Environmental implications and levelized cost analysis of E-fuel production under photovoltaic energy, direct air capture, and hydrogen.

The ecological transition in the transport sector is a major challenge to tackle environmental pollution, and European legislation will mandate zero-emission new cars from 2035. To reduce the impact of petrol and diesel vehicles, much emphasis is being placed on the potential use of synthetic fuels, including electrofuels (e-fuels). This research aims to examine a levelised cost (LCO) analysis of e-fuel production where the energy source is renewable. The energy used in the process is expected to come from a photovoltaic plant and the other steps required to produce e-fuel: direct air capture, electrolysis and Fischer-Tropsch process. The results showed that the LCOe-fuel in the baseline scenario is around 3.1 €/l, and this value is mainly influenced by the energy production component followed by the hydrogen one. Sensitivity, scenario and risk analyses are also conducted to evaluate alternative scenarios, and it emerges that in 84% of the cases, LCOe-fuel ranges between 2.8 €/l and 3.4 €/l. The findings show that the current cost is not competitive with fossil fuels, yet the development of e-fuels supports environmental protection. The concept of pragmatic sustainability, incentive policies, technology development, industrial symbiosis, economies of scale and learning economies can reduce this cost by supporting the decarbonization of the transport sector.

Studying Nonlinear Change in Music Therapy Applying Dynamic Systems Theory.

Change in music therapy is often modeled linearly. In linear analysis, change is represented as the difference between the scores recorded before and after treatment, where changes in the input are proportional to the output. However, changes in complex systems are often not linear and depend on time. We propose Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) as a means to overcome the shortcomings of linear analysis and enrich the study of change in music therapy. This article aims to introduce and critically discuss the applications of DST in music therapy, focusing on its theoretical and methodological aspects. DST offers a meta-framework to model nonlinear change in music therapy, considering time as continuous. The application of DST can further enhance the understanding of how music therapy works, the shape of the change, and how the relevant therapeutic processes within music therapy support therapeutic change. An introduction to DST theory is provided along with its history, implications, assessment methods, statistical analyses, mathematical modeling, and implementation examples in music therapy research.

Heavy Study Investment in Pre-adolescence and Adolescence: Psychometric Properties of the Studyholism Inventory (SI-10) / La fuerte inversión en el estudio en la preadolescencia y la adolescencia: propiedades psicométricas del Inventario de Obsesión con el Estudio (SI-10)

The Studyholism Inventory (SI-10) allows evaluating two types of Heavy Study Investment (Studyholism – or obsession toward study – and Study Engagement), and four kinds of student (engaged studyholics, disengaged studyholics, engaged students, detached students). We analyzed its psychometric properties in Italian pre-adolescents (n = 451) and adolescents (n = 446) and proposed its cut-off scores. Moreover, we investigated some demographic and study-related differences in studyholism and study engagement. The results supported the use of the SI-10 in pre-adolescents and adolescents. The fit indices are similar in the two samples (for adolescents, GFI = .98, RMSEA = .059). Moreover, we found a high prevalence of studyholism, especially in pre-adolescence (18.6%), and a decrease in study engagement in both genders from pre-adolescence to adolescence. In conclusion, the SI-10 might be used from pre-adolescence for research, preventive, and clinical purposes. Also, demographic-related results supported the definition of studyholism as an obsessive-compulsive related disorder.(AU)

El Inventario de Obsesión con el Estudio (SI-10) permite evaluar dos tipos de fuerte inversión en el estudio (obsesión con el estudio e implicación en el estudio), y cuatro tipos de estudiantes (obsesionados con el estudio implicados, obsesionados con el estudio desconectados, estudiantes implicados, estudiantes desinteresados). Analizamos sus propiedades psicométricas en preadolescentes italianos (n = 451) y adolescentes (n = 446) y propusimos sus puntuaciones de corte. Además, investigamos algunas diferencias demográficas relacionadas con el estudio en la obsesión y la implicación con el estudio. Los resultados avalan el uso del SI-10 en preadolescentes y adolescentes. Los índices de ajuste son similares en las dos muestras (para adolescentes, GFI = .98; RMSEA = .059). Asimismo, encontramos una gran prevalencia de la obsesión con el estudio, especialmente en la preadolescencia (18.6%) y una disminución en la implicación con el estudio en ambos sexos desde la preadolescencia hasta la adolescencia. En conclusión, el SI-10 podría usarse desde la preadolescencia con fines de investigación, preventivos y clínicos. Además, los resultados relacionados con la demografía confirman la definición de obsesión con el estudio como un trastorno relacionado con la obsesión-compulsión.(AU)

