed to assess the influence of the skin parameters (inner and outer faces and core thicknesses) on the leading-edge crashworthiness and to determine, among the configurations able to withstand a bird strike event, the best compromise in terms of weight and structural performances. In order to easily manage the design parameters and the output data, the ModeFrontier code was used in conjunction with the FE code Abaqus/Explicit. A dedicated python routine was developed to define a fully parametric simplified leading-edge model. To fulfill the aerodynamic requirements, the external surfaces were considered fixed during the sensitivity analysis, and, thus, only the internal leading edge’s components were modified to study their influence on the structural response. The total mass of the model, the maximum deformation and the energy dissipated due to material failure and the plastic deformations were monitored and used to compare and assess the behavior of each configuration

Use of noninvasive imaging in the management of skin cancer

6Purpose of review: To evaluate noninvasive imaging techniques in the management of skin cancers. Recent findings: In the last decades, a wide range of noninvasive imaging methods has been developed in the field of dermatooncology with the aim to detect and assess the several structural and molecular changes that characterize skin cancer development and progression. Summary: In this review, we discuss the current and emerging applications of noninvasive imaging approaches in skin cancer management, such as digital photography, dermoscopy, ultrasound sonography, reflectance confocal microscopy, optical coherence tomography, electrical impedance techniques, Raman spectroscopy, multispectral imaging, fluorescence imaging, and multispectral optoacustic tomography.partially_openopenGiuffrida, Roberta; Conforti, Claudio; Di Meo, Nicola; Deinlein, Teresa; Guida, Stefania; Zalaudek, IrisGiuffrida, Roberta; Conforti, Claudio; Di Meo, Nicola; Deinlein, Teresa; Guida, Stefania; Zalaudek, Iri

BEYOND WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE IN AN ADULT MALE POPULATION OF SOUTHERN ITALY: IS THERE ANY ROLE FOR SUBSCAPULAR SKINFOLD THICKNESS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR-1 SYSTEM AND METABOLIC PARAMETERS ?

ABSTRACT Background: Apart from waist circumference, other adiposity measures, such as subscapular skin fold (SST), arouse growing interest due to their relationship to metabolic complications and cardiovascular risk. The Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF)-1 system is deregulated in obese subjects in proportion to their degree of visceral adiposity. Aim : To examine the association among IGF-1, IGF-Binding Protein (BP)1 and 3 levels and different measures of adiposity in a sample of adult male population in Southern Italy. Materials and Methods: A complete database for this analysis was available for 229 (age range 50–82 years) participating at 2002-2004 Olivetti Heart Study follow-up. Results: After adjustment for age, IGF-1 was inversely associated with BMI and waist circumference (p<0.05). IGFBP1 was inversely associated with BMI, waist circumference, SST, Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) index, Fat Mass (FM). HOMA index, age and SST significantly predicted the IGFBP1 plasma levels, with 24% of IGFPB-1 variability explained at a linear regression analysis. Conclusions: IGFBP1 inversely correlated to adiposity and HOMA index. Among adiposity indexes, SST was the best predictor of IGFPB-1 levels. The evaluation of some components of the IGFs system, and simple measures of body adiposity, such as SST, may represent a further tool to better evidence phenotype profiles associated to the pathogenetic mechanism of cardiovascular risk factor clustering in male adults

The anti-ageing and whitening potential of a cosmetic serum containing 3-o-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid

Skin ageing has many manifestations such as wrinkles, dryness, hyperpigmentation, and uneven skin tone. Extrinsic and intrinsic factors, especially solar ultraviolet light (UVB), contribute to skin ageing; its main features are brown spots, alterations in melanin pigmentation, and a decrease in collagen and hyaluronic acid linked to oxidative stress. Several studies showed that topical products containing ingredients with antioxidant activity can reduce oxidative damage; to provide a maximum anti-ageing effect to the skin, topical products can combine various ingredients. C-SHOT SERUM contains a combination of two molecules with a proven anti-ageing activity: a high percentage (30%) of a more stable vitamin C derivative, 3-O-ethyl-L-ascorbic acid, and lactic acid (1%). The product showed a high biocompatibility, assessed through an MTT assay on keratinocytes and on Reconstructed Human Epidermis (RHE, SkinEthic); the anti-ageing activity was demonstrated on human dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes by a statistically significant increase in collagen production and a reduction of a UVB-induced DNA damage marker (\u3b3-H2AX histone), indicating DNA protection. Moreover, a depigmenting activity, shown by a highly significant decrease in melanin content on treated Reconstructed Human Pigmented Epidermis (RHPE), was assessed. According to the data of our study, the tested product contrasts the effect of skin ageing and irregular pigmentation due to the physiological decline of the skin