Positive Youth Development and Internet Use in a Sample of Spanish Adolescents.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of Internet in the adolescent population has increased. A growing research interest has been developed about the consequences of Internet use for adolescent development. Despite most studies have examined the impact of Internet use on some indicators of psychological maladjustment, few studies have addressed the detrimental impact on the positive indicators of mental health. Positive youth development (PYD) represents a positive view of adolescent transition to adulthood which focuses on building the strengths that make young people more resistant to negative outcomes and more capable to choose a positive life direction. This study aimed to analyze the relationships between different aspects of Internet use and overall PYD in a sample of Spanish adolescents. To reach this aim, a sample of 1,038 adolescents (50.1% boys, M age = 14.19, SD = 1.38), enrolled in 14 high schools in the city of Huelva (Spain), filled in some self-report measures of PYD and Internet use and experience, such as the frequency of Internet use on weekdays or weekends, the different uses of Internet (i.e., social networks, playing online, reading, surfing or looking for information, playing or downloading music, and searching, selling, or buying products), and the subjective experience using the Internet (i.e., acknowledgment of spending too much time playing or in the networks, and being in a bad mood if they do not play or use the networks). Results of a hierarchical regression analysis showed that the more hours using Internet on weekdays, the less PYD. Moreover, the experience of feeling bad when not using the networks and spending too much time with online playing was related to lower PYD. However, the use of Internet for reading or looking for information had a positive association with PYD. These results suggest some implications for practice, such as the need to promote an adaptive Internet use, by providing a safe online context that encourages the acquisition of positive social values and life skills.

Relationship between Eating Habits, Physical Activity and Tobacco and Alcohol Use in Pregnant Women: Sociodemographic Inequalities.

Pregnant women must maintain or acquire healthy habits during pregnancy to protect both their own health and their child's. Such habits include an adequate eating pattern along with good adherence to the intake of certain supplements, practice of moderate physical activity and avoiding the consumption of toxic products such as tobacco and alcohol. The objective of this study is to assess the interrelation between such habits and their association with sociodemographic variables. To such end, a cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of pregnant women who attended the scheduled morphology echography consultation at the 20th gestational week in their reference public hospital in the city of Seville (Spain). Results: Younger pregnant women and with lower educational levels are the ones that present the worst eating habits and the highest smoking rate. Pregnant women with lower educational levels are the least active. Non-smoking pregnant women present better eating habits than those who smoke. Pregnant women with lower educational levels are those who accumulate more unhealthy habits during pregnancy. This should be taken into account when planning the health care provided to pregnant women and in public health intersectoral policies.

Variable coastal hypoxia exposure and drivers across the southern California Current.

Declining oxygen is one of the most drastic changes in the ocean, and this trend is expected to worsen under future climate change scenarios. Spatial variability in dissolved oxygen dynamics and hypoxia exposures can drive differences in vulnerabilities of coastal ecosystems and resources, but documentation of variability at regional scales is rare in open-coast systems. Using a regional collaborative network of dissolved oxygen and temperature sensors maintained by scientists and fishing cooperatives from California, USA, and Baja California, Mexico, we characterize spatial and temporal variability in dissolved oxygen and seawater temperature dynamics in kelp forest ecosystems across 13° of latitude in the productive California Current upwelling system. We find distinct latitudinal patterns of hypoxia exposure and evidence for upwelling and respiration as regional drivers of oxygen dynamics, as well as more localized effects. This regional and small-scale spatial variability in dissolved oxygen dynamics supports the use of adaptive management at local scales, and highlights the value of collaborative, large-scale coastal monitoring networks for informing effective adaptation strategies for coastal communities and fisheries in a changing climate.

Longitudinal Association between Sport Participation and Depressive Symptoms after a Two-Year Follow-Up in Mid-Adolescence.

