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Parental attachment is important for adolescents’ development as well as cultural context. Poland used to be collectivist but now is closer to individualistic due to social and economic transformation. Few studies have examined parental attachment and self-esteem among Polish adolescents. This descriptive study (N = 303 Polish adolescents) investigated the levels of parental attachment, gender differences, preferred attachment figure, association with self-esteem and cultural differences with collectivistic (China) and individualistic (Italy) cultures. The results indicated that: (1) there was no gender difference in parental attachment; (2) mother was the preferred attachment figure; (3) parental attachment was related to self-esteem; and (4) cultural differences were found. Findings were discussed in terms of Polish sociopolitical situation.

School readiness is an important but challenging issue of child development, especially during COVID-19 when most of the traditional offline activities that could promote school readiness (e.g., on-site visit) have been canceled. There is a gap between the knowledge needed to promote children’s school readiness in times of pandemic and the limited understanding of this topic so far. This gap could be particularly concerning in the social contexts where examinations are stressed and educational competition is high (e.g., Hong Kong). In this study, we examined how well children were ready for primary school, the extent to which parent perceived social support was related to children’s school readiness, and whether parent competence and their time spent with children would moderate the said link. A cross-sectional design survey with total population sampling (supplemented with convenience sampling) was conducted. Massive e-mails were sent to all kindergartens in Hong Kong inviting them to join the study by distributing the survey link to the parents of their K3 students. A total of 643 Hong Kong parents whose children were about to transition to primary school (87.1% mother) participated, answering measures specifically designed for this study online about how well they thought their children were ready for school, their competence to help with children’s school transition, and how much time they spent with children. Data were analyzed with PROCESS macro (model 3) in SPSS. The results found that most parents considered that their children were not fully ready for school, especially in terms of academic skills, self-management, and mental preparation. Furthermore, moderation analyses showed that after controlling for a number of demographic variables, parent perceived social support was positively related to better school readiness in children and this link was jointly moderated by parent competence and time spent with children. Specifically, children were rated most ready when parent perceived stronger social support, felt more competent, and spent more time with children. By contrast, the link between perceived social support and children’s school readiness was insignificant for parent who felt more competent but spent less time with children. Implications of how to enhance children’s school readiness are discussed.

Aggressive behaviors can serve different functions, which might be understood by distinguishing between reactive (RA) and proactive (PA) aggression. Few studies were conducted on adolescents’ family precursors and emotional processes associated with RA or PA. Accordingly, the current study compared RA and PA by evaluating their association with adolescents’ attachment to parents and alexithymia. N = 453 Italian adolescents aged 15–19 years (Mage = 16.48; SD = 0.69; 33.6% males) participated in the study filling in self-report measures. Results showed that PA and RA are significantly associated and that PA was higher among males. Moreover, four mediational models were performed to assess the influence of adolescents’ attachment to mothers vs. fathers on RA or PA, considering the mediating role of alexithymia. Gender was included as a covariate. Mediational models’ results showed a direct and indirect effect, through lower alexithymia, of adolescents’ attachment to mothers and fathers on RA. Differently, only attachment to mothers showed a direct effect on PA, while attachment to fathers only an indirect effect, mediated by lower alexithymia, on PA was shown. Findings support the greater relevance of emotional processes for RA while highlighting the differential contribution of adolescents’ attachment to mothers vs. fathers upon PA. Implications are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided.

The occupational well-being (OWB) of early childhood educators (ECEs) play a crucial role in their job performance, the development of a child, and the operation of early childhood education sectors. OWB of ECEs has been an increasing concern in recent years and this concern might be particularly salient for beginning ECEs given the multiple adaptive changes and challenges they encounter during the transition from training to teaching. However, research on the beginning ECEs’ OWB has been scarce. In this study, we employed both variable-centered and person-centered approaches to explore OWB and examined job demands and resources as predictors in 117 Hong Kong beginning ECEs (113 females, Mage = 21.71 years). They first reported job demands (i.e., class size, working hours, dealing with children with special education needs) and job resources (i.e., salary and job support) at the end of the first month of the fall semester upon working as in-service teachers. They then reported on four OWB variables (i.e., job satisfaction, work engagement, job stress, and job burnout) at the beginning of the spring semester. Results of the variable-centered analysis revealed that beginning ECEs reported medium or above-medium levels on the positive OWB indicators and medium or below-medium levels on the negative OWB indicators. Regression analysis found that despite some exceptions, job demands and job resources negatively (positively) and positively (negatively) predicted positive (negative) OWB indicators, respectively. Results of person-centered analysis suggested that the complex pattern of different OWB indicators could be categorized into two OWB profiles (medium well-being vs. relatively weak well-being – emotional exhaustion). Results of regression analysis showed that beginning ECEs with higher job demands were less likely, whereas those with more job resources were more likely, to be assigned to the medium well-being profile. These results inform which leverage points could be targeted to enhance a specific OWB indicator and identify who would be in dire need to enhance their OWB at the very beginning of their teaching career.

Objectives:This study aimed to evaluate the association between different body composition features with prognostic outcomes of intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).Methods:The areas and density of skeletal muscle area (SM) and adipose tissue [subcutaneous (SAT); visceral (VAT)] were calculated on the pre-TACE CT scans. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) curves were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared with log-rank test. The discrimination and performance of body composition features were measured by area under time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses were applied to identify the association between body composition parameters and outcomes.Results:A significant prolonged OS and PFS was displayed by Kaplan–Meier curve analysis for HCC patients with VAT HU below −89.1 (25.1 months, 95% CI: 18.1–32.1 vs. 17.6 months, 95% CI: 16.3–18.8,p< 0.0001, 15.4 months, 95% CI: 10.6–20.2 vs. 6.6 months, 95% CI: 4.9–8.3,p< 0.0001, respectively). The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year OS area under the curve (AUC) values of the VAT HU were higher than the other body composition parameters. Meanwhile, it is also found that 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month PFS AUC values of VAT HU were the highest among all the parameters. Univariate and multivariate Cox-regression analysis suggested a significant association between VAT density and outcomes (OS, HR: 1.015, 95% CI: 1.004–1.025,p= 0.005, PFS, HR: 1.026, 95% CI: 1.016–1.036,p< 0.0001, respectively).Conclusion:The VAT density could provide prognostic prediction value and may be helpful to stratify the intermediate stage HCC patients.

From a socio-ecological perspective, individuals are influenced by the interplay of individual, relational, and societal factors operating as a broader system. Thereby, to support youth adjustment during the critical adolescence period, the interplay between these factors should be investigated. This study aimed to investigate cross-cultural differences in adolescents’ maternal and paternal attachment, adolescents’ adjustment difficulties and self-control, and in their association. N = 1000 adolescents (mean (M) age = 16.94, SD = 0.48, 45.90% males) from China, Italy, Spain, and Poland participated by completing self-report measures. Results showed cross-country similarities and differences among the considered variables and their associative pattern. Moreover, conditional process analysis evaluating the association between maternal vs. paternal attachment and adjustment difficulties, mediated by self-control, and moderated by country, was performed. Maternal attachment directly, and indirectly through greater self-control, influenced adjustment difficulties in all four countries. This association was stronger among Spaniards. Paternal attachment influenced directly, and indirectly through self-control, on adolescents’ adjustment difficulties only in Italy, Spain, and Poland, and was stronger among Polish adolescents. For Chinese adolescents, paternal attachment solely associated with adjustment difficulties when mediated by self-control. Thus, results highlighted both similarities and differences across countries in the interplay between maternal vs. paternal attachment and self-control on adolescents’ adjustment difficulties. Implications are discussed.

The current investigation tested life satisfaction (LS), a cognitive component of subjective well-being, among emerging adults, in the context of individualism (I) and collectivism (C), by distinguishing both cultural and individual levels of analysis, considering their horizontal (H) and vertical (V) dimensions, and controlling age and gender effects. Emerging adults (N = 1760 university students, aged 18-25, Mage = 19.46, SDag = 1.50) located across four countries, namely China, Italy, Russia, and the USA, known to differ in the individualism index value (IDV), completed measures on the Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism and Life Satisfaction. At the cultural level, an ANCOVA showed a significant country effects on LS. The post hoc comparisons indicated that the higher the country IDV score, the higher the average LS score, in the following order: Americans, Italians, Russians, and Chinese. At the individual level, LS was unrelated to HI and VI. Instead, it was associated with HC and VC. The positive link between LS and VC suggested an important role of family connectedness on LS across different cultures during emerging adulthood. However, contrary to previous studies, LS was unrelated to HI and VI.

Uncontrolled reaction of water with scandium alkyls (compounds 1-R) supported by a dianionic, pentadentate ligand leads to rapid formation of an oxo-bridged dimer (2). Solid state samples can be exposed to ambient atmosphere to generate samples enriched in the bridging dihydroxo dimer 3, which slowly converts to the m-oxo species with elimination of water. DFT computations show that 3 is actually more thermodynamically stable than 2, but the reactivity of 3 with the water eliminated leads to its decomposition to 2 and several hydrolysis products. Some of these products were characterized by X-ray crystallography, specifically a hexameric scandium dihydroxo cluster (4) in which the pentadentate ligand has partially demetallated. Attempts to synthesize hydroxo complex 3 by protonation of 2 also lead to hydrolysis products.

Purpose: Mapping the distribution of internal mammary sentinel lymph nodes (IM-SLNs) presented on single photon emission computed tomography in conjunction with computed tomography (SPECT/CT) images to explore the value of IM-SLN to guide tailored clinical target volume (CTV) delineation of postoperative prophylactic IMNI. Materials and methods: Ninety-seven patients who underwent preoperative lymphoscintigraphy by SPECT/CT and had imaging of IM-SLN were selected in this study. The imaging IM-SLNs on SPECT/CT of eligible patients were projected onto corresponding anatomical positions of a representative axial CT image. The IMN CTVs were delineated on the representative axial CT images according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (DBCG) guideline, and defined as CTVRTOG and CTVDBCG. The location of the IM-SLNs was compared with the RTOG and DBCG guidelines of IMN target volume delineations, respectively. The intercostal space distribution of IM-SLNs was recorded. The distances from the CTVRTOG and CTVDBCG to the IM-SLNs were measured, respectively. Results: The total number of imaging IM-SLNs was 136. IM-SLNs were mostly found in the first intercostal space (40.4%), with 30.2, 24.3, 4.4, and 0.7% of IM-SLNs in the second, third, fourth, and fifth intercostal space, respectively. The average distance from the edge of the CTVRTOG and the edge of CTVDBCG to the central points of the IM-SLNs was 4.10 mm (SD, 3.3 mm) and 1.60 mm (SD, 2.6 mm), respectively (t = 16.640, P = 0.000). The average distance from the edge of CTVRTOG and the edge of CTVDBCG to the lateral border IM-SLN was 6.40 mm (SD, 3.5 mm) and 3.34 mm (SD, 3.3 mm), respectively (t = 19.815, P = 0.000). Only 18.4% of IM-SLN central points were included in the CTVRTOG, and 60.3% of IM-SLN central points were included in the CTVDBCG. When covering 90 and 100% of the IM-SLN center points, the CTVRTOG needs to expand 8 and 15 mm, respectively, and the CTVDBCG needs to expand 5 and 13 mm, respectively. Conclusion: Neither the RTOG nor DBCG consensus guideline about the delineation of IMN CTV was sufficient to cover 90% of IM-SLNs. For 90% coverage of IM-SLN central points, CTVRTOG needed to be expanded by 8 mm, and CTVDBCG needed to be expanded by 5 mm.

Self-control is the ability to control one's impulses when faced with challenges or temptations, and is robustly associated with physiological and psychological well-being. Twin studies show that self-control is heritable, but estimates range between 0% and 90%, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to provide a quantitative overview of the heritability of self-control. A systematic search resulted in 31 included studies, 17 reporting on individual samples, based on a sample size of >30,000 twins, published between 1997 and 2018. Our results revealed an overall monozygotic twin correlation of 0.58, and an overall dizygotic twin correlation of 0.28, resulting in a heritability estimate of 60%. The heritability of self-control did not vary across gender or age. The heritability did differ across informants, with stronger heritability estimates based on parent report versus self-report or observations. This finding provides evidence that when aiming to understand individual differences in self-control, one should take genetic factors into account. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

Meaning in life refers to the sense made of, and significance felt regarding, the nature of one's being and existence and includes two dimensions (i.e., presence of meaning and search for meaning, Steger et al., 2006). This research aimed to: (1) compare the mean level differences in presence of meaning and search for meaning among Chinese and Italian adolescents; (2) examine the association between presence of and search for meaning and psychological distress; (3) test self-control as a mediator in the aforesaid relationship, and (4) compare the direct and the indirect effects between the two samples. To this end, self-report questionnaires were administered to Chinese (N = 270) and Italian (N = 279) adolescents. Results showed that Chinese adolescents reported greater search for meaning than their Italian counterparts. Moreover, presence of meaning was negatively related to psychological distress whereas search for meaning was positively related to psychological distress, through self-control in both samples with similar magnitude. Collectively, the findings contribute to the knowledge about the influence of meaning in life on adolescent psychological health and the underlying mechanisms. The dialectic model of meaning in life, a model that assumes cultural differences in presence of meaning and search for meaning, is partially supported.

