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Performance validity (PVT) and symptom validity tests (SVT) have become standard practice in assessing credibility of neuropsychological profiles and symptom report. While PVTs assess cognitive task engagement, SVTs assess credibility of patient symptom report. Although prior research aimed to conceptualize the relationship between the two validity measure types, it generally focused on SVTs from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2 &RF) and the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptoms (SIMS; Ord et al., 2021, MMPI-2; Van Dyke et al., 2013). Further studies have demonstrated mixed results, with many studies concluding that symptom and performance validity are separate but related constructs. The current study aimed to assess the relationship between PVTs and SVTs utilizing symptom validity measures from the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) across three samples, including neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and traumatic brain injury groups.
Participants and Methods:
Participants included 634 individuals consecutively referred for neuropsychological assessment who completed the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) and the PAI (mean Age = 41.7, SD = 15.7; mean Education = 13.7, SD = 2.7; 53% female; 89% Caucasian). Participants were divided into three groups based on referral, including neurodevelopmental (mean Age = SD = 10.7; mean Education = 13.4, SD = 2.5; 39% female; 79% Caucasian), psychiatric (mean Age = 44.7, SD = 15.0; mean Education = 13.8, SD = 2.8; 58% female; 90% Caucasian), and traumatic brain injury samples (mean Age = SD = 15.5; mean Education = 13.3, SD = 2.3; 50% female; 91% Caucasian). Four structural equation models (latent variable models) were constructed. The first model was fit across the entire sample while the remaining three were fit for the aforementioned subsamples. TOMM trials modeled the performance validity latent variable while SVTs from the PAI modeled the symptom validity latent variable (Positive Impression Management and Defensiveness Index modeled underreporting; Negative Impression Management, Malingering Index, and Cognitive Bias Scale modeled overreporting).
Results:
In the full sample model overreporting significantly predicted performance validity (p < 0.001, r = -0.31), indicating higher symptom overreporting related to poorer performance validity while symptom underreporting did not significantly predict performance validity (p = 0.09, r = 0.08). In the neurodevelopmental model overreporting did not significantly predict performance validity (p = 0.44, r = 0.10). Further, symptom underreporting did not significantly predict performance validity (p = 0.40, r = 0.10). Similarly, for the TBI model, overreporting did not significantly predict performance validity (p = 0.82, r = -0.02) and symptom underreporting did not significantly predict performance validity (p = 0.50, r = -0.08). For the psychiatric sample symptom underreporting did not significantly predict performance validity (p = 0.06, r = 0.11); however, symptom overreporting significantly predicted performance validity (p < 0.001, r = - 0.39).
Conclusions:
The current study expands on prior research comparing the relationship between SVTs and PVTs in neuropsychological evaluation utilizing SVTs from the PAI. Results of the present study suggest the relationship between the SVTs and PVTs varies by referral type and further supports using both PVTs and SVTs in neuropsychological assessment.
The double-mean-reverting model, introduced by Gatheral [(2008). Consistent modeling of SPX and VIX options. In The Fifth World Congress of the Bachelier Finance Society London, July 18], is known to be a successful three-factor model that can be calibrated to both CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) and S&P 500 Index (SPX) options. However, the calibration of this model may be slow because there is no closed-form solution formula for European options. In this paper, we use a rescaled version of the model developed by Huh et al. [(2018). A scaled version of the double-mean-reverting model for VIX derivatives. Mathematics and Financial Economics 12: 495–515] and obtain explicitly a closed-form pricing formula for European option prices. Our formulas for the first and second-order approximations do not require any complicated calculation of integral. We demonstrate that a faster calibration result of the double-mean revering model is available and yet the practical implied volatility surface of SPX options can be produced. In particular, not only the usual convex behavior of the implied volatility surface but also the unusual concave down behavior as shown in the COVID-19 market can be captured by our formula.