Sport participation has been advocated as a strategy to improve adolescents' mental health. However, how these variables evolve during the adolescent years is uncertain. The objective of the present work was to examine the longitudinal associations of sports participation and depressive symptoms in adolescents. Participants were 525 Spanish adolescents (50.3% boys), aged between 12 and 15 years old (M = 13.45, SD = 0.69). They were enrolled in 18 secondary schools located in Andalusia (Spain) in the first two academic years of Compulsory Secondary Education. Data were collected in three waves, separated by one year, by administering self-report measures of depressive symptoms and sport participation. Repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted to examine the change in depressive symptoms and sport participation, and a latent growth curve model was tested to examine the change in depressive symptoms controlling initial sport participation and gender. At each wave, more frequent sport participation was related to lower depressive symptoms. Two years after the first assessment, adolescents became more depressed but not more active. Less active adolescents had more depressive symptoms in each assessment time. At all moments of assessment, girls were less active and reported more depressive symptoms. Moreover, girls had a higher increase in depressive symptoms than boys. Promotion of physical activity (PA) as a mental health strategy needs to consider gender differences as boys and girls have different patterns of presentation of depressive symptoms throughout adolescence.

Health advice on alcohol consumption in pregnant women in Seville (Spain) / Consejo sanitario sobre el consumo de alcohol en embarazadas de Sevilla (España)

OBJECTIVE: To analyse to what extent pregnant women remembered having received health advice regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy, what the message they perceived was and whether there is social inequality in this regard. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed with a sample of 426 pregnant women (in their 20th week of pregnancy) receiving care in the outpatient clinics of a university hospital in a southern Spanish city (Seville). The data were collected through face-to-face structured interviews carried out by trained health professionals. RESULTS: 43% of the interviewed women stated that they had not received any health advice in this regard. Only 43.5% of the sample remembered having received the correct message (not to consume any alcohol at all during pregnancy) from their midwife, 25% from their obstetrician and 20.3% from their general practitioner. The women with a low educational level were those who least declared having received health advice on the issue. CONCLUSION: The recommended health advice to avoid alcohol consumption during pregnancy does not effectively reach a large proportion of pregnant women. Developing institutional programmes which help healthcare professionals to carry out effective preventive activities of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is needed

OBJETIVO: Analizar en qué medida las gestantes recuerdan haber recibido asesoramiento sanitario sobre el consumo de alcohol durante el embarazo, cuál es el mensaje percibido y si existe desigualdad social al respecto. MÉTODO: Se realizó un estudio transversal descriptivo con 426 mujeres en su semana 20 de embarazo en las consultas externas de un hospital universitario de Sevilla (España). Los datos se recopilaron mediante entrevistas estructuradas cara a cara realizadas por profesionales sanitarias entrenadas. RESULTADOS: El 43% de las entrevistadas afirmaron no haber recibido consejo sanitario alguno al respecto. Solo el 43,5% dijeron que habían recibido el mensaje correcto (no beber absolutamente nada de alcohol durante el embarazo) por parte de la matrona, el 25% por el obstetra y el 20,3% por el médico de atención primaria. Las embarazadas con menor nivel educativo fueron las que menos refirieron haber recibido asesoramiento sanitario sobre el tema. CONCLUSIÓN: El consejo sanitario adecuado (evitar todo consumo de alcohol durante el embarazo) no llega de manera efectiva a una amplia proporción de las gestantes. Es necesario desarrollar programas institucionales que posibiliten que los profesionales sanitarios puedan llevar a cabo con eficacia actividades preventivas de los trastornos del espectro alcohólico fetal

Understanding the Relationship between Predictors of Alcohol Consumption in Pregnancy: Towards Effective Prevention of FASD.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal alcohol exposure can produce serious changes in neurodevelopment that last a lifetime, as well as a wide range of congenital abnormalities, and is the main non-hereditary, avoidable cause of intellectual disability in developed countries. It is therefore crucial to understand the determinants of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. This study is aimed at determining the factors that predict it, as well as the interactions between them. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a random sample of 426 pregnant women being treated at the outpatient clinic of a public university hospital in Seville (Spain), when they were in their twentieth week of pregnancy. A custom-designed questionnaire was used for data collection and applied in the course of an interview administered by trained health professionals. The data collected were analyzed using hierarchical regression, moderation analysis, and a structural equations model. RESULTS: Alcohol consumption prior to pregnancy proved to be the most powerful predictor of alcohol intake during pregnancy. Other particularly significant predictors were the percentage of professionals who gave correct advice to the expectant mother-not to consume any alcohol during pregnancy-and perception of the risk from drinking wine during pregnancy. The number of pregnancies correlates positively with alcohol intake during pregnancy, while the expectant mother's level of education correlates negatively. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying these predictive factors will allow the design of more effective fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) prevention strategies.

