Sample records for cross validation showed
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Cross-validation pitfalls when selecting and assessing regression and classification models.
Krstajic, Damjan; Buturovic, Ljubomir J; Leahy, David E; Thomas, Simon
2014-03-29
We address the problem of selecting and assessing classification and regression models using cross-validation. Current state-of-the-art methods can yield models with high variance, rendering them unsuitable for a number of practical applications including QSAR. In this paper we describe and evaluate best practices which improve reliability and increase confidence in selected models. A key operational component of the proposed methods is cloud computing which enables routine use of previously infeasible approaches. We describe in detail an algorithm for repeated grid-search V-fold cross-validation for parameter tuning in classification and regression, and we define a repeated nested cross-validation algorithm for model assessment. As regards variable selection and parameter tuning we define two algorithms (repeated grid-search cross-validation and double cross-validation), and provide arguments for using the repeated grid-search in the general case. We show results of our algorithms on seven QSAR datasets. The variation of the prediction performance, which is the result of choosing different splits of the dataset in V-fold cross-validation, needs to be taken into account when selecting and assessing classification and regression models. We demonstrate the importance of repeating cross-validation when selecting an optimal model, as well as the importance of repeating nested cross-validation when assessing a prediction error.
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A cross-validation package driving Netica with python
Fienen, Michael N.; Plant, Nathaniel G.
2014-01-01
Bayesian networks (BNs) are powerful tools for probabilistically simulating natural systems and emulating process models. Cross validation is a technique to avoid overfitting resulting from overly complex BNs. Overfitting reduces predictive skill. Cross-validation for BNs is known but rarely implemented due partly to a lack of software tools designed to work with available BN packages. CVNetica is open-source, written in Python, and extends the Netica software package to perform cross-validation and read, rebuild, and learn BNs from data. Insights gained from cross-validation and implications on prediction versus description are illustrated with: a data-driven oceanographic application; and a model-emulation application. These examples show that overfitting occurs when BNs become more complex than allowed by supporting data and overfitting incurs computational costs as well as causing a reduction in prediction skill. CVNetica evaluates overfitting using several complexity metrics (we used level of discretization) and its impact on performance metrics (we used skill).
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Statistical validation of normal tissue complication probability models.
Xu, Cheng-Jian; van der Schaaf, Arjen; Van't Veld, Aart A; Langendijk, Johannes A; Schilstra, Cornelis
2012-09-01
To investigate the applicability and value of double cross-validation and permutation tests as established statistical approaches in the validation of normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models. A penalized regression method, LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator), was used to build NTCP models for xerostomia after radiation therapy treatment of head-and-neck cancer. Model assessment was based on the likelihood function and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Repeated double cross-validation showed the uncertainty and instability of the NTCP models and indicated that the statistical significance of model performance can be obtained by permutation testing. Repeated double cross-validation and permutation tests are recommended to validate NTCP models before clinical use. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Kumar, Y Kiran; Mehta, Shashi Bhushan; Ramachandra, Manjunath
2017-01-01
The purpose of this work is to provide some validation methods for evaluating the hemodynamic assessment of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation (CAVM). This article emphasizes the importance of validating noninvasive measurements for CAVM patients, which are designed using lumped models for complex vessel structure. The validation of the hemodynamics assessment is based on invasive clinical measurements and cross-validation techniques with the Philips proprietary validated software's Qflow and 2D Perfursion. The modeling results are validated for 30 CAVM patients for 150 vessel locations. Mean flow, diameter, and pressure were compared between modeling results and with clinical/cross validation measurements, using an independent two-tailed Student t test. Exponential regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between blood flow, vessel diameter, and pressure between them. Univariate analysis is used to assess the relationship between vessel diameter, vessel cross-sectional area, AVM volume, AVM pressure, and AVM flow results were performed with linear or exponential regression. Modeling results were compared with clinical measurements from vessel locations of cerebral regions. Also, the model is cross validated with Philips proprietary validated software's Qflow and 2D Perfursion. Our results shows that modeling results and clinical results are nearly matching with a small deviation. In this article, we have validated our modeling results with clinical measurements. The new approach for cross-validation is proposed by demonstrating the accuracy of our results with a validated product in a clinical environment.
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Cross-Validation of Survival Bump Hunting by Recursive Peeling Methods.
Dazard, Jean-Eudes; Choe, Michael; LeBlanc, Michael; Rao, J Sunil
2014-08-01
We introduce a survival/risk bump hunting framework to build a bump hunting model with a possibly censored time-to-event type of response and to validate model estimates. First, we describe the use of adequate survival peeling criteria to build a survival/risk bump hunting model based on recursive peeling methods. Our method called "Patient Recursive Survival Peeling" is a rule-induction method that makes use of specific peeling criteria such as hazard ratio or log-rank statistics. Second, to validate our model estimates and improve survival prediction accuracy, we describe a resampling-based validation technique specifically designed for the joint task of decision rule making by recursive peeling (i.e. decision-box) and survival estimation. This alternative technique, called "combined" cross-validation is done by combining test samples over the cross-validation loops, a design allowing for bump hunting by recursive peeling in a survival setting. We provide empirical results showing the importance of cross-validation and replication.
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Cross-Validation of Survival Bump Hunting by Recursive Peeling Methods
Dazard, Jean-Eudes; Choe, Michael; LeBlanc, Michael; Rao, J. Sunil
2015-01-01
We introduce a survival/risk bump hunting framework to build a bump hunting model with a possibly censored time-to-event type of response and to validate model estimates. First, we describe the use of adequate survival peeling criteria to build a survival/risk bump hunting model based on recursive peeling methods. Our method called “Patient Recursive Survival Peeling” is a rule-induction method that makes use of specific peeling criteria such as hazard ratio or log-rank statistics. Second, to validate our model estimates and improve survival prediction accuracy, we describe a resampling-based validation technique specifically designed for the joint task of decision rule making by recursive peeling (i.e. decision-box) and survival estimation. This alternative technique, called “combined” cross-validation is done by combining test samples over the cross-validation loops, a design allowing for bump hunting by recursive peeling in a survival setting. We provide empirical results showing the importance of cross-validation and replication. PMID:26997922
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Stevanovic, Dejan; Jafari, Peyman; Knez, Rajna; Franic, Tomislav; Atilola, Olayinka; Davidovic, Nikolina; Bagheri, Zahra; Lakic, Aneta
2017-02-01
In this systematic review, we assessed available evidence for cross-cultural measurement invariance of assessment scales for child and adolescent psychopathology as an indicator of cross-cultural validity. A literature search was conducted using the Medline, PsychInfo, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Cross-cultural measurement invariance data was available for 26 scales. Based on the aggregation of the evidence from the studies under review, none of the evaluated scales have strong evidence for cross-cultural validity and suitability for cross-cultural comparison. A few of the studies showed a moderate level of measurement invariance for some scales (such as the Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, and Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale), which may make them suitable in cross-cultural comparative studies. The remainder of the scales either showed weak or outright lack of measurement invariance. This review showed only limited testing for measurement invariance across cultural groups of scales for pediatric psychopathology, with evidence of cross-cultural validity for only a few scales. This study also revealed a need to improve practices of statistical analysis reporting in testing measurement invariance. Implications for future research are discussed.
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Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (Preprint)
1990-08-01
fold cross -validation would take about ten time as long, and MARS is not all that fast to begin with. Friedman has a number of examples showing...standardized mean squared error of prediction (MSEP), the generalized cross validation (GCV), and the number of selected terms (TERMS). In accordance with...and mi= 10 case were almost exclusively spurious cross product terms and terms involving the nuisance variables x6 through xlo. This large number of
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Avelino, Patrick Roberto; Magalhães, Lívia Castro; Faria-Fortini, Iza; Basílio, Marluce Lopes; Menezes, Kênia Kiefer Parreiras; Teixeira-Salmela, Luci Fuscaldi
2018-06-01
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cross-cultural validity of the Brazilian version of the ABILOCO questionnaire for stroke subjects. Cross-cultural adaptation of the original English version of the ABILOCO to the Brazilian-Portuguese language followed standardized procedures. The adapted version was administered to 136 stroke subjects and its measurement properties were assessed using Rash analysis. Cross-cultural validity was based on cultural invariance analyses. Goodness-of-fit analysis revealed one misfitting item. The principal component analysis of the residuals showed that the first dimension explained 45% of the variance in locomotion ability; however, the eigenvalue was 1.92. The ABILOCO-Brazil divided the sample into two levels of ability and the items into about seven levels of difficulty. The item-person map showed some ceiling effect. Cultural invariance analyses revealed that although there were differences in the item calibrations between the ABILOCO-original and ABILOCO-Brazil, they did not impact the measures of locomotion ability. The ABILOCO-Brazil demonstrated satisfactory measurement properties to be used within both clinical and research contexts in Brazil, as well cross-cultural validity to be used in international/multicentric studies. However, the presence of ceiling effect suggests that it may not be appropriate for the assessment of individuals with high levels of locomotion ability. Implications for rehabilitation Self-report measures of locomotion ability are clinically important, since they describe the abilities of the individuals within real life contexts. The ABILOCO questionnaire, specific for stroke survivors, demonstrated satisfactory measurement properties, but may not be most appropriate to assess individuals with high levels of locomotion ability The results of the cross-cultural validity showed that the ABILOCO-Original and the ABILOCO-Brazil calibrations may be used interchangeable.
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Cross-validation to select Bayesian hierarchical models in phylogenetics.
Duchêne, Sebastián; Duchêne, David A; Di Giallonardo, Francesca; Eden, John-Sebastian; Geoghegan, Jemma L; Holt, Kathryn E; Ho, Simon Y W; Holmes, Edward C
2016-05-26
Recent developments in Bayesian phylogenetic models have increased the range of inferences that can be drawn from molecular sequence data. Accordingly, model selection has become an important component of phylogenetic analysis. Methods of model selection generally consider the likelihood of the data under the model in question. In the context of Bayesian phylogenetics, the most common approach involves estimating the marginal likelihood, which is typically done by integrating the likelihood across model parameters, weighted by the prior. Although this method is accurate, it is sensitive to the presence of improper priors. We explored an alternative approach based on cross-validation that is widely used in evolutionary analysis. This involves comparing models according to their predictive performance. We analysed simulated data and a range of viral and bacterial data sets using a cross-validation approach to compare a variety of molecular clock and demographic models. Our results show that cross-validation can be effective in distinguishing between strict- and relaxed-clock models and in identifying demographic models that allow growth in population size over time. In most of our empirical data analyses, the model selected using cross-validation was able to match that selected using marginal-likelihood estimation. The accuracy of cross-validation appears to improve with longer sequence data, particularly when distinguishing between relaxed-clock models. Cross-validation is a useful method for Bayesian phylogenetic model selection. This method can be readily implemented even when considering complex models where selecting an appropriate prior for all parameters may be difficult.
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Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the neonatal/infant Braden Q risk assessment scale.
de Lima, Edson Luiz; de Brito, Maria José Azevedo; de Souza, Diba Maria Sebba Tosta; Salomé, Geraldo Magela; Ferreira, Lydia Masako
2016-02-01
To translate into Brazilian Portuguese and cross-culturally adapt the Neonatal/Infant Braden Q Risk Assessment Scale (Neonatal/Infant Braden Q Scale), and test the psychometric properties, reproducibility and validity of the instrument. There is a lack of studies on the development of pressure ulcers in children, especially in neonates. Thirty professionals participated in the cross-cultural adaptation of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the scale. Fifty neonates of both sexes were assessed between July 2013 and June 2014. Reliability and reproducibility were tested in 20 neonates and construct validity was measured by correlating the Neonatal/Infant Braden Q Scale with the Braden Q Risk Assessment Scale (Braden Q Scale). Discriminant validity was assessed by comparing the scores of neonates with and without ulcers. The scale showed inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.98; P < 0.001) and intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.79; P < 0.001). A strong correlation was found between the Neonatal/Infant Braden Q Scale and Braden Q Scale (r = 0.96; P < 0.001). The cross-culturally adapted Brazilian version of the Neonatal/Infant Braden Q Scale is a reliable instrument, showing face, content and construct validity. Copyright © 2015 Tissue Viability Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Assessing cross-cultural validity of scales: a methodological review and illustrative example.
Beckstead, Jason W; Yang, Chiu-Yueh; Lengacher, Cecile A
2008-01-01
In this article, we assessed the cross-cultural validity of the Women's Role Strain Inventory (WRSI), a multi-item instrument that assesses the degree of strain experienced by women who juggle the roles of working professional, student, wife and mother. Cross-cultural validity is evinced by demonstrating the measurement invariance of the WRSI. Measurement invariance is the extent to which items of multi-item scales function in the same way across different samples of respondents. We assessed measurement invariance by comparing a sample of working women in Taiwan with a similar sample from the United States. Structural equation models (SEMs) were employed to determine the invariance of the WRSI and to estimate the unique validity variance of its items. This article also provides nurse-researchers with the necessary underlying measurement theory and illustrates how SEMs may be applied to assess cross-cultural validity of instruments used in nursing research. Overall performance of the WRSI was acceptable but our analysis showed that some items did not display invariance properties across samples. Item analysis is presented and recommendations for improving the instrument are discussed.
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Castillo-Tandazo, Wilson; Flores-Fortty, Adolfo; Feraud, Lourdes; Tettamanti, Daniel
2013-01-01
Purpose To translate, cross-culturally adapt, and validate the Questionnaire for Diabetes-Related Foot Disease (Q-DFD), originally created and validated in Australia, for its use in Spanish-speaking patients with diabetes mellitus. Patients and methods The translation and cross-cultural adaptation were based on international guidelines. The Spanish version of the survey was applied to a community-based (sample A) and a hospital clinic-based sample (samples B and C). Samples A and B were used to determine criterion and construct validity comparing the survey findings with clinical evaluation and medical records, respectively; while sample C was used to determine intra- and inter-rater reliability. Results After completing the rigorous translation process, only four items were considered problematic and required a new translation. In total, 127 patients were included in the validation study: 76 to determine criterion and construct validity and 41 to establish intra- and inter-rater reliability. For an overall diagnosis of diabetes-related foot disease, a substantial level of agreement was obtained when we compared the Q-DFD with the clinical assessment (kappa 0.77, sensitivity 80.4%, specificity 91.5%, positive likelihood ratio [LR+] 9.46, negative likelihood ratio [LR−] 0.21); while an almost perfect level of agreement was obtained when it was compared with medical records (kappa 0.88, sensitivity 87%, specificity 97%, LR+ 29.0, LR− 0.13). Survey reliability showed substantial levels of agreement, with kappa scores of 0.63 and 0.73 for intra- and inter-rater reliability, respectively. Conclusion The translated and cross-culturally adapted Q-DFD showed good psychometric properties (validity, reproducibility, and reliability) that allow its use in Spanish-speaking diabetic populations. PMID:24039434
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Lee, Shin-Young; Lee, Eunice E
2015-02-01
The purpose of this study was to report the instrument modification and validation processes to make existing health belief model scales culturally appropriate for Korean Americans (KAs) regarding colorectal cancer (CRC) screening utilization. Instrument translation, individual interviews using cognitive interviewing, and expert reviews were conducted during the instrument modification phase, and a pilot test and a cross-sectional survey were conducted during the instrument validation phase. Data analyses of the cross-sectional survey included internal consistency and construct validity using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The main issues identified during the instrument modification phase were (a) cultural and linguistic translation issues and (b) newly developed items reflecting Korean cultural barriers. Cross-sectional survey analyses during the instrument validation phase revealed that all scales demonstrate good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha=.72~.88). Exploratory factor analysis showed that susceptibility and severity loaded on the same factor, which may indicate a threat variable. Items with low factor loadings in the confirmatory factor analysis may relate to (a) lack of knowledge about fecal occult blood testing and (b) multiple dimensions of the subscales. Methodological, sequential processes of instrument modification and validation, including translation, individual interviews, expert reviews, pilot testing and a cross-sectional survey, were provided in this study. The findings indicate that existing instruments need to be examined for CRC screening research involving KAs.
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Lohrer, Heinz; Nauck, Tanja
2009-10-30
Achilles tendinopathy is the predominant overuse injury in runners. To further investigate this overload injury in transverse and longitudinal studies a valid, responsive and reliable outcome measure is demanded. Most questionnaires have been developed for English-speaking populations. This is also true for the VISA-A score, so far representing the only valid, reliable, and disease specific questionnaire for Achilles tendinopathy. To internationally compare research results, to perform multinational studies or to exclude bias originating from subpopulations speaking different languages within one country an equivalent instrument is demanded in different languages. The aim of this study was therefore to cross-cultural adapt and validate the VISA-A questionnaire for German-speaking Achilles tendinopathy patients. According to the "guidelines for the process of cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures" the VISA-A score was cross-culturally adapted into German (VISA-A-G) using six steps: Translation, synthesis, back translation, expert committee review, pretesting (n = 77), and appraisal of the adaptation process by an advisory committee determining the adequacy of the cross-cultural adaptation. The resulting VISA-A-G was then subjected to an analysis of reliability, validity, and internal consistency in 30 Achilles tendinopathy patients and 79 asymptomatic people. Concurrent validity was tested against a generic tendon grading system (Percy and Conochie) and against a classification system for the effect of pain on athletic performance (Curwin and Stanish). The "advisory committee" determined the VISA-A-G questionnaire as been translated "acceptable". The VISA-A-G questionnaire showed moderate to excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.60 to 0.97). Concurrent validity showed good coherence when correlated with the grading system of Curwin and Stanish (rho = -0.95) and for the Percy and Conochie grade of severity (rho 0.95). Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) for the total VISA-A-G scores of the patients was calculated to be 0.737. The VISA-A questionnaire was successfully cross-cultural adapted and validated for use in German speaking populations. The psychometric properties of the VISA-A-G questionnaire are similar to those of the original English version. It therefore can be recommended as a sufficiently robust tool for future measuring clinical severity of Achilles tendinopathy in German speaking patients.
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Lohrer, Heinz; Nauck, Tanja
2009-01-01
Background Achilles tendinopathy is the predominant overuse injury in runners. To further investigate this overload injury in transverse and longitudinal studies a valid, responsive and reliable outcome measure is demanded. Most questionnaires have been developed for English-speaking populations. This is also true for the VISA-A score, so far representing the only valid, reliable, and disease specific questionnaire for Achilles tendinopathy. To internationally compare research results, to perform multinational studies or to exclude bias originating from subpopulations speaking different languages within one country an equivalent instrument is demanded in different languages. The aim of this study was therefore to cross-cultural adapt and validate the VISA-A questionnaire for German-speaking Achilles tendinopathy patients. Methods According to the "guidelines for the process of cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures" the VISA-A score was cross-culturally adapted into German (VISA-A-G) using six steps: Translation, synthesis, back translation, expert committee review, pretesting (n = 77), and appraisal of the adaptation process by an advisory committee determining the adequacy of the cross-cultural adaptation. The resulting VISA-A-G was then subjected to an analysis of reliability, validity, and internal consistency in 30 Achilles tendinopathy patients and 79 asymptomatic people. Concurrent validity was tested against a generic tendon grading system (Percy and Conochie) and against a classification system for the effect of pain on athletic performance (Curwin and Stanish). Results The "advisory committee" determined the VISA-A-G questionnaire as been translated "acceptable". The VISA-A-G questionnaire showed moderate to excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.60 to 0.97). Concurrent validity showed good coherence when correlated with the grading system of Curwin and Stanish (rho = -0.95) and for the Percy and Conochie grade of severity (rho 0.95). Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) for the total VISA-A-G scores of the patients was calculated to be 0.737. Conclusion The VISA-A questionnaire was successfully cross-cultural adapted and validated for use in German speaking populations. The psychometric properties of the VISA-A-G questionnaire are similar to those of the original English version. It therefore can be recommended as a sufficiently robust tool for future measuring clinical severity of Achilles tendinopathy in German speaking patients. PMID:19878572
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Baldwin, Carol M.; Choi, Myunghan; McClain, Darya Bonds; Celaya, Alma; Quan, Stuart F.
2012-01-01
Study Objectives: To translate, back-translate and cross-language validate (English/Spanish) the Sleep Heart Health Study Sleep Habits Questionnaire for use with Spanish-speakers in clinical and research settings. Methods: Following rigorous translation and back-translation, this cross-sectional cross-language validation study recruited bilingual participants from academic, clinic, and community-based settings (N = 50; 52% women; mean age 38.8 ± 12 years; 90% of Mexican heritage). Participants completed English and Spanish versions of the Sleep Habits Questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans II one week apart in randomized order. Psychometric properties were assessed, including internal consistency, convergent validity, scale equivalence, language version intercorrelations, and exploratory factor analysis using PASW (Version18) software. Grade level readability of the sleep measure was evaluated. Results: All sleep categories (duration, snoring, apnea, insomnia symptoms, other sleep symptoms, sleep disruptors, restless legs syndrome) showed Cronbach α, Spearman-Brown coefficients and intercorrelations ≥ 0.700, suggesting robust internal consistency, correlation, and agreement between language versions. The Epworth correlated significantly with snoring, apnea, sleep symptoms, restless legs, and sleep disruptors) on both versions, supporting convergent validity. Items loaded on 4 factors accounted for 68% and 67% of the variance on the English and Spanish versions, respectively. Conclusions: The Spanish-language Sleep Habits Questionnaire demonstrates conceptual and content equivalency. It has appropriate measurement properties and should be useful for assessing sleep health in community-based clinics and intervention studies among Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans. Both language versions showed readability at the fifth grade level. Further testing is needed with larger samples. Citation: Baldwin CM; Choi M; McClain DB; Celaya A; Quan SF. Spanish translation and cross-language validation of a Sleep Habits Questionnaire for use in clinical and research settings. J Clin Sleep Med 2012;8(2):137-146. PMID:22505858
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[Maslach Burnout Inventory - Student Survey: Portugal-Brazil cross-cultural adaptation].
Campos, Juliana Alvares Duarte Bonini; Maroco, João
2012-10-01
To perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the Portuguese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory for students (MBI-SS), and investigate its reliability, validity and cross-cultural invariance. The face validity involved the participation of a multidisciplinary team. Content validity was performed. The Portuguese version was completed in 2009, on the internet, by 958 Brazilian and 556 Portuguese university students from the urban area. Confirmatory factor analysis was carried out using as fit indices: the χ²/df, the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), the Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) and the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA). To verify the stability of the factor solution according to the original English version, cross-validation was performed in 2/3 of the total sample and replicated in the remaining 1/3. Convergent validity was estimated by the average variance extracted and composite reliability. The discriminant validity was assessed, and the internal consistency was estimated by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Concurrent validity was estimated by the correlational analysis of the mean scores of the Portuguese version and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, and the divergent validity was compared to the Beck Depression Inventory. The invariance of the model between the Brazilian and the Portuguese samples was assessed. The three-factor model of Exhaustion, Disengagement and Efficacy showed good fit (c 2/df = 8.498, CFI = 0.916, GFI = 0.902, RMSEA = 0.086). The factor structure was stable (λ:χ²dif = 11.383, p = 0.50; Cov: χ²dif = 6.479, p = 0.372; Residues: χ²dif = 21.514, p = 0.121). Adequate convergent validity (VEM = 0.45;0.64, CC = 0.82;0.88), discriminant (ρ² = 0.06;0.33) and internal consistency (α = 0.83;0.88) were observed. The concurrent validity of the Portuguese version with the Copenhagen Inventory was adequate (r = 0.21, 0.74). The assessment of the divergent validity was impaired by the approach of the theoretical concept of the dimensions Exhaustion and Disengagement of the Portuguese version with the Beck Depression Inventory. Invariance of the instrument between the Brazilian and Portuguese samples was not observed (λ:χ²dif = 84.768, p<0.001; Cov: χ²dif = 129.206, p < 0.001; Residues: χ²dif = 518.760, p < 0.001). The Portuguese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory for students showed adequate reliability and validity, but its factor structure was not invariant between the countries, indicating the absence of cross-cultural stability.
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Zumpano, Camila Eugênia; Mendonça, Tânia Maria da Silva; Silva, Carlos Henrique Martins da; Correia, Helena; Arnold, Benjamin; Pinto, Rogério de Melo Costa
2017-01-23
This study aimed to perform the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global Health scale in the Portuguese language. The ten Global Health items were cross-culturally adapted by the method proposed in the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT). The instrument's final version in Portuguese was self-administered by 1,010 participants in Brazil. The scale's precision was verified by floor and ceiling effects analysis, reliability of internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to assess the construct's validity and instrument's dimensionality. Calibration of the items used the Gradual Response Model proposed by Samejima. Four global items required adjustments after the pretest. Analysis of the psychometric properties showed that the Global Health scale has good reliability, with Cronbach's alpha of 0.83 and intra-class correlation of 0.89. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed good fit in the previously established two-dimensional model. The Global Physical Health and Global Mental Health scale showed good latent trait coverage according to the Gradual Response Model. The PROMIS Global Health items showed equivalence in Portuguese compared to the original version and satisfactory psychometric properties for application in clinical practice and research in the Brazilian population.
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Baldwin, Carol M; Choi, Myunghan; McClain, Darya Bonds; Celaya, Alma; Quan, Stuart F
2012-04-15
To translate, back-translate and cross-language validate (English/Spanish) the Sleep Heart Health Study Sleep Habits Questionnaire for use with Spanish-speakers in clinical and research settings. Following rigorous translation and back-translation, this cross-sectional cross-language validation study recruited bilingual participants from academic, clinic, and community-based settings (N = 50; 52% women; mean age 38.8 ± 12 years; 90% of Mexican heritage). Participants completed English and Spanish versions of the Sleep Habits Questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans II one week apart in randomized order. Psychometric properties were assessed, including internal consistency, convergent validity, scale equivalence, language version intercorrelations, and exploratory factor analysis using PASW (Version18) software. Grade level readability of the sleep measure was evaluated. All sleep categories (duration, snoring, apnea, insomnia symptoms, other sleep symptoms, sleep disruptors, restless legs syndrome) showed Cronbach α, Spearman-Brown coefficients and intercorrelations ≥ 0.700, suggesting robust internal consistency, correlation, and agreement between language versions. The Epworth correlated significantly with snoring, apnea, sleep symptoms, restless legs, and sleep disruptors) on both versions, supporting convergent validity. Items loaded on 4 factors accounted for 68% and 67% of the variance on the English and Spanish versions, respectively. The Spanish-language Sleep Habits Questionnaire demonstrates conceptual and content equivalency. It has appropriate measurement properties and should be useful for assessing sleep health in community-based clinics and intervention studies among Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans. Both language versions showed readability at the fifth grade level. Further testing is needed with larger samples.
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Classification based upon gene expression data: bias and precision of error rates.
Wood, Ian A; Visscher, Peter M; Mengersen, Kerrie L
2007-06-01
Gene expression data offer a large number of potentially useful predictors for the classification of tissue samples into classes, such as diseased and non-diseased. The predictive error rate of classifiers can be estimated using methods such as cross-validation. We have investigated issues of interpretation and potential bias in the reporting of error rate estimates. The issues considered here are optimization and selection biases, sampling effects, measures of misclassification rate, baseline error rates, two-level external cross-validation and a novel proposal for detection of bias using the permutation mean. Reporting an optimal estimated error rate incurs an optimization bias. Downward bias of 3-5% was found in an existing study of classification based on gene expression data and may be endemic in similar studies. Using a simulated non-informative dataset and two example datasets from existing studies, we show how bias can be detected through the use of label permutations and avoided using two-level external cross-validation. Some studies avoid optimization bias by using single-level cross-validation and a test set, but error rates can be more accurately estimated via two-level cross-validation. In addition to estimating the simple overall error rate, we recommend reporting class error rates plus where possible the conditional risk incorporating prior class probabilities and a misclassification cost matrix. We also describe baseline error rates derived from three trivial classifiers which ignore the predictors. R code which implements two-level external cross-validation with the PAMR package, experiment code, dataset details and additional figures are freely available for non-commercial use from http://www.maths.qut.edu.au/profiles/wood/permr.jsp
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Absorption in Sport: A Cross-Validation Study
Koehn, Stefan; Stavrou, Nektarios A. M.; Cogley, Jeremy; Morris, Tony; Mosek, Erez; Watt, Anthony P.
2017-01-01
Absorption has been identified as readiness for experiences of deep involvement in the task. Conceptually, absorption is a key psychological construct, incorporating experiential, cognitive, and motivational components. Although, no operationalization of the construct has been provided to facilitate research in this area, the purpose of this research was the development and examination of the psychometric properties of a sport-specific measure of absorption that evolved from the use of the modified Tellegen Absorption Scale (MODTAS; Jamieson, 2005) in mainstream psychology. The study aimed to provide evidence of the psychometric properties, reliability, and validity of the Measure of Absorption in Sport Contexts (MASCs). The psychometric examination included a calibration sample from Scotland and a cross-validation sample from Australia using a cross-sectional design. The item pool was developed based on existing items from the modified Tellegen Absorption Scale (Jamieson, 2005). The MODTAS items were reworded and translated into a sport context. The Scottish sample consisted of 292 participants and the Australian sample of 314 participants. Congeneric model testing and confirmatory factor analysis for both samples and multi-group invariance testing across samples was used. In the cross-validation sample the MASC subscales showed acceptable internal consistency and construct reliability (≥0.70). Excellent fit indices were found for the final 18-item, six-factor measure in the cross-validation sample, χ(120)2 = 197.486, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.957; TLI = 0.945; RMSEA = 0.045; SRMR = 0.044. Multi-group invariance testing revealed no differences in item meaning, except for two items. The MASC and the Dispositional Flow Scale-2 showed moderate-to-strong positive correlations in both samples, r = 0.38, p < 0.001 and r = 0.42, p < 0.001, supporting the external validity of the MASC. This article provides initial evidence in support of the psychometric properties, reliability, and validity of the sport-specific measure of absorption. The MASC provides rich research opportunities in sport psychology that can enhance the theoretical understanding between absorption and related constructs and facilitate future intervention studies. PMID:28883802
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Rodrigues, Marcelo F; Michel-Crosato, Edgard; Cardoso, Jefferson R; Traebert, Jefferson
2009-06-01
Cross-cultural translation and psychometric testing. To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QDS) to Brazilian Portuguese and to examine its validity and reliability. Current literature shows the need to adopt reliable and internationally standardized methods for the analysis of low back pain. To our knowledge, this specific questionnaire has not been translated and validated for Portuguese-speaking patients. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the QDS were developed in agreement with internationally recommended methodology, and the resulting product was evaluated in this study with 54 consecutive patients. Internal consistency was obtained through Cronbach's alpha; reliability was estimated through the intraclass correlation coefficient and the Bland and Altman agreement (d = mean difference). Validity was determined by correlating the scores of the Brazil-QDS with the Brazilian version of the Roland-Morris Questionnaire and Visual Analogue Pain Scale by means of the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The internal consistency obtained was excellent (Cronbach's alpha = 0.97). Intraobserver and interobserver reliability were considered strong (ICC = 0.93-d = 0.68 and 0.96-d = 0.57, respectively). The correlation with Brazilian Roland-Morris Questionnaire and with the Visual Analogue Scale was high (r = 0.857; r = 0.758, respectively). The data showed that the process of translation and cross-cultural adaptation were successful and that the adapted instrument demonstrated excellent psychometric properties.
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Shapira Galitz, Yael; Halperin, Doron; Bavnik, Yosef; Warman, Meir
2016-05-01
To perform the translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) questionnaire to the Hebrew language. A single-center prospective cross-sectional study. Seventy-three chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients and 73 patients without sinonasal disease filled the Hebrew version of the SNOT-22 questionnaire. Fifty-one CRS patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery, out of which 28 filled a postoperative questionnaire. Seventy-three healthy volunteers without sinonasal disease also answered the questionnaire. Internal consistency, test-retest reproducibility, validity, and responsiveness of the questionnaire were evaluated. Questionnaire reliability was excellent, with a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient, 0.91-0.936) and test-retest reproducibility (Spearman's coefficient, 0.962). Mean scores for the preoperative, postoperative, and control groups were 50.44, 29.64, and 13.15, respectively (P < .0001 for CRS vs controls, P < .001 for preoperative vs postoperative), showing validity and responsiveness of the questionnaire. The Hebrew version of SNOT-22 questionnaire is a valid outcome measure for patients with CRS with or without nasal polyps. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.
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Koritar, Priscila; Philippi, Sonia Tucunduva; Alvarenga, Marle dos Santos; Santos, Bernardo dos
2014-08-01
The scope of this study was to show the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Health and Taste Attitude Scale in Portuguese. The methodology included translation of the scale; evaluation of conceptual, operational and item-based equivalence by 14 experts and 51 female undergraduates; semantic equivalence and measurement assessment by 12 bilingual women by the paired t-test, the Pearson correlation coefficient and the coefficient intraclass correlation; internal consistency and test-retest reliability by Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient, respectively, after application on 216 female undergraduates; assessment of discriminant and concurrent validity via the t-test and Spearman's correlation coefficient, respectively, in addition to Confirmatory Factor and Exploratory Factor Analysis. The scale was considered adequate and easily understood by the experts and university students and presented good internal consistency and reliability (µ 0.86, ICC 0.84). The results show that the scale is valid and can be used in studies with women to better understand attitudes related to taste.
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Wang, Wenyi; Kim, Marlene T.; Sedykh, Alexander
2015-01-01
Purpose Experimental Blood–Brain Barrier (BBB) permeability models for drug molecules are expensive and time-consuming. As alternative methods, several traditional Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) models have been developed previously. In this study, we aimed to improve the predictivity of traditional QSAR BBB permeability models by employing relevant public bio-assay data in the modeling process. Methods We compiled a BBB permeability database consisting of 439 unique compounds from various resources. The database was split into a modeling set of 341 compounds and a validation set of 98 compounds. Consensus QSAR modeling workflow was employed on the modeling set to develop various QSAR models. A five-fold cross-validation approach was used to validate the developed models, and the resulting models were used to predict the external validation set compounds. Furthermore, we used previously published membrane transporter models to generate relevant transporter profiles for target compounds. The transporter profiles were used as additional biological descriptors to develop hybrid QSAR BBB models. Results The consensus QSAR models have R2=0.638 for fivefold cross-validation and R2=0.504 for external validation. The consensus model developed by pooling chemical and transporter descriptors showed better predictivity (R2=0.646 for five-fold cross-validation and R2=0.526 for external validation). Moreover, several external bio-assays that correlate with BBB permeability were identified using our automatic profiling tool. Conclusions The BBB permeability models developed in this study can be useful for early evaluation of new compounds (e.g., new drug candidates). The combination of chemical and biological descriptors shows a promising direction to improve the current traditional QSAR models. PMID:25862462
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Validation of tungsten cross sections in the neutron energy region up to 100 keV
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pigni, Marco T.; Žerovnik, Gašper; Leal, Luiz. C.; Trkov, Andrej
2017-09-01
Following a series of recent cross section evaluations on tungsten isotopes performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), this paper presents the validation work carried out to test the performance of the evaluated cross sections based on lead-slowing-down (LSD) benchmarks conducted in Grenoble. ORNL completed the resonance parameter evaluation of four tungsten isotopes - 182,183,184,186W - in August 2014 and submitted it as an ENDF-compatible file to be part of the next release of the ENDF/B-VIII.0 nuclear data library. The evaluations were performed with support from the US Nuclear Criticality Safety Program in an effort to provide improved tungsten cross section and covariance data for criticality safety sensitivity analyses. The validation analysis based on the LSD benchmarks showed an improved agreement with the experimental response when the ORNL tungsten evaluations were included in the ENDF/B-VII.1 library. Comparison with the results obtained with the JEFF-3.2 nuclear data library are also discussed.
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Calibration of the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Pain Behavior item bank in patients with chronic pain.
Crins, M H P; Roorda, L D; Smits, N; de Vet, H C W; Westhovens, R; Cella, D; Cook, K F; Revicki, D; van Leeuwen, J; Boers, M; Dekker, J; Terwee, C B
2016-02-01
The aims of the current study were to calibrate the item parameters of the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Pain Behavior item bank using a sample of Dutch patients with chronic pain and to evaluate cross-cultural validity between the Dutch-Flemish and the US PROMIS Pain Behavior item banks. Furthermore, reliability and construct validity of the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Pain Behavior item bank were evaluated. The 39 items in the bank were completed by 1042 Dutch patients with chronic pain. To evaluate unidimensionality, a one-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed. A graded response model (GRM) was used to calibrate the items. To evaluate cross-cultural validity, Differential item functioning (DIF) for language (Dutch vs. English) was evaluated. Reliability of the item bank was also examined and construct validity was studied using several legacy instruments, e.g. the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire. CFA supported the unidimensionality of the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Pain Behavior item bank (CFI = 0.960, TLI = 0.958), the data also fit the GRM, and demonstrated good coverage across the pain behavior construct (threshold parameters range: -3.42 to 3.54). Analysis showed good cross-cultural validity (only six DIF items), reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.95) and construct validity (all correlations ≥0.53). The Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Pain Behavior item bank was found to have good cross-cultural validity, reliability and construct validity. The development of the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Pain Behavior item bank will serve as the basis for Dutch-Flemish PROMIS short forms and computer adaptive testing (CAT). © 2015 European Pain Federation - EFIC®
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van Ark, Mathijs; Zwerver, Johannes; Diercks, Ronald L; van den Akker-Scheek, Inge
2014-08-11
Lateral Epicondylalgia (LE) is a common injury for which no reliable and valid measure exists to determine severity in the Dutch language. The Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE) is the first questionnaire specifically designed for LE but in English. The aim of this study was to translate into Dutch and cross-culturally adapt the PRTEE and determine reliability and validity of the PRTEE-D (Dutch version). The PRTEE was cross-culturally adapted according to international guidelines. Participants (n = 122) were asked to fill out the PRTEE-D twice with a one week interval to assess test-retest reliability. Internal consistency of the PRTEE-D was determined by calculating Crohnbach's alphas for the questionnaire and subscales. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) were calculated for the overall PRTEE-D score, pain and function subscale and individual questions to determine test-retest reliability. Additionally, the Disabilities for the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire (DASH) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain scores were obtained from 30 patients to assess construct validity; Spearman's correlation coefficients were calculated between the PRTEE-D (subscales) and DASH and VAS-pain scores. The PRTEE was successfully cross-culturally adapted into Dutch (PRTEE-D). Crohnbach's alpha for the first assessment of the PRTEE-D was 0.98; Crohnbach's alpha was 0.93 for the pain subscale and 0.97 for the function subscale. ICC for the PRTEE-D was 0.98; subscales also showed excellent ICC values (pain scale 0.97 and function scale 0.97). A significant moderate correlation exists between PRTEE-D and DASH (0.65) and PRTEE-D and VAS pain (0.68). The PRTEE was successfully cross-culturally adapted and this study showed that the PRTEE-D is reliable and valid to obtain an indication of severity of LE. An easy-to-use instrument for practitioners is now available and this facilitates comparing Dutch and international research data.
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Development of a Bayesian model to estimate health care outcomes in the severely wounded
Stojadinovic, Alexander; Eberhardt, John; Brown, Trevor S; Hawksworth, Jason S; Gage, Frederick; Tadaki, Douglas K; Forsberg, Jonathan A; Davis, Thomas A; Potter, Benjamin K; Dunne, James R; Elster, E A
2010-01-01
Background: Graphical probabilistic models have the ability to provide insights as to how clinical factors are conditionally related. These models can be used to help us understand factors influencing health care outcomes and resource utilization, and to estimate morbidity and clinical outcomes in trauma patient populations. Study design: Thirty-two combat casualties with severe extremity injuries enrolled in a prospective observational study were analyzed using step-wise machine-learned Bayesian belief network (BBN) and step-wise logistic regression (LR). Models were evaluated using 10-fold cross-validation to calculate area-under-the-curve (AUC) from receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Results: Our BBN showed important associations between various factors in our data set that could not be developed using standard regression methods. Cross-validated ROC curve analysis showed that our BBN model was a robust representation of our data domain and that LR models trained on these findings were also robust: hospital-acquired infection (AUC: LR, 0.81; BBN, 0.79), intensive care unit length of stay (AUC: LR, 0.97; BBN, 0.81), and wound healing (AUC: LR, 0.91; BBN, 0.72) showed strong AUC. Conclusions: A BBN model can effectively represent clinical outcomes and biomarkers in patients hospitalized after severe wounding, and is confirmed by 10-fold cross-validation and further confirmed through logistic regression modeling. The method warrants further development and independent validation in other, more diverse patient populations. PMID:21197361
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Prediction of resource volumes at untested locations using simple local prediction models
Attanasi, E.D.; Coburn, T.C.; Freeman, P.A.
2006-01-01
This paper shows how local spatial nonparametric prediction models can be applied to estimate volumes of recoverable gas resources at individual undrilled sites, at multiple sites on a regional scale, and to compute confidence bounds for regional volumes based on the distribution of those estimates. An approach that combines cross-validation, the jackknife, and bootstrap procedures is used to accomplish this task. Simulation experiments show that cross-validation can be applied beneficially to select an appropriate prediction model. The cross-validation procedure worked well for a wide range of different states of nature and levels of information. Jackknife procedures are used to compute individual prediction estimation errors at undrilled locations. The jackknife replicates also are used with a bootstrap resampling procedure to compute confidence bounds for the total volume. The method was applied to data (partitioned into a training set and target set) from the Devonian Antrim Shale continuous-type gas play in the Michigan Basin in Otsego County, Michigan. The analysis showed that the model estimate of total recoverable volumes at prediction sites is within 4 percent of the total observed volume. The model predictions also provide frequency distributions of the cell volumes at the production unit scale. Such distributions are the basis for subsequent economic analyses. ?? Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007.
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Crins, Martine H. P.; Roorda, Leo D.; Smits, Niels; de Vet, Henrica C. W.; Westhovens, Rene; Cella, David; Cook, Karon F.; Revicki, Dennis; van Leeuwen, Jaap; Boers, Maarten; Dekker, Joost; Terwee, Caroline B.
2015-01-01
The Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Group translated the adult PROMIS Pain Interference item bank into Dutch-Flemish. The aims of the current study were to calibrate the parameters of these items using an item response theory (IRT) model, to evaluate the cross-cultural validity of the Dutch-Flemish translations compared to the original English items, and to evaluate their reliability and construct validity. The 40 items in the bank were completed by 1085 Dutch chronic pain patients. Before calibrating the items, IRT model assumptions were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Items were calibrated using the graded response model (GRM), an IRT model appropriate for items with more than two response options. To evaluate cross-cultural validity, differential item functioning (DIF) for language (Dutch vs. English) was examined. Reliability was evaluated based on standard errors and Cronbach’s alpha. To evaluate construct validity correlations with scores on legacy instruments (e.g., the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire) were calculated. Unidimensionality of the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Pain Interference item bank was supported by CFA tests of model fit (CFI = 0.986, TLI = 0.986). Furthermore, the data fit the GRM and showed good coverage across the pain interference continuum (threshold-parameters range: -3.04 to 3.44). The Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Pain Interference item bank has good cross-cultural validity (only two out of 40 items showing DIF), good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.98), and good construct validity (Pearson correlations between 0.62 and 0.75). A computer adaptive test (CAT) and Dutch-Flemish PROMIS short forms of the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Pain Interference item bank can now be developed. PMID:26214178
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Crins, Martine H P; Roorda, Leo D; Smits, Niels; de Vet, Henrica C W; Westhovens, Rene; Cella, David; Cook, Karon F; Revicki, Dennis; van Leeuwen, Jaap; Boers, Maarten; Dekker, Joost; Terwee, Caroline B
2015-01-01
The Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Group translated the adult PROMIS Pain Interference item bank into Dutch-Flemish. The aims of the current study were to calibrate the parameters of these items using an item response theory (IRT) model, to evaluate the cross-cultural validity of the Dutch-Flemish translations compared to the original English items, and to evaluate their reliability and construct validity. The 40 items in the bank were completed by 1085 Dutch chronic pain patients. Before calibrating the items, IRT model assumptions were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Items were calibrated using the graded response model (GRM), an IRT model appropriate for items with more than two response options. To evaluate cross-cultural validity, differential item functioning (DIF) for language (Dutch vs. English) was examined. Reliability was evaluated based on standard errors and Cronbach's alpha. To evaluate construct validity correlations with scores on legacy instruments (e.g., the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire) were calculated. Unidimensionality of the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Pain Interference item bank was supported by CFA tests of model fit (CFI = 0.986, TLI = 0.986). Furthermore, the data fit the GRM and showed good coverage across the pain interference continuum (threshold-parameters range: -3.04 to 3.44). The Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Pain Interference item bank has good cross-cultural validity (only two out of 40 items showing DIF), good reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.98), and good construct validity (Pearson correlations between 0.62 and 0.75). A computer adaptive test (CAT) and Dutch-Flemish PROMIS short forms of the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Pain Interference item bank can now be developed.
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Psychometric Properties and Validation of the Arabic Social Media Addiction Scale.
Al-Menayes, Jamal
2015-01-01
This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the SMAS. SMAS is a variant of IAT customized to measure addiction to social media instead of the Internet as a whole. Using a self-report instrument on a cross-sectional sample of undergraduate students, the results revealed the following. First, the exploratory factor analysis showed that a three-factor model fits the data well. Second, concurrent validity analysis showed the SMAS to be a valid measure of social media addiction. However, further studies and data should verify the hypothesized model. Finally, this study showed that the Arabic version of the SMAS is a valid and reliable instrument for use in measuring social media addiction in the Arab world.
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Psychometric Properties and Validation of the Arabic Social Media Addiction Scale
Al-Menayes, Jamal
2015-01-01
This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the SMAS. SMAS is a variant of IAT customized to measure addiction to social media instead of the Internet as a whole. Using a self-report instrument on a cross-sectional sample of undergraduate students, the results revealed the following. First, the exploratory factor analysis showed that a three-factor model fits the data well. Second, concurrent validity analysis showed the SMAS to be a valid measure of social media addiction. However, further studies and data should verify the hypothesized model. Finally, this study showed that the Arabic version of the SMAS is a valid and reliable instrument for use in measuring social media addiction in the Arab world. PMID:26347848
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Cross-Cultural Applicability of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA): A Systematic Review.
O'Driscoll, Ciarán; Shaikh, Madiha
2017-01-01
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is widely used to screen for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). While there are many available versions, the cross-cultural validity of the assessment has not been explored sufficiently. We aimed to interrogate the validity of the MoCA in a cross-cultural context: in differentiating MCI from normal controls (NC); and identifying cut-offs and adjustments for age and education where possible. This review sourced a wide range of studies including case-control studies. In addition, we report findings for differentiating dementias from NC and MCI from dementias, however, these were not considered to be an appropriate use of the MoCA. The subject of the review assumes heterogeneity and therefore meta-analyses was not conducted. Quality ratings, forest plots of validated studies (sensitivity and specificity) with covariates (suggested cut-offs, age, education and country), and summary receiver operating characteristic curve are presented. The results showed a wide range in suggested cutoffs for MCI cross-culturally, with variability in levels of sensitivity and specificity ranging from low to high. Poor methodological rigor appears to have affected reported accuracy and validity of the MoCA. The review highlights the necessity for cross-cultural considerations when using the MoCA, and recognizing it as a screen and not a diagnostic tool. Appropriate cutoffs and point adjustments for education are suggested.
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The validity and reliability of tinnitus handicap inventory Thai version.
Limviriyakul, Siriporn; Supavanich, Walop
2012-11-01
Demonstrate the reliability and validity of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory Thai Version (THI-T), a self-report measure of tinnitus. A cross-sectional psychometric validation study was used to determine internal consistency reliability and validity of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory Thai Version at the Otoneurology clinic at Tertiary care center The cross-cultural adaptation of the Tinnitus Handicapped Inventory English version (Newman et al, 1996) was translated into Thai version following the steps indicated by Guillemin et al. The reliability was constructed by using Cronbach's coefficient alpha. The validity was analyzed by the correlation between Tinnitus Handicap Inventory Thai version and the 36-items short form health survey and visual analog scale using Spearman and Pearson test. The result showed good internal consistency reliabilities of total, functional, emotional, and catastrophic scale (a = 0.902, 0.804, 0.831 and 0.661, respectively) of Tinnitus Handicap Inventory Thai Version. Spearman correlation showed the significant correlation of Tinnitus Handicap Inventory to 36-items short form health survey and visual analog scale. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory Thai Version will be a vigorous tool in evaluating tinnitus patients as well as monitoring the progress of their symptoms.
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Lam, Simon C
2014-05-01
To perform detailed psychometric testing of the compliance with standard precautions scale (CSPS) in measuring compliance with standard precautions of clinical nurses and to conduct cross-cultural pilot testing and assess the relevance of the CSPS on an international platform. A cross-sectional and correlational design with repeated measures. Nursing students from a local registered nurse training university, nurses from different hospitals in Hong Kong, and experts in an international conference. The psychometric properties of the CSPS were evaluated via internal consistency, 2-week and 3-month test-retest reliability, concurrent validation, and construct validation. The cross-cultural pilot testing and relevance check was examined by experts on infection control from various developed and developing regions. Among 453 participants, 193 were nursing students, 165 were enrolled nurses, and 95 were registered nurses. The results showed that the CSPS had satisfactory reliability (Cronbach α = 0.73; intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.79 for 2-week test-retest and 0.74 for 3-month test-retest) and validity (optimum correlation with criterion measure; r = 0.76, P < .001; satisfactory results on known-group method and hypothesis testing). A total of 19 experts from 16 countries assured that most of the CSPS findings were relevant and globally applicable. The CSPS demonstrated satisfactory results on the basis of the standard international criteria on psychometric testing, which ascertained the reliability and validity of this instrument in measuring the compliance of clinical nurses with standard precautions. The cross-cultural pilot testing further reinforced the instrument's relevance and applicability in most developed and developing regions.
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Validation of Yoon's Critical Thinking Disposition Instrument.
Shin, Hyunsook; Park, Chang Gi; Kim, Hyojin
2015-12-01
The lack of reliable and valid evaluation tools targeting Korean nursing students' critical thinking (CT) abilities has been reported as one of the barriers to instructing and evaluating students in undergraduate programs. Yoon's Critical Thinking Disposition (YCTD) instrument was developed for Korean nursing students, but few studies have assessed its validity. This study aimed to validate the YCTD. Specifically, the YCTD was assessed to identify its cross-sectional and longitudinal measurement invariance. This was a validation study in which a cross-sectional and longitudinal (prenursing and postnursing practicum) survey was used to validate the YCTD using 345 nursing students at three universities in Seoul, Korea. The participants' CT abilities were assessed using the YCTD before and after completing an established pediatric nursing practicum. The validity of the YCTD was estimated and then group invariance test using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was performed to confirm the measurement compatibility of multigroups. A test of the seven-factor model showed that the YCTD demonstrated good construct validity. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis findings for the measurement invariance suggested that this model structure demonstrated strong invariance between groups (i.e., configural, factor loading, and intercept combined) but weak invariance within a group (i.e., configural and factor loading combined). In general, traditional methods for assessing instrument validity have been less than thorough. In this study, multigroup confirmatory factor analysis using cross-sectional and longitudinal measurement data allowed validation of the YCTD. This study concluded that the YCTD can be used for evaluating Korean nursing students' CT abilities. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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Blagus, Rok; Lusa, Lara
2015-11-04
Prediction models are used in clinical research to develop rules that can be used to accurately predict the outcome of the patients based on some of their characteristics. They represent a valuable tool in the decision making process of clinicians and health policy makers, as they enable them to estimate the probability that patients have or will develop a disease, will respond to a treatment, or that their disease will recur. The interest devoted to prediction models in the biomedical community has been growing in the last few years. Often the data used to develop the prediction models are class-imbalanced as only few patients experience the event (and therefore belong to minority class). Prediction models developed using class-imbalanced data tend to achieve sub-optimal predictive accuracy in the minority class. This problem can be diminished by using sampling techniques aimed at balancing the class distribution. These techniques include under- and oversampling, where a fraction of the majority class samples are retained in the analysis or new samples from the minority class are generated. The correct assessment of how the prediction model is likely to perform on independent data is of crucial importance; in the absence of an independent data set, cross-validation is normally used. While the importance of correct cross-validation is well documented in the biomedical literature, the challenges posed by the joint use of sampling techniques and cross-validation have not been addressed. We show that care must be taken to ensure that cross-validation is performed correctly on sampled data, and that the risk of overestimating the predictive accuracy is greater when oversampling techniques are used. Examples based on the re-analysis of real datasets and simulation studies are provided. We identify some results from the biomedical literature where the incorrect cross-validation was performed, where we expect that the performance of oversampling techniques was heavily overestimated.
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The use of the FACT-H&N (v4) in clinical settings within a developing country: a mixed method study.
Bilal, Sobia; Doss, Jennifer Geraldine; Rogers, Simon N
2014-12-01
In the last decade there has been an increasing awareness about 'quality of life' (QOL) of cancer survivors in developing countries. The study aimed to cross-culturally adapt and validate the FACT-H&N (v4) in Urdu language for Pakistani head and neck cancer patients. In this study the 'same language adaptation method' was used. Cognitive debriefing through in-depth interviews of 25 patients to assess semantic, operational and conceptual equivalence was done. The validation phase included 50 patients to evaluate the psychometric properties. The translated FACT-H&N was easily comprehended (100%). Cronbach's alpha for FACT-G subscales ranged from 0.726 - 0.969. The head and neck subscale and Pakistani questions subscale showed low internal consistency (0.426 and 0.541 respectively). Instrument demonstrated known-group validity in differentiating patients of different clinical stages, treatment status and tumor sites (p < 0.05). Most FACT summary scales correlated strongly with each other (r > 0.75) and showed convergent validity (r > 0.90), with little discriminant validity. Factor analysis revealed 6 factors explaining 85.1% of the total variance with very good (>0.8) Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and highly significant Bartlett's Test of Sphericity (p < 0.001). The cross-culturally adapted FACT-H&N into Urdu language showed adequate reliability and validity to be incorporated in Pakistani clinical settings for head and neck cancer patients. Copyright © 2014 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Korean version of the Michigan hand questionnaire.
