Functional characterization of thioredoxin 3 (TRX-3), a Caenorhabditis elegans intestine-specific thioredoxin

Jiménez-Hidalgo, María et al.Thioredoxins are a class of evolutionarily conserved proteins that have been demonstrated to play a key role in many cellular processes involving redox reactions. We report here the genetic and biochemical characterization of Caenorhabditis elegans TRX-3, the first metazoan thioredoxin with an intestine-specific expression pattern. By using green fluorescent protein reporters we have found that TRX-3 is expressed in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus of intestinal cells, with a prominent localization at the apical membrane. Although intestinal function, reproductive capacity, longevity, and resistance of trx-3 loss-of-function mutants to many stresses are indistinguishable from those of wild-type animals, we have observed a slight reduction in size and a minor reduction in the defecation cycle timing of trx-3 mutants. Interestingly, trx-3 is induced upon infection by Photorhabdus luminescens and Candida albicans, and TRX-3 overexpression provides a modest protection against these pathogens. Together, our data indicate that TRX-3 function in the intestine is dispensable for C. elegans development but may be important to fight specific bacterial and fungal infections. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.Some strains were provided by the CGC, which is funded by the NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (P40 OD010440) and the Japanese National Bioresource Project of the MEXT, Japan. We thank Howard Baylis, Keith Nehrke, Bart Braeckman, and Jim McGhee for sharing worm strains and plasmids. We are grateful to María Jesús Rodriguez-Palero and Fernando Calahorro for excellent technical assistance, to Cristina Méndez-Vidal for help with qPCR, to Helen M. Crook-McMahon for help with PRDX-2 blots, and to Britta Spanier for critical reading of the manuscript. A.M.-V. was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Projects PI050065 and PI080557, cofinanced by the Fondo Social Europeo) and Junta de Andalucía (Projects P07-CVI-02697 and P08-CVI-03629), Spain. The work in the laboratory of P.S., a member of the NordForsk Nordic C. elegans Network, was supported by a grant from the Swedish Research Council. C.L.K. was supported by the INSERM, the CNRS, and the French Ministry of Research. E.L.B. and E.A.V. were supported by the MRC. J.R.P. was supported by the Plan de Apoyo a la Investigación, Desarrollo Tecnológico e Investigación de la Universidad de Jaén (Project UJA2011/12/55). J.C. was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Grant BFU2010-21794) and the Rioja Salud Foundation. E.L. and A.G.S. were supported by grants from the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI080642 and PI110120) and Ramón y Cajal Program to E.L. (Spanish government).Peer Reviewe

Improving child development from family preservation services: How can we explain change in families participating in parent education and support programs?

Desde el convencimiento de que las intervenciones familiares constituyen una herramienta valiosa para promover el desarrollo infantil, están aumentando las propuestas legales e institucionales a favor de desarrollar programas de formación y apoyo familiar; es decir, propuestas de intervención psicoeducativa con padres y madres dirigidas a promover la parentalidad positiva. Entre los criterios que permiten discriminar la calidad de estos programas se encuentra el disponer de un cuerpo teórico fundamentado que explique cómo mejoran las familias gracias a la intervención. En este artículo se pretende llevar a cabo una revisión del cambio conseguido con los programas de formación y apoyo familiar desarrollados en el ámbito de la preservación familiar, es decir, en situaciones de riesgo psicosocial. Además, en este trabajo se reflexiona acerca de las implicaciones de un modelo comprehensivo de cambio y se describen las características metodológicas que deben cumplir los programas de formación y apoyo familiar en el ámbito de la preservación familiar en base a los supuestos descritosLegal and institutional proposals enhancing family education and support programs are increasing, based on relevance of family interventions in order to promote child development. This is psychoeducative interventions for parents aimed at improving positive parenting are nowadays increasing. A solid theoretical approach explaining change in families after intervention is a quality criterion for family education and support programs. In this paper a theoretical model for explaining family change in family education and support programs is presented specifically concerning family preservation services interventions, this is, concerning at-risk situations. Also consequences for program design are discussed, and methodological characteristics of family education and support programs in family preservation services following these theoretical models are described

Family education and support for families at psychosocial risk in Europe: Evidence from a survey of international experts

