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Over the past decade, transdisciplinary research has been faced with increasing demands by research policy and funding bodies to make its contribution to dealing with complex societal problems more transparent. In the literature, there is a range of methodological attempts to trace and describe the effects of transdisciplinary research, but these are characterized by inconsistent definitions regarding the scope and different forms of effects. This article aims to systematize the proposed categories and introduces a heuristic that can be used as a tool to sensitize researchers to intended effects ex ante and throughout the research process, as well as to reflect on the achieved effects ex post. The heuristic includes the temporal and spatial dimension of occurring effects (first-, second- and third-order) and characterizes possible forms of effects. It is validated and differentiated based on a multi-method empirical study involving 16 completed transdisciplinary research projects in different thematic areas. We propose a differentiation of frequently used categories, such as 'learning effects', and operationalize second- and third-order effects with the aim of ensuring a more consistent use of terminology in the transdisciplinary research community. We also specify methodical steps for a facilitated self-reflective application of the tool ex ante, supporting the research process, or ex post.

Targeted alpha therapy (TαT) represents an emerging and cutting-edge treatment option for patients dealing with highly challenging metastatic cancer diseases. Critically, the limited supply of alpha-particle-emitting radionuclides, so-called alpha in vivo nanogenerators, hampers wider utilization of TαT in clinical settings. This could effectively be circumvented by alternative production routes, including straightforward purification and reformulation strategies. Radionuclide generators offering great potential in simple and robust elution strategies can be provided that still adhere to high radioisotopic, radionuclidic, and radiochemical purity criteria. This study takes a first step towards novel separation strategies by providing additional sources of alpha in vivo nanogenerators for TαT through experiments with various metal surrogates. With different systems, 232Th/natBa was used as a radionuclide generator analogue to 227Th/223Ra, and 232Th/natBa/natLa was used as a triplet analogue to 229Th/225Ra/225Ac. Three selective resins (UTEVA, TEVA, DGA-N) were evaluated for the 232Th/natBa system. Two perturbations of the best-performing resin were further evaluated using a larger diameter column and 1 week of equilibration. For the 232Th/natBa/natLa separation system, a combined column with two selective resins (TK200, TK101) was employed and evaluated. The results thus obtained pave the way for alternative separation strategies in radioactive proof-of-concept validation in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is one of the most complex and challenging human diseases, with rising incidences and cancer-related deaths despite improved diagnosis and personalized treatment options. Targeted alpha therapy (TαT) offers an exciting strategy emerging for cancer treatment which has proven effective even in patients with advanced metastatic disease that has become resistant to other treatments. Yet, in many cases, more sophisticated strategies are needed to stall disease progression and overcome resistance to TαT. The combination of two or more therapies which have historically been used as stand-alone treatments is an approach that has been pursued in recent years. This review aims to provide an overview on TαT and the four main pillars of therapeutic strategies in cancer management, namely external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), cytostatic chemotherapy (CCT), and brachytherapy (BT), and to discuss their potential use in combination with TαT. A brief description of each therapy is followed by a review of known biological aspects and state-of-the-art treatment practices. The emphasis, however, is given to the motivation for combination with TαT as well as the pre-clinical and clinical studies conducted to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Bibliometric and scientometric analyses provide a structured approach to large amounts of data, enabling the prediction of research theme trends over time, the detection of shifts in the boundaries of disciplines, and the identification of the most productive countries, institutions and scholars. In the context of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radiotheranostics, no bibliometric or scientometric analysis has been published thus far. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify key contributors to the literature, assess the global scientific production of related research, and possibly predict future development patterns. Methods: Scientometrics and bibliometrics were utilized to analyze the current body of knowledge while tracking its evolution to support scientific decisionmaking comprehensively and systematically. Science mapping techniques were employed to visualize research activities. Two different tools, Tableau and VOSviewer, were utilized, with VOSviewer being deemed the most suitable for the research objectives. The Web of Science (WoS) was used as the principal database for the searches. Results: Through the search process over a period of 30 years (January 1993-January 2023), 694 original studies in the English language were subjected to comprehensive analysis. By employing bibliometric and scientometric methods, multiple networks were created that mapped various concepts, such as publication trends, leading countries, cocitations, coauthorship among researchers and scientists, as well as coauthorship among organizations and funding agencies. This study revealed the evolutionary patterns, trends, outliers, and key players in the PSMA field, which enabled a more nuanced understanding of the research landscape. Conclusion: This research contributes to the enrichment of knowledge on PSMA-targeted radiotheranostics through detailed global bibliometric and scientometric analyses. It stresses the necessity for the development of communication platforms, the establishment of supportive infrastructures, and the implementation of proactive solutions to address emerging challenges. This study offers a significant resource for delineating effective strategies and identifying prominent funding bodies essential for continuous advancements in the field of PSMA-based diagnosis and therapy for prostate cancer. It is vital to sustain this momentum to ensure further progress in this pioneering area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: Intelligibility improvements immediately following perceptual training with dysarthric speech using lexical feedback are comparable to those observed when training uses somatosensory feedback (Borrie & Schäfer, 2015). In this study, we investigated if these lexical and somatosensory guided improvements in listener intelligibility of dysarthric speech remain comparable and stable over the course of 1 month. Method: Following an intelligibility pretest, 60 participants were trained with dysarthric speech stimuli under one of three conditions: lexical feedback, somatosensory feedback, or no training (control). Participants then completed a series of intelligibility posttests, which took place immediately (immediate posttest), 1 week (1-week posttest) following training, and 1 month (1-month posttest) following training. Results: As per our previous study, intelligibility improvements at immediate posttest were equivalent between lexical and somatosensory feedback conditions. Condition differences, however, emerged over time. Improvements guided by lexical feedback deteriorated over the month whereas those guided by somatosensory feedback remained robust. Conclusions: Somatosensory feedback, internally generated by vocal imitation, may be required to affect long-term perceptual gain in processing dysarthric speech. Findings are discussed in relation to underlying learning mechanisms and offer insight into how externally and internally generated feedback may differentially affect perceptual learning of disordered speech.

