Search

Background: Positivity (POS) indicates the proclivity to see life and experiences in a positive light. There is limited research on its effects on individuals with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD). Very little is known about the relationship between POS and daily activities in people with SSD. Aim: The study aims to compare the POS rated by patients with SSD with those obtained in an Italian normative sample matched by age and sex and to use the Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to investigate the association between POS and daily time use (i.e. productive activities, leisure activities), functioning and mood in individuals with SSD. Method: 620 SSD patients were recruited from mental health services in Italy as part of the DiAPAson project. POS, symptom severity, functioning, and quality of life (QoL) were assessed. POS scores were compared to a normative sample of 5,002 Italian citizens. Additionally, a subset of 102 patients underwent 7-day assessments using mobile EMA. Results: People with SSD did not significantly differ from the Italian normative sample in POS levels (0.035, p =.190). POS showed a significant inverse association with support network (−0.586, p =.036) and symptomatology (BPRS −0.101; 95% p <.001; BNSS B = −0.113, p <.001). A significant direct association was found between POS and QoL (B = 0.310, p <.001) and functioning (B = 0.058, p <.001). In the subsample using EMA, POS ratings showed significant associations with Positive Emotions (B = 0.167, p <.001) and Negative Emotions (B = −0.201, p <.001). Conclusion: People with SSD exhibited comparable levels of POS to the normative sample. Higher POS was linked to better functioning, QoL, fewer severe symptoms, and increased positive emotions. However, it did not relate to increased productivity or engagement in leisure activities. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between POS and time use in individuals with SSD.

Background: Positivity (POS) indicates the proclivity to see life and experiences in a positive light. There is limited research on its effects on individuals with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD). Very little is known about the relationship between POS and daily activities in people with SSD. Aim: The study aims to compare the POS rated by patients with SSD with those obtained in an Italian normative sample matched by age and sex and to use the Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to investigate the association between POS and daily time use (i.e. productive activities, leisure activities), functioning and mood in individuals with SSD. Method: 620 SSD patients were recruited from mental health services in Italy as part of the DiAPAson project. POS, symptom severity, functioning, and quality of life (QoL) were assessed. POS scores were compared to a normative sample of 5,002 Italian citizens. Additionally, a subset of 102 patients underwent 7-day assessments using mobile EMA. Results: People with SSD did not significantly differ from the Italian normative sample in POS levels (0.035, p =.190). POS showed a significant inverse association with support network (−0.586, p =.036) and symptomatology (BPRS −0.101; 95% p <.001; BNSS B = −0.113, p <.001). A significant direct association was found between POS and QoL (B = 0.310, p <.001) and functioning (B = 0.058, p <.001). In the subsample using EMA, POS ratings showed significant associations with Positive Emotions (B = 0.167, p <.001) and Negative Emotions (B = −0.201, p <.001). Conclusion: People with SSD exhibited comparable levels of POS to the normative sample. Higher POS was linked to better functioning, QoL, fewer severe symptoms, and increased positive emotions. However, it did not relate to increased productivity or engagement in leisure activities. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between POS and time use in individuals with SSD.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a very aggressive disease even in its early stages and is characterized by a severe prognosis. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is one of the milestones of treatment, and paclitaxel (PTX) is among the most active drugs used in this setting. However, despite its efficacy, peripheral neuropathy occurs in approximately 20-25% of cases and represents the dose-limiting toxicity of this drug. New deliverable strategies to ameliorate drug delivery and reduce side effects are keenly awaited to improve patients' outcomes. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have recently been demonstrated as promising drug delivery vectors for cancer treatment. The aim of the present preclinical study is to explore the possibility of a cell therapy approach based on the use of MSCs loaded with PTX to treat TNBC-affected patients. For this purpose, we in vitro evaluated the viability, migration and colony formation of two TNBC cell lines, namely, MDA-MB-231 and BT549, treated with MSC-PTX conditioned medium (MSC-CM PTX) in comparison with both CM of MSCs not loaded with PTX (CTRL) and free PTX. We observed stronger inhibitory effects on survival, migration and tumorigenicity for MSC-CM PTX than for CTRL and free PTX in TNBC cell lines. Further studies will provide more information about activity and potentially open the possibility of using this new drug delivery vector in the context of a clinical study.

