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Measurements by the hyperspectral spectrometers GOME, SCIAMACHY, and GOME-2 are used to determine the rate of linear change (and trends) in cloud top height (CTH) in the period between June 1996 and May 2012. The retrievals are obtained from Top-Of-Atmosphere (TOA) backscattered solar light in the oxygen A-band using the Semi-Analytical CloUd Retrieval Algorithm SACURA. The physical framework relies on the asymptotic equations of radiative transfer, valid for optically thick clouds. Using linear least-squares techniques, a global trend of -1.78±2.14myr-1 in deseasonalised CTH has been found, in the latitude belt within ±60°, with diverging tendencies over land (+0.27±3.2myr-1) and ocean (-2.51±2.8myr-1). The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), strongly coupled to CTH, forces clouds to lower altitudes. The global ENSO-corrected trend in CTH amounts to -0.49±2.22myr-1. At a global scale, no explicit regional pattern of statistically significant trends (at 95% confidence level, estimated with bootstrap technique) have been found, which would be representative of typical natural synoptical features. One exception is North Africa, which exhibits the strongest upward trend in CTH sustained by an increasing trend in water vapor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which aims to describe the retrieval of cloud properties using measurements from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-1 (GOME-1) instrument. The study analyzed cloud top height (CTH) and used the asymptotic equations of radiative transfer while dataset was validated and compared. Results show that global average CTH is 7.0±1.18 kilometer (km) and analytical forms of probability density functions is suitable in climate modeling parameterization.

Introduction: Childhood abuse is a significant risk factor for the development of Eating Disorders (EDs), and can induce changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The impact of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on cortisol levels remains to be explored. Objectives: To evaluate the effects of CBT on ED specific psychopathology, general psychopathology and blood cortisol levels in patients with EDs with and without a history of abuse. Methods: 74 female patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) were treated with an individual CBT. At the first evaluation (T0) and at the end of the CBT (T1) psychometric tests were administered for the evaluation of ED specific (EDE-Q) and general psychopathology (SCL-90-R), and blood cortisol levels were measured. 76 healthy controls (HCs) were also recruited. Results: Patients with a history of abuse showed lower cortisol levels than HCs, whereas non-abused subjects had higher levels. After CBT, EDE-Q scores were reduced in all patients except in the BN group with a history of abuse, while only patients without a history of abuse showed a reduction in SCL-90-R and cortisolemia. Conclusions: Our study confirms the role of childhood abuse as a moderator of treatment response, in terms of lower effects on psychopathology and greater persistence of HPA axis alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It has been hypothesized that leptin's modifications in Eating Disorders (EDs) aren't just a consequence of malnutrition, but they also represent a maintenance factor for pathological reward-related eating behaviours, such as dietary restraint and compensatory physical exercise, due to the role of leptin in the regulation of dopaminergic tone in brain reward circuits. Objectives: To evaluate the role of leptin in maintaining dietary restriction and compensatory exercise in subjects with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN). Methods: 56 patients were enrolled, 39 with AN and 17 with BN; 43 healthy controls (HCs) were also recruited. Blood leptin levels were measured and psychometric tests for the evaluation of general psychopathology (SCL-90-R) and of EDs specific pathological behaviours and psychopathology (EDE-Q) were administered. Results: Lower leptin levels were found in subjects withANand BN as compared with HCs. Leptin was negatively associated with the frequency of compensatory exercise, even when adjusting for age and BMI, but only in subjects with EDs. The moderated mediation models confirmed the role of leptin as a complete mediator for the relationship between low BMI and increased dietary restriction and compensatory exercise, but only for high levels of EDs specific psychopathology. Conclusions: These results suggest that for subjects with severe EDs psychopathology a low BMI maintains dietary restraint and compensatory exercise through a decrease in leptin levels, probably because of the role of leptin in reward circuits and due to the presence in EDs patients of an aberrant food-related reward that makes losing weight instead of feeding the desirable aim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A large proportion of patients with Eating Disorders (EDs) shows only a partial remission of their ED psychopathology, and persistence of psychiatric comorbidities is frequent even after treatment with individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Objectives: The aim is to evaluate the possible role of childhood abuse, both sexual and physical, on long-term outcomes in terms of persistence of EDs or other psychiatric disorders. Methods: The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and psychometric tests were administered to 69 subjects with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and 79 with Bulimia Nervosa (BN), at baseline and three years after the end of individual CBT. Results: Patients reporting a history of childhood abuse (overall: 27.7%) showed lower age onset, higher impulsivity, and a greater rate of psychiatric comorbidity than other patients. At follow-up, lower rates of complete remission and greater persistence of psychiatric disorders in addition to EDs were found in abused patients. Linear mixed models showed a reduction of depressive symptoms in non-abused patients, but not in those reporting abuse. Furthermore, patients with abuse showed a higher diagnostic crossover rate (39.0% vs 13.1%), as