bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychological factors and the uptake of preventative measures in BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant carriers: results of a prospective cohort study
Authors: Dick Julia , Tüchler Anja , Brédart Anne , Vitinius Frank , Wassermann Kirsten , Rhiem Kerstin , Schmutzler Rita K.
Published: December 2022

Background

Women carryingBRCA1/2pathogenic variants are exposed to elevated risks of developing breast cancer (BC) and are faced by a complex decision-making process on preventative measures, i.e., risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM), and intensified breast surveillance (IBS). In this prospective cohort study we investigated the effect of anxiety, personality factors and coping styles on the decision-making process on risk management options in women with pathogenic variants inBRCA1/2.

Methods

Breast cancer unaffected and affected women with a pathogenic variant in theBRCA1orBRCA2gene were psychologically evaluated immediately before (T0), 6 to 8 weeks (T1) and 6 to 8 months (T2) after the disclosure of their genetic test results. Uptake of RRM and IBS was assessed at T2. Psychological data were gathered using questionnaires on risk perception, personality factors, coping styles, decisional conflict, depression and anxiety, including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). We performed tests on statistical significance and fitted a logistic regression based on significance level.

Results

A total of 98 women were included in the analysis. Baseline anxiety levels in women opting for RRM were high but decreased over time, while they increased in women opting for intensified breast surveillance (IBS). Elevated levels of anxiety after genetic test result disclosure (T1) were associated with the decision to undergo RRM (p < 0.01; OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.05–1.42), while personal BC history and personality factors seemed to be less relevant.

Conclusions

Considering psychosocial factors influencing the decision-making process of women with pathogenic variants inBRCA1/2may help improving their genetic and psychological counselling. When opting for IBS they may profit from additional medical and psychological counselling.

Trial registration

Retrospectively registered at the German Clinical Trials Register underDRKS00027566on January 13, 2022.
Childhood adiposity, serum metabolites and breast density in young women
Authors: Dorgan Joanne F. , Baer Heather J. , Bertrand Kimberly A. , LeBlanc Erin S. , Jung Seungyoun , Magder Laurence S. , Snetselaar Linda G. , Stevens Victor J. , Zhang Yuji , Van Horn Linda
Published: December 2022

Background

Childhood adiposity is inversely associated with young adult percent dense breast volume (%DBV) and absolute dense breast volume (ADBV), which could contribute to its protective effect for breast cancer later in life. The objective of this study was to identify metabolites in childhood serum that may mediate the inverse association between childhood adiposity and young adult breast density.

Methods

Longitudinal data from 182 female participants in the Dietary Intervention Study in Children (DISC) and the DISC 2006 (DISC06) Follow-Up Study were analyzed. Childhood adiposity was assessed by anthropometry at the DISC visit with serum available that occurred closest to menarche and expressed as a body mass index (BMI)z-score. Serum metabolites were measured by untargeted metabolomics using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. %DBV and ADBV were measured by magnetic resonance imaging at the DISC06 visit when participants were 25–29 years old. Robust mixed effects linear regression was used to identify serum metabolites associated with childhood BMIz-scores and breast density, and the R packagemediationwas used to quantify mediation.

Results

Of the 115 metabolites associated with BMIz-scores (FDR < 0.20), 4 were significantly associated with %DBV and 6 with ADBV before, though not after, adjustment for multiple comparisons. Mediation analysis identified 2 unnamed metabolites, X-16576 and X-24588, as potential mediators of the inverse association between childhood adiposity and dense breast volume. X-16576 mediated 14% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.002, 0.46;P = 0.04) of the association of childhood adiposity with %DBV and 11% (95% CI = 0.01, 0.26;P = 0.02) of its association with ADBV. X-24588 also mediated 7% (95% CI = 0.001, 0.18;P = 0.05) of the association of childhood adiposity with ADBV. None of the other metabolites examined contributed to mediation of the childhood adiposity–%DBV association, though there was some support for contributions of lysine, valine and 7-methylguanine to mediation of the inverse association of childhood adiposity with ADBV.

Conclusions

Additional large longitudinal studies are needed to identify metabolites and other biomarkers that mediate the inverse association of childhood adiposity with breast density and possibly breast cancer risk.
Rectal leiomyosarcoma as the initial phenotypic manifestation of Li–Fraumeni-like syndrome: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Severino Natalia Parisi , Waisberg Jaques , Fragoso Maria Candida Barisson Villares , de Lima Luiz Guilherme Cernaglia Aureliano , Balsamo Flavia , Henriques Alexandre Cruz , Bianco Bianca , de Sousa Gehrke Flávia
Published: December 2022

Background

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of smooth muscle origin and represents 10–20% of all soft tissue sarcomas. Primary colon and rectal sarcomas constitute < 0.1% of all large bowel malignancies. In Li–Fraumeni syndrome, sarcomas are the second most frequent cancer (25%). Li–Fraumeni syndrome is a genetic disease with a familial predisposition to multiple malignant neoplasms. This syndrome has an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance and high penetrance characterized by germline TP53 mutations. Patients with a history of cancer who do not meet all the “classic” criteria for Li–Fraumeni syndrome are considered to have Li–Fraumeni-like syndrome. To the best of our knowledge, this article is the first report of a patient with rectal leiomyosarcoma as the initial phenotypic manifestation of Li–Fraumeni-like syndrome. The authors also present a literature review.

