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Provides information on two events about systems research and behavioral science. The 2nd International Conference on Politics and Information Systems: Technologies and Applications, in Orlando, Florida on July 21-25, 2004; The Second International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities, in Tuscany, Italy on July 20-23, 2004.

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. Up to two thirds of young people with ADHD may experience symptoms into adulthood, yet the limited literature available suggests that many young people with ongoing needs do not transfer from child to adult healthcare services. Although worldwide and NICE guidelines recognise the importance of supported transition, evidence suggests for ADHD that this is poorly managed and variable. Little is known about how transition is experienced by those involved. We aimed to synthesise existing peer‐reviewed literature to understand views and experiences of young people, carers and clinicians on transitioning between child and adult ADHD services. Method: Five databases were searched and all articles published between 2000 and up until January 2017 considered. Four key search areas were targeted; ADHD, Transition, Age and Qualitative Research. Quality appraisal was conducted using Wallace criteria. Findings from included studies were synthesised using thematic analysis. Results: Eight papers, six from the UK and one each from Hong Kong and Italy, were included. Emerging themes centred on difficulties transitioning; hurdles that had to be negotiated, limitations of adult mental health services, inadequate care and the impact of transition difficulties. Conclusions: Healthcare transition for this group is difficult in the United Kingdom because of multiple challenges in service provision. In addition to recommendations in NICE guidelines, respondents identified a need for better provision of information to young people about adult services and what to expect, greater flexibility around age boundaries and the value of support from specialist adult ADHD services. More research is needed into ADHD healthcare transition experiences, especially in countries outside the United Kingdom, including accounts from carers and clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the binary code for functional systems sustainable development, the sustainable skills for work in the digital age, and the business networks.

This article will examine a fundamental drive that indirectly supported Italian expansionist lust in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia between the late-nineteenth century and the Second World War. These colonies in Africa provided Italian men with sexual excess, a place outside the boundaries and mores regulating sexuality in the metropolis. Native girls were considered to be 'full grown' by the age of eleven, bigamy was rampant, rape and homosexuality tolerated, and slavery overlooked. One ex-soldier remembered that in Africa women 'reeked of booty', others filled their memoirs with accounts of the purchase of women. The conquest of Somalia did not offer the Italian State more than a strategic position on the Indian Ocean but well into the 1960s it remained in the common imagination, as the land inhabited by the 'black female Vikings', the 'most beautiful women in the world'. This paper will also analyze changes in the regulation of sexuality in the period of consolidation of the Italian Empire with the Fascist 'Laws for the Defence of the Race', 11 November 1938, while documenting the hard to die practises and fantasies of colonial desire. The tension between desire and the asymmetrical power to realise it, will illustrate a one-sided dream, ultimately a colonial nightmare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is focused on the transition from university to first job, taking into account the graduates’ characteristics and the effects relating to degree subject. A large data set from a survey on job opportunities for the 1998 Italian graduates is used. The paper uses a non-parametric discrete-time single-risk model to study employment hazard. Alternative mixing distributions have also been used to account for unobserved heterogeneity. The results obtained indicate that there is evidence of positive duration dependence after a short initial period of negative duration dependence. In addition, a competing-risk model has been estimated to characterize transitions out of unemployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses Italian survey data for 1995 to study the differences in satisfaction for six non-pecuniary job attributes between public and private sector workers. Results indicate that public employees differ from private employees in the way they evaluate satisfaction with job security, consideration by colleagues, and safety and health job features, whereas there are no differences in their assessment of satisfaction with effort levels and interest for the job. In particular, we find that the premium for public employees is quantitatively higher, especially in the case of satisfaction with employment losses. Moreover, there are significant differences in the determinants of satisfaction across sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article summarizes the work of a diverse group of researchers and practitioners from 5 continents on "Vocational Guidance Requests Within the International Scene" presented in the discussion group at a symposium of the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance, the Society for Vocational Psychology, and the National Career Development Association, in Padua, Italy. The role of societal and cultural forces in individuals' vocational decisions, the need to serve a larger percentage of the population with vocational guidance services, and suggestions to address these challenges in the field of vocational guidance were addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Even when medical treatments are limited, supporting patients' coping strategies could improve their quality of life. Greater understanding of patients' coping strategies, and influencing factors, can aid developing such support. We examined the prevalence of coping strategies and associated variables.Methods: We used sociodemographic and baseline data from the ACTION trial, including measures of Denial, Acceptance, and Problem-focused coping (COPE; Brief COPE inventory), of patients with advanced cancer from six European countries. Clinicians provided clinical information. Linear mixed models with clustering at hospital level were used.Results: Data from 675 patients with stage III/IV lung (342, 51%) or stage IV colorectal (333, 49%) cancer were used; mean age 66 (10 SD) years. Overall, patients scored low on Denial and high on Acceptance and Problem-focused coping. Older age was associated with higher scores on Denial than younger age (β = 0.05; CI[0.023; 0.074]), and patients from Italy (β = 1.57 CI[0.760; 2.388]) and Denmark (β = 1.82 CI[0.881; 2.750]) scored higher on Denial than patients in other countries.Conclusions: Patients with advanced cancer predominantly used Acceptance and Problem-focused coping, and Denial to a lesser extent. Since the studied coping strategies of patients with advanced cancer vary between subpopulations, we recommend taking these factors into account when developing tailored interventions to support patients' coping strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Migraine headache is the seventh leading cause of disability worldwide causing adverse outcomes in many aspects of an individual's life. Many psychological aspects affect chronic migraine (CM): illness perception, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and job satisfaction. This observational study aimed to examine the association among illness perception, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and job satisfaction, connected to migraine and its features. Methods: Ninety‐eight individuals with CM treated with OnabotulinumtoxinA were recruited from the Regional Referral Headache Centre of Sant'Andrea Hospital in Rome. They completed 4 questionnaires (Brief Illness Perception Quality of Life, Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire, State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory‐II) and a socio‐anamnestic form. Results: This cross‐sectional study examined 2 mediational models. The first one demonstrated an indirect mediating effect of trait anxiety on the association between illness perception and job satisfaction (ab = −0.217, 95% CI [−0.37, −0.09]). In the second model, depressive symptoms mediated the association between illness perception and job satisfaction (ab = −0.186, 95% CI [−0.33, −0.04]). Conclusions: In our study, levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms showed a mediational effect on the association between illness perception and job fulfillment. It is important to develop interventions aimed at improving the quality of life of individuals with CM and to increase knowledge about headache and psychological consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We investigated the emergence of a new social representation (SR) of a techno‐scientific innovation—nanotechnologies—among the Italian public. We reviewed how nanotechnologies entered parliamentary debates and the media agenda in the early third millennium. We conducted cross‐sectional surveys in 2006 (N = 246) and 2011 (N = 486) to examine the emerging SR of nanotechnologies. We sought to observe processes of anchoring and objectification ‘in action’, by analyzing roles of (i) social groups, and (ii) neighboring SRs of science and of technology, over time. Several changes from 2006 to 2011 were identified: From a ‘descriptive’ to an ‘evaluative’ approach; from a ‘neutral’ to a ‘controversial’ issue; from a ‘concrete’ to an ‘abstract’ object; and from a ‘technological’ to a ‘scientific’ phenomenon. We conclude that nanotechnologies finally became ‘relevant enough’ by 2011 to be considered a proper object of SR, and an emerging SR can be observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the association of clinical, metabolic and socioeconomic factors with disordered eating behaviors (DEB) among adolescents with type 1 diabetes screened using the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey‐Revised (DEPS‐R). Methods: A cross‐sectional, population‐based study involved 163 adolescents with type 1 diabetes, aged 11–20 years, recruited from the registry for type 1 diabetes of Marche Region, Italy, who completed the DEPS‐R (response rate 74.4%). Clinical characteristics, lipid profile, HbA1c, family profile of education and occupation were evaluated. The Italian version of DEPS‐R was validated, and the prevalence of DEB estimated. The association of demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors with DEB was evaluated by multiple correspondence analysis and multiple logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of DEPS‐R‐positive (score ≥20) was 27% (95% CI 17–38) in boys and 42% (95% CI 31–53) in girls. A clinical profile of DEPS‐R‐positive was identified: overweight, little time spent in physical activity, low socioeconomic status, poor metabolic control, skipping insulin injections. Furthermore, the probability of DEPS‐R‐positive increased 63% for every added unit of HbA1c, 36% for every added number of insulin injections skipped in a week and decreased about 20% for every added hour/week spent in physical activity. Overweight youth were six times more likely to be DEPS‐R‐positive. Discussion: A specific clinical profile of DEPS‐R‐positive was identified. A multidisciplinary clinical approach aimed to normalize eating behaviors and enhance self‐esteem should be used to prevent the onset of these behaviors, and continuous educational programs are needed to promote healthy behaviors and