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Abstract To examine whether patterns, such as the timings of onset or recovery from sleep disturbance, are associated with later developmental problems, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mothers participating in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study with a child aged 3 years were included in the analyses. Children were assessed for short sleep and frequent awakenings at 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year of age. Developmental problems were evaluated at 3 years of age based on ASD diagnosis and developmental delay, using the Japanese translation of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) 3rd edition. Sleep disturbance patterns were classified by onset age, and developmental problem risks were examined based on onset/recovery ages. Among 63,418 mother-infant dyads, 0.4% of infants were later diagnosed with ASD, and 14.4% had abnormal scores on any ASQ domains. The later the onset of short sleep, the lower the risk of abnormal ASQ scores (RR of short sleep onset at 1 year: 1.41; 6 months: 1.52; 1 month: 1.57). The earlier the infants recovered from short sleep persistence, the lower the risk of developmental delay (RR of remittance of sleep problems identified at 1 month by 6 months: 1.07; 1 year: 1.31; not before 1 year: 1.57). Although not all patterns were significant, later short sleep onset and earlier recovery were associated with lower ASD risk. These findings may have significant implications for future interventions in infant development.

BackgroundThe financial hardships and social isolation experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic have been found to adversely affect children's developmental outcomes. While many studies thus far have focused on school-aged children and the pandemic-related impacts on their academic skills and behavior problems, relatively less is known about pandemic hardships and associations with children's development during their early years. Using a racially and economically diverse sample, we examined whether hardships experienced during the pandemic were associated with children's development with a particular focus on communication and socioemotional development.MethodsParticipants from eight cohorts of the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes program provided data on pandemic-related financial and social hardships as well as child developmental outcomes. Financial hardship was defined as at least one parent experiencing job loss or change, and social hardship was defined as families' quarantining from household members or extended family and friends. The development of children under 4 was assessed longitudinally, before and during the pandemic (N = 684), using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). The Generalized Estimating Equations, which accounted for within-child correlation, were used for analysis.ResultsFamilies from minority backgrounds and low socioeconomic status disproportionately experienced pandemic-related hardships. Male children had higher odds of experiencing negative changes in communication and personal social skills from pre- to during-pandemic visits (ORs ranged between 2.24 and 3.03 in analysis with binary ASQ outcomes and ranged from -0.34-0.36 in analyses with ASQ z-scores, ps = 0.000). Pandemic-related hardships in the social and financial areas did not explain within-individual changes in children's developmental outcomes.ConclusionNegative developmental changes from pre- to during-pandemic were found in boys, yet we did not find any associations between increased experience of pandemic-related hardships and children's development. E how pandemic hardships affect development using a larger sample size and with longer follow-up is warranted.

Objective: Twin pregnancy is associated with increased perinatal mortality and morbidity, but long‐term neurodevelopmental outcome remains underinvestigated. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the incidence of adverse neurodevelopment after 1 year of age in complicated monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twin pregnancies compared with uncomplicated twin pregnancies. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study conducted at St George's University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. Women with a twin pregnancy culminating in at least one surviving child, aged between 12 and 60 months (corrected for prematurity) at the time of assessment, were invited to complete the relevant Ages and Stages Questionnaire® version 3 (ASQ‐3) test. The two study groups were: (1) complicated MCDA twin pregnancies, including those with twin–twin transfusion syndrome, twin anemia–polycythemia sequence, selective fetal growth restriction, twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence and/or single intrauterine demise; and (2) uncomplicated MCDA and dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies. The primary outcome measure was an abnormal ASQ‐3 score, defined as a score of more than 2 SD below the mean in any one of the five domains. Mixed‐effects multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether a complicated MCDA twin pregnancy was associated independently with an abnormal ASQ‐3 score. Results: The study included 174 parents who completed the questionnaire for one or both twins; therefore, 327 ASQ‐3 questionnaires were available for analysis. Of those, 117 (35.8%) were complicated MCDA twin pregnancies and 210 (64.2%) were controls. The overall rate of an abnormal ASQ‐3 score in children born of a complicated MCDA twin pregnancy was nearly double that of those from uncomplicated twin pregnancies (14.5% vs 7.6%; P = 0.056). Children born of a complicated MCDA twin pregnancy had a significantly higher rate of impairment in the gross‐motor domain compared with the control group (8.5% vs 2.9%; P = 0.031). Complicated MCDA twin pregnancies that underwent prenatal intervention had a significantly higher rate of abnormal ASQ‐3 score compared with those that did not undergo prenatal intervention (28.1% vs 1.7%; P < 0.001). On multilevel logistic regression analysis, complicated MCDA twin pregnancy was an independent predictor of abnormal ASQ‐3 score (adjusted odds ratio, 3.28 (95% CI, 3.27–3.29); P < 0.001). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that survivors of complicated MCDA twin pregnancies have a higher rate of adverse neurodevelopmental outcome, independently of prematurity. Long‐term neurodevelopmental follow‐up in these pregnancies can ensure timely and optimal management of those affected. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research suggests that the Ages and Stages Questionnaire—3rd ed. (ASQ) fine motor domain (FMD) may not be culturally relevant for developmental screening in a rural Guatemalan community, as the FMD accounts for 40% of all abnormal screenings after a needs assessment in this community. We hypothesize this is due to a lack of exposure to objects assessed in the questionnaire, such as blocks or light switches. The FMD scores of rural Guatemalan children (n = 56) participating in a child development program were compared with Spanish‐ and English‐speaking Latinx‐American children attending a US primary care clinic and screened at yearly well‐child checks. Groups were matched for age gender, and socioeconomic status. Item‐level analyses explored differences across the three groups. In the Guatemalan sample, the FMD abnormal score rates were 16%, 62%, and zero in the 12‐, 24‐, and 36‐month‐old children, respectively. Abnormal scores for the Guatemalan sample on the 24‐month ASQ‐3 significantly differed (p =.01) when compared to the Latinx‐American groups. The 24‐month questionnaire has more questions about objects than the 12‐ and 36‐month questionnaires, which may explain the higher rates of abnormal scores. Developmental screening with ASQ‐3 may not adequately capture the skills of children in similar communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given that the evolution of various mental aspects includes physical, mental, emotional and social changes. Screening for the developmental status of children can prevent significant complications and disorders. Therefore, the developmental status of children in Hormozgan province was examined based on the ages and stages of questionnaire age and stages questionnaire (ASQ). Methods: This was an analytical study performed by a cross-sectional method in December 1997 in health units of Hormozgan province. Based on the cluster random sampling, the names of 2260 children aged 60 months (3 to 5) were extracted through the integrated health system. Data collection tool was age and stages questionnaire (ASQ) used to assess the development of children in five areas of communication, large movements, fine movements, problem solving and socio-personal skills. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22 and statistical tests, ANOVA, Chi-square, mean standard deviation and frequency percentage (P

Background: In preterm infants, thyroid disorders are very common but transient, and the cord blood T4 concentration is lower in preterm infants, compared to term infants, and its rate is usually related to gestational age and birth weight. And the effect of Levothyroxine on the nervous system development of preterm infants is still unclear. Aims: We aimed to evaluate Effect of Levothyroxine on the Development of Preterm Infants. Methods: Newborn infants born with GA

We tried to verify whether the reformulated Learned Helplessness Model and its more fully articulated form, the Hopelessness Theory of Depression, were adequate to predict symptoms and social functioning (SF) in persons with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders by comparing a clinical group (n = 25) with a non-clinical one (n = 30). Bivariate correlations and multiple linear regressions were conducted to assess relationships between the Attribution Styles Questionnaire (ASQ), clinical variables, and SF within the clinical group. Differences between groups were found for most of attributional dimensions. A “pessimistic style” predicted depression within the clinical group. An unstable attribution bias predicted positive symptoms. General psychopathology and a global attribution style predicted 50% of the variance in general SF. The Learned Helplessness Model was suitable to predict depression regardless of psychotic symptoms and may be useful to predict clinical symptoms and SF in persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Clinical and theoretical implications were discussed.

Abstract Contemporary technology enhanced learning together with different innovative learning methodologies are significantly initiating progress in educational ecosystems. Educational systems and tools that invoke active participation of learners are excellent facilitators of modern education. One such system is ASQ. ASQ is an interactive presentation platform that allows teachers to incorporate interactive questions in their presentations. Learners are then answering these questions on site on their digital devices. In that way teachers have immediate feedback from learners, allowing them to adjust course of presentation. In this paper we tried to determine in what extent is ASQ beneficial for learners. For that purpose we conducted analysis on the data collected from Web Design course, where ASQ was utilized during two school years. Results of the analysis suggest that ASQ has a positive influence on learners’ acquired knowledge.

