Search

To achieve the measurement reliability of amino acids used as diagnostic markers in clinical fields, establishing a reference measurement system is required, in which certified reference materials (CRMs) are an essential step in the hierarchy of measurement traceability. This study describes the development of dried blood spot (DBS) CRMs for amino acid analysis with complete measurement traceability to the International System of Units (SI). Six essential amino acids─proline, valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine─were analyzed using isotope-dilution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (ID-MS). For minimizing measurement bias and uncertainty overestimation, whole spots with 50 μL of whole blood were adopted in the certification. The between-spot homogeneities by whole spot sampling were lower than 2.1%. The relative expanded uncertainties of the six amino acids in the developed DBS CRMs were lower than 5.7% at 95% confidence. The certified values are traceable to SI through both gravimetric preparation and the primary method in certification, ID-MS. Comparison among DBS testing laboratories revealed discrepancies between the whole spot and disc sampling methods. The actual sampling volume was accurately estimated by weighing, which revealed the possibility of underestimation in routine DBS testing. The candidate CRMs can support the standardization of DBS testing for amino acids through the qualification and validation of many kinds of measurement procedures to compensate the measurement bias caused by matrix-specific sampling error.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of an adjuvant posterior repair (PR) on treatment outcomes of native tissue apical suspension. This retrospective cohort study included 194 women who underwent iliococcygeus or uterosacral ligament suspension with or without PR for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POPQ) stage 2–4 posterior vaginal wall prolapse that resolved under simulated preoperative apical support and who completed a 1-year follow-up. The primary outcome was composite surgical failure defined as the presence of vaginal bulge symptoms, descent of the vaginal apex more than one-third of the way into the vaginal canal (apical recurrence), anterior or posterior vaginal wall descent beyond the hymen (anterior or posterior recurrence), or retreatment for prolapse. Secondary outcomes included anatomical outcomes, perioperative outcomes, obstructed defecation, dyspareunia, and adverse events. One hundred thirty women underwent concomitant PR, and 64 did not. Surgical failure rates were significantly higher in the group not receiving PR than in the group receiving PR (29.7% vs. 12.3%, p

The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) both measure emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents, and scores on the two instruments are highly correlated. When administrative needs compel practitioners to change the instrument used or data from the two measures are combined to perform pooled analyses, it becomes necessary to compare scores on the two instruments. To enable such comparisons, we score linked three domains (Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems) of the CBCL and SDQ in three age groups spanning 2-17 years. After assessing linking assumptions, we compared item response theory (IRT) and equipercentile linking methods to identify the most statistically justifiable link, ultimately selecting equipercentile linking with loglinear smoothing due to its minimal bias and the ability to link raw SDQ scores with both T-scores and raw scores from the CBCL. We derived crosswalk conversion tables to convert scores on one measure to the metric of the other and discuss the use of these tables in research and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) is a well-established risk factor for public health. To support both health risk assessment and epidemiological studies, data are needed on spatial and temporal patterns of PM(2.5) exposures. This review article surveys publicly available exposure datasets for surface PM(2.5) mass concentrations over the contiguous U.S., summarizes their applications and limitations, and provides suggestions on future research needs. The complex landscape of satellite instruments, model capabilities, monitor networks, and data synthesis methods offers opportunities for research development, but would benefit from guidance for new users. Guidance is provided to access publicly available PM(2.5) datasets, to explain and compare different approaches for dataset generation, and to identify sources of uncertainties associated with various types of datasets. Three main sources used to create PM(2.5) exposure data are: ground-based measurements (especially regulatory monitoring), satellite retrievals (especially aerosol optical depth, AOD), and atmospheric chemistry models. We find inconsistencies among several publicly available PM(2.5) estimates, highlighting uncertainties in the exposure datasets that are often overlooked in health effects analyses. Major differences among PM(2.5) estimates emerge from the choice of data (ground-based, satellite, and/or model), the spatiotemporal resolutions, and the algorithms used to fuse data sources.