Premature Triadic Music Therapy (PT-MT) for babies and their parents: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to test the feasibility and effectiveness of Premature Triadic Music Therapy (PT-MT) in the premature baby unit. METHODS: The design was a clinical pre-test-post-test trial with a convenience sample. Inclusion criteria were a gestational age higher than 28 weeks for preterm infants and the absence of shock or extreme distress for parents. Six preterm children (with a gestational age of 33 to 36 weeks) and their parents participated in the study. For the children, we measured heart rate, blood perfusion, and blood saturation at three different times (pre-PT-MT, during PT-MT, after PT-MT) as quantitative indicators of distress. Their parents completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) before and after the PT-MT intervention. RESULTS: We found a statistically significant lower heart rate and a marginally statistically significant higher blood perfusion during PT-MT, as compared to the baseline. However, these changes were not present at the end of PT-MT. The parents' EPDS scores were not statistically significantly lower at the post-test, although, the Medians of the scores did decrease. CONCLUSIONS: PT-MT is a promising intervention for the reduction of distress in both parents and children. Further studies should include a higher number of sessions and participants.

The Protective Role of Mature Defense Mechanisms on Satisfaction with Life in the COVID-19 Era: A Moderated Mediation Analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly influenced people's lives, with non-negligible consequences for the perception of well-being. This study sought to examine the effect of anxiety, post-traumatic impairment, and mature defenses on life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. One thousand three hundred thirty-nine Italian individuals (30% male; 70% female; Mage = 34.70; SD = 11.83) completed an online survey enclosing the Satisfaction with Life Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Form X3, Impact of event scale-revised, and the Forty Item Defense Style Questionnaire. To test the hypothesized relationship, data were analyzed by applying a moderated-mediation analysis, a regression-based approach. Results showed that the negative effect of anxiety on life satisfaction was partially mediated by post-traumatic impairment, with a significant moderation effect of mature defenses on the relationship between post-traumatic impairment and life satisfaction. Specifically, with higher levels of mature defenses, the effects of post-traumatic impairment on consequences of the COVID-19 emergency on well-being. Furthermore, the protective role of mature defenses in facing post-traumatic impairment was shown. Such data may have applicative implications in different contexts in a management perspective of the different pandemic phases, contributing to more effective positive strength-based preventive actions to also support positive healthy organizations.

Heavy Study Investment: An Analysis of the Defense Mechanisms Characterizing Studyholism and Study Engagement.

Defense mechanisms are unconscious processes that protect a person from excessive anxiety. They are part of everyday functioning, and mature defenses are associated with positive outcomes. However, the excessive use of defenses or the use of immature defenses is associated with psychopathology. The present study aims to analyze the defense mechanisms that characterize two types of heavy study investment: Studyholism and Study Engagement. We performed a path analysis, MANOVAs, and binary logistic regressions on 422 Italian college students (Mage = 22.56 ± 2.87; 63.5% females). Among the main findings, the strongest (and positive) predictor of Studyholism is regression (maladaptive defense), while for Study Engagement, it is task-orientation (adaptive defense). Hence, Studyholism might be defined as a new potential clinical condition. Additionally, a critical analysis of all the defense mechanisms predicting Studyholism supports the appropriateness of the OCD-related framework for conceptualizing Studyholism. Regarding Study Engagement, even if generally associated with a positive defense style, the finding that it is positively predicted by projection confirms previous studies suggesting that, for some students, it might constitute a coping strategy with paranoid symptoms (and social anxiety and anxiety). Hence, we recommend screening engaged students for social impairment and clinically relevant symptoms that might be hidden by hard studying.

