Turning Characteristics of U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker M-5

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96616/1/39015087359009.pd

Cognitive reserve modulates mental health in adulthood

Cognitive Reserve (CR) reflects acquired knowledge, skills, and abilities throughout life, and it is known for modulating cognitive efficiency in healthy and clinical populations. CR, which was initially proposed to explain individual differences in the clinical presentation of dementia, has subsequently been extended to healthy ageing, showing its role in cognitive efficiency also during middle age. Recently, CR has been linked to affective processes in psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, major depressive and anxiety symptoms, and psychological distress, suggesting its potential role in emotional expression and regulation. Whether the role of CR in mental health extends to non-pathological adults, and whether this is only relevant in older age is not yet clear. The aim of this work was therefore to explore the relationship between CR and mental health in healthy adults, with a focus on middle adulthood (40–60). In a sample of 96 participants, we found a positive association between CR and mental health outcomes, such that a higher cognitive reserve index corresponded to fewer mental health reported symptoms. Specifically, a higher CR reflecting professional activities was associated with lower stress levels, especially in middle agers. Taken together, these data therefore suggest that engaging occupations may help maintain a robust mental health, especially by reducing stress symptoms during middle age. These results broaden previous findings suggesting that CR relates to affective components of mental health in middle aged and older adults

COVID-19 pandemic and internet addiction in young adults: a pilot study on positive and negative psychosocial correlates

Objective: During and after the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic period, a strain was put on young adults who have taken refuge in the problematic use of internet, social media, gaming, and gambling. This paper aims to investigate possible correlates of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), hypothesizing anxiety, depression and perceived stress would promote addiction, while mindfulness skills, resilience and socialization would, conversely, hamper IAD, and promote, consequently, a more functional internet use. Method: A pilot study was carried out with a sample of 31 young adults, recruited through a snowball sampling using social networks. Participants filled out an online questionnaire including the following measures: Internet Use, Abuse and Addiction (UADI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II); State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y); Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ); Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS); Resilience Scale (RS-14). It was also administered an ad hoc questionnaire for the assessment of socialization behaviour (6 items) and gambling (2 items). Results: All the measures, but socialization, showed adequate reliability. Our sample showed high levels of anxiety, stress, IA and gambling, while presenting low levels of resilience, the mindful skill of no-reactivity and socialization. The first hypothesis was confirmed, finding positive and significant correlations between Internet Addiction on one side and PSS, STAI-Y1, STAY-2, and BDI II on the other side. We also partially confirmed the second hypothesis about UADI negatively correlated with both RS-14 and Mindful Acting. Finally, no correlations were found between Gambling and IA. Conclusions: In conclusion, the more one perceives an emotional overload with less stress-control, high anxiety, and depression, and the less one can leverage on the skills of mindful acting and resilience, the more one uses the internet as a strategy to escape from a threatening reality

INTERNET GAMING DISORDER E INTERNET ADDICTION NEI GIOVANI ADULTI; UNO STUDIO SULL'IMPATTO PSICOLOGICO DELLA PANDEMIA DA COVID-19.

Tale studio prende in esame due disturbi diffusi in ambito clinico, ma non ufficialmente riconosciuti dai manuali diagnostici quali: l’Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) e l’Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). In particolare l’uso disfunzionale di Internet è osservato soprattutto durante la giovane età adulta, momento critico di transizione per lo sviluppo psicologico degli individui, in quanto caratterizzato dall'esplorazione, ridefinizione e stabilizzazione della propria identità. Altresì, l’esperienza vissuta durante il periodo pandemico a causa dell’emergenza sanitaria per Coronavirus è stata di particolare impatto sul benessere psicofisico degli individui. Sebbene, le risorse psicologiche (quali i meccanismi di difesa adattivi e le abilità di consapevolezza) possono mediare la reazione dell'individuo alle esperienze traumatiche, la quarantena ha reso più difficoltoso il loro utilizzo a causa della monotonia vissuta nella quotidianità. Di conseguenza, tale esperienza avrebbe aumentato considerevolmente il rischio di dipendenza da videogames e da giochi in Internet. A tal proposito, lo scopo del presente studio è quello di valutare nei giovani adulti le variabili di isolamento sociale, IAD e IGD durante il periodo di post covid. L’interesse principale è delineare quale sia stato il loro incremento durante il periodo della quarantena e quale sia la loro correlazione con le variabili di ansia (di stato e di tratto), depressione, mindfulness, resilienza e stress percepito. Ai partecipanti sono stati somministrati due questionari: il primo contenente item costruiti ad hoc sulle abitudini post-covid, e le scale IGDS9-SF e UADI; il secondo contenente le scale FFMQ; MAAS; PSS; RS-14; STAI-Y1 e STAI-Y2; e BDI-II