Health advice on alcohol consumption in pregnant women in Seville (Spain).

OBJECTIVE: To analyse to what extent pregnant women remembered having received health advice regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy, what the message they perceived was and whether there is social inequality in this regard. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed with a sample of 426 pregnant women (in their 20th week of pregnancy) receiving care in the outpatient clinics of a university hospital in a southern Spanish city (Seville). The data were collected through face-to-face structured interviews carried out by trained health professionals. RESULTS: 43% of the interviewed women stated that they had not received any health advice in this regard. Only 43.5% of the sample remembered having received the correct message (not to consume any alcohol at all during pregnancy) from their midwife, 25% from their obstetrician and 20.3% from their general practitioner. The women with a low educational level were those who least declared having received health advice on the issue. CONCLUSION: The recommended health advice to avoid alcohol consumption during pregnancy does not effectively reach a large proportion of pregnant women. Developing institutional programmes which help healthcare professionals to carry out effective preventive activities of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is needed.

Pregnant Women's Risk Perception of the Teratogenic Effects of Alcohol Consumption in Pregnancy.

There is ample evidence of the teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, with long-term consequences throughout the entire life cycle. Nevertheless, research on risk perception of alcohol consumption among pregnant women is scarce. In order to analyze risk perception of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, a cross-sectional study was conducted with a random sample of 426 pregnant women (in their 20th week of gestation) receiving care at the outpatient clinics of a public university hospital in the southern European city of Seville (Spain). Data were collected through structured face-to-face interviews conducted by trained health professionals using a customized questionnaire. Data analysis included structural equation modeling. Only 48.1% of the sample indicated that the sequelae from alcohol consumption during pregnancy were life-long. The structural equation model showed that a lower risk perception about beer and wine consumption, and a lower educational level, were related to more frequent alcohol consumption. Younger participants showed lower risk perception concerning beer consumption. Higher levels of education were related to a greater risk perception of beer. Healthcare institutions should articulate programs that facilitate health advice regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy, particularly when providing care for women with low educational levels.

Respuestas al afecto positivo y ajuste psicológico en la adolescencia / Responses to positive affect and psychological adjustment in adolescence

Resumen La investigación hasta la fecha ha prestado poca atención a la regulación del afecto positivo en la adolescencia. Nuestros objetivos fueron construir un cuestionario para evaluar las respuestas al afecto positivo en adolescentes y estudiar las relaciones que presentan con el ajuste psicológico. Una muestra de 1.810 adolescentes completó el cuestionario de respuestas al afecto positivo (con tres dimensiones: rumiación positiva centrada en la emoción, rumiación positiva centrada en uno mismo e inhibición) y tres autoinformes de ajuste psicológico (satisfacción vital, autoestima y síntomas depresivos). El cuestionario mostró buena fiabilidad por consistencia interna y la misma estructura factorial que estudios previos con adultos. Un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales indicó que las respuestas de rumiación positiva centrada en la emoción y en uno mismo se relacionaron positivamente con la satisfacción vital y la autoestima, y negativamente con los síntomas depresivos, mientras que la inhibición del afecto positivo presentó asociaciones opuestas.

Abstract Research to date has paid little attention to positive affect regulation in adolescence. Our aims were to examine psychometric properties of a questionnaire to assess responses to positive affect in adolescents and to study the relationships these responses have with psychological adjustment. A sample of 1,810 adolescents completed the responses to positive affect questionnaire (with three dimensions: emotion-focused and self-focused positive rumination, and dampening) and three self-report measures of psychological adjustment (i.e. life satisfaction, self-esteem and depressive symptoms). The questionnaire had good internal consistency reliability and the same factor structure as previous studies using adult samples. Secondly, a structural equation model showed that emotion-focused and self-focused responses were positively related to life satisfaction and self-esteem, and negatively to depressive symptoms, while dampening presented opposite associations.

