Serum Testosterone Levels and Symptom-Based Depression Subtypes in Men

The main objective of this preliminary study was to further clarify the association between testosterone (T) levels and depression by investigating symptom-based depression subtypes in a sample of 64 men. The data were taken from the ZInEP epidemiology survey. Gonadal hormones of a melancholic (n  = 25) and an atypical (n = 14) depression subtype, derived from latent class analysis, were compared with those of healthy controls (n  = 18). Serum T was assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedure. Analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, non-parametrical tests, and generalized linear regression models were performed to examine group differences. The atypical depressive subtype showed significantly lower T levels compared with the melancholic depressives. While accumulative evidence indicates that, beyond psychosocial characteristics, the melancholic and atypical depressive subtypes are also distinguishable by biological correlates, the current study expanded this knowledge to include gonadal hormones. Further longitudinal research is warranted to disclose causality by linking the multiple processes in pathogenesis of depression.

HIV prevalence and contextual risk-factors among injection drug users in Harris County, Texas

Injection drug use is the third most frequent risk factor for new HIV infections in the United States. A dual mode of exposure: unsafe drug using practices and risky sexual behaviors underlies injection drug users' (IDUs) risk for HIV infection. This research study aims to characterize patterns of drug use and sexual behaviors and to examine the social contexts associated with risk behaviors among a sample of injection drug users. ^ This cross-sectional study includes 523 eligible injection drug users from Houston, Texas, recruited into the 2009 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance project. Three separate set of analyses were carried out. First, using latent class analysis (LCA) and maximum likelihood we identified classes of behavior describing levels of HIV risk, from nine drug and sexual behaviors. Second, eight separate multivariable regression models were built to examine the odds of reporting a given risk behavior. We constructed the most parsimonious multivariable model using a manual backward stepwise process. Third, we examined whether HIV serostatus knowledge (self-reported positive, negative, or unknown serostatus) is associated with drug use and sexual HIV risk behaviors. ^ Participants were mostly male, older, and non-Hispanic Black. Forty-two percent of our sample had behaviors putting them at high risk, 25% at moderate risk, and 33% at low risk for HIV infection. Individuals in the High-risk group had the highest probability of risky behaviors, categorized as almost always sharing needles (0.93), seldom using condoms (0.10), reporting recent exchange sex partners (0.90), and practicing anal sex (0.34). We observed that unsafe injecting practices were associated with high risk sexual behaviors. IDUs who shared needles had higher odds of having anal sex (OR=2.89, 95%CI: 1.69-4.92) and unprotected sex (OR=2.66, 95%CI: 1.38-5.10) at last sex. Additionally, homelessness was associated with needle sharing (OR=2.24, 95% CI: 1.34-3.76) and cocaine use was associated with multiple sex partners (OR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.07-3.11). Furthermore, twenty-one percent of the sample was unaware of their HIV serostatus. The three groups were not different from each other in terms of drug-use behaviors: always using a new sterile needle, or in sharing needles or drug preparation equipment. However, IDUs unaware of their HIV serostatus were 33% more likely to report having more than three sexual partners in the past 12 months; 45% more likely to report to have unprotected sex and 85% more likely to use drug and or alcohol during or before at last sex compared to HIV-positive IDUs. ^ This analysis underscores the merit of LCA approach to empirically categorize injection drug users into distinct classes and identify their risk pattern using multiple indicators and our results show considerable overlap of high risk sexual and drug use behaviors among the high-risk class members. The observed clustering pattern of drug and sexual risk behavior among this population confirms that injection drug users do not represent a homogeneous population in terms of HIV risk. These findings will help develop tailored prevention programs.^

Un abordaje teórico-metodológico para la investigación de la estructura, la movilidad social y las condiciones de vida : La propuesta ENES-PISAC

En este artículo se comunican los lineamientos centrales del diseño de la Encuesta Nacional sobre Estructura Social (ENES), llevada adelante por el Programa de Investigación sobre la Sociedad Argentina Contemporánea (PISAC). Se presentan aspectos generales relativos a las características de la muestra y las modalidades de relevamiento de la ENES y se desarrolla el abordaje teórico metodológico de los dos ejes principales involucrados en la encuesta: a) la estructura de clases, estratificación y movilidad social; b) las condiciones de vida de los hogares.

Un abordaje teórico-metodológico para la investigación de la estructura, la movilidad social y las condiciones de vida : La propuesta ENES-PISAC

En este artículo se comunican los lineamientos centrales del diseño de la Encuesta Nacional sobre Estructura Social (ENES), llevada adelante por el Programa de Investigación sobre la Sociedad Argentina Contemporánea (PISAC). Se presentan aspectos generales relativos a las características de la muestra y las modalidades de relevamiento de la ENES y se desarrolla el abordaje teórico metodológico de los dos ejes principales involucrados en la encuesta: a) la estructura de clases, estratificación y movilidad social; b) las condiciones de vida de los hogares.

Un abordaje teórico-metodológico para la investigación de la estructura, la movilidad social y las condiciones de vida : La propuesta ENES-PISAC

En este artículo se comunican los lineamientos centrales del diseño de la Encuesta Nacional sobre Estructura Social (ENES), llevada adelante por el Programa de Investigación sobre la Sociedad Argentina Contemporánea (PISAC). Se presentan aspectos generales relativos a las características de la muestra y las modalidades de relevamiento de la ENES y se desarrolla el abordaje teórico metodológico de los dos ejes principales involucrados en la encuesta: a) la estructura de clases, estratificación y movilidad social; b) las condiciones de vida de los hogares.

Un abordaje teórico-metodológico para la investigación de la estructura, la movilidad social y las condiciones de vida : La propuesta ENES-PISAC

En este artículo se comunican los lineamientos centrales del diseño de la Encuesta Nacional sobre Estructura Social (ENES), llevada adelante por el Programa de Investigación sobre la Sociedad Argentina Contemporánea (PISAC). Se presentan aspectos generales relativos a las características de la muestra y las modalidades de relevamiento de la ENES y se desarrolla el abordaje teórico metodológico de los dos ejes principales involucrados en la encuesta: a) la estructura de clases, estratificación y movilidad social; b) las condiciones de vida de los hogares.

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Genomewide significant linkage to migrainous Hheadache on chromosome 5q21

Familial typical migraine is a common, complex disorder that shows strong familial aggregation. Using latent-class analysis (LCA), we identified subgroups of people with migraine/severe headache in a community sample of 12,245 Australian twins (60% female), drawn from two cohorts of individuals aged 23-90 years who completed an interview based on International Headache Society criteria. We report results from genomewide linkage analyses involving 756 twin families containing a total of 790 independent sib pairs ( 130 affected concordant, 324 discordant, and 336 unaffected concordant for LCA-derived migraine). Quantitative-trait linkage analysis produced evidence of significant linkage on chromosome 5q21 and suggestive linkage on chromosomes 8, 10, and 13. In addition, we replicated previously reported typical-migraine susceptibility loci on chromosomes 6p12.2-p21.1 and 1q21-q23, the latter being within 3 cM of the rare autosomal dominant familial hemiplegic migraine gene (ATP1A2), a finding which potentially implicates ATP1A2 in familial typical migraine for the first time. Linkage analyses of individual migraine symptoms for our six most interesting chromosomes provide tantalizing hints of the phenotypic and genetic complexity of migraine. Specifically, the chromosome 1 locus is most associated with phonophobia; the chromosome 5 peak is predominantly associated with pulsating headache; the chromosome 6 locus is associated with activity-prohibiting headache and photophobia; the chromosome 8 locus is associated with nausea/vomiting and moderate/severe headache; the chromosome 10 peak is most associated with phonophobia and photophobia; and the chromosome 13 peak is completely due to association with photophobia. These results will prove to be invaluable in the design and analysis of future linkage and linkage disequilibrium studies of migraine.