The frequency with which Internalizing and Externalizing symptoms co-occur suggests that, behind both domains, there may be a common susceptibility represented by a general psychopathology factor. However, it’s still unclear whether this common susceptibility is affected by age-related variations. Internalizing (i.e., Fear and Distress) and Externalizing symptoms were evaluated in 803 twin pairs from the population-based Italian Twin Registry. Model-fitting analysis was performed separately in the 6–14 and 15–18 age groups to estimate genetic and environmental contributions to the covariance among symptoms. For the 6–14 group, a multivariate Cholesky model best fitted the data, while, for the 15–18 group, the best fit was provided by a Common Pathway model in which nearly 50% of total variance of each trait was mediated by common genetic factors. Our findings support a common susceptibility behind Internalizing and Externalizing symptoms, mainly genetic in origin, that becomes more evident at the beginning of puberty.

Summary. This target paper focuses on the teaching of tests and psychological assessment, and presents the results of a short questionnaire on which tests and assessment procedures are presented to psychology students. The questionnaire was sent to AIP (Associazione Italiana di Psicologia) members giving at least one class on the topic of interest. The questionnaire was composed by two sections. The first section included general questions on the disciplinary sector of the class given by respondents, and on which psychological instruments were taught. The second section explored more in detail which typology of tests and instruments are taught in Italian universities. Results showed a low completion rate of the questionnaire, and a complex and scattered picture of the teaching of tests and assessment processes. This paper represents a starting point for the debate on this topic from other colleagues. This debate is particularly important given the incumbent transformation the laurea in psicologia as only requirement to practice as psychologist in Italy.

Summary. This target paper focuses on the teaching of tests and psychological assessment, and presents the results of a short questionnaire on which tests and assessment procedures are presented to psychology students. The questionnaire was sent to AIP (Associazione Italiana di Psicologia) members giving at least one class on the topic of interest. The questionnaire was composed by two sections. The first section included general questions on the disciplinary sector of the class given by respondents, and on which psychological instruments were taught. The second section explored more in detail which typology of tests and instruments are taught in Italian universities. Results showed a low completion rate of the questionnaire, and a complex and scattered picture of the teaching of tests and assessment processes. This paper represents a starting point for the debate on this topic from other colleagues. This debate is particularly important given the incumbent transformation the laurea in psicologia as only requirement to practice as psychologist in Italy.

Summary. This target paper focuses on the teaching of tests and psychological assessment, and presents the results of a short questionnaire on which tests and assessment procedures are presented to psychology students. The questionnaire was sent to AIP (Associazione Italiana di Psicologia) members giving at least one class on the topic of interest. The questionnaire was composed by two sections. The first section included general questions on the disciplinary sector of the class given by respondents, and on which psychological instruments were taught. The second section explored more in detail which typology of tests and instruments are taught in Italian universities. Results showed a low completion rate of the questionnaire, and a complex and scattered picture of the teaching of tests and assessment processes. This paper represents a starting point for the debate on this topic from other colleagues. This debate is particularly important given the incumbent transformation the laurea in psicologia as only requirement to practice as psychologist in Italy.

A reply to commentaries

Positive orientation (PO) is a basic predisposition that consists in a positive outlook toward oneself, one's life, and one's future, which is associated to many desirable outcomes connected to health and to the general quality of life. We performed a lexical study for identifying a set of markers of PO, developed an Implicit Association Test (the PO-IAT), and investigated its psychometric properties. The PO-IAT proved to be a reliable measure with a clear pattern of convergent validity, both with respect to self-report scales connected to PO and with respect to an indirect measure of self-esteem. A secondary aim of our studies was to validate a new brief adjective scale to assess PO, the POAS. Our results show that both the PO-IAT and the self-reported PO predict the frequency of depressive symptoms and of self-perceived intelligence.

