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Relatively little is known about the performance of open questions in self-administered questionnaires compared to interviewer-administered ones. We examined this issue using the responses to the 2016 American National Election Study's Web self-administered questionnaires and face-to-face computer‐assisted personal interviews (CAPI) from independently drawn samples that asked three sets of open questions: most important problem(s) facing the country; candidate for and against reasons; and political party likes and dislikes. Although Web respondents gave shorter answers with fewer codeable ideas than face-to-face respondents, the two modes produced similar distributions of substantive answers. Despite our expectation that open answers to interviewers would be more civil than those expressed on the Web, there was no difference in civility between the modes. However, the construct validity of the four candidate for and against items (predicting vote choice of Clinton vs. Trump) was higher on the Web than in the interviewer-administered CAPI. These findings call into question the conventional wisdom that open questions are not well suited for self-administration and suggest that researchers should consider more frequent use of open questions in Web surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The 6-item Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-6) is the shortened version of the widely used 19-item FSFI-19, designed for efficient screening of female sexual dysfunction in outpatient settings. However, this shorter FSFI-6 tool has not yet been validated for use in Bangladesh. Aim The purpose of this study was to culturally adapt and validate the FSFI-6 in Bangla. Methods The FSFI-6 was translated into Bangla using standard adaptation protocols. We interviewed 100 married, sexually active women aged 18 years and over from the outpatient and psychiatric sex clinic of a psychiatry department. Of these women, 50 were clinically diagnosed with sexual disorders based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , 5th edition, criteria. After obtaining written informed consent, participants completed a semi-structured questionnaire to provide sociodemographic information and the Bangla-adapted version of the FSFI-6. We assessed reliability and construct validity using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 25, along with Classical and Bayesian Instrument Development software. Outcome Study outcomes were internal consistency, factor structure, and sensitivity and specificity. Results The study involved 100 participants with a mean ± SD age of 30 ± 5.4 years, ranging from 18 to 48 years. The majority of respondents (54.34%) reported issues related to sexual desire. The overall mean score on the Bangla-adapted FSFI-6 was 18.4 ± 5.4. Reliability analysis showed a high internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.887 indicating robust reliability. Both inter-item correlations and item-total correlations were within the acceptable range. A cutoff value of 19 for the FSFI-6 demonstrated high discriminative power, effectively distinguishing between individuals with sexual disorders and those without sexual disorders or with other psychiatric conditions. The sensitivity at this cutoff was 96%, with a specificity of 100%. Clinical Implications The FSFI-6 Bangla version can be used to screen patients for female sexual dysfunction in an outpatient setting. Strengths and Limitations The internal consistency of this study, indicated by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.887, was robust. The instrument is time efficient, user friendly, and well suited for outpatient settings. However, the sampling technique utilized was nonrandomized, confined to a single institution, and did not incorporate assessments for concurrent validity or test–retest reliability. Conclusion The FSFI-6 Bangla version showed good reliability and validity in this study, supporting its usability as a valuable tool for screening sexual dysfunction in female. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to accurately and reliably obtain images of shallow subsurface anomalies within the Earth is important for hazard monitoring and a fundamental understanding of many geologic structures, such as volcanic edifices. In recent years, machine learning (ML) has gained increasing attention as a novel approach for addressing complex problems in the geosciences. Here we present an ML-based inversion method to integrate cosmic-ray muon and gravity data sets for shallow subsurface density imaging at a volcano. Starting with an ensemble of random density anomalies, we use physics-based forward calculations to find the corresponding set of expected gravity and muon attenuation observations. Given a large enough ensemble of synthetic density patterns and observations, the ML algorithm is trained to recognize the expected spatial relations within the synthetic input–output pairs, learning the inherent physical relationships between them. Once trained, the ML algorithm can then interpolate the best-fitting anomalous pattern given data that were not used in training, such as those obtained from field measurements. We test the validity of our ML algorithm using field data from the Showa-Shinzan lava dome (Mt Usu, Japan) and show that our model produces results consistent with those obtained using a more traditional Bayesian joint inversion. Our results are similar to the previously published inversion, and suggest that the Showa-Shinzan lava dome consists of a relatively high-density (2200–2400 km m–3) cylindrical anomaly, about 300 m in diameter. Adding noise to synthetic training and testing data sets shows that, as expected, the ML algorithm is most robust in areas of high sensitivity, as determined by the forward kernels. Overall, we discover that ML offers a viable alternate method to a Bayesian joint inversion when used with gravity and muon data sets for subsurface density imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interstellar scattering (ISS) of radio pulsar emission can be used as a probe of the ionized interstellar medium (IISM) and causes corruptions in pulsar timing experiments. Two types of ISS phenomena (intensity scintillation and pulse broadening) are caused by electron density fluctuations on small scales (< 0.01 au). Theory predicts that these are related, and both have been widely employed to study the properties of the IISM. Larger scales (∼1 – 100 au) cause measurable changes in dispersion and these can be correlated with ISS observations to estimate the fluctuation spectrum over a very wide scale range. IISM measurements can often be modelled by a homogeneous power-law spatial spectrum of electron density with the Kolmogorov (−11/3) spectral exponent. Here, we aim to test the validity of using the Kolmogorov exponent with PSR J0826+2637. We do so using observations of intensity scintillation, pulse broadening and dispersion variations across a wide fractional bandwidth (20–180 MHz). We present that the frequency dependence of the intensity scintillation in the high-frequency band matches the expectations of a Kolmogorov spectral exponent, but the pulse broadening in the low-frequency band does not change as rapidly as predicted with this assumption. We show that this behaviour is due to an inhomogeneity in the scattering region, specifically that the scattering is dominated by a region of transverse size ∼40 au. The power spectrum of the electron density, however, maintains the Kolmogorov spectral exponent from spatial scales of 5 × 10−6 au to ∼100 au. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study investigated the reliability and convergent validity of the PFFS-Malay version (PFFS-M) among patients (with varying educational levels), caregivers, and health care professionals (HCPs). PFFS-M cutoffs for frailty severity were developed. Methods This is a cross-sectional study from 4 primary care clinics where 240 patients aged > 60 years and their caregivers were enrolled. Patients were assigned to a nurse or a health care assistant (HCA) for 2 separate PFFS-M assessments administered by HCPs of the same profession, as well as by a doctor during the first visit (inter-rater reliability). Patients were also administered the Self-Assessed Report of Personal Capacity & Healthy Ageing (SEARCH) tool, a 40-item frailty index, by a research officer. The correlation between patients' PFFS-M scores and SEARCH tool scores determined convergent validity. Patients returned 1 week later for PFFS-M reassessment by the same HCPs (test–retest reliability). Caregivers completed the PFFS-M for the patient at both clinic visits. Classification cut-points for the PFFS-M were derived against frailty categories defined through the SEARCH tool. Results The inter-rater (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.92 [95% CI, 0.90–0.93)] and test–retest (ICC = 0.94 [95% CI, 0.92–0.95]) reliability between all raters was excellent, including by patients' education levels. The convergent validity was moderate (r = 0.637, p < 0.001), including for varying educational background. PFFS-M categories were identified as: 0–3, no frailty; 4–5, at risk of frailty; 6–8, mild frailty; 9–12, moderate frailty; and >13, severe frailty. Conclusion PFFS-M is a reliable and valid tool with frailty severity scores now established for use of this tool in primary care clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Health and Safety Executive's Management Standards Indicator Tool (MSIT) is a 35-item self-report questionnaire that assesses seven psychosocial risk factors associated with work-related stress. Although the instrument has been validated in the UK, Italy, Iran and Malta, no validation studies have been carried out in Latin America. Aims To examine the factor structure, validity and reliability of the MSIT among Argentine employees. Methods A sample of employees of different organizations from Rafaela and Rosario, Argentina, completed an anonymous questionnaire that included the Argentine MSIT and specific scales to measure job satisfaction, workplace resilience and perceived mental and physical health (12-item Short Form Health Survey). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the factor structure of the Argentine MSIT. Results A total of 532 employees participated in the study (74% response rate). After testing three measurement models, the final respecified model was composed of 24 items distributed in six factors (demands, control, manager support, peer support, relationships and role clarity), showing satisfactory fit indices. The original MSIT change factor was discarded. Composite reliability ranged from 0.70 to 0.82. Although all dimensions showed adequate discriminant validity, convergent validity for control, role clarity and relationships is a matter of concern (average variance extracted values ≤ 0.50). Criterion-related validity was demonstrated by significant correlations between the MSIT subscales and job satisfaction, workplace resilience and mental and physical health. Conclusions The Argentine version of the MSIT presents good psychometric properties for use among employees of the region. Further research is needed to provide more evidence on the convergent validity of the questionnaire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectra of Wolf–Rayet (WR) stars exhibit strong, broad emission lines that originate in the wind. These winds are radiatively driven and are susceptible to hydrodynamic instabilities that result in the formation of clumps. When modelling spectra of WR stars the volume-filling factor (VFF) approach is usually employed to treat clumpy winds. However, it is based on the assumption that the entire wind mass resides in optically thin clumps, which is not necessarily justifiable in dense winds. To test the validity of the VFF approach, we use a previously described method of treating clumping, the 'shell' approach, to study line and continuum formation in the dense wind of the WN4 star, HD 50896. Our models indicate that fully intact spherical shells are in tension with observed spectra; a persistent 'dip' in emission lines occurs at line centre. Removing this dip requires our models to use 'broken' shells – shells that are highly decoherent laterally. This insinuates that the wind of HD 50896, and by extension the winds of other WR stars, are comprised of small laterally confined and radially compressed clumps – clumps smaller than the Sobolev length. We discuss some of the conditions necessary for the VFF approach to be valid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: School anxiety is a prevalent mental health concern that drives school-related disability among youth with chronic pain. The only available measure of school anxiety-the School Anxiety Inventory, Short Version (SAI-SV)-lacks content specificity for measuring school anxiety in pediatric pain populations. We aimed to refine the SAI-SV by obtaining qualitative data about unique school situations that are anxiety-provoking for youth with pain and characterizing the nature of symptoms experienced in these situations.Methods: Adolescents with chronic pain (n = 16) completed a semistructured interview focused on experiences with anxiety in school-related academic and social contexts. We employed thematic analysis to extend the empirical understanding of school anxiety from the perspective of patients suffering from pain and to generate new item content. The content was refined with iterative feedback from a separate group of adolescents with chronic pain (n = 5) and a team of expert pain psychologists (n = 3).Results: We identified six themes within the data and generated new items designed to capture anxiety related to negative interactions with teachers and peers, falling behind with schoolwork, and struggles with concentration and fatigue. Participants and experts rated new item content as highly relevant for use among youth with pain. The updated item bank was named the School Anxiety Inventory for Chronic Pain.Conclusions: Future research is needed to complete the psychometric evaluation of the item bank and finalize items to be included in a measure that can be used in research and clinical settings. Implications for treating school-related anxiety among youth with pain are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Social relationships are a critical context for children's socioemotional development and their quality is closely linked with concurrent and future physical and emotional wellbeing. However, brief self-report measures of social relationship quality that translate across middle childhood, adolescence, and adulthood are lacking, limiting the ability to assess the impact of social relationships on health outcomes over time. To address this gap, this article describes the development and testing of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox Pediatric Social Relationship Scales, which were developed in parallel with the previously-reported Adult Social Relationship Scales.Methods: Item sets were selected from the NIH Toolbox adult self-report item banks in the domains of social support, companionship, and social distress, and adapted for use in preadolescent (ages 8-11 years) and adolescent (ages 12-18 years) cohorts. Items were tested across a U.S. community sample of 1,038 youth ages 8-18 years. Classical test and item response theory approaches were used to identify items for inclusion in brief unidimensional scales. Concurrent validity was assessed by comparing resultant scales to established pediatric social relationship instruments.Results: Internal reliability and concurrent validity were established for five unique scales, with 5-7 items each: Emotional Support, Friendship, Loneliness, Perceived Rejection, and Perceived Hostility.Conclusions: These brief scales represent developmentally appropriate and valid instruments for assessing the quality of youth social relationships across childhood and adolescence. In conjunction with previously published adult scales, they provide an opportunity for prospective assessment of social relationships across the developmental spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Sports clubs have requested support from national governing authorities to invest in health promotion (HP), by developing policies, guidelines and dedicated funding. This article outlines the development of a national audit tool to review policies development and implementation to support HP in sports clubs. Methods A five-step process was undertaken by an international project team: (i) a rapid literature review to identify items assessing policies in physical activity, HP and sports, (ii) a thematic analysis to categorize items, (iii) a Delphi method to analyze item relevance, country specificity, reformulation, validation and organization, (iv) face validity through an online survey and in-depth interviews with expert representatives on physical activity and sports and (v) audit tool finalization though project team consensus. Results Eight sources were reviewed with 269 items identified. Items were coded into 25 categories with 3 broad themes: policies, actors and settings-based approach. The Delphi study extracted and refined 50 items and categorized them into 10 sections. After revisions from 22 surveys and 8 interviews, consensus was reached by the international project team on 41 items categorized into 11 sections: Role of ministry or department; Policies; Communication; Implementation and Dissemination; Evaluation and Measurement methods; Sub-national-level policies; Funding and Coordination; Participative approach; Actors and Stakeholders; National sporting events; Case studies and Implicated stakeholders. Conclusion To progress HP in the sports club context it is necessary to understand existing national-level policies. This national audit tool will aid in monitoring and assessing national policies for health promoting sports clubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the rich observational results on interstellar magnetic fields in star-forming regions, it is still unclear how dynamically significant the magnetic fields are at varying physical scales, because direct measurement of the field strength is observationally difficult. The Davis–Chandrasekhar–Fermi (DCF) method has been the most commonly used method to estimate the magnetic field strength from polarization data. It is based on the assumption that gas turbulent motion is the driving source of field distortion via linear Alfvén waves. In this work, using MHD simulations of star-forming clouds, we test the validity of the assumption underlying the DCF method by examining its accuracy in the real 3D space. Our results suggest that the DCF relation between turbulent kinetic energy and magnetic energy fluctuation should be treated as a statistical result instead of a local property. We then develop and investigate several modifications to the original DCF method using synthetic observations, and propose new recipes to improve the accuracy of DCF-derived magnetic field strength. We further note that the biggest uncertainty in the DCF analysis may come from the linewidth measurement instead of the polarization observation, especially since the line-of-sight gas velocity can be used to estimate the gas volume density, another critical parameter in the DCF method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Create and validate developmentally sensitive parent-report measures of emotional distress for children ages 1-5 years that conceptually align with the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) pediatric measures.Methods: Initial items were generated based on expert and parent input regarding core components of emotional distress in early childhood and review of theoretical and empirical work in this domain. Items were psychometrically tested using data from two waves of panel surveys. Item response theory (IRT) was applied to develop item calibration parameters (Wave 1), and scores were centered on a general U.S. population sample (Wave 2). Final PROMIS early childhood (EC) instruments were compared with existing measures of related constructs to establish construct validity.Results: Experts and parents confirmed the content validity of the existing PROMIS Pediatric emotional distress domains (i.e., anger, anxiety, and depressive