Habilidades Sociais Educativas Parentais e comportamentos de pré-escolares

O estudo teve por objetivos, a partir dos relatos de 20 mães de crianças com problemas de comportamento (Grupo clínico) e de 20 mães de crianças sem problemas de comportamento (Grupo não clínico): a) comparar as freqüências das habilidades sociais e dos problemas de comportamento das crianças; b) descrever as situações em que as crianças apresentavam os comportamentos problema e socialmente habilidosos; c) descrever os comportamentos das mães diante dos comportamentos dos filhos; d) descrever os comportamentos dos filhos diante dos comportamentos maternos. Pré-escolares foram selecionados por professoras que responderam a uma escala e os dados foram coletados através de entrevista e de escala com as mães. Os resultados indicaram que as crianças do Grupo não clínico apresentaram mais habilidades sociais e menos problemas de comportamento externalizantes que as crianças do Grupo clínico. As mães do Grupo não clínico relataram mais Habilidades Sociais Educativas Parentais de expressão de sentimentos e enfrentamento, e Comunicação e menos práticas negativas, que as mães do Grupo clínico.

Malnutrition in the second year of life and psychosocial care: a case-control study in an urban area of Southeast Brazil

O objetivo do estudo foi identificar e medir a presença de associação entre cuidado psicossocial e desnutrição. Realizou-se estudo caso-controle incluindo 101 crianças desnutridas (peso/idade < percentil 5 do padrão NCHS/OMS), com idades entre 12 e 23 meses, que foram comparadas a 200 controles eutróficos (peso/ idade > percentil 25) em termos de sua exposição a uma série de comportamentos maternos indicadores da qualidade de seu cuidado psicossocial. Criou-se um escore de cuidado psicossocial, variando de 0 a 14, de acordo com o número de comportamentos maternos desejáveis não observados: quanto maior o escore, pior a qualidade do cuidado psicossocial. Mediante análise de regressão logística verificou-se maior risco de desnutrição para as crianças no 2º e 3º tercis do escore de cuidado psicossocial. Esta associação foi modificada pela renda per capita. Após ajustes para possíveis confundidores, nas crianças dos estratos superiores de renda não houve associação entre cuidado psicossocial e desnutrição. Para as crianças com nível mais baixo de renda, pior cuidado psicossocial dobrou o risco de desnutrição (OR = 7,26; IC95%: 2,42-21,82) em relação àquele associado apenas à baixa renda (OR = 3,08; IC95%: 1,28-7,42).

Comportamento de vacas e bezerros Girolandos em pastagem e sua relação com o nível de cortisol fecal como indicador de estresse

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Variations in maternal care alter corticosterone and 17beta-estradiol levels, estrous cycle and folliculogenesis and stimulate the expression of estrogen receptors alpha and beta in the ovaries of UCh rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Single early prenatal lipopolysaccharide exposure impairs striatal monoamines and maternal care in female rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Substrate Preparation Behaviors for the Cultivation of the Symbiotic Fungus in Leaf-Cutting Ants of the Genus Atta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Our findings revealed two distinct patterns of substrate preparation: the pattern of leaf-cutting ants foraging on dicotyledons is marked by highly fragmented substrate resulting in a more advanced initial decomposition. The pattern of leaf-cutting ants harvesting grasses is characterized by large pieces of substrate, resulting in little initial decomposition. Ants foraging on both types of plants are apparently intermediary between the two patterns, although more similar to the patterns of those foraging on dicotyledons. Also, the behavior of scraping the substrate was described for the first time, it is very important for the removal of the epicuticular wax layer of the leaves helping the growth of the symbiotic fungus.

Hypercapnic ventilatory response of anesthetized female rats subjected to neonatal maternal separation: Insight into the origins of panic attacks?