First published online: 11 October 2018There is overwhelming consensus among policy makers, academics, and professionals about the need to support families in their childrearing tasks. Consequently, European countries have been encouraged to develop family support interventions aimed at guaranteeing children's rights, targeting particularly those children in situations of psychosocial risk. While a certain amount of evidence exists regarding how family support is generally delivered in certain European countries, with a particular focus on parenting initiatives, this paper aims to take existing evidence one step further by providing an updated review focusing on two core components of the Council of Europe's Recommendation on Positive Parenting: families at psychosocial risk as the target population, and family education and support initiatives as the delivery format. The scope of the study was therefore broad, in both geographical and conceptual terms. An online survey was conducted with experts from 19 European countries to gather information regarding how they perceive family education and support initiatives for families at psychosocial risk. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analysed by computing frequencies/percentages and by following a thematic synthesis method, respectively. The results revealed both similarities and disparities as regards provider profiles, intervention characteristics, and quality standards. Practical implications are discussed, such as the need to diversify initiatives for at‐risk families in accordance with the tenets of progressive universalism, the ongoing need for an evidence‐based, pluralistic approach to programmes, and the skills and qualifications required in the family support workforce. This study constitutes a first step towards building a common family support framework at a European level, which would encompass family support and parenting policies aimed at families at psychosocial risk.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España EDU2013‐41441‐

The role of psychosocial stress on a family-based treatment for adolescents with problematic behaviors

The stressful life events experienced by adolescents with problematic behaviors, should be considered for implementing effective interventions. This study aimed to examine the adjustment of adolescents with problematic behaviors, and to assess the effectiveness of a family-based treatment, namely Scene-Based Psychodramatic Family Therapy (SB-PFT), according to different stress profiles. Ten SB-PFT sessions, over 17 trials were implemented. Stressful life events and adolescent adjustment were evaluated at pretest and posttest, for the SB-PFT participants (n = 104 adolescents) and a control group (n = 106). The adolescents were categorized into three profiles depending on the nature of the stressors: family stress profile, individual and family stress profile, and low stress profile. The individual and family stress group showed worse adjustment. Effectiveness analyses revealed improvements in SB-PFT participants’ emotional intelligence, but not in anger and hostility. Furthermore, adolescents with low and family-related stress profiles showed enhancements in parent attachment. In conclusion, interventions involving adolescents with problematic behaviors must be tailored to the stressful life events experienced. Specific treatments should be used alongside SB-PFT, when adolescents are met with individual-related stress. Nevertheless, SB-PFT seemed to promote emotional intelligence and parent attachment, particularly in adolescents with problematic behaviors that experienced only family stressors.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad EDU2013-41441-PMinisterio de Educación, Cultura y Deportes FPU Program-311

La construcción androcéntrica de los personajes femeninos en las novelas: El deseo que lleva tu nombre (1990) y La mantis religiosa (2014) de Carlos Carrión

El presente trabajo se centra en dos novelas del escritor ecuatoriano, Carlos Carrión, estas son: El deseo que lleva tu nombre (1990) y La Mantis religiosa (2014). En estas dos novelas se construye una visión sobre la feminidad a partir de un imaginario masculino. Esta construcción no es solo implícita, si no explicita, ya que el mundo de las dos coprotagonistas de estas novelas está completamente mediado y en función de los sujetos masculinos de las dos novelas. El principal interés de esta investigación radica en analizar la forma cómo se construye de una manera masculinizada y androcéntrica las diversas representaciones femeninas en las novelas mencionadas, y de esta manera dilucidar si a partir de las representaciones de género existe violencia simbólica en la construcción de los personajes femeninos. Se ha analizado las mencionadas novelas a través de la intertextualidad con algunas novelas importantes de la literatura ecuatoriana y la biblia como texto sagrado en el cual se construye un cuerpo femenino moralizado

Desarrollo y validación de una escala sobre disciplina parental en contextos familiares en situación de riesgo psicosocial

Este artículo describe el desarrollo de una escala para evaluar las creencias de padres y madres en situación de riesgo psicosocial sobre las estrategias disciplinarias durante la adolescencia. Se presentan los resultados psicométricos obtenidos en el proceso de construcción de la escala con una investigación en la que participaron 197 familias usuarias de los servicios sociales comunitarios de la ciudad de Sevilla. Los análisis factoriales realizados (exploratorio y confirmatorio) evidenciaron la existencia de dos factores con índices estadísticos adecuados: disciplina inductiva y disciplina coercitiva. Con objeto de aportar evidencias de validez, se relacionaron estos dos factores con otras dimensiones del funcionamiento familiar teóricamente relacionadas con las prácticas disciplinarias, obteniéndose resultados que apoyan la validez y fiabilidad del instrumento desarrollado para evaluar un ámbito fundamental de las prácticas educativas de las familias en situación de riesgo psicosocialDevelopment and validation of an instrument for measuring parents’ beliefs about behavioral control as educative practices with adolescents in psychosocial risk situations is presented. The development and dimensionality of the proposed scale was examined with a sample made of 197 families at psychosocial risk that benefited from preservation services in Seville (Andalusia, Spain). Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses evidenced two factors with adequate psychometric properties: inductive discipline and coercive discipline. Evidences for validity were probed through significant correlations with other family functioning measures. The scale developed led us to evaluate a critical aspect of parental discipline in families at psychosocial risk with psychometric guarantees.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España) EDU2013-41441-

