Assessing the carcinogenic potential of low-dose exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment: the challenge ahead.

Lifestyle factors are responsible for a considerable portion of cancer incidence worldwide, but credible estimates from the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) suggest that the fraction of cancers attributable to toxic environmental exposures is between 7% and 19%. To explore the hypothesis that low-dose exposures to mixtures of chemicals in the environment may be combining to contribute to environmental carcinogenesis, we reviewed 11 hallmark phenotypes of cancer, multiple priority target sites for disruption in each area and prototypical chemical disruptors for all targets, this included dose-response characterizations, evidence of low-dose effects and cross-hallmark effects for all targets and chemicals. In total, 85 examples of chemicals were reviewed for actions on key pathways/mechanisms related to carcinogenesis. Only 15% (13/85) were found to have evidence of a dose-response threshold, whereas 59% (50/85) exerted low-dose effects. No dose-response information was found for the remaining 26% (22/85). Our analysis suggests that the cumulative effects of individual (non-carcinogenic) chemicals acting on different pathways, and a variety of related systems, organs, tissues and cells could plausibly conspire to produce carcinogenic synergies. Additional basic research on carcinogenesis and research focused on low-dose effects of chemical mixtures needs to be rigorously pursued before the merits of this hypothesis can be further advanced. However, the structure of the World Health Organization International Programme on Chemical Safety 'Mode of Action' framework should be revisited as it has inherent weaknesses that are not fully aligned with our current understanding of cancer biology

Reconstruction of primary vertices at the ATLAS experiment in Run 1 proton–proton collisions at the LHC

This paper presents the method and performance of primary vertex reconstruction in proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment during Run 1 of the LHC. The studies presented focus on data taken during 2012 at a centre-of-mass energy of √s=8 TeV. The performance has been measured as a function of the number of interactions per bunch crossing over a wide range, from one to seventy. The measurement of the position and size of the luminous region and its use as a constraint to improve the primary vertex resolution are discussed. A longitudinal vertex position resolution of about 30μm is achieved for events with high multiplicity of reconstructed tracks. The transverse position resolution is better than 20μm and is dominated by the precision on the size of the luminous region. An analytical model is proposed to describe the primary vertex reconstruction efficiency as a function of the number of interactions per bunch crossing and of the longitudinal size of the luminous region. Agreement between the data and the predictions of this model is better than 3% up to seventy interactions per bunch crossing

