Creating a Bot-tleneck for malicious AI: Psychological methods for bot detection.

The standard approach for detecting and preventing bots from doing harm online involves CAPTCHAs. However, recent AI research, including our own in this manuscript, suggests that bots can complete many common CAPTCHAs with ease. The most effective methodology for identifying potential bots involves completing image-processing, causal-reasoning based, free-response questions that are hand coded by human analysts. However, this approach is labor intensive, slow, and inefficient. Moreover, with the advent of Generative AI such as GPT and Bard, it may soon be obsolete. Here, we develop and test various automated, bot-screening questions, grounded in psychological research, to serve as a proactive screen against bots. Utilizing hand coded free-response questions in the naturalistic domain of MTurkers recruited for a Qualtrics survey, we identify 18.9% of our sample to be potential bots, whereas Google's reCAPTCHA V3 identified only 1.7% to be potential bots. We then look at the performance of these potential bots on our novel bot-screeners, each of which has different strengths and weaknesses but all of which outperform CAPTCHAs.

Implementation Considerations for Family-Based Telehealth Interventions for Youth in Foster Care: Focus Group Study With Child Welfare System Professionals.

BACKGROUND: Between 2016 and 2020, over 600,000 youth were served annually by the foster care system. Despite approximately half of foster youth struggling with emotional or behavioral challenges, few receive much-needed services to address their mental health concerns. Family-based interventions are efficacious in addressing both youth and caregiver mental health needs; however, foster youth participation in these family-based interventions is limited by many barriers, including out-of-home placement far from their family of origin. Telehealth is a promising tool for mitigating barriers to access to treatment interventions for foster youth and their families. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand child welfare system professionals' perspectives on enabling factors and barriers to providing family-based interventions via telehealth to youth in out-of-county foster care placement. METHODS: This qualitative study derived themes from 3 semistructured focus groups with child welfare system professionals. Participants were asked to discuss how family-based interventions are delivered to foster youth and their caregivers in their jurisdictions, as well as to share their thoughts about how to use telehealth to improve access to family-based interventions for families with youth in out-of-home placement. Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis and inductive thematic analysis, with the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations as the theoretical framework. RESULTS: Participants were 19 child welfare system professionals (eg, social workers, residential treatment staff, and supervisors) who participated in 1 of the 3 focus groups (6-7/group). Most participants were women (n=13, 68%), White individuals (n=10, 53%), and social workers (n=8, 42%). On average, participants worked in the child welfare system for 16.6 (SD 8.3) years. Participants identified multilevel factors impacting family-based intervention delivery including environmental factors (eg, Medicare billing and presumptive transfer), predisposing characteristics (eg, psychological resources), enabling factors (eg, transportation and team-based youth-centered care), and need factors (eg, motivation to engage). Participants expressed optimism that telehealth could increase access to needed mental health care, diverse providers, and longevity of care while also expressing some concerns regarding telehealth access and literacy. CONCLUSIONS: Child welfare system professionals highlight the need to develop policies and telehealth interventions that are youth versus placement centered, include resources that limit barriers and bolster motivation for engagement, and follow a team-based care model. Findings from this study inform how telehealth can be used to increase access to and engagement with family-based interventions for youth in out-of-home placements and their caregivers of origin.

Vitamin D receptor and binding protein genes variants in patients with migraine.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Several studies have shown a relationship between vitamin D and migraine, including the association between decreased serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in patients with migraine and the positive effects of vitamin D supplementations in the therapy of this disease. Two single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene, VDR rs2228570, and VDR rs731236 have shown an association with migraine risk in a previous case-control association study, while an exome sequencing study identified a rare variant in GC vitamin D binding protein gene. This study aims to look for the association between several common variants in these two genes and the risk for migraine. METHODS: We genotyped 290 patients diagnosed with migraine and 300 age-matched controls using specific TaqMan assays for VDR rs2228570, VDR rs731236, VDR rs7975232, VDR rs739837, VDR rs78783628, GC rs7041, and GC rs4588 SNVs. RESULTS: We did not find an association between these SNVs and the risk for migraine. None of these SNVs were related to the positivity of a family history of migraine or with the presence of aura. The VDR rs731236A allele showed a significant association with the triggering of migraine attacks by ethanol (Pc = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the results of the current study suggest a lack of association between common SNVs in the VDR and GC gene and the risk of developing migraine. The possible relationship between VDR rs731236 and the triggering of migraine episodes with ethanol deserves future studies.

