Rosin from Pinus pinaster Portuguese forests shows a regular profile of resin acids.

Pinus pinaster forestry occupies >20% of the forest ecosystem area in the continental territory of Portugal with a high impact on the national economy. This species' major derived non-wood product is oleoresin, the raw material for rosin production. Rosin comprises mainly a blend of resin acids and has broad industrial and pharmaceutical applications. Oleoresin production in Portugal has been progressively reduced due to low-cost producers in other countries; currently, it reaches only 2% of the existing P. pinaster trees. To support this value chain, the chemical fingerprint of rosin derived from the national forest requires focused analysis. In the present study, we collected oleoresin within seven geographically distinct pure P. pinaster forests in two consecutive collection years. A high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method was used to quantify the diversity of resin acids in the corresponding rosin samples. Overall, the acquired data highlighted that the profile of resin acids in P. pinaster rosin produced in Portugal is highly regular, regardless of the forest location, having as the major constituents abietic acid and dehydroabietic acid. The diversity of resin acids is possibly influenced, to a minor extent, by some edaphoclimatic factors.

Working Memory and Manual Dexterity in Dyslexic Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Dyslexic children have impairments in working memory and manual dexterity. Studies have shown that when cognitive development has deficits, motor development is often impaired, indicating a strong interconnection between both domains, and the possibility of interference with each other's proper functioning. Thus, a new literature review is necessary to understand which components of working memory and manual dexterity are affected in dyslexic children and the possible relationship between them. This review aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze both skills in dyslexic children. The protocol was carried out according to the criteria established by PRISMA being registered at PROSPERO under number CRD 42021238901. Six literature databases were searched to locate studies published between 2001 and 2021: EMBASE, ERIC, ISI Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus. 21 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings suggest that dyslexic children have significantly poorer visuospatial and verbal working memory with more impairments in the phonological loop. No significant differences were found in manual dexterity.

Zarconia navalis gen. nov., sp. nov., Romeriopsis navalis gen. nov., sp. nov. and Romeriopsis marina sp. nov., isolated from inter- and subtidal environments from northern Portugal.

The morphology, 16S rRNA gene phylogeny and 16S-23S rRNA gene ITS secondary structures of three strains of marine Cyanobacteria, isolated from inter- and subtidal environments from north Portugal were studied, resulting in the description of Zarconia navalis gen. nov., sp. nov. (Oscillatoriales incertae sedis), Romeriopsis navalis gen. nov., sp. nov. (Leptolyngbyaceae) and Romeriopsis marina sp. nov., named under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. No diacritical morphological characters were found for the new genera and species. The 16S rRNA gene maximum-likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies supported that the genus Zarconia is a member of the Oscillatoriales, morphologically similar to the genera Microcoleus and Phormidium, but distant from them. The genus Romeriopsis is positioned within the Leptolyngbyaceae (Synechococcales) and is closely related to Alkalinema. The secondary structures of the D1-D1', Box B, V2 and V3 helices corroborate the phylogenetic results. Furthermore, our study supports previous observations of polyphyletic Oscillatoriales families and reinforces the need for their taxonomic revision.

Survey of Primary Care Provider Comfort in Treating Psychiatric Patients in 2 Community Clinics: A Pilot Study.

Context: Patients with mental health needs are often treated by primary care providers (PCPs). Little is known about current PCP attitudes and comfort level with mental health disorders and treatments despite their role in managing these illnesses.Objective: To quantify PCP comfort with the management of psychiatric disorders and treatments.Methods: PCPs in 2 community clinics were given a survey of psychiatric disorders, treatments, and perceived benefit of assistance from a mental health professional (data were collected during provider meetings in May 2017 and February 2021). Questions were ranked using a Likert scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being "least comfortable," 3 being "neutral," and 5 being "very comfortable." Survey responses about medications and disorders were averaged (ie, mean values were calculated) to approximate PCP comfort with providing psychiatric care with and without support.Results: A total of 71 surveys were sent, and 54 were completed. Overall, respondents indicated comfort greater than neutral in 4 of the 14 disorder-related questions (ie, for anxiety disorders, unipolar depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], and sleep disorders) and 7 of the 19 treatment-related questions (ie, for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs]/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors [SNRIs], second-generation antipsychotics, other sleep medications, other antidepressants, stimulants, non-stimulant treatments for ADHD, and tricyclics). SSRIs/SNRIs were the only item with average comfort greater than 4. Mean overall PCP comfort was 2.73 without support. PCP comfort increased significantly with support from a therapist (3.24) or a psychiatrist (4.11) (P < .001), with backup from a psychiatrist providing significantly more comfort than a therapist (P < .001).Discussion: These data show ongoing low comfort levels of PCPs in treating psychiatric conditions, suggesting a need for ongoing educational and collaborative approaches to address this critical unmet need.