Tracking an Elusive Killer: State of the Art of Molecular-Genetic Knowledge and Laboratory Role in Diagnosis and Risk Stratification of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection.

The main challenge in diagnosing and managing thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAA/D) is represented by the early detection of a disease that is both deadly and "elusive", as it generally grows asymptomatically prior to rupture, leading to death in the majority of cases. Gender differences exist in aortic dissection in terms of incidence and treatment options. Efforts have been made to identify biomarkers that may help in early diagnosis and in detecting those patients at a higher risk of developing life-threatening complications. As soon as the hereditability of the TAA/D was demonstrated, several genetic factors were found to be associated with both the syndromic and non-syndromic forms of the disease, and they currently play a role in patient diagnosis/prognosis and management-guidance purposes. Likewise, circulating biomarker could represent a valuable resource in assisting the diagnosis, and several studies have attempted to identify specific molecules that may help with risk stratification outside the emergency department. Even if promising, those data lack specificity/sensitivity, and, in most cases, they need more testing before entering the "clinical arena". This review summarizes the state of the art of the laboratory in TAA/D diagnostics, with particular reference to the current and future role of molecular-genetic testing.

How Stable, Really? Traditional and Nonlinear Dynamics Approaches to Studying Temporal Fluctuations in Personality and Affect.

A pair of quantitative case studies is presented to demonstrate how different approaches to quantifying temporal variability in ratings of traits and affect can provide rich information for personality researchers. Data are presented and analyzed from two college students who completed an Ecological Momentary Assessment protocol sampling ratings of affect and traits up to 24 times daily for one week. Both classical and nonlinear data analytic techniques were applied to the data to summarize and examine the temporal dynamics of both traits and affect. For the purposes of exposition, one Big Five trait rating, extraversion, and the PANAS positive and negative affects, are discussed. The results support previous research demonstrating a high degree of variability in ratings of both traits and affect over time. Analyses using nonlinear and complexity expand on these findings and suggest temporal patterning as well as disorder; implications of phase portraits for understanding variability are discussed. The findings are discussed in light of a processing dynamics approach to resolving the role of variability in understanding personality.

Studyholism and Study Engagement in Adolescence: The Role of Social Anxiety and Interpretation Bias as Antecedents.

Studyholism (or obsession toward study) is a new potential clinical condition that, in contrast with Study Engagement, is associated with negative outcomes. However, previous studies showed that both Studyholism and Study Engagement predict social impairment due to study. Therefore, we analyzed the role of social anxiety and interpretation bias as predictors of Studyholism and Study Engagement in 541 adolescents (Mage = 16.30 ± 1.59; 66% girls). We performed a path analysis model, MANOVAs, and Mann-Whitney tests. Among the main findings, social anxiety is a positive predictor of both Studyholism and Study Engagement. Hence, this provides further support to the conceptualization of Studyholism as an OCD-related disorder (or as an internalizing disorder) and suggests the need of screening socially anxious adolescents for the presence of Studyholism and engaged students for the presence of high social anxiety. Moreover, Studyholism is predicted by a negative interpretation style in non-social situations, while a positive interpretation style predicts Study Engagement in social and non-social situations. Hence, Studyholism and social anxiety are two different diagnoses, even if social anxiety might fuel Studyholism. Moreover, interventions to reduce Studyholism should decrease the tendency to interpret non-social situations negatively or neutrally.

Subjective Response Measurement to Prosthesis or Device Use: Validation of the Prosthetic-Bionic Paradigm Questionnaire (PBP-Q).

