Dengue virus 3 genotype I (GI) lineage 1 (L1) isolates elicit differential cytopathic effect with syncytium formation in human glioblastoma cells (U251).

BACKGROUND: Dengue virus (DENV) is a Flaviviridae member classified into four antigenically distinct serotypes (DENV 1, 2, 3, and 4) and further subdivided genotypes. DENV3 is subdivided into four or five genotypes, depending on the classification adopted. Despite their high genetic proximity, as revealed by phylogenetic complete polyprotein analysis, DENV3 MG-20 and DENV3 PV_BR showed different neurovirulence in mice models. Our group identified six amino acid mutations in protein E, including the E62K and E123Q, which may affect interactions of hydrophobic clusters on domain II, thus leading to the observed differences in the studied viruses. METHODS: Human glioblastoma cells (U251) derived from a malignant glioblastoma tumor by explant technique were infected by the DENV3 GIL1 isolates DENV3 MG-20 and DENV3 PV_BR and analyzed by plaque assays and titration, optical, immunofluorescence, and transmission electronic microscopy. RESULTS: The two isolates showed different cytopathic effects (CPE) and fusogenic patterns, further confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence. Transmission electron microscopy revealed intense cytopathic effects in DENV3 MG-20 infected U251 cells, displaying endoplasmic reticulum hypertrophy and turgid vesicles with proteins and multiple viruses, distinct from DENV3 PV_BR infected cells. It is hypothesized that the different amino acids in the DENV3 MG-20 isolate are related to an increased membrane fusion ability in viral infection, thus facilitating immune system evasion and increased chances of central nervous system cell infection. CONCLUSION: These results emphasize the biological differences between the isolates, which could be a critical factor in host-virus interaction and severe dengue development. Our study presents comparative results of highly similar isolates with the potential to generate more subsidies for a deeper understanding of the DENV pathogenesis. The neurotropism of the isolate DENV3 MG-20 (belonging to the DENV3 GI L1 genotype) showing infection of nervous system cells (U251) could contribute to understanding neurological dengue disease.

Edible Insects: Perceptions of Marketing, Economic, and Social Aspects among Citizens of Different Countries.

Because edible insects (EI) have been, in recent years, recommended as a nutritious animal protein food with enormous environmental advantages over other sources of animal protein for human consumption, studies aimed at investigating the consumer perspective have become more prominent. Hence, this study intended to examine the perceptions of participants from different countries about the commercialization and economic and social impacts of edible insects. The study was made using a questionnaire survey, and data were collected in Brazil, Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey. The final number of received answers was 7222 participants. For the treatment of the results, different statistical techniques were used: factor analysis, internal reliability by Cronbach's alpha, cluster analysis, ANOVA to test differences between groups, and Chi-square tests. The results obtained confirmed the validity of the scale, constituted by 12 out of the 14 items initially considered, distributed by 4 factors: the first related to the economic impact of EIs, the second related to the motivation for consumption of EIs, the third related to the places of purchase of EIs, and the fourth corresponding to a question presented to the participants as a false statement. A cluster analysis allowed identifying three clusters, with significant differences between them according to all the sociodemographic variables tested. Also, it was found that the participants expressed an exceptionally high level of agreement with aspects such as the difficulty in finding EIs on sale, knowledge acting as a strong motivator for EI consumption, and the role of personalities and influencers in increasing the will to consume EIs. Finally, practically all sociodemographic variables were found to be significantly associated with perceptions (country, sex, education, living environment, and income), but not age. In conclusion, the perceptions about EI commercialization were investigated and revealed differences among samples originating from different countries. Moreover, the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants were found to be strongly associated with their perceptions.

Empowering Indigenous Communities Through a Participatory, Culturally Responsive Evaluation of a Federal Program for Older Americans.

This article describes our experience of conducting a 5-year, culturally responsive evaluation of a federal program with Indigenous communities. It describes how we adapted tenets from "participatory evaluation models" to ensure cultural relevance and empowerment. We provide recommendations for evaluators engaged in similar efforts. The evaluation included stakeholder engagement through a Steering Committee and an Evaluation Working Group in designing and implementing the evaluation. That engagement facilitated attention to Indigenous cultural values in developing a program logic model and medicine wheel and in gathering local perspectives through storytelling to facilitate understanding of community traditions. Our ongoing assessment of program grantees' needs shaped our approach to evaluation capacity building and development of a diverse array of experiential learning opportunities and user-friendly tools and resources. We present practical strategies from lessons learned during the evaluation design and implementation phases of our project that might be useful for other evaluators.

Variáveis de contexto pessoal e académico como preditoras do abandono escolar / Personal and academic variables as predictors of student dropout / Variables del contexto personal y académico como predictores del abandono escolar

Resumo Enquadramento: A complexidade do fenómeno do abandono escolar, perspetivado como a não conclusão do curso frequentado, pressupõe diferentes preditores deste fenómeno. Objetivos: Identificar variáveis preditoras dos motivos de intenção de abandono escolar nos estudantes do ensino superior. Metodologia: Estudo quantitativo transversal, descritivo-correlacional e analítico, com uma amostra não probabilística por conveniência de 1175 estudantes portugueses. O instrumento de recolha de dados incluiu um questionário sociodemográfico, uma Escala de Motivos de Intenção de Abandono Escolar do Ensino Superior e outras escalas validadas. Resultados: Os resultados obtidos identificam, como variáveis preditoras das quatro dimensões dos motivos de intenção de abandono escolar, a idade e o sexo, a perceção emocional, a performance de aprendizagem e dimensões das vivências académicas dos estudantes. Conclusão: Constata-se a necessidade de apoiar os estudantes ao nível da gestão de expectativas, dotando-os de uma maior capacidade de lidar com as suas perceções emocionais. Sugere-se a criação de medidas de mitigação do abandono escolar atendendo ao seu perfil sociodemográfico e criação de infraestruturas que garantam a qualidade de vida académica.