Case presentation

A 67-year-old Brazilian woman underwent anterior rectosigmoidectomy and panhysterectomy secondary to rectal leiomyosarcoma. She subsequently developed carcinomatosis and died 2 years after the operation. Her family medical history consisted of a daughter who died at 32 years of age from breast cancer, a granddaughter diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma at 6 years of age and two siblings who died from prostate cancer. A genetic study was carried out to identify a pathogenic variant of Li–Fraumeni syndrome. In the DNA extracted from the peripheral blood leukocyte, restriction fragment length polymorphism was analyzed to search for mutations in the TP53 gene. The DNA sequencing identified the germline pathogenic variant p. R337H heterozygous in exon 10 of TP53. The patient was classified as having Li–Fraumeni-like syndrome.

Conclusion

In patients with rectal leiomyosarcoma, it is advisable to investigate the family history of cancer and perform genetic studies to screen for Li–Fraumeni syndrome.
Relationships between uptake of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-TATE and absorbed dose in [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE therapy
Authors: Stenvall Anna , Gustafsson Johan , Larsson Erik , Roth Daniel , Sundlöv Anna , Jönsson Lena , Hindorf Cecilia , Ohlsson Tomas , Sjögreen Gleisner Katarina
Published: December 2022

Background

Somatostatin receptor 68Ga PET imaging is standard for evaluation of a patient’s suitability for 177Lu peptide receptor radionuclide therapy of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). The 68Ga PET serves to ensure sufficient somatostatin receptor expression, commonly evaluated qualitatively. The aim of this study is to investigate the quantitative relationships between uptake in 68Ga PET and absorbed doses in 177Lu therapy.

Method

Eighteen patients underwent [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-TATE PET imaging within 20 weeks prior to their first cycle of [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE. Absorbed doses for therapy were estimated for tumours, kidney, spleen, and normal liver parenchyma using a hybrid SPECT/CT–planar method. Gallium-68 activity concentrations were retrieved from PET images and also used to calculate SUVs and normalized SUVs, using blood and tissue for normalization. The 68Ga activity concentrations per injected activity, SUVs, and normalized SUVs were compared with 177Lu activity concentrations 1 d post-injection and 177Lu absorbed doses. For tumours, for which there was a variable number per patient, both inter- and intra-patient correlations were analysed. Furthermore, the prediction of 177Lu tumour absorbed doses based on a combination of tumour-specific 68Ga activity concentrations and group-based estimates of the effective half-lives for grade 1 and 2 NETs was explored.

Results

For normal organs, only spleen showed a significant correlation between the 68Ga activity concentration and 177Lu absorbed dose (r = 0.6). For tumours, significant, but moderate, correlations were obtained, with respect to both inter-patient (r = 0.7) and intra-patient (r = 0.45) analyses. The correlations to absorbed doses did not improve when using 68Ga SUVs or normalized SUVs. The relationship between activity uptakes for 68Ga PET and 177Lu SPECT was stronger, with correlation coefficients r = 0.8 for both inter- and intra-patient analyses. The 177Lu absorbed dose to tumour could be predicted from the 68Ga activity concentrations with a 95% coverage interval of − 65% to 248%.

Conclusions

On a group level, a high uptake of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-TATE is associated with high absorbed doses at 177Lu-DOTA-TATE therapy, but the relationship has a limited potential with respect to individual absorbed dose planning. Using SUV or SUV normalized to reference tissues do not improve correlations compared with using activity concentration per injected activity.
VHL-recruiting PROTAC attenuates renal fibrosis and preserves renal function via simultaneous degradation of Smad3 and stabilization of HIF-2α
Authors: Yang Jiayi , Ruan Yuyi , Wang Dan , Fan Jinjin , Luo Ning , Chen Huiting , Li Xiaoyan , Chen Wei , Wang Xin
Published: December 2022

Background

Renal fibrosis is the pathological foundation of various chronic kidney diseases progressing to end stage renal failure. However, there are currently no nephroprotective drugs targeted to the fibrotic process in clinical practice. Proteolytic targeting chimeras (PROTACs), which reversibly degrade target proteins through the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway, is a novel therapeutic modality. Smad3 is a key pathogenic factor in fibrogenesis while HIF-2α exhibits prominent renal protective effects, which is the natural substrate of von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) E3 Ligase. We hypothesied the construction of VHL-recruiting, Smad3-targeting PROTAC might combine the effects of Smad3 degradation and HIF-2α stabilization, which not only improving the clinical efficacy of PROTAC but also avoiding its potential off-target effects, could greatly improve the possibility of its translation into clinical drugs.

Methods

By joining the Smad3-binding small molecule compound (SMC) to VHL-binding SMC with a linker, we designed and synthesized a Smad3-targeting, VHL-based PROTAC. The effects of this PROTAC on targeted proteins were verified both in vitro and in vivo. The toxicity and pharmacokinetic (PK) evaluations were conducted with both male and female mice. The renal protection effects and mechanism of PROTAC were evaluated in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and 5/6 subtotal nephrectomy (5/6Nx) mouse model.

