An ultra-short screening version of the Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior questionnaire (FEE-US and its factor structure in a representative German sample

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Petrowski Katja

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior questionnaire (FEE, [1,2] assesses perceived parental rearing behavior separately for each parent. An ultra-short screening version (FEE-US with the same three scales each for the mother and the father is reported and factor-analytically validated. Methods N = 4,640 subjects aged 14 to 92 (M = 48.4 years were selected by the random-route sampling method. The ultra-short questionnaire version was derived from the long version through item and factor analyses. In a confirmatory factor analysis framework, the hypothesized three-factorial structure was fitted to the empirical data and tested for measurement invariance, differential item functioning, item discriminability, and convergent and discriminant factorial validity. Effects of gender or age were assessed using MANOVAs. Results The a-priori hypothesized model resulted in mostly adequate overall fit. Neither gender nor age group yielded considerable effects on the factor structure, but had small effects on means of raw score sums. Factorial validities could be confirmed. Scale sums are well-suited to rank respondents along the respective latent dimension. Conclusion The structure of the long version with the factors Rejection & Punishment, Emotional Warmth, and Control & Overprotection could be replicated for both father and mother items in the ultra-short screening version using confirmatory factor analyses. These results indicate that the ultra-short screening version is a time-saving and promising screening instrument for research settings and in individual counseling. However, the shortened scales do not necessarily represent the full spectrum covered by the full-scale dimensions.

Criterion validity of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire and one- and two-item depression screens in young adolescents

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McCauley Elizabeth

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of short screening questionnaires may be a promising option for identifying children at risk for depression in a community setting. The objective of this study was to assess the validity of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ and one- and two-item screening instruments for depressive disorders in a school-based sample of young adolescents. Methods Participants were 521 sixth-grade students attending public middle schools. Child and parent versions of the SMFQ were administered to evaluate the child's depressive symptoms. The presence of any depressive disorder during the previous month was assessed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC as the criterion standard. First, we assessed the diagnostic accuracy of child, parent, and combined scores of the full 13-item SMFQ by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC, sensitivity and specificity. The same approach was then used to evaluate the accuracy of a two-item scale consisting of only depressed mood and anhedonia items, and a single depressed mood item. Results The combined child + parent SMFQ score showed the highest accuracy (AUC = 0.86. Diagnostic accuracy was lower for child (AUC = 0.73 and parent (AUC = 0.74 SMFQ versions. Corresponding versions of one- and two-item screens had lower AUC estimates, but the combined versions of the brief screens each still showed moderate accuracy. Furthermore, child and combined versions of the two-item screen demonstrated higher sensitivity (although lower specificity than either the one-item screen or the full SMFQ. Conclusions Under conditions where parents accompany children to screening settings (e.g. primary care, use of a child + parent version of the SMFQ is recommended. However, when parents are not available, and the cost of a false positive result is minimal, then a one- or two-item screen may be useful for initial identification of at-risk youth.

Correlation of Michigan neuropathy screening instrument, United Kingdom screening test and electrodiagnosis for early detection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Fateh, Hamid R; Madani, Seyed Pezhman; Heshmat, Ramin; Larijani, Bagher

2015-01-01

Almost half of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathies (DPNs) are symptom-free. Methods including questionnaires and electrodiagnosis (EDx) can be fruitful for easy reach to early diagnosis, correct treatments of diabetic neuropathy, and so decline of complications for instance diabetic foot ulcer and prevention of high costs. The goal of our study was to compare effectiveness of the Michigan neuropathy screening instrument (MNSI), United Kingdom screening test (UKST) and electrophysiological evaluation in confirming diabetic peripheral neuropathy. One hundred twenty five known diabetes mellitus male and female subjects older than 18 with or without symptoms of neuropathy comprised in this research. All of them were interviewed in terms of demographic data, lipid profile, HbA1C, duration of disease, and history of retinopathy, so examined by Michigan neuropathy screening instrument (MNSI), United Kingdom screening test (UKST), and nerve conduction studies (NCS). The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software 18. One hundred twenty five diabetic patients (70 female, 55 male) were recruited in this study with a mean age of 58.7 ± 10.2, and mean duration of diabetes was 10.17 ± 6.9 years. The mean neuropathy score of MNSI and UKST were 2.3 (1.7) and 4.16 (2.9), respectively. Each instrument detected the peripheral neuropathy in 78 (69 %) and 91 (73 %) of patients, respectively. There was a significant relationship between number of neuropathies and mean of diabetes duration and development of retinopathy in both questionnaire evaluations and NCS. By nerve conduction study, neuropathy was detected in 121 (97 %) diabetic patients were reported in order 15 (12 %) mononeuropathy (as 33 % sensory and 67 % motor neuropathy) and 106 (85 %) polyneuropathy (as 31 % motor and 69 % sensorimotor neuropathy). As regards NCS is an objective, simple, and non-invasive tool and also can determine level of damage and regeneration in peripheral nerves, this study

Accuracy of quick and easy undernutrition screening tools--Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire, Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, and modified Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool--in patients undergoing cardiac surgery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Venrooij, Lenny M. W.; van Leeuwen, Paul A. M.; Hopmans, Wendy; Borgmeijer-Hoelen, Mieke M. M. J.; de Vos, Rien; de Mol, Bas A. J. M.

2011-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare the quick-and-easy undernutrition screening tools, ie, Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire and Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with respect to their accuracy in detecting undernutrition measured by a

A short-form version of the Boston Naming Test for language screening in dementia in a bilingual rural community in Galicia (Spain).

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Nebreda, M C; García-Caballero, A; Asensio, E; Revilla, P; Rodriguez-Girondo, M; Mateos, R

2011-04-01

Aphasia, one of the core symptoms of cortical dementia, is routinely evaluated using graded naming tests like the Boston Naming Test (BNT). However, the application of this 60-item test is time-consuming and shortened versions have been devised for screening. The hypothesis of this research is that a specifically designed shortened version of the BNT could replace the original 60-item BNT as part of a mini-battery for screening for dementia. The objective of this study was to design a short version of the BNT for a rural population in Galicia (Spain). A clinic group of 102 patients including 43 with dementia was recruited along with 78 healthy volunteers. The clinic and control groups were scored on the Spanish version of the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and BNT. In addition, the clinic group was tested with standard neuropsychological instruments and underwent brain investigations and routine neurological examination. BNT items with specificity and sensitivity above 0.5 were selected to compose a short battery of 11 pictures named BNTOu11. ANOVA and mean comparisons were made for MMSE and BNT versions. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and internal consistency were calculated. Areas under ROC curves (AUC) did not show statistically significant differences; therefore BNTOu11's AUC (0.814) was similar to the 60-item BNT versions (0.785 and 0.779), to the short versions from Argentina (0.772) and Andalusia (0.799) and to the Spanish MMSE (0.866). BNTOu11 had higher internal consistency than the other short versions. BNTOu11 is a useful and time-saving method as part of a battery for screening for dementia in a psychogeriatric outpatient unit.

Comparing Diagnostic Accuracy of Cognitive Screening Instruments: A Weighted Comparison Approach

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A.J. Larner

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: There are many cognitive screening instruments available to clinicians when assessing patients' cognitive function, but the best way to compare the diagnostic utility of these tests is uncertain. One method is to undertake a weighted comparison which takes into account the difference in sensitivity and specificity of two tests, the relative clinical misclassification costs of true- and false-positive diagnosis, and also disease prevalence. Methods: Data were examined from four pragmatic diagnostic accuracy studies from one clinic which compared the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE with the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA, the Test Your Memory (TYM test, and the Mini-Mental Parkinson (MMP, respectively. Results: Weighted comparison calculations suggested a net benefit for ACE-R, MoCA, and MMP compared to MMSE, but a net loss for TYM test compared to MMSE. Conclusion: Routine incorporation of weighted comparison or other similar net benefit measures into diagnostic accuracy studies merits consideration to better inform clinicians of the relative value of cognitive screening instruments.

241-SY-101 DACS instrument problem screen (SCR 448) acceptance test procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ERMI, A.M.

1999-01-01

The operability of the 241-SY-101 Data Acquisition and Control System (DACS) to provide proper control and monitoring of the mitigation mixer pump and instrumentation installed in the 241-SY-101 underground storage tank utilizing the [INSTPROB] screen will be systematically evaluated by the performance of this procedure

A population study comparing screening performance of prototypes for depression and anxiety with standard scales

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Christensen Helen

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Screening instruments for mental disorders need to be short, engaging, and valid. Current screening instruments are usually questionnaire-based and may be opaque to the user. A prototype approach where individuals identify with a description of an individual with typical symptoms of depression, anxiety, social phobia or panic may be a shorter, faster and more acceptable method for screening. The aim of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of four new prototype screeners for predicting depression and anxiety disorders and to compare their performance with existing scales. Methods Short and ultra-short prototypes were developed for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD, Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD, Panic Disorder (PD and Social Phobia (SP. Prototypes were compared to typical short and ultra-short self-report screening scales, such as the Centre for Epidemiology Scale, CES-D and the GAD-7, and their short forms. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI version 6 1 was used as the gold standard for obtaining clinical criteria through a telephone interview. From a population sample, 225 individuals who endorsed a prototype and 101 who did not were administered the MINI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC curves were plotted for the short and ultra short prototypes and for the short and ultra short screening scales. Results The study found that the rates of endorsement of the prototypes were commensurate with prevalence estimates. The short-form and ultra short scales outperformed the short and ultra short prototypes for every disorder except GAD, where the GAD prototype outperformed the GAD 7. Conclusions The findings suggest that people may be able to self-identify generalised anxiety more accurately than depression based on a description of a prototypical case. However, levels of identification were lower than expected. Considerable benefits from this method of screening may ensue if our prototypes can be

Long-term psychosocial consequences of false-positive screening mammography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brodersen, John; Siersma, Volkert Dirk

2013-01-01

Cancer screening programs have the potential of intended beneficial effects, but they also inevitably have unintended harmful effects. In the case of screening mammography, the most frequent harm is a false-positive result. Prior efforts to measure their psychosocial consequences have been limite...... by short-term follow-up, the use of generic survey instruments, and the lack of a relevant benchmark-women with breast cancer....

Development and validation of a Haitian Creole screening instrument for depression

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, Andrew; Eustache, Eddy; Raviola, Giuseppe; Kaiser, Bonnie; Grelotti, David; Belkin, Gary

2014-01-01

Developing mental health care capacity in post-earthquake Haiti is hampered by the lack of assessments that include culturally bound idioms Haitians use when discussing emotional distress. The current study describes a novel emic-etic approach to developing a depression screening for Partners In Health/Zanmi Lasante. In Study 1 Haitian key informants were asked to classify symptoms and describe categories within a pool of symptoms of common mental disorders. Study 2 tested the symptom set that best approximated depression in a sample of depressed and not depressed Haitians in order to select items for the screening tool. The resulting 13-item instrument produced scores with high internal reliability that were sensitive to culturally-informed diagnoses, and interpretations with construct and concurrent validity (vis-à-vis functional impairment). Discussion focuses on the appropriate use of this tool and integrating emic perspectives into developing psychological assessments globally. The screening tool is provided as an Appendix. PMID:25080426

Korean version of mini mental status examination for dementia screening and its' short form.

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Kim, Tae Hui; Jhoo, Jin Hyeong; Park, Joon Hyuk; Kim, Jeong Lan; Ryu, Seung Ho; Moon, Seok Woo; Choo, Il Han; Lee, Dong Woo; Yoon, Jong Chul; Do, Yeon Ja; Lee, Seok Bum; Kim, Moon Doo; Kim, Ki Woong

2010-06-01

We developed a Korean version of Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) optimized for screening dementia (MMSE-DS) and its' short form (SMMSE-DS). We constructed the MMSE-DS using the items of the two current Korean versions of MMSE and then construct the SMMSE-DS consisted of 13 items from the MMSE-DS based on the diagnostic accuracy of individual items for dementia. We investigated reliability and validity of MMSE-DS and SMMSE-DS on 1,555 subjects (1,222 nondemented controls, 333 dementia patients). We compared the diagnostic accuracy of the SMMSE-DS with that of the three full Korean versions of MMSE, and examined its' age- and education-specific optimal cutoff scores for dementia. The internal consistency obtained by Cronbach's coefficient alpha was 0.826. The inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability were 0.968 (p<0.001) and 0.825 (p<0.001), respectively. It showed significant correlation with the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) (r=-0.698, p<0.05) and the three full Korean versions of MMSE (r=0.839-0.938, p<0.001). The area under the receiver operator curve for dementia of the SMMSE-DS was larger than those of the three full Korean versions of MMSE (p<0.001). Age, education and gender explained 19.4% of the total variance of SMMSE-DS scores. The optimal cutoff scores for dementia of the SMMSE-DS were estimated differently by age and educational attainment of the subjects. The SMMSE-DS was found to be accurate, brief and portable instrument for screening dementia in Korean elders, and may be particularly useful for screening dementia in elderly populations with wide variation in educational levels.

Screening for nutritional risk in hospitalized children: comparison of two instruments

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Dwi Novianti

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background Malnutrition in hospitalized children has negative impact on morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and health-care cost. A simple screening tool is needed to detect hospital malnutrition risk in children. Objective To compare the level of agreement of the Screening Tool for Malnutrition in Pediatrics (STAMP and Pediatric Nutritional Risk Score (PNRS with anthropometric measurements, as screening tools for hospital malnutrition in children. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to July 2014 in the Pediatric and Surgery Wards at H. Adam Malik Hospital, Medan, North Sumatera. Inclusion criteria were children aged 2 to 18 years who were hospitalized for more than 72 hours. Subjects were screened using STAMP and PNRS, and underwent anthropometric measurement on admission. The weight measurements were repeated on the 3rd and 7th days, and just before discharge. The STAMP and PNRS results were compared in terms of level of agreement with anthropometric measurements. Data were analyzed by Kappa value and Spearman’s correlation test. Results A total of 127 children were screened with both instruments. The PNRS had slight agreement with hospital malnutrition prevalence (κ=0.175; P=0.028, while STAMP had not  (κ=0.080; P=0.193. Both screening tools had weak positive correlations with length of stay, but the correlation was stronger for PNRS than for STAMP (r=0.218; P=0.014 vs. r=0.188; P=0.034, respectively. The prevalence of hospital malnutrition was 40.9%.  Conclusions The PNRS screening tool has slight agreement with anthropometric measurement for identifying hospital malnutrition risk in children.

Reliability and Validity Study of the Attitude towards Mathematics Instruments Short Form

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Güney HACIÖMEROĞLU

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Turkish form of the Attitude Towards Mathematics Instrument Short Form developed by Lim and Chapman (2013. In this study, data gathered from 310 elementary students were utilized for Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis to determine the structure of factor loading. The factor loading among the sub-scales were different from original. Confirmatory Factor analysis revealed that the model was acceptable. There were three sub-scales, value, self-confidence, enjoyment and motivation. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the overall instrument was calculated as .84, respectively. The adapted instrument includes three sub-scales: value (α=.91, self-confidence (α=.86, enjoyment and motivation (α=.82. Turkish adaptation of the questionnaire is valid and reliable and appropriate to use in Turkish culture.

A proposal for assessing study quality: Biomonitoring, Environmental Epidemiology, and Short-lived Chemicals (BEES-C) instrument

Science.gov (United States)

LaKind, Judy S.; Sobus, Jon R.; Goodman, Michael; Barr, Dana Boyd; Fürst, Peter; Albertini, Richard J.; Arbuckle, Tye E.; Schoeters, Greet; Tan, Yu-Mei; Teeguarden, Justin; Tornero-Velez, Rogelio; Weisel, Clifford P.

2015-01-01

The quality of exposure assessment is a major determinant of the overall quality of any environmental epidemiology study. The use of biomonitoring as a tool for assessing exposure to ubiquitous chemicals with short physiologic half-lives began relatively recently. These chemicals present several challenges, including their presence in analytical laboratories and sampling equipment, difficulty in establishing temporal order in cross-sectional studies, short- and long-term variability in exposures and biomarker concentrations, and a paucity of information on the number of measurements required for proper exposure classification. To date, the scientific community has not developed a set of systematic guidelines for designing, implementing and interpreting studies of short-lived chemicals that use biomonitoring as the exposure metric or for evaluating the quality of this type of research for WOE assessments or for peer review of grants or publications. We describe key issues that affect epidemiology studies using biomonitoring data on short-lived chemicals and propose a systematic instrument – the Biomonitoring, Environmental Epidemiology, and Short-lived Chemicals (BEES-C) instrument – for evaluating the quality of research proposals and studies that incorporate biomonitoring data on short-lived chemicals. Quality criteria for three areas considered fundamental to the evaluation of epidemiology studies that include biological measurements of short-lived chemicals are described: 1) biomarker selection and measurement, 2) study design and execution, and 3) general epidemiological study design considerations. We recognize that the development of an evaluative tool such as BEES-C is neither simple nor non-controversial. We hope and anticipate that the instrument will initiate further discussion/debate on this topic. PMID:25137624

Short version of the “instrument for assessment of stress in nursing students” in the Brazilian reality

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Ana Lúcia Siqueira Costa

2018-01-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Goal: validate a short version of the Instrument for assessment of stress in nursing students in the Brazilian reality. Method: Methodological study conducted with 1047 nursing students from five Brazilian institutions, who answered the 30 items initially distributed in eight domains. Data were analyzed in the R Statistical Package and in the latent variable analysis, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach’s alpha and item-total correlation. Results: The short version of the instrument had 19 items distributed into four domains: Environment, Professional Training, Theoretical Activities and Performance of Practical Activities. The confirmatory analysis showed absolute and parsimony fit to the proposed model with satisfactory residual levels. Alpha values per factor ranged from 0.736 (Environment to 0.842 (Performance of Practical Activities. Conclusion: The short version of the instrument has construct validity and reliability for application to Brazilian nursing undergraduates at any stage of the course.

Translations of Developmental Screening Instruments: An Evidence Map of Available Research.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Behadli, Ana F; Neger, Emily N; Perrin, Ellen C; Sheldrick, R Christopher

2015-01-01

Children whose parents do not speak English experience significant disparities in the identification of developmental delays and disorders; however, little is known about the availability and validity of translations of developmental screeners. The goal was to create a map of the scientific evidence regarding translations of the 9 Academy of Pediatrics-recommended screening instruments into languages other than English. The authors conducted a systematic search of Medline and PsycINFO, references of identified articles, publishers' Web sites, and official manuals. Through evidence mapping, a new methodology supported by AHRQ and the Cochrane Collaboration, the authors documented the extent and distribution of published evidence supporting translations of developmental screeners. Data extraction focused on 3 steps of the translation and validation process: (1) translation methods used, (2) collection of normative data in the target language, and (3) evidence for reliability and validity. The authors identified 63 distinct translations among the 9 screeners, of which 44 had supporting evidence published in peer-reviewed sources. Of the 63 translations, 35 had at least some published evidence regarding translation methods used, 28 involving normative data, and 32 regarding reliability and/or construct validity. One-third of the translations found were of the Denver Developmental Screening Test. Specific methods used varied greatly across screeners, as did the level of detail with which results were reported. Few developmental screeners have been translated into many languages. Evidence map of the authors demonstrates considerable variation in both the amount and the comprehensiveness of information available about translated instruments. Informal guidelines exist for conducting translation of psychometric instruments but not for documentation of this process. The authors propose that uniform guidelines be established for reporting translation research in peer

Quick screening of cognitive function in Indian multiple sclerosis patients using Montreal cognitive assessment test-short version

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Darshpreet Kaur

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Cognitive impairments in multiple sclerosis (MS are now well recognized worldwide, but unfortunately this domain has been less explored in India due to many undermining factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate cognitive impairments in Indian MS patients with visual or upper limb motor problems with the help of short version of Montreal cognitive assessment test (MoCA. Subjects and Methods: Thirty MS patients and 50 matched controls were recruited for the 12 points MoCA task. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC analysis was performed to determine optimal sensitivity and specificity of the 12 points MoCA in differentiating cognitively impaired patients and controls. Results: The mean 12 points MoCA scores of the controls and MS patients were 11.56 ± 0.67 and 8.06 ± 1.99, respectively. In our study, the optimal cut-off value for 12 points MoCA to be able to differentiate patients with cognitive impairments from controls is 10/12. Accordingly, 73.3% patients fell below the cut off value. Both the groups did not have significant statistical differences with regard to age and educational years. Conclusion: The 12 points, short version of MoCA, is a useful brief screening tool for quick and early detection of mild cognitive impairments in subjects with MS. It can be administered to patients having visual and motor problems. It is of potential use by primary care physicians, nurses, and other allied health professionals who need a quick screening test. No formal training for administration is required. Financial and time constraints should not limit the use of the proposed instrument.

Internet-Related Disorders: Development of the Short Compulsive Internet Use Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Besser, Bettina; Rumpf, Hans-Jürgen; Bischof, Anja; Meerkerk, Gert-Jan; Higuchi, Susumu; Bischof, Gallus

2017-11-01

The addiction treatment system only reaches a small number of individuals suffering from Internet-related disorders. Therefore, it is important to improve case detection for preventive measures and brief interventions. Existing screening instruments are often time-consuming and rarely validated using clinical criteria. The aim of this study is to develop an optimized short screening for problematic Internet use and Internet addiction (IA). A regression analysis was conducted in random subsamples of a merged sample (N = 3,040; N = 1,209) to examine the item performance of the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS). Based on the results, a short version of the CIUS was developed and compared with the original CIUS. A fully structured diagnostic interview, covering the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria for the Internet gaming disorder with a broader focus on all Internet activities, was conducted. A five-item version of the short screening performed best across the samples. Comparing the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic between the Short CIUS and the original test revealed no significant difference (AUC = 0.968; 0.977). A cutoff point of 7 turned out to perform best for case detection and yielded a sensitivity of 0.95 and a specificity of 0.87, Cronbach's alpha was 0.77. The analysis showed that the performance of the Short CIUS is just as good in detecting problematical Internet use and IA as the performance of the original CIUS. The Short CIUS provides an economical and valid instrument for the assessment of problematic Internet use and IA.

Development and Validation of a POSIT-Short Form: Screening for Problem Behaviors among Adolescents at Risk for Substance Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Danseco, Evangeline R.; Marques, Paul R.

2002-01-01

The Problem-Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT) screens for multiple problems among adolescents at risk for substance use. A shortened version of the POSIT was developed, using factor analysis, and correlational and reliability analyses. The POSIT-SF shows potential for a reliable and cost-efficient screen for youth with substance…

Recall effect of short message service (SMS) as a complementary marketing communications instrument

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wouters, J.P.M.; Wetzels, M.G.M.

2006-01-01

A quasi-experimental study was designed to investigate the recall effect of Short Message Service (SMS) as a complementary marketing communications instrument. An experimental group (EG) was formed, consisting of people who had called an SMS number mentioned in a car brand campaign. A control group

Comparison of the GHQ-36, the GHQ-12 and the SCL-90 as psychiatric screening instruments in the Finnish population.

Science.gov (United States)

Holi, Matti M; Marttunen, Mauri; Aalberg, Veikko

2003-01-01

The aim of the study was to compare the screening properties of two General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) versions and the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), and to evaluate them as psychiatric screening instruments in Finland. We administered the GHQ-36 and the SCL-90 to psychiatric outpatients (n=207) and to a community sample (n=315). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to estimate the screening performance of the two instruments and of the GHQ-12 extracted from the GHQ-36. The screening properties of the scales were found to be good and similar. Suggested optimal cut-off points were 3/4 for the GHQ-12, 8/9 for the GHQ-36 and 0.90/0.91 for the SCL-90. In conclusion, the scales functioned equally well in screening. This favors the GHQ-12 for pure screening. When information on the symptom level is also needed, the GHQ-36 and the SCL-90 become better choices. The cut-off points presented here should be considered in the future Finnish psychiatric screening studies.

A new screening instrument for disability in low-income and middle-income settings: application at the Iganga-Mayuge Demographic Surveillance System (IM-DSS), Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Bachani, Abdulgafoor M; Galiwango, Edward; Kadobera, Daniel; Bentley, Jacob A; Bishai, David; Wegener, Stephen; Hyder, Adnan A

2014-12-19

The measurement of disability in low-income countries is recognised as a major deficiency in health information systems, especially in Africa. The Iganga and Mayuge Demographic Surveillance System (IM-DSS) in Uganda provides a special opportunity to develop population-based data to inform national health policies and evaluate innovations in assessing the burden of disability in Uganda. In this study, we apply a new instrument to screen for physical disabilities at the IM-DSS. The study utilised a modified version of the short set of questions proposed by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics. The instrument was applied at the household level and information was collected on all individuals over the age of 5, who were residents of the IM-DSS. The study was based at the IM-DSS, which covers the parts of Iganga and Mayuge districts in Eastern Uganda. 57,247 individuals were included in the survey, with 51% of the study population being women. Activity limitations The overall prevalence of physical disability at the IM-DSS was 9.4%, with vision being the most common type of difficulty reported in this population, and communication being least prevalent. Disability was less likely to be observed among males than their female counterparts (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.71 to 0.81; pdisability and increasing age, as well as disability and decreasing household wealth status. This study shows that the modified short set of questions can be readily applied in a DSS setting to obtain estimates on the prevalence and types of disability at the population level. This instrument could be adapted for use to screen for disability in other LMIC settings, providing estimates that are comparable across different global regions and populations. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The Diagnostic Accuracy of Dementia-Screening Instruments With an Administration Time of 10 to 45 Minutes for Use in Secondary Care : A Systematic Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Appels, Bregje A.; Scherder, Erik

Early screening for dementia is crucial for identifying reversible causes as well as managing, counseling, and other therapeutic interventions. Many reviews have compared the suitability of very brief screening instruments for use in primary care, but reviews on more extensive instruments in

Three-question set from Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument adds independent prognostic information on cardiovascular outcomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seferovic, Jelena P; Pfeffer, Marc A; Claggett, Brian

2018-01-01

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The self-administered Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI) is used to diagnose diabetic peripheral neuropathy. We examined whether the MNSI might also provide information on risk of death and cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: In this post hoc analysis of the Aliskiren...

Screening of SHOX gene sequence variants in Saudi Arabian children with idiopathic short stature.

Science.gov (United States)

Alharthi, Abdulla A; El-Hallous, Ehab I; Talaat, Iman M; Alghamdi, Hamed A; Almalki, Matar I; Gaber, Ahmed

2017-10-01

Short stature affects approximately 2%-3% of children, representing one of the most frequent disorders for which clinical attention is sought during childhood. Despite assumed genetic heterogeneity, mutations or deletions in the short stature homeobox-containing gene ( SHOX ) are frequently detected in subjects with short stature. Idiopathic short stature (ISS) refers to patients with short stature for various unknown reasons. The goal of this study was to screen all the exons of SHOX to identify related mutations. We screened all the exons of SHOX for mutations analysis in 105 ISS children patients (57 girls and 48 boys) living in Taif governorate, KSA using a direct DNA sequencing method. Height, arm span, and sitting height were recorded, and subischial leg length was calculated. A total of 30 of 105 ISS patients (28%) contained six polymorphic variants in exons 1, 2, 4, and 6. One mutation was found in the DNA domain binding region of exon 4. Three of these polymorphic variants were novel, while the others were reported previously. There were no significant differences in anthropometric measures in ISS patients with and without identifiable polymorphic variants in SHOX . In Saudi Arabia ISS patients, rather than SHOX , it is possible that new genes are involved in longitudinal growth. Additional molecular analysis is required to diagnose and understand the etiology of this disease.

Screening for markers of frailty and perceived risk of adverse outcomes using the Risk Instrument for Screening in the Community (RISC).

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O Caoimh, Rónán

2014-09-19

Functional decline and frailty are common in community dwelling older adults, increasing the risk of adverse outcomes. Given this, we investigated the prevalence of frailty-associated risk factors and their distribution according to the severity of perceived risk in a cohort of community dwelling older adults, using the Risk Instrument for Screening in the Community (RISC).

Can we forget the Mini-Mental State Examination? A systematic review of the validity of cognitive screening instruments within one month after stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Heugten, Caroline M; Walton, L; Hentschel, U

2015-07-01

To review systematically studies investigating the convergent, criterion, and predictive validity of multi-domain cognitive screening instruments in the first four weeks after stroke. Electronic databases (Pubmed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase) were searched until June 2014. Studies concerning screening for cognitive dysfunction in stroke patients using multi-domain instruments, within four weeks postinfarct or haemorrhagic stroke, using tests taking no longer than one hour. Convergent, criterion, and predictive validity were examined. A total of 51 studies investigating 16 cognitive screening instruments were identified. None of the instruments covered all of the most affected cognitive domains. Only one study investigated the convergent validity of a multi-domain test during the (sub)acute phase after stroke. A total of 15 studies examined the criterion validity of cognitive measurements during the acute phase after stroke. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Higher Cortical Function Deficit Test had good criterion validity. A total of 24 studies examined the predictive ability of multi-domain cognitive instruments applied in the acute phase after stroke. The Cognistat, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Functional Independence Measure-cognitive showed good predictive validity. The Mini-Mental State Examination is the most widely used cognitive screening instrument, but shows insufficient criterion validity. None of the existing instruments fulfils all criteria. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment is the best candidate at present, provided items measuring speed of information processing are added, and further studies investigating the optimal cut-offs are conducted. © The Author(s) 2014.

Prospective evaluation of a protocol for using transabdominal ultrasound to screen for short cervix.

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Pandipati, Santosh; Combs, C Andrew; Fishman, Alan; Lee, Sarah Y; Mallory, Kimberly; Ianovich, Francesca

2015-07-01

We sought to evaluate a recently proposed protocol whereby transabdominal ultrasound of the cervix might be used as a prescreen to select women to undergo or to forgo measurement of cervical length via transvaginal ultrasound (CLvag). This was a prospective cohort study. Measurements of cervical length via transabdominal ultrasound (CLabd) and CLvag were made in women with singleton pregnancy during routine obstetrical ultrasound examination at 18(0/7) to 23(6/7) weeks of gestation. The transabdominal screen was considered positive if CLabd was ≤36 mm with the maternal bladder full or ≤35 mm with the bladder empty, or adequate imaging of the cervix could not be obtained. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios of a positive screen to detect a short cervix (CLvag ≤25 mm) were calculated. An interim analysis identified several technical problems with CLabd measurements, so the protocol was extensively revised. Under the revised protocol, 1580 women were included. Adequate views of the cervix were obtained via transabdominal imaging in 46% of subjects with the bladder empty and 56% with the bladder full. The correlation between CLabd and CLvag was poor (r = 0.38). Of the 17 patients with a short cervix, 15 had suboptimal transabdominal exams (screen positive) and 2 had CLabd ≤35 mm with bladder empty (screen positive). Sensitivity of the screen was 100% (95% confidence interval, 80.5-100%) but specificity was only 32.2% (95% confidence interval, 29.9-34.6%) and screen positive rate was 66.3%. Several technical problems and limitations of transabdominal imaging of the cervix are shown. Using modern, high-resolution ultrasound equipment, we were unable to adequately image the cervix via transabdominal ultrasound in half the cases. Although we confirmed that a CLabd cutoff value of 35-36 mm is appropriate for detection of short cervix, the technique for measuring CLabd is fraught with technical problems. Practitioners must validate the

Screening and treatment for short cervical length in pregnancy: a physician survey in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Martell, Bridget; DiBenedetti, Dana B; Weiss, Herman; Zhou, Xiaolei; Reynolds, Maria; Berghella, Vincenzo; Hassan, Sonia S

2018-03-01

To evaluate how physicians in the United States (US) screen for, define, and treat a short cervix to prevent preterm birth. This was a cross-sectional, web-based survey of 500 physicians treating pregnant patients with a short cervix in the US. Respondents' geographic region was monitored to ensure balance across the nine US Census divisions. Respondents were predominantly obstetrician/gynecologists (86%, 429/500; mean age 49 years). Physicians reported that a median of 90% of their pregnant patients undergo cervical length screening; 81% (407/500) use transvaginal ultrasound. Physicians consult multiple evidence sources to inform their patient care, most commonly clinical guidelines (83%; 413/500) and published research (70%; 349/500). Most physicians (98%; 490/500) reported treating pregnant patients with a short cervix; 95% (474/500) use synthetic and/or natural progestogen, alone or in combination with other treatment modalities. If reimbursement was not a concern, 47% of physicians (230/500) would choose vaginal progesterone as their preferred treatment to prevent preterm birth in all patients with a short cervix, and 45% (218/500) would choose a synthetic progestogen. US guidelines recommend transvaginal ultrasound for cervical length screening; 81% of physicians in this study reported using this method. Most physicians surveyed use progestogens to treat a short cervix, with approximately half choosing a synthetic progestin (45%) and half choosing natural progesterone (47%) as their preferred treatment, despite national guidelines recommending only vaginal natural progesterone for this indication. Additional physician education is required to implement current and best practices.

The usefulness and feasibility of a screening instrument to identify psychosocial problems in patients receiving curative radiotherapy: a process evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braeken, Anna PBM; Kempen, Gertrudis IJM; Eekers, Daniëlle; Gils, Francis CJM van; Houben, Ruud MA; Lechner, Lilian

2011-01-01

Psychosocial problems in cancer patients are often unrecognized and untreated due to the low awareness of the existence of these problems or pressures of time. The awareness of the need to identify psychosocial problems in cancer patients is growing and has affected the development of screening instruments. This study explored the usefulness and feasibility of using a screening instrument (SIPP: Screening Inventory of Psychosocial Problems) to identify psychosocial problems in cancer patients receiving curative radiotherapy treatment (RT). The study was conducted in a radiation oncology department in the Netherlands. Several methods were used to document the usefulness and feasibility of the SIPP. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires completed by seven radiotherapists and 268 cancer patients. Regarding the screening procedure 33 patients were offered to consult a psychosocial care provider (e.g. social worker, psychologist) during the first consultation with their radiotherapist. Of these patients, 31 patients suffered from at least sub-clinical symptoms and two patients hardly suffered from any symptoms. Patients' acceptance rate 63.6% (21/33) was high. Patients were positive about the content of the SIPP (mean scores vary from 8.00 to 8.88, out of a range between 0 and 10) and about the importance of discussing items of the SIPP with their radiotherapist (mean score = 7.42). Radiotherapists' perspectives about the contribution of the SIPP to discuss the different psychosocial problems were mixed (mean scores varied from 3.17 to 4.67). Patients were more positive about discussing items of the SIPP if the radiotherapists had positive attitudes towards screening and discussing psychosocial problems. The screening procedure appeared to be feasible in a radiotherapy department. In general, patients' perspectives were at least moderate. Radiotherapists considered the usefulness and feasibility of the SIPP generally to be lower, but their

Development and Testing of Screen-Based and Psychometric Instruments for Assessing Resident Performance in an Operating Room Simulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard R. McNeer

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Medical simulators are used for assessing clinical skills and increasingly for testing hypotheses. We developed and tested an approach for assessing performance in anesthesia residents using screen-based simulation that ensures expert raters remain blinded to subject identity and experimental condition. Methods. Twenty anesthesia residents managed emergencies in an operating room simulator by logging actions through a custom graphical user interface. Two expert raters rated performance based on these entries using custom Global Rating Scale (GRS and Crisis Management Checklist (CMC instruments. Interrater reliability was measured by calculating intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC, and internal consistency of the instruments was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha. Agreement between GRS and CMC was measured using Spearman rank correlation (SRC. Results. Interrater agreement (GRS: ICC = 0.825, CMC: ICC = 0.878 and internal consistency (GRS: alpha = 0.838, CMC: alpha = 0.886 were good for both instruments. Subscale analysis indicated that several instrument items can be discarded. GRS and CMC scores were highly correlated (SRC = 0.948. Conclusions. In this pilot study, we demonstrated that screen-based simulation can allow blinded assessment of performance. GRS and CMC instruments demonstrated good rater agreement and internal consistency. We plan to further test construct validity of our instruments by measuring performance in our simulator as a function of training level.

Validation of the Spanish version of the McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder.

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Soler, Joaquim; Domínguez-Clavé, Elisabet; García-Rizo, Clemente; Vega, Daniel; Elices, Matilde; Martín-Blanco, Ana; Feliu-Soler, Albert; Carmona, Cristina; Pascual, Juan C

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a common and severe mental illness. Early detection is important and reliable screening instruments are required. To date, however, there has been no evidence of any specific BPD screening tool validated for the Spanish-speaking population. The McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD) is a 10-item self-report questionnaire that can detect the presence of BPD in a reliable and quick manner. The aim of the present study is the validation of the MSI-BPD for its use in the Spanish-speaking population. Psychometric properties of the MSI-BPD Spanish version were examined in a sample of 344 participants (170 outpatients with the possible diagnosis of BPD and 174 healthy controls). Exploratory factor analysis revealed the existence of a bi-factorial structure. The scale showed a high internal consistency (KR-20=0.873) and an optimal test-retest reliability (ICC=0.87). Using logistic regression analyses and taking the DIB-R as reference, a best cut-off of 7 was determined, obtaining a good sensitivity (0.71) and specificity (0.68). The area under the curve, was 0.742 (95% CI 0.660-0.824). The discriminant analysis showed a classification ability of 72.8%. The Spanish version of the MSI-BPD has good psychometric properties as a measure for the screening of BPD. Its ease and quickness of use make it valuable to detect the presence of BPD in clinical and research settings. Copyright © 2016 SEP y SEPB. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

[Can a mobile phone short message increase participation in breast cancer screening programmes?].

Science.gov (United States)

Arcas, M M; Buron, A; Ramis, O; Esturi, M; Hernández, C; Macià, F

2014-01-01

To evaluate the impact of a mobile phone short message on women's uptake in a breast cancer screening programme. A total of 703 women from a Basic Health Area of Barcelona, and with a mobile phone number registered, were invited to participate in a breast cancer screening programme between 25 January 2011 and 22 March 2011. The control group (n=470) followed the usual appointment track, and the intervention group (n=233) received, after the first letter of invitation, a mobile phone short message reminder. The differences between the two groups were analysed, comparing the uptake rates according to age, educational level, and participation in previous round, as well as the number of re-invitation calls to non-attenders according to uptake, age and level of education;and the percentages of exclusions of both groups. The intervention group had a greater uptake than the control group (78.1% vs. 72.3%), with a significant trend observed in the 55-59 years age group (P=.036) and the low secondary educational level (P=.014).The intervention group mean of re-invitation calls of non-attenders lower than the control group (.41 vs. .65, Pcancer screening programme may increase uptake rates and lead to a management improvement. Copyright © 2013 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Psychometric Properties of a Screening Instrument for Domestic Violence in a Sample of Iranian Women

Science.gov (United States)

Azadarmaki, Taghi; Kassani, Aziz; Menati, Rostam; Hassanzadeh, Jafar; Menati, Walieh

2016-01-01

Background Domestic violence against women is regarded as an important health problem among women and a serious concern in issues related to human rights. To date, a few screening tools for domestic violence exist for Iranian married women, but they assess only some of the domestic violence components. Objectives The present study aimed to design and determine the validity and reliability of a screening instrument for domestic violence in a sample of Iranian women. Materials and Methods The present study was a cross-sectional psychometric evaluation conducted on 350 married women in Ilam, Iran, in 2014. The samples were selected through multistage sampling and the main method was cluster sampling. A 20-item, self-administered questionnaire was validated by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). An Eigen value > 1 and a loading factor > 0.3 for each component were considered as indices for extracting domestic violence components. Reliability was calculated by test-retest and Cronbach’s alpha. Also, the content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) were used to measure content validity. The data were analyzed using SPSS-13 and LISREL 8.8 software programs. Results The self-administered instrument was completed by 334 women. The CFA and EFA methods confirmed embedding items and the three-factor structure of the instrument including psychological, physical, and sexual violence, which explained 66% of the total variance of the domestic violence. The ICC and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were > 0.7 for the components of the questionnaire. The test-retest also revealed strong correlations for each of the domestic violence components (r > 0.6). Conclusions The used instrument for measuring domestic violence had desirable validity and reliability and can be used as a suitable instrument in health and social researches in the local population. PMID:27331052

Child Abuse and Neglect: Screening for Risks During the Perinatal Period

Science.gov (United States)

Besier, T.; Pillhofer, M.; Botzenhart, S.; Ziegenhain, U.; Kindler, H.; Spangler, G.; Bovenschen, I.; Gabler, S.; Künster, A. K.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Currently, there is a claim for earlier interventions for families in order to prevent child maltreatment. Here, a screening instrument to assess risk indicators for child abuse and neglect already in the context of maternity clinics is introduced. The present study is the first report on the psychometric properties of this instrument, the “short questionnaire for risk indices around birth” (RIAB). Material and Methods: Data were collected in the context of three different studies conducted at Ulm University Hospital. To examine interrater reliability eight case vignettes were rated by n = 90 study participants (50 students and 40 experts working at a maternity clinic). Criterion validity was examined in two studies applying the German version of the child abuse potential inventory CAPI (n = 96 families at risk and n = 160 additional families). Results: Both laymen and experts were able to understand and use the screening instrument correctly, leading to a high agreement with the sample solutions given. A high concordance was found between parentsʼ and expertsʼ ratings: In case of no reported risk factors applying the screening instrument RIAB, parents themselves reported significantly less stressors and burdens, compared to those parents with an indication for a thorough examination as pointed out in the RIAB. Conclusion: In the context of maternity clinics the RIAB is a useful, broadly applicable instrument, screening for existing risk factors at the earliest and thus allowing for the initiation of specific interventions when needed. PMID:25298543

The Usefulness of the DBC-ASA as a Screening Instrument for Autism in Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Deb, Shoumitro; Dhaliwal, Akal-Joat; Roy, Meera

2009-01-01

Aims: To explore the validity of Developmental Behaviour Checklist-Autism Screening Algorithm (DBC-ASA) as a screening instrument for autism among children with intellectual disabilities. Method: Data were collected from the case notes of 109 children with intellectual disabilities attending a specialist clinic in the UK. Results: The mean score…

EIA screening in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Eskild Holm; Christensen, Per; Kørnøv, Lone

2005-01-01

The article points out that EIA screening is effectively a regulatory instrument and it can be a cost-effective instrument with environmental benefits.......The article points out that EIA screening is effectively a regulatory instrument and it can be a cost-effective instrument with environmental benefits....

Mobile instrumentation platform and robotic accessory for real-time screening of hazardous waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, M.S.; Jaselskis, E.J.

1992-01-01

An innovative mobile laboratory for real-time field screening of soils for inorganic hazardous waste using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry sampling and analysis technique is being developed at Ames Laboratory. This sampling technique as well as the concept for installing, monitoring, and controlling the instrumentation and utilities in the mobile laboratory, the robotic sampling accessory, and manual sampling method are discussed. Benefits of this mobile configuration and future development plans also are described

The Child Behaviour Assessment Instrument: development and validation of a measure to screen for externalising child behavioural problems in community setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Perera Hemamali

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Sri Lanka, behavioural problems have grown to epidemic proportions accounting second highest category of mental health problems among children. Early identification of behavioural problems in children is an important pre-requisite of the implementation of interventions to prevent long term psychiatric outcomes. The objectives of the study were to develop and validate a screening instrument for use in the community setting to identify behavioural problems in children aged 4-6 years. Methods An initial 54 item questionnaire was developed following an extensive review of the literature. A three round Delphi process involving a panel of experts from six relevant fields was then undertaken to refine the nature and number of items and created the 15 item community screening instrument, Child Behaviour Assessment Instrument (CBAI. Validation study was conducted in the Medical Officer of Health area Kaduwela, Sri Lanka and a community sample of 332 children aged 4-6 years were recruited by two stage randomization process. The behaviour status of the participants was assessed by an interviewer using the CBAI and a clinical psychologist following clinical assessment concurrently. Criterion validity was appraised by assessing the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values at the optimum screen cut off value. Construct validity of the instrument was quantified by testing whether the data of validation study fits to a hypothetical model. Face and content validity of the CBAI were qualitatively assessed by a panel of experts. The reliability of the instrument was assessed by internal consistency analysis and test-retest methods in a 15% subset of the community sample. Results Using the Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis the CBAI score of >16 was identified as the cut off point that optimally differentiated children having behavioural problems, with a sensitivity of 0.88 (95% CI = 0.80-0.96 and specificity of 0.81 (95% CI = 0

A Brief Screening Instrument for Emotionally Unstable and Dissocial Personality Disorder in Male Offenders with Intellectual Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, John L.; Novaco, Raymond W.

2013-01-01

Personality disorder is prevalent among offenders with intellectual disabilities (ID), and it is associated with their risk for violence and recurrent offending behaviour. A new staff-rated instrument, the Personality Disorder Characteristics Checklist (PDCC), designed to screen for ICD-10 dissocial and emotionally unstable personality…

The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS): a new instrument for the identification of pathological gamblers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lesieur, H R; Blume, S B

1987-09-01

The South Oaks Gambling Screen is a 20-item questionnaire based on DSM-III criteria for pathological gambling. It may be self-administered or administered by nonprofessional or professional interviewers. A total of 1,616 subjects were involved in its development: 867 patients with diagnoses of substance abuse and pathological gambling, 213 members of Gamblers Anonymous, 384 university students, and 152 hospital employees. Independent validation by family members and counselors was obtained for the calibration sample, and internal consistency and test-retest reliability were established. The instrument correlates well with the criteria of the revised version of DSM-III (DSM-III-R). It offers a convenient means to screen clinical populations of alcoholics and drug abusers, as well as general populations, for pathological gambling.

Assessing the psychometric properties and the perceived usefulness of the BasisRaadsOnderzoek (BARO as a first-line screening instrument for juvenile offenders

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van Loosbroek Erik

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties and the perceived usefulness of the BARO (Dutch: BAsisRaadsOnderzoek; Protection Board Preliminary Examination of Juvenile Suspects. The BARO is a first-line screening instrument for the identification of psychiatric disorders, adverse environmental factors, and levels of (dysfunction in adolescent offenders (age 12 to 18, to be used by social workers of the Child Protection Board (CPB following a police arrest. Method CPB workers administered the BARO to 295 juvenile offenders (91% boys, 9% girls. A subgroup of 66 offenders (89% boys, 11% girls underwent an elaborate diagnostic assessment by forensic psychologists and psychiatrists. Using these assessments the most relevant psychometric properties of the BARO were studied. The perceived usefulness was studied using questionnaires to be filled in by the CPB social workers. Results The internal consistency of the instrument was sufficient to good, the concurrent validity of the CPB social workers applying the BARO and the forensic experts carrying out the comprehensive diagnostic assessment was strong, the discriminatory value of the instrument was moderate to strong, and the perceived usefulness of the instrument was evaluated as good to very good by the majority of the CPB workers. Discussion The BARO has sufficient to good psychometric properties including moderate to strong discriminatory value and is considered a good screening instrument by the CPB social workers. In conclusion, the BARO seems to be a very promising first-line screening instrument to identify psychiatric and psychosocial problems in young offenders.

FRAIL Questionnaire Screening Tool and Short-Term Outcomes in Geriatric Fracture Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Gleason, Lauren Jan; Benton, Emily A; Alvarez-Nebreda, M Loreto; Weaver, Michael J; Harris, Mitchel B; Javedan, Houman

2017-12-01

There are limited screening tools to predict adverse postoperative outcomes for the geriatric surgical fracture population. Frailty is increasingly recognized as a risk assessment to capture complexity. The goal of this study was to use a short screening tool, the FRAIL scale, to categorize the level of frailty of older adults admitted with a fracture to determine the association of each frailty category with postoperative and 30-day outcomes. Retrospective cohort study. Level 1 trauma center. A total of 175 consecutive patients over age 70 years admitted to co-managed orthopedic trauma and geriatrics services. The FRAIL scale (short 5-question assessment of fatigue, resistance, aerobic capacity, illnesses, and loss of weight) classified the patients into 3 categories: robust (score = 0), prefrail (score = 1-2), and frail (score = 3-5). Postoperative outcome variables collected were postoperative complications, unplanned intensive care unit admission, length of stay (LOS), discharge disposition, and orthopedic follow-up after surgery. Thirty-day outcomes measured were 30-day readmission and 30-day mortality. Analysis of variance (1-way) and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare continuous variables across the 3 FRAIL categories. Fisher exact tests were used to compare categorical variables. Multiple regression analysis, adjusted by age, sex, and Charlson index, was conducted to study the association between frailty category and outcomes. FRAIL scale categorized the patients into 3 groups: robust (n = 29), prefrail (n = 73), and frail (n = 73). There were statistically significant differences between groups in terms of age, comorbidity, dementia, functional dependency, polypharmacy, and rate of institutionalization, being higher in the frailest patients. Hip fracture was the most frequent fracture, and it was more frequent as the frailty of the patient increased (48%, 61%, and 75% in robust, prefrail, and frail groups, respectively). The American

The Cross-Cultural Dementia Screening (CCD): A new neuropsychological screening instrument for dementia in elderly immigrants.

Science.gov (United States)

Goudsmit, Miriam; Uysal-Bozkir, Özgül; Parlevliet, Juliette L; van Campen, Jos P C M; de Rooij, Sophia E; Schmand, Ben

2017-03-01

Currently, approximately 3.9% of the European population are non-EU citizens, and a large part of these people are from "non-Western" societies, such as Turkey and Morocco. For various reasons, the incidence of dementia in this group is expected to increase. However, cognitive testing is challenging due to language barriers and low education and/or illiteracy. The newly developed Cross-Cultural Dementia Screening (CCD) can be administered without an interpreter. It contains three subtests that assess memory, mental speed, and executive function. We hypothesized the CCD to be a culture-fair test that could discriminate between demented patients and cognitively healthy controls. To test this hypothesis, 54 patients who had probable dementia were recruited via memory clinics. Controls (N = 1625) were recruited via their general practitioners. All patients and controls were aged 55 years and older and of six different self-defined ethnicities (Dutch, Turkish, Moroccan-Arabic, Moroccan-Berber, Surinamese-Creole, and Surinamese-Hindustani). Exclusion criteria included current or previous conditions that affect cognitive functioning. There were performance differences between the ethnic groups, but these disappeared after correcting for age and education differences between the groups, which supports our central hypothesis that the CCD is a culture-fair test. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) and logistic regression analyses showed that the CCD has high predictive validity for dementia (sensitivity: 85%; specificity: 89%). The CCD is a sensitive and culture-fair neuropsychological instrument for dementia screening in low-educated immigrant populations.

Internal validity of an anxiety disorder screening instrument across five ethnic groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritsher, Jennifer Boyd; Struening, Elmer L; Hellman, Fred; Guardino, Mary

2002-08-30

We tested the factor structure of the National Anxiety Disorder Screening Day instrument (n=14860) within five ethnic groups (White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American). Conducted yearly across the US, the screening is meant to detect five common anxiety syndromes. Factor analyses often fail to confirm the validity of assessment tools' structures, and this is especially likely for minority ethnic groups. If symptoms cluster differently across ethnic groups, criteria for conventional DSM-IV disorders are less likely to be met, leaving significant distress unlabeled and under-detected in minority groups. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses established that the items clustered into the six expected factors (one for each disorder plus agoraphobia). This six-factor model fit the data very well for Whites and not significantly worse for each other group. However, small areas of the model did not appear to fit as well for some groups. After taking these areas into account, the data still clearly suggest more prevalent PTSD symptoms in the Black, Hispanic and Native American groups in our sample. Additional studies are warranted to examine the model's external validity, generalizability to more culturally distinct groups, and overlap with other culture-specific syndromes.

Cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties of the Brazilian Version of the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Sartor, Cristina D; Oliveira, Mariana D; Campos, Victoria; Ferreira, Jane S S P; Sacco, Isabel C N

The Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument is an easy-to-use questionnaire aimed at screening and detecting diabetic polyneuropathy. To translate and cross-culturally adapt the MNSI to Brazilian Portuguese and evaluate its measurement properties. Two bilingual translators translated from English into Brazilian Portuguese and made a synthetic version. The synthetic version was back translated into English. A committee of specialists and the translator checked the cultural adaptations and developed a pre-final questionnaire in Brazilian Portuguese (prefinal version). In pretesting, the prefinal version was applied to a sample of 34 subjects in which each subject was interviewed to determine whether they understood each item. For the later assessment of measurement properties, 84 subjects were assessed. A final Brazilian Portuguese version of the instrument was produced after obtaining 80% agreement (SEM0.92), reasonable construct validity for the association between the MNSI and Neuropathy Symptom Score (r=0.46, p<0.05) and excellent association between the MNSI and Neuropathy Disability Score (r=0.79, p<0.05). We did not detect floor and ceiling effects (<9.5% of patients with maximum scores). The Brazilian Portuguese version of the MNSI is suitable for application in the Brazilian diabetic population and is a reliable tool for the screening and detection of DPN. The MNSI can be used both in clinical practice and also for research purposes. Copyright © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

The efficacy of the personality diagnostic questionnaire-revised as a diagnostic screening instrument in an anxiety disorder group

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Velzen, CJM; Luteijn, F; Scholing, A; van Hout, WJPJ; Emmelkamp, PMG

1999-01-01

The efficacy of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire - Revised (PDQ-R) as a screening instrument was examined in a sample of 137 anxious outpatients. The SCID-II was used as the criterion. The PDQ-R cut-offs were adjusted until the maximum kappa agreement for each scale was reached. The results

Screening Children for Abuse and Neglect: A Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoft, Mary; Haddad, Lisa

Child abuse and neglect occur in epidemic numbers in the United States and around the world, resulting in major physical and mental health consequences for abused children in the present and future. A vast amount of information is available on the signs and symptoms and short- and long-term consequences of abuse. A limited number of instruments have been empirically developed to screen for child abuse, with most focused on physical abuse in the context of the emergency department, which have been found to be minimally effective and lacking rigor. This literature review focuses on physical, sexual, and psychological abuse and neglect, occurring in one or multiple forms (polyabuse). A systematic, in-depth analysis of the literature was conducted. This literature review provides information for identifying children who have been abused and neglected but exposes the need for a comprehensive screening instrument or protocol that will capture all forms of child abuse and neglect. Screening needs to be succinct, user-friendly, and amenable for use with children at every point of care in the healthcare system.

Use of a brief standardized screening instrument in a primary care setting to enhance detection of social-emotional problems among youth in foster care.

