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Sample records for system recalibrated retested

  1. Self-recalibration of a robot-assisted structured-light-based measurement system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jing; Chen, Rui; Liu, Shuntao; Guan, Yong

    2017-11-10

    The structured-light-based measurement method is widely employed in numerous fields. However, for industrial inspection, to achieve complete scanning of a work piece and overcome occlusion, the measurement system needs to be moved to different viewpoints. Moreover, frequent reconfiguration of the measurement system may be needed based on the size of the measured object, making the self-recalibration of extrinsic parameters indispensable. To this end, this paper proposes an automatic self-recalibration and reconstruction method, wherein a robot arm is employed to move the measurement system for complete scanning; the self-recalibration is achieved using fundamental matrix calculations and point cloud registration without the need for an accurate calibration gauge. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and accuracy of our method.

  2. Recalibration of the 226Ra emanation analysis system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lucas, H.F. Jr.; Markun, F.

    1982-01-01

    The 226 Ra emanation system was found to require recalibration. The gain of the various counting systems was established to about +-0.5%. The variance introduced into the analysis by multiple counting systems was low and corresponded to a fractional standard deviation of +-0.5%. The variance introduced into the analysis by both multiple counting systems and multiple counting chambers needs to be redetermined but is less than a fractional standard deviation of +-2%. The newly established calibration factor of 5.66 cpm/pg 226 Ra is about 6% greater than that used previously. The leakage of radon into the greased fittings of the emanation flask which was indicated in an earlier study was not confirmed

  3. Permanent automatic recalibration system for scintillation camera

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Auphan, Michel.

    1974-01-01

    A permanent automatic recalibration system for a scintillation camera, of the type consisting chiefly of a collimator if necessary, a scintillator, a light guide and a network of n photomultipliers coupled to a display system, is described. It uses a device to form a single reference light signal common to all the photomultiplication lines, integrated to these latter and associated with a periodic calibration control generator. By means of associated circuits governed by the control generator the gain in each line is brought to and/or maintained at a value between fixed upper and lower limits. Steps are taken so that any gain variation in a given line is adjusted with respect to the reference light signal common to all the lines. The light signal falls preferably in the same part of the spectrum as the scintillations formed in the scintillator [fr

  4. Methods for recalibration of mass spectrometry data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tolmachev, Aleksey V [Richland, WA; Smith, Richard D [Richland, WA

    2009-03-03

    Disclosed are methods for recalibrating mass spectrometry data that provide improvement in both mass accuracy and precision by adjusting for experimental variance in parameters that have a substantial impact on mass measurement accuracy. Optimal coefficients are determined using correlated pairs of mass values compiled by matching sets of measured and putative mass values that minimize overall effective mass error and mass error spread. Coefficients are subsequently used to correct mass values for peaks detected in the measured dataset, providing recalibration thereof. Sub-ppm mass measurement accuracy has been demonstrated on a complex fungal proteome after recalibration, providing improved confidence for peptide identifications.

  5. Balance Assessment in Sports-Related Concussion: Evaluating Test-Retest Reliability of the Equilibrate System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odom, Mitchell J; Lee, Young M; Zuckerman, Scott L; Apple, Rachel P; Germanos, Theodore; Solomon, Gary S; Sills, Allen K

    2016-01-01

    This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of a novel computer-based, portable balance assessment tool, the Equilibrate System (ES), used to diagnose sports-related concussion. Twenty-seven students participated in ES testing consisting of three sessions over 4 weeks. The modified Balance Error Scoring System was performed. For each participant, test-retest reliability was established using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The ES test-retest reliability from baseline to week 2 produced an ICC value of 0.495 (95% CI, 0.123-0.745). Week 2 testing produced ICC values of 0.602 (95% CI, 0.279-0.803) and 0.610 (95% CI, 0.299-0.804), respectively. All other single measures test-retest reliability values produced poor ICC values. Same-day ES testing showed fair to good test-retest reliability while interweek measures displayed poor to fair test-retest reliability. Testing conditions should be controlled when using computerized balance assessment methods. ES testing should only be used as a part of a comprehensive assessment.

  6. Audiovisual Simultaneity Judgment and Rapid Recalibration throughout the Lifespan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noel, Jean-Paul; De Niear, Matthew; Van der Burg, Erik; Wallace, Mark T

    2016-01-01

    Multisensory interactions are well established to convey an array of perceptual and behavioral benefits. One of the key features of multisensory interactions is the temporal structure of the stimuli combined. In an effort to better characterize how temporal factors influence multisensory interactions across the lifespan, we examined audiovisual simultaneity judgment and the degree of rapid recalibration to paired audiovisual stimuli (Flash-Beep and Speech) in a sample of 220 participants ranging from 7 to 86 years of age. Results demonstrate a surprisingly protracted developmental time-course for both audiovisual simultaneity judgment and rapid recalibration, with neither reaching maturity until well into adolescence. Interestingly, correlational analyses revealed that audiovisual simultaneity judgments (i.e., the size of the audiovisual temporal window of simultaneity) and rapid recalibration significantly co-varied as a function of age. Together, our results represent the most complete description of age-related changes in audiovisual simultaneity judgments to date, as well as being the first to describe changes in the degree of rapid recalibration as a function of age. We propose that the developmental time-course of rapid recalibration scaffolds the maturation of more durable audiovisual temporal representations.

  7. Selective Attention Modulates the Direction of Audio-Visual Temporal Recalibration

    OpenAIRE

    Ikumi, Nara; Soto-Faraco, Salvador

    2014-01-01

    Temporal recalibration of cross-modal synchrony has been proposed as a mechanism to compensate for timing differences between sensory modalities. However, far from the rich complexity of everyday life sensory environments, most studies to date have examined recalibration on isolated cross-modal pairings. Here, we hypothesize that selective attention might provide an effective filter to help resolve which stimuli are selected when multiple events compete for recalibration. We addressed this qu...

  8. Recalibration of blood analytes over 25 years in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study: The impact of recalibration on chronic kidney disease prevalence and incidence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parrinello, Christina M.; Grams, Morgan E.; Couper, David; Ballantyne, Christie M.; Hoogeveen, Ron C.; Eckfeldt, John H.; Selvin, Elizabeth; Coresh, Josef

    2016-01-01

    Background Equivalence of laboratory tests over time is important for longitudinal studies. Even a small systematic difference (bias) can result in substantial misclassification. Methods We selected 200 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study participants attending all 5 study visits over 25 years. Eight analytes were re-measured in 2011–13 from stored blood samples from multiple visits: creatinine, uric acid, glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Original values were recalibrated to re-measured values using Deming regression. Differences >10% were considered to reflect substantial bias, and correction equations were applied to affected analytes in the total study population. We examined trends in chronic kidney disease (CKD) pre- and post-recalibration. Results Repeat measures were highly correlated with original values (Pearson’s r>0.85 after removing outliers [median 4.5% of paired measurements]), but 2 of 8 analytes (creatinine and uric acid) had differences >10%. Original values of creatinine and uric acid were recalibrated to current values using correction equations. CKD prevalence differed substantially after recalibration of creatinine (visits 1, 2, 4 and 5 pre-recalibration: 21.7%, 36.1%, 3.5%, 29.4%; post-recalibration: 1.3%, 2.2%, 6.4%, 29.4%). For HDL-cholesterol, the current direct enzymatic method differed substantially from magnesium dextran precipitation used during visits 1–4. Conclusions Analytes re-measured in samples stored for ~25 years were highly correlated with original values, but two of the 8 analytes showed substantial bias at multiple visits. Laboratory recalibration improved reproducibility of test results across visits and resulted in substantial differences in CKD prevalence. We demonstrate the importance of consistent recalibration of laboratory assays in a cohort study. PMID:25952043

  9. The Impact of Feedback on the Different Time Courses of Multisensory Temporal Recalibration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew A. De Niear

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The capacity to rapidly adjust perceptual representations confers a fundamental advantage when confronted with a constantly changing world. Unexplored is how feedback regarding sensory judgments (top-down factors interacts with sensory statistics (bottom-up factors to drive long- and short-term recalibration of multisensory perceptual representations. Here, we examined the time course of both cumulative and rapid temporal perceptual recalibration for individuals completing an audiovisual simultaneity judgment task in which they were provided with varying degrees of feedback. We find that in the presence of feedback (as opposed to simple sensory exposure temporal recalibration is more robust. Additionally, differential time courses are seen for cumulative and rapid recalibration dependent upon the nature of the feedback provided. Whereas cumulative recalibration effects relied more heavily on feedback that informs (i.e., negative feedback rather than confirms (i.e., positive feedback the judgment, rapid recalibration shows the opposite tendency. Furthermore, differential effects on rapid and cumulative recalibration were seen when the reliability of feedback was altered. Collectively, our findings illustrate that feedback signals promote and sustain audiovisual recalibration over the course of cumulative learning and enhance rapid trial-to-trial learning. Furthermore, given the differential effects seen for cumulative and rapid recalibration, these processes may function via distinct mechanisms.

  10. Multiple concurrent temporal recalibrations driven by audiovisual stimuli with apparent physical differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Xiangyong; Bi, Cuihua; Huang, Xiting

    2015-05-01

    Out-of-synchrony experiences can easily recalibrate one's subjective simultaneity point in the direction of the experienced asynchrony. Although temporal adjustment of multiple audiovisual stimuli has been recently demonstrated to be spatially specific, perceptual grouping processes that organize separate audiovisual stimuli into distinctive "objects" may play a more important role in forming the basis for subsequent multiple temporal recalibrations. We investigated whether apparent physical differences between audiovisual pairs that make them distinct from each other can independently drive multiple concurrent temporal recalibrations regardless of spatial overlap. Experiment 1 verified that reducing the physical difference between two audiovisual pairs diminishes the multiple temporal recalibrations by exposing observers to two utterances with opposing temporal relationships spoken by one single speaker rather than two distinct speakers at the same location. Experiment 2 found that increasing the physical difference between two stimuli pairs can promote multiple temporal recalibrations by complicating their non-temporal dimensions (e.g., disks composed of two rather than one attribute and tones generated by multiplying two frequencies); however, these recalibration aftereffects were subtle. Experiment 3 further revealed that making the two audiovisual pairs differ in temporal structures (one transient and one gradual) was sufficient to drive concurrent temporal recalibration. These results confirm that the more audiovisual pairs physically differ, especially in temporal profile, the more likely multiple temporal perception adjustments will be content-constrained regardless of spatial overlap. These results indicate that multiple temporal recalibrations are based secondarily on the outcome of perceptual grouping processes.

  11. Selective attention modulates the direction of audio-visual temporal recalibration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikumi, Nara; Soto-Faraco, Salvador

    2014-01-01

    Temporal recalibration of cross-modal synchrony has been proposed as a mechanism to compensate for timing differences between sensory modalities. However, far from the rich complexity of everyday life sensory environments, most studies to date have examined recalibration on isolated cross-modal pairings. Here, we hypothesize that selective attention might provide an effective filter to help resolve which stimuli are selected when multiple events compete for recalibration. We addressed this question by testing audio-visual recalibration following an adaptation phase where two opposing audio-visual asynchronies were present. The direction of voluntary visual attention, and therefore to one of the two possible asynchronies (flash leading or flash lagging), was manipulated using colour as a selection criterion. We found a shift in the point of subjective audio-visual simultaneity as a function of whether the observer had focused attention to audio-then-flash or to flash-then-audio groupings during the adaptation phase. A baseline adaptation condition revealed that this effect of endogenous attention was only effective toward the lagging flash. This hints at the role of exogenous capture and/or additional endogenous effects producing an asymmetry toward the leading flash. We conclude that selective attention helps promote selected audio-visual pairings to be combined and subsequently adjusted in time but, stimulus organization exerts a strong impact on recalibration. We tentatively hypothesize that the resolution of recalibration in complex scenarios involves the orchestration of top-down selection mechanisms and stimulus-driven processes.

  12. Selective attention modulates the direction of audio-visual temporal recalibration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nara Ikumi

    Full Text Available Temporal recalibration of cross-modal synchrony has been proposed as a mechanism to compensate for timing differences between sensory modalities. However, far from the rich complexity of everyday life sensory environments, most studies to date have examined recalibration on isolated cross-modal pairings. Here, we hypothesize that selective attention might provide an effective filter to help resolve which stimuli are selected when multiple events compete for recalibration. We addressed this question by testing audio-visual recalibration following an adaptation phase where two opposing audio-visual asynchronies were present. The direction of voluntary visual attention, and therefore to one of the two possible asynchronies (flash leading or flash lagging, was manipulated using colour as a selection criterion. We found a shift in the point of subjective audio-visual simultaneity as a function of whether the observer had focused attention to audio-then-flash or to flash-then-audio groupings during the adaptation phase. A baseline adaptation condition revealed that this effect of endogenous attention was only effective toward the lagging flash. This hints at the role of exogenous capture and/or additional endogenous effects producing an asymmetry toward the leading flash. We conclude that selective attention helps promote selected audio-visual pairings to be combined and subsequently adjusted in time but, stimulus organization exerts a strong impact on recalibration. We tentatively hypothesize that the resolution of recalibration in complex scenarios involves the orchestration of top-down selection mechanisms and stimulus-driven processes.

  13. Visual illusion of tool use recalibrates tactile perception

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Luke E.; Longo, Matthew R.; Saygin, Ayse P.

    2018-01-01

    Brief use of a tool recalibrates multisensory representations of the user’s body, a phenomenon called tool embodiment. Despite two decades of research, little is known about its boundary conditions. It has been widely argued that embodiment requires active tool use, suggesting a critical role for somatosensory and motor feedback. The present study used a visual illusion to cast doubt on this view. We used a mirror-based setup to induce a visual experience of tool use with an arm that was in fact stationary. Following illusory tool use, tactile perception was recalibrated on this stationary arm, and with equal magnitude as physical use. Recalibration was not found following illusory passive tool holding, and could not be accounted for by sensory conflict or general interhemispheric plasticity. These results suggest visual tool-use signals play a critical role in driving tool embodiment. PMID:28196765

  14. Long-term music training modulates the recalibration of audiovisual simultaneity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jicol, Crescent; Proulx, Michael J; Pollick, Frank E; Petrini, Karin

    2018-07-01

    To overcome differences in physical transmission time and neural processing, the brain adaptively recalibrates the point of simultaneity between auditory and visual signals by adapting to audiovisual asynchronies. Here, we examine whether the prolonged recalibration process of passively sensed visual and auditory signals is affected by naturally occurring multisensory training known to enhance audiovisual perceptual accuracy. Hence, we asked a group of drummers, of non-drummer musicians and of non-musicians to judge the audiovisual simultaneity of musical and non-musical audiovisual events, before and after adaptation with two fixed audiovisual asynchronies. We found that the recalibration for the musicians and drummers was in the opposite direction (sound leading vision) to that of non-musicians (vision leading sound), and change together with both increased music training and increased perceptual accuracy (i.e. ability to detect asynchrony). Our findings demonstrate that long-term musical training reshapes the way humans adaptively recalibrate simultaneity between auditory and visual signals.

  15. The critical events for motor-sensory temporal recalibration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derek Henry Arnold

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Determining if we, or another agent, were responsible for a sensory event can require an accurate sense of timing. Our sense of appropriate timing relationships must, however, be malleable as there is a variable delay between the physical timing of an event and when sensory signals concerning that event are encoded in the brain. One dramatic demonstration of such malleability involves having people repeatedly press a button thereby causing a beep. If a delay is inserted between button presses and beeps, when it is subsequently taken away beeps can seem to precede the button presses that caused them. For this to occur it is important that people feel they were responsible for instigating the beeps. In terms of their timing, as yet it is not clear what combination of events is important for motor-sensory temporal recalibration. Here, by introducing ballistic reaches of short or longer extent before a button press, we varied the delay between the intention to act and the sensory consequence of that action. This manipulation failed to modulate recalibration magnitude. By contrast, introducing a similarly lengthened delay between button presses and consequent beeps eliminated recalibration. Thus it would seem that the critical timing relationship for motor-sensory temporal recalibration is between tactile signals relating to the completion of an action and the subsequent auditory percept.

  16. A cautionary note on global recalibration

    OpenAIRE

    Joseph B. Kadane; Baruch Fischhoff

    2013-01-01

    We report a mathematical result that casts doubt on the possibility of recalibration of probabilities using calibration curves. We then discuss how to interpret this result in the light of behavioral research.

  17. A cautionary note on global recalibration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph B. Kadane

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available We report a mathematical result that casts doubt on the possibility of recalibration of probabilities using calibration curves. We then discuss how to interpret this result in the light of behavioral research.

  18. Analysis of image sharpness reproducibility on a novel engineered micro-CT scanner with variable geometry and embedded recalibration software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panetta, D; Belcari, N; Del Guerra, A; Bartolomei, A; Salvadori, P A

    2012-04-01

    This study investigates the reproducibility of the reconstructed image sharpness, after modifications of the geometry setup, for a variable magnification micro-CT (μCT) scanner. All the measurements were performed on a novel engineered μCT scanner for in vivo imaging of small animals (Xalt), which has been recently built at the Institute of Clinical Physiology of the National Research Council (IFC-CNR, Pisa, Italy), in partnership with the University of Pisa. The Xalt scanner is equipped with an integrated software for on-line geometric recalibration, which will be used throughout the experiments. In order to evaluate the losses of image quality due to modifications of the geometry setup, we have made 22 consecutive acquisitions by changing alternatively the system geometry between two different setups (Large FoV - LF, and High Resolution - HR). For each acquisition, the tomographic images have been reconstructed before and after the on-line geometric recalibration. For each reconstruction, the image sharpness was evaluated using two different figures of merit: (i) the percentage contrast on a small bar pattern of fixed frequency (f = 5.5 lp/mm for the LF setup and f = 10 lp/mm for the HR setup) and (ii) the image entropy. We have found that, due to the small-scale mechanical uncertainty (in the order of the voxel size), a recalibration is necessary for each geometric setup after repositioning of the system's components; the resolution losses due to the lack of recalibration are worse for the HR setup (voxel size = 18.4 μm). The integrated on-line recalibration algorithm of the Xalt scanner allowed to perform the recalibration quickly, by restoring the spatial resolution of the system to the reference resolution obtained after the initial (off-line) calibration. Copyright © 2011 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Non-retinotopic motor-visual recalibration to temporal lag

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masaki eTsujita

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Temporal order judgment between the voluntary motor action and its perceptual feedback is important in distinguishing between a sensory feedback which is caused by observer’s own action and other stimulus, which are irrelevant to that action. Prolonged exposure to fixed temporal lag between motor action and visual feedback recalibrates motor-visual temporal relationship, and consequently shifts the point of subjective simultaneity (PSS. Previous studies on the audio-visual temporal recalibration without voluntary action revealed that both low and high level processing are involved. However, it is not clear how the low and high level processings affect the recalibration to constant temporal lag between voluntary action and visual feedback. This study examined retinotopic specificity of the motor-visual temporal recalibration. During the adaptation phase, observers repeatedly pressed a key, and visual stimulus was presented in left or right visual field with a fixed temporal lag (0 or 200 ms. In the test phase, observers performed a temporal order judgment for observer’s voluntary keypress and test stimulus, which was presented in the same as or opposite to the visual field in which the stimulus was presented in the adaptation phase. We found that the PSS was shifted toward the exposed lag in both visual fields. These results suggest that the low visual processing, which is retinotopically specific, has minor contribution to the multimodal adaptation, and that the adaptation to shift the PSS mainly depends upon the high level processing such as attention to specific properties of the stimulus.

  20. Recalibration of blood analytes over 25 years in the atherosclerosis risk in communities study: impact of recalibration on chronic kidney disease prevalence and incidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parrinello, Christina M; Grams, Morgan E; Couper, David; Ballantyne, Christie M; Hoogeveen, Ron C; Eckfeldt, John H; Selvin, Elizabeth; Coresh, Josef

    2015-07-01

    Equivalence of laboratory tests over time is important for longitudinal studies. Even a small systematic difference (bias) can result in substantial misclassification. We selected 200 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study participants attending all 5 study visits over 25 years. Eight analytes were remeasured in 2011-2013 from stored blood samples from multiple visits: creatinine, uric acid, glucose, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Original values were recalibrated to remeasured values with Deming regression. Differences >10% were considered to reflect substantial bias, and correction equations were applied to affected analytes in the total study population. We examined trends in chronic kidney disease (CKD) pre- and postrecalibration. Repeat measures were highly correlated with original values [Pearson r > 0.85 after removing outliers (median 4.5% of paired measurements)], but 2 of 8 analytes (creatinine and uric acid) had differences >10%. Original values of creatinine and uric acid were recalibrated to current values with correction equations. CKD prevalence differed substantially after recalibration of creatinine (visits 1, 2, 4, and 5 prerecalibration: 21.7%, 36.1%, 3.5%, and 29.4%, respectively; postrecalibration: 1.3%, 2.2%, 6.4%, and 29.4%). For HDL cholesterol, the current direct enzymatic method differed substantially from magnesium dextran precipitation used during visits 1-4. Analytes remeasured in samples stored for approximately 25 years were highly correlated with original values, but 2 of the 8 analytes showed substantial bias at multiple visits. Laboratory recalibration improved reproducibility of test results across visits and resulted in substantial differences in CKD prevalence. We demonstrate the importance of consistent recalibration of laboratory assays in a cohort study. © 2015 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

  1. The Veterans Affairs Cardiac Risk Score: Recalibrating the Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Score for Applied Use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sussman, Jeremy B; Wiitala, Wyndy L; Zawistowski, Matthew; Hofer, Timothy P; Bentley, Douglas; Hayward, Rodney A

    2017-09-01

    Accurately estimating cardiovascular risk is fundamental to good decision-making in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, but risk scores developed in one population often perform poorly in dissimilar populations. We sought to examine whether a large integrated health system can use their electronic health data to better predict individual patients' risk of developing CVD. We created a cohort using all patients ages 45-80 who used Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ambulatory care services in 2006 with no history of CVD, heart failure, or loop diuretics. Our outcome variable was new-onset CVD in 2007-2011. We then developed a series of recalibrated scores, including a fully refit "VA Risk Score-CVD (VARS-CVD)." We tested the different scores using standard measures of prediction quality. For the 1,512,092 patients in the study, the Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk score had similar discrimination as the VARS-CVD (c-statistic of 0.66 in men and 0.73 in women), but the Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease model had poor calibration, predicting 63% more events than observed. Calibration was excellent in the fully recalibrated VARS-CVD tool, but simpler techniques tested proved less reliable. We found that local electronic health record data can be used to estimate CVD better than an established risk score based on research populations. Recalibration improved estimates dramatically, and the type of recalibration was important. Such tools can also easily be integrated into health system's electronic health record and can be more readily updated.

  2. Phonetic recalibration of speech by text

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keetels, M.N.; Schakel, L.; de Bonte, M.; Vroomen, J.

    2016-01-01

    Listeners adjust their phonetic categories to cope with variations in the speech signal (phonetic recalibration). Previous studies have shown that lipread speech (and word knowledge) can adjust the perception of ambiguous speech and can induce phonetic adjustments (Bertelson, Vroomen, & de Gelder in

  3. A Novel Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm for Recalibration of Fiber Optic Gyroscope Error Parameters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanbin Gao

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The artificial fish swarm algorithm (AFSA is one of the state-of-the-art swarm intelligent techniques, which is widely utilized for optimization purposes. Fiber optic gyroscope (FOG error parameters such as scale factors, biases and misalignment errors are relatively unstable, especially with the environmental disturbances and the aging of fiber coils. These uncalibrated error parameters are the main reasons that the precision of FOG-based strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS degraded. This research is mainly on the application of a novel artificial fish swarm algorithm (NAFSA on FOG error coefficients recalibration/identification. First, the NAFSA avoided the demerits (e.g., lack of using artificial fishes’ pervious experiences, lack of existing balance between exploration and exploitation, and high computational cost of the standard AFSA during the optimization process. To solve these weak points, functional behaviors and the overall procedures of AFSA have been improved with some parameters eliminated and several supplementary parameters added. Second, a hybrid FOG error coefficients recalibration algorithm has been proposed based on NAFSA and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS approaches. This combination leads to maximum utilization of the involved approaches for FOG error coefficients recalibration. After that, the NAFSA is verified with simulation and experiments and its priorities are compared with that of the conventional calibration method and optimal AFSA. Results demonstrate high efficiency of the NAFSA on FOG error coefficients recalibration.

  4. A novel artificial fish swarm algorithm for recalibration of fiber optic gyroscope error parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yanbin; Guan, Lianwu; Wang, Tingjun; Sun, Yunlong

    2015-05-05

    The artificial fish swarm algorithm (AFSA) is one of the state-of-the-art swarm intelligent techniques, which is widely utilized for optimization purposes. Fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) error parameters such as scale factors, biases and misalignment errors are relatively unstable, especially with the environmental disturbances and the aging of fiber coils. These uncalibrated error parameters are the main reasons that the precision of FOG-based strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) degraded. This research is mainly on the application of a novel artificial fish swarm algorithm (NAFSA) on FOG error coefficients recalibration/identification. First, the NAFSA avoided the demerits (e.g., lack of using artificial fishes' pervious experiences, lack of existing balance between exploration and exploitation, and high computational cost) of the standard AFSA during the optimization process. To solve these weak points, functional behaviors and the overall procedures of AFSA have been improved with some parameters eliminated and several supplementary parameters added. Second, a hybrid FOG error coefficients recalibration algorithm has been proposed based on NAFSA and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) approaches. This combination leads to maximum utilization of the involved approaches for FOG error coefficients recalibration. After that, the NAFSA is verified with simulation and experiments and its priorities are compared with that of the conventional calibration method and optimal AFSA. Results demonstrate high efficiency of the NAFSA on FOG error coefficients recalibration.

  5. Results of the Phoenix Relative Humidity Sensor Recalibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, G.; Fischer, E.; Renno, N. O.

    2017-12-01

    We show results of the recalibration of the Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe (TECP) relative humidity (RH) sensor of the Phoenix Mars lander [Zent et al., 2009]. Due to uncertainties in its pre-flight calibration, which partially overlapped the environmental conditions found at the Phoenix landing site [Tamppari et al., 2010], only the raw, unprocessed output of the TECP RH sensor is available in NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS). The sensor's calibration was revised in 2016 to correct for inaccuracies at the lowest temperatures [Zent et al., 2016], but the new processed RH values were not posted in the PDS. We have been using a spare engineering unit of the TECP to recalibrate the sensor in the full range of Phoenix landing site conditions in the Michigan Mars Environmental Chamber (MMEC) [Fischer et al., 2016]. We compare raw output data of the engineering unit in the MMEC with that of the flight unit from the preflight calibration. We observed that the engineering unit's RH sensor output was shifted to higher values compared to the flight unit's output at the same conditions of temperature and humidity. Based on this shift, we use a translation function that fits the in-situ measurements of the flight unit into the engineering unit output space. To improve the accuracy of this function, we use additional observations corresponding to saturated conditions when near-surface fog was observed [Whiteway et al., 2009], as well as observations around noon when the RH is expected to be below 5%. The entire range of conditions observed on the Martian surface is covered in our recalibration. The raw output of the sensor is used to obtain a new calibration function. This allows us to obtain high-level RH data at Martian polar conditions. The recalibrated data will be posted in the PDS. REFERENCES: Fischer, E., et al. (2016), Astrobiology, 16, 12, doi: 10.1089/ast.2016.1525. Tamppari, L. K., et al. (2010), J. Geophys. Res., 115, E00E17, doi:10.1029/2009JE003415

  6. To lead and to lag - forward and backward recalibration of perceived visuo-motor simultaneity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marieke eRohde

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Studies on human recalibration of perceived visuo-motor simultaneity so far have been limited to the study of recalibration to movement-lead temporal discrepancies (visual lags. We studied adaptation to both vision-lead and movement-lead discrepancies, to test for differences between these conditions, as a leading visual stimulus violates the underlying cause-effect structure. To this end, we manipulated the temporal relationship between a motor action (button press and a visual event (flashed disk in a training phase. Participants were tested in a temporal order judgment task and perceived simultaneity (PSS was compared before and after recalibration. A PHANToM© force-feedback device that tracks the finger position in real time was used to display a virtual button. We predicted the timing of full compression of the button from early movement onset in order to time visual stimuli even before the movement event of the full button press. The results show that recalibration of perceived visuo-motor simultaneity is evident in both directions and does not differ in magnitude between the conditions. The strength of recalibration decreases with perceptual accuracy, suggesting the possibility that some participants recalibrate less because they detect the discrepancy. We conclude that the mechanisms of temporal recalibration work in both direction and there is no evidence that they are asymmetrical around the point of actual simultaneity, despite the underlying asymmetry in the cause-effect relation.

  7. Audio-motor but not visuo-motor temporal recalibration speeds up sensory processing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sugano, Y.; Keetels, M.N.; Vroomen, J.; Mouraux, André

    2017-01-01

    Perception of synchrony between one's own action (a finger tap) and the sensory feedback thereof (a visual flash or an auditory pip) can be recalibrated after exposure to an artificially inserted delay between them (temporal recalibration effect: TRE). TRE might be mediated by a compensatory shift

  8. A neural model for temporal order judgments and their active recalibration: a common mechanism for space and time?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingbo eCai

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available When observers experience a constant delay between their motor actions and sensory feedback, their perception of the temporal order between actions and sensations adapt (Stetson et al., 2006a. We present here a novel neural model that can explain temporal order judgments (TOJs and their recalibration. Our model employs three ubiquitous features of neural systems: 1 information pooling, 2 opponent processing, and 3 synaptic scaling. Specifically, the model proposes that different populations of neurons encode different delays between motor-sensory events, the outputs of these populations feed into rivaling neural populations (encoding before and after, and the activity difference between these populations determines the perceptual judgment. As a consequence of synaptic scaling of input weights, motor acts which are consistently followed by delayed sensory feedback will cause the network to recalibrate its point of subjective simultaneity. The structure of our model raises the possibility that recalibration of TOJs is a temporal analogue to the motion aftereffect. In other words, identical neural mechanisms may be used to make perceptual determinations about both space and time. Our model captures behavioral recalibration results for different numbers of adapting trials and different adapting delays. In line with predictions of the model, we additionally demonstrate that temporal recalibration can last through time, in analogy to storage of the motion aftereffect.

  9. Re-calibration of coronary risk prediction : An example of the Seven Countries Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Puddu, Paolo Emilio; Piras, Paolo; Kromhout, Daan; Tolonen, Hanna; Kafatos, Anthony; Menotti, Alessandro

    2017-01-01

    We aimed at performing a calibration and re-calibration process using six standard risk factors from Northern (NE, N = 2360) or Southern European (SE, N = 2789) middle-aged men of the Seven Countries Study, whose parameters and data were fully known, to establish whether re-calibration gave the

  10. ReQON: a Bioconductor package for recalibrating quality scores from next-generation sequencing data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cabanski Christopher R

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Next-generation sequencing technologies have become important tools for genome-wide studies. However, the quality scores that are assigned to each base have been shown to be inaccurate. If the quality scores are used in downstream analyses, these inaccuracies can have a significant impact on the results. Results Here we present ReQON, a tool that recalibrates the base quality scores from an input BAM file of aligned sequencing data using logistic regression. ReQON also generates diagnostic plots showing the effectiveness of the recalibration. We show that ReQON produces quality scores that are both more accurate, in the sense that they more closely correspond to the probability of a sequencing error, and do a better job of discriminating between sequencing errors and non-errors than the original quality scores. We also compare ReQON to other available recalibration tools and show that ReQON is less biased and performs favorably in terms of quality score accuracy. Conclusion ReQON is an open source software package, written in R and available through Bioconductor, for recalibrating base quality scores for next-generation sequencing data. ReQON produces a new BAM file with more accurate quality scores, which can improve the results of downstream analysis, and produces several diagnostic plots showing the effectiveness of the recalibration.

  11. Description of the retest instruction for the safety injection system in a German PWR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buettner, W.E.

    1982-01-01

    This report is a detailed supplement to the report 'Retests for a Safety System in a German Nuclear Power Plant' presented at the CSNI Meeting of the Group of Experts on Human Error Data and Assessment, Paris, Sept. 1979. (orig./RW)

  12. Test-retest reliability of the isernhagen work systems functional capacity evaluation in healthy adults

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Reneman, MF; Brouwer, S; Meinema, A; Dijkstra, PU; Geertzen, JHB; Groothoff, JW

    2004-01-01

    Aim of this study was to investigate test-retest reliability of the Isernhagen Work System Functional Capacity Evaluation (IWS FCE) in healthy subjects. The IWS FCE consists of 28 tests that reflect work-related activities such as lifting, carrying, bending, etc. A convenience sample of 26 healthy

  13. Parametric decadal climate forecast recalibration (DeFoReSt 1.0

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Pasternack

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Near-term climate predictions such as decadal climate forecasts are increasingly being used to guide adaptation measures. For near-term probabilistic predictions to be useful, systematic errors of the forecasting systems have to be corrected. While methods for the calibration of probabilistic forecasts are readily available, these have to be adapted to the specifics of decadal climate forecasts including the long time horizon of decadal climate forecasts, lead-time-dependent systematic errors (drift and the errors in the representation of long-term changes and variability. These features are compounded by small ensemble sizes to describe forecast uncertainty and a relatively short period for which typically pairs of reforecasts and observations are available to estimate calibration parameters. We introduce the Decadal Climate Forecast Recalibration Strategy (DeFoReSt, a parametric approach to recalibrate decadal ensemble forecasts that takes the above specifics into account. DeFoReSt optimizes forecast quality as measured by the continuous ranked probability score (CRPS. Using a toy model to generate synthetic forecast observation pairs, we demonstrate the positive effect on forecast quality in situations with pronounced and limited predictability. Finally, we apply DeFoReSt to decadal surface temperature forecasts from the MiKlip prototype system and find consistent, and sometimes considerable, improvements in forecast quality compared with a simple calibration of the lead-time-dependent systematic errors.

  14. Parametric decadal climate forecast recalibration (DeFoReSt 1.0)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasternack, Alexander; Bhend, Jonas; Liniger, Mark A.; Rust, Henning W.; Müller, Wolfgang A.; Ulbrich, Uwe

    2018-01-01

    Near-term climate predictions such as decadal climate forecasts are increasingly being used to guide adaptation measures. For near-term probabilistic predictions to be useful, systematic errors of the forecasting systems have to be corrected. While methods for the calibration of probabilistic forecasts are readily available, these have to be adapted to the specifics of decadal climate forecasts including the long time horizon of decadal climate forecasts, lead-time-dependent systematic errors (drift) and the errors in the representation of long-term changes and variability. These features are compounded by small ensemble sizes to describe forecast uncertainty and a relatively short period for which typically pairs of reforecasts and observations are available to estimate calibration parameters. We introduce the Decadal Climate Forecast Recalibration Strategy (DeFoReSt), a parametric approach to recalibrate decadal ensemble forecasts that takes the above specifics into account. DeFoReSt optimizes forecast quality as measured by the continuous ranked probability score (CRPS). Using a toy model to generate synthetic forecast observation pairs, we demonstrate the positive effect on forecast quality in situations with pronounced and limited predictability. Finally, we apply DeFoReSt to decadal surface temperature forecasts from the MiKlip prototype system and find consistent, and sometimes considerable, improvements in forecast quality compared with a simple calibration of the lead-time-dependent systematic errors.

  15. Recalibration of the ACC/AHA Risk Score in Two Population-Based German Cohorts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Las Heras Gala, Tonia; Geisel, Marie Henrike; Peters, Annette; Thorand, Barbara; Baumert, Jens; Lehmann, Nils; Jöckel, Karl-Heinz; Moebus, Susanne; Erbel, Raimund; Meisinger, Christine; Mahabadi, Amir Abbas; Koenig, Wolfgang

    2016-01-01

    The 2013 ACC/AHA guidelines introduced an algorithm for risk assessment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) within 10 years. In Germany, risk assessment with the ESC SCORE is limited to cardiovascular mortality. Applicability of the novel ACC/AHA risk score to the German population has not yet been assessed. We therefore sought to recalibrate and evaluate the ACC/AHA risk score in two German cohorts and to compare it to the ESC SCORE. We studied 5,238 participants from the KORA surveys S3 (1994-1995) and S4 (1999-2001) and 4,208 subjects from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall (HNR) Study (2000-2003). There were 383 (7.3%) and 271 (6.4%) first non-fatal or fatal ASCVD events within 10 years in KORA and in HNR, respectively. Risk scores were evaluated in terms of calibration and discrimination performance. The original ACC/AHA risk score overestimated 10-year ASCVD rates by 37% in KORA and 66% in HNR. After recalibration, miscalibration diminished to 8% underestimation in KORA and 12% overestimation in HNR. Discrimination performance of the ACC/AHA risk score was not affected by the recalibration (KORA: C = 0.78, HNR: C = 0.74). The ESC SCORE overestimated by 5% in KORA and by 85% in HNR. The corresponding C-statistic was 0.82 in KORA and 0.76 in HNR. The recalibrated ACC/AHA risk score showed strongly improved calibration compared to the original ACC/AHA risk score. Predicting only cardiovascular mortality, discrimination performance of the commonly used ESC SCORE remained somewhat superior to the ACC/AHA risk score. Nevertheless, the recalibrated ACC/AHA risk score may provide a meaningful tool for estimating 10-year risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease in Germany.

  16. Self-Recalibrating Surface EMG Pattern Recognition for Neuroprosthesis Control Based on Convolutional Neural Network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Xiaolong; Jelfs, Beth; Chan, Rosa H M; Tin, Chung

    2017-01-01

    Hand movement classification based on surface electromyography (sEMG) pattern recognition is a promising approach for upper limb neuroprosthetic control. However, maintaining day-to-day performance is challenged by the non-stationary nature of sEMG in real-life operation. In this study, we propose a self-recalibrating classifier that can be automatically updated to maintain a stable performance over time without the need for user retraining. Our classifier is based on convolutional neural network (CNN) using short latency dimension-reduced sEMG spectrograms as inputs. The pretrained classifier is recalibrated routinely using a corrected version of the prediction results from recent testing sessions. Our proposed system was evaluated with the NinaPro database comprising of hand movement data of 40 intact and 11 amputee subjects. Our system was able to achieve ~10.18% (intact, 50 movement types) and ~2.99% (amputee, 10 movement types) increase in classification accuracy averaged over five testing sessions with respect to the unrecalibrated classifier. When compared with a support vector machine (SVM) classifier, our CNN-based system consistently showed higher absolute performance and larger improvement as well as more efficient training. These results suggest that the proposed system can be a useful tool to facilitate long-term adoption of prosthetics for amputees in real-life applications.

  17. Effect of uncertainty components such as recalibration on the performance of quality control charts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winkel, P; Zhang, Nevin

    2005-01-01

    Uncertainty components (recalibration, new reagent lots, etc.) may be the source of random changes in the level of quality control (QC) values, thus causing false alarms. We propose a method for reducing false alarms.......Uncertainty components (recalibration, new reagent lots, etc.) may be the source of random changes in the level of quality control (QC) values, thus causing false alarms. We propose a method for reducing false alarms....

  18. Audio-visual temporal recalibration can be constrained by content cues regardless of spatial overlap

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Warrick eRoseboom

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available It has now been well established that the point of subjective synchrony for audio and visual events can be shifted following exposure to asynchronous audio-visual presentations, an effect often referred to as temporal recalibration. Recently it was further demonstrated that it is possible to concurrently maintain two such recalibrated, and opposing, estimates of audio-visual temporal synchrony. However, it remains unclear precisely what defines a given audio-visual pair such that it is possible to maintain a temporal relationship distinct from other pairs. It has been suggested that spatial separation of the different audio-visual pairs is necessary to achieve multiple distinct audio-visual synchrony estimates. Here we investigated if this was necessarily true. Specifically, we examined whether it is possible to obtain two distinct temporal recalibrations for stimuli that differed only in featural content. Using both complex (audio visual speech; Experiment 1 and simple stimuli (high and low pitch audio matched with either vertically or horizontally oriented Gabors; Experiment 2 we found concurrent, and opposite, recalibrations despite there being no spatial difference in presentation location at any point throughout the experiment. This result supports the notion that the content of an audio-visual pair can be used to constrain distinct audio-visual synchrony estimates regardless of spatial overlap.

  19. Audio-Visual Temporal Recalibration Can be Constrained by Content Cues Regardless of Spatial Overlap

    OpenAIRE

    Roseboom, Warrick; Kawabe, Takahiro; Nishida, Shin?Ya

    2013-01-01

    It has now been well established that the point of subjective synchrony for audio and visual events can be shifted following exposure to asynchronous audio-visual presentations, an effect often referred to as temporal recalibration. Recently it was further demonstrated that it is possible to concurrently maintain two such recalibrated, and opposing, estimates of audio-visual temporal synchrony. However, it remains unclear precisely what defines a given audio-visual pair such that it is possib...

  20. Temporal recalibration in vocalization induced by adaptation of delayed auditory feedback.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kosuke Yamamoto

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We ordinarily perceive our voice sound as occurring simultaneously with vocal production, but the sense of simultaneity in vocalization can be easily interrupted by delayed auditory feedback (DAF. DAF causes normal people to have difficulty speaking fluently but helps people with stuttering to improve speech fluency. However, the underlying temporal mechanism for integrating the motor production of voice and the auditory perception of vocal sound remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the temporal tuning mechanism integrating vocal sensory and voice sounds under DAF with an adaptation technique. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Participants produced a single voice sound repeatedly with specific delay times of DAF (0, 66, 133 ms during three minutes to induce 'Lag Adaptation'. They then judged the simultaneity between motor sensation and vocal sound given feedback. We found that lag adaptation induced a shift in simultaneity responses toward the adapted auditory delays. This indicates that the temporal tuning mechanism in vocalization can be temporally recalibrated after prolonged exposure to delayed vocal sounds. Furthermore, we found that the temporal recalibration in vocalization can be affected by averaging delay times in the adaptation phase. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest vocalization is finely tuned by the temporal recalibration mechanism, which acutely monitors the integration of temporal delays between motor sensation and vocal sound.

  1. Comparing Recalibration Strategies for Electroencephalography-Based Decoders of Movement Intention in Neurological Patients with Motor Disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Larraz, Eduardo; Ibáñez, Jaime; Trincado-Alonso, Fernando; Monge-Pereira, Esther; Pons, José Luis; Montesano, Luis

    2017-12-17

    Motor rehabilitation based on the association of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and proprioceptive feedback has been demonstrated as a feasible therapy for patients with paralysis. To promote long-lasting motor recovery, these interventions have to be carried out across several weeks or even months. The success of these therapies partly relies on the performance of the system decoding movement intentions, which normally has to be recalibrated to deal with the nonstationarities of the cortical activity. Minimizing the recalibration times is important to reduce the setup preparation and maximize the effective therapy time. To date, a systematic analysis of the effect of recalibration strategies in EEG-driven interfaces for motor rehabilitation has not yet been performed. Data from patients with stroke (4 patients, 8 sessions) and spinal cord injury (SCI) (4 patients, 5 sessions) undergoing two different paradigms (self-paced and cue-guided, respectively) are used to study the performance of the EEG-based classification of motor intentions. Four calibration schemes are compared, considering different combinations of training datasets from previous and/or the validated session. The results show significant differences in classifier performances in terms of the true and false positives (TPs) and (FPs). Combining training data from previous sessions with data from the validation session provides the best compromise between the amount of data needed for calibration and the classifier performance. With this scheme, the average true (false) positive rates obtained are 85.3% (17.3%) and 72.9% (30.3%) for the self-paced and the cue-guided protocols, respectively. These results suggest that the use of optimal recalibration schemes for EEG-based classifiers of motor intentions leads to enhanced performances of these technologies, while not requiring long calibration phases prior to starting the intervention.

  2. Iterative Outlier Removal: A Method for Identifying Outliers in Laboratory Recalibration Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parrinello, Christina M; Grams, Morgan E; Sang, Yingying; Couper, David; Wruck, Lisa M; Li, Danni; Eckfeldt, John H; Selvin, Elizabeth; Coresh, Josef

    2016-07-01

    Extreme values that arise for any reason, including those through nonlaboratory measurement procedure-related processes (inadequate mixing, evaporation, mislabeling), lead to outliers and inflate errors in recalibration studies. We present an approach termed iterative outlier removal (IOR) for identifying such outliers. We previously identified substantial laboratory drift in uric acid measurements in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study over time. Serum uric acid was originally measured in 1990-1992 on a Coulter DACOS instrument using an uricase-based measurement procedure. To recalibrate previous measured concentrations to a newer enzymatic colorimetric measurement procedure, uric acid was remeasured in 200 participants from stored plasma in 2011-2013 on a Beckman Olympus 480 autoanalyzer. To conduct IOR, we excluded data points >3 SDs from the mean difference. We continued this process using the resulting data until no outliers remained. IOR detected more outliers and yielded greater precision in simulation. The original mean difference (SD) in uric acid was 1.25 (0.62) mg/dL. After 4 iterations, 9 outliers were excluded, and the mean difference (SD) was 1.23 (0.45) mg/dL. Conducting only one round of outlier removal (standard approach) would have excluded 4 outliers [mean difference (SD) = 1.22 (0.51) mg/dL]. Applying the recalibration (derived from Deming regression) from each approach to the original measurements, the prevalence of hyperuricemia (>7 mg/dL) was 28.5% before IOR and 8.5% after IOR. IOR is a useful method for removal of extreme outliers irrelevant to recalibrating laboratory measurements, and identifies more extraneous outliers than the standard approach. © 2016 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

  3. SU-F-T-282: Quality Assurance for IMRT/VMAT QA Devices: Issues Affecting the Timing for ArcCHECK Recalibration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steers, J [Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA (United States); University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Fraass, B [Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To discuss several factors surrounding the decision on when to recalibrate the ArcCHECK device as well as present a simple and efficient monthly check to evaluate ArcCHECK calibrations. Methods: ArcCheck (Sun Nuclear) calibrations were evaluated monthly by measuring a 25×25cm{sup 2} field with 100 MU. Since ArcCHECK measurements are run on an almost nightly basis, such additional square field measurements are obtained with minimal additional effort. An in-house MATLAB script compares two radial (y-direction) profiles from the top/center of the new measurement relative to a baseline measurement acquired at the last device calibration. The program automatically generates PDF profile and percent difference comparisons for inspection. Recalibration is based on inspection of measurement profile shapes and percent differences from the baseline measurement. Results: The method presented here shows the utility of a simple monthly check for evaluating ArcCHECK calibrations, and in addition shows the importance of recalibrating after Linac beam steering. Our device required recalibration approximately every 8–10 months. However, for ease of scheduling, we propose a bi-annual recalibration interval. Clinics with a lighter/heavier IMRT/VMAT QA case load may require different recalibration intervals, which are easily determined using the single-field method presented. Analysis of additional square fields is also easily incorporated, if desired. We further illustrate the importance of array recalibration given that diode irradiation is not uniform over the entire device, with central diodes receiving more than 900 Gy over the course of 10 months and peripheral diodes receiving as little as 50 Gy (in our experience). Finally, we show that timely device recalibration decreases spread in clinical IMRT/VMAT QA gamma passing rates. Conclusion: Quality assurance for ArcCHECK array calibrations is important to ensure quality IMRT/VMAT QA comparisons. For many clinics

  4. Reduced audiovisual recalibration in the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Yu Man; Pianta, Michael J; McKendrick, Allison M

    2014-01-01

    Perceived synchrony of visual and auditory signals can be altered by exposure to a stream of temporally offset stimulus pairs. Previous literature suggests that adapting to audiovisual temporal offsets is an important recalibration to correctly combine audiovisual stimuli into a single percept across a range of source distances. Healthy aging results in synchrony perception over a wider range of temporally offset visual and auditory signals, independent of age-related unisensory declines in vision and hearing sensitivities. However, the impact of aging on audiovisual recalibration is unknown. Audiovisual synchrony perception for sound-lead and sound-lag stimuli was measured for 15 younger (22-32 years old) and 15 older (64-74 years old) healthy adults using a method-of-constant-stimuli, after adapting to a stream of visual and auditory pairs. The adaptation pairs were either synchronous or asynchronous (sound-lag of 230 ms). The adaptation effect for each observer was computed as the shift in the mean of the individually fitted psychometric functions after adapting to asynchrony. Post-adaptation to synchrony, the younger and older observers had average window widths (±standard deviation) of 326 (±80) and 448 (±105) ms, respectively. There was no adaptation effect for sound-lead pairs. Both the younger and older observers, however, perceived more sound-lag pairs as synchronous. The magnitude of the adaptation effect in the older observers was not correlated with how often they saw the adapting sound-lag stimuli as asynchronous. Our finding demonstrates that audiovisual synchrony perception adapts less with advancing age.

  5. 7 CFR 201.55 - Retests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Germination Tests in the Administration of the Act § 201.55 Retests. Retests shall be made as follows: (a) When the range of 100-seed replicates of a given test exceeds the maximum tolerated range in the table... replicates of a given test, rounding off the result to the nearest whole number. The germination is found in...

  6. Recalibration of indium foil for personnel screening in criticality accidents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takada, C; Tsujimura, N; Mikami, S

    2011-03-01

    At the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), small pieces of indium foil incorporated into personal dosemeters have been used for personnel screening in criticality accidents. Irradiation tests of the badges were performed using the SILENE reactor to verify the calibration of the indium activation that had been made in the 1980s and to recalibrate them for simulated criticalities that would be the most likely to occur in the solution process line. In addition, Monte Carlo calculations of the indium activation using the badge model were also made to complement the spectral dependence. The results lead to a screening level of 15 kcpm being determined that corresponds to a total dose of 0.25 Gy, which is also applicable in posterior-anterior exposure. The recalibration based on the latest study will provide a sounder basis for the screening procedure in the event of a criticality accident.

  7. Audiovisual Temporal Recalibration for Speech in Synchrony Perception and Speech Identification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asakawa, Kaori; Tanaka, Akihiro; Imai, Hisato

    We investigated whether audiovisual synchrony perception for speech could change after observation of the audiovisual temporal mismatch. Previous studies have revealed that audiovisual synchrony perception is re-calibrated after exposure to a constant timing difference between auditory and visual signals in non-speech. In the present study, we examined whether this audiovisual temporal recalibration occurs at the perceptual level even for speech (monosyllables). In Experiment 1, participants performed an audiovisual simultaneity judgment task (i.e., a direct measurement of the audiovisual synchrony perception) in terms of the speech signal after observation of the speech stimuli which had a constant audiovisual lag. The results showed that the “simultaneous” responses (i.e., proportion of responses for which participants judged the auditory and visual stimuli to be synchronous) at least partly depended on exposure lag. In Experiment 2, we adopted the McGurk identification task (i.e., an indirect measurement of the audiovisual synchrony perception) to exclude the possibility that this modulation of synchrony perception was solely attributable to the response strategy using stimuli identical to those of Experiment 1. The characteristics of the McGurk effect reported by participants depended on exposure lag. Thus, it was shown that audiovisual synchrony perception for speech could be modulated following exposure to constant lag both in direct and indirect measurement. Our results suggest that temporal recalibration occurs not only in non-speech signals but also in monosyllabic speech at the perceptual level.

  8. Test-retest reliability of the multifocal photopic negative response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Alstine, Anthony W; Viswanathan, Suresh

    2017-02-01

    To assess the test-retest reliability of the multifocal photopic negative response (mfPhNR) of normal human subjects. Multifocal electroretinograms were recorded from one eye of 61 healthy adult subjects on two separate days using a Visual Evoked Response Imaging System software version 4.3 (EDI, San Mateo, California). The visual stimulus delivered on a 75-Hz monitor consisted of seven equal-sized hexagons each subtending 12° of visual angle. The m-step exponent was 9, and the m-sequence was slowed to include at least 30 blank frames after each flash. Only the first slice of the first-order kernel was analyzed. The mfPhNR amplitude was measured at a fixed time in the trough from baseline (BT) as well as at the same fixed time in the trough from the preceding b-wave peak (PT). Additionally, we also analyzed BT normalized either to PT (BT/PT) or to the b-wave amplitude (BT/b-wave). The relative reliability of test-retest differences for each test location was estimated by the Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-rank test and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Absolute test-retest reliability was estimated by Bland-Altman analysis. The test-retest amplitude differences for neither of the two measurement techniques were statistically significant as determined by Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-rank test. PT measurements showed greater ICC values than BT amplitude measurements for all test locations. For each measurement technique, the ICC value of the macular response was greater than that of the surrounding locations. The mean test-retest difference was close to zero for both techniques at each of the test locations, and while the coefficient of reliability (COR-1.96 times the standard deviation of the test-retest difference) was comparable for the two techniques at each test location when expressed in nanovolts, the %COR (COR normalized to the mean test and retest amplitudes) was superior for PT than BT measurements. The ICC and COR were comparable for the BT/PT and

  9. Retest effects in working memory capacity tests: A meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scharfen, Jana; Jansen, Katrin; Holling, Heinz

    2018-06-15

    The repeated administration of working memory capacity tests is common in clinical and research settings. For cognitive ability tests and different neuropsychological tests, meta-analyses have shown that they are prone to retest effects, which have to be accounted for when interpreting retest scores. Using a multilevel approach, this meta-analysis aims at showing the reproducibility of retest effects in working memory capacity tests for up to seven test administrations, and examines the impact of the length of the test-retest interval, test modality, equivalence of test forms and participant age on the size of retest effects. Furthermore, it is assessed whether the size of retest effects depends on the test paradigm. An extensive literature search revealed 234 effect sizes from 95 samples and 68 studies, in which healthy participants between 12 and 70 years repeatedly performed a working memory capacity test. Results yield a weighted average of g = 0.28 for retest effects from the first to the second test administration, and a significant increase in effect sizes was observed up to the fourth test administration. The length of the test-retest interval and publication year were found to moderate the size of retest effects. Retest effects differed between the paradigms of working memory capacity tests. These findings call for the development and use of appropriate experimental or statistical methods to address retest effects in working memory capacity tests.

  10. 14 CFR 65.19 - Retesting after failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Retesting after failure. 65.19 Section 65.19 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIRMEN CERTIFICATION: AIRMEN OTHER THAN FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS General § 65.19 Retesting after failure. An...

  11. Mass measurement errors of Fourier-transform mass spectrometry (FTMS): distribution, recalibration, and application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jiyang; Ma, Jie; Dou, Lei; Wu, Songfeng; Qian, Xiaohong; Xie, Hongwei; Zhu, Yunping; He, Fuchu

    2009-02-01

    The hybrid linear trap quadrupole Fourier-transform (LTQ-FT) ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer, an instrument with high accuracy and resolution, is widely used in the identification and quantification of peptides and proteins. However, time-dependent errors in the system may lead to deterioration of the accuracy of these instruments, negatively influencing the determination of the mass error tolerance (MET) in database searches. Here, a comprehensive discussion of LTQ/FT precursor ion mass error is provided. On the basis of an investigation of the mass error distribution, we propose an improved recalibration formula and introduce a new tool, FTDR (Fourier-transform data recalibration), that employs a graphic user interface (GUI) for automatic calibration. It was found that the calibration could adjust the mass error distribution to more closely approximate a normal distribution and reduce the standard deviation (SD). Consequently, we present a new strategy, LDSF (Large MET database search and small MET filtration), for database search MET specification and validation of database search results. As the name implies, a large-MET database search is conducted and the search results are then filtered using the statistical MET estimated from high-confidence results. By applying this strategy to a standard protein data set and a complex data set, we demonstrate the LDSF can significantly improve the sensitivity of the result validation procedure.

  12. Test-retest reliability of cognitive EEG

    Science.gov (United States)

    McEvoy, L. K.; Smith, M. E.; Gevins, A.

    2000-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Task-related EEG is sensitive to changes in cognitive state produced by increased task difficulty and by transient impairment. If task-related EEG has high test-retest reliability, it could be used as part of a clinical test to assess changes in cognitive function. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability of the EEG recorded during the performance of a working memory (WM) task and a psychomotor vigilance task (PVT). METHODS: EEG was recorded while subjects rested quietly and while they performed the tasks. Within session (test-retest interval of approximately 1 h) and between session (test-retest interval of approximately 7 days) reliability was calculated for four EEG components: frontal midline theta at Fz, posterior theta at Pz, and slow and fast alpha at Pz. RESULTS: Task-related EEG was highly reliable within and between sessions (r0.9 for all components in WM task, and r0.8 for all components in the PVT). Resting EEG also showed high reliability, although the magnitude of the correlation was somewhat smaller than that of the task-related EEG (r0.7 for all 4 components). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that under appropriate conditions, task-related EEG has sufficient retest reliability for use in assessing clinical changes in cognitive status.

  13. Mirror reversal and visual rotation are learned and consolidated via separate mechanisms: recalibrating or learning de novo?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telgen, Sebastian; Parvin, Darius; Diedrichsen, Jörn

    2014-10-08

    Motor learning tasks are often classified into adaptation tasks, which involve the recalibration of an existing control policy (the mapping that determines both feedforward and feedback commands), and skill-learning tasks, requiring the acquisition of new control policies. We show here that this distinction also applies to two different visuomotor transformations during reaching in humans: Mirror-reversal (left-right reversal over a mid-sagittal axis) of visual feedback versus rotation of visual feedback around the movement origin. During mirror-reversal learning, correct movement initiation (feedforward commands) and online corrections (feedback responses) were only generated at longer latencies. The earliest responses were directed into a nonmirrored direction, even after two training sessions. In contrast, for visual rotation learning, no dependency of directional error on reaction time emerged, and fast feedback responses to visual displacements of the cursor were immediately adapted. These results suggest that the motor system acquires a new control policy for mirror reversal, which initially requires extra processing time, while it recalibrates an existing control policy for visual rotations, exploiting established fast computational processes. Importantly, memory for visual rotation decayed between sessions, whereas memory for mirror reversals showed offline gains, leading to better performance at the beginning of the second session than in the end of the first. With shifts in time-accuracy tradeoff and offline gains, mirror-reversal learning shares common features with other skill-learning tasks. We suggest that different neuronal mechanisms underlie the recalibration of an existing versus acquisition of a new control policy and that offline gains between sessions are a characteristic of latter. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3413768-12$15.00/0.

  14. Recalibration of the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk score in a multiethnic Asian population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Mark Y; Shah, Bimal R; Gao, Fei; Sim, Ling Ling; Chua, Terrance; Tan, Huay Cheem; Yeo, Tiong Cheng; Ong, Hean Yee; Foo, David; Goh, Ping Ping; Surrun, Soondal K; Pieper, Karen S; Granger, Christopher B; Koh, Tian Hai; Salim, Agus; Tai, E Shyong

    2011-08-01

    Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a leading cause of mortality in Asia. However, quantitative risk scores to predict mortality after AMI were developed without the participation of Asian countries. We evaluated the performance of the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) in-hospital mortality risk score, directly and after recalibration, in a large Singaporean cohort representing 3 major Asian ethnicities. The GRACE cohort included 11,389 patients, predominantly of European descent, hospitalized for AMI or unstable angina from 2002 to 2003. The Singapore cohort included 10,100 Chinese, 3,005 Malay, and 2,046 Indian patients hospitalized for AMI from 2002 to 2005.Using the original GRACE score, predicted in-hospital mortality was 2.4% (Chinese), 2.0% (Malay), and 1.6% (Indian). However, observed in-hospital mortality was much greater at 9.8% (Chinese), 7.6% (Malay), and 6.4% (Indian). The c statistic for Chinese, Malays, and Indians was 0.86, 0.86, and 0.84, respectively, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic was 250, 56, and 41, respectively. Recalibration of the GRACE score, using the mean-centered constants derived from the Singapore cohort, did not change the c statistic but substantially improved the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic to 90, 24, and 18, respectively. The recalibrated GRACE score predicted in-hospital mortality as follows: 7.7% (Chinese), 6.0% (Malay), and 5.2% (Indian). In this large cohort of 3 major Asian ethnicities, the original GRACE score, derived from populations outside Asia, underestimated in-hospital mortality after AMI. Recalibration improved risk estimation substantially and may help adapt externally developed risk scores for local practice. Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. The grammar of anger: Mapping the computational architecture of a recalibrational emotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sell, Aaron; Sznycer, Daniel; Al-Shawaf, Laith; Lim, Julian; Krauss, Andre; Feldman, Aneta; Rascanu, Ruxandra; Sugiyama, Lawrence; Cosmides, Leda; Tooby, John

    2017-11-01

    According to the recalibrational theory of anger, anger is a computationally complex cognitive system that evolved to bargain for better treatment. Anger coordinates facial expressions, vocal changes, verbal arguments, the withholding of benefits, the deployment of aggression, and a suite of other cognitive and physiological variables in the service of leveraging bargaining position into better outcomes. The prototypical trigger of anger is an indication that the offender places too little weight on the angry individual's welfare when making decisions, i.e. the offender has too low a welfare tradeoff ratio (WTR) toward the angry individual. Twenty-three experiments in six cultures, including a group of foragers in the Ecuadorian Amazon, tested six predictions about the computational structure of anger derived from the recalibrational theory. Subjects judged that anger would intensify when: (i) the cost was large, (ii) the benefit the offender received from imposing the cost was small, or (iii) the offender imposed the cost despite knowing that the angered individual was the person to be harmed. Additionally, anger-based arguments conformed to a conceptual grammar of anger, such that offenders were inclined to argue that they held a high WTR toward the victim, e.g., "the cost I imposed on you was small", "the benefit I gained was large", or "I didn't know it was you I was harming." These results replicated across all six tested cultures: the US, Australia, Turkey, Romania, India, and Shuar hunter-horticulturalists in Ecuador. Results contradict key predictions about anger based on equity theory and social constructivism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Sleeping on the rubber-hand illusion: Memory reactivation during sleep facilitates multisensory recalibration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honma, Motoyasu; Plass, John; Brang, David; Florczak, Susan M; Grabowecky, Marcia; Paller, Ken A

    2016-01-01

    Plasticity is essential in body perception so that physical changes in the body can be accommodated and assimilated. Multisensory integration of visual, auditory, tactile, and proprioceptive signals contributes both to conscious perception of the body's current state and to associated learning. However, much is unknown about how novel information is assimilated into body perception networks in the brain. Sleep-based consolidation can facilitate various types of learning via the reactivation of networks involved in prior encoding or through synaptic down-scaling. Sleep may likewise contribute to perceptual learning of bodily information by providing an optimal time for multisensory recalibration. Here we used methods for targeted memory reactivation (TMR) during slow-wave sleep to examine the influence of sleep-based reactivation of experimentally induced alterations in body perception. The rubber-hand illusion was induced with concomitant auditory stimulation in 24 healthy participants on 3 consecutive days. While each participant was sleeping in his or her own bed during intervening nights, electrophysiological detection of slow-wave sleep prompted covert stimulation with either the sound heard during illusion induction, a counterbalanced novel sound, or neither. TMR systematically enhanced feelings of bodily ownership after subsequent inductions of the rubber-hand illusion. TMR also enhanced spatial recalibration of perceived hand location in the direction of the rubber hand. This evidence for a sleep-based facilitation of a body-perception illusion demonstrates that the spatial recalibration of multisensory signals can be altered overnight to stabilize new learning of bodily representations. Sleep-based memory processing may thus constitute a fundamental component of body-image plasticity.

  17. Correcting mass shifts: A lock mass-free recalibration procedure for mass spectrometry imaging data

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kulkarni, P.; Kaftan, F.; Kynast, P.; Svatoš, Aleš; Böcker, S.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 407, č. 25 (2015), s. 7603-7613 ISSN 1618-2642 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : mass spectrometry imaging * recalibration * mass shift correction * data processing Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry , Separation Impact factor: 3.125, year: 2015

  18. Test-retest reliability of automated whole body and compartmental muscle volume measurements on a wide bore 3T MR system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomas, Marianna S.; Newman, David; Kasmai, Bahman; Greenwood, Richard; Malcolm, Paul N. [Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Norwich (United Kingdom); Leinhard, Olof Dahlqvist [Linkoeping University, Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linkoeping (Sweden); Linkoeping University, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linkoeping (Sweden); Karlsson, Anette; Borga, Magnus [Linkoeping University, Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linkoeping (Sweden); Linkoeping University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Linkoeping (Sweden); Rosander, Johannes [Advanced MR Analytics AB, Linkoeping (Sweden); Toms, Andoni P. [Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Norwich (United Kingdom); Radiology Academy, Cotman Centre, Norwich, Norfolk (United Kingdom)

    2014-09-15

    To measure the test-retest reproducibility of an automated system for quantifying whole body and compartmental muscle volumes using wide bore 3 T MRI. Thirty volunteers stratified by body mass index underwent whole body 3 T MRI, two-point Dixon sequences, on two separate occasions. Water-fat separation was performed, with automated segmentation of whole body, torso, upper and lower leg volumes, and manually segmented lower leg muscle volumes. Mean automated total body muscle volume was 19.32 L (SD9.1) and 19.28 L (SD9.12) for first and second acquisitions (Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 1.0, 95 % level of agreement -0.32-0.2 L). ICC for all automated test-retest muscle volumes were almost perfect (0.99-1.0) with 95 % levels of agreement 1.8-6.6 % of mean volume. Automated muscle volume measurements correlate closely with manual quantification (right lower leg: manual 1.68 L (2SD0.6) compared to automated 1.64 L (2SD 0.6), left lower leg: manual 1.69 L (2SD 0.64) compared to automated 1.63 L (SD0.61), correlation coefficients for automated and manual segmentation were 0.94-0.96). Fully automated whole body and compartmental muscle volume quantification can be achieved rapidly on a 3 T wide bore system with very low margins of error, excellent test-retest reliability and excellent correlation to manual segmentation in the lower leg. (orig.)

  19. Test-retest reliability of automated whole body and compartmental muscle volume measurements on a wide bore 3T MR system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, Marianna S.; Newman, David; Kasmai, Bahman; Greenwood, Richard; Malcolm, Paul N.; Leinhard, Olof Dahlqvist; Karlsson, Anette; Borga, Magnus; Rosander, Johannes; Toms, Andoni P.

    2014-01-01

    To measure the test-retest reproducibility of an automated system for quantifying whole body and compartmental muscle volumes using wide bore 3 T MRI. Thirty volunteers stratified by body mass index underwent whole body 3 T MRI, two-point Dixon sequences, on two separate occasions. Water-fat separation was performed, with automated segmentation of whole body, torso, upper and lower leg volumes, and manually segmented lower leg muscle volumes. Mean automated total body muscle volume was 19.32 L (SD9.1) and 19.28 L (SD9.12) for first and second acquisitions (Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 1.0, 95 % level of agreement -0.32-0.2 L). ICC for all automated test-retest muscle volumes were almost perfect (0.99-1.0) with 95 % levels of agreement 1.8-6.6 % of mean volume. Automated muscle volume measurements correlate closely with manual quantification (right lower leg: manual 1.68 L (2SD0.6) compared to automated 1.64 L (2SD 0.6), left lower leg: manual 1.69 L (2SD 0.64) compared to automated 1.63 L (SD0.61), correlation coefficients for automated and manual segmentation were 0.94-0.96). Fully automated whole body and compartmental muscle volume quantification can be achieved rapidly on a 3 T wide bore system with very low margins of error, excellent test-retest reliability and excellent correlation to manual segmentation in the lower leg. (orig.)

  20. Test-retest reliability of infant event related potentials evoked by faces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munsters, N M; van Ravenswaaij, H; van den Boomen, C; Kemner, C

    2017-04-05

    Reliable measures are required to draw meaningful conclusions regarding developmental changes in longitudinal studies. Little is known, however, about the test-retest reliability of face-sensitive event related potentials (ERPs), a frequently used neural measure in infants. The aim of the current study is to investigate the test-retest reliability of ERPs typically evoked by faces in 9-10 month-old infants. The infants (N=31) were presented with neutral, fearful and happy faces that contained only the lower or higher spatial frequency information. They were tested twice within two weeks. The present results show that the test-retest reliability of the face-sensitive ERP components is moderate (P400 and Nc) to substantial (N290). However, there is low test-retest reliability for the effects of the specific experimental manipulations (i.e. emotion and spatial frequency) on the face-sensitive ERPs. To conclude, in infants the face-sensitive ERP components (i.e. N290, P400 and Nc) show adequate test-retest reliability, but not the effects of emotion and spatial frequency on these ERP components. We propose that further research focuses on investigating elements that might increase the test-retest reliability, as adequate test-retest reliability is necessary to draw meaningful conclusions on individual developmental trajectories of the face-sensitive ERPs in infants. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  1. Acoustic stapedial reflexes in healthy neonates: normative data and test-retest reliability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kei, Joseph

    2012-01-01

    The acoustic stapedial reflex (ASR) test provides useful information about the function of the auditory system. While it is frequently used with adults and children in a clinical setting, its use with young infants is limited. Presently, there are few data for neonates and inadequate research into the test-retest reliability of the ASR test. This study aimed to establish normative data and evaluate the test-retest reliability of the ASR test in healthy neonates. A cross-sectional experimental design was used to establish ASR normative data and assess the test-retest reliability of ASR thresholds obtained from healthy neonates. Sixty-eight full-term neonates with mean chronological age of 2.5 days (SD = 1.8 day), who passed the automated auditory brainstem response, transient evoked otoacoustic emission, and high frequency (1 kHz) tympanometry (HFT) tests. One randomly selected ear from each neonate was tested using TEOAE (transient evoked otoacoustic emission), HFT, and ASR tests using a 1 kHz probe tone. ASR thresholds were elicited by presenting pure tones of 0.5, 2, and 4 kHz and broadband noise (BBN) separately to the test ear in an ipsilateral stimulation mode. The ASR procedure was repeated to acquire retest data within the same testing session. Descriptive statistics, χ2, and analysis of variance with repeated measures tests were used to analyze ASR data. All neonates exhibited ASR when stimulated by tonal stimuli or BBN. The mean ASRTs (acoustic stapedial reflex thresholds) for the 0.5, 2, and 4 kHz tones were 81.6 ± 7.9, 71.3 ± 7.9, and 65.4 ± 8.7 dB HL, respectively. The mean ASRT for the BBN was estimated to be smaller than 57.2 dB HL, given the limitation of the equipment. The 95th percentiles of the ASRT were 95, 85, 80, and 75 dB HL for the 0.5, 2, and 4 kHz and BBN, respectively. The test-retest reliability of the ASR test for all stimuli was high, with no significant difference in mean ASRTs across the test and retest conditions. Test-retest

  2. Test-retest reliability of the Work Ability Index questionnaire

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Zwart, B. C. H.; Frings-Dresen, M. H. W.; Van Duivenbooden, J. C.

    2002-01-01

    The goal of the study was to assess the test-retest reliability of the Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaire. Reliability was tested using a test-retest design with a 4 week interval between measurements. Valid data were collected among 97 elderly construction workers aged 40 years and older. We

  3. Comparison of alternative weight recalibration methods for diagnosis-related groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogowski, Jeannette Roskamp; Byrne, Daniel J.

    1990-01-01

    In this article, alternative methodologies for recalibration of the diagnosis-related group (DRG) weights are examined. Based on 1984 data, cost and charge-based weights are less congruent than those calculated with 1981 data. Previous studies using 1981 data demonstrated that cost- and charge-based weights were not very different. Charge weights result in higher payments to surgical DRGs and lower payments to medical DRGs, relative to cost weights. At the provider level, charge weights result in higher payments to large urban hospitals and teaching hospitals, relative to cost weights. PMID:10113568

  4. MoDOT pavement preservation research program volume VII, re-calibration of triggers and performance models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-10-01

    The objective of this task is to develop the concept and framework for a procedure to routinely create, re-calibrate, and update the : Trigger Tables and Performance Models. The scope of work for Task 6 includes a limited review of the recent pavemen...

  5. The Build-Up Course of Visuo-Motor and Audio-Motor Temporal Recalibration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshimori Sugano

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available The sensorimotor timing is recalibrated after a brief exposure to a delayed feedback of voluntary actions (temporal recalibration effect: TRE (Heron et al., 2009; Stetson et al., 2006; Sugano et al., 2010. We introduce a new paradigm, namely ‘synchronous tapping’ (ST which allows us to investigate how the TRE builds up during adaptation. In each experimental trial, participants were repeatedly exposed to a constant lag (∼150 ms between their voluntary action (pressing a mouse and a feedback stimulus (a visual flash / an auditory click 10 times. Immediately after that, they performed a ST task with the same stimulus as a pace signal (7 flashes / clicks. A subjective ‘no-delay condition’ (∼50 ms served as control. The TRE manifested itself as a change in the tap-stimulus asynchrony that compensated the exposed lag (eg, after lag adaptation, the tap preceded the stimulus more than in control and built up quickly (∼3–6 trials, ∼23–45 sec in both the visuo- and audio-motor domain. The audio-motor TRE was bigger and built-up faster than the visuo-motor one. To conclude, the TRE is comparable between visuo- and audio-motor domain, though they are slightly different in size and build-up rate.

  6. Evaluation and Recalibration of Empirical Constant for Estimation of Reference Crop Evapotranspiration against the Modified Penman Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasireka, K.; Jagan Mohan Reddy, C.; Charan Reddy, C.; Ramakrishnan, K.

    2017-07-01

    The major demand in our country is irrigation demand. Looking to the low irrigation potential and small water resources, it is felt necessary to see that water must be used economically and efficiently. This may be achieved by using latest methods of determination of water requirements for crops and applying the proper water management practices. Evapotranspiration (ET) is a basic for calculation of water requirement for crops. The various popular empirical equations for reference crop evapotranspiration (ETr) belong to three categories namely, Temperature, Radiation based methods and Combined methods. The above methods are site specific; hence it is necessary to recalibrate the coefficients for applying them in India. In the present paper, the standard combined method namely FAO modified Penman method was used to recalibrate the constants in temperature based (TB) methods and it can also be used to determine the ETr for the selected station. Four TB evapotranspiration models namely Blaney-Criddle, Romanenko, Kharrufa, and, Thronthwaite methods are recalibrated and the constant in each method are redefined for the data from Lekkur station, Cuddalore district in India. The result shows that, large error existed when ETr has been calculated with original constants. Hence regression equations were developed to minimise these variations in magnitude. It was found that out of four methods the Blaney-Criddle method suits better for the selected region.

  7. Test-Retest Reliability of the Short-Form Survivor Unmet Needs Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Karen; Bulsara, Max; Monterosso, Leanne

    2018-01-01

    Reliable and valid needs assessment measures are important assessment tools in cancer survivorship care. A new 30-item short-form version of the Survivor Unmet Needs Survey (SF-SUNS) was developed and validated with cancer survivors, including hematology cancer survivors; however, test-retest reliability has not been established. The objective of this study was to assess the test-retest reliability of the SF-SUNS with a cohort of lymphoma survivors ( n = 40). Test-retest reliability of the SF-SUNS was conducted at two time points: baseline (time 1) and 5 days later (time 2). Test-retest data were collected from lymphoma cancer survivors ( n = 40) in a large tertiary cancer center in Western Australia. Intraclass correlation analyses compared data at time 1 (baseline) and time 2 (5 days later). Cronbach's alpha analyses were performed to assess the internal consistency at both time points. The majority (23/30, 77%) of items achieved test-retest reliability scores 0.45-0.74 (fair to good). A high degree of overall internal consistency was demonstrated (time 1 = 0.92, time 2 = 0.95), with scores 0.65-0.94 across subscales for both time points. Mixed test-retest reliability of the SF-SUNS was established. Our results indicate the SF-SUNS is responsive to the changing needs of lymphoma cancer survivors. Routine use of cancer survivorship specific needs-based assessments is required in oncology care today. Nurses are well placed to administer these assessments and provide tailored information and resources. Further assessment of test-retest reliability in hematology and other cancer cohorts is warranted.

  8. The Recalibrated Sunspot Number: Impact on Solar Cycle Predictions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clette, F.; Lefevre, L.

    2017-12-01

    Recently and for the first time since their creation, the sunspot number and group number series were entirely revisited and a first fully recalibrated version was officially released in July 2015 by the World Data Center SILSO (Brussels). Those reference long-term series are widely used as input data or as a calibration reference by various solar cycle prediction methods. Therefore, past predictions may now need to be redone using the new sunspot series, and methods already used for predicting cycle 24 will require adaptations before attempting predictions of the next cycles.In order to clarify the nature of the applied changes, we describe the different corrections applied to the sunspot and group number series, which affect extended time periods and can reach up to 40%. While some changes simply involve constant scale factors, other corrections vary with time or follow the solar cycle modulation. Depending on the prediction method and on the selected time interval, this can lead to different responses and biases. Moreover, together with the new series, standard error estimates are also progressively added to the new sunspot numbers, which may help deriving more accurate uncertainties for predicted activity indices. We conclude on the new round of recalibration that is now undertaken in the framework of a broad multi-team collaboration articulated around upcoming ISSI workshops. We outline the future corrections that can still be expected in the future, as part of a permanent upgrading process and quality control. From now on, future sunspot-based predictive models should thus be made more adaptable, and regular updates of predictions should become common practice in order to track periodic upgrades of the sunspot number series, just like it is done when using other modern solar observational series.

  9. Short message service reminder intervention doubles sexually transmitted infection/HIV re-testing rates among men who have sex with men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourne, C; Knight, V; Guy, R; Wand, H; Lu, H; McNulty, A

    2011-04-01

    To evaluate the impact of a short message service (SMS) reminder system on HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) re-testing rates among men who have sex with men (MSM). The SMS reminder programme started in late 2008 at a large Australian sexual health clinic. SMS reminders were recommended 3-6 monthly for MSM considered high-risk based on self-reported sexual behaviour. The evaluation compared HIV negative MSM who had a HIV/STI test between 1 January and 31 August 2010 and received a SMS reminder (SMS group) with those tested in the same time period (comparison group) and pre-SMS period (pre-SMS group, 1 January 2008 and 31 August 2008) who did not receive the SMS. HIV/STI re-testing rates were measured within 9 months for each group. Baseline characteristics were compared between study groups and multivariate logistic regression used to assess the association between SMS and re-testing and control for any imbalances in the study groups. There were 714 HIV negative MSM in the SMS group, 1084 in the comparison group and 1753 in the pre-SMS group. In the SMS group, 64% were re-tested within 9 months compared to 30% in the comparison group (preminders increased HIV/STI re-testing among HIV negative MSM. SMS offers a cheap, efficient system to increase HIV/STI re-testing in a busy clinical setting.

