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Helminth infection was analysed at necropsy and coprology in a total of 54 roe deer from the province of Grosseto (central Italy) between 2018 – 2020. Age and sex data were recorded for each deer for a total of 31 adults (23 females, 8 males) and 23 juveniles (11 females, 12 males).

Despite an increase in the promotion of equal opportunities at work, there is still persistent discrimination against lesbian and gay (LG) workers. In this vein, this study aimed to systematically review the research investigating the peculiarities of the work experience of LG people, particularly considering the theoretical frameworks in the approach to sexual minorities' work-related issues, as well as individual and contextual variables influencing the work experience and the impact they may have on health and well-being. We explored the PsycArticles, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases and the EBSCOHost (PsycInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection) scholarly search engine, between 01/01/2013 to 01/03/2023, with regards to the search terms "lgb*", "gay*", "lesbian*", "homosexual*", and "sexual minorit*", associated with "employee*", "personnel", "worker*", and "staff", and with "workplace", "work", "job", "occupation", "employment", and "career". Data were narratively synthesized and critically discussed. Of the 1584 potentially eligible articles, 140 papers contributed to this systematic review. Five main theoretical frameworks were identified: (a) minority stress, (b) sexual prejudice and stigma, (c) queer and Foucauldian paradigms, (d) social identity theories, and (e) intersectionality. Furthermore, significant individual (e.g., outness, disclosure, and work-family conflict) and contextual (e.g., heterosexist and heteronormative workplace climate and culture) variables influencing LG people's work experience were identified. This review highlights the need to develop a unified theoretical model for the construction of specific measurement tools to assess the work experience of LG people and for the implementation of interventions aimed at minimizing the effects of stigma in work contexts.

Background: Nurses are increasingly demanded to achieve gold-standards of care with fewer resources. Dealing effectively with stress experienced in their daily-work-life is thus crucial. This study is based on the Demands-Resources-and-Individual-Effects (DRIVE) Nurses Model and applied the person-centred approach with a twofold objective: 1. to identify patterns of coping strategies (Problem-Focused; Seek-Advice; Self-Blame; Wishful-Thinking; Escape/Avoidance) adopted by nurses to deal with perceived stress; 2. to explore potential differences in perceived Demands (Effort), Resources (Rewards, Job-Control, Social-Support), and Psychopathological Symptoms (Anxiety, Phobic-Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, Somatization, Depression, Interpersonal-Sensitivity, Hostility, Psychoticism, Paranoid-Ideation) according to the emerged patterns., Method: This cross-sectional study was reported by using the STROBE Checklist. Overall, 265 nursing professionals completed self-report measures. Non-hierarchical k-means-cluster-analysis was employed to derive patterns of coping. MANOVAs were used to test differences in Demands, Resources, and Psychopathological Symptoms according to the emerged patterns., Results: Three stable and meaningful patterns of coping were identified and labelled as Active/Solution-Oriented, Dysregulated/Emotion-focused, and Passive/Disengaged. Nurses belonging to Dysregulated/Emotion-focused group emerged to be at higher risk (higher effort/psychopathological suffering; lower resources) - followed by Passive/Disengaged group - in comparison with nurses belonging to Active/Solution-Oriented group., Conclusion: Fostering nurses' awareness of their latent coping patterns and supporting active approaches/emotional regulation strategies for stress management should represent a key goal when defining interventions promoting nurses' health within/beyond the healthcare settings., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Longer length of hospital stay (LOS) negatively affects the organizational efficiency of public health systems and both clinical and functional aspects of older patients. Data on the effects of transitional care programs based on multicomponent interventions to reduce LOS of older patients are scarce and controversial., Aims: The PRO-HOME study aimed to assess the efficacy in reducing LOS of a transitional care program involving a multicomponent intervention inside a technologically monitored in-hospital discharge facility., Methods: This is a Randomized Clinical Trial on 60 patients (≥65 years), deemed stable and dischargeable from the Acute Geriatrics Unit, equally assigned to the Control Group (CG) or Intervention Group (IG). The latter underwent a multicomponent intervention including lifestyle educational program, cognitive and physical training. At baseline, multidimensional frailty according to the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI), and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) were assessed in both groups, along with physical capacities for the IG. Enrolled subjects were evaluated after 6 months of follow-up to assess multidimensional frailty, HRQOL, and re-hospitalization, institutionalization, and death rates., Results: The IG showed a significant 2-day reduction in LOS (median days IG = 2 (2-3) vs. CG = 4 (3-6); p < 0.001) and an improvement in multidimensional frailty at 6 months compared to CG (median score IG = 0.25(0.25-0.36) vs. CG = 0.38(0.31-0.45); p = 0.040). No differences were found between the two groups in HRQOL, and re-hospitalization, institutionalization, and death rates., Discussion: Multidimensional frailty is a reversible condition that can be improved by reduced LOS., Conclusions: The PRO-HOME transitional care program reduces LOS and multidimensional frailty in hospitalized older patients., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov n. NCT06227923 (retrospectively registered on 29/01/2024)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The increasing costs of nurses' occupational-stress, conflicts, and violence within healthcare services have raised international interest. Yet, research/interventions should consider that perceived stress and conflicts- but also potential resources- within the wards can crossover the healthcare settings, impacting nurses' private lives and viceversa, potentially creating vicious circles exacerbating stress, conflicts/violence or, conversely, virtuous circles of psychological/relational wellbeing. Based on the Demands-Resources-and-Individual-Effects (DRIVE) Nurses Model, and responding to the need to go in-depth into this complex dynamic, this study aims to explore potential vicious circles featured by the negative effects of the interplay (main/mediating effects) between perceived stressors in nursing linked to interpersonal conflicts (Conflicts-with-Physicians, Peers, Supervisors, Patients/their families), work-family inter-role conflicts (Work-Family/Family-Work-Conflicts), and work-related stress (Effort-Reward-Imbalance) on nurses' psychological/relational health (Anxiety, Depression, Somatization, Interpersonal-Sensitivity, Hostility). The potential moderating role of work-resources (Job-Control, Social-Support, Job-Satisfaction) in breaking vicious circles/promoting virtuous circles was also explored., Method: The STROBE Checklist was used to report this cross-sectional multi-centre study. Overall, 265 nurses completed self-report questionnaires. Main/mediating/moderating hypotheses were tested by using Correlational-Analyses and Hayes-PROCESS-tool., Results: Data confirmed the hypothesized detrimental vicious circles (main/mediating effects), impairing nurses' psychological health conditions at individual level (Anxiety, Depression, Somatization), but also at relational level (Hostility and Interpersonal-Sensitivity). The moderating role of all work resources was fully supported., Conclusion: Findings could be used to implement interventions/practices to effectively prevent the maintenance/exacerbation of vicious circles and promote psychological/relational wellbeing in healthcare settings and beyond., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The COVID-19 medical emergency has ended worldwide, yet the psychological impact of these years of unprecedented changes on students' lives still needs to be deepened., Methods: This study aims to assess and compare COVID-19-related stressors (relationships and academic life; isolation; and fear of contagion) and psychophysical symptoms reported by 637 university students at three times, i.e., April 2020 ( n = 197), April 2021 ( n = 200), and April 2022 ( n = 240). The impact of COVID-19-related stressors on psychophysical symptoms within each time was also tested., Results: In April 2022, perceived isolation and fear of contagion decreased from the peak registered in April 2021, but stress related to relationships and academic life remained high. An ongoing increase in psychophysical symptoms was found. More than 50% of students reported clinical levels of sleep disorders, depression, psychoticism, and interpersonal sensitivity. In April 2022, students still perceiving stress related to relationships and academic life and isolation were at risk for anxiety, somatization, and sleep disorders. Students still perceiving stress related to fear of contagion were also at risk for depression, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and psychoticism., Conclusion: The findings emphasized the long-lasting effects of COVID-19-related stress on students' psychophysical health. Interventions must aim at supporting students in dealing with the complex post-pandemic adjustment process.