Magnocellular visual function in developmental dyslexia: deficit in frequency-doubling perimetry and ocular motor skills / Função visual magnocelular na dislexia do desenvolvimento: déficit na perimetria de frequência duplicada e nas habilidades motoras oculares

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study aimed to verify if patients with developmental dyslexia present deficits coherent with visual magnocellular dysfunction. Methods: Participants with confirmed diagnosis of developmental dyslexia (n=62; age range=8-25 years; mean age=13.8 years, standard deviation=3.9; 77% male) were compared to a control group with normal development, matched for age, sex, ocular dominance, visual acuity, and text comprehension. The frequency-doubling technology perimetry was used to evaluate the peripheral visual field contrast sensitivity threshold. The Visagraph III Eye-Movement Recording System was used to evaluate ocular motor skills during text reading. Results: The developmental dyslexia group had significantly worse contrast sensitivity in the frequency-doubling technology, with strong effect size, than the matched control group. The developmental dyslexia group had more eyes classified in the impaired range of sensitivity threshold to detect frequency-doubling illusion than the control group. Moreover, the developmental dyslexia group had poorer ocular motor skills and reading performance, revealed by a difference in ocular fixations, regressions, span recognition, reading rate, and relative efficiency between groups. A significant correlation was found between contrast sensitivity and ocular motor skills. Participants with good relative efficiency had significantly better contrast sensitivity than participants with poor relative efficiency. Conclusions: The developmental dyslexia group presented a markedly worse performance in visual variables related to visual magnocellular function (i.e., frequency-doubling technology perimetry and ocular motor skills) compared with a matched control group. Professionals need to be aware of the importance of evaluating vision of individuals with developmental dyslexia beyond visual acuity and including in their assessments instruments to evaluate temporal processing, with contrast sensitivity threshold.

RESUMO Objetivo: Verificar se pacientes com dislexia do de­senvolvimento (DD) apresentam déficits coerentes com uma disfunção magnocelular visual. Métodos: Participantes com diagnóstico confirmado de dislexia do desenvolvimento (n=62; faixa etária=8 a 25 anos; Média da idade=13.8 anos, desvio padrão=3.9; 77% homens) foram comparados a um grupo con­trole com desenvolvimento típico, pareado por idade, sexo, dominância ocular, acuidade visual e compreensão de texto. A perimetria Frequency-Doubling Technology avaliou o limiar de sensibilidade ao contraste do campo visual periférico. O ras­treador ocular Visagraph-III registrou os movimentos dos olhos durante leitura de texto. Resultados: O grupo com dislexia do desenvolvimento apresentou piores limiares de sensibilidade no Frequency-Doubling Technology , com tamanho de efeito forte, do que o grupo controle. O grupo com dislexia do desenvolvimento apresentou mais olhos classificados com déficits na sensibilidade à ilusão de frequência duplicada do que o grupo controle. O grupo com dislexia do desenvolvimento apresentou pior habilidade motora ocular e no desempenho de leitura, revelado pela diferença entre os grupos em relação às fixações oculares, regressões, alcance de reconhecimento, taxa de leitura e eficiência relativa. Foi encontrada correlação significativa entre a sensibilidade ao contraste e as habilidades motoras oculares. Os participantes com boa eficiência relativa apresentaram uma sensibilidade ao contraste significativamente melhor do que os participantes com baixa eficiência relativa. Conclusões: O grupo com dis­lexia do desenvolvimento apresentou desempenho inferior nas variáveis visuais relacionadas à função visual magnocelular (i.e., perimetria de frequência duplicada e habilidades motoras oculares), quando comparado ao grupo controle pareado. Os profissionais precisam estar cientes da importância de investigar a visão dos pacientes com dislexia do desenvolvimento além da acuidade visual e incluir nos seus procedimentos diagnósticos instrumentos para avaliar o processamento temporal, com limiar de sensibilidade ao contraste.

Magnocellular visual function in developmental dyslexia: deficit in frequency-doubling perimetry and ocular motor skills.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to verify if patients with developmental dyslexia present deficits coherent with visual magnocellular dysfunction. METHODS: Participants with confirmed diagnosis of developmental dyslexia (n=62; age range=8-25 years; mean age=13.8 years, standard deviation=3.9; 77% male) were compared to a control group with normal development, matched for age, sex, ocular dominance, visual acuity, and text comprehension. The frequency-doubling technology perimetry was used to evaluate the peripheral visual field contrast sensitivity threshold. The Visagraph III Eye-Movement Recording System was used to evaluate ocular motor skills during text reading. RESULTS: The developmental dyslexia group had significantly worse contrast sensitivity in the frequency-doubling technology, with strong effect size, than the matched control group. The developmental dyslexia group had more eyes classified in the impaired range of sensitivity threshold to detect frequency-doubling illusion than the control group. Moreover, the developmental dyslexia group had poorer ocular motor skills and reading performance, revealed by a difference in ocular fixations, regressions, span recognition, reading rate, and relative efficiency between groups. A significant correlation was found between contrast sensitivity and ocular motor skills. Participants with good relative efficiency had significantly better contrast sensitivity than participants with poor relative efficiency. CONCLUSIONS: The developmental dyslexia group presented a markedly worse performance in visual variables related to visual magnocellular function (i.e., frequency-doubling technology perimetry and ocular motor skills) compared with a matched control group. Professionals need to be aware of the importance of evaluating vision of individuals with developmental dyslexia beyond visual acuity and including in their assessments instruments to evaluate temporal processing, with contrast sensitivity threshold.

