Comorbidities of mental and behavioral disorders in chemically dependent patients in different periods of abstinence

OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency of comorbidities of mental and behavioral disorders (CMBD) in psychoactive substance (PAS)-dependent patients with different periods of abstinence cared for at Alcohol and Other Drug Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS-ad). METHOD: All patients under treatment in the two CAPS-ad of the city of Uberlândia-MG, between April and September 2010, were consecutively assessed. The ICD-10 symptom checklist was used to diagnose CMBD; additional information was obtained from interviews and medical records. The patients were divided according to duration of abstinence: < 1 week (Group 1); 1-4 weeks (Group 2); and > 4 weeks (Group 3). RESULTS: Of all patients assessed, 62.8% were diagnosed with CMBD, which were more frequent (p < 0.05) in Group 1 (72%) than Group 3 (54.2%), and both groups were similar to Group 2 (61%). Depressive and anxiety disorders were more frequent among patients of Group 1. Mood disorders were more frequent (p < 0.05) in women [22/34 (65%) vs. 54/154 (35.1%)], whereas psychotic disorders were more frequent (p = 0.05) in men [16/154 (10.4%) vs. 0]. The presence of CMBD was associated with more severe clinical conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The higher frequency of diagnosis of CMBD in patients of Group 1 may have resulted from the difficulties in distinguishing mental disorders that are due to PAS intoxication or withdrawal from those that are not. However, to make the diagnosis of CMBD, even during detoxification, can increase the likelihood of better response to treatment.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: a systematic review of follow-up studies

Objective To conduct a systematic review about the long-term response to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders (ADs) in children and adolescents. Methods The PubMed and ISI Web of Science databases were consulted. Search in the databases was performed in November 2012 and included cohort studies after CBT for ADs in children and adolescents with a follow-up period over 12 months. Results A total of 10 papers met the inclusion criteria. The follow-up period ranged from 12 months to 13 years and the results generally showed maintenance of the short-term benefits with CBT. However, the studies presented limitations, especially regarding methods, such as lack of a control group and losses to follow-up. Conclusion The long-term benefits of CBT were identified, however it would be interesting to conduct other studies with more frequent assessment periods, in order to minimize losses to follow-up, in addition to evaluating children and adolescents in the various stages of their development.

Dial behavioral responses of Metamysidopsis elongata atlantica (Crustacea, Mysida) to gradients of salinity and temperature

Metamysidopsis atlantica elongata (Bascescu, 1968) is a common mysid in the surf zone of sandy beaches from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, where it is frequently recorded forming dense aggregations. Trough laboratory trials, behavioral responses to salinity (10, 20, 25, 28, 30, 40 e 45), temperature (10, 15, 20, 30±1ºC) and light (yes/no) were tested using adult males, adult females and juveniles. Although there was no response to temperature, the species showed clear response to salinity and light. In the presence of light, organisms remained in the bottom of the aquaria, but moved to surface when bottom salinities were increased. In the absence of light, adults moved to the surface. However, juveniles moved down to or remained on the bottom, maybe as a response to avoid adult predation.

Foraging behavioral of Phylloscartes ventralis (Aves, Tyrannidae) in native and planted forests of southern Brazil

Few studies have related the effects of silviculture practices to the behavior of bird species in the Neotropics. The present study examined the foraging behavior of Phylloscartes ventralis (Temminck, 1824) in a native forest and in silviculture areas of Pinus elliotti and Araucaria angustifolia with different structures and ages. We tested two general hypotheses: (1) areas of commercial forest plantation change the foraging behavior of P. ventralis in relation to native forest, and (2) the foraging behavior of P. ventralis in silviculture areas with understories (complex structures) is different from its behavior in areas without understory. The results showed that P. ventralis changed its foraging behavior depending on the type of forest, and on the presence of an understory in silviculture areas. Main changes involved the height and angle of substrate where the prey was captured. Phylloscartes ventralis showed the same set of attack maneuvers, with more maneuvers type in young Pinus planted without understory. The frequency of use of attack maneuvers was more similar in areas of silviculture with understory and in the native forest. The results highlight the importance of an understory structure and the utilization of native plant species in silviculture practices, to the foraging behavior of native bird species.

Comparison of some behavioral and physiological feeding parameters of Triatoma infestans klug, 1834 and Mepraia spinolai porter, 1934, vectors of chagas disease in Chile

There are two vectors of Chagas disease in Chile: Triatoma infestans and Mepraia spinolai. We studied the feeding behavior of these species, looking for differences which could possibly explain the low impact of the latter species on Chagas disease. Both species used thermal cues to locate their feeding source and consumed a similar volume of blood which was inversely related to the body weight before the meal and directly related to the time between meals. The average time between bites were 6.24 and 10.74 days. The average bite of M. spinolai lasted 9.68 min, significantly shorter than the 19.46 min for T. infestans. Furthermore, while T. infestans always defecated on the host, this behavior was observed in M. spinolai in only one case of 27 (3.7%). The delay between the bites and defecation was very long in M. spinolai and short in T. infestans. These differences may affect the reduced efficiency of transmission of Chagas infection by M. spinolai.

