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1.
Child Dev ; 2024 May 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38773817

ABSTRACT

Children and adults express greater confidence in the existence of invisible scientific as compared to invisible religious entities. To further examine this differential confidence, 5- to 11-year-old Turkish children and their parents (N = 174, 122 females) from various regions in Türkiye, a country with an ongoing tension between secularism and religion, were tested in 2021 for their belief in invisible entities. Participants expressed more confidence in the existence of scientific than religious entities. For scientific entities, children justified their belief primarily by elaborating on the properties of the entity, rather than referring to the testimonial source of their judgment. This pattern was reversed for religious entities, arguably, highlighting the role of polarization in shaping the testimony children typically hear.

2.
J Clin Transl Sci ; 8(1): e75, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38715567

ABSTRACT

Background: There is no consensus on how to determine appropriate financial compensation for research recruitment. Selecting incentive amounts that are reasonable and respectful, without undue inducement, remains challenging. Previously, we demonstrated that incentive amount significantly impacts participants' willingness to complete various hypothetical research activities. Here we further explore this relationship in a mock decentralized study. Methods: Adult ResearchMatch volunteers were invited to join a prospective study where interested individuals were given an opportunity to view details for a study along with participation requirements, then offered a randomly generated compensation amount between $0 and $50 to enroll and participate. Individuals agreeing to participate were then asked to complete tasks using a remote mobile application (MyCap), for two weeks. Tasks included a weekly survey, a daily gratitude journal and daily phone tapping task. Results: Willingness to participate was 85% across all incentive levels but not significantly impacted by amount. Task completion appeared to increase as a function of compensation until a plateau at $25. While participants described the study as low burden and reported that compensation was moderately important to their decision to join, only 31% completed all study tasks. Conclusion: While offering compensation in this study did not have a strong effect on enrollment rate, this work provides insight into participant motivation when joining and participating in studies employing mobile applications.

3.
Aesthet Surg J ; 2024 Apr 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38621023

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Implant malposition is a well-recognized complication when using prosthetic implants in the breast for both reconstructive and aesthetic indications. However, to date, no objective classification system has been described. OBJECTIVES: This study presents a prospective trial of an objective and reproducible classification system for implant malposition formulated using retrospective data from a large cohort of patients with implant malposition. METHODS: The authors retrospectively analyzed the degree of medial/lateral and inferior/superior implant malposition relative to their optimal position within the breast footprint in a series of 189 breasts (n = 100 patients). An objective classification system for implant malposition was devised and then applied to a prospective cohort of 53 breasts in 28 patients with implant malposition. RESULTS: The degree of malposition in a single or combination of axes was categorised according to the distance from the ideal breast footprint and measured in centimeters (cms). The classification system incorporated the axis of malposition and distance to generate a treatment decision-making guide. Cases of Grade 1 malposition did not warrant surgical intervention, whilst surgical correction was warranted in all Grade 3 cases.In the combined patient cohort (n = 242 breasts, 128 patients), lateral, inferior, medial and superior displacement ranged between grades 1-3. There was no inter-observer variability in the grades assigned to nine out of ten patients in the prospective group. CONCLUSIONS: We have created a simple and reproducible classification system for implant malposition that allows surgeons to objectively record the extent of malposition, guides surgical decision-making and can be used to document the results of any intervention.

