MANTRAM FOR MAMAS: A PILOT STUDY FOR POSTPARTUM WOMEN

Objective: This pilot study launched an online Mantram Repetition Program (oMRP) using a virtual health portal that aimed to explore online portal accessibility, oMRP acceptance, and overall interface satisfaction among a sample of postpartum women. Background: Postpartum depression remains one of the most common and severe childbirth complications, affecting more than 13% of women during the first three months after childbirth. Cognitive or behavioral talk therapy sessions and medication are the most frequently recommended treatments to alleviate symptoms. Although effective, women tend not to enroll or adhere to these modalities, suggesting they need alternative treatment plans. A possible alternative, mirroring the adoption of online platforms and patient portals in many areas of healthcare delivery, is to examine if an online treatment method is acceptable for women in the postpartum period. Methods: To explore whether newly postpartum women would log on, navigate the portal, accept the virtual program, and enjoy the overall experience, participants were invited to access four oMRP learning modules through a HIPAA-compliant portal during a 30-day study period. Participants provided sociodemographic data and completed satisfaction surveys throughout the study. Questions from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8), in combination with open-ended questions, were used to evaluate participant acceptance and satisfaction with the technology, portal, and program. Results: Among this sample of seven women, five completed the program in its entirety, shared their satisfaction, and even expressed gratitude for the program. The women accepted the technology as indicated by a 6.0 mean TAM score (out of a possible 7.0) and had moderate to high levels of program satisfaction indicated by a 27 mean CSQ score (out of a possible 32). The qualitative and quantitative results indicated that the pilot study positively impacted its participants. Conclusion: The oMRP for postpartum women has the potential to be a patient-centered modality to treat postpartum symptoms and support overall well-being. This study provided a foundational empirical understanding of the acceptability and use of the oMRP interface, resulting in recommendations for future research, interface design, and clinical implementation

Criseyde from Benoit de Sainte-Maure to Shakespeare

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A Natural Laboratory for Offshore Paleotsunami Studies: The Augusta Bay (Eastern Sicily, Italy)

The recent results obtained from a 6.7 long piston core (MS06), collected 2.3 km offshore Augusta at a water depth of 72 m and made of an almost homogeneous dark gray mud dated back to the last 4500 yrs, stimulated our curiosity in searching for other similar signatures. In fact, quantitative micropaleontological analysis of benthic foraminifera assemblages highlighted 12 anomalous intervals, marked by peaks with high percentages of displaced epiphytic specimens and an increase in the sandy component. These anomalies were generally accompanied by a significant amount of Posidonia remnants, a localized concentration of molluscs and organic-rich bands. Thus, the twelve anomalous peaks were interpreted as the primary effect of tsunami waves backwash). Moreover, five out of the twelve anomalous layers were embedded in age intervals encompassing the dates of major tsunamis that hit eastern Sicily (1908, 1693, and 1169) and the broader Eastern Mediterranean (AD 365 Crete and Santorini at about BP 3600). Seven additional cores were sampled from the northern part of the Augusta Bay, along a transect 60 to 110 m of water depth, to retrieve the details of the MS06 sequence uppermost part. Four out of the seven new cores were selected and studied. Preliminary dating suggests that the sampled sequence spans ca. 400-500 yrs. Moreover, physical properties, ITRAX Xray fluorescence (XRF) and grain size analyses point out the presence of a peculiar interval made of Posidonia remnants, coarse sand and shell debris on the two cores closer to the shore. The two faroff cores seem to be more homogenous but a few thin sandy lenses enriched of Posidonia remnant were also recognized. Further detailed micropaleontological analysis and corroboration with instrumental data are still in progress and will help in discriminating single events potentially related to tsunami backwash

Structural Anti-Roma Racism in Italian Middle Schools

This study examines persistent racism, despite its formal denial, through an interdisciplinary approach that combines critical race theories, whiteness study and social psychology. It questions whether the analytical and empirical distinction between different forms of prejudice—despite their coexistence—can yield positive outcomes in the fight against racism. Considering the case of the Roma community in Italy, specifically within the universalistic approach of the Italian school system, the level of prejudice was measured in a sample of 305 middle school teachers. The main findings confirm the persistence of blatant prejudice concealed beneath a veneer of subtle racism and reveal that an educational institution’s rhetorical commitment to democracy may not substantially impact the behavior of democratic teachers when interacting with Roma individuals. The systemic inequalities ingrained within the education system are reminiscent of colonial times, where practices that once suppressed the potential of Africans are now used against Italian Roma citizens. This article finally suggests how teacher training might be improved to reduce racism, based on the different profiles of prejudicial attitudes detected among teacher

Microbial Biofilms Along a Geochemical Gradient at the Shallow-Water Hydrothermal System of Vulcano Island, Mediterranean Sea

Shallow water hydrothermal vents represent highly dynamic environments where strong geochemical gradients can shape microbial communities. Recently, these systems are being widely used for investigating the effects of ocean acidification on biota as vent emissions can release high CO2 concentrations causing local pH reduction. However, other gas species, as well as trace elements and metals, are often released in association with CO2 and can potentially act as confounding factors. In this study, we evaluated the composition, diversity and inferred functional profiles of microbial biofilms in Levante Bay (Vulcano Island, Italy, Mediterranean Sea), a well-studied shallow-water hydrothermal vent system. We analyzed 16S rRNA transcripts from biofilms exposed to different intensity of hydrothermal activity, following a redox and pH gradient across the bay. We found that elevated CO2 concentrations causing low pH can affect the response of bacterial groups and taxa by either increasing or decreasing their relative abundance. H2S proved to be a highly selective factor shaping the composition and affecting the diversity of the community by selecting for sulfide-dependent, chemolithoautotrophic bacteria. The analysis of the 16S rRNA transcripts, along with the inferred functional profile of the communities, revealed a strong influence of H2S in the southern portion of the study area, and temporal succession affected the inferred abundance of genes for key metabolic pathways. Our results revealed that the composition of the microbial assemblages vary at very small spatial scales, mirroring the highly variable geochemical signature of vent emissions and cautioning for the use of these environments as models to investigate the effects of ocean acidification on microbial diversity

Neovalve construction in deep venous incompetence

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