High levels of self-control are found to be associated with greater life satisfaction. To further understand this relationship, the current study examined two questions: (1) whether too much self-control reduces, rather than increases, life satisfaction, as argued by some scholars; and (2) whether engaging in prosocial behavior explains the "self-control-life satisfaction" link. To this end, we conducted survey research among adolescents (N = 1,009), university students (N = 2,620), and adult workers (N = 500). All participants answered the same self-control and life satisfaction measures, whereas prosocial behavior was assessed using different scales across samples. Results of two-line regressions failed to reveal significant inverted-U shaped association between self-control and life satisfaction across samples. Moreover, results of mediation analyses showed that across samples, high levels of self-control were related to greater life satisfaction and this association was partly mediated by prosocial behavior. In conclusion, there is no evidence showing that too much self-control impairs life satisfaction. Engaging in prosocial behavior partly explains how high self-control relates to greater well-being.

Theoretical studies propose an association between family violence and low self-control in adolescence, however, empirical findings of this association are inconclusive. The aim of the present research was to systematically summarize available findings on the relation between family violence and self-control across adolescence. We included 28 studies with 143 effect sizes, representing more than 25,000 participants of eight countries from early to late adolescence. Applying a three-level meta-analysis, taking dependency between effect sizes into account while retaining statistical power, we examined the magnitude and direction of the overall effect size. Additionally, we investigated whether theoretical moderators (e.g., age, gender, country), and methodological moderators (e.g., time lag between family violence and self-control, informant) influenced the magnitude of the association between family violence and self-control. Our results revealed that family violence and self-control have a small to moderate significant negative association (r = &minus, 0.191). This association did not vary across gender, country, and informants. The strength of the association, however, decreased with age and in longitudinal studies. This finding provides evidence that researchers and clinicians may expect low self-control in the wake of family violence, especially in early adolescence. Recommendations for future research in the area are discussed.

Recent research has found that a strong family allocentrism relates to reduced adolescent depressive symptoms. Besides providing continuous support for this relation, this research extended the scope by exploring whether there was a U-shaped association between family allocentrism and depressive symptoms and testing the mediation effect of identity style among Italian adolescents (N = 387, 183 boys, 204 girls, Mage = 16.38 years). Result of hierarchical regression model showed that the association between family allocentrism and depressive symptoms was linear rather than U-shaped. More importantly, this linear relation was mediated by normative and diffuse-avoidant style. In sum, the current findings suggest that adolescents who are allocentric toward family tend to follow family members’ expectations to establish self-identity and deal with identity issues more proactively, and thus they are less likely to experience depressive symptoms. Moreover, there is no significant evidence that too much family allocentrism would lead to elevated depressive symptoms.

Family allocentrism is a domain-specific collectivistic attribute referring to the family. This research tested the one-factor structure of the Family Allocentrism Scale (FAS), examined the association between family allocentrism and adjustment outcomes, and compared the factor means and the correlations with adjustment between Chinese and Italian adolescents. To this end, 484 Chinese and 480 Italian adolescents participated in the study by answering a battery of self-report measures. The results confirmed the one-factor structure of the FAS. Family allocentrism was related to a number of adjustment outcomes. More importantly, Chinese adolescents reported more family allocentrism than their Italian counterparts did, but the relations between family allocentrism and adjustment outcomes were equivalent in magnitude between the two samples. Collectively, these findings provide crucial evidence for the psychometric properties of the FAS and shed light on the importance of family allocentrism in promoting positive youth development from a cross-cultural perspective.

Familism refers to “a culturally grounded way of valuing family that emphasizes an ideal for family relationships to be warm, close, and supportive and that family be prioritized over self”. It is considered a core value of Latino culture and a crucial protective factor of psychological health among Latino populations. However, scant research has addressed the possible value of familism and the association between familism and psychological health and the underpinning mechanisms among Italian adolescents. The current study aimed to test the relation of familism to depressive symptoms and the mediating effect of parental attachment in an Italian adolescent sample. Participants (N = 513) completed self-report measures assessing familism, parental attachment, and depressive symptoms. Results of the total effect model showed that familism was negatively related to depressive symptoms. In the indirect effect model, it was found that the relationship between familism and depressive symptoms was mediated by both maternal attachment and paternal attachment. Moreover, results of multi-group path analyses revealed that the associations among familism, parental attachment, and depressive symptoms did not differ by sex but by developmental period (i.e., early- vs. middle adolescence). In conclusion, this research suggests the protective role of familism in Italian adolescents' depressive symptoms.

