SHIP: identifying antimicrobial resistance gene transfer between plasmids.

MOTIVATION: Plasmids are carriers for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and can exchange genetic material with other structures, contributing to the spread of AMR. There is no reliable approach to identify the transfer of AMR genes across plasmids. This is mainly due to the absence of a method to assess the phylogenetic distance of plasmids, as they show large DNA sequence variability. Identifying and quantifying such transfer can provide novel insight into the role of small mobile elements and resistant plasmid regions in the spread of AMR. RESULTS: We developed SHIP, a novel method to quantify plasmid similarity based on the dynamics of plasmid evolution. This allowed us to find conserved fragments containing AMR genes in structurally different and phylogenetically distant plasmids, which is evidence for lateral transfer. Our results show that regions carrying AMR genes are highly mobilizable between plasmids through transposons, integrons, and recombination events, and contribute to the spread of AMR. Identified transferred fragments include a multi-resistant complex class 1 integron in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and a region encoding tetracycline resistance transferred through recombination in Enterococcus faecalis. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The code developed in this work is available at https://github.com/AbeelLab/plasmidHGT.

The Enhancing Role of Emotion Regulation in the Links between Early Positive Memories and Self-harm and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescence.

Adolescence is a critical developmental period associated with an increased variety of interrelated risks and vulnerabilities. Previous studies have found associations between early memories of warmth and safeness, as well as emotion regulation, and self-harm and suicidal ideation in adolescence. Additionally, these early emotional memories have been found to be positively linked with some indicators of emotion regulation during this period. The present cross-sectional study extends prior research by exploring the moderating role of emotion regulation in the relationships between early memories of warmth and safeness, as well as each of the following risk-related outcomes in adolescence, in younger (i.e., 13-15) and older (i.e., 16-19) adolescents: suicidal ideation and self-harm and its associated functions (i.e., automatic and social reinforcement. Three self-report measures of these early emotional memories, emotion regulation, and risk-related outcomes, and a sample of 7918 Portuguese adolescents (53.3% females), with ages ranging from 13 to 19 (Mage = 15.5), were used. In both age groups, at high levels of emotion regulation, early memories of warmth and safeness had a greater (negative) effect on suicidal ideation and the automatic reinforcement function of self-harm, compared to at average and low levels of emotion regulation. These findings highlight the enhancing role of emotion regulation on the associations between early memories of warmth and safeness and some risk-related outcomes in adolescents, both younger and older, which reveals the relevance of targeting emotion regulation when preventing or tackling these outcomes, regardless of adolescents' levels of early memories of warmth and safeness.

Limit cycles in Filippov systems having a circle as switching manifold.

It is known that planar discontinuous piecewise linear differential systems separated by a straight line have no limit cycles when both linear differential systems are centers. Here, we study the limit cycles of the planar discontinuous piecewise linear differential systems separated by a circle when both linear differential systems are centers. Our main results show that such discontinuous piecewise differential systems can have zero, one, two, or three limit cycles, but no more limit cycles than three.

Cooperative UAV-UGV Autonomous Power Pylon Inspection: An Investigation of Cooperative Outdoor Vehicle Positioning Architecture.

Realizing autonomous inspection, such as that of power distribution lines, through unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems is a key research domain in robotics. In particular, the use of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles to execute the tasks of an inspection process can enhance the efficacy and safety of the operation; however, many technical problems, such as those pertaining to the precise positioning and path following of the vehicles, robust obstacle detection, and intelligent control, must be addressed. In this study, an innovative architecture involving an unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) and an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) was examined for detailed inspections of power lines. In the proposed strategy, each vehicle provides its position information to the other, which ensures a safe inspection process. The results of real-world experiments indicate a satisfactory performance, thereby demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed approach.

Model Predictive Torque Control for Velocity Tracking of a Four-Wheeled Climbing Robot.

Climbing robots are characterized by a secure surface coupling that is designed to prevent falling. The robot coupling ability is assured by an adhesion method leading to nonlinear dynamic models with time-varying parameters that affect the robot's mobility. Additionally, the wheel friction and the force of gravity force are also relevant issues that can compromise the climbing ability if they are not well modeled. This work presents a model-based torque controller for velocity tracking in a four-wheeled climbing robot specially designed to inspect storage tanks. The model-based controller (MPC) compensates for the effects of nonlinearities due to the forces of gravity, friction, and adhesion through the dynamic and kinematic modeling of the climbing robot. Dynamic modeling is based on the Lagrange-Euler approach, which allows a better understanding of how forces and torques affect the robot's movement. Besides, an analysis of the interaction force between the robot and the contact surface is proposed, since this force affects the motion of the climbing robot according to spatial orientation. Finally, simulations are carried out to examine the robot's dynamics during the climbing movement, and the MPC is validated through the redrobot simulator V-REP and practical experiments. The presented results highlight the compensation of the nonlinear effects due to the robot's climbing motion by the proposed MPC controller.

Shilnikov problem in Filippov dynamical systems.

