Validating the Enright Forgiveness Inventory in Ecuador.

Research on forgiveness is limited in Ecuador. This study validated the Enright Forgiveness Inventory-30 (EFI-30) among 960 participants in Ecuador, resulting in robust reliability and validity values. Our findings provide avenues for future research and practices.

Early Aggregation of Amyloid-ß(1-42) Studied by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting cognitive and memory abilities and is believed to be linked to the formation and accumulation of neurotoxic aggregates of the Amyloid-ß peptide (Aß). In particular, it is the formation of soluble pre-fibrillar oligomers within the early stage of Aß aggregation which is thought to represent a key step in the development of AD, thus underlining the interest in characterizing the aggregation process and the nature of these aggregates. In this context, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) has emerged as a valuable alternative for the study of these systems in solution. Indeed, the use of FCS to study terminally labelled Aß provides a means to detect changes in the size and concentration of initially monomeric Aß samples by monitoring these fluorescently labelled species freely diffusing in solution with single-molecule resolution. Herein, we show how to employ FCS to study the early aggregation process of Aß(1-42) and how this can be used to estimate the critical concentration for oligomer formation and to characterize the aggregates formed.

Estimating the Psychological Harm Consequence of Bullying Victimization: A Meta-Analytic Review for Forensic Evaluation.

The prevalence of traditional bullying victimization has been estimated at around 36%, while that of cyberbullying has been estimated at 15%. The victimization of bullying brings with it harm to mental health that must be compensated for, after a forensic evaluation, by the aggressor or legal guardian. Thus, a meta-analytic review was undertaken with the aim of knowing the effect of bullying victimization on psychological harm, as well as quantifying the magnitude of the harm and estimating the probability that no harm associated with bullying victimization is generated. METHOD: A random-effects correlational meta-analysis correcting effect size by sampling error and criterion and predictor unreliability was performed. RESULTS: The results exhibited a positive (i.e., more victimization and more psychological harm) and significant mean true effect size, implying an average psychological harm associated to bullying victimization of 29.7%. Nevertheless, 26.7% of students victimized by bullying did not develop psychological harm. CONCLUSIONS: Bullying victimization causes psychological harm, with an average increase in psychological harm associated with bullying victimization of 29.7%.

Supramolecular association studied by Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.

A comprehensive description of a supramolecular system involves a full understanding of its thermodynamic and dynamic properties, as well as detailed knowledge of its structure. Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) constitutes a powerful technique to acquire this information. Fluorescence correlation curves show a characteristic diffusion term that is related to the binding equilibrium constant or other thermodynamic properties of the supramolecular system. The association and dissociation rate constants of the binding process can be determined in FCS when the relaxation time of the binding is faster than the observation time-a regime called fast-exchange dynamics - in opposition to the slow-exchange regime. In all cases, structural information can be inferred from the diffusional properties of the supramolecular complexes. A short overview of the use of FCS for the study of supramolecular systems is given with examples which belong to the fast and slow regime.

Study of informal reasoning in judicial agents in sexual aggression cases.

Background/Objective: Judicial decisions must rest on formal reasoning. Nevertheless, informal reasoning sources (cognitive and motivational biases) were observed in judicial judgment making. Literature has identified sexual aggression cases as the most favorable for informal reasoning. Thus, a field study was designed with the aim of assessing the incidence and effects of cognitive and motivational biases in judicial agents in a case to rape to a woman. Methods: As for this, Chilean judicial agents (N = 217) assessed an allegation (weak evidence) of sexual assault in a case where the perpetrator was known or unknown to the victim. The judicial agents answered to a measure of the myths about sexual aggression, the attribution of responsibility to complainant, the attribution of responsibility to accused, the attribution of credibility to the complainant testimony, the attribution of a nature of a rape to the alleged facts and an estimation of the probability of false/unfounded accusations. Results: The results revealed an estimation of false/unfounded accusations of sexual aggression significantly higher than the mean of the best estimates, but into the upper limit of the best estimates; that the studied population did not share, in general, the myths about sexual aggression; and that the sources of attributional biases were driven in favor and against the complainant. Nevertheless, the case study showed that a large number of judicial agents participated of an overestimation of the probabilities of false or unfounded allegations, and of the myths about sexual aggressions and of attributional biases against the complainant. Conclusion: In conclusion, informal reasoning sources were observed in judicial agents when only formal reasoning should prevail. Thus, judicial agents should be trained to control these sources of bias substituting them by formal reasoning (evidence).

