Coping and Psychopathological Profile in Nonsuicidal Self-Injurious Chilean Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to establish the roles of coping typologies and the psychological problems associated with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and to identify adolescents who are at greater risk of engaging in this practice. METHOD: The total sample comprised 965 adolescents (57% girls, aged 12-18 years) from several Chilean schools who answered the Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury questionnaire. RESULTS: Young people with and without NSSI present different coping patterns, especially when compared by gender. Adolescents with repetitive NSSI (R-NSSI) report using escape, search for friendship, and venting feelings as coping strategies as well as a more avoidant style and less search for family support than those adolescents without NSSI. Adolescents who present avoidance coping typology are three times more likely (relative risk = 3.5) to engage in NSSI than adolescents who present approach coping typology. R-NSSI adolescents present higher scores on psychological symptomatology (within clinical ranges) than their N-NSSI counterparts. Girls were more likely to present psychological symptoms than boys. CONCLUSION: The authors highlight the usefulness of coping typologies for the detection of high-risk populations for NSSI as well as the need to consider the gender variable. Professionals who detect clinical levels of symptomatology should also assess the presence of NSSI.

Nanoscale pillar arrays for separations.

The work presented herein evaluates silicon nano-pillar arrays for use in planar chromatography. Electron beam lithography and metal thermal dewetting protocols were used to create nano-thin layer chromatography platforms. With these fabrication methods we are able to reduce the size of the characteristic features in a separation medium below that used in ultra-thin layer chromatography; i.e. pillar heights are 1-2 µm and pillar diameters are typically in the 200-400 nm range. In addition to the intrinsic nanoscale aspects of the systems, it is shown they can be further functionalized with nanoporous layers and traditional stationary phases for chromatography; hence exhibit broad-ranging lab-on-a-chip and point-of-care potential. Because of an inherent high permeability and very small effective mass transfer distance between pillars, chromatographic efficiency can be very high but is enhanced herein by stacking during development and focusing while drying, yielding plate heights in the nm range separated band volumes. Practical separations of fluorescent dyes, fluorescently derivatized amines, and anti-tumor drugs are illustrated.

Relationship between particular areas of victimization and mental health in the context of multiple victimizations in Spanish adolescents.

The main objective of this paper is to study the relationship between different areas of victimization (e.g., sexual victimization) and psychological symptoms taking into account the full range of victimizations adolescents suffer. The final aim is to contribute further evidence regarding the bias that those studies which focus on just one area of victimization may be introducing into our psychological knowledge. A total of 923 adolescents (62.4% girls) between 14 and 18 years old were recruited from seven secondary schools in Catalonia, Spain. The Youth Self-report and the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire were employed to assess psychological problems (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) and victimization, respectively. The large majority of adolescents reported having experienced more than one area of victimization. However, Conventional Crime area was the one that was more reported in isolation. Overall, the explicative power of a particular area of victimization was greatly reduced or even lost its significance when the other areas were taken into account. However, some areas remained significant and were different by gender. Clinicians and researchers should take into account the whole range of victimizations adolescents suffer when intending to understand the psychological aftermaths of victimization. Some areas of victimization appear to be more important at explaining particular psychological symptoms, those being Peer and Sibling Victimization in the case of boys, and both Conventional Crime and Internet Victimization in the case of girls.

Superhydrophobic analyte concentration utilizing colloid-pillar array SERS substrates.