This research suggests emphasis manipulation on constituent skills of least-abled sets, improves coordination and integration of knowledge, skills, and attitudes on cognitive load, transfer, and instructional efficiency. The participants were divided into two groups. Competency levels for the designated skill sets were evaluated, and a pre-test was performed on both groups. The research applied an educational design based on individual learner’s least-abled sets of constituent skills and identified the design’s effectiveness on complex learning. One group was provided with the whole learning contents according to emphasis manipulation sequencing method, and the other group was provided personalized learning contents according to a method based on the least-abled sets of constituent skills emphasis manipulation. The group received materials constructed with emphasis manipulation, learned the whole constituent skills of learning contents and carried out conventional tasks. However, treatment group received materials constructed with the least-abled sets of constituent skills emphasis manipulation, learned only the least-abled constituent skills and carried out conventional tasks. This research suggests that teaching with the least-abled sets of constituent skills helps to reduce expertise-reversal effect and improve results of cognitive load, transfer and instructional efficiency. Keywords: cognitive load, complex tasks, emphasis manipulation, instructional efficiency, learning transfer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of an adjuvant posterior repair (PR) on treatment outcomes of native tissue apical suspension.This retrospective cohort study included 194 women who underwent iliococcygeus or uterosacral ligament suspension with or without PR for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POPQ) stage 2-4 posterior vaginal wall prolapse that resolved under simulated preoperative apical support and who completed a 1-year follow-up. The primary outcome was composite surgical failure defined as the presence of vaginal bulge symptoms, descent of the vaginal apex more than one-third of the way into the vaginal canal (apical recurrence), anterior or posterior vaginal wall descent beyond the hymen (anterior or posterior recurrence), or retreatment for prolapse. Secondary outcomes included anatomical outcomes, perioperative outcomes, obstructed defecation, dyspareunia, and adverse events.One hundred thirty women underwent concomitant PR, and 64 did not. Surgical failure rates were significantly higher in the group not receiving PR than in the group receiving PR (29.7% vs. 12.3%, p 0.01). Anatomically, anterior and apical recurrence was more common in the group not receiving PR (p 0.05). Concomitant PR was associated with a longer operating time and more blood loss (p 0.01). However, there were few adverse events related to PR, and the rates of de novo obstructed defecation and dyspareunia were low in both groups, with no significant difference between the groups.Concomitant PR at the time of native tissue apical suspension may reduce the recurrence of symptomatic anterior and apical prolapse without significant morbidity.

자기애가 개인의 병리적인 특성으로 보고되었던 과거와는 달리, 최근 자기애 연구들은 자기애가 개인의 성격적인 특성이며 자기애 안의 적응적인 면과 부적응적인 면이 공존하는 것으로 보고하고 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 자기심리학에서 설명하고 있는 자기애 형성에 중요한 자기대상경험이 공감지각과 수치심을 매개로 하여 어떻게 적응적인 건강한 자기애 혹은 부적응적인 방어적 자기애가 나타나는지의 과정을 검증하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 서울, 경기, 경상지역의 565명의 남녀 대학생을 대상으로 온오프라인을 통해 설문조사를 실시한 후, SPSS 18.0과 AMOS 20.0을 활용하여 수집된 자료를 분석하였다. 본 연구의 주요 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 대학생의 자기대상경험과 건강한 자기애간의 관계는 공감지각이 부분 매개를 하는 것으로 나타났다. 이에 따라, 대학생의 건강한 자기애를 위해서는 자기 존재를 인식하는데 중요한 자기대상의 존재와 공감적인 환경 그리고 스스로 그 환경을 지지적으로 지각하는 것이 중요함을 확인할 수 있다. 둘째, 대학생의 자기대상경험과 방어적 자기애 간의 관계는 수치심이 완전 매개하는 것으로 나타났다. 부족한 자기대상경험은 수치심이 내면화됨으로써 자신의 존재 자체에 대한 부적절감이 결국 대학생의 부적응적인 방어적 자기애를 형성하게 되는 것임을 알 수 있다. 마지막으로 이러한 연구결과를 토대로 본 연구의 의의와 후속연구를 위한 제언을 논하였다.

During early viral infection, activation of natural killer (NK) cells elicits the effector functions of target cell lysis and cytokine production. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to NK cell activation during viral infections are incompletely understood. In this study, using a model of acute viral infection, we investigated the mechanisms controlling cytotoxic activity and cytokine production in response to influenza (flu) virus. Analysis of cytokine receptor deficient mice demonstrated that type I interferons (IFNs), but not IL-12 or IL-18, were critical for the NK cell expression of both IFN-γ and granzyme B in response to flu infection. Further, adoptive transfer experiments revealed that NK cell activation was mediated by type I IFNs acting directly on NK cells. Analysis of signal transduction molecules showed that during flu infection, STAT1 activation in NK cells was completely dependent on direct type I IFN signaling, whereas STAT4 activation was only partially dependent. In addition, granzyme B induction in NK cells was mediated by signaling primarily through STAT1, but not STAT4, while IFN-γ production was mediated by signaling through STAT4, but not STAT1. Therefore, our findings demonstrate the importance of direct action of type I IFNs on NK cells to mount effective NK cell responses in the context of flu infection and delineate NK cell signaling pathways responsible for controlling cytotoxic activity and cytokine production.