Validity and reliability of the Structured Clinical Interview for Depersonalization-Derealization Spectrum (SCI-DER).

This study evaluates the validity and reliability of a new instrument developed to assess symptoms of depresonalization: the Structured Clinical Interview for the Depersonalization-Derealization Spectrum (SCI-DER). The instrument is based on a spectrum model that emphasizes soft-signs, sub-threshold syndromes as well as clinical and subsyndromal manifestations. Items of the interview include, in addition to DSM-IV criteria for depersonalization, a number of features derived from clinical experience and from a review of phenomenological descriptions. Study participants included 258 consecutive patients with mood and anxiety disorders, 16.7% bipolar I disorder, 18.6% bipolar II disorder, 32.9% major depression, 22.1% panic disorder, 4.7% obsessive compulsive disorder, and 1.5% generalized anxiety disorder; 2.7% patients were also diagnosed with depersonalization disorder. A comparison group of 42 unselected controls was enrolled at the same site. The SCI-DER showed excellent reliability and good concurrent validity with the Dissociative Experiences Scale. It significantly discriminated subjects with any diagnosis of mood and anxiety disorders from controls and subjects with depersonalization disorder from controls. The hypothesized structure of the instrument was confirmed empirically

Glucose, Insulin and Renin activity after sodium loading and depletion in Vipera aspis.

Sodium, potassium, chloride, glucose, insulin and renin activity were investigated in fasted Vipera aspis subjected for 3 days to administration of 3% NaCl 5 ml, or injection of a diuretic and water loading to produce sodium depletion. After sodium loading, plasma sodium and glucose were significantly elevated if compared with those of controls, while plasma renin-like activity and plasma insulin were depressed. The insulin and somatostatin producing cells (B- and D-cells) showed only a weak immunoreactivity, while in the glucagon producing cells (A-cells) the immunoreactivity was stronger if compared with the handled controls. After sodium depletion, plasma sodium and glucose were significantly depressed and plasma renin-like activity and plasma insulin were significantly elevated. A strong immunoreactivity was present in B- and D-cells and only a weak immunoreactivity was detectable in the A-cells. These data suggest that the secretory activity of the endocrine pancreas and kidney may be affected, in vipers, by sodium and/or volume status

New insular taxa from the oldest Terre Rosse fissure filling (Gargano, Southeastern Italy).

A rich amount of fossil remains of a highly diversified vertebrate fauna, known as “Mikrotia fauna”, has been retrieved from the red soil deposits (Terre Rosse) which fill the extensive palaeokarst network that affects the Mesozoic limestone along the north-western slopes of Mount Gargano (Southern Italy). The faunal assemblages reveal a rather complex history of bioevents such as dispersals and extinctions, which occurred when the area was isolated. These reconstructions were based on the materials collected during the seventies and the eighties of the last century. Forty years after its discovery, the Gargano Terre Rosse finally yielded evidence of an older faunal settlement. The peculiar assemblage of the M013 fissure allows to explain some of the controversial aspects of the Gargano faunal history, namely, the matter of the biochronology of the older fissure fillings and the issue of the arrivals of the taxa in the insular domain. The taxonomic study of the small mammal assemblage from fissure M013, sampled by a team of the University of Torino during the 2005-09 excavations in the Dell’Erba Quarry (Apricena, Foggia), is here presented. Insectivores include a small-sized endemic Galericinae Apulogalerix cf. pusillus, together with a Crocidosoricinae, Lartetium cf. dehmi. Gliridae are well represented by the endemic species Stertomys simplex and S.lyrifer. Cricetids (l.s.) are represented by a single remain belonging to the endemic Hattomys cf. nazarii, but also by a new genus and species of an endemic and rather primitive Cricetodontinae. The latter shows a very hypsodont dental crown, stocky cusps and tubercle-like crests. Some of its features are typical of the continental genera of Cricetodontinae (i.e. large size, thick and crenulated enamel), however the very large size and the very high hypsodonty indicate the endemic nature of this taxon. The occlusal pattern appears rather primitive due to the very low, poorly developed, interrupted ectolophs and share some features with the primitive species of the genus Cricetodon. Murids include Mikrotia parva together with a second larger species, which is not yet identified. A third Murinae rodent is quite abundant, and belongs to a new genus and species. Its dentition is more brachyodont than in Mikrotia parva, the upper teeth are stephanodont and, accordingly, the transversal crests are joined by a longitudinal crest in the lower molars. Tubercle t7 is absent in the upper molars, t2bis is always present, while t1bis is usually absent in the first upper molar. Tubercle t1 is placed in a distal position respect to the t3, the posterolabial tubercle t12 is well-developed. Tubercles t3, t6 and t9 are roughly equidistant forming a regular pattern: a character that is found in Mikrotia and not in the other murid species, in which t6 is closer to t9. This morphological characters reveal a close relationship with Mikrotia, but they do not occur jointly in any of the Late Miocene-Earliest Pliocene European genera of murids, thus the phylogenetic origin of this new genus is still unclear. The occurrence of this new Murinae and of a Cricetodontinae distinguishes M013 from all the other Terre Rosse fissure fillings of Gargano. Stertomys lyrifer and S. simplex were previously known only from the very ancient fissure Rinascita 1. Because both taxa characterize M013 and Rinascita 1, the two fissures are believed to be very close chronologically. Also the Crocidosoricinae characterises the older fissure fillings. In contrast, M013 is the only fissure lacking Apodemus and Prolagus, which are otherwise present in all the other Gargano infillings. The accumulated evidence indicates M013 as the oldest of Gargano’s faunal assemblages, despite the occurrence of Hattomys cf. nazarii, Mikrotia cf. parva and Mikrotia sp1, which most probably results from infiltrations from younger fissure fillings. The M013 assemblage is an absolute novelty for the Abruzzo-Apulian Palaeobioprovince and opens a new perspectives for the timing and mode of dispersal of the forerunners of the Gargano fauna

