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The mariner (myo7aa−/−) mutant is a zebrafish model for Usher syndrome type 1 (USH1). To further characterize hair cell synaptic elements in myo7aa−/− mutants, we focused on the ribbon synapse and evaluated ultrastructure, number and distribution of immunolabeled ribbons, and postsynaptic densities. By transmission electron microscopy, we determined that myo7aa−/− zebrafish have fewer glutamatergic vesicles tethered to ribbon synapses, yet maintain a comparable ribbon area. In myo7aa−/− hair cells, immunolocalization of Ctbp2 showed fewer ribbon-containing cells in total and an altered distribution of Ctbp2 puncta compared to wild-type hair cells. myo7aa−/− mutants have fewer postsynaptic densities – as assessed by MAGUK immunolabeling – compared to wild-type zebrafish. We quantified the circular swimming behavior of myo7aa−/− mutant fish and measured a greater turning angle (absolute smooth orientation). It has previously been shown that L-type voltage-gated calcium channels are necessary for ribbon localization and occurrence of postsynaptic density; thus, we hypothesized and observed that L-type voltage-gated calcium channel agonists change behavioral and synaptic phenotypes in myo7aa−/− mutants in a drug-specific manner. Our results indicate that treatment with L-type voltage-gated calcium channel agonists alter hair cell synaptic elements and improve behavioral phenotypes of myo7aa−/− mutants. Our data support that L-type voltage-gated calcium channel agonists induce morphological changes at the ribbon synapse – in both the number of tethered vesicles and regarding the distribution of Ctbp2 puncta – shift swimming behavior and improve acoustic startle response.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been spreading globally since December 2019, bringing with it anxieties, mortal risk, and agonizing psychological suffering. This study aimed to explore the relationship between maladaptive daydreaming (MD)—an addictive mental behavior to vivid fantasy associated with distress and functional impairment—and forced COVID-19 pandemic-related self-isolation and quarantine. Previous literature indicated that individuals employ MD for the regulation of distress and boredom, wish fulfillment, and entertainment experiences. The literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health identifies a flareup in psychological difficulties in the general population. In this study we explored the associations between the pandemic threat and mental health indices among individuals with MD. We surveyed 1,565 adults from over 70 countries who responded to calls for participants posted in online MD communities and other general social media sites. Probable MD was determined based on an empirically derived cut-off score on a pertinent measure. After controlling for sociodemographic variables, a series of MANCOVAs, followed by post-hoc ANCOVAs, revealed that individuals with probable MD who were observing lockdown restrictions reported having spent more time in fantasy, experienced more intense and vivid daydreaming, and had a stronger urge to daydream than other participants. Similar statistical procedures indicated that, individuals with probable MD who reported pre-existing anxiety and depression disorders described a greater urge to daydream due to the pandemic and greater difficulty to control this addictive behavior. Compared to individuals with likely normal daydreaming, individuals with suspected MD reported more pandemic-attributed deterioration on a wide array of psychological distress indices. Our data show that the current worldwide pandemic threat is connected with an elevated intensity of this addictive form of mental activity, and that MD is associated with the exacerbation of psychological distress and dysfunction rather than with beneficial regulation of the experienced stressor.

Consistent evidence supports the view that childhood trauma is linked with insecure attachment styles and psychopathology. However, it is a matter of debate how different forms of child maltreatment may relate with dimensions of anxiety and avoidance in attachment relationships and may foster specific configurations of clinical symptoms. Accordingly, examining the associations between childhood trauma, insecure attachment and psychopathology from a correlation network perspective may serve to fill a relevant gap in the literature. Three-hundred fifty-two adults aged between 18 and 73 years old (M= 32.70; SD = 11.72) completed measures on child maltreatment, attachment styles and psychopathology. A regularized partial correlation network was estimated to examine the relationships between the three constructs. The network showed 101 out of 190 nonzero correlations linking childhood traumatic experiences, anxious and avoidant attachment dimensions, and clinical symptoms. The analysis of the network showed that being exposed to emotional abuse and emotional neglect increased the risk of being exposed to other types of childhood trauma, such as physical abuse. Anxious attachment was more strongly linked to child maltreatment and psychopathology than avoidant attachment. Suicidal ideation and maladaptive personality functioning were the clinical symptoms most strongly connected with the other variables in the network. These findings might be relevant for the assessment and treatment of individuals who display clinical problems related to insecure attachment and early relational trauma.

