Organometallic indolo[3,2-c]quinolines versus indolo[3,2-d]benzazepines: synthesis, structural and spectroscopic characterization, and biological efficacy

The synthesis of ruthenium(II) and osmium(II) arene complexes with the closely related indolo[3,2-c]quinolines N-(11H-indolo[3,2-c]quinolin-6-yl)-ethane-1,2-diamine (L1) and N′-(11H-indolo[3,2-c]quinolin-6-yl)-N,N-dimethylethane-1,2-diamine (L2) and indolo[3,2-d]benzazepines N-(7,12-dihydroindolo-[3,2-d][1]benzazepin-6-yl)-ethane-1,2-diamine (L3) and N′-(7,12-dihydroindolo-[3,2-d][1]benzazepin-6-yl)-N,N-dimethylethane-1,2-diamine (L4) of the general formulas [(η6-p-cymene)MII(L1)Cl]Cl, where M is Ru (4) and Os (6), [(η6-p-cymene)MII(L2)Cl]Cl, where M is Ru (5) and Os (7), [(η6-p-cymene)MII(L3)Cl]Cl, where M is Ru (8) and Os (10), and [(η6-p-cymene)MII(L4)Cl]Cl, where M is Ru (9) and Os (11), is reported. The compounds have been comprehensively characterized by elemental analysis, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, spectroscopy (IR, UV–vis, and NMR), and X-ray crystallography (L1·HCl, 4·H2O, 5, and 9·2.5H2O). Structure–activity relationships with regard to cytotoxicity and cell cycle effects in human cancer cells as well as cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibition and DNA intercalation in cell-free settings have been established. The metal-free indolo[3,2-c]quinolines inhibit cancer cell growth in vitro, with IC50 values in the high nanomolar range, whereas those of the related indolo[3,2-d]benzazepines are in the low micromolar range. In cell-free experiments, these classes of compounds inhibit the activity of cdk2/cyclin E, but the much higher cytotoxicity and stronger cell cycle effects of indoloquinolines L1 and 7 are not paralleled by a substantially higher kinase inhibition compared with indolobenzazepines L4 and 11, arguing for additional targets and molecular effects, such as intercalation into DNA

Evaluating the Psychometric Quality of Social Skills Measures: A Systematic Review

Introduction - Impairments in social functioning are associated with an array of adverse outcomes. Social skills measures are commonly used by health professionals to assess and plan the treatment of social skills difficulties. There is a need to comprehensively evaluate the quality of psychometric properties reported across these measures to guide assessment and treatment planning. Objective - To conduct a systematic review of the literature on the psychometric properties of social skills and behaviours measures for both children and adults. Methods - A systematic search was performed using four electronic databases: CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase and Pubmed; the Health and Psychosocial Instruments database; and grey literature using PsycExtra and Google Scholar. The psychometric properties of the social skills measures were evaluated against the COSMIN taxonomy of measurement properties using pre-set psychometric criteria. Results - Thirty-Six studies and nine manuals were included to assess the psychometric properties of thirteen social skills measures that met the inclusion criteria. Most measures obtained excellent overall methodological quality scores for internal consistency and reliability. However, eight measures did not report measurement error, nine measures did not report cross-cultural validity and eleven measures did not report criterion validity. Conclusions - The overall quality of the psychometric properties of most measures was satisfactory. The SSBS-2, HCSBS and PKBS-2 were the three measures with the most robust evidence of sound psychometric quality in at least seven of the eight psychometric properties that were appraised. A universal working definition of social functioning as an overarching construct is recommended. There is a need for ongoing research in the area of the psychometric properties of social skills and behaviours instruments

An investigation of interventions associated with improved cattle and buffalo reproductive performance and farmer knowledge on smallholder farms in Lao PDR

Context. Smallholder beef farming in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) is constrained by poor reproductive performance, contributing to regional food insecurity. To address this, interventions were promoted in some rural communities by extension services to enhance cattle and buffalo nutrition, health, and reproductive husbandry. Aims. This study assessed the impacts of these interventions on cattle and buffalo reproductive performance. Methods. Knowledge, attitude and practice surveys were conducted on smallholder beef farmers in 2015 (n = 637) and 2018 (n = 226). With written records lacking on these farms, the survey relied on farmer recall of the number of calves born in the previous 12 months and the number of female cows (>12 months of age) present. The rate of these, calves/female cows, was used as an indicator of reproductive performance.12 months of age) present. The rate of these, calves/female cows, was used as an indicator of reproductive performance. Key results. This proportion was higher in 2018 at a predicted mean 0.27 calves/cow compared with 2015 at 0.21 calves/cow (P Conclusion. As reproductive knowledge interventions were not associated with reproductive performance, introducing interventions such as castration and weaning to consolidate reproductive knowledge is recommended as well as addressing challenges that limit forage adoption; and debunking misconceptions on effectiveness of biosecurity. Implications. The use of evidence-based research helps inform the selection of interventions required to best enhance reproductive efficiency, potentially leading to improved reproductive performance of smallholder large ruminant systems in Laos and beyond

Measuring Anhedonia in Adolescents: A Psychometric Analysis

Anhedonia—the reduced capacity to experience pleasure—is a trait implicated in mental and physical health. Yet, psychometric data on anhedonia measures in adolescents are absent. We conducted an in-depth psychometric analysis of the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS; Snaith et al., 1995)—a self-report measure of anticipated pleasure response to 14 pleasant experiences—in adolescents. Adolescents (N=585; M age=14.5) completed the SHAPS and other paper-and-pencil surveys. Item response theory models were used to evaluate the psychometric performance of each SHAPS item. Correlations of the SHAPS with other personality and psychopathology measures were calculated to evaluate construct validity. Results showed that: (1) certain items (e.g., reported pleasure from basic experiences like “seeing smiling faces” or “smelling flowers”) provided more information about latent anhedonia than others; and (2) SHAPS scales exhibited construct-consistent convergent and discriminant validity (i.e., stronger correlations with low positive affect constructs; weaker correlations with negative affect). Reporting diminished pleasure from basic pleasant experiences accurately indicates adolescent anhedonia, which is important for future scale development and understanding the phenomenology of anhedonia in teens. These data support using the SHAPS for assessing anhedonia in epidemiological research and school-based universal prevention programming in general adolescent populations