Avaliação da efetividade terapêutica de um programa de treinamento de pais em uma comunidade carente de Belo Horizonte

The present work aims to assess the effectiveness of a parental training in families from a poor community of Belo Horizonte. The program was administered in a group of 14 parents of children with defiance and aggression problems throughout eight meetings distributed across two months. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated by two measurement tools of defiance and undesirable behaviors in childhood – the Questionnaire of Home Situations and the inventory of defiant behavior – before the onset of the program (pretest situation) and immediately after its end (posttest situation). Reliability was estimated for both instruments using the Cronbach Alpha method which produced acceptable coefficients. Nonparametric statistics – descriptive statistics and the test of Wilcoxon – indicated that there was a significant reduction within children’s oppositional-aggressive problems. Results indicate the program is successful. Limitations and implications of the program are examined. Key words: parental training, therapeutic efficiency, externalizing, social vulnerability.Este trabalho visa avaliar a efetividade de um programa de treinamento de pais em famílias de uma comunidade carente de Belo Horizonte. O programa foi administrado a 14 pais de crianças com problemas de desobediência e de agressividade, ao longo de oito encontros no período de dois meses. Os resultados do programa foram mensurados pela aplicação de dois instrumentos avaliativos de condutas indesejadas em crianças – o Questionário de Situações Domésticas e o Inventário de Comportamentos Inoportunos – antes do início do programa (situação de pré-teste) e imediatamente após o seu término (situação de pós-teste). O grau de fidedignidade/unidimensionalidade de ambos os instrumentos foi calculado pelo método Alpha de Cronbach, o que produziu coeficientes alpha aceitáveis. Análises estatísticas não-paramétricas – análise descritiva e o teste de Wilcoxon – indicaram uma redução significativa nas condutas-foco do estudo. Os resultados indicam o sucesso terapêutico do programa, no entanto, a limitação e as implicações restritivas do programa também são apontadas. Palavras-chave: treinamento de pais, eficácia terapêutica, externalização, vulnerabilidade social

Confiabilidade em validade convergente da Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index em crianças e adolescentes

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and the convergent validity of the Children Anxiety Sensitivity Index (CASI) with DSM-IV anxiety disorder symptoms, by comparison with the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), in a community sample of Brazilian children and adolescents. METHODS: Children and adolescents from five schools were selected from a larger study that aimed to assess different aspects of childhood anxiety disorders. All participants completed the CASI and the SCARED. RESULTS: This study supported the reliability of the CASI total score. Girls reported higher total anxiety sensitivity scores than boys and there were no differences in total anxiety sensitivity scores between children and adolescents. This study showed moderate to high correlations between the CASI scores with SCARED scores, all correlations coefficients being positive and significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate an appropriate reliability and evidence of convergent validity in the CASI in a sample of Brazilian children and adolescents.OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi examinar a confiabilidade e a validade convergente da Children Anxiety Sensitivity Index (CASI) com sintomas de transtornos de ansiedade de acordo com o DSM-IV, por meio da comparação com a Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). MÉTODOS: Crianças e adolescentes provenientes de cinco escolas foram selecionados de uma amostra de um estudo maior que avaliava diferentes aspectos dos transtornos de ansiedade. Todos os participantes completaram a CASI e a SCARED. RESULTADOS: Esse estudo demonstrou a confiabilidade do escore total da CASI. Meninas apresentaram escores de sensibilidade à ansiedade mais altos do que meninos e não houve diferença nos escores totais de sensibilidade de ansiedade entre crianças e adolescentes. Esse estudo encontrou correlações de moderada a alta entre os escores da CASI e os escores da SCARED, sendo todas as correlações positivas e significativas. CONCLUSÕES: Nossos achados demonstraram uma confiabilidade apropriada e evidência de validade convergente da CASI em uma amostra de crianças e adolescentes brasileiros.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Hospital de Clínicas de Porto AlegreUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulInstitute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and AdolescentUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESP, PsiquiatriaSciEL