The explosive outbreak of COVID-19 led to a shortage of medical resources, including isolation rooms in hospitals, healthcare workers (HCWs) and personal protective equipment. Here, we constructed a new model, non-contact community treatment centres to monitor and quarantine asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients who recorded their own vital signs using a smartphone application. This new model in Korea is useful to overcome shortages of medical resources and to minimise the risk of infection transmission to HCWs.
Differential diagnosis of an intracardiac mass is difficult when detected only by echocardiography before a biopsy is completed. However, treatment cannot be postponed until the biopsy results are obtained. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl who presented with an intracardiac mass in the mitral valve mimicking infective endocarditis and severe mitral regurgitation. The mass was finally diagnosed as valvulitis associated with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, which was complicated with macrophage activation syndrome. After careful exclusion of acute infectious disease, we started steroid pulse therapy and administered tocilizumab to treat the cytokine storm before performing the surgery. Finally, we performed mass excision and mitral valve replacement after immunosuppressant therapy.
A 4-year-old boy presented with intractable atrial tachycardia and heart failure. Antiarrhythmic drugs, such as digoxin, beta-blockers, and amiodarone were ineffective. Although we attempted multiple radiofrequency catheter ablations, the atrial tachycardia arising from left atrial appendage frequently recurred. Finally, we decided to perform atrial appendectomy using the thoracoscopic approach. Immediately after the appendectomy, the atrial tachycardia was terminated and restored to sinus rhythm. Left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 33 to 60% within 1 week. He had no arrhythmia during the subsequent 9-month follow-up period. Minimally invasive thoracoscopic surgery can be applied even in a small child who has focal atrial tachycardia originating from an atrial appendage.
Little is known about longitudinal changes of the first twin presentation in twin gestations. This is a retrospective cohort study including 411 women who were admitted consecutively and delivered live-born twins at 36 weeks of gestation or more. Longitudinal assessment of the first twin presentation was conducted during gestation and at birth in all cases. Gestational age at antenatal assessment was divided into two intervals: early-third trimester (28–31 weeks) and mid-third trimester (32–35 weeks). Fetal presentation was categorized as vertex or non-vertex. We analyzed change of fetal presentation between antepartum intervals and birth. First twin presentation at early-third trimester had the same presentation at birth in 87.6% (360/411) of the study population. In this ‘no change’ group, vertex presentation was seen in 95.6% (283/296) and non-vertex was seen in 67.0% (77/115) of cases. In total, 96.1% (395/411) of the study population maintained their presentation between mid-third trimester and birth. Vertex presentation was seen in 98.4% (310/315) and non-vertex was seen in 88.5% (85/96) of cases. When comparing vertex with non-vertex, vertex presentation during third trimester was a more reliable predictor of presentation at birth (p < .001). The only factor that contributed significantly to spontaneous version of the first twin during mid-third trimester and birth was a lower birth weight of the first twin compared with the second twin. In conclusion, first twin presentation with vertex during third trimester is not likely to change into non-vertex at birth. We concluded that vertex presentation in twin gestations at early- and mid-third trimester is very predictable. In contrast, a non-vertex first twin presentation is relatively unstable.
Adequate facepiece fit of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) is crucial for optimal protection against airborne pathogens. The quantitative fit test (QNFT) pass rates of the 4 N95 FFR models commonly used in Korea were below 50%. Male sex was identified as a single independent predictive factor for QNFT pass.
Spirituality is what gives people meaning and purpose in life, and it has been recognized as a critical factor in patients’ well-being, particularly at the ends of their lives. Studies have demonstrated relationships between spirituality and patient-reported outcomes such as quality of life and mental health. Although a number of studies have suggested that spiritual belief can be associated with mortality, the results are inconsistent. We aimed to determine whether spirituality was related to survival in advanced cancer inpatients in Korea.
Method
For this multicenter study, we recruited adult advanced cancer inpatients who had been admitted to seven palliative care units with estimated survival of <3 months. We measured spirituality at admission using the Korean version of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-sp), which comprises two subscales: meaning/peace and faith. We calculated a Kaplan-Meier curve for spirituality, dichotomized at the predefined cutoffs and medians for the total scale and each of the two subscales, and performed univariate regression with a Cox proportional hazard model.
Result
We enrolled a total of 204 adults (mean age: 64.5 ± 13.0; 48.5% female) in the study. The most common primary cancer diagnoses were lung (21.6%), colorectal (18.6%), and liver/biliary tract (13.0%). Median survival was 19.5 days (95% confidence interval [CI95%]: 23.5, 30.6). Total FACIT-sp score was not related to survival time (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.981, CI95% = 0.957, 1.007), and neither were the scores for its two subscales, meaning/peace (HR = 0.969, CI95% = 0.932, 1.008) and faith (HR = 0.981, CI95% = 0.938, 1.026).
Significance of results
Spirituality was not related to survival in advanced cancer inpatients in Korea. Plausible mechanisms merit further investigation.
An accessory navicular bone (AN) is the most common accessory ossicle in the foot. The presence of an AN bone can trigger various foot problems, such as posterior tibial tendon pathology, flattening of the medial longitudinal arch, and medial foot pain. Despite the clinical influence of presence of an AN in foot disease, the research regarding its inheritance is still insufficient. A total of 135 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) twins, 25 pairs of dizygotic (DZ) twins, and 676 singletons from families were enrolled in order to estimate genetic influences on AN. After confirmation of zygosity and family relationship with a tandem repeat marker kit and questionnaires, the presence and type of the AN was classified through bilateral feet radiographic examination. The heritability of an AN was estimated using quantitative genetic analysis based on a variance decomposition model considering various types of family relationships: father–offspring pair, mother–offspring pair, and pooled DZ twin and sibling pairs. As a result, approximately 40.96% of the participants in this study had an AN in either foot, with type II being the most common type. The heritability for the presence of any type of an AN in any foot was estimated as 0.88 (95% CI [0.82, 0.94]) after adjusting for age and sex. Specifically, type II AN showed the highest heritability of 0.82 (95% CI [0.71–0.93]). The high heritability of an AN found in this large twin and family study suggests that an AN is determined by the substantial influence of genetic factor.
Personality may predispose family caregivers to experience caregiving differently in similar situations and influence the outcomes of caregiving. A limited body of research has examined the role of some personality traits for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among family caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) in relation to burden and depression.
Methods:
Data from a large clinic-based national study in South Korea, the Caregivers of Alzheimer's Disease Research (CARE), were analyzed (N = 476). Path analysis was performed to explore the association between family caregivers’ personality traits and HRQoL. With depression and burden as mediating factors, direct and indirect associations between five personality traits and HRQoL of family caregivers were examined.
Results:
Results demonstrated the mediating role of caregiver burden and depression in linking two personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion) and HRQoL. Neuroticism and extraversion directly and indirectly influenced the mental HRQoL of caregivers. Neuroticism and extraversion only indirectly influenced their physical HRQoL. Neuroticism increased the caregiver's depression, whereas extraversion decreased it. Neuroticism only was mediated by burden to influence depression and mental and physical HRQoL.
Conclusions:
Personality traits can influence caregiving outcomes and be viewed as an individual resource of the caregiver. A family caregiver's personality characteristics need to be assessed for tailoring support programs to get the optimal benefits from caregiver interventions.
In this study, the ternary Ge–Sb–Se chalcogenide glass was fabricated by a standard melt-quenching technique for flexible infrared lenses. Chalcogenide glass should have unique thermal and mechanical properties to be applied to precision glass molding (PGM) process. Therefore, the relations between thermal properties and the moldability were investigated for (35–20)Ge–(5–20)Sb–60Se glass systems. The thermal and thermos-mechanical properties were characterized by the differential scanning calorimeter and thermos-mechanical analysis, respectively. Preceding experiments using a pressing tester were conducted before PGM process to evaluate the moldability. The surface condition of both chalcogenide glass disks and Tungsten Carbide (WC) molds were characterized by using an optical microscopy and an interferometer. The preferential compositions in (35–20)Ge–(5–20)Sb–60Se glass systems were selected to produce molded lenses. Finally, the molded chalcogenide lens was successfully fabricated using the preferential compositions and the processing conditions from the preceding experiments using a pressing tester.
This study evaluated the impacts of earlier traumatic events on the mental health of older adults, in terms of mental disorders and mental well-being, according to sociodemographic variables, trauma-related characteristics, and personality traits in a nationally representative sample of older Koreans.
Methods:
A total of 1,621 subjects aged 60 to 74 years from a Korean national epidemiological survey of mental disorders responded face-to-face interviews. The Korean Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to investigate lifetime trauma exposure (LTE) and psychiatric diagnoses. The EuroQol health classification system and life satisfaction scale were used to assess quality of life (QoL), and the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10) to measure personality traits.
Results:
Five-hundred and seventy-seven subjects (35.6%) reported a history of LTE (mean age at trauma, 30.8 years old). Current mental disorders were more prevalent in elderly people with LTE, while better current QoL was more frequent in those without LTE. Among older people with LTE, lower extraversion and higher neuroticism increased the risk of current mood or anxiety disorders, whereas higher extraversion increased the probability of experiencing mental well-being after adjusting for sociodemographic and trauma-related variables.
Conclusion:
Personality traits, especially extraversion, and neuroticism, may be useful for predicting the mental health outcomes of LTE in older adults. Further longitudinal studies investigating the relationship between traumatic events and mental health outcomes are needed.
Cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMH) are prevalent incident findings on brain MRI scans among elderly people and have been consistently implicated in cognitive dysfunction. However, differential roles of WMH by region in cognitive function are still unclear. The aim of this study was to ascertain the differential role of regional WMH in predicting progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to different subtypes of dementia.
Methods:
Participants were recruited from the Clinical Research Center for Dementia of South Korea (CREDOS) study. A total of 622 participants with MCI diagnoses at baseline and follow-up evaluations were included for the analysis. Initial MRI scans were rated for WMH on a visual rating scale developed for the CREDOS. Differential effects of regional WMH in predicting incident dementia were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model.
Results:
Of the 622 participants with MCI at baseline, 139 patients (22.3%) converted to all-cause dementia over a median of 14.3 (range 6.0–36.5) months. Severe periventricular WMH (PWMH) predicted incident all-cause dementia (Hazard ratio (HR) 2.22; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.43–3.43) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) (HR 1.86; 95% CI 1.12–3.07). Subcortical vascular dementia (SVD) was predicted by both PWMH (HR 16.14; 95% CI 1.97–132.06) and DWMH (HR 8.77; 95% CI 1.77–43.49) in more severe form (≥ 10 mm).
Conclusions:
WMH differentially predict dementia by region and severity. Our findings suggest that PWMH may play an independent role in the pathogenesis of dementia, especially in AD.
During the past decade, carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) has emerged and spread across the world.1 The major carbapenemase enzymes currently being reported are KPC, NDM-1, VIM, IMP, and OXA.2 Because carbapenemase can be effectively transmitted via mobile genetic elements, and current therapeutic options for CPE infections are extremely limited, CPE may be one of the most serious contemporary threats to public health. However, very little is known about the characteristics of CPE carriage during hospitalization. The aims of this study were to investigate the clearance rate of CPE carriage and determine the number of consecutive negative cultures required to confirm CPE clearance. We also examined CPE transmission among hospitalized patients.
Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(11):1361–1362
Despite recent reports regarding the biology of cytosine methylation in Schistosoma mansoni, the impact of the regulatory machinery remains unclear in diverse platyhelminthes. This ambiguity is reinforced by discoveries of DNA methyltransferase 2 (DNMT2)-only organisms and the substrate specificity of DNMT2 preferential to RNA molecules. Here, we characterized a novel DNA methyltransferase, named CsDNMT2, in a liver fluke Clonorchis sinensis. The protein exhibited structural properties conserved in other members of the DNMT2 family. The native and recombinant CsDNMT2 exhibited considerable enzymatic activity on DNA. The spatiotemporal expression of CsDNMT2 mirrored that of 5-methylcytosine (5 mC), both of which were elevated in the C. sinensis eggs. However, CsDNMT2 and 5 mC were marginally detected in other histological regions of C. sinensis adults including ovaries and seminal receptacle. The methylation site seemed not related to genomic loci occupied by progenies of an active long-terminal-repeat retrotransposon. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that C. sinensis has preserved the functional DNA methylation machinery and that DNMT2 acts as a genuine alternative to DNMT1/DNMT3 to methylate DNA in the DNMT2-only organism. The epigenetic regulation would target functional genes primarily involved in the formation and/or maturation of eggs, rather than retrotransposons.
Based on the sequences of Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis, we carried out a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) study for genes controlling disease resistance (clubroot, turnip mosaic virus and soft rot) and leaf traits in B. rapa leafy genotypes ‘VC40’ and ‘SR5’. In total, 7645 SNP markers were obtained based on the annotation of a B. rapa database for disease resistance. Among these 7645 SNP markers, 141 were related to 125 genes linked to leaf traits. From these 141 SNP markers, 63 were screened and High Resolution Melt (HRM) primers were designed for genomic studies. A total of 20 polymorphic SNP primers were finally obtained. Eventually, these markers will be further used for the detection of quantitative trait loci and mapping studies.
Next-generation sequencing technique has been known as a useful tool for de novo transcriptome assembly, functional annotation of genes and identification of molecular markers. This study was carried out to mine molecular markers from de novo assembled transcriptomes of four chilli pepper varieties, the highly pungent ‘Saengryeg 211’ and non-pungent ‘Saengryeg 213’ and variably pigmented ‘Mandarin’ and ‘Blackcluster’. Pyrosequencing of the complementary DNA library resulted in 361,671, 274,269, 279,221, and 316,357 raw reads, which were assembled in 23,607, 19,894, 18,340 and 20,357 contigs, for the four varieties, respectively. Detailed sequence variant analysis identified numerous potential single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and simple sequence repeats (SSRs) for all the varieties for which the primers were designed. The transcriptome information and SNP/SSR markers generated in this study provide valuable resources for high-density molecular genetic mapping in chilli pepper and Quantitative trait loci analysis related to fruit qualities. These markers for pepper will be highly valuable for marker-assisted breeding and other genetic studies.
To compare the characteristics and risk factors for surgical site infections (SSIs) after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in a nationwide survey, using shared case detection and recording systems.
Design.
Retrospective cohort study.
Setting.
Twenty-six hospitals participating in the Korean Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System (KONIS).
Patients.
From 2006 to 2009, all patients undergoing THA and TKA in KONIS were enrolled.
Results.
SSI occurred in 161 (2.35%) of 6,848 cases (3,422 THAs and 3,426 TKAs). Pooled mean SSI rates were 1.69% and 2.82% for THA and TKA, respectively. Of the cases we examined, 42 (26%) were superficial-incisional SSIs and 119 (74%) were “severe” SSIs; of the latter, 24 (15%) were deep-incisional SSIs and 95 (59%) were organ/space SSIs. In multivariate analysis, a duration of preoperative hospital stay of greater than 3 days was a risk factor for total SSI after both THA and TKA. Diabetes mellitus, revision surgery, prolonged duration of surgery (above the 75th percentile), and the need for surgery due to trauma were independent risk factors for total and severe SSI after THA, while male sex and an operating room without artificial ventilation were independent risk factors for total and severe SSI after TKA. A large volume of surgeries (more than 10 procedures per month) protected against total and severe SSI, but only in patients who underwent TKA.
Conclusions.
Risk factors for SSI after arthroplasty differ according to the site of the arthroplasty. Therefore, clinicians should take into account the site of arthroplasty in the analysis of SSI and the development of strategies for reducing SSI.