Ocular biometric correlates of early-and late-onset myopia

Myopia is a refractive condition and develops because either the optical power of the eye is abnormally great or the eye is abnormally long, the optical consequences being that the focal length of the eye is too short for the physical length of the eye. The increase in axial length has been shown to match closely the dioptric error of the eye, in that a lmm increase in axial length usually generates 2 to 3D of myopia. The most common form of myopia is early-onset myopia (EO M) which occurs between 6 to 14 years of age. The second most common form of myopia is late-onset myopia (LOM) which emerges in late teens or early twenties, at a time when the eye should have ceased growing. The prevalence of LOM is increasing and research has indicated a link with excessive and sustained nearwork. The aim of this thesis was to examine the ocular biometric correlates associated with LOM and EOM development and progression. Biometric data was recorded on SO subjects, aged 16 to 26 years. The group was divided into 26 emmetropic subjects and 24 myopic subjects. Keratometry, corneal topography, ultrasonography, lens shape, central and peripheral refractive error, ocular blood flow and assessment of accommodation were measured on three occasions during an ISmonth to 2-year longitudinal study. Retinal contours were derived using a specially derived computer program. The thesis shows that myopia progression is related to an increase in vitreous chamber depth, a finding which supports previous work. The myopes exhibited hyperopic relative peripheral refractive error (PRE) and the emmetropes exhibited myopic relative PRE. Myopes demonstrated a prolate retinal shape and the retina became more prolate with myopia progression. The results show that a longitudinal, rather than equatorial, increase in the posterior segment is the principal structural correlate of myopia. Retinal shape, relative PRE and the ratio of axial length to corneal curvature have been indicated, in this thesis, as predictive factors for myopia onset and development. Data from this thesis demonstrates that myopia progression in the LOM group is the result of an increase in anterior segment power, owing to an increase in lens thickness, in conjunction with posterior segment elongation. Myopia progression in the EOM group is the product of a long posterior segment, which over-compensates for a weak anterior segment power. The weak anterior segment power in the EOM group is related to a combination of crystalline lens thinning and surface flattening. The results presented in this thesis confirm that posterior segment elongation is the main structural correlate in both EOM and LOM progression. The techniques and computer programs employed in the thesis are reproducible and robust providing a valuable framework for further myopia research and assessment of predictive factors.

Rede de atendimento socioeducativo: possibilidades e limites da garantia de direitos

The results of the research systematized on this analysis sought apprehend the linkage of the socio-educational service network, destined to adolescents who comply with socioeducational measure of confinement, in the region of the Seridó of the state of the Rio Grande do Norte, especially in the city of Caicó, central town of this region. The achievement of this study was stimulated by the interest in unraveling the contradictory reality imposed by neoliberal State, sparing the guarantee of rights, especially to these teens, who are seen as authors of violations and are stigmatized by capitalist society. The research was carried in the period July-September 2013, under critical perspective, using the documental analysis and the observational techniques and interviews with professionals of the Educational Center (CEDUC), of the Unified Health System (SUS), of the Social Policies of Social Assistance, and of the State Department of Education, which should make the service network that gravitates around the National System of Socio-educational Services (SINASE). The Statute of Children and Adolescents (ECA) and SINASE define that the application of socioeducational measures cannot occur isolated of the public policies, becoming indispensable the linkages of the system with the social policies of social assistance, education and health. However, it was observed that the neoliberal logic of the capitalist State has developed broken, disconnected, focal and superficial social policies, who fail give effect to the rights acquired beyond the legal sphere. In this perspective, it is possible affirm that the everyday of the Brazilian poor teens is marked by the action of the State, which aims to control those who disturb the order of capital, who threaten the production, the market, the consume and the private property. This way, actions are promoted criminalizing poverty and imprint a legal action over this expression of the social issue to the detriment of social policies that meet the real needs of adolescents. Face of this reality, it becomes necessary to put on the agenda of the here and now to fight for rights, aiming at a broad public debate involving professionals, researchers and social movements in support of the viability of rights, which aims to support reflections and to strengthen ways to confront this social problem. With the approximations of this study, it was learned that the struggle for rights is a fight for another project of society, beyond what is laid.