symptoms) as developmentally salient for young children. Existing items were adapted and expanded for early childhood by employing best practices from developmental measurement science. Item banks as well as 4- and 8-item short forms, free from differential item functioning across sex and age, were constructed for the three domains based on rigorous IRT analyses. Correlations with subscales from previously validated measures provided further evidence of construct validity.Conclusions: The PROMIS EC Anger/Irritability, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms measures demonstrated good reliability and initial evidence of validity for use in early childhood. This is an important contribution to advancing brief, efficient measurement of emotional distress in young children, closing a developmental gap in PROMIS pediatric emotional distress assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Expand the current Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) well-being measures to early childhood (1-5 years) using best practices from PROMIS and developmental science.Methods: Qualitative methods included expert input, literature and measure review, and parent interviews to confirm measure frameworks, item understandability, and developmental appropriateness. Quantitative methods included two waves of field testing and item response theory (IRT)-based psychometric evaluation of reliability and validity, as well as IRT centering and item calibration. Correlational analyses with other PROMIS Early Childhood (EC) Parent Report measures and known-group differences analyses by health status were conducted to evaluate construct validity. All measures were normed to the general U.S. population.Results: Qualitative results suggested three primary early childhood well-being domains: Positive Affect, Engagement, and Self-Regulation. Quantitative results revealed a unidimensional factor structure for Positive Affect and multidimensional factor structures for Engagement and Self-Regulation, both of which had two factors accounting for >10% of modeled variance reflecting unique unidimensional domains. This resulted in five final PROMIS EC well-being measures: Positive Affect, Engagement-Curiosity, Engagement-Persistence, Self-Regulation-Flexibility, and Self-Regulation-Frustration Tolerance. Correlations and known-groups differences analyses showed robust construct validity across a range of chronic health conditions.Conclusions: The new PROMIS EC Parent Report well-being measures offer clinicians and researchers a brief, efficient, and precise way to evaluate young children's well-being. All five measures include only positively valanced item content, which pushes the field to evaluate the presence of children's positive assets rather than the absence of problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As social media becomes increasingly ubiquitous, many events are recorded and released on social media platforms, including chemical weapon attacks. We develop an objective tool in order to evaluate brief and unstructured social media videos for analysing sarin exposure from a civilian medical pathology perspective. We developed and validated this new questionnaire using a standardized procedure that includes content domain specification, item pool generation, content validity evaluation, a pilot study, and assessment of reliability and validity. In total, 51 sarin attacks and 48 matched videos were analysed. Cronbach's α for all 20 items was 0.75, which indicates adequate internal reliability. The test–retest reliability was 0.96, which indicates good internal reliability. The inter-observer intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.97. After verifying sampling adequacy with the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure and the factorability of the items with Barlett's test of sphericity, a factor analysis was performed. According to the principal axis factoring, a six-factor solution explained 51.86% of the total variance. The receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the Video Score Questionnaire has a sensitivity of 0.817, a specificity of 0.478, and an efficiency of 65.3. Therefore, the Video Score Questionnaire is reliable and valid for evaluating sarin attacks from brief and unstructured social media videos. Chemical weapons are still used as a method of warfare. Social media videos are an important source of information. We developed a validated scale which can analyse sarin exposure in short and unstructured videos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article was motivated by the lack of research, and research instruments, informing academics and practitioners on the email factors used by knowledge workers when triaging their email. This article reports on the development and validation of two measures that categorize the types of emails employees send/receive into two different constructs based on the perceived importance and importance and urgency. The measures were developed using Buss and Craik's Act Frequency Approach. Analysis determined that our six-item important email and our eight-item important and urgent email scales were both reliable and valid measures of the constructs. Construct validity was demonstrated by embedding our measures in a nomological network linking email demands to employee well-being. The measures were found to be significant predictors of work-role overload, even when the more traditional measures used to quantify the demands imposed on employees by email were taken into account. Lay Summary This article presents two scales that can be used to measure the extent to which an employee perceives an email to be: (a) important and (b) both important and urgent. As expected by theory, both measures were found to predict employees' feelings of being overloaded by their work. The interesting findings from this study are the following. First, employees seem to consider urgent emails to be important, perhaps without consideration to the email's actual importance to the employee. Second, emails that are both important and urgent usually involve a key stakeholder being impacted if the email is not acted on quickly. Third, important emails are not necessarily considered urgent. To make an email urgent the sender has to explicitly state how the contents of the email will negatively impact key stakeholders. Finally, our findings suggest that reducing the volume of email someone has to process may not, on its own, lead to reduced employee stress. Rather, employers who seek to improve employee well-being should focus their efforts on reducing the volume of emails employees consider to be important and both important and urgent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient complaints about care in general practice are underutilized as a source of safety improvement data.Objective: This study aimed to adapt a secondary care complaints analysis tool for use in general practice contexts and assess the validity, reliability and usability of the adapted tool.Methods: The study was conducted in two phases. Phase A: The Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool (HCAT) designed for use in secondary care was adapted for use in general practice using an iterative six-stage process. Phase B: Participants from key stakeholder groups [General practitioners (n = 5), complaints managers (n = 9), health service researchers (n = 4)]. Participants completed an online survey and analysed 20 fictionalized patient complaints using the adapted tool. Inter-rater reliability and agreement with a referent standard were analysed using Gwet's AC1 statistic.Results: Phase A: The HCAT was adapted to the Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool (General Practice) [HCAT(GP)]. The HCAT(GP) tool consists of three domains (clinical, management and relationship problems), and seven categories. The HCAT(GP) had both content and face validity. Phase B: Inter-rater reliability was substantial for the HCAT(GP) categories (Gwet's AC1 = 0.65). Within-group agreement on the seven HCAT(GP) categories was substantial to perfect (AC1 0.61-0.85). Participants had substantial to perfect agreement with the referent standard across the survey with a mean AC1 of 0.899 (Range 0.76-0.97).Conclusions: This study reports the adaptation of the HCAT(GP) and has established that the tool has sufficient validity, reliability and usability. This adapted tool can be applied to general practice complaints to identify areas for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a shortage of rural general practitioners (GPs) in China. Training programs have been initiated to meet the needs of GP workforce in the rural areas; however, there is an absence of validated tool to assess their competencies.Objective: This study aimed to develop a competency model for rural general practitioner (CMRGP) after training in China and to examine its validity and reliability.Methods: A multistage process was adopted to develop the CMRGP comprised literature review, panel discussion and expert consultation, and the initial version of CMRGP was reduced from 10 domains and 77 items to 7 domains and 54 items. A pilot study was conducted among 202 rural GPs for the psychometric evaluation and application of the initial version of CMRGP, in which a questionnaire on the importance of items and self-evaluation was completed by the GPs.Results: In the pilot study, 132 completed questionnaires (65.3%) were returned. Acceptability and face validity of the CMRGP were supported by high importance scores of the items, in which 52 out of 54 items achieved score higher than 4.00 (possible score from 0 to 5). Factor analysis supported the construct validity. After the modification, the final version of CMRGP contained 6 domains and 47 items. Good reliability was supported by internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α was 0.98) and split-half reliability (Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.99).Conclusions: The CMRGP demonstrated good reliability and validity. Pilot study showed its potential for application in the rural general practice and training program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research efforts