Roh, Young Hak; Yang, Bo Kyu; Noh, Jung Ho; Baek, Goo Hyun; Song, Cheol Ho; Gong, Hyun Sik
2011-09-01
The Michigan hand questionnaire (MHQ) is increasingly being used and has been adapted cross-culturally in some Western and Asian countries, but the validation process for an Asian translation of MHQ has not been well described. In this study, we translated and adapted the original MHQ cross-culturally to produce a Korean version, and then assessed the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the MHQ. A total of 176 patients with common hand disorders completed the Korean version of the MHQ and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire. We included the pain score assessed by a visual analog scale during activity, range of motion, measurement of grip strength, and subjective assessment of the functional state by use of Cooney's scale in the validation process. There were no major linguistic or cultural problems during forward and backward translations of the MHQ, except for a minor change owing to cultural discrepancies in eating, such as the dominant hand using a spoon and chopsticks instead of both hands using a knife and fork. All subscales of the MHQ showed satisfactory internal consistency. The reproducibility test showed no significant difference. The construct validity revealed a moderate to strong correlation between every subscale of the Korean MHQ against DASH disabilities and symptoms. The aesthetic and satisfaction domains, unique domains of the MHQ, had little correlation with the objective measure of the pain visual analog scale, grip strength, motion and subjective functional state. The Korean version of MHQ showed satisfactory internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and validity and demonstrated a significant correlation with the patient-based upper extremity questionnaire and clinical assessment. We found the application and evaluation of the instrument to be feasible and understandable among patients in Korea. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pradhan, Biswajeet
2010-05-01
This paper presents the results of the cross-validation of a multivariate logistic regression model using remote sensing data and GIS for landslide hazard analysis on the Penang, Cameron, and Selangor areas in Malaysia. Landslide locations in the study areas were identified by interpreting aerial photographs and satellite images, supported by field surveys. SPOT 5 and Landsat TM satellite imagery were used to map landcover and vegetation index, respectively. Maps of topography, soil type, lineaments and land cover were constructed from the spatial datasets. Ten factors which influence landslide occurrence, i.e., slope, aspect, curvature, distance from drainage, lithology, distance from lineaments, soil type, landcover, rainfall precipitation, and normalized difference vegetation index (ndvi), were extracted from the spatial database and the logistic regression coefficient of each factor was computed. Then the landslide hazard was analysed using the multivariate logistic regression coefficients derived not only from the data for the respective area but also using the logistic regression coefficients calculated from each of the other two areas (nine hazard maps in all) as a cross-validation of the model. For verification of the model, the results of the analyses were then compared with the field-verified landslide locations. Among the three cases of the application of logistic regression coefficient in the same study area, the case of Selangor based on the Selangor logistic regression coefficients showed the highest accuracy (94%), where as Penang based on the Penang coefficients showed the lowest accuracy (86%). Similarly, among the six cases from the cross application of logistic regression coefficient in other two areas, the case of Selangor based on logistic coefficient of Cameron showed highest (90%) prediction accuracy where as the case of Penang based on the Selangor logistic regression coefficients showed the lowest accuracy (79%). Qualitatively, the cross application model yields reasonable results which can be used for preliminary landslide hazard mapping.
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Shafeei, Asrin; Mokhtarinia, Hamid Reza; Maleki-Ghahfarokhi, Azam; Piri, Leila
2017-08-01
Observational study. To cross-culturally translate the Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire (OMPQ) into Persian and then evaluate its psychometric properties (reliability, validity, ceiling, and flooring effects). To the authors' knowledge, prior to this study there has been no validated instrument to screen the risk of chronicity in Persian-speaking patients with low back pain (LBP) in Iran. The OMPQ was specifically developed as a self-administered screening tool for assessing the risk of LBP chronicity. The forward-backward translation method was used for the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the original questionnaire. In total, 202 patients with subacute LBP completed the OMPQ and the pain disability questionnaire (PDQ), which was used to assess convergent validity. 62 patients completed the OMPQ a week later as a retest. Slight changes were made to the OMPQ during the translation/cultural adaptation process; face validity of the Persian version was obtained. The Persian OMPQ showed excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.89). Its internal consistency was 0.71, and its convergent validity was confirmed by good correlation coefficient between the OMPQ and PDQ total scores ( r =0.72, p <0.05). No ceiling or floor effects were observed. The Persian version of the OMPQ is acceptable for the target society in terms of face validity, construct validity, reliability, and consistency. It is therefore considered a useful instrument for screening Iranian patients with LBP.
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Zambelli, Roberto; Pinto, Rafael Z; Magalhães, João Murilo Brandão; Lopes, Fernando Araujo Silva; Castilho, Rodrigo Simões; Baumfeld, Daniel; Dos Santos, Thiago Ribeiro Teles; Maffulli, Nicola
2016-01-01
There is a need for a patient-relevant instrument to evaluate outcome after treatment in patients with a total Achilles tendon rupture. The purpose of this study was to undertake a cross-cultural adaptation of the Achilles Tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS) into Brazilian Portuguese, determining the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the instrument. A five-step approach was used in the cross-cultural adaptation process: initial translation (two bilingual Brazilian translators), synthesis of translation, back-translation (two native English language translators), consensus version and evaluation (expert committee), and testing phase. A total of 46 patients were recruited to evaluate the test-retest reproducibility and construct validity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the ATRS. Test-retest reproducibility was performed by assessing each participant on two separate occasions. The construct validity was determined by the correlation index between the ATRS and the Orthopedic American Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) questionnaires. The final version of the Brazilian Portuguese ATRS had the same number of questions as the original ATRS. For the reliability analysis, an ICC(2,1) of 0.93 (95 % CI: 0.88 to 0.96) with SEM of 1.56 points and MDC of 4.32 was observed, indicating excellent reliability. The construct validity showed excellent correlation with R = 0.76 (95 % CI: 0.52 to 0.89, P < 0.001). The ATRS was successfully cross-culturally validated into Brazilian Portuguese. This version was a reliable and valid measure of function in patients who suffered complete rupture of the Achilles Tendon.
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Validity of the FACT-H&N (v 4.0) among Malaysian oral cancer patients.
Doss, J G; Thomson, W M; Drummond, B K; Raja Latifah, R J
2011-07-01
To assess the cross-sectional construct validity of the Malay-translated and cross-culturally adapted FACT-H&N (v 4.0) for discriminative use in a sample of Malaysian oral cancer patients. A cross-sectional study of adults newly diagnosed with oral cancer. HRQOL data were collected using the FACT-H&N (v 4.0), a global question and a supplementary set of eight questions ('MAQ') obtained earlier in pilot work. Of the 76 participants (61.8% female; 23.7% younger than 50), most (96.1%) had oral squamous cell carcinoma; two-thirds were in Stages III or IV. At baseline, patients' mean FACT summary (FACT-G, FACT-H&N, FACT-H&N TOI, and FHNSI) and subscale (pwb, swb, ewb, fwb, and hnsc) scores were towards the higher end of the range. Equal proportions (36.8%) rated their overall HRQOL as 'good' or 'average'; fewer than one-quarter rated it as 'poor', and only two as 'very good'. All six FACT summary and most subscales had moderate-to-good internal consistency. For all summary scales, those with 'very poor/poor' self-rated HRQOL differed significantly from the 'good/very good' group. All FACT summary scales correlated strongly (r>0.75). Summary scales showed convergent validity (r>0.90) but little discriminant validity. The discriminant validity of the FHNSI improved with the addition of the MAQ. The FACT-H&N summary scales and most subscales demonstrated acceptable cross-sectional construct validity, reliability and discriminative ability, and thus appear appropriate for further use among Malaysian oral cancer patients. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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He, S L; Wang, J H; Ji, P
2018-03-01
To validate the Pain Resilience Scale (PRS) for use in Chinese patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) pain. According to international guidelines, the original PRS was first translated and cross-culturally adapted to formulate the Chinese version of PRS (PRS-C). A total of 152 patients with TMD pain were recruited to complete series of questionnaires. Reliability of the PRS-C was investigated using internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Validity of the PRS-C was calculated using cross-cultural validity and convergent validity. Cross-cultural validity was evaluated by examining the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). And convergent validity was examined through correlating the PRS-C scores with scores of 2 commonly used pain-related measures (the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale [CD-RISC] and the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia for Temporomandibular Disorders [TSK-TMD]). The PRS-C had a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92) and good test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.81). The CFA supported a 2-factor model for the PRS-C with acceptable fit to the data. The fit indices were chi-square/DF = 2.21, GFI = 0.91, TLI = 0.97, CFI = 0.98 and RMSEA = 0.08. As regards convergent validity, the PRS-C evidenced moderate-to-good relationships with the CD-RISC and the TSK-TMD. The PRS-C shows good psychometric properties and could be considered as a reliable and valid measure to evaluate pain-related resilience in patients with TMD pain. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Ramos, Tatiana Dalpasquale; Brito, Maria José Azevedo de; Piccolo, Mônica Sarto; Rosella, Maria Fernanda Normanha da Silva Martins; Sabino, Miguel; Ferreira, Lydia Masako
2016-07-21
Rhinoplasty is one of the most sought-after esthetic operations among individuals with body dysmorphic disorder. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale. Cross-cultural validation study conducted in a plastic surgery outpatient clinic of a public university hospital. Between February 2014 and March 2015, 80 consecutive patients of both sexes seeking rhinoplasty were selected. Thirty of them participated in the phase of cultural adaptation of the instrument. Reproducibility was tested on 20 patients and construct validity was assessed on 50 patients, with correlation against the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for Body Dysmorphic Disorder. The Brazilian version of the instrument showed Cronbach's alpha of 0.805 and excellent inter-rater reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.873; P < 0.001) and intra-rater reproducibility (ICC = 0.939; P < 0.001). Significant differences in total scores were found between patients with and without symptoms (P < 0.001). A strong correlation (r = 0.841; P < 0.001) was observed between the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for Body Dysmorphic Disorder and the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.981, thus showing good accuracy for discriminating between presence and absence of symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder. Forty-six percent of the patients had body dysmorphic symptoms and 54% had moderate to severe appearance-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The Brazilian version of the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale is a reproducible instrument that presents face, content and construct validity.
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Ramos, Tatiana Dalpasquale; Brito, Maria José Azevedo de; Piccolo, Mônica Sarto; Rosella, Maria Fernanda Normanha da Silva Martins; Sabino, Miguel; Ferreira, Lydia Masako
2016-01-01
Rhinoplasty is one of the most sought-after esthetic operations among individuals with body dysmorphic disorder. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale. Cross-cultural validation study conducted in a plastic surgery outpatient clinic of a public university hospital. Between February 2014 and March 2015, 80 consecutive patients of both sexes seeking rhinoplasty were selected. Thirty of them participated in the phase of cultural adaptation of the instrument. Reproducibility was tested on 20 patients and construct validity was assessed on 50 patients, with correlation against the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for Body Dysmorphic Disorder. The Brazilian version of the instrument showed Cronbach's alpha of 0.805 and excellent inter-rater reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.873; P < 0.001) and intra-rater reproducibility (ICC = 0.939; P < 0.001). Significant differences in total scores were found between patients with and without symptoms (P < 0.001). A strong correlation (r = 0.841; P < 0.001) was observed between the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for Body Dysmorphic Disorder and the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.981, thus showing good accuracy for discriminating between presence and absence of symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder. Forty-six percent of the patients had body dysmorphic symptoms and 54% had moderate to severe appearance-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The Brazilian version of the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale is a reproducible instrument that presents face, content and construct validity.
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An empirical assessment of validation practices for molecular classifiers
Castaldi, Peter J.; Dahabreh, Issa J.
2011-01-01
Proposed molecular classifiers may be overfit to idiosyncrasies of noisy genomic and proteomic data. Cross-validation methods are often used to obtain estimates of classification accuracy, but both simulations and case studies suggest that, when inappropriate methods are used, bias may ensue. Bias can be bypassed and generalizability can be tested by external (independent) validation. We evaluated 35 studies that have reported on external validation of a molecular classifier. We extracted information on study design and methodological features, and compared the performance of molecular classifiers in internal cross-validation versus external validation for 28 studies where both had been performed. We demonstrate that the majority of studies pursued cross-validation practices that are likely to overestimate classifier performance. Most studies were markedly underpowered to detect a 20% decrease in sensitivity or specificity between internal cross-validation and external validation [median power was 36% (IQR, 21–61%) and 29% (IQR, 15–65%), respectively]. The median reported classification performance for sensitivity and specificity was 94% and 98%, respectively, in cross-validation and 88% and 81% for independent validation. The relative diagnostic odds ratio was 3.26 (95% CI 2.04–5.21) for cross-validation versus independent validation. Finally, we reviewed all studies (n = 758) which cited those in our study sample, and identified only one instance of additional subsequent independent validation of these classifiers. In conclusion, these results document that many cross-validation practices employed in the literature are potentially biased and genuine progress in this field will require adoption of routine external validation of molecular classifiers, preferably in much larger studies than in current practice. PMID:21300697
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Gupta, Meenal; Moily, Nagaraj S; Kaur, Harpreet; Jajodia, Ajay; Jain, Sanjeev; Kukreti, Ritushree
2013-08-01
Atypical antipsychotic (AAP) drugs are the preferred choice of treatment for schizophrenia patients. Patients who do not show favorable response to AAP monotherapy are subjected to random prolonged therapeutic treatment with AAP multitherapy, typical antipsychotics or a combination of both. Therefore, prior identification of patients' response to drugs can be an important step in providing efficacious and safe therapeutic treatment. We thus attempted to elucidate a genetic signature which could predict patients' response to AAP monotherapy. Our logistic regression analyses indicated the probability that 76% patients carrying combination of four SNPs will not show favorable response to AAP therapy. The robustness of this prediction model was assessed using repeated 10-fold cross validation method, and the results across n-fold cross-validations (mean accuracy=71.91%; 95%CI=71.47-72.35) suggest high accuracy and reliability of the prediction model. Further validations of these results in large sample sets are likely to establish their clinical applicability. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Cross-validation of an employee safety climate model in Malaysia.
Bahari, Siti Fatimah; Clarke, Sharon
2013-06-01
Whilst substantial research has investigated the nature of safety climate, and its importance as a leading indicator of organisational safety, much of this research has been conducted with Western industrial samples. The current study focuses on the cross-validation of a safety climate model in the non-Western industrial context of Malaysian manufacturing. The first-order factorial validity of Cheyne et al.'s (1998) [Cheyne, A., Cox, S., Oliver, A., Tomas, J.M., 1998. Modelling safety climate in the prediction of levels of safety activity. Work and Stress, 12(3), 255-271] model was tested, using confirmatory factor analysis, in a Malaysian sample. Results showed that the model fit indices were below accepted levels, indicating that the original Cheyne et al. (1998) safety climate model was not supported. An alternative three-factor model was developed using exploratory factor analysis. Although these findings are not consistent with previously reported cross-validation studies, we argue that previous studies have focused on validation across Western samples, and that the current study demonstrates the need to take account of cultural factors in the development of safety climate models intended for use in non-Western contexts. The results have important implications for the transferability of existing safety climate models across cultures (for example, in global organisations) and highlight the need for future research to examine cross-cultural issues in relation to safety climate. Copyright © 2013 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kitterød, Nils-Otto
2017-08-01
Unconsolidated sediment cover thickness (D) above bedrock was estimated by using a publicly available well database from Norway, GRANADA. General challenges associated with such databases typically involve clustering and bias. However, if information about the horizontal distance to the nearest bedrock outcrop (L) is included, does the spatial estimation of D improve? This idea was tested by comparing two cross-validation results: ordinary kriging (OK) where L was disregarded; and co-kriging (CK) where cross-covariance between D and L was included. The analysis showed only minor differences between OK and CK with respect to differences between estimation and true values. However, the CK results gave in general less estimation variance compared to the OK results. All observations were declustered and transformed to standard normal probability density functions before estimation and back-transformed for the cross-validation analysis. The semivariogram analysis gave correlation lengths for D and L of approx. 10 and 6 km. These correlations reduce the estimation variance in the cross-validation analysis because more than 50 % of the data material had two or more observations within a radius of 5 km. The small-scale variance of D, however, was about 50 % of the total variance, which gave an accuracy of less than 60 % for most of the cross-validation cases. Despite the noisy character of the observations, the analysis demonstrated that L can be used as secondary information to reduce the estimation variance of D.
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Chabrera, Carolina; Areal, Joan; Font, Albert; Caro, Mónica; Bonet, Marta; Zabalegui, Adelaida
2015-01-01
The aim of this study is to develop a Spanish version of the Satisfaction With Decision scale (SWDs) and analyse the psychometric properties of validity and reliability. An observational, descriptive study and validation of a tool to measure satisfaction with the decision. Urology, Radiation oncology, and Medical oncology Departments of the Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Institut Català d'Oncologia and the Institut Oncològic del Vallès - Hospital General de Catalunya. A total of 170 participants diagnosed with prostate cancer, and who could read and write in Spanish and gave their informed consent. A translation, back-translation and cross-cultural adaptation to Spanish was performed on the SWDs. The content validity, criterion validity, construct validity and reliability (internal consistency and stability) of the Spanish version were evaluated. The SWDs contains 6 items with 5-item Likert scales. A Spanish version (ESD) was obtained that was linguistically and conceptually equivalent to the original version. Criterion validity, the ESD correlated with "satisfaction with the decision" using a linear analogue scale, was significant (r=0.63, P<.01) for all items. The factorial analysis showed a unique dimension to explain 82.08% of the variance. The ESD showed excellent results in terms of internal consistency (Cronbach alpha=0.95) and good test-retest reliability with intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.711. The ESD is a validated Spanish scale to measure the satisfaction with the decisions taken in health, and demonstrates a correct validity and reliability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.
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Experimental Errors in QSAR Modeling Sets: What We Can Do and What We Cannot Do.
Zhao, Linlin; Wang, Wenyi; Sedykh, Alexander; Zhu, Hao
2017-06-30
Numerous chemical data sets have become available for quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling studies. However, the quality of different data sources may be different based on the nature of experimental protocols. Therefore, potential experimental errors in the modeling sets may lead to the development of poor QSAR models and further affect the predictions of new compounds. In this study, we explored the relationship between the ratio of questionable data in the modeling sets, which was obtained by simulating experimental errors, and the QSAR modeling performance. To this end, we used eight data sets (four continuous endpoints and four categorical endpoints) that have been extensively curated both in-house and by our collaborators to create over 1800 various QSAR models. Each data set was duplicated to create several new modeling sets with different ratios of simulated experimental errors (i.e., randomizing the activities of part of the compounds) in the modeling process. A fivefold cross-validation process was used to evaluate the modeling performance, which deteriorates when the ratio of experimental errors increases. All of the resulting models were also used to predict external sets of new compounds, which were excluded at the beginning of the modeling process. The modeling results showed that the compounds with relatively large prediction errors in cross-validation processes are likely to be those with simulated experimental errors. However, after removing a certain number of compounds with large prediction errors in the cross-validation process, the external predictions of new compounds did not show improvement. Our conclusion is that the QSAR predictions, especially consensus predictions, can identify compounds with potential experimental errors. But removing those compounds by the cross-validation procedure is not a reasonable means to improve model predictivity due to overfitting.
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Experimental Errors in QSAR Modeling Sets: What We Can Do and What We Cannot Do
2017-01-01
Numerous chemical data sets have become available for quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) modeling studies. However, the quality of different data sources may be different based on the nature of experimental protocols. Therefore, potential experimental errors in the modeling sets may lead to the development of poor QSAR models and further affect the predictions of new compounds. In this study, we explored the relationship between the ratio of questionable data in the modeling sets, which was obtained by simulating experimental errors, and the QSAR modeling performance. To this end, we used eight data sets (four continuous endpoints and four categorical endpoints) that have been extensively curated both in-house and by our collaborators to create over 1800 various QSAR models. Each data set was duplicated to create several new modeling sets with different ratios of simulated experimental errors (i.e., randomizing the activities of part of the compounds) in the modeling process. A fivefold cross-validation process was used to evaluate the modeling performance, which deteriorates when the ratio of experimental errors increases. All of the resulting models were also used to predict external sets of new compounds, which were excluded at the beginning of the modeling process. The modeling results showed that the compounds with relatively large prediction errors in cross-validation processes are likely to be those with simulated experimental errors. However, after removing a certain number of compounds with large prediction errors in the cross-validation process, the external predictions of new compounds did not show improvement. Our conclusion is that the QSAR predictions, especially consensus predictions, can identify compounds with potential experimental errors. But removing those compounds by the cross-validation procedure is not a reasonable means to improve model predictivity due to overfitting. PMID:28691113
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Marlatt, K L; Greenway, F L; Ravussin, E
2017-04-01
Comparison of percent fat mass across different body composition analysis devices is important given variation in technology accuracy and precision, as well as the growing need for cross-validation of devices often applied across longitudinal studies. We compared EchoMRI-AH and Lunar iDXA quantification of percent body fat (PBF) in 84 adults (43M, 41F), with the mean age 39.7±15.9 years and body mass index (BMI) 26.2±5.3 kg/m 2 . PBF correlated strongly between devices (r>0.95, P<0.0001). A prediction equation was derived in half of the subjects, and the other half were used to cross-validate the proposed equation (EchoMRI-AH PBF=[(0.94 × iDXA PBF)+(0.14 × Age)+(3.3 × Female)-8.83). The mean PBF difference (predicted-measured) in the validation group was not different from 0 (diff=0.27%, 95% confidence interval: -0.42-0.96, P=0.430). Bland-Altman plots showed a bias with higher measured PBF on EchoMRI-AH versus iDXA in all 84 subjects (β=0.13, P<0.0001). The proposed prediction equation was valid in our cross-validation sample, and it has the potential to be applied across multicenter studies.
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Bucci, Rosaria; Rongo, Roberto; Zito, Eugenio; Galeotti, Angela; Valletta, Rosa; D'Antò, Vincenzo
2015-03-01
To validate and cross-culturally adapt the Italian version of the Psychological Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ) among Italian young adults. After translation, back translation, and cross-cultural adaptation of the English PIDAQ, a first version of the Italian questionnaire was pretested. The final Italian PIDAQ was administered to 598 subjects aged 18-30 years, along with two other instruments: the aesthetic component of the index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN-AC) and the perception of occlusion scale (POS), which identified the self-reporting grade of malocclusion. Structural validity was assessed by means of factorial analysis, internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α), convergent validity was assessed by means of Spearman correlation, and test-retest reliability was calculated with intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and standard measurement error. Criterion validity was evaluated by multivariate and univariate analysis of variance with Bonferroni post hoc tests. The α of the Italian PIDAQ domains ranged between 0.79 and 0.92. The ICC was between 0.81 and 0.90. The mean scores of each PIDAQ domain showed a statistically significant difference when analysed according to the IOTN-AC and POS scores. The satisfactory psychometric properties make PIDAQ a usable tool for future studies on oral health-related quality of life among Italian young adults.
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Cross-cultural adaptation of an Arabic version of the 10-item hearing handicap inventory.
Weinstein, Barbara E; Rasheedy, Doha; Taha, Hend M; Fatouh, Fathy N
2015-05-01
The purpose of this study was to translate and culturally adapt an Arabic version of the hearing handicap inventory for the elderly - screening (HHIE-S). The HHIE-S was translated following cross-cultural adaptation guidelines, and pretested in 20 elderly patients with hearing impairment. Next, the adapted Arabic HHIE-S underwent psychometric evaluation. The results were confirmed by pure-tone audiometer (PTA) examination. The patients completed the HHIE-S again after one hour. The validation of the questionnaire using Cronbach's alpha (internal consistency), (construct validity), and intraclass correlation coefficients (repeatability) was performed. Twenty elderly subjects with hearing impairment were recruited for the pretesting stage, and 100 elderly subjects were recruited for the psychometric evaluation stage. Patients with acute illness, functional dependency, cognitive impairment, and previous users of hearing aids were excluded. The adapted Arabic HHIE-S showed good internal consistency (α = 0.902). Construct validity was good, as high correlations were found between the scale and the PTA outcome (r = 0.688, p = 0.000). Repeatability was high (ICC = 0.986). This study showed that the adapted Arabic HHIE-S is a valid and reliable questionnaire for the assessment of handicapping hearing impairment in Egyptian elderly patients.
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Kaux, Jean-François; Delvaux, François; Schaus, Jean; Demoulin, Christophe; Locquet, Médéa; Buckinx, Fanny; Beaudart, Charlotte; Dardenne, Nadia; Van Beveren, Julien; Croisier, Jean-Louis; Forthomme, Bénédicte; Bruyère, Olivier
Translation and validation of algo-functional questionnaire. The lateral elbow tendinopathy is a common injury in tennis players and physical workers. The Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE) Questionnaire was specifically designed to measure pain and functional limitations in patients with lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow). First developed in English, this questionnaire has since been translated into several languages. The aims of the study were to translate and cross-culturally adapt the PRTEE questionnaire into French and to evaluate the reliability and validity of this translated version of the questionnaire (PRTEE-F). The PRTEE was translated and cross-culturally adapted into French according to international guidelines. To assess the reliability and validity of the PRTEE-F, 115 participants were asked twice to fill in the PRTEE-F, and once the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (DASH) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Internal consistency (using Cronbach's alpha), test-retest reliability (using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change), and convergent and divergent validity (using the Spearman's correlation coefficients respectively with the DASH and with some subscales of the SF-36) were assessed. The PRTEE was translated into French without any problems. PRTEE-F showed a good test-retest reliability for the overall score (ICC 0.86) and for each item (ICC 0.8-0.96) and a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.98). The correlation analyses revealed high correlation coefficients between PRTEE-F and DASH (convergent validity) and, as expected, a low or moderate correlation with the divergent subscales of the SF-36 (discriminant validity). There was no floor or ceiling effect. The PRTEE questionnaire was successfully cross-culturally adapted into French. The PRTEE-F is reliable and valid for evaluating French-speaking patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy. Copyright © 2016 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cánovas-García, Fulgencio; Alonso-Sarría, Francisco; Gomariz-Castillo, Francisco; Oñate-Valdivieso, Fernando
2017-06-01
Random forest is a classification technique widely used in remote sensing. One of its advantages is that it produces an estimation of classification accuracy based on the so called out-of-bag cross-validation method. It is usually assumed that such estimation is not biased and may be used instead of validation based on an external data-set or a cross-validation external to the algorithm. In this paper we show that this is not necessarily the case when classifying remote sensing imagery using training areas with several pixels or objects. According to our results, out-of-bag cross-validation clearly overestimates accuracy, both overall and per class. The reason is that, in a training patch, pixels or objects are not independent (from a statistical point of view) of each other; however, they are split by bootstrapping into in-bag and out-of-bag as if they were really independent. We believe that putting whole patch, rather than pixels/objects, in one or the other set would produce a less biased out-of-bag cross-validation. To deal with the problem, we propose a modification of the random forest algorithm to split training patches instead of the pixels (or objects) that compose them. This modified algorithm does not overestimate accuracy and has no lower predictive capability than the original. When its results are validated with an external data-set, the accuracy is not different from that obtained with the original algorithm. We analysed three remote sensing images with different classification approaches (pixel and object based); in the three cases reported, the modification we propose produces a less biased accuracy estimation.
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[Evaluation of Suicide Risk Levels in Hospitals: Validity and Reliability Tests].
Macagnino, Sandro; Steinert, Tilman; Uhlmann, Carmen
2018-05-01
Examination of in-hospital suicide risk levels concerning their validity and their reliability. The internal suicide risk levels were evaluated in a cross sectional study of in 163 inpatients. A reliability check was performed via determining interrater-reliability of senior physician, therapist and the responsible nurse. Within the scope of the validity check, we conducted analyses of criterion validity and construct validity. For the total sample an "acceptable" to "good" interrater-reliability (Kendalls W = .77) of suicide risk levels were obtained. Schizophrenic disorders showed the lowest values, for personality disorders we found the highest level of interrater-reliability. When examining the criterion validity, Item-9 of the BDI-II is substantial correlated to our suicide risk levels (ρ m = .54, p < .01). Within the scope of construct validity check, affective disorders showed the highest correlation (ρ = .77), compatible also with "convergent validity". They differed with schizophrenic disorders which showed the least concordance (ρ = .43). In-hospital suicide risk levels may represent an important contribution to the assessment of suicidal behavior of inpatients experiencing psychiatric treatment due to their overall good validity and reliability. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.
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Mind your crossings: Mining GIS imagery for crosswalk localization.
Ahmetovic, Dragan; Manduchi, Roberto; Coughlan, James M; Mascetti, Sergio
2017-04-01
For blind travelers, finding crosswalks and remaining within their borders while traversing them is a crucial part of any trip involving street crossings. While standard Orientation & Mobility (O&M) techniques allow blind travelers to safely negotiate street crossings, additional information about crosswalks and other important features at intersections would be helpful in many situations, resulting in greater safety and/or comfort during independent travel. For instance, in planning a trip a blind pedestrian may wish to be informed of the presence of all marked crossings near a desired route. We have conducted a survey of several O&M experts from the United States and Italy to determine the role that crosswalks play in travel by blind pedestrians. The results show stark differences between survey respondents from the U.S. compared with Italy: the former group emphasized the importance of following standard O&M techniques at all legal crossings (marked or unmarked), while the latter group strongly recommended crossing at marked crossings whenever possible. These contrasting opinions reflect differences in the traffic regulations of the two countries and highlight the diversity of needs that travelers in different regions may have. To address the challenges faced by blind pedestrians in negotiating street crossings, we devised a computer vision-based technique that mines existing spatial image databases for discovery of zebra crosswalks in urban settings. Our algorithm first searches for zebra crosswalks in satellite images; all candidates thus found are validated against spatially registered Google Street View images. This cascaded approach enables fast and reliable discovery and localization of zebra crosswalks in large image datasets. While fully automatic, our algorithm can be improved by a final crowdsourcing validation. To this end, we developed a Pedestrian Crossing Human Validation (PCHV) web service, which supports crowdsourcing to rule out false positives and identify false negatives.
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Mind your crossings: Mining GIS imagery for crosswalk localization
Ahmetovic, Dragan; Manduchi, Roberto; Coughlan, James M.; Mascetti, Sergio
2017-01-01
For blind travelers, finding crosswalks and remaining within their borders while traversing them is a crucial part of any trip involving street crossings. While standard Orientation & Mobility (O&M) techniques allow blind travelers to safely negotiate street crossings, additional information about crosswalks and other important features at intersections would be helpful in many situations, resulting in greater safety and/or comfort during independent travel. For instance, in planning a trip a blind pedestrian may wish to be informed of the presence of all marked crossings near a desired route. We have conducted a survey of several O&M experts from the United States and Italy to determine the role that crosswalks play in travel by blind pedestrians. The results show stark differences between survey respondents from the U.S. compared with Italy: the former group emphasized the importance of following standard O&M techniques at all legal crossings (marked or unmarked), while the latter group strongly recommended crossing at marked crossings whenever possible. These contrasting opinions reflect differences in the traffic regulations of the two countries and highlight the diversity of needs that travelers in different regions may have. To address the challenges faced by blind pedestrians in negotiating street crossings, we devised a computer vision-based technique that mines existing spatial image databases for discovery of zebra crosswalks in urban settings. Our algorithm first searches for zebra crosswalks in satellite images; all candidates thus found are validated against spatially registered Google Street View images. This cascaded approach enables fast and reliable discovery and localization of zebra crosswalks in large image datasets. While fully automatic, our algorithm can be improved by a final crowdsourcing validation. To this end, we developed a Pedestrian Crossing Human Validation (PCHV) web service, which supports crowdsourcing to rule out false positives and identify false negatives. PMID:28757907
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Kim, Ho-Joong; Ruscheweyh, Ruth; Yeo, Ji-Hyun; Cho, Hyeon-Guk; Yi, Je-Min; Chang, Bong-Soon; Lee, Choon-Ki; Yeom, Jin S
2014-11-01
The purpose of this study was to translate pain sensitivity questionnaires (PSQ) into the Korean language, perform a cross-cultural adaption of the PSQ, and validate the Korean version of PSQ in patients with degenerative spinal disease. The PSQ was translated forward and backward, cross-culturally adapted by 2 independent translators, and approved by an expert committee. The final Korean version of the PSQ was tested on 72 patients with degenerative spinal disease. Test-retest reliability was evaluated for 60 patients (83%) who completed the second assessment in an interval of 4 weeks. The mean PSQ-minor, PSQ-moderate, and PSQ-total (standard deviation [SD]) were 5.40 (2.02), 6.46 (1.98), and 5.93 (1.93), respectively. The PSQ-total, PSQ-minor, and PSQ-moderate of the Korean version showed very good internal consistencies determined by the Cronbach's α of 0.926, 0.869, and 0.877, respectively. For convergent validity, the PSQ scores of the Korean version showed significant correlations with pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) (r = 0.377, P = 0.002; r = 0.365, P = 0.003; r = 0.362, P = 0.003 for PSQ-total, PSQ-minor, and PSQ-moderate of the Korean version, respectively). For test-retest reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.782 for PSQ-total, 0.752 for PSQ-minor, and 0.793 for PSQ-moderate. In conclusion, the validated Korean version of PSQ is a transculturally equivalent, reliable, and valid tool to assess individual pain sensitivity. © 2013 World Institute of Pain.
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Analysis of general power counting rules in effective field theory
Gavela, Belen; Jenkins, Elizabeth E.; Manohar, Aneesh V.; ...
2016-09-02
We derive the general counting rules for a quantum effective field theory (EFT) in d dimensions. The rules are valid for strongly and weakly coupled theories, and they predict that all kinetic energy terms are canonically normalized. They determine the energy dependence of scattering cross sections in the range of validity of the EFT expansion. We show that the size of the cross sections is controlled by the Λ power counting of EFT, not by chiral counting, even for chiral perturbation theory (χPT). The relation between Λ and f is generalized to d dimensions. We show that the naive dimensionalmore » analysis 4π counting is related to ℏ counting. The EFT counting rules are applied to χPT, low-energy weak interactions, Standard Model EFT and the non-trivial case of Higgs EFT.« less
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Efficient strategies for leave-one-out cross validation for genomic best linear unbiased prediction.
Cheng, Hao; Garrick, Dorian J; Fernando, Rohan L
2017-01-01
A random multiple-regression model that simultaneously fit all allele substitution effects for additive markers or haplotypes as uncorrelated random effects was proposed for Best Linear Unbiased Prediction, using whole-genome data. Leave-one-out cross validation can be used to quantify the predictive ability of a statistical model. Naive application of Leave-one-out cross validation is computationally intensive because the training and validation analyses need to be repeated n times, once for each observation. Efficient Leave-one-out cross validation strategies are presented here, requiring little more effort than a single analysis. Efficient Leave-one-out cross validation strategies is 786 times faster than the naive application for a simulated dataset with 1,000 observations and 10,000 markers and 99 times faster with 1,000 observations and 100 markers. These efficiencies relative to the naive approach using the same model will increase with increases in the number of observations. Efficient Leave-one-out cross validation strategies are presented here, requiring little more effort than a single analysis.
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Learning to recognize rat social behavior: Novel dataset and cross-dataset application.
Lorbach, Malte; Kyriakou, Elisavet I; Poppe, Ronald; van Dam, Elsbeth A; Noldus, Lucas P J J; Veltkamp, Remco C
2018-04-15
Social behavior is an important aspect of rodent models. Automated measuring tools that make use of video analysis and machine learning are an increasingly attractive alternative to manual annotation. Because machine learning-based methods need to be trained, it is important that they are validated using data from different experiment settings. To develop and validate automated measuring tools, there is a need for annotated rodent interaction datasets. Currently, the availability of such datasets is limited to two mouse datasets. We introduce the first, publicly available rat social interaction dataset, RatSI. We demonstrate the practical value of the novel dataset by using it as the training set for a rat interaction recognition method. We show that behavior variations induced by the experiment setting can lead to reduced performance, which illustrates the importance of cross-dataset validation. Consequently, we add a simple adaptation step to our method and improve the recognition performance. Most existing methods are trained and evaluated in one experimental setting, which limits the predictive power of the evaluation to that particular setting. We demonstrate that cross-dataset experiments provide more insight in the performance of classifiers. With our novel, public dataset we encourage the development and validation of automated recognition methods. We are convinced that cross-dataset validation enhances our understanding of rodent interactions and facilitates the development of more sophisticated recognition methods. Combining them with adaptation techniques may enable us to apply automated recognition methods to a variety of animals and experiment settings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Cross-cultural validity of four quality of life scales in persons with spinal cord injury
2010-01-01
Background Quality of life (QoL) in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) has been found to differ across countries. However, comparability of measurement results between countries depends on the cross-cultural validity of the applied instruments. The study examined the metric quality and cross-cultural validity of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LISAT-9), the Personal Well-Being Index (PWI) and the 5-item World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQoL-5) across six countries in a sample of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods A cross-sectional multi-centre study was conducted and the data of 243 out-patients with SCI from study centers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, South Africa, and the United States were analyzed using Rasch-based methods. Results The analyses showed high reliability for all 4 instruments (person reliability index .78-.92). Unidimensionality of measurement was supported for the WHOQoL-5 (Chi2 = 16.43, df = 10, p = .088), partially supported for the PWI (Chi2 = 15.62, df = 16, p = .480), but rejected for the LISAT-9 (Chi2 = 50.60, df = 18, p = .000) and the SWLS (Chi2 = 78.54, df = 10, p = .000) based on overall and item-wise Chi2 tests, principal components analyses and independent t-tests. The response scales showed the expected ordering for the WHOQoL-5 and the PWI, but not for the other two instruments. Using differential item functioning (DIF) analyses potential cross-country bias was found in two items of the SWLS and the WHOQoL-5, three items of the LISAT-9 and four items of the PWI. However, applying Rasch-based statistical methods, especially subtest analyses, it was possible to identify optimal strategies to enhance the metric properties and the cross-country equivalence of the instruments post-hoc. Following the post-hoc procedures the WHOQOL-5 and the PWI worked in a consistent and expected way in all countries. Conclusions QoL assessment using the summary scores of the WHOQOL-5 and the PWI appeared cross-culturally valid in persons with SCI. In contrast, summary scores of the LISAT-9 and the SWLS have to be interpreted with caution. The findings of the current study can be especially helpful to select instruments for international research projects in SCI. PMID:20815864
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Naghdi, Soofia; Nakhostin Ansari, Noureddin; Farhadi, Yasaman; Ebadi, Safoora; Entezary, Ebrahim; Glazer, Douglas
2016-10-01
The aim of the present study was to develop and provide validation statistics for the Persian Injury-Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport scale (I-PRRS) following a cross-sectional and prospective cohort study design. The I-PRRS was forward/back-translated and culturally adapted into Persian language. The Persian I-PRRS was administered to 100 injured athletes (93 male; age 26.0 ± 5.6 years; time since injury 4.84 ± 6.4 months) and 50 healthy athletes (36 male; mean age 25.7 ± 6.0 years). The Persian I-PRRS was re-administered to 50 injured athletes at 1 week to examine test-retest reliability. There were no floor or ceiling effects confirming the content validity of Persian I-PRRS. The internal consistency reliability was good. Excellent test-retest reliability and agreement were demonstrated. The statistically significant difference in Persian I-PRRS total scores between the injured athletes and healthy athletes provides an evidence of discriminative validity. The Persian I-PRRS total scores were positively correlated with the Farsi Mood Scale (FARMS) total scores, showing construct validity. The principal component analysis indicated a two-factor solution consisting of "Confidence to play" and "Confidence in the injured body part and skill level". The Persian I-PRRS showed excellent reliability and validity and can be used to assess injured athletes' psychological readiness to return to sport among Persian-speaking populations.
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CRISPR-Cas9-based target validation for p53-reactivating model compounds
Wanzel, Michael; Vischedyk, Jonas B; Gittler, Miriam P; Gremke, Niklas; Seiz, Julia R; Hefter, Mirjam; Noack, Magdalena; Savai, Rajkumar; Mernberger, Marco; Charles, Joël P; Schneikert, Jean; Bretz, Anne Catherine; Nist, Andrea; Stiewe, Thorsten
2015-01-01
Inactivation of the p53 tumor suppressor by Mdm2 is one of the most frequent events in cancer, so compounds targeting the p53-Mdm2 interaction are promising for cancer therapy. Mechanisms conferring resistance to p53-reactivating compounds are largely unknown. Here we show using CRISPR-Cas9–based target validation in lung and colorectal cancer that the activity of nutlin, which blocks the p53-binding pocket of Mdm2, strictly depends on functional p53. In contrast, sensitivity to the drug RITA, which binds the Mdm2-interacting N terminus of p53, correlates with induction of DNA damage. Cells with primary or acquired RITA resistance display cross-resistance to DNA crosslinking compounds such as cisplatin and show increased DNA cross-link repair. Inhibition of FancD2 by RNA interference or pharmacological mTOR inhibitors restores RITA sensitivity. The therapeutic response to p53-reactivating compounds is therefore limited by compound-specific resistance mechanisms that can be resolved by CRISPR-Cas9-based target validation and should be considered when allocating patients to p53-reactivating treatments. PMID:26595461
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Online Cross-Validation-Based Ensemble Learning
Benkeser, David; Ju, Cheng; Lendle, Sam; van der Laan, Mark
2017-01-01
Online estimators update a current estimate with a new incoming batch of data without having to revisit past data thereby providing streaming estimates that are scalable to big data. We develop flexible, ensemble-based online estimators of an infinite-dimensional target parameter, such as a regression function, in the setting where data are generated sequentially by a common conditional data distribution given summary measures of the past. This setting encompasses a wide range of time-series models and as special case, models for independent and identically distributed data. Our estimator considers a large library of candidate online estimators and uses online cross-validation to identify the algorithm with the best performance. We show that by basing estimates on the cross-validation-selected algorithm, we are asymptotically guaranteed to perform as well as the true, unknown best-performing algorithm. We provide extensions of this approach including online estimation of the optimal ensemble of candidate online estimators. We illustrate excellent performance of our methods using simulations and a real data example where we make streaming predictions of infectious disease incidence using data from a large database. PMID:28474419
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Cross-cultural adaptation of the German version of the spinal stenosis measure.
Wertli, Maria M; Steurer, Johann; Wildi, Lukas M; Held, Ulrike
2014-06-01
To validate the German version of the spinal stenosis measure (SSM), a disease-specific questionnaire assessing symptom severity, physical function, and satisfaction with treatment in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. After translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and pilot testing, we assessed internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness of the SSM subscales. Data from a large Swiss multi-center prospective cohort study were used. Reference scales for the assessment of construct validity and responsiveness were the numeric rating scale, pain thermometer, and the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire. One hundred and eight consecutive patients were included in this validation study, recruited from five different centers. Cronbach's alpha was above 0.8 for all three subscales of the SSM. The objectivity of the SSM was assessed using a partial credit approach. The model showed a good global fit to the data. Of the 108 patients 78 participated in the test-retest procedure. The ICC values were above 0.8 for all three subscales of the SSM. Correlations with reference scales were above 0.7 for the symptom and function subscales. For satisfaction subscale, it was 0.66 or above. Clinically meaningful changes of the reference scales over time were associated with significantly more improvement in all three SSM subscales (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The proposed version of the SSM showed very good measurement properties and can be considered validated for use in the German language.
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Jalenques, I; Auclair, C; Roblin, J; Morand, D; Tourtauchaux, R; May, R; Vaille-Perret, E; Watts, J; Gerbaud, L; De Leo, D
2013-04-01
To cross-culturally adapt a French version of the LEIPAD, a self-administered questionnaire assessing the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults aged 65 years and over living at home, and to evaluate its psychometric properties. After having translated LEIPAD in accordance with guidelines, we studied psychometric properties: reliability and construct validity-factor analysis, relationships between items and scales, internal consistency, concurrent validity with the Medical Outcome Study Short-Form 36 and known-groups validity. The results obtained in a sample of 195 elderly from the general population showed very good acceptability, with response rates superior to 93 %. Exploratory factor analysis extracted eight factors providing a multidimensionality structure with five misclassifications of items in the seven theoretical scales. Good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.73 and 0.86) and strong test-retest reliability (ICCs higher than 0.80 for six scales and 0.70 for one) were demonstrated. Concurrent validity with the SF-36 showed small to strong expected correlations. This first evaluation of the French version of LEIPAD's psychometric properties provides evidence in construct validity and reliability. It would allow HRQoL assessment in clinical and common practice, and investigators would be able to take part in national and international research projects.
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Cabrera, Esther; Zabalegui, Adelaida; Blanco, Ignacio
2011-01-15
The worry for falling ill has been described as a key element in the change of preventive attitudes. Levels of cancer worry not well fitted have been associated with inadequate adherence to preventive strategies. There is not a Spanish validated scale to evaluate the degree of worry for the cancer in our population. The aim of the present study was to perform the cross cultural adaptation and validation of the Cancer Worry Scale described by Lerman. A translation, re-translation of the Cancer Worry Scale to Spanish was done. Validation of the Spanish scale was performed by means of the factorial analysis of principal components with the rotation varimax test in a sample of 200 healthy women with family history of breast cancer. The Escala de Preocupación por el Cáncer (EPC) is the Spanish version of the Cancer Worry Scale and it contains 6 items with a total value ranging from 6 (minimal worry) to 24 (maximum worry). The analysis of content validity demonstrated that the EPC is conceptually equivalent to the original scale. The factorial analysis showed a unique factor that explains 53.07% of the variance confirming the unique dimension. The EPC presented good reliability test - re-test with an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient of 0.777. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.835 for the complete of the scale. The EPC is a validated Spanish scale to measure the cancer worry in healthy individuals, which shows a correct content validity and reliability. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.
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Tomaschewski-Barlem, Jamila Geri; Lunardi, Valéria Lerch; Barlem, Edison Luiz Devos; da Silveira, Rosemary Silva; Dalmolin, Graziele de Lima; Ramos, Aline Marcelino
2015-01-01
Abstract Objective: to adapt culturally and validate the Protective Nursing Advocacy Scale for Brazilian nurses. Method: methodological study carried out with 153 nurses from two hospitals in the South region of Brazil, one public and the other philanthropic. The cross-cultural adaptation of the Protective Nursing Advocacy Scale was performed according to international standards, and its validation was carried out for use in the Brazilian context, by means of factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha as measure of internal consistency. Results: by means of evaluation by a committee of experts and application of pre-test, face validity and content validity of the instrument were considered satisfactory. From the factor analysis, five constructs were identified: negative implications of the advocacy practice, advocacy actions, facilitators of the advocacy practice, perceptions that favor practice advocacy and barriers to advocacy practice. The instrument showed satisfactory internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.70 to 0.87. Conclusion: it was concluded that the Protective Nursing Advocacy Scale - Brazilian version, is a valid and reliable instrument for use in the evaluation of beliefs and actions of health advocacy, performed by Brazilian nurses in their professional practice environment. PMID:26444169
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Validation and cross cultural adaptation of the Italian version of the Harris Hip Score.
Dettoni, Federico; Pellegrino, Pietro; La Russa, Massimo R; Bonasia, Davide E; Blonna, Davide; Bruzzone, Matteo; Castoldi, Filippo; Rossi, Roberto
2015-01-01
The Harris Hip Score (HHS) is one of the most widely used health related quality of life (HRQOL) measures for the assessment of hip pathology: in spite of this, a validation study, and an official Italian version have not been provided yet. The aim of this study was to create an Italian valid and reliable version of the HHS. The score was translated and modified in Italian; then 103 patients with different hip pathologies were evaluated using this HHS version and also with the WOMAC and the SF-12 questionnaires. Content, construct and criterion validities were tested, such as interobserver reliability, test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Cross-cultural adaptation was easy, and only minor adaptation was required in the translation process. Construct and criterion validity of the HHS Italian Version were confirmed by satisfactory values of Spearman's Rho for correlation between specific domains of HHS and Womac and SF12 scores. Interobserver and test-retest reliabilities obtained values of 0.996 and 0.975 respectively; Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was 0.816. Statistical and clinical analysis showed that HHS is highly valid and reliable in this new Italian version.
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Cross-validation and Peeling Strategies for Survival Bump Hunting using Recursive Peeling Methods
Dazard, Jean-Eudes; Choe, Michael; LeBlanc, Michael; Rao, J. Sunil
2015-01-01
We introduce a framework to build a survival/risk bump hunting model with a censored time-to-event response. Our Survival Bump Hunting (SBH) method is based on a recursive peeling procedure that uses a specific survival peeling criterion derived from non/semi-parametric statistics such as the hazards-ratio, the log-rank test or the Nelson--Aalen estimator. To optimize the tuning parameter of the model and validate it, we introduce an objective function based on survival or prediction-error statistics, such as the log-rank test and the concordance error rate. We also describe two alternative cross-validation techniques adapted to the joint task of decision-rule making by recursive peeling and survival estimation. Numerical analyses show the importance of replicated cross-validation and the differences between criteria and techniques in both low and high-dimensional settings. Although several non-parametric survival models exist, none addresses the problem of directly identifying local extrema. We show how SBH efficiently estimates extreme survival/risk subgroups unlike other models. This provides an insight into the behavior of commonly used models and suggests alternatives to be adopted in practice. Finally, our SBH framework was applied to a clinical dataset. In it, we identified subsets of patients characterized by clinical and demographic covariates with a distinct extreme survival outcome, for which tailored medical interventions could be made. An R package PRIMsrc (Patient Rule Induction Method in Survival, Regression and Classification settings) is available on CRAN (Comprehensive R Archive Network) and GitHub. PMID:27034730
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Double Cross-Validation in Multiple Regression: A Method of Estimating the Stability of Results.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rowell, R. Kevin
In multiple regression analysis, where resulting predictive equation effectiveness is subject to shrinkage, it is especially important to evaluate result replicability. Double cross-validation is an empirical method by which an estimate of invariance or stability can be obtained from research data. A procedure for double cross-validation is…
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Zhou, Hongmei; Romero, Stephanie Ballon; Qin, Xiao
2016-10-01
This paper aimed to examine pedestrians' self-reported violating crossing behavior intentions by applying the theory of planned behavior (TPB). We studied the behavior intentions regarding instrumental attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, the three basic components of TPB, and extended the theory by adding new factors including descriptive norm, perceived risk and conformity tendency to evaluate their respective impacts on pedestrians' behavior intentions. A questionnaire presented with a scenario that pedestrians crossed the road violating the pedestrian lights at an intersection was designed, and the survey was conducted in Dalian, China. Based on the 260 complete and valid responses, reliability and validity of the data for each question was evaluated. The data were then analyzed by using the structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that people had a negative attitude toward the behavior of violating road-crossing rules; they perceived social influences from their family and friends; and they believed that this kind of risky behavior would potentially harm them in a traffic accident. The results also showed that instrumental attitude and subjective norm were significant in the basic TPB model. After adding descriptive norm, subjective norm was no more significant. Other models showed that conformity tendency was a strong predictor, indicating that the presence of other pedestrians would influence behavioral intention. The findings could help to design more effective interventions and safety campaigns, such as changing people's attitude toward this violation behavior, correcting the social norms, increasing their safety awareness, etc. in order to reduce pedestrians' road crossing violations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Predicting protein-binding regions in RNA using nucleotide profiles and compositions.
Choi, Daesik; Park, Byungkyu; Chae, Hanju; Lee, Wook; Han, Kyungsook
2017-03-14
Motivated by the increased amount of data on protein-RNA interactions and the availability of complete genome sequences of several organisms, many computational methods have been proposed to predict binding sites in protein-RNA interactions. However, most computational methods are limited to finding RNA-binding sites in proteins instead of protein-binding sites in RNAs. Predicting protein-binding sites in RNA is more challenging than predicting RNA-binding sites in proteins. Recent computational methods for finding protein-binding sites in RNAs have several drawbacks for practical use. We developed a new support vector machine (SVM) model for predicting protein-binding regions in mRNA sequences. The model uses sequence profiles constructed from log-odds scores of mono- and di-nucleotides and nucleotide compositions. The model was evaluated by standard 10-fold cross validation, leave-one-protein-out (LOPO) cross validation and independent testing. Since actual mRNA sequences have more non-binding regions than protein-binding regions, we tested the model on several datasets with different ratios of protein-binding regions to non-binding regions. The best performance of the model was obtained in a balanced dataset of positive and negative instances. 10-fold cross validation with a balanced dataset achieved a sensitivity of 91.6%, a specificity of 92.4%, an accuracy of 92.0%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 91.7%, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 92.3% and a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.840. LOPO cross validation showed a lower performance than the 10-fold cross validation, but the performance remains high (87.6% accuracy and 0.752 MCC). In testing the model on independent datasets, it achieved an accuracy of 82.2% and an MCC of 0.656. Testing of our model and other state-of-the-art methods on a same dataset showed that our model is better than the others. Sequence profiles of log-odds scores of mono- and di-nucleotides were much more powerful features than nucleotide compositions in finding protein-binding regions in RNA sequences. But, a slight performance gain was obtained when using the sequence profiles along with nucleotide compositions. These are preliminary results of ongoing research, but demonstrate the potential of our approach as a powerful predictor of protein-binding regions in RNA. The program and supporting data are available at http://bclab.inha.ac.kr/RBPbinding .
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Acar, Tu¨lin
2014-01-01
In literature, it has been observed that many enhanced criteria are limited by factor analysis techniques. Besides examinations of statistical structure and/or psychological structure, such validity studies as cross validation and classification-sequencing studies should be performed frequently. The purpose of this study is to examine cross…
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Estimating monthly streamflow values by cokriging
Solow, A.R.; Gorelick, S.M.