Concepts in Animal Parasitology, Part 3: Endoparasitic Platyhelminths

Part III: Endoparasitic Platyhelminths, chapters 15-47, pages 231-532, in Concepts in Animal Parasitology. 2024. Scott L. Gardner and Sue Ann Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States; part III doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap073 Platyhelminthes Chapter 15: Introduction to Endoparasitic Platyhelminths (Phylum Platyhelminthes) by Larry S. Roberts, John J. Janovy, Jr., Steve Nadler, and Scott L. Gardner, pages 231-240 Cestoda Chapter 16: Introduction to Cestodes (Class Cestoda) by Scott L. Gardner, pages 241-246 Eucestoda Chapter 17: Introduction to Cyclophyllidea Beneden in Braun, 1900 (Order) by Scott L. Gardner, pages 247-250 Chapter 18: Taenia (Genus) by Sumiya Ganzorig and Scott. L. Gardner, pages 251-261 Chapter 19: Echinococcus (Genus) by Akira Ito and Scott. L. Gardner, pages 262-275 Chapter 20: Proteocephalidae La Rue, 1911 (Family) by Tomáš Scholz and Roman Kuchta, pages 276-282 Chapter 21: Bothriocephalidea Kuchta et al., 2008 (Order) by Jorge Falcón-Ordaz and Luis García-Prieto, pages 283-288 Chapter 22: Diphyllobothriidea Kuchta et al., 2008 (Order): The Broad Tapeworms by Tomáš Scholz and Roman Kuchta, pages 289-296 Chapter 23: Trypanorhyncha Diesing, 1863 (Order) by Francisco Zaragoza-Tapia and Scott Monks, pages 297-305 Chapter 24: Cathetocephalidea Schmidt and Beveridge, 1990 (Order) by Luis García-Prieto, Omar Lagunas-Calvo, Brenda Atziri García-García, and Berenice Adán-Torres, pages 306-309 Chapter 25: Diphyllidea van Beneden in Carus, 1863 (Order) by Luis García-Prieto, Brenda Atziri García-García, Omar Lagunas-Calvo, and Berenice Adán-Torres, pages 310-315 Chapter 26: Lecanicephalidea Hyman, 1951 (Order) by Luis García-Prieto, Berenice Adán-Torres, Omar Lagunas-Calvo, and Brenda Atziri García- García, pages 316-320 Chapter 27: Litobothriidea Dailey, 1969 (Order) by Luis García-Prieto, Berenice Adán-Torres, Brenda Atziri García-García, and Omar Lagunas-Calvo, pages 321-325 Chapter 28: Phyllobothriidea Caira et al., 2014 (Order) by Brenda Atziri García-García, Omar Lagunas-Calvo, Berenice Adán-Torres, and Luis García-Prieto, pages 326-331 Chapter 29: Rhinebothriidea Healy et al., 2009 (Order) by Omar Lagunas-Calvo, Brenda Atziri García-García, Berenice Adán-Torres, and Luis García-Prieto, pages 332-339 Chapter 30: Relics of “Tetraphyllidea” van Beneden, 1850 (Order) by Berenice Adán-Torres, Omar Lagunas-Calvo, Brenda Atziri García-García, and Luis García-Prieto, pages 340-346 Amphilinidea Chapter 31: Amphilinidea Poche 1922 (Order) by Klaus Rohde, pages 347-353 Gyrocotylidea Chapter 32: Gyrocotylidea (Order): The Most Primitive Group of Tapeworms by Willi E. R. Xylander and Klaus Rohde, pages 354-360 Trematoda Aspidogastrea Chapter 33: Aspidogastrea (Subclass) by Klaus Rohde, pages 361-377 Digenea: Diplostomida Chapter 34: Introduction to Diplostomida Olson et al., 2003 (Order) by Lucrecia Acosta Soto, Bernard Fried, and Rafael Toledo, pages 378-393 Chapter 35: Aporocotylidae (Family): Fish Blood Flukes by Russell Q.-Y. Yong, pages 394-401 Digenea: Plagiorchiida Chapter 36: Introduction to Plagiorchiida La Rue, 1957 (Order) by Rafael Toledo, Bernard Fried, and Lucrecia Acosta Soto, pages 402-404 Chapter 37: Bivesiculata Olson et al., 2003 (Suborder): Small, Rare, but Important by Thomas H. Cribb and Scott C. Cutmore, pages 405-408 Chapter 38: Echinostomata La Rue, 1926 (Suborder) by Rafael Toledo, Bernard Fried, and Lucrecia Acosta Soto, pages 409-422 Chapter 39: Haplosplanchnata Olson et al., 2003 (Suborder): Two Hosts with Half the Guts by Daniel C. Huston, pages 423-427 Chapter 40: Hemiurata Skrjabin & Guschanskaja, 1954 (Suborder) by Lucrecia Acosta Soto, Bernard Fried, and Rafael Toledo, pages 428-435 Chapter 41: Monorchiata Olson et al., 2003 (Suborder): Two Families Separated by Salinity by Nicholas Q.-X. Wee, pages 436-442 Chapter 42: Opisthorchis (Genus) compiled from material from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria by Sue Ann Gardner, pages 443-445 Xiphidiata Chapter 43: Allocreadiidae Looss, 1902 (Family) by Gerardo Pérez-Ponce de León, David Iván Hernández-Mena, and Brenda Solórzano-García, pages 446-459 Chapter 44: Haematoloechidae Odening, 1964 (Family) by Virginia León-Règagnon, pages 460-469 Chapter 45: Lecithodendriidae Lühe, 1901 (Family) by Jeffrey M. Lotz, pages 470-479 Chapter 46: Opecoelidae Ozaki, 1925 (Family): The Richest Trematode Family by Storm B. Martin, pages 480-489 Digenea Summary Chapter 47: Summary of the Digenea (Subclass): Insights and Lessons from a Prominent Parasitologist by Robin M. Overstreet, pages 490-53

