Sexual Satisfaction and Quality of Life in Cardiovascular Patients: The Mediating Role of Anxiety.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases represent one of the most important problems for public health. Research indicates that elderly patients consider sexual satisfaction as a fundamental aspect of their quality of life and a better sexual function is related to higher general wellbeing.

Objective: The main objective of this study was to investigate the mediating role of anxiety and depression in the relationship between quality of life and sexual satisfaction in cardiovascular (CVD) patients.

Emotional Competence in Primary School Children: Examining the Effect of a Psycho-Educational Group Intervention: A Pilot Prospective Study.

Emotional competence (EC) is a key component of children’s psychological, cognitive, and social development, and it is a central element of learning. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing a psycho-educational group intervention aimed at improving children’s emotional competence (EC), quality of integration and scholastic skills. A total of 229 children (123 females; M Age = 7.

Quality of Life and Job Loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mediation by Hopelessness and Moderation by Trait Emotional Intelligence.

This study contributes to the knowledge on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by examining a moderated mediation model in which the impact of job loss over quality of life (QoL) is mediated by hopelessness and moderated by trait emotional intelligence (trait EI). Data were collected from a large nationally representative Italian sample of adult workers ( = 1610), who completed a series of anonymous online questionnaires. Total, direct and indirect effects were estimated through bootstrapped mediated moderation analyses providing 95% bias corrected bootstrap confidence intervals.

Haptic Perception in Extreme Obesity: qEEG Study Focused on Predictive Coding and Body Schema.

Haptic perception (HP) is a perceptual modality requiring manual exploration to elaborate the physical characteristics of external stimuli through multisensory integrative cortical pathways. Cortical areas exploit processes of predictive coding that collect sensorial inputs to build and update internal perceptual models. Modifications to the internal representation of the body have been associated with eating disorders.

Treatment of acute bone defects in severe lower limb Trauma.

Purpose: To present our experience in the management of acute large bone defects treated with the use of vascularized fibular grafts supported by Ilizarov circular external frames.

Patients And Methods: During a period of 6 years (from 2007 to 2013) 8 patients with acute large bone defects (IVB according to Winquist modified classification) were treated at our institution with early bone reconstruction by means of microvascular fibular grafts. All patients were evaluated by the use of the following parameters: X-ray consolidation, discharge time, duration of treatment, malalignment of the lower limb and final leg length discrepancy, knee and ankle mobility (ROM), pain (VAS), number of eventual additive treatments (plastic surgery, etc.

[Eating disorders in males: an overview of research over the period 2007-2017].

Introduction: Despite the extensive literature, the gender differences in eating disorders (ED) have been poorly investigated. Most of the studies, in fact, have been conducted so far on female samples, emphasizing the misleading belief that such disorders are of exclusive relevance of women.

Aim: The review aim at highlighting as this preconception is still widespread among the male patients and the clinicians and as it represents an impediment to a correct diagnosis and a proper treatment planning.

[The Rorschach method for obesity assessment: clinical study on a group of obese women].

Aim: The purpose of this study is to explore through the Rorschach method the psychological and personological profile of the woman with obesity.

Methods: The Rorschach test was administered to 10 women with body mass index of 41.86±9.

Mediating Effects of Global Negative Effect Expectancies on the Association between Problematic Cannabis Use and Social Anxiety.

The relationship between social anxiety (SA) 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 SA and cannabis use severity in a sample of 343 young adults (74.3% male) who used cannabis.

Does lesser trochanter implication affect hip flexion strength in proximal femur fracture?

Purpose: In pertrochanteric and intertrochanteric femoral fractures, the avulsion of the lesser trochanter by the pull of the iliopsoas muscle is not uncommon. This fragment is not commonly fixed because the avulsion of the lesser is tough to not influence the clinical outcome but up to date there is no evidence to support this statement. The aim of this study is to evaluate if lesser trochanter implication affects psoas muscle strength in proximal femur fracture.

The relationship between self-Image and social anxiety in adolescence.

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.

Evaluation of anterior knee pain in a PS total knee arthroplasty: the role of patella-friendly femoral component and patellar size.

Background: Total knee arthroplasty gives excellent objective results. Nevertheless, the subjective findings do not match the normal knee perception: Often, it depends on patellar pain onset. In this study, we analyzed clinical and radiological items that can affect resurfaced patellar tracking, and role of a patella-friendly femoral component and patellar size on patellar pain onset.

Acceptance of noninvasive computed tomography coronary angiography: for a patient-friendly medicine.

Purpose: This study was done to evaluate the psychological state and anxiety of patients undergoing computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA), and assess their acceptance and satisfaction compared to invasive conventional coronary angiography (CCA).