Micrometástasis ganglionares en pacientes con cáncer ginecológico. Serie de casos y revisión de la bibliografía / Nodal micrometastasis in gynecological cancer patients. Case series and literature review

Resumen OBJETIVO: Identificar micrometástasis ganglionares en neoplasias malignas ginecológicas, y las características histopatológicas y clínicas asociadas con los hallazgos. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio observacional, descriptivo y retrospectivo efectuado en pacientes con uno o más ganglios con micrometástasis identificados en cirugías primarias etapificadoras por cáncer de endometrio, ovario o cervicouterino, linfadenectomía sistemática o ganglio centinela, atendidas en el Hospital de Ginecoobstetricia Dr. Luis Castelazo Ayala, de enero de 2014 a diciembre de 2018. Criterios de exclusión: ausencia micrometástasis ganglionares. Criterios de eliminación: información incompleta en el expediente clínico, sin seguimiento y falta de evidencia patológica de micrometástasis ganglionar. Variables de estudio: identificación de ganglios con micrometástasis, diagnóstico de cáncer ginecológico por tratamiento quirúrgico y tasa de supervivencia. Para la revisión bibliográfica se consultó la base de datos de PubMed, con MeSH o palabras clave: "micrometástasis ganglionares" y "cáncer de ovario"; "cáncer de endometrio", "cáncer cervicouterino" y "cáncer ginecológico con micrometástasis". RESULTADOS: Se registraron 11 casos de micrometástasis ganglionares, de un total de 433 con cáncer de ovario, endometrio o cervicouterino. No se aplicaron pruebas estadísticas por lo limitado de la muestra. En todos los casos se identificó, mínimo, un ganglio con micrometástasis, con ganglio centinela o linfadenectomía sistemática. Todas las pacientes recibieron tratamiento coadyuvante. CONCLUSIONES: Es importante efectuar la identificación de micrometástasis en linfadenectomías sistemáticas mediante la tinción con hematoxilina-eosina (es la metodología más accesible y económica para el sistema público de salud de México) o búsqueda de ganglio centinela, con la finalidad de determinar la frecuencia en población mexicana y establecer la etapa patológica real de la enfermedad.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To identify lymph node micrometastases in malignant gynecological neoplasms and their histopathological and clinical characteristics associated with the findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observational, descriptive and retrospective study performed in patients with one or more lymph nodes with micrometastases in primary stage surgery for endometrial, ovarian or cervical cancer, systematic lymphadenectomy or sentinel node, attended at the Hospital de Ginecoobstetricia 4 Dr. Luis Castelazo Ayala, from January 2014 to December 2018. Exclusion criteria: no ganglion micrometastases. Elimination criteria: incomplete information in the clinical file, without follow-up and lack of pathological evidence of lymph node micrometastasis. The variables to be considered were: identification of lymph nodes with micrometastases, diagnosis of gynecological cancer by surgical treatment and survival rate. For the literature review, the PubMed database was consulted, with key words such as "ganglionic micrometastases" and "ovarian cancer", "endometrial cancer", "cervical cancer" and "gynecological cancer with micrometastasis". RESULTS: There were 11 cases of lymph node micrometastases, of a total of 433 with ovarian, endometrial or cervical cancer. No statistical tests were applied because of the limited sample. In all cases, a lymph node with micrometastasis, with a sentinel lymph node or systematic lymphadenectomy was identified. All patients received coadjuvant treatment. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to identify micrometastases in systematic lymphadenectomy by staining with haematoxylin-eosin (the most accessible and economical methodology for the public health system in Mexico) or sentinel lymph node search, in order to determine the frequency in the Mexican population and establish the actual pathological stage of the disease.

Responses to positive affect, life satisfaction and self-esteem: A cross-lagged panel analysis during middle adolescence.

During middle adolescence, elevated stress and a greater presence of psychological disorders have been documented. The research has paid little attention to the regulation of positive affective states. Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory suggests that cultivating positive emotions helps to build resources that boost well-being. The current research aimed to examine the longitudinal associations between responses to positive affect (emotion-focused positive rumination, self-focused positive rumination, and dampening) and psychological adjustment (self-esteem and life satisfaction) during middle adolescence. A longitudinal study with two waves separated by one year was conducted, assessing 977 adolescents (M = 13.81, SD = 0.79; 51.5% boys) with self-report measures. A cross-lagged panel analysis was performed by including within the same model the relationships between all of the variables in the two assessment points. The results indicated cross-lagged positive relationships of self-focused positive rumination with both self-esteem and life satisfaction, while dampening showed a negative cross-lagged relationship with self-esteem. Moreover, higher self-esteem predicted more emotion-focused positive rumination, and more dampening predicted lower life satisfaction. Thus, the use of adaptive responses to positive affect and a better psychological adjustment were found to be prospectively interrelated at the one-year follow-up during middle adolescence. The discussion argues for the need to implement programmes to promote more adaptive responses to positive affect to enhance psychological adjustment in the adolescent transition to adulthood.