Introduction: Research has well demonstrated that the pandemic entailed several implications among university students worldwide in terms of increased use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), technostress, disruptions in academic goals and motivation processes, and growing psychological suffering. Responding to the new research need to go in-depth into the processes linking technostress and motivation dimensions to inform current research/interventions, the present study aimed to explore the direct effects of perceived Technostress dimensions (Techno-Overload, Work-Home Conflict, Pace of Change, Techno-Ease, Techno-Reliability, and Techno-Sociality) and Academic Motivation dimensions (Amotivation, Intrinsic, and Extrinsic Motivation dimensions) on students' perceived levels of Anxiety/Depression and test the potential indirect effect (mediating role) of Academic Motivation dimensions in the associations between Technostress and psychological health conditions., Methods: Overall, 1,541 students from five European countries (Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Serbia, United Kingdom) completed a survey comprising a Background Information Form, the Technostress Scale, the Academic Motivation Scale-College, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Hayes' PROCESS tool was used to test direct and indirect (mediating) effects., Results: Data revealed that Techno-Overload, Work-Home Conflict, Amotivation, and Extrinsic Motivation-Introjected had a direct negative effect, whereas Techno-Ease, Techno-Reliability, Techno-Sociality, all Intrinsic Motivation dimensions, and Extrinsic Motivation-Identified had a direct protective role for students' psychological health. The significant indirect role of motivation dimensions in the associations between Technostress dimensions and Anxiety/Depression was fully supported., Discussion: Findings allow gaining further insight into the pathways of relationships between technostress, motivation, and psychological health, to be used in the current phase, featured by the complete restoration of face-to-face contacts, to inform the development of tailored research and interventions, which address lights and shadows of the technology use, and which take into account the necessity to enhance its potentials yet without impairing students' motivation and psychological health., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Vallone, Galvin, Cattaneo Della Volta, Akhtar, Chua, Ghio, Giovazolias, Kazakou, Kritikou, Koutra, Kovacevic, Lee-Treweek, Mašková, Mavritsaki, Nastic, Plassova, Stuchlíková and Zurlo.)