Neonatal maternal separation (NMS) is a form of stress that interferes with the regulation of the stress response, an effect that predisposes to the emergence of panic and anxiety related disorders. We previously showed that at adulthood, awake female (but not male) rats subjected to NMS show a hypercapnic ventilatory response (HCVR; 5% CO(2)) that is 63% greater than controls (Genest et al., 2007). To understand the mechanisms underlying the sex-specific effects of NMS on the ventilatory response to CO(2), we used two different anesthetized female rat preparations to assess central CO(2) chemosensitivity and contribution of sensory afferents (stretch receptors and peripheral chemoreceptors) that influence the HCVR. Data show that anesthesia eliminated the respiratory phenotype observed previously in awake females and CO(2) chemosensitivity did not differ between groups. Finally, the assessment of the ovarian hormone levels across the oestrus cycle failed to reveal significant differences between groups. Since anesthesia did not affect the manifestation of NMS-related respiratory dysfunction in males (including the hypercapnic ventilatory response) (Kinkead et al., 2005; Dumont and Kinkead, 2010), we propose that the panic or anxiety induced by CO(2) during wakefulness is responsible for enhancement of the HCVR in NMS females. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of data structure on the estimation of the additive genetic direct and maternal covariance for early growth traits in Nellore cattle

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of data structure on estimated genetic parameters and predicted breeding values of direct and maternal genetic effects for weaning weight (WW) and weight gain from birth to weaning (BWG), including or not the genetic covariance between direct and maternal effects. Records of 97,490 Nellore animals born between 1993 and 2006, from the Jacarezinho cattle raising farm, were used. Two different data sets were analyzed: DI_all, which included all available progenies of dams without their own performance; DII_all, which included DI_all + 20% of recorded progenies with maternal phenotypes. Two subsets were obtained from each data set (DI_all and DII_all): DI_1 and DII_1, which included only dams with three or fewer progenies; DI_5 and DII_5, which included only dams with five or more progenies. (Co)variance components and heritabilities were estimated by Bayesian inference through Gibbs sampling using univariate animal models. In general, for the population and traits studied, the proportion of dams with known phenotypic information and the number of progenies per dam influenced direct and maternal heritabilities, as well as the contribution of maternal permanent environmental variance to phenotypic variance. Only small differences were observed in the genetic and environmental parameters when the genetic covariance between direct and maternal effects was set to zero in the data sets studied. Thus, the inclusion or not of the genetic covariance between direct and maternal effects had little effect on the ranking of animals according to their breeding values for WW and BWG. Accurate estimation of genetic correlations between direct and maternal genetic effects depends on the data structure. Thus, this covariance should be set to zero in Nellore data sets in which the proportion of dams with phenotypic information is low, the number of progenies per dam is small, and pedigree relationships are poorly known. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association between regular participation in sports and leisure time behaviors in Brazilian adolescents: A cross-sectional study

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Defensive-like behaviors and antinociception induced by NMDA injection into the periaqueductal gray of mice depend on nitric oxide synthesis

Glutamate NMDA receptor activation within the periaqueductal gray (PAG) leads to antinociceptive, autonomic and behavioral responses characterized as the fear reaction. Considering that NMDA receptor triggers activation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), enzyme that produces nitric oxide (NO), this study investigated the effects of intra-PAG infusions of NPLA (N omega-propyl-L-arginine), an nNOS inhibitor, on behavioral and antinociceptive responses induced by local injection of NMDA receptor agonist in mice. The behaviors measured were frequency of jumping and rearing as well as duration (in seconds) of running and freezing. Nociception was assessed during the second phase of the formalin test (injection of 50 mu l of formalin 2.5% into the dorsal surface of the right hind paw). Five to seven days after stereotaxic surgery for intracerebral cannula implantation, mice were injected with formalin into the paw, and 10 min later, they received intra-dPAG injection of NPLA (0, 0.2, or 0.4 nmol/0.1 mu l). Ten minutes later, they were injected with NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate: 0 or 0.04 nmol/0.1 mu l) into the same midbrain site and were immediately placed in glass holding cage for recording the defensive behavior and the time spent on licking the injected paw with formalin during a period of 10 min. Microinjections of NMDA significantly decreased nociception response and produced jumping, running, and freezing reactions. Intra-dPAG injections of NPLA (0.4 nmol) completely blocked the NMDA effects without affecting either behavioral or nociceptive responses in intra-dPAG saline-injected animals, except for the rearing frequency that was increased by the nNOS inhibitor. These results strongly suggest the involvement of NO within the PAG in the antinociceptive and defensive reactions induced by local glutamate NMDA receptor activation in this midbrain structure. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of glutamate NMDA receptors and nitric oxide located within the periaqueductal gray on defensive behaviors in mice confronted by predator

