The Relationship between Personality Profiles and the Esthetic Perception of Orthodontic Appliances.

Introduction: In orthodontics, patients' esthetic expectations involve the final esthetic result as well as the treatment's appliance choice. Personality traits can influence patients' perception, treatment modality selection, expectations, compliance, and satisfaction with the treatment outcome, although there are very few studies on this interconnection between personality and orthodontic appliances. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between personality traits and the esthetic perception of different orthodontic appliances. Materials and Methods: The online questionnaire is composed of three parts: (1) sociodemographic variables; (2) questions on the esthetic perception of different orthodontic appliances; (3) general personality assessment via the NEO-FFI. A total of 461 questionnaires were accepted. Results: There were statistically significant differences between laypeople and professionals related to assessing smiles and the need for orthodontic treatment. Laypeople identified a statistically significant relationship between personality traits and orthodontic appliances, in which esthetic perception is associated with high traits of agreeableness and openness. Neuroticism is most associated with orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances, which are the most conventional. Conclusions: Professionals tend to have a more critical judgment than laypeople as far as esthetics is concerned. Personality traits play an important role in esthetic perception and may influence orthodontic treatment.

Life beyond Loss: A Retrospective Analysis of the Impact of Meaning of Life Therapy on the Grieving Process of Cancer Patients' Family Caregivers.

Oncological disease in the palliative stage is a huge challenge for patients and their family caregivers (FCs) due to the fact that it confronts them with death, as well as physical, psychological, and existential suffering. Meaning of Life Therapy (MLT) is a brief structured psycho-existential intervention aiming to help patients in a meaning-making life review process, promoting end-of-life adaptation. The Life Letter (LL) resulting from MLT is an element that facilitates communication between the patient and their caregivers. The goal of this study was to understand the impact of MLT on the grieving processes of eight FCs and to study their perceptions of the role of the LL on grief through semi-structured interviews. The results of our qualitative analysis indicate that MLT was perceived by the FCs as a positive experience despite the conspiracy of silence being identified as a drawback. The LL was interpreted as a communicational element, promoting emotional closeness with the cancer patients and serving as a valuable tool in the FCs' adaptation to loss. Our research findings show that the needs of FCs, especially after experiencing the loss of their relative, are dynamic and specific. This is why it is urgent to develop interventions that consider the idiosyncrasies of end-of-life cancer patients and their FCs in order to avoid frustrated farewells, lonely deaths, and maladaptive grieving processes. This is the direction in which MLT should evolve.

Comparison of hybrid RNA-based models to predict the degradation and mineralization of the microcontaminant hormone 17ß-estradiol.

New alternatives for effluent decontamination, such as electrochemical oxidation, are being developed to provide adequate removal of endocrine disruptors such as 17ß-estradiol in wastewater. In this study, data-driven models of response surface methodology, artificial neural networks, wavelet neural networks, and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system will be used to predict the degradation and mineralization of the microcontaminant hormone 17ß-estradiol through an electrochemical process to contribute to the treatment of effluent containing urine. With the use of different statistical criteria and graphical analysis of the correlation between observed and predicted data, it was possible to conduct a comparative analysis of the performances of the data-driven approaches. The results point to the superiority of the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (correlation coefficient, R2, ranged from 0.99330 to 0.99682 for TOC removal and from 0.95330 to 0.99223 for the degradation of the hormone 17ß-estradiol) techniques over the others. The remaining results obtained with the other metrics are consistent with this analysis.

Meaning of Life Therapy: A Pilot Study of a Novel Psycho-Existential Intervention for Palliative Care in Cancer.