In this paper, we introduce the concept of sliding Shilnikov orbits for 3D Filippov systems. In short, such an orbit is a piecewise smooth closed curve, composed by Filippov trajectories, which slides on the switching surface and connects a Filippov equilibrium to itself, namely, a pseudo-saddle-focus. A version of Shilnikov's theorem is provided for such systems. Particularly, we show that sliding Shilnikov orbits occur in generic one-parameter families of Filippov systems and that arbitrarily close to a sliding Shilnikov orbit there exist countably infinitely many sliding periodic orbits. Here, no additional Shilnikov-like assumption is needed in order to get this last result. In addition, we show the existence of sliding Shilnikov orbits in discontinuous piecewise linear differential systems. As far as we know, the examples of Fillippov systems provided in this paper are the first to exhibit such a sliding phenomenon.

Sliding Window Mapping for Omnidirectional RGB-D Sensors.

This paper presents an omnidirectional RGB-D (RGB + Distance fusion) sensor prototype using an actuated LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and an RGB camera. Besides the sensor, a novel mapping strategy is developed considering sensor scanning characteristics. The sensor can gather RGB and 3D data from any direction by toppling in 90 degrees a laser scan sensor and rotating it about its central axis. The mapping strategy is based on two environment maps, a local map for instantaneous perception, and a global map for perception memory. The 2D local map represents the surface in front of the robot and may contain RGB data, allowing environment reconstruction and human detection, similar to a sliding window that moves with a robot and stores surface data.

Periodic solutions of Lienard differential equations via averaging theory of order two.

For ε ≠ 0 sufficiently small we provide sufficient conditions for the existence of periodic solutions for the Lienard differential equations of the form x'' + f ⁢(x)⁢ x' + n2⁢x + g (x) = ε2p1 ⁢(t) + ε3 ⁢p2(t), where n is a positive integer, f : ℝ → ℝ is a C 3 function, g : ℝ → ℝ is a C 4 function, and p i : ℝ → ℝ for i = 1, 2 are continuous 2π-periodic function. The main tool used in this paper is the averaging theory of second order. We also provide one application of the main result obtained.

Revisiting the psychometric properties of the Levenson self-report psychopathy scale.

A number of studies have addressed the dimensionality and the measurement invariance of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy scale (LSRP; Levenson, Kiehl, & Fitzpatrick, 1995). However, previous investigations exclusively relied on North American samples and mainly on statistical methods that assume data as normally and continuously distributed. The aim of this study was to further investigate dimensionality and differential item functioning for gender in the 26-item LSRP scale in a Brazilian population-based sample using analytical methods adequate for ordered categorical variables. Findings revealed strong evidence for a 2-factor model, similar to the original factor structure of the instrument. Only 3 items presented negligible differential functioning for gender. We address the implications of these results, and stress the need for expanding research on the measurement and structural invariance of the LSRP scale by means of cross-cultural investigations.

A review of machine learning methods for cancer characterization from microbiome data.

Recent studies have shown that the microbiome can impact cancer development, progression, and response to therapies suggesting microbiome-based approaches for cancer characterization. As cancer-related signatures are complex and implicate many taxa, their discovery often requires Machine Learning approaches. This review discusses Machine Learning methods for cancer characterization from microbiome data. It focuses on the implications of choices undertaken during sample collection, feature selection and pre-processing. It also discusses ML model selection, guiding how to choose an ML model, and model validation. Finally, it enumerates current limitations and how these may be surpassed. Proposed methods, often based on Random Forests, show promising results, however insufficient for widespread clinical usage. Studies often report conflicting results mainly due to ML models with poor generalizability. We expect that evaluating models with expanded, hold-out datasets, removing technical artifacts, exploring representations of the microbiome other than taxonomical profiles, leveraging advances in deep learning, and developing ML models better adapted to the characteristics of microbiome data will improve the performance and generalizability of models and enable their usage in the clinic.

On the way for the best imaging features from CT images to predict EGFR Mutation Status in Lung Cancer.

Artificial Intelligence-based tools have shown promising results to help clinicians in diagnosis tasks. Radio-genomics would aid in the genotype characterization using information from radiologic images. The prediction of the mutations status of main oncogenes associated with lung cancer will help the clinicians to have a more accurate diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan, decreasing the need to use the biopsy. In this work, novel and objective features were extracted from the lung that contained the nodule, and several machine learning methods were combined with feature selection techniques to select the best approach to predict the EGFR mutation status in lung cancer CT images. An AUC of 0.756 ± 0.055 was obtained using a logistic regression and independent component analysis as feature selector, supporting the hypothesis that CT images can capture pathophysiological information with great value for clinical assessment and personalized medicine of lung cancer. Clinical Relevance - Radiogenomic approaches could be an interesting help for lung cancer characterization. This work represents a preliminary study for the development of computer-aided decision systems to provide a more accurate and fast characterization of lung cancer which is fundamental for an adequate treatment plan for lung cancer patients.

Unsupervised Approach for Malignancy Assessment of Lung Nodules in Computed Tomography Scans Using Radiomic Features.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Early low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening can decrease its mortality rate and computer-aided diagnoses systems may make these screenings more accessible. Radiomic features and supervised machine learning have traditionally been employed in these systems. Contrary to supervised methods, unsupervised learning techniques do not require large amounts of annotated data which are labor-intensive to gather and long training times. Therefore, recent approaches have used unsupervised methods, such as clustering, to improve the performance of supervised models. However, an analysis of purely unsupervised methods for malignancy prediction of lung nodules from CT images has not been performed. This work studies nodule malignancy in the LIDC-IDRI image collection of chest CT scans using established radiomic features and unsupervised learning methods based on k-Means, Spectral Clustering, and Gaussian Mixture clustering. All tested methods resulted in clusters of high homogeneity malignancy. Results suggest convex feature distributions and well-separated feature subspaces associated with different diagnoses. Furthermore, diagnosis uncertainty may be explained by common characteristics captured by radiomic features. The k-Means and Gaussian Mixture models are able to generalize to unseen data, achieving a balanced accuracy of 87.23% and 86.96% when inference was tested. These results motivate the usage of unsupervised approaches for malignancy prediction of lung nodules, such as cluster-then-label models. Clinical Relevance- Unsupervised clustering of radiomic features of lung nodules in chest CT scans can differentiate between malignant and benign cases and reflects experts' diagnosis uncertainty.

Transparency of subnational governments: the impact of inequality on transparency / Transparencia de los gobiernos subnacionales: el impacto de la desigualdad en la transparencia / Transparência dos governos subnacionais: o impacto da desigualdade na transparência

Abstract What are the effects of extractive informal institutions on the horizontal accountability process in a developing democracy? This paper presents evidence about the harmful effects of extractive informal institutions on horizontal accountability within subnational governments in Brazil. After three decades of free and competitive elections, the institutional design of oversight institutions for state governments has hardly changed. We explore the hypothesis that more extractive informal institutions, measured by the level of income inequality, is associated with decreasing transparency levels. Given its extensive social, political, and economic diversity embedded in an overall centralized formal institutional framework, Brazil provides an appropriate setting to test the hypothesis that extractive informal institutions responsible for increased income inequality can undermine horizontal accountability in new democracies.

Resumen ¿Cuáles son los efectos de las instituciones informales extractivas sobre el proceso de accountability horizontal en una democracia en desarrollo? Este artículo presenta evidencia sobre los efectos dañinos de las instituciones informales extractivas sobre la accountability horizontal dentro de los gobiernos subnacionales en Brasil. Después de tres décadas de elecciones libres y competitivas, el diseño institucional de las instituciones de supervisión de los gobiernos estatales apenas ha cambiado. Exploramos la hipótesis de que las instituciones informales más extractivas, medidas por el nivel de desigualdad de ingresos, están asociadas con niveles decrecientes de transparencia. Dada su amplia diversidad social, política y económica integrada en un marco institucional formal, general y centralizado, Brasil proporciona un entorno apropiado para probar la hipótesis de que las instituciones informales extractivas, responsables de una mayor desigualdad de ingresos, pueden socavar la accountability horizontal en las nuevas democracias.

Resumo Quais são os efeitos das instituições informais extrativas no processo de accountability horizontal numa democracia em desenvolvimento? Este artigo apresenta evidências sobre os efeitos nocivos das instituições informais extrativistas na accountability horizontal dos governos subnacionais no Brasil. Após três décadas de eleições livres e competitivas, o desenho institucional das instituições de fiscalização dos governos estaduais praticamente não mudou. Exploramos a hipótese de que instituições informais mais extrativas, medidas pelo nível de desigualdade de renda, estão associadas a níveis decrescentes de transparência. Dada a sua extensa diversidade social, política e econômica, inserida num quadro institucional formal centralizado, o Brasil oferece um cenário apropriado para testar a hipótese de que as instituições informais extrativas responsáveis pelo aumento da desigualdade de rendimentos podem minar a accountability horizontal nas novas democracias.

Escala de satisfação com escolha do curso: adaptação e evidências de validade / Academic major satisfaction scale: adaptation and validity evidences / Escala de satisfacción con elección del curso: adaptación y evidencias de validez

Escala de Satisfação com a Escolha do Curso (ESEC) para uso no contexto brasileiro. Participaram deste estudo 674 estudantes universitários, com idade variando entre 18 e 62 anos (M= 23,18, DP= 5,81). Seis modelos fatoriais unidimensionais foram testados com o objetivo de identificar a solução mais parcimoniosa para o instrumento. Sugere-se uma solução final com quatro itens, ao invés de seis. Análises de TRI foram realizadas e observou-se alta fidedignidade da escala para mensuração de baixos níveis do traço latente. A ESEC esteve significativamente correlacionada com os cinco fatores de personalidade, adaptabilidade de carreira e satisfação com a vida. Indica-se que a ESEC apresenta evidências de validade favoráveis ao seu uso no contexto brasileiro, mas o instrumento identifica melhor indivíduos insatisfeitos com a escolha do curso do que os satisfeitos. (AU)

This study aimed to adapt and obtain validity evidence for the Academic Major Satisfaction Scale (AMSS) in the Brazilian context. The instrument was tested in 674 college students, with ages ranging from 18 to 62 (M = 23.18, SD = 5.81). Six unidimensional models were tested in order to find the parsimonious solution to the instrument. A four-item final solution is suggested, instead of the original 6-item solution. IRT was applied and it was identified that the AMSS had high reliability in individuals with low levels of latent trait. AMSS was significantly correlated with the big-five personality factors, career adapt-ability and life satisfaction. AMSS presents favorable evidences of validity to the Brazilian context, although the scale is more efficient in identifying students who are unsatisfied rather than satisfied with their college major. (AU)

Este estudio buscó adaptar y obtener evidencia de la validez de la Escala de Satisfacción de Elección de Curso (ESEC) para su uso en el contexto brasileño. Participaron un total de 674 estudiantes universitarios, con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y los 62 años (M = 23,18, DT = 5,81). Se probaron seis modelos factoriales unidimensionales con el fin de identificar la solución más parsimoniosa para el instrumento. Se sugiere una solución final con cuatro elementos en lugar de seis. El modelo de respuesta graduada se aplicó a los ítems que funcionaron bien a niveles bajos del constructo. La ESEC se correlacionó significativamente con los cinco factores de personalidad, adaptabilidad profesional y satisfacción con la vida. Se indica que la ESEC presenta evidencia de validez favorable a su uso en el contexto brasileño, pero el instrumento identifica mejor a los insatisfechos con la elección del curso que a los satisfechos. (AU)

When autonomy is necessary for performance: Brazilian public defenders' offices / Cuando la autonomía es necesaria para el desempeño: los defensores públicos brasileños / Quando a autonomia é necessária para o desempenho: defensoria pública do Brasil

Abstract Public Defender's Offices (PDOs) are responsible for providing legal assistance to citizens in situations of social and economic vulnerability. These organizations litigate directly against the state to guarantee the provision of public services and prevent government abuses or deviations. Therefore, these organizations require autonomy to fulfill their mission. This work analyzes the relationship between autonomy and performance in Brazilian PDOs. The work tests the perception of the impact between autonomy and performance of Brazilian PDOs. A survey was carried out with bureaucrats from 27 Brazilian PDOs, and the data was analyzed through structural equation modeling. The variables observed include, in addition to performance and autonomy, availability of resources, competencies, and accountability. The results point out a perception that PDOs must be autonomous and free from political influences to perform their mission properly. The bureaucrats' skills and accountability were identified as relevant factors for the organizations' performance. However, there was no significant relationship between resource availability and perceived performance. The contributions of this study include obtaining evidence of empirical validity to measure the constructs "autonomy," "availability of resources," "skills," and "responsibility" and their impact on the performance of PDOs.

Resumen Las defensorías públicas (DP) se encargan de brindar asistencia jurídica a los ciudadanos en situación de vulnerabilidad social y económica. Estas organizaciones litigan directamente contra el Estado para garantizar la prestación de los servicios públicos y prevenir abusos o desviaciones por parte del Gobierno. Por lo tanto, la autonomía es relevante para que estas organizaciones cumplan su misión. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar la relación entre autonomía y desempeño en las DP brasileñas. La investigación prueba la percepción del impacto entre autonomía y desempeño de las DP brasileñas. Para ello, se realizó una encuesta con burócratas de 27 DP brasileñas y posteriormente el análisis de datos a través de modelado de ecuaciones estructurales. Las variables observadas incluyen, además del desempeño y la autonomía, la disponibilidad de recursos, las competencias y la rendición de cuentas. Los resultados indican que la percepción en estas organizaciones es estas que deben operar de forma autónoma, alejadas de influencias políticas, para que puedan desempeñar su misión de la mejor manera. Las habilidades de los burócratas también son un factor relevante en el desempeño de estas organizaciones, al igual que accountability. Sin embargo, no hubo una relación significativa entre la disponibilidad de recursos y el desempeño percibido. Las contribuciones de este estudio incluyen la obtención de evidencia de validez empírica para medir los constructos autonomía, disponibilidad de recursos, habilidades y accountability y su impacto en el desempeño de las DP.

Resumo As Defensorias Públicas (DPs) são responsáveis por prover assistência jurídica a cidadãos em situação de vulnerabilidade social e econômica. Essas organizações litigam diretamente contra o Estado para garantir a prestação de serviços públicos e evitar abusos ou desvios por parte do governo. Portanto, autonomia tende a ser relevante para que essas organizações cumpram sua missão. O trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a relação entre autonomia e desempenho nas DPs brasileiras. O trabalho testa a percepção de impacto entre autonomia e desempenho das DPs brasileiras. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa com burocratas de 27 DPs brasileiras e a análise dos dados foi realizada por meio de modelagem de equações estruturais. As variáveis observadas incluem, além de desempenho e autonomia, disponibilidade de recursos, competências e responsabilização. Os resultados indicam que a percepção nessas organizações é de que elas devem operar de forma autônoma, longe de influências políticas, para que possam desempenhar sua missão da melhor forma. As capacidades dos burocratas também são um fator relevante no desempenho dessas organizações, assim como a accountability. No entanto, não houve relação significativa entre a disponibilidade de recursos e o desempenho percebido. As contribuições deste estudo incluem a obtenção de evidências de validade empírica para mensurar os construtos autonomia, disponibilidade de recursos, capacidades e accountability e seu impacto no desempenho das DPs.

A comunicação dos Tribunais de Contas e Ministérios Públicos nas redes sociais: os desafios da accountability na democracia digital / Comunicación de los Tribunales de Cuentas y Ministerios Públicos en redes sociales: desafíos de la accountability en la democracia digital / The communication of Courts of Accounts and Prosecution Services on social media: the challenges of accountability in the digital democracy

Resumo Este artigo trata da comunicação que os Tribunais de Contas (TCs) e os Ministérios Públicos (MPs) brasileiros promovem nas redes sociais Facebook, Twitter e Instagram, desde a abertura de suas contas. Inova na discussão a respeito do controle democrático sobre a administração pública com foco na chamada "democracia digital", mostrando que os controladores também precisam se preocupar com a transparência e responsabilização nesses espaços. Tendo verificado que os TCs e os MPs mantêm departamentos profissionais de comunicação que operam intensamente nas redes sociais, com destaque para o TC da União (TCU) e o MP Federal (MPF) no Twitter, este trabalho analisa, de forma específica, o conteúdo da comunicação das duas instituições nessa rede, com a ajuda do software Iramuteq. Tanto o TCU como o MPF mantiveram intensa atividade de postagem de conteúdos diversos no Twitter, desde a abertura de suas contas e em momentos importantes da história política recente. A pergunta que orienta o trabalho é: ampliar os canais de comunicação significa necessariamente maior accountability? O que se constatou é que, ao se apresentar mais à sociedade pelos meios digitais, esses órgãos de controle não necessariamente responderam aos requisitos de responsabilização pública presentes na teoria democrática.

Resumen Este artículo trata de la comunicación que los Tribunales de Cuentas (TC) y los Ministerios Públicos (MP) brasileños promueven en las redes sociales Facebook, Twitter e Instagram, desde la apertura de sus cuentas. Innova en la discusión acerca de los controles democráticos sobre la administración pública en la llamada "democracia digital", mostrando que los controladores también deben preocuparse por su transparencia y rendición de cuentas. Habiendo comprobado que mantienen departamentos de comunicación profesional que operan intensamente en las redes sociales, con énfasis en el Tribunal de Cuentas de la Unión (TCU) y el Ministerio Público Federal (MPF) en Twitter, el artículo analiza específicamente el contenido de la comunicación entre las dos instituciones en esta red con la ayuda del software Iramuteq. Tanto el TCU como el MPF mantuvieron sus intensas actividades de publicación de contenidos varios en Twitter desde la apertura de sus cuentas y en momentos importantes de la historia política reciente. La pregunta que guía el trabajo es: ¿expandir los canales de comunicación significa necesariamente una mayor accountability? Lo que se encontró es que, al presentarse más a la sociedad a través de los medios digitales, estos organismos de control no respondían necesariamente a los requerimientos de rendición pública de cuentas presentes en la teoría democrática.

Abstract This article deals with the communication of Brazilian Courts of Accounts and Prosecution Services on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, since the opening of their accounts. The study innovates in the discussion about democratic controls over public administration in the so-called "digital democracy," focusing on institutional communication of Courts of Accounts and Prosecution Services, showing that controllers also need to be concerned about their transparency and accountability. Having verified that they maintain professional communication departments that operate intensively on social media, with emphasis on the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) and the Federal Prosecution Service (MPF) on Twitter, the article specifically analyzes the content of the two institutions' communication in this platform by using the Iramuteq software. Both TCU and MPF kept posting a variety of content on Twitter since first opening their accounts and at important moments in recent political history. The research question addressed was: Does expanding communication channels necessarily mean greater accountability? The study found that these institutions, when communicating with society on social media, did not necessarily respond to the public accountability requirements that democratic theory implies.

Escala de Motivação para Aprendizagem em Universitários: Versão Breve / Learning Motivation in Higher Education Scale: Brief Version / Escala de Motivación para el Aprendizaje en Universitarios: Versión Abreviada

A avaliação da motivação para aprender é um aspecto relevante em contextos educacionais, pois a motivação pode influenciar o engajamento dos estudantes, sua aprendizagem e seu desempenho em tarefas acadêmicas. O objetivo deste estudo foi propor uma versão breve da Escala de Motivação para Aprendizagem em Universitários (EMAPRE-U Breve). A EMAPRE-U é uma escala de 28 itens que avalia três dimensões motivacionais: meta aprender, meta performance-aproximação e meta performance-evitação. Participaram do estudo 525 universitários do primeiro ano de graduação de uma universidade pública. Através de análises fatoriais exploratórias e de conteúdo dos itens chegou-se a uma versão com 15 itens. Análises fatoriais confirmatórias e de correlação com construtos relacionados forneceram evidências de validade para a medida breve, e indicaram um bom ajuste dos dados ao modelo trifatorial. Os resultados sugerem que o instrumento tem o potencial de contribuir para a avaliação da motivação para aprendizagem na educação superior, ainda que aprimoramentos possam ser feitos no futuro.

The assessment of motivation to learn is a relevant aspect in educational contexts as motivation can influence student engagement, learning, and performance in academic tasks. The aim of this study was to propose a brief version of the Motivation Scale for Learning in University Students (EMAPRE-U Brief). The EMAPRE-U is a 28-item scale that assesses three motivational dimensions: the learning goal, the performance-approach goal, and the performance-avoidance goal. The study included 525 first-year undergraduate students at a public university. Through exploratory factor analysis and item content analysis, a 15-item version was developed. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlation with theoretically related constructs provided evidence of validity for the brief measure and indicated a good fit of the data to the three-factor model. The results suggest that the instrument has the potential to contribute to the assessment of motivation for learning in higher education, although improvements could be made in the future.

La evaluación de la motivación para aprender es un aspecto relevante en los contextos educativos, ya que la motivación puede influir en el compromiso, aprendizaje y desempeño del estudiante en las tareas académicas. El objetivo de este estudio fue proponer una versión breve de la Escala de Motivación para el Aprendizaje en Estudiantes Universitarios (EMAPRE-U Brief). La EMAPRE-U es una escala de 28 ítems que evalúa tres dimensiones motivacionales: metas de aprendizaje, metas de aproximación al rendimiento y metas de evitación del rendimiento. El estudio incluyó a 525 estudiantes de primer año de pregrado de una universidad pública. A través del análisis factorial exploratorio y el contenido de los ítems, se llegó a una versión de 15 ítems. Los análisis factoriales confirmatorios y las correlaciones con constructos relacionados proporcionaron evidencia de validez para la versión breve, e indicaron un buen ajuste de los datos al modelo de tres factores. Los resultados sugieren que el instrumento tiene el potencial de contribuir a la evaluación de la motivación para el aprendizaje en la educación superior, aunque podrían realizarse mejoras en el futuro.

Uso do Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) para identificação de grupo clínico e predição de risco de suicídio / The use of Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) for Clinical Group Identification and Suicide Risk Prediction / Uso del Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) para la Identificación del Grupo Clínico y la Predicción del Riesgo de Suicídio

O Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) é uma escala de rastreio utilizada em serviços de atenção básica para avaliar indicadores de transtornos mentais comuns (TMC). O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar evidências de validade clínica do SRQ-20, comparando participantes clínicos e não clínicos e verificando sua capacidade em diferenciar grupos com transtornos psiquiátricos específicos, como também em predizer risco de suicídio. Participaram do estudo 161 pessoas, 60% sendo de amostra clínica. Foram realizadas análises descritivas, correlações, ANOVAs, análises de regressão logística e curvas ROC. Os resultados apontaram grande tamanho de efeito na capacidade do instrumento em diferenciar grupo clínico e não clínico. Pacientes com transtornos de humor ou de ansiedade não diferiram dos psicóticos em relação à quantidade de sintomas apresentados. Transtornos de personalidade apresentaram escores significativamente maiores que os demais grupos. O SRQ-20 mostrou-se também bom preditor do risco de suicídio. A escala demonstrou ser uma ferramenta útil, principalmente na avaliação breve de TMC e possíveis sinais de risco.

The Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) is a screening scale frequently used in basic care to assess indicators of common mental disorders (CMD). The objective of this study was to investigate evidence of clinical validity of the SRQ-20, comparing clinical and non-clinical participants, and verifying its capacity to differentiate groups with specific psychiatric disorders, as well as to predict suicide risk. The study had 161 participants, of which 60% composed a clinical sample. Descriptive analyzes, correlations, ANOVAs, logistic regression analysis and ROC curves were performed. Results showed a large effect size to SRQ-20 in differentiate clinical and nonclinical groups. Patients with mood or anxiety disorders did not differ from psychotics in relation to the number of common mental symptoms presented. Personality disorders presented significantly higher scores than other groups. SRQ-20 was also a good predictor of suicide risk. The scale has been shown to be a useful clinical tool, especially in brief evaluation of CMD and possible signs of risk.

El Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) es una escala de seguimiento utilizada en servicios de salud para evaluar indicadores de trastornos mentales comunes (TMC). El objetivo de este trabajo fue investigar evidencias de validez clínica del SRQ-20, comparando participantes clínicos y no clínicos y verificando su capacidad en diferenciar grupos con trastornos psiquiátricos específicos, como también en predecir riesgo de suicidio. Participaron del estudio 161 personas, 60% siendo de muestra clínica. Se realizaron análisis descriptivos, correlaciones, ANOVAs, análisis de regresión logística y curvas ROC. Los resultados apuntaron gran tamaño de efecto en la capacidad del instrumento en diferenciar grupo clínico y no clínico. Los pacientes con trastornos de humor o de ansiedad no diferían de los psicóticos en relación a la cantidad de síntomas mentales comunes presentados. Los trastornos de personalidad presentaron escores significativamente mayores que los demás grupos. El SRQ-20 se mostró también buen predictor del riesgo de suicidio. La escala demostró ser una herramienta útil, principalmente en la evaluación breve de TMC y posibles señales de riesgo.

A resposta no combate à covid-19 em 2020 na parceria entre o município de Salvador e o estado da Bahia / Response in the fight against covid-19 in 2020: the partnership between the municipality of Salvador and the state of Bahia / La respuesta en la lucha contra el covid-19 en 2020 en la alianza entre el municipio de Salvador y el estado de Bahía

O tema da cooperação federativa tornou-se fundamental na agenda política e de pesquisa no Brasil. Isso ocorre porque a dicotomia centralização versus descentralização mostra-se cada vez mais desgastada como chave para entender a dinâmica do federalismo brasileiro. Parte importante dos estudos internacionais e nacionais realça a necessidade de construir mecanismos de coordenação e parceria entre os níveis de governo para resolver dilemas de ação coletiva e problemas das políticas públicas. A cooperação intergovernamental ganhou terreno a partir de formas de colaboração federativa. Uma delas foi estabelecida no âmbito do desenho das políticas públicas e teve como precursor o Sistema Único de Saúde, cujas bases colaborativas já estavam no texto constitucional por meio dos princípios de hierarquização e regionalização dos serviços. Trata-se de um modelo que supõe articulação federativa nacional, com importante papel coordenador, indutor e financiador da União, mas que mantém relevante autonomia nas mãos dos governos subnacionais. Fatores internos e externos provenientes da instabilidade política e econômica brasileira induzem mudanças na forma de execução de políticas públicas, notadamente na área da saúde. A atual conjuntura da política de saúde no Brasil toma uma condução desafiadora diante da pandemia: governos subnacionais atuando por meio da cooperação interfederativa, mediante ações já comprovadamente eficazes no combate à Covid-19, em contraponto ao governo federal, onde prevalecem ações baseadas na opinião e vontade do presidente da República, contrariando evidências científicas. Assim, o objetivo deste artigo é demonstrar a cooperação ocorrida entre o Governo do Estado da Bahia e a Prefeitura do Município de Salvador no combate à pandemia da Covid-19, por meio de ações conjuntas desenvolvidas. A natureza do método desta pesquisa foi classificada como descritiva, a partir de uma abordagem qualitativa, com análise de documentos e observação não participativa. Os resultados apresentaram os números sobre a Covid-19 no Brasil e na Bahia, o quadro dos leitos programados e habilitados para o enfrentamento da doença e as ações implementadas. Discutiu-se sobre as ações em diversas frentes, efeitos do isolamento social e medidas regionalizadas. A pesquisa conclui que a experiência da cooperação interfederativa entre o Governo da Bahia e o município de Salvador está bem alinhada com a literatura de administração pública, que indica o ganho potencial de arranjos de cooperação intergovernamental.

In response to the decreasing deterioration of the dichotomy of centralization versus decentralization as a key to understanding the dynamics of Brazilian federalism, federative cooperation has become a fundamental theme in the political and research agenda in Brazil. A considerable number of studies in the national and international scenario highlights the need to build coordination mechanisms and partnership between different governmental levels to solve collective action and public policy problems. Intergovernmental cooperation gained ground from forms of federative cooperation, one of which was established in the scope of public policies design and had the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) as a precursor ­ whose collaborative bases were already established through the principles of services hierarchization and regionalization in the constitutional text. The model assumes national federative articulation with the role of coordinating, inducing, and funding the Union while maintaining relevant autonomy in relation to subnational governments. Internal and external factors arising from political and economic instability induce changes in the way public policies are addressed, especially regarding the health field. The COVID-19 pandemic poses challenges to the current health policy conjuncture in Brazil, whereby subnational governments implemented actions proven effective in the fight against the disease by means of an interfederative cooperation whereas the Federal Government proposed measures contrary to scientific evidence, relying solely on the opinion and will of the President. Thus, this article aims to demonstrate the cooperation established between the Government of the State of Bahia and the Municipality of Salvador in the fight against the pandemic. It consists of a descriptive study based on a qualitative approach with document analysis and non-participatory observation. The results indicate the numbers of COVID-19 cases in both in Brazil and Bahia, the panorama of hospital beds programmed and qualified to cope with the disease, the actions implemented on several fronts, and effects of social isolation and sanitary measures at the regional level. The interfederative cooperation between the Government of Bahia and the municipality of Salvador is aligned with the literature on public administration, thus indicating the potential gain of intergovernmental cooperation arrangements.

La cooperación federativa se ha convertido en un tema fundamental en la agenda política y de investigación en Brasil. Esto se debe a que la dicotomía centralización versus descentralización está cada vez más desgastada para comprender la dinámica del federalismo brasileño. Algunos estudios internacionales y nacionales ponen de relieve la necesidad de construir mecanismos de coordinación y asociación entre los niveles de gobierno para resolver dilemas de acción colectiva y problemas de política pública. La cooperación intergubernamental ganó terreno a partir de formas de colaboración federativa. Una de ellas se estableció en el ámbito del diseño de políticas públicas y tuvo como precursor el Sistema Único de Salud, cuyas bases de colaboración ya estaban en el texto constitucional por medio de los principios de jerarquización y regionalización de servicios. Es un modelo que asume la articulación federativa nacional, con un importante papel coordinador, inductor y financiador de la Unión, pero que mantiene la autonomía pertinente en manos de los gobiernos subnacionales. Los factores internos y externos derivados de la inestabilidad política y económica brasileña inducen cambios en la forma en que se abordan las políticas públicas, sobre todo en el área de la salud. La coyuntura actual de la política sanitaria en Brasil adopta un enfoque desafiante ante la pandemia: los gobiernos subnacionales que actuan a través de la cooperación interfederativa con acciones efectivamente ya probadas en la lucha contra el COVID-19, en contraste con el Gobierno Federal, en que prevalecen las acciones basadas en la opinión y la voluntad del Presidente de la República, contrariamente a la evidencia científica. Así, el objetivo de este artículo es demostrar la cooperación que se produjo entre el Gobierno del Estado de Bahía (Brasil) y la Municipalidad de Salvador en la lucha contra la pandemia del COVID-19, a través de acciones conjuntas desarrolladas. Esta investigación utilizó el método descriptivo, de enfoque cualitativo con análisis documental y observación no participativa. Los resultados exponen los números sobre el COVID-19 en Brasil y Bahía, el panorama de las camas programadas y calificadas para hacer frente a la enfermedad y las acciones implementadas. Se discutieron las acciones en varios frentes, los efectos del aislamiento social y las medidas regionalizadas. Se concluyó que la experiencia de cooperación interfederativa entre el Gobierno de Bahía y el municipio de Salvador está bien alineada con la literatura de la administración pública, lo que indica posible ganancia de los acuerdos de cooperación intergubernamental.

Construção e avaliação de uma intervenção de Planejamento de Carreira para Estudantes Universitários / Construction and evaluation of a career Planning Intervention for College Students / Construcción y evaluación de una intervención de Planificación de Carrera para Estudiantes Universitarios

Este estudo tem por objetivo apresentar o desenvolvimento e a avaliação de uma intervenção em grupo na área de planejamento de carreira voltada a estudantes universitários, com base no modelo teórico Hope-Action Theory. Participaram 35 estudantes (22 do grupo de intervenção e 13 do grupo de comparação) com idades entre 19 e 48 anos (M = 23,46; DP = 5,38), de ambos os sexos. O grupo experimental apresentou mudanças mais robustas em termos de tamanho de efeito nas variáveis que avaliavam uma orientação positiva para o futuro (esperança e otimismo) e aspectos relativos à adaptabilidade de carreira. Discute-se acerca de intervenções voltadas para o público universitário e seus desafios, considerando a interface com a saúde mental, além da importância de intervenções pautadas em modelos teóricos consistentes e com instrumentos que possam avaliá-las. (AU)

This study aims to present the development and evaluation of a group intervention in the area of career planning aimed at university students, based on the Hope-Action Theory model. A total of 35 students (22 in the intervention group and 13 in the comparison group) participated, aged between 19 and 48 years (M = 23.46; SD = 5.38), both sexes. The experimental group presented more robust changes in terms of effect size in the variables that evaluated a positive orientation to the future (hope and optimism) and aspects related to career adaptability. We discussed the importance of interventions aimed at undergraduate students and their challenges, considering the interface with mental health, besides the importance of interventions based on consistent theoretical models and with instruments that are able to evaluate them. (AU)

Este estudio tiene por objetivo presentar la construcción y evaluación de una intervención en equipos en el área de planeamiento de carrera con estudiantes universitarios, basada en el modelo teórico Hope-Action Theory. Participaron 35 estudiantes (22 del grupo intervención y 13 del grupo de comparación) con edades de 19 a 48 años (M = 23,46; DP = 5,38), de ambos sexos. El grupo experimental presentó cambios más robustos en términos del tamaño del efecto de las variables que evaluaban una orientación positiva para el futuro (esperanza y optimismo) y aspectos relativos en la adaptabilidad de carrera. Se discute acerca de la importancia de intervenciones dirigidas al público universitario y sus desafíos, considerando la interfaz con la salud mental, así como la importancia de las intervenciones basadas en modelos teóricos consistentes e instrumentos que puedan evaluarlas. (AU)