Spectroscopic Characterization of Mitochondrial G-Quadruplexes.

Guanine quadruplexes (G4s) are highly polymorphic four-stranded structures formed within guanine-rich DNA and RNA sequences that play a crucial role in biological processes. The recent discovery of the first G4 structures within mitochondrial DNA has led to a small revolution in the field. In particular, the G-rich conserved sequence block II (CSB II) can form different types of G4s that are thought to play a crucial role in replication. In this study, we decipher the most relevant G4 structures that can be formed within CSB II: RNA G4 at the RNA transcript, DNA G4 within the non-transcribed strand and DNA:RNA hybrid between the RNA transcript and the non-transcribed strand. We show that the more abundant, but unexplored, G6AG7 (37%) and G6AG8 (35%) sequences in CSB II yield more stable G4s than the less profuse G5AG7 sequence. Moreover, the existence of a guanine located 1 bp upstream promotes G4 formation. In all cases, parallel G4s are formed, but their topology changes from a less ordered to a highly ordered G4 when adding small amounts of potassium or sodium cations. Circular dichroism was used due to discriminate different conformations and topologies of nucleic acids and was complemented with gel electrophoresis and fluorescence spectroscopy studies.

A Surfactant Concentration Model for the Systematic Determination of the Critical Micellar Concentration and the Transition Width.

The critical micellar concentration (cmc) is a fundamental property of surfactant solutions. Many proposed methods for the definition and determination of the cmc from property-concentration plots yield values, which depend on the studied property, on the specific technique used for its analysis and in many cases on the subjective choice of the chosen type of plot and concentration interval. In this focus review, we revise the application of a surfactant concentration model we proposed earlier that defines the cmc directly based on the surfactant concentration. Known equations for the concentration-dependence of different surfactant properties can then be combined with this concentration model and fitted to experimental data. This modular concept makes it possible to determine the cmc and the transition width in a systematic and unambiguous way. We revise its use in the literature in different contexts: the determination of the cmc of surfactants and their mixtures from different properties (electrical conductivity, NMR chemical shift, self-diffusion, surface tension, UV-Vis absorption, fluorescence intensity and fluorescence correlation). We also revise the dependence of the width of the transition region on composition, detailed studies of the properties of fluorescent probes and the aggregation of non-surfactant systems, namely amyloid peptides.

Adolescent-to-Parent Violence: Psychological and Family Adjustment.

Adolescent-to-Parent Violence (APV) or Child-to-Parent Violence (CPV) is a specific form of violence that has remained inconspicuous until recently, but is becoming a mounting social issue and is increasingly the focus of scientific research. Of the variables related to APV, the study assessed the characteristics of the family system and its relationship to the psychosocial adjustment of adolescents, an aspect scarcely examined in the literature. Thus, a field study was performed on a community sample of 210 adolescents aged 12-17 years (51.4% girls) who were assessed on measurements of APV, parenting (parental socialization), victimization, and psychological adjustment (personal, family, and school). The results revealed higher rates of psychological APV, and no gender effects in violence exercised against either parent. The adolescents involved in APV exhibited a greater psychological maladjustment in the different areas under analysis. Moreover, adolescents engaging in psychological APV reported a parental socialization style characterized by severe strictness and supervision in comparison to non-aggressors not implicated in psychological APV. Finally, adolescents exercising APV who were victimized by their parents showed more psychological, personal, and school maladjustment. These results have implications for needs analysis and the planning of community prevention strategies.

