Understanding the relationship between apathy, cognition and functional outcome in schizophrenia: The significance of an ecological assessment

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in understanding the role apathy plays in mediating the relationship between cognitive impairment and functional outcome. In general, most studies measure cognition with traditional cognitive tests that give explicit instructions and guide the participants toward generating a response. However, given that apathy is defined by a decrease in self-initiated behavior, it is crucial to evaluate cognition with ecological tasks that do not explicitly direct the patient´s motivation to generate behaviors to assess the actual effect. This study investigated whether an ecological cognitive assessment (the Jansari Executive Function Assessment, JEF©) would uniquely contribute to the relationship between cognition, apathy, and functional outcome in schizophrenia. The Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), neuropsychological tests and the JEF© were administered to 20 patients with schizophrenia. Hierarchical multiple regression and mediation analysis were performed to test the associations between the variables of interest. Results showed that JEF© explained a significant portion of the variance in AES (25%). In addition, apathy explained 36% of the variance in functional outcome. However, AES did not mediate between cognition and functional outcome. Our results highlight the importance of assessing cognition with tasks that require integration of cognitive functions needed for real life demands

Prevalence, symptoms and management of uterine fibroids: an international internet-based survey of 21,746 women

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In 2009 the Uterine Bleeding and Pain Women's Research Study (UBP-WRS) was conducted interviewing 21,479 women across 8 countries in order to gain patient-based prevalence data on uterine pain and bleeding indications and investigate uterine symptoms and women's treatment experiences. This article shows relevant results of the study for the indication uterine fibroids providing data on self-reported prevalence, symptomatology and management of uterine fibroids.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>2,500 women (USA: 4,500 women) in each country (Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, the UK, the USA) completed an online survey. Women included were in their reproductive age (age group 15-49 years; USA: 18-49 years) and had ever experienced menstrual bleedings. Quotas were applied for age, region, level of education and household income of respondents. Variables have been analyzed descriptively and exploratory statistical tests have been performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The self-reported prevalence of uterine fibroids ranged from 4.5% (UK) to 9.8% (Italy), reaching 9.4% (UK) to 17.8% (Italy) in the age group of 40-49 years. Women with a diagnosis of uterine fibroids reported significantly more often about bleeding symptoms than women without a diagnosis: heavy bleedings (59.8% vs. 37.4%), prolonged bleedings (37.3% vs. 15.6%), bleeding between periods (33.3% vs. 13.5%), frequent periods (28.4% vs. 15.2%), irregular and predictable periods (36.3% vs. 23.9%). Furthermore women with diagnosed uterine fibroids reported significantly more often about the following pain symptoms: pressure on the bladder (32.6% vs. 15.0%), chronic pelvic pain (14.5% vs. 2.9%), painful sexual intercourse (23.5% vs. 9.1%) and pain occurring mid-cycle, after and during menstrual bleeding (31.3%, 16.7%, 59.7%, vs. 17.1%, 6.4%, 52.0%). 53.7% of women reported that their symptoms had a negative impact on their life in the last 12 month, influencing their sexual life (42.9%), performance at work (27.7%) and relationship & family (27.2%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Uterine fibroid is a common concern in women at fertile age causing multiple bleeding and pain symptoms which can have a negative impact on different aspects in women's life.</p

Family matters : intersections of family & gender in criminal court

In recent years, criminologists have increasingly paid attention to the role of family ties in criminal sentencing in the U.S. Scholars have primarily focused on the disproportionate judicial leniency granted to female defendants based on family circumstances, hence aiding the production of a “gender gap” in criminal sentencing. Despite greater scholarly emphasis on the treatment of family ties in criminal court, the family continues to be solely used to explain gender differences, and is rarely viewed as its own distinct, unique source of bias in criminal court. Through qualitative interviews with court officials and observations of sentencing and bail hearings, my research demonstrates that judges and defense attorneys evaluate criminal defendants through the lens of a heteronormative, normalized and institutionalized family ideal – an ideal that, in turn, shapes gendered expectations, roles and norms for criminal defendants. My research explores important intersections of gender and the family that have been neglected, such as the role of the family of orientation, the gendered division of labor in the family, and familybased perceptions of moral character. This research thus places explanations for the “gender gap” in criminal court in the context of the family and offers a new perspective on the relationship between gender and family in shaping judicial decision-making