1986-01-01
Cokriging is applied to estimation of missing monthly streamflow values in three records from gaging stations in west central Virginia. Missing values are estimated from optimal consideration of the pattern of auto- and cross-correlation among standardized residual log-flow records. Investigation of the sensitivity of estimation to data configuration showed that when observations are available within two months of a missing value, estimation is improved by accounting for correlation. Concurrent and lag-one observations tend to screen the influence of other available observations. Three models of covariance structure in residual log-flow records are compared using cross-validation. Models differ in how much monthly variation they allow in covariance. Precision of estimation, reflected in mean squared error (MSE), proved to be insensitive to this choice. Cross-validation is suggested as a tool for choosing an inverse transformation when an initial nonlinear transformation is applied to flow values. ?? 1986 Plenum Publishing Corporation.
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Design and Implementation of a Smart Home System Using Multisensor Data Fusion Technology.
Hsu, Yu-Liang; Chou, Po-Huan; Chang, Hsing-Cheng; Lin, Shyan-Lung; Yang, Shih-Chin; Su, Heng-Yi; Chang, Chih-Chien; Cheng, Yuan-Sheng; Kuo, Yu-Chen
2017-07-15
This paper aims to develop a multisensor data fusion technology-based smart home system by integrating wearable intelligent technology, artificial intelligence, and sensor fusion technology. We have developed the following three systems to create an intelligent smart home environment: (1) a wearable motion sensing device to be placed on residents' wrists and its corresponding 3D gesture recognition algorithm to implement a convenient automated household appliance control system; (2) a wearable motion sensing device mounted on a resident's feet and its indoor positioning algorithm to realize an effective indoor pedestrian navigation system for smart energy management; (3) a multisensor circuit module and an intelligent fire detection and alarm algorithm to realize a home safety and fire detection system. In addition, an intelligent monitoring interface is developed to provide in real-time information about the smart home system, such as environmental temperatures, CO concentrations, communicative environmental alarms, household appliance status, human motion signals, and the results of gesture recognition and indoor positioning. Furthermore, an experimental testbed for validating the effectiveness and feasibility of the smart home system was built and verified experimentally. The results showed that the 3D gesture recognition algorithm could achieve recognition rates for automated household appliance control of 92.0%, 94.8%, 95.3%, and 87.7% by the 2-fold cross-validation, 5-fold cross-validation, 10-fold cross-validation, and leave-one-subject-out cross-validation strategies. For indoor positioning and smart energy management, the distance accuracy and positioning accuracy were around 0.22% and 3.36% of the total traveled distance in the indoor environment. For home safety and fire detection, the classification rate achieved 98.81% accuracy for determining the conditions of the indoor living environment.
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Bias correction for selecting the minimal-error classifier from many machine learning models.
Ding, Ying; Tang, Shaowu; Liao, Serena G; Jia, Jia; Oesterreich, Steffi; Lin, Yan; Tseng, George C
2014-11-15
Supervised machine learning is commonly applied in genomic research to construct a classifier from the training data that is generalizable to predict independent testing data. When test datasets are not available, cross-validation is commonly used to estimate the error rate. Many machine learning methods are available, and it is well known that no universally best method exists in general. It has been a common practice to apply many machine learning methods and report the method that produces the smallest cross-validation error rate. Theoretically, such a procedure produces a selection bias. Consequently, many clinical studies with moderate sample sizes (e.g. n = 30-60) risk reporting a falsely small cross-validation error rate that could not be validated later in independent cohorts. In this article, we illustrated the probabilistic framework of the problem and explored the statistical and asymptotic properties. We proposed a new bias correction method based on learning curve fitting by inverse power law (IPL) and compared it with three existing methods: nested cross-validation, weighted mean correction and Tibshirani-Tibshirani procedure. All methods were compared in simulation datasets, five moderate size real datasets and two large breast cancer datasets. The result showed that IPL outperforms the other methods in bias correction with smaller variance, and it has an additional advantage to extrapolate error estimates for larger sample sizes, a practical feature to recommend whether more samples should be recruited to improve the classifier and accuracy. An R package 'MLbias' and all source files are publicly available. tsenglab.biostat.pitt.edu/software.htm. ctseng@pitt.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Design and Implementation of a Smart Home System Using Multisensor Data Fusion Technology
Chou, Po-Huan; Chang, Hsing-Cheng; Lin, Shyan-Lung; Yang, Shih-Chin; Su, Heng-Yi; Chang, Chih-Chien; Cheng, Yuan-Sheng; Kuo, Yu-Chen
2017-01-01
This paper aims to develop a multisensor data fusion technology-based smart home system by integrating wearable intelligent technology, artificial intelligence, and sensor fusion technology. We have developed the following three systems to create an intelligent smart home environment: (1) a wearable motion sensing device to be placed on residents’ wrists and its corresponding 3D gesture recognition algorithm to implement a convenient automated household appliance control system; (2) a wearable motion sensing device mounted on a resident’s feet and its indoor positioning algorithm to realize an effective indoor pedestrian navigation system for smart energy management; (3) a multisensor circuit module and an intelligent fire detection and alarm algorithm to realize a home safety and fire detection system. In addition, an intelligent monitoring interface is developed to provide in real-time information about the smart home system, such as environmental temperatures, CO concentrations, communicative environmental alarms, household appliance status, human motion signals, and the results of gesture recognition and indoor positioning. Furthermore, an experimental testbed for validating the effectiveness and feasibility of the smart home system was built and verified experimentally. The results showed that the 3D gesture recognition algorithm could achieve recognition rates for automated household appliance control of 92.0%, 94.8%, 95.3%, and 87.7% by the 2-fold cross-validation, 5-fold cross-validation, 10-fold cross-validation, and leave-one-subject-out cross-validation strategies. For indoor positioning and smart energy management, the distance accuracy and positioning accuracy were around 0.22% and 3.36% of the total traveled distance in the indoor environment. For home safety and fire detection, the classification rate achieved 98.81% accuracy for determining the conditions of the indoor living environment. PMID:28714884
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Augusto, Fabiana da Silva; Blanes, Leila; Nicodemo, Denise; Ferreira, Lydia Masako
2017-05-01
To translate into Brazilian Portuguese and cross-culturally adapt the Cardiff Wound Impact Schedule, a specific measure of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients with chronic wounds. Chronic wounds have a relevant impact on the HRQoL of patients. However, there are few instruments cross-culturally adapted and validated in Brazil to assess HRQoL in patients with wounds. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted following six steps: (1) translation of the original instrument into Brazilian-Portuguese by two independent translators; (2) construction of a consensus version based on both translations; (3) two independent back-translations into English of the consensus version; (4) review by an expert committee and construction of the pre-final version; (5) testing of the pre-final version on patients with chronic wounds; and (6) construction of the final version. The psychometric properties of the instrument were tested on 30 patients with chronic wounds of the lower limb; 76.7% were men, 70.0% had traumatic wounds, and 43.3% had the wound for more than 1 year. Participants were recruited from an outpatient wound care clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. The final version approved by the expert committee was well understood by all patients who participate in the study and had satisfactory face validity, content validity, and internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.681 to 0.920. The cross-culturally adapted Brazilian-Portuguese version of the instrument showed satisfactory face and content validity, good internal consistency, and was named Cardiff Wound Impact Schedule-Federal University of São Paulo School of Medicine or CWIS-UNIFESP/EPM. Copyright © 2016 Tissue Viability Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Kim, SungHwan; Lin, Chien-Wei; Tseng, George C
2016-07-01
Supervised machine learning is widely applied to transcriptomic data to predict disease diagnosis, prognosis or survival. Robust and interpretable classifiers with high accuracy are usually favored for their clinical and translational potential. The top scoring pair (TSP) algorithm is an example that applies a simple rank-based algorithm to identify rank-altered gene pairs for classifier construction. Although many classification methods perform well in cross-validation of single expression profile, the performance usually greatly reduces in cross-study validation (i.e. the prediction model is established in the training study and applied to an independent test study) for all machine learning methods, including TSP. The failure of cross-study validation has largely diminished the potential translational and clinical values of the models. The purpose of this article is to develop a meta-analytic top scoring pair (MetaKTSP) framework that combines multiple transcriptomic studies and generates a robust prediction model applicable to independent test studies. We proposed two frameworks, by averaging TSP scores or by combining P-values from individual studies, to select the top gene pairs for model construction. We applied the proposed methods in simulated data sets and three large-scale real applications in breast cancer, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and pan-cancer methylation. The result showed superior performance of cross-study validation accuracy and biomarker selection for the new meta-analytic framework. In conclusion, combining multiple omics data sets in the public domain increases robustness and accuracy of the classification model that will ultimately improve disease understanding and clinical treatment decisions to benefit patients. An R package MetaKTSP is available online. (http://tsenglab.biostat.pitt.edu/software.htm). ctseng@pitt.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Cross-cultural validation of Lupus Impact Tracker in five European clinical practice settings.
Schneider, Matthias; Mosca, Marta; Pego-Reigosa, José-Maria; Gunnarsson, Iva; Maurel, Frédérique; Garofano, Anna; Perna, Alessandra; Porcasi, Rolando; Devilliers, Hervé
2017-05-01
The aim was to evaluate the cross-cultural validity of the Lupus Impact Tracker (LIT) in five European countries and to assess its acceptability and feasibility from the patient and physician perspectives. A prospective, observational, cross-sectional and multicentre validation study was conducted in clinical settings. Before the visit, patients completed LIT, Short Form 36 (SF-36) and care satisfaction questionnaires. During the visit, physicians assessed disease activity [Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment (SELENA)-SLEDAI], organ damage [SLICC/ACR damage index (SDI)] and flare occurrence. Cross-cultural validity was assessed using the Differential Item Functioning method. Five hundred and sixty-nine SLE patients were included by 25 specialists; 91.7% were outpatients and 89.9% female, with mean age 43.5 (13.0) years. Disease profile was as follows: 18.3% experienced flares; mean SELENA-SLEDAI score 3.4 (4.5); mean SDI score 0.8 (1.4); and SF-36 mean physical and mental component summary scores: physical component summary 42.8 (10.8) and mental component summary 43.0 (12.3). Mean LIT score was 34.2 (22.3) (median: 32.5), indicating that lupus moderately impacted patients' daily life. A cultural Differential Item Functioning of negligible magnitude was detected across countries (pseudo- R 2 difference of 0.01-0.04). Differences were observed between LIT scores and Physician Global Assessment, SELENA-SLEDAI, SDI scores = 0 (P < 0.035) and absence of flares (P = 0.004). The LIT showed a strong association with SF-36 physical and social role functioning, vitality, bodily pain and mental health (P < 0.001). The LIT was well accepted by patients and physicians. It was reliable, with Cronbach α coefficients ranging from 0.89 to 0.92 among countries. The LIT is validated in the five participating European countries. The results show its reliability and cultural invariability across countries. They suggest that LIT can be used in routine clinical practice to evaluate and follow patient-reported outcomes in order to improve patient-physician interaction. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
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Cross-Validating Chinese Language Mental Health Recovery Measures in Hong Kong
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bola, John; Chan, Tiffany Hill Ching; Chen, Eric HY; Ng, Roger
2016-01-01
Objectives: Promoting recovery in mental health services is hampered by a shortage of reliable and valid measures, particularly in Hong Kong. We seek to cross validate two Chinese language measures of recovery and one of recovery-promoting environments. Method: A cross-sectional survey of people recovering from early episode psychosis (n = 121)…
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Ko, Young-Mi; Park, Won-Beom; Lim, Jae-Young
2010-03-15
Validation of a translated, culturally adapted questionnaire. We developed a Korean version of the Chronic Pain Coping Inventory-42 (CPCI-42) by performing a cross-cultural adaptation, and evaluated its reliability and validity. The CPCI is widely used and validated instruments for measuring coping strategies in chronic pain. However, no validated and culturally adapted version was available in Asian countries. We assessed 142 patients with chronic low back pain using the CPCI-42 and measures of physical disability, pain, and quality of life. Results for 93 of the 142 patients exhibited test-retest reliability. The interval time of collecting retest data varied from 2 weeks to 1 month. Criterion validity was evaluated using correlations between the CPCI-42 and the Oswestry Disability Index, the Brief Pain Inventory, and the Short Form 36-item Health Survey (version 2.0). Construct validity was computed using exploratory factor analysis. The Korean version of the CPCI-42 had a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha >0.70) with the exception of results for task persistence and relaxation. Illness-focused coping (guarding, resting, asking for assistance) and other-focused coping (seeking social support) were most significantly correlated with Oswestry Disability Index, Brief Pain Inventory, and Short Form 36-item Health Survey, respectively. Outcomes for task persistence were contrary to other subscales in wellness-focused coping. Construct validity by factor analysis produced similar results to the original CPCI subscale. However, several factors showed cross-loading in 8 factor solutions. Despite linguistic and cultural differences, the Korean version of the CPCI-42 is overall a meaningful tool, and produces results sufficiently similar to the original CPCI-42.
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Sin, Betül Ayşe; Öztuna, Derya; Gelincik, Aslı; Gürlek, Feridun; Baysan, Abdullah; Sin, Aytül Zerrin; Aydın, Ömür; Mısırlıgil, Zeynep
2016-01-01
"Vespid Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (VQLQ)" has been used to assess psychological burden of disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate validity, reliability and responsiveness to interventions of the Turkish version. The Turkish language Questionnaire (VQLQ-T) was administered to 81 patients with bee allergy and 65 patients with vespid allergy from different groups to achieve cross-sectional validation. To establish longitudinal validity, the questionnaire was administered to 36 patients treated with venom immunotherapy. The cross-sectional validation in patients with vespid venom allergy showed a correlation coefficient of 0.97 (Cronbach α). Spearman's correlation coefficient of the pretreatment VQLQ-T score with Expectation of Outcome (EoO) questionnaire score was 0.55 (p < 0.001). After treatment, correlation between VQLQ-T score and EoO score was 0.64 (p = 0.003) in these patients. The cross-sectional instrument validation for non-beekeepers with bee venom allergy yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.96 (Cronbach α). Spearman's correlation coefficient between pretreatment VQLQ-T score and EoO score was 0.47 (p < 0.001) and after treatment, correlation between VQLQ-T score and EoO score was 0.78 (p = 0.008) in these patients. These findings indicate cross-sectional validity of VQLQ-T. In the longitudinal validation, there was a positive correlation between EoO and VQLQ-T with a correlation coefficient of 0.562 (p < 0.001). While mean (±SD) VQLQ-T score was 5.27 (±1.29) in pretreatment, it was 2.78 (±1.01) after treatment (p < 0.001). The correlation between the mean change in VQLQ-T score and the mean change in EoO score was 0.42 (p = 0.011). The Turkish version of VQLQ-T enables measurement of Quality of Life (QoL) in patients with either vespid or bee venom allergy. Furthermore, responsiveness of this instrument demonstrates the questionnaire's ability to detect changes over time.
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LeDell, Erin; Petersen, Maya; van der Laan, Mark
In binary classification problems, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) is commonly used to evaluate the performance of a prediction model. Often, it is combined with cross-validation in order to assess how the results will generalize to an independent data set. In order to evaluate the quality of an estimate for cross-validated AUC, we obtain an estimate of its variance. For massive data sets, the process of generating a single performance estimate can be computationally expensive. Additionally, when using a complex prediction method, the process of cross-validating a predictive model on even a relatively small data set can still require a large amount of computation time. Thus, in many practical settings, the bootstrap is a computationally intractable approach to variance estimation. As an alternative to the bootstrap, we demonstrate a computationally efficient influence curve based approach to obtaining a variance estimate for cross-validated AUC.
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Empirical Performance of Cross-Validation With Oracle Methods in a Genomics Context.
Martinez, Josue G; Carroll, Raymond J; Müller, Samuel; Sampson, Joshua N; Chatterjee, Nilanjan
2011-11-01
When employing model selection methods with oracle properties such as the smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) and the Adaptive Lasso, it is typical to estimate the smoothing parameter by m-fold cross-validation, for example, m = 10. In problems where the true regression function is sparse and the signals large, such cross-validation typically works well. However, in regression modeling of genomic studies involving Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP), the true regression functions, while thought to be sparse, do not have large signals. We demonstrate empirically that in such problems, the number of selected variables using SCAD and the Adaptive Lasso, with 10-fold cross-validation, is a random variable that has considerable and surprising variation. Similar remarks apply to non-oracle methods such as the Lasso. Our study strongly questions the suitability of performing only a single run of m-fold cross-validation with any oracle method, and not just the SCAD and Adaptive Lasso.
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Petersen, Maya; van der Laan, Mark
2015-01-01
In binary classification problems, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) is commonly used to evaluate the performance of a prediction model. Often, it is combined with cross-validation in order to assess how the results will generalize to an independent data set. In order to evaluate the quality of an estimate for cross-validated AUC, we obtain an estimate of its variance. For massive data sets, the process of generating a single performance estimate can be computationally expensive. Additionally, when using a complex prediction method, the process of cross-validating a predictive model on even a relatively small data set can still require a large amount of computation time. Thus, in many practical settings, the bootstrap is a computationally intractable approach to variance estimation. As an alternative to the bootstrap, we demonstrate a computationally efficient influence curve based approach to obtaining a variance estimate for cross-validated AUC. PMID:26279737
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Bajoub, Aadil; Medina-Rodríguez, Santiago; Ajal, El Amine; Cuadros-Rodríguez, Luis; Monasterio, Romina Paula; Vercammen, Joeri; Fernández-Gutiérrez, Alberto; Carrasco-Pancorbo, Alegría
2018-04-01
Selected Ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) in combination with chemometrics was used to authenticate the geographical origin of Mediterranean virgin olive oils (VOOs) produced under geographical origin labels. In particular, 130 oil samples from six different Mediterranean regions (Kalamata (Greece); Toscana (Italy); Meknès and Tyout (Morocco); and Priego de Córdoba and Baena (Spain)) were considered. The headspace volatile fingerprints were measured by SIFT-MS in full scan with H 3 O + , NO + and O 2 + as precursor ions and the results were subjected to chemometric treatments. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used for preliminary multivariate data analysis and Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) was applied to build different models (considering the three reagent ions) to classify samples according to the country of origin and regions (within the same country). The multi-class PLS-DA models showed very good performance in terms of fitting accuracy (98.90-100%) and prediction accuracy (96.70-100% accuracy for cross validation and 97.30-100% accuracy for external validation (test set)). Considering the two-class PLS-DA models, the one for the Spanish samples showed 100% sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in calibration, cross validation and external validation; the model for Moroccan oils also showed very satisfactory results (with perfect scores for almost every parameter in all the cases). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Verloo, Henk; Desmedt, Mario; Morin, Diane
2017-09-01
To evaluate two psychometric properties of the French versions of the Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs and Evidence-Based Practice Implementation scales, namely their internal consistency and construct validity. The Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs and Evidence-Based Practice Implementation scales developed by Melnyk et al. are recognised as valid, reliable instruments in English. However, no psychometric validation for their French versions existed. Secondary analysis of a cross sectional survey. Source data came from a cross-sectional descriptive study sample of 382 nurses and other allied healthcare providers. Cronbach's alpha was used to evaluate internal consistency, and principal axis factor analysis and varimax rotation were computed to determine construct validity. The French Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs and Evidence-Based Practice Implementation scales showed excellent reliability, with Cronbach's alphas close to the scores established by Melnyk et al.'s original versions. Principal axis factor analysis showed medium-to-high factor loading scores without obtaining collinearity. Principal axis factor analysis with varimax rotation of the 16-item Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs scale resulted in a four-factor loading structure. Principal axis factor analysis with varimax rotation of the 17-item Evidence-Based Practice Implementation scale revealed a two-factor loading structure. Further research should attempt to understand why the French Evidence-Based Practice Implementation scale showed a two-factor loading structure but Melnyk et al.'s original has only one. The French versions of the Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs and Evidence-Based Practice Implementation scales can both be considered valid and reliable instruments for measuring Evidence-Based Practice beliefs and implementation. The results suggest that the French Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs and Evidence-Based Practice Implementation scales are valid and reliable and can therefore be used to evaluate the effectiveness of organisational strategies aimed at increasing professionals' confidence in Evidence-Based Practice, supporting its use and implementation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Olree, E.; Robinson, D. M.; McQuarrie, N.; Ghoshal, S.; Olsen, J.
2016-12-01
Using balanced cross sections, one can visualize a valid and admissible interpretation of the surface and subsurface data. Khanal (2014) and Cross (2014) produced two valid and admissible cross sections along the Marsyandi River in central Nepal. However, thermochronologic data adds another dimension that must be adhered to when producing valid and admissible balanced cross sections. Since the previous cross sections were produced, additional zircon-helium (ZHe) cooling ages along the Marsyandi River show ages of 1 Ma near the Main Central thrust in the hinterland to 4 Ma near the Main Boundary thrust closer to the foreland. This distribution of cooling ages requires recent uplift in the hinterland, which is not present in the cross sections. Although a restored version of the Khanal (2014) cross section is sequentially deformed using 2D Move, the kinematic sequence implied in the cross section is inconsistent with the ZHe age distribution. The hinterland dipping duplex proposed by Khanal would require cooling ages that are oldest near the Main Central thrust and young southwards toward the active ramp located 80 km north of the Main Frontal thrust. Instead, the 4 Ma age near the Main Boundary thrust and the increasingly younger ages to the north could be produced by either a foreland-dipping Lesser Himalayan duplex, which would keep active uplift in the north, or by translation of the hinterland dipping duplex southward over the ramp, moving the active thrust ramp northward. To address this problem, a new balanced cross section was produced using both new mapping through the region and the ZHe age distribution as additional constraints. The section was then restored and sequentially deformed in 2D Move. This study illustrates that multiple cross sections can be viable and admissible; however, they can still be incorrect. Thermochronology places additional constraints on the permissible geometries, and thus increases our ability to predict subsurface geometries. The next step of this project is to link the uplift and erosion implied by the kinematic sequence of the new cross section to the measured cooling history by importing the cross section kinematics into advection diffusion modeling software that predicts cooling ages.
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Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the FRAIL Scale to Assess Frailty in Mexican Adults.
Rosas-Carrasco, Oscar; Cruz-Arenas, Esteban; Parra-Rodríguez, Lorena; García-González, Ana Isabel; Contreras-González, Luis Horacio; Szlejf, Claudia
2016-12-01
The objectives of this study were to cross-culturally adapt and validate the FRAIL scale in Mexican community-dwelling adults. Cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort. The FraDysMex study, a 2-round evaluation of community-dwelling adults from 2 municipalities in Mexico City. Participants were 606 men and women living in the designated area in Mexico City. Interviewers obtained data regarding demographics, comorbidities, mental status, nutritional status, dependency in activities of daily living, quality of life, mobility, balance, and strength. The FRAIL scale translated to Spanish and the Fried criteria were applied to screen frailty. The Mexican Spanish version of the FRAIL scale showed internal consistency (4 of 5 items in the scale correlated to the scale's total score, rho = 0.41-0.74), external consistency (interrater correlation CCI = 0.82), known-group validity based on age (9.6% of frailty in persons ≥50 years × 3.2% in persons <50 years, P = .001), convergent validity with the Fried criteria (CCI = 0.63), and the scale was also correlated with other measures related to frailty (such as age, quality of life, self-rated health status, cognition, dependency, nutritional status, depression, and physical performance). The FRAIL scale was successfully adapted to Mexican Spanish and validated in community-dwelling Mexican adults. Copyright © 2016 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Sucupira, Eduardo; Sabino, Miguel; Lima, Edson Luiz de; Dini, Gal Moreira; Brito, Maria José Azevedo de; Ferreira, Lydia Masako
2017-01-01
Patient-reported outcome measurements assessing the emotional state of children and adolescents who seek plastic surgery are important for determining whether the intervention is indicated or not. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (child/adolescent and parent versions) for Brazilian Portuguese, test its psychometric properties and assess the emotional state of children and adolescents who seek plastic surgery. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-cultural validation study conducted in a plastic surgery outpatient clinic at a public university hospital. A total of 124 consecutive patients of both sexes were selected between September 2013 and February 2014. Forty-seven patients participated in the cultural adaptation of the questionnaire. The final version was tested for reliability on 20 patients. Construct validity was tested on 57 patients by correlating the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (child/adolescent and parent versions) with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale. The child/adolescent and parent versions of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire showed Cronbach's alpha of 0.768 and 0.874, respectively, and had good inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.757 and ICC = 0.853, respectively) and intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.738 and ICC = 0.796, respectively). The Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire is a reproducible instrument with face, content and construct validity.The mood state and feelings among children and adolescents seeking cosmetic surgery were healthy.
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Tuğay, Baki Umut; Tuğay, Nazan; Güney, Hande; Kınıklı, Gizem İrem; Yüksel, İnci; Atilla, Bülent
2016-01-01
The Oxford Knee Score (OKS) is a valid, short, self-administered, and site- specific outcome measure specifically developed for patients with knee arthroplasty. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt and validate the OKS to be used in Turkish-speaking patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. The OKS was translated and culturally adapted according to the guidelines in the literature. Ninety-one patients (mean age: 55.89±7.85 years) with knee osteoarthritis participated in the study. Patients completed the Turkish version of the Oxford Knee Score (OKS-TR), Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Index (WOMAC) questionnaires. Internal consistency was tested using Cronbach's α coefficient. Patients completed the OKS-TR questionnaire twice in 7 days to determine the reproducibility. Correlation between the total results of both tests was determined by Spearman's correlation coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Validity was assessed by calculating Spearman's correlation coefficient between the OKS, WOMAC, and SF-36 scores. Floor and ceiling effects were analyzed. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α: 0.90). The reproducibility tested by 2 different methods showed no significant difference (p>0.05). The construct validity analyses showed a significant correlation between the OKS and the other scores (p<0.05). There was no floor or ceiling effect in total OKS score. The OKS-TR is a reliable and valid measure for the self-assessment of pain and function in Turkish-speaking patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.
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Cross-Validation of easyCBM Reading Cut Scores in Washington: 2009-2010. Technical Report #1109
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Irvin, P. Shawn; Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald
2011-01-01
This technical report presents results from a cross-validation study designed to identify optimal cut scores when using easyCBM[R] reading tests in Washington state. The cross-validation study analyzes data from the 2009-2010 academic year for easyCBM[R] reading measures. A sample of approximately 900 students per grade, randomly split into two…
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Kaneko, Hiromasa; Funatsu, Kimito
2013-09-23
We propose predictive performance criteria for nonlinear regression models without cross-validation. The proposed criteria are the determination coefficient and the root-mean-square error for the midpoints between k-nearest-neighbor data points. These criteria can be used to evaluate predictive ability after the regression models are updated, whereas cross-validation cannot be performed in such a situation. The proposed method is effective and helpful in handling big data when cross-validation cannot be applied. By analyzing data from numerical simulations and quantitative structural relationships, we confirm that the proposed criteria enable the predictive ability of the nonlinear regression models to be appropriately quantified.
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Cross Validation Through Two-Dimensional Solution Surface for Cost-Sensitive SVM.
Gu, Bin; Sheng, Victor S; Tay, Keng Yeow; Romano, Walter; Li, Shuo
2017-06-01
Model selection plays an important role in cost-sensitive SVM (CS-SVM). It has been proven that the global minimum cross validation (CV) error can be efficiently computed based on the solution path for one parameter learning problems. However, it is a challenge to obtain the global minimum CV error for CS-SVM based on one-dimensional solution path and traditional grid search, because CS-SVM is with two regularization parameters. In this paper, we propose a solution and error surfaces based CV approach (CV-SES). More specifically, we first compute a two-dimensional solution surface for CS-SVM based on a bi-parameter space partition algorithm, which can fit solutions of CS-SVM for all values of both regularization parameters. Then, we compute a two-dimensional validation error surface for each CV fold, which can fit validation errors of CS-SVM for all values of both regularization parameters. Finally, we obtain the CV error surface by superposing K validation error surfaces, which can find the global minimum CV error of CS-SVM. Experiments are conducted on seven datasets for cost sensitive learning and on four datasets for imbalanced learning. Experimental results not only show that our proposed CV-SES has a better generalization ability than CS-SVM with various hybrids between grid search and solution path methods, and than recent proposed cost-sensitive hinge loss SVM with three-dimensional grid search, but also show that CV-SES uses less running time.
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Schleier, Jerome J.; Peterson, Robert K.D.; Irvine, Kathryn M.; Marshall, Lucy M.; Weaver, David K.; Preftakes, Collin J.
2012-01-01
One of the more effective ways of managing high densities of adult mosquitoes that vector human and animal pathogens is ultra-low-volume (ULV) aerosol applications of insecticides. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses models that are not validated for ULV insecticide applications and exposure assumptions to perform their human and ecological risk assessments. Currently, there is no validated model that can accurately predict deposition of insecticides applied using ULV technology for adult mosquito management. In addition, little is known about the deposition and drift of small droplets like those used under conditions encountered during ULV applications. The objective of this study was to perform field studies to measure environmental concentrations of insecticides and to develop a validated model to predict the deposition of ULV insecticides. The final regression model was selected by minimizing the Bayesian Information Criterion and its prediction performance was evaluated using k-fold cross validation. Density of the formulation and the density and CMD interaction coefficients were the largest in the model. The results showed that as density of the formulation decreases, deposition increases. The interaction of density and CMD showed that higher density formulations and larger droplets resulted in greater deposition. These results are supported by the aerosol physics literature. A k-fold cross validation demonstrated that the mean square error of the selected regression model is not biased, and the mean square error and mean square prediction error indicated good predictive ability.
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Ballangrud, Randi; Husebø, Sissel Eikeland; Hall-Lord, Marie Louise
2017-12-02
Teamwork is an integrated part of today's specialized and complex healthcare and essential to patient safety, and is considered as a core competency to improve twenty-first century healthcare. Teamwork measurements and evaluations show promising results to promote good team performance, and are recommended for identifying areas for improvement. The validated TeamSTEPPS® Teamwork Perception Questionnaire (T-TPQ) was found suitable for cross-cultural validation and testing in a Norwegian context. T-TPQ is a self-report survey that examines five dimensions of perception of teamwork within healthcare settings. The aim of the study was to translate and cross-validate the T-TPQ into Norwegian, and test the questionnaire for psychometric properties among healthcare personnel. The T-TPQ was translated and adapted to a Norwegian context according to a model of a back-translation process. A total of 247 healthcare personnel representing different professionals and hospital settings responded to the questionnaire. A confirmatory factor analysis was carried out to test the factor structure. Cronbach's alpha was used to establish internal consistency, and an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was used to assess the test - retest reliability. A confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable fitting model (χ 2 (df) 969.46 (546), p < 0.001, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.056, Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.88, Comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.89, which indicates that each set of the items that was supposed to accompany each teamwork dimension clearly represents that specific construct. The Cronbach's alpha demonstrated acceptable values on the five subscales (0.786-0.844), and test-retest showed a reliability parameter, with Intraclass Correlation Coefficient scores from 0.672 to 0.852. The Norwegian version of T-TPQ was considered to be acceptable regarding the validity and reliability for measuring Norwegian individual healthcare personnel's perception of group level teamwork within their unit. However, it needs to be further tested, preferably in a larger sample and in different clinical settings.
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Vanderploeg, Rodney D; Cooper, Douglas B; Belanger, Heather G; Donnell, Alison J; Kennedy, Jan E; Hopewell, Clifford A; Scott, Steven G
2014-01-01
To develop and cross-validate internal validity scales for the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI). Four existing data sets were used: (1) outpatient clinical traumatic brain injury (TBI)/neurorehabilitation database from a military site (n = 403), (2) National Department of Veterans Affairs TBI evaluation database (n = 48 175), (3) Florida National Guard nonclinical TBI survey database (n = 3098), and (4) a cross-validation outpatient clinical TBI/neurorehabilitation database combined across 2 military medical centers (n = 206). Secondary analysis of existing cohort data to develop (study 1) and cross-validate (study 2) internal validity scales for the NSI. The NSI, Mild Brain Injury Atypical Symptoms, and Personality Assessment Inventory scores. Study 1: Three NSI validity scales were developed, composed of 5 unusual items (Negative Impression Management [NIM5]), 6 low-frequency items (LOW6), and the combination of 10 nonoverlapping items (Validity-10). Cut scores maximizing sensitivity and specificity on these measures were determined, using a Mild Brain Injury Atypical Symptoms score of 8 or more as the criterion for invalidity. Study 2: The same validity scale cut scores again resulted in the highest classification accuracy and optimal balance between sensitivity and specificity in the cross-validation sample, using a Personality Assessment Inventory Negative Impression Management scale with a T score of 75 or higher as the criterion for invalidity. The NSI is widely used in the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs as a symptom-severity assessment following TBI, but is subject to symptom overreporting or exaggeration. This study developed embedded NSI validity scales to facilitate the detection of invalid response styles. The NSI Validity-10 scale appears to hold considerable promise for validity assessment when the NSI is used as a population-screening tool.
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Jalenques, Isabelle; Guiguet-Auclair, Candy; Derost, Philippe; Joubert, Pauline; Foures, Louis; Hartmann, Andreas; Muellner, Julia; Rondepierre, Fabien
2018-03-01
The Motor tic, Obsessions and compulsions, Vocal tic Evaluation Survey (MOVES) is a self-report scale suggested as a severity scale for tics and related sensory phenomena observed in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) and recommended as a screening instrument by the Committee on Rating Scale Development of the International Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Society. To cross-culturally adapt a French version of the MOVES and to evaluate its psychometric properties. After the cross-cultural adaptation of the MOVES, we assessed its psychometric properties in 53 patients aged 12-16 years and in 54 patients aged 16 years and above: reliability and construct validity (relationships between items and scales), internal consistency and concurrent validity with the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) and the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) or the auto-Yale-Brown scale. The results showed very good acceptability with response rates greater than 92%, good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.62 and 0.89) and good test-retest reliability (ICCs ranging from 0.59 to 0.91). Concurrent validity with the YGTSS, CY-BOCS and auto-Yale-Brown scales showed strong expected correlations. The cut-off points tested for diagnostic performance gave satisfactory values of sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. Our study provides evidence of the good psychometric properties of the French version of the MOVES. The cross-cultural adaptation of this specific instrument will allow investigators to include French-speaking persons with GTS aged 12 years and over in national and international collaboration research projects.
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Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the teamwork climate scale
Silva, Mariana Charantola; Peduzzi, Marina; Sangaleti, Carine Teles; da Silva, Dirceu; Agreli, Heloise Fernandes; West, Michael A; Anderson, Neil R
2016-01-01
ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To adapt and validate the Team Climate Inventory scale, of teamwork climate measurement, for the Portuguese language, in the context of primary health care in Brazil. METHODS Methodological study with quantitative approach of cross-cultural adaptation (translation, back-translation, synthesis, expert committee, and pretest) and validation with 497 employees from 72 teams of the Family Health Strategy in the city of Campinas, SP, Southeastern Brazil. We verified reliability by the Cronbach’s alpha, construct validity by the confirmatory factor analysis with SmartPLS software, and correlation by the job satisfaction scale. RESULTS We problematized the overlap of items 9, 11, and 12 of the “participation in the team” factor and the “team goals” factor regarding its definition. The validation showed no overlapping of items and the reliability ranged from 0.92 to 0.93. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated suitability of the proposed model with distribution of the 38 items in the four factors. The correlation between teamwork climate and job satisfaction was significant. CONCLUSIONS The version of the scale in Brazilian Portuguese was validated and can be used in the context of primary health care in the Country, constituting an adequate tool for the assessment and diagnosis of teamwork. PMID:27556966
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Murumkar, Prashant R; Giridhar, Rajani; Yadav, Mange Ram
2008-04-01
A set of 29 benzothiadiazepine hydroxamates having selective tumor necrosis factor-alpha converting enzyme inhibitory activity were used to compare the quality and predictive power of 3D-quantitative structure-activity relationship, comparative molecular field analysis, and comparative molecular similarity indices models for the atom-based, centroid/atom-based, data-based, and docked conformer-based alignment. Removal of two outliers from the initial training set of molecules improved the predictivity of models. Among the 3D-quantitative structure-activity relationship models developed using the above four alignments, the database alignment provided the optimal predictive comparative molecular field analysis model for the training set with cross-validated r(2) (q(2)) = 0.510, non-cross-validated r(2) = 0.972, standard error of estimates (s) = 0.098, and F = 215.44 and the optimal comparative molecular similarity indices model with cross-validated r(2) (q(2)) = 0.556, non-cross-validated r(2) = 0.946, standard error of estimates (s) = 0.163, and F = 99.785. These models also showed the best test set prediction for six compounds with predictive r(2) values of 0.460 and 0.535, respectively. The contour maps obtained from 3D-quantitative structure-activity relationship studies were appraised for activity trends for the molecules analyzed. The comparative molecular similarity indices models exhibited good external predictivity as compared with that of comparative molecular field analysis models. The data generated from the present study helped us to further design and report some novel and potent tumor necrosis factor-alpha converting enzyme inhibitors.
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Online cross-validation-based ensemble learning.
Benkeser, David; Ju, Cheng; Lendle, Sam; van der Laan, Mark
2018-01-30
Online estimators update a current estimate with a new incoming batch of data without having to revisit past data thereby providing streaming estimates that are scalable to big data. We develop flexible, ensemble-based online estimators of an infinite-dimensional target parameter, such as a regression function, in the setting where data are generated sequentially by a common conditional data distribution given summary measures of the past. This setting encompasses a wide range of time-series models and, as special case, models for independent and identically distributed data. Our estimator considers a large library of candidate online estimators and uses online cross-validation to identify the algorithm with the best performance. We show that by basing estimates on the cross-validation-selected algorithm, we are asymptotically guaranteed to perform as well as the true, unknown best-performing algorithm. We provide extensions of this approach including online estimation of the optimal ensemble of candidate online estimators. We illustrate excellent performance of our methods using simulations and a real data example where we make streaming predictions of infectious disease incidence using data from a large database. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Dhingra, Madhur S; Artois, Jean; Robinson, Timothy P; Linard, Catherine; Chaiban, Celia; Xenarios, Ioannis; Engler, Robin; Liechti, Robin; Kuznetsov, Dmitri; Xiao, Xiangming; Dobschuetz, Sophie Von; Claes, Filip; Newman, Scott H; Dauphin, Gwenaëlle; Gilbert, Marius
2016-01-01
Global disease suitability models are essential tools to inform surveillance systems and enable early detection. We present the first global suitability model of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 and demonstrate that reliable predictions can be obtained at global scale. Best predictions are obtained using spatial predictor variables describing host distributions, rather than land use or eco-climatic spatial predictor variables, with a strong association with domestic duck and extensively raised chicken densities. Our results also support a more systematic use of spatial cross-validation in large-scale disease suitability modelling compared to standard random cross-validation that can lead to unreliable measure of extrapolation accuracy. A global suitability model of the H5 clade 2.3.4.4 viruses, a group of viruses that recently spread extensively in Asia and the US, shows in comparison a lower spatial extrapolation capacity than the HPAI H5N1 models, with a stronger association with intensively raised chicken densities and anthropogenic factors. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19571.001 PMID:27885988
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Cross-Validation of easyCBM Reading Cut Scores in Oregon: 2009-2010. Technical Report #1108
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Irvin, P. Shawn; Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald
2011-01-01
This technical report presents results from a cross-validation study designed to identify optimal cut scores when using easyCBM[R] reading tests in Oregon. The cross-validation study analyzes data from the 2009-2010 academic year for easyCBM[R] reading measures. A sample of approximately 2,000 students per grade, randomly split into two groups of…
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Exploration of Force Myography and surface Electromyography in hand gesture classification.
Jiang, Xianta; Merhi, Lukas-Karim; Xiao, Zhen Gang; Menon, Carlo
2017-03-01
Whereas pressure sensors increasingly have received attention as a non-invasive interface for hand gesture recognition, their performance has not been comprehensively evaluated. This work examined the performance of hand gesture classification using Force Myography (FMG) and surface Electromyography (sEMG) technologies by performing 3 sets of 48 hand gestures using a prototyped FMG band and an array of commercial sEMG sensors worn both on the wrist and forearm simultaneously. The results show that the FMG band achieved classification accuracies as good as the high quality, commercially available, sEMG system on both wrist and forearm positions; specifically, by only using 8 Force Sensitive Resisters (FSRs), the FMG band achieved accuracies of 91.2% and 83.5% in classifying the 48 hand gestures in cross-validation and cross-trial evaluations, which were higher than those of sEMG (84.6% and 79.1%). By using all 16 FSRs on the band, our device achieved high accuracies of 96.7% and 89.4% in cross-validation and cross-trial evaluations. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Battistella, C.; Robinson, D.; McQuarrie, N.; Ghoshal, S.
2017-12-01
Multiple valid balanced cross sections can be produced from mapped surface and subsurface data. By integrating low temperature thermochronologic data, we are better able to predict subsurface geometries. Existing valid balanced cross section for far western Nepal are few (Robinson et al., 2006) and do not incorporate thermochronologic data because the data did not exist. The data published along the Simikot cross section along the Karnali River since then include muscovite Ar, zircon U-Th/He and apatite fission track. We present new mapping and a new valid balanced cross section that takes into account the new field data as well as the limitations that thermochronologic data places on the kinematics of the cross section. Additional constrains include some new geomorphology data acquired since 2006 that indicate areas of increased vertical uplift, which indicate locations of buried ramps in the Main Himalayan thrust and guide the locations of Lesser Himalayan ramps in the balanced cross section. Future work will include flexural modeling, new low temperature thermochronometic data, and 2-D thermokinematic models from a sequentially forward modeled balanced cross sections in far western Nepal.
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Comparing ordinary kriging and inverse distance weighting for soil as pollution in Beijing.
Qiao, Pengwei; Lei, Mei; Yang, Sucai; Yang, Jun; Guo, Guanghui; Zhou, Xiaoyong
2018-06-01
Spatial interpolation method is the basis of soil heavy metal pollution assessment and remediation. The existing evaluation index for interpolation accuracy did not combine with actual situation. The selection of interpolation methods needs to be based on specific research purposes and research object characteristics. In this paper, As pollution in soils of Beijing was taken as an example. The prediction accuracy of ordinary kriging (OK) and inverse distance weighted (IDW) were evaluated based on the cross validation results and spatial distribution characteristics of influencing factors. The results showed that, under the condition of specific spatial correlation, the cross validation results of OK and IDW for every soil point and the prediction accuracy of spatial distribution trend are similar. But the prediction accuracy of OK for the maximum and minimum is less than IDW, while the number of high pollution areas identified by OK are less than IDW. It is difficult to identify the high pollution areas fully by OK, which shows that the smoothing effect of OK is obvious. In addition, with increasing of the spatial correlation of As concentration, the cross validation error of OK and IDW decreases, and the high pollution area identified by OK is approaching the result of IDW, which can identify the high pollution areas more comprehensively. However, because the semivariogram constructed by OK interpolation method is more subjective and requires larger number of soil samples, IDW is more suitable for spatial prediction of heavy metal pollution in soils.
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Freitas, N O; Forero, C G; Alonso, J; Caltran, M P; Dantas, R A S; Farina, J A; Rossi, L A
2017-01-01
Burn patients may encounter social barriers and stigmatization. The objectives of this study were to adapt the Social Comfort Questionnaire (SCQ) into Brazilian Portuguese and to assess the psychometric properties of the adapted version. Cross-cultural adaptation of the 8 items of the SCQ followed international guidelines. We interviewed 240 burn patients and verified the SCQ internal consistency, test-retest reliability and construct validity, correlating the scores with depression [Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)], affect/body image and interpersonal relationships [Burns Specific Health Scale-Revised (BSHS-R)] and self-esteem [Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)]. We also performed a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The cross-cultural adaptation resulted in minor semantic modifications to the original SCQ version. After CFA, a reduced 6-item version showed satisfactory fit to the one-factor model (RMSEA = 0.05, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99). Cronbach alpha's was 0.80, and test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.86. The final version presented a strong negative correlation with depression (BDI), and strong positive correlations with affect/body image (BSHS-R), interpersonal relationships (BSHS-R) and self-esteem (RSES) (all p < 0.001). The results showed that the SCQ Brazilian Portuguese adapted version complies with the validity and reliability criteria required for an instrument assessing social comfort in Brazilian burn patients. The Brazilian version yields a single score that is easy to interpret and well understood by patients.
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Chiarotto, Alessandro; Vanti, Carla; Ostelo, Raymond W; Ferrari, Silvano; Tedesco, Giuseppe; Rocca, Barbara; Pillastrini, Paolo; Monticone, Marco
2015-11-01
The Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) is a patient self-reported measurement instrument that evaluates pain self-efficacy beliefs in patients with chronic pain. The measurement properties of the PSEQ have been tested in its original and translated versions, showing satisfactory results for validity and reliability. The aims of this study were 2 fold as follows: (1) to translate the PSEQ into Italian through a process of cross-cultural adaptation, (2) to test the measurement properties of the Italian PSEQ (PSEQ-I). The cross-cultural adaptation was completed in 5 months without omitting any item of the original PSEQ. Measurement properties were tested in 165 patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) (65% women, mean age 49.9 years). Factor analysis confirmed the one-factor structure of the questionnaire. Internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.94) and test-retest reliability (ICCagreement = 0.82) of the PSEQ-I showed good results. The smallest detectable change was equal to 15.69 scale points. The PSEQ-I displayed a high construct validity by meeting more than 75% of a priori hypotheses on correlations with measurement instruments assessing pain intensity, disability, anxiety, depression, pain catastrophizing, fear of movement, and coping strategies. Additionally, the PSEQ-I differentiated patients taking pain medication or not. The results of this study suggest that the PSEQ-I can be used as a valid and reliable tool in Italian patients with CLBP. © 2014 World Institute of Pain.
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Kalderstam, Jonas; Edén, Patrik; Ohlsson, Mattias
2015-01-01
We investigate a new method to place patients into risk groups in censored survival data. Properties such as median survival time, and end survival rate, are implicitly improved by optimizing the area under the survival curve. Artificial neural networks (ANN) are trained to either maximize or minimize this area using a genetic algorithm, and combined into an ensemble to predict one of low, intermediate, or high risk groups. Estimated patient risk can influence treatment choices, and is important for study stratification. A common approach is to sort the patients according to a prognostic index and then group them along the quartile limits. The Cox proportional hazards model (Cox) is one example of this approach. Another method of doing risk grouping is recursive partitioning (Rpart), which constructs a decision tree where each branch point maximizes the statistical separation between the groups. ANN, Cox, and Rpart are compared on five publicly available data sets with varying properties. Cross-validation, as well as separate test sets, are used to validate the models. Results on the test sets show comparable performance, except for the smallest data set where Rpart's predicted risk groups turn out to be inverted, an example of crossing survival curves. Cross-validation shows that all three models exhibit crossing of some survival curves on this small data set but that the ANN model manages the best separation of groups in terms of median survival time before such crossings. The conclusion is that optimizing the area under the survival curve is a viable approach to identify risk groups. Training ANNs to optimize this area combines two key strengths from both prognostic indices and Rpart. First, a desired minimum group size can be specified, as for a prognostic index. Second, the ability to utilize non-linear effects among the covariates, which Rpart is also able to do.
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Validity of linear encoder measurement of sit-to-stand performance power in older people.
Lindemann, U; Farahmand, P; Klenk, J; Blatzonis, K; Becker, C
2015-09-01
To investigate construct validity of linear encoder measurement of sit-to-stand performance power in older people by showing associations with relevant functional performance and physiological parameters. Cross-sectional study. Movement laboratory of a geriatric rehabilitation clinic. Eighty-eight community-dwelling, cognitively unimpaired older women (mean age 78 years). Sit-to-stand performance power and leg power were assessed using a linear encoder and the Nottingham Power Rig, respectively. Gait speed was measured on an instrumented walkway. Maximum quadriceps and hand grip strength were assessed using dynamometers. Mid-thigh muscle cross-sectional area of both legs was measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Associations of sit-to-stand performance power with power assessed by the Nottingham Power Rig, maximum gait speed and muscle cross-sectional area were r=0.646, r=0.536 and r=0.514, respectively. A linear regression model explained 50% of the variance in sit-to-stand performance power including muscle cross-sectional area (p=0.001), maximum gait speed (p=0.002), and power assessed by the Nottingham Power Rig (p=0.006). Construct validity of linear encoder measurement of sit-to-stand power was shown at functional level and morphological level for older women. This measure could be used in routine clinical practice as well as in large-scale studies. DRKS00003622. Copyright © 2015 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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The influence of work personality on job satisfaction: incremental validity and mediation effects.
Heller, Daniel; Ferris, D Lance; Brown, Douglas; Watson, David
2009-08-01
Drawing from recent developments regarding the contextual nature of personality (e.g., D. Wood & B. W. Roberts, 2006), we conducted 2 studies (1 cross-sectional and 1 longitudinal over 1 year) to examine the validity of work personality in predicting job satisfaction and its mediation of the effect of global personality on job satisfaction. Study 1 showed that (a) individuals vary systematically in their personality between roles- they were significantly more conscientious and open to experience and less extraverted at work compared to at home; (b) work personality was a better predictor of job satisfaction than both global personality and home personality; and (c) work personality demonstrated incremental validity above and beyond the other two personality measures. Study 2 further showed that each of the work personality dimensions fully mediated the association between its corresponding global personality trait and job satisfaction. Evidence for the discriminant validity of the findings is also presented.
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Indicators of Ecological Change
2005-03-01
Vine 0.07 0.26 Yellow Jasmine LM Gymnopogon ambiguus Graminae Cryptophyte Geophyte Grass 0.17 0.45 Beard grass RLD Haplopappus divaricatus Asteraceae...cross-validation procedure. The cross-validation analysis 7 determines the percentage of observations correctly classified. In essence , a cross-8
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Empirical Performance of Cross-Validation With Oracle Methods in a Genomics Context
Martinez, Josue G.; Carroll, Raymond J.; Müller, Samuel; Sampson, Joshua N.; Chatterjee, Nilanjan
2012-01-01
When employing model selection methods with oracle properties such as the smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) and the Adaptive Lasso, it is typical to estimate the smoothing parameter by m-fold cross-validation, for example, m = 10. In problems where the true regression function is sparse and the signals large, such cross-validation typically works well. However, in regression modeling of genomic studies involving Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP), the true regression functions, while thought to be sparse, do not have large signals. We demonstrate empirically that in such problems, the number of selected variables using SCAD and the Adaptive Lasso, with 10-fold cross-validation, is a random variable that has considerable and surprising variation. Similar remarks apply to non-oracle methods such as the Lasso. Our study strongly questions the suitability of performing only a single run of m-fold cross-validation with any oracle method, and not just the SCAD and Adaptive Lasso. PMID:22347720
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HA, Mei; QIAN, Xiaoling; YANG, Hong; HUANG, Jichun; LIU, Changjiang
2016-01-01
Background: The public’s cognition of stroke and responses to stroke symptoms are important to prevent complications and decrease the mortality when stroke occurs. The aim of study was to develop and validate the Chinese version of the Stroke Action Test (C-STAT) in a Chinese population. Methods: This study was rigorously implemented with the published guideline for the translation, adaptation and validation of instruments for the cross-cultural use in healthcare care research. A cross-sectional study was performed among 328 stroke patients and family members in the Department of Neurology in the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Gansu province, China in 2014. Results: The Chinese version of the instrument showed favorable content equivalence with the source version. Values of Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest reliability of the C-STAT were 0.88 and 0.86, respectively. Principal component analysis supported four-factor solutions of the C-STAT. Criterion-related validity showed that the C-STAT was a significant predictor of the 7-item stroke symptom scores (R = 0.77; t = 21.74, P< 0.001). Conclusion: The C-STAT is an intelligible and brief psychometrical tool to assess individuals’ knowledge of the appropriate responses to stroke symptoms in Chinese populations. It could also be used by health care providers to assess educational programs on stroke prevention. PMID:28053925
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Cross-Validation of Predictor Equations for Armor Crewman Performance
1980-01-01
Technical Report 447 CROSS-VALIDATION OF PREDICTOR EQUATIONS FOR ARMOR CREWMAN PERFORMANCE Anthony J. Maitland , Newell K. Eaton, and Janet F. Neft...ORG. REPORT NUMBER Anthony J/ Maitland . Newell K/EatorV. and B OTATO RN UBR. 9- PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS I0. PROGRAM ELEMENT, PROJECT...Technical Report 447 CROSS-VALIDATION OF PREDICTOR EQUATIONS FOR ARMOR CREWMAN PERFORMANCE Anthony J. Maitland , Newell K. Eaton, Accession For and
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Hasanpour, Neda; Attarbashi Moghadam, Behrouz; Sami, Ramin; Tavakol, Kamran
2016-08-01
The clinical COPD questionnaire (CCQ) has been developed to measure the health status of COPD patients. The aim of this study was to translate CCQ into the Persian language and assess the validity and reliability of the translated version. We used a forward-backward procedure to translate the questionnaire. In a cross-sectional study 100 COPD patients and 50 healthy subjects over 40 years old were selected to assess the reliability and construct validity of the instrument. The face and content validity were used for the questionnaire validity. Validity was examined in a population of patients with COPD, using the Persian validated version of the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (PSGRQ). In order to assess the questionnaire's reliability, the Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha were calculated. Test-retest reliability was tested by re-administering the Persian version of the CCQ (PCCQ) after 1 week. Test-retest carry out of data demonstrates that the PCCQ has excellent reliability (ICC for all 3 domains were higher than 0.9). Internal consistency was found by Cronbach's alpha to be 0.96, 0.94, 0.97, and 0.98 for the symptom, mental state, functional state and total scores respectively. In addition, the correlation between the components of PCCQ and PSGRQ showed satisfactory construct validity. Analyzing the data from healthy subjects and patients divulged that the PCCQ has acceptable discriminant validity. In general, the PCCQ had satisfactory reliability and validity for assessing health-related quality of life status of Iranian COPD patients.