lifestyles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) is the leading method for assessing quality of life in patients with heart failure (HF) around the world. However, unique, culture-specific variations in factorial structure have been identified. The current study examined the cross-cultural equivalence of an Italian version of the MLHFQ. Design Cross-sectional assessment as part of an HF study in Italy. Patients ( n = 1,192; mean age = 72 years, SD = 11) completed demographics, the MLHFQ, and the Short-Form 12 (SF-12). Methods A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to develop an appropriate factor model in the current sample. Findings We initially fit a confirmatory factor analysis based on published psychometric work validating the MLHFQ. This did not provide adequate fit, and the sample was then randomly split into equivalent subsets to conduct factor analyses with cross-validation. In the first subsample, an exploratory factor analysis uncovered slight modifications to the proposed factor structure that resulted in much improved model fit. The final model included a higher order factor and three subscales: physical, emotional, and social. A cross-validation confirmatory factor analysis using this structure was conducted in the remaining subset to ensure broader applicability of the results. Correlations with the SF-12 were consistent with previous work using these measures. Conclusions Some items of the MLHFQ are sensitive to differences across cultures, and factor structures vary based on where the scale is administered. In spite of these differences, the total score remains a valid and reliable indicator of quality of life in HF patients across cultures. Clinical Relevance Cultural influences on quality of life are important to consider when assessing patients' well-being in HF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cesarean delivery rates are rising due to multiple factors, including less use of operative vaginal delivery and vaginal birth after cesarean delivery, which often reflect local obstetric practices. Objectives of the study were to analyze the relations between cesarean delivery, these practices, and perinatal outcomes.Material and Methods: We included all deliveries in the 72 hospitals of Lombardia, a region in northern Italy, during the year 2013. The delivery certificate was used as data source. Pearson's correlation coefficient and logistic regression were used for statistical analysis.Results: We included 87 896 deliveries. The number of deliveries per hospital ranged from 140 to 6123. The rate of cesarean delivery was 28.3% (range 9.9-86.4%), operative vaginal delivery 4.7% (range 0.2-10.0%), and vaginal birth after cesarean 17.3% (range 0-79.2%). We found a significant inverse correlation between rates of overall cesarean delivery and operative vaginal delivery (r = -0.25, p = 0.04). The correlation between rate of overall cesarean delivery and vaginal birth after cesarean was also inverse and significant (r = -0.57, p < 0.001). There was no association between overall cesarean delivery rate and the rates of Apgar score at 5 min <7 in term and late preterm neonates (r = -0.92, p = 0.46) and of perinatal mortality (r = -0.19, p = 0.13), respectively. The associations were independent of hospital volume of activity.Conclusions: An obstetric practice that encourages vaginal instrumental delivery in delayed second stage of labor or vaginal birth after previous cesarean delivery, could reduce the rising cesarean delivery rate. This will require a change in obstetric culture, continuing education of healthcare providers, and leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between job insecurity and discretionary behaviors, that is, organizational citizenship behaviors ( OCB) and counterproductive work behaviors ( CWB), with the purpose to extend knowledge on the theoretical explanations for these outcomes. Considering the employment relationship with the organization, two different perspectives are suggested and compared in a multiple mediator model, in order to understand the reasons for discretionary behaviors. We draw upon social exchange theory as the basis of psychological contract perceptions and we rely on the group value model to explain organizational justice evaluations. A total of 570 blue-collar workers in Italy participated in our survey. The results show that job insecurity is indirectly related to OCB and CWB through psychological contract breach and organizational injustice. Both mediational mechanisms have equivalent strength in explaining the relationships, namely, they are complementary processes in accounting for both behaviors. These findings suggest that employees' behaviors in job insecure contexts are driven not only by concerns related to the exchange of resources with the organization, but also by evaluations about their value as important members of the group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Since significant differences have been reported, we estimated agreement between DSM-5 and DSM-IV criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD).Methods: We assessed 327 outpatients (mean age: 45.2 ± 13.4) with depressive or anxiety disorders.Results: Absolute differences in prevalence rates between DSM-5 and DSM-IV AUD ranged from -1.1% (subjects with anxiety disorders) to +1.8% (tobacco smokers). The agreement was excellent (k = 0.88), also accounting for specific subgroups (relevant k coefficients >0.80).Discussion and Conclusions: DSM-5 criteria did not inflate AUD rates.Scientific Significance: Our results have epidemiological significance since, unlike previous reports, we found diagnostic stability between new and old AUD criteria in this clinical population. (Am J Addict 2017;26:53-56). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "The portrayal of migraine in popular music: Observations and implications," by D.L. Roberts and B.B. Vargas in the July-August 2012 issue.

