Effective Energy Efficiency under Delay-Outage Probability Constraints and F-Composite Fading.

The paradigm of the Next Generation cellular network (6G) and beyond is machine-type communications (MTCs), where numerous Internet of Things (IoT) devices operate autonomously without human intervention over wireless channels. IoT's autonomous and energy-intensive characteristics highlight effective energy efficiency (EEE) as a crucial key performance indicator (KPI) of 6G. However, there is a lack of investigation on the EEE of random arrival traffic, which is the underlying platform for MTCs. In this work, we explore the distinct characteristics of F-composite fading channels, which specify the combined impact of multipath fading and shadowing. Furthermore, we evaluate the EEE over such fading under a finite blocklength regime and QoS constraints where IoT applications generate constant and sporadic traffic. We consider a point-to-point buffer-aided communication system model, where (1) an uplink transmission under a finite blocklength regime is examined; (2) we make realistic assumptions regarding the perfect channel state information (CSI) available at the receiver, and the channel is characterized by the F-composite fading model; and (3) due to its effectiveness and tractability, application data are found to have an average arrival rate calculated using Markovian sources models. To this end, we derive an exact closed-form expression for outage probability and the effective rate, which provides an accurate approximation for our analysis. Moreover, we determine the arrival and required service rates that satisfy the QoS constraints by applying effective bandwidth and capacity theories. The EEE is shown to be quasiconcave, with a trade-off between the transmit power and the rate for maximising the EEE. Measuring the impact of transmission power or rate individually is quite complex, but this complexity is further intensified when both variables are considered simultaneously. Thus, we formulate power allocation (PA) and rate allocation (RA) optimisation problems individually and jointly to maximise the EEE under a QoS constraint and solve such a problem numerically through a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Finally, we examine the EEE performance in the context of line-of-sight and shadowing parameters.

Actively changing the narrative: An exploration of culturally grounded parenting and social skills.

Recognizing culturally salient aspects of socialization practices and understanding how these practices support culturally valued aspects of development is an integral component in conducting anti-racist research and validating the lived experiences of minoritized families. With this aim, we explored how Active Direction, an observational rating of an African American approach to parenting measured during mother-child interactions at age 2.5 (n = 172), supported social skills and emotion regulation for children living in a Southwestern metropolitan area of the United States concurrently, in kindergarten (n = 109), and in 1st grade (n = 108). Descriptive findings indicated few significant associations between Active Direction and socials skills or emotion regulation. Exploratory analyses, which included traditional parenting behavior measures of Sensitivity and Intrusiveness, also indicated limited significant relations between any measure of parenting and child skills. However, moderation analyses indicated that high levels of Active Direction attenuated the effects of sensitivity on aspects of child social skills. The lack of significant findings across the current study highlight how extant measures-of child social skills and parentings behaviors-are not performing as expected within these African American families.

Reconocer aspectos culturalmente salientes de las prácticas de socialización y comprender cómo estas prácticas apoyan aspectos del desarrollo culturalmente valorados, es un componente integral para llevar a cabo la investigación antiracista y darle validez a las experiencias vividas de familias vistas como minorías. Con este propósito, exploramos cómo Activa Direccción, una evaluación de observación de un acercamiento afroamericano a la crianza medido durante las interacciones madre­niño a la edad de 2.5 (n = 172), apoyaba las habilidades sociales y la regulación de la emoción para niños que vivían en un área metropolitana de los Estados Unidos, de manera concurrente, en el kinder (n = 109) y en el primer grado (n = 108). Los resultados descriptivos señalaron pocas asociaciones significativas entre Activa Direccción y las habilidades sociales o la regulación de la emoción. Los análisis exploratorios, los cuales incluyen medidas de Sensibilidad y de Entremetimiento en cuanto al comportamiento de crianza tradicional, también señalaron limitadas relaciones significativas entre cualquier medida de crianza y las habilidades sociales. Sin embargo, los análisis de moderación señalaron que altos niveles de Activa Dirección atenúan los efectos de la Sensibilidad sobre los aspectos de las habilidades sociales del niño. La falta de resultados significativos, a lo largo del presente estudio, subraya hasta qué punto las medidas ­de habilidades sociales del niño y de comportamientos de crianza­ no están actuando de la manera esperada dentro de estas familias afroamericanas.

Do high-risk couples profit more or less from couple relationship education programs than low-risk couples? Room for improvement and vulnerability effects.