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Chen, Yinsheng; Li, Zeju; Wu, Guoqing; Yu, Jinhua; Wang, Yuanyuan; Lv, Xiaofei; Ju, Xue; Chen, Zhongping
2018-07-01
Due to the totally different therapeutic regimens needed for primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and glioblastoma (GBM), accurate differentiation of the two diseases by noninvasive imaging techniques is important for clinical decision-making. Thirty cases of PCNSL and 66 cases of GBM with conventional T1-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were analyzed in this study. Convolutional neural networks was used to segment tumor automatically. A modified scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) method was utilized to extract three-dimensional local voxel arrangement information from segmented tumors. Fisher vector was proposed to normalize the dimension of SIFT features. An improved genetic algorithm (GA) was used to extract SIFT features with PCNSL and GBM discrimination ability. The data-set was divided into a cross-validation cohort and an independent validation cohort by the ratio of 2:1. Support vector machine with the leave-one-out cross-validation based on 20 cases of PCNSL and 44 cases of GBM was employed to build and validate the differentiation model. Among 16,384 high-throughput features, 1356 features show significant differences between PCNSL and GBM with p < 0.05 and 420 features with p < 0.001. A total of 496 features were finally chosen by improved GA algorithm. The proposed method produces PCNSL vs. GBM differentiation with an area under the curve (AUC) curve of 99.1% (98.2%), accuracy 95.3% (90.6%), sensitivity 85.0% (80.0%) and specificity 100% (95.5%) on the cross-validation cohort (and independent validation cohort). Since the local voxel arrangement characterization provided by SIFT features, proposed method produced more competitive PCNSL and GBM differentiation performance by using conventional MRI than methods based on advanced MRI.
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Jain, Meena; Tandon, Shourya; Sharma, Ankur; Jain, Vishal; Rani Yadav, Nisha
2018-01-01
Background: An appropriate scale to assess the dental anxiety of Hindi speaking population is lacking. This study, therefore, aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of Hindi version of one of the oldest dental anxiety scale, Corah’s Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS) in Hindi speaking Indian adults. Methods: A total of 348 subjects from the outpatient department of a dental hospital in India participated in this cross-sectional study. The scale was cross-culturally adapted by forward and backward translation, committee review and pretesting method. The construct validity of the translated scale was explored with exploratory factor analysis. The correlation of the Hindi version of CDAS with visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to measure the convergent validity. Reliability was assessed through calculations of Cronbach’s alpha and intra class correlation 48 forms were completed for test-retest. Results: Prevalence of dental anxiety in the sample within the age range of 18-80 years was 85.63% [95% CI: 0.815-0.891]. The response rate was 100 %. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test value was 0.776. After factor analysis, a single factor (dental anxiety) was obtained with 4 items.The single factor model explained 61% variance. Pearson correlation coefficient between CDASand VAS was 0.494. Test-retest showed the Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.814. The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient of the total CDAS score was 0.881 [95% CI: 0.318-0.554]. Conclusion: Hindi version of CDAS is a valid and reliable scale to assess dental anxiety in Hindi speaking population. Convergent validity is well recognized but discriminant validity is limited and requires further study. PMID:29744307
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Jain, Meena; Tandon, Shourya; Sharma, Ankur; Jain, Vishal; Rani Yadav, Nisha
2018-01-01
Background: An appropriate scale to assess the dental anxiety of Hindi speaking population is lacking. This study, therefore, aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of Hindi version of one of the oldest dental anxiety scale, Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS) in Hindi speaking Indian adults. Methods: A total of 348 subjects from the outpatient department of a dental hospital in India participated in this cross-sectional study. The scale was cross-culturally adapted by forward and backward translation, committee review and pretesting method. The construct validity of the translated scale was explored with exploratory factor analysis. The correlation of the Hindi version of CDAS with visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to measure the convergent validity. Reliability was assessed through calculations of Cronbach's alpha and intra class correlation 48 forms were completed for test-retest. Results: Prevalence of dental anxiety in the sample within the age range of 18-80 years was 85.63% [95% CI: 0.815-0.891]. The response rate was 100 %. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test value was 0.776. After factor analysis, a single factor (dental anxiety) was obtained with 4 items.The single factor model explained 61% variance. Pearson correlation coefficient between CDASand VAS was 0.494. Test-retest showed the Cronbach's alpha value of 0.814. The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient of the total CDAS score was 0.881 [95% CI: 0.318-0.554]. Conclusion: Hindi version of CDAS is a valid and reliable scale to assess dental anxiety in Hindi speaking population. Convergent validity is well recognized but discriminant validity is limited and requires further study.
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Cross-Validation of the Africentrism Scale.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kwate, Naa Oyo A.
2003-01-01
Cross-validated the Africentrism Scale, investigating the relationship between Africentrism and demographic variables in a diverse sample of individuals of African descent. Results indicated that the scale demonstrated solid internal consistency and convergent validity. Age and education related to Africentrism, with younger and less educated…
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Sierakowska, Matylda; Sierakowski, Stanisław; Sierakowska, Justyna; Horton, Mike; Ndosi, Mwidimi
2015-03-01
To undertake cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the educational needs assessment tool (ENAT) for use with people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) in Poland. The study involved two main phases: (1) cross-cultural adaptation of the ENAT from English into Polish and (2) Cross-cultural validation of Polish Educational Needs Assessment Tool (Pol-ENAT). The first phase followed an established process of cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures. The second phase involved completion of the Pol-ENAT by patients and subjecting the data to Rasch analysis to assess the construct validity, unidimensionality, internal consistency and cross-cultural invariance. An adequate conceptual equivalence was achieved following the adaptation process. The dataset for validation comprised a total of 278 patients, 237 (85.3 %) of which were female. In each disease group (145, RA and 133, SSc), the 7 domains of the Pol-ENAT were found to fit the Rasch model, X (2)(df) = 16.953(14), p = 0.259 and 8.132(14), p = 0.882 for RA and SSc, respectively. Internal consistency of the Pol-ENAT was high (patient separation index = 0.85 and 0.89 for SSc and RA, respectively), and unidimensionality was confirmed. Cross-cultural differential item functioning (DIF) was detected in some subscales, and DIF-adjusted conversion tables were calibrated to enable cross-cultural comparison of data between Poland and the UK. Using a standard process in cross-cultural adaptation, conceptual equivalence was achieved between the original (UK) ENAT and the adapted Pol-ENAT. Fit to the Rasch model, confirmed that the construct validity, unidimensionality and internal consistency of the ENAT have been preserved.
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Korjus, Kristjan; Hebart, Martin N.; Vicente, Raul
2016-01-01
Supervised machine learning methods typically require splitting data into multiple chunks for training, validating, and finally testing classifiers. For finding the best parameters of a classifier, training and validation are usually carried out with cross-validation. This is followed by application of the classifier with optimized parameters to a separate test set for estimating the classifier’s generalization performance. With limited data, this separation of test data creates a difficult trade-off between having more statistical power in estimating generalization performance versus choosing better parameters and fitting a better model. We propose a novel approach that we term “Cross-validation and cross-testing” improving this trade-off by re-using test data without biasing classifier performance. The novel approach is validated using simulated data and electrophysiological recordings in humans and rodents. The results demonstrate that the approach has a higher probability of discovering significant results than the standard approach of cross-validation and testing, while maintaining the nominal alpha level. In contrast to nested cross-validation, which is maximally efficient in re-using data, the proposed approach additionally maintains the interpretability of individual parameters. Taken together, we suggest an addition to currently used machine learning approaches which may be particularly useful in cases where model weights do not require interpretation, but parameters do. PMID:27564393
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Korjus, Kristjan; Hebart, Martin N; Vicente, Raul
2016-01-01
Supervised machine learning methods typically require splitting data into multiple chunks for training, validating, and finally testing classifiers. For finding the best parameters of a classifier, training and validation are usually carried out with cross-validation. This is followed by application of the classifier with optimized parameters to a separate test set for estimating the classifier's generalization performance. With limited data, this separation of test data creates a difficult trade-off between having more statistical power in estimating generalization performance versus choosing better parameters and fitting a better model. We propose a novel approach that we term "Cross-validation and cross-testing" improving this trade-off by re-using test data without biasing classifier performance. The novel approach is validated using simulated data and electrophysiological recordings in humans and rodents. The results demonstrate that the approach has a higher probability of discovering significant results than the standard approach of cross-validation and testing, while maintaining the nominal alpha level. In contrast to nested cross-validation, which is maximally efficient in re-using data, the proposed approach additionally maintains the interpretability of individual parameters. Taken together, we suggest an addition to currently used machine learning approaches which may be particularly useful in cases where model weights do not require interpretation, but parameters do.
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Li, Zhenghua; Cheng, Fansheng; Xia, Zhining
2011-01-01
The chemical structures of 114 polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASHs) have been studied by molecular electronegativity-distance vector (MEDV). The linear relationships between gas chromatographic retention index and the MEDV have been established by a multiple linear regression (MLR) model. The results of variable selection by stepwise multiple regression (SMR) and the powerful predictive abilities of the optimization model appraised by leave-one-out cross-validation showed that the optimization model with the correlation coefficient (R) of 0.994 7 and the cross-validated correlation coefficient (Rcv) of 0.994 0 possessed the best statistical quality. Furthermore, when the 114 PASHs compounds were divided into calibration and test sets in the ratio of 2:1, the statistical analysis showed our models possesses almost equal statistical quality, the very similar regression coefficients and the good robustness. The quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR) model established may provide a convenient and powerful method for predicting the gas chromatographic retention of PASHs.
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Methods to compute reliabilities for genomic predictions of feed intake
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
For new traits without historical reference data, cross-validation is often the preferred method to validate reliability (REL). Time truncation is less useful because few animals gain substantial REL after the truncation point. Accurate cross-validation requires separating genomic gain from pedigree...
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Ebrahimzadeh, Mohammad H; Birjandinejad, Ali; Kachooei, Amir Reza
2015-01-01
We aimed to validate a cross-culturally adapted version of the Persian Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHOQ). We followed the Beaton's guideline to translate the questionnaire to Persian. We administered the final version to 223 patients among which 79 patients returned 3 days later to respond to the Persian MHOQ for the second time. In the first visit, respondents also filled the Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and rated the pain based on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Cronbach's alpha for the total MHOQ was 0.79 which showed good internal consistency. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the total MHOQ was 0.84 which demonstrated good reliability between test and retest. The absolute correlation coefficient between total MHOQ and the DASH was as high as 0.74. Persian version of the MHOQ proved to be a reliable and valid instrument to be implemented among Persian population with the hand and wrist disorders.
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González-Sánchez, Manuel; Ruiz-Muñoz, Maria; Li, Guang Zhi; Cuesta-Vargas, Antonio I
2018-08-01
To perform a cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Foot Function Index (FFI) questionnaire to develop the Chinese version. Three hundred and six patients with foot and ankle neuromusculoskeletal diseases participated in this observational study. Construct validity, internal consistency and criterion validity were calculated for the FFI Chinese version after the translation and transcultural adaptation process. Internal consistency ranged from 0.996 to 0.998. Test-retest analysis ranged from 0.985 to 0.994; minimal detectable change 90: 2.270; standard error of measurement: 0.973. Load distribution of the three factors had an eigenvalue greater than 1. Chi-square value was 9738.14 (p < 0.001). Correlations with the three factors were significant between Factor 1 and the other two: r = -0.634 (Factor 2) and r = -0.191 (Factor 1). Foot Function Index (Taiwan Version), Short-Form 12 (Version 2) and EuroQol-5D were used for criterion validity. Factors 1 and 2 showed significant correlation with 15/16 and 14/16 scales and subscales, respectively. Foot Function Index Chinese version psychometric characteristics were good to excellent. Chinese researchers and clinicians may use this tool for foot and ankle assessment and monitoring. Implications for rehabilitation A cross-cultural adaptation of the FFI has been done from original version to Chinese. Consistent results and satisfactory psychometric properties of the Foot Function Index Chinese version have been reported. For Chinese speaking researcher and clinician FFI-Ch could be used as a tool to assess patients with foot disease.
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Chen, Po-Yi; Yang, Chien-Ming; Morin, Charles M
2015-05-01
The purpose of this study is to examine the factor structure of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) across samples recruited from different countries. We tried to identify the most appropriate factor model for the ISI and further examined the measurement invariance property of the ISI across samples from different countries. Our analyses included one data set collected from a Taiwanese sample and two data sets obtained from samples in Hong Kong and Canada. The data set collected in Taiwan was analyzed with ordinal exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to obtain the appropriate factor model for the ISI. After that, we conducted a series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs), which is a special case of the structural equation model (SEM) that concerns the parameters in the measurement model, to the statistics collected in Canada and Hong Kong. The purposes of these CFA were to cross-validate the result obtained from EFA and further examine the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the ISI. The three-factor model outperforms other models in terms of global fit indices in Taiwan's population. Its external validity is also supported by confirmatory factor analyses. Furthermore, the measurement invariance analyses show that the strong invariance property between the samples from different cultures holds, providing evidence that the ISI results obtained in different cultures are comparable. The factorial validity of the ISI is stable in different populations. More importantly, its invariance property across cultures suggests that the ISI is a valid measure of the insomnia severity construct across countries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wayson, Michael B.; Bolch, Wesley E.
2018-04-01
Various computational tools are currently available that facilitate patient organ dosimetry in diagnostic nuclear medicine, yet they are typically restricted to reporting organ doses to ICRP-defined reference phantoms. The present study, while remaining computational phantom based, provides straightforward tools to adjust reference phantom organ dose for both internal photon and electron sources. A wide variety of monoenergetic specific absorbed fractions were computed using radiation transport simulations for tissue spheres of varying size and separation distance. Scaling methods were then constructed for both photon and electron self-dose and cross-dose, with data validation provided from patient-specific voxel phantom simulations, as well as via comparison to the scaling methodology given in MIRD Pamphlet No. 11. Photon and electron self-dose was found to be dependent on both radiation energy and sphere size. Photon cross-dose was found to be mostly independent of sphere size. Electron cross-dose was found to be dependent on sphere size when the spheres were in close proximity, owing to differences in electron range. The validation studies showed that this dataset was more effective than the MIRD 11 method at predicting patient-specific photon doses for at both high and low energies, but gave similar results at photon energies between 100 keV and 1 MeV. The MIRD 11 method for electron self-dose scaling was accurate for lower energies but began to break down at higher energies. The photon cross-dose scaling methodology developed in this study showed gains in accuracy of up to 9% for actual patient studies, and the electron cross-dose scaling methodology showed gains in accuracy up to 9% as well when only the bremsstrahlung component of the cross-dose was scaled. These dose scaling methods are readily available for incorporation into internal dosimetry software for diagnostic phantom-based organ dosimetry.
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Wayson, Michael B; Bolch, Wesley E
2018-04-13
Various computational tools are currently available that facilitate patient organ dosimetry in diagnostic nuclear medicine, yet they are typically restricted to reporting organ doses to ICRP-defined reference phantoms. The present study, while remaining computational phantom based, provides straightforward tools to adjust reference phantom organ dose for both internal photon and electron sources. A wide variety of monoenergetic specific absorbed fractions were computed using radiation transport simulations for tissue spheres of varying size and separation distance. Scaling methods were then constructed for both photon and electron self-dose and cross-dose, with data validation provided from patient-specific voxel phantom simulations, as well as via comparison to the scaling methodology given in MIRD Pamphlet No. 11. Photon and electron self-dose was found to be dependent on both radiation energy and sphere size. Photon cross-dose was found to be mostly independent of sphere size. Electron cross-dose was found to be dependent on sphere size when the spheres were in close proximity, owing to differences in electron range. The validation studies showed that this dataset was more effective than the MIRD 11 method at predicting patient-specific photon doses for at both high and low energies, but gave similar results at photon energies between 100 keV and 1 MeV. The MIRD 11 method for electron self-dose scaling was accurate for lower energies but began to break down at higher energies. The photon cross-dose scaling methodology developed in this study showed gains in accuracy of up to 9% for actual patient studies, and the electron cross-dose scaling methodology showed gains in accuracy up to 9% as well when only the bremsstrahlung component of the cross-dose was scaled. These dose scaling methods are readily available for incorporation into internal dosimetry software for diagnostic phantom-based organ dosimetry.
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Li, Shun-Lai; He, Mao-Yu; Du, Hong-Guang
2011-01-01
The active metabolite of the novel immunosuppressive agent leflunomide has been shown to inhibit the enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). This enzyme catalyzes the fourth step in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. Self-organizing molecular field analysis (SOMFA), a simple three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) method is used to study the correlation between the molecular properties and the biological activities of a series of analogues of the active metabolite. The statistical results, cross-validated rCV2 (0.664) and non cross-validated r2 (0.687), show a good predictive ability. The final SOMFA model provides a better understanding of DHODH inhibitor-enzyme interactions, and may be useful for further modification and improvement of inhibitors of this important enzyme. PMID:21686163
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Multisample cross-validation of a model of childhood posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology.
Anthony, Jason L; Lonigan, Christopher J; Vernberg, Eric M; Greca, Annette M La; Silverman, Wendy K; Prinstein, Mitchell J
2005-12-01
This study is the latest advancement of our research aimed at best characterizing children's posttraumatic stress reactions. In a previous study, we compared existing nosologic and empirical models of PTSD dimensionality and determined the superior model was a hierarchical one with three symptom clusters (Intrusion/Active Avoidance, Numbing/Passive Avoidance, and Arousal; Anthony, Lonigan, & Hecht, 1999). In this study, we cross-validate this model in two populations. Participants were 396 fifth graders who were exposed to either Hurricane Andrew or Hurricane Hugo. Multisample confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated the model's factorial invariance across populations who experienced traumatic events that differed in severity. These results show the model's robustness to characterize children's posttraumatic stress reactions. Implications for diagnosis, classification criteria, and an empirically supported theory of PTSD are discussed.
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Küçükdeveci, Ayse A; Sahin, Hülya; Ataman, Sebnem; Griffiths, Bridget; Tennant, Alan
2004-02-15
Guidelines have been established for cross-cultural adaptation of outcome measures. However, invariance across cultures must also be demonstrated through analysis of Differential Item Functioning (DIF). This is tested in the context of a Turkish adaptation of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). Internal construct validity of the adapted HAQ is assessed by Rasch analysis; reliability, by internal consistency and the intraclass correlation coefficient; external construct validity, by association with impairments and American College of Rheumatology functional stages. Cross-cultural validity is tested through DIF by comparison with data from the UK version of the HAQ. The adapted version of the HAQ demonstrated good internal construct validity through fit of the data to the Rasch model (mean item fit 0.205; SD 0.998). Reliability was excellent (alpha = 0.97) and external construct validity was confirmed by expected associations. DIF for culture was found in only 1 item. Cross-cultural validity was found to be sufficient for use in international studies between the UK and Turkey. Future adaptation of instruments should include analysis of DIF at the field testing stage in the adaptation process.
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The Cross Validation of the Attitudes toward Mainstreaming Scale (ATMS).
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Berryman, Joan D.; Neal, W. R. Jr.
1980-01-01
Reliability and factorial validity of the Attitudes Toward Mainstreaming Scale was supported in a cross-validation study with teachers. Three factors emerged: learning capability, general mainstreaming, and traditional limiting disabilities. Factor intercorrelations varied from .42 to .55; correlations between total scores and individual factors…
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Angers, Magalie; Svotelis, Amy; Balg, Frederic; Allard, Jean-Pascal
2016-04-01
The Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS) is a self-administered score specific for ankle osteoarthritis (OA) with excellent reliability and strong construct and criterion validity. Many recent randomized multicentre trials have used the AOS, and the involvement of the French-speaking population is limited by the absence of a French version. Our goal was to develop a French version and validate the psychometric properties to assure equivalence to the original English version. Translation was performed according to American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2000 guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation. Similar to the validation process of the English AOS, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the French version (AOS-Fr): criterion validity (AOS-Fr v. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index [WOMAC] and SF-36 scores), construct validity (AOS-Fr correlation to single heel-lift test), and reliability (AOS-Fr test-retest). Sixty healthy individuals tested a prefinal version of the AOS-Fr for comprehension, leading to modifications and a final version that was approved by C. Saltzman, author of the AOS. We then recruited patients with ankle OA for evaluation of the AOS-Fr psychometric properties. Twenty-eight patients with ankle OA participated in the evaluation. The AOS-Fr showed strong criterion validity (AOS:WOMAC r = 0.709 and AOS:SF-36 r = -0.654) and construct validity (r = 0.664) and proved to be reliable (test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.922). The AOS-Fr is a reliable and valid score equivalent to the English version in terms of psychometric properties, thus is available for use in multicentre trials.
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Translation and validation of a Spanish version of the xerostomia inventory.
Serrano, Carlos; Fariña, María P; Pérez, Cristhian; Fernández, Marcos; Forman, Katherine; Carrasco, Mauricio
2016-12-01
The aim of this study was to validate a Spanish cross-cultural adaptation of the xerostomia inventory (XI). The original English version of XI was translated into Spanish, cross-culturally adapted and field tested. The Spanish version of XI (XI-Sp) was tested with a sample of 41 patients with xerostomia. The reliability of the XI-Sp was determined through internal consistency and test-retest methods. The construct validity of XI-Sp was determined by means of correlation between XI-Sp scores and salivary flow measurements. Overall XI-Sp scores were 40.8 (SD = 10) for the first application and 40.2 (SD = 9.5) for the second. Cronbach's alpha value for the XI-Sp was 0.89 and 0.87, respectively, while interitem correlation averages were r = 0.44 and r = 0.39 for each application. Interitem correlation and corrected total was r c ≥0.30. The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient value for the XI-Sp score was 0.59 and 0.91. Convergent validity for construct validity correlation with salivary flow showed a medium effect size (r 2 = 0.10) for the first application but did not make a statistically significant prediction for the second (r 2 = 0.7). This study provides evidence concerning the reliability of the XI-Sp, showing that it may be a useful tool for Spanish-speaking xerostomia patients for both clinical and epidemiologic research. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Del Castillo, Letícia Nunes Carreras; Leporace, Gustavo; Cardinot, Themis Moura; Levy, Roger Abramino; Oliveira, Liszt Palmeira de
2013-01-01
CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE The Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS) is a clinical evaluation questionnaire that was developed in the English language to evaluate hip function in young and physically active patients. The aims of this study were to translate this questionnaire into the Brazilian Portuguese language, to adapt it to Brazilian culture and to validate it. DESIGN AND SETTING Cohort study conducted between 2008 and 2010, at Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). METHODS Questions about physical activities and household chores were modified to better fit Brazilian culture. Reproducibility, internal consistency and validity (correlations with the Algofunctional Lequesne Index and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index [WOMAC]) were tested. The NAHS-Brazil, Lequesne and WOMAC questionnaires were applied to 64 young and physically active patients (mean age, 40.9 years; 31 women). RESULTS The intraclass correlation coefficient (which measures reproducibility) was 0.837 (P < 0.001). Bland-Altman plots revealed a mean error in the difference between the two measurements of 0.42. The internal consistency was confirmed through a Cronbach alpha of 0.944. The validity between NAHS-Brazil and Lequesne and between NAHS-Brazil and WOMAC showed high correlations, r = 0.7340 and r = 0.9073, respectively. NAHS-Brazil showed good validity with no floor or ceiling effects. CONCLUSION The NAHS was translated into the Brazilian Portuguese language and was cross-culturally adapted to Brazilian culture. It was shown to be a useful tool in clinical practice for assessing the quality of life of young and physically active patients with hip pain.
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Piette, Elizabeth R; Moore, Jason H
2018-01-01
Machine learning methods and conventions are increasingly employed for the analysis of large, complex biomedical data sets, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Reproducibility of machine learning analyses of GWAS can be hampered by biological and statistical factors, particularly so for the investigation of non-additive genetic interactions. Application of traditional cross validation to a GWAS data set may result in poor consistency between the training and testing data set splits due to an imbalance of the interaction genotypes relative to the data as a whole. We propose a new cross validation method, proportional instance cross validation (PICV), that preserves the original distribution of an independent variable when splitting the data set into training and testing partitions. We apply PICV to simulated GWAS data with epistatic interactions of varying minor allele frequencies and prevalences and compare performance to that of a traditional cross validation procedure in which individuals are randomly allocated to training and testing partitions. Sensitivity and positive predictive value are significantly improved across all tested scenarios for PICV compared to traditional cross validation. We also apply PICV to GWAS data from a study of primary open-angle glaucoma to investigate a previously-reported interaction, which fails to significantly replicate; PICV however improves the consistency of testing and training results. Application of traditional machine learning procedures to biomedical data may require modifications to better suit intrinsic characteristics of the data, such as the potential for highly imbalanced genotype distributions in the case of epistasis detection. The reproducibility of genetic interaction findings can be improved by considering this variable imbalance in cross validation implementation, such as with PICV. This approach may be extended to problems in other domains in which imbalanced variable distributions are a concern.
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Sex estimation from measurements of the first rib in a contemporary Polish population.
Kubicka, Anna Maria; Piontek, Janusz
2016-01-01
The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of sex assessment using measurements of the first rib from computed tomography (CT) to develop a discriminant formula. Four discriminant formulae were derived based on CT imaging of the right first rib of 85 female and 91 male Polish patients of known age and sex. In direct discriminant analysis, the first equation consisted of all first rib variables; the second included measurements of the rib body; the third comprised only two measurements of the sternal end of the first rib. The stepwise method selected the four best variables from all measurements. The discriminant function equation was then tested on a cross-validated group consisting of 23 females and 24 males. The direct discriminant analysis showed that sex assessment was possible in 81.5% of cases in the first group and in 91.5% in the cross-validated group when all variables for the first rib were included. The average accuracy for the original group for rib body and sternal end was 80.9 and 67.9%, respectively. The percentages of correctly assigned individuals for the functions based on the rib body and sternal end in the cross-validated group were 76.6 and 85.0%, respectively. Higher average accuracies were obtained for stepwise discriminant analysis: 83.1% for the original group and 91.2% for the cross-validated group. The exterior edge, anterior-posterior of the sternal end, and depth of the arc were the most reliable parameters. Our results suggest that the first rib is dimorphic and that the described method can be used for sex assessment.
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Environment and Teacher Interpersonal Behaviour in Secondary Science Classes in Korea.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kim, Heui-Baik; Fisher, Darrell L.; Fraser, Barry J.
2000-01-01
Studied classroom learning environment and teacher behavior in 12 Korean schools through questionnaires administered to 543 eighth graders. Results, which support the cross-cultural validity of both measures, show positive relationships between classroom environment and interpersonal teacher behavior and students' attitudinal outcome. Boys…
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Aldrees, Turki; Almubarak, Zaid; Hassouneh, Basil; Albosaily, Ahamed; Aloulah, Mohammad; Almasoud, Mai; Alsaleh, Saad
2018-01-01
Disease-specific quality of life instruments assess the impact of chronic rhinosinusitis on patients' quality of life (QoL). To the extent of our knowledge, there are no Arabic versions of two instruments-the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI) and the Chronic Sinusitis Survey (CSS). Develop an Arabic-validated version of both instruments, thus allowing its use among the Arabic population. Prospective cross-sectional study for instrument validation. Tertiary university hospital. This study was conducted between September 2015 and October 2016. We followed the international comprehensive guidelines for translation and cross-cultural adaptation of QoL instruments. Test-retest reliability, discriminant validity, and responsiveness ability of both the RSDI and CSS Arabic versions. 124. The sample comprised 75 patients diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis and 49 healthy control subjects. The Arabic version of both instruments showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: RSDI=0.97, CSS=.88) and the ability to differentiate between diseased and healthy volunteers (P less than .0001). The translated versions also detected significant change in response to an intervention (P less than .0001). These Arabic validated versions of the RSDI and CSS can be used for both clinical and research purposes. This study was performed in only one tertiary hospital. None.
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Kim, Kyoung-Eun; Lim, Jae-Young
2011-01-01
The Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) is a reliable tool for evaluating disability in patients with back pain, but no Korean version has been published and validated. We developed a cross-culturally adapted Korean version of the RMDQ (RMDQ-K) and validated its use for assessing disability in Korean patients with low back pain. Two hundred thirty-one patients with low back pain were assessed using the RMDQ-K, visual analog scale (VAS) during rest and activity, and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The results of 40 patients were used to evaluate the test-retest reliability. The correlations of the RMDQ-K with the VAS and ODI were used to assess validity. The reliability of the RMDQ-K estimated using the internal consistency reached a Cronbach's alpha of 0.893. Test-retest trials showed a high intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.837 (95% CI 0.833-0.953). The RMDQ-K was significantly correlated with the ODI (r=0.738) and VAS during rest (r=0.450) and activity (r=0.412). This study demonstrates that the RMDQ-K is a reliable, valid instrument for measuring of disability in Korean patients with low back pain.
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Kosugi, Eduardo Macoto; Chen, Vitor Guo; Fonseca, Viviane Maria Guerreiro da; Cursino, Milena Martins Pellogia; Mendes Neto, José Arruda; Gregório, Luís Carlos
2011-01-01
Quality of life questionnaires have been increasingly used in clinical trials to help establish the impact of medical intervention or to assess the outcome of health care services. Among disease-specific outcome measures, SNOT-22 was considered the most suitable tool for assessing chronic rhinosinusitis and patients with nasal polyps. To perform translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the SNOT-22 to Brazilian Portuguese. Prospective study involving eighty-nine patients with chronic rhinosinusitis or nasal polyps submitted to functional endoscopic sinus surgery, who answered the questionnaire before and after surgery. Furthermore, 113 volunteers without sinonasal disease also answered the questionnaire. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, measure validity, responsiveness and clinical interpretability were assessed. Mean preoperative, postoperative and no sinonasal disease scores were 62.39, 23.09 and 11.42, respectively (p<0.0001); showing validity and responsiveness. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.9276). Reliability was sufficiently good, considering inter-interviewers (r=0.81) and intra-interviewers within a 10 to 14 day-interval (r=0.72). Surgery effect size was 1.55. Minimally important difference was 14 points; and scores up to 10 points were considered normal. The Brazilian Portuguese SNOT-22 version is a valid instrument to assess patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps.
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Exact Analysis of Squared Cross-Validity Coefficient in Predictive Regression Models
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shieh, Gwowen
2009-01-01
In regression analysis, the notion of population validity is of theoretical interest for describing the usefulness of the underlying regression model, whereas the presumably more important concept of population cross-validity represents the predictive effectiveness for the regression equation in future research. It appears that the inference…
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Mota-Anaya, Evelin; Yumpo-Cárdenas, Daniel; Alva-Bravo, Edmundo; Wright-Nunes, Julie; Mayta-Tristán, Percy
2016-08-08
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 50 million people globally. Several studies show the importance of implementing interventions that enhance patients knowledge about their disease. In 2011 the Kidney Disease Knowledge Survey (KiKS) was developed: a questionnaire that assesses the specific knowledge about chronic kidney disease in pre-dialysis patients. To translate to Spanish, culturally adapt and validate the Kidney Disease Knowledge Survey questionnaire in a population of patients with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease. We carried out a Spanish translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Kidney Disease Knowledge Survey questionnaire. Subsequently, we determined its validity and reliability. We determined the validity through construct validity; and reliability by evaluating its internal consistency and its intra-observer reliability (test-retest). We found a good internal consistency (Kuder-Richardson = 0.85). The intra-observer reliability was measured by the intra-class correlation coefficient that yielded a value of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.5-1.0). This value indicated a good reproducibility; also, the mean difference of -1.1 test-retest SD 6.0 (p = 0.369) confirms this finding. The translated Spanish version of the Kidney Disease Knowledge Survey is acceptable and equivalent to the original version; it also has a good reliability, validity and reproducibility. Therefore, it can be used in a population of patients with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease.
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Deon, Keila Cristiane; Santos, Danielle Maria de Souza Sério dos; Bullinger, Monika; Santos, Claudia Benedita dos
2011-12-01
To assess preliminary psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of a questionnaire for measuring health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with atopic dermatitis. Cross-sectional study with a sample consisting of 52 children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, and their parents or caregivers, selected at the dermatology department of a university hospital in the city of São Paulo, Southeast Brazil, in 2009. Construct validity, internal consistency and agreement between the responses of children and adolescents and their parents or caregivers were assessed in the Brazilian Portuguese version of the DISABKIDS-Atopic Dermatitis Module (ADM). Adequate internal consistency was found with Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.7024/0.8124 and 0.7239/0.8604. The multitrait multimethod analysis for assessing convergent validity showed measures higher than 0.30 for all items. The analysis showed good discriminant validity. Agreement between child self-report and parent proxy-report was evaluated using intra-class correlation with measures impact and social stigma of disease of 0.8173 and 0.7629, respectively. The study results showed that the DISABKIDS-ADM can be used by Brazilian researchers after its complete validation as it showed adequate preliminary psychometric properties and can be considered a valid, reliable instrument.
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Concurrent Validity of the International Family Quality of Life Survey.
Samuel, Preethy S; Pociask, Fredrick D; DiZazzo-Miller, Rosanne; Carrellas, Ann; LeRoy, Barbara W
2016-01-01
The measurement of the social construct of Family Quality of Life (FQOL) is a parsimonious alternative to the current approach of measuring familial outcomes using a battery of tools related to individual-level outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the International FQOL Survey (FQOLS-2006), using cross-sectional data collected from 65 family caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. It shows a moderate correlation between the total FQOL scores of the FQOLS-2006 and the Beach Center's FQOL scale. The validity of five FQOLS-2006 domains was supported by the correlations between conceptually related domains.
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The reliability and validity of the SF-8 with a conflict-affected population in northern Uganda.
Roberts, Bayard; Browne, John; Ocaka, Kaducu Felix; Oyok, Thomas; Sondorp, Egbert
2008-12-02
The SF-8 is a health-related quality of life instrument that could provide a useful means of assessing general physical and mental health amongst populations affected by conflict. The purpose of this study was to test the validity and reliability of the SF-8 with a conflict-affected population in northern Uganda. A cross-sectional multi-staged, random cluster survey was conducted with 1206 adults in camps for internally displaced persons in Gulu and Amuru districts of northern Uganda. Data quality was assessed by analysing the number of incomplete responses to SF-8 items. Response distribution was analysed using aggregate endorsement frequency. Test-retest reliability was assessed in a separate smaller survey using the intraclass correlation test. Construct validity was measured using principal component analysis, and the Pearson Correlation test for item-summary score correlation and inter-instrument correlations. Known groups validity was assessed using a two sample t-test to evaluates the ability of the SF-8 to discriminate between groups known to have, and not have, physical and mental health problems. The SF-8 showed excellent data quality. It showed acceptable item response distribution based upon analysis of aggregate endorsement frequencies. Test-retest showed a good intraclass correlation of 0.61 for PCS and 0.68 for MCS. The principal component analysis indicated strong construct validity and concurred with the results of the validity tests by the SF-8 developers. The SF-8 also showed strong construct validity between the 8 items and PCS and MCS summary score, moderate inter-instrument validity, and strong known groups validity. This study provides evidence on the reliability and validity of the SF-8 amongst IDPs in northern Uganda.
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The reliability and validity of the SF-8 with a conflict-affected population in northern Uganda
Roberts, Bayard; Browne, John; Ocaka, Kaducu Felix; Oyok, Thomas; Sondorp, Egbert
2008-01-01
Background The SF-8 is a health-related quality of life instrument that could provide a useful means of assessing general physical and mental health amongst populations affected by conflict. The purpose of this study was to test the validity and reliability of the SF-8 with a conflict-affected population in northern Uganda. Methods A cross-sectional multi-staged, random cluster survey was conducted with 1206 adults in camps for internally displaced persons in Gulu and Amuru districts of northern Uganda. Data quality was assessed by analysing the number of incomplete responses to SF-8 items. Response distribution was analysed using aggregate endorsement frequency. Test-retest reliability was assessed in a separate smaller survey using the intraclass correlation test. Construct validity was measured using principal component analysis, and the Pearson Correlation test for item-summary score correlation and inter-instrument correlations. Known groups validity was assessed using a two sample t-test to evaluates the ability of the SF-8 to discriminate between groups known to have, and not have, physical and mental health problems. Results The SF-8 showed excellent data quality. It showed acceptable item response distribution based upon analysis of aggregate endorsement frequencies. Test-retest showed a good intraclass correlation of 0.61 for PCS and 0.68 for MCS. The principal component analysis indicated strong construct validity and concurred with the results of the validity tests by the SF-8 developers. The SF-8 also showed strong construct validity between the 8 items and PCS and MCS summary score, moderate inter-instrument validity, and strong known groups validity. Conclusion This study provides evidence on the reliability and validity of the SF-8 amongst IDPs in northern Uganda. PMID:19055716
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Simple shoulder test and Oxford Shoulder Score: Persian translation and cross-cultural validation.
Naghdi, Soofia; Nakhostin Ansari, Noureddin; Rustaie, Nilufar; Akbari, Mohammad; Ebadi, Safoora; Senobari, Maryam; Hasson, Scott
2015-12-01
To translate, culturally adapt, and validate the simple shoulder test (SST) and Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) into Persian language using a cross-sectional and prospective cohort design. A standard forward and backward translation was followed to culturally adapt the SST and the OSS into Persian language. Psychometric properties of floor and ceiling effects, construct convergent validity, discriminant validity, internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, standard error of the measurement (SEM), smallest detectable change (SDC), and factor structure were determined. One hundred patients with shoulder disorders and 50 healthy subjects participated in the study. The PSST and the POSS showed no missing responses. No floor or ceiling effects were observed. Both the PSST and POSS detected differences between patients and healthy subjects supporting their discriminant validity. Construct convergent validity was confirmed by a very good correlation between the PSST and POSS (r = 0.68). There was high internal consistency for both the PSST (α = 0.73) and the POSS (α = 0.91 and 0.92). Test-retest reliability with 1-week interval was excellent (ICCagreement = 0.94 for PSST and 0.90 for POSS). Factor analyses demonstrated a three-factor solution for the PSST (49.7 % of variance) and a two-factor solution for the POSS (61.6 % of variance). The SEM/SDC was satisfactory for PSST (5.5/15.3) and POSS (6.8/18.8). The PSST and POSS are valid and reliable outcome measures for assessing functional limitations in Persian-speaking patients with shoulder disorders.
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Kuzmanova, Rumyana; Stefanova, Irina; Velcheva, Irena; Stambolieva, Katerina
2014-10-01
Adverse effects (AEs) of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) affect the quality of life of patients with epilepsy and their outcomes. There are no questionnaires or studies on the reliability and validity of instruments measuring AEs of AEDs in patients with epilepsy in Bulgarian language. The aim of the present study was the translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the LAEP in the Bulgarian language in order to use it in the Bulgarian-speaking population in providing a reliable instrument for the clinical monitoring of patients with epilepsy. One hundred thirty-one patients (57 men and 74 women, mean age: 40.13±13.37 years) took part in the investigation. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were tested by Cronbach's α and ICC estimations. The convergent construct validity was tested by estimating the correlation of the LAEP-BG with the QOLIE-89 and the discriminant validity by evaluating the difference between LAEP-BG scores and clinical parameters such as the type of epilepsy using Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA. The LAEP-BG showed high internal consistency and reliability. The Cronbach's α of the total scale was 0.86. No significant differences between the Cronbach's α coefficients of the total LAEP-BG and original English, Chinese, Spanish, Korean, and Portuguese-Brazilian versions of the questionnaire were observed. The ICCs, which evaluate the test-retest reliability, were higher than the recommended value of 0.75 and determined the strong positive correlations between the first and second examinations. The creation of two subscales "Neurological and psychiatric side effects" and "Non neurological side effects" of the LAEP-BG proposed by us showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α of 0.85 and 0.71, respectively). The LAEP-BG scores significantly correlated with other questionnaires such as the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-89 (QOLIE-89) and showed a good discriminative validity between groups with different levels of self-assessed AEs of AEDs. The Bulgarian version of the Liverpool Adverse Event Profile (LAEP) is a reliable and valid tool in assessing the patient-reported AEs of AEDs and their impact on the patient's outcome. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Guidelines To Validate Control of Cross-Contamination during Washing of Fresh-Cut Leafy Vegetables.
Gombas, D; Luo, Y; Brennan, J; Shergill, G; Petran, R; Walsh, R; Hau, H; Khurana, K; Zomorodi, B; Rosen, J; Varley, R; Deng, K
2017-02-01
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires food processors to implement and validate processes that will result in significantly minimizing or preventing the occurrence of hazards that are reasonably foreseeable in food production. During production of fresh-cut leafy vegetables, microbial contamination that may be present on the product can spread throughout the production batch when the product is washed, thus increasing the risk of illnesses. The use of antimicrobials in the wash water is a critical step in preventing such water-mediated cross-contamination; however, many factors can affect antimicrobial efficacy in the production of fresh-cut leafy vegetables, and the procedures for validating this key preventive control have not been articulated. Producers may consider three options for validating antimicrobial washing as a preventive control for cross-contamination. Option 1 involves the use of a surrogate for the microbial hazard and the demonstration that cross-contamination is prevented by the antimicrobial wash. Option 2 involves the use of antimicrobial sensors and the demonstration that a critical antimicrobial level is maintained during worst-case operating conditions. Option 3 validates the placement of the sensors in the processing equipment with the demonstration that a critical antimicrobial level is maintained at all locations, regardless of operating conditions. These validation options developed for fresh-cut leafy vegetables may serve as examples for validating processes that prevent cross-contamination during washing of other fresh produce commodities.
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Cid, Luis; Lettnin, Carla; Stobäus, Claus; Monteiro, Diogo; Davoglio, Tárcia; Moutão, João
2016-02-19
The main propose of this study is the cross-cultural validation of the Basic Psychological Needs in Physical Education Scale among Portugal and Brazil samples, through the study of measurement model invariance. Participated in this study, two independent samples, one with 616 Portuguese students, of the 2nd and 3rd basic grade of public school, aged between 9 and 18 years old and another with 450 Brazilian students, from 1st, 2nd and 3rd middle grade of public and private school, aged between 14 and 18 years old. The results support the suitability of the model (three factors, each one with four items), showing an adequate fit to the data in each sample (Portugal: χ2 = 203.8, p = .001, df = 51, SRMR = .062, NNFI = .926, CFI = .943, RMSEA = .070, RMSEA 90% IC = .060-.080; Brazil: χ2 = 173.7, p = .001, df = 51, SRMR = .052, NNFI = .940, CFI = .954, RMSEA = .073, RMSEA 90% IC = .061-.085), as well valid cross-cultural invariance among Portuguese e Brazilian samples (∆CFI ≤ .01). Those findings allow us to conclude that scale can be used to measure the basic psychological needs in physical education in Portugal and in Brazil.
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Medin, Anine Christine; Carlsen, Monica Hauger; Andersen, Lene Frost
2016-12-01
To validate estimated intakes of carotenoid-rich foods from a web-based food recall (WebFR) using carotenoids in blood as an objective reference method. Cross-sectional validation study using carotenoids in plasma to evaluate estimated intakes of selected carotenoid-rich foods. Participants recorded their food intake in the WebFR and plasma concentrations of β-carotene, α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin were measured. Schools and homes of families in a suburb of the capital of Norway. A total of 261 participants in the age groups 8-9 and 12-14 years. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients ranged from 0·30 to 0·44, and cross-classification showed that 71·6-76·6 % of the participants were correctly classified, when comparing the reported intakes of carotenoid-rich foods and concentrations of the corresponding carotenoids in plasma, not including lutein and zeaxanthin. Correlations were acceptable and cross-classification analyses demonstrated that the WebFR was able to rank participants according to their reported intake of foods rich in α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin and lycopene. The WebFR is a promising tool for dietary assessment among children and adolescents.
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The early maximum likelihood estimation model of audiovisual integration in speech perception.
Andersen, Tobias S
2015-05-01
Speech perception is facilitated by seeing the articulatory mouth movements of the talker. This is due to perceptual audiovisual integration, which also causes the McGurk-MacDonald illusion, and for which a comprehensive computational account is still lacking. Decades of research have largely focused on the fuzzy logical model of perception (FLMP), which provides excellent fits to experimental observations but also has been criticized for being too flexible, post hoc and difficult to interpret. The current study introduces the early maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) model of audiovisual integration to speech perception along with three model variations. In early MLE, integration is based on a continuous internal representation before categorization, which can make the model more parsimonious by imposing constraints that reflect experimental designs. The study also shows that cross-validation can evaluate models of audiovisual integration based on typical data sets taking both goodness-of-fit and model flexibility into account. All models were tested on a published data set previously used for testing the FLMP. Cross-validation favored the early MLE while more conventional error measures favored more complex models. This difference between conventional error measures and cross-validation was found to be indicative of over-fitting in more complex models such as the FLMP.
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Altmann, Tobias; Roth, Marcus
2018-01-01
Self-esteem stability describes fluctuations in the level of self-esteem experienced by individuals over a brief period of time. In recent decades, self-esteem stability has repeatedly been shown to be an important variable affecting psychological functioning. However, measures of self-esteem stability are few and lacking in validity. In this paper, we present the Self-Esteem Stability Scale (SESS), a unidimensional and very brief scale to directly assess self-esteem stability. In four studies (total N = 826), we describe the development of the SESS and present evidence for its validity with respect to individual outcomes (life satisfaction, neuroticism, and vulnerable narcissism) and dyadic outcomes (relationship satisfaction in self- and partner ratings) through direct comparisons with existing measures. The new SESS proved to be a stronger predictor than the existing scales and had incremental validity over and above self-esteem level. The results also showed that all cross-sectional measures of self-esteem stability were only moderately associated with variability in self-esteem levels assessed longitudinally with multiple administrations of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. We discuss this validity issue, arguing that direct and indirect assessment approaches measure relevant, yet different aspects of self-esteem stability. PMID:29487551
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Altmann, Tobias; Roth, Marcus
2018-01-01
Self-esteem stability describes fluctuations in the level of self-esteem experienced by individuals over a brief period of time. In recent decades, self-esteem stability has repeatedly been shown to be an important variable affecting psychological functioning. However, measures of self-esteem stability are few and lacking in validity. In this paper, we present the Self-Esteem Stability Scale (SESS), a unidimensional and very brief scale to directly assess self-esteem stability. In four studies (total N = 826), we describe the development of the SESS and present evidence for its validity with respect to individual outcomes (life satisfaction, neuroticism, and vulnerable narcissism) and dyadic outcomes (relationship satisfaction in self- and partner ratings) through direct comparisons with existing measures. The new SESS proved to be a stronger predictor than the existing scales and had incremental validity over and above self-esteem level. The results also showed that all cross-sectional measures of self-esteem stability were only moderately associated with variability in self-esteem levels assessed longitudinally with multiple administrations of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. We discuss this validity issue, arguing that direct and indirect assessment approaches measure relevant, yet different aspects of self-esteem stability.
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Cross-modal face recognition using multi-matcher face scores
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zheng, Yufeng; Blasch, Erik
2015-05-01
The performance of face recognition can be improved using information fusion of multimodal images and/or multiple algorithms. When multimodal face images are available, cross-modal recognition is meaningful for security and surveillance applications. For example, a probe face is a thermal image (especially at nighttime), while only visible face images are available in the gallery database. Matching a thermal probe face onto the visible gallery faces requires crossmodal matching approaches. A few such studies were implemented in facial feature space with medium recognition performance. In this paper, we propose a cross-modal recognition approach, where multimodal faces are cross-matched in feature space and the recognition performance is enhanced with stereo fusion at image, feature and/or score level. In the proposed scenario, there are two cameras for stereo imaging, two face imagers (visible and thermal images) in each camera, and three recognition algorithms (circular Gaussian filter, face pattern byte, linear discriminant analysis). A score vector is formed with three cross-matched face scores from the aforementioned three algorithms. A classifier (e.g., k-nearest neighbor, support vector machine, binomial logical regression [BLR]) is trained then tested with the score vectors by using 10-fold cross validations. The proposed approach was validated with a multispectral stereo face dataset from 105 subjects. Our experiments show very promising results: ACR (accuracy rate) = 97.84%, FAR (false accept rate) = 0.84% when cross-matching the fused thermal faces onto the fused visible faces by using three face scores and the BLR classifier.
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WISC-R Types of Learning Disabilities: A Profile Analysis with Cross-Validation.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Holcomb, William R.; And Others
1987-01-01
Profiles (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised) of 119 children in five learning disability programs were placed in six homogeneous groups using cluster analysis. One group showed superior intelligence quotient (IQ) with motor coordination deficits and severe emotional problems, while three groups represented children with low IQs…
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Highlights of Programmatic, Interdisciplinary Research on Writing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Berninger, Virginia W.
2009-01-01
An overview of research topics and findings from an interdisciplinary, programmatic line of research on writing over the past 25 years is presented. The cross-sectional assessment studies (grades 1 to 9) showed which measures uniquely explained variance in handwriting, spelling, and composing and thus validated their use in assessment. These and…
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Reliable Digit Span: A Systematic Review and Cross-Validation Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schroeder, Ryan W.; Twumasi-Ankrah, Philip; Baade, Lyle E.; Marshall, Paul S.
2012-01-01
Reliable Digit Span (RDS) is a heavily researched symptom validity test with a recent literature review yielding more than 20 studies ranging in dates from 1994 to 2011. Unfortunately, limitations within some of the research minimize clinical generalizability. This systematic review and cross-validation study was conducted to address these…
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Validation of an immortalized human (hBMEC) in vitro blood-brain barrier model.
Eigenmann, Daniela Elisabeth; Jähne, Evelyn Andrea; Smieško, Martin; Hamburger, Matthias; Oufir, Mouhssin
2016-03-01
We recently established and optimized an immortalized human in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model based on the hBMEC cell line. In the present work, we validated this mono-culture 24-well model with a representative series of drug substances which are known to cross or not to cross the BBB. For each individual compound, a quantitative UHPLC-MS/MS method in Ringer HEPES buffer was developed and validated according to current regulatory guidelines, with respect to selectivity, precision, and reliability. Various biological and analytical challenges were met during method validation, highlighting the importance of careful method development. The positive controls antipyrine, caffeine, diazepam, and propranolol showed mean endothelial permeability coefficients (P e) in the range of 17-70 × 10(-6) cm/s, indicating moderate to high BBB permeability when compared to the barrier integrity marker sodium fluorescein (mean P e 3-5 × 10(-6) cm/s). The negative controls atenolol, cimetidine, and vinblastine showed mean P e values < 10 × 10(-6) cm/s, suggesting low permeability. In silico calculations were in agreement with in vitro data. With the exception of quinidine (P-glycoprotein inhibitor and substrate), BBB permeability of all control compounds was correctly predicted by this new, easy, and fast to set up human in vitro BBB model. Addition of retinoic acid and puromycin did not increase transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) values of the BBB model.
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Gutiérrez Sánchez, Daniel; Cuesta-Vargas, Antonio I
2018-04-01
Many measurements have been developed to assess the quality of death (QoD). Among these, the Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire (QODD) is the most widely studied and best validated. Informal carers and health professionals who care for the patient during their last days of life can complete this assessment tool. The aim of the study is to carry out a cross-cultural adaptation and a psychometric analysis of the QODD for the Spanish population. The translation was performed using a double forward and backward method. An expert panel evaluated the content validity. The questionnaire was tested in a sample of 72 Spanish-speaking adult carers of deceased cancer patients. A psychometric analysis was performed to evaluate internal consistency, divergent criterion-related validity with the Mini-Suffering State Examination (MSSE) and concurrent criterion-related validity with the Palliative Outcome Scale (POS). Some items were deleted and modified to create the Spanish version of the QODD (QODD-ESP-26). The instrument was readable and acceptable. The content validity index was 0.96, suggesting that all items are relevant for the measure of the QoD. This questionnaire showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's α coefficient = 0.88). Divergent validity with MSSE (r = -0.64) and convergent validity with POS (r = -0.61) were also demonstrated. The QODD-ESP-26 is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of the QoD of deceased cancer patients that can be used in a clinical and research setting. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Development of the Persian version of the Vertigo Symptom Scale: Validity and reliability
Kamalvand, Atefeh; Ghahraman, Mansoureh Adel; Jalaie, Shohreh
2017-01-01
Background: Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS) is a proper instrument for assessing the patient status, clarifying the symptoms, and examining the relative impact of the vertigo and anxiety on reported handicap. Our aim is the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the VSS into Persian language (VSS-P) and investigating its validity and reliability in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders. Materials and Methods: VSS was translated into Persian. Cross-cultural adaptation was carried out on 101 patients with peripheral vestibular disorders and 34 participants with no history of vertigo. They completed the Persian versions of VSS, dizziness handicap inventory (DHI), and Beck anxiety inventory (BAI). Internal, discriminant, and convergent validities, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were determined. Results: The VSS-P showed good face validity. Internal validity was confirmed and demonstrated the presence of two vertigo (VSS-VER) and autonomic-anxiety (VSS-AA) subscales. Significant difference between the median scores for patient and healthy groups was reported in discriminate validity (P <0.001). Convergent validity revealed high correlation between both BAI and DHI with VSS-P. There was a high test-retest reliability; with intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.89, 0.86, and 0.91 for VSS-AA, VER, and VSS-P, respectively. The internal consistency was good with Cronbach's alpha 0.90 for VER subscale, 0.86 for VSS-AA subscale, and 0.92 for the overall VSS-P. Conclusion: The Persian version of the VSS could be used clinically as a valid and reliable tool. Thus, it is a key instrument to focus on the symptoms associated with dizziness. PMID:28616045
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Development of the Persian version of the Vertigo Symptom Scale: Validity and reliability.
