Ana Isabel Pinto

Male cleaner wrasses adjust punishment of female partners according to the stakes.

Punishment is an important deterrent against cheating in cooperative interactions. In humans, the severity of cheating affects the strength of punishment which, in turn, affects the punished individuals future behaviour. Here, we show such flexible adjustments for the first time in a non-human species, the cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus), where males are known to punish female partners. We exposed pairs of cleaners to a model client offering two types of food, preferred ‘prawn’ items and less-preferred ‘flake’ items. Analogous to interactions with real clients, eating a preferred prawn item (‘cheating’) led to model client removal. We varied the extent to which female cheating caused pay-off reduction to the male and measured the corresponding severity of male punishment. Males punished females more severely when females cheated during interactions with high value, rather than low value, model clients; and when females were similar in size to the male. This pattern may arise because, in this protogynous hermaphrodite, cheating by similar-sized females may reduce size differences to the extent that females change sex and become reproductive competitors. In response to more severe punishment from males, females behaved more cooperatively. Our results show that punishment can be adjusted to circumstances and that such subtleties can have an important bearing on the outcome of cooperative interactions.

Identification of core functioning features for assessment and intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Purpose: Framed within a biopsychosocial approach, this study aimed to identify the main functionality dimensions that experts in the field of child development and child psychopathology considered as essential in the assessment-intervention process with young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), using the International Classification of Functionality, Disability and Health for Children and Youth. Method: The Delphi method was used to obtain consensus among experts regarding the essential functionality features for the rehabilitation of young children with ASD. Therefore, web-based three-round survey was developed. Results: There are more functionality features identified as more essential for the age group 3–6 than from the group birth-2 years of age. 49.4% of activities and participation dimensions were regarded as essential by experts, while only 13.9% of body functions were selected. 39.9% of environmental factors were also marked by experts as essential. Conclusions: Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) are classified in diagnostic manuals-DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10. These classifications are valuable to detect signs/symptoms of health conditions; however, they are often not sufficient to develop individualized interventions. More functional information is needed to complement diagnostic data. The identified functionality dimensions of the ICF-CY complement diagnosis by differentiating relevant functioning aspects in all life domains, according to the biopsychosocial model and should always be addressed in the process of rehabilitation of young children with ASD. Implications for Rehabilitation The biopsychosocial approach is the most complete way of conceptualizing human development and disability; combining medical, social and functional perspectives. The ICF-CY specifies strengths and areas for improvement in the functionality of each individual, according to the biopsychosocial model of disability. This paper identifies core functioning features for the rehabilitation of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, in all dimensions of life, according to the biopsychosocial approach to disability.

Linking autism measures with the ICF-CY: functionality beyond the borders of diagnosis and interrater agreement issues.

Purpose: This study aims to: (1) link measurements used in the diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health – Children and Youth Version (ICF-CY) and (2) analyse issues relating with interrater agreement within this process. Method: Three instruments for ASD diagnosis were linked with the ICF-CY using deductive content analysis. Results: Correspondences between items’ content and ICF-CY dimensions were identified for all ICF-CY components, except for environmental factors. Interrater agreement varied with the content of the units analyzed. Conclusion: The linkage between the ICF-CY and the analyzed measures provides a way to document assessment–intervention outcomes using a common language, as well as to integrate diagnostic and functional data. Diagnostic measurements provide functional information beyond the diagnostic criteria defined for autism. A functional perspective is added to diagnostic outcomes, thus better informing educational and rehabilitation practices for children with ASD.

Content analysis of Portuguese individualized education programmes for young children with autism using the ICF-CY framework

This study analysed 33 Individualised Education Programmes developed for pre-schoolers with autism, attending inclusive special education services in North Portugal, based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth. The study identified dimensions of functioning addressed in the Individualised Education Programs and the correspondence between the assessment data on childrens functionality and the intervention goals. The extent, to which the functioning dimensions overlap with the dimensions considered as essential to the assessment-intervention of children with autism, was also analysed. Results illustrate: the majority of domains addressed in the Portuguese Individualised Education Programmes relates to Activities and Participation; few domains are included both at the assessment and at the intervention level; Environmental Factors are not included in intervention goals; on average, the Individualised Education Programmes included only 32.8% of the dimensions considered to be essential; none of the eight essential Environmental Factors were included in any of the analysed Individualised Education Programmes, demonstrating a lack of consistency in assessment-intervention and difficulties in shifting paradigm. Results are discussed in light of the Ecological models of development and of the Diffusion of Innovation Theory.

Adipocyte secreted factors enhance aggressiveness of prostate carcinoma cells.

Obesity has been associated with increased incidence and risk of mortality of prostate cancer. One of the proposed mechanisms underlying this risk association is the change in adipokines expression that could promote the development and progression of the prostate tumor cells. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of preadipocyte and adipocyte secretome in the proliferation, migration and invasion of androgen independent prostate carcinoma cells (RM1) and to assess cell proliferation in the presence of the adiposity signals leptin and insulin. RM1 cells were co-cultured in with preadipocytes, adipocytes or cultured in their respective conditioned medium. Cell proliferation was assessed by flow cytometry and XTT viability test. Cell migration was evaluated using a wound healing injury assay of RM1 cells cultured with conditioned media. Cellular invasion of RM1 cells co-cultured with adipocytes and preadipocytes was assessed using matrigel membranes. Preadipocyte conditioned medium was associated with a small increase in RM1 proliferation, while adipocytes conditioned media significantly increased RM1 cell proliferation (p<0.01). Adipocytes also significantly increased the RM1 cells proliferation in co-culture (p <0.01). Cell migration was higher in RM1 cells cultured with preadipocyte and adipocyte conditioned medium. RM1 cell invasion was significantly increased after co-culture with preadipocytes and adipocytes (p <0.05). Insulin also increased significantly the cell proliferation in contrast to leptin, which showed no effect. In conclusion, prostate carcinoma cells seem to be influenced by factors secreted by adipocytes that are able to increase their ability to proliferate, migrate and invade.

Matrix for assessment of activities and participation: Measuring functioning beyond diagnosis in young children with disabilities

Abstract Objective: (i) To study the functioning patterns of young children with disabilities compared with typically developing children, using a new ICF-CY based tool – the Matrix for Assessment of Activities and Participation; (ii) study the factors that predict these functioning patterns. Methods: The MAAP tool was administered to three groups of children: (i) with autism, (ii) with other types of disabilities and (iii) typically developing. Results: Cluster analysis showed that children group according to the severity of their functioning profile and not according to the diagnostic category in which they were classified. Multiple regression analysis showed that a model comprising the environmental factors and the level of engagement in different routines of the child is a good predictor of these children’s functioning patterns. Conclusion: These results support a functional approach to disability instead of the traditional medical model approach, underlining the role of engagement and environment in determining functioning.

Linking the CaroLina CurriCuLum for PresChooLers with sPeCiaL needs to the iCf-CY

Summary The purpose of this study was to explore resources to improve the assessment-intervention-process for young children with special needs. The Biopsychosocial Model of development, along with the International Classification of Functionality, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY; WHO, 2007), provide a theoretical framework, as well as a classification system, that enable the documentation of functionality profiles of children using a common language across settings and disciplines. The Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs (CCPSN; Johnson-Martin et al ., 1990) is a curriculum based assessment measure, which provides information both for the assessment of children’s behaviour as well as for planning interventions. In line with the World Health Organization’s recommendations for developing correspondences between assessment measures and the ICF-CY classification system, this study presents results of the linkage between ICF-CY and CCPSN, using deductive content analysis and the previously published linking rules (Cieza

Dissecting the signaling pathways associated with the oncogenic activity of MLK3 P252H mutation

BackgroundMLK3 gene mutations were described to occur in about 20% of microsatellite unstable gastrointestinal cancers and to harbor oncogenic activity. In particular, mutation P252H, located in the kinase domain, was found to have a strong transforming potential, and to promote the growth of highly invasive tumors when subcutaneously injected in nude mice. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism underlying the oncogenic activity of P252H mutant remained elusive.MethodsIn this work, we performed Illumina Whole Genome arrays on three biological replicas of human HEK293 cells stably transfected with the wild-type MLK3, the P252H mutation and with the empty vector (Mock) in order to identify the putative signaling pathways associated with P252H mutation.ResultsOur microarray results showed that mutant MLK3 deregulates several important colorectal cancer- associated signaling pathways such as WNT, MAPK, NOTCH, TGF-beta and p53, helping to narrow down the number of potential MLK3 targets responsible for its oncogenic effects. A more detailed analysis of the alterations affecting the WNT signaling pathway revealed a down-regulation of molecules involved in the canonical pathway, such as DVL2, LEF1, CCND1 and c-Myc, and an up-regulation of DKK, a well-known negative regulator of canonical WNT signaling, in MLK3 mutant cells. Additionally, FZD6 and FZD10 genes, known to act as negative regulators of the canonical WNT signaling cascade and as positive regulators of the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, a non-canonic WNT pathway, were found to be up-regulated in P252H cells.ConclusionThe results provide an overall view of the expression profile associated with mutant MLK3, and they support the functional role of mutant MLK3 by showing a deregulation of several signaling pathways known to play important roles in the development and progression of colorectal cancer. The results also suggest that mutant MLK3 may be a novel modulator of WNT signaling, and pinpoint the activation of PCP pathway as a possible mechanism underlying the invasive potential of MLK3 mutant cells.

Exposure to industrial wideband noise increases connective tissue in the rat liver.

Rats were daily exposed (eight hours/day) for a period of four weeks to the same high-intensity wideband noise that was recorded before in a large textile plant. Histologic observation of liver sections of the rats was used to perform quantitative comparison of hepatic connective tissue (dyed by Masson trichromic staining) between the noise-exposed and control animals. For that, we have photographed at random centrolobular areas of stained rat liver sections. We found that noise exposure resulted in significant enhancement in the area of collagen-rich connective tissue present in the centrolobular domain of the rat liver. Our data strengthen previous evidence showing that fibrotic transformation is a systemic effect of chronic exposure of rodents and humans to industrial wideband noise.

Identification of functional domains in developmental measures: An ICF-CY analysis of Griffiths developmental scales and Schedule of Growing Skills II

Abstract Objective: This study aims to identify functioning categories of the International Classification of Functionality, Disability and Health for Children and Youth covered by the Griffiths developmental scales and the Schedule of Growing Skills II (SGS-II), as well as to analyse levels of agreement between coders when assigning its items to the ICF-CY classification system. Methods: Items were linked to the ICF-CY following a content analysis procedure and the published linking rules. Agreement was calculated with Cohen’s Kappa Coefficient. Results: All SGS items assess mostly Activities and Participation, alike most of the Griffiths’ scales except for the Language and Eye-hand coordination scales, which assess mostly Body Functions. Consistently with previous studies, agreement levels between coders vary considerably, thus being highly dependent on the nature of the concept analysed. Conclusion: Although necessary from a capacity-driven approach to assessment, information collected with these instruments should be complemented with other assessments in order to cover all aspects of the child’s life, in line with a systemic approach.