Migraine With Aura and Migraine Without Aura Are Not Distinct Entities: Further Evidence From a Large Dutch Population Study

It is often debated whether migraine with aura (MA) and migraine without aura (MO) are etiologically distinct disorders. A previous study using latent class analysis (LCA) in Australian twins showed no evidence for separate subtypes of MO and MA. The aim of the present study was to replicate these results in a population of Dutch twins and their parents, siblings and partners (N = 10,144). Latent class analysis of International Headache Society (IHS)-based migraine symptoms resulted in the identification of 4 classes: a class of unaffected subjects (class 0), a mild form of nonmigrainous headache (class 1), a moderately severe type of migraine (class 2), typically without neurological symptoms or aura (8% reporting aura symptoms), and a severe type of migraine (class 3), typically with neurological symptoms, and aura symptoms in approximately half of the cases. Given the overlap of neurological symptoms and nonmutual exclusivity of aura symptoms, these results do not support the MO and MA subtypes as being etiologically distinct. The heritability in female twins of migraine based on LCA classification was estimated at .50 (95% confidence intervals [0CI} .27 -.59), similar to IHS-based migraine diagnosis (h(2) = .49, 95% Cl .19-.57). However, using a dichotomous classification (affected-unaffected) decreased heritability for the IHS-based classification (h(2) = .33, 95% Cl .00-.60), but not the LCA-based classification (h(2) = .51, 95% Cl. 23-.61). Importantly, use of the LCA-based classification increased the number of subjects classified as affected. The heritability of the screening question was similar to more detailed LCA and IHS classifications, suggesting that the screening procedure is an important determining factor in genetic studies of migraine.

Education and racism:a study of the teachers' and the pupils' relations in the schooling of black boys

This thesis examines the teachers' and the pupils' relations in the schooling of black boys. The study using the methodology of participant observation focusses on one school (Kilby) in an area of black population in an English city. The thesis’s intentions are two fold: firstly, in order to examine these relations, two major aspects of their interaction are addressed, that of the absence of teachers from conventional 'race-relations' research, and, the identification and examination of the anti-school pupils' sub-cultures. Two substantive questions are asked: what is the response of the teachers to the schooling of black pupils? and, what is the meaning of the pupils' resistance to schooling? Secondly, in attempting to answer these questions and offer a critique of the dominant 'race-relations' culturalist explanation of black youth's response to schooling, a theoretical framework has been developed which takes account of both the 'economic' and the 'sociological' perspectives. Methodology allowed and pointed to the importance of examining the teachers' ideologies and practices as well as those of the black boys. It is argued that a class analysis of the racially structured British society is more adequate than the conventional ethnic approach in explaining the black boys' location within Kilby School. Hence, it is posited that the major problem in the schooling of black youth is not that of their culture but of racism, which pervasively structures the social reality at Kilby school. Racism is mediated both through the existing institutional framework that discriminates against working-class youth and through the operation of race specific mechanisms, such as the process of racist stereotyping. It is thus further argued that the Kilby school teachers are of central causal significance to the - problems that the boys encounter. Furthermore, it is in response to these racist ideologies and practices that both West Indian and Asian pupils develop specific forms of collective resistance, which are seen to be linked to the wider black community, as legitimate strategies of survival.

The Relevance of Marxist Academics

This commentary examines the relationship between a Marxist scholar and the institutional and societal environment of the university. The focus is on how a Marxist academic navigates the social, economic and political aspects of the university while attempting to maintain a commitment to class analysis and Marxism as political practice.

