Drug dependence and psychological distress in Portuguese patients entering a substance abuse treatment center

In the current state of art of drug dependence treatment programs, psychopathological features seem to be associated with negative therapeutic outcome. Drug abuse and especially drug dependence are complex disorders that include cognitive, behavioral and physiologic signs and symptoms. The wide spectrum of symptoms that characterize these disorders are responsible for clinical heterogeneity in terms of clinical presentation, severity, vulnerability, sequelae, and comorbidity which by itself accounts for great suffering and need for help in several areas. Assessment of both drug abuse and psychological distress constitutes a major challenge for professionals working with drug addicts. In the present descriptive study we tried to explore some key characteristics of individuals with a drug addiction when starting a treatment program. A total of 107 participants visiting a large metropolitan Portuguese addiction treatment center participated in this study, 90.7% were male, aged between 22 and 55 years (M = 34.84, SD = 6.44). The results indicate the existence of some relationships between severity of drug addiction and psychopathological symptomsEn el contexto de la situación actual de los programas de tratamiento de las toxiocodependencias, las características psicopatológicas parecen estar asociadas con resultados terapéuticos negativos. El abuso de drogas, en especial la dependencia, es una perturbación compleja que incluye síntomas cognitivos, comportamentales y fisiológicos. El amplio espectro de síntomas que caracterizan estas perturbaciones es responsable de su heterogeneidad clínica en términos de manifestación clínica, severidad, vulnerabilidad, secuelas y comorbilidad que por sí solo implica un elevado sufrimiento y necesidad de intervención en diferentes áreas. La evolución de la toxicodependencia y de la psicopatología se constituye como un gran desafío para los profesionales que trabajan en estos contextos. El presente estudio descriptivo trata de explorar algunas características principales de los individuos con problemas de toxicodependencia que iniciaron un programa de tratamiento. Participaron en el estudio 107 sujetos, con edades comprendidas entre 22 y 55 años (M = 34,84; DT = 6,44), que frecuentan un centro metropolitano de tratamiento de las toxicodependencias, 90,7% de los cuales pertenecen al sexo masculino. Los resultados señalan la presencia de algunas relaciones entre la severidad del consumo y la sintomatología psicopatológica.No contexto do actual estado da arte dos programas de tratamento de toxicodependências, as características psicopatológicas parecem estar associadas com resultados terapêuticos negativos. O abuso de drogas, mas especialmente a dependência são perturbações complexas que incluem sintomas e sinais cognitivos, comportamentais e fisiológicos. O amplo espectro de sintomas que caracterizam estas perturbações é responsáveis pela sua heterogeneidade clínica em termos da sua manifestação clínica, severidade, vulnerabilidade, sequelas e comorbilidade que só por si implica um elevado sofrimento e necessidade de intervenção em várias áreas. A avaliação da toxicodependência e da psicopatologia constitui-se como um grande desafio para os profissionais que trabalham nesses contextos. O presente estudo descritivo procura explorar algumas características centrais dos indivíduos com problemas de toxicodependência que iniciaram um programa de tratamento. Participaram neste estudo 107 sujeitos, com idades compreendidas entre 22 e os 55 anos (M = 34,84; DP = 6,44), que frequentam um centro metropolitano de tratamento de toxicodependências, 90,7% dos quais são do sexo masculino. Os resultados indicam a existência de algumas relações entre a severidade do consume e a sintomatologia psicopatológica.This study was supported by a grant of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia / Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal (FCT/POCTI/39334/PSI/2001) to the first author

Freiburgh Personality Inventory-Revised (FPI-R): Validation study with a Portuguese sample of university students

Neste estudo instrumental é apresentado o primeiro estudo de validação da versão portuguesa do Inventário de Personalidade de Freiburg-Revisto (FPI-R) junto de uma amostra de 1099 estudantes universitários. O FPI-R é composto por 138 itens de resposta dicotómica («verdadeiro» vs. «falso»), distribuídos por 12 escalas, 10 escalas standard (satisfação com a vida, orientação social, orientação para o desempenho, inibição, irritabilidade, agressividade, solicitação, queixas somáticas, preocupações com a saúde e sinceridade) e 2 escalas suplementares (extroversão e emocionalidade). Este inventário procura abarcar constructos relativamente amplos, que contêm sub-constructos delimitados, encontrando-se organizados em escalas unipolares (e.g. poucas queixas somáticas – muitas queixas somáticas) e bipolares (e.g. insatisfação com a vida – satisfação com a vida). Os principais resultados revelam que embora o instrumento apresente uma estrutura factorial semelhante ao original, foram encontradas fragilidades em termos de fidelidade das sub-escalas. Discutem-se os resultados obtidos, as limitações encontradas e são propostas possíveis soluções a desenvolver em estudos futuros

