Physician-Patient Communication Among Southern European Cancer Physicians: the Influence of Psychosocial Orientation and Burnout

Physician-patient communication is a critical factor for comprehensive care in oncology. Although a number of studies have been carried out in Northern Europe and the US on this subject, no data are available in Southern European countries. As a part of a multicenter Southern European Psycho-Oncology study (SEPOS), the present investigation was conducted to examine communication skills and related variables (i.e. psychosocial orientation, and burnout) among 125 physicians from Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The Self-Confidence in Communication Skills (SCCS) scale was given to assess physicians' perception of their communication skills and the Expected Outcome of Communication (EOC) scale was administered to examine the physicians' expectations about the effects of communicating with their patients. Doctors' psychosocial orientation was measured by using the Physician Belief Scale (PBS) and burnout was measured by using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Although the physicians reported receiving minimal training in communication during their education, they tended to perceive themselves as skilled in patient communication, apart from some areas (e.g. dealing with denial, managing uncertainty, assessing anxiety and depression, and promoting patient-family openness). Low psychosocial orientation and burnout symptoms (i.e. emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and poor personal accomplishment in their job) were associated with lower confidence in communication skills and higher expectations of a negative outcome, following physician-patient communication. The results suggest that there is a need for training cancer physicians in communication and for increasing a more definite psychosocially oriented approach in cancer care in Mediterranean countries.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Normal state magnetotransport properties of β\beta-FeSe superconductors

We present $\beta$-FeSe magnetotransport data, and describe them theoretically. Using a simplified microscopic model with two correlated effective orbitals, we determined the normal state electrical conductivity and Hall coefficient, using Kubo formalism. With model parameters relevant for Fe-chalcogenides, we describe the observed effect of the structural transition on the ab-plane electrical resistivity, as well as on the magnetoresistance. Temperature-dependent Hall coefficient data were measured at 16 Tesla, and their theoretical description improves upon inclusion of moderate electron correlations. We confirm the effect of the structural transition on the electronic structure, finding deformation-induced band splittings comparable to those reported in angle-resolved photoemission.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Mott-Hubbard quantum criticality in paramagnetic CMR pyrochlores

We present a correlated {\it ab initio} description of the paramagnetic phase of Tl$_2$Mn$_2$O$_7$, employing a combined local density approximation (LDA) with multiorbital dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) treatment. We show that the insulating state observed in this colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) pyrochlore is determined by strong Mn intra- and inter-orbital local electron-electron interactions. Hybridization effects are reinforced by the correlation-induced spectral weight transfer. Our result coincides with optical conductivity measurements, whose low energy features are remarkably accounted for by our theory. Based on this agreement, we study the disorder-driven insulator-metal transition of doped compounds, showing the proximity of Tl$_2$Mn$_2$O$_7$ to quantum phase transitions, in agreement with recent measurements.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Algebraic Characterization of Vector Supersymmetry in Topological Field Theories

An algebraic cohomological characterization of a class of linearly broken Ward identities is provided. The examples of the topological vector supersymmetry and of the Landau ghost equation are discussed in detail. The existence of such a linearly broken Ward identities turns out to be related to BRST exact antifield dependent cocycles with negative ghost number.Comment: 30 pages, latex2e file, subm. to Journ. of Math. Phy

Post-Mortem Immunohistochemical Evidence of β2-Adrenergic Receptor Expression in the Adrenal Gland

The evidence from post-mortem biochemical studies conducted on cortisol and catecholamines suggest that analysis of the adrenal gland could provide useful information about its role in human pathophysiology and the stress response. Authors designed an immunohistochemical study on the expression of the adrenal β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR), a receptor with high-affinity for catecholamines, with the aim to show which zones it is expressed in and how its expression differs in relation to the cause of death. The immunohistochemical study was performed on adrenal glands obtained from 48 forensic autopsies of subjects that died as a result of different pathogenic mechanisms using a mouse monoclonal β2-AR antibody. The results show that immunoreactivity for β2-AR was observed in all adrenal zones. Furthermore, immunoreactivity for β2-AR has shown variation in the localization and intensity of different patterns in relation to the original cause of death. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates β2-AR expression in the human cortex and provides suggestions on the possible involvement of β2-AR in human cortex hormonal stimulation. In conclusion, the authors provide a possible explanation for the observed differences in expression in relation to the cause of death

A Robust Filter for the BeppoSAX Gamma Ray Burst Monitor Triggers

The BeppoSAX Gamma Ray Burst Monitor (GRBM) is triggered any time a statistically significant counting excess is simultaneously revealed by at least two of its four independent detectors. Several spurious effects, including highly ionizing particles crossing two detectors, are recorded as onboard triggers. In fact, a large number of false triggers is detected, in the order of 10/day. A software code, based on an heuristic algorithm, was written to discriminate between real and false triggers. We present the results of the analysis on an homogeneous sample of GRBM triggers, thus providing an estimate of the efficiency of the GRB detection system consisting of the GRBM and the software.Comment: Proc. 5th Huntsville GRB Symposiu