Psychological adjustment in children with episodic migraine: a population-based study

We investigated psychological adjustment in a preadolescent pediatric population as a function of headache diagnosis. Children from a city public education system were enrolled in this study. Parents were interviewed using validated headache questionnaires and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which measures psychological adjustment. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were obtained using a binary regression model. The relative risk [RR] of SDQ items and scores were modeled as a function of headache diagnosis in adjusted analyses. Multivariate models estimated determinants of psychological adjustment characteristics in children with migraine. The sample consisted of 846 children (65.9% of the target sample) from 5 to 12 years old (50.5% girls). Relative to children without headache, children with episodic migraine (EM) were more likely to have abnormal scores on the following SDQ scales: emotional symptoms (RR = 3.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.51-4.69), conduct problems (RR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.37-2.79), total difficulties (RR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.59-3.13), and total impact (RR = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.15-7.11). The multivariate analysis showed that total difficulties in psychological adjustment in children with EM were significantly influenced by headache frequency (p < .05), analgesic intake (p < .001), and the occurrence of nausea (p < .01) and vomiting (p < .05) in headache attacks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reported in the literature to identify determinants of the association between migraine and difficulties in psychological adjustment in preadolescent children. Providers and educators should be aware of this association, and studies that address causality should be conducted71334

Clinical approach to headaches in children

A cefaléia é um dos sintomas mais freqüentes da infância e apresenta dificuldades diagnósticas específicas. Nesta revisão, analisam-se tais dificuldades e revêem-se os principais tipos de cefaléia, na infância: agudas, crônicas recorrentes e crônicas progressivas; na discussão das cefaléias crônicas, recorrentes, são comentadas as limitações do uso de critérios, diagnósticos de migrânea infantil, propostos pela Sociedade Internacional de Cefaléia, e se propõe um roteiro para o diagnóstico e tratamento da migrânea, na infância.Headache is one of the most frequent symptons in children and it has specific diagnostic problems. In this review, there problems are analyzed and main types of headache in children are discussed - acute, chronic recurrent and chronic progressive. In the discussion of chronic recurrent headaches, limitations of diagnostic criteria of the International Society of Headache for child migraine are commented and a diagnostic and therapeutic guides for migraine in children is proposted

Direct analysis of Antarctic krill by slurry sampling: determination of copper, iron, manganese and zinc by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Slurry sampling in combination with flame atomic absorption spectrometry was employed for the direct determination of four essential trace elements, namely Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn in Antarctic krill. The effect of instrumental operating conditions and slurry sampling preparation on the analytical signal was investigated. For the determination of Cu, Fe and Zn, samples were suspended in a solution containing 2 mol L-1 HNO3. In the case of Mn, 4 mol L-1 HNO3 was necessary for the preparation of the slurry. The precision between sample replicates was better than 5%. The method was applied to the direct determination of Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn in Antarctic krill samples using aqueous reference solutions to prepare the calibration curves. The results obtained were in good agreement with those achieved by FAAS and ICP-AES after microwave-assisted wet digestion of the krill samples. The detection limits were 4.5, 1.0, 4.9 and 8.4 mug L-1 for Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe, respectively.A técnica de amostragem de suspensão aliada à espectrometria de absorção atômica com chama foi empregada para a determinação direta de Cu, Fe, Mn e Zn em matrizes de Krill antártico. O efeito dos parâmetros instrumentais e o preparo das suspensões foram estudados em função do sinal analítico. Para a determinação de Cu, Fe e Zn, as amostras foram suspensas em uma solução de HNO3 2,0 mol L-1 e para a determinação de Mn, o krill foi suspenso em uma solução de HNO3 4,0 mol L-1. A precisão entre as replicas foi melhor que 5 %. A metodologia foi aplicada para a determi-nação direta de Cu, Fe, Mn e Zn em amostras de krill antártico, usando padrões aquosos no preparo das curvas analíticas. Os resultados obtidos estão concordantes com os encontrados na determinação por FAAS e ICP-AES, depois da digestão das amostras em um forno de microondas. Os limites de detecção foram 4,5; 1,0; 4,9 e 8,4 mig L-1 para Cu, Zn, Mn e Fe, respectivamente.365370Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Vermicompost as a natural adsorbent material: characterization and potentialities for cadmium adsorption