Effectiveness of structural-strategic family therapy in the treatment of adolescents with mental health problems and their families

Mental health problems during adolescence constitute a major public health concern today for both families and stakeholders. Accordingly, different family-based interventions have emerged as an effective treatment for adolescents with certain disorders. Specifically, there is evidence of the effectiveness of concrete approaches of systemic family therapy on the symptoms of adolescents and family functioning in general. However, few studies have examined the effectiveness of other relevant approaches, such as structural and strategic family therapy, incorporating parent–child or parental dyadic measurement. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a structural–strategic family therapy with adolescents involved in mental health services and their families. For this purpose, 41 parents and adolescents who participated in this treatment were interviewed at pre-test and post-test, providing information on adolescent behavior problems, parental sense of competence, parental practices, parenting alliance, and family functioning. Regardless of participants’ gender, adolescents exhibited fewer internalizing and externalizing problems after the treatment. Parents reported higher family cohesion, higher satisfaction and perceived efficacy as a parent, and healthier parental practices (less authoritarian and permissive practices, as well as more authoritative ones). An interaction effect between parenting alliance and gender was found, with more favorable results for the mothers. In conclusion, this paper provides evidence of the usefulness of structural–strategic family therapy for improving family, dyadic, and individual facets in families with adolescents exhibiting mental health problems

Adult learning processes in non-formal education contexts

La compresión de los procesos de aprendizaje durante la adultez requiere considerar tanto el contexto de aprendizaje como las características personales de los aprendices. En este marco, el estudio que se describe en este artículo explora los procesos de aprendizaje adulto en contextos no formales siguiendo el modelo de Kolb (1984), a la vez que se analiza su variabilidad en función de diferentes características personales de los participantes. Los resultados obtenidos confirmaron la existencia de una importante variabilidad en las formas de aprender de los adultos participantes en la investigación, y mostraron que algunas características personales como las condiciones socio-laborales y la trayectoria personal de riesgo guardaban relación con las diferencias observadas. El papel de estas características personales, así como de otras variables relacionadas con los adultos como aprendices, es discutido, a la vez que se destacan importantes implicaciones metodológicas a tener en cuenta cuando se planifican experiencias educativas no formales con personas adultas.It is necessary to evaluate the learning conte xt and individual characteristics of learners to understand the adult learning process. In this study , adult learning processes at non-formal situations according to Kolb ́s model (1984) are described, considering its variability according to individual characteristics. Variability in adult learning processes was found, with socio -laboral conditions and risk trajectories playing a relevant role. These results are discussed, and methodological implications for planning adult learning experiences are highlighted

Factorial structure of PSOC (Parental Sense of Competence) scale with a sample of mothers from family preservation services

En este artículo se examina la estructura factorial de la escala Parental Sense of Competence (PSOC, Johnston & Mash, 1989) con una muestra de madres usuarias de dispositivos públicos de protección social por razones de preservación familiar. Los resultados confirman parcialmente la estructura original en dos subescalas, pero ponen de manifiesto la conveniencia, con este tipo de población, de realizar algunas adaptaciones. En concreto, en este trabajo proponemos una versión reducida de 10 ítems con dos subescalas: la percepción de eficacia como progenitor y la controlabilidad en la tarea educativa.Factorial structure of the Parental Sense of Competence scale (PSOC, Johnston & Mash, 1989) is examined in this article, with a sample of mothers from family preservation services. Data analyses confirm the original two-subscale structure, but also suggest some adaptations with this population. Specifically, a 10-item shorter version is proposed in this paper, composed of efficacy and controllability subscales concerning competence as a parent

The DSM-5 Limited Prosocial Emotions subtype of Conduct Disorder in incarcerated male and female juvenile delinquents

The aim of the present study was to analyze the relevance of the DSM-5's Conduct Disorder new Limited Prosocial Emotions (CD LPE) specifier in incarcerated juvenile delinquents. A sample of 201 males and 98 females from the Juvenile Detention Centers managed by the Portuguese Ministry of Justice diagnosed with Conduct Disorder (CD) was used. Results showed that male juvenile delinquents with the CD LPE specifier scored higher on callous-unemotional traits (CU), general psychopathic traits, psychopathy taxon membership, self-reported delinquency, and crime seriousness, and lower on prosocial behavior and social desirability, while female juvenile delinquents with the CD LPE specifier scored higher on callous-unemotional traits (CU) and general psychopathic traits, and lower on prosocial behavior. Significant associations for both genders were found between the CD LPE specifier and age of crime onset and first problems with the law