Abstract Background: Student dropout, defined as the non-completion of the attended school program, is a complex phenomenon that involves different predictors. Objective: To identify predictor variables for dropout in higher education students. Methodology: This is a descriptive-correlational and analytical cross-sectional quantitative study with a non-probability convenience sample of 1175 Portuguese students. The data collection instrument included a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Reasons for Higher Education Dropout Scale, and other validated scales. Results: The results obtained identify age and gender, emotional perception, learning performance, and dimensions of students' academic experiences as predictor variables for the four dimensions of student dropout. Conclusion: This study points to the need to support students in managing their expectations, providing them with a greater ability to deal with their emotional perceptions. Implementing measures to mitigate students' dropout, considering their socio-demographic profiles, and creating infrastructures that ensure the quality of academic life are recommended.

Resumen Marco contextual: La complejidad del fenómeno del abandono escolar, visto como la no finalización del curso, presupone diferentes predictores de este fenómeno. Objetivos: Identificar variables predictoras de los motivos de la intención de abandono escolar en estudiantes de educación superior. Metodología: Estudio cuantitativo transversal, descriptivo-correlacional y analítico, con una muestra no probabilística por conveniencia de 1175 estudiantes portugueses. El instrumento de recogida de datos incluyó un cuestionario sociodemográfico, una Escala de Motivos de Intención de Abandono Escolar de la Educación Superior y otras escalas validadas. Resultados: Los resultados obtenidos identifican, como variables predictoras de las cuatro dimensiones de los motivos de abandono escolar, la edad y el género, la percepción emocional, el rendimiento del aprendizaje y las dimensiones de las experiencias académicas de los estudiantes. Conclusión: Es necesario apoyar a los estudiantes en la gestión de las expectativas, proporcionándoles una mayor capacidad para gestionar sus percepciones emocionales. Se sugiere crear medidas para mitigar el abandono escolar según su perfil sociodemográfico, así como infraestructuras que aseguren la calidad de vida académica.

The Motivations for Consumption of Edible Insects: A Systematic Review.

The consumption of edible insects (EI) is traditional in many parts of the world, but not in others. In fact, despite globalization and the multiple advantages pointed out about the consumption of EI, there are still many countries where entomophagy is seen with disgust and aversion. This systematic review aimed to examine the motivations that influence the consumption of EI in diverse cultures and understand if there are differences between Western countries (WC) and insect-eating countries (IEC). It further evaluated whether the degree of acceptability was influenced by the form of consumption of the insects (eating whole insects or foods containing insects). This literature review was conducted in November 2021 within three databases, Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus, according to the Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis and using PRISMA directives. From a total of 245 studies, 31 were selected to be included in this review, based on the inclusion criteria defined: only original research articles, from 2010 or beyond, and written in English. The results indicated that the main motivations that determine the consumption of EI are related to gender, age, sustainability, nutritional value, sensory attributes, tradition/culture, food neophobia, disgust and familiarity/past experiences. Moreover, whereas in IEC, there is a greater focus on factors related to sensory attributes, availability, affordability and preferences, in WC, there is a bigger emphasis on determinants such as nutritional value, sustainability, benefits, familiarity/past experience, tradition/culture, food neophobia and disgust. Finally, it was observed that people in WC are more willing to accept food products containing insects rather than the whole insect, which is one of the most promising points to be addressed in the future. Overall, this review highlights that there are numerous factors influencing the consumption of edible insects, and differences between WC and IEC are clear in what concerns the motivations of consumers. Hence, targeting market segments and consumers' characteristics has to be present when designing strategies to incentivize the consumption of EI in WC as a part of a global strategy for sustainability of food systems.

Building connection and improving health for Indigenous elders: Findings from the Title VI evaluation.

BACKGROUND: As the older Indigenous population in the United States expands, there is a growing demand for programs to address age-related needs. Although Title VI of the OAA provides culturally responsive strategies to support elders through home- and community-based nutrition services, these programs have not been the subject of a national evaluation; our study is the first. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-methods study to assess the impact of the Title VI programs on elders. We used quantitative data from a national survey of Indigenous elders (n = 1175) and qualitative data collected through interviews (n = 36) and focus groups (18, n = 161) with a subgroup of elders receiving services. We compared outcomes for social and cultural connectedness and physical and mental well-being for different subgroups within our sample of elders based on elders' use of Title VI services and the level of services provided to these elders. Results were adjusted for community characteristics. RESULTS: Elders receiving Title VI services had significantly fewer hospitalizations and falls per year (hospitalizations: 0.9 vs. 1.2, p < 0.05; falls: 1.0 versus 1.1, p < 0.05) and significantly more social and cultural engagements per month (social engagements: 92.6% vs. 75.6%, p < 0.05; cultural practices: 78.8% vs. 64.8%, p < 0.05) compared with elders who did not participate in Title VI services. These findings were confirmed by our qualitative data. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the vital role that the Title VI program plays in promoting elders' overall health and well-being through decreased hospitalizations and falls and increased connectedness.

Development of a Questionnaire to Assess Knowledge and Perceptions about Edible Insects.

Edible insects (EI) have been consumed as traditional foods in many parts of the globe, but in other regions, they are not readily accepted, particularly in Western countries. However, because EI are suggested to constitute a more sustainable protein food as compared with other sources of animal protein, they can be considered a future food that could help mitigate hunger and malnutrition. Additionally, new gastronomic trends are already targeting this area for exploring new potentialities. The objective of this work was to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess consumers' perceptions and knowledge about EI in seven different domains: D1. Culture and Tradition, D2. Gastronomic Innovation and Gourmet Kitchen, D3. Environment and Sustainability, D4. Economic and Social Aspects, D5. Commercialization and Marketing, D6. Nutritional Aspects and D7. Health Effects. The 64 items were subjected to item analysis and reliability analysis for validation, and factor analysis was also conducted to identify a grouping structure. The results validated all the items of the seven subscales with high values of Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.732 for D1, α = 0.795 for D2, α = 0.882 for D3, α = 0.742 for D4, α = 0.675 for D5, α = 0.799 for D6 and α = 0.788 for D7). However, by eliminating 17 items, the final values of the alpha increased in all subscales. Factor analysis with extraction by principal component analysis with varimax rotation extracted 14 factors that explained, in total, 65% of the variance, although the first two factors were the most important (35.7% variance explained). In conclusion, the confirmed usefulness of the questionnaire has been hereby validated for assessing consumer perceptions of and knowledge about EI.