The ability to detect a few molecules present in a large sample is of great interest for the detection of trace components in both medicinal and environmental samples. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a technique that can be utilized to detect molecules at very low absolute numbers. However, detection at trace concentration levels in real samples requires properly designed delivery and detection systems. The following work involves superhydrophobic surfaces that have as a framework deterministic or stochastic silicon pillar arrays formed by lithographic or metal dewetting protocols, respectively. In order to generate the necessary plasmonic substrate for SERS detection, simple and flow stable Ag colloid was added to the functionalized pillar array system via soaking. Native pillars and pillars with hydrophobic modification are used. The pillars provide a means to concentrate analyte via superhydrophobic droplet evaporation effects. A ≥ 100-fold concentration of analyte was estimated, with a limit of detection of 2.9 × 10(-12) M for mitoxantrone dihydrochloride. Additionally, analytes were delivered to the surface via a multiplex approach in order to demonstrate an ability to control droplet size and placement for scaled-up uses in real world applications. Finally, a concentration process involving transport and sequestration based on surface treatment selective wicking is demonstrated.

Suicidal tendency in a sample of adolescent outpatients with adjustment disorder: gender differences.

BACKGROUND: Although Adjustment Disorder (AD) is a prevalent diagnosis in adolescent mental health services and linked to suicidal tendency in adolescence, little research exists examining prevalence and gender differences of suicidal symptoms among AD patients using standardized instruments. AIMS: The present study aims to assess the presence of suicidal tendency in a clinical sample of Spanish adolescents with AD analyzing gender differences. METHOD: Ninety-seven adolescents with AD were recruited at a public mental health center and included in the AD sample; they were administered the Inventario de Riesgo Suicida para Adolescentes (Suicide Risk Inventory for Adolescents-IRIS) and the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI). Ninety-nine community adolescents were recruited and administered the IRIS inventory. The community sample works as a contrast group. RESULTS: Girls with AD show higher levels of suicidal symptoms than boys on both the IRIS Suicidal Ideation and Intention scale (t=8.15, p<.001) and the MACI Suicidal Tendency scale (t=6.6, p<.001). Girls with AD scored significantly higher than girls from the community contrast group sample in the IRIS Suicidal Ideation and Intention scale, but boys with AD presented no differences with regard to boys form the community contrast group sample. Compared with normative clinical samples of the MACI, no differences in the Suicidal Tendency scale scores were found between AD and normative girls, but AD boys showed significantly lower mean scores than normative boys. Suicidal symptoms were presented by 27% of girls and 18% of boys, although only 6% of the girls and none of the boys presented clear suicidal tendencies. CONCLUSIONS: Considering suicidal tendencies in adolescents with Adjustment Disorder is important-especially in girls, who present high suicidal tendencies in relation both to boys and to community peers and the normative clinical population.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering imaging of developed thin-layer chromatography plates.

A method for hyphenating surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is presented that employs silver-polymer nanocomposites as an interface. Through the process of conformal blotting, analytes are transferred from TLC plates to nanocomposite films before being imaged via SERS. A procedure leading to maximum blotting efficiency was established by investigating various parameters such as time, pressure, and type and amount of blotting solvent. Additionally, limits of detection were established for test analytes malachite green isothiocyanate, 4-aminothiophenol, and Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) ranging from 10(-7) to 10(-6) M. Band broadening due to blotting was minimal (∼10%) as examined by comparing the spatial extent of TLC-spotted Rh6G via fluorescence and then the SERS-based spot size on the nanocomposite after the blotting process. Finally, a separation of the test analytes was carried out on a TLC plate followed by blotting and the acquisition of distance × wavenumber × intensity three-dimensional TLC-SERS plots.

Highly ordered silicon pillar arrays as platforms for planar chromatography.

