The Cognitive Symptom Checklist-Work in cancer patients is related with work functioning, fatigue and depressive symptoms: a validation study

The study objectives are to translate the 21-item Cognitive Symptom Checklist-Work (CSC-W21) to Dutch (CSC-W DV) and to validate the CSC-W DV in working cancer patients. The CSC-W21 was cross-culturally translated and adapted to a Dutch version. In this 19-item version, the dichotomous response option was changed to an ordinal five-point scale. A validation study of the CSC-W DV was conducted among cancer patients who had returned to work during or following cancer treatment. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), structural validity (exploratory factor analysis) and construct validity (hypothesis testing) were evaluated. In a cohort of 364 cancer patients, 341 (94 %) completed the CSC-W DV (aged 50.6 +/- 8.6 years, 60 % women). Exploratory factor analysis revealed two subscales 'working memory' and 'executive function'. The internal consistency of the total scale and subscales was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.93-0.95). Hypothesis testing showed that self-reported cognitive limitations at work were related to work functioning (P <0.001), fatigue (P = 0.001) and depressive symptoms (P <0.001), but not to self-rated health (P = 0.14). The CSC-W DV showed high internal consistency and reasonable construct validity for measuring work-specific cognitive symptoms in cancer patients. The CSC-W DV was associated in expected ways with work functioning, fatigue and depressive symptoms. It is important to enhance knowledge about cognitive symptoms at work in cancer patients, to guide and support cancer patients as good as possible when they are back at work and to improve their work functioning over time

State-resolved measurements of single-electron capture in slow Ne7+- and Ne8+-helium collisions

Single-electron capture in collisions of 9 keV x q Ne8+ and Ne7+ ions with He has been studied using cold-target recoil-ion momentum spectroscopy. With an improved apparatus a longitudinal momentum resolution of 0.07 au has been achieved. This momentum component is directly proportional to the difference in the binding energy of the active electron between the final and the initial state. For the first time state- resolved differential cross sections have been determined with respect to the main quantum number, subshell level and spin state of the captured electron. A comparison with recent theoretical results for energy levels in Be-like Ne is given

Experiences of learning through collaborative evaluation from a masters programme in professional education

This paper presents findings from a collaborative evaluation project within a masters programme in professional education. The project aimed to increase knowledge of research methodologies and methods through authentic learning where participants worked in partnership with the tutor to evaluate the module which they were studying. The project processes, areas of the course evaluated and the data collection methods are outlined. The findings focus on key themes from evaluating the effectiveness of using a collaborative evaluation approach, including: enhanced student engagement; creativity of the collaborative evaluation approach; equality between the tutor and students; and enhanced research skills. Discussion focuses on the outcomes and effectiveness of the project and tutor reflections on adopting a collaborative approach. This paper highlights lessons from the project relevant to those interested in staff-student partnership approaches and those facilitating postgraduate learning and teaching programmes and educational research courses

Atomic excitation during recollision-free ultrafast multi-electron tunnel ionization

Modern intense ultrafast pulsed lasers generate an electric field of sufficient strength to permit tunnel ionization of the valence electrons in atoms. This process is usually treated as a rapid succession of isolated events, in which the states of the remaining electrons are neglected. Such electronic interactions are predicted to be weak, the exception being recollision excitation and ionization caused by linearly-polarized radiation. In contrast, it has recently been suggested that intense field ionization may be accompanied by a two-stage `shake-up' reaction. Here we report a unique combination of experimental techniques that enables us to accurately measure the tunnel ionization probability for argon exposed to 50 femtosecond laser pulses. Most significantly for the current study, this measurement is independent of the optical focal geometry, equivalent to a homogenous electric field. Furthermore, circularly-polarized radiation negates recollision. The present measurements indicate that tunnel ionization results in simultaneous excitation of one or more remaining electrons through shake-up. From an atomic physics standpoint, it may be possible to induce ionization from specific states, and will influence the development of coherent attosecond XUV radiation sources. Such pulses have vital scientific and economic potential in areas such as high-resolution imaging of in-vivo cells and nanoscale XUV lithography.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, original format as accepted by Nature Physic

Precision of the PET activity range during irradiation with ¹⁰C, ¹¹C, and ¹²C beams

