Corticosterone plasma concentrations in Carioca High- and Low-Conditioned freezing rats after a fear conditioned task

Our group in the Psychology Department at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) developed a rat genetic model of extreme freezing in response to contextual cues in an experimental chamber previously associated with footshock. One of the lines, Carioca High Freezing (CHF), exhibits an enhanced conditioned freezing response, whereas the other line, Carioca Low Freezing (CLF), shows the opposite response. The present study investigated corticosterone concentration between these two lines of animals and a random (RND) line of rats both under basal conditions and test condition after an emotional challenge using a contextual fear conditioning protocol. Comparisons between basal and test plasma corticosterone concentrations suggested differential basal and fear-induced differences between the two lines. The differences between basal conditions is an important and relevant aspect to be considered in behavioral experiments using or assessing stress and could help to understand variability in naïve populations.

Psychometric properties of the scale NBAS applied to preterm or low birth weight

Objective: to assess, in a randomized sample of measurements made with the NBAS scale, in preterm and / or low birth weight babies, some psychometric characteristics of the same as her construct validity and internal consistency. Materials and methods: we designed a study of assessment of Psychometric properties. From a study of cross-sectional measurements, there were made assessment of the statistic behavior of the items, individually and in their internal consistency, then, there were carried out, type exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: we find that, in the analysis of preterm or low birth weight babies, the scale remains largely, the overall structure of factors proposed since 1982, in relation to the dimensions of habituation, social interactive and complementary. The items that make up the dimensions of SNA and motor systems are integrated. Also, we found Cronbach alpha values for internal consistency, which reflects higher to medium correlation levels in the behavioral and reflex items. Conclusion: the NBAS scale reflects characteristics of construct validity and internal consistency, which credits it as a useful tool in clinical assessment of neurodevelopmental effects of preterm or low birth weight babies. It is necessary to analyze the structure of the scale when used for purposes of scientific research.

Clinical prediction of occupational and non-specific low back pain

Non-specific Occupational Low Back Pain (NOLBP) is a health condition that generates a high absenteeism and disability. Due to multifactorial causes is difficult to determine accurate diagnosis and prognosis. The clinical prediction of NOLBP is identified as a series of models that integrate a multivariate analysis to determine early diagnosis, course, and occupational impact of this health condition. Objective: to identify predictor factors of NOLBP, and the type of material referred to in the scientific evidence and establish the scopes of the prediction. Materials and method: the title search was conducted in the databases PubMed, Science Direct, and Ebsco Springer, between1985 and 2012. The selected articles were classified through a bibliometric analysis allowing to define the most relevant ones. Results: 101 titles met the established criteria, but only 43 metthe purpose of the review. As for NOLBP prediction, the studies varied in relation to the factors for example: diagnosis, transition of lumbar pain from acute to chronic, absenteeism from work, disability and return to work. Conclusion: clinical prediction is considered as a strategic to determine course and prognostic of NOLBP, and to determine the characteristics that increase the risk of chronicity in workers with this health condition. Likewise, clinical prediction rules are tools that aim to facilitate decision making about the evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis and intervention for low back pain, which should incorporate risk factors of physical, psychological and social.

Frequency of Low-level Mosaicism in X-Cromosome in Couples with Antecedent of Recurrent Miscarriages

Recurrent miscarriage occurs in around 1 to 7 percent of couples. The etiology involves genetic, immunologic, anatomic, hormonal, metabolic, thrombophilic and infectious factors. With the aim of establishing the frequency of low-level mosaicism in the X-chromosome, in a population of couples with prior recurrent miscarriages, a prospective case-control cytogenetic study took place on 20 couples, at the biogenetic laboratory in CECOLFES (Colombian Center of Fertility and Sterility). Clinical pathologic evaluation, anatomic, hormonal, infectious, andrologic and genetic studies were performed. As a conventional method in cytogenetic techniques, banding GTG was used for the study of structural and numeric chromosomal abnormalities whereas the molecular method of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) was used to confirm the mosaicism in sexual chromosomes. According to paraclinic results from the participating couples, diagnosis showed immunologic (75%), anatomic (30%), hormonal (25%), male (25%), infectious (25%), genetic (15%) and idiophatic factors (10%). Results from the cytogenetic analysis, were 10% of low-level mosaicism in the X-chromosome in two women whose final diagnosis included genetic and infectious factors for one and genetic and immunologic factors for the other. Only 10 % of the total miscarriages from the couples were evaluated. Conclusions include aspects such as multifactorial evidence of pathogenesis in recurrent miscarriage, the sub-diagnosis of genetic factors and the need to focus future investigations on cytogenetic interpretation and the clinicalpathological association between low-level mosaicism in the X-cromosome and recurrent miscarriage.

Handgrip strength cut-off for cardiometabolic risk index among Colombian children and adolescents : the FUPRECOL study

Abstract Objective: Evidence shows an association between muscular strength (MS) and health among youth, however low muscular strength cut-points for the detection of high metabolic risk in Latin-American populations are scarce. The aim of this study was two-fold: to explore potential age- and sex-specific thresholds of MS, for optimal cardiometabolic risk categorization among Colombian children and adolescents; and to investigate if cardiometabolic risk differed by MS group by applying the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) cut point. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study (the FUPRECOL study), published elsewhere. The FUPRECOL study assessments were conducted during the 2014– 2015 school year. MS was estimated by a handle dynamometer on 1,950 children and adolescents from Colombia, using the MS relative to weight (handgrip strength/body mass). A metabolic risk score was computed from the following components: waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL-c, glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. ROC analysis showed a significant discriminatory accuracy of MS in identifying the low/high metabolic risk in children and adolescents and both gender. Results: In children, handgrip strength/body mass level for a low metabolic risk were 0.359 and 0.376 in girls and boys, respectively. In adolescents, these points were 0.440 and 0.447 in girls and boys, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, the results suggest a hypothetical MS level relative to weight for having a low metabolic risk, which could be used to identify youths at risk.