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Vowel epenthesis and stress patterns in Arabic dialects vary widely; understanding their interaction is crucial for phonological theory. This study investigates how different Arabic dialects handle medial CCC clusters and how stress assignment interacts with epenthesis. Specifically, we compare four dialects, Cairene (Egyptian), Hijazi, Lebanese and Iraqi, that exhibit distinct epenthesis placements. Using Optimality Theory with Harmonic Serialism, we analyze data from these dialects. Data were drawn from published descriptions. We model syllabification and epenthesis as ordered processes, testing hypotheses about rule ordering. We find that Cairene and Hijazi Arabic insert the epenthetic vowel after the second consonant (C1C2.VC3), whereas Lebanese and Iraqi insert it after the first consonant (C1V.C2C3). Moreover, in Cairene, the epenthetic vowel can bear stress (yielding transparent interactions), while in the other dialects it is invisible to stress (yielding opacity). Critically, these patterns emerge naturally in HS: when stress is assigned before epenthesis, the epenthetic vowel does not participate in stress, but when epenthesis precedes stress, it is treated like a regular vowel. The analysis captures the cross-dialectal facts without positing ad hoc invisibility constraints.

This paper investigates the perspectives held by native speakers of Faifi Arabic concerning the categorization of Faifi Arabic subdialects. Through the utilization of perceptual dialectology research techniques, participants engaged in two distinct tasks. The first task entailed the grouping of phonological features to articulate their perceived classification of dialects. Subsequently, they were tasked with pinpointing on a map the locations where the resulting feature groups were believed to be spoken. The outcomes of the study reveal that respondents identified four distinct subdialects within the mountainous areas, demarcated by clearly defined boundaries. These subdialect divisions appear to be correlated with the tribal divisions present within the region. This research highlights the necessity for further investigation into the perceptions that Arabic speakers uphold in relation to their own dialects, as well as to the dialects of other tribal communities within the Arabic-speaking context.

Languages differ in how they convey prominence and information structure (IS). In Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), a flexible word order language, new information focus is marked by accent, and contrastive focus by word order displacement (Moutaouakil, 1989). Traditionally, rigid word order languages rely on prosody, while flexible word order languages employ syntactic movement (Donati & Nespor, 2003; Cole, 2015). However, the combined use of word order and prosody to mark prominence in flexible-word order languages has not been well studied. This study investigates the interaction between syntactic and prosodic strategies in two Saudi Arabic varieties (Hijazi and Najdi) to determine whether prosody complements or merely replicates the function of word order. A production task with 12 Saudi speakers elicited responses that varied in word order, focus type, and prosodic marking. Acoustic analysis revealed that focused elements exhibited longer vowel durations and wider F0 ranges than non-focused elements, while maximum intensity also varied, though it was influenced by domain-initial strengthening. These results suggest that Saudi speakers use both word order and prosody to mark focus, indicating that prosodic cues are complementary rather than redundant. In addition, the findings contribute to the broader theoretical debate on the syntax-prosody interface and imply the need for a revised typology of focus-marking strategies that integrates both prosodic and syntactic methods.

An important factor for averting depression and creating awareness about clinical treatment is patient preference. Therefore, investigating health-related quality of life associated with different antidepressants is necessary. A retrospective cohort study was performed using the 2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The MEPS is a nationally representative database of the civilian and noninstitutionalized population spanning different ages, both sexes, and a wide range of sociodemographic and economic backgrounds. Differences in clinical and sociodemographic characteristics among patients using different antidepressant classes were explored. The differences in Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12) results among groups were examined. The VR-12 metric was used since it measures a patient’s overall perspective of their health. Approximately 34.6 million of the patients reported using at least one antidepressant during 2018. Most patients receiving tricyclic therapy reported substantially better mental HRQoL than patients receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), or combination therapy. Patients receiving atypical antidepressants reported substantially better mental HRQoL than those receiving other types of antidepressants. Most patients reported a substantial decline in HRQoL after SNRIs or combination therapy. This study found that HRQoL varied across antidepressant users. Thus, health care providers could benefit from taking into consideration quality of life when prescribing antidepressant agents. Moreover, further research is needed to explore other factors that could contribute to the quality of care for patients with depression.

Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of death globally. Epidemiological evidence has linked elevated levels of blood cholesterol with the risk of coronary heart disease. However, lipid-lowering agents, despite their importance for primary prevention, are significantly underused in the United States. The objective of this study was to explore associations among socioeconomic factors and the use of antihyperlipidemic agents in 2018 in U.S. patients with hyperlipidemia by applying a theoretical framework. Data from the 2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey were used to identify the population of non-institutionalized U.S. civilians diagnosed with hyperlipidemia. This cross sectional study applied the Andersen Behavioral Model to identify patients’ predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Approximately 43 million non-institutionalized adults were diagnosed with hyperlipidemia. With the exception of gender and race, predisposing factors indicated significant differences between patients who used antihyperlipidemic agents and those who did not. The relation between income level and use of antihyperlipidemic agents was significant: X 2 (4, N = 3,781) = 7.09, p <.001. Hispanic patients were found to be less likely to receive treatment (OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.43–0.88), as observed using a logistic model, with controls for predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Patients without health insurance were less likely to use lipid-lowering agents (OR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.14–0.77). The present study offers essential data for prioritizing interventions by health policy makers by identifying barriers in utilizing hyperlipidemia therapy. Non-adherence to treatment may lead to severe consequences and increase the frequency of fatal cardiac events in the near future.