Aim: To estimate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).Method: HRQOL was assessed using the Health Utilities Index Questionnaire (HUI) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) neuromuscular module version 3.0 online. Results were stratified by disease stage (early/late ambulatory/non-ambulatory) and caregivers' perceptions of patients' health and mental status.Results: A total of 770 patient-caregiver pairs (173 German, 122 Italian, 191 UK, and 284 USA) participated. Most caregivers (>84%) perceived their patients as happy/somewhat happy and in excellent/very good/good health, irrespective of current ambulatory class. In contrast, mean patient utility (reflecting public preferences: 0, dead; 1, perfect health) deteriorated with disease course, from 0.75 in early ambulatory males to 0.15 in the most severely affected patients. Mean patient PedsQL scores (0-100, higher score indicating better HRQOL) decreased from 80 to 57 across ambulatory classes.Interpretation: HRQOL in DMD, measured through public preferences, is substantially impaired in relation to the general population and significantly associated with disease progression. Still, most patients are perceived as happy and in good health by their caregivers, indicating that influential domains of HRQOL remain intact through the disease progression. Our findings emphasize the challenges in measuring HRQOL in a rare, progressive childhood condition such as DMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masculine honor is an important cultural code in the south of Italy. Italian criminal organizations (COs) manipulate and exploit this code to maintain legitimacy among local populations and exert social control in the territory where they operate. This research tested the hypothesis that different levels of identification-the region and the nation-would have opposite associations with male honor-related values and, indirectly, with intentions to oppose COs collectively. Results from a sample of young southern Italians ( N = 170) showed that regional identification positively predicted endorsement of male honor-related values, which in turn were associated with lowered intentions to oppose COs. In contrast, national identification negatively predicted male honor-related values, associated in turn with stronger intentions to oppose COs. These results also held when perceived risk and social dominance orientation were taken into account. Directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To develop and validate a new instrument, the Family Coping Questionnaire for Eating Disorders (FCQ-ED), specifically designed to assess the coping strategies of relatives of patients with eating disorders (EDs). Method The study was articulated in the following seven stages: (1) in-depth analysis of scientific literature; (2) focus groups with expert researchers and clinicians in the fields of EDs and family assessment; (3) development of a pre-final version of the questionnaire; (4) recruitment of relatives and patients with EDs; (5) data collection; (6) statistical analysis; (7) finalization of the questionnaire. Results The final version of the questionnaire consists of 32 items, grouped in five subscales ('avoidance,' 'coercion,' 'collusion,' 'information,' and 'positive communication with the patient'), with a Cronbach's alpha ranging between 0.820 and 0.625. All Items with a Cohen's Kappa > 0.60 were included in the final version of the questionnaire. Factor analysis led to the identifications of two factors, the problem-oriented and the emotion-focused coping strategies. Discussion The final version of the questionnaire shows good psychometric properties, and it requires a short time to be completed. The five subscales correspond to those adopted by relatives of patients with schizophrenia, confirming that relatives of patients with EDs need to be supported and informed on how to cope with patient's disturbing behaviours. This questionnaire may be particularly useful for the development of psychoeducational packages for relatives of patients with EDs and the evaluation of the impact of family functioning on the course of the disease. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2015; 48:298-304) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The present work represents the first Italian study investigating whether and how mothers who describe unloving experiences with both parents during childhood could become more secure as adults (termed earned-secures). Method The sample consisted of 94 women from northern Italy. All the subjects were administered the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and fill in a screening test evaluating depressive symptoms. Results No significative differences were found regarding depressive symptomatology across the different attachment classifications. The majority of the samples (84%) remember an important alternative support figure during childhood (before 12 years old). Earned-secures significantly differ from continuous-secure and insecure groups ( F = 27.202; p ≤ 0.01) on the amount of the emotional support from the main alternative support figure and on the average amount of emotional support across alternative support figures ( F = 10.44; p ≤ 0.01). The majority of alternative support figures (80%) were grandparents. Conclusions A corrective emotional experience allows the subject to work through his negative childhood experiences and acquire modalities of interaction that enable him/her to function more effectively in the world. The clinical implications of this study will be discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message Attachment theory., Clinical implications of attachment experiences., Corrective emotional experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies investigated reciprocal effects of values and voting. Study 1 measured adults' basic values and core political values both before ( n = 1379) and following ( n = 1030) the 2006 Italian national election. Both types of values predicted voting. Voting choice influenced subsequent core political values but not basic values. The political values of free enterprise, civil liberties, equality, law and order, military intervention, and accepting immigrants changed to become more compatible with the ideology of the chosen coalition. Study 2 measured core political values before ( n = 697) and following ( n = 506) the 2008 Italian national election. It largely replicated the reciprocal effects of voting and political values of Study 1. In addition, it demonstrated that left-right ideology mediated the reciprocal effects of voting and political values. Moreover, voter certainty moderated these effects. Political values predicted vote choice more weakly among undecided than decided voters, but voting choice led to more value change among undecided voters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Clinical practice has suggested that, in severely obese patients seeking bariatric surgery, clinical conditions, behavioural characteristics and psychological status might all differ from those of their counterparts starting conventional conservative therapy. Methods Two groups of obese patients with closely similar body mass values were considered. The first group included individuals voluntarily and spontaneously seeking biliopancreatic diversion and the second group comprised patients at the beginning of a weight loss programme. After anthropometric and metabolic evaluation, the patients underwent an alimentary interview; eating behaviour and psychological status were assessed by Three Factor Eating Questionnaire and by Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Results Among bariatric candidates, a greater number of individuals with type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia and high tendency to disinhibition and susceptibility to hunger scores was observed, whereas the other aspects of eating pattern were essentially similar. In the two groups, no difference in TAS score and or number of patients with alexithymic traits was observed. Finally, a logistic regression model showed that only age and metabolic derangement predicted the bariatric option, whereas eating behaviour or psychological status did not influence individual therapeutic choice. Conclusions Independently of the degree of obesity, bariatric surgery was requested by the more metabolically deranged patients, whereas, in the surgical candidates, the eating pattern and psychological conditions were very similar to those of obese persons at the beginning of a conservative weight loss programme. These results suggest a highly realistic and practical attitude in severely obese patients towards obesity and bariatric surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research suggests that stereotype activation is context dependent. In the current research, we tested whether this context-dependence also generalizes to behavioral effects of stereotypes. Extending previous findings, we could show that activation of the category 'Italians' in a work context (but not in an interaction context) resulted in slow behavior (Experiment 1), whereas it increased the loudness of speech in an interaction context (but not in a work context; Experiment 2). Our results further strengthen the notion of context-specific mental representations of stereotypes. Stereotypic attributes become activated and exert their influence on behavior in close correspondence with the current situation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research on implicit mind-reading skills has focussed on how infants anticipate other persons' actions. This study investigated whether 11- and 17-month-olds spontaneously attribute false beliefs (FB) even to a simple animated geometric shape. Infants were shown a triangle chasing a disk through a tunnel. Using an eye-tracker, we found that 17-month-olds in a change-of-location true belief (TB) task anticipated that the triangle would search for the disk in the correct place while in a FB test they anticipated that it would search for it in the wrong, belief congruent place. These results suggest that 17-month-olds' psychological-reasoning system is applied to the actions of unfamiliar agents and it is employed to anticipate agents' actions even in the absence of any morphological features that are typical of natural agents. These findings provide support for theoretical accounts that emphasize continuity in the development of theory of mind core concepts and belief reasoning skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The study investigates the relationships between working memory (WM), amount of learning, and strategies used in spatial description. WM involvement and strategies reported were assumed to change, depending on whether the text learning was extensive or limited. Two experiments were carried out using dual-task paradigm: participants listened to spatial text three times and concurrently one group performed a spatial concurrent task, one group a verbal task (to measure WM involvement), and one group no secondary task. In Experiment 1, participants listened three consecutive times then performed recall tasks (one verbal - verification test; one spatial - graphical representation). In Experiment 2, recall tasks were performed after first and third listening. The strategies used were ascertained through a questionnaire. Results showed that the verification test was impaired by the verbal concurrent task after listening three times (Experiment 1) and after first listening (Experiment 2). The graphical representation performance was impaired by verbal and spatial concurrent tasks, detected only after listening three times, not after a single time (Experiments 1 and 2). The strategies most used were visuo-spatial; their relationship with WM changes as a function of number of times of listening. Overall, the results showed that extensive learning allows construction of a spatial mental representation that is modulated by WM and strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Big Five Model of personality and Schwartz's theory of basic values are two prominent taxonomies that offer a convenient way to organize the major individual differences in, respectively, personality traits and personal values. Both taxonomies provide a hierarchical framework, whose components can be traced back to a smaller number of broader dimensions. The current study investigated the relationship between the two superordinate factors of personality encompassing the Big Five dimensions (alpha and beta) and the four higher-level value types from Schwartz's theory ( Self-transcendence, Self-enhancement, Conservation, and Openness to change). To examine the relations between higher-order traits and values, we relied on factor analysis and multidimensional scaling. Results indicated that alpha and beta were differently related to the Conservation versus Openness to change dimension. Alpha was positively related to values that emphasize protecting stability and respecting norms and traditions, and negatively related to values emphasizing receptiveness to change and independence of thought, feeling, and action. The opposite pattern of relations was found for beta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alexithymia is the inability to express feelings with words and comprises a psychological construct frequently found in obese individuals. In eating disordered patients who show a tendency to lose control over food intake, personality traits with alexithymic characteristics have been demonstrated. The present cross-sectional study investigated the relationships between alexithymia and eating behaviour in severely obese patients. This study analysed 150 obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery and 132 subjects at more than 1 year after biliopancreatic diversion (BPD), when body weight has steadily normalised and any preoccupation with weight, food and diet has been completely abandoned. Obese and operated subjects completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), and eating behaviour was assessed via a semi-structured interview exploring binge eating disorder (BED), night eating and emotional eating, as well as by utilisation of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). Although alexithymic patients showed deranged eating behaviour, as evaluated by the TFEQ scores, the frequency of BED, night eating and emotional eating was similar in alexithymic (TAS > 60) and non-alexithymic patients. However, the prevalence of alexithymia was similar in obese and BPD subjects, whereas, in the operated subjects, TFEQ scores were lower ( P < 0.005) than those in obese patients. These data suggest that, in severely obese patients, alexithymia does not influence eating behaviour; in severely obese patients, the tendency to lose control over food intake apparently represents a psychological construct that is substantially independent from alexithymia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-cultural research on theory of mind is relatively recent and largely restricted to comparisons of children from Western versus non-Western samples; much less is known about variation within Western cultures. This study compared 5- to 6-year-olds from Britain and Italy (matched for age, verbal age, gender, and maternal education; N = 140), on tests tapping children's understanding of I stand 2nd order false belief and mixed emotions. Overall, British children outperformed Italian children; group differences were clearest for tests of false-belief understanding. These results are discussed in relation to contrasts in family talk about mental states, schooling, language comprehension, and cultural factors in Britain and Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the data collected by Itanes on a sample of the Italian