Novas formas de governança pública: um estudo do arranjo articulado para Implementação da política pública nacional de aprendizagem profissional

The configuration assumed by the institutional governance arrangement established in the cities of Fortaleza and Natal, and its influence on the implementation of the National Public Policy of Professional Learning that promotes the formation and integration into the labor market of teens and young people aged 14 to 24 years old and people with disabilities is the aim of this thesis. The interactive governance approach, proposed by Kooiman (2003.2008) was the mainstay of the epistemological construction of the investigative process, also supported by contributions from Draibe (2001) concerning the stages of implementation of public policies. In methodological terms, the approach used was qualitative, being performed descriptive bibliographical and documentary research, applying semi-structured interviews with 44 subjects. Data were based on Bardin (2011), having been pre-established two categories of analysis: governance and implementation. The results pointed, among other things, to greater diversity and dynamics of the arrangement in Fortaleza, highlighting the much larger number of accessions of Nonprofit Entities (ESFLs) to politics, more frequent interactions between stakeholders from different organizational levels of governance, better alignment between guiding governance images and spaces designed to encourage interactions among actors and also greater local government involvement. In both cities studied, on the other hand, the study indicated that the failure of institutional capacities adversely affect the interactions stimulation and the exercise of meta-governance. The thesis concluded that the shape and intensity of the interactions between the actors involved in the implementation of the National Public Policy of Professional Learning and the way images are shared results in greater understanding and dissemination of the policy and create a favorable environment for cooperation and dialogue needed to collective work and favors the modeling of a governance structure able to handle the demands and characteristics of organizations and their participants in order to accommodate the divergent interests, make room for the creation of innovations and convergence of actions to achieve the objectives of the policy. Thus, the results of the Professional Learning Policy in the cities of Natal and Fortaleza, in terms of levels of entering the labor market, can be understood from the differences found in the governance structure of the institutional arrangement used for its implementation.

Community library programs that work: Building youth and family literacy

A collection of versatile best practices for promoting literacy development by utilizing local community connections in school and public libraries. This book provides a fresh approach to learning as well as guidelines for creating dynamic and relevant library programs for children, teens, and families. Organized thematically, each chapter includes relevant topical research and three to eight community-focused approaches. Programs range from small, single-library initiatives in rural communities to multi-site, cross-border initiatives. This resource includes collaborative and locally inspired programs, many of which can be scaled to the budget of any library, school, or community organization.

High school sexuality conference

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

"Sexism in the Schools" conference about sex biases in high schools

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

High school sexuality conference

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

Relationships Between Current and Past Binge Drinking and Systolic Blood Pressure in Young Adults.

PURPOSE: Heavy episodic (i.e., "binge") drinking (i.e., ≥five drinks/occasion) is highly prevalent among young adults; those who binge do so four times per month on average, consuming nine drinks on average on each occasion. Although it is well established that chronic heavy drinking (≥two alcoholic beverages per day) increases the risk of hypertension, the relationship between binge drinking and blood pressure is not well described. Our aim was to describe the relationship between frequency of binge drinking, both current (at age 24 years) and past (at age 20 years), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) at age 24 years. METHODS: Participants (n = 756) from the longitudinal Nicotine Dependence in Teens study reported alcohol consumption at ages 20 and 24 years and had SBP measured at age 24 years. We examined the association between binge drinking and SBP using multiple linear regression, controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, education, monthly drinking in high school, cigarette smoking, and body mass index. RESULTS: Compared to nonbinge drinkers, SBP at age 24 years was 2.61 [.41, 4.82] mm Hg higher among current monthly bingers and 4.03 [1.35, 6.70] mm Hg higher among current weekly bingers. SBP at age 24 years was 2.90 [.54, 5.25] mm Hg higher among monthly bingers at age 20 years and 3.64 [.93, 6.35] mm Hg higher among weekly bingers at age 20 years, compared to nonbinge drinkers. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent binge drinking at ages 20 and 24 years is associated with higher SBP at age 24 years and may be implicated in the development of hypertension.