Unlike HPLC, there has been sparse advancement in the stationary phases used for planar chromatography. Nevertheless, modernization of planar chromatography platforms can further highlight the technique's ability to separate multiple samples simultaneously, utilize orthogonal separation formats, image (detect) separations without rigorous temporal demands, and its overall simplicity. This paper describes the fabrication and evaluation of ordered pillar arrays that are chemically modified for planar chromatography and inspected by fluorescence microscopy to detect solvent development and analyte bands (spots). Photolithography, in combination with anisotropic deep reactive ion etching, is used to produce uniform high aspect ratio silicon pillars. The pillar heights, diameters, and pitch variations are approximately 15-20 µm, 1-3 µm, and 2-6 µm, respectively, with the total pillar array size typically 1 cm × 3 cm. The arrays are imaged using scanning electron microscopy in order to measure the pillar diameter and pitch as well as analyze the pillar sidewalls after etching and stationary phase functionalization. These fluidic arrays will enable exploration of the impact on mass transport and chromatographic efficiency caused by altering the pillar array morphology. A C18 reverse stationary phase (RP), common RP solvents that are transported by traditional but uniquely rapid capillary flow, and Rhodamine 6G (R6G) as the preliminary analyte are used for this initial evaluation. The research presented in this article is aimed at understanding and overcoming the unique challenges in developing and utilizing ordered pillar arrays as a new platform for planar chromatography: focusing on fabrication of expansive arrays, studies of solvent transport, methods to create compatible sample spots, and an initial evaluation of band dispersion.

Polyvictimization and risk for suicidal phenomena in a community sample of Spanish adolescents.

This study aims to provide data regarding the association between reported degree of victimization and suicidal phenomena, with special emphasis on gender differences. There were 923 adolescents recruited from eight secondary schools in Catalonia, Spain. The Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ) were used to assess suicidal phenomena and victimization, respectively. Participants were divided into three groups (nonvictim, victim, and polyvictim groups) according to the total number of different kinds of victimization reported. Results showed that the polyvictim group reported significantly more suicidal phenomena than did the victim and nonvictim groups in both boys and girls. Furthermore, although no gender differences in reported suicidal phenomena were found in the nonvictim group, girls reported significantly more suicidal phenomena in both the victim and the polyvictim groups. In conclusion, the results suggest that victimization may play an important role in generating gender differences with respect to reported suicidal phenomena. In addition, this study highlights the importance of taking into account the whole range of victimizations suffered by adolescents when seeking to design suicide prevention and intervention policies.

Factor structure of the adolescent coping orientation for problem experiences in Spanish adolescents.

The present study aimed to identify the best structure of the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences when applied to Spanish adolescents. A confirmatory factor analysis of five previous factor structures was conducted. As the data did not fit previous factor models, two exploratory factor analyses (first- and second-order) were carried out to identify the structure for Spanish adolescents and to analyse its criterion validity in relation to mental health, which was assessed by means of the Youth Self-Report. A first-wave sample of 1,152 secondary education pupils (645 boys, 56%; 507 girls, 44%; M age = 14.4 yr., SD = 1.4) was involved in the confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses. A second-wave sample of = 374 secondary education pupils (188 boys, 50.5%; 186 girls, 49.5%; M age = 15.4 yr., SD = 1.1) was used to assess criterion validity. The results yielded eight first-order factors with Cronbach's alpha ranging from .63 to .79, and two second-order factors that replicated the Approach and Avoidance focus of coping. The paper discusses both the content of the extracted factors and mental health issues.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy for microfluidic pillar arrayed separation chips.

Numerous studies have addressed the challenges of implementing miniaturized microfluidic platforms for chemical and biological separation applications. However, the integration of real time detection schemes capable of providing valuable sample information under continuous, ultra low volume flow regimes has not fully been addressed. In this report we present a chip based chromatography system comprising of a pillar array separation column followed by a reagent channel for passive mixing of a silver colloidal solution into the eluent stream to enable surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection. Our design is the first integrated chip based microfluidic device to combine pressure driven separation capability with real time SERS detection. With this approach we demonstrate the ability to collect distinctive SERS spectra with or without complete resolution of chromatographic bands. Computational fluidic dynamic (CFD) simulations are used to model the diffusive mixing behaviour and velocity profiles of the two confluent streams in the microfluidic channels. We evaluate the SERS spectral band intensity and chromatographic efficiency of model analytes with respect to kinetic factors as well as signal acquisition rates. Additionally, we discuss the use of a pluronic modified silver colloidal solution as a means of eliminating contamination generally caused by nanoparticle adhesion to channel surfaces.