Many subjects with somatic pathologies or traumas in their recent anamnesis tend to experience symptoms and changes to their daily life parameters after technically successful treatment. Hence, this study aims to validate an investigation tool inspired by the prosthetic-bionic paradigm-namely, the PBP-Q-which allows for the evaluation of variation in questions relating to identity, psychosociality, and psychopathology in relation to the use of a prosthesis or device. We gathered 118 participants (68 females and 50 males) aged between 27 and 94 years (Mean = 58.42 ± 15.17). We performed both exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses on this sample. Moreover, we calculated the internal consistency for the PBP-Q scales and the total score for the questionnaire's final 26-item and 5-factor versions. The five scales are psychological well-being; interpersonal relationships; professional relationships; autonomy and safety; addictions, compulsions, and obsessions. The internal consistency is good for both the total score and the subscales. In conclusion, overall, the PBP-Q has satisfactory psychometric properties, especially considering the measure's complexity. It provides a quick and effective way to evaluate the changes that might arise after the use of a prosthesis or device and, subsequently, has implications for clinical practice.

College students' compliance with government measures for social isolation and quarantine during the COVID-19 outbreak: A focus on psychological predictors.

BACKGROUND: To contain the COVID-19 pandemic, government adopted several measures to restrict social contacts including isolation, quarantine, and limitations on movement from location to location around the country. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the degree to which Italian college students agreed and complied with these measures and to determine if psychological variables have influenced compliance. METHODS: We evaluated 6075 students concerning their agreement with the government's restrictions, as well as their health anxiety, trait positive and negative affect, and current symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. We performed MANOVAs, ANOVAs, path analysis, and binary logistic regressions. RESULTS: We found some differences in compliance with government restrictions concerning gender, geographic location, and major of study. Psychological variables did not play a significant role in predicting compliance with restriction measures and making a call for medical help. However, health anxiety predicted higher levels of worries about having contracted the virus. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, university-based interventions should primarily focus on males to foster compliance with government restriction during a pandemic, or health crisis. College students -Social Sciences students in particular -could benefit from counseling interventions to avoid the development of psychological disorders fueled by pandemic worries.

Hikikomori Risk Inventory (HRI-24): A new instrument for evaluating Hikikomori in both Eastern and Western countries.

BACKGROUND: Hikikomori, a clinical condition widely studied in Japan, is receiving increasing attention in Western Countries. AIMS: This study aimed to create a new instrument for evaluating the risk of Hikikomori in both Eastern and Western countries. METHODS: Through two studies on Italian adolescents, youths, and adults (n = 1,285) and a study on Japanese youths and adults (n = 392), we analyzed the psychometric properties of the Hikikomori Risk Inventory (HRI-24). RESULTS: We found support, in both the Italian and Japanese samples, for the good and stable factor structure of the scale (CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.057 for both the adult samples), as well as for its convergent and divergent validity. CONCLUSIONS: The HRI-24 might be used in future studies in both Western and Eastern countries to shed light on the features of this clinical disorder in different cultures. This will allow the development of culture-sensitive preventive and clinical interventions.

An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis study of the EPDS in postnatal Italian-speaking women.

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are the most prevalent emotional difficulties in the perinatal period and there is agreement that early intervention is an important strategy to prevent long-lasting effects on mother and child. Literature has recently shown that the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is able to measure not only depression but also anxiety. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factorial structure of the EPDS in Italian-speaking new mothers. METHOD: 416 women attending vaccination services between 2 and 4 months postpartum filled in the EPDS. Exploratory (EFA) and Confirmatory (CFA) analyses were carried out. RESULTS: The EFA on the first part of the sample (n = 208) showed a two-factor structure. The CFAs on the second sample of mothers (n = 208) provided support for the 'EPDS-4A', with items 3,4,5,6 belonging to the Anxiety factor and items 1,2,7,8,9,10 to the Depression factor. The fit for the model was good: χ2/df = 1.41, p <.001; GFI =.99; CFI =.99; TLI =.88; RMSEA =.04. CONCLUSION: A two-factor structure of the EPDS was confirmed suggesting that the EPDS can be used to screen for both depression and anxiety for Italian mothers in the postnatal period.

At the core of cyberaggression: A group-based explanation.

