Pilot Sample Research Articles

CIPAS Scale: Pilot Test for Evaluating Interaction Quality and Secure Attachment Potential

The adult's sensitivity to the child's communicative signals, their prompt and appropriate response to the child's needs for security, protection, and comfort, along with their ability to regulate emotions in the face of childhood stress, are parenting skills associated with attachment quality. Various instruments and observation scales code these constructs. Furthermore, developmental psychology has made significant contributions regarding the affective and communicative exchanges between parents and children during early stages of life and their implications for the formation of emotional bonds. The objective of this study is to describe the development and preliminary analysis of a new observation scale called: Quality of Interaction and Secure Attachment Potential (CIPAS), which aims to simply integrate the different parameters of the interactive relationship between attachment figures and children in early childhood. The construction process and initial psychometric analyses from a pilot sample are presented. The results showed very high inter-rater reliability, with an overall kappa value of κ=0.88. The relevance of CIPAS is discussed not only as a valuable tool for developmental psychology research but also as an effective instrument to guide educational practices in promoting secure attachment and quality interaction in young children.

Investigating Digital Workspaces: Ethnographic Obstacles and Insights

Purpose- The current study investigates the intricacies of conducting digital workplace ethnography within professional environments, focusing on the critical challenges posed by technological constraints, increased digital workloads, the complexities of navigating virtual ecosystems, and limitations in remote collaboration tools and employee digital literacy. Design/methodology/approach- A mixed-methods research framework encompassed qualitative and quantitative methods. The study involved a pilot sample of 120 participants from a private IT firm, representing diverse roles including employees, managers, and IT professionals. To capture the breadth of digital challenges, structured interviews were administered, probing the participants' interactions with digital tools and assessing the organization’s broader digital culture. Statistical analyses, including correlation and chi-square tests, were utilized to evaluate the relationships between the impact of digital transformation on workplace collaboration and organizational adaptability. Findings-The research findings deliver a detailed exploration of these technological and cultural barriers and their broader consequences for the organization's operational efficacy. Research limitations/implications- Strategic implications are provided, which emphasize the enhancement of digital infrastructure, workforce training, and leadership development initiatives to foster a more resilient and adaptive digital work environment. Originality/value- This study explored workplace challenges within the realm of digital innovation. Drawing from existing research, it presents a solution to the existing problem in the form of Adopting Flexible Work Practices: and enhancing Digital Literacy with Training.

First Results from the Dragonfly Ultrawide Survey: The Largest 11 Quenched Diffuse Dwarf Galaxies in 3100 deg2 with Spectroscopic Confirmation

The Dragonfly Telephoto Array employs a unique design to detect very large and diffuse galaxies that might be missed with conventional telescopes. The Dragonfly Ultrawide Survey (DFUWS) is a new wide-field survey that will cover 10,000 deg2 of the northern sky, and it provides an ideal data set to find these large diffuse galaxies. From 3100 deg2 of DFUWS data, we identified 11 large, low surface brightness galaxies as a pilot sample for spectroscopic follow-up. These are the largest galaxies in the examined area that appear smooth and isolated, with effective radii of 12″–27″. Eight are below 24 magarcsec−2 in central g-band surface brightness. Keck Cosmic Web Imager spectra of the diffuse light show that all 11 galaxies in this sample are quiescent, and seven qualify as ultradiffuse galaxies (UDGs). Eight galaxies have distances between 15 and 30 Mpc, while the other three are in the Pegasus cluster at 50 Mpc. Their spectra show evidence of a ∼1 Gyr old stellar population in addition to an even older stellar population. The intermediate-age component is present in group and satellite galaxies but not in the Pegasus cluster UDGs. All galaxies in this sample are detected in both Dragonfly and Legacy imaging, and the sample partially overlaps with existing UDG catalogs. This pilot sample provides an excellent training set for our analysis of the upcoming full 10,000 deg2 DFUWS data, from which we may expect to discover even larger, previously unknown galaxies.

