How Do Maternal Subclinical Symptoms Influence Infant Motor Development during the First Year of Life?

An unavoidable reciprocal influence characterizes the mother-child dyad. Within this relationship, the presence of depression, somatization, hostility, paranoid ideation, and interpersonal sensitivity symptoms at a subclinical level and their possible input on infant motor competences has not been yet considered. Bearing in mind that motor abilities represent not only an indicator of the infant\u2019s health-status, but also the principal field to infer his/her needs, feelings and intentions, in this study the quality of infants\u2019 movements were assessed and analyzed in relationship with the maternal attitudes. The aim of this research was to investigate if/how maternal symptomatology may pilot infant\u2019s motor development during his/her first year of life by observing the characteristics of motor development in infants aged 0\u201311 months. Participants included 123 mothers and their infants (0\u201311 months-old). Mothers\u2019 symptomatology was screened with the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), while infants were tested with the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale-Second Edition. All dyads belonged to a non-clinical population, however, on the basis of SCL-90-R scores, the mothers\u2019 sample was divided into two groups: normative and subclinical. Descriptive, t-test, correlational analysis between PDMS-2 scores and SCL-90-R results are reported, as well as regression models results. Both positive and negative correlations were found between maternal perceived symptomatology, Somatization (SOM), Interpersonal Sensitivity (IS), Depression (DEP), Hostility (HOS), and Paranoid Ideation (PAR) and infants\u2019 motor abilities. These results were further verified by applying regression models to predict the infant\u2019s motor outcomes on the basis of babies\u2019 age and maternal status. The presence of positive symptoms in the SCL-90-R questionnaire (subclinical group) predicted good visual-motor integration and stationary competences in the babies. In particular, depressive and hostility feelings in mothers seemed to induce an infant motor behavior characterized by a major control of the environmental space. When mothers perceived a higher level of hostility and somatization, their babies showed difficulties in sharing action space, such as required in the development of stationary positions and grasping abilities. In a completely different way, when infants can rely on a mother with low-perceived symptoms (normative group) his/her motor performances develop with a higher degree of freedom/independence. These findings suggest, for the first time, that even in a non- clinical sample, mother\u2019s perceived-symptoms can produce important consequences not in infant motor development as a whole, but in some specific areas, contributing to shape the infant\u2019s motor ability and his/her capability to act in the world

Parasite, Compartments, and Molecules: Trick versus Treatment on Chagas Disease

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is endemic to Latin America, standing out as a socio-economic problem for low-income tropical populations. Such disease affects millions of people worldwide and emerges in nonendemic areas due to migration and climate changes. The current chemotherapy is restricted to two nitroderivatives (benznidazole and nifurtimox), which is unsatisfactory due to limited efficacy (particularly in chronic phase) and adverse side effects. T. cruzi life cycle is complex, including invertebrate and vertebrate hosts and three developmental forms (epimastigotes, trypomastigotes, and amastigotes). In this chapter, we will discuss promising cellular and molecular targets present in the vertebrate-dwelling forms of the parasite (trypomastigotes and amastigotes). Among the cellular targets, the mitochondrion is the most frequently studied; while among the molecular ones, we highlight squalene synthase, C14α-sterol demethylase, and cysteine proteases. In this scenario, proteomics becomes a valuable tool for the identification of other molecular targets, and some previously identified candidates will be also discussed. Multidisciplinary studies are needed to identify novel key molecules in T. cruzi in order to increase trypanocidal activity and reduce mammalian toxicity, ensuring the development of novel drugs for Chagas disease

Teores de matéria orgânica em diferentes sistemas de preparo de solo e sucessão de culturas.

Para assegurar a sustentabilidade do uso agrícola do solo e minimizar ações danosas torna-se necessário a adoção de um bom sistema de manejo do solo. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar os teores de matéria orgânica em três profundidades (0-10,10-20 e 20-30cm)de um solo cultivado em diferentes sistemas de preparo de solo e sequência de culturas. O experimento instalado em 2007 foi conduzido em esquema de parcelas subsubdivididas 4x4x3, sendo que o fator preparo de solo foi: 1- PRT - preparo tradicional (uma operação com grade aradora e mais uma com grade niveladora), 2 - PRA - preparo alternativo (uma operação de subsolagem), 3 - PDA - plantio direto com um preparo alternativo a cada quatro anos e 4 - PDC - plantio direto contínuo. O fator seqüência de culturas foi: 1) S/F: soja - feijão; 2) S/M: soja ? milho; 3) M/F: milho-feijão; 4) M/M: milho-milho e com três repetições. O PRA apresentou maior teor de matéria orgânica (MO) e houve um decréscimo em MO com o aumento da profundidade com exceção do PRT

Quality assessment methodology and tools

The paper introduced the work done by Working Group 3 in the field of the research COST TU0701 "Improving the Quality of Suburban Building Stock". The main aim of Task 6 of the Action “Quality assessment models and protocols” developed by Working Group 3 in the two last years of the TU0701 COST Action, was to analyse the suitability of existing and available models for assessing the quality and value of suburban housing estates to be refurbished. The suitability of the models was checked taking into consideration their compatibility with the legislation (i.e. fire protection, earth quake prevention, emission thresholds), and the relevant standards of participating countries. The strategic aim of this Task was the definition of criteria, strategies and actions (procedures, technical tools, economic analysis) for receiving information about the actual degradation state of the buildings and the possibility to develop renovation plans, taking into account the appli-cability and availability of existing systems. The main objective of the Action is the development and dissemination of knowledge and tools to assess and promote the refurbishment of existing suburban building stocks” (Memorandum of Understanding COST ACTION TU0701).The main aim of this work is to compare systems and learn from each other the potentials of each methodology