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OBJECTIVE: To determine whether youth, family, and neighborhood factors and minoritized status are associated with youth-reported sexual victimization from childhood through young adulthood. METHODS: We analyzed longitudinal data from 2 populationbased samples of Puerto Rican youth living in the South Bronx (as a minoritized group) and Puerto Rico (as a nonminoritized group). Waves 1 to 3 were collected annually beginning in 2000 (youth age 5-13). Wave 4 was collected 2013 to 2017 (youth age 15-29). We estimated multivariable associations between youth, family, and neighborhood factors and minoritized status at Wave 1 (independent variables); and youth-reported sexual victimization at Waves 1 to 4 (dependent variables). RESULTS: None of the factors was associated with youthreported sexual victimization at Wave 1 (N = 1911). Among youth reporting no previous history of sexual victimization at Wave 1 (n = 1823), youth in the South Bronx vs Puerto Rico were more likely to report sexual victimization at Waves 2 or 3 (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 3.62 [1.46-8.97]). Older youth were less likely to report sexual victimization (OR [95% CI] = 0.77 [0.65-0.91]) (all P < .01). Among youth reporting no history of sexual victimization at Waves 1 to 3 (n = 1782), youth in the South Bronx (OR [95% CI] = 2.53 [1.52-4.22]), female youth (OR [95% CI] = 2.81 [1.83-4.30]), and youth whose parents had more than a high school degree (OR [95% CI] = 2.25 [1.38-3.67]) were more likely to report sexual victimization at Wave 4 than their counterparts (all P ≤ .001). CONCLUSIONS: Future research should investigate how living as a minoritized youth may contribute to an increased risk of sexual victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Descriptive epidemiological data on incidence rates (IRs) of asthma with recurrent exacerbations (ARE) are sparse. This study hypothesized that IRs for ARE would vary by time, geography, age, and race and ethnicity, irrespective of parental asthma history. The investigators leveraged data from 17,246 children born after 1990 enrolled in 59 US with 1 Puerto Rican cohort in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) consortium to estimate IRs for ARE. The overall crude IR for ARE was 6.07 per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 5.63-6.51) and was highest for children aged 2-4 years, for Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic Black children, and for those with a parental history of asthma. ARE IRs were higher for 2- to 4-year-olds in each race and ethnicity category and for both sexes. Multivariable analysis confirmed higher adjusted ARE IRs (aIRRs) for children born 2000-2009 compared with those born 1990-1999 and 2010-2017, 2-4 versus 10-19 years old (aIRR = 15.36; 95% CI: 12.09-19.52), and for males versus females (aIRR = 1.34; 95% CI 1.16-1.55). Black children (non-Hispanic and Hispanic) had higher rates than non-Hispanic White children (aIRR = 2.51; 95% CI 2.10-2.99; and aIRR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.22-3.39, respectively). Children born in the Midwest, Northeast and South had higher rates than those born in the West (P <.01 for each comparison). Children with a parental history of asthma had rates nearly 3 times higher than those without such history (aIRR = 2.90; 95% CI: 2.43-3.46). Factors associated with time, geography, age, race and ethnicity, sex, and parental history appear to influence the inception of ARE among children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circulating platelets and platelet-derived microparticles are regulators of cancer metastasis. In this study, we show that breast cancer cells induce platelet aggregation and lead to the release of platelet-derived microparticles. Although able to cause comparable aggregation, the highly aggressive MDA-MB-231 cells were more potent than the poorly aggressive MCF7 cells in inducing platelet-derived microparticles release, which was comparable to that promoted by thrombin. MDA-MB-231 cells were able to bind and internalize both MCF7- and MDA-MB-231-induced platelet-derived microparticles with comparable efficiency. By contrast, MCF7 cells did not interact with either type of platelet-derived microparticles. Upon internalization, only platelet-derived microparticles released by platelet stimulation with MDA-MB-231 cells, but not those released upon stimulation with MCF7 cells, caused activation of MDA-MB-231 cells and promoted the phosphorylation of selected signaling proteins, including p38MAPK and myosin light chain. Accordingly, MDA-MB-231-induced, but not MCF7-induced, platelet-derived microparticles dose-dependently stimulated migration and invasion of targeted MDA-MB-231 cells. These results identify a novel paracrine positive feedback mechanism initiated by aggressive breast cancer cell types to potentiate their invasive phenotype through the release of platelet-derived microparticles.

Riassunto: Il complesso nuragico di San Marco (Medio Campidano) sorge in prossimità di una chiesetta campestre consacrata al Santo omonimo a poche centinaia di metri dalla periferia Est del centro abitato, alla base del costone sudoccidentale della Giara di Gesturi. Le indagini archeologiche, avviate nel 2001 e attualmente in corso, hanno dato modo di verificare la frequentazione e la composita sovrapposizione abitativa cui il complesso nuragico e l’area ad esso limitrofa sono stati interessati nel corso dei secoli, dall’età nuragica all’alto Medioevo. Abstract: The nuragic complex of San Marco (Medio Campidano) is located in proximity of a consecrate rural church to the Saint with the same name a few hundred meters from the E outskirts of the inhabited center rising downstream himself stately of the SW side of the Giara of Gesturi. The archaeological investigations developed him, to various resumptions, from 2001 and currently still in progress, they have given way of verifying the populating and the composite housing overlap which the nuragic complex and the area to it neighboring they have been interested during the centuries from the nuragic age to the tall middle age.

Objective: Little is known about the effect of social context and gender on persistence of "attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder" (ADHD) in children of early and middle school years. The study compared persistence of "DSM-IV" ADHD and ADHD not otherwise specified (NOS) over 2 years in two groups of Puerto Rican children. Method: A three-wave study obtained data on Puerto Rican children 5 through 13 years of age at baseline. Samples were drawn in the South Bronx in New York (n = 1,138) and two metropolitan areas in Puerto Rico (n = 1,353). The Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV was used to diagnose ADHD and ADHD-NOS. Results: ADHD or ADHD-NOS diagnosis at wave 1 strongly predicted disorder at waves 2 and 3. ADHD had a significantly stronger predictive effect than ADHD-NOS consistently across site and gender. There was a significant interaction with baseline age. For those younger at baseline, the strength of the prediction of ADHD-NOS was relatively weak; for older children, the presence of ADHD-NOS at baseline predicted risk of subsequent ADHD or ADHD-NOS. Conclusions: Persistence of ADHD in children of similar ethnicity does not manifest differently across context and gender. Results suggest that age-specific symptom criteria and modification of age-of-onset criteria should be considered for the diagnosis. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

We examined the persistence of psychiatric disorders at approximately 18 and 30 months after a hurricane among a random sample of the child and adolescent population (4-17 years) of Puerto Rico. Data were obtained from caretaker-child dyads (N = 1,886) through in person interviews with primary caretakers (all children) and youth (11-17 years) using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children IV in Spanish. Logistic regressions, controlling for sociodemographic variables, were used to study the relation between disaster exposure and internalizing, externalizing, or any disorder. Children's disaster-related distress manifested as internalizing disorders, rather than as externalizing disorders at 18 months post-disaster. At 30 months, there was no longer a significant difference in rates of disorder between hurricane-exposed and non-exposed youth. Results were similar across age ranges. Rates of specific internalizing disorders between exposed and unexposed children are provided. Research and clinical implications are discussed. (Contains 5 tables.)

Objective: To examine the relation between parental familism (strong values of attachment to nuclear and extended family members) and youth antisocial behaviors over time. Method: Puerto Rican children 5 to 13 years of age at baseline residing in the South Bronx in New York (n = 1,138) and in the Standard Metropolitan Area in San Juan and Caguas, Puerto Rico (n = 1,353) were followed over two waves 1 year apart from 2000 to 2004. Parental familism was assessed using an adaptation of the Sabogal Familism Scale. Level of youth past-year antisocial behaviors was measured by the Antisocial Behavior Index. The association between familism and Antisocial Behavior Index over three waves was examined through mixed models stratified by age and gender, adjusted by site (South Bronx or San Juan), propensity scores reflecting site differences in family income, maternal age and education, plus environmental and child risk factors. Specific family processes were examined as potential mediators. Results: Parental familism was protective against antisocial behaviors in girls (estimate = -0.11, standard error = 0.03, p less than 0.001 for 5- to 9-year-olds; estimate = -0.15, standard error = 0.03, p less than 0.0001 for those greater than or equal to 10 years old). For boys, parental familism was only protective in 5- to 9-year-olds (estimate = -0.09, standard error = 0.03, p = 0.0008). The protective effect of parental familism on antisocial behaviors operated mostly through parent-child relationships for 5- to 9-year-old children and parental attitudes/behaviors toward youth high-risk behaviors for both age groups. Conclusions: Familism may protect youth against increasing levels of antisocial behaviors (except for boys who are greater than or equal to 10 years old). Incorporating familism as part of therapeutic approaches addressing antisocial behaviors for youth may be helpful. (Contains 3 tables.)

The Staebler-Wronski effect in amorphous silicon based photovoltaic devices is responsible for degradation of their power conversion efficiency, within approximately the first one thousand hours of light soaking. Several experimental studies led to highlight the performance instability phenomena for the mentioned devices, underling that recovery and improvement of such performance are observable, by subjecting such devices (both of single-junction and tandem types) to DC reverse bias stresses under illumination, or to operation in the Maximum Power Point (MPP) under variable conditions of temperature and illumination. In this work, we present and discuss the results of novel recent outdoor tests on stabilized specimens (i.e., exposed to 1000 h extended light soaking, before our tests) of tandem amorphous/microcrystalline Si (a-Si/µc-Si) photovoltaic (PV) minimodules operating in their MPP, by analyzing the causes of the performance instability effects, systematically observed on a daily scale. During the mentioned tests, we have monitored the solar cell operating temperature and the incident solar spectrum at various times in different days to verify the effect of cell temperature and solar spectrum changes on the cell performances. The experimental results show a clear correlation between performance improvements of the photovoltaic modules and their thermal history during the outdoor tests, proving the interplay between defect build-up at a lower temperature and defect annealing at a higher temperature, taking place in the solar cells operated in MPP during conventional outdoor operation.

Several studies have examined the factors associated with juvenile delinquency, but this literature remains limited largely because it has not moved beyond traditional factors generally and because of the lack of research conducted on minority--especially Hispanic--youth. This study seeks to overcome these two limitations by using data from a longitudinal study of 2,491 Hispanic (Puerto Rican) youth ages 5-13 (48.5% female) socialized in two different cultural contexts, Bronx, New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico, in an effort to examine the relationship between parental suicidality and offspring delinquency. Results indicate that while traditional risk/protective factors and parental mental health issues relate to delinquency in expected ways, youths whose parents attempted suicide engaged in more frequent and varied delinquency over time. Implications for theory and future research are addressed.

We examined the phenotypic expression of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) across cultures by assessing the factor/latent class structure of its core symptoms. We conducted a systematic review of the literature published from January 1987 to November 2008 using Medline and PsycINFO. We systematically reviewed 2,511 article abstracts, and 48 of these abstracts were included in this review. Research with school-age children from 15 countries including different samples, informants, and rating instruments supported a two-factor ADHD model consisting of inattention and combined hyperactivity and impulsivity. This model was not supported for preschool children. Cross-cultural equivalence for the two-factor model was suggested in some studies. Latent class analyses using parental data and more recent approaches like factor mixture modeling are generally consistent with factor analyses. These findings argue in favor of a cross-cultural validity of the syndrome. The implications of these findings for further research and classificatory systems in mental health like the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (5th ed.) are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

Although sex is one of the strongest correlates of crime, contentions remain regarding the necessity of sex-specific theories of crime. The current study examines delinquent trajectories across sex among Puerto Rican youth socialized in two different cultural contexts (Bronx, United States; and San Juan, Puerto Rico). Results indicate similar substantive offending trajectories across males and females within each cultural context, that males exhibit a higher frequency of offending and higher levels of risk factors for delinquency, and more similarities than differences in how risk/protective factors relate to patterns of offending across male versus female youth. Study limitations and implications for sex-specific criminological theories are also discussed. (Contains 6 tables, 4 figures and 7 notes.)

The relationship between child and parent somatic symptom reporting and pediatric asthma reporting in Latino and non-Latino white children in Rhode Island and Puerto Rico is examined. Findings supported studies that showed Latinos having higher symptom reporting than whites. Findings also provided new insight into the relationship between general symptom reports and pediatric asthma.

Objectives: The objectives of the present study were to (1) describe the prevalence of child maltreatment among migrant and non-migrant Puerto Rican families and (2) identify socio-demographic and cultural (i.e., acculturation pattern, familismo) predictors of maltreatment within these two samples. Method: Representative community samples of Puerto Rican children (ages 5-13 at baseline) and their adult caretakers were interviewed at two sites: the South Bronx in New York City (n = 631 families) and the Standard Metropolitan Areas of San Juan and Caguas in Puerto Rico (n = 859 families). Participants were re-interviewed 1 and 2 years following the baseline assessment. Results: While prevalence rates of maltreatment (physical abuse, 10%; sexual abuse 1%; neglect, 10%; and multi-type, 6%) did not differ between the two sites at baseline assessment, site differences emerged over time. Rates of physical abuse at follow-up were significantly higher in the Bronx compared to Puerto Rico. Further, for families living in the Bronx, living in poverty predicted "chronic" maltreatment, whereas living above the poverty line predicted "new cases" of maltreatment at follow-up. For families living in Puerto Rico, those who experienced physical abuse or multi-type maltreatment at baseline were more likely to report chronic maltreatment at follow-up regardless of poverty level. Cultural factors were not related to baseline or follow-up maltreatment at either site. Conclusion: Findings suggest that while rates of child maltreatment may be similar in migrant and non-migrant Puerto Rican families and when compared to prevalence rates in the US, predictors of maltreatment may differ. Practice implications: Since predictors of maltreatment may vary across population subgroups, studying homogenous samples will lead to more effective and targeted interventions. (Contains 2 tables.)

This study examined the trajectories of delinquency among Puerto Rican children and adolescents in two cultural contexts. Relying on data from the Boricua Youth Study, a longitudinal study of children and youth from Bronx, New York, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, a group-based trajectory procedure estimated the number of delinquency trajectories, whether trajectories differed across contexts, and the relation of risk and protective factors to each. Five trajectories fit the Bronx sample, and four fit the San Juan sample. Differences and similarities were observed. The Bronx sample had a higher rate of delinquency and sensation seeking and violence exposure strongly discriminated offender trajectories. In San Juan, the results were substantively the same. Thus, while the youth lived in different contexts, and the nature and level of delinquency varied across the sites, the effects of most risk factors were more similar than different. (Contains 6 tables, 2 figures, and 8 notes.)

Background: The development of youth psychopathology may be associated with direct and continuous contact with a different culture (acculturation) and to distress related to this process (cultural stress). We examine cultural experiences of Puerto Rican families in relation to youth psychiatric symptoms in two different contexts: one in which migrant Puerto Ricans reside on the mainland as an ethnic minority and another in which they reside in their place of origin. Methods: "Sample": Probability samples of 10- to 13-year-old youth of Puerto Rican background living in the South Bronx, New York City (SB) and in the San Juan Metropolitan area in Puerto Rico (PR) (N = 1,271) were followed over time. "Measures": Three assessments of internalizing psychiatric symptoms (elicited through the DISC-IV) and of antisocial behaviors (ASB) quantified through a six-point index were carried out. Independent variables included scales of adult and child acculturation and cultural stress, and other putative correlates. "Data analysis": Within each study site, multilevel linear regression models were examined. Results: Parental acculturation was associated with ASB in youth at both sites, but youth acculturation itself was not related to psychiatric symptoms. At both contexts, cultural stress was a more consistent correlate of youth psychiatric symptoms than acculturation after controlling for nativity, maternal education, child gender, stressful life events and parental psychopathology. However, the strength of the youth cultural stress association decreased over time. Conclusion: The association between cultural factors and child psychiatric symptoms is not restricted to contexts where an ethnic group is a minority.

This study examined rates and correlates of suicidal behavior among youth on the island of Puerto Rico. Data were drawn from two probability samples, one clinical (n = 736) and one community-based sample (n = 1,896), of youth ages 12 to 17. Consistent with previous studies in U.S. mainland adolescent populations, our results demonstrate that most psychiatric disorders are associated with significantly increased likelihood of suicidal behaviors. These findings provide critical new information by demonstrating specificity in the link between psychiatric disorders and suicidal behaviors. These data also suggest consistency in the links in both clinical and community samples, and by gender. (Contains 5 tables and 1 footnote.)

Patterns of correlates, comorbidity and impairment associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and youth were examined in representative samples from the community and from treatment facilities serving medically indigent youth in Puerto Rico. Information from caretakers and youths was obtained using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, (version IV), measures of global impairment, and a battery of potential correlates. In the community (N = 1,896) and the treated samples (N = 763), 7.5 and 26.2% of the children, respectively, met criteria for DSM-IV ADHD in the previous year. Although the prevalence rates and degree of impairment differed, the general patterns of correlates, comorbidity and impairment were similar in both populations. The exceptions were associated with conduct disorder, anxiety, impairment in the ADHD comorbid group, and age factors that appeared to be related to selection into treatment.

Background: Research comparing treatment-referred boys and girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has yielded equivocal results. Contradictory findings may be associated with differential referral practices or unexplored interactions of gender with ADHD subtypes. Method: We examined possible gender differences in ADHD and its subtypes among children aged 4 to 17 in a representative community sample (N = 1896) in Puerto Rico. Caretakers provided information through the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (version IV) and a battery of impairment, family relations, child problems, comorbidity and treatment measures. Results: ADHD was 2.3 times more common in boys than girls, but with one exception there was little evidence that the patterns of associations of ADHD with correlates were different for boys and girls. The exception was school suspension, which was more common among ADHD boys than girls. Additional gender interactions were found when ADHD subtypes were considered. Among those with combined type (n = 50), boys were more likely to be comorbid with mood disorders than girls. For those with the inattentive type (n = 47), girls were more likely to be comorbid with anxiety disorders than boys. Conclusions: Our findings lend cross-cultural generalizability to recent reports that gender does not interact with correlates for ADHD overall, but that it may play a role in subtypes.

We reviewed the Spanish translation of the Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research Version (YQOL-R) and culturally adapted the measure with Puerto Rican and Mexican American children and adolescents. The YQOL-R is a self-reported measure that includes four domains: Sense of Self, Social Relationships, Environment, and General Quality of Life. A total of 10 focus groups were conducted with children aged 9 to 11, adolescents aged 12 to 17, their parents, and mental health providers. Five focus groups were conducted in San Diego, California and five in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Eligible participants were recruited from children's outpatient psychiatry clinics. We followed an iterative and recursive process in reviewing changes and modifications to the instrument using a bilingual committee and a Multi National Bilingual Committee. Greater semantic, content, and technical equivalence of the Spanish and English versions for the YQOL-R was achieved for the two largest U.S. Latino subgroups: Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans. The cultural adaptation process revealed several important issues regarding the measurement of quality of life in different age groups. Additional items for school, relationships (both family and friends) and spare time suggested the need for a future children's version of the instrument. For the adolescents, additional items were suggested in the areas of sexuality, intergenerational conflict and acculturative stress.

Objective: This report provides descriptive longitudinal findings over three waves of a study designed to assess the development of antisocial behaviors in young and early adolescent Puerto Rican children at two sites. Method: Through the use of standard assessment measures, representative samples of Puerto Rican children of both genders 5 to 13 years of age and their adult caretakers were interviewed at two sites: the South Bronx in New York City (n = 1,138) and the Standard Metropolitan Areas in Puerto Rico (n = 1,353; N = 2,491). Results: Although no differences in prevalence between the two sites were apparent at baseline, analyses of the longitudinal data show that site differences emerge over time, with a decrease in risk of antisocial behavior over time in the Standard Metropolitan Areas relative to the Bronx. Conclusions: The decreased risk of these disorders in the Standard Metropolitan Areas corroborates the low rates in Puerto Rico reported in previous research. Future analyses of these data are needed to identify the risk and protective factors associated with this difference. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

Objective: This is the first of two related articles on a study carried out between 2000 and 2003 designed to assess the prevalence, associated comorbidities, and correlates of disruptive behavior disorders in two populations of Puerto Rican children: one in the Standard Metropolitan Areas of San Juan and Caguas in Puerto Rico, and the other in the south Bronx in New York City. Method: This article provides the study's background, design, and methodology. Probability samples of children ages 5 to 13 years were drawn at the two sites (n = 2,491). Subjects and their primary caretakers were interviewed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-IV and a wide array of risk factor measures. The samples were weighted to correct for differences in the probability of selection resulting from sample design and to adjust for differences from the 2000 U.S. Census in the age/gender distribution. Results: The samples are representative of the populations of Puerto Rican children in the south Bronx and in the Standard Metropolitan Areas in Puerto Rico. Of the 2,940 children identified as eligible for the study, 2,491 participated for an overall compliance rate of 85%. Conclusions: The study results, to be described in an accompanying report, are generalizable to the two target populations. (Contains 4 tables.)

Objective: This is the second of two associated articles. The prevalence, correlates, and comorbidities of disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) in two populations are reported. Method: Probability community samples of Puerto Rican boys and girls ages 5-13 years in San Juan, and the south Bronx in New York City are included (n = 2,491). The Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-IV and measures of correlates were employed to look at the association between DBDs and potential correlates, taking comorbidity into account. Data presented in this report were collected primarily between 2002 and 2003 but spanned a 3-year period from August 2000 to August 2003. Results: There were no significant age or site differences among males in rates of DBDs, but rates among females increased with age in the south Bronx and decreased with age in Puerto Rico. The salient comorbidity of DBDs was with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Multiple regression showed lack of parental warmth and approval, poor peer relationships, and parental report of aggressive behavior during the toddler years to be the most significant correlates of DBDs in this population. Conclusions: Cultural factors, such as level of acculturation, were not associated with DBDs. The results suggest that clinical and preventive efforts need to emphasize interpersonal factors such as parent-child relationships and peer interactions. (Contains 5 tables.)

Background: Differences in service utilization indicating that boys use more mental health services than girls were analyzed to see if they could be explained by known correlates of service use. These correlates were arranged into individual (severe emotional disturbance, level of impairment and externalizing disorders), family (parental education, psychopathology and parental concern) and school factors (difficulties with school work). The objectives were to understand and identify the factors accounting for gender differences in mental health service utilization in order to develop alternatives to promote equity in service delivery. Methods: A representative sample of 1,896 children 4 to 17 years of age and their primary caretakers were interviewed for this study. Reports of service use were obtained using the Service Assessment for Children and Adolescents. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between gender and service use, adjusting for known correlates. Results: Our results showed that, except for impairment, other individual, family and school factors did not explain gender differences in service utilization. Males with impairment were 2.87 times more likely to receive services than impaired females (p less than or equal to 0.01), and this result continued to hold true for impaired undiagnosed boys compared to impaired diagnoses-free girls (p less than or equal to 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings showed a service disparity between impaired boys and girls who did not meet criteria for a DSM IV diagnosis, but no observed differences in service use between boys and girls who met criteria for severe emotional disturbance (SED). Continued investigations are necessary to analyze, assess and understand the different circumstances that bring boys and girls into treatment, followed by the development of appropriate intervention programs at the school and community levels.

The authors present a quantitative analysis and assessment of the symptoms of "ataque de nervios." A sample of 121 individuals living in Puerto Rico provided qualitative and structured data on "ataques de nervios" and psychiatric correlates. A total of 77 participants reported having an "ataque de nervios" during their lifetimes. Their reports of symptoms associated with the "ataque" episode were analyzed using factor analysis. Two dimensions emerged from the analysis, representing respectively internalizing and externalizing experiences. Results sustained the heterogeneity of "ataque de nervios" with a marked anxiety component. The authors discuss results in the context of classification and understanding of "ataques de nervios" and a model for studying cultural variance among cultural syndromes. (Contains 3 tables and 3 notes.)

Objective: To provide the first empirical analysis of a cultural syndrome in children by examining the prevalence and psychiatric correlates of ataques de nervios in an epidemiological study of the mental health of children in Puerto Rico. Method: Probability samples of caretakers of children 4-17 years old in the community (N = 1,892; response rate: 90%) and in clinical services (N = 761; response rate 72%) were administered structured interviews to assess the presence and correlates of ataques de nervios. Results: Nine percent of children in the community sample and 26% of children in the clinical sample had a reported history of an ataque de nervios. In contrast to the overall community and clinical samples, which had more boys in them, the ataque de nervios groups in both samples had more girls in them. Family history of ataques de nervios was associated with ataques de nervios in children in both samples. Across a wide range of depression, anxiety, and disruptive disorders, children who reported an ataque de nervios were more likely to meet research criteria for psychiatric disorder in both samples. Conclusions: Ataques de nervios are a frequently reported cultural syndrome among children in Puerto Rico. Adolescent girls are more likely to report this experience. Ataques de nervios have a significant relationship with psychiatric disorder and impairment in Puerto Rican children.

Background: Research has shown that a large proportion of adolescents with symptoms of depression and substantial distress or impairment fail to meet the diagnostic criteria for a major depressive disorder (MDD). However, many of these undiagnosed adolescents may meet criteria for a residual category of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition-Text Revised" (DSM-IV-TR), Depressive Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Minor Depression (mDEP), an example of one of these categories, allows the inclusion of sub-threshold cases that fall below the diagnostic criteria of the five symptoms required for MDD. Minor depression in adolescence is important because it is significantly related to MDD in adulthood. The present study examines a number of risk factors, functional impairment, comorbidity and service utilization patterns associated with depression in community adolescents who met the DSM-IV criteria for mDEP and compares their profile to adolescents who met the criteria for MDD. Method: Puerto Rican adolescents 11 to 17 years old were selected from an island-wide probability household sample of children ranging in age from 4 to 17. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule in Spanish (DISC IV), together with a structured protocol of risks and protective factors, and service utilization questionnaires were administered to primary caretakers and their children. Results: Our findings indicate that youngsters with mDEP had significant impairment and used more mental health services than those with major depression. In addition, adolescents with mDEP had similar outcomes when compared to those meeting full criteria for MDD in terms of psychosocial correlates and comorbidity. Conclusions: The results, although not definitive, suggest a need for further research in order to determine the validity of the present DSM IV diagnostic criteria for mDEP in adolescents.

Objective: This article provides the results of the psychometric testing of the Brief Impairment Scale (BIS). The BIS is a 23-item instrument that evaluates three domains of functioning: interpersonal relations, school/work functioning, and self-care/self-fulfilment. It capitalizes on the strengths of existing global measures while addressing some of their limitations. Method: Cross-sectional parent respondent data from one clinical (N = 757) and two community samples (N = 1,888 and 1,132) of children ranging in age from 4 to 17 years is employed to test the reliability and validity of the BIS. Receiver operating characteristic analyses are employed to assess useful cutoff scores on the scale. Results: The total scale's internal consistency ranged from 0.81 to 0.88 and from 0.56 to 0.81 on the three subscales. Test-retest reliability for individual items ranged from fair to substantial in all but six items. The BIS has high convergent and concurrent validity. Receiver operator characteristic analyses suggest possible thresholds for different uses. Conclusions: The BIS is psychometrically sound, useful in assessments and as an outcome measure in clinical practice and research. Its advantages over other global impairment instruments are that it is respondent based, short in administration time, and multidimensional. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 2005;44(7):699-707. Key Words: impairment, assessment instruments, multidimensional scales.

This article investigates geographic variation in stimulant medication use by youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) served by public mental health and/or drug and alcohol programs in San Diego (n = 790) during 1997-1998 and in Puerto Rico (n = 726) during 1998. Youth were stratified into four groups: (a) ADHD, (b) ADHD--not otherwise specified (ADHD-NOS), (c) other "DSM-IV" diagnoses, (d) no diagnosis. Reported rates of stimulant use were as follows: ADHD, 32.9% (Puerto Rico) and 38.8% (San Diego), and ADHD-NOS, 20.2% (Puerto Rico) and 17.8% (San Diego). Youth in San Diego were more likely to use other psychotropics and to have experienced residential or inpatient care compared with youth in Puerto Rico. A regression model indicated that predictors of stimulant use at both sites included ADHD, ADHD-NOS, male gender, and younger age. Despite sociodemographic and cultural differences, both settings demonstrated similar patterns of stimulant use, suggesting these medications are not overused in public sectors.

The present work demonstrate how this polyhedral heuristic is also revealed in the Set of NaturalNumbers, where it is manifested numerical regularities similar to he platonic polyhedra developmentswhich open a wide field for the study of new numerical regularities as those associated to the periodicityvariation of its divisibility.

La Segunda Guerra Mundial y las atrocidades cometidas en investigaciones con los prisioneros en los campos de concentración nazis y japoneses, despertaron la conciencia por el desarrollo de los derechos humanos que se habían conquistado paulatinamente a lo largo de la historia. Por ello se conforman una serie de leyes, normas y declaraciones donde se tratan los aspectos bioéticos en los ensayos clínicos. Se debe prestar vital atención a la relación médico-paciente en el curso de las investigaciones y considerar la relación beneficio/riesgo cuando se va a experimentar en seres humanos. La retinopatía diabética proliferativa es una de las afecciones oftalmológicas que más ensayos ha suscitado. El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en analizar algunos aspectos éticos en la experimentación en pacientes con esta afección.

La Segunda Guerra Mundial y las atrocidades cometidas en investigaciones con los prisioneros en los campos de concentración nazis y japoneses, despertaron la conciencia por el desarrollo de los derechos humanos que se habían conquistado paulatinamente a lo largo de la historia. Por ello se conforman una serie de leyes, normas y declaraciones donde se tratan los aspectos bioéticos en los ensayos clínicos. Se debe prestar vital atención a la relación médico-paciente en el curso de las investigaciones y considerar la relación beneficio/riesgo cuando se va a experimentar en seres humanos. La retinopatía diabética proliferativa es una de las afecciones oftalmológicas que más ensayos ha suscitado. El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en analizar algunos aspectos éticos en la experimentación en pacientes con esta afección.The Second World War and the atrocities committed in research with prisoners in Japanese and Nazi concentration camps, awakened consciousness for the development of human rights that had gradually been conquered throughout history. That´s why a series of laws, rules and statements that deal with bioethical aspects in clinical trials, were passed. Special attention must be given to the doctor-patient relationship during the research and consider the benefit/risk ratio when conducting experiments on human beings. Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy is one of the ophthalmological disorders that has given rise to more trials. The research goal is to analyze some ethical aspects when experimenting on patients with this condition.

In the present work, are exposed concepts, principles and procedures that make up a theory for theheuristical geometrical interpretation of high restrictions reality, based on a thesis where the PlatonicPolyhedra are carriers of a content with a high heuristic potential for the theoretical interpretation ofreality, particularly the high restriction systems , for example the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements,the System of Notes and Tempered Musical Scales and the Universal Genetic Code.

Decreases in cognitive function impair occupational performance, reduce occupational safety, and increase musculoskeletal injury risk. The aim of this paper was to identify measures that may be used to monitor cognitive function in the warfighter. A rapid review. A rapid search of Academic Search Complete, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and SPORTSDiscus databases was conducted. Eligibility criteria: original peer reviewed research articles, written in English, published between 2002 and 2022, and using human participants with no health issues in military training environments or active service. Of the 248 articles screened, 58 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 29 included in the review. Of these, 16 papers presented data from multi-stressor military training environments, or experimental studies where simulated military tasks were being performed. Thirteen papers focused on an aspect of military work and the implications for cognitive function (i.e., physical load, periods of extended wakefulness or fatigue, and hypoxic conditions). The domains of cognitive function that were assessed (i.e. vigilance, reaction time, working memory, situational awareness, and decision-making) were somewhat consistent among studies. Prolonged exposure to high-stress military environments compromises multiple aspects of cognitive function. These findings highlight the need for a suite of biomarkers to monitor cognitive function and assess the ability of military personnel to attend to and process mission-critical information and make appropriate decisions on the battlefield and other high-stress environments. Our findings suggest that a suite of common tests may provide useful information about cognitive function in the warfighter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article comments on the current status of the anxiety literature involving Latino children and adolescents. As the 2 articles that focus on Hispanic/Latino youth in this special section independently found somatic symptoms to be more prevalent in Latino youth than other racial/ethnic groups (Pina & Silverman, this issue; Varela et al., this issue), this commentary discusses methodological considerations for guiding future anxiety research and makes suggestions for clinicians who treat Latino children and adolescents.

The main objective of this study was to examine the association between four types of adverse life events (family environment, separation, social adversity, and death) and the development of depressive symptoms among Puerto Rican youth. This was a secondary analysis using three waves (2000-2004) of interview data from the Boricua Youth Study of 10-13 year old Puerto Rican youth residing in New York and Puerto Rico with no depressive symptoms at baseline (n = 977). Depressive symptoms increased with an increase in social adversity, separation, death, and death events. Youth support from parents was a significant protective factor for all adverse events and parent coping was a protective factor in social adversity events. Relying on standard diagnostic tools is ideal to identify youth meeting the criteria for a diagnosis of depression but not useful to detect youth who present with subclinical levels of depression. Youth with sub-clinical levels of depression will not get treated and are at increased risk of developing depression later in life. Adverse life events are potentially relevant to use in conjunction with other screening tools to identify Puerto Rican youth who have subclinical depression and are at risk of developing depression in later adolescence.

Platonic polyhedra are carriers of a high heuristic potential for new developments in the field of art, science and technology. Substantiate this thesis through a brief historical sketch is the reason for this article.

El desarrollo de la tecnociencia ha conducido a una sociedad de riesgo. Esta última exige un comprometimiento mayor de la ciencia con respecto a los problemas de los más necesitados. A pesar del avance tecnológico de la oftalmología el número de pacientes con ceguera en el mundo es alarmante. En este trabajo se analizan los determinantes de salud relacionados con la ceguera a nivel mundial desde la perspectiva de la ciencia, tecnología y sociedad.

We prove the existence of solutions for a jumping problem of a functional whose principal part is the total variation. Our main tool is a nonsmooth variational method.

OBJETIVO: Identificar los factores de riesgo que favorecen la aparición de la retinopatía diabética. MÉTODOS: Se efectuó un estudio observacional analítico de tipo caso-control en 153 diabéticos atendidos consecutivamente en el Centro de Atención al Diabético, entre julio y diciembre del año 2008. Se estudiaron: edad, sexo, color de piel, consumo de alcohol, hábito de fumar, tipo de diabetes mellitus, tratamiento y evolución, tipo de retinopatía diabética, factores sistémicos y oculares asociados. Se aplicó Odds Ratio para valorar la influencia de factores de riesgo en probabilidad de aparición de la complicación. RESULTADOS: Predominaron los diabéticos tipo 2 (72,5 % en grupo estudio y 79,4 % en grupo control), la retinopatía diabética no proliferativa moderada (31,4 %), las mujeres (70,6 % en grupo estudio y 61,8 % en grupo control) mayores de 40 años y piel blanca. La hipertensión arterial (OR= 2,83, p= 0,003) se presentó en 52,9 y 28,4 %, respectivamente. En el grupo estudio, el 43,1 % eran fumadores (OR= 2,76, p= 0,005) y el 72,5 % tenían más de 15 años de evolución de la diabetes (OR= 17,91, p= 0,000) mientras 62,8 % del grupo control llevaban entre 5 y 15 años de diabéticos. Resultaron significativos el antecedente de oclusión venosa retiniana (OR= 4,92, p= 0,001), cirugía de catarata (OR= 2,85, p= 0,012), cicatriz coriorretiniana (OR= 0,12, p= 0,015) y glaucoma primario de ángulo abierto (OR= 0,18, p=0,013). CONCLUSIONES: Los factores de riesgo asociados fueron: tiempo de evolución de la diabetes mellitus en pacientes con tiempo de evolución de la enfermedad mayor de 15 años, la hipertensión arterial, el hábito de fumar, antecedentes de cirugía de catarata y oclusiones venosas. El glaucoma primario de ángulo abierto y cicatrices coriorretinianas parecen ser factores protectores significativos.OBJECTIVE: To identify the risk factors favoring the appearance of the diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: A case-control, analytical and observational study was conducted in 153 diabetic patients seen in the Diabetes Care Center from July to December, 2008. Variables included: age, sex, skin color, alcohol consumption, smoking, type of diabetes mellitus, treatment and evolution type of diabetic retinopathy, associated systemic and ocular factors. Odds Ratio was applied to assess the influence of risk factors on probability of appearance of the complication. RESULTS: There was predominance of type 2 diabetes (72.5 % in study group and 79.4% in control group), moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (31.4 %), women (70.6 %) in study group and 61.8 % in control group, over 40 years old and white skin. High blood pressure (OR = 2.83, p = 0.003) was present in the 52.9 and 28.4 %, respectively. In the study group, the 43.1 % were smokers (OR = 2.76, p= 0.005) and the 72.5 % had more than 15 years of evolution of diabetes (OR= 17.91, p= 0.000) whereas the 62,8 % of control group had 5 and 15 years to be diabetic. The retinal occlusion background (OR - 4.92, p= 0.001), cataract's surgery ( OR= 2.85, p= 0.012), chorioretinal scar (OR= 0.12, p = 0.015) and open angle primary glaucoma (OR= 0.18, p= 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: The associated risk factors were: evolution of the diabetes mellitus bigger than 15 years, arterial hypertension, smoking habit, antecedents of cataracts surgery and vein occlusions. Primary open angle glaucoma and corioretinal scars seem to be protective significant factors.