Who Would Taste It? Exploring Decision-Making Styles and Intention to Eat Insect-Based Food among Italian University Students

Background: Although insect-based foods (IBFs) have been recently proposed as a way to face climate crisis and starvation, they encounter aversion from Western countries, which express fear, disgust, and high risk. The contribution of psychology research to food choices highlights how decisions are made, not only through reasoned attitudes and goal-directed behavior, but also through more automatic associations (dual-system models). Methods: In this paper, we investigated people’s dispositions towards IBFs by combining (a) explicit attitudes (as assessed via self-report scales), (b) automatic associations (as measured via indirect measures), and (c) intention to taste, and comparing different profiles based on (d) psychological factors, including decision-making style, food neophobia, and trust in science and scientist. A pilot sample of 175 Italian university students participated in the study. Results: The analyses of the general sample highlighted rather negative attitudes. The cluster analysis identified 4 decision-making profiles: ‘the gut feeling’, ‘the suspicious’, ‘the vicarious’, and ‘the mind’. It revealed more favorable opinions in ‘the mind’ profile, characterized by a rational decision-making style and high trust in science, and very aversive reactions from ‘the suspicious’ profile, characterized by high food neophobia and low trust in science. Conclusions: The results underline the importance of psychological factors in interpreting people’s reactions to IBF and changes in dietary habits based on the decision-making process. They suggest possible strategies to promote eco-friendly diets.

Development and validation of an instrument to evaluate the perspective of using the electronic health record in a hospital setting

BackgroundEvaluating healthcare information systems, such as the Electronic Health Records (EHR), is both challenging and essential, especially in resource-limited countries. This study aims to psychometrically develop and validate an instrument (questionnaire) to assess the factors influencing the successful adoption of the EHR system by healthcare professionals in Moroccan university hospitals.MethodsThe questionnaire validation process occurred in two main stages. Initially, data collected from a pilot sample of 164 participants underwent analysis using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to evaluate the validity and reliability of the retained factor structure. Subsequently, the validity of the overall measurement model was confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a sample of 368 healthcare professionals.ResultsThe structure of the modified HOT-fit model, comprising seven constructs (System Quality, Information Quality, Information technology Service Quality, User Satisfaction, Organization, Environment, and Clinical Performance), was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. Absolute, incremental, and parsimonious fit indices all indicated an appropriate level of acceptability, affirming the robustness of the measurement model. Additionally, the instrument demonstrated adequate reliability and convergent validity, with composite reliability values ranging from 0.75 to 0.89 and average variance extracted (AVE) values ranging from 0.51 to 0.63. Furthermore, the square roots of AVE values exceeded the correlations between different pairs of constructs, and the heterotrait-monotrait ratio of correlations (HTMT) was below 0.85, confirming suitable discriminant validity.ConclusionsThe resulting instrument, due to its rigorous development and validation process, can serve as a reliable and valid tool for assessing the success of information technologies in similar contexts.

Three-outcome designs for external pilot trials with progression criteria

BackgroundWhether or not to progress from a pilot study to a definitive trial is often guided by pre-specified quantitative progression criteria with three possible outcomes. Although the choice of these progression criteria will help to determine the statistical properties of the pilot trial, there is a lack of research examining how they, or the pilot sample size, should be determined.MethodsWe review three-outcome trial designs originally proposed in the phase II oncology setting and extend these to the case of external pilots, proposing a unified framework based on univariate hypothesis tests and the control of frequentist error rates. We apply this framework to an example and compare against a simple two-outcome alternative.ResultsWe find that three-outcome designs can be used in the pilot setting, although they are not generally more efficient than simpler two-outcome alternatives. We show that three-outcome designs can help allow for other sources of information or other stakeholders to feed into progression decisions in the event of a borderline result, but this will come at the cost of a larger pilot sample size than the two-outcome case. We also show that three-outcome designs can be used to allow adjustments to be made to the intervention or trial design before commencing the definitive trial, providing the effect of the adjustment can be accurately predicted at the pilot design stage. An R package, tout, is provided to optimise progression criteria and pilot sample size.ConclusionsThe proposed three-outcome framework provides a way to optimise pilot trial progression criteria and sample size in a way that leads to desired operating characteristics. It can be applied whether or not an adjustment following the pilot trial is anticipated, but will generally lead to larger sample size requirements than simpler two-outcome alternatives.