Perceptions about Healthy Eating and Emotional Factors Conditioning Eating Behaviour: A Study Involving Portugal, Brazil and Argentina.

This study analysed the perceptions about healthy eating as well as some emotional factors conditioning eating behaviour in a sample of people from Portugal, Brazil and Argentina. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving a non-probabilistic sample of 2501 participant. Data was collected through a questionnaire applied to adult citizens residing in their respective countries. For data analysis chi-square tests were used, and associations were evaluated by Cramer's coefficients. Moreover, a tree classification analysis was conducted for variables related with perceptions about healthy eating and emotional conditioning of eating behaviour. The results revealed that participants' perceptions are generally in agreement with healthy eating. However, significant differences were found between countries (p = 0.018) and by levels of education (p < 0.0005), with a more accurate perception for Portugal and at the university level. The existence of statistically significant associations between all sociodemographic variables considered and the conditioning of eating behaviour by emotional motivations should be noted. Tree classification analysis showed that the most important discriminant sociodemographic variable for perceptions about healthy eating was education, followed by professional area and country, while the most relevant discriminants for emotional conditioning of eating behaviour were country and then living environment and sex. Thus, it is important to consider these variables in initiatives that aim to promote adherence to behaviours that contribute to the health and well-being of the population.

First evidence of introgressive hybridization of apple snails (Pomacea spp.) in their native range.

Genetic variation facilitates both natural range expansions and anthropogenic invasions. Contrary to expectations, hybridization does not always impact negatively on biodiversity. Increasing evidence indicates advantageous roles for introgressive hybridization in maintaining standing genetic variation. Hypothesizing that hybridization may contribute to the evolutionary and invasive success of a diverse group of freshwater snails (Ampullariidae, commonly known as apple snails), we estimated the frequency of hybridization between two globally invasive species of Pomacea, Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck, 1822) and P. maculata Perry, 1810, in their native range. While previous work in Asia has uncovered the occurrence of extensive hybridization, we provide the first phylogenetic evidence of a high degree of hybridization (30%) between these species in Uruguay and Brazil. Hybrids carried both heterozygous and homozygous combinations of elongation factor 1-α (EF1α) nuclear alleles in both mating directions, indicating that hybridization has occurred over multiple generations and likely preceded introductions outside the native range. Among the five sites in Brazil previously documented as containing only P. maculata, one far northern population (Careiro Castanho), which is thousands of kilometres from the northern range of P. canaliculata, unexpectedly contained hybrids. This may be the result of human-facilitated introductions. Together with recent work from Asia, our investigations in the native range of apple snails support a reframing of historical perspectives of hybridization as a driver of extinction and diversity loss towards a modern paradigm where hybridization may promote diversification and contribute to the survival of evolutionary lineages such as molluscs.

Avaliação de programa sobre identificação de emoções por alunos do ensino básico / Evaluación del programa sobre identificación de emociones por alumnos de educación primaria / Assessment of a program to identify expression of emotions by primary school students

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar a eficácia de um programa de educação sócio emocional na diferenciação e identificação de emoções em alunos do 2º e 3º ciclos do Ensino Básico e analisar a influência das variáveis sociodemográficas. Métodos Estudo de intervenção com avaliação antes e depois, realizado numa amostra de 101 alunos, 58,4% raparigas, divididos nos grupos etários de 9-11 (média= 10,34 anos; Dp= 0,59) e 12-15 anos (Média= 13,37; Dp= 0,99). Foi aplicado o Inventário de Identificação de Emoções e Sentimentos (IIES- Moreira, P., Oliveira, J.T., Crusellas, L., Lima, A., 2012) antes e após programa de educação socio emocional, baseado no Programa "expressões faciais de 6 emoções básicas dos Mochinhos da Sabedoria" de Costa (2012). Resultados Os alunos tinham entre 9 e 15 anos e a maioria (27,7%) frequentava o 8º ano de escolaridade. A capacidade de identificar e diferenciar emoções e sentimentos variou significativamente em função do género e idade. A comparação de médias na amostra global não revelou significância estatística na diferenciação e identificação de emoções antes e após a intervenção. Analisando por grupos etários o Test-t para diferença de médias indicou diferenças significativas na capacidade de identificação emocional positiva (t= -2,813; p= 0,007) e diminuição na identificação emocional neutra (t=2,258; p= 0,029) no grupo dos 9-11 anos. Conclusão Os resultados encontrados indicam que as competências de diferenciação e identificação de emoções se alteram após estratégias educacionais, sobretudo em idades precoces. Isto terá efeito na auto-regulação emocional e nas experiências emocionais quotidianas com os outros, sobretudo se incluídas de forma intencional e sistemática em ambiente escolar.

Resumen Objetivo Evaluar la eficacia de un programa de educación socioemocional para la diferenciación e identificación de emociones en alumnos de 5° a 9° año de primaria y analizar la influencia de las variables sociodemográficas. Métodos Estudio experimental con evaluación antes y después, realizado con una muestra de 101 alumnos, 58,4% mujeres, divididos en grupos de edad de 9 a 11 (promedio= 10,34 años; Dp= 0,59) y 12 a 15 años (promedio= 13,37; Dp= 0,99). Se aplicó el Inventario de Identificación de Emociones y Sentimientos (IIES- Moreira, P., Oliveira, J.T., Crusellas, L., Lima, A., 2012) antes y después del programa de educación socioemocional, basado en el programa "Expresiones faciales de seis emociones básicas" de Mocinhos da Sabedoria de Costa (2012). Resultados Los alumnos tenían entre 9 y 15 años y la mayoría (27,7%) estaba en 8° año de escuela. La capacidad de identificar y diferenciar emociones y sentimientos varió significativamente en función del género y la edad. La comparación de promedios de la muestra global no reveló significación estadística en la diferenciación e identificación de emociones antes y después de la intervención. Al analizar por grupos de edad, el test-T para diferencias de promedios indicó diferencias significativas en la capacidad de identificación emocional positiva (t= -2,813; p= 0,007) y reducción en la identificación emocional neutra (t=2,258; p= 0,029) en el grupo de 9 a 11 años. Conclusión Los resultados encontrados indican que las competencias de diferenciación e identificación de emociones se alteran luego de aplicar estrategias educativas, sobre todo en edades precoces. Esto tendrá un efecto en la autorregulación emocional y en las experiencias emocionales cotidianas con los otros, sobre todo si se incluyen de forma intencional y sistemática en el ambiente escolar.