to measure the concept of healthy ageing have been diverse and limited to specific populations. This diversity limits the potential to compare healthy ageing across countries and/or populations. In this study, we developed a novel measurement scale of healthy ageing using worldwide cohorts.Methods: In the Ageing Trajectories of Health-Longitudinal Opportunities and Synergies (ATHLOS) project, data from 16 international cohorts were harmonized. Using ATHLOS data, an item response theory (IRT) model was used to develop a scale with 41 items related to health and functioning. Measurement heterogeneity due to intra-dataset specificities was detected, applying differential item functioning via a logistic regression framework. The model accounted for specificities in model parameters by introducing cohort-specific parameters that rescaled scores to the main scale, using an equating procedure. Final scores were estimated for all individuals and converted to T-scores with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10.Results: A common scale was created for 343 915 individuals above 18 years of age from 16 studies. The scale showed solid evidence of concurrent validity regarding various sociodemographic, life and health factors, and convergent validity with healthy life expectancy (r = 0.81) and gross domestic product (r = 0.58). Survival curves showed that the scale could also be predictive of mortality.Conclusions: The ATHLOS scale, due to its reliability and global representativeness, has the potential to contribute to worldwide research on healthy ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the black hole masses in active galactic nuclei (AGN) is of crucial importance to constrain the basic characteristics of their central engines and shed light on their growth and co-evolution with their host galaxies. While the black hole mass (M BH) can be robustly measured with dynamical methods in bright type 1 AGN, where the variable primary emission and the broad-line region are directly observed, a direct measurement is considerably more challenging if not impossible for the vast majority of heavily obscured type 2 AGN. In this work, we tested the validity of an X-ray-based scaling method to constrain the M BH in heavily absorbed AGN. To this end, we utilized a sample of type 2 AGN with good-quality hard X-ray data obtained by the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array satellite and with M BH dynamically constrained from megamaser measurements. Our results indicate that, when the X-ray broad-band spectra are fitted with physically motivated self-consistent models that properly account for absorption, scattering, and emission-line contributions from the putative torus and constrain the primary X-ray emission, then the X-ray scaling method yields M BH values that are consistent with those determined from megamaser measurements within their respective uncertainties. With this method, we can therefore systematically determine the M BH in any type 2 AGN, provided that they possess good-quality X-ray data and accrete at a moderate to high rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce a method for stacking data cubelets extracted from interferometric surveys of galaxies in the redshifted 21-cm H}, i line. Unlike the traditional spectral stacking technique, which stacks one-dimensional spectra extracted from data cubes, we examine a method based on image domain stacks that makes deconvolution possible. To test the validity of this assumption, we mock a sample of 3622 equatorial galaxies extracted from the GAMA survey, recently imaged as part of a DINGO-VLA project. We first examine the accuracy of the method using a noise-free simulation and note that the stacked image and flux estimation are dramatically improved compared to traditional stacking. The extracted H  i mass from the deconvolved image agrees with the average input mass to within 3 per cent. However, with traditional spectral stacking, the derived H  i is incorrect by greater than a factor of 2. For a more realistic case of a stack with finite S/N, we also produced 20 different noise realizations to closely mimic the properties of the DINGO-VLA interferometric survey. We recovered the predicted average H  i mass to within ∼4 per cent. Compared with traditional spectral stacking, this technique extends the range of science applications where stacking can be used, and is especially useful for characterizing the emission from extended sources with interferometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex offers advantages even in primarily asexual species. Some ciliates appear to utilize such reproductive strategy with many mating types. However, the factors determining the composition of mating types in the unicellular ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila are poorly understood, and this is further complicated by non-Mendelian determination of mating type in the offspring. We therefore developed a novel population genetics model to predict how various factors influence the dynamics of mating type composition, including natural selection. The model predicted either the coexistence of all seven mating types or fixation of a single mating type in a population, depending on parameter combinations, irrespective of natural selection. To understand what factor(s) may be more influential and to test the validity of theoretical prediction, five replicate populations were maintained in laboratory such that several factors could be controlled or measured. Whole-genome sequencing was used to identify newly arising mutations and determine mating type composition. Strikingly, all populations were found to be driven by strong selection on newly arising beneficial mutations to fixation of their carrying mating types, and the trajectories of speed to fixation agreed well with our theoretical predictions. This study illustrates the evolutionary strategies that T. thermophila can utilize to optimize population fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The Physician Global Assessment (PGA) is a visual analogue score that reflects the clinician's judgement of overall SLE disease activity. The aim of this systematic literature review is to describe and analyse the psychometric properties of the PGA. Methods This systematic literature review was conducted by two independent reviewers in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. All articles published through 1 July 2019 in PubMed were screened, with no limitation on year of publication, language or patients' age. Psychometric properties data were analysed according to the OMERACT Filter methodology version 2.1. Results The literature search identified 91 studies. Face validity was reported in all the articles retrieved in which the PGA was used alone or as part of composite indices (Systemic Responder Index, Safety of Estrogen in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment Flare Index, Lupus Low Disease Activity State, Definitions of Remission in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus criteria). Content validity was reported in 89 studies. Construct validity was demonstrated by a good correlation (r  ≥ 0.50) between the PGA with the SLEDAI (12 studies), SLAM (4 studies), LAI, BILAG and ECLAM (2 studies each). Criterion validity was assessed exploring the PGA correlation with quality of life measurements, biomarker levels and treatment changes in 28 studies, while no study has evaluated correlation with damage. A good responsiveness for PGA was shown in eight studies. A high variability in scales was found, causing a wide range of reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.67–0.98). Conclusion PGA is a valid, responsive and feasible instrument, though its reliability was impacted by the scale adopted, suggesting the major need for standardization of its scoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There is little information on the effectiveness of introducing age restriction legislation alone to reduce the rate of sunbed usage by teenagers. Prior to the Public Health (Sunbed) Act of 2014 prohibiting the use of sunbeds in under 18-year-olds in Ireland we reported the rate of sunbed use at 7.5%. Objectives The aim of the study was to compare the rate of sunbed usage among Irish teenagers before and after the introduction of banning legislation to determine if it had the desired effect of reducing its rate of use. Methods In a cross-sectional survey, students from the same schools as in our previous study completed an anonymous, written questionnaire pertaining to sunbed usage. Results In total, 783 questionnaires, from 13 schools across Ireland, were completed. The rate of sunbed use in the current study was 7.2%, compared to 7.5% in the pre-ban study, (P = 0.76). A higher rate of sunbed use was observed in Dublin schools and female public students. Conclusion Our study suggests that legislation alone is ineffective at reducing sunbed usage in a teenage population. A multifaceted approach is required that includes enforcement of the legislation together with targeted public education and awareness campaigns using all aspects of the media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have started an ambitious program to determine if the full diversity of extinction laws is real or if some of it is due to calibration or methodological issues. Here we start by analysing the information on near-infrared (NIR) extinction in a Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) stellar sample with good quality photometry and very red colours. We calculate the extinction at 1  μ m, A 1, and the power-law exponent, α (A λ = A 1λ−α), for the 2MASS stars located in the extinction trajectory in the H − K versus J − H plane expected for red giants with A 1 > 5 mag. We test the validity of the assumption about the nature of those stars, whether a single or multiple values of α are needed, and the spatial variations of the results. Most (∼83 per cent) of those stars can indeed be explained by high-extinction red giants and the rest are composed of extinguished asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars (mostly O-rich), blended sources, and smaller numbers of other objects, a