In recent years it has been discussed whether high-risk couples benefit more from Couple Relationship Education programs (CREs) than low-risk couples due to larger room for improvement, or profit less due to greater vulnerability. Pertinent response prediction studies yielded inconclusive results. Careful review suggests this may be due to: statistical handling (not disentangling room for improvement and vulnerability effects), time frame analyzed (not disentangling opposing effects during intervention and follow-up), sampling, and selection of risk factors. We used an analytic strategy that maximized odds for replicability and tested two hypotheses: (1) room for improvement: pre-intervention relationship dissatisfaction predicts gain in satisfaction during intervention, and decline during follow up, and (2) vulnerability: when adjusted for room for improvement (pre-intervention relationship dissatisfaction), risk factors show negative or negligible, but no positive associations with gain in satisfaction. Actor-Partner Interdependence Modeling (APIM) was employed in 79 self-referred (SR) couples and 50 clinician-referred (CR) couples who had completed the 'Hold me Tight' program, a CRE based on Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy. Our findings supported both the room for improvement hypothesis, with pre-intervention dissatisfaction predicting more gain during intervention (both samples) and decline during follow-up (SR sample, for the CR sample the effect was negligible), and the vulnerability hypothesis, as several negative, but no positive effects of risk factors were observed during intervention and follow-up. Specific risk factors did not replicate between samples. To promote replicable results in future research, we advocate disentangling room for improvement and vulnerability effects, separately testing effects during intervention and follow-up, purposeful sampling, and studying a large set of risk factors including partner variables.

An exploration of parenting styles, cultural values, and infant development in a sample of Latin American immigrants in Canada.

The objective of the current research was to investigate the relationship between parenting style, culture, and infant development in a sample of Latin American mother-infant dyads in Toronto, Canada. We examined associations between mothers' self-reported parenting style and infant cognitive and socioemotional development, which we compared to results from mothers belonging to two other Canadian immigrant populations. We further examined whether specific cultural correlates, including affiliation with traditional Latinx cultural beliefs familism and fatalism and acculturation, were associated with positive parenting behaviors in the Latin American sample. Across all three cultural groups, authoritative parenting predicted adaptive socio-emotional development, an effect which differed in magnitude across groups, providing support for the hypothesis that the effect of parenting behaviors on infant development are moderated by culture. Within the Latin American sample, affiliation with the value of familism was associated with higher scores of authoritative parenting, but familism decreased as acculturation to the host culture increased. This research adds to our understanding of factors that contribute to the well-being of Latin American families in Canada. Findings carry implications for provision of infant mental health services to Latin American immigrant families by identifying cultural variables which should be considered when providing parenting interventions to make such interventions more culturally relevant.

La presente investigación examinó la relación entre el estilo de crianza, la cultura y el desarrollo del infante en un grupo muestra de díadas madre-infante latinoamericanas en Toronto, Canadá. Medimos las asociaciones entre el auto reportado estilo de crianza de las madres y el desarrollo cognitivo y socioemocional del infante, lo cual comparamos con resultados de madres que pertenecían a otros dos grupos de población inmigrante canadiense. Examinamos además si componentes culturales específicos, incluyendo creencias cultuales Latinx de familismo y fatalismo, y aculturación, se asociaban con conductas positivas de crianza en el grupo latinoamericano. A lo largo de los tres grupos culturales, la crianza autoritativa predijo puntajes más altos de desarrollo socioemocional del infante, un efecto que difiere en su magnitud entre los grupos, lo cual ofrece apoyo a la hipótesis de que la cultura modera el efecto de las conductas de crianza sobre el desarrollo del infante. Dentro del grupo latinoamericano, la afiliación con el valor del familismo se asoció con puntajes más altos de crianza autoritativa, y una disminución a medida que aumentó la aculturación a la nueva cultura. Esta investigación aumenta nuestra comprensión de los factores que contribuyen al bienestar de las familias latinoamericanas. Los resultados conllevan implicaciones para la provisión de servicios de salud mental infantil a familias inmigrantes latinoamericanas por medio de identificar las variables culturales que deben ser consideradas cuando se ofrezcan intervenciones de crianza para hacer más culturalmente relevantes tales intervenciones.

Nos recherches ont examiné la relation entre le style de parentage, le développement du bébé et la culture chez un échantillon de dyades mère-bébé d'Amérique du Sud à Toronto au Canada. Nous avons mesuré les liens entre le style de parentage auto-rapporté des mères et le développement cognitif et socio-émotionnel, que nous avons comparés aux résultats de mères appartenant à deux autres populations immigrées canadiennes. Nous avons aussi examiné si des corrélats culturels spécifiques comme les croyances culturelles Latinx de familialisme et de fatalisme, et l'acculturation, étaient liées à des comportements de parentage positifs dans l'échantillon latino-américain. Au travers des trois groupes culturels le parentage autoritaire a prédit des scores beaucoup plus élevés de développement socio-émotionnel, un effet qui a varié en magnitude au sein des groupes, soutenant l'hypothèse que l'effet de comportements de parentage sur le développement du bébé est modéré par la culture. Au sein de l'échantillon latino-américain l'affiliation avec la valeur du familialisme était liée à des scores plus élevés de parentage autoritaire, et décroissait au fur et à mesure que l'acculturation à la culture hôte augmentait. Ces recherches s'ajoutent à notre compréhension des facteurs qui contribuent au bien-être des familles latino-américaines. Les résultats ont des implications pour la mise à disposition de services de santé mentale de la petite enfance aux familles immigrées latino-américaines en identifiant des variables culturelles qui devraient être prises en considération lorsqu'on offre des interventions de parentage afin de s'assurer que ces interventions sont pertinentes sur le plan culturel.

Reflective functioning and mother-infant relationships among mothers with Borderline Personality Disorder post-therapy.

The stressful nature of parenting infants exacerbates the characteristics of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Consequently, mothers with BPD tend to be emotionally dysregulated, respond impulsively to their infants, and have poorer mother-infant relationships. Few parenting interventions target the specific skill deficits observed in mothers with BPD. This study explored the differences in parental reflective functioning (PRF) and mother-infant relationship quality at baseline and following a 24-week, group parenting intervention for mothers with BPD. PRF and mother-infant relationship quality were assessed from quantitative (N = 23) and qualitative (N = 32) perspectives. Quantitative data (Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire) showed a significant improvement in one of the three subscales, Interest and Curiosity, between baseline and post-intervention, and a significant moderate positive association between the subscale Certainty of Mental States and maternal-infant interaction quality post-intervention. Improvements in mother-infant relationship quality were not evident from the observational measure, Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Teaching scale. In contrast, semi-structured interview qualitative data found maternal improvements in parental reflection, coping strategies implemented post-intervention, and quality of mother-infant relationships. Overwhelmingly positive intervention feedback suggested perceived maternal benefits of group format and skills taught. Future studies with larger sample sizes would allow further clarification of such parenting interventions for mothers with BPD.

La naturaleza estresante de criar infantes agudiza las características del Trastorno Límite de la Personalidad (BPD). Por tanto, madres con BPD tienden a estar emocionalmente no reguladas, responder impulsivamente a sus infantes y tener relaciones madre-infante de menor calidad. Pocas intervenciones de crianza se centran en los específicos déficits de habilidades observados en madres con BPD. El presente estudio exploró diferencias en el funcionamiento con reflexión del progenitor y la calidad de la relación madre-infante al punto inicial y al del seguimiento a 24 semanas de la intervención de crianza en grupo para madres con BPD. Se evaluó el funcionamiento con reflexión del progenitor y la relación madre-infante desde la perspectiva cuantitativa (N=23) y cualitativa (N=32). Datos cuantitativos (Cuestionario del Funcionamiento con Reflexión del Progenitor) mostraron un significativo adelanto en una de tres subescalas, Interés y Curiosidad, entre el punto inicial y posterior a la intervención, y una significativa moderada asociación positiva entre la subescala Certeza de Estados Mentales y la calidad de la interacción materno-infantil al momento posterior a la intervención. Las mejoras en la calidad de la relación madre-infante no fueron evidentes con la medida de observación, la escala de la Enseñanza Satélite de Evaluación del Niño Lactante. En contraste, datos cualitativos de entrevista semiestructurada encontraron mejoras maternas en la reflexión del progenitor, estrategias de cómo arreglárselas puestas en práctica después de la intervención, y en la calidad de las relaciones madre-infante. La abrumadoramente positiva información sobre la intervención sugirió que había una percepción materna de beneficios del formato de grupo y las habilidades que se enseñaban. Estudios futuros con grupos mayores permitirán clarificaciones adicionales de tales intervenciones de crianza para madres con BPD.

La nature stressante du parentage des nourrissons exacerbe les caractéristiques du Trouble de la Personnalité Limite (TPL). Par conséquent les mères avec un TPL ont tendance à être émotionnellement dérégulées, réagissant de manière impulsive à leurs bébés et ont des relations mère-bébé moins bonnes. Peu d'interventions de parentage visent les déficits de compétence spécifiques qui sont observés chez les mères avec un TPL. Cette étude a exploré les différences qu'on trouve dans le fonctionnement de réflexion parental et la qualité de la relation mère-bébé au départ et après une intervention de groupe de parentage pour des mères avec un TPL, de 24 semaines. Le fonctionnement parental de réflexion et la qualité de la relation mère-bébé ont été évalués à partir de perspectives quantitatives (N=23) et qualitatives (N=32). Les données quantitatives (Questionnaire de Fonctionnement de Réflexion parental ont montré une amélioration importante dans l'une des trois sous-échelles, Intérêt et Curiosité, entre le départ de l'intervention et la post-intervention, ainsi qu'un lien positive modéré important entre la sous-échelles Certitude des Etats Mentaux et la qualité de l'interaction maternelle-bébé après l'intervention. On n'a pas trouvé d'améliorations de la qualité de la relation mère-bébé à partir de la mesure d'observation échelle d'Formation Satellite de l'Evaluation du Nourrisson. Par contre les données qualitatives de l'entretien semi-structuré a révélé des améliorations maternelles dans la réflexion parentale, dans des stratégies d'adaptation mises en place après l'intervention et dans la qualité des relations mère-bébé. Les retours de l'intervention extrêmement positifs ont suggéré que des bénéfices maternels perçus du format de groupe et des compétences enseignées. Des études avec des échantillons plus grands permettraient une clarification plus poussée sur de telles interventions avec des mères avec un TPL.

The protective effects of social support and family functioning on parenting stress among Hispanic/Latino/a American immigrant parents with traumatic life experiences: A mediation analysis.