Abstract Objective to assess the efficacy of a socioemotional education program on recognizing and distinguishing emotions among 2nd and 3rd cycle primary education students and analyze the influence of sociodemographic variables. Methods This was a before-after intervention study including a sample of 101 students (58.4% girls) divided into two groups. The first groups age ranged from 9 to 11 years-old (mean: 10.34 years; SD = 0.59) and in the second group from 12 to 15 years-old (mean: 13.37; SD = 0.99). We applied the Emotions and Feelings Identification Awareness Inventory (IIES- Moreira, P., Oliveira, J.T., Crusellas, L., Lima, A., 2012) before and after socioemotional education program based on Costa's (2012) program "6 basic emotions and facial expression by the little wisps of wisdom". Results Students were aged between 9 and 15 years, and most of them (27.7%) were attending the 8th school year. The ability of recognizing and distinguishing emotions and feelings varied significantly by sex and age. The comparison of means in the global sample was not statistically significance in the identification and differentiation of feelings before and after the intervention. Considering students by age group, the Student t-test for mean differences showed significant differences in the ability of identifying positive emotions (t = -2.813; p = 0.007) and a decrease in identifying neutral emotions (t = 2,258; p = 0.029) in the 9-11 years-old group. Conclusion Findings indicate that competences in identifying and differentiating emotions change after exposition to educational strategies, especially among younger individuals. These strategies have also an effect on emotional self-regulation and on daily emotional experiences with others, mainly when they are intentional and systematically introduced into a school environment.

Identificação de emoções e sentimentos: estudo exploratório com alunos do ensino básico / Identificación de emociones y sentimientos: estudio exploratorio con alumnos de educación primaria / Identifying emotions and feelings: exploratory study with elementary and high school students

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar a competência de alunos do 2º e 3º ciclo do Ensino Básico na identificação e diferenciação de emoções e sentimentos. Métodos Estudo exploratório de corte transversal, desenvolvido no âmbito do Projeto MaiSaúdeMental com referência CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-023293, desenvolvido na Escola Superior de Saúde do Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Portugal. Foi realizado com uma amostra de conveniência constituída por 101 crianças/adolescentes. Foi utilizado um questionário de caracterização sociodemográfica e o Inventário de Identificação de Emoções e Sentimentos. Este é um inventário de auto-relato que avalia a capacidade das crianças/adolescentes identificarem e diferenciarem emoções e sentimentos, partindo de situações quotidianas. É composto por 15 itens que correspondem a 15 situações. A aplicação do questionário decorreu em sala de aula, após uma breve explicação do seu funcionamento e esclarecimento de dúvidas. No tratamento dos dados foi utilizado o programa informático Statistical Package for the Social Sciences ® (SPSS versão 24.0) e efetuada análise descritiva e analítica, considerando-se para análise dos testes o Intervalo de Confiança (IC) a 95% (significância p<0,05). Resultados Os alunos tinham entre 9 e 15 anos de idade e a maioria (27,7%) frequentava o 8º ano de escolaridade. Globalmente identificam poucas emoções e sentimentos, numa média de 13,36 pontos para um score máximo de identificação emocional de 39, sendo que em média identificam mais emoções e sentimentos positivos (5,11 pontos) do que negativos (4,33 pontos) e neutros (3,91 pontos). Para todas as dimensões os valores médios são mais elevados no sexo feminino e nos alunos de 14 anos, mas apenas significativos em algumas das diferenciações emocionais (p<0,05). Conclusão Os resultados encontrados vão ao encontro de investigações nesta área, concluindo-se que as crianças e adolescentes apresentaram fraca capacidade de identificação e diferenciação de emoções, evidenciando contudo maior capacidade de diferenciação emocional positiva do que negativa e/ou neutra. Verificou-se ainda que existem maiores competências de diferenciação e identificação emocional no género feminino e que essas competências aumentam com a idade.

Resumen Objetivo Evaluar la competencia de alumnos de 5° a 9° año de primaria en la identificación y diferenciación de emociones y sentimientos. Métodos Estudio exploratorio de corte transversal, desarrollado en el ámbito del Proyecto "MaiSaúdeMental" (Más Salud Mental), referencia CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-023293, llevado a cabo en la Escola Superior de Saúde del Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Portugal. Se realizó con una muestra de conveniencia formada por 101 niños/adolescentes. Se utilizó un cuestionario de caracterización sociodemográfica y el Inventario de Identificación de Emociones y Sentimientos. Es un inventario de autorrelato que evalúa la capacidad de los niños/adolescentes de identificar y diferenciar emociones y sentimientos, a partir de situaciones cotidianas. Se compone de 15 ítems que corresponden a 15 situaciones. La aplicación del cuestionario se realizó en el aula, luego de una breve explicación de su funcionamiento y esclarecimiento de dudas. Para el tratamiento de datos, se utilizó el programa informático Statistical Package for the Social Sciences ® (SPSS versión 24.0) y se realizó un análisis descriptivo y analítico, en el que se consideraron para el análisis de las pruebas el intervalo de confianza (IC) a 95% (significación p<0,05). Resultados Los alumnos tenían entre 9 y 15 años de edad y la mayoría (27,7%) estaba en 8° año de escuela. De forma global, identifican pocas emociones y sentimientos, un promedio de 13,36 puntos en una puntuación máxima de identificación emocional de 39, de modo que, en promedio, identifican más emociones y sentimientos positivos (5,11 puntos) que negativos (4,33 puntos) y neutros (3,91 puntos). En todas las dimensiones, los valores promedio son mayores en el sexo femenino y en alumnos de 14 años, pero poco significativos en algunas diferenciaciones emocionales (p<0,05). Conclusión Los resultados encontrados están en línea con las investigaciones de esta área, con lo que se concluye que los niños y adolescentes presentan poca capacidad de identificación y diferenciación de emociones, sin embargo se observa mayor capacidad de diferenciación emocional positiva que negativa o neutra. Además, se verificó que existen mayores competencias de diferenciación e identificación emocional en el género femenino y que esas competencias aumentan con la edad.

