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Child temperament was examined as a moderator of the link between family conflict and child behavior problems. Temperament assessed in early childhood was used to predict the relation between family conflict and externalizing behavior problems measured during the early elementary school years. For children with difficult temperament, a strong association between subsequent family conflict and behavioral adjustment was predicted; for children with easy or intermediate temperaments, low to moderate associations were predicted. These hypotheses were tested across 3 temperament groups (easy, intermediate, and difficult). Data were collected from 108 children and families participating in the Fullerton Longitudinal Study at ages 3 through 10 years. Consistent with the hypotheses, the data provided support for the moderating role of temperament in predicting the association between family conflict and child externalizing behavior problems. These findings suggest that temperamental difficultness operates as a vu...

Bactérias do ácido lático (BAL) foram isoladas das fezes de aproximadamente 40 suínos sadios e em diferentes idades. Os isolados foram previamente selecionados com base na coloração das colônias em ágar All Purpose Tween (APT) modificado pelo acréscimo de 0,004% de púrpura de bromocresol e 0,5% de carbonato de cálcio, morfologia, coloração em Gram e atividade de catalase. Das bactérias lácticas isoladas, aproximadamente 50% das colônias apresentaram morfologia de cocos/bastonetes Grampositivo, catalase negativa e colônias amareladas quando cultivadas em ágar APT modificado, sendo, portanto, classificadas como BAL. Estes isolados foram comparados pela sua habilidade em resistirem a pH 3,0, crescerem na presença de sais biliares por 3 horas e pela sua capacidade antagônica frente a microrganismos indicadores (Salmonella typhi ATCC 6539, Campylobacter jejuni ATCC 29428, Escherichia coli ATCC 11229, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 e Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 19433). Apenas 18% dos isolados obtiveram menos que 1 Redução Decimal (RD) quando cultivados na presença de pH 3,0. Cerca de 36,5% reduziram entre 1 e 2 RD e 45,5% tiveram mais que 2 RD. Nenhuma das cepas avaliadas teve capacidade de crescer em meios específicos com o pH ajustado para 3,0. Cerca de 36,5% dos isolados cresceram em meio de cultivo adicionado de 0,3% de sais biliares, 59% tiveram redução decimal menor ou igual a 2 e 4,5% maior que 2 RD. Os 12 isolados que apresentaram maior resistência ao pH 3,0 e que responderam melhor em meio de cultivo acrescido de sais biliares foram selecionados para análise de antagonismo. Nos teste de antagonismo entre os próprios lactobacilos isolados nenhum halo de inibição foi detectado, indicando a possibilidade de serem cultivados simultaneamente para produção de um probiótico. Todas as cepas avaliadas levaram a formação de halo de inibição sobre pelo menos dois dos microrganismos indicadores testados.