Results

By optimizing the linker and the Smad3-binding SMC, we got a stable and high efficient PROTAC which simultaneously degraded Smad3 and stabilized HIF-2α both in vivo and in vitro. The acute toxicity evaluation showed a pretty large therapeutic window of the PROTAC. The prominent renal protection effects and its underlying mechanism including anti-fibrosis and anti-inflammatory, improving renal anemia and promoting kidney repair, had all been verified in UUO and 5/6Nx mouse model.

Conclusion

By accurate combination of PROTAC targeted protein and E3 ligase, we got a Smad3-targeting, VHL-recruting PROTAC which caused Smad3 degradation and HIF-2α stabilization effects simultaneously, and led to the strong renal function protection effects.
Green route synthesis and characterization of β-Bi2O3/SiO2 and β-Bi2O3/Bi2O2.75/SiO2 using Juglans regia L. shell aqueous extract and photocatalytic properties for the degradation of RB-5
Authors: Yañez-Cruz Maria Guadalupe , Villanueva-Ibáñez Maricela , Méndez-Arriaga Fabiola , Lucho-Constantino Carlos Alexander , Hernández-Pérez María de los Ángeles , Ramírez-Vargas María del Rocío , Flores-González Marco Antonio
Published: December 2022

Background

Photocatalyst oxides added with silicon improve their photocatalytic properties. In this research, nanostructured β-Bi2O3/SiO2 and β-Bi2O3/Bi2O2.75/SiO2 were obtained by means of a green method mediated by the using the aqueous extract of J. regia shell as the source of reducing biomolecules and as a natural source of plant silicon.

Method

The β-Bi2O3/SiO2 and β-Bi2O3/Bi2O2.75/SiO2 nanostructures were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS), and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity was measured by the degradation of Reactive Black 5 dye (RB-5).

Results

FT-IR and XPS demonstrated the presence of plant silicon in the bismuth oxide photocatalysts. HR-TEM showed that the crystal size of the as-synthesized materials is ~ 25 nm and revealed that the β-Bi2O3 synthesized with ground shell extract and heat-treated at 300 °C contains the Bi2O2.75 phase. Good photocatalytic activity was found in all the studied materials; particularly, the heat-treated nanostructures showed excellent properties resulting in 92% degradation of RB-5 under UV–Vis light after 15 min of exposure, and 98% after 180 min.

Conclusions

The findings of this research suggest that the metabolites coating the Bi2O3, which generate a large amount of hydroxyl radicals, the plant silicon content, and the crystalline defects conferred by the synthesis medium, all contribute to the improved degradation of the azo dye, providing the nanostructures with better photocatalytic activity.
Analyzing spatial distribution between 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose and 18F-boronophenylalanine positron emission tomography to investigate selection indicators for boron neutron capture therapy
Authors: Nakaichi Tetsu , Nakamura Satoshi , Ito Kimiteru , Takahashi Kana , Takemori Mihiro , Kashihara Tairo , Kunito Kouji , Murakami Naoya , Iijima Kotaro , Chiba Takahito , Nakayama Hiroki , Mikasa Shohei , Nishio Teiji , Okamoto Hiroyuki , Itami Jun , Kurihara Hiroaki , Igaki Hiroshi
Published: December 2022

Background

18F-FDG PET is often utilized to determine BNCT selection due to the limited availability of 18F-BPA PET, which is performed by synthesizing 18F into the boron drug used for BNCT, although the uptake mechanisms between those are different. Additionally, only a few non-spatial point parameters, such as maximum SUV (SUVmax), have reported a correlation between those in previous studies. This study aimed to investigate the spatial accumulation pattern between those PET images in tumors, which would be expected to either show higher uptake on 18F-BPA PET or be utilized in clinical, to verify whether 18F-FDG PET could be used as a selection indicator for BNCT.

Methods

A total of 27 patients with 30 lesions (11 squamous cell carcinoma, 9 melanoma, and 10 rhabdomyosarcoma) who received 18F-FDG and 18F-BPA PET within 2 weeks were enrolled in this study. The ratio of metabolic tumor volumes (MTVs) to GTV, histogram indices (skewness/kurtosis), and the correlation of total lesion activity (TLA) and non-spatial point parameters (SUVmax, SUVpeak, SUVmin, maximum tumor-to-normal tissue ratio (Tmax/N), and Tmin/N) were evaluated. After local rigid registration between those images, distances of locations at SUVmax and the center of mass with MTVs on each image and similarity indices were also assessed along its coordinate.

Results

In addition to SUVmax, SUVpeak, and Tmax/N, significant correlations were found in TLA. The mean distance in SUVmax was $$25.2 \pm 24.4\; {\text{mm}}$$

25.2
±
24.4

mm

and significantly longer than that in the center of mass with MTVs. The ratio of MTVs to GTV, skewness, and kurtosis were not significantly different. However, the similarities of MTVs were considerably low. The similarity indices of Dice similarity coefficient, Jaccard coefficient, and mean distance to agreement for MTV40 were $$0.65 \pm 0.21$$

0.65
±
0.21

, $$0.51 \pm 0.21$$

0.51
±
0.21

, and $$0.27 \pm 0.30$$

0.27
±
0.30

 cm, respectively. Furthermore, it was worse in MTV50. In addition, spatial accumulation patterns varied in cancer types.