Intervention in Palliative Care aims to provide physical, psychosocial, and spiritual relief for patients and family members. Brief interventions with a psycho-existential approach have shown positive responses; however, cultural adaptations are needed. This pilot study aimed to develop the Meaning of Life Therapy (MLT), a novel psycho-existential intervention, rooted in the Dignity Therapy, Life Review, and Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy. MLT was culturally adapted to the Portuguese context to include questions about forgiveness, apology, reconciliation, farewell, and a legacy document, i.e., the Life Letter. Nine PC cancer patients answered a 14-question MLT protocol, intended to help patients find purpose and meaning in life. Eight themes emerged: Family, Preservation of Identity, Life Retrospective, Clinical Situation, Achievements, Socio-Professional Valorization, Forgiveness/Apology/Reconciliation, and Saying Goodbye. MLT has proved its ability to respond to the psycho-existential needs of PC patients. Further studies should be conducted to gain extensive knowledge of the effectiveness of culturally responsive interventions.

Older adult psychopathology: international comparisons of self-reports, collateral reports, and cross-informant agreement.

OBJECTIVES: To conduct international comparisons of self-reports, collateral reports, and cross-informant agreement regarding older adult psychopathology. PARTICIPANTS: We compared self-ratings of problems (e.g. I cry a lot) and personal strengths (e.g. I like to help others) for 10,686 adults aged 60-102 years from 19 societies and collateral ratings for 7,065 of these adults from 12 societies. MEASUREMENTS: Data were obtained via the Older Adult Self-Report (OASR) and the Older Adult Behavior Checklist (OABCL; Achenbach et al., ). RESULTS: Cronbach's alphas were .76 (OASR) and .80 (OABCL) averaged across societies. Across societies, 27 of the 30 problem items with the highest mean ratings and 28 of the 30 items with the lowest mean ratings were the same on the OASR and the OABCL. Q correlations between the means of the 0-1-2 ratings for the 113 problem items averaged across all pairs of societies yielded means of .77 (OASR) and .78 (OABCL). For the OASR and OABCL, respectively, analyses of variance (ANOVAs) yielded effect sizes (ESs) for society of 15% and 18% for Total Problems and 42% and 31% for Personal Strengths, respectively. For 5,584 cross-informant dyads in 12 societies, cross-informant correlations averaged across societies were .68 for Total Problems and .58 for Personal Strengths. Mixed-model ANOVAs yielded large effects for society on both Total Problems (ES = 17%) and Personal Strengths (ES = 36%). CONCLUSIONS: The OASR and OABCL are efficient, low-cost, easily administered mental health assessments that can be used internationally to screen for many problems and strengths.

The generalizability of empirically derived syndromes of collateral-reported elder psychopathology across 11 societies.

The purpose of this study was to test whether a syndrome model of elder psychopathology derived from collateral ratings, such as from spouses and adult children, in the United States would be generalizable in 11 other societies. Societies represented South America, Asia, and Europe. The Older Adult Behavior Checklist (OABCL) was completed by collateral informants for 6141 60- to 102-year-olds. The tested model comprised syndromes designated as Anxious/Depressed, Worries, Somatic Complaints, Functional Impairment, Memory/Cognition Problems, Thought Problems, and Irritable/Disinhibited. The model was tested using confirmatory factor analyses in each society separately. The primary model fit index showed a good fit for all societies, while the secondary model fit indices showed acceptable to a good fit for all societies. The items loaded strongly on their respective factors, with a median item loading of 0.69 across the 11 societies. By syndrome, the overall median item loadings ranged from 0.47 for Worries to 0.77 for Functional Impairment. The OABCL syndrome structure was thus generalizable across the tested societies. The OABCL can be used for broad assessment of psychopathology for elders of diverse backgrounds in nursing services and research.

Fungal biosynthesis of lignin-modifying enzymes from pulp wash and Luffa cylindrica for azo dye RB5 biodecolorization using modeling by response surface methodology and artificial neural network.