Trait Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Adaptive Responses to Positive and Negative Affect During Adolescence.

Introduction and aim : The examination of trait emotional intelligence as an important component of adolescent psychological adjustment and coping has received a great deal of attention. Trait emotional intelligence is expected to reduce the vulnerability to emotional problems by reducing mood deterioration in adverse situations. Most research to date has addressed the regulation of negative affective states, with less attention paid to the responses to positive affect. Thus, the aim of this research was to examine the cross-sectional and prospective associations between trait emotional intelligence dimensions (i.e., trait emotional attention, trait emotional clarity, and trait emotional repair), response styles to negative affect (i.e., depressive rumination and distraction) and response to positive affect (i.e., emotion-focused and self-focused positive rumination and dampening) in adolescence. Methods: A 1-year follow-up study was conducted with a sample of 880 adolescents (52.4% girls) aged 14-17 years old (M = 14.74, SD = 0.68) who were enrolled in 18 high schools in Andalusia (Spain). Participants completed self-report measures of trait emotional intelligence, response to negative affect and response styles to positive affect. To analyse the data, hierarchical regression analyses and path analysis were performed. Results: Our results showed that high trait emotional attention was cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with more dampening of positive affect and more depressive rumination. Furthermore, high trait emotional repair was cross-sectionally and longitudinally related to more distraction to negative affect and more self-focused positive rumination. Some gender differences were also found; girls reported higher trait emotional attention, higher dampening, and higher depressive rumination. Furthermore, boys reported higher trait emotional repair, higher self-focused positive rumination and higher distraction to negative affect. Conclusions and discussion: Our findings provide longitudinal evidence of the relationships between trait emotional intelligence and responses to both positive and negative affect during adolescence. Consequently, interventions designed to promote resilience during adolescence could target the development of more adaptive responses to both negative and positive affect within the framework of school-based emotional education programmes.

A two-year longitudinal study of gender differences in responses to positive affect and depressive symptoms during middle adolescence.

This study aimed to analyze the prospective associations during adolescence between depressive symptoms and response styles to positive affect and to examine gender differences. A longitudinal study was conducted with three waves separated by 1 year each to assess a non-clinical sample of 622 Spanish adolescents who were 13 and 14 years old (50.2% boys, 49.8% girls). The participants completed self-report measures of depressive symptoms and responses to positive affect (emotion-focused positive rumination, self-focused positive rumination and dampening of positive emotion). The results showed that the increase in depressive symptoms was associated with an increase in dampening and decreases in emotion-focused and self-focused positive rumination. Furthermore, girls presented more depressive symptoms, as well as higher dampening and lower self-focused positive rumination, than boys. The conclusions highlight the need to consider responses to positive affect in explaining gender differences in depressive symptoms during mid-adolescence, as well as in designing prevention programs.

Postnatal arsenic exposure and attention impairment in school children.

Over the last few decades there has been an increased concern about the health risks from exposure to metallic trace elements, including arsenic, because of their potential neurotoxic effects on the developing brain. This study assessed whether urinary arsenic (UA) levels are associated with attention performance and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children living in an area with high industrial and mining activities in Southwestern Spain. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 261 children aged 6-9 years. Arsenic levels were determined in urine samples. Attention was measured by using 4 independent tools: a) tests from the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS) designed to measure attention function: Simple Reaction Time Test (RTT), Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and Selective Attention Test (SAT); b) AULA Test, a virtual reality (VR)-based test that evaluates children's response to several stimuli in an environment simulating a classroom; c) Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), administered to parents; and d) Teacher's Report Form (TRF), administered to teachers. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to estimate the magnitude of the association between UA levels and attention performance scores. Higher UA levels were associated with an increased latency of response in RTT (ß = 12.3; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.5-21.1) and SAT (ß = 3.6; 95% CI: .4-6.8) as well as with worse performance on selective and focalized attention in the AULA test (ß for impulsivity = .6; 95% CI: .1-1.1; ß for inattention = .5; 95% CI: .03-1.0). A dose-response relationship was observed between UA levels and inattention and impulsivity scores. In contrast, results from the CBCL and TRF tests failed to show a significant association with UA levels. In conclusion, UA levels were associated with impaired attention/cognitive function, even at levels considered safe. These results provide additional evidence that postnatal arsenic exposure impairs neurological function in children.

