Machine learning item selection for short scale construction: A proof-of-concept using the SIMS.

ObjectiveThis proof-of-concept paper provides evidence to support machine learning (ML) as a valid alternative to traditional psychometric techniques in the development of short forms of longer parent psychological tests. ML comprises a variety of feature selection techniques that can be efficiently applied to identify the set of items that best replicates the characteristics of the original test. MethodsIn the present study, we integrated a dataset of 329 participants from published and unpublished datasets used in previous research on the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS) to develop a short version of the scale. The SIMS is a multi-axial self-report questionnaire and a highly efficient psychometric measure of symptom validity, which is frequently applied in forensic settings. Results State-of-the-art ML item selection techniques achieved a 72% reduction in length while capturing 92% of the variance of the original SIMS. The new SIMS short form now consists of 21 items. ConclusionsThe results suggest that the proposed ML-based item selection technique represents a promising alternative to standard psychometric correlation-based methods (i.e. item selection, item response theory), especially when selection techniques (e.g. wrapper) are employed that evaluate global, rather than local, item value.

Αcute visceral cysticercosis caused by Taenia hydatigena in lambs: ultrasonographic findings.

BACKGROUND: Cysticercosis caused by cysticercus tenuicollis is a metacestode infection that affects several species of ungulates. It is caused by the larval stage of Taenia hydatigena, an intestinal tapeworm in dogs and wild canids. In the intermediate host, the mature cysticerci are usually found in the omentum, mesentery, and peritoneum, and less frequently in the pleura and pericardium. The migrating larvae can be found mostly in the liver parenchyma causing traumatic hepatitis in young animals. Most infections are chronic and asymptomatic, and are diagnosed at the abattoir. The acute form of infection is unusual in sheep and reports of death in lambs are rare. METHODS: In March 2018, fifteen female lambs presented anorexia, weakness, lethargy, and death secondary to acute visceral cysticercosis. Twelve of them underwent hepatic ultrasonography. Examinations were performed on standing or left lateral recumbent animals. RESULTS: Livers of affected animals presented rounded margins and a thickened, irregular and hyperechoic surface. Hepatic parenchyma appeared to be wholly or partially affected by lesions characterized by heterogeneous areas crossed by numerous, irregular, anechoic tracts ranging from 1 to 2 cm in length and 0.1 to 0.2 cm in width. Superficial and intraparenchymal cystic structures were also visualized. The presence of lesions was confirmed by anatomopathological examination, and T. hydatigena cysticerci was identified by morphological and molecular characterization of isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlighted that hepatic ultrasonography is effective for an intra-vitam diagnosis of acute cysticercosis in lambs.

Idosos e redes sociais digitais: um estudo exploratório / Mayores y redes sociales digitales: un estudio exploratorio / Older adults and digital social networks: an exploratory study

Considerando os fenômenos do envelhecimento populacional e da crescente popularização das novas tecnologias, este artigo buscou investigar aspectos afetivos e cognitivos envolvidos na compreensão e utilização de redes sociais digitais (RSD) por idosos. Para tanto, contou com a participação de 26 pessoas, com idades entre 65 e 74 anos, com perfis ativos em RSD, a partir de amostra de conveniência. Essas foram entrevistadas individualmente, tendo por referência o método clínico piagetiano. Os dados coletados foram submetidos à análise de conteúdo, priorizando-se a leitura qualitativa. Os resultados indicaram que os idosos, apesar de não pertencerem a uma geração nativa das atuais tecnologias e terem dificuldades para conceituar as RSD, estão ativos e participativos nelas, especialmente no Whats-App. Demonstraram também que os idosos começaram a utilizar tais ferramentas a partir do incentivo de familiares, de necessidades de trabalho e comunicação e, ainda, de interesse em sentirem-se pertencentes ao contexto social contemporâneo. Verificou-se que o uso de RSD pode contribuir para a promoção do desenvolvimento nessa etapa da vida, por meio da autovalorização e de um processo ativo de conhecimento. Tais aspectos reforçam, portanto, a premissa de Piaget no que tange à continuidade do desenvolvimento humano, de forma ativa e dinâmica, mesmo entre os mais velhos. Espera-se com este estudo contribuir para outras investigações com foco na velhice e nas novas tecnologias a partir da perspectiva da Psicologia do Desenvolvimento.

Considering the phenomena of population aging and the increasing popularization of new technologies, this article aimed to investigate the affective and cognitive aspects involved in the comprehension and use of digital social networks (DSN) by older adults. Twenty-six people were interviewed, from 65 to 74 years old, with active profiles on DSN, from a convenience sample. Individual interviews were made, using Piaget's clinical method. The data were submitted to a content analysis, prioritizing a qualitative reading. The results indicated that older adults ­ although not belonging to a native generation of the new technologies and having difficulty defining the DSN ­ are active and participative on them, especially on WhatsApp. They also demonstrated that they started to use these tools with the encoura gement of family members, for need at work and to communicate, and also because of an interest in belonging to the contemporary social context. It was found that the use of DSN can contribute to the promotion of development in this phase of life, through self-valorization and an active process of knowledge. Such aspects reinforce Piaget's premise regarding the continuity of human development, actively and dynamically, even among older adults. This study is expected to contribute to other investigations focusing on old age and new technologies from the perspective of Developmental Psychology.(AU)

Detecting malingering mental illness in forensics: Known-Group Comparison and Simulation Design with MMPI-2, SIMS and NIM.

BACKGROUND: Criminal defendants may often exaggerate psychiatric symptoms either to appear non-accountable for their actions or to mitigate their imprisonment. Several psychometric tests have been proposed to detect malingering. These instruments are often validated by Simulation Design (SD) protocols, where normal participants are explicitly requested to either simulate a mental disorder or respond honestly. However, the real scenarios (clinical or forensic) are often very challenging because of the presence of genuine patients, so that tests accuracy frequently differs from that one obtained in well-controlled experimental settings. Here we assessed the effectiveness in criminal defendants of three well-known malingering-detecting tests (MMPI-2, SIMS and NIM) by using both Known-Group Comparison (KGC) and Simulation Design (SD) protocols. METHODS: The study involved 151 male inmates. Participants to the KGC protocol were all characterized by a positive psychiatric history. They were considered as genuine patients (KGC_Controls) if they had some psychiatric disorders already before imprisonment and scored above the cutoff of SCL-90-R, a commonly used test for mental illness, and as suspected malingerers (KGC_SM) if they were diagnosed as psychiatric patients only after imprisonment and scored below the SCL-90-R cutoff. Participants to SD protocol had no history of psychiatric disease and scored below the SCL-90-R cutoff. They were randomly assigned to either group: Controls (requested to answer honestly, SD_Controls) and simulated malingerers (requested to feign a psychiatric disease, SD_SM). All participants were then submitted to MMPI-2, NIM and SIMS. RESULTS: Results showed that while MMPI-2, SIMS and NIM were all effective in discriminating malingerers in the SD, SIMS only significantly discriminated between KGC_Controls and KGC_SM in the Known-Group Comparison. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves analysis confirmed the better sensitivity of SIMS with respect to the other tests but raised some issues on SIMS specificity. DISCUSSION: Results support the sensitivity of SIMS for the detection of malingering in forensic populations. However, some specificity issues emerged suggesting that further research and a good forensic practice should keep into account multiple measures of malingering, including psychometric data, clinical and social history and current clinical situation. These methodological constraints must be kept in mind during detection of malingering in criminal defendants reporting psychiatric symptoms.

Educação em valores morais: juízos de profissionais no contexto escolar / Education in moral values: judgments of professionals in the educational context / Educación en valores morales: juicios de profissionales en el contexto escolar

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar os juízos de profissionais da educação como professores, diretores, coordenadores, pedagogos e supervisores pedagógicos, de escolas estaduais de Ensino Fundamental (6.º ao 9.º ano) e Médio do Espírito Santo, sobre educação em valores morais (EVM). Utilizou como instrumento de coleta de dados um questionário, enviado a escolas via correio e disponibilizado on-line. A partir dos dados, constatou que a maior parte da amostra: (1) afirmou que a EVM trabalha os "valores morais ou éticos"; (2) considerou que a instituição escolar deve dar esse tipo de educação; (3) argumentou que a instituição de ensino deve formar moralmente, porque essa "é a função da escola"; e (4) mencionou como possibilidade de procedimento para EVM os métodos verbais e ativos. Assim, apontou que os participantes reconheceram a importância da instituição de ensino no processo de desenvolvimento moral dos alunos.

This study aims to investigate the judgments of Education professionals, such as teachers, principals, coordinators, pedagogical supervisors and pedagogues in fundamental public schools (6th to 9th grades) and secondary education in Espírito Santo, regarding education related to moral values (EMV). We used a questionnaire as an instrument for data collection, mailed and made available online. From the data, it was noted that the majority of the sample (1) stated that EMV addresses the "moral or ethical values" (2) considered that schools should provide this kind of education, (3) argued that the educational institution should educate morally because this "is the function of the school" and (4) mentioned as a possible procedure for EVM, the verbal and active methods. Thus, it was pointed out that the participants recognized the importance of the educational institution in the process of moral development of the students.

Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo investigar los juicios de profesionales de educación - profesores, directores, coordinadores, pedagogos y supervisores pedagógicos - de escuelas estatales de Enseñanza Fundamental (6º a 9º años) y Enseñaza Media de Espírito Santo al respecto de la educación en valores morales (EVM). Utilizó como instrumento de recolección de datos un cuestionario enviado por correo y disponibilizado on-line. A partir de los datos se constató que la mayor parte de la muestra: 1- afirmó que la EVM trabaja los "valores morales o éticos"; 2- consideró que la institución escolar debe dar ese tipo de educación; 3- argumentó que la institución de enseñanza deve formar moralmente porque esa "es la función de la escuela"; y 4- mencionó como posibilidad de procedimiento para EVM los métodos verbales y activos. Así, indicó que los participantes reconocieron la importancia de la institución de enseñanza en el proceso de desarrollo moral de los alunos.

Effects of xenobiotic compounds on the cell activities of Euplotes crassus, a single-cell eukaryotic test organism for the study of the pollution of marine sediments.

It is now widely accepted that assays with protists are relevant to be exploited for the study of environmental modifications due to the presence of xenobiotic compounds. In this work, the possibility of utilizing Euplotes crassus, an interstitial marine ciliate, for the pre-chemical screening of estuarine and coastal sediments was evaluated. For this purpose, the effects of exposure to pollutants were tested on the cell viability, fission rate and lysosomal membrane stability of E. crassus. The following toxicants were used: an organophosphate (OP) pesticide, basudin, an organochlorine hydrocarbon, AFD25, both employed especially for pest control in agricultural sites, a toxic heavy metal, mercury (HgCl2) and different mixtures of the above-mentioned compounds, as they might occur in polluted sites. Exposure to these toxicants affected cell viability at concentrations ranging from 96.6 to 966 x 10(3)mg/l for basudin, from 3.3 to 33 x 10(3)mg/l for AFD25 and from 0.1 to 1mg/l for HgCl2. A significant decrease in the mean fission rate (P<0.001) was found after 24- or 48-h exposures to 9.66 mg/l basudin, 3.3 mg/l AFD25 and 7 x 10(-2)mg/l HgCl2. Furthermore, the Neutral Red Retention Assay showed a significant decrease in lysosomal membrane stability after 60- and 120-min exposures to AFD25 (33 mg/l) and HgCl2 (0.33 mg/l). In addition, as it is well-known that the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity represents a specific biomarker of exposure to OP and carbamate pesticides in higher organisms, initially the presence of cholinesterase (ChE) activity was detected in E. crassus, using cytochemical, spectrophotometric and electrophoretic methods. Afterwards, this enzyme activity was characterized spectrophotometrically by its sensitivity to specific ChE inhibitors and to variations in pH and temperature. The ChE activity was inhibited significantly by basudin- (9.66 and 96.6 mg/l) or AFD25-exposure (3.3 mg/l). Conversely, exposure to AFD25 (33 mg/l) or HgCl2 (0.1 and 0.3mg/l) caused a significant increase in this enzyme activity. Moreover, exposure to mixtures containing basudin, AFD25 and HgCl2 was found to affect the cell viability, the mean fission rate and the ChE activity differently, in an unpredictable manner. Our results indicate that E. crassus seems to be a suitable test organism to evaluate the toxicity of marine sediments.

Heavy metal interference with growth hormone signalling in trout hepatoma cells RTH-149.

We have studied the effects of heavy metals (Hg2+, Cu2+, Cd2+) on growth hormone (GH) activation of tyrosine kinase and Ca2+ signaling in the trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) hepatoma cell line RTH-149. Molecular cloning techniques using primer designed on Oncorhynchus spp. growth hormone receptor (GHR) genes allowed to isolate a highly homologous cDNA fragment from RTH-149 mRNA. Thereafter, cells were analysed by Western blotting or, alternatively, with Ca2+ imaging using fura-2/AM. Exposure of cells to ovine GH alone produced a stimulation of the JAK2/STAT5 pathway and intracellular free Ca2+ variations similar to what has been observed in mammalian models. Cell pre-exposure to Cu2+, Hg2+ or Cd2+ affected cell response to GH by enhancing (Cu2+) or inhibiting (Cd2+) the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT5. Heavy metals induced the activation of the MAP kinase p38, and pre-exposure to Hg2+ or Cu2+ followed by GH enhanced the effect of metal alone. Image analysis of fura2-loaded cells indicated that pre-treatment with Hg2+ prior to GH produced a considerable increase of the [Ca2+]i variation produced by either element, while using Cu2+ or Cd2+ the result was similar but much weaker. Data suggest that heavy metals interfere with GH as follows: Hg2+ is nearly ineffective on JAK/STAT and strongly synergistic on Ca2+ signaling; Cu2+ is activatory on JAK/STAT and slightly activatory on Ca2+; Cd2+ is strongly inhibitory on JAK/STAT and slightly activatory on Ca2+; heavy metals could partially activate STAT via p38 independently from GH interaction.

Rapid effects of 17beta-estradiol on cell signaling and function of Mytilus hemocytes.

Estrogens affect the functioning of several non-reproductive tissues, the immune system in particular. In mammalian immunocytes, 17beta-estradiol (E2) has both dose- and cell-type specific effects and the responses to E2 seem to be mediated by rapid, non-genomic mechanisms; these may be initiated at either membrane or cytosolic locations, and can result in both direct local effects, such as modification of ion fluxes, and regulation of gene transcription secondary to activation of different kinase cascades, including mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs). In this work, the short-term effects of E(2) and the possible mechanisms of estrogen-mediated cell signaling were investigated in the hemocytes, the immune cells of the bivalve mollusc, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lam. The results show that E2 (25nM) caused a rapid and significant increase in hemocyte cytosolic [Ca2+]; lower concentrations (5 nM) showed a smaller, not significant effect. Both E2 concentrations affected the phosphorylation state of the components of tyrosine kinase-mediated signal transduction MAPK- and STAT- (signal transducers and activators of transcription) like proteins within 5-15 min from E2 addition. A greater effect and clearer time course were observed with 25 nM E2: in particular, E2 induced a transient increase in p-ERK2 MAPK and a persistent increase in p-p38 MAPK. Moreover, both STAT3 and STAT5 were tyrosine phosphorylated in response to E2. E2 (5 nM) induced both morphological (as evaluated by SEM) and functional changes (such as extracellular release of hydrolytic enzymes, lysosomal membrane destabilisation, and stimulation of the bactericidal activity) within 10-30 min from addition. Lysosomal membrane destabilisation induced by both E2 concentrations was abolished by hemocyte preincubation with the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580, and significantly reduced by PD98059 and Wortmannin (inhibitors of ERK MAPK and PI3-K, respectively), this suggesting that rapid activation of kinase cascades is involved in mediating the effects of E2 in mussel hemocytes. The antiestrogen Tamoxifen prevented or strongly reduced most, but not all, the effects of E2. Western blotting with heterologous anti-ERalpha-anti-ERbeta-antibodies revealed the presence of immunoreactive ERalpha- and ERbeta-like proteins in hemocyte protein extracts. Overall, our data support the hypothesis that the rapid effects and mechanisms of action of 17beta-estradiol are extremely conserved and that they may play a crucial role in endocrine-immune interactions in invertebrates.

Essential role of Ca2+ -dependent phospholipase A2 in estradiol-induced lysosome activation.

The mechanism of lysosome activation by 17beta-estradiol has been studied in mussel blood cells. Cell treatment with estradiol induced a sustained increase of cytosolic free Ca2+ that was completely prevented by preincubating the cells with the Ca2+ chelator BAPTA-AM. Estradiol treatment was also followed by destabilization of the lysosomal membranes, as detected in terms of the lysosomes' increased permeability to neutral red. The effect of estradiol on lysosomes was almost completely prevented by preincubation with the inhibitor of cytosolic Ca2+ -dependent PLA2 (cPLA2), arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF3), and was significantly reduced by preincubation with BAPTA-AM. In contrast, it was virtually unaffected by preincubation with the inhibitor of Ca2+ -independent PLA2, (E)-6-(bromomethylene)tetrahydro-3-(1-naphtalenyl)-2H-pyran-2-one (BEL). The Ca2+ ionophore A-23187 yielded similar effects on [Ca2+](i) and lysosomes. Exposure to estradiol also resulted in cPLA2 translocation from cytosol to membranes, lysosome enlargement, and increased protein degradation. These results suggest that the destabilization of lysosomal membranes following cell exposure to estradiol occurs mainly through a Ca2+ -dependent mechanism involving activation of Ca2+ -dependent PLA2. This mechanism promotes lysosome fusion and catabolic activities and may mediate short-term estradiol effects.