A test of the ecological valence theory of color preference, the case of Arabic

Humans have systematic and reliable color preferences. The dominant account of color preference is that individuals like some colors more than others due to the valence of objects that they associate with colors (Ecological Valence Theory). In support of this theory, Palmer and Schloss show that the average valence of objects associated with a color, when weighted (the WAVE), explains up to 80% of the variation in color preference for adults from the United States (US). Here we investigate whether Ecological Valence Theory can account for the color preferences of female and male adults from Saudi Arabia to test how well the theory generalizes across cultures and how well it accounts for sex differences in color preference. We also extend the investigation of EVT by investigating whether abstract concept associations as well as object associations can account for preference. Saudi adults’ color preferences, color object and concept associations, and association valence ratings were collected, and the WAVE was computed and correlated with preference ratings. The WAVE accounted for no more than half of the variance in Saudi color preferences, although there was some degree of sex specificity in the relationship of the WAVE and color preference. Adding abstract concept associations did not account for more variance than object associations alone, but the number of abstract concept associations did account for a significant amount of the variance in color preference for females, but not males. The findings converge with other cross-cultural studies in suggesting that the success of EVT in accounting for color preference varies across cultures and indicates that additional factors other than color associations are likely also at play

A comparative analysis of colour–emotion associations in 16–88‐year‐old adults from 31 countries

As people age, they tend to spend more time indoors, and the colours in their surroundings may significantly impact their mood and overall well-being. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence to provide informed guidance on colour choices, irrespective of age group. To work towards informed choices, we investigated whether the associations between colours and emotions observed in younger individuals also apply to older adults. We recruited 7,393 participants, aged between 16 and 88 years and coming from 31 countries. Each participant associated 12 colour terms with 20 emotion concepts and rated the intensity of each associated emotion. Different age groups exhibited highly similar patterns of colour-emotion associations (average similarity coefficient of 0.97), with subtle yet meaningful age-related differences. Adolescents associated the greatest number but the least positively biased emotions with colours. Older participants associated a smaller number but more intense and more positive emotions with all colour terms, displaying a positivity effect. Age also predicted arousal and power biases, varying by colour. Findings suggest parallels in colour-emotion associations between younger and older adults, with subtle but significant age-related variations. Future studies should next assess whether colour-emotion associations reflect what people actually feel when exposed to colour

Universal Patterns in Color-Emotion Associations Are Further Shaped by Linguistic and Geographic Proximity

Many of us "see red," "feel blue," or "turn green with envy." Are such color-emotion associations fundamental to our shared cognitive architecture, or are they cultural creations learned through our languages and traditions? To answer these questions, we tested emotional associations of colors in 4,598 participants from 30 nations speaking 22 native languages. Participants associated 20 emotion concepts with 12 color terms. Pattern-similarity analyses revealed universal color-emotion associations (average similarity coefficientr= .88). However, local differences were also apparent. A machine-learning algorithm revealed that nation predicted color-emotion associations above and beyond those observed universally. Similarity was greater when nations were linguistically or geographically close. This study highlights robust universal color-emotion associations, further modulated by linguistic and geographic factors. These results pose further theoretical and empirical questions about the affective properties of color and may inform practice in applied domains, such as well-being and design.Peer reviewe

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

The Effectiveness of Training Program on the Development of Critical Thinking Skills among University Students

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a training program on the development of critical thinking among Saudis students enrolled in undergraduate studies. It which included a system of critical thinking skills, namely: deductive reasoning, drawing inferences, recognizing assumptions, argument evaluation and logical interpretation. Forty undergraduate Saudi students participated in this study. All were withdrawn from the population of the Psychology department at King Saud University. Their ages ranged between 18 and 23 years with an average age of 21.70 and a standard deviation of 0.88. All were randomly assigned to two equally numbered experimental and control groups. A training program was constructed to develop the critical thinking skills among the students. Those in the experimental group were trained on this program during 8 sessions, 2 sessions per a weak with 2-3 hours in each session. A critical thinking scale prepared by the National Center for Youth Studies (2014) was used to ensure program effectiveness. Results revealed the effectiveness of the training program on the development of critical thinking skills of the study sample in the general ability of critical thinking as well as in the capacity of its constituents

Fatty acid synthase and AKT pathway signaling in a subset of papillary thyroid cancers

CONTEXT:Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is an enzyme that plays a critical role in de novo synthesis of fatty acids. FASN is overexpressed in variety of human cancers, but its role has not been elucidated in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). OBJECTIVE:Our objective was to investigate the role of FASN and its relationship with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT activation in a large series of PTC in a tissue microarray format followed by studies using PTC cell lines and Nude mice. DESIGN:Analysis of apoptosis and cell cycle were evaluated by flow cytometry and DNA fragmentation assays. FASN and phospho-AKT protein expression was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. RESULTS:Our data show that expression of FASN is associated with activated AKT (phospho-AKT) in a subset of PTC. Treatment of PTC cell lines (NPA-187, ONCO-DG-1, and B-CPAP) with C-75, an inhibitor of FASN, suppresses growth and induces apoptosis in all cell lines. Treatment of PTC cells with C-75 or expression of FASN small interfering RNA causes down-regulation of FASN and inactivation of AKT activity. Furthermore, treatment of PTC cell lines with C-75 results in apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway involving the proapoptotic factor Bad, activation of Bax, activation of caspases, and down-regulation of antiapoptotic proteins. Finally, treatment of NPA-187 xenografts with C-75 results in growth inhibition of tumors in Nude mice via down-regulation of FASN expression and inactivation of AKT. CONCLUSIONS:Our results suggest that FASN and activated AKT pathway may be a potential target for therapeutic intervention for the treatment of PTC

