Wives of pathological gamblers: personality traits, depressive symptoms and social adjustment

Objective: Wives of pathological gamblers tend to endure long marriages despite financial and emotional burden. Difficulties in social adjustment, personality psychopathology, and comorbidity with psychiatric disorders are pointed as reasons for remaining on such overwhelming relationships. The goal was to examine the social adjustment, personality and negative emotionality of wives of pathological gamblers. Method: The sample consisted of 25 wives of pathological gamblers, mean age 40.6, SD = 9.1 from a Gambling Outpatient Unit and at GAM-ANON, and 25 wives of non-gamblers, mean age 40.8, SD = 9.1, who answered advertisements placed at the Universidade de São Paulo hospital and medical school complex. They were selected in order to approximately match demographic characteristics of the wives of pathological gamblers. Subjects were assessed by the Social Adjustment Scale, Temperament and Character Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results: Three variables remained in the final Multiple Logistic Regression model, wives of pathological gamblers presented greater dissatisfaction with their marital bond, and higher scores on Reward Dependence and Persistence temperament factors. Both, Wives of pathological gamblers and wives of non-gamblers presented well-structured character factors excluding personality disorders. Conclusion: This personality profile may explain wives of pathological gamblers emotional resilience and their marriage longevity. Co-dependence and other labels previously used to describe them may work as a double edged sword, legitimating wives of pathological gamblers problems, while stigmatizing them as inapt and needy.

Reflexão bioética sobre a priorização e o racionamento de cuidados de saúde: entre a utilidade social e a eqüidade

Sendo as necessidades de saúde mais amplas que os recursos disponíveis, escolhas têm de ser feitas. Disto resulta ser preciso que se estabeleçam limites, critérios e parâmetros para priorizar o que vai ser ofertado e a quem os serviços e os cuidados de saúde serão oferecidos. Discute-se alternativas éticas para a priorização e racionamento de cuidados de saúde, enfocando os princípios da eqüidade e da utilidade social.

Riscos à saúde em áreas contaminadas: contribuições da teoria social

Este artigo versa sobre contribuições da teoria social a um estudo sobre o risco à saúde humana e ao ambiente, desenvolvido entre 2003 e 2005 em área urbana contaminada, localizada no bairro Vila Carioca, no sudeste do município de São Paulo, Brasil. Resíduos perigosos provenientes de processo produtivo do setor químico, dispostos inadequadamente na localidade ao longo do tempo, resultaram em contaminação ambiental, cujos efeitos representam riscos à saúde da população local. A investigação foi realizada com o objetivo de identificar interpretações sociais sobre o conceito de situação de risco, condizentes com concepções incorporadoras da dimensão social do risco e voltadas à melhoria das condições de saúde ambiental. Utilizou-se metodologia qualitativa de pesquisa, alicerçada na teoria social, e instrumentos variados de coleta de dados. Os resultados apontaram interpretações sociais diferenciadas sobre o conceito de situação de risco, sugerindo diversidade de concepções entre a população pesquisada a respeito dos problemas ambientais e de saúde que os atingiam. Neste artigo, apresentam-se fundamentos do enfoque do risco, na teoria social e na obra de Ulrick Beck sobre sociedade de risco, a fim de conferir suporte teórico à interpretação dos dados coletados em campo. Tais contribuições da teoria social, em contraponto com abordagens multidisciplinares e ecossistêmicas em saúde e ambiente, são discutidas como forma de incorporar a diversidade de interpretações sociais expressadas pela população, no sentido de favorecer a inter-relação entre portadores de risco e decisões políticas locais sobre a questão do risco, ampliar o escopo dos fenômenos observados e propiciar a busca de melhores condições de saúde dos indivíduos e da qualidade do seu ambiente