Introduction: Infertility literature suggests widespread recourse to long-term medical treatments despite evidence of high stress, costs, and adverse effects of repeated treatment failures. However, there is a lack of research comparing predictors of stress and psychological health outcomes between members of infertile couples who - after repeated failures - persist in pursuing medical treatments (PT) with those who opted for quitting treatments and adopting (QTA). Basing on a transactional and multidimensional approach to infertility-related stress and health, the present study aims at exploring individual (socio-demographics; coping strategies) and situational (infertility-related parameters; infertility-related stressors; couple's dyadic adjustment dimensions) predictors of state-anxiety and depression in male and female partners of PT-infertile couples and of QTA-infertile couples., Methods: Participants were both members of 176 couples with duration of infertility and a history of medical treatments for at least 3 years (76 PT-infertile couples, 100 QTA-infertile couples). The study variables were compared by study group across genders. Structural equation models (SEM) were used to test main and moderating effects of study variables on state-anxiety and depression by study group and across genders., Results: Members of infertile couples quitting treatments and adopting (QTA) reported significantly lower levels of state-anxiety and depression, higher stress related to need for parenthood and rejection of childfree-lifestyle and lower stress related to social and couple's relationship concerns than those who persist in pursuing medical treatments (PT). Members of infertile couples quitting treatments and adopting (QTA) recurred to a greater extent to active coping strategies (problem-solving/social-support) and to a lower extent to passive coping strategies (avoiding/turning-to-religion), and they reported higher levels of dyadic adjustment. Specificities in main and moderating factors related to state-anxiety and depression by study group and across genders were found., Conclusion: Findings should be addressed to provide a comprehensive assessment of both members of infertile couples facing repeated treatment failures to identify risks and resources and develop tailored evidence-based interventions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zurlo, Cattaneo Della Volta and Vallone.)

Research has identified a wide range of psychosocial factors associated to choosing to engage in ongoing cancer screenings. Nevertheless, a systematic review of the theoretical frameworks and constructs underpinning studies on breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening participation has yet to be conducted. As part of the action-research project "Miriade," the present study aims to identifying the main theoretical frameworks and constructs adopted in the literature over the past five years to explain cancer screening participation. According to the PRISMA guidelines, a search of the MEDLINE/PubMed and PsycINFO databases was made. Empirical studies conducted from 2017 to 2021 were included. The following keywords were used: breast OR cervical OR colorectal screening AND adhesion OR participation OR engagement AND theoretical framework OR conceptual framework OR theory . Overall, 24 articles met the inclusion criteria. Each theoretical framework highlighted clinical and psychosocial constructs of cancer screening participation, focusing on the individuals (psycho-emotional functioning and skills plan) and/or the health services perspectives. Findings from the present study acknowledge the plurality of the theoretical frameworks and constructs adopted to predict or promote breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening adhesion and the need for new research efforts to improve the effectiveness of cancer screening promotion interventions., (© 2022 The Authors.)

