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Objective: Recent research has suggested that problematic smartphone use is associated with several psychological factors and that mobile apps and smartphone-related behavior (i.e. selfi e behavior) may encourage the development of problematic smartphone use. However, little is known about how the interplay between dysfunctional personality characteristics and selfi e-related behavior can infl uence problematic smartphone use. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between narcissism and problematic smartphone use, as well as the mediating role of selfi e-related behavior in this relationship among young men and women. Method: In the current study, a total of 627 undergraduate students (283 males and 344 females) completed a cross-sectional survey. A structural equation model was tested separately for males and females in order to evaluate the associations between narcissism, selfi e-related behavior and problematic smartphone use. Results: The results showed that greater narcissism was related to increased selfi e-related behavior, which in turn were positively associated with problematic smartphone use both for males and females. However, selfi e-related behavior mediated the relationship between narcissism and problematic smartphone use only for females. Conclusions: The study provides fresh insight into our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying problematic smartphone use, which may inform prevention and treatment interventions.

29th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition; 4132-4137, FP7-SOPHIA project coordinated by CEA-INES, is the European research infrastructure project which brings together 20 European PV RTD Organizations and associations like EPIA, EUREC and DerLab to strengthen and optimize the research capabilities.in the field of PV technologies. The tight and frequent interaction among toplevel experts of the SOPHIA consortium is essential to realize the necessary collaborative network. On the other hand the huge quantity of research areas of common interest, joint to plenty of equipment and procedures currently utilized demand combinations of disciplines and top-class scientists are not available at a single research institute. Sustaining the training programme by a more traditional in-person and on-site approach constitutes a threat given the constraints on financial budgets and time availability of the experts. To address these needs SOPHIA has developed on-line solution: SOPHi@webinar, the e-learning platform of FP7-SOPHIA project requires no more than a set of interconnected computers with suitable software and hardware.

Cardiac rehabilitation after a myocardial infarction has been shown to improve exercise capacity. Beta blockade has been shown to be effective in treating angina and reducing mortality, but studies are controversial as to whether beta-blockade therapy attenuates the effects of training. We attempted to study the effects of beta blockade (metoprolol) on the response to training in patients enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program after an uncomplicated myocardial infarction. We studied 27 patients with a recent uncomplicated myocardial infarction who were subdivided in two groups: Group 1 (13 patients) not taking a beta blocker, and Group 2 (14 patients) taking metoprolol (mean 142 +/- 57 mg daily). All patients underwent a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test before and after a 3-month training program. The training intensity was designed to approximate the ventilatory threshold. Results showed an increase in peak VO2 in both Group 1 (27%, p < 0.01) and Group 2 (33%, p < 0.001), and an increase in VO2 at the ventilatory threshold (39% in Group 1 and 28% in Group 2, p < 0.01). The mean changes in exercise capacity were not different between groups. It was concluded that metoprolol did not influence the beneficial effects of a cardiac rehabilitation program in postmyocardial infarction patients.

Aims Many sinus node disease (SND) patients suffer from atrial fibrillation (AF). Anti-arrhythmic drugs (AADs) are the therapeutic mainstay for AF prophylaxis. The PITAGORA trial has a multicentre, prospective, randomized, single blind design to compare amiodarone with Class IC AADs in patients who have an AF history and are paced for SND. Methods and results Starting from January 2001, 176 patients received a Medtronic AT500 pacemaker. AADs were randomly assigned with a 3 : 2 ratio between Class III and Class IC. Randomization was stratified in order to assign two patients to amiodarone and one patient to sotalol every three Class III AAD patients. After a 5-month observational period, Ramp or Burst+ ATP therapies were enabled in a randomized way, maintained for 4 months, and then crossed over. Total follow-up period is 21 months. The primary long-term objective is to show the non-inferiority of IC AADs compared with amiodarone in terms of time to first occurrence of a composite endpoint (death, atrial cardioversion, hospitalizations due to AF or heart failure, or change of AADs). Data will be analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. The primary short-term objective is to compare Ramp vs. Burst+ efficacy in terminating atrial tachyarrhythmias treated by the device. Secondary endpoints are major clinical events, medication toxicity, symptoms, AF burden, and quality-of-life. Conclusion Given the high morbidity and healthcare costs associated with AF, new therapeutic strategies are needed. The results of the PITAGORA trial may help in guiding AADs therapy and ATP programming in SND patients suffering from AF.

The rediscovery of the cultural value of the project, the creation of new imaginaries in marginal places and the new aesthetics of temporality are some of the emerging issues in the city of crisis in Italy that are measured through processes of active involvement of inhabitants, associations and institutions. The contribution first proposes an analysis of the potential of public space through a research-action with a high social content in the urban fabric of the Ballarò market in Palermo. Subsequently, the research returns a multidisciplinary perspective on the interpretative models of public space to propose new imaginaries. Themes related to social inclusion, community participation processes have entered the domain of architectural heritage in recent decades and have modified both the theoretical principles and the operational approaches of architectural design. The concept of resilient community is a topic of great importance in Palermo, it overcomes the spatial dichotomy between center and periphery and shifts attention to the ability that individuals have to experience the management of collective goods, innovative activities and services through social protagonism . The desire to overcome these spatial categories favors that of the Beni comuni (Harvey, 2013), which opposes the commodification and privatization of spaces, to return to the demand for legitimacy expressed much earlier by Danilo Dolci in his Indagine su Palermo (Dolci, 1957).

Le città non sono solo luoghi dell'abitare. Esse sono anche potenti dispositivi creativi per attivare il diverso presente ed esplorare il futuro possibile se consentono una vita di comunità che costruisca relazioni feconde, generi sinapsi fertili, produca nuove economie e acceleri l'innovazione. Il contributo fornisce strumenti e metodi utili alla definizione della città aumentata come fattore abilitante del cambiamento verso il Neoantropocene.

The relationship between social anxiety and cannabis use among adolescents and young adults is a highly debated topic. In this cross-sectional study, we tested whether cannabis use expectancies mediated the association between social anxiety and cannabis use severity in a sample of 343 young adults (74.3% male) who used cannabis. They completed self-report measures for the screening of problematic cannabis use (Cannabis Use Problems Identification Test) and social anxiety symptoms (Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and Social Phobia Scale). A multiple mediation analysis was used to test whether marijuana effect expectancies mediate social anxiety effect on problematic cannabis use. Social anxiety was negatively associated with cannabis use severity in this sample, and we found evidence that cannabis use expectancies fully mediated this relationship. Specifically, global negative effect expectancies influence the relationships between social anxiety and problematic cannabis use. These findings may inform current prevention strategies and clinical intervention for young adults who use cannabis.

Cannabis use is frequently related to social anxiety in young adulthood, but the nature of this relationship is unclear. Moreover, much research has been conducted on the role of cannabis effects expectancies and their relationship to social anxiety among young adults, but less is known about adolescence. The study examined the relationship between social anxiety, cannabis use patterns, and cannabis effects expectancies among a nonclinical sample of 1,305 adolescents (51% female). Non-users reported higher social anxiety scores than non-problematic and risky users. Compared to users, non-users had more negative expectancies. Risky and problematic users showed higher social and sexual facilitation expectancies and perceptual and cognitive enhancement expectancies. In addition, social anxiety was related to global negative expectancies and social and sexual facilitation expectancies. Moreover, we found that among socially anxious adolescents, social and sexual facilitation expectancies are dissuasive reasons to use cannabis. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.

