Substance Use and Its Relationship With Attachment and Early Maladaptive Schemes in Adolescents in Ecuador.

Given the scarcity of studies addressing substance consumption and its relationship with attachment styles and early maladaptive schemas in adolescents, the present study is proposed. Aims of this study are to analyze the relationship among attachment styles, early maladaptive schemas, and substance use; test the predictive role of attachment styles on substance use; and observe the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas in the relationship between attachment and substance use. The sample consisted of 1533 adolescents from Ecuador (53.9% males) aged between 14 and 18 years (M = 15.76; SD = 1.25). The attachment styles of security, value to parental authority, parental permissiveness, parental interference, self-sufficiency and resentment against parents, childhood trauma, and family concern predict substance use (tobacco, alcohol, tranquilizers/sedatives or sleeping pills, hashish or marijuana, cocaine, GHB or liquid ecstasy, ecstasy, amphetamines/speed, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants/volatiles), and the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas is confirmed (explained variance up to 33.33%). Identifying risk or vulnerability factors, such as attachment and early maladaptive schemas related to substance consumption, is especially relevant for designing and implementing preventive interventions in the adolescent population.

Challenges and Opportunities for Printed Electrical Gas Sensors.

Printed electrical gas sensors are a low-cost, lightweight, low-power, and potentially disposable alternative to gas sensors manufactured using conventional methods such as photolithography, etching, and chemical vapor deposition. The growing interest in Internet-of-Things, smart homes, wearable devices, and point-of-need sensors has been the main driver fueling the development of new classes of printed electrical gas sensors. In this Perspective, we provide an insight into the current research related to printed electrical gas sensors including materials, methods of fabrication, and applications in monitoring food quality, air quality, diagnosis of diseases, and detection of hazardous gases. We further describe the challenges and future opportunities for this emerging technology.

Latino Parents' Perceptions of Physical Activity and Healthy Eating: At the Intersection of Culture, Family, and Health.

OBJECTIVE: To explore Latino parents' perspectives on healthy living and identify strategies to incorporate in a future child obesity intervention. DESIGN: Descriptive, qualitative study. SETTING: Participants were recruited from an emerging Latino community (area with low [ < 5%] yet growing concentrations of Latinos) in Allegheny County, PA. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-two parents of preschool children participated in 5 Spanish-language focus groups. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST: Parents' perceptions of a healthy lifestyle (ie, physical activity and nutrition). ANALYSIS: Data were analyzed using the constant comparison method to identify salient categories, themes, and patterns. RESULTS: Three overarching themes were identified: (1) Healthy Living: Beyond One's Control; (2) Estamos Acostumbrados [We Are Used to a Certain Lifestyle]; and (3) Latin American and US Culture Conflict. In general, parents perceived maintaining a healthy lifestyle to require enormous effort and that change was difficult given a lack of knowledge and control. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Key intervention approaches with this population may include a focus on the family environment. Increasing knowledge, building self-efficacy, and modeling behavior through family recipe preparation and physical activity breaks may be necessary, as well as an emphasis on and orientation to community resources to support behavior change and physical activity and healthy eating habits.

The association of social support and education with breast and cervical cancer screening.

BACKGROUND: Disparities in breast and cervical cancer screening by socioeconomic status persist in the United States. It has been suggested that social support may facilitate screening, especially among women of low socioeconomic status. However, at present, it is unclear whether social support enables mammogram and Pap test compliance. PURPOSE: This study examines the association between social support and compliance with mammogram and Pap test screening guidelines, and whether social support provides added value for women of low education. METHOD: Data were from a countywide 2009-2010 population-based survey, which included records of 2,588 women 40 years and older (mammogram) and 2,123 women 21 to 65 years old (Pap test). Compliance was determined using the guidelines in effect at the time of data collection. RESULTS: Social support was significantly related to mammogram (adjusted odds ratio = 1.43; 95% confidence interval [1.16, 1.77]) and Pap test (adjusted odds ratio = 1.71; 95% confidence interval [1.27, 2.29]) compliance after controlling for age, race, having a regular health care provider, and insurance status. The interaction between social support and education had a significant effect on Pap test compliance only among women younger than 40; the effect was not significant for mammogram compliance. CONCLUSION: Social support is associated with breast and cervical cancer screening compliance. The association between education and cancer screening behavior may be moderated by social support; however, results hold only for Pap tests among younger women. Practitioners and researchers should focus on interventions that activate social support networks as they may help increase both breast and cervical cancer screening compliance among women with low educational attainment.