This study aimed to validate the Spanish version of the COVID-19 Student Stress Questionnaire (CSSQ), a 7-item tool assessing COVID-19-related stressors among university students, namely, Relationships and Academic Life, Isolation, and Fear of Contagion. Participants were 331 Spanish university students. Factor analyses sustained the three factor solution of the original tool. Data also revealed satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity, suitable internal consistency, and significant associations with psychological symptoms, as measured by the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. The Spanish version of the CSSQ represents a valid tool to be used in clinical settings to timely identify students at high psychological risk and to develop evidence-based interventions during/after the pandemic., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Bioelectronic medicine is an emerging approach to treat many types of diseases via electrical stimulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Because the vagus nerve (VN) is one of the most important nerves controlling several ANS functions, stimulation protocols based on knowledge of the functional organization of the VN are particularly interesting. Here, we proposed a method to localize different physiological VN functions by exploiting electro-neurographic signals recorded during spontaneous VN fibers activity. We tested our method on a realistic human cervical VN model geometry implanted via epineural or intraneural electrodes. We considered in silico ground truth scenarios of functional topography generated via different functional neural fibers activities covered by background noise. Our method accurately estimated the underlying functional VN topography by outperforming state-of-the-art methods. Our work paves the way for development of spatially selective stimulation protocols targeting multiple VN bodily functions., Competing Interests: S.M. is a founder and shareholder of Sensars Neuroprosthetics Sarl, a start-up company that could benefit from the methods in this work. A.P., S.R., F.V., and S.M. are inventors of a pending patent application concerning the methods in this work., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Introduction: Short/branched-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (SBCADD) is an inherited disorder of L-isoleucine metabolism due to mutations in the ACADSB gene. The role of current diagnostic biomarkers [i.e., blood 2-methylbutyrylcarnitine (C5) and urine 2-methylbutyrylglycine (2MBG)] in patient monitoring and the effects of proposed treatments remain uncertain as follow-data are lacking. This study presents first systematic longitudinal biochemical assessment in SBCADD patients., Methods: A retrospective, observational single-center study was conducted on newborns born between 2017 and 2020 and suspected with SBCADD. Biochemical, molecular, clinical and dietary data collected upon NBS recall and during the subsequent follow-up were recorded., Results: All enrolled subjects ( n = 10) received adequate protein intake and L-carnitine supplementation. Nine subjects were diagnosed with SBCADD. During the follow-up [median: 20.5 (4-40) months] no patient developed symptoms related to SBCADD. No patient normalized serum C5 and urine 2MBG values. In 7/9 SBCADD patients mean serum C5 values decreased or stabilized compared to their first serum C5 value. A major increase in serum C5 values was observed in two patients after L-carnitine discontinuation and during intercurrent illness, respectively. Urine 2MBG values showed moderate intra-patient variability., Discussion: The relatively stable serum C5 values observed during L-carnitine supplementation together with C5 increase occurring upon L-carnitine discontinuation/intercurrent illness may support the value of serum C5 as a monitoring biomarker and the benefit of this treatment in SBCADD patients. The role of urine 2MBG in patient monitoring remains uncertain. As all patients were asymptomatic, no association between biochemical parameters and clinical phenotype could be investigated in this study., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Rossi, Turturo, Albano, Fecarotta, Barretta, Crisci, Gallo, Perfetto, Uomo, Vallone, Villani, Strisciuglio, Parenti, Frisso and Ruoppolo.)

The COVID-19 pandemic raised many challenges for university staff and students, including the need to work from home, which resulted in a greater reliance on technology. We collected questionnaire data from university students (N = 894) in three European countries: Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Data were collected between 7th April 2020 and 19th June 2020, representing a period covering the first lockdown and university closures in these countries and across Europe generally. We tested the hypotheses that technology-related stressors (techno-overload, work-home conflict, techno-ease, techno-reliability, techno-sociality, and pace of change) would be associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms, and that coping styles (problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance) would mediate these relationships. Results showed significant positive associations between techno-overload, work-home conflict and anxiety and depressive symptoms, and significant negative associations between techno-reliability, techno-ease and anxiety and depressive symptoms. A significant negative association was found between techno-sociality and depressive symptoms but not anxiety symptoms. No evidence was found for an association between pace of change and anxiety or depressive symptoms. Multiple mediation analyses revealed significant direct effects of techno-overload, work-home conflict and techno-ease on anxiety symptoms, and of work-home conflict and techno-ease on depressive symptoms. Work-home conflict had significant indirect effects on anxiety and depressive symptoms through avoidance coping. Techno-overload and techno-ease both had significant indirect effects on anxiety symptoms through problem- and emotion-focused coping. Techno-ease also had a significant indirect effect on depressive symptoms through problem-focused coping. The findings add to the body of evidence on technostress amongst university students and provide knowledge on how technostress translates through coping strategies into anxious and depressive symptoms during the disruption caused by the outbreak of a pandemic disease., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The COVID-19-pandemic entailed abrupt/long-lasting changes in university students' lives, resulting in growing stress and stress-related outcomes. Although nowadays the pre-pandemic-life is gradually re-establishing, past-COVID-19-stressful experiences and strategies adopted to adjust to this condition may significantly impact students' current experiences. Therefore, the development of research exploring the complex interplay between perceived past/present COVID-19-related experiences, coping strategies, and psychological health currently reported by students is needed. This study simultaneously tests the associations between Past-COVID-19-stressors and Current-COVID-19-stressors as moderated by Coping Strategies and the associations between Past-COVID-19-stressors and Psychological Symptoms as mediated by Current-COVID-19-stressors. A mediated-moderated model was tested on 355 university students. COVID-19-Student-Stress-Questionnaire (CSSQ) was used to assess COVID-19-stressors. Two CSSQ-versions were used, one of which was adjusted to assess Past-COVID-19-stressors recalled from previous restrictive pandemic phases. Coping-Orientation-to-Problem-Experienced-New-Italian-Version and Symptom-Checklist-90-Revised were used to assess, respectively, Coping Strategies and Psychological Symptoms. Findings confirmed the hypothesized Mediated-Moderated Model. The effects of Past-COVID-19-stressors on Current-COVID-19-stressors were moderated by Coping Strategies, and the effects of Past-COVID-19-stressors on Psychological Symptoms were mediated by Current-COVID-19-stressors. Unique psychopathological risk profiles deriving from the interplay between specific past/present stressors and coping strategies were found. Researchers and clinicians can use these findings to develop updated research and timely evidence-based interventions fostering students' adjustment in the current period. Future research should further explore the impact of the complex interplay between perceived past/present COVID-19-related experiences and individual characteristics on psychological health conditions reported by people in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The autonomic nervous system exerts a fine beat-to-beat regulation of cardiovascular functions and is consequently involved in the onset and progression of many cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Selective neuromodulation of the brain-heart axis with advanced neurotechnologies is an emerging approach to corroborate CVDs treatment when classical pharmacological agents show limited effectiveness. The vagus nerve is a major component of the cardiac neuroaxis, and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a promising application to restore autonomic function under various pathological conditions. VNS has led to encouraging results in animal models of CVDs, but its translation to clinical practice has not been equally successful, calling for more investigation to optimize this technique. Herein we reviewed the state of the art of VNS for CVDs and discuss avenues for therapeutic optimization. Firstly, we provided a succinct description of cardiac vagal innervation anatomy and physiology and principles of VNS. Then, we examined the main clinical applications of VNS in CVDs and the related open challenges. Finally, we presented preclinical studies that aim at overcoming VNS limitations through optimization of anatomical targets, development of novel neural interface technologies, and design of efficient VNS closed-loop protocols., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ottaviani, Vallone, Micera and Recchia.)