One key bottleneck in understanding the human genome is the relative under-characterization of 90% of protein coding regions. We report a collection of 1200 transgenic zebrafish strains made with the gene-break transposon (GBT) protein trap to simultaneously report and reversibly knockdown the tagged genes. Protein trap-associated mRFP expression shows previously undocumented expression of 35% and 90% of cloned genes at 2 and 4 days post-fertilization, respectively. Further, investigated alleles regularly show 99% gene-specific mRNA knockdown. Homozygous GBT animals in ryr1b, fras1, tnnt2a, edar and hmcn1 phenocopied established mutants. 204 cloned lines trapped diverse proteins, including 64 orthologs of human disease-associated genes with 40 as potential new disease models. Severely reduced skeletal muscle Ca2+ transients in GBT ryr1b homozygous animals validated the ability to explore molecular mechanisms of genetic diseases. This GBT system facilitates novel functional genome annotation towards understanding cellular and molecular underpinnings of vertebrate biology and human disease.

The purpose of this research was to explore the cognitive and personality characteristics of male adolescent gamblers. Participants were 273 teenage males (M = 18.04, SD = 2.10) attending betting centers in Sicily, who completed self-report questionnaires on gambling, creativity, perceived social self-efficacy, hypercompetitiveness, and coping strategies. Pathological gamblers reported higher levels of avoidant coping strategies than occasional gamblers. They also scored higher on hypercompetitiveness than both occasional and problem gamblers. Further, problem gamblers scored higher than occasional gamblers on the complexity domain of creative personality. Finally, poor perceived social self-efficacy, higher levels of avoidant coping, and hypercompetitiveness predicted pathological gambling. Theoretical, psycho-educational, and clinical implications are discussed.

In this article, we present the development and psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Assessment of COVID-19--Related Fears (MAC-RF). The MAC-RF is an eight-item, self-report scale that has been developed to assess clinically relevant domains of fear during the COVID-19 pandemic. The MAC-RF is based on a comprehensive theoretical model conceptualizing fears during the pandemics as resulting from an interaction of bodily, interpersonal, cognitive, and behavioral experiences. The MAC-RF was administered to a sample of 623 Italian adults from the community aged between 18 and 76 years old (M= 35.67, SD= 12.93), along with a measure of current clinical symptoms. Item response theory analyses demonstrated that each item of the MAC-RF provided sufficient information about the underlying construct of fear. The statistical fit of the scale was satisfactory. MAC-RF total scores correlated significantly and positively with total scores on the measure of psychopathology and with the clinical symptom domain scores. A ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve analysis showed that the MAC-RF total score was sufficiently able to identify cases with high levels of current psychopathology, with an area under the curve of.76. These findings suggest that the MAC-RF can be used to assess pathological fear during pandemics. The English, Italian, and French versions of the MAC-RF are annexed to this article for use by clinicians and health services.

Abstract Background Intellectual disability is a complex multi‐faceted condition with diverse underlying etiologies. One rare form of intellectual disability is secondary to the loss of TRAPPC9, an activator of NF‐κB and a mediator of intracellular protein processing and trafficking. TRAPPC9 deficiency has been described in 48 patients with more than 15 pathologic variants. Method Clinical evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging, and whole‐exome sequencing were used to characterize the underlying cause of absent speech, restricted/repetitive behaviors, and worsening behavioral outbursts in 27‐year‐old man from Malta. Results Magnetic Resonance Imaging showed morphologic abnormalities, including global cerebral and cerebellar hypoplasia. Genetic analysis through Whole Exome Sequencing identified a homozygous deletion (c.568_574del) in TRAPPC9 resulting in a frameshift, premature stop codon, and ultimately a truncated protein (p.Trp190Argfs*95). In this case, the pathogenic variant was homozygous, identified in both of the parents without known consanguinity. Conclusion Given the phenotype and genotype consistent with a deficiency in TRAPPC9, it is likely that this patient represents a novel case of this rare genetic syndrome. Specifically, this case, in the context of 48 total reported patients, raises questions as to the geographic origin of the pathologic variant and optimal detection and therapeutic intervention for this condition.