An Ionic Liquid Extraction That Preserves the Molecular Structure of Cutin Shown by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.

The biopolyester cutin is ubiquitous in land plants, building the polymeric matrix of the plant's outermost defensive barrier, the cuticle. Cutin influences many biological processes in planta; however, due to its complexity and highly branched nature, the native structure remains partially unresolved. Our aim was to define an original workflow for the purification and systematic characterization of the molecular structure of cutin. To purify cutin we tested the ionic liquids cholinium hexanoate and 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium acetate. The ensuing polymeric materials are highly esterified, amorphous, and have a typical monomeric composition as demonstrated by solid-state NMR, complemented by spectroscopic, thermal, and x-ray scattering analyses. We performed a systematic study by solution-state NMR of cryogenically milled cutins extracted from tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum 'Micro-Tom'; the wild type and the GLYCEROL-3-PHOSPHATE ACYLTRANSFERASE [GPAT6] and CUTIN SYNTHASE [CUS1] mutants). We resolved their molecular structures, relative distribution of ester aliphatics, free acid end-groups and free hydroxyl groups, differentiating between those derived from primary and secondary esters. Our data demonstrate the existence of free hydroxyl groups in cutin and provide insight into how the mutations affect the esterification arrangement of cutin. The usage of ionic liquids for studying plant polyesters has advantages over conventional approaches, since simple modifications can be applied to recover a biopolymer carrying distinct types/degrees of modifications (e.g. preservation of esters or cuticular polysaccharides), which in combination with the solution NMR methodologies developed here, constitutes essential tools to fingerprint the multifunctionality and the structure of cutin in planta.

Significações de criança/infância no universo das canções de Chico Buarque – momentos da vida / Significations of child/childhood in the universe of songs by Chico Buarque - moments of life / Niño e infancia y sus significados en el universo de las canciones de Chico Buarque - momentos de la vida

As expressões artísticas constituem e são constituídas pelos contextos sociais e históricos, contribuindo para uma compreensão ampliada das realidades. Refletindo sobre as significações de infância e criança nas canções de Chico Buarque, este estudo efetivou: pesquisa bibliográfica sobre arte e realidade social, infância e ser criança, escuta e reescuta do conjunto de suas canções desde a década de 1960 a 2000. Submetemos os dados construídos à análise de conteúdo temática, emergindo, desse modo, as seguintes categorias: brincadeira, características da infância, cuidados e descuidos, infâncias, momentos da vida. Neste artigo, apresentaremos e discutiremos a categoria "momentos da vida". Encontramos que ser criança faz-se esperança; ser adulto e velho não. Ao adulto cabe trabalho e cuidado; ao velho, desesperança, tristeza e cansaço.

Artistic expressions build and are built by social and historical contexts, contributing to a broad understanding of realities. This study, reflecting on the meanings of childhood and child in Chico Buarque’s songs, performed: bibliographic research on art and social reality, childhood and being a child, listening, and re-listening to a set of this artist’s songs from the 1960s to 2000s. We submitted the obtained data to thematic content analysis, where the following categories emerged: plays, childhood characteristics, care and carelessness, childhoods, and moments of life. In this study, we display and discuss the category "moments of life". Thus, we realize that being a child turns into hope, being adults and elders do not. The adult faces work and care; the elderly, hopelessness, sadness and fatigue.

Las expresiones artísticas constituyen y son constituidas por los contextos sociales e históricos. En la búsqueda de comprender los significados de infancia y de niño en las canciones de Chico Buarque, este estudio realizó: investigación bibliográfica sobre el arte y la realidad social, niñez y ser niño, escuchar y volver a escuchar al conjunto de sus canciones, desde la década de 1960 hasta la década de 2000. Presentamos datos incorporados al análisis de contenido temático, que emerge de las siguientes categorías: juguete, características de la infancia, cuidado y descuidos, infancia, momentos de la vida. En este artículo, vamos a presentar y analizar la categoría "momentos de la vida". Por lo tanto, descubrimos que el ser niño se hace la esperanza. Ser adulto y viejo, no. Al adulto cabe destacar el trabajo y el cuidado del otro; al viejo, la desesperanza, la tristeza y la fatiga.