This study demonstrates the evaluation between the artificial neural network technique coupled to the genetic algorithm (ANN-GA) and the response surface methodology (RSM) for prediction of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) decolorization by crude enzyme from Pleurotus. sajor-caju. Fungal lignin-modifying enzymes (FLME) were synthesized using pulp wash (PW) as an inducing substrate, and L. cylindrica (L.C) for cell immobilization. When grown in PW, the fungus showed higher Lac activity (126.5 IU. mL-1), whereas when immobilized a higher MnP activity was achieved (22.79 IU. mL-1), but both methods were capable of decolorizing the dye in about 89.4 % and 75 %, respectively. This indicates applicability of PW as an alternative substrate for FLME induction and viability of immobilization for MnP synthesis. For RB5 decolorization, the action of the crude enzyme extract was considered as a function of pH, dye concentration, temperature, and reaction time. The models are well adjusted to predict the efficiency of biodecolorization, with no statistical difference between ANN-GA and RSM, which indicates potential for green enzymes prospecting application in bioprocess industry.

The generalizability of Older Adult Self-Report (OASR) syndromes of psychopathology across 20 societies.

OBJECTIVES: As the world population ages, psychiatrists will increasingly need instruments for measuring constructs of psychopathology that are generalizable to diverse elders. The study tested whether syndromes of co-occurring problems derived from self-ratings of psychopathology by US elders would fit self-ratings by elders in 19 other societies. METHODS/DESIGN: The Older Adult Self-Report (OASR) was completed by 12 826 adults who were 60 to 102 years old in 19 societies from North and South America, Asia, and Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Europe, plus the United States. Individual and multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) tested the fit of the seven-syndrome OASR model, consisting of the Anxious/Depressed, Worries, Somatic Complaints, Functional Impairment, Memory/Cognition Problems, Thought Problems, and Irritable/Disinhibited syndromes. RESULTS: In individual CFAs, the primary model fit index showed good fit for all societies, while the secondary model fit indices showed acceptable to good fit. The items loaded strongly on their respective factors, with a median item loading of .63 across 20 societies, and 98.7% of the loadings were statistically significant. In multigroup CFAs, 98% of items demonstrated approximate or full metric invariance. Fifteen percent of items demonstrated approximate or full scalar invariance, and another 59% demonstrated scalar invariance across more than half of societies. CONCLUSIONS: The findings supported the generalizability of OASR syndromes across societies. The seven syndromes offer empirically based clinical constructs that are relevant for elders of different backgrounds. They can be used to assess diverse elders and as a taxonomic framework to facilitate communication, services, research, and training in geriatric psychiatry.

Nucleosome binding peptide presents laudable biophysical and in vivo effects.

Chromatin state is highly dependent on the nucleosome binding proteins. Herein, we used a multipronged approach employing biophysical and in vivo experiments to characterize the effects of Nucleosome Binding Peptides (NBPeps) on nucleosome and cell activity. We performed a series of structure-based calculations on the nucleosome surface interaction with GMIP1 (a novel NBPep generated in silico), and HMGN2 (nucleosome binding motif of HMGN2), which contains sites that bind DNA and the acid patch, and also LANA and H4pep (nucleosome binding motif of H4 histone tail) that only bind to the acidic patch. Biochemical assays shows that H4pep, but not HMGN2, GMIP1 and LANA, is highly specific for targeting the nucleosome, with important effects on the final nucleosome structure and robust in vivo effects. These findings suggest that NBPeps might have important therapeutic implications and relevance as tools for chromatin investigation.

Empirically derived dimensional syndromes of self-reported psychopathology: Cross-cultural comparisons of Portuguese and US elders.

OBJECTIVE: As the world population ages, mental health professionals increasingly need empirically supported assessment instruments for older adult psychopathology. This study tested the degree to which syndromes derived from self-ratings of psychopathology by elders in the US would fit self-ratings by elders in Portugal. METHODS: The Older Adult Self-Report (OASR) was completed by 352 60- to 102-year-olds in Portuguese community and residential settings. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses tested the fit of the 7-syndrome OASR model to self-ratings by Portuguese elders. The primary fit index (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation) showed good fit, while secondary fit indices (the Comparative Fit Index and the Tucker-Lewis Index) showed acceptable fit. Loadings of 95 of the 97 items on their expected syndromes were statistically significant (mean = .63), indicating that the items measured the syndromes well. Correlations between latent factors, ie, between the hypothesized syndrome constructs measured by the items, averaged .66. The correlations between syndromes reflect varying degrees of comorbidity between problems comprising particular pairs of syndromes. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the syndrome structure of the OASR for Portuguese elders, offering Portuguese clinicians and researchers a useful instrument for assessing a broad spectrum of psychopathology. The results also offer a core of empirically supported taxonomic constructs of later life psychopathology as a basis for advancing clinical practice, training, and cross-cultural research.

