Particulate Coatings via Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly of Polydisperse Colloidal Lignin on Solid Interfaces.

Polydisperse smooth and spherical biocolloidal particles were suspended in aqueous media and allowed to consolidate via evaporation-induced self-assembly. The stratification of the particles at the solid-air interface was markedly influenced, but not monotonically, by the drying rate. Cross-sectional imaging via electron microscopy indicated a structured coating morphology that was distinctive from that obtained by using particles with a mono- or bimodal distribution. Segregation patterns were found to derive from the interplay of particle diffusion, interparticle forces, and settling dynamics. Supporting our experimental findings, computer simulations showed an optimal drying rate for achieving maximum segregation. Overall, stratified coatings comprising nano- and microparticles derived from lignin are expected to open opportunities for multifunctional structures that can be designed and predicted on the basis of experimental Péclet numbers and computational order

Adapting the brief coping cat for children with anxiety to a group setting in the spanish public mental health system: a hybrid effectiveness-implementation pilot study

Group therapy may offer a promising solution to reducing patient waiting lists for publicly funded mental health services. In this study, an individual brief cognitive behavioral therapy (BCBT) intervention was adapted for implementation in a group setting in the Spanish public mental health care system. The study was designed to test initial clinical effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of the group adaptation of BCBT for child anxiety. The study utilized an uncontrolled multiple-group design for 8 weeks (1 h per week). Inclusion criteria were (i) children and young adolescents between 8 and 15 years old, and (ii) a clinical diagnosis of general anxiety disorder, social phobia, and/or separation anxiety disorder. Five groups were completed (n = 33; mean age = 11 years; 42.4% females). A total of 31 (93.9%) participants completed at least 7 sessions, and follow-up data were collected for 84.9% (n = 28) of participants. Overall, anxiety symptoms were reduced after intervention on the Spence Children Anxiety Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-IV, Social Anxiety Scale for Children-Revised, and Separation Anxiety Symptom Inventory. Our findings suggest that group BCBT was associated with beneficial treatment outcomes, was acceptable and feasible for children with anxiety in the Spanish public mental health system. Both participants and their caregivers reported satisfaction and feelings of safety with the intervention. Results underscore the need for a larger-scale hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial of BCBT in a group setting throughout more community mental health centers in different Spanish states. Such work could improve patient access to and benefit from an evidence-based treatment that works in community settings

Psychosexual functioning of cognitively-able adolescents with autism spectrum disorder compared to typically developing peers : The development and testing of the teen transition inventory- a self- and parent report questionnaire on psychosexual functioning

To gain further insight into psychosexual functioning, including behaviors, intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects, in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), comprehensive, multi-informant measures are needed. This study describes (1) the development of a new measure of psychosexual functioning in both parentand self-reports (Teen Transition Inventory; TTI) covering all three domains of psychosexual functioning (i.e. psychosexual socialization, psychosexual selfhood, and sexual/ intimate behavior). And (2) the initial testing of this instrument, comparing adolescents with ASD (n = 79 parentreport; n = 58 self-report) to Typically Developing (TD) adolescents (n = 131 parent-report; n = 91 self-report) while taking into account gender as a covariate. Results from both informants indicate more difficulties regarding psychosexual socialization and psychosexual selfhood in the ASD group. With regard to sexual/intimate behavior, only parents reported significantly more problems in adolescents with ASD