Comparing adults and adolescents regarding the scope insensitivity of value curves: A functional measurement approach / Comparación de adultos y adolescentes con respecto al alcance de insensibilidad de las curvas de valor: Un método de medición de funcionamiento

The curvature of the value/utility function has been understood, since D. Bernouilli, as the expression of an attitude towards risk. This perspective was kept in such influential theories of judgment and decision as Prospect Theory, in both its original and cumulative versions (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979; Tversky & Kahneman, 1992). More recently, dual-process interpretations of the value function as a mix of affect and deliberation (Hsee & Rottenstreich, 2004) have proposed that function curvature reflects the operation of affect-based evaluations via an affective focus coefficient indexed by "#" (varying between 0 and 1) in the equation v = A#S1-# (with "v" the subjective value, "A" the intensity of the affective response, and "S" the scope of the stimuli). According to this view, evaluating more hedonic targets results in more curved (scope-insensitive) functions than evaluating instrumental/utilitarian targets, and more affect-oriented subjects exhibit more pronounced curvatures (lower 1−#) than deliberation-oriented subjects. These predictions are evaluated in this study and additionally used for an exploratory evaluation of Reyna and Farley's (2006, 2007) proposal that analytical processing and gist/affect-based processing predominate, respectively, in adolescents' and in adults' judgment and decision making. Information Integration Theory was used to establish a model allowing for the functional measurement of subjective value at the (ratio) level required for comparing curvature parameters and computing Loss Aversion coefficients. The outcomes partially favored the prediction of larger curvatures (lower 1- #) and larger loss aversion in more hedonic tasks. However, they did not support the prediction of more scope insensitivity and larger values of loss aversion in adults than in adolescents. As the main suggested difference between adults and adolescents, individual differences in risk attitude appeared to be less polarized towards loss aversion among adolescents in more hedonic tasks.

La curva de la función valor/utilidad ha sido comprendida, desde D. Bernouilli, como la expresión de una actitud frente a un riesgo. Este punto de vista se mantuvo vigente en teorías influyentes del juicio y la toma de desiciones en la denominada Teoría de la Perspectiva, tanto en sus versiones originales como las subsecuentes (Kahneman y Tversky, 1979; Tversky y Kahneman, 1992). Más recientemente, las interpretaciones sobre el proceso dual de la función de valor que se muestran como una mezcla entre el afecto y la deliberación (Hsee y Rottenstreich, 2004) han propuesto que la función de la curva representa las evaluaciones basadas en el afecto a través de un coeficiente de enfoque afectivo incluido como "#" (que varía entre 0 y 1) en la ecuación v = A#S1-# (donde "v" es valor subjetivo, "A" es la intensidad de la respuesta afectiva, y "S" es el alcance real de los estímulos). De acuerdo con este punto de vista, la evaluación de los resultados de los más hedonistas muestra una función más encurvada (alcance - insensibilidad) que la evaluación de los instrumentales / utilitarios, y los más orientados por el afecto muestran una curvatura más pronunciada (inferior 1-a) que los sujetos orientados a la deliberación. Estas predicciones son evaluadas en este estudio y además utilizadas para una evaluación exploratoria de la propuesta de Reyna y Farley (2006, 2007) en la que predomina el procesamiento analítico y el procesamiento síntesis/basado en el afecto, respectivamente, en los juicios y toma de desiciones de los adolescentes y de los adultos. La Teoría de Integración de la Información se utilizó para establecer un modelo apropriado para la medición funcional del valor subjetivo (índice) del nivel requierido para comparar los parámetros de curvatura y calcular los coeficientes de Aversión a la Pérdida. Los resultados favorecieron parcialmente la predicción de curvaturas más grandes (menores que 1- #) y mayor aversión a las pérdidas en las tareas más hedonistas. Sin embargo, no apoyaban la predicción de mayor alcance de insensibilidad y grandes valores de aversión a las pérdidas en los adultos que en los adolescentes. Los resultados más importantes sugieren una diferencia entre adultos y adolescentes, las diferencias individuales de la actitud ante el riesgo parecieron ser menos polarizadas frente a la aversión a las pérdidas entre los adolescentes en tareas más hedonistas.

JcTI-I: a novel trypsin inhibitor from Jatropha curcas seed cake with potential for bacterial infection treatment.

Jatropha curcas seed cake is a low-value by-product resulting from biodiesel production. The seed cake is highly toxic, but it has great potential for biotechnology applications as it is a repository of biomolecules that could be important in agriculture, medicine, and industry. To explore this potential, a novel trypsin inhibitor called JcTI-I was purified by fractionation of the crude extract with trichloroacetic acid (2.5%, v/v) followed by affinity chromatography (Trypsin-Sepharose 4B) and molecular exclusion (Sephacryl S-200). Non-reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration showed that JcTI-I has approximately 20.0~kDa. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the intact molecular mass of JcTI-I is 10.252~kDa. Moreover, JcTI-I is a glycoprotein with 6.4% (m/m) carbohydrates, pI of 6.6, N-terminal sequence similarity around 60% to plant albumins and high stability to heat, pH, and salinity. JcTI-I presented antibacterial activity against the human pathogenic bacteria Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar choleraesuis and Staphylococcus aureus, with minimum inhibitory concentration less than 5~µg/mL. Furthermore, JcTI-I did have inhibitory activity against the serine proteases from the tested bacteria. Otherwise, no hemolytic activity of human erythrocytes and signs of acute toxicity to mice were observed for JcTI-I. The results demonstrate the benefits of J. curcas seed cake as a source of trypsin inhibitor with potential for biotechnological application as a new antimicrobial agent against human pathogenic bacteria.

A functional measurement approach to the Children’s Anxiety and Pain Scale - CAPS: contributions to its construct validity

The Children's Anxiety and Pain Scales-CAPS (Kuttner & LePage, 1989) is the only faces measure to date aimed at separately assessing anxiety and pain intensity through self-report. Despite early indications that the two sets of schematic faces included in the CAPS possess face validity regarding the constructs of anxiety/fear and pain, the extent to which they allow differentiating between them has remained controversial, especially in younger children. In this study, the inner features of CAPS’s faces were taken as factors in integration tasks performed by children differing in age (6-8 and 9-11 years old) and pain experience (pain-free and acute postoperative pain). Different integration patterns were found for the CAPS-pain and the CAPS-anxiety subscales, along with distinct profiles of relative importance among upper-and lower-face features. These differences did not depend on the assigned judgment dimension (conveyed pain or conveyed fear), and partly concurred with collateral evidence on the relative importance of facial features in prototypical pain and fear expressions. Overall, outcomes were supportive of several facets of the construct validity of the CAPS (AU)

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Exogenous ornithine is an effective precursor and the δ-ornithine amino transferase pathway contributes to proline accumulation under high N recycling in salt-stressed cashew leaves.

The role of the δ-ornithine amino transferase (OAT) pathway in proline synthesis is still controversial and was assessed in leaves of cashew plants subjected to salinity. The activities of enzymes and the concentrations of metabolites involved in proline synthesis were examined in parallel with the capacity of exogenous ornithine and glutamate to induce proline accumulation. Proline accumulation was best correlated with OAT activity, which increased 4-fold and was paralleled by NADH oxidation coupled to the activities of OAT and Δ(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR), demonstrating the potential of proline synthesis via OAT/P5C. Overall, the activities of GS, GOGAT and aminating GDH remained practically unchanged under salinity. The activity of P5CR did not respond to NaCl whereas Δ(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase was sharply repressed by salinity. We suggest that if the export of P5C from the mitochondria to the cytosol is possible, its subsequent conversion to proline by P5CR may be important. In a time-course experiment, proline accumulation was associated with disturbances in amino acid metabolism as indicated by large increases in the concentrations of ammonia, free amino acids, glutamine, arginine and ornithine. Conversely, glutamate concentrations increased moderately and only within the first 24h. Exogenous feeding of ornithine as a precursor was very effective in inducing proline accumulation in intact plants and leaf discs, in which proline concentrations were several times higher than glutamate-fed or salt-treated plants. Our data suggest that proline accumulation might be a consequence of salt-induced increase in N recycling, resulting in increased levels of ornithine and other metabolites involved with proline synthesis and OAT activity. Under these metabolic circumstances the OAT pathway might contribute significantly to proline accumulation in salt-stressed cashew leaves.

Functional model for the integration of gains and losses under risk: implications for the measurement of subjective value

In order to be treated quantitatively, subjective gains and losses (utilities/disutilities) must be psychologically measured. If legitimate comparisons are sought between them, measurement must be at least interval level, with a common unit. If comparisons of absolute magnitudes across gains and losses are further sought, as in standard definitions of loss aversion, a common known zero must be added to the common unit requirement. These measurement issues are typically glossed over in complex models of decision under risk. This paper illustrates how Functional Measurement (FM) affords ways of addressing them, given some conditions. It establishes a relative ratio model for the integration of gains and losses in a mixed gamble situation with independent outcome probabilities. It subsequently documents how this model yields functional estimates of gains and losses on a common unit scale with a known zero. The psychological significance of the found integration model is discussed, and some of its implications for measurement further explored across two studies(AU)

Photosynthetic changes and protective mechanisms against oxidative damage subjected to isolated and combined drought and heat stresses in Jatropha curcas plants.

Photosynthetic changes and protective mechanisms against oxidative damage were evaluated in Jatropha curcas leaves subjected to drought and heat stresses, both individually and combined, in order to elucidate the synergistic and antagonistic mechanisms involved with these abiotic factors. Both the drought and heat stresses caused significant damage to the leaf membrane integrity and lipid peroxidation, and the combination of these stresses greatly enhanced these physiological disturbances. The leaf CO(2) assimilation rate, stomatal conductance and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency (P(N)/C(I)) were significantly decreased in all plants subjected to stressful conditions in comparison to unstressed plants (reference). In contrast, a reduction in photochemical activity was observed only in plants exposed to drought and drought+heat conditions. Catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were stimulated only under heat stress, whereas APX activity was increased in all treated plants in comparison to the references. Moreover, the leaf H(2)O(2) content was increased similarly under all studied stresses. However, the balance of reduced and oxidized ascorbate did not show significant differences between reference and stressed plants. Although J. curcas plants acclimated to the studied stresses, they did not present an efficient mechanism for protection against drought-induced oxidative stress, especially when at high temperatures. However, heat-treated plants triggered an efficient enzymatic antioxidant system of reactive oxygen species scavenging and an effective protection against photochemical damages. The combination of drought and heat most significantly impaired the photosynthetic assimilation of CO(2) and the photochemical activity. These results indicate that drought greatly disturbs photosystem II activity and oxidative metabolism and that these negative effects are strongly stimulated by heat stress. The data also evidence that the combination of heat and drought triggers an intricate response involving antagonistic and synergistic interactions.

Necrose do coto do ducto cístico após colecistectomia videolaparoscópica / Post-videolaparoscopy cholecystectomy necrosis of the cystic duct

INTRODUÇÃO: Lesões das vias biliares, embora não frequentes, podem ser visualizadas ou percebidas no ato operatório. Porém, as derivadas de necrose por manipulação são tardias e não reconhecíveis durante a operação. RELATO DO CASO: Paciente submetida à colecistectomia videolaparoscópica apresentou coleperitônio no pós-operatório. Em re-operação observou-se ducto cístico fistuloso no local da clipagem dupla. Realizada drenagem intra-cística. Evoluiu com bilioma associado que necessitou também de drenagem por aspiração. Evoluiu satisfatoriamente e com cura em um mês. CONCLUSÃO: Por ser uma situação rara, ainda não existe consenso sobre suas principais causas e incidência.

BACKGROUND: Biliary iatrogenic lesions in cholecistectomies are not frequent, but can be treated at the same procedure, if recognized. Necrotic lesion, by the other hand, no. CASE REPORT: Woman submitted to videolaparoscopic cholecystectomy presented, on early follow-up, acute peritonitis due to necrosis of cystic duct on the clips site. Was operated to drain the duct through the introduction of a nasogastric tube inserted in cystic ostium in the necrotic area. Drainage of a bilioma in the epigastrium was also needed after one week, guided by ultrasound. The case had good evolution in one month. CONCLUSION: Due to the rare condition, the management of biliary fistula in necrotic area remains controversial.

