Measurement Invariance and Latent Mean Differences Between American, Spanish and Chinese Adolescents Using the Social AnxietyScale for Adolescents (SAS-A) / Análisis de Invarianza y Diferencias de Medias Latentes Entre Adolescentes Americanos, Españoles y Chinos Usando la Escala deAnsiedad Social para Adolescentes (SAS-A)

Background: Social anxiety is one of the most prevalent disorders amongadolescents (Stein et al., 2017). The main aim of this study was to analyzethe equivalence of scores on the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents(SAS-A) using structural equation modeling and identify differences inlatent means of social anxiety in China, Spain, and the USA. Method:Random sampling was used to recruit participants, which included 536Chinese (46% girls), 1,178 Spanish (55.3% girls) and 866 North American(55.1% girls) adolescents. The participants’ ages ranged between 14 and17 years old. Results: The SAS-A three-factor correlated model of socialanxiety remained invariant between the Spanish and North Americanadolescents, but results could not be replicated in the Chinese adolescents[M2 = ΔS-Bχ2 (Δdf, p) = 4732.56 (36, < .01)]. Analyses of latent differencesbetween Spain and the USA showed that Spanish adolescents had higherscores than North Americans for Fear of Negative Evaluation (TS = -9.630;d = .44) and for Social Avoidance and General Anxiety towards people(TS = -2.717; d = .12). Conclusions: The results are interpreted accordingto the cultural traits of individualism-collectivism and self-construal, andpractical implications are discussed.

Antecedentes: la ansiedadsocial es uno de los trastornos con mayor prevalencia en adolescentes(Stein et al., 2017). Así, el propósito principal de este estudio fue analizarla invarianza de la Escala de Ansiedad Social para Adolescentes (SAS-A) mediante un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales y examinar las diferenciasde medias latentes en ansiedad social en adolescentes de China, España y EE.UU. Método: los participantes se seleccionaron a través de muestreoaleatorio: 534 chinos (46% chicas), 1.178 españoles (55,3% chicas) y866 norteamericanos (55,1% chicas), con edades comprendidas entre los14 y 17 años. Resultados: las puntuaciones del modelo de tres factorescorrelacionados de ansiedad social de la SAS-A resultaron invariantesentre adolescentes españoles y norteamericanos, pero estos resultados nofueron replicados en adolescentes chinos [M2 = ΔS-Bχ2 (Δdf, p) = 4732.56(36, < .01)]. El análisis de medias latentes entre España y EE.UU. mostróque los adolescentes españoles manifestaban niveles más altos de Miedoante las evaluaciones negativas (TS = -9.630; d = .44) y Evitación social yansiedad general hacia las personas (TS = -2.717; d = .12).Conclusiones: estos hallazgos fueron interpretados atendiendo al de individualismo-colectivismo y las concepciones culturales de la propia persona, analizandosus implicaciones prácticas.

Validation of miR-1228-3p as Housekeeping for MicroRNA Analysis in Liquid Biopsies from Colorectal Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Circulating microRNA (miRNA) analysis is a growing research field. However, it usually requires an endogenous control or housekeeping (HK) in order to normalize expression of specific miRNAs throughout different samples. Unfortunately, no adequate HK for circulating miRNA analysis is still known in the colorectal cancer (CRC) context whereas several have been suggested. Hence, our aims were to validate the previously suggested miR-1228-3p as HK for CRC studies, to compare its suitability with the widely used miR-16-5p, and to evaluate the influence of hemolysis on both miRNAs. METHODS: We analyzed by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) the expression of miR-1228-3p, miR-16-5p and the spike-in cel-miR-39 in a set of 297 plasmas (92 CRC, 101 advanced adenomas -AA-, and 100 controls) and 213 serum samples (59 CRC, 74 AA and 80 controls). We also analyzed both miRNAs depending on the hemolysis degree in 7 plasmas and 31 serums. RESULTS: Levels of miR-1228-3p and miR-16-5p did not show significant differences between groups although miR-16-5p exhibited more variability in plasma and serum samples. Importantly, the combination of cel-miR-39 and miR-1228-3p was the most stable one. Moreover, we observed that miR-16-5p was significantly influenced by hemolysis in contrast with miR-1228-3p that exhibited no correlation with this confounding factor in both biofluids. CONCLUSION: MiR-1228-3p has been validated as an adequate endogenous control for circulating miRNA analysis in CRC and AA liquid biopsies.

Plasma MicroRNA Signature Validation for Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Specific microRNA (miRNA) signatures in biological fluids can facilitate earlier detection of the tumors being then minimally invasive diagnostic biomarkers. Circulating miRNAs have also emerged as promising diagnostic biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. In this study, we investigated the performance of a specific signature of miRNA in plasma samples to design a robust predictive model that can distinguish healthy individuals from those with CRC or advanced adenomas (AA) diseases. METHODS: Case control study of 297 patients from 8 Spanish centers including 100 healthy individuals, 101 diagnosed with AA, and 96 CRC cases. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription was used to quantify a signature of miRNA (miRNA19a, miRNA19b, miRNA15b, miRNA29a, miRNA335, and miRNA18a) in plasma samples. Binary classifiers (Support Vector Machine [SVM] linear, SVM radial, and SVM polynomial) were built for the best predictive model. RESULTS: Area under receiving operating characteristic curve of 0.92 (95% confidence interval 0.871-0.962) was obtained retrieving a model with a sensitivity of 0.85 and specificity of 0.90, positive predictive value of 0.94, and negative predictive value of 0.76 when advanced neoplasms (CRC and AA) were compared with healthy individuals. CONCLUSIONS: We identified and validated a signature of 6 miRNAs (miRNA19a, miRNA19b, miRNA15b, miRNA29a, miRNA335, and miRNA18a) as predictors that can differentiate significantly patients with CRC and AA from those who are healthy. However, large-scale validation studies in asymptomatic screening participants should be conducted.

Cytoprotection by neutral fraction of tannat red wine against oxidative stress-induced cell death.

Some of the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet on human pathologies have been attributed to red wine polyphenols. It has been postulated that the antioxidant activity of the latter would be also responsible for the cytoprotective capacity of red wine that has been reported in a few papers. Nevertheless, red wine shows a complex composition, and the active fraction is not known yet. In this context, the protective capacity of total lyophilized extracts of red wine and anthocyanin, neutral, or acidic fractions, was explored in PC12 cells in culture after a hydrogen peroxide insult. Although all fractions showed high antioxidant activity, only the neutral fraction was cytoprotective. The analysis of this active fraction showed that it was rich in the aglycons quercetin and myricetin as well as the glycosides of kaempferol, isorhamnetin, epicatechin, and catechin, some of which are known to be cytoprotective. This is the first paper to reveal the active fraction of total wine responsible of its cytoprotection.