Two Sides to Every Trauma: The Role of Posttraumatic Growth and Decline in Well-Being

Research clearly demonstrates how traumatic events can damage psychological and physical health (Janoff-Bulman, 1992). However, Tedeschi and Calhoun (2004) argue that posttraumatic growth can also occur following adversity. Although largely well-received, their theory and the posttraumatic growth inventory (PTGI) have been critiqued as well. For instance, Wortman (2004) argues that Tedeschi and Calhoun give insufficient consideration to the negative consequences of traumatic events. Concurring with Wortman, we contend that the PTGI, constructed to measure only growth, does not allow participants the opportunity to report decline in any domain. This scale design may artificially inflate the apparent occurrence of posttraumatic growth while neglecting the challenges that may co-occur. In the current research, we adapted the PTGI to more fully capture respondents\u27 experiences of both growth and decline. In three studies, participants recalled a significant negative event and completed our adapted version of the PTGI (the posttraumatic growth and decline inventory or PTGDI). In Study 2, participants were randomly assigned to complete the original PTGI or our revised PTGDI. In all studies, participants reported experiencing both growth and decline. Furthermore, up to 16& of participants completing the PTGDI reported more decline than growth, whereas participants in the PTGI condition were unable to report any decline. Moreover, measuring both growth and decline allowed us to better predict a variety of well-being indicators than measuring growth alone. Additionally, in Study 3, participants were randomly assigned to describe an event that happened to the self or another. In general, similar patterns of the relation of growth and decline to well-being were found for the self condition. Results demonstrate the importance of investigating both positive and negative consequences of adverse life events to better understand current experience

Implementation of liquid culture for tuberculosis diagnosis in a remote setting: lessons learned.

Although sputum smear microscopy is the primary method for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis in low-resource settings, it has low sensitivity. The World Health Organization recommends the use of liquid culture techniques for TB diagnosis and drug susceptibility testing in low- and middle-income countries. An evaluation of samples from southern Sudan found that culture was able to detect cases of active pulmonary TB and extra-pulmonary TB missed by conventional smear microscopy. However, the long delays involved in obtaining culture results meant that they were usually not clinically useful, and high rates of non-tuberculous mycobacteria isolation made interpretation of results difficult. Improvements in diagnostic capacity and rapid speciation facilities, either on-site or through a local reference laboratory, are crucial

Hot water irrigation as treatment for intractable posterior epistaxis in an out-patient setting

The management of intractable posterior epistaxis is challenging for any physician. Nasal packing, often combined with use of an endonasal balloon system, is painful for the patient, and torturous to maintain for two to three days. If conservative treatment fails, the most commonly used treatment options are currently invasive procedures such as endoscopic coagulation of bleeding arteries, external ligation and, rarely, embolisation. This paper describes a simple, non-invasive technique of treating posterior epistaxis with hot water irrigation. Technical information is presented, and the benefits of the method are discusse

Tiempoovillo: Paraguayan Experimental Theatre.

Tiempoovillo: Paraguayan Experimental Theatre

Anatomy of Monocotyledons: stems and rhizomes of land herbs used as medicinal in the Río de La Plata area (Argentina)

Aerial stems of Cenchrus spinifexCav., Commelina erectaL., Sisyrinchium chilenseHook. subsp. chilense, and Tripogandra diuretica(Mart.) Handlos, and rhizomes of Arundo donax L., Cynodon dactylon(L.) Pers., and Kyllinga odorataVahl were studied. These organs are used in folk medicine in the Río de La Plata area. The objective was to get diagnostic characters to elaborate a key to distinguish the taxa from whole or fragmented caulinar samples. Conventional histological and microchemical methods were used. The main differential traits were found in epidermal cell shapes, position and stomata type, trichome types, distribution of fibers, characteristics of vascular bundles, and crystals. Every species gave positive reaction for starch, and for mucilages the reaction was positive in Commelinaceae species. Most of the species gave negative reaction for lipophilic and phenolic substances, however Kyllinga odoratarhizome showed interesting content of secretory substances and gave positive reaction for oils droplets

MgC1q, a novel C1q-domain-containing protein involved in the immune response of Mytilus galloprovincialis

9 páginas, 6 figuras, 1 tablaIn this study, we present the characterization of a newly identified gene, MgC1q, revealed in suppression subtractive hybridization and cDNA libraries from immunostimulated mussels. Based on sequence homology, molecular architecture and domain similarity, this new C1q-domain-containing gene may be classified as a member of the C1q family and, therefore, part of the C1q–TNF superfamily. The expression of MgC1q was detected all along the mussel ontogeny, being detectable within 2 h post-fertilization, with a notable increase after 1 month and continuing to increase until 3 months. Measurable transcript levels were also evident in all analyzed tissues of naïve adult mussels, and the hemocytes showed the highest expression levels. Experimental infection of adult mussels with Gram positive or Gram negative bacteria significantly modulated the MgC1q expression, and confirmed it as an immune-related gene. Intra- and inter-individual sequence analyses revealed extraordinary diversity of MgC1q at both the DNA and cDNA levels. While further research is needed to define its function, our data indicate that MgC1q is a pattern recognition molecule able to recognize pathogens during innate immune responses in Myitilus galloprovincialis. The high sequence variability suggests that somatic diversification of these nonself recognition molecules could have occurred.This work has been funded by the EU Integrated Project FOOD-CT-2005-007103 and AGL2008-05111/ACU from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Camino Gestal wishes to acknowledge additional funding from the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia through the “Ramón y Cajal” Contract.Peer reviewe

Invirtiendo en capital natural: un marco para integrar la sostenibilidad ambiental en las políticas de cooperación

Tomando en cuenta la magnitud de la crisis ambiental que afecta al planeta y los estrechos vínculos existentes entre la conservación de los ecosistemas y la lucha contra la pobreza, cabría preguntarse por qué los temas de protección del medio ambiente continúan teniendo un peso relativo tan bajo en las agendas y prioridades de las agencias de cooperación internacional. En este artículo, se analizan las razones de este desequilibrio y se propone un marco conceptual con base socio-ecológica para facilitar una verdadera integración de la sostenibilidad ambiental como prioridad estratégica en las políticas y herramientas de ayuda oficial al desarrollo. Varios paradigmas y principios fundamentales emanan de este nuevo marco conceptual, que considera a los ecosistemas funcionales como un capital natural que, adecuadamente gestionado, es capaz de producir un rico y variado flujo de servicios sobre los cuales es posible construir un proceso de desarrollo social, económica y ambientalmente sostenible, además de justo en términos de equidad intra e intergeneracional

O LABORATÓRIO DE ARTE E SUAS ARTICULAÇÕES DO MUNDO: Práticas artísticas, ecologia, modernização e o alcance das suas redes na desembocadura do Rio Doce, Brasil

Aborda-se o laboratório de arte como espaço que possibilita questionar de maneira ampla as relações, contradições e alcance das redes que conectam ciência, natureza, ecologia e paisagem nos lugares contaminados pela modernização. Assim, mediante o agenciamento de um laboratório de paisagem, Landart-Lab (2016-2018), tanto na Foz do Rio Doce em Regência, Estado do Espírito Santo, Brasil, como em alguns circuitos artísticos brasileiros, são descritas as inscrições da paisagem e suas transformações após do crime-catástrofe ocorrido em novembro do ano 2015, pela ruptura duma barragem de rejeito mineiro responsabilidade da empresa Samarco Mineração S.A. (versão provisória)