A case of pancreatitis, panniculitis and polyarthritis syndrome: Elucidating the pathophysiologic mechanisms of a rare condition

Pancreatitis-Panniculitis-Polyarthritis (PPP) syndrome is rare and its physiopathology unclear. A 6-year old boy suffered of traumatic pancreatitis complicated by PPP syndrome. Extensive investigations demonstrated high levels of pancreatic lipase and fatty acids in the affected peripheral tissues. These findings support the sequence of peripheral lipolysis and fatty acid accumulation inducing tissue inflammation

Regulatory effects of ketogenic diet on the inflammatory response in obese Saudi women

المخلص: أهداف البحث: في السنوات الأخيرة، اكتسب استخدام النظام الغذائي الكيتوني ضد السمنة شعبية في المملكة العربية السعودية. صممت هذه الدراسة لتحديد تأثير النظام الغذائي الكيتوني على مؤشرات قياس الجسم وعلى التنظيم غير الطبيعي للأنشطة الالتهابية لدى النساء السعوديات البدينات. علاوة على ذلك، بحثت الدراسة أيضا في إمكانات مكملات بيتا هيدروكسي بوتيرات في تثبيط الأنشطة المسببة للالتهابات. طرق البحث: تم تسجيل 31 سيدة سعودية (بعمر 35.3 ± 8.4 سنة) بمتوسط مؤشر كتلة الجسم 33.96 ± 4.44 كجم / م 2 لمدة 8 أسابيع في النظام الغذائي الكيتوني من يناير إلى مارس 2021. تم جمع التعديلات في القياسات البشرية في الأساس وبعد 4-8 أسابيع من التدخل. تمت مراقبة الامتثال للنظام الغذائي أسبوعيا عن طريق مستوى بيتا هيدروكسي بوتيرات في البلازما. النتائج: بدأت تسع وعشرون أنثى النظام الغذائي وأكملت 23 الدراسة (معدل إتمام 79٪). بالمقارنة مع ما قبل التدخل، أدى النظام الغذائي الكيتوني إلى زيادة كبيرة في مستويات البلازما بيتا هيدروكسي بوتيرات المكتشفة طوال مدة التجربة. من ناحية أخرى، أدى النظام الغذائي الكيتوني إلى انخفاض كبير في فقدان الوزن (7.7 كجم ± 11.3)، مؤشر كتلة الجسم ، محيط الخصر، مستويات السيتوكينات الالتهابية. الاستنتاجات: وجد أن النظام الغذائي الكيتوني لمدة ثمانية أسابيع مفيد في إحداث تأثير إيجابي على مؤشرات القياسات البشرية والعمليات الكيميائية الحيوية والالتهابات. أشارت الدراسة إلى أن تناول النساء البدينات المصابات بمرض السكري يؤدي إلى إفراز بيتا هيدروكسي بوتيرات في الدم دون تحفيز استجابة الجوع الشاملة، مما قد يكون مفيدا في التخفيف من حدة الاضطرابات الالتهابية المزمنة المرتبطة بالسمنة. Abstract: Objective: In recent years, the use of a ketogenic diet (KD) against obesity has gained popularity in KSA. This study was designed to determine the impact of KD on anthropometric indices and on the abnormal regulation of inflammatory activities in obese Saudi women. Moreover, we investigated the potential of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) supplementation on the inhibition of pro-inflammatory activities. Methods: We enrolled 31 Saudi women (aged, 35.3 ± 8.4 years) with an average BMI of 33.96 ± 4.44 kg/m2 underwent an 8-week KD (8KD) from January to March 2021. Changes in anthropometric measurements were collected at baseline and after 4–8 weeks of intervention. Compliance with the dietary regimen was monitored weekly by plasma BHB level. Results: Twenty-nine females commenced the diets and 23 completed the study (a 79% completion rate). In comparison to pre-intervention, the 8KD resulted in a significant increase in the levels of plasma BHB (P < 0.001) throughout the duration of the trial. This was accompanied by a significant reduction in weight loss (7.7 kg ± 11.3; P < 0.001), BMI, waist circumference (P < 0.001), and levels of the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β (P < 0.001). Conclusions: An 8-week KD was found to be useful in producing a positive impact on anthropometric indices, biochemical and inflammatory processes. This study indicated that the intake of a KD by obese Saudi women induced the release of BHB in the blood without stimulation of an overall starvation response. This may be useful to alleviate the severity of chronic inflammatory disorders associated with obesity