Kamalvand, Atefeh; Ghahraman, Mansoureh Adel; Jalaie, Shohreh
2017-01-01
Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS) is a proper instrument for assessing the patient status, clarifying the symptoms, and examining the relative impact of the vertigo and anxiety on reported handicap. Our aim is the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the VSS into Persian language (VSS-P) and investigating its validity and reliability in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders. VSS was translated into Persian. Cross-cultural adaptation was carried out on 101 patients with peripheral vestibular disorders and 34 participants with no history of vertigo. They completed the Persian versions of VSS, dizziness handicap inventory (DHI), and Beck anxiety inventory (BAI). Internal, discriminant, and convergent validities, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were determined. The VSS-P showed good face validity. Internal validity was confirmed and demonstrated the presence of two vertigo (VSS-VER) and autonomic-anxiety (VSS-AA) subscales. Significant difference between the median scores for patient and healthy groups was reported in discriminate validity ( P <0.001). Convergent validity revealed high correlation between both BAI and DHI with VSS-P. There was a high test-retest reliability; with intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.89, 0.86, and 0.91 for VSS-AA, VER, and VSS-P, respectively. The internal consistency was good with Cronbach's alpha 0.90 for VER subscale, 0.86 for VSS-AA subscale, and 0.92 for the overall VSS-P. The Persian version of the VSS could be used clinically as a valid and reliable tool. Thus, it is a key instrument to focus on the symptoms associated with dizziness.
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Turbulence measurements in a complex plowfield using a crossed hot-wire. M.S. Thesis
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Mckillop, B. E.
1983-01-01
Turbulence was quantified in complex axisymmetric, nonreacting, nonswirling flowfields using a crossed hot-wire anemometer. Mean velocity, turbulence intensities, turbulent viscosity, and Reynolds tree were measured in round free jet and confined jet flowfields. The confined jet, a model of an axisymmetric can combustor, had an expansion ratio D/d=2, an expansion angle of 90 deg, and an axial location increments of 0.5 diameters. The confined jet was studied with and without a contraction nozzle. Free jet measurements validated the experimental technique and data reduction. Results show good agreement with those of previous research. Measurements in the confined jet indicate that the cross hot-wire used cannot handle axial flow reversal and the experimental technique is inadequate for measuring time-mean radial velocity. Other quantities show a high level of comparability.
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Oliveira, Thaís D; Costa, Danielle de S; Albuquerque, Maicon R; Malloy-Diniz, Leandro F; Miranda, Débora M; de Paula, Jonas J
2018-06-11
The Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) is used worldwide to assess three styles (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive) and seven dimensions of parenting. In this study, we adapted the short version of the PSDQ for use in Brazil and investigated its validity and reliability. Participants were 451 mothers of children aged 3 to 18 years, though sample size varied with analyses. The translation and adaptation of the PSDQ followed a rigorous methodological approach. Then, we investigated the content, criterion, and construct validity of the adapted instrument. The scale content validity index (S-CVI) was considered adequate (0.97). There was evidence of internal validity, with the PSDQ dimensions showing strong correlations with their higher-order parenting styles. Confirmatory factor analysis endorsed the three-factor, second-order solution (i.e., three styles consisting of seven dimensions). The PSDQ showed convergent validity with the validated Brazilian version of the Parenting Styles Inventory (Inventário de Estilos Parentais - IEP), as well as external validity, as it was associated with several instruments measuring sociodemographic and behavioral/emotional-problem variables. The PSDQ is an effective and reliable psychometric instrument to assess childrearing strategies according to Baumrind's model of parenting styles.
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Bairy, Santhosh Kumar; Suneel Kumar, B V S; Bhalla, Joseph Uday Tej; Pramod, A B; Ravikumar, Muttineni
2009-04-01
c-Src kinase play an important role in cell growth and differentiation and its inhibitors can be useful for the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis, and metastatic bone disease. Three dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) studies were carried out on quinazolin derivatives inhibiting c-Src kinase. Molecular field analysis (MFA) models with four different alignment techniques, namely, GLIDE, GOLD, LIGANDFIT and Least squares based methods were developed. glide based MFA model showed better results (Leave one out cross validation correlation coefficient r(2)(cv) = 0.923 and non-cross validation correlation coefficient r(2)= 0.958) when compared with other models. These results help us to understand the nature of descriptors required for activity of these compounds and thereby provide guidelines to design novel and potent c-Src kinase inhibitors.
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Facial disability index (FDI): Adaptation to Spanish, reliability and validity
Gonzalez-Cardero, Eduardo; Cayuela, Aurelio; Acosta-Feria, Manuel; Gutierrez-Perez, Jose-Luis
2012-01-01
Objectives: To adapt to Spanish the facial disability index (FDI) described by VanSwearingen and Brach in 1995 and to assess its reliability and validity in patients with facial nerve paresis after parotidectomy. Study Design: The present study was conducted in two different stages: a) cross-cultural adaptation of the questionnaire and b) cross-sectional study of a control group of 79 Spanish-speaking patients who suffered facial paresis after superficial parotidectomy with facial nerve preservation. The cross-cultural adaptation process comprised the following stages: (I) initial translation, (II) synthesis of the translated document, (III) retro-translation, (IV) review by a board of experts, (V) pilot study of the pre-final draft and (VI) analysis of the pilot study and final draft. Results: The reliability and internal consistency of every one of the rating scales included in the FDI (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient) was 0.83 for the complete scale and 0.77 and 0.82 for the physical and the social well-being subscales. The analysis of the factorial validity of the main components of the adapted FDI yielded similar results to the original questionnaire. Bivariate correlations between FDI and House-Brackmann scale were positive. The variance percentage was calculated for all FDI components. Conclusions: The FDI questionnaire is a specific instrument for assessing facial neuromuscular dysfunction which becomes a useful tool in order to determine quality of life in patients with facial nerve paralysis. Spanish adapted FDI is equivalent to the original questionnaire and shows similar reliability and validity. The proven reproducibi-lity, reliability and validity of this questionnaire make it a useful additional tool for evaluating the impact of facial nerve paralysis in Spanish-speaking patients. Key words:Parotidectomy, facial nerve paralysis, facial disability. PMID:22926474
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Hansen, Clint; Venture, Gentiane; Rezzoug, Nasser; Gorce, Philippe; Isableu, Brice
2014-05-07
Over the last decades a variety of research has been conducted with the goal to improve the Body Segment Inertial Parameters (BSIP) estimations but to our knowledge a real validation has never been completely successful, because no ground truth is available. The aim of this paper is to propose a validation method for a BSIP identification method (IM) and to confirm the results by comparing them with recalculated contact forces using inverse dynamics to those obtained by a force plate. Furthermore, the results are compared with the recently proposed estimation method by Dumas et al. (2007). Additionally, the results are cross validated with a high velocity overarm throwing movement. Throughout conditions higher correlations, smaller metrics and smaller RMSE can be found for the proposed BSIP estimation (IM) which shows its advantage compared to recently proposed methods as of Dumas et al. (2007). The purpose of the paper is to validate an already proposed method and to show that this method can be of significant advantage compared to conventional methods. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Amuzu-Aweh, E N; Bijma, P; Kinghorn, B P; Vereijken, A; Visscher, J; van Arendonk, J Am; Bovenhuis, H
2013-12-01
Prediction of heterosis has a long history with mixed success, partly due to low numbers of genetic markers and/or small data sets. We investigated the prediction of heterosis for egg number, egg weight and survival days in domestic white Leghorns, using ∼400 000 individuals from 47 crosses and allele frequencies on ∼53 000 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). When heterosis is due to dominance, and dominance effects are independent of allele frequencies, heterosis is proportional to the squared difference in allele frequency (SDAF) between parental pure lines (not necessarily homozygous). Under these assumptions, a linear model including regression on SDAF partitions crossbred phenotypes into pure-line values and heterosis, even without pure-line phenotypes. We therefore used models where phenotypes of crossbreds were regressed on the SDAF between parental lines. Accuracy of prediction was determined using leave-one-out cross-validation. SDAF predicted heterosis for egg number and weight with an accuracy of ∼0.5, but did not predict heterosis for survival days. Heterosis predictions allowed preselection of pure lines before field-testing, saving ∼50% of field-testing cost with only 4% loss in heterosis. Accuracies from cross-validation were lower than from the model-fit, suggesting that accuracies previously reported in literature are overestimated. Cross-validation also indicated that dominance cannot fully explain heterosis. Nevertheless, the dominance model had considerable accuracy, clearly greater than that of a general/specific combining ability model. This work also showed that heterosis can be modelled even when pure-line phenotypes are unavailable. We concluded that SDAF is a useful predictor of heterosis in commercial layer breeding.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jordans, M. J. D.; Komproe, I. H.; Tol, W. A.; De Jong, J. T. V. M.
2009-01-01
Background: Large-scale psychosocial interventions in complex emergencies call for a screening procedure to identify individuals at risk. To date there are no screening instruments that are developed within low- and middle-income countries and validated for that purpose. The present study assesses the cross-cultural validity of the brief,…
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Decorrelation of the true and estimated classifier errors in high-dimensional settings.
Hanczar, Blaise; Hua, Jianping; Dougherty, Edward R
2007-01-01
The aim of many microarray experiments is to build discriminatory diagnosis and prognosis models. Given the huge number of features and the small number of examples, model validity which refers to the precision of error estimation is a critical issue. Previous studies have addressed this issue via the deviation distribution (estimated error minus true error), in particular, the deterioration of cross-validation precision in high-dimensional settings where feature selection is used to mitigate the peaking phenomenon (overfitting). Because classifier design is based upon random samples, both the true and estimated errors are sample-dependent random variables, and one would expect a loss of precision if the estimated and true errors are not well correlated, so that natural questions arise as to the degree of correlation and the manner in which lack of correlation impacts error estimation. We demonstrate the effect of correlation on error precision via a decomposition of the variance of the deviation distribution, observe that the correlation is often severely decreased in high-dimensional settings, and show that the effect of high dimensionality on error estimation tends to result more from its decorrelating effects than from its impact on the variance of the estimated error. We consider the correlation between the true and estimated errors under different experimental conditions using both synthetic and real data, several feature-selection methods, different classification rules, and three error estimators commonly used (leave-one-out cross-validation, k-fold cross-validation, and .632 bootstrap). Moreover, three scenarios are considered: (1) feature selection, (2) known-feature set, and (3) all features. Only the first is of practical interest; however, the other two are needed for comparison purposes. We will observe that the true and estimated errors tend to be much more correlated in the case of a known feature set than with either feature selection or using all features, with the better correlation between the latter two showing no general trend, but differing for different models.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hu, Xuefei; Waller, Lance A.; Lyapustin, Alexei; Wang, Yujie; Al-Hamdan, Mohammad Z.; Crosson, William L.; Estes, Maurice G., Jr.; Estes, Sue M.; Quattrochi, Dale A.; Puttaswamy, Sweta Jinnagara;
2013-01-01
Previous studies showed that fine particulate matter (PM(sub 2.5), particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in aerodynamic diameter) is associated with various health outcomes. Ground in situ measurements of PM(sub 2.5) concentrations are considered to be the gold standard, but are time-consuming and costly. Satellite-retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) products have the potential to supplement the ground monitoring networks to provide spatiotemporally-resolved PM(sub 2.5) exposure estimates. However, the coarse resolutions (e.g., 10 km) of the satellite AOD products used in previous studies make it very difficult to estimate urban-scale PM(sub 2.5) characteristics that are crucial to population-based PM(sub 2.5) health effects research. In this paper, a new aerosol product with 1 km spatial resolution derived by the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm was examined using a two-stage spatial statistical model with meteorological fields (e.g., wind speed) and land use parameters (e.g., forest cover, road length, elevation, and point emissions) as ancillary variables to estimate daily mean PM(sub 2.5) concentrations. The study area is the southeastern U.S., and data for 2003 were collected from various sources. A cross validation approach was implemented for model validation. We obtained R(sup 2) of 0.83, mean prediction error (MPE) of 1.89 micrograms/cu m, and square root of the mean squared prediction errors (RMSPE) of 2.73 micrograms/cu m in model fitting, and R(sup 2) of 0.67, MPE of 2.54 micrograms/cu m, and RMSPE of 3.88 micrograms/cu m in cross validation. Both model fitting and cross validation indicate a good fit between the dependent variable and predictor variables. The results showed that 1 km spatial resolution MAIAC AOD can be used to estimate PM(sub 2.5) concentrations.
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Lao, Wan-li; He, Yu-chan; Li, Gai-yun; Zhou, Qun
2016-01-01
The biomass to plastic ratio in wood plastic composites (WPCs) greatly affects the physical and mechanical properties and price. Fast and accurate evaluation of the biomass to plastic ratio is important for the further development of WPCs. Quantitative analysis of the WPC main composition currently relies primarily on thermo-analytical methods. However, these methods have some inherent disadvantages, including time-consuming, high analytical errors and sophisticated, which severely limits the applications of these techniques. Therefore, in this study, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in combination with partial least square (PLS) has been used for rapid prediction of bamboo and polypropylene (PP) content in bamboo/PP composites. The bamboo powders were used as filler after being dried at 105 degrees C for 24 h. PP was used as matrix materials, and some chemical regents were used as additives. Then 42 WPC samples with different ratios of bamboo and PP were prepared by the methods of extrusion. FTIR spectral data of 42 WPC samples were collected by means of KBr pellets technique. The model for bamboo and PP content prediction was developed by PLS-2 and full cross validation. Results of internal cross validation showed that the first derivative spectra in the range of 1 800-800 cm(-1) corrected by standard normal variate (SNV) yielded the optimal model. For both bamboo and PP calibration, the coefficients of determination (R2) were 0.955. The standard errors of calibration (SEC) were 1.872 for bamboo content and 1.848 for PP content, respectively. For both bamboo and PP validation, the R2 values were 0.950. The standard errors of cross validation (SECV) were 1.927 for bamboo content and 1.950 for PP content, respectively. And the ratios of performance to deviation (RPD) were 4.45 for both biomass and PP examinations. The results of external validation showed that the relative prediction deviations for both biomass and PP contents were lower than ± 6%. FTIR combined with PLS can be used for rapid and accurate determination of bamboo and PP content in bamboo/PP composites.
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IMatter: validation of the NHS Scotland Employee Engagement Index.
Snowden, Austyn; MacArthur, Ewan
2014-11-08
Employee engagement is a fundamental component of quality healthcare. In order to provide empirical data of engagement in NHS Scotland an Employee Engagement Index was co-constructed with staff. 'iMatter' consists of 25 Likert questions developed iteratively from the literature and a series of validation events with NHS Scotland staff. The aim of this study was to test the face, content and construct validity of iMatter. Cross sectional survey of NHS Scotland staff. In January 2013 iMatter was sent to 2300 staff across all disciplines in NHS Scotland. 1280 staff completed it. Demographic data were collected. Internal consistency of the scale was calculated. Construct validity consisted of concurrent application of factor analysis and Rasch analysis. Face and content validity were checked using 3 focus groups. The sample was representative of the NHSScotland population. iMatter showed very strong reliability (α = 0.958). Factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure consistent with the following interpretation: iMatter showed evidence of high reliability and validity. It is a popular measure of staff engagement in NHS Scotland. Implications for practice focus on the importance of coproduction in psychometric development.
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Boer, Annemarie; Dutmer, Alisa L; Schiphorst Preuper, Henrica R; van der Woude, Lucas H V; Stewart, Roy E; Deyo, Richard A; Reneman, Michiel F; Soer, Remko
2017-10-01
Validation study with cross-sectional and longitudinal measurements. To translate the US National Institutes of Health (NIH)-minimal dataset for clinical research on chronic low back pain into the Dutch language and to test its validity and reliability among people with chronic low back pain. The NIH developed a minimal dataset to encourage more complete and consistent reporting of clinical research and to be able to compare studies across countries in patients with low back pain. In the Netherlands, the NIH-minimal dataset has not been translated before and measurement properties are unknown. Cross-cultural validity was tested by a formal forward-backward translation. Structural validity was tested with exploratory factor analyses (comparative fit index, Tucker-Lewis index, and root mean square error of approximation). Hypothesis testing was performed to compare subscales of the NIH dataset with the Pain Disability Index and the EurQol-5D (Pearson correlation coefficients). Internal consistency was tested with Cronbach α and test-retest reliability at 2 weeks was calculated in a subsample of patients with Intraclass Correlation Coefficients and weighted Kappa (κω). In total, 452 patients were included of which 52 were included for the test-retest study. factor analysis for structural validity pointed into the direction of a seven-factor model (Cronbach α = 0.78). Factors and total score of the NIH-minimal dataset showed fair to good correlations with Pain Disability Index (r = 0.43-0.70) and EuroQol-5D (r = -0.41 to -0.64). Reliability: test-retest reliability per item showed substantial agreement (κω=0.65). Test-retest reliability per factor was moderate to good (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient = 0.71). The Dutch language version measurement properties of the NIH-minimal were satisfactory. N/A.
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Validation of Cross Sections with Criticality Experiment and Reaction Rates: the Neptunium Case
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Leong, L. S.; Tassan-Got, L.; Audouin, L.; Berthier, B.; Le Naour, C.; Stéphan, C.; Paradela, C.; Tarrío, D.; Duran, I.
2014-04-01
The 237Np neutron-induced fission cross section has been recently measured in a large energy range (from eV to GeV) at the n_TOF facility at CERN. When compared to previous measurements the n_TOF fission cross section appears to be higher by 5-7% beyond the fission threshold. To check the relevance of the n_TOF data, we considered a criticality experiment performed at Los Alamos with a 6 kg sphere of 237Np, surrounded by uranium highly enriched in 235U so as to approach criticality with fast neutrons. The multiplication factor keff of the calculation is in better agreement with the experiment when we replace the ENDF/B-VII.0 evaluation of the 237Np fission cross section by the n_TOF data. We also explored the hypothesis of deficiencies of the inelastic cross section in 235U which has been invoked by some authors to explain the deviation of 750 pcm. The large modification needed to reduce the deviation seems to be incompatible with existing inelastic cross section measurements. Also we show that the νbar of 237Np can hardly be incriminated because of the high accuracy of the existing data. Fission rate ratios or averaged fission cross sections measured in several fast neutron fields seem to give contradictory results on the validation of the 237Np cross section but at least one of the benchmark experiments, where the active deposits have been well calibrated for the number of atoms, favors the n_TOF data set. These outcomes support the hypothesis of a higher fission cross section of 237Np.
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Validation of hindi translation of DSM-5 level 1 cross-cutting symptom measure.
Goel, Ankit; Kataria, Dinesh
2018-04-01
The DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure is a self- or informant-rated measure that assesses mental health domains which are important across psychiatric diagnoses. The absence of this self- or informant-administered instrument in Hindi, which is a major language in India, is an important limitation in using this scale. To translate the English version of the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure to Hindi and evaluate its psychometric properties. The study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Delhi. The DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure was translated into Hindi using the World Health Organization's translation methodology. Mean and standard deviation were evaluated for continuous variables while for categorical variables frequency and percentages were calculated. The translated version was evaluated for cross-language equivalence, test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and split half reliability. Hindi version was found to have good cross-language equivalence and test-retest reliability at the level of items and domains. Twenty two of the 23 items and all the 23 items had a significant correlation (ρ < 0.001) in cross language concordance and test-retest reliability data, respectively. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.95, and the Spearman-Brown Sphericity value was 0.79 for the Hindi version. The present study shows that cross-language concordance, internal consistency, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability of the Hindi version of the measure are excellent. Thus, the Hindi version of DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure as translated in this study is a valid instrument. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Translation and validation of the Malay Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale.
Swami, Viren
2010-09-01
The present study examined the psychometric properties of a Malay translation of the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS; Henderson-King & Henderson-King, 2005). A total of 373 Malaysian women completed the ACSS along with measures of ideal-actual weight discrepancy, body appreciation, sociocultural attitudes toward appearance, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and demographics. Results showed that the Malay ACSS was best reduced to a two-factor solution, although an overall score of all 15 ACSS items showed the highest internal consistency. Results also showed that this overall score had good discriminant and divergent validity. It is expected that the availability of a Malay version of the ACSS will stimulate cross-cultural research on the acceptance of cosmetic surgery. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Simonds, John F.; Simonds, M. Patricia
1982-01-01
Mothers of 182 nursery school children completed the Behavior Style Questionnaire (BSQ) and the Child Personality Scale (CPS). Intercorrelational analyses showed many significantly correlated items. Scores of the five CPS factors clearly distinguished between subjects in easy and difficult BSQ clusters. Found boys significantly more introverted…
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USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) and its abbreviated form (NEWS-A) assess perceived environmental attributes believed to influence physical activity. A multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) conducted on a sample from Seattle, WA, showed that, at the respondent level, th...
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Reijman, M; Hazes, J M W; Pols, H A P; Bernsen, R M D; Koes, B W; Bierma-Zeinstra, S M A
2004-11-01
To compare the reliability and validity in a large open population of three frequently used radiological definitions of hip osteoarthritis (OA): Kellgren and Lawrence grade, minimal joint space (MJS), and Croft grade; and to investigate whether the validity of the three definitions of hip OA is sex dependent. from the Rotterdam study (aged > or= 55 years, n = 3585) were evaluated. The inter-rater reliability was tested in a random set of 148 x rays. The validity was expressed as the ability to identify patients who show clinical symptoms of hip OA (construct validity) and as the ability to predict total hip replacement (THR) at follow up (predictive validity). Inter-rater reliability was similar for the Kellgren and Lawrence grade and MJS (kappa statistics 0.68 and 0.62, respectively) but lower for Croft's grade (kappa statistic, 0.51). The Kellgren and Lawrence grade and MJS showed the strongest associations with clinical symptoms of hip OA. Sex appeared to be an effect modifier for Kellgren and Lawrence and MJS definitions, women showing a stronger association between grading and symptoms than men. However, the sex dependency was attributed to differences in height between women and men. The Kellgren and Lawrence grade showed the highest predictive value for THR at follow up. Based on these findings, Kellgren and Lawrence still appears to be a useful OA definition for epidemiological studies focusing on the presence of hip OA.
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Prediction of adult height in girls: the Beunen-Malina-Freitas method.
Beunen, Gaston P; Malina, Robert M; Freitas, Duarte L; Thomis, Martine A; Maia, José A; Claessens, Albrecht L; Gouveia, Elvio R; Maes, Hermine H; Lefevre, Johan
2011-12-01
The purpose of this study was to validate and cross-validate the Beunen-Malina-Freitas method for non-invasive prediction of adult height in girls. A sample of 420 girls aged 10-15 years from the Madeira Growth Study were measured at yearly intervals and then 8 years later. Anthropometric dimensions (lengths, breadths, circumferences, and skinfolds) were measured; skeletal age was assessed using the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 method and menarcheal status (present or absent) was recorded. Adult height was measured and predicted using stepwise, forward, and maximum R (2) regression techniques. Multiple correlations, mean differences, standard errors of prediction, and error boundaries were calculated. A sample of the Leuven Longitudinal Twin Study was used to cross-validate the regressions. Age-specific coefficients of determination (R (2)) between predicted and measured adult height varied between 0.57 and 0.96, while standard errors of prediction varied between 1.1 and 3.9 cm. The cross-validation confirmed the validity of the Beunen-Malina-Freitas method in girls aged 12-15 years, but at lower ages the cross-validation was less consistent. We conclude that the Beunen-Malina-Freitas method is valid for the prediction of adult height in girls aged 12-15 years. It is applicable to European populations or populations of European ancestry.
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Near infrared spectroscopy for prediction of antioxidant compounds in the honey.
Escuredo, Olga; Seijo, M Carmen; Salvador, Javier; González-Martín, M Inmaculada
2013-12-15
The selection of antioxidant variables in honey is first time considered applying the near infrared (NIR) spectroscopic technique. A total of 60 honey samples were used to develop the calibration models using the modified partial least squares (MPLS) regression method and 15 samples were used for external validation. Calibration models on honey matrix for the estimation of phenols, flavonoids, vitamin C, antioxidant capacity (DPPH), oxidation index and copper using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been satisfactorily obtained. These models were optimised by cross-validation, and the best model was evaluated according to multiple correlation coefficient (RSQ), standard error of cross-validation (SECV), ratio performance deviation (RPD) and root mean standard error (RMSE) in the prediction set. The result of these statistics suggested that the equations developed could be used for rapid determination of antioxidant compounds in honey. This work shows that near infrared spectroscopy can be considered as rapid tool for the nondestructive measurement of antioxidant constitutes as phenols, flavonoids, vitamin C and copper and also the antioxidant capacity in the honey. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Iversen, J V; Bartels, E M; Jørgensen, J E; Nielsen, T G; Ginnerup, C; Lind, M C; Langberg, H
2016-12-01
The VISA-A questionnaire has proven to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing severity of Achilles tendinopathy (AT). The aim was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the VISA-A questionnaire for a Danish-speaking AT population, and subsequently perform validity and reliability tests. Translation and following cross-cultural adaptation was performed as translation, synthesis, reverse translation, expert review, and pretesting. The final Danish version (VISA-A-DK) was tested for reliability on healthy controls (n = 75) and patients (n = 36). Tests for internal consistency, validity, and structure were performed on 71 patients. VISA-A-DK showed good reliability for patients (r = 0.80 ICC = 0.79) and healthy individuals (r = 0.98 ICC = 0.97). Internal consistency was 0.73 (Cronbach's alpha). The mean VISA-A-DK score in AT patients was 51 [47-55]. This was significantly lower than healthy controls with a score of 93 (90-95). Criterion validity was considered good when comparing the scores of the Danish version with the original version in both healthy individuals and patients. VISA-A-DK is a valid and reliable instrument and has shown compatible to the original version in assessment of AT patients. VISA-A-DK is a useful tool in the assessment of AT, both in research and in a clinical setting. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Cerin, Ester; Conway, Terry L; Saelens, Brian E; Frank, Lawrence D; Sallis, James F
2009-01-01
Background The Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) and its abbreviated form (NEWS-A) assess perceived environmental attributes believed to influence physical activity. A multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) conducted on a sample from Seattle, WA showed that, at the respondent level, the factor-analyzable items of the NEWS and NEWS-A measured 11 and 10 constructs of perceived neighborhood environment, respectively. At the census blockgroup (used by the US Census Bureau as a subunit of census tracts) level, the MCFA yielded five factors for both NEWS and NEWS-A. The aim of this study was to cross-validate the individual- and blockgroup-level measurement models of the NEWS and NEWS-A in a geographical location and population different from those used in the original validation study. Methods A sample of 912 adults was recruited from 16 selected neighborhoods (116 census blockgroups) in the Baltimore, MD region. Neighborhoods were stratified according to their socio-economic status and transport-related walkability level measured using Geographic Information Systems. Participants self-completed the NEWS. MCFA was used to cross-validate the individual- and blockgroup-level measurement models of the NEWS and NEWS-A. Results The data provided sufficient support for the factorial validity of the original individual-level measurement models, which consisted of 11 (NEWS) and 10 (NEWS-A) correlated factors. The original blockgroup-level measurement model of the NEWS and NEWS-A showed poor fit to the data and required substantial modifications. These included the combining of aspects of building aesthetics with safety from crime into one factor; the separation of natural aesthetics and building aesthetics into two factors; and for the NEWS-A, the separation of presence of sidewalks/walking routes from other infrastructure for walking. Conclusion This study provided support for the generalizability of the individual-level measurement models of the NEWS and NEWS-A to different urban geographical locations in the USA. It is recommended that the NEWS and NEWS-A be scored according to their individual-level measurement models, which are relatively stable and correspond to constructs commonly used in the urban planning and transportation fields. However, prior to using these instruments in international and multi-cultural studies, further validation work across diverse non-English speaking countries and populations is needed. PMID:19508724
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Cerin, Ester; Conway, Terry L; Saelens, Brian E; Frank, Lawrence D; Sallis, James F
2009-06-09
The Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) and its abbreviated form (NEWS-A) assess perceived environmental attributes believed to influence physical activity. A multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) conducted on a sample from Seattle, WA showed that, at the respondent level, the factor-analyzable items of the NEWS and NEWS-A measured 11 and 10 constructs of perceived neighborhood environment, respectively. At the census blockgroup (used by the US Census Bureau as a subunit of census tracts) level, the MCFA yielded five factors for both NEWS and NEWS-A. The aim of this study was to cross-validate the individual- and blockgroup-level measurement models of the NEWS and NEWS-A in a geographical location and population different from those used in the original validation study. A sample of 912 adults was recruited from 16 selected neighborhoods (116 census blockgroups) in the Baltimore, MD region. Neighborhoods were stratified according to their socio-economic status and transport-related walkability level measured using Geographic Information Systems. Participants self-completed the NEWS. MCFA was used to cross-validate the individual- and blockgroup-level measurement models of the NEWS and NEWS-A. The data provided sufficient support for the factorial validity of the original individual-level measurement models, which consisted of 11 (NEWS) and 10 (NEWS-A) correlated factors. The original blockgroup-level measurement model of the NEWS and NEWS-A showed poor fit to the data and required substantial modifications. These included the combining of aspects of building aesthetics with safety from crime into one factor; the separation of natural aesthetics and building aesthetics into two factors; and for the NEWS-A, the separation of presence of sidewalks/walking routes from other infrastructure for walking. This study provided support for the generalizability of the individual-level measurement models of the NEWS and NEWS-A to different urban geographical locations in the USA. It is recommended that the NEWS and NEWS-A be scored according to their individual-level measurement models, which are relatively stable and correspond to constructs commonly used in the urban planning and transportation fields. However, prior to using these instruments in international and multi-cultural studies, further validation work across diverse non-English speaking countries and populations is needed.
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Measuring Cross-Cultural Supernatural Beliefs with Self- and Peer-Reports.
Bluemke, Matthias; Jong, Jonathan; Grevenstein, Dennis; Mikloušić, Igor; Halberstadt, Jamin
2016-01-01
Despite claims about the universality of religious belief, whether religiosity scales have the same meaning when administered inter-subjectively-or translated and applied cross-culturally-is currently unknown. Using the recent "Supernatural Belief Scale" (SBS), we present a primer on how to verify the strong assumptions of measurement invariance required in research on religion. A comparison of two independent samples, Croatians and New Zealanders, showed that, despite a sophisticated psychometric model, measurement invariance could be demonstrated for the SBS except for two noninvariant intercepts. We present a new approach for inspecting measurement invariance across self- and peer-reports as two dependent samples. Although supernatural beliefs may be hard to observe in others, the measurement model was fully invariant for Croatians and their nominated peers. The results not only establish, for the first time, a valid measure of religious supernatural belief across two groups of different language and culture, but also demonstrate a general invariance test for distinguishable dyad members nested within the same targets. More effort needs to be made to design and validate cross-culturally applicable measures of religiosity.
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Measuring Cross-Cultural Supernatural Beliefs with Self- and Peer-Reports
Bluemke, Matthias; Jong, Jonathan; Grevenstein, Dennis; Mikloušić, Igor; Halberstadt, Jamin
2016-01-01
Despite claims about the universality of religious belief, whether religiosity scales have the same meaning when administered inter-subjectively–or translated and applied cross-culturally–is currently unknown. Using the recent “Supernatural Belief Scale” (SBS), we present a primer on how to verify the strong assumptions of measurement invariance required in research on religion. A comparison of two independent samples, Croatians and New Zealanders, showed that, despite a sophisticated psychometric model, measurement invariance could be demonstrated for the SBS except for two noninvariant intercepts. We present a new approach for inspecting measurement invariance across self- and peer-reports as two dependent samples. Although supernatural beliefs may be hard to observe in others, the measurement model was fully invariant for Croatians and their nominated peers. The results not only establish, for the first time, a valid measure of religious supernatural belief across two groups of different language and culture, but also demonstrate a general invariance test for distinguishable dyad members nested within the same targets. More effort needs to be made to design and validate cross-culturally applicable measures of religiosity. PMID:27760206
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Reproducibility and validity of a semi-quantitative FFQ for trace elements.
Lee, Yujin; Park, Kyong
2016-09-01
The aim of this study was to test the reproducibility and validity of a self-administered FFQ for the Trace Element Study of Korean Adults in the Yeungnam area (SELEN). Study subjects were recruited from the SELEN cohort selected from rural and urban areas in Yeungnam, Korea. A semi-quantitative FFQ with 146 items was developed considering the dietary characteristics of cohorts in the study area. In a validation study, seventeen men and forty-eight women aged 38-62 years completed 3-d dietary records (DR) and two FFQ over a 3-month period. The validity was examined with the FFQ and DR, and the reproducibility was estimated using partial correlation coefficients, the Bland-Altman method and cross-classification. There were no significant differences between the mean intakes of selected nutrients as estimated from FFQ1, FFQ2 and DR. The median correlation coefficients for all nutrients were 0·47 and 0·56 in the reproducibility and validity tests, respectively. Bland-Altman's index and cross-classification showed acceptable agreement between FFQ1 and FFQ2 and between FFQ2 and DR. Ultimately, 78 % of the subjects were classified into the same and adjacent quartiles for most nutrients. In addition, the weighted κ value indicated that the two methods agreed fairly. In conclusion, this newly developed FFQ was a suitable dietary assessment method for the SELEN cohort study.
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Cross-Cultural Validation of the Five-Factor Structure of Social Goals: A Filipino Investigation
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
King, Ronnel B.; Watkins, David A.
2012-01-01
The aim of the present study was to test the cross-cultural validity of the five-factor structure of social goals that Dowson and McInerney proposed. Using both between-network and within-network approaches to construct validation, 1,147 Filipino high school students participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the…
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Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Korean version of the Oxford shoulder score.
Roh, Young Hak; Noh, Jung Ho; Kim, Woo; Oh, Joo Han; Gong, Hyun Sik; Baek, Goo Hyun
2012-01-01
The Oxford shoulder score (OSS) is being used increasingly and has been adapted cross-culturally in some Western countries. On the other hand, there are few validated translations of the OSS in Asian countries. This study translated and adapted cross-culturally the original OSS to produce a Korean version, and assessed the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the OSS (Korean OSS). One hundred and five patients with shoulder pain caused by degenerative or inflammatory disorders completed the Korean OSS and Korean disability of arm, shoulder and hand (DASH). In addition, the pain score by a visual analog scale (VAS) during activity and at rest, subjective assessment of activities of daily living (ADL), the active range of motion (ROM), and measurements of the abduction strength (strength) were included in the validation process. There were no major linguistic or cultural problems during the forward and backward translations of the MHQ, except for a minor change due to cultural discrepancies in eating such as using a spoon and chopsticks by one dominant hand instead of a knife and fork by two hands. The internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha 0.91). The reproducibility test showed no significant difference (Intra-class coefficient 0.95). The construct validity, which was tested by the Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a strong correlation (r > 0.6) between the Korean OSS against subscale of DASH disability/symptom, DASH work and ADL, as well as a moderate correlation (0.3 < r < 0.6) with the DASH sports/music, strength, ROM, pain during activity and pain at rest. The Korean OSS proved to be valid by demonstrating a significant correlation with the patient-based upper extremity questionnaire and clinical assessment. The application and evaluation of the instrument is feasible and understandable among patients in Korea.
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Torabi, Hadi; Khoddami, Seyyedeh Maryam; Ansari, Noureddin Nakhostin; Dabirmoghaddam, Payman
2016-11-01
To cross-culturally adapt of Persian Vocal Tract Discomfort (VTDp) scale and evaluate its validity and reliability in the assessment of patients with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD). A cross-sectional and prospective cohort design was used to psychometrically test the VTDp. The VTD scale was cross-culturally adapted into Persian language following standard forward-backward translations. The VTDp scale was administrated to 100 patients with MTD (54 men and 46 women; mean age: 38.05 ± 10.02 years) and 50 healthy volunteers (26 men and 24 women; mean age: 36.50 ± 12.27 years). Forty-five patients with MTD completed the VTDp 7 days later for test-retest reliability. Patients also completed the Persian Voice Handicap Index (VHIp) to assess construct validity. The results of discriminative validity demonstrated that the VTDp was able to discriminate between patients with MTD and healthy participants. The internal consistency was confirmed with Cronbach α .77 and 0.73 for VTDp frequency and severity subscales, respectively. The test-retest reliability was excellent with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC agreement ) of 0.93 for the frequency subscale and 0.91 for the severity subscale. Construct validity of the VTDp was shown with significant correlations between the VTDp frequency and severity subscales and the VHIp total scores (0.36 and 0.37, respectively). The standard error of measurement and smallest detectable change values for VTDp frequency (2.11 and 5.85, respectively) and severity (2.25 and 6.23, respectively) were acceptable. The Bland-Altman analysis for assessing the agreement between test and retest measurements showed no systematic bias. The VTDp is a valid and reliable self-administered scale to measure patient's vocal tract sensations in Persian-speaking population. Copyright © 2016 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Veit, Johannes; Sachsenberg, Timo; Chernev, Aleksandar; Aicheler, Fabian; Urlaub, Henning; Kohlbacher, Oliver
2016-09-02
Modern mass spectrometry setups used in today's proteomics studies generate vast amounts of raw data, calling for highly efficient data processing and analysis tools. Software for analyzing these data is either monolithic (easy to use, but sometimes too rigid) or workflow-driven (easy to customize, but sometimes complex). Thermo Proteome Discoverer (PD) is a powerful software for workflow-driven data analysis in proteomics which, in our eyes, achieves a good trade-off between flexibility and usability. Here, we present two open-source plugins for PD providing additional functionality: LFQProfiler for label-free quantification of peptides and proteins, and RNP(xl) for UV-induced peptide-RNA cross-linking data analysis. LFQProfiler interacts with existing PD nodes for peptide identification and validation and takes care of the entire quantitative part of the workflow. We show that it performs at least on par with other state-of-the-art software solutions for label-free quantification in a recently published benchmark ( Ramus, C.; J. Proteomics 2016 , 132 , 51 - 62 ). The second workflow, RNP(xl), represents the first software solution to date for identification of peptide-RNA cross-links including automatic localization of the cross-links at amino acid resolution and localization scoring. It comes with a customized integrated cross-link fragment spectrum viewer for convenient manual inspection and validation of the results.
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A Study into the Collision-induced Dissociation (CID) Behavior of Cross-Linked Peptides*
Giese, Sven H.; Fischer, Lutz; Rappsilber, Juri
2016-01-01
Cross-linking/mass spectrometry resolves protein–protein interactions or protein folds by help of distance constraints. Cross-linkers with specific properties such as isotope-labeled or collision-induced dissociation (CID)-cleavable cross-linkers are in frequent use to simplify the identification of cross-linked peptides. Here, we analyzed the mass spectrometric behavior of 910 unique cross-linked peptides in high-resolution MS1 and MS2 from published data and validate the observation by a ninefold larger set from currently unpublished data to explore if detailed understanding of their fragmentation behavior would allow computational delivery of information that otherwise would be obtained via isotope labels or CID cleavage of cross-linkers. Isotope-labeled cross-linkers reveal cross-linked and linear fragments in fragmentation spectra. We show that fragment mass and charge alone provide this information, alleviating the need for isotope-labeling for this purpose. Isotope-labeled cross-linkers also indicate cross-linker-containing, albeit not specifically cross-linked, peptides in MS1. We observed that acquisition can be guided to better than twofold enrich cross-linked peptides with minimal losses based on peptide mass and charge alone. By help of CID-cleavable cross-linkers, individual spectra with only linear fragments can be recorded for each peptide in a cross-link. We show that cross-linked fragments of ordinary cross-linked peptides can be linearized computationally and that a simplified subspectrum can be extracted that is enriched in information on one of the two linked peptides. This allows identifying candidates for this peptide in a simplified database search as we propose in a search strategy here. We conclude that the specific behavior of cross-linked peptides in mass spectrometers can be exploited to relax the requirements on cross-linkers. PMID:26719564
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Ang, Rebecca P; Chong, Wan Har; Huan, Vivien S; Yeo, Lay See
2007-01-01
This article reports the development and initial validation of scores obtained from the Adolescent Concerns Measure (ACM), a scale which assesses concerns of Asian adolescent students. In Study 1, findings from exploratory factor analysis using 619 adolescents suggested a 24-item scale with four correlated factors--Family Concerns (9 items), Peer Concerns (5 items), Personal Concerns (6 items), and School Concerns (4 items). Initial estimates of convergent validity for ACM scores were also reported. The four-factor structure of ACM scores derived from Study 1 was confirmed via confirmatory factor analysis in Study 2 using a two-fold cross-validation procedure with a separate sample of 811 adolescents. Support was found for both the multidimensional and hierarchical models of adolescent concerns using the ACM. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability estimates were adequate for research purposes. ACM scores show promise as a reliable and potentially valid measure of Asian adolescents' concerns.
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Tsugawa, Yusuke; Ohbu, Sadayoshi; Cruess, Richard; Cruess, Sylvia; Okubo, Tomoya; Takahashi, Osamu; Tokuda, Yasuharu; Heist, Brian S; Bito, Seiji; Itoh, Toshiyuki; Aoki, Akiko; Chiba, Tsutomu; Fukui, Tsuguya
2011-08-01
Despite the growing importance of and interest in medical professionalism, there is no standardized tool for its measurement. The authors sought to verify the validity, reliability, and generalizability of the Professionalism Mini-Evaluation Exercise (P-MEX), a previously developed and tested tool, in the context of Japanese hospitals. A multicenter, cross-sectional evaluation study was performed to investigate the validity, reliability, and generalizability of the P-MEX in seven Japanese hospitals. In 2009-2010, 378 evaluators (attending physicians, nurses, peers, and junior residents) completed 360-degree assessments of 165 residents and fellows using the P-MEX. The content validity and criterion-related validity were examined, and the construct validity of the P-MEX was investigated by performing confirmatory factor analysis through a structural equation model. The reliability was tested using generalizability analysis. The contents of the P-MEX achieved good acceptance in a preliminary working group, and the poststudy survey revealed that 302 (79.9%) evaluators rated the P-MEX items as appropriate, indicating good content validity. The correlation coefficient between P-MEX scores and external criteria was 0.78 (P < .001), demonstrating good criterion-related validity. Confirmatory factor analysis verified high path coefficient (0.60-0.99) and adequate goodness of fit of the model. The generalizability analysis yielded a high dependability coefficient, suggesting good reliability, except when evaluators were peers or junior residents. Findings show evidence of adequate validity, reliability, and generalizability of the P-MEX in Japanese hospital settings. The P-MEX is the only evaluation tool for medical professionalism verified in both a Western and East Asian cultural context.
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Machado, Inês Maria de Jesus; Bandeira, Marina Bittencourt; Pinheiro, Hélady Sanders; Dutra, Nathália Dos Santos
2015-10-01
Treatment adherence in hemodialysis is important for guaranteeing better results for patients, but Brazil still lacks validated assessment tools for this purpose. The current study aimed to perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the Renal Adherence Behaviour Questionnaire (RABQ) and the Renal Adherence Attitudes Questionnaire (RAAQ). The two questionnaires were submitted to the following cross-cultural adaptation procedures: translation, back-translation, expert panel review, and pilot study. Changes were made in the items' wording and application, which requires a face-to-face interview. It was not necessary to change the choices of answers. The Brazilian versions of the RABQ and RAAQ showed semantic and cultural equivalence to the original versions and are easy for the target population to understand. The two scales still require validity and reliability studies before use in the field.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yan, Hong; Song, Xiangzhong; Tian, Kuangda; Chen, Yilin; Xiong, Yanmei; Min, Shungeng
2018-02-01
A novel method, mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy, which enables the determination of Chlorantraniliprole in Abamectin within minutes, is proposed. We further evaluate the prediction ability of four wavelength selection methods, including bootstrapping soft shrinkage approach (BOSS), Monte Carlo uninformative variable elimination (MCUVE), genetic algorithm partial least squares (GA-PLS) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) respectively. The results showed that BOSS method obtained the lowest root mean squared error of cross validation (RMSECV) (0.0245) and root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP) (0.0271), as well as the highest coefficient of determination of cross-validation (Qcv2) (0.9998) and the coefficient of determination of test set (Q2test) (0.9989), which demonstrated that the mid infrared spectroscopy can be used to detect Chlorantraniliprole in Abamectin conveniently. Meanwhile, a suitable wavelength selection method (BOSS) is essential to conducting a component spectral analysis.
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Scoring and staging systems using cox linear regression modeling and recursive partitioning.
Lee, J W; Um, S H; Lee, J B; Mun, J; Cho, H
2006-01-01
Scoring and staging systems are used to determine the order and class of data according to predictors. Systems used for medical data, such as the Child-Turcotte-Pugh scoring and staging systems for ordering and classifying patients with liver disease, are often derived strictly from physicians' experience and intuition. We construct objective and data-based scoring/staging systems using statistical methods. We consider Cox linear regression modeling and recursive partitioning techniques for censored survival data. In particular, to obtain a target number of stages we propose cross-validation and amalgamation algorithms. We also propose an algorithm for constructing scoring and staging systems by integrating local Cox linear regression models into recursive partitioning, so that we can retain the merits of both methods such as superior predictive accuracy, ease of use, and detection of interactions between predictors. The staging system construction algorithms are compared by cross-validation evaluation of real data. The data-based cross-validation comparison shows that Cox linear regression modeling is somewhat better than recursive partitioning when there are only continuous predictors, while recursive partitioning is better when there are significant categorical predictors. The proposed local Cox linear recursive partitioning has better predictive accuracy than Cox linear modeling and simple recursive partitioning. This study indicates that integrating local linear modeling into recursive partitioning can significantly improve prediction accuracy in constructing scoring and staging systems.
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The cross-cultural equivalence of participation instruments: a systematic review.
Stevelink, S A M; van Brakel, W H
2013-07-01
Concepts such as health-related quality of life, disability and participation may differ across cultures. Consequently, when assessing such a concept using a measure developed elsewhere, it is important to test its cultural equivalence. Previous research suggested a lack of cultural equivalence testing in several areas of measurement. This paper reviews the process of cross-cultural equivalence testing of instruments to measure participation in society. An existing cultural equivalence framework was adapted and used to assess participation instruments on five categories of equivalence: conceptual, item, semantic, measurement and operational equivalence. For each category, several aspects were rated, resulting in an overall category rating of 'minimal/none', 'partial' or 'extensive'. The best possible overall study rating was five 'extensive' ratings. Articles were included if the instruments focussed explicitly on measuring 'participation' and were theoretically grounded in the ICIDH(-2) or ICF. Cross-validation articles were only included if it concerned an adaptation of an instrument developed in a high or middle-income country to a low-income country or vice versa. Eight cross-cultural validation studies were included in which five participation instruments were tested (Impact on Participation and Autonomy, London Handicap Scale, Perceived Impact and Problem Profile, Craig Handicap Assessment Reporting Technique, Participation Scale). Of these eight studies, only three received at least two 'extensive' ratings for the different categories of equivalence. The majority of the cultural equivalence ratings given were 'partial' and 'minimal/none'. The majority of the 'none/minimal' ratings were given for item and measurement equivalence. The cross-cultural equivalence testing of the participation instruments included leaves much to be desired. A detailed checklist is proposed for designing a cross-validation study. Once a study has been conducted, the checklist can be used to ensure comprehensive reporting of the validation (equivalence) testing process and its results. • Participation instruments are often used in a different cultural setting than initial developed for. • The conceptualization of participation may vary across cultures. Therefore, cultural equivalence – the extent to which an instrument is equally suitable for use in two or more cultures – is an important concept to address. • This review showed that the process of cultural equivalence testing of the included participation instruments was often addressed insufficiently. • Clinicians should be aware that application of participations instruments in a different culture than initially developed for needs prior testing of cultural validity in the next context.
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Sattler, Tine; Sekulic, Damir; Spasic, Miodrag; Osmankac, Nedzad; Vicente João, Paulo; Dervisevic, Edvin; Hadzic, Vedran
2016-01-01
Previous investigations noted potential importance of isokinetic strength in rapid muscular performances, such as jumping. This study aimed to identify the influence of isokinetic-knee-strength on specific jumping performance in volleyball. The secondary aim of the study was to evaluate reliability and validity of the two volleyball-specific jumping tests. The sample comprised 67 female (21.96±3.79 years; 68.26±8.52 kg; 174.43±6.85 cm) and 99 male (23.62±5.27 years; 84.83±10.37 kg; 189.01±7.21 cm) high- volleyball players who competed in 1st and 2nd National Division. Subjects were randomly divided into validation (N.=55 and 33 for males and females, respectively) and cross-validation subsamples (N.=54 and 34 for males and females, respectively). Set of predictors included isokinetic tests, to evaluate the eccentric and concentric strength capacities of the knee extensors, and flexors for dominant and non-dominant leg. The main outcome measure for the isokinetic testing was peak torque (PT) which was later normalized for body mass and expressed as PT/Kg. Block-jump and spike-jump performances were measured over three trials, and observed as criteria. Forward stepwise multiple regressions were calculated for validation subsamples and then cross-validated. Cross validation included correlations between and t-test differences between observed and predicted scores; and Bland Altman graphics. Jumping tests were found to be reliable (spike jump: ICC of 0.79 and 0.86; block-jump: ICC of 0.86 and 0.90; for males and females, respectively), and their validity was confirmed by significant t-test differences between 1st vs. 2nd division players. Isokinetic variables were found to be significant predictors of jumping performance in females, but not among males. In females, the isokinetic-knee measures were shown to be stronger and more valid predictors of the block-jump (42% and 64% of the explained variance for validation and cross-validation subsample, respectively) than that of the spike-jump (39% and 34% of the explained variance for validation and cross-validation subsample, respectively). Differences between prediction models calculated for males and females are mostly explained by gender-specific biomechanics of jumping. Study defined importance of knee-isokinetic-strength in volleyball jumping performance in female athletes. Further studies should evaluate association between ankle-isokinetic-strength and volleyball-specific jumping performances. Results reinforce the need for the cross-validation of the prediction-models in sport and exercise sciences.
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De Vet, Emely; De Ridder, Denise; Stok, Marijn; Brunso, Karen; Baban, Adriana; Gaspar, Tania
2014-09-02
Applying self-regulation strategies have proven important in eating behaviors, but it remains subject to investigation what strategies adolescents report to use to ensure healthy eating, and adequate measures are lacking. Therefore, we developed and validated a self-regulation questionnaire applied to eating (TESQ-E) for adolescents. Study 1 reports a four-step approach to develop the TESQ-E questionnaire (n = 1097). Study 2 was a cross-sectional survey among adolescents from nine European countries (n = 11,392) that assessed the TESQ-E, eating-related behaviors, dietary intake and background characteristics. In study 3, the TESQ-E was administered twice within four weeks to evaluate test-retest reliability (n = 140). Study 4 was a cross-sectional survey (n = 93) that assessed the TESQ-E and related psychological constructs (e.g., motivation, autonomy, self-control). All participants were aged between 10 and 17 years. Study 1 resulted in a 24-item questionnaire assessing adolescent-reported use of six specific strategies for healthy eating that represent three general self-regulation approaches. Study 2 showed that the easy-to-administer theory-based TESQ-E has a clear factor structure and good subscale reliabilities. The questionnaire was related to eating-related behaviors and dietary intake, indicating predictive validity. Study 3 showed good test-retest reliabilities for the TESQ-E. Study 4 indicated that TESQ-E was related to but also distinguishable from general self-regulation and motivation measures. The TESQ-E provides a reliable and valid measure to assess six theory-based self-regulation strategies that adolescents may use to ensure their healthy eating.
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Pettiness: Conceptualization, measurement and cross-cultural differences.
Ng, Reuben; Levy, Becca
2018-01-01
Although pettiness, defined as the tendency to get agitated over trivial matters, is a facet of neuroticism which has negative health implications, no measure exists. The goal of the current study was to develop, and validate a short pettiness scale. In Study 1 (N = 2136), Exploratory Factor Analysis distilled a one-factor model with five items. Convergent validity was established using the Big Five Inventory, DASS, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale. As predicted, pettiness was positively associated with neuroticism, depression, anxiety and stress but negatively related to extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, life satisfaction and resilience. Also, as predicted, pettiness was not significantly related to physical functioning, or blind and constructive patriotism, indicating discriminant validity. Confirmatory Factor Analysis in Study 2 (N = 734) revealed a stable one-factor model of pettiness. In Study 3 (N = 532), the scale, which showed a similar factor structure in the USA and Singapore, also reflected predicted cross-cultural patterns: Pettiness was found to be significantly lower in the United States, a culture categorized as "looser" than in Singapore, a culture classified as "tighter" in terms of Gelfand and colleagues' framework of national tendencies to oppose social deviance. Results suggest that this brief 5-item tool is a reliable and valid measure of pettiness, and its use in health research is encouraged.
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Validation of TGLF in C-Mod and DIII-D using machine learning and integrated modeling tools
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rodriguez-Fernandez, P.; White, Ae; Cao, Nm; Creely, Aj; Greenwald, Mj; Grierson, Ba; Howard, Nt; Meneghini, O.; Petty, Cc; Rice, Je; Sciortino, F.; Yuan, X.
2017-10-01
Predictive models for steady-state and perturbative transport are necessary to support burning plasma operations. A combination of machine learning algorithms and integrated modeling tools is used to validate TGLF in C-Mod and DIII-D. First, a new code suite, VITALS, is used to compare SAT1 and SAT0 models in C-Mod. VITALS exploits machine learning and optimization algorithms for the validation of transport codes. Unlike SAT0, the SAT1 saturation rule contains a model to capture cross-scale turbulence coupling. Results show that SAT1 agrees better with experiments, further confirming that multi-scale effects are needed to model heat transport in C-Mod L-modes. VITALS will next be used to analyze past data from DIII-D: L-mode ``Shortfall'' plasma and ECH swing experiments. A second code suite, PRIMA, allows for integrated modeling of the plasma response to Laser Blow-Off cold pulses. Preliminary results show that SAT1 qualitatively reproduces the propagation of cold pulses after LBO injections and SAT0 does not, indicating that cross-scale coupling effects play a role in the plasma response. PRIMA will be used to ``predict-first'' cold pulse experiments using the new LBO system at DIII-D, and analyze existing ECH heat pulse data. Work supported by DE-FC02-99ER54512, DE-FC02-04ER54698.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fromm, Germán; Hallinger, Philip; Volante, Paulo; Wang, Wen Chung
2017-01-01
The purposes of this study were to report on a systematic approach to validating a Spanish version of the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale and then to apply the scale in a cross-national comparison of principal instructional leadership. The study yielded a validated Spanish language version of the PIMRS Teacher Form and offers a…
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Measurement of stream channel habitat using sonar
Flug, Marshall; Seitz, Heather; Scott, John
1998-01-01
An efficient and low cost technique using a sonar system was evaluated for describing channel geometry and quantifying inundated area in a large river. The boat-mounted portable sonar equipment was used to record water depths and river width measurements for direct storage on a laptop computer. The field data collected from repeated traverses at a cross-section were evaluated to determine the precision of the system and field technique. Results from validation at two different sites showed average sample standard deviations (S.D.s) of 0.12 m for these complete cross-sections, with coefficient of variations of 10%. Validation using only the mid-channel river cross-section data yields an average sample S.D. of 0.05 m, with a coefficient of variation below 5%, at a stable and gauged river site using only measurements of water depths greater than 0.6 m. Accuracy of the sonar system was evaluated by comparison to traditionally surveyed transect data from a regularly gauged site. We observed an average mean squared deviation of 46.0 cm2, considering only that portion of the cross-section inundated by more than 0.6 m of water. Our procedure proved to be a reliable, accurate, safe, quick, and economic method to record river depths, discharges, bed conditions, and substratum composition necessary for stream habitat studies.