Hepatocarcinoma fibrolamelar (HFL) - Relato de caso / Fibrolamellar hepatocarcinoma (FLH) - Report case

INTRODUÇÃO: O hepatocarcinoma fibrolamelar, variante do hepatocarcinoma, é neoplasia rara, responsável por 2% das de origem hepatocelular. RELATO DO CASO: Homem de 24 anos iniciou sintoma doloroso abdominal quatro meses antes da primeira consulta com hiporexia, emagrecimento, vômitos, aumento hepático e nodulação em hipocôndrio direito. Ressonância magnética abdominal mostrou lesão hepática heterogênea, hipervascular, com cicatriz central (provável calcificação), sugestivo de hepatocarcinoma fibrolamelar e presença de hepatomegalia moderada. Realizou-se trissegmentectomia hepática (segmentos VI, VII, VIII), com margem de segurança, sendo a via de acesso a por incisão subcostal direita. Houve confirmação de carcinoma hepatocelular (variante fibrolamelar) moderadamente diferenciado. Na evolução em seis meses encontrava-se bem com exame ultrassonográfico de controle normal, exceto sinais da ressecção efetuada. CONCLUSÃO: Apesar de prognóstico sombrio, o tratamento cirúrgico do hepatocarcinoma fibrolamelar é boa opção quando ampla hepatectomia pode ser realizada.

BACKGROUND: Fibrolamellar hepatocarcinoma is rare and responsible for 2% of the hepatocarcinomas. CASE REPORT: Man with 24 years old was attended by medical institution with abdominal pain, abdominal tumor mass, vomiting and bad general conditions. MRI showed hepatic tumor suggesting hepatocarcinoma. An hepatectomy (segments VI, VII, VIII) was done. It was confirmed malignancy with fibrolamellar hepatocarcinoma. In six months follow-up ultrasonography showed normal aspect of the remained liver. CONCLUSION: Although the bad prognosis of the tumor, hepatectomy should always be tried, if technical resection is feasible.

Source-sink regulation of cotyledonary reserve mobilization during cashew (Anacardium occidentale) seedling establishment under NaCl salinity.

Seedling establishment is a critical process to crop productivity, especially under saline conditions. This work was carried out to investigate the hypothesis that reserve mobilization is coordinated with salt-induced inhibition of seedling growth due to changes in source-sink relations. To test this hypothesis, cashew nuts (Anacardium occidentale) were sown in vermiculite irrigated daily with distilled water (control) or 50mM NaCl and they were evaluated at discrete developmental stages from the seed germination until the whole seedling establishment. The salt treatment coordinately delayed the seedling growth and the cotyledonary reserve mobilization. However, these effects were more pronounced at late seedling establishment than in earlier stages. The storage protein mobilization was affected by salt stress before the lipid and starch breakdown. The globulin fraction represented the most important storage proteins of cashew cotyledons, and its mobilization was markedly delayed by NaCl along the seedling establishment. Free amino acids were mostly retained in the cotyledons of salt-treated seedlings when the mobilization of storage proteins, lipids and starch was strongly delayed. Proline was not considerably accumulated in the cotyledons of cashew seedlings as a response to NaCl salinity. According to these results it is noteworthy that the salt-induced inhibition of seedling growth is narrowly coordinated with the delay of reserve mobilization and the accumulation of hydrolysis products in cotyledons. Also, it was evidenced that free amino acids, especially those related to nitrogen transport, are potential signals involved in the regulation of storage protein hydrolysis during cashew seedling establishment under NaCl salinity.

Roots and leaves display contrasting oxidative response during salt stress and recovery in cowpea.