4.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38622899

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: With its size and diversity, the All of Us Research Program has the potential to power and improve representation in clinical trials through ancillary studies like Nutrition for Precision Health. We sought to characterize high-level trial opportunities for the diverse participants and sponsors of future trial investment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We matched All of Us participants with available trials on ClinicalTrials.gov based on medical conditions, age, sex, and geographic location. Based on the number of matched trials, we (1) developed the Trial Opportunities Compass (TOC) to help sponsors assess trial investment portfolios, (2) characterized the landscape of trial opportunities in a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS), and (3) assessed the relationship between trial opportunities and social determinants of health (SDoH) to identify potential barriers to trial participation. RESULTS: Our study included 181 529 All of Us participants and 18 634 trials. The TOC identified opportunities for portfolio investment and gaps in currently available trials across federal, industrial, and academic sponsors. PheWAS results revealed an emphasis on mental disorder-related trials, with anxiety disorder having the highest adjusted increase in the number of matched trials (59% [95% CI, 57-62]; P < 1e-300). Participants from certain communities underrepresented in biomedical research, including self-reported racial and ethnic minorities, had more matched trials after adjusting for other factors. Living in a nonmetropolitan area was associated with up to 13.1 times fewer matched trials. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: All of Us data are a valuable resource for identifying trial opportunities to inform trial portfolio planning. Characterizing these opportunities with consideration for SDoH can provide guidance on prioritizing the most pressing barriers to trial participation.

5.
J Healthc Inform Res ; 8(2): 438-461, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38681753

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Phenotyping is critical for informing rare disease diagnosis and treatment, but disease phenotypes are often embedded in unstructured text. While natural language processing (NLP) can automate extraction, a major bottleneck is developing annotated corpora. Recently, prompt learning with large language models (LLMs) has been shown to lead to generalizable results without any (zero-shot) or few annotated samples (few-shot), but none have explored this for rare diseases. Our work is the first to study prompt learning for identifying and extracting rare disease phenotypes in the zero- and few-shot settings. Methods: We compared the performance of prompt learning with ChatGPT and fine-tuning with BioClinicalBERT. We engineered novel prompts for ChatGPT to identify and extract rare diseases and their phenotypes (e.g., diseases, symptoms, and signs), established a benchmark for evaluating its performance, and conducted an in-depth error analysis. Results: Overall, fine-tuning BioClinicalBERT resulted in higher performance (F1 of 0.689) than ChatGPT (F1 of 0.472 and 0.610 in the zero- and few-shot settings, respectively). However, ChatGPT achieved higher accuracy for rare diseases and signs in the one-shot setting (F1 of 0.778 and 0.725). Conversational, sentence-based prompts generally achieved higher accuracy than structured lists. Conclusion: Prompt learning using ChatGPT has the potential to match or outperform fine-tuning BioClinicalBERT at extracting rare diseases and signs with just one annotated sample. Given its accessibility, ChatGPT could be leveraged to extract these entities without relying on a large, annotated corpus. While LLMs can support rare disease phenotyping, researchers should critically evaluate model outputs to ensure phenotyping accuracy.

6.
PLoS One ; 19(4): e0301983, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38687706

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: While the putative benefits of "fitness trackers" continue to fuel a booming consumer market, results of device-based clinical interventions remain remarkably mixed. This study will explore factors influencing wearable physical activity (PA) sensor use in the context of stroke prevention and rehabilitation for older adults. The findings of this thematic synthesis will provide insights into factors influencing the use of PA sensors in stroke which may inform more effective device-based interventions. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Thematic synthesis as a formal method described by Thomas and Arden can be used within a systematic review to synthesize primary qualitative research. Accordingly, the proposed study will systematically search bibliographic databases for relevant peer-reviewed papers and synthesize coded thematic data within included papers. The quality of papers will be assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Patterns in the text will be coded, preliminary data visualised, and higher-level analytical themes discerned to explain factors influencing the use of PA sensors in older stroke patients. DISCUSSION: This study does not require ethics approval. Results are expected to be available by June 2024. Data from the thematic synthesis will provide insights into barriers and facilitators influencing the use of wearable PA sensors in stroke and older adults at risk, and implications these factors have for the design of effective device-based interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Systematic review registration: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020211472. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020211472.