Abstract Objective To assess the competence of students from Grade 5 to 10 of elementary and high school to identify and differentiate emotions and feelings. Methods This was cross-sectional, exploratory study, carried out during the Project "MaiSaúdeMental" (More Mental Health), at the referall CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-023293, and developed in Escola Superior de Saúde of Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Portugal. This was a convenience sample including 101 children/adolescents. A questionnaire for sociodemographic characterization and an Inventory to Identify Emotions and Feelings were used. This self-reporting inventory evaluated the capacity of children/adolescents to identify and differentiate their emotions and feelings, based on everyday situations. The questionnaire was composed of 15 items that correspond to 15 situations. The questionnaire was applied in the classroom, after a short explanation on how it worked and clarification to questions of participants. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences ® (SPSS version 24.0) was used for data process, and a descriptive and analytical assessment was performed. The 95% confidence interval for the tests analysis was considered significant (p<0.05). Results The students were aged between 9 and 15 years old, and the majority (27.7%) was attending grade 8. In general, students identified few emotions and feelings, a mean score of 13.36 points for a maximum score of 39 of emotion identification, whereas on average they identify more positive emotions and feelings (5.11 points) than negative (4.33 points) or neutral (3.91 points). In all dimensions, mean values were higher in female students and in 14-year-old students, but slightly significant for some emotion differentiations (p<0.05). Conclusion The results found corroborate with investigations in this area. Children and adolescents have poor capacity to identify and differentiate emotions, although they show greater capacity to differentiate positive emotions rather than negative or neutral emotions. We also observed that female students have more competence to differentiate and identify emotions, and these competences increase with age.

Perturbações músculo-esqueléticas em adolescentes: estudo da prevalência e dos fatores determinantes / Trastornos musculoesqueléticos en adolescentes: estudio de prevalencia y factores determinantes / Musculoskeletal disorders in adolescents: a study on prevalence and determining factors

Resumo Objetivo Identificar a prevalência das perturbações músculo-esqueléticas em adolescentes e analisar a sua relação com variáveis sociodemográficas, antropométricas e contextuais. Métodos Conceptualizou-se um estudo observacional, transversal, descritivo/relacional de cariz quantitativo, que envolveu 632 adolescentes de seis agrupamentos de escolas das zonas centro e norte de Portugal, com média de idades de 13,36 anos. O protocolo de colheita de dados integrava questões de cariz sociodemográfico, antropométrico, contextual e ainda o "Questionário Nórdico Músculo-Esquelético" para avaliar as perturbações músculo-esqueléticas. Resultados Os dados mostraram que 47,4% dos adolescentes referem perturbação músculo-esqueléticas nos últimos 3 meses, localizando-se estas aos níveis dos ombros (27,8%), região dorsal (25,3%), coxa/anca (26,1%), pescoço (23,4%), zona lombar (22,8%) e joelhos (19,6%). Verificou-se ainda, que as perturbações músculo-esqueléticas são mais prevalentes nos adolescentes do género feminino, naqueles que gastam mais tempo por dia a ver televisão e ainda nos que se deslocam para a escola a pé ou de bicicleta. Conclusão A prevalência das perturbações músculo-esqueléticas nos adolescentes é elevada, tem origem multicausal, tornando-se imperativa a implementação de intervenções de prevenção e readaptação promotoras de um funcionamento músculo-esquelético otimizado.

Resumen Objetivos Identificar la prevalencia de trastornos musculoesqueléticos en adolescentes y analizar su relación con variables sociodemográficas, antropométricas y contextuales. Métodos Se conceptualizó un estudio observacional, transversal, descriptivo/relacional de aspecto cuantitativo, que incluyó 632 adolescentes de seis agrupamientos de escuelas de la zona centro y norte de Portugal, con promedio de edad de 13,36 años. El protocolo de recolección de datos incluyó cuestiones de aspecto sociodemográfico, antropométrico, contextual e, inclusive, el "Cuestionario Nórdico Musculoesquelético" para evaluar los trastornos musculoesqueléticos. Resultados Los datos mostraron que el 47,4% de los adolescentes señalan trastornos musculoesqueléticos en los últimos 3 meses, localizados en el nivel de los hombros (27,8%), región dorsal (25,3%), muslo/cadera (26,1%), cuello (23,4%), zona lumbar (22,8%) y rodillas (19,6%). Además, se verificó que los trastornos musculoesqueléticos tienen mayor prevalencia en adolescentes de género femenino, en los que pasan más tiempo por día viendo televisión y en los que van a la escuela caminando o en bicicleta. Conclusión La prevalencia de los trastornos musculoesqueléticos en adolescentes es elevada, tiene origen multicausal, por lo que se torna imperativa la implementación de intervenciones de prevención y readaptación que promuevan un funcionamiento musculoesquelético optimizado.

Abstract Objective To identify the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in adolescents, and to analyze this prevalence relationship with sociodemographic, anthropometric and contextual variables. Methods An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive/relational study with quantitative approach was conceptualized, involving 632 adolescents with mean age of 13.36 from six school groups from Central and North Portugal. Data collection protocol included questions of sociodemographic, anthropometric and contextual nature, and also the "Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire" to assess musculoskeletal disorders. Results Data showed that 47.4% of adolescents mentioned musculoskeletal disorders within the last 3 months, located in the shoulders (27.8%), dorsal region (25.3%), thigh/hips (26.1%), neck (23.4%), lumbar region (22.8%), and knees (19.6%). We found that musculoskeletal disorders are more prevalent in female adolescents, and among those who spend longer time watching television per day, and also those who go to school by foot or bicycle. Conclusion The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in adolescents is high and has multicausal origin, turning imperative the implementation of preventive and readapted actions to promote a better musculoskeletal function.