Conclusions

Spatial accumulation patterns in tumors showed low similarity between 18F-FDG and 18F-BPA PET, although the various non-spatial point parameters were correlated. In addition, the spatial accumulation patterns were considerably different in cancer types. Therefore, the selection for BNCT using 18F-FDG PET should be compared carefully with using 18F-FBPA PET.
Medication regimen complexity and its impact on medication adherence and asthma control among patients with asthma in Ethiopian referral hospitals
Authors: Belachew Eyayaw Ashete , Netere Adeladlew Kassie , Sendekie Ashenafi Kibret
Published: December 2022

Background

Various studies have found that medication adherence is generally low among patients with asthma, and that the complexity of the regimen may be a potential factor. However, there is no information on the complexity of the regimen and its relationship to adherence and asthma outcomes in Ethiopian asthma patients. Therefore, this study assessed how complex medication regimens affected medication adherence and asthma control in patients with asthma.

Method

From February 1 to May 30, 2022, a multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in three public referral hospitals in northwestern Ethiopia. The Medication Complexity Index (MRCI), a 65-item validated instrument, was used to represent the complexity of medication regimens The Medication Adherence Rating Scale for Asthma (MARS-A) was used to assess medication adherence, and the ACT was used to measure the level of asthma control. The association between predictor and outcome variables was determined using multivariable logistic regression analysis. P-values of < 0.05 were declared as a significant association.

Result

Patients with asthma (n = 396) who met the inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. About 21.2% and 24.5% of the participants had high asthma-specific MRCI and patient-level MRCI, respectively. The majority (84.4%) of the participants did not adhere to their medication, and 71% of the participants were classified as having uncontrolled asthma. According to the result of the multivariable analysis, moving from a high asthma-specific MRCI to a moderate asthma MRCI enhances the likelihood of medication adherence by 2.51 times (AOR = 2.51, 95%CI: (1.27, 7.71). Likewise, patients who have low asthma MRCI were four times more likely to adhere to the medication compared with high asthma MRCI (AOR = 3.80, 95%CI: (2.0, 11.1). Similarly, patients having low patient-level MRCI were eight times more likely their asthma level had been controlled (AOR = 7.84, 95%CI: 1.46 to 21.3) and patients who had moderate patient-level MRCI were three times (AOR = 2.83, 95%CI: 1.05 to 8.25) more controlled asthma compared with patients who had high patient level MRCI.

Conclusion

The majority of asthma patients had low and moderate complexity of MRCI. Patients with low and moderate regimen complexity demonstrated high adherence and had well-controlled asthma. Therefore, future researchers should consider MRCI as one factor for adherence and asthma control levels.
Federated learning for 5G-enabled infrastructure inspection with UAVs
Authors: Lekidis Alexios
Published: December 2022

Electricity infrastructures include assets that require frequent maintenance, as they are exposed into heavy use, in order to produce energy that satisfies customer demands. Such maintenance is currently performed by specialized personnel that is scaffolding to spot damages or malfunctioning equipment. Scaffolding is time-consuming and incurs accident risks. To tackle this challenges, grid operators are gradually using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). UAV trajectories are observed by a centralized operation center engineers for identifying electrical assets. Moreover, asset identification can be further automated through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models. However, centralized training of AI models with UAV images may cause inspection delays when the network is overloaded and requires Cloud environments with enough processing power for model training on the operation center. This imposes privacy concerns as sensitive data is stored and processed externally from the infrastructure facility. This article proposes a federated learning method for UAV-based inspection that leverages a Multi-access Edge Computing platform installed in edge nodes to train UAV data and improve the overall inspection autonomy. The method is applied for the inspection of the Public Power Corporation’s Innovation Hub. Experiments are performed with the proposed method as well as with a centralized AI inspection method and demonstrate the federated learning benefits in reliability, AI model processing time and privacy conservation.
Association of physical activity with the risk of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events and mortality in patients with concomitant atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease
Authors: Jin Moo-Nyun , Seo Jongkwon , Kim Byung Gyu , Kim Gwang Sil , Lee Hye Young , Byun Young Sup , Kim Byung Ok
Published: December 2022

Background

Although regular physical activity benefits cardiovascular health, there is a concern that intense exercise is linked to the promotion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary plaque rupture. However, the impact of physical activity on the outcomes of patients with concomitant AF and coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association with clinical outcomes according to the level of physical activity in patients with concomitant AF and CAD.

Methods

We assessed 551 patients with AF and CAD (mean age, 67.1 ± 9.8 years) who completed a self-reported questionnaire for physical activity from 2015 to 2020 in a single tertiary-care hospital. Physical activity levels were converted into metabolic equivalent of task (MET) per week and categorized to correspond with multiple public health recommendations. We examined the association between physical activity, all-cause mortality, and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE).

