Trauma and countertransference: development and validity of the Assessment of Countertransference Scale (ACS)

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the construct validity of the Assessment of Countertransference Scale (ACS) in the context of the trauma care, through the identification of the underlying latent constructs of the measured items and their homogeneity. Methods: ACS assesses 23 feelings of CT in three factors: closeness, rejection and indifference. ACS was applied to 50 residents in psychiatry after the first appointment with 131 victims of trauma consecutively selected during 4 years. ACS was analyzed by exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analysis, internal consistence and convergent-discriminant validity. Results: In spite of the fact that closeness items obtained the highest scores, the EFA showed that the factor rejection (24% of variance, alpha = 0.88) presented a more consistent intercorrelation of the items, followed by closeness (15% of variance, alpha = 0.82) and, a distinct factor, sadness (9% of variance, alpha = 0.72). Thus, a modified version was proposed. In the comparison between the original and the proposed version, CFA detected better goodness-of-fit indexes for the proposed version (GFI = 0.797, TLI = 0.867, CFI = 0.885 vs. GFI = 0.824, TLI = 0.904, CFI = 0.918). Conclusions: ACS is a promising instrument for assessing CT feelings, making it valid to access during the care of trauma victims.

Recent Advances in the Development of Magnetically Recoverable Metal Nanoparticle Catalysts

The aim of this Account is to provide an overview of our current research activities on the design and modification of superparamagnetic nanomaterials for application in the field of magnetic separation and catalysis. First, an introduction of magnetism and magnetic separation is done. Then, the synthetic strategies that have been developed for generating superparamagnetic nanoparticles spherically coated by silica and other oxides, with a focus on well characterized systems prepared by methods that generate samples of high quality and easy to scale- up, are discussed. A set of magnetically recoverable catalysts prepared in our research group by the unique combination of superparamagnetic supports and metal nanoparticles is highlighted. This Account is concluded with personal remarks and perspectives on this research field.

Optimization of Large-Scale Hydrothermal System Operation

This paper presents the development of a mathematical model to optimize the management and operation of the Brazilian hydrothermal system. The system consists of a large set of individual hydropower plants and a set of aggregated thermal plants. The energy generated in the system is interconnected by a transmission network so it can be transmitted to centers of consumption throughout the country. The optimization model offered is capable of handling different types of constraints, such as interbasin water transfers, water supply for various purposes, and environmental requirements. Its overall objective is to produce energy to meet the country's demand at a minimum cost. Called HIDROTERM, the model integrates a database with basic hydrological and technical information to run the optimization model, and provides an interface to manage the input and output data. The optimization model uses the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) package and can invoke different linear as well as nonlinear programming solvers. The optimization model was applied to the Brazilian hydrothermal system, one of the largest in the world. The system is divided into four subsystems with 127 active hydropower plants. Preliminary results under different scenarios of inflow, demand, and installed capacity demonstrate the efficiency and utility of the model. From this and other case studies in Brazil, the results indicate that the methodology developed is suitable to different applications, such as planning operation, capacity expansion, and operational rule studies, and trade-off analysis among multiple water users. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000149. (C) 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Brazilian sardine (Sardinella brasiliensis Steindachner, 1879) spawning and nursery habitats: spatial-scale partitioning and multiscale relationships with thermohaline descriptors

We provide a detailed account of the spatial structure of the Brazilian sardine (Sardinella brasiliensis) spawning and nursery habitats, using ichthyoplankton data from nine surveys (1976-1993) covering the Southeastern Brazilian Bight (SBB). The spatial variability of sardine eggs and larvae was partitioned into predefined spatial-scale classes (broad scale, 200-500 km; medium scale, 50-100 km; and local scale, <50 km). The relationship between density distributions at both developmental stages and environmental descriptors (temperature and salinity) was also explored within these spatial scales. Spatial distributions of sardine eggs were mostly structured on medium and local scales, while larvae were characterized by broad-and medium-scale distributions. Broad-and medium-scale surface temperatures were positively correlated with sardine densities, for both developmental stages. Correlations with salinity were predominantly negative and concentrated on a medium scale. Broad-scale structuring might be explained by mesoscale processes, such as pulsing upwelling events and Brazil Current meandering at the northern portion of the SBB, while medium-scale relationships may be associated with local estuarine outflows. The results indicate that processes favouring vertical stability might regulate the spatial extensions of suitable spawning and nursery habitats for the Brazilian sardine.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Duke Anticoagulation Satisfaction Scale

Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal reliability and validity of the BrazilianPortuguese version of Duke Anticoagulation Satisfaction Scale (DASS) among cardiovascular patients. Background. Oral anticoagulation is widely used to prevent and treat thromboembolic events in several conditions, especially in cardiovascular diseases; however, this therapy can induce dissatisfaction and reduce the quality of life. Design. Methodological and cross-sectional research design. Methods. The cultural adaptation of the DASS included the translation and back-translation, discussions with healthcare professionals and patients to ensure conceptual equivalence, semantic evaluation and instrument pretest. The BrazilianPortuguese version of the DASS was tested among subjects followed in a university hospital anticoagulation outpatient clinic. The psychometric properties were assessed by construct validity (convergent, known groups and dimensionality) and internal consistency/reliability (Cronbachs alpha). Results. A total of 180 subjects under oral anticoagulation formed the baseline validation population. DASS total score and SF-36 domain correlations were moderate for General health (r = -0.47, p < 0.01), Vitality (r = -0.44, p < 0.01) and Mental health (r = -0.42, p < 0.01) (convergent). Age and length on oral anticoagulation therapy (in years) were weakly correlated with total DASS score and most of the subscales, except Limitation (r = -0.375, p < 0.01) (Known groups). The Cronbachs alpha coefficient was 0.79 for the total scale, and it ranged from 0.76 (hassles and burdens)0.46 (psychological impact) among the domains, confirming the internal consistency reliability. Conclusions. The BrazilianPortuguese version of the DASS has shown levels of reliability and validity comparable with the original English version. Relevance to clinical practice. Healthcare practitioners and researchers need internationally validated measurement tools to compare outcomes of interventions in clinical management and research tools in oral anticoagulation therapy.

Recent advances in the development of magnetically recoverable metal nanoparticle catalysts

The aim of this Account is to provide an overview of our current research activities on the design and modification of superparamagnetic nanomaterials for application in the field of magnetic separation and catalysis. First, an introduction of magnetism and magnetic separation is done. Then, the synthetic strategies that have been developed for generating superparamagnetic nanoparticles spherically coated by silica and other oxides, with a focus on well characterized systems prepared by methods that generate samples of high quality and easy to scale-up, are discussed. A set of magnetically recoverable catalysts prepared in our research group by the unique combination of superparamagnetic supports and metal nanoparticles is highlighted. This Account is concluded with personal remarks and perspectives on this research field.

Postpartum depression and child development in first year of life

The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of infant development at four, eight and twelve months of age, as result of postpartum depression. The prevalence of Postpartum Depression - measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale - at four months after delivery was 30.3%; at eight months, 26.4%; and at 12 months, 25.0%. Chi-square tests were used to compare children of mothers with and without Postpartum Depression in relation to developmental milestones. It was found developmental delay in infants of mothers with Postpartum Depression in: two interactional indicators at four months, two motor indicators at eight months and one gross motor indicator at twelve months. However, children of mothers with Postpartum Depression showed better results in one fine motor and in two language items at 12 months. The results point to the necessity of considering external and internal factors of mother and infant in the study of the effects of maternal depression on child development.

Development of heat sink device by using topology optimization

Small scale fluid flow systems have been studied for various applications, such as chemical reagent dosages and cooling devices of compact electronic components. This work proposes to present the complete cycle development of an optimized heat sink designed by using Topology Optimization Method (TOM) for best performance, including minimization of pressure drop in fluid flow and maximization of heat dissipation effects, aiming small scale applications. The TOM is applied to a domain, to obtain an optimized channel topology, according to a given multi-objective function that combines pressure drop minimization and heat transfer maximization. Stokes flow hypothesis is adopted. Moreover, both conduction and forced convection effects are included in the steady-state heat transfer model. The topology optimization procedure combines the Finite Element Method (to carry out the physical analysis) with Sequential Linear Programming (as the optimization algorithm). Two-dimensional topology optimization results of channel layouts obtained for a heat sink design are presented as example to illustrate the design methodology. 3D computational simulations and prototype manufacturing have been carried out to validate the proposed design methodology.