The present study examined the extent to which individual differences in personality that have been previously associated with aggression in non-clinical subjects (Caprara et al., European Journal of Personality, 27(3), 290–303, 2013, Caprara et al., Developmental Psychology, 50(1), 71–85, 2014) account for aggression among adolescents referred to psychiatric services with diagnosis within the externalizing spectrum (i.e., conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). In particular a conceptual model was examined in which individual differences in basic traits (i.e., emotional instability and agreeableness), lower order traits (i.e., irritability and hostile rumination), and social cognitive mechanisms (i.e., moral disengagement) account for aggressive behavior. One hundred and nine adolescents (81 males, 74.3%), ranging in age from 11 to 18 (M = 13.83, SD = 1.70) and referred to psychiatric services for the above diagnoses, participated at the study. Adolescents filled in questionnaires measuring the Big Five traits, as well as irritability, hostile rumination, and moral disengagement; their parents filled in the Child Behavior Checklist to assess children’s aggressive behavior. Findings corroborated the posited pattern of relations previously found in non-clinical samples. In accordance with those findings, moral disengagement largely mediated the association between traits and aggressive behavior. The model explained a significant portion of variance in aggressive behavior. As a novelty, findings showed a direct association between emotional instability and aggressive behavior, pointing to the major relevance of emotional disregulation in adolescents referred for externalizing problem behaviors in comparison to non-clinical adolescents.

The composition of the gut microbiota of mammals is greatly influenced by diet. Therefore, evaluation of different food ingredients that may promote changes in the gut microbiota composition is an attractive approach to treat microbiota disturbances. In this study, three dietary fibers, such as inulin (I, 10%), resistant starch (RS, 10%), and citrus pectin (3%), were employed as supplements to normal chow diet of adult male rats for 2 weeks. Fecal microbiota composition and corresponding metabolite profiles were assessed before and after prebiotics supplementation. A general increase in the Bacteroidetes phylum was detected with a concurrent reduction in Firmicutes, in particular for I and RS experiments, while additional changes in the microbiota composition were evident at lower taxonomic levels for all the three substrates. Such modifications in the microbiota composition were correlated with changes in metabolic profiles of animals, in particular changes in acetate and succinate levels. This study represents a first attempt to modulate selectively the abundance and/or metabolic activity of various members of the gut microbiota by means of dietary fiber.

Background Drug toxicity currently represents the main challenge of tumour chemotherapy. Our group recently developed a new method for drug delivery inspired by the 'Trojan Horse' concept. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have been shown to play the role of new 'horses' in delivering anti-tumour agents, without involving any genetic manipulation. As human stromal dermal fibroblasts (hSDFs) represent an interesting alternative to hMSCs, being easy to isolate, they could be an ideal candidate for this kind of procedure. Aim To investigate whether hSDFs can take up and deliver paclitaxel (PTX) in sufficient concentrations to inhibit a very aggressive melanoma tumour (IgR39) in vitro. Methods hSDFs were primed with high doses of PTX, and then the effect of drug delivery on IgR39 melanoma proliferation in vitro was evaluated using several assays (antiproliferation, transwell cocultures, rosette assays and colony growth assays). Furthermore, the cell cycle and PTX uptake/release mechanism of hSDFs were studied both under both normal and hypoxic conditions. Results hSDFs incorporated PTX and then released it with unaffected pharmacological activity, inhibiting human IgR39 melanoma growth in vitro. The hypoxic conditions did not induce changes in cell cycle pattern and the uptake-release mechanism with PTX was not affected. Conclusions hSDFs can be used as a Trojan horse, as the released drug was functionally active. These results indicated that these cells could be used for clinical treatment as the drug was released into the cellular environment and the primed cells underwent apoptosis.

We recently developed a method for the isolation and purification of tumour-derived endothelium. In this study the phenotypic and functional properties of human tumour-derived microvascular endothelial cells (TdMEC) were examined. Endothelium obtained from human adrenal gland specimens (HAMEC) was used as a reference microvascular endothelial cell population. TdMEC formed a confluent monolayer with the typical morphological appearance of endothelium and were positive for endothelial markers such as Ulex-1 lectin, CD31 antigen, von Willebrand Factor and VE-cadherin. The addition of acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor (aFGF), basic FGF (bFGF) or Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) substantially improved proliferation of TdMEC; and kidney carcinoma derived endothelial cells were more responsive to FGFs, whereas glioblastoma derived endothelial cells greatly responded to VEGF. TdMEC expressed high levels of the VEGF receptors, KDR/flk-1 and Flt-1, as shown by northern blot analysis. TdMEC expressed the adhesion molecules ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin that could be further increased by exposing TdMEC culture to interleukin-1. All the TdMEC expressed interleukin-8 mRNA. These findings show that TdMEC in vitro maintain several of the features described for microvasculature. Thus, TdMEC represent a useful tool to study markers for tumor vasculature