In this study, prototypicality of the aggressor was tested as a group-level factor predicting social media users' active participation in cyberaggression. Participants were exposed to a fictitious conversation, in which either a prototypical versus non-prototypical user posted an aggressive comment as a reply to a provocative comment. In line with self-categorization theory, we hypothesized that bystander participants would post an aggressive comment and rate the aggression as acceptable to a greater extent in the prototypical than in the non-prototypical condition. Furthermore, we predicted that perceived normativity of aggression would mediate the effect of prototypicality. Results supported these predictions and showed that prototypical members affect the extent to which collective aggressive behaviors in online interactions are approved and enacted. These findings highlight the importance of group-level factors in the study of cyberaggression and provide important information for understanding the psychological underpinnings of collective forms of online aggression.

Assessment of Burnout Levels Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Web-Based Survey by the (Italian) Association of Medical Endocrinologists (AME).

BACKGROUND: Some endocrinologists were involved in the management of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic. This study aims to analyze burnout levels among the Association of Medical Endocrinologists (AME) members before and during the pandemic. METHODS: We recruited two AME members samples at two different times: before COVID-19 (n = 811) and during the first wave of the ongoing pandemic (n = 579). Both the samples filled the Maslach Burnout Inventory. We performed MANOVAs to evaluate demographic and COVID-19 related differences in burnout levels and Pearson's Chi-square test to compare burnout severity before and during the pandemic. RESULTS: Women reported higher Emotional Exhaustion and reduced Professional Accomplishment than men. The oldest physicians had lower levels of Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization and higher Professional Accomplishment than younger workers. Independent contractors displayed lower levels of burnout compared to established contractors. Finally, the pandemic, per se, did not lead to changes in burnout levels. DISCUSSION: Women and young physicians are at higher risk of burnout. It is also possible that front- line professionals are at higher risk during a health care crisis. Moreover, it is likely that the length of exposure to the pandemic has not been sufficient to impact burnout levels. CONCLUSION: Short-term exposure to pandemic-related activities seemed to have a low impact on burnout severity, except for physicians directly involved in managing COVID-19 cases. It is strongly recommended the availability of psychological support in public hospitals.

Studyholism: A New Obsessive-Compulsive Related Disorder? An Analysis of Its Association With Internalizing and Externalizing Features.

Studyholism (or obsession toward study) is a new potential obsessive-compulsive (OCD)-related disorder recently introduced in the literature. According to its theorization, there are two types of Studyholic: Engaged and Disengaged Studyholics, which are characterized, respectively, by high and low levels of Study Engagement. This study aims to shed light on the role of internalizing and externalizing features as antecedents and outcomes of Studyholism and Study Engagement. Moreover, it aims to analyze the differences in psychopathology and sensation seeking between students demonstrating Disengaged and Engaged Studyholism. We performed four path analyses, MANOVAs, and Mann-Whitney tests on 1,223 Italian college students (M age = 22.56 ± 3.53). Among the main findings, Studyholism is associated with psychological and academic impairment, while Study Engagement predicts better mental health and academic functioning; though, the ß values are lower for Study Engagement. Moreover, Studyholism is positively predicted by internalizing symptoms and negatively predicted by externalizing variables. Finally, students showing Engaged Studyholism have lower levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms than those demonstrating Disengaged Studyholism. In conclusion, this study shows the critical importance of implementing preventive interventions aimed at reducing Studyholism levels in college students. Moreover, it provides support to the conceptualization of problematic overstudying as a new potential OCD-related disorder and to the value of distinguishing between Engaged and Disengaged Studyholics for tailored clinical interventions. Finally, it highlights the need to use two different theorizations and operationalizations for problematic overworking and overstudying. However, the literature on problematic overstudying is too scant to reach any firm conclusion. Hence, future studies should deepen the analysis of problematic overstudying, possibly using longitudinal designs, to unveil its internalizing and/or externalizing nature.

Studyholism Inventory (SI-10): A Short Instrument for Evaluating Study Obsession Within the Heavy Study Investment Framework.

