Mental health literacy questionnaire-short version for adults (MHLq-SVa): validation study in China, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Thailand, and the United States.

BACKGROUND: Mental Health Literacy (MHL) has become a focus of research in recent decades, as a prerequisite for early identification and intervention for mental health problems. Although several instruments have been developed for assessing MHL, there is a need for brief and psychometrically sound measures to capture important aspects of MHL in large and diverse adult samples. The present study aimed to: (1) provide a revised and shorter version of a previously validated questionnaire for assessing MHL; and (2) examine the psychometric properties of the MHLq-SVa in student samples from six different countries (China, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Thailand, and United States). METHODS: The study involved 2180 senior school and undergraduate students, aged between 17 and 25 years old, from China, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Thailand, and the United States. Participants responded to the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire for young adults (MHLq-ya), in their native language, following its translation and adaptation for each culture. The MHLq-ya comprises 29 items, organized into four dimensions: Knowledge of mental health problems; Erroneous beliefs/stereotypes; First-aid skills and help-seeking behavior; Self-help strategies. Confirmatory factor analyses and internal consistency analyses were performed on the combined data. RESULTS: Data from the different countries supported a shorter version of the questionnaire (MHLq-SVa), composed of 16 items that fit with previously defined dimensions. Internal consistency and between-factor correlations further supported the adequacy of the instrument's psychometric properties. CONCLUSION: The study provided preliminary support for the construct validity and reliability of the MHLq-SVa as a measure for assessing MHL in young adults from six different countries and languages. Future studies are needed to further validate the measure and undertake multicultural comparisons of MHL in diverse samples from around the globe.

The Roles of a Fracture Liaison Service.

The roles of a fracture liaison service (FLS) are extensive and include, but are not limited to: 1) providing a standardized framework for the evaluation and management of low-energy fractures, also known as fragility fractures; 2) improving patient outcomes through the recognition of fragility fractures as signal events requiring further diagnostic explanation; and 3) lowering direct and indirect healthcare expenditures. One of the central tenets of the FLS is its recognition of fragility fractures as warning signs of underlying pathology, often osteoporosis or other metabolic bone diseases. This understanding, combined with the application of a multidisciplinary management team specialized in diagnosing and treating such pathologies, allows for better short- and long-term management of patients and concordant improvement in outcomes. This article should be viewed as a thematic introduction to the FLS, with others in this volume each illustrating specific examples of how FLS paradigms facilitate the roles described herein.

Prosocial Tendencies Measure Validation for Portuguese Late Adolescents

O Questionário de Tendências Prossociais (MTP) de Carlo e Randall (2002) é amplamente usado para avaliar tendências prossociais. Partindo do pressuposto de que existem diferenças no comportamento pró-social entre adolescentes e adultos, o presente estudo teve como objetivo validar a versão em português do MTP com uma amostra de adolescentes. Este instrumento avalia seis tipos diferentes de tendências prossociais: altruísta, anónima, emergência, emocional, complacente e pública. Desenhado para confirmar esta estrutura fatorial do MTP com adolescentes portugueses, este estudo recolheu as perceções de um total de 1313 adolescentes a frequentar o ensino secundário. A análise fatorial confirmatória corroborou a estrutura de seis fatores da validação original. Além disso, considerando o ano escolar e o género dos alunos, a análise de invariância foi executada e atestou a invariância configural, métrica (parcialmente para género) e escalar (parcialmente para ano escolar e género) do MTP. Estes resultados demonstram ainda que a versão portuguesa MTP é confiável, aumentando a utilidade deste instrumento para avaliar comportamentos prossociais na adolescência.