Postural control is a complex sensorimotor skill that is fundamental to our daily life. The abilities to maintain and recover balance degrade with age. However, the time decay of balance performance with age is not well understood. In this study, we aim at quantifying the age-dependent changes in standing balance under static and dynamic conditions. We tested 272 healthy subjects with ages ranging from 20 to 90. Subjects maintained the upright posture while standing on the robotic platform hunova®. In the evaluation of static balance, subjects stood on the fixed platform both with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC). In the dynamic condition, subjects stood with eyes open on the moving foot platform that provided three different perturbations: (i) an inclination proportional to the center of pressure displacements, (ii) a pre-defined predictable motion, and (iii) an unpredictable and unexpected tilt. During all these tests, hunova® measured the inclination of the platform and the displacement of the center of pressure, while the trunk movements were recorded with an accelerometer placed on the sternum. To quantify balance performance, we computed spatio-temporal parameters typically used in clinical environments from the acceleration measures: mean velocity, variability of trunk motion, and trunk sway area. All subjects successfully completed all the proposed exercises. Their motor performance in the dynamic balance tasks quadratically changed with age. Also, we found that the reliance on visual feedback is not age-dependent in static conditions. All subjects well-tolerated the proposed protocol independently of their age without experiencing fatigue as we chose the timing of the evaluations based on clinical needs and routines. Thus, this study is a starting point for the definition of robot-based assessment protocols aiming at detecting the onset of age-related standing balance deficits and allowing the planning of tailored rehabilitation protocols to prevent falls in older adults., Competing Interests: ADL and VS works for Movendo Technology srl, work for Movendo Technology that commercializes the hunova robotic device used in this study. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Marchesi, De Luca, Squeri, De Michieli, Vallone, Pilotto, Leo, Casadio and Canessa.)

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has broadly impacted university students' customary life, resulting in remarkable levels of stress and psychological suffering. Although the acute phase of the crisis has been overcome, it does not imply that perceived stress related to the risk of contagion and to the changes in the relational life experienced over more than 1 year of the pandemic will promptly and abruptly decrease. This study aims at comparing university students' psychological health conditions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also at providing information on how psychological health conditions evolved over the 1 year of the pandemic. We analyzed data from a repeated cross-sectional survey on different samples of university students before the pandemic in 2017 ( n  = 545) and during the pandemic ( n  = 671). During the pandemic, data were collected at three stages (Stage 1, April 2020 n  = 197; Stage 2, November 2020 n  = 274; and Stage 3, April 2021 n  = 200). The COVID-19 Student Stress Questionnaire (CSSQ) and the Symptom-Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) were used to assess, respectively, COVID-19-related stressors (Relationships and Academic Life, Isolation, and Fear of Contagion) and the presence of psychological symptoms. Psychological health conditions were compared at baseline and during the pandemic, whereas both psychological health conditions and perceived levels of COVID-19-related stressors were compared over the three pandemic stages. In addition, Logistic Regression was used to explore the associations between COVID-19-related stressors and psychological symptoms. Findings revealed a significant increase in symptoms of Depression (DEP), Phobic-Anxiety (PHOB), Obsessive-Compulsive (O-C), and Psychoticism (PSY) from pre to during the pandemic. Perceived levels of COVID-19-related stress and specific psychological symptoms significantly increased as the pandemic was progressing. COVID-19-related stressors emerged as significantly associated with several psychopathological symptoms. Findings are discussed with the aim of providing tailored interventions to prevent mental disease and promote psychological adjustment in this specific stage of transition within this exceptional global emergency., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zurlo, Cattaneo Della Volta and Vallone.)

