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

Acoustic neutrino detection in a Adriatic multidisciplinary observatory (ANDIAMO)

The existence of cosmic accelerators able to emit charged particles up to ZeV energies has been confirmed by the observations made in the last years by experiments such as Auger and Telescope Array. The interaction of such energetic cosmic-rays with gas or low energy photons, surrounding the astrophysical sources or present in the intergalactic medium, guarantee an ultra-high-energy neutrino related emission. When these energetic neutrinos interact in a medium produce a thermo-acoustic process where the energy of generated particle cascades can be conveyed in a pressure pulse propagating into the same medium. The kilometric attenuation length as well as the well-defined shape of the expected pulse suggest a large-area-undersea-array of acoustic sensors as an ideal observatory. For this scope, we propose to exploit the existing and no more operative offshore (oil rigs) powered platforms in the Adriatic sea as the main infrastructure to build an acoustic submarine array of dedicated hydrophones covering a surface area up to 10000 km2 and a volume up to 500 km3. In this work we describe the advantages of this detector concept using a ray tracing technique as well as the scientific goals linked to the challenging purpose of observing for the first time ultra-high-energy cosmic neutrinos. This observatory will be complementary to the dedicated radio array detectors with the advantages of avoiding any possible thermo-acoustic noise from the atmospheric muons

A flexible quantum efficiency measurement device for photosensors testing

This paper presents a new quantum efficiency setup based on a 2D motorized stage, a wide spectrum xenon lamp, a beam splitter system, and two calibrated photodiodes for measuring the quantum efficiency (QE) of photosensors from PMTs (1 to 10 inches) to SIPM and photodiodes. The large area covered by the 2D stages permit to study the quantum efficiency of a matrix of multichannel photosensors in an automated way and PMTs with diameter up to ten inches. The setup offers high precision and accuracy in characterizing the quantum efficiency versus wavelength over the range of 250 nm to 1100 nm and in two dimensions with a positioning precision of ten microns. The setup monitors the light intensity synchronously with the output current yield from photosensors under test. This ensures the accuracy and repeatability of the measurements. The motorized stage allows precise positioning of the light source with respect to the active area. Moreover, the emission spectrum of the xenon lamp provides a broad range of illumination in terms of dynamics and wavelength span

Isotope effect on the E2g phonon and mesoscopic phase separation near the electronic topological transition in Mg1-xAlxB2

We report the boron isotope effect on the E2g phonon mode by micro-Raman spectroscopy on the ternary Mg1-xAlxB2 system, synthesized with pure isotopes 10B and 11B. The isotope coefficient on the phonon frequency is near 0.5 in the full range decreasing near x = 0. The intraband electron-phonon (e-ph) coupling, for the electrons in the sigma band, has been extracted from the E2g line-width and frequency softening. Tuning the Fermi energy near the electronic topological transition (ETT), where the sigma Fermi surface changes from 2D to 3D topology the E2g mode, shows the known Kohn anomaly on the 2D side of the ETT and a splitting of the E2g phonon frequency into a hard and soft component from x = 0 to x = 0.28. The results suggest a minor role of the intraband phonon mediated pairing in the control of the high critical temperature in Mg1-xAlxB2. The common physical features of diborides with the novel multigap FeAs-based superconductors and cuprates is discussed.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figure

Tracheocutaneous fistula in patients undergoing supracricoid partial laryngectomy: the role of chronic aspiration

