Skin Conductance Responses to a Discrete Threat in Virtual Reality: Associations with Psychopathy and Anxiety

People with high levels of psychopathic traits are often described as fearless and lacking in emotional depth, particularly when evaluating threats in their environments. Skin conductance responsivity (SCR) to negative emotional stimuli represents a robust autonomic correlate of conduct problem behavior in children (Fanti et al., in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 100, 98–107, 2019). However, studies that have examined threat-related processing in youth with conduct problems have tended to use a variety of negative stimuli that might induce various and unspecific negative emotions. Few studies have taken in to account the moderating effects of anxiety on the relationship of distinct psychopathic traits (e.g., narcissism, callousness, impulsivity) with SCR to a fear inducing stimulus. In this study, we examined SCR to a virtual reality rollercoaster drop – that is, a discrete fear inducing event – in a sample of 75 youths (61 males; M = 14 years, SD = 1.4) enrolled in a non-mainstream school. The rollercoaster drop was used to more clearly examine an event-related response to a discrete threat, rather than examining SCR throughout the rollercoaster ride. We used the teacher-reported Antisocial Process Screening Device (Frick & Hare, in Antisocial process screening device: APSD. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems, 2001) to examine the relations of distinct psychopathic traits with SCR and self-reported anxiety. Lower anxiety was associated with higher callousness, but only in youths with low SCR to discrete threat. These findings suggest that fear and anxiety show complex and interactive relations with distinct psychopathic traits.

Lending standards, productivity, and credit crunches

We propose a macroeconomic model in which adverse selection in investment amplifies macroeconomic fluctuations, in line with the prominent role played by the credit crunch during the financial crisis. Endogenous lending standards emerge due to an informational asymmetry between borrowers and lenders about the riskiness of borrowers. By using loan approval probability as a screening device, banks ration credit following increases in lending risk, generating large endogenous movements in TFP, explaining why productivity often falls during crises. Furthermore, the mechanism implies that financial instability is heightened when interest rates are low.

The Persian Self-Report Version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD-P): A Psychometric Evaluation

The self-report version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) is a commonly used tool for assessing psychopathic traits in youth. This is the first study designed to examine the factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent validity of the Persian APSD-SR in a sample of 675 school-attending youth in Iran (46% girls; M age = 16.35). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a modified three-factor model, with items loading on narcissism, callous-unemotional, and impulsivity dimensions, which was invariant across gender. Notwithstanding that the internal consistency of some APSD scores was unsatisfactory, the APSD total and dimension scores showed the expected relations with external correlates (e.g., conduct problems, aggression, and low prosocial behavior), supporting the validity of the interpretation of the APSD scores. The findings showed that the APSD is a useful tool for assessing psychopathic traits in Iranian adolescents and may spark research on adolescent psychopathy in mental health and forensic settings.

Incidence of Referable Retinal Disease in Diabetic Patients at a Primary Care Practice

Purpose: This work tests the feasibility of remote ophthalmic imaging to identify referable retinal abnormalities and assesses the effectiveness of color fundus photography (CFP) vs optical coherence tomography (OCT) for this purpose. Methods: This prospective, nonrandomized study included 633 patients with diabetes at Duke Primary Care. Undilated patients underwent screening with CFP and OCT camera (MaestroCare, Topcon). Images were graded independently for interpretability and the presence of predetermined retinal disease. Retinal disease was classified as diabetic retinopathy (DR) referable to a retina specialist or incidental findings referable to either a retina specialist or a general ophthalmologist, depending on severity. Results: Mean (SD) age of screened patients was 66 (13) years, and 49% were women. The average glycated hemoglobin A1c level was 7.6 % (SD, 1.7%), and 30% of the patients were on insulin. The average duration of diabetes was 5.9 (SD, 7.3) years. Remote images from OCT were significantly more interpretable than CFP (98% vs 83%, respectively; P < .001). Referral rates were 9% for DR and 28% for incidental findings. Among patients with DR, OCT and CFP were helpful in 58% and 87% of cases, respectively ( P < .001). Conclusions: Remote diagnosis of ophthalmic imaging at the point of service may allow for early identification of retinal disease and timely referral and treatment. Our approach showed that OCT had significantly better interpretability, while CFP was more helpful in identifying DR. These findings may be important when choosing the screening device in a specific context.

O043 “My Fitbit tells me I don’t sleep” – Validation of a consumer-wearable device (Fitbit Charge 3TM) using gold standard in-laboratory polysomnography to assess sleep in adults presenting for medical evaluation in a sleep laboratory

Background There has been a rapid growth in wearable devices marketed for sleep. Trackers such as the Fitbit collect data through an accelerometer and use heart rate variability to estimate the sleep-wake state. Currently, Fitbit validation studies have only been with “healthy” adults and Insomnia Disorder. Aims The purpose of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of Fitbit Charge3TM compared to in-lab polysomnography (PSG) in patients with sleep disorders. Our hypothesis is that Fitbit Charge 3TM will perform with less sensitivity and specificity relative to PSG in the presence of sleep disorders. Methods A prospective study of patients attending a PSG through Epworth Camberwell Sleep Lab between 2019–2021 will be conducted. Fitbit Charge3TM will be worn on the wrist with concurrent PSG monitoring. Parameters measured with both PSG and Fitbit Charge3TM will include total sleep time, Sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset and time spent in N1, N2, N3 and REM sleep (min). Standard PSG data will be evaluated to diagnose sleep-disordered breathing. Progress to date:Ethics approval has been obtained, and 110 participants have been recruited. 30-second epoch-by-epoch analysis will now be conducted. Bland-Altman analyses will be performed to assess agreement between the Fitbit and PSG. Intended outcome and impact: Our novel study findings will provide evidence to address queries regarding the accuracy of the Fitbit trackers to evaluate sleep and may support the use of Fitbit Charge3TM as an initial screening device to assess sleep duration and sleep architecture in select patients.

Reproductivity Study of Metal Oxide Gas Sensors Using Two Different Temperature Setups

The use of the electronic nose as a screening device is of great interest in various types of applications, including food quality control and environmental monitoring. It is an easy-to-use device and produces a much faster response than that obtained by classical chemical and microbiological techniques. The reproductivity of nominally identical electronic noses and sensors is critical. Four identical MOX sensors were compared using two different working methods, namely, the temperature modulation mode and isothermal mode. Each sensor was tested with two standard compounds, water and lactic acid, often identified in food matrices, which are potential applications of the electronic nose.