Background: WHO estimated 20% of adolescents (10-19 years) have mental health problems. We examined the prevalence and associated risk predictors of overweight/obesity and perceived stress using eating behaviors and physical activity among school-and-college-going urban adolescents in Bangladesh.Methods: A cross-sectional study with a multistage sampling technique was employed to select 4609 adolescent students, aged 13-19 years, from all eight Bangladesh divisions during January-June 2019. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire containing Turconi Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ), Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ), Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), and Anthropometric measurements. Logistic regression and different association measures assessed relationships among adolescent characteristics.Results: The major 61.5% of adolescents were in moderate-to-extremely-severe levels of stress, 28.2% were overweight/obese, only 2.7% had a very active lifestyle, and 30.5% had a sedentary lifestyle. Perceived stress was positively and significantly correlated with eating behaviors and body mass index, whereas physical activity was significantly associated with the prevalence of overweight/obesity and high stress. The prevalence of overweight/obesity (53.8%) and high stress (52.5%) was higher in males. Adolescents' obesity was 2.212 times more likely who had a sedentary lifestyle (95% CI 1.377-3.552), 1.13 times more likely for those who had experienced stress due to school/leisure conflict (95% CI 1.051-1.222), and 1.634 times more likely for those who were tempted by restrained eating behavior (95% CI 1.495-1.786).Conclusion: Stress on secondary school-and-college-going students needs to be recognized, and strategies need to be developed to improve adolescents' mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Some previous studies have reported the improved survival of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) neonates with no disabilities. However, 16% of these neonates have developmental disorders. Considering the lack of research on the developmental status of five-year-old VLBW children and the importance of early detection and treatment, in this study, we aimed to assess the developmental status of five-year-old VLBW children. Materials & Methods This historical cohort study was conducted on five-year-old children. The participants were divided into VLBW and normal-birth-weight (NBW) groups. Data were gathered using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). This questionnaire consisted of five developmental domains, including communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal/social skills. Data were reported by measuring descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, number, and percentage, and analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test and independent t-test in SPSS version 22. Results A total of 106 five-year-old children, including two groups of VLBW and NBW, participated in this study. The results of Mann-Whitney U test showed a significant difference between the groups regarding the scores of communication (P=0.002), gross motor (P<0.001), fine motor (P<0.001), and problem-solving (P<0.001) skills. However, no significant difference was found between the groups regarding the personal/social developmental status (P=0.559). Conclusion According to the results, a higher risk of developmental delay was observed in VLBW infants as compared to NBW neonates; therefore, it is recommended to perform developmental screening tests for timely detection of high-risk children and early diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Saudi Medical Journal is the property of Saudi Medical Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Clinica y Salud is the property of Colegio Oficial de Psicologos de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3) is becoming a widely used developmental assessment tool. The ASQ-3 can be completed by the caregivers (referred to as “mail out”), or by trained personnel under direct observation of the children (referred to as “home procedure”).Aim: The study was carried out to compare results obtained by the ASQ mail out with those of the ASQ home procedure in a community setting of Bhaktapur, Nepal.Methods: Trained fieldworkers (FWs) performed developmental assessment of 134 children aged 9 months in their homes using the ASQ home procedure. A few days before these assessments, mothers were asked to fill in the same ASQ-3 questionnaire. The concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) was calculated to measure their agreement.Result: The agreement between the ASQ mail out and home procedure was fair for the total score (CCC = 0.54). For the sub-scales, the agreement was good for the gross motor (CCC = 0.65), for the remaining subscales agreement was poor (CCC < 0.4).Conclusion: In resource limited setting like Nepal, the ASQ mail out represents an easy method to assess child development by caretakers at home; however, with the poor agreement between different methods of assessments, we cannot conclude that a single method is superior or most optimal and this question should be investigated further. When either of the method home procedure or mail out is opted, the results should be interpreted with cautions.

Background: The Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3) is becoming a widely used developmental assessment tool. The ASQ-3 can be completed by the caregivers (referred to as "mail out"), or by trained personnel under direct observation of the children (referred to as "home procedure"). Aim: The study was carried out to compare results obtained by the ASQ mail out with those of the ASQ home procedure in a community setting of Bhaktapur, Nepal. Methods: Trained fieldworkers (FWs) performed developmental assessment of 134 children aged 9 months in their homes using the ASQ home procedure. A few days before these assessments, mothers were asked to fill in the same ASQ-3 questionnaire. The concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) was calculated to measure their agreement. Result: The agreement between the ASQ mail out and home procedure was fair for the total score (CCC = 0.54). For the sub-scales, the agreement was good for the gross motor (CCC = 0.65), for the remaining subscales agreement was poor (CCC < 0.4). Conclusion: In resource limited setting like Nepal, the ASQ mail out represents an easy method to assess child development by caretakers at home; however, with the poor agreement between different methods of assessments, we cannot conclude that a single method is superior or most optimal and this question should be investigated further. When either of the method home procedure or mail out is opted, the results should be interpreted with cautions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sturge-Weber syndrome is a neurocutaneous disorder associated with epilepsy, glaucoma, cognitive impairments, and a port-wine birthmark. Although individuals with Sturge-Weber syndrome are vulnerable to known risk factors for suicide, including chronic illness and physical differences (port-wine birthmark), frequency of suicidal ideation and attempts, and the clinical factors associated with suicide risk, in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome is unknown.Methods: As a part of routine hospital practice, all outpatients aged eight