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Background: Clinical supervision serves as a collaborative reflection mechanism, enabling clinicians to enhance their cognitive and emotional awareness of their practice. It establishes a “safe environment” wherein professionals may freely express their deepest thoughts, feelings, doubts, and emotions, receiving support and guidance to redirect their treatment approaches. Methods: Our exploratory research is specifically centered on group supervision, involving a team of professionals (i.e., psychologists and pedagogists), with the primary objective of facilitating the disclosure of emotional difficulties and concerns in order to develop new meanings. It aims to describe the group supervision process, comprehensively understanding its structural and dynamic facets, while concurrently identifying clinical concepts and actions for future research. The study included the videotaping and verbatim transcription of five two-hour supervision sessions featuring a supervisor and nine professionals. Through a qualitative approach and a computer-assisted word-driven tool (T-LAB), a linguistic analysis was conducted on participants’ discourse during the group supervision sessions. Results: Our findings revealed that the main objective of the supervision process is the enhancement of professionals’ awareness, and analysis of group dynamics showed the pivotal role of the supervisor as a facilitator of group exchanges and meaning making. Additionally, we highlighted a sense of unity within the group, denoted by a collective “we-ness” and cohesion recognizable in mutual proximity to the experiences, feelings, and difficulties shared and discussed during the sessions. Conclusion: This study has broadened the comprehension of the group processes that define a group supervision by focusing on the relational and emotional dynamics as well as the transformational mechanisms that group supervision implies.

During the oncological care path, breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy suffer from a number of psycho-physical changes, and appearance-related side effects are among the primary determinants of psychosocial impairment. Appropriate interventions are needed due to the fact that treatment-induced transformations have been associated with a decline in overall quality of life, interpersonal and sexual difficulties, and adverse effects on therapeutic adherence. In the framework of integrative oncology, beauty therapy is an affordable and straightforward intervention that could be used in the clinical management of breast cancer side effects. This study aims to comprehend the emotional and lived experiences of women undergoing chemotherapy after a brief beauty therapy intervention with licensed beauticians. The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used as a methodological guideline. Sixteen women were purposefully recruited in a day hospital of a cancer unit, where the beauty therapy was implemented. At the end of the intervention, data were gathered using a semi-structured interview with open-ended questions. A thematic analysis was performed on verbatim transcriptions. Findings support the proposal of beauty therapy for patients undergoing chemotherapy. Assuming a relational viewpoint, beauty therapy could improve patients’ feelings about themselves and the way they feel about others, even if they do not declare a specific interest in their outward appearance.

INTRODUCTION: Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D) is a lysosomal storage disorder involved in cholesterol ester metabolism. It is a poorly understood genetic cause of cirrhosis, dyslipidemia and premature atherosclerotic disease in children and adults. As the manifestations of LAL-D may resemble those observed in other more common diseases, delayed diagnosis is not uncommon. Wolman disease is an early-onset LAL-D phenotype that is usually fatal in the first year of life, but the most common form of the disease may occur at all ages. Recently, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for LAL-D has become available. CASE REPORT: A 12-year-old male patient was referred for hepatomegaly. Initially diagnosed as having Niemann-Pick type C disease (NPC), it did not present confirmatory mutations of this disease. Later, with enzymatic dosage of lysosomal acid lipase on filter paper, the diagnosis was redirected to LAL-D (with confirmation in enzymatic dosage in leukocytes and fibroblasts). DISCUSSION: Although LAL-D is considered a rare and uncommon cause of liver disease, recent studies point to a higher prevalence of this disease. Early diagnosis is essential, since specific treatment for this disease is already available. About half of patients with LAL-D die before age 21 in the absence of adequate treatment.

INTRODUCTION: The “brain-lung-thyroid syndrome” is caused by mutations in the NKX2-1 gene, which encodes the thyroid transcription factor 1, and is characterized by widely diverse clinical manifestations: choreic movements, respiratory disorders and hypothyroidism. CASE REPORT: Male patient, 10 years old, son of non-consanguineous parents, being treated for subclinical hypothyroidism with levothyroxine, was referred at 4 years of age for investigation of hypotonia. There were no reports of breathing problems at birth. Investigation for hypotonia (central and neuromuscular) including muscle biopsy was normal. There was a progressive improvement in hypotonia, but the patient developed choreic movements. In view of the new clinical finding, a genetic-molecular study was carried out directed towards the NKX2-1 gene, confirming the diagnosis of “brain-lung-thyroid syndrome”. The patient started treatment with methylphenidate hydrochloride with evident improvement in choreic movements. DISCUSSION: Manifestations related to the NKX2-1 gene may include hereditary benign chorea (HBC), congenital hypothyroidism and neonatal respiratory disorders. Generally, chorea begins in early childhood, in the patient’s first year of life (most common), in later childhood or even adolescence, and progresses into the second decade after which it remains static or (rarely) resolves. Recently, the use of methylphenidate in patients with a mutation in this gene proved to be a possible therapeutic approach to control choreic movements and improve motor coordination in patients affected by this rare disease.