The Prosocial Tendencies Measure (PTM; Carlo & Randall, 2002) is widely used for assessing prosocial tendencies. Assuming that there are differences in prosocial behavior between adolescents and adults, the current study aimed to further validate the Portuguese version of the PTM for adolescents. This instrument assesses six different types of prosocial tendencies ­ altruism, anonymous, dire, emotional, compliant and public. Designed to confirm this structure with Portuguese adolescents, this study collected a total of 1313 high school students' prosocial behaviors perceptions. Confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the six-factor structure of the original validation. Furthermore, considering the students' school year and gender, invariance analysis was executed and attested the PTM's configural, metric (partially for gender) and scalar (partially for school year and gender) invariance. These findings further demonstrate that the Portuguese version of the PTM is reliable, enhancing the utility of this instrument to assess prosocial behaviors in adolescence.

Socioemotional Skills Program with a Group of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Young Adolescents: Impacts on Self-Concept and Emotional and Behavioral Problems.

There is significant evidence that emphasizes the importance of social and emotional learning in schools for students' positive development and adjustment. The main goal of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a socioemotional skills promotion program, implemented with a group of socioculturally vulnerable young adolescents. Data were collected in the 2020-2021 school year from all students from 6th grade (n = 50, from four classes) in a high-risk school in Portugal (56% females). Two classes served as the comparison group. Participants responded to self-concept and emotional and behavioral problems measures at two moments (pre- and post-intervention). Results indicated a significant impact on self-concept, namely an increase in behavioral adjustment, happiness, and satisfaction and a decrease in anxiety in the intervention group compared with the comparison group. These findings support intervention efficacy. Educational implications are discussed.

Correction: Direct antiviral agents for hepatitis C and drug interaction risk: A retrospective cohort study with real and simulated data on medication interaction, prevalence of comorbidities and comedications.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245767.].

Water Footprint of soybean, cotton, and corn crops in the western region of Bahia State / Pegada Hídrica das culturas de soja, algodão e milho na região oeste do Estado da Bahia

ABSTRACT Water catchment to subsidize agricultural activities is estimated at 70% of world consumption. In the western region of Bahia, the main agricultural center of the state, there is intensive use of water for the production of agricultural commodities. In regions with high water demand, quantification of the use of this resource can be performed using anthropic pressure indicators, such as the Water Footprint. Thus, this work determined the Water Footprint of the soybean, cotton, and corn crops produced in the western region of Bahia State. In order to determine the Water Footprint, data of the environmental characteristics and crop production in the region were used, were obtained from different Brazilian public and private institutions. The calculation of Water Footprint of the crops was performed by the sum of the green, blue, and gray components. The average Water Footprint between 2012 and 2017 for soybean corresponded to 1,972.3 m3 t-1, with cotton at 1,825.2 m3 t-1, and corn 512.4 m3 t-1. The analyses of the results and the comparison with the values of the Water Footprint of other regions demonstrate that the edaphoclimatic conditions of the western region of Bahia are propitious to the development of these crops.

RESUMO A captação de água doce para subsidiar as atividades agrícolas é estimada em 70% do consumo mundial. Na região oeste da Bahia, maior polo agrícola do estado, verifica-se o uso intensivo de água para a produção de commodities agrícolas. Em regiões com elevada demanda de água, a quantificação do uso desse recurso pode ser realizada utilizando indicadores da pressão antrópica, como a Pegada Hídrica. Deste modo, este trabalho determinou as Pegadas Hídricas das culturas de soja, algodão e milho produzidas na região oeste do Estado da Bahia. A fim de se determinar a Pegada Hídrica foram utilizados dados das características ambientais e de produção das culturas na região, os quais foram obtidos de diferentes instituições públicas e privadas do país. O cálculo das Pegadas Hídricas das culturas foi realizado pela soma das componentes verde, azul e cinza. A Pegada Hídrica média entre 2012 e 2017 para a soja correspondeu a 1.972,3 m3 t-1, sendo a do algodão de 1.825,2 m3 t-1 e a do milho de 512,4 m3 t-1. Na análise dos resultados obtidos e na comparação com os valores de Pegada Hídrica de outras regiões, demonstrou-se que as condições edafoclimáticas da região oeste da Bahia são propícias ao desenvolvimento dessas culturas.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus in risk populations and blood donors in a referral hospital in the south of Brazil.

The prevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) antibodies has a high heterogeneity worldwide. South American data are still scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of HEV in populations at risk in comparison to blood donors (BD). A cross-sectional study was carried out in adults of different risk populations including crack users (CK), residents in a low income area (LIA), cirrhotic (CIR) and liver transplant patients (LT) compared with BD. The WANTAI HEV ELISA test was used and real-time PCR (in-house for screening and ALTONA as confirmatory test) for HEV RNA screening. A total of 400 participants were included. Anti-HEV IgG was positive in 19.5% of the total sample, reaching the highest rate in the CIR group, 22.5%, followed by CK, LT, and LIA (20%, 18.7%, and 17.5%, respectively). The prevalence found in BD individuals was of 18.7% (p = NS). Anti-HEV IgM was positive in only 1.5% of the sample (6/400). No blood or stools samples were positive for HEV RNA. The seroprevalence reported is among the highest rates ever found in Brazil. Considering the intense diagnostic investigation, data show that HEV circulation is more common that might be expected in our country.

Direct antiviral agents for hepatitis C and drug interaction risk: A retrospective cohort study with real and simulated data on medication interaction, prevalence of comorbidities and comedications.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: Comorbidities and comedication are common in patients with hepatitis C, which could result in a risk of drug-drug interaction. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of comorbidities, comedication and drug-drug interactions involving direct-acting antivirals in this population. METHODS: Comorbidities and comedications were evaluated in a retrospective cohort of hepatitis C patients. Drug-drug interactions were estimated in real life and with simulated data on comedications following drug regimens: telaprevir; elbasvir/grazoprevir, ombitasvir/paritaprevir/r/ritonavir (2D regimen), and sofosbuvir/simeprevir, sofosbuvir/daclatasvir, sofosbuvir/ledipasvir; 2D/dasabuvir (3D regimen); glecaprevir/pibrentasvir and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir. The interactions were evaluated according to the University of Liverpool database. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS® 18.0. RESULTS: Data from 1433 patients with hepatitis C were evaluated. The mean patient age was 51.7 years (SD ± 10.7), and 50.6% were female. Direct-acting antivirals were prescribed for 345 (24.1%) patients, and a sustained virological response occurred in 264 (76.5%). The main comorbidities were systemic arterial hypertension [436 (30.4%)], diabetes mellitus [352 (24.6%)] and depression [130 (9.1%)]. The mean number of comorbidities was 1.52 (median [IQR] of 1.00 [1.00-2.00]). The mean number of comedications was 3.16 (median [IQR] of 3.00 [1.00-5.00]). A total of 12916 drug-drug interactions were found, of which 1.859 (14.4%) were high risk, with a mean of 1.29 ± 3.13 per patient. The 3D regimen, as well as glecaprevir/pibrentasvir and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir, presented the highest drug-drug interaction indexes. CONCLUSION: Comorbidities and comedications are common in patients with hepatitis C, as are drug-drug interactions. Even when second generation drugs are used, the occurrence of drug-drug interactions still presents a significant risk.

Biogas from Tannery Solid Waste Anaerobic Digestion Is Driven by the Association of the Bacterial Order Bacteroidales and Archaeal Family Methanosaetaceae.

The search for renewable energies has been one of the biggest challenges of the last decades. Sludge and solid wastes of many sources have been used to produce biogas of high calorific value. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the biogas production of solid waste originating from a tannery that uses chromium salts as a tanning agent and to characterize the physicochemical parameters and microbial composition of the biogas-producing biomass. Wastes were collected and the parameters were evaluated at the initial and final time points of the anaerobic incubation process. At the end of 150 days, there was a production of 26.1 mL g-1 VSS of biogas with 52% of methane. The highest amount of biomethane observed was related to the archaeal family Methanosaetaceae and bacterial order Bacteroidales. Knowledge about changes in the microbial composition can provide tools for manipulation, isolation, and inoculation of the microorganisms inside the bioreactors to maximize methane production.