Subject(s)
Exercise , Stroke Rehabilitation , Stroke , Humans , Stroke Rehabilitation/methods , Stroke/prevention & control , Fitness Trackers , Wearable Electronic Devices
7.
J Clin Transl Sci ; 8(1): e40, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38476242

ABSTRACT

Empowering the Participant Voice (EPV) is an NCATS-funded six-CTSA collaboration to develop, demonstrate, and disseminate a low-cost infrastructure for collecting timely feedback from research participants, fostering trust, and providing data for improving clinical translational research. EPV leverages the validated Research Participant Perception Survey (RPPS) and the popular REDCap electronic data-capture platform. This report describes the development of infrastructure designed to overcome identified institutional barriers to routinely collecting participant feedback using RPPS and demonstration use cases. Sites engaged local stakeholders iteratively, incorporating feedback about anticipated value and potential concerns into project design. The team defined common standards and operations, developed software, and produced a detailed planning and implementation Guide. By May 2023, 2,575 participants diverse in age, race, ethnicity, and sex had responded to approximately 13,850 survey invitations (18.6%); 29% of responses included free-text comments. EPV infrastructure enabled sites to routinely access local and multi-site research participant experience data on an interactive analytics dashboard. The EPV learning collaborative continues to test initiatives to improve survey reach and optimize infrastructure and process. Broad uptake of EPV will expand the evidence base, enable hypothesis generation, and drive research-on-research locally and nationally to enhance the clinical research enterprise.

8.
Vaccines (Basel) ; 12(3)2024 Mar 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38543955

ABSTRACT

The Marburg virus (MARV), the virus responsible for Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF), is considered a top-priority pathogen for vaccine development. Recent outbreaks in Equatorial Africa have highlighted the urgency of MARV because of its high fatality rate and historical concerns about potential weaponization. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines for MARV. Existing vaccine candidates rely on attenuated recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus carrying MARV glycoprotein (VSVΔG) or the chimpanzee replication-defective adenovirus 3 vector ChAd3-MARV. Although these platforms provide significant protection in animal models, they face challenges because of their limited thermal stability and the need for cold storage during deployment in resource-poor areas. An alternative approach involves using adjuvanted poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles loaded with synthetic peptides representing MHC class I-restricted T cell epitopes. This vaccine platform has demonstrated effectiveness in protecting against SARS-CoV-2 and EBoV disease in animal models and has the advantage of not requiring cold storage and remaining stable at room temperature for over six months. This report outlines the design, manufacturing, and in vivo immunogenicity testing of PLGA microparticle human vaccines designed to prevent Marburg hemorrhagic fever.

9.
JAMA Netw Open ; 7(3): e243821, 2024 Mar 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38536175

ABSTRACT

Importance: Despite consistent public health recommendations, obesity rates in the US continue to increase. Physical activity recommendations do not account for individual genetic variability, increasing risk of obesity. Objective: To use activity, clinical, and genetic data from the All of Us Research Program (AoURP) to explore the association of genetic risk of higher body mass index (BMI) with the level of physical activity needed to reduce incident obesity. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this US population-based retrospective cohort study, participants were enrolled in the AoURP between May 1, 2018, and July 1, 2022. Enrollees in the AoURP who were of European ancestry, owned a personal activity tracking device, and did not have obesity up to 6 months into activity tracking were included in the analysis. Exposure: Physical activity expressed as daily step counts and a polygenic risk score (PRS) for BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Main Outcome and Measures: Incident obesity (BMI ≥30). Results: A total of 3124 participants met inclusion criteria. Among 3051 participants with available data, 2216 (73%) were women, and the median age was 52.7 (IQR, 36.4-62.8) years. The total cohort of 3124 participants walked a median of 8326 (IQR, 6499-10 389) steps/d over a median of 5.4 (IQR, 3.4-7.0) years of personal activity tracking. The incidence of obesity over the study period increased from 13% (101 of 781) to 43% (335 of 781) in the lowest and highest PRS quartiles, respectively (P = 1.0 × 10-20). The BMI PRS demonstrated an 81% increase in obesity risk (P = 3.57 × 10-20) while mean step count demonstrated a 43% reduction (P = 5.30 × 10-12) when comparing the 75th and 25th percentiles, respectively. Individuals with a PRS in the 75th percentile would need to walk a mean of 2280 (95% CI, 1680-3310) more steps per day (11 020 total) than those at the 50th percentile to have a comparable risk of obesity. To have a comparable risk of obesity to individuals at the 25th percentile of PRS, those at the 75th percentile with a baseline BMI of 22 would need to walk an additional 3460 steps/d; with a baseline BMI of 24, an additional 4430 steps/d; with a baseline BMI of 26, an additional 5380 steps/d; and with a baseline BMI of 28, an additional 6350 steps/d. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, the association between daily step count and obesity risk across genetic background and baseline BMI were quantified. Population-based recommendations may underestimate physical activity needed to prevent obesity among those at high genetic risk.


