Speed limits and their effect on air pollution in Mexico City: A quasi-experimental study.

Speed limits are an evidence-based intervention to prevent traffic collisions and deaths, yet their impact on air pollution in cities is understudied. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between lower speed limits and air pollution. We leverage the introduction of a new road safety policy in Mexico City in December 2015 which lowered speed limits, increased fines, and installed speed radars to enforce compliance. We tested whether the policy had an impact on particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at the city level, and whether air-quality monitoring stations' proximity to speed radars moderated this effect due to more acceleration and deceleration around radars. NO2 and PM2.5 concentrations from January 2014 to December 2018 were obtained from the National System of Air Quality Information. Air-quality monitoring stations were classified as in close-proximity or far-from-speed radars. Interrupted time series analyses were conducted for each outcome separately, using linear mixed models and adjusting for seasonality and time-varying confounders: registered vehicles, temperature, wind-speed and relative humidity. The results suggest improvement in both contaminants after the speed limits policy. For NO2, the pre-policy trend was flat, while the post-policy trend showed a decline in concentrations of 0.04 ppb/week. For PM2.5, concentrations were increasing pre-policy by 0.08 µg/m3 per week, then this trend flattened in the post-policy period to a weekly, non-significant, increase of 0.03 µg/m3 (p = 0.08). Air-quality monitors' proximity to speed radars did not moderate the effect of the policy on either of the pollutants. In conclusion, the speed limits policy implemented in Mexico City in 2015 was associated with improvements in air pollution.

Prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in children with obstructive sleep apnea living at high altitude.

Introduction: The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is 1-4 %. Some reports describe its association with pulmonary hypertension (PH), but its prevalence is unknown. No studies at high altitude have determined the relationship between OSA and PH. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of PH in children diagnosed with OSA living in a high-altitude city at 2640 m above sea level. Methods: Children between 2 and 16 years of age referred to the Sleep Laboratory of the Fundación Neumológica Colombiana in Bogotá with a positive polysomnogram for OSA were included, and a two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) was performed to evaluate PH. Statistical analysis was performed using median, interquartile range, chi-squared test, and Kruskall-Wallis test. Results: Of the 55 patients (n: 55), 63.6 % were male, with a median age of 6 years, 14 children (25.5 %) were overweight; 12 children (21.8 %) had mild OSA, 12 (21.8 %) had moderate OSA and 31 (56.4 %) severe OSA. In patients with severe OSA, the minimum saturation during events was 78 % with a desaturation index (DI) of 33.8/hour (p < 0.01). T90 and T85 increased proportionally with OSA severity (p < 0.05). Of the 55 patients with OSA, none had PH according to echocardiography; 4 patients (7.2 %) had pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) at the upper limit of normal (ULN), and it was not related to a higher body mass index (BMI). Conclusions: We found no association between OSA and PH in children with OSA at high altitude.

Scientist Spotlights in Secondary Schools: Student Shifts in Multiple Measures Related to Science Identity after Receiving Written Assignments.

Based on theoretical frameworks of scientist stereotypes, possible selves, and science identity, written assignments were developed to teach science content through biographies and research of counter-stereotypical scientists-Scientist Spotlights (www.scientistspotlights.org). Previous studies on Scientist Spotlight assignments showed significant shifts in how college-level biology students relate to and describe scientists and in their performance in biology courses. However, the outcomes of Scientist Spotlight assignments in secondary schools were yet to be explored. In collaboration with 18 science teachers from 12 schools, this study assessed the impacts of Scientist Spotlight assignments for secondary school students. We used published assessment tools: Relatability prompt; Stereotypes prompt; and Performance/Competence, Interest, and Recognition (PCIR) instrument. Statistical analyses compared students' responses before and after receiving at least three Scientist Spotlight assignments. We observed significant shifts in students' relatability to and descriptions of scientists as well as other science identity measures. Importantly, disaggregating classes by implementation strategies revealed that students' relatability shifts were significant for teachers reporting in-class discussions and not significant for teachers reporting no discussions. Our findings raise questions about contextual and pedagogical influences shaping student outcomes with Scientist Spotlight assignments, like how noncontent Instructor Talk might foster student shifts in aspects of science identity.

Intentional and unintentional selection during plant domestication: herbivore damage, plant defensive traits and nutritional quality of fruit and seed crops.