Cadmium exposure and neuropsychological development in school children in southwestern Spain.

This study assessed the association between cadmium exposure and neuropsychological development in children from a region with high industrial and mining activities in southwestern Spain. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 261 children aged 6-9 years between January and March 2012. Cadmium exposure was measured in urine and hair of children, and neuropsychological development was assessed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and with three computerized tests from the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS): Reaction Time Test (RTT), Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and Selective Attention Test (SAT). Multivariate linear regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to estimate the association between neuropsychological development and cadmium exposure measured in urine and hair samples. Geometric means of urine and hair cadmium levels were 0.75 µg/g creatinine and 0.01 µg/g, respectively. We observed that doubling of levels of cadmium in urine was associated with a reduction of two points (95% CI: -3.8 to -0.4) in the Full-Scale intelligence quotient (IQ) in boys. By domains, association was statistically significant for Verbal Comprehension (ß=-2.0; p=0.04) and close to the significance level for Perceptual Reasoning (ß=-1.8; p=0.06). Among girls, only Verbal Comprehension showed suggestive associations with cadmium exposure (ß=-1.7; p=0.06). Cadmium exposure is associated with cognitive delays in boys in our region. Our results provide additional evidence of the neurotoxic effect of low-level postnatal cadmium exposure among children, and support the hypothesis of differences between sexes in the neurotoxic effect of metals on children.

Disruption of thiamine uptake and growth of cells by feline leukemia virus subgroup A.

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality in domestic cats and some wild cats despite the availability of relatively effective vaccines against the virus. FeLV subgroup A (FeLV-A) is transmitted in natural infections, and FeLV subgroups B, C, and T can evolve directly from FeLV-A by mutation and/or recombination with endogenous retroviruses in domestic cats, resulting in a variety of pathogenic outcomes. The cell surface entry receptor for FeLV-A is a putative thiamine transporter (THTR1). Here, we have addressed whether FeLV-A infection might disrupt thiamine uptake into cells and, because thiamine is an essential nutrient, whether this disruption might have pathological consequences. First, we cloned the cat ortholog of the other of the two known thiamine transporters in mammals, THTR2, and we show that feline THTR1 (feTHTR1) and feTHTR2 both mediate thiamine uptake, but feTHTR2 does not function as a receptor for FeLV-A. We found that feTHTR1 is widely expressed in cat tissues and in cell lines, while expression of feTHTR2 is restricted. Thiamine uptake mediated by feTHTR1 was indeed blocked by FeLV-A infection, and in feline fibroblasts that naturally express feTHTR1 and not feTHTR2, this blockade resulted in a growth arrest at physiological concentrations of extracellular thiamine. The growth arrest was reversed at high extracellular concentrations of thiamine. Our results show that FeLV-A infection can indeed disrupt thiamine uptake with pathological consequences. A prediction of these experiments is that raising the plasma levels of thiamine in FeLV-infected cats may ameliorate the pathogenic effects of infection.

No biological evidence of XMRV in blood or prostatic fluid from prostate cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) was initially discovered in association with prostate cancer and later with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Its association with CFS is now largely discredited, and current results support a laboratory origin for XMRV with no reproducible evidence for infection of humans. However, some results indicating the presence of XMRV in prostate cancer are difficult to attribute to sample contamination. Here we have sought biological evidence that might confirm the presence of XMRV in prostate cancer samples previously having tested positive. METHODS AND RESULTS: We have tested for infectious XMRV and neutralizing antibodies against XMRV in blood plasma from 29 subjects with prostate cancer, and for infectious XMRV in prostate secretions from another five prostate cancer subjects. Nine of these subjects had previously tested positive for XMRV by PCR or by virus assay. We did not detect XMRV or related retroviruses in any sample, and the neutralizing activities of the plasma samples were all very low, a result inconsistent with XMRV infection of the plasma donors. CONCLUSIONS: We find no evidence for XMRV infection of any human subject tested, either by assay for infectious virus or for neutralizing antibodies. Our results are consistent with the majority of published studies on XMRV, which find that XMRV is not present in humans. The observed low to undetectable XMRV neutralization by human plasma indicates a lack of innate restriction of XMRV replication by soluble factors in human blood.