Ab initio theory and modeling of water

Water is of the utmost importance for life and technology. However, a genuinely predictive ab initio model of water has eluded scientists. We demonstrate that a fully ab initio approach, relying on the strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) density functional, provides such a description of water. SCAN accurately describes the balance among covalent bonds, hydrogen bonds, and van der Waals interactions that dictates the structure and dynamics of liquid water. Notably, SCAN captures the density difference between water and ice I{\it h} at ambient conditions, as well as many important structural, electronic, and dynamic properties of liquid water. These successful predictions of the versatile SCAN functional open the gates to study complex processes in aqueous phase chemistry and the interactions of water with other materials in an efficient, accurate, and predictive, ab initio manner

Self-supporting graphene films and their applications

The self-supporting monolayer material which is graphene has excited enormous interest over the ten years since its discovery due to its remarkable electrical, mechanical thermal and chemical properties. In this paper we describe our work to develop chemical vapour deposition methods to grow monolayer graphene on copper foil substrates and the subsequent transfer process. Raman microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are used to examine the quality of the transferred material. To demonstrate the process we describe transfer onto patterned SiO2/Si substrates which forms freely suspended graphene with focus on circular wells forming graphene drums. These show interesting mechanical properties which are being explored as nanomechanical resonators.UK NMS Programme, the EU EMRP (European Metrology Research Programme) projects MetNEMS and GraphOh

Isolation and genomic characterization of Chaoyang virus strain ROK144 from \u3ci\u3eAedes vexansnipponii\u3c/i\u3e from the Republic of Korea

During June 2003, mosquito surveillance was conducted at a US Army installation and a US Military training site 2 km south of the demilitarized zone, Republic of Korea. Mosquitoes were collected using Mosquito MagnetsTM, sorted to species, and assayed for the presence of arboviruses. From the 3,149 mosquitoes that were sorted into126 pools, one Aedes vexan snipponii pool (out of 73 pools) tested positive for flavivirus RNA by reverse transcription-PCR. After isolation from C6/36 cell culture supernatant, the viral genome was sequenced and found to be 98.9% related to Chaoyang virus, a potential arthropod-specific flavivirus. This report details the first identification of Chaoyang virus in the Republic of Korea and highlights its relationship to other flaviviruses

Isolation and genomic characterization of Chaoyang virus strain ROK144 from \u3ci\u3eAedes vexansnipponii\u3c/i\u3e from the Republic of Korea

During June 2003, mosquito surveillance was conducted at a US Army installation and a US Military training site 2 km south of the demilitarized zone, Republic of Korea. Mosquitoes were collected using Mosquito MagnetsTM, sorted to species, and assayed for the presence of arboviruses. From the 3,149 mosquitoes that were sorted into126 pools, one Aedes vexan snipponii pool (out of 73 pools) tested positive for flavivirus RNA by reverse transcription-PCR. After isolation from C6/36 cell culture supernatant, the viral genome was sequenced and found to be 98.9% related to Chaoyang virus, a potential arthropod-specific flavivirus. This report details the first identification of Chaoyang virus in the Republic of Korea and highlights its relationship to other flaviviruses

Outflows and Massive Stars in the protocluster IRAS 05358+3543

We present new near-IR H2, CO J=2-1, and CO J = 3-2 observations to study outflows in the massive star forming region IRAS 05358+3543. The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope H2 images and James Clerk Maxwell Telescope CO data cubes of the IRAS 05358 region reveal several new outflows, most of which emerge from the dense cluster of sub-mm cores associated with the Sh 2-233IR NE cluster to the northeast of IRAS 05358. We used Apache Point Observatory (APO) JHK spectra to determine line of sight velocities of the outflowing material. Analysis of archival VLA cm continuum data and previously published VLBI observations reveal a massive star binary as a probable source of one or two of the outflows. We have identified probable sources for 6 outflows and candidate counterflows for 7 out of a total of 11 seen to be originating from the IRAS 05358 clusters. We classify the clumps within Sh 2-233IR NE as an early protocluster and Sh 2-233IR SW as a young cluster, and conclude that the outflow energy injection rate approximately matches the turbulent decay rate in Sh 2-233IR NE.Comment: 15 figures, 42 pages, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Full size figures are included at http://casa.colorado.edu/~ginsbura/iras05358.htm. Data can be accessed from figshare: http://figshare.com/articles/IRAS_05358_3543_Data_Cubes/80631

Meeting report: a hard look at the state of enamel research.

The Encouraging Novel Amelogenesis Models and Ex vivo cell Lines (ENAMEL) Development workshop was held on 23 June 2017 at the Bethesda headquarters of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Discussion topics included model organisms, stem cells/cell lines, and tissues/3D cell culture/organoids. Scientists from a number of disciplines, representing institutions from across the United States, gathered to discuss advances in our understanding of enamel, as well as future directions for the field

Vertical integration and firm boundaries : the evidence

Since Ronald H. Coase's (1937) seminal paper, a rich set of theories has been developed that deal with firm boundaries in vertical or input–output structures. In the last twenty-five years, empirical evidence that can shed light on those theories also has been accumulating. We review the findings of empirical studies that have addressed two main interrelated questions: First, what types of transactions are best brought within the firm and, second, what are the consequences of vertical integration decisions for economic outcomes such as prices, quantities, investment, and profits. Throughout, we highlight areas of potential cross-fertilization and promising areas for future work