In this study, we compare some antioxidative responses of leaves and roots associated to growth reduction in cowpea plants (Vigna unguiculata) during short-term salt stress and recovery. The salt treatment was imposed (200 mM NaCl) for six consecutive days and the salt withdrawal after 3 d. The salt treatment caused an almost complete cessation in the relative growth rate of both leaves and roots. Although NaCl withdrawal has induced an intense reduction in the Na(+) content from the leaves and roots, the growth recovery was slight, after 3 d. The leaf lipid peroxidation was increased in salt-stressed plants and slightly reduced in recovered plants after 3 d. Surprisingly, in the salt-stressed roots it decreased markedly after 3 d treatment and in the pre-stressed/recovered roots it was restored to levels near to the control. In leaves, catalase (CAT) activity showed a rapid and prominent decrease after 1 d of NaCl treatment and salt withdrawal had no effect on its recovery. In contrast, the root CAT activity was not changed by effects of both NaCl and salt withdrawal, over time interval. Leaf superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity did not change in all treatments, whereas in roots it significantly decreased after 3 d of salt treatment and recovered after NaCl withdrawal. Contrasting to the other enzymes, the guaiacol-peroxidase activity increased in leaves and roots, reaching almost 200% of control values and it significantly decreased in both organs from the pre-stressed/recovered plants. In conclusion, cowpea roots and leaves present distinct mechanisms of response to lipid peroxidation and CAT and SOD activities during salt stress and recovery. However, these responses and/or the oxidative damages caused by reactive oxygen species were not related with the growth reduction.

Superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase activities do not confer protection against oxidative damage in salt-stressed cowpea leaves.

• The aim of this study was to determine whether guaiacol peroxidase (POX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities are effective in the protection and recovery of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) leaves exposed to a salt-induced oxidative stress. The salt treatment (200 mm NaCl) was imposed during six consecutive days and the salt withdrawal after 3 d (recovery treatment). Control plants received no NaCl treatment. • The salt treatment caused almost complete cessation of leaf relative growth rate in parallel with the transpiration rate. The restriction in leaf growth was associated with a progressive increase in membrane damage, lipid peroxidation and proline content. Salt withdrawal induced a significant recovery in both leaf growth rate and transpiration. Surprisingly, these prestressed/recovered plants showed only a slight recovery in leaf lipid peroxidation and membrane damage. • Leaf CAT activity experienced a twofold decrease only after 1 d NaCl treatment, and salt withdrawal had no effect on its recovery. SOD activity did not change compared with control plants. By contrast, POX activity significantly increased after 1 d NaCl treatment and showed a significant recovery to levels near to those of control. • In conclusion, it appears that the ability of cowpea plants to survive under high levels of salinity is not caused by an operating antioxidant system involving SOD, POX and CAT activities in mature leaves.

Proline accumulation and glutamine synthetase activity are increased by salt-induced proteolysis in cashew leaves.

In this study cashew (Anacardium occidentale) plants were exposed to a short- and long-term exposure to NaCl in order to establish the importance of the salt-induced proteolysis and the glutamine synthetase activity on the proline accumulation. The cashew leaf showed a prominent proline accumulation in response to salt stress. In contrast, the root tissue had no significant changes in proline content even after the drastic injury caused by salinity on the whole plant. The leaf proline accumulation was correlated to protease activity, accumulation of free amino acid and ammonia, and decrease of both total protein and chlorophyll contents. The leaf GS activity was increased by the salt stress whereas in the roots it was slightly lowered. Although the several amino acids in the soluble pool of leaf tissue have showed an intense increment in its concentrations in the salt-treated plants, proline was the unique to show a proportional increment from 50 to 100 mol m-3 NaCl exposure (16.37 to 34.35 mmol kg-1 DM, respectively). Although the leaf glutamate concentration increased in the leaves of the salt-stressed cashew plants, as compared to control, its relative contribution to the total amino acid decreased significantly in stressed leaves when compared to other amino acids. In addition, when the leaf discs were incubated with NaCl in the presence of exogenous precursors (Glu, Gln, Orn or Arg) involved in the proline synthesis pathways, the glutamate was unique in inducing a significant enhancement of the proline accumulation compared to those discs with precursor in the absence of NaCl. These results, together with the salt-induced increase in the GS activity, suggest an increase in the de novo synthesis of proline probably associated with the increase of the concentration of glutamate. Moreover, the prominent salt-induced proline accumulation in the leaves was associated with the higher salt-sensitivity in terms of proteolysis and salt-induced senescence as compared to the roots. In conclusion, the leaf-proline accumulation was due, at least in part, to the increase in the salt-induced proteolysis associated with the increments in the GS activity and hence the increase in the concentration of glutamate precursor in the soluble amino acid pool.