Long-term effects of the Entre-os-Rios tragedy on grief and traumatic stress symptoms.

In 2001, in Entre-os-Rios, Portugal, a bridge fell on Douro River; all 59 passengers from 1 bus and 3 cars died and 36 bodies have never been recovered. The objective is to reveal the cumulative risk from multiple losses and unrecovered bodies, 10 years after, compared with grievers from road accidents. There are 2 groups of relatives of victims: from this tragedy (n = 20), with at least 1 unrecovered body; and from road traffic accidents (n = 20), with the same time after loss. The prevalence of prolonged grief was 95% and for traumatic stress was 70%. The associated factors of multiple losses and unrecovered bodies increase the long-term risk (relative risk = 1.6 to 2.8; R2 = .20 to .28) for prolonged and traumatic grief, providing evidence that the absence of body is an important long-term factor.

Evaluation of the Parameters and Conditions of Process in the Ethylbenzene Dehydrogenation with Application of Permselective Membranes to Enhance Styrene Yield.

Styrene is an important monomer in the manufacture of thermoplastic. Most of it is produced by the catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. In this process that depends on reversible reactions, the yield is usually limited by the establishment of thermodynamic equilibrium in the reactor. The styrene yield can be increased by using a hybrid process, with reaction and separation simultaneously. It is proposed using permselective composite membrane to remove hydrogen and thus suppress the reverse and secondary reactions. This paper describes the simulation of a dehydrogenation process carried out in a tubular fixed-bed reactor wrapped in a permselective composite membrane. A mathematical model was developed, incorporating the various mass transport mechanisms found in each of the membrane layers and in the catalytic fixed bed. The effects of the reactor feed conditions (temperature, steam-to-oil ratio, and the weight hourly space velocity), the fixed-bed geometry (length, diameter, and volume), and the membrane geometry (thickness of the layers) on the styrene yield were analyzed. These variables were used to determine experimental conditions that favour the production of styrene. The simulation showed that an increase of 40.98% in the styrene yield, compared to a conventional fixed-bed process, could be obtained by wrapping the reactor in a permselective composite membrane.

In vitro penetration of two cements into artificially created lateral canals / Análise in vitro da obturação de canais laterais simulados utilizando dois tipos de cimentos

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the penetration of two obturation materials, Guta-percha (Konne Ind. e Com. Ltda., Belo Horizonte, Brazil) / Pulp Canal Sealer (Kerr Sybron, Romulus, USA) and Resilon (Resilon Research LLC, Madison, CT, USA) / Epiphany (Pentron Clinical Technologies, Wallingford, CT, USA), into artificially created lateral canals. Methods: Twenty upper, single-rooted human teeth with full or partial crown, straight root and radiograph suggesting one root canal were selected. Six lateral canals were created on each root, two on each third. The teeth were then divided randomly into 2 groups of 10 teeth each. The continuous wave of condensation technique was used to obturate all canals. After obturation, the roots were sectioned cross-sectionally into 3 segments with a diamond disc to expose the lateral canals. The segments were fixed in a fast curing epoxy resin and micrographs of the lateral canals magnified 20 times were taken. The software Carnoy 2.0 was then used to measure obturation material penetration into each lateral canal. The data were treated by the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The extent of the lateral canals penetrated by the two obturation materials did not differ significantly in any of the root thirds (p>0.05). Conclusion: Both obturation materials, Guta-percha (Konne Ind. e Com. Ltda., Belo Horizonte, Brazil) / Pulp Canal Sealer (Kerr Sybron, Romulus, USA) and Resilon (Resilon Research LLC, Madison, CT, USA) / Epiphany (Pentron Clinical Technologies, Wallingford, CT, USA), presented good penetration, which did not differ significantly.