Background: The measures taken to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, such as the lockdown in Italy, do impact psychological health; yet, less is known about their effect on cognitive functioning. The transactional theory of stress predicts reciprocal influences between perceived stress and cognitive performance. However, the effects of a period of stress due to social isolation on spatial cognition and exploration have been little examined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible effects and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on spatial cognition tasks, particularly those concerning spatial exploration, and the physiological leftward bias known as pseudoneglect. A right-hemisphere asymmetry for spatial attention processes crucially contributes to pseudoneglect. Other evidence indicates a predominantly right-hemisphere activity in stressful situations. We also analyzed the effects of lockdown on coping strategies, which typically show an opposite pattern of hemispheric asymmetry, favoring the left hemisphere. If so, then pseudoneglect should increase during the lockdown and be negatively correlated with the efficacy of coping strategies., Methods: One week before the start of the lockdown due to COVID-19 in Italy (T1), we had collected data from a battery of behavioral tests including tasks of peri-personal spatial cognition. During the quarantine period, from late April to early May 2020 (T2), we repeated the testing sessions with a subgroup of the same participants (47 right-handed students, mean age = 20, SD = 1.33). At both testing sessions, participants performed digitized neuropsychological tests, including a Cancellation task, Radial Arm Maze task, and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices. Participants also completed a newly developed COVID-19 Student Stress Scale, based on transactional models of stress, and the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced-New Italian Version (COPE-NIV) to assess coping orientation., Results: The tendency to start cancelation from a left-sided item, to explore first a left-sided arm of the maze, and to choose erroneous response items on the left side of the page on Raven's matrices increased from T1 to T2. The degree of pseudoneglect increment positively correlated with perceived stress and negatively correlated with Positive Attitude and Problem-Solving COPE-NIV subscales., Conclusion: Lockdown-related stress may have contributed to increase leftward bias during quarantine through a greater activation of the right hemisphere. On the other hand, pseudoneglect was decreased for better coping participants, perhaps as a consequence of a more balanced hemispheric activity in these individuals., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Somma, Bartolomeo, Vallone, Argiuolo, Cerrato, Miglino, Mandolesi, Zurlo and Gigliotta.)

Research has shown a direct relationship between infertility-related stress and anxiety in infertile patients. The present study goes into this relationship in depth, testing the moderating role of coping strategies (Seeking Social Support, Avoidant, Positive Attitude, Problem-Solving, Turning to Religion) in the associations between specific infertility-related stress dimensions (Social Concern, Need for Parenthood, Rejection of Childfree Lifestyle, Couple's Relationship Concern) and State-Anxiety among male and female partners of infertile couples. Gender differences were also explored. Both members of 254 infertile couples completed a questionnaire consisting of Socio-demographics, Fertility Problem Inventory-Short Form (FPI-SF), Coping Orientation to Problem Experienced-New Italian Version (COPE-NIV), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y (STAI-Y). The results revealed that Social Concern and Couple's Relationship Concern, in both partners, and Need for Parenthood, in female partners, had positive correlations with State-Anxiety. Seeking Social Support and Avoidant coping were related to increasing levels of State-Anxiety in both partners, whereas Positive Attitude coping strategies were related to lower levels of State-Anxiety in female partners. Problem-Solving and Avoidant coping played moderating roles between specific infertility-related stress dimensions and State-Anxiety in unexpected directions. Problem-Solving exacerbated the negative effects of Social Concern, whereas Avoidant coping buffered the negative effects of several infertility-related stress dimensions in both partners. Interventions to improve stress management and psychological health in infertile couples should consider that the adequacy of coping strategies is inherently situation specific. It therefore follows that patient-centered clinical interventions should consider the potential inadequacy of promoting Problem-Solving strategies, and that even Avoidance can be an efficient strategy for dealing with specific infertility-related stress dimensions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Zurlo, Cattaneo Della Volta and Vallone.)

Clinical observations suggest that during times of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown university students exhibit stress-related responses to fear of contagion and to limitations of personal and relational life. The study aims to describe the development and validation of the 7-item COVID-19 Student Stress Questionnaire (CSSQ), a measurement tool to assess COVID-19-related sources of stress among university students. The CSSQ was developed and validated with 514 Italian university students. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted with one split-half sub-sample to investigate the underlining dimensional structure, suggesting a three-component solution, which was confirmed by the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with the second one split-half sub-sample (CFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.06). The CSSQ three subscales measure COVID-19 students' stressors related to (1) Relationships and Academic Life (i.e., relationships with relatives, colleagues, professors, and academic studying); (2) Isolation (i.e., social isolation and couple's relationship, intimacy and sexual life); (3) Fear of Contagion. A Global Stress score was also provided. The questionnaire revealed a satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.71; McDonald's omega = 0.71). Evidence was also provided for convergent and discriminant validity. The study provided a brief, valid and reliable measure to assess perceived stress to be used for understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown among university students and for developing tailored interventions fostering their wellbeing., (Copyright © 2020 Zurlo, Cattaneo Della Volta and Vallone.)

