Attachment style impacts behavior and early oculomotor response to positive, but not negative, pictures

The present study investigated whether oculomotor behavior is influenced by attachment styles. The Relationship Scales Questionnaire was used to assess attachment styles of forty-eight voluntary university students and to classify them into attachment groups (secure, preoccupied, fearful, and dismissing). Eye-tracking was recorded while participants engaged in a 3-seconds free visual exploration of stimuli presenting either a positive or a negative picture together with a neutral picture, all depicting social interactions. The task consisted in identifying whether the two pictures depicted the same emotion. Results showed that the processing of negative pictures was impermeable to attachment style, while the processing of positive pictures was significantly influenced by individual differences in insecure attachment. The groups highly avoidant regarding to attachment (dismissing and fearful) showed reduced accuracy, suggesting a higher threshold for recognizing positive emotions compared to the secure group. The groups with higher attachment anxiety (preoccupied and fearful) showed differences in automatic capture of attention, in particular an increased delay preceding the first fixation to a picture of positive emotional valence. Despite lenient statistical thresholds induced by the limited sample size of some groups (p < 0.05 uncorrected for multiple comparisons), the current findings suggest that the processing of positive emotions is affected by attachment styles. These results are discussed within a broader evolutionary framework.

Cultura, liderança e resultados escolares: uma abordagem a partir das representações dos alunos do ensino secundário

Grande parte dos estudos produzidos sobre a liderança escolar tem incidido na análise da relação entre os processos de liderança, a aprendizagem e o sucesso. Embora esta convergência de enfoque (liderança/sucesso) encubra abordagens teóricas, disciplinares e metodológicas muito diferenciadas, é evidente a presença de uma perspetiva unidirecional, mais focada nas políticas e nas práticas de liderança e menos na forma como estas são entendidas pelos alunos. Neste artigo, propomos um enfoque invertido, focado nas representações dos alunos sobre os processos de liderança. Do ponto de vista metodológico, recorremos aos dados recolhidos no âmbito de quatro estudos de caso realizados em escolas/agrupamentos com ensino secundário, resultantes da administração de um inquérito por questionário e da realização de focus group a alunos com resultados académicos de excelência e a alunos não incluídos neste nível de desempenho. Elegemos como referência analítica um estudo de caso de longa duração, a partir do qual colocamos em confronto os dados recolhidos nos outros três contextos estudados. Os resultados deste estudo apontam para a existência de relações e diferenças significativas entre a cultura organizacional da escola e os estilos de liderança, sendo destacada a importância do papel do Diretor na condução do ideário de excelência da escola.

A new combination in Peristethium (Loranthaceae) expands the genus' range into the Amazon-Cerrado ecotone

The genus Peristethium, characterized by determinate inflorescences protected by deciduous bracts, occurs in the northwest of South America, as well as Costa Rica and Panama. The main objective of this paper was to transfer one species to what we believe is its correct generic placement in Peristethium, that likewise implies in a shift of the genus' distribution beyond the Amazon. A new combination, Peristethium reticulatum, is proposed, based on Struthanthus reticulatus, described from Tocantins in 1980. The sexual dimorphism of the inflorescences of P. reticulatum (sessile male flowers and pedicellate female flowers) associated with male inflorescences that are inserted at leafless nodes are unique within the genus. The male flowers have dimorphic stamens, well-developed anthers and a pistiloid, whilst female flowers have robust styles and stigmas, and much reduced staminodes. Peristethium reticulatum and P. polystachyum occurs in the Amazon regions of Brazil, with the former recorded also in the ecotone with the Central Brazilian savannas (Cerrados).

O ajustamento psicossocial de jovens com consumos de substâncias psicoativas em escolas profissionais do grande Porto

Tese de Doutoramento em Estudos da Criança (Área de Especialidade Psicologia do Desenvolvimento e Educação)

Desenvolvimento de um laboratório pedagógico de vias de comunicação na Universidade do Minho

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Civil

Differences in muscular activity between obese and non-obese workers during manual lifting

The prevalence of obesity is increasing throughout the workforce. Manual lifting tasks are common and can produce significant muscle loading. This study compared muscular activity between obese and non-obese subjects, using surface Electromyography (EMG), during manual lifting. Six different lifting tasks (with 5, 10 and 15 kg loads in free and constrained styles) were performed by 14 participants with different obesity levels. EMG data normalization was based on the percentage of Maximum Contraction during each Task (MCT). Muscle Activation Times (AT) before each task were also evaluated. The study suggests that obesity can increase MCT and delay muscle AT. These findings reinforce the need to develop further studies focused on obesity as a risk factor for the development of musculoskeletal disorders.

