Validation of the Five-Factor Self-Concept Questionnaire AF5 in Brazil: Testing Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance Across Language (Brazilian and Spanish), Gender, and Age

Self-concept is widely conceptualized as multidimensional (Shavelson et al., 1976). The Five-Factor Self-Concept Questionnaire (AF5, Garcia and Musitu, 2009) assesses five specific dimensions (i.e., academic, social, emotional, family, and physical). It is a psychometrically sound questionnaire, developed, and normed in Spain, which is widely used with Spanish-speaking samples. The validation of the AF5 in Brazil would expand its potential, and would facilitate cross-cultural research. To validate the Brazilian version of the AF5, the present study apply confirmatory factor analysis and multi-sample invariance analysis across sex (women vs. men), age (11-18 years old), and language (Brazilian [Portuguese] vs. Spanish). The sample consisted of 4,534 students (54.6%, women, 53.7%, Spanish) ranging in age from 11 to 18 years old (M = 14.61, SD = 2.09). The findings of the present study confirmed that the five-dimensional AF5 factorial structure provided the better fit to the data compared to alternative one-dimensional and orthogonal five-dimensional structures. The 30 items loaded appropriately on the five dimensions. Multi-group analysis for invariance between sex, age, and language groups showed equal loading in the five factors, equal covariation between the five dimensions, and equal error variances of items. Additionally, in order to obtain an external validity index, the five AF5 factors were related to both acceptance/involvement and strictness/imposition parenting dimensions. These results provide an adequate basis for meaningful comparative studies on a highly relevant construct, multidimensional self-concept, between male and female adolescents of different ages, and Brazilian (Portuguese) and Spanish-speaking samples. These results validate the instrument and confirm its suitability in cross-cultural research.The research reported in this article has been partially supported by Grants IT892-16 (Basque Government), ACIF/2016/431 and BEFPI/2017/058 (Valencian Regional Government, and European Social Fund), and FPU16/00988 (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Government of Spain)

Hepatitis C Virus Envelope Glycoprotein E2 Glycans Modulate Entry, CD81 Binding, and Neutralization▿

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major human pathogen that causes serious liver disease, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The primary target cells of HCV are hepatocytes, and entry is restricted by interactions of the envelope glycoproteins, E1 and E2, with cellular receptors. E1 and E2 form noncovalently linked heterodimers and are heavily glycosylated. Glycans contribute to protein folding and transport as well as protein function. In addition, glycans associated with viral envelopes mask important functional domains from the immune system and attenuate viral immunogenicity. Here, we explored the role of N- and O-linked glycans on E2, which is the receptor binding subunit of the HCV envelope. We identified a number of glycans that are critical for viral entry. Importantly, we showed that the removal of several glycans significantly increased the inhibition of entry by sera from HCV-positive individuals. Only some of the glycans that affected entry and neutralization were also important for CD81 binding. Our results show that HCV envelope-associated glycans play a crucial role in masking functionally important regions of E2 and suggest a new strategy for eliciting highly neutralizing antibodies against this virus

Researching Parental Socialization Styles across Three Cultural Contexts: Scale ESPA29 Bi-Dimensional Validity in Spain, Portugal, and Brazil

Recent research that relates parenting with adolescent adjustment has shown the importance of considering the cultural context of the relationship. New results are emerging when considering the classical four-typologies model of parental socialization in some European and South-American countries. Among the instruments used in this emergent research is the Parental Socialization Scale ESPA29. This scale is a bi-dimensional parenting instrument that was specifically developed to measure the four parenting typologies, through the dimensions of acceptance/involvement and strictness/imposition. This study examines the good fit of the orthogonal bi-factor model based on the ESPA29 versus one-dimensional and bi-dimensional oblique alternative models, with three adolescent samples from 12 to 17 years old (53.4% girls), from Spain (N = 826), Portugal (N = 752), and Brazil (N = 628). We applied structural equation models (SEMs) to analyze the fit of the models to the data. The results confirm a better fit to the data for the orthogonal bi-factor model versus one-dimensional and bi-dimensional oblique alternative models across country, adolescent sex, and the three age groups. Additionally, the convergent validity of the scale was proved by showing the relation of the two parenting dimensions with self-concept. The results guarantee the adequacy of the ESPA29 to measure parenting styles