  10. Test-retest reliability of automated whole body and compartmental muscle volume measurements on a wide bore 3T MR system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Marianna S; Newman, David; Leinhard, Olof Dahlqvist; Kasmai, Bahman; Greenwood, Richard; Malcolm, Paul N; Karlsson, Anette; Rosander, Johannes; Borga, Magnus; Toms, Andoni P

    2014-09-01

    To measure the test-retest reproducibility of an automated system for quantifying whole body and compartmental muscle volumes using wide bore 3 T MRI. Thirty volunteers stratified by body mass index underwent whole body 3 T MRI, two-point Dixon sequences, on two separate occasions. Water-fat separation was performed, with automated segmentation of whole body, torso, upper and lower leg volumes, and manually segmented lower leg muscle volumes. Mean automated total body muscle volume was 19·32 L (SD9·1) and 19·28 L (SD9·12) for first and second acquisitions (Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 1·0, 95% level of agreement -0·32-0·2 L). ICC for all automated test-retest muscle volumes were almost perfect (0·99-1·0) with 95% levels of agreement 1.8-6.6% of mean volume. Automated muscle volume measurements correlate closely with manual quantification (right lower leg: manual 1·68 L (2SD0·6) compared to automated 1·64 L (2SD 0·6), left lower leg: manual 1·69 L (2SD 0·64) compared to automated 1·63 L (SD0·61), correlation coefficients for automated and manual segmentation were 0·94-0·96). Fully automated whole body and compartmental muscle volume quantification can be achieved rapidly on a 3 T wide bore system with very low margins of error, excellent test-retest reliability and excellent correlation to manual segmentation in the lower leg. Sarcopaenia is an important reversible complication of a number of diseases. Manual quantification of muscle volume is time-consuming and expensive. Muscles can be imaged using in and out of phase MRI. Automated atlas-based segmentation can identify muscle groups. Automated muscle volume segmentation is reproducible and can replace manual measurements.

  11. Interrater and Test-Retest Reliability and Minimal Detectable Change of the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) and Subsystems With Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang-Hsu, Elizabeth; Smith, Susan S

    2017-01-10

    Falls are a common cause of injuries and hospital admissions in older adults. Balance limitation is a potentially modifiable factor contributing to falls. The Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest), a clinical balance measure, categorizes balance into 6 underlying subsystems. Each of the subsystems is scored individually and summed to obtain a total score. The reliability of the BESTest and its individual subsystems has been reported in patients with various neurological disorders and cancer survivors. However, the reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) of the BESTest with community-dwelling older adults have not been reported. The purposes of our study were to (1) determine the interrater and test-retest reliability of the BESTest total and subsystem scores; and (2) estimate the MDC of the BESTest and its individual subsystem scores with community-dwelling older adults. We used a prospective cohort methodological design. Community-dwelling older adults (N = 70; aged 70-94 years; mean = 85.0 [5.5] years) were recruited from a senior independent living community. Trained testers (N = 3) administered the BESTest. All participants were tested with the BESTest by the same tester initially and then retested 7 to 14 days later. With 32 of the participants, a second tester concurrently scored the retest for interrater reliability. Testers were blinded to each other's scores. Intraclass correlation coefficients [ICC(2,1)] were used to determine the interrater and test-retest reliability. Test-retest reliability was also analyzed using method error and the associated coefficients of variation (CVME). MDC was calculated using standard error of measurement. Interrater reliability (N = 32) of the BESTest total score was ICC(2, 1) = 0.97 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-0.99). The ICCs for the individual subsystem scores ranged from 0.85 to 0.94. Test-retest reliability (N = 70) of the BESTest total score was ICC(2,1) = 0.93 (95% CI, 0.89-0.96). ICCs for the

  12. Rorschach e pedofilia: a fidedignidade no teste-reteste = Rorschach and pedophilia: a reliability at test-retest

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scortegagna, Silvana Alba

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Esse estudo buscou investigar as características de personalidade de um indivíduo pedófilo, e evidenciar a fidedignidade do Rorschach no teste-reteste. O participante, com 38 anos de idade, masculino, respondeu a entrevista e ao método de Rorschach, em duas etapas. Os principais achados revelam: a uma tendência à fragmentação na percepção de si e dos outros; b autoimagem negativa e desfavorável em relação ao corpo e suas funções; c problemas nas relações interpessoais, falhas na capacidade de empatia; d déficit no ajustamento perceptivo da realidade; e vulnerabilidade a pressões subjetivas e impulsividade. Esses resultados mantiveram-se estáveis comparando-se as duas aplicações, permitindo ampliar a compreensão dos elementos psicológicos envolvidos na pedofilia, que se mantem, e apoiam a fidedignidade do Rorschach no teste-reteste

  13. Test-retest reliability of the Progressive Isoinertial Lifting Evaluation (PILE).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lygren, Hildegunn; Dragesund, Tove; Joensen, Jón; Ask, Tove; Moe-Nilssen, Rolf

    2005-05-01

    A repeated measures single group design. To investigate test-retest reliability of Progressive Isoinertial Lifting Evaluation on patients with long lasting musculoskeletal problems related to the lumbar spine. Test-retest reliability has been satisfactory in healthy men. Test-retest reliability for clinical populations has not been reported. A total of 31 patients (17 women and 14 men) with long lasting low back pain participated in the study. The patients were tested twice at an interval of 2 days and at the same time of the day. The heaviest load that the patient could lift 4 times was used as outcome measure. The error of measurement indicates that the true result in 95% of cases will be within +/-4.5 kg from the measured value, while the difference between 2 measurements in 95% of cases will be less than 6.4 kg. Intra-class correlation (1,1) was 0.91. Relative test-retest reliability was high assessed by intra-class correlation, but absolute measurement variability reported as the smallest detectable difference has relevance for the interpretation of clinical test results and should also be considered.

  14. Adaptation to Delayed Speech Feedback Induces Temporal Recalibration between Vocal Sensory and Auditory Modalities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kosuke Yamamoto

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available We ordinarily perceive our voice sound as occurring simultaneously with vocal production, but the sense of simultaneity in vocalization can be easily interrupted by delayed auditory feedback (DAF. DAF causes normal people to have difficulty speaking fluently but helps people with stuttering to improve speech fluency. However, the underlying temporal mechanism for integrating the motor production of voice and the auditory perception of vocal sound remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the temporal tuning mechanism integrating vocal sensory and voice sounds under DAF with an adaptation technique. Participants read some sentences with specific delay times of DAF (0, 30, 75, 120 ms during three minutes to induce ‘Lag Adaptation’. After the adaptation, they then judged the simultaneity between motor sensation and vocal sound given feedback in producing simple voice but not speech. We found that speech production with lag adaptation induced a shift in simultaneity responses toward the adapted auditory delays. This indicates that the temporal tuning mechanism in vocalization can be temporally recalibrated after prolonged exposure to delayed vocal sounds. These findings suggest vocalization is finely tuned by the temporal recalibration mechanism, which acutely monitors the integration of temporal delays between motor sensation and vocal sound.

  15. Test-retest reliability for aerodynamic measures of voice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awan, Shaheen N; Novaleski, Carolyn K; Yingling, Julie R

    2013-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the intrasubject reliability of aerodynamic characteristics of the voice within typical/normal speakers across testing sessions using the Phonatory Aerodynamic System (PAS 6600; KayPENTAX, Montvale, NJ). Participants were 60 healthy young adults (30 males and 30 females) between the ages 18 and 31 years with perceptually typical voice. Participants were tested using the PAS 6600 (Phonatory Aerodynamic System) on two separate days with approximately 1 week between each session at approximately the same time of day. Four PAS protocols were conducted (vital capacity, maximum sustained phonation, comfortable sustained phonation, and voicing efficiency) and measures of expiratory volume, maximum phonation time, mean expiratory airflow (during vowel production) and target airflow (obtained via syllable repetition), peak air pressure, aerodynamic power, aerodynamic resistance, and aerodynamic efficiency were obtained during each testing session. Associated acoustic measures of vocal intensity and frequency were also collected. All phonations were elicited at comfortable pitch and loudness. All aerodynamic and associated variables evaluated in this study showed useable test-retest reliability (ie, intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs] ≥ 0.60). A high degree of mean test-retest reliability was found across all subjects for aerodynamic and associated acoustic measurements of vital capacity, maximum sustained phonation, glottal resistance, and vocal intensity (all with ICCs > 0.75). Although strong ICCs were observed for measures of glottal power and mean expiratory airflow in males, weaker overall results for these measures (ICC range: 0.60-0.67) were observed in females subjects and sizable coefficients of variation were observed for measures of power, resistance, and efficiency in both men and women. Differences in degree of reliability from measure to measure were revealed in greater detail using methods such as ICCs and

  16. 14 CFR 63.59 - Retesting after failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Retesting after failure. 63.59 Section 63.59 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED... failure. (a) An applicant for a flight navigator certificate who fails a written or practical test for...

  17. 14 CFR 63.41 - Retesting after failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Retesting after failure. 63.41 Section 63.41 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED... failure. An applicant for a flight engineer certificate who fails a written test or practical test for...

  18. Shared Action Spaces: a basis function framework for social re-calibration of sensorimotor representations supporting joint action

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni ePezzulo

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The article explores the possibilities of formalizing and explaining the mechanisms that support spatial and social perspective alignment sustained over the duration of a social interaction. The basic proposed principle is that in social contexts the mechanisms for sensorimotor transformations and multisensory integration (learn to incorporate information relative to the other actor(s, similar to the "re-calibration" of visual receptive fields in response to repeated tool use. This process aligns or merges the co-actors' spatial representations and creates a "Shared Action Space" supporting key computations of social interactions and joint actions; for example, the remapping between the coordinate systems and frames of reference of the co-actors, including perspective taking, the sensorimotor transformations required for lifting jointly an object, and the predictions of the sensory effects of such joint action. The social re-calibration is proposed to be based on common basis function maps and could constitute an optimal solution to sensorimotor transformation and multisensory integration in joint action or more in general social interaction contexts. However, certain situations such as discrepant postural and viewpoint alignment and associated differences in perspectives between the co-actors could constrain the process quite differently. We discuss how alignment is achieved in the first place, and how it is maintained over time, providing a taxonomy of various forms and mechanisms of space alignment and overlap based, for instance, on automaticity vs. control of the transformations between the two agents. Finally, we discuss the link between low-level mechanisms for the sharing of space and high-level mechanisms for the sharing of cognitive representations.

  19. The Perceived Efficacy and Goal Setting System (PEGS), part II: evaluation of test-retest reliability and differences between child and parental reports in the Swedish version.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vroland-Nordstrand, Kristina; Krumlinde-Sundholm, Lena

    2012-11-01

    to evaluate the test-retest reliability of children's perceptions of their own competence in performing daily tasks and of their choice of goals for intervention using the Swedish version of the perceived efficacy and goal setting system (PEGS). A second aim was to evaluate agreement between children's and parents' perceptions of the child's competence and choices of intervention goals. Forty-four children with disabilities and their parents completed the Swedish version of the PEGS. Thirty-six of the children completed a retest session allocated into one of two groups: (A) for evaluation of perceived competence and (B) for evaluation of choice of goals. Cohen's kappa, weighted kappa and absolute agreement were calculated. Test-retest reliability for children's perceived competence showed good agreement for the dichotomized scale of competent/non-competent performance; however, using the four-point scale the agreement varied. The children's own goals were relatively stable over time; 78% had an absolute agreement ranging from 50% to 100%. There was poor agreement between the children's and their parents' ratings. Goals identified by the children differed from those identified by their parents, with 48% of the children having no goals identical to those chosen by their parents. These results indicate that the Swedish version of the PEGS produces reliable outcomes comparable to the original version.

  20. 14 CFR 61.49 - Retesting after failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Retesting after failure. 61.49 Section 61.49 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED... failure. (a) An applicant for a knowledge or practical test who fails that test may reapply for the test...

  1. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability and measurement error of the self-report version of the social skills rating system in a sample of Australian adolescents.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharmila Vaz

    Full Text Available The social skills rating system (SSRS is used to assess social skills and competence in children and adolescents. While its characteristics based on United States samples (US are published, corresponding Australian figures are unavailable. Using a 4-week retest design, we examined the internal consistency, retest reliability and measurement error (ME of the SSRS secondary student form (SSF in a sample of Year 7 students (N = 187, from five randomly selected public schools in Perth, western Australia. Internal consistency (IC of the total scale and most subscale scores (except empathy on the frequency rating scale was adequate to permit independent use. On the importance rating scale, most IC estimates for girls fell below the benchmark. Test-retest estimates of the total scale and subscales were insufficient to permit reliable use. ME of the total scale score (frequency rating for boys was equivalent to the US estimate, while that for girls was lower than the US error. ME of the total scale score (importance rating was larger than the error using the frequency rating scale. The study finding supports the idea of using multiple informants (e.g. teacher and parent reports, not just student as recommended in the manual. Future research needs to substantiate the clinical meaningfulness of the MEs calculated in this study by corroborating them against the respective Minimum Clinically Important Difference (MCID.

  2. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability and measurement error of the self-report version of the social skills rating system in a sample of Australian adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaz, Sharmila; Parsons, Richard; Passmore, Anne Elizabeth; Andreou, Pantelis; Falkmer, Torbjörn

    2013-01-01

    The social skills rating system (SSRS) is used to assess social skills and competence in children and adolescents. While its characteristics based on United States samples (US) are published, corresponding Australian figures are unavailable. Using a 4-week retest design, we examined the internal consistency, retest reliability and measurement error (ME) of the SSRS secondary student form (SSF) in a sample of Year 7 students (N = 187), from five randomly selected public schools in Perth, western Australia. Internal consistency (IC) of the total scale and most subscale scores (except empathy) on the frequency rating scale was adequate to permit independent use. On the importance rating scale, most IC estimates for girls fell below the benchmark. Test-retest estimates of the total scale and subscales were insufficient to permit reliable use. ME of the total scale score (frequency rating) for boys was equivalent to the US estimate, while that for girls was lower than the US error. ME of the total scale score (importance rating) was larger than the error using the frequency rating scale. The study finding supports the idea of using multiple informants (e.g. teacher and parent reports), not just student as recommended in the manual. Future research needs to substantiate the clinical meaningfulness of the MEs calculated in this study by corroborating them against the respective Minimum Clinically Important Difference (MCID).

  3. Test-retest reliability of sensor-based sit-to-stand measures in young and older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regterschot, G Ruben H; Zhang, Wei; Baldus, Heribert; Stevens, Martin; Zijlstra, Wiebren

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated test-retest reliability of sensor-based sit-to-stand (STS) peak power and other STS measures in young and older adults. In addition, test-retest reliability of the sensor method was compared to test-retest reliability of the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) and Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSST) in older adults. Ten healthy young female adults (20-23 years) and 31 older adults (21 females; 73-94 years) participated in two assessment sessions separated by 3-8 days. Vertical peak power was assessed during three (young adults) and five (older adults) normal and fast STS trials with a hybrid motion sensor worn on the hip. Older adults also performed the FTSST and TUGT. The average sensor-based STS peak power of the normal STS trials and the average sensor-based STS peak power of the fast STS trials showed excellent test-retest reliability in young adults (intra-class correlation (ICC)≥0.90; zero in 95% confidence interval of mean difference between test and retest (95%CI of D); standard error of measurement (SEM)≤6.7% of mean peak power) and older adults (ICC≥0.91; zero in 95%CI of D; SEM≤9.9%). Test-retest reliability of sensor-based STS peak power and TUGT (ICC=0.98; zero in 95%CI of D; SEM=8.5%) was comparable in older adults, test-retest reliability of the FTSST was lower (ICC=0.73; zero outside 95%CI of D; SEM=14.4%). Sensor-based STS peak power demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability and may therefore be useful for clinical assessment of functional status and fall risk. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Test-retest reliability and predictive validity of the Implicit Association Test in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rae, James R; Olson, Kristina R

    2018-02-01

    The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is increasingly used in developmental research despite minimal evidence of whether children's IAT scores are reliable across time or predictive of behavior. When test-retest reliability and predictive validity have been assessed, the results have been mixed, and because these studies have differed on many factors simultaneously (lag-time between testing administrations, domain, etc.), it is difficult to discern what factors may explain variability in existing test-retest reliability and predictive validity estimates. Across five studies (total N = 519; ages 6- to 11-years-old), we manipulated two factors that have varied in previous developmental research-lag-time and domain. An internal meta-analysis of these studies revealed that, across three different methods of analyzing the data, mean test-retest (rs of .48, .38, and .34) and predictive validity (rs of .46, .20, and .10) effect sizes were significantly greater than zero. While lag-time did not moderate the magnitude of test-retest coefficients, whether we observed domain differences in test-retest reliability and predictive validity estimates was contingent on other factors, such as how we scored the IAT or whether we included estimates from a unique sample (i.e., a sample containing gender typical and gender diverse children). Recommendations are made for developmental researchers that utilize the IAT in their research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  5. Evaluating the reliability of an injury prevention screening tool: Test-retest study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gittelman, Michael A; Kincaid, Madeline; Denny, Sarah; Wervey Arnold, Melissa; FitzGerald, Michael; Carle, Adam C; Mara, Constance A

    2016-10-01

    A standardized injury prevention (IP) screening tool can identify family risks and allow pediatricians to address behaviors. To assess behavior changes on later screens, the tool must be reliable for an individual and ideally between household members. Little research has examined the reliability of safety screening tool questions. This study utilized test-retest reliability of parent responses on an existing IP questionnaire and also compared responses between household parents. Investigators recruited parents of children 0 to 1 year of age during admission to a tertiary care children's hospital. When both parents were present, one was chosen as the "primary" respondent. Primary respondents completed the 30-question IP screening tool after consent, and they were re-screened approximately 4 hours later to test individual reliability. The "second" parent, when present, only completed the tool once. All participants received a 10-dollar gift card. Cohen's Kappa was used to estimate test-retest reliability and inter-rater agreement. Standard test-retest criteria consider Kappa values: 0.0 to 0.40 poor to fair, 0.41 to 0.60 moderate, 0.61 to 0.80 substantial, and 0.81 to 1.00 as almost perfect reliability. One hundred five families participated, with five lost to follow-up. Thirty-two (30.5%) parent dyads completed the tool. Primary respondents were generally mothers (88%) and Caucasian (72%). Test-retest of the primary respondents showed their responses to be almost perfect; average 0.82 (SD = 0.13, range 0.49-1.00). Seventeen questions had almost perfect test-retest reliability and 11 had substantial reliability. However, inter-rater agreement between household members for 12 objective questions showed little agreement between responses; inter-rater agreement averaged 0.35 (SD = 0.34, range -0.19-1.00). One question had almost perfect inter-rater agreement and two had substantial inter-rater agreement. The IP screening tool used by a single individual had excellent

  6. Recalibrating disparities in perceived and actual balance abilities in older adults: a mixed-methods evaluation of a novel exergaming intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellmers, Toby J; Paraskevopoulos, Ioannis Th; Williams, A Mark; Young, William R

    2018-03-22

    Published reports suggest a disparity between perceived and actual balance abilities, a trait associated with increased fall-risk in older adults. We investigate whether it is possible to 'recalibrate' these disparities using a novel gaming intervention. We recruited 26 older adults for a 4-week intervention in which they participated in 8-sessions using a novel gaming intervention designed to provide explicit, augmented feedback related to postural control. Measures of perceived balance abilities (Falls Efficacy Scale-International) and actual postural control (limits of stability) were assessed pre- and post-intervention. We used focus groups to elicit the opinions of participants about how the game may have influenced balance abilities and confidence. A stronger alignment was observed between postural control and perceived balance capabilities post-intervention (i.e., significant correlations between Falls Efficacy Scale-International scores and limits of stability which were not present pre-intervention). Also, significant improvements in measures of postural control were observed, with these improvements confined to the aspects of postural control for which the exergame provided explicit, augmented feedback. Qualitative data revealed that the intervention made participants more "aware" of their balance abilities. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to recalibrate the perceptions of older adults relating to their balance abilities through a targeted, short-term intervention. We propose that the post-intervention improvements in postural control may have been, in part, the result of this recalibration; with altered perceptions leading to changes in balance performance. Findings support the application of novel interventions aimed at addressing the psychological factors associated with elderly falls.

  7. The Comprehensive Snack Parenting Questionnaire (CSPQ: Development and Test-Retest Reliability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dorus W. M. Gevers

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The narrow focus of existing food parenting instruments led us to develop a food parenting practices instrument measuring the full range of food practices constructs with a focus on snacking behavior. We present the development of the questionnaire and our research on the test-retest reliability. The developed Comprehensive Snack Parenting Questionnaire (CSPQ covers 21 constructs. Test-retest reliability was assessed by calculating intra class correlation coefficients and percentage agreement after two administrations of the CSPQ among a sample of 66 Dutch parents. Test-retest reliability analysis revealed acceptable intra class correlation coefficients (≥0.41 or agreement scores (≥0.60 for all items. These results, together with earlier work, suggest sufficient psychometric characteristics. The comprehensive, but brief CSPQ opens up chances for highly essential but unstudied research questions to understand and predict children’s snack intake. Example applications include studying the interactional nature of food parenting practices or interactions of food parenting with general parenting or child characteristics.

  8. Internal Consistency, Retest Reliability, and their Implications For Personality Scale Validity

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCrae, Robert R.; Kurtz, John E.; Yamagata, Shinji; Terracciano, Antonio

    2010-01-01

    We examined data (N = 34,108) on the differential reliability and validity of facet scales from the NEO Inventories. We evaluated the extent to which (a) psychometric properties of facet scales are generalizable across ages, cultures, and methods of measurement; and (b) validity criteria are associated with different forms of reliability. Composite estimates of facet scale stability, heritability, and cross-observer validity were broadly generalizable. Two estimates of retest reliability were independent predictors of the three validity criteria; none of three estimates of internal consistency was. Available evidence suggests the same pattern of results for other personality inventories. Internal consistency of scales can be useful as a check on data quality, but appears to be of limited utility for evaluating the potential validity of developed scales, and it should not be used as a substitute for retest reliability. Further research on the nature and determinants of retest reliability is needed. PMID:20435807

  9. Recalibrating disease parameters for increasing realism in modeling epidemics in closed settings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Livio Bioglio

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The homogeneous mixing assumption is widely adopted in epidemic modelling for its parsimony and represents the building block of more complex approaches, including very detailed agent-based models. The latter assume homogeneous mixing within schools, workplaces and households, mostly for the lack of detailed information on human contact behaviour within these settings. The recent data availability on high-resolution face-to-face interactions makes it now possible to assess the goodness of this simplified scheme in reproducing relevant aspects of the infection dynamics. Methods We consider empirical contact networks gathered in different contexts, as well as synthetic data obtained through realistic models of contacts in structured populations. We perform stochastic spreading simulations on these contact networks and in populations of the same size under a homogeneous mixing hypothesis. We adjust the epidemiological parameters of the latter in order to fit the prevalence curve of the contact epidemic model. We quantify the agreement by comparing epidemic peak times, peak values, and epidemic sizes. Results Good approximations of the peak times and peak values are obtained with the homogeneous mixing approach, with a median relative difference smaller than 20 % in all cases investigated. Accuracy in reproducing the peak time depends on the setting under study, while for the peak value it is independent of the setting. Recalibration is found to be linear in the epidemic parameters used in the contact data simulations, showing changes across empirical settings but robustness across groups and population sizes. Conclusions An adequate rescaling of the epidemiological parameters can yield a good agreement between the epidemic curves obtained with a real contact network and a homogeneous mixing approach in a population of the same size. The use of such recalibrated homogeneous mixing approximations would enhance the accuracy and

  10. Recalibrating disease parameters for increasing realism in modeling epidemics in closed settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bioglio, Livio; Génois, Mathieu; Vestergaard, Christian L; Poletto, Chiara; Barrat, Alain; Colizza, Vittoria

    2016-11-14

    The homogeneous mixing assumption is widely adopted in epidemic modelling for its parsimony and represents the building block of more complex approaches, including very detailed agent-based models. The latter assume homogeneous mixing within schools, workplaces and households, mostly for the lack of detailed information on human contact behaviour within these settings. The recent data availability on high-resolution face-to-face interactions makes it now possible to assess the goodness of this simplified scheme in reproducing relevant aspects of the infection dynamics. We consider empirical contact networks gathered in different contexts, as well as synthetic data obtained through realistic models of contacts in structured populations. We perform stochastic spreading simulations on these contact networks and in populations of the same size under a homogeneous mixing hypothesis. We adjust the epidemiological parameters of the latter in order to fit the prevalence curve of the contact epidemic model. We quantify the agreement by comparing epidemic peak times, peak values, and epidemic sizes. Good approximations of the peak times and peak values are obtained with the homogeneous mixing approach, with a median relative difference smaller than 20 % in all cases investigated. Accuracy in reproducing the peak time depends on the setting under study, while for the peak value it is independent of the setting. Recalibration is found to be linear in the epidemic parameters used in the contact data simulations, showing changes across empirical settings but robustness across groups and population sizes. An adequate rescaling of the epidemiological parameters can yield a good agreement between the epidemic curves obtained with a real contact network and a homogeneous mixing approach in a population of the same size. The use of such recalibrated homogeneous mixing approximations would enhance the accuracy and realism of agent-based simulations and limit the intrinsic biases of

  11. Retesting with the TRUE Test in a population-based twin cohort with hand eczema

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lerbaek, Anne; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Menné, Torkil

    2007-01-01

    Population-based studies on contact allergy with retesting of individuals are infrequently performed. Variable degrees of persistence are reported when individuals with contact allergy are retested with years in between. The patch test results of 270 individuals tested in 2005-2006 are presented ...

  12. Online Sensor Calibration Assessment in Nuclear Power Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coble, Jamie B.; Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Meyer, Ryan M.; Hashemian, Hash

    2013-01-01

    Safe, efficient, and economic operation of nuclear systems (nuclear power plants, fuel fabrication and storage, used fuel processing, etc.) relies on transmission of accurate and reliable measurements. During operation, sensors degrade due to age, environmental exposure, and maintenance interventions. Sensor degradation can affect the measured and transmitted signals, including sensor failure, signal drift, sensor response time, etc. Currently, periodic sensor recalibration is performed to avoid these problems. Sensor recalibration activities include both calibration assessment and adjustment (if necessary). In nuclear power plants, periodic recalibration of safety-related sensors is required by the plant technical specifications. Recalibration typically occurs during refueling outages (about every 18 to 24 months). Non-safety-related sensors also undergo recalibration, though not as frequently. However, this approach to maintaining sensor calibration and performance is time-consuming and expensive, leading to unnecessary maintenance, increased radiation exposure to maintenance personnel, and potential damage to sensors. Online monitoring (OLM) of sensor performance is a non-invasive approach to assess instrument calibration. OLM can mitigate many of the limitations of the current periodic recalibration practice by providing more frequent assessment of calibration and identifying those sensors that are operating outside of calibration tolerance limits without removing sensors or interrupting operation. This can support extended operating intervals for unfaulted sensors and target recalibration efforts to only degraded sensors

  13. Test-Retest Reliability of a Survey to Measure Transport-Related Physical Activity in Adults

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badland, Hannah; Schofield, Grant

    2006-01-01

    The present research details test-retest reliability of a newly developed, telephone-administered TPA survey for adults. This instrument examines barriers, perceptions, and current travel behaviors to place of work/study and local convenience shops. Demonstrated test-retest reliability of the Active Friendly Environments-Transport-Related Physical…

  14. Test re-test reliability and construct validity of the star-track test of manual dexterity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kildebro, Niels; Amirian, Ilda; Gögenur, Ismail

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. We wished to determine test re-test reliability and construct validity of the star-track test of manual dexterity. Design. Test re-test reliability was examined in a controlled study. Construct validity was tested in a blinded randomized crossover study. Setting. The study was performed...... at a university hospital in Denmark. Participants. A total of 11 subjects for test re-test and 20 subjects for the construct validity study were included. All subjects were healthy volunteers. Intervention. The test re-test trial had two measurements with 2 days pause in between. The interventions...... in the construct validity study included baseline measurement, intervention 1: fatigue, intervention 2: stress, and intervention 3: fatigue and stress. There was a 2 day pause between each intervention. Main outcome measure. An integrated measure of completion time and number of errors was used. Results. All...

  15. The role of test-retest reliability in measuring individual and group differences in executive functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paap, Kenneth R; Sawi, Oliver

    2016-12-01

    Studies testing for individual or group differences in executive functioning can be compromised by unknown test-retest reliability. Test-retest reliabilities across an interval of about one week were obtained from performance in the antisaccade, flanker, Simon, and color-shape switching tasks. There is a general trade-off between the greater reliability of single mean RT measures, and the greater process purity of measures based on contrasts between mean RTs in two conditions. The individual differences in RT model recently developed by Miller and Ulrich was used to evaluate the trade-off. Test-retest reliability was statistically significant for 11 of the 12 measures, but was of moderate size, at best, for the difference scores. The test-retest reliabilities for the Simon and flanker interference scores were lower than those for switching costs. Standard practice evaluates the reliability of executive-functioning measures using split-half methods based on data obtained in a single day. Our test-retest measures of reliability are lower, especially for difference scores. These reliability measures must also take into account possible day effects that classical test theory assumes do not occur. Measures based on single mean RTs tend to have acceptable levels of reliability and convergent validity, but are "impure" measures of specific executive functions. The individual differences in RT model shows that the impurity problem is worse than typically assumed. However, the "purer" measures based on difference scores have low convergent validity that is partly caused by deficiencies in test-retest reliability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Construct Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of the Climbing Stairs Questionnaire in Lower-Limb Amputees

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Laat, Fred A.; Rommers, Gerardus M.; Geertzen, Jan H.; Roorda, Leo D.

    de Laat FA, Rommers GM, Geertzen JH, Roorda LD. Construct validity and test-retest reliability of the Climbing Stairs Questionnaire in lower-limb amputees. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2010;91:1396-401. Objective: To investigate the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the Climbing Stairs

  17. Test-retest reliability of trunk accelerometric gait analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, Marius; Lund, Hans; Moe-Nilssen, R

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of a trunk accelerometric gait analysis in healthy subjects. Accelerations were measured during walking using a triaxial accelerometer mounted on the lumbar spine of the subjects. Six men and 14 women (mean age 35.2; range 18...... a definite potential in clinical gait analysis....

  18. Test-retest reliability of jump execution variables using mechanography: a comparison of jump protocols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzgerald, John S; Johnson, LuAnn; Tomkinson, Grant; Stein, Jesse; Roemmich, James N

    2018-05-01

    Mechanography during the vertical jump may enhance screening and determining mechanistic causes underlying physical performance changes. Utility of jump mechanography for evaluation is limited by scant test-retest reliability data on force-time variables. This study examined the test-retest reliability of eight jump execution variables assessed from mechanography. Thirty-two women (mean±SD: age 20.8 ± 1.3 yr) and 16 men (age 22.1 ± 1.9 yr) attended a familiarization session and two testing sessions, all one week apart. Participants performed two variations of the squat jump with squat depth self-selected and controlled using a goniometer to 80º knee flexion. Test-retest reliability was quantified as the systematic error (using effect size between jumps), random error (using coefficients of variation), and test-retest correlations (using intra-class correlation coefficients). Overall, jump execution variables demonstrated acceptable reliability, evidenced by small systematic errors (mean±95%CI: 0.2 ± 0.07), moderate random errors (mean±95%CI: 17.8 ± 3.7%), and very strong test-retest correlations (range: 0.73-0.97). Differences in random errors between controlled and self-selected protocols were negligible (mean±95%CI: 1.3 ± 2.3%). Jump execution variables demonstrated acceptable reliability, with no meaningful differences between the controlled and self-selected jump protocols. To simplify testing, a self-selected jump protocol can be used to assess force-time variables with negligible impact on measurement error.

  19. A reliability generalization meta-analysis of coefficient alpha and test-retest coefficient for the aging males' symptoms (AMS) scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chin-Pang; Chiu, Yu-Wen; Chu, Chun-Lin; Chen, Yu; Jiang, Kun-Hao; Chen, Jiun-Liang; Chen, Ching-Yen

    2016-12-01

    The aging males' symptoms (AMS) scale is an instrument used to determine the health-related quality of life in adult and elderly men. The purpose of this study was to synthesize internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest reliability for the AMS scale and its three subscales. Of the 123 studies reviewed, 12 provided alpha coefficients which were then used in the meta-analyses of internal consistency. Seven of the 12 included studies provided test-retest coefficients, and these were used in the meta-analyses of test-retest reliability. The AMS scale had excellent internal consistency [α = 0.89 (95% CI 0.88-0.90)]; the mean alpha estimates across the AMS subscales ranged from 0.79 to 0.82. The AMS scale also had good test-retest reliability [r = 0.85 (95% CI 0.82-0.88]; the test-retest reliability coefficients of the AMS subscales ranged from 0.76 to 0.83. There was significant heterogeneity among the included studies. The AMS scale and the three subscales had fairly good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Future psychometric studies of the AMS scale should report important characteristics of the participants, details of item scores, and test-retest reliability.

  20. Test-retest reliability of the 20-sec Wingate test to assess anaerobic power in children with cerebral palsy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dallmeijer, A.J.; Scholtes, V.A.B.; Brehm, M.A.; Becher, J.G.

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of the 20-sec Wingate anaerobic test in children with cerebral palsy. DESIGN: Participants were 22 ambulant children with cerebral palsy, with Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I (limitations in advanced

  1. Test-Retest Reliability of the 20-sec Wingate Test to Assess Anaerobic Power in Children with Cerebral Palsy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dallmeijer, Annet J.; Scholtes, Vanessa A. B.; Brehm, Merel-Anne; Becher, Jules G.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of the 20-sec Wingate anaerobic test in children with cerebral palsy. Design: Participants were 22 ambulant children with cerebral palsy, with Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I (limitations in advanced

  2. Intensity response function of the photopic negative response (PhNR): effect of age and test-retest reliability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Nabin R; Ly, Emma; Viswanathan, Suresh

    2017-08-01

    To assess the effect of age and test-retest reliability of the intensity response function of the full-field photopic negative response (PhNR) in normal healthy human subjects. Full-field electroretinograms (ERGs) were recorded from one eye of 45 subjects, and 39 of these subjects were tested on two separate days with a Diagnosys Espion System (Lowell, MA, USA). The visual stimuli consisted of brief (test-retest reliability was assessed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Bland-Altman analysis. Holm's correction was applied to account for multiple comparisons. V max of BT was significantly smaller than that of PT and b-wave, and the V max of PT and b-wave was not significantly different from each other. The slope parameter n was smallest for BT and the largest for b-wave and the difference between the slopes of all three measures were statistically significant. Small differences observed in the mean values of K for the different measures did not reach statistical significance. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated no significant differences between the two test visits for any of the Naka-Rushton parameters for the three ERG measures, and the Bland-Altman plots indicated that the mean difference between test and retest measurements of the different fit parameters was close to zero and within 6% of the average of the test and retest values of the respective parameters for all three ERG measurements, indicating minimal bias. While the coefficient of reliability (COR, defined as 1.96 times the standard deviation of the test and retest difference) of each fit parameter was more or less comparable across the three ERG measurements, the %COR (COR normalized to the mean test and retest measures) was generally larger for BT compared to both PT and b-wave for each fit parameter. The Naka-Rushton fit parameters did not show statistically significant changes with age for any of the ERG measures when corrections were applied for multiple comparisons. However, the V max of

  3. Activity in prelimbic cortex is required for adjusting the anxiety response level during the elevated plus-maze retest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stern, C A J; Do Monte, F H M; Gazarini, L; Carobrez, A P; Bertoglio, L J

    2010-09-29

    The prelimbic (PL) subregion of medial prefrontal cortex has been implicated in anxiety regulation. It is unknown, however, whether PL cortex also serves to fine-tuning the level of anxiety-related behavior exhibited on the next exposure to the same potentially threatening situation. To address this, we infused cobalt (1.0 mM) to temporarily inactivate the PL cortex during testing, post-testing or retesting in the elevated plus-maze (EPM). This protocol was chosen because it allowed us to concurrently investigate anxiety and the process of aversive learning and memory. PL cortex inactivation during the EPM testing increased the exploration of open-arms, substantiating its role in anxiety. PL cortex inactivation during the EPM retesting counteracted the further avoidance to open-arms exhibited by rats. Interestingly, as evidenced by min-by-min analysis, the cobalt-treated group behaved on EPM retesting as did the vehicle-treated group on EPM testing. This result may imply that activity in PL cortex is necessary for retrieving previously learned information that adjusts the anxiety response level on EPM retesting. Alternatively, a simple reduction in anxiety could explain the cobalt-induced increase in retest open-arms exploration. Neither test nor post-test PL cortex inactivation affected the further avoidance to open-arms observed on EPM retesting. To extend the investigation of PL cortex role in the regulation of open-arms avoidance, we infused other drugs prior to testing or retesting in the EPM. Antagonism of PL cortex adrenergic beta-1 receptors with atenolol (10 nmol), cholinergic muscarinic receptors with scopolamine (20 nmol) or glutamatergic N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors with AP5 (6.0 nmol) interfered with the level of open-arms exploration on testing, but not on retesting. Copyright 2010 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. The importance of retesting the hearing screening as an indicator of the real early hearing disorder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Polo Camargo da Silva

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Early diagnosis of hearing loss minimizes its impact on child development. We studied factors that influence the effectiveness of screening programs.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between gender, weight at birth, gestational age, risk factors for hearing loss, venue for newborn hearing screening and "pass" and "fail" results in the retest.METHODS: Prospective cohort study was carried out in a tertiary referral hospital. The screening was performed in 565 newborns through transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in three admission units before hospital discharge and retest in the outpatient clinic. Gender, weight at birth, gestational age, presence of risk indicators for hearing loss and venue for newborn hearing screening were considered.RESULTS: Full-term infants comprised 86% of the cases, preterm 14%, and risk factors for hearing loss were identified in 11%. Considering the 165 newborns retested, only the venue for screening, Intermediate Care Unit, was related to "fail" result in the retest.CONCLUSIONS: Gender, weight at birth, gestational age and presence of risk factors for hearing loss were not related to "pass" and/or "fail" results in the retest. The screening performed in intermediate care units increases the chance of continued "fail" result in the Transient Otoacoustic Evoked Emissions test.

  5. External Validation and Recalibration of Risk Prediction Models for Acute Traumatic Brain Injury among Critically Ill Adult Patients in the United Kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, David A; Griggs, Kathryn A; Prabhu, Gita; Gomes, Manuel; Lecky, Fiona E; Hutchinson, Peter J A; Menon, David K; Rowan, Kathryn M

    2015-10-01

    This study validates risk prediction models for acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) in critical care units in the United Kingdom and recalibrates the models to this population. The Risk Adjustment In Neurocritical care (RAIN) Study was a prospective, observational cohort study in 67 adult critical care units. Adult patients admitted to critical care following acute TBI with a last pre-sedation Glasgow Coma Scale score of less than 15 were recruited. The primary outcomes were mortality and unfavorable outcome (death or severe disability, assessed using the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale) at six months following TBI. Of 3626 critical care unit admissions, 2975 were analyzed. Following imputation of missing outcomes, mortality at six months was 25.7% and unfavorable outcome 57.4%. Ten risk prediction models were validated from Hukkelhoven and colleagues, the Medical Research Council (MRC) Corticosteroid Randomisation After Significant Head Injury (CRASH) Trial Collaborators, and the International Mission for Prognosis and Analysis of Clinical Trials in TBI (IMPACT) group. The model with the best discrimination was the IMPACT "Lab" model (C index, 0.779 for mortality and 0.713 for unfavorable outcome). This model was well calibrated for mortality at six months but substantially under-predicted the risk of unfavorable outcome. Recalibration of the models resulted in small improvements in discrimination and excellent calibration for all models. The risk prediction models demonstrated sufficient statistical performance to support their use in research and audit but fell below the level required to guide individual patient decision-making. The published models for unfavorable outcome at six months had poor calibration in the UK critical care setting and the models recalibrated to this setting should be used in future research.

  6. Test - retest reliability of two instruments for measuring public attitudes towards persons with mental illness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leufstadius Christel

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Research has identified stigmatization as a major threat to successful treatment of individuals with mental illness. As a consequence several anti-stigma campaigns have been carried out. The results have been discouraging and the field suffers from lack of evidence about interventions that work. There are few reports on psychometric data for instruments used to assess stigma, which thus complicates research efforts. The aim of the present study was to investigate test-retest reliability of the Swedish versions of the questionnaires: FABI and "Changing Minds" and to examine the internal consistency of the two instruments. Method Two instruments, fear and behavioural intentions (FABI and "Changing Minds", used in earlier studies on public attitudes towards persons with mental illness were translated into Swedish and completed by 51 nursing students on two occasions, with an interval of three weeks. Test-retest reliability was calculated by using weighted kappa coefficient and internal consistency using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Results Both instruments attain at best moderate test-retest reliability. For the Changing Minds questionnaire almost one fifth (17.9% of the items present poor test-retest reliability and the alpha coefficient for the subscales ranges between 0.19 - 0.46. All of the items in the FABI reach a fair or a moderate agreement between the test and retest, and the questionnaire displays a high internal consistency, alpha 0.80. Conclusions There is a need for development of psychometrically tested instruments within this field of research.

  7. Long term test-retest reliability of Oswestry Disability Index in male office workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irmak, Rafet; Baltaci, Gul; Ergun, Nevin

    2015-01-01

    The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is one of the most common condition specific outcome measures used in the management of spinal disorders. But there is insufficient study on healthy populations and long term test-retest reliability. This is important because healthy populations are often used for control groups in low back pain interventions, and knowing the reliability of the controls affects the interpretation of the findings of these studies. The purpose of this study is to determine the long term test-retest reliability of ODI in office workers. Participants who have no chronic low back pain history were included in study. Subjects were assessed by the Turkish-ODI 2.0 (e-forms) on 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, 15th, 30th days to determine the stability of ODI scores over time. The study began with 58 (12 female, 46 male) participants. 36 (3 female, 33 male) participated for the full 30 days. Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Friedman tests were used. Test-retest reliability was evaluated by using nonparametric statistics. All tests were done by using SPSS-11. There was no statistically significant difference among the median scores of each day. (χ= 6.482, p >  0.05). The difference between median score of the days with 1st day was neither statistically nor clinically significant. ODI has long term test re-test reliability in healthy subjects over a 1 month time interval.

  8. Test-retest reliabilty of exercise-induced hypoalgesia after aerobic exercise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vaegter, Henrik Bjarke; Dørge, Daniel Bandholtz; Schmidt, Kristian Sonne

    2018-01-01

    Objective: Exercise increases pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) in exercising and nonexercising muscles, known as exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). No studies have investigated the test-retest reliability of change in PPTs after aerobic exercise. Primary objectives were to compare the effect...

  9. Improving the Test-Retest Reliability of Resting State fMRI by Removing the Impact of Sleep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jiahui; Han, Junwei; Nguyen, Vinh T; Guo, Lei; Guo, Christine C

    2017-01-01

    Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) provides a powerful tool to examine large-scale neural networks in the human brain and their disturbances in neuropsychiatric disorders. Thanks to its low demand and high tolerance, resting state paradigms can be easily acquired from clinical population. However, due to the unconstrained nature, resting state paradigm is associated with excessive head movement and proneness to sleep. Consequently, the test-retest reliability of rs-fMRI measures is moderate at best, falling short of widespread use in the clinic. Here, we characterized the effect of sleep on the test-retest reliability of rs-fMRI. Using measures of heart rate variability (HRV) derived from simultaneous electrocardiogram (ECG) recording, we identified portions of fMRI data when subjects were more alert or sleepy, and examined their effects on the test-retest reliability of functional connectivity measures. When volumes of sleep were excluded, the reliability of rs-fMRI is significantly improved, and the improvement appears to be general across brain networks. The amount of improvement is robust with the removal of as much as 60% volumes of sleepiness. Therefore, test-retest reliability of rs-fMRI is affected by sleep and could be improved by excluding volumes of sleepiness as indexed by HRV. Our results suggest a novel and practical method to improve test-retest reliability of rs-fMRI measures.

  10. A Test-Retest Reliability Study of the Whiplash Disability Questionnaire in Patients With Acute Whiplash-Associated Disorders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stupar, Maja; Côté, Pierre; Beaton, Dorcas E

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability and the Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) of the Whiplash Disability Questionnaire (WDQ) in individuals with acute whiplash-associated disorders (WADs). METHODS: We performed a test-retest reliability study. We includ...

  11. Adaptation to delayed auditory feedback induces the temporal recalibration effect in both speech perception and production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Kosuke; Kawabata, Hideaki

    2014-12-01

    We ordinarily speak fluently, even though our perceptions of our own voices are disrupted by various environmental acoustic properties. The underlying mechanism of speech is supposed to monitor the temporal relationship between speech production and the perception of auditory feedback, as suggested by a reduction in speech fluency when the speaker is exposed to delayed auditory feedback (DAF). While many studies have reported that DAF influences speech motor processing, its relationship to the temporal tuning effect on multimodal integration, or temporal recalibration, remains unclear. We investigated whether the temporal aspects of both speech perception and production change due to adaptation to the delay between the motor sensation and the auditory feedback. This is a well-used method of inducing temporal recalibration. Participants continually read texts with specific DAF times in order to adapt to the delay. Then, they judged the simultaneity between the motor sensation and the vocal feedback. We measured the rates of speech with which participants read the texts in both the exposure and re-exposure phases. We found that exposure to DAF changed both the rate of speech and the simultaneity judgment, that is, participants' speech gained fluency. Although we also found that a delay of 200 ms appeared to be most effective in decreasing the rates of speech and shifting the distribution on the simultaneity judgment, there was no correlation between these measurements. These findings suggest that both speech motor production and multimodal perception are adaptive to temporal lag but are processed in distinct ways.

  12. Evaluating test-retest reliability in patient-reported outcome measures for older people: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Myung Sook; Kang, Kyung Ja; Jang, Sun Joo; Lee, Joo Yun; Chang, Sun Ju

    2018-03-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the components of test-retest reliability including time interval, sample size, and statistical methods used in patient-reported outcome measures in older people and to provide suggestions on the methodology for calculating test-retest reliability for patient-reported outcomes in older people. This was a systematic literature review. MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched from January 1, 2000 to August 10, 2017 by an information specialist. This systematic review was guided by both the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist and the guideline for systematic review published by the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency in Korea. The methodological quality was assessed by the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments checklist box B. Ninety-five out of 12,641 studies were selected for the analysis. The median time interval for test-retest reliability was 14days, and the ratio of sample size for test-retest reliability to the number of items in each measure ranged from 1:1 to 1:4. The most frequently used statistical methods for continuous scores was intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Among the 63 studies that used ICCs, 21 studies presented models for ICC calculations and 30 studies reported 95% confidence intervals of the ICCs. Additional analyses using 17 studies that reported a strong ICC (>0.09) showed that the mean time interval was 12.88days and the mean ratio of the number of items to sample size was 1:5.37. When researchers plan to assess the test-retest reliability of patient-reported outcome measures for older people, they need to consider an adequate time interval of approximately 13days and the sample size of about 5 times the number of items. Particularly, statistical methods should not only be selected based on the types of scores of the patient-reported outcome measures, but should also be described clearly in

  13. Test-retest reliability and responsiveness of the Barthel Index-based Supplementary Scales in patients with stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ya-Chen; Yu, Wan-Hui; Hsueh, I-Ping; Chen, Sheng-Shiung; Hsieh, Ching-Lin

    2017-10-01

    A lack of evidence on the test-retest reliability and responsiveness limits the utility of the BI-based Supplementary Scales (BI-SS) in both clinical and research settings. To examine the test-retest reliability and responsiveness of the BI-based Supplementary Scales (BI-SS) in patients with stroke. A repeated-assessments design (1 week apart) was used to examine the test-retest reliability of the BI-SS. For the responsiveness study, the participants were assessed with the BI-SS and BI (treated as an external criterion) at admission to and discharge from rehabilitation wards. Seven outpatient rehabilitation units and one inpatient rehabilitation unit. Outpatients with chronic stroke. Eighty-four outpatients with chronic stroke participated in the test-retest reliability study. Fifty-seven inpatients completed baseline and follow-up assessments in the responsiveness study. For the test-retest reliability study, the values of the intra-class correlation coefficient and the overall percentage of minimal detectable change for the Ability Scale and Self-perceived Difficulty Scale were 0.97, 12.8%, and 0.78, 35.8%, respectively. For the responsiveness study, the standardized effect size and standardized response mean (representing internal responsiveness) of the Ability Scale and Self-perceived Difficulty Scale were 1.17 and 1.56, and 0.78 and 0.89, respectively. Regarding external responsiveness, the change in score of the Ability Scale had significant and moderate association with that of the BI (r=0.61, Ptest-retest reliability and sufficient responsiveness for patients with stroke. However, the Self-perceived Difficulty Scale of the BI-SS has substantial random measurement error and insufficient external responsiveness, which may affect its utility in clinical settings. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence of psychometric properties of the BI-SS for assessing ability and self-perceived difficulty of ADL in patients with stroke.

  14. Improving the Test-Retest Reliability of Resting State fMRI by Removing the Impact of Sleep

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiahui Wang

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI provides a powerful tool to examine large-scale neural networks in the human brain and their disturbances in neuropsychiatric disorders. Thanks to its low demand and high tolerance, resting state paradigms can be easily acquired from clinical population. However, due to the unconstrained nature, resting state paradigm is associated with excessive head movement and proneness to sleep. Consequently, the test-retest reliability of rs-fMRI measures is moderate at best, falling short of widespread use in the clinic. Here, we characterized the effect of sleep on the test-retest reliability of rs-fMRI. Using measures of heart rate variability (HRV derived from simultaneous electrocardiogram (ECG recording, we identified portions of fMRI data when subjects were more alert or sleepy, and examined their effects on the test-retest reliability of functional connectivity measures. When volumes of sleep were excluded, the reliability of rs-fMRI is significantly improved, and the improvement appears to be general across brain networks. The amount of improvement is robust with the removal of as much as 60% volumes of sleepiness. Therefore, test-retest reliability of rs-fMRI is affected by sleep and could be improved by excluding volumes of sleepiness as indexed by HRV. Our results suggest a novel and practical method to improve test-retest reliability of rs-fMRI measures.

  15. Test-Retest Reliability of the Salutogenic Wellness Promotion Scale (SWPS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, L. M.; Moore, J. B.; Hayden, B. M.; Becker, C. M.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: This study examined the temporal stability (i.e. test-retest reliability) of the Salutogenic Wellness Promotion Scale (SWPS) using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Current intraclass results were also compared to previously published interclass correlations to support the use of the intraclass method for test-retest…

  16. Test-retest reliability of computer-based video analysis of general movements in healthy term-born infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valle, Susanne Collier; Støen, Ragnhild; Sæther, Rannei; Jensenius, Alexander Refsum; Adde, Lars

    2015-10-01

    A computer-based video analysis has recently been presented for quantitative assessment of general movements (GMs). This method's test-retest reliability, however, has not yet been evaluated. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of computer-based video analysis of GMs, and to explore the association between computer-based video analysis and the temporal organization of fidgety movements (FMs). Test-retest reliability study. 75 healthy, term-born infants were recorded twice the same day during the FMs period using a standardized video set-up. The computer-based movement variables "quantity of motion mean" (Qmean), "quantity of motion standard deviation" (QSD) and "centroid of motion standard deviation" (CSD) were analyzed, reflecting the amount of motion and the variability of the spatial center of motion of the infant, respectively. In addition, the association between the variable CSD and the temporal organization of FMs was explored. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 1.1 and ICC 3.1) were calculated to assess test-retest reliability. The ICC values for the variables CSD, Qmean and QSD were 0.80, 0.80 and 0.86 for ICC (1.1), respectively; and 0.80, 0.86 and 0.90 for ICC (3.1), respectively. There were significantly lower CSD values in the recordings with continual FMs compared to the recordings with intermittent FMs (ptest-retest reliability of computer-based video analysis of GMs, and a significant association between our computer-based video analysis and the temporal organization of FMs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Test-retest reliability of the eating disorder examination-questionnaire (EDE-Q) in a college sample

    OpenAIRE

    Rose, Jennifer S; Vaewsorn, Adin; Rosselli-Navarra, Francine; Wilson, G Terence; Weissman, Ruth Striegel

    2013-01-01

    Background The Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q), a widely used self-report instrument, is often used for measuring change in eating disorder symptoms over the course of treatment. However, limited data exist about test-retest reliability, particularly for men. The current study evaluated EDE-Q 7-day test-retest reliability in male (n = 47) and female (n = 44) undergraduate students together and separately by gender. Results Internal consistency was consistently higher for wom...

  18. Test-retest reliability and four-week changes in cardiopulmonary fitness in stroke patients: evaluation using a robotics-assisted tilt table.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saengsuwan, Jittima; Berger, Lucia; Schuster-Amft, Corina; Nef, Tobias; Hunt, Kenneth J

    2016-09-06

    Exercise testing devices for evaluating cardiopulmonary fitness in patients with severe disability after stroke are lacking, but we have adapted a robotics-assisted tilt table (RATT) for cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Using the RATT in a sample of patients after stroke, this study aimed to investigate test-retest reliability and repeatability of CPET and to prospectively investigate changes in cardiopulmonary outcomes over a period of four weeks. Stroke patients with all degrees of disability underwent 3 separate CPET sessions: 2 tests at baseline (TB1 and TB2) and 1 test at follow up (TF). TB1 and TB2 were at least 24 h apart. TB2 and TF were 4 weeks apart. A RATT equipped with force sensors in the thigh cuffs, a work rate estimation algorithm and a real-time visual feedback system was used to guide the patients' exercise work rate during CPET. Test-retest reliability and repeatability of CPET variables were analysed using paired t-tests, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the coefficient of variation (CoV), and Bland and Altman limits of agreement. Changes in cardiopulmonary fitness during four weeks were analysed using paired t-tests. Seventeen sub-acute and chronic stroke patients (age 62.7 ± 10.4 years [mean ± SD]; 8 females) completed the test sessions. The median time post stroke was 350 days. There were 4 severely disabled, 1 moderately disabled and 12 mildly disabled patients. For test-retest, there were no statistically significant differences between TB1 and TB2 for most CPET variables. Peak oxygen uptake, peak heart rate, peak work rate and oxygen uptake at the ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT) and respiratory compensation point (RCP) showed good to excellent test-retest reliability (ICC 0.65-0.94). For all CPET variables, CoV was 4.1-14.5 %. The mean difference was close to zero in most of the CPET variables. There were no significant changes in most cardiopulmonary performance parameters during the 4-week period

  19. Evaluating the test-retest reliability of symptom indices associated with the ImPACT post-concussion symptom scale (PCSS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merritt, Victoria C; Bradson, Megan L; Meyer, Jessica E; Arnett, Peter A

    2018-05-01

    The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) is a commonly used tool in sports concussion assessment. While test-retest reliabilities have been established for the ImPACT cognitive composites, few studies have evaluated the psychometric properties of the ImPACT's Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS). The purpose of this study was to establish the test-retest reliability of symptom indices associated with the PCSS. Participants included 38 undergraduate students (50.0% male) who underwent neuropsychological testing as part of their participation in their psychology department's research subject pool. The majority of the participants were Caucasian (94.7%) and had no history of concussion (73.7%). All participants completed the ImPACT at two time points, approximately 6 weeks apart. The PCSS was the main outcome measure, and eight symptom indices were calculated (a total symptom score, three symptom summary indices, and four symptom clusters). Pearson correlations (r) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were computed as measures of test-retest reliability. Overall, reliabilities ranged from low to high (r = .44 to .80; ICC = .44 to .77). The cognitive symptom cluster exhibited the highest test-retest reliability (r = .80, ICC = .77), followed by the positive symptom total (PST) index, an indicator of the total number of symptoms endorsed (r = .71, ICC = .69). In contrast, the commonly used total symptom score showed lower test-retest reliability (r = .67, ICC = .62). Paired-samples t tests revealed no significant differences between test and retest for any of the symptom variables (all p > .01). Finally, reliable change indices (RCI) were computed to determine whether differences observed between test and retest represented clinically significant change. RCI values were provided for each symptom index at the 80%, 90%, and 95% confidence intervals. These results suggest that evaluating additional symptom

  20. Test-retest reliability and smallest detectable change of the Bristol Impact of Hypermobility (BIoH) questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, S; Manns, S; Cramp, F; Lewis, R; Clark, E M

    2017-12-01

    The Bristol Impact of Hypermobility (BIoH) questionnaire is a patient-reported outcome measure developed in conjunction with adults with Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS). It has demonstrated strong concurrent validity with the Short Form-36 (SF-36) physical component score but other psychometric properties have yet to be established. This study aimed to determine its test-retest reliability and smallest detectable change (SDC). A test-retest reliability study. Participants were recruited from the Hypermobility Syndromes Association, a patient organisation in the United Kingdom. Recruitment packs were sent to 1080 adults who had given permission to be contacted about research. BIoH and SF-36 questionnaires were administered at baseline and repeated two weeks later. An 11-point global rating of change scale (-5 to +5) was also administered at two weeks. Test-retest analysis and calculation of the SDC was conducted on 'stable' patients (defined as global rating of change -1 to +1). 462 responses were received. 233 patients reported a 'stable' condition and were included in analysis (95% women; mean (SD) age 44.5 (13.9) years; BIoH score 223.6 (54.0)). The BIoH questionnaire demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability (ICC 0.923, 95% CI 0.900-0.940). The SDC was 42 points (equivalent to 19% of the mean baseline score). The SF-36 physical and mental component scores demonstrated poorer test-retest reliability and larger SDCs (as a proportion of the mean baseline scores). The results provide further evidence of the potential of the BIoH questionnaire to underpin research and clinical practice for people with JHS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Test-retest and interrater reliability of the functional lower extremity evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haitz, Karyn; Shultz, Rebecca; Hodgins, Melissa; Matheson, Gordon O

    2014-12-01

    Repeated-measures clinical measurement reliability study. To establish the reliability and face validity of the Functional Lower Extremity Evaluation (FLEE). The FLEE is a 45-minute battery of 8 standardized functional performance tests that measures 3 components of lower extremity function: control, power, and endurance. The reliability and normative values for the FLEE in healthy athletes are unknown. A face validity survey for the FLEE was sent to sports medicine personnel to evaluate the level of importance and frequency of clinical usage of each test included in the FLEE. The FLEE was then administered and rated for 40 uninjured athletes. To assess test-retest reliability, each athlete was tested twice, 1 week apart, by the same rater. To assess interrater reliability, 3 raters scored each athlete during 1 of the testing sessions. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to assess the test-retest and interrater reliability of each of the FLEE tests. In the face validity survey, the FLEE tests were rated as highly important by 58% to 71% of respondents but frequently used by only 26% to 45% of respondents. Interrater reliability intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.83 to 1.00, and test-retest reliability ranged from 0.71 to 0.95. The FLEE tests are considered clinically important for assessing lower extremity function by sports medicine personnel but are underused. The FLEE also is a reliable assessment tool. Future studies are required to determine if use of the FLEE to make return-to-play decisions may reduce reinjury rates.

  2. Test-Retest Reliability of the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Egger, Helen Link; Erkanli, Alaattin; Keeler, Gordon; Potts, Edward; Walter, Barbara Keith; Angold, Adrian

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To examine the test-retest reliability of a new interviewer-based psychiatric diagnostic measure (the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment) for use with parents of preschoolers 2 to 5 years old. Method: A total of 1,073 parents of children attending a large pediatric clinic completed the Child Behavior Checklist 1 1/2-5. For 18 months,…

  3. Test-retest reliability of a balance testing protocol with external perturbations in young healthy adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robbins, Shawn M; Caplan, Ryan M; Aponte, Daniel I; St-Onge, Nancy

    2017-10-01

    External perturbations are utilized to challenge balance and mimic realistic balance threats in patient populations. The reliability of such protocols has not been established. The purpose was to examine test-retest reliability of balance testing with external perturbations. Healthy adults (n=34; mean age 23 years) underwent balance testing over two visits. Participants completed ten balance conditions in which the following parameters were combined: perturbation or non-perturbation, single or double leg, and eyes open or closed. Three trials were collected for each condition. Data were collected on a force plate and external perturbations were applied by translating the plate. Force plate center of pressure (CoP) data were summarized using 13 different CoP measures. Test-retest reliability was examined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots. CoP measures of total speed and excursion in both anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions generally had acceptable ICC values for perturbation conditions (ICC=0.46 to 0.87); however, many other CoP measures (e.g. range, area of ellipse) had unacceptable test-retest reliability (ICCbalance testing protocols that include external perturbations should be made to improve test-retest reliability and diminish learning including more extensive participant training and increasing the number of trials. CoP measures that consider all data points (e.g. total speed) are more reliable than those that only consider a few data points. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. The test-retest reliability of anatomical co-ordinate axes definition for the quantification of lower extremity kinematics during running.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinclair, Jonathan; Taylor, Paul John; Greenhalgh, Andrew; Edmundson, Christopher James; Brooks, Darrell; Hobbs, Sarah Jane

    2012-12-01

    Three-dimensional (3-D) kinematic analyses are used widely in both sport and clinical examinations. However, this procedure depends on reliable palpation of anatomical landmarks and mal-positioning of markers between sessions may result in improperly defined segment co-ordinate system axes which will produce in-consistent joint rotations. This had led some to question the efficacy of this technique. The aim of the current investigation was to assess the reliability of the anatomical frame definition when quantifying 3-D kinematics of the lower extremities during running. Ten participants completed five successful running trials at 4.0 m·s(-1) ± 5%. 3-D angular joint kinematics parameters from the hip, knee and ankle were collected using an eight camera motion analysis system. Two static calibration trials were captured. The first (test) was conducted prior to the running trials following which anatomical landmarks were removed. The second was obtained following completion of the running trials where anatomical landmarks were re-positioned (retest). Paired samples t-tests were used to compare 3-D kinematic parameters quantified using the two static trials, and intraclass correlations were employed to examine the similarities between the sagittal, coronal and transverse plane waveforms. The results indicate that no significant (p>0.05) differences were found between test and retest 3-D kinematic parameters and strong (R(2)≥0.87) correlations were observed between test and retest waveforms. Based on the results obtained from this investigation, it appears that the anatomical co-ordinate axes of the lower extremities can be defined reliably thus confirming the efficacy of studies using this technique.

  5. Dual conception of risk in the Iowa Gambling Task: effects of sleep deprivation and test-retest gap.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Varsha

    2013-01-01

    Risk in the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is often understood in terms of intertemporal choices, i.e., preference for immediate outcomes in favor of delayed outcomes is considered risky decision making. According to behavioral economics, healthy decision makers are expected to refrain from choosing the short-sighted immediate gain because, over time (10 trials of the IGT), the immediate gains result in a long term loss (net loss). Instead decision makers are expected to maximize their gains by choosing options that, over time (10 trials), result in delayed or long term gains (net gain). However, task choices are sometimes made on the basis of the frequency of reward and punishment such that frequent rewards/infrequent punishments are favored over infrequent rewards/frequent punishments. The presence of these two attributes (intertemporality and frequency of reward) in IGT decision making may correspond to the emotion-cognition dichotomy and reflect a dual conception of risk. Decision making on the basis of the two attributes was tested under two conditions: delay in retest and sleep deprivation. An interaction between sleep deprivation and time delay was expected to attenuate the difference between the two attributes. Participants were 40 male university students. Analysis of the effects of IGT attribute type (intertemporal vs. frequency of reinforcement), sleep deprivation (sleep deprivation vs. no sleep deprivation), and test-retest gap (short vs. long delay) showed a significant within-subjects effect of IGT attribute type thus confirming the difference between the two attributes. Sleep deprivation had no effect on the attributes, but test-retest gap and the three-way interaction between attribute type, test-retest gap, and sleep deprivation were significantly different. Post-hoc tests revealed that sleep deprivation and short test-retest gap attenuated the difference between the two attributes. Furthermore, the results showed an expected trend of increase in

  6. Test-Retest Reliability of Rating of Perceived Exertion and Agreement With 1-Repetition Maximum in Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bove, Allyn M; Lynch, Andrew D; DePaul, Samantha M; Terhorst, Lauren; Irrgang, James J; Fitzgerald, G Kelley

    2016-09-01

    Study Design Clinical measurement. Background It has been suggested that rating of perceived exertion (RPE) may be a useful alternative to 1-repetition maximum (1RM) to determine proper resistance exercise dosage. However, the test-retest reliability of RPE for resistance exercise has not been determined. Additionally, prior research regarding the relationship between 1RM and RPE is conflicting. Objectives The purpose of this study was to (1) determine test-retest reliability of RPE related to resistance exercise and (2) assess agreement between percentages of 1RM and RPE during quadriceps resistance exercise. Methods A sample of participants with and without knee pathology completed a series of knee extension exercises and rated the perceived difficulty of each exercise on a 0-to-10 RPE scale, then repeated the procedure 1 to 2 weeks later for test-retest reliability. To determine agreement between RPE and 1RM, participants completed knee extension exercises at various percentages of their 1RM (10% to 130% of predicted 1RM) and rated the perceived difficulty of each exercise on a 0-to-10 RPE scale. Percent agreement was calculated between the 1RM and RPE at each resistance interval. Results The intraclass correlation coefficient indicated excellent test-retest reliability of RPE for quadriceps resistance exercises (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.895; 95% confidence interval: 0.866, 0.918). Overall percent agreement between RPE and 1RM was 60%, but agreement was poor within the ranges that would typically be used for training (50% 1RM for muscle endurance, 70% 1RM and greater for strength). Conclusion Test-retest reliability of perceived exertion during quadriceps resistance exercise was excellent. However, agreement between the RPE and 1RM was poor, especially in common training zones for knee extensor strengthening. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2016;46(9):768-774. Epub 5 Aug 2016. doi:10.2519/jospt.2016.6498.

  7. The Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities: test-retest reliability and comparison with an accelerometer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Ploeg, Hidde P; Streppel, Kitty R M; van der Beek, Allard J; van der Woude, Luc H V; Vollenbroek-Hutten, Miriam; van Mechelen, Willem

    2007-01-01

    The objective was to determine the test-retest reliability and criterion validity of the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities (PASIPD). Forty-five non-wheelchair dependent subjects were recruited from three Dutch rehabilitation centers. Subjects' diagnoses were: stroke, spinal cord injury, whiplash, and neurological-, orthopedic- or back disorders. The PASIPD is a 7-d recall physical activity questionnaire that was completed twice, 1 wk apart. During this week, physical activity was also measured with an Actigraph accelerometer. The test-retest reliability Spearman correlation of the PASIPD was 0.77. The criterion validity Spearman correlation was 0.30 when compared to the accelerometer. The PASIPD had test-retest reliability and criterion validity that is comparable to well established self-report physical activity questionnaires from the general population.

  8. [11C]Harmine Binding to Brain Monoamine Oxidase A: Test-Retest Properties and Noninvasive Quantification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zanderigo, Francesca; D'Agostino, Alexandra E; Joshi, Nandita; Schain, Martin; Kumar, Dileep; Parsey, Ramin V; DeLorenzo, Christine; Mann, J John

    2018-02-08

    Inhibition of the isoform A of monoamine oxidase (MAO-A), a mitochondrial enzyme catalyzing deamination of monoamine neurotransmitters, is useful in treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. [ 11 C]harmine, a MAO-A PET radioligand, has been used to study mood disorders and antidepressant treatment. However, [ 11 C]harmine binding test-retest characteristics have to date only been partially investigated. Furthermore, since MAO-A is ubiquitously expressed, no reference region is available, thus requiring arterial blood sampling during PET scanning. Here, we investigate [ 11 C]harmine binding measurements test-retest properties; assess effects of using a minimally invasive input function estimation on binding quantification and repeatability; and explore binding potentials estimation using a reference region-free approach. Quantification of [ 11 C]harmine distribution volume (V T ) via kinetic models and graphical analyses was compared based on absolute test-retest percent difference (TRPD), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and identifiability. The optimal procedure was also used with a simultaneously estimated input function in place of the measured curve. Lastly, an approach for binding potentials quantification in absence of a reference region was evaluated. [ 11 C]harmine V T estimates quantified using arterial blood and kinetic modeling showed average absolute TRPD values of 7.7 to 15.6 %, and ICC values between 0.56 and 0.86, across brain regions. Using simultaneous estimation (SIME) of input function resulted in V T estimates close to those obtained using arterial input function (r = 0.951, slope = 1.073, intercept = - 1.037), with numerically but not statistically higher test-retest difference (range 16.6 to 22.0 %), but with overall poor ICC values, between 0.30 and 0.57. Prospective studies using [ 11 C]harmine are possible given its test-retest repeatability when binding is quantified using arterial blood. Results with SIME of

  9. Test-retest reliability of selected items of Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC survey questionnaire in Beijing, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Yang

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Children's health and health behaviour are essential for their development and it is important to obtain abundant and accurate information to understand young people's health and health behaviour. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC study is among the first large-scale international surveys on adolescent health through self-report questionnaires. So far, more than 40 countries in Europe and North America have been involved in the HBSC study. The purpose of this study is to assess the test-retest reliability of selected items in the Chinese version of the HBSC survey questionnaire in a sample of adolescents in Beijing, China. Methods A sample of 95 male and female students aged 11 or 15 years old participated in a test and retest with a three weeks interval. Student Identity numbers of respondents were utilized to permit matching of test-retest questionnaires. 23 items concerning physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep and substance use were evaluated by using the percentage of response shifts and the single measure Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC with 95% confidence interval (CI for all respondents and stratified by gender and age. Items on substance use were only evaluated for school children aged 15 years old. Results The percentage of no response shift between test and retest varied from 32% for the item on computer use at weekends to 92% for the three items on smoking. Of all the 23 items evaluated, 6 items (26% showed a moderate reliability, 12 items (52% displayed a substantial reliability and 4 items (17% indicated almost perfect reliability. No gender and age group difference of the test-retest reliability was found except for a few items on sedentary behaviour. Conclusions The overall findings of this study suggest that most selected indicators in the HBSC survey questionnaire have satisfactory test-retest reliability for the students in Beijing. Further test-retest studies in a large

  10. Test-retest reliability of stride time variability while dual tasking in healthy and demented adults with frontotemporal degeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Herrmann Francois R

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although test-retest reliability of mean values of spatio-temporal gait parameters has been assessed for reliability while walking alone (i.e., single tasking, little is known about the test-retest reliability of stride time variability (STV while performing an attention demanding-task (i.e., dual tasking. The objective of this study was to examine immediate test-retest reliability of STV while single and dual tasking in cognitively healthy older individuals (CHI and in demented patients with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD. Methods Based on a cross-sectional design, 69 community-dwelling CHI (mean age 75.5 ± 4.3; 43.5% women and 14 demented patients with FTD (mean age 65.7 ± 9.8 years; 6.7% women walked alone (without performing an additional task; i.e., single tasking and while counting backward (CB aloud starting from 50 (i.e., dual tasking. Each subject completed two trials for all the testing conditions. The mean value and the coefficient of variation (CoV of stride time while walking alone and while CB at self-selected walking speed were measured using GAITRite® and SMTEC® footswitch systems. Results ICC of mean value in CHI under both walking conditions were higher than ICC of demented patients with FTD and indicated perfect reliability (ICC > 0.80. Reliability of mean value was better while single tasking than dual tasking in CHI (ICC = 0.96 under single-task and ICC = 0.86 under dual-task, whereas it was the opposite in demented patients (ICC = 0.65 under single-task and ICC = 0.81 under dual-task. ICC of CoV was slight to poor whatever the group of participants and the walking condition (ICC Conclusions The immediate test-retest reliability of the mean value of stride time in single and dual tasking was good in older CHI as well as in demented patients with FTD. In contrast, the variability of stride time was low in both groups of participants.

  11. The test-retest reliability of the latent construct of executive function depends on whether tasks are represented as formative or reflective indicators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willoughby, Michael T; Kuhn, Laura J; Blair, Clancy B; Samek, Anya; List, John A

    2017-10-01

    This study investigates the test-retest reliability of a battery of executive function (EF) tasks with a specific interest in testing whether the method that is used to create a battery-wide score would result in differences in the apparent test-retest reliability of children's performance. A total of 188 4-year-olds completed a battery of computerized EF tasks twice across a period of approximately two weeks. Two different approaches were used to create a score that indexed children's overall performance on the battery-i.e., (1) the mean score of all completed tasks and (2) a factor score estimate which used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Pearson and intra-class correlations were used to investigate the test-retest reliability of individual EF tasks, as well as an overall battery score. Consistent with previous studies, the test-retest reliability of individual tasks was modest (rs ≈ .60). The test-retest reliability of the overall battery scores differed depending on the scoring approach (r mean  = .72; r factor_ score  = .99). It is concluded that the children's performance on individual EF tasks exhibit modest levels of test-retest reliability. This underscores the importance of administering multiple tasks and aggregating performance across these tasks in order to improve precision of measurement. However, the specific strategy that is used has a large impact on the apparent test-retest reliability of the overall score. These results replicate our earlier findings and provide additional cautionary evidence against the routine use of factor analytic approaches for representing individual performance across a battery of EF tasks.

  12. Test–Retest Reliability of Measures Commonly Used to Measure Striatal Dysfunction across Multiple Testing Sessions: A Longitudinal Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clare E. Palmer

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Cognitive impairment is common amongst many neurodegenerative movement disorders such as Huntington’s disease (HD and Parkinson’s disease (PD across multiple domains. There are many tasks available to assess different aspects of this dysfunction, however, it is imperative that these show high test–retest reliability if they are to be used to track disease progression or response to treatment in patient populations. Moreover, in order to ensure effects of practice across testing sessions are not misconstrued as clinical improvement in clinical trials, tasks which are particularly vulnerable to practice effects need to be highlighted. In this study we evaluated test–retest reliability in mean performance across three testing sessions of four tasks that are commonly used to measure cognitive dysfunction associated with striatal impairment: a combined Simon Stop-Signal Task; a modified emotion recognition task; a circle tracing task; and the trail making task. Practice effects were seen between sessions 1 and 2 across all tasks for the majority of dependent variables, particularly reaction time variables; some, but not all, diminished in the third session. Good test–retest reliability across all sessions was seen for the emotion recognition, circle tracing, and trail making test. The Simon interference effect and stop-signal reaction time (SSRT from the combined-Simon-Stop-Signal task showed moderate test–retest reliability, however, the combined SSRT interference effect showed poor test–retest reliability. Our results emphasize the need to use control groups when tracking clinical progression or use pre-baseline training on tasks susceptible to practice effects.

  13. Test-Retest Reliability of Measures Commonly Used to Measure Striatal Dysfunction across Multiple Testing Sessions: A Longitudinal Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, Clare E; Langbehn, Douglas; Tabrizi, Sarah J; Papoutsi, Marina

    2017-01-01

    Cognitive impairment is common amongst many neurodegenerative movement disorders such as Huntington's disease (HD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) across multiple domains. There are many tasks available to assess different aspects of this dysfunction, however, it is imperative that these show high test-retest reliability if they are to be used to track disease progression or response to treatment in patient populations. Moreover, in order to ensure effects of practice across testing sessions are not misconstrued as clinical improvement in clinical trials, tasks which are particularly vulnerable to practice effects need to be highlighted. In this study we evaluated test-retest reliability in mean performance across three testing sessions of four tasks that are commonly used to measure cognitive dysfunction associated with striatal impairment: a combined Simon Stop-Signal Task; a modified emotion recognition task; a circle tracing task; and the trail making task. Practice effects were seen between sessions 1 and 2 across all tasks for the majority of dependent variables, particularly reaction time variables; some, but not all, diminished in the third session. Good test-retest reliability across all sessions was seen for the emotion recognition, circle tracing, and trail making test. The Simon interference effect and stop-signal reaction time (SSRT) from the combined-Simon-Stop-Signal task showed moderate test-retest reliability, however, the combined SSRT interference effect showed poor test-retest reliability. Our results emphasize the need to use control groups when tracking clinical progression or use pre-baseline training on tasks susceptible to practice effects.

  14. Test-retest reliability and cross validation of the functioning everyday with a wheelchair instrument.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Tamara L; Holm, Margo B; Schmeler, Mark

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to establish the test-retest reliability and content validity of an outcomes tool designed to measure the effectiveness of seating-mobility interventions on the functional performance of individuals who use wheelchairs or scooters as their primary seating-mobility device. The instrument, Functioning Everyday With a Wheelchair (FEW), is a questionnaire designed to measure perceived user function related to wheelchair/scooter use. Using consumer-generated items, FEW Beta Version 1.0 was developed and test-retest reliability was established. Cross-validation of FEW Beta Version 1.0 was then carried out with five samples of seating-mobility users to establish content validity. Based on the content validity study, FEW Version 2.0 was developed and administered to seating-mobility consumers to examine its test-retest reliability. FEW Beta Version 1.0 yielded an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) Model (3,k) of .92, p content validity results revealed that FEW Beta Version 1.0 captured 55% of seating-mobility goals reported by consumers across five samples. FEW Version 2.0 yielded ICC(3,k) = .86, p content validity of FEW Version 2.0 was confirmed. FEW Beta Version 1.0 and FEW Version 2.0 were highly stable in their measurement of participants' seating-mobility goals over a 1-week interval.

  15. Dual conception of risk in the Iowa Gambling Task: Effects of sleep deprivation and test-retest gap

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Varsha eSingh

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Risk in the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT is often understood in terms of intertemporal choices, i.e., preference for immediate outcomes in favor of delayed outcomes is considered risky. According to behavioral economics, decision makers refrain from choosing the short-sighted immediate gain because, over time (10 trials, the immediate gains result in a net loss. Instead decision makers are expected to maximize their gains by choosing options that, over time (10 trials, result in net gain. However, task choices are sometimes made on the basis of the frequency of reward and punishment such that infrequent punishments are favored over frequent punishments. The presence of these two attributes (intertemporality and frequency may correspond to the emotion-cognition dichotomy and reflect a dual conception of risk. Decision making on the basis of the two attributes was tested under two conditions: test-retest gap and sleep deprivation. An interaction between these two was expected to attenuate the difference between the two attributes (n=40 male. Analysis of the effects of IGT attribute type (intertemporal vs. frequency, sleep deprivation (sleep deprivation vs. no sleep deprivation, and test-retest gap (short vs. long showed a significant effect of IGT attribute type thus confirming the difference between the two attributes. Sleep deprivation had no effect on the attributes, but test-retest gap and the three-way interaction between attribute type, test-retest gap, and sleep deprivation were significant. Post-hoc tests showed sleep deprivation and short test-retest gap to attenuate the difference between the two attributes. As expected intertemporal decision making benefited from repeated task exposure. The findings add to understanding of the emotion-cognition dichotomy and show a time-dependent effect of a universally experienced constraint (sleep deprivation.