Vermicompost (humic material) samples were submitted to characterization by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetric analysis, electron microscopy etc. In addition, its cation exchange capacity (CEC) was determined. Factorial experiments were designed in order to elucidate the interaction mechanisms between Cd2+ and the adsorptive sites of vermicompost. The maximum adsorptive capacity for cadmium was evaluated by a Langmuir isotherm. The characterization revealed that vermicompost exhibits high CEC values (ca. 72.9 meq per 100 g), high surface area (porous material), chelating groups and a maximum adsorptive capacity for Cd (38.6 mg g-1) at pH 5.0. This potential application was exploited in the analysis of synthetic and real (mineral water) samples with Cd concentrations of ca 5 mug L-1, requiring a preconcentration step. An enrichment factor of 100 was attained.Amostras de vermicomposto (material húmico) foram submetidas à caracterização por espectroscopia de infravermelho, difractometria de raios-X, termogravimetria, microscopia eletrônica, entre outras; adicionalmente, foi determinada a capacidade de troca catiônica (CTC). Empregou-se planejamento fatorial para estudar os mecanismos de interação da espécie Cd2+ com os sítios adsortivos do vermicomposto e, posteriormente, foi avaliada a máxima capacidade adsortiva de cádmio empregando isoterma de Langmuir. A caracterização revelou que o vermicomposto exibe CTC tão elevada quanto 72,9 meq por 100 g, grande área superficial (substância porosa), grupos quelantes e máxima capacidade adsortiva para Cd (38,6 mg g-1) em pH 5,0. Esta potencialidade foi explorada em análises de amostras sintéticas e reais (água mineral) apresentando concentrações de cádmio próximas a 5 mig L-1 e requerendo etapas de pré-concentração. Um fator de enriquecimento de 100 foi obtido.3947Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of Ca, K and Mg from in vitro citrus culture

An ultrasound extraction procedure for Ca, K and Mg from in vitro plant cultures is proposed, comparing cultures of different embryogenic levels of Citrus sinensis and Citrus limonia, employing ultrasound energy. Parameters related to metals extraction, such as plant material sampling, acid concentration and sonication time were investigated. For accuracy check, the proposed ultrasound extraction procedure was compared with a microwave-assisted digestion procedure and no differences in the results were verified at 95% of the confidence level. With this simple and accurate extraction procedure, it was possible to determine differences in Ca, K and Mg concentrations during Citrus embryo formation/development and between cultures (embryogenic and non-embryogenic). Finally, the ultrasound extraction method demonstrated to be an excellent alternative for handless sampling and operational costs.Apresenta-se um procedimento para extração de Ca, K e Mg de amostras de cultivo in vitro de plantas, comparando-se culturas de calo com diferentes potenciais embriogênicos de Citrus sinensis e Citrus limonia, com o emprego de energia ultra-som. Foram investigados os parâmetros relacionados com a extração de metais, tais como tipo de amostragem do material, concentração do ácido e tempo de sonicação. Visando a comprovação da exatidão, o procedimento de extração ultra-sônica foi comparado com o de digestão ácida assistida por microondas, e não foram observadas diferenças estatísticas significativas em um nível de confiança de 95%. Com este procedimento de extração simples e preciso, foi possível estabelecer diferenças nas concentrações de Ca, K e Mg durante a formação/desenvolvimento dos embriões de Citrus, bem como entre as culturas (embriogênicas e não-embriogênicas). Finalmente, a extração ultra-sônica demonstrou-se uma excelente alternativa para menor manipulação das amostras e redução de custos operacionais.470474Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Reproductibilidad de un cuestionario que valora la actividad física en adolescentes escolares

