The Role of Metacognition in Pathological Gambling: A Mediation Model

Pathological gambling involves multitudinous costs related to financial, legal, and public health care aspects, as well as to specific psychological disorders. Despite the overall evidence suggesting that comorbid disorders represent a risk factor for pathological gambling, there is scant evidence on the appropriate treatments for gamblers with such disorders. In this context, metacognitive therapy is an interesting approach because it considers psychological disorders as a result of the activation of perseverative cognitive processes and attentional strategies in response to inner events. Several studies report that metacognition is associated with different psychological problems. This study investigated the relationship among comorbid disorders, metacognition, and pathological gambling. 69 pathological gamblers at the first hospital admission and 58 controls drawn from general population (matched for age, gender, education) completed a battery of self report instruments: Symptom Checklist-90-R, Metacognition Questionnaire 30, South Oaks Gambling Scale. Compared to controls, pathological gamblers showed higher level of comorbid symptomatology and metacognition. Correlation analyses showed that: comorbid symptomatology and metacognition were positively and significantly correlated with pathological gambling; metacognition was positively and significantly associated with comorbid symptomatology. Mediation analysis indicated that dysfunctional metacognitive strategies could have an indirect effect on pathological gambling mediated by concurrent psychological disorders. These findings provide some implications for gambling treatment programs: pathological gamblers should be screened for psychiatric disorders, and metacognitive therapy could be considered a correct treatment of pathological gamblers. Metacognitive therapy might lead to the reduction of the pathological gambling by the diminishing of the concurrent psychological disorders.     

A Mediational Model Explaining the Connection Between Religiosity and Anti-Homosexual Attitudes in Italy: The Effects of Male Role Endorsement and Homosexual Stereotyping

This study aimed to better understand the relationship between religiosity and anti-homosexual attitudes in Italy by examining the mediation effects of male role endorsement and homosexual stereotyping. A sample of 5,522 Italian residents (age range = 18–74) was drawn from a cross-sectional national representative survey carried out in 2011. Measures included general religiosity, male role endorsement, homosexual stereotyping, social acceptance of homosexuality, and homosexual rights endorsement. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediational effects of male role endorsement and homosexual stereotyping on the relationship between general religiosity and attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. Results showed that both male role endorsement and homosexual stereotyping partially mediated the relationship. In a model where religiosity and both mediators positively explained anti-homosexual attitudes, male role endorsement was the strongest mediator. Endorsement of gender role beliefs and homosexual stereotyping may thus exacerbate the connection between religiosity and anti-homosexual attitudes among Italians.     

Inequality indices: theoretical and empirical aspects of their asymptotic behaviour

The authors use a Berry-Esseen type bound to identify the factors which influence the speed of convergence to the normal distribution of the indices of Gini, Piesch and Mehran. To empirically confirm the conclusions reached, a Monte Carlo experiment is performed for a log-logistic distribution.     

Evaluating industrial technological forecasting

This article discusses an approach to the application of technological forecasting among a group of Italian companies. The information upon which the article is based has been obtained from a preliminary study. However, it should prove of interest to manufacturing organizations where similar problems necessitate a constructive approach to forecasting.     

Network Positions and the Probability of Being Acquired: An Empirical Analysis in the Biopharmaceutical Industry

This paper examines the relationship between the firm's direct ties, its inter‐firm network prominence and its likelihood of being acquired. The authors argue that firm's direct ties and prominence enhance the firm's visibility and signal its quality – and thus foster the firm's likelihood of being acquired. However, higher levels of direct ties and prominence, by providing access to resources and the firm's status, respectively, increase the firm's ability to remain independent and thus reduce its likelihood of being acquired. Thus, the authors posit the overall relation as an inverted U‐shaped. Furthermore, they show that, for firms that undergo an initial public offering, the aforementioned relation becomes much weaker. The hypotheses are empirically tested in the biopharmaceutical industry and important theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

Indicator function and complex coding for mixed fractional factorial designs

In a general fractional factorial design, the n levels of a factor are coded by the nth roots of the unity. This device allows a full generalization to mixed-level designs of the theory of the polynomial indicator function which has already been introduced for two-level designs in a joint paper with Fontana. The properties of orthogonal arrays and regular fractions are discussed.     

Algebraic statistics of level codings for fractional factorial designs

We discuss the applications of algebraic statistics to fractional factorial design with special emphasis on the choice of level coding. In particular, we deal with the theory of Bayley's level codings in that framework.     

Lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia and erectile dysfunction: from physiology to clinical aspects

Abstract

Erectile dysfunction, prostatic hyperplasia and lower urinary tract symptoms hare important pathogenetic links. Endothelial dysfunction and hormonal alterations represent the main aspects. The present article examines the anatomical, physiological, and pathophysiological characteristics of this association, finalizing the text to an interpretation of the clinical management of these patients based on these functional considerations.     

Treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia and erectile dysfunction

Abstract

This article summarizes years of challenging research on erectile dysfunction (ED), a condition that has an important social and cultural relevance. Preclinical and clinical research progress has led to new therapeutic approaches to ED in patients with different comorbidities and particularly in those with low urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)/benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). These goals were possible only by combined work of specialists and researchers of different and intertwined medical disciplines. Currently, tadalafil (5?mg/d) is the best choice; other phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5i) are not included among options, despite the growing evidence of therapeutic effects. Different regimens of tadalafil may be prescribed based on patient needs, severity of LUTS/BPH – ED profile, and clinical experience. An integrated approach is necessary to choose for a combined therapy with PDE5i and α-blockers following urological and cardiac counseling in terms of outcomes and adverse effects.