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El-Housseiny, Azza A; Alsadat, Farah A; Alamoudi, Najlaa M; El Derwi, Douaa A; Farsi, Najat M; Attar, Moaz H; Andijani, Basil M
2016-04-14
Early recognition of dental fear is essential for the effective delivery of dental care. This study aimed to test the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS). A school-based sample of 1546 children was randomly recruited. The Arabic version of the CFSS-DS was completed by children during class time. The scale was tested for internal consistency and test-retest reliability. To test criterion validity, children's behavior was assessed using the Frankl scale during dental examination, and results were compared with children's CFSS-DS scores. To test the scale's construct validity, scores on "fear of going to the dentist soon" were correlated with CFSS-DS scores. Factor analysis was also used. The Arabic version of the CFSS-DS showed high reliability regarding both test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation = 0.83, p < 0.001) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.88). It showed good criterion validity: children with negative behavior had significantly higher fear scores (t = 13.67, p < 0.001). It also showed moderate construct validity (Spearman's rho correlation, r = 0.53, p < 0.001). Factor analysis identified the following factors: "fear of invasive dental procedures," "fear of less invasive dental procedures" and "fear of strangers." The Arabic version of the CFSS-DS is a reliable and valid measure of dental fear in Arabic-speaking children. Pediatric dentists and researchers may use this validated version of the CFSS-DS to measure dental fear in Arabic-speaking children.
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Validity of Hansen-Roach cross sections in low-enriched uranium systems
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Busch, R.D.; O'Dell, R.D.
Within the nuclear criticality safety community, the Hansen-Roach 16 group cross section set has been the standard'' for use in k{sub eff} calculations over the past 30 years. Yet even with its widespread acceptance, there are still questions about its validity and adequacy, about the proper procedure for calculating the potential scattering cross section, {sigma}{sub p}, for uranium and plutonium, and about the concept of resonance self shielding and its impact on cross sections. This paper attempts to address these questions. It provides a brief background on the Hansen-Roach cross sections. Next is presented a review of resonances in crossmore » sections, self shielding of these resonances, and the use of {sigma}{sub p} to characterize resonance self shielding. Three prescriptions for calculating {sigma}{sub p} are given. Finally, results of several calculations of k{sub eff} on low-enriched uranium systems are provided to confirm the validity of the Hansen-Roach cross sections when applied to such systems.« less
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van den Boer, Janet H W; Kranendonk, Jentina; van de Wiel, Anne; Feskens, Edith J M; Geelen, Anouk; Mars, Monica
2017-09-08
Observational studies performed in Asian populations suggest that eating rate is related to BMI. This paper investigates the association between self-reported eating rate (SRER) and body mass index (BMI) in a Dutch population, after having validated SRER against actual eating rate. Two studies were performed; a validation and a cross-sectional study. In the validation study SRER (i.e., 'slow', 'average', or 'fast') was obtained from 57 participants (men/women = 16/41, age: mean ± SD = 22.6 ± 2.8 yrs., BMI: mean ± SD = 22.1 ± 2.8 kg/m 2 ) and in these participants actual eating rate was measured for three food products. Using analysis of variance the association between SRER and actual eating rate was studied. The association between SRER and BMI was investigated in cross-sectional data from the NQplus cohort (i.e., 1473 Dutch adults; men/women = 741/732, age: mean ± SD = 54.6 ± 11.7 yrs., BMI: mean ± SD = 25.9 ± 4.0 kg/m 2 ) using (multiple) linear regression analysis. In the validation study actual eating rate increased proportionally with SRER (for all three food products P < 0.01). In the cross-sectional study SRER was positively associated with BMI in both men and women (P = 0.03 and P < 0.001, respectively). Self-reported fast-eating women had a 1.13 kg/m 2 (95% CI 0.43, 1.84) higher BMI compared to average-speed-eating women, after adjusting for confounders. This was not the case in men; self-reported fast-eating men had a 0.29 kg/m 2 (95% CI -0.22, 0.80) higher BMI compared to average-speed-eating men, after adjusting for confounders. These studies show that self-reported eating rate reflects actual eating rate on a group-level, and that a high self-reported eating rate is associated with a higher BMI in this Dutch population.
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Sharma, Mukesh C; Sharma, S
2016-12-01
A series of 2-dihydro-4-quinazolin with potent highly selective inhibitors of inducible nitric oxide synthase activities was subjected to quantitative structure activity relationships (QSAR) analysis. Statistically significant equations with high correlation coefficient (r 2 = 0.8219) were developed. The k-nearest neighbor model has showed good cross-validated correlation coefficient and external validation values of 0.7866 and 0.7133, respectively. The selected electrostatic field descriptors the presence of blue ball around R1 and R4 in the quinazolinamine moiety showed electronegative groups favorable for nitric oxide synthase activity. The QSAR models may lead to the structural requirements of inducible nitric oxide compounds and help in the design of new compounds.
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Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of Persian Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score.
Ansari, Noureddin Nakhostin; Naghdi, Soofia; Hasanvand, Sahar; Fakhari, Zahra; Kordi, Ramin; Nilsson-Helander, Katarina
2016-04-01
To cross-culturally adapt the Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS) to Persian language and to preliminary evaluate the reliability and validity of a Persian ATRS. A cross-sectional and prospective cohort study was conducted to translate and cross-culturally adapt the ATRS to Persian language (ATRS-Persian) following steps described in guidelines. Thirty patients with total Achilles tendon rupture and 30 healthy subjects participated in this study. Psychometric properties of floor/ceiling effects (responsiveness), internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, standard error of measurement (SEM), smallest detectable change (SDC), construct validity, and discriminant validity were tested. Factor analysis was performed to determine the ATRS-Persian structure. There were no floor or ceiling effects that indicate the content and responsiveness of ATRS-Persian. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α 0.95). Item-total correlations exceeded acceptable standard of 0.3 for the all items (0.58-0.95). The test-retest reliability was excellent [(ICC)agreement 0.98]. SEM and SDC were 3.57 and 9.9, respectively. Construct validity was supported by a significant correlation between the ATRS-Persian total score and the Persian Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (PFAOS) total score and PFAOS subscales (r = 0.55-0.83). The ATRS-Persian significantly discriminated between patients and healthy subjects. Explanatory factor analysis revealed 1 component. The ATRS was cross-culturally adapted to Persian and demonstrated to be a reliable and valid instrument to measure functional outcomes in Persian patients with Achilles tendon rupture. II.
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Sisic, Nedim; Jelicic, Mario; Pehar, Miran; Spasic, Miodrag; Sekulic, Damir
2016-01-01
In basketball, anthropometric status is an important factor when identifying and selecting talents, while agility is one of the most vital motor performances. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the influence of anthropometric variables and power capacities on different preplanned agility performances. The participants were 92 high-level, junior-age basketball players (16-17 years of age; 187.6±8.72 cm in body height, 78.40±12.26 kg in body mass), randomly divided into a validation and cross-validation subsample. The predictors set consisted of 16 anthropometric variables, three tests of power-capacities (Sargent-jump, broad-jump and medicine-ball-throw) as predictors. The criteria were three tests of agility: a T-Shape-Test; a Zig-Zag-Test, and a test of running with a 180-degree turn (T180). Forward stepwise multiple regressions were calculated for validation subsamples and then cross-validated. Cross validation included correlations between observed and predicted scores, dependent samples t-test between predicted and observed scores; and Bland Altman graphics. Analysis of the variance identified centres being advanced in most of the anthropometric indices, and medicine-ball-throw (all at P<0.05); with no significant between-position-differences for other studied motor performances. Multiple regression models originally calculated for the validation subsample were then cross-validated, and confirmed for Zig-zag-Test (R of 0.71 and 0.72 for the validation and cross-validation subsample, respectively). Anthropometrics were not strongly related to agility performance, but leg length is found to be negatively associated with performance in basketball-specific agility. Power capacities are confirmed to be an important factor in agility. The results highlighted the importance of sport-specific tests when studying pre-planned agility performance in basketball. The improvement in power capacities will probably result in an improvement in agility in basketball athletes, while anthropometric indices should be used in order to identify those athletes who can achieve superior agility performance.
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Gunaydin, Gurkan; Citaker, Seyit; Meray, Jale; Cobanoglu, Gamze; Gunaydin, Ozge Ece; Hazar Kanik, Zeynep
2016-11-01
Validation of a self-report questionnaire. The purpose of this study was to investigate adaptation, validity, and reliability of the Turkish version of the Bournemouth Questionnaire. Low back pain is one of the most frequent disorders leading to activity limitation. This pain affects most of people in their lives. The most important point to evaluate patient's functional abilities and to decide a successful therapy procedure is to manage the assessment questionnaires precisely. One hundred ten patients with chronic low back pain were included in present study. To assess reliability, test-retest and internal consistency analyses were applied. The results of test-retest analysis were assessed by using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient method (95% confidence interval). For internal consistency, Cronbach alpha value was calculated. Validity of the questionnaire was assessed in terms of construct validity. For construct validity, factor analysis and convergent validity were tested. For convergent validity, total points of the Bournemouth Questionnaire were assessed with the total points of Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale and Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire by using Pearson correlation coefficient analysis. Cronbach alpha value was found 0.914, showing that this questionnaire has high internal consistency. The results of test-retest analysis were varying between 0.851 and 0.927, which shows that test-retest results are highly correlated. Factor analysis test indicated that this questionnaire had one factor. Pearson correlation coefficient of the Bournemouth Questionnaire with Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire was calculated 0.703 and it was found with Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale is 0.659. These results showed that the Bournemouth Questionnaire is very good correlated with Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale. The Turkish version of the Bournemouth Questionnaire is valid and reliable. 3.
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Bermúdez-de-Alvear, Rosa M; Gálvez-Ruiz, Pablo; Martínez-Arquero, A Ginés; Rando-Márquez, Sara; Fernández-Contreras, Elena
2018-06-11
This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Voice Activity and Participation Profile (SVAPP) questionnaire. A randomized, cross-sectional sampling strategy with controls was used. Two samples with a total of 169 participants were analyzed, specifically 61 men (mean age 37.02) and 108 women (mean age 37.78). Of these participants, 112 were patients and 57 were controls. The instrument was submitted to reliability (internal consistency and corrected item-total correlations) and reproducibility analyses. Validation assessment was based on the construct validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and concurrent validity. The global internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's α = 0.976), corrected item-total correlations were satisfactory and ranged 0.63-0.89, and factor loadings were above 0.50. The different subscales showed good internal consistency (alpha coefficients ranged 0.830-0.956) and test-retest values were consistently associated. The exploratory factor analysis evidenced a strongly defined five factors internal structure, with factors loadings ranging 0.51-0.86. Convergent validity demonstrated that all subscales and scores were very strongly correlated (Pearson r above 0.735) and significantly associated. The discriminant validity analysis showed that SVAPP had good specificity to distinguish dysphonic from healthy voice subjects. Concurrent validity with Voice Handicap Index Spanish version (SVHI) showed very strong correlations between total scores, and between SVHI total score and SVAPP Daily and Social Communication subscales; correlations between both tests subscales were strong; only between SVAPP Work and SVHI Physical sections correlations were moderate. The findings of the present study demonstrated evidence for the SVAPP questionnaire reliability and validity, and provided insightful implications of voice disorders on Spanish patients' quality of life. However, further investigations are required. Copyright © 2018 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Development of the Teen Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Instrument.
Wright, Wanda G; Spiro, Avron; Jones, Judith A; Rich, Sharron E; Garcia, Raul I
2017-03-01
The aim of this study was to develop the Teen Oral Health-Related Quality of Life instrument (TOQOL) and demonstrate its validity and reliability in a diverse sample of 13-18-year-old adolescents. A total of 363 adolescents aged 13-18 years participated in this cross sectional study. Oral screening examinations were conducted to collect oral health status data. Adolescents completed the TOQOL and a generic measure of health-related quality of life, the PedsQL. The psychometric properties of the TOQOL were evaluated in terms of face, content, convergent, concurrent and discriminant validity in addition to internal reliability. The 16-item TOQOL covers five domains: Physical functioning, Role functioning, Social functioning, Oral problems, and Emotional functioning. The total scale and subscales showed satisfactory reliability with Cronbach alpha ranging from 0.75 to 0.92. TOQOL scores showed significant associations with perceived oral health status and the PedsQL (convergent validity) and discriminated well between adolescents with caries and adolescents who were caries free (discriminate validity). The TOQOL is a valid and reliable oral health-related quality of life measurement that can be recommended for self-report in adolescents aged 13-18 years. © 2016 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.
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Scattering Cross Section of Sound Waves by the Modal Element Method
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Baumeister, Kenneth J.; Kreider, Kevin L.
1994-01-01
#he modal element method has been employed to determine the scattered field from a plane acoustic wave impinging on a two dimensional body. In the modal element method, the scattering body is represented by finite elements, which are coupled to an eigenfunction expansion representing the acoustic pressure in the infinite computational domain surrounding the body. The present paper extends the previous work by developing the algorithm necessary to calculate the acoustics scattering cross section by the modal element method. The scattering cross section is the acoustical equivalent to the Radar Cross Section (RCS) in electromagnetic theory. Since the scattering cross section is evaluated at infinite distance from the body, an asymptotic approximation is used in conjunction with the standard modal element method. For validation, the scattering cross section of the rigid circular cylinder is computed for the frequency range 0.1 is less than or equal to ka is less than or equal to 100. Results show excellent agreement with the analytic solution.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Karemore, Gopal; Nielsen, Mads; Karssemeijer, Nico; Brandt, Sami S.
2014-11-01
It is well understood nowadays that changes in the mammographic parenchymal pattern are an indicator of a risk of breast cancer and we have developed a statistical method that estimates the mammogram regions where the parenchymal changes, due to breast cancer, occur. This region of interest is computed from a score map by utilising the anatomical breast coordinate system developed in our previous work. The method also makes an automatic scale selection to avoid overfitting while the region estimates are computed by a nested cross-validation scheme. In this way, it is possible to recover those mammogram regions that show a significant difference in classification scores between the cancer and the control group. Our experiments suggested that the most significant mammogram region is the region behind the nipple and that can be justified by previous findings from other research groups. This result was conducted on the basis of the cross-validation experiments on independent training, validation and testing sets from the case-control study of 490 women, of which 245 women were diagnosed with breast cancer within a period of 2-4 years after the baseline mammograms. We additionally generalised the estimated region to another, mini-MIAS study and showed that the transferred region estimate gives at least a similar classification result when compared to the case where the whole breast region is used. In all, by following our method, one most likely improves both preclinical and follow-up breast cancer screening, but a larger study population will be required to test this hypothesis.
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Ochoa-Meza, Gerardo; Sierra, Juan Carlos; Pérez-Rodrigo, Carmen; Aranceta Bartrina, Javier; Esparza-Del Villar, Óscar A
2014-11-24
To test the goodness of fit of a Motivation-Ability-Opportunity model (MAO-model) to evaluate the observed variance in Mexican schoolchildren's preferences to eat fruit and daily fruit intake; also to evaluate the factorial invariance across the gender and type of population (urban and semi-urban) in which children reside. A model with seven constructs was designed from a validated questionnaire to assess preferences, cognitive abilities, attitude, modelling, perceived barriers, accessibility at school, accessibility at home, and fruit intake frequency. The instrument was administered in a representative sample of 1434 schoolchildren of 5th and 6th grade of primary school in a cross-sectional and ex post fact study conducted in 2013 in six cities of the State of Chihuahua, Mexico. The goodness of fit indexes was adequate for the MAO-model and explained 39% of the variance in preference to eat fruit. The structure of the model showed very good factor structure stability and the dimensions of the scale were equivalent in the different samples analyzed. The model analyzed with structural equation modeling showed a parsimonious model that can be used to explain the variation in fruit intake of 10 to 12 year old Mexican schoolchildren. The structure of the model was strictly invariant in the different samples analyzed and showed evidence of cross validation. Finally, implications about the modification model to fit data from scholar settings and guidelines for future research are discussed. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.
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Genomic selection across multiple breeding cycles in applied bread wheat breeding.
Michel, Sebastian; Ametz, Christian; Gungor, Huseyin; Epure, Doru; Grausgruber, Heinrich; Löschenberger, Franziska; Buerstmayr, Hermann
2016-06-01
We evaluated genomic selection across five breeding cycles of bread wheat breeding. Bias of within-cycle cross-validation and methods for improving the prediction accuracy were assessed. The prospect of genomic selection has been frequently shown by cross-validation studies using the same genetic material across multiple environments, but studies investigating genomic selection across multiple breeding cycles in applied bread wheat breeding are lacking. We estimated the prediction accuracy of grain yield, protein content and protein yield of 659 inbred lines across five independent breeding cycles and assessed the bias of within-cycle cross-validation. We investigated the influence of outliers on the prediction accuracy and predicted protein yield by its components traits. A high average heritability was estimated for protein content, followed by grain yield and protein yield. The bias of the prediction accuracy using populations from individual cycles using fivefold cross-validation was accordingly substantial for protein yield (17-712 %) and less pronounced for protein content (8-86 %). Cross-validation using the cycles as folds aimed to avoid this bias and reached a maximum prediction accuracy of [Formula: see text] = 0.51 for protein content, [Formula: see text] = 0.38 for grain yield and [Formula: see text] = 0.16 for protein yield. Dropping outlier cycles increased the prediction accuracy of grain yield to [Formula: see text] = 0.41 as estimated by cross-validation, while dropping outlier environments did not have a significant effect on the prediction accuracy. Independent validation suggests, on the other hand, that careful consideration is necessary before an outlier correction is undertaken, which removes lines from the training population. Predicting protein yield by multiplying genomic estimated breeding values of grain yield and protein content raised the prediction accuracy to [Formula: see text] = 0.19 for this derived trait.
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Wistermayer, Paul R; McIlwain, Wesley R; Ieronimakis, Nicholas; Rogers, Derek J
2018-04-01
Validate an accurate and reproducible method of measuring the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the upper airway. This is a prospective animal study done at a tertiary care medical treatment facility. Control images were obtained using endotracheal tubes of varying sizes. In vivo images were obtained from various timepoints of a concurrent study on subglottic stenosis. Using a 0° rod telescope, an instrument was placed at the level of interest, and a photo was obtained. Three independent and blinded raters then measured the CSA of the narrowest portion of the airway using open source image analysis software. Each blinded rater measured the CSA of 79 photos. The t testing to assess for accuracy showed no difference between measured and known CSAs of the control images ( P = .86), with an average error of 1.5% (SD = 5.5%). All intraclass correlation (ICC) values for intrarater agreement showed excellent agreement (ICC > .75). Interrater reliability among all raters in control (ICC = .975; 95% CI, .817-.995) and in vivo (ICC = .846;, 95% CI, .780-.896) images showed excellent agreement. We validate a simple, accurate, and reproducible method of measuring the CSA of the airway that can be used in a clinical or research setting.
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Mapping the World - a New Approach for Volunteered Geographic Information in the Cloud
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Moeller, M. S.; Furhmann, S.
2015-05-01
The OSM project provides a geodata basis for the entire world under the CC-SA licence agreement. But some parts of the world are mapped more densely compared to other regions. However, many less developed countries show a lack of valid geo-information. Africa for example is a sparsely mapped continent. During a huge Ebola outbreak in 2014 the lack of data became apparent. Help organization like the American Red Cross and the Humanitarian Openstreetmap Team organized mappings campaign to fill the gaps with valid OSM geodata. This paper gives a short introduction into this mapping activity.
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Ribeiro, João Carlos; Simões, João; Silva, Filipe; Silva, Eduardo D.; Hummel, Cornelia; Hummel, Thomas; Paiva, António
2016-01-01
The cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Sniffin`Sticks test for the Portuguese population is described. Over 270 people participated in four experiments. In Experiment 1, 67 participants rated the familiarity of presented odors and seven descriptors of the original test were adapted to a Portuguese context. In Experiment 2, the Portuguese version of Sniffin`Sticks test was administered to 203 healthy participants. Older age, male gender and active smoking status were confirmed as confounding factors. The third experiment showed the validity of the Portuguese version of Sniffin`Sticks test in discriminating healthy controls from patients with olfactory dysfunction. In Experiment 4, the test-retest reliability for both the composite score (r71 = 0.86) and the identification test (r71 = 0.62) was established (p<0.001). Normative data for the Portuguese version of Sniffin`Sticks test is provided, showing good validity and reliability and effectively distinguishing patients from healthy controls with high sensitivity and specificity. The Portuguese version of Sniffin`Sticks test identification test is a clinically suitable screening tool in routine outpatient Portuguese settings. PMID:26863023
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ghosh, Reetuparna; Badwar, Sylvia; Lawriniang, Bioletty; Jyrwa, Betylda; Naik, Haldhara; Naik, Yeshwant; Suryanarayana, Saraswatula Venkata; Ganesan, Srinivasan
2017-08-01
The 58Fe (p , n)58Co reaction cross-section within Giant Dipole Resonance (GDR) region i.e. from 3.38 to 19.63 MeV was measured by stacked-foil activation and off-line γ-ray spectrometric technique using the BARC-TIFR Pelletron facility at Mumbai. The present data were compared with the existing literature data and found to be in good agreement. The 58Fe (p , n)58Co reaction cross-section as a function of proton energy was also theoretically calculated by using the computer code TALYS-1.8 and found to be in good agreement, which shows the validity of the TALYS-1.8 program.
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Development and validation of the patient evaluation scale (PES) for primary health care in Nigeria.
Ogaji, Daprim S; Giles, Sally; Daker-White, Gavin; Bower, Peter
2017-03-01
Questionnaires developed for patient evaluation of the quality of primary care are often focussed on primary care systems in developed countries. Aim To report the development and validation of the patient evaluation scale (PES) designed for use in the Nigerian primary health care context. An iterative process was used to develop and validate the questionnaire using patients attending 28 primary health centres across eight states in Nigeria. The development involved literature review, patient interviews, expert reviews, cognitive testing with patients and waves of quantitative cross-sectional surveys. The questionnaire's content validity, internal structures, acceptability, reliability and construct validity are reported. Findings The full and shortened version of PES with 27 and 18 items, respectively, were developed through these process. The low item non-response from the serial cross-sectional surveys depicts questionnaire's acceptability among the local population. PES-short form (SF) has Cronbach's α of 0.87 and three domains (codenamed 'facility', 'organisation' and 'health care') with Cronbach's αs of 0.78, 0.79 and 0.81, respectively. Items in the multi-dimensional questionnaire demonstrated adequate convergent and discriminant properties. PES-SF scores show significant positive correlation with scores of the full PES and also discriminated population groups in support of a priori hypotheses. The PES and PES-SF contain items that are relevant to the needs of patients in Nigeria. The good measurement properties of the questionnaire demonstrates its potential usefulness for patient-focussed quality improvement activities in Nigeria. There is still need to translate these questionnaires into major languages in Nigeria and assess their validity against external quality criteria.
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Reiss, Philip T
2015-08-01
The "ten ironic rules for statistical reviewers" presented by Friston (2012) prompted a rebuttal by Lindquist et al. (2013), which was followed by a rejoinder by Friston (2013). A key issue left unresolved in this discussion is the use of cross-validation to test the significance of predictive analyses. This note discusses the role that cross-validation-based and related hypothesis tests have come to play in modern data analyses, in neuroimaging and other fields. It is shown that such tests need not be suboptimal and can fill otherwise-unmet inferential needs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Accelerating cross-validation with total variation and its application to super-resolution imaging
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Obuchi, Tomoyuki; Ikeda, Shiro; Akiyama, Kazunori; Kabashima, Yoshiyuki
2017-12-01
We develop an approximation formula for the cross-validation error (CVE) of a sparse linear regression penalized by ℓ_1-norm and total variation terms, which is based on a perturbative expansion utilizing the largeness of both the data dimensionality and the model. The developed formula allows us to reduce the necessary computational cost of the CVE evaluation significantly. The practicality of the formula is tested through application to simulated black-hole image reconstruction on the event-horizon scale with super resolution. The results demonstrate that our approximation reproduces the CVE values obtained via literally conducted cross-validation with reasonably good precision.
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The cross-cultural validity of posttraumatic stress disorder: implications for DSM-5.
Hinton, Devon E; Lewis-Fernández, Roberto
2011-09-01
There is considerable debate about the cross-cultural applicability of the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) category as currently specified. Concerns include the possible status of PTSD as a Western culture-bound disorder and the validity of individual items and criteria thresholds. This review examines various types of cross-cultural validity of the PTSD criteria as defined in DSM-IV-TR, and presents options and preliminary recommendations to be considered for DSM-5. Searches were conducted of the mental health literature, particularly since 1994, regarding cultural-, race-, or ethnicity-related factors that might limit the universal applicability of the diagnostic criteria of PTSD in DSM-IV-TR and the possible criteria for DSM-5. Substantial evidence of the cross-cultural validity of PTSD was found. However, evidence of cross-cultural variability in certain areas suggests the need for further research: the relative salience of avoidance/numbing symptoms, the role of the interpretation of trauma-caused symptoms in shaping symptomatology, and the prevalence of somatic symptoms. This review also indicates the need to modify certain criteria, such as the items on distressing dreams and on foreshortened future, to increase their cross-cultural applicability. Text additions are suggested to increase the applicability of the manual across cultural contexts: specifying that cultural syndromes-such as those indicated in the DSM-IV-TR Glossary-may be a prominent part of the trauma response in certain cultures, and that those syndromes may influence PTSD symptom salience and comorbidity. The DSM-IV-TR PTSD category demonstrates various types of validity. Criteria modification and textual clarifications are suggested to further improve its cross-cultural applicability. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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Cross-cultural Adaption and Validation of the Danish Voice Handicap Index.
Sorensen, Jesper Roed; Printz, Trine; Mehlum, Camilla Slot; Heidemann, Christian Hamilton; Groentved, Aagot Moeller; Godballe, Christian
2018-02-02
We aimed to assess psychometric properties, including internal consistency, reliability, and clinical validity of the Danish version of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). A cross-sectional survey study was carried out. For validation, the existing nonvalidated Danish version of the VHI was used. Data from 208 patients with voice disorders of different etiology (neurogenic, functional, and structural) and a control group of 85 vocally healthy individuals were included. A test-retest reliability analysis of 42 patients and 45 control persons was performed. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and clinical validity of the questionnaire were assessed. Internal consistency was high with a Cronbach α >0.90 for both the patient and control group. Test-retest reliability measured as intraclass correlation coefficient was good with 0.93 (95% confidence interval [95% confidence interval]: 0.87-0.96) for patients and 0.78 (95% confidence interval: 0.63-0.87) for the control group which indicates sufficient reliability of the questionnaire. The Danish VHI has good clinical validity as it has a strong correlation between patient's perception of the severity of their voice disorder and the VHI score from the Spearman correlation of 0.69. The existing Danish version of the VHI has been thoroughly validated and found to be in line with the original VHI from Jacobsen et al. It showed good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and clinical validity. It is suitable for use in daily practice and in research projects as it is able to assess patients' perception of their voice disorder severity. Copyright © 2018 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Munkácsy, Gyöngyi; Sztupinszki, Zsófia; Herman, Péter; Bán, Bence; Pénzváltó, Zsófia; Szarvas, Nóra; Győrffy, Balázs
2016-09-27
No independent cross-validation of success rate for studies utilizing small interfering RNA (siRNA) for gene silencing has been completed before. To assess the influence of experimental parameters like cell line, transfection technique, validation method, and type of control, we have to validate these in a large set of studies. We utilized gene chip data published for siRNA experiments to assess success rate and to compare methods used in these experiments. We searched NCBI GEO for samples with whole transcriptome analysis before and after gene silencing and evaluated the efficiency for the target and off-target genes using the array-based expression data. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess silencing efficacy and Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman rank correlation were used to evaluate study parameters. All together 1,643 samples representing 429 experiments published in 207 studies were evaluated. The fold change (FC) of down-regulation of the target gene was above 0.7 in 18.5% and was above 0.5 in 38.7% of experiments. Silencing efficiency was lowest in MCF7 and highest in SW480 cells (FC = 0.59 and FC = 0.30, respectively, P = 9.3E-06). Studies utilizing Western blot for validation performed better than those with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) or microarray (FC = 0.43, FC = 0.47, and FC = 0.55, respectively, P = 2.8E-04). There was no correlation between type of control, transfection method, publication year, and silencing efficiency. Although gene silencing is a robust feature successfully cross-validated in the majority of experiments, efficiency remained insufficient in a significant proportion of studies. Selection of cell line model and validation method had the highest influence on silencing proficiency.
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Khairullah, Shasha; Mahadeva, Sanjiv
2017-01-01
Objective We aimed to adapt, translate and validate the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) in Malaysian patients with chronic liver diseases of various aetiologies. Setting Tertiary level teaching institution in Malaysia. Participants The validation process involved 211 adult patients (English language n=101, Malay language n=110) with chronic liver disease. Characteristics of the study subjects were as follows: mean (SD) age was 56 (12.8) years, 58.3% were male and 41.7% female. The inclusion criteria were patients 18 years or older with chronic hepatitis and/or liver cirrhosis of any aetiology. The exclusion criteria were as follows: presence of hepatic encephalopathy, ongoing treatment with interferon and presence of other chronic conditions that have an impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. Cultural adaptation of the English version of the CLDQ was performed, and a Malay version was developed following standard forward–backward translation by independent native speakers. Psychometric properties of both versions were determined by assessing their internal consistency, test–retest reliability and discriminant and convergent validity. Results Cronbach’s alpha for internal consistency across the various domains of the CLDQ was 0.95 for the English version and 0.92 for the Malay version. Test–retest analysis showed excellent reliability with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.89 for the English version and 0.93 for the Malay version. The average scores of both the English and Malay versions of the CLDQ demonstrated adequate discriminant validity by differentiating between non-cirrhosis (English 6.3, Malay 6.1), compensated cirrhosis (English 5.6, Malay 6.0) and decompensated cirrhosis (English 5.1, Malay 4.9) (p<0.001). Convergent validity showed that correlation was fair between the English (ρ=0.59) and Malay (p=0.47) CLDQ versions with the EQ-5D, a generic HRQOL instrument. Conclusion The English and Malay versions of the CLDQ are reliable and valid disease-specific instruments for assessing HRQOL in Malaysian patients with chronic liver disease. PMID:28550020
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Ko, Jupil; Rosen, Adam B; Brown, Cathleen N
2015-12-01
The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) is a valid and reliable patient reported outcome used to assess the presence and severity of chronic ankle instability (CAI). The CAIT has been cross-culturally adapted into other languages for use in non-English speaking populations. However, there are no valid questionnaires to assess CAI in individuals who speak Korean. The purpose of this study was to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and validate the CAIT, for use in a Korean-speaking population with CAI. Cross-cultural reliability study. The CAIT was cross-culturally adapted into Korean according to accepted guidelines and renamed the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool-Korean (CAIT-K). Twenty-three participants (12 males, 11 females) who were bilingual in English and Korean were recruited and completed the original and adapted versions to assess agreement between versions. An additional 168 national level Korean athletes (106 male, 62 females; age = 20.3 ± 1.1 yrs), who participated in ≥ 90 minutes of physical activity per week, completed the final version of the CAIT-K twice within 14 days. Their completed questionnaires were assessed for internal consistency, test-retest reliability, criterion validity, and construct validity. For bilingual participants, intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC2,1) between the CAIT and the CAIT-K for test-retest reliability were 0.95 (SEM=1.83) and 0.96 (SEM=1.50) in right and left limbs, respectively. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.92 and 0.90 for the CAIT-K in right and left limbs, respectively. For native Korean speakers, the CAIT-K had high internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.89) and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC2,1 = 0.94, SEM=1.72), correlation with the physical component score (rho=0.70, p = 0.001) of the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin score was 0.87. The original CAIT was translated, cross-culturally adapted, and validated from English to Korean. The CAIT-K appears to be valid and reliable and could be useful in assessing the Korean speaking population with CAI.
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Zhang, Yin-Ping; Wei, Huan-Huan; Wang, Wen; Xia, Ru-Yi; Zhou, Xiao-Ling; Porr, Caroline; Lammi, Mikko
2016-04-01
The Osteoporosis Assessment Questionnaire Short Version (OPAQ-SV) was cross-culturally adapted to measure health-related quality of life in Chinese osteoporotic fracture females and then validated in China for its psychometric properties. Cross-cultural adaptation, including translation of the original OPAQ-SV into Mandarin Chinese language, was performed according to published guidelines. Validation of the newly cross-culturally adapted OPAQ-SV was conducted by sampling 234 Chinese osteoporotic fracture females and also a control group of 235 Chinese osteoporotic females without fractures, producing robust content, construct, and discriminant validation results. Major categories of reliability were also met: the Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.975, indicating good internal consistency; the test-retest reliability was 0.80; and principal component analysis resulted in a 6-factor structure explaining 75.847 % of the total variance. Further, the Comparative Fit Index result was 0.922 following the modified model confirmatory factor analysis, and the chi-squared test was 1.98. The root mean squared error of approximation was 0.078. Moreover, significant differences were revealed between females with fractures and those without fractures across all domains (p < 0.001). Overall, the newly cross-culturally adapted OPAQ-SV appears to possess adequate validity and reliability and may be utilized in clinical trials to assess the health-related quality of life in Chinese osteoporotic fracture females.
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Correcting for Optimistic Prediction in Small Data Sets
Smith, Gordon C. S.; Seaman, Shaun R.; Wood, Angela M.; Royston, Patrick; White, Ian R.
2014-01-01
The C statistic is a commonly reported measure of screening test performance. Optimistic estimation of the C statistic is a frequent problem because of overfitting of statistical models in small data sets, and methods exist to correct for this issue. However, many studies do not use such methods, and those that do correct for optimism use diverse methods, some of which are known to be biased. We used clinical data sets (United Kingdom Down syndrome screening data from Glasgow (1991–2003), Edinburgh (1999–2003), and Cambridge (1990–2006), as well as Scottish national pregnancy discharge data (2004–2007)) to evaluate different approaches to adjustment for optimism. We found that sample splitting, cross-validation without replication, and leave-1-out cross-validation produced optimism-adjusted estimates of the C statistic that were biased and/or associated with greater absolute error than other available methods. Cross-validation with replication, bootstrapping, and a new method (leave-pair-out cross-validation) all generated unbiased optimism-adjusted estimates of the C statistic and had similar absolute errors in the clinical data set. Larger simulation studies confirmed that all 3 methods performed similarly with 10 or more events per variable, or when the C statistic was 0.9 or greater. However, with lower events per variable or lower C statistics, bootstrapping tended to be optimistic but with lower absolute and mean squared errors than both methods of cross-validation. PMID:24966219
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Cross-cultural adaption and validation of the Persian version of the SWAL-QOL.
Tarameshlu, Maryam; Azimi, Amir Reza; Jalaie, Shohreh; Ghelichi, Leila; Ansari, Noureddin Nakhostin
2017-06-01
The aim of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the swallowing quality-of-life questionnaire (SWAL-QOL) to Persian language and to determine validity and reliability of the Persian version of the swallow quality-of-life questionnaire (PSWAL-QOL) in the patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia.The cross-sectional survey was designed to translate and cross-culturally adapt SWAL-QOL to Persian language following steps recommended in guideline. A total of 142 patients with dysphagia (mean age = 56.7 ± 12.22 years) were selected by non-probability consecutive sampling method to evaluate construct validity and internal consistency. Thirty patients with dysphagia were completed the PSWAL-QOL 2 weeks later for test-retest reliability.The PSWAL-QOL was favorably accepted with no missing items. The floor effect was ranged 0% to 21% and ceiling effect was ranged 0% to 16%. The construct validity was established via exploratory factor analysis. Internal consistency was confirmed with Cronbach α >0.7 for all scales except eating duration (α = 0.68). The test-retest reliability was excellent with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ≥0.75 for all scales.The SWAL-QOL was cross-culturally adapted to Persian and demonstrated to be a valid and reliable self-report questionnaire to measure the impact of dysphagia on the quality-of-life in the Persian patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia.
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Cross-cultural adaption and validation of the Persian version of the SWAL-QOL
Tarameshlu, Maryam; Azimi, Amir Reza; Jalaie, Shohreh; Ghelichi, Leila; Ansari, Noureddin Nakhostin
2017-01-01
Abstract The aim of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the swallowing quality-of-life questionnaire (SWAL-QOL) to Persian language and to determine validity and reliability of the Persian version of the swallow quality-of-life questionnaire (PSWAL-QOL) in the patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia. The cross-sectional survey was designed to translate and cross-culturally adapt SWAL-QOL to Persian language following steps recommended in guideline. A total of 142 patients with dysphagia (mean age = 56.7 ± 12.22 years) were selected by non-probability consecutive sampling method to evaluate construct validity and internal consistency. Thirty patients with dysphagia were completed the PSWAL-QOL 2 weeks later for test–retest reliability. The PSWAL-QOL was favorably accepted with no missing items. The floor effect was ranged 0% to 21% and ceiling effect was ranged 0% to 16%. The construct validity was established via exploratory factor analysis. Internal consistency was confirmed with Cronbach α >0.7 for all scales except eating duration (α = 0.68). The test–retest reliability was excellent with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ≥0.75 for all scales. The SWAL-QOL was cross-culturally adapted to Persian and demonstrated to be a valid and reliable self-report questionnaire to measure the impact of dysphagia on the quality-of-life in the Persian patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia. PMID:28658118
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A calibration protocol for population-specific accelerometer cut-points in children.
Mackintosh, Kelly A; Fairclough, Stuart J; Stratton, Gareth; Ridgers, Nicola D
2012-01-01
To test a field-based protocol using intermittent activities representative of children's physical activity behaviours, to generate behaviourally valid, population-specific accelerometer cut-points for sedentary behaviour, moderate, and vigorous physical activity. Twenty-eight children (46% boys) aged 10-11 years wore a hip-mounted uniaxial GT1M ActiGraph and engaged in 6 activities representative of children's play. A validated direct observation protocol was used as the criterion measure of physical activity. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analyses were conducted with four semi-structured activities to determine the accelerometer cut-points. To examine classification differences, cut-points were cross-validated with free-play and DVD viewing activities. Cut-points of ≤ 372, >2160 and >4806 counts • min(-1) representing sedentary, moderate and vigorous intensity thresholds, respectively, provided the optimal balance between the related needs for sensitivity (accurately detecting activity) and specificity (limiting misclassification of the activity). Cross-validation data demonstrated that these values yielded the best overall kappa scores (0.97; 0.71; 0.62), and a high classification agreement (98.6%; 89.0%; 87.2%), respectively. Specificity values of 96-97% showed that the developed cut-points accurately detected physical activity, and sensitivity values (89-99%) indicated that minutes of activity were seldom incorrectly classified as inactivity. The development of an inexpensive and replicable field-based protocol to generate behaviourally valid and population-specific accelerometer cut-points may improve the classification of physical activity levels in children, which could enhance subsequent intervention and observational studies.
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Abreu, Patrícia B de; Cogo-Moreira, Hugo; Pose, Regina A; Laranjeira, Ronaldo; Caetano, Raul; Gaya, Carolina M; Madruga, Clarice S
2017-01-01
To perform a construct validation of the List of Threatening Events Questionnaire (LTE-Q), as well as convergence validation by identifying its association with drug use in a sample of the Brazilian population. This is a secondary analysis of the Second Brazilian National Alcohol and Drugs Survey (II BNADS), which used a cross-cultural adaptation of the LTE-Q in a probabilistic sample of 4,607 participants aged 14 years and older. Latent class analysis was used to validate the latent trait adversity (which considered the number of events from the list of 12 item in the LTE experienced by the respondent in the previous year) and logistic regression was performed to find its association with binge drinking and cocaine use. The confirmatory factor analysis returned a chi-square of 108.341, weighted root mean square residual (WRMR) of 1.240, confirmatory fit indices (CFI) of 0.970, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) of 0.962, and root mean square error approximation (RMSEA) score of 1.000. LTE-Q convergence validation showed that the adversity latent trait increased the chances of binge drinking by 1.31 time and doubled the chances of previous year cocaine use (adjusted by sociodemographic variables). The use of the LTE-Q in Brazil should be encouraged in different research fields, including large epidemiological surveys, as it is also appropriate when time and budget are limited. The LTE-Q can be a useful tool in the development of targeted and more efficient prevention strategies.
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Manso, L; Pineda, R; Huertas, B; Fernández-Rivas, M; Diéguez, M C; Cerecedo, I; Muriel, A; Fernández, F B; DunnGalvin, A; Antolín-Amérigo, D; De la Hoz, B
2017-01-01
Food allergy is an emerging health problem. Several questionnaires can be used to establish health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in food allergy patients. Current questionnaires should be translated in such a way that they take account of the culture of the country in which they are to be used. Objective: To translate and perform a cross-sectional validation of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Parent Form (FAQLQ-PF). The parents of 54 children diagnosed with food allergy were recruited to assess the Spanish version of the FAQLQ-PF (S-FQLQ-PF). The S-FQLQ-PF was translated into Spanish according to WHO guidelines (including a forward-backward translation). The statistical analysis showed that feasibility, reliability, and internal consistency were very good for the global S-FAQLQ-PF score and for the different domains. Assessment of construct validity indicated that S-FAQLQ-PF has reduced capacity for measurement of HRQOL in younger children. Cross-sectional validation of the S-FAQLQ-PF demonstrated that HRQOL of a Spanish pediatric population was affected by patient age, severity of symptoms, and number of reactions. HRQOL was not affected by sex, food implicated, number of foods implicated, ingestion of the implicated food, or presence of anaphylaxis. Translation into Spanish and cultural validation of the FAQLQ-PF demonstrated the influence of factors, such as patient age, severity of symptoms, and number of reactions on the HRQOL of a pediatric Spanish population.
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Dutch translation and cross-cultural validation of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT).
van Leeuwen, Karen M; Bosmans, Judith E; Jansen, Aaltje Pd; Rand, Stacey E; Towers, Ann-Marie; Smith, Nick; Razik, Kamilla; Trukeschitz, Birgit; van Tulder, Maurits W; van der Horst, Henriette E; Ostelo, Raymond W
2015-05-13
The Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit was developed to measure outcomes of social care in England. In this study, we translated the four level self-completion version (SCT-4) of the ASCOT for use in the Netherlands and performed a cross-cultural validation. The ASCOT SCT-4 was translated into Dutch following international guidelines, including two forward and back translations. The resulting version was pilot tested among frail older adults using think-aloud interviews. Furthermore, using a subsample of the Dutch ACT-study, we investigated test-retest reliability and construct validity and compared response distributions with data from a comparable English study. The pilot tests showed that translated items were in general understood as intended, that most items were reliable, and that the response distributions of the Dutch translation and associations with other measures were comparable to the original English version. Based on the results of the pilot tests, some small modifications and a revision of the Dignity items were proposed for the final translation, which were approved by the ASCOT development team. The complete original English version and the final Dutch translation can be obtained after registration on the ASCOT website ( http://www.pssru.ac.uk/ascot ). This study provides preliminary evidence that the Dutch translation of the ASCOT is valid, reliable and comparable to the original English version. We recommend further research to confirm the validity of the modified Dutch ASCOT translation.
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Certification in Structural Health Monitoring Systems
2011-09-01
validation [3,8]. This may be accomplished by computing the sum of squares of pure error ( SSPE ) and its associated squared correlation [3,8]. To compute...these values, a cross- validation sample must be established. In general, if the SSPE is high, the model does not predict well on independent data...plethora of cross- validation methods, some of which are more useful for certain models than others [3,8]. When possible, a disclosure of the SSPE
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Alanazi, Fahad; Gleeson, Peggy; Olson, Sharon; Roddey, Toni
2017-04-01
Prospective cohort study of a cross-cultural low back pain (LBP) questionnaire OBJECTIVE.: The objectives of the present study were to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) to create a version in Arabic and to test its psychometric properties. The FABQ measures the effects that fear and avoidance beliefs have on work and on physical activity. An FABQ cross-culturally adapted for Arabic readers and speakers was created by forward translation, translation synthesis, and backward translation. Forty patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with LBP evaluated use of the questionnaire, and 70 patients from the same hospital participated in reliability, validity, and sensitivity studies. To determine test-retest reliability of the Arabic FABQ, patients completed it twice within 48 hours without receiving any active treatment between these two sessions. Patients completed the Arabic FABQ (and three other scales) at baseline and 14 days later to determine its validity and sensitivity. Test-retest reliability was good (FABQ-work: intraclass coefficient [ICC] = 0.74; FABQ-physical activity: ICC = 0.90; FABQ overall: ICC = 0.76). Correlations between the FABQ and three other instruments for measuring pain and disability were weak. The strongest correlation was found at the follow-up session with the Arabic Oswestry Questionnaire (r = 0.283; P ≤ 0.05). Sensitivity to change was low. The translation and adaptation of the Arabic version of the FABQ was successful. Overall, the Arabic FABQ had good test-retest reliability, acceptable construct validity, and low sensitivity to change. The Arabic version of the FABQ shows promise in the assessment of fear-avoidance beliefs among patients with LBP who speak and read Arabic. 3.
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Gallasch, Cristiane Helena; Alexandre, Neusa Maria Costa; Amick, Benjamin
2007-12-01
The study objectives were to translate and adapt the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire (WRFQ) into the Brazilian Portuguese language and evaluate its reliability in patients experiencing musculoskeletal disorders. The cross-cultural adaptation was performed according to the internationally recommended methodology, using the following guidelines: translation, back-translation, revision by a committee, and pretest. At first, the questionnaire was independently translated by two bilingual translators, who had Portuguese as their mother language. Subsequently, two other translators whose mother language was English did the back-translation. A committee composed of five specialists revised and compared the translations obtained, developing the final version for pretest application. The pretest was carried out with 30 patients experiencing musculoskeletal disorders. Psychometric properties were evaluated by administering the questionnaire to 105 subjects with musculoskeletal disorders and receiving physical therapy treatment. The reliability was estimated through stability and homogeneity assessment. The construct validity was tested comparing subjects experiencing musculoskeletal disorders to healthy workers. The results indicated good content validity and internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.95). Cronbach alpha for each scale was >0.85, except for the social demand scale. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient for the test-retest reliability was satisfactory for mental demands (ICC = 0.68) and excellent for the others (0.82-0.91). In relation to the construct validity, the mean score obtained for each scale was lower for physical, work scheduling, and output demands in the subjects with musculoskeletal disorders. There was a significant difference (p < 0.001) between the groups in comparison to work scheduling, physical, and output demands. The data showed that the cross-cultural adaptation process was successful and the adapted instrument demonstrated psychometric properties making it reliable to use in Brazilian culture.
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Furushima, Taishi; Miyachi, Motohiko; Iemitsu, Motoyuki; Murakami, Haruka; Kawano, Hiroshi; Gando, Yuko; Kawakami, Ryoko; Sanada, Kiyoshi
2017-08-29
This study aimed to develop and cross-validate prediction equations for estimating appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and to examine the relationship between sarcopenia defined by the prediction equations and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) or osteoporosis in Japanese men and women. Subjects were healthy men and women aged 20-90 years, who were randomly allocated to the following two groups: the development group (D group; 257 men, 913 women) and the cross-validation group (V group; 119 men, 112 women). To develop prediction equations, stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed on data obtained from the D group, using ASM measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as a dependent variable and five easily obtainable measures (age, height, weight, waist circumference, and handgrip strength) as independent variables. When the prediction equations for ASM estimation were applied to the V group, a significant correlation was found between DXA-measured ASM and predicted ASM in both men and women (R 2 = 0.81 and R 2 = 0.72). Our prediction equations had higher R 2 values compared to previously developed equations (R 2 = 0.75-0.59 and R 2 = 0.69-0.40) in both men and women. Moreover, sarcopenia defined by predicted ASM was related to risk factors for osteoporosis and CVD, as well as sarcopenia defined by DXA-measured ASM. In this study, novel prediction equations were developed and cross-validated in Japanese men and women. Our analyses validated the clinical significance of these prediction equations and showed that previously reported equations were not applicable in a Japanese population.
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Modeling spanwise nonuniformity in the cross-sectional analysis of composite beams
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ho, Jimmy Cheng-Chung
Spanwise nonuniformity effects are modeled in the cross-sectional analysis of beam theory. This modeling adheres to an established numerical framework on cross-sectional analysis of uniform beams with arbitrary cross-sections. This framework is based on two concepts: decomposition of the rotation tensor and the variational-asymptotic method. Allowance of arbitrary materials and geometries in the cross-section is from discretization of the warping field by finite elements. By this approach, dimensional reduction from three-dimensional elasticity is performed rigorously and the sectional strain energy is derived to be asymptotically-correct. Elastic stiffness matrices are derived for inputs into the global beam analysis. Recovery relations for the displacement, stress, and strain fields are also derived with care to be consistent with the energy. Spanwise nonuniformity effects appear in the form of pointwise and sectionwise derivatives, which are approximated by finite differences. The formulation also accounts for the effects of spanwise variations in initial twist and/or curvature. A linearly tapered isotropic strip is analyzed to demonstrate spanwise nonuniformity effects on the cross-sectional analysis. The analysis is performed analytically by the variational-asymptotic method. Results from beam theory are validated against solutions from plane stress elasticity. These results demonstrate that spanwise nonuniformity effects become significant as the rate at which the cross-sections vary increases. The modeling of transverse shear modes of deformation is accomplished by transforming the strain energy into generalized Timoshenko form. Approximations in this transformation procedure from previous works, when applied to uniform beams, are identified. The approximations are not used in the present work so as to retain more accuracy. Comparison of present results with those previously published shows that these approximations sometimes change the results measurably and thus are inappropriate. Static and dynamic results, from the global beam analysis, are calculated to show the differences between using stiffness constants from previous works and the present work. As a form of validation of the transformation procedure, calculations from the global beam analysis of initially twisted isotropic beams from using curvilinear coordinate axes featuring twist are shown to be equivalent to calculations using Cartesian coordinates.
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Park, Hyeon Jin; Yang, Hyung Kook; Shin, Dong Wook; Kim, Yoon Yi; Kim, Young Ae; Yun, Young Ho; Nam, Byung Ho; Bhatia, Smita; Park, Byung Kiu; Ghim, Thad T; Kang, Hyoung Jin; Park, Kyung Duk; Shin, Hee Young; Ahn, Hyo Seop
2013-12-01
We verified the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Minneapolis-Manchester Quality of Life Instrument-Adolescent Form (KMMQL-AF) among Korean childhood cancer survivors. A total of 107 childhood cancer patients undergoing cancer treatment and 98 childhood cancer survivors who completed cancer treatment were recruited. To assess the internal structure of the KMMQL-AF, we performed multi-trait scaling analyses and exploratory factor analysis. Additionally, we compared each domains of the KMMQL-AF with those of the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS). Internal consistency of the KMMQL-AF was sufficient (Cronbach's alpha: 0.78-0.92). In multi-trait scaling analyses, the KMMQL-AF showed sufficient construct validity. The "physical functioning" domain showed moderate correlation with Karnofsky scores and the "psychological functioning" domain showed moderate-to-high correlation with the RCMAS. The KMMQL-AF discriminated between subgroups of different adolescent cancer survivors depending on treatment completion. The KMMQL-AF is a sufficiently reliable and valid instrument for measuring quality of life among Korean childhood cancer survivors.
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Comparative assessment of three standardized robotic surgery training methods.
Hung, Andrew J; Jayaratna, Isuru S; Teruya, Kara; Desai, Mihir M; Gill, Inderbir S; Goh, Alvin C
2013-10-01
To evaluate three standardized robotic surgery training methods, inanimate, virtual reality and in vivo, for their construct validity. To explore the concept of cross-method validity, where the relative performance of each method is compared. Robotic surgical skills were prospectively assessed in 49 participating surgeons who were classified as follows: 'novice/trainee': urology residents, previous experience <30 cases (n = 38) and 'experts': faculty surgeons, previous experience ≥30 cases (n = 11). Three standardized, validated training methods were used: (i) structured inanimate tasks; (ii) virtual reality exercises on the da Vinci Skills Simulator (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA); and (iii) a standardized robotic surgical task in a live porcine model with performance graded by the Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills (GEARS) tool. A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to evaluate performance differences between novices and experts (construct validity). Spearman's correlation coefficient (ρ) was used to measure the association of performance across inanimate, simulation and in vivo methods (cross-method validity). Novice and expert surgeons had previously performed a median (range) of 0 (0-20) and 300 (30-2000) robotic cases, respectively (P < 0.001). Construct validity: experts consistently outperformed residents with all three methods (P < 0.001). Cross-method validity: overall performance of inanimate tasks significantly correlated with virtual reality robotic performance (ρ = -0.7, P < 0.001) and in vivo robotic performance based on GEARS (ρ = -0.8, P < 0.0001). Virtual reality performance and in vivo tissue performance were also found to be strongly correlated (ρ = 0.6, P < 0.001). We propose the novel concept of cross-method validity, which may provide a method of evaluating the relative value of various forms of skills education and assessment. We externally confirmed the construct validity of each featured training tool. © 2013 BJU International.