Because they focus on culturally and contextually specific health determinants, participatory approaches are well-recognized strategies to reduce health disparities. Yet, few models exist that use academic and community members equally in the grant funding process for programs aimed at reducing and eliminating these disparities. In 2008, the Communities IMPACT Diabetes Center in East Harlem, New York, developed a partnered process to award grants to community groups that target the social determinants of diabetes-related disparities. Community and academic representatives developed a novel strategy to solicit and review grants. This approach fostered equality in decision-making and sparked innovative mechanisms to award $500,000 in small grants. An evaluation of this process revealed that most reviewers perceived the review process to be fair; were able to voice their perspectives (and those perspectives were both listened to and respected); and felt that being reviewers made them better grant writers. Community-academic partnerships can capitalize on each group's strengths and knowledge base to increase the community's capacity to write and review grants for programs that reduce health disparities, providing a local context for addressing the social determinants of health.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyze subjectively through a questionnaire if the radiopacity of root canal sealers AH Plus and MTA Fillapex is capable of producing artifacts in cone beam computed tomography, interfering with the picture quality and harming the diagnosis. Methods: For this purpose, we first formed the control group containing 14 healthy teeth without endodontic treatment and 3 groups called Group 1,2 and 3. Group 1 contained 10 test teeth filled with gutta percha without sealer. Group 2 contained 10 teeth filled with gutta percha soaked in Fillapex MTA and group 3 had 10 teeth filled with gutta percha associated with AH Plus. Groups were exposed in a cone beam computed tomography scanner iCAT to 120 kVp, 37.07 mAs , 0.125 mm voxel and acquisition time of 26.9 s . The images were saved as xstd and analyzed with the program XoranCAT by an appraiser who specializes in radiology and endodontics. The evaluation was conducted through a questionnaire with items about the presence of artifacts, image quality in the cervical, middle and apical third and the possibility of the images assist in correct diagnosis of radicular dental tissues Results: The results showed the presence of artefacts in all acquisitions of the experimental groups, as well as 100 % of the images of the experimental groups were not satisfactory to assist in the correct diagnosis of radicular dental tissues. The control group showed no artifacts, as well as the images were considered satisfactory for the assistance of a correct diagnosis. Conclusions: The cone beam computed tomography is an important tool for endodontic diagnosis. However, like other imaging systems, is likely to fail. For this reason, the clinical diagnosis should always prevail over the imaging tests, which are supporting the process for a correct diagnosis., Introdução: O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar subjetivamente através de um questionário se a radiopacidade dos cimentos endodônticos MTA Fillapex e AH Plus é capaz de produzir artefatos em tomografias computadorizadas de feixe cônico, interferindo na qualidade da imagem e prejudicando o diagnóstico. Métodos: Para tanto, foram formados 1 grupo controle contendo 14 dentes hígidos sem qualquer tratamento endodôntico e 3 grupos experimentais denominados de grupo 1,2 e 3. O grupo 1 conteve 10 dentes testes obturados apenas com guta percha sem cimento endodôntico. O grupo 2 conteve 10 dentes obturados com guta percha embebidas em MTA Fillapex e o grupo 3 apresentou 10 dentes obturados com guta percha associada ao AH Plus. Os grupos foram expostos em um tomógrafo de feixe cônico iCAT a 120Kvp, 37,07mAs, voxel de 0,125mm e tempo de aquisição de 26,9s. As imagens foram salvas em formato xstd e analisadas através do programa XoranCAT por um avaliador especialista em radiologia e endodontia. A avaliação foi feita através de um questionário com perguntas objetivas sobre presença de artefatos, qualidade de imagem nos terços cervical, médio e apical e possibilidade das imagens auxiliarem no correto diagnóstico dos tecidos dentais radiculares Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que houve presença de artefatos em todas as aquisições dos grupos experimentais, assim como 100% das imagens dos grupos experimentais não foram satisfatórias para auxiliarem no correto diagnóstico dos tecidos dentais radiculares. O grupo controle não apresentou artefatos, assim como as imagens foram consideradas satisfatórias para o auxílio de um correto diagnóstico. Conclusões: A tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico é uma importante ferramenta para o diagnóstico endodôntico. No entanto, assim como outros sistemas de imagens, é passível de falhas. Por este motivo, o diagnóstico clínico sempre deve prevalecer sobre os exames de imagens, sendo estes coadjuvantes no processo para um correto diagnóstico.

Background: The Communities IMPACT Diabetes Center uses partnered methods to address diabetes-related conditions among African Americans and Latinos in East Harlem, New York. Objectives: To describe a novel, partnered approach that integrates simultaneous structured observation by community and academic partners with “on-the-spot” resolution of differences to collect baseline data regarding the built and food environments in a two census tract area of East Harlem and present select findings. Methods: We designed an environmental assessment to explore characteristics of the environment related to walking and eating. We paired community and academic partners to assess each block, resolve any differences, and report results. Nearly one year later, we surveyed the data collectors and analyzed responses using standard qualitative methods. Results: Key themes included connection to and characteristics of the community; interactions with partners; surprises and learning, and aspects of data collection. All but the first were common to academic and community partners. Relationships between partners were generally amiable. Both community — “I think it was very helpful, we made sure neither of us made mistakes, and helped each other when we could”—and academic–“I really enjoyed it . . . I learned a lot about the areas I surveyed”—partners were complimentary. Community partners’ strengths included local knowledge of the community, whereas academic partners’ focus on adherence to the specifications was critical. Structured observation identified many sidewalks in disrepair or obstructed, few benches, and highly variable times allocated for pedestrians to cross at cross walks. Conclusions: The partnered data collection was both successful and formative, building additional relationships and further capacity for ongoing partnership. Community partners saw their community in a new way, seeing, “little things that are important but people don’t pay attention to.” Structured observations added to our understanding of how an environment may contribute to diabetes.

Background: While neighborhood-based approaches to eliminate health disparities are on the rise, there is little guidance on how researchers may engage with community partners to select geographic areas for interventions to reduce health disparities. We aimed to identify a small geographic area to target interventions to improve diabetes-related outcomes. Objectives: We describe lessons learned from a community-engaged approach to specify the geographic area of focus. Methods: A community-academic partnership of more than 20 organizations collaborated to develop and employ a 5-stage process to specify a target area for diabetes preventions and control activities. Lessons Learned: A coalition with local knowledge and ties to the community can develop criteria and direct a process leading to selection of a geographic area, increased research capacity, and strengthened relationships among partners. Conclusion: A participatory approach can be effective in defining a geographic area for targeting interventions to reduce health disparities.

Each US Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) district has established stringent requirements for installing pipeline crossings of levees so construction or repairs do not adversely affect ongoing flood control efforts and public safety. So when a new or existing pipeline's path must cross a levee, deciding how to cross it—up and over or down and under—takes a comprehensive evaluation of the levee's performance and overall stability to address protection requirements of the USACE as well as the pipeline owner's objective. Pipeline crossings in different settings and levee governing districts will require different approaches. The key to choosing the approach that best meets the needs of the USACE and pipeline owners in today's world is the early analysis of the situation. When prepared in advance, pipeline owners can work in a more timely collaboration with the USACE to find an engineering design that protects the public safety and supports their business objectives.

(2001). Book Review of Developing and Validating Multiple-Choice Test Items. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 313-315.

Heterosis and its components were evaluated in a diallel crossing system of sweet corn. In the 38 treatments, eigth parents, 28 hybrids and two controls were used, arranged in a randomized block design with three replications.The diallel analysis followed the methodology of Gardner and Eberhart (1966). The following traits were evaluated: male and female flowering, plant and ear height, ear index (number of ears/number of plants), ºBrix, total ear weight, standard ear weight, industrial yield and total sugar content. There was genetic variability among genotypes, with significant differences except for the traits ear index, industrial yield and ºBrix.Heterosis was found for most traits. The mean heterosis of hybrids compared with the parents was positive for most traits. There was a contribution of additive and dominance effects.The contribution of dominant genes was greatest to flowering, plant and ear height and standard ear weight.

The 2008 Sichuan Province earthquake and 2005 Pakistan earthquake are examples of natural disasters that took an unimaginable toll on children. In such disaster management contexts, family members as well as health care and school personnel are the first-line responders and are natural sources of continued social support as children recover. Although psychologists have increasingly sophisticated understandings of post-disaster reactions and strategies for helping children and adolescents cope with trauma, models for responding to mass catastrophes are limited, particularly in geographically remote communities and in regions where mental health services are stigmatizing. With children's well-being subsequent to earthquakes inextricably linked to family and community, psychologists can make important contributions in three spheres: (a) coordinating and activating collaborations within children's existing social contexts to develop post-earthquake interventions; (b) designing prevention and preparedness programs focused on the emotional needs of children in earthquake-prone communities; and (c) conducting research on interventions and recovery with particular attention to developmental stage, socio-cultural-economic contexts, and the similarities versus differences across various types of disasters.

Family context can affect children's vulnerability to various stresses, but little is known regarding the role of family variables on children's reactions to natural disaster. This prospective study examined the influence of predisaster observed parenting behaviors and postdisaster parental stress on young children's distress following an earthquake.Participants were 117 two-parent families with a child age 4-5 at the initial assessment. The families experienced different degrees of impact from the earthquake. Pre-earthquake family context comprised observations of parents' positive and negative behaviors during a parent-child play task. Eight months after the earthquake, mothers reported symptoms of parental stress and children's distress.Earthquake impact and children's distress symptoms were moderately correlated (r = .44), but certain pre-earthquake parental behaviors moderated the relationship. The dose-response association between earthquake impact and children's symptoms did not hold for families in which fathers showed high levels of negative behaviors with daughters, or mothers showed low levels of positive behaviors with sons. In addition, results consistent with full mediation for boys (and partial mediation for girls) indicated that 86% of the total effect of earthquake impact on boys' distress (and 29% on girls' distress) occurred through the mediator of reported parental stress.These findings demonstrate that young children's responses to an abrupt, negative environmental event, such as an earthquake, are influenced in part by the nature of the parent-child relationship prior to the event as well as by the responses parents exhibit following the event.

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between alexithymia and perinatal depressive symptoms and the stability of the alexithymia construct in a sample of low-income, predominantly Latina women during pregnancy and the early postpartum period. Methods Seventy-seven pregnant women completed self-report questionnaires and were classified as “high risk” or “low risk” for developing a major depressive episode based on a history of depression and/or current high depressive symptom scores. Measures included the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Maternal Mood Screener, and were completed during pregnancy and at postpartum month 2. Results Alexithymia was positively associated with depressive symptoms during pregnancy and early postpartum. Women at high risk for depression had significantly higher alexithymia levels than low-risk women during pregnancy but not during postpartum. Alexithymia and depressive symptoms were independently and strongly correlated across the ante- and postpartum periods. Hierarchical regression analyses indicate that alexithymia scores at postpartum were predicted by alexithymia scores during pregnancy, above and beyond the variance explained by the depressive symptom scores during pregnancy and postpartum. Conclusion Alexithymia is positively correlated with depressive symptoms during the perinatal period and is a stable phenomenon.