An Olfactory Receptor Pseudogene whose Function emerged in Humans

Human olfactory receptor, hOR17-210, is identified as a pseudogene in the human genome. Experimental data has shown however, that the gene product of cloned hOR17-210 cDNA was able to bind an odorant-binding protein and is narrowly tuned for excitation by cyclic ketones. Supported by experimental results, we used the bioinformatics methods of sequence analysis, computational protein modeling and docking, to show that functionality in this receptor is retained due to sequence-structure features not previously observed in mammalian ORs. This receptor does not possess the first two transmembrane helical domains (of seven typically seen in GPCRs). It however, possesses an additional TM that has not been observed in other human olfactory receptors. By incorporating these novel structural features, we created two putative models for this receptor. We also docked odor ligands that were experimentally shown to bind hOR17-210 model. We show how and why structural modifications of OR17-210 do not hinder this receptor's functionality. Our studies reveal that novel gene rearrangement that result in sequence and structural diversity in has a bearing on OR and GPCR function and evolution

Are the school prevention programmes - aimed at de-normalizing smoking among youths - beneficial in the long term? An example from the Smoke Free Class Competition in Italy

Tobacco smoking by young people is of great concern because it usually leads to regular smoking, nicotine addiction and quitting difficulties. Young people "hooked" by tobacco maintain the profits of the tobacco industry by replacing smokers who quit or die. If new generations could be tobacco-free, as supported by tobacco endgame strategies, the tobacco epidemic could end within decades. Smoking prevention programmes for teens are offered by schools with the aim to prevent or delay smoking onset. Among these, the Smoke Free Class Competition (SFC) was widely implemented in Europe. Its effectiveness yielded conflicting results, but it was only evaluated at short/medium term (6 - 18 months). The aim of this study is to evaluate its effectiveness after a longer follow-up (3 to 5 years) in order to allow enough time for the maturing of the students and the internalization of the experience and its contents. Fifteen classes were randomly sampled from two Italian high schools of Bologna province that regularly offered the SFC to first year students; 382 students (174 participating in the SFC and 208 controls) were retrospectively followed-up and provided their "smoking histories". At the end of their last year of school (after 5 years from the SFC), the percentage of students who stated that they were regular smokers was lower among the SFC students than in controls: 13.5% vs 32.9% (p=0.03). From the students' "smoking histories", statistically significant protective ORs were observed for SFC students at the end of 1st and 5th year: 0.42 (95% CI 0.19-0.93) and 0.32 (95% CI 0.11-0.91) respectively. Absence of smokers in the family was also a strongly statistically significant factor associated with being a non-smoker student. These results suggest that SFC may have a positive impact on lowering the prevalence of smoking in the long term (5 years)

The "Misère de l’éducation" in the Age of Crisis

Over twenty years after the publication of La misère du monde (Bourdieu 1993), Pierre Bour-dieu’s work is still highly relevant. The social order that has led to a proliferation of the "small miseries" of the world seems to have prevailed: Pierre Bourdieu’s micro-sociological essay highlighted the symptoms of a disease that has gotten worse in the past few years, and prophetically predicted many of its current con-sequences. This article aims at analysing the consequences on the educational field where practices of "service-sector Taylorism" are emerging alongside the usual mechanisms of social reproduction. These practices are allegedly inspired by meritocracy, but actually aimed at the utilitarian exploitation of human resources. The students’ potential is thus trivialised, dumbed down to a few measurable variables on which teaching and selecting are based, according to a view that treats humans as merely means to an end. Thus, by concealing the social fabric in which individuals are rooted, any failure can be surreptitiously blamed on individual responsibilities. Sociological research has the crucial task of revealing the peculiar logic of this kind of mechanisms, more and more common in several fields, and their ideological implica-tions, typical of neoliberalism: because, as Bourdieu says, "what the social world has done, it can, armed with this knowledge, undo" (Bourdieu 1993d, 629

Psychological impact of carotid endarterectomy: a review of the studies.

Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA) is a surgical treatment validated to prevent cerebral ischemia, embolism and stroke in patients affected by severe stenosis of the carotid artery. A 1999 systematic review of the literature found controversial results about CEA influence on improvement of post-surgical cognitive performance. Moreover, few studies addressed the issue of the positive effects of CEA on quality of life and depression, reporting also controversial findings. The present review was aimed at considering the last 20 years studies focusing on the effects of CEA on the psychological dimensions. The purpose was to clarify the benefits, in terms of psychological well-being, offered by CEA, besides a reduction of the cardiovascular risk, as well as to have indication to lead further research in this area. Results of the 39 studies considered suggest that, although few studies show cognitive deterioration, most of them show stability with a tendency to improve both in cognitive functions and in other psychological areas. Further research is needed to clarify when it would be appropriate the use of CEA, the characteristics of eligible patients, and psychological as well as physical expected outcomes

Sulla cultura dei Beni Culturali. Una ricerca empirica. [Parte prima]