Reading strategies for the profoundly deaf Libras users: Benefits of speech and lip reading for strengthening linguistic skills / Estratégias de leitura em surdos profundos usuários da Libras: benefícios da oralização e da leitura labial para o fortalecimento de habilidades linguísticas

To understand the reading strategies used by deaf students, two groups of profoundly deaf individuals were tested: Group 1: users of the Brazilian Sign Language and Group 2: users of the Brazilian Sign Language and speech and/or lip reading. A reading test was used to assess the degree of development of logographic, alphabetic and orthographic strategies. The group of deaf students who used alternative means of communication (Group 2) showed improved performance in all psycholinguistic categories of the test in comparison to Group 1. It was observed that the use of phonology is not directly associated with good reading skills in the profoundly deaf. On the other hand, word recognition by these readers occurs via the utilization of the orthographic strategy, which proved to be efficient.

Para compreender as estratégias de leitura utilizadas por indivíduos com surdez profunda, o presente estudo investigou dois grupos: Grupo 1, constituído por usuários da Libras - Língua Brasileira de Sinais; e Grupo 2, composto por indivíduos que, além da Libras, usam recursos de oralização e/ou leitura labial. Por meio do Teste de Competência de Leitura de Palavras, foi avaliado o grau de desenvolvimento das estratégias logográfica, alfabética e ortográfica. Em comparação ao Grupo 1, o grupo de surdos que utiliza meios alternativos de comunicação (Grupo 2) apresentou desempenho superior em todas as categorias psicolinguísticas do teste. Observou-se que o uso da fonologia não está diretamente associado à boa habilidade de leitura em surdos profundos e que o reconhecimento de palavras por esses leitores se dá por meio da utilização da estratégia ortográfica, que se mostrou eficiente.

Effect of spectral overlays on visual parameters and reading ability: an integrative review / Efeito das lâminas espectrais (overlays) em parâmetros visuais e na habilidade de leitura: revisão integrativa

ABSTRACT Purpose: to provide an integrative review of indexed articles published from 2009 to 2019 on the effect of spectral overlays on visual parameters and reading ability. Methods: keywords were used to search seven databases. Duplicate entries, reviews, literature reviews, editor's comments, and congress abstracts were excluded, as well as papers that were not relevant, based on their titles and abstracts. A total of 52 articles, which were read in full, were eligible at this stage. Of these, 12 articles, published in Portuguese or English from 2009 to 2019, were included. Results: all 12 articles included evaluated the effect of overlays on the reading rate. There was an improvement in different visual parameters (ocular accommodation and eye movement), facial recognition, and reading (reading rate, relative efficiency, and comprehension). The use of overlays reduced visual stress regardless of refractive, orthoptic or cognitive disorders. The associated conditions investigated were autism spectrum disorder, Tourette syndrome, stroke, deafness, dyslexia, and auditory temporal processing disorder. Conclusion: the effectiveness of overlays in improving reading quality is consistently demonstrated in the literature. The reviewed articles showed that the overlays' effect is more expressive when the visual stress is associated with conditions that present sensory alterations and cortical hyperactivity.

RESUMO Objetivo: oferecer uma revisão integrativa dos artigos indexados publicados de 2009 a 2019 sobre o efeito das lâminas espectrais (overlays) em parâmetros visuais e na habilidade de leitura. Métodos: utilizou-se a pesquisa de palavras-chave em sete bancos de dados. Foram excluídos registros duplicados, revisões de literatura, resenhas, comentários do editor, resumos de congressos, e os não pertinentes de acordo com os títulos e resumos. Os 52 artigos sobre o uso dos overlays no estágio de elegibilidade foram lidos na íntegra. Foram incluídos 12 artigos completos, publicados em português ou em inglês entre 2009-2019. Resultados: os 12 artigos incluídos avaliaram o efeito dos overlays na taxa de leitura. Houve melhora em diferentes parâmetros visuais (acomodação, movimentação ocular), no reconhecimento facial e em leitura (taxa de leitura, eficiência relativa e em compreensão). Independentemente de problemas refracionais, ortópticos ou cognitivos, o uso dos overlays reduziu o estresse visual. As condições associadas investigadas foram o transtorno do espectro autista, síndrome de Tourette, acidente vascular cerebral, surdez, dislexia, e alteração no processamento auditivo temporal. Conclusão: a eficácia dos overlays na melhora da qualidade de leitura foi demonstrada de forma consistente na literatura. Os artigos revisados verificaram que os overlays apresentam efeito mais expressivo quando o estresse visual está associado às condições que apresentam alterações sensoriais e à hiperatividade cortical.

Reliability, Validity and Standardization of the Reading Test: Sentence Comprehension / Fidedignidade, Validade e Normatização do Teste de Leitura: Compreensão de Sentenças

Abstract The test called 'Reading Test: Sentence Comprehension (TELCS)' has been validated and standardized. Participants (N = 1289, 2nd to 5th grade, 7 to 11-years-old) were stratified in 15 state-schools in Brazil. The TELCS demonstrated reliability and validity to classify reading performance by both school grade and chronological age. Correlations between the TELCS and a General Reading Composite score were high, as were those with reading accuracy rates of word and pseudoword. Cluster analysis suggested a five-class solution: reading disability, below, average, above, and high reading performance. For individual or collective use, TELCS can quickly screen the sentence reading ability, useful to identify those who might need additional support.