Adaptação e validação para português da Escala de Motivos de Intenção de Abandono do Ensino Superior / Adaptation and validation to European Portuguese of the Reasons for Higher Education Dropout Scale / Adaptación y validación al portugués de la Escala de Motivos de Intención de Abandono de la Enseñanza Superior

Enquadramento: O abandono escolar é um problema com que os sistemas educacionais se debatem, colocando em causa a qualidade da instituição escolar e do próprio sistema de ensino. Objetivos: Adaptar e avaliar as qualidades psicométricas da Escala de Motivos de Intenção de Abandono do Ensino Superior para os estudantes do ensino superior português. Metodologia: Estudo quantitativo, transversal, descritivo e correlacional. Foi aplicado um questionário de caracterização sociodemográfica e a Escala de Motivos de Intenção de Abandono do Ensino Superior a uma amostra de 891 estudantes, maioritariamente feminina (68,2%), com uma idade média de 19,68 anos. Recorreu-se à análise fatorial exploratória e confirmatória. Resultados: A escala composta por 30 itens, organizados em 4 dimensões: Organizacional; Gestão de vida; Profissional e Relacional. Apresenta uma variância explicada de 46,5%, e um alfa de Cronbach de 0,959. Conclusão: Os resultados apoiam a adequação psicométrica da escala para a população portuguesa, indicando que poderá ser utilizada em ensaios futuros neste âmbito e permitir a implementação de medidas que o contrariem.

Background: School dropout is a problem education systems struggle with, which disputes the quality of the educational institution and the education system itself. Objectives: To adapt and validate the psychometric qualities of the Reasons for Higher Education Dropout Scale for Portuguese higher education students. Methodology: Quantitative, transversal, descriptive, and correlational study. A sociodemographic characterization questionnaire and the Reasons for Higher Education Dropout Scale were applied to a sample of 891 students, mostly female (68.2%), with a mean age of 19.68 years. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used. Results: The scale, consisted of 30 items, is organized into 4 dimensions: Organizational; Life management; Professional; and Relational. It presents an explained variance of 46.5% and a Cronbach's alpha of 0.959. Conclusion: The results support the psychometric adequacy of the scale for the Portuguese population and indicate that it can be used in future studies in this area and allow the implementation of measures to prevent dropout.

Marco contextual: El abandono escolar es un problema al que los sistemas educativos se enfrentan, y que pone en causa la calidad de la institución escolar y del propio sistema de enseñanza. Objetivos: Adaptar y evaluar las cualidades psicométricas de la Escala de Motivos de Intención de Abandono de la Enseñanza Superior para los estudiantes de la enseñanza superior portuguesa. Metodología: Estudio cuantitativo, transversal, descriptivo y correlacional. Se aplicó un cuestionario de caracterización sociodemográfica y la Escala de Motivos de Intención de Abandono de la Enseñanza Superior a una muestra de 891 estudiantes, mayoritariamente femenina (68,2%), con una edad media de 19,68 años. Se recurrió al análisis factorial exploratorio y confirmatorio. Resultados: La escala estuvo compuesta por 30 ítems, organizados en 4 dimensiones: Organizativa; Gestión de la vida; Profesional y Relacional. Presenta una varianza explicada del 46,5% y un alfa de Cronbach de 0,959. Conclusión: Los resultados apoyan la adecuación psicométrica de la escala para la población portuguesa, lo que indica que se podrá utilizar en ensayos futuros en este ámbito y permitir la implementación de medidas que lo contraríen.

Competências emocionais e prevenção do abandono nos estudantes do ensino superior politécnico / Emotional skills and prevention of dropout in students of polytechnic higher education / Competencias emocionales y prevención del abandono en los estudiantes de enseñanza superior politécnico

CONTEXTO: Nos últimos anos, a comunidade científica foi tomando consciência da importância do desenvolvimento de competências emocionais para o sucesso escolar e profissional dos estudantes. OBJETIVO(S): Identificar os fatores que influenciam o abandono escolar dos estudantes do ensino superior politécnico. Analisar a relação entre as competências emocionais e o abandono escolar dos estudantes do Ensino Superior Politécnico. METODOLOGIA: Estudo quantitativo, transversal, descritivo e correlacional. O instrumento de recolha de dados utilizado foi questionário de caracterização sociodemográfica dos estudantes e dos pais, a Escala de Motivos para Abandono do Ensino Superior (Ambiel, 2015) e a Escala Competências Emocionais (Taksic’, 2000), adaptada para Portugal por Faria e Santos (2006). Amostra constituída por 560 estudantes do ensino superior a frequentarem o 1.º ano do curso. RESULTADOS: Participaram 560 estudantes do ensino superior a frequentarem o 1.º ano do curso, maioritariamente feminina (69,3%), com uma idade mínima de 18 anos e uma máxima de 30 anos, correspondendo-lhe uma média de 19,76 anos (±2,06 anos), 36,6% da área da tecnologia. O sexo influenciou o abandono escolar dos estudantes do ensino superior, sendo os estudantes do sexo feminino os que revelam mais motivos para o abandono (p=0,010). Os estudantes cujas mães se encontram ativas profissionalmente manifestam mais Intenção de abandono (p=0,035). A perceção emocional, a expressão emocional e a capacidade de lidar com as emoções foram preditoras da intenção de abandono escolar. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados apontam para a necessidade de inclusão nos programas de intervenção contra o abandono escolar, das variáveis sexo, idade e algumas dimensões das competências emocionais, para minimizar, assim, as suas consequências, quer para os estudantes, quer para a própria sociedade.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the scientific community has become aware of the importance of the development of emotional competences for students' academic and professional success. AIM: To identify the factors that influence the drop out of students of polytechnic higher education. To analyze the relation between the emotional competences and the school dropout of the students of Polytechnic Higher Education. METHODS: Quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational study. The data collection instrument used was a sociodemographic characterization questionnaire for students and parents, the Motivation Scale for Abandonment of Higher Education (Ambiel, 2015) and the Emotional Skills Scale (Taksic ', 2000), adapted for Portugal by Faria and Santos (2006). Sample composed of 560 students of higher education attending the first year of the course. RESULTS: A total of 560 higher education students attended the first year of the course, mostly female (69.3%), with a minimum age of 18 years and a maximum of 30 years, corresponding to an average of 19.76 years (± 2.06 years), 36.6% of the technology area. Sex influenced the dropout rate of higher education students, with female students showing more reasons for dropout (p = 0.010). Students whose mother is professionally active show more intention of abandonment (p = 0.035). Emotional perception, emotional expression and the ability to deal with emotions were predictive of intention to drop out. CONCLUSIONS: The results point to the need to include in the intervention programs against school abandonment of the variables gender, age and some dimensions of emotional competences, in order to minimize their consequences, both for students and for society itself.