Materials And Methods: A total of 442 consecutive patients (282 male; mean age 57.7 ± 9.

The quality of life in developing age children with celiac disease.

Aim: The moments that follow the diagnosis of celiac disease and the early stages of the gluten-free diet are extremely difficult and complex for parents and child, because they face an important change punctuated by self-denial and deprivation. The main objective of this research is to assess the impact of celiac disease on quality of life in subjects in developmental age, taking into account the perceptions of parents about the child's illness, with the aim to highlight the effect of disease on the child and the entire family.

Methods: The study included both parents of 45 children aged between 2 and 10 years, with established celiac disease.

[Thinking organization and defense mechanisms in bipolar disorders. Clinical and psychopathological study on bipolar I and bipolar II].

Aim: The aim of this research is to explore the psychical functioning in bipolar I or bipolar II disorder people through the analysis and comparison of their thought styles and defense patterns.

Methods: 29 bipolar I and bipolar II people afferent to Palermo University Policlinical Psychriatic Hospital Department were selected during the whole 2009-2010 year. The following tests were administred: Wechsler Adult Intelligent Scale-R (WAIS-R) in order to measure the general cognitive function; Defense Mechanisms Inventory (DMI) in order to measure defense patterns.

Sturge-weber syndrome: a report of 14 cases.

Sturge-Weber-Krabe syndrome (SWS), also known as encephalotrigeminalangiomatosis and named the forthfacomatosis, recall the names of the authors who first describedit in its basic clinical, radiological andanatomopathological aspects. We report here 14 cases of Sturge-Weber disease. In 6 of these, despite what had been previously described in literature, an extension of the angioma has been noted in other parts of the body.

A case of post-traumatic complex auditory hallucinosis treated with rTMS.

Previous studies of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia found that the hallucinations were reduced by the application of transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Here we describe a case of traumatic brain injury associated with continuous music hallucinations. An MRI scan showed a structural lesion of the right temporal pole and a PET scan indicated a hyperactive area of the posterior right temporal lobe.

People with Down's sindrome: adolescence and the journey towards adulthood.

Aim: Sexuality in disabled people is faced with difficulty and inadequateness, if not with complete refusal, the result being that young disabled people are often relegated to a destiny of solitude and abandon. This is even more true when the disability includes mental retardation.

Methods: Twenty-five youngsters between the age of 13 and 25 years 14 males (56%) and 11 females (44%) were recruited together with their mothers for this study.

Symbolic function explored in children with epilepsy and headache.

Aim: When the body gets ill, the attack on the ability to think is one of the possible effects that can be observed. The aim of this study is to explore symbolic functions in children with epilepsy and primary headache.

Methods: Fifty five little patients have been recruited from the Neuropsychiatry infant Clinic of the University of Palermo; 48 males (61%) and 27 females (39%), all suffering from epilepsy (53-71%) and primary headache (22-29%), their ages varying from 7 to 11 (average: 9.

Expressions of discomfort in adolescents. Clinical reflections resulting from an exploratory study of a group of students.

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore some fundamental dimensions of adolescent discomfort relating to food, the body, sexuality, relationships in general and health care.

Methods: We recruited 206 students (66 males, 140 females; average age=19.4+/-2) and we administered 4 questionnaires: the first two to examine their relationship with food, the third to explore adolescents' attitudes to their social context, sexuality and first sexual experiences; the fourth to measure their ability to look after their health.

Predictive signs and indicators of aggressiveness and violence: a comparison between a group of adolescents attending an external penal area, a group of prisoners and a group of patients with borderline personality disorder.

Aim: Aggressive and violent behaviours in juveniles and young adults have become increasingly widespread. Most such behaviours have 2 common roots: lack of actual motivation and brutality. The most reliable indicators and predictive signs have been linked to structural personality features (e.

Long-term efficacy and therapeutic drug monitoring of sertraline in major depression.

Maintenance treatment for depression should be considered as a chronic disease management programme. Several studies have reported that sertraline (SRT) can be useful in preventing relapses and recurrent episodes of major depression.Twenty-three outpatients, 14 males and 9 females, affected by major depressive disorder, recurrent (DSM-IV criteria) were included.

Subclinical hypothyroidism resulting from autoimmune thyroiditis in female patients with endogenous depression.

Thyroid function and presence of thyroid autoantibodies were assessed in a group of 75 consecutive female patients with mood disturbances and in a group of 38 healthy women of similar age recruited as controls. Nine patients suffered from major (endogenous) depression and 66 from minor (neurotic) depression. The individual patients had normal values of circulating thyroid hormones.