Science.gov (United States)

Jee, Sandra H; Halterman, Jill S; Szilagyi, Moira; Conn, Anne-Marie; Alpert-Gillis, Linda; Szilagyi, Peter G

2011-01-01

To determine whether systematic use of a validated social-emotional screening instrument in a primary care setting is feasible and improves detection of social-emotional problems among youth in foster care. Before-and-after study design, following a practice intervention to screen all youth in foster care for psychosocial problems using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a validated instrument with 5 subdomains. After implementation of systematic screening, youth aged 11 to 17 years and their foster parents completed the SDQ at routine health maintenance visits. We assessed feasibility of screening by measuring the completion rates of SDQ by youth and foster parents. We compared the detection of psychosocial problems during a 2-year period before systematic screening to the detection after implementation of systematic screening with the SDQ. We used chart reviews to assess detection at baseline and after implementing systematic screening. Altogether, 92% of 212 youth with routine visits that occurred after initiation of screening had a completed SDQ in the medical record, demonstrating high feasibility of systematic screening. Detection of a potential mental health problem was higher in the screening period than baseline period for the entire population (54% vs 27%, P youth had 2 or more significant social-emotional problem domains on the SDQ. Systematic screening for potential social-emotional problems among youth in foster care was feasible within a primary care setting and doubled the detection rate of potential psychosocial problems. Copyright © 2011 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and validation of a screening instrument for bipolar spectrum disorder: The Mood Disorder Questionnaire Thai version

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waleeprakhon P

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Punjaporn Waleeprakhon,1 Pichai Ittasakul,1 Manote Lotrakul,1 Pattarabhorn Wisajun,1 Sudawan Jullagate,1 Terence A Ketter2 1Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; 2Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA Background: The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ has been translated to many languages and has been used in many countries as a screening instrument for bipolar disorder. The main objective of this study was to evaluate validity of the Thai version of the MDQ as a screening instrument for bipolar disorder in a psychiatric outpatient sample, and to determine its optimum question #1 item threshold value for bipolar disorder.Methods: The English language Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ was translated into Thai. The process involved back-translation, cross-cultural adaptation, field testing of the prefinal version, as well as final adjustments. Two hundred and fifty major depressive disorder outpatients were further assessed by the Thai version of the MDQ and the Thai version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI. During the assessment, reliability and validity analyses, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC analysis were performed.Results: The Thai version of the MDQ screening had adequate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha =0.791, omega total =0.68, and omega hierarchical =0.69. The optimal question #1 item threshold value was at least five positive items, which yielded adequate sensitivity (76.5%, specificity (72.7%, positive predictive value (74.3%, and negative predictive value (75.0%. The ROC area under the curve (AUC for this study was 0.82 (95% confidence interval: 0.70 to 0.90.Conclusion: The Thai version of the MDQ had some useful psychometric properties for screening for bipolar disorder in a mood disorder clinic setting, with a recommended question #1 item

Background parenchymal enhancement on baseline screening breast MRI: impact on biopsy rate and short-interval follow-up.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Hambly, Niamh M

2011-01-01

Background parenchymal enhancement on breast MRI refers to normal enhancement of the patient\\'s fibroglandular tissue. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of background parenchymal enhancement on short-interval follow-up, biopsy, and cancer detection rate on baseline screening MRI in a high-risk group.

AUDIT and AUDIT-C as screening instruments for alcohol problem use in adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Liskola, Joni; Haravuori, Henna; Lindberg, Nina; Niemelä, Solja; Karlsson, Linnea; Kiviruusu, Olli; Marttunen, Mauri

2018-07-01

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is commonly used in adults to screen for harmful alcohol consumption but few studies exist on its use among adolescents. Our aim was to validate the AUDIT and its derivative consumption questionnaire (AUDIT-C) as screening instruments for the detection of problem use of alcohol in adolescents. 621 adolescents (age-range, 12-19 years) were drawn from clinical and population samples who completed the AUDIT questionnaire. Psychiatric diagnoses were assessed using K-SADS-PL. A rating based on the K-SADS-PL was used to assess alcohol use habits, alcohol use disorders, screening and symptom criteria questions. Screening performance of the AUDIT and AUDIT-C sum scores and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated. The diagnostic odds ratios (dOR) were calculated to express the overall discrimination between cut-offs. Comparisons of ROC between the AUDIT and AUDIT-C pairs indicated a slightly better test performance by AUDIT for the whole sample and in a proportion of the subsamples. Optimal cut-off value for the AUDIT was ≥5 (sensitivity 0.931, specificity 0.772, dOR 45.22; 95% CI: 24.72-83.57) for detecting alcohol problem use. The corresponding optimal cut-off value for the AUDIT-C was ≥3 in detecting alcohol problem use (sensitivity 0.952, specificity 0.663, dOR 39.31; 95% CI: 19.46-78.97). Agreement between the AUDIT and AUDIT-C using these cut-off scores was high at 91.9%. Our results for the cut-off scores for the early detection of alcohol problem use in adolescents are ≥5 for AUDIT, and ≥3 for AUDIT-C. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Screening for frailty in community-dwelling elderly subjects: Predictive validity of the modified SEGA instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Oubaya, N; Dramé, M; Novella, J-L; Quignard, E; Cunin, C; Jolly, D; Mahmoudi, R

2017-11-01

To study the capacity of the SEGAm instrument to predict loss of independence among elderly community-dwelling subjects. The study was performed in four French departments (Ardennes, Marne, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse). Subjects aged 65 years or more, living at home, who could read and understand French, with a degree of autonomy corresponding to groups 5 or 6 in the AGGIR autonomy evaluation scale were included. Assessment included demographic characteristics, comprehensive geriatric assessment, and the SEGAm instrument at baseline. Subjects had follow-up visits at home at 6 and 12 months. During follow-up, vital status and level of independence were recorded. Logistic regression was used to study predictive validity of the SEGAm instrument. Among the 116 subjects with complete follow-up, 84 (72.4%) were classed as not very frail at baseline, 23 (19.8%) as frail, and 9 (7.8%) as very frail; 63 (54.3%) suffered loss of at least one ADL or IADL at 12 months. By multivariable analysis, frailty status at baseline was significantly associated with loss of independence during the 12 months of follow-up (OR=4.52, 95% CI=1.40-14.68; p=0.01). We previously validated the SEGAm instrument in terms of feasibility, acceptability, internal structure validity, reliability, and discriminant validity. This instrument appears to be a suitable tool for screening frailty among community-dwelling elderly subjects, and could be used as a basis to plan early targeted interventions for subjects at risk of adverse outcome. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Portuguese-speaking Adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Apolinario

2012-08-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a short health literacy assessment tool for Portuguese-speaking adults. METHODS: The Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Portuguese-speaking Adults is an assessment tool which consists of 50 items that assess an individual's ability to correctly pronounce and understand common medical terms. We evaluated the instrument's psychometric properties in a convenience sample of 226 Brazilian older adults. Construct validity was assessed by correlating the tool scores with years of schooling, self-reported literacy, and global cognitive functioning. Discrimination validity was assessed by testing the tool's accuracy in detecting inadequate health literacy, defined as failure to fully understand standard medical prescriptions. RESULTS: Moderate to high correlations were found in the assessment of construct validity (Spearman's coefficients ranging from 0.63 to 0.76. The instrument showed adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.93 and adequate test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.95. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for detection of inadequate health literacy was 0.82. A version consisting of 18 items was tested and showed similar psychometric properties. CONCLUSIONS: The instrument developed showed good validity and reliability in a sample of Brazilian older adults. It can be used in research and clinical settings for screening inadequate health literacy.

Development and evaluation of a new survey instrument to measure the quality of colorectal cancer screening decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sepucha, Karen R; Feibelmann, Sandra; Cosenza, Carol; Levin, Carrie A; Pignone, Michael

2014-08-20

Guidelines for colorectal cancer screening recommend that patients be informed about options and be able to select preferred method of screening; however, there are no existing measures available to assess whether this happens. Colorectal Cancer Screening Decision Quality Instrument (CRC-DQI) includes knowledge items and patients' goals and concerns. Items were generated through literature review and qualitative work with patients and providers. Hypotheses relating to the acceptability, feasibility, discriminant validity and retest reliability of the survey were examined using data from three studies: (1) 2X2 randomized study of participants recruited online, (2) cross-sectional sample of patients recruited in community health clinics, and (3) cross-sectional sample of providers recruited from American Medical Association Master file. 338 participants were recruited online, 94 participants were recruited from community health centers, and 115 physicians were recruited. The CRC-DQI was feasible and acceptable with low missing data and high response rates for both online and paper-based administrations. The knowledge score was able to discriminate between those who had seen a decision aid or not (84% vs. 64%, p quality decisions about colon cancer screening.

An instrument-free, screen-printed paper microfluidic device that enables bio and chemical sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadi, Saeed; Maeki, Masatoshi; Mohamadi, Reza M; Ishida, Akihiko; Tani, Hirofumi; Tokeshi, Manabu

2015-10-07

This paper describes a simple and instrument-free screen-printing method to fabricate hydrophilic channels by patterning polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) onto chromatography paper. Clearly recognizable border lines were formed between hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas. The minimum width of the printed channel to deliver an aqueous sample was 600 μm, as obtained by this method. Fabricated microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) were tested for several colorimetric assays of pH, glucose, and protein in both buffer and artificial urine samples and results were obtained in less than 30 min. The limits of detection (LODs) for glucose and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were 5 mM and 8 μM, respectively. Furthermore, the pH values of different solutions were visually recognised with the naked eye by using a sensitive ink. Ultimately, it is expected that this PDMS-screen-printing (PSP) methodology for μPADs can be readily translated to other colorimetric detection and hydrophilic channels surrounded by a hydrophobic polymer can be formed to transport fluids toward target zones.

The reliability and validity of Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument C-2.0 in Screening elderly people in Chengdu

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Luo Zhuming; Lu Rong

2000-01-01

Background: Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument C-2.0 (CASI C-2.0) is founded on Chinese culture apply to person with little or no formal education.Objective: In order to assess the reliability and validity of Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument C-2.0 (CASI C-2.0), we surveyed 807 persons aged from 55 to 100 years and with little or no formal education in the town and country of Chengdu city. Methods: Phase I: 807 persona were assessed by different doctors with CASI C-2.0 and Mini mental State Examination (MMSE). Phase Ⅱ: The positive persons of phase I were assessed by trained field physicians who did not know the CASI C-2.0 and MMSE scores. The physicians assessment included a detail history, a systematic physical examination and a selected group of psychometric tests to ascertain the clinical diagnoses of dementia、 Alzheimer′s disease and vascular dementia utilizing the ICD-10 and NINCDS-ADRAD、 DSM-Ⅳ criteria respectively. Phase Ⅲ: 30 persons were retest with CASI C-2.0 randomly after 3--4 weeks. Results: Among the 807 persons, 55 cases of dementia were identified, including 50 cases of probable Alzheimer′s disease and 5 cases of vascular dementia. Discussion: On reliability, the test-retest reliability coefficient of CASI C-2.0 is 0.97,p＜0.001, the person′s correlation coefficient between nine items scores and total scores are all above 0.66, the Cronback a is 0.9056, the split-half reliability coefficient is 0.8355. On validity, using ICD-10 criteria as ”Gold Criteria" and 50 as a cut-offscore, the sensitivity、 specificity、 accuracy of CASI C-2.0 are 94.5%、 89.5%、 89.8% respectively, kappa is 0.5123. Comparing with MMSE, CAS1 C-2.0 has a better specificity, x2 test, p＜0.01; a same sensitivity; and a lower refusal answer ratio, x2 test, p＜0.005. Conclusion: We consider that CASI C-2.0 has excellent reliability and validity. It is worthy of disseminating and applying for both clinical and epidemiological surveys.

Instruments to Identify Commercially Sexually Exploited Children: Feasibility of Use in an Emergency Department Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Stephanie

2017-12-01

This review examines the screening instruments that are in existence today to identify commercially sexually exploited children. The instruments are compared and evaluated for their feasibility of use in an emergency department setting. Four electronic databases were searched to identify screening instruments that assessed solely for commercial sexual exploitation. Search terms included "commercially sexually exploited children," "CSEC," "domestic minor sex trafficking," "DMST," "juvenile sex trafficking," and "JST." Those terms were then searched in combination with each of the following: "tools," "instruments," "screening," "policies," "procedures," "data collection," "evidence," and "validity." Six screening instruments were found to meet the inclusion criteria. Variation among instruments included number of questions, ease of administration, information sources, scoring methods, and training information provided. Two instruments were determined to be highly feasible for use in the emergency department setting, those being the Asian Health Services and Banteay Srei's CSEC Screening Protocol and Greenbaum et al's CSEC/child sex trafficking 6-item screening tool. A current dearth of screening instruments was confirmed. It is recommended that additional screening instruments be created to include developmentally appropriate instruments for preadolescent children. Numerous positive features were identified within the instruments in this review and are suggested for use in future screening instruments, including succinctness, a simple format, easy administration, training materials, sample questions, multiple information sources, designation of questions requiring mandatory reporting, a straightforward scoring system, and an algorithm format.

Comparison of short-term and long-term outcomes of spinal fusion with and without posterior instrumentation in congenital scoliosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Behtash H.

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Congenital scoliosis is a developmental disorder defined as a lateral curvature of the spine. Its progressive trend and complications, such as cosmetic problems, pain and pulmonary symptoms, have put scoliosis as an important skeletal deformity that should be corrected. One of the currently accepted methods of treatment is posterior spinal fusion (PSF that may be performed with or without instrumentation. However, the use of implants in conjunction with PSF in congenital spine deformity has been debated over the past three decades primarily because of increased risk of neurological deficit and implant displacement. The aim of this study was to compare short-term and long-term outcomes of spinal fusion with and without posterior instrumentation in congenital scoliosis.Methods: In this historical cohort study, 41 patients with congenital scoliosis were recruited. All patients underwent PSF surgery between 1977 and 1996. They were divided into two groups according to the use of instrumentation: 22 congenital scoliotic patients who were treated by PSF without any instrumentation (group A, and 19 instrumented PSF patients (group B. Instrumentation was mostly performed using the Harrington rod. The major curve angle was measured before surgery, two weeks and one year after PSF surgery and at the end of the follow-up period. Results: The mean baseline curve angles were 66.3° and 69.1° in groups A and B, respectively. The mean Cobb angles one year after PSF were 43.1° and 38.4° in groups A and B, respectively. The mean follow-up period was 8 years (SD=3 and, at the end of this period, the final Cobb angles were 47.3° and 39.4° in groups A and B, respectively. Therefore, the final angle correction was 28.7% in patients without instrumentation and 43% in patients with instrumentation. The mean loss of correction was 5.5% and 4.3% in groups A and B, respectively. The final curve angles was significantly more corrected for those patients

Screening for type 2 diabetes: a short report for the National Screening Committee.

Science.gov (United States)

Waugh, N R; Shyangdan, D; Taylor-Phillips, S; Suri, G; Hall, B

2013-08-01

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been increasing, owing to increases in overweight and obesity, decreasing physical activity and the changing demographic structure of the population. People can develop T2DM without symptoms and up to 20% may be undiagnosed. They may have diabetic complications, such as retinopathy, by the time they are diagnosed, or may suffer a heart attack, without warning. Undiagnosed diabetes can be detected by raised blood glucose levels. The aim of this review was to provide an update for the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) on screening for T2DM. As this review was undertaken to update a previous Health Technology Assessment review published in 2007, and a more recent Scottish Public Health Network review, searches for evidence were restricted from 2009 to end of January 2012, with selected later studies added. The databases searched were MEDLINE, EMBASE, MEDLINE-in-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Science Citation Index and Conference Proceedings Citation Index. The case for screening was considered against the criteria used by the NSC to assess proposed population screening programmes. Population screening for T2DM does not meet all of the NSC criteria. Criterion 12, on optimisation of existing management, has not been met. A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) gives details of shortcomings. Criterion 13 requires evidence from high-quality randomised controlled trials that screening is beneficial. This has not been met. The Ely trial of screening showed no benefit. The ADDITION trial was not a trial of screening, but showed no benefit in cardiovascular outcomes from intensive management in people with screen-detected T2DM. Criterion 18 on staffing and facilities does not appear to have been met, according to the NAO report. Criterion 19 requires that all other options, including prevention, should have been considered. A large proportion of cases of T2DM could be prevented if people avoided becoming

Effects of epidural analgesia on labor length, instrumental delivery, and neonatal short-term outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasegawa, Junichi; Farina, Antonio; Turchi, Giovanni; Hasegawa, Yuko; Zanello, Margherita; Baroncini, Simonetta

2013-02-01

We aimed to clarify whether the short-term adverse neonatal outcomes associated with epidural analgesia are due to the epidural analgesia itself or to the instrumental delivery. A retrospective case-control study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between epidural analgesia, labor length, and perinatal outcomes. A total of 350 pregnant women at term who delivered under epidural analgesia (cases) were compared with 1400 patients without epidural analgesia (controls). Vacuum extraction (6.5 vs. 2.9 %) and cesarean section (19.9 vs. 11.1 %) were more frequently performed in the cases than controls (p neonatal variables stratified by mode of delivery were not different in cases and controls, except for a slightly lower umbilical arterial pH in spontaneous delivery for the cases group. However, the Apgar scores and umbilical arterial pH were significantly lower in the neonates delivered by vacuum extraction compared with those in the neonates delivered by spontaneous delivery or cesarean section, regardless of whether epidural analgesia was performed. A multivariable analysis showed that vacuum extraction much more consistently affected the arterial pH than the analgesia itself (the β coefficients were -0.036 for epidural analgesia vs. -0.050 for vacuum extraction). Epidural analgesia was associated with slowly progressing labor, thus resulting in an increased rate of instrumental delivery. This instrumental delivery appears to adversely affect the neonatal outcomes more strongly than the analgesia itself.

Portuguese validation of the Short Health Anxiety Inventory: Factor structure, reliability, and factor invariance.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Alexandra; Reis, Sibília; Espada, José P; Orgilés, Mireia

2016-09-01

The Short Health Anxiety Inventory is a brief instrument to assess health anxiety widely used across countries; however, no validated version is available for Portuguese-speaking population. Factorial structure, reliability, and equivalency factor with the Spanish version were analyzed with Portuguese adolescents aged 14-18 years. A Portuguese adolescent cohort ( N = 629) and a comparative Spanish adolescent cohort ( N = 1502) were evaluated. The original two-factor version was the best fitting model for the Portuguese version. The reliability was excellent. Complete measurement invariance across both countries was supported. The Portuguese version of the Short Health Anxiety Inventory is a valid screening inventory to assess health anxiety in adolescents.

Validation of the Tamil version of short form Geriatric Depression Scale-15.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Sonali; Kattimani, Shivananand; Roy, Gautam; Premarajan, K C; Sarkar, Siddharth

2015-01-01

Local language screening instruments can be helpful in early assessment of depression in the elderly in the community and primary care population. This study describes the validation of a Tamil version of Geriatric Depression Scale (short form 15 [GDS-15] item) in a rural population. A Tamil version of GDS-15 was developed using standardized procedures. The questionnaire was applied in a sample of elderly (aged 60 years and above) from a village in South India. All the participants were also assessed for depression by a clinical interview by a psychiatrist. A total of 242 participants were enrolled, 64.9% of them being females. The mean score on GDS-15 was 7.4 (±3.4), while the point prevalence of depression was 6.2% by clinical interview. The area under the receiver-operator curve was 0.659. The optimal cut-off for the GDS in this sample was found at 7/8 with sensitivity and specificity being 80% and 47.6%, respectively. The Tamil version of GDS-15 can be a useful screening instrument for assessment of depression in the elderly population.

Validation of mental health screening instruments in the Kashmir Valley, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Housen, Tambri; Lenglet, Annick; Ariti, Cono; Ara, Shabnum; Shah, Showkat; Dar, Maqbool; Hussain, Arshad; Paul, Altaf; Wagay, Zahoor; Viney, Kerri; Janes, Simon; Pintaldi, Giovanni

2018-06-01

The present study aimed to culturally adapt, translate, and validate the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25) and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire-Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Checklist (HTQ-16) prior to use in a cross-sectional mental health population survey in the Kashmir Valley. Cultural adaptation and translation of the HSCL-25 and the HTQ-16 employed multiple forms of transcultural validity check. The HSCL-25 and HTQ-16 were compared against a "gold standard" structured psychiatric interview, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Interviews were conducted with 290 respondents recruited using consecutive sampling from general medical outpatient departments in five districts of the Kashmir Valley. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was used to estimate the cut point with optimal discriminatory power based on sensitivity and specificity. Internal reliability of the HSCL-25 was high, Cronbach's alpha (α) = .92, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.75, with an estimated optimal cut point of 1.50, lower than the conventional cut point of 1.75. Separation of the instruments into subscales demonstrated a difference in the estimated cut point for the anxiety subscale and the depression subscale, 1.75 and 1.57, respectively. Too few respondents were diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during structured psychiatric interview, and therefore the HTQ-16 could not be validated despite the fact that high internal reliability was demonstrated (α = .90). This study verified the importance of culturally adapting and validating screening instruments in particular contexts. The use of the conventional cut point of 1.75 would likely have misclassified depression in our survey, leading to an underestimate of this condition.

Telephone-based screening tools for mild cognitive impairment and dementia in aging studies: a review of validated instruments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teresa Costa Castanho

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The decline of cognitive function in old age is a great challenge for modern society. The simultaneous increase in dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases justifies a growing need for accurate and valid cognitive assessment instruments. Although in-person testing is considered the most effective and preferred administration mode of assessment, it can pose not only a research difficulty in reaching large and diverse population samples, but it may also limit the assessment and follow-up of individuals with either physical or health limitations or reduced motivation. Therefore, telephone-based cognitive screening instruments pose an alternative and attractive strategy to in-person assessments. In order to give a current view of the state of the art of telephone-based tools for cognitive assessment in aging, this review highlights some of the existing instruments with particular focus on data validation, cognitive domains assessed, administration time and instrument limitations and advantages. From the review of the literature, performed using the databases EBSCO, Science Direct and PubMed, it was possible to verify that while telephone-based tools are useful in research and clinical practice, providing a promising approach, the methodologies still need refinement in the validation steps, including comparison with either single instruments or neurocognitive test batteries, to improve specificity and sensitivity to validly detect subtle changes in cognition that may precede cognitive impairment.

Screening for personality disorder in incarcerated adolescent boys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Erik; Kongerslev, Mickey; Moran, Paul

2012-01-01

Background: Personality disorder (PD) is associated with significant functional impairment and an elevated risk of violent and suicidal behaviour. The prevalence of PD in populations of young offenders is likely to be high. However, because the assessment of PD is time-consuming, it is not routin......Background: Personality disorder (PD) is associated with significant functional impairment and an elevated risk of violent and suicidal behaviour. The prevalence of PD in populations of young offenders is likely to be high. However, because the assessment of PD is time...... in adults (Standardised Assessment of Personality – Abbreviated Scale; SAPAS) for use with adolescents and then carried out a study of the reliability and validity of the adapted instrument in a sample of 80 adolescent boys in secure institutions. Participants were administered the screen and shortly after......, and usefulness of the screen in secure institutions for adolescent male offenders. It can be used in juvenile offender institutions with limited resources, as a brief, acceptable, staff-administered routine screen to identify individuals in need of further assessment of PD or by researchers conducting...

Miniature short hairpin RNA screens to characterize antiproliferative drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Kittanakom, Saranya; Arnoldo, Anthony; Brown, Kevin R; Wallace, Iain; Kunavisarut, Tada; Torti, Dax; Heisler, Lawrence E; Surendra, Anuradha; Moffat, Jason; Giaever, Guri; Nislow, Corey

2013-08-07

The application of new proteomics and genomics technologies support a view in which few drugs act solely by inhibiting a single cellular target. Indeed, drug activity is modulated by complex, often incompletely understood cellular mechanisms. Therefore, efforts to decipher mode of action through genetic perturbation such as RNAi typically yields "hits" that fall into several categories. Of particular interest to the present study, we aimed to characterize secondary activities of drugs on cells. Inhibiting a known target can result in clinically relevant synthetic phenotypes. In one scenario, drug perturbation could, for example, improperly activate a protein that normally inhibits a particular kinase. In other cases, additional, lower affinity targets can be inhibited as in the example of inhibition of c-Kit observed in Bcr-Abl-positive cells treated with Gleevec. Drug transport and metabolism also play an important role in the way any chemicals act within the cells. Finally, RNAi per se can also affect cell fitness by more general off-target effects, e.g., via the modulation of apoptosis or DNA damage repair. Regardless of the root cause of these unwanted effects, understanding the scope of a drug's activity and polypharmacology is essential for better understanding its mechanism(s) of action, and such information can guide development of improved therapies. We describe a rapid, cost-effective approach to characterize primary and secondary effects of small-molecules by using small-scale libraries of virally integrated short hairpin RNAs. We demonstrate this principle using a "minipool" composed of shRNAs that target the genes encoding the reported protein targets of approved drugs. Among the 28 known reported drug-target pairs, we successfully identify 40% of the targets described in the literature and uncover several unanticipated drug-target interactions based on drug-induced synthetic lethality. We provide a detailed protocol for performing such screens and for

Screening for autistic spectrum disorder in children aged 14-15 months. II: population screening with the Early Screening of Autistic Traits Questionnaire (ESAT). Design and general findings.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dietz, C.; Swinkels, S.H.N.; Daalen, E. van; Engeland, H.M. van; Buitelaar, J.K.

2006-01-01

A two-stage protocol for screening for autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) was evaluated in a random population of 31,724 children aged 14-15 months. Children were first pre-screened by physicians at well-baby clinics using a 4-item screening instrument. Infants that screened positive were then

Review of short-term screening tests for mutagens, toxigens, and carcinogens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carney, H.J.; Hass, B.S.

1979-07-01

In order to test the thousands of man-made chemicals in the environment for carcinogenic and genetic hazards, a multitude of short-term screening tests has been developed to complement long-term mammalian bioassays and epidemiological studies. These tests cover a broad spectrum of organisms, and include the use of naked and viral nucleic acids, bacteria, fungi, higher plants, insects in vitro mammalian cell cultures (cell transformation, cell-mediated mutagenesis, DNA repair, and chromosome aberration tests) and live mammals. Assay end points include effects on nucleic acids, DNA repair synthesis, point or gene mutation, structural and numerical chromosome aberrations, cytological alterations, and in vitro cell transformation. The present review describes and compares these assays. In addition, it discusses their historical development, the problems and limitations associated with their use, and their implementation in comprehensive testing programs. It is intended to provide overview and specific information to the laboratory that is in the process of establishing genetic toxicological systems. (The literature is reviewed to January 1978.)

Automation in high-content flow cytometry screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Naumann, U; Wand, M P

2009-09-01

High-content flow cytometric screening (FC-HCS) is a 21st Century technology that combines robotic fluid handling, flow cytometric instrumentation, and bioinformatics software, so that relatively large numbers of flow cytometric samples can be processed and analysed in a short period of time. We revisit a recent application of FC-HCS to the problem of cellular signature definition for acute graft-versus-host-disease. Our focus is on automation of the data processing steps using recent advances in statistical methodology. We demonstrate that effective results, on par with those obtained via manual processing, can be achieved using our automatic techniques. Such automation of FC-HCS has the potential to drastically improve diagnosis and biomarker identification.

Comparison of the Swedish STarT Back Screening Tool and the Short Form of the Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire in patients with acute or subacute back and neck pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsbrand, Malin; Grahn, Birgitta; Hill, Jonathan C; Petersson, Ingemar F; Sennehed, Charlotte Post; Stigmar, Kjerstin

2017-02-21

Patients with back and neck pain are often seen in primary care and it is important to provide them with tailored interventions based on risk stratification/triage. The STarT Back Screening Tool (SBT) is a widely used screening questionnaire which has not yet been validated for a population with back and/or neck pain with short duration. Our aim was to compare the concurrent validity of the SBT and the short form of the ÖMPSQ including psychometric properties and clinical utility in a primary care setting. Patients who applied for physiotherapy by direct access (January 2013 to January 2014) at 35 primary care centers in south Sweden, with acute or subacute back and/or neck pain, aged 18-67 years, who were not currently on sick leave or had been on sick leave less than 60 days were asked to complete the SBT and ÖMPSQ-short questionnaire (n = 329). We used the Spearman's rank correlations to study correlations, cross tabulation and Cohen's kappa to analyze agreement of patient classification. Clinical utility was described as clinician scoring miscalculations and misclassifications of total and/or subscale scores. Completed SBT (9-items) and ÖMPSQ-short (10-items) data were available for 315/329 patients respectively. The statistical correlation for SBT and ÖMPSQ-short total scores was moderately strong (0.62, p neck pain. SBT seemed to be clinically feasible to use in clinical practice. We therefore suggest that SBT can be used for individuals with both BP and/or NP in primary care settings but it is important to be aware of that SBT's agreement with the ÖMPSQ-short was poor among females aged over 50 years. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02609750 Registered: November 18, 2015.

A Review of Level 2 Parent-Report Instruments Used to Screen Children Aged 1.5-5 for Autism: A Meta-Analytic Update

Science.gov (United States)

Hampton, Justin; Strand, Paul S.

2015-01-01

The present study utilized meta-analytic procedures to estimate the diagnostic validity of instruments used to screen young children, ages 1.5-5 years, for autism. Five scales met inclusion criteria, and data from 18 studies contributed the meta-analysis. Results revealed that 4 of 5 scales met criteria for "good" validity, including two…

Parental questionnaire as a screening instrument for motor function at age five.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordbye-Nielsen, Kirsten; Kesmodel, Ulrik Schiøler

2014-12-01

No standardised method is used to determine motor function in children in general practice in Denmark. Our aim was to evaluate the correlation between a parental questionnaire assessing motor function at the age of five years and the clinical test Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC), and to assess whether one or more questions could be used to screen for motor problems at the age of five years. This study was based on a parental questionnaire containing ten questions. The M-ABC was used as the gold standard. n = 755 children. The Mann-Whitney rank sum test, Pearson's χ(2)-test, logistic regression analyses and sensitivity and specificity were used to assess the correlation between the questionnaire and the M-ABC test. The best screening tool was six questions in combination: sensitivity 39.8%, specificity 87.1%. Asking if a health professional ever expressed concern about the childs motor development had a sensitivity of 17.0% and a specificity of 93.9%. A parental questionnaire used as a screening instrument to identify children with motor problems has a reasonable specificity, but a low sensitivity. The six questions can be used to identify children who do not have motor function difficulties with a relatively high certainty, and it can fairly well identify children with motor function problems. This study was primarily supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Additional support was obtained from The Danish Health and Medicines Authority, the Lundbeck Foundation, Ludvig & Daara Elsass Foundation, the Augustinus Foundation, and Aase & Ejnar Danielsens Foundation. The Danish National Research Foundation has established the Danish Epidemiology Science Centre that initiated and created the Danish National Birth Cohort. The cohort is furthermore a result of a major grant from this Foundation. Additional support for the Danish National Birth Cohort is obtained from the Pharmacy Foundation, the Egmont

Development of short-form and screening cutoff point of the Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI-SF).

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yu-Hsuan; Pan, Yuan-Chien; Lin, Sheng-Hsuan; Chen, Sue-Huei

2017-06-01

Smartphone addiction is considered a form of technological addiction that has attracted increasing attention. The present study developed and validated the short-form Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI-SF) and established cutoff point for screening smartphone addiction based on diagnostic criteria established by psychiatric interview. A total of 268 participants completed an online survey that collected demographic data, smartphone use behaviours, and responses to the 26-item SPAI. Each participant also completed a psychiatric interview. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that the 10-item SPAI-SF replicated the structure of original 26-item SPAI accurately, yielding a four-factor model consisting of compulsive behaviour, functional impairment, withdrawal, and tolerance. For maximal diagnostic accuracy, a cutoff point of 24/25 best discriminated cases of smartphone addiction from diagnostic negatives. The present findings suggest that both the 26-item SPAI and SPAI-SF manifest the four constructs of behavioural addiction and the characteristics of smartphone addiction. The cutoff point determined by psychiatrists' diagnostic interview will be useful for clinical screening and epidemiologic research. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Cognitive Telephone Screening Instrument (COGTEL: A Brief, Reliable, and Valid Tool for Capturing Interindividual Differences in Cognitive Functioning in Epidemiological and Aging Studies

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Andreas Ihle

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Aims: The present study set out to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Cognitive Telephone Screening Instrument (COGTEL in 2 different samples of older adults. Methods: We assessed COGTEL in 116 older adults, with retest after 7 days to evaluate the test-retest reliability. Moreover, we assessed COGTEL in 868 older adults to evaluate convergent validity to the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE. Results: Test-retest reliability of the COGTEL total score was good at 0.85 (p < 0.001. Latent variable analyses revealed that COGTEL and MMSE correlated by 0.93 (p < 0.001, indicating convergent validity of the COGTEL. Conclusion: The present analyses suggest COGTEL as a brief, reliable, and valid instrument for capturing interindividual differences in cognitive functioning in epidemiological and aging studies, with the advantage of covering more cognitive domains than traditional screening tools such as the MMSE, as well as differentiating between individual performance levels, in healthy older adults.

Brief screening questionnaires to identify problem drinking during pregnancy: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Ethel; Gray, Ron; Smith, Lesley A

2010-04-01

Although prenatal screening for problem drinking during pregnancy has been recommended, guidance on screening instruments is lacking. We investigated the sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of brief alcohol screening questionnaires to identify problem drinking in pregnant women. Electronic databases from their inception to June 2008 were searched, as well as reference lists of eligible papers and related review papers. We sought cohort or cross-sectional studies that compared one or more brief alcohol screening questionnaire(s) with reference criteria obtained using structured interviews to detect 'at-risk' drinking, alcohol abuse or dependency in pregnant women receiving prenatal care. Five studies (6724 participants) were included. In total, seven instruments were evaluated: TWEAK (Tolerance, Worried, Eye-opener, Amnesia, Kut down), T-ACE [Take (number of drinks), Annoyed, Cut down, Eye-opener], CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilt, Eye-opener], NET (Normal drinker, Eye-opener, Tolerance), AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test), AUDIT-C (AUDIT-consumption) and SMAST (Short Michigan Alcohol Screening Test). Study quality was generally good, but lack of blinding was a common weakness. For risk drinking sensitivity was highest for T-ACE (69-88%), TWEAK (71-91%) and AUDIT-C (95%), with high specificity (71-89%, 73-83% and 85%, respectively). CAGE and SMAST performed poorly. Sensitivity of AUDIT-C at score >or=3 was high for past year alcohol dependence (100%) or alcohol use disorder (96%) with moderate specificity (71% each). For life-time alcohol dependency the AUDIT at score >or=8 performed poorly. T-ACE, TWEAK and AUDIT-C show promise for screening for risk drinking, and AUDIT-C may also be useful for identifying alcohol dependency or abuse. However, their performance as stand-alone tools is uncertain, and further evaluation of questionnaires for prenatal alcohol use is warranted.

Jones' instrument technology

CERN Document Server

Jones, Ernest Beachcroft; Kingham, Edward G; Radnai, Rudolf

1985-01-01

Jones' Instrument Technology, Volume 5: Automatic Instruments and Measuring Systems deals with general trends in automatic instruments and measuring systems. Specific examples are provided to illustrate the principles of such devices. A brief review of a considerable number of standards is undertaken, with emphasis on the IEC625 Interface System. Other relevant standards are reviewed, including the interface and backplane bus standards. This volume is comprised of seven chapters and begins with a short introduction to the principles of automatic measurements, classification of measuring system

Screening for Intimate Partner Violence in Orthopedic Patients: A Comparison of Three Screening Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Sprague, Sheila; Madden, Kim; Dosanjh, Sonia; Petrisor, Brad; Schemitsch, Emil H.; Bhandari, Mohit

2012-01-01

Accurately identifying victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) can be a challenge for clinicians and clinical researchers. Multiple instruments have been developed and validated to identify IPV in patients presenting to health care practitioners, including the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) and the Partner Violence Screen (PVS). The purpose…

Virtual instrumentation: a new approach for control and instrumentation - application in containment studies facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gole, N.V.; Shanware, V.M.; Sebastian, A.; Subramaniam, K.

2001-01-01

PC based data-acquisition has emerged as a rapidly developing area particularly with respect to process instrumentation. Computer based data acquisition in process instrumentation combined with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software has introduced extensive possibilities with respect to formats for presentation of information. The concept of presenting data using any instrument format with the help of software tools to simulate the instrument on screen, needs to be understood, in order to be able to make use of its vast potential. The purpose of this paper is to present the significant features of the Virtual Instrumentation concept and discuss its application in the instrumentation and control system of containment studies facility (CSF). Factors involved in the development of the virtual instrumentation based I and C system for CSF are detailed and a functional overview of the system configuration is given. (author)

Short Tools to Assess Young Children's Dietary Intake: A Systematic Review Focusing on Application to Dietary Index Research

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Lucinda K. Bell

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Dietary indices evaluate diet quality, usually based on current dietary guidelines. Indices can therefore contribute to our understanding of early-life obesity-risk dietary behaviours. Yet indices are commonly applied to dietary data collected by onerous methods (e.g., recalls or records. Short dietary assessment instruments are an attractive alternative to collect data from which to derive an index score. A systematic review of studies published before April 2013 was conducted to identify short (≤50 items tools that measure whole-of-diet intake of young children (birth-five years and are applicable to dietary indices, in particular screening obesogenic dietary behaviours. The search identified 3686 papers of which 16, reporting on 15 tools (n=7, infants and toddlers birth-24 months; n=8, preschoolers 2–5 years, met the inclusion criteria. Most tools were food frequency questionnaires (n=14, with one innovative dietary questionnaire identified. Seven were tested for validity or reliability, and one was tested for both. Six tools (n=2, infants and toddlers; n=4, preschoolers are applicable for use with current dietary indices, five of which screen obesogenic dietary behaviours. Given the limited number of brief, valid and reliable dietary assessment tools for young children to which an index can be applied, future short tool development is warranted, particularly for screening obesogenic dietary behaviours.

Assessing validity of a depression screening instrument in the absence of a gold standard.

Science.gov (United States)

Gelaye, Bizu; Tadesse, Mahlet G; Williams, Michelle A; Fann, Jesse R; Vander Stoep, Ann; Andrew Zhou, Xiao-Hua

2014-07-01

We evaluated the extent to which use of a hypothesized imperfect gold standard, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), biases the estimates of diagnostic accuracy of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). We also evaluate how statistical correction can be used to address this bias. The study was conducted among 926 adults where structured interviews were conducted to collect information about participants' current major depressive disorder using PHQ-9 and CIDI instruments. First, we evaluated the relative psychometric properties of PHQ-9 using CIDI as a gold standard. Next, we used a Bayesian latent class model to correct for the bias. In comparison with CIDI, the relative sensitivity and specificity of the PHQ-9 for detecting major depressive disorder at a cut point of 10 or more were 53.1% (95% confidence interval: 45.4%-60.8%) and 77.5% (95% confidence interval, 74.5%-80.5%), respectively. Using a Bayesian latent class model to correct for the bias arising from the use of an imperfect gold standard increased the sensitivity and specificity of PHQ-9 to 79.8% (95% Bayesian credible interval, 64.9%-90.8%) and 79.1% (95% Bayesian credible interval, 74.7%-83.7%), respectively. Our results provided evidence that assessing diagnostic validity of mental health screening instrument, where application of a gold standard might not be available, can be accomplished by using appropriate statistical methods. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying developmental coordination disorder : MOQ-T validity as a fast screening instrument based on teachers' ratings and its relationship with praxic and visuospatial working memory deficits

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Giofre, David; Cornoldi, Cesare; Schoemaker, Marina M.

2014-01-01

The present study was devoted to test the validity, of the Italian adaptation of the Motor Observation Questionnaire for Teachers (MOQ-T, Schoemaker, Flapper, Reinders-Messelink, & De Kloet, 2008) as a fast screening instrument, based on teachers' ratings, for detecting developmental coordination

Screening for cognitive dysfunction in unipolar depression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ott, Caroline Vintergaard; Bjertrup, Anne Juul; Jensen, Johan Høy

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Persistent cognitive dysfunction in unipolar depression (UD) contributes to socio-occupational impairment, but there are no feasible methods to screen for and monitor cognitive dysfunction in this patient group. The present study investigated the validity of two new instruments...... to screen for cognitive dysfunction in UD, and their associations with socio-occupational capacity. METHOD: Participants (n=53) with UD in partial or full remission and healthy control persons (n=103) were assessed with two new screening instruments, the Danish translations of the Screen for Cognitive...... Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP-D) and Cognitive Complaints in Bipolar Disorder Rating Assessment (COBRA) and with established neuropsychological and self-assessment measures. Depression symptoms and socio-occupational function were rated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Functional Assessment...

Patient experience and satisfaction with inpatient service: development of short form survey instrument measuring the core aspect of inpatient experience.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliza L Y Wong

Full Text Available Patient experience reflects quality of care from the patients' perspective; therefore, patients' experiences are important data in the evaluation of the quality of health services. The development of an abbreviated, reliable and valid instrument for measuring inpatients' experience would reflect the key aspect of inpatient care from patients' perspective as well as facilitate quality improvement by cultivating patient engagement and allow the trends in patient satisfaction and experience to be measured regularly. The study developed a short-form inpatient instrument and tested its ability to capture a core set of inpatients' experiences. The Hong Kong Inpatient Experience Questionnaire (HKIEQ was established in 2010; it is an adaptation of the General Inpatient Questionnaire of the Care Quality Commission created by the Picker Institute in United Kingdom. This study used a consensus conference and a cross-sectional validation survey to create and validate a short-form of the Hong Kong Inpatient Experience Questionnaire (SF-HKIEQ. The short-form, the SF-HKIEQ, consisted of 18 items derived from the HKIEQ. The 18 items mainly covered relational aspects of care under four dimensions of the patient's journey: hospital staff, patient care and treatment, information on leaving the hospital, and overall impression. The SF-HKIEQ had a high degree of face validity, construct validity and internal reliability. The validated SF-HKIEQ reflects the relevant core aspects of inpatients' experience in a hospital setting. It provides a quick reference tool for quality improvement purposes and a platform that allows both healthcare staff and patients to monitor the quality of hospital care over time.

Identifying Psychosocial Distress and Stressors Using Distress-screening Instruments in Patients With Localized and Advanced Penile Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Dräger, Désirée Louise; Protzel, Chris; Hakenberg, Oliver W

2017-10-01

We examined the effects of treatment on the psychological well-being of patients with localized or advanced penile cancer using screening questionnaires to determine the consecutive need for psychosocial care. Penile cancer is a rare, but highly aggressive, malignancy. The psychological stress of patients with penile cancer arises from the cancer diagnosis per se and the corresponding consequences of treatment. In addition, cancer-specific distress results (eg, fear of metastasis, progression, relapse, death). Studies of the psychosocial stress of penile cancer patients are rare. We undertook a prospective analysis of the data from patients with penile cancer who had undergone surgery or chemotherapy from August 2014 to October 2016 at our department. Patients were evaluated using standardized questionnaires for stress screening and the identification for the need for psychosocial care (National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer and Hornheider screening instrument) and by assessing the actual use of psychosocial support. The average stress level was 4.5. Of all the patients, 42.5% showed increased care needs at the time of the survey. Younger patients, patients undergoing chemotherapy, and patients with recurrence were significantly more integrated with the psychosocial care systems. Finally, 67% of all patients received inpatient psychosocial care. Owing to the potentially mutilating surgery, patients with penile cancer experience increased psychological stress and, consequently, have an increased need for psychosocial care. Therefore, the emotional stress of these patients should be recognized and support based on interdisciplinary collaboration offered. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Short Forms of Wechsler Scales Assessing the Intellectually Gifted Children Using Simulation Data

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Alexandre Aubry

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Intellectual giftedness is usually defined in terms of having a very high Intellectual Quotient (IQ. The intellectual capacity is assessed by a standardized test such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC. However, the identification of intellectually gifted children (IGC often remains time-consuming. A short-form WISC can be used as a screening instrument. The practitioners and researchers in this field can then make a more in-depth evaluation of the IGC's cognitive and socioemotional characteristics if needed. The aim of our study is thus to determine the best short tests, in terms of their psychometric qualities, for the identification of IGC. The current study is composed of three-step analyses. Firstly, we created nine IQs short forms (IQSF with 2-subtests, and nine IQSF with 4-subtests from the WISC-IV (Wechsler, 2005. Secondly, we estimated psychometric parameters (i.e., reliability and validity from empirical and simulated dataset with WISC-IV. The difference in the estimation of psychometric qualities of each IQSF from the simulated data is very close to those derived from empirical data. We thus selected the three best IQSF based on these psychometrics parameters estimated from simulated datasets. For each selected short form of the WISC-IV, we estimated the screening quality in our sample of IGC. Thirdly, we created IQSF with 2- and 4-subtests from the WISC-V (Wechsler, 2016 with simulated dataset. We then highlighted the three best short forms of WISC-V based on the estimated psychometric parameters. The results are interpreted in terms of validity, reliability and screening quality of IGC. In spite of the important changes in the WISC-V, our findings show that the 2-subtest form, Similitaries + Matrix Reasoning, and 4-subtest form, Similitaries + Vocabulary + Matrix Reasoning + Block Design, are the most efficient to identify the IGC at the two recent versions of Wechsler scales. Finally, we discuss the advantages

The Retrospective Analysis of Posterior Short-Segment Pedicle Instrumentation without Fusion for Thoracolumbar Burst Fracture with Neurological Deficit

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Zhouming Deng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study aims to investigate the efficacy of posterior short-segment pedicle instrumentation without fusion in curing thoracolumbar burst fracture. All of the 53 patients were treated with short-segment pedicle instrumentation and laminectomy without fusion, and the restoration of retropulsed bone fragments was conducted by a novel custom-designed repositor (RRBF. The mean operation time and blood loss during surgery were analyzed; the radiological index and neurological status were compared before and after the operation. The mean operation time was 93 min (range: 62–110 min and the mean intraoperative blood loss was 452 mL in all cases. The average canal encroachment was 50.04% and 10.92% prior to the surgery and at last followup, respectively (P<0.01. The preoperative kyphotic angle was 17.2 degree (±6.87 degrees, whereas it decreased to 8.42 degree (±4.99 degrees at last followup (P<0.01. Besides, the mean vertebral body height increased from 40.15% (±9.40% before surgery to 72.34% (±12.32% at last followup (P<0.01. 45 patients showed 1-2 grades improvement in Frankel’s scale at last followup. This technique allows for satisfactory canal clearance and restoration of vertebral body height and kyphotic angle, and it may promote the recovery of neurological function. However, further research is still necessary to confirm the efficacy of this treatment.

Results of the search for personality disorder screening tools: clinical implications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Germans, S.; Van Heck, G.L.; Hodiamont, P.P.G.

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine the characteristics, validity, posttest probabilities, and screening capabilities of 8 different instruments used to predict personality disorders. METHOD: Screening instruments were examined in 3 prospective, observational, test-development studies in 3 random samples of Dutch

Screening and Identification in Pediatric Primary Care

Science.gov (United States)

Simonian, Susan J.

2006-01-01

This article reviews issues related to behavioral screening in pediatric primary care settings. Structural-organizational issues affecting the use of pediatric primary care screening are discussed. This study also reviewed selected screening instruments that have utility for use in the primary care setting. Clinical and research issues related to…

[The "Mini-ICF-Rating for Mental Disorders (Mini-ICF-P)". A short instrument for the assessment of disabilities in mental disorders].

Science.gov (United States)

Linden, M; Baron, S

2005-06-01

Supplementary to the description of diseases at symptom level, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), edited by the WHO, for the first time enables a systematic description also at the level of disabilities and impairments. The Mini-ICF-Rating for Mental Disorders (Mini-ICF-P) is a short observer rating instrument for the assessment of disabilities, especially with regard to occupational functioning. The Mini-ICF-P was first evaluated empirically in 125 patients of a Department of Behavioural Medicine and Psychosomatics. Parallel-test reliability was r = 0.59. Correlates were found with cognitive and motivational variables and duration of sick leave from work. In summary, the Mini-ICF-P is a quick and practicable instrument.

Short-range second order screened exchange correction to RPA correlation energies

Science.gov (United States)

Beuerle, Matthias; Ochsenfeld, Christian

2017-11-01

Direct random phase approximation (RPA) correlation energies have become increasingly popular as a post-Kohn-Sham correction, due to significant improvements over DFT calculations for properties such as long-range dispersion effects, which are problematic in conventional density functional theory. On the other hand, RPA still has various weaknesses, such as unsatisfactory results for non-isogyric processes. This can in parts be attributed to the self-correlation present in RPA correlation energies, leading to significant self-interaction errors. Therefore a variety of schemes have been devised to include exchange in the calculation of RPA correlation energies in order to correct this shortcoming. One of the most popular RPA plus exchange schemes is the second order screened exchange (SOSEX) correction. RPA + SOSEX delivers more accurate absolute correlation energies and also improves upon RPA for non-isogyric processes. On the other hand, RPA + SOSEX barrier heights are worse than those obtained from plain RPA calculations. To combine the benefits of RPA correlation energies and the SOSEX correction, we introduce a short-range RPA + SOSEX correction. Proof of concept calculations and benchmarks showing the advantages of our method are presented.

Short scales to assess cannabis-related problems: a review of psychometric properties

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Klempova Danica

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Aims The purpose of this paper is to summarize the psychometric properties of four short screening scales to assess problematic forms of cannabis use: Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS, Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test (CUDIT, Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST and Problematic Use of Marijuana (PUM. Methods A systematic computer-based literature search was conducted within the databases of PubMed, PsychINFO and Addiction Abstracts. A total of 12 publications reporting measures of reliability or validity were identified: 8 concerning SDS, 2 concerning CUDIT and one concerning CAST and PUM. Studies spanned adult and adolescent samples from general and specific user populations in a number of countries worldwide. Results All screening scales tended to have moderate to high internal consistency (Cronbach's α ranging from .72 to .92. Test-retest reliability and item total correlation have been reported for SDS with acceptable results. Results of validation studies varied depending on study population and standards used for validity assessment, but generally sensitivity, specificity and predictive power are satisfactory. Standard diagnostic cut-off points that can be generalized to different populations do not exist for any scale. Conclusion Short screening scales to assess dependence and other problems related to the use of cannabis seem to be a time and cost saving opportunity to estimate overall prevalences of cannabis-related negative consequences and to identify at-risk persons prior to using more extensive diagnostic instruments. Nevertheless, further research is needed to assess the performance of the tests in different populations and in comparison to broader criteria of cannabis-related problems other than dependence.

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as screening instruments for depression in patients with cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartung, Tim J; Friedrich, Michael; Johansen, Christoffer

2017-01-01

all major tumor sites and treatment settings. The PHQ-9 and HADS-D were assessed and compared in terms of diagnostic accuracy and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition diagnosis of major depressive disorder using......BACKGROUND: Depression screening in patients with cancer is recommended by major clinical guidelines, although the evidence on individual screening tools is limited for this population. Here, the authors assess and compare the diagnostic accuracy of 2 established screening instruments......: the depression modules of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), in a representative sample of patients with cancer. METHODS: This multicenter study was conducted with a proportional, stratified, random sample of 2141 patients with cancer across...

Older adult mistreatment risk screening: contribution to the validation of a screening tool in a domestic setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindenbach, Jeannette M; Larocque, Sylvie; Lavoie, Anne-Marise; Garceau, Marie-Luce

2012-06-01

ABSTRACTThe hidden nature of older adult mistreatment renders its detection in the domestic setting particularly challenging. A validated screening instrument that can provide a systematic assessment of risk factors can facilitate this detection. One such instrument, the "expanded Indicators of Abuse" tool, has been previously validated in the Hebrew language in a hospital setting. The present study has contributed to the validation of the "e-IOA" in an English-speaking community setting in Ontario, Canada. It consisted of two phases: (a) a content validity review and adaptation of the instrument by experts throughout Ontario, and (b) an inter-rater reliability assessment by home visiting nurses. The adaptation, the "Mistreatment of Older Adult Risk Factors" tool, offers a comprehensive tool for screening in the home setting. This instrument is significant to professional practice as practitioners working with older adults will be better equipped to assess for risk of mistreatment.

Fast screening of short-chain chlorinated paraffins in indoor dust samples by graphene-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xiu; Liu, Qian; Gao, Wei; Wang, Yawei; Nie, Zhou; Yao, Shouzhuo; Jiang, Guibin

2018-03-01

As an important class of emerging chemical contaminants, short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are considered as one of the most challenging groups of compounds to analyze. In this paper, we report a new method for fast screening of SCCPs based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) with graphene as a matrix and 2,5,6,9-tetrachlorodecane as an internal standard. We found that the use of graphene as MALDI matrix generated high peak intensities for SCCPs while producing few background noises. The ion fragmentation mechanisms of SCCPs in MALDI are discussed in detail. Under the optimized conditions, much lower detection limits of SCCP congeners (0.1-5ng/mL) than those reported previously were obtained. Other distinct advantages such as short analysis time and simplified sample preparation procedures are also demonstrated. The method was successfully applied in fast screening of SCCPs in indoor dust samples and monitoring of human exposure levels to SCCPs, and the results were verified by gas chromatography coupled to negative chemical ionization quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry. This work not only offers a new promising tool for SCCP studies, but also further demonstrates the promise of graphene as a new generation of MALDI matrix. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validation of the WHO-5 as a first-step screening instrument for depression in adults with diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halliday, Jennifer A; Hendrieckx, Christel; Busija, Lucy

2017-01-01

the sensitivity and specificity of the WHO-5 as a depression screening instrument, comparing two commonly used WHO-5 cut-off values (≤7 and reliability (α=0.90) and convergent validity with the PHQ-9 (r=-0...... was 0.44/0.96 for the ≤7 cut-off, and 0.79/0.79 for the cut-off, with similar findings by diabetes type and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support use of a WHO-5 cut-point of ... symptoms). Analyses were conducted for the full sample, and separately by diabetes type and treatment (type 1, non-insulin-treated type 2, and insulin-treated type 2 diabetes). Construct (convergent and factorial) validity and reliability of the WHO-5 were examined. ROC analyses were used to examine...

Screen Practice in Curating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toft, Tanya Søndergaard

2014-01-01

During the past one and a half decade, a curatorial orientation towards "screen practice" has expanded the moving image and digital art into the public domain, exploring alternative artistic uses of the screen. The emergence of urban LED screens in the late 1990s provided a new venue that allowed...... for digital art to expand into public space. It also offered a political point of departure, inviting for confrontation with the Spectacle and with the politics and ideology of the screen as a mass communication medium that instrumentalized spectator positions. In this article I propose that screen practice...... to the dispositif of screen practice in curating, resulting in a medium-based curatorial discourse. With reference to the nomadic exhibition project Nordic Outbreak that I co-curated with Nina Colosi in 2013 and 2014, I suggest that the topos of the defined visual display area, frequently still known as "the screen...

Screening for hazardous drinking using the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test-Geriatric Version (MAST-G) in elderly persons with acute cerebrovascular accidents.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson-Greene, Doug; McCaul, Mary E; Roger, Patricia

2009-09-01

Effective and valid screening methods are needed to identify hazardous drinking in elderly persons with new onset acute medical illness. The goal of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test-Geriatric Version (MAST-G) in identifying hazardous drinking among elderly patients with acute cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) and to compare the effectiveness of 2 shorter versions of the MAST-G with the full instrument. The study sample included 100 men and women who averaged 12 days posthemorrhagic or ischemic CVA admitted to a rehabilitation unit and who were at least 50 years of age and free of substance use other than alcohol. This cross-sectional validation study compared the 24-item full MAST-G, the 10-item Short MAST-G (SMAST-G), and a 2-item regression analysis derived Mini MAST-G (MMAST-G) to the reference standard of hazardous drinking during the past 3 months. Alcohol use was collected using the Timeline Followback (TLFB). Recent and lifetime alcohol-related consequences were collected using the Short Inventory of Problems (SIP). Nearly one-third (28%) of the study sample met the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for hazardous drinking. Moderately strong associations were found for the MAST-G, SMAST-G, and MMAST-G with alcohol quantity and frequency and recent and lifetime alcohol consequences. All 3 MAST-G versions could differentiate hazardous from nonhazardous drinkers and had nearly identical area under the curve characteristics. Comparable sensitivity was found across the 3 MAST-G measures. The optimal screening threshold for hazardous drinking was 5 for the MAST-G, 2 for the SMAST-G, and 1 for the MMAST-G. The 10-item SMAST-G and 2-item MMAST-G are brief screening tests that show comparable effectiveness in detecting hazardous drinking in elderly patients with acute CVA compared with the full 24-item MAST-G. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Psychometric properties of the Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale for screening abuse of older adults

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Raquel Batista Dantas

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale to identify risk of domestic violence against older adults in Brazil. METHODS The instrument was adapted and validated in a sample of 151 older adults from a geriatric reference center in the municipality of Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, in 2014. We collected sociodemographic, clinical, and abuse-related information, and verified reliability by reproducibility in a sample of 55 older people, who underwent re-testing of the instrument seven days after the first application. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed for all variables, with a significance level of 5%. The construct validity was analyzed by the principal components method with a tetrachoric correlation matrix, the reliability of the scale by the weighted Kappa (Kp statistic, and the internal consistency by the Kuder-Richardson estimator formula 20 (KR-20. RESULTS The average age of the participants was 72.1 years (DP = 6.96; 95%CI 70.94–73.17, with a maximum of 92 years, and they were predominantly female (76.2%; 95%CI 69.82–83.03. When analyzing the relationship between the scores of the Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale, categorized by presence (score > 3 or absence (score < 3 of vulnerability to abuse, with clinical and health conditions, we found statistically significant differences for self-perception of health (p = 0.002, depressive symptoms (p = 0.000, and presence of rheumatism (p = 0.003. There were no statistically significant differences between sexes. The Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale acceptably evaluated validity in the transcultural adaptation process, demonstrating dimensionality coherent with the original proposal (four factors. In the internal consistency analysis, the instrument presented good results (KR-20 = 0.69 and the reliability via reproducibility was considered excellent for the global scale (Kp = 0

Overdiagnosis in breast cancer screening

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lynge, Elsebeth; Beau, Anna-Belle; Christiansen, Peer

2017-01-01

Overdiagnosis in breast cancer screening is an important issue. A recent study from Denmark concluded that one in three breast cancers diagnosed in screening areas in women aged 50-69 years were overdiagnosed. The purpose of this short communication was to disentangle the study's methodology...

Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire for screening children and adolescents for plastic surgery: cross-cultural validation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sucupira, Eduardo; Sabino, Miguel; Lima, Edson Luiz de; Dini, Gal Moreira; Brito, Maria José Azevedo de; Ferreira, Lydia Masako

2017-01-01

Patient-reported outcome measurements assessing the emotional state of children and adolescents who seek plastic surgery are important for determining whether the intervention is indicated or not. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (child/adolescent and parent versions) for Brazilian Portuguese, test its psychometric properties and assess the emotional state of children and adolescents who seek plastic surgery. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-cultural validation study conducted in a plastic surgery outpatient clinic at a public university hospital. A total of 124 consecutive patients of both sexes were selected between September 2013 and February 2014. Forty-seven patients participated in the cultural adaptation of the questionnaire. The final version was tested for reliability on 20 patients. Construct validity was tested on 57 patients by correlating the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (child/adolescent and parent versions) with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale. The child/adolescent and parent versions of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire showed Cronbach's alpha of 0.768 and 0.874, respectively, and had good inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.757 and ICC = 0.853, respectively) and intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.738 and ICC = 0.796, respectively). The Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire is a reproducible instrument with face, content and construct validity.The mood state and feelings among children and adolescents seeking cosmetic surgery were healthy.

Instrument to collect fogwater for chemical analysis

OpenAIRE

Jacob, Daniel J.; Waldman, Jed M.; Haghi, Mehrdad; Hoffmann, Michael R.; Flagan, Richard C.

1985-01-01

An instrument is presented which collects large samples of ambient fogwater by impaction of droplets on a screen. The collection efficiency of the instrument is determined as a function of droplet size, and it is shown that fog droplets in the range 3–100-µm diameter are efficiently collected. No significant evaporation or condensation occurs at any stage of the collection process. Field testing indicates that samples collected are representative of the ambient fogwater. The instrument may ea...

Evaluation of a screening instrument for autism spectrum disorders in prisoners.

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Louise Robinson

Full Text Available UNLABELLED: There have been concerns that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs are over-represented but not recognised in prison populations. A screening tool for ASDs in prisons has therefore been developed. AIMS: We aimed to evaluate this tool in Scottish prisoners by comparing scores with standard measures of autistic traits (Autism Quotient (AQ, neurodevelopmental history (Asperger Syndrome (and High-Functioning Autism Diagnostic Interview (ASDI, and social cognition (Ekman 60 Faces test. METHODS: Prison officers across all 12 publicly-run closed prisons in Scotland assessed convicted prisoners using the screening tool. This sample included male and female prisoners and both adult and young offenders. Prisoners with high scores, along with an equal number of age and sex-matched controls, were invited to take part in interviews. Prisoners' relatives were contacted to complete a neurodevelopmental assessment. RESULTS: 2458 prisoners were screened using the tool, and 4% scored above the cut-off. 126 prisoners were further assessed using standardised measures. 7 of those 126 assessed scored 32 or above (cut-off on the AQ. 44 interviews were completed with prisoners' relatives, no prisoner reached the cut-off score on the ASDI. Scores on the screening tool correlated significantly with AQ and ASDI scores, and not with the Ekman 60 Faces Test or IQ. Sensitivity was 28.6% and specificity 75.6%; AUC was 59.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Although this screening tool measures autistic traits in this population, sensitivity for scores of 32 or above on the AQ is poor. We consider that this limits its usefulness and do not recommend that the tool is routinely used to screen for ASDs in prisons.

Two Swedish screening instruments for exhaustion disorder: cross-sectional associations with burnout, work stress, private life stress, and personality traits.

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Persson, Roger; Österberg, Kai; Viborg, Njördur; Jönsson, Peter; Tenenbaum, Artur

2017-06-01

To examine the relationships of two screening instruments recently developed for assessment of exhaustion disorder (ED) with some other well-known inventories intended to assess ED-related concepts and self-reports of job demands, job control, job support, private life stressors, and personality factors. A cross-sectional population sample ( n = 1355) completed: the Karolinska Exhaustion Disorder Scale (KEDS), Self-reported Exhaustion Disorder Scale (s-ED), Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire (SMBQ), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9), Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), Big Five Inventory (BFI), and items concerning family-to-work interference and stress in private life. Compared to participants without any indication of ED, participants classified as having ED on KEDS or s-ED had higher scores on all four SMBQ subscales, lower scores on the UWES-9 subscales vigor and dedication, higher JCQ job demands scores, lower JCQ job support scores, higher degrees of family-to-work interference and stress in private life, and higher BFI neuroticism and openness scores. In addition, participants classified as having ED on KEDS had lower scores on the UWES-9 absorption subscale, the JCQ job control scale, and lower BFI extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness scores, compared to the subgroup not classified as having ED. As expected, we observed an overall pattern of associations between the ED screening inventories KEDS and s-ED and measures of burnout, work engagement, job demands-control-support, stress in private life, family-to-work interference, and personality factors. The results suggest that instruments designed to assess burnout, work engagement, and ED share common ground, despite their conceptual differences.

Vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction for the rapid screening of short-chain chlorinated paraffins in water.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Chia-Yu; Chung, Wu-Hsun; Ding, Wang-Hsien

2016-01-01

The rapid screening of trace levels of short-chain chlorinated paraffins in various aqueous samples was performed by a simple and reliable procedure based on vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction combined with gas chromatography and electron capture negative ionization mass spectrometry. The optimal vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction conditions for 20 mL water sample were as follows: extractant 400 μL of dichloromethane; vortex extraction time of 1 min at 2500 × g; centrifugation of 3 min at 5000 × g; and no ionic strength adjustment. Under the optimum conditions, the limit of quantitation was 0.05 μg/L. Precision, as indicated by relative standard deviations, was less than 9% for both intra- and inter-day analysis. Accuracy, expressed as the mean extraction recovery, was above 91%. The vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction with gas chromatography and electron capture negative ionization mass spectrometry method was successfully applied to quantitatively extract short-chain chlorinated paraffins from samples of river water and the effluent of a wastewater treatment plant, and the concentrations ranged from 0.8 to 1.6 μg/L. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Short circuit detection in the winding and operation of superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walstrom, P.L.

1982-01-01

Three categories of shorts will be discussed: (1) shorts to the metallic bobbin or other structural elements, (2) shorts between turns caused by instrumentation wires that are deliberately connected to a turn at the end (e.g., voltage taps) and that short out to another turn but are not completely severed in the process, and (3) short circuits between turns caused by direct contact due to insulation failure by chips of metal bridging turns and by instrumentation wires that bridge turns but are severed in the process of shorting

Validación de la versión corta del Woman Abuse Screening Tool para su uso en atención primaria en España Validation of the short version of the Woman Abuse Screening Tool for use in primary care in Spain

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Juncal Plazaola-Castaño

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Objetivo: Examinar la validez de criterio de la versión corta en español del Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST para identificar a las mujeres maltratadas entre las que acuden a los servicios de atención primaria en España. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal en dos centros de atención primaria de Granada. Se estudiaron 390 mujeres entre 18 y 70 años de edad asistentes a estos centros. Se utilizó el Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA como patrón de referencia. Resultados: Se utilizaron dos criterios de puntuación. Según el primero, cabe destacar que 132 mujeres (33,8% dieron positivo en el cribado. La sensibilidad fue del 91,4%, la especificidad del 76,2%, el valor predictivo positivo del 40,2% y el negativo del 98,1%. Cinco mujeres con una puntuación negativa en el cribado obtuvieron una puntuación positiva en el ISA (falsos negativos. Setenta y nueve mujeres obtuvieron una puntuación positiva en el WAST, con una puntuación negativa en el ISA (falsos positivos. Conclusiones: Estos resultados coinciden con los valores de sensibilidad y especificidad obtenidos en la validación del instrumento en mujeres hispanohablantes de Estados Unidos, que también recomiendan la utilización del primer criterio de puntuación. La versión corta en español del WAST es un instrumento adecuado para los profesionales en la detección temprana de la violencia de género en el ámbito sanitario español, aunque la baja especificidad hace que deba utilizarse con cautela.Objective: To examine the criterion validity of the Spanish short version of the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST to identify battered women among those attending primary health care services in Spain. Material and methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in two primary care centers in Granada. A total of 390 women between 18 and 70 years old were studied. The Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA was used as the gold standard. Results: Two score criteria were used. Using the first criterion

A Short-term In vivo Screen using Fetal Testosterone Production, a Key Event in the Phthalate Adverse Outcome Pathway, to Predict Disruption of Sexual Differentiation.

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This study was designed to develop and validate a short-term in vivo protocol termed the Fetal Phthalate Screen (FPS) to detect phthalate esters (PEs) and other chemicals that disrupt fetal testosterone synthesis and testis gene expression in rats. We propose that the FPS can be ...

Cognitive screening in Parkinson's disease: Comparison of the Parkinson Neuropsychometric Dementia Assessment (PANDA) with 3 other short scales.

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Gasser, A-I; Calabrese, P; Kalbe, E; Kessler, J; Rossier, P

2016-02-01

Cognitive screening is crucial in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, there is still a lack of short tools in French. In this study, we aimed to compare the Parkinson Neuropsychometric Dementia Assessment (PANDA) with the Mini Mental Parkinson (MMP), the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Clock Test in French-speaking patients. We also aimed to propose cut-off scores for cognitive impairment and dementia for the French language version of the PANDA. Fifty-one patients with PD took the PANDA, the MMSE, the MMP, and the Clock Test. They also underwent extensive neuropsychological testing by a neuropsychologist who was blinded to the above-mentioned screening test results. Patients were classified as either having normal cognition (n=15), mild cognitive impairment (n=20) or dementia (n=16). When compared with the three other screening tools, the PANDA exhibited the highest area under the curve (AUC) for both cognitive disorders and dementia. Using the cut-off scores proposed for the German version, the PANDA had 94% specificity and 100% sensitivity for dementia and 100% and 72%, respectively for cognitive disorders. In our study, the PANDA exhibited a higher discriminative power than the three other tests in detecting cognitive disorders and dementia. In PD patients, the PANDA should thus be considered for the detection of cognitive impairment in routine clinical practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire for screening children and adolescents for plastic surgery: cross-cultural validation study

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Eduardo Sucupira

2017-11-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Patient-reported outcome measurements assessing the emotional state of children and adolescents who seek plastic surgery are important for determining whether the intervention is indicated or not. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (child/adolescent and parent versions for Brazilian Portuguese, test its psychometric properties and assess the emotional state of children and adolescents who seek plastic surgery. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-cultural validation study conducted in a plastic surgery outpatient clinic at a public university hospital. METHODS: A total of 124 consecutive patients of both sexes were selected between September 2013 and February 2014. Forty-seven patients participated in the cultural adaptation of the questionnaire. The final version was tested for reliability on 20 patients. Construct validity was tested on 57 patients by correlating the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (child/adolescent and parent versions with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale. RESULTS: The child/adolescent and parent versions of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire showed Cronbach’s alpha of 0.768 and 0.874, respectively, and had good inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.757 and ICC = 0.853, respectively and intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.738 and ICC = 0.796, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire is a reproducible instrument with face, content and construct validity.The mood state and feelings among children and adolescents seeking cosmetic surgery were healthy.

Questionnaires that screen for multiple sleep disorders.

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Klingman, Karen J; Jungquist, Carla R; Perlis, Michael L

2017-04-01

The goal of this review was to identify, describe, and evaluate the existing multiple sleep disorders screening questionnaires for their comprehensiveness, brevity, and psychometric quality. A systematic review was conducted using Medline/PubMed, cumulative index to nursing & allied health literature, health and psychosocial instruments and the "grey literature". Search terms were "sleep disorders, screening, questionnaires, and psychometrics". The scope of the search was limited to English language articles for adult age groups from 1989 through 2015. Of the n = 2812 articles identified, most were assessment or treatment guideline reviews, topical reviews, and/or empirical articles. Seven of the articles described multiple sleep disorders screening instruments. Of the identified instruments, two questionnaires (the Holland sleep Disorders questionnaire and sleep-50) were evaluated as comprehensive and one questionnaire (the global sleep assessment questionnaire [GSAQ]) was judged to be both comprehensive and efficient. The GSAQ was found to cover four of the six core intrinsic disorders, sleep insufficiency, and daytime sequela with 11 questions. Accordingly, the GSAQ is the most suitable for application as a general sleep disorders screener. Additional work is required to validate this instrument in the context of primary care. Finally, the future development of multiple sleep disorders screening questionnaires should not only cover all six intrinsic sleep disorders but also acquire some basic demographic information (age, sex, body mass index, presence/absence of bed partner, work status and shift) and some limited data regarding sleep sufficiency and the daytime consequences of sleep disturbance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel multidimensional geriatric screening tool in the ED: evaluation of feasibility and clinical relevance.

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Schoenenberger, Andreas W; Bieri, Christoph; Özgüler, Onur; Moser, André; Haberkern, Monika; Zimmermann, Heinz; Stuck, Andreas E; Exadaktylos, Aristomenis

2014-06-01

Geriatric problems frequently go undetected in older patients in emergency departments (EDs), thus increasing their risk of adverse outcomes. We evaluated a novel emergency geriatric screening (EGS) tool designed to detect geriatric problems. The EGS tool consisted of short validated instruments used to screen 4 domains (cognition, falls, mobility, and activities of daily living). Emergency geriatric screening was introduced for ED patients 75 years or older throughout a 4-month period. We analyzed the prevalence of abnormal EGS and whether EGS increased the number of EGS-related diagnoses in the ED during the screening, as compared with a preceding control period. Emergency geriatric screening was performed on 338 (42.5%) of 795 patients presenting during screening. Emergency geriatric screening was unfeasible in 175 patients (22.0%) because of life-threatening conditions and was not performed in 282 (35.5%) for logistical reasons. Emergency geriatric screening took less than 5 minutes to perform in most (85.8%) cases. Among screened patients, 285 (84.3%) had at least 1 abnormal EGS finding. In 270 of these patients, at least 1 abnormal EGS finding did not result in a diagnosis in the ED and was reported for further workup to subsequent care. During screening, 142 patients (42.0%) had at least 1 diagnosis listed within the 4 EGS domains, significantly more than the 29.3% in the control period (odds ratio 1.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-2.29; Pdeterminants of subsequent care. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of a Symptom-Based Patient-Reported Outcome Instrument for Functional Dyspepsia: A Preliminary Conceptual Model and an Evaluation of the Adequacy of Existing Instruments.

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Taylor, Fiona; Reasner, David S; Carson, Robyn T; Deal, Linda S; Foley, Catherine; Iovin, Ramon; Lundy, J Jason; Pompilus, Farrah; Shields, Alan L; Silberg, Debra G

2016-10-01

The aim was to document, from the perspective of the empirical literature, the primary symptoms of functional dyspepsia (FD), evaluate the extent to which existing questionnaires target those symptoms, and, finally, identify any missing evidence that would impact the questionnaires' use in regulated clinical trials to assess treatment efficacy claims intended for product labeling. A literature review was conducted to identify the primary symptoms of FD and existing symptom-based FD patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments. Following a database search, abstracts were screened and articles were retrieved for review. The primary symptoms of FD were organized into a conceptual model and the PRO instruments were evaluated for conceptual coverage as well as compared against evidentiary requirements presented in the FDA's PRO Guidance for Industry. Fifty-six articles and 16 instruments assessing FD symptoms were reviewed. Concepts listed in the Rome III criteria for FD (n = 7), those assessed by existing FD instruments (n = 34), and symptoms reported by patients in published qualitative research (n = 6) were summarized in the FD conceptual model. Except for vomiting, all of the identified symptoms from the published qualitative research reports were also specified in the Rome III criteria. Only three of the 16 instruments, the Dyspepsia Symptom Severity Index (DSSI), Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI), and Short-Form Nepean Dyspepsia Index (SF-NDI), measure all seven FD symptoms defined by the Rome III criteria. Among these three, each utilizes a 2-week recall period and 5-point Likert-type scale, and had evidence of patient involvement in development. Despite their coverage, when these instruments were evaluated in light of regulatory expectations, several issues jeopardized their potential qualification for substantiation of a labeling claim. No existing PRO instruments that measured all seven symptoms adhered to the regulatory principles necessary to support product

Children's Depression Screener (ChilD-S): development and validation of a depression screening instrument for children in pediatric care.

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Frühe, Barbara; Allgaier, Antje-Kathrin; Pietsch, Kathrin; Baethmann, Martina; Peters, Jochen; Kellnar, Stephan; Heep, Axel; Burdach, Stefan; von Schweinitz, Dietrich; Schulte-Körne, Gerd

2012-02-01

The aim of the present study was to develop and validate the Children's Depression Screener (ChilD-S) for use in pediatric care. In two pediatric samples, children aged 9-12 (N(I) = 200; N(II) = 246) completed an explorative item pool (subsample I) and a revised item pool (subsample II). Diagnostic accuracy of each of the 22 items from the revised pool was evaluated in order to select the best items for the brief instrument ChilD-S. Areas under the curve (AUCs) of the revised item pool and the ChilD-S were compared. A diagnostic interview, the Kinder-DIPS, served as gold standard. For the purpose of screening for depressive disorders in children, the eight-item ChilD-S (AUC = 0.97) performed just as well as the revised 22-item pool (AUC = 0.94). For the ChilD-S the optimal cut-off point of ≥11 yielded a sensitivity of 0.91 and a specificity of 0.89. The ChilD-S shows high potential for depression screening of children in pediatric care.

Correlation or Limits of Agreement? Applying the Bland-Altman Approach to the Comparison of Cognitive Screening Instruments.

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Larner, A J

2016-01-01

Calculation of correlation coefficients is often undertaken as a way of comparing different cognitive screening instruments (CSIs). However, test scores may correlate but not agree, and high correlation may mask lack of agreement between scores. The aim of this study was to use the methodology of Bland and Altman to calculate limits of agreement between the scores of selected CSIs and contrast the findings with Pearson's product moment correlation coefficients between the test scores of the same instruments. Datasets from three pragmatic diagnostic accuracy studies which examined the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) vs. the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the MMSE vs. the Mini-Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (M-ACE), and the M-ACE vs. the MoCA were analysed to calculate correlation coefficients and limits of agreement between test scores. Although test scores were highly correlated (all >0.8), calculated limits of agreement were broad (all >10 points), and in one case, MMSE vs. M-ACE, was >15 points. Correlation is not agreement. Highly correlated test scores may conceal broad limits of agreement, consistent with the different emphases of different tests with respect to the cognitive domains examined. Routine incorporation of limits of agreement into diagnostic accuracy studies which compare different tests merits consideration, to enable clinicians to judge whether or not their agreement is close. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Instrument to collect fogwater for chemical analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacob, D.J.; Waldman, J.M.; Haghi, M.; Hoffmann, M.R.; Flagan, R.C.

1985-06-01

An instrument is presented which collects large samples of ambient fogwater by impaction of droplets on a screen. The collection efficiency of the instrument is determined as a function of droplet size, and it is shown that fog droplets in the range 3--100-..mu..m diameter are efficiently collected. No significant evaporation or condensation occurs at any stage of the collection process. Field testing indicates that samples collected are representative of the ambient fogwater. The instrument may easily be automated, and is suitable for use in routine air quality monitoring programs.

Instrument to collect fogwater for chemical analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Daniel J.; Waldman, Jed M.; Haghi, Mehrdad; Hoffmann, Michael R.; Flagan, Richard C.

1985-06-01

An instrument is presented which collects large samples of ambient fogwater by impaction of droplets on a screen. The collection efficiency of the instrument is determined as a function of droplet size, and it is shown that fog droplets in the range 3-100-μm diameter are efficiently collected. No significant evaporation or condensation occurs at any stage of the collection process. Field testing indicates that samples collected are representative of the ambient fogwater. The instrument may easily be automated, and is suitable for use in routine air quality monitoring programs.

Assessing utility where short measures are required: development of the short Assessment of Quality of Life-8 (AQoL-8) instrument.

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Hawthorne, Graeme

2009-09-01

As researchers seek to include clinical outcomes, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of participants and meet economic evaluation demands, they are confronted with collecting disparate outcome data where parsimony is imperative. This study addressed this through construction of a short HRQoL measure, the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL)-8 from the original AQoL. Data from the AQoL validation database (N = 996) were reanalyzed using item response theory (IRT) to identify the least fitting items, which were removed. The standard AQoL scoring algorithm and weights were applied. Validity, reliability, and sensitivity tests were carried out using the 2004 South Australian Health Omnibus Survey (N = 3015), including direct comparisons with other short utility measures, the EQ5D and SF6D. The IRT analysis showed that the AQoL was a weak scale (Loevinger H = 0.36) but reliable (Mokken rho = 0.84). Removal of the four weakest items led to an 8-item instrument with two items per subscale, the AQoL-8. The AQoL-8 Loevinger H = 0.38 and Mokken rho = 0.80 suggested similar psychometric properties to the AQoL. It correlated (intraclass correlation coefficient) 0.95 (or 90% of shared variance) with the AQoL. The AQoL-8 was as sensitive to six common health conditions as the AQoL, EQ5D, and SF6D. The utility scores fall on the same life-death scale as those of the AQoL. Where parsimony is imperative, researchers may consider use of the AQoL-8 to collect participant self-report HRQoL data that is suitable for use either as reported outcomes or for the calculation of quality-adjusted life-years for cost-utility analysis.

Development of a cognitive screening instrument for tribal elderly population of Himalayan region in northern India

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Sunil Kumar Raina

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Cognitive impairment, characteristic of dementia, is measured objectively by standard neuropsychological (cognitive tests. Given the diversity of culture and language in India, it is difficult to use a single modified version of MMSE uniformly to Indian population. In this article, we report methods on the development of a cognitive screening instrument suitable for the tribal (Bharmour elderly (60 years and above population of Himachal Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods: We used a systematic, item-by-item, process for development of a modified version of MMSE suitable for elderly tribal population. Results: The modifications made in the English version of MMSE and the pretesting and pilot testing thereof resulted in the development of Bharmouri version of cognitive scale. Discussion: The study shows that effective modifications can be made to existing tests that require reading and writing; and that culturally sensitive modifications can be made to render the test meaningful and relevant, while still tapping the appropriate cognitive domains.

Psychiatric screening and interventions for minor refugees in Europe: an overview of approaches and tools.

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Horlings, Annerieke; Hein, Irma

2018-02-01

Currently hundreds of thousands of minor refugees entered Europe. This group has been exposed to traumatic events pre-, during, and post-migration and is at increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders. In this article, we describe the results of our literature search on screening and interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in minor refugees, in order to make recommendations for clinical practice. Results show that studies on diagnostic accuracy of assessment instruments and efficacy of mental healthcare interventions in this population are lacking. Traumatic experiences pre-flight, during the flight and at resettlement, superimposed by parental PTSD, and other contextual factors, might lead to more than 25% of minor refugees developing PTSD. To enhance the number of minor refugees recognized with PTSD, we recommend the use of a brief screening instrument. A public health approach, focusing on environmental supportive factors is the first step in treatment for this group, followed by short-term psychological group interventions focusing on psycho-education and stress reduction. Minor refugees with no improvement in PTSD symptoms by these interventions need referral to specialized mental health care services. Mental health providers should be culturally competent. What is Known: • Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, sleeping problems, and depression are the most common psychiatric disorders in minor refugees. • Evidence based methods on screening and interventions in minor refugees with psychiatric disorders are lacking. What is New: • In the absence of validated screening tools a best practice reliable, quick and child-friendly tool is presented. • A layered system for mental health care and psychosocial support in minor refugees is explained.

Ethical issues is psychological screening of nuclear power personnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowman, R.L.

1987-01-01

Ethical issues of mandatory psychological screening of nuclear power plant personnel have not been explored adequately. This paper examines several ethical issues in this area that need more attention. (1) Informed Consent: psychologists' ethics (like those of virtually all science and practice-oriented disciplines) require subjects participating in research or practice to be informed of procedures applied to them, the purposes, and possible consequences. (2) Feedback: psychologists' ethical guidelines require feedback to assesses when it is requested. (3) Validity: psychologists' ethics require that they use instrumentation only for the purposes intended and only for uses for which there is a preponderance of validity data available. In short, there is no question that psychological tests can significantly improve the effectiveness of a work force when they are properly (i.e., validly) used by well-trained and qualified professional psychologists. However, with the abundance of clinicians who are providing such services and with the complexity of the ethical issues involved in conducting these screenings, employers in psychologically high-risk settings should proceed with great caution to assure that assesses are treated in a fair and ethical manner

Validation of a Chinese version of the stress overload scale-short and its use as a screening tool for mental health status.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Wenjie; Mu, Wenlong

2018-02-01

Although stress emerges when environmental demands exceed personal resources, existing measurement methods for stress focus only on one aspect. The newly-developed Short Stress Overload Scale (SOS-S) assesses the extent of stress by assessing both event load (i.e., environmental demands) and personal vulnerability (i.e., personal resources). The present study was designed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Stress Overload Scale-Short (SOS-SC), and further examine its roles in screening mental health status. A total of 1364 participants were recruited from communities and colleges for scale validation. Reliabilities were good throughout the subsamples (ω > 0.80). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the acceptable goodness-of-fit for the two-factor correlated model (Sample 1: 560 community residents). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis confirmed measurement invariance across community residents (Sample 1) and college students (Sample 2 and Sample 3). Criterion validity and convergent validity were established (Sample 2: 554 college students). Latent moderated structural equations demonstrated that the relationship between SOS-SC and depression is moderated by social support (Sample 2), further validating the SOS-SC. In addition, the SOS-SC effectively screened individuals in a population at different levels of mental health status (i.e., "at risk" vs. "at low risk" for depression symptoms and/or wellbeing). The SOS-SC exhibits acceptable psychometric properties in the Chinese context. That said, the two aspects of stress can be differentiated by the Chinese context, therefore, the SOS-SC can be used to measure stress and screen mental health status among the Chinese population, and monitor and evaluate health-promoting interventions.

Elder abuse telephone screen reliability and validity.

Science.gov (United States)

Buri, Hilary M; Daly, Jeanette M; Jogerst, Gerald J

2009-01-01

(a) To identify reliable and valid questions that identify elder abuse, (b) to assess the reliability and validity of extant self-reported elder abuse screens in a high-risk elderly population, and (c) to describe difficulties of completing and interpreting screens in a high-need elderly population. All elders referred to research-trained social workers in a community service agency were asked to participate. Of the 70 elders asked, 49 participated, 44 completed the first questionnaire, and 32 completed the duplicate second questionnaire. A research assistant administered the telephone questionnaires. Twenty-nine (42%) persons were judged abused, 12 (17%) had abuse reported, and 4 (6%) had abuse substantiated. The elder abuse screen instruments were not found to be predictive of assessed abuse or as predictors of reported abuse; the measures tended toward being inversely predictive. Two questions regarding harm and taking of belongings were significantly different for the assessed abused group. In this small group of high-need community-dwelling elders, the screens were not effective in discriminating between abused and nonabused groups. Better instruments are needed to assess for elder abuse.

Amblyopia prevention screening program in Northwest Iran (Ardabil

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Habib Ojaghi

2016-01-01

Conclusions: The present investigation showed that coverage of amblyopia screening program was not enough in Ardabil Province. To increase the screening accuracy, standard instruments and examination room must be used; more optometrists must be involved in this program and increasing the validity of obtained results for future programming.

Mass screening in breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strax, P.

1977-01-01

Some questions about mass screening in breast cancer are answered it being concluded that: 1. mass screening for the detection of early breast cancer is the only means with proven potential for lowering the death rate of the disease; 2. mammography is an importante - if not the most important modality in mass screening; 3. new film - screen combinations generally available are capable of producing mammograms of excelent quality with radiation doses down to .1 rad into the body of breast. The risk of malignant changes from such dosage - even when given periodically is negligeable. New equipment, to be available, shortly, will use the new film - screen combinations in an automated manner with must reduce cost in time, filme, personnel and processing - of more than 50%. This would make mass screening more practical. (M.A.) [pt

Reliability of self-reported eating disorders : Optimizing population screening

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keski-Rahkonen, Anna; Sihvola, Elina; Raevuori, Anu; Kaukoranta, Jutta; Bulik, Cynthia M.; Hoek, Hans W.; Rissanen, Aila; Kaprio, Jaakko

2006-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess whether short self-report eating disorder screening questions are useful population screening methods. Method: We screened the female participants (N = 2881) from the 1975-1079 birth cohorts of Finnish twins for eating disorders, using several

Are screening processes effective instruments and what are the environmental benefits?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Eskild Holm; Christensen, Per; Kørnøv, Lone

2003-01-01

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)is the process by which the effects that proposed projects are likely to have with respect to a number of environmental criteria is evaluated. Screening is an activity carried out in advance of an EIA to determine whether, in fact, it is necessary to undertake...... a full assessment.The paper discuss the extent of changes due to the screening process, and ask questions like what kind of environmental considerations do the changes reflect? And are they in line with EIA's holistic environmental approach?...

Screening youth for suicide risk in medical settings: time to ask questions.

Science.gov (United States)

Horowitz, Lisa M; Bridge, Jeffrey A; Pao, Maryland; Boudreaux, Edwin D

2014-09-01

This paper focuses on the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Research Prioritization Task Force's Aspirational Goal 2 (screening for suicide risk) as it pertains specifically to children, adolescents, and young adults. Two assumptions are forwarded: (1) strategies for screening youth for suicide risk need to be tailored developmentally; and (2) we must use instruments that were created and tested specifically for suicide risk detection and developed specifically for youth. Recommendations for shifting the current paradigm include universal suicide screening for youth in medical settings with validated instruments. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Screenee perception and health-related quality of life in colorectal cancer screening: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Pizzo, Elena; Pezzoli, Alessandro; Stockbrugger, Reinhold; Bracci, Enrico; Vagnoni, Emidia; Gullini, Sergio

2011-01-01

Screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) has become established to varying degrees in several Western countries for the past 30 years. Because of its effectiveness, screening has been adopted or is planned in a number of other countries. In most countries, the screening method (e.g., fecal occult blood test [FOBT], sigmoidoscopy) is followed by colonoscopy, for verification. In other countries (e.g., United States, Germany), colonoscopy is the preferred first-line investigation method. However, because colonoscopy is considered to be invasive, might be poorly tolerated, and can be associated with complications, the idea of adopting colonoscopy as the primary screening method suffers. Negative effects of screening methods can reduce participation in programs and thereby negate the desired effect on individual and societal health. At present, there is no generally accepted method either to assess the perception and satisfaction of patients screened or the outcome of the screening procedures in CRC. In this review, we discuss the past development and present availability of instruments to measure health-related quality of life (HRQoL), the scarce studies in which such instruments have been used in screening campaigns, and the findings. We suggest the creation of a specific instrument for the assessment of HRQoL in CRC screening. Copyright © 2011 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cardiac pre-competiton screening in Swiss athletes. Current situation in competitive athletes and short-time assessment of an exemplary local screening program.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmied, Christian; Notz, Sara; Cribari, Marco; Gähwiler, Roman; Keller, Dagmar I; Lüscher, Thomas F

2012-05-31

In Switzerland, screening concepts for the prevention of sports-associated sudden cardiac death are still insufficiently established in the large group of competitive athletes who are not integrated in an Olympic- or other high-level squad. The aim of the present study was to objectively determine the current situation in this particular group of athletes concerning cardiac pre-competition screening and define specific features of an "ideal" Swiss screening concept. Based on these data, the feasibility and validity was tested by the implementation of an exemplary local screening programme. A standardised questionnaire was completed by 1,047 competitive athletes of different ages and gender. The individual, sports-specific profile of an athlete and furthermore, the personal attitude towards and the vision of a "perfect" cardiac screening were assessed. Based on the results, an exemplary local screening programme for competitive athletes was implemented at the "Academic Sports Association Zurich" (ASVZ) in Zurich, Switzerland and evaluated 1 year after its introduction. Only 9% of the 1,047 interviewed competitive athletes (aged 13 to 64 years; median age 22 years, SD = 5.87) had previously undergone a cardiac screening. Only 47% of the interviewed competitive athletes expressed their interest to undergo a cardiac screening at all. Male and older athletes showed a significantly higher acceptance rate for the screening programme than women and younger athletes. All athletes accepted to bear the expenses for the baseline screening programme, adapted to international standards (minimal accepted fee of 60 Swiss Francs). Almost half of the athletes (49.2%) preferred easy accessibility to a sports cardiologist (max. distance of 10 kilometres). The exemplary local screening programme proved to be feasible and successful. However, only 30% of the 102 screened individuals were female and most of the athletes (80%) who made use of the screening had a specific concern or

Final report, Ames Mobile Laboratory Project: The development and operation of instrumentation in a mobile laboratory for in situ, real-time screening and characterization of soils using the laser ablation sampling technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, M.S.; Braymen, S.D.

1995-01-01

The main focus of the Ames Laboratory's Technology Integration Program, TIP, from May 1991 through December 1994 was the development, fabrication, and demonstration of a mobile instrumentation laboratory incorporating rapid in situ sampling systems for safe, rapid, and cost effective soil screening/characterization. The Mobile Demonstration Laboratory for Environmental Screening Technologies, MDLEST, containing the analysis instrumentation, along with surface and subsurface sampling probe prototypes employing the laser ablation sampling technique were chosen to satisfy the particular surface and subsurface soil characterization needs of the various Department of Energy facilities for determining the extent of heavy metal and radionuclide contamination. The MDLEST, a 44 foot long 5th wheel trailer, is easily configured for the analysis instrumentation and sampling system required for the particular site work. This mobile laboratory contains all of the utilities needed to satisfy the operating requirements of the various instrumentation installed. These utilities include, an electric generator, a chilled water system, process gases, a heating/air conditioning system, and computer monitoring and automatic operating systems. Once the MDLEST arrives at the job site, the instrumentation is aligned and calibration is completed, sampling and analysis operations begin. The sample is acquired, analyzed and the results reported in as little as 10 minutes. The surface sampling probe is used in two modes to acquire samples for analysis. It is either set directly on the ground over the site to be sampled, in situ sampling, or in a special fixture used for calibrating the sampling analysis system with standard soil samples, having the samples brought to the MDLEST. The surface sampling probe was used to in situ sample a flat concrete surface (nondestructively) with the ablated sample being analyzed by the instrumentation in the MDLEST

Application of Short Screening Tools for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Korean Elderly Population

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Yu Jin; Chung, Hae Gyung; Choi, Jin Hee; Kim, Tae Yong; So, Hyung Seok

2016-01-01

Objective Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often missed or incorrectly diagnosed in primary care settings. Although brief screening instruments may be useful in detecting PTSD, an adequate validation study has not been conducted with older adults. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the primary care PTSD screen (PC-PTSD) and single-item PTSD screener (SIPS) in elderly veterans. Methods The PC-PTSD and SIPS assessments were translated into Korean, with a back-translation to the original language to verify accuracy. Vietnamese war veterans [separated into a PTSD group (n=41) and a non-PTSD group (n=99)] participated in several psychometric assessments, including the Korean versions of the PC-PTSD (PC-PTSD-K), SIPS (SIPS-K), a structured clinical interview from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV(SCID), and PTSD checklist(PCL). Results The PC-PTSD-K showed high internal consistency (Cronbach α=0.76), and the test-retest reliability of the PC-PTSD-K and SIPS-K were also high (r=0.97 and r=0.91, respectively). A total score of 3 from the PC-PTSD-K yielded the highest diagnostic efficiency, with sensitivity and specificity values of 0.90 and 0.86, respectively. The 'bothered a lot' response level from the SIPS-K showed the highest diagnostic efficiency, with sensitivity and specificity values of 0.85 and 0.89, respectively. Conclusion Our findings suggest that both PC-PTSD-K and SIPS-K have good psychometric properties with high validity and reliability for detecting PTSD symptoms in elderly Korean veterans. However, further research will be necessary to increase our understanding of PTSD characteristics in diverse groups with different types of trauma. PMID:27482241

Assessing Ultraviolet Hazards Using Portable Measuring Instruments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ridyard, A

2000-07-01

The 'Erythemal Action Spectrum' shows an increase of 10{sup 3} in human skin sensitivity to UV radiation over only 30 nm of change of wavelength, from 328 nm to 298 nm. This represents a severe challenge to the manufacturing and calibration of a portable instrument which can measure the vanishingly small amounts of short wavelength UV from solarium tanning lamps, and to apply accurately an action spectra to be able to quantify the hazard presented by such lamps to skin. The classification of UV lamp types from their 'effective irradiance' requires very sharp discrimination between UV power contained in the short wavelength and the long wavelength parts of the UV spectra, so radiometers give misleading results. The only instrument suitable for making these measurements is the spectroradiometer. The development of such an instrument in a hand held portable form is described, with the difficulties associated with its calibration and such factors as stray light rejection. (author)

Assessing Ultraviolet Hazards Using Portable Measuring Instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ridyard, A.

2000-01-01

The 'Erythemal Action Spectrum' shows an increase of 10 3 in human skin sensitivity to UV radiation over only 30 nm of change of wavelength, from 328 nm to 298 nm. This represents a severe challenge to the manufacturing and calibration of a portable instrument which can measure the vanishingly small amounts of short wavelength UV from solarium tanning lamps, and to apply accurately an action spectra to be able to quantify the hazard presented by such lamps to skin. The classification of UV lamp types from their 'effective irradiance' requires very sharp discrimination between UV power contained in the short wavelength and the long wavelength parts of the UV spectra, so radiometers give misleading results. The only instrument suitable for making these measurements is the spectroradiometer. The development of such an instrument in a hand held portable form is described, with the difficulties associated with its calibration and such factors as stray light rejection. (author)

Technical Training seminar: Texas Instruments

CERN Multimedia

2006-01-01

Monday 6 November TECHNICAL TRAINING SEMINAR 14:00 to 17:30 - Training Centre Auditorium (bldg. 593) Texas Instruments Technical Seminar Michael Scholtholt, Field Application Engineer / TEXAS INSTRUMENTS (US, D, CH) POWER - A short approach to Texas Instruments power products Voltage mode vs. current mode control Differentiating DC/DC converters by analyzing control and compensation schemes: line / load regulation, transient response, BOM, board space, ease-of-use Introduction to the SWIFT software FPGA + CPLD power solutions WIRELESS / CHIPCON Decision criteria when choosing a RF platform Introduction to Texas Instruments wireless products: standardized platforms proprietary platforms ( 2.4 GHz / sub 1 GHz) development tools Antenna design: example for 2.4 GHz questions, discussion Industrial partners: Robert Medioni, François Caloz / Spoerle Electronic, CH-1440 Montagny (VD), Switzerland Phone: +41 24 447 0137, email: RMedioni@spoerle.com, http://www.spoerle.com Language: English. Free s...

Brief screening for co-occurring disorders among women entering substance abuse treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chernoff Miriam

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the importance of identifying co-occurring psychiatric disorders in substance abuse treatment programs, there are few appropriate and validated instruments available to substance abuse treatment staff to conduct brief screen for these conditions. This paper describes the development, implementation and validation of a brief screening instrument for mental health diagnoses and trauma among a diverse sample of Black, Hispanic and White women in substance abuse treatment. With input from clinicians and consumers, we adapted longer existing validated instruments into a 14 question screen covering demographics, mental health symptoms and physical and sexual violence exposure. All women entering treatment (methadone, residential and out-patient at five treatment sites were screened at intake (N = 374. Results Eighty nine percent reported a history of interpersonal violence, and 70% reported a history of sexual assault. Eighty-eight percent reported mental health symptoms in the last 30 days. The screening questions administered to 88 female clients were validated against in-depth psychiatric diagnostic assessments by trained mental health clinicians. We estimated measures of predictive validity, including sensitivity, specificity and predictive values positive and negative. Screening items were examined multiple ways to assess utility. The screen is a useful and valid proxy for PTSD but not for other mental illness. Conclusion Substance abuse treatment programs should incorporate violence exposure questions into clinical use as a matter of policy. More work is needed to develop brief screening tools measures for front-line treatment staff to accurately assess other mental health needs of women entering substance abuse treatment

Mobile ultra-clean unidirectional airflow screen reduces air contamination in a simulated setting for intra-vitreal injection.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapid-Gortzak, Ruth; Traversari, Roberto; van der Linden, Jan Willem; Lesnik Oberstein, Sarit Y; Lapid, Oren; Schlingemann, Reinier O

2017-02-01

The aim of this study is to determine whether the use of a mobile ultra-clean laminar airflow screen reduces the air-borne particle counts in the setting of a simulated procedure of an intra-vitreal injection. A mobile ultra-clean unidirectional airflow (UDF) screen was tested in a simulated procedure for intra-vitreal injections in a treatment room without mechanical ventilation. One UDF was passed over the instrument tray and the surgical area. The concentration of particles was measured in the background, over the instrument table, and next to the ocular area. The degree of protection was calculated at the instrument table and at the surgical site. Use of the UDF mobile screen reduced the mean particle concentration (particles > 0.3 microns) on the instrument table by a factor of at least 100.000 (p air contamination. Mobile UDF screen reduces the mean particle concentration substantially. The mobile UDF screen may therefore allow for a safer procedural environment for ambulatory care procedures such as intra-vitreal injections in treatment rooms.

From Qualitative Data to Instrument Development: The Women's Breast Conflict Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Eileen

2011-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the initial development of the Women's Breast Conflict Scale, a predictive instrument designed to identify women who may be least likely to follow recommended mammography screening guidelines. This new instrument incorporates self/body image, teasing, family norms and values, and societal/media…

Validity of Two WPPSI Short Forms in Outpatient Clinic Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Haynes, Jack P.; Atkinson, David

1983-01-01

Investigated the validity of subtest short forms for the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence in an outpatient population of 116 children. Data showed that the short forms underestimated actual level of intelligence and supported use of a short form only as a brief screening device. (LLL)

Parental perception of health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with short stature: literature review and introduction of the parent-reported QoLISSY instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Quitmann, Julia; Rohenkohl, Anja; Bullinger, Monika; Chaplin, John E; Herdman, Michael; Sanz, Dolores; Mimoun, Emmanuelle; Feigerlova, Eva; DeBusk, Kendra; Power, Michael; Wollmann, Hartmut; Pleil, Andreas

2013-12-01

Health-related quality of life (HrQoL) of the child diagnosed with short stature is an important outcome to be assessed both from the patient as well as from the parental perspective. The objective of this study was to review the literature on parent-reported HrQoL and to subsequently develop and psychometrically test the parent-reported version of the Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth (QoLISSY) instrument for use in clinical and epidemiologic research. A review of the literature on parental assessment of child HrQoL via PUBMED was followed by a psychometric analysis of data collected within the European QoLISSY study, in which 686 eligible parents of short statured children/adolescents (aged 4-18 years) meeting inclusion criteria participated. Patient inclusion criteria were a height below -2 SD, a diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) or idiopathic short stature (ISS), and treatment status in terms of receiving or not receiving recombinant human growth hormone therapy. Focus groups eliciting parental HrQoL statements, pilot testing with cognitive debriefing, and a field test in 317 parents with a retest in 148 parents were conducted simultaneously in France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK. The psychometric performance of the parent-reported instrument, developed in parallel to the child/ adolescent self-report version, was assessed using standard tests of reliability and validity. Literature search failed to identify a cross-culturally developed height specific instrument available for both patient self-report and parental observer report. Analysis of the QoLISSY focus group phase conducted separately in children, adolescents and parents yielded 169 items generated from parent focus groups. A cognitive debriefing exercise followed by a pilot test of preliminary psychometric characteristics resulted in deleting poorly performing items. Field testing of the parent-reported version suggested a three-domain core HrQoL structure with 22 items

Radiological mass screening in The Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pater, J. de

1987-01-01

Shortly after the end of the Second World War radiological mass screening was introduced in the Netherlands to detect tuberculosis of the lungs. A secondary effect was that by the same procedure lung tumours could also be detected. However as tuberculosis became less common the need for regular X-ray screening declined. The question at this point was whether routine screening should nevertheless be continued for the early detection of lung cancer. The Health Council opposed this suggestion in 1974 as it was doubtful whether early detection would improve the prognosis

Is screening effective in detecting untreated psychiatric disorders among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Palmer, Steven C.; Taggi, Alison; DeMichele, Angela; Coyne, James C.

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: A key purpose of routine distress screening is to ensure that cancer patients receive appropriate mental health care. Most studies validating screening instruments overestimate the effectiveness of screening by not differentiating between patients with untreated disorders and patients

Screening and brief interventions for hazardous alcohol use in accident and emergency departments: a randomised controlled trial protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myles Judy

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a wealth of evidence regarding the detrimental impact of excessive alcohol consumption on the physical, psychological and social health of the population. There also exists a substantial evidence base for the efficacy of brief interventions aimed at reducing alcohol consumption across a range of healthcare settings. Primary research conducted in emergency departments has reinforced the current evidence regarding the potential effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Within this body of evidence there is marked variation in the intensity of brief intervention delivered, from very minimal interventions to more intensive behavioural or lifestyle counselling approaches. Further the majority of primary research has been conducted in single centre and there is little evidence of the wider issues of generalisability and implementation of brief interventions across emergency departments. Methods/design The study design is a prospective pragmatic factorial cluster randomised controlled trial. Individual Emergency Departments (ED (n = 9 are randomised with equal probability to a combination of screening tool (M-SASQ vs FAST vs SIPS-PAT and an intervention (Minimal intervention vs Brief advice vs Brief lifestyle counselling. The primary hypothesis is that brief lifestyle counselling delivered by an Alcohol Health Worker (AHW is more effective than Brief Advice or a minimal intervention delivered by ED staff. Secondary hypotheses address whether short screening instruments are more acceptable and as efficient as longer screening instruments and the cost-effectiveness of screening and brief interventions in ED. Individual participants will be followed up at 6 and 12 months after consent. The primary outcome measure is performance using a gold-standard screening test (AUDIT. Secondary outcomes include; quantity and frequency of alcohol consumed, alcohol-related problems, motivation to change, health related quality of life and

The health system and population health implications of large-scale diabetes screening in India: a microsimulation model of alternative approaches.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjay Basu

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Like a growing number of rapidly developing countries, India has begun to develop a system for large-scale community-based screening for diabetes. We sought to identify the implications of using alternative screening instruments to detect people with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes among diverse populations across India.We developed and validated a microsimulation model that incorporated data from 58 studies from across the country into a nationally representative sample of Indians aged 25-65 y old. We estimated the diagnostic and health system implications of three major survey-based screening instruments and random glucometer-based screening. Of the 567 million Indians eligible for screening, depending on which of four screening approaches is utilized, between 158 and 306 million would be expected to screen as "high risk" for type 2 diabetes, and be referred for confirmatory testing. Between 26 million and 37 million of these people would be expected to meet international diagnostic criteria for diabetes, but between 126 million and 273 million would be "false positives." The ratio of false positives to true positives varied from 3.9 (when using random glucose screening to 8.2 (when using a survey-based screening instrument in our model. The cost per case found would be expected to be from US$5.28 (when using random glucose screening to US$17.06 (when using a survey-based screening instrument, presenting a total cost of between US$169 and US$567 million. The major limitation of our analysis is its dependence on published cohort studies that are unlikely fully to capture the poorest and most rural areas of the country. Because these areas are thought to have the lowest diabetes prevalence, this may result in overestimation of the efficacy and health benefits of screening.Large-scale community-based screening is anticipated to produce a large number of false-positive results, particularly if using currently available survey-based screening

A new Brief computerized cognitive screening battery (CompCogs for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helenice Charchat Fichman

Full Text Available Abstract Screening tests for early diagnosis of dementia are of great clinical relevance. The ideal test set must be brief and reliable, and should probe cognitive components impaired in Alzheimer's disease (AD. Objectives: To develop a new Computerized Cognitive Screening test (CompCogs, and to investigate its validity for the early diagnosis of AD, and evaluate its heuristic value in understanding the processing of information in AD. Methods: The computerized neuropsychological performance battery, originally including six tests, was applied in forty seven patients with probable mild AD and 97 controls matched for age and education. This computerized neuropsychological test battery, developed with MEL Professional, allows control of timing and order of stimuli presentation, as well as recording of response type and latency. A brief-screening version, CompCogs, was selected using the most discriminative neuropsychological test variables derived from logistic regression analysis. Full battery administration lasted about 40 minutes, while the CompCogs took only 15 minutes. Results: CompCogs included the Face test (correct response and Word and Forms with Short term memory tests (reaction time. CompCogs presented 91.8% sensitivity and 93.6% specificity for the diagnosis of AD using ROC analyses of AD diagnosis probability derived by logistic regression. Conclusions: CompCogs showed high validity for AD early diagnosis and, therefore, may be a useful alternative screening instrument.

Short-film Festival at the Globe

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

Get out your diaries and prepare to be star-struck as the Globe of Science and Innovation meets the silver screen! The CERN "Open Your Eyes Films" film-making club is organising a festival of short films entitled CinéGlobe from Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 November. On the Thursday and Friday, you’ll be able to watch 47 short films free of charge in the Globe of Science and Innovation at various times of the day. The short films to be screened come from 21 different countries and have been selected from among 1400 entrees! All film genres will be represented : comedy, drama, animation, documentaries, experimental films, etc. Members of the public will even be able to vote for their favourite film: the audience’s favourite will be awarded a "Coup de coeur" award. An awards ceremony to honour the films that have received most votes will be held on Friday evening in the Globe of Science and Innovation. The Golden CinéGlobe for bes...

Installation of beam screens in LHC arc cryomagnets

CERN Document Server

Cruikshank, P; Schneider, G; Veness, R J M

1999-01-01

Beam screens will be installed in the cold bores of the LHC arc cryodipoles and Short Straight Sections (SSS). This note describes the constraints on the beam screen installation imposed by the beam vacuum interconnects and Beam Position Monitors (BPM), and explains the installation scenario which has been adopted.

Diagnostic accuracy of a two-item Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-2).

Science.gov (United States)

Tiet, Quyen Q; Leyva, Yani E; Moos, Rudolf H; Smith, Brandy

2017-11-01

Drug use is prevalent and costly to society, but individuals with drug use disorders (DUDs) are under-diagnosed and under-treated, particularly in primary care (PC) settings. Drug screening instruments have been developed to identify patients with DUDs and facilitate treatment. The Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) is one of the most well-known drug screening instruments. However, similar to many such instruments, it is too long for routine use in busy PC settings. This study developed and validated a briefer and more practical DAST for busy PC settings. We recruited 1300 PC patients in two Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinics. Participants responded to a structured diagnostic interview. We randomly selected half of the sample to develop and the other half to validate the new instrument. We employed signal detection techniques to select the best DAST items to identify DUDs (based on the MINI) and negative consequences of drug use (measured by the Inventory of Drug Use Consequences). Performance indicators were calculated. The two-item DAST (DAST-2) was 97% sensitive and 91% specific for DUDs in the development sample and 95% sensitive and 89% specific in the validation sample. It was highly sensitive and specific for DUD and negative consequences of drug use in subgroups of patients, including gender, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, educational level, and posttraumatic stress disorder status. The DAST-2 is an appropriate drug screening instrument for routine use in PC settings in the VA and may be applicable in broader range of PC clinics. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Short-term memory in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Jason; Fernandes, Yohaan; Gerlai, Robert

2014-08-15

Learning and memory represent perhaps the most complex behavioral phenomena. Although their underlying mechanisms have been extensively analyzed, only a fraction of the potential molecular components have been identified. The zebrafish has been proposed as a screening tool with which mechanisms of complex brain functions may be systematically uncovered. However, as a relative newcomer in behavioral neuroscience, the zebrafish has not been well characterized for its cognitive and mnemonic features, thus learning and/or memory screens with adults have not been feasible. Here we study short-term memory of adult zebrafish. We show animated images of conspecifics (the stimulus) to the experimental subject during 1 min intervals on ten occasions separated by different (2, 4, 8 or 16 min long) inter-stimulus intervals (ISI), a between subject experimental design. We quantify the distance of the subject from the image presentation screen during each stimulus presentation interval, during each of the 1-min post-stimulus intervals immediately following the stimulus presentations and during each of the 1-min intervals furthest away from the last stimulus presentation interval and just before the next interval (pre-stimulus interval), respectively. Our results demonstrate significant retention of short-term memory even in the longest ISI group but suggest no acquisition of reference memory. Because in the employed paradigm both stimulus presentation and behavioral response quantification is computer automated, we argue that high-throughput screening for drugs or mutations that alter short-term memory performance of adult zebrafish is now becoming feasible. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Efficiencies of Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument, Neurothesiometer, and Electromyography for Diagnosis of Diabetic Neuropathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Turkan Mete

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. This study compares the effectiveness of Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI, neurothesiometer, and electromyography (EMG in detecting diabetic peripheral neuropathy in patients with diabetes type 2. Materials and Methods. 106 patients with diabetes type 2 treated at the outpatient clinic of Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital Department of Endocrinology between September 2008 and May 2009 were included in this study. Patients were evaluated by glycemic regulation tests, MNSI (questionnaire and physical examination, EMG (for detecting sensorial and motor defects in right median, ulnar, posterior tibial, and bilateral sural nerves, and neurothesiometer (for detecting alterations in cold and warm sensations as well as vibratory sensations. Results. According to the MNSI score, there was diabetic peripheral neuropathy in 34 (32.1% patients (score ≥2.5. However, when the patients were evaluated by EMG and neurothesiometer, neurological impairments were detected in 49 (46.2% and 79 (74.5% patients, respectively. Conclusion. According to our findings, questionnaires and physical examination often present lower diabetic peripheral neuropathy prevalence. Hence, we recommend that in the evaluation of diabetic patients neurological tests should be used for more accurate results and thus early treatment options to prevent neuropathic complications.

IOT Overview: Calibrations of the VLTI Instruments (MIDI and AMBER)

Science.gov (United States)

Morel, S.; Rantakyrö, F.; Rivinius, T.; Stefl, S.; Hummel, C.; Brillant, S.; Schöller, M.; Percheron, I.; Wittkowski, M.; Richichi, A.; Ballester, P.