Introducción: Los cuestionarios de actividad física por lo general son los instrumentos más sencillos y fáciles de aplicar a grandes poblaciones, sin embargo, la capacidad de reproductibilidad varía entre las poblaciones. Objetivo: Analizar la fiabilidad de un cuestionario que valora la Actividad Física en una muestra de escolares adolescentes que viven a elevada altitud por medio de consistencia interna y test re-test. Diseño: Descriptivo-Transversal (Survey). Institución: Universidad Nacional del Altiplano, Puno, Perú. Participantes: Adolescentes escolares de 12 a 17 años. Intervenciones: Fueron seleccionados de forma sistemática 109 escolares de ambos sexos. Se valoró las medidas antropométricas de peso, estatura, estatura sentada y circunferencia del abdomen. Además se aplicó un cuestionario de actividad física con 11 preguntas (test y re-test) con un intervalo de 7 días. Principales medidas: Valoración de la capacidad de reproductibilidad por consistencia interna y estabilidad. Resultados: Los valores de alpha de Cronbach (Consistencia interna) mostraron valores de 0,73 a 0,77 para ambos sexos. El Error Técnico de Medida (ETM) fue de 0,50 a 1,61% y el coeficiente de correlación de Spearman  osciló entre 0,91 a 0,95. Conclusión: El cuestionario de actividad física muestra altos valores de confiabilidad, tanto en su consistencia interna como en la estabilidad de las medidas. Introduction: Physical activity questionnaires usually are the most simple and easy to apply to large populations, however, reproducibility capacity varies between populations. Objective: To analyze the reliability of a questionnaire to assess physical activity in a sample of school adolescents living at high altitude through internal consistency and test re-test. Design: Descriptive, transversal (Survey). Institution: Universidad Nacional del Altiplano, Puno, Peru. Participants: School Teens 12 to 17 years. Interventions: There were systematically selected 109 students of both sexes. We evaluated anthropometric measurements of weight, height, sitting height and circumference of the abdomen. In addition we applied a physical activity questionnaire with 11 questions (test and re-test) with an interval of 7 days. Main measures: capacity rating for internal consistency, reproducibility and stability. Results: Cronbach's alpha values ??(internal consistency) showed values ??from 0.73 to 0.77 for both sexes. Measuring technical error (SEM) was from 0.50 to 1.61% and the Spearman correlation coefficient ranges from 0.91 to 0.95. Conclusion: The physical activity questionnaire shows high values ??of reliability, consistency both internally and in the stability of the measures

Recent Advances in Metalloproteomics

Interactions between proteins and metal ions and their complexes are important in many areas of the life sciences, including physiology, medicine, and toxicology. Despite the involvement of essential elements in all major processes necessary for sustaining life, metalloproteomes remain ill-defined. This is not only owing to the complexity of metalloproteomes, but also to the non-covalent character of the complexes that most essential metals form, which complicates analysis. Similar issues may also be encountered for some toxic metals. The review discusses recently developed approaches and current challenges for the study of interactions involving entire (sub-)proteomes with such labile metal ions. In the second part, transition metals from the fourth and fifth periods are examined, most of which are xenobiotic and also tend to form more stable and/or inert complexes. A large research area in this respect concerns metallodrug–protein interactions. Particular attention is paid to separation approaches, as these need to be adapted to the reactivity of the metal under consideration.</p

Employment of factorial design for optimization of pirolisys and atomization temperatures for Al, Cd, Mo and Pb determination by ETAAS