Adaptação ao divórcio e relações coparentais: contributos da teoria da vinculação

Neste artigo propõe-se uma contribuição da teoria da vinculação na compreensão dos processos de adaptação dos adultos ao seu divórcio e como a desvinculação ao ex-cônjuge interfere na coparentalidade pós-divórcio. Este artigo formula duas hipóteses teóricas. A primeira hipótese afirma que o divórcio, enquanto processo relacional, deve ser lido como um momento de perda que germina reacções psicológicas similares às experienciadas pelos viúvos, tal como descreve Bowlby no modelo de perda da figura de vinculação, estando dependente dos estilos de vinculação dos adultos. A segunda hipótese sustenta que a coparentalidade pós-divórcio é predita pelos estilos de vinculação e pela qualidade da reorganização da vinculação dos pais. Finalmente, uma integração teórica é apresentada, operacionalizada numa proposta de investigação futura neste domínio.

Psychosocial adjustment and physical health in children of divorce

Objective: To review the literature on the effects of parental divorce over the psychological maladjustment and physical health problems in children of divorced parents, thus contributing to the integration of existing scientific knowledge based on the biopsychosocial model of the impact of divorce on children’s physical health as proposed by Troxel and Matthews (2004). Sources: Review of the literature using MEDLINE and PsycInfo (1980-2007) databases, selecting the most representative articles on the subject. Special attention was paid to contributions by internationally renowned investigators on the subject. Summary of the findings: Divorce may be responsible for a decline of physical and psychological health in children. The developmental maladjustment of children is not triggered by divorce itself, but rather by other risk factors associated with it, such as interparental conflict, parental psychopathology, decline in socio-economic level, inconsistency in parenting styles, a parallel and conflicting co-parenting relationship between parents and low levels of social support. Such risk factors trigger maladjusted developmental pathways, marked by psychopathological symptoms, poor academic performance, worst levels of physical health, risk behavior, exacerbated psychophysiological responses to stress and weakening of the immune system. Conclusions: Clear links were observed between experiencing parental divorce and facing problems of physical and psychological maladjustment in children. Divorce is a stressor that should be considered by health professionals as potentially responsible for maladjusted neuropsychobiological responses and for decline in children’s physical health.

A gestão do desempenho como prática de implementação participada de um plano estratégico: o caso do Banco de Moçambique

Dissertação de Mestrado em Políticas Desenvolvimento dos Recursos Humanos

Identificació de components inclusius en alguns centres escolars d'educació infantil i primària de la comarca d'Osona

The present essay –which is a pilot study conceived to continue the research in depth in the future- is based in a comparative analysis of educational practice between five different primary and pre-school teaching centres in Osona and the educational practice in inclusive educational centres. The essay introduces the objectives of the research and the theoretical and conceptual framework in which it is based (chapter 1) in relation with the main themes and expressions which are the purpose of the study: comprensivity, inclusive school and inclusive practice. The theoretical framework is linked to the principal regulations applied in our context. The study describes the instruments and procedure analysis describes the instruments and procedure analysis which have been designed and used for a qualitative methodological approach, together with the data obtained from the analysis of five teaching centres (chapter 2). The results from the research show that the practice done in the analised schools are not totally comparable to the ones in the inclusive environment. Notwithsanding, there are some similar points, although not totally coincident, like the fact that either the analysed schools or the ones with an inclusive approach show availability and interest in improving integration of all the pupils in the school, also the teachers work together in some aspects like, evaluation of pupils with special needs, objectives and contents and activities fort he specific kind of pupils with special needs parents and the majority of the analyzed schools, like those fallowing inclusive educational approaches, try the pupils with special needs to develop their acquisition within the ordinary class with adapted material. I think, these verifications, some of them close to inclusive educational practice, could constitute a starting point to analyse our model, in order to offer a common curriculum that could respect the different styles and rhythms of acquisition of all the pupils, so that promoting a more flexible and open schooling. In conclusion, the results of this analysis, although dues to its limits, they can not be generalized, they can help to find the necessary changes to bet for a qualitative education in a school for everyone.