A questão social na França contemporânea: uma experiência de pesquisa

A França passou por conflitos urbanos em seus bairros populares. Incidentes com a polícia marcados pela morte de um morador, geralmente jovem ou adolescente, são seguidos por manifestações violentas: quebra-quebras, incêndios de carros e/ou estabelecimentos públicos e privados, enfrentamentos com a polícia. Nos conflitos da "banlieue" francesa podem ser percebidos elementos comuns a eventos ingleses e/ou americanos de outras décadas.OBJETIVO: consiste em identificar a percepção e as representações de moradores sobre suas condições de vida e saúde na França.MÉTODO: pesquisa qualitativa realizada em Les Aubiers, bairro popular de Bordeaux, nos anos de 2002 e 2005. A população de moradores desse bairro e é composta principalmente por imigrantes ou fanceses de origem estrangeira, provenientes de diferentes locais: África do Norte, África Sub-Sahariana, Turquia, Portugal , Ilha de Reunião. Os indicadores sociais e econômicos apresentam níveis significativamente mais baixos do que os de outros bairros de Bordeaux, acompanhando as tendências encontradas nas outras "banlieues". Entre esses indicadores, a taxa de desemprego, principalmente entre jovens, é alarmante (40 por cento).RESULTADOS E DISCUSSÃO: as políticas sociais deveriam ser mais voltadas para os indivíduos do que para o território, pois este só poderá ser transformado pelos primeiros e não o contrário. Um bairro e uma população estigmatizados, estão contemplados por uma ampla política social. Ainda que passível de crítica, não se pode ignorar a existência de esforços sistematicos de integração, nem a existência de políticas sociais. Se elas são inadequadas, trata-se de ampliar o espaço de discusão para sua reforma. Trata-se de saber qual a disposição das sociedades contemporâneas, como um todo, para lutar contra as inequidades e segregações

Social Networks Shape the Transmission Dynamics of Hepatitis C Virus

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects 170 million people worldwide, and is a major public health problem in Brazil, where over 1% of the population may be infected and where multiple viral genotypes co-circulate. Chronically infected individuals are both the source of transmission to others and are at risk for HCV-related diseases, such as liver cancer and cirrhosis. Before the adoption of anti-HCV control measures in blood banks, this virus was mainly transmitted via blood transfusion. Today, needle sharing among injecting drug users is the most common form of HCV transmission. Of particular importance is that HCV prevalence is growing in non-risk groups. Since there is no vaccine against HCV, it is important to determine the factors that control viral transmission in order to develop more efficient control measures. However, despite the health costs associated with HCV, the factors that determine the spread of virus at the epidemiological scale are often poorly understood. Here, we sequenced partial NS5b gene sequences sampled from blood samples collected from 591 patients in Sao Paulo state, Brazil. We show that different viral genotypes entered Sao Paulo at different times, grew at different rates, and are associated with different age groups and risk behaviors. In particular, subtype 1b is older and grew more slowly than subtypes 1a and 3a, and is associated with multiple age classes. In contrast, subtypes 1a and 3b are associated with younger people infected more recently, possibly with higher rates of sexual transmission. The transmission dynamics of HCV in Sao Paulo therefore vary by subtype and are determined by a combination of age, risk exposure and underlying social network. We conclude that social factors may play a key role in determining the rate and pattern of HCV spread, and should influence future intervention policies.

Social behaviour of collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu) under three space allowances

Captive breeding of peccaries is on the increase in neotropical countries. Few studies, however, have reported behavioural responses of wild animals under farmed conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of space allowance on the occurrence of social behaviour patterns on farmed collared peccary (Pecan tajacu). We observed three herds of collared peccaries each containing eight acquainted individuals. Using a 3 x 3 Latin square design, herds were allocated, in a random order, to one of the three experimental enclosures, each with a different size. 375, 750 and 1,500 m(2) of total available area, each with three wooden shelters. We recorded all the occurrences of selected positive and agonistic behavioural patterns that occurred 90 min before and during feeding Enclosure size had a significant effect on agonistic patterns of peccaries during feeding, in that more agonistic behaviour was observed in smaller spaces We also found that shelter usage increased as space decreased Differing space allowances, however, did not have an effect on the occurrence of positive interactions that were more frequent before compared to during feeding. We concluded that enclosure size had an effect on the expression of agonistic be and the use of shelters by collared peccaries Thus, animal welfare can be improved by adopting at least 187 5 m(2) per peccary. In addition, our study also confirmed the importance of shelter areas in collared peccary husbandry.