years and older underwent suicide risk screening during nursing triage using a standardized suicide screening tool. Suicide risk screening results, demographic variables, and medical history (as available) for patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome (N = 34; median age = 15.5; range = 8 to 47 years, 44% male) and other neurological conditions seen at the same institution (N = 369; median age = 14; range = 8 to 78 years, 66% male) were used for retrospective within- and between-group analysis.Results: In the combined sample of Sturge-Weber syndrome and neurologically involved patients, a positive suicide risk screen was related to Sturge-Weber syndrome diagnosis (P = 0.043); analysis by sex showed increased risk of Sturge-Weber syndrome diagnosis in males (P = 0.008), but not in females. Within the Sturge-Weber syndrome group, use of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (P = 0.019) was related to a positive risk screen.Conclusion: People with Sturge-Weber syndrome may be at greater risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviors than those with other neurological conditions. Further study of suicide risk in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary technology enhanced learning together with different innovative learning methodologies are significantly initiating progress in educational ecosystems. Educational systems and tools that invoke active participation of learners are excellent facilitators of modern education. One such system is ASQ. ASQ is an interactive presentation platform that allows teachers to incorporate interactive questions in their presentations. Learners are then answering these questions on site on their digital devices. In that way teachers have immediate feedback from learners, allowing them to adjust course of presentation. In this paper we tried to determine in what extent is ASQ beneficial for learners. For that purpose we conducted analysis on the data collected from Web Design course, where ASQ was utilized during two school years. Results of the analysis suggest that ASQ has a positive influence on learners' acquired knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The term PNES refers to a conversion disorder that mimics epileptic seizures but has a psychological etiology. Recent studies report that in patients with PNES, there is reduced understanding of emotions, impulse control difficulties, and limited access to emotional regulation strategies. The aim of this study was to compare patients diagnosed with PNES with healthy volunteers on the presence of maladaptive emotional regulation.Method: Patients (N = 64 F:M 52:12; mean age 35.5 years; duration ≥ 2 years) were assessed while inpatients at the Epilepsy Center, Na Homolce Hospital, Prague. PNES diagnosis was based on normal EEG findings, habitual seizure capture, suggestive seizure provocation, neuropsychological assessment and patients´ history. The clinical sample was compared with healthy volunteers (N = 64 F:M 52:12; mean age 35.8 years). The presence of maladaptive emotional regulation was assessed through the Czech research version of the ASQ and DERS.Results: Compared with a healthy sample, patients with PNES had greater emotion regulation impairments across nearly all dimensions of the DERS - Nonacceptance = 17.0 (M = 14.5), p = 0.006, Goals = 16.0 (M = 11.5), p < 0.001, Impulse control = 13.8 (M = 11.5), p = 0.005, Awareness = 16.4 (M = 15.3), p = 0.183, Strategies = 17.9 (M = 13.0), p < 0.001, Clarity = 11.8 (M = 9.5), p < 0.001 and the total score of the DERS = 92.9 (M = 75.3), p < 0.001. Similar results were found in ASQ questionnaire scales - Concealing = 24.5 (M = 21.0), p = 0.002, and Adjusting = 20.9 (M = 22.8), p = 0.076 but not on the Tolerating Scale = 14.5 (M = 14.7), p = 0.873.Conclusion: Our results highlight that maladaptive emotional regulation is a key psychological mechanism in PNES. Emotional dysregulation may represent an important target when designing psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic approaches for patients with PNES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the effect of maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on the offspring early development. A total of 91 mother-child pairs, consisting of 33 PCOS and 58 non-PCOS, were recruited. Peripheral blood tests were performed during 12–16, 24–28, and 32–36 weeks of gestation. Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) were utilized to assess the motor development of offspring at 27 months of age. Logistic regression models were employed to compare groups and control confounding variables. Women with PCOS had a higher level of testosterone and free androgen index than the non-PCOS group in all three detection windows. There were no intergroup differences in any of the five domains of specific ASQ domain scores or the body measurements of the offspring at 27 months old. Stratification by sex of offspring suggested that no significant differences were detected in the male offspring. However, in the female offspring, the PCOS group exhibited lower gross motor scores in female offspring than the non-PCOS group (48.1 ± 11.8 vs. 55.2 ± 8.1, P = 0.027), as well as lower fine motor scores (48.5 ± 8.5 vs. 53.6 ± 11.0, P = 0.028). The gross motor score of female offspring in the PCOS group remained lower even after adjustments. Each 1 ng/mL increase in testosterone at 12–16 weeks of gestation was associated with a decrease in gross motor score of female offspring by 12.2 (95% CI = −23.3 to −1.0, P = 0.038). The highest tertile of testosterone at 12–16 weeks of gestation was associated with a 7.75-point decrease in gross motor score of female offspring compared to the lowest tertile of testosterone (95% CI = −14.9 to −0.6, P = 0.040), with a significant linear trend observed (P for trend = 0.031). The findings of this study suggest that maternal PCOS could exert a negative influence on the gross motor development of female offspring, potentially associated with intrauterine androgen exposure during the early stages of pregnancy. • The female offspring of PCOS exhibited lower gross motor scores. • PCOS could negatively influence the gross motor development of female offspring. • The increased testosterone at 12-16 weeks of gestation was associated with decrease gross motor score of female offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents' experiences of completing the ASQ tool at the two-year consultation at the Child Health Center – a qualitative study This study has investigated the user perspective of parent-based screening tools at Child Health Centers. Age & Stage Questionnaires (ASQ) are used at the two years consultation at Child Health Centers. The aim was to explore parents experience of completing the ASQ tool at two years consultation at the Child Health Center. We used qualitative research methodology with in-depth interviews with parents. The findings show that parents felt positive to fill in the ASQ form. The study also shows a large variation in how parents experienced how the tool was used at the Child Health Centre. The parents' experiences are discussed against theory and other research in the field. The findings are also discussed in light of the purpose of implementing screening tools and results of previous studies in the field. The study concludes that there are many challenges related to the implementation of the tool in the service, and more research is needed in this area.