Objective. Beams of stable ions have been a well-established tool for radiotherapy for many decades. In the case of ion beam therapy with stable 12C ions, the positron emitters 10,11C are produced via projectile and target fragmentation, and their decays enable visualization of the beam via positron emission tomography (PET). However, the PET activity peak matches the Bragg peak only roughly and PET counting statistics is low. These issues can be mitigated by using a short-lived positron emitter as a therapeutic beam. Approach. An experiment studying the precision of the measurement of ranges of positron-emitting carbon isotopes by means of PET has been performed at the FRS fragment-separator facility of GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Germany. The PET scanner used in the experiment is a dual-panel version of a Siemens Biograph mCT PET scanner. Main results. High-quality in-beam PET images and activity distributions have been measured from the in-flight produced positron emitting isotopes 11C and 10C implanted into homogeneous PMMA phantoms. Taking advantage of the high statistics obtained in this experiment, we investigated the time evolution of the uncertainty of the range determined by means of PET during the course of irradiation, and show that the uncertainty improves with the inverse square root of the number of PET counts. The uncertainty is thus fully determined by the PET counting statistics. During the delivery of 1.6 × 107 ions in 4 spills for a total duration of 19.2 s, the PET activity range uncertainty for 10C, 11C and 12C is 0.04 mm, 0.7 mm and 1.3 mm, respectively. The gain in precision related to the PET counting statistics is thus much larger when going from 11C to 10C than when going from 12C to 11C. The much better precision for 10C is due to its much shorter half-life, which, contrary to the case of 11C, also enables to include the in-spill data in the image formation. Significance. Our results can be used to estimate the contribution from PET counting statistics to the precision of range determination in a particular carbon therapy situation, taking into account the irradiation scenario, the required dose and the PET scanner characteristics.</p

Adsorption of mono- and multivalent cat- and anions on DNA molecules

Adsorption of monovalent and multivalent cat- and anions on a deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) molecule from a salt solution is investigated by computer simulation. The ions are modelled as charged hard spheres, the DNA molecule as a point charge pattern following the double-helical phosphate strands. The geometrical shape of the DNA molecules is modelled on different levels ranging from a simple cylindrical shape to structured models which include the major and minor grooves between the phosphate strands. The densities of the ions adsorbed on the phosphate strands, in the major and in the minor grooves are calculated. First, we find that the adsorption pattern on the DNA surface depends strongly on its geometrical shape: counterions adsorb preferentially along the phosphate strands for a cylindrical model shape, but in the minor groove for a geometrically structured model. Second, we find that an addition of monovalent salt ions results in an increase of the charge density in the minor groove while the total charge density of ions adsorbed in the major groove stays unchanged. The adsorbed ion densities are highly structured along the minor groove while they are almost smeared along the major groove. Furthermore, for a fixed amount of added salt, the major groove cationic charge is independent on the counterion valency. For increasing salt concentration the major groove is neutralized while the total charge adsorbed in the minor groove is constant. DNA overcharging is detected for multivalent salt. Simulations for a larger ion radii, which mimic the effect of the ion hydration, indicate an increased adsorbtion of cations in the major groove.Comment: 34 pages with 14 figure

Associations between neck musculoskeletal complaints and work related factors among public service computer workers in Kaunas

Objectives:Information technologies have been developing very rapidly, also in the case of occupational activities. Epidemiological studies have shown that employees, who work with computers, are more likely to complain of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between neck MSD and individual and work related factors. Materials and Methods: The investigation which consisted of two parts - a questionnaire study (using Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire and Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire) and a direct observation (to evaluate ergonomic work environment using RULA method) was carried out in three randomly selected public sector companies of Kaunas. The study population consisted of 513 public service office workers. Results: The survey showed that neck MSDs were very common in the investigated population. The prevalence rate amounted to 65.7%. According to our survey neck MSDs were significantly associated with older age, bigger work experience, high quantitative and cognitive job demands, working for longer than 2 h without taking a break as well as with higher ergonomic risk score. The fully adjusted model working for longer than 2 h without taking a break had the strongest associations with neck complaints. Conclusion: It was confirmed, that neck MSDs were significantly associated with individual factors as well as conditions of work, therefore, preventive acions against neck complaints should be oriented at psychosocial and ergonomic work environment as well as at individual factors

Morbidity, life style and psychosocial situation in cancer survivors aged 60-69 years: results from The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (The HUNT-II Study)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Due to considerable health status differences in the elderly population, research limited to narrow age-spans might be an advantage. In this population-based controlled study we compare short-term (<5 years) (STS) and long-term (≥5 years) (LTS) cancer survivors and cancer-free controls aged 60-69 years from two Norwegian health registers; the Health Survey of North-Trøndelag County (HUNT-2 study) and the Cancer Registry of Norway (CRN). We examined possible factors associated with being cancer survivor.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Among 9,089 individuals aged 60-69 who participated in HUNT-2, 334 had been diagnosed with invasive primary cancer from 1 month to 42 years before HUNT-2 according to CRN and self-report. An overall random sample of controls without cancer five times larger than the sample of cases (N = 1,670) were drawn from the parent cohort.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The cancer sample comprised 128 STS and 206 LTS. For most variables no significant differences were observed between LTS and STS. LTS were significantly more women, and cases with gynaecological cancer, with physical impairment and more thyroid diseases compared to STS. When comparing all the survivors with controls, the survivors showed significantly higher rate of pensioning, decreased self-rated health, more physical impairment and thyroid diseases, daily use of medication and psychotropics and higher level of anxiety and Framingham Risk score. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that increasing age, being female, physical impairment and thyroid diseases all were significantly associated with being survivor versus controls.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>STS and LTS showed mostly similar situation. Compared to controls, the survivors reported somewhat poorer physical and mental health, but these differences were of doubtful clinical significance.</p