Effects of poly-victimization on self-esteem and post-traumatic stress symptoms in Spanish adolescents.

This study aims to provide evidence concerning the effects of experiencing multiple forms of victimization (poly-victimization) on self-esteem and post-traumatic stress symptoms in Spanish adolescents. A total of 722 adolescents were recruited from seven secondary schools in Catalonia, Spain. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Youth Self Report and the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire were employed to assess self-esteem, post-traumatic stress symptoms and victimization, respectively. Participants were divided into three groups (non-victim, victim and poly-victim groups) according to the total number of different kinds of victimization experienced. Results showed that 88.4 % of adolescents had been exposed to at least one kind of victimization. Poly-victimization was associated with a higher number of post-traumatic stress symptoms in both boys and girls. Also, self-liking was significantly lower in the poly-victim group, whereas self-competence was equivalent across the three victimization groups. Girls were approximately twice as likely to report child maltreatment (OR = 1.92) and sexual victimization (OR = 2.41) as boys. In conclusion, the present study adds evidence on the importance of taking account of the full burden of victimizations suffered when studying victimization correlates. Also, it highlights the importance of prevention policies to focus particularly on preserving adolescents' sense of social worth.

Overview on Strategies and Assays for Antibiotic Discovery.

The increase in antibiotic resistance poses a major threat to global health. Actinomycetes, the Gram-positive bacteria of the order Actinomycetales, are fertile producers of bioactive secondary metabolites, including antibiotics. Nearly two-thirds of antibiotics that are used for the treatment of bacterial infections were originally isolated from actinomycetes strains belonging to the genus Streptomyces. This emphasizes the importance of actinomycetes in antibiotic discovery. However, the identification of a new antimicrobial compound and the exploration of its mode of action are very challenging tasks. Therefore, different approaches that enable the "detection" of an antibiotic and the characterization of the mechanisms leading to the biological activity are indispensable. Beyond bioinformatics tools facilitating the identification of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), whole cell-screenings-in which cells are exposed to actinomycete-derived compounds-are a common strategy applied at the very early stage in antibiotic drug development. More recently, target-based approaches have been established. In this case, the drug candidates were tested for interactions with usually validated targets. This review focuses on the bioactivity-based screening methods and provides the readers with an overview on the most relevant assays for the identification of antibiotic activity and investigation of mechanisms of action. Moreover, the article includes examples of the successful application of these methods and suggestions for improvement.

Latin-American immigrant women and mental health: differences according to their rural or urban origin.

Spain is one of the EU countries that receive most immigrants, especially from Latin America. The process of migration implies a high level of stress what may have repercussions for the mental health of immigrants. The purposes of this study were: (a) to determine whether the degree of mental health of immigrant women differs according to their rural or urban origin, (b) to compare the mental health of immigrant women with that of the female normative sample of host population (Spain). A sample of 186 Latin American immigrant women (142 from urban areas and 44 from rural areas) was recruited in Barcelona by means of a consecutive case method. A structured interview and the SCL-90-R were administered. The results indicated that the immigrant women from rural origin reported higher levels of psychological symptomatology than those from urban areas. Immigrants reported higher levels of psychological symptomatology than the native female population and in most of the psychological symptoms exceeded 90% of the native Spanish population. Migration is a powerful stressor which may lead to psychological distress. Being female of rural origin and being in an illegal situation is related with an increase in symptomatology.

Self-harm behavior and suicidal ideation among high school students. Gender differences and relationship with coping strategies.