Comparing the treatment provided by migrant and nonmigrant health professionals: dentists in Scotland

Many OECD countries are increasingly relying on migrants to address shortages of trained health professionals. One key concern is whether migrant health professionals provide equivalent health care. We compare the treatment provided by migrant and non-migrant health professionals using administrative data from the Scottish dental system. A difference-in-differences model is estimated to examine whether migrant dentists respond differently to case mix and individual circumstances as compared with their non-migrant counterparts, and assess the extent to which any differences diminish over time. After controlling for both observed and unobserved differences between individual dentists and the cohort of patients that they treat, we find that migrant dentists have marginally different practice styles, and the variation diminishes over time within two years of practice.

Diseminación de enteroparasitos por Calliphoridae (Insecta, Diptera)

It is establish the dissemination enteroparasite by Calliphoridae in a district situated around by Federal Capital of Argentina. The species implicated in this dispersal are: Phaenicia sericata (meigen, 1826); Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830; Chrysomya chloropyga (Wiedemann, 1818) and Phaenicia eximia (Wiedemann, 1819). Fifty two flies was studies, thirty four (65%) to belong at the family Calliphoridae. Of this thirteen (38%) have eggs of taeniid and cysts of Entamoeba coli (Grassi, 1879) and Giardia lamblia Styles, 1915.

Early mother-child interaction and later quality of attachment in infants with an orofacial cleft compared to infants without cleft.

Objective : The main objective of this study was to assess mother-child patterns of interaction in relation to later quality of attachment in a group of children with an orofacial cleft compared with children without cleft. Design : Families were contacted when the child was 2 months old for a direct assessment of mother-child interaction and then at 12 months for a direct assessment of the child's attachment. Data concerning socioeconomical information and posttraumatic stress symptoms in mothers were collected at the first appointment. Participants : Forty families of children with a cleft and 45 families of children without cleft were included in the study. Families were recruited at birth in the University Hospital of Lausanne. Results : Results showed that children with a cleft were more difficult and less cooperative during interaction at 2 months of age with their mother compared with children without a cleft. No significant differences were found in mothers or in dyadic interactive styles. Concerning the child's attachment at 12 months old, no differences were found in attachment security. However, secure children with a cleft were significantly more avoidant with their mother during the reunion episodes than secure children without cleft. Conclusion : Despite the facial disfigurement and the stress engendered by treatment during the first months of the infant's life, children with cleft and their mothers are doing as well as families without cleft with regard to the mothers' mental health, mother-child relationships, and later quality of attachment. A potential contribution for this absence of difference may be the pluridisciplinary support that families of children with cleft benefit from in Lausanne.

Traitement individualisé des déficits cognitifs de la schizophrénie

Quatre-vingt pour-cent des personnes souffrant de schizophrénie présentent des déficits cognitifs dans le domaine de la mémoire, de l'attention et des fonctions exécutives. Tous les patients ne présentent cependant pas les mêmes déficits et plusieurs recherches ont tenté d'identifier les différents profils cognitifs observés dans cette pathologie. Dans la même volonté de cibler les déficits cognitifs de manière spécifique, nous avons développé depuis plusieurs années un programme de remédiation cognitive. Le programme de remédiation cognitive pour patients présentant une schizophrénie ou un trouble associé (RECOS) propose ainsi d'entraîner la mémoire verbale, la mémoire et l'attention visuospatiales, la mémoire de travail, l'attention sélective et le raisonnement. Au-delà des modules d'entraînement proposés, le programme vise à adapter le traitement en fonction des ressources et difficultés observées chez chacun des participants durant les séances de remédiation. Les aspects de transfert et de généralisation de l'apprentissage sont également traités en priorité par le programme RECOS. Une étude de cas permet d'illustrer notre manière d'intervenir de manière individualisée, et de comprendre l'articulation entre le travail en séance et les objectifs très concrets de réinsertion professionnelle. En conclusion, nous soulignons l'importance d'intégrer la remédiation cognitive dans une prise en charge considérée dans sa globalité.

Revisiting the size-R&D productivity relation: introducing the mediating role of decision-making style on the scale and quality of innovative output

We develop a mediation model in which firm size is proposed to affect the scale and quality of innovative output through the adoption of different decision styles during the R&D process. The aim of this study is to understand how the internal changes that firms undergo as they evolve from small to larger organizations affect R&D productivity. In so doing, we illuminate the underlying theoretical mechanism affecting two different dimensions of R&D productivity, namely the scale and quality of innovative output which have not received much attention in previous literature. Using longitudinal data of Spanish manufacturing firms we explore the validity of this mediation model. Our results show that as firms evolve in size, they increasingly emphasize analytical decision making, and consequently, large-sized firms aim for higher-quality innovations while small firms aim for a larger scale of innovative output.