A complete automatization of an educational observatory at INAF-OATs

The Astronomical Observatory of Trieste (OATs), part of the Italian Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), hosts a Celestron C14 telescope, equipped with a robotic Paramount ME equatorial mount, used for public outreach. The telescope is installed inside a dome, recently upgraded with a Beckhoff PLC control system, a SIEMENS inverter for the communication with the motor of the dome's roof, and further equipment to allow the complete automatization of the system. A peculiarity of the system is that, when operating, the telescope may exceed the height of the roof: due to this fact the telescope pointing is constrained by the full opening of the roof and, oppositely, the closing of the roof is allowed only when the telescope is in park position. Appropriate sensors are installed to monitor the position of the telescope to properly handle the complete opening or closing of the roof. Several emergency operations are also foreseen, for example in case of bad weather or lost connection with the user. The PLC software has been developed using TwinCAT software. An OPC-UA server is installed in the PLC and allows the communication with a web interface. The web GUI, developed in PHP and Javascript, allows the user to perform the remote operations like switching on all the instrumentations, open the dome's roof, park the telescope and view the status of the system. Furthermore through TheSkyX software it is possible to perform the pointing of the telescope and its set up. A dedicated script, interfaced with TheSkyX, have been implemented to perform a complete automated acquisition. An appropriate data storage system is foreseen. All these elements, that cooperate to create a fully remoted controlled system, are presented in this paper

Coparenting in divorced and married parents and children’s psychosocial adjustment

As a distinct construct from both marital relationship and parent-child relationship, coparenting refers primarily to the extent to which parents experience joint responsibility for children’s well-being, are able to cooperate and coordinate in the decisions regarding their children, and trust each other. These aspects concern visible behaviors and interactions between parents, together with their perceptions. In the past decades, a growing number of studies have demonstrated the influence of coparenting on marital and parent-child relationships, and on children’s psychosocial adjustment, from early toddlerhood through adolescence. Coparenting and its effects have been mostly explored among divorced parents or intact families separately. The present study was aimed at comparing perceptions of coparenting in divorced and married parents (100 divorced parents and 85 married parents), both fathers and mothers, and assessing the relation between coparenting and school-age and adolescent children’s psychosocial adjustment. Results showed that divorced parents, especially fathers, perceived a lower level of coparenting. Moreover, children’s adjustment were related to coparenting only in the group of divorced parents

Uterine fibroid therapy using interventional radiology mini-invasive treatments: current perspective

Uterine fibroids are common benign tumors of unclear etiopathology that affect the female reproductive tract. They are responsible for considerable morbidity and deterioration of life quality, and may have a negative impact on the reproductive system as well. Besides surgery aided by uterus-saving techniques, several minimally invasive procedures are now available within the field of interventional radiology that represent a valid solution for women who desire pregnancy and relief from disease-specific symptomatology. The main advantages offered by these techniques are low grade of invasiveness and short times of hospitalization. The most diffuse techniques are uterine artery embolization (UAE) and magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgFUS). UAE is an endovascular procedure whose goal is obtained by provoking ischemia of the uterine vessels. MRgFUS is a thermoablation procedure that selectively ablates the symptomatic fibroids. In this review study, both procedures will be described, including a description of technical details, indications, contraindications, complications, and outcomes

Coparenting in divorced and married parents and children’s psychosocial adjustment

As a distinct construct from both marital relationship and parent-child relationship, coparenting refers primarily to the extent to which parents experience joint responsibility for children\u2019s well-being, are able to cooperate and coordinate in the decisions regarding their children, and trust each other. These aspects concern visible behaviors and interactions between parents, together with their perceptions. In the past decades, a growing number of studies have demonstrated the influence of coparenting on marital and parent-child relationships, and on children\u2019s psychosocial adjustment, from early toddlerhood through adolescence. Coparenting and its effects have been mostly explored among divorced parents or intact families separately. The present study was aimed at comparing perceptions of coparenting in divorced and married parents (100 divorced parents and 85 married parents), both fathers and mothers, and assessing the relation between coparenting and school-age and adolescent children\u2019s psychosocial adjustment. Results showed that divorced parents, especially fathers, perceived a lower level of coparenting. Moreover, children\u2019s adjustment were related to coparenting only in the group of divorced parents

Sense of Coherence and COVID-19: A Longitudinal Study

The strong restrictive measures adopted in 2020 against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy have deeply affected the general population’s mental health. In the current longitudinal study, we specifically focus on sense of coherence (SOC), both in terms of comprehensibility/manageability and meaningfulness, among a large sample of Italian adults; SOC is a potential resource likely to foster the ability to cope with stressors. A total of 2,191 Italian participants (65.8% female) aged 18–82 completed an anonymous online self-report questionnaire at Time 1 (during the lockdown, March 2020) and at Time 2 (at the resumption of most activities, July 2020). The Repeated Measures Latent Profile Analysis (RMLPA) allowed us to identify seven different SOC profiles based on the change in both SOC dimensions, ranging from a strong “crisis” in terms of this resource in the face of the pandemic to a solid possibility to count on it. Interestingly, female and younger respondents were more likely to belong to those profiles characterized by lower levels of SOC, and these profiles have specific relations with fear and wellbeing. The implications of these results and the further expansion of the study are discussed

Perceptions of domestic and extra‐domestic environment during the COVID‐19 pandemic in an Italian representative sample

Perception of domestic and extra-domestic environment plays a key role in structuring reality, representing the boundary between private and public life. COVID-19 pandemic led to changes both inside and outside domestic borders, modifying those reciprocal perceptions. The aim of this study was to assess perceptions of domestic and extra-domestic environments after the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic on a representative Italian sample, and how such perceptions were related to individuals' well-being at individual, family and social levels. Participants filled an online self-report questionnaire in July 2020. Cluster analyses were conducted on domestic and extra-domestic environment perceptions, leading to the identification of four clusters. Clusters were compared in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, and individual, family and social factors. Identified clusters report different levels of well-being at each level. The role of factors is identified, and possible implications are discussed. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement

Essere genitori durante l’emergenza COVID-19: stress percepito e difficoltà emotive dei figli

Un crescente numero di studi ha documentato l’impatto negativo delle misure restrittive di contenimento del contagio da COVID-19 sul benessere psicologico dei minori. Meno indagato è il ruolo dello stress genitoriale e il contributo dei diversi stressor sperimentati dai genitori sul malessere dei figli. Il presente studio cross-sectional in-tende esplorare il legame tra le difficoltà emotive dei minori (3-17 anni) e alcune specifiche fonti di stress sperimentate dai genitori in seguito al primo lockdown e quali di esse contribuiscano al malessere dei figli. 506 genitori italiani hanno compilato un questionario online a fine giugno 2020. I risultati mostrano un’influenza significativa dello stress legato alla limitazione della vita sociale e alla gestione della vita familiare, suggerendo l’importanza di interventi mirati su questi aspetti per ridurre l’impatto negativo della pandemia e promuovere il benessere della generazione più giovane