THE ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF BRAND CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR

This dissertation examines the antecedents and consequences of a fairly new construct in academic literature termed brand citizenship behavior. Constructs explored in the proposed model include brand identity, brand communication, internal marketing, brand pride, brand commitment, intention to stay and job satisfaction. A sample of 241 associates was surveyed at a large retail organization and key demographic variables were captured. Results indicate a causal relationship between internal marketing and brand citizenship behavior as well brand pride. While a causal link between brand citizenship behavior and brand commitment was not supported overall, permutations indicate causality among part time associates. Brand pride was found to mediate the relationship between brand citizenship behavior and brand commitment

Individual differences in autonomy and sociotropy in relation to autistic traits, camouflaging and interpersonal functioning

The social motivation hypothesis has proposed that autism/autistic traits result developmentally from lower motivation to interact socially. However, counter to this hypothesis, a growing body of research on ‘camouflaging’ suggests many autistic people or those with high autistic traits work hard to appear more ‘neurotypical’ to foster friendships. “Sociotropy/dependency” and “autonomy/self-reliance” characterise different attachment styles. Despite their importance for understanding interpersonal functioning, their relationship with autistic traits and camouflaging is unknown. To investigate this question in 168 participants (71 % females, Mean age = 30; SD = 10), we used online self-reported measures including depressive and social anxiety (i.e. affective) symptoms. A large fraction of variability in interpersonal functioning and camouflaging in the respective models was explained (R-square: 0.40 and 0.50, respectively). Autistic traits and autonomy were both negatively and independently associated with interpersonal functioning (β = −0.23, p = .002 and β = −0.14, p = .045, respectively) after controlling for the influence of sociotropy and affective symptoms. Furthermore, sociotropy was independently associated with camouflaging (β = 0.22, p = .001) after controlling for autonomy and affective symptoms. This may suggest that social motivation is dissociable from autistic traits which could explain why a subgroup of people with autistic traits is highly motivated to camouflage.</p

Campania dove “porti”? Alcune riflessioni sul profilo statistico delle attività economiche connesse al mare

Il volume raccoglie parte dei risultati del progetto “Sperimentazione su tratti costieri campani di procedure di formazione di un sistema informativo statistico delle attività produttive private e pubbliche nonché formulazione di politiche pubbliche a sostegno di particolari attività economiche connesse al mare” - Responsabile Scientifico dott. Paolo Mazzocchi (protocollo Regione Campania numero 2008.0194789 - CUP I22I10000230007)

Tankers and the U. S. Energy Environmental Analysis

The United States is facing an energy problem. The range of solutions varies from "the advancement of technology at any cost" to "a reversion to a bucolic society." Many of these solutions, while solving the energy problem, create an associated ecological problem. This paper illustrates a method by which additional oil can be safely imported to the U. S. by a marine transportation system. This marine system actually reduces the transportation cost of providing this energy and, more importantly, reduces the ecological damage to the oceans and beaches when compared with existing systems. The prospect of increasing oil imports for the United States at six or seven times the rate experienced in the past decade adds a new dimension to U. S. external petroleum logistics, particularly with respect to tankers and port facilities to accommodate them. The paper is divided into four major areas:The U. S. energy situation and projected oil requirements;economics of tankers to import that oil to the U. S.;the environmental impact of tanker transportation systems upon the U. S.; andthe cost and effectiveness of those systems.</jats:p

Segregated Ballast VLCCs: An Economic and Pollution Abatement Analysis

This paper presents the results of a study of very large crude carriers (VLCCs) to determine the cost and effectiveness of variations in the capacity of segregated ballast and variations in arrangement expected to reduce oil pollution due to operational and accidental causes. The arrangements considered include double bottoms, double sides, double skin, and alternating cargo and ballast wing tanks. The paper concentrates on a series of 250,000-dwt tankers, but does consider the influence of size by including results for tankers of 120,000 dwt and 477,000 dwt. The degree of effectiveness is estimated for both operational and accidental pollution based on the best available data. Sensitivity studies are provided to check general conclusions. Finally, estimates of the cost of preventing one cubic meter of oil pollution with each design are presented. A discussion of operating factors subject to a reduction in performance as a result of design features is given.</jats:p