Deliberate self-harm, suicide intents and suicidal ideation are suicide risk symptoms in adolescence. The knowledge of their prevalence and associated characteristics is needed to prevent and treat them properly. The aims of the present study are: a) to analyse the presence of deliberate self-harm and suicidal ideation among a general adolescent population according to sex, b) to investigate the link between these two symptoms, calculating the risk ratio (RR) of self-harming behavior among adolescents with suicidal ideation, and c) to analyze the coping strategies used by adolescents with presence/absence of these behaviors. Participants are 1,171 Catalonian high school students (518 boys and 653 girls) aged 12 to 16 years. Self-harm behavior was assessed by means of YSR and coping strategies by means of CRI-Youth. Results indicate that the prevalence of self-harm behavior is 11.4% and the one for the suicidal ideation is 12.5%, percentages that are in accordance with the literature. No gender differences are found, but there is an increase with age in both types of risk behaviors. There is a significant link between deliberate self-harm and suicidal ideation. The RR indicates that the self-harming behavior is 10 times more likely to occur in the adolescents with suicidal ideation than in the adolescents without such ideation. The use of specific coping strategies differentiates between adolescents with presence/absence of these risk behaviors, especially in the case of girls. These findings may have important preventive value and contribute to the implementation of more effective treatments. Key words: Self-harm behavior, suicidal ideation, coping strategies, adolescence, sex differences.

Long-Term Humoral Immune Response against SARS-CoV-2 after Natural Infection and Subsequent Vaccination According to WHO International Binding Antibody Units (BAU/mL).

The new WHO reference standard allows for the definition of serum antibodies against various SARS-CoV-2 antigens in terms of binding antibody units (BAU/mL) and thus to compare the results of different ELISA systems. In this study, the concentration of antibodies (ABs) against both the S- and the N-protein of SARS-CoV-2 as well as serum neutralization activity were evaluated in three patients after a mild course of COVID-19. Serum samples were collected frequently during a period of over one year. Furthermore, in two individuals, the effects of an additional vaccination with a mRNA vaccine containing the S1-RBD sequence on these antibodies were examined. After natural infection, the antibodies (IgA, IgG) against the S1-protein remained elevated above the established cut-off to positivity (S-IgA 60 BAU/mL and S-IgG 50 BAU/mL, respectively) for over a year in all patients, while this was not the case for ABs against the N-protein (cut-off N-IgG 40 BAU/mL, N-IgA 256 BAU/mL). Sera from all patients retained the ability to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 for more than a year. Vaccination resulted in a rapid boost of antibodies to S1-protein but, as expected, not to the N-protein. Most likely, the wide use of the WHO reference preparation will be very useful in determining the individual immune status of patients after an infection with SARS-CoV-2 or after vaccination.

Stress and psychopathology in latin-american immigrants: the role of coping strategies.

INTRODUCTION: Increased migration into Spain requires the development of preventive strategies that help both immigrants and the host society to deal with the associated risk factors and thus avoid the emergence of psychopathology. OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of psychopathology in Latin-American immigrants who reside in Barcelona and its relationship to the coping strategies used to mitigate the effects of the stress linked to migration. METHOD: The sample comprised 210 Latin-American immigrants over the age of 18. Sampling was based on consecutive cases, and participants were contacted through an NGO. RESULTS: Employment is the stressor that most affects immigrants. Psychopathological symptoms are common among the immigrant population, and there is a relationship between the use of avoidance coping strategies and greater symptomatology. The longer immigrants have been in the host country, the less they make use of approach strategies. CONCLUSIONS: The migratory process produces high levels of stress that are linked to psychopathology. Being subjected to a prolonged stressor has a destabilizing effect on both mental and physical health and can lead to a deterioration in social relationships due to more intense feelings of anger and frustration. Coping strategies appear to be more widely used among immigrants than in the indigenous population, and this may indicate the high levels of stress to which the former are subject and the attempts they make to deal with it. The limitations of the study include the source of data collection and the fact that most of the instruments used have not been validated in the participants' countries of origin.

Psychometric properties of the Coping Response Inventory with Brazilian adolescents.