Editorial note. Introduction to the monographic topic "Legal Psychology"

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Estudio de las necesidades en el ajuste personal, social y psicológico en adolescentes en riesgo de delincuencia e infractores / Needs analysis for the personal, social, and psychological adjustment of adolescents at risk of delinquency and juvenile offenders

La literatura ha encontrado que las necesidades no-criminogénicas también son un factor de riesgo de delincuencia juvenil y, por tanto, han de ser objeto de intervención. Se diseñó un estudio de campo con el objetivo de conocer si el ajuste individual, social y psicológico (necesidades no-criminogénicas) difieren entre menores infractores, menores de protección y normalizados. Para ello se evaluó a 450 adolescentes (150 menores de reforma, 150 de protección y 150 normalizados) en el ajuste individual, social y psicológico. Los resultados mostraron un efecto significativo en el ajuste individual, social y psicológico para el factor población. Sucintamente, los menores de protección y reforma manifestaron un mayor desajuste individual en los niveles personal y familiar que los normalizados, y, adicionalmente, los de reforma a nivel social. Asimismo, los menores de protección e infractores exhibieron un mayor desajuste social consistente en más retraimiento social, ansiedad social/timidez y liderazgo que los normalizados, y los menores infractores un menor ajuste social en la consideración hacia los demás que los normalizados. En el ajuste psicológico, los menores de reforma y protección informaron de más sintomatología obsesivo-compulsiva, de sensibilidad interpersonal, depresiva, de hostilidad, de ansiedad-fóbica y psicótica que los normalizados, y los de protección más somática, ansiosa (generalizada) y paranoide que los normalizados. Se cuantificaron los déficits en estas dimensiones para estimar la magnitud de las necesidades. Se discuten las implicaciones teóricas de los resultados y para el diseño de programas de prevención de la delincuencia y de recaídas

Literature has found that non-criminogenic needs also are a juvenile delinquency risk factor and, consequently, should be target of intervention. With the aim of knowing if individual, social and psychological adjustment differ between juvenile offenders and foster care adolescents with normal adolescents was designed. A total of 450 adolescents (150 juvenile offenders, 150 foster care adolescents, and 150 normal adolescents) were evaluated in individual, social and psychological adjustment. The results showed a significant effect in the individual, social and psychological adjustment for the population factor. Succinctly, juvenile offenders and foster care adolescents displayed a higher individual maladjustment in the personal and family level than normal adolescents, and, additionally, juvenile offenders in the social level. Likewise, juvenile offenders and foster care adolescents exhibited a higher social maladjustment consisting in more social withdrawal, social anxiety/shyness, and leadership than normal adolescents; and juvenile offenders revealed less consideration for others than normal adolescents. In psychological adjustment, juvenile offenders and foster care adolescents reported more obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostile, phobic-anxiety, and psychotic symptomology than normal adolescent; and foster care adolescent more somatic, anxiety (generalized) and paranoid symptoms than normal adolescents. The deficits in these needs were quantified as to estimate the magnitude of the intervention. Theoretical and practical implications for intervention of the results are discussed

Are interventions with batterers effective?. A meta-analytical review / ¿Son efectivas las intervenciones con los maltratadores?. Una revisión metaanalítica

The inconsistency in the results both internally and between of previous meta-analyses on batterer intervention program efficacy, and the publication of new batterer interventions underscored the need for an up-to-date meta-analyticalreview. A total of 25 primary studies were found from literature search, obtaining 62 effect sizes, and a total sample of 20,860 intervened batterers. The results of a global meta-analysis showed a positive, significant, and of a mediummagnitude effect size for batterer interventions, but not generalizable. Nevertheless, the results exhibited a significantly higher rate of recidivism measured in couple reports (CRs) than in official records (ORs). As a consequence, intervention efficacy measuring in CRs was null, whilst in ORs was positive and significant. As for the intervention model, positive andsignificant effects were observed under the Duluth Model and cognitive-behavioural treatment programs (CBTPs), but a higher effect size was obtained with CBTPs in comparison to the Duluth Model (under this model, interventions may have negative effects, i.e., an increase in recidivism rate). In relation to intervention length, short interventions failed to reduce recidivism in ORs and may have negative effects, while long interventions were effective in reducing recidivism rate in ORs without negative effects. Efficacy evaluations in short follow-ups were invalid as artificially boosted recidivismreduction rate. Limitations of ORs and short follow-ups as measures of the intervention efficacy and implications of results for batterer intervention are discussed

La inconsistencia interna y entre las revisiones metaanalíticas en los resultados sobre la eficacia de los programas de intervención con maltratadores, así como la publicación de nuevos estudios, pone de manifiesto la necesidad de llevar a cabo una revisión metaanalítica actualizada. Se encontró un total de 25 estudios primarios, de los que se obtuvieron 62 tamaños del efecto para una muestra total de 20,860 maltratadores intervenidos. Los resultados del metaanálisis global mostraron un tamaño del efecto promedio positivo, significativo y de una magnitud moderada para la intervención con maltratadores, pero no generalizable. Sin embargo, los resultados revelaron una tasa de reincidencia mayor medida en los informes de las parejas (IPs) que en los registros oficiales (ROs). Como consecuencia, la eficacia de la intervención medida en los IPs resultó nula, mientras que en los ROs fue positiva y significativa. En relación al modelo de intervención, se encontraron tamaños del efecto positivos y significativos con el Modelo Duluth y los programas de tratamiento cognitivo-conductuales (PTC-Cs), pero el tamaño del efecto obtenido con los PTC-Cs era significativamente mayor que con el Modelo Duluth (con este modelo las intervenciones pueden tener efectos negativos, es decir, unincremento en la tasa de reincidencia). En relación a la longitud de la intervención, las intervenciones breves fallaron en la reducción de la reincidencia en los ROs y pueden tener efectos negativos, en tanto que las intervenciones largas fueron eficaces en la reducción de la tasa de reincidencia en los ROs y no dan lugar a efectos negativos. Las evaluacionesde la eficacia de la intervención en períodos cortos de seguimiento resultaron no válidas al incrementar artificialmente la tasa de reducción de la reincidencia. Se discuten las limitaciones de la medida de la eficacia de la intervención en los ROs y en períodos cortos de seguimiento, así como las implicaciones para la intervención con maltratadores

Destrezas cognitivas en menores infractores, de protección y normalizados: un estudio de contraste / Cognitive skills in juvenile offenders, protection normalized youngsters: A contrastive study

Resumen Con el objetivo de conocer si los déficits en las destrezas cognitivas son una característica común de los menores infractores y de protección (en riesgo de desviación) y diferencial de la población de menores normalizada, se diseñó un estudio de campo. Para ello, se evaluaron la inteligencia emocional, el afrontamiento, la atribución de responsabilidad y el autoconcepto, a 450 menores colombianos entre 14 y 19 años: 150 menores infractores, 150 menores de protección y 150 de población normalizada. Los resultados mostraron que los menores infractores y los de protección tenían un déficit en atención a las emociones (inteligencia emocional), recurren más a estrategias desadaptativas para la resolución de problemas y comparten una definición negativa de sí mismos, y están menos satisfechos consigo mismos y de su comportamiento. No obstante, no se observa un sesgo hacia la atribución externa de la responsabilidad. Finalmente, se cuantifica porcentualmente la magnitud de los daños en las destrezas cognitivas. Se discuten las implicaciones de los resultados para la intervención con menores infractores y el diseño de programas de prevención con menores de protección.

Abstract A field study was designed with the aim of knowing if deficits in cognitive skills a common characteristic of the juvenile offenders and protection youngsters are i.e., children under social services protection (in risk of deviation), and a differential from normalized population. As for these 450 Colombian youngsters (150 juvenile offenders, 150 protection youngsters, and 150 from the normal population), aged from 14 to 19 years, were assessed in emotional intelligence, coping, responsivity attribution, and self-concept. The results showed that juvenile offenders and youngsters under protection had deficit in attention to the emotions (emotional intelligence), used more maladaptive strategies for problems solving, and shared a negative definition of their selves, were less satisfied with their sleeves and with their behaviour. Nonetheless, the expected bias to external responsivity attribution was not observed. Finally, the magnitude of the damages in cognitive skills was quantified. The implications of the results for the intervention with juvenile offenders and the design and implementation of prevention programs with protection youngsters are discussed.

Child-to-parent violence and parent-to-child violence: a meta-analytic review / La violencia de los hijos hacia los padres y de los padres hacia los hijos: una revisión metaanalítica

In order to examine the literature on the relationship between child-to-parent violence and parent-to-child violence, a meta-analytic review was designed with 26 effect sizes assessing the relationship between child-to-parent and parent-to-child violence in 19 primary studies. Correlational effect sizes were computed and corrected for sampling error, and predictor and criterion unreliability. The results showed a significantly positive, medium magnitude (ρ = .36) mean true effect size for the relationship between child-to-parent violence and parent-to-child violence. Similar results were found for direct and vicarious victimization. The probability of developing child-to-parent violence for children victimized by parents increased 71% as compared to non-victimized children. The child-to parent violence type (physical or psychological), and the population (judicial or community) were analysed as moderators. The results revealed similar effects in both types of child-to-parent violence and in both populations: a significantly positive, medium in magnitude mean true effect size. The theoretical and practical implications for measuring child-to parent violence are discussed