BACKGROUND: Besides mammography, breast ultrasound is the most important imaging modality for women with suspected breast cancer. New software tools bear high potential for improved detectability and specification of malignant breast lesions. OBJECTIVE: To compare the halo depicted around malignant breast lesions by ultrasound using Acoustic Structure Quantification (ASQ) of raw image data with the echogenic rim seen in B-mode ultrasound. METHODS: This retrospective study included 37 women for whom conventional B-mode ultrasound of the breast and ASQ were available as well as histopathology findings for comparison. Software tools were used to measure the halo area or echogenic rim and tumor area and calculate halo-to-lesion ratios for the two ultrasound modes. Six inexperienced readers characterized the breast lesions based on this information. Specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were determined. ANOVA, the Wilcoxon test, and ROC curve analysis were performed. RESULTS: There was a linear relationship between ASQ-based and B-mode-based halo-to-lesion ratios; however, a systematic error was also noted. ASQ-derived ratios tended to be higher for breast lesions with lymphangioinvasion (p = 0.051, n.s.) and higher N-stages (p > 0.925, n.s.), while there was no correlation with other markers. Because of the significantly greater conspicuity of peritumoral halos in the ASQ mode, inexperienced readers achieved greater sensitivity (78% vs. 74%) and specificity (75% vs. 71%) and higher NPVs (75% vs. 71%) and PPVs (78% vs. 74%) compared with B-mode images. Greater halo conspicuity affected the identification of malignant lesions with both modes; ASQ was found to be particularly well suited (FBimage (1,100) = 19.253, p < 0.001; FASQ (1,100) = 52.338, p < 0.001). The inexperienced readers were significantly more confident about their diagnosis using the ASQ maps (z = –3.023, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the halo in ASQ and the echogenic rim in B-mode ultrasound are attributable to different morphologic correlates. ASQ improves diagnostic accuracy and confidence of inexperienced examiners because of improved halo visibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current demand for wireless communications is increasing continuously, especially on localization services in determining optimal transmitter location through intelligent wireless communications. Using Received Signal Strength (RSS), the determination of the optimal transmitter location is realized. In this paper, we simulate a model for a case study, where the Wireless InSite program has been used to investigate the wave propagation with the reasonable RSS. Different locations of directional antenna transmitters have been selected to get a better coverage area in the selected case study using multiomnidirectional antenna receivers. An algorithm was formulated using the MATLAB program to determine Average Signal Quality (ASQ), Average Received Power (ARP) and the probability of the best receiver points. We find significant effects of the changing of the location of the transmitter which affected by environment including the presence of barriers and its related material properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the emergency department (ED) is an important setting for identifying youth with psychiatric symptoms and connecting them to services, the demands of the ED make efficient and accurate measurement essential in the implementation of mental health screening. The Kiddie-Computerized Adaptive Test (K-CAT) scales, a new electronically administered measure that offers quick and comprehensive assessment across several mental health domains, may be particularly useful in this setting. Given current recommendations for youth suicide risk screening in EDs, this study compared the K-CAT-Suicide Scale (K-CAT-SS) and the Ask Suicide-screening Questions (ASQ), a widely used measure in EDs, in a sample of participants presenting to a pediatric, psychiatric emergency setting. The measures agreed on the presence of suicide risk in over 85% of cases ( κ =0.59), and the characteristics of youth who screened at risk on both were similar. Cases of disagreement were more often male and more often had educational accommodations. They had lower symptom levels of and were less often diagnosed with internalizing disorders and were less often identified as high risk by ED psychiatrists and psychologists. Examination of item endorsement patterns in cases of disagreement revealed important areas of future study, including the role of caregiver report in suicide risk screening, item comprehension concerns, and the validity of assessing youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities. While additional research would be beneficial into its psychometrics when deployed in real-world settings, the K-CAT-SS should be considered a viable alternative for suicide risk screening in EDs., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Dr. Gibbons has served as an expert witness in cases related to suicide for the US Department of Justice, and Pfizer, Wyeth, and GSK pharmaceutical companies and founded the company Adaptive Testing Technologies that distributes computerized adaptive mental health tests. These activities have been reviewed and approved by the University of Chicago in accordance with its conflict-of-interest policies. The other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Objective: This research was made to personal- social developmental screening of 4-60 months old children in Tehran city by DDST-II and ASQ and determining the agreement coefficient of two tests. Materials & Methods: In this study, the personal-social developmental status of 197 children 4-60 months old were screened by using ASQ and PDQ (93 girls and 104 boys). Convenient sampling was used. Data was analyzed by SPSS software. Results: By using DDST-II and ASQ personal- social developmental delay detected in 11% and 1.5% of children respectively. The estimated consistency coefficient between DDST-II and ASQ for Personal- social domain was 0.06. Conclusion: In this study personal- social developmental screening of children showed different results and kappa measure agreement of two tests was weak. For selecting a suitable tool we must consider the psychometric characteristics (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predicting power) of the tool. This study showed that the results of developmental screening of 4-60 months old children in Tehran by using ASQ and PDQ lead to different results. This finding emphasizes the need to comparing the results of screening tests with a diagnostic gold standard test.

