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Introduction: The assessment of well-being is crucial for measuring the effects of psychosocial interventions in people with intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate a measure of integrative well-being, the Pemberton Happiness Index (PHI) to use it specifically for this population. Methods: The Pemberton Happiness Index was first tailored to individuals with intellectual disabilities (PHI-Intellectual Disabilities). Then a sample of 130 adults with mild-moderate intellectual disabilities completed this adapted version alongside other well-being and affective measures. Results: The psychometric properties of this new PHI-Intellectual Disabilities were shown to be very good (i.e., internal consistency, convergent and incremental validity). Conclusion: The study provides initial evidence of the reliability and validity of a brief measure of well-being that can be used for both applied and research purposes specifically for adults with mild-moderate intellectual disabilities.

BackgroundRisk of anal squamous cell carcinoma (anal cancer) is greater among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We describe the frequency of and factors associated with abnormal anal cytology results in Colombian MSM living with HIV.MethodsThis retrospective observational cohort study included MSM ≥18 years old living with HIV screened with anal cytology at Hospital Universitario San Ignacio in Bogotá, Colombia between January 2019 and February 2020. A multivariable log-binomial regression model estimated associations with abnormal anal cytology.ResultsA total of 211 patients were included. Mean age was 35.6 years. Sixty-eight (32.3%) had an abnormal anal cytology result: ASC-US 33.8% (n = 23); LSIL 60.3% (n = 41); and HSIL 5.9% (n = 4). MSM with an STI diagnosis in the previous 12 months (RR 1.48, [95% CI 1.03-2.12], p = 0.032) or with a CD4+ T cell count

Generalisation is a skill that enables learners to acquire knowledge in general, and mathematical knowledge in particular. It is a core aspect of algebraic thinking and, in particular, of functional thinking, as a type of algebraic thinking. Introducing primary school children to functional thinking fosters their ability to generalise, explain and reason with mathematical relationships. It also helps them overcome difficulties in understanding functions when they are exposed to the idea more formally in secondary education. Although more and more special education students are enrolled in mainstream schools, little is known about algebraic thinking in that community, especially in the case of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Students with ASD often exhibit deficits that interfere directly with mathematical learning. The study discussed here, which was conducted in the context of algebraic reasoning, was aimed primarily at identifying and describing the strategies and representations observed in 26 ASD primary education students when performing a task that involved a linear function, and describing the generalisations they performed. The 26 participants were enrolled in 19 mainstream Spanish schools. The tools used, a questionnaire and semi-structured interview, were designed to explore their ability to generalise in a problem involving the function f(x) = 2x + 2. The strategies identified included: (a) bald answering; (b) modelling with manipulatives; (c) drawing; (d) counting and (e) operating. The strategy most frequently observed was operating, represented verbally or symbolically, followed by drawing. Only three students generalised but did not reach the highest level of functional thinking, namely, 'functions as objects'. The results are compared with findings for mainstream students of similar ages. Conjectures around the possible relationships between some findings and the type of thinking characteristic of autism spectrum disorder are put forward. The results carry implications for research with and teaching of students with ASD.

California has a vibrant and growing craft brewing industry and a nascent malting industry interested in locally sourced products, which has created a demand for malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) production in California. ‘UC Tahoe’ (Reg. No. CV-365, PI 678971) is the first malting barley cultivar released by the University of California and is well adapted to California’s Central Valley (Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys). UC Tahoe is a two-rowed spring barley with good resistance to powdery mildew and tolerance to yellow dwarf viruses. UC Tahoe combines four quantitative trait loci for resistance to Cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV) that were previously identified in the cross between ‘Butta 12’ and ‘Madre Selva’. While not currently a cultivar approved by the American Malting Barley Association, UC Tahoe meets the quality needs of a craft malting and brewing industry interested in sourcing locally grown barley.

Cristina Martinez-González,1 Ignacio Blanco,2 Isidro Diego,3 Patricia Bueno,4 Marc Miravitlles5 1Pulmonology Department, University Central Hospital of Asturias, Universidad de Oviedo, Instituto de Investigación del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain; 2Alpha1-Antitrypsin Deficiency Spanish Registry (REDAAT), Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR), Barcelona, Spain; 3Materials and Energy Department, School of Mining Engineering, Oviedo University, Oviedo, Spain; 4Internal Medicine Department, County Hospital of Jarrio, Jarrio, Spain; 5Pneumology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron/Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Barcelona, SpainCorrespondence: Marc MiravitllesPneumology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Pg. Vall d’Hebron 119-129, Barcelona, 08035, SpainEmail marcm@separ.esBackground: The α-1 antitrypsin (AAT) protease inhibitor PiMZ is a moderately deficient genotype, until recently considered of little or negligible risk. However, a growing number of studies show that MZ carriers have an increased risk of developing lung and liver diseases, if exposed to smoking or other airborne or industrial pollutants, and hepatotoxic substances.Methods: We used the epidemiological studies performed to determine the frequencies of PiM and PiZ worldwide, based on the following criteria: 1) samples representative of the general population; 2) AAT phenotyping or genotyping characterized by adequate methods, including isoelectric focusing and polymerase chain reaction; and 3) studies with reliable results assessed with a coefficient of variation calculated from the sample size and 95% confidence intervals, to measure the precision of the results in terms of dispersion of the data around the mean.Results: The present review reveals an impressive number of MZs of more than 35 million in 74 countries of the world with available data. Seventy-five percent of them are people of Caucasian European heritage, mostly living in Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand. Twenty percent of the remaining MZs live in Asia, with the highest concentrations in the Middle East, Eastern¸ Southern, and South-eastern regions of the Asian continent. The remaining five percent are Africans residing in Western and Eastern Africa.Conclusion: Considering the high rate of smoking, the outdoor and the indoor air pollution from solid fuels used in cooking and heating, and the exposure to industrial dusts and chemicals in many of these countries, these figures are very worrying, and hence the importance of adequately assessing MZ subjects, recommending them rigorous preventive measures based on the adoption of healthy lifestyles, including avoidance of smoking and alcohol.Keywords: SERPINA1, α 1-antitrypsin, PiMZ genotype, genetic epidemiology, COPD, tobacco smoking, inverse distance weighted interpolation, IDW, geographic information system, GIS