CONTEXTO: En los últimos años, la comunidad científica ha sido consciente de la importancia del desarrollo de competencias emocionales para el éxito escolar y profesional de los estudiantes. OBJETIVO(S): Identificar los factores que influencian el abandono escolar de los estudiantes de la enseñanza superior politécnica. Analizar la relación entre las competencias emocionales y el abandono escolar de los estudiantes de la Enseñanza Superior Politécnica. METODOLOGÍA: Estudio cuantitativo, transversal, descriptivo y correlacional. El instrumento de recolección de datos utilizada fue cuestionario sociodemográfico de los estudiantes y los padres, Enseñanza Superior Abandono de Escala razones (Ambiel, 2015) y la Escala de Competencia Emocional (Taksic', 2000), adaptado a Portugal por Faria y Santos (2006). Muestra constituida por 560 estudiantes de enseñanza superior que asisten al primer año del curso. RESULTADOS: Un total de 560 estudiantes de educación superior asistieron al primer año del curso, en su mayoría mujeres (69.3%), con una edad mínima de 18 años y un máximo de 30 años, lo que corresponde a un promedio de 19.76 años (± 2.06 años), 36.6 % del área de tecnología. El sexo influyó en la tasa de deserción escolar de los estudiantes de educación superior, y las alumnas mostraron más motivos para abandonar la escuela (p = 0.010). Los estudiantes cuya madre es profesionalmente activa muestran más intención de abandono (p = 0.035). La percepción emocional, la expresión emocional y la capacidad de manejar las emociones predecían la intención de abandonarla. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados apuntan a la necesidad de incluir en los programas de intervención contra el abandono escolar las variables de género, edad y algunas dimensiones de las competencias emocionales, con el fin de minimizar sus consecuencias, tanto para los estudiantes como para la propia sociedad.

Lipid metabolism alterations in the neuronal response to A53T α-synuclein and Fe-induced injury.

Pathological α-synuclein (α-syn) overexpression and iron (Fe)-induced oxidative stress (OS) are involved in the death of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease (PD). We have previously characterized the role of triacylglycerol (TAG) formation in the neuronal response to Fe-induced OS. In this work we characterize the role of the α-syn variant A53T during Fe-induced injury and investigate whether lipid metabolism has implications for neuronal fate. To this end, we used the N27 dopaminergic neuronal cell line either untransfected (UT) or stably transfected with pcDNA3 vector (as a transfection control) or pcDNA-A53T-α-syn (A53T α-syn). The overexpression of A53T α-syn triggered an increase in TAG content mainly due to the activation of Acyl-CoA synthetase. Since fatty acid (FA) ß-oxidation and phospholipid content did not change in A53T α-syn cells, the unique consequence of the increase in FA-CoA derivatives was their acylation in TAG moieties. Control cells exposed to Fe-induced injury displayed increased OS markers and TAG content. Intriguingly, Fe exposure in A53T α-syn cells promoted a decrease in OS markers accompanied by α-syn aggregation and elevated TAG content. We report here new evidence of a differential role played by A53T α-syn in neuronal lipid metabolism as related to the neuronal response to OS.

The Evidence Base for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Constructs.

OBJECTIVES: The federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program requires grantees to demonstrate program improvement as a condition of funding. The MIECHV program monitors grantee progress in federally mandated conceptual areas (ie, benchmarks) that are further subcategorized into related sub-areas or constructs (eg, breastfeeding). Each construct has an associated performance measure that helps MIECHV collect data on program implementation and performance. In 2016, MIECHV modified the constructs and associated performance measures required of grantees. Our objective was to identify whether the constructs were supported by the home visiting literature. METHODS: We conducted an evaluation of one of the MIECHV program's benchmarks (Benchmark 1: Maternal and Newborn Health) for alignment of the Benchmark 1 constructs (preterm birth, breastfeeding, depression screening, well-child visit, postpartum care, and tobacco cessation referrals) with home visiting evidence. In March 2016, we searched the Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness database for all publicly available articles on studies conducted in the United States to determine how well the study findings aligned with the MIECHV program constructs. RESULTS: Of 59 articles reviewed, only 3 of the 6 MIECHV constructs-preterm birth, breastfeeding, and well-child visits-were supported by home visiting evidence. CONCLUSIONS: This evaluation highlights a limited evidence base for the MIECHV Benchmark 1 constructs and a need to clarify other criteria, beyond evidence, used to choose constructs and associated performance measures. One implication of not having evidence-based performance measures is a lack of confidence that the program will drive positive outcomes. If performance measures are not evidence based, it is difficult to attribute positive outcomes to the home visiting services.

Phospholipase D1 downregulation by α-synuclein: Implications for neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease.

