Um estudo análogo ao forense em contexto brasileiro com o Protocolo de Entrevista Investigativa NICHD / An analogous forensic study in the Brazilian context with the NICHD Investigative Interview Protocol

O abuso sexual infantil é um problema de saúde pública, envolvendo questões sociais, jurídicas, médicas, educacionais e psicológicas. O presente estudo testou a aplicabilidade do Protocolo NICHD para a investigação de casos com suspeita de abuso sexual infantil. Trata-se de um estudo análogo ao forense e inédito no Brasil que tem como objetivos; 1) avaliar a acurácia das informações fornecidas pelas crianças, comparando-se entrevistas realizadas com um grupo de crianças que receberam o treino prévio da fase pré-substantiva do protocolo NICHD(GPS) a um grupo sem o treino da fase pré-substantiva (GC); e 2) verificar a proporção com que crianças nessas duas condições relataram, ter participado de um evento fictício. Foram entrevistadas 108 crianças (51 meninos e 57 meninas) em quatro escolas públicas do Estado de Mato Grosso a respeito de um evento encenado pelos pesquisadores. As informações foram tabuladas e codificadas para comparação com o teste não paramétrico de Kruskal-Wallis e teste U de Mann-Whitney. Os resultados indicaram que a quantidade de perguntas para o GC foi significativamente maior do que para o GPS, denotando que devido à inexperiência dos entrevistadores e tempo curto de treinamento, não houve investimento suficiente na fase pré-substantiva, conforme recomendado. Contudo, os relatos incorretos a respeito do evento fictício foram significativamente mais frequentes no GC, sugerindo que o treino para a construção do rapport tenha sido eficaz para o preparo das crianças em resistir às perguntas sugestivas, corroborando a literatura sobre a habilidade de crianças em diferenciar verdades de mentiras.(AU)

Child sexual abuse is a public health problem involving social, legal, medical, educational and psychological issues. The present study tested the applicability of the NICHD Protocol to investigate cases of suspected child sexual abuse. This is the first analogous study to the forensic setting to be published in Brazil, aiming to; 1) evaluate the accuracy of the information provided by the children, comparing interviews conducted with a group of children who received previous training of the pre-substantive phase of the NICHD protocol (PSG) to a group without the pre-substantive phase training (CG); and 2) to verify the proportion in which children in these two conditions reported participation in a fictitious event. Thus, 108 children (51 boys and 57 girls)were interviewed in four public schools in the state of Mato Grosso about an event staged by the rese archers. Information was tabulated and coded for comparison with the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallistest and the Mann-Whitney Utest. The results indicatedthat the number of questions for the CG was significantly higher than for the PSG, indicating that due to the inexperience of the interviewers and their short training duration, there was not enough investment in the pre-substantive phase, as recommended. However, incorrect reports about the fictitious event were significantly more frequent in the CG, suggesting that rapport building training was effective in preparing children to resist suggestive questions, corroborating the literature on children's ability to differentiate a truth from a lie.(AU)

Occurrence of PPCPs in a Brazilian water reservoir and their removal efficiency by ecological filtration.

The presence of PPCPs (Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products) in water sources and drinking water has concerned researchers in recent times. This study was carried out to evaluate the occurrence of 6 PPCPs (namely paracetamol, diclofenac, naproxen, ibuprofen, benzophenone-3 and methylparaben) in the Lobo reservoir, their degradation products, and how efficiently they were removed by 22 ecological filters, considering individual and mixture of compounds. There were 3 spiking events of PPCPs (2 µg L-1) in the ecological filter influents conducted with a lag period of 15 days between spikes. Water samples were collected from the influent and effluent of the filters at 3, 6 and 24 h after each spiking event. All target PPCPs were identified in the Lobo reservoir water in the range of µg L-1. The personal care products were detected with 100% frequency in the samples, and in higher concentrations compared to the pharmaceuticals. Degradation products of diclofenac and benzophenone-3 were identified in the water samples. Results of this investigation show that ecological filtration was an effective process (70-99%) to remove 2 µg L-1 of the selected PPCPs, and demonstrated that the filters were resilient to individual compounds and to their mixtures.

Root surface conditioning with nicotine or cotinine reduces viability and density of fibroblasts in vitro.

The purpose of study was to evaluate fibroblast attachment and cellular morphology on root surfaces chemically conditioned with nicotine or cotinine. A secondary objective was to determine if mechanical scaling and root planning of these chemically conditioned surfaces would alter cellular attachment. Root surface dentin specimens were prepared from uniradicular teeth of non-smoking patients. Specimens were randomly assigned to two experimental groups: no treatment (chemical conditioning only) and scaling and root planning after conditioning (SRPC). The concentrations of the tested substances were in the range of 0-1 mg/mL (nicotine) and 0-1 g/mL (cotinine). After a 24-h conditioning period, dentin slices were incubated with continuous lineage of fibroblastic cells from rat (McCoy cells) for another 24 h. Specimens were prepared for SEM analysis and microphotographs. The statistical analysis of the data indicated significant alteration of cellular morphology on fibroblasts that were grown on root surface exposed to nicotine concentrations greater than 1 ?g/mL. This effect of nicotine was not reduced by SRPC. On the other hand, in the SRPC group cellular density was greater. For cotinine-conditioned specimens, the greater concentrations also led to alteration on morphology, and these alterations were observed in the SRPC group as well. Cotinine did not induce significant changes on cellular density. The results indicated that fibroblasts are negatively influenced by nicotine present on the dentin substrate and also that scaling may reduce these effects. Cotinine treatment on root surfaces may alter cell morphology and density but these effects were less severe than that promoted by nicotine, and were not affected by scaling.

Crianças expostas à violência conjugal: avaliação do desempenho acadêmico / Children exposed to marital violence: assessment of academic performance

O trabalho avaliou o desempenho acadêmico de 30 crianças em pares, sendo 15 crianças do Ensino Fundamental expostas à violência conjugal e 15 crianças não expostas à violência, do mesmo sexo e idade, escolhidas nas mesmas salas de aula do respectivo par. Os professores responderam à Escala de Avaliação da Performance Acadêmica (EAPA) e forneceram o Boletim Escolar dessas crianças. O TDE - Teste do Desempenho Escolar foi aplicado para constatar as áreas acadêmicas em que estas crianças apresentavam dificuldades. Das 15 crianças expostas avaliadas, 14 presenciaram pelo menos um episódio de agressão da mãe e sete estavam convivendo com violência conjugal há mais de cinco anos. Os resultados da EAPA foram significativamente menores para o grupo exposto, com a média de 52,9 pontos contra 67,8 do grupo de crianças não expostas. Nas análises dos resultados dos conceitos do Boletim Escolar e do TDE, as diferenças não foram significativas.

Crianças expostas à violência conjugal: avaliação do desempenho acadêmico / Children exposed to marital violence: assessment of academic performance

O trabalho avaliou o desempenho acadêmico de 30 crianças em pares, sendo 15 crianças do Ensino Fundamental expostas à violência conjugal e 15 crianças não expostas à violência, do mesmo sexo e idade, escolhidas nas mesmas salas de aula do respectivo par. Os professores responderam à Escala de Avaliação da Performance Acadêmica (EAPA) e forneceram o Boletim Escolar dessas crianças. O TDE - Teste do Desempenho Escolar foi aplicado para constatar as áreas acadêmicas em que estas crianças apresentavam dificuldades. Das 15 crianças expostas avaliadas, 14 presenciaram pelo menos um episódio de agressão da mäe e sete estavam convivendo com violência conjugal há mais de cinco anos. Os resultados da EAPA foram significativamente menores para o grupo exposto, com a média de 52,9 pontos contra 67,8 do grupo de crianças não expostas. Nas análises dos resultados dos conceitos do Boletim Escolar e do TDE, as diferenças não foram significativas. (AU)

Use of aspartate aminotransferase in diagnosing periodontal disease: a comparative study of clinical and microbiological parameters.

The objective of this study was to assess the association between the levels of enzyme aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) with the BANA hydrolysis microbiological test (Perioscan) and clinical periodontal diagnostic measurements, such as bleeding on probing, plaque index, gingival index, probing depth, and attachment level in patients with chronic periodontitis using an enzymatic test (PocketWatch). One hundred and forty-seven sites were evaluated in 22 patients with a probing depth of > or = 5 mm at selected sites. AST and BANA enzymatic tests were carried out, and clinical parameters recorded. Pearson's chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used for statistical analysis. There was no statistical correlation between AST levels and any of the analyzed parameters. The lack of any association between the factors studied does not indicate, however, that the latter cannot be used in diagnosing the actual periodontal condition of patients and/or sites. However, more research should be carried out to evaluate the true relationship between AST and periodontal disease.