We present here a short review of the calibration processes that are currently applied to the instruments AMBER and MIDI of the VLTI (Very Large Telescope Interferometer) at Paranal. We first introduce the general principles to calibrate the raw data (the "visibilities") that have been measured by long-baseline optical interferometry. Then, we focus on the specific case of the scientific operation of the VLTI instruments. We explain the criteria that have been used to select calibrator stars for the observations with the VLTI instruments, as well as the routine internal calibration techniques. Among these techniques, the "P2VM" (Pixel-to-Visibility Matrix) in the case of AMBER is explained. Also, the daily monitoring of AMBER and MIDI, that has recently been implemented, is shortly introduced.

Sensitivity and specificity of the minimal chair height standing ability test: a simple and affordable fall-risk screening instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Reider, Nadia C; Naylor, Patti-Jean; Gaul, Catherine

2015-01-01

Fall-risk screening instruments have been underutilized in clinical settings because of their lengthy administration time, need of cumbersome equipment, and lack of validation. The primary objective of this study was to assess the validity (sensitivity and specificity) of the Minimal Chair Height Standing Ability Test (MCHSAT). The secondary objective was to develop guidelines to provide physical therapists with best-practice recommendations that can easily be implemented in clinical practice. A retrospective cohort study design was used in which falling history, major medical conditions, cognitive status (Mini-Mental State Examination), and level of independence (Independent Activities of Daily Living) were obtained for 167 community-dwelling older adults (mean age = 83.6 ± 7.3 years), residents of British Columbia, Canada. Participants MCHSAT performance was assessed using a chair whose seat height was modifiable by increments of 5 cm, starting at 47 cm and lowering after each successful attempt. Sensitivity and specificity of the MCHSAT at each chair height were calculated and plotted as a receiver operating characteristic curve. A model to identify participants with history of falls was developed using a forward logistic regression (Wald). Mean MCHSAT performance (cm) was significantly better for participants without history of falls (30.3 cm, 95% CI: 28.1-32.5 cm) than for those with history of falls (37.7 cm, 95% CI: 35.5-40.0 cm) and was the single risk factor associated with fall status (β= 1.087, P history of falls was 34 cm (AUC = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.63-0.82). At this threshold, sensitivity and specificity values were 75% and 62%, respectively. Using 34 cm as the optimal performance, the MCHSAT correctly identified 75% of participants with history of falls and 62% of participants without history of falls. This provides evidence that the MCHSAT is a valid screening tool for use with an older Canadian population. As a simple and inexpensive testing instrument

Screening for Autistic Spectrum in Children Aged 14 to 15 Months. I: The Development of the Early Screening of Autistic Traits Questionnaire (ESAT)

Science.gov (United States)

Swinkels, Sophie H. N.; Dietz, Claudine; van Daalen, Emma; Kerkhof, Ine H. G. M.; van Engeland, Herman; Buitelaar, Jan K.

2006-01-01

This article describes the development of a screening instrument for young children. Screening items were tested first in a non-selected population of children aged 8-20 months (n = 478). Then, parents of children with clinically diagnosed ASD (n = 153, average age 87 months) or ADHD (n = 76, average age 112 months) were asked to score the items…

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as screening instruments for depression in patients with cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartung, Tim J; Friedrich, Michael; Johansen, Christoffer; Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich; Faller, Herman; Koch, Uwe; Brähler, Elmar; Härter, Martin; Keller, Monika; Schulz, Holger; Wegscheider, Karl; Weis, Joachim; Mehnert, Anja

2017-11-01

Depression screening in patients with cancer is recommended by major clinical guidelines, although the evidence on individual screening tools is limited for this population. Here, the authors assess and compare the diagnostic accuracy of 2 established screening instruments: the depression modules of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), in a representative sample of patients with cancer. This multicenter study was conducted with a proportional, stratified, random sample of 2141 patients with cancer across all major tumor sites and treatment settings. The PHQ-9 and HADS-D were assessed and compared in terms of diagnostic accuracy and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition diagnosis of major depressive disorder using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview for Oncology as the criterion standard. The diagnostic accuracy of the PHQ-9 and HADS-D was fair for diagnosing major depressive disorder, with areas under the ROC curves of 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.79) and 0.75 (95% confidence interval, 0.74-0.77), respectively. The 2 questionnaires did not differ significantly in their areas under the ROC curves (P = .15). The PHQ-9 with a cutoff score ≥7 had the best screening performance, with a sensitivity of 83% (95% confidence interval, 78%-89%) and a specificity of 61% (95% confidence interval, 59%-63%). The American Society of Clinical Oncology guideline screening algorithm had a sensitivity of 44% (95% confidence interval, 36%-51%) and a specificity of 84% (95% confidence interval, 83%-85%). In patients with cancer, the screening performance of both the PHQ-9 and the HADS-D was limited compared with a standardized diagnostic interview. Costs and benefits of routinely screening all patients with cancer should be weighed carefully. Cancer 2017;123:4236-4243. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American

Conceptual understanding of screen media parenting: Report of a working group

Science.gov (United States)

Screen media (television, computers, and videogames) use has been linked to multiple child outcomes, including obesity. Parents can be an important influence on children's screen use. There has been an increase in the number of instruments available to assess parenting in feeding and physical activi...

Instrumentation for two-phase flow measurements in code verification experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fincke, J.R.; Anderson, J.L.; Arave, A.E.; Deason, V.A.; Lassahn, G.D.; Goodrich, L.D.; Colson, J.B.; Fickas, E.T.

1981-01-01

The development of instrumentation and techniques for the measurement of mass flow rate in two-phase flows conducted at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory during the past year is briefly described. Instruments discussed are the modular drag-disc turbine transducer, the gamma densitometers, the ultrasonic densitometer, Pitot tubes, and full-flow drag screens. Steady state air-water and transient steam-water data are presented

Patient-completed or symptom-based screening tools for endometriosis: a scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Surrey, Eric; Carter, Cathryn M; Soliman, Ahmed M; Khan, Shahnaz; DiBenedetti, Dana B; Snabes, Michael C

2017-08-01

The objective of this review was to evaluate existing patient-completed screening questionnaires and/or symptom-based predictive models with respect to their potential for use as screening tools for endometriosis in adult women. Validated instruments were of particular interest. We conducted structured searches of PubMed and targeted searches of the gray literature to identify studies reporting on screening instruments used in endometriosis. Studies were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria that followed the PICOS (population, intervention, comparison, outcomes, study design) framework. A total of 16 studies were identified, of which 10 described measures for endometriosis in general, 2 described measures for endometriosis at specific sites, and 4 described measures for deep-infiltrating endometriosis. Only 1 study evaluated a questionnaire that was solely patient-completed. Most measures required physician, imaging, or laboratory assessments in addition to patient-completed questionnaires, and several measures relied on complex scoring. Validation for use as a screening tool in adult women with potential endometriosis was lacking in all studies, as most studies focused on diagnosis versus screening. This literature review did not identify any fully validated, symptom-based, patient-reported questionnaires for endometriosis screening in adult women.

Unattached fraction of short-lived Rn decay products in indoor and outdoor environments: An improved single-screen method and results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reineking, A.; Porstendoerfer, J.

1990-01-01

The unattached fraction fp of potential alpha energy of short-lived Rn decay products was measured under realistic, natural conditions in different dwellings and in the open atmosphere by a single-screen technique. An improved data evaluation method was developed where the measured activities of 218 Po (RaA) and 214 Pb (RaB) were corrected by the screen-attached activities of 214 Bi ( 214 Po) [RaC (RaC')]. This method is based on the experimental observation that the 214 Bi ( 214 Po) unattached activities are negligible under realistic living conditions and that the size distributions of the aerosol-attached activities of all short-lived Rn daughters are identical. In closed rooms without additional aerosol sources, a mean unattached fraction fp of the potential alpha energy of 0.096 was obtained at a mean aerosol particle concentration of 6100 cm-3 and at a mean equilibrium factor F of 0.30. This mean fp value is about three times higher than the value used in the literature for the radiation exposure calculation of the human public. In closed rooms with additional aerosol sources (cigarette smoke, heating systems, aerosols from a burning candle), the aerosol particle concentrations ranged up to 10(6) cm-3 and the attachment rates, X, increased up to 1000 h-1. The fp values sometimes decreased below the detection limit of 0.005, and the F values increased to as high as 0.77. In the ambient atmosphere in the vicinity of Goettingen, a mean unattached fraction fp of 0.02 and a mean aerosol particle concentration of 3.4 x 10(4) cm-3 were measured at 1 m above the ground. The mean equilibrium factor F was determined to be 0.7.A

Using Mammography Screening: Hmong Women’s Perceptions and Beliefs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pang Vang

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among all women in the United States. Although mammography screening has been shown to be effective in detecting breast cancer, Hmong women, one of the Asian American/Pacific Islander subgroups, have a very low screening rate. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that influence Hmong women‘s willingness to be screened for breast cancer. Grounded Theory methodology guided the analysis of fifteen qualitative interviews with Midwestern Hmong women between the ages of40-64. Regardless of age, length of US residency, and language spoken, the results showed one core theme and three interrelated themes regarding the women‘s decision to seek mammographyscreening. The three interrelated themes of Breast Health Messages, Screening Barriers, and Screening Facilitators can have negative and/or positive influences on the core theme of mammography-screening decision-making processes. The first related theme of Breast HealthMessages included professional and lay breast health messages. The second related theme, Screening Facilitators, included breast health messages from professionals, abnormal findings, social support, risk for getting breast cancer, doctor‘s recommendations, and insurance. The third related theme, Screening Barriers, identified symptomatic health seeking behavior, instrumental barriers, fear, social influence (which included lay breast health messages, use of traditional Hmong healing practices, embarrassment, and perception of breast cancer risk. This study suggested that the healthcare professionals need to use a culturally sensitive and multidisciplinaryapproach to provide breast health education as well as to assess and provide instrumental support, while encouraging social support to influence Hmong women to attain mammography screening.

Small-angle scattering instruments on a 1 MW long pulse spallation source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olah, G.A. [Los Alamos National Lab., Chemical Science and Tehcnology Div., Biosciences and Biotechnology Group, Los aalamos, NM (United States); Hjelm, R.P. [Los Alamos National Lab., Neutron Scattering Center, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Seeger, P.A.

1995-11-01

We have designed and optimized two small-angle neutron scattering instruments for installation at a 1 MW long pulse spallation source. The first of these instruments measures a Q-domain from 0.002 to 0.44 A{sup -1}, and the second instrument from 0.00069-0.17 A{sup -1}, Design characteristics were determined and optimization was done using a Monte Carlo instrument simulation package under development at Los alamos. A performance comparison was made between these instruments with D11 at the ILL by evaluating the scattered intensity and rms resolution for the instrument response function at different Q values for various instrument configurations needed to spn a Q-range of 0.0007-0.44 A{sup -1}. We concluded that the first of these instruments outperforms D11 in both intensity and resolution over most of the Q-domain and that the second is comparable to D11. Comparisons were also made of the performance of the optimized long pulse instruments with different reflectors and with a short pulse source, from which we concluded that there is an optimal moderator-reflector combination, and that a short pulse does not substantially improve the instrument performance. (author) 7 figs., 2 tabs., 9 refs.

Small-angle scattering instruments on a 1 MW long pulse spallation source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olah, G.A.; Hjelm, R.P.; Seeger, P.A.

1995-01-01

We have designed and optimized two small-angle neutron scattering instruments for installation at a 1 MW long pulse spallation source. The first of these instruments measures a Q-domain from 0.002 to 0.44 A -1 , and the second instrument from 0.00069-0.17 A -1 , Design characteristics were determined and optimization was done using a Monte Carlo instrument simulation package under development at Los alamos. A performance comparison was made between these instruments with D11 at the ILL by evaluating the scattered intensity and rms resolution for the instrument response function at different Q values for various instrument configurations needed to spn a Q-range of 0.0007-0.44 A -1 . We concluded that the first of these instruments outperforms D11 in both intensity and resolution over most of the Q-domain and that the second is comparable to D11. Comparisons were also made of the performance of the optimized long pulse instruments with different reflectors and with a short pulse source, from which we concluded that there is an optimal moderator-reflector combination, and that a short pulse does not substantially improve the instrument performance. (author) 7 figs., 2 tabs., 9 refs

Technical presentation - KEITHLEY Instruments - CANCELLED

CERN Multimedia

FI Department

2009-01-01

10 March 2009 13:30 – 15:30, Council Chamber, Bldg. 503 Keithley markets highly accurate instruments and data acquisition products, as well as complete system solutions for high-volume production and assembly testing. Keithley Instruments, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and markets complex electronic instruments and systems geared to the specialized needs of electronics manufacturers for high-performance production testing, process monitoring, product development and research. Products and Services: Digital Multimeters and Data Acquisition Systems Current / Voltage Source and Measure Products Low Current / High Resistance Measurement Products Function/Pulse/Arbitrary/Pattern Generators Low Voltage/Low Resistance Measurement Products RF Spectrum Analyzer / RF Signal Generator / RF Switching Semiconductor Device Characterization Program: Topic 1: Welcome and short overview of new Products SMU 26XXA / ARB Generator 3390 / DMM 3706 / E-Meter 6517B Topic 2a: Te...

Pragmatic electrical engineering systems and instruments

CERN Document Server

Eccles, William

2011-01-01

Pragmatic Electrical Engineering: Systems and Instruments is about some of the non-energy parts of electrical systems, the parts that control things and measure physical parameters. The primary topics are control systems and their characterization, instrumentation, signals, and electromagnetic compatibility. This text features a large number of completely worked examples to aid the reader in understanding how the various principles fit together.While electric engineers may find this material useful as a review, engineers in other fields can use this short lecture text as a modest introduction

Effect Size (Cohen's d of Cognitive Screening Instruments Examined in Pragmatic Diagnostic Accuracy Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J. Larner

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Many cognitive screening instruments (CSI are available to clinicians to assess cognitive function. The optimal method comparing the diagnostic utility of such tests is uncertain. The effect size (Cohen's d, calculated as the difference of the means of two groups divided by the weighted pooled standard deviations of these groups, may permit such comparisons. Methods: Datasets from five pragmatic diagnostic accuracy studies, which examined the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE, the Mini-Mental Parkinson (MMP, the Six-Item Cognitive Impairment Test (6CIT, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA, the Test Your Memory test (TYM, and the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R, were analysed to calculate the effect size (Cohen's d for the diagnosis of dementia versus no dementia and for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment versus no dementia (subjective memory impairment. Results: The effect sizes for dementia versus no dementia diagnosis were large for all six CSI examined (range 1.59-1.87. For the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment versus no dementia, the effect sizes ranged from medium to large (range 0.48-1.45, with MoCA having the largest effect size. Conclusion: The calculation of the effect size (Cohen's d in diagnostic accuracy studies is straightforward. The routine incorporation of effect size calculations into diagnostic accuracy studies merits consideration in order to facilitate the comparison of the relative value of CSI.

Screened Coulomb interactions in metallic alloys. I. Universal screening in the atomic-sphere approximation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruban, Andrei; Skriver, Hans Lomholt

2002-01-01

We have used the locally self-consistent Green's-function (LSGF) method in supercell calculations to establish the distribution of the net charges assigned to the atomic spheres of the alloy components in metallic alloys with different compositions and degrees of order. This allows us to determine......-site local interaction zone. We demonstrate that the basic mechanism that governs the charge distribution is the screening of the net charges of the alloy components that makes the direct Coulomb interactions short ranged. In the atomic-sphere approximation, this screening appears to be almost independent...

TES arrays for the short wavelength band of the SAFARI instrument on SPICA

Science.gov (United States)

Khosropanah, P.; Hijmering, R.; Ridder, M.; Gao, J. R.; Morozov, D.; Mauskopf, P. D.; Trappe, N.; O'Sullivan, C.; Murphy, A.; Griffin, D.; Goldie, D.; Glowacka, D.; Withington, S.; Jackson, B. D.; Audley, M. D.; de Lange, G.

2012-09-01

SPICA is an infra-red (IR) telescope with a cryogenically cooled mirror (~5K) with three instruments on board, one of which is SAFARI that is an imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) with three bands covering the wavelength of 34-210 μm. We develop transition edge sensors (TES) array for short wavelength band (34-60 μm) of SAFARI. These are based on superconducting Ti/Au bilayer as TES bolometers with a Tc of about 105 mK and thin Ta film as IR absorbers on suspended silicon nitride (SiN) membranes. These membranes are supported by long and narrow SiN legs that act as weak thermal links between the TES and the bath. Previously an electrical noise equivalent power (NEP) of 4×10-19 W/√Hz was achieved for a single pixel of such detectors. As an intermediate step toward a full-size SAFARI array (43×43), we fabricated several 8×9 detector arrays. Here we describe the design and the outcome of the dark and optical tests of several of these devices. We achieved high yield (<93%) and high uniformity in terms of critical temperature (<5%) and normal resistance (7%) across the arrays. The measured dark NEPs are as low as 5×10-19 W/√Hz with a response time of about 1.4 ms at preferred operating bias point. The optical coupling is implemented using pyramidal horns array on the top and hemispherical cavity behind the chip that gives a measured total optical coupling efficiency of 30±7%.

Vibrational spectroscopy in diagnosis and screening

CERN Document Server

Severcan, F

2012-01-01

In recent years there has been a tremendous growth in the use of vibrational spectroscopic methods for diagnosis and screening. These applications range from diagnosis of disease states in humans, such as cancer, to rapid identification and screening of microorganisms. The growth in such types of studies has been possible thanks to advances in instrumentation and associated computational and mathematical tools for data processing and analysis. This volume of Advances in Biomedical Spectroscopy contains chapters from leading experts who discuss the latest advances in the application of Fourier

Comfortably engaging: which approach to alcohol screening should we use?

Science.gov (United States)

Vinson, Daniel C; Galliher, James M; Reidinger, Carol; Kappus, Jennifer A

2004-01-01

We wanted to compare 2 screening instruments for problem drinking, the CAGE and a single question, assessing frequency of use, patient and clinician comfort, and patient engagement in change. The study was a crossover, cluster-randomized clinical trial with 31 clinicians in Missouri and 13 in the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) National Network for Family Practice and Primary Care Research; 2,800 patients provided data. The clinician was the unit of randomization. Clinicians decided whether to screen each patient; if they chose to screen, they used the screening approach assigned for that block of patients. The clinician and patient separately completed questionnaires immediately after the office visit to assess each one's comfort with screening (and any ensuing discussion) and the patient's engagement in change. Missouri clinicians screened more patients when assigned the single question (81%) than the CAGE (69%, P = .001 in weighted analysis). There was no difference among AAFP network clinicians (96% of patients screened with the CAGE, 97% with the single question). Eighty percent to 90% of clinicians and 70% of patients reported being comfortable with screening and the ensuing discussion, with no difference between approaches in either network. About one third of patients who were identified as problem drinkers reported thinking about or planning to change their drinking behavior, with no difference in engagement between screening approaches. Clinicians and patients reported similar comfort with the CAGE questions and the single-question screening tools for problem drinking, and the 2 instruments were equal in their ability to engage the patient. In Missouri, the single question was more likely to be used.

Development of Interactive Monitoring System for Neutron Scattering Instrument

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

So, Ji Yong [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

Neutron scattering instruments in HANARO research reactor have been contributed to various fields of basic science and material engineering. These instruments are open to publics and researchers can apply beam-time and do experiments with instrument scientists. In most cases, these instruments run for several weeks without stopping, and therefore instrument scientist wants to see the instrument status and receive information if the instruments have some problem. This is important for the safety. However, it is very hard to get instrument information outside of instruments. Access from external site is strongly forbidden in the institute due to the network safety, I developed another way to send instrument status information using commercial short messaging service(SMS). In this presentation, detailed features of this system will be shown. As a prototype, this system is being developed for the single instrument: Disk-chopper time-of-flight instruments (DC-TOF). I have successfully developed instruments and operate for several years. This information messaging system can be used for other neutron scattering instruments.

False-positive findings in mammography screening induces short-term distress - breast cancer-specific concern prevails longer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aro, A R; Pilvikki Absetz, S; van Elderen, T M

2000-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine psychological distress in a mammography screening process as a consequence of screening after adjusting for background, personality and prescreening distress. Subjects, aged 50 years, were invitees at their first screening. There were three groups; normal find...... perceived breast cancer risk and susceptibility. Distress related to screening and false-positive findings seems to be moderate, but prevailing cancer-specific concerns call for improvements in screening programmes....

World Health Organization quality of life instrument-brief and Short Form-36 in patients with coronary artery disease: do they measure similar quality of life concepts?

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, Luciane Nascimento; Camey, Suzi Alves; Fleck, Marcelo Pio; Polanczyk, Carisi Anne

2009-10-01

This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL)-brief and SF-36 in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Considering that depression is known to be associated with bad outcomes in CAD and it is highly associated with poor Quality of Life (QOL), we tested the correlation between WHOQOL and SF-36 and an instrument to screen depressive symptoms. It is a cross-sectional survey conducted in 103 patients with documented CAD. QOL was measured through WHOQOL-brief and SF-36 and depressive symptoms were assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). To evaluate convergent validity, the correlations between both QOL assessment instruments were examined; discriminant validity was assessed through BDI and QOL instruments correlations. Coefficient Cronbach's alpha was used to test reliability. Percentages of floor and ceiling effects were higher in SF-36 scores than the WHOQOL-brief ones. Although WHOQOL-brief showed a maximum of 1% of floor effect and 9% of ceiling effect, SF-36 presented 40 and 32%, respectively. Internal consistency reliability ranged from 0.65 to 0.85 for the WHOQOL-brief and 0.57 to 0.89 for the SF-36. Correlations between subscales of WHOQOL-brief and BDI ranged from -0.74 to -0.61 and correlations between subscales of SF-36 and BDI ranged from -0.68 to -0.26. SF-36 and WHOQOL-brief seem to be valid and consistent QOL measures in patients with CAD. Researchers should define the aims of their studies before choosing which instrument to use, because they appear to measure different constructs of QOL.

Construction of an Occupational Therapy Screenings Assessment for elderly medical patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holsbæk, Jonas

there for demands a validated Occupational Therapy Screening Assessment, that fast and easy can tell if more Occupational Therapy is needed. Aim: The aim of the study is to develop a Screening Assessment which can be used in the Occupational Therapist practice screening Hospitalized Elderly medical inpatients...... by means of the Content Validity Index (CVI) – Questionaire. Result: The result was a Screening Assessment and a Manual, which was built up using ICF and the ADL-Taxonomy as References. The Screening Instrument should be a support for the working Occupational Therapist in their Clinical Reasoning. CVI...

Advances in instrumentation for nuclear astrophysics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. D. Pain

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The study of the nuclear physics properties which govern energy generation and nucleosynthesis in the astrophysical phenomena we observe in the universe is crucial to understanding how these objects behave and how the chemical history of the universe evolved to its present state. The low cross sections and short nuclear lifetimes involved in many of these reactions make their experimental determination challenging, requiring developments in beams and instrumentation. A selection of developments in nuclear astrophysics instrumentation is discussed, using as examples projects involving the nuclear astrophysics group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These developments will be key to the instrumentation necessary to fully exploit nuclear astrophysics opportunities at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams which is currently under construction.

Screening for depressive disorders in outpatients with mild to moderate psoriasis: A study from North India

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Shubh Mohan Singh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Psoriasis and depressive disorders commonly occur together. Depressive disorders have an impact on the quality of life and the outcome of psoriasis. Aims: The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of using a modification of the Hindi translation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9 as a verbal, clinician administered, short screening questionnaire for detecting depressive disorders. Materials and Methods: One hundred and four out-patients with psoriasis were recruited in the study. In the first stage of the study, socio-demographic data, Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI score, and Dermatological Quality of Life (DLQI score were recorded. The modified questionnaire was administered by the dermatologist. In the second stage, psychiatric diagnoses were confirmed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Results: The prevalence of depressive disorders was 39.4%. Receiver operating curve (ROC analysis showed that the questionnaire had a good discriminant ability in detecting depressive disorders (area under curve: 0.81, SE = 0.04, 95% confidence interval = 0.72-0.89. Limitations: The sample size is small and more studies are needed with the screening questions in different languages to validate the findings of the study. Conclusion: The questionnaire can be a useful screening instrument for detecting depressive disorders in patients with psoriasis.

Reactor instrumentation and control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wach, D.; Beraha, D.

1980-01-01

The methods for measuring radiation are shortly reviewed. The instrumentation for neutron flux measurement is classified into out-of-core and in-core instrumentation. The out-of-core instrumentation monitors the operational range from the subcritical reactor to full power. This large range is covered by several measurement channels which derive their signals from counter tubes and ionization chambers. The in-core instrumentation provides more detailed information on the power distribution in the core. The self-powered neutron detectors and the aeroball system in PWR reactors are discussed. Temperature and pressure measurement devices are briefly discussed. The different methods for leak detection are described. In concluding the plant instrumentation part some new monitoring systems and analysis methods are presented: early failure detection methods by noise analysis, acoustic monitoring and vibration monitoring. The presentation of the control starts from an qualitative assessment of the reactor dynamics. The chosen control strategy leads to the definition of the part-load diagram, which provides the set-points for the different control systems. The tasks and the functions of these control systems are described. In additiion to the control, a number of limiting systems is employed to keep the reactor in a safe operating region. Finally, an outlook is given on future developments in control, concerning mainly the increased application of process computers. (orig./RW)

Developmental Screening Using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Standardized versus Real-World Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

San Antonio, Marianne C.; Fenick, Ada M.; Shabanova, Veronika; Leventhal, John M.; Weitzman, Carol C.

2014-01-01

Developmental screens are often used in nonstandardized conditions, such as pediatric waiting rooms, despite validation under standardized conditions. We examined the reproducibility of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), a developmental screening instrument commonly used in pediatric practices, under standardized versus nonstandardized…

Screening for autistic spectrum disorder at the 18-month developmental assessment: a population-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

VanDenHeuvel, A; Fitzgerald, M; Greiner, B; Perry, I J

2007-09-01

The objectives of this study were to assess the feasibility of administering the CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) at the 18-month developmental check, estimate the prevalence of screening positive for autism at the first and second administrations of the CHAT and estimate the prevalence of diagnosed cases of autism. A cross-sectional study design was utilised and data was collected at child developmental screening clinics in counties Cork and Kerry. The sample group consisted of infants attending the routine 18-month developmental assessment, who were broadly representative of infants in the catchment area. The main outcome measure was a medium or high-risk score following two administrations of the CHAT screening instrument and a positive diagnosis of autism after clinical assessment. The CHAT was administered to 2117 infants (79% of those approached) of whom 29 were scored at medium or high risk at first screening, resulting in a prevalence rate of 137 per 10,000 (95% CI: 87-187). A total of 7 of the 29 first screen positive infants were positive (medium or high risk) at second screening, 12 were low risk and 10 parents refused to participate. On subsequent clinical assessment of the 7 infants screening positive on first and second assessment and assessment of 5 of the 10 infants whose parents declined second screening, 7 children received a diagnosis of autism. Thus the overall prevalence of clinically diagnosed autism following this screening exercise was 33.1 per 10,000 (95% CI: 13.3 to 68.0). The CHAT instrument is a useful tool to help identify childhood autism among infants. Routine use of this instrument at 18-month developmental assessment merits consideration.

Programming for a nuclear reactor instrument simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohn, C.E.

1989-01-01

A new computerized control system for a transient test reactor incorporates a simulator for pre-operational testing of control programs. The part of the simulator pertinent to the discussion here consists of two microprocessors. An 8086/8087 reactor simulator calculates simulated reactor power by solving the reactor kinetics equations. An 8086 instrument simulator takes the most recent power value developed by the reactor simulator and simulates the appropriate reading on each of the eleven reactor instruments. Since the system is required to run on a one millisecond cycle, careful programming was required to take care of all eleven instruments in that short time. This note describes the special programming techniques used to attain the needed performance

Screening for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Somali ex-combatants: A validation study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rockstroh Brigitte

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Somalia, a large number of active and former combatants are affected by psychological problems such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD. This disorder impairs their ability to re-integrate into civilian life. However, many screening instruments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder used in post-conflict settings have limited validity. Here we report on development and validation of a screening tool for PTSD in Somali language with a sample of ex-combatants. Methods We adapted the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS to reflect linguistic and cultural differences within the Somali community so that local interviewers could be trained to administer the scale. For validation purposes, a randomly selected group of 135 Somali ex-combatants was screened by trained local interviewers; 64 of them were then re-assessed by trained clinical psychologists using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI and the Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20. Results The screening instrument showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .86, convergent validity with the CIDI (sensitivity = .90; specificity = .90 as well as concurrent validity: positive cases showed higher SRQ-20 scores, higher prevalence of psychotic symptoms, and higher levels of intake of the local stimulant drug khat. Compared to a single cut-off score, the multi-criteria scoring, in keeping with the DSM-IV, produced more diagnostic specificity. Conclusion The results provide evidence that our screening instrument is a reliable and valid method to detect PTSD among Somali ex-combatants. A future Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Program in Somalia is recommended to screen for PTSD in order to identify ex-combatants with special psycho-social needs.

A review of instruments for screening and diagnosis of cocaine use

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barrio, P.; López-Pelayo, H.; Schellekens, A.F.A.; Batalla, A.; Preedy, V.R.

2017-01-01

Cocaine is the second most used illicit drug worldwide. Identification of cocaine use disorders (CUD) and related aspects such as craving and CUD severity are relevant for clinical practice, public health programs, and research. There are a wide variety of instruments available for assessing CUD,

Optimal Methods to Screen Men and Women for Intimate Partner Violence: Results from an Internal Medicine Residency Continuity Clinic

Science.gov (United States)

Kapur, Nitin A.; Windish, Donna M.

2011-01-01

Contradictory data exist regarding optimal methods and instruments for intimate partner violence (IPV) screening in primary care settings. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal method and screening instrument for IPV among men and women in a primary-care resident clinic. We conducted a cross-sectional study at an urban, academic,…

A Meta-Analysis of the Social Communication Questionnaire: Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Chesnut, Steven R.; Wei, Tianlan; Barnard-Brak, Lucy; Richman, David M.

2017-01-01

The current meta-analysis examines the previous research on the utility of the Social Communication Questionnaire as a screening instrument for autism spectrum disorder. Previously published reports have highlighted the inconsistencies between Social Communication Questionnaire-screening results and formal autism spectrum disorder diagnoses. The…

Implementation of the Alarm Distress Baby Scale as a universal screening instrument in primary care:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smith-Nielsen, Johanne; Lønfeldt, Nicole; Guedeney, Antoine

2018-01-01

Background: Infant socioemotional development is often held under informal surveillance, but a formal screening program is needed to ensure systematic identification of developmental risk. Even when screening programs exist, they are often ineffective because health care professionals do not adhe...

Evaluation of a two-question screening tool in the detection of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A Saimen

2014-03-31

The Women Abuse Screening Tool–short was used to screen patients for intimate partner violence. .... Data were collected from January 1 to March 31, 2014. Data-collection tools ..... 1996;28(6):422–8. 8. Chen P, Rovi S, Washington J, et al.

Effects of Dental Rehabilitation under General Anesthesia on Children’s Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Using Proxy Short Versions of OHRQoL Instruments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ziad D. Baghdadi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To examine the impact of comprehensive dental treatment under general anesthesia (GA on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL in children using short form versions of the Parental-Caregivers Perceptions questionnaire (P-CPQ and Family Impact Scale (FIS. Design. A pretest/posttest study involved parents whose children (N = 67 were affected with severe childhood caries and completed comprehensive dental treatment under GA. All parents completed the short form versions of the P-CPQ and FIS at baseline and 4–8 weeks following the dental treatment. To examine test-retest reliability, a convenience sample of 38 parents repeated the pretreatment questionnaires 1-2 weeks after they completed them at baseline. Statistical tests including the Kruskal-Wallis test, Cronbach’s alpha, and paired t-test were used to examine cross-sectional construct validity, internal consistency, and responsiveness of the instruments, respectively. Results. Cross-sectional construct validity and internal consistency were acceptable. Test-retest reliability was excellent. Large decreases in posttreatment scores were observed along with moderate to large effect sizes. Conclusions. Dental treatment under GA is associated with considerable improvement in OHRQoL of children and their families, as demonstrated by short form versions of the P-CPQ and FIS completed by the children’s parents.

Effect of Instrumentation Length and Instrumentation Systems: Hand Versus Rotary Files on Apical Crack Formation - An In vitro Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Devale, Madhuri R; Mahesh, M C; Bhandary, Shreetha

2017-01-01

Stresses generated during root canal instrumentation have been reported to cause apical cracks. The smaller, less pronounced defects like cracks can later propagate into vertical root fracture, when the tooth is subjected to repeated stresses from endodontic or restorative procedures. This study evaluated occurrence of apical cracks with stainless steel hand files, rotary NiTi RaCe and K3 files at two different instrumentation lengths. In the present in vitro study, 60 mandibular premolars were mounted in resin blocks with simulated periodontal ligament. Apical 3 mm of the root surfaces were exposed and stained using India ink. Preoperative images of root apices were obtained at 100x using stereomicroscope. The teeth were divided into six groups of 10 each. First two groups were instrumented with stainless steel files, next two groups with rotary NiTi RaCe files and the last two groups with rotary NiTi K3 files. The instrumentation was carried out till the apical foramen (Working Length-WL) and 1 mm short of the apical foramen (WL-1) with each file system. After root canal instrumentation, postoperative images of root apices were obtained. Preoperative and postoperative images were compared and the occurrence of cracks was recorded. Descriptive statistical analysis and Chi-square tests were used to analyze the results. Apical root cracks were seen in 30%, 35% and 20% of teeth instrumented with K-files, RaCe files and K3 files respectively. There was no statistical significance among three instrumentation systems in the formation of apical cracks (p=0.563). Apical cracks were seen in 40% and 20% of teeth instrumented with K-files; 60% and 10% of teeth with RaCe files and 40% and 0% of teeth with K3 files at WL and WL-1 respectively. For groups instrumented with hand files there was no statistical significance in number of cracks at WL and WL-1 (p=0.628). But for teeth instrumented with RaCe files and K3 files significantly more number of cracks were seen at WL than

Selecting Suicide Ideation Assessment Instruments: A Meta-Analytic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Erford, Bradley T.; Jackson, Jessica; Bardhoshi, Gerta; Duncan, Kelly; Atalay, Zumra

2018-01-01

Psychometric meta-analyses and reviews were provided for four commonly used suicidal ideation instruments: the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, the Suicide Ideation Questionnaire, the Suicide Probability Scale, and Columbia--Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Practical and technical issues and best use recommendations for screening and outcome…

Assessing medical professionalism: A systematic review of instruments and their measurement properties

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Honghe; Liu, Yang; Wen, Deliang

2017-01-01

Background Over the last three decades, various instruments were developed and employed to assess medical professionalism, but their measurement properties have yet to be fully evaluated. This study aimed to systematically evaluate these instruments’ measurement properties and the methodological quality of their related studies within a universally acceptable standardized framework and then provide corresponding recommendations. Methods A systematic search of the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO was conducted to collect studies published from 1990–2015. After screening titles, abstracts, and full texts for eligibility, the articles included in this study were classified according to their respective instrument’s usage. A two-phase assessment was conducted: 1) methodological quality was assessed by following the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist; and 2) the quality of measurement properties was assessed according to Terwee’s criteria. Results were integrated using best-evidence synthesis to look for recommendable instruments. Results After screening 2,959 records, 74 instruments from 80 existing studies were included. The overall methodological quality of these studies was unsatisfactory, with reasons including but not limited to unknown missing data, inadequate sample sizes, and vague hypotheses. Content validity, cross-cultural validity, and criterion validity were either unreported or negative ratings in most studies. Based on best-evidence synthesis, three instruments were recommended: Hisar’s instrument for nursing students, Nurse Practitioners’ Roles and Competencies Scale, and Perceived Faculty Competency Inventory. Conclusion Although instruments measuring medical professionalism are diverse, only a limited number of studies were methodologically sound. Future studies should give priority to systematically improving the performance of existing

Systematic review: cultural adaptation and feasibility of screening for autism in non-English speaking countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Maskari, Turkiya S; Melville, Craig A; Willis, Diane S

2018-01-01

Screening children for autism has gained wider acceptance within clinical practice, and early intervention has improved outcomes. Increasingly, adapting an existing screening instrument is a common, fast method to create a usable screening tool, especially for countries with limited resources and/or expertise. However, concerns have been raised regarding adaptation adequacy and the feasibility of screening across cultural groups. This study systematically examined the levels of cultural adaptation and feasibility aspects considered when screening for autism in non-English speaking countries to build upon the sparse knowledge that exists on this topic in the literature. Nineteen studies, obtained from five electronic databases, were examined. PRISMA guidance was used for this review. The Ecological Validity Framework model, and Bowen Recommendations for Feasibility were adopted to extract relevant data, which was synthesised narratively. Cultural adaptation within the included studies mostly involved language translation with little information offered to enable conclusions on how the processes were guided and maintained. Few cultural adjustments involved modifying screening methods; clarifying difficult concepts and changing instrument content were employed to address the core values, competence, beliefs, and norms of the adapted culture. However, less attention was given to adapt the screening goals within the context of cultural values, and customs or to consider interactional match between the clients and assessors. The review also highlighted an acceptable level of practicality to screen for autism but did not encourage integrating autism screening within routine practice or beyond the study context for different cultures. Concurring with previous literature, we agree that knowledge on cultural adaptation for autism screening instruments is limited and not sufficiently documented to establish adaptation levels (process and/or contents), and prove adequacy

Age and education corrected older adult normative data for a short form version of the Financial Capacity Instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerstenecker, Adam; Eakin, Amanda; Triebel, Kristen; Martin, Roy; Swenson-Dravis, Dana; Petersen, Ronald C; Marson, Daniel

2016-06-01

Financial capacity is an instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) that comprises multiple abilities and is critical to independence and autonomy in older adults. Because of its cognitive complexity, financial capacity is often the first IADL to show decline in prodromal and clinical Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Despite its importance, few standardized assessment measures of financial capacity exist and there is little, if any, normative data available to evaluate financial skills in the elderly. The Financial Capacity Instrument-Short Form (FCI-SF) is a brief measure of financial skills designed to evaluate financial skills in older adults with cognitive impairment. In the current study, we present age- and education-adjusted normative data for FCI-SF variables in a sample of 1344 cognitively normal, community-dwelling older adults participating in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA) in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Individual FCI-SF raw scores were first converted to age-corrected scaled scores based on position within a cumulative frequency distribution and then grouped within 4 empirically supported and overlapping age ranges. These age-corrected scaled scores were then converted to age- and education-corrected scaled scores using the same methodology. This study has the potential to substantially enhance financial capacity evaluations of older adults through the introduction of age- and education-corrected normative data for the FCI-SF by allowing clinicians to: (a) compare an individual's performance to that of a sample of similar age and education peers, (b) interpret various aspects of financial capacity relative to a normative sample, and (c) make comparisons between these aspects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Preliminary data on a mnemonic instrument with proverbs for tracking Alzheimer's disease

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Mauricéa Tabósa Ferreira Santos

Full Text Available Abstract In the differential diagnosis between Alzheimer's disease (AD and normal aging, tests evaluating memory and executive functions are frequently used. The addition of abstraction tests may enhance the effectiveness of screening tests for AD. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare initial data of a new instrument - The Screening Test for Alzheimer's Disease with Proverbs (STADP - against other screening tests used in AD diagnosis. Methods: Sixty elderly individuals (46 controls and 14 AD subjects with CDR=1, aged ³60 years, with at least one year of schooling, were evaluated using the STADP at outpatient clinic. The STADP assesses short-term memory, episodic memory, executive functions and language, in addition to proverb recognition. The performance of the participants on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE, semantic Verbal Fluency (VF and Clock Drawing Test (CDT were evaluated and the habit of reading, writing and sociodemographic data were also taken into account. Results: There were significant correlations between STADP and the performance on the MMSE (r=0.64, CDT (r=0.50 and VF (r=0.56. Age influenced all sub-items of the STADP, specifically episodic memory (r= -0.54, whereas schooling mainly influenced executive functions and language (r=0.46. The total score, stages A and C and the "proverb recognition" of STADP (p<0.001, as well as the MMSE (p<0.001, CDT (p=0.016, VF (p<0.001 were significantly different in AD versus control groups. Conclusions: The findings point to the potential use of the STADP in AD, warranting the conducting of further studies.

Does routine psychosocial screening improve referral to psychosocial care providers and patient-radiotherapist communication? A cluster randomized controlled trial.

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Braeken, Anna P B M; Lechner, Lilian; Eekers, Daniëlle B P; Houben, Ruud M A; van Gils, Francis C J M; Ambergen, Ton; Kempen, Gertrudis I J M

2013-11-01

This study tests whether using a screening instrument improves referral to psychosocial care providers (e.g. psychologist) and facilitates patient-radiotherapist communication. A cluster randomized controlled trial was used. Fourteen radiotherapists were randomly allocated to the experimental or control group and 568 of their patients received care in accordance with the group to which their radiotherapist was allocated. Patients in the experimental group were asked to complete a screening instrument before and at the end of the radiation treatment period. All patients were requested to complete questionnaires concerning patient-physician communication after the first consultation and concerning psychosocial care 3 and 12 months post-intervention. Patients who completed the screening instrument were referred to social workers at an earlier stage than patients who did not (Pcommunication. Our results suggest that a simple screening procedure can be valuable for the timely treatment of psychosocial problems in patients. Future efforts should be directed at appropriate timing of screening and enhancing physicians' awareness regarding the importance of identifying, discussing and treating psychosocial problems in cancer patients. Psychosocial screening can be enhanced by effective radiotherapist-patient communication. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of the Arab Youth Mental Health scale as a screening tool for depression/anxiety in Lebanese children

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Nakkash Rima

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Early detection of common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, among children and adolescents requires the use of validated, culturally sensitive, and developmentally appropriate screening instruments. The Arab region has a high proportion of youth, yet Arabic-language screening instruments for mental disorders among this age group are virtually absent. Methods We carried out construct and clinical validation on the recently-developed Arab Youth Mental Health (AYMH scale as a screening tool for depression/anxiety. The scale was administered with 10-14 year old children attending a social service center in Beirut, Lebanon (N = 153. The clinical assessment was conducted by a child and adolescent clinical psychiatrist employing the DSM IV criteria. We tested the scale's sensitivity, specificity, and internal consistency. Results Scale scores were generally significantly associated with how participants responded to standard questions on health, mental health, and happiness, indicating good construct validity. The results revealed that the scale exhibited good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86 and specificity (79%. However, it exhibited moderate sensitivity for girls (71% and poor sensitivity for boys (50%. Conclusions The AYMH scale is useful as a screening tool for general mental health states and a valid screening instrument for common mental disorders among girls. It is not a valid instrument for detecting depression and anxiety among boys in an Arab culture.

[Psychometric properties of an instrument for assessing cyber-sex addiction].

Science.gov (United States)

Ballester Arnal, Rafael; Gil Llario, Ma Dolores; Gómez Martínez, Sandra; Gil Juliá, Beatriz

2010-11-01

Psychometric properties of an instrument for assessing cyber-sex addiction. Cyber-sex addiction is a «new pathology» whose prevalence has grown rapidly in recent years. Therefore, it is important to have validated assessment instruments. The aim of this study was the adaptation and validation of the Internet Sex Screening Test (ISST) for its use in a Spanish population. The instrument was administered to 1239 Spanish college students. The results yielded five components that account for 47.5% of the variance. Internal consistency was .88 and temporal stability was .84. Moreover, the instrument had adequate convergent and discriminant validity and was related to other behaviors such as the use of pornography, internet addiction, number of hours online and sexual frequency. Therefore, this tool is proposed as an appropriate measure to assess cyber-sex addiction.

Neutronic control instrumentation of protection systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furet, J.

1977-01-01

The aims of neutronic control instrumentation are briefly recalled and the present status of materials research and development is presented. As for the out-of-pile instrumentation, emphasis is put on the reliability and efficiency of the detectors and the new solutions of electric signal processing. The possible reactivity measurements at rest are examined. As for in-pile instrumentation results relating to mobile detectors of the type of miniaturized fission chambers are presented. The radiation tests on course of development for several years in the working conditions of neutron self-powdered detectors are analyzed so as to show that their use as built-in in-core instrumentation is to be envisaged at short term. Basic options inherent to the 'Nuclear Safety' philosophy that define the protection system are recalled. A definition and a justification of the performance testing of the instrumentation at rest and in-service are then derived. Some new solutions are envisaged for processing the digital data obtained from the various sensors . A quality control of the materials setting conditions (especially electric noise) ensures a high reliability and availability of the materials involved in the neutron control and the protection system in working conditions [fr

Non-conventional screening of the Coulomb interaction in low-dimensional and finite-size systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Brink, J.; Sawatzky, G.A.

2000-01-01

We study the screening of the Coulomb interaction in non-polar systems by polarizable atoms. We show that in low dimensions and small finite-size systems this screening deviates strongly from that conventionally assumed. In fact in one dimension the short-range interaction is strongly screened and

Effect of Instrumentation Length and Instrumentation Systems: Hand Versus Rotary Files on Apical Crack Formation – An In vitro Study

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Mahesh, MC; Bhandary, Shreetha

2017-01-01

Introduction Stresses generated during root canal instrumentation have been reported to cause apical cracks. The smaller, less pronounced defects like cracks can later propagate into vertical root fracture, when the tooth is subjected to repeated stresses from endodontic or restorative procedures. Aim This study evaluated occurrence of apical cracks with stainless steel hand files, rotary NiTi RaCe and K3 files at two different instrumentation lengths. Materials and Methods In the present in vitro study, 60 mandibular premolars were mounted in resin blocks with simulated periodontal ligament. Apical 3 mm of the root surfaces were exposed and stained using India ink. Preoperative images of root apices were obtained at 100x using stereomicroscope. The teeth were divided into six groups of 10 each. First two groups were instrumented with stainless steel files, next two groups with rotary NiTi RaCe files and the last two groups with rotary NiTi K3 files. The instrumentation was carried out till the apical foramen (Working Length-WL) and 1 mm short of the apical foramen (WL-1) with each file system. After root canal instrumentation, postoperative images of root apices were obtained. Preoperative and postoperative images were compared and the occurrence of cracks was recorded. Descriptive statistical analysis and Chi-square tests were used to analyze the results. Results Apical root cracks were seen in 30%, 35% and 20% of teeth instrumented with K-files, RaCe files and K3 files respectively. There was no statistical significance among three instrumentation systems in the formation of apical cracks (p=0.563). Apical cracks were seen in 40% and 20% of teeth instrumented with K-files; 60% and 10% of teeth with RaCe files and 40% and 0% of teeth with K3 files at WL and WL-1 respectively. For groups instrumented with hand files there was no statistical significance in number of cracks at WL and WL-1 (p=0.628). But for teeth instrumented with RaCe files and K3 files

Relationship between Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-second version and psychiatric disorders in youths in welfare and juvenile justice institutions in Switzerland.

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Leenarts, L E W; Dölitzsch, C; Schmeck, K; Fegert, J M; Grisso, T; Schmid, M

2016-09-30

There is growing evidence that it is important to have well-standardized procedures for identifying the mental health needs of youths in welfare and juvenile justice institutions. One of the most widely used tools for mental health screening in the juvenile justice system is the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-second version (MAYSI-2). To contribute to the body of research examining the utility of the MAYSI-2 as a mental health screening tool; the first objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between the MAYSI-2 and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children, Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL) in a sample of Swiss youths in welfare and juvenile justice institutions using a cross-sectional design. Secondly, as the sample was drawn from the French-, German- and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland, the three languages were represented in the total sample and consequently differences between the language regions were analyzed as well. The third objective was to examine gender differences in this relationship. Participants were 297 boys and 149 girls (mean age = 16.2, SD = 2.5) recruited from 64 youth welfare and juvenile justice institutions in Switzerland. The MAYSI-2 was used to screen for mental health or behavioral problems that could require further evaluation. Psychiatric classification was based on the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children, Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL). Binomial logistic regression analysis was used to predict (cluster of) psychiatric disorders from MAYSI-2 scales. The regression analyses revealed that the MAYSI-2 scales generally related well to their corresponding homotypic (cluster of) psychiatric disorders. For example, the alcohol/drug use scale identified the presence of any substance use disorder and the suicide ideation scale identified youths reporting suicide ideation or suicide attempts. Several MAYSI-2

Development of a potential screening measure for adolescent depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Taouk, Mona; Meiser, Bettina; Hadzi-Pavlovic, Dusan; Dudley, Michael; Mitchell, Philip B

2017-06-01

Few adolescent-specific depression screening instruments have been developed in recent years using multi-method approaches (qualitative and quantitative), and some of those available have limitations with an adolescent audience. We describe the development of a potential measure - the Taouk Scale for Adolescent Depression. Draft items were informed by findings from focus groups and reviews by adolescents and healthcare professionals, resulting in a provisional 97-item scale. This was administered to a nation-wide sample of 3087 secondary students. Exploratory factor analysis was used in a development subset to examine dimensionality of items and reduce their number, with the final item set evaluated in a validation subset. Four reliable factors - negative outlook, emotional distress, behavioural changes and cognitive and somatic disturbances - were obtained from the exploratory factor analysis, resulting in a 28-item instrument, which was corroborated by confirmatory factor analysis. The final scale includes a number of novel items not included in current measures, i.e., whether respondents wear more black clothing than usual, deliberately damage property, take more risks, 'space out' at school and are engaged in substance abuse and/or increased sexual activity. The Taouk Scale for Adolescent Depression demonstrated sound psychometric properties and may have utility for future screening and future epidemiological purposes. It appears to be a valid and reliable screening instrument for adolescent depression that includes a number of novel items. Further research is necessary to confirm its criterion validity in clinically depressed samples.

Parental questionnaire as a screening instrument for motor function at age five

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordbye-Nielsen, Kirsten; Kesmodel, Ulrik Schiøler

2014-01-01

, Pearson’s χ2-test, logistic regression analyses and sensitivity and specificity were used to assess the correlation between the questionnaire and the M-ABC test. Results: The best screening tool was six questions in combination: sensitivity 39.8%, specificity 87.1%. Asking if a health professional ever......Introduction: No standardised method is used to determine motor function in children in general practice in Denmark. Our aim was to evaluate the correlation between a parental questionnaire assessing motor function at the age of five years and the clinical test Movement Assessment Battery...... for Children (M-ABC), and to assess whether one or more questions could be used to screen for motor problems at the age of five years. Methods: This study was based on a parental questionnaire containing ten questions. The M-ABC was used as the gold standard. n = 755 children. The Mann-Whitney rank sum test...

Does postnatal depression screening work? Throwing out the bathwater, keeping the baby.

Science.gov (United States)

Milgrom, Jeannette; Mendelsohn, Joshua; Gemmill, Alan W

2011-08-01

Rates of help-seeking for Postnatal Depression (PND) are generally low and population screening has the potential to increase diagnosis rates. Of central importance is the screening instrument's Positive Predictive Value (PPV), which is itself influenced by the prevalence of the condition. When PPV exceeds prevalence, screening defines a screen-positive group with a higher prevalence to which diagnostic-stage procedures can be targeted, a necessary component of a screening program's potential for cost-effectiveness. Employing the best available estimates of the prevalence of PND we applied Bayes' Theorem to map the parameter space for the Positive Predictive Value of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) across a realistic range of values. Only seven methodologically comparable validation studies are available for major depression and/or minor depression. Screening with the EPDS always facilitated an increase in identification rates, over the key range of prevalence values. The EPDS defined a sub-group with prevalence between 5-fold and 17-fold greater than the general population. A central estimate of PPV (at a prevalence of 6.8%) was 62%. Few high-quality data are available for analysis and therefore better estimates, of both PND prevalence and of screening accuracy, in the populations where screening takes place are needed. Our estimates of PPV indicate that population screening with an instrument at least as accurate as the EPDS could successfully increase the number of cases identified and, therefore, treatment rates. Comparisons with the performance of physical health-screening programs appear favourable. Appropriate training for health professionals is essential to minimize potential harms, and following all positive screening results with a formal diagnostic procedure is likely to be useful both clinically and in terms of health system costs. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Screening Children for Family Violence: A Review of the Evidence for the US Preventive Services Task Force

Science.gov (United States)

Nygren, Peggy; Nelson, Heidi D.; Klein, Jonathan

2004-01-01

BACKGROUND We wanted to evaluate the benefits and harms of screening children in primary health care settings for abuse and neglect resulting from family violence by examining the evidence on the performance of screening instruments and the effectiveness of interventions. METHODS We searched for relevant studies in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and reference lists. English language abstracts with original data about family violence against children focusing on screening and interventions initiated or based in health care settings were included. We extracted selected information about study design, patient populations and settings, methods of assessment or intervention, and outcome measures, and applied a set of criteria to evaluate study quality. RESULTS All instruments designed to screen for child abuse and neglect were directed to parents, particularly pregnant women. These instruments had fairly high sensitivity but low specificity when administered in high-risk study populations and have not been widely tested in other populations. Randomized controlled trials of frequent nurse home visitation programs beginning during pregnancy that address behavioral and psychological factors indicated improved abuse measures and outcomes. No studies were identified about interventions in older children or harms associated with screening and intervention. CONCLUSIONS No trials of the effectiveness of screening in a health care setting have been published. Clinician referrals to nurse home visitation during pregnancy and in early childhood may reduce abuse in selected populations. There are no studies about harms of screening and interventions. PMID:15083858

Towards a measurement instrument for determinants of innovations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fleuren, M.A.H.; Paulussen, T.G.W.M.; van Dommelen, P.; van Buuren, S.

2014-01-01

Objective. To develop a short instrument to measure determinants of innovations that may affect its implementation. Design. We pooled the original data from eight empirical studies of the implementation of evidence-based innovations. The studies used a list of 60 potentially relevant determinants

''Cutie Pie,'' A portable radiation instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballou, C.O.

1947-01-01

A portable beta and gamma radiation meter of exceedingly small dimensions and weight has been developed. User acceptance has been more enthusiastic than any previous instrument of its type. The circuit, using one Victoreen V-32 tube, is the simplest electronic circuit possible for radiation work and gives high sensitivity. Stability exceeds anything of comparable sensitivity which has come to our attention. The short term stability is due to a circuit which prevents emission before the cathode reaches operating temperature. Long term stability has been improved by evacuating the tube enclosure and switch. The complete, one unit instrument, weighs four pounds two ounces, and is carried with a pistol grip. Exclusive of chamber and handle, its dimensions are 3'' wide, 6 1/2'' long, and 5'' high. The case is formed of aluminum and is designed to give excellent visibility of the meter. Three ranges of approximately 50, 500 and 5000 mr/hr have been incorporated in the instruments. The instrument has been named ''Cutie Pie'' due to its diminutive size

Validation of a short food frequency questionnaire in Australian adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalesi, Saman; Doshi, Deepak; Buys, Nicholas; Sun, Jing

2017-05-01

The aim of this article is to report on the validity and internal consistency of a short food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to measure dietary intake in Australian adults. A total of 407 individuals completed the short FFQ. The Cronbach's alpha of 0.66 indicated acceptable internal consistency for the FFQ. Content validity was measured using factor analysis showed that 35% of total variance was explained by factor analysis. The FFQ was also validated against 31 3-day food records (FR). No significant difference between average intake of energy, most macronutrients, and some micronutrients between two instruments was identified. An acceptable levels of correlation (0.39-0.69) was observed between the two instruments. Bland and Altman's plots showed relative agreement in both instruments with potential bias in measuring iron and iodine. The current FFQ can be an acceptable tool to quickly measuring dietary intake in Australian adults.