Greater susceptibility to herbivory can arise as an effect of crop domestication. One proposed explanation is that defenses decreased intentionally or unintentionally during the domestication process, but evidence for this remains elusive. An alternative but nonexclusive explanation is presumed selection for higher nutritional quality. We used a metaanalytical approach to examine susceptibility to herbivores in fruit and seed crops and their wild relatives. Our analyses provide novel insights into the mechanisms of increased susceptibility by evaluating whether it can be attributed to either a reduction in herbivore defensive traits, including direct/indirect and constitutive/inducible defenses, or an increase in the nutritional content of crops. The results confirm higher herbivory and lower levels of all types of defenses in crops compared to wild relatives, although indirect defenses were more affected than direct ones. Contrary to expectations, nutritional quality was lower in crops than in wild relatives, which may enhance biomass loss to herbivores if they increase consumption to meet nutritional requirements. Our findings represent an important advance in our understanding of how changes in defensive and nutritional traits following domestication could influence, in combination or individually, crop susceptibility to herbivore attacks.

Intraspecific variation in body size of bumblebee workers influences anti-predator behaviour.

Flower-dwelling predators make flowers dangerous foraging sites for pollinators, potentially affecting their anti-predator behaviour. Moreover, predation vulnerability often varies among pollinators' body sizes with interspecific comparisons showing that smaller species are more vulnerable than larger ones. However, how intraspecific body size variation influences pollinator behaviour under predation risk is still unknown, especially under natural conditions. We hypothesized that bumblebee workers of different sizes will exhibit different foraging strategies under predation risk. We predict that (a) small workers should more often exhibit anti-predator behaviours than larger workers. We also hypothesized that the anti-predator behaviour should be influenced by predator size and reward availability; therefore, we expect (b) higher avoidance behaviour towards larger predator sizes and (c) more and longer visits to inflorescences with high nectar availability. Finally, we expect that (d) nectar availability should overcome the anti-predator behaviour in less vulnerable, large, workers. We recorded flower visitation, time spent and rejection behaviours of different sizes of Bombus terrestris (Apidae) workers (large, medium and small) to inflorescences of Alstroemeria aurea (Alstroemeriaceae) with different treatments of artificial spiders (small and large) and nectar availability (with, without). Anti-predator and foraging behaviour of bumblebees was affected by the size of the worker, the presence of artificial spiders and nectar availability. Large and medium size bumblebees strongly reduced flower visitation and time spent in the presence of artificial spiders, consistently avoiding flowers with spiders, regardless of spider size or nectar availability. Instead, small bumblebees seldom modified their behaviour when facing artificial spiders, only increasing their avoidance or decreasing their foraging time in nectarless flowers hosting large artificial spiders. This pattern of larger workers being more sensitive to predation risk than smaller ones at the intraspecific level in B. terrestris is contrary to the expected and acknowledged trend based on previous interspecific comparisons, but partially consistent with predictions of models of optimal foraging theory. Intraspecific behavioural variability was uncovered only when nectar was available, whereas artificial predator size rarely modified bumblebee anti-predator and foraging behaviour. Therefore, our findings suggest that the trade-off between maximizing resource intake and minimizing predation risk strongly varies across bumblebee worker body sizes.

Resumen Los depredadores que cazan sobre flores hacen que éstas sean sitios peligrosos de forrajeo para los polinizadores, pudiendo afectar su comportamiento. En general, la vulnerabilidad a la depredación varía con el tamaño del polinizador, siendo en comparaciones interespecíficas las especies más pequeñas las más vulnerables. Sin embargo, aún se desconoce cómo la variación intraespecífica del tamaño corporal influye en el comportamiento del polinizador bajo riesgo de depredación, especialmente en condiciones naturales.. Esperamos que abejorros de distinto tamaño exhiban diferentes estrategias de alimentación ante el riesgo de depredación. Predecimos que (i) obreras pequeñas manifiesten con mayor frecuencia comportamientos anti depredadores que obreras más grandes. Conjuntamente, esperamos (ii) una mayor evasión hacia tamaños de depredadores más grandes, y (iii) más visitas y mayor permanencia en inflorescencias con néctar. Finalmente, esperamos que (iv) la disponibilidad de néctar prevalezca a la manifestación del comportamiento anti depredador en obreras grandes, supuestamente menos vulnerables. Registramos a campo el número de visitas, tiempo de permanencia y el comportamiento de evasión de diferentes tamaños de obreras de Bombus terrestris (Apidae) (grandes, medianas y pequeñas) a inflorescencias de Alstroemeria aurea (Alstroemeriaceae) con arañas artificiales (pequeñas, grandes) y distinta disponibilidad de néctar (con, sin). El comportamiento de los abejorros se vio afectado por su tamaño corporal, la presencia de arañas artificiales y la disponibilidad de néctar. Abejorros grandes y medianos disminuyeron considerablemente las visitas y el tiempo de permanencia en inflorescencias, evadiendo consistentemente las flores que albergaron arañas artificiales, independientemente del tamaño del modelo o la cantidad de néctar. En cambio, abejorros pequeños rara vez modificaron su comportamiento, aumentando la evasión y disminuyendo el tiempo de permanencia solo en flores sin néctar y con arañas artificiales grandes. El patrón encontrado a nivel intraespecífico en B. terrestris resultó ser opuesto al observado en comparaciones interespecíficas, pero parcialmente consistente con modelos de teoría de forrajeo óptimo. Esta variabilidad intraespecífica se manifestó solo cuando había néctar disponible, mientras el tamaño del depredador apenas modificó el comportamiento. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que el balance entre maximizar la ingesta de recursos y minimizar el riesgo de depredación varía fuertemente con el tamaño corporal de los abejorros.

Evaluation of several white-rot fungi for the decolorization of a binary mixture of anionic dyes and characterization of the residual biomass as potential organic soil amendment.

Industrial pollution is a great concern for modern society and developing cyclic processes is one of the major challenges. As far as we know, this work is the first to report the use of multiple white-rot fungi species for degrading a binary mixture of anionic dyes under solid state fermentation (SSF) conditions and a further physicochemical characterization of the residual biomass. First, eight white-rot fungi decolorized the dye mixture of brilliant blue FCF and allura red AC adsorbed onto corncob, reaching decolorizations between 11.47% and 87.64%. Then, I. lacteus, B. adusta and T. versicolor, based on the decolorization yield, were selected to evaluate the effect of carbon:nitrogen ratio, moisture content and inoculum quantity on the decolorization percentage. The factorial designs showed that C:N ratio had a negative effect while moisture and inoculum quantity a positive effect. In terms of the kinetics, the three white-rot fungi achieved their maximum decolorization level, around 80.11-86.04%, after 10-12 days. I. lacteus exhibited the highest decolorization percentage, even though only the enzyme manganese peroxidase was detected, with a maximum activity of 6.62 U gds-1 at day 14. Besides, T. versicolor was the only species with laccase activity, with a maximum of 15.94 U gds-1 at day 6 of fermentation. The physicochemical characterization of the biomass allowed to conclude that these aggregates represent a potential organic amendment, as for their significant oxidizable organic carbon (more than 9.5% on wet basis) and essential nutrients content, as well as for their low ash content (less than 1% on wet basis). Finally, for outlining an efficient bioremediation cycle, a cheap and effective methodology for drying the biomass at the end of the SSF process is required.

Seroprevalence of human T-lymphotropic virus HTLV and its associated factors in donors of a blood bank of Medellín-Colombia, 2014-2018.

BACKGROUND: Research on HTLV in Colombia is limited; despite being an endemic country there are few studies on the magnitude of this infection. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of HTLV I/II and its associated factors in donors to a blood bank of Medellín Colombia, 2014-2018. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 52,159 donors with a secondary information source. Seroprevalence of HTLV I/II was determined with its confidence interval and the population characteristics were described by frequency and summary measures. To explore the associated factors, Pearson's Chi square test, Mann-Whitney U test, crude odds ratios were used and they were adjusted by logistic regression in SPSS 25.0. RESULTS: 88% of the population lived in the metropolitan area, 68.5% belonged to the University. 76.2% were altruistic donors (unpaid donors who did not donate to a specific patient). 24.5% were repetitive (paid) donors. 75% of the donors were under 41 years old. The seroprevalence of HTLV I/II was 0.176% (95% CI = 0.139% -0.213%), being statistically lower in repetitive donors and men. CONCLUSION: The seroprevalence of HTLV I/II infection in the studied blood bank is lower than that reported in other blood banks at the departmental and national levels. In Medellín, it was associated with the frequency of donation and gender, which is useful information for the hemovigilance programs of the city.