Inhibitors of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) are currently used to treat advanced metastatic breast cancer. However, whether an aggressive phenotype is sustained through adaptation or resistance to mTOR inhibition remains unknown. Here, complementary studies in human tumors, cancer models and cell lines reveal transcriptional reprogramming that supports metastasis in response to mTOR inhibition. This cancer feature is driven by EVI1 and SOX9. EVI1 functionally cooperates with and positively regulates SOX9, and promotes the transcriptional upregulation of key mTOR pathway components (REHB and RAPTOR) and of lung metastasis mediators (FSCN1 and SPARC). The expression of EVI1 and SOX9 is associated with stem cell-like and metastasis signatures, and their depletion impairs the metastatic potential of breast cancer cells. These results establish the mechanistic link between resistance to mTOR inhibition and cancer metastatic potential, thus enhancing our understanding of mTOR targeting failure.

Selection for resistance to plant diseases is a continuous effort on the part of plant breeders. Sources of genetic resistance are often limited, despite considerable discovery efforts. Stem rust and stripe rust are two diseases of particular importance in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) production. The present work aims to develop and deploy genotypes with resistance to these diseases that can be used in future breeding efforts. The Woodies, Woody‐1 (DH160733; Reg. no. GP‐218, PI 704479) and Woody‐2 (DH160754; Reg. no. GP‐219, PI 704480), are two doubled‐haploid genotypes produced via F1 anther culture named in honor of the late Lynn "Woody" Gallagher. These two‐row spring habit barley germplasm accessions were released by the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station in 2023. These genotypes have demonstrated resistance to both stem and stripe rust at the seedling and adult plant stage in trials conducted between 2018 and 2023. The genetic basis of this resistance appears to be a novel quantitative trait locus conferring resistance to both diseases on chromosome 5H that is different from the known rpg4/Rpg5 complex for stem rust resistance found on the same chromosome. Seed can be requested from the Oregon State University Barley Breeding Program or from the NLGRP Germplasm repository. Core Ideas: The Woody‐1 and Woody‐2 germplasms are novel barley genotypes released by Oregon State University.The Woodies are doubled haploid genotypes developed via F1 anther culture.The Woodies are a source of both stem and stripe rust resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lucilla Piccari,1 Roberto Del Pozo,1 Isabel Blanco,1,2 Jessica García-Lucio,1 Yolanda Torralba,1,2 Olga Tura-Ceide,1,2 Jorge Moises,1,2 Marta Sitges,3,4 Víctor Ivo Peinado,1,2 Joan Albert Barberà1,2 1Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Hospital Clínic, Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 2Biomedical Research Networking Centre on Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain; 3Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clínic, Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 4Biomedical Research Networking Centre on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), Madrid, SpainCorrespondence: Joan Albert BarberàDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, Hospital Clínic, Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, Barcelona 08036, SpainTel +34 932275779Email jbarbera@clinic.catIntroduction: In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), endothelial dysfunction and stiffness of systemic arteries may contribute to increased cardiovascular risk. Pulmonary vascular disease (PVD) is frequent in COPD. The association between PVD and systemic vascular dysfunction has not been thoroughly evaluated in COPD.Methods: A total of 108 subjects were allocated into four groups (non-smoking controls, smoking controls, COPD without PVD and COPD with PVD). In systemic arteries, endothelial dysfunction was assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and arterial stiffness by pulse wave analysis (PWA) and pulse wave velocity (PWV). PVD was defined by a mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) ≥ 25 mmHg at right heart catheterization or by a tricuspid regurgitation velocity > 2.8 m/s at doppler echocardiography. Biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial damage were assessed in peripheral blood.Results: FMD was lower in COPD patients, with or without PVD, compared to non-smoking controls; and in patients with COPD and PVD compared to smoking controls. PWV was higher in COPD with PVD patients compared to both non-smoking and smoking controls in a model adjusted by age and the Framingham score; PWV was also higher in patients with COPD and PVD compared to COPD without PVD patients in the non-adjusted analysis. FMD and PWV correlated significantly with forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and systolic PAP. FMD and PWV were correlated in all subjects.Discussion: We conclude that endothelial dysfunction of systemic arteries is common in COPD, irrespective if they have PVD or not. COPD patients with PVD show increased stiffness and greater impairment of endothelial function in systemic arteries. These findings suggest the association of vascular impairment in both pulmonary and systemic territories in a subset of COPD patients.Keywords: COPD, pulmonary circulation and pulmonary hypertension, emphysema, cardiovascular diseases