Resumo O teste chamado 'Teste de Leitura: Compreensão de Sentenças (TELCS)' foi validado e normatizado. Participantes (N = 1289, 2º ao 5º ano, 7 a 11 anos) foram estratificados em quinze escolas estaduais. O TELCS demonstrou fidedignidade e validade para classificar o desempenho de leitura por ano escolar e idade cronológica. Houve alta correlação com o parâmetro composto de leitura geral, e as taxas de acurácia leitora de Palavras e de Pseudopalavras. Análise de clusters sugeriu cinco classes: transtorno, abaixo, média, acima, alta. De uso individual ou coletivo, o TELCS é um instrumento de rápido rastreio da habilidade de leitura de sentenças, útil para identificar aqueles que precisam de apoio adicional.

Reading strategies for the profoundly deaf Libras users: Benefits of speech and lip reading for strengthening linguistic skills / Estratégias de leitura em surdos profundos usuários da Libras: benefícios da oralização e da leitura labial para o fortalecimento de habilidades linguísticas

To understand the reading strategies used by deaf students, two groups of profoundly deaf individuals were tested: Group 1: users of the Brazilian Sign Language and Group 2: users of the Brazilian Sign Language and speech and/or lip reading. A reading test was used to assess the degree of development of logographic, alphabetic and orthographic strategies. The group of deaf students who used alternative means of communication (Group 2) showed improved performance in all psycholinguistic categories of the test in comparison to Group 1. It was observed that the use of phonology is not directly associated with good reading skills in the profoundly deaf. On the other hand, word recognition by these readers occurs via the utilization of the orthographic strategy, which proved to be efficient.

Para compreender as estratégias de leitura utilizadas por indivíduos com surdez profunda, o presente estudo investigou dois grupos: Grupo 1, constituído por usuários da Libras - Língua Brasileira de Sinais; e Grupo 2, composto por indivíduos que, além da Libras, usam recursos de oralização e/ou leitura labial. Por meio do Teste de Competência de Leitura de Palavras, foi avaliado o grau de desenvolvimento das estratégias logográfica, alfabética e ortográfica. Em comparação ao Grupo 1, o grupo de surdos que utiliza meios alternativos de comunicação (Grupo 2) apresentou desempenho superior em todas as categorias psicolinguísticas do teste. Observou-se que o uso da fonologia não está diretamente associado à boa habilidade de leitura em surdos profundos e que o reconhecimento de palavras por esses leitores se dá por meio da utilização da estratégia ortográfica, que se mostrou eficiente.

Association between auditory temporal and visual processing in reading skill / Associação entre processamento temporal auditivo e visual na habilidade de leitura

ABSTRACT Purpose: to verify whether students screened with altered auditory temporal processing are more likely to present altered visual processing. Methods: the sample consisted of 68 children, aged from 9 to 12 years, 53% males, from the 5th and 6th grades of a public school. All children with alterations in the audiological or ophthalmological evaluation were excluded. The Duration Pattern Test (screening for auditory temporal skill), the Reading Perceptual Scale (visual stress symptom questionnaire and colored overlays selection) and the Rate of Reading Test (number of words correctly read per minute) were used. Appropriate statistical tests were applied adopting the significance level lower than 0.05. Results: participants screened with abnormal auditory processing had higher visual stress symptoms and lower reading rate, with a significant and moderate effect (p< 0.05; d< 0.71), when compared to their peers with normal auditory processing. Among the children with altered Duration Pattern Test, 58% improved the reading rate with the use of colored overlays, whereas 29% did so in the control group (Odds Ratio = 3.4, p = 0.017). Conclusion: children screened with altered auditory temporal processing presented a three times higher possibility of association with visual processing alterations, due to shared magnocellular system.

RESUMO Objetivo: verificar se alunos rastreados com processamento auditivo temporal alterado possuem maior probabilidade de apresentar processamento visual alterado. Métodos: participaram 68 crianças, de 9 a 12 anos, 53% meninos, do 5° e 6° ano do ensino fundamental de uma escola estadual. Foram excluídas todas as crianças com alterações na avaliação audiológica ou oftalmológica. Foram utilizados o Teste do Padrão de Duração (rastreio da habilidade auditiva de ordenação temporal), a Escala de Percepção Visual de Leitura (questionário de sintomas de estresse visual e seleção das lâminas espectrais) e o Teste de Taxa de Leitura (número de palavras lidas corretamente por minuto). Foram aplicados os testes estatísticos pertinentes adotando o nível de significância menor que 0,05. Resultados: participantes rastreados com processamento auditivo alterado apresentaram mais sintomas de estresse visual e menor taxa de leitura, de forma significante e moderada (p < 0.05; d < 0.71), quando comparados aos seus pares com processamento auditivo normal. Dentre as crianças com alteração no Teste do Padrão de Duração, 58% melhoraram a taxa de leitura com o uso da lâmina espectral, comparadas a 29% do grupo controle (Odds Ratio = 3.4; p = 0.017). Conclusão:alunos rastreados com processamento auditivo temporal alterado apresentam uma chance três vezes maior de associação com alterações no processamento visual, por compartilhamento na via magnocelular.