Plant and herbivore ontogeny interact to shape the preference, performance and chemical defense of a specialist herbivore.

The amount of damage that herbivorous insects impose on plants varies as a function of plant ontogenetic trajectories in tissue quality and defenses, and the herbivores' own developmental trajectories in body size, mandible shape and detoxification enzymes, among others. However, little is known about how host plant and herbivore ontogeny interact. Using four ontogenetic stages of Plantago lanceolata (Plantaginaceae) and three to five larval stages of the specialist caterpillar Junonia coenia (Nymphalidae), we evaluated how ontogenies in both of these trophic levels shape: (i) caterpillar feeding choice, (ii) performance, and (iii) sequestration of plant allelochemicals. Plant physical (leaf toughness) and chemical (iridoid glycosides) defenses increased, while nutritional quality (water and nitrogen content) decreased, as plants aged. These plant ontogenetic trajectories strongly altered the behavior and physiology of this specialist herbivore, but the magnitude of the response varied with larval stage. In feeding experiments, while first instar larvae showed little preference among plant stages, older larvae significantly preferred juvenile over reproductive stages. In turn, larval consumption increased and digestive efficiency decreased, potentially explaining their decrease in relative growth rate, as larvae and host plant aged, but differences were greater for younger than older caterpillars. Finally, sequestration of plant allelochemicals increased through plant and larval development; however, the major differences due to diet occurred earlier during larval development. Our results highlight that changes in plant ontogeny most strongly influence early herbivore instars, emphasizing the need to consider the developmental stage of both trophic levels to better understand temporal variation in herbivore damage.

Interactive effects of simulated nitrogen deposition and altered precipitation patterns on plant allelochemical concentrations.

Global environmental change alters the supply of multiple limiting resources that regulate plant primary and secondary metabolism. Through modifications in resource availability, acquisition, and allocation, global change is likely to influence plant chemical defenses, and consequently species interactions that are mediated by these compounds. While many studies focus on individual global change factors, simultaneous changes in abiotic factors may interact to influence plant allelochemicals. In this study, we examined the individual and interactive effects of nitrogen enrichment and altered precipitation patterns on chemical defense compounds (iridoid glycosides) of an invasive plant, Linaria dalmatica. Plants were grown from seed in native mixed-grass prairie for 2 years. Nitrogen and water treatments were applied in each growing season over this period. Results indicate that soil water and nitrogen availability interact to shape plant chemical defense concentrations in L. dalmatica. Nitrogen addition decreased iridoid glycoside concentrations by approximately 25% under reduced water availability, increased concentrations by 37% in ambient water plots, and had no effect on these chemical defenses for plants growing under augmented water supply. Thus, results show differing patterns of allelochemical response to nitrogen enrichment, with respect to both the magnitude and direction of change, depending on water availability. Our study demonstrates the importance of examining multiple environmental factors in order to predict potential changes in plant chemical defenses with climate change.

Effects of insect herbivory on induced chemical defences and compensation during early plant development in Penstemon virgatus.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The lack of studies assessing the simultaneous expression of tolerance and resistance traits during seedling development and overall seedling defences as compared with adult plants, in general, constitutes a significant research need that can greatly improve our understanding of overall investment in defences during plant ontogeny. METHODS: Using two seedling and two juvenile stages of the perennial herb Penstemon virgatus (Plantaginaceae) evaluations were made of (a) patterns of investment in constitutive chemical defences [i.e. iridoid glycosides (IGs)], and (b) simultaneous variation in the short-term ability of seedling and juvenile stages to induce resistance traits, measured as induced chemical defences, or tolerance traits, measured as compensatory re-growth following moderate levels of damage by a specialist insect herbivore. KEY RESULTS: Plants were highly defended during most of their transition from seedling to early juvenile stages, reaching a constant approx. 20 % dry weight total IGs. Furthermore, following 30 % above-ground tissue damage, seedlings and juvenile stages were equally able to induce resistance, by raising their IG concentration by approx. 8 %, whereas compensatory re-growth was only achieved at young juvenile but not seedling stages. CONCLUSIONS: Two major trends emerged from this study: (1) in contrast to expected and previously observed trends, in this perennial plant species, seedlings seem to be one of the most well-defended stages as compared with adult ones; (2) high levels of constitutive defences did not limit the ability of young developmental stages to induce resistance following damage, although this response may come with a cost (i.e. decreased compensation) in young seedling stages. Hence, as has been previously demonstrated in few other systems, these results points towards an indirect evidence for a trade-off between tolerance and resistance traits at some, but not all, developmental stages; making them often difficult to detect.