Calbindin D28k-Immunoreactivity in Human Enteric Neurons

Calbindin (CALB) is well established as immunohistochemical marker for intrinsic primary afferent neurons in the guinea pig gut. Its expression by numerous human enteric neurons has been demonstrated but little is known about particular types of neurons immunoreactive for CALB. Here we investigated small and large intestinal wholemount sets of 26 tumor patients in order to evaluate (1) the proportion of CALB+ neurons in the total neuron population, (2) the colocalization of CALB with calretinin (CALR), somatostatin (SOM) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and (3) the morphology of CALB+ neurons. CALB+ neurons represented a minority of myenteric neurons (small intestine: 31%; large intestine: 25%) and the majority of submucosal neurons (between 72 and 95%). In the submucosa, most CALB+ neurons co-stained for CALR and VIP (between 69 and 80%) or for SOM (between 20 and 3%). In the myenteric plexus, 85% of CALB+ neurons did not co-stain with the other markers investigated. An unequivocal correlation between CALB reactivity and neuronal morphology was found for myenteric type III neurons in the small intestine: uniaxonal neurons with long, slender and branched dendrites were generally positive for CALB. Since also other neurons displayed occasional CALB reactivity, this protein is not suited as an exclusive marker for type III neurons

Academics’ societal engagement in Switzerland and Austria : a replication study attempt

Theoretical Framework/Definition of Concepts: Our study focuses on differences in academics’ societal engagement (ASE) in Switzerland and Austria, where we examine public universities and universities of applied sciences (UAS). We draw on a published analysis based on APIKS data, the paper “Academics’ Societal Engagement in Diverse European Binary Higher Education Systems: A Cross-Country Comparative Analysis” (Götze, Carvalho & Aarrevaara, 2021) and attempt to replicate the analysis with data from Austria and Switzerland. In our study, we have three main research interests: (1) We want to test whether it is possible to replicate the analysis model of Germany, Finland, and Portugal. (2) We want to discuss how our results differ from the original study (Götze et al. 2021) regarding a) the main effect of the type of higher education institution on ASE (hypothesis block 1), b) the correlation between publication productivity and ASE (hypothesis block 2), and c) the correlation between research time and ASE (hypothesis block 3), and try to find explanations in terms of the quality of the datasets and country characteristics. (3) We further develop the model of the original study by including additional dimensions that we consider important for our country contexts, such as the expectations of the higher education institutions to be active in ASE, and previous full-time or part-time employment outside academia. Methodology: We use the APIKS data from Switzerland, collected in 2018/19 and Austria, collected in 2021. The Swiss dataset consists of 1411 completed surveys. In the analysis, we included participants from universities (N = 708) and from UAS (N = 548). Respondents from universities of teacher education were excluded, so that the dataset used for the replication study consists of 1256 respondents (UAS: 44% female and 18% senior academics; university: 45% female and 20% senior academics). The Austrian dataset consists of 5261 completed surveys (N = 3677 participants from universities and N = 1584 from UAS). At the Austrian universities, 57% were male and 20% were senior academics; at UAS, 51% were male and 17% were senior academics. Data Analysis and Conclusions: We aim to replicate the analysis of Götze et al. (2021), which was based on structural equation modeling with a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) and with weighted least square mean and variance adjusted (WLSMV) estimators. The dependent variables consist of three latent variables from 17 measured ASE-activities. In line with the original study, we use the concepts of research-related (techno-commercial) ASE, dissemination ASE, and teaching related (training-related) ASE. Independent variables are the type of university, gender, age, academic rank, discipline, publication productivity, authorship, and research time. In a second step, we include additional variables in the model, namely the expectations of the HEI to be active in ASE and previous full-time or part-time employment outside academia. In our presentation, we would like to discuss the methodological challenges and possible explanations for our findings

Target Profile Prediction and Practical Evaluation of a Biginelli-Type Dihydropyrimidine Compound Library

We present a self-organizing map (SOM) approach to predicting macromolecular targets for combinatorial compound libraries. The aim was to study the usefulness of the SOM in combination with a topological pharmacophore representation (CATS) for selecting biologically active compounds from a virtual combinatorial compound collection, taking the multi-component Biginelli dihydropyrimidine reaction as an example. We synthesized a candidate compound from this library, for which the SOM model suggested inhibitory activity against cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) and other kinases. The prediction was confirmed in an in vitro panel assay comprising 48 human kinases. We conclude that the computational technique may be used for ligand-based in silico pharmacology studies, off-target prediction, and drug re-purposing, thereby complementing receptor-based approaches

Loss of enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) at tumor invasion front is correlated with higher aggressiveness in colorectal cancer cells.

PURPOSE Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is associated with epigenetic gene silencing and aggressiveness in many tumor types. However, the prognostic impact of high EZH2 expression is controversially discussed for colorectal cancer. For this reason, we immunohistochemically analyzed EZH2 expression in 105 specimens from colon cancer patients separately for tumor center and invasion front. METHODS All sections from tissue microarrays were evaluated manually and digitally using Definiens Tissue Studio software (TSS). To mirror-image the EZH2 status at the tumor invasion front, we treated HCT116 colon cancer cells with the EZH2 inhibitor 3-Deazaneplanocin A (DZNep) and studied the growth of in ovo xenografts in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. RESULTS We showed a significant decrease in EZH2 expression and the repressive H3K27me3 code at the tumor invasion front as supported by the TSS-constructed heatmaps. Loss of EZH2 at tumor invasion front, but not in tumor center was correlated with unfavorable prognosis and more advanced tumor stages. The observed cell cycle arrest in vitro and in vivo was associated with higher tumor aggressiveness. Xenografts formed by DZNep-treated HCT116 cells showed loosely packed tumor masses, infiltrative growth into the CAM, and high vessel density. CONCLUSION The differences in EZH2 expression between tumor center and invasion front as well as different scoring and cutoff values can most likely explain controversial literature data concerning the prognostic value of EZH2. Epigenetic therapies using EZH2 inhibitors have to be carefully evaluated for each specific tumor type, since alterations in cell differentiation might lead to unfavorable results