É mesmo (só) Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção/Hiperatividade (TDAH)?: avaliando TDAH e encontrando dislexia / Is it really (just) Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?: assessing ADHD and finding dyslexia / Es mismo (sólo) Transtorno de Déficit de Atención/Hiperatividad (TDAH)?: avaliando TDAH y encontrando dislexia

Dado que déficits na velocidade de processamento são fator de risco para TDAH e dislexia, investigou-se o perfil cognitivo de indivíduos com TDAH e com indicadores de dislexia. Compuseram a amostra escolares com idade entre 7 e 15 anos (62% masculino), sendo 23 diagnosticados com TDAH, 17 em risco para TDAH e 31 crianças em grupo controle. A avaliação incluiu os subtestes do WISC e tarefas tais como Stroop Palavra-Cor, nomeação seriada rápida, fluência verbal, repetição de pseudopalavras, e supressão de fonemas. Após, os participantes foram reclassificados: 45 sem TDAH nem risco para dislexia; 9 com TDAH; 6 com sinais de dislexia; e 11 com TDAH e sinais de dislexia. Os sérios déficits cognitivos apresentados pelo último grupo confirmam os achados sobre o seu fracasso escolar. A comorbidade TDAH-dislexia necessita ser melhor investigada na avaliação diagnóstica de escolares com queixas de dificuldades de aprendizagem.

Given that processing speed deficits are a risk factor for ADHD and dyslexia, we investigated the cognitive profile of individuals with ADHD and with indicators of dyslexia. The sample comprised children between the ages of 7 and 15 (62% male), 23 of whom were diagnosed with ADHD, 17 were at risk for ADHD, and 31 formed the control group. The evaluation included WISC subtests and tasks such as Word-Color Stroop, rapid automatized naming, verbal fluency, pseudowords repetition, and phoneme suppression. After this procedure, the participants were reclassified: 45 without ADHD or signs of dyslexia; 9 with ADHD; 6 with signs of dyslexia; and 11 with ADHD and signs of dyslexia. The serious cognitive deficits presented by the latter justify the findings on school failure to which it is subject. ADHDdyslexia comorbidity needs to be better investigated in the diagnostic evaluation of schoolchildren with complaints of learning difficulties.

Dado que los déficits en la velocidad de procesamiento son factor de riesgo para TDAH y dislexia, se investigó el perfil cognitivo de individuos con TDAH y con indicadores de dislexia. Compusieron la muestra escolares con edad entre 7 y 15 años (62% masculino), siendo 23 diagnosticados con TDAH, 17 en riesgo para el TDAH y 31 para grupo controle. La evaluación incluyó las subpruebas del WISC y tareas tales como Stroop Palabra-Color, nombramiento seriado rápido, fluencia verbal, repetición de pseudopalabras, y supresión de fonemas. Después de ese procedimiento los participantes fueron reclasificados: 45 sin TDAH ni signos de dislexia; 9 con TDAH; 6 con signos de dislexia; y 11 con TDAH y signos de dislexia. Los serios déficits cognitivos presentados por el último grupo confirman los hallazgos sobre su fracaso escolar. La comorbilidad TDAH-dislexia necesita ser mejor investigada en la evaluación diagnóstica de escolares con quejas de dificultades de aprendizaje.

Consciência fonológica e fatores associados em crianças no início da alfabetização / Phonological awareness in children at the beginning of literacy and associated factors

OBJETIVO: Comparar o desempenho entre consciência fonológica, inteligência (raciocínio analógico), vocabulário e aquisição dos fonemas. MÉTODO: Uma amostra de 273 crianças (média de idade= 6 anos e 2 meses) de nove escolas estaduais de Belo Horizonte foi submetida a medidas de consciência fonológica, de inteligência, de vocabulário e de aquisição dos fonemas e foi dividida em dois grupos de acordo com seu desempenho nessas medidas, sendo dentro do esperado e não esperado para o desenvolvimento infantil. RESULTADOS: Quando a inteligência foi tomada como referência, as crianças de nível médio a superior em comparação às de nível abaixo da média e muito abaixo da média (percentil igual ou inferior a cinco) obtiveram melhor desempenho nas tarefas de julgamento de rimas e de nível silábico (subtração e inversão), mas apenas em uma das tarefas de consciência fonêmica (inversão). Igualmente, o contraste entre desenvolvimento acima do esperado em vocabulário receptivo e desempenho abaixo do esperado mostrou diferenças entre grupos a favor do primeiro nas tarefas de julgamento de rimas e de nível silábico. Já no nível fonêmico essa diferença ocorreu na tarefa de subtração e no escore total das tarefas de consciência fonêmica. Porém, quando a aquisição dos fonemas foi tomada como referência, o contraste entre desenvolvimento típico e atípico mostrou que as crianças com desenvolvimento típico, com exceção em julgamento de rimas, se distinguiram dos seus pares. Além de apresentarem desempenho superior nas tarefas de consciência silábica, obtiveram desempenho igualmente superior em todas as tarefas de nível fonêmico (exceto na de segmentação). CONCLUSÃO: Constatou-se que no desenvolvimento da CF no nível fonêmico a influência do vocabulário e, principalmente, da aquisição de fonemas foi maior do que a influência da inteligência. Isso demonstra a importância do desenvolvimento adequado da linguagem oral no início do processo de alfabetização.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance between phonological awareness, intelligence (analogical reasoning), vocabulary and acquisition of phonemes. METHODS: A sample of 273 children (mean age= 6.2 moths) from nine state schools in Belo Horizonte was submitted to measures of phonological awareness, intelligence, vocabulary and acquisition of phonemes and was divided into two groups according to their performance in these measures, being within the expected and not expected for child development. RESULTS: When intelligence was taken as a reference, children from middle to upper level compared to below-average and below-average (percentile equal or lower than five) scores obtained better performance in rhyme-judgment and syllabic-level tasks (subtraction and inversion), but only in one of the phonemic awareness tasks (inversion). Likewise, the contrast between over-expected development in receptive vocabulary and under-performing performance showed differences between groups in favor of the first in the tasks of judgment of rhymes and syllabic level, while in the phonemic level this difference occurred in the subtraction task and in the total score of phonemic awareness tasks. On the other hand, the contrast between typical and atypical development in the acquisition of phonemes showed that children with typical development distinguished themselves from their peers. In addition to presenting superior performance in syllabic awareness tasks (except for the judgmental task of rhymes), they performed equally well in all phonemic tasks (except segmentation). CONCLUSION: It was found that the influence of vocabulary and, above all, the acquisition of phonemes in the phonological awareness skills at the phonemic level were greater than the influence of intelligence. This demonstrates the importance of the adequate development of oral language at the beginning of the literacy process.

Psicoterapia e psicofarmacologia: a percepção de psicólogos / Psychotherapy and psychopharmacology: the perception of psychologists

Este trabalho tem como objetivo, compreender como os psicólogos inseridos na Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Montes Claros - MG, no ano de 2015, veem estes três eixos pertinentes: psicoterapia, psicofármacos e a relação existente entre eles. Trata-se de um estudo do tipo quantitativo e qualitativo, de corte transversal, de uma amostra censitária, com enfoque exploratório e delineamento de estudo de caso. Foi realizada uma análise de 27 questionários de psicólogos no período de janeiro a julho de 2015. Através da discussão e dos resultados, foi possível compreender que a maioria dos psicólogos percebem os psicofármacos como auxiliadores no processo psicoterápico e que concordam que alguns pacientes necessitam utilizar os psicofármacos durante este processo. Conclui-se então que, esta pesquisa possibilitou compreender como se encontra, atualmente, o cenário do atendimento psicológico na rede da Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Montes Claros - MG.(AU)

This paper aims to promote an understanding on how psychologists of the Department of Public Health Care of the city of Montes Claros - MG, in 2015, see these three relevant areas: psychotherapy, psychotropic drugs, and the relationship between them. It refers to a study, of quantitative kind, cross-sectional, exploratory approach and design case study. It was conducted by an analysis of 27 questionnaires Psychologists in the period between January and July 2015. Through discussion and results, it was possible to understand that most psychologists perceive psychiatric drugs as helpers in the psychotherapeutic process and agree that some patients need to use psychoactive drugs during this process. In conclusion then, this research enabled us to understand as is currently the scene of psychological care in the municipal health network of Montes Claros- MG.(AU)

Cyanobacterial diversity held in microbial biological resource centers as a biotechnological asset: the case study of the newly established LEGE culture collection.

Cyanobacteria are a well-known source of bioproducts which renders culturable strains a valuable resource for biotechnology purposes. We describe here the establishment of a cyanobacterial culture collection (CC) and present the first version of the strain catalog and its online database (http://lege.ciimar.up.pt/). The LEGE CC holds 386 strains, mainly collected in coastal (48%), estuarine (11%), and fresh (34%) water bodies, for the most part from Portugal (84%). By following the most recent taxonomic classification, LEGE CC strains were classified into at least 46 genera from six orders (41% belong to the Synechococcales), several of them are unique among the phylogenetic diversity of the cyanobacteria. For all strains, primary data were obtained and secondary data were surveyed and reviewed, which can be reached through the strain sheets either in the catalog or in the online database. An overview on the notable biodiversity of LEGE CC strains is showcased, including a searchable phylogenetic tree and images for all strains. With this work, 80% of the LEGE CC strains have now their 16S rRNA gene sequences deposited in GenBank. Also, based in primary data, it is demonstrated that several LEGE CC strains are a promising source of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Through a review of previously published data, it is exposed that LEGE CC strains have the potential or actual capacity to produce a variety of biotechnologically interesting compounds, including common cyanotoxins or unprecedented bioactive molecules. Phylogenetic diversity of LEGE CC strains does not entirely reflect chemodiversity. Further bioprospecting should, therefore, account for strain specificity of the valuable cyanobacterial holdings of LEGE CC.

Word Decoding Task: Item Analysis by IRT and Within-Group Norms / Tarefa de Decodificação: Análise de Itens pela TRI e Normas Intragrupo

Abstract This paper reports the performance of a representative sample of 747 students (52.5% female), from 2nd to 5th year of elementary education from private and public (83.8%) schools of Sao Paulo city. The children performed the Form A of Word Reading and Spelling Task (WRST) containing 48 low-frequency words presented in a card. Data were analyzed using models of Item Response Theory. We observed high levels of accuracy. The analysis selected 24 items, which presented low to moderate discrimination and difficulty indices. There were mean differences between grades, but not sex or school type. We report percentile norms for the grades for the WRST´S (Form) Reduced Version. The results support preceding studies with the word decoding tasks in Brazilian Portuguese, which attested to the quasi-regular character of that language.

Resumo O estudo investiga o desempenho de uma amostra representativa de crianças (52,5% meninas) cursando do 2º ao 5º ano de escolas particulares e públicas (83,8%) de São Paulo (N = 747). As crianças leram em voz alta a Forma A da Prova de Leitura e de Escrita de Palavras (PLEP), constituída de 48 palavras de baixa frequência, apresentadas em um cartão. Os dados foram analisados utilizando modelos da Teoria de Resposta ao Item. Observaram-se altos índices de acurácia. Foram selecionados 24 itens, os quais apresentaram, em média, índices de discriminação e de dificuldade de baixos a moderados. Houve efeito de escolaridade, mas não de sexo ou tipo de escola. Normas em percentis foram reportadas para a versão reduzida da Forma A da PLEP. Os resultados condizem com estudos que utilizaram tarefas de decodificação de palavras no Brasil e atestam para o caráter quase-regular do idioma.

Initial literacy: influence of phonemic awareness and teaching method / Processo inicial de alfabetização: influência da consciência fonêmica e método de ensino / Proceso inicial de alfabetización: influencia de la consciencia fonémica y del método de alfabetización

This longitudinal study investigates the importance of two methods for the success of the learning of reading and spelling and for the development of the phonemic awareness (PA) ability. It also verifies the contribution of PA and its predictive capacity for literacy learning in Brazilian Portuguese (PB). Two groups of children who started the first year (Mage = 5;10 years), one from a school that adopted a phonic method and the other from a school that adopted a nonphonic method, were followed until the end of the 2nd year, and were assessed on PA, reading and writing in three moments. The main findings of studies in other transparent orthographies are confirmed: PA is a strong predictor of reading and writing. It was also found that in PB the ability to read words is achieved quickly, with both methods, while the learning of writing is influenced significantly by the phonic method.

Este estudo longitudinal investiga a importância de dois métodos de alfabetização para o sucesso da aprendizagem da leitura e da escrita e para o desenvolvimento da habilidade de consciência fonêmica (CF). Verifica ainda a contribuição da CF e sua capacidade preditiva para a alfabetização no português brasileiro (PB). Duas turmas de crianças que iniciavam o 1º ano (Midade = 5;10 anos), uma proveniente de uma escola que adotava método fônico e a outra, de uma escola que adotava um método não fônico, foram seguidas até final do 2º ano, com avaliações de CF, leitura e escrita, aplicadas em três momentos. Os principais achados de estudos em outras ortografias transparentes são confirmados: a CF é um forte preditor da leitura e da escrita. Encontrou-se ainda que no PB a habilidade de leitura de palavras é alcançada rapidamente, com ambos os métodos, ao passo que a aprendizagem da escrita é influenciada significativamente pelo método fônico.

Este estudio longitudinal investiga la importancia de dos métodos de alfabetización en el éxito del aprendizaje de la lectura y la escritura y para el desarrollo de la habilidad de conciencia fonémica (CF). También verifica la contribución de la CF, y su capacidad predictiva, para dicho aprendizaje en portugués brasileño (PB). Dos grupos de niños que empezaban el primer curso (Medad = 5;10 años), uno proveniente de una escuela que adopta un método fónico y la otra, de una escuela que adopta un método no-fónico, fueron seguidos hasta el final del segundo curso, con evaluaciones de CF, lectura y escritura, aplicadas en tres momentos. Los principales hallazgos de estudios en otras ortografías transparentes son confirmados: la CF es un fuerte predictor de la lectura y la escritura. Se ha encontrado que en el PB la habilidad de lectura de palabras se alcanza rápidamente, con ambos métodos, mientras que el aprendizaje de la escritura es influenciado significativamente por el método fónico.