Data organization using gis for a more conscious conservation approach for abandoned sites

The purpose of this paper is to rediscover the abandoned village of Castelnuovo dei Sabbioni with new tools and modalities, providing an overall descriptive picture of the context in the framework of a pressing marginalization of territories subjected to depopulation and abandonment, and providing the appropriate tools for the definition of a possible future scenario for the village. The main novelty of this work is proposing alternative data recording and management strategies, preparatory to the definition of an actual project. The proposed strategy blends modern documentation technology and ICT processing tools with the consultation of more traditional sources of information, encouraging the adoption of a highly analytical structure in the design process. The paper, which brings a practical example, aims to support the implementation of interventions that are conscious, and targeted to the needs of future users and actors in the development of these places. Finally, the work aims at exploring the pros of offline and online GIS database in the case of historic sites through the development of shareable maps able to store multiple information

Water adsorption on amorphous silica surfaces: A Car-Parrinello simulation study

A combination of classical molecular dynamics (MD) and ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics (CPMD) simulations is used to investigate the adsorption of water on a free amorphous silica surface. From the classical MD SiO_2 configurations with a free surface are generated which are then used as starting configurations for the CPMD.We study the reaction of a water molecule with a two-membered ring at the temperature T=300K. We show that the result of this reaction is the formation of two silanol groups on the surface. The activation energy of the reaction is estimated and it is shown that the reaction is exothermic.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, to be published in J. Phys.: Condens. Matte

Perceptions of and Satisfaction with Sexual and Reproductive Health Interventions in Pre-Adolescent and Adolescent Students in UE/EEA Countries: A Systematic Review

: The objective of this review is to investigate perceptions of and satisfaction with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) interventions among pre-adolescents and adolescents of all genders and ethnicities in EU/EEA countries. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA recommendations. A systematic literature search was conducted on MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Central), CINAHL (EBSCO), and PsycINFO (EBSCO) up to March 2022 to identify all published articles that included information on perceptions and levels of satisfaction with SRH interventions. The selected studies were independently and blindly evaluated for risk of bias. Finally, only five papers were included in our review, divided according to the implemented intervention design: conducted by research groups (health or non-health professionals) or structured entirely in a peer-to-peer approach. Both types of program designs analyzed in the included studies were well accepted by students, even though satisfaction assessment methods were not standardized. Peer-to-peer conducted SRH programs or interventions with practical components (e.g., exercises, discussion) were more appreciated. We also found higher levels of satisfaction among younger participants. Future SRH educational programs should consider an assessment of participants' perceptions and satisfaction, possibly adopting standardized tools. Following a peer-to-peer structure and delivering programs early could lead to greater participant satisfaction