Characterization of Staphylococcus species isolated in production stages of brazilian colonial cheese

Colonial cheese is a culturally and economically important product from the south of Brazil. As most of its production is artisanal, the technology employed is mostly knowledge passed down from one generation to the next according to family tradition and may be produced with raw or pasteurized milk. It is noted for its spicy flavour and variable composition and is often classified as a medium to high-moisture cheese. This intrinsic feature increases the risk of microbial spoilage and food poisoning. One of the main bio-indicators of contamination in colonial cheese is coagulase positive Staphylococcus. The purpose of this study was the phenotypic identification of Staphylococcus species isolated from the products and surfaces in the main production stages of colonial cheese. Staphylococcus sp. isolates from the food and the production environment were obtained from two colonial cheese-production agro-industries in Rio Grande do Sul. Samples of fresh milk, curd, ripening and final colonial cheese were collected. In addition, surface sampling was performed on the coagulation tanks, production tables, molds, cheese ripening shelves and on the hands of the handlers. Staphylococcus sp. isolates in the cheese and the production environments tested in this study were identified by phenotypic techniques through biochemical and MALDI-TOF MS analyses. These isolates were subjected to gene expression analysis for enterotoxins A, B, C, D, and E. All isolates (72) were identified as Staphylococcus sp., and 43% of the total isolates tested were coagulase positive. Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant species in the raw milk and production tanks. Regarding coagulase negative staphylococci isolates, S. warneri and S. sciuri were most abundant. The sea and seb genes were detected in 4% of the Staphylococcus isolates. The results indicate eleven different species of Staphylococcus present in the colonial cheese production environments studied. The predominant presence of S. aureus in the different samples of milk, curd, ripened cheese, ready-to-eat cheese and hands of the handlers indicates that there are issues with the selection of milk-producing animals, pasteurization process and/or hygiene control of handlers. The sea and seb genes were detected in samples of raw milk and colonial cheese. No enterotoxin genes were detected in coagulase negative staphylococci.

Clinical and epidemiological profile of HCV genotype 3 patients in southern Brazil

Introduction: Despite the emergence of new treatments for HCV genotype 3 (HCV G3), there is still a lack of data about this particular subgroup in Brazil. Our objective was to describe clinical and sociodemographic variables and treatment profile of HCV G3 Brazilian patients. Methods: This was a descriptive, retrospective study, performed in a specialized center for HCV treatment in the South Region of Brazil. Medical records of patients diagnosed with HCV G3 were reviewed to collect clinical, sociodemographic, and treatment information. Results: Participants included total of 564 patients, with a mean age of 59.3 years (SD = 10.5). Cirrhosis was present in 54.4% of patients. The most common coexisting conditions were systemic arterial hypertension (36.6%) and diabetes mellitus (30%). Regarding treatment, 25.2% of the patients were treatment-naïve and 74.8% were currently under treatment (11.6%) or had received a previous treatment (87%). The most frequent ongoing treatment was sofosbuvir + daclatasvir (± ribavirin) (87.8%). Of the 388 patients who had at least one previous treatment, 67% achieved sustained virologic response in the last treatment. Caucasian / white, non-obese, transplanted patients, those with longer time since diagnosis and with cirrhosis were more likely to receive treatment, according to multivariate analysis. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were 64.1% less likely to be on treatment during the study period than those without this condition; patients with chronic kidney disease were 2.91-fold more likely to have an interruption of treatment than those without this condition. Conclusion: This study describes a large sample of Brazilian patients with HCV G3. Treatment patterns were mainly influenced by the presence of HCV complications and comorbidities.(AU)

NMR metabolomics to study the metabolic response of human osteoblasts to non-poled and poled poly (L-lactic) acid.

Untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics was employed, for the first time to our knowledge, to characterize the metabolome of human osteoblast (HOb) cells and extracts in the presence of non-poled or negatively poled poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA). The metabolic response of these cells to this polymer, extensively used in bone regeneration strategies, may potentially translate into useful markers indicative of in vivo biomaterial performance. We present preliminary results of multivariate and univariate analysis of NMR spectra, which have shown the complementarity of lysed cells and extracts in terms of information on cell metabolome, and unveil that, irrespective of poling state, PLLA-grown cells seem to experience enhanced oxidative stress and activated energy metabolism, at the cost of storage lipids and glucose. Possible changes in protein and nucleic acid metabolisms were also suggested, as well as enhanced membrane biosynthesis. Therefore, the presence of PLLA seems to trigger cell catabolism and anti-oxidative protective mechanisms in HOb cells, while directing them towards cellular growth. This was not sufficient, however, to lead to a visible cell proliferation enhancement in the presence of PLLA, although a qualitative tendency for negatively poled PLLA to be more effective in sustaining cell growth than non-poled PLLA was suggested. These preliminary results indicate the potential of NMR metabolomics in enlightening cell metabolism in response to biomaterials and their properties, justifying further studies of the fine effects of poled PLLA on these and other cells of significance in tissue regeneration strategies.

Functionalized-ferroelectric-coating-driven enhanced biomineralization and protein-conformation on metallic implants.

In the context of bone regeneration, it is important to have platforms that with appropriate stimuli can support the attachment and direct the growth, proliferation and differentiation of cells. In the orthopedic field, metals and alloys are still the dominant materials used as implants, though their bioinert character leads to failure or to the need for multiple revision procedures. To respond to this situation here we exploit an alternative strategy for bone implants or repairs, based on charge mediating signals for bone regeneration, envisaged as a type of biological micro-electromechanical system (BioMEM). This strategy includes coating metallic 316L-type stainless steel substrates with ferroelectric LiTaO3 layers functionalized via electrical charging or UV-light irradiation. We show that the formation of surface calcium phosphates and protein adsorption are considerably enhanced for 316L-type stainless steel functionalized ferroelectric coatings. Our findings go beyond the current knowledge and demonstrate that the protein conformation is sensitive to the type of charge functionalization of the ferroelectric coatings. Our approach can be viewed as a set of guidelines for the development of electrically functionalized platforms that can stimulate tissue regeneration, promoting direct integration of the implant in the host tissue and hence contributing ultimately to reducing implant failure.

Pharmacokinetics comparison of two pegylated interferon alfa formulations in healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Several countries have used pegylation technology to improve the pharmacokinetic properties of essential drugs. Recently, a novel interferon alfa-2b protein conjugated to four-branched 12 kDa polyethylene glycol molecules was developed jointly between Cuba and Brazil. The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic properties of BIP48 (pegylated interferon alfa-2b from Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz, Brazil) to those of PEGASYS® (commercially available pegylated interferon alfa-2a from Roche Pharmaceutical). METHODS: This phase I, single-centre, randomized, double-blind crossover trial enrolled 31 healthy male volunteers aged 19 to 35 who were allocated to two stages, either side of a 5-week wash-out period, with each arm lasting 14 consecutive days after subcutaneous administration of 180 µg of one formulation or the other (study or comparator). The main outcome variable was serum pegylated interferon concentrations in 15 samples collected during the course of the study and tested using an enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: There were no differences between formulations in terms of magnitude or absorption parameters. Analysis of time parameters revealed that BIP48 remained in the body significantly longer than PEGASYS® (Tmax: 73 vs. 54 h [p = 0.0010]; MRT: 133 vs. 115 h [p = 0.0324]; ke: 0.011 vs. 0.013 h(-1) [p = 0.0153]; t1/2: 192 vs. 108 h [p = 0.0218]). CONCLUSION: BIP48 showed the expected pharmacokinetic profile for a pegylated product with a branched molecular structure. Compared to PEGASYS®, the magnitude absorption was similar, but time parameters were consistent with slower elimination. Further studies should be conducted to evaluate the clinical implications of these findings. A phase II-III repeated-dose clinical trial is ongoing to study these findings in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov platform (accession number NCT01889849 ). This trial was retrospectively registered in June 2013.

