Relacionismo substancial: a ontologia do comportamento à luz do behaviorismo radical

Sob a influência do pragmatismo e contextualismo pepperiano, analistas do comportamento extraíram do behaviorismo radical qualquer posição ontológica. Como resultado, há a defesa de um relacionismo radical no qual a única propriedade relevante para a existência do comportamento é a própria relação que o define. O objetivo deste ensaio é avaliar a pertinência dessa posição. Três questões guiram esse trabalho: (1) Por que a substância não é importante para o behaviorismo radical?; (2) Por que a substância é importante para o behaviorismo radical?; e (3) Qual seria, de fato, o posicionamento ontológico mais condizente com o behaviorismo radical? Argumenta-se que o relacionismo radical não reflete com acurácia a ontologia behaviorista radical e sugere-se que o relacionismo substancial seja a posição mais coerente.

Comparison of flow cytometry and indirect immunofluorescence assay in the diagnosis and cure criterion after therapy of American tegumentary leishmaniasis by anti-live Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis immunoglobulin G

The aim of this study was to compare the techniques of indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and flow cytometry to clinical and laboratorial evaluation of patients before and after clinical cure and to evaluate the applicability of flow cytometry in post-therapeutic monitoring of patients with American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL). Sera from 14 patients before treatment (BT), 13 patients 1 year after treatment (AT), 10 patients 2 and 5 years AT were evaluated. The results from flow cytometry were expressed as levels of IgG reactivity, based on the percentage of positive fluorescent parasites (PPFP). The 1:256 sample dilution allowed us to differentiate individuals BT and AT. Comparative analysis of IFA and flow cytometry by ROC (receiver operating characteristic curve) showed, respectively, AUC (area under curve) = 0.8 (95% CI = 0.64–0.89) and AUC = 0.90 (95% CI = 0.75–0.95), demonstrating that the flow cytometry had equivalent accuracy. Our data demonstrated that 20% was the best cut-off point identified by the ROC curve for the flow cytometry assay. This test showed a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 77% while the IFA had a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 85%. The after-treatment screening, through comparative analysis of the technique performance indexes, 1, 2 and 5 years AT, showed an equal performance of the flow cytometry compared with the IFA. However, flow cytometry shows to be a better diagnostic alternative when applied to the study of ATL in the cure criterion. The information obtained in this work opens perspectives to monitor cure after treatment of ATL.