Le Determinanti della Povertà minorile ed educativa in Italia e nel Sud

Il tema della povertà minorile e lo studio delle sue determinanti è diventato – soprattutto nell’ultima decade – centrale nel dibattito politico ed economico. È importante, proprio per ciò, dedicare grande attenzione a comprendere meglio il fenomeno sotto il profilo delle sue dimensioni e delle caratteristiche concrete che esso assume nel nostro paese. Lo scopo di questo lavoro è principalmente quello di analizzare prevalentemente i dati legati al fenomeno della povertà minorile nel nostro paese, sia a livello nazionale che di macro-area

Exploring disorganized attachment style among Malay mothers in Malaysia: a study using the Attachment Style Interview

This article explores emerging themes involving disorganized attachment style among Malay Muslim mothers using the Attachment Style Interview (ASI). Analysis of the 18 mothers with disorganized attachment style (those with combined anxious and avoidant styles) utilized themes deemed important from the attachment research literature and selected based on a careful reading of the narrative cases. These include more extreme negative interpersonal experiences than found in other insecure attachment style descriptors, and included partner violence and related isolation/social exclusion. It also indicated more complex cognitive-affective disturbance including mixed or contradictory dependency patterns and both angry and fearful attitudes to others. We discuss the concept of disorganized attachment style in relation to abuse, social exclusion, and its implication for psychopathology, intervention, and treatment

Comparison between a new thyroglobulin assay with the well-established Beckman Access immunoassay: A preliminary report

Objectives: Measurement of serum thyroglobulin (Tg) plays a key role in the post-thyroidectomy management of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). In this context, the performance of new-generation thyroglobulin assay has clinical implications in the follow-up of DTC patients. Aim of this study was to compare the new highly sensitive Liaison Tg II (Tg-L) with the well-established Tg Access assay (Tg-A). Materials and methods: A total of 91 residual serum samples (23 positive and 68 negatives for Tg auto-antibodies) were tested by the Beckman Access and Diasorin Liaison assays. Study samples were from 21 patients with pathologically proven DTC and control samples from 70 (16 patients with benign thyroid disease and 54 apparently healthy subjects). Results: Our results showed that Tg-L was highly correlated with Tg-A for both values ranging between 0.2 and 50 ng/mL (Pearson's r = 0.933 [95%CI 0.894-0.958], P <.001) and higher than 50 ng/mL (Pearson's r = 0.849 [95%CI 0.609-0.946], P <.001). For Tg values lower than 0.2 ng/mL, the overall concordance rate was 92%. Moreover, we tested 7 fine-needle aspiration washout fluids (FNA), showing an overall concordance rate in discriminating negative and positive of 100%. Finally, we found no interference by Tg auto-antibodies (TgAbs) for both Tg-L and Tg-A. Conversely, rheumatoid factor (RF) interferes with Tg-A, but not with Tg-L in one patient with no relapsing thyroid carcinoma. Conclusions: Liaison Tg II demonstrated a good correlation with Access Tg assay both for sera and FNAs. Further studies on larger population are needed to evaluate Tg-L clinical impact on DTC patient's follow-up

Spatiotemporal dynamics of covert versus overt processing of happy, fearful and sad facial expressions

Behavioral and electrophysiological correlates of the influence of task demands on the processing of happy, sad, and fearful expressions were investigated in a within-subjects study that compared a perceptual distraction condition with task-irrelevant faces (e.g., covert emotion task) to an emotion task-relevant categorization condition (e.g., overt emotion task). A state-of-the-art non-parametric mass univariate analysis method was used to address the limitations of previous studies. Behaviorally, participants responded faster to overtly categorized happy faces and were slower and less accurate to categorize sad and fearful faces; there were no behavioral differences in the covert task. Event-related potential (ERP) responses to the emotional expressions included the N170 (140-180 ms), which was enhanced by emotion irrespective of task, with happy and sad expressions eliciting greater amplitudes than neutral expressions. EPN (200-400 ms) amplitude was modulated by task, with greater voltages in the overt condition, and by emotion, however, there was no interaction of emotion and task. ERP activity was modulated by emotion as a function of task only at a late processing stage, which included the LPP (500-800 ms), with fearful and sad faces showing greater amplitude enhancements than happy faces. This study reveals that affective content does not necessarily require attention in the early stages of face processing, supporting recent evidence that the core and extended parts of the face processing system act in parallel, rather than serially. The role of voluntary attention starts at an intermediate stage, and fully modulates the response to emotional content in the final stage of processing

Reply to jue et al. Value of mri to improve deep learning model that identifies high-grade prostate cancer. comment on “gentile et al. optimized identification of high-grade prostate cancer by combining different psa molecular forms and psa density in a deep learning model. diagnostics 2021, 11, 335”

In their comment "Value of MRI to Improve Deep Learning Model That Identifies High-Grade Prostate Cancer [...]