Subject(s)
Population Health , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Male , Cohort Studies , Retrospective Studies , Obesity , Exercise , Genetic Risk Score
10.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 1310, 2024 Feb 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38346985

ABSTRACT

Poly-γ-glutamate tails are a distinctive feature of archaeal, bacterial, and eukaryotic cofactors, including the folates and F420. Despite decades of research, key mechanistic questions remain as to how enzymes successively add glutamates to poly-γ-glutamate chains while maintaining cofactor specificity. Here, we show how poly-γ-glutamylation of folate and F420 by folylpolyglutamate synthases and γ-glutamyl ligases, non-homologous enzymes, occurs via processive addition of L-glutamate onto growing γ-glutamyl chain termini. We further reveal structural snapshots of the archaeal γ-glutamyl ligase (CofE) in action, crucially including a bulged-chain product that shows how the cofactor is retained while successive glutamates are added to the chain terminus. This bulging substrate model of processive poly-γ-glutamylation by terminal extension is arguably ubiquitous in such biopolymerisation reactions, including addition to folates, and demonstrates convergent evolution in diverse species from archaea to humans.


Subject(s)
Folic Acid , Glutamic Acid , Humans , Peptide Synthases/metabolism , Bacteria/metabolism , Protein Processing, Post-Translational
11.
Nat Hum Behav ; 8(4): 668-678, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38379064

ABSTRACT

Trust and honesty are essential for human interactions. Philosophers since antiquity have long posited that they are causally linked. Evidence shows that honesty elicits trust from others, but little is known about the reverse: does trust lead to honesty? Here we experimentally investigated whether trusting young children to help can cause them to become more honest (total N = 328 across five studies; 168 boys; mean age, 5.94 years; s.d., 0.28 years). We observed kindergarten children's cheating behaviour after they had been entrusted by an adult to help her with a task. Children who were trusted cheated less than children who were not trusted. Our study provides clear evidence for the causal effect of trust on honesty and contributes to understanding how social factors influence morality. This finding also points to the potential of using adult trust as an effective method to promote honesty in children.


Subject(s)
Child Behavior , Deception , Morals , Trust , Humans , Trust/psychology , Female , Male , Child, Preschool , Child , Child Behavior/psychology , Helping Behavior
12.
J Nat Prod ; 87(4): 764-773, 2024 Apr 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38423998

ABSTRACT

The brevicidines represent a novel class of nonribosomal antimicrobial peptides that possess remarkable potency and selectivity toward highly problematic and resistant Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. A recently discovered member of the brevicidine family, coined brevicidine B (2), comprises a single amino acid substitution (from d-Tyr2 to d-Phe2) in the amino acid sequence of the linear moiety of brevicidine (1) and was reported to exhibit broader antimicrobial activity against both Gram-negative (MIC = 2-4 µgmL-1) and Gram-positive (MIC = 2-8 µgmL-1) pathogens. Encouraged by this, we herein report the first total synthesis of the proposed structure of brevicidine B (2), building on our previously reported synthetic strategy to access brevicidine (1). In agreement with the original isolation paper, pleasingly, synthetic 2 demonstrated antimicrobial activity toward Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae (MIC = 4-8 µgmL-1). Interestingly, however, synthetic 2 was inactive toward all of the tested Gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. Substitution of d-Phe2 with its enantiomer, and other hydrophobic residues, yields analogues that were either inactive or only exhibited activity toward Gram-negative strains. The striking difference in the biological activity of our synthetic 2 compared to the reported natural compound warrants the re-evaluation of the original natural product for purity or possible differences in relative configuration. Finally, the evaluation of synthetic 1 and 2 in a human kidney organoid model of nephrotoxicity revealed substantial toxicity of both compounds, although 1 was less toxic than 2 and polymyxin B. These results indicate that modification to position 2 may afford a strategy to mitigate the nephrotoxicity of brevicidine.


Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Structure-Activity Relationship , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemical synthesis , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Molecular Structure , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/drug effects , Humans , Depsipeptides/pharmacology , Depsipeptides/chemistry , Depsipeptides/chemical synthesis , Klebsiella pneumoniae/drug effects , Escherichia coli/drug effects , Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects , Gram-Positive Bacteria/drug effects , Peptides, Cyclic/pharmacology , Peptides, Cyclic/chemical synthesis , Peptides, Cyclic/chemistry
13.
Microbiol Spectr ; 12(2): e0170923, 2024 Feb 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38168683

ABSTRACT

Polymyxin B and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid are antimicrobials possessing antibiofilm activity. They act by displacement and chelation, respectively, of divalent cations in bacterial membranes and may therefore act synergistically when applied in combination. If so, this combination of agents may be useful for the treatment of diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF), in which biofilms are present on the respiratory epithelium. We used checkerboard assays to investigate the synergy between these agents using reference strains Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 in planktonic form. We then determined the efficacy of each agent against biofilms of both species grown on 96-pin lids and proceeded to combination testing against the P. aeruginosa reference strain and 10 clinical isolates from patients with CF. Synergism was observed for planktonic forms of both species and for biofilms of P. aeruginosa. The susceptibility of biofilms of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates to these agents was variable compared to the laboratory reference strain. This combination of agents may be useful in the management of biofilm-associated conditions, particularly those amenable to topical therapies. These results provide a basis upon which the antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy of preparations containing these agents may be enhanced.IMPORTANCEBacteria living in biofilms produce a protective matrix which makes them difficult to kill. Patients with severe respiratory disease often have biofilms. Polymyxin B is an antibiotic commonly used in topical medications, such as eye drops and nasal sprays. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is used widely as a preservative in medication but also has antimicrobial properties. It has been hypothesized that Polymyxin B and EDTA could have a synergistic relationship: when used in combination their antimicrobial effect is enhanced. Here, we evaluated the levels at which Polymyxin B and EDTA work together to kill common pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. We found that Polymyxin B and EDTA were synergistic. This synergy may be useful in the management of planktonic infection with P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, or biofilm infection with P. aeruginosa. This synergy may be beneficial in the treatment of respiratory biofilms, in which P. aeruginosa biofilms are common.


Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents , Cystic Fibrosis , Pseudomonas Infections , Staphylococcal Infections , Humans , Polymyxin B/therapeutic use , Edetic Acid , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Staphylococcus aureus , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use , Biofilms , Cystic Fibrosis/microbiology , Microbial Sensitivity Tests
14.
J Clin Transl Sci ; 7(1): e222, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38028340