"Escala de ansiedad infantil de Spence" (Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, SCAS): fiabilidad y validez de la versión española / The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS): reliability and validity of the Spanish version

Este estudio ha sometido a examen la fiabilidad y la validez de la "Escala de ansiedad infantil de Spence" (Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale, SCAS) en una muestra de 1636 estudiantes de 9 a 17 años de España. La consistencia interna (alfa de Cronbach) de la puntuación total ha sido de 0,92 y las de las subescalas han fluctuado entre 0,81 (pánico-agorafobia) a 0,61 (ansiedad de separación y miedo al daño físico). La fiabilidad test-restest (correlación intra-clase) de la puntuación total ha sido 0,61 y las de las subescalas han fluctuado entre 0,62 (Miedo al daño físico) y 0,51 (pánico-agorafobia). Todas las puntuaciones de la SCAS disminuyeron ligeramente del test al retest. Las puntuaciones de la SCAS han mostrado validez convergente al correlacionar alto con otras medidas de ansiedad, tanto generales como específicas de problemas concretos, y validez divergente al correlacionar bajo con medidas de trastornos distintos de la ansiedad, incluyendo la depresión. Se concluye que la SCAS es una prueba adecuada para evaluar en España los trastornos de ansiedad infanto-juveniles tal como aparecen en el DSM-IV (AU)

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) in a sample of 1,636 Spanish students 9-17 years old. The total-score internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) was 0.92 and indices of subscales ranged from 0.81 (Panic-Agoraphobia) to 0.61 (Separation Anxiety and Physical Injury Fear). The test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation) was 0.61 and subscales ranged from 0.62 (Specific Phobias) to 0.51 (Panic-Agoraphobia). All scores decreased slightly from test to retest. SCAS scores showed convergent validity in their high correlation with general and specific anxiety measures. SCAS scores also showed divergent validity in their low correlation with several measures of non-anxiety disorders, including depression. It is concluded that the SCAS is a suitable tool to assess in Spanish children anxiety disorders as they are depicted in DSM-IV

Changes in plant chemical defenses and nutritional quality as a function of ontogeny in Plantago lanceolata (Plantaginaceae).

Numerous empirical studies have examined ontogenetic trajectories in plant defenses but only a few have explored the potential mechanisms underlying those patterns. Furthermore, most documented ontogenetic trajectories in plant defenses have generally concentrated on aboveground tissues; thus, our knowledge regarding whole plant trends in plant defenses throughout development or potential allocation constraints between growth and defenses is limited. Here, we document changes in plant biomass, nutritional quality and chemical defenses for below- and aboveground tissues across seven age classes of Plantago lanceolata (Plantaginaceae) to evaluate: (1) partial and whole plant ontogenetic trajectories in constitutive chemical defenses and nutritional quality, and (2) the role of resource allocation constraints, namely root:shoot (R:S) ratios, in explaining whole plant investment in chemical defenses over time. Overall investment in iridoid glycosides (IGs) significantly increased, while water and nitrogen concentrations in shoot tissues decreased with plant age. Significant variation in IG content between shoot and root tissues across development was observed: allocation of IGs into root tissues linearly increased from younger to older plants, while non-linear shifts in allocation of IGs during ontogeny were observed for shoot tissues. Finally, R:S ratios only weakly explained overall allocation of resources into defenses, with young stages showing a positive relationship, while older stages showed a negative relationship between R:S ratios and IG concentrations. Ontogenetic trajectories in plant quality and defenses within and among plant tissues can strongly influence insect herbivores' performance and/or predation risk; thus, they are likely to play a significant role in mediating species interactions.

Plant induced defenses depend more on plant age than previous history of damage: implications for plant-herbivore interactions.