This work describes a factorial design for the optimization of pyrolysis and atomization temperatures in ETAAS. As examples, Cd and Pb were determined using lower pyrolysis and atomization temperatures and Al and Mo with higher pyrolysis and atomization temperatures. Good results were obtained for Cd employing Rh (m o = 1.4 pg) as a permanent modifier with pyrolysis and atomization temperatures of 640 and 1500 °C, respectively. For Zr, W or Zr+W, the Cd pyrolysis and atomization temperatures were 500 and 1500 °C, respectively, with m o = 1.4 pg using Zr or W and 1.5 pg using Zr+W. The best results for Pb were those using Rh, Zr, W and Zr+Rh, obtaining characteristic masses of 42, 37, 34 and 36 pg, respectively. Pyrolysis and atomization temperatures of 910 and 1850 °C, respectively, were achieved for this metal. For Al, the best results were obtained when Zr or Zr+W were used. Mo was also tested as a possible permanent modifier for Al, but the results were not satisfactory. The results obtained for Mo without modifier were similar to those with conventional modifiers (Mg or Pd+Mg) and the results obtained using permanent chemical modifiers were not satisfactory. In all situations, the experiments were performed faster than those using the univariate procedure.246253Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

River Sediment Analysis by Slurry Sampling FAAS: Determination of Copper, Zinc and Lead

Foi desenvolvido um procedimento experimental para a análise direta de sedimento. Com o emprego deste procedimento, foram determinados cobre, zinco e chumbo, e foram conseguidas recuperações quantitativas para esses metais com baixo custo e manipulação mínima das amostras. Foram investigadas a influência da concentração do ácido nítrico no preparo da suspensão, bem como o tamanho de partícula do sedimento. As suspensões do sedimento foram tratadas com ácido nítrico 6,0 mol L -1 e cloreto de amônio 2% (m/v), e sonicadas por 15 minutos em um banho de ultrasom antes da quantificação por espectrometria de absorção atômica com chama. Empregando essas condições, a porcentagem de recuperação para cobre, zinco e chumbo foram 96,4 ± 4,9; 97,0 ± 4,0 e 99,7 ± 4,0, respectivamente, empregando-se um material certificado de referência. An experimental procedure for direct sediment analysis was developed. Using this procedure, copper, zinc and lead were determined and quantitative recoveries for these metals were accomplished at a low cost and with minimal sample manipulation. The influence of the nitric acid concentration on the slurry preparation, as well as the sediment particle size was investigated. Sediment slurries were treated with 6.0 mol L -1 nitric acid and 2% (m/v) ammonium chloride, and sonicated for 15 minutes in an ultrasonic bath before quantification by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Using these conditions for a certified reference material, the percentage of recovery for copper, zinc and lead were 96.4 ± 4.9, 97.0 ± 4.0 and 99.7 ± 4.0, respectively

River Sediment Analysis by Slurry Sampling FAAS: Determination of Copper, Zinc and Lead

An experimental procedure for direct sediment analysis was developed. Using this procedure, copper, zinc and lead were determined and quantitative recoveries for these metals were accomplished at a low cost and with minimal sample manipulation. The influence of the nitric acid concentration on the slurry preparation, as well as the sediment particle size was investigated. Sediment slurries were treated with 6.0 mol L-1 nitric acid and 2% (m/v) ammonium chloride, and sonicated for 15 minutes in an ultrasonic bath before quantification by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Using these conditions for a certified reference material, the percentage of recovery for copper, zinc and lead were 96.4 ± 4.9, 97.0 ± 4.0 and 99.7 ± 4.0, respectively.Foi desenvolvido um procedimento experimental para a análise direta de sedimento. Com o emprego deste procedimento, foram determinados cobre, zinco e chumbo, e foram conseguidas recuperações quantitativas para esses metais com baixo custo e manipulação mínima das amostras. Foram investigadas a influência da concentração do ácido nítrico no preparo da suspensão, bem como o tamanho de partícula do sedimento. As suspensões do sedimento foram tratadas com ácido nítrico 6,0 mol L-1 e cloreto de amônio 2% (m/v), e sonicadas por 15 minutos em um banho de ultra-som antes da quantificação por espectrometria de absorção atômica com chama. Empregando essas condições, a porcentagem de recuperação para cobre, zinco e chumbo foram 96,4 ± 4,9; 97,0 ± 4,0 e 99,7 ± 4,0, respectivamente, empregando-se um material certificado de referência.799803Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq