The Development and Validation of a Spanish Verbal Memory Test for Children (SVMT-C): A Pilot Study

As acknowledged by the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN) Relevance 2050 Initiative, there is a growing need in the field of clinical neuropsychology to develop new assessment methods that are inclusive of the rising heterogeneous population in the U.S. There is a scarcity of measures available to evaluate verbal memory in Spanish-speaking, Hispanic children in the U.S. Available verbal memory measures in Spanish, such as word lists, were developed and standardized in other countries but have limited clinical use in the U.S. because of vernacular differences that may invalidate results. The purpose of the overall project is to help address this problem by developing and norming a new measure, the SVMT-C in the U.S. The current pilot study was conducted to: 1) examine the psychometric properties of the SVMT-C, 2) examine the relationship between the SVMT-C and established neuropsychological measures, and 3) derive a normative sample that is representative of the Spanish-speaking pediatric population of the current Southwest geographical region, Dallas, Texas. Preliminary findings revealed the SVMT-C is an unbiased measure across sex and age, contains familiar and appropriate terms for all groups, and shows excellent emerging reliability (i.e., internal consistency). Support for emerging validity was evidenced by participants' learning over trials (i.e., slope), significant correlation with the related construct of verbal retention span (i.e., convergent validity), and non-significant correlation with the construct of vocabulary (i.e., discriminant validity). The current study sample consisted of 26 healthy, neurotypically developing children ages 6 through 16, most of whom were Spanish-English bilingual (92%). Five countries of Hispanic origin were represented with Mexican heritage accounting for the majority, which aligns with Dallas, Texas' demographics. A multivariate linear regression model was generated to derive normative data for the SVMT-C. Due to sample size limitations, the final model for this pilot study included age only (p < .05). Overall findings provide preliminary support for the validity and cultural appropriateness of the test, but a larger sample is still needed to confirm this and provide normative data. Recruitment challenges that impacted sample size included the COVID-19 public health crisis and lack of funds to support participation

Comportamiento financiero y rol de la empresa hotelera four ways en el sector servicios del cantón el Empalme. año 2013

The overall objective of this research was to determine the financial performance and the role of the hotel company Four Ways in Canton El Empalme services sector during 2013. Analytical and descriptive, which allowed us to study the problem and achieve the objectives in the thesis: In this study, methods were employed. Complementary spreadsheets and statistical software that contributed to process and analyze the information obtained through surveys of executives, managers and operational staff, customers and visitors to the hotel were used annually. Among the results, must be 41.1% use the hotel services for your attention, 35% of the price and the remaining 23.9% of habit. 85% of respondents confirmed that attention is the hotel is agile. According to the survey population, 46.1% rated care as the existing trust. 100% believe Four Ways is the largest hotel company in El Empalme acceptance. The 58.3% of employees and directors of Four Ways expressed functional administrative structure that sometimes fulfills the mission and vision of the company In 2013 the fixed assets was 91.6 %, with a larger share of total assets over the previous year. The capital was 22.1 % of total liabilities, compared to 23 % in 2012. Gross profit was 23.8 % of total revenue in 2012. In 2013 reached 17.3 %. Net income amounted to 16% in 2012 compared to 11.6 % in 2013. The rate of revenue growth between 2012 and 2013 stood at -7.95 %. Four Ways we conclude that it is a stable company, since it has higher than recommended between 2012 and 2013 indicators.El objetivo general de la presente investigación se centró en determinar el comportamiento financiero y el rol de la empresa hotelera Four Ways en el sector servicios del cantón El Empalme durante el año 2013. En esta investigación, se emplearon los métodos: analítico y descriptivo, los que permitieron estudiar el problema y alcanzar los objetivos previstos en la tesis. En forma complementaria se utilizaron hojas electrónicas y programa estadístico que contribuyeron a procesar y analizar la información obtenida a través de encuestas a los directivos, administradores y personal operativo del hotel, así como a los clientes que visitan el hotel anualmente. Entre los resultados encontrados, se tienen que el 41.1% utiliza los servicios del hotel por su atención, el 35% por el precio y el 23.9% restante por costumbre. El 85% de los encuestados confirma que la atención es el hotel es ágil. Según la población encuestada, el 46.1% calificó a la atención según la confianza existente. El 100% considera que Four Ways es la empresa hotelera de mayor aceptación en El Empalme. El 58.3% de los empleados y directivos de Four Ways expresaron que la estructura funcional administrativa a veces cumple con la misión y la visión de la empresa En el año 2013 el activo fijo fue de 91.6%, teniendo una mayor participación sobre el activo total en relación al año anterior. El capital disminuyó un 22.1% sobre el pasivo total, frente al 23% del año 2012. La utilidad bruta fue del 23.8% del ingreso total en el 2012. En el 2013 llegó a 17.3%. La utilidad neta ascendió al 16% en el 2012 frente al 11.6% del 2013. La tasa de crecimiento de los ingresos entre el 2012 y 2013 se ubicó en -7.95%. Se concluye que Four Ways es una empresa estable, puesto que presenta indicadores superiores a lo recomendado entre los años 2012 y 201

Development of a Spanish version of the parent attitudes about childhood vaccines survey

The Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) survey is a validated instrument for identifying vaccine-hesitant parents; however, a Spanish version is not available. Utilizing the WHO framework for translating survey instruments, we used an iterative process for developing the Spanish PACV that included forward translation, expert panel review, back translation and pre-testing that utilized cognitive interviewing. We made revisions to the Spanish PACV at each step, focusing on addressing inclusivity, readability, clarity and conceptual equivalence. The expert panel was comprised of 6 Spanish-speaking medical and research professionals who worked alongside 3 study team members. Pre-testing was conducted using convenience sampling of Spanish-speaking parents (N = 35) who had a child receiving care at the residents’ continuity clinic at Texas Children’s Hospital. Most pre-testing participants were married (80.6%), mothers (97.1%), ≥30 years of age (88.2%) and had a high school education or less (70.6%). While the majority of participants stated the survey was easy to complete, the translation of 5 PACV items was further revised to improve interpretability. We conclude that the final Spanish PACV is conceptually equivalent and culturally appropriate for most Hispanic populations

Neuropsychological functioning following surgery for pediatric low-grade glioma: a prospective longitudinal study

OBJECTIVEHigh survival rates have led to an increased emphasis on the functional outcomes of children diagnosed with low-grade glioma. Most outcomes research has focused on risks associated with radiotherapy, but less is known about neuropsychological risks for patients treated with surgery alone. Here, the authors sought to examine the neuropsychological trajectories of children diagnosed with a low-grade glioma and monitored up to 6 years postsurgery. Secondarily, they explored demographic and clinical predictors of neuropsychological performance.METHODSThe neuropsychological functioning of 32 patients (median age at diagnosis 10.0 years) was prospectively assessed annually for up to 6 years after surgery (median days from surgery at baseline = 72). Tumor location was predominately supratentorial (65.6%). A combination of performance-based and parent-reported measures was used to assess intelligence, memory, executive functioning, and fine motor control in all patients.RESULTSBinomial tests at the postoperative baseline revealed that the proportion of children falling below the average range (&lt; 16th percentile) was significantly higher than the rate expected among healthy peers on measures of verbal memory, processing speed, executive functioning, and fine motor control (p &lt; 0.05). Even so, linear mixed models indicated that neuropsychological functioning at the postoperative baseline did not significantly change over time for up to 6 years after surgery across all domains. A larger tumor size was associated with a slower reaction time (p &lt; 0.01). A supratentorial tumor location and history of seizures were associated with more parent-reported executive difficulties (p &lt; 0.01).CONCLUSIONSWhile radiotherapy is a known risk factor for neuropsychological deficits in pediatric brain tumor patients, findings in this study indicate that children treated for low-grade glioma with surgery alone (without radiotherapy or chemotherapy) remain susceptible to difficulties with memory, executive functioning, and motor functioning that persist over time. Over half of the children in the study sample required school support services to address neuropsychological weaknesses. Although low-grade glioma is often conceptualized as a benign tumor, children treated for this lesion require ongoing monitoring and intervention to address neuropsychological weaknesses resulting from the tumor itself as well as the surgery.</jats:sec

SPARK: A US Cohort of 50,000 Families to Accelerate Autism Research

The Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) has launched SPARKForAutism. org, a dynamic platform that is engaging thousands of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and connecting them to researchers. By making all data accessible, SPARK seeks to increase our understanding of ASD and accelerate new supports and treatments for ASD

Exome sequencing of 457 autism families recruited online provides evidence for autism risk genes

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a genetically heterogeneous condition, caused by a combination of rare de novo and inherited variants as well as common variants in at least several hundred genes. However, significantly larger sample sizes are needed to identify the complete set of genetic risk factors. We conducted a pilot study for SPARK (SPARKForAutism.org) of 457 families with ASD, all consented online. Whole exome sequencing (WES) and genotyping data were generated for each family using DNA from saliva. We identified variants in genes and loci that are clinically recognized causes or significant contributors to ASD in 10.4% of families without previous genetic findings. In addition, we identified variants that are possibly associated with ASD in an additional 3.4% of families. A meta-analysis using the TADA framework at a false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.1 provides statistical support for 26 ASD risk genes. While most of these genes are already known ASD risk genes, BRSK2 has the strongest statistical support and reaches genome-wide significance as a risk gene for ASD (p-value = 2.3e−06). Future studies leveraging the thousands of individuals with ASD who have enrolled in SPARK are likely to further clarify the genetic risk factors associated with ASD as well as allow accelerate ASD research that incorporates genetic etiology.</jats:p