Estudo dos óbitos por acidentes de trânsito na região de Sorocaba

Introdução: O desenvolvimento industrial do século XX gerou e expandiu a frota de veículos automotores em todo o mundo. Associado a presença de condutas ilícitas e a insuficiência da vigilância rodoviária, os acidentes de trânsito são uma causa importante de óbitos na população mundial. No Brasil, é a primeira causa de óbito em indivíduos entre 15 e 29 anos. Planejamento, ações de prevenção e controle, para reduzir a morbidade e mortalidade são fundamentais. A idade, gênero, o consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e falha de fiscalização do trânsito são os principais fatores de risco. Objetivos: Identificar a incidência de óbitos por acidente de trânsito na região de Sorocaba no ano de 2015; conhecer o perfil epidemiológico das vítimas; identificar a incidência de consumo de álcool nos óbitos e verificar se é fator de risco relevante; correlacionar os tipos de veículos com as lesões e causas mortis. Materiais e métodos: coleta de dados da Equipe de Perícia Médica Legal de Sorocaba através do arquivo morto do ano de 2015. Obtidos os dados gerais (idade, gênero, profissão, se ocorreu atendimento médico, local do acidente, veículo envolvido e tipo de colisão) e dados específicos (tipos de traumas, causa mortis e alcoolemia). Resultados: Do total de 319 casos, 84,95% são do sexo masculino, grupo etário predominate entre 30 e 49 anos (40,44%), em rodovias (55,8%), com motocicletas (34,8%). 66,25% receberam assistência médica. A principal causa mortis é o trauma cranioencefálico (39,8%). A alcoolemia, pesquisada em 216 casos, esteve presente em 29,9% dos homens avaliados (X²= 11,75, p=0,0012). Discussão: A região de Sorocaba contabilizou um total de 319 óbitos decorrentes de acidentes de trânsito no ano de 2015, incidência de 21 óbitos por 100.000 habitantes, maior que a incidência nacional. Conclusão: Estabelecida a associação do álcool como fator de risco, os tipos de lesões e as causas mortis relacionadas aos meios de transporte, envolvidos nos acidentes de trânsito, são necessários mais estudos em nossa região, que busquem relacionar a nossa casuística com a não adequabilidade às medidas de segurança no trânsito, de modo a servir como referencial de aprimoramento às estratégias de prevenção

A comprehensive study on the oxidative stabilization of mesophase pitch-based tape-shaped thick fibers with oxygen

Tape-shaped pitch fibers with a transverse cross-sectional size of 400 μm width and ~30 μm thickness, melt-spun from mesophase pitch, were adopted as a model for treatment in oxygen using various temperatures and durations to investigate their stabilization behavior. Several characterization techniques were used to systematically analyze the functional group species, oxygen content and distribution, local composition, thermal pyrolysis behavior and micro-structural changes in the various stabilized tapes. After oxidative stabilization treatment, the tape-shaped fiber exhibits uniform shrinkage behavior during subsequent heat treatments thereby maintaining its tape shape and structural integrity. The ~30 μm thick tapes can be stabilized completely by treatment in oxygen at 220 °C for ~10 h and this indicates a high efficiency of stabilization, which is, perhaps unexpectedly, higher than that of corresponding ~30 μm diameter round-shaped fibers. Thermal decomposition pathways varied with the degree of stabilization and have obvious effects on the microstructure of the resulted tapes, which in turn strongly influences their final physical properties. Pitch tapes oxidized under mild conditions offered relatively higher mechanical performance. Tensile strength and Young’s modulus of 2500 °C graphitized tapes, previously oxidatively stabilized at 220 °C for 20 h, were measured to be about 2 and 250 GPa, respectively

IoT technologies in the food supply chain

Over the past few years, there has been growing research interest in the Internet of Things (IoT). Both academics and industrialists have developed and deployed IoT-based applications for transparency and efficiency within the food sector. Some of the IoT applications that have been successfully implemented are related to tracking, tracing and monitoring food products and other resources, which contributed to improved efficiency as well as better traceability. This chapter focuses on the utilization of IoT technologies in the food supply chain (FSC) specifically post-farm gate until food reaches the retailer’s shelves. It presents IoT applications that have been successfully developed and deployed in FSCs, the pros and cons of IoT implementation and finally, it describes future trends such as elements of Industry 4.0, blockchain, intelligent packaging, and artificial intelligence