Effects of the iodine deficiency on intellectual variables among children

An association between severe iodine deficiency and poor mental development has been found in many studies. We examined the relationship between moderate or mild iodine deficiency and intellectual capacity in order to determine whether problems common to severe iodine deficiency (including mental retardation) also emerge in a more subtle form. We also wished to know whether the classic methodology (comparing iodine-deficient zones with nondeficient zones) is the most adequate, and propose to combine this grouping by zones with urinary iodine presented by individuals in each zone. We measured IQ, manipulative and verbal capacity, attention, visual motor ability and disruptive behaviour, variables that have barely been studied in this kind of investigations. The sample comprised 760 schoolchildren from the province of Jaén (southern Spain). Our results show that children with low levels of iodine intake and with urinary iodine concentration lower than 100 microg/litre had a lower IQ and displayed more disruptive behaviour than children with high levels of the criteria. The other variables were not associated with iodine deficiency.     

Influence pattern effectiveness

Managers apply different influence tactics to get subordinates to perform their tasks. For a better understanding of the influence process dynamics, it has been recommended to consider the combination of different tactics instead of analyzing them separately. (Cialdini & Goldstein, 2004). The present study has analyzed the effectiveness of various influence tactics combinations used by superiors with their subordinates. We identified four influence patterns: hard pattern, rational pattern, active pattern and passive pattern. Pattern effectiveness was analyzed in terms of subordinates' satisfaction, commitment and well-being. We found that superiors who used a broader range of tactics were more effective than those using a single range of tactics. Practical implications are discussed.     

Validation and adaptation of the PACES scale of enjoyment of the practice of physical activity for Spanish adolescent girls

The goal of this study is to validate a Spanish version of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES, Kendzierski & DeCarlo, 1991), in the population of Spanish adolescent girls, and also to obtain a reduced version of the scale. For this purpose, reliability analysis was conducted, and construct validity was assessed in two steps: exploratory factor analysis and structural equation model with confirmatory factor analysis. The scale was administered to a sample of 2777 adolescent girls of Secondary Education, ages between 12-18 years. The results show the reliability of the instrument and the construct validity with a good fit of the model. The adapted scale was reduced to six items, a shorter and efficient scale that allows us to measure the enjoyment of physical activity.     

Development of the brief Spanish Cocaine Craving Questionnaire-General

Combining two different samples of cocaine users (N = 183), we tested the factor structure of a brief (12-item), Spanish version of the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire-General using confirmatory factor analysis. The four-factor model provided excellent fit to the measure. Moreover, the measure significantly differentiated between recent cocaine users and abstainers, as well as between participants with different levels of severity of drug-use history. Factor 1 expresses highly intense and overwhelming desires, Factor 2 expresses lack of self-control over cocaine use, Factor 3 items express lack of positive reinforcement expectancies, and Factor 4 expresses stimulating expectancies for cocaine use. The results revealed the validity of the CCQ-General brief as an instrument to assess cocaine craving in Spanish and supported the conceptualization of cocaine craving as a multifaceted construct.     

Posttraining activation of CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus impairs object recognition long-term memory

Evidence indicates that brain endocannabinoids are involved in memory processing. However, the participation of CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors in recognition memory has not been yet conclusively determined. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of the posttraining activation of hippocampal cannabinoid receptors on the consolidation of object recognition memory. Rats with infusion cannulae stereotaxically aimed to the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus were trained in an object recognition learning task involving exposure to two different stimulus objects. Memory retention was assessed at different times after training. In the test sessions, one of the objects presented during training was replaced by a novel one. When infused in the CA1 region immediately after training, the non-selective cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN-55,212-2 and the endocannabinoid membrane transporter inhibitor VDM-11 blocked long-term memory retention in a dose-dependent manner without affecting short-term memory, exploratory behavior, anxiety state or the functionality of the hippocampus. The amnesic effect of WIN-55,212-2 and VDM-11 was not due to state-dependency and was completely reversed by co-infusion of the CB1 receptor antagonist AM-251 and mimicked by the CB1 receptor agonist ACEA but not by the CB2 receptor agonists JWH-015 and palmitoylethanolamide. Our data indicate that activation of hippocampal CB1 receptors early after training hampers consolidation of object recognition memory.     

Internalization of values and self-esteem among Brazilian teenagers from authoritative, indulgent, authoritarian, and neglectful homes

The relation between parenting styles and adolescent outcomes was analyzed in a sample of 1,198 15-18-year-old Brazilians. The adolescents were classified into 1 of 4 groups (Authoritative, Authoritarian, Indulgent, and Neglectful) on the basis of their own ratings of their parents on two dimensions: Acceptance/ Involvement and Strictness/Imposition. The adolescents were then contrasted along two different outcomes: (1) priority given to Schwartz Self-transcendence and Conservation values, and (2) level of Self-esteem (appraised in 5 domains: Academic, Social, Emotional, Family, and Physical). Results showed that Authoritative and Indulgent parenting is associated with the highest internalization of Self-Transcendence and Conservation values of teenagers, whereas Authoritarian parenting is associated with the lowest. On the other hand, adolescents with Indulgent parents have equal or higher levels of Self-esteem than adolescents with Authoritative parents, while adolescents raised in Authoritarian and Neglectful homes have the lowest scores in Self-Esteem.     

Psychological differences of patients and relatives according to post-transplantation anxiety

The aim of this investigation is to analyze the psychological differences of patients and their relatives according to the formers' post-transplantation anxiety. We used two groups of participants: transplant patients (n = 166) and close relatives (n = 166). Four questionnaires were applied: a Psychological Survey (to both groups), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Quality of Life Questionnaire (to the transplant patients), and the Leeds Scales for the Self-Assessment of Anxiety and Depression (to the relatives). Participants were assessed twice: post-Intensive Care Unit (ICU; when patients were moved from the ICU to the Transplantation Unit) and post-hospital (one year after transplant). Results showed that high anxiety in patients just after organ transplant was related to an increase of anxiety and depression symptoms both in patients and relatives one year after transplant; it was also related to a decrease in the quality of life of these patients.     

Evidence for linguistic deficit in nonlexical processing in reading. A study of a Spanish-speaking patient

Previous studies have shown that in the so-called opaque languages (those in which spelling does not correspond to pronunciation), there are relatively independent routes for lexical and nonlexical processing, that is, for words and nonwords, both in spoken and in written language. On the other hand, in the so-called transparent languages (those in which pronunciation corresponds to written forms), empirical evidence is scarcer. In this study of a neurological patient (parieto-temporal lesion), speaker of a transparent language (Spanish) showing a specific deficit in nonlexical reading processing, linguistic analysis for words was relatively preserved. This finding suggests the use of various routes in the processing of transparent languages.