Despite high rates of traumatic experiences reported among Hispanic/Latino/a immigrants in the U.S., the effect of post-traumatic stress on parenting stress among Hispanic/Latino/a immigrant parents with young children has been overlooked. The present study tested the direct and indirect relationships of self-reported maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms on parenting stress, and the mediating role of protective factors among Hispanic/Latino/a mothers with young children. Baseline data collected from mothers participating in a community-based child-parent dyadic intervention were analyzed. Measures included the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist, the Protective Factors Survey, and the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI). The sample included 80 mothers with a child between ages 0-6 years. About 75% of these mothers were migrants from Central America. A multivariate regression analysis showed that maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms predicted higher levels of PSI, and two protective factors (social support and family functioning/resilience) fully mediated the relationship between maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms and PSI. Higher social support and family functioning/resiliency may have protective effects on Hispanic/Latino/a mothers with post-traumatic stress, leading to lower levels of stress related to parenting. Findings underscore the importance of interventions that enhance access to social support and promote family functioning/resilience for Hispanic/Latino/a immigrant mothers with trauma histories to cope better with parenting stress.

A pesar de las altas tasas de experiencias traumáticas entre inmigrantes hispano/latinos/as en Estados Unidos, el efecto del estrés postraumático en la crianza entre progenitores inmigrantes hispano/latinos/as con niños pequeños ha pasado desapercibido. El presente estudio puso a prueba las directas e indirectas relaciones de síntomas de estrés postraumático materno auto reportado sobre el estrés de crianza, así como el papel mediador de factores de protección entre madres hispano/latinas con niños pequeños. Se analizaron los datos de referencia obtenidos de madres participantes en una intervención diádica progenitor-niño con base comunitaria. Entre las medidas se incluyeron la lista de verificación de Trastorno de Estrés Postraumático (PTSD), la Encuesta de Factores de Protección, así como el Formulario Corto del Índice de Estrés de Crianza (PSI). El grupo muestra contaba con 80 madres con un niño entre 0 y 6 años de edad. Cerca del 75% de estas madres eran inmigrantes de América Central. Un análisis de regresión multivariado mostró que los síntomas de estrés postraumático materno predecían más altos niveles de PSI, y dos factores de protección (apoyo social y funcionamiento y resiliencia familiar) completamente mediaron la relación entre los síntomas de estrés postraumático materno y PSI. Un más alto apoyo social y funcionamiento y resiliencia de la familia pudiera tener efectos de protección sobre madres hispanas/latinas con estrés postraumático, llevando a más bajos niveles de estrés relacionado con la crianza. Los resultados resaltan la importancia de mejorar el acceso al apoyo social y promover el funcionamiento y resiliencia de la familia para madres inmigrantes hispanas/latinas con un historial de trauma y así poder arreglárselas mejor con el estrés de crianza.

En dépit de taux élevés d'expériences traumatiques rapportés chez les immigrés hispaniques/latinos et latinas aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique l'effet du stress post-traumatique sur le stress de parentage chez les parents hispaniques/latinos et latinas immigrés avec de jeunes enfants est souvent oublié. Cette étude a testé les relations directes et indirectes des symptômes de stress post-traumatique maternel auto-rapporté sur le stress de parentage et le rôle médiateur de facteurs de protection chez les mères hispaniques/latinas avec de jeunes enfants. Les données de base recueillies de mères participant à une intervention dyadique enfant-parent Communautaire ont été analysées. Les mesures ont inclus la Checklist TSPT, le Sondage de Facteurs Protecteurs (Protective Factors Survey), et le Formulaire Court de l'Index de Stress de Parentage (Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, soit PSI). L'échantillon a inclus 80 mères avec un enfant entre l'âge de 0-6 ans. A peu près 75% de ces mères avaient immigré de l'Amérique Centrale. Une analyse de régression multivariée a montré que les symptômes de stress post-traumatique maternel a prédit des niveaux plus élevés de PSI et seuls deux facteurs protecteurs (le soutien social et le fonctionnement/la résilience familial(e) ont totalement médiatisé la relation entre les symptômes de stress post-traumatique et le PSI. Un soutien social plus élevé et le fonctionnement/la résilience familial(e) peuvent avoir des effets protecteurs sur les mères hispaniques/latinas avec du stress post-traumatique, menant à des niveaux moins élevés de stress lié au parentage. Les résultats soulignent l'importance des interventions qui renforcent l'accès au soutien social et promeuvent le fonctionnement/la résilience familial(e) pour les mères hispaniques/latinas avec un passé de trauma pour mieux faire face au stress de parentage.

Extended Endonasal Endoscopic (EEE) Surgery with Almost No Use of Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma (JNA).

Background and Objectives: Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is an angiomatous hamartoma of the nasal cavity. It is a benign but locally aggressive vascular tumor of the nasopharynx affecting adolescent males. Many surgical procedures are in practice, but the extended endonasal endoscopic (EEE) approach for JNAs is a suitable and effective technique. Materials and Methods: Fifteen adolescent patients having JNA who underwent extended endonasal endoscopic (EEE) surgery from January 2010 to January 2022 were studied retrospectively. Patients having residual and recurrent JNAs and those who underwent surgery other than EEE were excluded. Results: The average age of the patients was 18.3 years of age. A total of six patients (40%) each had stage V and IV while three patients (20%) had stage III JNAs. Gross total removal was achieved in eight (53.3%) patients and seven (43.7%) had partial removal. There was no per or postoperative mortality. All the patients had at least 3 years of postoperative follow-up and during follow-ups, seven patients were found to have residual tumors, and two had recurrences. Discussion: During the last decades, the endoscopic approach for the resection of JNAs has gained increasing popularity due to its obvious advantages over transfacial approaches. The magnified and angled field of view "behind the corner" helping in a more complete inspection for the resection and shorter hospitalization time makes it a better choice than the other approaches. Conclusions: Endoscopy is an excellent approach for primary JNA. It allows well visualization and precise removal of the angiofibroma. An endoscopic multiangle, multicorridor skull base approach including Denker's anteromedial maxillotomy is suitable and preferable for the resection of extensive JNAs.

Antioxidant supplements relieve insulin resistance but do not improve lipid metabolism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Objective: The effect of antioxidant supplements on glucose metabolism and lipid profiles in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether antioxidant supplements improve glucose metabolism and lipid profiles in women with PCOS to provide optimal nutritional supplement advice in clinical practice. Methods: The search was conducted across multiple medical databases from inception to January 1, 2022 and performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A random effects model was used to calculate the overall effects. Results: Eighteen trials (1113 participants) were included. Antioxidant supplements significantly improved insulin resistance (95% CI, -0.62, -0.30; p < 0.00001; I2 =48%), fasting insulin (95% CI, -0.80, -0.44; p < 0.00001; I2 = 48%), and fasting plasma glucose (95% CI, -0.54, -0.21; p < 0.00001; I2 = 38%) in patients with PCOS. However, antioxidant supplements were found to not improve most indices of lipid profiles in PCOS except triglyceride. Conclusions: Antioxidant supplements are an effective intervention for relieving insulin resistance but do not significantly improve lipid metabolism in women with PCOS.

Exploring resting frontal EEG and reflective functioning in maternal substance use.

Maternal substance use is associated with altered neural activity and poor offspring outcomes, which may be facilitated by suboptimal caregiving in the form of impaired parental reflective functioning (PRF). To investigate these associations, the resting-state frontal electroencephalography (EEG) power of 48 substance-using mothers and 37 non-substance-using mothers were examined, specifying seven frequency bands: delta, theta, alpha, alpha1, alpha2, beta, and gamma. Substance-using mothers exhibited enhanced beta and gamma spectral power compared to non-substance-using mothers, potentially reflecting higher arousal states in substance-using mothers. There were no between-group differences in any component of PRF (i.e., levels of pre-mentalizing, certainty, and interest and curiosity). Whole-sample analyses revealed significant positive correlations between pre-mentalizing and delta spectral power. Taken together, these findings suggest potential neural correlates of maternal substance use and PRF, providing an important next step into examining associations between maternal substance use and poor child outcomes.

Se asocia el uso materno de sustancias con la actividad neural alterada y el débil resultado en los hijos, lo cual pudiera ser favorecido por una prestación de cuidado subóptima en forma de un impedido funcionamiento con reflexión (PRF) en el progenitor. Para investigar estas asociaciones, se examinó la fuerza de la electroencefalografía frontal en estado de descanso de 48 madres que usaban sustancia y 37 madres que no usaban sustancias, especificando siete bandas de frecuencia: delta, theta, alpha, alpha 1, alpha 2, beta y gamma. Las madres que usaban sustancias mostraron una fuerza espectral aumentada en beta y gamma, tal como se les comparó con las madres que no usaban sustancias, lo que potencialmente refleja estados más altos de agitación en las madres que usaban sustancias. No se dieron diferencias entre grupos en ninguno de los componentes de PRF (v.g. niveles de pre-mentalización, opacidad e interés y curiosidad). Los análisis de todas las muestras revelaron correlaciones positivas significativas entre pre-mentalización y la fuerza espectral delta. Tomándolos en conjunto, estos resultados indican posibles correlaciones neurales entre del uso materno de sustancias y PRF, lo cual aporta un importante próximo paso para examinar las asociaciones entre el uso materno de sustancias y los débiles resultados en el niño.