contaminant fraction that can be reduced with the help of Gaia  Data Release 2 (DR2) data. Galactic red giants experience a NIR extinction with α ∼ 2.27 and an uncertainty of a few hundredths of a magnitude. There is no significant spread in α even though our sample is widely distributed and has a broad range of extinctions. Differences with previous results are ascribed to the treatment of non-linear photometric effects and/or the contaminant correction. Future research should concentrate in finding the correct functional form for the NIR extinction law. In the appendix, we detail the treatment of non-linear photometric effects in the 2MASS bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Dialysis care often focuses on outcomes that are of lesser importance to patients than to clinicians. There is growing international interest in individualizing care based on patient priorities, but evidence-based approaches are lacking. The objective of this study was to develop a person-centered dialysis care planning program. To achieve this objective we performed qualitative interviews, responsively developed a novel care planning program and then assessed program content and burden. Methods We conducted 25 concept elicitation interviews with US hemodialysis patients, care partners and care providers, using thematic analysis to analyze transcripts. Interview findings and interdisciplinary stakeholder panel input informed the development of a new care planning program, My Dialysis Plan. We then conducted 19 cognitive debriefing interviews with patients, care partners and care providers to assess the program's content and face validities, comprehensibility and burden. Results We identified five themes in concept elicitation interviews: feeling boxed in by the system, navigating dual lives, acknowledging an evolving identity, respecting the individual as a whole person and increasing individualization to enhance care. We then developed a person-centered care planning program and supporting materials that underwent 32 stakeholder-informed iterations. Data from subsequent cognitive interviews led to program revisions intended to improve contextualization and understanding, decrease burden and facilitate implementation. Conclusions My Dialysis Plan is a content-valid, person-centered dialysis care planning program that aims to promote care individualization. Investigation of the program's capacity to improve patient experiences and outcomes is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Dementia is a growing public health issue for aging Indigenous populations. Current cognitive assessments present varying degrees of cultural, educational, and language bias, impairing their application in Indigenous communities. Our goal is to provide Anishinaabe communities in Canada with a brief cognitive test that can be administered within the community setting by community health workers or professionals. The purpose of this study was to adapt the Kimberly Indigenous Cognitive Assessment (KICA) for use as a brief cognitive test with Anishinaabe populations in Canada. Research Design and Methods We used a community-based participatory research approach coupled with two-eyed seeing to provide an equitable space for Indigenous knowledge. Adaptation of the KICA was accomplished over 22 months using an iterative cycle of monthly consultations between an 11-member expert Anishinaabe language group (EALG) and the investigators, with ad hoc consultations with an Indigenous Elder, a community advisory council, and the KICA authors. Face validity was established with two pilot studies using cognitive interviewing with Indigenous older adults (n = 15) and a focus group consultation with local health professionals (n = 7). Results Each question of the KICA was scrutinized by the EALG for cultural appropriateness, language and translation, and cultural safety. Every domain required adaptation to reflect cultural values, specificity of language, tone, and a culturally safe approach. Orientation, verbal comprehension and fluency, praxis, and naming domains required the most adaptations. The first pilot for face validity resulted in additional changes; the second confirmed satisfactory adaptation of all changes. Discussion and Implications The research resulted in the new Canadian Indigenous Cognitive Assessment. The findings reveal important cultural and linguistic considerations for cross-cultural cognitive assessment in Indigenous contexts. This new culturally appropriate and safe brief cognitive test may improve case finding accuracy and lead to earlier diagnosis and improved dementia care for Indigenous peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Valid performance indicators help to track and improve health services. The aim of this study was to test the face and content validity of a set of performance indicators for service delivery in district health systems of low-income countries. Methods A Delphi method with three stages was used. A panel of experts voted (yes vs no) on the face value of performance indicators. Agreement on the inclusion of indicators was a score of >75% and ≥50% during stages one and two, respectively. During stage three, indicators with a mean score of ≥3.8 on a five-point scale were included. The panel also rated the content validity of the overall set of indicators. Results The panel agreed on the face value of 59 out of 238 performance indicators. Agreement on the content validity of the set of indicators reached 100%. Most of the retained indicators were related to the capacity of health facilities, the quality of maternal and child health services and HIV care and treatment. Conclusions Policymakers in low-income countries could use a set of performance indicators with modest face and high content validity, and mainly aspects of capacity and quality to improve health service delivery in districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To systematically assess the validity of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair.Data Sources: A systematic review was performed according to the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guideline for systematic reviews of PROMs. PubMed, EMBASE and PsycINFO were consulted.Study Selection: Only studies explicitly aimed at validation of PROMs specific for patients with inguinal hernia were included.Data Extraction: Data regarding measurement properties of PROMs were extracted from the included studies. Each study was critically assessed for methodological quality and each PROM was evaluated for sufficient measurement properties.Results Of Data Synthesis: We included 15 studies, covering 11 different PROMs. The Carolinas Comfort Scale was the most frequently investigated PROM, being covered in five of the included publications. The included PROMs were evaluated according to nine different measurement properties, of which internal consistency and construct validity were the most frequently assessed. Evidence regarding content validity and structural validity was universally inadequate, according to the criteria for good measurement properties, as defined by the COSMIN.Conclusion: Based on the current evidence, it is not possible to formulate recommendations for application of PROMs for patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair. Further validation of the included PROMs is necessary especially regarding content validity and structural validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Treatment adherence is approximately 50% across pediatric conditions. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are the most common method of measuring adherence and self-management across research and clinical contexts. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate adherence and self-management PROs, including measures of adherence behaviors, adherence barriers, disease management skills, and treatment responsibility.Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, literature searches were performed. Measures meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria were evaluated using Hunsley and Mash's (2018) criteria for evidence-based assessment across several domains (e.g., internal consistency, interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, content validity, construct validity, validity generalization, treatment sensitivity, and clinical utility). Rating categories were adapted for the present study to include the original categories of adequate, good, and excellent, as well as an additional category of below adequate.Results: After screening 172 articles, 50 PROs across a variety of pediatric conditions were reviewed and evaluated. Most measures demonstrated at least adequate content validity (n = 44), internal consistency (n = 34), and validity generalization (n = 45). Findings were mixed regarding interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, and treatment sensitivity. Less than half of the measures (n = 22) exhibited adequate, good, or excellent construct validity.Conclusions: Although use of adherence and self-management PROs is widespread across several pediatric conditions, few PROs achieved good or excellent ratings based on rigorous psychometric standards. Validation and replication studies with larger, more diverse samples are needed. Future research should consider the use of emerging technologies to enhance the feasibility of broad implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake clustering in the area of Central Ionian Islands (Greece) is statistically modelled by means of the Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequence (ETAS) branching model, which is the most popular among the short-term earthquake clustering models. It is based upon the assumption that an earthquake is not fully related to any other one in particular, but rather to both all previous events, and the background seismicity. The close temporal proximity of the strong (⁠|$M \ge 6.0$|⁠) events in the study area offers the opportunity to retrospectively test the validity of the ETAS model through the 2014 Kefalonia doublet (M w 6.1 and M w 6.0) and the 2015 Lefkada aftershock sequences. The application of a physics-based earthquake simulator to the local fault system produced a simulated catalogue with time, space and magnitude behaviour in line with the observed seismicity. This catalogue is then used for the detection of short-term interactions between both strong and smaller events and the comparison between the two cases. The results show that the suggested clustering model provides reliable forecasts of the aftershock activity. Combining the ETAS model and the simulator code, though, needs to be more deeply examined since the preliminary results show some discrepancy between the estimated model parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Patients can provide a unique perspective on the safety of care in hospitals. Understanding that the extent to which the way hospitals are organized for quality and safety is associated with patient perceptions of care is becoming increasingly valued and necessary for the direction of targeted interventions across healthcare systems. The UK-developed patient measure of safety (PMOS) assesses eight domains of ward safety from the patient point of view and has recently been adapted and piloted in Australia. The aim of this study is to test the psychometric properties of PMOS-Australia (PMOS-A) amongst a large cohort of hospitalized patients.Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire validation assessment.Setting and Participants: As part of the DUQuA project, the PMOS-A survey was distributed within acute myocardial infarction, hip fracture and stroke departments across 32 large public hospitals in Australia. Patients could complete the PMOS-A independently, or request the assistance of a family member/guardian, or staff on the wards-space was included to record mode of completion.Main Outcome Measures: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was undertaken on a calibration sample to generate the model, and a validation sample was used to cross-validate the model. A subset of only those participants who received assistance for PMOS-A completion was also tested using CFA on a calibration and validation sample. Model fit indices (chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio [Chi-square:DF], root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA], comparative fit indices [CFI], standardized root mean squared residual [SRMR]), Cronbach's α, average inter-item correlations, construct reliability and cross-loadings were examined with reference to recommended thresholds to establish the extent of convergent validity and discriminant validity. A marker of criterion validity was assessed through testing associations between the PMOS-A and adherence to clinical guidelines.Results: Across the calibration and validation samples of the full (N = 911) and assisted completers only subset (N = 490), three (Chi-square:DF, SRMR, RMSEA) of the four indices consistently or almost always met thresholds for acceptable model fit. CFI indices did not meet the recommended limits (0.72-0.78, against a target > 0.9). Positive relationships were found for all tests between PMOS-A and adherence to clinical guidelines, and these were significant when assessed in the calibration datasets for the full and assisted completion samples.Conclusion: A sufficiently reliable and valid measure of patient perceptions of safety has been developed. These findings should provide adequate support to justify the use of this measure to assess patient perceptions of safety in Australian hospitals and can be modified for use elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To translate and cultural adapt the 14-item Communication Assessment Tool (CAT) into Norwegian and Danish, making them as similar as possible.Design: This was a translation and validation study including individual interviews for content and face validity and a patient survey for internal consistency and floor-ceiling effect.Setting: Outpatient clinic at the Department of Internal Medicine, Lillebaelt Hospital, Denmark and a Norwegian general practice.Participants: Ten patients were included for individual interviews and 440 participants completed the survey.Main Outcome Measure: Translation and validation of the CAT.Results: Despite minor differences in the use of words in the translated versions of CAT, the final versions were very similar. Based on the content and face validation and after agreement with the developers, it was decided to include a 'non-applicable' answering option, not a part of the original version. The use of 'non-applicable' for each item ranged from 0% to 30% in Norway and from 0% to 6.1% in Denmark. The overall CAT score, i.e. items rated excellent, were 55.5% in Norway and 50.3% in Denmark. For each item, the CAT score ranged between 31.3% and 69.8% in Norway and 33.7% and 57.4% in Denmark.Conclusion: The translated and validated CAT can be used to measure patients' perspectives on clinicians' communication skills in Denmark and Norway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Many individuals access and share health information on social networking sites. Previous studies have analyzed the social media site Twitter to discern public opinion related to health phenomena such as antibiotics, concussions, and flu. Physical therapy-related online discussions have not been studied. Objective The aim of this study was to explore content, participants, and structure of physical therapy-related discussions on Twitter. Design This study was observational. Methods Over 12 weeks, more than 30,000 physical therapy-related tweets were collected. A random sample of 100 tweets underwent preliminary analysis to determine broad categories including tweet author, tone, and theme. A second random sample of 100 tweets was analyzed to confirm categories. Once categories were established, a new sample of 1000 tweets was randomly selected for analysis and categorization. All study investigators categorized a shared collection of tweets to establish inter- and intrarater agreement. Twitter conversations were visualized using NodeXL. Results Intrarater and interrater agreement for tweet categorization was 95% and 89%, respectively. The distribution of the intended audience was 35.5% professional, 35.5% broad reach, and 29% public. The gross distribution of tweet tone was 63.1% neutral, 31.4% positive, and 5.6% negative. Twenty-eight percent of tweets were authored by physical therapists/physical therapist assistants and nearly one-half were categorized as "marketing." Tweets tended to be "isolated," not within a conversation, or consist of conversation within "tight crowds." Limitations This study was purely observational. Social media content can be highly influenced by temporal events, which limits the generalization of specific findings. Conclusions Study results indicate that the reach of physical therapy-related tweets may not be as broad as intended by the author. Physical therapy professionals and the hospitals/clinics that employ them may need to implement strategies to be more intentional in reaching a broader audience with online messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To adapted the Drug Hypersensitivity Quality of Life (DrHy-Q) Questionnaire from Italian into Thai and assessed its validity and reliability.Design: Prospectively recruited during January 2012-May 2017.Setting: Multicenter; six Thai tertiary university hospitals.Study Participants: Total of 306 patients with physician-diagnosed drug hypersensitivity.Interventions: Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were evaluated among 68 participants using Cronbach's ɑ and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The validity of Thai DrHy-Q was assessed among 306 participants who completed World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF-THAI). Construct and divergent validities were assessed for Thai DrHy-Q. Known-groups validity assessing discriminating ability was conducted in Thai DrHy-Q and WHOQOL-BREF-THAI.Main Outcome Measures: Validity; reliability; single vs. multiple drug allergy; non-severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR) vs. SCAR.Results: Thai DrHy-Q showed good reliability (Cronbach's ɑ = 0.94 and ICC = 0.8). Unidimensional factor structure was established by confirmatory factor analysis (CFI&TLI = 0.999, RMSEA = 0.02). Divergent validity was confirmed by weak correlation between Thai DrHy-Q and WHOQOL-BREF-THAI domains (Pearson's r = -0.41 to -0.19). Known-groups validity of Thai DrHy-Q was confirmed with significant difference between patients with and without life-threatening SCAR (P = 0.02) and patients with multiple implicated drug classes vs. those with one class (P < 0.01); while WHOQOL-BREF-THAI could differentiate presence of life-threatening SCAR (P < 0.01) but not multiple-drug allergy.Conclusions: Thai DrHy-Q was reliable and valid in evaluating quality of life among patients with drug hypersensitivity. Thai DrHy-Q was able to discriminate serious drug allergy phenotypes from non-serious manifestations in clinical practice and capture more specific drug-hypersensitivity aspects than WHOQOL-BREF-THAI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Treadmill training augmented with visual images projected on the belt's surface can help improve walking adaptability. Moreover, patient-tailored automatization and standardization can increase the feasibility of walking-adaptability therapy. We developed C-Gait, a treadmill protocol consisting of a baseline walking-adaptability assessment involving 7 putatively distinct walking-adaptability tasks and a decision algorithm, to automatically update training content and execution parameters to a patients' performance and perceived challenge. Objectives: The main objective was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and clinical potential of C-Gait training. The secondary objective was to evaluate the validity of the baseline assessment. Design: This was a longitudinal proof-of-concept study with pretraining, posttraining, and retention tests encompassing baseline assessment and walking-related clinical measures. Methods: Twenty-four healthy adults, 12 healthy older persons, and 28 patients with gait and/or balance deficits performed the baseline assessment; the gait deficit group received 10 C-Gait