The effects of the Mafia have been extensively studied from sociological, economic, and historical points of view. However, little research has investigated the influence of the Mafia on individuals and communities in terms of its psychological and social impact. In order to contribute to the advancement of our understanding of the psychological effects of the Mafia on individuals and communities and to promote a participative process of social change, a group analytic intervention was conducted within a Community Based Participatory Research carried out in Corleone, a small Sicilian town with a historically recognized role in the evolution of the Mafia, as well as in the fight against its control. Qualitative findings from the group intervention revealed the development of an awareness process that allowed participants to become aware of their social unconscious anxieties and defenses and to recognize and manage the strong emotional impact related to the Mafia's presence in their lives. Highlighting how psychological processes can have negative impacts on individual and collective capacity to pursuit transformation and resilience, this article provides important insight on how clinical psychology may operate in socio-cultural contexts to promote the reconstruction of the traumatic social dimensions in the community.

Background Self-image is the subjective perception about one's own self, body, mental functioning, social attitudes, and adjustment in different aspects of life. Research has linked negative self-image with a number of problem behaviors and psychiatric symptoms in adolescence; however, studies of the relationship between self-image and anxiety disorders are still scarce. Method This study involved a community sample of 1305 high-school students (51.4% female) who ranged in age from 14 to 19 years old. They completed self-report measures of self-image and social anxiety disorder (SAD). Results A quarter of the students reported high levels of social anxiety. Statistical analyses showed significant differences between these students and the other students in all the self-image subscales. Several dimensions of impaired self-image (emotional tone, social attitudes, vocational and educational goals, family relationships, external mastery, and psychological health) were associated with high levels of social anxiety, with some gender differences underpinning these relationships. Conclusions Clinicians treating SAD in youth may wish to consider that a negative self-image may play a critical role in the onset and retention of social anxiety symptoms.

A longitudinal repeated measures design was used to investigate the influence of treatment retention, and membership turnover on individual outcomes, and the relationship between individual-level and group-level therapeutic alliance in rolling group psychotherapy for individuals with cocaine abuse disorder. Eighteen patients were studied; data were collected prior to therapy and then monthly for 24 months. Patient outcomes and process were assessed. Improvements in symptoms and psychological functioning were associated with retention in psychotherapy. Membership turnover had a negative influence on symptoms. Development of an individual alliance was affected by the development of group-level therapeutic alliance, but not by time spent in therapy.

The Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI) was developed to assess smartphone addiction in Taiwanese university students. The purpose of the current research is to evaluate the factor structure and psychometric properties of the SPAI in Italian university students. A total of 485 university students (29.3% boys) completed the SPAI and the Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT).The proposed four-factor model of the SPAI-I was tested by computing CFA, and the results of the goodness of fit indices indicated an ambiguous solution. An exploratory-confirmatory cross validation strategy was applied for a better trimming of SPAI-I factorial structure. Results suggested a five-factor solution that explained 53% of the total variance (Time Spent, Compulsivity, Daily Life Interference, Craving, and Sleep Interference). Excellent internal consistency and five factor correlations were reported for the SPAI-I. This five-factor model showed good convergent validity with the Internet Addiction Disorder Test. Considering that evidence shows that overuse of a smartphone can be associated with adverse and problematic effects, the SPAI-I should be useful for determining its potential for the use in future research in Europe and for comparing the evaluation of smartphone overuse of young European people with other international Asiatic studies that have incorporated the SPAI. The SPAI was tested using factorial analysis procedures in a large sample.The exploratory factor analysis revealed five factors rather than the original four.The SPAI-I showed satisfactory psychometric properties.The SPAI-I is suitable for measuring smartphone addiction.The SPAI-I may help to promote unified research in the smartphone addiction field.

As a theoretical extension of other previous studies, this work represents an improvement of the notions about the relationship between adolescence and Mafia. The research has been aiming at exploring teenagers’ universe within specific social contexts where the presence of criminal organizations is significant, focusing the attention on the modalities through which evolutionary tasks are coped with in contexts with high Mafia density and often characterized by a perception of social space that makes personal, financial, and political development problematic. The research has involved 93 teenagers who live in southern regions where the presence of Mafia organizations (Camorra, ‘Ndrangheta, and Cosa Nostra) is significant. Six focus groups have been carried out, recorded, and transcribed. Verbalizations were analyzed through appropriate qualitative templates, which allowed detecting of three thematic macro-areas: representations of Mafia, emotions connected to it, and planning skills. The qualitative analysis of transcriptions points out that the presence of Mafia organizations, the contiguity between legal and illegal symbolic–cultural codes, the commonality of belonging matrices, and sharing the same symbolic and social spaces are all elements that violently enter these teenagers’ identification and release paths, deeply influencing them.

Questo studio, in continuità teorica con altri che lo precedono, rappresenta un amplia-mento delle conoscenze sulla relazione tra adolescenza e mafia. La ricerca si è proposta come obiettivo l’esplorazione dell’universo adolescenziale all’interno di specifici contesti sociali in cui la presenza di organizzazioni criminali è pregnante, focalizzando l’attenzione sulle modalità at-traverso cui vengono affrontati i compiti evolutivi all’interno di contesti caratterizzati da alta densità mafiosa e spesso contraddistinti da una percezione dello spazio sociale che rende pro-blematico lo sviluppo personale, economico e politico. La ricerca ha coinvolto 93 adolescenti che vivono in regioni meridionali in cui la presenza delle mafie (Camorra, ‘Ndrangheta e Cosa Nostra) è capillare. Sono stati realizzati sei focus-group, audioregistrati e in seguito trascritti; le verbalizzazioni sono state analizzate attraverso apposite griglie qualitative che hanno consenti-to di individuare tre macro-aree tematiche: rappresentazioni del fenomeno mafioso, emozioni ad esso connessi e progettualità. L’analisi qualitativa dei trascritti evidenzia che la presenza delle Mafie, la contiguità fra codici simbolico-culturali legali ed illegali, la comunanza delle matrici di appartenenza, la condivisione del medesimo spazio simbolico e sociale, sono tutti elementi che entrano violentemente dentro i percorsi di individuazione e svincolo di questi adolescenti, in-fluenzandoli profondamente. As a theoretical extension of other previous studies, this work represents an improve-ment of the notions about the relationship between adolescence and Mafia. The research has been aiming at exploring teenagers’ universe within specific social contexts where the presence of criminal organizations is significant, focusing the attention on the modalities through which evolutionary tasks are coped with in contexts with high Mafia density and often characterized by a perception of social space which makes personal, financial and political development problematic. The research has involved 93 teenagers who live in southern regions where the presence of Mafia organizations (Camorra, ‘Ndrangheta and Cosa Nostra) is widespread. Six focus groups have been carried out, audio recorded and then transcribed. Verbalizations have been analyzed through appropriate qualitative grids which allowed detecting three thematic macro-areas: representations of the phenomenon of Mafia, emotions connected to it and plan-ning skills. The qualitative analysis of transcriptions points out that the presence of Mafia or-ganizations, the contiguity between legal and illegal symbolic-cultural codes, the commonality of belonging matrices, sharing the same symbolic and social spaces are all elements which vio-lently enter these teenagers’ identification and release paths, deeply influencing them.

I Disturbi da Uso di Sostanze (DUS) e i Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare (DCA) presentano delle caratteristiche comuni. Essi infatti si manifestano attraverso un attacco al corpo, presentano un’insorgenza in età adolescenziale o tardo adolescenziale e una prevalenza associata rispettivamente al genere maschile e femminile. In una prospettiva psicodinamica, ciò che soprattutto accomuna i DUS e i DCA (insieme ai disturbi psicosomatici) è il fatto di poter essere considerati dei disturbi di secondo livello, dei quadri sintomatologici di copertura rispetto ad una sofferenza psichica sottostante. In questo senso possono essere considerate delle modalità di auto-terapia e autoregolazione emotiva adattive seppur patologiche. La psicoterapia psicodinamica di gruppo, agendo sul funzionamento psichico e sulle modalità relazionali alla base della sofferenza oltre che sul sintomo, è uno strumento di intervento particolarmente efficace per queste patologie. Il presente articolo intende proporre alcune riflessioni sulla base delle esperienze cliniche condotte dagli autori nel corso degli ultimi anni. Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and Eating Disorders (ED) share some characteristics such as teen or late adolescence onset and greater prevalence respectively between males and females. According to a psychodynamic approach, SUD and ED, together with psychosomatic disorders, can be defined second level disorders, where symptoms cover an underlying psychic suffering. They can also be considered useful but dysfunctional strategies of self-care and emotional self-regulation. Group analytic therapy represents an effective therapeutic tool for these disorders acting on psychological and relational functioning as well as on symptoms. This paper aims at proposing some reflections based on clinical experiences conducted by the Authors during the last few years.

Il presente studio single-case si propone la valutazione di una psicoterapia di gruppo ad orientamento gruppoanalitico per pazienti con DCA, di sesso femminile, età media 24 anni. Il gruppo è semi-aperto, a tempo limitato (24 mesi), co-condotto da due psicoterapeute, articolato in 2 sedute settimanali di 1 ora con una pausa intermedia. Gli strumenti adottati per la valutazione di esito sono: EDI-2, IIP-32, POMS, RSES, OQ-45; per la valutazione del processo si hanno: CALPAS-P, GCQ, GLMCS-T/G. La cadenza delle rilevazioni prevede la valutazione pre-post trattamento, il monitoraggio longitudinale (esito: semestrale; processo: mensile) e un follow-up dopo sei mesi. Di seguito vengono presentati i dati relativi ai primi 6 mesi di terapia. L’assessment pre-gruppo indica significative compromissioni in molte delle dimensioni indagate. La valutazione degli esiti è stata effettuata attraverso il calcolo del Reliable Change Index (RCI) rilevando cambiamenti significativi sia nella salute mentale generale (OQ-45) che nella sintomatologia alimentare (EDI-2). Per la valutazione del trend di processo (coesione, clima, alleanza) il test di Friedman riscontra differenze significative nelle sottoscale “Impegno verso il gruppo” (GCLM-G) [X2 (5, n = 4) = 15,152, p = ,01], “Clima coinvolgente”, “Evitante” (GCQ) [X2 (5, n = 4) = 16,655, p = ,005; X2 (5, n = 4) = 12,537, p = ,028], “Consenso sulle strategie di lavoro” (CalPAS) [X2 (5, n = 4) = 12,059, p = ,05]. Il coefficiente rho di Spearman indica inoltre associazioni significative fra alcune dimensioni delle variabili di processo considerate (comprensione e coinvolgimento del terapeuta, clima coinvolgente, consenso sulle strategie di lavoro, qualità positive del terapeuta). I risultati sembrano indicare l’efficacia del dispositivo rispetto alla sintomatologia alimentare e alla salute mentale generale, nonché la presenza di aspetti di processo importanti per la fondazione della matrice di gruppo.

