Relaciones entre el autoconcepto relacional, la elección de metas y la satisfacción de necesidades psicológicas en estudiantes universitarios / Relations between the Relational Self-Construal, the Choice of Goals and Psychological Need Satisfaction of University Students

El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar cómo ciertas características del autoconcepto pueden influir en la elección de unas u otras metas en estudiantes universitarios. Se utilizó una adaptación al castellano de la escala Relational-Interdependent Self-Construal ([RISC]; Cross, Bacon, & Morris, 2000) para medir el grado en el que los estudiantes incorporan sus relaciones interpersonales significativas en la construcción del autoconcepto. En una muestra de 389 universitarios españoles (rango de edad 16-47, M = 19.28; DE = 3.15) se efectuaron distintos contrastes que mostraron diferencias significativas asociadas al género ($ = 59% y S = 41% con tamaños de efecto d 0.25-0.55) y a las puntuaciones (altas frente a bajas, d 0.42-0.91) en la escala del RISC. Asimismo, esta variable de diferencias individuales apareció como predictora significativa en la elección de determinado tipo de metas y de la satisfacción de las necesidades psicológicas de autonomía, competencia y vinculación. Estos resultados tienen implicaciones en la elección de estudios y en lo que los estudiantes esperan encontrar en la universidad.

The aim of this study was to explore the role of specific features of the self-concept that could be associated with the choice of life goals. We developed an adaptation of the RISC (Relational-Interdependent Self-Construal; Cross, Bacon, & Morris 2000) to directly assess the degree to which individuals define themselves in terms of close relationships. The scale was translated into Spanish and its psychometric properties were analyzed with data from a sample of 389 university students (age range 16-47, M = 19.28, ST=3.15). A set of contrast showed significant differences between men and women ($=59% y S= 41% effect size d 0.25-0.55). Significant differences appeared also regarding extrinsic and intrinsic goals, interpersonal goals and needs satisfaction when students with a highly relational self-construal were compared with students with a low relational one (d 0.42-0.91). These results have implications for the choice of studies and what students expect in university life.

Multivariate analysis of burnout syndrome in Latin-American priests.

BACKGROUND: Burnout syndrome is a highly prevalent disorder in a wide range of professional groups, and is associated with substantial psychophysiological alterations. Nevertheless, this syndrome has not been analyzed in depth among the clergy, a group which fulfils a fundamental social function and has to deal with numerous stressors that increase the risk of burnout onset. METHOD: In the present study, the authors assessed 881 Catholic priests from Latin America. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-22, the General Health Questionnaire-28 and the CAGE were applied; we also recorded the priests' rates of cigarette-smoking. Specific cut-off points were set for burnout syndrome in priests. RESULTS: The original factor structures of the questionnaires are confirmed in the clerical sample, and the reliability is adequate. As regards the dimensions of the syndrome as a function of the countries studied, no statistically significant differences were found, except for the exhaustion dimension. CONCLUSIONS: The authors established the typology that defines the relevance and effect of each dimension, as well as its prevalence in this group, with a figure of 25.39%. Furthermore, burnout shows a clear relationship with general health and may be associated with addiction to substances such as alcohol or tobacco.

[Activities after school time and obesity in children. Influence of family and neighborhood environment]. / Actividad extraescolar y obesidad en los niños. Influencia del ámbito familiar y del vecindario.

BACKGROUND: elementary school children spend little time at the school in Mexico. The aim was to investigate the activities after school time in children and to determine the presence of overweight and obesity. METHODS: one hundred and seventy two children of both sexes were included. They belonged to the first and second grade of an official primary school from a marginalized zone. Somatometry was obtained and the type of physical practice and motifs for no practice physical activity were investigated. Descriptive statistics were applied. RESULTS: the frequency of underweight was 12.1 %, overweight 19 %, and obesity 18.5 %. Sedentary activities like watching television and playing video games were the most common registered, whereas sports were the lowest physical activity practiced, especially in girls. The parents' lack of time, low family income, and the scarcity of safe spaces where children can play and practice physical activity or sports were the most related factors. CONCLUSIONS: poverty and insecurity of the neighborhoods influence the outside activities in after school time. The high frequency of underweight, overweight and obesity in school children were associated to the lack of physical activity.

Introducción: los niños de primaria en México permanecen poco tiempo en el ámbito escolar. El objetivo de este trabajo fue conocer las características somatométricas de los escolares y sus padres e investigar las actividades extraescolares que realizan y las que les gustaría realizar y la razón por la que no lo hacen. Métodos: participaron 172 niños de uno y otro sexo, de primer y segundo año de una escuela primaria oficial de una colonia marginada. Resultados: la frecuencia de bajo peso fue de 12.1 %; de sobrepeso, de 19 % y de obesidad, de 18.5 %. Las actividades sedentarias como ver la televisión y los videojuegos fueron las más altas y las deportivas las más bajas, principalmente en las niñas. La falta de tiempo de los padres, los bajos recursos económicos de la familia y la falta de espacios seguros donde los niños puedan jugar y realizar actividades físicas y deportivas fueron los factores más importantes. Conclusiones: la pobreza y la inseguridad del barrio determinan las actividades extraescolares. La alta frecuencia de bajo peso, el sobrepeso y la obesidad en los escolares se relacionaron con la falta de actividad física.

