We have investigated the temporal maturation of the rat kidney during the postnatal developmental period. As a result, we observed the following: an active process of cortical cell proliferation and differentiation occurs as late as day 20. The medulla is the most immature zone at birth and displays the greatest morphological changes during this period. At birth, no distinction exists between inner and outer medulla, and the outer and inner strip of the outer medulla can be distinguished as late as day 30. Remodeling of the ECM surrounding collecting ducts occurs in the medulla twice, stopping at day 11 and it occurs in the papilla three times, stopping at day 20. The increase of kidney size is temporally different for each kidney zone. The cortex and the papilla acquire the morphological appearance of the adult kidney before the medulla does. Consequently, the medulla remains at the highest degree of immaturation among the kidney zones for a relatively long postnatal period.

Caregiver distress is a complex, multicausal phenomenon. Most of the available interventions for caregivers are protocolized or manualized. A case formulation approach may be more appropriate, as it provides the opportunity for assessing and treating specific dysfunctional mechanisms explaining each caregiver’s needs and causes of distress, through the design of an individualized modular intervention. In the present study, a randomized controlled study has been done in which a functional analysis-guided modular intervention (FAMI) was developed. The FAMI was compared with two manualized intervention (cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy) which have received preliminary support, and a control group (waiting list). Mixed-effect models and clinical significance analyses were performed. Results suggest that all the interventions were effective in reducing depressive and anxious symptomatology at postintervention assessment, with large effect sizes, and with reductions in depression being maintained at follow-up. Regarding anxiety, long-term effects have been found only for the FAMI intervention. Results also suggest positive effects associated with the FAMI intervention in the long term with regards to comorbidity between depressive and anxious symptomatology. FAMI presents great potential for reducing dementia caregivers’ levels of distress, being especially effective in maintaining therapeutic effects in the long term.

Objectives This study aims to explore the relationship between knowledge about aging and severity of worry in older adults, and to test the potential mediational role of intolerance of uncertainty. Method The sample was composed of 120 community-dwelling older adults, with a mean of age of 71.0 years (SD = 6.3). Mediational analyses and structural equation modeling were used to analyze and compare different models. Results Greater knowledge about aging was negatively related to both intolerance of uncertainty and worry, and its effect on worry was partially mediated by intolerance of uncertainty. The mediational model obtained an excellent fit to the data (i.e. Goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.995) and clearly had a better fit than alternative models. Conclusion These results suggest that a good knowledge of the aging process could help decrease aversive uncertainty and thus reduce the level of worry among older adults. Thus, educational programs to increase knowledge about aging could serve as one preventive strategy for anxiety in old age.