To analyze the psychometric properties of the Coping Response Inventory-Youth Form (CRI-Y) and its applicability, 426 Brazilian adolescents (43.3% boys, 56.7% girls), ages 12 to 18 years (M = 16.5, SD = 1.6), completed the authorized Brazilian/Portuguese version of the 1993 original. Analysis showed higher use of Approach coping and Emotional Discharge by the girls. The inventory showed internal consistency reliability was similar to that of the original scale. A two-factor structure reflecting Approach and Avoidance coping was found; however, the distribution of loadings of specific coping scales on this two-factor structure did not fit the original Moos model. The criterion validity analyzed by the use of the Youth Self-Report showed significant positive relation between the Avoidance dimension and Psychopathological symptoms for boys and girls. Data were discussed with respect to coping theory, assessment, and cultural influences.

Multilevel approach to stressors, coping, and psychopathological symptoms.

A 4-yr. longitudinal study was conducted of the relationship between stressors, coping strategies, and psychopathological symptoms in a group of 447 adolescents. The Coping Responses Inventory-Youth Form and the Youth Self-Report were used to evaluate coping strategies and psychopathological symptoms, respectively. Stressors were identified on the basis of written reports produced by the adolescents and coded using the System of Coding Problems of Adolescents. A multilevel approach showed that scores for externalizing symptoms increased significantly with age. General distress and internalization also tended to increase with age, although without reaching statistical significance. Approach and avoidance coping strategies remain stable across the ages studied. Avoidant coping increases psychopathological symptoms, whereas the influence of approach coping depends on the type of stressor (personal, interpersonal, or nonpersonal).

Stability and consistency of coping in adolescence: A longitudinal study.

This study analyzed stability and consistency of coping among adolescents. The objectives were twofold: a) to analyze temporal stability and cross-situational consistency of coping responses after a 17- month interval, taking into account gender, age and type of stressor. b) To analyze the relative weight of contextual versus dispositional factors in predicting future coping. A cohort of 341 adolescents (51% girls and 49% boys aged between 12 and 16) were assessed twice by means of the Coping Responses Inventory - Youth. The results indicated that the coping responses were quite stable over time at the group level, but with important within-subject differences. Girls showed slightly more stability than boys. Among the girls, Avoidance coping showed as much stability as consistency and Approach coping showed more stability than consistency. Among the boys, Avoidance coping showed more stability than consistency, and Approach coping showed both low stability and low consistency. Among the boys, the coping used at Time 1 barely predicted that used at Time 2; in contrast, among the girls, the type of coping used in the past, especially Avoidance coping, predicted the coping that would be used in the future.

How do adolescents with Adjustment Disorder cope with stressful situations? Relationship with suicidal risk.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the role of coping in relation to suicidal risk in adolescents with Adjustment Disorder (AD). The present study aimed to assess the relation between suicidal ideation and intention and coping strategies in a clinical sample of adolescents with AD, paying special attention to gender differences. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Self-reported questionnaires about suicidal ideation and intention and coping strategies were administered to 108 adolescents with an AD diagnosis. RESULTS: Compared with the normative population, adolescents with an AD diagnosis made more use of Acceptance-Resignation (an avoidance-type coping strategy) and less use of Positive Reappraisal (an approach-type coping strategy). Nevertheless, gender introduced some peculiarities. A relationship was observed between the use of certain coping strategies and suicidal ideation and intention, but with notable differences depending on gender: significant and high correlations were found between these two variables in AD boys, both in the total approach score (r=.53, p<.01) and in the total avoidant score (r=.60, p<.01), with coping strategies explaining 41% of suicidal ideation and intention; in girls, in contrast, the only significant relationship was with an avoidant strategy, Emotional Discharge (r=.25, p<.05), although it had low explanatory power. CONCLUSIONS: Coping strategies must be taken into consideration when assessing and treating adolescents with AD at risk of suicide, especially in the case of boys. The absence of association between coping strategies and suicidal risk in girls is discussed, and some therapeutic proposals are presented.