We have previously shown that phospholipase D (PLD) pathways have a role in neuronal degeneration; in particular, we found that PLD activation is associated with synaptic injury induced by oxidative stress. In the present study, we investigated the effect of α-synuclein (α-syn) overexpression on PLD signaling. Wild Type (WT) α-syn was found to trigger the inhibition of PLD1 expression as well as a decrease in ERK1/2 phosphorylation and expression levels. Moreover, ERK1/2 subcellular localization was shown to be modulated by WT α-syn in a PLD1-dependent manner. Indeed, PLD1 inhibition was found to alter the neurofilament network and F-actin distribution regardless of the presence of WT α-syn. In line with this, neuroblastoma cells expressing WT α-syn exhibited a degenerative-like phenotype characterized by a marked reduction in neurofilament light subunit (NFL) expression and the rearrangement of the F-actin organization, compared with either the untransfected or the empty vector-transfected cells. The gain of function of PLD1 through the overexpression of its active form had the effect of restoring NFL expression in WT α-syn neurons. Taken together, our findings reveal an unforeseen role for α-syn in PLD regulation: PLD1 downregulation may constitute an early mechanism in the initial stages of WT α-syn-triggered neurodegeneration.

HIV alters neuronal mitochondrial fission/fusion in the brain during HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) still occur in approximately 50% of HIV patients, and therapies to combat HAND progression are urgently needed. HIV proteins are released from infected cells and cause neuronal damage, possibly through mitochondrial abnormalities. Altered mitochondrial fission and fusion is implicated in several neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we hypothesized that mitochondrial fission/fusion may be dysregulated in neurons during HAND. We have identified decreased mitochondrial fission protein (dynamin 1-like; DNM1L) in frontal cortex tissues of HAND donors, along with enlarged and elongated mitochondria localized to the soma of damaged neurons. Similar pathology was observed in the brains of GFAP-gp120 tg mice. In vitro, recombinant gp120 decreased total and active DNM1L levels, reduced the level of Mitotracker staining, and increased extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) in primary neurons. DNM1L knockdown enhanced the effects of gp120 as measured by reduced Mitotracker signal in the treated cells. Interestingly, overexpression of DNM1L increased the level of Mitotracker staining in primary rat neurons and reduced neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the GFAP-gp120-tg mice. These data suggest that mitochondrial biogenesis dynamics are shifted towards mitochondrial fusion in brains of HAND patients and this may be due to gp120-induced reduction in DNM1L activity. Promoting mitochondrial fission during HIV infection of the CNS may restore mitochondrial biogenesis and prevent neurodegeneration.

Dopaminergic Neurons Respond to Iron-Induced Oxidative Stress by Modulating Lipid Acylation and Deacylation Cycles.

Metal-imbalance has been reported as a contributor factor for the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson Disease (PD). Specifically, iron (Fe)-overload and copper (Cu) mis-compartmentalization have been reported to be involved in the injury of dopaminergic neurons in this pathology. The aim of this work was to characterize the mechanisms of membrane repair by studying lipid acylation and deacylation reactions and their role in oxidative injury in N27 dopaminergic neurons exposed to Fe-overload and Cu-supplementation. N27 dopaminergic neurons incubated with Fe (1 mM) for 24 hs displayed increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation and elevated plasma membrane permeability. Cu-supplemented neurons (10, 50 µM) showed no evidence of oxidative stress markers. A different lipid acylation profile was observed in N27 neurons pre-labeled with [3H] arachidonic acid (AA) or [3H] oleic acid (OA). In Fe-exposed neurons, AA uptake was increased in triacylglycerols (TAG) whereas its incorporation into the phospholipid (PL) fraction was diminished. TAG content was 40% higher in Fe-exposed neurons than in controls. This increase was accompanied by the appearance of Nile red positive lipid bodies. Contrariwise, OA incorporation increased in the PL fractions and showed no changes in TAG. Lipid acylation profile in Cu-supplemented neurons showed AA accumulation into phosphatidylserine and no changes in TAG. The inhibition of deacylation/acylation reactions prompted an increase in oxidative stress markers and mitochondrial dysfunction in Fe-overloaded neurons. These findings provide evidence about the participation of lipid acylation mechanisms against Fe-induced oxidative injury and postulate that dopaminergic neurons cleverly preserve AA in TAG in response to oxidative stress.

HIV-1 Tat alters neuronal autophagy by modulating autophagosome fusion to the lysosome: implications for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.

Antiretroviral therapy has increased the life span of HIV+ individuals; however, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) occurrence is increasing in aging HIV patients. Previous studies suggest HIV infection alters autophagy function in the aging CNS and HIV-1 proteins affect autophagy in monocyte-derived cells. Despite these findings, the mechanisms leading to dysregulated autophagy in the CNS remain unclear. Here we sought to determine how HIV Tat dysregulates autophagy in neurons. Tat caused a dose-dependent decrease in autophagosome markers, microtubule-associated protein-1 light chain ß II (LC3II), and sequestosome 1(SQSTM1), in a membrane-enriched fraction, suggesting Tat increases autophagic degradation. Bafilomycin A1 increased autophagosome number, LC3II, and SQSTM1 accumulation; Tat cotreatment diminished this effect. Tat had no effect when 3-methyladenine or knockdown of beclin 1 blocked early stages of autophagy. Tat increased numbers of LC3 puncta and resulted in the formation of abnormal autophagosomes in vitro. Likewise, in vivo studies in GFAP-Tat tg mice showed increased autophagosome accumulation in neurons, altered LC3II levels, and neurodegeneration. These effects were reversed by rapamycin treatment. Tat colocalized with autophagosome and lysosomal markers and enhanced the colocalization of autophagosome with lysosome markers. Furthermore, co-IP studies showed that Tat interacts with lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2A (LAMP2A) in vitro and in vivo, and LAMP2A overexpression reduces Tat-induced neurotoxicity. Hence, Tat protein may induce autophagosome and lysosome fusion through interaction with LAMP2A leading to abnormal neuronal autophagy function and dysregulated degradation of critical intracellular components. Therapies targeting Tat-mediated autophagy alterations may decrease neurodegeneration in aging patients with HAND.