Isabel Blanco,1,2 Olga Tura-Ceide,1,2 Victor Ivo Peinado,1,2 Joan Albert Barberà1,2 1Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Hospital Clínic-Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 2Biomedical Research Networking Center on Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Madrid, SpainCorrespondence: Joan Albert BarberàDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, Hospital Clínic, Villarroel 170, Barcelona 08036, SpainTel +34-9322757Email jbarbera@clinic.catAbstract: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a frequent and important complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is associated with worse clinical courses with more frequent exacerbation episodes, shorter survival, and greater need of health resources. PH is usually of moderate severity and progresses slowly, without altering right ventricular function in the majority of cases. Nevertheless, a reduced subgroup of patients may present disproportionate PH, with pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) largely exceeding the severity of respiratory impairment. These patients may represent a group with an exaggerated vascular impairment (pulmonary vascular phenotype) to factors that induce PH in COPD or be patients in whom idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) coexist. The present review addresses the current definition and classification of PH in COPD, the distinction among the different phenotypes of pulmonary vascular disease that might present in COPD patients, and the therapeutic approach to PH in COPD based on the available scientific evidence.Keywords: chronic lung disease, pulmonary circulation, vascular remodeling, pulmonary arterial pressure

Cristina Esquinas,1,2,* Sonia Serreri,3,* Miriam Barrecheguren,1 Esther Rodriguez,1 Alexa Nuñez,1 Francisco Casas-Maldonado,4 Ignacio Blanco,5 Pietro Pirina,3 Beatriz Lara,6 Marc Miravitlles1,7 1Pneumology Department, University Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; 2Public Health, Mental, Maternal and Child Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 3Università di Sassari, Sassari, Italy; 4Pneumology Department, University Hospital San Cecilio, Granada, Spain; 5Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Spanish Registry (REDAAT), Spanish Society of Pneumology (SEPAR), Barcelona, Spain; 6Coventry and Warwickshire University Hospital, Coventry, UK; 7CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Spain *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: The clinical course of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is very heterogeneous. It is estimated that 60% of individuals with severe AATD (Pi*ZZ) develop emphysema. The main objective of this study was to describe the outcomes of long-term lung function in individuals with AATD-associated emphysema after at least 8 years of follow-up. Materials and methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of longitudinal follow-up data of AATD PiZZ patients from the Spanish registry (AATD Spanish Registry [REDAAT]). The main follow-up outcome was the annual rate of decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) calculated using the FEV1 values at baseline and in the last post-bronchodilator spirometry available. Results: One hundred and twenty-two AATD PiZZ patients were analyzed. The median follow-up was 11 years (interquartile range =9–14). The mean FEV1 decline was 28 mL/year (SD=54), with a median of 33 mL/year. Tobacco consumption (β=19.8, p

Ignacio Blanco,1 Isidro Diego,2 Patricia Bueno,3 Eloy Fernández,4 Francisco Casas-Maldonado,5 Cristina Esquinas,6 Joan B Soriano,7 Marc Miravitlles6 1Alpha1-Antitrypsin Deficiency Spanish Registry, Lung Foundation Breathe, Spanish Society of Pneumology, Barcelona, 2Materials and Energy Department, School of Mining Engineering, Oviedo University, 3Internal Medicine Department, County Hospital of Jarrio, 4Clinical Analysis Laboratory, University Hospital of Cabueñes, Principality of Asturias, 5Pneumology Department, University Hospital San Cecilio, Granada, 6Pneumology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Barcelona, 7Instituto de Investigación Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain Abstract: Existing data on COPD prevalence are limited or totally lacking in many regions of Europe. The geographic information system inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation technique has proved to be an effective tool in spatial distribution estimation of epidemiological variables, when real data are few and widely separated. Therefore, in order to represent cartographically the prevalence of COPD in Europe, an IDW interpolation mapping was performed. The point prevalence data provided by 62 studies from 19 countries (21 from 5 Northern European countries, 11 from 3 Western European countries, 14 from 5 Central European countries, and 16 from 6 Southern European countries) were identified using validated spirometric criteria. Despite the lack of data in many areas (including all regions of the eastern part of the continent), the IDW mapping predicted the COPD prevalence in the whole territory, even in extensive areas lacking real data. Although the quality of the data obtained from some studies may have some limitations related to different confounding factors, this methodology may be a suitable tool for obtaining epidemiological estimates that can enable us to better address this major public health problem. Keywords: epidemiology, geographic information system, GIS, Geographic Resources Analysis Support System