Herbivore-induced plant responses can significantly change as a function of plant developmental stage and previous history of damage. Yet, empirical tests that assess the combined role of multiple damage events and age-dependent constraints on the ability of plants to induce defenses within and among tissues are scarce. This question is of particular interest for annual and/or short-lived perennial plant species, whose responses to single or multiple damage events over a growing season are likely to interact with ontogenetic constraints in affecting a plant's ability to respond to herbivory. Using Plantago lanceolata and one of its specialist herbivores, Junonia coenia, we examined the effect of plant ontogeny (juvenile vs. mature developmental stages) and history of damage (single and multiple damage events early and/or late in the season) on plant responses to leaf damage. Plant responses to herbivory were assessed as induced chemical defenses (iridoid glycosides) and compensatory regrowth, in both above- and below-ground tissues. We found that constitutive concentration of iridoid glycosides markedly increased as plants matured, but plant ability to induce chemical defenses was limited to juvenile, but not mature, plant stages. In addition, induced defenses observed 7 d following herbivory in juvenile plants disappeared 5 wk after the first herbivory event, and mature plants that varied considerably in the frequency and intensity of damage received over 5 wk, did not differ significantly in their levels of chemical defenses. Also, only small changes in compensatory regrowth were detected. Finally, we did not observe changes in below-ground tissues' defenses or biomass a week following 50% removal of leaf tissues at either age class or history of damage. Together, these results suggest that in P. lanceolata and perhaps other systems, ontogenetic trajectories in plant growth and defenses leading to strong age-dependent induced responses may prevail over herbivore-induced indirect interactions.

Composición factorial de la versión española de la Spence Children Anxiety Scale (SCAS) / Factor structure of the Spanish version of the Spence Children Anxiety Scale (SCAS)

Se presenta la versión española de la Spence Children Anxiety Scale (SCAS), un instrumento infantojuvenil que evalúa los trastornos de ansiedad tal como se establecen en el DSM-IV. Las puntuaciones de la SCAS se sometieron a análisis factorial confirmatorio en una muestra de 1.671 escolares de entre 10 y 17 años. Los resultados han apoyado la estructura propuesta de seis escalas interrelacionadas entre sí. Dicha estructura presenta invarianza factorial completa (excepto para las medias) en chicos y chicas y en distintos grupos de edad. En general, las chicas han puntuado algo más alto que los chicos. Las relaciones de las puntuaciones de la SCAS con la edad son inexistentes o muy bajas y negativas. El problema de ansiedad menos acusado ha sido el de ataques de pánico y agorafobia. Los problemas que más frecuentemente presentan puntuaciones altas extremas son el trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo y la fobia social. Se concluye que la versión española de la SCAS puede utilizarse con confianza en la evaluación de los problemas de ansiedad infanto-juveniles (AU)

This paper presents the Spanish version of the Spence Children Anxiety Scale (SCAS), a rating scale for children and adolescents assessing anxiety disorders as they appear in the DSM-IV. SCAS scores were subjected to confirmatory factor analyses in a sample of 1671 children 10 to 17 years old. Results supported the proposed structure of six interrelated scales. This structure is completely invariant (except for means) in boys and girls and across age groups. Overall, girls scored slightly higher than boys. The relationship of SCAS scores with the child’s age was nonexistent or very low and negative. The least frequent anxiety problems among children and adolescents were panic attacks and agoraphobia. Problems that most frequently presented extreme high scores were obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobia. It is concluded that the Spanish version of the SCAS can confidently be used in the assessment of anxiety disorders in children (AU)

Estructura factorial y fiabilidad de la adaptación española de la Escala Obsesivo-Compulsiva de Yale-Brown para niños y adolescentes en su versión de autoinforme (CY-BOCS-SR) / Factor structure and reliability of the Spanish adaptation of the Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - Self Report (CY-BOCS-SR)