Con el propósito de examinar la literatura sobre la relación entre la violencia de hijos a padres y la violencia de padres a hijos, se diseñó una revisión metaanalítica con 26 tamaños del efecto que evalúan la relación de la violencia entre hijos y padres y padres e hijos en 19 estudios principales. Se calcularon y corrigieron los tamaños del efecto correlacional para el error de muestreo y la predicción y la fiabilidad del criterio. Los resultados mostraron una magnitud media significativamente positiva (ρ = .36), que significa el tamaño verdadero del efecto para la relación entre la violencia de hijos a padres y la violencia de padres a hijos. Se encontraron resultados similares para la victimización directa e indirecta. La probabilidad de desarrollar violencia de hijos a padres para los niños victimizados por los padres aumentó 71% en comparación con los niños no victimizados. El tipo de violencia del niño hacia el padre (física o psicológica) y la población (judicial o comunitaria) se analizaron como moderadores. Los resultados revelaron efectos similares en ambos tipos de violencia entre padres e hijos en ambas poblaciones: un nivel de efecto medio significativamente positivo, de magnitud media. Se discuten las implicaciones teóricas y prácticas para medir la violencia de los hijos hacia sus padres

Unveiling the multi-step solubilization mechanism of sub-micron size vesicles by detergents.

The solubilization of membranes by detergents is critical for many technological applications and has become widely used in biochemistry research to induce cell rupture, extract cell constituents, and to purify, reconstitute and crystallize membrane proteins. The thermodynamic details of solubilization have been extensively investigated, but the kinetic aspects remain poorly understood. Here we used a combination of single-vesicle Förster resonance energy transfer (svFRET), fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and quartz-crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring to access the real-time kinetics and elementary solubilization steps of sub-micron sized vesicles, which are inaccessible by conventional diffraction-limited optical methods. Real-time injection of a non-ionic detergent, Triton X, induced biphasic solubilization kinetics of surface-immobilized vesicles labelled with the Dil/DiD FRET pair. The nanoscale sensitivity accessible by svFRET allowed us to unambiguously assign each kinetic step to distortions of the vesicle structure comprising an initial fast vesicle-swelling event followed by slow lipid loss and micellization. We expect the svFRET platform to be applicable beyond the sub-micron sizes studied here and become a unique tool to unravel the complex kinetics of detergent-lipid interactions.

Assessing the effects of an education program on mental health problems in separated parents / Evaluación de los efectos de un programa educativo en los problemas de salud mental en padres separados

Background: Parental separation is a stressful experience that can lead to parents suffering mental health problems (MHPs). Parental separation education programs for coping with post-separation adjustment have proven to be effective in reducing conflict and improving co-parenting. However, the effects of these programs on MHPs have not been assessed. A field study was carried out to assess the impact of a parental separation education program on parental MHPs. Method: A total of 116 separated parents who completed the program "Parental separation, not family breakdown" completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) pre- and post-intervention. Results: Separated parents had significantly higher pre-intervention scores on the nine symptom dimensions and the global indexes of distress in comparison to the normative population. The intervention yielded a significant improvement (i.e., reduction of clinical symptoms) in all MHPs, ranging from 19% in phobic anxiety to 36% in depression and general anxiety; and in the global indexes of distress (36% in the global severity index; 28% in the positive symptom distress index; and 33% in the positive symptom total). Approximately 45% of parents significantly improved through the intervention. Conclusions: The implications of the outcomes of the separation and intervention in parents’ MHPs and children wellbeing are discussed