The dynamics shaping the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation's (ENSO) response to present and future climate change remain unclear, partly due to limited paleo‐ENSO records spanning past abrupt climate events. Here, we measure Mg/Ca ratios on individual foraminifera to reconstruct east Pacific subsurface temperature variability, a proxy for ENSO variability, across the last 25,000 years, including the millennial‐scale events of the last deglaciation. Combining these data with proxy system model output reveals divergent ENSO responses to Northern Hemisphere stadials: enhanced variability during Heinrich Stadial 1 (H1) and reduced variability during the Younger Dryas (YD), relative to the Holocene. H1 ENSO likely intensified through meltwater‐induced changes to ocean/atmospheric circulation, a response observed in models, but the lack of a similar response during the YD challenges model simulations. We suggest the tropical Pacific mean state during H1 primed ENSO for larger fluctuations under meltwater forcing, whereas the YD mean state likely buffered against it. Plain Language Summary: The El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is one of the planet's largest and most influential recurring climate patterns. The fluctuation between warm (El Niño) and cold events (La Niña) every several years has a substantial impact on global weather patterns that carry important socioeconomic consequences. How the frequency and severity of ENSO events may change in response to present and future climate change is largely uncertain, although lessons from past abrupt climate events can help inform our projections of future ENSO. To that end, we analyzed the chemical composition of small, individual zooplankton shells buried in marine sediments to reconstruct "snapshots" of subsurface temperature variability in the eastern Pacific, a feature closely linked to ENSO, over the last 25,000 years. During this time, two abrupt climate events induced by melting glacial ice ("Heinrich Stadial 1" and the "Younger Dryas") were characterized by different ENSO responses (stronger and weaker, respectively). We suggest that the average climate conditions in the tropical Pacific (temperature, wind strength, etc.) played an important role by either priming the ENSO system for disruption by meltwater (Heinrich Stadial 1) or buffering against it (Younger Dryas). Key Points: Single‐shell foraminiferal trace element ratios reveal a deglacial history of El Niño‐Southern Oscillation's (ENSO) variability from the eastern equatorial PacificMeltwater‐induced changes to ocean and atmospheric circulation likely amplified ENSO during Heinrich Stadial 1A similar amplification during the Younger Dryas is not observed, suggesting mean state may mediate millennial‐scale ENSO variability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of the psychological dynamics associated with torture and examines its consequences on the victims. Initially, we investigate the psychological processes driving torturers to engage in extreme violence and brutality. Central to this exploration are the concepts of dehumanization and desensitization, which allow torturers to emotionally distance themselves from their victims and enact their aggressive behaviors. We elucidate how dehumanization and desensitization are often associated with the presence of a disordered personality, such as psychopathy, antisocial personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder. Subsequently, we delve into the complex interplay of survival and defense mechanisms utilized by victims during the traumatic experience of torture. We examine how victims may form a traumatic bond with their tormentors as a coping mechanism for their physical and psychological suffering--a bond that may persist even after their release. This bond may manifest as a heteronomous will, in which victims continue to adhere to the torturer's demands even after liberation, resulting in a deconstruction of their identity and a profound sensation of existing as "living dead." This enduring bound can profoundly impact victims' emotions, behaviors, and relationships, contributing to the onset of severe clinical conditions, with evidence showing increased prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms among survivors. Finally, we evaluate therapeutic interventions that have demonstrated effectiveness in treating individuals who have endured torture. Drawing from a diverse range of therapeutic approaches, such as psychodynamic psychotherapy, trauma-focused cognitivebehavioral therapy, narrative exposure therapy, and the wraparound approach, clinicians can address the multifaceted psychological needs of torture survivors. Through empathetic and respectful therapeutic interventions, torture victims can receive the necessary support to navigate through the processing of their traumatic experiences. Consequently, they can regain a sense of agency and restore their self-esteem, thereby progressing along the trajectory towards achieving healing and recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Historical Clinical Risk Management-20 third version (HCR-20V3) is a semi-structured interview for the assessment of past, current, and prospective risk factors for violent behaviors. Accumulating research across various forensic and clinical populations, has found that the HCR-20V3 is a psychometrically robust measure. However, to our knowledge, there is limited data on the use of the HCR-20 among adolescents. This study sought to investigate the psychometric properties of the HCR-20V3 in an Italian teen sample. Methods: Sixty-one male teenagers, aged between 14 and 19, admitted to the Italian juvenile justice system were involved in the study. To assess convergent validity with measures of antisocial traits and personality impairments, the associations between the HCR-20V3, the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV), and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5-Alternative Model of Personality Disorders Module I (SCID-5-AMPD), were examined. Known group validity was assessed by comparing participants with and without recidivism at the 6- and the 12-month follow-up. Results: The HCR-20V3 showed good internal consistency: Cronbach's alpha (risk presence) = .88; Cronbach's alpha (risk relevance) .87. The split-half reliability was also good: Spearman-Brown (presence) = .92; Spearman-Brown (relevance) = .92) Convergent validity with the PCL:YV and the SCID-AMPD total score and domains were moderate-to-large in size (Pearson's r range .34 to .83, and .49 to .69, respectively). Compared to participants who had not been reported for a new crime, those who had a recidivism at the 6- and 12-month follow-up showed higher, albeit non-significant, scores both in the presence (Mann-Whithney's U = 133, p =.093; U = 243, p =.089, respectively) and the relevance items (U = 131, p =.083; U = 266, p =.185, respectively). Conclusions: Results suggest that the HCR-20V3 is a suitable measure for assessing risk of violence in the juvenile justice systems. Considering the lack of tools for assessing youth violent behavior, HCR-20V3 might significantly contribute to the assessment of critical risk factors for recidivism, potential targets for interventions, and response to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Author(s): Adriano Schimmenti [sup.1] , Peter K. Jonason [sup.2] , Alessia Passanisi [sup.1] , Luana La Marca [sup.1] , Nunzia Di Dio [sup.1] , Alessia M. Gervasi [sup.3] Author Affiliations: [...], The Dark Triad represents a collection of three socially aversive traits, namely Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism. In this study, we examined the psychometric properties of the Italian translation of the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen (DTDD) in a sample of 799 adults, and we explored the associations among Dark Triad traits, theory of mind, empathy, and alexithymia. The DTDD showed a good internal consistency and a bifactor structure including a three-factor non-hierarchical model and a global, second-order factor with all of the DTDD items loading on it. The DTDD traits were positively associated with alexithymia and negatively associated with theory of mind and empathy. Also, results of regression analyses showed that difficulty identifying feelings and a reduced emotional reactivity were significant predictors of the Dark Triad traits. Our findings support the validity and reliability of the Italian translation of the DTDD, and suggest that individuals with high levels of Dark Triad traits may have difficulties in understanding and processing their own rather than other people's emotional states.