Implementation strategies to screen, refer and link women involved in the carceral system to PrEP for HIV prevention.

PURPOSE: Women involved in the carceral system (CS) experience several conditions that increase their risk for HIV (e.g. high rates of substance use, psychiatric disorders, histories of victimization). The purpose of this study is to explore perspectives on potential strategies to connect women in the CS to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This study conducted in-depth interviews with 27 women involved in the CS eligible for PrEP. Using vignettes, interviews explored attitudes, barriers and facilitators toward PrEP screening, referral and linkage facilitated via a CS stakeholder, an mHealth application or providing PrEP service referrals during detention via a navigator. FINDINGS: Most women were, on average, 41.3 years, from racial and ethnic minority groups (56% black/African American; 19% Latinx). Inductive thematic analysis revealed CS involved women expressed mostly positive attitudes toward CS-based PrEP implementation. Younger women were more accepting of and interested in mHealth interventions. Implementation facilitators included leveraging relationships with trusted allies (e.g. "peers") and existing systems collaborations. Recommended implementation strategies included providing HIV and PrEP-specific education and training for system stakeholders and addressing issues related to privacy, system mistrust and stigma. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Results provide a critical foundation for the implementation of interventions to improve PrEP access for women involved in the CS and have important implications for implementation strategies for all adults involved in the CS. Improving access to PrEP among this population may also support progress toward addressing national disparities in PrEP uptake, where women, black and Latinx populations have substantial unmet need.

Lack of Association between Common LAG3/CD4 Variants and Risk of Migraine.

Several papers have been published suggesting a probable role of inflammatory factors in the etiopathogenesis of migraine. In this study, we investigated the possible association between common variants in the LAG3/CD4 genes (both genes, which are closely related, encode proteins involved in inflammatory and autoimmune responses) in the risk of migraine in a cohort of Caucasian Spanish participants. For this purpose, the frequencies of CD4 rs1922452, CD4 rs951818, and LAG3 rs870849 genotypes and allelic variants, using a specific TaqMan-based qPCR assay, were assessed in 290 patients diagnosed with migraine and in 300 healthy controls. The relationship of these variables with several clinical features of migraine was also analyzed. The frequencies of the analyzed LAG3/CD4 genotypes did not differ significantly between the two study groups and were not related to the sex, age at onset of migraine, family history of migraine, presence or absence of aura, or the triggering effect of ethanol on migraine episodes. These results suggest a lack of association between common variants in the LAG3/CD4 genes and the risk of developing migraine in the Caucasian Spanish population.

LAG3/CD4 Genes Variants and the Risk for Restless Legs Syndrome.

According to several studies, inflammatory factors could be related to the pathogenesis of idiopathic restless legs syndrome (RLS). In addition, RLS and Parkinson's disease (PD) have shown a possible relationship, and recent studies have shown an association between CD4 rs1922452 and CD4 rs951818 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and the risk for PD. For these reasons, we investigated the possible association between common variants in the LAG3/CD4 genes (which encoded proteins involved in inflammatory and autoimmune responses) and the risk for RLS in a Caucasian Spanish population. We assessed the frequencies of CD4 rs1922452, CD4 rs951818, and LAG3 rs870849 genotypes and allelic variants in 285 patients with idiopathic RLS and 350 healthy controls using a specific TaqMan-based qPCR assay. We also analyzed the possible influence of the genotypes' frequencies on several variables, including age at onset of RLS, gender, family history of RLS, and response to drugs commonly used in the treatment of RLS. We found a lack of association between the frequencies of genotypes and allelic variants of the 3 SNVs studied and the risk of RLS, and a weak though significant association between the CD4 rs1922452 GG genotype and an older age at onset of RLS. With the exception of this association, our findings suggest that common SNVs in the CD4/LAG3 genes are not associated with the risk of developing idiopathic RLS in Caucasian Spanish people.

