Psychometric Properties of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF): Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) is among the best with regard to its psychometric properties. Therefore, clinical psychologists are likely guided to use the IGDS9-SF if they want to assess or screen the disordered gaming in their practice. However, the information, especially psychometric evidence, concerning the IGDS9-SF has not been fully examined and summarized. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review evaluated the psychometric properties of different language versions of the IGDS9-SF and assessed its methodological quality in order to improve the clinicians' understanding of the IGDS9-SF and facilitate its use. METHODS: Systematic literature searches were carried out using Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science. The review included English-language studies of any research design that have reported at least one psychometric property of the IGDS9-SF, as defined by the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstrument (COSMIN), and have aimed at testing the psychometric properties of the IGDS9-SF. RESULTS: In total, 21 studies comprising 15 language versions of the IGDS9-SF were included. Overall, the IGDS9-SF showed adequate internal consistency (although some items did not have satisfactory item-total correlation [IT]), excellent criterion validity, and the ability to distinguish different subgroups with measurement invariance being supported across gender and age. In terms of factor structure, the IGDS9-SF was shown to have a unidimensional factor structure across all 21 studies. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is insufficient evidence regarding the responsiveness and properties of the IGDS9-SF using item response theory, the existing evidence supports its use in assessing disordered gaming among individuals.

Effectiveness and Reliability of Foot Orthoses on Impact Loading and Lower Limb Kinematics When Running at Preferred and Nonpreferred Speeds.

This study examined the effect of foot orthoses used on ground reaction forces, ankle, and knee kinematics when running at preferred and nonpreferred speeds. Sixteen runners ran on instrumented treadmills at various speeds (90%, 100%, and 110% of preferred speed) when wearing arch-support and flat-control orthoses. Two-way repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on the mean and coefficient of variation of all variables. Results indicated that arch-support orthoses experienced larger maximum loading rates than flat-control orthoses (P = .017, 95% CI, 2.22 to 19.53). Slower speed was related to smaller loading rates (preferred: P = .002, 95% CI, -17.02 to -4.20; faster: P = .003, 95% CI, -29.78 to -6.17), shorter stride length (preferred: P < .001, 95% CI, -0.204 to -0.090; faster: P < .001, 95% CI, -0.382 to -0.237), and longer contact time (preferred: P < .001, 95% CI, 0.006-0.021; faster: 95% CI, 0.012-0.042). In arch-support condition, preferred speed induced higher stride length coefficient of variation (P = .046, 95% CI, 0.035-1.117) than faster speed, while displaying no differences in flat-control condition. These findings suggest that the use of arch-support orthoses would influence impact loading, but not spatial-temporal and joint kinematics in recreational runners.

Multiple Kinases Can Phosphorylate the N-Terminal Sequences of Mitochondrial Proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Phosphorylation of the transit peptides of nuclear-encoded preprotein is a well-known regulatory process of protein import in plant chloroplasts. In the Arabidopsis Protein Phosphorylation Site Database, 103 out of 802 mitochondrial proteins were found to contain one or more experimentally proven phosphorylation sites in their first 60 amino acid residues. Analysis of the N-terminal sequences of selected mitochondrial preproteins and their homologs from 64 plant species showed high conservation among phosphorylation sites. The ability of kinases from various sources including leaf extract (LE), root extract (RE), wheat germ lysate (WGL), and STY kinases to phosphorylate N-terminal sequences of several respiratory chain proteins were examined by in vitro kinase assays. The three STY kinases were shown to phosphorylate the N-terminal sequences of some proteins we tested but exhibited different specificities. Interestingly, the N-terminal sequences of two mitochondrial ATP synthase beta subunit 1/3 (pF1ß-1/3) could be phosphorylated by LE and RE but not by STY kinases, suggesting that there are uncharacterized presequence-phosphorylating kinases other than STY kinases present in RE and LE. Mitochondrial import studies showed that the import of RRL-synthesized pF1ßs was impeded by the treatment of LE, and the addition of a short SSU transit peptide containing a phosphorylatable 14-3-3 binding site could enhance the import of LE-treated pF1ßs. Our results suggested that the transit peptide of pSSU can compete with the presequences of pF1ßs for an uncharacterized kinase(s) in leaf. Altogether, our data showed that phosphorylation of transit peptides/presequences are not uncommon for chloroplast-targeted and mitochondria-targeted proteins, albeit possibly differentially regulated.

Major trauma patients with spinal fractures have more complex injuries than non-major trauma patients.

This study examined spinal fractures in patients admitted to a Major Trauma Centre via two independent pathways, a major trauma (MT) pathway and a standard unscheduled non-major trauma (NMT) pathway. A total of 134 patients were admitted with a spinal fracture over a period of two years; 50% of patients were MT and the remainder NMT. MT patients were predominantly male, had a mean age of 48.8 years (13 to 95), commonly underwent surgery (62.7%), characteristically had fractures in the cervico-thoracic and thoracic regions and 50% had fractures of more than one vertebrae, which were radiologically unstable in 70%. By contrast, NMT patients showed an equal gender distribution, were older (mean 58.1 years; 12 to 94), required fewer operations (56.7%), characteristically had fractures in the lumbar region and had fewer multiple and unstable fractures. This level of complexity was reflected in the length of stay in hospital; MT patients receiving surgery were in hospital for a mean of three to four days longer than NMT patients. These results show that MT patients differ from their NMT counterparts and have an increasing complexity of spinal injury.

Low molecular weight non-peptide mimics of omega-conotoxin GVIA.

We report the synthesis and biological activity of a low molecular weight non-peptidic mimic of the analgesic peptide omega-conotoxin GVIA. The molecular weight of this compound presents a reduction by 193g/mol compared to a previously reported lead. This compound exhibits an EC(50) of 5.8microM and is accessible in only six synthetic steps compared to the original lead (13 steps). We also report several improvements to the original synthetic route.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of nonpeptide mimetics of omega-conotoxin GVIA.

A benzothiazole-derived compound (4a) designed to mimic the C(alpha)-C(beta) bond vectors and terminal functionalities of Lys2, Tyr13 and Arg17 in omega-conotoxin GVIA was synthesised, together with analogues (4b-d), which had each side-chain mimic systematically truncated or eliminated. The affinity of these compounds for rat brain N-type and P/Q-type voltage gated calcium channels (VGCCs) was determined. In terms of N-type channel affinity and selectivity, two of these compounds (4a and 4d) were found to be highly promising, first generation mimetics of omega-conotoxin. The fully functionalised mimetic (4a) showed low microM binding affinity to N-type VGCCs (IC(50)=1.9 microM) and greater than 20-fold selectivity for this channel sub-type over P/Q-type VGCCs, whereas the mimetic in which the guanidine-type side chain was truncated back to an amine (4d, IC(50)= 4.1 microM) showed a greater than 25-fold selectivity for the N-type channel.

Spontaneous uterine perforation of pyometra. A report of three cases.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous perforation of pyometra is a rare cause of generalized peritonitis; only 17 cases have been reported. CASES: Three cases of spontaneous perforation of pyometra occurred; two were associated with carcinoma of the cervix. All were treated with exploratory laparotomy and drainage. The first patient died of recurrent carcinoma of the cervix five months after laparotomy. The second patient died of septic shock shortly after the operation. The third patient made a good postoperative recovery. CONCLUSION: Pyometra is a serious medical condition, because of both its association with malignant disease and the danger of spontaneous perforation, which carries significant morbidity and mortality. Although rare, ruptured pyometra should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen in elderly women, especially those with malignant disorders of the genital tract. The treatment of pyometra rupture is immediate laparotomy, peritoneal lavage and drainage, or simple hysterectomy.

Outpatient diagnostic hysteroscopy: analysis of 429 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of outpatient hysteroscopy. METHODS: Outpatient CO2 hysteroscopy using video-camera for monitoring was performed on 429 patients from November 1995 to December 1996. The indications included post-menopausal bleeding (32.2%), menorrhagia (25.4%), irregular bleeding (24.7%), intermenstrual spotting (10.2%) and others (7.5%). RESULTS: Hysteroscopy was successfully performed on 420 (97.9%) patients. Although no anaesthetics were used, only two (0.47%) patients complained of severe pain during the procedure. Twenty-one (4.9%) patients had poor view due to submucosal fibroid or bloody view. There were no operative complications. Normal uterine cavity was found in 36.8% and atrophic endometrium in 34.7% of patients. The pathologies included submucosal fibroid (10.7%), endometrial polyp (5.8%) and fibroid polyp (2.8%). Five (1.2%) out of 429 patients were confirmed histologically to have endometrial carcinoma. No malignant lesions were missed. A total of 372 (86.7%) patients had histological confirmation of hysteroscopic findings. In 57 (13.2%) patients, the histological results did not correlate with the hysteroscopic findings. CONCLUSIONS: Outpatient hysteroscopy and suction curettage is a safe, cost-effective and acceptable procedure.

Conservative management of patients with histological incomplete excision of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia after large loop excision of transformation zone.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate conservative management of patients with histological incomplete excision of CIN after large loop excision of transformation zone (LLETZ). METHODS: Two hundred and seventeen patients with high grade CIN were treated with LLETZ from October 1, 1992 to December 31, 1994. Fifty-three patients (24.4%) had incomplete excision on histology. All patients were followed up cytologically every 3 to 6 months during the first 18 months and then yearly till December 1996. Those patients with positive endocervical margins were followed up with both cervical smear and endocervical smear. RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 30.4 months. Ten patients were found to have persistent or recurrent disease. Five patients had second LLETZ and complete excision was achieved in 4 of them, one patient had cone biopsy and two had hysterectomy. One patient was found to have stage I a cervical cancer. CONCLUSION: A report of incomplete excision of CIN after LLETZ calls for follow-up with cytology and colposcopy and not aggressive retreatment.

Laser radar cross-section estimation from high-resolution image data.

A methodology for the estimation of ladar cross sections from high-resolution image data of geometrically complex targets is presented. Coherent CO(2) laser radar was used to generate high-resolution amplitude imagery of a UC-8 Buffalo test aircraft at a range of 1.3 km at nine different aspect angles. The average target ladar cross section was synthesized from these data and calculated to be sigma(T) = 15.4 dBsm, which is similar to the expected microwave radar cross sections. The aspect angle dependence of the cross section shows pronounced peaks at nose on and broadside, which are also in agreement with radar results. Strong variations in both the mean amplitude and the statistical distributions of amplitude with the aspect angle have also been observed. The relative mix of diffuse and specular returns causes significant deviations from a simple Lambertian or Swerling II target, especially at broadside where large normal surfaces are present.