El objetivo de la presente investigación ha sido adaptar a nuestro medio la «Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - Self Report» (CY-BOCS-SR), una de las escalas más utilizadas para evaluar los comportamientos obsesivo-compulsivos. Para ello, tras traducirla, se han estudiado su invarianza factorial en niños y niñas, su fiabilidad y su relación con la edad. Por último, se presentan sus datos normativos. La muestra ha estado compuesta por 1.706 niños y adolescentes de la población general. Los resultados muestran que la composición factorial de la CY-BOCS-SR no se ajusta bien a la forma tradicional de corregirla distinguiendo tres escalas: severidad de la obsesión, severidad de la compulsión y puntuación total. La validez factorial y la fiabilidad de las escalas mejoran notablemente si los ítems relacionados con la resistencia a la obsesión y la compulsión se consideran como un factor distinto. Se concluye que la versión española que se presenta posee características psicométricas semejantes a las de la versión original inglesa (AU)

The aim of this study was the adaptation to Spanish of the «Children’s Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - Self Report» (CY-BOCS-SR), one of the most frequently utilized scales in the assessment of obsessive-compulsive behaviors. After its translation to Spanish, its factor invariance in boys and girls, reliability, and relationship with the children’s age were examined. Lastly, normative data for this Spanish version are presented. The sample comprised 1,706 children and adolescents from the general population. Results show that the factor composition of the CY-BOCS-SR does not present a very good fi t to the usual scoring of three scales were observed: Obsession Severity, Compulsion Severity, and total score. Results also show that the factor validity and reliability of the CY-BOCS-SR improve remarkably if items related to Resistance to Obsessions and Compulsions are considered a different factor from Severity. It is concluded that the Spanish version of the CY-BOCS-SR has similar psychometric characteristics as the original English version (AU)

[Factor structure of the Spanish version of the Spence Children Anxiety Scale (SCAS)]. / Composición factorial de la versión española de la Spence Children Anxiety Scale (SCAS).

This paper presents the Spanish version of the Spence Children Anxiety Scale (SCAS), a rating scale for children and adolescents assessing anxiety disorders as they appear in the DSM-IV. SCAS scores were subjected to confirmatory factor analyses in a sample of 1671 children 10 to 17 years old. Results supported the proposed structure of six interrelated scales. This structure is completely invariant (except for means) in boys and girls and across age groups. Overall, girls scored slightly higher than boys. The relationship of SCAS scores with the child's age was nonexistent or very low and negative. The least frequent anxiety problems among children and adolescents were panic attacks and agoraphobia. Problems that most frequently presented extreme high scores were obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobia. It is concluded that the Spanish version of the SCAS can confidently be used in the assessment of anxiety disorders in children.

[Factor structure and reliability of the Spanish adaptation of the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale--Self Report (CY-BOCS-SR)]. / Estructura factorial y fi abilidad de la adaptación española de la Escala Obsesivo-Compulsiva de Yale-Brown para niños y adolescentes en su versión de autoinforme (CY-BOCS-SR).

The aim of this study was the adaptation to Spanish of the «Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale--Self Report¼ (CY-BOCS-SR), one of the most frequently utilized scales in the assessment of obsessive-compulsive behaviors. After its translation to Spanish, its factor invariance in boys and girls, reliability, and relationship with the children's age were examined. Lastly, normative data for this Spanish version are presented. The sample comprised 1,706 children and adolescents from the general population. Results show that the factor composition of the CY-BOCS-SR does not present a very good fit to the usual scoring of three scales were observed: Obsession Severity, Compulsion Severity, and total score. Results also show that the factor validity and reliability of the CY-BOCS-SR improve remarkably if items related to Resistance to Obsessions and Compulsions are considered a different factor from Severity. It is concluded that the Spanish version of the CY-BOCS-SR has similar psychometric characteristics as the original English version.

New host-plant records for the defoliator Ormiscodes amphimone (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

Ormiscodes amphimone (Fabricius) is a phytophagous moth species known to severely defoliate woody species in Chile and Argentina. Here we document new records of O. amphimonehost associations emphasizing the role of Nothofagus pumilio as its primary host in our study area. This new record for Argentina is highly significant given the economic importance of N. pumilio as a timber resource and the potential of O. amphimone to generate extensive outbreaks.

New host-plant records for the defoliator Ormiscodes amphimone (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae).

Ormiscodes amphimone (Fabricius) is a phytophagous moth species known to severely defoliate woody species in Chile and Argentina. Here we document new records of O. amphimonehost associations emphasizing the role of Nothofagus pumilio as its primary host in our study area. This new record for Argentina is highly significant given the economic importance of N. pumilio as a timber resource and the potential of O. amphimone to generate extensive outbreaks.