Abstract not availabl

Cynical hostility and the metabolic syndrome: A case-control study

Background: Evidence suggests that metabolic syndrome and hostility are independent risk factors for the development of coronary heart disease. Recently, the combined effect of metabolic syndrome and hostility has shown to predict the incidence of myocardial infarction. This study tested whether cynical hostility was associated with the metabolic syndrome in a sample of Italian adults. Methods: 992 subjects participated in the study. Among them, 546 participants were classified as having metabolic syndrome and 446 as controls, not having any of the risk factors that constitute the metabolic syndrome. Cynicism, the cognitive component of hostility, was measured with a self-report questionnaire derived from the Cook–Medley Hostility Scale. Metabolic syndrome was based on having the following risk factors: obesity, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and elevated arterial blood pressure. Results: The cross-sectional association of cynical hostility with metabolic syndrome was statistically significant (p <0.0001). Hostility was also associated with age (p <0.0001) and educational level (p <0.02). Predictors of having metabolic syndrome were higher cynicism (O.R. 1.12), older age (O.R. 1.39), and lower educational level (O.R. 1.05). Conclusions: The results highlight the potential importance of intervention on psychological factors (i.e. hostility) to prevent coronary heart disease

Desenvolvimento e validação de um questionário para avaliar comportamentos agressivos e reações à agressão entre pares

This study presents the psychometric properties of the Peer Aggressive and Reactive Behaviors Questionnaire (PARB-Q), a self-report questionnaire to measure child overt aggression (PA) and reaction to peer aggression (RPA). Participants were 587 Italian elementary school children, aged 7-10 years (51.5% female). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses presented a one-factor solution for the PA scale and a three-factor solution for the RPA scale (reactive aggression, seeking teacher support and internalizing reaction), presenting adequate reliability and goodness-of-fit indexes for both scales. Criterion validity presented satisfactory evidence. The PARB-Q appears to be a psychometrically sound tool to evaluate aggressive behavior and reactions to peer aggression in elementary school children. Este estudo apresenta as propriedades psicométricas do Questionário de Comportamentos Agressivos e Reativos entre Pares (Q-CARP), instrumento de autorrelato que avalia comportamentos agressivos infantis diretos (ECA) e reações frente à agressão de pares (ERA). Participaram do estudo 587 crianças italianas, estudantes do ensino fundamental, com idade entre 7-10 anos (51,5% meninas). Análises fatoriais exploratórias e confirmatórias apresentaram uma solução unifatorial para a escala ECA e uma solução de três fatores para a ERA (reações agressivas, busca de apoio do professor e reações internalizadas), apresentando bons índices de consistência interna e de ajuste para ambas as escalas. A validade de critério apresentou índices satisfatórios. O Q-CARP apresenta-se como uma ferramenta útil para avaliar comportamentos agressivos e diferentes reações em crianças escolares

Subclinical attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours

Background Literature emphasises the importance of identifying and intervening in the adoption of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours (ULBs) during adolescence at an early stage, to mitigate their long-term detrimental effects. Among the possible associated factors contributing to ULBs, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to play an important role. However, little is known about ADHD subclinical manifestations. Aims The present study aimed to bridge the gap in the literature and shed light on the relationship between subclinical ADHD and early adoption of ULBs during adolescence. Through a clinimetric approach, prevalence of ULBs, severity of ADHD symptoms and psychosocial factors (i.e. allostatic overload, abnormal illness behaviour, quality of life, psychological well-being) were investigated among adolescents. The associations between different degrees of ADHD, ULBs and psychosocial factors were also explored. Method This multicentre cross-sectional study involved 440 adolescents (54.5% females; mean age 14.21 years) from six upper secondary schools. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, ULBs, ADHD symptoms and psychosocial factors. Results The most common ULBs were energy drinks/alcohol consumption and problematic smartphone use. Of the sample, 22% showed subclinical ADHD and 20.2% showed clinical ADHD. The subclinical ADHD group showed several ULBs (i.e. altered mindful eating, impaired quality of sleep, problematic technology use) and psychosocial factors, akin to those of ADHD group and different from peers without ADHD symptoms. Conclusions Since subclinical ADHD manifestation is associated with ULBs, similarly to clinical ADHD, identifying subthreshold symptoms during adolescence is crucial, as it could improve health-related outcomes in adulthood across different domains

Product Characteristics and Emotions to Bridge the Intention-Behavior Gap in Green Food Purchasing

Promoting environmentally friendly behaviors is a pivotal strategy in addressing the climate crisis. The food industry’s impact on pollution and resource consumption underscores the importance of fostering eco-sustainable food consumption, which can significantly benefit the environment. How- ever, despite the global surge in green purchase intentions, a noticeable discrepancy persists between these intentions and actual purchasing behavior. This study aimed to investigate the influence of various factors on the likelihood of purchasing green food. An online survey was administered to Italian adult consumers (n = 832, 66% female, aged 18–84 years), collecting sociodemographic data and assessing emotions related to green purchases, perceptions of green food characteristics, intention to buy green food, and frequency of green food purchases. Through cluster analysis, three distinct consumer categories emerged: Coherent Buyers (individuals willing to buy green food and actively doing so), Coherent Non-Buyers (individuals who have no intention to buy green food and do not buy it), and Non-Buyers with Favorable Intentions (individuals expressing willingness to buy green food but not following through with purchases). Results from multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that several factors influenced the likelihood of being categorized in the other two categories, as opposed to the Coherent Buyers one. These factors included younger age, a lower sense of pride associated with purchasing green products, and considering healthiness, natural content, and eco-sustainability of food less important and familiarity of green food more important. These findings provide valuable insights for marketers and policymakers, facilitating efforts to bridge the gap between green food intentions and behaviors and promote a shift toward a more eco-sustainable dietary pattern