Towards a Definition of Excellence in Sport Coaching

In this paper,we propose different definitions of coaching excellence based on two principles. First,the application of coaching skill,as in any other domain of excellence,is context-dependent. Second, excellent coaches are knowledgeable and constantly assemble mental models that enable them to meet their athletes' needs and to effectively manage the central duties of coaching - organization, training, and competition. Four categories of coaches and corresponding definitions are proposed based on the characteristics of athletes and the developmentally-appropriate sport contexts: 1) participation coaches for children, 2) participation coaches for teens and adults, 3) performance coaches for young adolescents, 4) performance coaches for older adolescents and adults.

Risk Consumption: Children and Online Gaming. The Problem of “Responsible Gambling”

Online gambling is a popular activity among adolescents. However, there has been a notable increase in the number of young people who suffer or are on the verge of pathological gambling. We review the impact of online gambling on young people and discuss the desiderability of the concept of “gambling responsibly” in order to alert of their risks and effectively prevent access to minors. The main factors associated with pathological gambling are the age of start, the family environment, the infl uence of advertising, the consumption of stimulants, and the attitudes of the peer group. Both the government and the gaming industry itself should consider these factors and develop comprehensive plans that ensure a safe and controlled model game. In this context, advertising must take into account criteria of consumer protection knowing that even if they are not allowed, children can easily have access to online gambling. All agents involved, including public and social agents, must provide mechanisms for prevention and awareness of a problem that arouses little social consciousness and excessive carelessness.

Latina Super-heroines: Hot Tamales in Tights vs. Women Warriors, Wrestlers and Guerrilla Fighters of La Raza

The year 1977 saw the making of the first Latino superhero by a Latino artist. From the 1980s onwards it is also possible to find Latina super-heroines, whose number and complexity has kept increasing ever since. Yet, the representations of spandexed Latinas are still few. For that reason, the goal of this paper is, firstly, to gather a great number of Latina super-heroines and, secondly, to analyze the role that they have played in the history of American literature and art. More specifically, it aims at comparing the spandexed Latinas created by non-Latino/a artists and mainstream comic enterprises with the Latina super-heroines devised by Latino/a artists. The conclusion is that whereas the former tend to conceive heroines within the constraints of the logic of Girl Power, the latter choose to imbue their works with a more daring political content and to align their heroines with the ideologies of Feminism and Postcolonialism.

Inflexibilidade Psicológica

O presente trabalho, destinou-se à validação do Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth - AFQ- Y( Greco, Baer, & Lambert, 2008), traduzido por Questionário de Evitamento Experiencial e Fusão Cognitiva para Adolescentes. Isto porque, na prática clínica, se verifica uma escassez de instrumentos de auto-resposta que avaliam estes contructos, caracterizadores da inflexibilidade psicológica. A amostra do nosso estudo consiste em 461 adolescentes, com idades compreendidas entre os 12 e os 18 anos, a frequentar o 3º ciclo do ensino básio e ensino secundário de escolas situadas em meio rural e urbano. Para além do citado instrumento a validar, os jovens preencheram também outras medidas de sintomas psicopatológicos e de percepção do seu auto-conceito social; nomeadamente, o Inventário Depressivo para Crianças (CDI; Kovacs, 1985), a Escala Revista de Ansiedade Manifesta para Crianças (RCMAS; Reynolds & Richmond, 1978) e a Escala de Comparação Social (SCS; Allan, & Gilbert, 1995), bem como uma medida de um construto semelhante referente à aceitação e mindfulness em crianças(CAMM; Greco, Baer & Lambert, 2008). Os resultados obtidos mostram que o questionário possui uma boa consistência interna, uma adequada estabilidade temporal, assim como uma boa validade. Sugerem ainda tratar-se de uma escala unidimensional. Estes dados permitem o avanço da psicologia, no que diz respeito à prática clínica com adolescentes, nomeadamente no domínio das chamadas terapias de terceira geração em Portugal. São apresentados e discutidos os dados normativos para a população portuguesa. Não obstante às limitações apontadas, os resultados sugerem que o AFQ-Y é um questionário útil na avaliação da inflexibilidade psicológica em adolescentes. /