The MightyMedic (Multidisciplinary International Group for Hemapheresis TherapY and MEtabolic DIsturbances Contrast) Working Group has been founded in 2013. The leading idea was to establish an international network of interdisciplinary nature aimed at working to cross national borders research projects, clinical trials, educational initiatives (meetings, workshops, summer schools) in the field of metabolic diseases, namely hyperlipidemias, and diabetes, preventive cardiology, and atherosclerosis. Therapeutic apheresis, its indications and techniques, is a parallel field of investigation. The first on-line survey of the Group has been completed in the first half of 2014. The survey included # 24 Centers in Italy, Germany, Greece, UK, Sweden, Japan and USA. Relevant data have been collected on current practice in diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of dyslipidemias. 240 subjects with hyperlipidemia and treated with lipoprotein apheresis have been reported in the survey, but a large percentage of patients (35%) who could benefit from this therapeutic option are still treated by conventional drug approach. Genetic molecular diagnosis is performed in only 33% of patients while Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is included in cardiovascular disease risk assessment in 71% of participating Centers. New detailed investigations and prospective multicenter studies are needed to evaluate changes induced by the impact of updated indications and strategies, as well as new treatment options, targeting standardization of therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using data from 28 countries in four continents, the present research addresses the question of how basic values may account for political activism. Study 1 (N = 35,116) analyses data from representative samples in 20 countries that responded to the 21-item version of the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-21) in the European Social Survey. Study 2 (N = 7,773) analyses data from adult samples in six of the same countries (Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Poland, and United Kingdom) and eight other countries (Australia, Brazil, Chile, Italy, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine, and United States) that completed the full 40-item PVQ. Across both studies, political activism relates positively to self-transcendence and openness to change values, especially to universalism and autonomy of thought, a subtype of self-direction. Political activism relates negatively to conservation values, especially to conformity and personal security. National differences in the strength of the associations between individual values and political activism are linked to level of democratization. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

L'anestesia al linguaggio simbolico delle cose e delle esperienze nel mondo contemporaneo è aumentata enormemente. Occorre esercitare, attraverso l'osservazione accurata e paziente di opere simboliche, questa facoltà vitale, per l'uomo e il suo ambiente. In questo senso il ruolo dell'arte, sotto il profilo formativo, è nevralgico.