Results

The risks of all-cause mortality (P for linear trend = 0.017) and MACCE (P for linear trend = 0.05) appeared inverse trend with a greater level of physical activity. Compared with inactive patients, patients who met the recommended target range of physical activity (500–1,000 MET-min/week: unadjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.36–0.99) and highly active patients who exceeded the minimum recommended level (≥ 1,000 MET-min/week: unadjusted HR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.25–0.88) had a lower risk of all-cause mortality in the unadjusted model; however, these associations did not remain significant after adjusting for the model. There was no evidence of increased risk of all-cause mortality and MACCE at levels of physical activity above the recommended target range, even with vigorous-intensity physical activity exceeding the recommended target range.

Conclusions

There appears to be an inverse trend between physical activity levels and all-cause mortality and MACCE in patients with concomitant AF and CAD. No excess risk of mortality or MACCE was found at exercise levels above the recommended target range. Further large-scale studies are warranted to create an improved evidence base concerning the effects of physical activity in patients with AF and CAD.
Antimicrobial resistance and molecular typing of Salmonella in the chicken production chain in Hubei Province, China
Authors: Wu Cuirong , Liu Lihui , Sui Yuxin , Huang Lulu , Chen Yang , Hao Haihong , Pan Yuanhu , Liu Zhenli , Cheng Guyue
Published: December 2022

Salmonella is a significant foodborne zoonotic pathogen that endangers both human and animal health. The goal of this research is to gain a preliminary understanding of Salmonella contamination and antimicrobial resistance in the chicken production chain in Hubei Province, China. 1149 animal and environmental samples were collected from chicken farms, slaughterhouses, and retail markets in six cities across Hubei Province in China from 2019 to 2020, yielding Salmonella isolation rates of 4.68% (28/598), 12.21% (47/385), and 9.64% (16/166), respectively. Seventeen distinct serotypes were detected among 53 non-clonal Salmonella strains, of which Meleagridis (26.42%, 14/53) was the dominant serotype. Almost half of the strains (49.06%, 26/53) were multi-drug resistant (MDR). Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) showed that 10 resistance genes (tetA, blaTEM, parC, qnrS1, floR, aac(6′)-Iy, aph(6)-Id, aph(3″)-Ib, aac(6′)-Iaa and sul2) and 7 categories of virulence genes were present in all three links in 22 non-clonal dominant serotype strains. It was shown that Salmonella in the chicken production chain in Hubei Province had a high resistance rate to Tetracycline (TET, 73.58%), Ofloxacin (OFL, 69.81%), Florfenicol (FFC, 60.38%) and Ampicillin (AMP, 39.62%) which was consistent with the widespread use of these drugs in the husbandry industry in China. Salmonella ST types determined by MLST and serotypes determined by WGS had a one-to-one correlation. Minimum spanning tree analysis revealed that there was cross contamination of Salmonella in farms and slaughterhouses, slaughterhouses and markets, animal samples and environmental samples. This work provides useful information for the prevention and control of contamination and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella in the chicken production chain, as well as demonstrating the dependable role of WGS in Salmonella molecular typing.
A new tool for assessing the cultural adaptation of cognitive tests: demonstrating the utility of the Manchester Translation Evaluation Checklist (MTEC) through the Mini-Mental State Examination Urdu
Authors: Mirza Nadine , Waheed Muhammed Wali , Waheed Waquas
Published: December 2022

Background

Low- and middle-income countries contribute to the majority of dementia and mild cognitive impairment cases worldwide, yet cognitive tests for diagnosis are designed for Western cultures. Language and cultural discrepancies mean that translated tests are not always reliable or valid. We propose a model for culturally adapting cognitive tests, one step of which is to assess the quality of any translation and cultural adaptation undertaken. We developed the Manchester Translation Evaluation Checklist (MTEC) to act as a tool for quality assessment and demonstrated its use by assessing a popular cognitive test that had been adapted.

Aims

Assess quality of the translation and cultural adaptation of the Urdu Mini-Mental State Examination developed for a Pakistani population.

Method

Two raters completed the MTEC for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) Urdu and compared feedback. All authors were fluent in English and Urdu and familiar with Pakistani culture.

Results

Raters had 78.5% agreement across the MTEC. The MMSE Urdu was appropriately translated and retained grammar and verb tense, but three questions had spelling errors. Across 20 MMSE questions, 5 required further cultural adaptation because the questions were not understandable in daily use, comfortable to answer, relevant to the language and culture, and relevant to original concepts.

Conclusions

The MTEC highlighted errors in the MMSE Urdu and demonstrated how this tool can be used to improve it. Future studies could employ the MTEC to improve existing translated measures of health assessment, particularly cognitive tests, and act as a quality check when developing new adaptations of tests and before psychometric validation.
Analysing spatiotemporal instabilities in magneto-optical traps with the tools of turbulence theory
Authors: Griffin Adam , Gaudesius Marius , Kaiser Robin , Nazarenko Sergey , Labeyrie Guillaume
Published: December 2022

A large cloud of 87Rb atoms confined in a magneto-optical trap exhibits, in a certain regime of parameters, spatiotemporal instabilities with a dynamics resembling that of a turbulent fluid. We apply the methods of turbulence theory based on structure function analysis to extract scaling exponents which are compared to known turbulent regimes. This analysis also allows us to make a clear distinction between different instability regimes.
The Spectacular Generic
Authors: Hayden Cori
Published: December 2022