training sessions over a 5-week period. Baseline assessment scores and walking-related clinical measures served as outcome measures. Results: C-Gait training exhibited significant progression in training content and execution, with considerable between-patient variation and minimal overruling by therapists. C-Gait training was well accepted and led to improvements in walking adaptability and general walking ability, which persisted after training cessation. Baseline assessment scores differed over groups and difficulty levels, had no-to-moderate correlations with walking-related clinical measures, and had limited correlations among walking-adaptability tasks. Limitations: C-Gait was evaluated in a small yet diverse cohort. More encompassing studies are required to further establish its apparent merits. The validity of treadmill-based walking-adaptability assessment against an overground standard remains to be established. Conclusions: C-Gait offers automatized, standardized, and patient-tailored walking-adaptability training that is feasible and well accepted, with good potential for improving task-specific and generic measures of walking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research which focused on the development of the Juvenile DermatoMyositis Activity Index (JDMAI). Topics explored include the clinical characteristics and assessment of juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), the evaluation of content and construct validity of the JDMAI, and the use of Cronbach's alpha coefficient in assessing consistency of the internal structure of the JDMAI.

Study Question: Is the Sexual Activity Questionnaire (SAQ) a valid tool for patients treated for symptomatic endometriosis?Summary Answer: For women having surgical treatment for endometriosis, we determined that the SAQ is a valid and responsive tool.What Is Known Already: Endometriosis adversely affects sexual quality of life. Suitable validated sexual quality of life instruments for endometriosis are lacking both in clinical practice and for research.Study, Design, Size, Duration: A total of 367 women with proven endometriosis undergoing medical or surgical treatment were included in an observational study conducted between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2014 in two French tertiary care centers. Both hospitals are reference centers for endometriosis treatment. Of these 367 women, 267 were sexually active and constituted the baseline population.Particpants/materials, Settings, Methods: Women >18 years old with histological or radiological proven endometriosis, consulting for painful symptoms of at least 3 months duration, infertility, or other symptoms (bleeding, cysts) were invited to complete self-administered questionnaires before (T0) and 12 months after treatment (T1). Tests of data quality included descriptive statistics of the data, missing data levels, floor and ceiling effects, structural validity and internal consistency.The construct validity was obtained by testing presupposed relationships between previously established SAQ scores and prespecified characteristics of the patients by comparing different subgroups of patients at T0. Sensitivity to change was subsequently calculated by comparing the SAQ score between T1 and T0 overall and for different subgroups of treatment. Effect sizes (to T1) were calculated according to Cohen's method. The minimally important difference was estimated by a step-wise triangulation approach (including anchor-based method).Main Results and the Role Of Chance: In total, 267 sexually active patients (204 surgical and 63 medical treatment) completed the SAQ at T0 and 136 (50.9%) at T1. The SAQ score ranged from 2.0 to 28.0 (mean ± SD: 16.8 ± 5.7).The SAQ score was one-dimensional according to the scree plot with good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.78, 95% CI 0.74-0.81) and had good discriminative ability according to pain descriptors and quality of life in endometriosis. The SAQ was responsive in patients treated by surgery but the effect size was low (0.3, 95% CI (0.0-0.6), P = 0.01). The minimally important difference was determined at 2.2.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: The effect size for medical treatment was non-significant. Other effect sizes were low but statistically significant. This could be explained by lower libido due to progestin intake, which was used for both surgically and medically treated patients.Wider Implications Of the Findings: The SAQ is easy to use, valid and effective in assessing sexual quality of life in patients with endometriosis. This patient-reported score could be used as a primary outcome for future clinical studies. The minimally important difference estimation will be useful for future research. We recommend using 2.2 for the minimally important difference of the SAQ.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): This work was funded by the 'Direction à la Recherche Clinique et à l'Innovation' of Versailles, France and the 'Institut de Recherche en Santé de la Femme' (IRSF). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Which genes are confidently linked to human monogenic male infertility?Summary Answer: Our systematic literature search and clinical validity assessment reveals that a total of 78 genes are currently confidently linked to 92 human male infertility phenotypes.What Is Known Already: The discovery of novel male infertility genes is rapidly accelerating with the availability of next-generating sequencing methods, but the quality of evidence for gene-disease relationships varies greatly. In order to improve genetic research, diagnostics and counseling, there is a need for an evidence-based overview of the currently known genes.Study Design, Size, Duration: We performed a systematic literature search and evidence assessment for all publications in Pubmed until December 2018 covering genetic causes of male infertility and/or defective male genitourinary development.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Two independent reviewers conducted the literature search and included papers on the monogenic causes of human male infertility and excluded papers on genetic association or risk factors, karyotype anomalies and/or copy number variations affecting multiple genes. Next, the quality and the extent of all evidence supporting selected genes was weighed by a standardized scoring method and used to determine the clinical validity of each gene-disease relationship as expressed by the following six categories: no evidence, limited, moderate, strong, definitive or unable to classify.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: From a total of 23 526 records, we included 1337 publications about monogenic causes of male infertility leading to a list of 521 gene-disease relationships. The clinical validity of these gene-disease relationships varied widely and ranged from definitive (n = 38) to strong (n = 22), moderate (n = 32), limited (n = 93) or no evidence (n = 160). A total of 176 gene-disease relationships could not be classified because our scoring method was not suitable.Large Scale Data: Not applicable.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: Our literature search was limited to Pubmed.Wider Implications Of the Findings: The comprehensive overview will aid researchers and clinicians in the field to establish gene lists for diagnostic screening using validated gene-disease criteria and help to identify gaps in our knowledge of male infertility. For future studies, the authors discuss the relevant and important international guidelines regarding research related to gene discovery and provide specific recommendations for the field of male infertility.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): This work was supported by a VICI grant from The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (918-15-667 to J.A.V.), the Royal Society, and Wolfson Foundation (WM160091 to J.A.V.) as well as an investigator award in science from the Wellcome Trust (209451 to J.A.V.).Prospero Registration Number: None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Perform translation, cultural adaptation and psychometric testing of the Romanian translation of the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement (HOOS_JR).Design: Assess construct validity, reliability, internal consistency and reproducibility.Setting: Adults with chronic hip disability prior or at a minimum of 3 months after surgery.Participants: Ninety-six patients (22 bilateral) with hip osteoarthritis or who had previous hip replacement or osteosynthesis for a fracture of the trochanteric region.Intervention: Complete the HOOS_JR together with the Oxford Hip Score (OHS_RO), Harris Hip Score (HHS) and Euroqol EQ-5D. 57 patients repeated the HOOS_JR after 2 days.Main Outcome Measure: Convergent validity using Spearmans's correlation coefficient; Cronbach's alpha coefficient, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC, two-way mixed effects model) and inter-item correlation matrix and test-retest assessment after 2 days.Results: The questionnaire had a high degree of reliability with a Cronbach's α of 0.923 at the initial completion and 0.924 at the second testing. The ICC was 0.923 for average measures for the first form and 0.910 for the second form. The two results were strongly, positively and significantly correlated (rs = 0.859; P < 0.001). The Romanian HOOS_JR strongly, significantly and positively correlated with the OHS_RO (rs = -0.880 initial and rs = -0.803 s; P < 0.001) and HHS (rs = -0.731 initial and rs = -0.654 s; P < 0.001) and moderately, significantly and positively correlated with the EQ-5D Index (rs = -0.580 initial and rs = -0.542 s; P < 0.001) and VAS (rs = -0.500 initial and rs = -0.690 s; P < 0.001).Conclusions: The translated HOOS_JR is a reliable, reproducible and valid measure of function in patients with chronic hip disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesBackground Objectives To determine the extent and strength of evidence that supports the belief that cervical intervertebral discs are a source of neck pain. Design Design The evidence from anatomical, laboratory, experimental, diagnostic, and