Dithiocarbamates are widely used fungicides, including in passion fruit, whose fruits are mainly used for juice production, the leaves for the preparation of herbal tea and medicines. Also, the use of the peel in the food industry has been proposed. In this study, the spectrophotometric method for determination of dithiocarbamate residues, as CS2, in passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) was validated at a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.05 mg kg-1 CS2, and 108 samples (55 fruits and 53 leaves) collected from Brazilian growers were analyzed. About 25% of the fruit peel samples were positive (0.06 to 1.4 mg kg-1) and only one sample had residues in the pulp (0.09 mg kg-1), 43.4% of leaf samples contained residues. Washing of fruit reduced the residues in the peel by up to 100%, and drying the leaves increased residue levels by up to 60%. This is the first study that reports dithiocarbamate residues in passion fruit in Brazil, and the results are important for government authorities when planning monitoring programs, and for food and herbal medicine industries.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of a group therapy based on cognitive-behavioral techniques customized for intermittent explosive disorder (IED). The current report presents the preliminary results of a clinical trial comparing pre- and post-intervention scores in different anger dimensions. Methods: The studied sample consisted of 84 treatment-seeking subjects. The mean (standard deviation) age was 43.0 (11.9) years, and 78% were male. The therapeutic group program consisted of 15 weekly sessions plus three maintenance sessions. The sessions lasted approximately 90 minutes each. Results: No differences were found in demographic profile and pre-treatment status between subjects who completed treatment (n=59) and dropouts (n=25). Comparison of State-Trait Anger Expression Scale (STAXI) scores pre- and post-treatment showed statistically significant changes in all anger scales and subscales of the questionnaire. Conclusion: This preliminary report is a significant addition to currently scarce clinical data. Our findings provide further evidence that structured cognitive-behavioral group therapy, with a focus on anger management and cognitive coping, may be a promising approach to the treatment of IED.

RESUMO A presente investigação teve com objectivo principal estudar as relações entre exercício físico, autoconceito e o aproveitamento escolar em estudantes do segundo e terceiro ciclos de escolaridade com idades compreendidas entre os 12 e os 19 anos. Visa, ainda, constatar se os hábitos de exercício refletem as recomendações para a manutenção da saúde. A amostra foi constituída por 624 indivíduos (268 do sexo masculino, 354 do sexo feminino). Avaliou-se o autoconceito através do Self-Description Questionnaire II (SDQ-II) (Marsh, 1990; versão portuguesa de Gonçalves & Vasconcelos-Raposo, 2001) e o aproveitamento escolar foi quantificado a partir do número de reprovações na escola. De uma forma geral conclui-se que existe uma relação positiva entre autoconceito e exercício físico e uma correlação também positiva entre o autoconceito e aproveitamento escolar.

ABSTRACT The present research aims to study the relationship between physical exercise, self-concept, and academic achievement in students of the second and third cycles of schooling aged between 12 and 19 years. It also aims to see if the exercise habits reflect the recommendations for maintaining health. The sample consisted of 624 individuals (268 males, 354 females). Self-concept was assessed using the Self-Description Questionnaire II (SDQ-II) (Marsh, 1990; Portuguese version of Gonçalves & Vasconcelos-Raposo, 2001), and school performance was quantified based on the number of failures at school. In general, it is concluded that there is a positive relationship between self-concept and physical exercise and a positive correlation between self-concept and academic achievement.