Psychometric properties of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) across cross-cultural subgroups, genders, and sexual orientations: Findings from the International Sex Survey (ISS)

© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/).INTRODUCTION: Despite being a widely used screening questionnaire, there is no consensus on the most appropriate measurement model for the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Furthermore, there have been limited studies on its measurement invariance across cross-cultural subgroups, genders, and sexual orientations. AIMS: The present study aimed to examine the fit of different measurement models for the AUDIT and its measurement invariance across a wide range of subgroups by country, language, gender, and sexual orientation. METHODS: Responses concerning past-year alcohol use from the participants of the cross-sectional International Sex Survey were considered (N = 62,943; M age: 32.73; SD = 12.59). Confirmatory factor analysis, as well as measurement invariance tests were performed for 21 countries, 14 languages, three genders, and four sexual-orientation subgroups that met the minimum sample size requirement for inclusion in these analyses. RESULTS: A two-factor model with factors describing 'alcohol use' (items 1-3) and 'alcohol problems' (items 4-10) showed the best model fit across countries, languages, genders, and sexual orientations. For the former two, scalar and latent mean levels of invariance were reached considering different criteria. For gender and sexual orientation, a latent mean level of invariance was reached. CONCLUSIONS: In line with the two-factor model, the calculation of separate alcohol-use and alcohol-problem scores is recommended when using the AUDIT. The high levels of measurement invariance achieved for the AUDIT support its use in cross-cultural research, capable also of meaningful comparisons among genders and sexual orientations.Peer reviewe

Cross-cultural Validation of the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX) in 42 Countries and 26 Languages

© The Author(s) 2024. This is an Open Access article, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/The Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) is a brief questionnaire that evaluates five major aspects of sexual function: sex drive, arousal, erectile function/vaginal lubrication, ability to reach orgasm, and satisfaction with orgasm. An advantage of the ASEX is its simplicity and brevity (five items), making it suitable for the screening of sexual function problems in healthcare contexts and large-scale studies. The main objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the ASEX in a multi-national sample, as well as to explore sexual function according to countries, genders, and sexual orientations.Peer reviewe

Identification and comprehensive characterization of moral disapproval and behavioral dysregulation-based pornography-use profiles across 42 countries

Background and aims The Moral Incongruence Model of Pornography Use proposes that pornography-use-related problems may be present due to problematic pornography use (PPU) and/or moral disapproval (MD) of pornography use. Despite some supporting empirical evidence, no study has tested the presence of different pornography-use profiles based on individuals' behavioral dysregulation (i.e., PPU) and moral values concerning pornography use. The generalizability of previous findings to diverse populations has also been limited given the scarcity of studies conducted outside of Western countries. Methods Using data from the International Sex Survey (42 countries, N = 66,994; Mage = 32.16 years, SD = 12.27), we conducted latent profile analysis to identify pornography-use profiles based on individuals' frequency of use, MD, and PPU. The profiles were compared along a wide range of pornography-use-related, sexuality-related, and psychological correlates. Results Six pornography-use profiles were identified, including two increased risk groups (i.e., Increased risk of PPU without MD and Increased risk of PPU with some MD). Several factors differentiated between the increased risk vs. no/low risk profiles (e.g., relatedness satisfaction) as well as between the two increased risk profiles (e.g., religiosity). Apart from behavioral dysregulation, moral values concerning pornography use played an important role in distinguishing pornography-use profiles and demonstrated the importance of inquiring about MD when working with individuals with pornography-use-related problems. Conclusion Findings also support recent calls for better-integrated sex therapy and sexual medicine perspectives into pornography-use-related problems research and care

Motives for pornography use and women's sexual wellbeing: Insights from a 42-country study