Previous work has found that self-control is positively associated with life satisfaction. The current study aimed to replicate this relation and extend this line of research by examining the mediating effect of coping in the Chinese context. Five hundred and twenty-five university students (Sample 1) and two hundred ninety-four employees (Sample 2) participated in the study completing self-report measures that assessed self-control, coping, and life satisfaction. Results of both samples provided converging evidence that self-control was positively related to life satisfaction and that this relation was partially mediated by positive coping. In conclusion, using more positive ways to cope partly explains how people high in self-control are more satisfied with life. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

The Affect in Play Scale-Preschool version is a semi-structured measure of cognitive and affective pretend play processes using a 5 min standardized play task devised for preschool children. This study investigated an extension of the scale in a sample of 333 children, aged 6–10 years. Participants were assessed using another measure of play processes, the Affect in Play Scale, a divergent thinking task, the Alternate Uses Test, a measure of school coping, the School Coping measure, and a measure of empathy, the Index of Empathy for Children. External validity with these measures was investigated, using correlational analyses. Construct validity of the scale was assessed using a confirmatory factor analysis approach. A correlated two-factor structure with a cognitive and an affective factor demonstrated the best fit. Implications for the use of this extension to assess cognitive and affective processes in pretend play and developmental outcomes were discussed.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in acute spinal cord following a thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI) and to determine the optimal time of examination. Sprague-Dawley rats were used as experimental animals and contusion injuries were made at the T10 vertebral level. The rats were divided into control, mild injury, moderate injury and severe injury groups. Spinal magnetic resonance DTI was scheduled at 6, 24 and 72 hours (h) post-SCI and the DTI parameters such as fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were calculated and the diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) of the spinal cord was also generated. We observed a significant decrease of FA in all the three injured groups and the FA at 24 h post-SCI exhibited the greatest decrease among different set times. For ADC, only the group of severely injured rats saw a significant decrease at 24 and 72 h compared with the control group. DTT showed interruption of nerve fiber tracking in the injured groups. This study demonstrates that FA can differentiate various grades of SCI in the early stage and 24 h after injury might be the optimal time for identifying injury severity.

This study investigated the factor structure of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the differences in mean level of self-esteem and its association with depression in adolescents in three different cultures. The RSES and the Children’s Depression Inventory were administered to Chinese (N = 350), Italian (N = 352), and Costa Rican (N = 343) adolescents. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the two-factor model of the RSES and it was demonstrated to be invariant across cultures using multi-group confirmatory factor analyses. MANOVA results indicated that Costa Rican adolescents scored higher on positive and negative self-esteem than their Chinese and Italian counterparts. Furthermore, both positive and negative self-esteem was related to depression across cultures. In conclusion, there are both cultural differences and similarities in self-esteem.

The current study investigated the relationship between parental attachment and depressive symptoms as well as the mediating effect of self-control in two different cultures. Samples were 1305 Chinese and 1327 Italian adolescents. They completed the Inventory of Parental and Peer Attachment, the Self-Restraint Subscale of the Adolescents' Self-Consciousness Scale, and the Children's Depression Inventory that assessed parental attachment, self-control, and depressive symptoms, respectively. Results showed that: (1) Few cultural differences in depressive symptom were observed. (2) Parental attachment and self-control were negatively related to depressive symptoms in both cultures. (3) Self-control mediated the relations between parental attachment and depressive symptoms in both cultures. (4) The direct and indirect effects were invariant across cultures. In conclusion, parental attachment and self-control are important for adolescents' depressive symptoms in Chinese and Italian adolescents.

This study aimed at validating a Chinese questionnaire on self-consciousness for Italian adolescents. Self-consciousness is a hierarchical construct of self which comprehends self-evaluation, self-experience and self-monitoring. 1138 Italian adolescents filled in the Adolescent Self-Consciousness questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis with cross-validation procedure was adopted to strengthen the findings. Results confirmed the second-order factor structure proposed by the authors showed good psychometric properties and discrete criteria validity, suggesting that the ASC could be a reliable and suitable measure to assess self-consciousness in Italian youths.