Using Social Media to Engage Justice-Involved Young Adults in Digital Health Interventions for Substance Use: Pilot Feasibility Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Young adults involved in the justice system have high rates of substance use disorders and low rates of treatment engagement. Most justice-involved young adults are supervised in the community-not incarcerated in jail or prison-where they have ongoing access to substances and experience significant barriers to care. When they do engage in treatment, they tend to have worse outcomes than justice-involved adolescents and older adults. Despite the need to develop targeted treatments, there are unique challenges in recruiting this population into clinical research. Digital health technology offers many novel avenues for recruiting justice-involved young adults into clinical research studies and disseminating substance use disorder treatments to justice-involved young adults. Because the vast majority of young adults regularly use one or more social media platforms, social media may offer a cost-effective and efficient way to achieve these goals. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the process and feasibility of using social media platforms (Facebook and Reddit) to recruit justice-involved young adults into clinical research. Justice-involved young adults recruited from these platforms completed a survey assessing the acceptability of digital health interventions to address substance use in this population. METHODS: Justice-involved young adults (aged 18-24 years) were recruited through paid advertisements placed on Facebook and Reddit. Participants responded to a web-based survey focused on their substance use, treatment use history, and acceptability of various digital health interventions focused on substance use. RESULTS: A national sample of justice-involved young adults were successfully enrolled and completed the survey (N=131). Participants were racially diverse (8/131, 6.1% American Indian individuals; 27/131, 20.6% Asian individuals; 23/131, 17.6% Black individuals; 26/131, 19.8% Latinx individuals; 8/131, 6.1% Pacific Islander individuals; 49/131, 37.4% White individuals; and 2/131, 1.5% individuals who identified as "other" race and ethnicity). Advertisements were cost-effective (US $0.66 per click on Facebook and US $0.47 per click on Reddit). More than half (72/131, 54.9%) of the participants were on probation or parole in the past year and reported hazardous alcohol (54/131, 51.9%) or drug (66/131, 57.4%) use. Most of the participants (103/131, 78.6%) were not currently participating in substance use treatment. Nearly two-third (82/131, 62.6%) of the participants were willing to participate in one or more hypothetical digital health interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Social media is a feasible and cost-effective method for reaching justice-involved young adults to participate in substance use research trials. With limited budgets, researchers can reach a broad audience, many of whom could benefit from treatment but are not currently engaged in care. Proposed digital health interventions focusing on reducing substance use, such as private Facebook groups, SMS text message-based appointment reminders, and coaching, had high acceptability. Future work will build on these findings to develop substance use treatment interventions for this population.

An Ecodevelopmental Framework for Engaging Diverse Youth in Foster Care and Their Families Into Technology-Based Family Intervention Research Trials.

Family-based interventions delivered via telehealth are a promising mode for overcoming barriers to behavioral health treatment among youth in foster care and their families. There is a dearth of research, however, regarding effectiveness of these interventions for youth in foster care, who commonly exhibit complex behavioral health treatment needs. Clinical research in this area directly relates to equity in service access and quality for these youth and families, with numerous barriers and enabling factors to consider in order to improve engagement in clinical trials and bolster the evidence base. We present a framework to better understand the multi-systemic factors impacting youth and family engagement in clinical research on family-based telehealth interventions, drawing on relevant theory, including the bioecological model and ecodevelopmental theory. We also draw on our experiences conducting technology-based clinical research through the Family Telehealth Project, an evaluation of a brief family-based affect management intervention designed specifically for youth in foster care and their families, as a case example. Recommendations for promoting engagement in clinical research on family-based telehealth interventions with diverse youth in foster care and their families are provided.

Vitamin D Receptor and Binding Protein Gene Variants in Patients with Essential Tremor.