Popsongs im Deutschunterricht : Wie man schwedische Schüler und Schülerinnen durch deutsche Popsongs für Lyrik interessieren kann

It can be hard to inspire teens for poetry and Lyric. Especially when it is to be performed in a foreign language. I am thinking of myself at that age. German was absolutely not my favorite subject. It was far too theoretic and I often did not get through the grammar. I have often thought about how I would have managed the subject of German, if the lessons had been designed in a different way. At the age of 16, I decided to end my German studies, since they impaired the rest of my grades. What did excite me at the age of 13-18 years? Love was of paramount importance. And what touched the most about Love? For me it was the music, and I think that is the same for many other teenagers. Would it be possible to achieve a different result by the processing of German lyrics in the classroom, than my teacher did? If so, how can we design the teaching, so that it serves its purpose, and follows the curriculum?

Cuidar do adolescente com anorexia nervosa

Projeto de Graduação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de licenciada em Enfermagem

The role of intracellular calcium perturbations in muscle damage and dysfunction in mouse models of muscular dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a neuromuscular disease caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. DMD is clinically characterized by severe, progressive and irreversible loss of muscle function, in which most patients lose the ability to walk by their early teens and die by their early 20’s. Impaired intracellular calcium (Ca2+) regulation and activation of cell degradation pathways have been proposed as key contributors to DMD disease progression. This dissertation research consists of three studies investigating the role of intracellular Ca2+ in skeletal muscle dysfunction in different mouse models of DMD. Study one evaluated the role of Ca2+-activated enzymes (proteases) that activate protein degradation in excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling failure following repeated contractions in mdx and dystrophin-utrophin null (mdx/utr-/-) mice. Single muscle fibers from mdx/utr-/- mice had greater E-C coupling failure following repeated contractions compared to fibers from mdx mice. Moreover, protease inhibition during these contractions was sufficient to attenuate E-C coupling failure in muscle fibers from both mdx and mdx/utr-/- mice. Study two evaluated the effects of overexpressing the Ca2+ buffering protein sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 1 (SERCA1) in skeletal muscles from mdx and mdx/utr-/- mice. Overall, SERCA1 overexpression decreased muscle damage and protected the muscle from contraction-induced injury in mdx and mdx/utr-/- mice. In study three, the cellular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of SERCA1 overexpression in mdx and mdx/utr-/- mice were investigated. SERCA1 overexpression attenuated calpain activation in mdx muscle only, while partially attenuating the degradation of the calpain target desmin in mdx/utr-/- mice. Additionally, SERCA1 overexpression decreased the SERCA-inhibitory protein sarcolipin in mdx muscle but did not alter levels of Ca2+ regulatory proteins (parvalbumin and calsequestrin) in either dystrophic model. Lastly, SERCA1 overexpression blunted the increase in endoplasmic reticulum stress markers Grp78/BiP in mdx mice and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) in mdx and mdx/utr-/- mice. Overall, findings from the studies presented in this dissertation provide new insight into the role of Ca2+ in muscle dysfunction and damage in different dystrophic mouse models. Further, these findings support the overall strategy for improving intracellular Ca2+ control for the development of novel therapies for DMD.