The goal of cancer chemotherapy is targeting tumor cells and/or tumor-associated microvessels with the lowest systemic toxicity. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are promising vehicles for selective drug delivery due to their peculiar ability to home to pathological tissues. We previously showed that MSCs are able to uptake and subsequently to release the chemotherapeutic compound Paclitaxel (PTX) and to impair the growth of subcutaneous glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) xenografts. Here we used an orthotopic GBM model 1) to assess whether PTX-loaded MSCs (PTX-MSCs) retain a tropism towards the tumor cells in the brain context, and 2) to characterize the cytotoxic damage induced by MSCs-driven PTX release in the tumor microenvironment. METHODS: U87MG GBM cells were fluorescently labeled with the mCherry protein and grafted onto the brain of immunosuppressed rats. In adjacent brain regions, we injected green fluorescent protein-expressing murine MSCs, either loaded with PTX or unloaded. After 1 week survival, the xenografted brain was assessed by confocal microscopy for PTX-induced cell damage. RESULTS: Overall, MSCs showed remarkable tropism towards the tumor. In rats grafted with PTX-MSCs, the nuclei of U87MG cells showed changes that are typically induced by PTX, including multi-spindle mitoses, centrosome number alterations, and nuclear fragmentation. Multi-spindle mitoses resulted in multinucleated cells that were significantly higher in tumors co-grafted with PTX-MSCs than in controls. Nuclear changes did not occur in astrocytes and neurons surrounding the tumor. CONCLUSIONS: MSCs appear particularly suited for anti-neoplastic drug delivery in the brain since PTX-specific damage of GBM cells can be achieved avoiding side effects to the normal tissue.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been proposed for delivering anticancer agents because of their ability to home in on tumor microenvironment. We found that MSCs can acquire strong anti-tumor activity after priming with Paclitaxel (PTX) through their capacity to uptake and then release the drug. Because MSCs secrete a high amount of membrane microvesicles (MVs), we here investigated the role of MVs in the releasing mechanism of PTX. The murine SR4987 line was used as MSC model. The release of PTX from SR4987 in the conditioned medium (CM) was checked by HPLC and the anti-tumor activity of both CM and MVs was tested on the human pancreatic cell line CFPAC-1. MVs were isolated by ultracentrifugation, analyzed by transmission (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the presence of PTX by the Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy. SR4987 loaded with PTX (SR4987PTX) secreted a significant amount of PTX and their CM possessed strong anti-proliferative activity on CFPAC-1. At TEM and SEM, SR4987PTX showed an increased number of "vacuole-like" structures and shed a relevant number of MVs, but did not differ from untreated SR4987. However, SR4987PTX-derived-MVs (SR4987PTX-MVs) demonstrated a strong anti proliferative activity on CFPAC-1. FTIR analysis of SR4987PTX-MVs showed the presence of an absorption spectrum in the corresponding regions of the PTX marker, absent in MVs from SR4987. Our work is the first demonstration that MSCs are able to package and deliver active drugs through their MVs, suggesting the possibility of using MSCs as a factory to develop drugs with a higher cell-target specificity. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (Cdk5) is over-expressed in both neurons and microvessels in hypoxic regions of stroke tissue and has a significant pathological role following hyper-phosphorylation leading to calpain-induced cell death. Here, we have identified a critical role of Cdk5 in cytoskeleton/focal dynamics, wherein its activator, p35, redistributes along actin microfilaments of spreading cells co-localising with p(Tyr15)Cdk5, talin/integrin beta-1 at the lamellipodia in polarising cells. Cdk5 inhibition (roscovitine) resulted in actin-cytoskeleton disorganisation, prevention of protein co-localization and inhibition of movement. Cells expressing Cdk5 (D144N) kinase mutant, were unable to spread, migrate and form tube-like structures or sprouts, while Cdk5 wild-type over-expression showed enhanced motility and angiogenesis in vitro, which was maintained during hypoxia. Gene microarray studies demonstrated myocyte enhancer factor (MEF2C) as a substrate for Cdk5-mediated angiogenesis in vitro. MEF2C showed nuclear co-immunoprecipitation with Cdk5 and almost complete inhibition of differentiation and sprout formation following siRNA knock-down. In hypoxia, insertion of Cdk5/p25-inhibitory peptide (CIP) vector preserved and enhanced in vitro angiogenesis. These results demonstrate the existence of critical and complementary signalling pathways through Cdk5 and p35, and through which coordination is a required factor for successful angiogenesis in sustained hypoxic condition. © 2013 Bosutti et al.

Cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (Cdk5) is over-expressed in both neurons and microvessels in hypoxic regions of stroke tissue and has a significant pathological role following hyper-phosphorylation leading to calpain-induced cell death. Here, we have identified a critical role of Cdk5 in cytoskeleton/focal dynamics, wherein its activator, p35, redistributes along actin microfilaments of spreading cells co-localising with p(Tyr15)Cdk5, talin/integrin beta-1 at the lamellipodia in polarising cells. Cdk5 inhibition (roscovitine) resulted in actin-cytoskeleton disorganisation, prevention of protein co-localization and inhibition of movement. Cells expressing Cdk5 (D144N) kinase mutant, were unable to spread, migrate and form tube-like structures or sprouts, while Cdk5 wild-type over-expression showed enhanced motility and angiogenesis in vitro, which was maintained during hypoxia. Gene microarray studies demonstrated myocyte enhancer factor (MEF2C) as a substrate for Cdk5-mediated angiogenesis in vitro. MEF2C showed nuclear co-immunoprecipitation with Cdk5 and almost complete inhibition of differentiation and sprout formation following siRNA knock-down. In hypoxia, insertion of Cdk5/p25-inhibitory peptide (CIP) vector preserved and enhanced in vitro angiogenesis. These results demonstrate the existence of critical and complementary signalling pathways through Cdk5 and p35, and through which coordination is a required factor for successful angiogenesis in sustained hypoxic condition. © 2013 Bosutti et al.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were first isolated more than 50 years ago from the bone marrow. Currently MSCs may also be isolated from several alternative sources and they have been used in more than a hundred clinical trials worldwide to treat a wide variety of diseases. The MSCs mechanism of action is undefined and currently under investigation. For in vivo purposes MSCs must be produced in compliance with good manufacturing practices and this has stimulated research on MSCs characterization and safety. The objective of this review is to describe recent developments regarding MSCs properties, physiological effects, delivery, clinical applications and possible side effects.