  16. Differential sensory cortical involvement in auditory and visual sensorimotor temporal recalibration: Evidence from transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aytemür, Ali; Almeida, Nathalia; Lee, Kwang-Hyuk

    2017-02-01

    Adaptation to delayed sensory feedback following an action produces a subjective time compression between the action and the feedback (temporal recalibration effect, TRE). TRE is important for sensory delay compensation to maintain a relationship between causally related events. It is unclear whether TRE is a sensory modality-specific phenomenon. In 3 experiments employing a sensorimotor synchronization task, we investigated this question using cathodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS). We found that cathodal tDCS over the visual cortex, and to a lesser extent over the auditory cortex, produced decreased visual TRE. However, both auditory and visual cortex tDCS did not produce any measurable effects on auditory TRE. Our study revealed different nature of TRE in auditory and visual domains. Visual-motor TRE, which is more variable than auditory TRE, is a sensory modality-specific phenomenon, modulated by the auditory cortex. The robustness of auditory-motor TRE, unaffected by tDCS, suggests the dominance of the auditory system in temporal processing, by providing a frame of reference in the realignment of sensorimotor timing signals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Stability of FDG-PET Radiomics features - An integrated analysis of test-retest and inter-observer variability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leijenaar, Ralph T. H.; Carvalho, Sara; Rios Velazquez, Emmanuel [Dept. of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht Univ. Medical Center, Maastricht (Netherlands)] [and others

    2013-10-15

    Purpose: Besides basic measurements as maximum standardized uptake value (SUV){sub max} or SUV{sub mean} derived from 18F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) scans, more advanced quantitative imaging features (i.e. 'Radiomics' features) are increasingly investigated for treatment monitoring, outcome prediction, or as potential biomarkers. With these prospected applications of Radiomics features, it is a requisite that they provide robust and reliable measurements. The aim of our study was therefore to perform an integrated stability analysis of a large number of PET-derived features in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), based on both a test-retest and an inter-observer setup. Methods: Eleven NSCLC patients were included in the test-retest cohort. Patients underwent repeated PET imaging within a one day interval, before any treatment was delivered. Lesions were delineated by applying a threshold of 50 % of the maximum uptake value within the tumor. Twenty-three NSCLC patients were included in the inter-observer cohort. Patients underwent a diagnostic whole body PET-computed tomography (CT). Lesions were manually delineated based on fused PET-CT, using a standardized clinical delineation protocol. Delineation was performed independently by five observers, blinded to each other. Fifteen first order statistics, 39 descriptors of intensity volume histograms, eight geometric features and 44 textural features were extracted. For every feature, test-retest and inter-observer stability was assessed with the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and the coefficient of variability, normalized to mean and range. Similarity between test-retest and inter-observer stability rankings of features was assessed with Spear man's rank correlation coefficient. Results: Results showed that the majority of assessed features had both a high test-retest (71%) and inter-observer (91%) stability in terms of their ICC. Overall, features more stable in repeated PET

  18. Questionnaire for measuring organisational attributes in dental-care practices: psychometric properties and test-retest reliability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goetz, Katja; Hasse, Philipp; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Campbell, Stephen M

    2016-04-01

    The consideration of organisational aspects, such as shared goals and clear communication, within the health care team is important to ensure good quality care. In primary health care, the instrument Survey of Organizational Attributes for Primary Care (SOAPC) is available to measure organisational attributes of care. However, there is no instrument available for dental care. The aim of the present study was to investigate psychometric properties and test-retest reliability of the version of SOAPC adapted for dental care, namely the Survey of Organizational Attributes in Dental Care (SOADC). The SOADC consists of 21 items in the following four subscales: communication; decision making; stress/chaos; and history of change. Convergent construct validity was measured using the job satisfaction scale. A total of 287 dental-care practices were asked to participate in the validation study. Psychometric properties and test-retest reliability were observed. A total of 43 dental-care practices responded to the survey. At baseline, 178 dental-care staff completed the questionnaire, and 4 weeks later 138 did so. Internal consistency, measured by Cronbach's alpha, was 0.718 or higher in the subscales. The test-retest reliability for each subscale and the overall SOADC score demonstrated good correlations over the 4-week test-retest interval, except for 'history of change'. A strong correlation with the aggregated job-satisfaction scale showed high convergent construct validity of SOADC. The consideration of organisational aspects from the perspective of dental-care teams is important for providing good quality of care. The SOADC is a reliable instrument with good psychometric properties and is suitable for the evaluation of organisational attributes in dental-care practices. © 2015 FDI World Dental Federation.

  19. Test-Retest Reliability of Computerized, Everyday Memory Measures and Traditional Memory Tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youngjohn, James R.; And Others

    Test-retest reliabilities and practice effect magnitudes were considered for nine computer-simulated tasks of everyday cognition and five traditional neuropsychological tests. The nine simulated everyday memory tests were from the Memory Assessment Clinic battery as follows: (1) simple reaction time while driving; (2) divided attention (driving…

  20. Adaptation, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale in Nigeria (PANES-N).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oyeyemi, Adewale L; Sallis, James F; Oyeyemi, Adetoyeje Y; Amin, Mariam M; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deforche, Benedicte

    2013-11-01

    This study adapted the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale (PANES) to the Nigerian context and assessed the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the Nigerian version (PANESN). A multidisciplinary panel of experts adapted the original PANES to reflect the built and social environment of Nigeria. The adapted PANES was subjected to cognitive testing and test retest reliability in a diverse sample of Nigerian adults (N = 132) from different neighborhood types. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) was used to assess test-retest reliability, and construct validity was investigated with Analysis of Covariance for differences in environmental attributes between neighborhoods. Four of the 17 items on the original PANES were significantly modified, 3 were removed and 2 new items were incorporated into the final version of adapted PANES-N. Test-retest reliability was substantial to almost perfect (ICC = 0.62-1.00) for all items on the PANES-N, and residents of neighborhoods in the inner city reported higher residential density, land use mix and safety, but lower pedestrian facilities and aesthetics than did residents of government reserved area/new layout neighborhoods. The PANES-N appears promising for assessing environmental perceptions related to physical activity in Nigeria, but further testing is required to assess its applicability across Africa.

  1. Reliability of Autism-Tics, AD/HD, and other Comorbidities (A-TAC) inventory in a test-retest design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Tomas; Kerekes, Nóra; Selinus, Eva Norén; Lichtenstein, Paul; Gumpert, Clara Hellner; Anckarsäter, Henrik; Nilsson, Thomas; Lundström, Sebastian

    2014-02-01

    The Autism-Tics, AD/HD, and other Comorbidities (A-TAC) inventory is used in epidemiological research to assess neurodevelopmental problems and coexisting conditions. Although the A-TAC has been applied in various populations, data on retest reliability are limited. The objective of the present study was to present additional reliability data. The A-TAC was administered by lay assessors and was completed on two occasions by parents of 400 individual twins, with an average interval of 70 days between test sessions. Intra- and inter-rater reliability were analysed with intraclass correlations and Cohen's kappa. A-TAC showed excellent test-retest intraclass correlations for both autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (each at .84). Most modules in the A-TAC had intra- and inter-rater reliability intraclass correlation coefficients of > or = .60. Cohen's kappa indi- cated acceptable reliability. The current study provides statistical evidence that the A-TAC yields good test-retest reliability in a population-based cohort of children.

  2. Test-retest reliability of the Danish Adult Reading Test in patients with comorbid psychosis and cannabis-use disorder

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjorthøj, Carsten Rygaard; Vesterager, Lone; Nordentoft, Merete

    2013-01-01

    Background: The New Adult Reading Test is a common instrument for assessing pre-morbid IQ for patients with, for instance, schizophrenia. However, test-retest reliability has not been established for patients dually diagnosed with psychosis and substance use disorder. Furthermore, test......-retest reliability of the Danish adaptation has never been established in any population. Aims: To determine the test-retest reliability of the Danish Adult Reading Test (DART) (adapted from the National Adult Reading Test, NART) for patients dually diagnosed with psychosis and cannabis-use disorder. Methods......: This was a secondary analysis of the CapOpus randomized trial. As part of the trial, 103 patients were randomized, and completed the DART up to three times. Pearson's r and pairwise t-tests were calculated. Results: DART score was independent of randomization, cannabis-use frequency and psychopathology. Scores...

  3. Retesting young STI clinic visitors with urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the Netherlands; response to a text message reminder and reinfection rates: a prospective study with historical controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kampman, Cjg; Koedijk, Fdh; Driessen-Hulshof, Hcm; Hautvast, Jla; van den Broek, Ivf

    2016-03-01

    The objective of this study is to assess the effect of reminder text messages 6 months after the initial treatment on retest and chlamydia reinfection rates in young heterosexuals compared with a historical control group and to assess factors associated with both outcomes. Heterosexual people (aged 16-23 years), testing positive for urogenital chlamydia, were offered a retest after 6 months. Participants received a text message reminder at 6 months after the initial chlamydia diagnosis. Rates of retest uptake and the result of the retest were analysed using Cox regression. Prevalence ratios (PRs) were calculated to identify factors associated with these outcomes. Furthermore, the retest rate was compared with the retest rate of a historical control group. 30.6% (253/838) of the study group returned within 5-8 months compared with 9.2% (140/1530) in the historical control group. Women and persons who were not notified for a sexually transmitted infection (STI) at inclusion were more likely to return for a retest. 20.4% (56/275) of participants had a chlamydia reinfection upon retesting. Reinfection was higher in participants reporting STI-related symptoms (PR 3.2, 95% CI 1.8 to 5.6) and in participants who were notified for an STI at retest (PR 5.3, 95% CI 2.4 to 11.5). A text message reminder appeared to have a clear, positive impact on the resulting retest rate. These results also indicate that retesting is necessary to identify chlamydia reinfections. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  4. Test-retest reliability of Brazilian version of Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale for assessing symptoms in cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menezes, Josiane Roberta de; Luvisaro, Bianca Maria Oliveira; Rodrigues, Claudia Fernandes; Muzi, Camila Drumond; Guimarães, Raphael Mendonça

    2017-01-01

    To assess the test-retest reliability of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale translated and culturally adapted into Brazilian Portuguese. The scale was applied in an interview format for 190 patients with various cancers type hospitalized in clinical and surgical sectors of the Instituto Nacional de Câncer José de Alencar Gomes da Silva and reapplied in 58 patients. Data from the test-retest were double typed into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed by the weighted Kappa. The reliability of the scale was satisfactory in test-retest. The weighted Kappa values obtained for each scale item had to be adequate, the largest item was 0.96 and the lowest was 0.69. The Kappa subscale was also evaluated and values were 0.84 for high frequency physic symptoms, 0.81 for low frequency physical symptoms, 0.81 for psychological symptoms, and 0.78 for Global Distress Index. High level of reliability estimated suggests that the process of measurement of Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale aspects was adequate. Avaliar a confiabilidade teste-reteste da versão traduzida e adaptada culturalmente para o português do Brasil do Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. A escala foi aplicada em forma de entrevista em 190 pacientes com diversos tipos de câncer internados nos setores clínicos e cirúrgicos do Instituto Nacional de Câncer José de Alencar Gomes da Silva e reaplicada em 58 pacientes. Os dados dos testes-retestes foram inseridos num banco de dados por dupla digitação independente em Excel e analisados pelo Kappa ponderado. A confiabilidade da escala mostrou-se satisfatória nos testes-retestes. Os valores do Kappa ponderado obtidos para cada item da escala apresentaram-se adequados, sendo o maior item de 0,96 e o menor de 0,69. Também se avaliou o Kappa das subescalas, sendo de 0,84 para sintomas físicos de alta frequência, de 0,81 para sintomas físicos de baixa frequência, de 0,81 também para sintomas psicológicos, e de 0,78 para Índice Geral de Sofrimento

  5. Adaptive screening for depression--recalibration of an item bank for the assessment of depression in persons with mental and somatic diseases and evaluation in a simulated computer-adaptive test environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forkmann, Thomas; Kroehne, Ulf; Wirtz, Markus; Norra, Christine; Baumeister, Harald; Gauggel, Siegfried; Elhan, Atilla Halil; Tennant, Alan; Boecker, Maren

    2013-11-01

    This study conducted a simulation study for computer-adaptive testing based on the Aachen Depression Item Bank (ADIB), which was developed for the assessment of depression in persons with somatic diseases. Prior to computer-adaptive test simulation, the ADIB was newly calibrated. Recalibration was performed in a sample of 161 patients treated for a depressive syndrome, 103 patients from cardiology, and 103 patients from otorhinolaryngology (mean age 44.1, SD=14.0; 44.7% female) and was cross-validated in a sample of 117 patients undergoing rehabilitation for cardiac diseases (mean age 58.4, SD=10.5; 24.8% women). Unidimensionality of the itembank was checked and a Rasch analysis was performed that evaluated local dependency (LD), differential item functioning (DIF), item fit and reliability. CAT-simulation was conducted with the total sample and additional simulated data. Recalibration resulted in a strictly unidimensional item bank with 36 items, showing good Rasch model fit (item fit residualsLD. CAT simulation revealed that 13 items on average were necessary to estimate depression in the range of -2 and +2 logits when terminating at SE≤0.32 and 4 items if using SE≤0.50. Receiver Operating Characteristics analysis showed that θ estimates based on the CAT algorithm have good criterion validity with regard to depression diagnoses (Area Under the Curve≥.78 for all cut-off criteria). The recalibration of the ADIB succeeded and the simulation studies conducted suggest that it has good screening performance in the samples investigated and that it may reasonably add to the improvement of depression assessment. © 2013.

  6. Test-retest, inter-assessor and intra-assessor reliability of the modified Touwen examination

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peters, Lieke H. J.; Maathuis, Karel G. B.; Kouw, Eva; Hamming, Marjolein; Hadders-Algra, Mijna

    Interest in the Touwen examination (1979) for the assessment of minor neurological dysfunction (MND) is growing. However, information on psychometric properties of this assessment is scarce. Therefore the present study aimed at assessing the test's test-retest, inter- and intra-assessor reliability.

  7. Test-Retest Reliability and Minimal Detectable Change of the D2 Test of Attention in Patients with Schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Posen; Lu, Wen-Shian; Liu, Chin-Hsuan; Lin, Hung-Yu; Hsieh, Ching-Lin

    2017-12-08

    The d2 Test of Attention (D2) is a commonly used measure of selective attention for patients with schizophrenia. However, its test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) are unknown in patients with schizophrenia, limiting its utility in both clinical and research settings. The aim of the present study was to examine the test-retest reliability and MDC of the D2 in patients with schizophrenia. A rater administered the D2 on 108 patients with schizophrenia twice at a 1-month interval. Test-retest reliability was determined through the calculation of the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). We also carried out Bland-Altman analysis, which included a scatter plot of the differences between test and retest against their mean. Systematic biases were evaluated by use of a paired t-test. The ICCs for the D2 ranged from 0.78 to 0.94. The MDCs (MDC%) of the seven subscores were 102.3 (29.7), 19.4 (85.0), 7.2 (94.6), 21.0 (69.0), 104.0 (33.1), 105.0 (35.8), and 7.8 (47.8), which represented limited-to-acceptable random measurement error. Trends in the Bland-Altman plots of the omissions (E1), commissions (E2), and errors (E) were noted, presenting that the data had heteroscedasticity. According to the results, the D2 had good test-retest reliability, especially in the scores of TN, TN-E, and CP. For the further research, finding a way to improve the administration procedure to reduce random measurement error would be important for the E1, E2, E, and FR subscores. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. Interaction between morphine and noradrenergic system of basolateral amygdala on anxiety and memory in the elevated plus-maze test based on a test-retest paradigm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valizadegan, Farhad; Oryan, Shahrbanoo; Nasehi, Mohammad; Zarrindast, Mohammad Reza

    2013-05-01

    The amygdala is the key brain structure for anxiety and emotional memory storage. We examined the involvement of β-adrenoreceptors in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and their interaction with morphine in modulating these behaviors. The elevated plus-maze has been employed for investigating anxiety and memory. Male Wistar rats were used for this test. We injected morphine (4, 5, and 6 mg/kg) intraperitoneally, while salbutamol (albuterol) (1, 2, and 4 μg/rat) and propranolol (1, 2, and 4 μg/rat) were injected into the BLA. Open- arms time percentage (%OAT), open- arms entry percentage (%OAE), and locomotor activity were determined by this behavioral test. Retention was tested 24 hours later. Intraperitoneal injection of morphine (6 mg/kg) had an anxiolytic-like effect and improvement of memory. The highest dose of salbutamol decreased the anxiety parameters in test session and improved the memory in retest session. Coadministration of salbutamol and ineffective dose of morphine presenting anxiolytic response. In this case, the memory was improved. Intra-BLA administration of propranolol (4 μg/rat) decreased %OAT in the test session, while had no effect on memory formation. Coadministration of propranolol and morphine (6 mg/kg) showed an increase in %OAT. There was not any significant change in the above- mentioned parameter in the retest session. Coadministration of morphine and propranolol with the effective dose of salbutamol showed that propranolol could reverse anxiolytic-like effect. We found that opioidergic and β-adrenergic systems have the same effects on anxiety and memory in the BLA; but these effects are independent of each other.

  9. Rationale and design of REACT: a randomised controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of home-collection to increase chlamydia retesting and detect repeat positive tests

    OpenAIRE

    Smith, Kirsty S; Hocking, Jane S; Chen, Marcus; Fairley, Christopher K; McNulty, Anna; Read, Phillip; Bradshaw, Catriona S; Tabrizi, Sepehr N; Wand, Handan; Saville, Marion; Rawlinson, William; Garland, Suzanne M; Donovan, Basil; Kaldor, John M; Guy, Rebecca

    2014-01-01

    Background Repeat infection with Chlamydia trachomatis is common and increases the risk of sequelae in women and HIV seroconversion in men who have sex with men (MSM). Despite guidelines recommending chlamydia retesting three months after treatment, retesting rates are low. We are conducting the first randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of home collection combined with short message service (SMS) reminders on chlamydia retesting and reinfection rates in three risk groups. ...

  10. Development, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the resistance training skills battery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lubans, David R; Smith, Jordan J; Harries, Simon K; Barnett, Lisa M; Faigenbaum, Avery D

    2014-05-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the development and assess test-retest reliability and construct validity of the Resistance Training Skills Battery (RTSB) for adolescents. The RTSB provides an assessment of resistance training skill competency and includes 6 exercises (i.e., body weight squat, push-up, lunge, suspended row, standing overhead press, and front support with chest touches). Scoring for each skill is based on the number of performance criteria successfully demonstrated. An overall resistance training skill quotient (RTSQ) is created by adding participants' scores for the 6 skills. Participants (44 boys and 19 girls, mean age = 14.5 ± 1.2 years) completed the RTSB on 2 occasions separated by 7 days. Participants also completed the following fitness tests, which were used to create a muscular fitness score (MFS): handgrip strength, timed push-up, and standing long jump tests. Intraclass correlation (ICC), paired samples t-tests, and typical error were used to assess test-retest reliability. To assess construct validity, gender and RTSQ were entered into a regression model predicting MFS. The rank order repeatability of the RTSQ was high (ICC = 0.88). The model explained 39% of the variance in MFS (p ≤ 0.001) and RTSQ (r = 0.40, p ≤ 0.001) was a significant predictor. This study has demonstrated the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the RTSB in a sample of adolescents. The RTSB can reliably rank participants in regards to their resistance training competency and has the necessary sensitivity to detect small changes in resistance training skill proficiency.

  11. Test-Retest Reliability of Dual-Task Outcome Measures in People With Parkinson Disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Strouwen, C.; Molenaar, E.A.; Keus, S.H.; Munks, L.; Bloem, B.R.; Nieuwboer, A.

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Dual-task (DT) training is gaining ground as a physical therapy intervention in people with Parkinson disease (PD). Future studies evaluating the effect of such interventions need reliable outcome measures. To date, the test-retest reliability of DT measures in patients with PD remains

  12. Test-retest reliability and stability of N400 effects in a word-pair semantic priming paradigm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiang, Michael; Patriciu, Iulia; Roy, Carolyn; Christensen, Bruce K; Zipursky, Robert B

    2013-04-01

    Elicited by any meaningful stimulus, the N400 event-related potential (ERP) component is reduced when the stimulus is related to a preceding one. This N400 semantic priming effect has been used to probe abnormal semantic relationship processing in clinical disorders, and suggested as a possible biomarker for treatment studies. Validating N400 semantic priming effects as a clinical biomarker requires characterizing their test-retest reliability. We assessed test-retest reliability of N400 semantic priming in 16 healthy adults who viewed the same related and unrelated prime-target word pairs in two sessions one week apart. As expected, N400 amplitudes were smaller for related versus unrelated targets across sessions. N400 priming effects (amplitude differences between unrelated and related targets) were highly correlated across sessions (r=0.85, Pmotivational changes. Use of N400 priming effects in treatment studies should account for possible magnitude decreases with repeat testing. Further research is needed to delineate N400 priming effects' test-retest reliability and stability in different age and clinical groups, and with different stimulus types. Copyright © 2012 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Test-retest reliability of the Battery for the Assessment of Auditory Sensorimotor and Timing Abilities (BAASTA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bégel, Valentin; Verga, Laura; Benoit, Charles-Etienne; Kotz, Sonja A; Bella, Simone Dalla

    2018-04-27

    Perceptual and sensorimotor timing skills can be comprehensively assessed with the Battery for the Assessment of Auditory Sensorimotor and Timing Abilities (BAASTA). The battery has been used for testing rhythmic skills in healthy adults and patient populations (e.g., with Parkinson disease), showing sensitivity to timing and rhythm deficits. Here we assessed the test-retest reliability of the BAASTA in 20 healthy adults. Participants were tested twice with the BAASTA, implemented on a tablet interface, with a 2-week interval. They completed 4 perceptual tasks, namely, duration discrimination, anisochrony detection with tones and music, and the Beat Alignment Test (BAT). Moreover, they completed motor tasks via finger tapping, including unpaced and paced tapping with tones and music, synchronization-continuation, and adaptive tapping to a sequence with a tempo change. Despite high variability among individuals, the results showed stable test-retest reliability in most tasks. A slight but significant improvement from test to retest was found in tapping with music, which may reflect a learning effect. In general, the BAASTA was found a reliable tool for evaluating timing and rhythm skills. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  14. Interrater and test-retest reliability and validity of the Norwegian version of the BESTest and mini-BESTest in people with increased risk of falling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamre, Charlotta; Botolfsen, Pernille; Tangen, Gro Gujord; Helbostad, Jorunn L

    2017-04-20

    The Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) was developed to assess underlying systems for balance control in order to be able to individually tailor rehabilitation interventions to people with balance disorders. A short form, the Mini-BESTest, was developed as a screening test. The study aimed to assess interrater and test-retest reliability of the Norwegian version of the BESTest and the Mini-BESTest in community-dwelling people with increased risk of falling and to assess concurrent validity with the Fall Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), and it was an observational study with a cross-sectional design. Forty-two persons with increased risk of falling (elderly over 65 years of age, persons with a history of stroke or Multiple Sclerosis) were assessed twice by two raters. Relative reliability was analysed with Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), and absolute reliability with standard error of measurement (SEM) and smallest detectable change (SDC). Concurrent validity was assessed against the FES-I using Spearman's rho. The BESTest showed very good interrater reliability (ICC = 0.98, SEM = 1.79, SDC 95  = 5.0) and test-retest reliability (rater A/rater B = ICC = 0.89/0.89, SEM = 3.9/4.3, SDC 95  = 10.8/11.8). The Mini-BESTest also showed very good interrater reliability (ICC = 0.95, SEM = 1.19, SDC 95  = 3.3) and test-retest reliability (rater A/rater B = ICC = 0.85/0.84, SEM = 1.8/1.9, SDC 95  = 4.9/5.2). The correlations were moderate between the FES-I and both the BESTest and the Mini-BESTest (Spearman's rho -0.51 and-0.50, p test-retest reliability when assessed in a heterogeneous sample of people with increased risk of falling. The concurrent validity measured against the FES-I showed moderate correlation. The results are comparable with earlier studies and indicate that the Norwegian versions can be used in daily clinic and in research.

  15. Test-Retest Reliability of Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Huntington's Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, James H; Farmer, Ruth E; Rees, Elin M; Johnson, Hans J; Frost, Chris; Scahill, Rachael I; Hobbs, Nicola Z

    2014-03-21

    Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has shown microstructural abnormalities in patients with Huntington's Disease (HD) and work is underway to characterise how these abnormalities change with disease progression. Using methods that will be applied in longitudinal research, we sought to establish the reliability of DTI in early HD patients and controls. Test-retest reliability, quantified using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), was assessed using region-of-interest (ROI)-based white matter atlas and voxelwise approaches on repeat scan data from 22 participants (10 early HD, 12 controls). T1 data was used to generate further ROIs for analysis in a reduced sample of 18 participants. The results suggest that fractional anisotropy (FA) and other diffusivity metrics are generally highly reliable, with ICCs indicating considerably lower within-subject compared to between-subject variability in both HD patients and controls. Where ICC was low, particularly for the diffusivity measures in the caudate and putamen, this was partly influenced by outliers. The analysis suggests that the specific DTI methods used here are appropriate for cross-sectional research in HD, and give confidence that they can also be applied longitudinally, although this requires further investigation. An important caveat for DTI studies is that test-retest reliability may not be evenly distributed throughout the brain whereby highly anisotropic white matter regions tended to show lower relative within-subject variability than other white or grey matter regions.

  16. Test-retest reliability of the Military Pre-training Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, M; Stokes, K; Bilzon, J; Standage, M; Brown, P; Thompson, D

    2010-09-01

    Musculoskeletal injuries are a significant cause of morbidity during military training. A brief, inexpensive and user-friendly tool that demonstrates reliability and validity is warranted to effectively monitor the relationship between multiple predictor variables and injury incidence in military populations. To examine the test-retest reliability of the Military Pre-training Questionnaire (MPQ), designed specifically to assess risk factors for injury among military trainees across five domains (physical activity, injury history, diet, alcohol and smoking). Analyses were based on a convenience sample of 58 male British Army trainees. Kappa (kappa), weighted kappa (kappa(w)) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to evaluate the 2-week test-retest reliability of the MPQ. For index measures constituting the assessment of a given construct, internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha (alpha) coefficients. Reliability of individual items ranged from poor to almost perfect (kappa range = 0.45-0.86; kappa(w) range = 0.11-0.91; ICC range = 0.34-0.86) with most items demonstrating moderate reliability. Overall scores related to physical activity, diet, alcohol and smoking constructs were reliable between both administrations (ICC = 0.63-0.85). Support for the internal consistency of the incorporated alcohol (alpha = 0.78) and cigarette (alpha = 0.75) scales was also provided. The MPQ is a reliable self-report instrument for assessing multiple injury-related risk factors during initial military training. Further assessment of the psychometric properties of the MPQ (e.g. different types of validity) with military populations/samples will support its interpretation and use in future surveillance and epidemiological studies.

  17. Temporal stability of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity short-form: test-retest data over one week.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Christopher Alan; Cruise, Sharon Mary; McGuckin, Conor

    2005-04-01

    This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity short-form. 39 Northern Irish undergraduate students completed the measure on two occasions separated by one week. Stability across the two administrations was high, r = .92, and there was no significant change between Time 1(M = 25.2, SD = 5.4) and Time 2 (M = 25.7, SD = 6.2). These data support the short-term test-retest reliability of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity short-form.

  18. Test-retest reliability of Eurofit Physical Fitness items for children with visual impairments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Houwen, Suzanne; Visscher, Chris; Hartman, Esther; Lemmink, Koen A. P. M.

    The purpose of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability of physical fitness items from the European Test of Physical Fitness (Eurofit) for children with visual impairments. A sample of 21 children, ages 6-12 years, that were recruited from a special school for children with visual

  19. Resting-state test-retest reliability of a priori defined canonical networks over different preprocessing steps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varikuti, Deepthi P; Hoffstaedter, Felix; Genon, Sarah; Schwender, Holger; Reid, Andrew T; Eickhoff, Simon B

    2017-04-01

    Resting-state functional connectivity analysis has become a widely used method for the investigation of human brain connectivity and pathology. The measurement of neuronal activity by functional MRI, however, is impeded by various nuisance signals that reduce the stability of functional connectivity. Several methods exist to address this predicament, but little consensus has yet been reached on the most appropriate approach. Given the crucial importance of reliability for the development of clinical applications, we here investigated the effect of various confound removal approaches on the test-retest reliability of functional-connectivity estimates in two previously defined functional brain networks. Our results showed that gray matter masking improved the reliability of connectivity estimates, whereas denoising based on principal components analysis reduced it. We additionally observed that refraining from using any correction for global signals provided the best test-retest reliability, but failed to reproduce anti-correlations between what have been previously described as antagonistic networks. This suggests that improved reliability can come at the expense of potentially poorer biological validity. Consistent with this, we observed that reliability was proportional to the retained variance, which presumably included structured noise, such as reliable nuisance signals (for instance, noise induced by cardiac processes). We conclude that compromises are necessary between maximizing test-retest reliability and removing variance that may be attributable to non-neuronal sources.

  20. Resting-state test-retest reliability of a priori defined canonical networks over different preprocessing steps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varikuti, Deepthi P.; Hoffstaedter, Felix; Genon, Sarah; Schwender, Holger; Reid, Andrew T.; Eickhoff, Simon B.

    2016-01-01

    Resting-state functional connectivity analysis has become a widely used method for the investigation of human brain connectivity and pathology. The measurement of neuronal activity by functional MRI, however, is impeded by various nuisance signals that reduce the stability of functional connectivity. Several methods exist to address this predicament, but little consensus has yet been reached on the most appropriate approach. Given the crucial importance of reliability for the development of clinical applications, we here investigated the effect of various confound removal approaches on the test-retest reliability of functional-connectivity estimates in two previously defined functional brain networks. Our results showed that grey matter masking improved the reliability of connectivity estimates, whereas de-noising based on principal components analysis reduced it. We additionally observed that refraining from using any correction for global signals provided the best test-retest reliability, but failed to reproduce anti-correlations between what have been previously described as antagonistic networks. This suggests that improved reliability can come at the expense of potentially poorer biological validity. Consistent with this, we observed that reliability was proportional to the retained variance, which presumably included structured noise, such as reliable nuisance signals (for instance, noise induced by cardiac processes). We conclude that compromises are necessary between maximizing test-retest reliability and removing variance that may be attributable to non-neuronal sources. PMID:27550015

  1. Confiabilidade teste-reteste de aspectos da rede social no Estudo Pró-Saúde Test-retest reliability of measures of social network in the "Pró-Saúde" Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosane Harter Griep

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar os níveis de confiabilidade teste-reteste de informações relativas à rede social no Estudo Pró-saúde. MÉTODOS: Foi estimada a confiabilidade pelo estudo teste-reteste por meio de questionário multidimensional aplicado a uma coorte de trabalhadores de uma universidade. O mesmo questionário foi preenchido duas vezes por 192 funcionários não efetivos da universidade, com duas semanas de intervalo entre as aplicações. A concordância foi estimada pela estatística Kappa (variáveis categóricas, estatística Kappa ponderado e modelos log-lineares (variáveis ordinais, e coeficiente de correlação intraclasse (variáveis discretas. RESULTADOS: As medidas de concordância situaram-se acima de 0,70 para a maioria das variáveis. Estratificando-se as informações segundo gênero, idade e escolaridade, observou-se que a confiabilidade não apresentou padrão consistente de variabilidade. A aplicação de modelos log-lineares indicou que, para as variáveis ordinais do estudo, o modelo de melhor ajuste foi o de "concordância diagonal mais associação linear por linear". CONCLUSÕES: Os altos níveis de confiabilidade estimados permitem concluir que o processo de aferição dos itens sobre rede social foi adequado para as características investigadas. Estudos de validação em andamento complementarão a avaliação da qualidade dessas informações.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate test-retest reliability of social network-related information of the" Pró-Saúde" study. METHODS: A test-retest reliability study was conducted using a multidimensional questionnaire applied to a cohort of university employees. The same questionnaire was filled out twice by 192 non-permanent employees with two weeks apart. Agreement was estimated using kappa statistics (categorical variables, weighted kappa statistics, log-linear models (ordinal variables, and intraclass correlation coefficient (discrete variables. RESULTS: Estimates of reliability

  2. Test-Retest Reliability of Self-Reported Sexual Health Measures among US Hispanic Adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jerman, Petra; Berglas, Nancy F.; Rohrbach, Louise A.; Constantine, Norman A.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Although Hispanic adolescents in the USA are often the focus of sexual health interventions, their response to survey measures has rarely been assessed within evaluation studies. This study documents the test-retest reliability of a wide range of self-reported sexual health values, attitudes, knowledge and behaviours among Hispanic…

  3. Test-Retest Reliability and Predictive Validity of the Implicit Association Test in Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rae, James R.; Olson, Kristina R.

    2018-01-01

    The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is increasingly used in developmental research despite minimal evidence of whether children's IAT scores are reliable across time or predictive of behavior. When test-retest reliability and predictive validity have been assessed, the results have been mixed, and because these studies have differed on many…

  4. Test-Retest Reliability of a Serious Game for Delirium Screening in the Emergency Department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Tiffany; Chignell, Mark; Tierney, Mary C; Lee, Jacques S

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Cognitive screening in settings such as emergency departments (ED) is frequently carried out using paper-and-pencil tests that require administration by trained staff. These assessments often compete with other clinical duties and thus may not be routinely administered in these busy settings. Literature has shown that the presence of cognitive impairments such as dementia and delirium are often missed in older ED patients. Failure to recognize delirium can have devastating consequences including increased mortality (Kakuma et al., 2003). Given the demands on emergency staff, an automated cognitive test to screen for delirium onset could be a valuable tool to support delirium prevention and management. In earlier research we examined the concurrent validity of a serious game, and carried out an initial assessment of its potential as a delirium screening tool (Tong et al., 2016). In this paper, we examine the test-retest reliability of the game, as it is an important criterion in a cognitive test for detecting risk of delirium onset. Objective: To demonstrate the test-retest reliability of the screening tool over time in a clinical sample of older emergency patients. A secondary objective is to assess whether there are practice effects that might make game performance unstable over repeated presentations. Materials and Methods: Adults over the age of 70 were recruited from a hospital ED. Each patient played our serious game in an initial session soon after they arrived in the ED, and in follow up sessions conducted at 8-h intervals (for each participant there were up to five follow up sessions, depending on how long the person stayed in the ED). Results: A total of 114 adults (61 females, 53 males) between the ages of 70 and 104 years ( M = 81 years, SD = 7) participated in our study after screening out delirious patients. We observed a test-retest reliability of the serious game (as assessed by correlation r -values) between 0.5 and 0.8 across adjacent

  5. Test-retest reliability of handgrip strength measurement using a hydraulic hand dynamometer in patients with cervical radiculopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savva, Christos; Giakas, Giannis; Efstathiou, Michalis; Karagiannis, Christos

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of handgrip strength measurement using a hydraulic hand dynamometer in patients with cervical radiculopathy (CR). A convenience sample of 19 participants (14 men and 5 women; mean ± SD age, 50.5 ± 12 years) with CR was measured using a Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer by the same rater on 2 different testing sessions with an interval of 7 days between sessions. Data collection procedures followed standardized grip strength testing guidelines established by the American Society of Hand Therapists. During the repeated measures, patients were advised to rest their upper limb in the standardized arm position and encouraged to exert 3 maximum gripping efforts. The mean value of the 3 efforts (measured in kilogram force [Kgf]) was used for data analysis. The intraclass correlation coefficient, SEM, and the Bland-Altman plot were used to estimate test-retest reliability and measurement precision. Grip strength measurement in CR demonstrated an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.976, suggesting excellent test-retest reliability. The small SEM in both testing sessions (SEM1, 2.41 Kgf; SEM2, 2.51 Kgf) as well as the narrow width of the 95% limits of agreements (95% limits of agreement, -4.9 to 4.4 Kgf) in the Bland-Altman plot reflected precise measurements of grip strength in both occasions. Excellent test-retest reliability for grip strength measurement was measured in patients with CR, demonstrating that a hydraulic hand dynamometer could be used as an outcome measure for these patients. Copyright © 2014 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Retesting of liquefaction and nonliquefaction case histories from the 1976 Tangshan earthquake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moss, R.E.S.; Kayen, R.E.; Tong, L.-Y.; Liu, S.-Y.; Cai, G.-J.; Wu, J.

    2011-01-01

    A field investigation was performed to retest liquefaction and nonliquefaction sites from the 1976 Tangshan earthquake in China. These sites were carefully investigated in 1978 and 1979 by using standard penetration test (SPT) and cone penetration test (CPT) equipment; however, the CPT measurements are obsolete because of the now nonstandard cone that was used at the time. In 2007, a modern cone was mobilized to retest 18 selected sites that are particularly important because of the intense ground shaking they sustained despite their high fines content and/or because the site did not liquefy. Of the sites reinvestigated and carefully reprocessed, 13 were considered accurate representative case histories. Two of the sites that were originally investigated for liquefaction have been reinvestigated for cyclic failure of fine-grained soil and removed from consideration for liquefaction triggering. The most important outcome of these field investigations was the collection of more accurate data for three nonliquefaction sites that experienced intense ground shaking. Data for these three case histories is now included in an area of the liquefaction triggering database that was poorly populated and will help constrain the upper bound of future liquefaction triggering curves. ?? 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.

  7. Test-retest reliability of barbell velocity during the free-weight bench-press exercise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stock, Matt S; Beck, Travis W; DeFreitas, Jason M; Dillon, Michael A

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to calculate test-retest reliability statistics for peak barbell velocity during the free-weight bench-press exercise for loads corresponding to 10-90% of the 1-repetition maximum (1RM). Twenty-one healthy, resistance-trained men (mean ± SD age = 23.5 ± 2.7 years; body mass = 90.5 ± 14.6 kg; 1RM bench press = 125.4 ± 18.4 kg) volunteered for this study. A minimum of 48 hours after a maximal strength testing and familiarization session, the subjects performed single repetitions of the free-weight bench-press exercise at each tenth percentile (10-90%) of the 1RM on 2 separate occasions. For each repetition, the subjects were instructed to press the barbell as rapidly as possible, and peak barbell velocity was measured with a Tendo Weightlifting Analyzer. The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficients (model 2,1) and corresponding standard errors of measurement (expressed as percentages of the mean barbell velocity values) were 0.717 (4.2%), 0.572 (5.0%), 0.805 (3.1%), 0.669 (4.7%), 0.790 (4.6%), 0.785 (4.8%), 0.811 (5.8%), 0.714 (10.3%), and 0.594 (12.6%) for the weights corresponding to 10-90% 1RM. There were no mean differences between the barbell velocity values from trials 1 and 2. These results indicated moderate to high test-retest reliability for barbell velocity from 10 to 70% 1RM but decreased consistency at 80 and 90% 1RM. When examining barbell velocity during the free-weight bench-press exercise, greater measurement error must be overcome at 80 and 90% 1RM to be confident that an observed change is meaningful.

  8. Test-retest reliability of the driving habits questionnaire in older self-driving adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Chiang-Soon; Chun, Byung-Yoon; Chung, Hyun-Sook

    2015-11-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of the Driving Habits Questionnaire in community-dwelling older self-drivers. [Subjects and Methods] Seventy-four participants were recruited by convenience sampling from local rehabilitation centers. This was a cross-sectional study design that used two clinical measures: the Driving Habits Questionnaire and Mini-mental State Examination. To examine the test-retest reliability of the Driving Habits Questionnaire, the clinical tool was measured twice, five days apart. [Results] The Driving Habits Questionnaire showed good reliability for older community-dwelling self-drivers. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the four domains of dependence (0.572), difficulty (0.871), crashes and citations (0.689), and driving space (0.961) of the Driving Habits Questionnaire indicated good or high internal consistency. Driving difficulty correlated significantly with self-reported crashes and citations and driving space. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest that the Driving Habits Questionnaire is a reliable measure of self-reported interview-based driving behavior in the community-dwelling elderly.

  9. Test-retest reliability at the item level and total score level of the Norwegian version of the Spinal Cord Injury Falls Concern Scale (SCI-FCS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roaldsen, Kirsti Skavberg; Måøy, Åsa Blad; Jørgensen, Vivien; Stanghelle, Johan Kvalvik

    2016-05-01

    Translation of the Spinal Cord Injury Falls Concern Scale (SCI-FCS), and investigation of test-retest reliability on item-level and total-score-level. Translation, adaptation and test-retest study. A specialized rehabilitation setting in Norway. Fifty-four wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury. The median age of the cohort was 49 years, and the median number of years after injury was 13. Interventions/measurements: The SCI-FCS was translated and back-translated according to guidelines. Individuals answered the SCI-FCS twice over the course of one week. We investigated item-level test-retest reliability using Svensson's rank-based statistical method for disagreement analysis of paired ordinal data. For relative reliability, we analyzed the total-score-level test-retest reliability with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC2.1), the standard error of measurement (SEM), and the smallest detectable change (SDC) for absolute reliability/measurement-error assessment and Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency. All items showed satisfactory percentage agreement (≥69%) between test and retest. There were small but non-negligible systematic disagreements among three items; we recovered an 11-13% higher chance for a lower second score. There was no disagreement due to random variance. The test-retest agreement (ICC2.1) was excellent (0.83). The SEM was 2.6 (12%), and the SDC was 7.1 (32%). The Cronbach's alpha was high (0.88). The Norwegian SCI-FCS is highly reliable for wheelchair users with chronic spinal cord injuries.

  10. Influences on the Test-Retest Reliability of Functional Connectivity MRI and its Relationship with Behavioral Utility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noble, Stephanie; Spann, Marisa N; Tokoglu, Fuyuze; Shen, Xilin; Constable, R Todd; Scheinost, Dustin

    2017-11-01

    Best practices are currently being developed for the acquisition and processing of resting-state magnetic resonance imaging data used to estimate brain functional organization-or "functional connectivity." Standards have been proposed based on test-retest reliability, but open questions remain. These include how amount of data per subject influences whole-brain reliability, the influence of increasing runs versus sessions, the spatial distribution of reliability, the reliability of multivariate methods, and, crucially, how reliability maps onto prediction of behavior. We collected a dataset of 12 extensively sampled individuals (144 min data each across 2 identically configured scanners) to assess test-retest reliability of whole-brain connectivity within the generalizability theory framework. We used Human Connectome Project data to replicate these analyses and relate reliability to behavioral prediction. Overall, the historical 5-min scan produced poor reliability averaged across connections. Increasing the number of sessions was more beneficial than increasing runs. Reliability was lowest for subcortical connections and highest for within-network cortical connections. Multivariate reliability was greater than univariate. Finally, reliability could not be used to improve prediction; these findings are among the first to underscore this distinction for functional connectivity. A comprehensive understanding of test-retest reliability, including its limitations, supports the development of best practices in the field. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  11. Temporal Stability of Strength-Based Assessments: Test-Retest Reliability of Student and Teacher Reports

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romer, Natalie; Merrell, Kenneth W.

    2013-01-01

    This study focused on evaluating the temporal stability of self-reported and teacher-reported perceptions of students' social and emotional skills and assets. We used a test-retest reliability procedure over repeated administrations of the child, adolescent, and teacher versions of the "Social-Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales".…

  12. Test-retest reliability and construct validity of the ENERGY-child questionnaire on energy balance-related behaviours and their potential determinants: the ENERGY-project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singh Amika S

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Insight in children's energy balance-related behaviours (EBRBs and their determinants is important to inform obesity prevention research. Therefore, reliable and valid tools to measure these variables in large-scale population research are needed. Objective To examine the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the child questionnaire used in the ENERGY-project, measuring EBRBs and their potential determinants among 10-12 year old children. Methods We collected data among 10-12 year old children (n = 730 in the test-retest reliability study; n = 96 in the construct validity study in six European countries, i.e. Belgium, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC and percentage agreement comparing scores from two measurements, administered one week apart. To assess construct validity, the agreement between questionnaire responses and a subsequent face-to-face interview was assessed using ICC and percentage agreement. Results Of the 150 questionnaire items, 115 (77% showed good to excellent test-retest reliability as indicated by ICCs > .60 or percentage agreement ≥ 75%. Test-retest reliability was moderate for 34 items (23% and poor for one item. Construct validity appeared to be good to excellent for 70 (47% of the 150 items, as indicated by ICCs > .60 or percentage agreement ≥ 75%. From the other 80 items, construct validity was moderate for 39 (26% and poor for 41 items (27%. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that the ENERGY-child questionnaire, assessing EBRBs of the child as well as personal, family, and school-environmental determinants related to these EBRBs, has good test-retest reliability and moderate to good construct validity for the large majority of items.

  13. Test-retest reliability and construct validity of the ENERGY-child questionnaire on energy balance-related behaviours and their potential determinants: the ENERGY-project

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Insight in children's energy balance-related behaviours (EBRBs) and their determinants is important to inform obesity prevention research. Therefore, reliable and valid tools to measure these variables in large-scale population research are needed. Objective To examine the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the child questionnaire used in the ENERGY-project, measuring EBRBs and their potential determinants among 10-12 year old children. Methods We collected data among 10-12 year old children (n = 730 in the test-retest reliability study; n = 96 in the construct validity study) in six European countries, i.e. Belgium, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and percentage agreement comparing scores from two measurements, administered one week apart. To assess construct validity, the agreement between questionnaire responses and a subsequent face-to-face interview was assessed using ICC and percentage agreement. Results Of the 150 questionnaire items, 115 (77%) showed good to excellent test-retest reliability as indicated by ICCs > .60 or percentage agreement ≥ 75%. Test-retest reliability was moderate for 34 items (23%) and poor for one item. Construct validity appeared to be good to excellent for 70 (47%) of the 150 items, as indicated by ICCs > .60 or percentage agreement ≥ 75%. From the other 80 items, construct validity was moderate for 39 (26%) and poor for 41 items (27%). Conclusions Our results demonstrate that the ENERGY-child questionnaire, assessing EBRBs of the child as well as personal, family, and school-environmental determinants related to these EBRBs, has good test-retest reliability and moderate to good construct validity for the large majority of items. PMID:22152048

  14. Rationale and design of REACT: a randomised controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of home-collection to increase chlamydia retesting and detect repeat positive tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Kirsty S; Hocking, Jane S; Chen, Marcus; Fairley, Christopher K; McNulty, Anna; Read, Phillip; Bradshaw, Catriona S; Tabrizi, Sepehr N; Wand, Handan; Saville, Marion; Rawlinson, William; Garland, Suzanne M; Donovan, Basil; Kaldor, John M; Guy, Rebecca

    2014-04-24

    Repeat infection with Chlamydia trachomatis is common and increases the risk of sequelae in women and HIV seroconversion in men who have sex with men (MSM). Despite guidelines recommending chlamydia retesting three months after treatment, retesting rates are low. We are conducting the first randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of home collection combined with short message service (SMS) reminders on chlamydia retesting and reinfection rates in three risk groups. The REACT (retest after Chlamydia trachomatis) trial involves 600 patients diagnosed with chlamydia: 200 MSM, 200 women and 200 heterosexual men recruited from two Australian sexual health clinics where SMS reminders for retesting are routine practice. Participants will be randomised to the home group (3-month SMS reminder and home-collection) or the clinic group (3-month SMS reminder to return to the clinic). Participants in the home group will be given the choice of attending the clinic if they prefer. The mailed home-collection kit includes a self-collected vaginal swab (women), UriSWAB (Copan) for urine collection (heterosexual men), and UriSWAB plus rectal swab (MSM). The primary outcome is the retest rate at 1-4 months after a chlamydia diagnosis, and the secondary outcomes are: the repeat positive test rate; the reinfection rate; the acceptability of home testing with SMS reminders; and the cost effectiveness of home testing. Sexual behaviour data collected via an online survey at 4-5 months, and genotyping of repeat infections, will be used to discriminate reinfections from treatment failures. The trial will be conducted over two years. An intention to treat analysis will be conducted. This study will provide evidence about the effectiveness of home-collection combined with SMS reminders on chlamydia retesting, repeat infection and reinfection rates in three risk groups. The trial will determine client acceptability and cost effectiveness of this strategy. Australian and New

  15. 'Nuisance Dust' - a Case for Recalibration?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Datson, Hugh; Marker, Brian

    2013-04-01

    This paper considers the case for a review and recalibration of limit values and acceptability criteria for 'nuisance dust', a widely encountered but poorly defined and regulated aspect of particulate matter pollution. Specific dust fractions such as PM10 and asbestiforms are well characterised and have limit values enshrined in legislation. National, and international, limit values for acceptable concentrations of PM10 and other fractions of particulate matter have been defined and agreed. In the United Kingdom (UK), these apply to both public and workplace exposures. By contrast, there is no standard definition or universal criteria against which acceptable levels for 'nuisance dust' can be assessed. This has implications for land-use planning and resource utilisation. Without meaningful limit values, inappropriate development might take place too near to residential dwellings or land containing economically important mineral resources may be effectively sterilised. Furthermore, the expression 'nuisance dust' is unhelpful in that 'nuisance' has a specific meaning in environmental law whilst 'nuisance dust' is often taken to mean 'generally visible particulate matter'. As such, it is associated with the social and broader environmental impacts of particulate matter. PM10 concentrations are usually expressed as a mass concentration over time. These can be determined using a range of techniques. While results from different instruments are generally comparable, data obtained from alternative methods for measuring 'nuisance dust' are rarely interchangeable. In the UK, many of the methods typically used are derived from approaches developed under the HMIP (Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution) regime in the 1960s onwards. Typical methods for 'nuisance dust' sampling focus on measurement of dust mass (from the weight of dust collected in an open container over time) or dust soiling (from loss of reflectance and or obscuration of a surface discoloured by dust over

  16. Test-Retest Reliability of Handgrip Strength as an Outcome Measure in Patients With Symptoms of Shoulder Impingement Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savva, Christos; Mougiaris, Paraskevas; Xadjimichael, Christoforos; Karagiannis, Christos; Efstathiou, Michalis

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of test-retest reliability of grip strength measurement using a hand dynamometer in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. A total of 19 patients (10 women and 9 men; mean ± standard deviation age, 33.2 ± 12.9 years; range 18-59 years) with shoulder impingement syndrome were measured using a hand dynamometer by the same data collector in 2 different testing sessions with a 7-day interval. During each session, patients were encouraged to exert 3 maximal isometric contractions on the affected hand and the mean value of the 3 efforts (measured in kilogram-force [Kgf]) was used for data analysis. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC 2,1 ) as well as the standard error of measurement (SEM) and Bland-Altman plot were used to estimate the degree of test-retest reliability and the measurement error, respectively. Grip strength data analysis revealed an ICC 2,1 score of 0.94, which, based on the Shrout classification, is considered as excellent test-retest reliability of grip strength measurement. The small values of SEMs reported in both sessions (SEM 1 , 2.55 Kgf; SEM 2 , 2.39 Kgf) and the small width of the 95% limits of agreement in the Bland-Altman plot (ranging from -7.39 Kgf to 7.03 Kgf) reflected the measurement precision and the narrow variation of the differences during the 2 testing sessions. Results from this study identified excellent test-retest reliability of grip strength measurement in shoulder impingement syndrome, indicating its potential use as an outcome measure in clinical practice. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Learning effect and test-retest variability of pulsar perimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvetat, Maria Letizia; Zeppieri, Marco; Parisi, Lucia; Johnson, Chris A; Sampaolesi, Roberto; Brusini, Paolo

    2013-03-01

    To assess Pulsar Perimetry learning effect and test-retest variability (TRV) in normal (NORM), ocular hypertension (OHT), glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON), and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) eyes. This multicenter prospective study included 43 NORM, 38 OHT, 33 GON, and 36 POAG patients. All patients underwent standard automated perimetry and Pulsar Contrast Perimetry using white stimuli modulated in phase and counterphase at 30 Hz (CP-T30W test). The learning effect and TRV for Pulsar Perimetry were assessed for 3 consecutive visual fields (VFs). The learning effect were evaluated by comparing results from the first session with the other 2. TRV was assessed by calculating the mean of the differences (in absolute value) between retests for each combination of single tests. TRV was calculated for Mean Sensitivity, Mean Defect, and single Mean Sensitivity for each 66 test locations. Influence of age, VF eccentricity, and loss severity on TRV were assessed using linear regression analysis and analysis of variance. The learning effect was not significant in any group (analysis of variance, P>0.05). TRV for Mean Sensitivity and Mean Defect was significantly lower in NORM and OHT (0.6 ± 0.5 spatial resolution contrast units) than in GON and POAG (0.9 ± 0.5 and 1.0 ± 0.8 spatial resolution contrast units, respectively) (Kruskal-Wallis test, P=0.04); however, the differences in NORM among age groups was not significant (Kruskal-Wallis test, P>0.05). Slight significant differences were found for the single Mean Sensitivity TRV among single locations (Duncan test, PPulsar Perimetry CP-T30W test did not show significant learning effect in patients with standard automated perimetry experience. TRV for global indices was generally low, and was not related to patient age; it was only slightly affected by VF defect eccentricity, and significantly influenced by VF loss severity.

  18. Establishing survey validity and reliability for American Indians through "think aloud" and test-retest methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauge, Cindy Horst; Jacobs-Knight, Jacque; Jensen, Jamie L; Burgess, Katherine M; Puumala, Susan E; Wilton, Georgiana; Hanson, Jessica D

    2015-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to use a mixed-methods approach to determine the validity and reliability of measurements used within an alcohol-exposed pregnancy prevention program for American Indian women. To develop validity, content experts provided input into the survey measures, and a "think aloud" methodology was conducted with 23 American Indian women. After revising the measurements based on this input, a test-retest was conducted with 79 American Indian women who were randomized to complete either the original measurements or the new, modified measurements. The test-retest revealed that some of the questions performed better for the modified version, whereas others appeared to be more reliable for the original version. The mixed-methods approach was a useful methodology for gathering feedback on survey measurements from American Indian participants and in indicating specific survey questions that needed to be modified for this population. © The Author(s) 2015.

  19. Test of cure, retesting and extragenital testing practices for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae among general practitioners in different socioeconomic status areas: A retrospective cohort study, 2011-2016

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Liere, Geneviève A. F. S.; Cals, Jochen W. L.; Dukers-Muijrers, Nicole H. T. M.

    2018-01-01

    Background For Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), a test of cure (TOC) within 3–5 weeks is not recommended. International guidelines differ in advising a Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) TOC. Retesting CT and NG positives within 3–12 months is recommended in international guidelines. We assessed TOC and retesting practices including extragenital testing in general practitioner (GP) practices located in different socioeconomic status (SES) areas to inform and optimize local test practices. Methods Laboratory data of 48 Dutch GP practices between January 2011 and July 2016 were used. Based on a patient’s first positive CT or NG test, the proportion of TOC (TOC and 24% had a retest at the GP practice. GP practices in low SES areas were more likely to perform a CT TOC (OR:1.8;95%CI:1.1–3.1). Younger patients (TOC (OR:1.6;95%CI:1.0–2.4). For CT (n = 622), 2.4% had a TOC and 6.1% had a retest at another STI care provider. For NG (n = 73), 25% had a TOC and 15% had a retest at the GP practice. For NG (n = 73), 2.7% had a TOC and 12.3% had a retest at another STI care provider. In only 0.3% of the consultations patients were tested on extragenital sites. Conclusion Almost 20% of the patients returned for a CT TOC, especially at GP practices in low SES areas. For NG, 1 out of 4 patients returned for a TOC. Retesting rates were low for both CT (24%) and NG (15%), (re)infections including extragenital infections may be missed. Efforts are required to focus TOC and increase retesting practices of GPs in order to improve CT/NG control. PMID:29538469

  20. Test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change of two simplified 3-point balance measures in patients with stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yi-Miau; Huang, Yi-Jing; Huang, Chien-Yu; Lin, Gong-Hong; Liaw, Lih-Jiun; Lee, Shih-Chieh; Hsieh, Ching-Lin

    2017-10-01

    The 3-point Berg Balance Scale (BBS-3P) and 3-point Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke Patients (PASS-3P) were simplified from the BBS and PASS to overcome the complex scoring systems. The BBS-3P and PASS-3P were more feasible in busy clinical practice and showed similarly sound validity and responsiveness to the original measures. However, the reliability of the BBS-3P and PASS-3P is unknown limiting their utility and the interpretability of scores. We aimed to examine the test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) of the BBS-3P and PASS-3P in patients with stroke. Cross-sectional study. The rehabilitation departments of a medical center and a community hospital. A total of 51 chronic stroke patients (64.7% male). Both balance measures were administered twice 7 days apart. The test-retest reliability of both the BBS-3P and PASS-3P were examined by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The MDC and its percentage over the total score (MDC%) of each measure was calculated for examining the random measurement errors. The ICC values of the BBS-3P and PASS-3P were 0.99 and 0.97, respectively. The MDC% (MDC) of the BBS-3P and PASS-3P were 9.1% (5.1 points) and 8.4% (3.0 points), respectively, indicating that both measures had small and acceptable random measurement errors. Our results showed that both the BBS-3P and the PASS-3P had good test-retest reliability, with small and acceptable random measurement error. These two simplified 3-level balance measures can provide reliable results over time. Our findings support the repeated administration of the BBS-3P and PASS-3P to monitor the balance of patients with stroke. The MDC values can help clinicians and researchers interpret the change scores more precisely.

  1. Using personality item characteristics to predict single-item reliability, retest reliability, and self-other agreement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Vries, Reinout Everhard; Realo, Anu; Allik, Jüri

    2016-01-01

    The use of reliability estimates is increasingly scrutinized as scholars become more aware that test–retest stability and self–other agreement provide a better approximation of the theoretical and practical usefulness of an instrument than its internal reliability. In this study, we investigate item

  2. Validity and test–retest reliability of the Persian version of the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmadpanah, Mohammad; Sheikhbabaei, Meisam; Haghighi, Mohammad; Roham, Fatemeh; Jahangard, Leila; Akhondi, Amineh; Sadeghi Bahmani, Dena; Bajoghli, Hafez; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Brand, Serge

    2016-01-01

    Background and aims The Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) is an expert’s rating tool to assess the severity and symptoms of depression. The aim of the present two studies was to validate the Persian version of the MADRS and determine its test–retest reliability in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorders (MDD). Methods In study 1, the translated MADRS and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) were applied to 210 patients diagnosed with MDD and 100 healthy adults. In study 2, 200 patients diagnosed with MDD were assessed with the MADRS in face-to-face interviews. Thereafter, 100 patients were assessed 3–14 days later, again via face-to-face-interviews, while the other 100 patients were assessed 3–14 days later via a telephone interview. Results Study 1: The MADRS and HDRS scores between patients with MDD and healthy controls differed significantly. Agreement between scoring of the MADRS and HDRS was high (r=0.95). Study 2: The intraclass correlation coefficient (test–retest reliability) was r=0.944 for the face-to-face interviews, and r=0.959 for the telephone interviews. Conclusion The present data suggest that the Persian MADRS has high validity and excellent test–retest reliability over a time interval of 3–14 days, irrespective of whether the second assessment was carried out face-to-face or via a telephone interview. PMID:27022265

  3. Recalibration of the limiting antigen avidity EIA to determine mean duration of recent infection in divergent HIV-1 subtypes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yen T Duong

    Full Text Available Mean duration of recent infection (MDRI and misclassification of long-term HIV-1 infections, as proportion false recent (PFR, are critical parameters for laboratory-based assays for estimating HIV-1 incidence. Recent review of the data by us and others indicated that MDRI of LAg-Avidity EIA estimated previously required recalibration. We present here results of recalibration efforts using >250 seroconversion panels and multiple statistical methods to ensure accuracy and consensus.A total of 2737 longitudinal specimens collected from 259 seroconverting individuals infected with diverse HIV-1 subtypes were tested with the LAg-Avidity EIA as previously described. Data were analyzed for determination of MDRI at ODn cutoffs of 1.0 to 2.0 using 7 statistical approaches and sub-analyzed by HIV-1 subtypes. In addition, 3740 specimens from individuals with infection >1 year, including 488 from patients with AIDS, were tested for PFR at varying cutoffs.Using different statistical methods, MDRI values ranged from 88-94 days at cutoff ODn = 1.0 to 177-183 days at ODn = 2.0. The MDRI values were similar by different methods suggesting coherence of different approaches. Testing for misclassification among long-term infections indicated that overall PFRs were 0.6% to 2.5% at increasing cutoffs of 1.0 to 2.0, respectively. Balancing the need for a longer MDRI and smaller PFR (<2.0% suggests that a cutoff ODn = 1.5, corresponding to an MDRI of 130 days should be used for cross-sectional application. The MDRI varied among subtypes from 109 days (subtype A&D to 152 days (subtype C.Based on the new data and revised analysis, we recommend an ODn cutoff = 1.5 to classify recent and long-term infections, corresponding to an MDRI of 130 days (118-142. Determination of revised parameters for estimation of HIV-1 incidence should facilitate application of the LAg-Avidity EIA for worldwide use.

  4. Recalibration of the limiting antigen avidity EIA to determine mean duration of recent infection in divergent HIV-1 subtypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duong, Yen T; Kassanjee, Reshma; Welte, Alex; Morgan, Meade; De, Anindya; Dobbs, Trudy; Rottinghaus, Erin; Nkengasong, John; Curlin, Marcel E; Kittinunvorakoon, Chonticha; Raengsakulrach, Boonyos; Martin, Michael; Choopanya, Kachit; Vanichseni, Suphak; Jiang, Yan; Qiu, Maofeng; Yu, Haiying; Hao, Yan; Shah, Neha; Le, Linh-Vi; Kim, Andrea A; Nguyen, Tuan Anh; Ampofo, William; Parekh, Bharat S

    2015-01-01

    Mean duration of recent infection (MDRI) and misclassification of long-term HIV-1 infections, as proportion false recent (PFR), are critical parameters for laboratory-based assays for estimating HIV-1 incidence. Recent review of the data by us and others indicated that MDRI of LAg-Avidity EIA estimated previously required recalibration. We present here results of recalibration efforts using >250 seroconversion panels and multiple statistical methods to ensure accuracy and consensus. A total of 2737 longitudinal specimens collected from 259 seroconverting individuals infected with diverse HIV-1 subtypes were tested with the LAg-Avidity EIA as previously described. Data were analyzed for determination of MDRI at ODn cutoffs of 1.0 to 2.0 using 7 statistical approaches and sub-analyzed by HIV-1 subtypes. In addition, 3740 specimens from individuals with infection >1 year, including 488 from patients with AIDS, were tested for PFR at varying cutoffs. Using different statistical methods, MDRI values ranged from 88-94 days at cutoff ODn = 1.0 to 177-183 days at ODn = 2.0. The MDRI values were similar by different methods suggesting coherence of different approaches. Testing for misclassification among long-term infections indicated that overall PFRs were 0.6% to 2.5% at increasing cutoffs of 1.0 to 2.0, respectively. Balancing the need for a longer MDRI and smaller PFR (<2.0%) suggests that a cutoff ODn = 1.5, corresponding to an MDRI of 130 days should be used for cross-sectional application. The MDRI varied among subtypes from 109 days (subtype A&D) to 152 days (subtype C). Based on the new data and revised analysis, we recommend an ODn cutoff = 1.5 to classify recent and long-term infections, corresponding to an MDRI of 130 days (118-142). Determination of revised parameters for estimation of HIV-1 incidence should facilitate application of the LAg-Avidity EIA for worldwide use.

  5. Adjusting the Danish industrial relations system after Laval

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Refslund, Bjarke

    2015-01-01

    Adjusting the Danish IR-system after Laval: Re-calibration rather than erosion Following some significant rulings that later became known as the Laval-quartet from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) many analyses have been concerned with the future implications for the highly regulated Nordic...

  6. It is all me: the effect of viewpoint on visual-vestibular recalibration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schomaker, Judith; Tesch, Joachim; Bülthoff, Heinrich H; Bresciani, Jean-Pierre

    2011-09-01

    Participants performed a visual-vestibular motor recalibration task in virtual reality. The task consisted of keeping the extended arm and hand stable in space during a whole-body rotation induced by a robotic wheelchair. Performance was first quantified in a pre-test in which no visual feedback was available during the rotation. During the subsequent adaptation phase, optical flow resulting from body rotation was provided. This visual feedback was manipulated to create the illusion of a smaller rotational movement than actually occurred, hereby altering the visual-vestibular mapping. The effects of the adaptation phase on hand stabilization performance were measured during a post-test that was identical to the pre-test. Three different groups of subjects were exposed to different perspectives on the visual scene, i.e., first-person, top view, or mirror view. Sensorimotor adaptation occurred for all three viewpoint conditions, performance in the post-test session showing a marked under-compensation relative to the pre-test performance. In other words, all viewpoints gave rise to a remapping between vestibular input and the motor output required to stabilize the arm. Furthermore, the first-person and mirror view adaptation induced a significant decrease in variability of the stabilization performance. Such variability reduction was not observed for the top view adaptation. These results suggest that even if all three viewpoints can evoke substantial adaptation aftereffects, the more naturalistic first-person view and the richer mirror view should be preferred when reducing motor variability constitutes an important issue.

  7. Test-retest reliability of the 40 Hz EEG auditory steady-state response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristina L McFadden

    Full Text Available Auditory evoked steady-state responses are increasingly being used as a marker of brain function and dysfunction in various neuropsychiatric disorders, but research investigating the test-retest reliability of this response is lacking. The purpose of this study was to assess the consistency of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR across sessions. Furthermore, the current study aimed to investigate how the reliability of the ASSR is impacted by stimulus parameters and analysis method employed. The consistency of this response across two sessions spaced approximately 1 week apart was measured in nineteen healthy adults using electroencephalography (EEG. The ASSR was entrained by both 40 Hz amplitude-modulated white noise and click train stimuli. Correlations between sessions were assessed with two separate analytical techniques: a channel-level analysis across the whole-head array and b signal-space projection from auditory dipoles. Overall, the ASSR was significantly correlated between sessions 1 and 2 (p<0.05, multiple comparison corrected, suggesting adequate test-retest reliability of this response. The current study also suggests that measures of inter-trial phase coherence may be more reliable between sessions than measures of evoked power. Results were similar between the two analysis methods, but reliability varied depending on the presented stimulus, with click train stimuli producing more consistent responses than white noise stimuli.

  8. Test-retest reliability and validity of the Sniffin' TOM odor memory test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Croy, Ilona; Zehner, Cora; Larsson, Maria; Zucco, Gesualdo M; Hummel, Thomas

    2015-03-01

    Few attempts have been made to develop an olfactory test that captures episodic retention of olfactory information. Assessment of episodic odor memory is of particular interest in aging and in the cognitively impaired as both episodic memory deficits and olfactory loss have been targeted as reliable hallmarks of cognitive decline and impending dementia. Here, 96 healthy participants (18-92 years) and an additional 19 older people with mild cognitive impairment were tested (73-82 years). Participants were presented with 8 common odors with intentional encoding instructions that were followed by a yes-no recognition test. After recognition completion, participants were asked to identify all odors by means of free or cued identification. A retest of the odor memory test (Sniffin' TOM = test of odor memory) took place 17 days later. The results revealed satisfactory test-retest reliability (0.70) of odor recognition memory. Both recognition and identification performance were negatively affected by age and more pronounced among the cognitively impaired. In conclusion, the present work presents a reliable, valid, and simple test of episodic odor recognition memory that may be used in clinical groups where both episodic memory deficits and olfactory loss are prevalent preclinically such as Alzheimer's disease. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Test-retest and between-site reliability in a multicenter fMRI study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Lee; Stern, Hal; Brown, Gregory G; Mathalon, Daniel H; Turner, Jessica; Glover, Gary H; Gollub, Randy L; Lauriello, John; Lim, Kelvin O; Cannon, Tyrone; Greve, Douglas N; Bockholt, Henry Jeremy; Belger, Aysenil; Mueller, Bryon; Doty, Michael J; He, Jianchun; Wells, William; Smyth, Padhraic; Pieper, Steve; Kim, Seyoung; Kubicki, Marek; Vangel, Mark; Potkin, Steven G

    2008-08-01

    In the present report, estimates of test-retest and between-site reliability of fMRI assessments were produced in the context of a multicenter fMRI reliability study (FBIRN Phase 1, www.nbirn.net). Five subjects were scanned on 10 MRI scanners on two occasions. The fMRI task was a simple block design sensorimotor task. The impulse response functions to the stimulation block were derived using an FIR-deconvolution analysis with FMRISTAT. Six functionally-derived ROIs covering the visual, auditory and motor cortices, created from a prior analysis, were used. Two dependent variables were compared: percent signal change and contrast-to-noise-ratio. Reliability was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficients derived from a variance components analysis. Test-retest reliability was high, but initially, between-site reliability was low, indicating a strong contribution from site and site-by-subject variance. However, a number of factors that can markedly improve between-site reliability were uncovered, including increasing the size of the ROIs, adjusting for smoothness differences, and inclusion of additional runs. By employing multiple steps, between-site reliability for 3T scanners was increased by 123%. Dropping one site at a time and assessing reliability can be a useful method of assessing the sensitivity of the results to particular sites. These findings should provide guidance toothers on the best practices for future multicenter studies.

  10. Test-retest reliability of the proposed DSM-5 eating disorder diagnostic criteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sysko, Robyn; Roberto, Christina A.; Barnes, Rachel D.; Grilo, Carlos M.; Attia, Evelyn; Walsh, B. Timothy

    2012-01-01

    The proposed DSM-5 classification scheme for eating disorders includes both major and minor changes to the existing DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. It is not known what effect these modifications will have on the ability to make reliable diagnoses. Two studies were conducted to evaluate the short-term test-retest reliability of the proposed DSM-5 eating disorder diagnoses: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and feeding and eating conditions not elsewhere classified. Participants completed two independent telephone interviews with research assessors (n=70 Study 1; n=55 Study 2). Fair to substantial agreements (κ= 0.80 and 0.54) were observed across eating disorder diagnoses in Study 1 and Study 2, respectively. Acceptable rates of agreement were identified for the individual eating disorder diagnoses, including DSM-5 anorexia nervosa (κ’s of 0.81 to 0.97), bulimia nervosa (κ=0.84), binge eating disorder (κ’s of 0.75 and 0.61), and feeding and eating disorders not elsewhere classified (κ’s of 0.70 and 0.46). Further, improved short-term test-retest reliability was noted when using the DSM-5, in comparison to DSM-IV, criteria for binge eating disorder. Thus, these studies found that trained interviewers can reliably diagnose eating disorders using the proposed DSM-5 criteria; however, additional data from general practice settings and community samples are needed. PMID:22401974

  11. Assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms in women by a self-administered questionnaire: test-retest reliability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bernstein, Inge Thomsen; Sejr, T; Able, I

    1996-01-01

    A self-administered questionnaire assessing female lower urinary tract symptoms and their impact on quality of life is described and validated, on 56 females in six participating departments. The patients answered two identical questionnaires on separate occasions before treatment. Test-retest re...

  12. Comparison of airtightness retesting results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1989-01-01

    Polyethylene vapour barrier and airtight drywall are two methods used by the building industry to reduce air leakage in residential homes. Concern has been expressed that polyethylene air/vapour barriers degrade over time. This concern has led various agencies to test and retest homes for air leakage. This report is the compilation of the data collected as a result of that testing. Raw data were collected on 145 homes from various sources. Data were screened and the tests of homes were omitted from the analysis if the fan tests were done on the same house by different firms, if the construction of the house was not sufficiently complete, or if the initial air change rate per hour (ACH) was greater than 3. With these omissions from the database, 90 homes remained to be analyzed. The 90 homes were separated into two groups, those with an initial ACH less than 1.5 and those with an initial ACH between 1.5 and 3.0. The data were recorded in two tables which included the ACH, the time in months, the percentage change, and the difference in change between the first test and each subsequent test. These data indicate a relatively minor average change in airtightness. Keeping in mind the quantity of data collected the time period examined, there is no indication that significant problems exist that would necessitate a change to the current building practice. 2 figs., 5 tabs.

  13. Test-retest reliability of trunk motor variability measured by large-array surface electromyography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abboud, Jacques; Nougarou, François; Loranger, Michel; Descarreaux, Martin

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the trunk muscle activity distribution in asymptomatic participants during muscle fatigue using large-array surface electromyography (EMG). Trunk muscle activity distribution was evaluated twice, with 3 to 4 days between them, in 27 asymptomatic volunteers using large-array surface EMG. Motor variability, assessed with 2 different variables (the centroid coordinates of the root mean square map and the dispersion variable), was evaluated during a low back muscle fatigue task. Test-retest reliability of muscle activity distribution was obtained using Pearson correlation coefficients. A shift in the distribution of EMG amplitude toward the lateral-caudal region of the lumbar erector spinae induced by muscle fatigue was observed. Moderate to very strong correlations were found between both sessions in the last 3 phases of the fatigue task for both motor variability variables, whereas weak to moderate correlations were found in the first phases of the fatigue task only for the dispersion variable. These findings show that, in asymptomatic participants, patterns of EMG activity are less reliable in initial stages of muscle fatigue, whereas later stages are characterized by highly reliable patterns of EMG activity. Copyright © 2015 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. A Test-Retest Analysis of the Vanderbilt Assessment for Leadership in Education in the USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minor, Elizabeth Covay; Porter, Andrew C.; Murphy, Joseph; Goldring, Ellen; Elliott, Stephen N.

    2017-01-01

    The Vanderbilt Assessment for Leadership in Education (VAL-ED) is a 360-degree learning-centered behaviors principal evaluation tool that includes ratings from the principal, supervisors, and teachers. The current study assesses the test-retest reliability of the VAL-ED for a sample of seven school districts as part of multiple validity and…

  15. Test-retest reliability and construct validity of the Helplessness, Hopelessness, and Haplessness Scale in patients with anxiety disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vatan, Sevginar; Ertaş, Sedar; Lester, David

    2011-04-01

    In a sample of 100 Turkish psychiatric patients with diagnoses of anxiety disorders, Lester's Helplessness, Hopelessness, and Haplessness inventory had moderate estimates of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity.

  16. Interna konzistencija i retest pouzdanost hrvatske inačice PAQ-C upitnika

    OpenAIRE

    Podnar, Hrvoje; Kunješić, Mateja; Radman, Ivan

    2017-01-01

    The aim of the study was to determine internal consistency and retest reliability of the Croatian version of PAQ-C on a sample of 6-10 years old children and to report physical activity levels of elementary school pupils. The same set of questions was administered to the pupils on two different occasions, three weeks apart. Both testing rounds for 8-10 years old pupils were conducted at school in the presence of an experienced researcher. In contrast, the 6-8 years old pupils took the questio...

  17. The Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities : test-retest reliability and comparison with an accelerometer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Ploeg, Hidde P; Streppel, Kitty R M; van der Beek, Allard J; van der Woude, Luc H V; Vollenbroek-Hutten, Miriam; van Mechelen, Willem; van der Woude, Lucas

    BACKGROUND: The objective was to determine the test-retest reliability and criterion validity of the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities (PASIPD). METHODS: Forty-five non-wheelchair dependent subjects were recruited from three Dutch rehabilitation centers. Subjects'

  18. Construct Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of the Walking Questionnaire in People With a Lower Limb Amputation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Laat, Fred A.; Rommers, Gerardus M.; Geertzen, Jan H.; Roorda, Leo D.

    Objective: To investigate the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the Walking Questionnaire, a patient-reported measure of activity limitations in walking in people with a lower limb amputation. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Outpatient department of a rehabilitation center.

  19. Test-retest reliability of an interactive voice response (IVR) version of the EORTC QLQ-C30

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lundy, J.J.; Coons, S.J.; Aaronson, N.K.

    2015-01-01

    Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the test-retest reliability of an interactive voice response (IVR) version of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30. Methods: A convenience sample of outpatient cancer clinic patients (n = 127) was asked to

  20. Brain GABA Detection in vivo with the J-editing 1H MRS Technique: A Comprehensive Methodological Evaluation of Sensitivity Enhancement, Macromolecule Contamination and Test-Retest Reliability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shungu, Dikoma C.; Mao, Xiangling; Gonzales, Robyn; Soones, Tacara N.; Dyke, Jonathan P.; van der Veen, Jan Willem; Kegeles, Lawrence S.