NEURAL CORRELATES OF SCENT MARKING BEHAVIOR IN C57BL/6J MICE: DETECTION AND RECOGNITION OF A SOCIAL STIMULUS

Mice show urinary scent marking behavior as a form of social communication. Marking to a conspecific stimulus mouse or odor varies with stimulus familiarity, indicating discrimination of novel and familiar animals. This study investigated Fos immunoreactivity in inbred C57BL/6J (C57) males following scent marking behavior in response to detection of a social stimulus, or discrimination between a familiar and an unfamiliar conspecific. In Experiment 1 C57 mice were exposed for four daily trials to an empty chamber; on a test day they were exposed to the same chamber or to a male CD-1 mouse in that chamber. Increased scent marking to the CD-1 mouse was associated with increased Fos-immunoreactive cells in the basolateral amygdala, medial amygdala, and dorsal and ventral premammillary nuclei. In Experiment 2 C57 mice were habituated to a CD-1 male for 4 consecutive days and, on the 5th day, exposed to the same CD-1 male, or to a novel CD-1 male. Mice exposed to a novel CD-1 displayed a significant increase in scent marking compared to their last exposure to the familiar stimulus, indicating discrimination of the novelty of this social stimulus. Marking to the novel stimulus was associated with enhanced activation of several telencephalic, as well as hypothalamic and midbrain, structures in which activation had not been seen in the detection paradigm (Experiment 1). These included medial prefrontal and piriform cortices, and lateral septum; the paraventricular nuclei, ventromedial nuclei, and lateral area of the hypothalamus, and the ventrolateral column of the periaqueductal gray. These data suggest that a circumscribed group of structures largely concerned with olfaction is involved in detection of a conspecific olfactory stimulus, whereas discrimination of a novel vs. a familiar conspecific stimulus engages a wider range of forebrain structures encompassing higher-order processes and potentially providing an interface between cognitions and emotions. (C) 2009 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Democracy versus Republic: Inclusion and Desire in Social Struggles

This paper argues that the idea of inclusion is linked to the democratic tradition rather than to the republican one. By analyzing the origins and meaning of these two concepts, the author holds that democracy is rather linked to desire and republic to will (and to the expression of desire), and concludes that, since North Atlantic political tradition has not given a key role to desire, democracy, in order to overcome the difficulties it has been encountering in all parts of the world, should take more account of desire and of the social struggles it brings to the fore.

Social dysfunction in bipolar disorder: pilot study

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to assess the social skills of euthymic patients with bipolar disorder. Methods: A group of 25 outpatients with bipolar disorder type I were evaluated in comparison with a group of 31 healthy volunteers who were matched in terms of level of education, age, sex and intelligence. Both groups were assessed using a self-report questionnaire, the Brazilian Inventario de Habilidades Sociais (IHS, Social Skills Inventory). Two Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale subtests ( Picture Arrangement and Comprehension) were also used in order to assess subject ability to analyse social situations and to make judgements, respectively. Results: Patients with bipolar disorder had lower IHS scores for the domains that assessed conversational skills/social self-confidence and social openness to new people/situations. Patients with anxiety disorders had high scores for the domain that assessed self-confidence in the expression of positive emotions. No differences were found between patients and controls in performance on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Picture Arrangement and Comprehension subtests. Conclusions: Euthymic patients with bipolar disorder present inhibited and overattentive behaviour in relation to other people and their environment. This behaviour might have a negative impact on their level of social functioning and quality of life.

Anticoagulant and fibrinogenolytic properties of the venom of Polybia occidentalis social wasp

Previous studies have shown that venoms of social wasps and bees exhibit strong anticoagulant activity. The present study describes the anticoagulant and fibrinogen-degrading pharmacological properties of the venom of Polybia occidentalis social wasp. The results demonstrated that this venom presented anticoagulant effect, inhibiting the coagulation at different steps of the clotting pathway (intrinsic, extrinsic and common pathway). The venom inhibited platelet aggregation and degraded plasma fibrinogen, possibly containing metal-dependent metalloproteases that specifically cleave the B beta-chain of fibrinogen. In conclusion, fibrinogenolytic and anticoagulant properties of this wasp venom find a potential application in drug development for the treatment of thrombotic disorders. For that, further studies should be carried out in order to identify and isolate the active compounds responsible for these effects. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis 21: 653-659 (c) 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Social anxiety disorder women easily recognize fearfull, sad and happy faces: The influence of gender

Background: It has been suggested that individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) are exaggeratedly concerned about approval and disapproval by others. Therefore, we assessed the recognition of facial expressions by individuals with SAD, in an attempt to overcome the limitations of previous studies. Methods: The sample was formed by 231 individuals (78 SAD patients and 153 healthy controls). All individuals were treatment naive, aged 18-30 years and with similar socioeconomic level. Participants judged which emotion (happiness, sadness, disgust, anger, fear, and surprise) was presented in the facial expression of stimuli displayed on a computer screen. The stimuli were manipulated in order to depict different emotional intensities, with the initial image being a neutral face (0%) and, as the individual moved on across images, the expressions increased their emotional intensity until reaching the total emotion (100%). The time, accuracy, and intensity necessary to perform judgments were evaluated. Results: The groups did not show statistically significant differences in respect to the number of correct judgments or to the time necessary to respond. However, women with SAD required less emotional intensity to recognize faces displaying fear (p = 0.002), sadness (p = 0.033) and happiness (p = 0.002), with no significant differences for the other emotions or men with SAD. Conclusions: The findings suggest that women with SAD are hypersensitive to threat-related and approval-related social cues. Future studies investigating the neural basis of the impaired processing of facial emotion in SAD using functional neuroimaging would be desirable and opportune. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scoring occupational categories for social research: A review of current practice, with Australian examples

The scoring of occupational categories has along history. After reviewing the historical background, we develop and discuss the properties of two new Australian scales based on current theorising in stratification research. The first is based on the operation of the labour market and scores occupations to reflect their central role in converting educational credentials into market income. The second is based on patterns of social interaction and scores occupations to reflect the choices that people make in marriage markets. While these two scales are not theoretically or empirically equivalent, they are closely related and provide equally valid, but alternative, ways of measuring the underlying stratification order of modern societies.