compared to the other patients. Survival analysis showed that patients with abuse had a higher probability of drop-out during treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Eating disorders (EDs) have a multifactorial etiopathogenesis that includes environmental, psychological and biological factors. It has been hypothesized that genetic variability can influence the expression of the psychopathological characteristics of these disorders. Growing interest is directed to Fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO), in particular to the rs9939609 (T>A) polymorphism, which has been associated with the development of obesity. Objectives: To evaluate the role of FTO rs9939609 (T>A) polymorphism as a susceptibility factor for EDs and its relationship with psychopathological correlates of EDs, in particular disorders of the embodiment and emotional eating. Methods: The prevalence of the A-allele was evaluated in 266 patients with EDs and in 129 healthy controls. Data on psychopathology and on pathological eating behaviours were collected through a clinical interview and self-report questionnaires, including the Emotional Eating Scale (EES) and the Identity and Eating disorders questionnaire (IDEA). Results: A-allele was found to be significantly more represented in patients than controls and showed an associationwith greater severity of binge eating, emotional eating and alterations of the embodiment. Moreover, it moderated the relationship between disorders of the embodiment as assessed with IDEA questionnaire and emotional eating, being this association significant only in A-allele carriers. Conclusions: This study suggested a role of FTO rs9939609 (T>A) polymorphism as a vulnerability factor for the development of EDs. Moreover, in patients with disorders of the embodiment A-allele seems to represent a potential risk factor for emotional eating, which in turn is associated with obesity and binge eating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dataset to describe exposed bedrock and surficial geology of Antarctica has been constructed by the GeoMAP Action Group of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and GNS Science. Our group captured existing geological map data into a geographic information system (GIS), refined its spatial reliability, harmonised classification, and improved representation of glacial sequences and geomorphology, thereby creating a comprehensive and coherent representation of Antarctic geology. A total of 99,080 polygons were unified for depicting geology at 1:250,000 scale, but locally there are some areas with higher spatial resolution. Geological unit definition is based on a mixed chronostratigraphic- and lithostratigraphic-based classification. Description of rock and moraine polygons employs the international Geoscience Markup Language (GeoSciML) data protocols to provide attribute-rich and queryable information, including bibliographic links to 589 source maps and scientific literature. GeoMAP is the first detailed geological map dataset covering all of Antarctica. It depicts 'known geology' of rock exposures rather than 'interpreted' sub-ice features and is suitable for continent-wide perspectives and cross-discipline interrogation., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Evidence shows that individuals infected by SARS-CoV-2 experience an altered metabolic state in multiple organs. Metabolic activities are directly involved in modulating immune responses against infectious diseases, yet our understanding of how host metabolism relates to inflammatory responses remains limited. To better elucidate the underlying biochemistry of the leukocyte response, we focused our analysis on possible relationships between SARS-CoV-2 post-infection stages and distinct metabolic pathways. Indeed, we observed a significant altered metabolism of tryptophan and urea cycle pathways in cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained 60-90 days after infection and showing in vitro IgG antibody memory for spike-S1 antigen (n = 17). This work, for the first time, identifies metabolic routes in cell metabolism possibly related to later stages of immune defence against SARS-CoV-2 infection, namely, when circulating antibodies may be absent but an antibody memory is present. The results suggest reprogramming of leukocyte metabolism after viral pathogenesis through activation of specific amino acid pathways possibly related to protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: To evaluate performance of the first round of HPV-based screening in Tuscany region and compare it with the prior round of Pap-based screening., Setting: Tuscany region of Italy, where HPV-based cervical cancer screening started in 2013, with a strong level of centralization screening tests at the Regional Laboratory for Cancer Prevention (ISPRO)., Methods: The transition from Pap- to HPV-based screening was initiated for older women and at 3 out of 12 Tuscany Local Health Units (LHUs). Data from the Florence and Grosseto LHUs (about 300,000 women) were analysed and performance screening indicators estimated., Results: HPV-based indicators recorded good performance, with increased compliance vs. the Pap-based programme. We registered a substantial decrease in waiting times from sampling to test reporting, probably related to the centralization strategy. Since the screening protocol was the same and conducted at a single laboratory, we could hypothesize that the difference in HPV positivity (6.8% in Florence vs. 8.4% in Grosseto) was due to a real difference in HPV prevalence among women of the two LHUs. The transition to HPV-based screening led to a significant increase both in colposcopy referral rate (4.3% vs. 1.2%) and CIN2+ detection rate (8.3‰ vs. 3.4‰)., Conclusions: HPV-based is more effective in detecting high-grade precancerous and cancerous lesions than Pap-based screening and is characterized by an "anticipatory effect" in the detection of CIN2+ lesions. The transition from Pap-based to HPV-based screening programme should include increased resources dedicated to colposcopy services. Centralization in a laboratory with long experience in this field promotes efficiency of the screening process.

Objectives: Estimates of depression prevalence in pregnancy and postpartum are based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) more than on any other method. We aimed to determine if any EPDS cutoff can accurately and consistently estimate depression prevalence in individual studies., Methods: We analyzed datasets that compared EPDS scores to Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID) major depression status. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to compare prevalence with EPDS cutoffs versus the SCID., Results: Seven thousand three hundred and fifteen participants (1017 SCID major depression) from 29 primary studies were included. For EPDS cutoffs used to estimate prevalence in recent studies (≥9 to ≥14), pooled prevalence estimates ranged from 27.8% (95% CI: 22.0%-34.5%) for EPDS ≥ 9 to 9.0% (95% CI: 6.8%-11.9%) for EPDS ≥ 14; pooled SCID major depression prevalence was 9.0% (95% CI: 6.5%-12.3%). EPDS ≥14 provided pooled prevalence closest to SCID-based prevalence but differed from SCID prevalence in individual studies by a mean absolute difference of 5.1% (95% prediction interval: -13.7%, 12.3%)., Conclusion: EPDS ≥14 approximated SCID-based prevalence overall, but considerable heterogeneity in individual studies is a barrier to using it for prevalence estimation., (© 2020 The Authors. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: Recent studies hypothesized that sexual dysfunctions represent not just complications of eating disorders (EDs), rather they should be attributed to the core psychopathology of these disorders. Therefore, disorders of the embodiment and insecure attachment may play a role in maintaining an abnormal sexual functioning, given their known relations with core ED features. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between sexual dysfunctions and both disorders of the embodiment and attachment style in people with anorexia nervosa (AN)., Methods: 111 adult women with AN and 120 healthy subjects completed the Symptom Checklist-90, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Identity and Eating Disorders, Attachment Style Questionnaire and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form., Results: Patients reported worse scores than controls in all areas assessed. In patients, low sexual desire was found to be associated with general and ED-specific psychopathology, and with disorders of embodiment and attachment style. Sexual dysfunctions had no associations with traumatic experiences. Dietary restriction showed an association with low sexual desire through embodiment disorder and Discomfort with Closeness, as confirmed by the serial mediation model., Conclusion: The present study suggests that disorders of embodiment maintained by pathological eating behaviours have a key role in the development of sexual dysfunctions in EDs, through the compromise of intimacy., Level of Evidence: Level III, cross-sectional study with comparisons between cases and controls.

Objectives: A previous individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) identified differences in major depression classification rates between different diagnostic interviews, controlling for depressive symptoms on the basis of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. We aimed to determine whether similar results would be seen in a different population, using studies that administered the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in pregnancy or postpartum., Methods: Data accrued for an EPDS diagnostic accuracy IPDMA were analysed. Binomial generalised linear mixed models were fit to compare depression classification odds for the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID), controlling for EPDS scores and participant characteristics., Results: Among fully structured interviews, the MINI (15 studies, 2,532 participants, 342 major depression cases) classified depression more often than the CIDI (3 studies, 2,948 participants, 194 major depression cases; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.21, 11.43]). Compared with the semistructured SCID (28 studies, 7,403 participants, 1,027 major depression cases), odds with the CIDI (interaction aOR = 0.88, 95% CI [0.85, 0.92]) and MINI (interaction aOR = 0.95, 95% CI [0.92, 0.99]) increased less as EPDS scores increased., Conclusion: Different interviews may not classify major depression equivalently., (© 2019 The Authors. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background and Aims: Numerous studies in the international literature hold that expressive writing is a useful tool to take care of the person as a whole. It gives voice to emotions, moods and intimate thoughts of patients, as well as caregivers and family members. The reference model is based on Pennebaker's theory (2004), which posits that expressing our deeper thoughts and feelings can result in significant health benefits in the short and long term. Studies over the past 25 years have shown that expressive writing, that is, simple writing on deeper thoughts and emotional sensations, is a useful tool to alleviate both physical and psychological symptoms. This research seeks to ascertain whether and how expressive writing has an impact on work satisfaction, coping strategies, and relational communication satisfaction of health practitioners., Methods: a comparison was made between the expressive writing and neutral writing of two randomized groups of health care professionals. A group of 66 healthcare professionals participated in this study. They were evaluated pre- and post-intervention using several scales and an ad hoc questionnaire, with one-month follow-up., Results: After analyzing the texts, as in Pennebaker's studies, there was a reduction of words with negative emotion in the course of writing sessions., Discussion: Expressive writing has a positive impact on adaptive coping strategies and work relational communication satisfaction. It also can facilitate the clarification and solution of various problems, increase cognitive abilities, and promote social interactions.

Eating Disorders (EDs) show a multifactorial etiopathogenesis including environmental, psychological and biological factors. In the present study, we propose a model of interactions between genetic vulnerability-represented by Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated (FTO) gene-and stable psychopathological traits, such as bodily disorders and emotion dysregulation for EDs patients. The distribution of a polymorphism of the FTO (rs9939609 T>A) was evaluated in a series of 250 EDs patients and in a group of 119 healthy control subjects. Clinical data were collected through a face-to-face interview and several self-reported questionnaires were applied, including the Emotional Eating Scale and the IDentity and EAting disorders (IDEA) questionnaire for bodily disorders and self-identity. The A-allele was associated with an increased vulnerability to EDs (AA+AT genotypes frequency 72.8% in EDs vs. 52.9% in controls). The presence of the A-allele was associated with binge eating behavior, higher emotional eating and higher IDEA scores. Finally, the FTO rs9939609 SNP was found to influence the relationship between these variables, as an association between disorder of corporeality and emotional eating was found only in A-allele carriers. A-allele seems to represent a potential additive risk factor for EDs persons, with bodily disorders to develop emotional eating and binge eating behaviors.

Aim: To investigate the complex relationships between resting energy expenditure (REE), eating psychopathology, and Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal axis functioning in patients with eating disorders., Methods: The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey, and it was planned by the Clinic for Eating Disorders of the University of Florence (Italy). The protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Institution. Twenty two anorexia nervosa and twenty one Bulimia Nervosa patients were assessed by means of a clinical interview and the structured clinical interview for diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition. Eating attitudes and behaviour were specifically investigated by means of the eating disorder examination questionnaire (EDE-Q). Patients were also evaluated by means of the symptom checklist (SCL 90-R), REE was measured by means of indirect calorimetry, and blood cortisol morning levels were evaluated., Results: Both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa patients showed a reduced REE as compared with predicted REE. Body mass index (BMI) was positively associated with resting energy expenditure in Bulimics, whereas a strong, negative association between BMI and REE was observed in Anorectics. The pattern of associations between variables supported a mediation model, where shape concern accounted for variations in REE and cortisol levels (mediator), and variations in the mediator significantly accounted for variations in REE. When these associations where taken into account together, the relationship between shape concern and REE was no longer significant, whereas the association between cortisol levels and REE retained its significance, showing strong evidence for a single, dominant mediator. Anorectics and Bulimics showed an opposite pattern of association between BMI and REE. In Anorectics only, a higher REE was associated with a more severe eating disorder specific psychopathology, and cortisol levels represent a possible mediating factor for this relationship., Conclusion: The data supported a mediation model where cortisol levels mediated the relationship between eating psychopathology (concern about body shape) and REE.

Cheating in the undergraduate classroom is not a new problem, and it is recognized as one that is endemic to the education system. This paper examines the highly normative behavior of using unauthorized assistance (e.g., a solutions manual or a friend) on an individual assignment within the context of an upper division undergraduate course in engineering mechanics. The findings indicate that there are varying levels of accepting responsibility among the students (from denial to tempered to full) and that acceptance of responsibility can lead to identification of learning and necessary behavioral changes. The findings have implications for institutions and engineering faculty, in particular the need for consistent academic integrity education and the teaching of professional integrity and ethics.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common of all mental disorders and their pathogenesis is a major topic in psychiatry, both for prevention and treatment. Early stressful life events and alterations of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis function seem to have a significant role in the onset of anxiety. Existing data appear to support the mediating effect of the HPA axis between childhood traumata and posttraumatic stress disorder. Findings on the HPA axis activity at baseline and after stimuli in panic disordered patients are inconclusive, even if stressful life events may have a triggering function in the development of this disorder. Data on the relationship between stress, HPA axis functioning and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are scarce and discordant, but an increased activity of the HPA axis is reported in OCD patients. Moreover, normal basal cortisol levels and hyper-responsiveness of the adrenal cortex during a psychosocial stressor are observed in social phobics. Finally, abnormal HPA axis activity has also been observed in generalized anxiety disordered patients. While several hypothesis have attempted to explain these findings over time, currently the most widely accepted theory is that early stressful life events may provoke alterations of the stress response and thus of the HPA axis, that can endure during adulthood, predisposing individuals to develop psychopathology. All theories are reviewed and the authors conclude that childhood life events and HPA abnormalities may be specifically and transnosographically related to all anxiety disorders, as well as, more broadly, to all psychiatric disorders.