    2016-01-01

    Abnormalities in brain γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) have been implicated in various neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. However, in vivo GABA detection by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) presents significant challenges arising from low brain concentration, overlap by much stronger resonances, and contamination by mobile macromolecule (MM) signals. This study addresses these impediments to reliable brain GABA detection with the J-editing difference technique on a 3T MR system in healthy human subjects by (a) assessing the sensitivity gains attainable with an 8-channel phased-array head coil, (b) determining the magnitude and anatomic variation of the contamination of GABA by MM, and (c) estimating the test-retest reliability of measuring GABA with this method. Sensitivity gains and test-retest reliability were examined in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), while MM levels were compared across three cortical regions: the DLPFC, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and the occipital cortex (OCC). A 3-fold higher GABA detection sensitivity was attained with the 8-channel head coil compared to the standard single-channel head coil in DLPFC. Despite significant anatomic variation in GABA+MM and MM across the three brain regions (p GABA+MM was relatively stable across the three voxels, ranging from 41% to 49%, a non-significant regional variation (p = 0.58). The test-retest reliability of GABA measurement, expressed either as ratios to voxel tissue water (W) or total creatine, was found to be very high for both the single-channel coil and the 8-channel phased-array coil. For the 8-channel coil, for example, Pearson’s correlation coefficient of test vs. retest for GABA/W was 0.98 (R2 = 0.96, p = 0.0007), the percent coefficient of variation (CV) was 1.25%, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.98. Similar reliability was also found for the co-edited resonance of combined glutamate and glutamine (Glx) for both coils. PMID

  1. Laterality judgments in people with low back pain--A cross-sectional observational and test-retest reliability study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linder, Martin; Michaelson, Peter; Röijezon, Ulrik

    2016-02-01

    Disruption of cortical representation, or body schema, has been indicated as a factor in the persistence and recurrence of low back pain (LBP). This has been observed through impaired laterality judgment ability and it has been suggested that this ability is affected in a spatial rather than anatomical manner. We compared laterality judgment performance of foot and trunk movements between people with LBP with or without leg pain and healthy controls, and investigated associations between test performance and pain. We also assessed the test-retest reliability of the Recognise Online™ software when used in a clinical and a home setting. Cross-sectional observational and test-retest study. Thirty individuals with LBP and 30 healthy controls performed judgment tests of foot and trunk laterality once supervised in a clinic and twice at home. No statistically significant group differences were found. LBP intensity was negatively related to trunk laterality accuracy (p = 0.019). Intraclass correlation values ranged from 0.51 to 0.91. Reaction time improved significantly between test occasions while accuracy did not. Laterality judgments were not impaired in subjects with LBP compared to controls. Further research may clarify the relationship between pain mechanisms in LBP and laterality judgment ability. Reliability values were mostly acceptable, with wide and low confidence intervals, suggesting test-retest reliability for Recognise Online™ could be questioned in this trial. A significant learning effect was observed which should be considered in clinical and research application of the test. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Re-test reliability of gustatory testing and introduction of the sensitive Taste-Drop-Test

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fjaeldstad, A; Niklassen, A; Fernandes, H

    2018-01-01

    . Testing gustatory function can be important for diagnostics and assessment of treatment effects. However, the gustatory tests applied are required to be both sensitive and reliable.In this study, we investigate the re-test validity of popular Taste Strips gustatory test for gustatory screening....... Furthermore, we introduce a new sensitive Taste-Drop-Test, which was found to be superior for detecting a more accurate measure of tastant sensitivity....

  3. Test-retest reliability and comparability of paper and computer questionnaires for the Finnish version of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koho, P; Aho, S; Kautiainen, H; Pohjolainen, T; Hurri, H

    2014-12-01

    To estimate the internal consistency, test-retest reliability and comparability of paper and computer versions of the Finnish version of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-FIN) among patients with chronic pain. In addition, patients' personal experiences of completing both versions of the TSK-FIN and preferences between these two methods of data collection were studied. Test-retest reliability study. Paper and computer versions of the TSK-FIN were completed twice on two consecutive days. The sample comprised 94 consecutive patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain participating in a pain management or individual rehabilitation programme. The group rehabilitation design consisted of physical and functional exercises, evaluation of the social situation, psychological assessment of pain-related stress factors, and personal pain management training in order to regain overall function and mitigate the inconvenience of pain and fear-avoidance behaviour. The mean TSK-FIN score was 37.1 [standard deviation (SD) 8.1] for the computer version and 35.3 (SD 7.9) for the paper version. The mean difference between the two versions was 1.9 (95% confidence interval 0.8 to 2.9). Test-retest reliability was 0.89 for the paper version and 0.88 for the computer version. Internal consistency was considered to be good for both versions. The intraclass correlation coefficient for comparability was 0.77 (95% confidence interval 0.66 to 0.85), indicating substantial reliability between the two methods. Both versions of the TSK-FIN demonstrated substantial intertest reliability, good test-retest reliability, good internal consistency and acceptable limits of agreement, suggesting their suitability for clinical use. However, subjects tended to score higher when using the computer version. As such, in an ideal situation, data should be collected in a similar manner throughout the course of rehabilitation or clinical research. Copyright © 2014 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published

  4. Recalibration of the M {sub BH}– σ {sub ⋆} Relation for AGN

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batiste, Merida; Bentz, Misty C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, 25 Park Place, Atlanta, GA 30303 (United States); Raimundo, Sandra I.; Vestergaard, Marianne [Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø (Denmark); Onken, Christopher A., E-mail: batiste@astro.gsu.edu [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2611 (Australia)

    2017-03-20

    We present a recalibration of the M {sub BH}– σ {sub ⋆} relation, based on a sample of 16 reverberation-mapped galaxies with newly determined bulge stellar velocity dispersions ( σ {sub ⋆}) from integral-field spectroscopy (IFS), and a sample of 32 quiescent galaxies with publicly available IFS. For both samples, σ {sub ⋆} is determined via two different methods that are popular in the literature, and we provide fits for each sample based on both sets of σ {sub ⋆}. We find the fit to the active galactic nucleus sample is shallower than the fit to the quiescent galaxy sample, and that the slopes for each sample are in agreement with previous investigations. However, the intercepts to the quiescent galaxy relations are notably higher than those found in previous studies, due to the systematically lower σ {sub ⋆} measurements that we obtain from IFS. We find that this may be driven, in part, by poorly constrained measurements of bulge effective radius ( r{sub e}) for the quiescent galaxy sample, which may bias the σ {sub ⋆} measurements low. We use these quiescent galaxy parameterizations, as well as one from the literature, to recalculate the virial scaling factor f . We assess the potential biases in each measurement, and suggest f = 4.82 ± 1.67 as the best currently available estimate. However, we caution that the details of how σ {sub ⋆} is measured can significantly affect f , and there is still much room for improvement.

  5. Test-retest studies of cerebral glucose metabolism using fluorine-18 deoxyglucose: validation of method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brooks, R.A.; Di Chiro, G.; Zukerberg, B.W.; Bairamian, D.; Larson, S.M.

    1987-01-01

    In studies using [ 18 F]deoxyglucose (FDG), one often wants to compare metabolic rates following stimulation (drug or motor-sensory) with the baseline values. However, because of reproducibility problems with baseline variations of 25% in the same individual not uncommon, the global effect of the stimulation may be difficult to see. One approach to this problem is to perform the two studies sequentially. This means that, with the 110-min half-life of 18 F, one must take into account the residual activity from the first study when calculating metabolic rates for the second. We performed TEST-RETEST baseline studies on four subjects, with a 1-hr interval between injections. These studies were done without stimulation, in order to validate the repeatability of the method. To reduce the amount of residual activity from the first study, the first injection was only 2 mCi in three cases, and only 1 mCi in one case, out of a total injected dose of 5 mCi. A correction for residual activity was included in the RETEST calculation of metabolic rate. The results showed a global metabolic shift between the two studies of 2% to 9%. An error analysis shows that the shift could be further reduced if anatomically comparable scans are done at comparable postinjection times

  6. Test-retest reliability of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaires (FAQLQ) for children, adolescents and adults

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Velde, Jantina L.; Flokstra-de Blok, Bertine M. J.; Vlieg - Boerstra, Berber J.; Oude Elberink, Joanne N. G.; Schouten, Jan P.; DunnGalvin, Audrey; Hourihane, Jonathan O'B; Duiverman, Eric J.; Dubois, Anthony E. J.

    The self-administered Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Child Form (FAQLQ-CF), -Teenager Form (FAQLQ-TF) and -Adult Form (FAQLQ-AF) were recently developed within EuroPrevall, a multi-centred study of food allergy in Europe. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the test-retest

  7. Test-retest reliability of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaires (FAQLQ) for children, adolescents and adults

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Velde, Jantina L.; Flokstra-de Blok, Bertine M. J.; Vlieg-Boerstra, Berber J.; Oude Elberink, Joanne N. G.; Schouten, Jan P.; DunnGalvin, Audrey; Hourihane, Jonathan O.'B.; Duiverman, Eric J.; Dubois, Anthony E. J.

    2009-01-01

    The self-administered Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Child Form (FAQLQ-CF), -Teenager Form (FAQLQ-TF) and -Adult Form (FAQLQ-AF) were recently developed within EuroPrevall, a multi-centred study of food allergy in Europe. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the test-retest

  8. The eye-complaint questionnaire in a visual display unit work environment: Internal consistency and test-retest reliability

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Steenstra, Ivan A.; Sluiter, Judith K.; Frings-Dresen, Monique H. W.

    2009-01-01

    The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of a 10-item eye-complaint questionnaire (ECQ) were examined within a sample of office workers. Repeated within-subjects measures were performed within a single day and over intervals of 1 and 7 d. Questionnaires were completed by 96 workers (70%

  9. Test-Retest Reliability of the Parent Behavior Importance Questionnaire-Revised and the Parent Behavior Frequency Questionnaire-Revised

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mowder, Barbara A.; Shamah, Renee

    2011-01-01

    This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of two parenting measures: the Parent Behavior Importance Questionnaire-Revised (PBIQ-R) and Parent Behavior Frequency Questionnaire-Revised (PBFQ-R). These self-report parenting behavior assessment measures may be utilized as pre- and post-parent education program measures, with parents as well as…

  10. Test-retest repeatability of child's respiratory symptoms and perceived indoor air quality - comparing self- and parent-administered questionnaires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lampi, Jussi; Ung-Lanki, Sari; Santalahti, Päivi; Pekkanen, Juha

    2018-02-09

    Questionnaires can be used to assess perceived indoor air quality and symptoms in schools. Questionnaires for primary school aged children have traditionally been parent-administered, but self-administered questionnaires would be easier to administer and may yield as good, if not better, information. Our aim was to compare the repeatability of self- and parent-administered indoor air questionnaires designed for primary school aged pupils. Indoor air questionnaire with questions on child's symptoms and perceived indoor air quality in schools was sent to parents of pupils aged 7-12 years in two schools and again after two weeks. Slightly modified version of the questionnaire was administered to pupils aged 9-12 years in another two schools and repeated after a week. 351 (52%) parents and 319 pupils (86%) answered both the first and the second questionnaire. Test-retest repeatability was assessed with intra-class correlation (ICC) and Cohen's kappa coefficients (k). Test-retest repeatability was generally between 0.4-0.7 (ICC; k) in both self- and parent-administered questionnaire. In majority of the questions on symptoms and perceived indoor air quality test-retest repeatability was at the same level or slightly better in self-administered compared to parent-administered questionnaire. Agreement of self- and parent administered questionnaires was generally indoor air quality. Children aged 9-12 years can give as, or even more, repeatable information about their respiratory symptoms and perceived indoor air quality than their parents. Therefore, it may be possible to use self-administered questionnaires in future studies also with children.

  11. Stability of person ability measures in people with acquired brain injury in the use of everyday technology: the test-retest reliability of the Management of Everyday Technology Assessment (META).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malinowsky, Camilla; Kassberg, Ann-Charlotte; Larsson-Lund, Maria; Kottorp, Anders

    2016-01-01

    To evaluate the test-retest reliability of the Management of Everyday Technology Assessment (META) in a sample of people with acquired brain injury (ABI). The META was administered twice within a two-week period to 25 people with ABI. A Rasch measurement model was used to convert the META ordinal raw scores into equal-interval linear measures of each participant's ability to manage everyday technology (ET). Test-retest reliability of the stability of the person ability measures in the META was examined by a standardized difference Z-test and an intra-class correlations analysis (ICC 1). The results showed that the paired person ability measures generated from the META were stable over the test-retest period for 22 of the 25 subjects. The ICC 1 correlation was 0.63, which indicates good overall reliability. The META demonstrated acceptable test-retest reliability in a sample of people with ABI. The results illustrate the importance of using sufficiently challenging ETs (relative to a person's abilities) to generate stable META measurements over time. Implications for Rehabilitation The findings add evidence regarding the test-retest reliability of the person ability measures generated from the observation assessment META in a sample of people with ABI. The META might support professionals in the evaluation of interventions that are designed to improve clients' performance of activities including the ability to manage ET.

  12. Reliability of the Swedish version of the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (S-ESES): a test-retest study in adults with neurological disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahlström, Isabell; Hellström, Karin; Emtner, Margareta; Anens, Elisabeth

    2015-03-01

    To examine the test-retest reliability of the Swedish translated version of the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (S-ESES) in people with neurological disease and to examine internal consistency. Test-retest study. A total of 30 adults with neurological diseases including: Parkinson's disease; Multiple Sclerosis; Cervical Dystonia; and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. The S-ESES was sent twice by surface mail. Completion interval mean was 16 days apart. Weighted kappa, intraclass correlation coefficient 2,1 [ICC (2,1)], standard error of measurement (SEM), also expressed as a percentage value (SEM%), and Cronbach's alpha were calculated. The relative reliability of the test-retest results showed substantial agreement measured using weighted kappa (MD = 0.62) and a very high-reliability ICC (2,1) (0.92). Absolute reliability measured using SEM was 5.3 and SEM% was 20.7. Excellent internal consistency was shown, with an alpha coefficient of 0.91 (test 1) and 0.93 (test 2). The S-ESES is recommended for use in research and in clinical work for people with neurological diseases. The low-absolute reliability, however, indicates a limited ability to measure changes on an individual level.

  13. Interobserver and test-retest reproducibility of T1ρ and T2 mesurements of lumber intervertebral discs by 3t magnetic resonance imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoo, Yeon Hwa; Yoon, Choon Sik; Eun, Na Lae; Kim, Sung Jin; Chung, Tae Sub [Dept. of Radiology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Moon Jung [GE Health Care, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yoo, Hanna [Biostatistics Collaboration Lab, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Peter, Robert D. [GE Health Care, Milwaukee (United States); Lee, Young Han; Suh, Jin Suck [Dept. of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-11-15

    To investigate the interobserver and test-retest reproducibility of T1ρ and T2 measurements of lumbar intervertebral discs using 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study included a total of 51 volunteers (female, 26; male, 25; mean age, 54 ± 16.3 years) who underwent lumbar spine MRI with a 3.0 T scanner. Amongst these subjects, 40 underwent repeat T1ρ and T2 measurement acquisitions with identical image protocol. Two observers independently performed the region of interest measurements in the nuclei pulposi of the discs from L1-2 through L5-S1 levels. Statistical analysis was performed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with a two-way random model of absolute agreement. Comparison of the ICC values was done after acquisition of ICC values using Z test. Statistical significance was defined as p value < 0.05. The ICCs of interobserver reproducibility were 0.951 and 0.672 for T1ρ and T2 mapping, respectively. The ICCs of test-retest reproducibility (40 subjects) for T1ρ and T2 measurements were 0.922 and 0.617 for observer A and 0.914 and 0.628 for observer B, respectively. In the comparison of the aforementioned ICCs, ICCs of interobserver and test-retest reproducibility for T1ρ mapping were significantly higher than T2 mapping (p < 0.001). The interobserver and test-retest reproducibility of T1ρ mapping were significantly higher than those of T2 mapping for the quantitative assessment of nuclei pulposi of lumbar intervertebral discs.

  14. Improving biobank consent comprehension: a national randomized survey to assess the effect of a simplified form and review/retest intervention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beskow, Laura M.; Lin, Li; Dombeck, Carrie B.; Gao, Emily; Weinfurt, Kevin P.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the individual and combined effects of a simplified form and a review/retest intervention on biobanking consent comprehension. Methods: We conducted a national online survey in which participants were randomized within four educational strata to review a simplified or traditional consent form. Participants then completed a comprehension quiz; for each item answered incorrectly, they reviewed the corresponding consent form section and answered another quiz item on that topic. Results: Consistent with our first hypothesis, comprehension among those who received the simplified form was not inferior to that among those who received the traditional form. Contrary to expectations, receipt of the simplified form did not result in significantly better comprehension compared with the traditional form among those in the lowest educational group. The review/retest procedure significantly improved quiz scores in every combination of consent form and education level. Although improved, comprehension remained a challenge in the lowest-education group. Higher quiz scores were significantly associated with willingness to participate. Conclusion: Ensuring consent comprehension remains a challenge, but simplified forms have virtues independent of their impact on understanding. A review/retest intervention may have a significant effect, but assessing comprehension raises complex questions about setting thresholds for understanding and consequences of not meeting them. Genet Med advance online publication 13 October 2016 PMID:27735922

  15. Temporal stability of preferences and willingness to pay for natural areas in choice experiments: A test-retest

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schaafsma, M.; Brouwer, R.; Liekens, I.; de Nocker, L.

    2014-01-01

    The main objective of this paper is to test the temporal stability of stated preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) values from a Choice Experiment (CE) in a test-retest. The same group of participants was asked the same choice tasks in an internet-based CE, conducted twice with a time interval of

  16. Test-retest reliability of Antonovsky's 13-item sense of coherence scale in patients with hand-related disorders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Alice Ørts; Kristensen, Hanne Kaae; Cederlund, Ragnhild

    2017-01-01

    to be a powerful tool to measure the ICF component personal factors, which could have an impact on patients' rehabilitation outcomes. Implications for rehabilitation Antonovsky's SOC-13 scale showed test-retest reliability for patients with hand-related disorders. The SOC-13 scale could be a suitable tool to help...... measure personal factors....

  17. Recalibration of the Mars Science Laboratory ChemCam instrument with an expanded geochemical database

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clegg, Samuel M.; Wiens, Roger C.; Anderson, Ryan; Forni, Olivier; Frydenvang, Jens; Lasue, Jeremie; Cousin, Agnes; Payre, Valerie; Boucher, Tommy; Dyar, M. Darby; McLennan, Scott M.; Morris, Richard V.; Graff, Trevor G.; Mertzman, Stanley A; Ehlmann, Bethany L.; Belgacem, Ines; Newsom, Horton E.; Clark, Ben C.; Melikechi, Noureddine; Mezzacappa, Alissa; McInroy, Rhonda E.; Martinez, Ronald; Gasda, Patrick J.; Gasnault, Olivier; Maurice, Sylvestre

    2017-01-01

    The ChemCam Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has obtained > 300,000 spectra of rock and soil analysis targets since landing at Gale Crater in 2012, and the spectra represent perhaps the largest publicly-available LIBS datasets. The compositions of the major elements, reported as oxides (SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, FeOT, MgO, CaO, Na2O, K2O), have been re-calibrated using a laboratory LIBS instrument, Mars-like atmospheric conditions, and a much larger set of standards (408) that span a wider compositional range than previously employed. The new calibration uses a combination of partial least squares (PLS1) and Independent Component Analysis (ICA) algorithms, together with a calibration transfer matrix to minimize differences between the conditions under which the standards were analyzed in the laboratory and the conditions on Mars. While the previous model provided good results in the compositional range near the average Mars surface composition, the new model fits the extreme compositions far better. Examples are given for plagioclase feldspars, where silicon was significantly over-estimated by the previous model, and for calcium-sulfate veins, where silicon compositions near zero were inaccurate. The uncertainties of major element abundances are described as a function of the abundances, and are overall significantly lower than the previous model, enabling important new geochemical interpretations of the data.

  18. Test-retest Reliability and Agreement of the Satisfaction with the Assistive Technology Services (SATS) Instrument in Two Nordic Countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sund, Terje; Anttila, Heidi; Iwarsson, Susanne

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate test–retest reliability, agreement, internal consistency, and floor- and ceiling effects of the Danish and Finnish versions of the Satisfaction with the Assistive Technology Services (SATS) instrument among adult users of powered wheelchairs (...

  19. Test–retest repeatability of quantitative cardiac 11C-meta-hydroxyephedrine measurements in rats by small animal positron emission tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thackeray, James T.; Renaud, Jennifer M.; Kordos, Myra; Klein, Ran; Kemp, Robert A. de; Beanlands, Rob S.B.; DaSilva, Jean N.

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: The norepinephrine analogue 11 C-meta-hydroxyephedrine (HED) has been used to interrogate sympathetic neuronal reuptake in cardiovascular disease. Application for longitudinal studies in small animal models of disease necessitates an understanding of test–retest variability. This study evaluated the repeatability of multiple quantitative cardiac measurements of HED retention and washout and the pharmacological response to reuptake blockade and enhanced norepinephrine levels. Methods: Small animal PET images were acquired over 60 min following HED administration to healthy male Sprague Dawley rats. Paired test and retest scans were undertaken in individual animals over 7 days. Additional HED scans were conducted following administration of norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor desipramine or continuous infusion of exogenous norepinephrine. HED retention was quantified by retention index, standardized uptake value (SUV), monoexponential and one-compartment washout. Plasma and cardiac norepinephrine were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Results: Test retest variability was lower for retention index (15% ± 12%) and SUV (19% ± 15%) as compared to monoexponential washout rates (21% ± 13%). Desipramine pretreatment reduced myocardial HED retention index by 69% and SUV by 85%. Chase treatment with desipramine increased monoexponential HED washout by 197% compared to untreated controls. Norepinephrine infusion dose-dependently reduced HED accumulation, reflected by both retention index and SUV, with a corresponding increase in monoexponential washout. Plasma and cardiac norepinephrine levels correlated with HED quantitative measurements. Conclusion: The repeatability of HED retention index, SUV, and monoexponential washout supports its suitability for longitudinal PET studies in rats. Uptake and washout of HED are sensitive to acute increases in norepinephrine concentration

  20. Test-retest reliability of the diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder in childhood and adolescence - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salamon, Sarah; Santelmann, Hanno; Franklin, Jeremy; Baethge, Christopher

    2018-04-01

    Reliability of schizoaffective disorder (SAD) diagnoses is low in adults but unclear in children and adolescents (CAD). We estimate the test-retest reliability of SAD and its key differential diagnoses (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and unipolar depression). Systematic literature search of Medline, Embase, and PsycInfo for studies on test-retest reliability of SAD, in CAD. Cohen's kappa was extracted from studies. We performed meta-analysis for kappa, including subgroup and sensitivity analysis (PROSPERO protocol: CRD42013006713). Out of > 4000 records screened, seven studies were included. We estimated kappa values of 0.27 [95%-CI: 0.07 0.47] for SAD, 0.56 [0.29; 0.83] for schizophrenia, 0.64 [0.55; 0.74] for bipolar disorder, and 0.66 [0.52; 0.81] for unipolar depression. In 5/7 studies kappa of SAD was lower than that of schizophrenia; similar trends emerged for bipolar disorder (4/5) and unipolar depression (2/3). Estimates of positive agreement of SAD diagnoses supported these results. The number of studies and patients included is low. The point-estimate of the test-retest reliability of schizoaffective disorder is only fair, and lower than that of its main differential diagnoses. All kappa values under study were lower in children and adolescents samples than those reported for adults. Clinically, schizoaffective disorder should be diagnosed in strict adherence to the operationalized criteria and ought to be re-evaluated regularly. Should larger studies confirm the insufficient reliability of schizoaffective disorder in children and adolescents, the clinical value of the diagnosis is highly doubtful. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  1. Test-retest reliability of knee extensor rate of velocity and power development in older adults using the isotonic mode on a Biodex System 3 dynamometer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Driessche, Stijn; Van Roie, Evelien; Vanwanseele, Benedicte; Delecluse, Christophe

    2018-01-01

    Isotonic testing and measures of rapid power production are emerging as functionally relevant test methods for detection of muscle aging. Our objective was to assess reliability of rapid velocity and power measures in older adults using the isotonic mode of an isokinetic dynamometer. Sixty-three participants (aged 65 to 82 years) underwent a test-retest protocol with one week time interval. Isotonic knee extension tests were performed at four different loads: 0%, 25%, 50% and 75% of maximal isometric strength. Peak velocity (pV) and power (pP) were determined as the highest values of the velocity and power curve. Rate of velocity (RVD) and power development (RPD) were calculated as the linear slopes of the velocity- and power-time curve. Relative and absolute measures of test-retest reliability were analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM) and Bland-Altman analyses. Overall, reliability was high for pV, pP, RVD and RPD at 0%, 25% and 50% load (ICC: .85 - .98, SEM: 3% - 10%). A trend for increased reliability at lower loads seemed apparent. The tests at 75% load led to range of motion failure and should be avoided. In addition, results demonstrated that caution is advised when interpreting early phase results (first 50ms). To conclude, our results support the use of the isotonic mode of an isokinetic dynamometer for testing rapid power and velocity characteristics in older adults, which is of high clinical relevance given that these muscle characteristics are emerging as the primary outcomes for preventive and rehabilitative interventions in aging research.

  2. Work-related measures of physical and behavioral health function: Test-retest reliability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marino, Molly Elizabeth; Meterko, Mark; Marfeo, Elizabeth E; McDonough, Christine M; Jette, Alan M; Ni, Pengsheng; Bogusz, Kara; Rasch, Elizabeth K; Brandt, Diane E; Chan, Leighton

    2015-10-01

    The Work Disability Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB), developed for potential use by the US Social Security Administration to assess work-related function, currently consists of five multi-item scales assessing physical function and four multi-item scales assessing behavioral health function; the WD-FAB scales are administered as Computerized Adaptive Tests (CATs). The goal of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the WD-FAB Physical Function and Behavioral Health CATs. We administered the WD-FAB scales twice, 7-10 days apart, to a sample of 376 working age adults and 316 adults with work-disability. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to measure the consistency of the scores between the two administrations. Standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC90) were also calculated to measure the scales precision and sensitivity. For the Physical Function CAT scales, the ICCs ranged from 0.76 to 0.89 in the working age adult sample, and 0.77-0.86 in the sample of adults with work-disability. ICCs for the Behavioral Health CAT scales ranged from 0.66 to 0.70 in the working age adult sample, and 0.77-0.80 in the adults with work-disability. The SEM ranged from 3.25 to 4.55 for the Physical Function scales and 5.27-6.97 for the Behavioral Health function scales. For all scales in both samples, the MDC90 ranged from 7.58 to 16.27. Both the Physical Function and Behavioral Health CATs of the WD-FAB demonstrated good test-retest reliability in adults with work-disability and general adult samples, a critical requirement for assessing work related functioning in disability applicants and in other contexts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Test-retest reliability of a handheld dynamometer for measurement of isometric cervical muscle strength.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vannebo, Katrine Tranaas; Iversen, Vegard Moe; Fimland, Marius Steiro; Mork, Paul Jarle

    2018-03-02

    There is a lack of test-retest reliability studies of measurements of cervical muscle strength, taking into account gender and possible learning effects. To investigate test-retest reliability of measurement of maximal isometric cervical muscle strength by handheld dynamometry. Thirty women (age 20-58 years) and 28 men (age 20-60 years) participated in the study. Maximal isometric strength (neck flexion, neck extension, and right/left lateral flexion) was measured on three separate days at least five days apart by one evaluator. Intra-rater consistency tended to improve from day 1-2 measurements to day 2-3 measurements in both women and men. In women, the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) for day 2 to day 3 measurements were 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82-0.95) for neck flexion, 0.88 (95% CI, 0.76-0.94) for neck extension, 0.84 (95% CI, 0.68-0.92) for right lateral flexion, and 0.89 (95% CI, 0.78-0.95) for left lateral flexion. The corresponding ICCs among men were 0.86 (95% CI, 0.72-0.93) for neck flexion, 0.93 (95% CI, 0.85-0.97) for neck extension, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.65-0.91) for right lateral flexion and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.50-0.87) for left lateral flexion. This study describes a reliable and easy-to-administer test for assessing maximal isometric cervical muscle strength.

  4. Test-Retest Reliability and Practice Effects of the Stability Evaluation Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Richelle M; Corvo, Matthew A; Lam, Kenneth C; Williams, Travis A; Gilmer, Lesley K; McLeod, Tamara C Valovich

    2017-01-17

    Postural control plays an essential role in concussion evaluation. The Stability Evaluation Test (SET) aims to objectively analyze postural control by measuring sway velocity on the NeuroCom's VSR portable force platform (Natus, San Carlos, CA). To assess the test-retest reliability and practice effects of the SET protocol. Cohort. Research Laboratory. Fifty healthy adults (males=20, females=30, age=25.30±3.60 years, height=166.60±12.80 cm, mass=68.80±13.90 kg). All participants completed four trials of the SET. Each trial consisted of six 20-second balance tests with eyes closed, under the following conditions: double-leg firm (DFi), single-leg firm (SFi), tandem firm (TFi), double-leg foam (DFo), single-leg foam (SFo), and tandem foam (TFo). Each trial was separated by a 5-minute seated rest period. The dependent variable was sway velocity (deg/sec), with lower values indicating better balance. Sway velocity was recorded for each of the six conditions as well as a composite score for each trial. Test-retest reliability was analyzed across four trials with Intraclass Correlation Coefficients. Practice effects analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance, followed by Tukey post-hoc comparisons for any significant main effects (preliability values were good to excellent: DFi (ICC=0.88;95%CI:0.81,0.92), SFi (ICC=0.75;95%CI:0.61,0.85), TFi (ICC=0.84;95%CI:0.75,0.90), DFo (ICC=0.83;95%CI:0.74,0.90), SFo (ICC=0.82;95%CI:0.72,0.89), TFo (ICC=0.81;95%CI:0.69,0.88), and composite score (ICC=0.93;95%CI:0.88,0.95). Significant practice effects (preliability for the assessment of postural control in healthy adults. Due to the practice effects noted, a familiarization session is recommended (i.e., all 6 conditions) prior to recording the data. Future studies should evaluate injured patients to determine meaningful change scores during various injuries.

  5. Test-Retest Reliability of fMRI During Nonverbal Semantic Decisions in Moderate-Severe Nonfluent Aphasia Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacquie Kurland

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Cortical reorganization in poststroke aphasia is not well understood. Few studies have investigated neural mechanisms underlying language recovery in severe aphasia patients, who are typically viewed as having a poor prognosis for language recovery. Although test-retest reliability is routinely demonstrated during collection of language data in single-subject aphasia research, this is rarely examined in fMRI studies investigating the underlying neural mechanisms in aphasia recovery.

  6. Test-retest reliability and factor structures of organizational citizenship behavior for Hong Kong workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, S S

    2001-02-01

    In 1990 Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Moorman, and Fetter developed a scale to measure the five dimensions of organizational citizenship behavior. Test-retest data over 15 weeks are reported for this scale for a sample of 82 female and 32 male Chinese tellers (ages 18 to 54 years) from a large international bank in Hong Kong. Stability was .83, and there was no significant change between Times 1 and 2. Analysis indicated the five-factor structure and showed it to be a reliable measure when used with a nonwestern sample.

  7. Test-retest reliability of the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher (CLES + T) scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gustafsson, Margareta; Blomberg, Karin; Holmefur, Marie

    2015-07-01

    The Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher (CLES + T) scale evaluates the student nurses' perception of the learning environment and supervision within the clinical placement. It has never been tested in a replication study. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the CLES + T scale. The CLES + T scale was administered twice to a group of 42 student nurses, with a one-week interval. Test-retest reliability was determined by calculations of Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) and weighted Kappa coefficients. Standard Error of Measurements (SEM) and Smallest Detectable Difference (SDD) determined the precision of individual scores. Bland-Altman plots were created for analyses of systematic differences between the test occasions. The results of the study showed that the stability over time was good to excellent (ICC 0.88-0.96) in the sub-dimensions "Supervisory relationship", "Pedagogical atmosphere on the ward" and "Role of the nurse teacher". Measurements of "Premises of nursing on the ward" and "Leadership style of the manager" had lower but still acceptable stability (ICC 0.70-0.75). No systematic differences occurred between the test occasions. This study supports the usefulness of the CLES + T scale as a reliable measure of the student nurses' perception of the learning environment within the clinical placement at a hospital. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Isokinetic Strength and Endurance Tests used Pre- and Post-Spaceflight: Test-Retest Reliability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laughlin, Mitzi S.; Lee, Stuart M. C.; Loehr, James A.; Amonette, William E.

    2009-01-01

    To assess changes in muscular strength and endurance after microgravity exposure, NASA measures isokinetic strength and endurance across multiple sessions before and after long-duration space flight. Accurate interpretation of pre- and post-flight measures depends upon the reliability of each measure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the NASA International Space Station (ISS) isokinetic protocol. Twenty-four healthy subjects (12 M/12 F, 32.0 +/- 5.6 years) volunteered to participate. Isokinetic knee, ankle, and trunk flexion and extension strength as well as endurance of the knee flexors and extensors were measured using a Cybex NORM isokinetic dynamometer. The first weekly session was considered a familiarization session. Data were collected and analyzed for weeks 2-4. Repeated measures analysis of variance (alpha=0.05) was used to identify weekly differences in isokinetic measures. Test-retest reliability was evaluated by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) (3,1). No significant differences were found between weeks in any of the strength measures and the reliability of the strength measures were all considered excellent (ICC greater than 0.9), except for concentric ankle dorsi-flexion (ICC=0.67). Although a significant difference was noted in weekly endurance measures of knee extension (p less than 0.01), the reliability of endurance measure by week were considered excellent for knee flexion (ICC=0.97) and knee extension (ICC=0.96). Except for concentric ankle dorsi-flexion, the isokinetic strength and endurance measures are highly reliable when following the NASA ISS protocol. This protocol should allow accurate interpretation isokinetic data even with a small number of crew members.

  9. Test-retest reliability and construct validity of the DOiT (Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers) questionnaire: measuring energy balance-related behaviours in Dutch adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janssen, Evelien H C; Singh, Amika S; van Nassau, Femke; Brug, Johannes; van Mechelen, Willem; Chinapaw, Mai J M

    2014-02-01

    Adequate assessment of energy balance-related behaviours in adolescents is essential to develop and evaluate effective obesity prevention programmes. The present study examined the test-retest reliability and construct validity of a questionnaire assessing energy balance-related behaviours in adolescents during the evaluation of the DOiT (Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers) intervention. To assess test-retest reliability, adolescents filled in the questionnaire twice (n 111). To assess construct validity, the results from the first test were compared with data collected in a personal cognitive interview (n 20, independent from the reliability study). For both reliability and validity, intraclass correlation coefficients for continuous data or Cohen's kappa coefficients for categorical data were calculated as well as percentage agreement. Data were collected during school time from February to May 2010. Study participants were Dutch adolescents aged 12-14 years attending pre-vocational secondary schools. In more than three-quarters of the ninety-five questionnaire items the test-retest reliability appeared to be good to excellent. Moderate reliability was found for all other twenty-one items. Fifty-one items (of ninety-five items) showed good to excellent construct validity. Construct validity appeared moderate in twenty-three items and poor in twenty-one items. Most items with poor construct validity concerned consumption of sugar-containing beverages and high-energy snacks/sweets. Our study showed good test-retest reliability and largely moderate to good construct validity for the majority of items of the DOiT questionnaire. Items with poor construct validity (most of them found for items concerning energy intake-related behaviours) should be revised and tested again to improve the questionnaire for future use.

  10. Maximal cardiorespiratory fitness testing in individuals with chronic stroke with cognitive impairment: practice test effects and test-retest reliability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olivier, Charles; Doré, Jean; Blanchet, Sophie; Brooks, Dina; Richards, Carol L; Martel, Guy; Robitaille, Nancy-Michelle; Maltais, Désirée B

    2013-11-01

    To evaluate, for individuals with chronic stroke with cognitive impairment, (1) the effects of a practice test on peak cardiorespiratory fitness test results; (2) cardiorespiratory fitness test-retest reliability; and (3) the relationship between individual practice test effects and cognitive impairment. Cross-sectional. Rehabilitation center. A convenience sample of 21 persons (men [n=12] and women [n=9]; age range, 48-81y; 44.9±36.2mo poststroke) with cognitive impairments who had sufficient lower limb function to perform the test. Not applicable. Peak oxygen consumption (Vo(2)peak, ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)). Test-retest reliability of Vo(2)peak was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient model 2,1 [ICC2,1]=.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], .86-.98). A paired t test showed that there was no significant difference for the group for Vo(2)peak obtained from 2 symptom-limited cardiorespiratory fitness tests performed 1 week apart on a semirecumbent cycle ergometer (test 2-test 1 difference, -.32ml·kg(-1)·min(-1); 95% CI, -.69 to 1.33ml·kg(-1)·min(-1); P=.512). Individual test-retest differences in Vo(2)peak were, however, positively related to general cognitive function as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (ρ=.485; Preliably measured in this group without a practice test. General cognitive function, however, may influence the effect of a practice test in that those with lower general cognitive function appear to respond differently to a practice test than those with higher cognitive function. Copyright © 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. The importance of retesting the hearing screening as an indicator of the real early hearing disorder

    OpenAIRE

    Silva,Daniela Polo Camargo da; Lopez,Priscila Suman; Ribeiro,Georgea Espíndola; Luna,Marcos Otávio de Mesquita; Lyra,João César; Montovani,Jair Cortez

    2015-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Early diagnosis of hearing loss minimizes its impact on child development. We studied factors that influence the effectiveness of screening programs.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between gender, weight at birth, gestational age, risk factors for hearing loss, venue for newborn hearing screening and "pass" and "fail" results in the retest.METHODS: Prospective cohort study was carried out in a tertiary referral hospital. The screening was performed in 565 newborns thr...

  12. Inter-Rater and Test-Retest (Between-Sessions) Reliability of the 4-Skills Scan for Dutch Elementary School Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Kernebeek, Willem G.; de Schipper, Antoine W.; Savelsbergh, Geert J. P.; Toussaint, Huub M.

    2018-01-01

    In The Netherlands, the 4-Skills Scan is an instrument for physical education teachers to assess gross motor skills of elementary school children. Little is known about its reliability. Therefore, in this study the test-retest and inter-rater reliability was determined. Respectively, 624 and 557 Dutch 6- to 12-year-old children were analyzed for…

  13. Morpho-Functional 1H-MRI of the Lung in COPD: Short-Term Test-Retest Reliability.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bertram J Jobst

    Full Text Available Non-invasive end-points for interventional trials and tailored treatment regimes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD for monitoring regionally different manifestations of lung disease instead of global assessment of lung function with spirometry would be valuable. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (1H-MRI allows for a radiation-free assessment of regional structure and function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term reproducibility of a comprehensive morpho-functional lung MRI protocol in COPD.20 prospectively enrolled COPD patients (GOLD I-IV underwent 1H-MRI of the lung at 1.5T on two consecutive days, including sequences for morphology, 4D contrast-enhanced perfusion, and respiratory mechanics. Image quality and COPD-related morphological and functional changes were evaluated in consensus by three chest radiologists using a dedicated MRI-based visual scoring system. Test-retest reliability was calculated per each individual lung lobe for the extent of large airway (bronchiectasis, wall thickening, mucus plugging and small airway abnormalities (tree in bud, peripheral bronchiectasis, mucus plugging, consolidations, nodules, parenchymal defects and perfusion defects. The presence of tracheal narrowing, dystelectasis, pleural effusion, pulmonary trunk ectasia, right ventricular enlargement and, finally, motion patterns of diaphragma and chest wall were addressed.Median global scores [10(Q1:8.00;Q3:16.00 vs.11(Q1:6.00;Q3:15.00] as well as category subscores were similar between both timepoints, and kappa statistics indicated "almost perfect" global agreement (ĸ = 0.86, 95%CI = 0.81-0.91. Most subscores showed at least "substantial" agreement of MRI1 and MRI2 (ĸ = 0.64-1.00, whereas the agreement for the diagnosis of dystelectasis/effusion (ĸ = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.00-0.93 was "moderate" and of tracheal abnormalities (ĸ = 0.21, 95%CI = 0.00-0.75 "fair". Most MRI acquisitions showed at least diagnostic quality at

  14. Validity and test–retest reliability of the Persian version of the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmadpanah M

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Mohammad Ahmadpanah,1 Meisam Sheikhbabaei,1 Mohammad Haghighi,1 Fatemeh Roham,1 Leila Jahangard,1 Amineh Akhondi,2 Dena Sadeghi Bahmani,3 Hafez Bajoghli,4 Edith Holsboer-Trachsler,3 Serge Brand3,5 1Behavioral Disorders and Substances Abuse Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran; 2Hamadan Educational Organization, Ministry of Education, Hamadan, Iran; 3Center for Affective, Stress, and Sleep Disorders, Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; 4Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 5Department of Sport, Exercise and Health Science, Sport Science Section, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland Background and aims: The Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS is an expert’s rating tool to assess the severity and symptoms of depression. The aim of the present two studies was to validate the Persian version of the MADRS and determine its test–retest reliability in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorders (MDD. Methods: In study 1, the translated MADRS and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS were applied to 210 patients diagnosed with MDD and 100 healthy adults. In study 2,200 patients diagnosed with MDD were assessed with the MADRS in face-to-face interviews. Thereafter, 100 patients were assessed 3–14 days later, again via face-to-face-interviews, while the other 100 patients were assessed 3–14 days later via a telephone interview. Results: Study 1: The MADRS and HDRS scores between patients with MDD and healthy controls differed significantly. Agreement between scoring of the MADRS and HDRS was high (r=0.95. Study 2: The intraclass correlation coefficient (test–retest reliability was r=0.944 for the face-to-face interviews, and r=0.959 for the telephone interviews. Conclusion: The present data suggest that the Persian MADRS has high validity and excellent test–retest reliability over

  15. THE LICK AGN MONITORING PROJECT: RECALIBRATING SINGLE-EPOCH VIRIAL BLACK HOLE MASS ESTIMATES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Daeseong; Woo, Jong-Hak [Astronomy Program, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Treu, Tommaso; Bennert, Vardha N. [Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Barth, Aaron J.; Walsh, Jonelle [Department of Physics and Astronomy, 4129 Frederick Reines Hall, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4575 (United States); Bentz, Misty C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 30303 (United States); Canalizo, Gabriela [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521 (United States); Filippenko, Alexei V. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States); Gates, Elinor [Lick Observatory, P.O. Box 85, Mount Hamilton, CA 95140 (United States); Greene, Jenny E. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Malkan, Matthew A., E-mail: woo@astro.snu.ac.kr [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024 (United States)

    2012-03-01

    We investigate the calibration and uncertainties of black hole (BH) mass estimates based on the single-epoch (SE) method, using homogeneous and high-quality multi-epoch spectra obtained by the Lick Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) Monitoring Project for nine local Seyfert 1 galaxies with BH masses <10{sup 8} M{sub Sun }. By decomposing the spectra into their AGNs and stellar components, we study the variability of the SE H{beta} line width (full width at half-maximum intensity, FWHM{sub H{beta}} or dispersion, {sigma}{sub H{beta}}) and of the AGN continuum luminosity at 5100 A (L{sub 5100}). From the distribution of the 'virial products' ({proportional_to} FWHM{sub H{beta}}{sup 2} L{sup 0.5}{sub 5100} or {sigma}{sub H{beta}}{sup 2} L{sup 0.5}{sub 5100}) measured from SE spectra, we estimate the uncertainty due to the combined variability as {approx}0.05 dex (12%). This is subdominant with respect to the total uncertainty in SE mass estimates, which is dominated by uncertainties in the size-luminosity relation and virial coefficient, and is estimated to be {approx}0.46 dex (factor of {approx}3). By comparing the H{beta} line profile of the SE, mean, and root-mean-square (rms) spectra, we find that the H{beta} line is broader in the mean (and SE) spectra than in the rms spectra by {approx}0.1 dex (25%) for our sample with FWHM{sub H{beta}} <3000 km s{sup -1}. This result is at variance with larger mass BHs where the difference is typically found to be much less than 0.1 dex. To correct for this systematic difference of the H{beta} line profile, we introduce a line-width dependent virial factor, resulting in a recalibration of SE BH mass estimators for low-mass AGNs.

  16. Test-retest reliability of the Middlesex Assessment of Mental State (MEAMS): a preliminary investigation in people with probable dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, T; Brooker, D J; Papadopolous, A

    1993-05-01

    Relative and absolute test-retest reliability of the MEAMS was examined in 12 subjects with probable dementia and 12 matched controls. Relative reliability was good. Measures of absolute reliability showed scores changing by up to 3 points over an interval of a week. A version effect was found to be in evidence.

  17. Estimation of macular pigment optical density in the elderly: test-retest variability and effect of optical blur in pseudophakic subjects

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gallaher, Kevin T.; Mura, Marco; Todd, Wm Andrew; Harris, Tarsha L.; Kenyon, Emily; Harris, Tamara; Johnson, Karen C.; Satterfield, Suzanne; Kritchevsky, Stephen B.; Iannaccone, Alessandro

    2007-01-01

    The reproducibility of macular pigment optical density (MPOD) estimates in the elderly was assessed in 40 subjects (age: 79.1+/-3.5). Test-retest variability was good (Pearson's r coefficient: 0.734), with an average coefficient of variation (CV) of 18.4% and an intraclass correlation coefficient

  18. Test-retest reliability of a questionnaire to assess physical environmental factors pertaining to physical activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McGinn Aileen P

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the documented benefits of physical activity, many adults do not obtain the recommended amounts. Barriers to physical activity occur at multiple levels, including at the individual, interpersonal, and environmental levels. Only until more recently has there been a concerted focus on how the physical environment might affect physical activity behavior. With this new area of study, self-report measures should be psychometrically tested before use in research studies. Therefore the objective of this study was to document the test-retest reliability of a questionnaire designed to assess physical environmental factors that might be associated with physical activity in a diverse adult population. Methods Test and retest surveys were conducted over the telephone with 106 African American and White women and men living in either Forsyth County, North Carolina or Jackson, Mississippi. Reliability of self-reported environmental factors across four domains (e.g., access to facilities and destinations, functionality and safety, aesthetics, natural environment was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC overall and separately by gender and race. Results Generally items displayed moderate and sometimes substantial reliability (ICC between 0.4 to 0.8, with a few differences by gender or race, across each of the domains. Conclusion This study provides some psychometric evidence for the use of many of these questions in studies examining the effect of self-reported physical environmental measures on physical activity behaviors, among African American and White women and men.

  19. Test–Retest Reliability of Self-Reported Sexual Behavior History in Urbanized Nigerian Women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eileen O. Dareng

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundStudies assessing risk of sexual behavior and disease are often plagued by questions about the reliability of self-reported sexual behavior. In this study, we evaluated the reliability of self-reported sexual history among urbanized women in a prospective study of cervical HPV infections in Nigeria.MethodsWe examined test–retest reliability of sexual practices using questionnaires administered at study entry and at follow-up visits. We used the root mean squared approach to calculate within-person coefficient of variation (CVw and calculated the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC using two way, mixed effects models for continuous variables and (κ^ statistics for discrete variables. To evaluate the potential predictors of reliability, we used linear regression and log binomial regression models for the continuous and categorical variables, respectively.ResultsWe found that self-reported sexual history was generally reliable, with overall ICC ranging from 0.7 to 0.9; however, the reliability varied by nature of sexual behavior evaluated. Frequency reports of non-vaginal sex (agreement = 63.9%, 95% CI: 47.5–77.6% were more reliable than those of vaginal sex (agreement = 59.1%, 95% CI: 55.2–62.8%. Reports of time-invariant behaviors were also more reliable than frequency reports. The CVw for age at sexual debut was 10.7 (95% CI: 10.6–10.7 compared with the CVw for lifetime number of vaginal sex partners, which was 35.2 (95% CI: 35.1–35.3. The test–retest interval was an important predictor of reliability of responses, with longer intervals resulting in increased inconsistency (average change in unreliability for each 1 month increase = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.07–0.38, p = 0.005.ConclusionOur findings suggest that overall, the self-reported sexual history among urbanized Nigeran women is reliable.

  20. Test-Retest Reproducibility of the Microperimeter MP3 With Fundus Image Tracking in Healthy Subjects and Patients With Macular Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palkovits, Stefan; Hirnschall, Nino; Georgiev, Stefan; Leisser, Christoph; Findl, Oliver

    2018-02-01

    To evaluate the test-retest reproducibility of a novel microperimeter with fundus image tracking (MP3, Nidek Co, Japan) in healthy subjects and patients with macular disease. Ten healthy subjects and 20 patients suffering from range of macular diseases were included. After training measurements, two additional microperimetry measurements were scheduled. Test-retest reproducibility was assessed for mean retinal sensitivity, pointwise sensitivity, and deep scotoma size using the coefficient of repeatability and Bland-Altman diagrams. In addition, in a subgroup of patients microperimetry was compared with conventional perimetry. Average differences in mean retinal sensitivity between the two study measurements were 0.26 ± 1.7 dB (median 0 dB; interquartile range [IQR] -1 to 1) for the healthy and 0.36 ± 2.5 dB (median 0 dB; IQR -1 to 2) for the macular patient group. Coefficients of repeatability for mean retinal sensitivity and pointwise retinal sensitivity were 1.2 and 3.3 dB for the healthy subjects and 1.6 and 5.0 dB for the macular disease patients, respectively. Absolute agreement in deep scotoma size between both study days was found in 79.9% of the test loci. The microperimeter MP3 shows an adequate test-retest reproducibility for mean retinal sensitivity, pointwise retinal sensitivity, and deep scotoma size in healthy subjects and patients suffering from macular disease. Furthermore, reproducibility of microperimetry is higher than conventional perimetry. Reproducibility is an important measure for each diagnostic device. Especially in a clinical setting high reproducibility set the basis to achieve reliable results using the specific device. Therefore, assessment of the reproducibility is of eminent importance to interpret the findings of future studies.

  1. Inter-rater and test-retest reliability of quality assessments by novice student raters using the Jadad and Newcastle-Ottawa Scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oremus, Mark; Oremus, Carolina; Hall, Geoffrey B C; McKinnon, Margaret C

    2012-01-01

    Quality assessment of included studies is an important component of systematic reviews. The authors investigated inter-rater and test-retest reliability for quality assessments conducted by inexperienced student raters. Student raters received a training session on quality assessment using the Jadad Scale for randomised controlled trials and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for observational studies. Raters were randomly assigned into five pairs and they each independently rated the quality of 13-20 articles. These articles were drawn from a pool of 78 papers examining cognitive impairment following electroconvulsive therapy to treat major depressive disorder. The articles were randomly distributed to the raters. Two months later, each rater re-assessed the quality of half of their assigned articles. McMaster Integrative Neuroscience Discovery and Study Program. 10 students taking McMaster Integrative Neuroscience Discovery and Study Program courses. The authors measured inter-rater reliability using κ and the intraclass correlation coefficient type 2,1 or ICC(2,1). The authors measured test-retest reliability using ICC(2,1). Inter-rater reliability varied by scale question. For the six-item Jadad Scale, question-specific κs ranged from 0.13 (95% CI -0.11 to 0.37) to 0.56 (95% CI 0.29 to 0.83). The ranges were -0.14 (95% CI -0.28 to 0.00) to 0.39 (95% CI -0.02 to 0.81) for the NOS cohort and -0.20 (95% CI -0.49 to 0.09) to 1.00 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.00) for the NOS case-control. For overall scores on the six-item Jadad Scale, ICC(2,1)s for inter-rater and test-retest reliability (accounting for systematic differences between raters) were 0.32 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.52) and 0.55 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.67), respectively. Corresponding ICC(2,1)s for the NOS cohort were -0.19 (95% CI -0.67 to 0.35) and 0.62 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.83), and for the NOS case-control, the ICC(2,1)s were 0.46 (95% CI -0.13 to 0.92) and 0.83 (95% CI 0.48 to 0.95). Inter-rater reliability was generally poor

  2. Intra-Rater, Inter-Rater and Test-Retest Reliability of an Instrumented Timed Up and Go (iTUG Test in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rob C van Lummel

    Full Text Available The "Timed Up and Go" (TUG is a widely used measure of physical functioning in older people and in neurological populations, including Parkinson's Disease. When using an inertial sensor measurement system (instrumented TUG [iTUG], the individual components of the iTUG and the trunk kinematics can be measured separately, which may provide relevant additional information.The aim of this study was to determine intra-rater, inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the iTUG in patients with Parkinson's Disease.Twenty eight PD patients, aged 50 years or older, were included. For the iTUG the DynaPort Hybrid (McRoberts, The Hague, The Netherlands was worn at the lower back. The device measured acceleration and angular velocity in three directions at a rate of 100 samples/s. Patients performed the iTUG five times on two consecutive days. Repeated measurements by the same rater on the same day were used to calculate intra-rater reliability. Repeated measurements by different raters on the same day were used to calculate intra-rater and inter-rater reliability. Repeated measurements by the same rater on different days were used to calculate test-retest reliability.Nineteen ICC values (15% were ≥ 0.9 which is considered as excellent reliability. Sixty four ICC values (49% were ≥ 0.70 and < 0.90 which is considered as good reliability. Thirty one ICC values (24% were ≥ 0.50 and < 0.70, indicating moderate reliability. Sixteen ICC values (12% were ≥ 0.30 and < 0.50 indicating poor reliability. Two ICT values (2% were < 0.30 indicating very poor reliability.In conclusion, in patients with Parkinson's disease the intra-rater, inter-rater, and test-retest reliability of the individual components of the instrumented TUG (iTUG was excellent to good for total duration and for turning durations, and good to low for the sub durations and for the kinematics of the SiSt and StSi. The results of this fully automated analysis of instrumented TUG movements

  3. Test–retest reliability of Antonovsky’s 13-item sense of coherence scale in patients with handrelated disorders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Alice Ørts; Kristensen, Hanne Kaae; Cederlund, Ragnhild

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To report on the distribution and test-retest reliability of Antonovsky’s 13-item Sense of Coherence (SOC-13) Scale in patients with hand-related disorders (HRD). Links between the SOC-13 score and factors such as age, number of days between date of injury and start of rehabilitation, ge...... to be a powerful tool to measure the ICF component personal factors, which could have an impact on patients’ rehabilitation outcomes....

  4. The interrater and test-retest reliability of the Home Falls and Accidents Screening Tool (HOME FAST) in Malaysia: Using raters with a range of professional backgrounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romli, Muhammad Hibatullah; Mackenzie, Lynette; Lovarini, Meryl; Tan, Maw Pin; Clemson, Lindy

    2017-06-01

    Falls can be a devastating issue for older people living in the community, including those living in Malaysia. Health professionals and community members have a responsibility to ensure that older people have a safe home environment to reduce the risk of falls. Using a standardised screening tool is beneficial to intervene early with this group. The Home Falls and Accidents Screening Tool (HOME FAST) should be considered for this purpose; however, its use in Malaysia has not been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the interrater and test-retest reliability of the HOME FAST with multiple professionals in the Malaysian context. A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate interrater reliability where the HOME FAST was used simultaneously in the homes of older people by 2 raters and a prospective design was used to evaluate test-retest reliability with a separate group of older people at different times in their homes. Both studies took place in an urban area of Kuala Lumpur. Professionals from 9 professional backgrounds participated as raters in this study, and a group of 51 community older people were recruited for the interrater reliability study and another group of 30 for the test-retest reliability study. The overall agreement was moderate for interrater reliability and good for test-retest reliability. The HOME FAST was consistently rated by different professionals, and no bias was found among the multiple raters. The HOME FAST can be used with confidence by a variety of professionals across different settings. The HOME FAST can become a universal tool to screen for home hazards related to falls. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Can local staff reliably assess their own programs? A confirmatory test-retest study of Lot Quality Assurance Sampling data collectors in Uganda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beckworth, Colin A; Anguyo, Robert; Kyakulaga, Francis Cranmer; Lwanga, Stephen K; Valadez, Joseph J

    2016-08-17

    Data collection techniques that routinely provide health system information at the local level are in demand and needed. LQAS is intended for use by local health teams to collect data at the district and sub-district levels. Our question is whether local health staff produce biased results as they are responsible for implementing the programs they also assess. This test-retest study replicates on a larger scale an earlier LQAS reliability assessment in Uganda. We conducted in two districts an LQAS survey using 15 local health staff as data collectors. A week later, the data collectors swapped districts, where they acted as disinterested non-local data collectors, repeating the LQAS survey with the same respondents. We analysed the resulting two data sets for agreement using Cohens' Kappa. The average Kappa score for the knowledge indicators was k = 0.43 (SD = 0.16) and for practice indicators k = 0.63 (SD = 0.17). These scores show moderate agreement for knowledge indicators and substantial agreement for practice indicators. Analyses confirm that respondents were more knowledgeable on retest; no evidence of bias was found for practice indicators. The findings of this study are remarkably similar to those produced in the first reliability study. There is no evidence that using local healthcare staff to collect LQAS data biases data collection in an LQAS study. The bias observed in the knowledge indicators was most likely due to a 'practice effect', whereby respondents increased their knowledge as a result of completing the first survey; no corresponding effect was seen in the practice indicators.

  6. Blink frequency and duration during perimetry and their relationship to test-retest threshold variability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yanfang; Toor, Sonia S; Gautam, Ramesh; Henson, David B

    2011-06-28

    To describe different patterns of blinking in patients undergoing a visual field test and to establish whether the blink parameters are related to threshold variability. Thirty-nine patients with diagnosed or suspected glaucoma were recruited to undertake a perimetric task twice. Blinks were detected with a video eye-tracker system that records at a sampling rate of 60 Hz. Blink frequency, duration, and episodes of microsleep (eye closures >500 ms) were analyzed, and correlated with test-retest threshold variability. The timing of blinks with respect to stimulus presentation was analyzed and the percentage of seen stimuli for all presentations (POS(overall)) and those overlapped with blinks (POS(overlapped)) were compared. Blink frequency ranged from 0 to 58 per minute. A significant increase in blink frequency was observed in the second test (P POS(overall) and POS(overlapped) was significant (P POS(overlapped) was observed with the increase of overlap duration. A wide range of blink frequencies was observed during perimetric testing. Although no blink parameters showed significant influence on threshold variability, when the blinks overlapped with a stimulus presentation, the probability of seeing was reduced. For suprathreshold stimuli, blinks often occurred after the presentation, whereas for subthreshold presentations, there was no relationship to presentation time.

  7. Test-retest and interobserver reliability of quantitative sensory testing according to the protocol of the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain (DFNS): a multi-centre study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geber, Christian; Klein, Thomas; Azad, Shahnaz; Birklein, Frank; Gierthmühlen, Janne; Huge, Volker; Lauchart, Meike; Nitzsche, Dorothee; Stengel, Maike; Valet, Michael; Baron, Ralf; Maier, Christoph; Tölle, Thomas; Treede, Rolf-Detlef

    2011-03-01

    Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is an instrument to assess positive and negative sensory signs, helping to identify mechanisms underlying pathologic pain conditions. In this study, we evaluated the test-retest reliability (TR-R) and the interobserver reliability (IO-R) of QST in patients with sensory disturbances of different etiologies. In 4 centres, 60 patients (37 male and 23 female, 56.4±1.9years) with lesions or diseases of the somatosensory system were included. QST comprised 13 parameters including detection and pain thresholds for thermal and mechanical stimuli. QST was performed in the clinically most affected test area and a less or unaffected control area in a morning and an afternoon session on 2 consecutive days by examiner pairs (4 QSTs/patient). For both, TR-R and IO-R, there were high correlations (r=0.80-0.93) at the affected test area, except for wind-up ratio (TR-R: r=0.67; IO-R: r=0.56) and paradoxical heat sensations (TR-R: r=0.35; IO-R: r=0.44). Mean IO-R (r=0.83, 31% unexplained variance) was slightly lower than TR-R (r=0.86, 26% unexplained variance, Ptest area (TR-R: r=0.86; IO-R: r=0.83) than in the control area (TR-R: r=0.79; IO-R: r=0.71, each Preliability of QST. We conclude that standardized QST performed by trained examiners is a valuable diagnostic instrument with good test-retest and interobserver reliability within 2days. With standardized training, observer bias is much lower than random variance. Quantitative sensory testing performed by trained examiners is a valuable diagnostic instrument with good interobserver and test-retest reliability for use in patients with sensory disturbances of different etiologies to help identify mechanisms of neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain. Copyright © 2010 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Test–Retest Reproducibility of the Microperimeter MP3 With Fundus Image Tracking in Healthy Subjects and Patients With Macular Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palkovits, Stefan; Hirnschall, Nino; Georgiev, Stefan; Leisser, Christoph

    2018-01-01

    Purpose To evaluate the test–retest reproducibility of a novel microperimeter with fundus image tracking (MP3, Nidek Co, Japan) in healthy subjects and patients with macular disease. Methods Ten healthy subjects and 20 patients suffering from range of macular diseases were included. After training measurements, two additional microperimetry measurements were scheduled. Test–retest reproducibility was assessed for mean retinal sensitivity, pointwise sensitivity, and deep scotoma size using the coefficient of repeatability and Bland-Altman diagrams. In addition, in a subgroup of patients microperimetry was compared with conventional perimetry. Results Average differences in mean retinal sensitivity between the two study measurements were 0.26 ± 1.7 dB (median 0 dB; interquartile range [IQR] −1 to 1) for the healthy and 0.36 ± 2.5 dB (median 0 dB; IQR −1 to 2) for the macular patient group. Coefficients of repeatability for mean retinal sensitivity and pointwise retinal sensitivity were 1.2 and 3.3 dB for the healthy subjects and 1.6 and 5.0 dB for the macular disease patients, respectively. Absolute agreement in deep scotoma size between both study days was found in 79.9% of the test loci. Conclusion The microperimeter MP3 shows an adequate test–retest reproducibility for mean retinal sensitivity, pointwise retinal sensitivity, and deep scotoma size in healthy subjects and patients suffering from macular disease. Furthermore, reproducibility of microperimetry is higher than conventional perimetry. Translational Relevance Reproducibility is an important measure for each diagnostic device. Especially in a clinical setting high reproducibility set the basis to achieve reliable results using the specific device. Therefore, assessment of the reproducibility is of eminent importance to interpret the findings of future studies. PMID:29430338

  9. Multilevel Factor Structure, Concurrent Validity, and Test-Retest Reliability of the High School Teacher Version of the Authoritative School Climate Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Francis L.; Cornell, Dewey G.

    2016-01-01

    Although school climate has long been recognized as an important factor in the school improvement process, there are few psychometrically supported measures based on teacher perspectives. The current study replicated and extended the factor structure, concurrent validity, and test-retest reliability of the teacher version of the Authoritative…

  10. Fiabilidad del test 6 minutos caminando en personas con secuelas de poliomielitis paralítica mediante test-retest de 12 semanas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Javier Domínguez-Muñoz

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available El análisis de la fiabilidad del test de 6 minutos ca- minando en una población de personas con secuelas de poliomielitis paralítica mediante test-retest de 12 semanas no ha sido estudiado. Participaron personas con secuelas de poliomielitis paralítica (n = 18; 48,72 ± 7,69 años; 65,8 ± 11,6 kg. Se les realizó un test-retest de 12 semanas de la prueba de 6 minutos caminando que consistía en que los sujetos anduvieran la mayor distan- cia, sin llegar a la carrera, en un periodo de 6 minutos. La fiabilidad relativa de la prueba fue excelente (CCI = 0,99. En lo que se refiere a la fiabilidad absoluta se obtuvo un error estándar de medida (SEM del 1,7% y un mínimo cambio real (SRD de 4,7%. La fiabilidad del test de 6 minutos caminando usando el método Bland- Altman mostró que el error sistemático (diferencia de medias entre el test-retest fue 2,72 (bias. En conclu- sión, los resultados obtenidos en el test de 6 minutos ca- minando han sido muy fiables y afirmamos que la prue- ba de 6 minutos caminando podrá ser utilizada como prueba de evaluación en una población con secuelas de poliomielitis paralítica, con un intervalo de 12 semanas entre las dos mediciones, para comprobar los cambios que se han producido tras la aplicación de un programa de actividad física.

  11. Feedback from physical activity monitors is not compatible with current recommendations: A recalibration study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Dylan; Batterham, Alan M; Peacock, Oliver J; Western, Max J; Booso, Rahuman

    2016-10-01

    Wearable devices to self-monitor physical activity have become popular with individuals and healthcare practitioners as a route to the prevention of chronic disease. It is not currently possible to reconcile feedback from these devices with activity recommendations because the guidelines refer to the amount of activity required on top of normal lifestyle activities (e.g., 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity activity per week over-and-above normal moderate-to-vigorous lifestyle activities). The aim of this study was to recalibrate the feedback from self-monitoring. We pooled data from four studies conducted between 2006 and 2014 in patients and volunteers from the community that included both sophisticated measures of physical activity and 10-year risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (n=305). We determined the amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity activity that corresponded to FAO/WHO/UNU guidance for a required PAL of 1.75 (Total Energy Expenditure/Basal Metabolic Rate). Our results show that, at the UK median PAL, total moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity will be around 735 minutes per week (~11% of waking time). We estimate that a 4% increase in moderate-to-vigorous intensity activity will achieve standardised guidance from FAO/WHO/UNU and will require ~1000 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity activity per week. This study demonstrates that feedback from sophisticated wearable devices is incompatible with current physical activity recommendations. Without adjustment, people will erroneously form the view that they are exceeding recommendations by several fold. A more appropriate target from self-monitoring that accounts for normal moderate-to-vigorous lifestyle activities is ~1000 minutes per week, which represents ~15% of waking time. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Test-retest reliability of speech-evoked auditory brainstem response in healthy children at a low sensation level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakaria, Mohd Normani; Jalaei, Bahram

    2017-11-01

    Auditory brainstem responses evoked by complex stimuli such as speech syllables have been studied in normal subjects and subjects with compromised auditory functions. The stability of speech-evoked auditory brainstem response (speech-ABR) when tested over time has been reported but the literature is limited. The present study was carried out to determine the test-retest reliability of speech-ABR in healthy children at a low sensation level. Seventeen healthy children (6 boys, 11 girls) aged from 5 to 9 years (mean = 6.8 ± 3.3 years) were tested in two sessions separated by a 3-month period. The stimulus used was a 40-ms syllable /da/ presented at 30 dB sensation level. As revealed by pair t-test and intra-class correlation (ICC) analyses, peak latencies, peak amplitudes and composite onset measures of speech-ABR were found to be highly replicable. Compared to other parameters, higher ICC values were noted for peak latencies of speech-ABR. The present study was the first to report the test-retest reliability of speech-ABR recorded at low stimulation levels in healthy children. Due to its good stability, it can be used as an objective indicator for assessing the effectiveness of auditory rehabilitation in hearing-impaired children in future studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Test-retest reliability of Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale among urban men and women in Nanjing, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, L; Wang, Z; Qin, Z; Leslie, E; He, J; Xiong, Y; Xu, F

    2018-03-01

    The identification of physical-activity-friendly built environment (BE) constructs is highly useful for physical activity promotion and maintenance. The Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale (PANES) was developed for assessing BE correlates. However, PANES reliability has not been investigated among adults in China. A cross-sectional study. With multistage sampling approaches, 1568 urban adults (aged 35-74 years) were recruited for the initial survey on all 17 items of PANES Chinese version (PANES-CHN), with the survey repeated 7 days later for each participant. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the test-retest reliability of PANES-CHN for each item. Totally, 1551 participants completed both surveys (follow-up rate = 98.9%). Among participants (mean age: 54.7 ± 11.1 years), 47.8% were men, 22.1% were elders, and 22.7% had ≥13 years of education. Overall, the PANES-CHN demonstrated at least substantial reliability with ICCs ranging from 0.66 to 0.95 (core items), from 0.75 to 0.95 (recommended items), and from 0.78 to 0.87 (optional items). Similar outcomes were observed when data were analyzed by gender or age groups. The PANES-CHN has excellent test-retest reliability and thus has valuable utility for assessing urban BE attributes among Chinese adults. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Test-retest reliability and predictors of unreliable reporting for a sexual behavior questionnaire for U.S. men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyitray, Alan G; Harris, Robin B; Abalos, Andrew T; Nielson, Carrie M; Papenfuss, Mary; Giuliano, Anna R

    2010-12-01

    Accurate knowledge about human sexual behaviors is important for increasing our understanding of human sexuality; however, there have been few studies assessing the reliability of sexual behavior questionnaires designed for community samples of adult men. A test-retest reliability study was conducted on a questionnaire completed by 334 men who had been recruited in Tucson, Arizona. Reliability coefficients and refusal rates were calculated for 39 non-sexual and sexual behavior questionnaire items. Predictors of unreliable reporting for lifetime number of female sexual partners were also assessed. Refusal rates were generally low, with slightly higher refusal rates for questions related to immigration, income, the frequency of sexual intercourse with women, lifetime number of female sexual partners, and the lifetime number of male anal sex partners. Kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients were substantial or almost perfect for all non-sexual and sexual behavior items. Reliability dropped somewhat, but was still substantial, for items that asked about household income and the men's knowledge of their sexual partners' health, including abnormal Pap tests and prior sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Age and lifetime number of female sexual partners were independent predictors of unreliable reporting while years of education was inversely associated with unreliable reporting. These findings among a community sample of adult men are consistent with other test-retest reliability studies with populations of women and adolescents.

  15. Development of an Agility Test for Badminton Players and Assessment of Its Validity and Test-Retest Reliability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loureiro, Luiz de França Bahia; de Freitas, Paulo Barbosa

    2016-04-01

    Badminton requires open and fast actions toward the shuttlecock, but there is no specific agility test for badminton players with specific movements. To develop an agility test that simultaneously assesses perception and motor capacity and examine the test's concurrent and construct validity and its test-retest reliability. The Badcamp agility test consists of running as fast as possible to 6 targets placed on the corners and middle points of a rectangular area (5.6 × 4.2 m) from the start position located in the center of it, following visual stimuli presented in a luminous panel. The authors recruited 43 badminton players (17-32 y old) to evaluate concurrent (with shuttle-run agility test--SRAT) and construct validity and test-retest reliability. Results revealed that Badcamp presents concurrent and construct validity, as its performance is strongly related to SRAT (ρ = 0.83, P < .001), with performance of experts being better than nonexpert players (P < .01). In addition, Badcamp is reliable, as no difference (P = .07) and a high intraclass correlation (ICC = .93) were found in the performance of the players on 2 different occasions. The findings indicate that Badcamp is an effective, valid, and reliable tool to measure agility, allowing coaches and athletic trainers to evaluate players' athletic condition and training effectiveness and possibly detect talented individuals in this sport.

  16. Retesting for genital Chlamydia trachomatis among visitors of a sexually transmitted infections clinic: Randomized intervention trial of home- versus clinic-based recall

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    H.M. Götz (Hannelore); M.E.G. Wolfers (Mireille); A. Luijendijk (Ad); I.V.F. van den Broek (Ingrid)

    2013-01-01

    textabstractBackground: Reinfections of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) are common. In a two-armed intervention study at an urban STI clinic in the Netherlands, heterosexual Ct-positive visitors received an invitation for retesting after 4-5 months. Interventions were either home-based sampling by mailed

  17. Establishing the Test-Retest Reliability & Concurrent Validity for the Repeat Ice Skating Test (RIST) in Adolescent Male Ice Hockey Players

    Science.gov (United States)

    Power, Allan; Faught, Brent E.; Przysucha, Eryk; McPherson, Moira; Montelpare, William

    2012-01-01

    In this study the authors examine the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the Repeat Ice Skating Test (RIST). This was an on-ice field anaerobic test that measured average peak power and was validated with 3 anaerobic lab tests: (a) vertical jump, (b) the Margaria-Kalamen stair test, and (c) the Wingate Anaerobic Test. The…

  18. The test-retest reliability and criterion validity of a high-intensity, netball-specific circuit test: The Net-Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mungovan, Sean F; Peralta, Paula J; Gass, Gregory C; Scanlan, Aaron T

    2018-04-12

    To examine the test-retest reliability and criterion validity of a high-intensity, netball-specific fitness test. Repeated measures, within-subject design. Eighteen female netball players competing in an international competition completed a trial of the Net-Test, which consists of 14 timed netball-specific movements. Players also completed a series of netball-relevant criterion fitness tests. Ten players completed an additional Net-Test trial one week later to assess test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), typical error of measurement (TEM), and coefficient of variation (CV). The typical error of estimate expressed as CV and Pearson correlations were calculated between each criterion test and Net-Test performance to assess criterion validity. Five movements during the Net-Test displayed moderate ICC (0.84-0.90) and two movements displayed high ICC (0.91-0.93). Seven movements and heart rate taken during the Net-Test held low CV (Test possessed low CV and significant (pTest possesses acceptable reliability for the assessment of netball fitness. Further, the high criterion validity for the Net-Test suggests a range of important netball-specific fitness elements are assessed in combination. Copyright © 2018 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. The Test-Retest Reliability of New Generation Power Indices of Wingate All-Out Test

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ozgur Ozkaya

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Although reliability correlations of traditional power indices of the Wingate test have been well documented, no study has analyzed new generation power indices based on milliseconds obtained from a Peak Bike. The purpose of this study was to investigate the retest reliability of new generation power indices. Thirty-two well-trained male athletes who were specialized in basketball, football, tennis, or track and field volunteered to take part in the study (age: 24.3 ± 2.2 years; body mass: 77 ± 8.3 kg; height: 180.3 ± 6.3 cm. Participants performed two Wingate all-out sessions on two separate days. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC, standard error measurement (SEM, smallest real differences (SRD and coefficient of variation (CV scores were analyzed based on the test and retest data. Reliability results of traditional power indices calculated based on 5-s means such as peak power, average power, power drop, and fatigue index ratio were similar with the previous findings in literature (ICC ≥ 0.94; CV ≤ 2.8%; SEM ≤ 12.28; SRD% ≤ 7.7%. New generation power indices such as peak power, average power, lowest power, power drop, fatigue index, power decline, maximum speed as rpm, and amount of total energy expenditure demonstrated high reliability (ICC ≥ 0.94; CV ≤ 4.3%; SEM ≤ 10.36; SRD% ≤ 8.8%. Time to peak power, time at maximum speed, and power at maximum speed showed a moderate level of reliability (ICC ≥ 0.73; CV ≤ 8.9%; SEM ≤ 63.01; SRD% ≤ 22.4%. The results of this study indicate that reliability correlations and SRD% of new generation power and fatigue-related indices are similar with traditional 5-s means. However, new time-related indices are very sensitive and moderately reliable.

  20. Test-retest reliability and construct validity of the ENERGY-parent questionnaire on parenting practices, energy balance-related behaviours and their potential behavioural determinants: the ENERGY-project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singh Amika S

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Insight in parental energy balance-related behaviours, their determinants and parenting practices are important to inform childhood obesity prevention. Therefore, reliable and valid tools to measure these variables in large-scale population research are needed. The objective of the current study was to examine the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the parent questionnaire used in the ENERGY-project, assessing parental energy balance-related behaviours, their determinants, and parenting practices among parents of 10–12 year old children. Findings We collected data among parents (n = 316 in the test-retest reliability study; n = 109 in the construct validity study of 10–12 year-old children in six European countries, i.e. Belgium, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC and percentage agreement comparing scores from two measurements, administered one week apart. To assess construct validity, the agreement between questionnaire responses and a subsequent interview was assessed using ICC and percentage agreement. All but one item showed good to excellent test-retest reliability as indicated by ICCs > .60 or percentage agreement ≥ 75%. Construct validity appeared to be good to excellent for 92 out of 121 items, as indicated by ICCs > .60 or percentage agreement ≥ 75%. From the other 29 items, construct validity was moderate for 24 and poor for 5 items. Conclusions The reliability and construct validity of the items of the ENERGY-parent questionnaire on multiple energy balance-related behaviours, their potential determinants, and parenting practices appears to be good. Based on the results of the validity study, we strongly recommend adapting parts of the ENERGY-parent questionnaire if used in future research.

  1. Inter-rater and test–retest reliability of quality assessments by novice student raters using the Jadad and Newcastle–Ottawa Scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oremus, Carolina; Hall, Geoffrey B C; McKinnon, Margaret C

    2012-01-01

    Introduction Quality assessment of included studies is an important component of systematic reviews. Objective The authors investigated inter-rater and test–retest reliability for quality assessments conducted by inexperienced student raters. Design Student raters received a training session on quality assessment using the Jadad Scale for randomised controlled trials and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) for observational studies. Raters were randomly assigned into five pairs and they each independently rated the quality of 13–20 articles. These articles were drawn from a pool of 78 papers examining cognitive impairment following electroconvulsive therapy to treat major depressive disorder. The articles were randomly distributed to the raters. Two months later, each rater re-assessed the quality of half of their assigned articles. Setting McMaster Integrative Neuroscience Discovery and Study Program. Participants 10 students taking McMaster Integrative Neuroscience Discovery and Study Program courses. Main outcome measures The authors measured inter-rater reliability using κ and the intraclass correlation coefficient type 2,1 or ICC(2,1). The authors measured test–retest reliability using ICC(2,1). Results Inter-rater reliability varied by scale question. For the six-item Jadad Scale, question-specific κs ranged from 0.13 (95% CI −0.11 to 0.37) to 0.56 (95% CI 0.29 to 0.83). The ranges were −0.14 (95% CI −0.28 to 0.00) to 0.39 (95% CI −0.02 to 0.81) for the NOS cohort and −0.20 (95% CI −0.49 to 0.09) to 1.00 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.00) for the NOS case–control. For overall scores on the six-item Jadad Scale, ICC(2,1)s for inter-rater and test–retest reliability (accounting for systematic differences between raters) were 0.32 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.52) and 0.55 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.67), respectively. Corresponding ICC(2,1)s for the NOS cohort were −0.19 (95% CI −0.67 to 0.35) and 0.62 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.83), and for the NOS case–control, the ICC(2

  2. Dynamic data filtering system and method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bickford, Randall L; Palnitkar, Rahul M

    2014-04-29

    A computer-implemented dynamic data filtering system and method for selectively choosing operating data of a monitored asset that modifies or expands a learned scope of an empirical model of normal operation of the monitored asset while simultaneously rejecting operating data of the monitored asset that is indicative of excessive degradation or impending failure of the monitored asset, and utilizing the selectively chosen data for adaptively recalibrating the empirical model to more accurately monitor asset aging changes or operating condition changes of the monitored asset.

  3. Short-interval test-retest interrater reliability of the Dutch version of the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV personality disorders (SCID-II)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Weertman, A; ArntZ, A; Dreessen, L; van Velzen, C; Vertommen, S

    2003-01-01

    This study examined the short-interval test-retest reliability of the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID-II: First, Spitzer, Gibbon, & Williams, 1995) for DSM-IV personality disorders (PDs). The SCID-II was administered to 69 in- and outpatients on two occasions separated by 1 to 6 weeks. The

  4. Test-Retest Reliability of Dual-Task Outcome Measures in People With Parkinson Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strouwen, Carolien; Molenaar, Esther A L M; Keus, Samyra H J; Münks, Liesbeth; Bloem, Bastiaan R; Nieuwboer, Alice

    2016-08-01

    Dual-task (DT) training is gaining ground as a physical therapy intervention in people with Parkinson disease (PD). Future studies evaluating the effect of such interventions need reliable outcome measures. To date, the test-retest reliability of DT measures in patients with PD remains largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of DT outcome measures in patients with PD. A repeated-measures design was used. Patients with PD ("on" medication, Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥24) performed 2 cognitive tasks (ie, backward digit span task and auditory Stroop task) and 1 functional task (ie, mobile phone task) in combination with walking. Tasks were assessed at 2 time points (same hour) with an interval of 6 weeks. Test-retest reliability was assessed for gait while performing each secondary task (DT gait) for both cognitive tasks while walking (DT cognitive) and for the functional task while walking (DT functional). Sixty-two patients with PD (age=39-89 years, Hoehn and Yahr stages II-III) were included in the study. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) showed excellent reliability for DT gait measures, ranging between .86 and .95 when combined with the digit span task, between .86 and .95 when combined with the auditory Stroop task, and between .72 and .90 when combined with the mobile phone task. The standard error of measurements for DT gait speed varied between 0.06 and 0.08 m/s, leading to minimal detectable changes between 0.16 and 0.22 m/s. With regard to DT cognitive measures, reaction times showed good-to-excellent reliability (digit span task: ICC=.75; auditory Stroop task: ICC=.82). The results cannot be generalized to patients with advanced disease or to other DT measures. In people with PD, DT measures proved to be reliable for use in clinical studies and look promising for use in clinical practice to assess improvements after DT training. Large effects, however, are needed to obtain meaningful effect sizes.

  5. TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY OF HAND GRIP STRENGTH MEASUREMENT USING A JAMAR HAND DYNAMOMETER IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE AND CHRONIC CERVICAL RADICULOPATHY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ejazi G

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: To evaluate the test-retest reliability of Jamar hand held dynamometer for measuring handgrip strength (HGS in patients with acute and chronic cervical radiculopathy and to find out the difference in measurement of the handgrip strength between acute and chronic cervical radiculopathy. Methods: A prospective, observational and non-experimental, the comparative study design was used. A sample of 72 subjects (37 women and 35 men suffering from cervical radiculopathy were divided into two groups i.e., Group A(acute and Group B(chronic, handgrip strength was measured using Jamar hand held dynamometer on two occasions by the same rater with an interval of 7-days. Data collection was based on standard guidelines of American Society of Hand Therapists. Three gripping trials (measured in Kg with patient’s arm in standardized arm position were recorded. The data was analyzed from the mean score obtained from the sample. Result: One-way Analysis of Variance(ANOVA was used to evaluate test-retest reliability and Tukey-Kramer Multiple Comparison Test used to find the difference between handgrip strength among acute and chronic Cervical radiculopathy cases. Greater P-value (>0.05 in both testing session, as well as 95% of the confidence interval, shows the reliability of the instrument and lesser p-value (0.05 in female subjects shows no significant difference in handgrip strength between the two groups. Conclusion: Excellent test-retest reliability for hand grip strength measurement was measured in patients with acute and chronic cervical radiculopathy shows that the equipment could be used as an assessment tool for this patient and significant difference exists among male handgrip strength between acute and chronic cervical radiculopathy cases whereas no difference exists among female handgrip strength between acute and chronic cervical radiculopathy cases.

  6. Test-retest variability of multifocal electroretinography in normal volunteers and short-term variability in hydroxychloroquine users

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Browning DJ

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available David J Browning,1 Chong Lee2 1Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Associates, 2University of North Carolina – Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA Purpose: To determine measurement variability of N1P1 amplitudes and the R1/R2 ratio in normal subjects and hydroxychloroquine users without retinopathy. Design: Retrospective, observational study. Subjects: Normal subjects (n=21 and 44 patients taking hydroxychloroquine (n=44 without retinopathy. Methods: Multifocal electroretinography (mfERG was performed twice in one session in the 21 normal subjects and twice within 1 year in the hydroxychloroquine users, during which time no clinical change in macular status occurred. Main outcome measures: N1P1 amplitudes of rings R1–R5, the R1/R2 ratio, and coefficients of repeatability (COR for these measurements. Results: Values for N1P1 amplitudes in hydroxychloroquine users were reduced compared with normal subjects by the known effect of age, but R1/R2 was not affected by age. The COR for R1–R5 ranged from 43% to 52% for normal subjects and from 43% to 59% for hydroxychloroquine users; for R1/R2 the COR was 29% in normal subjects and 45% in hydroxychloroquine users. Conclusion: mfERG measurements show high test-retest variability, limiting the ability of a single mfERG test to influence a decision to stop hydroxychloroquine; corroborative evidence with a different ancillary test is recommended in a suspicious case. Keywords: multifocal electroretinography, hydroxychloroquine, test-retest variability 

  7. Test--retest variability of Randot stereoacuity measures gathered in an unselected sample of UK primary school children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adler, Paul; Scally, Andrew J; Barrett, Brendan T

    2012-05-01

    To determine the test-retest reliability of the Randot stereoacuity test when used as part of vision screening in schools. Randot stereoacuity (graded-circles) and logMAR visual acuity measures were gathered in an unselected sample of 139 children (aged 4-12, mean 8.1±2.1 years) in two schools. Randot testing was repeated on two occasions (average interval between successive tests 8 days, range: 1-21 days). Three Randot scores were obtained in 97.8% of children. Randot stereoacuity improved by an average of one plate (ie, one test level) on repeat testing but was little changed when tested on the third occasion. Within-subject variability was up to three test levels on repeat testing. When stereoacuity was categorised as 'fine', 'intermediate' or 'coarse', the greatest variability was found among younger children who exhibited 'intermediate' or 'coarse'/nil stereopsis on initial testing. Whereas 90.8% of children with 'fine' stereopsis (≤50 arc-seconds) on the first test exhibited 'fine' stereopsis on both subsequent tests, only ∼16% of children with 'intermediate' (>50 but ≤140 arc-seconds) or 'coarse'/nil (≥200 arc-seconds) stereoacuity on initial testing exhibited stable test results on repeat testing. Children exhibiting abnormal stereoacuity on initial testing are very likely to exhibit a normal result when retested. The value of a single, abnormal Randot graded-circles stereoacuity measure from school screening is therefore questionable.

  8. Test-retest repeatability of myocardial blood flow and infarct size using 11C-acetate micro-PET imaging in mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Croteau, Etienne; Renaud, Jennifer M.; McDonald, Matthew; Klein, Ran; DaSilva, Jean N.; Beanlands, Rob S.B.; DeKemp, Robert A.

    2015-01-01

    Global and regional responses of absolute myocardial blood flow index (iMBF) are used as surrogate markers to assess response to therapies in coronary artery disease. In this study, we assessed the test-retest repeatability of iMBF imaging, and the accuracy of infarct sizing in mice using 11 C-acetate PET. 11 C-Acetate cardiac PET images were acquired in healthy controls, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) knockout transgenic mice, and mice after myocardial infarction (MI) to estimate global and regional iMBF, and myocardial infarct size compared to 18 F-FDG PET and ex-vivo histology results. Global test-retest iMBF values had good coefficients of repeatability (CR) in healthy mice, eNOS knockout mice and normally perfused regions in MI mice (CR = 1.6, 2.0 and 1.5 mL/min/g, respectively). Infarct size measured on 11 C-acetate iMBF images was also repeatable (CR = 17 %) and showed a good correlation with the infarct sizes found on 18 F-FDG PET and histopathology (r 2 > 0.77; p < 0.05). 11 C-Acetate micro-PET assessment of iMBF and infarct size is repeatable and suitable for serial investigation of coronary artery disease progression and therapy. (orig.)

  9. Test-retest reliability and agreement of the Satisfaction with the Assistive Technology Services (SATS) instrument in two Nordic countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sund, Terje; Iwarsson, Susanne; Anttila, Heidi; Helle, Tina; Brandt, Ase

    2014-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate test-retest reliability, agreement, internal consistency, and floor- and ceiling effects of the Danish and Finnish versions of the Satisfaction with the Assistive Technology Services (SATS) instrument among adult users of powered wheelchairs (PWCs) or powered scooters (scooters). Test-retest design, two telephone interviews 7-18 days apart of 40 informants, with mean age of 67.5 (SD 13.09) years in the Danish; and 54 informants with mean age of 55.6 (SD 12.09) years in the Finnish sample. The intra-class correlation coefficient varied between 0.57 and 0.93 for items in the Danish and between 0.41 and 0.93 in the Finnish sample. The percentage agreement varied between 54.2 and 79.5 for items in the Danish and between 69.2 and 81.1 in the Finnish sample, while the Cronbach's alpha values varied between 0.87 and 0.96 in the two samples. A ceiling effect was found in all items of both samples. This study indicates that the SATS may be reliably administered for telephone interviews among adult PWC and scooter users, and give information about aspects of the service delivery process for quality development improvement purposes. Further psychometric testing of the SATS is required.

  10. The QUASAR reproducibility study, Part II: Results from a multi-center Arterial Spin Labeling test-retest study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Esben Thade; Mouridsen, Kim; Golay, Xavier

    2010-01-01

    Quantitative STAR labeling of Arterial Regions or QUASAR), a method providing user independent quantification of CBF in a large test-retest study across sites from around the world, dubbed "The QUASAR reproducibility study". Altogether, 28 sites located in Asia, Europe and North America participated...... and a total of 284 healthy volunteers were scanned. Minimal operator dependence was assured by using an automatic planning tool and its accuracy and potential usefulness in multi-center trials was evaluated as well. Accurate repositioning between sessions was achieved with the automatic planning tool showing...

  11. The QUASAR reproducibility study, Part II: Results from a multi-center Arterial Spin Labeling test-retest study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Esben; Mouridsen, Kim; Golay, Xavier

    2009-01-01

    Quantitative STAR labeling of Arterial Regions or QUASAR), a method providing user independent quantification of CBF in a large test-retest study across sites from around the world, dubbed "The QUASAR reproducibility study". Altogether, 28 sites located in Asia, Europe and North America participated...... and a total of 284 healthy volunteers were scanned. Minimal operator dependence was assured by using an automatic planning tool and its accuracy and potential usefulness in multi-center trials was evaluated as well. Accurate repositioning between sessions was achieved with the automatic planning tool showing...

  12. Test-retest reliability and practice effects of the Wechsler Memory Scale-III.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo, Ada H Y; Humphreys, Michael; Byrne, Gerard J; Pachana, Nancy A

    2012-09-01

    Although serial administration of cognitive tests is increasingly common, there is a paucity of research on test-retest reliabilities and practice effects, both of which are important for evaluating changes in functioning. Reliability is generally conceptualized as involving short-lasting changes in performance. However, when repeated testing occurs over a period of years, there will be some longer lasting effects. The implications of these longer lasting effects and practice effects on reliability were examined in the context of repeated administrations of the Wechsler Memory Scale-III in 339 community-dwelling women aged 40-79 years over 2 to 7 years. The results showed that Logical Memory and Verbal Paired Associates subtests were consistently the most reliable subtests across the age cohorts. The magnitude of practice effects varied as a function of subtests and age. The largest practice effects were found in the youngest age cohort, especially on the Faces, Logical Memory, and Verbal Paired Associates subtests. ©2012 The British Psychological Society.

  13. Internal consistency, reliability, and temporal stability of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire short-form: Test-retest data over two weeks

    OpenAIRE

    MCGUCKIN, CONOR

    2006-01-01

    PUBLISHED The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire short-form is a recently developed eight-item measure of happiness. This study evaluated the internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire short-form among 55 Northern Irish undergraduate university students who completed the measure on two occasions separated by two weeks. Internal consistency of the measure on both occasions was satisfactory at both Time 1 (alpha = .62) and Time 2 (alpha = ....

  14. Assessment of test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Wisconsin Gait Scale in hemiparetic post-stroke patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guzik Agnieszka

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: A proper assessment of gait pattern is a significant aspect in planning the process of teaching gait in hemiparetic post-stroke patients. The Wisconsin Gait Scale (WGS is an observational tool for assessing post-stroke patients’ gait. The aim of the study was to assess test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the WGS and examine correlations between gait assessment made with the WGS and gait speed, Brunnström scale, Ashworth’s scale and the Barthel Index.

  15. The reliability of WorkWell Systems Functional Capacity Evaluation: a systematic review

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Functional capacity evaluation (FCE) determines a person’s ability to perform work-related tasks and is a major component of the rehabilitation process. The WorkWell Systems (WWS) FCE (formerly known as Isernhagen Work Systems FCE) is currently the most commonly used FCE tool in German rehabilitation centres. Our systematic review investigated the inter-rater, intra-rater and test-retest reliability of the WWS FCE. Methods We performed a systematic literature search of studies on the reliability of the WWS FCE and extracted item-specific measures of inter-rater, intra-rater and test-retest reliability from the identified studies. Intraclass correlation coefficients ≥ 0.75, percentages of agreement ≥ 80%, and kappa coefficients ≥ 0.60 were categorised as acceptable, otherwise they were considered non-acceptable. The extracted values were summarised for the five performance categories of the WWS FCE, and the results were classified as either consistent or inconsistent. Results From 11 identified studies, 150 item-specific reliability measures were extracted. 89% of the extracted inter-rater reliability measures, all of the intra-rater reliability measures and 96% of the test-retest reliability measures of the weight handling and strength tests had an acceptable level of reliability, compared to only 67% of the test-retest reliability measures of the posture/mobility tests and 56% of the test-retest reliability measures of the locomotion tests. Both of the extracted test-retest reliability measures of the balance test were acceptable. Conclusions Weight handling and strength tests were found to have consistently acceptable reliability. Further research is needed to explore the reliability of the other tests as inconsistent findings or a lack of data prevented definitive conclusions. PMID:24674029

  16. The Dichotic Digits difference Test (DDdT): Development, Normative Data, and Test-Retest Reliability Studies Part 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cameron, Sharon; Glyde, Helen; Dillon, Harvey; Whitfield, Jessica; Seymour, John

    2016-06-01

    The dichotic digits test is one of the most widely used assessment tools for central auditory processing disorder. However, questions remain concerning the impact of cognitive factors on test results. To develop the Dichotic Digits difference Test (DDdT), an assessment tool that could differentiate children with cognitive deficits from children with genuine dichotic deficits based on differential test results. The DDdT consists of four subtests: dichotic free recall (FR), dichotic directed left ear (DLE), dichotic directed right ear (DRE), and diotic. Scores for six conditions are calculated (FR left ear [LE], FR right ear [RE], and FR total, as well as DLE, DRE, and diotic). Scores for four difference measures are also calculated: dichotic advantage, right-ear advantage (REA) FR, REA directed, and attention advantage. Experiment 1 involved development of the DDdT, including error rate analysis. Experiment 2 involved collection of normative and test-retest reliability data. Twenty adults (aged 25 yr 10 mo to 50 yr 7 mo, mean 36 yr 4 mo) took part in the development study; 62 normal-hearing, typically developing, primary-school children (aged 7 yr 1 mo to 11 yr 11 mo, mean 9 yr 4 mo) and 10 adults (aged 25 yr 0 mo to 51 yr 6 mo, mean 34 yr 10 mo) took part in the normative and test-retest reliability study. In Experiment 1, error rate analysis was conducted on the 36 digit-pair combinations of the DDdT. Normative data collected in Experiment 2 were arcsine transformed to achieve a distribution that was closer to a normal distribution and z-scores calculated. Pearson product-moment correlations were used to determine the strength of relationships between DDdT conditions. The development study revealed no significant differences in the adult population between test and retest on any DDdT condition. Error rates on 36 digit pairs ranged from 1.5% to 16.7%. The most and the least error-prone digits were removed before commencement of the normative data study, leaving 25

  17. Escala Razões para Fumar Modificada: tradução e adaptação cultural para o português para uso no Brasil e avaliação da confiabilidade teste-reteste Modified Reasons for Smoking Scale: translation to Portuguese, cross-cultural adaptation for use in Brazil and evaluation of test-retest reliability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisa Sebba Tosta de Souza

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Traduzir, fazer a adaptação cultural e testar a confiabilidade teste-reteste de uma versão em língua portuguesa da Escala Razões Para Fumar Modificada (ERPFM para uso no Brasil. MÉTODOS: Uma versão em língua inglesa da ERPFM foi traduzida por médicos brasileiros com profundo conhecimento sobre a língua inglesa. Uma versão de consenso foi obtida por grupo multidisciplinar composto por dois pneumologistas, um psiquiatra e um psicólogo. Essa versão foi traduzida de volta ao inglês por um tradutor americano. A avaliação da adaptação cultural da versão final foi efetuada em uma amostra de 20 fumantes saudáveis. A avaliação da confiabilidade teste-reteste foi feita pela aplicação da versão traduzida da escala em 54 fumantes saudáveis em duas ocasiões separadas por 15 dias. RESULTADOS: Essa versão traduzida da ERPFM exibiu excelente identidade cultural, sendo bem compreendida por 95% dos fumantes. Os graus de concordância das respostas em duas ocasiões distintas foram quase perfeito para duas questões, substancial para dez questões, moderado para oito questões e discreto para uma questão. Os valores dos coeficientes de correlação intraclasse dos fatores motivacionais em duas ocasiões, empregando-se modelos teóricos previamente publicados, foram superiores a 0,7 em seis dos sete domínios. CONCLUSÕES: A presente versão da ERPFM exibe identidade cultural e confiabilidade teste-reteste satisfatórias, podendo ser de utilidade no tratamento e na avaliação de tabagistas em nosso meio.OBJECTIVE: To translate the Modified Reasons for Smoking Scale (MRSS to Portuguese, to submit it to cross-cultural adaptation for use in Brazil and to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the translated version. METHODS: An English-language version of the MRSS was translated to Portuguese by Brazilian doctors who have thorough knowledge of the English language. A consensus version was produced by a multidisciplinary group

  18. Improving biobank consent comprehension: a national randomized survey to assess the effect of a simplified form and review/retest intervention

    OpenAIRE

    Beskow, Laura M.; Lin, Li; Dombeck, Carrie B.; Gao, Emily; Weinfurt, Kevin P.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the individual and combined effects of a simplified form and a review/retest intervention on biobanking consent comprehension. Methods: We conducted a national online survey in which participants were randomized within four educational strata to review a simplified or traditional consent form. Participants then completed a comprehension quiz; for each item answered incorrectly, they reviewed the corresponding consent form section and answered another quiz item on that to...

  19. Impact of Alzheimer's Disease on Caregiver Questionnaire: internal consistency, convergent validity, and test-retest reliability of a new measure for assessing caregiver burden.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Jason C; Ito, Diane; Chen, Yaozhu J; Cheng, Rebecca; Bolognese, Jennifer; Li-McLeod, Josephine

    2014-09-04

    There is a lack of validated instruments to measure the level of burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD) on caregivers. The Impact of Alzheimer's Disease on Caregiver Questionnaire (IADCQ) is a 12-item instrument with a seven-day recall period that measures AD caregiver's burden across emotional, physical, social, financial, sleep, and time aspects. Primary objectives of this study were to evaluate psychometric properties of IADCQ administered on the Web and to determine most appropriate scoring algorithm. A national sample of 200 unpaid AD caregivers participated in this study by completing the Web-based version of IADCQ and Short Form-12 Health Survey Version 2 (SF-12v2™). The SF-12v2 was used to measure convergent validity of IADCQ scores and to provide an understanding of the overall health-related quality of life of sampled AD caregivers. The IADCQ survey was also completed four weeks later by a randomly selected subgroup of 50 participants to assess test-retest reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was implemented to test the dimensionality of the IADCQ items. Classical item-level and scale-level psychometric analyses were conducted to estimate psychometric characteristics of the instrument. Test-retest reliability was performed to evaluate the instrument's stability and consistency over time. Virtually none (2%) of the respondents had either floor or ceiling effects, indicating the IADCQ covers an ideal range of burden. A single-factor model obtained appropriate goodness of fit and provided evidence that a simple sum score of the 12 items of IADCQ can be used to measure AD caregiver's burden. Scales-level reliability was supported with a coefficient alpha of 0.93 and an intra-class correlation coefficient (for test-retest reliability) of 0.68 (95% CI: 0.50-0.80). Low-moderate negative correlations were observed between the IADCQ and scales of the SF-12v2. The study findings suggest the IADCQ has appropriate psychometric characteristics as a

  20. Forward lunge as a functional performance test in ACL deficient subjects: test-retest reliability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alkjaer, Tine; Henriksen, Marius; Dyhre-Poulsen, Poul

    2009-01-01

    The forward lunge movement may be used as a functional performance test of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient and reconstructed subjects. The purposes were 1) to determine the test-retest reliability of a forward lunge in healthy subjects and 2) to determine the required numbers...... of repetitions necessary to yield satisfactory reliability. Nineteen healthy subjects performed four trials of a forward lunge on two different days. The movement time, impulses of the ground reaction forces (IFz, IFy), knee joint kinematics and dynamics during the forward lunge were calculated. The relative...... reliability was determined by calculation of Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC). The IFz, IFy and the positive work of the knee extensors showed excellent reliability (ICC >0.75). All other variables demonstrated acceptable reliability (0.4>ICCreliability increased when more than...

  1. Demonstration of the test-retest reliability and sensitivity of the Lower Limb Functional Index-10 as a measure of functional recovery post burn injury: a cross-sectional repeated measures study design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryland, Margaret E; Grisbrook, Tiffany L; Wood, Fiona M; Phillips, Michael; Edgar, Dale W

    2016-01-01

    Lower limb burns can significantly delay recovery of function. Measuring lower limb functional outcomes is challenging in the unique burn patient population and necessitates the use of reliable and valid tools. The aims of this study were to examine the test-retest reliability, sensitivity, and internal consistency of Sections 1 and 3 of the Lower Limb Functional Index-10 (LLFI-10) questionnaire for measuring functional ability in patients with lower limb burns over time. Twenty-nine adult patients who had sustained a lower limb burn injury in the previous 12 months completed the test-retest procedure of the study. In addition, the minimal detectable change (MDC) was calculated for Section 1 and 3 of the LLFI-10. Section 1 is focused on the activity limitations experienced by patients with a lower limb disorder whereas Section 3 involves patients indicating their current percentage of pre-injury duties. Section 1 of the LLFI-10 demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.98, 95 % CI 0.96-0.99) whilst Section 3 demonstrated high test-retest reliability (ICC 0.88, 95 % CI 0.79-0.94). MDC scores for Sections 1 and 3 were 1.27 points and 30.22 %, respectively. Internal consistency was demonstrated with a significant negative association (r s  = -0.83) between Sections 1 and 3 of the LLFI-10 (p reliable for measuring functional ability in patients who have sustained lower limb burns in the previous 12 months, and furthermore, Section 1 is sensitive to changes in patient function over time.

  2. Test-retest reliability of an fMRI paradigm for studies of cardiovascular reactivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheu, Lei K; Jennings, J Richard; Gianaros, Peter J

    2012-07-01

    We examined the reliability of measures of fMRI, subjective, and cardiovascular reactions to standardized versions of a Stroop color-word task and a multisource interference task. A sample of 14 men and 12 women (30-49 years old) completed the tasks on two occasions, separated by a median of 88 days. The reliability of fMRI BOLD signal changes in brain areas engaged by the tasks was moderate, and aggregating fMRI BOLD signal changes across the tasks improved test-retest reliability metrics. These metrics included voxel-wise intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and overlap ratio statistics. Task-aggregated ratings of subjective arousal, valence, and control, as well as cardiovascular reactions evoked by the tasks showed ICCs of 0.57 to 0.87 (ps reliability. These findings support using these tasks as a battery for fMRI studies of cardiovascular reactivity. Copyright © 2012 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  3. Test-retest repeatability of myocardial blood flow and infarct size using {sup 11}C-acetate micro-PET imaging in mice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Croteau, Etienne; Renaud, Jennifer M.; McDonald, Matthew; Klein, Ran; DaSilva, Jean N.; Beanlands, Rob S.B.; DeKemp, Robert A. [University of Ottawa Heart Institute, National Cardiac PET Centre, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

    2015-09-15

    Global and regional responses of absolute myocardial blood flow index (iMBF) are used as surrogate markers to assess response to therapies in coronary artery disease. In this study, we assessed the test-retest repeatability of iMBF imaging, and the accuracy of infarct sizing in mice using {sup 11}C-acetate PET. {sup 11}C-Acetate cardiac PET images were acquired in healthy controls, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) knockout transgenic mice, and mice after myocardial infarction (MI) to estimate global and regional iMBF, and myocardial infarct size compared to {sup 18}F-FDG PET and ex-vivo histology results. Global test-retest iMBF values had good coefficients of repeatability (CR) in healthy mice, eNOS knockout mice and normally perfused regions in MI mice (CR = 1.6, 2.0 and 1.5 mL/min/g, respectively). Infarct size measured on {sup 11}C-acetate iMBF images was also repeatable (CR = 17 %) and showed a good correlation with the infarct sizes found on {sup 18}F-FDG PET and histopathology (r{sup 2} > 0.77; p < 0.05). {sup 11}C-Acetate micro-PET assessment of iMBF and infarct size is repeatable and suitable for serial investigation of coronary artery disease progression and therapy. (orig.)

  4. Hip abduction-adduction strength and one-leg hop tests: test-retest reliability and relationship to function in elite ice hockey players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kea, J; Kramer, J; Forwell, L; Birmingham, T

    2001-08-01

    Single group, test-retest. To determine: (1) hip abduction and adduction torques during concentric and eccentric muscle actions, (2) medial and lateral one-leg hop distances, (3) the test-retest reliability of these measurements, and (4) the relationship between isokinetic measures of hip muscle strength and hop distances in elite ice hockey players. The skating motion used in ice hockey requires strong contractions of the hip and knee musculature. However, baseline scores for hip strength and hop distances, their test-retest reliability, and measures of the extent to which these tests are related for this population are not available. The dominant leg of 27 men (mean age 20 +/- 3 yrs) was tested on 2 occasions. Hip abduction and adduction movements were completed at 60 degrees.s(-1) angular velocity, with the subject lying on the non-test side and the test leg moving vertically in the subject's coronal plane. One-leg hops requiring jumping from and landing on the same leg without losing balance were completed in the medial and lateral directions. Hip adduction torques were significantly greater than abduction torques during both concentric and eccentric muscle actions, while no significant difference was observed between medial and lateral hop distances. Although hop test scores produced excellent ICCs (> 0.75) when determined using scores on 1 occasion, torques needed to be averaged over 2 test occasions to reach this level. Correlations between the strength and hop tests ranged from slight to low (r = -0.26 to 0.27) and were characterized by wide 95% confidence intervals (-0.54 to 0.61). Isokinetic tests of hip abduction and adduction did not provide a strong indication of performance during sideways hop tests. Although isokinetic tests can provide a measure of muscular strength under specific test conditions, they should not be relied upon as a primary indicator of functional abilities or readiness to return to activity.

  5. Test-Retest Reliability of Measurements of Hand-Grip Strength Obtained by Dynamometry from Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Research in the PubMed Database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohannon, R W

    2017-01-01

    A systematic review was performed to summarize literature describing the test-retest reliability of grip strength measures obtained from older adults. Relevant literature was identified via a PubMed search. Seventeen articles were deemed appropriate based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The relative test-retest reliability of grip strength measures obtained by dynamometry was good to excellent (intra-class correlation coefficients > 0.80) in all but 3 studies, which involved older adults with severe dementia. Absolute reliability, as indicated by summary statistics such as the minimum detectable change (95%), was more variable. As a percentage, that change ranged from 14.5% to 98.5%. Consequently, clinicians can be confident in the relative reliability of grip strength measures obtained from at risk older adults. However, relatively large percentage changes in grip strength may be necessary to conclude with confidence that a real change has occurred over time in some populations.

  6. We need more replication research - A case for test-retest reliability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leppink, Jimmie; Pérez-Fuster, Patricia

    2017-06-01

    Following debates in psychology on the importance of replication research, we have also started to see pleas for a more prominent role for replication research in medical education. To enable replication research, it is of paramount importance to carefully study the reliability of the instruments we use. Cronbach's alpha has been the most widely used estimator of reliability in the field of medical education, notably as some kind of quality label of test or questionnaire scores based on multiple items or of the reliability of assessment across exam stations. However, as this narrative review outlines, Cronbach's alpha or alternative reliability statistics may complement but not replace psychometric methods such as factor analysis. Moreover, multiple-item measurements should be preferred above single-item measurements, and when using single-item measurements, coefficients as Cronbach's alpha should not be interpreted as indicators of the reliability of a single item when that item is administered after fundamentally different activities, such as learning tasks that differ in content. Finally, if we want to follow up on recent pleas for more replication research, we have to start studying the test-retest reliability of the instruments we use.

  7. {sup 11}C-PBR28 imaging in multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls: test-retest reproducibility and focal visualization of active white matter areas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Eunkyung; Gallezot, Jean-Dominique; Planeta, Beata; Lin, Shu-Fei; Lim, Keunpoong; Chen, Ming-Kai; Huang, Yiyun; Carson, Richard E. [Yale School of Medicine, PET Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, 801 Howard Avenue, PO Box 208048, New Haven, CT (United States); Delgadillo, Aracely; Liu, Shuang; O' Connor, Kevin C.; Lee, Jae-Yun; Chastre, Anne; Pelletier, Daniel [Yale School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, New Haven, CT (United States); Seneca, Nicholas; Leppert, David [Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Pharmaceuticals Division, Basel (Switzerland)

    2015-04-02

    Activated microglia play a key role in inflammatory demyelinating injury in multiple sclerosis (MS). Microglial activation can be measured in vivo using a positron emission tomography (PET) ligand {sup 11}C-PBR28. We evaluated the test-retest variability (TRV) and lesion detectability of {sup 11}C-PBR28 binding in MS subjects and healthy controls (HCs) with high-resolution PET. Four clinically and radiologically stable relapsing-remitting MS subjects (age 41 ± 7 years, two men/two women) and four HCs (age 42 ± 8 years, 2 two men/two women), matched for translocator protein genotype [two high- and two medium-affinity binders according to DNA polymorphism (rs6971) in each group], were studied for TRV. Another MS subject (age 41 years, male) with clinical and radiological activity was studied for lesion detectability. Dynamic data were acquired over 120 min after injection of 634 ± 101 MBq {sup 11}C-PBR28. For the TRV study, subjects were scanned twice, on average 1.4 weeks apart. Volume of distribution (V{sub T}) derived from multilinear analysis (MA1) modeling (t* = 30 min, using arterial input data) was the main outcome measure. Mean test V{sub T} values (ml cm{sup -3}) were 3.9 ± 1.4 in the whole brain gray matter (GM), 3.6 ± 1.2 in the whole brain white matter (WM) or normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), and 3.3 ± 0.6 in MS WM lesions; mean retest V{sub T} values were 3.7 ± 1.0 in GM, 3.3 ± 0.9 in WM/NAWM, and 3.3 ± 0.7 in MS lesions. Test-retest results showed a mean absolute TRV ranging from 7 to 9 % across GM, WM/NAWM, and MS lesions. High-affinity binders demonstrated 30 % higher V{sub T} than medium-affinity binders in GM. Focal {sup 11}C-PBR28 uptake was detected in two enhancing lesions of the active MS patient. High-resolution {sup 11}C-PBR28 PET can visualize focal areas where microglial activation is known to be present and has good test-retest reproducibility in the human brain. {sup 11}C-PBR28 PET is likely to be valuable for monitoring both

  8. Response process and test–retest reliability of the Context Assessment for Community Health tool in Vietnam

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duong M. Duc

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: The recently developed Context Assessment for Community Health (COACH tool aims to measure aspects of the local healthcare context perceived to influence knowledge translation in low- and middle-income countries. The tool measures eight dimensions (organizational resources , community engagement, monitoring services for action, sources of knowledge, commitment to work, work culture, leadership, and informal payment through 49 items. Objective: The study aimed to explore the understanding and stability of the COACH tool among health providers in Vietnam. Designs: To investigate the response process, think-aloud interviews were undertaken with five community health workers, six nurses and midwives, and five physicians. Identified problems were classified according to Conrad and Blair's taxonomy and grouped according to an estimation of the magnitude of the problem's effect on the response data. Further, the stability of the tool was examined using a test–retest survey among 77 respondents. The reliability was analyzed for items (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC and percent agreement and dimensions (ICC and Bland–Altman plots. Results: In general, the think-aloud interviews revealed that the COACH tool was perceived as clear, well organized, and easy to answer. Most items were understood as intended. However, seven prominent problems in the items were identified and the content of three dimensions was perceived to be of a sensitive nature. In the test–retest survey, two-thirds of the items and seven of eight dimensions were found to have an ICC agreement ranging from moderate to substantial (0.5–0.7, demonstrating that the instrument has an acceptable level of stability. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that the Vietnamese translation of the COACH tool is generally perceived to be clear and easy to understand and has acceptable stability. There is, however, a need to rephrase and add generic examples to clarify

  9. Response process and test-retest reliability of the Context Assessment for Community Health tool in Vietnam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duc, Duong M; Bergström, Anna; Eriksson, Leif; Selling, Katarina; Thi Thu Ha, Bui; Wallin, Lars

    2016-01-01

    The recently developed Context Assessment for Community Health (COACH) tool aims to measure aspects of the local healthcare context perceived to influence knowledge translation in low- and middle-income countries. The tool measures eight dimensions (organizational resources, community engagement, monitoring services for action, sources of knowledge, commitment to work, work culture, leadership, and informal payment) through 49 items. The study aimed to explore the understanding and stability of the COACH tool among health providers in Vietnam. To investigate the response process, think-aloud interviews were undertaken with five community health workers, six nurses and midwives, and five physicians. Identified problems were classified according to Conrad and Blair's taxonomy and grouped according to an estimation of the magnitude of the problem's effect on the response data. Further, the stability of the tool was examined using a test-retest survey among 77 respondents. The reliability was analyzed for items (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and percent agreement) and dimensions (ICC and Bland-Altman plots). In general, the think-aloud interviews revealed that the COACH tool was perceived as clear, well organized, and easy to answer. Most items were understood as intended. However, seven prominent problems in the items were identified and the content of three dimensions was perceived to be of a sensitive nature. In the test-retest survey, two-thirds of the items and seven of eight dimensions were found to have an ICC agreement ranging from moderate to substantial (0.5-0.7), demonstrating that the instrument has an acceptable level of stability. This study provides evidence that the Vietnamese translation of the COACH tool is generally perceived to be clear and easy to understand and has acceptable stability. There is, however, a need to rephrase and add generic examples to clarify some items and to further review items with low ICC.

  10. Health and usage monitoring system for the small aircraft composite structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Růžička, Milan; Dvořák, Milan; Schmidová, Nikola; Šašek, Ladislav; Štěpánek, Martin

    2017-07-01

    This paper is focused on the design of the health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) of the composite ultra-light aircrafts. A multichannel measuring system was developed and installed for recording of the long-term operational measurements of the UL airplane. Many fiber Bragg grating sensors were implemented into the composite aircraft structure, mainly in the glue joints. More than ten other analog functions and signals of the aircraft is monitored and can be correlated together. Changing of the FBG sensors responses in monitored places and their correlations, comparing with the calibration and recalibration procedures during a monitored life may indicate damage (eg. in bonded joints) and complements the HUMS system.

  11. Test-retest reliability of behavioral measures of impulsive choice, impulsive action, and inattention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weafer, Jessica; Baggott, Matthew J; de Wit, Harriet

    2013-12-01

    Behavioral measures of impulsivity are widely used in substance abuse research, yet relatively little attention has been devoted to establishing their psychometric properties, especially their reliability over repeated administration. The current study examined the test-retest reliability of a battery of standardized behavioral impulsivity tasks, including measures of impulsive choice (i.e., delay discounting, probability discounting, and the Balloon Analogue Risk Task), impulsive action (i.e., the stop signal task, the go/no-go task, and commission errors on the continuous performance task), and inattention (i.e., attention lapses on a simple reaction time task and omission errors on the continuous performance task). Healthy adults (n = 128) performed the battery on two separate occasions. Reliability estimates for the individual tasks ranged from moderate to high, with Pearson correlations within the specific impulsivity domains as follows: impulsive choice (r range: .76-.89, ps reliable measures and thus can be confidently used to assess various facets of impulsivity as intermediate phenotypes for drug abuse.

  12. Test-retest reliability of tibiofemoral joint space width measurements made using a low-dose standing CT scanner

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Segal, Neil A. [University of Kansas Medical Center, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Mailstop 1046, Kansas City, KS (United States); The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Bergin, John; Kern, Andrew; Findlay, Christian [The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Anderson, Donald D. [The University of Iowa, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Iowa City, IA (United States)

    2017-02-15

    To determine the test-retest reliability of knee joint space width (JSW) measurements made using standing CT (SCT) imaging. This prospective two-visit study included 50 knees from 30 subjects (66% female; mean ± SD age 58.2 ± 11.3 years; BMI 29.1 ± 5.6 kg/m{sup 2}; 38% KL grade 0-1). Tibiofemoral geometry was obtained from bilateral, approximately 20 fixed-flexed SCT images acquired at visits 2 weeks apart. For each compartment, the total joint area was defined as the area with a JSW <10 mm. The summary measurements of interest were the percentage of the total joint area with a JSW less than 0.5-mm thresholds between 2.0 and 5.0 mm in each tibiofemoral compartment. Test-retest reliability of the summary JSW measurements was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 2,1) for the percentage area engaged at each threshold of JSW and root-mean-square errors (RMSE) were calculated to assess reproducibility. The ICCs were excellent for each threshold assessed, ranging from 0.95 to 0.97 for the lateral and 0.90 to 0.97 for the medial compartment. RMSE ranged from 1.1 to 7.2% for the lateral and from 3.1 to 9.1% for the medial compartment, with better reproducibility at smaller JSW thresholds. The knee joint positioning protocol used demonstrated high day-to-day reliability for SCT 3D tibiofemoral JSW summary measurements repeated 2 weeks apart. Low-dose SCT provides a great deal of information about the joint while maintaining high reliability, making it a suitable alternative to plain radiographs for evaluating JSW in people with knee OA. (orig.)

  13. Test-retest reliability of tibiofemoral joint space width measurements made using a low-dose standing CT scanner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Segal, Neil A.; Bergin, John; Kern, Andrew; Findlay, Christian; Anderson, Donald D.

    2017-01-01

    To determine the test-retest reliability of knee joint space width (JSW) measurements made using standing CT (SCT) imaging. This prospective two-visit study included 50 knees from 30 subjects (66% female; mean ± SD age 58.2 ± 11.3 years; BMI 29.1 ± 5.6 kg/m 2 ; 38% KL grade 0-1). Tibiofemoral geometry was obtained from bilateral, approximately 20 fixed-flexed SCT images acquired at visits 2 weeks apart. For each compartment, the total joint area was defined as the area with a JSW <10 mm. The summary measurements of interest were the percentage of the total joint area with a JSW less than 0.5-mm thresholds between 2.0 and 5.0 mm in each tibiofemoral compartment. Test-retest reliability of the summary JSW measurements was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 2,1) for the percentage area engaged at each threshold of JSW and root-mean-square errors (RMSE) were calculated to assess reproducibility. The ICCs were excellent for each threshold assessed, ranging from 0.95 to 0.97 for the lateral and 0.90 to 0.97 for the medial compartment. RMSE ranged from 1.1 to 7.2% for the lateral and from 3.1 to 9.1% for the medial compartment, with better reproducibility at smaller JSW thresholds. The knee joint positioning protocol used demonstrated high day-to-day reliability for SCT 3D tibiofemoral JSW summary measurements repeated 2 weeks apart. Low-dose SCT provides a great deal of information about the joint while maintaining high reliability, making it a suitable alternative to plain radiographs for evaluating JSW in people with knee OA. (orig.)

  14. Short-term test-retest-reliability of conditioned pain modulation using the cold-heat-pain method in healthy subjects and its correlation to parameters of standardized quantitative sensory testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gehling, Julia; Mainka, Tina; Vollert, Jan; Pogatzki-Zahn, Esther M; Maier, Christoph; Enax-Krumova, Elena K

    2016-08-05

    Conditioned Pain Modulation (CPM) is often used to assess human descending pain inhibition. Nine different studies on the test-retest-reliability of different CPM paradigms have been published, but none of them has investigated the commonly used heat-cold-pain method. The results vary widely and therefore, reliability measures cannot be extrapolated from one CPM paradigm to another. Aim of the present study was to analyse the test-retest-reliability of the common heat-cold-pain method and its correlation to pain thresholds. We tested the short-term test-retest-reliability within 40 ± 19.9 h using a cold-water immersion (10 °C, left hand) as conditioning stimulus (CS) and heat pain (43-49 °C, pain intensity 60 ± 5 on the 101-point numeric rating scale, right forearm) as test stimulus (TS) in 25 healthy right-handed subjects (12females, 31.6 ± 14.1 years). The TS was applied 30s before (TSbefore), during (TSduring) and after (TSafter) the 60s CS. The difference between the pain ratings for TSbefore and TSduring represents the early CPM-effect, between TSbefore and TSafter the late CPM-effect. Quantitative sensory testing (QST, DFNS protocol) was performed on both sessions before the CPM assessment. paired t-tests, Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), smallest real difference (SRD), Pearson's correlation, Bland-Altman analysis, significance level p Pain ratings during CPM correlated significantly (ICC: 0.411…0.962) between both days, though ratings for TSafter were lower on day 2 (p pain thresholds. The short-term test-retest-reliability of the early CPM-effect using the heat-cold-pain method in healthy subjects achieved satisfying results in terms of the ICC. The SRD of the early CPM effect showed that an individual change of > 20 NRS can be attributed to a real change rather than chance. The late CPM-effect was weaker and not reliable.

  15. Can health workers reliably assess their own work? A test-retest study of bias among data collectors conducting a Lot Quality Assurance Sampling survey in Uganda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beckworth, Colin A; Davis, Rosemary H; Faragher, Brian; Valadez, Joseph J

    2015-03-01

    Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) is a classification method that enables local health staff to assess health programmes for which they are responsible. While LQAS has been favourably reviewed by the World Bank and World Health Organization (WHO), questions remain about whether using local health staff as data collectors can lead to biased data. In this test-retest research, Pallisa Health District in Uganda is subdivided into four administrative units called supervision areas (SA). Data collectors from each SA conducted an LQAS survey. A week later, the data collectors were swapped to a different SA, outside their area of responsibility, to repeat the LQAS survey with the same respondents. The two data sets were analysed for agreement using Cohens' kappa coefficient and disagreements were analysed. Kappa values ranged from 0.19 to 0.97. On average, there was a moderate degree of agreement for knowledge indicators and a substantial level for practice indicators. Respondents were found to be systematically more knowledgeable on retest indicating bias favouring the retest, although no evidence of bias was found for practices indicators. In this initial study, using local health care providers to collect data did not bias data collection. The bias observed in the knowledge indicators is most likely due to the 'practice effect', whereby respondents increased their knowledge as a result of completing the first survey, as no corresponding effect was seen in the practices indicators. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2014; all rights reserved.

  16. Test-retest reliability of schizoaffective disorder compared with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and unipolar depression--a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santelmann, Hanno; Franklin, Jeremy; Bußhoff, Jana; Baethge, Christopher

    2015-11-01

    Schizoaffective disorder is a frequent diagnosis, and its reliability is subject to ongoing discussion. We compared the diagnostic reliability of schizoaffective disorder with its main differential diagnoses. We systematically searched Medline, Embase, and PsycInfo for all studies on the test-retest reliability of the diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder as compared with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and unipolar depression. We used meta-analytic methods to describe and compare Cohen's kappa as well as positive and negative agreement. In addition, multiple pre-specified and post hoc subgroup and sensitivity analyses were carried out. Out of 4,415 studies screened, 49 studies were included. Test-retest reliability of schizoaffective disorder was consistently lower than that of schizophrenia (in 39 out of 42 studies), bipolar disorder (27/33), and unipolar depression (29/35). The mean difference in kappa between schizoaffective disorder and the other diagnoses was approximately 0.2, and mean Cohen's kappa for schizoaffective disorder was 0.50 (95% confidence interval: 0.40-0.59). While findings were unequivocal and homogeneous for schizoaffective disorder's diagnostic reliability relative to its three main differential diagnoses (dichotomous: smaller versus larger), heterogeneity was substantial for continuous measures, even after subgroup and sensitivity analyses. In clinical practice and research, schizoaffective disorder's comparatively low diagnostic reliability should lead to increased efforts to correctly diagnose the disorder. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Test-retest Agreement and Reliability of Quantitative Sensory Testing 1 Year After Breast Cancer Surgery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Kenneth Geving; Kehlet, Henrik; Aasvang, Eske Kvanner

    2015-01-01

    .5 SD) than within-patient variation (0.23 to 3.55 SD). There were no significant differences between pain and pain-free patients. The individual test-retest variability was higher on the operated side compared with the nonoperated side. DISCUSSION: The QST protocol reliability allows for group......OBJECTIVES: Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is used to assess sensory dysfunction and nerve damage by examining psychophysical responses to controlled, graded stimuli such as mechanical and thermal detection and pain thresholds. In the breast cancer population, 4 studies have used QST to examine...... persistent pain after breast cancer treatment, suggesting neuropathic pain being a prominent pain mechanism. However, the agreement and reliability of QST has not been described in the postsurgical breast cancer population, hindering exact interpretation of QST studies in this population. The aim...

  18. BXS Re-calibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Welch, J.

    2010-01-01

    indicated that the vacuum chamber was in fact in the proper position with respect to the magnet - not 19 mm off to one side - so the former possibility was discounted. Review of the Fiducial Report and an interview with Keith Caban convinced me that there was no error in the coordinate system used for magnet measurements. I went and interviewed Andrew Fischer who did the magnetic measurements of BXS. He had extensive records, including photographs of the setups and could quickly answer quite detailed questions about how the measurement was done. Before the interview, I had a suspicion there might have been a sign flip in the x coordinate which because of the wedge would result in the wrong path length and a miscalibration. Andrew was able to pin-point how this could have happened and later confirmed it by looking an measurement data from the BXG magnet done just after BXS and comparing photographs. It turned out that the sign of the horizontal stage travel that drives the measurement wire was opposite that of the x coordinate in the Traveler, and the sign difference wasn't applied to the data. The origin x = 0 was set up correctly, but the wire moved in the opposite direction to what was expected, just as if the arc had been flipped over about the origin. To quantitatively confirm that this was the cause of the observed difference in calibration I used the 'grid data', which was taken with a Hall probe on the BXS magnet originally to measure the FINT (focusing effect) term, and combined it with the Hall probe data taken on the flipped trajectory, and performed the field integral on a path that should give the same result as the design path. This is best illustrated in Figure 2. The integration path is coincident with the desired path from the pivot points (x = 0) outward. Between the pivot points the integration path is a mirror image of the design path, but because the magnet is fairly uniform, for this portion it gives the same result. Most of the calibration error

  19. An Examination of Test-Retest, Alternate Form Reliability, and Generalizability Theory Study of the easyCBM Reading Assessments: Grade 5. Technical Report #1220

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Cheng-Fei; Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

    2012-01-01

    This technical report is one in a series of five describing the reliability (test/retest and alternate form) and G-Theory/D-Study research on the easyCBM reading measures, grades 1-5. Data were gathered in the spring of 2011 from a convenience sample of students nested within classrooms at a medium-sized school district in the Pacific Northwest.…

  20. An Examination of Test-Retest, Alternate Form Reliability, and Generalizability Theory Study of the easyCBM Reading Assessments: Grade 2. Technical Report #1217

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Daniel; Lai, Cheg-Fei; Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

    2012-01-01

    This technical report is one in a series of five describing the reliability (test/retest an alternate form) and G-Theory/D-Study on the easyCBM reading measures, grades 1-5. Data were gathered in the spring of 2011 from the convenience sample of students nested within classrooms at a medium-sized school district in the Pacific Northwest. Due to…

  1. An Examination of Test-Retest, Alternate Form Reliability, and Generalizability Theory Study of the easyCBM Reading Assessments: Grade 1. Technical Report #1216

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Daniel; Park, Jasmine, Bitnara; Lai, Cheng-Fei; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

    2012-01-01

    This technical report is one in a series of five describing the reliability (test/retest/and alternate form) and G-Theory/D-Study research on the easy CBM reading measures, grades 1-5. Data were gathered in the spring 2011 from a convenience sample of students nested within classrooms at a medium-sized school district in the Pacific Northwest. Due…

  2. Test-retest reliability and task order effects of emotional cognitive tests in healthy subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Thomas; Pounder, Zoe; Preston, Sally; Hanson, Andy; Gallagher, Peter; Harmer, Catherine J; McAllister-Williams, R Hamish

    2016-11-01

    Little is known of the retest reliability of emotional cognitive tasks or the impact of using different tasks employing similar emotional stimuli within a battery. We investigated this in healthy subjects. We found improved overall performance in an emotional attentional blink task (EABT) with repeat testing at one hour and one week compared to baseline, but the impact of an emotional stimulus on performance was unchanged. Similarly, performance on a facial expression recognition task (FERT) was better one week after a baseline test, though the relative effect of specific emotions was unaltered. There was no effect of repeat testing on an emotional word categorising, recall and recognition task. We found no difference in performance in the FERT and EABT irrespective of task order. We concluded that it is possible to use emotional cognitive tasks in longitudinal studies and combine tasks using emotional facial stimuli in a single battery.

  3. Test-retest reliability of {sup 11}C-ORM-13070 in PET imaging of α{sub 2C}-adrenoceptors in vivo in the human brain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lehto, Jussi; Peltonen, Juha M.; Volanen, Iina; Scheinin, Mika [University of Turku, Clinical Research Services Turku CRST, Turku (Finland); TYKSLAB, Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, Turku (Finland); Virta, Jere R. [University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku PET Centre, Turku (Finland); Turku University Hospital, Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku (Finland); Oikonen, Vesa; Roivainen, Anne; Luoto, Pauliina; Arponen, Eveliina; Helin, Semi; Virtanen, Kirsi [University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku PET Centre, Turku (Finland); Hietamaeki, Johanna; Holopainen, Aila; Rouru, Juha; Sallinen, Jukka [Orion Pharma, Turku (Finland); Kailajaervi, Marita [Turku Imanet, GE Healthcare, Turku (Finland); Rinne, Juha O. [University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku PET Centre, Turku (Finland); Turku University Hospital, Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku (Finland); University of Turku, Clinical Research Services Turku CRST, Turku (Finland)

    2015-01-15

    α{sub 2C}-Adrenoceptors share inhibitory presynaptic functions with the more abundant α{sub 2A}-adrenoceptor subtype, but they also have widespread postsynaptic modulatory functions in the brain. Research on the noradrenergic system of the human brain has been hampered by the lack of suitable PET tracers targeted to the α{sub 2}-adrenoceptor subtypes. PET imaging with the specific α{sub 2C}-adrenoceptor antagonist tracer [{sup 11}C]ORM-13070 was performed twice in six healthy male subjects to investigate the test-retest reliability of tracer binding. The bound/free ratio of tracer uptake relative to nonspecific uptake into the cerebellum during the time interval of 5 - 30 min was most prominent in the dorsal striatum: 0.77 in the putamen and 0.58 in the caudate nucleus. Absolute test-retest variability in bound/free ratios of tracer ranged from 4.3 % in the putamen to 29 % in the hippocampus. Variability was also <10 % in the caudate nucleus and thalamus. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) ranged from 0.50 in the hippocampus to 0.89 in the thalamus (ICC >0.70 was also reached in the caudate nucleus, putamen, lateral frontal cortex and parietal cortex). The pattern of [{sup 11}C]ORM-13070 binding, as determined by PET, was in good agreement with receptor density results previously derived from post-mortem autoradiography. PET data analysis results obtained with a compartmental model fit, the simplified reference tissue model and a graphical reference tissue analysis method were convergent with the tissue ratio method. The results of this study support the use of [{sup 11}C]ORM-13070 PET in the quantitative assessment of α{sub 2C}-adrenoceptors in the human brain in vivo. Reliable assessment of specific tracer binding in the dorsal striatum is possible with the help of reference tissue ratios. (orig.)

  4. Test-retest variability of high resolution positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of cortical serotonin (5HT2A) receptors in older, healthy adults

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chow, Tiffany W; Mamo, David C; Uchida, Hiroyuki; Graff-Guerrero, Ariel; Houle, Sylvain; Smith, Gwenn S; Pollock, Bruce G; Mulsant, Benoit H

    2009-01-01

    Position emission tomography (PET) imaging using [ 18 F]-setoperone to quantify cortical 5-HT 2A receptors has the potential to inform pharmacological treatments for geriatric depression and dementia. Prior reports indicate a significant normal aging effect on serotonin 5HT 2A receptor (5HT 2A R) binding potential. The purpose of this study was to assess the test-retest variability of [ 18 F]-setoperone PET with a high resolution scanner (HRRT) for measuring 5HT 2A R availability in subjects greater than 60 years old. Methods: Six healthy subjects (age range = 65–78 years) completed two [ 18 F]-setoperone PET scans on two separate occasions 5–16 weeks apart. The average difference in the binding potential (BP ND ) as measured on the two occasions in the frontal and temporal cortical regions ranged between 2 and 12%, with the lowest intraclass correlation coefficient in anterior cingulate regions. We conclude that the test-retest variability of [ 18 F]-setoperone PET in elderly subjects is comparable to that of [ 18 F]-setoperone and other 5HT 2A R radiotracers in younger subject samples

  5. Test–Retest Reliability and Concurrent Validity of an fMRI-Compatible Pneumatic Vibrator to Stimulate Muscle Proprioceptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goossens, Nina; Janssens, Lotte; Pijnenburg, Madelon; Caeyenberghs, Karen; Van Rompuy, Charlotte; Meugens, Paul; Sunaert, Stefan; Brumagne, Simon

    Processing proprioceptive information in the brain is essential for optimal postural control and can be studied with proprioceptive stimulation, provided by muscle vibration, during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Classic electromagnetic muscle vibrators, however, cannot be used in the high-strength magnetic field of the fMRI scanner. Pneumatic vibrators offer an fMRI-compatible alternative. However, whether these devices produce reliable and valid proprioceptive stimuli has not been investigated, although this is essential for these devices to be used in longitudinal research. Test–retest reliability and concurrent validity of the postural response to muscle vibration, provided by custom-made fMRI-compatible pneumatic vibrators, were assessed in a repeated-measures design. Mean center of pressure (CoP) displacements during, respectively, ankle muscle and back muscle vibration (45–60 Hz, 0.5 mm) provided by an electromagnetic and a pneumatic vibrator were measured in ten young healthy subjects. The test was repeated on the same day and again within one week. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess (a) intra- and interday reliability of the postural responses to, respectively, pneumatic and electromagnetic vibration, and (b) concurrent validity of the response to pneumatic compared to electromagnetic vibration. Test–retest reliability of mean CoP displacements during pneumatic vibration was good to excellent (ICCs = 0.64–0.90) and resembled that of responses to electromagnetic vibration (ICCs = 0.64–0.94). Concurrent validity of the postural effect of pneumatic vibration was good to excellent (ICCs = 0.63–0.95). In conclusion, the proposed fMRI-compatible pneumatic vibrator can be used with confidence to stimulate muscle spindles during fMRI to study central processing of proprioception.

  6. A Test-Retest Reliability Study of the Whiplash Disability Questionnaire in Patients With Acute Whiplash-Associated Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stupar, Maja; Côté, Pierre; Beaton, Dorcas E; Boyle, Eleanor; Cassidy, J David

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability and the Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) of the Whiplash Disability Questionnaire (WDQ) in individuals with acute whiplash-associated disorders (WADs). We performed a test-retest reliability study. We included insurance claimants from Ontario who were at least 18 years of age, within 21 days of their motor vehicle collision and diagnosed as having acute WAD grades I to III. The WDQ, a 13-item questionnaire scored from 0 (no disability) to 130 (complete disability), was administered to all participants at baseline and by telephone 3 days later. We computed the intraclass correlation coefficient (model 2,1) and the MDC with 95% confidence intervals (CIs; MDC95). The mean (SD) age of the 66 participants was 41.6 (12.7) years and 71.2% were female. Twenty-nine percent had WAD I and 71.2% had WAD II. Time since injury ranged from 0 to 19 days. The mean (SD) baseline WDQ score was 49.3 (28.8) and 46.5 (29.8) 3 days later. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the WDQ total score was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.85-0.92) in the entire sample and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.69-0.93) for the 15 participants reporting no change in neck pain. The MDC95 of the WDQ was 21.4 (SD = 14.9) for participants reporting no change. The WDQ was reliable in individuals with acute WAD. There is 95% confidence that a change of approximately one-sixth of the total score is beyond the daily variation of a stable condition. This level of measurement error must be taken into consideration when interpreting change in WDQ scores. Copyright © 2015 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Static and Dynamic Handgrip Strength Endurance: Test-Retest Reproducibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerodimos, Vassilis; Karatrantou, Konstantina; Psychou, Dimitra; Vasilopoulou, Theodora; Zafeiridis, Andreas

    2017-03-01

    This study investigated the reliability of static and dynamic handgrip strength endurance using different protocols and indicators for the assessment of strength endurance. Forty young, healthy men and women (age, 18-22 years) performed 2 handgrip strength endurance protocols: a static protocol (sustained submaximal contraction at 50% of maximal voluntary contraction) and a dynamic one (8, 10, and 12 maximal repetitions). The participants executed each protocol twice to assess the test-retest reproducibility. Total work and total time were used as indicators of strength endurance in the static protocol; the strength recorded at each maximal repetition, the percentage change, and fatigue index were used as indicators of strength endurance in the dynamic protocol. The static protocol showed high reliability irrespective of sex and hand for total time and work. The 12-repetition dynamic protocol exhibited moderate-high reliability for repeated maximal repetitions and percentage change; the 8- and 10-repetition protocols demonstrated lower reliability irrespective of sex and hand. The fatigue index was not a reliable indicator for the assessment of dynamic handgrip endurance. Static handgrip endurance can be measured reliably using the total time and total work as indicators of strength endurance. For the evaluation of dynamic handgrip endurance, the 12-repetition protocol is recommended, using the repeated maximal repetitions and percentage change as indicators of strength endurance. Practitioners should consider the static (50% maximal voluntary contraction) and dynamic (12 repeated maximal repetitions) protocols as reliable for the assessment of handgrip strength endurance. The evaluation of static endurance in conjunction with dynamic endurance would provide more complete information about hand function. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Validity and test-retest reliability of manual goniometers for measuring passive hip range of motion in femoroacetabular impingement patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nussbaumer Silvio

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The aims of this study were to evaluate the construct validity (known group, concurrent validity (criterion based and test-retest (intra-rater reliability of manual goniometers to measure passive hip range of motion (ROM in femoroacetabular impingement patients and healthy controls. Methods Passive hip flexion, abduction, adduction, internal and external rotation ROMs were simultaneously measured with a conventional goniometer and an electromagnetic tracking system (ETS on two different testing sessions. A total of 15 patients and 15 sex- and age-matched healthy controls participated in the study. Results The goniometer provided greater hip ROM values compared to the ETS (range 2.0-18.9 degrees; P P Conclusions The present study suggests that goniometer-based assessments considerably overestimate hip joint ROM by measuring intersegmental angles (e.g., thigh flexion on trunk for hip flexion rather than true hip ROM. It is likely that uncontrolled pelvic rotation and tilt due to difficulties in placing the goniometer properly and in performing the anatomically correct ROM contribute to the overrating of the arc of these motions. Nevertheless, conventional manual goniometers can be used with confidence for longitudinal assessments in the clinic.

  9. Low-order dynamical system model of a fully developed turbulent channel flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Nicholas; Tutkun, Murat; Cal, Raúl Bayoán

    2017-06-01

    A reduced order model of a turbulent channel flow is composed from a direct numerical simulation database hosted at the Johns Hopkins University. Snapshot proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is used to identify the Hilbert space from which the reduced order model is obtained, as the POD basis is defined to capture the optimal energy content by mode. The reduced order model is defined by coupling the evolution of the dynamic POD mode coefficients through their respective time derivative with a least-squares polynomial fit of terms up to third order. Parameters coupling the dynamics of the POD basis are defined in analog to those produced in the classical Galerkin projection. The resulting low-order dynamical system is tested for a range of basis modes demonstrating that the non-linear mode interactions do not lead to a monotonic decrease in error propagation. A basis of five POD modes accounts for 50% of the integrated turbulence kinetic energy but captures only the largest features of the turbulence in the channel flow and is not able to reflect the anticipated flow dynamics. Using five modes, the low-order model is unable to accurately reproduce Reynolds stresses, and the root-mean-square error of the predicted stresses is as great as 30%. Increasing the basis to 28 modes accounts for 90% of the kinetic energy and adds intermediate scales to the dynamical system. The difference between the time derivatives of the random coefficients associated with individual modes and their least-squares fit is amplified in the numerical integration leading to unstable long-time solutions. Periodic recalibration of the dynamical system is undertaken by limiting the integration time to the range of the sampled data and offering the dynamical system new initial conditions. Renewed initial conditions are found by pushing the mode coefficients in the end of the integration time toward a known point along the original trajectories identified through a least-squares projection. Under

  10. Test-Retest Reliability, Convergent Validity, and Internal Consistency of the Persian Version of Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale in Iranian Community-Dwelling Older Adults

    OpenAIRE

    Azar Sabet; Akram Azad; Ghorban Taghizadeh

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate convergent validity, test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Persian translation of the Fullerton advanced balance (FAB) for use in Iranian community- dwelling older adults and improve the quality of their functional balance assessment. Methods & Materials: The original scale was translated with forward-backward protocol. In the next step, using convenience sampling and inclusion criteria, 88 functionally indep...

  11. Widget: A data acquisition system for a balloon borne Si particle calorimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colavita, A.; Aversa, F.; Venkataraman, S.; Battaiotto, P.

    1993-04-01

    We describe Widget; a complete data acquisition system (DAS) designed for a balloon-borne calorimeter using silicon strip detectors. The design includes a general purpose CPU as well as five to twenty Digital Signal Processors in order to control the acquisition of the data. This local intelligence also allows the instrument to re-calibrate itself, to perform calculations on the data and to control the functionality of the instrumentation. The DSPs filter the data to avoid overflowing the radio link to ground. In principle the system could control the instruments, without direct intervention from the ground, on flights with durations of several days. (author). 7 refs, 2 figs

  12. Developing and validating the Communication Function Classification System for individuals with cerebral palsy

    Science.gov (United States)

    HIDECKER, MARY JO COOLEY; PANETH, NIGEL; ROSENBAUM, PETER L; KENT, RAYMOND D; LILLIE, JANET; EULENBERG, JOHN B; CHESTER, KEN; JOHNSON, BRENDA; MICHALSEN, LAUREN; EVATT, MORGAN; TAYLOR, KARA

    2011-01-01

    Aim The purpose of this study was to create and validate a Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) for children with cerebral palsy (CP) that can be used by a wide variety of individuals who are interested in CP. This paper reports the content validity, interrater reliability, and test–retest reliability of the CFCS for children with CP. Method An 11-member development team created comprehensive descriptions of the CFCS levels, and four nominal groups comprising 27 participants critiqued these levels. Within a Delphi survey, 112 participants commented on the clarity and usefulness of the CFCS. Interrater reliability was completed by 61 professionals and 68 parents/relatives who classified 69 children with CP aged 2 to 18 years. Test–retest reliability was completed by 48 professionals who allowed at least 2 weeks between classifications. The participants who assessed the CFCS were all relevant stakeholders: adults with CP, parents of children with CP, educators, occupational therapists, physical therapists, physicians, and speech–language pathologists. Results The interrater reliability of the CFCS was 0.66 between two professionals and 0.49 between a parent and a professional. Professional interrater reliability improved to 0.77 for classification of children older than 4 years. The test–retest reliability was 0.82. Interpretation The CFCS demonstrates content validity and shows very good test–retest reliability, good professional interrater reliability, and moderate parent–professional interrater reliability. Combining the CFCS with the Gross Motor Function Classification System and the Manual Ability Classification System contributes to a functional performance view of daily life for individuals with CP, in accordance with the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. PMID:21707596

  13. Qualidades psicométricas no papel da Escala de Habilidades de Vida Independente de pacientes psiquiátricos (ILSS-BR: fidedignidade do teste e do reteste

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bandeira Marina

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo fazer a análise psicométrica de fidedignidade do teste e do reteste da versão brasileira da escala Independent Living Skills Survey (ILSS-BR, que avalia a autonomia de pacientes crônicos em diversas áreas do funcionamento social. Um estudo prévio havia mostrado que esta escala apresentava qualidades psicométricas adequadas de consistência interna das suas subescalas, assim como validade discriminante e validade de construto, sem ter avaliado, no entanto, sua estabilidade temporal. Os resultados da presente pesquisa mostraram que a escala ILSS-BR apresentou coeficientes de correlação significativos entre os escores do teste e do reteste, para todas as suas subescalas e para o escore global. Esses resultados indicam que o ILSS-BR é um instrumento de medida que apresenta estabilidade temporal, mostrando-se, portanto, um instrumento fidedigno para ser utilizado no planejamento e na avaliação de programas relacionados à reabilitação psicossocial de pacientes psiquiátricos, no contexto brasileiro.

  14. An Examination of Test-Retest, Alternate Form Reliability, and Generalizability Theory Study of the easyCBM Passage Reading Fluency Assessments: Grade 4. Technical Report #1219

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Lai, Cheng-Fei; Tindal, Gerald

    2012-01-01

    This technical report is one in a series of five describing the reliability (test/retest and alternate form) and G-Theory/D-Study research on the easyCBM reading measures, grades 1-5. Data were gathered in the spring of 2011 from a convenience sample of students nested within classrooms at a medium-sized school district in the Pacific Northwest.…

  15. Test-retest repeatability of strength capacity, aerobic power and pericranial tenderness of neck and shoulder muscles in children - relevant for tension-type headache

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tornøe, Birte; Andersen, Lars L; Skotte, J H

    2013-01-01

    Frequent or chronic tension-type headache in children is a prevalent and debilitating condition for the child, often leading to medication overuse. To explore the relationship between physical factors and tension-type headache in children, the quality of repeated measures was examined. The aim of...... of the present study was to determine the test-retest repeatability of parameters determining isometric neck and shoulder strength and stability, aerobic power, and pericranial tenderness in children....

  16. MicroPET imaging of 5-HT{sub 1A} receptors in rat brain: a test-retest [{sup 18}F]MPPF study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aznavour, Nicolas [McGill University, Department of Psychiatry, Montreal, QC (Canada)]|[Laboratory of Neuroenergetics and Cellular Dynamics, EPFL, SV, BMI, Lausanne (Switzerland); Benkelfat, Chawki; Gravel, Paul [McGill University, Department of Psychiatry, Montreal, QC (Canada)]|[McGill University, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal, QC (Canada); Aliaga, Antonio [McGill University, Department of Small Animal Imaging Laboratory, Montreal, QC (Canada); Rosa-Neto, Pedro [Douglas Hospital, Molecular NeuroImaging Laboratory, Montreal, QC (Canada); Bedell, Barry [McGill University, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal, QC (Canada)]|[McGill University, Department of Small Animal Imaging Laboratory, Montreal, QC (Canada); Zimmer, Luc [CERMEP, ANIMAGE Department, Lyon (France)]|[Universite Lyon 1 and CNRS, Lyon (France); Descarries, Laurent [Universite de Montreal, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Montreal, QC (Canada)]|[Universite de Montreal, Department of Physiology, Montreal, QC (Canada)]|[Universite de Montreal, GRSNC, Montreal, QC (Canada)

    2009-01-15

    Earlier studies have shown that positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with the radioligand [{sup 18}F]MPPF allows for measuring the binding potential of serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine{sub 1A} (5-HT{sub 1A}) receptors in different regions of animal and human brain, including that of 5-HT{sub 1A} autoreceptors in the raphe nuclei. In the present study, we sought to determine if such data could be obtained in rat, with a microPET (R4, Concorde Microsystems). Scans from isoflurane-anaesthetised rats (n = 18, including six test-retest) were co-registered with magnetic resonance imaging data, and binding potential, blood to plasma ratio and radiotracer efflux were estimated according to a simplified reference tissue model. Values of binding potential for hippocampus (1.2), entorhinal cortex (1.1), septum (1.1), medial prefrontal cortex (1.0), amygdala (0.8), raphe nuclei (0.6), paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (0.5) and raphe obscurus (0.5) were comparable to those previously measured with PET in cats, non-human primates or humans. Test-retest variability was in the order of 10% in the larger brain regions (hippocampus, medial prefrontal and entorhinal cortex) and less than 20% in small nuclei such as the septum and the paraventricular hypothalamic, basolateral amygdaloid and raphe nuclei. MicroPET brain imaging of 5-HT{sub 1A} receptors with [{sup 18}F]MPPF thus represents a promising avenue for investigating 5-HT{sub 1A} receptor function in rat. (orig.)

  17. Delineating a Retesting Zone Using Receiver Operating Characteristic Analysis on Serial QuantiFERON Tuberculosis Test Results in US Healthcare Workers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wendy Thanassi

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To find a statistically significant separation point for the QuantiFERON Gold In-Tube (QFT interferon gamma release assay that could define an optimal “retesting zone” for use in serially tested low-risk populations who have test “reversions” from initially positive to subsequently negative results. Method. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC to analyze retrospective data collected from 3 major hospitals, we searched for predictors of reversion until statistically significant separation points were revealed. A confirmatory regression analysis was performed on an additional sample. Results. In 575 initially positive US healthcare workers (HCWs, 300 (52.2% had reversions, while 275 (47.8% had two sequential positive tests. The most statistically significant (Kappa = 0.48, chi-square = 131.0, P<0.001 separation point identified by the ROC for predicting reversion was the tuberculosis antigen minus-nil (TBag-nil value at 1.11 International Units per milliliter (IU/mL. The second separation point was found at TBag-nil at 0.72 IU/mL (Kappa = 0.16, chi-square = 8.2, P<0.01. The model was validated by the regression analysis of 287 HCWs. Conclusion. Reversion likelihood increases as the TBag-nil approaches the manufacturer's cut-point of 0.35 IU/mL. The most statistically significant separation point between those who test repeatedly positive and those who revert is 1.11 IU/mL. Clinicians should retest low-risk individuals with initial QFT results < 1.11 IU/mL.

  18. A within-sample investigation of test–retest reliability in choice experiment surveys with real economic incentives

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mørkbak, Morten Raun; Olsen, Søren Bøye

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate the level of agreement between respondents' choices in identical choice sets in a test-retest choice experiment for a market good with real economic incentives, thus investigating whether the incentivised CE method can be reliable and stable over time. Besides...... comparing choices, we also test for differences in preferences and error variance when a sample of respondents is given the exact same questionnaire twice, with a time lag of 2 weeks in between. Finally, we examine potential reasons and covariates explaining the level of agreement in choices across the 2...... weeks. Across four different tests, we find very good agreement between the two choice experiments - both with respect to overall choices and with respect to preferences. Furthermore, error variances do not differ significantly between the two surveys. The results also show that the larger the utility...

  19. Space vehicle electromechanical system and helical antenna winding fixture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Judd, Stephen; Dallmann, Nicholas; Guenther, David; Enemark, Donald; Seitz, Daniel; Martinez, John; Storms, Steven

    2017-12-26

    A space vehicle electromechanical system may employ an architecture that enables convenient and practical testing, reset, and retesting of solar panel and antenna deployment on the ground. A helical antenna winding fixture may facilitate winding and binding of the helical antenna.

  20. Assessing the test-retest repeatability of the Vietnamese version of the National Eye Institute 25-item Visual Function Questionnaire among bilateral cataract patients for a Vietnamese population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    To, Kien Gia; Meuleners, Lynn; Chen, Huei-Yang; Lee, Andy; Do, Dung Van; Duong, Dat Van; Phi, Tien Duy; Tran, Hoang Huy; Nguyen, Nguyen Do

    2014-06-01

    To determine the test-retest repeatability of the National Eye Institute 25-item Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) for use with older Vietnamese adults with bilateral cataract. The questionnaire was translated into Vietnamese and back-translated into English by two independent translators. Patients with bilateral cataract aged 50 and older completed the questionnaire on two separate occasions, one to two weeks after first administration of the questionnaire. Test-retest repeatability was assessed using the Cronbach's α and intraclass correlation coefficients. The average age of participants was 67 ± 8 years and most participants were female (73%). Internal consistency was acceptable with the α coefficient above 0.7 for all subscales and intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.6 or greater in all subscales. The Vietnamese NEI VFQ-25 is reliable for use in studies assessing vision-related quality of life in older adults with bilateral cataract in Vietnam. We propose some modifications to the NEI-VFQ questions to reflect activities of older people in Vietnam. © 2013 ACOTA.

  1. Test-retest assessment of cortical activation induced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation with brain atlas-guided optical topography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Fenghua; Kozel, F. Andrew; Yennu, Amarnath; Croarkin, Paul E.; McClintock, Shawn M.; Mapes, Kimberly S.; Husain, Mustafa M.; Liu, Hanli

    2012-11-01

    Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a technology that stimulates neurons with rapidly changing magnetic pulses with demonstrated therapeutic applications for various neuropsychiatric disorders. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a suitable tool to assess rTMS-evoked brain responses without interference from the magnetic or electric fields generated by the TMS coil. We have previously reported a channel-wise study of combined rTMS/fNIRS on the motor and prefrontal cortices, showing a robust decrease of oxygenated hemoglobin concentration (Δ[HbO2]) at the sites of 1-Hz rTMS and the contralateral brain regions. However, the reliability of this putative clinical tool is unknown. In this study, we develop a rapid optical topography approach to spatially characterize the rTMS-evoked hemodynamic responses on a standard brain atlas. A hemispherical approximation of the brain is employed to convert the three-dimensional topography on the complex brain surface to a two-dimensional topography in the spherical coordinate system. The test-retest reliability of the combined rTMS/fNIRS is assessed using repeated measurements performed two to three days apart. The results demonstrate that the Δ[HbO2] amplitudes have moderate-to-high reliability at the group level; and the spatial patterns of the topographic images have high reproducibility in size and a moderate degree of overlap at the individual level.

  2. Research on calibration field designing for airborne position and orientation system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Jianhong

    2009-10-01

    To analyze the size and location of the calibration field and the stabilization of systematic error parameters, calibration field designing for airborne Position and Orientation System (POS) using actual photogrammetric data is discussed in this paper. The empirical results have verified that a region of 4 strips with 7 images in each strip is appropriate for use as a calibration field, whose location should be within 1° in longitude from the center of the project. If the equipment is changed, the POS must be recalibrated. Otherwise, the flight interval of the calibration field should not exceed 30 days.

  3. Investigating univariate temporal patterns for intrinsic connectivity networks based on complexity and low-frequency oscillation: a test-retest reliability study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, X; Jiao, Y; Tang, T; Wang, H; Lu, Z

    2013-12-19

    Intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) are composed of spatial components and time courses. The spatial components of ICNs were discovered with moderate-to-high reliability. So far as we know, few studies focused on the reliability of the temporal patterns for ICNs based their individual time courses. The goals of this study were twofold: to investigate the test-retest reliability of temporal patterns for ICNs, and to analyze these informative univariate metrics. Additionally, a correlation analysis was performed to enhance interpretability. Our study included three datasets: (a) short- and long-term scans, (b) multi-band echo-planar imaging (mEPI), and (c) eyes open or closed. Using dual regression, we obtained the time courses of ICNs for each subject. To produce temporal patterns for ICNs, we applied two categories of univariate metrics: network-wise complexity and network-wise low-frequency oscillation. Furthermore, we validated the test-retest reliability for each metric. The network-wise temporal patterns for most ICNs (especially for default mode network, DMN) exhibited moderate-to-high reliability and reproducibility under different scan conditions. Network-wise complexity for DMN exhibited fair reliability (ICC<0.5) based on eyes-closed sessions. Specially, our results supported that mEPI could be a useful method with high reliability and reproducibility. In addition, these temporal patterns were with physiological meanings, and certain temporal patterns were correlated to the node strength of the corresponding ICN. Overall, network-wise temporal patterns of ICNs were reliable and informative and could be complementary to spatial patterns of ICNs for further study. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Two Year Longitudinal Change and Test-Retest-Precision of Knee Cartilage Morphology in a Pilot Study for the Osteoarthritis Initiative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eckstein, Felix; Kunz, Manuela; Schutzer, Matt; Hudelmaier, Martin; Jackson, Rebecca D.; Yu, Joseph; Eaton, Charles B.; Schneider, Erika

    2009-01-01

    Objective Fast low angle shot (FLASH) and double echo steady state (DESS) MRI sequences were recently cross-calibrated for quantification of cartilage morphology at 3 Tesla. In this pilot study for the Osteoarthritis Initiative we compare their test-retest precision and sensitivity to longitudinal change. Method 9 participants with mild to moderate clinical OA were imaged at baseline, year 1 and year 2. Coronal 1.5mm FLASH and sagittal 0.7mm DESS sequences were acquired; 1.5mm coronal multiplanar reformats (MPR) were obtained from the DESS. Patellar, femoral and tibial cartilage plates were quantified in paired fashion, with blinding to time point. Results In the weight-bearing femorotibial joint, average precision errors across plates were 1.8% for FLASH, 2.6% for DESS, and 3.0% for MPR-DESS. Volume loss at year 1 was not significant; at year 2 the average change across the femorotibial cartilage plates was −1.7% for FLASH, −2.8% for DESS, and −0.3% for MPR-DESS. Volume change in the lateral tibia (−5.5%; p<0.03), and in the medial (−2.9%; p<0.04) and lateral femorotibial compartment (−3.8%; p<0.03) were significant for DESS. Conclusion FLASH, MPR-DESS and DESS all displayed adequate test-retest precision. Although the comparison between protocols is limited by the small number of participants and by the relatively small longitudinal change in cartilage morphology in this pilot study, the data suggest that significant change can be detected with MRI in a small sample of OA subjects over 2 years. PMID:17560813

  5. Test-retest paradigm of the forced swimming test in female mice is not valid for predicting antidepressant-like activity: participation of acetylcholine and sigma-1 receptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Jing; Hato-Yamada, Noriko; Araki, Hiroaki; Yoshimura, Hiroyuki

    2013-01-01

    The forced swimming test (FST) in mice is widely used to predict the antidepressant activity of a drug, but information describing the immobility of female mice is limited. We investigated whether a prior swimming experience affects the immobility duration in a second FST in female mice and whether the test-retest paradigm is a valid screening tool for antidepressants. Female ICR mice were exposed to the FST using two experimental paradigms: a single FST and a double FST in which mice had experienced FST once 24 h prior to the second trail. The initial FST experience reliably prolonged immobility duration in the second FST. The antidepressants imipramine and paroxetine significantly reduced immobility duration in the single FST, but not in the double FST. Scopolamine and the sigma-1 (σ1) antagonist NE-100 administered before the second trial significantly prevented the prolongation of immobility. Neither a 5-HT1A nor a 5-HT2A receptor agonist affected immobility duration. We suggest that the test-retest paradigm in female mice is not adequate for predicting antidepressant-like activity of a drug; the prolongation of immobility in the double FST is modulated through acetylcholine and σ1 receptors.

  6. Test-retest reliability of pure-tone thresholds from 0.5 to 16 kHz using Sennheiser HDA 200 and Etymotic Research ER-2 earphones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmuziger, Nicolas; Probst, Rudolf; Smurzynski, Jacek

    2004-04-01

    The purposes of the study were: (1) To evaluate the intrasession test-retest reliability of pure-tone thresholds measured in the 0.5-16 kHz frequency range for a group of otologically healthy subjects using Sennheiser HDA 200 circumaural and Etymotic Research ER-2 insert earphones and (2) to compare the data with existing criteria of significant threshold shifts related to ototoxicity and noise-induced hearing loss. Auditory thresholds in the frequency range from 0.5 to 6 kHz and in the extended high-frequency range from 8 to 16 kHz were measured in one ear of 138 otologically healthy subjects (77 women, 61 men; mean age, 24.4 yr; range, 12-51 yr) using HDA 200 and ER-2 earphones. For each subject, measurements of thresholds were obtained twice for both transducers during the same test session. For analysis, the extended high-frequency range from 8 to 16 kHz was subdivided into 8 to 12.5 and 14 to 16 kHz ranges. Data for each frequency and frequency range were analyzed separately. There were no significant differences in repeatability for the two transducer types for all frequency ranges. The intrasession variability increased slightly, but significantly, as frequency increased with the greatest amount of variability in the 14 to 16 kHz range. Analyzing each individual frequency, variability was increased particularly at 16 kHz. At each individual frequency and for both transducer types, intrasession test-retest repeatability from 0.5 to 6 kHz and 8 to 16 kHz was within 10 dB for >99% and >94% of measurements, respectively. The results indicated a false-positive rate of HDA 200. Repeatability was similar for both transducer types. Intrasession test-retest repeatability from 0.5 to 12.5 kHz at each individual frequency including the frequency range susceptible to noise-induced hearing loss was excellent for both transducers. Repeatability was slightly, but significantly poorer in the frequency range from 14 to 16 kHz compared with the frequency ranges from 0.5 to 6

  7. An Examination of Test-Retest, Alternate Form Reliability, and Generalizability Theory Study of the easyCBM Word and Passage Reading Fluency Assessments: Grade 3. Technical Report #1218

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Lai, Cheng-Fei; Tindal, Gerald

    2012-01-01

    This technical report is one in a series of five describing the reliability (test/retest and alternate form) and G-Theory/D-Study research on the easyCBM reading measures, grades 1-5. Data were gathered in the spring of 2011 from a convenience sample of students nested within classrooms at a medium-sized school district in the Pacific Northwest.…

  8. Measuring Visual Function Using the MultiQuity System: Comparison with an Established Device

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrycja Smolarek-Kasprzak

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To compare measures of visual acuity (VA and contrast sensitivity (CS from the Thompson Xpert 2000 and MultiQuity (MiQ devices. Methods. Corrected distance VA (CDVA and CS were measured in the right eye of 73 subjects, on an established system (Thompson Xpert and a novel system (MiQ 720. Regression was used to convert MiQ scores into the Thompson scale. Agreement between the converted MiQ and Thompson scores was investigated using standard agreement indices. Test-retest variability for both devices was also investigated, for a separate sample of 24 subjects. Results. For CDVA, agreement was strong between the MiQ and Thomson devices (accuracy = 0.993, precision = 0.889, CCC = 0.883. For CS, agreement was also strong (accuracy = 0.996, precision = 0.911, CCC = 0.907. Agreement was unaffected by demographic variables or by presence/absence of ocular pathology. Test-retest agreement indices for both devices were excellent: in the range 0.88–0.96 for CDVA and in the range 0.90–0.98 for CS. Conclusion. MiQ measurements exhibit strong agreement with corresponding Thomson measurements, and test-retest results are good for both devices. Agreement between the two devices is unaffected by age or ocular pathology.

  9. Development and clinical application of a computer-aided real-time feedback system for detecting in-bed physical activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Liang-Hsuan; Chiang, Shang-Lin; Wei, Shun-Hwa; Lin, Chueh-Ho; Sung, Wen-Hsu

    2017-08-01

    Being bedridden long-term can cause deterioration in patients' physiological function and performance, limiting daily activities and increasing the incidence of falls and other accidental injuries. Little research has been carried out in designing effective detecting systems to monitor the posture and status of bedridden patients and to provide accurate real-time feedback on posture. The purposes of this research were to develop a computer-aided system for real-time detection of physical activities in bed and to validate the system's validity and test-retest reliability in determining eight postures: motion leftward/rightward, turning over leftward/rightward, getting up leftward/rightward, and getting off the bed leftward/rightward. The in-bed physical activity detecting system consists mainly of a clinical sickbed, signal amplifier, a data acquisition (DAQ) system, and operating software for computing and determining postural changes associated with four load cell sensing components. Thirty healthy subjects (15 males and 15 females, mean age = 27.8 ± 5.3 years) participated in the study. All subjects were asked to execute eight in-bed activities in a random order and to participate in an evaluation of the test-retest reliability of the results 14 days later. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to compare the system's determinations of postural states with researchers' recordings of postural changes. The test-retest reliability of the system's ability to determine postures was analyzed using the interclass correlation coefficient ICC(3,1). The system was found to exhibit high validity and accuracy (r = 0.928, p system was particularly accurate in detecting motion rightward (90%), turning over leftward (83%), sitting up leftward or rightward (87-93%), and getting off the bed (100%). The test-retest reliability ICC(3,1) value was 0.968 (p system developed in this study exhibits satisfactory validity and reliability in detecting changes in

  10. Test-retest repeatability of strength capacity, aerobic power and pericranial tenderness of neck and shoulder muscles in children - relevant for tension-type headache

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tornøe B

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Birte Tornøe,1,2,5,6 Lars L Andersen,3 Jørgen H Skotte,3 Rigmor Jensen,4 Gunvor Gard,1 Liselotte Skov,2 Inger Hallström1 1Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Scania, Sweden; 2Children's Headache Clinic, Department of Pediatrics, University of Copenhagen, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark; 3National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark; 4Danish Headache Center, Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark; 5Department of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark; 6Department of Physiotherapy, Medical Department, University of Copenhagen, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark Background: Frequent or chronic tension-type headache in children is a prevalent and debilitating condition for the child, often leading to medication overuse. To explore the relationship between physical factors and tension-type headache in children, the quality of repeated measures was examined. The aim of the present study was to determine the test-retest repeatability of parameters determining isometric neck and shoulder strength and stability, aerobic power, and pericranial tenderness in children. Methods: Twenty-five healthy children, 9 to 18 years of age, participated in test-retest procedures within a 1-week interval. A computerized padded force transducer was used for testing. The tests included the isometric maximal voluntary contraction and force steadiness of neck flexion and extension, and the isometric maximal voluntary contraction and rate of force of the dominant shoulder. Pericranial tenderness was recorded by means of standardized manual palpation, and a submaximal cycle ergometer test predicted maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max. The measurements were evaluated in steps, using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC; changes in the mean between the two test occasions; the levels of agreement, visualized in Bland

  11. Test-Retest Reliability of Isokinetic Knee Strength Measurements in Children Aged 8 to 10 Years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fagher, Kristina; Fritzson, Annelie; Drake, Anna Maria

    Isokinetic dynamometry is a useful tool to objectively assess muscle strength of children and adults in athletic and rehabilitative settings. This study examined test-retest reliability of isokinetic knee strength measurements in children aged 8 to 10 years and defined limits for the minimum difference (MD) in strength that indicates a clinically important change. Isokinetic knee strength measurements (using the Biodex System 4) in children will provide reliable results. Descriptive laboratory study. In 22 healthy children, 5 maximal concentric (CON) knee extensor (KE) and knee flexor (KF) contractions at 2 angular velocities (60 deg/s and 180 deg/s) and 5 maximal eccentric (ECC) KE/KF contractions at 60 deg/s were assessed 7 days apart. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC 2.1 ) was used to examine relative reliability, and the MD was calculated on the basis of standard error of measurement. ICCs for CON KE/KF peak torque measurements were fair to excellent (range, 0.49-0.81). The MD% values for CON KE and KF ranged from 31% to 37% at 60 deg/s and from 34% to 39% at 180 deg/s. ICCs in the ECC mode were good (range, 0.60-0.70), but associated MD% values were high (>50%). There was no systematic error for CON KE/KF and ECC KE strength measurements at 60 deg/s, but systematic error was found for all other measurements. The dynamometer provides a reliable analysis of isokinetic CON knee strength measurements at 60 deg/s in children aged 8 to 10 years. Measurements at 180 deg/s and in the ECC mode were not reliable, indicating a need for more familiarization prior to testing. The MD values may help clinicians to determine whether a change in knee strength is due to error or intervention.

  12. Test-retest reliability of the novel 5-HT1B receptor PET radioligand [11C]P943

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saricicek, Aybala; Chen, Jason; Ruf, Barbara; Planeta, Beata; Labaree, David; Gallezot, Jean-Dominique; Huang, Yiyun; Subramanyam, Kalyani; Maloney, Kathleen; Matuskey, David; Deserno, Lorenz; Neumeister, Alexander; Krystal, John H.; Carson, Richard E.; Bhagwagar, Zubin

    2015-01-01

    [ 11 C]P943 is a novel, highly selective 5-HT 1B PET radioligand. The aim of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of [ 11 C]P943 using two different modeling methods and to perform a power analysis with each quantification technique. Seven healthy volunteers underwent two PET scans on the same day. Regions of interest (ROIs) were the amygdala, hippocampus, pallidum, putamen, insula, frontal, anterior cingulate, parietal, temporal and occipital cortices, and cerebellum. Two multilinear radioligand quantification techniques were used to estimate binding potential: MA1, using arterial input function data, and the second version of the multilinear reference tissue model analysis (MRTM2), using the cerebellum as the reference region. Between-scan percent variability and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to assess test-retest reliability. We also performed power analyses to determine the method that would allow the least number of subjects using within-subject or between-subject study designs. A voxel-wise ICC analysis for MRTM2 BP ND was performed for the whole brain and all the ROIs studied. Mean percent variability between two scans across regions ranged between 0.4 % and 12.4 % for MA1 BP ND , 0.5 % and 11.5 % for MA1 BP P , 16.7 % and 28.3 % for MA1 BP F , and between 0.2 % and 5.4 % for MRTM2 BP ND . The power analyses showed a greater number of subjects were required using MA1 BP F compared with other outcome measures for both within-subject and between-subject study designs. ICC values were the highest using MRTM2 BP ND and the lowest with MA1 BP F in ten ROIs. Small regions and regions with low binding had lower ICC values than large regions and regions with high binding. Reliable measures of 5-HT 1B receptor binding can be obtained using the novel PET radioligand [ 11 C]P943. Quantification of 5-HT 1B receptor binding with MRTM2 BP ND and with MA1 BP P provided the least variability and optimal power for within-subject and

  13. Research Review: Test-retest reliability of standardized diagnostic interviews to assess child and adolescent psychiatric disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, Laura; Comeau, Jinette; Wang, Li; Vitoroulis, Irene; Boyle, Michael H; Bennett, Kathryn

    2018-02-19

    A better understanding of factors contributing to the observed variability in estimates of test-retest reliability in published studies on standardized diagnostic interviews (SDI) is needed. The objectives of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to estimate the pooled test-retest reliability for parent and youth assessments of seven common disorders, and to examine sources of between-study heterogeneity in reliability. Following a systematic review of the literature, multilevel random effects meta-analyses were used to analyse 202 reliability estimates (Cohen's kappa = ҡ) from 31 eligible studies and 5,369 assessments of 3,344 children and youth. Pooled reliability was moderate at ҡ = .58 (CI 95% 0.53-0.63) and between-study heterogeneity was substantial (Q = 2,063 (df = 201), p reliability varied across informants for specific types of psychiatric disorder (ҡ = .53-.69 for parent vs. ҡ = .39-.68 for youth) with estimates significantly higher for parents on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and the broad groupings of externalizing and any disorder. Reliability was also significantly higher in studies with indicators of poor or fair study methodology quality (sample size reliability of SDIs and the usefulness of these tools in both clinical and research contexts. Potential remedies include the introduction of standardized study and reporting requirements for reliability studies, and exploration of other approaches to assessing and classifying child and adolescent psychiatric disorder. © 2018 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

  14. Preclinical evaluation and test-retest studies of [{sup 18}F]PSS232, a novel radioligand for targeting metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu{sub 5})

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Milicevic Sephton, Selena; Mueller Herde, Adrienne; Keller, Claudia; Ruedisuehli, Sonja; Schibli, Roger; Kraemer, Stefanie D.; Ametamey, Simon M. [Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences of ETH, PSI and USZ, Zurich (Switzerland); Mu, Linjing [University Hospital Zuerich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zuerich (Switzerland); Auberson, Yves [Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel (Switzerland)

    2015-01-15

    A novel, {sup 18}F-labelled metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu{sub 5}) derivative of [{sup 11}C]ABP688 ([{sup 11}C]1), [{sup 18}F]PSS232 ([{sup 18}F]5), was evaluated in vitro and in vivo for its potential as a PET agent and was used in test-retest reliability studies The radiosynthesis of [{sup 18}F]5 was accomplished via a one-step reaction using a mesylate precursor. In vitro stability was determined in PBS and plasma, and with liver microsomal enzymes. Metabolite studies were performed using rat brain extracts, blood and urine. In vitro autoradiography was performed on horizontal slices of rat brain using 1 and 8, antagonists for mGlu{sub 5} and mGlu{sub 1}, respectively. Small-animal PET, biodistribution, and test-retest studies were performed in Wistar rats. In vivo, dose-dependent displacement studies were performed using 6 and blocking studies with 7. [{sup 18}F]5 was obtained in decay-corrected maximal radiochemical yield of 37 % with a specific activity of 80 - 400 GBq/μmol. Treatment with rat and human microsomal enzymes in vitro for 60 min resulted in 20 % and 4 % of hydrophilic radiometabolites, respectively. No hydrophilic decomposition products or radiometabolites were found in PBS or plasma. In vitro autoradiography on rat brain slices showed a heterogeneous distribution consistent with the known distribution of mGlu{sub 5} with high binding to hippocampal and cortical regions, and negligible radioactivity in the cerebellum. Similar distribution of radioactivity was found in PET images. Under displacement conditions with 6, reduced [{sup 18}F]5 binding was found in all brain regions except the cerebellum. 7 reduced binding in the striatum by 84 % on average. Test-retest studies were reproducible with a variability ranging from 6.8 % to 8.2 %. An extended single-dose toxicity study in Wistar rats showed no compound-related adverse effects. The new mGlu{sub 5} radiotracer, [{sup 18}F]5, showed specific and selective in vitro and in vivo

  15. Test-retest reproducibility of dopamine D{sub 2/3} receptor binding in human brain measured by PET with [{sup 11}C]MNPA and [{sup 11}C]raclopride

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kodaka, Fumitoshi [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Molecular Neuroimaging Program, Molecular Imaging Center, Chiba (Japan); Jikei University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo (Japan); Ito, Hiroshi [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Molecular Neuroimaging Program, Molecular Imaging Center, Chiba (Japan); National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Biophysics Program, Molecular Imaging Center, Chiba (Japan); Kimura, Yasuyuki; Fujie, Saori; Takano, Harumasa; Fujiwara, Hironobu; Sasaki, Takeshi; Suhara, Tetsuya [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Molecular Neuroimaging Program, Molecular Imaging Center, Chiba (Japan); Nakayama, Kazuhiko [Jikei University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo (Japan); Halldin, Christer; Farde, Lars [Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2013-04-15

    Dopamine D{sub 2/3} receptors (D{sub 2/3}Rs) have two affinity states for endogenous dopamine, referred to as high-affinity state (D{sub 2/3} {sup HIGH}), which has a high affinity for endogenous dopamine, and low-affinity state (D{sub 2/3} {sup LOW}). The density of D{sub 2/3} {sup HIGH} can be measured with (R)-2-{sup 11}CH{sub 3}O-N-n-propylnorapomorphine ([{sup 11}C]MNPA), while total density of D{sub 2/3} {sup HIGH} and D{sub 2/3} {sup LOW} (D{sub 2/3}Rs) can be measured with [{sup 11}C]raclopride using positron emission tomography (PET). Thus, the ratio of the binding potential (BP) of [{sup 11}C]MNPA to that of [{sup 11}C]raclopride ([{sup 11}C]MNPA/[{sup 11}C]raclopride) may reflect the proportion of the density of D{sub 2/3} {sup HIGH} to that of D{sub 2/3}Rs. In the caudate and putamen, [{sup 11}C]MNPA/[{sup 11}C]raclopride reflects the proportion of the density of D{sub 2} {sup HIGH} to that of D{sub 2}Rs. To evaluate the reliability of the PET paradigm with [{sup 11}C]MNPA and [{sup 11}C]raclopride, we investigated the test-retest reproducibility of non-displaceable BP (BP{sub ND}) measured with [{sup 11}C]MNPA and of [{sup 11}C]MNPA/[{sup 11}C]raclopride in healthy humans. Eleven healthy male volunteers underwent two sets of PET studies on separate days that each included [{sup 11}C]MNPA and [{sup 11}C]raclopride scans. BP{sub ND} values in the caudate and putamen were calculated. Test-retest reproducibility of BP{sub ND} of [{sup 11}C]MNPA and [{sup 11}C]MNPA/[{sup 11}C]raclopride was assessed by intra-subject variability (absolute variability) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: ICC). The absolute variability of [{sup 11}C]MNPA BP{sub ND} was 5.30 {+-} 3.96 % and 12.3 {+-} 7.95 % and the ICC values of [{sup 11}C]MNPA BP{sub ND} were 0.72 and 0.82 in the caudate and putamen, respectively. The absolute variability of [{sup 11}C]MNPA/[{sup 11}C]raclopride was 6.11 {+-} 3.68 % and 11.60 {+-} 5.70 % and the ICC values of [{sup

  16. Diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI in lung cancers. ADC test-retest repeatability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weller, Alex; Papoutsaki, Marianthi Vasiliki; Blackledge, Matthew; DeSouza, Nandita M. [Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, CRUK Cancer Imaging Centre, Surrey (United Kingdom); Waterton, John C. [University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom); Chiti, Arturo [Humanitas University, Milan (Italy); Stroobants, Sigrid [Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerpen (Belgium); Kuijer, Joost [Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Morgan, Veronica [Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Medicine, London (United Kingdom)

    2017-11-15

    To determine the test-retest repeatability of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) measurements across institutions and MRI vendors, plus investigate the effect of post-processing methodology on measurement precision. Thirty malignant lung lesions >2 cm in size (23 patients) were scanned on two occasions, using echo-planar-Diffusion-Weighted (DW)-MRI to derive whole-tumour ADC (b = 100, 500 and 800 s/mm{sup -2}). Scanning was performed at 4 institutions (3 MRI vendors). Whole-tumour volumes-of-interest were copied from first visit onto second visit images and from one post-processing platform to an open-source platform, to assess ADC repeatability and cross-platform reproducibility. Whole-tumour ADC values ranged from 0.66-1.94x10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}s{sup -1} (mean = 1.14). Within-patient coefficient-of-variation (wCV) was 7.1% (95% CI 5.7-9.6%), limits-of-agreement (LoA) -18.0 to 21.9%. Lesions >3 cm had improved repeatability: wCV 3.9% (95% CI 2.9-5.9%); and LoA -10.2 to 11.4%. Variability for lesions <3 cm was 2.46 times higher. ADC reproducibility across different post-processing platforms was excellent: Pearson's R{sup 2} = 0.99; CoV 2.8% (95% CI 2.3-3.4%); and LoA -7.4 to 8.0%. A free-breathing DW-MRI protocol for imaging malignant lung tumours achieved satisfactory within-patient repeatability and was robust to changes in post-processing software, justifying its use in multi-centre trials. For response evaluation in individual patients, a change in ADC >21.9% will reflect treatment-related change. (orig.)

  17. The Phoneme Identification Test for Assessment of Spectral and Temporal Discrimination Skills in Children: Development, Normative Data, and Test-Retest Reliability Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cameron, Sharon; Chong-White, Nicky; Mealings, Kiri; Beechey, Tim; Dillon, Harvey; Young, Taegan

    2018-02-01

    Previous research suggests that a proportion of children experiencing reading and listening difficulties may have an underlying primary deficit in the way that the central auditory nervous system analyses the perceptually important, rapidly varying, formant frequency components of speech. The Phoneme Identification Test (PIT) was developed to investigate the ability of children to use spectro-temporal cues to perceptually categorize speech sounds based on their rapidly changing formant frequencies. The PIT uses an adaptive two-alternative forced-choice procedure whereby the participant identifies a synthesized consonant-vowel (CV) (/ba/ or /da/) syllable. CV syllables differed only in the second formant (F2) frequency along an 11-step continuum (between 0% and 100%-representing an ideal /ba/ and /da/, respectively). The CV syllables were presented in either quiet (PIT Q) or noise at a 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio (PIT N). Development of the PIT stimuli and test protocols, and collection of normative and test-retest reliability data. Twelve adults (aged 23 yr 10 mo to 50 yr 9 mo, mean 32 yr 5 mo) and 137 typically developing, primary-school children (aged 6 yr 0 mo to 12 yr 4 mo, mean 9 yr 3 mo). There were 73 males and 76 females. Data were collected using a touchscreen computer. Psychometric functions were automatically fit to individual data by the PIT software. Performance was determined by the width of the continuum for which responses were neither clearly /ba/ nor /da/ (referred to as the uncertainty region [UR]). A shallower psychometric function slope reflected greater uncertainty. Age effects were determined based on raw scores. Z scores were calculated to account for the effect of age on performance. Outliers, and individual data for which the confidence interval of the UR exceeded a maximum allowable value, were removed. Nonparametric tests were used as the data were skewed toward negative performance. Across participants, the median value of the F2 range

  18. Growth hormone (GH) provocative retesting of 108 young adults with childhood-onset GH deficiency and the diagnostic value of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF-binding protein-3

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Juul, A; Kastrup, K W; Pedersen, S A

    1997-01-01

    .e. 45% of patients treated with GH during childhood because of isolated GHD had a normal GH response when retested in adulthood. Multiple regression analysis revealed that peak GH levels were dependent on the degree of hypopituitarism, body mass index, and duration of disease. IGF-I levels were below -2...

  19. Construct validity, test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Thai version of the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand questionnaire (DASH-TH) in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buntragulpoontawee, Montana; Phutrit, Suphatha; Tongprasert, Siam; Wongpakaran, Tinakon; Khunachiva, Jeeranan

    2018-03-27

    This study evaluated additional psychometric properties of the Thai version of the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand questionnaire (DASH-TH) which included, test-retest reliability, construct validity, internal consistency of in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. As for determining construct validity, the Thai EuroQOL questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) was also administered in order to examine convergent and divergent validity. Fifty patients completed both questionnaires. The DASH-TH showed excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.811) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.911). The exploratory factor analysis yielded a six-factor solution while the confirmatory factor analysis denoted that the hypothesized model adequately fit the data with a comparative fit index of 0.967 and a Tucker-Lewis index of 0.964. The related subscales between the DASH-TH and the Thai EQ-5D-5L were significantly correlated, indicating the DASH-TH's convergent and discriminant validity. The DASH-TH demonstrated good reliability, internal consistency construct validity, and multidimensionality, in assessing the upper extremity function in carpal tunnel syndrome patients.

  20. Validation of the Manchester scoring system for predicting BRCA1/2 mutations in 9,390 families suspected of having hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kast, Karin; Schmutzler, Rita K; Rhiem, Kerstin; Kiechle, Marion; Fischer, Christine; Niederacher, Dieter; Arnold, Norbert; Grimm, Tiemo; Speiser, Dorothee; Schlegelberger, Brigitte; Varga, Dominic; Horvath, Judit; Beer, Marit; Briest, Susanne; Meindl, Alfons; Engel, Christoph

    2014-11-15

    The Manchester scoring system (MSS) allows the calculation of the probability for the presence of mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes in families suspected of having hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. In 9,390 families, we determined the predictive performance of the MSS without (MSS-2004) and with (MSS-2009) consideration of pathology parameters. Moreover, we validated a recalibrated version of the MSS-2009 (MSS-recal). Families were included in the registry of the German Consortium for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer, using defined clinical criteria. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was used to determine the predictive performance. The recalibrated model was developed using logistic regression analysis and tested using an independent random validation sample. The area under the ROC curves regarding a mutation in any of the two BRCA genes was 0.77 (95%CI 0.75-0.79) for MSS-2004, 0.80 (95%CI 0.78-0.82) for MSS-2009, and 0.82 (95%CI 0.80-0.83) for MSS-recal. Sensitivity at the 10% mutation probability cutoff was similar for all three models (MSS-2004 92.2%, MSS-2009 92.2%, and MSS-recal 90.3%), but specificity of MSS-recal (46.0%) was considerably higher than that of MSS-2004 (25.4%) and MSS-2009 (32.3%). In the MSS-recal model, almost all predictors of the original MSS were significantly predictive. However, the score values of some predictors, for example, high grade triple negative breast cancers, differed considerably from the originally proposed score values. The original MSS performed well in our sample of high risk families. The use of pathological parameters increased the predictive performance significantly. Recalibration improved the specificity considerably without losing much sensitivity. © 2014 UICC.

  1. Test-Retest Reliability and Minimal Detectable Change of Randomized Dichotic Digits in Learning-Disabled Children: Implications for Dichotic Listening Training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahdavi, Mohammad Ebrahim; Pourbakht, Akram; Parand, Akram; Jalaie, Shohreh

    2018-03-01

    Evaluation of dichotic listening to digits is a common part of many studies for diagnosis and managing auditory processing disorders in children. Previous researchers have verified test-retest relative reliability of dichotic digits results in normal children and adults. However, detecting intervention-related changes in the ear scores after dichotic listening training requires information regarding trial-to-trial typical variation of individual ear scores that is estimated using indices of absolute reliability. Previous studies have not addressed absolute reliability of dichotic listening results. To compare the results of the Persian randomized dichotic digits test (PRDDT) and its relative and absolute indices of reliability between typical achieving (TA) and learning-disabled (LD) children. A repeated measures observational study. Fifteen LD children were recruited from a previously performed study with age range of 7-12 yr. The control group consisted of 15 TA schoolchildren with age range of 8-11 yr. The Persian randomized dichotic digits test was administered on the children under free recall condition in two test sessions 7-12 days apart. We compared the average of the ear scores and ear advantage between TA and LD children. Relative indices of reliability included Pearson's correlation and intraclass correlation (ICC 2,1 ) coefficients and absolute reliability was evaluated by calculation of standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC) using the raw ear scores. The Pearson correlation coefficient indicated that in both groups of children the ear scores of test and retest sessions were strongly and positively (greater than +0.8) correlated. The ear scores showed excellent ICC coefficient of consistency (0.78-0.82) and fair to excellent ICC coefficient of absolute agreement (0.62-0.74) in TA children and excellent ICC coefficients of consistency and absolute agreement in LD children (0.76-0.87). SEM and SEM% of the ear scores in TA

  2. CPM Test-Retest Reliability: "Standard" vs "Single Test-Stimulus" Protocols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granovsky, Yelena; Miller-Barmak, Adi; Goldstein, Oren; Sprecher, Elliot; Yarnitsky, David

    2016-03-01

    Assessment of pain inhibitory mechanisms using conditioned pain modulation (CPM) is relevant clinically in prediction of pain and analgesic efficacy. Our objective is to provide necessary estimates of intersession CPM reliability, to enable transformation of the CPM paradigm into a clinical tool. Two cohorts of young healthy subjects (N = 65) participated in two dual-session studies. In Study I, a Bath-Thermode CPM protocol was used, with hot water immersion and contact heat as conditioning- and test-stimuli, respectively, in a classical parallel CPM design introducing test-stimulus first, and then the conditioning- and repeated test-stimuli in parallel. Study II consisted of two CPM protocols: 1) Two-Thermodes, one for each of the stimuli, in the same parallel design as above, and 2) single test-stimulus (STS) protocol with a single administration of a contact heat test-stimulus, partially overlapped in time by a remote shorter contact heat as conditioning stimulus. Test-retest reliability was assessed within 3-7 days. The STS-CPM had superior reliability intraclass correlation (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.59) over Bath-Thermode (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.34) or Two-Thermodes (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.21) protocols. The hand immersion conditioning pain had higher reliability than thermode pain (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.76 vs ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.16). Conditioned test-stimulus pain scores were of good (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.62) or fair (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.43) reliability for the Bath-Thermode and the STS, respectively, but not for the Two-Thermodes protocol (ICC 2 ,: 1  = 0.20). The newly developed STS-CPM paradigm was more reliable than other CPM protocols tested here, and should be further investigated for its clinical relevance. It appears that large contact size of the conditioning-stimulus and use of single rather than dual test-stimulus pain contribute to augmentation of CPM reliability. © 2015 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e

  3. Test Re-Test Reliability of Four Versions of the 3-Cone Test in Non-Athletic Men

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason G. Langley, Robert D. Chetlin

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Until recently, measurement and evaluation in sport science, especially agility testing, has not always included key elements of proper test construction. Often tests are published without reporting reliability and validity analysis for a specific population. The purpose of the present study was to examine the test re-test reliability of four versions of the 3-Cone Test (3CT, and provide guidance on proper test construction for testing agility in athletic populations. Forty male students enrolled in classes in the Department of Physical Education at a mid-Atlantic university participated. On each of test day participants performed 10 trials. In random order, they performed three trials to the right (3CTR, standard test, three to the left (3CTL, and two modified trials (3CTAR and 3CTAL, which included a reactive component in which a visual cue was given to indicate direction. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC indicated a moderate to high reliability for the four tests, 3CTR 0.79 (0.64-0.88, 95%CI, 3CTL 0.73 (0.55-0.85, 3CTAR 0.85(0.74-0.92, and 3CTAL 0.79 (0.64-0.88. Small standard error of the measurement (SEM was found; range 0.09 to 0.10. Pearson correlations between tests were high (0.82-0.92 on day one as well as day two (0.72-0.85. These results indicate each version of the 3-Cone Test is reliable; however, further tests are needed with specific athletic populations. Only the 3CTAR and 3CTAL are tests of agility due to the inclusion of a reactive component. Future studies examining agility testing and training should incorporate technological elements, including automated timing systems and motion capture analysis. Such instrumentation will allow for optimal design of tests that simulate sport-specific game conditions.

  4. Test-retest reproducibility of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 ligand [18F]FPEB with bolus plus constant infusion in humans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Eunkyung; Sullivan, Jenna M.; Planeta, Beata; Gallezot, Jean-Dominique; Lim, Keunpoong; Lin, Shu-Fei; Ropchan, Jim; Huang, Yiyun; Carson, Richard E.; McCarthy, Timothy J.; Ding, Yu-Shin; Morris, Evan D.; Williams, Wendol A.

    2015-01-01

    [ 18 F]FPEB is a promising PET radioligand for the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5), a potential target for the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reproducibility of [ 18 F]FPEB in the human brain. Seven healthy male subjects were scanned twice, 3 - 11 weeks apart. Dynamic data were acquired using bolus plus infusion of 162 ± 32 MBq [ 18 F]FPEB. Four methods were used to estimate volume of distribution (V T ): equilibrium analysis (EQ) using arterial (EQ A ) or venous input data (EQ V ), MA1, and a two-tissue compartment model (2 T). Binding potential (BP ND ) was also estimated using cerebellar white matter (CWM) or gray matter (CGM) as the reference region using EQ, 2 T and MA1. Absolute test-retest variability (aTRV) of V T and BP ND were calculated for each method. Venous blood measurements (C V ) were compared with arterial input (C A ) to examine their usability in EQ analysis. Regional V T estimated by the four methods displayed a high degree of agreement (r 2 ranging from 0.83 to 0.99 among the methods), although EQ A and EQ V overestimated V T by a mean of 9 % and 7 %, respectively, compared to 2 T. Mean values of aTRV of V T were 11 % by EQ A , 12 % by EQ V , 14 % by MA1 and 14 % by 2 T. Regional BP ND also agreed well among the methods and mean aTRV of BP ND was 8 - 12 % (CWM) and 7 - 9 % (CGM). Venous and arterial blood concentrations of [ 18 F]FPEB were well matched during equilibrium (C V = 1.01 . C A , r 2 = 0.95). [ 18 F]FPEB binding shows good TRV with minor differences among analysis methods. Venous blood can be used as an alternative for input function measurement instead of arterial blood in EQ analysis. Thus, [ 18 F]FPEB is an excellent PET imaging tracer for mGluR5 in humans. (orig.)

  5. Overview of on-line core monitoring system BEACON

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dai Qing; Chen Xiaosong

    2013-01-01

    After more than 20 years of development, key technologies embedded with such system have reached a certain degree of maturity among some foreign countries. However, domestically, there is no comparable system yet. Through in-depth research and analysis on the most widely used core monitoring system in the world, BEACON, it's hope that this will provide guidance on our independent development of the first core monitoring system in China. Excore detectors, core outlet thermocouples and incore movable detectors are used to provide measure data on the status of the core for BEACON. Under the assumption of nodal homogeneity, an effective fast group model is used to solve the diffusion equation, followed by core-wise interpolation by Green's function. Finally, reconstruction of a calculated core is fitted with measured data using the surface spline function. The most significant technological advances are core monitoring during unstable core conditions, the use of nodal expansion method to improve accuracy and the adoption of single point calibration to increase the period of recalibration for the whole core. (authors)

  6. A review of culturally adapted versions of the Oswestry Disability Index: the adaptation process, construct validity, test-retest reliability and internal consistency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheahan, Peter J; Nelson-Wong, Erika J; Fischer, Steven L

    2015-01-01

    The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is a self-report-based outcome measure used to quantify the extent of disability related to low back pain (LBP), a substantial contributor to workplace absenteeism. The ODI tool has been adapted for use by patients in several non-English speaking nations. It is unclear, however, if these adapted versions of the ODI are as credible as the original ODI developed for English-speaking nations. The objective of this study was to conduct a review of the literature to identify culturally adapted versions of the ODI and to report on the adaptation process, construct validity, test-retest reliability and internal consistency of these ODIs. Following a pragmatic review process, data were extracted from each study with regard to these four outcomes. While most studies applied adaptation processes in accordance with best-practice guidelines, there were some deviations. However, all studies reported high-quality psychometric properties: group mean construct validity was 0.734 ± 0.094 (indicated via a correlation coefficient), test-retest reliability was 0.937 ± 0.032 (indicated via an intraclass correlation coefficient) and internal consistency was 0.876 ± 0.047 (indicated via Cronbach's alpha). Researchers can be confident when using any of these culturally adapted ODIs, or when comparing and contrasting results between cultures where these versions were employed. Implications for Rehabilitation Low back pain is the second leading cause of disability in the world, behind only cancer. The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) has been developed as a self-report outcome measure of low back pain for administration to patients. An understanding of the various cross-cultural adaptations of the ODI is important for more concerted multi-national research efforts. This review examines 16 cross-cultural adaptations of the ODI and should inform the work of health care and rehabilitation professionals.

  7. A comparison between the original and Tablet-based Symbol Digit Modalities Test in patients with schizophrenia: Test-retest agreement, random measurement error, practice effect, and ecological validity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Shih-Fen; Chen, I-Hui; Chiang, Hsin-Yu; Wu, Chien-Te; Hsueh, I-Ping; Yu, Wan-Hui; Hsieh, Ching-Lin

    2017-11-27

    We aimed to compare the test-retest agreement, random measurement error, practice effect, and ecological validity of the original and Tablet-based Symbol Digit Modalities Test (T-SDMT) over five serial assessments, and to examine the concurrent validity of the T-SDMT in patients with schizophrenia. Sixty patients with chronic schizophrenia completed five serial assessments (one week apart) of the SDMT and T-SDMT and one assessment of the Activities of Daily Living Rating Scale III at the first time point. Both measures showed high test-retest agreement, similar levels of random measurement error over five serial assessments. Moreover, the practice effects of the two measures did not reach a plateau phase after five serial assessments in young and middle-aged participants. Nevertheless, only the practice effect of the T-SDMT became trivial after the first assessment. Like the SDMT, the T-SDMT had good ecological validity. The T-SDMT also had good concurrent validity with the SDMT. In addition, only the T-SDMT had discriminative validity to discriminate processing speed in young and middle-aged participants. Compared to the SDMT, the T-SDMT had overall slightly better psychometric properties, so it can be an alternative measure to the SDMT for assessing processing speed in patients with schizophrenia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Testing a videogame intervention to recalibrate physician heuristics in trauma triage: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan, Deepika; Rosengart, Matthew R; Fischhoff, Baruch; Angus, Derek C; Farris, Coreen; Yealy, Donald M; Wallace, David J; Barnato, Amber E

    2016-11-11

    Between 30 and 40 % of patients with severe injuries receive treatment at non-trauma centers (under-triage), largely because of physician decision making. Existing interventions to improve triage by physicians ignore the role that intuition (heuristics) plays in these decisions. One such heuristic is to form an initial impression based on representativeness (how typical does a patient appear of one with severe injuries). We created a video game (Night Shift) to recalibrate physician's representativeness heuristic in trauma triage. We developed Night Shift in collaboration with emergency medicine physicians, trauma surgeons, behavioral scientists, and game designers. Players take on the persona of Andy Jordan, an emergency medicine physician, who accepts a new job in a small town. Through a series of cases that go awry, they gain experience with the contextual cues that distinguish patients with minor and severe injuries (based on the theory of analogical encoding) and receive emotionally-laden feedback on their performance (based on the theory of narrative engagement). The planned study will compare the effect of Night Shift with that of an educational program on physician triage decisions and on physician heuristics. Psychological theory predicts that cognitive load increases reliance on heuristics, thereby increasing the under-triage rate when heuristics are poorly calibrated. We will randomize physicians (n = 366) either to play the game or to review an educational program, and will assess performance using a validated virtual simulation. The validated simulation includes both control and cognitive load conditions. We will compare rates of under-triage after exposure to the two interventions (primary outcome) and will compare the effect of cognitive load on physicians' under-triage rates (secondary outcome). We hypothesize that: a) physicians exposed to Night Shift will have lower rates of under-triage compared to those exposed to the educational program

  9. Changes in Hearing Sensitivity Following Portable Stereo System Use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pugsley, S; Stuart, A; Kalinowski, J; Armson, J

    1993-11-01

    Changes in hearing sensitivity following portable stereo system (PSS; Sony Walkman Model WM-AF605 with Sony Semiaural Headphones Model MDR-A21L) use were investigated. Test-retest differences (TRDs) in audiometric thresholds at eight frequencies (250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000, & 8000 Hz) were obtained from 15 young adults before and after one hour of PSS exposure at their preferred listening levels.Values for the 95% confidence levels representing critical differences in test-retest auditory thresholds for the eight test frequencies were generated from a control group of 15 young adults. Experimental subjects' TRDs, when compared to the critical TRDs, failed to display a decrease in hearing sensitivity after one hour of PSS use. It is suggested that PSS use at preferred listening levels, following an exposure time of one hour, may not contribute to a significant impairment in hearing sensitivity.

  10. Test-retest reliability of the novel 5-HT{sub 1B} receptor PET radioligand [{sup 11}C]P943

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saricicek, Aybala [Yale University, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT (United States); Connecticut Mental Health Center, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, New Haven, CT (United States); Izmir Katip Celebi University, Department of Psychiatry, Izmir (Turkey); Chen, Jason; Ruf, Barbara [Yale University, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT (United States); Planeta, Beata; Labaree, David; Gallezot, Jean-Dominique; Huang, Yiyun [Yale University, PET Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, New Haven, CT (United States); Subramanyam, Kalyani; Maloney, Kathleen [Yale University, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT (United States); Connecticut Mental Health Center, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, New Haven, CT (United States); Matuskey, David [Yale University, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT (United States); Connecticut Mental Health Center, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, New Haven, CT (United States); Yale University, PET Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, New Haven, CT (United States); Deserno, Lorenz [Charite - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charite Mitte, Berlin (Germany); Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Berlin (Germany); Neumeister, Alexander [Yale University, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT (United States); Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY (United States); VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT (United States); Krystal, John H. [Yale University, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT (United States); Connecticut Mental Health Center, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, New Haven, CT (United States); VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT (United States); Carson, Richard E. [Connecticut Mental Health Center, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, New Haven, CT (United States); Bhagwagar, Zubin [Yale University, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT (United States); Connecticut Mental Health Center, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, New Haven, CT (United States); Bristol-Myers Squibb, Wallingford, CT (United States)

    2014-11-27

    [{sup 11}C]P943 is a novel, highly selective 5-HT{sub 1B} PET radioligand. The aim of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of [{sup 11}C]P943 using two different modeling methods and to perform a power analysis with each quantification technique. Seven healthy volunteers underwent two PET scans on the same day. Regions of interest (ROIs) were the amygdala, hippocampus, pallidum, putamen, insula, frontal, anterior cingulate, parietal, temporal and occipital cortices, and cerebellum. Two multilinear radioligand quantification techniques were used to estimate binding potential: MA1, using arterial input function data, and the second version of the multilinear reference tissue model analysis (MRTM2), using the cerebellum as the reference region. Between-scan percent variability and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to assess test-retest reliability. We also performed power analyses to determine the method that would allow the least number of subjects using within-subject or between-subject study designs. A voxel-wise ICC analysis for MRTM2 BP{sub ND} was performed for the whole brain and all the ROIs studied. Mean percent variability between two scans across regions ranged between 0.4 % and 12.4 % for MA1 BP{sub ND}, 0.5 % and 11.5 % for MA1 BP{sub P}, 16.7 % and 28.3 % for MA1 BP{sub F}, and between 0.2 % and 5.4 % for MRTM2 BP{sub ND}. The power analyses showed a greater number of subjects were required using MA1 BP{sub F} compared with other outcome measures for both within-subject and between-subject study designs. ICC values were the highest using MRTM2 BP{sub ND} and the lowest with MA1 BP{sub F} in ten ROIs. Small regions and regions with low binding had lower ICC values than large regions and regions with high binding. Reliable measures of 5-HT{sub 1B} receptor binding can be obtained using the novel PET radioligand [{sup 11}C]P943. Quantification of 5-HT{sub 1B} receptor binding with MRTM2 BP{sub ND} and with MA1 BP{sub P

  11. Self-Aligning and Self-Calibrating Capacitive Sensor System for Displacement Measurement in Inaccessible Industrial Environments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van de Ven, Oscar; Vogel, J.G.; Xia, Sha; Spronck, J.W.; Nihtianov, S.

    2017-01-01

    High-precision positioning often requires high speed and high resolution displacement measurements in order to compensate for the small vibrations of critical components. The displacement sensor must be precise and stable over a long period of time to avoid expensive recalibration. This requires

  12. Test-retest reliability of the assessment of postural stability in typically developing children and in hearing impaired children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Kegel, A; Dhooge, I; Cambier, D; Baetens, T; Palmans, T; Van Waelvelde, H

    2011-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to establish test-retest reliability of centre of pressure (COP) measurements obtained by an AccuGait portable forceplate (ACG), mean COG sway velocity measured by a Basic Balance Master (BBM) and clinical balance tests in children with and without balance difficulties. 49 typically developing children and 23 hearing impaired children, with a higher risk for stability problems, between 6 and 12 years of age participated. Each child performed the modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance (mCTSIB), Unilateral Stance (US) and Tandem Stance on ACG, mCTSIB and US on BBM and clinical balance tests: one-leg standing, balance beam walking and one-leg hopping. All subjects completed 2 test sessions on 2 different days in the same week assessed by the same examiner. Among COP measurements obtained by the ACG, mean sway velocity was the most reliable parameter with all ICCs higher than 0.72. The standard deviation (SD) of sway velocity, sway area, SD of anterior-posterior and SD of medio-lateral COP data showed moderate to excellent reliability with ICCs between 0.55 and 0.96 but some caution must be taken into account in some conditions. BBM is less reliable but clinical balance tests are as reliable as ACG. Hearing impaired children exhibited better relative reliability (ICC) and comparable absolute reliability (SEM) for most balance parameters compared to typically developing children. Reliable information regarding postural stability of typically developing children and hearing impaired children may be obtained utilizing COP measurements generated by an AccuGait system and clinical balance tests. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Multiple systems for motor skill learning

    OpenAIRE

    Clark, Dav; Ivry, Richard B.

    2010-01-01

    Motor learning is a ubiquitous feature of human competence. This review focuses on two particular classes of model tasks for studying skill acquisition. The serial reaction time (SRT) task is used to probe how people learn sequences of actions, while adaptation in the context of visuomotor or force field perturbations serves to illustrate how preexisting movements are recalibrated in novel environments. These tasks highlight important issues regarding the representational changes that occur d...

  14. Improvement in precipitation-runoff model simulations by recalibration with basin-specific data, and subsequent model applications, Onondaga Lake Basin, Onondaga County, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coon, William F.

    2011-01-01

    Water-resource managers in Onondaga County, New York, are faced with the challenge of improving the water quality of Onondaga Lake, which has the distinction of being one of the most contaminated lakes in the United States. To assist in this endeavor, during 2003-07 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Onondaga Lake Partnership, developed a precipitation-runoff model of the 285-square-mile Onondaga Lake Basin with the computer program Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF). The model was intended to provide a tool whereby the processes responsible for the generation of loads of sediment and nutrients that are transported to Onondaga Lake could be better understood. This objective was only partly attained because data for calibration of the model were available from monitoring sites only at or near the mouths of the major tributaries to Onondaga Lake; no calibration data from headwater subbasins, where the loads originated, were available. To address this limitation and thereby decrease the uncertainty in the simulated results that were associated with headwater processes, the USGS conducted a 3-year (2005-08) basinwide study to assess the quality of surface water in the Onondaga Lake Basin. The study quantified the relative contributions of nonpoint sources associated with the major land uses and land covers in the basin and also monitored known sources and presumed sinks of sediment and nutrient loads, which previously had not been evaluated. The use of the newly acquired data to recalibrate the HSPF model resulted in improvements in the simulation of processes in the headwater subbasins, including suspended-sediment, orthophosphate, and phosphorus generation and transport.

  15. Test-retest reproducibility of accommodative facility measures in primary school children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adler, Paul; Scally, Andrew J; Barrett, Brendan T

    2018-05-08

    To determine the test-retest reproducibility of accommodative facility (AF) measures in an unselected sample of UK primary school children. Using ±2.00 DS flippers and a viewing distance of 40 cm, AF was measured in 136 children (range 4-12 years, average 8.1 ± 2.1) by five testers on three occasions (average interval between successive tests: eight days, range 1-21 days). On each occasion, AF was measured monocularly and binocularly, for two minutes. Full datasets were obtained in 111 children (81.6 per cent). Intra-individual variation in AF was large (standard deviation [SD] = 3.8 cycles per minute [cpm]) and there was variation due to the identity of the tester (SD = 1.6 cpm). On average, AF was greater: (i) in monocular compared to binocular testing (by 1.4 cpm, p cpm, p cpm lower than in children ≥ 10 years old, p = 0.009); and (iv) on subsequent testing occasions (for example, visit-2 AF was 2.0 cpm higher than visit-1 AF, p cpm monocularly and ≥ 8 cpm binocularly), but this rose to 83.8 per cent after the third test. Using less stringent pass criteria (≥ 6 cpm monocularly and ≥ 3 cpm binocularly), the equivalent figures were 82.9 and 96.4 per cent, respectively. Reduced AF did not co-exist with abnormal near point of accommodation or reduced visual acuity. The results reveal considerable intra-individual variability in raw AF measures in children. When the results are considered as pass/fail, children who initially exhibit normal AF continued to do so on repeat testing. Conversely, the vast majority of children with initially reduced AF exhibit normal performance on repeat testing. Using established pass/fail criteria, the prevalence of persistently reduced AF in this sample is 3.6 per cent. © 2018 Optometry Australia.

  16. Comparison of airtightness retesting results. Comparaison des resultats de nouveaux tests d'etancheite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1988-01-01

    Polyethylene vapour barrier and airtight drywall are two methods used by the building industry to reduce air leakage in residential homes. Concern has been expressed that polyethylene air/vapour barriers degrade over time. This concern has led various agencies to test and retest homes for air leakage. This report is the compilation of the data collected as a result of that testing. Raw data were collected on 145 homes from various sources. Data were screened and the tests of homes were omitted from the analysis if, the fan tests were done on the same house by different firms, if the construction of the house was not sufficiently complete, or if the initial air change rate per hour (ACH) was greater than 3. With these omissions from the database, 90 homes remained to be analyzed. The 90 homes were separated into two groups, those with an intial ACH less than 1.5 and those with an initial ACH between 1.5 and 3.0. The data were recorded in two tables which included the ACH, the time in months, the percentage change, and the difference in change between the first test and each subsequent test. These data indicate a relatively minor average change in airtightness. Keeping in mind the quantity of data collected and the time period examined, there is no indication that significant problems exist that would necessitate a change to the current building practice. 2 figs., 5 tabs.

  17. An alternative to the balance error scoring system: using a low-cost balance board to improve the validity/reliability of sports-related concussion balance testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Jasper O; Levy, Susan S; Seay, Seth W; Goble, Daniel J

    2014-05-01

    Recent guidelines advocate sports medicine professionals to use balance tests to assess sensorimotor status in the management of concussions. The present study sought to determine whether a low-cost balance board could provide a valid, reliable, and objective means of performing this balance testing. Criterion validity testing relative to a gold standard and 7 day test-retest reliability. University biomechanics laboratory. Thirty healthy young adults. Balance ability was assessed on 2 days separated by 1 week using (1) a gold standard measure (ie, scientific grade force plate), (2) a low-cost Nintendo Wii Balance Board (WBB), and (3) the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS). Validity of the WBB center of pressure path length and BESS scores were determined relative to the force plate data. Test-retest reliability was established based on intraclass correlation coefficients. Composite scores for the WBB had excellent validity (r = 0.99) and test-retest reliability (R = 0.88). Both the validity (r = 0.10-0.52) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.61-0.78) were lower for the BESS. These findings demonstrate that a low-cost balance board can provide improved balance testing accuracy/reliability compared with the BESS. This approach provides a potentially more valid/reliable, yet affordable, means of assessing sports-related concussion compared with current methods.

  18. Psychological Trait Resilience Within Ecological Systems Theory: The Resilient Systems Scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maltby, John; Day, Liz; Flowe, Heather D; Vostanis, Panos; Chivers, Sally

    2017-07-14

    This project describes the development of the Resilient Systems Scales, created to address conceptual and methodological ambiguities in assessing the ecological systems model of resilience. Across a number of samples (total N = 986), our findings suggest that the Resilient Systems Scales show equivalence to a previously reported assessment (Maltby, Day, & Hall, 2015 ) in demonstrating the same factor structure, adequate intercorrelation between the 2 measures of resilience, and equivalent associations with personality and well-being. The findings also suggest that the Resilient Systems Scales demonstrate adequate test-retest reliability, compare well with other extant measures of resilience in predicting well-being, and map, to varying degrees, onto positive expression of several cognitive, social, and emotional traits. The findings suggest that the new measure can be used alongside existing measures of resilience, or singly, to assess positive life outcomes within psychology research.

  19. The retest distribution of the visual field summary index mean deviation is close to normal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Andrew J; Cheng, Allan C Y; Lau, Samantha; Le-Pham, Anne; Liu, Victor; Rahman, Farahnaz

    2016-09-01

    When modelling optimum strategies for how best to determine visual field progression in glaucoma, it is commonly assumed that the summary index mean deviation (MD) is normally distributed on repeated testing. Here we tested whether this assumption is correct. We obtained 42 reliable 24-2 Humphrey Field Analyzer SITA standard visual fields from one eye of each of five healthy young observers, with the first two fields excluded from analysis. Previous work has shown that although MD variability is higher in glaucoma, the shape of the MD distribution is similar to that found in normal visual fields. A Shapiro-Wilks test determined any deviation from normality. Kurtosis values for the distributions were also calculated. Data from each observer passed the Shapiro-Wilks normality test. Bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals for kurtosis encompassed the value for a normal distribution in four of five observers. When examined with quantile-quantile plots, distributions were close to normal and showed no consistent deviations across observers. The retest distribution of MD is not significantly different from normal in healthy observers, and so is likely also normally distributed - or nearly so - in those with glaucoma. Our results increase our confidence in the results of influential modelling studies where a normal distribution for MD was assumed. © 2016 The Authors Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics © 2016 The College of Optometrists.

  20. Validation and Test-Retest Reliability of New Thermographic Technique Called Thermovision Technique of Dry Needling for Gluteus Minimus Trigger Points in Sciatica Subjects and TrPs-Negative Healthy Volunteers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rychlik, Michał; Samborski, Włodzimierz

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the validity and test-retest reliability of Thermovision Technique of Dry Needling (TTDN) for the gluteus minimus muscle. TTDN is a new thermography approach used to support trigger points (TrPs) diagnostic criteria by presence of short-term vasomotor reactions occurring in the area where TrPs refer pain. Method. Thirty chronic sciatica patients (n=15 TrP-positive and n=15 TrPs-negative) and 15 healthy volunteers were evaluated by TTDN three times during two consecutive days based on TrPs of the gluteus minimus muscle confirmed additionally by referred pain presence. TTDN employs average temperature (T avr), maximum temperature (T max), low/high isothermal-area, and autonomic referred pain phenomenon (AURP) that reflects vasodilatation/vasoconstriction. Validity and test-retest reliability were assessed concurrently. Results. Two components of TTDN validity and reliability, T avr and AURP, had almost perfect agreement according to κ (e.g., thigh: 0.880 and 0.938; calf: 0.902 and 0.956, resp.). The sensitivity for T avr, T max, AURP, and high isothermal-area was 100% for everyone, but specificity of 100% was for T avr and AURP only. Conclusion. TTDN is a valid and reliable method for T avr and AURP measurement to support TrPs diagnostic criteria for the gluteus minimus muscle when digitally evoked referred pain pattern is present. PMID:26137486

  1. Community Laboratory Testing for Cryptosporidium: Multicenter Study Retesting Public Health Surveillance Stool Samples Positive for Cryptosporidium by Rapid Cartridge Assay with Direct Fluorescent Antibody Testing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dawn M Roellig

    Full Text Available Cryptosporidium is a common cause of sporadic diarrheal disease and outbreaks in the United States. Increasingly, immunochromatography-based rapid cartridge assays (RCAs are providing community laboratories with a quick cryptosporidiosis diagnostic method. In the current study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL, and four state health departments evaluated RCA-positive samples obtained during routine Cryptosporidium testing. All samples underwent "head to head" re-testing using both RCA and direct fluorescence assay (DFA. Community level results from three sites indicated that 54.4% (166/305 of Meridian ImmunoCard STAT! positives and 87.0% (67/77 of Remel Xpect positives were confirmed by DFA. When samples were retested by RCA at state laboratories and compared with DFA, 83.3% (155/186 of Meridian ImmunoCard STAT! positives and 95.2% (60/63 of Remel Xpect positives were confirmed. The percentage of confirmed community results varied by site: Minnesota, 39.0%; New York, 63.9%; and Wisconsin, 72.1%. The percentage of confirmed community results decreased with patient age; 12.5% of community positive tests could be confirmed by DFA for patients 60 years of age or older. The percentage of confirmed results did not differ significantly by sex, storage temperature, time between sample collection and testing, or season. Findings from this study demonstrate a lower confirmation rate of community RCA positives when compared to RCA positives identified at state laboratories. Elucidating the causes of decreased test performance in order to improve overall community laboratory performance of these tests is critical for understanding the epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis in the United States (US.

  2. Software Infrastructure to Support DSAP (Dynamic Situational Awareness and Prediction) Capabilities

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    McGraw, Robert

    2006-01-01

    Today's C4I systems will be required to support faster-than-real-time predictive simulation that can determine possible outcomes by re-calibrating with real-time sensor data or extracted knowledge in real-time...

  3. Test–retest reliability and repeatability of renal diffusion tensor MRI in healthy subjects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cutajar, Marica; Clayden, Jonathan D.; Clark, Christopher A.; Gordon, Isky

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: This study assessed test–retest reliability and repeatability of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in the kidneys. Materials and methods: Seven healthy volunteers (age range, 19–31 years), were imaged three consecutive times on the same day (short-term reliability) and the same imaging protocol was repeated after a month (long-term reliability). Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans in the coronal-oblique projection of the kidney were acquired on a 1.5 T scanner using a multi-section echo-planar sequence; six contiguous slices each 5 mm thick, diffusion sensitisation along 20 non-collinear directions, TR = 730 ms, TE = 73 ms and 2 b-values (0 and 400 s mm −2 ). Volunteers were asked to hold their breath throughout each data acquisition (approx. 20 s). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values were obtained from maps generated using dedicated software MIStar (Apollo Medical Imaging, Melbourne, Australia). Results: Statistical analyses of both short- and long-term repeats were carried out from which the within-subject coefficient of variation (wsCV) was calculated. The wsCV obtained for both the ADC and FA values were less than 10% in all the analyses carried out. In addition, paired (repeated measures) t-test was used to measure the variation between the diffusion parameters collected from the two scanning sessions a month apart. It showed no significant difference and the wsCV obtained after comparing the first and second scans were found to be smaller than 15% for both ADC and FA. Conclusion: Renal DTI produces reliable and repeatable results which make longitudinal investigation of patients viable.

  4. Use of digital computing devices in systems important to safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-01-01

    The incorporation of digital computing devices in systems important to safety now is progressing fast in several countries, including Canada, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, USA. There are now reactors with microprocessors in some trip systems. The major functions of those systems are: reactor trip initiation, display, monitoring, testing, re-calibration of detectors. The benefits of moving to a fully computerized shut-down system should be improved reliability, greater flexibility, better man-machine interface, improved testing, higher reactor output and lower overall cost. With the introduction of computer devices in systems important to safety, plant availability and safety are improved because disturbances are treated before they lead to safety action, in this way helping the operator to avoid errors. The Meeting presentations were divided into sessions devoted to the following topics: Needs for the use of digital devices (DCD) in safety important systems (SIS) (5 papers); Problems raised by the integration SIS in the NPP control (7 papers); Description and presentation of DCD of SIS (6 papers); Results of experiences in engineering, manufacture, qualification operation of DCD hardware and software (5 papers). A separate abstract was prepared for each of these papers

  5. The Unsupported Upper Limb Exercise Test in People Without Disabilities: Assessing the Within-Day Test-Retest Reliability and the Effects of Age and Gender.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Ana; Cruz, Joana; Jácome, Cristina; Marques, Alda

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: To estimate the within-day test-retest reliability and standard error of measurement (SEM) of the unsupported upper limb exercise test (UULEX) in adults without disabilities and to determine the effects of age and gender on performance of the UULEX. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 adults without disabilities (44 men, mean age 44.2 [SD 26] y; 56 women, mean age 38.1 [SD 24.1] y). Participants performed three UULEX tests to establish within-day reliability, measured using an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) model 2 (two-way random effects) with a single rater (ICC[2,1]) and SEM. The effects of age and gender were examined using two-factor mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) and one-way repeated-measures ANOVA. For analysis purposes, four sub-groups were created: younger adults, older adults, men, and women. Results: Excellent within-day reliability and a small SEM were found in the four sub-groups (younger adults: ICC[2,1]=0.88; 95% CI: 0.82, 0.92; SEM∼40 s; older adults: ICC[2,1]=0.82; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.90; SEM∼50 s; men: ICC[2,1]=0.93; 95% CI: 0.88, 0.96; SEM∼30 s; women: ICC[2,1]=0.85; 95% CI: 0.78, 0.91; SEM∼45 s). Younger adults took, on average, 308.24 seconds longer than older adults to perform the test; older adults performed significantly better on the third test ( p 0.05). Conclusion: The within-day test-retest reliability and SEM values of the UULEX may be used to define the magnitude of the error obtained with repeated measures. One UULEX test seems to be adequate for younger adults to achieve reliable results, whereas three tests seem to be needed for older adults.

  6. 30 CFR 250.459 - What are the safety requirements for drilling fluid-handling areas?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... addition: (1) If natural means provide adequate ventilation, then a mechanical ventilation system is not... areas where adequate ventilation is provided by natural means. You must test and recalibrate gas... install and maintain a ventilation system and gas monitors. Drilling fluid-handling areas must have the...

  7. 75 FR 42885 - Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-22

    ..., results in a net FY 2011 update of 1.7 percent. A complete description of the multi-step process used to... wage index budget neutrality factor, described later in this section. Tables 2 and 3 reflect the... in maintaining budget neutrality and, if necessary, to recalibrate the adjustment in the future. We...

  8. Developing and Validating the Communication Function Classification System for Individuals with Cerebral Palsy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hidecker, Mary Jo Cooley; Paneth, Nigel; Rosenbaum, Peter L.; Kent, Raymond D.; Lillie, Janet; Eulenberg, John B.; Chester, Ken, Jr.; Johnson, Brenda; Michalsen, Lauren; Evatt, Morgan; Taylor, Kara

    2011-01-01

    Aim: The purpose of this study was to create and validate the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) for children with cerebral palsy (CP), for use by a wide variety of individuals who are interested in CP. This paper reports the content validity, interrater reliability, and test-retest reliability of the CFCS for children with CP.…

  9. Test-retest reliability and validity of a web-based food-frequency questionnaire for adolescents aged 13-14 to be used in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Overby, Nina Cecilie; Johannesen, Elisabeth; Jensen, Grete; Skjaevesland, Anne-Kirsti; Haugen, Margaretha

    2014-01-01

    The assessment of food intake is challenging and prone to errors; it is therefore important to consider the reliability and validity of the assessment methods. The aim of this study was to analyze the reproducibility and validity of a developed food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for use among adolescents. In total, 58 students (aged 13-14) from four different schools in the southern part of Norway participated in the reproducibility study of filling out the FFQ 4 weeks apart. In addition, 93 students participated in the relative validity study where the FFQ was compared to 2×24-hour dietary recalls, while 92 students participated in the absolute validity study where the intakes of fatty acids and vitamin D from the FFQ were compared to fatty acids and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 in whole blood. The median Spearman correlation coefficient for all nutrients in the test-retest reliability study was 0.57. The median Spearman correlation for all nutrients in the relative validity study was 0.26, while the correlations coefficients were low in the absolute validity study with n-3 fatty acid coefficients ranging from 0.05 to 0.25, and absent for vitamin D (r=0.000). The test-retest reproducibility was considered good, the relative validity was considered poor to good, and the absolute validity was considered poor. However, the results are comparable to other studies among adolescents.

  10. Three-dimensional analysis of future groundwater flow conditions and contaminant plume transport in the Hanford Site unconfined aquifer system: FY 1996 and 1997 status report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cole, C.R.; Wurstner, S.K.; Williams, M.D.; Thorne, P.D.; Bergeron, M.P.

    1997-12-01

    A three-dimensional numerical model of groundwater flow and transport, based on the Coupled Fluid Energy, and Solute Transport (CFEST) code, was developed for the Hanford Site to support the Hanford Groundwater Project (HGWP), managed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The model was developed to increase the understanding and better forecast the migration of several contaminant plumes being monitored by the HGWP, and to support the Hanford Site Composite Analysis for low-level waste disposal in the 200-Area Plateau. Recent modeling efforts have focused on continued refinement of an initial version of the three-dimensional model developed in 1995 and its application to simulate future transport of selected contaminant plumes in the aquifer system. This version of the model was updated using a more current version of the CFEST code called CFEST96. Prior to conducting simulations of contaminant transport with the three-dimensional model, a previous steady-state, two-dimensional model of the unconfined aquifer system was recalibrated to 1979 water-table conditions with a statistical inverse method implemented in the CFEST-INV computer code. The results of the recalibration were used to refine the three-dimensional conceptual model and to calibrate it with a conceptualization that preserves the two-dimensional hydraulic properties and knowledge of the aquifer`s three-dimensional properties for the same 1979 water-table conditions. The transient behavior of the three-dimensional flow model was also calibrated by adjusting model storage properties (specific yield) until transient water-table predictions approximated observed water-table elevations between 1979 and 1996.

  11. Three-dimensional analysis of future groundwater flow conditions and contaminant plume transport in the Hanford Site unconfined aquifer system: FY 1996 and 1997 status report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cole, C.R.; Wurstner, S.K.; Williams, M.D.; Thorne, P.D.; Bergeron, M.P.

    1997-12-01

    A three-dimensional numerical model of groundwater flow and transport, based on the Coupled Fluid Energy, and Solute Transport (CFEST) code, was developed for the Hanford Site to support the Hanford Groundwater Project (HGWP), managed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The model was developed to increase the understanding and better forecast the migration of several contaminant plumes being monitored by the HGWP, and to support the Hanford Site Composite Analysis for low-level waste disposal in the 200-Area Plateau. Recent modeling efforts have focused on continued refinement of an initial version of the three-dimensional model developed in 1995 and its application to simulate future transport of selected contaminant plumes in the aquifer system. This version of the model was updated using a more current version of the CFEST code called CFEST96. Prior to conducting simulations of contaminant transport with the three-dimensional model, a previous steady-state, two-dimensional model of the unconfined aquifer system was recalibrated to 1979 water-table conditions with a statistical inverse method implemented in the CFEST-INV computer code. The results of the recalibration were used to refine the three-dimensional conceptual model and to calibrate it with a conceptualization that preserves the two-dimensional hydraulic properties and knowledge of the aquifer's three-dimensional properties for the same 1979 water-table conditions. The transient behavior of the three-dimensional flow model was also calibrated by adjusting model storage properties (specific yield) until transient water-table predictions approximated observed water-table elevations between 1979 and 1996

  12. A spectroscopic system for time- and space-resolved studies of impurities on the EXTRAP-T2 reversed field pinch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sallander, J.

    1998-06-01

    The radial distribution of impurity line emission in the EXTRAP-T2 reversed field pinch (RFP) is studied with a five viewing chord, absolutely calibrated, spectrometer system. The light is analyzed with a single 0.5 m grating spectrometer. Different parts of the entrance slit are used for different channels. This arrangement makes it possible to use the system over a wide wavelength range, from 2500 to 6500 Å, without having to recalibrate the relative sensitivity for the different channels. The rather short plasma pulses of 10-15 ms require a high time resolution. The use of photomultiplier tubes provides a time resolution of 10 μs which is limited by the transient recorders used. The result is a robust, low-cost system that produces reliable measurements of the radial dependence of emission from a wide range of impurity ions.

  13. Impact of retrospective calibration algorithms on hypoglycemia detection in newborn infants using continuous glucose monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Signal, Matthew; Le Compte, Aaron; Harris, Deborah L; Weston, Philip J; Harding, Jane E; Chase, J Geoffrey

    2012-10-01

    Neonatal hypoglycemia is common and may cause serious brain injury. Diagnosis is by blood glucose (BG) measurements, often taken several hours apart. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) could improve hypoglycemia detection, while reducing the number of BG measurements. Calibration algorithms convert sensor signals into CGM output. Thus, these algorithms directly affect measures used to quantify hypoglycemia. This study was designed to quantify the effects of recalibration and filtering of CGM data on measures of hypoglycemia (BG neonates. CGM data from 50 infants were recalibrated using an algorithm that explicitly recognized the high-accuracy BG measurements available in this study. CGM data were analyzed as (1) original CGM output, (2) recalibrated CGM output, (3) recalibrated CGM output with postcalibration median filtering, and (4) recalibrated CGM output with precalibration median filtering. Hypoglycemia was classified by number of episodes, duration, severity, and hypoglycemic index. Recalibration increased the number of hypoglycemic events (from 161 to 193), hypoglycemia duration (from 2.2% to 2.6%), and hypoglycemic index (from 4.9 to 7.1 μmol/L). Median filtering postrecalibration reduced hypoglycemic events from 193 to 131, with little change in duration (from 2.6% to 2.5%) and hypoglycemic index (from 7.1 to 6.9 μmol/L). Median filtering prerecalibration resulted in 146 hypoglycemic events, a total duration of hypoglycemia of 2.6%, and a hypoglycemic index of 6.8 μmol/L. Hypoglycemia metrics, especially counting events, are heavily dependent on CGM calibration BG error, and the calibration algorithm. CGM devices tended to read high at lower levels, so when high accuracy calibration measurements are available it may be more appropriate to recalibrate the data.

  14. Test-retest reliability of the KINARM end-point robot for assessment of sensory, motor and neurocognitive function in young adult athletes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cameron S Mang

    Full Text Available Current assessment tools for sport-related concussion are limited by a reliance on subjective interpretation and patient symptom reporting. Robotic assessments may provide more objective and precise measures of neurological function than traditional clinical tests.To determine the reliability of assessments of sensory, motor and cognitive function conducted with the KINARM end-point robotic device in young adult elite athletes.Sixty-four randomly selected healthy, young adult elite athletes participated. Twenty-five individuals (25 M, mean age±SD, 20.2±2.1 years participated in a within-season study, where three assessments were conducted within a single season (assessments labeled by session: S1, S2, S3. An additional 39 individuals (28M; 22.8±6.0 years participated in a year-to-year study, where annual pre-season assessments were conducted for three consecutive seasons (assessments labeled by year: Y1, Y2, Y3. Forty-four parameters from five robotic tasks (Visually Guided Reaching, Position Matching, Object Hit, Object Hit and Avoid, and Trail Making B and overall Task Scores describing performance on each task were quantified.Test-retest reliability was determined by intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs between the first and second, and second and third assessments. In the within-season study, ICCs were ≥0.50 for 68% of parameters between S1 and S2, 80% of parameters between S2 and S3, and for three of the five Task Scores both between S1 and S2, and S2 and S3. In the year-to-year study, ICCs were ≥0.50 for 64% of parameters between Y1 and Y2, 82% of parameters between Y2 and Y3, and for four of the five Task Scores both between Y1 and Y2, and Y2 and Y3.Overall, the results suggest moderate-to-good test-retest reliability for the majority of parameters measured by the KINARM robot in healthy young adult elite athletes. Future work will consider the potential use of this information for clinical assessment of concussion

  15. Test-retest reproducibility of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 ligand [{sup 18}F]FPEB with bolus plus constant infusion in humans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Eunkyung; Sullivan, Jenna M.; Planeta, Beata; Gallezot, Jean-Dominique; Lim, Keunpoong; Lin, Shu-Fei; Ropchan, Jim; Huang, Yiyun; Carson, Richard E. [Yale School of Medicine, PET Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, 801 Howard Avenue, PO Box 208048, New Haven, CT (United States); McCarthy, Timothy J. [Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Cambridge, MA (United States); Ding, Yu-Shin [New York University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Morris, Evan D.; Williams, Wendol A. [Yale School of Medicine, PET Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, 801 Howard Avenue, PO Box 208048, New Haven, CT (United States); Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT (United States)

    2015-09-15

    [{sup 18}F]FPEB is a promising PET radioligand for the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5), a potential target for the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reproducibility of [{sup 18}F]FPEB in the human brain. Seven healthy male subjects were scanned twice, 3 - 11 weeks apart. Dynamic data were acquired using bolus plus infusion of 162 ± 32 MBq [{sup 18}F]FPEB. Four methods were used to estimate volume of distribution (V{sub T}): equilibrium analysis (EQ) using arterial (EQ{sub A}) or venous input data (EQ{sub V}), MA1, and a two-tissue compartment model (2 T). Binding potential (BP{sub ND}) was also estimated using cerebellar white matter (CWM) or gray matter (CGM) as the reference region using EQ, 2 T and MA1. Absolute test-retest variability (aTRV) of V{sub T} and BP{sub ND} were calculated for each method. Venous blood measurements (C{sub V}) were compared with arterial input (C{sub A}) to examine their usability in EQ analysis. Regional V{sub T} estimated by the four methods displayed a high degree of agreement (r{sup 2} ranging from 0.83 to 0.99 among the methods), although EQ{sub A} and EQ{sub V} overestimated V{sub T} by a mean of 9 % and 7 %, respectively, compared to 2 T. Mean values of aTRV of V{sub T} were 11 % by EQ{sub A}, 12 % by EQ{sub V}, 14 % by MA1 and 14 % by 2 T. Regional BP{sub ND} also agreed well among the methods and mean aTRV of BP{sub ND} was 8 - 12 % (CWM) and 7 - 9 % (CGM). Venous and arterial blood concentrations of [{sup 18}F]FPEB were well matched during equilibrium (C{sub V} = 1.01 . C{sub A}, r{sup 2} = 0.95). [{sup 18}F]FPEB binding shows good TRV with minor differences among analysis methods. Venous blood can be used as an alternative for input function measurement instead of arterial blood in EQ analysis. Thus, [{sup 18}F]FPEB is an excellent PET imaging tracer for mGluR5 in humans. (orig.)

  16. Índice de retorno ao reteste em um programa de triagem auditiva neonatal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaqueline Medeiros de Mello

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: investigar o nível de consciência dos pais em relação à importância da triagem auditiva neonatal, bem como verificar os motivos do não comparecimento ao retorno agendado após a primeira avaliação. MÉTODO: a casuística foi constituída por 31 mães e/ou responsáveis dos recém-nascidos da unidade neonatal do Hospital Universitário de Maringá, os quais não compareceram ao reteste agendado após a alta hospitalar. RESULTADOS: os motivos apresentados pelas mães e/ou responsáveis para o não comparecimento ao retorno agendado envolveram atitudes que puderam sinalizar pouca importância atribuída às questões relacionadas à audição e a Triagem Auditiva Neonatal, pois sugiram motivos irrelevantes como o esquecimento do retorno, mãe pensou que o bebê não deixaria ser submetido ao exame e a perda de horário para nova avaliação. Tal fato, provavelmente reflete a falta de conscientização por parte das mães dos recém-nascidos quanto à importância da Triagem Auditiva Neonatal. CONCLUSÃO: existe a necessidade de aumentar a conscientização geral em relação à Triagem Auditiva Neonatal, por parte dos familiares e dos profissionais que atuam diretamente com os recém-nascidos, os quais contribuirão para a agilidade do processo diagnóstico, garantindo melhores perspectiva ao futuro de crianças portadoras de deficiência auditiva.

  17. Minimum joint space width (mJSW) of patellofemoral joint on standing ''skyline'' radiographs: test-retest reproducibility and comparison with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simoni, Paolo; Jamali, Sanaa; Alvarez Miezentseva, Victoria; Albert, Adelin; Totterman, Saara; Schreyer, Edward; Tamez-Pena, Jose G.; Zobel, Bruno Beomonte; Gillet, Philippe

    2013-01-01

    To assess the intraobserver, interobserver, and test-retest reproducibility of minimum joint space width (mJSW) measurement of medial and lateral patellofemoral joints on standing ''skyline'' radiographs and to compare the mJSW of the patellofemoral joint to the mean cartilage thickness calculated by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI). A couple of standing ''skyline'' radiographs of the patellofemoral joints and MRI of 55 knees of 28 volunteers (18 females, ten males, mean age, 48.5 ± 16.2 years) were obtained on the same day. The mJSW of the patellofemoral joint was manually measured and Kellgren and Lawrence grade (KLG) was independently assessed by two observers. The mJSW was compared to the mean cartilage thickness of patellofemoral joint calculated by qMRI. mJSW of the medial and lateral patellofemoral joint showed an excellent intraobserver agreement (interclass correlation (ICC) = 0.94 and 0.96), interobserver agreement (ICC = 0.90 and 0.95) and test-retest agreement (ICC = 0.92 and 0.96). The mJSW measured on radiographs was correlated to mean cartilage thickness calculated by qMRI (r = 0.71, p < 0.0001 for the medial PFJ and r = 0.81, p < 0.0001 for the lateral PFJ). However, there was a lack of concordance between radiographs and qMRI for extreme values of joint width and KLG. Radiographs yielded higher joint space measures than qMRI in knees with a normal joint space, while qMRI yielded higher joint space measures than radiographs in knees with joint space narrowing and higher KLG. Standing ''skyline'' radiographs are a reproducible tool for measuring the mJSW of the patellofemoral joint. The mJSW of the patellofemoral joint on radiographs are correlated with, but not concordant with, qMRI measurements. (orig.)

  18. Regarding KUR Reactivity Measurement System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamori, Akira; Hasegawa, Kei; Tsuchiyama, Tatsuo; Yamamoto, Toshihiro; Okumura, Ryo; Sano, Tadafumi

    2012-01-01

    This article reported: (1) the outline of the reactivity measurement system of Kyoto University Research Reactor (KUR), (2) the calibration data of control rod, (3) the problems and the countermeasures for range switching of linear output meter. For the laptop PC for the reactivity measurement system, there are four input signals: (1) linear output meter, (2) logarithmic output meter, (3) core temperature gauge, and (4) control rod position. The hardware of reactivity measurement system is controlled with Labview installed on the laptop. Output, reactivity, reactor period, and the change in reactivity due to temperature effect or Xenon effect are internally calculated and displayed in real-time with Labview based on the four signals above. Calculation results are recorded in the form of a spreadsheet. At KUR, the reactor core arrangement was changed, so the control rod was re-calibrated. At this time, calculated and experimental values of reactivity based on the reactivity measurement system were compared, and it was confirmed that the reactivity calculation by Labview was accurate. The range switching of linear output meter in the nuclear instrumentation should automatically change within the laptop, however sometimes this did not function properly in the early stage. It was speculated that undefined percent values during the transition of percent value were included in the calculation and caused calculation errors. The range switching started working properly after fixing this issue. (S.K.)

  19. Test-retest reliability of [{sup 11}C]AZ10419369 binding to 5-HT{sub 1B} receptors in human brain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nord, Magdalena; Finnema, Sjoerd J.; Schain, Martin; Halldin, Christer; Farde, Lars [Karolinska Institutet, Center for Psychiatric Research, R5:00, Karolinska University Hospital, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2014-02-15

    [{sup 11}C]AZ10419369 is a recently developed 5-HT{sub 1B} receptor radioligand that is sensitive to changes in endogenous serotonin concentrations in the primate brain. Thus, [{sup 11}C] AZ10419369 may serve as a useful tool in clinical studies of the pathophysiology and pharmacological treatment of diseases related to the serotonin system, such as depression and anxiety disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of [{sup 11}C]AZ10419369. Eight men were examined with PET and [{sup 11}C] AZ10419369 twice on the same day. The binding potentials (BP{sub ND}) of [{sup 11}C]AZ10419369 in selected serotonergic projection areas and in the raphe nuclei (RN) were determined using the simplified reference tissue model, and for comparison also using a wavelet-aided parametric imaging approach. The BP{sub ND} values obtained from the first and second PET scans were compared by means of descriptive statistics, difference, absolute variability and intraclass correlation coefficient. Similar BP{sub ND} values were obtained with the two methods. The absolute mean differences in BP{sub ND} between PET 1 and PET 2 were less than 3 % in all serotonergic projection regions. Absolute variabilities were low in cortical regions (5 - 7 %), low to moderate (7 - 14 %) in subcortical regions, but higher (20 %) in the RN. The BP{sub ND} of [{sup 11}C]AZ10419369 is highly reproducible in cortical regions and satisfactory in subcortical projection areas. The variability in the RN is higher. Thus larger sample sizes or larger divergences are required to assess a potential difference between subjects or between experimental conditions in this region. (orig.)

  20. Development, content validity and test-retest reliability of the Lifelong Physical Activity Skills Battery in adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hulteen, Ryan M; Barnett, Lisa M; Morgan, Philip J; Robinson, Leah E; Barton, Christian J; Wrotniak, Brian H; Lubans, David R

    2018-03-28

    Numerous skill batteries assess fundamental motor skill (e.g., kick, hop) competence. Few skill batteries examine lifelong physical activity skill competence (e.g., resistance training). This study aimed to develop and assess the content validity, test-retest and inter-rater reliability of the "Lifelong Physical Activity Skills Battery". Development of the skill battery occurred in three stages: i) systematic reviews of lifelong physical activity participation rates and existing motor skill assessment tools, ii) practitioner consultation and iii) research expert consultation. The final battery included eight skills: grapevine, golf swing, jog, push-up, squat, tennis forehand, upward dog and warrior I. Adolescents (28 boys, 29 girls; M = 15.8 years, SD = 0.4 years) completed the Lifelong Physical Activity Skills Battery on two occasions two weeks apart. The skill battery was highly reliable (ICC = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.72-0.90) with individual skill reliability scores ranging from moderate (warrior I; ICC = 0.56) to high (tennis forehand; ICC = 0.82). Typical error (4.0; 95% CI 3.4-5.0) and proportional bias (r = -0.21, p = .323) were low. This study has provided preliminary evidence for the content validity and reliability of the Lifelong Physical Activity Skills Battery in an adolescent population.

  1. Learning Arm/Hand Coordination with an Altered Visual Input

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simona Denisia Iftime Nielsen

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The focus of this study was to test a novel tool for the analysis of motor coordination with an altered visual input. The altered visual input was created using special glasses that presented the view as recorded by a video camera placed at various positions around the subject. The camera was positioned at a frontal (F, lateral (L, or top (T position with respect to the subject. We studied the differences between the arm-end (wrist trajectories while grasping an object between altered vision (F, L, and T conditions and normal vision (N in ten subjects. The outcome measures from the analysis were the trajectory errors, the movement parameters, and the time of execution. We found substantial trajectory errors and an increased execution time at the baseline of the study. We also found that trajectory errors decreased in all conditions after three days of practice with the altered vision in the F condition only for 20 minutes per day, suggesting that recalibration of the visual systems occurred relatively quickly. These results indicate that this recalibration occurs via movement training in an altered condition. The results also suggest that recalibration is more difficult to achieve for altered vision in the F and L conditions compared to the T condition. This study has direct implications on the design of new rehabilitation systems.

  2. Reward contingencies and the recalibration of task monitoring and reward systems: a high-density electrical mapping study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morie, K P; De Sanctis, P; Foxe, J J

    2014-07-25

    Task execution almost always occurs in the context of reward-seeking or punishment-avoiding behavior. As such, ongoing task-monitoring systems are influenced by reward anticipation systems. In turn, when a task has been executed either successfully or unsuccessfully, future iterations of that task will be re-titrated on the basis of the task outcome. Here, we examined the neural underpinnings of the task-monitoring and reward-evaluation systems to better understand how they govern reward-seeking behavior. Twenty-three healthy adult participants performed a task where they accrued points that equated to real world value (gift cards) by responding as rapidly as possible within an allotted timeframe, while success rate was titrated online by changing the duration of the timeframe dependent on participant performance. Informative cues initiated each trial, indicating the probability of potential reward or loss (four levels from very low to very high). We manipulated feedback by first informing participants of task success/failure, after which a second feedback signal indicated actual magnitude of reward/loss. High-density electroencephalography (EEG) recordings allowed for examination of event-related potentials (ERPs) to the informative cues and in turn, to both feedback signals. Distinct ERP components associated with reward cues, task-preparatory and task-monitoring processes, and reward feedback processes were identified. Unsurprisingly, participants displayed increased ERP amplitudes associated with task-preparatory processes following cues that predicted higher chances of reward. They also rapidly updated reward and loss prediction information dependent on task performance after the first feedback signal. Finally, upon reward receipt, initial reward probability was no longer taken into account. Rather, ERP measures suggested that only the magnitude of actual reward or loss was now processed. Reward and task-monitoring processes are clearly dissociable, but

  3. A Mobile Automated Characterization System (MACS) for indoor floor characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richardson, B.S.; Haley, D.C.; Dudar, A.M.; Ward, C.R.

    1995-01-01

    The Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory are developing an advanced Mobile Automated Characterization System (MACS) to characterize indoor contaminated floors. MACS is based upon Semi-Intelligent Mobile Observing Navigator (SIMON), an earlier floor characterization system developed at SRTC. MACS will feature enhanced navigation systems, operator interface, and an interface to simplify integration of additional sensors. The enhanced navigation system will provide the capability to survey large open areas much more accurately than is now possible with SIMON, which is better suited for hallways and corridors that provide the means for recalibrating position and heading. MACS operator interface is designed to facilitate MACS's use as a tool for health physicists, thus eliminating the need for additional training in the robot's control language. Initial implementation of MACS will use radiation detectors. Additional sensors, such as PCB sensors currently being developed, will be integrated on MACS in the future. Initial use of MACS will be focused toward obtaining comparative results with manual methods. Surveys will be conducted both manually and with MACS to compare relative costs and data quality. While clear cost benefits anticipated, data quality benefits should be even more significant

  4. Validity and test-retest reliability of a novel simple back extensor muscle strength test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harding, Amy T; Weeks, Benjamin Kurt; Horan, Sean A; Little, Andrew; Watson, Steven L; Beck, Belinda Ruth

    2017-01-01

    To develop and determine convergent validity and reliability of a simple and inexpensive clinical test to quantify back extensor muscle strength. Two testing sessions were conducted, 7 days apart. Each session involved three trials of standing maximal isometric back extensor muscle strength using both the novel test and isokinetic dynamometry. Lumbar spine bone mineral density was examined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Validation was examined with Pearson correlations ( r ). Test-retest reliability was examined with intraclass correlation coefficients and limits of agreement. Pearson correlations and intraclass correlation coefficients are presented with corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Linear regression was used to examine the ability of peak back extensor muscle strength to predict indices of lumbar spine bone mineral density and strength. A total of 52 healthy adults (26 men, 26 women) aged 46.4 ± 20.4 years were recruited from the community. A strong positive relationship was observed between peak back extensor strength from hand-held and isokinetic dynamometry ( r  = 0.824, p  strength test, short- and long-term reliability was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.983 (95% confidence interval, 0.971-0.990), p  strength measures with the novel back extensor strength protocol were -6.63 to 7.70 kg, with a mean bias of +0.71 kg. Back extensor strength predicted 11% of variance in lumbar spine bone mineral density ( p  strength ( p  strength is quick, relatively inexpensive, and reliable; demonstrates initial convergent validity in a healthy population; and is associated with bone mass at a clinically important site.

  5. Test-retest reliability of prefrontal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) effects on functional MRI connectivity in healthy subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wörsching, Jana; Padberg, Frank; Helbich, Konstantin; Hasan, Alkomiet; Koch, Lena; Goerigk, Stephan; Stoecklein, Sophia; Ertl-Wagner, Birgit; Keeser, Daniel

    2017-07-15

    Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) can be used for probing functional brain connectivity and meets general interest as novel therapeutic intervention in psychiatric and neurological disorders. Along with a more extensive use, it is important to understand the interplay between neural systems and stimulation protocols requiring basic methodological work. Here, we examined the test-retest (TRT) characteristics of tDCS-induced modulations in resting-state functional-connectivity MRI (RS fcMRI). Twenty healthy subjects received 20minutes of either active or sham tDCS of the dorsolateral PFC (2mA, anode over F3 and cathode over F4, international 10-20 system), preceded and ensued by a RS fcMRI (10minutes each). All subject underwent three tDCS sessions with one-week intervals in between. Effects of tDCS on RS fcMRI were determined at an individual as well as at a group level using both ROI-based and independent-component analyses (ICA). To evaluate the TRT reliability of individual active-tDCS and sham effects on RS fcMRI, voxel-wise intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) of post-tDCS maps between testing sessions were calculated. For both approaches, results revealed low reliability of RS fcMRI after active tDCS (ICC (2,1) = -0.09 - 0.16). Reliability of RS fcMRI (baselines only) was low to moderate for ROI-derived (ICC (2,1) = 0.13 - 0.50) and low for ICA-derived connectivity (ICC (2,1) = 0.19 - 0.34). Thus, for ROI-based analyses, the distribution of voxel-wise ICC was shifted to lower TRT reliability after active, but not after sham tDCS, for which the distribution was similar to baseline. The intra-individual variation observed here resembles variability of tDCS effects in motor regions and may be one reason why in this study robust tDCS effects at a group level were missing. The data can be used for appropriately designing large scale studies investigating methodological issues such as sources of variability and

  6. Dental examiners consistency in applying the ICDAS criteria for a caries prevention community trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, S; Eggertsson, H; Powell, B; Mandelaris, J; Ntragatakis, M; Richardson, T; Ferretti, G

    2011-09-01

    To examine dental examiners' one-year consistency in utilizing the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) criteria after baseline training and calibration. A total of three examiners received baseline training/calibration by a "gold standard" examiner, and one year later re-calibration was conducted. For the baseline training/calibration, subjects aged 8-16 years, and for the re-calibration subjects aged five to six years were recruited for the study. The ICDAS criteria were used to classify visual caries lesion severity (0-6 scale), lesion activity (active/inactive), and presence of filling material (0-9 scale) of all available tooth surfaces of permanent and primary teeth. The examination used a clinical light, mirror and air syringe. Kappa (weighted: Wkappa, unweighted: Kappa) statistics were used to determine inter-and intra-examiner reliability at baseline and re-calibration. For lesion severity and filling criteria, the baseline calibration on 35 subjects indicated an inter-rater Wkappa ranging from 0.69-0.92 and intra-rater Wkappa ranging from 0.81-0.92. Re-calibration on 22 subjects indicated an inter-rater Wkappa of 0.77-0.98 and intra-rater Wkappa ranged from 0.93-1.00. The Wkappa for filling was consistently in the excellent range, while lesion severity was in the good to excellent range. Activity kappa was in the poor to good range. All examiners improved with time. The baseline training/calibration in ICDAS was crucial to maintain the stability of the examiners reliability over a one year period. The ICDAS can be an effective assessment tool for community-based clinical trials.

  7. Sunspot number recalibration: The ~1840–1920 anomaly in the observer normalization factors of the group sunspot number

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cliver Edward W.

    2017-01-01

    is substantiated by a “correction-factor” (CF time series defined as the ratio of annual group counts of the Hoyt & Schatten (1998a, 1998b series to the average raw (unscaled group counts of all observers, as well as by a comparison of the GSN and GSN* time series with a recent reconstruction of solar wind B from 1845 to the present. The ~1840–1920 k′-factor anomaly and its impact on the Hoyt and Schatten GSN are discussed in the context of the ongoing effort to recalibrate the sunspot number time series.

  8. The Parsing Syllable Envelopes Test for Assessment of Amplitude Modulation Discrimination Skills in Children: Development, Normative Data, and Test-Retest Reliability Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cameron, Sharon; Chong-White, Nicky; Mealings, Kiri; Beechey, Tim; Dillon, Harvey; Young, Taegan

    2018-02-01

    Intensity peaks and valleys in the acoustic signal are salient cues to syllable structure, which is accepted to be a crucial early step in phonological processing. As such, the ability to detect low-rate (envelope) modulations in signal amplitude is essential to parse an incoming speech signal into smaller phonological units. The Parsing Syllable Envelopes (ParSE) test was developed to quantify the ability of children to recognize syllable boundaries using an amplitude modulation detection paradigm. The envelope of a 750-msec steady-state /a/ vowel is modulated into two or three pseudo-syllables using notches with modulation depths varying between 0% and 100% along an 11-step continuum. In an adaptive three-alternative forced-choice procedure, the participant identified whether one, two, or three pseudo-syllables were heard. Development of the ParSE stimuli and test protocols, and collection of normative and test-retest reliability data. Eleven adults (aged 23 yr 10 mo to 50 yr 9 mo, mean 32 yr 10 mo) and 134 typically developing, primary-school children (aged 6 yr 0 mo to 12 yr 4 mo, mean 9 yr 3 mo). There were 73 males and 72 females. Data were collected using a touchscreen computer. Psychometric functions (PFs) were automatically fit to individual data by the ParSE software. Performance was related to the modulation depth at which syllables can be detected with 88% accuracy (referred to as the upper boundary of the uncertainty region [UBUR]). A shallower PF slope reflected a greater level of uncertainty. Age effects were determined based on raw scores. z Scores were calculated to account for the effect of age on performance. Outliers, and individual data for which the confidence interval of the UBUR exceeded a maximum allowable value, were removed. Nonparametric tests were used as the data were skewed toward negative performance. Across participants, the performance criterion (UBUR) was met with a median modulation depth of 42%. The effect of age on the UBUR was

  9. Test-retest measurements of dopamine D_1-type receptors using simultaneous PET/MRI imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaller, Simon; Patt, Marianne; Becker, Georg-Alexander; Luthardt, Julia; Meyer, Philipp M.; Werner, Peter; Barthel, Henryk; Bresch, Anke; Sabri, Osama; Rullmann, Michael; Girbardt, Johanna; Fritz, Thomas H.; Hesse, Swen

    2017-01-01

    The role of dopamine D_1-type receptor (D_1R)-expressing neurons in the regulation of motivated behavior and reward prediction has not yet been fully established. As a prerequisite for future research assessing D_1-mediated neuronal network regulation using simultaneous PET/MRI and D_1R-selective ["1"1C]SCH23390, this study investigated the stability of central D_1R measurements between two independent PET/MRI sessions under baseline conditions. Thirteen healthy volunteers (7 female, age 33 ± 13 yrs) underwent 90-min emission scans, each after 90-s bolus injection of 486 ± 16 MBq ["1"1C]SCH23390, on two separate days within 2-4 weeks using a PET/MRI system. Parametric images of D_1R distribution volume ratio (DVR) and binding potential (BP_N_D) were generated by a multi-linear reference tissue model with two parameters and the cerebellar cortex as receptor-free reference region. Volume-of-interest (VOI) analysis was performed with manual VOIs drawn on consecutive transverse MRI slices for brain regions with high and low D_1R density. The DVR varied from 2.5 ± 0.3 to 2.9 ± 0.5 in regions with high D_1R density (e.g. the head of the caudate) and from 1.2 ± 0.1 to 1.6 ± 0.2 in regions with low D_1R density (e.g. the prefrontal cortex). The absolute variability of the DVR ranged from 2.4% ± 1.3% to 5.1% ± 5.3%, while Bland-Altman analyses revealed very low differences in mean DVR (e.g. 0.013 ± 0.17 for the nucleus accumbens). Intraclass correlation (one-way, random) indicated very high agreement (0.93 in average) for both DVR and BP_N_D values. Accordingly, the absolute variability of BP_N_D ranged from 7.0% ± 4.7% to 12.5% ± 10.6%; however, there were regions with very low D_1R content, such as the occipital cortex, with higher mean variability. The test-retest reliability of D_1R measurements in this study was very high. This was the case not only for D_1R-rich brain areas, but also for regions with low D_1R density. These results will provide a solid base

  10. Test-retest reliability and agreement of the SPI-Questionnaire to detect symptoms of digital ischemia in elite volleyball players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van de Pol, Daan; Zacharian, Tigran; Maas, Mario; Kuijer, P Paul F M

    2017-06-01

    The Shoulder posterior circumflex humeral artery Pathology and digital Ischemia - questionnaire (SPI-Q) has been developed to enable periodic surveillance of elite volleyball players, who are at risk for digital ischemia. Prior to implementation, assessing reliability is mandatory. Therefore, the test-retest reliability and agreement of the SPI-Q were evaluated among the population at risk. A questionnaire survey was performed with a 2-week interval among 65 elite male volleyball players assessing symptoms of cold, pale and blue digits in the dominant hand during or after practice or competition using a 4-point Likert scale (never, sometimes, often and always). Kappa (κ) and percentage of agreement (POA) were calculated for individual symptoms, and to distinguish symptomatic and asymptomatic players. For the individual symptoms, κ ranged from "poor" (0.25) to "good" (0.63), and POA ranged from "moderate" (78%) to "good" (97%). To classify symptomatic players, the SPI-Q showed "good" reliability (κ = 0.83; 95%CI 0.69-0.97) and "good" agreement (POA = 92%). The current study has proven the SPI-Q to be reliable for detecting elite male indoor volleyball players with symptoms of digital ischemia.

  11. Test–retest reliability and validity of a web-based food-frequency questionnaire for adolescents aged 13–14 to be used in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Øverby, Nina Cecilie; Johannesen, Elisabeth; Jensen, Grete; Skjaevesland, Anne-Kirsti; Haugen, Margaretha

    2014-01-01

    Background The assessment of food intake is challenging and prone to errors; it is therefore important to consider the reliability and validity of the assessment methods. Objective The aim of this study was to analyze the reproducibility and validity of a developed food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for use among adolescents. Design In total, 58 students (aged 13–14) from four different schools in the southern part of Norway participated in the reproducibility study of filling out the FFQ 4 weeks apart. In addition, 93 students participated in the relative validity study where the FFQ was compared to 2×24-hour dietary recalls, while 92 students participated in the absolute validity study where the intakes of fatty acids and vitamin D from the FFQ were compared to fatty acids and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 in whole blood. Results The median Spearman correlation coefficient for all nutrients in the test–retest reliability study was 0.57. The median Spearman correlation for all nutrients in the relative validity study was 0.26, while the correlations coefficients were low in the absolute validity study with n-3 fatty acid coefficients ranging from 0.05 to 0.25, and absent for vitamin D (r=0.000). Conclusion The test–retest reproducibility was considered good, the relative validity was considered poor to good, and the absolute validity was considered poor. However, the results are comparable to other studies among adolescents. PMID:25371661

  12. Test–retest reliability and validity of a web-based food-frequency questionnaire for adolescents aged 13–14 to be used in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nina Cecilie Øverby

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: The assessment of food intake is challenging and prone to errors; it is therefore important to consider the reliability and validity of the assessment methods. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the reproducibility and validity of a developed food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ for use among adolescents. Design: In total, 58 students (aged 13–14 from four different schools in the southern part of Norway participated in the reproducibility study of filling out the FFQ 4 weeks apart. In addition, 93 students participated in the relative validity study where the FFQ was compared to 2×24-hour dietary recalls, while 92 students participated in the absolute validity study where the intakes of fatty acids and vitamin D from the FFQ were compared to fatty acids and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 in whole blood. Results: The median Spearman correlation coefficient for all nutrients in the test–retest reliability study was 0.57. The median Spearman correlation for all nutrients in the relative validity study was 0.26, while the correlations coefficients were low in the absolute validity study with n-3 fatty acid coefficients ranging from 0.05 to 0.25, and absent for vitamin D (r=0.000. Conclusion: The test–retest reproducibility was considered good, the relative validity was considered poor to good, and the absolute validity was considered poor. However, the results are comparable to other studies among adolescents.

  13. Rapid, generalized adaptation to asynchronous audiovisual speech.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van der Burg, Erik; Goodbourn, Patrick T

    2015-04-07

    The brain is adaptive. The speed of propagation through air, and of low-level sensory processing, differs markedly between auditory and visual stimuli; yet the brain can adapt to compensate for the resulting cross-modal delays. Studies investigating temporal recalibration to audiovisual speech have used prolonged adaptation procedures, suggesting that adaptation is sluggish. Here, we show that adaptation to asynchronous audiovisual speech occurs rapidly. Participants viewed a brief clip of an actor pronouncing a single syllable. The voice was either advanced or delayed relative to the corresponding lip movements, and participants were asked to make a synchrony judgement. Although we did not use an explicit adaptation procedure, we demonstrate rapid recalibration based on a single audiovisual event. We find that the point of subjective simultaneity on each trial is highly contingent upon the modality order of the preceding trial. We find compelling evidence that rapid recalibration generalizes across different stimuli, and different actors. Finally, we demonstrate that rapid recalibration occurs even when auditory and visual events clearly belong to different actors. These results suggest that rapid temporal recalibration to audiovisual speech is primarily mediated by basic temporal factors, rather than higher-order factors such as perceived simultaneity and source identity. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  14. Evaluation of the Relative Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of a 15-Item Beverage Intake Questionnaire in Children and Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Catelyn E; MacDougall, Carly R; Riebl, Shaun K; Savla, Jyoti; Hedrick, Valisa E; Davy, Brenda M

    2017-11-01

    Added sugar intake, in the form of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), may contribute to weight gain and obesity development in children and adolescents. A valid and reliable brief beverage intake assessment tool for children and adolescents could facilitate research in this area. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the relative validity and test-retest reliability of a 15-item beverage intake questionnaire (BEVQ) for assessing usual beverage intake in children and adolescents. This cross-sectional investigation included four study visits within a 2- to 3-week time period. Participants (333 enrolled; 98% completion rate) were children aged 6 to 11 years and adolescents aged 12 to18 years recruited from the New River Valley, VA, region from January 2014 to September 2015. Study visits included assessment of height/weight, health history, and four 24-hour dietary recalls (24HRs). The BEVQ was completed at two visits (BEVQ 1, BEVQ 2). To evaluate relative validity, BEVQ 1 was compared with habitual beverage intake determined by the averaged 24HR. To evaluate test-retest reliability, BEVQ 1 was compared with BEVQ 2. Analyses included descriptive statistics, independent sample t tests, χ 2 tests, one-way analysis of variance, paired sample t tests, and correlational analyses. In the full sample, self-reported water and total SSB intake were not different between BEVQ 1 and 24HR (mean differences 0±1 fl oz and 0±1 fl oz, respectively; both P values >0.05). Reported intake across all beverage categories was significantly correlated between BEVQ 1 and BEVQ 2 (Pbeverages was not different (all P values >0.05) between BEVQ 1 and 24HR (mean differences: whole milk=3±4 kcal, reduced-fat milk=9±5 kcal, and fat-free milk=7±6 kcal, which is 7±15 total beverage kilocalories). In adolescents (n=200), water and SSB kilocalories were not different (both P values >0.05) between BEVQ 1 and 24HR (mean differences: -1±1 fl oz and 12±9 kcal, respectively). A 15

  15. Performance of European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation in Veterans General Hospital Kaohsiung cardiac surgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsin-Hung Shih

    2011-03-01

    Conclusion: EuroSCORE is simple and easy to use. In the present study, the model demonstrated excellent accuracy in all and various surgical subgroups in VGHKS cardiovascular surgery populations. Good calibration ability in all and different risk categories was identified except for isolated CABG group. Recalibration factors of 0.55 and 0.85 were suggested for the various operative subgroups and risk categories.

  16. Results of the space shuttle vehicle ascent air data system probe calibration test using a 0.07-scale external tank forebody model (68T) in the AEDC 16-foot transonic wind tunnel (IA-310), volume 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collette, J. G. R.

    1991-01-01

    A recalibration of the Space Shuttle Vehicle Ascent Air Data System probe was conducted in the Arnold Engineering and Development Center (AEDC) transonic wind tunnel. The purpose was to improve on the accuracy of the previous calibration in order to reduce the existing uncertainties in the system. A probe tip attached to a 0.07-scale External Tank Forebody model was tested at angles of attack of -8 to +4 degrees and sideslip angles of -4 to +4 degrees. High precision instrumentation was used to acquire pressure data at discrete Mach numbers ranging from 0.6 to 1.55. Pressure coefficient uncertainties were estimated at less than 0.0020. Additional information is given in tabular form.

  17. Results of the space shuttle vehicle ascent air data system probe calibration test using a 0.07-scale external tank forebody model (68T) in the AEDC 16-foot transonic wind tunnel (IA-310), volume 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collette, J. G. R.

    1991-01-01

    A recalibration of the Space Shuttle Vehicle Ascent Air Data System probe was conducted in the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) transonic wind tunnel. The purpose was to improve on the accuracy of the previous calibration in order to reduce the existing uncertainties in the system. A probe tip attached to a 0.07-scale External Tank Forebody model was tested at angles of attack of -8 to +4 degrees and sideslip angles of -4 to +4 degrees. High precision instrumentation was used to acquire pressure data at discrete Mach numbers ranging from 0.6 to 1.55. Pressure coefficient uncertainties were estimated at less than 0.0020. Data is given in graphical and tabular form.

  18. Multiple systems for motor skill learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Dav; Ivry, Richard B

    2010-07-01

    Motor learning is a ubiquitous feature of human competence. This review focuses on two particular classes of model tasks for studying skill acquisition. The serial reaction time (SRT) task is used to probe how people learn sequences of actions, while adaptation in the context of visuomotor or force field perturbations serves to illustrate how preexisting movements are recalibrated in novel environments. These tasks highlight important issues regarding the representational changes that occur during the course of motor learning. One important theme is that distinct mechanisms vary in their information processing costs during learning and performance. Fast learning processes may require few trials to produce large changes in performance but impose demands on cognitive resources. Slower processes are limited in their ability to integrate complex information but minimally demanding in terms of attention or processing resources. The representations derived from fast systems may be accessible to conscious processing and provide a relatively greater measure of flexibility, while the representations derived from slower systems are more inflexible and automatic in their behavior. In exploring these issues, we focus on how multiple neural systems may interact and compete during the acquisition and consolidation of new behaviors. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Motor Skill and Performance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. van Eijck and Roth's utilitarian science education: why the recalibration of science and traditional ecological knowledge invokes multiple perspectives to protect science education from being exclusive

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, Michael P.; Tippins, Deborah J.

    2010-12-01

    This article is a philosophical analysis of van Eijck and Roth's (2007) claim that science and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) should be recalibrated because they are incommensurate, particular to the local contexts in which they are practical. In this view, science maintains an incommensurate status as if it is a "fundamental" basis for the relative comparison of other cultural knowledges, which reduces traditional knowledge to a status of in relation to the prioritized (higher)-status of natural sciences. van Eijck and Roth reject epistemological Truth as a way of thinking about sciences in science education. Rather they adopt a utilitarian perspective of cultural-historical activity theory to demonstrate when traditional knowledge is considered science and when it is not considered science, for the purposes of evaluating what should be included in U.S. science education curricula. There are several challenges for evaluating what should be included in science education when traditional knowledges and sciences are considered in light of a utilitarian analysis. Science as diverse, either practically local or theoretically abstract, is highly uncertain, which provides opportunities for multiple perspectives to enlarge and protect the natural sciences from exclusivity. In this response to van Eijck and Roth, we make the case for considering dialectical relationships between science and TEK in order to ensure cultural diversity in science education, as a paradigm. We also emphasize the need to (re)dissolve the hierarchies and dualisms that may emerge when science is elevated in status in comparison with other knowledges. We conclude with a modification to van Eijck and Roth's perspective by recommending a guiding principle of cultural diversity in science education as a way to make curriculum choices. We envision this principle can be applied when evaluating science curricula worldwide.

  20. Test-retest measurements of dopamine D{sub 1}-type receptors using simultaneous PET/MRI imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaller, Simon; Patt, Marianne; Becker, Georg-Alexander; Luthardt, Julia; Meyer, Philipp M.; Werner, Peter; Barthel, Henryk; Bresch, Anke; Sabri, Osama [University of Leipzig, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Rullmann, Michael [University of Leipzig, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig (Germany); Girbardt, Johanna [Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig (Germany); Fritz, Thomas H. [Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig (Germany); University of Gent, Institute for Psychoacoustics and Electronic Music (IPEM), Ghent (Belgium); Hesse, Swen [University of Leipzig, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Leipzig University Medical Centre, Integrated Research and Treatment Centre (IFB) Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig (Germany)

    2017-06-15

    The role of dopamine D{sub 1}-type receptor (D{sub 1}R)-expressing neurons in the regulation of motivated behavior and reward prediction has not yet been fully established. As a prerequisite for future research assessing D{sub 1}-mediated neuronal network regulation using simultaneous PET/MRI and D{sub 1}R-selective [{sup 11}C]SCH23390, this study investigated the stability of central D{sub 1}R measurements between two independent PET/MRI sessions under baseline conditions. Thirteen healthy volunteers (7 female, age 33 ± 13 yrs) underwent 90-min emission scans, each after 90-s bolus injection of 486 ± 16 MBq [{sup 11}C]SCH23390, on two separate days within 2-4 weeks using a PET/MRI system. Parametric images of D{sub 1}R distribution volume ratio (DVR) and binding potential (BP{sub ND}) were generated by a multi-linear reference tissue model with two parameters and the cerebellar cortex as receptor-free reference region. Volume-of-interest (VOI) analysis was performed with manual VOIs drawn on consecutive transverse MRI slices for brain regions with high and low D{sub 1}R density. The DVR varied from 2.5 ± 0.3 to 2.9 ± 0.5 in regions with high D{sub 1}R density (e.g. the head of the caudate) and from 1.2 ± 0.1 to 1.6 ± 0.2 in regions with low D{sub 1}R density (e.g. the prefrontal cortex). The absolute variability of the DVR ranged from 2.4% ± 1.3% to 5.1% ± 5.3%, while Bland-Altman analyses revealed very low differences in mean DVR (e.g. 0.013 ± 0.17 for the nucleus accumbens). Intraclass correlation (one-way, random) indicated very high agreement (0.93 in average) for both DVR and BP{sub ND} values. Accordingly, the absolute variability of BP{sub ND} ranged from 7.0% ± 4.7% to 12.5% ± 10.6%; however, there were regions with very low D{sub 1}R content, such as the occipital cortex, with higher mean variability. The test-retest reliability of D{sub 1}R measurements in this study was very high. This was the case not only for D{sub 1}R-rich brain areas, but

  1. Test-retest reliability of evoked BOLD signals from a cognitive-emotive fMRI test battery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plichta, Michael M; Schwarz, Adam J; Grimm, Oliver; Morgen, Katrin; Mier, Daniela; Haddad, Leila; Gerdes, Antje B M; Sauer, Carina; Tost, Heike; Esslinger, Christine; Colman, Peter; Wilson, Frederick; Kirsch, Peter; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas

    2012-04-15

    Even more than in cognitive research applications, moving fMRI to the clinic and the drug development process requires the generation of stable and reliable signal changes. The performance characteristics of the fMRI paradigm constrain experimental power and may require different study designs (e.g., crossover vs. parallel groups), yet fMRI reliability characteristics can be strongly dependent on the nature of the fMRI task. The present study investigated both within-subject and group-level reliability of a combined three-task fMRI battery targeting three systems of wide applicability in clinical and cognitive neuroscience: an emotional (face matching), a motivational (monetary reward anticipation) and a cognitive (n-back working memory) task. A group of 25 young, healthy volunteers were scanned twice on a 3T MRI scanner with a mean test-retest interval of 14.6 days. FMRI reliability was quantified using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) applied at three different levels ranging from a global to a localized and fine spatial scale: (1) reliability of group-level activation maps over the whole brain and within targeted regions of interest (ROIs); (2) within-subject reliability of ROI-mean amplitudes and (3) within-subject reliability of individual voxels in the target ROIs. Results showed robust evoked activation of all three tasks in their respective target regions (emotional task=amygdala; motivational task=ventral striatum; cognitive task=right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and parietal cortices) with high effect sizes (ES) of ROI-mean summary values (ES=1.11-1.44 for the faces task, 0.96-1.43 for the reward task, 0.83-2.58 for the n-back task). Reliability of group level activation was excellent for all three tasks with ICCs of 0.89-0.98 at the whole brain level and 0.66-0.97 within target ROIs. Within-subject reliability of ROI-mean amplitudes across sessions was fair to good for the reward task (ICCs=0.56-0.62) and, dependent on the particular ROI

  2. An Objective Balance Error Scoring System for Sideline Concussion Evaluation Using Duplex Kinect Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mengqi Zhu

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Sports-related concussion is a common sports injury that might induce potential long-term consequences without early diagnosis and intervention in the field. However, there are few options of such sensor systems available. The aim of the study is to propose and validate an automated concussion administration and scoring approach, which is objective, affordable and capable of detecting all balance errors required by the balance error scoring system (BESS protocol in the field condition. Our approach is first to capture human body skeleton positions using two Microsoft Kinect sensors in the proposed configuration and merge the data by a custom-made algorithm to remove the self-occlusion of limbs. The standing balance errors according to BESS protocol were further measured and accessed automatically by the proposed algorithm. Simultaneously, the BESS test was filmed for scoring by an experienced rater. Two results were compared using Pearson coefficient r, obtaining an excellent consistency (r = 0.93, p < 0.05. In addition, BESS test–retest was performed after seven days and compared using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC, showing a good test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.81, p < 0.01. The proposed approach could be an alternative of objective tools to assess postural stability for sideline sports concussion diagnosis.

  3. Measuring system and method of determining the Adaptive Force

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Schaefer

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The term Adaptive Force (AF describes the capability of adaptation of the nerve-muscle-system to externally applied forces during isometric and eccentric muscle action. This ability plays an important role in real life motions as well as in sports. The focus of this paper is on the specific measurement method of this neuromuscular action, which can be seen as innovative. A measuring system based on the use of compressed air was constructed and evaluated for this neuromuscular function. It depends on the physical conditions of the subject, at which force level it deviates from the quasi isometric position and merges into eccentric muscle action. The device enables – in contrast to the isokinetic systems – a measure of strength without forced motion. Evaluation of the scientific quality criteria of the devices was done by measurements regarding the intra- and interrater-, the test-retest-reliability and fatiguing measurements. Comparisons of the pneumatic device with a dynamometer were also done. Looking at the mechanical evaluation, the results show a high level of consistency (r²=0.94 to 0.96. The parallel test reliability delivers a very high and significant correlation (ρ=0.976; p=0.000. Including the biological system, the concordance of three different raters is very high (p=0.001, Cronbachs alpha α=0.987. The test retest with 4 subjects over five weeks speaks for the reliability of the device in showing no statistically significant differences. These evaluations indicate that the scientific evaluation criteria are fulfilled. The specific feature of this system is that an isometric position can be maintained while the externally impacting force rises. Moreover, the device can capture concentric, static and eccentric strength values. Fields of application are performance diagnostics in sports and medicine.

  4. Aquaporin-4 antibody in neuromyelitis optica: re-testing study in a large population from China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Youming; Liang, Junyan; Zhong, Rong; Wu, Linzhan; Qiu, Wei; Lin, Shaopeng; Gao, Cong; Chen, Xiaohui; Zheng, Xueping; Yang, Ning; Gao, Min; Wang, Zhanhang

    2017-09-01

    Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody sero-positivity is critically important in neuromyelitis optica (NMO). However, the sensitivity of different assays is highly variable. Repeating detection with a highly sensitive assay in a large population is necessary in the case of so-called negative NMO. Retrospective analysis where AQP4 antibodies were detected by commercial cell-based assay (CBA), in-house M23-CBA and in-house M1-CBA. Of the 1011 serum samples, 206 (20.4%) were sero-positive by primary commercial CBA. In the retest, all 206 participants positive by primary commercial CBA also yielded positive results by in-house M23-CBA and the second commercial CBA again, but only 124 positive in in-house M1-CBA. Among the 805 participants negative by primary commercial CBA, 71 participants were positive for in-house M23-CBA, of which 20 participants were positive for the second commercial CBA, and none were positive by in-house M1-CBA. Of the 171 cerebral spinal fluid samples, 75 (43.9%) were positive by primary commercial CBA. All 75 participants positive by primary commercial CBA also yielded positive results by in-house M23-CBA and the second commercial CBA. Forty-nine (65.3%) of these 75 participants were positive by in-house M1-CBA. Among the 96 participants negative by primary commercial CBA, 15 participants were positive for in-house M23-CBA and none were positive by in-house M1-CBA and the second commercial CBA. Different AQP4 isoforms in CBA result in different detection effects, and in-house M23-CBA is the most sensitive method. Some AQP4 antibody-negative NMO may be subject to diagnostic uncertainty due to limitations of the assays.

  5. Test-retest reliability of diffusion tensor imaging of the liver at 3.0 T.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girometti, Rossano; Maieron, Marta; Lissandrello, Giovanni; Bazzocchi, Massimo; Zuiani, Chiara

    2015-06-01

    This study was done to evaluate test-retest reliability of liver diffusion tensor imaging (LDTI). Ten healthy volunteers (median age 23 years) underwent two LDTI scans on a 3.0 T magnet during two imaging sessions separated by 2 weeks (session-1/-2, respectively). Fifteen gradient directions and b values of 0-1,000 s/mm(2) were used. Two radiologists in consensus assessed liver apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fraction of anisotropy (FA) values on ADC and FA maps at four reference levels, namely: right upper level (RUL), right lower level (RLL), left upper level (LUL) and left lower level (LLL). We then assessed (a) whether ADC and FA values overlapped when measured on different levels within the same imaging session or between different imaging sessions; (b) the degree of variability on an intra-session and inter-session basis, respectively, using the coefficient of variation (CV). In sessions 1 and 2, the ADC/FA values were significantly larger in the left liver lobe (LUL/LLL) compared to right liver lobe (RUL/RLL) (p < 0.05/6). Intra-session CVs were 9.51 % (session 1) and 9.73 % (session 2) for ADC, and 12.93 % (session 1) and 11.82 % (session 2) for FA, respectively. When comparing RUL, RLL, LUL and LLL on an inter-session basis, CVs were 6.52, 8.20, 6.52 and 11.06 % for ADC, and 15.42, 15.80, 15.42 and 6.80 % for FA, respectively. LDTI provides consistent and repeatable measurements. However, since larger left lobe ADC/FA values can be attributed to artefacts, right lobe values should be considered the most reliable measurements of water diffusivity within the liver.

  6. Decoder calibration with ultra small current sample set for intracortical brain-machine interface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Peng; Ma, Xuan; Chen, Luyao; Zhou, Jin; Wang, Changyong; Li, Wei; He, Jiping

    2018-04-01

    Objective. Intracortical brain-machine interfaces (iBMIs) aim to restore efficient communication and movement ability for paralyzed patients. However, frequent recalibration is required for consistency and reliability, and every recalibration will require relatively large most current sample set. The aim in this study is to develop an effective decoder calibration method that can achieve good performance while minimizing recalibration time. Approach. Two rhesus macaques implanted with intracortical microelectrode arrays were trained separately on movement and sensory paradigm. Neural signals were recorded to decode reaching positions or grasping postures. A novel principal component analysis-based domain adaptation (PDA) method was proposed to recalibrate the decoder with only ultra small current sample set by taking advantage of large historical data, and the decoding performance was compared with other three calibration methods for evaluation. Main results. The PDA method closed the gap between historical and current data effectively, and made it possible to take advantage of large historical data for decoder recalibration in current data decoding. Using only ultra small current sample set (five trials of each category), the decoder calibrated using the PDA method could achieve much better and more robust performance in all sessions than using other three calibration methods in both monkeys. Significance. (1) By this study, transfer learning theory was brought into iBMIs decoder calibration for the first time. (2) Different from most transfer learning studies, the target data in this study were ultra small sample set and were transferred to the source data. (3) By taking advantage of historical data, the PDA method was demonstrated to be effective in reducing recalibration time for both movement paradigm and sensory paradigm, indicating a viable generalization. By reducing the demand for large current training data, this new method may facilitate the application

  7. Item response theory and factor analysis as a mean to characterize occurrence of response shift in a longitudinal quality of life study in breast cancer patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background The occurrence of response shift (RS) in longitudinal health-related quality of life (HRQoL) studies, reflecting patient adaptation to disease, has already been demonstrated. Several methods have been developed to detect the three different types of response shift (RS), i.e. recalibration RS, 2) reprioritization RS, and 3) reconceptualization RS. We investigated two complementary methods that characterize the occurrence of RS: factor analysis, comprising Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), and a method of Item Response Theory (IRT). Methods Breast cancer patients (n = 381) completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BR23 questionnaires at baseline, immediately following surgery, and three and six months after surgery, according to the “then-test/post-test” design. Recalibration was explored using MCA and a model of IRT, called the Linear Logistic Model with Relaxed Assumptions (LLRA) using the then-test method. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to explore reconceptualization and reprioritization. Results MCA highlighted the main profiles of recalibration: patients with high HRQoL level report a slightly worse HRQoL level retrospectively and vice versa. The LLRA model indicated a downward or upward recalibration for each dimension. At six months, the recalibration effect was statistically significant for 11/22 dimensions of the QLQ-C30 and BR23 according to the LLRA model (p ≤ 0.001). Regarding the QLQ-C30, PCA indicated a reprioritization of symptom scales and reconceptualization via an increased correlation between functional scales. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate the usefulness of these analyses in characterizing the occurrence of RS. MCA and IRT model had convergent results with then-test method to characterize recalibration component of RS. PCA is an indirect method in investigating the reprioritization and reconceptualization components of RS. PMID:24606836

  8. Volume of Courses Students Carry among Central Data Warehouse (CDW) Institutions: Implications for Recalibration of the BC Transfer System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Box, Dale

    2008-01-01

    The British Columbia (BC) Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) has undertaken, in the last couple of years, a review of the BC Transfer System. Preliminary findings indicate that the current structure of the BC Transfer Guide (BCTG), which designates institutions as either "sending" institutions or "receiving"…

  9. 42 CFR 412.517 - Revision of LTC-DRG group classifications and weighting factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Revision of LTC-DRG group classifications and... the LTC-DRG classifications and recalibration of the weighting factors described in paragraph (a) of... SERVICES Prospective Payment System for Long-Term Care Hospitals § 412.517 Revision of LTC-DRG group...

  10. Minimum joint space width (mJSW) of patellofemoral joint on standing ''skyline'' radiographs: test-retest reproducibility and comparison with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Simoni, Paolo; Jamali, Sanaa; Alvarez Miezentseva, Victoria [CHU de Liege, Diagnostic Imaging Departement, Domanine du Sart Tilman, Liege (Belgium); Albert, Adelin [CHU de Liege, Biostatistics Departement, Domanine du Sart Tilman, Liege (Belgium); Totterman, Saara; Schreyer, Edward; Tamez-Pena, Jose G. [Qmetrics Technologies, Rochester, NY (United States); Zobel, Bruno Beomonte [Campus Bio-Medico University, Diagnostic Imaging Departement, Rome (Italy); Gillet, Philippe [CHU de Liege, Orthopaedic surgery Department, Domanine du Sart Tilman, Liege (Belgium)

    2013-11-15

    To assess the intraobserver, interobserver, and test-retest reproducibility of minimum joint space width (mJSW) measurement of medial and lateral patellofemoral joints on standing ''skyline'' radiographs and to compare the mJSW of the patellofemoral joint to the mean cartilage thickness calculated by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI). A couple of standing ''skyline'' radiographs of the patellofemoral joints and MRI of 55 knees of 28 volunteers (18 females, ten males, mean age, 48.5 {+-} 16.2 years) were obtained on the same day. The mJSW of the patellofemoral joint was manually measured and Kellgren and Lawrence grade (KLG) was independently assessed by two observers. The mJSW was compared to the mean cartilage thickness of patellofemoral joint calculated by qMRI. mJSW of the medial and lateral patellofemoral joint showed an excellent intraobserver agreement (interclass correlation (ICC) = 0.94 and 0.96), interobserver agreement (ICC = 0.90 and 0.95) and test-retest agreement (ICC = 0.92 and 0.96). The mJSW measured on radiographs was correlated to mean cartilage thickness calculated by qMRI (r = 0.71, p < 0.0001 for the medial PFJ and r = 0.81, p < 0.0001 for the lateral PFJ). However, there was a lack of concordance between radiographs and qMRI for extreme values of joint width and KLG. Radiographs yielded higher joint space measures than qMRI in knees with a normal joint space, while qMRI yielded higher joint space measures than radiographs in knees with joint space narrowing and higher KLG. Standing ''skyline'' radiographs are a reproducible tool for measuring the mJSW of the patellofemoral joint. The mJSW of the patellofemoral joint on radiographs are correlated with, but not concordant with, qMRI measurements. (orig.)

  11. Calibration Technique of the Irradiated Thermocouple using Artificial Neural Network

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Jin Tae; Joung, Chang Young; Ahn, Sung Ho; Yang, Tae Ho; Heo, Sung Ho; Jang, Seo Yoon [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    To correct the signals, the degradation rate of sensors needs to be analyzed, and re-calibration of sensors should be followed periodically. In particular, because thermocouples instrumented in the nuclear fuel rod are degraded owing to the high neutron fluence generated from the nuclear fuel, the periodic re-calibration process is necessary. However, despite the re-calibration of the thermocouple, the measurement error will be increased until next re-calibration. In this study, based on the periodically calibrated temperature - voltage data, an interpolation technique using the artificial neural network will be introduced to minimize the calibration error of the C-type thermocouple under the irradiation test. The test result shows that the calculated voltages derived from the interpolation function have good agreement with the experimental sampling data, and they also accurately interpolate the voltages at arbitrary temperature and neutron fluence. That is, once the reference data is obtained by experiments, it is possible to accurately calibrate the voltage signal at a certain neutron fluence and temperature using an artificial neural network.

  12. Feasibility and test-retest reliability of measuring lower‑limb strength in young children with cerebral palsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Vulpen, L F; De Groot, S; Becher, J G; De Wolf, G S; Dallmeijer, A J

    2013-12-01

    Quantifying leg muscle strength in young children with cerebral palsy (CP) is essential for identifying muscle groups for treatment and for monitoring progress. To study the feasibility, intratester reliability and the optimal test design (number of test occasions and repetitions) of measuring lower-limb strength with handheld dynamometry (HHD) and dynamic ankle plantar flexor strength with the standing heel-rise (SH) test in 3-10 year aged children with CP. Test-retest design. Rehabilitation centre, special needs school for children with disabilities, and university medical centre. Knee extensor, hip abductor and calf muscle strength was assessed in 20 ambulatory children with spastic CP (3-5 years [N.=10] and 6-10 years [N.=10]) on two test occasions. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Smallest Detectable Differences (SDD) were calculated to determine the optimal test design for detecting changes in strength. All isometric strength tests had acceptable SDDs (9-30%), when taking the mean values of 2-3 test occasions (separate days) and 2-3 repetitions. The one-leg SH test had large SDDs (40-128% for younger group, 23-48% for older group). Isometric strength (improvements) can only be measured reliably with HHD in young children with CP when the average values over at least 2 test occasions are taken. Reliability of the SH test is not sufficient for measuring individual changes in dynamic muscle strength in the younger children. Results of this study can be used to determine the optimal number of test occasions and repetitions for reliable HHD measurements depending on expected changes, muscle group and age in 3-10 year old children with CP.

  13. A Novel Forecasting System for Solar Particle Events and Flares (FORSPEF)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Papaioannou, A; Anastasiadis, A; Sandberg, I; Tsiropoula, G; Tziotziou, K; Georgoulis, M K; Jiggens, P; Hilgers, A

    2015-01-01

    Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) result from intense solar eruptive events such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and pose a significant threat for both personnel and infrastructure in space conditions. In this work, we present FORSPEF (Forecasting Solar Particle Events and Flares), a novel dual system, designed to perform forecasting of SEPs based on forecasting of solar flares, as well as independent SEP nowcasting. An overview of flare and SEP forecasting methods of choice is presented. Concerning SEP events, we make use for the first time of the newly re-calibrated GOES proton data within the energy range 6.0-243 MeV and we build our statistics on an extensive time interval that includes roughly 3 solar cycles (1984-2013). A new comprehensive catalogue of SEP events based on these data has been compiled including solar associations in terms of flare (magnitude, location) and CME (width, velocity) characteristics. (paper)

  14. Investigation into the verification of the Synapsys videonystagmography (VNG) Ulmer calibration system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corless, Natalie; Goggins, Susannah

    2014-09-01

    To assess the accuracy and stability of the Synapsys VNG Ulmer calibration system when the goggles and infrared camera are repositioned, and the accuracy of the equipment's geometric calibration system. Prospective data collection involved participants conducting the system's horizontal calibration test. Eye measurements were then recorded for a 60° deviation (looking from 30° right to -30° left) and repeated after the goggles and infrared camera were removed/repositioned. Participants' eye measurements were also recorded after the geometric calibration had been activated. Twenty-two participants with no history of visual or vestibular pathology were recruited for this study. No significant differences were found when the goggles were removed and replaced (p = 0.21); when the infrared camera was repositioned within the goggles (p = 0.50); or when the goggles were removed and the camera repositioned (p = 0.18) after horizontal calibration. A significant difference was found during the assessment of geometric calibration (p < 0.01). Calibration is not affected by removal or repositioning of the goggles and/or infrared camera within the goggles, therefore suggesting recalibration may not be necessary. Caution should be exercised when using the equipment's geometric calibration and should only be used when the patient is unable to conduct the system's horizontal calibration test.

  15. The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System: integrating attachment into clinical assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    George, Carol; West, Malcolm

    2011-01-01

    This article summarizes the development and validation of the Adult Attachment Projective System (AAP), a measure we developed from the Bowlby-Ainsworth developmental tradition to assess adult attachment status. The AAP has demonstrated excellent concurrent validity with the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1984/1985/1996; Main & Goldwyn, 1985-1994; Main, Goldwyn, & Hesse, 2003), interjudge reliability, and test-retest reliability, with no effects of verbal intelligence or social desirability. The AAP coding and classification system and application in clinical and community samples are summarized. Finally, we introduce the 3 other articles that are part of this Special Section and discuss the use of the AAP in therapeutic assessment and treatment.

  16. EURADOS intercomparison 2006 to harmonise European early warning dosimetry systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dombrowski, H.; Neumaier, S.; Thompson, I. M. G.; Wissmann, F.

    2009-01-01

    In 2006, the European Radiation Dosimetry (EURADOS) Working Group on Environmental Radiation Monitoring (WG3) organised a third European intercomparison of dosimetry systems operated in national early warning networks. Similar to the intercomparisons in 1999 and 2002, the main aim of this exercise was to support the process of harmonisation of area monitoring in Europe by providing the network operators with basic information on the calibration and performance of their dosimetry systems. In order to characterise these systems, their following basic parameters were investigated: the response to terrestrial and cosmic radiation, the detectors' inherent background, the response at low dose rates, the energy dependence of the response as well as the sensitivity of the detector systems to small changes of the dose rate in a natural environmental radiation field. In the 2006 EURADOS intercomparison, scientists from seven countries participated to study the characteristics of 11 detector systems. All results are presented in terms of the operational quantity ambient dose equivalent, H * (10). The advent of this quantity has caused the development of new detector systems for area monitoring. Some of these new systems participated in a EURADOS intercomparison for the first time. The results are consistently presented together with uncertainties so that statistical effects can be distinguished from real detector features, which improves the interpretation of the results. By using the results of this intercomparison, some detectors were re-calibrated. The achievable improvements concerning harmonisation in dose-rate measurements in the natural environment are discussed. (authors)

  17. Which is the most useful patient-reported outcome in femoroacetabular impingement? Test-retest reliability of six questionnaires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinman, Rana S; Dobson, Fiona; Takla, Amir; O'Donnell, John; Bennell, Kim L

    2014-03-01

    The most reliable patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for people with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is unknown because there have been no direct comparisons of questionnaires. Thus, the aim was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of six existing PROs in a single cohort of young active people with hip/groin pain consistent with a clinical diagnosis of FAI. Young adults with clinical FAI completed six PRO questionnaires on two occasions, 1-2 weeks apart. The PROs were modified Harris Hip Score, Hip dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Score, Hip Outcome Score, Non-Arthritic Hip Score, International Hip Outcome Tool, Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score. 30 young adults (mean age 24 years, SD 4 years, range 18-30 years; 15 men) with stable symptoms participated. Intraclass correlation coefficient(3,1) values ranged from 0.73 to 0.93 (95% CI 0.38 to 0.98) indicating that most questionnaires reached minimal reliability benchmarks. Measurement error at the individual level was quite large for most questionnaires (minimal detectable change (MDC95) 12.4-35.6, 95% CI 8.7 to 54.0). In contrast, measurement error at the group level was quite small for most questionnaires (MDC95 2.2-7.3, 95% CI 1.6 to 11). The majority of the questionnaires were reliable and precise enough for use at the group level. Samples of only 23-30 individuals were required to achieve acceptable measurement variation at the group level. Further direct comparisons of these questionnaires are required to assess other measurement properties such as validity, responsiveness and meaningful change in young people with FAI.

  18. The QUASAR reproducibility study, Part II: Results from a multi center Arterial Spin Labeling test-retest Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Esben Thade; Mouridsen, Kim; Golay, Xavier

    2009-01-01

    Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) is a method to measure perfusion using magnetically labeled blood water as an endogenous tracer. Being fully non-invasive, this technique is attractive for longitudinal studies of cerebral blood flow in healthy and diseased individuals, or as a surrogate marker of metabolism. So far, ASL has been restricted mostly to specialist centers due to a generally low SNR of the method and potential issues with user-dependent analysis needed to obtain quantitative measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF). Here, we evaluated a particular implementation of ASL (called Quantitative STAR labeling of Arterial Regions or QUASAR), a method providing user independent quantification of CBF in a large test-retest study across sites from around the world, dubbed “The QUASAR reproducibility study”. Altogether, 28 sites located in Asia, Europe and North America participated and a total of 284 healthy volunteers were scanned. Minimal operator dependence was assured by using an automatic planning tool and its accuracy and potential usefulness in multi-center trials was evaluated as well. Accurate repositioning between sessions was achieved with the automatic planning tool showing mean displacements of 1.87±0.95mm and rotations of 1.56±0.66°. Mean gray matter CBF was 47.4±7.5 [ml/100g/min] with a between subject standard variation SDb = 5.5 [ml/100g/min] and a within subject standard deviation SDw = 4.7 [ml/100g/min]. The corresponding repeatability was 13.0 [ml/100g/min] and was found to be within the range of previous studies. PMID:19660557

  19. The QUASAR reproducibility study, Part II: Results from a multi-center Arterial Spin Labeling test-retest study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Esben Thade; Mouridsen, Kim; Golay, Xavier

    2010-01-01

    Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) is a method to measure perfusion using magnetically labeled blood water as an endogenous tracer. Being fully non-invasive, this technique is attractive for longitudinal studies of cerebral blood flow in healthy and diseased individuals, or as a surrogate marker of metabolism. So far, ASL has been restricted mostly to specialist centers due to a generally low SNR of the method and potential issues with user-dependent analysis needed to obtain quantitative measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF). Here, we evaluated a particular implementation of ASL (called Quantitative STAR labeling of Arterial Regions or QUASAR), a method providing user independent quantification of CBF in a large test-retest study across sites from around the world, dubbed "The QUASAR reproducibility study". Altogether, 28 sites located in Asia, Europe and North America participated and a total of 284 healthy volunteers were scanned. Minimal operator dependence was assured by using an automatic planning tool and its accuracy and potential usefulness in multi-center trials was evaluated as well. Accurate repositioning between sessions was achieved with the automatic planning tool showing mean displacements of 1.87+/-0.95 mm and rotations of 1.56+/-0.66 degrees . Mean gray matter CBF was 47.4+/-7.5 [ml/100 g/min] with a between-subject standard variation SD(b)=5.5 [ml/100 g/min] and a within-subject standard deviation SD(w)=4.7 [ml/100 g/min]. The corresponding repeatability was 13.0 [ml/100 g/min] and was found to be within the range of previous studies.

  20. Reproducibility and reliability of hypoglycaemic episodes recorded with Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) in daily life

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høi-Hansen, T; Pedersen-Bjergaard, U; Thorsteinsson, B

    2005-01-01

    AIM: Continuous glucose monitoring may reveal episodes of unrecognized hypoglycaemia. We evaluated reproducibility and reliability of hypoglycaemic episodes recorded in daily life by the Medtronic MiniMed Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS). METHODS: Twenty-nine adult patients with Type 1...... data were recalibrated generating four different CGMS data sets [left-A (left side of abdomen, calibration set A), left-B, right-A and right-B]. Agreement between CGMS data sets was evaluated during hypoglycaemic events, comparing CGMS readings = 2.2 mmol/l with nadir values from corresponding CGMS...... data sets. CGMS readings were also compared with independent self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) values. RESULTS: With hypoglycaemia (CGMS readings = 2.2 mmol/l) in calibration set left-A, values below 3.5 mmol/l were present in 99% (95% CI: 95-100%) of samples in left-B, 91% (95% CI: 84...

  1. Construction of a fuel demand function portraying inter-fuel substitution, a system dynamics approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abada, Ibrahim; Briat, Vincent; Massol, Olivier

    2011-04-01

    Most of the recent numerical market equilibrium models of natural gas markets use imperfect competition assumptions. These models are typically embedded with an oversimplified representation of the demand side, usually a single-variable affine function, that does not capture any dynamic adjustment to past prices. To remedy this, we report an effort to construct an enhanced functional specification using the system dynamics-based model of Moxnes (1987, 1990). Thanks to a vintage representation of capital stock, this putty-clay model captures the effect of both past and current energy prices on fuel consumption. Using a re-calibrated version of this model, we first confirm the pertinence of this modeling framework to represent inter-fuel substitutions at different fuel prices in the industrial sector. Building on these findings, a dynamic functional specification of the demand function for natural gas is then proposed and calibrated. (authors)

  2. Camera calibration in a hazardous environment performed in situ with automated analysis and verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DePiero, F.W.; Kress, R.L.

    1993-01-01

    Camera calibration using the method of Two Planes is discussed. An implementation of the technique is described that may be performed in situ, e.g., in a hazardous or contaminated environment, thus eliminating the need for decontamination of camera systems before recalibration. Companion analysis techniques used for verifying the correctness of the calibration are presented

  3. Smallest detectable change and test-retest reliability of a self-reported outcome measure: Results of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and 12-item General Health Questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohno, Shotaro; Takahashi, Kana; Inoue, Aimi; Takada, Koki; Ishihara, Yoshiaki; Tanigawa, Masaru; Hirao, Kazuki

    2017-12-01

    This study aims to examine the smallest detectable change (SDC) and test-retest reliability of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). We tested 154 young adults at baseline and 2 weeks later. We calculated the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) for test-retest reliability with a two-way random effects model for agreement. We then calculated the standard error of measurement (SEM) for agreement using the ICC formula. The SEM for agreement was used to calculate SDC values at the individual level (SDC ind ) and group level (SDC group ). The study participants included 137 young adults. The ICCs for all self-reported outcome measurement scales exceeded 0.70. The SEM of CES-D was 3.64, leading to an SDC ind of 10.10 points and SDC group of 0.86 points. The SEM of GSES was 1.56, leading to an SDC ind of 4.33 points and SDC group of 0.37 points. The SEM of GHQ-12 with bimodal scoring was 1.47, leading to an SDC ind of 4.06 points and SDC group of 0.35 points. The SEM of GHQ-12 with Likert scoring was 2.44, leading to an SDC ind of 6.76 points and SDC group of 0.58 points. To confirm that the change was not a result of measurement error, a score of self-reported outcome measurement scales would need to change by an amount greater than these SDC values. This has important implications for clinicians and epidemiologists when assessing outcomes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. The Mediterranean Moored Multi-sensor Array (M3A: system development and initial results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Nittis

    Full Text Available Operational forecasting of ocean circulation and marine ecosystem fluctuations requires multi-parametric real-time measurements of physical and biochemical properties. The architecture of a system that is able to provide such measurements from the upper-thermocline layers of the Mediterranean Sea is described here. The system was developed for the needs of the Mediterranean Forecasting System and incorporates state-of-the-art sensors for optical and chemical measurements in the upper 100 m and physical measurements down to 500 m. Independent moorings that communicate via hydro-acoustic modems are hosting the sensors. The satellite data transfer and the large autonomy allow for the operation of the system in any open-ocean site. The system has been in pre-operational use in the Cretan Sea since January 2000. The results of this pilot phase indicate that multi-parametric real-time observations with the M3A system are feasible, if a consistent maintenance and re-calibration program is followed. The main limitations of the present configuration of M3A are related: (a to bio-fouling that primarily affects the turbidity and secondarily affects the other optical sensors, and (b to the limited throughput of the currently used satellite communication system.

    Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (instruments and techniques. Oceanography: general (ocean prediction Oceanography: physical (upper ocean process

  5. The Mediterranean Moored Multi-sensor Array (M3A: system development and initial results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Nittis

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Operational forecasting of ocean circulation and marine ecosystem fluctuations requires multi-parametric real-time measurements of physical and biochemical properties. The architecture of a system that is able to provide such measurements from the upper-thermocline layers of the Mediterranean Sea is described here. The system was developed for the needs of the Mediterranean Forecasting System and incorporates state-of-the-art sensors for optical and chemical measurements in the upper 100 m and physical measurements down to 500 m. Independent moorings that communicate via hydro-acoustic modems are hosting the sensors. The satellite data transfer and the large autonomy allow for the operation of the system in any open-ocean site. The system has been in pre-operational use in the Cretan Sea since January 2000. The results of this pilot phase indicate that multi-parametric real-time observations with the M3A system are feasible, if a consistent maintenance and re-calibration program is followed. The main limitations of the present configuration of M3A are related: (a to bio-fouling that primarily affects the turbidity and secondarily affects the other optical sensors, and (b to the limited throughput of the currently used satellite communication system. Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (instruments and techniques. Oceanography: general (ocean prediction Oceanography: physical (upper ocean process

  6. FY16 ISCP Nuclear Counting Facility Hardware Expansion Summary

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Church, Jennifer A. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Kashgarian, Michaele [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Wooddy, Todd [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Haslett, Bob [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Torretto, Phil [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2016-09-15

    Hardware expansion and detector calibrations were the focus of FY 16 ISCP efforts in the Nuclear Counting Facility. Work focused on four main objectives: 1) Installation, calibration, and validation of 4 additional HPGe gamma spectrometry systems; including two Low Energy Photon Spectrometers (LEPS). 2) Re-Calibration and validation of 3 previously installed gamma-ray detectors, 3) Integration of the new systems into the NCF IT infrastructure, and 4) QA/QC and maintenance of current detector systems.

  7. FY16 ISCP Nuclear Counting Facility Hardware Expansion Summary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Church, Jennifer A.; Kashgarian, Michaele; Wooddy, Todd; Haslett, Bob; Torretto, Phil

    2016-01-01

    Hardware expansion and detector calibrations were the focus of FY 16 ISCP efforts in the Nuclear Counting Facility. Work focused on four main objectives: 1) Installation, calibration, and validation of 4 additional HPGe gamma spectrometry systems; including two Low Energy Photon Spectrometers (LEPS). 2) Re-Calibration and validation of 3 previously installed gamma-ray detectors, 3) Integration of the new systems into the NCF IT infrastructure, and 4) QA/QC and maintenance of current detector systems.

  8. Genital and extra-genital screening for gonorrhoea using the BD Probetec ET system with an in-house PCR method targeting the porA pseudogene as confirmatory test

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skovgaard, Sissel; Larsen, Helle Kiellberg; Sand, Carsten

    2012-01-01

    for Chlamydia trachomatis testing were also examined for GC on the BD Viper™ platform using the BD Probetec ET system. In order to avoid false-positive results all GC BD reactive samples were re-tested using a PCR method with the porA pseudogene as target. Using this method we screened 170% more samples for GC...

  9. Missouri Highway Safety Manual Recalibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-05-01

    The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) is a national manual for analyzing the highway safety of various facilities, including rural roads, urban arterials, freeways, and intersections. The HSM was first published in 2010, and a 2014 supplement addressed fre...

  10. The Communication Function Classification System: cultural adaptation, validity, and reliability of the Farsi version for patients with cerebral palsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soleymani, Zahra; Joveini, Ghodsiye; Baghestani, Ahmad Reza

    2015-03-01

    This study developed a Farsi language Communication Function Classification System and then tested its reliability and validity. Communication Function Classification System is designed to classify the communication functions of individuals with cerebral palsy. Up until now, there has been no instrument for assessment of this communication function in Iran. The English Communication Function Classification System was translated into Farsi and cross-culturally modified by a panel of experts. Professionals and parents then assessed the content validity of the modified version. A backtranslation of the Farsi version was confirmed by the developer of the English Communication Function Classification System. Face validity was assessed by therapists and parents of 10 patients. The Farsi Communication Function Classification System was administered to 152 individuals with cerebral palsy (age, 2 to 18 years; median age, 10 years; mean age, 9.9 years; standard deviation, 4.3 years). Inter-rater reliability was analyzed between parents, occupational therapists, and speech and language pathologists. The test-retest reliability was assessed for 75 patients with a 14 day interval between tests. The inter-rater reliability of the Communication Function Classification System was 0.81 between speech and language pathologists and occupational therapists, 0.74 between parents and occupational therapists, and 0.88 between parents and speech and language pathologists. The test-retest reliability was 0.96 for occupational therapists, 0.98 for speech and language pathologists, and 0.94 for parents. The findings suggest that the Farsi version of Communication Function Classification System is a reliable and valid measure that can be used in clinical settings to assess communication function in patients with cerebral palsy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Translation and validation of the Dutch new Knee Society Scoring System ©.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Der Straeten, Catherine; Witvrouw, Erik; Willems, Tine; Bellemans, Johan; Victor, Jan

    2013-11-01

    A new version of The Knee Society Knee Scoring System(©) (KSS) has recently been developed. Before this scale can be used in non-English-speaking populations, it has to be translated and validated for a particular population. We evaluated the construct and content validity, the test-retest reliability, and the internal consistency of the Dutch version of the New Knee Society KSS. A Dutch translation was performed using a forward-backward translation protocol. We tested the construct validity of the Dutch New KSS by comparing it with the Dutch versions of the WOMAC, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and SF-12 scores in 137 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Content validity was assessed by comparing pre- and postoperative scores and by checking floor and ceiling effects. To evaluate test-retest reliability and consistency, 47 patients completed the questionnaire a second time with a mean of 8 days interval (range, 2-20 days) between tests. Construct validity was demonstrated because the Dutch New KSS correlated well with the Dutch WOMAC (r = -0.751; p Dutch KOOS (r = -0.723; p Dutch SF-12 (r = 0.569; p Dutch New KSS is an excellent instrument to evaluate TKA outcome in Dutch-speaking patients.

  12. Meaning Emergence in the Ecology of Dialogical Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trasmundi Sarah Bro

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This article is an empirically based theoretical contribution to the investigation of meaningmaking in the ecology of human interaction and interactivity. It presents an ecological perspective on meaning-making that pivots on how agents pick up information directly in their organism-environment-system; i.e. as an activity that does not presuppose inner cognitive operations. We pursue this line of thought by presenting an analysis of how a doctor and a nurse make a decision about a specific medical procedure (catheterisation based on meaning-making activity. As we do not see meaning as a linguistic (symbolic or a cognitive (representational phenomenon external to an agent/user, but as emergent in coordinated interaction, we zoom in on how the practitioners recalibrate the organism-environmentsystem by shift ing between a multi-agentive mode and an individual mode. We use Cognitive Event Analysis to investigate how the agents oscillate between being a multi-agent-system with shared, tightly coordinated agency and a loosely coupled dialogical system where the individuals bring forth an understanding based on their professional backgrounds and expertise. On this view, an ecological approach to meaning-making takes a starting point in how local interaction is constrained by previous events, emergent affordances in the environment, and real-time inter-bodily dynamics. Accordingly, meaning-making is seen as a joint activity emerging from the system’s coordinative actions rather than as a result of individual interpretation of symbolic content.

  13. How recalibration method, pricing, and coding affect DRG weights

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Grace M.; Rogowski, Jeannette A.

    1992-01-01

    We compared diagnosis-related group (DRG) weights calculated using the hospital-specific relative-value (HSR V) methodology with those calculated using the standard methodology for each year from 1985 through 1989 and analyzed differences between the two methods in detail for 1989. We provide evidence suggesting that classification error and subsidies of higher weighted cases by lower weighted cases caused compression in the weights used for payment as late as the fifth year of the prospective payment system. However, later weights calculated by the standard method are not compressed because a statistical correlation between high markups and high case-mix indexes offsets the cross-subsidization. HSR V weights from the same files are compressed because this methodology is more sensitive to cross-subsidies. However, both sets of weights produce equally good estimates of hospital-level costs net of those expenses that are paid by outlier payments. The greater compression of the HSR V weights is counterbalanced by the fact that more high-weight cases qualify as outliers. PMID:10127456

  14. Mental Imagery Induces Cross-Modal Sensory Plasticity and Changes Future Auditory Perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, Christopher C; Ehrsson, H Henrik

    2018-04-01

    Can what we imagine in our minds change how we perceive the world in the future? A continuous process of multisensory integration and recalibration is responsible for maintaining a correspondence between the senses (e.g., vision, touch, audition) and, ultimately, a stable and coherent perception of our environment. This process depends on the plasticity of our sensory systems. The so-called ventriloquism aftereffect-a shift in the perceived localization of sounds presented alone after repeated exposure to spatially mismatched auditory and visual stimuli-is a clear example of this type of plasticity in the audiovisual domain. In a series of six studies with 24 participants each, we investigated an imagery-induced ventriloquism aftereffect in which imagining a visual stimulus elicits the same frequency-specific auditory aftereffect as actually seeing one. These results demonstrate that mental imagery can recalibrate the senses and induce the same cross-modal sensory plasticity as real sensory stimuli.

  15. Temperature measurement: Development work on noise thermometry and improvement of conventional thermocouples for applications in nuclear process heat (PNP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brixy, H.; Hecker, R.; Oehmen, J.; Barbonus, P.; Hans, R.

    1982-06-01

    The behaviour was studied of NiCr-Ni sheathed thermocouples (sheath Inconel 600 or Incoloy 800, insulation MgO) in a helium and carbon atmosphere at temperatures of 950-1150 deg. C. All the thermocouples used retained their functional performance. The insulation resistance tended towards a limit value which is dependent on the temperature and quality of the thermocouple. Temperature measurements were loaded with great uncertainty in the temperature range of 950-1150 deg. C. Recalibrations at the temperature of 950 deg. C showed errors of up to 6%. Measuring sensors were developed which consist of a sheathed double thermocouple with a noise resistor positioned between the two hot junctions. Using the noise thermometer it is possible to recalibrate the thermocouple at any time in situ. A helium system with a high temperature experimental area was developed to test the thermocouples and the combined thermocouple-noise thermometer sensors under true experimental conditions

  16. Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging to update interactive navigation in neurosurgery: method and preliminary experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wirtz, C R; Bonsanto, M M; Knauth, M; Tronnier, V M; Albert, F K; Staubert, A; Kunze, S

    1997-01-01

    We report on the first successful intraoperative update of interactive image guidance based on an intraoperatively acquired magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) date set. To date, intraoperative imaging methods such as ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT), or MRI have not been successfully used to update interactive navigation. We developed a method of imaging patients intraoperatively with the surgical field exposed in an MRI scanner (Magnetom Open; Siemens Corp., Erlangen, Germany). In 12 patients, intraoperatively acquired 3D data sets were used for successful recalibration of neuronavigation, accounting for any anatomical changes caused by surgical manipulations. The MKM Microscope (Zeiss Corp., Oberkochen, Germany) was used as navigational system. With implantable fiducial markers, an accuracy of 0.84 +/- 0.4 mm for intraoperative reregistration was achieved. Residual tumor detected on MRI was consequently resected using navigation with the intraoperative data. No adverse effects were observed from intraoperative imaging or the use of navigation with intraoperative images, demonstrating the feasibility of recalibrating navigation with intraoperative MRI.

  17. Test-retest reliability of spatial and temporal gait parameters in children with cerebral palsy as measured by an electronic walkway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sorsdahl, Anne Brit; Moe-Nilssen, Rolf; Strand, Liv Inger

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine test-retest reliability of seven selected temporal and spatial gait parameters and asymmetry measures in children with cerebral palsy. Seventeen children with CP between 3 and 13 years of age walked at three different speeds across an electronic walkway of 5.2m. The tests were repeated after approximately 25 min. The scores were normalized to a walking speed of 1.1m/s to avoid the confounding effect of gait speed on speed dependent gait parameters. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC(1,1) and ICC(3,1)) with 95% confidence intervals, within-subject standard deviation (S(w)) and smallest detectable difference (SDD) were calculated. The relative reliability of cadence, step length, stride length and single stance time was high to excellent (ICC(1,1) between 0.73 and 0.95), while it was poor for step width (ICC(1,1)=0.27 and 0.35). The relative reliability for two calculated asymmetry measures were high for the step length index (ICC(1,1)=0.82) and moderate for the single stance time index (ICC(1,1)=0.49). The absolute reliability values for all gait parameters are reported. Five of seven gait parameters measured by an electronic walkway and normalized to a common walking speed, appear to be highly repeatable in a short-term time span in children with CP who were able to walk without assistive walking devices, provided sufficient cognitive function.

  18. Relative and absolute test-retest reliabilities of pressure pain threshold in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srimurugan Pratheep, Neeraja; Madeleine, Pascal; Arendt-Nielsen, Lars

    2018-04-25

    Pressure pain threshold (PPT) and PPT maps are commonly used to quantify and visualize mechanical pain sensitivity. Although PPT's have frequently been reported from patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), the absolute and relative reliability of PPT assessments remain to be determined. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the test-retest relative and absolute reliability of PPT in KOA. For that purpose, intra- and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) as well as the standard error of measurement (SEM) and the minimal detectable change (MDC) values within eight anatomical locations covering the most painful knee of KOA patients was measured. Twenty KOA patients participated in two sessions with a period of 2 weeks±3 days apart. PPT's were assessed over eight anatomical locations covering the knee and two remote locations over tibialis anterior and brachioradialis. The patients rated their maximum pain intensity during the past 24 h and prior to the recordings on a visual analog scale (VAS), and completed The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and PainDetect surveys. The ICC, SEM and MDC between the sessions were assessed. The ICC for the individual variability was expressed with coefficient of variance (CV). Bland-Altman plots were used to assess potential bias in the dataset. The ICC ranged from 0.85 to 0.96 for all the anatomical locations which is considered "almost perfect". CV was lowest in session 1 and ranged from 44.2 to 57.6%. SEM for comparison ranged between 34 and 71 kPa and MDC ranged between 93 and 197 kPa with a mean PPT ranged from 273.5 to 367.7 kPa in session 1 and 268.1-331.3 kPa in session 2. The analysis of Bland-Altman plot showed no systematic bias. PPT maps showed that the patients had lower thresholds in session 2, but no significant difference was observed for the comparison between the sessions for PPT or VAS. No correlations were seen between PainDetect and PPT and PainDetect and WOMAC

  19. Characteristics of the seismicity of Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei during the year 2000

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Talarico

    2001-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the characteristics of the seismicity in the volcanic Neapolitan area during the year 2000 recorded by the monitoring seismic network of the Osservatorio Vesuviano. In particular, a detailed analysis of the seismicity of Vesuvius is presented. We compared the seismic velocity models available for the Vesuvius area locating the earthquakes recorded in the year 2000 and on the basis of the results, we introduce for routine earthquake location the new velocity model obtained by the seismic tomography experiments (TomoVes performed in the area. We also determined the focal mechanisms and analysed the seismicity rate, comparing the results with those obtained for the past years. After the introduction of the new acquisition system at the Osservatorio Vesuviano, a re-calibration of the duration magnitude scale was necessary to avoid biases related to the different instrumental response. Consequently, we re-calibrated the magnitude relation used for the Vesuvius earthquakes, obtaining a new formula to be used for the earthquakes recorded by the new acquisition system. Finally, we give a description of the seismic activity in the Campi Flegrei area during the summer of 2000.

  20. Continuous pH monitoring in a perfused bioreactor system using an optical pH sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeevarajan, Antony S.; Vani, Sundeep; Taylor, Thomas D.; Anderson, Melody M.

    2002-01-01

    Monitoring and regulating the pH of the solution in a bioprocess is one of the key steps in the success of bioreactor operation. An in-line optical pH sensor, based on the optical absorption properties of phenol red present in the medium, was developed and tested in this work for use in NASA space bioreactors based on a rotating wall-perfused vessel system supporting a baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cell culture. The sensor was tested over three 30-day and one 124-day cell runs. The pH sensor initially was calibrated and then used during the entire cell culture interval. The pH reported by the sensor was compared to that measured by a fiber optically coupled Shimadzu spectrophotometer and a blood gas analyzer. The maximum standard error of prediction for all the four cell runs for development pH sensor against BGA was +/-0.06 pH unit and for the fiber optically coupled Shimadzu spectrophotometer against the blood gas analyzer was +/-0.05 pH unit. The pH sensor system performed well without need of recalibration for 124 days. Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Mapping the criminal mind: idiographic assessment of criminal belief systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walters, Glenn D

    2005-02-01

    An idiographic procedure designed to assess the belief systems of criminal offenders is described, investigated, and clarified. This measure, the Cognitive Map of Major Belief Systems (CMMBS), assesses the five belief systems (self-view, world-view, past-view, present-view, future-view) held to occupy the higher echelons of human cognition. Modest to moderate test-retest reliability was achieved when 19 inmates, enrolled in one of three drug-counseling groups, completed the CMMBS on two separate occasions, 2 weeks apart. It was also ascertained that the drug treatment specialist who served as therapist for all three groups "blindly" matched the 19 CMMBS records to the inmates who produced them. A case study of one of the 19 participants was used to illustrate how the CMMBS is employed with individual offenders and how belief systems interact with major schematic subnetworks such as attributions, outcome expectancies, efficacy expectancies, goals, values, and thinking styles to create crime-supporting lifestyles.

  2. Comparison of two fiber-optical temperature measurement systems in magnetic fields up to 9.4 Tesla.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchenberg, Waltraud B; Dadakova, Tetiana; Groebner, Jens; Bock, Michael; Jung, Bernd

    2015-05-01

    Precise temperature measurements in the magnetic field are indispensable for MR safety studies and for temperature calibration during MR-guided thermotherapy. In this work, the interference of two commonly used fiber-optical temperature measurement systems with the static magnetic field B0 was determined. Two fiber-optical temperature measurement systems, a GaAs-semiconductor and a phosphorescent phosphor ceramic, were compared for temperature measurements in B0 . The probes and a glass thermometer for reference were placed in an MR-compatible tube phantom within a water bath. Temperature measurements were carried out at three different MR systems covering static magnetic fields up to B0  = 9.4T, and water temperatures were changed between 25°C and 65°C. The GaAs-probe significantly underestimated absolute temperatures by an amount related to the square of B0 . A maximum difference of ΔT = -4.6°C was seen at 9.4T. No systematic temperature difference was found with the phosphor ceramic probe. For both systems, the measurements were not dependent on the orientation of the sensor to B0 . Temperature measurements with the phosphor ceramic probe are immune to magnetic fields up to 9.4T, whereas the GaAs-probes either require a recalibration inside the MR system or a correction based on the square of B0. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Validity of the CR-POSSUM model in surgery for colorectal cancer in Spain (CCR-CARESS study) and comparison with other models to predict operative mortality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baré, Marisa; Alcantara, Manuel Jesús; Gil, Maria José; Collera, Pablo; Pont, Marina; Escobar, Antonio; Sarasqueta, Cristina; Redondo, Maximino; Briones, Eduardo; Dujovne, Paula; Quintana, Jose Maria

    2018-01-29

    To validate and recalibrate the CR- POSSUM model and compared its discriminatory capacity with other European models such as POSSUM, P-POSSUM, AFC or IRCS to predict operative mortality in surgery for colorectal cancer. Prospective multicenter cohort study from 22 hospitals in Spain. We included patients undergoing planned or urgent surgery for primary invasive colorectal cancers between June 2010 and December 2012 (N = 2749). Clinical data were gathered through medical chart review. We validated and recalibrated the predictive models using logistic regression techniques. To calculate the discriminatory power of each model, we estimated the areas under the curve - AUC (95% CI). We also assessed the calibration of the models by applying the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. In-hospital mortality was 1.5% and 30-day mortality, 1.7%. In the validation process, the discriminatory power of the CR-POSSUM for predicting in-hospital mortality was 73.6%. However, in the recalibration process, the AUCs improved slightly: the CR-POSSUM reached 75.5% (95% CI: 67.3-83.7). The discriminatory power of the CR-POSSUM for predicting 30-day mortality was 74.2% (95% CI: 67.1-81.2) after recalibration; among the other models the POSSUM had the greatest discriminatory power, with an AUC of 77.0% (95% CI: 68.9-85.2). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed good fit for all the recalibrated models. The CR-POSSUM and the other models showed moderate capacity to discriminate the risk of operative mortality in our context, where the actual operative mortality is low. Nevertheless the IRCS might better predict in-hospital mortality, with fewer variables, while the CR-POSSUM could be slightly better for predicting 30-day mortality. Registered at: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02488161.

  4. A transputer based coprocessor for VEDAS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ziem, P.; Kluge, C.; Kiehne, T.

    1989-01-01

    For real-time recalibration calculations two transputer boards with five T800 transputers have been fitted into a VME based multiprocessor system for experimental data acquisition at VEDAS. The properties of the transputer, i.e. RISC structure and embedded interprocessor links, make this processor a powerful tool for fast data treatment. The transputers have been configured as a dedicated processor network for optimized data throughput

  5. Test-retest reliability of fMRI-based graph theoretical properties during working memory, emotion processing, and resting state.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Hengyi; Plichta, Michael M; Schäfer, Axel; Haddad, Leila; Grimm, Oliver; Schneider, Michael; Esslinger, Christine; Kirsch, Peter; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; Tost, Heike

    2014-01-01

    The investigation of the brain connectome with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and graph theory analyses has recently gained much popularity, but little is known about the robustness of these properties, in particular those derived from active fMRI tasks. Here, we studied the test-retest reliability of brain graphs calculated from 26 healthy participants with three established fMRI experiments (n-back working memory, emotional face-matching, resting state) and two parcellation schemes for node definition (AAL atlas, functional atlas proposed by Power et al.). We compared the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) of five different data processing strategies and demonstrated a superior reliability of task-regression methods with condition-specific regressors. The between-task comparison revealed significantly higher ICCs for resting state relative to the active tasks, and a superiority of the n-back task relative to the face-matching task for global and local network properties. While the mean ICCs were typically lower for the active tasks, overall fair to good reliabilities were detected for global and local connectivity properties, and for the n-back task with both atlases, smallworldness. For all three tasks and atlases, low mean ICCs were seen for the local network properties. However, node-specific good reliabilities were detected for node degree in regions known to be critical for the challenged functions (resting-state: default-mode network nodes, n-back: fronto-parietal nodes, face-matching: limbic nodes). Between-atlas comparison demonstrated significantly higher reliabilities for the functional parcellations for global and local network properties. Our findings can inform the choice of processing strategies, brain atlases and outcome properties for fMRI studies using active tasks, graph theory methods, and within-subject designs, in particular future pharmaco-fMRI studies. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Reliability and cross-cultural validation of the Turkish version of Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) for children with cerebral palsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akpinar, Pinar; Tezel, Canan G; Eliasson, Ann-Christin; Icagasioglu, Afitap

    2010-01-01

    To determine the reliability and cross-cultural validation of the Turkish translation of the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to investigate the relation to gross motor function and other comorbidities. After the forward and backward translation procedures, inter-rater and test-retest reliability was assessed between parents, physiotherapists and physicians using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Children (N = 118, 4 to 18 years, mean age 9 years 4 months; 68 boys, 50 girls) with various types of CP were classified. Additional data on the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), intellectual delay, visual acuity, and epilepsy were collected. The inter-rater reliability was high; the ICC ranged from 0.89 to 0.96 among different professionals and parents. Between two persons of the same profession it ranged from 0.97 to 0.98. For the test-retest reliability it ranged from 0.91 to 0.98. Total agreement between the GMFCS and the MACS occurred in only 45% of the children. The level of the MACS was found to correlate with the accompanying comorbidities, namely intellectual delay and epilepsy. The Turkish version of the MACS is found to be valid and reliable, and is suggested to be appropriate for the assessment of manual ability within the Turkish population.

  7. Evaluating trauma center structural performance: The experience of a Canadian provincial trauma system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lynne Moore

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Indicators of structure, process, and outcome are required to evaluate the performance of trauma centers to improve the quality and efficiency of care. While periodic external accreditation visits are part of most trauma systems, a quantitative indicator of structural performance has yet to be proposed. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a trauma center structural performance indicator using accreditation report data. Materials and Methods: Analyses were based on accreditation reports completed during on-site visits in the Quebec trauma system (1994-2005. Qualitative report data was retrospectively transposed onto an evaluation grid and the weighted average of grid items was used to quantify performance. The indicator of structural performance was evaluated in terms of test-retest reliability (kappa statistic, discrimination between centers (coefficient of variation, content validity (correlation with accreditation decision, designation level, and patient volume and forecasting (correlation between visits performed in 1994-1999 and 1998-2005. Results: Kappa statistics were >0.8 for 66 of the 73 (90% grid items. Mean structural performance score over 59 trauma centers was 47.4 (95% CI: 43.6-51.1. Two centers were flagged as outliers and the coefficient of variation was 31.2% (95% CI: 25.5% to 37.6%, showing good discrimination. Correlation coefficients of associations with accreditation decision, designation level, and volume were all statistically significant (r = 0.61, -0.40, and 0.24, respectively. No correlation was observed over time (r = 0.03. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the feasibility of quantifying trauma center structural performance using accreditation reports. The proposed performance indicator shows good test-retest reliability, between-center discrimination, and construct validity. The observed variability in structural performance across centers and over-time underlines the importance of

  8. Graph Theoretical Analysis of Functional Brain Networks: Test-Retest Evaluation on Short- and Long-Term Resting-State Functional MRI Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jin-Hui; Zuo, Xi-Nian; Gohel, Suril; Milham, Michael P.; Biswal, Bharat B.; He, Yong

    2011-01-01

    Graph-based computational network analysis has proven a powerful tool to quantitatively characterize functional architectures of the brain. However, the test-retest (TRT) reliability of graph metrics of functional networks has not been systematically examined. Here, we investigated TRT reliability of topological metrics of functional brain networks derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Specifically, we evaluated both short-term (5 months apart) TRT reliability for 12 global and 6 local nodal network metrics. We found that reliability of global network metrics was overall low, threshold-sensitive and dependent on several factors of scanning time interval (TI, long-term>short-term), network membership (NM, networks excluding negative correlations>networks including negative correlations) and network type (NT, binarized networks>weighted networks). The dependence was modulated by another factor of node definition (ND) strategy. The local nodal reliability exhibited large variability across nodal metrics and a spatially heterogeneous distribution. Nodal degree was the most reliable metric and varied the least across the factors above. Hub regions in association and limbic/paralimbic cortices showed moderate TRT reliability. Importantly, nodal reliability was robust to above-mentioned four factors. Simulation analysis revealed that global network metrics were extremely sensitive (but varying degrees) to noise in functional connectivity and weighted networks generated numerically more reliable results in compared with binarized networks. For nodal network metrics, they showed high resistance to noise in functional connectivity and no NT related differences were found in the resistance. These findings provide important implications on how to choose reliable analytical schemes and network metrics of interest. PMID:21818285

  9. TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY OF THE CLOSED KINETIC CHAIN UPPER EXTREMITY STABILITY TEST (CKCUEST) IN ADOLESCENTS: RELIABILITY OF CKCUEST IN ADOLESCENTS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira, Valéria M A; Pitangui, Ana C R; Nascimento, Vinícius Y S; da Silva, Hítalo A; Dos Passos, Muana H P; de Araújo, Rodrigo C

    2017-02-01

    The Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test (CKCUEST) has been proposed as an option to assess upper limb function and stability; however, there are few studies that support the use of this test in adolescents. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the intersession reliability and agreement of three CKCUEST scores in adolescents and establish clinimetric values for this test. Test-retest reliability. Twenty-five healthy adolescents of both sexes were evaluated. The subjects performed two CKCUEST with an interval of one week between the tests. An intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC 3,3 ) two-way mixed model with a 95% interval of confidence was utilized to determine intersession reliability. A Bland-Altman graph was plotted to analyze the agreement between assessments. The presence of systematic error was evaluated by a one-sample t test. The difference between the evaluation and reevaluation was observed using a paired-sample t test. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Standard error of measurements and minimum detectable changes were calculated. The intersession reliability of the average touches score, normalized score, and power score were 0.68, 0.68 and 0.87, the standard error of measurement were 2.17, 1.35 and 6.49, and the minimal detectable change was 6.01, 3.74 and 17.98, respectively. The presence of systematic error (p test with moderate to excellent reliability when used with adolescents. The CKCUEST is a measurement with moderate to excellent reliability for adolescents. 2b.

  10. Validation of the Chinese Handwriting Analysis System (CHAS) for primary school students in Hong Kong.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li-Tsang, Cecilia W P; Wong, Agnes S K; Leung, Howard W H; Cheng, Joyce S; Chiu, Billy H W; Tse, Linda F L; Chung, Raymond C K

    2013-09-01

    There are more children diagnosed with specific learning difficulties in recent years as people are more aware of these conditions. Diagnostic tool has been validated to screen out this condition from the population (SpLD test for Hong Kong children). However, for specific assessment on handwriting problem, there seems a lack of standardized and objective evaluation tool to look into the problems. The objective of this study was to validate the Chinese Handwriting Analysis System (CHAS), which is designed to measure both the process and production of handwriting. The construct validity, convergent validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability of CHAS was analyzed using the data from 734 grade 1-6 students from 6 primary schools in Hong Kong. Principal Component Analysis revealed that measurements of CHAS loaded into 4 components which accounted for 77.73% of the variance. The correlation between the handwriting accuracy obtained from HAS and eyeballing was r=.73. Cronbach's alpha of all measurement items was .65. Except SD of writing time per character, all the measurement items regarding handwriting speed, handwriting accuracy and pen pressure showed good to excellent test-retest reliability (r=.72-.96), while measurement on the numbers of characters which exceeded grid showed moderate reliability (r=.48). Although there are still ergonomic, biomechanical or unspecified aspects which may not be determined by the system, the CHAS can definitely assist therapists in identifying primary school students with handwriting problems and implement interventions accordingly. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Development of an instrument to measure health center (HC) personnel's computer use, knowledge and functionality demand for HC computerized information system in Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kijsanayotin, Boonchai; Pannarunothai, Supasit; Speedie, Stuart

    2005-01-01

    Knowledge about socio-technical aspects of information technology (IT) is vital for the success of health IT projects. The Thailand health administration anticipates using health IT to support the recently implemented national universal health care system. However, the national knowledge associate with the socio-technical aspects of health IT has not been studied in Thailand. A survey instrument measuring Thai health center (HC) personnel's computer use, basic IT knowledge and HC computerized information system functionality needs was developed. The instrument reveals acceptable test-retest reliability and reasonable internal consistency of the measures. The future nation-wide demonstration study will benefit from this study.

  12. MEASURING SPORT-SPECIFIC PHYSICAL ABILITIES IN MALE GYMNASTS: THE MEN'S GYMNASTICS FUNCTIONAL MEASUREMENT TOOL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenyon, Lisa K.; Elliott, James M; Cheng, M. Samuel

    2016-01-01

    Purpose/Background Despite the availability of various field-tests for many competitive sports, a reliable and valid test specifically developed for use in men's gymnastics has not yet been developed. The Men's Gymnastics Functional Measurement Tool (MGFMT) was designed to assess sport-specific physical abilities in male competitive gymnasts. The purpose of this study was to develop the MGFMT by establishing a scoring system for individual test items and to initiate the process of establishing test-retest reliability and construct validity. Methods A total of 83 competitive male gymnasts ages 7-18 underwent testing using the MGFMT. Thirty of these subjects underwent re-testing one week later in order to assess test-retest reliability. Construct validity was assessed using a simple regression analysis between total MGFMT scores and the gymnasts’ USA-Gymnastics competitive level to calculate the coefficient of determination (r2). Test-retest reliability was analyzed using Model 1 Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Statistical significance was set at the p<0.05 level. Results The relationship between total MGFMT scores and subjects’ current USA-Gymnastics competitive level was found to be good (r2 = 0.63). Reliability testing of the MGFMT composite test score showed excellent test-retest reliability over a one-week period (ICC = 0.97). Test-retest reliability of the individual component tests ranged from good to excellent (ICC = 0.75-0.97). Conclusions The results of this study provide initial support for the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the MGFMT. Level of Evidence Level 3 PMID:27999723

  13. Predicting the Overall Spatial Quality of Automotive Audio Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koya, Daisuke

    The spatial quality of automotive audio systems is often compromised due to their unideal listening environments. Automotive audio systems need to be developed quickly due to industry demands. A suitable perceptual model could evaluate the spatial quality of automotive audio systems with similar reliability to formal listening tests but take less time. Such a model is developed in this research project by adapting an existing model of spatial quality for automotive audio use. The requirements for the adaptation were investigated in a literature review. A perceptual model called QESTRAL was reviewed, which predicts the overall spatial quality of domestic multichannel audio systems. It was determined that automotive audio systems are likely to be impaired in terms of the spatial attributes that were not considered in developing the QESTRAL model, but metrics are available that might predict these attributes. To establish whether the QESTRAL model in its current form can accurately predict the overall spatial quality of automotive audio systems, MUSHRA listening tests using headphone auralisation with head tracking were conducted to collect results to be compared against predictions by the model. Based on guideline criteria, the model in its current form could not accurately predict the overall spatial quality of automotive audio systems. To improve prediction performance, the QESTRAL model was recalibrated and modified using existing metrics of the model, those that were proposed from the literature review, and newly developed metrics. The most important metrics for predicting the overall spatial quality of automotive audio systems included those that were interaural cross-correlation (IACC) based, relate to localisation of the frontal audio scene, and account for the perceived scene width in front of the listener. Modifying the model for automotive audio systems did not invalidate its use for domestic audio systems. The resulting model predicts the overall spatial

  14. Test-retest reliability and longitudinal analysis of automated hippocampal subregion volumes in healthy ageing and Alzheimer's disease populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Worker, Amanda; Dima, Danai; Combes, Anna; Crum, William R; Streffer, Johannes; Einstein, Steven; Mehta, Mitul A; Barker, Gareth J; C R Williams, Steve; O'daly, Owen

    2018-04-01

    The hippocampal formation is a complex brain structure that is important in cognitive processes such as memory, mood, reward processing and other executive functions. Histological and neuroimaging studies have implicated the hippocampal region in neuropsychiatric disorders as well as in neurodegenerative diseases. This highly plastic limbic region is made up of several subregions that are believed to have different functional roles. Therefore, there is a growing interest in imaging the subregions of the hippocampal formation rather than modelling the hippocampus as a homogenous structure, driving the development of new automated analysis tools. Consequently, there is a pressing need to understand the stability of the measures derived from these new techniques. In this study, an automated hippocampal subregion segmentation pipeline, released as a developmental version of Freesurfer (v6.0), was applied to T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 22 healthy older participants, scanned on 3 separate occasions and a separate longitudinal dataset of 40 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Test-retest reliability of hippocampal subregion volumes was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), percentage volume difference and percentage volume overlap (Dice). Sensitivity of the regional estimates to longitudinal change was estimated using linear mixed effects (LME) modelling. The results show that out of the 24 hippocampal subregions, 20 had ICC scores of 0.9 or higher in both samples; these regions include the molecular layer, granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus, CA1, CA3 and the subiculum (ICC > 0.9), whilst the hippocampal fissure and fimbria had lower ICC scores (0.73-0.88). Furthermore, LME analysis of the independent AD dataset demonstrated sensitivity to group and individual differences in the rate of volume change over time in several hippocampal subregions (CA1, molecular layer, CA3, hippocampal tail, fissure and presubiculum

  15. On the Mathematics behind the CUSUM Control Charts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Henrik

    1998-01-01

    This paper describes the mathematics behind CUSUM control charts. An introduction to CUSUM charts is found in (Madsen 1998).CUSUM charts are well suited for checking a measuring system in operation for any departure from some target or specified values. In general they can be used for:- detecting...... a drift (or shift in the level) of the measuring system, and- detecting a change of the precision of the measuring system.In both cases the CUSUM procedure contains methods for estimating the shift such that maintenance (e.g. recalibration) can take place.The CUSUM procedure is described in ISO/CD 7871...

  16. A new kind of relativity: Compensated delays as phenomenal blind spots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vrobel, Susie

    2015-12-01

    The French phenomenologist Merleau-Ponty identified the human body as the blind spot of perception and cognition. Being situated in its environment both spatially and temporally, the body forms a primordial field of presence, which is transparent from the obserpant's(1) perspective and therefore creates a sytemic blindness. This paper is primarily concerned with what Merleau-Ponty calls the pulse of the duration of the body, which, in his view, "impregnates" our perception. This notion of duration will be described in terms of the temporal extensions of an embodied obserpant. For biological systems, these extensions may be measured in the obserpant's temporal endo-sphere, a time cone, which extends in two dimensions: succession and simultaneity (Δtlength and Δtdepth, respectively). Obserpants are described not as having, but being a model of the world (including themselves). The perception of Δtlength and Δtdepth results in a fractal temporal structure, which correlates with successive and instantaneous perception. This temporal structure becomes important during temporal recalibration, i.e. delay compensation. During such processes, the distribution of the temporal dimensions succession and simultaneity may vary from one obserpant's Now to another's. Furthermore, recalibration provides a window in which the obserpant's Now may be tipped towards either temporal dimension. We can measure the difference between obserpant A's temporal extension and that of obserpant B in Δtlength and Δtdepth. The complexity of an obserpant's temporal perspective - his temporal interface - can thus be compared and quantified by the size of his time cone. The units of this measurement are the number of compensated and uncompensated delays. During temporal recalibration, an obserpant can turn succession into simultaneity and vice-versa. Moreover, what is successive in obserpant A's Now may be simultaneous for obserpant B and vice-versa. This discrepancy can be modelled as time

  17. Calibration transfer of a Raman spectroscopic quantification method for the assessment of liquid detergent compositions between two at-line instruments installed at two liquid detergent production plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brouckaert, D; Uyttersprot, J-S; Broeckx, W; De Beer, T

    2017-09-01

    Calibration transfer of partial least squares (PLS) quantification models is established between two Raman spectrometers located at two liquid detergent production plants. As full recalibration of existing calibration models is time-consuming, labour-intensive and costly, it is investigated whether the use of mathematical correction methods requiring only a handful of standardization samples can overcome the dissimilarities in spectral response observed between both measurement systems. Univariate and multivariate standardization approaches are investigated, ranging from simple slope/bias correction (SBC), local centring (LC) and single wavelength standardization (SWS) to more complex direct standardization (DS) and piecewise direct standardization (PDS). The results of these five calibration transfer methods are compared reciprocally, as well as with regard to a full recalibration. Four PLS quantification models, each predicting the concentration of one of the four main ingredients in the studied liquid detergent composition, are aimed at transferring. Accuracy profiles are established from the original and transferred quantification models for validation purposes. A reliable representation of the calibration models performance before and after transfer is thus established, based on β-expectation tolerance intervals. For each transferred model, it is investigated whether every future measurement that will be performed in routine will be close enough to the unknown true value of the sample. From this validation, it is concluded that instrument standardization is successful for three out of four investigated calibration models using multivariate (DS and PDS) transfer approaches. The fourth transferred PLS model could not be validated over the investigated concentration range, due to a lack of precision of the slave instrument. Comparing these transfer results to a full recalibration on the slave instrument allows comparison of the predictive power of both Raman

  18. Validity and Reliability of a Portable Balance Tracking System, BTrackS, in Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levy, Susan S; Thralls, Katie J; Kviatkovsky, Shiloah A

    Falls are the leading cause of disability, injury, hospital admission, and injury-related death among older adults. Balance limitations have consistently been identified as predictors of falls and increased fall risk. Field measures of balance are limited by issues of subjectivity, ceiling effects, and low sensitivity to change. The gold standard for measuring balance is the force plate; however, its field use is untenable due to high cost and lack of portability. Thus, a critical need is observed for valid objective field measures of balance to accurately assess balance and identify limitations over time. The purpose of this study was to examine the concurrent validity and 3-day test-retest reliability of Balance Tracking System (BTrackS) in community-dwelling older adults. Minimal detectable change values were also calculated to reflect changes in balance beyond measurement error. Postural sway data were collected from community-dwelling older adults (N = 49, mean [SD] age = 71.3 [7.3] years) with a force plate and BTrackS in multitrial eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) static balance conditions. Force sensors transmitted BTrackS data via a USB to a computer running custom software. Three approaches to concurrent validity were taken including calculation of Pearson product moment correlation coefficients, repeated-measures ANOVAs, and Bland-Altman plots. Three-day test-retest reliability of BTrackS was examined in a second sample of 47 community-dwelling older adults (mean [SD] age = 75.8 [7.7] years) using intraclass correlation coefficients and MDC values at 95% CI (MDC95) were calculated. BTrackS demonstrated good validity using Pearson product moment correlations (r > 0.90). Repeated-measures ANOVA and Bland-Altman plots indicated some BTrackS bias with center of pressure (COP) values higher than FP COP values in the EO (mean [SD] bias = 4.0 [6.8]) and EC (mean [SD] bias = 9.6 [12.3]) conditions. Test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation

  19. Evaluation of semiconductor gas sensor system for ethanol determination during fermentation processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Picque, D; Corrieu, G

    1988-10-01

    Using commercial gas sensitive semi-conductors, an ethanol sensor has been constructed which operates by direct immersion in fermentation media. The calibration range of 0.1 to 10 or 13 % depending on the component. However, they are very often subjected to considerable drift (in the same case up to 10 %/h of the measured value). The electrical resistance of component may vary by a factor of 1 to 5 for a well-defined ethanol concentration. The effects of temperature changes in fermentation media are easily compensated. Other volatile compounds (methanol, ammonia,...) substantially affect component responses. Thus, all work on sensors requires careful calibration. Wine fermentation processes can be monitored satisfactorily, providing the sensor is recalibrated about every six hours.

  20. Intra-session test-retest reliability of magnitude and structure of center of pressure from the Nintendo Wii Balance Board™ for a visually impaired and normally sighted population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeter, Pamela E; Wang, Jiangxia; Gu, Jialiang; Barry, Michael P; Roach, Crystal; Corson, Marilyn; Yang, Lindsay; Dagnelie, Gislin

    2015-02-01

    Individuals with visual impairment (VI) have irreparable damage to one of the input streams contributing to postural stability. Here, we evaluated the intra-session test-retest reliability of the Wii Balance Board (WBB) for measuring Center of Pressure (COP) magnitude and structure, i.e. approximate entropy (ApEn) in fourteen legally blind participants and 21 participants with corrected-to-normal vision. Participants completed a validated balance protocol which included four sensory conditions: double-leg standing on a firm surface with eyes open (EO-firm); a firm surface with eyes closed (EC-firm); a foam surface with EO (EO-foam); and a foam surface with EC (EC-foam). Participants performed the full balance protocol twice during the session, separated by a period of 15min, to determine the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Absolute reliability was determined by the standard error of measurement (SEM). The minimal difference (MD) was estimated to determine clinical significance for future studies. COP measures were derived from data sent by the WBB to a laptop via Bluetooth. COP scores increased with the difficulty of sensory condition indicating WBB sensitivity (all pbalance impairment among VI persons. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Response shift in parents' assessment of health-related quality of life of children with new-onset epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sajobi, Tolulope T; Speechley, Kathy N; Liang, Zhiying; Goodwin, Shane W; Ferro, Mark A; Wiebe, Samuel

    2017-10-01

    Diagnosis of epilepsy is known to impact health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of children with new-onset epilepsy and can also influence their conceptualization and valuation of HRQOL construct, also known as response shift. This study investigates the presence of response shift in a cohort of children with new-onset epilepsy. Data are from the HEalth-Related QUality of Life in children with Epilepsy Study, a prospective cohort study of 373 children with new-onset epilepsy. Hypotheses about the presence of reconceptualization, reprioritization, and recalibration response shift were tested in the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy (QOLCE-55) Questionnaire, a parent-reported, disease-specific HRQOL measure, using Oort's structural equation model between baseline and 1-year follow-up. Model fit was assessed using log-likelihood ratio test, root mean square error of approximation, and comparative fit index. Small positive uniform recalibration response shift effects were observed on physical, emotional, and social functioning domains of the QOLCE-55, but negligibly small negative nonuniform recalibration response shift effect was observed on social functioning domain. There was no significant change in overall QOLCE-55 scores over time after adjusting for response shift effects. Parents of children with new-onset epilepsy are likely to positively recalibrate (upward bias) their assessments of their children's HRQOL over a 1-year period after diagnosis. This study highlights the potential benefits of response shift as a desired consequence in parents' perception of changes in HRQOL of children with new-onset epilepsy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Reliability, Validity, and Minimal Detectable Change of Balance Evaluation Systems Test and Its Short Versions in Older Cancer Survivors: A Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Min H; Miller, Kara; Smith, Kristin; Fredrickson, Kayle; Shilling, Tracy

    2016-01-01

    Cancer is primarily a disease of older adults. About 77% of all cancers are diagnosed in persons aged 55 years and older. Cancer and its treatment can cause diverse sequelae impacting body systems underlying balance control. No study has examined the psychometric properties of balance assessment tools in older cancer survivors, presenting a significant challenge in the selection of outcome measures for clinicians treating this fast-growing population. This study aimed to determine the reliability, validity, and minimal detectable change (MDC) of the Balance Evaluation System Test (BESTest), Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest), and Brief-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Brief-BESTest) in community-dwelling older cancer survivors. This study was a cross-sectional design. Twenty breast and 8 prostate cancer survivors participated [age (SD) = 68.4 (8.13) years]. The BESTest and Activity-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale were administered during the first session. Scores of Mini-BESTest and Brief-BESTest were extracted on the basis of the scores of BESTest. The BESTest was repeated within 1 to 2 weeks by the same rater to determine the test-retest reliability. For the analysis of the inter-rater reliability, 21 participants were randomly selected to be evaluated by 2 raters. A primary rater administered the test. The 2 raters independently and concurrently scored the performance of the participants. Each rater recorded the ratings separately on the scoring sheet. No discussion among the raters was allowed throughout the testing. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), standard error of measurement, minimal detectable change (MDC), and Bland-Altman plots were calculated. Concurrent validity of these balance tests with the ABC Scale was examined using the Spearman correlation. The BESTest, Mini-BESTest, and Brief-BESTest had high test-retest (ICC = 0.90-0.94) and interrater reliability (ICC = 0.86-0.96), small standard error of measurement (0

  3. Development of the Systems Thinking Scale for Adolescent Behavior Change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Shirley M; Komton, Vilailert; Adegbite-Adeniyi, Clara; Dolansky, Mary A; Hardin, Heather K; Borawski, Elaine A

    2018-03-01

    This report describes the development and psychometric testing of the Systems Thinking Scale for Adolescent Behavior Change (STS-AB). Following item development, initial assessments of understandability and stability of the STS-AB were conducted in a sample of nine adolescents enrolled in a weight management program. Exploratory factor analysis of the 16-item STS-AB and internal consistency assessments were then done with 359 adolescents enrolled in a weight management program. Test-retest reliability of the STS-AB was .71, p = .03; internal consistency reliability was .87. Factor analysis of the 16-item STS-AB indicated a one-factor solution with good factor loadings, ranging from .40 to .67. Evidence of construct validity was supported by significant correlations with established measures of variables associated with health behavior change. We provide beginning evidence of the reliability and validity of the STS-AB to measure systems thinking for health behavior change in young adolescents.

  4. The influence of the new ECMWF Ensemble Prediction System resolution on wind power forecast accuracy and uncertainty estimation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alessandrini, S.; Pinson, Pierre; Sperati, S.

    2011-01-01

    The importance of wind power forecasting (WPF) is nowadays commonly recognized because it represents a useful tool to reduce problems of grid integration and to facilitate energy trading. If on one side the prediction accuracy is fundamental to these scopes, on the other it has become also clear...... by a recalibration procedure that allowed obtaining a more uniform distribution among the 51 intervals, making the ensemble spread large enough to include the observations. After that it was observed that the EPS power spread seemed to have enough correlation with the error calculated on the deterministic forecast...

  5. Performance comparisons of selected personnel-dosimetry systems in use at Department of Energy facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roberson, P.L; Holbrook, K.L.; Yoder, R.C.; Fox, R.A.; Hadley, R.T.; Hogan, B.T.; Hooker, C.D.

    1983-10-01

    Dosimeter performance data were collected to help develop a uniform approach to the calibration and use of personnel dosimetry systems for Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories. Eleven DOE laboratories participated in six months of testing using the American National Draft Standard, Criteria for Testing Personnel Dosimetry Performance, ANSI N13.11, and additional testing categories. The tests described in ANSI N13.11 used a pass/fail system to determine compliance with the draft standard. Recalculation to PNL irradiations showed that the 137 Cs, 90 Sr/ 90 Y, and 252 Cf categories can be recalibrated to have acceptable performance for nearly all participant systems. Deficient dosimeter design or handling techniques caused poor performance in the x-ray category for nearly half of the participants. Too little filtration for the deep-dose element caused poor performance in the beta/photon mixture category for one participant. Two participants had excessively high standard deviations in the neutron category due to dosimeter design or handling deficiencies. The participating dosimetry systems were separated into three categories on their dose evaluation procedure for low-energy photons. These were film dosimeters, fixed-calibration thermoluminescent (TL) dosimeters, and variable-calibration TL dosimeters. The performance of the variable-calibration design was best while the film dosimeters performed considerably worse than either TL dosimeter design. Beta energy dependence studies confirmed a strong correlation between sensitive element thickness, shallow element filtration and low-energy beta response. Studies of neutron calibration conditions for each participant suggested a relationship between response and calibration facility design

  6. Quantitative and Qualitative Responses to Topical Cold in Healthy Caucasians Show Variance between Individuals but High Test-Retest Reliability.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Penny Moss

    Full Text Available Increased sensitivity to cold may be a predictor of persistent pain, but cold pain threshold is often viewed as unreliable. This study aimed to determine the within-subject reliability and between-subject variance of cold response, measured comprehensively as cold pain threshold plus pain intensity and sensation quality at threshold. A test-retest design was used over three sessions, one day apart. Response to cold was assessed at four sites (thenar eminence, volar forearm, tibialis anterior, plantar foot. Cold pain threshold was measured using a Medoc thermode and standard method of limits. Intensity of pain at threshold was rated using a 10cm visual analogue scale. Quality of sensation at threshold was quantified with indices calculated from subjects' selection of descriptors from a standard McGill Pain Questionnaire. Within-subject reliability for each measure was calculated with intra-class correlation coefficients and between-subject variance was evaluated as group coefficient of variation percentage (CV%. Gender and site comparisons were also made. Forty-five healthy adults participated: 20 male, 25 female; mean age 29 (range 18-56 years. All measures at all four test sites showed high within-subject reliability: cold pain thresholds r = 0.92-0.95; pain rating r = 0.93-0.97; McGill pain quality indices r = 0.87-0.85. In contrast, all measures showed wide between-subject variance (CV% between 51.4% and 92.5%. Upper limb sites were consistently more sensitive than lower limb sites, but equally reliable. Females showed elevated cold pain thresholds, although similar pain intensity and quality to males. Females were also more reliable and showed lower variance for all measures. Thus, although there was clear population variation, response to cold for healthy individuals was found to be highly reliable, whether measured as pain threshold, pain intensity or sensation quality. A comprehensive approach to cold response testing therefore may add

  7. Quantitative and Qualitative Responses to Topical Cold in Healthy Caucasians Show Variance between Individuals but High Test-Retest Reliability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moss, Penny; Whitnell, Jasmine; Wright, Anthony

    2016-01-01

    Increased sensitivity to cold may be a predictor of persistent pain, but cold pain threshold is often viewed as unreliable. This study aimed to determine the within-subject reliability and between-subject variance of cold response, measured comprehensively as cold pain threshold plus pain intensity and sensation quality at threshold. A test-retest design was used over three sessions, one day apart. Response to cold was assessed at four sites (thenar eminence, volar forearm, tibialis anterior, plantar foot). Cold pain threshold was measured using a Medoc thermode and standard method of limits. Intensity of pain at threshold was rated using a 10cm visual analogue scale. Quality of sensation at threshold was quantified with indices calculated from subjects' selection of descriptors from a standard McGill Pain Questionnaire. Within-subject reliability for each measure was calculated with intra-class correlation coefficients and between-subject variance was evaluated as group coefficient of variation percentage (CV%). Gender and site comparisons were also made. Forty-five healthy adults participated: 20 male, 25 female; mean age 29 (range 18-56) years. All measures at all four test sites showed high within-subject reliability: cold pain thresholds r = 0.92-0.95; pain rating r = 0.93-0.97; McGill pain quality indices r = 0.87-0.85. In contrast, all measures showed wide between-subject variance (CV% between 51.4% and 92.5%). Upper limb sites were consistently more sensitive than lower limb sites, but equally reliable. Females showed elevated cold pain thresholds, although similar pain intensity and quality to males. Females were also more reliable and showed lower variance for all measures. Thus, although there was clear population variation, response to cold for healthy individuals was found to be highly reliable, whether measured as pain threshold, pain intensity or sensation quality. A comprehensive approach to cold response testing therefore may add validity and

  8. The validity and reliability of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Quality of Life Questionnaire (L-QoL) in a Turkish population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duruöz, M T; Unal, C; Toprak, C Sanal; Sezer, I; Yilmaz, F; Ulutatar, F; Atagündüz, P; Baklacioglu, H S

    2017-12-01

    Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may have a profound impact on quality of life. There is increasing interest in measuring quality of life in lupus patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of SLE Quality of Life Questionnaire (L-QoL) in Turkish SLE patients. Methods SLE according to 2012 Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Classification Criteria were recruited into the study. Demographic data, clinical parameters and disease activity measured with the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index-2000 (SLEDAI-2K); were noted. Nottingham Health Profile and Health Assessment Questionnaire were filled out in addition to the Turkish L-QoL (LQoL-TR). Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated. Results The mean age of participants was 43.55 ± 14.33 years and the mean disease duration was 89.8 ± 92.1 months. The patients filled out LQoL-TR in 2.5 min. Strong correlation of LQoL-TR with all subgroups of the Nottingham Health Profile and the Health Assessment Questionnaire were established showing the convergent validity. The highest correlation was demonstrated with emotional reactions (rho = 0.72) and sleep component (rho = 0.65) of the Nottingham Health Profile scale ( p < 0.0001). Its poor and not significant correlation with nonfunctional parameters (age, disease duration, perceived general health, SLEDAI-2K) showed its discriminative properties. LQoL-TR demonstrated good internal reliability with a Cronbach's α of 0.93 and test-retest reliability with intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.87. Conclusion The LQoL-TR is a practical and useful tool which demonstrates good validity and reliability.

  9. Bedside arterial blood gas monitoring system using fluorescent optical sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartnik, Daniel J.; Rymut, Russell A.

    1995-05-01

    We describe a bedside arterial blood gas (ABG) monitoring system which uses fluorescent optical sensors in the measurement of blood pH, PCO2 and PO2. The Point-of-Care Arterial Blood Gas Monitoring System consists of the SensiCathTM optical sensor unit manufactured by Optical Sensors Incorporated and the TramTM Critical Care Monitoring System with ABG Module manufactured by Marquette Electronics Incorporated. Current blood gas measurement techniques require a blood sample to be removed from the patient and transported to an electrochemical analyzer for analysis. The ABG system does not require removal of blood from the patient or transport of the sample. The sensor is added to the patient's existing arterial line. ABG measurements are made by drawing a small blood sample from the arterial line in sufficient quantity to ensure an undiluted sample at the sensor. Measurements of pH, PCO2 and PO2 are made within 60 seconds. The blood is then returned to the patient, the line flushed and results appear on the bedside monitor. The ABG system offers several advantages over traditional electrochemical analyzers. Since the arterial line remains closed during the blood sampling procedure the patient's risk of infection is reduced and the caregiver's exposure to blood is eliminated. The single-use, disposable sensor can be measure 100 blood samples over 72 hours after a single two-point calibration. Quality Assurance checks are also available and provide the caregiver the ability to assess system performance even after the sensor is patient attached. The ABG module integrates with an existing bedside monitoring system. This allows ABG results to appear on the same display as ECG, respiration, blood pressure, cardiac output, SpO2, and other clinical information. The small module takes up little space in the crowded intensive care unit. Performance studies compare the ABG system with an electrochemical blood gas analyzer. Study results demonstrated accurate and precise blood

  10. Validity and Reliability of a New Device (WIMU®) for Measuring Hamstring Muscle Extensibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muyor, José M

    2017-09-01

    The aims of the current study were 1) to evaluate the validity of the WIMU ® system for measuring hamstring muscle extensibility in the passive straight leg raise (PSLR) test using an inclinometer for the criterion and 2) to determine the test-retest reliability of the WIMU ® system to measure hamstring muscle extensibility during the PSLR test. 55 subjects were evaluated on 2 separate occasions. Data from a Unilever inclinometer and WIMU ® system were collected simultaneously. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for the validity were very high (0.983-1); a very low systematic bias (-0.21°--0.42°), random error (0.05°-0.04°) and standard error of the estimate (0.43°-0.34°) were observed (left-right leg, respectively) between the 2 devices (inclinometer and the WIMU ® system). The R 2 between the devices was 0.999 (p<0.001) in both the left and right legs. The test-retest reliability of the WIMU ® system was excellent, with ICCs ranging from 0.972-0.995, low coefficients of variation (0.01%), and a low standard error of the estimate (0.19-0.31°). The WIMU ® system showed strong concurrent validity and excellent test-retest reliability for the evaluation of hamstring muscle extensibility in the PSLR test. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  11. Reproducibility of Automated Voice Range Profiles, a Systematic Literature Review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Printz, Trine; Rosenberg, Tine; Godballe, Christian

    2018-01-01

    literature on test-retest accuracy of the automated voice range profile assessment. Study design: Systematic review. Data sources: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, ComDisDome, Embase, and CINAHL (EBSCO). Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search of six databases from 1983 to 2016. The following......Objective: Reliable voice range profiles are of great importance when measuring effects and side effects from surgery affecting voice capacity. Automated recording systems are increasingly used, but the reproducibility of results is uncertain. Our objective was to identify and review the existing...... keywords were used: phonetogram, voice range profile, and acoustic voice analysis. Inclusion criteria were automated recording procedure, healthy voices, and no intervention between test and retest. Test-retest values concerning fundamental frequency and voice intensity were reviewed. Results: Of 483...

  12. Normal ranges and test-retest reproducibility of flow and velocity parameters in intracranial arteries measured with phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Correia de Verdier, Maria; Wikstroem, Johan

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to investigate normal ranges and test-retest reproducibility of phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI)-measured flow and velocity parameters in intracranial arteries. Highest flow (HF), lowest flow (LF), peak systolic velocity (PSV), and end diastolic velocity (EDV) were measured at two dates in the anterior (ACA), middle (MCA), and posterior (PCA) cerebral arteries of 30 healthy volunteers using two-dimensional PC-MRI at 3 T. Least detectable difference (LDD) was calculated. In the left ACA, HF was (mean (range, LDD)) 126 ml/min (36-312, 59 %), LF 61 ml/min (0-156, 101 %), PSV 64 cm/s (32-141, 67 %), and EDV 35 cm/s (18-55, 42 %); in the right ACA, HF was 154 ml/min (42-246, 49 %), LF 77 ml/min (0-156, 131 %), PSV 75 cm/s (26-161, 82 %), and EDV 39 cm/s (7-59, 67 %). In the left MCA, HF was 235 ml/min (126-372, 35 %), LF 116 ml/min (42-186, 48 %), PSV 90 cm/s (55-183, 39 %), and EDV 46 cm/s (20-66, 28 %); in the right MCA, HF was 238 ml/min (162-342, 44 %), LF 120 ml/min (72-216, 48 %), PSV 88 cm/s (55-141, 35 %), and EDV 45 cm/s (26-67, 23 %). In the left PCA, HF was 108 ml/min (42-168, 54 %), LF 53 ml/min (18-108, 64 %), PSV 50 cm/s (24-77, 63 %), and EDV 28 cm/s (14-40, 45 %); in the right PCA, HF was 98 ml/min (30-162, 49 %), LF 49 ml/min (12-84, 55 %), PSV 47 cm/s (27-88, 59 %), and EDV 27 cm/s (16-41, 45 %). PC-MRI-measured flow and velocity parameters in the main intracranial arteries have large normal ranges. Reproducibility is highest in MCA. (orig.)

  13. Normal ranges and test-retest reproducibility of flow and velocity parameters in intracranial arteries measured with phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Correia de Verdier, Maria; Wikstroem, Johan [Uppsala University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden)

    2016-05-15

    The purpose of the present study was to investigate normal ranges and test-retest reproducibility of phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI)-measured flow and velocity parameters in intracranial arteries. Highest flow (HF), lowest flow (LF), peak systolic velocity (PSV), and end diastolic velocity (EDV) were measured at two dates in the anterior (ACA), middle (MCA), and posterior (PCA) cerebral arteries of 30 healthy volunteers using two-dimensional PC-MRI at 3 T. Least detectable difference (LDD) was calculated. In the left ACA, HF was (mean (range, LDD)) 126 ml/min (36-312, 59 %), LF 61 ml/min (0-156, 101 %), PSV 64 cm/s (32-141, 67 %), and EDV 35 cm/s (18-55, 42 %); in the right ACA, HF was 154 ml/min (42-246, 49 %), LF 77 ml/min (0-156, 131 %), PSV 75 cm/s (26-161, 82 %), and EDV 39 cm/s (7-59, 67 %). In the left MCA, HF was 235 ml/min (126-372, 35 %), LF 116 ml/min (42-186, 48 %), PSV 90 cm/s (55-183, 39 %), and EDV 46 cm/s (20-66, 28 %); in the right MCA, HF was 238 ml/min (162-342, 44 %), LF 120 ml/min (72-216, 48 %), PSV 88 cm/s (55-141, 35 %), and EDV 45 cm/s (26-67, 23 %). In the left PCA, HF was 108 ml/min (42-168, 54 %), LF 53 ml/min (18-108, 64 %), PSV 50 cm/s (24-77, 63 %), and EDV 28 cm/s (14-40, 45 %); in the right PCA, HF was 98 ml/min (30-162, 49 %), LF 49 ml/min (12-84, 55 %), PSV 47 cm/s (27-88, 59 %), and EDV 27 cm/s (16-41, 45 %). PC-MRI-measured flow and velocity parameters in the main intracranial arteries have large normal ranges. Reproducibility is highest in MCA. (orig.)

  14. Comparative test-retest reliability of metabolite values assessed with magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the brain. The LCModel versus the manufacturer software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fayed, Nicolas; Modrego, Pedro J; Medrano, Jaime

    2009-06-01

    Reproducibility is an essential strength of any diagnostic technique for cross-sectional and longitudinal works. To determine in vivo short-term comparatively, the test-retest reliability of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of the brain was compared using the manufacturer's software package and the widely used linear combination of model (LCModel) technique. Single-voxel H-MRS was performed in a series of patients with different pathologies on a 1.5 T clinical scanner. Four areas of the brain were explored with the point resolved spectroscopy technique acquisition mode; the echo time was 35 milliseconds and the repetition time was 2000 milliseconds. We enrolled 15 patients for every area, and the intra-individual variations of metabolites were studied in two consecutive scans without removing the patient from the scanner. Curve fitting and analysis of metabolites were made with the software of GE and the LCModel. Spectra non-fulfilling the minimum criteria of quality in relation to linewidths and signal/noise ratio were rejected. The intraclass correlation coefficients for the N-acetylaspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr) ratios were 0.93, 0.89, 0.9 and 0.8 for the posterior cingulate gyrus, occipital, prefrontal and temporal regions, respectively, with the GE software. For the LCModel, the coefficients were 0.9, 0.89, 0.87 and 0.84, respectively. For the absolute value of NAA, the GE software was also slightly more reproducible than LCModel. However, for the choline/Cr and myo-inositol/Cr ratios, the LCModel was more reliable than the GE software. The variability we have seen hovers around the percentages observed in previous reports (around 10% for the NAA/Cr ratios). We did not find that the LCModel software is superior to the software of the manufacturer. Reproducibility of metabolite values relies more on the observance of the quality parameters than on the software used.

  15. Radial lens distortion correction with sub-pixel accuracy for X-ray micro-tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vo, Nghia T; Atwood, Robert C; Drakopoulos, Michael

    2015-12-14

    Distortion correction or camera calibration for an imaging system which is highly configurable and requires frequent disassembly for maintenance or replacement of parts needs a speedy method for recalibration. Here we present direct techniques for calculating distortion parameters of a non-linear model based on the correct determination of the center of distortion. These techniques are fast, very easy to implement, and accurate at sub-pixel level. The implementation at the X-ray tomography system of the I12 beamline, Diamond Light Source, which strictly requires sub-pixel accuracy, shows excellent performance in the calibration image and in the reconstructed images.

  16. Test-retest reliability, smallest real difference and concurrent validity of six different balance tests on young people with mild to moderate intellectual disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blomqvist, Sven; Wester, Anita; Sundelin, Gunnevi; Rehn, Börje

    2012-12-01

    Some studies have reported that people with intellectual disability may have reduced balance ability compared with the population in general. However, none of these studies involved adolescents, and the reliability and validity of balance tests in this population are not known. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of six different balance tests and to investigate their concurrent validity. Test-retest reliability assessment. All subjects were recruited from a special school for people with intellectual disability in Bollnäs, Sweden. Eighty-nine adolescents (35 females and 54 males) with mild to moderate intellectual disability with a mean age of 18 years (range 16 to 20 years). All subjects followed the same test protocol on two occasions within an 11-day period. Balance test performances. Intraclass correlation coefficients greater than 0.80 were achieved for four of the balance tests: Extended Timed Up and Go Test, Modified Functional Reach Test, One-leg Stance Test and Force Platform Test. The smallest real differences ranged from 12% to 40%; less than 20% is considered to be low. Concurrent validity among these balance tests varied between no and low correlation. The results indicate that these tests could be used to evaluate changes in balance ability over time in people with mild to moderate intellectual disability. The low concurrent validity illustrates the importance of knowing more about the influence of various sensory subsystems that are significant for balance among adolescents with intellectual disability. Copyright © 2011 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Test-retest repeatability of myocardial oxidative metabolism and efficiency using standalone dynamic 11C-acetate PET and multimodality approaches in healthy controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansson, Nils Henrik; Harms, Hendrik Johannes; Kim, Won Yong; Nielsen, Roni; Tolbod, Lars P; Frøkiær, Jørgen; Bouchelouche, Kirsten; Poulsen, Steen Hvitfeldt; Wiggers, Henrik; Parner, Erik Thorlund; Sörensen, Jens

    2018-05-31

    Myocardial efficiency measured by 11 C-acetate positron emission tomography (PET) has successfully been used in clinical research to quantify mechanoenergetic coupling. The objective of this study was to establish the repeatability of myocardial external efficiency (MEE) and work metabolic index (WMI) by non-invasive concepts. Ten healthy volunteers (63 ± 4 years) were examined twice, one week apart, using 11 C-acetate PET, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), and echocardiography. Myocardial oxygen consumption from PET was combined with stroke work data from CMR, echocardiography, or PET to obtain MEE and WMI for each modality. Repeatability was estimated as the coefficient of variation (CV) between test and retest. MEE CMR , MEE Echo , and MEE PET values were 21.9 ± 2.7%, 16.4 ± 3.7%, and 23.8 ± 4.9%, respectively, P PET values were 4.42 ± 0.90, 4.07 ± 0.63, and 4.58 ± 1.13 mmHg × mL/m 2  × 10 6 , respectively, P = .45. Repeatability for MEE CMR was superior compared with MEE Echo but did not differ significantly compared with MEE PET (6.3% vs 12.9% and 9.4%, P = .04 and .25). CV values for WMI CMR , WMI Echo , and WMI PET were 10.0%, 14.8%, and 12.0%, respectively, (P = .53). Non-invasive measurements of MEE using 11 C-acetate PET are highly repeatable. A PET-only approach did not differ significantly from CMR/PET and might facilitate further clinical research due to lower costs and broader applicability.

  18. External Validation and Evaluation of Reliability and Validity of the Modified Seoul National University Renal Stone Complexity Scoring System to Predict Stone-Free Status After Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Juhyun; Kang, Minyong; Jeong, Chang Wook; Oh, Sohee; Lee, Jeong Woo; Lee, Seung Bae; Son, Hwancheol; Jeong, Hyeon; Cho, Sung Yong

    2015-08-01

    The modified Seoul National University Renal Stone Complexity scoring system (S-ReSC-R) for retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) was developed as a tool to predict stone-free rate (SFR) after RIRS. We externally validated the S-ReSC-R. We retrospectively reviewed 159 patients who underwent RIRS. The S-ReSC-R was assigned from 1 to 12 according to the location and number of sites involved. The stone-free status was defined as no evidence of a stone or with clinically insignificant residual fragment stones less than 2 mm. Interobserver and test-retest reliabilities were evaluated. Statistical performance of the prediction model was assessed by its predictive accuracy, predictive probability, and clinical usefulness. Overall SFR was 73.0%. The SFRs were 86.7%, 70.2%, and 48.6% in low-score (1-2), intermediate-score (3-4), and high-score (5-12) groups, respectively (pR revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.731 (95% CI 0.650-0.813). The AUC of the three-titered S-ReSC-R was 0.701 (95% CI 0.609-0.794). The calibration plot showed that the predicted probability of SFR had a concordance comparable to that of observed frequency. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test revealed a p-value of 0.01 for the S-ReSC-R and 0.90 for the three-titered S-ReSC-R. Interobserver and test-retest reliabilities revealed an almost perfect level of agreement. The present study proved the predictive value of S-ReSC-R to predict SFR following RIRS in an independent cohort. Interobserver and test-retest reliabilities confirmed that S-ReSC-R was reliable and valid.

  19. How Can We Identify the Elimination of Infectious Diseases? Experience From an Active Measles Laboratory Surveillance System in the Republic of Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Tae Un; Kang, Hae Ji; Eom, Hye Eun; Park, Young-Joon; Park, Ok; Kim, Su Jin; Nam, Jeong-Gu; Kim, Sung Soon; Jeong, Eun Kyeong

    2015-11-01

    Global efforts have markedly decreased the disease burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. Many countries have made considerable progress toward the elimination of measles. As elimination is approached, the very low incidence achieved by high vaccination coverage has underscored the need for a sensitive and timely surveillance system. In the Republic of Korea, an active laboratory surveillance system (ALSS) was implemented to supplement the existing passive surveillance system in 2006. The ALSS connects 5 major commercial laboratories and the national measles reference laboratory, where referred samples with positive or equivocal results are retested. Annually, from 2009 to 2013, 3714 suspected cases were detected through the ALSS, an expansion of 8- to 57-fold, compared with only the passive surveillance system. The ALSS, with its sensitivity and timeliness, is a reasonable strategy to supplement the existing measles surveillance system and to help identify the elimination of measles. © 2015 APJPH.

  20. Advanced CIDI Emission Control System Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lambert, Christine

    2006-05-31

    Ford Motor Company, with ExxonMobil and FEV, participated in the Department of Energy's (DOE) Ultra-Clean Transportation Fuels Program with the goal to develop an innovative emission control system for light-duty diesel vehicles. The focus on diesel engine emissions was a direct result of the improved volumetric fuel economy (up to 50%) and lower CO2 emissions (up to 25%) over comparable gasoline engines shown in Europe. Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) with aqueous urea as the NOx reductant and a Catalyzed Diesel Particulate Filter (CDPF) were chosen as the primary emission control system components. The program expected to demonstrate more than 90% durable reduction in particulate matter (PM) and NOx emissions on a light-duty truck application, based on the FTP-75 drive cycle. Very low sulfur diesel fuel (<15 ppm-wt) enabled lower PM emissions, reduced fuel economy penalty due to the emission control system and improved long-term system durability. Significant progress was made toward a durable system to meet Tier 2 Bin 5 emission standards on a 6000 lbs light-duty truck. A 40% reduction in engine-out NOx emissions was achieved with a mid-size prototype diesel engine through engine recalibration and increased exhaust gas recirculation. Use of a rapid warm-up strategy and urea SCR provided over 90% further NOx reduction while the CDPF reduced tailpipe PM to gasoline vehicle levels. Development work was conducted to separately improve urea SCR and CDPF system durability, as well as improved oxidation catalyst function. Exhaust gas NOx and ammonia sensors were also developed further. While the final emission control system did not meet Tier 2 Bin 5 NOx after 120k mi of aging on the dynamometer, it did meet the standards for HC, NMOG, and PM, and an improved SCR catalyst was shown to have potential to meet the NOx standard, assuming the DOC durability could be improved further. Models of DOC and SCR function were developed to guide the study of several key

  1. Singapore's Global Schoolhouse Strategy: Retreat or Recalibration?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waring, Peter

    2014-01-01

    In 2002 a high-level economic review committee recommended that Singapore position itself as a "global schoolhouse". An ambitious target was set to attract 150,000 international students to Singapore by 2015 and to lift the education sector's contribution to GDP from 1.9% to 5% in the same timeframe. The global schoolhouse was viewed as…

  2. Implementation of a dosimetric system based on detectors of to AL{sub 2}O{sub 3}:C and its use in radiation therapy; Implementacion de un sistema dosimetrico basdo en detectores de Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}: C y su uso en radioterapia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marquez, P. J. F.; Guzman, C. C. S.; Pico, C. C.; Aymar, A. J. A.

    2013-07-01

    In this work is proposed to implement an alternative dosimetric system, based on OSL technology of crystals of oxide doped aluminum with carbon, to the AL{sub 2}O{sub 3}:C which do not possess the drawbacks of traditional detectors and possess the advantage for re-reading processes, allowing the storage of the detector as a record of delivered adsorbed dose which may be retested if required. (Author)

  3. Imaging of striatal dopamine transporters in rat brain with single pinhole SPECT and co-aligned MRI is highly reproducible

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Booij, Jan; Bruin, Kora de; Win, Maartje M.L. de; Lavini, Cristina Mphil; Heeten, Gerard J. den; Habraken, Jan

    2003-01-01

    A recently developed pinhole high-resolution SPECT system was used to measure striatal to non-specific binding ratios in rats (n = 9), after injection of the dopamine transporter ligand 123 I-FP-CIT, and to assess its test/retest reproducibility. For co-alignment purposes, the rat brain was imaged on a 1.5 Tesla clinical MRI scanner using a specially developed surface coil. The SPECT images showed clear striatal uptake. On the MR images, cerebral and extra-cerebral structures could be easily delineated. The mean striatal to non-specific [ 123 I]FP-CIT binding ratios of the test/retest studies were 1.7 ± 0.2 and 1.6 ± 0.2, respectively. The test/retest variability was approximately 9%. We conclude that the assessment of striatal [ 123 I]FP-CIT binding ratios in rats is highly reproducible

  4. Radiology Reporting System Data Exchange With the Electronic Health Record System: A Case Study in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmadi, Maryam; Ghazisaeidi, Marjan; Bashiri, Azadeh

    2015-03-18

    In order to better designing of electronic health record system in Iran, integration of health information systems based on a common language must be done to interpret and exchange this information with this system is required. This study provides a conceptual model of radiology reporting system using unified modeling language. The proposed model can solve the problem of integration this information system with the electronic health record system. By using this model and design its service based, easily connect to electronic health record in Iran and facilitate transfer radiology report data. This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in 2013. The study population was 22 experts that working at the Imaging Center in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran and the sample was accorded with the community. Research tool was a questionnaire that prepared by the researcher to determine the information requirements. Content validity and test-retest method was used to measure validity and reliability of questioner respectively. Data analyzed with average index, using SPSS. Also Visual Paradigm software was used to design a conceptual model. Based on the requirements assessment of experts and related texts, administrative, demographic and clinical data and radiological examination results and if the anesthesia procedure performed, anesthesia data suggested as minimum data set for radiology report and based it class diagram designed. Also by identifying radiology reporting system process, use case was drawn. According to the application of radiology reports in electronic health record system for diagnosing and managing of clinical problem of the patient, with providing the conceptual Model for radiology reporting system; in order to systematically design it, the problem of data sharing between these systems and electronic health records system would eliminate.

  5. Reliability of the Cooking Task in adults with acquired brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poncet, Frédérique; Swaine, Bonnie; Taillefer, Chantal; Lamoureux, Julie; Pradat-Diehl, Pascale; Chevignard, Mathilde

    2015-01-01

    Acquired brain injury (ABI) often leads to deficits in executive functioning (EF) responsible for severe and long-standing disabilities in daily life activities. The Cooking Task is an ecological and valid test of EF involving multi-tasking in a real environment. Given its complex scoring system, it is important to establish the tool's reliability. The objective of the study was to examine the reliability of the Cooking Task (internal consistency, inter-rater and test-retest reliability). A total of 160 patients with ABI (113 men, mean age 37 years, SD = 14.3) were tested using the Cooking Task. For test-retest reliability, patients were assessed by the same rater on two occasions (mean interval 11 days) while two raters independently and simultaneously observed and scored patients' performances to estimate inter-rater reliability. Internal consistency was high for the global scale (Cronbach α = .74). Inter-rater reliability (n = 66) for total errors was also high (ICC = .93), however the test-retest reliability (n = 11) was poor (ICC = .36). In general the Cooking Task appears to be a reliable tool. The low test-retest results were expected given the importance of EF in the performance of novel tasks.

  6. The Test-Retest Reliability OfTthe Onset Of Core And Vasti Eectromyographic Activity While Ascending And Descending Stairs In Healthy Controls Aand patellofemoral Pain Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad-Ali Sanjari

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Backgroundentity.It is hypothesized to result from abnormal patellar tracking caused by altered motorcontrol. Deficit in neuromotor control of the core may be a remote contributing factor to thedevelopment of PFP. Application of reliable EMG measures would be helpful to handle thistheory. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of thecore and vasti EMG onsets, while ascending/descending stairs.: Patellofemoral pain (PFP is a common affliction and complex clinicalMethodsand Core EMG onsets during stair stepping were assessed two times a day. Intraclass correlationcoefficients (ICCs and standard errors of measurement (SEMs were calculated.: Ten males with PFP and ten healthy controls participated in this study. VastiResultsonsets of control cases (ICC 3,1 ≥ 0.70 except Quadratus Lumborum (QL which showeda moderate reliability (ICC for ascending=0.59 and for descending = 0.61. In controls,Vasti in both tasks showed the highest absolute reliability. During ascending, highreliability (ICC ≥ 0.70 in PFP group was demonstrated for all EMG onsets except Gluteusmaximus (GMAX and QL which showed a moderate reliability (ICC = 0.69 and 0.63 respectively.In this group while descending stairs, all EMG onsets showed high relativereliability (ICC ≥ 0.70. Moderate to high absolute reliability was obtained for onset timeswhile ascending/descending stairs in PFP group.: During both ascending/descending, high reliability was found for all EMGConclusionreliability.: Most EMG onsets during stair scending/descending had moderate to high

  7. Retention of the "first-trial effect" in gait-slip among community-living older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xuan; Bhatt, Tanvi; Wang, Shuaijie; Yang, Feng; Pai, Yi-Chung Clive

    2017-02-01

    "First-trial effect" characterizes the rapid adaptive behavior that changes the performance outcome (from fall to non-fall) after merely a single exposure to postural disturbance. The purpose of this study was to investigate how long the first-trial effect could last. Seventy-five (≥ 65 years) community-dwelling older adults, who were protected by an overhead full body harness system, were retested for a single slip 6-12 months after their initial exposure to a single gait-slip. Subjects' body kinematics that was used to compute their proactive (feedforward) and reactive (feedback) control of stability was recorded by an eight-camera motion analysis system. We found the laboratory falls of subjects on their retest slip were significantly lower than that on the novel initial slip, and the reactive stability of these subjects was also significantly improved. However, the proactive stability of subjects remains unchanged between their initial slip and retest slip. The fall rates and stability control had no difference among the 6-, 9-, and 12-month retest groups, which indicated a maximum retention on 12 months after a single slip in the laboratory. These results highlighted the importance of the "first-trial effect" and suggested that perturbation training is effective for fall prevention, with lower trial doses for a long period (up to 1 year). Therefore, single slip training might benefit those older adults who could not tolerate larger doses in reality.

  8. Determination of Minimum Data Set (MSD) in Echocardiography Reporting System to Exchange with Iran's Electronic Health Record (EHR) System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahmoudvand, Zahra; Kamkar, Mehran; Shahmoradi, Leila; Nejad, Ahmadreza Farzaneh

    2016-04-01

    Determination of minimum data set (MDS) in echocardiography reports is necessary for documentation and putting information in a standard way, and leads to the enhancement of electrocardiographic studies through having access to precise and perfect reports and also to the development of a standard database for electrocardiographic reports. to determine the minimum data set of echocardiography reporting system to exchange with Iran's electronic health record (EHR) system. First, a list of minimum data set was prepared after reviewing texts and studying cardiac patients' records. Then, to determine the content validity of the prepared MDS, the expert views of 10 cardiologists and 10 health information management (HIM) specialists were obtained; to estimate the reliability of the set, test-retest method was employed. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS software. The highest degree of consensus was found for the following MDSs: patient's name and family name (5), accepting doctor's name and family name, familial death records due to cardiac disorders, the image identification code, mitral valve, aortic valve, tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve, left ventricle, hole, atrium valve, Doppler examination of ventricular and atrial movement models and diagnoses with an average of. To prepare a model of echocardiography reporting system to exchange with EHR system, creation a standard data set is the vital point. Therefore, based on the research findings, the minimum reporting system data to exchange with Iran's electronic health record system include information on entity, management, medical record, carried-out acts, and the main content of the echocardiography report, which the planners of reporting system should consider.

  9. Absolute beam-charge measurement for single-bunch electron beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suwada, Tsuyoshi; Ohsawa, Satoshi; Furukawa, Kazuro; Akasaka, Nobumasa

    2000-01-01

    The absolute beam charge of a single-bunch electron beam with a pulse width of 10 ps and that of a short-pulsed electron beam with a pulse width of 1 ns were measured with a Faraday cup in a beam test for the KEK B-Factory (KEKB) injector linac. It is strongly desired to obtain a precise beam-injection rate to the KEKB rings, and to estimate the amount of beam loss. A wall-current monitor was also recalibrated within an error of ±2%. This report describes the new results for an absolute beam-charge measurement for single-bunch and short-pulsed electron beams, and recalibration of the wall-current monitors in detail. (author)

  10. Temporal Stability of the Dutch Version of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition (WMS-IV-NL).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouman, Zita; Hendriks, Marc P H; Aldenkamp, Albert P; Kessels, Roy P C

    2015-01-01

    The Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition (WMS-IV) is one of the most widely used memory batteries. We examined the test-retest reliability, practice effects, and standardized regression-based (SRB) change norms for the Dutch version of the WMS-IV (WMS-IV-NL) after both short and long retest intervals. The WMS-IV-NL was administered twice after either a short (M = 8.48 weeks, SD = 3.40 weeks, range = 3-16) or a long (M = 17.87 months, SD = 3.48, range = 12-24) retest interval in a sample of 234 healthy participants (M = 59.55 years, range = 16-90; 118 completed the Adult Battery; and 116 completed the Older Adult Battery). The test-retest reliability estimates varied across indexes. They were adequate to good after a short retest interval (ranging from .74 to .86), with the exception of the Visual Working Memory Index (r = .59), yet generally lower after a long retest interval (ranging from .56 to .77). Practice effects were only observed after a short retest interval (overall group mean gains up to 11 points), whereas no significant change in performance was found after a long retest interval. Furthermore, practice effect-adjusted SRB change norms were calculated for all WMS-IV-NL index scores. Overall, this study shows that the test-retest reliability of the WMS-IV-NL varied across indexes. Practice effects were observed after a short retest interval, but no evidence was found for practice effects after a long retest interval from one to two years. Finally, the SRB change norms were provided for the WMS-IV-NL.

  11. Sleep Deprivation Impairs the Human Central and Peripheral Nervous System Discrimination of Social Threat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldstein-Piekarski, Andrea N; Greer, Stephanie M; Saletin, Jared M; Walker, Matthew P

    2015-07-15

    Facial expressions represent one of the most salient cues in our environment. They communicate the affective state and intent of an individual and, if interpreted correctly, adaptively influence the behavior of others in return. Processing of such affective stimuli is known to require reciprocal signaling between central viscerosensory brain regions and peripheral-autonomic body systems, culminating in accurate emotion discrimination. Despite emerging links between sleep and affective regulation, the impact of sleep loss on the discrimination of complex social emotions within and between the CNS and PNS remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate in humans that sleep deprivation impairs both viscerosensory brain (anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala) and autonomic-cardiac discrimination of threatening from affiliative facial cues. Moreover, sleep deprivation significantly degrades the normally reciprocal associations between these central and peripheral emotion-signaling systems, most prominent at the level of cardiac-amygdala coupling. In addition, REM sleep physiology across the sleep-rested night significantly predicts the next-day success of emotional discrimination within this viscerosensory network across individuals, suggesting a role for REM sleep in affective brain recalibration. Together, these findings establish that sleep deprivation compromises the faithful signaling of, and the "embodied" reciprocity between, viscerosensory brain and peripheral autonomic body processing of complex social signals. Such impairments hold ecological relevance in professional contexts in which the need for accurate interpretation of social cues is paramount yet insufficient sleep is pervasive. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/3510135-11$15.00/0.

  12. The Effect of Spatial Working Memory Deterioration on Strategic Visuomotor Learning across Aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uresti-Cabrera, Luis A; Diaz, Rosalinda; Vaca-Palomares, Israel; Fernandez-Ruiz, Juan

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the effect of age-related cognitive changes in a visuomotor learning task that depends on strategic control and contrast it with the effect in a task principally depending on visuomotor recalibration. Participants performed a ball throwing task while donning either a reversing dove prism or a displacement wedge prism, which mainly depend on strategic control or visuomotor recalibration, respectively. Visuomotor performance was then analysed in relation to rule acquisition and reversal, recognition memory, visual memory, spatial planning, and spatial working memory with tasks from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). The results confirmed previous works showing a detrimental effect of age on visuomotor learning. The analyses of the cognitive changes observed across age showed that both strategic control and visuomotor recalibration had significant negative correlations only with the number of errors in the spatial working memory task. However, when the effect of aging was controlled, the only significant correlation remaining was between the reversal adaptation magnitude and spatial working memory. These results suggest that spatial working memory decline across aging could contribute to age-dependent deterioration in both visuomotor learning processes. However, spatial working memory integrity seems to affect strategic learning decline even after controlling for aging.

  13. The Effect of Spatial Working Memory Deterioration on Strategic Visuomotor Learning across Aging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis A. Uresti-Cabrera

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To evaluate the effect of age-related cognitive changes in a visuomotor learning task that depends on strategic control and contrast it with the effect in a task principally depending on visuomotor recalibration. Methods. Participants performed a ball throwing task while donning either a reversing dove prism or a displacement wedge prism, which mainly depend on strategic control or visuomotor recalibration, respectively. Visuomotor performance was then analysed in relation to rule acquisition and reversal, recognition memory, visual memory, spatial planning, and spatial working memory with tasks from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB. Results. The results confirmed previous works showing a detrimental effect of age on visuomotor learning. The analyses of the cognitive changes observed across age showed that both strategic control and visuomotor recalibration had significant negative correlations only with the number of errors in the spatial working memory task. However, when the effect of aging was controlled, the only significant correlation remaining was between the reversal adaptation magnitude and spatial working memory. Discussion. These results suggest that spatial working memory decline across aging could contribute to age-dependent deterioration in both visuomotor learning processes. However, spatial working memory integrity seems to affect strategic learning decline even after controlling for aging.

  14. Systematically Identified Failure Is the Route to a Successful Health System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zwarenstein, Merrick

    2015-01-01

    Although we have a systematic approach to innovation and evaluation (and scale-up) for treatments, medical technologies and diagnostic tests in healthcare, we have no equivalent for service delivery innovations. Service delivery innovation is common but frequently goes unevaluated, leading to less systematic decisions about which innovations are scaled up and which ones are not. The absence of a formal evaluation system for service delivery innovation means that there is no objective standard for evaluating an innovation's success or failure, and thus no way to decide whether it should be scaled up, adapted and retested, or not scaled up at all. This results in "bad failure" - the scale-up of innovations that are untested, and the failure to scale-up other innovations that might have been effective but no one measured their effectiveness in a systematic way.

  15. Systemic provocation in doxycycline induced fixed drug eruption: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anik Murwaningsih Rosmarini Estri Sih Hananti Niken Indrastuti

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Fixed drug eruption (FDE is recurrent lesions that upon repeated uptake of causative drug, always appears at the same skin and mucosal site. Determination of causal relationship in drug allergy is very important. In this case report, cases of doxycycline-induced FDE was reported. The subject of the research was a 29-year-old male, referred by dermatologist, with history of reccurent FDE. Physical examination revealed an oval well demarcated patch hyperpigmentation. Patch test was perfomed on previous involved and uninvolved site. The result of the patch test was irrelevant. Retesting patch test gave similar result. Systemic provocation test or drug provocation test (DPT  with doxcycline were done with suspected drug under ambulatory survelance and gave positive result. In this case, the DPT succeeded to identify doxycycline as the causal agent of FDE. The work-up of a suspected drug hypersensitivity includes a detailed clinical history, physical examination, skin tests, and provocation tests. The DPT is recommended to confirm drug’s hypersensitivity reactions. Systemic provocation test is considered as the gold standard for diagnosing FDE. Keywords:   fixed drug eruption - doxycycline - causal relationship - patch test - systemic provocation test

  16. Mockup testing of remote systems for zirconium fuel dissolution process at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paige, D.M.

    1979-01-01

    A facility is being constructed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory for storage and dissolution of spent zirconium reactor fuels. The dissolution is carried out in chemical type equipment contained in a large shielded cell. The design provides for remote operations and maintenance as required. Equipment predicted to fail within 5 years is designed for remote maintenance. Each system was fabricated for mockup testing using readily available materials. The mockups were tested, redesigned, and retested until satisfactory remote designs were achieved. Records were made of all the work. All design changes were then incorporated into the ongoing detailed design for the actual equipment. Several of these systems are discussed and they include valve replacement, pump replacement, waste solids handling, mechanism operations and others. The mockup program has saved time and money by eliminating many future problems. In addition, the mockup program will continue through construction, cold startup, and hot operations

  17. Test-Retest Variability of Functional and Structural Parameters in Patients with Stargardt Disease Participating in the SAR422459 Gene Therapy Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Maria A; Choi, Dongseok; Erker, Laura R; Pennesi, Mark E; Yang, Paul; Chegarnov, Elvira N; Steinkamp, Peter N; Schlechter, Catherine L; Dhaenens, Claire-Marie; Mohand-Said, Saddek; Audo, Isabelle; Sahel, Jose; Weleber, Richard G; Wilson, David J

    2016-10-01

    The goal of this analysis was to determine the test-retest variability of functional and structural measures from a cohort of patients with advanced forms of Stargardt Disease (STGD) participating in the SAR422459 (NCT01367444) gene therapy clinical trial. Twenty-two participants, aged 24 to 66, diagnosed with advanced forms of STGD, with at least one pathogenic ABCA4 mutation on each chromosome participating in the SAR422459 (NCT01367444) gene therapy clinical trial, were screened over three visits within 3 weeks or less. Functional visual evaluations included: best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letter score, semiautomated kinetic perimetry (SKP) using isopters I4e, III4e, and V4e, hill of vision (HOV) calculated from static visual fields (SVF) by using a 184n point centrally condensed grid with the stimulus size V test target. Retinal structural changes such as central macular thickness and macular volume were assessed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Repeatability coefficients (RC) and 95% confidential intervals (CI) were calculated for each parameter using a hierarchical mixed-effects model and bootstrapping. Criteria for statistically significant changes for various parameters were found to be the following: BCVA letter score (8 letters), SKP isopters I4e, III4e, and V4e (3478.85; 2488.02 and 2622.46 deg 2 , respectively), SVF full volume HOV (V TOT, 14.62 dB-sr), central macular thickness, and macular volume (4.27 μm and 0.15 mm 3 , respectively). This analysis provides important information necessary to determine if significant changes are occurring in structural and functional assessments commonly used to measure disease progression in this cohort of patients with STGD. Moreover, this information is useful for future trials assessing safety and efficacy of treatments in STGD. Determination of variability of functional and structural measures in participants with advanced stages of

  18. Test–Retest Variability of Functional and Structural Parameters in Patients with Stargardt Disease Participating in the SAR422459 Gene Therapy Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Maria A.; Choi, Dongseok; Erker, Laura R.; Pennesi, Mark E.; Yang, Paul; Chegarnov, Elvira N.; Steinkamp, Peter N.; Schlechter, Catherine L.; Dhaenens, Claire-Marie; Mohand-Said, Saddek; Audo, Isabelle; Sahel, Jose; Weleber, Richard G.; Wilson, David J.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose The goal of this analysis was to determine the test–retest variability of functional and structural measures from a cohort of patients with advanced forms of Stargardt Disease (STGD) participating in the SAR422459 (NCT01367444) gene therapy clinical trial. Methods Twenty-two participants, aged 24 to 66, diagnosed with advanced forms of STGD, with at least one pathogenic ABCA4 mutation on each chromosome participating in the SAR422459 (NCT01367444) gene therapy clinical trial, were screened over three visits within 3 weeks or less. Functional visual evaluations included: best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letter score, semiautomated kinetic perimetry (SKP) using isopters I4e, III4e, and V4e, hill of vision (HOV) calculated from static visual fields (SVF) by using a 184n point centrally condensed grid with the stimulus size V test target. Retinal structural changes such as central macular thickness and macular volume were assessed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Repeatability coefficients (RC) and 95% confidential intervals (CI) were calculated for each parameter using a hierarchical mixed-effects model and bootstrapping. Results Criteria for statistically significant changes for various parameters were found to be the following: BCVA letter score (8 letters), SKP isopters I4e, III4e, and V4e (3478.85; 2488.02 and 2622.46 deg2, respectively), SVF full volume HOV (VTOT, 14.62 dB-sr), central macular thickness, and macular volume (4.27 μm and 0.15 mm3, respectively). Conclusions This analysis provides important information necessary to determine if significant changes are occurring in structural and functional assessments commonly used to measure disease progression in this cohort of patients with STGD. Moreover, this information is useful for future trials assessing safety and efficacy of treatments in STGD. Translational Relevance Determination of variability of functional and

  19. Interactive footstep sounds modulate the perceptual-motor aftereffect of treadmill walking

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Turchet, Luca; Camponogara, Ivan; Cesari, Paola

    2015-01-01

    and snow were provided by means of a system composed of headphones and shoes augmented with sensors. In a control condition, participants could hear their actual footstep sounds. Results showed an overall enhancement of the forward drift after treadmill walking independent of the sound perceived, while...... walking. Behavioral results confirmed those of a perceptual questionnaire, which showed that the snow sound was effective in producing strong pseudo-haptic illusions. Our results provide evidence that the walking in place aftereffect results from a recalibration of haptic, visuo-motor but also sound...

  20. Smart Sensing Technology for Agriculture and Environmental Monitoring

    CERN Document Server

    2012-01-01

    The book focuses on the different aspects of sensing technology, i.e. high reliability, adaptability, recalibration, information processing, data fusion, validation and integration of novel and high performance sensors specifically aims to monitor agricultural and environmental parameters.   This book is dedicated to Sensing systems for Agricultural and Environmental Monitoring  offers to variety of users, namely, Master and PhD degree students, researchers, practitioners, especially Agriculture and Environmental engineers. The book will provide an opportunity of a dedicated and a deep approach in order to improve their knowledge in this specific field.