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy, Spain, New York, and Hong Kong stood out for the ir high rates of infections. Given this scenario, a web-based international multisite and cross-sectional study was conducted between April and May 2020 to investigate the psychological impact of the pandemic and the restrictions imposed by the governments in these countries. We expected similar patterns in European countries, and no significant differences in terms of psychological impairment between Hong Kong (with a previous experience related to SARS, but subjected to restrictions for a longer time) and the other areas. Participants were 1955 adults from the above-mentioned areas. We assessed anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), COVID-19-related threats, and perceived burden of restrictive measures. Two-explorative factor analyses (EFAs) with Promax rotation identified COVID-19-related factors: personal physical threat, personal economic threat, global economic threat, and restriction-related burden. ANOVAs studied locations’ differences and two-separate hierarchical multiple regression analyses by location determined whether and how COVID-19-related variables were associated with anxiety and depression, adjusting for age and sex. Italy and Hong Kong showed higher anxiety than Spain (p

Abstract Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is a cofactor that participates in the biogenesis reactions of a variety of biomolecules, including l‐tyrosine, l‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine, 5‐hydroxytryptophan, nitric oxide, and glycerol. Dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR, EC 1.5.1.34) is an enzyme involved in the BH4 regeneration. DHPR deficiency (DHPRD) is an autosomal recessive disorder, leading to severe and progressive neurological manifestations, which cannot be exclusively controlled by l‐phenylalanine (l‐Phe) restricted diet. In fact, the supplementation of neurotransmitter precursors is more decisive in the disease management, and the administration of sapropterin dihydrochloride may also provide positive effects. From the best of our knowledge, there is limited information regarding DHPRD in the past 5 years in the literature. Here, we describe the medical journey of the first patient to have DHPRD confirmed by molecular diagnostic methods in Brazil. The patient presented with two pathogenic variants of the quinoid dihydropteridine reductase (QDPR) gene—which codes for the DHPR protein, one containing the in trans missense mutation c.515C>T (pPro172Leu) in exon 5 and the other containing the same type of mutation in the exon 7 (c.635T>C [p.Phe212Ser]). The authors discuss their experience with sapropterin dihydrochloride for the treatment of DHPRD in this case report.

Non-invasive optical spectroscopical analyses were conducted on the three main walls of Alexander and Roxane’s Wedding Room in Villa Farnesina, Rome. The north and the east walls were frescoed by Sodoma in 1519. The decoration of the third wall was subsequent and neither the author nor the period is known. The north and east walls underwent various restorations, some even very invasive. For these reasons, the supposed remaining original parts of the two walls by Sodoma were studied and compared with the third one, aiming to obtain more information about its author and epoch. The results show the use of the same pigments for the three walls. In particular, the same yellow pigments including lead antimonate, the use of enamel blue with Bi impurities whose use is time-limited, and the use of a certain kind of purple hematite. The commonality in the pictorial technique also emerged, especially in the yellow parts, painted in the same way on each wall. This information, and documentary sources, reinforce the hypothesis that the third wall was decorated shortly after the death of Agostino Chigi by someone who was well-acquainted with the materials and techniques used by Sodoma for the other two walls.