Several studies have shown an association between some variants in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and the GC vitamin D binding protein (GC) genes with the risk for Parkinson's disease or other neurological disorders. VDR rs2228570 has shown an association with essential tremor (ET) in a previous study. The aim of this study is to look for the association between several common variants in these genes and the risk for ET. We genotyped 272 patients diagnosed with familial ET and 272 age-matched controls using specific TaqMan assays for VDR rs2228570, VDR rs731236, VDR rs7975232, VDR rs739837, VDR rs78783628, GC rs7041, and GC rs4588 single nucleotide variants (SNVs). We found an association between GC rs7041 SNV and ET using recessive, codominant, and allelic models. Despite our results did not find an association between VDR rs2228570 and ET, the pooled data with those by a previous report suggest this association under recessive, codominant, and allelic models. None of the SNVs studied was related to the age at onset of tremor in ET patients. Data from the current study suggest an association between GC rs7041 and VDR rs2228570 SNVs and ET risk.

Increased serum diamine oxidase activity in nonallergic patients with migraine.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Histamine has shown a possible role in the etiopathogenesis of migraine. It has been reported an association between some polymorphisms in the diamine oxidase (DAO) gene and migraine, especially in women. Two studies addressing DAO activity in migraine patients showed conflicting results. We investigated the possible relationship of serum DAO activity and histamine levels and 3 polymorphisms in the DAO gene with the risk for migraine. METHODS: We studied the frequencies of DAO rs10156191, rs1049742 and rs1049793 genotypes and allelic variants in 298 migraine patients and 360 healthy controls (using a TaqMan-based qPCR assay), and serum DAO activity and histamine levels in a subset of 99 migraine patients and 115 controls with strict exclusion criteria, and analysed the relationship of these variables with several clinical features of migraine. RESULTS: The frequencies of the DAO genotypes and allelic variants analysed were similar in migraine patients and controls. Serum DAO activity was significantly higher in migraine patients (Vmax/Km 4.24 ± 2.93 vs. 3.60 ± 7.64, p < 0.001), especially in females (Vmax/Km 4.63 ± 2.96 vs. 3.18 ± 2.32, p < 0.0001), while serum histamine was similar in both study groups. CONCLUSION: Serum DAO activity was increased in patients with migraine, especially in females, while serum histamine levels were normal. None of the studied polymorphisms was associated with the risk for migraine.

The Ethical Implications of Using Social Media to Engage and Retain Justice-Involved Youth in Behavioral Health Research.

Given its popularity among youth ages 13-17, social media is a promising avenue for engaging and retaining historically hard-to-reach youth in longitudinal research. Social media use in longitudinal research involving youth, however, has preceded development of best practices for ethical use. This article describes the ethical challenges and considerations of using social media to engage and retain youth within the context of a randomized controlled trial of a group-based adolescent substance use intervention. Best practices for addressing ethical challenges are also provided using the Belmont Principle as a guiding framework. As social media becomes more commonly used to engage and retain youth in clinical research studies, researchers must address emerging ethical concerns within project protocols.

Machine learning enables design automation of microfluidic flow-focusing droplet generation.

Droplet-based microfluidic devices hold immense potential in becoming inexpensive alternatives to existing screening platforms across life science applications, such as enzyme discovery and early cancer detection. However, the lack of a predictive understanding of droplet generation makes engineering a droplet-based platform an iterative and resource-intensive process. We present a web-based tool, DAFD, that predicts the performance and enables design automation of flow-focusing droplet generators. We capitalize on machine learning algorithms to predict the droplet diameter and rate with a mean absolute error of less than 10 µm and 20 Hz. This tool delivers a user-specified performance within 4.2% and 11.5% of the desired diameter and rate. We demonstrate that DAFD can be extended by the community to support additional fluid combinations, without requiring extensive machine learning knowledge or large-scale data-sets. This tool will reduce the need for microfluidic expertise and design iterations and facilitate adoption of microfluidics in life sciences.

Molecular surveillance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus genomes in hospital unexpectedly reveals discordance between temporal and genetic clustering.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to identify sources and linkages among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). METHODS: A total of 56 samples were obtained from all patients with a confirmed MRSA infection over 6 months at University of Florida-Health Jacksonville. Samples were cultured and sequenced; data was analyzed on an automated cloud-based platform. Genetic Clusters were defined as <40 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Temporal Clusters were defined as ≥5 MRSA cases over 3 days. RESULTS: We found 7 Genetic Clusters comprising 15 samples. Four Genetic Clusters contained patients with non-overlapping stays (3-10 weeks apart), 3 of which contained patients who shared the same Unit. We also found 5 Temporal Clusters comprising 23 samples, although none of the samples were genetically related. DISCUSSION: Results showed that temporal clustering may be a poor indicator of genetic linkage. Shared epidemiological characteristics between patients in Genetic Clusters may point toward previously unidentified hospital sources. Repeated observation of related strains is also consistent with ongoing MRSA transmission within the surrounding high-risk community. CONCLUSIONS: WGS is a valuable tool for hospital infection prevention and control.

Feasibility of Social Media-Based Recruitment and Perceived Acceptability of Digital Health Interventions for Caregivers of Justice-Involved Youth: Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Caregiver involvement is critical for supporting positive behavioral health and legal outcomes for justice-involved youth; however, recruiting this population into clinical research studies and engaging them in treatment remain challenging. Technology-based approaches are a promising, yet understudied avenue for recruiting and intervening with caregivers of justice-involved youth. OBJECTIVE: This mixed methods study aimed to assess the feasibility of recruiting caregivers of justice-involved youth using social media into clinical research and to understand caregivers' perceptions of the acceptability of digital health interventions. METHODS: Caregivers of justice-involved youth were recruited through paid Facebook advertisements to participate in a Web-based survey. Advertisement design was determined using Facebook A/B split testing, and the advertisement with the lowest cost per link click was used for the primary advertisement campaign. Survey participants were offered the option to participate in a follow-up qualitative phone interview focused on the perceived feasibility and acceptability of digital health interventions. RESULTS: Facebook advertisements were successful in quickly recruiting a diverse set of caregivers (80/153, 52.3% female; mean age 43 years, SD 7; 76/168, 45.2% black, 34/168, 20.2% white, and 28/168, 16.7% Latinx; and 97/156, 62.2% biological parents); cost per click was US $0.53, and conversion rate was 11.5%. Survey participants used multiple social media platforms; 60.1% (101/168) of the participants indicated they would participate in a digital health intervention for caregivers of justice-involved youth. Survey respondents' most preferred intervention was supportive and motivational parenting messages via SMS text message. Of the survey respondents, 18 completed a phone interview (12/18, 67% female; mean age 45 years, SD 10; 10/18, 56% black, 7/18, 39% white, and 1/18, 6% Latinx; and 16/18, 89% biological parents). Interview participant responses suggested digital health interventions are acceptable, but they expressed both likes (eg, alleviates barriers to treatment access) and concerns (eg, privacy); their most preferred intervention was video-based family therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Recruiting and intervening with caregivers of justice-involved youth through social media and other digital health approaches may be a feasible and acceptable approach to overcoming barriers to accessing traditional in-person behavioral health care.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) rs2070744 polymorphism and risk for multiple sclerosis.

The possible role of oxidative stress and nitric oxide (NO) in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been suggested by several neuropathological, biochemical, and experimental data. Because the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2070744 in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS or NOS3) gene (chromosome 7q36.1) showed association with the risk for MS in Iranians, we attempted to replicate the possible association between this SNP and the risk for MS in the Caucasian Spanish population. The frequencies of NOS3rs2070744 genotypes and allelic variants in 300 patients diagnosed with MS and 380 healthy controls were assessed with a TaqMan-based qPCR assay. The possible influence of the genotype frequency on age at onset of MS, the severity of MS, clinical evolutive subtypes of MS, and HLA-DRB1*1501 genotype were also analyzed. The frequencies of rs2070744 genotypes and allelic variants were not associated with the risk of developing MS and were not influenced by gender, age at onset and severity of MS, the clinical subtype of MS or the HLA-DRB1*1501 genotype. This study found a lack of association between NOS3 rs2070744 SNP and the risk for MS in Caucasian Spanish people.