Classes sociais e eleições presidenciais no Brasil contemporâneo (2002-2010)

This work aims to analyze, in terms of class, the social composition of the constituency of the presidential candidates of the Workers Party in 2002, 2006 and 2010 elections. Such research object is constructed from a preliminary critical debate with recent Brazilian electoral studies, especially the literature on the infl uence of social programs on voting and Singer’s formulations about the lulismo phenomenon. Incorporating advances and pointing out gaps in such research efforts, is formulated a roadmap for empirical research constituted of three key elements - the measure ment of the dimensions of class structure in Brazilian capitalism; the observation of material interests related to the constituents locations of such structure; the development of measures of association between the insertion in class groupings and indivi dual voting behavior. Based on the neo - Marxist approach of class analysis, especially as formulated by Wright, it is made an adaptation of the typology formulated by such approach (mainly developed by Santos to the Brazilian case) to the data available fro m databases of censuses of 2000 and 2010. This theoretical construct reveals that during the period considered for the analysis, the structure of class - relations in Brazil became more proletarized and consequently had a decrease of the dimensions of the de stitute class locations. In addition, it was found, in relation to the objective class interests, widespread increments of economic welfare that allowed advances in relation to the material conditions of the proletariat, without, however, incurring losses to the privileged class positions. Such changes in the structural sphere focused in various ways on the political arena. Based on an adaptation to electoral analysis of the concept of "class formation", also formulated by Wright, associated with the use of techniques of ecological inference (especially those proposed by King and associates), it was possible to draw up an overview of class voting in period studied. As main results, three general patterns of individual voting behavior, related to each of the three analyzed class groupings were identified - a contraposition against PT candidates, by voters in privileged class locations; the adhesion, recurring throughout the study period, of workers to Lula and Dilma Rousseff; a favorable electoral shift unde rtaken by economically deprived voters in favor of those candidatures in the 2006 election.

Análise de conteúdo e validação clínica do diagnóstico de enfermagem autocontrole ineficaz da saúde

The study aims to analyze the content and measures of accuracy of the nursing diagnosis Ineffective Self Health in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Study of nursing diagnosis validation carried out in two stages, namely: content analysis by judges and accuracy of clinical indicators. In the first stage, 22 judges evaluated the setting and location of the diagnosis, clinical indicators and etiological factors and their conceptual and empirical definitions. We used the binomial test to determine the proportion of the judges of the relevance of the components of the nursing diagnosis. In the second stage, we used the Latent Class Analysis for the diagnostic accuracy by evaluating 200 patients in a hemodialysis clinic in northeastern Brazil. Research approved by the Ethics Committee, under the Opinion No 387 837 and CAAE 18486413.0.0000.5537. The results show that the judges evaluated as pertinent clinical indicators 12 and 22 etiological factors. Proposed amendment of the nomenclature of five indicators and six factors and the implementation of a clinical indicator for etiology and three etiological factors for clinical indicators. In conceptual and empirical definitions, judges judged as not relevant the conceptual and empirical definitions of a clinical indicator, the conceptual definitions of two etiological factors and empirical definitions four etiological factors. Still, changes were suggested in the conceptual and empirical definitions of two clinical indicators, the conceptual definitions of 12 etiological factors and empirical definitions of 11 etiological factors. Clinical indicators analyzed in the first stage were validated clinically in patients undergoing hemodialysis. The most frequent clinical indicators were Changes in laboratory tests (100%) and daily life choices ineffective to achieve health goals (81%); and three etiological factors had a higher frequency, they are: unfavorable demographic factors (94.5%), beliefs (79%) and comorbidities (77.5%). From Latent class analysis, diagnosis prevalence was estimated at 66.28%. Clinical indicators that showed the best sensitivity measures for the nursing diagnosis Ineffective Self Health were: daily life choices ineffective to achieve health goals and Expression of difficulty with prescribed regimens. In turn, the clinical indicators of inappropriate medication use, no expression of desire to control the disease, irregular attendance to the dialysis sessions and infection were more specific as to that diagnosis. Non-adherence to treatment was the only indicator that showed confidence intervals with values for sensitivity and specificity, statistically above 0.5, being the one who has better diagnostic accuracy as the inference of the nursing diagnosis Ineffective Self Health in hemodialysis clientele. Thus, it is believed that the improvement of the components of diagnosis in question will contribute to the development of more reliable nursing interventions to the health status of the individual in hemodialysis, providing a more scientifically qualified care.