Punishment after Life: How Attitudes about Longer-than-Life Sentences Expose the Rules of Retribution.

Prison sentences that exceed the natural lifespan present a puzzle because they have no more power to deter or incapacitate than a single life sentence. In three survey experiments, we tested the extent to which participants support these longer-than-life sentences under different decision contexts. In Experiment 1, 130 undergraduates made hypothetical prison sentence-length recommendations for a serious criminal offender, warranting two sentences to be served either concurrently or consecutively. Using a nationally representative sample (N = 182) and an undergraduate pilot sample (N = 260), participants in Experiments 2 and 3 voted on a hypothetical ballot measure to either allow or prohibit the use of consecutive life sentences. Results from all experiments revealed that, compared to concurrent life sentences participants supported the use of consecutive life sentences for serious offenders. In addition, they adjusted these posthumous years in response to mitigating factors in a manner that was indistinguishable from ordinary sentences (Experiment 1), and their support for consecutive life sentencing policies persisted, regardless of the default choice and whether the policy was costly to implement (Experiments 2 and 3). These judgment patterns were most consistent with retributive punishment heuristics and have implications for sentencing policy and for theories of punishment behavior.

PrEP Stigma as a Minority Stressor among Black Sexual Minority Men: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Black sexual minority men (BSMM) remain disproportionately affected by HIV, yet Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake in this population remains relatively low. Informed by minority stress theory, PrEP stigma may manifest in and exacerbate societal marginalization based on sexuality and race. We used an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach to determine if PrEP-specific stigma was associated with reduced PrEP uptake among BSMM, and qualitatively explored how PrEP use is stigmatized among BSMM. We analyzed cross-sectional data from a pilot sample of BSMM (n = 151) collected in late 2020 in the United States, testing for associations between PrEP stigma and PrEP use using modified Poisson regression. Subsequently, we selected participants (n = 23) from this sample for qualitative interviews starting in 2022. Responses to questions related to PrEP stigma were analyzed using thematic analysis. PrEP stigma was associated less than half the PrEP use (aPR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.24, 0.75) among BSMM after adjustment. Qualitatively, we identified three major themes in how PrEP use is stigmatized among BSMM: PrEP-specific sexual stigma, intersections between PrEP and HIV stigma, and PrEP misinformation and disinformation. Aligned with minority stress theory, each theme was based in part in stigma related to sexuality or race. We found strong relationships between PrEP stigma and PrEP use independent of several sociobehavioral factors. Each of our themes were based in part in minority stressors, and underscore the importance of culturally competent PrEP promotion efforts towards BSMM. Addressing stigma is a core component of health equity efforts towards ending the HIV epidemic.

Adapting the Meaning of Home Questionnaire for People with Dementia: Initial Empirical Testing of Practicability and Psychometric Properties

Most people with dementia prefer to remain in their homes for as long as possible, despite facing various challenges in daily life due to cognitive decline. Until now, the meaning of home in this target group has primarily been explored through qualitative interviews. The objective of the current study was to modify the Meaning of Home Questionnaire for use with individuals with dementia and to provide an initial evaluation of psychometric characteristics. In study 1, the questionnaire was simplified in several steps and dementia-specific items were added, including testing in a pilot sample of cognitively impaired individuals (N = 30). Study 2 explored the factorial structure of the new questionnaire in a cognitively unimpaired sample (N = 574), suggesting a 21-item version with five factors: comfort, everydayness, sociability, overwhelm, and autonomy. Currently, a study with a sizable sample of cognitively impaired individuals is being conducted to further validate the questionnaire and develop a final version for its implementation. It can help to understand the needs of individuals with dementia at home, facilitating the development of support strategies for remaining at home or adapting to a new home for a smoother settling-in process.

Lessons Learned from a Community-led, Pilot Teletherapy Group for Older Women Living with Depression and HIV.

Older women with HIV face challenges to their quality of life, including neurocognitive decline, early-onset menopause, and chronic health issues. Chief among these concerns is depression, the most common psychiatric comorbidity among people living with HIV, with rates twice as high among women as men. However, tailored interventions among older women living with HIV and depression are lacking. Following the ADAPT-ITT framework to adapt existing interventions for cultural relevance among groups of people living with HIV, the study team revised an evidence-based intervention, the 'Stress Management and Relaxation Training/Expressive Supportive Therapy Women's Project (SMART/EST),' for online implementation. Working with two community stakeholders, the study team conducted focus groups, theater testing, and manual adaptation. This resulted in the development of e-SMART/EST, an online teletherapy group co-facilitated by a Licensed Psychologist and a credentialed Peer Counselor. The adapted, eight-session weekly intervention was tested with an exploratory pilot sample of eight older women (55 years and older) with HIV and depression. Participants rated the acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of the intervention, as well as symptoms of depression and HIV-related quality of life before and after the group. The e-SMART/EST Women's Project demonstrated high acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness. Engagement was high, as women attended an average of 6.8 sessions. In qualitative interviews, participants reported peer co-facilitation, culturally relevant themes (e.g., HIV-related minority stress, critical consciousness, grief, and sex and pleasure), mindfulness techniques, and cohesion with other women as main favorable elements of the intervention. Barriers to online implementation included technological issues, distractions due to remote participation, and hindered emotional attunement compared with in-person group therapy. Findings support further research to test similar interventions in full-scale trials with older women living with depression and HIV.

Medical Marijuana Documentation Practices in Patient Electronic Health Records: A Retrospective Observational Study Using Smart Data Elements and Chart Review.

Medical Marijuana (MMJ) is available in Pennsylvania (PA) and participation in the state-regulated program requires a patient to register and receive certification by an approved physician. There is currently no integration of MMJ certification data in PA into health records that would allow for clinicians to rapidly identify patients that are using MMJ, as there are with other scheduled drugs. This absence of a formal data sharing structure necessitates tools that aid in consistent documentation practices to enable comprehensive patient care. Customized smart data elements (SDEs) were made available to clinicians at an integrated health system, Geisinger, following MMJ legalization in PA. The purpose of this project was to examine and contextualize the use of MMJ SDEs in the Geisinger population. We accomplished this goal by developing a systematic chart review protocol, with the goal of creating a tool that resulted in consistent human data extraction. We developed a chart review protocol for extracting MMJ-related information. The protocol was developed between August to December of 2022 and focused on a patient group that received one of several MMJ SDEs between 1/25/2019 and 5/26/2022. Characteristics were first identified on a small pilot sample of patients (n=5), which were then iteratively reviewed to optimize for consistency. Following the pilot, two reviewers were assigned 200 patient charts, selected randomly from the larger cohort, with a third reviewer examining a subsample (n=30) to determine reliability. We then summarized the clinician-level and patient-level features from 156 charts with a table-format SDE that best captured MMJ information. We found the chart review protocol was feasible for those with minimal medical background to complete, with high inter-rater reliability (Kappa = .966 (P<.001), 95% CI (.954 - .978)). MMJ certification was largely documented by nurses and medical assistants (88.5%) and typically within primary care settings (68.6%). The SDE has six pre-set field prompts with heterogeneous documentation completion rates, including certifying conditions (93.6%), product (92.9%), authorized dispensary (87.8%), active ingredient (83.3%), certifying provider (61.5%), and dosage (30.8%). We found pre-set fields were overall well-recorded (76.6% across all fields). Primary diagnostic codes recorded at documentation encounters varied, with the most frequent being routine exams and testing (21.8%), musculoskeletal/nervous conditions (13.5%), and signs and symptoms not classified elsewhere (13.5%). This method of chart review yields high quality data extraction that can serve as a model for other health record inquiries. Our evaluation showed relatively high completeness of SDE fields, primarily by clinical staff responsible for rooming patients. Additional data captured presents an overview of the conditions under which MMJ is currently being documented. Improving adoption and fidelity of SDE data collection may present a valuable data source for future research on patient MMJ use, treatment efficacy, and outcomes.

Psychometric evaluation of the Arabic version of the heart failure-specific health literacy scale in a socio-politically challenged setting.

Low levels of formal education among Lebanese people with HF were reported. Additionally, limited discharge education is provided to this population. Therefore, it was necessary to evaluate the health literacy levels among this population following the translation of the heart failure-specific health literacy scale into Arabic and to evaluate its psychometric properties in the Lebanese setting. A cross-sectional design conducted on participants from the community with confirmed cases of heart failure. A research team was trained for data collection. Following securing participants' consents, baseline sociodemographic characteristics and the Arabic version of the heart failure-specific health literacy scale were administered. Data collection took place between June and December 2022. A pilot sample analysis was done to confirm homogeneity between the English and the Arabic versions. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to evaluate content and construct validity of the scale. Cronbach alpha was done to evaluate reliability. The pilot analysis confirmed homogeneity of the items of the Arabic and English versions of the scale. The final sample of 343 participants was randomly divided to two parts for each of the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The mean age was 64 years with the majority being male participants. In terms of exploratory factor analysis, the three subscales of the literacy scale explained 60% of the variance. The best acceptable fit was found on 11 items of the scale after dropping the 10th item from the analysis. The Cronbach alpha of the scale was 0.68. The Arabic version of the heart failure-specific health literacy scale was evaluated to be a valid and reliable tool. Further analysis should be done on the dropped item, and correlations should be done with significant variables such as self-care. STROBE checklist. No patient/public contribution. Participants with heart failure were shown to have low levels of literacy in Lebanon. Additionally, low literacy levels are also common among Lebanese older adults living in high income, Western Countries. Therefore, this valid and reliable scale can be used to evaluate health literacy among people with heart failure in Lebanon and among Lebanese and other Arabic-speaking older adults globally.

A false reactive hepatitis B surface antigen result due to dislodged gel from Vacutainer

Abstract: Preanalytical variables play a key role in the correctness of laboratory test results. We report a false reactive result for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) on serological testing with a relatively low OD. The pilot sample was collected in yellow top BD Vacutainer® (SST™ II Advance 5 mL tube) with separator gel and was marked for serological testing. It was centrifuged at 7000 rpm for 30 min. Serological testing was performed by chemiluminescence on Abbott Architect Plus i1000SR with Abbott kits for HBsAg, anti-HIV, and anti-HCV. This particular sample tested reactive for HBsAg with S/CO of 1.91, S/CO for HBsAgQ2NC (Negative kit control) being 0.19 and that of HBsAgQ2PC (Positive kit control) being 3.65. Repeat testing from the same Vacutainer was also reactive for HBsAg with S/CO of 2.10. Nucleic acid testing was performed and was found to be nonreactive. We repeated serological testing with a sample from fresh frozen plasma of the same donor unit. It was nonreactive. Cross contamination was ruled out by repeat testing of two serial samples before and after this unit number. The serum showed an unusual appearance on visual inspection after centrifugation. By exclusion, we concluded that the gel probably got partially dislodged into the serum, giving a relatively low reading and false reactive result for HBsAg. This highlights the possibility of inert gel not always being inert, the importance of repeat testing from a different sample in case of low reading, the importance of visual inspection, a need for manufacturers and laboratory personnel to consider such preanalytical variables which, though not much mentioned in literature, can affect test results. These results have a multi-fold impact on the donor or patient’s mindset, treatment outcome and/or fate of blood donation. These are definitely preventable if more such guidelines are made available for handy reference in handling such results.

A micro-geoarchaeological look at adaptive and glocal socio-economic aspects: the case of Middle Bronze Age Tel Dor, Israel

Adaptative mechanisms used by coastal urban Middle Bronze Age (MBA) settlements in the southern Levant are regularly studied from the point of view of maritime connectivity. Here we look into the adaptive mechanisms of MBA Tel Dor by investigating the utilization of geogenic (rock, soil, sediment) resources for construction — materials used for wall foundations, mudbrick superstructure and wall plaster — and for pottery making. The composition and fabric of archaeological materials were compared to those of local natural sediments from two boreholes. The results show that stones for wall construction relied on the local kurkar, that red-coloured mudbricks were produced from local Carmel coast sediments, while beige-coloured mudbricks were produced by mixing local red sediments with non-coastal calcareous rock fragments, and that wall plaster was made of non-coastal geogenic marl. From a small pilot sample of pottery, six petrofabrics were identified, including the local Carmel coast, along with five other, distant, production centres. These characteristics suggest that while the site’s inhabitants utilized local resources, they were firmly interconnected with regional, ‘global’, Mediterranean networks, suggesting MBA Dor was a glocalized society, and that diversification of resources served as a promotor of resilience for this coastal society, allowing it to thrive for millennia.

Leaving Against Medical Advice: Current Problems and Plausible Solutions.

Leave against medical advice (LAMA) is defined as 'a decision to leave the hospital before the treating physician recommends discharge', and is associated with higher rates of readmission, longer subsequent hospitalization, and worse health outcomes. In addition to this, they also contribute to poor healthcare resource utilization. We conducted a single-center audit to establishpatient demographics and contributing factors of patients leaving against medical advice from our emergency department (ED). We benchmarked our data against locally available clinical policy guidelines.We interrogated our electronic health record system (known as Salamtak®), which is a Cerner-based platform (Cerner Corporation, Kansas City, MO 64138)for patients who signed LAMA from ED from 2018 to 2023. We selected a convenience pilot sample of 120 subjects. Based on a literature review, we identified patient demographics (age, gender, nationality, socioeconomic status, marital status, religion), possible contributing factors (time of attendance, insurance status, length of ED stay), and patient outcomes (reattendances within 1 week and mortality) to evaluate. Based on locally available guidance, we formulated six criteria to audit with a standard set at 100% for each. A team of emergency medicine residents collected data that was anonymized on an Excel spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel,Microsoft Corporation. (2018). Basic descriptive statistics were used to collate results. About 93 patients (77.5%) were 16 years and above, and 27 patients (22.5%) were below 16 years. There was a slight preponderance of males (64 patients, 53.3%) than females (56 patients, 46.6%). The majority of LAMA cases presented in the evening and night (97 patients, 80.8%). About 57 (47.5%) patients had an ED length of stay of 3 hours or more. The average ED length of stay for these patients was 3.4 hours. About 73 patients (60.3%) were insured. Out of 120 patients, only 12 (10%) had a mental capacity assessment documented. The commonest reason for signing LAMA was a social reason in 45 (37.5%) cases. In the remaining cases, the causes were a combination of family, financial, waiting, or other/undocumented reasons). When faced with a decision to LAMA, the involvement of a Public Relationship Officer (PRO) was only documented to be consulted in seven (5.8%) cases. About 14 cases were re-attended within 1 week (11.6%) and no mortalities were reported in any of the reattendances. LAMA is a not-so-rare phenomenon often occurring in EDs, and often a cause of trepidation for healthcare workers. Treating this as an aberrant behavior on the part of the patient, or laying the responsibility for this action on the healthcare provider is primitive, counter-productive, and not patient-centric. Familiarity with local guidelines around this contentious area is essential. Revised nomenclature like 'premature discharge' may be less stigmatizing for the patient.Where possible, a harm reduction approach should be used and frontline healthcare workers must be prepared with an escalation plan.In the United Arab Emirates, familiarity with Wadeema's Law as a child protection measure is essential.

Standardized risk levels for violent recidivism risk assessed with the HCR-20: an exploration

ABSTRACT Risk assessment plays an important role in forensic mental health care. The way the conclusions of those risk assessments are communicated varies considerably across instruments. In an effort to make them more comparable, Hanson, R. K., Bourgon, G., McGrath, R., Kroner, D. D., Amora, D. A., Thomas, S. S., & Tavarez, L. P. [2017. A five-level risk and needs system: Maximizing assessment results in corrections through the development of a common language. The Council of State Governments Justice Center. https://csgjusticecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/A-Five-Level-Risk-and-Needs-System_Report.pdf] developed the Five-Level Risk and Needs System, placing the conclusions of different instruments along five theoretically meaningful levels. The current study explores a Five-Level Risk and Needs system for violent recidivism to which the numerical codings of the HCR-20 Version 2 and its successor, the HCR-20V3 are calibrated, using a combined sample from six previous studies for the HCR-20 Version 2 (n = 411 males with a violent index offence) and a pilot sample for the HCR-20V3 (n = 66 males with a violent index offence). Baselines for the five levels were defined by a combination of theoretical (e.g. expert meetings) and empirical (e.g. literature review) considerations. The calibration of the HCR-20 Version 2 was able to detect four levels, from a combined level I/II to an adjusted level V. The provisional calibration of the HCR-20V3 showed a substantial overlap with the HCR-20 Version 2, with each level boundary having a 2-point difference. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Joint exome and metabolome analysis in individuals with dyslexia: Evidence for associated dysregulations of olfactory perception and autoimmune functions.

Dyslexia is a learning disability that negatively affects reading, writing, and spelling development at the word level in 5%-9% of children. The phenotype is variable and complex, involving several potential cognitive and physical concomitants such as sensory dysregulation and immunodeficiencies. The biological pathogenesis is not well-understood. Toward a better understanding of the biological drivers of dyslexia, we conducted the first joint exome and metabolome investigation in a pilot sample of 30 participants with dyslexia and 13 controls. In this analysis, eight metabolites of interest emerged (pyridoxine, kynurenic acid, citraconic acid, phosphocreatine, hippuric acid, xylitol, 2-deoxyuridine, and acetylcysteine). A metabolite-metabolite interaction analysis identified Krebs cycle intermediates that may be implicated in the development of dyslexia. Gene ontology analysis based on exome variants resulted in several pathways of interest, including the sensory perception of smell (olfactory) and immune system-related responses. In the joint exome and metabolite analysis, the olfactory transduction pathway emerged as the primary pathway of interest. Although the olfactory transduction and Krebs cycle pathways have not previously been described in dyslexia literature, these pathways have been implicated in other neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, suggesting the possibility of these pathways playing a role in dyslexia as well. Immune system response pathways, on the other hand, have been implicated in both dyslexia and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Key modifiable risk factors for self-medication among university students: An observational study