Antecedentes: la ruptura de pareja, como evento estresante, puede derivar en Problemas en la Salud Mental (PSM) de los progenitores. Para afrontar esta contingencia se han desarrollado programas educativos que han mostrado su eficacia en la reducción del conflicto y la mejora de la coparentalidad. Pero los efectos en los PSMs no han sido estudiados. Así, nos planteamos un estudio campo para conocer los efectos de un programa educativo para la ruptura de pareja en los PSMs. Método: 116 progenitores separados que cumplimentaron el programa "Ruptura de Pareja, no de Familia" respondieron, pre- y post-intervención, al Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Resultados: los resultados mostraron, en contraste con la población normativa, que los progenitores separados puntuaban significativamente más alto en los PSMs. La intervención implicó una mejora significativa en todos PSMs, oscilando desde el 19% en ansiedad fóbica al 36% en depresión y ansiedad generalizada, así como en los índices generales de malestar (36% en el Índice de Severidad Global; 28% en el Índice de Malestar referido a Síntomas Positivos; y el 33% en el Total de Síntomas Positivos). Conclusiones: se discuten las implicaciones de los resultados de la ruptura e intervención en los PSMs de los padres separados y el bienestar de los hijos

Assessing the effects of an education program on mental health problems in separated parents.

BACKGROUND: Parental separation is a stressful experience that can lead to parents suffering mental health problems (MHPs). Parental separation education programs for coping with post-separation adjustment have proven to be effective in reducing conflict and improving co-parenting. However, the effects of these programs on MHPs have not been assessed. A field study was carried out to assess the impact of a parental separation education program on parental MHPs. METHOD: A total of 116 separated parents who completed the program "Parental separation, not family breakdown" completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: Separated parents had significantly higher pre-intervention scores on the nine symptom dimensions and the global indexes of distress in comparison to the normative population. The intervention yielded a significant improvement (i.e., reduction of clinical symptoms) in all MHPs, ranging from 19% in phobic anxiety to 36% in depression and general anxiety; and in the global indexes of distress (36% in the global severity index; 28% in the positive symptom distress index; and 33% in the positive symptom total). Approximately 45% of parents significantly improved through the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The implications of the outcomes of the separation and intervention in parents' MHPs and children wellbeing are discussed.

Una revisión meta-analítica de las respuestas en escalas clínicas y reestructuradas del MMPI-2/MMPI-2-RF de padres en disputa por la custodia / A meta-analytical review of the responses in the MMPI-2/MMPI-2-RF clinical and restructured scales of parents in child custody dispute

La evaluación de las capacidades parentales para el ejercicio de la guarda y custodia de los hijos incluye el ajuste psicológico y la psicopatología. En esta evaluación, además, se ha de sospechar disimulación. El instrumento psicométrico de referencia para dicha evaluación es el MMPI. Para conocer de lo informado por los progenitores en disputa por la custodia nos planteamos una revisión meta-analítica de las escalas clínica y las escalas clínicas reestructuradas. Encontramos 21 estudios primarios con progenitores (se descartaron los diseños de simulación de progenitores en disputa) de los que obtuvieron 291 tamaños del efecto para las escalas clínicas y 1 para las reestructuradas. Los resultados mostraron un tamaño del efecto promedio positivo, significativo, y generalizable en las escalas Hy, Pd y Pa; negativo, significativo y generalizable en las escalas Ma y Si y no generalizable en las escalas Pt y Sc; y un tamaño del efecto promedio insignificante en las escalas Hs y D. Se estudió el género como moderador, no hallándose diferencias entre padres y madres. Se discuten las implicaciones de los resultados para la práctica forense

Parental attribute evaluation in relation to child custody comprises psychological and psychopathology. Additionally, defensiveness must be suspected on this setting. The worldwide reference psychometric measurement instrument for this purpose is the MMPI. With the aim of knowing the responses of parents litigating by child custody, a meta-analytic review of the responses to clinical and restructured scales was performed. A total of 21 primary studies (studies with a simulation design i.e., participants were instructed to answer as parents litigating by child custody were found were disregarded) were found, obtaining 291 effect sizes for clinical scales and 1 for restructured scales. The results showed positive, significant and generalizable mean true effect size in the Hy, Pd and Pa scales; a negative, significant and generalizable in the Ma and Si scales, and non-generalizable in the Pt y Sc scales; and a trivial mean true effect size in the Hs and D scales. Parent gender was studied as a moderator having no found differences between the responses of mothers and fathers. The implications of the results for forensic evaluation practices are discussed

Critical aggregation concentration for the formation of early Amyloid-ß (1-42) oligomers.