Background: Falls in the elderly are a major public health concern because of their high incidence, the involvement of many risk factors, the considerable post-fall morbidity and mortality, and the health-related and social costs. Given that many falls are preventable, the early identification of older adults at risk of falling is crucial in order to develop tailored interventions to prevent such falls. To date, however, the fall-risk assessment tools currently used in the elderly have not shown sufficiently high predictive validity to distinguish between subjects at high and low fall risk. Consequently, predicting the risk of falling remains an unsolved issue in geriatric medicine. This one-year prospective study aims to develop and validate, by means of a cross-validation method, a multifactorial fall-risk model based on clinical and robotic parameters in older adults., Methods: Community-dwelling subjects aged ≥ 65 years were enrolled. At the baseline, all subjects were evaluated for history of falling and number of drugs taken daily, and their gait and balance were evaluated by means of the Timed "Up & Go" test (TUG), Gait Speed (GS), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA). They also underwent robotic assessment by means of the hunova robotic device to evaluate the various components of balance. All subjects were followed up for one-year and the number of falls was recorded. The models that best predicted falls-on the basis of: i) only clinical parameters; ii) only robotic parameters; iii) clinical plus robotic parameters-were identified by means of a cross-validation method., Results: Of the 100 subjects initially enrolled, 96 (62 females, mean age 77.17±.49 years) completed the follow-up and were included. Within one year, 32 participants (33%) experienced at least one fall ("fallers"), while 64 (67%) did not ("non-fallers"). The best classifier model to emerge from cross-validated fall-risk estimation included eight clinical variables (age, sex, history of falling in the previous 12 months, TUG, Tinetti, SPPB, Low GS, number of drugs) and 20 robotic parameters, and displayed an area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.72-0.90). Notably, the model that included only three of these clinical variables (age, history of falls and low GS) plus the robotic parameters showed similar accuracy (ROC AUC 0.80, 95% CI: 0.71-0.89). In comparison with the best classifier model that comprised only clinical parameters (ROC AUC: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.55-0.79), both models performed better in predicting fall risk, with an estimated Net Reclassification Improvement (NRI) of 0.30 and 0.31 (p = 0.02), respectively, and an estimated Integrated Discrimination Improvement (IDI) of 0.32 and 0.27 (p<0.001), respectively. The best model that comprised only robotic parameters (the 20 parameters identified in the final model) achieved a better performance than the clinical parameters alone, but worse than the combination of both clinical and robotic variables (ROC AUC: 0.73, 95% CI 0.63-0.83)., Conclusion: A multifactorial fall-risk assessment that includes clinical and hunova robotic variables significantly improves the accuracy of predicting the risk of falling in community-dwelling older people. Our data suggest that combining clinical and robotic assessments can more accurately identify older people at high risk of falls, thereby enabling personalized fall-prevention interventions to be undertaken., Competing Interests: A.D.L., V.S., J.S. and C.S. are employees of Movendo Technology (Genova, Italy). S.P. is a consultant for Movendo Technology (Genova, Italy). This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

The timing of stimulus-evoked spikes encodes information about sensory stimuli. Here we studied the neural circuits controlling this process in the mouse primary somatosensory cortex. We found that brief optogenetic activation of layer V pyramidal cells just after whisker deflection modulated the membrane potential of neurons and interrupted their long-latency whisker responses, increasing their accuracy in encoding whisker deflection time. In contrast, optogenetic inhibition of layer V during either passive whisker deflection or active whisking decreased accuracy in encoding stimulus or touch time, respectively. Suppression of layer V pyramidal cells increased reaction times in a texture discrimination task. Moreover, two-color optogenetic experiments revealed that cortical inhibition was efficiently recruited by layer V stimulation and that it mainly involved activation of parvalbumin-positive rather than somatostatin-positive interneurons. Layer V thus performs behaviorally relevant temporal sharpening of sensory responses through circuit-specific recruitment of cortical inhibition., Competing Interests: Declaration of Interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The present study proposed an application of the Rahim' Model of Conflict Management, and aimed to explore the styles of handling interpersonal conflicts with students adopted by teachers from five European countries (Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Austria), identifying specific patterns and evaluating potential differences according to teachers' Gender, Age, Working Seniority and Country of belonging. Overall, 589 secondary school teachers completed a questionnaire consisting of Socio-demographic characteristics and the Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory-II (ROCI-II, Form B). Non-hierarchical k-means cluster analysis was employed to derive patterns of conflict management, identifying four patterns labelled as Multi-strategic and Engaged, Multi-strategic and Solution-Oriented, Control-Oriented and Avoidant, and Mediating. Significant differences between countries were found in the numbers of teachers grouped across the four patterns. Findings identified stable and meaningful patterns for evaluating teachers' styles of management of interpersonal conflicts with students and for promoting teachers' effectiveness in conflict management in the European school context., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Impaired physical performance is common in older adults and has been identified as a major risk factor for falls. To date, there are no conclusive data on the impairment of balance parameters in older subjects with different levels of physical performance., Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between different grades of physical performance, as assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and the multidimensional balance control parameters, as measured by means of a robotic system, in community-dwelling older adults., Methods: This study enrolled subjects aged ≥ 65 years. Balance parameters were assessed by the hunova robot in static and dynamic (unstable and perturbating) conditions, in both standing and seated positions and with the eyes open/closed., Results: The study population consisted of 96 subjects (62 females, mean age 77.2 ± 6.5 years). According to their SPPB scores, subjects were separated into poor performers (SPPB < 8, n = 29), intermediate performers (SPPB = 8-9, n = 29) and good performers (SPPB > 9, n = 38). Poor performers displayed significantly worse balance control, showing impaired trunk control in most of the standing and sitting balance tests, especially in dynamic (both with unstable and perturbating platform/seat) conditions., Conclusions: For the first time, multidimensional balance parameters, as detected by the hunova robotic system, were significantly correlated with SPPB functional performances in community-dwelling older subjects. In addition, balance parameters in dynamic conditions proved to be more sensitive in detecting balance impairments than static tests.

