The Therapeutic Process in Psychodynamic Therapy with Children with Different Capacities for Mentalizing

Children’s mentalizing capacity may influence the therapeutic process in psychodynamic therapy. The literature points to the need to tailor the therapeutic intervention to the particular configuration of clinical and developmental problems presented by the children and recommends a shift in technique in the case of severely disturbed or traumatized patients with impaired mentalizing capacity. The aim of this study was to explore the therapeutic process in psychodynamic therapy with school-age children with different kinds of difficulties and mentalizing profiles. A longitudinal design based on the systematic case study method was adopted. Three children with different baseline mentalizing capacities and their psychotherapists participated. Two hundred seventy-three psychotherapy sessions were analyzed using the Child Psychotherapy Q-Set (CPQ) in order to identify the relationship patterns between patient and therapist. Different interaction structures were identified. When the child presented with a more developed mentalizing capacity at baseline, the treatment was more similar to a standard psychodynamic approach. When mentalization capacity was impaired, more directive, supportive and empathic interventions were observed. A child’s capacity for mentalization appears to impact the therapeutic process, with the adoption of certain therapeutic approaches and specific techniques depending on the child’s own baseline capacity to mentalize

A Competitive Approach for Designing Multi-Antenna Cognitive Access Networks

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Effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) supplementation on healthy cat performance

Background The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of the probiotic strain Lactobacillusacidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) on nutritional condition and faecal quality in cats. Methods Ten healthy adult cats from the same cattery were included (aged >9 months; male:female sex ratio=3:7). The animals were randomly assigned to a control group (CTR; n=5; male:female=1:4; room 1: 16 m 2) and to a treated group (LACTO; n=5; male:female=2:3; room 2: 16 m 2) receiving the same commercial dry diet. The LACTO group diet was supplemented with the probiotic (5 x 10 9 cfu/kg feed at least). A five-week experimental period was applied, and nutritional status was monitored by bodyweight (BW) and body condition score (BCS). Faecal quality was evaluated using faecal score (FS) and faecal moisture (FM) parameters. Plate counts of some faecal bacteria species were carried out. The data obtained were analysed using MIXED, GLM and NPAR1WAY procedures (SAS V.9.4; P 640.05). Results The two groups did not show differences in BW and BCS data. A clear effect of the probiotic supplementation on FM was recorded (LACTO 44 per cent v CTR group 46 per cent; P=0.04). FS in the LACTO group (3.35) was close to ideal values (2-3) in comparison with the CTR group (3.75). Positive effects of Lacidophilus D2/CSL have been recorded in terms of increase in faecal lactobacilli counts and reduction in faecal coli counts. Conclusions This study's preliminary results describe how inclusion of Lacidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) probiotic strain in cats' diets could effectively improve faecal quality parameters and consequently gut health in adult healthy cats

Differential scanning calorimetric studies on frozen cephalosporin solutions

The difficulty of formulating cephalosporins as freeze-dried products lies in the freezing characteristics of their aqueous solutions. The thermal characteristics of aqueous solutions of several cephalosporins were examined by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) during freezing and warming cycles. It was found that the observed compounds do not crystallize from such solutions and do not form eutectic mixtures with water. Also, freezing did not produce any detectable metastable states of the solutes. Therefore, in the determination of parameters to be used in designing an optimum freeze-drying cycle for compounds such as these, DSC may be of limited use.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27271/1/0000286.pd

Effects of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) on the nutritional and health status of boxer dogs

Background The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) probiotic strain on nutritional status and faecal and microbiological parameters in a group of purebred boxers. Methods Forty healthy adult boxer dogs were randomly assigned to a treated (LACTO) group receiving a commercial diet supplemented with L acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) to a final concentration of 5.0 x 109 colony-forming unit/kg of food, and a control (CTR) group receiving the same diet but without the probiotic (placebo). Nutritional status (body weight, skinfold thickness, body condition score) and faecal quality parameters were analysed. Results No differences in body weight and skin thickness were found during the whole experimental period. Dogs in the LACTO group showed a significantly higher body condition score than those in the CTR group (4.86\ub10.55 v 4.65\ub10.65), and no significant differences were recorded in body weight and skinfold thickness. The LACTO group showed a significantly lower faecal moisture (in per cent) compared with the CTR group (0.67\ub10.007 v 0.69\ub10.007). Faecal hardness (in kg) was higher in the LACTO group than in the CTR group (0.86\ub10.047 v 0.70\ub10.051), and faecal score also improved in the LACTO group (3.78\ub10.95 v 4.25\ub10.91). A significant difference in total Escherichia coli counts as well as in lactobacilli counts between the CTR and LACTO groups was only detected at 28 days. Conclusion Supplementation of L acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) significantly improved the nutritional status and faecal parameters of dogs

Scanning Electron Microscope Cytochemistry of Blood Cells

The backscattered electron imaging (BEI) mode of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been applied to study various histo-cytochemical reactions in biological specimens since the early seventies. Due to numerous, recent technical improvements the BEI mode of SEM now belongs to the routine of many SEM laboratories. For cytochemistry, BEI has been mainly used to: visualize intracellular structures and organelles; recognize the different cell types in heterogeneous populations or tissues; study the correlations between enzymatic activities and cell surface features. We have evaluated the most relevant results obtained in the study of blood cells and the possible future applications of these techniques

Microbial soil quality indicators under different crop rotations and tillage management.