Parenting and Parental Involvement in Secondary School: Focus Groups with Adolescents' Parents / Parentalidade e Envolvimento Parental no Ensino Secundário: Grupos Focais com Pais de Adolescentes / Responsabilidad Parental e Envolvimiento Parental en la Educación Secundaria: Grupos Focales con Padres de Adolescentes

Abstract: Parental role in the adolescents' development is widely described as challenging, particularly regarding their involvement in school education. With the aim of examining parents' perceptions about parenting role, parental involvement and family-school partnership in the secondary school, two focus groups were conducted with parents in two public schools. Results, overall, indicate that the establishment of rules, monitoring and support were very challenging and important to the adolescents' development. Parental involvement change throughout school and several reasons were pointed out to the changes observed in secondary school: the demands of the level of education, the lack of time, adolescents' autonomy, , and teachers' communication style. Regarding family-school relations, the parents shared different experiences about the way the partnership was promoted and developed.

Resumo: O papel dos pais no desenvolvimento dos adolescentes é amplamente descrito como sendo desafiante, em particular quanto ao seu envolvimento na educação escolar. Com o objetivo de analisar as perceções de pais de adolescentes sobre o papel parental, o envolvimento parental e a parceria família-escola no ensino secundário foram conduzidos dois grupos focais em duas escolas públicas. Os resultados, globalmente, indicam que o estabelecimento de regras, a monitorização e o apoio são funções parentais desafiantes e importantes no desenvolvimento dos adolescentes. O envolvimento parental altera-se durante a escolaridade e várias razões foram apontadas para as mudanças no ensino secundário: as exigências deste nível de escolaridade, a falta de tempo, a autonomização dos adolescentes e o estilo de comunicação dos professores. Quanto às relações família-escola, os pais partilharam experiências diferenciadas sobre a promoção e desenvolvimento desta parceria.

Resumen: El papel de los padres en el desarrollo de los adolescentes es ampliamente descrito como desafiante, especialmente su participación en la educación escolar. Con objeto de analizar la percepción de los padres sobre la responsabilidad parental, el envolvimiento de los padres y la colaboración familia-escuela en la educación secundaria, se realizaron dos grupos focales en dos escuelas publicas. Los resultados globalmente indican que el establecimiento de normas, la supervisión y el apoyo son funciones parentales desafiantes e importantes en el desarrollo de los adolescentes. El involucramiento parental se altera durante la escolarización y varias razones fueron apuntadas para los cambios en la educación secundaria: las exigencias de este nivel de educación, la falta de tiempo, la autonomía de los adolescentes y el estilo de comunicación de los profesores. Respecto a las relaciones familia-escuela, los padres compartieron diferentes experiencias en la promoción y desarrollo de esta alianza.

Larvicidal and Growth-Inhibitory Activity of Entomopathogenic Bacteria Culture Fluids Against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika are important vector-borne diseases, and Aedes aegypti L. is their main transmitter. As the disease management is mainly based on mosquito control strategies, the search for alternative and cost-effective approaches is ongoing. The Gram-negative bacteria Xenorhabdus nematophila and Photorhabdus luminescens are symbiotically associated with entomopathogenic nematodes and are highly pathogenic for insect larvae. After we have recently confirmed the toxicity of these bacteria in Ae. aegypti larvae, we here evaluated the toxic activity of culture fluids on the development of this mosquito species. Larval susceptibility was assessed by exposing larvae to different concentrations of P. luminescens or X. nematophila culture fluids to confirm whether secondary metabolites might cause the mosquitos' death. Xenorhabdus nematophila culture fluid was more effective and stable during the mosquito pathogenicity bioassays compared to that of P. luminescens. Larval mortality started a few hours after exposure of the insects to the fluids. Furthermore, the residual effect of larvicidal activity of X. nematophila fluid persisted at full efficiency for 4 d. Particularly, larval mortality was still higher than 50% for up to 8 d. Exposure of larvae to a sublethal dose of X. nematophila fluid delayed pupation as well as emergence of adult mosquitoes and caused cumulative larval mortality higher than 90% by day 14. Here, we describe for the first time the use of stable culture fluids and therefore secondary metabolites of P. luminescens and X. nematophila as a promising basis for the use as biopesticide for control of Ae. aegypti in the future.

