The family alliance assessment scales : steps toward validity and reliability of an observational assessment tool for early family interactions

We present the first steps in the validation of an observational tool for father-mother-infant interactions: the FAAS (Family Alliance Assessment Scales). Family-level variables are acknowledged as unique contributors to the understanding of the socio-affective development of the child, yet producing reliable assessments of family-level interactions poses a methodological challenge. There is, therefore, a clear need for a validated and clinically relevant tool. This validation study has been carried out on three samples: one non-referred sample, of families taking part in a study on the transition to parenthood (normative sample; n = 30), one referred for medically assisted procreation (infertility sample; n = 30) and one referred for a psychiatric condition in one parent (clinical sample; n = 15). Results show that the FAAS scales have (1) good inter-rater reliability and (2) good validity, as assessed through known-group validity by comparing the three samples and through concurrent validity by checking family interactions against parents' self-reported marital satisfaction.

Genetic differentiation of common shrew Sorex araneus populations among different alpine valleys revealed by microsatellites

Geographical barriers may affect the genetic structure of populations by reducing gene exchanges among them. In Switzerland, the common shrew Sorer araneus Linnaeus, 1758 is mostly confined to mountainous areas because of a competing sister species, Millet's shrew S. coronatus Millet, 1828, which occupies most of the Swiss lowlands. The structure of common shrew populations found in different alpine valleys may therefore be affected by the topography. Using microsatellites, genetic structuring of seven shrew populations is investigated among four different valleys of, the Swiss Alps. Using the exact G-test, significant genetic structuring is detected between several valleys. Isolation by distance does not fully explain our results. It appears that high mountain ridges (> 2400 m) can significantly reduce gene flow. F- and R-statistics are estimated and compared to the exact G-tests results. Mantel tests show that F-ST, unlike R-ST, is significantly correlated with differentiation. F-ST remains however low even at high differentiation levels, while R-ST has a high variance. We discuss how these results may have wider implications with regards the interpretation of microsatellite data. Finally, a new microsatellite locus, L99, appears to discriminate S. araneus of the Vaud and Cordon races from both S. araneus Valais and S. coronatus.

L'entorn sonor, un element educatiu de primer ordre

Este articulo pretende mostrar los avances e investigaciones màs recientes sobre el estudio del entorno en la formación del oído humano, entendiéndolo como una primera configuración pre-musical. Un breve repaso a los textos sagrados y míticos de los más variados tiempos y lugares nos permitirá reflexionar acerca de la enorme importancia del sonido en nuestra educación, tanto en el ámbito físico como emocional e intelectual. Se da un repaso a los efectos más clásicos del sonido sobre el cuerpo y la mente, a fin de entender la importancia de tomar conciencia de nuestro paisaje sonoro cotidiano. Posteriormente se explicita la evolución del oído humano en crecimiento del niño hasta llegar a la educación musical, haciendo especial hincapié en las relaciones entre la música y el lenguaje a partir de la audición y los primeros pasos en el aprendizaje del habla.

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, July 2014

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, August 2014

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program

La adaptación y la persistencia académica en la transición en el primer año de universidad: el caso de la Universidad de Barcelona

La aportación al simposium se centra en analizar la evolución y los resultados de las investigaciones realizadas en los últimos años sobre la transición a la universidad de los estudiantes en el sistema universitario catalán y, específicamente, de la Universidad de Barcelona. El artículo presenta un análisis del estado de la cuestión y, más allá del volumen de los datos, aporta evidencias sobre las diferencias relacionadas con los diferentes ámbitos disciplinares. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto dificultades en el proceso detransición y la importancia significativa de la adaptación académica en el primeraño de estudios. Finalmente se plantea la necesidad de revisar las medidas deretención establecidas en la universidad, incluidas las acciones de orientación,con la finalidad de optimizar la persistencia de los estudiantes.

Failure to thrive in a girl born into a family affected by familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia

Autosomal dominant familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia (FDH)is characterized by modified human serum albumin (HSA) inducing asubstantially higher affinity for thyroxine (T4). Histidin or prolinsubstitution on residue R218 produces localized conformationalchanges of HSA creating additional room for T4 binding, leadingto 14-20 fold normal total T4 (TT4) levels. Affected individuals areconsidered euthyroid. Our patient is an 18 months-old swiss girl bornto a mother known for the rare R218P mutation in the HSA gene.She presented with severe failure to thrive (height -2.92 SD, weight-3.6 SD), habitual hip dislocation without anatomical anomaly, latefontanelle closing and protruding ears. Psychomotor development isslightly retarded. Thyroid function testing confirmed extremely high TT4(1446.0 nmol/l) levels, which are similar to her brother's values (1534.4nmol/l and 1757.6 nmol/l respectively). Free T4 seems slightly elevated(26 pmol/l), probably due to methodological reasons. TSH (0.92 mU/l),free T3 (4.4 pmol/l) and thyroxin binding globulin (32 mg/l) are withinthe normal range. Her two half-brothers, affected by the samemutation, are now 18.7 (P1) and 16.6 (P2) years old and wereoriginally described by S. Pannain et al. in 2000. Both werecharacterized by growth retardation (-2.1 and -2.2 SD) before the ageof 4 years. P1 has reached a normal adult height (-0.4 SD) and P2has caught up to normal growth (-0.68 SD) with moderate bonematuration delay. Pubertal development and anterior pituitary functionare adequate. Primary growth and developmental retardation in thefirst years of life with adequate catch-up seem to be a distinctcharacteristic in FDH with R218P mutation. Hip dislocation is typicallyseen in other situations associated to thyroid disorders, like Downsyndrome. These findings might be explained by altered early thyroidhormone utilization in children with FDH.

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, September 2014

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, October 2014

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program, October 2014

A-1 - Monthly Public Assistance Statistical Report Family Investment Program

Remorins form a novel family of coiled coil-forming oligomeric and filamentous proteins associated with apical, vascular and embryonic tissues in plants.

Remorins form a superfamily of plant-specific plasma membrane/lipid-raft-associated proteins of unknown structure and function. Using specific antibodies, we localized tomato remorin 1 to apical tissues, leaf primordia and vascular traces. The deduced remorin protein sequence contains a predicted coiled coil-domain, suggesting its participation in protein-protein interactions. Circular dichroism revealed that recombinant potato remorin contains an alpha-helical region that forms a functional coiled-coil domain. Electron microscopy of purified preparations of four different recombinant remorins, one from potato, two divergent isologs from tomato, and one from Arabidopsis thaliana , demonstrated that the proteins form highly similar filamentous structures. The diameters of the negatively-stained filaments ranged from 4.6-7.4 nm for potato remorin 1, 4.3-6.2 nm for tomato remorin 1, 5.7-7.5 nm for tomato remorin 2, and 5.7-8.0 nm for Arabidopsis Dbp. Highly polymerized remorin 1 was detected in glutaraldehyde-crosslinked tomato plasma membrane preparations and a population of the protein was immunolocalized in tomato root tips to structures associated with discrete regions of the plasma membrane.