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effect of cocaine on periadolescent rats with or without early maternal separation

Cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization and weight loss were investigated in periadolescent Wistar rats kept with their mothers or subjected to repeated maternal separation. Litters allocated to the separation procedure were placed in a temperature-controlled (33ºC) chamber for 3 h per day from postnatal day 6 (P6) to P20. Non-handled rats were left undisturbed until weaning. Treatments were started on P30-31 and the test was performed on P36-37. Animals received injections of saline or cocaine (10 mg/kg, sc) twice daily for 5 days. on day 6 all animals received saline. on day 7 animals were challenged with 10 mg/kg cocaine and their locomotion was evaluated in activity cages. A third group received saline throughout the 7-day period. Body weights were recorded on P30-31 and P36-37. Two-way ANOVA on body weights showed a main effect of treatment group (F(1,35) = 10.446, P = 0.003; N = 10-12). Non-handled rats treated with cocaine for 5 days gained significantly less weight, while no significant effect was observed in maternally separated rats. Two-way ANOVA revealed a main effect of drug treatment on locomotor activity (F(2,32) = 15.209, P<0.001; N = 6-8), but not on rearing condition (F(1,32)<0.001, P = 0.998). Animals pretreated with cocaine showed a clear behavioral sensitization relative to the saline group. No difference in the magnitude of sensitization was found between separated and non-handled animals. Only the effect of cocaine on weight gain was significantly affected by repeated episodes of early maternal separation during the pre-weaning period.

Maternal separation stress in male mice: long-term increases in alcohol intake

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

H1 but not H2 histamine antagonist receptors mediate anxiety-related behaviors and emotional memory deficit in mice subjected to elevated plus-maze testing

This study investigated the role of H1 and H2 receptors in anxiety and the retrieval of emotional memory using a Trial 1/Trial 2 (T1/T2) protocol in an elevated plus-maze (EPM). Tests were performed on 2 consecutive days, designated T1 and T2. Before T1, the mice received intraperitoneal injections of saline (SAL), 20 mg/kg zolantidine (ZOL, an H2 receptor antagonist), or 8.0 or 16 mg/kg chlorpheniramine (CPA, an H1 receptor antagonist). After 40 min, they were subjected to the EPM test. In T2 (24 h later), each group was subdivided into two additional groups, and the animals from each group were re-injected with SAL or one of the drugs. In T1, the Student t-test showed no difference between the SAL and ZOL or 8 mg/kg CPA groups with respect to the percentages of open arm entries (%OAE) and open arm time (%OAT). However, administration of CPA at the highest dose of 16 mg/kg decreased %OAE and %OAT, but not locomotor activity, indicating anxiogenic-like behavior. Emotional memory, as revealed by a reduction in open arm exploration between the two trials, was observed in all experimental groups, indicating that ZOL and 8 mg/kg CPA did not affect emotional memory, whereas CPA at the highest dose affected acquisition and consolidation, but not retrieval of memory. Taken together, these results suggest that H1 receptor, but not H2, is implicated in anxiety-like behavior and in emotional memory acquisition and consolidation deficits in mice subjected to EPM testing.