Background Religiousness and spirituality (R/S) are associated with lower morbidity and mortality, yet the physiological mechanisms underlying these associations are under-studied. Chronic inflammation is a plausible biological mechanism linking R/S to downstream health given the sensitivity of the immune system to the social environment and the role of inflammation in many chronic diseases. Purpose The purpose of the present study was to examine associations between multiple R/S dimensions and two markers of chronic inflammation, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods In this cross-sectional study, data came from biological subsamples of two cohorts from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Study (combined N = 2,118). Predictors include six R/S measures (service attendance, spirituality, private religious practices, daily spiritual experiences, religious coping, and R/S-based mindfulness). Outcomes include log-transformed IL-6 and CRP. Covariates include age, gender, cohort, race, educational attainment, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, and physical activity. Results Older adults, women (vs. men), non-White (vs. White) adults, those with higher BMIs, current smokers, and those not meeting physical activity guidelines had significantly higher IL-6 and CRP. In fully adjusted models, greater spirituality, daily spiritual experiences, religious coping, and R/S-based mindfulness were associated with lower IL-6. Higher spirituality was also associated with lower CRP. Conclusions Many dimensions of R/S may be health protective for adults given their associations with lower levels of chronic inflammation. Findings underscore the importance of examining multiple dimensions of R/S to understand mechanistic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer treatments have multiple adverse effects, including concerns about body appearance and function that are experienced by most patients. Altered body image negatively affects mental health, social, and relationship functioning. While the relationship with a partner is critical for patients’ psychological wellbeing and partners can promote positive body image, limited research has investigated individual and relational factors affecting the experience of both. This cross-sectional study aimed at (1) exploring rates of body image concerns among breast cancer patients, and (2) identifying dyadic profiles among participating dyads. Couples composed by patients who had undergone surgery and their romantic partners (n = 32) were recruited from the Breast Unit of a hospital in northern Italy. Both partners completed measures of personality characteristics (BFQ-2), psychological distress (HADS), coping flexibility (PACT), dyadic coping (DCQ), and closeness (IOS). Body image (BIS) and adjustment to cancer (Mini-MAC) measures were completed by patients only. K-mean cluster analyses identified 2-cluster solution among patients and partners, respectively. “Active patients” (cluster-1) reported low rates of body image concerns (p < 0.001), anxious preoccupation, negative dyadic coping, and self-oriented stress communication (p < 0.05), compared to “worried patients” (cluster-2). “Comfortable partners” (cluster-1) reported lower anxiety and depression (p < 0.001), self-oriented negative dyadic coping and closeness (p < 0.05) than “uncomfortable partners” (cluster-2). Three different dyadic profiles emerged: functional, dysfunctional, and ambivalent. Significant variations (p < 0.05) by anxiety, depression, and delegating dyadic coping existed. Results indicate there are groups of couples at greater risk for impaired psychological distress and body image concerns, which should be addressed in the context of dyadic psychosocial interventions.

Background: Given the low usage of virtual health care prior to the COVID‐19 pandemic, it was unclear whether those living in rural locations would benefit from increased availability of virtual mental health care. The rapid transition to virtual services during the COVID‐19 pandemic allowed for a unique opportunity to examine how the transition to virtual mental health care impacted psychotherapy disruption (i.e., 45+ days between appointments) among individuals living in rural locations compared with those living in nonrural locations. Methods: Electronic health record and insurance claims data were collected from three health care systems in the United States including rurality status and psychotherapy disruption. Psychotherapy disruption was measured before and after the COVID‐19 pandemic onset. Results: Both the nonrural and rural cohorts had significant decreases in the rates of psychotherapy disruption from pre‐ to post‐COVID‐19 onset (32.5–16.0% and 44.7–24.8%, respectively, p < 0.001). The nonrural cohort had a greater reduction of in‐person visits compared with the rural cohort (96.6–45.0 vs. 98.0–66.2%, respectively, p < 0.001). Among the rural cohort, those who were younger and those with lower education had greater reductions in psychotherapy disruption rates from pre‐ to post‐COVID‐19 onset. Several mental health disorders were associated with experiencing psychotherapy disruption. Conclusions: Though the rapid transition to virtual mental health care decreased the rate of psychotherapy disruption for those living in rural locations, the reduction was less compared with nonrural locations. Other strategies are needed to improve psychotherapy disruption, especially among rural locations (i.e., telephone visits). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) is a 16-item self-report measure designed to assess a set of experiences that may occur in the context of daily life for many different kinds of people. These include awe, a merciful attitude, giving other-centered love, deep inner peace, finding strength, guidance, or consolation from a transcendent source, among others. The DSES includes theistic and non-theistic language and alternatives, and has proven useful for those from many religions and for the unaffiliated. Since its original publication, it has been translated into over 40 languages, used in hundreds of published studies, and adopted for use in many practical settings. Empirically, the DSES predicts greater resilience, stress buffering, post-traumatic growth, and a sense of meaning in the face of illness, trauma, and daily stressors, as well as less substance abuse and burnout. Intervention studies using the DSES show that a variety of interventions can increase the frequency of these experiences. In this article, we will provide a brief overview of the scale and review its use in the empirical literature with respect to resilience and related outcomes. Findings suggest that the experiences measured by the DSES may serve as a resource for those experiencing distress of various kinds.