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Attrition from an Adolescent Addiction Treatment Program: A Cross Validation.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mathisen, Kenneth S.; Meyers, Kathleen
Treatment attrition is a major problem for programs treating adolescent substance abusers. To isolate and cross validate factors which are predictive of addiction treatment attrition among adolescent substance abusers, screening interview and diagnostic variables from 119 adolescent in-patients were submitted to a discriminant equation analysis.…
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-12-23
... Proposed Rule Change To Eliminate the Validated Cross Trade Entry Functionality December 16, 2010. Pursuant... eliminate the Validated Cross Trade Entry Functionality for Exchange-registered Institutional Brokers. The... Brokers (``Institutional Brokers'') by eliminating the ability of an Institutional Broker to execute...
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Cross-Cultural Validation of TEMAS, a Minority Projective Test.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Costantino, Giuseppe; And Others
The theoretical framework and cross-cultural validation of Tell-Me-A-Story (TEMAS), a projective test developed to measure personality development in ethnic minority children, is presented. The TEMAS test consists of 23 chromatic pictures which incorporate the following characteristics: (1) representation of antithetical concepts which the…
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Genome-based prediction of test cross performance in two subsequent breeding cycles.
Hofheinz, Nina; Borchardt, Dietrich; Weissleder, Knuth; Frisch, Matthias
2012-12-01
Genome-based prediction of genetic values is expected to overcome shortcomings that limit the application of QTL mapping and marker-assisted selection in plant breeding. Our goal was to study the genome-based prediction of test cross performance with genetic effects that were estimated using genotypes from the preceding breeding cycle. In particular, our objectives were to employ a ridge regression approach that approximates best linear unbiased prediction of genetic effects, compare cross validation with validation using genetic material of the subsequent breeding cycle, and investigate the prospects of genome-based prediction in sugar beet breeding. We focused on the traits sugar content and standard molasses loss (ML) and used a set of 310 sugar beet lines to estimate genetic effects at 384 SNP markers. In cross validation, correlations >0.8 between observed and predicted test cross performance were observed for both traits. However, in validation with 56 lines from the next breeding cycle, a correlation of 0.8 could only be observed for sugar content, for standard ML the correlation reduced to 0.4. We found that ridge regression based on preliminary estimates of the heritability provided a very good approximation of best linear unbiased prediction and was not accompanied with a loss in prediction accuracy. We conclude that prediction accuracy assessed with cross validation within one cycle of a breeding program can not be used as an indicator for the accuracy of predicting lines of the next cycle. Prediction of lines of the next cycle seems promising for traits with high heritabilities.
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Revealing interaction mode between HIV-1 protease and mannitol analog inhibitor.
Yan, Guan-Wen; Chen, Yue; Li, Yixue; Chen, Hai-Feng
2012-06-01
HIV protease is a key enzyme to play a key role in the HIV-1 replication cycle and control the maturation from HIV viruses to an infectious virion. HIV-1 protease has become an important target for anti-HIV-1 drug development. Here, we used molecular dynamics simulation to study the binding mode between mannitol derivatives and HIV-1 protease. The results suggest that the most active compound (M35) has more stable hydrogen bonds and stable native contacts than the less active one (M17). These mannitol derivatives might have similar interaction mode with HIV-1 protease. Then, 3D-QSAR was used to construct quantitative structure-activity models. The cross-validated q(2) values are found as 0.728 and 0.611 for CoMFA and CoMSIA, respectively. And the non-cross-validated r(2) values are 0.973 and 0.950. Nine test set compounds validate the model. The results show that this model possesses better prediction ability than the previous work. This model can be used to design new chemical entities and make quantitative prediction of the bioactivities for HIV-1 protease inhibitors before resorting to in vitro and in vivo experiment. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
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Cheng, Feixiong; Shen, Jie; Yu, Yue; Li, Weihua; Liu, Guixia; Lee, Philip W; Tang, Yun
2011-03-01
There is an increasing need for the rapid safety assessment of chemicals by both industries and regulatory agencies throughout the world. In silico techniques are practical alternatives in the environmental hazard assessment. It is especially true to address the persistence, bioaccumulative and toxicity potentials of organic chemicals. Tetrahymena pyriformis toxicity is often used as a toxic endpoint. In this study, 1571 diverse unique chemicals were collected from the literature and composed of the largest diverse data set for T. pyriformis toxicity. Classification predictive models of T. pyriformis toxicity were developed by substructure pattern recognition and different machine learning methods, including support vector machine (SVM), C4.5 decision tree, k-nearest neighbors and random forest. The results of a 5-fold cross-validation showed that the SVM method performed better than other algorithms. The overall predictive accuracies of the SVM classification model with radial basis functions kernel was 92.2% for the 5-fold cross-validation and 92.6% for the external validation set, respectively. Furthermore, several representative substructure patterns for characterizing T. pyriformis toxicity were also identified via the information gain analysis methods. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Vijayaraj, Ramadoss; Devi, Mekapothula Lakshmi Vasavi; Subramanian, Venkatesan; Chattaraj, Pratim Kumar
2012-06-01
Three-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) study has been carried out on the Escherichia coli DHFR inhibitors 2,4-diamino-5-(substituted-benzyl)pyrimidine derivatives to understand the structural features responsible for the improved potency. To construct highly predictive 3D-QSAR models, comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) methods were used. The predicted models show statistically significant cross-validated and non-cross-validated correlation coefficient of r2 CV and r2 nCV, respectively. The final 3D-QSAR models were validated using structurally diverse test set compounds. Analysis of the contour maps generated from CoMFA and CoMSIA methods reveals that the substitution of electronegative groups at the first and second position along with electropositive group at the third position of R2 substitution significantly increases the potency of the derivatives. The results obtained from the CoMFA and CoMSIA study delineate the substituents on the trimethoprim analogues responsible for the enhanced potency and also provide valuable directions for the design of new trimethoprim analogues with improved affinity. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
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Jahn, Beate; Rochau, Ursula; Kurzthaler, Christina; Paulden, Mike; Kluibenschädl, Martina; Arvandi, Marjan; Kühne, Felicitas; Goehler, Alexander; Krahn, Murray D; Siebert, Uwe
2016-04-01
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in developed countries. We developed a model (the Oncotyrol breast cancer outcomes model) to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a 21-gene assay when used in combination with Adjuvant! Online to support personalized decisions about the use of adjuvant chemotherapy. The goal of this study was to perform a cross-model validation. The Oncotyrol model evaluates the 21-gene assay by simulating a hypothetical cohort of 50-year-old women over a lifetime horizon using discrete event simulation. Primary model outcomes were life-years, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). We followed the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research-Society for Medical Decision Making (ISPOR-SMDM) best practice recommendations for validation and compared modeling results of the Oncotyrol model with the state-transition model developed by the Toronto Health Economics and Technology Assessment (THETA) Collaborative. Both models were populated with Canadian THETA model parameters, and outputs were compared. The differences between the models varied among the different validation end points. The smallest relative differences were in costs, and the greatest were in QALYs. All relative differences were less than 1.2%. The cost-effectiveness plane showed that small differences in the model structure can lead to different sets of nondominated test-treatment strategies with different efficiency frontiers. We faced several challenges: distinguishing between differences in outcomes due to different modeling techniques and initial coding errors, defining meaningful differences, and selecting measures and statistics for comparison (means, distributions, multivariate outcomes). Cross-model validation was crucial to identify and correct coding errors and to explain differences in model outcomes. In our comparison, small differences in either QALYs or costs led to changes in ICERs because of changes in the set of dominated and nondominated strategies. © The Author(s) 2015.
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2011-01-01
Background Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment, encompassing the adolescents' perceptions of their mental, physical, and social health and well-being is increasingly considered an important outcome to be used to identify population health needs and to provide targeted medical care. Although validated instruments are essential for accurately assessing HRQoL outcomes, there are few cross-culturally adapted tools for use in Brazil, and none designed exclusively for use among adolescents. The Vécu et Santé Perçue de l'Adolescent (VSP-A) is a generic, multidimensional self-reported instrument originally developed and validated in France that evaluates HRQoL of ill and healthy adolescents. Purpose To cross-culturally adapt and validate the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the VSP-A, a generic HRQoL measure for adolescents originally developed in France. Methods The VSP-A was translated following a well-validated forward-backward process leading to the Brazilian version. The psychometric evaluation was conducted in a sample of 446 adolescents (14-18 years) attending 2 public high schools of São Gonçalo City. The adolescents self-reported the Brazilian VSP-A, the validated Psychosomatic Symptom Checklist and socio-demographic information. A retest evaluation was carried out on a sub-sample (n = 195) at a two-week interval. The internal construct validity was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multi-trait scaling analyses, Rasch analysis evaluating unidimensionality of each scale and Cronbach's alpha coefficients. The reproducibility was evaluated by intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). Zumbo's ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to detect differential item functioning (DIF) between the Brazilian and the French items. External construct validity was investigated testing expected differences between groups using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Mann-Whitney tests and the univariate general regression linear model. Results CFA showed an acceptable fit (RMSEA=0.05; CFI=0.93); 94% of scaling success was found for item-internal consistency and 98% for item discriminant validity. The items showed good fit to the Rasch model except 3 items with an INFIT at the upper threshold. Cronbach's Alpha ranged from 0.60 to 0.85. Test-retest reliability was moderate to good (ICC=0.55-0.82). DIF was evidenced in 4 out of 36 items. Expected patterns of differences were confirmed with significantly lower physical, psychological well being and vitality reported by symptomatic adolescents. Conclusions Although DIF in few items and responsiveness must be further explored, the Brazilian version of VSP-A demonstrated an acceptable validity and reliability in adolescents attending school and might serve as a starting point for more specific clinical investigations. PMID:21272317
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Glassmire, David M; Toofanian Ross, Parnian; Kinney, Dominique I; Nitch, Stephen R
2016-06-01
Two studies were conducted to identify and cross-validate cutoff scores on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition Digit Span-based embedded performance validity (PV) measures for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. In Study 1, normative scores were identified on Digit Span-embedded PV measures among a sample of patients (n = 84) with schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses who had no known incentive to perform poorly and who put forth valid effort on external PV tests. Previously identified cutoff scores resulted in unacceptable false positive rates and lower cutoff scores were adopted to maintain specificity levels ≥90%. In Study 2, the revised cutoff scores were cross-validated within a sample of schizophrenia spectrum patients (n = 96) committed as incompetent to stand trial. Performance on Digit Span PV measures was significantly related to Full Scale IQ in both studies, indicating the need to consider the intellectual functioning of examinees with psychotic spectrum disorders when interpreting scores on Digit Span PV measures. © The Author(s) 2015.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Smart, Roslyn M.; Peterson, Candida C.
1994-01-01
Examined four-factor structure of Adult Career Concerns Inventory (ACCI) in sample of 457 employed Australians. Findings support factorial validity of ACCI by showing its congruence with Super et al.'s (1957) hypothesized 4 stages and 12 substages of career development. Results also demonstrated substantial cross-cultural support for ACCI factor…
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Gülgöz, S
2001-01-01
The cross-cultural validity of the Need for Cognition Scale and its relationship with cognitive performance were investigated in two studies. In the first study, the relationships between the scale and university entrance scores, course grades, study skills, and social desirability were examined. Using the short form of the Turkish version of the Need for Cognition Scale (S. Gülöz & C. J. Sadowski, 1995) no correlation with academic performance was found but there was significant correlation with a study skills scale and a social desirability scale created for this study. When regression analysis was used to predict grade point average, the Need for Cognition Scale was a significant predictor. In the second study, participants low or high in need for cognition solved multiple-solution anagrams. The instructions preceding the task set the participants' expectations regarding task difficulty. An interaction between expectation and need for cognition indicated that participants with low need for cognition performed worse when they expected difficult problems. Results of the two studies showed that need for cognition has cross-cultural validity and that its effect on cognitive performance was mediated by other variables.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Oudriss, A.; Le Guernic, Solenne; Wang, Zhaoying
2016-02-15
To study anisotropic hydrogen segregation and diffusion in nickel polycrystalline, Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) and Electron Back Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) are integrated to investigate hydrogen distribution around grain boundaries. Hydrogen distribution in pre-charged samples were correlated with grain boundary character by integrating high-resolution grain microstructure from EBSD inverse pole figure map and low-resolution hydrogen concentration profile map from SIMS. This multimodal imaging instrumentation shows that grain boundaries in nickel can be categorized into two families based on behavior of hydrogen distribution crossing grain boundary: the first one includes random grain boundaries with fast hydrogen diffusivity, showing a sharp gapmore » for hydrogen concentration profile cross the grain boundaries. The second family are special Σ3n grain boundaries with low hydrogen diffusivity, showing a smooth gradient of hydrogen concentration cross the grain boundary. Heterogeneous hydrogen distributions due to grain boundary family revealed by SIMS/EBSD on mesoscale further validate the recent hydrogen permeation data and anisotropic ab-initio calculations in nanoscale. The results highlight the fact that grain boundaries character impacts hydrogen distribution significantly.« less
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Pat, Lucio; Ali, Bassam; Guerrero, Armando; Córdova, Atl V.; Garduza, José P.
2016-01-01
Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and chemometrics model was used for determination of physicochemical properties (pH, redox potential, free acidity, electrical conductivity, moisture, total soluble solids (TSS), ash, and HMF) in honey samples. The reference values of 189 honey samples of different botanical origin were determined using Association Official Analytical Chemists, (AOAC), 1990; Codex Alimentarius, 2001, International Honey Commission, 2002, methods. Multivariate calibration models were built using partial least squares (PLS) for the measurands studied. The developed models were validated using cross-validation and external validation; several statistical parameters were obtained to determine the robustness of the calibration models: (PCs) optimum number of components principal, (SECV) standard error of cross-validation, (R 2 cal) coefficient of determination of cross-validation, (SEP) standard error of validation, and (R 2 val) coefficient of determination for external validation and coefficient of variation (CV). The prediction accuracy for pH, redox potential, electrical conductivity, moisture, TSS, and ash was good, while for free acidity and HMF it was poor. The results demonstrate that attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry is a valuable, rapid, and nondestructive tool for the quantification of physicochemical properties of honey. PMID:28070445
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Duracinsky, Martin; Lalanne, Christophe; Le Coeur, Sophie; Herrmann, Susan; Berzins, Baiba; Armstrong, Andrew Richard; Lau, Joseph Tak Fai; Fournier, Isabelle; Chassany, Olivier
2012-04-15
This study reports the psychometric validation of a new HIV/AIDS-specific health-related quality of life (HRQL) questionnaire, the Patient Reported Outcomes Quality of Life-HIV. The instrument was developed simultaneously across Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia to assess multidimensional quality of life impairments in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy. A cross-sectional study was performed in 8 countries. The pilot 70-item questionnaire was co-administered with the HIV symptoms index, the EQ-5D and Medical Outcomes Study-HIV questionnaires. Demographic and biomedical data were collected. After item analysis and reduction, convergent discriminant concurrent validity and known-group validity were examined. Internal consistency and reliability scores were assessed using Cronbach alpha and intraclass correlation. The final sample of 791 patients was composed of 64% males (median age: 41 years, HIV diagnosis = 5 years), 13.8% were treatment naive. Item reduction yielded a 43-item form surveying 8 dimensions and 1 global health item that showed good convergent and discriminant validity and reliability (98% scaling success; Cronbach alphas 0.77-0.89). Correlations with EQ-5D and Medical Outcomes Study-HIV complied with concurrent validity expectations; likewise, correlations against the number of self-reported symptoms and depression showed good support for criterion validity. A test-retest study on French patients (n = 34) showed temporal stability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.86). Significant and meaningful differences of HRQL scores between countries were found. The Patient Reported Outcomes Quality of Life-HIV questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing HRQL specific to HIV disease in different cultures and healthcare systems.
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Radioactive Quality Evaluation and Cross Validation of Data from the HJ-1A/B Satellites' CCD Sensors
Zhang, Xin; Zhao, Xiang; Liu, Guodong; Kang, Qian; Wu, Donghai
2013-01-01
Data from multiple sensors are frequently used in Earth science to gain a more complete understanding of spatial information changes. Higher quality and mutual consistency are prerequisites when multiple sensors are jointly used. The HJ-1A/B satellites successfully launched on 6 September 2008. There are four charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors with uniform spatial resolutions and spectral range onboard the HJ-A/B satellites. Whether these data are keeping consistency is a major issue before they are used. This research aims to evaluate the data consistency and radioactive quality from the four CCDs. First, images of urban, desert, lake and ocean are chosen as the objects of evaluation. Second, objective evaluation variables, such as mean, variance and angular second moment, are used to identify image performance. Finally, a cross validation method are used to ensure the correlation of the data from the four HJ-1A/B CCDs and that which is gathered from the moderate resolution imaging spectro-radiometer (MODIS). The results show that the image quality of HJ-1A/B CCDs is stable, and the digital number distribution of CCD data is relatively low. In cross validation with MODIS, the root mean square errors of bands 1, 2 and 3 range from 0.055 to 0.065, and for band 4 it is 0.101. The data from HJ-1A/B CCD have better consistency. PMID:23881127
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Zhang, Xin; Zhao, Xiang; Liu, Guodong; Kang, Qian; Wu, Donghai
2013-07-05
Data from multiple sensors are frequently used in Earth science to gain a more complete understanding of spatial information changes. Higher quality and mutual consistency are prerequisites when multiple sensors are jointly used. The HJ-1A/B satellites successfully launched on 6 September 2008. There are four charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors with uniform spatial resolutions and spectral range onboard the HJ-A/B satellites. Whether these data are keeping consistency is a major issue before they are used. This research aims to evaluate the data consistency and radioactive quality from the four CCDs. First, images of urban, desert, lake and ocean are chosen as the objects of evaluation. Second, objective evaluation variables, such as mean, variance and angular second moment, are used to identify image performance. Finally, a cross validation method are used to ensure the correlation of the data from the four HJ-1A/B CCDs and that which is gathered from the moderate resolution imaging spectro-radiometer (MODIS). The results show that the image quality of HJ-1A/B CCDs is stable, and the digital number distribution of CCD data is relatively low. In cross validation with MODIS, the root mean square errors of bands 1, 2 and 3 range from 0.055 to 0.065, and for band 4 it is 0.101. The data from HJ-1A/B CCD have better consistency.
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Lee, Siau Pheng; Ong, Clarissa; Vaingankar, Janhavi Ajit; Chong, Siow Ann; Subramaniam, Mythily
2017-05-01
Previous findings on the diagnostic validity and reliability of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)-associated symptom criteria suggest need for further evaluation. The current study examined convergent validity and specificity of GAD-associated symptoms in a representative Singapore community sample. The Singapore of Mental Health Study a cross-sectional epidemiological survey conducted among 6166 Singapore residents aged 18 and older. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 3.0 was used to diagnose mental disorders. Associated symptoms in the GAD criteria and autonomic hyperactivity symptoms showed convergent validity with a GAD diagnosis. However, associated symptoms of GAD were also linked to major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, suggesting lack of adequate specificity. The inability of the diagnostic criteria to differentiate GAD from symptoms of other conditions highlights the need to better define its associated symptoms criteria. The relationship of overlapping symptoms between GAD and MDD is also discussed.
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Gao, X X; Zhu, L; Yu, S J; Xu, T
2018-02-25
Objective: To develop the Chinese version of modified body image scale (MBIS) questionnaires, and to validate them in Chinese population. Methods: The original English MBIS questionnaire was translated into Chinese, following the WHO cross-cultural adaptation of health-related quality of life measures. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of MBIS questionnaires were evaluated in Chinese population, MRKH syndrome patients. Results: Totally 50 patients with MRKH syndrome completed the MBIS and short-form 12-item health survey (SF-12) questionnaires. The Cronbach's alpha of MBIS was 0.741, intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.472-0.815 ( P< 0.01). MBIS scores were positively correlated with SF-12 scores (Spearman correlation coefficient was-0.409, P< 0.01) . Factor analysis showed that MBIS had one common factor. Conclusion: Chinese version of MBIS has high reliability and validity in Chinese population, therefore is suitable for clinic and research.
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Alzyoud, Sukaina; Veeranki, Sreenivas P.; Kheirallah, Khalid A.; Shotar, Ali M.; Pbert, Lori
2016-01-01
Introduction: Waterpipe use among adolescents has been increasing progressively. Yet no studies were reported to assess the validity and reliability of nicotine dependence scale. The current study aims to assess the validity and reliability of an Arabic version of the modified Waterpipe Tolerance Questionnaire WTQ among school-going adolescent waterpipe users. Methods: In a cross-sectional study conducted in Jordan, information on waterpipe use among 333 school-going adolescents aged 11-18 years was obtained using the Arabic version of the WTQ. An exploratory factor analysis and correlation matrices were conducted to assess validity and reliability of the WTQ. Results: The WTQ had a 0.73 alpha of internal consistency indicating moderate level of reliability. The scale showed multidimensionality with items loading on two factors, namely waterpipe consumption and morning smoking. Conclusion: This study report nicotine dependence level among school-going adolescents who identify themselves as waterpipe users using the WTQ. PMID:26383198
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Guirao-Goris, Silamani J; Ferrer Ferrandis, Esperanza; Montejano Lozoya, Raimunda
2016-02-18
The aim of the study is to identify the construct and criterion validity of the nursing diagnosis label Sedentary Lifestyle. A cross-sectional study in a nursing consultation in primary health care was conducted. Participants were all people that was attended for one year over 50 who voluntarily wish to participate (n=85) in the study. Objective weekly physical activity was measured in METs with an Accelerometer, objective measure of performance was measured by gait speed EPESE Battery (both measures that were used as the gold standard), and physical activity questionnaires (RAPA), the COOP-WONCA physical fitness chart. Spearman correlation coefficients, mean comparison tests and analysis of sensitivity and specificity were used as statistical analysis. The diagnosis "Sedentary Lifestyle" showed a positive correlation between its manifestations and physical activity measured in METs (r=0.39) and EPESE gait speed (r=0.35). The diagnosis showed a sensitivity of 85.1% and a specificity of 65.2% and showed ability to discriminate active people from those that are not using METs as a measure of physical activity (t=-4.4). The diagnosis "Sedentary Lifestyle" shows criterion and construct validity.
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Yuan, Xinzhe; Sun, Jian; Zhou, Wei; Zhang, Qingjun
2018-01-01
The purpose of our work is to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of retrieving sea surface wind speeds from C-band cross-polarization (herein vertical-horizontal, VH) Chinese Gaofen-3 (GF-3) SAR images in typhoons. In this study, we have collected three GF-3 SAR images acquired in Global Observation (GLO) and Wide ScanSAR (WSC) mode during the summer of 2017 from the China Sea, which includes the typhoons Noru, Doksuri and Talim. These images were collocated with wind simulations at 0.12° grids from a numeric model, called the Regional Assimilation and Prediction System-Typhoon model (GRAPES-TYM). Recent research shows that GRAPES-TYM has a good performance for typhoon simulation in the China Sea. Based on the dataset, the dependence of wind speed and of radar incidence angle on normalized radar cross (NRCS) of VH-polarization GF-3 SAR have been investigated, after which an empirical algorithm for wind speed retrieval from VH-polarization GF-3 SAR was tuned. An additional four VH-polarization GF-3 SAR images in three typhoons, Noru, Hato and Talim, were investigated in order to validate the proposed algorithm. SAR-derived winds were compared with measurements from Windsat winds at 0.25° grids with wind speeds up to 40 m/s, showing a 5.5 m/s root mean square error (RMSE) of wind speed and an improved RMSE of 5.1 m/s wind speed was achieved compared with the retrieval results validated against GRAPES-TYM winds. It is concluded that the proposed algorithm is a promising potential technique for strong wind retrieval from cross-polarization GF-3 SAR images without encountering a signal saturation problem. PMID:29385068
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de Jonge, Jan; Le Blanc, Pascale M; Peeters, Maria C W; Noordam, Hanneke
2008-10-01
Research on emotional labour in health care work has not yet revealed under what conditions emotional job demands have an impact on employee health and well-being. There is a need for more theory to unveil the black box of emotional labour processes. To test the moderating role of matching (i.e. emotional) and non-matching (i.e. cognitive) job resources in the relation between emotional job demands and employee health/well-being (i.e. emotional exhaustion, employee creativity, and work motivation). A cross-sectional survey with anonymous questionnaires was conducted. A large organization for residential elderly care with eight locations in an urban area in the Netherlands. Questionnaires were distributed to 1259 health care workers, of which 826 people returned the questionnaire (66% response rate). In addition to descriptive statistics, multivariate multiple regression analysis (LISREL 8.54) with cross-validation was conducted. Findings showed that emotional job resources moderated the relation between emotional job demands and health/well-being outcomes. Firstly, emotional job resources were able to moderate the relation between emotional job demands and emotional exhaustion. Secondly, both emotional job resources and, to a lesser extent, cognitive job resources were able to moderate the relation between emotional job demands and positive well-being outcomes (i.e. employee creativity and work motivation). Finally, cross-validation showed that parameter estimates did not vary across subsamples. Job resources could compensate for resources lost through meeting the requirements of emotional job demands, thereby reducing stress-reactions and increasing well-being. Providing health care workers with more, preferably matching, job resources could make emotional job demands less stressful, and even stimulating and challenging. Future longitudinal studies should investigate the interplay of emotional job demands and (matching) job resources more profoundly.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Akinpelu, Aderonke O.; Odetunde, Marufat O.; Odole, Adesola C.
2012-01-01
Stroke-Specific Quality of Life 2.0 (SS-QoL 2.0) scale is used widely and has been cross-culturally adapted to many languages. This study aimed at the cross-cultural adaptation of SS-QoL 2.0 to Yoruba, the indigenous language of south-western Nigeria, and to carry out an initial investigation on its validity. English SS-QoL 2.0 was first adapted…
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Marsh, Herbert W; Martin, Andrew J; Jackson, Susan
2010-08-01
Based on the Physical Self Description Questionnaire (PSDQ) normative archive (n = 1,607 Australian adolescents), 40 of 70 items were selected to construct a new short form (PSDQ-S). The PSDQ-S was evaluated in a new cross-validation sample of 708 Australian adolescents and four additional samples: 349 Australian elite-athlete adolescents, 986 Spanish adolescents, 395 Israeli university students, 760 Australian older adults. Across these six groups, the 11 PSDQ-S factors had consistently high reliabilities and invariant factor structures. Study 1, using a missing-by-design variation of multigroup invariance tests, showed invariance across 40 PSDQ-S items and 70 PSDQ items. Study 2 demonstrated factorial invariance over a 1-year interval (test-retest correlations .57-.90; Mdn = .77), and good convergent and discriminant validity in relation to time. Study 3 showed good and nearly identical support for convergent and discriminant validity of PSDQ and PSDQ-S responses in relation to two other physical self-concept instruments.
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Infinite hidden conditional random fields for human behavior analysis.
Bousmalis, Konstantinos; Zafeiriou, Stefanos; Morency, Louis-Philippe; Pantic, Maja
2013-01-01
Hidden conditional random fields (HCRFs) are discriminative latent variable models that have been shown to successfully learn the hidden structure of a given classification problem (provided an appropriate validation of the number of hidden states). In this brief, we present the infinite HCRF (iHCRF), which is a nonparametric model based on hierarchical Dirichlet processes and is capable of automatically learning the optimal number of hidden states for a classification task. We show how we learn the model hyperparameters with an effective Markov-chain Monte Carlo sampling technique, and we explain the process that underlines our iHCRF model with the Restaurant Franchise Rating Agencies analogy. We show that the iHCRF is able to converge to a correct number of represented hidden states, and outperforms the best finite HCRFs--chosen via cross-validation--for the difficult tasks of recognizing instances of agreement, disagreement, and pain. Moreover, the iHCRF manages to achieve this performance in significantly less total training, validation, and testing time.
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Li, Jian-Bin; Delvecchio, Elisa; Di Riso, Daniela; Nie, Yan-Gang; Lis, Adriana
2016-06-01
The current study aimed to validate the parent-version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS-P) among Chinese and Italian community adolescents and to compare adolescents' anxiety symptoms in these two countries. Chinese (N = 456) and Italian (N = 452) adolescents and their parents participated in the study. Results showed that: (1) the six correlated-factor structure was demonstrated and invariant across countries. (2) The reliability of the total scale was good in both samples, whereas reliabilities of subscales were acceptable and moderate in Chinese and Italian samples, respectively. (3) The SCAS-P showed good convergent and divergent validity. (4) Adolescent-parent agreement was from low to medium while mother-father agreement ranged from medium to high. (5) There were cultural and gender differences in levels of parent-report anxiety symptoms. In conclusion, SCAS-P seems to be a promising parent-report instrument to assess Chinese and Italian adolescents' anxiety symptoms.
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Zhou, Hongzhen; Zhu, Yafang; Zhang, Xiaomei
2017-01-01
This study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) score in acute stroke patients with dysphagia. A sample of 128 consecutive patients with acute stroke, admitted to Department of Neurology from April to October in 2016, completed the FOIS. The interrater reliability, criterion validity, discriminant validity, cross validation, and the sensitivity of FOIS scale were evaluated. Results showed that rater agreements were excellent for FOIS (Kw = 0.881, p < 0.001). A highly negative correlation between FOIS and WST (water swallow test) was detected (r = -0.937, p < 0.001). There was significant difference for FOIS level of patients with different evaluation outcomes (χ2 = 126.551, p < 0.001). The FOIS evaluation results were significantly correlated with two physiological measures of swallowing. The Chinese version of the FOIS score is a reliable scale for evaluating the level of oral feeding function in patients with acute stroke.
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Ardestani, M S; Niknami, S; Hidarnia, A; Hajizadeh, E
2016-08-18
This research examined the validity and reliability of a researcher-developed questionnaire based on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to assess the physical activity behaviour of Iranian adolescent girls (SCT-PAIAGS). Psychometric properties of the SCT-PAIAGS were assessed by determining its face validity, content and construct validity as well as its reliability. In order to evaluate factor structure, cross-sectional research was conducted on 400 high-school girls in Tehran. Content validity index, content validity ratio and impact score for the SCT-PAIAGS varied between 0.97-1, 0.91-1 and 4.6-4.9 respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis approved a six-factor structure comprising self-efficacy, self-regulation, family support, friend support, outcome expectancy and self-efficacy to overcoming impediments. Factor loadings, t-values and fit indices showed that the SCT model was fitted to the data. Cronbach's α-coefficient ranged from 0.78 to 0.85 and intraclass correlation coefficient from 0.73 to 0.90.
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Individualism: a valid and important dimension of cultural differences between nations.
Schimmack, Ulrich; Oishi, Shigehiro; Diener, Ed
2005-01-01
Oyserman, Coon, and Kemmelmeier's (2002) meta-analysis suggested problems in the measurement of individualism and collectivism. Studies using Hofstede's individualism scores show little convergent validity with more recent measures of individualism and collectivism. We propose that the lack of convergent validity is due to national differences in response styles. Whereas Hofstede statistically controlled for response styles, Oyserman et al.'s meta-analysis relied on uncorrected ratings. Data from an international student survey demonstrated convergent validity between Hofstede's individualism dimension and horizontal individualism when response styles were statistically controlled, whereas uncorrected scores correlated highly with the individualism scores in Oyserman et al.'s meta-analysis. Uncorrected horizontal individualism scores and meta-analytic individualism scores did not correlate significantly with nations' development, whereas corrected horizontal individualism scores and Hofstede's individualism dimension were significantly correlated with development. This pattern of results suggests that individualism is a valid construct for cross-cultural comparisons, but that the measurement of this construct needs improvement.
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Leite, Priscilla; Rangé, Bernard; Kukar-Kiney, Monika; Ridgway, Nancy; Monroe, Kent; Ribas Junior, Rodolfo; Landeira Fernandez, J; Nardi, Antonio Egidio; Silva, Adriana
2013-03-01
To present the process of transcultural adaptation of the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale to Brazilian Portuguese. For the semantic adaptation step, the scale was translated to Portuguese and then back-translated to English by two professional translators and one psychologist, without any communication between them. The scale was then applied to 20 participants from the general population for language adjustments. For the construct validation step, an exploratory factor analysis was performed, using the scree plot test, principal component analysis for factor extraction, and Varimax rotation. For convergent validity, the correlation matrix was analyzed through Pearson's coefficient. The scale showed easy applicability, satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=.87), and a high correlation with other rating scales for compulsive buying disorder, indicating that it is suitable to be used in the assessment and diagnosis of compulsive buying disorder, as it presents psychometric validity. The Brazilian Portuguese version of the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale has good validity and reliability.
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Mindful attention and awareness: relationships with psychopathology and emotion regulation.
Gregório, Sónia; Pinto-Gouveia, José
2013-01-01
The growing interest in mindfulness from the scientific community has originated several self-report measures of this psychological construct. The Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS) is a self-report measure of mindfulness at a trait-level. This paper aims at exploring MAAS psychometric characteristics and validating it for the Portuguese population. The first two studies replicate some of the original author's statistical procedures in two different samples from the Portuguese general community population, in particular confirmatory factor analyses. Results from both analyses confirmed the scale single-factor structure and indicated a very good reliability. Moreover, cross-validation statistics showed that this single-factor structure is valid for different respondents from the general community population. In the third study the Portuguese version of the MAAS was found to have good convergent and discriminant validities. Overall the findings support the psychometric validity of the Portuguese version of MAAS and suggest this is a reliable self-report measure of trait-mindfulness, a central construct in Clinical Psychology research and intervention fields.
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Unver, Vesile; Basak, Tulay; Watts, Penni; Gaioso, Vanessa; Moss, Jacqueline; Tastan, Sevinc; Iyigun, Emine; Tosun, Nuran
2017-02-01
The purpose of this study was to adapt the "Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning Scale" (SCLS), "Simulation Design Scale" (SDS), and "Educational Practices Questionnaire" (EPQ) developed by Jeffries and Rizzolo into Turkish and establish the reliability and the validity of these translated scales. A sample of 87 nursing students participated in this study. These scales were cross-culturally adapted through a process including translation, comparison with original version, back translation, and pretesting. Construct validity was evaluated by factor analysis, and criterion validity was evaluated using the Perceived Learning Scale, Patient Intervention Self-confidence/Competency Scale, and Educational Belief Scale. Cronbach's alpha values were found as 0.77-0.85 for SCLS, 0.73-0.86 for SDS, and 0.61-0.86 for EPQ. The results of this study show that the Turkish versions of all scales are validated and reliable measurement tools.
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Long Wave Runup in Asymmetric Bays and in Fjords With Two Separate Heads
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Raz, Amir; Nicolsky, Dmitry; Rybkin, Alexei; Pelinovsky, Efim
2018-03-01
Modeling of tsunamis in glacial fjords prompts us to evaluate applicability of the cross-sectionally averaged nonlinear shallow water equations to model propagation and runup of long waves in asymmetrical bays and also in fjords with two heads. We utilize the Tuck-Hwang transformation, initially introduced for the plane beaches and currently generalized for bays with arbitrary cross section, to transform the nonlinear governing equations into a linear equation. The solution of the linearized equation describing the runup at the shore line is computed by taking into account the incident wave at the toe of the last sloping segment. We verify our predictions against direct numerical simulation of the 2-D shallow water equations and show that our solution is valid both for bays with an asymmetric L-shaped cross section, and for fjords with two heads—bays with a W-shaped cross section.
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Novel Screening Tool for Stroke Using Artificial Neural Network.
Abedi, Vida; Goyal, Nitin; Tsivgoulis, Georgios; Hosseinichimeh, Niyousha; Hontecillas, Raquel; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep; Elijovich, Lucas; Metter, Jeffrey E; Alexandrov, Anne W; Liebeskind, David S; Alexandrov, Andrei V; Zand, Ramin
2017-06-01
The timely diagnosis of stroke at the initial examination is extremely important given the disease morbidity and narrow time window for intervention. The goal of this study was to develop a supervised learning method to recognize acute cerebral ischemia (ACI) and differentiate that from stroke mimics in an emergency setting. Consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department with stroke-like symptoms, within 4.5 hours of symptoms onset, in 2 tertiary care stroke centers were randomized for inclusion in the model. We developed an artificial neural network (ANN) model. The learning algorithm was based on backpropagation. To validate the model, we used a 10-fold cross-validation method. A total of 260 patients (equal number of stroke mimics and ACIs) were enrolled for the development and validation of our ANN model. Our analysis indicated that the average sensitivity and specificity of ANN for the diagnosis of ACI based on the 10-fold cross-validation analysis was 80.0% (95% confidence interval, 71.8-86.3) and 86.2% (95% confidence interval, 78.7-91.4), respectively. The median precision of ANN for the diagnosis of ACI was 92% (95% confidence interval, 88.7-95.3). Our results show that ANN can be an effective tool for the recognition of ACI and differentiation of ACI from stroke mimics at the initial examination. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.
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Validation of Assessment for Learning Questionnaires for teachers and students.
Pat-El, Ron Jonathan; Tillema, Harm; Segers, Mien; Vedder, Paul
2013-03-01
Assessment can be a powerful force in promoting student learning. Still, few measures exist to gauge Assessment for Learning (AFL) in the classroom. Literature on AFL suggests that it encompasses both a monitor to track student progress as well as a scaffold to show or help students recognize in what areas they need to improve. Based on a review of recent attempts to measure the AFL, we constructed Assessment for Learning Questionnaires for Teachers (TAFL-Q) and for students (SAFL-Q) for evaluating perceptions regarding AFL practices in classrooms using matching items. The total sample included 1,422 students (49% girls, 51% boys) and 237 teachers (43% females, 57% males) in lower vocational secondary education. The 28-item questionnaires were examined by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using EQS on one random half of the sample. The CFA was cross-validated on the second half. Measurement invariance tests were conducted to compare the students and teacher versions of the questionnaires. CFA revealed a stable second-order two-factor structure that was cross-validated: perceived monitoring, and perceived scaffolding subsumed under a common factor: AFL. Tests for measurement invariance showed that the parallel constructs were measured similarly for both students and teachers. The TAFL-Q and SAFL-Q capture the construct AFL in two subscales: Monitoring and Scaffolding, and allows for comparisons between teacher and student perceptions. The instruments can be useful tools for teachers and students alike to identify and scrutinize assessment practices in classroom. © 2011 The British Psychological Society.
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Pernambuco, Leandro; Espelt, Albert; Magalhães, Hipólito Virgílio; Lima, Kenio Costa de
2017-06-08
to present a guide with recommendations for translation, adaptation, elaboration and process of validation of tests in Speech and Language Pathology. the recommendations were based on international guidelines with a focus on the elaboration, translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation process of tests. the recommendations were grouped into two Charts, one of them with procedures for translation and transcultural adaptation and the other for obtaining evidence of validity, reliability and measures of accuracy of the tests. a guide with norms for the organization and systematization of the process of elaboration, translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation process of tests in Speech and Language Pathology was created.
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Watch-Dog: Detecting Self-Harming Activities From Wrist Worn Accelerometers.
Bharti, Pratool; Panwar, Anurag; Gopalakrishna, Ganesh; Chellappan, Sriram
2018-05-01
In a 2012 survey, in the United States alone, there were more than 35 000 reported suicides with approximately 1800 of being psychiatric inpatients. Recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports indicate an upward trend in these numbers. In psychiatric facilities, staff perform intermittent or continuous observation of patients manually in order to prevent such tragedies, but studies show that they are insufficient, and also consume staff time and resources. In this paper, we present the Watch-Dog system, to address the problem of detecting self-harming activities when attempted by in-patients in clinical settings. Watch-Dog comprises of three key components-Data sensed by tiny accelerometer sensors worn on wrists of subjects; an efficient algorithm to classify whether a user is active versus dormant (i.e., performing a physical activity versus not performing any activity); and a novel decision selection algorithm based on random forests and continuity indices for fine grained activity classification. With data acquired from 11 subjects performing a series of activities (both self-harming and otherwise), Watch-Dog achieves a classification accuracy of , , and for same-user 10-fold cross-validation, cross-user 10-fold cross-validation, and cross-user leave-one-out evaluation, respectively. We believe that the problem addressed in this paper is practical, important, and timely. We also believe that our proposed system is practically deployable, and related discussions are provided in this paper.
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Symbolic hate: intention to intimidate, political ideology, and group association.
Wiener, Richard L; Richter, Erin
2008-12-01
In Virginia v. Black (123 S.Ct. 1536, 2003), the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment did not bar statutes that prohibit cross burnings in which defendants acted with intention to intimidate others. Using a variety of symbols including cross burnings, swastikas, confederate flags, and skin fists, the current research tested how mock jurors used alternative actor intentions to judge culpability in symbolic hate speech cases. Only partially validating the Court's assumptions, participants rated guilt certainty highest when they believed the speakers conveyed direct threats, sometimes regardless of whether defendants intended to intimidate others. Further, results showed the level of perceived intimidation only partially mediated the relationship between type of fact pattern and guilt certainty ratings. While alternative intentions did produce different levels of intention to intimidate, path analysis showed that the participants' ratings of the defendant's intention to convey a direct threat influenced guilt certainty ratings in all cases. Perceived intimidation levels predicted culpability in only some of the cases and not for cross burning on private property.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Leong, Frederick T. L.; Austin, James T.; Sekaran, Uma; Komarraju, Meera
1998-01-01
Natives of India (n=172) completed Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory and job satisfaction measures. The inventory did not exhibit high external validity with this population. Congruence, consistency, and differentiation did not predict job or occupational satisfaction, suggesting cross-cultural limits on Holland's theory. (SK)
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Vlachopoulos, Symeon P.; Kaperoni, Maria; Moustaka, Frederiki C.; Anderson, Dean F.
2008-01-01
The present study reported on translating the Exercise Identity Scale (EIS: Anderson & Cychosz, 1994) into Greek and examining its psychometric properties and cross-cultural validity based on U.S. individuals' EIS responses. Using four samples comprising 33, 103, and 647 Greek individuals, including exercisers and nonexercisers, and a similar…
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Cross-Validation of FITNESSGRAM® Health-Related Fitness Standards in Hungarian Youth
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Laurson, Kelly R.; Saint-Maurice, Pedro F.; Karsai, István; Csányi, Tamás
2015-01-01
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to cross-validate FITNESSGRAM® aerobic and body composition standards in a representative sample of Hungarian youth. Method: A nationally representative sample (N = 405) of Hungarian adolescents from the Hungarian National Youth Fitness Study (ages 12-18.9 years) participated in an aerobic capacity assessment…
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Virues-Ortega, Javier; Segui-Duran, David; Descalzo-Quero, Alberto; Carnerero, Jose Julio; Martin, Neil
2011-01-01
The Motivation Assessment Scale is an aid for hypothesis-driven functional analysis. This study presents its Spanish cross-cultural validation while examining psychometric attributes not yet explored. The study sample comprised 80 primary caregivers of children with autism. Acceptability, scaling assumptions, internal consistency, factor…
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Cross-Cultural Validation of the Counselor Burnout Inventory in Hong Kong
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shin, Hyojung; Yuen, Mantak; Lee, Jayoung; Lee, Sang Min
2013-01-01
This study investigated the cross-cultural validation of the Chinese translation of the Counselor Burnout Inventory (CBI) with a sample of school counselors in Hong Kong. Specifically, this study examined the CBI's factor structure using confirmatory factor analysis and calculated the effect size, to compare burnout scores among the counselors of…
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Cross-Validation of a Short Form of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zook, Avery, II; Sipps, Gary J.
1985-01-01
Presents a cross-validation of Reynolds' short form of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (N=233). Researchers administered 13 items as a separate entity, calculated Cronbach's Alpha for each sex, and computed test-retest correlation for one group. Concluded that the short form is a viable alternative. (Author/NRB)
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Selection of Marine Corps Drill Instructors
1980-03-01
8 4. ., ey- Construction and Cross-Validation Statistics for Drill Instructor School Performance Success Keys...Race, and School Attrition ........... ............................. ... 15 13. Key- Construction and Cross-Validation Statistics for Drill... constructed form, the Alternation Ranking of Series Drill Instruc- tors. In this form, DIs in a Series are ranked from highest to lowest in terms of their
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Montirosso, Rosario; Cozzi, Patrizia; Putnam, Samuel P.; Gartstein, Maria A.; Borgatti, Renato
2011-01-01
An Italian translation of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) was developed and evaluated with 110 infants, demonstrating satisfactory internal consistency, discriminant validity, and construct validity in the form of gender and age differences, as well as factorial integrity. Cross-cultural differences were subsequently evaluated…
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The Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment and Real-World Outcomes: Cross-National Applications
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Butler, Heather A.; Dwyer, Christopher P.; Hogan, Michael J.; Franco, Amanda; Rivas, Silvia F.; Saiz, Carlos; Almeida, Leandro S.
2012-01-01
The Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (HCTA) is a reliable measure of critical thinking that has been validated with numerous qualitatively different samples and measures of academic success (Halpern, 2010a). This paper presents several cross-national applications of the assessment, and recent work to expand the validation of the HCTA with…
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Drive: Theory and Construct Validation
Petrides, K. V.
2016-01-01
This article explicates the theory of drive and describes the development and validation of two measures. A representative set of drive facets was derived from an extensive corpus of human attributes (Study 1). Operationalised using an International Personality Item Pool version (the Drive:IPIP), a three-factor model was extracted from the facets in two samples and confirmed on a third sample (Study 2). The multi-item IPIP measure showed congruence with a short form, based on single-item ratings of the facets, and both demonstrated cross-informant reliability. Evidence also supported the measures’ convergent, discriminant, concurrent, and incremental validity (Study 3). Based on very promising findings, the authors hope to initiate a stream of research in what is argued to be a rather neglected niche of individual differences and non-cognitive assessment. PMID:27409773
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Frauendorf, Renata; de Medeiros Pinheiro, Marcelo; Ciconelli, Rozana Mesquita
2014-12-01
Loss of productivity at work, as a result of health problems, is becoming an issue of interest due to the high burden it represents in society. The measurement of such phenomenon can be made using generic and specific scales for certain diseases such as the Stanford Presenteeism Scale (SPS-6) and the Work Instability Scale for Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS-WIS), specific for patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The aim of this study was to translate and perform a cross-cultural adaptation of SPS-6 and AS-WIS into Portuguese and check their psychometric properties. The study also aimed to evaluate the relationship between the general scores of the scales and the main sociodemographic and clinical data, lifestyles, and absenteeism in patients with AS and correlate these variables with SPS-6 and AS-WIS scales. A sample of 120 patients with AS and 80 workers at a university hospital was evaluated. The processes for the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the instruments followed preestablished steps and rules presented in the literature. For the evaluation of measurement properties and correlations between scales, intra-class correlation coefficient (reproducibility analysis), Cronbach alpha (internal consistency), and Pearson correlation coefficient (validity) were employed. The inter-observer (0.986) and intra-observer (0.992) reproducibilities of the AS-WIS were shown to be high as well as the internal consistency (0.995). Similarly, the inter-observer reliability of SPS-6 was considered good (0.890), although it showed a poorer performance when considering the same observer (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.675 and intra-class correlation = 0.656). Internal consistency, for the total number of items, as measured by Cronbach alpha, was 0.889. The validity of the scales was evaluated thru the comparison of the achieved scores with the results of the WLQ, SF-36, ASQoL, BASFI, BASDAI, HAQ-S, and SRQ-20 instruments. Correlations between loss of productivity at work, worse quality of life, presence of emotional disturbances, and worse health conditions were positive. The process of translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the SPS-6 as a generic measurement for the loss of productivity at work and of the AS-WIS as a specific measurement for patients with AS are valid, reproducible, and specific instruments to be used in Brazil. In both scales, productivity at work was associated to advanced age, higher rate of absenteeism in the last month and year, presence of peripheral arthritis, and a larger number of comorbidities in patients with AS. The AS-WIS and SPS-6 showed a good correlation among them although they are not mutually exclusive but supplementary.
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Kuo, Shu-Fen; Chang, Wen-Yin; Chang, Lu-I; Chou, Yu-Hua; Chen, Ching-Min
2013-01-01
This is a report of development and psychometric testing of the East Asian Acculturation Measure-Chinese version (EAAM-C) scale. An instrument validation design with a cross-sectional survey was conducted. The process was carried in two phases. In Phase 1, Barry's East Asian Acculturation Measure was translated and back translated to evaluate its content, face validity, and feasibility validity. In Phase 2, the 16-item EAAM-C was pilot-tested among 485 female immigrants for test-retest reliability, internal consistency, theoretically-supported construct validity and concurrent validity. The pilot work and the survey results indicated the tools possessed adequate content and face validity. The Cronbach's Alphas for the EAAM-C was 0.72, and 0.76-0.79 for its subscales, and the correlation of test-retest reliability (at 3 weeks) was 0.75. After dropping one item, four theoretically-supported factors which explained 61.82% of the variance were abstracted using exploratory factor analysis: assimilation, integration, separation, and marginalization. Based on the underlying four-factor theoretical structures of the EAAM, the confirmatory factor analysis of the EAAM-C was further examined. The analysis revealed that the four-factor model was an acceptable fit for the data which demonstrated adequate finding in its construct validity. These factors were inter-correlated, and showed statistically significant correlation with the Chinese Health Questionnaire, indicating adequate concurrent validity. The scale shows acceptable validity and consistency, and suggests that immigrant acculturation is a complex construct. This quick evaluation instrument can be applied to assess clients' acculturation and in further developing certain interventions to improve their health.
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Lanza, Ian R.; Bhagra, Sumit; Nair, K. Sreekumaran; Port, John D.
2011-01-01
Purpose To cross-validate skeletal muscle oxidative capacity measured by 31P-MRS with in vitro measurements of oxidative capacityin mitochondria isolated from muscle biopsies of the same muscle group in 18 healthy adults. Materials and Methods Oxidative capacity in vivo was determined from PCr recovery kinetics following a 30s maximal isometric knee extension. State 3 respiration was measured in isolated mitochondria using high-resolution respirometry. A second cohort of 10 individuals underwent two 31P-MRS testing sessions to assess the test-retest reproducibility of the method. Results Overall, the in vivo and in vitro methods were well-correlated (r = 0.66 –0.72) and showed good agreement by Bland Altman plots. Excellent reproducibility was observed for the PCr recovery rate constant (CV = 4.6%, ICC = 0.85) and calculated oxidative capacity (CV = 3.4%, ICC = 0.83). Conclusion These results indicate that 31P-MRS corresponds well with gold-standard in vitro measurements and is highly reproducible. PMID:22006551
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Selection of regularization parameter in total variation image restoration.
Liao, Haiyong; Li, Fang; Ng, Michael K
2009-11-01
We consider and study total variation (TV) image restoration. In the literature there are several regularization parameter selection methods for Tikhonov regularization problems (e.g., the discrepancy principle and the generalized cross-validation method). However, to our knowledge, these selection methods have not been applied to TV regularization problems. The main aim of this paper is to develop a fast TV image restoration method with an automatic selection of the regularization parameter scheme to restore blurred and noisy images. The method exploits the generalized cross-validation (GCV) technique to determine inexpensively how much regularization to use in each restoration step. By updating the regularization parameter in each iteration, the restored image can be obtained. Our experimental results for testing different kinds of noise show that the visual quality and SNRs of images restored by the proposed method is promising. We also demonstrate that the method is efficient, as it can restore images of size 256 x 256 in approximately 20 s in the MATLAB computing environment.
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Prediction of the space adaptation syndrome
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Reschke, M. F.; Homick, J. L.; Ryan, P.; Moseley, E. C.
1984-01-01
The univariate and multivariate relationships of provocative measures used to produce motion sickness symptoms were described. Normative subjects were used to develop and cross-validate sets of linear equations that optimally predict motion sickness in parabolic flights. The possibility of reducing the number of measurements required for prediction was assessed. After describing the variables verbally and statistically for 159 subjects, a factor analysis of 27 variables was completed to improve understanding of the relationships between variables and to reduce the number of measures for prediction purposes. The results of this analysis show that none of variables are significantly related to the responses to parabolic flights. A set of variables was selected to predict responses to KC-135 flights. A series of discriminant analyses were completed. Results indicate that low, moderate, or severe susceptibility could be correctly predicted 64 percent and 53 percent of the time on original and cross-validation samples, respectively. Both the factor analysis and the discriminant analysis provided no basis for reducing the number of tests.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Colliander, Andreas; Kim, Seungbum; Yueh, Simon; Cosh, Mike; Jackson, Tom; Njoku, Eni
2010-01-01
Coincidental airborne brightness temperature (TB) and normalized radar-cross section (NRCS) measurements were carried out with the PALS (Passive and Active L- and S-band) instrument in the SMAPVEX08 (SMAP Validation Experiment 2008) field campaign. This paper describes results obtained from a set of flights which measured a field in 45(sup o) steps over the azimuth angle. The field contained mature soy beans with distinct row structure. The measurement shows that both TB and NRCS experience modulation effects over the azimuth as expected based on the theory. The result is useful in development and validation of land surface parameter forward models and retrieval algorithms, such as the soil moisture algorithm for NASA's SMAP (Soil Moisture Active and Passive) mission. Although the footprint of the SMAP will not be sensitive to the small resolution scale effects as the one presented in this paper, it is nevertheless important to understand the effects at smaller scale.
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How to test validity in orthodontic research: a mixed dentition analysis example.