The development and psychometric properties of a measure of social and adaptive functioning for children and adolescents

Developed, piloted, and examined the psychometric properties of the Child and Adolescent Social and Adaptive Functioning Scale (CASAFS), a self-report measure designed to examine the social functioning of young people in the areas of school performance, peer relationships, family relationships, and home duties/self-care. The findings of confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis support a 4-factor solution consistent with the hypothesized domains. Fit indexes suggested that the 4-correlated factor model represented a satisfactory solution for the data, with the covariation between factors being satisfactorily explained by a single, higher order factor reflecting social and adaptive functioning in general. The internal consistency and 12-month test-retest reliability of the total scale was acceptable. A significant, negative correlation was found between the CASAFS and a measure of depressive symptoms, showing that high levels of social functioning are associated with low levels of depression. Significant differences in CASAFS total and subscale scores were found between clinically depressed adolescents and a matched sample of nonclinical controls. Adolescents who reported elevated but subclinical levels of depression also reported lower levels of social functioning in comparison to nonclinical controls.

Desenvolvimento sustent??vel: o desafio da admininstra????o p??blica brasileira nas dimens??es da relev??ncia social, da prud??ncia ecol??gica e da viabilidade econ??mica

Partindo do conceito de bem-estar social, definido em lei como de responsabilidade da administra????o p??blica, especialmente no que diz respeito ?? preserva????o dos recursos naturais para a manuten????o da decente qualidade de vida dos cidad??os, o artigo foi estruturado a partir do relat??rio de pesquisa de inicia????o cient??fica financiada pela Funda????o de Amparo ?? Pesquisa do Estado de S??o Paulo (Fapesp) e desenvolvido na Universidade Estadual de S??o Paulo (Unesp). Tal relat??rio objetivou investigar os par??metros de regularidade da administra????o p??blica, analisando-se a jurisprud??ncia dos tribunais. Foram evidenciadas irregularidades na atua????o da administra????o p??blica, constatando a desarticula????o da gest??o p??blica ao gerir as tr??s dimens??es que definem o desenvolvimento sustent??vel: a relev??ncia social, a viabilidade econ??mica e a prud??ncia ecol??gica. Foi poss??vel constatar com esta pesquisa que a administra????o p??blica brasileira d?? mais import??ncia para a quest??o econ??mica que ??s quest??es sociais e ambientais. Pudemos perceber que enquanto o meio ambiente ?? degradado e a sociedade prejudicada com a piora da qualidade de vida, o econ??mico vem sendo privilegiado constantemente. Sendo assim, evidenciaremos esse descaso propondo algumas mudan??as para a melhora da gest??o das tr??s dimens??es do desenvolvimento sustent??vel; por??m, em contrapartida, mostraremos a seriedade na atua????o dos ??rg??os colegiados ambientais e institui????es do poder p??blico, tais como o Minist??rio P??blico, que hoje atuam em parceria com a popula????o, crescentemente envolvida no processo mediante a pr??tica de den??ncias e reclama????es.

Transpar??ncia, monitoramento e avalia????o de programas no Brasil: em busca de opacidades que podem restringir o exerc??cio do controle social

A nova lei brasileira de acesso ?? informa????o estabeleceu um conjunto de defini????es, princ??pios e diretrizes voltado ?? promo????o da transpar??ncia e ?? viabiliza????o do exerc??cio do controle social sobre a a????o governamental. Segundo esta lei, os resultados dos programas do Plano Plurianual (PPA) fazem parte do conjunto de informa????es que precisam ser franqueadas aos cidad??os. Tais resultados s??o gerados a partir das regras da sistem??tica de monitoramento e avalia????o de programas que deve ser estabelecida no pr??prio PPA. Este trabalho objetiva analisar a ader??ncia desta sistem??tica ?? lei de acesso ?? informa????o, com a finalidade de suscitar o debate sobre a exist??ncia de certas opacidades que podem restringir o acompanhamento e a avalia????o da a????o governamental pela sociedade