population, representative according to the main sociodemographic variables, we analyzed the relations between voting intention, explicit and implicit political attitudes, and voting behavior. Participants ( N = 1,377) were interviewed twice, both before and after the 2006 Italian National Election. The implicit attitudes (measured using the IAT) were substantially as effective as voting intention, and more effective than the explicit attitudes towards the main Italian political leaders, in forecasting the Election official results. When used to predict participants' voting behavior, the IAT added a significant, although slight, power to voting intention and explicit attitude. Inconsistency between explicit and implicit attitudes exerted a negative influence on the probability of having decided one's voting behavior in the preelectoral poll; however, among undecided participants, it did not significantly influence the probability of delaying one's voting decision and that of actually casting a valid vote. Limits and possible developments of this research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I examine the codification of an Italian work-related illness caused by mobbing, a type of psychological harassment that emerged at the moment neoliberal policies transformed Italy's historically protectionist labor market. I trace how the medicalization of mobbing has expanded workers’ access to compensation, resources, and discursive tools for criticizing neoliberal labor conditions, even as it has produced new structures of surveillance. I unravel the neoliberal politics of a state that protects workers’ health yet governs worker–citizens through an apparatus of medical experts. I find that workers’ labor problems are experienced and managed as bodily problems in ways important to remaking Italian citizenship. [ neoliberalism, state, labor, biopolitics, citizenship, bodies, Italy] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study a model for predicting fear of crime (FC) and concern about crime as a social problem (CC) in Italy has been built, using three sets of independent variables concerning: (a) the sociodemographic and criminal victimization domain; (b) the psychosocial domain; and (c) the mass media. A secondary analysis on data gathered by the Observatory of the North-West (N = 3262, a mail panel that is representative of the Italian population over 18) has been performed. Results showed that FC and CC are related yet distinct constructs: FC is less widespread than CC, and has different predictors. FC predictors are sociodemographic, psychosocial and, above all, victimization variables; whereas mass media and psychosocial variables predict CC. Results were compared with the literature on the topic. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graz gestalt psychology was introduced into Italy after World War I with Vittorio Benussi's emigration to Padua. His earliest adherent, Cesare Musatti, defended Graz theory, but after Benussi's premature death became an adherent of the Berlin gestalt psychology of Wertheimer-Köhler-Koffka. He trained his two most important students, Fabio Metelli and Gaetano Kanizsa, in orthodox Berlin theory. They established rigid “schools” in Padua and Trieste. The structure of Italian academics allowed for such strict orthodoxy, quite unlike the situation in America, where scientific objectivity mitigated against schools. In the 1960s, some of the students of Metelli and Kanizsa (above all Bozzi) initiated a realist movement—felt in Kanizsa's late work—that was quite independent of that of J. J. Gibson. Finally, more recently, Benussi and Graz theorizing have been embraced again, sentimentally, as a predecedent to Kanizsa-Bozzi. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights the International Society for the Investigation of Stress (ISIS), third international conference. Date and venue of the conference; Agenda of the conference; Contact information.

Abstract: Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences between teachers' knowledge about early psychosis among three different Italian cities and a UK sample. Methods: The sample consisted of 556 secondary school teachers from three different cities in Italy (Milan, Rome and Lamezia Terme) and London (UK). The research was based on the Knowledge and Experience of Social Emotional Difficulties Among Young People Questionnaire. The Italian version of the questionnaire was used in Italy. Results: Overall, 67.6% of English teachers, 58.5% of Milan's teachers, 41.8% of Rome's teachers and 33.3% of Lamezia Terme's teachers were able to recognize psychotic symptoms from a case vignette. Logistic regression analysis showed that ‘city’ was the only independent variable significantly related to the correct/wrong answer about diagnosis. Conclusions: We found statistically significant differences between the three Italian samples and the UK sample regarding teachers' knowledge about first signs of psychosis. English teachers showed a better knowledge than Italian teachers in general. Teachers from Milan, where a specific early detection program was established in 2000, seemed to be more familiar with early signs of psychosis than teachers in the other two Italian towns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]