The oligomers formed during the early steps of amyloid aggregation are thought to be responsible for the neurotoxic damage associated with Alzheimer's disease. It is therefore of great interest to characterize this early aggregation process and the aggregates formed, especially for the most significant peptide in amyloid fibrils, Amyloid-ß(1-42) (Aß42). For this purpose, we directly monitored the changes in size and concentration of initially monomeric Aß42 samples, using Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy. We found that Aß42 undergoes aggregation only when the amount of amyloid monomers exceeds the critical aggregation concentration (cac) of about 90 nM. This spontaneous, cooperative process resembles surfactants self-assembly and yields stable micelle-like oligomers whose size (≈50 monomers, R h ≈ 7-11 nm) and elongated shape are independent of incubation time and peptide concentration. These findings reveal essential features of in vitro amyloid aggregation, which may illuminate the complex in vivo process.

What and How Much Do Children Lose in Academic Settings Owing to Parental Separation?

The literature has firmly established an association between parental separation and school failure. Nevertheless, parental separation does not affect academic aptitudes. Thus, mediators explain such relationship. A field study was designed to identify and quantify damage in the mediating variables between parental separation and school failure (i.e., external school adjustment, aversion to institution, aversion to learning, aversion to instruction, aversion to teachers, indiscipline). A total of 196 children, classified into three age cohorts: 109 in level 1 (from 8 to 11 years), 46 in level 2 (from 12 to 14 years), and 41 in level 3 (15 or more years), were assessed in school adjustment and in underlying dimensions of school (mal)adjustment. The results showed significant effects of parental separation in school adjustment and in the underlying dimensions to maladjustment in the three classification levels. The magnitude of damage increased with age, i.e., small in level 1, moderate in 2, and large in 3. Damage in all the sub-dimensions underlying school (mal)adjustment was quantified. The implications of the results for the design and implementation of prevention and intervention programs for children from separated parents are discussed.

A meta-analytic review of the MMPI validity scales and indexes to detect defensiveness in custody evaluations / Revisión meta-analítica de las escalas e índices de validez del MMPI para detectar disimulación en la evaluación de custodias

Background/Objective: In child custody disputes, one of the remit of the forensic psychologist is to evaluate parental attributes while suspecting defensiveness. The instrument of choice for undertaking this double task is the MMPI. Method: As to establish the state of the art on this, a meta-analysis was undertaken with a total of 32 primary studies from which 256 effect sizes were assessed. A meta-analysis was undertaken, effect sizes were corrected for sampling error and criterion unreliability. Results: The results revealed a positive, significant, large and generalizable mean true effect size for the L, K, S and MP scales, and the L+K and L+K-F indexes. The Wsd was positive, significant and large, but not generalizable. A negative and significant, but not generalizable mean true effect size was found for the F and generalizable for F-K index. The effect sizes for the L, K, S and MP scales, and the L+K and L+K-F indexes were equal. Both the gender of parents (father vs. mother) and the context of evaluation (parent child custody disputes vs. parenting capacity) were assessed as moderators. Conclusions: The results are discussed in relation to forensic practice (AU)

Antecedentes/Objetivo: En los casos de disputa por la custodia, el psicólogo forense tiene entre sus cometidos la evaluación de las competencias parentales, así como sospechar disimulación. Para esta doble tarea, el instrumento de referencia es el MMPI. Método: Para establecer el estado de la cuestión se llevó a cabo un meta-análisis encontrando 32 estudios primarios de los que se obtuvieron 256 tamaños del efecto. Los tamaños del efecto fueron corregidos por error de muestreo y falta de fiabilidad del criterio. Resultados: Los resultados mostraron un tamaño del efecto medio verdadero positivo, significativo, grande y generalizable para las escalas L, K, S y MP, y los índices L+K y L+K-F. Para Wsd, también resultó positivo, significativo y grande, pero no generalizable. Para F y el índice F-K fue negativo y significativo, pero no generalizable para F y generalizable para F-K. Los tamaños del efecto de las escalas L, K, S y MP, y los índices L+K-F y L+K resultaron ser iguales. Se estudiaron como moderadores el género del progenitor (padre vs. madre) y el contexto de evaluación (progenitores en disputa por la custodia de los hijos vs. evaluación de la capacidad parental). Conclusiones: Se discute la utilidad para la práctica forense de estos resultados (AU)