Development of an imaging-planning program for screen/film and computed radiography mammography for breasts with short chest wall to nipple distance.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, S L; Su, J L; Yeh, Y H; Chu, T C; Lin, Y C; Chuang, K S

2011-04-01

Imaging breasts with a short chest wall to nipple distance (CWND) using a traditional mammographic X-ray unit is a technical challenge for mammographers. The purpose of this study is the development of an imaging-planning program to assist in determination of imaging parameters of screen/film (SF) and computed radiography (CR) mammography for short CWND breasts. A traditional mammographic X-ray unit (Mammomat 3000, Siemens, Munich, Germany) was employed. The imaging-planning program was developed by combining the compressed breast thickness correction, the equivalent polymethylmethacrylate thickness assessment for breasts and the tube loading (mAs) measurement. Both phantom exposures and a total of 597 exposures were used for examining the imaging-planning program. Results of the phantom study show that the tube loading rapidly decreased with the CWND when the automatic exposure control (AEC) detector was not fully covered by the phantom. For patient exposures with the AEC fully covered by breast tissue, the average fractional tube loadings, defined as the ratio of the predicted mAs using the imaging-planning program and mAs of the mammogram, were 1.10 and 1.07 for SF and CR mammograms, respectively. The predicted mAs values were comparable to the mAs values, as determined by the AEC. By applying the imaging-planning program in clinical practice, the experiential dependence of the mammographer for determination of the imaging parameters for short CWND breasts is minimised.

Spherical harmonic expansion of short-range screened Coulomb interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Angyan, Janos G [Laboratoire de Cristallographie et de Modelisation des Materiaux Mineraux et Biologiques, UMR 7036, CNRS-Universite Henri Poincare, BP 239, F-54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy (France); Gerber, Iann [Laboratoire de Cristallographie et de Modelisation des Materiaux Mineraux et Biologiques, UMR 7036, CNRS-Universite Henri Poincare, BP 239, F-54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy (France); Marsman, Martijn [Institut fuer Materialphysik and Center for Computational Materials Science, Universitaet Wien, Sensengasse 8, A-1090, Vienna (Austria)

2006-07-07

Spherical harmonic expansions of the screened Coulomb interaction kernel involving the complementary error function are required in various problems in atomic, molecular and solid state physics, like for the evaluation of Ewald-type lattice sums or for range-separated hybrid density functionals. A general analytical expression is derived for the kernel, which is non-separable in the radial variables. With the help of series expansions a separable approximate form is proposed, which is in close analogy with the conventional multipole expansion of the Coulomb kernel in spherical harmonics. The convergence behaviour of these expansions is studied and illustrated by the electrostatic potential of an elementary charge distribution formed by products of Slater-type atomic orbitals.

Vietnamese validation of the short version of Internet Addiction Test

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bach Xuan Tran

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background and aims: The main goal of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of a Vietnamese version of the short-version of Internet Addiction Test (s-IAT and to assess the relationship between s-IAT scores and demographics, health related qualify of life and perceived stress scores in young Vietnamese. Methods: The Vietnamese version of s-IAT was administered to a sample of 589 participants. Exploratory factor and reliability analyses were performed. Regression analysis was used to identify the associated factors. Results: The two-factor model of Vietnamese version of s-IAT demonstrated good psychometric properties. The internal consistency of Factor 1 (loss of control/time management was high (Cronbach's alpha=0.82 and Factor 2 (craving/social problems was satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha=0.75. Findings indicated that 20.9% youths were addicted to the Internet. Regression analysis revealed significant associations between Internet addiction and having problems in self-care, lower quality of life and high perceived stress scores. Discussion and conclusions: The Vietnamese version of s-IAT is a valid and reliable instrument to assess IA in Vietnamese population. Due to the high prevalence of IA among Vietnamese youths, IA should be paid attention in future intervention programs. s-IAT can be a useful screening tool for IA to promptly inform and treat the IA among Vietnamese youths. Keywords: Factor analysis, Short-version, Internet Addiction Test, Psychometric properties, Vietnamese

Downhole instrument including a flexible probe which can travel freely around bends in a borehole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickinson III, B. W. O.

1985-01-01

Bore hole instrument and methods of manufacturing and using the same. The instrument includes an elongated flexible probe which is inserted into a bore hole and can travel freely around bends of relatively short radius in the hole. The probe includes a plurality of sensors, explosive charges or the like which are spaced apart and embedded in a flexible body comprising a mass of cushioning material, with a flexible outer casing of fabric having a high tensile strength. The probe is driven into a bore hole in piston-like fashion, and the flexible body enables the probe to travel freely around bends of relatively short radius. Instrumentation for processing signals from the probe is located at the surface of the earth, and a flexible cable interconnects the instrumentation with the probe

Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) science instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos, R.; Hing, S.M.; Leidich, C.A.; Fazio, G.; Houck, J.R.

1989-01-01

Concepts of scientific instruments designed to perform infrared astronomical tasks such as imaging, photometry, and spectroscopy are discussed as part of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) project under definition study at NASA/Ames Research Center. The instruments are: the multiband imaging photometer, the infrared array camera, and the infrared spectograph. SIRTF, a cryogenically cooled infrared telescope in the 1-meter range and wavelengths as short as 2.5 microns carrying multiple instruments with high sensitivity and low background performance, provides the capability to carry out basic astronomical investigations such as deep search for very distant protogalaxies, quasi-stellar objects, and missing mass; infrared emission from galaxies; star formation and the interstellar medium; and the composition and structure of the atmospheres of the outer planets in the solar sytem. 8 refs

Validation of the Dutch version of the quick mild cognitive impairment screen (Qmci-D).

Science.gov (United States)

Bunt, Steven; O'Caoimh, Rónán; Krijnen, Wim P; Molloy, D William; Goodijk, Geert Pieter; van der Schans, Cees P; Hobbelen, Hans J S M

2015-10-02

Differentiating mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from dementia is important, as treatment options differ. There are few short (Dutch language. The Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Qmci) screen is sensitive and specific in differentiating MCI from NC and mild dementia. Given this, we adapted the Qmci for use in Dutch-language countries and validated the Dutch version, the Qmci-D, against the Dutch translation of the Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE-D). The Qmci was translated into Dutch with a combined qualitative and quantitative approach. In all, 90 participants were recruited from a hospital geriatric clinic (25 with dementia, 30 with MCI, 35 with NC). The Qmci-D and SMMSE-D were administered sequentially but randomly by the same trained rater, blind to the diagnosis. The Qmci-D was more sensitive than the SMMSE-D in discriminating MCI from dementia, with a significant difference in the area under the curve (AUC), 0.73 compared to 0.60 (p = 0.024), respectively, and in discriminating dementia from NC, with an AUC of 0.95 compared to 0.89 (p = 0.006). Both screening instruments discriminated MCI from NC with an AUC of 0.86 (Qmci-D) and 0.84 (SMMSE-D). The Qmci-D shows similar,(good) accuracy as the SMMSE-D in separating NC from MCI; greater,(albeit fair), accuracy differentiating MCI from dementia, and significantly greater accuracy in separating dementia from NC. Given its brevity and ease of administration, the Qmci-D seems a useful cognitive screen in a Dutch population. Further study with a suitably powered sample against more sensitive screens is now required.

Reliability of Instruments Measuring At-Risk and Problem Gambling Among Young Individuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edgren, Robert; Castrén, Sari; Mäkelä, Marjukka

2016-01-01

This review aims to clarify which instruments measuring at-risk and problem gambling (ARPG) among youth are reliable and valid in light of reported estimates of internal consistency, classification accuracy, and psychometric properties. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Medline, and Psyc......Info covering the years 2009–2015. In total, 50 original research articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria: target age under 29 years, using an instrument designed for youth, and reporting a reliability estimate. Articles were evaluated with the revised Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool....... Reliability estimates were reported for five ARPG instruments. Most studies (66%) evaluated the South Oaks Gambling Screen Revised for Adolescents. The Gambling Addictive Behavior Scale for Adolescents was the only novel instrument. In general, the evaluation of instrument reliability was superficial. Despite...

Screening instruments for predicting return to work in long-term sickness absence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Momsen, A-M H; Stapelfeldt, C M; Nielsen, C V

2017-01-01

Background: Multiple somatic symptoms are common and may cause prolonged sickness absence (SA) and unsuccessful return to work (RTW). Aims: To compare three instruments and their predictive and discriminative abilities regarding RTW. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study of participants recruited...

Instrumental parameters' determination in a fluorescences X-ray Philips PW 1400 equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, J.M.; Fasio, I.; Baronio, N.; Viola, M.

1987-01-01

The instrumental parameters of a Philips PW 1400 equipment wavelengths dispersive are determined; fundamentally, those related to the equipment's accuracy (stability at a very short, short and long term drift) as well as to those related to the detection system (dead time, detector's cleaning and detection limit). (S.M.) [es

The WERCAP Screen and the WERC Stress Screen: psychometrics of self-rated instruments for assessing bipolar and psychotic disorder risk and perceived stress burden.

Science.gov (United States)

Mamah, Daniel; Owoso, Akinkunle; Sheffield, Julia M; Bayer, Chelsea

2014-10-01

Identification of individuals in the prodromal phase of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia facilitates early intervention and promises an improved prognosis. There are no current assessment tools for clinical risk symptoms of bipolar disorder, and psychosis-risk assessment generally involves semi-structured interviews, which are time consuming and rater dependent. We present psychometric data on two novel quantitative questionnaires: the Washington Early Recognition Center Affectivity and Psychosis (WERCAP) Screen for assessing bipolar and psychotic disorder risk traits, and the accompanying WERC Stress Screen for assessing individual and total psychosocial stressor severities. Prevalence rates of the WERCAP Screen were evaluated among 171 community youth (aged 13-24 years); internal consistency was assessed and k-means cluster analysis was used to identify symptom groups. In 33 participants, test-retest reliability coefficients were assessed, and ROC curve analysis was used to determine the validity of the psychosis section of the WERCAP Screen (pWERCAP) against the Structured Interview of Psychosis-Risk Symptoms (SIPS). Correlations of the pWERCAP, the affectivity section of the WERCAP Screen (aWERCAP) and the WERC Stress Screen were examined to determine the relatedness of scores with cognition and clinical measures. Cluster analysis identified three groups of participants: a normative (47%), a psychosis-affectivity (18%) and an affectivity only (35%) group. Internal consistency of the aWERCAP and pWERCAP resulted in alphas of 0.87 and 0.92, and test-retest reliabilities resulted in intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.76 and 0.86 respectively. ROC curve analysis showed the optimal cut-point on the pWERCAP as a score of >30 (sensitivity: 0.89; specificity: 1.0). There was a significant negative correlation between aWERCAP scores and total cognition (R=-0.42), and between pWERCAP scores and sensorimotor processing speed. Total stress scores correlated

Pediatric provider processes for behavioral health screening, decision making, and referral in sites with colocated mental health services.

Science.gov (United States)

Hacker, Karen; Goldstein, Joel; Link, David; Sengupta, Nandini; Bowers, Rachael; Tendulkar, Shalini; Wissow, Larry

2013-01-01

Validated behavioral health (BH) screens are recommended for use at well-child visits. This study aimed to explore how pediatricians experience and use these screens for subsequent care decisions in primary care. The study took place at 4 safety net health centers. Fourteen interviews were conducted with pediatricians who were mandated to use validated BH screens at well-child visits. Interview questions focused on key domains, including clinic BH context, screening processes, assessment of screening scores, and decision making about referral to mental health services. Qualitative analysis used the Framework Approach. A variety of themes emerged: BH screens were well accepted and valued for the way they facilitated discussion of mental health issues. However, screening results were not always used in the way that instrument designers intended. Providers' beliefs about the face validity of the instruments, and their observations about performance of instruments, led to discounting scored results. As a result, clinical decisions were made based on a variety of evidence, including individual item responses, parent or patient concerns, and perceived readiness for treatment. Additionally, providers, although interested in expanding their mental health discussions, perceived a lack of time and of their own skills to be major obstacles in this pursuit. Screens act as important prompts to stimulate discussion of BH problems, but their actual scored results play a variable role in problem identification and treatment decisions. Modifications to scheduling policies, additional provider training, and enhanced collaboration with mental health professionals could support better BH integration in pediatric primary care.

Using method triangulation to validate a new instrument (CPWQ-com) assessing cancer patients' satisfaction with communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ross, Lone; Lundstrøm, Louise Hyldborg; Petersen, Morten Aagaard

2012-01-01

Patients' perceptions of care including the communication with health care staff is recognized as an important aspect of the quality of cancer care. Using mixed methods, we developed and validated a short instrument assessing this communication.......Patients' perceptions of care including the communication with health care staff is recognized as an important aspect of the quality of cancer care. Using mixed methods, we developed and validated a short instrument assessing this communication....

Overview: Field instrumentation - A Mikado's dream

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spittler, T.M.

1992-01-01

The Mikado of Gilbert ampersand Sullivan fame held out as an open-quotes object all sublimeclose quotes which he hoped to open-quotes achieve in timeclose quotes the fitting of the punishment to the crime. Like that potentate, I too have long held the hope of finding instrumentation which is ideally suited to measurement of environmental contaminants in the field. Today, at least one of us has had that dream fulfilled. For years, those of us interested in field analysis have had to apply time consuming and cumbersome methods to relatively simple and often short-term environmental measurement problems. Meanwhile, we watched the literature and perused the product blurbs in hopes of finding the ideal tools for on-site, real time analysis. Of course, that search will always go forward as better instruments are developed. Today we can finally point to many pieces of equipment that are on the market and which provide high quality data in real time for a number of the most important environmental contaminants. Furthermore, the sensitivity of some of these field instruments exceeds that of conventional lab instrumentation. Coupled with innovative techniques for sample preparation and proper quality control, field instrumentation can often go a long way to solving problems in rapid detection, quantitation, and positive identification

Breast cancer screening; cost-effective in practice?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koning, Harry J. de

2000-01-01

The main aim of national breast screening is a reduction in breast cancer mortality. The data on the reduction in breast cancer mortality from three (of the five) Swedish trials in particular gave rise to the expectation that the Dutch programme of 2-yearly screening for women aged 50-70 would produce a 16% reduction in the total population. In all likelihood, many of the years of life gained as a result of screening are enjoyed in good health. According to its critics the actual benefit that can be achieved from the national breast cancer screening programmes is overstated. Considerable benefits have recently been demonstrated in England and Wales. However, the fall was so considerable in such a relatively short space of time that screening (started in 1987) was thought to only have played a small part. As far as the Dutch screening programme is concerned it is still too early to reach any conclusions about a possible reduction in mortality. The first short-term results of the screening are favourable and as good as (or better than) expectations. In Swedish regions where mammographic screening was introduced, a 19% reduction in breast cancer mortality can be estimated at population level, and recently a 20% reduction was presented in the UK. In countries where women are expected to make appointments for screening themselves, the attendance figures are significantly lower and the quality of the process as a whole is sometimes poorer. The benefits of breast cancer screening need to be carefully balanced against the burden to women and to the health care system. Mass breast screening requires many resources and will be a costly service. Cost-effectiveness of a breast cancer screening programme can be estimated using a computer model. Published cost-effectiveness ratios may differ tremendously, but are often the result of different types of calculation, time periods considered, including or excluding downstream cost. The approach of simulation and estimation is here

Deconvolving instrumental and intrinsic broadening in core-shell x-ray spectroscopies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fister, T. T.; Seidler, G. T.; Rehr, J. J.; Kas, J. J.; Nagle, K. P.; Elam, W. T.; Cross, J. O.

2007-01-01

Intrinsic and experimental mechanisms frequently lead to broadening of spectral features in core-shell spectroscopies. For example, intrinsic broadening occurs in x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements of heavy elements where the core-hole lifetime is very short. On the other hand, nonresonant x-ray Raman scattering (XRS) and other energy loss measurements are more limited by instrumental resolution. Here, we demonstrate that the Richardson-Lucy (RL) iterative algorithm provides a robust method for deconvolving instrumental and intrinsic resolutions from typical XAS and XRS data. For the K-edge XAS of Ag, we find nearly complete removal of ∼9.3 eV full width at half maximum broadening from the combined effects of the short core-hole lifetime and instrumental resolution. We are also able to remove nearly all instrumental broadening in an XRS measurement of diamond, with the resulting improved spectrum comparing favorably with prior soft x-ray XAS measurements. We present a practical methodology for implementing the RL algorithm in these problems, emphasizing the importance of testing for stability of the deconvolution process against noise amplification, perturbations in the initial spectra, and uncertainties in the core-hole lifetime

Overview of online two-dimensional liquid chromatography based on cell membrane chromatography for screening target components from traditional Chinese medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Muhammad, Saqib; Han, Shengli; Xie, Xiaoyu; Wang, Sicen; Aziz, Muhammad Majid

2017-01-01

Cell membrane chromatography is a simple, specific, and time-saving technique for studying drug-receptor interactions, screening of active components from complex mixtures, and quality control of traditional Chinese medicines. However, the short column life, low sensitivity, low column efficiency (so cannot resolve satisfactorily mixture of compounds), low peak capacity, and inefficient in structure identification were bottleneck in its application. Combinations of cell membrane chromatography with multidimensional chromatography such as two-dimensional liquid chromatography and high sensitivity detectors like mass have significantly reduced many of the above-mentioned shortcomings. This paper provides an overview of the current advances in online two-dimensional-based cell membrane chromatography for screening target components from traditional Chinese medicines with particular emphasis on the instrumentation, preparation of cell membrane stationary phase, advantages, and disadvantages compared to alternative approaches. The last section of the review summarizes the applications of the online two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography based cell membrane chromatography reported since its emergence to date (2010-June 2016). © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

False-positive findings in mammography screening induces short-term distress - breast cancer-specific concern prevails longer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aro, A R; Pilvikki Absetz, S; van Elderen, T M

2000-01-01

-ups at 2 and 12 months postscreening. At 2 months, there was a moderate multivariate effect of group on distress; and intrusive thinking and worry about breast cancer, in particular, were most frequent amongst the false positives. Intrusive thinking still prevailed at 12 months, in addition to a higher...... findings (n=1407), false-positive findings (n=492) and referents from outside the screening programme (n=1718, age 48-49 years). Distress was measured as illness worry, anxiety, depression, cancer beliefs and early detection behaviour. Measurements were one month before screening invitation with follow...... perceived breast cancer risk and susceptibility. Distress related to screening and false-positive findings seems to be moderate, but prevailing cancer-specific concerns call for improvements in screening programmes....

A comparison of the screening performance of braided coaxial and triaxial cables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fowler, E.P.

1975-03-01

The screening performance of a coaxial screened circuit is derived from measurements of the surface transfer impedance, capacitive coupling and conductor eccentricity on short lengths of cable. This is then extended to a triaxial screen considering all the ways the two screens can be connected. Comparison of calculated performance and measured results on a 10m length show that the mechanisms of coupling interact to make triaxial cable screening worse than expected and, in fact, frequently no better than a coaxial cable. The use of superscreened cables is found to overcome all the problems known in triaxial cables. (author)

Comparison of three questionnaires to screen for borderline personality disorder in adolescents and young adults

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Alebeek, A.; van der Heijden, P.T.; Hessels, C.; Thong, Melissa; van Aken, M.A.G.

2017-01-01

One of the most common personality disorders among adolescents and young adults is the Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The objective of current study was to assess three questionnaires that can reliably screen for BPD in adolescents and young adults (N = 53): the McLean Screening Instrument

Private and public eugenics: genetic and screening in India

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gupta, J.A.

2007-01-01

Epidemiologists and geneticists claim that genetics has an increasing role to play in public health policies and programs in the future. Within this perspective, genetic testing and screening are instrumental in avoiding the birth of children with serious, costly or untreatable disorders. This paper

Screening for Patent Quality : Examination, Fees, and the Courts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schankerman, Mark; Schütt, Florian

2016-01-01

We develop an integrated framework to study how governments can improve the quality of patent screening. We focus on four key policy instruments: patent office examination, pre- and post-grant fees, and challenges in the courts. We show that there are important complementarities among these

A meta-analysis of the social communication questionnaire: Screening for autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Chesnut, Steven R; Wei, Tianlan; Barnard-Brak, Lucy; Richman, David M

2017-11-01

The current meta-analysis examines the previous research on the utility of the Social Communication Questionnaire as a screening instrument for autism spectrum disorder. Previously published reports have highlighted the inconsistencies between Social Communication Questionnaire-screening results and formal autism spectrum disorder diagnoses. The variations in accuracy resulted in some researchers questioning the validity of the Social Communication Questionnaire. This study systematically examined the accuracy of the Social Communication Questionnaire as a function of the methodological decisions made by researchers screening for autism spectrum disorder over the last 15 years. Findings from this study suggest that the Social Communication Questionnaire is an acceptable screening instrument for autism spectrum disorder (area under the curve = 0.885). Variations in methodological decisions, however, greatly influenced the accuracy of the Social Communication Questionnaire in screening for autism spectrum disorder. Of these methodological variations, using the Current instead of the Lifetime version of the Social Communication Questionnaire resulted in the largest detrimental effect ( d = -3.898), followed by using the Social Communication Questionnaire with individuals younger than 4 years of age ( d = -2.924) and relying upon convenience samples ( d = -4.828 for clinical samples, -2.734 for convenience samples, and -1.422 for community samples). Directions for future research and implications for using the Social Communication Questionnaire to screen for autism spectrum disorder are discussed.

Energy efficiency in existing detached housing. Danish experiences with different policy instruments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gram-Hanssen, K.; Haunstrup Christensen, T. (Aalborg Univ., Danish Building Research Institute, Hoersholm (Denmark))

2011-07-01

This report contains a memo written as an input to the German project Enef-haus on energy-efficient restoration of single-family houses in Germany. The memo contains a summary of the Danish experiences divided into three main sections: first is a short historic overview of the Danish energy policy indicating when different relevant instruments have been introduced to increase the energy efficiency of privately owned single-family houses. Second is a short introduction to the Danish housing sector and its energy supplies. The third and main part of the report is an examination of the most recent and relevant instruments concluding both on the results concerning the impact of the instruments especially on owners of single-family houses and on more general experiences with their implementation. Finally the memo concludes on the general lessons that can be learned from the Danish experiences. (Author)

Colonoscopic screening for colorectal cancer improves quality of life measures: a population-based screening study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shadbolt Bruce

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Screening asymptomatic individuals for neoplasia can have adverse consequences on quality of life. Colon cancer screening is widespread but the quality of life (QOL consequences are unknown. This study determined the impact of screening colonoscopy on QOL measures in asymptomatic average-risk participants. Methods Asymptomatic male and female participants aged 55–74 years were randomly selected from the Australian Electoral Roll or six primary care physicians' databases. Participants completed the Short-Form (SF-36 Quality of Life Assessment at baseline and at a mean of 39 days after colonoscopy. Outcome measures were (i significant changes in raw scores in any of the eight SF-36 domains assessed following colonoscopic screening and (ii improvements or declines in previously validated categories, representing clinically significant changes, within any of the eight SF-36 domains. Results Baseline QOL measures were similar to those of a matched general population sample. Role Limitations due to Emotions, Mental Health and Vitality raw scores significantly improved following colonoscopy (P Conclusion Average-risk persons benefit significantly from colon cancer screening with colonoscopy, improving in Mental Health and Vitality domains of Quality of Life. This improvement is not offset by declines in other domains.

Interest in screening examinations among cancer patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Humeniuk Ewa

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Aim. To determine the influence of socio-demographic variables on attendance rate at screening examinations in cancer patients. Material and methods. The research group comprised of 100 cancer patients. The method applied in the research was a diagnostic survey. The research instrument was the authors‘ own questionnaire specially compiled to measure cancer patients‘ interest in screening examinations. The research material was analysed with the statistical packet STATISTICA 12 and Microsoft Office Excel software. Significance level was assumed at p<0.05 to determine statistically significant differences and dependencies. A Chi2 test was used in the research. Results. The surveyed patients mostly did not participate in screening examinations aimed at diagnosing cancer (66%. Their Age (p=0.05, gender (p=0.003 and place of residence (p=0.04 determined their participation rate in screening tests. The patients‘ marital status (p=0.47, education (p=0.85 and economic status (p=0.13 did not affect their willingness to attend screening examinations. Conclusions. The process of cancer incidence and death rate limitation requires greater participation of the population in prevention programmes.

Characterizing sampling and quality screening biases in infrared and microwave limb sounding

Science.gov (United States)

Millán, Luis F.; Livesey, Nathaniel J.; Santee, Michelle L.; von Clarmann, Thomas

2018-03-01

This study investigates orbital sampling biases and evaluates the additional impact caused by data quality screening for the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) and the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). MIPAS acts as a proxy for typical infrared limb emission sounders, while MLS acts as a proxy for microwave limb sounders. These biases were calculated for temperature and several trace gases by interpolating model fields to real sampling patterns and, additionally, screening those locations as directed by their corresponding quality criteria. Both instruments have dense uniform sampling patterns typical of limb emission sounders, producing almost identical sampling biases. However, there is a substantial difference between the number of locations discarded. MIPAS, as a mid-infrared instrument, is very sensitive to clouds, and measurements affected by them are thus rejected from the analysis. For example, in the tropics, the MIPAS yield is strongly affected by clouds, while MLS is mostly unaffected. The results show that upper-tropospheric sampling biases in zonally averaged data, for both instruments, can be up to 10 to 30 %, depending on the species, and up to 3 K for temperature. For MIPAS, the sampling reduction due to quality screening worsens the biases, leading to values as large as 30 to 100 % for the trace gases and expanding the 3 K bias region for temperature. This type of sampling bias is largely induced by the geophysical origins of the screening (e.g. clouds). Further, analysis of long-term time series reveals that these additional quality screening biases may affect the ability to accurately detect upper-tropospheric long-term changes using such data. In contrast, MLS data quality screening removes sufficiently few points that no additional bias is introduced, although its penetration is limited to the upper troposphere, while MIPAS may cover well into the mid-troposphere in cloud-free scenarios. We emphasize that the

The progress report of the Instrumentation and Technological Electronical Division, for 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-05-01

The 1987 activity report of the CEA Instrumentation and Technological Electronic Division (ITED), is presented. The ITED fields of interest include nuclear, space, health, defense and civil domains. The research development and perspectives are summarized. Concerning materials and components the following research programs are included: silicon integrated circuits, silicon on isolator, common experimental laboratory, mass memory, lasers, photodetection, flat screens, and sensors. In the field of instrumentations and systems, the retained research guidelines are focused on: medical and biological instrumentation, the environment, the nuclear domain. Moreover, the research fields of physics, artificial intelligence and software, production, robots, architecture and integration are also included [fr

The development of a screening questionnaire for childhood cruelty to animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Guymer, E C; Mellor, D; Luk, E S; Pearse, V

2001-11-01

Childhood cruelty to animals may be a marker of poor prognosis amongst conduct disordered children. However, other than semistructured interviews with parents or children, there are no screening instruments for this behavior. The aim of this study was to develop such an instrument. In the first phase of the study, a parent-report questionnaire, Children's Attitudes and Behaviors Towards Animals (CABTA) was designed and piloted on 360 elementary school children, enabling community norms and a factor structure for the instrument to be derived. In the second phase, the questionnaire was completed by the parents of a small sample of children (N = 17) to establish its test-retest reliability. In the third phase of the study, the CABTA was completed by the parents of 19 children who had been diagnosed with either a Disruptive Behavioral Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and the results were compared with the outcome of a semistructured interview with parents regarding their child's behavior toward animals. The results of the various phases of the study indicated that the CABTA consists of two factors. Typical and Malicious Cruelty to animals, and is a reliable and valid tool for detecting childhood cruelty to animals. Possible use and adaptations of the CABTA as a screening instrument in clinical and community samples are discussed.

Advanced Instrumentation for Ultrafast Science at the LCLS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berrah, Nora [Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States)

2015-10-13

This grant supported a Single Investigator and Small Group Research (SISGR) application to enable multi-user research in Ultrafast Science using the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the world’s first hard x-ray free electron laser (FEL) which lased for the first time at 1.5 Å on April 20, 2009. The goal of our proposal was to enable a New Era of Science by requesting funds to purchase and build Advanced Instrumentation for Ultrafast Science (AIUS), to utilize the intense, short x-ray pulses produced by the LCLS. The proposed instrumentation will allow peer review selected users to probe the ultrasmall and capture the ultrafast. These tools will expand on the investment already made in the construction of the light source and its instrumentation in both the LCLS and LUSI projects. The AIUS will provide researchers in the AMO, Chemical, Biological and Condensed Matter communities with greater flexibility in defining their scientific agenda at the LCLS. The proposed instrumentation will complement and significantly augment the present AMO instrument (funded through the LCLS project) through detectors and capabilities not included in the initial suite of instrumentation at the facility. We have built all of the instrumentations and they have been utilized by scientists. Please see report attached.

Utilization of Professional Mental Health Services Related to Population-Level Screening for Anxiety, Depression, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Among Public High School Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Prochaska, John D; Le, Vi Donna; Baillargeon, Jacques; Temple, Jeff R

2016-08-01

This study examines results from three mental health screening measures in a cohort of adolescent public school students in seven public schools in Southeast Texas affiliated with the Dating it Safe study. We estimated the odds of receiving professional mental health treatment in the previous year given results from different mental health screening batteries: the CES-D 10 battery for depression screening, the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders, and the Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder screen. Overall, students with higher scores on screening instruments for depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and combinations of screening instruments were more likely to have sought past-year professional mental health treatment than non-symptomatic youth. However, the proportion of students screening positive and receiving professional treatment was low, ranging from 11 to 16 %. This study emphasizes the need for broader evaluation of population-based mental health screening among adolescents.

Screening for Learning and Memory Mutations: A New Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallistel, C R; King, A P; Daniel, A M; Freestone, D; Papachristos, E B; Balci, F; Kheifets, A; Zhang, J; Su, X; Schiff, G; Kourtev, H

2010-01-30

We describe a fully automated, live-in 24/7 test environment, with experimental protocols that measure the accuracy and precision with which mice match the ratio of their expected visit durations to the ratio of the incomes obtained from two hoppers, the progress of instrumental and classical conditioning (trials-to-acquisition), the accuracy and precision of interval timing, the effect of relative probability on the choice of a timed departure target, and the accuracy and precision of memory for the times of day at which food is available. The system is compact; it obviates the handling of the mice during testing; it requires negligible amounts of experimenter/technician time; and it delivers clear and extensive results from 3 protocols within a total of 7-9 days after the mice are placed in the test environment. Only a single 24-hour period is required for the completion of first protocol (the matching protocol), which is strong test of temporal and spatial estimation and memory mechanisms. Thus, the system permits the extensive screening of many mice in a short period of time and in limited space. The software is publicly available.

Suicide Risk Screening Tools and the Youth Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Sharon

2016-08-01

The use of suicide risk screening tools is a critical component of a comprehensive approach to suicide risk assessment. Since nurses frequently spend more time with patients than any other healthcare professional, they are in key positions to detect and prevent suicidal behavior in youth. To inform nurses about suicide risk screening tools for the youth population. Suicide risk screening tools are research-based standardized instruments that are used to identify people who may be at risk for suicide. A literature search was performed using the Athabasca University Library Resource, the databases of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Nurses are cautioned to utilize suicide risk screening tools as only part of the suicide risk assessment in youth populations and avoid the danger of relying on tools that may result in a blind application of evidence to the detriment of clinical experience and judgement. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

New generation in process-control colorimetric instrumentation

Science.gov (United States)

Ladson, Jack A.

1992-08-01

Colorimetric performance parameters (repeatability and reproducibility) of a new spectrophotometer/colorimeter manufactured by BYK-Gardner, Inc. are reported. The color- viewTM spectrophotometer (CVS) uses forty-five degree illumination and zero degree viewing geometry relative to the plane of the test specimen. The CVS is designed for the measurement of diffuse reflectance factor. It is designed to conform to national and international recommendations for Spectrophotometry and Colorimetry. Colorimetric performance was evaluated by measuring colored tiles manufactured by the British Ceramic Research Association (BCRA). Instrument repeatability was recorded after an hour, eight hours, and thirty days. Routine performance of the CVS shows that color difference repeatability over short and medium time periods is within 0.15 CIELAB color difference unit. The long term repeatability is within 0.4 unit. Reproducibility was evaluated by making color measurements on BCRA tiles with 54 instruments. Measurements made on CVS instruments indicate that its reproducibility is better than the reproducibility of product standards. Reproducibility is well within the requirement for industrial applications. Actually, the repeatability and reproducibility is comparable to that of reference instruments in national standardizing laboratories.

The KNK II instrumentation for global and local supervision of the reactor core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steiger, W.O.

1991-01-01

After an introduction into the KNK plant itself, their historical development and their present situation, the instrumentation of the global and local supervision of the KNK II-core as well as the main safety-related instrumentation and control systems is described. Special emphasis is laid on the instrumentation of the reactor protection systems and the shut down systems. After that some practices are reported about instrumentation behavior and lessons learned from the operation and maintenance of the above mentioned systems. At last follows a short description of the special instrumentation for the detection of failed fuel subassemblies and of the plant data processing system. (author). 4 refs, 18 tabs

Measuring media multitasking : Development of a short measure of media multitasking for adolescents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baumgartner, Susanne E.; Lemmens, Jeroen S.; Weeda, Wouter D.; Huizinga, Mariette

2017-01-01

Although media multitasking is an increasingly occurring form of media use, there are currently no validated, short instruments to measure media multitasking among adolescents. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to develop a short media multitasking measure for adolescents (MMM-S). Two

Mini-mental Parkinson (MMP) as a dementia screening test: comparison with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).

Science.gov (United States)

Larner, Andrew J

2012-07-01

As populations age, screening instruments for cognitive impairment and dementia will become of increasing importance in clinical practice. Mini-Mental Parkinson (MMP), a derivative of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), was originally described as a cognitive screening instrument for use in Parkinson's disease. Its item content addresses some of the acknowledged shortcomings of the MMSE. Pragmatic use of MMP in general cognitive clinics has not previously been examined. To compare the performance of two scales, Mini-Mental Parkinson (MMP) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), as cognitive screening instruments for dementia in a memory clinic population. MMP was administered prospectively to 201 consecutive new patient referrals independent of other tests used to establish dementia diagnosis according to standard diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV). Diagnostic utility of MMP for dementia was measured and compared with MMSE. MMP proved easy to use and acceptable to patients. Optimal test accuracy (0.86) was at MMP cutoff of ≤ 17/32, with sensitivity 0.51, specificity 0.97, positive predictive value 0.83, negative predictive value 0.87, and area under Receiver Operating Characteristic curve 0.89. Using a higher cutoff (≤ 29/32), MMP sensitivity was 1.00 with specificity 0.70. MMP scores correlated with MMSE (r = 0.93) and diagnostic agreement was high (κ = 0.85). MMP is a useful screening instrument in the memory clinic setting, with patients who fall below the designated cutoff requiring further investigation to ascertain a cause for their cognitive impairment.

Shorts due to diagnostic leads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellis, J.F.; Lubell, M.S.; Pillsbury, R.D.; Shen, S.S.; Thome, R.J.; Walstrom, P.L.

1985-01-01

The superconducting toroidal field coils that are being tested in the Large Coil Test Facility (LCTF) are heavily instrumented. General Electric coil, a lead wire of an internal sensor became shorted across an estimated three or four turns of the pancake winding. This short occurred during the final stages of the winding fabrication and was not accessible for repair. Resistance, voltage gradient, and transient voltage decay measurements were performed to characterize the short and the magnetic damping of the large steel bobbin and outer structural ring. The 32-gage wire causing the short was estimated to be about 10 cm long, with a resistance of 55 mΩ. As a safety measure, we decided to burn out the shorted wire at room temperature before installing the coil in LCTF. Tests were made to determine the energy needed to vaporize a small wire. Computer calculations indicated that within the voltage limits set for the coil, it was not feasible to burn out the wire by rapidly dumping the coil from a low-current dc charge-up. We accomplished the burnout by applying 800 V at 3.25 A, and 60 Hz for about 1 s. Transient voltage decay measurements made after the burnout and compared with those made before the attempt confirmed that the short had indeed been opened

Intelligence Assessment Instruments in Adult Prison Populations: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

van Esch, A Y M; Denzel, A D; Scherder, E J A; Masthoff, E D M

2017-10-01

Detection of intellectual disability (ID) in the penitentiary system is important for the following reasons: (a) to provide assistance to people with ID in understanding their legal rights and court proceedings; (b) to facilitate rehabilitation programs tailored to ID patients, which improves the enhancement of their quality of life and reduces their risk of reoffending; and (c) to provide a reliable estimate of the risk of offence recidivism. It requires a short assessment instrument that provides a reliable estimation of a person's intellectual functioning at the earliest possible stage of this process. The aim of this systematic review is (a) to provide an overview of recent short assessment instruments that provide a full-scale IQ score in adult prison populations and (b) to achieve a quality measurement of the validation studies regarding these instruments to determine which tests are most feasible in this target population. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement is used to ensure reliability. The Satz-Mögel, an item-reduction short form of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, shows the highest correlation with the golden standard and is described to be most reliable. Nevertheless, when it comes to applicability in prison populations, the shorter and less verbal Quick Test can be preferred over others. Without affecting these conclusions, major limitations emerge from the present systematic review, which give rise to several important recommendations for further research.

Depression screening and management among adolescents in primary care: factors associated with best practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Taliaferro, Lindsay A; Hetler, Joel; Edwall, Glenace; Wright, Catherine; Edwards, Anne R; Borowsky, Iris W

2013-06-01

To compare depression identification and management perceptions and practices between professions and disciplines in primary care and examine factors that increase the likelihood of administering a standardized depression screening instrument, asking about patients' depressive symptoms, and using best practice when managing depressed adolescents. Data came from an online survey of clinicians in Minnesota (20% response rate). Analyses involved bivariate tests and linear regressions. The analytic sample comprised 260 family medicine physicians, 127 pediatricians, 96 family nurse practitioners, and 54 pediatric nurse practitioners. Overall, few differences emerged between physicians and nurse practitioners or family and pediatric clinicians regarding addressing depression among adolescents. Two factors associated with administering a standardized instrument included having clear protocols for follow-up after depression screening and feeling better prepared to address depression among adolescents. Enhancing clinicians' competence to address depression and developing postscreening protocols could help providers implement universal screening in primary care.

Screening for congenital heart malformations in child health centres

OpenAIRE

Juttmann, Rikard

1999-01-01

textabstractThe objective of this thesis is to clarify the effectiveness and the efficiency of screening for congenital heart malformations in Dutch child health centres and the possibilities to optimise this prevention programme. To this end the following main questions will be addressed. 1. Does screening for congenital heart malformations, as actually performed in Dutch child health centres, prevent adverse outcomes of these disorders in the short and long run? What would be the answer to ...

Privacy-preserving screen capture: towards closing the loop for health IT usability.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooley, Joseph; Smith, Sean

2013-08-01

As information technology permeates healthcare (particularly provider-facing systems), maximizing system effectiveness requires the ability to document and analyze tricky or troublesome usage scenarios. However, real-world health IT systems are typically replete with privacy-sensitive data regarding patients, diagnoses, clinicians, and EMR user interface details; instrumentation for screen capture (capturing and recording the scenario depicted on the screen) needs to respect these privacy constraints. Furthermore, real-world health IT systems are typically composed of modules from many sources, mission-critical and often closed-source; any instrumentation for screen capture can rely neither on access to structured output nor access to software internals. In this paper, we present a tool to help solve this problem: a system that combines keyboard video mouse (KVM) capture with automatic text redaction (and interactively selectable unredaction) to produce precise technical content that can enrich stakeholder communications and improve end-user influence on system evolution. KVM-based capture makes our system both application-independent and OS-independent because it eliminates software-interface dependencies on capture targets. Using a corpus of EMR screenshots, we present empirical measurements of redaction effectiveness and processing latency to demonstrate system performances. We discuss how these techniques can translate into instrumentation systems that improve real-world health IT deployments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder in aesthetic rhinoplasty: Validating a new screening tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Lekakis, Garyfalia; Picavet, Valerie A; Gabriëls, Loes; Grietens, Jente; Hellings, Peter W

2016-08-01

To validate a new screening tool for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in patients seeking aesthetic rhinoplasty. We performed a prospective instrument validation study in an academic rhinology clinic. The Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire-Aesthetic Surgery (BDDQ-AS) is a seven-item short questionnaire validated in 116 patients undergoing aesthetic rhinoplasty. Screening was positive if the patient acknowledged on the BDDQ-AS that he/she was concerned about their appearance (question 1 = yes) AND preoccupied with these concerns (question 2 = yes) AND that these concerns caused at least moderate distress or impairment in different domains of daily life (question 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 ≥ 3 or question 7 = yes). Construct validity was assessed by comparing the BDDQ-AS to the Sheehan Disability Scale and the Derriford Appearance Scale-59. To determine concurrent validity, the BDDQ-AS was compared to the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Modified for BDD. Finally, the predictive value of the BDDQ-AS on satisfaction 12 months after rhinoplasty was evaluated using a visual analogue scale and the Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation. Reliability of the BDDQ-AS was adequate, with Cronbach alpha = .83 for rhinoplasty patients and .84 for controls. Sensitivity was 89.6% and specificity 81.4%. BDDQ-AS-positive patients (n = 55) were more impaired in daily life and experienced more appearance-related distress and dysfunction compared to BDDQ-AS-negative patients. Moreover, they had more severe BDD symptoms. Finally, BDDQ-AS-positive patients were less satisfied after surgery compared to BDDQ-AS-negative patients. We hereby validated a new screening tool for BDD in an aesthetic rhinoplasty population. 3b. Laryngoscope, 126:1739-1745, 2016. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Psychometric properties of assessment instruments for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review of Brazilian studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bárbara Backes

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Objective To systematically review the scientific literature on the psychometric properties of international instruments for the assessment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD in the Brazilian population. Methods A search of bibliographic references was conducted in six electronic databases: PsycINFO, PubMed, IndexPsi, Lilacs, Capes (theses and dissertations and SciELO. The studies were selected by two independent researchers. Results The procedure identified 11 studies of the Brazilian population that encompassed six ASD assessment tools. Given the information provided, the adaptation of the M-CHAT, a screening instrument, was the best conducted. All steps of the adaptation process were described and the changes made to the final version of the instrument were presented, which was not addressed in other studies. In terms of reliability, all of the instruments that assessed internal consistency showed adequate values. In addition, the ADI-R and the CARS adaptations also satisfactorily contemplated inter-rater reliability and test-retest indices, respectively. Finally, all studies aiming to validate instruments showed evidence of validity and sensitivity, and specificity values above 0.90 were observed in the ASQ, ADI-R and ABC. Conclusion Considering both the psychometric aspects and the copyright information, the screening instrument that currently appears to be best indicated for clinical and research use is the M-CHAT. It was also noticed that there are still no specific ASD diagnostic tools available for use in Brazil. This lack of diagnostic instruments consists in a critical situation for the improvement of clinical practice and the development of research in this area.

The method to Certify Performance of Long-Lived In-Core Instrumentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roh, Kyung-ho; Cha, Kyoon-ho; Moon, Sang-rae [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

Rh ICI (In-Core Instrumentation) used in OPR1000 generates the relatively large signal but its lifetime is below 6 years. Rh ICI consists of 5 detectors which is a type of SPND (Self Powered Neutron Detector), a couple of thermo-couple, one background wire and several fillers. The short lifetime of Rh detector causes increase of procurement price and space shortage of spent fuel pool. Also, it makes operators be exposed by more radiations. KHNP (Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd.) CRI (Central Research Institute) is developing the LLICI (Long-Lived In-Core Instrumentation) based on vanadium to solve these problems. LLICI is the detector which is a type of SPND based on Vanadium and has the lifetime of about 10 years. The short lifetime of OPR1000's Rh ICI and long cycle operation strategy cause increase of procurement price, space shortage of spent fuel pool and more radiation exposed to operators. KHNP (Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd.) CRI (Central Research Institute) is developing the LLICI (Long-Lived In-Core Instrumentation) to solve these problems.

Nutrition screening tools: an analysis of the evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Skipper, Annalynn; Ferguson, Maree; Thompson, Kyle; Castellanos, Victoria H; Porcari, Judy

2012-05-01

In response to questions about tools for nutrition screening, an evidence analysis project was developed to identify the most valid and reliable nutrition screening tools for use in acute care and hospital-based ambulatory care settings. An oversight group defined nutrition screening and literature search criteria. A trained analyst conducted structured searches of the literature for studies of nutrition screening tools according to predetermined criteria. Eleven nutrition screening tools designed to detect undernutrition in patients in acute care and hospital-based ambulatory care were identified. Trained analysts evaluated articles for quality using criteria specified by the American Dietetic Association's Evidence Analysis Library. Members of the oversight group assigned quality grades to the tools based on the quality of the supporting evidence, including reliability and validity data. One tool, the NRS-2002, received a grade I, and 4 tools-the Simple Two-Part Tool, the Mini-Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST), and Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST)-received a grade II. The MST was the only tool shown to be both valid and reliable for identifying undernutrition in the settings studied. Thus, validated nutrition screening tools that are simple and easy to use are available for application in acute care and hospital-based ambulatory care settings.

Psychometric properties of the Hebrew short version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory.

Science.gov (United States)

Orkibi, Hod

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a short Hebrew version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory that can be easily administered by health professionals in research, therapy, and counseling. First, the empirical links of time perspective (TP) to subjective well-being and health protective and health risk behaviors are reviewed. Then, a brief account of the instrument's previous modifications is provided. Results of confirmatory factor analysis (N = 572) verified the five-factor structure of the short version and yielded acceptable internal consistency reliability for each factor. The correlation coefficients between the five subscales of the short (20 items) and the original (56 items) instruments were all above .79, indicating the suitability of the short version for assessing the five TP factors. Support for the discriminant and concurrent validity was also achieved, largely in agreement with previous findings. Finally, limitations and future directions are addressed, and potential applications in therapy and counseling are offered. © The Author(s) 2014.

Instant, Visual, and Instrument-Free Method for On-Site Screening of GTS 40-3-2 Soybean Based on Body-Heat Triggered Recombinase Polymerase Amplification.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Rui; Zhang, Fang; Wang, Liu; Qian, Wenjuan; Qian, Cheng; Wu, Jian; Ying, Yibin

2017-04-18

On-site monitoring the plantation of genetically modified (GM) crops is of critical importance in agriculture industry throughout the world. In this paper, a simple, visual and instrument-free method for instant on-site detection of GTS 40-3-2 soybean has been developed. It is based on body-heat recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and followed with naked-eye detection via fluorescent DNA dye. Combining with extremely simplified sample preparation, the whole detection process can be accomplished within 10 min and the fluorescent results can be photographed by an accompanied smart phone. Results demonstrated a 100% detection rate for screening of practical GTS 40-3-2 soybean samples by 20 volunteers under different ambient temperatures. This method is not only suitable for on-site detection of GM crops but also demonstrates great potential to be applied in other fields.

Screening of cannabis-related problems among youth: the CPQ-A-S and CAST questionnaires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernandez-Artamendi Sergio

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cannabis use among young people is a significant problem, making particularly necessary validated screening instruments that permit secondary prevention. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the psychometric properties of the CAST and CPQ-A-S questionnaires, two screening instruments specifically addressing the youth population. Methods Information was obtained on sociodemographics, frequency of substance use, psychopathological symptoms and cannabis-use problems, and the CPQ-A-S and CAST were applied, as well as an infrequency scale for discarding responses made randomly. The sample was made up of 144 young people aged 16 to 20 that had used cannabis in the last month, of which 71.5% were boys. Mean age of the sample was 17.38 years (SD = 1.16. Results The results show that from the psychometric point of view both the CAST and the CPQ-A-S are good screening instruments. Conclusions The CAST is shorter and presents slightly better internal consistency than the CPQ-A-S. Both instruments show high sensitivity and specificity in the detection of young people dependent on cannabis according to the DSM IV-TR criteria. The CPQ-A-S appears to show greater capacity for detecting psychopathological distress associated with use. Both questionnaires yield significant odds ratios as predictors of frequent cannabis use and of the DSM IV-TR abuse and dependence criteria. In general, the CPQ-A-S emerges as a better predictor than the CAST.

Psychosocial consequences of skin cancer screening

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Markham Risica

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Screening for melanoma may save lives, but may also cause patient distress. One key reason that preventative visual skin examinations for skin cancer are not currently recommended is the inadequate available evidence to assess potential harm to psychosocial wellbeing. We investigated potential psychological harms and benefits of skin examinations by conducting telephone surveys in 2015 of 187 screened participants; all were ≥35 years old. Participants had their skin examined by practitioners who had completed INFORMED, a validated web-based training for detection of skin cancers, particularly melanoma. Participants underwent the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI, Psychological Consequences of Screening (PCQ, Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD scale, and the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12. Analyses were conducted in 2017. Of the entire study sample, 40% were thoroughly screened as determined by patient-reported level of undress and skin areas examined. Participants who were thoroughly screened: did not differ on negative psychosocial measures; scored higher on measures of positive psychosocial wellbeing (PCQ; and were more motivated to conduct monthly self-examinations and seek annual clinician skin examinations, compared to other participants (p < 0.05. Importantly, thoroughly screened patients were more likely to report skin prevention practices (skin self-examinations to identify a concerning lesion, practitioner provided skin exam, recommend skin examinations to peers, and feel satisfied with their skin cancer education than less thoroughly screened individuals (p < 0.01. Our results suggest that visual screening for skin cancer does not worsen patient psychosocial wellbeing and may be associated with improved skin cancer-related practices and attitudes. Keywords: Cancer, Melanoma, Cancer prevention, Screening

Introducing the Adults with Chronic Healthcare Needs (ACHCN) definition and screening instrument: Rationale, supporting evidence and testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Gulley, Stephen P; Rasch, Elizabeth K; Altman, Barbara M; Bethell, Christina D; Carle, Adam C; Druss, Benjamin G; Houtrow, Amy J; Reichard, Amanda; Chan, Leighton

2018-04-01

Among working age adults in the United States, there is a large, heterogeneous population that requires ongoing and elevated levels of healthcare and related services. At present, there are conflicting approaches to the definition and measurement of this population in health services research. An expert panel was convened by the National Institutes of Health with the objective of developing a population-level definition of Adults with Chronic Healthcare Needs (ACHCN). In addition, the panel developed a screening instrument and methods for its use in health surveys to identify and stratify the population consistently. The panel employed multiple methods over the course of the project, including scoping literature reviews, quantitative analyses from national data sources and cognitive testing. The panel defined the ACHCN population as "Adults (age 18-65) with [1] ongoing physical, cognitive, or mental health conditions or difficulties functioning who [2] need health or related support services of a type or amount beyond that needed by adults of the same sex and similar age." The screener collects information on chronic health conditions, functional difficulties, and elevated use of or unmet need for healthcare services. Adapted from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau definition that identifies Children with Special Healthcare Needs, aligned with the ACS-6 disability measure, and consistent with the HHS Multiple Chronic Condition Framework, this definition and screener provide the research community with a common denominator for the identification of ACHCN. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is screen-and-treat approach suited for screening and management of precancerous cervical lesions in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Science.gov (United States)

Fokom-Domgue, Joël; Vassilakos, Pierre; Petignat, Patrick

2014-08-01

The World Health Organization guidelines for screening and management of cervical precancerous lesions updated in 2013 made an emphasis on the use of the 'screen-and-treat' approach for cervical cancer prevention. In order to facilitate scaling-up in low income settings, most of these screen-and-treat strategies do not involve confirmatory biopsy. This yields a certain rate of overtreatment. In other words, a majority of people undergoing screen-and-treat intervention who are treated does not necessarily benefit from the treatment. Therefore, the issue of potential short term and long term complications of the recommended treatment procedures (cryotherapy and Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure) arises. This question has seldom been studied in resource poor countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection is rampant in an epidemic fashion and where the procreative capacities are socially rewarding for women. We draw the attention of the scientific community and policy makers to the fact that the lack of evidence supporting the safety of these treatment procedures in African populations may have an impact on the acceptability of these strategies and therefore on the effectiveness of screening programs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychological distress screening in cancer patients: psychometric properties of tools available in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Muzzatti, Barbara; Annunziata, Maria Antonietta

2012-01-01

The main national and international organisms recommend continuous monitoring of psychological distress in cancer patients throughout the disease trajectory. The reasons for this concern are the high prevalence of psychological distress in cancer patients and its association with a worse quality of life, poor adherence to treatment, and stronger assistance needs. Most screening tools for psychological distress were developed in English-speaking countries. To be fit for use in different cultural contexts (like the Italian), they need to undergo accurate translation and specific validation. In the present work we summarized the validation studies for psychological distress screening tools available in Italian that are most widely employed internationally, with the aim of helping clinicians choose the adequate instrument. With knowledge of the properties of the corresponding Italian versions, researchers would be better able to identify the instruments that deserve further investigation. We carried out a systematic review of the literature. Results. Twenty-nine studies of eight different instruments (five relating to psychological distress, three to its depressive component) were identified. Ten of these studies involved cancer patients and 19 referred to the general population or to non-cancer, non-psychiatric subjects. For seven of the eight tools, data on concurrent and discriminant validity were available. For five instruments data on criterion validity were available, for four there were data on construct validity, and for one tool divergent and cross-cultural validity data were provided. For six of the eight tools the literature provided data on reliability (mostly about internal consistency). Since none of the eight instruments for which we found validation studies relative to the Italian context had undergone a complete and organic validation process, their use in the clinical context must be cautious. Italian researchers should be proactive and make a valid

Oral cancer screening: knowledge is not enough.

Science.gov (United States)

Tax, C L; Haslam, S Kim; Brillant, Mgs; Doucette, H J; Cameron, J E; Wade, S E

2017-08-01

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate whether dental hygienists are transferring their knowledge of oral cancer screening into practice. This study also wanted to gain insight into the barriers that might prevent dental hygienists from performing these screenings. A 27-item survey instrument was constructed to study the oral cancer screening practices of licensed dental hygienists in Nova Scotia. A total of 623 practicing dental hygienists received the survey. The response rate was 34% (n = 212) yielding a maximum margin of error of 5.47 at a 95% confidence level. Descriptive statistics were calculated using IBM SPSS Statistics v21 software (Armonk, NY:IBM Corp). Qualitative thematic analysis was performed on any open-ended responses. This study revealed that while dental hygienists perceived themselves as being knowledgeable about oral cancer screening, they were not transferring this knowledge to actual practice. Only a small percentage (13%) of respondents were performing a comprehensive extra-oral examination, and 7% were performing a comprehensive intra-oral examination. The respondents identified several barriers that prevented them from completing a comprehensive oral cancer screening. Early detection of oral cancer reduces mortality rates so there is a professional responsibility to ensure that comprehensive oral cancer screenings are being performed on patients. Dental hygienists may not have the authority in a dental practice to overcome all of the barriers that are preventing them from performing these screenings. Public awareness about oral cancer screenings could increase the demand for screenings and thereby play a role in changing practice norms. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Spot measurements of radionuclides in air, water and solids with a single instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philipsborn, H. von

1998-01-01

A unique instrument for measuring environmental radionuclides and novel methods for their concentrative sampling are described here which meet high requirements of sensitivity, easy and reliable handling, and low cost for most applications in field screening, monitoring and training. (author)

Characterization of the Geosynchronous Plasma Environment for the SENSER/RROE Optical Instrument

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woodroffe, Jesse Richard [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-11-08

In this report, we summarize available research in order to characterize expected rates of particle incidence on the SENSER/RROE optical instrument. We first investigate the “normal” background levels using data from statistical studies of spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit and empirical models. We then consider “worst case” scenarios based on event studies in which extreme fluxes have been observed. We use these data to define “maximum” rates of particle incidence. We then consider how incident particles will actually produce counts in the instrument by considering the effects of screening by the instrument housing and the possibility of direct particle access to the housing, with rates for both primary access and secondary electron generation.

Instrument pre-development activities for FLEX

Science.gov (United States)

Pettinato, L.; Fossati, E.; Coppo, P. M.; Taiti, A.; Labate, D.; Capanni, A.; Taccola, M.; Bézy, J. L.; Francois, M.; Meynart, R.; Erdmann, L.; Triebel, P.

2017-09-01

The FLuorescence Imaging Spectrometer (FLORIS) is the payload of the FLuorescence Explorer Mission (FLEX) of the European Space Agency. The mission objective is to perform quantitative measurements of the solar induced vegetation fluorescence to monitor photosynthetic activity. FLORIS works in a push-broom configuration and it is designed to acquire data in the 500-780 nm spectral range, with a sampling of 0.1 nm in the oxygen bands (759-769 nm and 686- 697 nm) and 0.5-2.0 nm in the red edge, chlorophyll absorption and Photochemical Reflectance Index bands. FLEX will fly in formation with Sentinel-3 to benefit of the measurements made by the Sentinel-3 instruments OLCI and SLSTR, particularly for cloud screening, proper characterization of the atmospheric state and determination of the surface temperature. The instrument concept is based on a common telescope and two modified Offner spectrometers with reflective concave gratings both for the High Resolution (HR) and Low Resolution (LR) spectrometers. In the frame of the instrument pre-development Leonardo Company (I) has built and tested an elegant breadboard of the instrument consisting of the telescope and the HR spectrometer. The development of the LR spectrometer is in charge of OHB System AG (D) and is currently in the manufacturing phase. The main objectives of the activity are: anticipate the development of the instrument and provide early risk retirement of critical components, evaluate the system performances such as imaging quality parameters, straylight, ghost, polarization sensitivity and environmental influences, verify the adequacy of critical tests such as spectral characterization and straylight, define and optimize instrument alignment procedures. Following a brief overview of the FLEX mission, the paper will cover the design and the development of the optics breadboard with emphasis on the results obtained during the tests and the lessons learned for the flight unit.

High-throughput screening with micro-x-ray fluorescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Havrilla, George J.; Miller, Thomasin C.

2005-01-01

Micro-x-ray fluorescence (MXRF) is a useful characterization tool for high-throughput screening of combinatorial libraries. Due to the increasing threat of use of chemical warfare (CW) agents both in military actions and against civilians by terrorist extremists, there is a strong push to improve existing methods and develop means for the detection of a broad spectrum of CW agents in a minimal amount of time to increase national security. This paper describes a combinatorial high-throughput screening technique for CW receptor discovery to aid in sensor development. MXRF can screen materials for elemental composition at the mesoscale level (tens to hundreds of micrometers). The key aspect of this work is the use of commercial MXRF instrumentation coupled with the inherent heteroatom elements within the target molecules of the combinatorial reaction to provide rapid and specific identification of lead species. The method is demonstrated by screening an 11-mer oligopeptide library for selective binding of the degradation products of the nerve agent VX. The identified oligopeptides can be used as selective molecular receptors for sensor development. The MXRF screening method is nondestructive, requires minimal sample preparation or special tags for analysis, and the screening time depends on the desired sensitivity

Effect of Fee on Cervical Cancer Screening Attendance--ScreenFee, a Swedish Population-Based Randomised Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Alfonzo, Emilia; Andersson Ellström, Agneta; Nemes, Szilard; Strander, Björn

2016-01-01

Attendance in the cervical cancer screening programme is one of the most important factors to lower the risk of contracting the disease. Attendance rates are often low in areas with low socioeconomic status. Charging a fee for screening might possibly decrease attendance in this population. Screening programme coverage is low in low socio-economic status areas in Gothenburg, Sweden, but has increased slightly after multiple interventions in recent years. For many years, women in the region have paid a fee for screening. We studied the effect of abolishing this fee in a trial emanating from the regular cervical cancer screening programme. Individually randomised controlled trial. All 3 124 women in three low-resource areas in Gothenburg, due for screening during the study period, were randomised to receive an offer of a free test or the standard invitation stating the regular fee of 100 SEK (≈11 €). The study was conducted during the first six months of 2013. Attendance was defined as a registered Pap smear within 90 days from the date the invitation was sent out. Attendance did not differ significantly between women who were charged and those offered free screening (RR 0.93; CI 0.85-1.02). No differences were found within the districts or as an effect of age, attendance after the most recent previous invitation or previous experience of smear taking. Abolishment of a modest screening fee in socially disadvantaged urban districts with low coverage, after previous multiple systematic interventions, does not increase attendance in the short term. Other interventions might be more important for increasing attendance in low socio-economic status areas. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02378324.

32 CFR 644.333 - Screening for defense needs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... the complicated financial arrangements under which such projects are constructed and operated, the... of nonassignable or short term interests in real property when such screening would serve no useful..., it may be finalized by letter or simple statement on Standard Form 118, Report of Excess Real...

The Gem Infrasound Logger and Custom-Built Instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, Jacob F.; Ronan, Timothy J.

2017-01-01

Here, we designed, built, and recorded data with a custom infrasound logger (referred to as the Gem) that is inexpensive, portable, and easy to use. We also describe its design process, qualities, and applications in this article. Field instrumentation is a key element of geophysical data collection, and the quantity and quality of data that can be recorded is determined largely by the characteristics of the instruments used. Geophysicists tend to rely on commercially available instruments, which suffice for many important types of fieldwork. However, commercial instrumentation can fall short in certain roles, which motivates the development of custom sensors and data loggers. Particularly, we found existing data loggers to be expensive and inconvenient for infrasound campaigns, and developed the Gem infrasound logger in response. In this article, we discuss development of this infrasound logger and the various uses found for it, including projects on volcanoes, high-altitude balloons, and rivers. Further, we demonstrate that when needed, scientists can feasibly design and build their own specialized instruments, and that doing so can enable them to record more and better data at a lower cost.

OBGYN screening for environmental exposures: A call for action.

Science.gov (United States)

Grindler, N M; Allshouse, A A; Jungheim, E; Powell, T L; Jansson, T; Polotsky, A J

2018-01-01

Prenatal exposures have known adverse effects on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Professional societies recommend routine screening for environmental, occupational, and dietary exposures to reduce exposures and their associated sequelae. Our objective was to determine the frequency of environmental exposure screening by obstetricians and gynecologists (OBGYNs) at initial patient visits. Practicing OBGYNs were approached at the University of Colorado and by social media. The survey instrument queried demographics, environmental literacy, and screening practices. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square and two-sample t-test. We received 312 online survey responses (response rate of 12%). Responding OBGYNs were predominantly female (96%), board-certified (78%), generalists (65%) with a mean age of 37.1 years. Fewer than half of physicians screened for the following factors: occupational exposures, environmental chemicals, air pollution, pesticide use, personal care products, household cleaners, water source, use of plastics for food storage, and lead and mercury exposure. Eighty five percent of respondents reported that they did not feel comfortable obtaining an environmental history and 58% respondents reported that they performed no regular screening of environmental exposures. A higher frequency of screening was associated with > 4 years of practice (p = 0.001), and having read the environmental committee opinion (p = counseling patients may enhance screening for exposures that affect reproductive health.

Validation of the Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Neale, Anne Victoria; And Others

Elder abuse is recognized as an under-detected and under-reported social problem. Difficulties in detecting elder abuse are compounded by the lack of a standardized, psychometrically valid instrument for case finding. The development of the Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test (H-S/EAST) followed a larger effort to identify indicators and…

Research on seamless development of surgical instruments based on biological mechanisms using CAD and 3D printer.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Ikuo; Ota, Ren; Zhu, Rui; Lawn, Murray; Ishimatsu, Takakazu; Nagayasu, Takeshi; Yamasaki, Naoya; Takagi, Katsunori; Koji, Takehiko

2015-01-01

In the area of manufacturing surgical instruments, the ability to rapidly design, prototype and test surgical instruments is critical. This paper provides a simple case study of the rapid development of two bio-mechanism based surgical instruments which are ergonomic, aesthetic and were successfully designed, prototyped and conceptually tested in a very short period of time.

An intelligent identification algorithm for the monoclonal picking instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Hua; Zhang, Rongfu; Yuan, Xujun; Wang, Qun

2017-11-01

The traditional colony selection is mainly operated by manual mode, which takes on low efficiency and strong subjectivity. Therefore, it is important to develop an automatic monoclonal-picking instrument. The critical stage of the automatic monoclonal-picking and intelligent optimal selection is intelligent identification algorithm. An auto-screening algorithm based on Support Vector Machine (SVM) is proposed in this paper, which uses the supervised learning method, which combined with the colony morphological characteristics to classify the colony accurately. Furthermore, through the basic morphological features of the colony, system can figure out a series of morphological parameters step by step. Through the establishment of maximal margin classifier, and based on the analysis of the growth trend of the colony, the selection of the monoclonal colony was carried out. The experimental results showed that the auto-screening algorithm could screen out the regular colony from the other, which meets the requirement of various parameters.

The Inelastic Instrument suite at the SNS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granroth, Garrett E; Abernathy, Douglas L; Ehlers, Georg; Hagen, Mark E; Herwig, Kenneth W; Mamontov, Eugene; Ohl, Michael E; Wildgruber, Christoph U

2008-01-01

The instruments in the extensive suite of spectrometers at the SNS are in various stages of installation and commissioning. The Back Scattering Spectrometer (BASIS) is installed and is in commissioning. It's near backscattering analyzer crystals provide the 3 eV resolution as expected. BASIS will enter the user program in the fall of 2007. The ARCS wide angular-range thermal to epithermal neutron spectrometer will come on line in the fall of 2007 followed shortly by the Cold Neutron Chopper Spectrometer. These two direct geometry instruments provide moderate resolution and the ability to trade resolution for flux. In addition both instruments have detector coverage out to 140o to provide a large Q range. The SEQUOIA spectrometer, complete in 2008, is the direct geometry instrument that will provide fine resolution in the thermal to epithermal range. The Spin-Echo spectrometer, to be completed on a similar time scale, will provide the finest energy resolution worldwide. The HYSPEC spectrometer, available no later than 2011, will provide polarized capabilities and optimized flux in the thermal energy range. Finally, the Vision chemical spectrometer will use crystal analyzers to study energy transfers into the epithermal range

Environmental policy instruments and technological change in the energy sector: findings from comparative empirical research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skjaerseth, J.B.; Christiansen, A.C.

2006-01-01

This article explores the extent to which and in what ways environmental policy instruments may affect patterns of environmental friendly technological change in the energy sector. Our argument is based on the assumption, however, that technological change is also affected by the political context in which the instruments are applied and by the nature of the problem itself. Comparative empirical research involving different European countries, sectors and policy fields were examined, including climate change, air pollution and wind power. The relationship between environmental policy instruments and technological change is extremely complex, not least due to the impact of other factors that may be more decisive than environmental ones. Against this backdrop, it was concluded that: 1) a portfolio of policy instruments works to the extent that different types of policy instruments affect the different drivers and stages behind technological change needed to solve specific problems. The need for a portfolio of policy instruments depends on the technological challenge being faced; 2) voluntary approaches facilitated constructive corporate strategies, but mandatory approaches tended to be more effective in stimulating short term major technological change; 3) voluntary approaches work well in the short term when the problem to be solved is characterized by lack of information and coordination. (author)

Incidence of apical root cracks and apical dentinal detachments after canal preparation with hand and rotary files at different instrumentation lengths.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Rui; Kaiwar, Anjali; Shemesh, Hagay; Wesselink, Paul R; Hou, Benxiang; Wu, Min-Kai

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of apical root cracks and dentinal detachments after canal preparation with hand and rotary files at different instrumentation lengths. Two hundred forty mandibular incisors were mounted in resin blocks with simulated periodontal ligaments, and the apex was exposed. The root canals were instrumented with rotary and hand files, namely K3, ProTaper, and nickel-titanium Flex K files to the major apical foramen (AF), short AF, or beyond AF. Digital images of the apical surface of every tooth were taken during the apical enlargement at each file change. Development of dentinal defects was determined by comparing these images with the baseline image. Multinomial logistic regression test was performed to identify influencing factors. Apical crack developed in 1 of 80 teeth (1.3%) with hand files and 31 of 160 teeth (19.4%) with rotary files. Apical dentinal detachment developed in 2 of 80 teeth (2.5%) with hand files and 35 of 160 teeth (21.9%) with rotary files. Instrumentation with rotary files terminated 2 mm short of AF and did not cause any cracks. Significantly less cracks and detachments occurred when instrumentation with rotary files was terminated short of AF, as compared with that terminated at or beyond AF (P hand instruments; instrumentation short of AF reduced the risk of dentinal defects. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Musical instruments depicted in medieval Serbian art under oriental and western influences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pejović Roksanda

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Researching musical instruments on frescoes, miniatures, icons and sculptural decorations of mediaeval Serbian art, painted and sculptured in the manner of Byzantine art, we discover Oriental and Western influences. Musical instruments arriving from the Orient were unchanged for centuries and those from West Europe were mainly used in the Middle Ages or the Renaissance. Oriental and Western influences can be observed on instruments of all families-idiophones, membranophones, bowed and string instruments, as well as on aero phones. The same form of some crotales and cymbals can be found both in Oriental and Western art, the majority of membranophones are of Oriental origin, but the tambourine on Bodani frescoes originated in West Europe. Lyres and angular harps are close to Antique tradition. Some bowed instruments, psalteries, lutes, harps, short horns, business and shawms have Oriental patterns and other instruments of these families accepted Western shapes. There are, as well, same kinds of bowed instruments and S-trumpets peculiar for both continents.

The Development of an ASSA Module as an Auxiliary Tool for Assessment of Existing Plant Instrumentation and enhancement of the instruments performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, Kil Mo; Kang, Kyung Ho; Ha, Kwang Soon; Cho, Young Ro; Cho, Young; Park, Rae Jun; Kim, Sang Baik; Kim, Hee Dong

2007-04-01

A review of a plant's accident management capabilities is one of the key elements in achieving regulatory closure of severe accident issues. During accidents, information and data from plant's instruments, as well as others sources, are essential for assessing the plant's status and response. Unlike for design basis accidents, there are inherently some uncertainties to instrumentation capabilities for severe accident conditions. There are many ways to obtain information during a severe accident. Moreover, precise measurements are not necessary. The redundancy and ruggedness of a plant's instrumentation provides considerable depth in the capability of existing designs. The circuit simulation analysis and diagnosis methods are used to assess instruments in detail when they give apparently abnormal readings. A new simulator, ASSA(abnormal signal simulator analysis), through an analysis of the important circuits modeling under severe accident conditions has been designed. It has three main functions which are a signal processing tool, an accident management tool, and an additional guide from the initial screen. In this paper, it can be simulated to the temperature characteristic analysis procedure of the ASSA through EQ data comparative method and using specific signal processing under severe accident condition

The KNK II instrumentation for global and local supervision of the reactor core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steiger, W.O.

1990-01-01

After an introduction into the KNK plant itself, their historical development and their present situation, the instrumentation of the global and local supervision of the KNK II-core as well as the main safety-related i- and c-systems are described. Special emphasis is laid on the instrumentation of the reactor protection systems and the shutdown systems. After that some practices are reported about instrumentation behavior and lessons learned from the operation and maintenance of the above mentioned systems. At last follows a short description of the special instrumentation for the detection of failed fuel subassemblies and of the plant data processing system. (orig.)

Identification of At-Risk Youth by Suicide Screening in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

Science.gov (United States)

Ballard, Elizabeth D; Cwik, Mary; Van Eck, Kathryn; Goldstein, Mitchell; Alfes, Clarissa; Wilson, Mary Ellen; Virden, Jane M; Horowitz, Lisa M; Wilcox, Holly C

2017-02-01

The pediatric emergency department (ED) is a critical location for the identification of children and adolescents at risk for suicide. Screening instruments that can be easily incorporated into clinical practice in EDs to identify and intervene with patients at increased suicide risk is a promising suicide prevention strategy and patient safety objective. This study is a retrospective review of the implementation of a brief suicide screen for pediatric psychiatric ED patients as standard of care. The Ask Suicide Screening Questions (ASQ) was implemented in an urban pediatric ED for patients with psychiatric presenting complaints. Nursing compliance rates, identification of at-risk patients, and sensitivity for repeated ED visits were evaluated using medical records from 970 patients. The ASQ was implemented with a compliance rate of 79 %. Fifty-three percent of the patients who screened positive (237/448) did not present to the ED with suicide-related complaints. These identified patients were more likely to be male, African American, and have externalizing behavior diagnoses. The ASQ demonstrated a sensitivity of 93 % and specificity of 43 % to predict return ED visits with suicide-related presenting complaints within 6 months of the index visit. Brief suicide screening instruments can be incorporated into standard of care in pediatric ED settings. Such screens can identify patients who do not directly report suicide-related presenting complaints at triage and who may be at particular risk for future suicidal behavior. Results have the potential to inform suicide prevention strategies in pediatric EDs.

Screening for speech and language delay in preschool children: systematic evidence review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Heidi D; Nygren, Peggy; Walker, Miranda; Panoscha, Rita

2006-02-01

reported significantly improved speech and language outcomes compared with control groups. Improvement was demonstrated in several domains including articulation, phonology, expressive language, receptive language, lexical acquisition, and syntax among children in all age groups studied and across multiple therapeutic settings. Improvement in other functional outcomes such as socialization skills, self-esteem, and improved play themes were demonstrated in some, but not all, of the 4 studies that measured them. In general, studies of interventions were small and heterogeneous, may be subject to plateau effects, and reported short-term outcomes based on various instruments and measures. As a result, long-term outcomes are not known, interventions could not be compared directly, and generalizability is questionable. Use of risk factors to guide selective screening is not supported by studies. Several aspects of screening have been inadequately studied to determine optimal methods, including which instrument to use, the age at which to screen, and which interval is most useful. Trials of interventions demonstrate improvement in some outcome measures, but conclusions and generalizability are limited. Data are not available addressing other key issues including the effectiveness of screening in primary care settings, role of enhanced surveillance by primary care physicians before referral for diagnostic evaluation, non-speech and language and long-term benefits of interventions, and adverse effects of screening and interventions.

Quality of life among dots (directly observed treatment short course ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Quality of life among dots (directly observed treatment short course) cured patients: ... which is a specific instrument and covers four domains of health i.e. physical, ... thereby necessitating measures for the improvement of the overall health of ...

Effect of Fee on Cervical Cancer Screening Attendance—ScreenFee, a Swedish Population-Based Randomised Trial

Science.gov (United States)

Alfonzo, Emilia; Andersson Ellström, Agneta; Nemes, Szilard; Strander, Björn

2016-01-01

Background Attendance in the cervical cancer screening programme is one of the most important factors to lower the risk of contracting the disease. Attendance rates are often low in areas with low socioeconomic status. Charging a fee for screening might possibly decrease attendance in this population. Screening programme coverage is low in low socio-economic status areas in Gothenburg, Sweden, but has increased slightly after multiple interventions in recent years. For many years, women in the region have paid a fee for screening. We studied the effect of abolishing this fee in a trial emanating from the regular cervical cancer screening programme. Method Individually randomised controlled trial. All 3 124 women in three low-resource areas in Gothenburg, due for screening during the study period, were randomised to receive an offer of a free test or the standard invitation stating the regular fee of 100 SEK (≈11 €). The study was conducted during the first six months of 2013. Attendance was defined as a registered Pap smear within 90 days from the date the invitation was sent out. Results Attendance did not differ significantly between women who were charged and those offered free screening (RR 0.93; CI 0.85–1.02). No differences were found within the districts or as an effect of age, attendance after the most recent previous invitation or previous experience of smear taking. Conclusion Abolishment of a modest screening fee in socially disadvantaged urban districts with low coverage, after previous multiple systematic interventions, does not increase attendance in the short term. Other interventions might be more important for increasing attendance in low socio-economic status areas. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02378324 PMID:26986848

Screening for psychological distress in cancer: renewing the research agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Salmon, Peter; Clark, Louise; McGrath, Elly; Fisher, Peter

2015-03-01

Although health policy for cancer care promotes screening of patients for emotional distress, the utility and validity of screening have been questioned. Continued research to refine detection of distress or to evaluate outcomes of screening programmes is unlikely to end this controversy. Instead, we need to identify more fundamental research questions that address the validity or utility of screening in this context. We critically and selectively review research and policy literature on psychological screening in cancer care, drawing also from research literature about the nature of psychological needs in cancer care and from relevant literature on psychological screening in mental health. We identify three broad research questions: (i) Apart from intensity of distress, what further information should screening seek about the context of distress, psychological processes that promote distress and patients' own perspective on their needs? (ii) What are the implications of the contextual dependence of disclosure of emotional feelings, given that screening questions can be asked in contexts ranging from an impersonal questionnaire to dialogue with a trusted practitioner? (iii) How should a screen be responded to, given the inherent uncertainty associated with screening results and given that distress in a cancer context can indicate instrumental as well as psychological needs? Examining these questions will mean exchanging a diagnostic framework for screening, in which health need is indicated by the presence of a psychological disorder, for a public health framework, in which health need is identified from multiple perspectives. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Factor Structure, Internal Consistency, and Screening Sensitivity of the GARS-2 in a Developmental Disabilities Sample

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Martin A. Volker

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (GARS-2 is a widely used screening instrument that assists in the identification and diagnosis of autism. The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure, internal consistency, and screening sensitivity of the GARS-2 using ratings from special education teaching staff for a sample of 240 individuals with autism or other significant developmental disabilities. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a correlated three-factor solution similar to that found in 2005 by Lecavalier for the original GARS. Though the three factors appeared to be reasonably consistent with the intended constructs of the three GARS-2 subscales, the analysis indicated that more than a third of the GARS-2 items were assigned to the wrong subscale. Internal consistency estimates met or exceeded standards for screening and were generally higher than those in previous studies. Screening sensitivity was .65 and specificity was .81 for the Autism Index using a cut score of 85. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for instrument revision.

De item-reeks van de cognitieve screening test vergeleken met die van de mini-mental state examination

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schmand, B.; Deelman, B. G.; Hooijer, C.; Jonker, C.; Lindeboom, J.

1996-01-01

The items of the ¿mini-mental state examination' (MMSE) and a Dutch dementia screening instrument, the ¿cognitive screening test' (CST), as well as the ¿geriatric mental status schedule' (GMS) and the ¿Dutch adult reading test' (DART), were administered to 4051 elderly people aged 65 to 84 years.

The Therapeutic Environment Screening Survey for Nursing Homes (TESS-NH): an observational instrument for assessing the physical environment of institutional settings for persons with dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sloane, Philip D; Mitchell, C Madeline; Weisman, Gerald; Zimmerman, Sheryl; Foley, Kristie M Long; Lynn, Mary; Calkins, Margaret; Lawton, M Powell; Teresi, Jeanne; Grant, Leslie; Lindeman, David; Montgomery, Rhonda

2002-03-01

To develop an observational instrument that describes the ability of physical environments of institutional settings to address therapeutic goals for persons with dementia. A National Institute on Aging workgroup identified and subsequently revised items that evaluated exit control, maintenance, cleanliness, safety, orientation/cueing, privacy, unit autonomy, outdoor access, lighting, noise, visual/tactile stimulation, space/seating, and familiarity/homelikeness. The final instrument contains 84 discrete items and one global rating. A summary scale, the Special Care Unit Environmental Quality Scale (SCUEQS), consists of 18 items. Lighting items were validated using portable light meters. Concurrent criterion validation compared SCUEQS scores with the Professional Environmental Assessment Protocol (PEAP). Interrater kappa statistics for 74% of items were above.60. For another 10% of items, kappas could not be calculated due to empty cells, but interrater agreement was above 80%. The SCUEQS demonstrated an interrater reliability of.93, a test--retest reliability of.88, and an internal consistency of.81--.83. Light meter ratings correlated significantly with the Therapeutic Environment Screening Survey for Nursing Homes (TESS-NH) lighting items (r =.29--.38, p =.01--.04), and the SCUEQS correlated significantly with global PEAP ratings (r =.52, p TESS-NH efficiently assesses discrete elements of the physical environment and has strong reliability and validity. The SCUEQS provides a quantitative measure of environmental quality in institutional settings.

Instrumentational complexity of music genres and why simplicity sells.

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Gamaliel Percino

Full Text Available Listening habits are strongly influenced by two opposing aspects, the desire for variety and the demand for uniformity in music. In this work we quantify these two notions in terms of instrumentation and production technologies that are typically involved in crafting popular music. We assign an 'instrumentational complexity value' to each music style. Styles of low instrumentational complexity tend to have generic instrumentations that can also be found in many other styles. Styles of high complexity, on the other hand, are characterized by a large variety of instruments that can only be found in a small number of other styles. To model these results we propose a simple stochastic model that explicitly takes the capabilities of artists into account. We find empirical evidence that individual styles show dramatic changes in their instrumentational complexity over the last fifty years. 'New wave' or 'disco' quickly climbed towards higher complexity in the 70s and fell back to low complexity levels shortly afterwards, whereas styles like 'folk rock' remained at constant high instrumentational complexity levels. We show that changes in the instrumentational complexity of a style are related to its number of sales and to the number of artists contributing to that style. As a style attracts a growing number of artists, its instrumentational variety usually increases. At the same time the instrumentational uniformity of a style decreases, i.e. a unique stylistic and increasingly complex expression pattern emerges. In contrast, album sales of a given style typically increase with decreasing instrumentational complexity. This can be interpreted as music becoming increasingly formulaic in terms of instrumentation once commercial or mainstream success sets in.

Instrumentational Complexity of Music Genres and Why Simplicity Sells

Science.gov (United States)

Percino, Gamaliel; Klimek, Peter; Thurner, Stefan

2014-01-01

Listening habits are strongly influenced by two opposing aspects, the desire for variety and the demand for uniformity in music. In this work we quantify these two notions in terms of instrumentation and production technologies that are typically involved in crafting popular music. We assign an ‘instrumentational complexity value’ to each music style. Styles of low instrumentational complexity tend to have generic instrumentations that can also be found in many other styles. Styles of high complexity, on the other hand, are characterized by a large variety of instruments that can only be found in a small number of other styles. To model these results we propose a simple stochastic model that explicitly takes the capabilities of artists into account. We find empirical evidence that individual styles show dramatic changes in their instrumentational complexity over the last fifty years. ‘New wave’ or ‘disco’ quickly climbed towards higher complexity in the 70s and fell back to low complexity levels shortly afterwards, whereas styles like ‘folk rock’ remained at constant high instrumentational complexity levels. We show that changes in the instrumentational complexity of a style are related to its number of sales and to the number of artists contributing to that style. As a style attracts a growing number of artists, its instrumentational variety usually increases. At the same time the instrumentational uniformity of a style decreases, i.e. a unique stylistic and increasingly complex expression pattern emerges. In contrast, album sales of a given style typically increase with decreasing instrumentational complexity. This can be interpreted as music becoming increasingly formulaic in terms of instrumentation once commercial or mainstream success sets in. PMID:25551631

Instrumentational complexity of music genres and why simplicity sells.

Science.gov (United States)

Percino, Gamaliel; Klimek, Peter; Thurner, Stefan

2014-01-01

Listening habits are strongly influenced by two opposing aspects, the desire for variety and the demand for uniformity in music. In this work we quantify these two notions in terms of instrumentation and production technologies that are typically involved in crafting popular music. We assign an 'instrumentational complexity value' to each music style. Styles of low instrumentational complexity tend to have generic instrumentations that can also be found in many other styles. Styles of high complexity, on the other hand, are characterized by a large variety of instruments that can only be found in a small number of other styles. To model these results we propose a simple stochastic model that explicitly takes the capabilities of artists into account. We find empirical evidence that individual styles show dramatic changes in their instrumentational complexity over the last fifty years. 'New wave' or 'disco' quickly climbed towards higher complexity in the 70s and fell back to low complexity levels shortly afterwards, whereas styles like 'folk rock' remained at constant high instrumentational complexity levels. We show that changes in the instrumentational complexity of a style are related to its number of sales and to the number of artists contributing to that style. As a style attracts a growing number of artists, its instrumentational variety usually increases. At the same time the instrumentational uniformity of a style decreases, i.e. a unique stylistic and increasingly complex expression pattern emerges. In contrast, album sales of a given style typically increase with decreasing instrumentational complexity. This can be interpreted as music becoming increasingly formulaic in terms of instrumentation once commercial or mainstream success sets in.

The Aggression Observation Short Form Identified Episodes Not Reported on the Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hvidhjelm, Jacob; Sestoft, Dorte; Bjørner, Jakob Bue

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the underreporting of violence and aggression on the Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised (SOAS-R) when compared to a simpler assessment: the Aggression Observation Short Form (AOS). During a period of one year, two open and two closed wards gathered...... for open wards and for patients with short admission lengths. Standard instruments such as the SOAS-R underreport aggressive episodes by 45% or more. Underreporting can be reduced by introducing shorter instruments, but it cannot be completely eliminated....

Infant auditory short-term memory for non-linguistic sounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross-Sheehy, Shannon; Newman, Rochelle S

2015-04-01

This research explores auditory short-term memory (STM) capacity for non-linguistic sounds in 10-month-old infants. Infants were presented with auditory streams composed of repeating sequences of either 2 or 4 unique instruments (e.g., flute, piano, cello; 350 or 700 ms in duration) followed by a 500-ms retention interval. These instrument sequences either stayed the same for every repetition (Constant) or changed by 1 instrument per sequence (Varying). Using the head-turn preference procedure, infant listening durations were recorded for each stream type (2- or 4-instrument sequences composed of 350- or 700-ms notes). Preference for the Varying stream was taken as evidence of auditory STM because detection of the novel instrument required memory for all of the instruments in a given sequence. Results demonstrate that infants listened longer to Varying streams for 2-instrument sequences, but not 4-instrument sequences, composed of 350-ms notes (Experiment 1), although this effect did not hold when note durations were increased to 700 ms (Experiment 2). Experiment 3 replicates and extends results from Experiments 1 and 2 and provides support for a duration account of capacity limits in infant auditory STM. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mechanical and thermal measurements on a 11 m long beam screen in the LHC Magnet Test String during RUN 3A

CERN Document Server

Artoos, K; Kos, N

1999-01-01

Two eleven meter long beam screens were installed in the third dipole of the LHC Magnet Test String. Instrumentation was used to measure the mechanical and thermal behaviour of the screens during thermal transients and quenches. The horizontal deformation, angular displacement, heating of the screen as a result of the quench induced eddy currents and relative longitudinal displacement between beam screen and magnet end were measured.

High sound screening in low impedance slit arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estrada, Hector; Bravo, Jose Maria; Meseguer, Francisco

2011-01-01

We report on the key role of the acoustical impedance ratio between the solid and the host fluid in the transmission properties of slit arrays. Numerical calculations predict huge sound screening effects up to 60 dB for low impedance ratio values. The screening band appears over a broad frequency region and is very robust against dissipative losses of the material as well as against the sound incident angle. This counterintuitive result is discussed in terms of the hydrodynamic short circuit, where the fluid and the solid at the radiating interface vibrate out of phase, resulting in a huge sound blocking effect.

Psychometric Properties of Brief Screening Tests for Alcohol Use Disorders during Pregnancy in Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

López, Mariana Beatriz; Lichtenberger, Aldana; Conde, Karina; Cremonte, Mariana

2017-07-01

Background  Considering the physical, mental and behavioral problems related to fetal alcohol exposure, prenatal clinical guides suggest a brief evaluation of alcohol consumption during pregnancy to detect alcohol intake and to adjust interventions, if required. Even if any alcohol use should be considered risky during pregnancy, identifying women with alcohol use disorders is important because they could need a more specific intervention than simple advice to abstain. Most screening tests have been developed and validated in male populations and focused on the long-term consequences of heavy alcohol use, so they might be inappropriate to assess consumption in pregnant women. Objective  To analyze the internal reliability and validity of the alcohol screening instruments Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption (AUDIT-C), Tolerance, Worried, Eye-Opener, Amnesia and Cut-Down (TWEAK), Rapid Alcohol Problems Screen - Quantity Frequency (RAPS-QF) and Tolerance, Annoyed, Cut-Down and Eye-Opener (T-ACE) to identify alcohol use disorders in pregnant women. Methods  A total of 641 puerperal women were personally interviewed during the 48 hours after delivery. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and the sensitivity and specificity of each instrument using different cut-off points were analyzed. Results  All instruments showed areas under the ROC curves above 0.80. Larger areas were found for the TWEAK and the AUDIT. The TWEAK, the T-ACE and the AUDIT-C showed higher sensitivity, while the AUDIT and the RAPS-QF showed higher specificity. Reliability (internal consistency) was low for all instruments, improving when optimal cut-off points were used, especially for the AUDIT, the AUDIT-C and the RAPS-QF. Conclusions  In other cultural contexts, studies have concluded that T-ACE and TWEAK are the best instruments to assess pregnant women. In contrast, our results evidenced the low

Comparison of the Validity of Four Fall-Related Psychological Measures in a Community-Based Falls Risk Screening

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Delilah S.; Ellis, Rebecca; Kosma, Maria; Fabre, Jennifer M.; McCarter, Kevin S.; Wood, Robert H.

2011-01-01

We examined the measurement properties of fall-related psychological instruments with a sample of 133 older adults (M age = 74.4 years, SD = 9.4). Measures included the Comprehensive Falls Risk Screening Instrument, Falls-efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC), modified Survey of Activities and Fear of…

Screening the psychological laboratory: Hugo Münsterberg, psychotechnics, and the cinema, 1892-1916.

Science.gov (United States)

Blatter, Jeremy

2015-03-01

According to Hugo Münsterberg, the direct application of experimental psychology to the practical problems of education, law, industry, and art belonged by definition to the domain of psychotechnics. Whether in the form of pedagogical prescription, interrogation technique, hiring practice, or aesthetic principle, the psychotechnical method implied bringing the psychological laboratory to bear on everyday life. There were, however, significant pitfalls to leaving behind the putative purity of the early psychological laboratory in pursuit of technological utility. In the Vocation Bureau, for example, psychological instruments were often deemed too intimidating for a public unfamiliar with the inner workings of experimental science. Similarly, when psychotechnical means were employed by big business in screening job candidates, ethical red flags were raised about this new alliance between science and capital. This tension was particularly evident in Münsterberg's collaboration with the Paramount Pictures Corporation in 1916. In translating psychological tests into short experimental films, Münsterberg not only envisioned a new mass medium for the dissemination of psychotechnics, but a means by which to initiate the masses into the culture of experimental psychology.

The Diversity of Financial Instruments Traded on the Stock Exchange

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iulia-Oana BELCIC-ŞTEFAN

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The present study aims to accomplish an in depth analysis of the types of financial instruments traded on the stock exchange, showing in detail both their characteristics and their implications in terms of expected earnings but also the level of associated risk. Depending on the timeframe considered and their own aversion to assumed risk, investors must realize optimal selection of the financial instruments in which they aim to place their funds. Thus, for a long-term investor who does not want to assume a high risk is indicated purchasing bonds, government securities or structured products such as capital protected certificates. If the same long-term investor decides that he can take a higher risk in order to obtain higher gains, he can choose to purchase shares or structured products such as index certificates. The third situation targets investors who seek to obtain short-term gains, but with certain aversion towards the level of assumed risk, for whom is recommended to purchase ETF fund units. At the same time, experienced investors pursuing short-term placement of funds and obtaining substantial gains regardless of the level of risk assumed opt, generally, for structured products such as turbo certificates or derivative financial instruments such futures and options.

Screening for Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in a Psychiatric Outpatient Population with Specific Focus on Sex Differences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvatore Corbisiero

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background/aimsAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD is often overlooked in adults; moreover, the problem seems to be even more critical in women. In the present, observational screening study, a clinical, particularly adult outpatient population was examined regarding frequency and severity of a likely ADHD, whereby sex differences were of particular interest.Methods224 participants, 146 men and 78 women, were included. Based on data recorded with the self-rating WHO screening instrument Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1, it was examined how many participants were conspicuous for adult ADHD by exceeding a predefined cutoff value (COV (COV ≥ 4 for ASRS-6, and ≥12 for ASRS-18. To examine frequency distributions, χ2 tests were conducted. For the inferential statistical comparison of means, t-tests for independent samples or Mann–Whitney U tests were calculated.Results34.4% of the sample was screened positive in the ASRS-v1.1 screener short version, ASRS-6, while 17.4% were conspicuous in the symptom checklist, ASRS-18. There were indeed more men screened positive, but the difference in the frequency between the sexes was not statistically significant, indicating a balanced sex ratio. Further, severity of ADHD core symptoms inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity was examined by comparing ASRS-18 symptom subscale scores. In concordance with the hypothesis, men and women did not differ in severity of symptoms.ConclusionResults indicate that women might be affected by ADHD in a comparable manner as men; this emphasizes the importance for the awareness of ADHD in both sexes in clinical practice.

Feasibility of screening patients for emotional risk factors before in vitro fertilization in daily clinical practice: a process evaluation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dongen, A.J.; Kremer, J.A.M.; Sluisveld, P.H. van; Verhaak, C.M.; Nelen, W.L.D.M.

2012-01-01

STUDY QUESTION: Is patient screening for emotional risk factors before starting IVF treatment feasible? SUMMARY ANSWER: Introduction of screening for emotional risk factors by a validated instrument (SCREENIVF) in couples treated by IVF or ICSI is feasible, indicated by a moderate to high and stable

Nutrition screening tools: does one size fit all? A systematic review of screening tools for the hospital setting.

Science.gov (United States)

van Bokhorst-de van der Schueren, Marian A E; Guaitoli, Patrícia Realino; Jansma, Elise P; de Vet, Henrica C W

2014-02-01

Numerous nutrition screening tools for the hospital setting have been developed. The aim of this systematic review is to study construct or criterion validity and predictive validity of nutrition screening tools for the general hospital setting. A systematic review of English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch articles identified via MEDLINE, Cinahl and EMBASE (from inception to the 2nd of February 2012). Additional studies were identified by checking reference lists of identified manuscripts. Search terms included key words for malnutrition, screening or assessment instruments, and terms for hospital setting and adults. Data were extracted independently by 2 authors. Only studies expressing the (construct, criterion or predictive) validity of a tool were included. 83 studies (32 screening tools) were identified: 42 studies on construct or criterion validity versus a reference method and 51 studies on predictive validity on outcome (i.e. length of stay, mortality or complications). None of the tools performed consistently well to establish the patients' nutritional status. For the elderly, MNA performed fair to good, for the adults MUST performed fair to good. SGA, NRS-2002 and MUST performed well in predicting outcome in approximately half of the studies reviewed in adults, but not in older patients. Not one single screening or assessment tool is capable of adequate nutrition screening as well as predicting poor nutrition related outcome. Development of new tools seems redundant and will most probably not lead to new insights. New studies comparing different tools within one patient population are required. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Current-day precision oncology: from cancer prevention, screening, drug development, and treatment - have we fallen short of the promise?

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Gilberto; Aftimos, Philippe; Awada, Ahmad

2016-09-01

Precision oncology has been a strategy of prevention, screening, and treatment. Although much has been invested, have the results fallen so far short of the promise? The advancement of technology and research has opened new doors, yet a variety of pitfalls are present. This review presents the successes, failures, and opportunities of precision oncology in the current landscape. The use of targeted gene sequencing and the overwhelming results of superresponders have generated much excitement and support for precision oncology from the medical community. Despite notable successes, many challenges still pave the way of precision oncology: intratumoral heterogeneity, the need for serial biopsies, availability of treatments, target prioritization, ethical issues with germline incidental findings, medical education, clinical trial design, and costs. Precision oncology shows much potential through the use of next-generation sequencing and molecular advances, but does this potential warrant the investment? There are many obstacles on the way of this technology that should make us question if the investment (both monetary and man-hours) will live up to the promise. The review aims to not criticize this technology, but to give a realistic view of where we are, especially regarding cancer treatment and prevention.

Validering van de Seven Minute Screen voor gebruik in de geheugenpolikliniek

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Appels, B. A.; van Campen, J. P. C. M.; Schmand, B.

2016-01-01

Cognitive tests play a crucial part in the assessment of dementia. In 1998 the Seven Minute Screen was developed by Solomon and colleagues. The test was originally designed to distinguish between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and normal ageing, and research showed that the instrument is highly sensitive

Development and evaluation of the Korean Health Literacy Instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Soo Jin; Lee, Tae Wha; Paasche-Orlow, Michael K; Kim, Gwang Suk; Won, Hee Kwan

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate the Korean Health Literacy Instrument, which measures the capacity to understand and use health-related information and make informed health decisions in Korean adults. In Phase 1, 33 initial items were generated to measure functional, interactive, and critical health literacy with prose, document, and numeracy tasks. These items included content from health promotion, disease management, and health navigation contexts. Content validity assessment was conducted by an expert panel, and 11 items were excluded. In Phase 2, the 22 remaining items were administered to a convenience sample of 292 adults from community and clinical settings. Exploratory factor and item difficulty and discrimination analyses were conducted and four items with low discrimination were deleted. In Phase 3, the remaining 18 items were administered to a convenience sample of 315 adults 40-64 years of age from community and clinical settings. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the construct validity of the instrument. The Korean Health Literacy Instrument has a range of 0 to 18. The mean score in our validation study was 11.98. The instrument exhibited an internal consistency reliability coefficient of 0.82, and a test-retest reliability of 0.89. The instrument is suitable for screening individuals who have limited health literacy skills. Future studies are needed to further define the psychometric properties and predictive validity of the Korean Health Literacy Instrument.

Screening Resonances In Plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, P.

1998-01-01

When it was suggested that a new recombination mechanism (Resonant Radiative Recombination (RRR)) which, based on very general physical arguments, should happen in dense plasmas and promises to provide useful information for the local temperature and density diagnostics of plasmas, they assumed the existence of screening resonances. For model potentials the existence of screening resonances has been demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt in a number of calculations. The key question, how well those potentials describe the dominant effects of a real plasma remains open. The relation of theoretical predictions to experimentally measurable effects is an important issue at the present stage of their research. In particular, RRR is expected to account for enhanced recombination rates of low energetic electrons with their ions, since the first stage is the resonant capture of a slow electron by an atom or ion. The mechanism that traps an electron is a combination of complicated many-body interactions of the ions and electrons. For clarity they start here, however, with a discussion in terms of local potential traps the shapes of which are determined predominantly and in an average way by two factors: the degree of screening present at the ionic site and the degree of short-range order in the immediate neighborhood of this ion

The Utility of the Social Communication Questionnaire in Screening for Autism in Children Referred for Early Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Wiggins, Lisa D.; Bakeman, Roger; Adamson, Lauren B.; Robins, Diana L.

2007-01-01

The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) is a brief parental screening instrument used to identify children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Screening validity for the SCQ has been supported in children 4 years of age and older, but ongoing studies indicate that the SCQ may not be effective in identifying very young children with ASD. The…

Long-term preventive maintenance of instrumentation control equipment for PWR plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugitani, S.; Nanba, M.

2006-01-01

Since the PWR plants in Japan have been operated more than 30 years, main instrumentation control equipment of analog systems has been renewed to digital control systems. Renewal works had to be done in short period within periodical inspection term and for several facilities. The Mitsubishi LTD group had been provided with these market needs by its digital control system (MELTAC-NplusR 3) applicable to main instrumentation control equipment for primary and secondary systems and had already finished the renewal for practical plants. (T. Tanaka)

Convergent validity of the short-EMBU and the parental bonding instrument (PBI) : Dutch findings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Arrindell, W.A.; Engebretsen, A.A

2000-01-01

Using a large sample of Spanish students (N = 796), Livianos-Aldana and Rojo-Moreno (1999) found poor evidence of convergent validity of the homologous dimensions that underlie the EMBU and the Parental Bonding Instrument. The Spanish findings however are neither in line with previous ones that were

Forge: a short pulse x-ray diagnostic development facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stradling, G.L.; Hurry, T.R.; Denbow, E.R.; Selph, M.M.; Ameduri, F.P.

1985-01-01

A new short pulse x-ray calibration facility has been brought on line at Los Alamos. This facility is being used for the development, testing and calibration of fast x-ray diagnostic systems. The x-ray source consists of a moderate size, sub-nanosecond laser focused at high intensity on an appropriate target material to generate short pulses of x-ray emission from the resulting plasma. Dynamic performance parameters of fast x-ray diagnostic instruments, such as x-ray streak cameras, can be conveniently measured using this facility

Walkthrough screening evaluation field guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eder, S.J.; Eli, M.W.; Salmon, M.W.

1993-11-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has a large inventory of existing facilities. Many of these facilities were not designed and constructed to current natural phenomena hazard (NPH) criteria. The NPH events include earthquakes, extreme winds and tornadoes, and floods. DOE Order 5480.28 establishes policy and requirements for NPH mitigation for DOE facilities. DOE is conducting a multiyear project to develop evaluation guidelines for assessing the condition and determining the need for upgrades at DOE facilities. One element of the NPH evaluation guidelines' development involves the existing systems and components at DOE facilities. This effort is described in detail in a cited reference. In the interim period prior to availability of the final guidelines, DOE facilities are encouraged to implement an NPH walk through screening evaluation process by which systems and components that need attention can be rapidly identified. Guidelines for conducting the walk through screening evaluations are contained herein. The result of the NPH walk through screening evaluation should be a prioritized list of systems and components that need further action. Simple and inexpensive fixes for items identified in the walk through as marginal or inadequate should be implemented without further study. By implementing an NPH walk through screening evaluation, DOE facilities may realize significant reduction in risk from NPH in the short term

Developing a short version of the Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia using item response theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Sekely, Angela; Taylor, Graeme J; Bagby, R Michael

2018-03-17

The Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA) was developed to provide a structured interview method for assessing alexithymia. One drawback of this instrument is the amount of time it takes to administer and score. The current study used item response theory (IRT) methods to analyze data from a large heterogeneous multi-language sample (N = 842) to investigate whether a subset of items could be selected to create a short version of the instrument. Samejima's (1969) graded response model was used to fit the item responses. Items providing maximum information were retained in the short model, resulting in the elimination of 12-items from the original 24-items. Despite the 50% reduction in the number of items, 65.22% of the information was retained. Further studies are needed to validate the short version. A short version of the TSIA is potentially of practical value to clinicians and researchers with time constraints. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Running functional sport vest and short for e-textile applications

Science.gov (United States)

Baskan, H.; Acikgoz, H.; Atakan, R.; Eryuruk, H.; Akalın, N.; Kose, H.; Li, Y.; Kursun Bahadir, S.; Kalaoglu, F.

2017-10-01

Sports garments with functional properties have become crucial as well as comfort properties since they improve the wearer performance. For this reason, sport vest and short having high elastic recovery with fall detection sensor, were designed and produced by using flat-bed knitting machine. Comfort properties of short and vest were tested with several test instruments and; tensile strength of elastomeric yarn, air permeability, moisture management, drape and objective handle (FAST tests) of garments were achieved. It was proved that short and vest samples have good comfort properties as a functional sport garment. It was also tested that fall-detection sensor can work efficiently by using a mobile phone application.

Phytochemical Screening of Aqueous Extract of Luffa aegyptiaca (Sponge gourd) Leave Sample from Northern Nigeria: A Short Communication

OpenAIRE

Mhya DH; Mankilik, M

2014-01-01

Aqueous extract of the leaves of Luffa aegyptiaca was preliminary screened with the aim of assessing the availability of some biologically active compounds. Pulverized leaves sample of Luffa aegyptiaca was extracted with water; the filtrate was concentrated on water bath and then air-dried at 25oC. The prepared aqueous-extract was used for the phytochemical screening study which was carried out using standard methods. The phytochemicals screened from the aqueous extract of Luffa aegyptiaca sh...

Validating a Cantonese short version of the Zarit Burden Interview (CZBI-Short) for dementia caregivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Jennifer Yee-Man; Ho, Andy Hau-Yan; Luo, Hao; Wong, Gloria Hoi-Yan; Lau, Bobo Hi-Po; Lum, Terry Yat-Sang; Cheung, Karen Siu-Lan

2016-09-01

The present study aimed to develop and validate a Cantonese short version of the Zarit Burden Interview (CZBI-Short) for Hong Kong Chinese dementia caregivers. The 12-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) was translated into spoken Cantonese and back-translated by two bilingual research assistants and face validated by a panel of experts. Five hundred Chinese dementia caregivers showing signs of stress reported their burden using the translated ZBI and rated their depressive symptoms, overall health, and care recipients' physical functioning and behavioral problems. The factor structure of the translated scale was identified using principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis; internal consistency and item-total correlations were assessed; and concurrent validity was tested by correlating the ZBI with depressive symptoms, self-rated health, and care recipients' physical functioning and behavioral problems. The principal component analysis resulted in 11 items loading on a three-factor model comprised role strain, self-criticism, and negative emotion, which accounted for 59% of the variance. The confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor model (CZBI-Short) that explained 61% of the total variance. Cronbach's alpha (0.84) and item-total correlations (rho = 0.39-0.71) indicated CZBI-Short had good reliability. CZBI-Short showed correlations with depressive symptoms (r = 0.50), self-rated health (r = -0.26) and care recipients' physical functioning (r = 0.18-0.26) and disruptive behaviors (r = 0.36). The 12-item CZBI-Short is a concise, reliable, and valid instrument to assess burden in Chinese dementia caregivers in clinical and social care settings.

OBGYN screening for environmental exposures: A call for action

Science.gov (United States)

Allshouse, A. A.; Jungheim, E.; Powell, T. L.; Jansson, T.; Polotsky, A. J.

2018-01-01

Background Prenatal exposures have known adverse effects on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Professional societies recommend routine screening for environmental, occupational, and dietary exposures to reduce exposures and their associated sequelae. Objective Our objective was to determine the frequency of environmental exposure screening by obstetricians and gynecologists (OBGYNs) at initial patient visits. Study design Practicing OBGYNs were approached at the University of Colorado and by social media. The survey instrument queried demographics, environmental literacy, and screening practices. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square and two-sample t-test. Results We received 312 online survey responses (response rate of 12%). Responding OBGYNs were predominantly female (96%), board-certified (78%), generalists (65%) with a mean age of 37.1 years. Fewer than half of physicians screened for the following factors: occupational exposures, environmental chemicals, air pollution, pesticide use, personal care products, household cleaners, water source, use of plastics for food storage, and lead and mercury exposure. Eighty five percent of respondents reported that they did not feel comfortable obtaining an environmental history and 58% respondents reported that they performed no regular screening of environmental exposures. A higher frequency of screening was associated with > 4 years of practice (p = 0.001), and having read the environmental committee opinion (p = <0.001). Conclusion The majority of OBGYNs did not incorporate screening for known environmental exposures into routine practice. Reading the environmental committee opinions was strongly and significantly associated with a higher rate of screening. Improving physician comfort in counseling patients may enhance screening for exposures that affect reproductive health. PMID:29768418

Predictive Validity of Self-Report Questionnaires in the Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Sizoo, Bram B.; Horwitz, E. H.; Teunisse, J. P.; Kan, C. C.; Vissers, C. T. W. M.; Forceville, E. J. M.; Van Voorst, A. J. P.; Geurts, H. M.

2015-01-01

While various screening instruments for autism spectrum disorders are widely used in diagnostic assessments, their psychometric properties have not been simultaneously evaluated in the outpatient setting where these instruments are used most. In this study, we tested the Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised and two short versions of the…

Endocrinological Assessment Of Children With Significant Short Stature Using Radioimmunoassay Techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghaly, Isis; Hafez, Mona; Shousha, M. A.

2004-01-01

This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of clinical diagnosis in a group of children with significant short stature, height <-2.5 standard deviation below the mean for age and sex. Forty-nine children-l 8 female and 31 males-were included, mean age was 11.14 yr. (range 1.18 to 19 yr.). Clinical diagnosis, axiological measurements, thyroid profile, growth hormone, autoantibody screening for celiac disease were assessed. The patients were classified into 5 groups: Group I. familial short stature (FSS)and constitutional delay in growth and puberty (CDGP), (12%); group II. growth hormone deficiency (GHD), 54%; group III. Laron type of dwarfism (LTD) (10%); group IV. growth hormone neurosecretory disorder (GHND, 16%); group V. celiac disease (GSE, 8%). From this study the group with short normal variant (FSS-CDGP), uncommonly presents with significant short stature. Cranial CT scan should performed in any child with the diagnosis of GHD to exclude organic causes of GHD. In the group of GHND, a normal GH values to provocative tests does not guarantee sufficient GH secretion and should not be used to exclude these children from hGH treatment. Further investigations by measurement of integrated GH and IGFI may aid in the diagnosis of this disorder. Celiac disease may present only by short stature, therefore antibody screening tests should be a routine investigation for all children presented with unexplained short stature. Patient with GHD showed significant improvement of their GV SDS during treatment with hGH (p=0.021). Also children with GSE showed significant catch up growth after gluten withdrawal from the diet (p=0.029). (Authors)

Mammographic screening practices among Chinese-Australian women.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwok, Cannas; Fethney, Judith; White, Kate

2012-03-01

To report mammographic screening practice among Chinese-Australian women, and to examine the relationship between demographic characteristics, acculturation factors (English proficiency and length of stay in Australia), cultural beliefs, and having a mammogram as recommended. Cross-sectional and descriptive. The study was conducted in 2009 in Sydney, Australia. Of 988 Chinese-Australian women over 18 years of age invited to participate in the study, 785 (79%) completed and returned the questionnaire. Of these women, 320 (40.8%) were in the target age range of 50 to 69 years. The Chinese Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Questionnaire (CBCSB) was used as a data collection instrument. Analysis included descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis using chi-square and t tests, and logistic regression. Of the 320 women in the targeted age range of 50 to 69 years, 238 (74.4%) had a mammogram as recommended biannually. Being married-de facto, in the 60 to 69 age group, and speaking Cantonese at home were positively associated with women's mammographic screening practice. However, no statistically significant differences in acculturation factors and having a mammogram as recommended were found. In terms of CBCSB score, women who had mammograms as recommended had more positive attitudes toward health checkups and perceived fewer barriers to mammographic screening. Effort should be focused on specific subgroups of Chinese-Australian women in order to fully understand the barriers involved in participating in mammographic screening. Nurses can use the findings from the present study to design culturally sensitive breast cancer screening programs to encourage women's participation in mammography. © 2011 Sigma Theta Tau International.

[Surgical Roman instruments in the Museum of History of Medicine of the University of Rome "La Sapienza"].

Science.gov (United States)

Gazzaniga, V; Serarcangeli, C

1999-01-01

The Museum of History of Medicine at the University of Rome "La Sapienza" keeps numerous roman surgical instruments, dating from the 1st century A.D. This article offers a short review of the critical literature existing on the topic, together with a temporary catalogue of the instruments.

INSTRUMENTATION AND MOTIVATIONS FOR ORGANISED CYCLING: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CYCLIST MOTIVATION INSTRUMENT (CMI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trent D. Brown

2009-06-01

Full Text Available 'Serious leisure' cycling has developed as a reinterpretation of the traditional form of the sport. This short term, informal, unstructured and unconventional conceptualisation represents a challenge to participant numbers in the mainstream sport. The purpose of this study was twofold: (i to ascertain the cultural, subcultural and ecological factors of participation in this new conceptualised form enabling clubs, associations and governments to a deeper understanding about participants practices and (ii as an ongoing validation to previous qualitative work (see O'Connor and Brown, 2005. This study reports on the development and psychometric properties (principal components analysis, confirmatory factor analysis of the Cyclists' Motivation Instrument. Four hundred and twenty two cyclists (371 males, 51 females who were registered members of the state competitive cycling body completed a fifty-one item instrument. Five factors were identified: social, embodiment, self-presentation, exploring environments and physical health outcomes and these accounted for 47.2% of the variance. Factor alpha coefficients ranged from .63 to .88, overall scale reliability was .92, suggesting moderate to high reliability for each of the factors and the overall scale.

Applications of Short Message Service and WAP in Operating Remotely Triggered Laboratories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ananda Maiti

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Mobile devices are becoming more powerful, reliable and common every year. Hence we can use mobile devices for conducting laboratory sessions in distance education. This paper discusses issues of integrating Short Message Service (SMS to operate instruments of hardware-based remotely triggered laboratories. Components of the system include searching an experiment, performing experiment, result handling, error handling and method of exchanging information. It is designed using the National Instruments (NI Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench (LabVIEW development system and web services. The scheme will enable students to conduct hardware experiments with mobile devices using SMS from anywhere and anytime.

Short stature in children: Pattern and frequency in a pediatric clinic, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Jurayyan N, Nasir A; Mohamed, Sarar H; Al Otaibi, Hessah M; Al Issa, Sharifah T; Omer, Hala G

2012-01-01

Longitudinal growth assessment is essential in child care. Short stature can be promptly recognized only with accurate measurements of growth and critical analysis of growth data. The objective of this study was to determine the pattern of short stature among patients referred to an endocrine pediatric clinic, King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and to ascertain the aetiological profile of short stature. This is a retrospective review of patients referred to a pediatric endocrine clinic with short stature during the period January 1990 and December 2009. After a proper detailed medical history, growth analysis and physical examination, followed by a radiological (bone age) and laboratory screening (complete blood count and thyroid function). Growth hormone stimulation tests were performed when indicated. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pituitary was performed when necessary. As well, celiac screening and small bowel biopsy were performed when appropriate. During the period under review, hundred and ten patients were evaluated for short stature. Their age ranged from 2 years and six months to 4 years. The male to female ratio was 1.3:1. The commonest etiology was genetic short stature found in 57 (51.8%) patients, while in the other 53 (48.2%) patients, variable endocrine and nutritional causes were noted. Short stature was a common referral. A wide variety of etiological diagnosis was noticed with genetic short stature being the commonest. A wide variety of endocrine causes were evident, with growth hormone deficiency, as a results of different etiologies, being the commonest.

Assessment of Patient-Reported Outcome Instruments to Assess Chronic Low Back Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramasamy, Abhilasha; Martin, Mona L; Blum, Steven I; Liedgens, Hiltrud; Argoff, Charles; Freynhagen, Rainer; Wallace, Mark; McCarrier, Kelly P; Bushnell, Donald M; Hatley, Noël V; Patrick, Donald L

2017-06-01

 To identify patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments that assess chronic low back pain (cLBP) symptoms (specifically pain qualities) and/or impacts for potential use in cLBP clinical trials to demonstrate treatment benefit and support labeling claims.  Literature review of existing PRO measures.  Publications detailing existing PRO measures for cLBP were identified, reviewed, and summarized. As recommended by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) PRO development guidance, standard measurement characteristics were reviewed, including development history, psychometric properties (validity and reliability), ability to detect change, and interpretation of observed changes.  Thirteen instruments were selected and reviewed: Low Back Pain Bothersomeness Scale, Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory, PainDETECT, Pain Quality Assessment Scale Revised, Revised Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, Low Back Pain Impact Questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Index, Pain Disability Index, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, Brief Pain Inventory and Brief Pain Inventory Short Form, Musculoskeletal Outcomes Data Evaluation and Management System Spine Module, Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire, and the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory Interference Scale. The instruments varied in the aspects of pain and/or impacts that they assessed, and none of the instruments fulfilled all criteria for use in clinical trials to support labeling claims based on recommendations outlined in the FDA PRO guidance.  There is an unmet need for a validated PRO instrument to evaluate cLBP-related symptoms and impacts for use in clinical trials. © 2017 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Short Communication: Viral Suppression Is Associated with Increased Likelihood of Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Persons Living with HIV/AIDS.

Science.gov (United States)

Burkholder, Greer A; Tamhane, Ashutosh R; Appell, Lauren E; Willig, James H; Saag, Michael S; Raper, James L; Westfall, Andrew O; Mugavero, Michael J

2015-05-01

With improved survival and aging, more persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are at risk for colorectal cancer (CRC). This retrospective longitudinal study evaluated patient characteristics associated with CRC screening in our HIV cohort. Patients were followed beginning at age 50 years during a study period from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2010 (n=265). During a median follow-up time of 1.7 years, only 30% of patients underwent CRC screening. The majority of screened patients received endoscopic screening (colonoscopy, 86%; sigmoidoscopy, 8%); among these patients, results were available for 68/75, and adenomatous polyps were found in 13%. No cases of CRC were reported. Among unscreened patients, only 23% had an external primary care provider, indicating an HIV provider was the expected source for CRC screening referral in the majority. Patients with time-varying suppressed HIV viral load were more likely to receive screening (HRadjusted=1.74; 95% CI: 1.05-2.87), independent of CD4 count. Our findings suggest HIV providers are more likely to address non-HIV-related healthcare maintenance when HIV is controlled. In addition, a significant number of neoplastic lesions are likely being missed in PLWHA who have not been screened for CRC. Provision of evidence-based preventive care in addition to HIV care is required for the aging population of PLWHA.

Instrument to screen cases of pervasive developmental disorder: a preliminary indication of validity Instrumento para rastreamento dos casos de transtorno invasivo do desenvolvimento: estudo preliminar de validação

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio Pinato Sato

2009-03-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To translate into Portuguese, back-translate, culturally adapt and validate a screening instrument for pervasive developmental disorder, the Autism Screening Questionnaire, for use in Brazil. METHOD: A sample of 120 patients was selected based on three groups of 40: patients with a clinical diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder, Down syndrome, or other psychiatric disorders. The self-administered questionnaire was applied to the patients' legal guardians. Psychometric measures of the final version of the translated questionnaire were tested. RESULTS: The score of 15 had sensitivity of 92.5% and specificity of 95.5% as a cut-off point for the diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder. Internal validity for a total of 40 questions was 0.895 for alpha and 0.896 for KR-20, ranging from 0.6 to 0.8 for both coefficients. Test and retest reliability values showed strong agreement for most questions. CONCLUSIONS: The final version of this instrument, translated into Portuguese and adapted to the Brazilian culture, had satisfactory measurement properties, suggesting preliminary validation proprieties. It was an easy-to-apply, useful tool for the diagnostic screening of individuals with pervasive developmental disorder.OBJETIVO: Tradução, retro-versão, adaptação cultural e validação do Autism Screening Questionnaire para a língua portuguesa e para o seu uso no Brasil. MÉTODO: Foi selecionada uma amostra inicial de 120 pacientes, encaminhados de duas clínicas privadas e uma pública, divida em três grupos de 40 pacientes distintos: pacientes com diagnóstico clínico de transtornos globais do desenvolvimento ou transtornos invasivos do desenvolvimento; de síndrome de Down e de outros transtornos psiquiátricos. O questionário foi aplicado aos responsáveis legais dos pacientes seguindo os padrões de um questionário auto-aplicável. As medidas psicométricas do questionário traduzido, na sua versão final, foram

Plasmonic-based instrument response function for time-resolved fluorescence: toward proper lifetime analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szlazak, Radoslaw; Tutaj, Krzysztof; Grudzinski, Wojciech; Gruszecki, Wieslaw I.; Luchowski, Rafal, E-mail: rafal.luchowski@umcs.pl [Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics (Poland)

2013-06-15

In this report, we investigated the so-called plasmonic platforms prepared to target ultra-short fluorescence and accurate instrumental response function in a time-domain spectroscopy and microscopy. The interaction of metallic nanoparticles with nearby fluorophores results in the increase of the dye fluorescence quantum yield, photostability and decrease of the lifetime parameter. The mentioned properties of platforms were applied to achieve a picosecond fluorescence lifetime (21 ps) of erythrosin B, used later as a better choice for deconvolution of fluorescence decays measured with 'color' sensitive photo-detectors. The ultra-short fluorescence standard based on combination of thin layers of silver film, silver colloidal nanoparticles (about 60 nm in diameter), and top layer of erythrosin B embedded in 0.2 % poly(vinyl) alcohol. The response functions were monitored on two photo-detectors; microchannel plate photomultiplier and single photon avalanche photodiode as a Rayleigh scattering and ultra-short fluorescence. We demonstrated that use of the plasmonic base fluorescence standard as an instrumental response function results in the absence of systematic error in lifetime measurements and analysis.

Evaluating brief cognitive impairment screening instruments among African Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiddoe, Jared M; Whitfield, Keith E; Andel, Ross; Edwards, Christopher L

2008-07-01

This article compared and contrasted the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status (TICS) to the racially-sensitive Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ). The empirical questions addressed was whether the TICS over-represented African American (AA) cognitive impairment (CI) relative to the SPMSQ, if there were age differences in CI prevalence between younger subjects (ages 50-64) and older ones (>64 years) and on accuracy to detect CI in individuals with higher levels of educations (> or =13 years) versus those with lower education levels (TICS at 45.0%. Within the younger group, TICS and CI prevalence was 49.3 and 80% among the older group. Within the younger group SPMSQ and CI prevalence was 14.5 and 53.8% among the older group. Within the higher educated group, TICS and CI prevalence was 36.7 and 51.4% among the lower educated. Within the higher educated group, SPMSQ and CI prevalence was 7.7 and 14.5% among the lower educated. Findings are consistent with our hypotheses that the TICS would be a less accurate assessor of CI among AAs.

Simultaneous Screening of Major Flame Retardants and Plasticizers in Polymer Materials Using Pyrolyzer/Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (Py/TD–GC–MS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroyuki Yanagisawa

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted with the aim of achieving the simultaneous screening of various additives in polymer materials by utilizing a solvent-free pyrolyzer/thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py/TD-GC–MS method. As a first step to achieve this goal, simultaneous screening has been examined by selecting major substances representing plasticizers and flame retardants, such as short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs, decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD, and di(2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP. A quantitative MS analysis was performed to check for the peak areas and sensitivities. Since Py/TD-GC–MS is fraught with the risk of thermal degradation of the sample, temperatures during the analytical process were finely tuned for securing reliable results. The instrumental sensitivity was confirmed by the S/N ratio on each component. The detection limits of all components were less than 50 mg/kg, which are sufficiently lower than the regulatory criteria. With regard to reproducibility, a relative standard deviation (RSD of about 5% was confirmed by employing a spike recovery test on a polystyrene polymer solution containing mixed standard solution (ca. 1000 mg/kg. In conclusion, the results obtained in this study indicate that Py/TD-GC–MS is applicable for the screening of major flame retardants and plasticizers in real samples with sufficient reproducibility at regulatory levels.

Validation of the Cross-Cultural Alcoholism Screening Test (CCAST).

Science.gov (United States)

Gorenc, K D; Peredo, S; Pacurucu, S; Llanos, R; Vincente, B; López, R; Abreu, L F; Paez, E

1999-01-01

When screening instruments that are used in the assessment and diagnosis of alcoholism of individuals from different ethnicities, some cultural variables based on norms and societal acceptance of drinking behavior can play an important role in determining the outcome. The accepted diagnostic criteria of current market testing are based on Western standards. In this study, the Munich Alcoholism Test (31 items) was the base instrument applied to subjects from several Hispanic-American countries (Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru). After the sample was submitted to several statistical procedures, these 31 items were reduced to a culture-free, 31-item test named the Cross-Cultural Alcohol Screening Test (CCAST). The results of this Hispanic-American sample (n = 2,107) empirically demonstrated that CCAST measures alcoholism with an adequate degree of accuracy when compared to other available cross-cultural tests. CCAST is useful in the diagnosis of alcoholism in Spanish-speaking immigrants living in countries where English is spoken. CCAST can be used in general hospitals, psychiatric wards, emergency services and police stations. The test can be useful for other professionals, such as psychological consultants, researchers, and those conducting expertise appraisal.

Cryogenic instrumentation needs in the controlled thermonuclear research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walstrom, P.L.

1976-01-01

The magnet development effort for the controlled thermonuclear research program will require extensive testing of superconducting coils at various sizes from small-scale models to full-size prototypes. Extensive use of diagnostic instrumentation will be required and to make detailed comparisons of predicted and actual performance in magnet tests and to monitor the test facility for incipient failure modes. At later stages of the program, cryogenic instrumentation will be required to monitor magnet system performance in fusion power reactors. Measured quantities may include temperature, strain, deflection, coil resistance, helium coolant pressure and flow, current, voltages, etc. The test environment, which includes high magnetic fields (up to 8-10 T) and low temperature, makes many commercial measuring devices inoperative or at least inaccurate. In order to ensure reliable measurements, careful screening of commercial devices for performance in the test environment will be required. A survey of potentially applicable instrumentation is presented along with available information on operation in the test environment based on experimental data or on analysis of the physical characteristics of the device. Areas where further development work is needed are delineated

Screening renal stone formers for distal renal tubular acidosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Osther, P J; Hansen, A B; Røhl, H F

1989-01-01

A group of 110 consecutive renal stone formers were screened for distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA) using morning fasting urinary pH (mfUpH) levels followed by a short ammonium chloride loading test in patients with levels above 6.0. In 14 patients (12.7%) a renal acidification defect was noted...... RTA in renal stone formers. Regardless of whether the acidification defect is primary or secondary to stone formation, however, all renal stone formers with distal RTA can expect to benefit from prophylactic alkaline therapy and it is recommended that the screening procedure, which is easy to use...

[Mokken scaling of the Cognitive Screening Test].

Science.gov (United States)

Diesfeldt, H F A

2009-10-01

The Cognitive Screening Test (CST) is a twenty-item orientation questionnaire in Dutch, that is commonly used to evaluate cognitive impairment. This study applied Mokken Scale Analysis, a non-parametric set of techniques derived from item response theory (IRT), to CST-data of 466 consecutive participants in psychogeriatric day care. The full item set and the standard short version of fourteen items both met the assumptions of the monotone homogeneity model, with scalability coefficient H = 0.39, which is considered weak. In order to select items that would fulfil the assumption of invariant item ordering or the double monotonicity model, the subjects were randomly partitioned into a training set (50% of the sample) and a test set (the remaining half). By means of an automated item selection eleven items were found to measure one latent trait, with H = 0.67 and item H coefficients larger than 0.51. Cross-validation of the item analysis in the remaining half of the subjects gave comparable values (H = 0.66; item H coefficients larger than 0.56). The selected items involve year, place of residence, birth date, the monarch's and prime minister's names, and their predecessors. Applying optimal discriminant analysis (ODA) it was found that the full set of twenty CST items performed best in distinguishing two predefined groups of patients of lower or higher cognitive ability, as established by an independent criterion derived from the Amsterdam Dementia Screening Test. The chance corrected predictive value or prognostic utility was 47.5% for the full item set, 45.2% for the fourteen items of the standard short version of the CST, and 46.1% for the homogeneous, unidimensional set of selected eleven items. The results of the item analysis support the application of the CST in cognitive assessment, and revealed a more reliable 'short' version of the CST than the standard short version (CST14).

Cultural Factors Associated with Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening in Korean American Women in the US: An Integrative Literature Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shin-Young Lee, PhD

2015-06-01

Conclusions: Theories focusing on interpersonal relationships and standardized, reliable, and valid instruments to measure cultural concepts are needed to breast and cervical cancer screening research in KA women. Traditional cultural factors associated with cancer screening should be considered for practical implications and future research with KA women.

Regulated and Liberated Bodies of Schoolgirls in a Finnish Short Film from the 1950s

Science.gov (United States)

Nieminen, Marjo

2018-01-01

This article focuses on the bodies of schoolgirls as visualised and represented in a short film of Finnish secondary schools for girls in the 1950s. The film, "Oma tyttökouluni" ("My Own Girls' School") was released in 1957 and was screened in cinemas in advance of feature films. Although the short film was made in a…

Screening for pragmatic language impairment: The potential of the children's communication checklist

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ketelaars, M.P.; Cuperus, J.M.; Daal, J.G.H.L. van; Jansonius-Schultheiss, K.; Verhoeven, L.T.W.

2009-01-01

The present study examines the validity of the Dutch Children's Communication Checklist (CCC) for children in kindergarten in a community sample, in order to assess the feasibility of using it as a screening instrument in the general population. Teachers completed the CCC for a representative sample

An autosampling differential scanning calorimeter instrument for studying molecular interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Plotnikov, Valerian; Rochalski, Andrew; Brandts, Michael; Brandts, John F; Williston, Samuel; Frasca, Verna; Lin, Lung-Nan

2002-11-01

A new ultrasensitive differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) instrument is described, which utilizes autosampling for continuous operation. High scanning rates to 250 deg/h with rapid cooling and equilibration between scans facilitates higher sample throughput up to 50 samples during each 24 h of unattended operation. The instrument is suited for those pharmaceutical applications where higher throughput is important, such as screening drug candidates for binding constant or screening solution conditions for stability of liquid protein formulations. Results are presented on the binding of five different anionic inhibitors to ribonuclease A, which included cytidine 2'-monophosphate (2'CMP), 3'CMP, uridine 3'-monophosphate, pyrophosphate, and phosphate. Binding constants K(B) (or dissociation constants K(d)) are obtained from the shift in the transition temperature T(M) for ribonuclease thermal unfolding in the presence of ligand relative to the transition temperature in the absence of ligand. Measured binding constants ranged from 155 M(-1) (K(d) = 6.45 mM) for the weak-binding phosphate anion to 13100 M(-1) (K(d) = 76.3 microM) for the strongest binding ligand, 2'CMP. The DSC method for measuring binding constants can also be extended to ultratight interactions involving either ligand-protein or protein-protein binding.

An audit to investigate the impact of false positive breast screening results and diagnostic work-up on re-engagement with subsequent routine screening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nightingale, Julie M.; Borgen, Rita; Porter-Bennett, Lisa; Szczepura, Katy

2015-01-01

Introduction: Women attending breast screening may have suspicious mammographic findings that are subsequently found at assessment clinic to be normal (false positive, FP). A false positive diagnosis is not harmless, with short and long term negative psychosocial consequences reported. Women are at increased relative risk of breast cancer therefore their attendance at subsequent screening is essential. Aims: To assess the impact of FP breast screening diagnosis and diagnostic work-up on re-attendance rates across four consecutive screening rounds at a typical breast screening centre. Method: Diagnostic interventions and screening re-attendance rates at one prior and two consecutive rounds were analysed for women receiving an FP diagnosis between 2004 and 2006. Results: 397 women (5.57%) were referred for further assessment, including 228 (57.43%) false positives. 34 eligible women failed to re-attend routine screening (+3 years), with 17 failing to re-attend subsequently (+6 years). 70.6% (24/34) of non-attenders had attended at least two screening rounds prior to FP assessment. 75% of FP women had an imaging-only assessment with 17.5% (30/171) failing to re-attend, and 25% received a biopsy, with 7% (4/57) failing to re-attend subsequently. Conclusion: This study is unique as it follows FP women through four consecutive screening rounds. FP non-attendance rates were considerably lower compared to the general screening population, with diagnostic work-up having limited influence. FP non-attendance may appear insignificant in comparison to total screened population, but these women are at greater risk of subsequent cancer so should be actively encouraged to re-engage with the screening programme

Applicability of Three Alternative Instruments for Food Authenticity Analysis: GMO Identification

Science.gov (United States)

Burrell, A.; Foy, C.; Burns, M.

2011-01-01

Ensuring foods are correctly labelled for ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is an issue facing manufacturers, retailers, and enforcement agencies. DNA approaches for the determination of food authenticitys often use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and PCR products can be detected using capillary or gel electrophoresis. This study examines the fitness for purpose of the application of three laboratory electrophoresis instruments (Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100, Lab901 TapeStation, and Shimadzu MCE-202 MultiNA) for the detection of GMOs using PCR based on a previously validated protocol. Whilst minor differences in the performance characteristics of bias and precision were observed, all three instruments demonstrated their applicability in using this protocol for screening of GMO ingredients. PMID:21527985

Quantitative and qualitative problems of short film production in cinema education in Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erkanı Mehmet Emrah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Although Turkish cinema has completed its 100 years, short film could not find the place it deserves in the institutions and in the sector. There are problems in terms of the narrative and technical characteristics of short films beside presentation, marketing and international festival attendance issues. Low budgets, course schedules and structures of the cinema departments and short films and the sector’s ignorance of the importance of short film are the obstacles to the development of short films in Turkey. Increasing the government support, strengthening the cooperation between the sector and the university, improving the festivals’ screening conditions, reforming the arrangements to increase the sponsorship incentives, solving the equipment problems of the institutions will positively affect the productivity of Turkish cinema.

A cost-effectiveness analysis of screening for silent atrial fibrillation after ischaemic stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Lars-Åke; Husberg, Magnus; Sobocinski, Piotr Doliwa; Kull, Viveka Frykman; Friberg, Leif; Rosenqvist, Mårten; Davidson, Thomas

2015-02-01

The purpose of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of two screening methods for detection of silent AF, intermittent electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings using a handheld recording device, at regular time intervals for 30 days, and short-term 24 h continuous Holter ECG, in comparison with a no-screening alternative in 75-year-old patients with a recent ischaemic stroke. The long-term (20-year) costs and effects of all alternatives were estimated with a decision analytic model combining the result of a clinical study and epidemiological data from Sweden. The structure of a cost-effectiveness analysis was used in this study. The short-term decision tree model analysed the screening procedure until the onset of anticoagulant treatment. The second part of the decision model followed a Markov design, simulating the patients' health states for 20 years. Continuous 24 h ECG recording was inferior to intermittent ECG in terms of cost-effectiveness, due to both lower sensitivity and higher costs. The base-case analysis compared intermittent ECG screening with no screening of patients with recent stroke. The implementation of the screening programme on 1000 patients resulted over a 20-year period in 11 avoided strokes and the gain of 29 life-years, or 23 quality-adjusted life years, and cost savings of €55 400. Screening of silent AF by intermittent ECG recordings in patients with a recent ischaemic stroke is a cost-effective use of health care resources saving costs and lives and improving the quality of life. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2014. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Multi-Center Diabetes Eye Screening Study in Community Settings: Study Design and Methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Murchison, Ann P; Friedman, David S; Gower, Emily W; Haller, Julia A; Lam, Byron L; Lee, David J; McGwin, Gerald; Owsley, Cynthia; Saaddine, Jinan; Insight Study Group

2016-01-01

Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults aged 20-74 years within the United States. The Innovative Network for Sight Research group (INSIGHT) designed the Diabetic Eye Screening Study (DESS) to examine the feasibility and short-term effectiveness of non-mydriatic diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening for adults with diabetes in community-based settings. Study enrollment began in December 2011 at four sites: an internal medicine clinic at a county hospital in Birmingham, Alabama; a Federally-qualified community healthcare center in Miami-Dade County, Florida; a university-affiliated outpatient pharmacy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and a medical home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. People 18 years or older with previously diagnosed diabetes were offered free DR screening using non-mydriatic retinal photography that was preceded by a brief questionnaire addressing demographic information and previous eye care use. Visual acuity was also measured for each eye. Images were evaluated at a telemedicine reading center by trained evaluators using the National Health System DR grading classification. Participants and their physicians were sent screening report results and telephoned for a follow-up survey 3 months post-screening to determine whether participants had sought follow-up comprehensive eye care and their experiences with the screening process. Target enrollment at each site was a minimum of 500 persons. Three of the four sites met this enrollment goal. The INSIGHT/DESS is intended to establish the feasibility and short-term effectiveness of DR screening using non-mydriatic retinal photography in persons with diabetes who seek services in community-based clinic and pharmacy settings.

A short form of the neonatal intensive care unit family needs inventory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisabete Alves

2016-01-01

Conclusions: The Short Form of the NICU Family Needs Inventory is a brief, simple, and valid instrument with a high degree of reliability. Further studies are needed to explore associations with practices of family‐centered care.

Screen and nonscreen sedentary behavior and sleep in adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunetti, Vanessa C; O'Loughlin, Erin K; O'Loughlin, Jennifer; Constantin, Evelyn; Pigeon, Étienne

2016-12-01

This study examined the associations between screen (computer, videogame, TV) and nonscreen (talking on the phone, doing homework, reading) sedentary time, and sleep in adolescents. Data were drawn from AdoQuest, a prospective investigation of 1843 grade 5 students aged 10-12 years at inception in the greater Montreal (Canada) area. Data for this cross-sectional analysis on screen and nonscreen sedentary time, sleep duration, and daytime sleepiness were collected in 2008-2009 from 1233 participants (67% of 1843) aged 14-16 years. Computer and videogame use >2 hours per day was associated with 17 and 11 fewer minutes of sleep per night, respectively. Computer use and talking on the phone were both associated with being a short sleeper (2 hours of computer use or talking on the phone per day had higher daytime sleepiness scores (11.9 and 13.9, respectively) than participants who reported d2 hours per day (9.7 and 10.3, respectively). Computer use and time spent talking on the phone are associated with short sleep and more daytime sleepiness in adolescents. Videogame time is also associated with less sleep. Clinicians, parents, and adolescents should be made aware that sedentary behavior and especially screen-related sedentary behavior may affect sleep duration negatively and is possibly associated with daytime sleepiness. Copyright \\© 2016 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Systematic review of guidelines on peripheral artery disease screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferket, Bart S; Spronk, Sandra; Colkesen, Ersen B; Hunink, M G Myriam

2012-02-01

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) screening may be performed to prevent progression of PAD or future cardiovascular disease in general. Recommendations for PAD screening have to be derived indirectly because no randomized trials comparing screening versus no screening have been performed. We performed a systematic review of guidelines to evaluate the value of PAD screening in asymptomatic adults. Guidelines in English published between January 1, 2003 and January 20, 2011 were retrieved using MEDLINE, CINAHL, the National Guideline Clearinghouse, the National Library for Health, the Canadian Medication Association Infobase, and the G-I-N International Guideline Library. Guidelines developed by national and international medical societies from Western countries, containing recommendations on PAD screening, were included. Two reviewers independently assessed rigor of guideline development using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) instrument. One reviewer performed full extraction of recommendations, which was validated by a second reviewer. Of 2779 titles identified, 8 guidelines were included. AGREE scores varied from 33% to 81%. Five guidelines advocated PAD screening, others found insufficient evidence for PAD screening or were against it. Measurement of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) was generally recommended for middle-aged populations with elevated cardiovascular risk levels. Those identified as having PAD are reclassified as high risk, warranting intensive preventive interventions to reduce their risk of a cardiovascular event. The underlying evidence mainly consisted of studies performed in patients with established PAD. A meta-analysis that evaluated ABI testing in the context of traditional cardiovascular risk assessment was interpreted differently. Recommendations on PAD screening vary across current guidelines, making the value of PAD screening uncertain. The variation seems to reflect lack of studies that show added value of

Working Memory and Short-Term Memory Abilities in Accomplished Multilinguals

Science.gov (United States)

Biedron, Adriana; Szczepaniak, Anna

2012-01-01

The role of short-term memory and working memory in accomplished multilinguals was investigated. Twenty-eight accomplished multilinguals were compared to 36 mainstream philology students. The following instruments were used in the study: three memory subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale (Digit Span, Digit-Symbol Coding, and Arithmetic,…

Nuclear instrument engineering - the measuring and informative basis of nuclear science and technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matveev, V.V.; Krasheninnikov, I.S.; Murin, I.D.; Stas', K.N.

1977-01-01

The cornerstones of developing nuclear instrument engineering in the USSR are shortly discussed. The industry is based on a well developed theory. A system approach is a characteristic feature of the present-day measuring and control systems engineering. Major functions of reactor instruments measuring different types of ionizing radiation are discussed at greater length. Nuclear measuring and control instruments and methods are widely used in different fields of science and technoloay and in different industries in the USSR. The efficient and safe operation of a nuclear facility is underlined to depend strongly upon a correlation between a technological process and the information and control system of the facility

Psychometrics properties of early trauma inventory self report - short form (ETISR-SR) for the Brazilian context.

Science.gov (United States)

Osório, Flávia L; Salum, Giovanni Abrahão; Donadon, Mariana Fortunata; Forni-Dos-Santos, Larissa; Loureiro, Sonia Regina; Crippa, José Alexandre S

2013-01-01

This study aims to translate and validate Early Trauma Inventory Self Report -Short Form (ETISR-SF) to Brazilian Portuguese. 253 adult subjects answered the ETISR-SF, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Fast Alcohol Screening Test (FAST). The instrument showed good internal consistency (0.83). Correlations with the PHQ-9 and BAI were moderate (r=0.26-0.47) and showed the expected associations with psychiatric constructs. No associations were found for FTND and FAST. Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed that a correlated four-factor model as well as a second order model subsuming four lower order components presented the best model fit. Test-retest reliability was also excellent (ICC=0.78-0.90). ETISR-SF is suitable for assessing traumatic experiences in a Brazilian community sample. Given the importance of trauma as a public health problem, tools such as ETISR-SF may help clinicians/ researchers to better evaluate and measure such events and further advance clinical care of trauma victims.

High resolution tomographic instrument development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

Our recent work has concentrated on the development of high-resolution PET instrumentation reflecting in part the growing importance of PET in nuclear medicine imaging. We have developed a number of positron imaging instruments and have the distinction that every instrument has been placed in operation and has had an extensive history of application for basic research and clinical study. The present program is a logical continuation of these earlier successes. PCR-I, a single ring positron tomograph was the first demonstration of analog coding using BGO. It employed 4 mm detectors and is currently being used for a wide range of biological studies. These are of immense importance in guiding the direction for future instruments. In particular, PCR-II, a volume sensitive positron tomograph with 3 mm spatial resolution has benefited greatly from the studies using PCR-I. PCR-II is currently in the final stages of assembly and testing and will shortly be placed in operation for imaging phantoms, animals and ultimately humans. Perhaps the most important finding resulting from our previous study is that resolution and sensitivity must be carefully balanced to achieve a practical high resolution system. PCR-II has been designed to have the detection characteristics required to achieve 3 mm resolution in human brain under practical imaging situations. The development of algorithms by the group headed by Dr. Chesler is based on a long history of prior study including his joint work with Drs. Pelc and Reiderer and Stearns. This body of expertise will be applied to the processing of data from PCR-II when it becomes operational

High resolution tomographic instrument development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-08-01

Our recent work has concentrated on the development of high-resolution PET instrumentation reflecting in part the growing importance of PET in nuclear medicine imaging. We have developed a number of positron imaging instruments and have the distinction that every instrument has been placed in operation and has had an extensive history of application for basic research and clinical study. The present program is a logical continuation of these earlier successes. PCR-I, a single ring positron tomograph was the first demonstration of analog coding using BGO. It employed 4 mm detectors and is currently being used for a wide range of biological studies. These are of immense importance in guiding the direction for future instruments. In particular, PCR-II, a volume sensitive positron tomograph with 3 mm spatial resolution has benefited greatly from the studies using PCR-I. PCR-II is currently in the final stages of assembly and testing and will shortly be placed in operation for imaging phantoms, animals and ultimately humans. Perhaps the most important finding resulting from our previous study is that resolution and sensitivity must be carefully balanced to achieve a practical high resolution system. PCR-II has been designed to have the detection characteristics required to achieve 3 mm resolution in human brain under practical imaging situations. The development of algorithms by the group headed by Dr. Chesler is based on a long history of prior study including his joint work with Drs. Pelc and Reiderer and Stearns. This body of expertise will be applied to the processing of data from PCR-II when it becomes operational.

High resolution tomographic instrument development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-01-01

Our recent work has concentrated on the development of high-resolution PET instrumentation reflecting in part the growing importance of PET in nuclear medicine imaging. We have developed a number of positron imaging instruments and have the distinction that every instrument has been placed in operation and has had an extensive history of application for basic research and clinical study. The present program is a logical continuation of these earlier successes. PCR-I, a single ring positron tomograph was the first demonstration of analog coding using BGO. It employed 4 mm detectors and is currently being used for a wide range of biological studies. These are of immense importance in guiding the direction for future instruments. In particular, PCR-II, a volume sensitive positron tomograph with 3 mm spatial resolution has benefited greatly from the studies using PCR-I. PCR-II is currently in the final stages of assembly and testing and will shortly be placed in operation for imaging phantoms, animals and ultimately humans. Perhaps the most important finding resulting from our previous study is that resolution and sensitivity must be carefully balanced to achieve a practical high resolution system. PCR-II has been designed to have the detection characteristics required to achieve 3 mm resolution in human brain under practical imaging situations. The development of algorithms by the group headed by Dr. Chesler is based on a long history of prior study including his joint work with Drs. Pelc and Reiderer and Stearns. This body of expertise will be applied to the processing of data from PCR-II when it becomes operational.

Vibrational fatigue failures in short cantilevered piping with socket-welding fittings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J.K.

1996-01-01

Approximately 80% of the vibrational fatigue failures in nuclear power plants have been caused by high cycle vibrational fatigue. Many of these failures have occurred in short, small bore (2 in. nominal diameter and smaller), unbraced, cantilevered piping with socket-welding fittings. The fatigue failures initiated in the socket welds. These failures have been unexpected, and have caused costly, unscheduled outages in some cases. In order to reduce the number of vibrational fatigue failures in these short cantilevered pipes, an acceleration based vibrational fatigue screening criteria was developed under Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) sponsorship. In this paper, the acceleration based criteria will be compared to the results obtained from detailed dynamic modeling of a short, cantilevered pipe

Systematic screening of child abuse in out-of-hours primary care

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schouten, MCM

2017-01-01

Child abuse is a serious global health problem. This thesis focused on – improving – the detection of child abuse in the out-of-hours primary care (OOH-PC). The main aim was to assess the diagnostic value of the screening instrument SPUTOVAMO-R2 for child abuse. We found that the detection rate of

Basic elements for breast screening programs for Rwanda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abenanye, Emmanuel

2015-02-01

's behavior to breast screening and what are the best screening practices, instruments and skills of people carrying it out. (au)

Self-administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE): a brief cognitive assessment Instrument for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Scharre, Douglas W; Chang, Shu-Ing; Murden, Robert A; Lamb, James; Beversdorf, David Q; Kataki, Maria; Nagaraja, Haikady N; Bornstein, Robert A

2010-01-01

To develop a self-administered cognitive assessment instrument to facilitate the screening of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early dementia and determine its association with gold standard clinical assessments including neuropsychologic evaluation. Adults aged above 59 years with sufficient vision and English literacy were recruited from geriatric and memory disorder clinics, educational talks, independent living facilities, senior centers, and memory screens. After Self-administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE) screening, subjects were randomly selected to complete a clinical evaluation, neurologic examination, neuropsychologic battery, functional assessment, and mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Subjects were identified as dementia, MCI, or normal based on standard clinical criteria and neuropsychologic testing. Two hundred fifty-four participants took the SAGE screen and 63 subjects completed the extensive evaluation (21 normal, 21 MCI, and 21 dementia subjects). Spearman rank correlation between SAGE and neuropsychologic battery was 0.84 (0.76 for MMSE). SAGE receiver operating characteristics on the basis of clinical diagnosis showed 95% specificity (90% for MMSE) and 79% sensitivity (71% for MMSE) in detecting those with cognitive impairment from normal subjects. This study suggests that SAGE is a reliable instrument for detecting cognitive impairment and compares favorably with the MMSE. The self-administered feature may promote cognitive testing by busy clinicians prompting earlier diagnosis and treatment.

An assessment of community health workers' ability to screen for cardiovascular disease risk with a simple, non-invasive risk assessment instrument in Bangladesh, Guatemala, Mexico, and South Africa: an observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaziano, Thomas A; Abrahams-Gessel, Shafika; Denman, Catalina A; Montano, Carlos Mendoza; Khanam, Masuma; Puoane, Thandi; Levitt, Naomi S

2015-09-01

Cardiovascular disease contributes substantially to the non-communicable disease (NCD) burden in low-income and middle-income countries, which also often have substantial health personnel shortages. In this observational study we investigated whether community health workers could do community-based screenings to predict cardiovascular disease risk as effectively as could physicians or nurses, with a simple, non-invasive risk prediction indicator in low-income and middle-income countries. This observation study was done in Bangladesh, Guatemala, Mexico, and South Africa. Each site recruited at least ten to 15 community health workers based on usual site-specific norms for required levels of education and language competency. Community health workers had to reside in the community where the screenings were done and had to be fluent in that community's predominant language. These workers were trained to calculate an absolute cardiovascular disease risk score with a previously validated simple, non-invasive screening indicator. Community health workers who successfully finished the training screened community residents aged 35-74 years without a previous diagnosis of hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease. Health professionals independently generated a second risk score with the same instrument and the two sets of scores were compared for agreement. The primary endpoint of this study was the level of direct agreement between risk scores assigned by the community health workers and the health professionals. Of 68 community health worker trainees recruited between June 4, 2012, and Feb 8, 2013, 42 were deemed qualified to do fieldwork (15 in Bangladesh, eight in Guatemala, nine in Mexico, and ten in South Africa). Across all sites, 4383 community members were approached for participation and 4049 completed screening. The mean level of agreement between the two sets of risk scores was 96·8% (weighted κ=0·948, 95% CI 0·936-0·961) and community health workers showed

Determining the optimal size of small molecule mixtures for high throughput NMR screening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercier, Kelly A.; Powers, Robert

2005-01-01

High-throughput screening (HTS) using NMR spectroscopy has become a common component of the drug discovery effort and is widely used throughout the pharmaceutical industry. NMR provides additional information about the nature of small molecule-protein interactions compared to traditional HTS methods. In order to achieve comparable efficiency, small molecules are often screened as mixtures in NMR-based assays. Nevertheless, an analysis of the efficiency of mixtures and a corresponding determination of the optimum mixture size (OMS) that minimizes the amount of material and instrumentation time required for an NMR screen has been lacking. A model for calculating OMS based on the application of the hypergeometric distribution function to determine the probability of a 'hit' for various mixture sizes and hit rates is presented. An alternative method for the deconvolution of large screening mixtures is also discussed. These methods have been applied in a high-throughput NMR screening assay using a small, directed library

Computer screen photo-excited surface plasmon resonance imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Filippini, Daniel; Winquist, Fredrik; Lundström, Ingemar

2008-09-12

Angle and spectra resolved surface plasmon resonance (SPR) images of gold and silver thin films with protein deposits is demonstrated using a regular computer screen as light source and a web camera as detector. The screen provides multiple-angle illumination, p-polarized light and controlled spectral radiances to excite surface plasmons in a Kretchmann configuration. A model of the SPR reflectances incorporating the particularities of the source and detector explain the observed signals and the generation of distinctive SPR landscapes is demonstrated. The sensitivity and resolution of the method, determined in air and solution, are 0.145 nm pixel(-1), 0.523 nm, 5.13x10(-3) RIU degree(-1) and 6.014x10(-4) RIU, respectively, encouraging results at this proof of concept stage and considering the ubiquity of the instrumentation.

The PDD-MRS : An instrument for identification of autism spectrum disorders in persons with mental retardation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kraijer, D; de Bildt, A

The Scale of Pervasive Developmental Disorder in Mentally Retarded Persons (PDD-MRS) is described. The PDD-MRS is a simple classification and screening instrument devised for identification of autistic disorders (of the entire spectrum) in persons with mental retardation from mild to profound

Evaluation of California's Alcohol and Drug Screening and Brief Intervention Project for Emergency Department Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan I Woodruff

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Visits to settings such as emergency departments (EDs may present a “teachable moment” in that a patient may be more open to feedback and suggestions regarding their risky alcohol and illicit drug-use behaviors. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT is an ’opportunistic’ public health approach that targets low-risk users, in addition to those already dependent on alcohol and/or drugs. SBIRT programs provide patients with comprehensive screening and assessments, and deliver interventions of appropriate intensity to reduce risks related to alcohol and drug use. Methods: This study used a single group pre-post test design to assess the effect of the California SBIRT service program (i.e., CASBIRT on 6 substance-use outcomes (past-month prevalence and number of days of binge drinking, illegal drug use, and marijuana use. Trained bilingual/bicultural Health Educators attempted to screen all adult patients in 12 EDs/trauma centers (regardless of the reason for the patient’s visit using a short instrument, and then delivered a brief motivational intervention matched to the patient’s risk level. A total of 2,436 randomly selected patients who screened positive for alcohol and/or drug use consented to be in a 6-month telephone follow-up interview. Because of the high loss to follow-up rate, we used an intention-to-treat approach for the data analysis. Results: Results of generalized linear mixed models showed modest reductions in all 6 drug- and alcohol-use outcomes. Men (versus women, those at relatively higher risk status (versus lower risk, and those with only one substance of misuse (versus both alcohol and illicit drug misuse tended to show more positive change. Conclusion: These results suggest that SBIRT services provided in acute care settings are associated with modest changes in self-reported recent alcohol and illicit drug use. [West J Emerg Med. 2013;14(3:263–270.

Instrumentation in high energy physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serin, L.

2007-01-01

The instrumentation in high energy physics is a wide and advanced domain which cannot be covered in a single lesson. The main basic physics processes for charged and neutral particles are recalled with the definition of a few concepts needed to understand or design a detector. The application of these principles to charged particle measurement devices (momentum), light detection or energy measurement are presented mostly with examples from collider experiments. The particle identification which is often the combination of different techniques in a same experiment is also discussed. Finally in a very short section, a few considerations about electronics/processing with their impact on the detector performance are given

[German version of a validated instrument to measure the quality of life in patients with hypertension].

Science.gov (United States)

Chrubasik, C; Himmelberger, D; Kohlmann, T; Chrubasik, S

2012-08-01

The aim of this study was to prepare according to standardised criteria a German version of the validated short instrument for the quality of life in patients suffering from hypertension. This instrument is appropriate for clinical trials investigating the effectiveness of antihypertensive treatments. But also in the daily routine this instrument enables one to identify any impairment of life quality due to antihypertensive treatment as early as possible, especially sexual dysfunction, and to react appropriately with treatment adaptations. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The new carbon forms in the scientific instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saniger B, J.M.

1999-01-01

Applications in the development of scientific instrumentation of some of the new forms of carbon are discussed in this work. A short revision is presented of the remaining technical problems of the applications of diamond thin films as active semiconductor elements; heat sinks; X-ray, UV and particle detectors; surface acoustic wave devices, etc. Some advances in the improvement of the surface quality and textural design of diamond films are also presented. On the other hand, the possible implications of carbon nano tubes in scientific instrumentation are also discussed mainly for the development of electronic nano devices. Finally, other promising applications of carbon nano tubes as nano tips for atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopes, as well as nano-host structures for the synthesis of metallic carbide and nitride nano wires are also presented. (Author)

Comparing Binaural Pre-processing Strategies I: Instrumental Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumgärtel, Regina M; Krawczyk-Becker, Martin; Marquardt, Daniel; Völker, Christoph; Hu, Hongmei; Herzke, Tobias; Coleman, Graham; Adiloğlu, Kamil; Ernst, Stephan M A; Gerkmann, Timo; Doclo, Simon; Kollmeier, Birger; Hohmann, Volker; Dietz, Mathias

2015-12-30

In a collaborative research project, several monaural and binaural noise reduction algorithms have been comprehensively evaluated. In this article, eight selected noise reduction algorithms were assessed using instrumental measures, with a focus on the instrumental evaluation of speech intelligibility. Four distinct, reverberant scenarios were created to reflect everyday listening situations: a stationary speech-shaped noise, a multitalker babble noise, a single interfering talker, and a realistic cafeteria noise. Three instrumental measures were employed to assess predicted speech intelligibility and predicted sound quality: the intelligibility-weighted signal-to-noise ratio, the short-time objective intelligibility measure, and the perceptual evaluation of speech quality. The results show substantial improvements in predicted speech intelligibility as well as sound quality for the proposed algorithms. The evaluated coherence-based noise reduction algorithm was able to provide improvements in predicted audio signal quality. For the tested single-channel noise reduction algorithm, improvements in intelligibility-weighted signal-to-noise ratio were observed in all but the nonstationary cafeteria ambient noise scenario. Binaural minimum variance distortionless response beamforming algorithms performed particularly well in all noise scenarios. © The Author(s) 2015.

PASSCAL Instrument Center Support for Cryoseismology: Methodologies, Challenges, Development and Instrumentation

Science.gov (United States)

Beaudoin, B. C.; Anderson, K. R.; Bilek, S. L.; Carpenter, P.; Childs, D.; Chung, P.; Huerta, A. D.; Lingutla, N.; Nikolaus, K.; Winberry, J. P.

2017-12-01

experiment consumables. The instrument capability will include a hybrid seismograph pool of broadband and intermediate elements, for observation of both long-period and intermediate-to-short-period signals, and a high-frequency node element.

Screening for intellectual disability in persons with a substance abuse problem: Exploring the validity of the Hayes Ability Screening Index in a Dutch-speaking sample.

Science.gov (United States)

To, Wing Ting; Vanheule, Stijn; Vanderplasschen, Wouter; Audenaert, Kurt; Vandevelde, Stijn

2014-11-12

There is an increasing interest in screening instruments to detect intellectual disability (ID) in a quick and accurate way in mental health services as well as in the criminal justice system in order to provide appropriate support for people with undetected needs caused by ID. An instrument that has been proven to be useful in both settings is the Hayes Ability Screening Index (HASI). This study assessed the validity of the Dutch version of the HASI in persons with a substance abuse problem residing in mental health services, whether or not mandated to treatment by court order. The HASI was conducted along with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III as the criterion for validity to 90 participants. Additionally, the influence of psychiatric disorder and medication use on the HASI result was examined. A significant positive relationship was found between the two instruments, demonstrating convergent validity. Using a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the discriminative ability of the HASI with a cut-off score of 85 was found to be adequate, yielding in a good balance between sensitivity and specificity. The HASI was not distorted by the presence of the substance abuse problem or other psychiatric illnesses and medication did not influence the HASI scores in this study. These findings indicate that the HASI provides a time-efficient and resource-conscious way to detect ID in persons with a substance problem, thus addressing a critical need in mental health settings. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Multi-Center Evaluation of the Automated Immunohematology Instrument, the ORTHO VISION Analyzer.

Science.gov (United States)

Aysola, Agnes; Wheeler, Leslie; Brown, Richard; Denham, Rebecca; Colavecchia, Connie; Pavenski, Katerina; Krok, Elizabeth; Hayes, Chelsea; Klapper, Ellen

2017-02-01

ORTHO VISION Analyzer (Vision), is an immunohematology instrument using ID-MT gel card technology with digital image processing. It has a continuous, random sample access with STAT priority processing. The efficiency and ease of operation of Vision was evaluated at 5 medical centers. De-identified patient samples were tested on the ORTHO ProVue Analyzer (ProVue) and repeated on the Vision mimicking the daily workload pattern. Turnaround times (TAT) were collected and compared. Operators rated key features of the analyzer on a scale of 1 to 5. A total of 507 samples were tested on both instruments at the 5 trial sites. The mean TAT (SD) were 31.6 minutes (5.5) with Vision and 35.7 minutes (8.4) with ProVue, which renders a 12% reduction. Type and screens were performed on 381 samples; the mean TAT (SD) was 32.2 minutes (4.5) with Vision and 37.0 minutes (7.4) with ProVue. Antibody identification with eleven panel cells was performed on 134 samples on Vision; TAT (SD) was 43.2 minutes (8.3). The installation, training, configuration, maintenance and validation processes are all streamlined to provide a short implementation time. The average rating of main functions by the operators was 4.1 to 4.8. Opportunities for improvement, such as flexibility with editing QC results, maintenance schedule, and printing options were identified. The capabilities to perform serial dilutions, to accept pediatric tubes, and review results by e-Connectivity are enhancements over the ProVue. Vision provides shorter TAT compared to ProVue. Every site described a positive experience using Vision. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Measuring Environmental Factors: Unique and Overlapping International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Coverage of 5 Instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Heinemann, Allen W; Miskovic, Ana; Semik, Patrick; Wong, Alex; Dashner, Jessica; Baum, Carolyn; Magasi, Susan; Hammel, Joy; Tulsky, David S; Garcia, Sofia F; Jerousek, Sara; Lai, Jin-Shei; Carlozzi, Noelle E; Gray, David B

2016-12-01

To describe the unique and overlapping content of the newly developed Environmental Factors Item Banks (EFIB) and 7 legacy environmental factor instruments, and to evaluate the EFIB's construct validity by examining associations with legacy instruments. Cross-sectional, observational cohort. Community. A sample of community-dwelling adults with stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury (N=568). None. EFIB covering domains of the built and natural environment; systems, services, and policies; social environment; and access to information and technology; the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors (CHIEF) short form; the Facilitators and Barriers Survey/Mobility (FABS/M) short form; the Home and Community Environment Instrument (HACE); the Measure of the Quality of the Environment (MQE) short form; and 3 of the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System's (PROMIS) Quality of Social Support measures. The EFIB and legacy instruments assess most of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) environmental factors chapters, including chapter 1 (products and technology; 75 items corresponding to 11 codes), chapter 2 (natural environment and human-made changes; 31 items corresponding to 7 codes), chapter 3 (support and relationships; 74 items corresponding to 7 codes), chapter 4 (attitudes; 83 items corresponding to 8 codes), and chapter 5 (services, systems, and policies; 72 items corresponding to 16 codes). Construct validity is provided by moderate correlations between EFIB measures and the CHIEF, MQE barriers, HACE technology mobility, FABS/M community built features, and PROMIS item banks and by small correlations with other legacy instruments. Only 5 of the 66 legacy instrument correlation coefficients are moderate, suggesting they measure unique aspects of the environment, whereas all intra-EFIB correlations were at least moderate. The EFIB measures provide a brief and focused assessment of ICF

The test beamline of the European Spallation Source - Instrumentation development and wavelength frame multiplication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Woracek, R.; Hofmann, T.; Bulat, M.

2016-01-01

which, in contrast, are all providing short neutron pulses. In order to enable the development of methods and technology adapted to this novel type of source well in advance of the first instruments being constructed at ESS, a test beamline (TBL) was designed and built at the BER II research reactor...... wavelength band between 1.6 A and 10 A by a dedicated wavelength frame multiplication (WFM) chopper system. WFM is proposed for several ESS instruments to allow for flexible time-of-flight resolution. Hence, ESS will benefit from the TBL which offers unique possibilities for testing methods and components....... This article describes the main capabilities of the instrument, its performance as experimentally verified during the commissioning, and its relevance to currently starting ESS instrumentation projects....

Investigating Validity and Reliability of Early Screening for Autistic Traits-Persian Version (ESAT-PV in Toddlers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nahid Vakilizadeh

2017-10-01

Conclusion The results of the present study indicate that the ESAT-PV enjoys acceptable validity and reliability and can be applied as a clinical and research instrument for screening autism in toddlers. These results are important because through the investigating and approval psychometric properties of ESAT-PV, operation the concepts of early screening . Thereafter, interested researchers could use ESAT-PV in different groups for identification and screening of ADD . In addition, recommend to rehabilitation experts, psychologists and psychiatrists, with early screening characteristics of autism spectrum disorders in toddlers and acting for the development, implementation and evaluation of the results of early educational and rehabilitation interventions, and thus, be useful in reducing the cost of family and community.  

Adaptation to Swedish and further development of the “Consequences of Screening – Breast Cancer” questionnaire: a multi-method study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bolejko, Anetta; Wann-Hansson, Christine; Zackrisson, Sophia

2013-01-01

Experiencing a false-positive screening mammography can cause considerable psychosocial distress. The Consequences of Screening - Breast Cancer questionnaire (COS-BC parts 1 and 2), recently developed in Denmark, is the only condition-specific questionnaire for measuring short- and long......-term psychosocial consequences of false-positive mammographic screening. Additional studies are needed to further test the COS-BC before use across cultures. Furthermore, studies have suggested that the consequences of false-positive screening results are partly common across cancer screening settings, although...

Mechanical design and vibro-acoustic testing of ultrathin carbon foils for a spacecraft instrument

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernardin, John D [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Baca, Allen G [SNL

2009-01-01

IBEX-Hi is an electrostatic analyzer spacecraft instrument designed to measure the energy and flux distribution of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) emanating from the interaction zone between the Earth's solar system and the Milky Way galaxy. A key element to this electro-optic instrument is an array of fourteen carbon foils that are used to ionize the ENAs. The foils are comprised of an ultrathin (50-100 {angstrom} thick) layer of carbon suspended across the surface of an electroformed Nickel wire screen, which in turn is held taught by a metal frame holder. The electro formed orthogonal screen has square wire elements, 12.7 {micro}m thick, with a pitch of 131.1 wires/cm. Each foil holder has an open aperture approximately 5 cm by 2.5 cm. Designing and implementing foil holders with such a large surface area has not been attempted for spaceflight in the past and has proven to be extremely challenging. The delicate carbon foils are subject to fatigue failure from the large acoustic and vibration loads that they will be exposed to during launch of the spacecraft. This paper describes the evolution of the foil holder design from previous space instrument applications to a flight-like IBEX-Hi prototype. Vibro-acoustic qualification tests of the IBEX-Hi prototype instrument and the resulting failure of several foils are summarized. This is followed by a discussion of iterative foil holder design modifications and laser vibrometer modal testing to support future fatigue failure analyses, along with additional acoustic testing of the IBEX-Hi prototype instrument. The results of these design and testing activities are merged and the resulting flight-like foil holder assembly is proposed.

The Problem Behaviour Check List: a short scale to assess challenging behaviours

OpenAIRE

Tyrer, PJ; Nagar, J; Evans, R; Oliver, P; Bassett, P; Liedtka, N; Tarabi, A

2016-01-01

Background Challenging behaviour, especially in intellectual disability, covers a wide range that is in need of further evaluation. Aims To develop a short but comprehensive instrument for all aspects of challenging behaviour. Method In the first part of a two-stage enquiry, a 28-item scale was constructed to examine the components of challenging behaviour. Following a simple factor analysis this was developed further to create a new short scale, the Problem Behaviour Checklist (PBCL). The sc...

A comparative analysis of the effects of economic policy instruments in promoting environmentally sustainable transport

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elvik, Rune; Ramjerdi, Farideh

2014-01-01

; (3) Toll schemes; (4) Reward systems giving incentives to reduce driving or change driver behaviour. The effects of these policy instruments are stated in terms of elasticities. All four economic policy instruments have negative elasticities, which means that they do promote environmentally...... sustainable transport. Long-term elasticities tend to be larger than short term elasticities. The long-term elasticities of reward systems are unknown. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved....

Screening for pragmatic language impairment: the potential of the children’s communication checklist

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ketelaars, M.P.; Cuperus, J.; van Daal, J.; Jansonius, K.; Verhoeven, L.

2009-01-01

The present study examines the validity of the Dutch Children's Communication Checklist (CCC) for children in kindergarten in a community sample, in order to assess the feasibility of using it as a screening instrument in the general population. Teachers completed the CCC for a representative sample

Vietnamese validation of the short version of Internet Addiction Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Bach Xuan; Mai, Hue Thi; Nguyen, Long Hoang; Nguyen, Cuong Tat; Latkin, Carl A; Zhang, Melvyn W B; Ho, Roger C M

2017-12-01

The main goal of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of a Vietnamese version of the short-version of Internet Addiction Test (s-IAT) and to assess the relationship between s-IAT scores and demographics, health related qualify of life and perceived stress scores in young Vietnamese. The Vietnamese version of s-IAT was administered to a sample of 589 participants. Exploratory factor and reliability analyses were performed. Regression analysis was used to identify the associated factors. The two-factor model of Vietnamese version of s-IAT demonstrated good psychometric properties. The internal consistency of Factor 1 (loss of control/time management) was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82) and Factor 2 (craving/social problems) was satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha = 0.75). Findings indicated that 20.9% youths were addicted to the Internet. Regression analysis revealed significant associations between Internet addiction and having problems in self-care, lower quality of life and high perceived stress scores. The Vietnamese version of s-IAT is a valid and reliable instrument to assess IA in Vietnamese population. Due to the high prevalence of IA among Vietnamese youths, IA should be paid attention in future intervention programs. s-IAT can be a useful screening tool for IA to promptly inform and treat the IA among Vietnamese youths.

Breast cancer screening programmes: the development of a monitoring and evaluation system.

OpenAIRE

Day, N. E.; Williams, D. R.; Khaw, K. T.

1989-01-01

It is important that the introduction of breast screening is closely monitored. The anticipated effect on breast cancer mortality will take 10 years or more fully to emerge, and will only occur if a succession of more short-term end points are met. Data from the Swedish two-county randomised trial provide targets that should be achieved, following a logical progression of compliance with the initial invitation, prevalence and stage distribution at the prevalence screen, the rate of interval c...

The Hong Kong version of the Oxford Cognitive Screen (HK-OCS): validation study for Cantonese-speaking chronic stroke survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Anthony Pak-Hin; Lam, Pinky Hiu-Ping; Ho, Diana Wai-Lam; Lau, Johnny King; Humphreys, Glyn W; Riddoch, Jane; Weekes, Brendan

2016-09-01

This study reports the validation of the Hong Kong version of Oxford Cognitive Screen (HK-OCS). Seventy Cantonese-speaking healthy individuals participated to establish normative data and 46 chronic stroke survivors were assessed using the HK-OCS, Albert's Test of Visual Neglect, short test of gestural production, and Hong Kong version of the following assessments: Western Aphasia Battery, MMSE, MoCA, Modified Barthel Index, and Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale. The validity of the HK-OCS was appraised by the difference between the two participant groups. Neurologically unimpaired individuals performed significantly better than stroke survivors on the HK-OCS. Positive and significant correlations found between cognitive subtests in the HK-OCS and related assessments indicated good concurrent validity. Excellent intra-rater and inter-rater reliabilities, fair test-retest reliability, and acceptable internal consistency suggested that the HK-OCS had good reliability. Specific HK-OCS subtests including semantics, episodic memory, number writing, and orientation were the best predictors of functional outcomes.

Inspector-instrument interface in portable NDA instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halbig, J.K.; Klosterbuer, S.F.

1981-01-01

Recent electronics technology advances make it possible to design sophisticated instruments in small packages for convenient field implementation. An inspector-instrument interface design that allows communication of procedures, responses, and results between the instrument and user is presented. This capability has been incorporated into new spent-fuel instrumentation and a battery-powered multichannel analyzer

Inspector-instrument interface in portable NDA instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halbig, J.K.; Klosterbuer, S.F.

1981-01-01

Recent electronics technology advances make it possible to design sophisticated instruments in small packages for convenient field implementation. This report describes an inspector-instrument interface design which allows communication of procedures, responses, and results between the instrument and user. The interface has been incorporated into new spent-fuel instrumentation and a battery-powered multichannel analyzer

Wire screens as a tool for survey measurements of the unattached radon progeny in mines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janica, R.

1996-07-01

The radon hazard in mines is assessed by measuring the radioactivity accumulated on filters through which air is forced to flow. The filter collects both forms of the short-lived radon progeny, attached and unattached, and, therefore, the assessment is based on the measurement of the total radon progeny. Because of the special radiological significance of the unattached fraction of the short-lived radon progeny, the estimation of the radiation hazard to miners would be improved if the unattached fraction could be measured. This report describes two methods of measurement for the simultaneous determination of the unattached and the total radon progeny. The proposed methods comply with the criterion of practicality (imposed by the working conditions in the mine environment), that is, they are implemented using standard survey equipment and simple procedures. Both methods use wire screens to collect, preferentially, the unattached fraction. According to the first method, air is sampled through a wire screen and a backup filter, and the radioactivity accumulated on both the filter and the wire screen are measured separately using standard counting protocols (e.g. the Kusnetz protocol). The wire screen's efficiency for collecting the unattached radon progeny is determined, in advance, under laboratory conditions. The method assumes the validity of the collection efficiencies when the screens are used under field conditions. To avoid the uncertainty of the lab-determined collection efficiency, a new measuring method was proposed based on the sampling of air through two screens in series and a backup filter. The measurement of the ratio of the activities deposited on both screens allows an estimation of the screen collection efficiency under field conditions. Once this is done, the 'unattached fraction' and total radon progeny are determined by counting only one of the screens and the backup filter as described in the previous method. (author). 73 refs., 8 tabs., 21 figs

Identification of the Predictive Power of Five Factor Personality Traits for Individual Instrument Performance Anxiety

Science.gov (United States)

Özdemir, Gökhan; Dalkiran, Esra

2017-01-01

This study, with the aim of identifying the predictive power of the five-factor personality traits of music teacher candidates on individual instrument performance anxiety, was designed according to the relational screening model. The study population was students attending the Music Education branch of Fine Arts Education Departments in…

Comparison of Alcohol Use Disorder Screens During College Athlete Pre-Participation Evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Majka, Erek; Graves, Travis; Diaz, Vanessa A; Player, Marty S; Dickerson, Lori M; Gavin, Jennifer K; Wessell, Andrea

2016-05-01

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening adults for alcohol misuse, a challenge among young adults who may not have regular primary care. The pre-participation evaluation (PPE) provides an opportunity for screening, but traditional screening tools require extra time in an already busy visit. The objective of this study was to compare the 10-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) with a single-question alcohol misuse screen in a population of college-aged athletes. This cross-sectional study was performed during an athletic PPE clinic at a college in the Southeastern United States among athletes ages 18 years and older. Written AUDIT and single-question screen "How many times in the past year have you had X or more drinks in a day?" (five for men, four for women) asked orally were administered to each participant. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the single-question screen were compared to AUDIT. A total of 225 athletes were screened; 60% were female; 29% screened positive by AUDIT; 59% positive by single-question instrument. Males were more likely to screen positive by both methods. Compared to the AUDIT, the brief single-question screen had 92% sensitivity for alcohol misuse and 55% specificity. The negative predictive value of the single-question screen was 95% compared to AUDIT. A single-question screen for alcohol misuse in college-aged athletes had a high sensitivity and negative predictive value compared to the more extensive AUDIT screen. Ease of administration of this screening tool is ideal for use within the pre-participation physical among college-aged athletes who may not seek regular medical care.

Medical screening and evaluation for heat stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenney, L.W.

1985-01-01

Wide interindividual variation exists with respect to heat tolerance, making it difficult to predict individual responses. However, several general physical and physiological characteristics are associated with excessive strain and early exhaustion during work in the heat. Included among these correlates of heat intolerance are a medical history of heat illness, acclimation state, age, body composition and size, aerobic fitness level, hypertension, and drug and alcohol use. The approach of choice for medical evaluation for heat exposure is a two-stage evaluation. First, the examining physician should be encouraged to screen out those workers whose characteristics increase their risk of heat intolerance. Secondly, a short exercise test is proposed which accurately predicts relative heat tolerance across a working population. This test is recommended as an adjunct screening test at the examining physician's disgression

Identifying children at risk for language impairment: screening of communication at 18 months.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, B; Kornfält, R; Radeborg, K; Hansson, K; Nettelbladt, U

2003-09-01

To investigate the possibility of identifying children at risk for language impairment based on a new screening instrument to assess communication and language skills at 18 mo of age. At 18 mo, 58 children were assessed with a screening instrument for communication and language consisting of a professional assessment and a parents' questionnaire. Students of speech and language pathology, well trained in child language assessment, carried out the professional assessment, which was based on observations of play behaviour, interaction and expressive and receptive language skills. Of the 58 children, 43 attended a follow-up assessment of language skills at 54 mo of age. Nine children were considered to be at risk for language impairment at 18 mo and 10 children were evaluated as being at risk at 54 mo. A significant positive correlation was found between the professional evaluations at 18 mo and the language tests at 54 mo. Verbal comprehension and pretend play correlated significantly with the results on the language tests. A professional screening of communication and language at 18 mo of age is worthwhile for predicting problems in language development. The results further show that language comprehension and pretend play rather than expressive skills should be emphasized.

A Web-Based Screening System for Dyslexic Pupils: Do Teachers Need It?

Science.gov (United States)

Ubaidullah, Nor Hasbiah Bt.; Hamid, Jamilah

2012-01-01

Currently in Malaysia, schools that conduct the Dyslexia Special Program for dyslexic pupils have to rely on a manual screening instrument, which is cumbersome and slow in diagnosing dyslexic traits in pupils. Thus, this study was carried out to examine prevailing problems that helped in formulating an appropriate solution to overcome existing…

Standardised alcohol screening in primary health care services targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, M Mofizul; Oni, Helen T; Lee, K S Kylie; Hayman, Noel; Wilson, Scott; Harrison, Kristie; Hummerston, Beth; Ivers, Rowena; Conigrave, Katherine M

2018-03-29

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) around Australia have been asked to standardise screening for unhealthy drinking. Accordingly, screening with the 3-item AUDIT-C (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption) tool has become a national key performance indicator. Here we provide an overview of suitability of AUDIT-C and other brief alcohol screening tools for use in ACCHSs. All peer-reviewed literature providing original data on validity, acceptability or feasibility of alcohol screening tools among Indigenous Australians was reviewed. Narrative synthesis was used to identify themes and integrate results. Three screening tools-full AUDIT, AUDIT-3 (third question of AUDIT) and CAGE (Cut-down, Annoyed, Guilty and Eye-opener) have been validated against other consumption measures, and found to correspond well. Short forms of AUDIT have also been found to compare well with full AUDIT, and were preferred by primary care staff. Help was often required with converting consumption into standard drinks. Researchers commented that AUDIT and its short forms prompted reflection on drinking. Another tool, the Indigenous Risk Impact Screen (IRIS), jointly screens for alcohol, drug and mental health risk, but is relatively long (13 items). IRIS has been validated against dependence scales. AUDIT, IRIS and CAGE have a greater focus on dependence than on hazardous or harmful consumption. Detection of unhealthy drinking before harms occur is a goal of screening, so AUDIT-C offers advantages over tools like IRIS or CAGE which focus on dependence. AUDIT-C's brevity suits integration with general health screening. Further research is needed on facilitating implementation of systematic alcohol screening into Indigenous primary healthcare.

Standards for Instrument Migration When Implementing Paper Patient-Reported Outcome Instruments Electronically: Recommendations from a Qualitative Synthesis of Cognitive Interview and Usability Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Muehlhausen, Willie; Byrom, Bill; Skerritt, Barbara; McCarthy, Marie; McDowell, Bryan; Sohn, Jeremy

2018-01-01

To synthesize the findings of cognitive interview and usability studies performed to assess the measurement equivalence of patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments migrated from paper to electronic formats (ePRO), and make recommendations regarding future migration validation requirements and ePRO design best practice. We synthesized findings from all cognitive interview and usability studies performed by a contract research organization between 2012 and 2015: 53 studies comprising 68 unique instruments and 101 instrument evaluations. We summarized study findings to make recommendations for best practice and future validation requirements. Five studies (9%) identified minor findings during cognitive interview that may possibly affect instrument measurement properties. All findings could be addressed by application of ePRO best practice, such as eliminating scrolling, ensuring appropriate font size, ensuring suitable thickness of visual analogue scale lines, and providing suitable instructions. Similarly, regarding solution usability, 49 of the 53 studies (92%) recommended no changes in display clarity, navigation, operation, and completion without help. Reported usability findings could be eliminated by following good product design such as the size, location, and responsiveness of navigation buttons. With the benefit of accumulating evidence, it is possible to relax the need to routinely conduct cognitive interview and usability studies when implementing minor changes during instrument migration. Application of design best practice and selecting vendor solutions with good user interface and user experience properties that have been assessed in a representative group may enable many instrument migrations to be accepted without formal validation studies by instead conducting a structured expert screen review. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sound a very short introduction

CERN Document Server

Goldsmith, Mike

2015-01-01

Sound is integral to how we experience the world, in the form of noise as well as music. But what is sound? What is the physical basis of pitch and harmony? And how are sound waves exploited in musical instruments? Sound: A Very Short Introduction looks at the science of sound and the behaviour of sound waves with their different frequencies. It also explores sound in different contexts, covering the audible and inaudible, sound underground and underwater, acoustic and electronic sound, and hearing in humans and animals. It concludes with the problem of sound out of place—noise and its reduction.

Application of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF) to patients with cataract.

Science.gov (United States)

Gholami, Ali; Araghi, Mahmood Tavakoli; Shamsabadi, Fatemeh; Bayat, Mahdiye; Dabirkhani, Fatemeh; Moradpour, Farhad; Mansori, Kamyar; Moradi, Yousef; Rajabi, Abdolhalim

2016-01-01

Cataract is a prevalent disease in the elderly, and negatively influences patients' quality of life. This study was conducted to study the application of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF) to patients with cataract. In this cross-sectional study, 300 patients with cataract were studied in Neyshabur, Iran from July to October 2014. The Iranian version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used to measure their quality of life. Cronbach's alpha coefficient, Pearson's correlation coefficient, the paired t-test, the independent t-test, and a linear regression model were used to analyze the data in SPSS version 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The mean age of the participants was 68.11±11.98 years, and most were female (53%). The overall observed Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the WHOQOL-BREF was 0.889, ranging from 0.714 to 0.810 in its four domains. The total mean score of the respondents on the WHOQOL-BREF was 13.19. The highest and lowest mean scores were observed in the social relationship domain (14.11) and the physical health domain (12.29), respectively. A backward multiple linear regression model found that duration of disease and marital status were associated with total WHOQOL scores, while age, duration of disease, marital status, and income level were associated with domains one through four, respectively (pmeasurement of the quality of life of patients with cataract. It was also found that the patients with cataract who were surveyed reported a relatively moderate quality of life.

Factor Structure, Internal Consistency, and Screening Sensitivity of the GARS-2 in a Developmental Disabilities Sample

OpenAIRE

Martin A. Volker; Elissa H. Dua; Christopher Lopata; Marcus L. Thomeer; Jennifer A. Toomey; Audrey M. Smerbeck; Jonathan D. Rodgers; Joshua R. Popkin; Andrew T. Nelson; Gloria K. Lee

2016-01-01

The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (GARS-2) is a widely used screening instrument that assists in the identification and diagnosis of autism. The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure, internal consistency, and screening sensitivity of the GARS-2 using ratings from special education teaching staff for a sample of 240 individuals with autism or other significant developmental disabilities. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a correlated three-factor solution si...

Phototest for neurocognitive screening in multiple sclerosis

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto, Joana; Lopes, Emanuela; Gonçalves, Gerly; Silva, Ângela; Carnero-Pardo; Peixoto, Bruno

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurological disorders. Cognitive dysfunction is considered a clinical marker of MS, where approximately half of patients with MS have cognitive impairment. Objective: The Phototest (PT) is a brief cognitive test with high diagnostic sensitivity, accuracy and cost-effectiveness for detecting cognitive deterioration. Our aim was to test the utility of the PT as a neurocognitive screening instrument for MS. Methods: The study enrolled 30 patients with different types of MS from an outpatient clinic as well as 19 healthy participants. In conjunction with the PT, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Barthel Index (BI), Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) were administered. Results: The MS group obtained significantly lower results on all domains of the PT, except for the naming task. The PT showed good concurrent validity with the MoCA. In direct comparison to the MoCA, PT showed a greater area under the curve and higher levels of sensitivity and specificity for MS neurocognitive impairments. A cut-off score of 31 on the Phototest was associated with sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 76.7%. Conclusion : The PT is a valid, specific, sensitive and brief test that is not dependent on motor functions. The instrument could be an option for neurocognitive screening in MS, especially in identifying cases for further neuropsychological assessment and intervention. PMID:29213425

Psychometric properties of the Turkish versions of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) and the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) in the prison setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Evren, Cuneyt; Ogel, Kultegin; Evren, Bilge; Bozkurt, Muge

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate psychometric properties of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) and the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) in prisoners with (n = 124) or without (n = 78) drug use disorder. Participants were evaluated with the DUDIT, the DAST-10, and the Addiction Profile Index-Short (API-S). The DUDIT and the DAST-10 were found to be psychometrically sound drug abuse screening measures with high convergent validity when compared with each other (r = 0.86), and API-S (r = 0.88 and r = 0.84, respectively), and to have a Cronbach's α of 0.93 and 0.87, respectively. In addition, a single component accounted for 58.28% of total variance for DUDIT, whereas this was 47.10% for DAST-10. The DUDIT had sensitivity and specificity scores of 0.95 and 0.79, respectively, when using the optimal cut-off score of 10, whereas these scores were 0.88 and 0.74 for the DAST-10 when using the optimal cut-off score of 4. Additionally, both the DUDIT and the DAST-10 showed good discriminant validity as they differentiated prisoners with drug use disorder from those without. Findings support the Turkish versions of both the DUDIT and the DAST-10 as reliable and valid drug abuse screening instruments that measure unidimensional constructs.

Advancement of High Power Quasi-CW Laser Diode Arrays For Space-based Laser Instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Amzajerdian, Farzin; Meadows, Byron L.; Baker, nathaniel R.; Baggott, Renee S.; Singh, Upendra N.; Kavaya, Michael J.

2004-01-01

Space-based laser and lidar instruments play an important role in NASA s plans for meeting its objectives in both Earth Science and Space Exploration areas. Almost all the lidar instrument concepts being considered by NASA scientist utilize moderate to high power diode-pumped solid state lasers as their transmitter source. Perhaps the most critical component of any solid state laser system is its pump laser diode array which essentially dictates instrument efficiency, reliability and lifetime. For this reason, premature failures and rapid degradation of high power laser diode arrays that have been experienced by laser system designers are of major concern to NASA. This work addresses these reliability and lifetime issues by attempting to eliminate the causes of failures and developing methods for screening laser diode arrays and qualifying them for operation in space.

Asymptomatic bacteriuria, to screen or not to screen - and when to treat?

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Tommaso; Koves, Bela; Johansen, Truls E Bjerklund

2017-03-01

Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) is a common clinical condition that often leads to unnecessary treatment. The purpose of this review is to outline and evaluate the most recent literature on the management of ABU. The role of ABU management has been evaluated in several patient subgroups: healthy patients without identified risk factors, pregnant women, postmenopausal women, women with recurrent UTI, patients with diabetes, elderly institutionalized patients, patients with renal transplants, patients with indwelling catheters and prior to surgery. Available evidence only supports the need for screening and treatment of ABU in pregnant women and prior to urological procedures breaching the mucosa. In all the other conditions the treatment of ABU is not only useless but also harmful. A short course treatment in pregnant women is recommended; in patients with ABU prior to urological procedures breaching the mucosa the treatment should be given in line with antibiogram and in line with the recommendations of European Association of Urology guidelines. The approach to patients with ABU has changed completely during recent years. Today, screening and treatment of ABU is recommended only in pregnant women and in all patients who are candidates for urological procedures breaching the mucosa.

Overdiagnosis in breast cancer screening: The impact of study design and calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynge, Elsebeth; Beau, Anna-Belle; Christiansen, Peer; von Euler-Chelpin, My; Kroman, Niels; Njor, Sisse; Vejborg, Ilse

2017-07-01

Overdiagnosis in breast cancer screening is an important issue. A recent study from Denmark concluded that one in three breast cancers diagnosed in screening areas in women aged 50-69 years were overdiagnosed. The purpose of this short communication was to disentangle the study's methodology in order to evaluate the soundness of this conclusion. We found that both the use of absolute differences as opposed to ratios; the sole focus on non-advanced tumours and the crude allocation of tumours and person-years by screening history for women aged 70-84 years, all contributed to the very high estimate of overdiagnosis. Screening affects cohorts of screened women. Danish registers allow very accurate mapping of the fate of every woman. We should be past the phase where studies of overdiagnosis are based on the fixed age groups from routine statistics. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Development and tests of short versions of the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory and the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory-Child Version

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Baardewijk, Y.; Andershed, H.; Stegge, G.T.M.; Nilsson, K.W.; Scholte, E.; Vermeiren, R.R.J.M.

2010-01-01

The adolescent Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) and its child version (YPI-CV) are sound but lengthy instruments for measuring psychopathic traits in youths. The current study develops psychometrically strong short versions of these instruments. Samples used for item reduction were

Screening of transgenic proteins expressed in transgenic food crops for the presence of short amino acid sequences identical to potential, IgE – binding linear epitopes of allergens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peijnenburg Ad ACM

2002-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Transgenic proteins expressed by genetically modified food crops are evaluated for their potential allergenic properties prior to marketing, among others by identification of short identical amino acid sequences that occur both in the transgenic protein and allergenic proteins. A strategy is proposed, in which the positive outcomes of the sequence comparison with a minimal length of six amino acids are further screened for the presence of potential linear IgE-epitopes. This double track approach involves the use of literature data on IgE-epitopes and an antigenicity prediction algorithm. Results Thirty-three transgenic proteins have been screened for identities of at least six contiguous amino acids shared with allergenic proteins. Twenty-two transgenic proteins showed positive results of six- or seven-contiguous amino acids length. Only a limited number of identical stretches shared by transgenic proteins (papaya ringspot virus coat protein, acetolactate synthase GH50, and glyphosate oxidoreductase and allergenic proteins could be identified as (part of potential linear epitopes. Conclusion Many transgenic proteins have identical stretches of six or seven amino acids in common with allergenic proteins. Most identical stretches are likely to be false positives. As shown in this study, identical stretches can be further screened for relevance by comparison with linear IgE-binding epitopes described in literature. In the absence of literature data on epitopes, antigenicity prediction by computer aids to select potential antibody binding sites that will need verification of IgE binding by sera binding tests. Finally, the positive outcomes of this approach warrant further clinical testing for potential allergenicity.

Core outcome measurement instruments for clinical trials in non-specific low back pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chiarotto, Alessandro; Boers, Maarten; Deyo, Richard A

2017-01-01

Disability Index version 2.1a (ODI 2.1a) for physical functioning (78% agreement) and the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain intensity (75% agreement). No consensus was achieved on any HRQoL instrument, although the Short Form 12 (SF12) approached the consensus threshold (64% agreement). In Round 2...... COSMIN methodology. Researchers, clinicians and patients (n = 207) were invited in a two-round Delphi survey to generate consensus ( ≥ 67% agreement among participants) on which instruments to endorse. Response rates were 44% and 41%, respectively. In Round 1, consensus was achieved on the Oswestry......, consensus was reached on a NRS version with a 1-week recall period (96% agreement). Various participants requested one free-to-use instrument per domain. Considering all issues together, recommendations on core instruments were formulated: ODI 2.1a or 24-item Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire...

Cross-Cultural Adaptation of a Pre-School Screening Instrument: Comparison of Korean and US Populations

Science.gov (United States)

Heo, K. H.; Squires, J.; Yovanoff, P.

2008-01-01

Background: Accurate and efficient developmental screening measures are critical for early identification of developmental problems; however, few reliable and valid tests are available in Korea as well as other countries outside the USA. The Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) was chosen for study with young children in Korea. Methods: The ASQ…

Predictive properties of the A-TAC inventory when screening for childhood-onset neurodevelopmental problems in a population-based sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Tomas; Lundström, Sebastian; Nilsson, Thomas; Selinus, Eva Norén; Råstam, Maria; Lichtenstein, Paul; Gumpert, Clara Hellner; Anckarsäter, Henrik; Kerekes, Nóra

2013-09-25

Identifying children with childhood-onset neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs, defined here as autism spectrum disorders [ASDs], attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [AD/HD], tic disorders [TDs], learning disorders [LDs] and development coordination disorder), using easily administered screening instruments, is a prerequisite for epidemiological research. Such instruments are also clinically useful to prioritize children for comprehensive assessments, to screen risk groups, and to follow controls.Autism-Tics, ADHD, and other Co-morbidities inventory (A-TAC) was developed to meet these requirements; here the A-TAC's prospective and psychometric properties are examined, when used in a population-based, epidemiological setting. Since 2004, parents of all Swedish twins have been asked to take part in an ongoing, nation-wide twin study (The Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden). The study includes the A-TAC, carried out as a telephone interview with parents of twins aged 9 or 12. In the present study, screen-positive twins from three birth year cohorts (1993-1995) were invited to a comprehensive clinical follow-up (blinded for previous screening results) together with their co-twins and randomly selected, healthy controls at age 15 (Total N = 452). Sensitivity and specificity of A-TAC scores for predicting later clinical diagnoses were good to excellent overall, with values of the area under the receiver operating characteristics curves ranging from 0.77 (AD/HD) to 0.91 (ASDs). Among children who were screen-positive for an ASD, 48% received a clinical diagnosis of ASDs. For AD/HD, the corresponding figure was also 48%, for LDs 16%, and for TDs 60%. Between 4% and 35% of screen-positive children did not receive any diagnosis at the clinical follow-up three years later. Among screen-negative controls, prevalence of ASDs, AD/HD, LDs, and TDs was 0%, 7%, 4%, and 2%, respectively. The A-TAC appeared to be a valid instrument to assess NDPs in this population

Measurement properties of screening and diagnostic tools for autism spectrum adults of mean normal intelligence: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Baghdadli, A; Russet, F; Mottron, L

2017-07-01

The autism spectrum (AS) is a multifaceted neurodevelopmental variant associated with lifelong challenges. Despite the relevant importance of identifying AS in adults for epidemiological, public health, and quality of life issues, the measurement properties of the tools currently used to screen and diagnose adults without intellectual disabilities (ID) have not been assessed. This systematic review addresses the accuracy, reliability, and validity of the reported AS screening and diagnostic tools used in adults without ID. Electronic databases and bibliographies were searched, and identified papers evaluated against inclusion criteria. The PRISMA statement was used for reporting the review. We evaluated the quality of the papers using the COSMIN Checklist for psychometric data, and QUADAS-2 for diagnostic data. For the COSMIN assessment, evidence was considered to be strong when several methodologically good articles, or one excellent article, reported consistent evidence for or against a measurement property. For the QUADAS ratings, evidence was considered to be "satisfactory" if at least one study was rated with a low risk of bias and low concern about applicability. We included 38 articles comprising 32 studies, five reviews, and one book chapter and assessed nine tools (three diagnostic and six screening, including eight of their short versions). Among screening tools, only AQ-50, AQ-S, and RAADS-R and RAADS-14 were found to provide satisfactory or intermediate values for their psychometric properties, supported by strong or moderate evidence. Nevertheless, risks of bias and concerns on the applicability of these tools limit the evidence on their diagnostic properties. We found that none of the gold standard diagnostic tools used for children had satisfactory measurement properties. There is limited evidence for the measurement properties of the screening and diagnostic tools used for AS adults with a mean normal range of measured intelligence. This may lessen

Breast cancer screening programmes: the development of a monitoring and evaluation system.

Science.gov (United States)

Day, N E; Williams, D R; Khaw, K T

1989-06-01

It is important that the introduction of breast screening is closely monitored. The anticipated effect on breast cancer mortality will take 10 years or more fully to emerge, and will only occur if a succession of more short-term end points are met. Data from the Swedish two-county randomised trial provide targets that should be achieved, following a logical progression of compliance with the initial invitation, prevalence and stage distribution at the prevalence screen, the rate of interval cancers after the initial screen, the pick-up rate and stage distribution at later screening tests, the rate of interval cancers after later tests, the absolute rate of advanced cancer and finally the breast cancer mortality rate. For evaluation purposes, historical data on stage at diagnosis is desirable; it is suggested that tumour size is probably the most relevant variable available in most cases.

The Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15): development and validation of an instrument for anxiety, depression, and PTSD in refugees.

Science.gov (United States)

Hollifield, Michael; Verbillis-Kolp, Sasha; Farmer, Beth; Toolson, Eric C; Woldehaimanot, Tsegaba; Yamazaki, Junko; Holland, Annette; St Clair, Janet; SooHoo, Janet

2013-01-01

Screening for emotional distress in newly arrived refugees is not a standard practice due to multiple barriers, one being the absence of a valid screening instrument for multiple refugee populations. The Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15) was empirically developed to be a valid, efficient and effective screener for common mental disorders in refugees. Development followed published methods. Two hundred fifty-one refugees from three countries were screened at their public health visit with a pilot instrument, and 190 were administered diagnostic proxy instruments (DPs). Data analyses using multiple methods selected the best items for classification on DPs. Follow-up clinical service data were obtained. Post hoc analyses of the developed RHS-15 showed good sensitivity(range .81 to .95) and specificity (range .86 to .89) to DP's in two of three ethnic groups. Seventy-four percent of positive cases accepted treatment services. Of those, 79% engaged in treatment, and 92% continued treatment more than 3 months. The RHS-15 is a screener for common mental disorders in newly-arrived refugees in public health. The RHS-15appears to be effective, but further prospective research in a broad range of refugee groups is required to establish generalizability. Strengths, limitations, methods to apply the RHS-15 for optimal performance, and future directions for research and implementation are discussed. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Listen to them draw: screening children in primary care through the use of human figure drawings.

Science.gov (United States)

Tielsch, Anna H; Allen, Patricia Jackson

2005-01-01

This literature review focuses on the Human Figure Drawing (HFD) methods put forth by Elizabeth Koppitz as a screening instrument. Children's drawings have potential as a mental health screening aide for health care practitioners in the primary care setting. This paper focuses on self-portrait drawings as a screening technique for emotional well-being, anxiety, and depression in school-aged children (6-12 years old). Using Koppitz's emotional indicators checklist for mental health, practitioners can use the child's HFD as a quick screening tool. Although the HFD is not diagnostic and can not be used as the sole indicator for anxiety or depression, two or more emotional indicators may signal to the clinician that further psychiatric assessment and referral is needed.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Validity, and Reliability of the Persian Version of the Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Shafeei, Asrin; Mokhtarinia, Hamid Reza; Maleki-Ghahfarokhi, Azam; Piri, Leila

2017-08-01

Observational study. To cross-culturally translate the Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire (OMPQ) into Persian and then evaluate its psychometric properties (reliability, validity, ceiling, and flooring effects). To the authors' knowledge, prior to this study there has been no validated instrument to screen the risk of chronicity in Persian-speaking patients with low back pain (LBP) in Iran. The OMPQ was specifically developed as a self-administered screening tool for assessing the risk of LBP chronicity. The forward-backward translation method was used for the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the original questionnaire. In total, 202 patients with subacute LBP completed the OMPQ and the pain disability questionnaire (PDQ), which was used to assess convergent validity. 62 patients completed the OMPQ a week later as a retest. Slight changes were made to the OMPQ during the translation/cultural adaptation process; face validity of the Persian version was obtained. The Persian OMPQ showed excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.89). Its internal consistency was 0.71, and its convergent validity was confirmed by good correlation coefficient between the OMPQ and PDQ total scores ( r =0.72, p validity, construct validity, reliability, and consistency. It is therefore considered a useful instrument for screening Iranian patients with LBP.

High Voltage Performance of the Beam Screen of the LHC Injection Kicker Magnets

CERN Document Server

Barnes, MJ; Bregliozzi, G; Calatroni, S; Costa Pinto, P; Day, H; Ducimetière, L; Kramer, T; Namora, V; Mertens, V; Taborelli, M

2014-01-01

The LHC injection kicker magnets include beam screens to shield the ferrite yokes against wakefields resulting from the high intensity beam. The screening is provided by conductors lodged in the inner wall of a ceramic support tube. The design of the beam screen has been upgraded to overcome limitations and permit LHC operation with increasingly higher bunch intensity and short bunch lengths: the new design also significantly reduces the electric field associated with the screen conductors, decreasing the probability of electrical breakdown. The high voltage conditioning process for the upgraded kicker magnets is presented and discussed. In addition a test setup has been utilized to study flashover, on the inner wall of the ceramic tube, as a function of both applied voltage and vacuum pressure: results from the test setup are presented.

Reduction of Surface Flashover of the Beam Screen of the LHC Injection Kickers

CERN Document Server

Barnes, M J; Calatroni, S; Caspers, F; Ducimetière, L; Gomes Namora, V; Mertens, V; Noulibos, R; Taborelli, M; Teissandier, B; Uythoven, J; Weterings, W

2013-01-01

The LHC injection kicker magnets include beam screens to shield the ferrite yokes against wake fields resulting from the high intensity beam. The screening is provided by conductors lodged in the inner wall of a ceramic support tube. LHC operation with increasingly higher bunch intensity and short bunch lengths, requires improved ferrite screening. This will be implemented by additional conductors; however these must not compromise the good high-voltage behaviour of the kicker magnets. Extensive studies have been carried out to better satisfy the often conflicting requirements for low beam coupling impedance, fast magnetic field rise-time, ultra-high vacuum and good high voltage behaviour. A new design is proposed which significantly reduces the electric field associated with the screen conductors. Results of high voltage tests are also presented.

An initial investigation on developing a new method to predict short-term breast cancer risk based on deep learning technology

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Yuchen; Wang, Yunzhi; Yan, Shiju; Tan, Maxine; Cheng, Samuel; Liu, Hong; Zheng, Bin

2016-03-01

In order to establish a new personalized breast cancer screening paradigm, it is critically important to accurately predict the short-term risk of a woman having image-detectable cancer after a negative mammographic screening. In this study, we developed and tested a novel short-term risk assessment model based on deep learning method. During the experiment, a number of 270 "prior" negative screening cases was assembled. In the next sequential ("current") screening mammography, 135 cases were positive and 135 cases remained negative. These cases were randomly divided into a training set with 200 cases and a testing set with 70 cases. A deep learning based computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) scheme was then developed for the risk assessment, which consists of two modules: adaptive feature identification module and risk prediction module. The adaptive feature identification module is composed of three pairs of convolution-max-pooling layers, which contains 20, 10, and 5 feature maps respectively. The risk prediction module is implemented by a multiple layer perception (MLP) classifier, which produces a risk score to predict the likelihood of the woman developing short-term mammography-detectable cancer. The result shows that the new CAD-based risk model yielded a positive predictive value of 69.2% and a negative predictive value of 74.2%, with a total prediction accuracy of 71.4%. This study demonstrated that applying a new deep learning technology may have significant potential to develop a new short-term risk predicting scheme with improved performance in detecting early abnormal symptom from the negative mammograms.

A pilot's opinion - VTOL control design requirements for the instrument approach task.

Science.gov (United States)

Patton, J. M., Jr.

1972-01-01

This paper presents pilot opinion supported by test data concerning flight control and display concepts and control system design requirements for VTOL aircraft in the instrument approach task. Material presented is drawn from research flights in the following aircraft: Dornier DO-31, Short SC-1, LTV XC-142A, and Boeing-Vertol CH-46. The control system concepts and mechanizations employed in the above aircraft are discussed, and the effect of control system augmentation is shown on performance. Operational procedures required in the instrument approach task are described, with comments on need for automation and combining of control functions.

Instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prieur, G.; Nadi, M.; Hedjiedj, A.; Weber, S.

1995-01-01

This second chapter on instrumentation gives little general consideration on history and classification of instrumentation, and two specific states of the art. The first one concerns NMR (block diagram of instrumentation chain with details on the magnets, gradients, probes, reception unit). The first one concerns precision instrumentation (optical fiber gyro-meter and scanning electron microscope), and its data processing tools (programmability, VXI standard and its history). The chapter ends with future trends on smart sensors and Field Emission Displays. (D.L.). Refs., figs

Validation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) and association of PSST scores with health-related quality of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Câmara, Rachel de A; Köhler, Cristiano A; Frey, Benicio N; Hyphantis, Thomas N; Carvalho, André F

2017-01-01

To develop and validate a Brazilian Portuguese version of the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST), a questionnaire used for the screening of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and of the most severe form of PMS, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). The PSST also rates the impact of premenstrual symptoms on daily activities. A consecutive sample of 801 women aged ≥ 18 years completed the study protocol. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and content validity of the Brazilian PSST were determined. The independent association of a positive screen for PMS or PMDD and quality of life determined by the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument-Abbreviated version (WHOQOL-Bref) was also assessed. Of 801 participants, 132 (16.5%) had a positive screening for PMDD. The Brazilian PSST had adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.91) and test-retest reliability. The PSST also had adequate convergent/discriminant validity, without redundancy. Content validity ratio and content validity index were 0.61 and 0.94 respectively. Finally, a positive screen for PMS/PMDD was associated with worse WHOQOL-Bref scores. These findings suggest that PSST is a reliable and valid instrument to screen for PMS/PMDD in Brazilian women.

Radiochemical and instrumental neutron activation analysis - recent trends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dams, R.

1990-01-01

Recent trends of radiochemical and instrumental neutron activation analysis are discussed. Novel developments include the application of cyclic and pulsed activation, better energy resolution with hyperpure germanium detectors, and use of pulse processing systems allowing extremely high count rates of very short-lived isotopes. Further development is anticipated in the field of speciation in biological and environmental studies. Radiochemical methods have led to accurate determinations at the ng/g level. A promising future is expected for neutron activation techniques. (orig.)

The cost of implementation of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988--the example of pediatric office-based cholesterol screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Tershakovec, A M; Brannon, S D; Bennett, M J; Shannon, B M

1995-08-01

To measure the additional costs of office-based laboratory testing due to the implementation of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA '88), using cholesterol screening for children as an example. Four- to ten-year-old children who received their well child care at one of seven participating pediatric practices were screened for hypercholesterolemia. The average number of analyses per day and days per month were derived from the volume of testing completed by the practices. Nurses and technicians time in the screening process were measured and personnel costs were calculated based on salary and fringe benefit rates. Costs of supplies, analyzing control samples, instrument calibration, and instrument depreciation were included. Costs estimates of screening were then completed. CLIA '88 implementation costs were derived from appropriate proficiency testing and laboratory inspection programs. In six practices completing a low volume of testing, 2807 children (5 to 6 children per week) were screened during the observation period, while 414 (about 25 children per week) were screened in one high-volume practice implementing universal screening over a 4-month period. For the six low-volume practices, the cost of screening was $10.60 per child. This decreased to $5.47 for the high-volume practice. Estimated costs of CLIA '88 implementation, including additional proficiency testing and laboratory inspection, added $3.20 per test for the low-volume practices, and $0.71 per test for the high-volume testing. Implementation of CLIA adds significantly to the cost of office-based chemistry laboratory screening. Despite these additional expenses, the cost of testing is still within a reasonable charge for laboratory testing, and is highly sensitive to the volume of tests completed.

Spanish-language screening scales: A critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres-Castro, S; Mena-Montes, B; González-Ambrosio, G; Zubieta-Zavala, A; Torres-Carrillo, N M; Acosta-Castillo, G I; Espinel-Bermúdez, M C

2018-05-09

Dementia is a chronic, degenerative disease with a strong impact on families and health systems. The instruments currently in use for measuring cognitive impairment have different psychometric characteristics in terms of application time, cut-off point, reliability, and validity. The objective of this review is to describe the characteristics of the validated, Spanish-language versions of the Mini-Cog, Clock-Drawing Test, and Mini-Mental State Examination scales for cognitive impairment screening. We performed a three-stage literature search of articles published on Medline since 1953. We selected articles on validated, Spanish-language versions of the scales that included data on reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity. The 3 screening tools assessed in this article provide support for primary care professionals. Timely identification of mild cognitive impairment and dementia is crucial for the prognosis of these patients. Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Demographic corrections for the modified Telephone Screening for Cognitive Status

OpenAIRE

Dennett, Kathryn; Tometich, Danielle; Duff, Kevin

2013-01-01

Despite the growing use of the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (mTICS) as a cognitive screening instrument, it does not yet have demographic corrections. Demographic data, mTICS, and a neuropsychological battery were collected from 274 community dwelling older adults with intact cognition or mild cognitive impairments. Age, education, premorbid intellect, and depression were correlated with mTICS scores. Using regression equations, age and education significantly predicted m...

Instrumentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Decreton, M

2001-04-01

SCK-CEN's research and development programme on instrumentation involves the assessment and the development of sensitive measurement systems used within a radiation environment. Particular emphasis is on the assessment of optical fibre components and their adaptability to radiation environments. The evaluation of ageing processes of instrumentation in fission plants, the development of specific data evaluation strategies to compensate for ageing induced degradation of sensors and cable performance form part of these activities. In 2000, particular emphasis was on in-core reactor instrumentation applied to fusion, accelerator driven and water-cooled fission reactors. This involved the development of high performance instrumentation for irradiation experiments in the BR2 reactor in support of new instrumentation needs for MYRRHA, and for diagnostic systems for the ITER reactor.

Instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Decreton, M.

2001-01-01

SCK-CEN's research and development programme on instrumentation involves the assessment and the development of sensitive measurement systems used within a radiation environment. Particular emphasis is on the assessment of optical fibre components and their adaptability to radiation environments. The evaluation of ageing processes of instrumentation in fission plants, the development of specific data evaluation strategies to compensate for ageing induced degradation of sensors and cable performance form part of these activities. In 2000, particular emphasis was on in-core reactor instrumentation applied to fusion, accelerator driven and water-cooled fission reactors. This involved the development of high performance instrumentation for irradiation experiments in the BR2 reactor in support of new instrumentation needs for MYRRHA, and for diagnostic systems for the ITER reactor

Validation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) For Depression Screening in Adults with Epilepsy

Science.gov (United States)

Rathore, Jaivir S.; Jehi, Lara E.; Fan, Youran; Patel, Sima I.; Foldvary-Schaefer, Nancy; Ramirez, Maya J.; Busch, Robyn M.; Obuchowski, Nancy A.; Tesar, George E.

2015-01-01

Objective Assess accuracy and operating characteristics of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression-screening in adults with epilepsy. Methods Tertiary epilepsy center patients served as the study population with 237 agreeing to structured interview using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), a “gold standard” instrument developed for rapid diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD); 172 also completed the PHQ-9, and 127 completed both the PHQ-9 and the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) within two days of the MINI. Sensitivity, specificity, positive & negative predictive values & areas under the ROC curves for each instrument were determined. Cut-points of 10 for the PHQ-9 and 15 for the NDDI-E were used and ratings at or above the cut-points were considered screen-positive. The PHQ-9 was divided into cognitive/affective (PHQ-9/CA) and somatic (PHQ-9/S) subscales to determine comparative depression-screening accuracy. Results The calculated areas under the ROC curves for the PHQ-9 (n=172) and the PHQ-9/CA and PHQ-9/S sub-scales were 0.914, 0.924, and 0.846, respectively, with the PHQ-9 more accurate than the PHQ-9/S (p=0.002) but no different than the PHQ-9/CA (p=0.378). At cut-points of 10 and 15, respectively, the PHQ-9 had higher sensitivity (0.92 vs 0.87), but lower specificity (0.74 vs 0.89) than the NDDI-E. The areas under the ROC curves of the PHQ-9 and the NDDI-E showed similar accuracy (n=127; 0.930 vs 0.934; p=0.864). Significance The PHQ-9 is an efficient & non-proprietary depression screening instrument with excellent accuracy validated for use in adult epilepsy patients as well as multiple other medical populations. PMID:25064739

[Screening methods for mild cognitive impairment in primary care].

Science.gov (United States)

Freire Pérez, Alberto

2017-06-01

Diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is always clinical and screening methods only indicate that the patient has a higher risk of this condition. In MCI, there is a slight decline in some cognitive abilities that does not affect activities of daily living and therefore does not produce social or occupational disability. The definitive diagnosis of MCI requires a considerable time investment that is very rarely possible to provide in primary care (PC) consultations. Hence the need for PC physicians to employ rapid and simple screening methods (brief cognitive assessment -BCA-) that allow objective identification of patients likely to have MCI in a few minutes. This article reviews the BCA tools that can truly be applied in less than 10 minutes. The phototest is a brief screening tool that is easy to use and interpret by physicians and is well accepted by patients. Consequently, it is one of the most useful tests in PC for screening of both MCI and dementia. In addition to BCA, instrumental activities of daily living scales should also be applied to differentiate MCI from dementia. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Advanced diagnosis of the temporal characteristics of ultra-short electron beams

Science.gov (United States)

Otake, Yuji

2011-05-01

Monitoring the temporal structure of an ultra-short electron beam is an indispensable function in order to tune a machine to obtain a highly qualified beam for a recent sophisticated accelerator, such as an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL), and to maintain stable X-ray laser operation. For this purpose, various instruments, such as an HEM11-mode RF beam deflector (RFDEF), a screen monitor (SCM), an electro-optic (EO) sampling method that uses a ZnTe crystal, and a beam position monitor (BPM) have been developed. The SCM that is used to observe the deflected beam image has a position resolution of 2.5 μm, which corresponds to a temporal resolution of 0.5 fs and it is installed at a position 5 m downstream from the RFDEF. The EO sampling method showed the ability to observe an electron bunch length for up to 300 fs (FWHM) at the SCSS test accelerator. The phase reference cavity of the BPM has an additional function of providing beam arrival timing information. A test for the BPM showed temporal fluctuation of 46 fs on the beam arrival timing at the test accelerator. These monitors with high temporal resolutions allow us to achieve the fine beam tuning demanded for the XFEL. The above-mentioned activities are described in this paper as a review article.

Advanced diagnosis of the temporal characteristics of ultra-short electron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otake, Yuji

2011-01-01

Monitoring the temporal structure of an ultra-short electron beam is an indispensable function in order to tune a machine to obtain a highly qualified beam for a recent sophisticated accelerator, such as an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL), and to maintain stable X-ray laser operation. For this purpose, various instruments, such as an HEM11-mode RF beam deflector (RFDEF), a screen monitor (SCM), an electro-optic (EO) sampling method that uses a ZnTe crystal, and a beam position monitor (BPM) have been developed. The SCM that is used to observe the deflected beam image has a position resolution of 2.5 μm, which corresponds to a temporal resolution of 0.5 fs and it is installed at a position 5 m downstream from the RFDEF. The EO sampling method showed the ability to observe an electron bunch length for up to 300 fs (FWHM) at the SCSS test accelerator. The phase reference cavity of the BPM has an additional function of providing beam arrival timing information. A test for the BPM showed temporal fluctuation of 46 fs on the beam arrival timing at the test accelerator. These monitors with high temporal resolutions allow us to achieve the fine beam tuning demanded for the XFEL. The above-mentioned activities are described in this paper as a review article.

Assessing Children's Anxiety Using the Modified Short State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Talking Mats: A Pilot Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Nilsson

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Preoperative anxiety complicates treatment and requires assessment by nurses in children. Children, with or without disability, are helped when pictures are used to support communication. The purpose of this pilot study was to test the reliability and validity of the modified short State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI using a modified Talking Mats method in children undergoing day surgeries. Method. A modified short STAI with pictorial support along the lines of the Talking Mats method was pre- and postoperatively administered to 42 typically developing children aged three to nine years. The parents assessed the children’s anxiety, simultaneously and independently, by scoring the short STAI by proxy. Results. The modified short STAI showed moderate internal consistency and good construct validity in the age group seven to nine years. Conclusions. The results of this study support the use of the instrument for self-reports in children aged seven to nine years. Future research will explore the possibilities of also using this instrument for children with cognitive and communicative difficulties.

Systems analysis programs for hands-on integrated reliability evaluations (SAPHIRE) Version 5.0. Fault tree, event tree, and piping ampersand instrumentation diagram (FEP) editors reference manual: Volume 7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKay, M.K.; Skinner, N.L.; Wood, S.T.

1994-07-01

The Systems Analysis Programs for Hands-on Integrated Reliability Evaluations (SAPHIRE) refers to a set of several microcomputer programs that were developed to create and analyze probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs), primarily for nuclear power plants. The Fault Tree, Event Tree, and Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (FEP) editors allow the user to graphically build and edit fault trees, and event trees, and piping and instrumentation diagrams (P and IDs). The software is designed to enable the independent use of the graphical-based editors found in the Integrated Reliability and Risk Assessment System (IRRAS). FEP is comprised of three separate editors (Fault Tree, Event Tree, and Piping and Instrumentation Diagram) and a utility module. This reference manual provides a screen-by-screen guide of the entire FEP System

Improving screening and diagnosis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction: a call to action.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiler, John M; Hallstrand, Teal S; Parsons, Jonathan P; Randolph, Christopher; Silvers, William S; Storms, William W; Bronstone, Amy

2014-01-01

This article summarizes the findings of an expert panel of nationally recognized allergists and pulmonologists who met to discuss how to improve detection and diagnosis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), a transient airway narrowing that occurs during and most often after exercise in people with and without underlying asthma. EIB is both commonly underdiagnosed and overdiagnosed. EIB underdiagnosis may result in habitual avoidance of sports and physical activity, chronic deconditioning, weight gain, poor asthma control, low self-esteem, and reduced quality of life. Routine use of a reliable and valid self-administered EIB screening questionnaire by professionals best positioned to screen large numbers of people could substantially improve the detection of EIB. The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature that evaluated the accuracy of EIB screening questionnaires that might be adopted for widespread EIB screening in the general population. Results of this review indicated that no existing EIB screening questionnaire had adequate sensitivity and specificity for this purpose. The authors present a call to action to develop a new EIB screening questionnaire, and discuss the rigorous qualitative and quantitative research necessary to develop and validate such an instrument, including key methodological pitfalls that must be avoided. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interactive teaching and learning with smart phone app in Optoelectronic Instruments course

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yao; Hao, Qun; Zhou, Ya; Huang, Yifan

2017-08-01

Optoelectronic Instruments is a comprehensive professional course for senior students majored in optical engineering and similar specialties. Due to the low lecturer/ student ratio, typically less than 1:100, most of the students gave up the chance of one-to-one communication with the lecturers even when they were confused about the principle or applications of the instruments. A smart phone App Rain Classroom associated with messaging App Wechat is introduced. It enables the lecturers to receive instant feedback from students through bullet screen, push preview and review materials and post in-class quiz. Investigation also shows that 76% of the students enjoyed the new interactive tool, acknowledging its help in understanding the topic better, improving in-class interaction, and after class communications.

Does one hour of bright or short-wavelength filtered tablet screenlight have a meaningful effect on adolescents' pre-bedtime alertness, sleep, and daytime functioning?

Science.gov (United States)

Heath, Melanie; Sutherland, Cate; Bartel, Kate; Gradisar, Michael; Williamson, Paul; Lovato, Nicole; Micic, Gorica

2014-05-01

Electronic media use is prevalent among adolescent populations, as is the frequency of sleeplessness. One mechanism proposed for technology affecting adolescents' sleep is the alerting effects from bright screens. Two explanations are provided. First, screens emit significant amounts of short-wavelength light (i.e. blue), which produces acute alertness and alters sleep timing. Second, later chronotypes are hypothesised to be hypersensitive to evening light. This study analysed the pre-sleep alertness (GO/NOGO task speed, accuracy; subjective sleepiness), sleep (sleep diary, polysomnography), and morning functioning of 16 healthy adolescents (M = 17.4 ± 1.9 yrs, 56% f) who used a bright tablet screen (80 lux), dim screen (1 lux) and a filtered short-wavelength screen (f.lux; 50 lux) for 1 hr before their usual bedtime in a within-subjects protocol. Chronotype was analysed as a continuous between-subjects factor; however, no significant interactions occurred. Significant effects occurred between bright and dim screens for GO/NOGO speed and accuracy. However, the magnitude of these differences was small (e.g. GO/NOGO speed = 23 ms, accuracy = 13%), suggesting minimal clinical significance. No significant effects were found for sleep onset latency, slow-rolling eye movements, or the number of SWS and REM minutes in the first two sleep cycles. Future independent studies are needed to test short (1 hr) vs longer (>2 hrs) screen usage to provide evidence for safe-to-harmful levels of screenlight exposure before adolescents' usual bedtime.

FREQUENCY COMPONENT EXTRACTION OF HEARTBEAT CUES WITH SHORT TIME FOURIER TRANSFORM (STFT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumarna Sumarna

2017-01-01

  Electro-acoustic human heartbeat detector have been made with the main parts : (a stetoscope (piece chest, (b mic condenser, (c transistor amplifier, and (d cues analysis program with MATLAB. The frequency components that contained in heartbeat. cues have also been extracted with Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT from 9 volunteers. The results of the analysis showed that heart rate appeared in every cue frequency spectrum with their harmony. The steps of the research were including detector instrument design, test and instrument repair, cues heartbeat recording with Sound Forge 10 program and stored in wav file ; cues breaking at the start and the end, and extraction/cues analysis using MATLAB. The MATLAB program included filter (bandpass filter with bandwidth between 0.01 – 110 Hz, cues breaking with hamming window and every part was calculated using Fourier Transform (STFT mechanism and the result were shown in frequency spectrum graph.   Keywords: frequency components extraction, heartbeat cues, Short Time Fourier Transform

Risk prediction in the community: A systematic review of case-finding instruments that predict adverse healthcare outcomes in community-dwelling older adults.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Caoimh, Rónán

2015-09-01

Few case-finding instruments are available to community healthcare professionals. This review aims to identify short, valid instruments that detect older community-dwellers risk of four adverse outcomes: hospitalisation, functional-decline, institutionalisation and death. Data sources included PubMed and the Cochrane library. Data on outcome measures, patient and instrument characteristics, and trial quality (using the Quality In Prognosis Studies [QUIPS] tool), were double-extracted for derivation-validation studies in community-dwelling older adults (>50 years). Forty-six publications, representing 23 unique instruments, were included. Only five were externally validated. Mean patient age range was 64.2-84.6 years. Most instruments n=18, (78%) were derived in North America from secondary analysis of survey data. The majority n=12, (52%), measured more than one outcome with hospitalisation and the Probability of Repeated Admission score the most studied outcome and instrument respectively. All instruments incorporated multiple predictors. Activities of daily living n=16, (70%), was included most often. Accuracy varied according to instruments and outcomes; area under the curve of 0.60-0.73 for hospitalisation, 0.63-0.78 for functional decline, 0.70-0.74 for institutionalisation and 0.56-0.82 for death. The QUIPS tool showed that 5\\/23 instruments had low potential for bias across all domains. This review highlights the present need to develop short, reliable, valid instruments to case-find older adults at risk in the community.

Screening of current post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with substance use disorder using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21): a reliable and convenient measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Kok, Tim; de Haan, Hein A; van der Meer, Margreet; Najavits, Lisa M; De Jong, Cor A J

2015-01-01

Several instruments have been developed and validated as screens for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in substance use disorder (SUD) patients. Unfortunately, many of these instruments have one or several disadvantages (e.g. low specificity, low sensitivity or high costs). No research has been conducted on instruments that screen simultaneously for other psychiatric disorders, which would be a potentially time-saving and cost-effective approach. In the current study we tested the psychometric properties of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) as a screen for PTSD. The DASS was assessed in an inpatient facility during intake with 58 patients and again 4 weeks after admission. Another 138 patients were assessed 4 weeks after admission only. The results were compared to the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) that was also administered after 4 weeks of abstinence. ROC curve analyses showed an area under the curve of 0.84 for the DASS at intake and 0.78 for the DASS after 4 weeks' abstinence. The DASS is therefore a reliable and convenient measure to use as a screen for PTSD in SUD patients. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Reproducibility and validity of video screen measurements of gait in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grunt, S.; van Kampen, P.M.; van der Krogt, M.M.; Brehm, M.A.; Doorenbosch, C.A.M.; Becher, J.G.

2010-01-01

Purpose: To determine the reproducibility and validity of video screen measurement (VSM) of sagittal plane joint angles during gait. Methods: 17 children with spastic cerebral palsy walked on a 10. m walkway. Videos were recorded and 3d-instrumented gait analysis was performed. Two investigators

Reproducibility and validity of video screen measurements of gait in children with spastic cerebral palsy