Five studies document the validity of a new 8-item scale designed to measure positivity, defined as the tendency to view life and experiences with a positive outlook. In the first study (N = 372), the psychometric properties of Positivity Scale (P Scale) were examined in accordance with classical test theory using a large number of college participants. In Study 2, the unidimensionality of the P Scale was corroborated with confirmatory factor analysis in 2 independent samples (N1 = 322; N2 = 457). In Study 3, P Scale invariance across sexes and its relations with self-esteem, life satisfaction, optimism, positive negative affect, depression, and the Big Five provided further evidence of the internal and construct validity of the new measure in a large community sample (N = 3,589). In Study 4, test–retest reliability of the P Scale was found in a sample of college students (N = 262) who were readministered the scale after 5 weeks. In Study 5, measurement invariance and construct validity of P Scale were further supported across samples in different countries and cultures, including Italy (N = 689), the United States (N = 1,187), Japan (N = 281), and Spain (N = 302). Psychometric findings across diverse cultural context attest to the robustness of the P Scale and to positivity as a basic disposition

Aim – Literature documents that the judgments people hold about themselves, their life, and their future are important ingredients of their psychological functioning and well-being, and are commonly related to each other. Methods – We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) under the classical test theory, regression analysis, and a cross national design. Results – This study provides new findings attesting to the hypothesis that evaluations about oneself, one’s life, and one’s future rest on a common mode of viewing experiences which we named “Positive Orientation”. Conclusions – Results from an Italian and a Canadian study are presented, attesting to a latent dimension that lies at the core of positive evaluations and that corroborates the utility of the new construct as a critical component of individuals’ well-functioning.

This study aims to explore the utility of resilient, overcontrolled and undercontrolled personality prototypes in discriminating 735 elderly Italian adults with regards to their well-being, quality of interpersonal relationships, and leisure activities. Prototype membership, corresponding to the three types, was identified through cluster analysis of Big Five self-ratings. The three prototypes clearly differed in terms of their life and health satisfaction, positive affectivity, interpersonal trust, civic and social engagement and leisure activities. Resilients showed the most positive profile; undercontrollers mistrusted their family members, whereas overcontrollers reported particularly low satisfaction and a scarce involvement in social and recreation activities. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The present study examined the longitudinal relations between individuals' prosociality and their self-efficacy beliefs in regard to emotional regulation and responding empathically to others' needs. The participants were 244 females and 222 males with a mean age of 17 years (SD=1.5) at T1, 19 years (SD=1.4) at T2, and 21 years (SD=1.6) at T3. The findings corroborated the posited paths of relations assigning empathic self-efficacy a major role in predicting the level of individuals' prosociality. Empathic self-efficacy beliefs mediated the relations of regulative emotional self-efficacy beliefs to prosocial tendencies such as caring, sharing, helping, and empathic concern toward others. The posited conceptual model accounted for a significant portion of variance in prosociality and has implications for interventions designed to promote and sustain prosociality. © 2009, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Certain personality characteristics such as self-esteem, life satisfaction, and optimism are fundamental components of positive mental health status and well-being. There is consistent evidence that these traits tend to be substantially correlated in individuals. However, no previous studies have investigated the origin of such correlation. This research used the twin method to unravel the genetic and environmental architecture of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and optimism, along with their mutual interplay. The sample was derived from the population-based Italian Twin Register, and included 428 twin pairs, aged 23-24 years. Multivariate genetic modeling showed that genes influencing self-esteem, life satisfaction, and optimism are largely overlapping. Furthermore, results indicated that the environmental components of the traits may overlap only modestly, and suggested that a sizeable amount of variance in the traits may be explained by environmental effects specific to each of them. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Tumor angiogenesis is a complex process that involves a series of interactions between tumor cells and endothelial cells (ECs). In vitro, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells are known to induce an increase in proliferation, migration and tube formation by the ECs. We have previously shown that in human GBM specimens the proliferating ECs of the tumor vasculature express the catalytic component of telomerase, hTERT, and that telomerase can be upregulated in human ECs by exposing these cells to GBM in vitro. Here, we developed a controlled in vivo assay of tumor angiogenesis in which primary human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) were subcutaneously grafted with or without human GBM cells in immunocompromised mice as Matrigel implants. We found that primary HUVECs did not survive in Matrigel implants, and that telomerase upregulation had little effect on HUVEC survival. In the presence of GBM cells, however, the grafted HUVECs not only survived in Matrigel implants but developed tubule structures that integrated with murine microvessels. Telomerase upregulation in HUVECs enhanced such effect. More importantly, inhibition of telomerase in HUVECs completely abolished tubule formation and greatly reduced survival of these cells in the tumor xenografts. Our data demonstrate that telomerase upregulation by the ECs is a key requisite for GBM tumor angiogenesis.