Objetivo: Avaliar a capacidade de selamento de canais laterais simulados frente a dois sistemas obturadores: Guta-percha (Konne Ind. e Com. Ltda., Belo Horizonte, Brasil) e cimento Pulp Canal Sealer (Kerr Sybron, Romulus, USA) e Resilon (Resilon Research LLC, Madison, CT, USA) com Epiphany (Pentron Clinical Technologies, Wallingford, CT, USA). Métodos: Foram selecionados 20 dentes humanos unirradiculares superiores, com coroas totais ou parcialmente íntegras, raízes retas e imagem radiográfica sugestiva de um canal. Foram confeccionados seis canais laterais, com a utilização de uma broca Long Neck ½ (Dentsply-Maillefer, Ballaigues, Suíça), em cada espécime, sendo igualmente distribuído nos 3 terços radiculares. Posteriormente, os dentes foram divididos aleatoriamente em 2 grupos de 10 dentes. A técnica de obturação utilizada foi a Onda Contínua de Condensação. Após as obturações, as raízes foram seccionadas transversalmente com um disco de diamante em 3 segmentos, que possibilitou a visualização dos canais laterais. Os segmentos foram incluídos em uma resina epóxica de presa rápida. As imagens dos terços radiculares inseridos em resina epóxica foram capturadas em lupa estereomicroscópica, com aumento de 20 vezes. Foram realizadas medições lineares das obturações em cada um dos canais dos diferentes segmentos dos dentes de cada grupo através do programa Carnoy 2.0. Os dados foram submetidos à análise estatística utilizando o teste não paramétrico de Kruskall-Wallis. Resultados: A análise dos resultados demonstrou não haver diferença estatística no escoamento entre os materiais obturadores e seus terços apicais, médios e cervicais (p > 0,05). Conclusão: Concluiu-se que os dois materiais obturadores, apresentaram um bom escoamento nos canais laterais, não havendo diferença estatística entre eles.

[Nutritional intake and bone mineral density in female adolescents]. / Ingestão nutricional e estimativa da densidade mineral óssea em adolescentes do sexo feminino.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescence is a critical time in skeletal development, during which the amount of bone gained along with the subsequent rate of bone loss have a crucial impact on an individual's total bone mass in adulthood and old age. Factors believed to influence bone accretion and peak bone mass include adequate nutritional intake, namely for calcium. However, the findings of several studies have raised questions about the benefit of the total dietary calcium consumption for young adult bone health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between nutritional intake, namely calcium, and bone mineral density in female teenagers. METHODS: The study design was a cross-sectional analysis and data derived from a school-based survey of adolescents from high schools. In all, the study sample included 254 female adolescents with ages between 15 and 17 years. The questionnaire was anonymous and confidential, and provided information on the following variables: bone mineral density (BMD), evaluated in the calcaneus by ultrasound through the Sahara Clinical Bone Sonometer from Hologic; weight and height, measured according to international standards; nutritional intake assessed by a food-frequency questionnaire developed by the Epidemiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto; sociodemographic characteristics; age of first menstruation; regularity of menstrual cycles; use of contraceptives and drugs; history of bone fractures; smoking habits; and physical activity. In order to study the association between nutritional intake and BMD, uni and multivariate regression analysis (with adjustment for confounders, namely irregular menses, energy and protein intake) was used. RESULTS: The following main results were reached: positive and significant effects were found for calcium intake in BMD, even after adjustment for confounders (ss = 0.003, 95% CI = 0.000 - 0.006, p = 0.031); 15.1% of adolescents showed t-scores that suggested osteopenia; mean calcium intake (1229 +/- 778 mg/day) was lower than recommended for optimal bone acquisition in achieving maximal peak bone mass. CONCLUSION: Calcium intake was positively associated with BMD, but mean calcium intake was lower tan recommended. It should be therefore important to assure good dietary habits and adequate calcium intake in female adolescents for the development of peak bone mass, and reducing the risk of osteoporosis later in life.