Perception of attachment security in families with children affected by neurological illness

This study analyzes inter-family relationships of families with children with neurological problems using Bowlby’s attachment theory as model of reference. The research was conducted in two hospitals in Serbia specialized in neurological diseases: cerebral palsy and epilepsy. It is hypothesized that neurological problems could be associated to a discrepancy of inter-family attachment perceptions. Two groups were selected, a clinical one composed of 25 nuclear families: mother, father and child with a certified diagnosis of either cerebral palsy or epilepsy; and a control group of 25 nuclear families: mother, father and child with no pathology. Kerns, Klepac and Cole’s Security Scale (1996) was used for the investigation, with the addition of two modified version for administration to the parents. Data analysis demonstrated that the clinical group is substantively higher (p=.076) with respect to the discrepancy of attachment perceived by the children and the attribution of meaning that parents give to their child’s attachment perception towards them. Further analyses carried out on parent-child relationships demonstrated a significant difference (p =.017) between the clinical and control groups, with respect to the perception of father-child attachment. We conclude that in the clinical group, there is a discrepancy of attachment perceptions that particularly affects the father-child relationship. It appears that hospitalization and the consequent separation of the nuclear families may influence the formation of secure attachment relationships, in particular between father and child

RR LYRAE VARIABLE STARS: PULSATIONAL CONSTRAINTS RELEVANT TO THE OOSTERHOFF CONTROVERSY

A solution to the old Oosterhoff controversy is proposed on the basis of a new theoretical pulsational scenario concerning RR Lyrae cluster variables (Bono and coworkers). We show that the observed constancy of the lowest pulsation period in both Oosterhoff type I (OoI) and Oosterhoff type II (OoII) prototypes (M3, M15) can be easily reproduced only by assuming the canonical evolutionary horizontal-branch luminosity levels of these Galactic globular clusters and therefore by rejecting the Sandage period shift effect (SPSE).Comment: postscript file of 7 pages and 2 figures; one non postcript figure is available upon request; for any problem please write to [email protected]

Analysis of dissolved-gas atomization: supercritical CO2 dissolved in water

Supercritical dissolved-gas atomization is an atomization process in which carbon dioxide at temperature and pressure above its critical point is used as the atomizing gas. The spray characteristics in terms of droplets size and distribution have been experimentally studied using a laser diffraction method based on a Malvern apparatus. The main parameter that influences the droplets size is the gas-to-liquid mass ratio (GLR); the injection pressure in the range of 7.4-13 MPa has a minor effect. Upon variation of the GLR from 0.5 to 3, the droplet mean diameter changes from about 8.0 to 2.0 μm; very narrow droplet size distributions are also produced. From the point of view of the atomization mechanism, the mean droplet diameter is mainly influenced by the sudden release of the gas dissolved in the liquid. The overall analysis of the experimental data confirms that dissolved-gas atomization allows for the formation of micrometric droplets that can produce precipitates with controlled sizes and distributions that are useful in several fine-particles production processes

A new source for light dark matter isocurvature in low scale inflation

Light scalar and pseudoscalar particles are compelling dark matter candidates, with a vast running experimental program to discover them. Previous studies have shown that these light fields can generate sizable isocurvature perturbations in high scale inflationary models. Thereby, dark matter existence and cosmic microwave background measurements impose an upper bound on the inflationary scale. In this work, focusing on the axion case, we point out that light fields present during inflation can generate important isocurvature perturbations also in scenarios of low-scale inflation. In our mechanism, the axion field starts with some non-zero field value during inflation and rolls along its potential. Since inflation has a different duration in different patches of the universe, different regions will then have different values of the axion field, generating cold dark matter isocurvature modes. These modes are fully correlated with the adiabatic ones and share the same spectral index. In this scenario, the axion mass determines a lower bound on the Hubble parameter during inflation.Comment: 6 Pages + Appendice

Dal lavoro forzato alla costrizione indiretta al lavoro: le nuove frontiere dello sfruttamento dei condannati

The practice of forced labour has survived all criminal reforms occurred during over 150 years of Italian history, giving to the State an indiscriminate power of exploiting the convicts’ labor force. Only recently, both the policy makers and the case law have acknowledged the conflict between this practice and the principles of the constitutional State, based on the respect of the fundamental rights and the labour protection. A reform of 2018 intervened on the issue, repealing the convicts’ legal obligation to work. Unfortunately, the same reform frustrated this result, by introducing a new form of “public works”, under the control of the State or private NGOs, which represents an indirect form of coercion to work that violates the provisions of the ILO’s Forced labour Convention.

A pena corporal do cárcere e o direito à saúde: entre a normativa penitenciária europeia e italiana

No presente artigo analisaremos o modo como é conceituada e normatizada a saúde dos detentos na normativa penitenciária europeia e italiana. Não nos limitaremos somente ao dado normativo, procuraremos, ao contrário, compreender o contexto em que as normas foram adotadas e os efeitos que produziram. A metodologia fenomenológica foi utilizada na abordagem dos conteúdos encontrados ao longo da pesquisa, permitindo atingir as conclusões em perspectiva comparada entre ambas normativas estudadas.