BackgroundSelf-medication among university students is becoming a health concern, especially during examinations and stress. This pattern of medication use among students could lead to adverse health consequences if it is not addressed and tackled. Thus, this study investigated the most associated factors with this practice among students. MethodsAn observational cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in Northern Borders Province, Saudi Arabia. A total of 220 students were selected and took part in the survey. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The survey was distributed among participants to answer five sections: demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health status problems, satisfaction with academic performance, and self-medication questions. The content validity was tested using a pilot sample of 30 students. The descriptive, univariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Science program. ResultsIn the present sample of university students, the response rate was 100%. Approximately one-third reported using medications without prescriptions, and 83% of them have used medications three times at most during the past 12 months. Headache was the most common reason for use (59%), followed by fever (20%). Adjusted multivariate analysis showed that students who were 21–24 years of age (OR = 3.79, 95% CI = 1.21–11.82), female (OR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.03–5.72), and living alone in private housing (OR = 3.62, 95% CI = 1.32–9.90) were at high risk of self-medication as compared to their counterparts. However, students in the last years of college (fourth (OR = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.03–0.62), fifth (OR = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.05–0.95), sixth (OR = 0.05, 95% CI = 0.01–0.35)) were at lower risk as compared to their counterparts. ConclusionThe study found that self-medication was common among university students, with higher rates among those who were 21–24 years old, female, and living alone in private housing, but lower rates among students in the later years of college. Educational programs and awareness campaigns should target students who are at higher risk of practicing self-medication to avoid misuse of over-the-counter medications.

Dark progenitors and massive descendants: A first ALMA perspective of radio-selected near-IR-dark galaxies in the COSMOS field

We present the first spectroscopic ALMA follow-up for a pilot sample of nine radio-selected near-IR-dark galaxies in the COSMOS field. These sources were initially selected as radio-detected sources (S3 GHz &gt; 12.65 μJy) without an optical or near-IR (NIR) counterpart in the COSMOS2015 catalog (Ks ≳ 24.7 mag), and just three of them were subsequently detected in the deeper COSMOS2020. Several studies highlighted that this selection could provide a population of highly dust-obscured, massive, and star-bursting galaxies. With these new ALMA observations, we assess the spectroscopic redshifts of this pilot sample of sources and improve the quality of the physical properties estimated through SED-fitting. Moreover, we measure the quantity of molecular gas inside these galaxies and forecast their potential evolutionary path, finding that the radio-selected NIR-dark galaxies might likely represent a population of high-z progenitors of the massive and passive galaxies that were discovered at z ∼ 3. Finally, we present some initial constraints on the kinematics of the interstellar medium within the analyzed galaxies, reporting a high fraction (∼55%) of double-peaked lines that can be interpreted as the signature of a rotating structure in our targets or as the presence of major mergers in our sample. The results we present here show the scientific potential of (sub)mm observations for this elusive population of galaxies and highlight the potential contribution of these sources to the evolution of the massive and passive galaxies at high z.

AGEL: Is the Conflict Real? Investigating Galaxy Evolution Models Using Strong Lensing at 0.3 < z < 0.9

Observed evolution of the total mass distribution with redshift is crucial to testing galaxy evolution theories. To measure the total mass distribution, strong gravitational lenses complement the resolved dynamical observations that are currently limited to z ≲ 0.5. Here we present the lens models for a pilot sample of seven galaxy-scale lenses from the ASTRO3D Galaxy Evolution with Lenses (AGEL) survey. The AGEL lenses, modeled using HST/WFC3-F140W images with Gravitational Lens Efficient Explorer (GLEE) software, have deflector redshifts in the range 0.3 < z defl < 0.9. Assuming a power-law density profile with slope γ, we measure the total density profile for the deflector galaxies via lens modeling. We also measure the stellar velocity dispersions (σ obs) for four lenses and obtain σ obs from SDSS-BOSS for the remaining lenses to test our lens models by comparing observed and model-predicted velocity dispersions. For the seven AGEL lenses, we measure an average density profile slope of −1.95 ± 0.09 and a γ–z relation that does not evolve with redshift at z < 1. Although our result is consistent with some observations and simulations, it differs from other studies at z < 1 that suggest the γ–z relation evolves with redshift. The apparent conflicts among observations and simulations may be due to a combination of (1) systematics in the lensing and dynamical modeling; (2) challenges in comparing observations with simulations; and (3) assuming a simple power law for the total mass distribution. By providing more lenses at z defl > 0.5, the AGEL survey will provide stronger constraints on whether the mass profiles evolve with redshift as predicted by current theoretical models.