The human red nucleus and lateral cerebellum in supporting roles for sensory information processing

A functional MRI study compared activation in the red nucleus to that in the lateral cerebellar dentate nucleus during passive and active tactile discrimination tasks. The study pursued recent neuroimaging results suggesting that the cerebellum may be more associated with sensory processing than with the control of movement for its own sake. Because the red nucleus interacts closely with the cerebellum, the possibility was examined that activity in red nucleus might also be driven by the requirement for tactile sensory processing with the fingers rather than by finger movement alone. The red and dentate nuclei were about 300% more active (a combination of activation areas and intensities) during passive (non‐motor) tactile stimulation when discrimination was required than when it was not. Thus, the red nucleus was activated by purely sensory stimuli even in the absence of the opportunity to coordinate finger movements or to use the sensory cues to guide movement. The red and dentate nuclei were about 70% more active during active tactile tasks when discrimination was required than when it was not (i.e., for simple finger movements alone). Thus, the red nucleus was most active when the fingers were being used for tactile sensory discrimination. In both the passive and active tactile tasks, the observed activation had a contralateralized pattern, with stronger activation in the left red nucleus and right dentate nucleus. Significant covariation was observed between activity in the red nucleus and the contralateral dentate during the discrimination tasks and no significant correlation between the red nucleus and the contralateral dentate activity was detected during the two non‐discrimination tasks. The observed interregional covariance and contralateralized activation patterns suggest strong functional connectivity during tactile discrimination tasks. Overall, the pattern of findings suggests that the activity in the red nucleus, as in the lateral cerebellum, is more driven by the requirements for sensory processing than by motor coordination per se

Effectiveness of expressive writing protocol in palliative care healthworkers: A quantitative study

Background and aim of the work: Palliative Care professionals are exposed to intense emotional envi-ronment. This puts them at risk for Compassion Fatigue and Burnout. The protective factors that can counter their onset are Compassion Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment and Resilience. Expressive Writing is a valid tool for adapting to traumatic events and enhancing psychological well-being. Aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the Expressive Writing in Palliative Care professionals on Compassion Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, Resilience, Compassion Fatigue and perceived distress. Methods: Prospective experimental study with experimental/control groups and pre/post measurements. 50 Palliative Care professionals were recruited in Northern and Central Italy. Participants filled: Organizational Commitment Questionnaire; ProQol-revision III; Resilience Scale for Adults; Impact of Event-Scale Revised; Emotion Thermometer; ad hoc questionnaire for the evaluation of protocol usefulness. Results: Wilcoxon test demon-strated change in Continuative Commitment (Z =-3.357, p = .001), anger (Z =-2.214, p = .027), sleep (Z =-2.268, p = .023), help (Z =-2.184, p = .029), intrusiveness (Z =-2.469, p = .014), hyperarousal (Z =-2.717, p = .007), and total IES (Z =-2.456, p =, 014). Mann Whitney test showed a significantly lower score on post-test Intrusiveness in the experimental group (U = 202, p = .038). Conclusions: The Expressive Writing intervention was effective in improving organizational and emotional variables. Expressive Writing supports healthcare professionals in relieving the burden of traumatic episodes, ordering associated thoughts and emo-tions, and implementing a process of deep comprehension

Monitoramento do fluxo de gases de efeito estufa em remanecente urbano de Floresta Ombrófila Mista, em condomínio residencial de Curitiba, PR.

bitstream/item/204161/1/Livro-Evinci-2019-final-20.pd

Endophytic fungi of Paullinia cupana and its antimicrobial potential.

The objective of this study is to characterize P. cupana endophytic fungi and evaluate their antibiotic potential by agar diffusion test. Fruits and root fragments from 6 individuals were collected and sterilized with 70% ethanol and 2% sodium hypochlorite

Alertness and visuospatial attention in clinical depression

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cognitive deficits are a substantial burden in clinical depression. The present study considered dysfunction in the right-hemispheric attention network in depression, examining alertness and visuospatial attention.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three computerized visuospatial attention tests and an alertness test were administered to 16 depressive patients and 16 matched healthy controls.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Although no significant group effect was observed, alertness predicted reduced visuospatial performance in the left hemifield. Furthermore, sad mood showed a trend towards predicting left visual field omissions.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Decreased alertness may lead to lower left hemifield visuospatial attention; this mechanism may be responsible for a spatial bias to the right side in depression, even though treatment of depression and anxiety may reduce this cognitive deficit.</p