Identifying an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) method for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be informed by comparing their performance with, and preference for, a range of communication modalities. Towards this end, the present study involved two children with ASD who were taught to request the continuation of toy play by: (a) signing MORE, (b) exchanging a picture card representing "MORE," and (c) touching a "MORE" symbol from the screen of a speech-generating device. The children were also given opportunities to choose among the three modalities to identify their preferred method of communication. Both children performed better with picture exchange and the speech-generating device than with manual signing, but had variable performance during follow-up. Both children more often chose the speech-generating device, suggesting a preference for that modality. We conclude that concurrent intervention across several communication methods can generate data to inform the selection of an AAC modality.

Purpose: Perceptual learning paradigms involving written feedback appear to be a viable clinical tool to reduce the intelligibility burden of dysarthria. The underlying theoretical assumption is that pairing the degraded acoustics with the intended lexical targets facilitates a remapping of existing mental representations in the lexicon. This study investigated whether ties to mental representations can be strengthened by way of a somatosensory motor trace. Method: Following an intelligibility pretest, 100 participants were assigned to 1 of 5 experimental groups. The control group received no training, but the other 4 groups received training with dysarthric speech under conditions involving a unique combination of auditory targets, written feedback, and/or a vocal imitation task. All participants then completed an intelligibility posttest. Results: Training improved intelligibility of dysarthric speech, with the largest improvements observed when the auditory targets were accompanied by both written feedback and an imitation task. Further, a significant relationship between intelligibility improvement and imitation accuracy was identified. Conclusions: This study suggests that somatosensory information can strengthen the activation of speech sound maps of dysarthric speech. The findings, therefore, implicate a bidirectional relationship between speech perception and speech production as well as advance our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie perceptual learning of degraded speech.