Psychosocial impact of prognostic genetic testing in the care of uveal melanoma patients: protocol of a controlled prospective clinical observational study

Background: Uveal melanoma patients with a poor prognosis can be detected through genetic analysis of the tumor, which has a very high sensitivity. A large number of patients with uveal melanoma decide to receive information about their individual risk and therefore routine prognostic genetic testing is being carried out on a growing number of patients. It is obvious that a positive prediction for recidivism in the future will emotionally burden the respective patients, but research on the psychosocial impact of this innovative method is lacking. The aim of the current study is therefore to investigate the psychosocial impact (psychological distress and quality of life) of prognostic genetic testing in patients with uveal melanoma. Design and methods: This study is a non-randomized controlled prospective clinical observational trial. Subjects are patients with uveal melanoma, in whom genetic testing is possible. Patients who consent to genetic testing are allocated to the intervention group and patients who refuse genetic testing form the observational group. Both groups receive cancer therapy and psycho-oncological intervention when needed. The psychosocial impact of prognostic testing is investigated with the following variables: resilience, social support, fear of tumor progression, depression, general distress, cancer-specific and general health-related quality of life, attitude towards genetic testing, estimation of the perceived risk of metastasis, utilization and satisfaction with psycho-oncological crisis intervention, and sociodemographic data. Data are assessed preoperatively (at initial admission in the clinic) and postoperatively (at discharge from hospital after surgery, 6–12 weeks, 6 and 12 months after initial admission). Genetic test results are communicated 6–12 weeks after initial admission to the clinic. Discussion: We created optimal conditions for investigation of the psychosocial impact of prognostic genetic testing. This study will provide information on the course of disease and psychosocial outcomes after prognostic genetic testing. We expect that empirical data from our study will give a scientific basis for medico-ethical considerations

E-Banking Services and Performance of Cooperative Bank of Oromia

Electronic banking service is growing rapidly in the world, Cooperative bank of Oromia is putting its maximum exertion to travel with technology of E- banking services. E-banking has its own effect on financial performance of the bank. This research mainly investigates the effect of E- banking on the financial performance of the Cooperative Bank of Oromia by focusing on the bank’s performance and size. For primary data collection branch staffs and managers will be interviewed while secondary data will be collected from branch documents like report of daily transactions, profit of branch and customer related data will be reviewed. Keywords: Mobile Banking, Performance, Bank DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/14-17-04 Publication date:September 30th 202

Highly selective transmission and absorption from metasurfaces of periodically corrugated cylindrical particles

Gratings of infinite wires make, perhaps, the simplest class of metasurfaces, which, however, are utilized for a variety of different objectives in wave manipulation. Importantly, due to their analytical solvability, they can be fully optimized in a fast and direct way. In this study, a lattice of periodically corrugated cylindrical particles under oblique plane-wave excitation is considered and treated rigorously. Several cases of particle radii, distances between two consecutive cylinders, and angles of illumination are examined; as a result, very high selectivity of the metasurface response in terms of line-of-sight transmission and absorption is reported. That abrupt change in the device output becomes even more dramatic in the parametric vicinity of the emergence of new refractive orders, which makes the proposed metasurface exceptionally fitting for switching, filtering, and sensing application

Telehealth Support System Using Wireless Technologies: The Case of Ethiopia

Telehealth is an inter-disciplinary area and is basically the delivery of health and medical information and services over large and small distances using electronic information and communication technologies. Broadband wireless services available today, along with more powerful and convenient handheld devices, will enable a transformational change in health management and healthcare with the introduction of real-time monitoring and timely responses to a wide array of patient needs. Further, a network of low-cost sensors and wireless systems help in creating constantly vigilant and pervasive monitoring capability at home and at work. This paper addresses recent efforts in this growing field, including standards, system architectures, and lower layer protocols for body area networks. The paper also suggests the use of cooperative transmission-based strategies for such wireless topologies. Keywords: Telehealth, Telemedicine, Telecare, Wireless Technology. DOI: 10.7176/JIEA/12-2-01 Publication date: November 30th 202

Opinions of students participating in the pedagogical formation certificate program with regard to the profession and the program

In this research, the aim is to determine opinions of students participating in the pedagogical formation certificate program with regard to the teaching profession and the formation program. Study group of the research consists of 136 students who receive teaching formation education in the Faculty of Educational Sciences in Mehmet Akif Ersoy University as of fall term in the academic year of 2014-2015. In the research as a qualitative study, the phenomenological pattern is used. The data used in the study was collected by means of a question form developed by researchers and consisting of three parts. Research data was analyzed using the frequency analysis and the content analysis techniques. As a result of analyses, it was concluded that most of the participants considered teaching profession as a suitable profession for their personalities, and they thought that formation training was necessary for teaching profession and formation program brought teachers in the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for the teaching profession. In addition, it was also observed that the participants inserted their criticism of process and content of the program and gave different suggestions towards improving the quality of the program.

ILOCANO FAMILISM IN THE CHICHACORN INDUSTRY IN PAOAY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

In the Philippines, having analyzed that a great majority of the businesses in the country are small family-based enterprises, they may be viable endeavors contributing to economic development. Ilocos Norte is known for its chichacorn industry composed of family-based micro and small enterprises.  Chichacorn has become a popular agri-tourism product bought as healthy snacks among the residents, tourists and travelers.  The boom of tourism in the province led to the growth of the industry.  In order to enable the continuity of these family businesses, it is important to understand the Ilocano family business, to identify the personal traits and cultural values of the Ilocano as entrepreneurs and determine their strengths and weaknesses. The research design used a qualitative approach to search for meaning – the beginnings of the chichacorn industry, traits and cultural values of the Ilocano entrepreneurs and their strengths and weaknesses that contribute to the sustainability of these family businesses. The entire process is inductive, exploratory and descriptive. The qualitative approach used a case study strategy. After the interviews were completed, they were transcribed and then forwarded to the respondents for review and approval. It was found out that the chichacorn industry in Paoay, Ilocos Norte is composed of eight family businesses who are relatives up to the third degree of consanguintiy. It was also found out that the chichacorn producers are industrious and hardworking, innovative and resourceful, thrifty, good managers, and have foresight.  The Ilocano family has the necessary traits to become successful in business.  These are backed up with the richness of the Ilocano culture.  However, in order to survive competition and become sustainable, it has to transform as a family-oriented business into a professionally managed organization

ELECTRODYNAMICS OF TOPOLOGICAL INSULATOR THIN FILMS REVEALED BY TIME-DOMAIN THZ SPECTROSCOPY

Topological insulators (TIs) are a special class of quantum materials that exhibit insulating behavior in their bulk while supporting conducting states on their surfaces or edges. These surface states arise due to strong spin-orbit coupling and are protected by time-reversal symmetry, leading to robust, spin-polarized, and massless Dirac fermions that are immune to non-magnetic impurities and disorder. The unique electronic properties of TIs, such as spin-momentum locking and topologically protected surface states, have garnered significant interest for potential applications in spintronics, quantum computing, and low-power electronic devices. A particularly intriguing phenomenon associated with TIs is the quantum anomalous Hall effect, where a quantized Hall conductance occurs without an external magnetic field due to intrinsic magnetic ordering induced by magnetic doping. A high-sensitivity THz polarimetry setup was developed, achieving a polarization measurement precision of 0.02 milliradians. This was accomplished using a fiber-coupled laser-based THz spectrometer and high-extinction-ratio wire-grid polarizers, alongside a comprehensive calibration scheme to account for systematic errors. This technique was applied to magnetically doped TIs to study the quantum anomalous Hall effect. While THz spectroscopy measurements of Hall conductance hysteresis loops qualitatively agreed with dc transport data, the frequency dependence contradicted known theoretical models for TIs with a clean magnetic gap. A spatially inhomogeneous magnetic gap model was used to interpret the optical response, attributing the discrepancies to doping inhomogeneity, likely caused by chromium atom clustering on the TI surface. Further investigations into non-magnetic TIs revealed sub-quantized Hall conductances, attributed to low electron mobilities. Additionally, we observed large discrepancies in charge carrier densities derived from longitudinal and Hall conductance measurements. This was linked to spatial fluctuations in the Dirac point due to non-uniform doping, leading to electron and hole puddle formation in the surface states. These findings underscore the significant impact of doping disorder and magnetic inhomogeneity on the electrodynamic properties of 3D TIs. Addressing these material challenges is crucial for realizing robust quantum Hall effects and advancing the application potential of TIs in quantum technologies

Traumatische Ereignisse, posttraumatische Belastungsstörung und Somatisierung bei Patienten der Ambulanz einer psychsomatischen Universitätsklinik

An einer Stichprobe von 483 Patienten der Klinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie Essen hatte die vorliegende Untersuchung zum Ziel, die Trauma- und Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung (PTSD)-Prävalenzen in unserem Inanspruchnahmeklientel zu identifizieren, und deren Beziehung zur Depressivität, Ängstlichkeit, Kohärenzgefühl und Inanspruchnahmeverhalten zu untersuchen. Des weiteren sollte der Zusammenhang von Trauma, PTSD und Somatisierung genauer untersucht werden. Ferner verfolgten wir das Ziel, Prädiktoren für PTSD zu identifiziert. Die Trauma-Expositionsrate schwankte zwischen 31.1% und 63.1%; diese war abhängig vom Eingangstraumakriterium nach DSM-IV (A1 und A2) für PTSD. Die Resultate dieser Arbeit konnten verdeutlichen, dass es einen Unterschied macht, ob man beide Traumakriterien nach DSM-IV heranzieht oder lediglich eines davon erfüllt sein muss, um von einem psychischen Trauma sprechen zu können. Testpsychometrisch betrug die PTSD-Prävalenz 10.1%, während die behandelnden Therapeuten bei nur 2.9% der Gesamtstichprobe die Diagnose „Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung“ (F43.1 nach ICD-10) stellten. Generell scheinen PTSD-Betroffene unter einer grundsätzlich höheren psychischen Belastung (Depressivität, Ängstlichkeit, Somatisierung) zu leiden als Traumatisierte ohne PTSD und noch mehr gegenüber Nicht-Traumatisierten. Unter gesundheitsökonomischen Aspekten scheint es besonders wichtig zu sein, Menschen mit Traumatisierung einer adäquaten Behandlung unterziehen zu lassen. Sie zeigten in der vorliegenden Untersuchung das höchste Inanspruchnahmeverhalten bezüglich Arztbesuche, Psychotherapie und Psychopharmaka gegenüber Nicht-Traumatisierten. Bemerkenswert sind die Ergebnisse bezüglich der zentralen Hypothesen, zum einen PTSD würde von den behandelnden Therapeuten unterschätzt und zum anderen PTSD und Somatisierung würden in enger Beziehung zueinander stehen. Unsere Befunde stimmen mit anderen empirischen Arbeiten überein, so dass man berechtigterweise die Vermutung äußern kann, es handele sich bei beiden Fällen um ein generelles Phänomen, das settingunspezifisch zu sein scheint. Bezüglich des Zusammenhangs von Somatisierung und PTSD standen insbesondere neurologische und gastrointestinale Beschwerden im Vordergrund. PTSD-Patienten berichteten im Mittel über 20 somatoforme Beschwerden, Nicht-Traumatisierte hingegen hatten im Mittel 9 somatoforme Beschwerden. In der Allgemeinbevölkerung liegt die Prävalenz somatoformer Beschwerden bei 3.4. Unsere Ergebnisse haben auch diagnostische Implikationen. Die PTSD wird häufig von anderen psychischen Störungen überlagert oder stellt sich phänomenologisch in Form anderer Störungen wie Depression oder Angststörung dar, was ihre Diagnose erschwert. Es ist eine gängige klinische Beobachtung, dass sich traumatisierte Patienten mit PTSD mit körperlichen Beschwerden in ärztliche Behandlung begeben (Rückenschmerzen, Schlafstörungen etc.), ohne dass die traumabedingte Genese der Beschwerden zur Sprache kommt. Die vorliegende Studie unterstreicht die Wichtigkeit der differentialdiagnostischen Einbeziehung der PTSD insbesondere bei Patienten mit somatoformen Symptomen bzw. Störungen, um sie einer adäquaten evtl. auch traumaspezifischen Behandlung frühzeitig zuführen zu können

‘I know I'm not invincible’: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of thyroid cancer in young people

Objective. Thyroid cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting young people and carries an excellent prognosis. Little is known about the psychosocial issues that face young people diagnosed with a treatable cancer. This study explored how young people experienced diagnosis, treatment, and how they made sense of an experience which challenged their views on what it means to have cancer. Method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight young people diagnosed with either papillary or follicular thyroid cancer, and analysed with interpre- tative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results. Two inter-related aspects of their experience are discussed: (1) the range of feelings and emotions experienced including feeling disregarded, vulnerability, shock and isolation; (2) how they made sense of and ascribed meaning to their experience in the light of the unique nature of their cancer. A thread running throughout the findings highlights that this was a disruptive biographical experience. Conclusions. Young people experienced a loss of youthful immunity which contrasted with a sense of growth and shift in life perspective. Having a highly treatable cancer was helpful in aiding them to reframe their situation positively but at the same time left them feeling dismissed over a lack of recognition that they had cancer. The young peoples’ experiences point to a need for increased understanding of this rare cancer, more effective communication from health care professionals and a greater understanding of the experiential impact of this disease on young people. Suggestions to improve the service provision to this patient group are provided