treatment studies was summarized and analyzed for concept validity, face validity, content validity, and construct validity. Results Results Evidence from basic sciences shows that cervical discs have a nociceptive innervation, and experimental studies show that they are capable of producing neck pain. Disc stimulation has been developed as a diagnostic test but has rarely been used in a disciplined fashion. The prevalence of cervical disc pain has not been properly established but appears to be low. No treatment has been established that reliably achieves complete relief of neck pain in substantial proportions of patients. Conclusions Conclusions Basic science evidence supports the concept of cervical disc pain, but epidemiologic and clinical evidence to vindicate the clinical application of the concept is poor or lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smell identification ability reflects the functional integrity of the human olfactory system. Its deficit is a prodromal marker for Parkinson's disease and is also implicated in Alzheimer's disease and other neurological and psychiatric disorders. Considering the impact of cultural factors on odor identifiability, we have developed a smell identification test specifically for the Chinese population (CSIT), which includes 40 odor items that are familiar to this population, presented in a multiple-choice format. The CSIT has a test–retest reliability of 0.92 and is validated against the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) and the Sniffin' Sticks Identification Test 16 (SS-16). In terms of identification accuracy, Chinese participants on average score 15% higher on the CSIT than on the UPSIT or SS-16. The CSIT is also sensitive to age and gender differences in smell identification ability. As such, the CSIT provides an effective tool for the assessment of olfactory function in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite some limitations, Cronbach's coefficient alpha remains the most widely used measure of scale reliability. The purpose of this article was to empirically document the magnitudes of alpha coefficients obtained in behavioral research, compare these obtained values with guidelines and recommendations set forth by individuals such as Nunnally (1967, 1978), and provide insights into research design characteristics that may influence the size of coefficient alpha. Average reported alpha coefficients ranged from .70 for values and beliefs to .82 for job satisfaction. With few exceptions, there were no substantive relationships between the magnitude of coefficient alpha and the research design characteristics investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article illustrates the common use of difference scores in consumer research and discusses a number of potential problems with using them. Difference scores often have problems in the areas of reliability, discriminant validity, spurious correlations, and variance restriction. The article concludes that difference scores should generally not be used in consumer research and offers alternatives that overcome their limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unacceptable levels in conjoint analysis are studied using both a full profile method and Sawtooth Software's Adaptive Conjoint Analysis. The utility of an unacceptable level was set equal to a value that would have been assigned if the unacceptable levels question was not asked, but the respondent treated that level as unacceptable. With ACA, this resulted in a model with (a) superior predictive power relative to a model that eliminates alternatives with unacceptable levels and (b) equivalent predictive power to a compensatory model that does not consider unacceptable levels. Furthermore, in this application, this was accomplished even though the respondent was presented with approximately 30 percent fewer paired comparison observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many researchers feel that external validity must be emphasized even in theoretical research. The argument for both a sophisticated and a common sense version of this contention is refuted in this paper, it is concluded that the very nature of progress in theoretical research argues against attempting to maximize external validity in the context of any single study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the use of psychobiology in consumer research. The author states that biological responses can be used to determine information processing constructs. Sensory input, short-term memory and long-term memory are evaluated in terms of psychobiology. The biological and cognitive processes by which information is received and stored can take place via eye movement or related biological responses. Methodological shortcoming of the studies are noted. The findings of Kroeber-Riel are critiqued and the author states they lack construct validity.

Since 1971 conjoint analysis has been applied to a wide variety of problems in consumer research. This paper discusses various issues involved in implementing conjoint analysis and describes some new technical developments and application areas for the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) is a schizophrenia candidate gene whose protein product is involved in neuronal migration, survival, and synaptic plasticity via production of specific isoforms. Importantly, NRG1 type III (NRG1 III) mRNA is increased in humans inheriting a schizophrenia risk haplotype for the NRG1 gene (HapICE), and NRG1 protein levels can be elevated in schizophrenia. The nature by which NRG1 type III overexpression results in schizophrenia-like behavior and brain pathology remains unclear, therefore we constructed a transgenic mouse with Nrg1 III overexpression in forebrain neurons (CamKII kinase+). Here, we demonstrate construct validity for this mouse model, as juvenile and adult Nrg1 III transgenic mice exhibit an overexpression of Nrg1 III mRNA and Nrg1 protein in multiple brain regions. Furthermore, Nrg1 III transgenic mice have face validity as they exhibit schizophrenia-relevant behavioral phenotypes including deficits in social preference, impaired fear-associated memory, and reduced prepulse inhibition. Additionally, microarray assay of hippocampal mRNA uncovered transcriptional alterations downstream of Nrg1 III overexpression, including changes in serotonin receptor 2C and angiotensin-converting enzyme. Transgenic mice did not exhibit other schizophrenia-relevant behaviors including hyperactivity, social withdrawal, or an increased vulnerability to the effects of MK-801 malate. Our results indicate that this novel Nrg1 III mouse is valid for modeling potential pathological mechanisms of some schizophrenia- like behaviors, for determining what other neurobiological changes may be downstream of elevated NRG1 III levels and for preclinically testing therapeutic strategies that may be specifically efficacious in patients with the NRG1 (HapICE) risk genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Timely access to holistic multidisciplinary care is the core principle underpinning management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Data collected in national clinical audit programmes fundamentally aim to improve health outcomes of disease, ensuring clinical care is equitable, safe and patient-centred. The aim of this study was to develop a tool for national audit of JIA in the UK. Methods. A staged and consultative methodology was used across a broad group of relevant stakeholders to develop a national audit tool, with reference to pre-existing standards of care for JIA. The tool comprises key service delivery quality measures assessed against two aspects of impact, namely disease-related outcome measures and patient/carer reported outcome and experience measures. Results. Eleven service-related quality measures were identified, including those that map to current standards for commissioning of JIA clinical services in the UK. The three-variable Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score and presence/absence of sacro-iliitis in patients with enthesitis-related arthritis were identified as the primary disease-related outcome measures, with presence/absence of uveitis a secondary outcome. Novel patient/carer reported outcomes and patient/carer reported experience measures were developed and face validity confirmed by relevant patient/carer groups. Conclusion. A tool for national audit of JIA has been developed with the aim of benchmarking current clinical practice and setting future standards and targets for improvement. Staged implementation of this national audit tool should facilitate investigation of variability in levels of care and drive quality improvement. This will require engagement from patients and carers, clinical teams and commissioners of JIA services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Syndromic surveillance aims to provide early warning and real time estimates of the extent of incidents; and reassurance about lack of impact of mass gatherings. We describe a novel public health risk assessment process to ensure those leading the response to the 2012 Olympic Games were alerted to unusual activity that was of potential public health importance, and not inundated with multiple statistical 'alarms'. Methods Statistical alarms were assessed to identify those which needed to result in 'alerts' as reliably as possible. There was no previously developed method for this. We identified factors that increased our concern about an alarm suggesting that an 'alert' should be made. Results Between 2 July and 12 September 2012, 350 674 signals were analysed resulting in 4118 statistical alarms. Using the risk assessment process, 122 'alerts' were communicated to Olympic incident directors. Conclusions Use of a novel risk assessment process enabled the interpretation of large number of statistical alarms in a manageable way for the period of a sustained mass gathering. This risk assessment process guided the prioritization and could be readily adapted to other surveillance systems. The process, which is novel to our knowledge, continues as a legacy of the Games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]