In The Spectacular Generic, Cori Hayden examines how generic drugs have transformed public health politics and everyday experiences of pharmaceutical consumption in Latin America. Focusing on the Mexican pharmacy chain Farmacias Similares and its proprietor, Víctor González Torres, Hayden shows how generics have become potent commodities in a postpatent world. In the early 2000s, González Torres, a.k.a. “Dr. Simi,” capitalized on the creation of new markets for generic medicines, selling cheaper copies of leading-brand drugs across Latin America. But Dr. Simi has not simply competed with the transnationals; his enterprise has also come to compete with the Mexican state, reorganizing the provision of medicine and basic health care for millions of people. Hayden juxtaposes this story with Dr. Simi’s less successful efforts in Argentina, where he confronted a radically different configuration of pharmaceutical politics. Building from these diverging trajectories, Hayden illuminates the politics of generic substitution as a question that goes beyond substituting one drug for another. Generic politics can radically reshape the relations among consumers, states, and pharmaceutical markets, even as they have yet to resolve the problems of cost and access.
Raving
Authors: Wark McKenzie
Published: December 2022

What is an art of life for what feels like the end of a world? In Raving McKenzie Wark takes readers into the undisclosed locations of New York’s thriving underground queer and trans rave scene. Techno, first and always a Black music, invites fresh sonic and temporal possibilities for this era of diminishing futures. Raving to techno is an art and a technique at which queer and trans bodies might be particularly adept but which is for anyone who lets the beat seduce them. Extending the rave’s sensations, situations, fog, lasers, drugs, and pounding sound systems onto the page, Wark invokes a trans practice of raving as a timely aesthetic for dancing in the ruins of this collapsing capital.
Screening Social Justice
Authors: Ortner Sherry B.
Published: December 2022

In Screening Social Justice, award-winning anthropologist Sherry B. Ortner presents an ethnographic study of Brave New Films, a nonprofit film production company that makes documentaries intended to mobilize progressive grassroots activism. Ortner positions the work of the company within a tradition of activist documentary filmmaking and within the larger field of “alternative media” that is committed to challenging the mainstream media and telling the truth about the world today. The company’s films cover a range of social justice issues, with particular focus on the hidden workings of capitalism, racism, and right-wing extremism. Beyond the films themselves, Brave New Films is also famous for its creative distribution strategies. All of the films are available for free on YouTube. Central to the intention of promoting political activism, the films circulate through networks of other activist and social justice organizations and are shown almost entirely in live screenings in which the power of the film is amplified. Ortner takes the reader inside both the production process and the screenings to show how a film can be made and used to mobilize action for a better world.
Rising Up, Living On
Authors: Walsh Catherine E.
Published: December 2022

In Rising Up, Living On, Catherine E. Walsh examines struggles for existence in societies deeply marked by the systemic violences and entwinements of coloniality, capitalism, Christianity, racism, gendering, heteropatriarchy, and the continual dispossession of bodies, land, knowledge, and life, while revealing practices that contest and live in the cracks of these matrices of power. Through stories, narrations, personal letters, conversations, lived accounts, and weaving together the thought of many—including ancestors, artists, students, activists, feminists, collectives, and Indigenous and Africana peoples—in the Americas, the Global South, and beyond, Walsh takes readers on a journey of decolonial praxis. Here, Walsh outlines individual and collective paths that cry out and crack, ask and walk, deschool, undo the nation-state, and break down boundaries of gender, race, and nature. Rising Up, Living On is a book that sows re-existences, nurtures relationality, and cultivates the sense, hope, and possibility of life otherwise in these desperate times.
Juggling
Authors: Sinclair Stewart Lawrence
Published: December 2022

In Juggling, Stewart Lawrence Sinclair explores the four-thousand-year history and practice of juggling as seen through his life as a juggler. Sinclair—who learned to juggle as a child and paid his way through college by busking—shares his experiences of taking up juggling after an episode of suicidal ideation, his time juggling on the streets, and ultimately finding comfort in juggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. In many ways, this is a book about loss and recovery. From his own juggling story to clowns braving military checkpoints in Bosnia and Rwanda to perform in refugee camps to contemporary avant-garde performances, Sinclair shows how the universal language of juggling provides joy as well as a respite from difficulties during hard times.
Variable phenotypes and penetrance between and within different zebrafish ciliary transition zone mutants
Authors: Wang Jun , Thomas Holly R. , Thompson Robert G. , Waldrep Stephanie C. , Fogerty Joseph , Song Ping , Li Zhang , Ma Yongjie , Santra Peu , Hoover Jonathan D. , Yeo Nan Cher , Drummond Iain A. , Yoder Bradley K. , Amack Jeffrey D. , Perkins Brian , Parant John M.
Published: December 2022