Enfoques mucosales en vacunologia de Neisseria

Meningococcal B strains accounts for some 72 percent and 28 percent of meningococcal diseases in infants and toddlers in Europe and the USA, respectively. Nevertheless, meningococcal diseases are rare in Cuba owing to the wide spread program on antimeningococcal vaccination in the country. Finlay Institute is one of the pioneering organizations in Neisseria Vaccinology mainly by its contribution to N. meningitidis serogroup B outer membrane-based bivalent vaccine, VA-MENGOC-BC™. This vaccine was given intramuscularly in more than 60 million doses corresponding 10,7 millions of them to Cuban young adults, children, and infants. However, most dangerous or commensally Neisseria strains enter and establish in the mucosa, where the secretory (S) IgA is the main specific guardian and is mainly induced by mucosal routes. However, few mucosal vaccines exist principally due to the absent of mucosal adjuvants. We develop a Finlay Adjuvant (AF) platform based in outer membrane vesicles (Proteoliposome, PL) and its derivate Cochleate (Co). AFPL1 derived from serogroup B N meningitidis is a potent Th1/CTL driving parenteral adjuvant. AFCo1 is a potent mucosal adjuvant. Therefore, we sought to go deeper in the possible mucosal cross recognition between N. meningitidis serogroups and Neisseria species and explore a concurrent mucosal and parenteral immunization strategy (SinTimVaS) in order to develop suitable mucosal vaccines. Experiments were conducted in Balb/c or C57Bl6 mice with mucosal and systemic immunization using AFCo1 and AFPL1. Human sera and saliva were also analyzed for cross cognition. Mucosal cross recognition at SIgA level in human saliva between N. meningitidis serogroups B, A, C, Y, and W135 were observed. This SIgA cross recognition response was also observed between pathogenic (N meningitidis serogroup B, N gonorrhoeae) and non-pathogenic strains (N flava, N lactamica). The possible influence of meningococcal vaccination ...(AU)

Bacterial meningitis in HIV-1-infected patients in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: The burden that spontaneous bacterial meningitis (SBM) currently represents among HIV-1-infected patients is poorly known. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 32 episodes of SBM in HIV-1-infected patients from the VACH (VIH-Aplicación de Control Hospitalario) Cohort and compared findings with those of 267 episodes in uninfected persons, matched by age and year of infection. A group of 13,187 HIV-1-infected patients from the VACH Cohort were used to identify predictors for acquiring SBM. RESULTS: Between 1997 and 2006, we found 32 episodes of SBM among HIV-1-infected patients for an annual incidence rate of 62.0 cases per 100,000 population compared with 3.2 (3.0 to 3.4) per 100,000 population for uninfected patients (P < 0.001). The last CD4 >or=200/mm count was the only predictor for developing SBM. Compared with uninfected, HIV-1-infected patients with SBM had a greater prevalence of primary extrameningeal infection, especially pneumonia (P = 0.02), bacteremia (P = 0.02), focal neurologic signs (P = 0.005), seizures (P = 0.06), a lower cerebrospinal fluid to blood glucose ratio (P = 0.02), and a lower prevalence of nuchal rigidity (P = 0.005). Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most frequent etiologic agent among HIV-1-infected patients. HIV-1-infected patients had neurologic complications more frequently (P = 0.02), a higher overall case fatality rate (P = 0.004), and greater incidence of neurologic sequelae (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Even in the highly active antiretroviral therapy era, the risk of developing SBM is 19 times higher among HIV-1-infected patients than among uninfected ones. It tends to present in severely immunosuppressed patients not previously vaccinated and off antiretroviral therapy, with a concomitant extrameningeal infection, bacteremia, and focal neurologic signs, and is caused by S. pneumoniae. SBM in HIV-1-infected patients carries a worse prognosis than in uninfected ones both in terms of lethality and sequelae.

First-line antiretroviral therapy with efavirenz or lopinavir/ritonavir plus two nucleoside analogues: the SUSKA study, a non-randomized comparison from the VACH cohort.

BACKGROUND: Efavirenz and lopinavir/ritonavir are both recommended antiretroviral agents for combination first-line therapy, although information on direct comparisons between them is scarce. A retrospective longitudinal study from the VACH cohort comparing both regimens was performed. METHODS: Efficacy was examined comparing time to virological failure, CD4 recovery and clinical progression. Tolerability was examined comparing time to treatment discontinuation for any reason and for toxicity. Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and standard and weighted Cox regression models. RESULTS: A total of 1550 antiretroviral-naive patients starting a two-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor regimen plus either efavirenz (n = 1159) or lopinavir/ritonavir (n = 391) were included in the study. At baseline, patients starting lopinavir/ritonavir had higher HIV-1 RNA and lower CD4+ cell counts. There was no difference in the adjusted hazards of virological failure [efavirenz versus lopinavir/ritonavir hazard ratio (HR) = 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.77-1.12, P = 0.43], CD4 recovery (HR = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.95-1.30, P = 0.19) and clinical progression (HR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.39-1.31, P = 0.27). There was an increased risk of discontinuation for any reason or for toxicity for lopinavir/ritonavir (HR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.40-3.15, P = 0.0003). CD4 recovery with both drugs was also similar in the lowest CD4 strata. A higher risk of early hypertriglyceridaemia was associated with lopinavir/ritonavir-based regimens. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests similar virological efficacy for efavirenz- or lopinavir/ritonavir-based first-line antiretroviral regimens, but an increased risk of discontinuation because of toxicity in case of lopinavir/ritonavir-based therapy. Immunological outcome appeared similar with both regimens.