La toxicomanie maternelle est liée à une activité neuronale altérée et de mauvais résultats sur les enfants de la personne, ce qui peut être facilité par un mode de soin suboptimal sous la forme d'un fonctionnement de réflexion parentale (PRF en anglais) altéré. Pour enquêter sur ces liens, l'électroencéphalographie frontale au repos (EEG) de 48 mères toxicomanes et de 37 mères non-toxicomanes a été examiné, plus spécifiquement sur quatre bandes de fréquences : delta, thêta, alpha, alpha1, alpha2, béta, et gamma. Les mères toxicomanes ont fait preuve d'une puissance spectrale de béta et gamma importante comparées aux mères non-toxicomanes, ce qui reflète peut-être de plus d' états d'excitation chez les mères toxicomanes. Nous n'avons observé aucune différence entre les groupes pour ce qui concerne les composantes de la PRF (soit, niveaux de pré-mentalisation, d'opacité, d'intérêt et de curiosité). Des analyses sur tout l'échantillon ont révélé des corrélations positives importantes entre la puissance spectrale de pré-mentalisation et la puissance spectrale delta. Considérés dans l'ensemble, ces résultats suggèrent un corrélat neural potentiel de la toxicomanie maternelle et de la PRF, ce qui présente une nouvelle étape importante dans l'examen des liens entre la toxicomanie maternelle et les mauvais résultats sur l'enfant.

Validation of parental stress scale in a Greek sample of mothers with infants from 0 to 12 months.

Parenting an offspring is a rewarding, albeit challenging task, often accompanied by high levels of stress. It is important to accurately assess the stress associated with parenting, as severe forms of stress may affect the parent-child dyad and lead to poor child outcomes. The aim of this study was to translate and validate the Parental Stress Scale (PSS) in the Greek population. We implemented forward and back translation and conducted a pilot test. A total of 735 mothers (Mage  = 34.6) with infants aged 0-12 months completed the PSS, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The Greek PSS-18 showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .83) and adequate convergent validity. Results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed two underlying factors: positive aspects of parenting and negative aspects of parenting. Our data confirm the validity of the Greek version of the PSS-18 in mothers with infants aged 0-12 months. The Greek version of the PSS-18 could be a useful tool for professionals and researchers who are interested in perinatal period and the aspects of parenthood.

Criar a un hijo es una tarea gratificante, aunque desafiante, a menudo acompañada por altos niveles de estrés. Es importante evaluar con certeza el estrés asociado con la crianza, ya que formas severas de estrés pudieran afectar la díada progenitor-niño y llevar a pobres resultados en el niño. El propósito de este estudio fue traducir y validar la Escala de Estrés del Progenitor (PSS) en la población griega. Implementamos la traducción hacia adelante y hacia atrás y llevamos a cabo una examinación experimental. Un total de 735 madres (Edad promedio = 34.6) con infantes de edad 0-12 meses completaron la PSS, la Escala de Edimburgo de Depresión Posnatal y la Escala de Ansiedad de Hospital y Depresión. La PSS griega-18 mostró una buena consistencia interna (de Cronbach α = .83) y una validez de convergencia adecuada. Los resultados de los análisis de factores exploratorios y confirmatorios revelaron dos factores subyacentes: aspectos positivos de crianza y aspectos negativos de crianza. Nuestros datos confirman la validez de la versión griega de PSS-18 en madres con infantes de edad 0-12 meses. La versión griega de PSS-18 pudiera ser una herramienta útil para profesionales e investigadores que están interesados en el período perinatal y los aspectos de la maternidad/paternidad.

Le parentage d'un enfant est une tâche gratifiante mais également un défi, souvent accompagnée de niveaux de stress élevés. Il est important d'évaluer avec précision le stress lié au parentage puisque les formes sévères de stress affectent la dyade parent-enfant et mènent à de piètres résultats pour l'enfant. Le but de cette étude était de traduire et de valider l'Echelle de Stress Parental (abrégé en anglais et ici par PSS) chez la population grecque. Nous avons procédé à la traduction et fait un test pilote. Un total de 735 mères (Mâge = 34,6) avec des bébés âgés de 0 à 12 mois ont rempli la PSS, l'Echelle de Dépression Postnatale d'Edinbourg, et l'Echelle d'Anxiété de l'Hôpital et de Dépression. La PSS-18 grecque a fait preuve de bonne cohérence interne (Cronbach's α = .83) et d'une validité convergente adéquate. Les résultats de l'analyse de facteur exploratoire et confirmative ont révélé deux facteurs sous-jacents: les aspects positifs du parentage et les aspects négatifs du parentage. Nos données confirment la validité de la version grecque de la PSS-19 chez des mères avec des bébés âgés de 0 à 12 mois. La version grecque de la PSS-18 pourrait être un outil utile pour les professionnels et les chercheurs qui s'intéressent à la période périnatale et aux aspects du parentage.

Getting Ahead of the Arms Race: Hothousing the Coevolution of VirusTotal with a Packer.

Malware detection is in a coevolutionary arms race where the attackers and defenders are constantly seeking advantage. This arms race is asymmetric: detection is harder and more expensive than evasion. White hats must be conservative to avoid false positives when searching for malicious behaviour. We seek to redress this imbalance. Most of the time, black hats need only make incremental changes to evade them. On occasion, white hats make a disruptive move and find a new technique that forces black hats to work harder. Examples include system calls, signatures and machine learning. We present a method, called Hothouse, that combines simulation and search to accelerate the white hat's ability to counter the black hat's incremental moves, thereby forcing black hats to perform disruptive moves more often. To realise Hothouse, we evolve EEE, an entropy-based polymorphic packer for Windows executables. Playing the role of a black hat, EEE uses evolutionary computation to disrupt the creation of malware signatures. We enter EEE into the detection arms race with VirusTotal, the most prominent cloud service for running anti-virus tools on software. During our 6 month study, we continually improved EEE in response to VirusTotal, eventually learning a packer that produces packed malware whose evasiveness goes from an initial 51.8% median to 19.6%. We report both how well VirusTotal learns to detect EEE-packed binaries and how well VirusTotal forgets in order to reduce false positives. VirusTotal's tools learn and forget fast, actually in about 3 days. We also show where VirusTotal focuses its detection efforts, by analysing EEE's variants.

Repair vs. replacement: Selection of the best end-of-life scenario for small household electric and electronic equipment based on life cycle assessment.

This study presents a methodology designed for selecting, from an environmental point of view, the best end-of-life scenario for electric and electronic equipment which breaks before the end of its life span. To this end, the environmental impact of the life cycle of the equipment is evaluated for two different end-of-life scenarios: repair & reuse vs. replacement. As a case study, the proposed methodology is applied to a representative sample of nine categories of small household electric and electronic equipment (120 appliances). Repair & reuse scenarios consider the life span and the typical failures and repairs associated with each electric and electronic equipment category and the use of the repaired equipment until the remaining life span after its breakage. Replacement scenarios also consider the life span associated to each electric and electronic equipment category and the replacement of the broken equipment by an equivalent during the remaining life span after its breakage. The environmental impact obtained for both scenarios for each small household electric and electronic equipment category is compared in order to identify the best end-of-life scenario. To do so, the life cycle assessment methodology is applied, using CML and ReCiPe as midpoint- and endpoint-impact assessment methods, respectively. The results indicate that for all the analysed categories, the repair & reuse scenarios generally prove environmentally better than replacement scenarios, as Directive 2012/19/EU promotes. However, for some types of failure, e.g. those related to motors or printed circuit boards, if the failure occurs at the end of its life span, replacement is a better option than repair & reuse, since the environmental impact of the repair activities is not offset by the environmental benefits of extending the useful life until the end of the life span.

Novel indicators to better monitor the collection and recovery of (critical) raw materials in WEEE: Focus on screens.

Currently, in the European Union (EU), e-waste chain performance is assessed by technical indicators that aim to ensure system compliance with collection and recovery targets set by the WEEE Directive. This study proposes indicators to improve WEEE flow monitoring beyond the current overall weight-based approach, including complementary flows and treatment performance. A case study focused on the screen category in France is presented. In 2017, the collection rate of cathode-ray tube screens (CRT) was 68%, while for flat panel display (FPD) generated only 14% was collected. CRT screens have less precious and critical materials than FDP. Thus, elements like cobalt and gold highly concentrated in FPD, have a collection rate two to four times lower than elements such as copper (37%) which represents a high proportion in CRTs. Recycling is the main treatment in France. Nevertheless, the recycling rate per element varies significantly due to the low collection, and also the lack of technology and/or secondary raw materials market. The elements with higher recycling rates are base metals such as copper (28%), followed by precious metals like silver (23%), and gold (13%). Except for palladium, the recycling rate of the critical raw materials targeted in the study ranged from 6% (cobalt) to 0% (e.g. neodymium and indium). The results stress the need for indicators to support the development of WEEE chain from waste management to secondary (critical) raw materials suppliers.

Material flow analysis (MFA) as a strategic tool in E-waste management: Applications, trends and future directions.

Material flow analysis (MFA) is one of the most widely accepted and utilized tools in the industrial-ecology discipline, that measures the input-output materials and examines the pathways and flux of each material flow within the whole system. The application of MFA in e-waste management has recently increased and quite a few academic articles have been published on this issue providing decision support at the policy level. However, there is a need to understand the dynamics of MFA methodology, the data requirements (as well as the data sources used in the previous studies) and the lessons learnt from the studies, so that countries where such an E-waste-MFA study has not yet been performed can apply the international experience of such an emerging research technique. This comprehensive review article presents the recent applications, trends, characteristics, research gaps and challenges of the MFA method that may help e-waste management with an overview of the need for a such tool to be applied. A country-wise analysis is presented and MFA models complemented by various associated methods are summarized with national-level, regional-level, product-level, and element-level assessment. The highlighted future research perspectives discussed in this study will help to analyze e-waste management systems more critically, including the hidden and known flows of waste products and associated materials, economic assessment of material recovery and the role of responsible authorities. This invaluable contribution will help future researchers, particularly from the data collection techniques and previously applied MFA models complemented by various associated methods.

Ease of disassembly of products to support circular economy strategies.