OBJETIVO: Realizar una caracterización clínica y anatómica de pacientes con agujero macular idiopático atendidos en el Instituto Cubano de Oftalmología "Ramón Pando Ferrer" durante los años 2006 y 2007. MÉTODOS: El universo de estudio estuvo conformado por 60 ojos de 30 pacientes diagnosticados de agujero macular idiopático con diferentes estadios evolutivos que cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. A cada paciente se le realizó un examen oftalmológico completo, incluyendo oftalmoscopia indirecta, biomicroscopia de polo posterior, rejilla de Amsler, prueba de proyección de la luz guía y tomografía de coherencia óptica en ambos ojos. RESULTADOS: El sexo más afectado fue el femenino con edades comprendidas entre 61 y 70 años. La bilateralidad se observó en el 30 % de los casos y el estadio más frecuente fue el 4, se encontraron 7 pacientes con estadio 0 por tomografía de coherencia óptica en el ojo contralateral. Se evidenció la presencia de metamorfopsia según rejilla de Amsler en todos los pacientes a partir del estadio 1b. Las alteraciones cualitativas más frecuentes mostradas por tomografía de coherencia óptica fueron el defecto completo de la retina neurosensorial a nivel foveal y los quistes intrarretinianos. Se observó una correlación directa estadísticamente significativa entre la agudeza visual y el grosor retiniano a nivel foveolar. CONCLUSIONES: La tomografía de coherencia óptica en asociación con una correcta valoración clínica constituye un pilar fundamental en la valoración de este tipo de pacientes.OBJECTIVE: To make a clinical and anatomic characterization of the patients with Idiopathic macular hole at "Ramón Pando Ferrer", Cuban Institute of Ophthalmology during 2006 and 2007. METHODS: The universe of study was 60 eyes of 30 patients diagnosed with Idiopathic Macular Hole at different stages, who met the inclusion criteria. The patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination that included indirect ophthalmoscopy, posterior pole biomicroscopy, an Amsler test, the light projection test and the optical coherence tomography on both eyes. RESULTS: The females, aged 61-70 years were the most affected; 30 % of the cases were bilateral, and the Idiopathic Macular Hole at stage 4 was the most often found, although 7 patients had a stage 0, diagnosed by optical coherence tomography on the contralateral eye. All the patients with disease stage above 1b had metamorphopsia as shown by the Amsler grid. The complete defect of the neurosensorial retina at the fovea and the intrarretinal cysts were the most frequent qualitative abnormalities revealed by optical coherence tomography. It was found a direct correlation between the visual acuity and the foveolar retinal thickness, with statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The optical coherence tomography and an accurate clinical evaluation are essential for the appropriate assessment and management of these patients.

Se presentó un caso de lente intraocular luxado a vítreo en paciente con conteo bajo de células endoteliales e intolerancia a lentes de contacto. Se practicó vitrectomía pars plana con reimplante de lente en surco ciliar con el objetivo de demostrar la fiabilidad de la técnica para casos que presenten condiciones adecuadas y situaciones especiales. Se revisó la bibliografía para conocer las tendencias actuales con respecto al manejo de esta patología. El paciente alcanzó una agudeza visual de 20/30. El lente permaneció estable en el surco 3 meses después de practicada la vitrectomía. El manejo de esta entidad debe ser personalizado. La técnica utilizada debe ser siempre la primera opción de tratamiento y parece ser segura en casos cuidadosamente escogidos.A case of dislocated intraocular lens moved to the vitreous cavity in a patient with low endothelial cell count and contact lens intolerance was reported. A pars plana vitrectomy with lens repositioning was performed to demonstrate the safety of this technique for some special cases under adequate conditions. The literature was reviewed to learn about the current management of this pathology. Finally, patient's best visual acuity was 20/30. The stability of the lens was confirmed three month l after the vitrectomy. Management of this disorder should be customized. This technique should be considered as the first option of treatment and seems to be safe in selected cases.

Durante mucho tiempo la Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV) fue la única institución nacional que proporcionó formación profesional y académica a los ciudadanos. En el presente, si bien comparte estas funciones con un conjunto de instituciones públicas y privadas, continúa siendo la institución que produce el mayor contingente de egresados de las ciencias y las ingenierías en el ámbito nacional, tiene el mayor número de programas de posgrado y de investigadores. Los egresados han aumentado en forma constante desde 1950 y ese aumento se ha dado en buena medida gracias al aporte femenino. En este trabajo analizamos la participación de las mujeres en la vida universitaria y en los procesos de formación doctoral, así como en el sistema de investigación de esta institución líder.

Se presenta el caso de una niña de dos años de edad, que a las 18 h de nacida se le diagnosticó atresia de colon transverso, fue intervenida quirúrgicamente de urgencia. A los 30 días mostró cuadro cutáneo diseminado caracterizado por neoformaciones de aspecto papulonodular de 2 a 3cms de diámetro, indoloras, de color rosado unas y carmelitosas otras, de evolución crónica. Clínica e histológicamente se diagnosticó un xantogranuloma juvenil. No se realizó ningún tratamiento y las lesiones involucionaron espontáneamente.