Changes in physiological and behavioral parameters of preterm infants undergoing body hygiene: a systematic review

Objective To verify the effect of bathing on the body temperature of preterm infants (PTI). Method Systematic review conducted in the following bibliographic electronic sources: Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde/Lilacs (BVS), Cumulated Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, PubMed, SCOPUS and Web of Science, using a combination of search terms, keywords and free terms. The review question was adjusted to the PICO acronym (Patient/population, Intervention, Control/comparative intervention, Outcome). The selected publications were evaluated according to levels of evidence and grades of recommendation for efficacy/effectiveness studies, as established by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Results Eight hundred and twenty four (824) publications were identified and four studies met the inclusion criteria, of which three analyzed the effect of sponge baths and the effect of immersion baths. Conclusion Sponge baths showed a statistically significant drop in body temperature, while in immersion baths the body temperature remained stable, although they studied late preterm infants.

Improvement of a test-chamber for behavioral studies on adult females of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (Diptera, Culicidae)

A test-chamber (K&L-Chamber) made of cardboard and acrylic plastic, and consisting in four sections (A, B, C and D) was developed by Klowden & Lea (1978) for Aedes aegypti host-seeking behavior studies. Later, Foster & Lutes (1985) also used an identical chamber to successfully evaluate the efficacy of electronic repellers. It was described here a modified K&L-Chamber for behavioral studies of Ae. aegypti adults. The chamber was made in polystyrene, consisting of three sections (A, B and C) and using a human hand and a fluorescent lamp as stimulus to attract the mosquitoes. The suitability of the present test-chamber was validated assaying 80 replicates and releasing 10 Ae. aegypti females in each replicate. The females were released in the section A and allowed to fly to the section C. A mean of 96.0% (s.e. 0.213) Ae. aegypti females successfully reached section C. The present test-chamber is cheaper and easier to handle and as efficient as K&L-Chamber, when compared to Foster & Lutes (1978) that noticed 93.8% of Ae. aegypti reaching the trap section.

Influence of different tropical fruits on biological and behavioral aspects of the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera, Tephritidae)

Influence of different tropical fruits on biological and behavioral aspects of the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera, Tephritidae). Studies on Ceratitis capitata, a world fruit pest, can aid the implementation of control programs by determining the plants with higher vulnerability to attacks and plants able to sustain their population in areas of fly distribution. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of eight tropical fruits on the following biological and behavioral parameters of C. capitata: emergence percentage, life cycle duration, adult size, egg production, longevity, fecundity, egg viability, and oviposition acceptance. The fruits tested were: acerola (Malpighia glabra L.), cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.), star fruit (Averrhoa carambola L.), guava (Psidium guajava L.), soursop (Annona muricata L.), yellow mombin (Spondias mombin L.), Malay apple (Syzygium malaccense L.), and umbu (Spondias tuberosa L.). The biological parameters were obtained by rearing the recently hatched larvae on each of the fruit kinds. Acceptance of fruits for oviposition experiment was assessed using no-choice tests, as couples were exposed to two pieces of the same fruit. The best performances were obtained with guava, soursop, and star fruit. Larvae reared on cashew and acerola fruits had regular performances. No adults emerged from yellow mombin, Malay apple, or umbu. Fruit species did not affect adult longevity, female fecundity, or egg viability. Guava, soursop, and acerola were preferred for oviposition, followed by star fruit, Malay apple, cashew, and yellow mombin. Oviposition did not occur on umbu. In general, fruits with better larval development were also more accepted for oviposition.

Behavioral ecology of Heteragrion consors Hagen (Odonata, Megapodagrionidae): a shade-seek Atlantic forest damselfly

Behavioral ecology of Heteragrion consors Hagen (Odonata: Megapodagrionidae): a shade-seek Atlantic forest damselfly. The intensity of the inter and intra-sexual selection can affect male behavioral traits as territorial fidelity and aggressiveness allowing the existence of different strategies. However, its differential success could be affected by environmental - as the diel variation in temperature - and physiological constrains - as the variation in thermoregulatory abilities. In this context, we present a behavioral analysis of Heteragrion consors (Zygoptera, Megapodagrionidae) trying to characterize its mating system, diel activity pattern, temporal budget, territoriality and reproductive biology. These data were obtained based on field observations using the focal individual method and mark-recapture techniques in 120 m of a shaded Atlantic Forest stream in Brazil. The males of this species were territorial, varying in its local fidelity, while the females appear sporadically. Males were perched in the majority of the time, but were also observed in cleaning movements, longitudinal abdominal flexion, wing flexion and sperm transfer during perch. The males presented a perched thermoregulatory behavior related to an exothermic regulation. Foraging and agonistic interactions were rare, but dominate the other behavioral activities. Abdominal movements associated to long lasting copula pointed to the existence of sperm competition in this species. Males performed contact post-copulatory guarding of the females. These observations pointed to a non-resource mating system for this species.

Behavioral avoidance tests to evaluate effects of cattle slurry and dairy sludge application to soil¹

The application of organic wastes to agricultural soils is not risk-free and can affect soil invertebrates. Ecotoxicological tests based on the behavioral avoidance of earthworms and springtails were performed to evaluate effects of different fertilization strategies on soil quality and habitat function for soil organisms. These tests were performed in soils treated with: i) slurry and chemical fertilizers, according to the conventional fertilization management of the region, ii) conventional fertilization + sludge and iii) unfertilized reference soil. Both fertilization strategies contributed to soil acidity mitigation and caused no increase in soil heavy metal content. Avoidance test results showed no negative effects of these strategies on soil organisms, compared with the reference soil. However, results of the two fertilization managements differed: Springtails did not avoid soils fertilized with dairy sludge in any of the tested combinations. Earthworms avoided soils treated with sludge as of May 2004 (DS1), when compared with conventional fertilization. Possibly, the behavioral avoidance of earthworms is more sensitive to soil properties (other than texture, organic matter and heavy metal content) than springtails

Logistic regression to estimate the welfare of broiler breeders in relation to environmental and behavioral variables

The increasing demand of consumer markets for the welfare of birds in poultry house has motivated many scientific researches to monitor and classify the welfare according to the production environment. Given the complexity between the birds and the environment of the aviary, the correct interpretation of the conduct becomes an important way to estimate the welfare of these birds. This study obtained multiple logistic regression models with capacity of estimating the welfare of broiler breeders in relation to the environment of the aviaries and behaviors expressed by the birds. In the experiment, were observed several behaviors expressed by breeders housed in a climatic chamber under controlled temperatures and three different ammonia concentrations from the air monitored daily. From the analysis of the data it was obtained two logistic regression models, of which the first model uses a value of ammonia concentration measured by unit and the second model uses a binary value to classify the ammonia concentration that is assigned by a person through his olfactory perception. The analysis showed that both models classified the broiler breeder's welfare successfully.

Behavioral effects of "vehicle" microinjected into the dorsal periaqueductal grey of rats tested in the elevated plus maze

To investigate the behavioral effects of different vehicles microinjected into the dorsal periaqueductal grey (DPAG) of male Wistar rats, weighing 200-250 g, tested in the elevated plus maze, animals were implanted with cannulas aimed at this structure. One week after surgery the animals received microinjections into the DPAG of 0.9% (w/v) saline, 10% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 2% (v/v) Tween-80, 10% (v/v) propylene glycol, or synthetic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Ten min after the injection (0.5 &micro;l) the animals (N = 8-13/group) were submitted to the elevated plus maze test. DMSO significantly increased the number of entries into both the open and enclosed arms when compared to 0.9% saline (2.7 &plusmn; 0.8 and 8.7 &plusmn; 1.3 vs 0.8 &plusmn; 0.3 and 5.1 &plusmn; 0.9, respectively, Duncan test, P<0.05), and tended to increase enclosed arm entries as compared to 2% Tween-80 (8.7 &plusmn; 1.3 vs 5.7 &plusmn; 0.9, Duncan test, P<0.10). In a second experiment no difference in plus maze exploration was found between 0.9% saline- or sham-injected animals (N = 11-13/group). These results indicate that intra-DPAG injection of some commonly used vehicles such as DMSO, saline or Tween-80 affects the exploratory activity of rats exposed to the elevated plus maze in statistically different manners

Effect of gamma irradiation on the behavioral properties of crotoxin

Crotoxin has been detoxified with gamma radiation in order to improve crotalic antiserum production. Nevertheless, present knowledge of the biological characteristics of irradiated crotoxin is insufficient to propose it as an immunizing agent. Crotoxin is known to increase the emotional state of rats and to decrease their exploratory behavior (Moreira EG, Nascimento N, Rosa GJM, Rogero JR and Vassilieff VS (1996) Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 29: 629-632). Therefore, we decided 1) to evaluate the effects of crotoxin in the social interaction test, which has been widely used for the evaluation of anxiogenic drugs, and 2) to determine if irradiated crotoxin induces behavioral alterations similar to those of crotoxin in the social interaction, open-field and hole-board tests. Male Wistar rats (180-220 g) were used. Crotoxin (100, 250, and 500 µg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 2 h before the social interaction test. Similarly, irradiated crotoxin (2000 Gy gamma radiation from a 60Co source) was administered at the doses of 100, 250, and 500 µg/kg for the hole-board test, and at the doses of 1000 and 2500 µg/kg for the open-field and social interaction tests. ANOVA complemented with the Dunnett test was used for statistical analysis (P<0.05). Crotoxin decreased the social interaction time (s) at the doses of 100, 250 and 500 µg/kg (means ± SEM) from 51.6 ± 4.4 to 32.6 ± 3.7, 28.0 ± 3.6 and 31.6 ± 4.4, respectively. Irradiated crotoxin did not induce behavioral alterations. These results indicate that 1) crotoxin may be an anxiogenic compound, and 2) in contrast to crotoxin, irradiated crotoxin was unable to induce behavioral alterations, which makes it a promising compound for the production of crotalic antiserum