The Red Palm Weevil (RPW), after its accidental introduction in Italy in 2005, determined a progressive disruption of Canary palms mostly in the central and southern regions. As it is difficult to undertake the management of this pest, the possibility of substituting the killed/symptomatic palms with other ornamental trees has been recently discussed. In this context, understanding the citizens' needs about green areas can improve the management of public parks and urban greening. Involving citizens on the natural resource management using public participation processes is crucial. The case study of a small town of Sicily (Italy) was treated and the spread of this pest was monitored. Moreover, the possibility of substituting the killed palms with other ornamentals was discussed by involving a sample of the population through a direct survey aimed at detecting the preferences in respect to certain tree species (as potential substitutes of the killed palms) listed in a questionnaire administered face-to-face. The citizen's samples showed great interest in the green areas (97%) and indicated a traditional Mediterranean plant as Nerium oleander as the preferred palm substitute candidate.

The protected natural area represents an important resource because from it sustainable and long-lasting social and economic development processes can start. In fact, the conservation of biodiversity can help create economic values by using natural capital which, if properly valorised, can help the momentum of local sustainable development and create diffuse welfare in terms of employment and income. To such a purpose, the evaluation both of the demand by those who enjoy the services of a protected area and of the level of satisfaction that visitors draw from their experience becomes a priority. The present study aims at investigating the behaviour and the preferences of the visitors to a protected natural area by means of the application of a "Visitor Satisfaction" model, in order to provide the managing institution and the local stakeholders with a method for the evaluation of the services offered, and in particular those services that directly concern the recreational function. The model has been implemented in the Riserva Naturale Orientata "Foce del Fiume Belice e dune limitrofe", which is part of the provinces of Agrigento and Trapani in the Region of Sicilia (Sicily, South Italy). Our hope is that it can be extended to other protected areas.

Abstract Background Studies evaluating next‐generation sequencing (NGS) for retinal disorders may not reflect clinical practice. We report results of retrospective analysis of patients referred for clinical testing at two institutions (US and India). Methods This retrospective study of 131 patients who underwent clinically validated targeted NGS or exome sequencing for a wide variety of clinical phenotypes categorized results into a definitive, indeterminate, or negative molecular diagnosis. Results A definitive molecular diagnosis (52%) was more common in the India cohort (62% vs. 39%, p = .009), while an indeterminate molecular diagnosis occurred only in the US cohort (12%). In the US cohort, a lower diagnostic rate in Hispanic, non‐Caucasians (23%) was seen compared to Caucasians (57%). The India cohort had a high rate of homozygous variants (61%) and different frequency of genes involved compared to the US cohort. Conclusion Despite inherent limitations in clinical testing, the diagnostic rate across the two cohorts (52%) was similar to the 50%–65% diagnostic rate in the literature. However, the diagnostic rate was lower in the US cohort and appears partly explained by racial background. The high rate of consanguinity in the Indian population is reflected in the high rate of homozygosity for pathogenic mutations and may have implications for population level screening and genetic counseling. Clinical laboratories may note diagnostic rates that differ from the literature, due to factors such as heterogeneity in racial background or consanguinity rates in the populations being tested. This information may be useful for post‐test counseling.

Contextual and individual risk factors of veterinarians' professional quality of life are being debated. Research suggests that attachment styles are relevant predictors of professional quality of life; however, their role in work-related well-being of veterinarians is yet to be ascertained. In the present study, self-report measures on exposure to animal suffering, adult attachment styles, and professional quality of life were administered to 1,445 Italian veterinarians (70% females) aged 24 to 74 years old; sociodemographic information and information on workload were also collected. Female gender, higher levels of ordinary workload, on-call hours per week, exposure to animal suffering, together with fearful and preoccupied attachment styles were significantly associated with lower levels of veterinarians' quality of life. This suggests that work-related factors may combine with individual psychological features in promoting or disadvantaging the professional quality of life of veterinarians. Implications of these findings for promoting veterinarians' quality of life and directions for future research are discussed.

The diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in children has a relevant impact also on their parents. Parental websites offer opportunities to share social support, personal experiences, and health-related information. This study aimed at exploring how parents of ASDs children use specific online forums for ASDs. We selected an online forum of parents of ASDs children and analyzed 2469 messages using the latent thematic analysis. We identified four major themes, that we defined in terms of: The supporting group; the difficulties; the activities; and a perspective know-how. Results showed that parents with ASDs children often experience a need of emotional and practical support to cope with the difficulties with their lives. The online community seems to allow them to share experiences and solve doubts about their parental role, proposing practical advice and sustaining them. Belonging to the same group further acts as a support for parental well-being through peer similarity.

BackgroundA need exists to increase our understanding of the association between maladaptive personality traits, psychopathological symptoms, game preference, and different types of video game use. In the present study, we used a person-centered approach to identify different subtypes of video game players and we explored how they differ in personality profiles, clinical symptoms, and video game usage.MethodsWe assessed problematic gaming via the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale and self-reported screen time playing video games in a sample of 366 adolescents and young adult gamers. Participants also completed measures on maladaptive personality domains (Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Brief Form), alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale—20 items), and psychopathological symptoms (DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure) and reported which genre of video games they preferred.ResultsUsing a person-centered, cluster-analytic approach, we identified four clusters of video game players (Occasional, Passionate, Preoccupied, and Disordered) presenting peculiar combinations of problematic gaming scores and time spent online playing video games. Non-problematic gamers (Occasional and Passionate) represented the majority of the sample (62.3% of the participants). Highly involved gamers who exhibited excessive screen time playing video games (Disordered gamers) presented the highest level of maladaptive personality traits and psychopathological symptoms, and were characterized by the greatest use of Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games.ConclusionThese results have clinical implications on suggesting the importance to determining whether or not problematic gaming activities reflect a dysfunctional emotion-focused coping strategy to avoid inner unpleasant emotional or a more generally compromised emotional and social functioning.

Who am I: The Tale of Dorothy (WAI) is the first videogame ever that addresses the treatment of an individual suffering from dissociative identity disorder (DID). WAI describes the life and internal experience of a 14-year-old girl named Dorothy who suffers from DID. The goal of this videogame is to integrate all Dorothy’s dissociated identities. Notably, several symptoms of DID are correctly portrayed in the game, such as identity confusion, identity alteration, amnesia, and psychotic-like experiences. Furthermore, WAI identifies the developmental origins of DID in the individual’s exposure to severe traumatic experiences in the attachment relationships during childhood, which is consistent with current empirical evidence on the developmental precursors of the disorder. Therefore, WAI may represent an innovative possibility for illustrating the main features of DID to gamers, students, and lay people. Accordingly, playing WAI can have important educational implications, as it might serve to reduce mental stigma toward people suffering from DID.