Background and aims Despite a growing body of research on pornography use among women, there is a lack of understanding of the problematic versus non-problematic nature. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between women's motivations for pornography use and sexual wellbeing using a cross-sectional, self-report survey design among participants from 42 countries. Methods The total sample included 82,243 participants, of whom 46,874 (57.0%) identified as women and were analyzed. The participants' age averaged at M = 29.67 years, with a standard deviation of SD = 10.11. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing their motivations for pornography use, as well as measures of sexual functioning, sexual desire, and sexual satisfaction. Results Study results suggest that across cultures, women's motivations for pornography use are associated with their sexual wellbeing. Specifically, when women reported using pornography for their own pleasure or sexual curiosity, it was associated with fewer sexual functioning problems and higher sexual desire. Conversely, when women reported using pornography due to a lack of sexual satisfaction in their relationships, it was associated with more sexual functioning problems. Discussion and conclusions These findings highlight the need to consider the multifaceted nature of pornography use among women, including the usage motives, to fully understand associations with sexual wellbeing. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of conducting further research utilizing longitudinal designs, to establish the directionality between pornography use motivations and sexual wellbeing among women

The short version of the Sexual Distress Scale (SDS-3): Measurement invariance across countries, gender identities, and sexual orientations

© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/Background The three-item Sexual Distress Scale (SDS-3) has been frequently used to assess distress related to sexuality in public health surveys and research on sexual wellbeing. However, its psychometric properties and measurement invariance across cultural, gender and sexual subgroups have not yet been examined. This multinational study aimed to validate the SDS-3 and test its psychometric properties, including measurement invariance across language, country, gender identity, and sexual orientation groups. Methods We used global survey data from 82,243 individuals (Mean age=32.39 years; 40.3 % men, 57.0 % women, 2.8 % non-binary, and 0.6 % other genders) participating in the International Sexual Survey (ISS; https://internationalsexsurvey.org/) across 42 countries and 26 languages. Participants completed the SDS-3, as well as questions regarding sociodemographic characteristics, including gender identity and sexual orientation. Results Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported a unidimensional factor structure for the SDS-3, and multi-group CFA (MGCFA) suggested that this factor structure was invariant across countries, languages, gender identities, and sexual orientations. Cronbach's α for the unidimensional score was 0.83 (range between 0.76 and 0.89), and McDonald's ω was 0.84 (range between 0.76 and 0.90). Participants who did not experience sexual problems had significantly lower SDS-3 total scores (M = 2.99; SD=2.54) compared to those who reported sexual problems (M = 5.60; SD=3.00), with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 1.01 [95 % CI=-1.03, -0.98]; p < 0.001). Conclusion The SDS-3 has a unidimensional factor structure and appears to be valid and reliable for measuring sexual distress among individuals from different countries, gender identities, and sexual orientations.Peer reviewe

Cross-cultural Validation of the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX) in 42 Countries and 26 Languages

Introduction The Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) is a brief questionnaire that evaluates five major aspects of sexual function: sex drive, arousal, erectile function/vaginal lubrication, ability to reach orgasm, and satisfaction with orgasm. An advantage of the ASEX is its simplicity and brevity (five items), making it suitable for the screening of sexual function problems in healthcare contexts and large-scale studies. The main objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the ASEX in a multi-national sample, as well as to explore sexual function according to countries, genders, and sexual orientations. Methods The psychometric examination of the ASEX was conducted with a sample of 82,243 participants (women = 57.02%; men = 39.59%; gender-diverse = 3.38%; Mage = 32.39 years; SD = 12.52) from 42 different countries speaking 26 languages. Results The CFA supported a one-factor solution. Multigroup CFAs supported configural, metric, partial scalar, and residual invariance across countries, languages, genders, and sexual orientations. Furthermore, the ASEX showed good internal consistency (ω = .85) and convergent validity (e.g., significant negative associations with masturbation and sexual intercourse frequency). Finally, individuals in Eastern countries, women, and asexual participants reported higher levels of sexual function issues. Conclusions and Policy Implications The findings supported the use of the ASEX as a tool to screen for sexual function problems across diverse populations in multi-cultural settings. This scale may be used to improve our knowledge on the cross-cultural differences on the expression of sexual function, serving as the basis for the development of culturally tailored interventions for the improvement of this basic aspect of well-being

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Abstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat