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

Validation of the CoGEF Method as a Predictive Tool for Polymer Mechanochemistry

The development of force-responsive molecules called mechanophores is a central component of the field of polymer mechanochemistry. Mechanophores enable the design and fabrication of polymers for a variety of applications ranging from sensing to molecular release and self-healing materials. Nevertheless, an insufficient understanding of structure–activity relationships limits experimental development, and thus computation is necessary to guide the structural design of mechanophores. The constrained geometries simulate external force (CoGEF) method is a highly accessible and straightforward computational technique that simulates the effect of mechanical force on a molecule and enables the prediction of mechanochemical reactivity. Here, we use the CoGEF method to systematically evaluate every covalent mechanophore reported to date and compare the predicted mechanochemical reactivity to experimental results. Molecules that are mechanochemically inactive are also studied as negative controls. In general, mechanochemical reactions predicted with the CoGEF method at the common B3LYP/6-31G* level of density functional theory are in excellent agreement with reactivity determined experimentally. Moreover, bond rupture forces obtained from CoGEF calculations are compared to experimentally measured forces and demonstrated to be reliable indicators of mechanochemical activity. This investigation validates the CoGEF method as a powerful tool for predicting mechanochemical reactivity, enabling its widespread adoption to support the developing field of polymer mechanochemistry. Secondarily, this study provides a contemporary catalog of over 100 mechanophores developed to date

Validation of the CoGEF Method as a Predictive Tool for Polymer Mechanochemistry

The development of force-responsive molecules called mechanophores is a central component of the field of polymer mechanochemistry. Mechanophores enable the design and fabrication of polymers for a variety of applications ranging from sensing to molecular release and self-healing materials. Nevertheless, an insufficient understanding of structure–activity relationships limits experimental development, and thus computation is necessary to guide the structural design of mechanophores. The constrained geometries simulate external force (CoGEF) method is a highly accessible and straightforward computational technique that simulates the effect of mechanical force on a molecule and enables the prediction of mechanochemical reactivity. Here, we use the CoGEF method to systematically evaluate every covalent mechanophore reported to date and compare the predicted mechanochemical reactivity to experimental results. Molecules that are mechanochemically inactive are also studied as negative controls. In general, mechanochemical reactions predicted with the CoGEF method at the common B3LYP/6-31G* level of density functional theory are in excellent agreement with reactivity determined experimentally. Moreover, bond rupture forces obtained from CoGEF calculations are compared to experimentally measured forces and demonstrated to be reliable indicators of mechanochemical activity. This investigation validates the CoGEF method as a powerful tool for predicting mechanochemical reactivity, enabling its widespread adoption to support the developing field of polymer mechanochemistry. Secondarily, this study provides a contemporary catalog of over 100 mechanophores developed to date

Denying humanness to victims: How gang members justify violent behavior

The high prevalence of violent offending amongst gang-involved youth has been established in the literature. Yet the underlying psychological mechanisms that enable youth to engage in such acts of violence remain unclear. 189 young people were recruited from areas in London, UK, known for their gang activity. We found that gang members, in comparison to non-gang youth, described the groups they belong to as having recognized leaders, specific rules and codes, initiation rituals, and special clothing. Gang members were also more likely than non-gang youth to engage in violent behavior and endorse moral disengagement strategies (i.e., moral justification, euphemistic language, advantageous comparison, displacement of responsibility, attribution of blame, and dehumanization). Finally, we found that dehumanizing victims partially mediated the relationship between gang membership and violent behavior. These findings highlight the effects of groups at the individual level and an underlying psychological mechanism that explains, in part, how gang members engage in violence

Female economic dependence and the morality of promiscuity

This article is made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund. Copyright @ The Author(s) 2014.In environments in which female economic dependence on a male mate is higher, male parental investment is more essential. In such environments, therefore, both sexes should value paternity certainty more and thus object more to promiscuity (because promiscuity undermines paternity certainty). We tested this theory of anti-promiscuity morality in two studies (N = 656 and N = 4,626) using U.S. samples. In both, we examined whether opposition to promiscuity was higher among people who perceived greater female economic dependence in their social network. In Study 2, we also tested whether economic indicators of female economic dependence (e.g., female income, welfare availability) predicted anti-promiscuity morality at the state level. Results from both studies supported the proposed theory. At the individual level, perceived female economic dependence explained significant variance in anti-promiscuity morality, even after controlling for variance explained by age, sex, religiosity, political conservatism, and the anti-promiscuity views of geographical neighbors. At the state level, median female income was strongly negatively related to anti-promiscuity morality and this relationship was fully mediated by perceived female economic dependence. These results were consistent with the view that anti-promiscuity beliefs may function to promote paternity certainty in circumstances where male parental investment is particularly important

Serum total and bone alkaline phosphatase levels and their correlation with serum minerals over the lifespan of sheep

This study aimed to assess serum total alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and its bone isoform (BALP) levels during the ageing and in different physiologic states of sheep, in order to expand the knowledge about the variation of these biomarkers over the sheep lifespan. Ninety female sheep were divided into nine groups of various ages and physiological states (dry, lactation and pregnancy). Serum ALP, BALP and mineral levels were determined by commercial immunoassay, molecular absorbance spectrophotometry and chemical luminescence for BALP determination. Serum ALP and BALP decreased as sheep aged, and no statistically significant differences were obtained between ewes in different physiologic states. The continuous decline of serum BALP concentration along the sheep lifespan, namely in mature and old sheep, is a sign of decreasing bone turnover associated with ageing. Serum calcium concentrations increased slightly until 2 years of age and then showed a tenuous but statistically significant decrease in mature sheep, while serum phosphorus maintained an uninterrupted decrease as sheep matured. The knowledge of serum values of bone biomarkers throughout the sheep lifespan may be useful in preclinical orthopaedic research studies and for animal science studies using sheep.Cristina P. Sousa acknowledges the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology for her PhD scholarship SFRH/BD/45018/2008

Height and timing of growth spurt during puberty in young people living with vertically acquired HIV in Europe and Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe growth during puberty in young people with vertically acquired HIV. DESIGN: Pooled data from 12 paediatric HIV cohorts in Europe and Thailand. METHODS: One thousand and ninety-four children initiating a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or boosted protease inhibitor based regimen aged 1-10 years were included. Super Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) models described growth from age 8 years using three parameters (average height, timing and shape of the growth spurt), dependent on age and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) (WHO references) at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Multivariate regression explored characteristics associated with these three parameters. RESULTS: At ART initiation, median age and HAZ was 6.4 [interquartile range (IQR): 2.8, 9.0] years and -1.2 (IQR: -2.3 to -0.2), respectively. Median follow-up was 9.1 (IQR: 6.9, 11.4) years. In girls, older age and lower HAZ at ART initiation were independently associated with a growth spurt which occurred 0.41 (95% confidence interval 0.20-0.62) years later in children starting ART age 6 to 10 years compared with 1 to 2 years and 1.50 (1.21-1.78) years later in those starting with HAZ less than -3 compared with HAZ at least -1. Later growth spurts in girls resulted in continued height growth into later adolescence. In boys starting ART with HAZ less than -1, growth spurts were later in children starting ART in the oldest age group, but for HAZ at least -1, there was no association with age. Girls and boys who initiated ART with HAZ at least -1 maintained a similar height to the WHO reference mean. CONCLUSION: Stunting at ART initiation was associated with later growth spurts in girls. Children with HAZ at least -1 at ART initiation grew in height at the level expected in HIV negative children of a comparable age

Antimicrobial activity and bioactive compounds of portuguese wild edible mushrooms methanolic extracts

The antimicrobial properties of phenolic extracts of Portuguese wild edible mushroom species (Lactarius deliciosus, Sarcodon imbricatus and Tricholoma portentosum) against pathogens were investigated. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were evaluated for the entire mushroom, the cap and the stipe, separately; the portion of the mushroom used proved to be influenced in the results obtained, which are directly correlated with the content of total phenols and flavonoids in the extracts. The growth of Grampositive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis,) was well inhibited by these mushrooms, while Escherichia coli (Gramnegative bacteria) was resistant. The study on the antifungal effect of these mushrooms revealed that Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans were differently inhibited for the mushrooms used