Microbial contamination in industrial tofu / Contaminação microbiana em tofu industrial

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality of tofu sold in supermarkets in Porto Alegre/Brazil. Bacteria counts were performed for Bacillus cereus , mesophilic, coliforms and Staphylococcus coagulase positive and negative. The presence of Listeria sp. was also evaluated. Two different brands of tofu (A and B) were collected, one lot per month, for six months. Five samples from each lot were analyzed. All lots presented mesophilic aerobic counts above 4.3x105CFU g-1. Four of the six lots from brand A and all lots from brand B showed E. coli and/or Staphylococcus coagulase positive counts above the Brazilian law accepted limits. The Staphylococcus coagulase negative counts were higher than those of coagulase positive in all lots. In all lots where Staphylococcus coagulase positive counts were above the legal limit, there were counts of coagulase negative above 104CFU g-1. B. cereus and Listeria sp. were not found in either brand. The majority of lots of brand A and all lots of brand B were unsuitable for human consumption. Our results showed that there are problems in tofu manufacturing in both industries analyzed. There is a need of improvement on its microbial quality to avoid problems of food-borne illness, and finally the need of a better control by the Brazilian inspection services.

RESUMO: Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade microbiológica de queijo tofu comercializados em um supermercado da cidade de Porto Alegre, RS. Foram realizadas contagens de Bacillus cereus , bactérias mesófilas, coliformes, Staphylococcus coagulase positive e negativo e, a pesquisa de Listeria sp. Foi realizada a coleta de duas diferentes marcas (A e B), com um lote por mês, durante seis meses; sendo analisadas cinco amostras de cada lote. Todos os lotes apresentaram contagens de mesófilos aeróbios acima de 4,3x105UFC g-1. Quatro dos seis lotes da marca A e todos os lotes da marca B apresentaram contagens de E. coli e/ou Staphylococcus coagulase positive acima do permitido pela legislação vigente. As contagens de Staphylococcus coagulase negativos foram superiores às contagens dos coagulase positivos em todos os lotes. Nos lotes em que foram encontradas contagens fora do padrão estabelecido para os Staphylococcus coagulase positivos, havia contagens dos coagulase negativos acima de 104UFC g-1. Não foram isolados B. cereus e Listeria sp. Ambas as marcas apresentaram sérios problemas sanitários, pois a maioria dos lotes da marca A e todos os lotes da marca B estavam impróprios para o consumo mesmo na ausência dos outros patógenos pesquisados. Nossos resultados mostram que há problemas sérios na produção de tofu em ambas as indústrias analisadas. Existe a necessidade de melhorias no sistema de produção para evitar a ocorrência de doenças causadas por este alimento e, também, que deve haver um maior controle da qualidade deste alimento pelos serviços de fiscalização.

Nos rastros do conceito de pedagogias culturais: invenção, disseminação e usos / On the trails of the concept of cultural pedagogies - invention, dissemination and use

RESUMO: Este artigo visa apresentar, analisar e discutir as condições vinculadas ao aparecimento, à disseminação e aos usos do conceito de pedagogias culturais no campo dos Estudos Culturais em Educação, especialmente no Brasil. Para o exame das injunções aí implicadas, são explorados sentidos do termo "invenção", adotado nas ciências humanas e sociais. Analisam-se as contribuições de David Trend, Henry Giroux, Shirley Steinberg e Joe Kincheloe e Elizabeth Ellsworth, pesquisadores particularmente associados a formulações e desdobramentos do conceito. Tais legados são articulados com o objetivo de mostrar os fios que nos permitem vislumbrar as tramas desse processo de invenção.

ABSTRACT: This article aims to present, analyze and discuss of the conditions linked to the appearance, dissemination and use of the concept of cultural pedagogies in the Cultural Studies field in Education, especially in the Brazilian academic context. To examine the injunctions involved, this paper explores the meaning of the term 'invention' as adopted in humanities and social sciences. It analyzes the contributions by David Trend, Henry Giroux, Shirley Steinberg and Joe Kincheloe and Elizabeth Ellsworth, researchers especially associated with the formulations and consequences of the concept. The knowledge of these legacies give us the tools that allow us to glimpse the weft of this invention process.

Cursos de especialização em Saúde da Família: o que muda no trabalho com a formação? / Cursos de especialización en Salud de la Familia: qué cambia en el trabajo con la formación? / Specialization training courses on Family Health: what can training change in the work?

A persistência de práticas orientadas pelo modelo biomédico e a desconexão entre trabalho e formação são apontadas como desafios para a Atenção Primária à Saúde no Brasil, que vêm sendo enfrentados com cursos de especialização. A partir da percepção de egressos, este artigo analisa as mudanças ocorridas no trabalho, decorrentes da formação em saúde da família e comunidade. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, realizado no Distrito Federal com médicos, enfermeiros e cirurgiões dentistas, por meio de: questionário eletrônico, entrevistas semiestruturadas e grupo focal. Da análise temática de conteúdo, surgiram duas categorias: “abriu-se um universo de conhecimentos” e “um novo modo de fazer em um contexto adverso”. O contexto é limitador, mas a formação teve potência para mobilizar um conjunto de ingredientes necessários para gerar a competência profissional.

La persistencia de prácticas orientadas por el modelo biomédico y la falta de articulación entre trabajo y formación son apuntadas como importantes desafios para la Atención Primaria de la Salud en Brasil, cosa que está siendo actualmente enfrendada con la organización de cursos de especialización en salud familiar y comunitaria. Desde la percepción de alumnos graduados, este artículo analiza los cambios en el propio trabajo después de haber finalizado el curso. Éste es un estudio cualitativo realizado en el Distrito Federal con médicos, enfermeras y odontólogos. Del análisis temático del contenido emergieron dos categorías: “se nos ha abierto un universo de conocimiento” y “ésta es una nueva forma de hacer en un entorno difícil“. El contexto es un fator limitante, pero la formación pose la potencia para poder movilizar un conjunto de ingredientes necesarios para generar la competencia profesional.

The persistence of bio-medically oriented practices and the mismatch between training and work are identified as the challenges for the rolling out of Primary Health Care (PHC) in Brazil. This paper analyzes work changes in PHC after following specialization level training courses on community and family health, from the point of view of the trained professionals. It is a qualitative study carried on from 2011 to 2013 in the Federal District (DF) involving doctors, nurses and dentists. Data was collected with the use of digital questionnaires, semistructured interviews and focal groups. From the thematic content analysis, two categories emerged: “a universe of knowledge has opened up” and a “new way of doing things in an adverse working environment”. The context of the PHC in DF is a constraint but the training had the potential to generate professional competences.

Measuring parental and family efficacy beliefs of adolescents' parents: Cross-cultural comparisons in Italy and Portugal.

The goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Perceived Parental Self-Efficacy (PPSE) and Perceived Family Collective Efficacy (PFCE) revised scales in the Portuguese and Italian contexts. To this aim two studies were conducted: the first reported the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses with Portuguese samples, whereas the second addressed the cross-cultural invariance of PPSE and PFCE (Portugal and Italy). Results of the first study showed the appropriate fit of the unifactorial model of both scales to Portuguese data. The invariance analyses performed in the second study attested to the PPSE and PFCE's configural, metric and scalar invariance in both countries. The correlations of PPSE and PFCE with communication, management of conflict and children's school achievement further attested to their construct and practical validity. Thus, PPSE and PFCE proved to be suitable to further use in research and psychological assessment fields.