MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging for the Distinction of Adenocarcinomas of the Pancreas and Biliary Tree.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma constitute two aggressive tumor types that originate from the epithelial lining of the excretory ducts of the pancreatobiliary tract. Given their close histomorphological resemblance, a correct diagnosis can be challenging and almost impossible without clinical information. In this study, we investigated whether mass spectrometric peptide features could be employed to distinguish pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma from cholangiocarcinoma. Three tissue microarrays of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded material (FFPE) comprising 41 cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and 41 cases of cholangiocarcinoma were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI). The derived peptide features and respective intensities were used to build different supervised classification algorithms: gradient boosting (GB), support vector machine (SVM), and k-nearest neighbors (KNN). On a pixel-by-pixel level, a classification accuracy of up to 95% could be achieved. The tentative identification of discriminative tryptic peptide signatures revealed proteins that are involved in the epigenetic regulation of the genome and tumor microenvironment. Despite their histomorphological similarities, mass spectrometry imaging represents an efficient and reliable approach for the distinction of PDAC from CC, offering a promising complementary or alternative approach to the existing tools used in diagnostics such as immunohistochemistry.

Psychometric properties of the Providers Survey in the Brazilian context of mental health: a validation study.

BACKGROUND: Precisely determining the aspects related to an instrument's validity and reliability measures allows for greater assurance of the quality of the results. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the psychometric properties of The Providers Survey in the Brazilian context of mental health services. DESIGN AND SETTING: The instrument validation study was conducted in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. METHODS: The validation study was conducted using the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments checklist to analyze its validity and reliability. RESULTS: A committee of expert judges performed content validation after which the Content Validity Index was calculated. Construct validation took place through Exploratory Factor Analysis using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Test criterion and Bartlett's Sphericity Test. Reliability was verified using test-retest reliability. The significance level adopted for the statistical tests was 5% (P < 0.05). The final instrument comprised 54 questions. The Content Validity Index was 97%. Exploratory Factor Analysis identified a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index of 0.901 and Bartlett's Sphericity Test with P < 0.001. We obtained a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.95 and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.849. CONCLUSIONS: The Providers Survey, translated and adapted into Portuguese, was named the Work Assessment Instrument for the Recovery of Mental Health. It presented adequate psychometric properties for evaluating work-related practices for the recovery of psychosocial care network users.

Psychometric properties of the Providers Survey in the Brazilian context of mental health: a validation study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Precisely determining the aspects related to an instrument's validity and reliability measures allows for greater assurance of the quality of the results. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the psychometric properties of The Providers Survey in the Brazilian context of mental health services. DESIGN AND SETTING: The instrument validation study was conducted in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. METHODS: The validation study was conducted using the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments checklist to analyze its validity and reliability. RESULTS: A committee of expert judges performed content validation after which the Content Validity Index was calculated. Construct validation took place through Exploratory Factor Analysis using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Test criterion and Bartlett's Sphericity Test. Reliability was verified using test-retest reliability. The significance level adopted for the statistical tests was 5% (P < 0.05). The final instrument comprised 54 questions. The Content Validity Index was 97%. Exploratory Factor Analysis identified a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index of 0.901 and Bartlett's Sphericity Test with P < 0.001. We obtained a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.95 and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.849. CONCLUSIONS: The Providers Survey, translated and adapted into Portuguese, was named the Work Assessment Instrument for the Recovery of Mental Health. It presented adequate psychometric properties for evaluating work-related practices for the recovery of psychosocial care network users.

Pessoas com sofrimento mental em recovery: trajetórias de vida / People experiencing mental suffering in process of recovery: life trajectories / Personas con sufrimiento mental en recovery: Trayectorias de vida

Objetivou-se conhecer e compreender as trajetórias de vida de pessoas com sofrimento mental em processo de recovery e identificar quais experiências são reconhecidas por elas como formas desse processo. Utilizou-se, como percurso metodológico, a pesquisa qualitativa com base em narrativas interpretadas por meio da análise de discurso. A análise das trajetórias permitiu reconhecer que as vivências na infância, junto com as relações conflituosas na família, foram apontadas como responsáveis pelos rompimentos dos vínculos familiares e afetivos que favoreceram o encontro com as drogas, com o álcool, com a entrada na criminalidade, na prostituição, marcados pela situação de rua e pela errância. Percebe-se que as modalidades de recovery utilizadas pelos participantes, por meio do acesso às políticas públicas, do apoio da sociedade civil simultaneamente ao conforto espiritual, podem auxiliar na construção e na manutenção de uma vida mais saudável. (AU)

The aim of this study was to understand the life trajectories of people experiencing mental suffering in process of recovery and identify which experiences they recognize as forms of this process. We conducted a qualitative study based on narratives interpreted using discourse analysis. The analysis of the trajectories showed that childhood experiences, combined with family conflict, were highlighted as being responsible for breaking family and affective ties, leading to drug and alcohol use, crime, prostitution, homelessness and wandering. The findings show that the modes of recovery used by the participants, through access to public policies, support from civil society organizations and spiritual comfort, can help build and maintain a healthier life. (AU)

El objetivo fue conocer y comprender las trayectorias de vida de personas con sufrimiento mental en proceso de recovery e identificar cuáles son las experiencias reconocidas por ellas como formas de ese proceso. Se utilizó como recorrido metodológico la investigación cualitativa, a partir de narrativas interpretadas por medio del análisis de discurso. El análisis de las trayectorias permitió reconocer que las vivencias en la infancia, junto con las relaciones conflictivas en la familia, se señalaron como responsables por las rupturas de los vínculos familiares y afectivos que favorecieron el encuentro con las drogas, con el alcohol, la entrada en la criminalidad y en la prostitución, sellados por la situación de vivir en la calle y por la condición de errante. Se percibe que las modalidades de recovery utilizadas por los participantes, por medio del acceso a las políticas públicas, apoyo de la sociedad civil simultáneamente al confort espiritual, pueden auxiliar en la construcción y mantenimiento de una vida más saludable. (AU)