O processo de formação de conceitos na perspectiva vigotskiana

In his work on human knowledge, Vygotsky reveals the second human nature, the one which is historical and cultural, due to people´s learning throughout life, through the mediation of others and the concrete conditions of life and education. In this eminently social process, the child grows into the intellectual life having the adult as a peer and learns human skills from this adult-child interaction. This means that, for working with abstract formulation, it is necessary understanding it as a complex, dynamic and functional act that is built by the insertion of individual performance into culture that is mediated by interaction with others. In this setting, each individual reaches knowledge through formal and non-formal learning that help on the formulation of scientific and everyday concepts. To make studies on the process of concept formation, Vygotsky adopted an experimental methodology based on the philosophical assumptions of Marxist theory of how mental processes occur, once he perceived these processes in a constantly changing and moving. Thus, the method called “Instrumental, Cultural and Historical” differed from conventional experimental studies focused on the performance of the task itself. The method adopted by Vygotsky was concerned with the process of concept formation and not only with fragmentary cutouts of cognitive processes. According to our study, the formation of the social nature of man develops from processes of appropriation and objectification of knowledge, which makes individual the historically constructed achievements by mankind, as, for example, types of sophisticated thinking, which requires the discussion of concept formation.

Infância e adolescência na sociedade contemporânea: alguns apontamentos

O objetivo deste trabalho é indicar aspectos que configuram a infância e a adolescência na sociedade contemporânea, especificamente no que diz respeito à relação com o adulto. Este estudo foi desenvolvido a partir da revisão de alguns autores em psicologia e demais áreas afins, e pretende contribuir para o aprofundamento do debate sobre este tema. Na sociedade moderna, as crianças e os adolescentes inserem-se em condições sociais específicas que acentuam a sua dependência frente ao adulto. Hoje, no entanto, há uma nova forma de reconhecimento social dessas fases da vida que enfatiza um tratamento igualitário entre adulto, criança e adolescente. O desvelamento desse processo permite caracterizar os contornos que essas etapas do desenvolvimento humano vêm adquirindo atualmente e suas implicações na vida cotidiana.

Estratégias alimentares de mães de crianças desnutridas e eutróficas: estudo qualitativo mediante observação gravada em vídeo

Neste estudo procurou-se identificar e comparar as estratégias maternas para a alimentação de filhos e as características da interação das mães com crianças desnutridas e eutróficas. Oito pares de mães/crianças desnutridas e oito pares de mães/crianças eutróficas (com idades entre 9 e 24 meses), moradores de áreas pobres, foram observados e filmados durante uma refeição nos domicílios. A partir dos vídeos, as estratégias foram identificadas e os episódios analisados qualitativamente, buscando-se apreender as características peculiares da interação, especialmente a responsividade materna. Não se observaram grandes diferenças nas estratégias utilizadas pelas mães dos dois grupos. As observações de episódios mostraram que alimentar uma criança é um processo altamente interativo, que depende das habilidades e das características de ambos parceiros. O sucesso alimentar pareceu associado a condições contextuais, à responsividade materna, mas, também ao apetite e à flexibilidade da criança. Sugere-se que, nos projetos direcionados a crianças desnutridas, ao lado de suplementos e orientações alimentares se dê atenção especial à autoestima materna e que se capacite as mães a lidar com a criança inapetente.

Anatomic data of the human coronary sinus

The authors studied the formation, tributaries, lenght and the ostium of the coronary sinus, as well as the relationship of the venous walls to the myocardium and to the epicardium. The observations were made out of 143 hearts of subjects of different ages, and it was found that the most frequent display of the coronary sinus valve was a semilunar form (52 adults, 15 youngsters, 2 children, 3 newborn); it was also found valves in a cribiform or septal form. The absence of the valve of coronary sinus was noted in 53 cases (42 adults, 9 youngsters, 2 newborn). The valve of Vieussens was found, in some cases, at the level of the transition between the great cardiac vein and the coronary sinus, as well as others single or double parietal venous valves. The action of the valve of coronary sinus is also discussed by the authors.

Utilidade dos métodos imuno-histoquímicos para o diagnóstico anátomo-patológico.

In order to determine the value of immunohistochemical staining methods for the morphologic diagnosis, we studied 949 histologic specimens sent for consultation to the Immunohistochemistry Laboratory of Department of Pathology of the Medical School of Botucatu in the period 1984-1989. All case were submitted to the immunoperoxidase staining with the methods PAP or ABC. Immunohistochemical stains confirmed the original morphologic diagnosis in 468 cases (49.3%); made the definitive diagnosis from a list of differential diagnostic possibilities in 244 cases (25.7%); provided contributory information in 74 cases (7.8%); were non-contributory in 114 cases (12%) and rendered an unsuspected diagnosis in 49 cases (5.2%). In some cases with non-contributory information the differences in methods of fixation might have led to suboptimal preservation of tissue antigens. The immunohistochemical staining may provide important and sometimes essential informations for definitive diagnosis. This technique was particularly useful for differential diagnosis between carcinoma, lymphoma and melanoma.

Contribuição do estudo imuno-histoquímico para o diagnóstico anátomo-patológico.

In order to determine the value of immunohistochemical staining methods for morphologic diagnosis specimens of 949 cases received at the Immunohistochemistry Laboratory of the Department of Pathology of the Medical School of Botucatu, in the period 1984-1989 were reviewed. All of them were submitted to the immunoperoxidase staining (PAP or ABC). The main morphologic diagnosis was confirmed in 468 cases (49.3%); the definitive diagnosis was made in 244 cases (25.7%) that had only differential diagnosis, and contributory information was provided in 74 cases (7.8%); the immunohistochemical staining was non-contributory in 114 cases (12%). It rendered an unsuspected diagnosis in 49 cases (5.2%). The analysis of these cases shows that immunohistochemical methods may provide important and sometimes essential informations for definitive diagnosis. This technique is particularly useful for distinguishing between carcinoma, lymphoma and melanoma.

Genetic susceptibility to bleomycin: A twin study

The frequency of chromatid breaks was analysed in peripheral lymphocytes obtained from sixteen healthy monozygotic (MZ) and sixteen healthy dizygotic (DZ) pairs of twins. In addition, increases in the frequency of chromatid breaks, following in vitro treatment of whole blood with 0.03 unit/ml bleomycin (BLM), were analysed in the same twins. There was a highly significant intrapair difference in the variance of the frequency of chromatid breaks among MZ and DZ twins, before and after BLM treatment. The coefficient of heritability was 85,5% and it was concluded that genetic factors contributed significantly to the individual variation observed in BLM induced chromatid break rates.

Epidemiology of neurocysticercosis in Brazil

A revision of literature was done with the objective of tracing an epidemiologic profile of neurocysticercosis (NCC) in Brazil. The prevalence was 0.12-9% in autopsies. The frequency was 0.03-7.5% in clinical series and 0.68-5.2% in seroepidemiological studies. The disease corresponds to 0.08-2.5% of admissions to general hospitals. Patient origin was rural in 30 63% of cases. The most involved age range (64-100%) was 11 to 60 years, with a predominance (22-67%) between 21 and 40 years. The male sex was the most affected (51-80%). In the severe forms there was a predominance of urban origin (53-62%) and of the female sex (53-75%). The period of hospitalization ranges from 1 to 254 days and 33 to 50% of patients suffer 1.7 ± 1.4 admissions. The clinical picture was variable, with a predominance of epileptic syndrome (22-92%) and intracranial hypertension (19-89%). Psychiatric manifestations were associated in 9-23% of patients. Lethality was 0.29% in terms of all diseases in general and 4.8-25.9% in terms of neurologic diseases. The asymptomatic form was detected in 6% of patients in clinical serie and in 48.5% of case from autopsies The racemose form and ventricular localization also was observed as asymptomatic form. Among the patients with cutaneous cysticercosis 65% of them showed neurologic manifestations.

O EEG na insuficiencia renal cronica. I. Atividade de fundo em repouso e durante ativacao

We examined the EEG of 88 patients with chronic renal failure (80 adults and 8 children) submitted to different types of treatment such as hemodialysis, peritoneal dialisys, renal transplantation, and ambulatory follow-up. The main alteration observed was diffuse disorganization of background activity. The following features were detected in decreasing order of frequency: low-voltage EEG, triphasic waves, abnormal waking reactions, and paradoxal alpha rhythm. The children showed abnormal alpha rhythm. The alterations induced by intermittent photic stimulation in our patients were minimal, and this was the main difference in relation to data reported by other authors in EEG studies on patients with chronic uremia.

O EEG na insuficiencia renal cronica. II. Atividades paroxisticas

The authors describe paroxismal epileptiform EEG abnormalities in patients with chronic renal failure. One patient presented paroxismal epileptiform abnormalities in the right parietal region which proceded partial oculo-clonic motor seizures followed by a stroke localized in the same region. This was the main electroclinical correlation found, which, however, was not observed in other patients. Dialysis sessions may improve or worsen these paroxismal epileptiform abnormalities.

Correlation among mutans streptococci counts, dental caries, and IgA to Streptococcus mutans in saliva

Two-hundred and forty individuals were studied, divided into five groups as follows: caries-free children, children with caries, children with rampant caries, young adults with and without caries. Whole stimulated saliva was collected and all individuals were investigated for DMFT/dmft according to the WHO criteria and the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S). Quantitative analysis of the total aerobic flora and mutans streptococci in saliva was performed. Also, the level of salivary anti-S. mutans IgA was determined by ELISA. Children with rampant caries showed the highest OHI-S value. The highest total counts of microorganisms were found in the group of children with caries. No statistically significant differences were observed for salivary flow, OHI-S and microorganism counts between the groups of young adults. No correlation between mutans streptococci counts and anti-Streptococcus mutans IgA levels was observed in the studied groups. A correlation between increased anti-Streptococcus mutans IgA levels and caries-free status was observed among young adults but not among children.

Mortalidade e prognóstico específico em pacientes com insuficiência renal aguda

A variety of systems of risk factor stratification have been studied to predict the outcome in acute renal failure (ARF). OBJECTIVES. Assess and compare mortality and the Acute Tubular Necrosis Individual Severity Score (ATN-ISS) in patients with AFR treated in a university hospital. METHODS. A prospective analysis was made of 103 patients with a diagnosis of intrinsic ARF admitted to the Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, UNESP. Patients were followed up until recovery of renal function or death. The Score ATN-ISS was recorded during the first hours of the assessment by a nephrologist. Results were reported as median or mean ± SD, with statistical significance of p<0.05. RESULTS. Fifty-one percent of patients were male with a mean age of 58 ± 36 years. Forty-four percent died in the hospital. Mortality was higher in patients from the surgical wards (52.7%) and in patients who were treated with dialysis (63.8%). The score ATN-ISS showed a good confidence level, with high discriminatory power (area under the curve of 0.95) and good accuracy. CONCLUSIONS. Mortality in this study was comparable to that found in literature. The ATN-ISS was shown to be a prognostic index with a high confidence level that could be routinely applied by nephrologists to patients with AFR.