The aim of the present retrospective controlled study was to analyse and compare risk factors for tracheocutaneous fistula in patients who received tracheostomy after supracricoid partial laryngectomy with those who received tracheostomy for other causes. We enrolled 39 patients with tracheocutaneous fistulas who were divided into two groups. The first received temporary tracheostomy for supracricoid partial laryngectomies (n = 21), while the control group consisted of patients who received temporary tracheostomy for other causes (n = 18). Risk factors believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of tracheocutaneous fistula were examined including advanced age, cardiopathy, local infections, radiotherapy, elevated body mass index, malnutrition, decannulation time and aspiration grade. The Leipzig and Pearson scale score was significantly higher in the supracricoid partial laryngectomy group (p = 0.006 and 0.031 for univariate and multivariate analyses, respectively). The penetration/aspiration scale score was significantly higher in the supracricoid partial laryngectomy group as determined by univariate analysis (p = 0.014). The decannulation time was significantly lower in the supracricoid partial laryngectomy group (p = 0.004 and 0.0004 for univariate and multivariate analyses, respectively). The number of surgical closures for tracheocutaneous fistula was significantly higher in the supracricoid partial laryngectomy group by univariate analysis (p = 0.027). These results suggest that chronic aspiration and related cough may be important pathogenic factors for tracheocutaneous fistula and could be responsible for the significantly higher rates of closure failure in patients after supracricoid partial laryngectomy

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

Microzooplankton grazing and phytoplankton growth in marine mesocosms with increased CO2 levels

Microzooplankton grazing and algae growth responses to increasing pCO2 levels (350, 700 and 1050 μatm) were investigated in nitrate and phosphate fertilized mesocosms during the PeECE III experiment 2005. Grazing and growth rates were estimated by the dilution technique combined with taxon specific HPLC pigment analysis. Microzooplankton composition was determined by light microscopy. Despite a range of up to 3 times the present CO2 levels, there were no clear differences in any measured parameter between the different CO2 treatments. During days 3–9 of the experiment the algae community standing stock, measured as chlorophyll a (Chl-a), showed the highest instantaneous grow rates (k=0.37–0.99 d−1) and increased from ca. 2–3 to 6–12 μg l−1, in all mesocosms. Afterwards the phytoplankton standing stock decreased in all mesocosms until the end of the experiment. The microzooplankton standing stock, that was mainly constituted by dinoflagellates and ciliates, varied between 23 and 130 μg C l−1 (corresponding to 1.9 and 10.8 μmol C l−1), peaking on day 13–15, apparently responding to the phytoplankton development. Instantaneous Chl-a growth rates were generally higher than the grazing rates, indicating only a limited overall effect of microzooplankton grazing on the most dominant phytoplankton. Diatoms and prymnesiophytes were significantly grazed (12–43% of the standing stock d−1) only in the pre-bloom phase when they were in low numbers, and in the post-bloom phase when they were already affected by low nutrients and/or viral lysis. The cyanobacteria populations appeared more affected by microzooplankton grazing which generally removed 20–65% of the standing stock per day

Pupillometry via smartphone for low-resource settings

The photopupillary reflex regulates the pupil reaction to changing light conditions. Being controlled by the autonomic nervous system, it is a proxy for brain trauma and for the conditions of patients in critical care. A prompt evaluation of brain traumas can save lives. With a simple penlight, skilled clinicians can do that, whereas less specialized ones have to resort to a digital pupilometer. However, many low-income countries lack both specialized clinicians and digital pupilometers. This paper presents the early results of our study aiming at designing, prototyping and validating an app for testing the photopupillary reflex via Android, following the European Medical Device Regulation and relevant standards. After a manual validation, the prototype underwent a technical validation against a commercial Infrared pupilometer. As a result, the proposed app performed as well as the manual measurements and better than the commercial solution, with lower errors, higher and significant correlations, and significantly better Bland-Altman plots for all the pupillometry-related measures. The design of this medical device was performed based on our expertise in low-resource settings. This kind of environments imposes more stringent design criteria due to contextual challenges, including the lack of specialized clinicians, funds, spare parts and consumables, poor maintenance, and harsh environmental conditions, which may hinder the safe operationalization of medical devices. This paper provides an overview of how these unique contextual characteristics are cascaded into the design of an app in order to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal 3 of the World Health Organization: Good health and well-being

Electric-pulse-induced reversible resistance in doped zinc oxide thin films

Nonvolatile, electric-pulse-induced resistance switching is reported on S and Co doped ZnO thin films deposited on different substrates using magnetron sputtering and laser ablation. Two resistance states were obtained by applying voltage pulses of different polarity. The switching was observed regardless of the substrate, dopant species, or microstructure of the samples. In the Co doped ZnO samples, the two resistance states are remarkably stable and uniform