Background: Research highlighted that Stressful Life Events have high incidence among infertile patients and significant impact on physical and medical parameters related to reproductive functions, but their potential role among factors influencing the infertile patients' perception of fertility-related Quality of Life (QoL) has not been explored. The present study aims to investigate the associations of Stressful Life Events (Stressful events in the family of origin, In family pre-existing pregnancy difficulties, Health problems in childhood) with perceived fertility-related QoL in women attending infertility treatments, examining the potential moderating role of adopted coping strategies and perceived couple's dyadic adjustment., Methods: A questionnaire consisting of Socio-demographics and Infertility-related characteristics, Stress-inducing events in the couples' lives Questionnaire (FLS), Coping Orientations to Problem Experienced (COPE), Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and Core and Treatment subscales of Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL) was administered to 266 women attending infertility treatments. A descriptive correlational design with cross-sectional comparison was used. Results Logistic Regression Analyses after adjusting for socio-demographic and infertility-related characteristics revealed that women who reported Stressful events in the family of origin and In family pre-existing pregnancy difficulties were more likely to report lower levels of perceived Core QoL, while women who reported Health problems in childhood were more likely to report lower levels of perceived Treatment QoL. Couple's dyadic adjustment and specific coping strategies were significantly associated with perceived Core and Treatment QoL and they also significantly moderated the associations between stressful life events and perceived QoL., Conclusions: Data provided original evidence on the strong association between stressful life events and perceived fertility-related QoL also highlighting individual and couples' resources to define counselling interventions with women attending infertility treatments.

The Demand Resources and Individual Effects Model (DRIVE Model) is a transactional model that integrates Demands- Control-Support and Effort-Reward Imbalance models emphasising the role of individual (Coping Strategies; Overcommitment) and job characteristics (Job Demands, Social Support, Decision Latitude, Skill Discretion, Effort, Rewards) in the work-related stress process. The present study aimed to test the DRIVE Model in a sample of 450 Italian nurses and to compare findings with those of a study conducted in a sample of UK nurses. A questionnaire composed of Ways of Coping Checklist-Revised (WCCL-R); Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ); ERI Test; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used. Data supported the application of the DRIVE Model to the Italian context, showing significant associations of the individual characteristics of Problem-focused, Seek Advice and Wishful Thinking coping strategies and the job characteristics of Job Demands, Skill Discretion, Decision Latitude, and Effort with perceived levels of Anxiety and Depression. Effort represented the best predictor for psychological health conditions among Italian nurses, and Social Support significantly moderated the effects of Job Demands on perceived levels of Anxiety. The comparison study showed significant differences in the risk profiles of Italian and UK nurses. Findings were discussed in order to define focused interventions to promote nurses' wellbeing., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The study analyses factor structure and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Fertility Problem Inventory-Short Form. A sample of 206 infertile couples completed the Italian version of Fertility Problem Inventory (46 items) with demographics, State Anxiety Scale of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y), Edinburgh Depression Scale and Dyadic Adjustment Scale, used to assess convergent and discriminant validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was unsatisfactory (comparative fit index = 0.87; Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.83; root mean square error of approximation = 0.17), and Cronbach's α (0.95) revealed a redundancy of items. Exploratory factor analysis was carried out deleting cross-loading items, and Mokken scale analysis was applied to verify the items homogeneity within the reduced subscales of the questionnaire. The Fertility Problem Inventory-Short Form consists of 27 items, tapping four meaningful and reliable factors. Convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed. Findings indicated that the Fertility Problem Inventory-Short Form is a valid and reliable measure to assess infertility-related stress dimensions., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.