Temperamento afetivo e o cuidado de pacientes oncológicos internados: repercussões para o bem-estar psicológico e percepção de sobrecarga

The current study aimed to advance on the understanding of the relationship between affective temperaments and the care of cancer in patients by examining the prevalence of temperament types and the associations of these variables with measures of psychological well-being and caregivers burden in a sample of primary caregivers. 53 caregivers (45 women) participated voluntarily and answered questionnaires that assessed variables related to socio-demographic and temperament characteristics, psychological well-being, and caregiving burden. Results showed a higher prevalence of stable affective temperaments (euthymic, hyperthymic and obsessive) among the assessed caregivers (56.6%) and these types showed better psychological adjustment indicators in specific domains of wellbeing and perceived caregivers burden (t> 2.0; p <0.05). Caregivers with stable temperament have better psychological adjustment and temperament seems to be an important variable in the designation of the person who will face the role of primary caregiver of a cancer patient.Keywords: temperament, primary caregiver, cancer, psychological well-being, psychological assessment.O presente estudo visou contribuir para o entendimento da relação entre temperamento e o cuidado de pacientes oncológicos por meio do exame da prevalência de tipos temperamentais e a das associações destes com medidas de bem-estar psicológico e percepção de sobrecarga em uma amostra de cuidadores principais de pacientes oncológicos internados. Participaram do estudo 53 cuidadores (45 mulheres) que responderam voluntariamente a questionários que avaliavam indicadores sócio-demográficos, temperamentais e pertinentes ao bem-estar psicológico e à sobrecarga relacionada ao cuidado do paciente. Os resultados mostraram maior prevalência de temperamentos estáveis entre os cuidadores avaliados (56,6%) e que os tipos estáveis apresentaram associações positivas com bem-estar psicológico e percepção de sobrecarga relacionada ao cuidado de pacientes (t > 2,0; p < 0,05). Cuidadores com temperamento estável apresentam melhores indicadores de ajustamento psicológico, e o temperamento parece ser uma variável importante na designação da pessoa que assumirá o papel do cuidador principal do paciente oncológico.Palavras-chave: temperamento, cuidador principal, pacientes oncológicos, bem-estar psicológico, avaliação psicológica

The latent structure and reliability of the emotional trait section of the Affective and Emotional Composite Temperament Scale (AFECTS)

Background: The Emotional and Affective Composite Temperament (AFECT) model describes originally six traits of volition, anger, inhibition (fear and caution subordinate factors), control, sensitivity, and coping. However, fear and caution have shown opposite relatioships with criteria-variables, indicating factor independence. Objective: The current investigation aimed to advance in the evaluation of the psychometric properties of the emotional trait section of the Emotional and Affective Composite Temperament Scale (AFECTS) by examining the suitability of a 7-factor structure and the reliability of each scale using data from a population-based sample. Methods: AFECTS was administered via face-to-face assessments in a single-session, population-based cross-sectional survey. Samples was composed of teenagers and adults (14 to 35 years). The latent structure and reliability were analyzed via structural equation modeling: confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the a priori correlated 7-factor model (with fear and caution designed as single-factors) and trait-scores reliability was assessed by the estimation of information curves. Results: Findings attested the suitability of the 7-factor model presumed to underline the item set of the traits section of AFECTS and information curve interpretation showed adequate levels of reliability for all trait-scores. Discussion: The 7-factor model showed robust indicators of construct validity for the AFECTS