Bausteine für die Zukunft Berlins

In Berlin führt kein Weg daran vorbei, die rigorose Konsolidierungspolitik fortzusetzen. Der strikte Sparkurs muss eingehalten werden, obwohl er die regionale Nachfrageentwicklung erheblich dämpft. In für die Zukunft entscheidenden Bereichen wie Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur darf jedoch nicht weiter gekürzt werden. Von ihnen gehen für die Stadt unverzichtbare Nachfrage- und Wachstumsimpulse aus. Die Mittel müssen allerdings innovativer und effizienter als bislang eingesetzt werden. Ein Beispiel für innovative Finanzierung ist die Einrichtung von Stiftungsuniversitäten. Wirtschaftlich hinkt Berlin anderen Metropolen weit hinterher. Das Bruttoinlandsprodukt je Einwohner ist höchstens halb so groß wie in München, London oder Brüssel. Allerdings ist die Talsohle beim Niedergang der Berliner Industrie erreicht. Die Produktion hat 2001 erstmals seit Jahren wieder zugenommen und ist mit 1% fast im Bundesdurchschnitt gewachsen. Nachdem seit 1995 ein Viertel aller Arbeitsplätze in der Industrie abgebaut wurde, ist der Beschäftigungsrückgang im vergangenen Jahr zum Stillstand gekommen. Auch bei überregional absetzbaren Dienstleistungen - wichtigstes Standbein einer Metropole - konnte Berlin in einigen Bereichen zulegen. Berlins Stärken liegen im Schnittpunkt von haushalts- und unternehmensbezogenen Dienstleistungen, z. B. bei der Vernetzung von Werbung, Medien und Kultur oder der Verbindung von Messen, Kongressen, Hotels, Sport und Kultur. Selbst wenn der Sparkurs konsequent fortgesetzt wird, dürfte das Berliner Haushaltsdefizit im Jahre 2005 2,6 Mrd. Euro betragen, das wären 12 % des Haushaltsvolumens. Mit 16 000 Euro je Einwohner wird Berlin dann von allen Bundesländern am höchsten verschuldet sein. Dramatisch steigen die Zinsaufwendungen; ohne sie würden die Ausgaben um 5% zurückgehen. Auch wenn Berlin Hilfe zur Entschuldung vom Bund gewährt wird, wofür das DIW Berlin mit Nachdruck plädiert, wird die Stadt ihr Angebot an öffentlichen Gütern über viele Jahre einschränken müssen. Dies bedeutet auch, dass 10 % der jetzigen Stellen in der öffentlichen Verwaltung abgebaut werden müssen. Die Förderung des Wohnungsbaus sollte nicht fortgeführt werden. Bei der Arbeitsmarktpolitik sollte sich die Berliner Politik nicht an Arbeitsbeschaffungsmaßnahmen, ,,bezirklichen Beschäftigungsinitiativen" und einem ,,Dritten Arbeitsmarkt" orientieren. All diese Maßnahmen werden den Berliner Arbeitsmarkt nicht nachhaltig entlasten. Statt dessen plädiert das DIW Berlin für Lohnkostenzuschüsse oder eine Subventionierung der Sozialversicherungsbeiträge. Bereits laufende Initiativen, Sozialhilfeempfänger mit Wiedereingliederungshilfen in Arbeit zu bringen, werden befürwortet. Die besten dieser Modelle sollten in Berlin ausgebaut und flächendeckend angewendet werden. Bei der Wirtschaftsförderung wird das Land Berlin seine Mittel wohl zurückfahren müssen. Es kostet jedoch nichts, wenn die Stadt die Regulierungen auf das Notwendige beschränkt und somit ein investitionsfreundlicheres Klima in Berlin schafft, um das es nach DIW-Umfragen nicht gut bestellt ist. Umständliche und langwierige Verfahrensabläufe werden ebenso beklagt wie der Umstand, dass zu viele staatliche Stellen an den Entscheidungsprozessen beteiligt sind. Dringend notwendig ist deshalb eine mit Kompetenzen ausgestattete zentrale Leitstelle für Unternehmen mit Weisungsrecht gegenüber anderen Behörden. Mit einer nachfragegerechteren Kinderbetreuung würde Berlin seine Attraktivität für junge hochqualifizierte Menschen steigern. Das DIW Berlin betont die Notwendigkeit eines Großflughafens für die Region Berlin-Brandenburg, hält aber ein Neuaufrollen des Verfahrens für notwendig. Das Projekt muss neu ausgeschrieben oder in öffentliche Trägerschaft übernommen werden.

Defined morphological criteria allow reliable diagnosis of colorectal serrated polyps and predict polyp genetics.

Criteria for the diagnosis of serrated colorectal lesions (hyperplastic polyp, sessile serrated adenoma without or with dysplasia--which we called mixed polyp--and traditional serrated adenoma) for which consensus has been reached should be validated for applicability in daily practice in terms of inter-observer reproducibility and their association with clinical features and (epi)genetic events. A study set was created from a consecutive series of colorectal polyps (n = 1,926) by selecting all sessile serrated adenomas, traditional serrated adenomas and mixed polyps. We added consecutive series of hyperplastic polyps, classical adenomas and normal mucosa samples for a total of 200 specimens. With this series, we conducted an inter-observer study, encompassing ten pathologists with gastrointestinal pathology experience from five European countries, in three rounds in which all cases were microscopically evaluated. An assessment of single morphological criteria was included, and these were correlated with clinical parameters and the mutation status of KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA and the methylation status of MLH1. Gender, age and localisation were significantly associated with certain types of lesions. Kappa statistics revealed moderate to good inter-observer agreement for polyp classification (κ = 0.56 to 0.63), but for single criteria, this varied considerably (κ = 0.06 to 0.82). BRAF mutations were frequently found in hyperplastic polyps (86 %, 62/72) and sessile serrated adenomas (80 %, 41/51). KRAS mutations occurred more frequently in traditional serrated adenomas (78 %, 7/9) and less so in classical adenomas (20 %, 10/51). Single morphological criteria for sessile serrated adenomas showed significant correlation with BRAF mutation (all p ≤ 0.001), and those for classical adenomas or traditional serrated adenoma correlated significantly with KRAS mutation (all p < 0.001). Therefore, single well-defined morphological criteria are predictive for genetic alterations in colorectal polyps