Meckel syndrome, nephronophthisis, Joubert syndrome and Bardet–Biedl syndrome are caused by mutations in proteins that localize to the ciliary transition zone (TZ). The phenotypically distinct syndromes suggest that these TZ proteins have differing functions. However, mutations in a single TZ gene can result in multiple syndromes, suggesting that the phenotype is influenced by modifier genes. We performed a comprehensive analysis of ten zebrafish TZ mutants, including mks1, tmem216, tmem67, rpgrip1l, cc2d2a, b9d2, cep290, tctn1, nphp1 and nphp4, as well as mutants in ift88 and ift172. Our data indicate that variations in phenotypes exist between different TZ mutants, supporting different tissue-specific functions of these TZ genes. Further, we observed phenotypic variations within progeny of a single TZ mutant, reminiscent of multiple disease syndromes being associated with mutations in one gene. In some mutants, the dynamics of the phenotype became complex with transitory phenotypes that are corrected over time. We also demonstrated that multiple-guide-derived CRISPR/Cas9 F0 ‘crispant’ embryos recapitulate zygotic null phenotypes, and rapidly identified ciliary phenotypes in 11 cilia-associated gene candidates (ankfn1, ccdc65, cfap57, fhad1, nme7, pacrg, saxo2, c1orf194, ttc26, zmynd12 and cfap52).
Surgical Outcome After Pancreatoduodenectomy for Duodenal Adenocarcinoma Compared with Other Periampullary Cancers: A Nationwide Audit Study
Authors: de Bakker Jacob K. , Suurmeijer J. Annelie , Toennaer Jurgen G. J. , Bonsing Bert A. , Busch Olivier R. , van Eijck Casper H. , de Hingh Ignace H. , de Meijer Vincent E. , Molenaar I. Quintus , van Santvoort Hjalmar C. , Stommel Martijn W. , Festen Sebastiaan , van der Harst Erwin , Patijn Gijs , Lips Daan J. , Den Dulk Marcel , Bosscha Koop , Besselink Marc G. , Kazemier Geert ,   for the Dutch Pancreatic Cancer Group
Published: December 2022

Background

Surgical outcome after pancreatoduodenectomy for duodenal adenocarcinoma could differ from pancreatoduodenectomy for other cancers, but large multicenter series are lacking. This study aimed to determine surgical outcome in patients after pancreatoduodenectomy for duodenal adenocarcinoma, compared with other periampullary cancers, in a nationwide multicenter cohort.

Methods

After pancreatoduodenectomy for cancer between 2014 and 2019, consecutive patients were included from the nationwide, mandatory Dutch Pancreatic Cancer Audit. Patients were stratified by diagnosis. Baseline, treatment characteristics, and postoperative outcome were compared between groups. The association between diagnosis and major complications (Clavien–Dindo grade III or higher) was assessed via multivariable regression analysis.

Results

Overall, 3113 patients, after pancreatoduodenectomy for cancer, were included in this study: 264 (8.5%) patients with duodenal adenocarcinomas and 2849 (91.5%) with other cancers. After pancreatoduodenectomy for duodenal adenocarcinoma, patients had higher rates of major complications (42.8% vs. 28.6%; p < 0.001), postoperative pancreatic fistula (International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery [ISGPS] grade B/C; 23.1% vs. 13.4%; p < 0.001), complication-related intensive care admission (14.3% vs. 10.3%; p = 0.046), re-interventions (39.8% vs. 26.6%; p < 0.001), in-hospital mortality (5.7% vs. 3.1%; p = 0.025), and longer hospital stay (15 days vs. 11 days; p < 0.001) compared with pancreatoduodenectomy for other cancers. In multivariable analysis, duodenal adenocarcinoma was independently associated with major complications (odds ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 1.03–1.27; p = 0.011).

Conclusion

Pancreatoduodenectomy for duodenal adenocarcinoma is associated with higher rates of major complications, pancreatic fistula, re-interventions, and in-hospital mortality compared with patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy for other cancers. These findings should be considered in patient counseling and postoperative management.
The family situation of wards under the supervision of court - appointed custodians during COVID-19 pandemic in Poland: a self-report study to examine the perception of probation officers.
Authors: Opora Robert
Published: December 2022

Background: The Polish Probation Service is strongly linked to social work. This text presents how the work and the problems of clients have changed in the Polish Probation Service during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article presents empirical data. Methods: A questionnaire was used among 216 Polish probation officers. Results: The obtained results describe the changes in the problems experienced by clients of the Probation Service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: Since we can expect further increase in the frequency of occurring personal and social problems experienced by court-appointed custodians’ wards, financial resources and energy of social institutions, cooperation with court guardianship should be focused on psycho-educational campaigns concentrating on providing information on symptoms of problems in the mental and emotional sphere. Preventing exclusion of groups at risk in the labour market and supporting families to prevent the escalation of psychopathology, development of addictions and domestic violence should be priority areas.
Standardized instruments for assessing psychiatric, behavioral, sexual problems, and quality of life in male and female adults with disorders of sex development in Indonesia
Authors: Purwanto Haryo Prakoso Adhi , Wahyudi Irfan
Published: December 2022

Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) are a group of congenital medical conditions defined as atypical development of chromosomal, gonadal, and anatomical sex. Psychiatric, behavioral, and gender-associated problems could arise in both male and female adult with DSD. Structured assessments for each variable are needed to properly measure psychiatric and sexual issues and overall quality of life in adults with DSD. This study aims to review structured questionnaire instruments that had been used to assess psychiatric, behavioral, sexual problems, and quality of life in adults with DSD.

For psychiatric or behavioral problems, adults with DSD can be assessed with GHQ-28, Brief Symptoms Inventory, Achenbach and Rescorla’s Adult Behavior Checklist, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview plus, Hospital anxiety and depression scale, Body image scale, Adult ADHD self-report scale screener, Short Autism Spectrum Quotient, and coping with DSD questionnaire. For quality of life, assessment could be done with WHOQOL and Short Form-36. Gender role assessment in adults with DSD can be done using Core Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Role Behavior and Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale. Both of the apparent male and female DSD patients can be assessed using the instruments available. Recommendations are made based on its function, compliance, validity, reliability, and avaibility of an Indonesian version of the questionnaire.

There are a plethora of structured questionnaire tools that have been used to measure psychiatric or behavioral problems, quality of life, and gender roles in adult with DSD, each with its own advantages and disadvantages
Elder abuse in Saudi Arabia: A systematic review
Authors: Alqahtani Ali S. , Alanazi Ammer L. , alsayyali Ziyad K. , Almubarak Khalid Z. , Alzahrani Nasser N. , Bokhari Amr R. , Menezes Ritesh G.
Published: December 2022

Background: Elder abuse is a common global problem that is certainly preventable. The first step to tackling elder abuse is by researching its prevalence and acknowledging it as a prevailing problem. However, there is a lack of studies on elder abuse in Saudi Arabia. In this review, the socio-forensic problem of elder abuse in Saudi Arabia is addressed. 

Methods: The PubMed database was systematically searched for articles on elder abuse in Saudi Arabia from inception to 1 July 2022. Search terms included “elder abuse”, “elderly abuse”, “geriatric abuse”, “aged abuse”, “senior abuse”, and “elder maltreatment”. In addition, to detect studies reported from Saudi Arabia, the following search terms were included: “Saudi Arabia”, “KSA”, and “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”. The search results were screened for relevant articles. Studies from Saudi Arabia that addressed elder abuse were included in this review. Studies from other countries and studies that addressed abuse in other age groups were excluded. 

Results: A very high percentage of the elderly in shelter homes were found to have experienced abuse, especially psychological, which resulted in an array of mental health implications such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. A high level of awareness of elder abuse, in addition to a high sense of responsibility towards the elderly, was reported. 

Conclusions: As the elderly represent a significant percentage of the population in Saudi Arabia, and with the community being heavily family-centered, it is recommended to increase dedicated efforts towards nationwide research on elder abuse and to formulate effective national programs to ensure its prevention in Saudi Arabia.
Concatenated 16S rRNA sequence analysis improves bacterial taxonomy
Authors: Paul Bobby
Published: December 2022

Background: Microscopic, biochemical, molecular, and computer-based approaches are extensively used to identify and classify bacterial populations. Advances in DNA sequencing and bioinformatics workflows have facilitated sophisticated genome-based methods for microbial taxonomy although sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene is widely employed to identify and classify the bacterial community as a cost-effective and single-gene approach. However, the 16S rRNA sequence-based species identification accuracy is limited by multiple copies of the gene and their higher sequence identity between closely related species. The availability of a large volume of bacterial whole-genome data provided an opportunity to develop comprehensive species-specific 16S rRNA reference libraries.

Methods: The 16S rRNA copies were retrieved from the whole genomes in the complete stage at the Genome database. With defined rules, four 16S rRNA gene copy variants were concatenated to develop a species-specific reference library. The sequence similarity search was performed with a web-based BLAST program, and MEGA software was used to construct the phylogenetic tree.

Results: Using this approach, species-specific 16S rRNA gene libraries were developed for four closely related Streptococcus species (S. gordonii, S. mitis, S. oralis, and S. pneumoniae). Sequence similarity and phylogenetic analysis using concatenated 16S rRNA copies yielded better resolution than single gene copy approaches.

Conclusions: The approach is very effective in classifying genetically related species and may reduce misclassification of bacterial species and genome assemblies.
Driving event recognition using machine learning and smartphones
Authors: bin Jamal Mohd Lokman Eilham Hakimie , Goh Vik Tor , Yap Timothy Tzen Vun , Ng Hu
Published: December 2022

Background: The lack of real-time monitoring is one of the reasons for the lack of awareness among drivers of their dangerous driving behavior. This work aims to develop a driver profiling system where a smartphone’s built-in sensors are used alongside machine learning algorithms to classify different driving behaviors.

Methods: We attempt to determine the optimal combination of smartphone sensors such as accelerometer, gyroscope, and GPS in order to develop an accurate machine learning algorithm capable of identifying different driving events (e.g. turning, accelerating, or braking).

Results: In our preliminary studies, we encountered some difficulties in obtaining consistent driving events, which had the potential to add “noise” to the observations, thus reducing the accuracy of the classification. However, after some pre-processing, which included manual elimination of extraneous and erroneous events, and with the use of the Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), we have been able to distinguish different driving events with an accuracy of about 95%.

Conclusions: Based on the results of preliminary studies, we have determined that the proposed approach is effective in classifying different driving events, which in turn will allow us to determine driver’s driving behavior.