ABSTRACT

Background: Obtaining complete and accurate information in recruitment registries is essential for matching potential participants to research studies for which they qualify. Since electronic health record (EHR) systems are required to make patient data available to external systems, an interface between EHRs and recruitment registries may improve accuracy and completeness of volunteers' profiles. We tested this hypothesis on ResearchMatch (RM), a disease- and institution-neutral recruitment registry with 1357 studies across 255 institutions. Methods: We developed an interface where volunteers signing up for RM can authorize transfer of demographic data, medical conditions, and medications from the EHR into a registration form. We obtained feedback from a panel of community members to determine acceptability of the planned integration. We then developed the EHR interface and performed an evaluation study of 100 patients to determine whether RM profiles generated with EHR-assisted adjudication included more conditions and medications than those without the EHR connection. Results: Community member feedback revealed that members of the public were willing to authenticate into the EHR from RM with proper messaging about choice and privacy. The evaluation study showed that out of 100 participants, 75 included more conditions and 69 included more medications in RM profiles completed with the EHR connection than those without. Participants also completed the EHR-connected profiles in 16 fewer seconds than non-EHR-connected profiles. Conclusions: The EHR to RM integration could lead to more complete profiles, less participant burden, and better study matches for many of the over 148,000 volunteers who participate in ResearchMatch.

15.
Org Biomol Chem ; 21(46): 9150-9158, 2023 11 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37822146

ABSTRACT

A photoinitiated thiol-ene "click" reaction was used to synthesize S-lipidated collagen model peptide amphiphiles. Use of 2-iminothiolane provided an epimerization-free thiol handle required for thiol-ene based incorporation of lipid moieties onto collagen-based peptide sequences. This approach not only led to improvements in the triple helical characteristics of the resulting collagen model peptides but also increased the aqueous solubility of the peptide amphiphiles. As a result, this methodology holds significant potential for the design and advancement of functional peptide amphiphiles, offering enhanced capabilities across a wide range of applications.


Subject(s)
Peptides , Sulfhydryl Compounds , Amino Acid Sequence , Collagen , Click Chemistry
16.
J Theor Biol ; 575: 111646, 2023 11 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37852358

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a numerical method for modelling cell migration and aggregation due to chemotaxis where the cell is attracted towards the direction in which the concentration of a chemical signal is increasing. In the model presented here, each cell is represented by a system of springs connected together at node points on the cell's membrane and on the boundary of the cell's nucleus. The nodes located on a cell's membrane are subject to a force which is proportional to the gradient of the concentration of the chemical signal which mimics the behaviour of the chemical receptors in the cell's membrane. In particular, the model developed here will consider what happens when two (or more) cells collide and how their membranes connect to each other to form clusters of cells. The methods described in this paper will be illustrated with a number of typical examples simulating cells moving in response to a chemical signal and how they combine to form clusters.


Subject(s)
Chemotaxis , Models, Biological , Chemotaxis/physiology , Cell Movement/physiology , Models, Theoretical , Cluster Analysis
17.
JAMA Netw Open ; 6(10): e2336470, 2023 10 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37796498

ABSTRACT

Importance: Multicenter clinical trials play a critical role in the translational processes that enable new treatments to reach all people and improve public health. However, conducting multicenter randomized clinical trials (mRCT) presents challenges. The Trial Innovation Network (TIN), established in 2016 to partner with the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Consortium of academic medical institutions in the implementation of mRCTs, consists of 3 Trial Innovation Centers (TICs) and 1 Recruitment Innovation Center (RIC). This unique partnership has aimed to address critical roadblocks that impede the design and conduct of mRCTs, in expectation of accelerating the translation of novel interventions to clinical practice. The TIN's challenges and achievements are described in this article, along with examples of innovative resources and processes that may serve as useful models for other clinical trial networks providing operational and recruitment support. Observations: The TIN has successfully integrated more than 60 CTSA institution program hubs into a functional network for mRCT implementation and optimization. A unique support system for investigators has been created that includes the development and deployment of novel tools, operational and recruitment services, consultation models, and rapid communication pathways designed to reduce delays in trial start-up, enhance recruitment, improve engagement of diverse research participants and communities, and streamline processes that improve the quality, efficiency, and conduct of mRCTs. These resources and processes span the clinical trial spectrum and enable the TICs and RIC to serve as coordinating centers, data centers, and recruitment specialists to assist trials across the National Institutes of Health and other agencies. The TIN's impact has been demonstrated through its response to both historical operational challenges and emerging public health emergencies, including the national opioid public health crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions and Relevance: The TIN has worked to reduce barriers to implementing mRCTs and to improve mRCT processes and operations by providing needed clinical trial infrastructure and resources to CTSA investigators. These resources have been instrumental in more quickly and efficiently translating research discoveries into beneficial patient treatments.