Circular economy strategies encourage, among others, concrete actions to extend the product lifetime. Product's repair and reuse, and component harvesting for reuse, all require the facilitated access to product components. Consequently, a reduction of the disassembly time and the related costs will increase the economic feasibility of product lifetime extension and therefore increase the viability of a circular economy in industrialised regions. Furthermore, disassembly has the potential to significantly increase the recycling yield and purity for precious metals, critical metals and plastics. For this reason, the European Commission and several ecolabels have considered to include design for disassembly requirements in legislation or voluntary environmental instruments. However, up to date, there is no standardised method to evaluate the ease of disassembly in an unambiguous manner with a good trade-off between the efforts required to apply the method and the accuracy of the determined disassembly time. The article proposes a robust method "eDiM" (ease of Disassembly Metric), to calculate the disassembly time based on the Maynard operation sequence technique (MOST). A straightforward calculation sheet is employed in eDiM to calculate the disassembly time given the sequence of actions and basic product information. This makes the results fully verifiable in an unambiguous manner, which makes eDiM suited to be used in policy measures in contrast to the results of prior developed methods One of the innovative aspects of eDiM is the categorization of disassembly tasks in six categories, which provides better insights on which disassembly tasks are the most time consuming and how the product design could be improved. The proposed method is illustrated by means of a case study of an LCD monitor. The presented case study demonstrates how the proposed method can be used in a policy context and how the calculated disassembly times per category can provide insights to manufacturers to improve the disassemblability of their products. The results also demonstrate how the proposed method can produce realistic results with only limited detail of input data.

The application of lung ultrasound in acute decompensated heart failure in heart failure with preserved and reduced ejection fraction.

OBJECTIVES: Lung ultrasound detection of B-lines has become a simple, semiquantitative, noninvasive tool for evaluating pulmonary congestion in heart failure (HF) patients. This study compared the correlation of B-lines with E/e', NT-proBNP, and ejection fraction (EF) in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). METHODS: Eighty-two consecutive patients who were diagnosed with acute decompensated HF were divided into two groups: preserved ejection fraction heart failure (HFpEF, EF≥50%, n=32) and reduced ejection fraction heart failure (HFrEF, EF<50%, n=50). Spearman's correlation was used to evaluate associations of B-lines with E/e', NT-proBNP, and EF in the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to compare B-lines with the E/e' ratio. RESULTS: Results revealed no significant differences were observed in the B-lines between the HFpEF and HFrEF groups. However, compared with the control group, B-lines were significantly increased in the HFpEF and HFrEF groups (P<.05). The B-lines were positively correlated with E/e' (r=0.742, r=0.52) and NT-proBNP (r=0.678, r=0.417) but were negatively correlated with EF (r=-0.365, r=-0.337), and the correlation coefficients were higher in the HFpEF group than in the HFrEF group. In ROC analyses, considering E/e' ≥14 as a reference, B-lines yielded a C-statistic value of 0.94 (sensitivity 92%, specificity 83%) in the HFpEF group and 0.84 (sensitivity 86%, specificity 78%) in the HFrEF group. CONCLUSIONS: B-lines were significantly correlated with the more established parameters of ADHF. The correlation between B-lines and E/e' was better, especially in the HFpEF group.

Attitude of the stakeholders involved in the repair and second-hand sale of small household electrical and electronic equipment: Case study in Spain.

The European legal framework for Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) (Directive 2012/19/EU) prioritises reuse strategies against other valorisation options. Along these lines, this paper examines the awareness and perceptions of reusing small household EEE from the viewpoint of the different stakeholders involved in its end-of-life: repair centres, second-hand shops and consumers. Direct interviews were conducted in which an intended survey, designed specifically for each stakeholder, was answered by a representative sample of each one. The results obtained from repair centres show that small household EEE are rarely repaired, except for minor repairs such as replacing cables, and that heaters, toasters and vacuum cleaners were those most frequently repaired. The difficulty of accessing cheap spare parts or difficulties during the disassembly process are the commonest problems observed by repair technicians. The results obtained from second-hand shops show that irons, vacuum cleaners and heaters are the small household EEE that are mainly received and sold. The results according to consumers indicate that 9.6% of them take their small household EEE to be repaired, while less than 1% has ever bought a second-hand small household EEE. The main arguments for this attitude are they thought that the repair cost would be similar to the price of a new one (for repairs), and hygiene and cleaning reasons (for second-hand sales).

Proxemics in Couple Interactions: Rekindling an Old Optic.

Utilizing as a lens the interpersonal implications of physical interpersonal distances in social contexts (a set of variables present during the professional discourse during the 1960s and 1970s, to then fade away), this article explores interactive process displayed by the protagonic couple in Bela Bartok's opera "Bluebeard Castle," an exercise aimed at underlining the value of maintaining proxemics as an explicit level of observation for clinical practice and interpersonal research.

Severe neonatal seizures: From molecular diagnosis to precision therapy?

Early onset epileptic encephalopathies (EOEE) are heterogeneous group of severe epilepsies that still need to be better defined and characterized. On a genetic point of view, several dozen of genes have been associated with EOEE, and to date, it is difficult to find a common mechanism to explain EOEE. In this short review, we show that two mains genes are involved in EOEE: STXBP1 and KCNQ2. Focusing on KCNQ2 related EOEE, we show that a relatively similar phenotype can be related to various consequences of mutations on a single gene. This will probably challenge the treatment of EOEE patients.