Análise de conteúdo e validação clínica do diagnóstico de enfermagem autocontrole ineficaz da saúde

The study aims to analyze the content and measures of accuracy of the nursing diagnosis Ineffective Self Health in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Study of nursing diagnosis validation carried out in two stages, namely: content analysis by judges and accuracy of clinical indicators. In the first stage, 22 judges evaluated the setting and location of the diagnosis, clinical indicators and etiological factors and their conceptual and empirical definitions. We used the binomial test to determine the proportion of the judges of the relevance of the components of the nursing diagnosis. In the second stage, we used the Latent Class Analysis for the diagnostic accuracy by evaluating 200 patients in a hemodialysis clinic in northeastern Brazil. Research approved by the Ethics Committee, under the Opinion No 387 837 and CAAE 18486413.0.0000.5537. The results show that the judges evaluated as pertinent clinical indicators 12 and 22 etiological factors. Proposed amendment of the nomenclature of five indicators and six factors and the implementation of a clinical indicator for etiology and three etiological factors for clinical indicators. In conceptual and empirical definitions, judges judged as not relevant the conceptual and empirical definitions of a clinical indicator, the conceptual definitions of two etiological factors and empirical definitions four etiological factors. Still, changes were suggested in the conceptual and empirical definitions of two clinical indicators, the conceptual definitions of 12 etiological factors and empirical definitions of 11 etiological factors. Clinical indicators analyzed in the first stage were validated clinically in patients undergoing hemodialysis. The most frequent clinical indicators were Changes in laboratory tests (100%) and daily life choices ineffective to achieve health goals (81%); and three etiological factors had a higher frequency, they are: unfavorable demographic factors (94.5%), beliefs (79%) and comorbidities (77.5%). From Latent class analysis, diagnosis prevalence was estimated at 66.28%. Clinical indicators that showed the best sensitivity measures for the nursing diagnosis Ineffective Self Health were: daily life choices ineffective to achieve health goals and Expression of difficulty with prescribed regimens. In turn, the clinical indicators of inappropriate medication use, no expression of desire to control the disease, irregular attendance to the dialysis sessions and infection were more specific as to that diagnosis. Non-adherence to treatment was the only indicator that showed confidence intervals with values for sensitivity and specificity, statistically above 0.5, being the one who has better diagnostic accuracy as the inference of the nursing diagnosis Ineffective Self Health in hemodialysis clientele. Thus, it is believed that the improvement of the components of diagnosis in question will contribute to the development of more reliable nursing interventions to the health status of the individual in hemodialysis, providing a more scientifically qualified care.

Étude de la plasticité génomique des algues vertes de l’ordre Chlamydomonadales

Les récents progrès en génomique ont conforté la complexité de l’origine des algues; d’un point de vue de la phylogénie des hôtes de l’endosymbiose, les algues forment un groupe évolutif polyphylétique. Les algues vertes forment deux embranchements majeurs : les Streptophyta et les Chlorophyta. Les chlorophytes comprennent la majorité des algues vertes connues et se regroupent en quatre classes. La première, les Prasinophyceae, occupe la position la plus basale, tandis que l’ordre d’embranchement des trois autres classes (Ulvophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae et Chlorophyceae) demeure encore incertain. Pour clarifier les relations évolutives chez les Clorophyceae, huit génomes chloroplastiques appartenant à la lignée des Chlamydomonadales, lignée majeure des Chlorophyceae, ont été séquencés et analysés. Des études phylogénétiques ont confirmé les classifications préétablies et de nouveaux clades se sont vus formés. Les génomes de ces algues chlorophycéennes ont révélé une architecture conservée avec un certain nombre de caractères spécifiques à la classe des Chlamydomonadales. L’analyse de leurs caractères moléculaires a révélé des génomes marqués par la réduction ou le réarrangement de leur répertoire génomique comparativement aux génomes chloroplastiques des algues vertes plus ancestrales.