Subject(s)
Awards and Prizes , COVID-19 , United States , Humans , Pandemics , Translational Science, Biomedical , Communication
18.
Cognition ; 241: 105627, 2023 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37793266

ABSTRACT

Chinese and American children aged 5-11 years (total N = 144) heard two child informants make conflicting empirical claims about each of 4 scenarios. For example, one informant claimed that a ball would float when dropped in water whereas the other informant claimed that it would sink. Children were asked to judge whether each informant could be right, and to justify their overall judgment. In both samples, there was a change with age. Older children often said that each informant could be right whereas younger children, especially in China, were more likely to say that only one informant could be right. Nevertheless, in the wake of decisive empirical evidence (e.g., the ball was shown to sink when dropped in water), almost all children, irrespective of age, drew appropriate conclusions about which of the two informants had been right. Thus, with increasing age, children differ in their prospective - but not in their retrospective - appraisal of empirical disagreement. Absent decisive evidence, older children are more likely than younger children to suspend judgment by acknowledging that either of two conflicting claims could be right. We argue that children's tendency to suspend judgment is linked to their developing awareness of empirical uncertainty, as expressed both in the justifications they give when judging the disagreement and in their own beliefs about the scenarios. Implications for children's understanding of disagreement are discussed.


Subject(s)
Concept Formation , Judgment , Humans , Child , United States , Adolescent , Child, Preschool , Prospective Studies , Retrospective Studies , Uncertainty , Water
19.
J Clin Transl Sci ; 7(1): e182, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37706001

ABSTRACT

Clinical trials face many challenges with meeting projected enrollment and retention goals. A study's recruitment materials and messaging convey necessary key information and therefore serve as a critical first impression with potential participants. Yet study teams often lack the resources and skills needed to develop engaging, culturally tailored, and professional-looking recruitment materials. To address this gap, the Recruitment Innovation Center recently developed a Recruitment & Retention Materials Content and Design Toolkit, which offers research teams guidance, actionable tips, resources, and customizable templates for creating trial-specific study materials. This paper seeks to describe the creation and contents of this new toolkit.

20.
J Environ Manage ; 345: 118835, 2023 Nov 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37659361

ABSTRACT

Grazing livestock plays an important role in the context of food security, agricultural sustainability and climate change. Understanding how livestock move and interact with their environment may offer new insights on how grazing practices impact soil and ecosystem functions at spatial and temporal scales where knowledge is currently limited. We characterized daily and seasonal grazing patterns using Global Positioning System (GPS) data from two grazing strategies: conventionally- and rotationally-grazed pastures. Livestock movement was consistent with the so-called Lévy walks, and could thus be simulated with Lévy-walk based probability density functions. Our newly introduced "Moovement model" links grazing patterns with soil structure and related functions by coupling animal movement and soil structure dynamics models, allowing to predict spatially-explicit changes in key soil properties. Predicted post-grazing management-specific bulk densities were consistent with field measurements and confirmed that rotational grazing produced similar disturbance as conventional grazing despite hosting higher stock densities. Harnessing information on livestock movement and its impacts in soil structure within a modelling framework can help testing and optimizing grazing strategies for ameliorating their impact on soil health and environment.


Subject(s)
Ecosystem , Soil , Animals , Livestock , Agriculture , Climate Change
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