HIV-1 Subtype Distribution and Diversity Over 18 Years in Rakai, Uganda.

The Rakai Community Cohort Study in south central Uganda has surveyed people aged 15-49 since 1994. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) was introduced in 2004. HIV p24 and gp41 subtype distribution and viral diversity were studied from blood samples collected at three surveys in 1994-1995, 2002-2003, and 2008-2009, which were compared with a new survey round from 2011 to 2012. These included 1364 HIV+ individuals. For both p24 and gp41 domains, the genetic diversity within subtypes A and D was significantly increasing in the pre-ART era and decreased between the last two survey rounds in the ART era (p < .01). This study suggests that despite ongoing mixing of viral subtypes, an association with the introduction of ART to a reduction of intra-subtype viral genomic diversity may be occurring, which can be explored in ongoing studies.

Local Similarity Matrix for Cysteine Disulfide Connectivity Prediction from Protein Sequences.

Accurately predicting three dimensional protein structures from sequences would present us with targets for drugs via molecular dynamics that would treat cancer, viral infections, and neurological diseases. These treatments would have a far reaching impact to our economy, quality of life, and society. The goal of this research was to build a data mining framework to predict cysteine connectivity in proteins from the sequence and oxidation state of cysteines. Accurately predicting the cysteine bonding configuration improves the TM-Score, a quantitative measurement of protein structure prediction accuracy. We provided state of the art Qp and Qc on the PDBCYS and IVD-54 Datasets. Furthermore, we have produced a Local Similarity Matrix that compares favorably to the default PSSMs generated from PSI-Blast in a statistically significant way. Our Qp for SP39, PDBCYS, and IVD-54 were 90.6, 80.6, and 68.5, respectively.

Association between endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) rs2070744 and the risk for migraine.

Because nitric oxide could play an important role in the pathogenesis of migraine (suggested by experimental, neuropathological, biochemical, and pharmacological data), and a recent meta-analysis showed an association between the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2070744 in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS or NOS3) gene (chromosome 7q36.1) and the risk for migraine in Caucasians, we attempted to replicate the possible association between this SNP and the and the risk for migraine in the Caucasian Spanish population. The frequencies for the NOS3 rs2070744 genotypes and allelic variants were assessed in 283 migraine patients and 287 healthy controls with a TaqMan-based qPCR Assay. The putative influence on genotype frequency of age at onset of migraine attacks, gender, family history of migraine, absence or presence of aura, and triggering of migraine attacks by ethanol, were also analyzed. The frequencies of NOS3 rs2070744 genotypes and allelic variants were not associated with the risk for migraine (OR [95%] CI for the minor allele = 0.91 [0.72-1.15]) and were not influenced by age at onset of migraine, gender, presence of aura, or triggering of migraine attacks by ethanol. NOS3 rs2070744CC genotypes were significantly more frequent in patients with a family history of migraine. NOS3 rs2070744 SNP is not associated with the risk for migraine in Caucasian Spanish people although it might be related to family history.

Performance tuning of microfluidic flow-focusing droplet generators.

The required step in all droplet-based devices is droplet formation. A droplet generator must deliver an application-specific performance that includes a prescribed droplet size and generation frequency while producing monodisperse droplets. The desired performance is usually reached through several cost- and time-inefficient design iterations. To address this, we take advantage of a low-cost rapid prototyping method and provide a framework that enables researchers to make informed decisions on how to change geometric parameters and flow conditions to tune the performance of a microfluidic flow-focusing droplet generator. We present the primary and secondary parameters necessary for fine-tuning droplet formation over a wide range of capillary numbers and flow rate ratios. Once the key parameters are identified, we demonstrate the effect of geometric parameters and flow conditions on droplet size, generation rate, polydispersity, and generation regime. Using this framework, a wide range of droplet diameters (i.e., 30-400 µm) and generation rates (i.e., 0.5-800 Hz) was achieved.