Loscalzo and Giannini (Loscalzo, Y., & Giannini, M. [2017]. Studyholism or Study Addiction? A comprehensive model for a possible new clinical condition. In A. M. Columbus (Ed.), Advances in psychological research, (Vol. 125, pp. 19-37). Hauppauge, NY, USA: Nova Science) recently proposed a theoretical model for a new potential clinical condition: Studyholism, or obsession toward studying. This study aims to analyze the psychometric properties of the instrument that has been created based on their theory, namely the Studyholism Inventory (SI-10). The participants are 1296 Italian college students aged between 19 and 55 years. We analyzed its factor structure, as well as its convergent and divergent validity, and we proposed the cut-off scores of the SI-10. Moreover, we investigated some demographic and study-related differences in studyholism and study engagement and the correlations with academic indicators. The results showed that the SI-10 is a ten-item (2 fillers) and 2-factor instrument (GFI = .98, CFI = .97, RMSEA = .07) with good psychometric properties. The SI-10 could be used in future research to analyze the features and correlates of studyholism, and for both clinical and preventive purposes, pointing to favor students' well-being and academic success.

Heavy Study Investment in Italian College Students. An Analysis of Loscalzo and Giannini's (2017) Studyholism Comprehensive Model.

Loscalzo and Giannini (2017) recently proposed the construct of studyholism (or obsession toward study) and a theoretical model highlighting its potential antecedents and outcomes. This study aims to analyze some of these antecedents and outcomes by means of a path analysis including both studyholism and study engagement. The participants are 1,958 Italian college students aged between 18 and 60 years (M age = 23.53 ± 4.43) and heterogeneous as far as their year and major of study are concerned, as well as concerning the city in which they attended their courses. They filled some instruments that allow evaluating studyholism and study engagement, along with individual and situational antecedents (e.g., worry and overstudy climate) and outcomes (e.g., sleep quality, study-relationships conflict, dropout intention). In addition to the path model we performed aiming to test the direct effects we hypothesized, we performed two MANOVAs for analyzing if there were differences on the antecedents and outcomes among the four kinds of student suggested by Loscalzo and Giannini (2017; i.e., engaged studyholics, disengaged studyholics, engaged students, and detached students). The results of this study support Loscalzo and Giannini's (2017) conceptualization of studyholism as an internalizing disorder, since worry is the strongest predictor of studyholism (ß = .67, p < .001). In addition, in line with Loscalzo and Giannini's (2017) theorization, we found some differences among the four kinds of student on both the antecedents and outcomes we analyzed. This study has critical theoretical, preventive, and clinical implications. It supports the definition of studyholism as an OCD-related disorder. Also, about preventive implications, it shows that interventions aiming to favor students' wellbeing should target also engaged students, since study engagement predicts social impairment as well as studyholism. Finally, it suggests that in a clinical setting, it is important to distinguish between disengaged studyholics and engaged studyholics as they have different relationships with some antecedents and outcomes; also, they both have functional impairment, even if in different areas.

What type of worker are you? Work-related Inventory (WI-10): A comprehensive instrument for the measurement of workaholism.

BACKGROUND: In literature, there are many instruments for evaluating workaholism; however, they do not have convergent validity, because of the lack of a shared definition of workaholism. OBJECTIVE: We propose a new instrument for evaluating workaholism and work engagement, namely the Work-related Inventory (WI-10), which is based on Loscalzo and Giannini's (2017) comprehensive definition of workaholism. METHODS: We developed a pool of 36 items, covering: 1) addiction symptoms; 2) obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and 3) work engagement. Then, we conducted Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor analyses on a sample of 503 Italian workers (165 males, 337 females, one missing; Mean age = 38.26±10.84) aiming to reduce the number of items. RESULTS: The results showed a 10-items (2 filler) and 2-factor solution: 1) Workaholism and 2) Work Engagement; moreover, the WI-10 has good internal reliability, convergent and divergent validity. CONCLUSIONS: We found good psychometric properties for the WI-10. We also proposed the cut-off scores for the screening of the four kinds of workers proposed by Loscalzo and Giannini (2017): disengaged workaholics, engaged workaholics, engaged workers, and detached workers. The WI-10 will be useful for both research and preventive and clinical purposes.