Xpr1 is an atypical G-protein-coupled receptor that mediates xenotropic and polytropic murine retrovirus neurotoxicity.

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) was first identified in human prostate cancer tissue and was later found in a high percentage of humans with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). While exploring potential disease mechanisms, we found that XMRV infection induced apoptosis in SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, suggesting a mechanism for the neuromuscular pathology seen in CFS. Several lines of evidence show that the cell entry receptor for XMRV, Xpr1, mediates this effect, and chemical cross-linking studies show that Xpr1 is associated with the Gß subunit of the G-protein heterotrimer. The activation of adenylate cyclase rescued the cells from XMRV toxicity, indicating that toxicity resulted from reduced G-protein-mediated cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling. Some proteins with similarity to Xpr1 are involved in phosphate uptake into cells, but we found no role of Xpr1 in phosphate uptake or its regulation. Our results indicate that Xpr1 is a novel, atypical G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and that xenotropic or polytropic retrovirus binding can disrupt the cAMP-mediated signaling function of Xpr1, leading to the apoptosis of infected cells. We show that this pathway is also responsible for the classic toxicity of the polytropic mink cell focus-forming (MCF) retrovirus in mink cells. Although it now seems clear that the detection of XMRV in humans was the result of sample contamination with a recombinant mouse virus, our findings may have relevance to neurologic disease induced by MCF retroviruses in mice.

Evaluación de un protocolo para valorar situaciones de desprotección infantil: la opinión de los técnicos / Evaluation of a protocol to assess situations where a child is in need of protection from the child protection workers' point of view

El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer la valoración que los técnicos municipales hacen de un protocolo cuyo objetivo es unificar, en los diferentes municipios de la isla de Tenerife, el procedimiento de valoración de los casos de desprotección infantil. 126 técnicos respondieron a un cuestionario en el que se les pedía su opinión sobre tres aspectos diferentes: el contenido del protocolo, los efectos de su aplicación y los recursos que facilitan su implementación. Los resultados indican que los profesionales valoran positivamente el contenido y los efectos del protocolo, sobre todo los referentes a las condiciones en las que realizan su labor, la unificación de criterios y la coordinación horizontal. Los recursos más valorados en la implementación del protocolo son el acompañamiento de técnicos especializados durante el proceso de implementación, la existencia de espacios de encuentro y una buena dinámica de trabajo en equipo. Se encontraron algunas diferencias en la valoración, en función del perfil profesional. Se concluye que es adecuada la creación de este tipo de instrumentos, a través de procesos participativos, y que su implementación se ve mediatizada por algunas variables ajenas al instrumento.

The aim of this study is to find out council child protection officers' assessment of a protocol that unifies the different evaluation procedures in district councils on the island of Tenerife in cases where a child is in need of protection. 126 child protection officers answered an ad hoc questionnaire in which their opinions on three aspects were requested: the content of the protocol, the effects of its application and the resources to facilitate its implementation. Results indicate that professionals value positively the content and effects of the protocol, above all in regard to the conditions in which they carry out their work, the unification of criteria and horizontal co-ordination. The resources most valued in the implementation of the protocol are: being accompanied by specialists during the implementation processes; the existence of opportunities for meetings and a good teamwork dynamic. There were some differences in the assessment of the professional's profile. In conclusion, the creation of this type of instrument through participative processes and its implementation when influenced by some variables not directly connected to the instrument is considered appropriate.

The left half of the XMRV retrovirus is present in an endogenous retrovirus of NIH/3T3 Swiss mouse cells.

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is a gammaretrovirus found in association with human prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome, although these associations are controversial. XMRV shows at most 94% identity to known mouse retroviruses. Here we used XMRV-specific PCR to search for a more closely related source of XMRV in mice. While we could not find a complete copy, we did find a 3,600-bp region of XMRV in an endogenous retrovirus present in NIH/3T3 cells. These results show that XMRV has clear ancestors in mice and highlight another possible source of contamination in PCR assays for XMRV.