Bean seedling growth enhancement using magnetite nanoparticles

Advanced fertilizers are one of the top requirements to address rising global food demand. This study investigates the effect of bare and polyethylene glycol-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on the germination and seedling development of <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L. Although the germination rate was not affected by the treatments (1 to 1 000 mg Fe L^–1), seed soaking in Fe₃O₄-PEG at 1 000 mg Fe L^–1 increased radicle elongation (8.1 ± 1.1 cm vs 5.9 ± 1.0 cm for the control). Conversely, Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺_(aq) and bare Fe₃O₄ at 1 000 mg Fe L^–1 prevented the growth. X-ray spectroscopy and tomography showed that Fe penetrated in the seed. Enzymatic assays showed that Fe₃O₄-PEG was the least harmful treatment to α-amylase. The growth promoted by the Fe₃O₄-PEG might be related to water uptake enhancement induced by the PEG coating. These results show the potential of using coated iron nanoparticles to enhance the growth of common food crops

Fragment-Based Approaches to the Development of Mycobacterium tuberculosis CYP121 Inhibitors.

The essential enzyme CYP121 is a target for drug development against antibiotic resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A triazol-1-yl phenol fragment 1 was identified to bind to CYP121 using a cascade of biophysical assays. Synthetic merging and optimization of 1 produced a 100-fold improvement in binding affinity, yielding lead compound 2 (KD = 15 μM). Deconstruction of 2 into its component retrofragments allowed the group efficiency of structural motifs to be assessed, the identification of more LE scaffolds for optimization and highlighted binding affinity hotspots. Structure-guided addition of a metal-binding pharmacophore onto LE retrofragment scaffolds produced low nanomolar (KD = 15 nM) CYP121 ligands. Elaboration of these compounds to target binding hotspots in the distal active site afforded compounds with excellent selectivity against human drug-metabolizing P450s. Analysis of the factors governing ligand potency and selectivity using X-ray crystallography, UV-vis spectroscopy, and native mass spectrometry provides insight for subsequent drug development.MEK was supported by a Commonwealth (University of Cambridge) Scholarship awarded in conjunction with the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and Cambridge Overseas Trust. AGC and KJM were supported by grants from the BBSRC (Grant No: BB/I019669/1 and BB/I019227/1). GGJ received funding from the Ogden Trust and the Isaac Newton Trust administered through the University of Cambridge Bursary Scheme. DSCH was supported by a Croucher Cambridge International Scholarship awarded in conjunction between the Croucher Foundation and the Cambridge Overseas Trust. SAH was supported by an Oliphant Cambridge Australia Scholarship (App No: 10132070) awarded by the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust. The contributions of LBM and LPSC were supported by funds from the Francis Crick Institute, which receives its core funding principally from Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK, and the UK Medical Research Council (to LPSC - MC_UP_A253_1111) and funds from FAPESP, CNPq and CAPES-PDSE (to LBM - 2011/21232-1, 140079/2013-0, 99999.003125/2014-09).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from the American Chemical Society via http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b0000

Laboratory Microprobe X-Ray Fluorescence in Plant Science: Emerging Applications and Case Studies

In vivo and micro chemical analytical methods have the potential to improve our understanding of plant metabolism and development. Benchtop microprobe X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (μ-XRF) presents a huge potential for facing this challenge. Excitation beams of 30 μm and 1 mm in diameter were employed to address questions in seed technology, phytopathology, plant physiology, and bioremediation. Different elements were analyzed in several situations of agronomic interest: (i) Examples of μ-XRF yielding quantitative maps that reveal the spatial distribution of zinc in common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) primed seeds. (ii) Chemical images daily recorded at a soybean leaf (Glycine max) infected by anthracnose showed that phosphorus, sulfur, and calcium trended to concentrate in the disease spot. (iii) In vivo measurements at the stem of P. vulgaris showed that under root exposure, manganese is absorbed and transported nearly 10-fold faster than iron. (iv) Quantitative maps showed that the lead distribution in a leaf of Eucalyptus hybrid was not homogenous, this element accumulated mainly in the leaf border and midrib, the lead hotspots reached up to 13,400 mg lead kg-1 fresh tissue weight. These case studies highlight the ability of μ-XRF in performing qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis of fresh and living plant tissues. Thus, it can probe dynamic biological phenomena non-destructively and in real time