An experiment was carried out under field conditions to assess the effects of soil management (no-tillage- NT and conventional tillage- CT) and crop rotation systems on microbial biomass-C (Cmic), basal soil respiration (BSR), metabolic quotient (qCO2), soil organic carbon content (Corg) and microbial carbon to organic carbon ratio (Cmic/Corg). Soil samples were collected on an area cultivated with wheat as winter crop and soybean as summer crop, both in rotation with vetch, maize and oats. Samples were also collected in a secondary forest used as reference. Data of each management system (NT and CT) were compared to forest area by ?t? test (p<0.05) and crop rotations were compared by Tukey test (p<0.05). All data were submitted to multivariate analysis (Principal Component Analysis - PCA). There were observed significant differences (?t? test; p<0.05) for Cmic, BSR, qCO2 and Cmic/Corg between NT and CT, by which NT values resemble those for forest area. For crop rotations significant differences (Tukey test; p<0.05) were found only for BSR and qCO2. The sum of the two first principal components on the PCA explained about 75% of the data variation. PCA showed NT closest to forest area than CT, especially treatments with soybean and vetch as consecutive crops. The forest area-NT clustering was mostly due to Cmic and Cmic/Corg relationship. Results indicate that the NT system is more sustainable than the CT system and can contribute for the accumulation a greater quantity of carbon in soil

Response Monitoring, Repetitive Behaviour and Anterior Cingulate Abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by inflexible and repetitive behaviour. Response monitoring involves evaluating the consequences of behaviour and making adjustments to optimize outcomes. Deficiencies in this function, and abnormalities in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) on which it relies, have been reported as contributing factors to autistic disorders. We investigated whether ACC structure and function during response monitoring were associated with repetitive behaviour in ASD. We compared ACC activation to correct and erroneous antisaccades using rapid presentation event-related functional MRI in 14 control and ten ASD participants. Because response monitoring is the product of coordinated activity in ACC networks, we also examined the microstructural integrity of the white matter (WM) underlying this brain region using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures of fractional anisotropy (FA) in 12 control and 12 adult ASD participants. ACC activation and FA were examined in relation to Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised ratings of restricted and repetitive behaviour. Relative to controls, ASD participants: (i) made more antisaccade errors and responded more quickly on correct trials; (ii) showed reduced discrimination between error and correct responses in rostral ACC (rACC), which was primarily due to (iii) abnormally increased activation on correct trials and (iv) showed reduced FA in WM underlying ACC. Finally, in ASD (v) increased activation on correct trials and reduced FA in rACC WM were related to higher ratings of repetitive behaviour. These findings demonstrate functional and structural abnormalities of the ACC in ASD that may contribute to repetitive behaviour. rACC activity following errors is thought to reflect affective appraisal of the error. Thus, the hyperactive rACC response to correct trials can be interpreted as a misleading affective signal that something is awry, which may trigger repetitive attempts at correction. Another possible consequence of reduced affective discrimination between error and correct responses is that it might interfere with the reinforcement of responses that optimize outcomes. Furthermore, dysconnection of the ACC, as suggested by reduced FA, to regions involved in behavioural control might impair on-line modulations of response speed to optimize performance (i.e. speed-accuracy trade-off) and increase error likelihood. These findings suggest that in ASD, structural and functional abnormalities of the ACC compromise response monitoring and thereby contribute to behaviour that is rigid and repetitive rather than flexible and responsive to contingencies. Illuminating the mechanisms and clinical significance of abnormal response monitoring in ASD represents a fruitful avenue for further research

Fixação de fósforo por um Latossolo e determinação do valor X.

Ensaio conduzido em laboratório para avaliar a capacidade de fixação de fósforo dos horizontes A1, A3 e B22 de latossolo roxo distrófico. Foi também determinado o valor X de WAUGH & FITS (1966) dos três horizontes. Os principais resultados são apresentados a seguir: O horizonte B22 foi que apresentou maior capacidade de fixação de fósforo, seguido pelo A3 e, finalmente, pelo A1. Os valores X encontrados foram 350 ppm225ppm e 175 ppm para os horizontes B22, A3 eA1, respectivamente. Houve uma relação muito estreita entre as quantidades de P adicionadas e as fixadas pelos três horizontes