This study investigates phonological substitution patterns in the early speech of children acquiring Yemeni Ibbi Arabic (YIA) as their first language. The research aims to identify the characteristics and motivations behind these substitutions, drawing on data from three monolingual Arabic-speaking children aged between 1;9 and 3;6. The analysis reveals common substitution processes, including fronting, backing, lateralization, fortition, emphasization, and de-emphasization. These patterns are examined in relation to the children’s stages of consonant acquisition, the Substitution Phonological Pattern (SPP) hypothesis, markedness theory, and natural phonology. The findings suggest that substitutions are influenced by the child’s current stage in the consonant acquisition timeline and reflect developmental challenges associated with mastering more complex sounds. The study provides empirical evidence supporting the SPP hypothesis, which highlights the children’s strategic adaptations to phonetic and articulatory challenges. Additionally, the results align with the concepts of markedness and natural phonology, demonstrating a preference for simpler, more common phonological elements over complex ones. The research contributes to the understanding of phonological acquisition in Arabic and offers insights into the interplay between universal tendencies and language-specific patterns in child language development.

Psycholinguistic factors, i.e., motivation, foreign language anxiety, and self-confidence, effect adult EEL learners' learning process in a major way, positively or negatively. Research studies show that in a conventional classroom setup psycholinguistic factors effect the learning process cf a large number cf adult EFL learners negatively because their motivation and self-confidence are low while their foreign language anxiety is high. In the present research study, a survey was conducted with pre-university students in Saudi Arabia who were taught English as a foreign language using Flipped Classroom Model (FCM) as a pedagogy approach. The objective of this investigation was to measure the degree of impact of psycholinguistic factors on the language learning process of students learning English through an unconventional pedagogic approach, that is, Flipped Classroom Model. The results indicate that the teaching approach, even if being highly learner-centred, hardly makes any significant difference to learners' anxiety, motivation, or self-confidence as regards learning English as a foreign language. However, in comparison to the conventional classroom environment, a slightly less number of learners reported the influence of effective factors on their English learning process under the FCM approach.

Background Clear and effective communication between infection control staff and healthcare professionals is an essential component in supporting the development and consistent implementation of infection control protocols within hospital settings. Methods This qualitative study examined communication between infection control workers and pharmacists at MOH hospitals through semi-structured interviews ( n  = 9, 30–45 min) and two FGDs (4–5 participants each). Purposive sampling ensured representation, with thematic saturation reached by the ninth participant—consistent with similar studies (6–12 participants). Qualitative methods captured nuanced dynamics, using interviews for individual insights and FGDs for group perspectives. Data were analyzed via Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis. Ethical approval (H-01-R-009) was obtained on May 28, 2019, with written consent from all participants. Results This study identified four key themes from 9 participants (6 male, 3 female) regarding antimicrobial stewardship communication challenges: (1) Patient Safety & Communication - emphasizing protocol adherence, interdisciplinary rounds, and preference for formal channels over WhatsApp; (2) Interdisciplinary Collaboration - where leadership engagement and face-to-face committees enhanced decision-making; (3) Healthcare Delivery Challenges - particularly staffing shortages, excessive workloads, and unclear medication protocols; and (4) Training & Development - revealing gaps in feedback systems, limited educational resources, and reactive crisis communication. Critical findings included the need for structured antibiotic monitoring, COO-level support for stewardship programs, resolution of role ambiguities, and implementation of proactive training initiatives to optimize infection control practices. Conclusions Structured communication—through regular meetings, stewardship rounds, and clear antibiotic guidelines—significantly enhanced infection control outcomes by fostering collaboration between pharmacists and infection control teams. This approach improved adherence to protocols, optimized antibiotic use, and strengthened emergency preparedness, directly contributing to patient safety. However, persistent challenges like staffing shortages and training gaps must be addressed to maximize these benefits.

Purpose Ciliopathies are highly heterogeneous clinical disorders of the primary cilium. We aim to characterize a large cohort of ciliopathies phenotypically and molecularly. Methods Detailed phenotypic and genomic analysis of patients with ciliopathies, and functional characterization of novel candidate genes. Results In this study, we describe 125 families with ciliopathies and show that deleterious variants in previously reported genes, including cryptic splicing variants, account for 87% of cases. Additionally, we further support a number of previously reported candidate genes ( BBIP1 , MAPKBP1 , PDE6D , and WDPCP ), and propose nine novel candidate genes ( CCDC67 , CCDC96 , CCDC172 , CEP295 , FAM166B , LRRC34 , TMEM17 , TTC6 , and TTC23 ), three of which ( LRRC34 , TTC6 , and TTC23 ) are supported by functional assays that we performed on available patient-derived fibroblasts. From a phenotypic perspective, we expand the phenomenon of allelism that characterizes ciliopathies by describing novel associations including WDR19 -related Stargardt disease and SCLT1 - and CEP164 -related Bardet–Biedl syndrome. Conclusion In this cohort of phenotypically and molecularly characterized ciliopathies, we draw important lessons that inform the clinical management and the diagnostics of this class of disorders as well as their basic biology.