The failure to eradicate most cancers and in particular melanoma may be as fundamental as a misidentification of the target. The identification of cancer stem/initiating cells within the tumour population with a crucial role for tumour formation may open new pharmacological perspectives. Our data show three main novelties for human melanoma: firstly, melanoma biopsy contains a subset of cells expressing CD133 (CD133+) and the latter is able to develop a Mart-1 positive tumour in NOD-SCID mice. Secondly, the WM115, a human melanoma cell line, has been found to express both CD133 and ABCG2 markers. This cell line grows as floating spheroids, expresses typical progenitors and mature neuronal/oligodendrocyte markers and is able to transdifferentiate into astrocytes or mesenchymal lineages under specific growth conditions. As in xenografts generated with CD133+ biopsy melanoma cells, those produced by the cell line displayed lower levels of CD133 and ABCG2. Thirdly, the WM115 cells express the most important angiogenic and lymphoangiogenic factors such as notch 4, prox1 and podoplanin which can cooperate in the development of the tumourigenic capability of melanoma in vivo. Therefore, in this study, we demonstrate the presence of stem/initiating subsets in melanoma both in biopsy and in an established melanoma cell line grown in vitro and in xenografts. Interestingly, considering that melanoma gives metastasis primarily through lymphatic vessels, herein, we demonstrated that a melanoma cell line expresses typical lymphoangiogenic factors.

This study aims to explore the utility of the resilient, over-controlled, and under-controlled personality prototypes in discriminating adolescents with respect to their academic and social functioning and success. One-hundred and twelve male and 95 female Italian adolescents (mean age = 17 years old) participated in the study and filled out a number of self-report questionnaires aimed at assessing the Big Five personality traits, academic and social functioning indicators, and internalizing and externalizing problems. Prototype membership, corresponding to the resilient, over-controlled and under-controlled types, was derived from cluster analysis of the Big Five self-ratings. The three prototypes clearly differed in terms of their academic and interpersonal functioning and problem behavior. Resilient adolescents showed higher academic success and better relationships with peers; whereas under-controllers and over-controllers both reported more internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as having more deviant friends who both are drug addicts and steal.

The revision of the Ego Resiliency Scale (ER89) is described based on the self-reports of 754 Italian young adults. The dimensionality of the original instrument was explored through EFA and CFA; different factor structures across both gender and two random half-samples were investigated. Results provide evidence for a second-order model, based on two first-order factors (Optimal regulation and Openness to life experiences) and for invariance across gender. Internal consistency and longitudinal measurement stability was also adequate. Initial evidence for correspondence between Ego Resiliency and the higher- order factors of the Big Five (De Young, 2005; De Young, Peterson, & Higgins, 2002) was also provided.

Individuals are better at recognizing faces of their own age group (Own Age Bias) but it is unclear whether this bias occurs also for emotional faces and to what extent is affected by loneliness. Young individuals (N = 235) completed an age categorization task on faces of young and old individuals showing neutral, happy, and angry expressions. After a filler task, they categorized as seen or novel the original set of faces intermixed with a new set. Findings showed an Own Age Bias for novel young faces but no evidence that emotion eliminates it. Recognition accuracy was better for emotional faces, but the two factors did not interact. Importantly, low loneliness was linked to an Own Age Bias for novel happy faces. These findings are discussed in the context of current theoretical accounts of the Own Age Bias and of the effects of loneliness on attention and memory.