Objectives: There are various developmental screening tools that are different in terms of psychometric characteristics and choosing the best one is challenging for the pediatrician. This research was designed to identify the validity and reliability of Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status, a developmental screening questionnaire, in 4-60 months-old children in the city of Tehran. Methods: In order to validate the Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status, a precise translation of the questionnaire was performed by the research team. A Persian version was back-translated by three English language experts who were unfamiliar with the Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status. The back-translated version was compared with the original version. The content validity of the finalized Persian version was verified by three pediatricians. The questionnaire was performed on 648 children ranging from 4 to 60 months old in healthcare clinics. A test-retest method with 2-3 weeks interval and Cronbach’s & alpha were used in order to determine the reliability of the questionnaire. Results: All of the questions in Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status had desirable content validity and there was no need to change them. The total Cronbach’s &alpha coefficient was 0.63, which, when considering the low number of items in Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status, is acceptable. The test-retest correlation coefficient was determined to be 0.87, which is desirable. The estimated Kappa measure agreement between Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status and Ages and Stages Questionnaires was 0.30. Due to the rather large sample size and similarity of the screening results by both questionnaires in 71.5% of cases, it is possible to conclude that this measure is an acceptable one. Discussion: This research showed that Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status has a good content validity and reliability and can be used for developmental screening of children in Tehran city. Because the test is brief, using it can lead to saving time and resources.

This study has investigated the user perspective of parent-based screening tools at Child Health Centers. Age & Stage Questionnaires (ASQ) are used at the two years consultation at Child Health Centers. The aim was to explore parents experience of completing the ASQ tool at two years consultation at the Child Health Center. We used qualitative research methodology with in-depth interviews with parents. The findings show that parents felt positive to fill in the ASQ form. The study also shows a large variation in how parents experienced how the tool was used at the Child Health Centre. The parents' experiences are discussed against theory and other research in the field. The findings are also discussed in light of the purpose of implementing screening tools and results of previous studies in the field. The study concludes that there are many challenges related to the implementation of the tool in the service, and more research is needed in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emotion regulation plays a critical role in the development and maintenance of psychological disorders. Less is known about the association of affective styles and psychopathology. The 20-item "Affective Style Questionnaire" (ASQ) has been validated in nonclinical samples. The American and German validation studies resulted in a three-factor structure (concealing, adjusting, and tolerating). The present study aimed to investigate three aspects: (1) the validation of the ASQ within a clinical sample, (2) the examination of possible differences in affective styles between patients suffering from affective versus anxiety disorders, and (3) the association of affective styles and anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms.Methods: Overall 917 patients receiving cognitive-behavioral therapy at an outpatient clinic participated in this study, 550 participants were female. All data were collected before the beginning of treatment.Results: Confirmatory factor analyses revealed the same three-factor structure found in the previous Western samples (CFI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.06): Concealing (α = 0.81), adjusting (α = 0.71), and tolerating (α = 0.70). Significantly lower scores in the ASQ subscale adjusting were found in patients suffering from affective disorders than patients suffering from anxiety disorders. The results of the regression analyses showed that the ASQ adjusting and concealing behavior seem to play a more important role than the ERQ reappraisal and suppression for depression, anxiety, and stress among clinical populations.Limitations: A number of limitations must be taken into consideration while evaluating the present study. First and foremost, the clinical data were based on primary diagnoses. We did not ascertain comorbid diagnoses. This distinction may be important, since affective and anxiety disorders are often linked to each other. In addition, we only used data collected before the beginning of psychotherapeutic treatment and were therefore not able to analyze changes in affective styles during and after intervention. Furthermore, all data were based on self-reported information of patients. We did not implement either a therapeutic rating of affective styles or physiological measures, for instance arousal, which could have shown whether the used strategies successfully reduce negative emotions. Future research should address this question. Another limitation is the fact that we concentrated on the main categories of mental disorders and, therefore, did not subdivide patients with affective and anxiety disorders in terms of their concrete diagnoses. This is of special importance, because there might also be differences in affective styles within the main categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds & aim: Early diagnosis of developmental delays in children with high risk history of hospitalization in the intensive care unit is essential. Children with one or more risk factors before or around birth are more at risk for developmental delay. The aim of this study was to determine the evolution and history of premature children admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Methods: the present descriptive study was conducted on 80 premature children admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of the Imam Sajad (AS) hospital, Yasuj, Iran, with a history of developmental delay at the ages of 4, 6.12 months using the ASQ questionnaire. The questionnaire contains 30 questions including five fields such as communication, gross motor, fine motor, social-personal, problem solving. Along with questionnaire, other essential information were completed. The collected data were analyzed using Chi-square test. Results: among 80 patients, 43 cases (53.8 %) were male, with an average weight of 1734.37+-445.50 gr. Regarding communication, gross motor, fine motor, social-personal, problem solving, the results were abnormal at the rate of 10, 30, 27.5, 23.8 and 23.8% respectively. There was no significant relationship found among different fields of development, birth weight, gestational age and Apgar score a significant relationship was found. A significant relationship between infants born through normal delivery and infants born via Caesarean section was realized (p

The events and reasons behind the closure of the AAUG Washington DC office and the subsequent disbanding of the entire organization, with the notable exception of the Arab Studies Quarterly, is described here by the last acting Executive Director. This essay helps to fill a major lacuna in the written history of a major Arab American activist organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Literacy Screener (ELS) is a brief screen for emergent literacy delays in 4- and 5-year-olds. Standard developmental screens may also flag these children. What is the value of adding the ELS? Parents of children aged 4 (n = 45) and 5 (n = 26) years completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3), the Survey of Well-Being in Young Children (SWYC), and the ELS. Rates of positive agreement (PA), negative agreement (NA), and overall agreement (Cohen's κ) across the various screening tools were calculated. Early literacy delays were detected in 51% of those who passed the ASQ and 38% of those who passed the SWYC. For ELS versus ASQ, κ = 0.18, PA = 0.36 (95% CI = 0.23-0.51), and NA = 0.83 (95% CI = 0.66-0.92). For ELS versus SWYC, κ = 0.42, PA = 0.61 (95% CI = 0.45-0.75), and NA = 0.82 (95% CI = 0.65-0.92). The ELS adds value by flagging early literacy delays in many children who pass either the ASQ-3 or SWYC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Obesity is a growing epidemic and public health problem in children. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the gross motor development. MATERIALS & METHODS: In this cross-sectional study conducted in 2012-13 in Gorgan, northern Iran, the gross motor development of 90 children 3-5 yr old in three groups of lean, normal and obese/overweight were evaluated by the ages and stages questionnaires (ASQ) and Denver 2 scale. RESULTS: Totally, 90 children were enrolled and their developmental level was assessed with two ASQ and Denver II indices. The mean and standard deviation of the ASQ scores of the children was 53.11± 11.06 and based on Denver index, 9 children (10%) were at developmental delay status, 15 (16.7%) in the caution conditions, and 53 (58.9%) at normal developmental status. The developmental level was lower in obese/overweight group comparing with other groups according to both Denver and ASQ and there was a significant difference between obese/overweight group and normal group based in Denver and ASQ, respectively. There was no significant difference between underweight and normal and obese and underweight groups. CONCLUSION: Overweight and obesity could affect on the gross motor development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caregiver-completed screening questionnaires are a common first step in the identification of developmental delay. A caregiver's mood and anxiety level, however, may affect how he or she perceives and reports possible problems.Aims: In this article, we consider the association between caregiver distress and the accuracy of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), a widely-used screen.Methods and Procedures: Our sample includes 857 parent-child dyads drawn from the Psychometric Assessment of the NDDS Study (PANS) and the NDDS Alternate Responses Study (NARS). Parents completed the ASQ and the K6, a brief measure of generalized distress. Children were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Child Development (BSID). We divided children on BSID result and used logistic regression to examine how distress influenced the ASQ's accuracy in each group.Results: Of our 857 children, 9% had at least one domain below -2 standard deviations on the BSID, and 17.3% had positive ASQ results. Caregiver distress predicted a positive ASQ substantially and significantly more strongly among BSID-positive children than among others. This translates into slightly reduced ASQ specificity but greatly improved sensitivity among caregivers with higher distress.Conclusions: At low to moderate levels of distress, greater distress is associated with greater ASQ accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This research was designed to evaluate the developmental status of children aged 4 to 60 months in Tehran city by two parent-based developmental screening questionnaires, parents evaluation of developmental status (PEDS) and ages and stages questionnaires (ASQ), and also to determine the consistency coefficient between these two tests. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, PEDS and ASQ were performed on 648 children (350 boys and 298 girls), aged 4 to 60 (mean, 23.5 ± 16.10) months at four health centers in Tehran city. Results: Developmental disorders were observed in 23.1% of children (4.6% delayed and 18.5% suspicious), who were examined by PEDS, and in 26.4% of children, who were examined by ASQ (14.7% delayed and 11.7% suspicious). The estimated values of kappa measure of agreement and Pearson Chi-Square for the results of the two screening tests were 0.30 (P < 0.001) and 115.98 (P < 0.001), respectively. The results of these tests were similar in 93.3%, 94% and 91% of cases in fine motor, gross motor and language domains of development, respectively. Due to the rather large sample size and similarity of the screening results by both questionnaires in 71.5% of cases, it is possible to conclude that this measure is an acceptable one. Conclusions: This study showed that PEDS and ASQ have acceptable agreement, thus it seems that PEDS can be used for children’s developmental screening especially in child care visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This research was designed to evaluate the developmental status of children aged 4–60 months in Tehran city by two developmental screening tests, Denver Developmental Screening Test II (DDST II) and Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) and also to determine the consistency coefficient between these two tests. Materials & Methods: In this cross–sectional study, DDST II and ASQ were performed on 197 children (104 boys, 93 girls), aged 4–60 months (Mean=23.5 months), at four health centers in Tehran city. Evaluation of 15% of children was repeated by Developmental Pediatricians who were blinded to the screening results. Results: Developmental disorders were observed in 37% and 18% of children who were examined by DDST II and ASQ tests, respectively. Considering those children who were healthy but their parents were concerned about their developmental status, these figures changed to 38% and 43%, respectively. The estimated consistency coefficient between DDST II and ASQ was 0.21 which is weak (P=0.002) (for gross motor 0.24, language 0.18, personal-social 0.06 and fine motor 0.05). The consistency coefficient between the physicians’ examination with DDST II and ASQ were 0.17 (P=0.099) and 0.47 (P=0.003), respectively. Conclusion: A weak consistency coefficient was found between DDST II and ASQ tests. Therefore, the results of these two screening tools should be compared with a developmental diagnostic test in order to choose an appropriate screening tool.

Introduction The role of attribution in psychopathology has been investigated most systematically within the depression context. The presumption which makes people depressive consists, to an excessive degree, of internal, stable and global attributions to negative occurrences. Negative attributions for unpleasant events are associated with the loss of self-respect which follows. Objective Establishing the characteristics of attribution style of depressive patients. Methods The investigation included 62 subjects. The first group consisted of 32 patients with endogenous depression in remission. The second group included 30 healthy subjects. The characteristics of attribution style, in both groups, were tested by the Attribution Style Questionnaire (ASQ). Results The group of depressive patients, in comparison with healthy subjects, exhibited a significantly more marked internal attribution for negative events (t(60)=-3.700; p0.05), and also the composite score which represents the measure of hopelessness did not make a significant difference between depressive and healthy subjects (t(60)=-1.810; p>0.05). Conclusion Depressive patients exhibit an inclination towards internal and global attribution for negative events. These negative attributions do not have stable character, i.e. these attributions vary in time. Characteristics of attribution judgments of depressive people do not represent a permanent pattern within their cognitive style.

Background: Although research has shown that mood and anxiety disorders manifest disturbed emotion regulation, it is unclear whether anxiety disorders differ between each other in terms of their emotion regulation strategies. In the present study, we investigated whether patients with anxiety disorders present different affective styles., Methods: We assessed affective styles of 32 obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients, 29 social anxiety disorder (SAD) patients, 29 panic disorder (PD) patients, and 20 healthy controls through the Affective Style Questionnaire (ASQ). A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was performed to compare the affective styles across groups (OCD, SAD, PD and control), while controlling for depression, anxiety symptoms and age., Results: The MANCOVA revealed a significant, small-medium, main effect of diagnostic group on affective styles. The planned contrasts revealed that OCD and SAD patients reported significantly lower scores for "tolerance" (ASQ-T) compared to healthy controls group. There were no differences between PD group and healthy controls., Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence that OCD and SAD have difficulty tolerating strong emotions existing in the present moment in an open and non-defensive way., Competing Interests: No conflicts of interest declared concerning the publication of this article.

Background Early identification of children with potential development delay is essential to ensure access to care. The Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) is used as population outcome indicators in England as part of the 2.5-year review. Method The aim of this article was to systematically review the worldwide evidence for the psychometric properties of the ASQ third edition (ASQ-3TM) and the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE). Eight electronic databases and grey literature were searched for original research studies available in English language, which reported reliability, validity or responsiveness of the ASQ-3TM or ASQ:SE for children aged between 2 and 2.5 years. Twenty studies were included. Eligible studies used either the ASQ-3TM or the ASQ:SE and reported at least one measurement property of the ASQ-3TM and/or ASQ:SE. Data were extracted from all papers identified for final inclusion, drawing on Cochrane guidelines. Results Using 'positive', 'intermediate' and 'negative' criteria for evaluating psychometric properties, results showed 'positive' reliability values in 11/18 instances reported, 'positive' sensitivity values in 13/18 instances reported and 'positive' specificity values in 19/19 instances reported. Conclusions Variations in age or language versions used, quality of psychometric properties and quality of papers resulted in heterogeneous evidence. It is important to consider differences in cultural and contextual factors when measuring child development using these indicators. Further research is very likely to have an important impact on the interpretation of the ASQ-3TM and ASQ:SE psychometric evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]