[Transzygomatic pterional approach. Part 2: Surgical experience in the management of skull base pathology]. / Abordaje pterional transcigomático. Parte 2: Experiencia quirúrgica en la patología de base de cráneo.

OBJECTIVES: To present our experience with the transzygomatic pterional approach in the treatment of neurosurgical pathology of the base of the skull located in the middle cranial fossa and surrounding areas. METHOD: A retrospective study of pathological findings, surgical outcomes and complications in a series of 31 cases operated on between 2009 and 2011 using a transzygomatic pterional approach. RESULTS: The lesions involved the sphenoid wing (25.9%), several regions due to invasive growth pattern (19.5%), the temporal lobe (16.1%) and cavernous sinus (12.9%). The others were located in the floor of the middle fossa, Meckel's cave, incisural space, cisterns and infratemporal region. The pathological nature of the lesions was: benign meningioma (42%), temporal lobe tumour (19.5%), vascular disease (12.9%), inflammatory lesions (6.4%), atypical meningioma (6.4%), epidermoid cyst (6.4%), neurinoma (3.2%) and poorly differentiated infratemporal carcinoma (3.2%). The approach was usually combined extra-intradural (58.1%) and, less frequently, just extradural (16.1%) or intradural (25.8%). Approach-related complications were minor: haematomas in the wound not requiring treatment (67.8%), superior transient facial paresis (9.7%), transient temporomandibular joint dysfunction (12.9%) and atrophy of the temporal muscle (16.2%). There were no hardware-related complications or cosmetic issues related to the osteotomy and posterior osteosynthesis of the zygomatic arch. CONCLUSIONS: The pterional approach combined with osteotomy of the zygomatic arch allows mobilising the temporalis muscle away from the temporal fossa, consequently exposing its entire surface to complete the temporal craniotomy up to the middle fossa; it helps to access and treat pathology in this region or it can be used as a corridor to approach surrounding areas.

Microsurgical Relations between Internal Carotid Artery-Posterior Communicating Artery (ICA-PComA) Segment Aneurysms and Skull Base: An Anatomoclinical Study.

Purpose The study of the clinical, anatomic, imaging, and microsurgical characteristics of the aneurysms of the internal carotid-posterior communicating artery (ICA-PComA) segment and their relationships with the skull base structures. Methods The anatomic relationships of PComA with neurovascular elements and skull base structures were studied in cadavers. The clinical, imaging, and microsurgical findings of 84 microsurgically treated ICA-PComA aneurysms compiled in a prospective database were reviewed. Results The most important anatomic relations of the PComA and ICA-PComA aneurysms are with the oculomotor nerve around the oculomotor triangle that forms the roof of the cavernous sinus. Aneurysms of the ICA-PComA are classified according to the orientation of the aneurysmal sac in infratentorial, supratentorial, and tentorial. Infratentorial aneurysms frequently present with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and oculomotor nerve paralysis. They have relations with skull base structures that often make it necessary to totally or partially resect the anterior clinoid process (6.7%) or anterior petroclinoid dural fold (15%). Supratentorial aneurysms course with SAH and without oculomotor nerve involvement, but they often are associated with intracranial hematoma. Conclusion ICA-PComA aneurysms have complex anatomic relations. The orientation of the aneurysmal fundus induces relevant differences in the anatomic relations, clinical presentation, and microsurgical approach to ICA-PComA aneurysms.