La conquista di un nuovo senso di identità e la rappresentazione di essa come frutto dell’integrazione delle trasformazioni psico-fisiche che travolgono il proprio corpo, è un percorso lento e di certo non privo di tensioni, che si snoda nel corso di tutta l’adolescenza. La costruzione identitaria adolescenziale non è però solo un processo intrapsichico, essa si articola anche attraverso il confronto che il giovane ha all’interno dello spazio sociale che lo circonda, mediante il rapporto con i pari ed i nuovi ruoli sociali progressivamente ricoperti. In questa fase di vita, il gruppo dei pari assume nuove valenze e funzioni specifiche, fornendo un modello di confronto e identificazione con cui mettere in discussione la vecchia autorità genitoriale e sperimentare nuovi valori, ponendosi come “famiglia sociale” (Pietropolli Charmet G., 2000). In tal senso, il gruppo dei pari è il luogo primario delle sperimentazioni e delle trasgressioni: primo fra tutti quelle relative all’uso delle sostanze psicoattive, nello specifico la cannabis. Come indicano i dati ottenuti attraverso un nostro recente studio, la cannabis, oltre ad essere una delle sostanze illecite più diffuse fra i giovani, sembra intercettare, nel corso della fase adolescenziale, numerosi bisogni che caratterizzano lo sviluppo identitario: ricerca di un senso di appartenenza, facilitazione delle esperienze sociali, ricerca di sensazioni forti, autonomia, sfida, trasgressione, bisogno di ridurre gli stati di disagio e di regolare le proprie emozioni, assumendo la funzione di “oggetto generazionale” che media la costruzione identitaria adolescenziale. During adolescence, identity development is a complex and difficult process. In adolescence, peer group represent a “social family” (Pietropolli Charmet G., 2000) that offers important new identification models. Among peer group, teens could use cannabis and other psychoactive substances to transgress and have new experiences. We conduct a research among a community group of adolescent and our findings suggest that cannabis seems to respond to several needs related to identity development: search for a sense of belonging; social experiences facilitation; sensation seeking; autonomy, challenge and transgression needs; emotional regulation and relief from distressing and painful conditions.

International literature shows us specific clinical and socio-demographic traits that characterize inmate drug addicted population, and specifically those who, after imprisonment, don’t continue therapeutic treatments. So, diagnostic process, planning and realization of rehabilitation treatments for people characterized by high levels of sufferance and chronicity, become more difficult but, at the same time, more necessary. Our study allows monitoring of inmate drug addicted population into “Ucciardone” Prison of Palermo, during nine months. The results permitted to obtain a complete evaluation of substances use style and psychiatrics symptoms of inmate drug addicted population. We administered two clinical instruments: Addiction Severity Index - European version (EuropASI) (Consoli & Bennardo, 2001) and Symptoms Check-List (SCL-90) (Daini & Maremmani, 2000; Schimitz, Hartkamp, Kiuse, Franke, Reister & Tress, 2000). The research involved a sample composed of 58 people imprisoned in “Ucciardone” Prison of Palermo. The recruitment was based on the presence of substance addiction. Severity Ratings analysis, obtained through EuropASI administration, show us that the areas more compromises are: Alcohol/Drugs Use (µ 6,84; S.D. 1,66), Psychological (µ5,14; D.S. 2,61), Occupational (µ5,38;S.D. 1,73), Legal (µ 5,19; S.D. 2,04), Social and Familial Relationship (µ 4,95; S.D. 1,88). This result suggest the presence of an addicted population characterized by a high psycho-social vulnerability.

Lo scopo del presente contributo è rintracciare, attraverso alcuni dati di ricerca, l’esistenza di correlazioni significative tra i punteggi compositi delle diverse aree dello EuropASI e le sezioni della forma breve del WHOQOL in pazienti con disturbo da uso di sostanze, con l’obiettivo di osservare le relazioni esistenti tra l’autovalutazione del benessere soggettivo e la valutazione degli operatori sulla gravità dei problemi connessi alla dipendenza da sostanze. La ricerca ha coinvolto un gruppo di 30 pazienti afferenti ad un Ser.T. del Distretto 13 della AUSL 6 di Palermo. I pazienti sono stati selezionati random, secondo i seguenti criteri di inclusione: diagnosi di dipendenza da sostanze psicoattive (DSM IV TR); trattamento da almeno tre mesi. Si è proceduto attraverso la somministrazione del questionario WHOQOL-Bref e dell’intervista EuropASI. Per l’analisi dei dati, oltre che con una statistica descrittiva, si è proceduto a elaborazioni di statistica inferenziale, mediante analisi di correlazione per ranghi attraverso l’indice rho di Spearman, assumendo come valore di significatività p