Donatelli, Richard E; Lee, Shin-Jae
2015-02-01
The data used to test the validity of a prediction method should be different from the data used to generate the prediction model. In this study, we explored whether an independent data set is mandatory for testing the validity of a new prediction method and how validity can be tested without independent new data. Several validation methods were compared in an example using the data from a mixed dentition analysis with a regression model. The validation errors of real mixed dentition analysis data and simulation data were analyzed for increasingly large data sets. The validation results of both the real and the simulation studies demonstrated that the leave-1-out cross-validation method had the smallest errors. The largest errors occurred in the traditional simple validation method. The differences between the validation methods diminished as the sample size increased. The leave-1-out cross-validation method seems to be an optimal validation method for improving the prediction accuracy in a data set with limited sample sizes. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Lauffer, A; Solé, L; Bernstein, S; Lopes, M H; Francisconi, C F
2013-01-01
The development and validation of questionnaires for evaluating quality of life (QoL) has become an important area of research. However, there is a proliferation of non-validated measuring instruments in the health setting that do not contribute to advances in scientific knowledge. To present, through the analysis of available validated questionnaires, a checklist of the practical aspects of how to carry out the cross-cultural adaptation of QoL questionnaires (generic, or disease-specific) so that no step is overlooked in the evaluation process, and thus help prevent the elaboration of insufficient or incomplete validations. We have consulted basic textbooks and Pubmed databases using the following keywords quality of life, questionnaires, and gastroenterology, confined to «validation studies» in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and with no time limit, for the purpose of analyzing the translation and validation of the questionnaires available through the Mapi Institute and PROQOLID websites. A checklist is presented to aid in the planning and carrying out of the cross-cultural adaptation of QoL questionnaires, in conjunction with a glossary of key terms in the area of knowledge. The acronym DSTAC was used, which refers to each of the 5 stages involved in the recommended procedure. In addition, we provide a table of the QoL instruments that have been validated into Spanish. This article provides information on how to adapt QoL questionnaires from a cross-cultural perspective, as well as to minimize common errors. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología. Published by Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.
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Bayesian cross-entropy methodology for optimal design of validation experiments
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jiang, X.; Mahadevan, S.
2006-07-01
An important concern in the design of validation experiments is how to incorporate the mathematical model in the design in order to allow conclusive comparisons of model prediction with experimental output in model assessment. The classical experimental design methods are more suitable for phenomena discovery and may result in a subjective, expensive, time-consuming and ineffective design that may adversely impact these comparisons. In this paper, an integrated Bayesian cross-entropy methodology is proposed to perform the optimal design of validation experiments incorporating the computational model. The expected cross entropy, an information-theoretic distance between the distributions of model prediction and experimental observation, is defined as a utility function to measure the similarity of two distributions. A simulated annealing algorithm is used to find optimal values of input variables through minimizing or maximizing the expected cross entropy. The measured data after testing with the optimum input values are used to update the distribution of the experimental output using Bayes theorem. The procedure is repeated to adaptively design the required number of experiments for model assessment, each time ensuring that the experiment provides effective comparison for validation. The methodology is illustrated for the optimal design of validation experiments for a three-leg bolted joint structure and a composite helicopter rotor hub component.
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Extending the validity of the Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire.
Jansen, Elena; Mallan, Kimberley M; Daniels, Lynne A
2015-06-30
Feeding practices are commonly examined as potentially modifiable determinants of children's eating behaviours and weight status. Although a variety of questionnaires exist to assess different feeding aspects, many lack thorough reliability and validity testing. The Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ) is a tool designed to measure early feeding practices related to non-responsive feeding and structure of the meal environment. Face validity, factorial validity, internal reliability and cross-sectional correlations with children's eating behaviours have been established in mothers with 2-year-old children. The aim of the present study was to further extend the validity of the FPSQ by examining factorial, construct and predictive validity, and stability. Participants were from the NOURISH randomised controlled trial which evaluated an intervention with first-time mothers designed to promote protective feeding practices. Maternal feeding practices (FP) and child eating behaviours were assessed when children were aged 2 years and 3.7 years (n = 388). Confirmatory Factor analysis, group differences, predictive relationships, and stability were tested. The original 9-factor structure was confirmed when children were aged 3.7 ± 0.3 years. Cronbach's alpha was above the recommended 0.70 cut-off for all factors except Structured Meal Timing, Over Restriction and Distrust in Appetite which were 0.58, 0.67 and 0.66 respectively. Allocated group differences reflected behaviour consistent with intervention content and all feeding practices were stable across both time points (range of r = 0.45-0.70). There was some evidence for the predictive validity of factors with 2 FP showing expected relationships, 2 FP showing expected and unexpected relationships and 5 FP showing no relationship. Reliability and validity was demonstrated for most subscales of the FPSQ. Future validation is warranted with culturally diverse samples and with fathers and other caregivers. The use of additional outcomes to further explore predictive validity is recommended as well as testing test-retest reliability of the questionnaire.
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Lapa, Teresa A; Carvalho, Sérgio A; Viana, Joaquim S; Ferreira, Pedro L; Pinto-Gouveia, José
2016-11-01
Stress in anaesthesiologists is a common and multifactorial problem related to patients, colleagues and organisations. The consequences of stress include depression, work-home conflicts and burnout. Reduction in stress can be achieved by reducing the number and magnitude of stressors or by increasing resilience strategies. We have created the self-reporting 'Stress Questionnaire in Anaesthesiologists' (SQA), to qualify the sources of stress in anaesthesiologists' professional lives, and measure the level of associated stress. Our study aimed to develop and validate the SQA using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Construct validity was assessed through correlations between SQA and negative psychological outcomes as well as by comparing perception of stress among different known groups. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional, correlational, observational study. The study was conducted between January 2014 and December 2014, throughout different anaesthesia departments in Portuguese hospitals. Data collection was from a representative subset at one specific time point. A sample of 710 anaesthesia specialists and residents from Portugal. The primary outcome measure was to identify specific stressors in anaesthesiologists. Secondary outcome was the association between stressors and burnout, depression symptoms, anxiety, stress, rumination, satisfaction with life and functional impairment. The exploratory analysis showed the SQA is a tri-dimensional instrument and confirmatory analysis showed the tri-dimensional structure presented good model fit. The three dimensions of SQA correlated positively with other stress measures and burnout, but negatively with satisfaction with life. SQA is a well adjusted measure for assessing stressors in anaesthesia physicians and includes clinical, organisational and team stress factors. Results showed that the SQA is a robust and reliable instrument.
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Validation of the Spanish version of the Index of Spouse Abuse.
Plazaola-Castaño, Juncal; Ruiz-Pérez, Isabel; Escribà-Agüir, Vicenta; Jiménez-Martín, Juan Manuel; Hernández-Torres, Elisa
2009-04-01
Partner violence against women is a major public health problem. Although there are currently a number of validated screening and diagnostic tools that can be used to evaluate this type of violence, such tools are not available in Spain. The aim of this study is to analyze the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA). A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2005 in two health centers in Granada, Spain, in 390 women between 18 and 70 years old. Analyses of the factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity were conducted. Cutoff points for each subscale were also defined. For the construct validity analysis, the SF-36 perceived general health dimension, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Goldberg 12-item General Health Questionnaire were included. The psychometric analysis shows that the instrument has good internal consistency, reproducibility, and construct validity. The scale is useful for the analysis of partner violence against women in both a research setting and a healthcare setting.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Mbah, Chamberlain, E-mail: chamberlain.mbah@ugent.be; Department of Mathematical Modeling, Statistics, and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent; Thierens, Hubert
Purpose: To identify the main causes underlying the failure of prediction models for radiation therapy toxicity to replicate. Methods and Materials: Data were used from two German cohorts, Individual Radiation Sensitivity (ISE) (n=418) and Mammary Carcinoma Risk Factor Investigation (MARIE) (n=409), of breast cancer patients with similar characteristics and radiation therapy treatments. The toxicity endpoint chosen was telangiectasia. The LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) logistic regression method was used to build a predictive model for a dichotomized endpoint (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer score 0, 1, or ≥2). Internal areas undermore » the receiver operating characteristic curve (inAUCs) were calculated by a naïve approach whereby the training data (ISE) were also used for calculating the AUC. Cross-validation was also applied to calculate the AUC within the same cohort, a second type of inAUC. Internal AUCs from cross-validation were calculated within ISE and MARIE separately. Models trained on one dataset (ISE) were applied to a test dataset (MARIE) and AUCs calculated (exAUCs). Results: Internal AUCs from the naïve approach were generally larger than inAUCs from cross-validation owing to overfitting the training data. Internal AUCs from cross-validation were also generally larger than the exAUCs, reflecting heterogeneity in the predictors between cohorts. The best models with largest inAUCs from cross-validation within both cohorts had a number of common predictors: hypertension, normalized total boost, and presence of estrogen receptors. Surprisingly, the effect (coefficient in the prediction model) of hypertension on telangiectasia incidence was positive in ISE and negative in MARIE. Other predictors were also not common between the 2 cohorts, illustrating that overcoming overfitting does not solve the problem of replication failure of prediction models completely. Conclusions: Overfitting and cohort heterogeneity are the 2 main causes of replication failure of prediction models across cohorts. Cross-validation and similar techniques (eg, bootstrapping) cope with overfitting, but the development of validated predictive models for radiation therapy toxicity requires strategies that deal with cohort heterogeneity.« less
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Baek, Sora; Park, Hee-Won; Lee, Yookyung; Grace, Sherry L; Kim, Won-Seok
2017-10-01
To perform a translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale (CRBS) for use in Korea, followed by psychometric validation. The CRBS was developed to assess patients' perception of the degree to which patient, provider and health system-level barriers affect their cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participation. The CRBS consists of 21 items (barriers to adherence) rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The first phase was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the CRBS to the Korean language. After back-translation, both versions were reviewed by a committee. The face validity was assessed in a sample of Korean patients (n=53) with history of acute myocardial infarction that did not participate in CR through semi-structured interviews. The second phase was to assess the construct and criterion validity of the Korean translation as well as internal reliability, through administration of the translated version in 104 patients, principle component analysis with varimax rotation and cross-referencing against CR use, respectively. The length, readability, and clarity of the questionnaire were rated well, demonstrating face validity. Analysis revealed a six-factor solution, demonstrating construct validity. Cronbach's alpha was greater than 0.65. Barriers rated highest included not knowing about CR and not being contacted by a program. The mean CRBS score was significantly higher among non-attendees (2.71±0.26) than CR attendees (2.51±0.18) (p<0.01). The Korean version of CRBS has demonstrated face, content and criterion validity, suggesting it may be useful for assessing barriers to CR utilization in Korea.
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PCA as a practical indicator of OPLS-DA model reliability.
Worley, Bradley; Powers, Robert
Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) are powerful statistical modeling tools that provide insights into separations between experimental groups based on high-dimensional spectral measurements from NMR, MS or other analytical instrumentation. However, when used without validation, these tools may lead investigators to statistically unreliable conclusions. This danger is especially real for Partial Least Squares (PLS) and OPLS, which aggressively force separations between experimental groups. As a result, OPLS-DA is often used as an alternative method when PCA fails to expose group separation, but this practice is highly dangerous. Without rigorous validation, OPLS-DA can easily yield statistically unreliable group separation. A Monte Carlo analysis of PCA group separations and OPLS-DA cross-validation metrics was performed on NMR datasets with statistically significant separations in scores-space. A linearly increasing amount of Gaussian noise was added to each data matrix followed by the construction and validation of PCA and OPLS-DA models. With increasing added noise, the PCA scores-space distance between groups rapidly decreased and the OPLS-DA cross-validation statistics simultaneously deteriorated. A decrease in correlation between the estimated loadings (added noise) and the true (original) loadings was also observed. While the validity of the OPLS-DA model diminished with increasing added noise, the group separation in scores-space remained basically unaffected. Supported by the results of Monte Carlo analyses of PCA group separations and OPLS-DA cross-validation metrics, we provide practical guidelines and cross-validatory recommendations for reliable inference from PCA and OPLS-DA models.
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Saint Arnault, Denise M; Gang, Moonhee; Woo, Seoyoon
2017-11-01
The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Beliefs Toward Mental Illness Scale (BMI) across women from the United States, Japan, and South Korea. A cross-sectional study design was employed. The sample was 564 women aged 21-64 years old who were recruited in the United States and Korea (American = 127, Japanese immigrants in the United States = 204, and Korean = 233). We carried out item analysis, construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and internal consistency using SPSS Version 22 and AMOS Version 22. An acceptable model fit for a 20-item BMI (Beliefs Toward Mental Illness Scale-Revised [BMI-R]) with 3 factors was confirmed using CFA. Construct validity of the BMI-R showed to be all acceptable; convergent validity (average variance extracted [AVE] ≥0.5, construct reliability [CR] ≥0.7) and discriminant validity (r = .65-.89, AVE >.79). The Cronbach's alpha of the BMI-R was .92. These results showed that the BMI was a reliable tool to study beliefs about mental illness across cultures. Our findings also suggested that continued efforts to reduce stigma in culturally specific contexts within and between countries are necessary to promote help-seeking for those suffering from psychological distress.
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Dowd, Kieran P.; Harrington, Deirdre M.; Donnelly, Alan E.
2012-01-01
Background The activPAL has been identified as an accurate and reliable measure of sedentary behaviour. However, only limited information is available on the accuracy of the activPAL activity count function as a measure of physical activity, while no unit calibration of the activPAL has been completed to date. This study aimed to investigate the criterion validity of the activPAL, examine the concurrent validity of the activPAL, and perform and validate a value calibration of the activPAL in an adolescent female population. The performance of the activPAL in estimating posture was also compared with sedentary thresholds used with the ActiGraph accelerometer. Methodologies Thirty adolescent females (15 developmental; 15 cross-validation) aged 15–18 years performed 5 activities while wearing the activPAL, ActiGraph GT3X, and the Cosmed K4B2. A random coefficient statistics model examined the relationship between metabolic equivalent (MET) values and activPAL counts. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine activity thresholds and for cross-validation. The random coefficient statistics model showed a concordance correlation coefficient of 0.93 (standard error of the estimate = 1.13). An optimal moderate threshold of 2997 was determined using mixed regression, while an optimal vigorous threshold of 8229 was determined using receiver operating statistics. The activPAL count function demonstrated very high concurrent validity (r = 0.96, p<0.01) with the ActiGraph count function. Levels of agreement for sitting, standing, and stepping between direct observation and the activPAL and ActiGraph were 100%, 98.1%, 99.2% and 100%, 0%, 100%, respectively. Conclusions These findings suggest that the activPAL is a valid, objective measurement tool that can be used for both the measurement of physical activity and sedentary behaviours in an adolescent female population. PMID:23094069
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Does transbilayer diffusion have a role in membrane transport of drugs?
Balaz, Stefan
2012-01-01
The existing consensus on coexistence of transbilayer diffusion and carrier-mediated transport as two main mechanisms for drugs crossing biological membranes was recently challenged by a systems biology group. Their transporters-only hypothesis is examined in this article using published experimental evidence. The main focus is on the key claim of their hypothesis, stating that ‘the drug molecules cross pure phospholipid bilayers through transient pores that cannot form in the bilayers of cell membranes, and thus transbilayer drug transport does not exist in cells’. The analysis shows that the prior consensus remains a valid scientific view of the membrane transport of drugs. PMID:22705388
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The Role of Electroweak Corrections for the Dark Matter Relic Abundance
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Ciafaloni, Paolo; Comelli, Denis; Simone, Andrea De
2013-10-01
We analyze the validity of the theorems concerning the cancellation of the infrared and collinar divergences in the case of dark matter freeze-out in the early universe. In particular, we compute the electroweak logarithmic corrections of infrared origin to the annihilation cross section of a dark matter particle being the neutral component of a SU(2){sub L} multiplet. The inclusion of processes with final state W can modify significantly the cross sections computed with only virtual W exchange. Our results show that the inclusion of infrared logs is necessary for a precise computation of the dark matter relic abundance.
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Measuring Adolescent Social and Academic Self-Efficacy: Cross-Ethnic Validity of the SEQ-C
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Minter, Anthony; Pritzker, Suzanne
2017-01-01
Objective: This study examines the psychometric strength, including cross-ethnic validity, of two subscales of Muris' Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children: Academic Self-Efficacy (ASE) and Social Self-Efficacy (SSE). Methods: A large ethnically diverse sample of 3,358 early and late adolescents completed surveys including the ASE and SSE.…
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hilton, N. Zoe; Harris, Grant T.
2009-01-01
Prediction effect sizes such as ROC area are important for demonstrating a risk assessment's generalizability and utility. How a study defines recidivism might affect predictive accuracy. Nonrecidivism is problematic when predicting specialized violence (e.g., domestic violence). The present study cross-validates the ability of the Ontario…
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USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Generalised skinfold equations developed in the 1970s are commonly used to estimate laboratory-measured percentage fat (BF%). The equations were developed on predominately white individuals using Siri's two-component percentage fat equation (BF%-GEN). We cross-validated the Jackson-Pollock (JP) gene...
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Comprehensive Assessment of Emotional Disturbance: A Cross-Validation Approach
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fisher, Emily S.; Doyon, Katie E.; Saldana, Enrique; Allen, Megan Redding
2007-01-01
Assessing a student for emotional disturbance is a serious and complex task given the stigma of the label and the ambiguities of the federal definition. One way that school psychologists can be more confident in their assessment results is to cross validate data from different sources using the RIOT approach (Review, Interview, Observe, Test).…
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Yamkovenko, Bogdan V.; Holton, Elwood, III; Bates, R. A.
2007-01-01
Purpose: The purpose of this research is to expand cross-cultural research and validate the Learning Transfer System Inventory in Ukraine. The researchers seek to translate the LTSI into Ukrainian and investigate the internal structure of this translated version of the questionnaire. Design/methodology/approach: The LTSI is translated into…
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Validation of annual growth rings in freshwater mussel shells using cross dating .Can
Andrew L. Rypel; Wendell R. Haag; Robert H. Findlay
2009-01-01
We examined the usefulness of dendrochronological cross-dating methods for studying long-term, interannual growth patterns in freshwater mussels, including validation of annual shell ring formation. Using 13 species from three rivers, we measured increment widths between putative annual rings on shell thin sections and then removed age-related variation by...
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Cross-Cultural Validation of Stages of Exercise Change Scale among Chinese College Students
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Keating, Xiaofen D.; Guan, Jianmin; Huang, Yong; Deng, Mingying; Wu, Yifeng; Qu, Shuhua
2005-01-01
The purpose of the study was to test the cross-cultural concurrent validity of the stages of exercise change scale (SECS) in Chinese college students. The original SECS was translated into Chinese (C-SECS). Students from four Chinese universities (N = 1843) participated in the study. The leisure-time exercise (LTE) questionnaire was used to…
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Forsyth, C.; Rae, I. J.; Mann, I. R.; Pakhotin, I. P.
2017-03-01
Field-aligned currents (FACs) are a fundamental component of coupled solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere. By assuming that FACs can be approximated by stationary infinite current sheets that do not change on the spacecraft crossing time, single-spacecraft magnetic field measurements can be used to estimate the currents flowing in space. By combining data from multiple spacecraft on similar orbits, these stationarity assumptions can be tested. In this technical report, we present a new technique that combines cross correlation and linear fitting of multiple spacecraft measurements to determine the reliability of the FAC estimates. We show that this technique can identify those intervals in which the currents estimated from single-spacecraft techniques are both well correlated and have similar amplitudes, thus meeting the spatial and temporal stationarity requirements. Using data from European Space Agency's Swarm mission from 2014 to 2015, we show that larger-scale currents (>450 km) are well correlated and have a one-to-one fit up to 50% of the time, whereas small-scale (<50 km) currents show similar amplitudes only 1% of the time despite there being a good correlation 18% of the time. It is thus imperative to examine both the correlation and amplitude of the calculated FACs in order to assess both the validity of the underlying assumptions and hence ultimately the reliability of such single-spacecraft FAC estimates.
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Hahn, Seokyung; Moon, Min Kyong; Park, Kyong Soo; Cho, Young Min
2016-01-01
Background Various diabetes risk scores composed of non-laboratory parameters have been developed, but only a few studies performed cross-validation of these scores and a comparison with laboratory parameters. We evaluated the performance of diabetes risk scores composed of non-laboratory parameters, including a recently published Korean risk score (KRS), and compared them with laboratory parameters. Methods The data of 26,675 individuals who visited the Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center for a health screening program were reviewed for cross-sectional validation. The data of 3,029 individuals with a mean of 6.2 years of follow-up were reviewed for longitudinal validation. The KRS and 16 other risk scores were evaluated and compared with a laboratory prediction model developed by logistic regression analysis. Results For the screening of undiagnosed diabetes, the KRS exhibited a sensitivity of 81%, a specificity of 58%, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AROC) of 0.754. Other scores showed AROCs that ranged from 0.697 to 0.782. For the prediction of future diabetes, the KRS exhibited a sensitivity of 74%, a specificity of 54%, and an AROC of 0.696. Other scores had AROCs ranging from 0.630 to 0.721. The laboratory prediction model composed of fasting plasma glucose and hemoglobin A1c levels showed a significantly higher AROC (0.838, P < 0.001) than the KRS. The addition of the KRS to the laboratory prediction model increased the AROC (0.849, P = 0.016) without a significant improvement in the risk classification (net reclassification index: 4.6%, P = 0.264). Conclusions The non-laboratory risk scores, including KRS, are useful to estimate the risk of undiagnosed diabetes but are inferior to the laboratory parameters for predicting future diabetes. PMID:27214034
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Methodology and issues of integral experiments selection for nuclear data validation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tatiana, Ivanova; Ivanov, Evgeny; Hill, Ian
2017-09-01
Nuclear data validation involves a large suite of Integral Experiments (IEs) for criticality, reactor physics and dosimetry applications. [1] Often benchmarks are taken from international Handbooks. [2, 3] Depending on the application, IEs have different degrees of usefulness in validation, and usually the use of a single benchmark is not advised; indeed, it may lead to erroneous interpretation and results. [1] This work aims at quantifying the importance of benchmarks used in application dependent cross section validation. The approach is based on well-known General Linear Least Squared Method (GLLSM) extended to establish biases and uncertainties for given cross sections (within a given energy interval). The statistical treatment results in a vector of weighting factors for the integral benchmarks. These factors characterize the value added by a benchmark for nuclear data validation for the given application. The methodology is illustrated by one example, selecting benchmarks for 239Pu cross section validation. The studies were performed in the framework of Subgroup 39 (Methods and approaches to provide feedback from nuclear and covariance data adjustment for improvement of nuclear data files) established at the Working Party on International Nuclear Data Evaluation Cooperation (WPEC) of the Nuclear Science Committee under the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA/OECD).
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Validation of the Regicor Short Physical Activity Questionnaire for the Adult Population
Molina, Luis; Sarmiento, Manuel; Peñafiel, Judith; Donaire, David; Garcia-Aymerich, Judith; Gomez, Miquel; Ble, Mireia; Ruiz, Sonia; Frances, Albert; Schröder, Helmut; Marrugat, Jaume; Elosua, Roberto
2017-01-01
Objective To develop and validate a short questionnaire to estimate physical activity (PA) practice and sedentary behavior for the adult population. Methods The short questionnaire was developed using data from a cross-sectional population-based survey (n = 6352) that included the Minnesota leisure-time PA questionnaire. Activities that explained a significant proportion of the variability of population PA practice were identified. Validation of the short questionnaire included a cross-sectional component to assess validity with respect to the data collected by accelerometers and a longitudinal component to assess reliability and sensitivity to detect changes (n = 114, aged 35 to 74 years). Results Six types of activities that accounted for 87% of population variability in PA estimated with the Minnesota questionnaire were selected. The short questionnaire estimates energy expenditure in total PA and by intensity (light, moderate, vigorous), and includes 2 questions about sedentary behavior and a question about occupational PA. The short questionnaire showed high reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging between 0.79 to 0.95. The Spearman correlation coefficients between estimated energy expenditure obtained with the questionnaire and the number of steps detected by the accelerometer were as follows: 0.36 for total PA, 0.40 for moderate intensity, and 0.26 for vigorous intensity. The questionnaire was sensitive to detect changes in moderate and vigorous PA (correlation coefficients ranging from 0.26 to 0.34). Conclusion The REGICOR short questionnaire is reliable, valid, and sensitive to detect changes in moderate and vigorous PA. This questionnaire could be used in daily clinical practice and epidemiological studies. PMID:28085886
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Vascellari, Alberto; Schiavetti, Stefano; Rebuzzi, Enrico; Coletti, Nicolò
2015-11-01
The Nottingham Clavicle Score (NCS) is a specific Patient Reported Outcome Measure of injuries to the clavicle, acromio-clavicular joint (ACJ) and sterno-clavicular joint. The purpose of this study was to translate the NCS into Italian and establish its cultural adaptiveness and validity. The original version of the NCS was translated into Italian in accordance with the cross-cultural adaptation guidelines described by Guillemin. Sixty-six patients [average age 45.7 years (SD 11.3)] who had received surgical treatment for injuries of the ACJ and the clavicle were included in the study. The study population completed the NCS twice within 5 days, the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS), the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire and the short-form 36 (SF-36). Statistical tests assessed the construct validity, discriminant validity, internal consistency, reliability and feasibility of the NCS. The translation and adaptation of the NCS for an Italian context required no major cultural adaptation. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α, 0.86). Test-retest reproducibility was excellent (ρ = 0.981, p < 0.00001). Administration time was 45 s (range 1 min 32 s-8 min), and all items were answered. The Italian NCS showed strong correlation with the DASH (-0.87), the OSS (-0.84) and those subscales of the SF-36 (physical functioning, role physical and bodily pain) which aim to measure similar constructs. The Italian NCS scale is a reliable, valid, consistent shoulder assessment form that can be used to assess the functional limitations of patients with injuries of clavicle or ACJ. III.
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Mohamad Marzuki, Muhamad Fadhil; Yaacob, Nor Azwany; Yaacob, Najib Majdi
2018-05-14
A mobile app is a programmed system designed to be used by a target user on a mobile device. The usability of such a system refers not only to the extent to which product can be used to achieve the task that it was designed for, but also its effectiveness and efficiency, as well as user satisfaction. The System Usability Scale is one of the most commonly used questionnaires used to assess the usability of a system. The original 10-item version of System Usability Scale was developed in English and thus needs to be adapted into local languages to assess the usability of a mobile apps developed in other languages. The aim of this study is to translate and validate (with cross-cultural adaptation) the English System Usability Scale questionnaire into Malay, the main language spoken in Malaysia. The development of a translated version will allow the usability of mobile apps to be assessed in Malay. Forward and backward translation of the questionnaire was conducted by groups of Malay native speakers who spoke English as their second language. The final version was obtained after reconciliation and cross-cultural adaptation. The content of the Malay System Usability Scale questionnaire for mobile apps was validated by 10 experts in mobile app development. The efficacy of the questionnaire was further probed by testing the face validity on 10 mobile phone users, followed by reliability testing involving 54 mobile phone users. The content validity index was determined to be 0.91, indicating good relevancy of the 10 items used to assess the usability of a mobile app. Calculation of the face validity index resulted in a value of 0.94, therefore indicating that the questionnaire was easily understood by the users. Reliability testing showed a Cronbach alpha value of .85 (95% CI 0.79-0.91) indicating that the translated System Usability Scale questionnaire is a reliable tool for the assessment of usability of a mobile app. The Malay System Usability Scale questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool to assess the usability of mobile app in Malaysia. ©Muhamad Fadhil Mohamad Marzuki, Nor Azwany Yaacob, Najib Majdi Yaacob. Originally published in JMIR Human Factors (http://humanfactors.jmir.org), 14.05.2018.
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Satisfaction with information provided to Danish cancer patients: validation and survey results.
Ross, Lone; Petersen, Morten Aagaard; Johnsen, Anna Thit; Lundstrøm, Louise Hyldborg; Groenvold, Mogens
2013-11-01
To validate five items (CPWQ-inf) regarding satisfaction with information provided to cancer patients from health care staff, assess the prevalence of dissatisfaction with this information, and identify factors predicting dissatisfaction. The questionnaire was validated by patient-observer agreement and cognitive interviews. The prevalence of dissatisfaction was assessed in a cross-sectional sample of all cancer patients in contact with hospitals during the past year in three Danish counties. The validation showed that the CPWQ performed well. Between 3 and 23% of the 1490 participating patients were dissatisfied with each of the measured aspects of information. The highest level of dissatisfaction was reported regarding the guidance, support and help provided when the diagnosis was given. Younger patients were consistently more dissatisfied than older patients. The brief CPWQ performs well for survey purposes. The survey depicts the heterogeneous patient population encountered by hospital staff and showed that younger patients probably had higher expectations or a higher need for information and that those with more severe diagnoses/prognoses require extra care in providing information. Four brief questions can efficiently assess information needs. With increasing demands for information, a wide range of innovative initiatives is needed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Zhang, Yingtao; Wang, Tao; Liu, Kangkang; Xia, Yao; Lu, Yi; Jing, Qinlong; Yang, Zhicong; Hu, Wenbiao; Lu, Jiahai
2016-02-01
Dengue is a re-emerging infectious disease of humans, rapidly growing from endemic areas to dengue-free regions due to favorable conditions. In recent decades, Guangzhou has again suffered from several big outbreaks of dengue; as have its neighboring cities. This study aims to examine the impact of dengue epidemics in Guangzhou, China, and to develop a predictive model for Zhongshan based on local weather conditions and Guangzhou dengue surveillance information. We obtained weekly dengue case data from 1st January, 2005 to 31st December, 2014 for Guangzhou and Zhongshan city from the Chinese National Disease Surveillance Reporting System. Meteorological data was collected from the Zhongshan Weather Bureau and demographic data was collected from the Zhongshan Statistical Bureau. A negative binomial regression model with a log link function was used to analyze the relationship between weekly dengue cases in Guangzhou and Zhongshan, controlling for meteorological factors. Cross-correlation functions were applied to identify the time lags of the effect of each weather factor on weekly dengue cases. Models were validated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and k-fold cross-validation. Our results showed that weekly dengue cases in Zhongshan were significantly associated with dengue cases in Guangzhou after the treatment of a 5 weeks prior moving average (Relative Risk (RR) = 2.016, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.845-2.203), controlling for weather factors including minimum temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall. ROC curve analysis indicated our forecasting model performed well at different prediction thresholds, with 0.969 area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for a threshold of 3 cases per week, 0.957 AUC for a threshold of 2 cases per week, and 0.938 AUC for a threshold of 1 case per week. Models established during k-fold cross-validation also had considerable AUC (average 0.938-0.967). The sensitivity and specificity obtained from k-fold cross-validation was 78.83% and 92.48% respectively, with a forecasting threshold of 3 cases per week; 91.17% and 91.39%, with a threshold of 2 cases; and 85.16% and 87.25% with a threshold of 1 case. The out-of-sample prediction for the epidemics in 2014 also showed satisfactory performance. Our study findings suggest that the occurrence of dengue outbreaks in Guangzhou could impact dengue outbreaks in Zhongshan under suitable weather conditions. Future studies should focus on developing integrated early warning systems for dengue transmission including local weather and human movement.
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Validating Remotely Sensed Land Surface Evapotranspiration Based on Multi-scale Field Measurements
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jia, Z.; Liu, S.; Ziwei, X.; Liang, S.
2012-12-01
The land surface evapotranspiration plays an important role in the surface energy balance and the water cycle. There have been significant technical and theoretical advances in our knowledge of evapotranspiration over the past two decades. Acquisition of the temporally and spatially continuous distribution of evapotranspiration using remote sensing technology has attracted the widespread attention of researchers and managers. However, remote sensing technology still has many uncertainties coming from model mechanism, model inputs, parameterization schemes, and scaling issue in the regional estimation. Achieving remotely sensed evapotranspiration (RS_ET) with confident certainty is required but difficult. As a result, it is indispensable to develop the validation methods to quantitatively assess the accuracy and error sources of the regional RS_ET estimations. This study proposes an innovative validation method based on multi-scale evapotranspiration acquired from field measurements, with the validation results including the accuracy assessment, error source analysis, and uncertainty analysis of the validation process. It is a potentially useful approach to evaluate the accuracy and analyze the spatio-temporal properties of RS_ET at both the basin and local scales, and is appropriate to validate RS_ET in diverse resolutions at different time-scales. An independent RS_ET validation using this method was presented over the Hai River Basin, China in 2002-2009 as a case study. Validation at the basin scale showed good agreements between the 1 km annual RS_ET and the validation data such as the water balanced evapotranspiration, MODIS evapotranspiration products, precipitation, and landuse types. Validation at the local scale also had good results for monthly, daily RS_ET at 30 m and 1 km resolutions, comparing to the multi-scale evapotranspiration measurements from the EC and LAS, respectively, with the footprint model over three typical landscapes. Although some validation experiments demonstrated that the models yield accurate estimates at flux measurement sites, the question remains whether they are performing well over the broader landscape. Moreover, a large number of RS_ET products have been released in recent years. Thus, we also pay attention to the cross-validation method of RS_ET derived from multi-source models. "The Multi-scale Observation Experiment on Evapotranspiration over Heterogeneous Land Surfaces: Flux Observation Matrix" campaign is carried out at the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin, China in 2012. Flux measurements from an observation matrix composed of 22 EC and 4 LAS are acquired to investigate the cross-validation of multi-source models over different landscapes. In this case, six remote sensing models, including the empirical statistical model, the one-source and two-source models, the Penman-Monteith equation based model, the Priestley-Taylor equation based model, and the complementary relationship based model, are used to perform an intercomparison. All the results from the two cases of RS_ET validation showed that the proposed validation methods are reasonable and feasible.
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Saloheimo, T; González, S A; Erkkola, M; Milauskas, D M; Meisel, J D; Champagne, C M; Tudor-Locke, C; Sarmiento, O; Katzmarzyk, P T; Fogelholm, M
2015-01-01
Objective: The main aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of a food frequency questionnaire with 23 food groups (I-FFQ) among a sample of 9–11-year-old children from three different countries that differ on economical development and income distribution, and to assess differences between country sites. Furthermore, we assessed factors associated with I-FFQ's performance. Methods: This was an ancillary study of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment. Reliability (n=321) and validity (n=282) components of this study had the same participants. Participation rates were 95% and 70%, respectively. Participants completed two I-FFQs with a mean interval of 4.9 weeks to assess reliability. A 3-day pre-coded food diary (PFD) was used as the reference method in the validity analyses. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, intraclass correlation coefficients and cross-classifications were used to assess the reliability of I-FFQ. Spearman correlation coefficients, percentage difference and cross-classifications were used to assess the validity of I-FFQ. A logistic regression model was used to assess the relation of selected variables with the estimate of validity. Analyses based on information in the PFDs were performed to assess how participants interpreted food groups. Results: Reliability correlation coefficients ranged from 0.37 to 0.78 and gross misclassification for all food groups was <5%. Validity correlation coefficients were below 0.5 for 22/23 food groups, and they differed among country sites. For validity, gross misclassification was <5% for 22/23 food groups. Over- or underestimation did not appear for 19/23 food groups. Logistic regression showed that country of participation and parental education were associated (P⩽0.05) with the validity of I-FFQ. Analyses of children's interpretation of food groups suggested that the meaning of most food groups was understood by the children. Conclusion: I-FFQ is a moderately reliable method and its validity ranged from low to moderate, depending on food group and country site. PMID:27152180
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Social support and its correlation with loneliness: a cross-cultural study of Nepalese older adults.
Chalise, Hom Nath; Kai, Ichiro; Saito, Tami
2010-01-01
The aim of this study was to analyze the situation of social support exchange among elderly men and women and to study the cross-cultural validity of predictors of loneliness in two Nepalese castes/ethnicities of older adults. Data for this study were taken from a cross-sectional study of the elderly at least 60 years old living in one ward of Kathmandu City, conducted in 2005. Loneliness was measured using a three-item loneliness scale based on the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale. Sources of social support were classified as spouse, children living with their elders, children living apart, and friends/neighbors. Study findings indicate that the main social support exchange for the elderly was with adult children living together, spouse, and friends/neighbors. Results also show gender difference in social support. Significant variables of loneliness were social support received from spouse, social support provided to spouse, and children living together with both elderly parents. This finding shows there is a high degree of cross-cultural invariance in the predictor sources of social support on loneliness among two Nepalese castes/ethnicities older adults.
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Further evidence for the reliability and validity of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale.
Humphris, G M; Freeman, R; Campbell, J; Tuutti, H; D'Souza, V
2000-12-01
To gain further evidence of the psychometric properties of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale. Dental admission clinics. Consecutive sampling, cross-sectional survey. Patients (n = 800) in four cities (Belfast, Northern Ireland; Helsinki, Finland; Jyväskylä, Finland and Dubai, UAE). Questionnaire booklet handed to patients, attending clinics, for completion following an invitation by the researcher to be included in the study. Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), together with further questions concerning dental attendance and nervousness about dental procedures. Overall 9.3 per cent of patients indicated high dental anxiety. MDAS showed high levels of internal consistency, and good construct validity. The relationship of dental anxiety with age was similar to previous reports and showed lowered anxiety levels in older patients. Data from three countries has supported the psychometric properties of this modified and brief dental anxiety scale.
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Differences in Gender Norms Between Countries: Are They Valid? The Issue of Measurement Invariance.
Weziak-Bialowolska, Dorota
The values and attitudes towards gender roles are often investigated and compared from a cross-country perspective without the proper statistical treatment of the measurement invariance (MI) assessment. This implies that the conclusions based on composite scales of gender norms, gender role attitudes or gender egalitarianism, to name only a few, may be questionable. In this study, we address this lack by investigating the cross-country MI properties of the Gender Equality Scale (GES) based on World Value Survey data. We use multi-group confirmatory factor analysis with and without alignment to determine the configural, weak, strong and strict MI. The results show that the concept of gender equality is not comparable across all countries involved in the survey. In particular, it seems to differ between Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe. We claim that only selected Central and Eastern European countries exhibit a configural MI but fail to show full weak MI and definitely fail to show full strong and full strict MI. However, under the aligned measurement framework, we succeeded in showing that for these countries, comparisons of the country rankings with respect to the GES are valid provided that a correction for non-invariance of certain factor loadings and/or intercepts is applied. Our study shows that the most egalitarian gender role attitudes measured by the GES are observed in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania and Croatia. They are significantly higher than the gender equality attitudes recorded in the lowest scoring countries Poland, Slovakia, Albania and Romania.
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Weigl, Martin; Wild, Heike
2017-09-15
To validate the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Comprehensive Core Set for Osteoarthritis from the patient perspective in Europe. This multicenter cross-sectional study involved 375 patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis. Trained health professionals completed the Comprehensive Core Set, and patients completed the Short-Form 36 questionnaire. Content validity was evaluated by calculating prevalences of impairments in body function and structures, limitations in activities and participation and environmental factors, which were either barriers or facilitators. Convergent construct validity was evaluated by correlating the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health categories with the Short-Form 36 Physical Component Score and the SF-36 Mental Component Score in a subgroup of 259 patients. The prevalences of all body function, body structure and activities and participation categories were >40%, >32% and >20%, respectively, and all environmental factors were relevant for >16% of patients. Few categories showed relevant differences between knee and hip osteoarthritis. All body function categories and all but two activities and participation categories showed significant correlations with the Physical Component Score. Body functions from the ICF chapter Mental Functions showed higher correlations with the Mental Component Score than with the Physical Component Score. This study supports the validity of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Comprehensive Core Set for Osteoarthritis. Implications for Rehabilitation Comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Sets were developed as practical tools for application in multidisciplinary assessments. The validity of the Comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for Osteoarthritis in this study supports its application in European patients with osteoarthritis. The differences in results between this Europe validation study and a previous Singaporean validation study underscore the need to validate the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Sets in different regions of the world.
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Urdu version of the neck disability index: a reliability and validity study.
Farooq, Muhammad Nazim; Mohseni-Bandpei, Mohammad A; Gilani, Syed Amir; Hafeez, Ambreen
2017-04-08
Despite the wide use of the neck disability index (NDI) for assessing disability in patients with neck pain, the NDI has not yet been translated and validated in Urdu. The first purpose of the present study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the NDI into the Urdu language (NDI-U). The second purpose was to investigate the reliability, validity and responsiveness of the NDI-U in Urdu-speaking patients experiencing chronic mechanical neck pain (CMNP). Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the original version of the NDI were carried out using previously described procedures. Seventy-six patients with CMNP and thirty healthy participants were recruited for the study. NDI-U and visual analogue scales for pain intensity (VAS pain ) and disability (VAS disability ) were administered to all the participants at baseline and to the patients 3 weeks after receiving physiotherapy intervention. The global rating of change scale (GROC) was also administered at this time. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were carried out on forty-six randomly selected patients two days after they completed the NDI-U. The NDI-U was evaluated for factor analysis, content validity, construct validity (discriminative and convergent validity) and responsiveness. An intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC 2,1 ) revealed excellent test-retest reliability for all items (ICC 2,1 = 0.86-0.98) and total scores (ICC 2,1 = 0.99) of the NDI-U. The NDI-U was found internally consistent with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.90 and a fair to good correlation between single items and the NDI-U total scores (r = 0.34 to 0.89). Factor analysis of the NDI-U produced two factors explaining 66.71% of the variance. Content validity was good, as no floor or ceiling effects were detected for the NDI-U total score. To determine discriminative validity, an independent t-test revealed a significant difference in the NDI-U total scores between the patients and healthy controls (P < 0.001). For convergent validity, Pearson's correlation coefficient showed a strong correlation between NDI-U and VAS disability (r = 0.83, P < 0.001) and a moderate correlation between NDI-U and VAS pain (r = 0.62, P < 0.001). To measure responsiveness, an independent t-test showed a significant difference in the NDI-U change scores between the stable and the improved groups (P < 0.001). Furthermore, moderate correlations were found between the NDI-U change scores and the GROC (r = 0.50, P < 0.001), VAS disability change scores (r = 0.58, P < 0.001) and VAS pain change scores (r = 0.55, P < 0.001). The results showed that the NDI-U is a reliable, valid and responsive questionnaire to measure disability in Urdu-speaking patients with CMNP.
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2014-01-01
Background Health impairments can result in disability and changed work productivity imposing considerable costs for the employee, employer and society as a whole. A large number of instruments exist to measure health-related productivity changes; however their methodological quality remains unclear. This systematic review critically appraised the measurement properties in generic self-reported instruments that measure health-related productivity changes to recommend appropriate instruments for use in occupational and economic health practice. Methods PubMed, PsycINFO, Econlit and Embase were systematically searched for studies whereof: (i) instruments measured health-related productivity changes; (ii) the aim was to evaluate instrument measurement properties; (iii) instruments were generic; (iv) ratings were self-reported; (v) full-texts were available. Next, methodological quality appraisal was based on COSMIN elements: (i) internal consistency; (ii) reliability; (iii) measurement error; (iv) content validity; (v) structural validity; (vi) hypotheses testing; (vii) cross-cultural validity; (viii) criterion validity; and (ix) responsiveness. Recommendations are based on evidence syntheses. Results This review included 25 articles assessing the reliability, validity and responsiveness of 15 different generic self-reported instruments measuring health-related productivity changes. Most studies evaluated criterion validity, none evaluated cross-cultural validity and information on measurement error is lacking. The Work Limitation Questionnaire (WLQ) was most frequently evaluated with moderate respectively strong positive evidence for content and structural validity and negative evidence for reliability, hypothesis testing and responsiveness. Less frequently evaluated, the Stanford Presenteeism Scale (SPS) showed strong positive evidence for internal consistency and structural validity, and moderate positive evidence for hypotheses testing and criterion validity. The Productivity and Disease Questionnaire (PRODISQ) yielded strong positive evidence for content validity, evidence for other properties is lacking. The other instruments resulted in mostly fair-to-poor quality ratings with limited evidence. Conclusions Decisions based on the content of the instrument, usage purpose, target country and population, and available evidence are recommended. Until high-quality studies are in place to accurately assess the measurement properties of the currently available instruments, the WLQ and, in a Dutch context, the PRODISQ are cautiously preferred based on its strong positive evidence for content validity. Based on its strong positive evidence for internal consistency and structural validity, the SPS is cautiously recommended. PMID:24495301
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Barroso, Eliane Marçon; Carvalho, André Lopes; Paiva, Carlos Eduardo; Nunes, João Soares; Paiva, Bianca Sakamoto Ribeiro
2015-01-01
Patients submitted to radiotherapy for the treatment of head and neck cancer have several symptoms, predominantly oral. The Vanderbilt Head and Neck Symptom Survey version 2.0 is an American tool developed to evaluate oral symptoms in head and neck cancer patients submitted to radiotherapy. The aim of the present study was to translate the Vanderbilt Head and Neck Symptom Survey version 2.0 into Brazilian Portuguese and cross-culturally adapt this tool for subsequent validation and application in Brazil. A method used for the translation and cultural adaptation of tools, which included independent translations, synthesis of the translations, back-translations, expert committee, and pre-test, was used. The pre-test was performed with 37 head and neck cancer patients, who were divided into four groups, to assess the relevance and understanding of the assessed items. Data were submitted to descriptive statistical analysis. The overall mean of the content validity index was 0.79 for semantic and idiomatic equivalence, and it was higher than 0.8 for cultural and conceptual equivalence. The cognitive interview showed that patients were able to paraphrase the items, and considered them relevant and easily understood. The tool was translated and cross-culturally adapted to be used in Brazil. The authors believe this translation is suited for validation. Copyright © 2015 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.
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Deschamps, Kevin; Matricali, Giovanni Arnoldo; Desmet, Dirk; Roosen, Philip; Keijsers, Noel; Nobels, Frank; Bruyninckx, Herman; Staes, Filip
2016-09-01
The concept of 'classification' has, similar to many other diseases, been found to be fundamental in the field of diabetic medicine. In the current study, we aimed at determining efficacy measures of a recently published plantar pressure based classification system. Technical efficacy of the classification system was investigated by applying a high resolution, pixel-level analysis on the normalized plantar pressure pedobarographic fields of the original experimental dataset consisting of 97 patients with diabetes and 33 persons without diabetes. Clinical efficacy was assessed by considering the occurence of foot ulcers at the plantar aspect of the forefoot in this dataset. Classification efficacy was assessed by determining the classification recognition rate as well as its sensitivity and specificity using cross-validation subsets of the experimental dataset together with a novel cohort of 12 patients with diabetes. Pixel-level comparison of the four groups associated to the classification system highlighted distinct regional differences. Retrospective analysis showed the occurence of eleven foot ulcers in the experimental dataset since their gait analysis. Eight out of the eleven ulcers developed in a region of the foot which had the highest forces. Overall classification recognition rate exceeded 90% for all cross-validation subsets. Sensitivity and specificity of the four groups associated to the classification system exceeded respectively the 0.7 and 0.8 level in all cross-validation subsets. The results of the current study support the use of the novel plantar pressure based classification system in diabetic foot medicine. It may particularly serve in communication, diagnosis and clinical decision making. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Chapman, Bryan Scott; MacQuigg, Michael Robert; Wysong, Andrew Russell
In this document, the code MCNP is validated with ENDF/B-VII.1 cross section data under the purview of ANSI/ANS-8.24-2007, for use with uranium systems. MCNP is a computer code based on Monte Carlo transport methods. While MCNP has wide reading capability in nuclear transport simulation, this validation is limited to the functionality related to neutron transport and calculation of criticality parameters such as k eff.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zeidner, Moshe
1987-01-01
This study examined the cross-cultural validity of the sex bias contention with respect to standardized aptitude testing, used for academic prediction purposes in Israel. Analyses were based on the grade point average and scores of 1778 Jewish and 1017 Arab students who were administered standardized college entrance test batteries. (Author/LMO)
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wang, Jessica; Lee, Li-Ching; Chen, Ying-Sheue; Hsu, Ju-Wei
2012-01-01
The cross-cultural validity of the Mandarin-adaptation of the social responsiveness scale (SRS) was examined in a sample of N = 307 participants in Taiwan, 140 typically developing and 167 with clinically-diagnosed developmental disorders. This scale is an autism assessment tool that provides a quantitative rather than categorical measure of…
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USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Accurate, nonintrusive, and inexpensive techniques are needed to measure energy expenditure (EE) in free-living populations. Our primary aim in this study was to validate cross-sectional time series (CSTS) and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) models based on observable participant cha...
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A New Symptom Model for Autism Cross-Validated in an Independent Sample
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Boomsma, A.; Van Lang, N. D. J.; De Jonge, M. V.; De Bildt, A. A.; Van Engeland, H.; Minderaa, R. B.
2008-01-01
Background: Results from several studies indicated that a symptom model other than the DSM triad might better describe symptom domains of autism. The present study focused on a) investigating the stability of a new symptom model for autism by cross-validating it in an independent sample and b) examining the invariance of the model regarding three…
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Zometa, Carlos S; Dedrick, Robert; Knox, Michael D; Westhoff, Wayne; Siri, Rodrigo Simán; Debaldo, Ann
2007-06-01
An instrument developed in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess HIV/AIDS knowledge and four attitudinal dimensions (Peer Pressure, Abstinence, Drug Use, and Threat of HIV Infection) and an instrument developed by Basen-Engquist et al. (1999) to measure abstinence and condom use were translated, cross-culturally adapted, and validated for use with Spanish-speaking high school students in El Salvador. A back-translation of the English version was cross-culturally adapted using two different review panels and pilot-tested with Salvadorian students. An expert panel established content validity, and confirmatory factor analysis provided support for construct validity. Results indicated that the methodology was successful in cross-culturally adapting the instrument developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the instrument developed by Basen-Engquist et al. The psychometric properties of the knowledge section were acceptable and there was partial support for the four-factor attitudinal model underlying the CDC instrument and the two-factor model underlying the Basen-Engquist et al. instrument. Additional studies with Spanish-speaking populations (either in the United States or Latin America) are needed to evaluate the generalizability of the present results.
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Cross-cultural validation of Cancer Communication Assessment Tool in Korea.
Shin, Dong Wook; Shin, Jooyeon; Kim, So Young; Park, Boram; Yang, Hyung-Kook; Cho, Juhee; Lee, Eun Sook; Kim, Jong Heun; Park, Jong-Hyock
2015-02-01
Communication between cancer patients and caregivers is often suboptimal. The Cancer Communication Assessment Tool for Patient and Families (CCAT-PF) is a unique tool developed to measure congruence in patient-family caregiver communication employing a dyadic approach. We aimed to examine the cross-cultural applicability of the CCAT in the Korean healthcare setting. Linguistic validation of the CCAT-PF was performed through a standard forward-backward translation process. Psychometric validation was performed with 990 patient-caregiver dyads recruited from 10 cancer centers. Mean scores of CCAT-P and CCAT-F were similar at 44.8 for both scales. Mean CCAT-PF score was 23.7 (8.66). Concordance of each items between patients and caregivers was low (weighted kappa values <0.20 for all items and Spearman's rho <0.18 for scale scores). Scale scores did not differ significantly across a variety of cancer types and stages. The CCAT-P or CCAT-F score was weakly associated with mental health and quality of life outcomes. The CCAT-PF was correlated weakly with both patient-perceived and caregiver-perceived family avoidance of cancer care scales. The CCAT-PF Korean version showed similar psychometric properties to the original English version in the assessment of communication congruence between cancer patient and family caregivers. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Psychometric validation of a condom self-efficacy scale in Korean.
Cha, EunSeok; Kim, Kevin H; Burke, Lora E
2008-01-01
When an instrument is translated for use in cross-cultural research, it needs to account for cultural factors without distorting the psychometric properties of the instrument. To validate the psychometric properties of the condom self-efficacy scale (CSE) originally developed for American adolescents and young adults after translating the scale to Korean (CSE-K) to determine its suitability for cross-cultural research among Korean college students. A cross-sectional, correlational design was used with an exploratory survey methodology through self-report questionnaires. A convenience sample of 351 students, aged 18 to 25 years, were recruited at a university in Seoul, Korea. The participants completed the CSE-K and the intention of condom use scales after they were translated from English to Korean using a combined translation technique. A demographic and sex history questionnaire, which included an item to assess actual condom usage, was also administered. Mean, variance, reliability, criterion validity, and factorial validity using confirmatory factor analysis were assessed in the CSE-K. Norms for the CSE-K were similar, but not identical, to norms for the English version. The means of all three subscales were lower for the CSE-K than for the original CSE; however, the obtained variance in CSE-K was roughly similar with the original CSE. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total scale was higher for the CSE-K (.91) than that for either the CSE (.85) or CSE in Thai (.85). Criterion validity and construct validity of the CSE-K were confirmed. The CSE-K was a reliable and valid scale in measuring condom self-efficacy among Korean college students. The findings suggest that the CSE was an appropriate instrument to conduct cross-cultural research on sexual behavior in adolescents and young adults.
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2017-01-01
Objective To perform a translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale (CRBS) for use in Korea, followed by psychometric validation. The CRBS was developed to assess patients' perception of the degree to which patient, provider and health system-level barriers affect their cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participation. Methods The CRBS consists of 21 items (barriers to adherence) rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The first phase was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the CRBS to the Korean language. After back-translation, both versions were reviewed by a committee. The face validity was assessed in a sample of Korean patients (n=53) with history of acute myocardial infarction that did not participate in CR through semi-structured interviews. The second phase was to assess the construct and criterion validity of the Korean translation as well as internal reliability, through administration of the translated version in 104 patients, principle component analysis with varimax rotation and cross-referencing against CR use, respectively. Results The length, readability, and clarity of the questionnaire were rated well, demonstrating face validity. Analysis revealed a six-factor solution, demonstrating construct validity. Cronbach's alpha was greater than 0.65. Barriers rated highest included not knowing about CR and not being contacted by a program. The mean CRBS score was significantly higher among non-attendees (2.71±0.26) than CR attendees (2.51±0.18) (p<0.01). Conclusion The Korean version of CRBS has demonstrated face, content and criterion validity, suggesting it may be useful for assessing barriers to CR utilization in Korea. PMID:29201826
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Steger, Stefan; Brenning, Alexander; Bell, Rainer; Petschko, Helene; Glade, Thomas
2016-06-01
Empirical models are frequently applied to produce landslide susceptibility maps for large areas. Subsequent quantitative validation results are routinely used as the primary criteria to infer the validity and applicability of the final maps or to select one of several models. This study hypothesizes that such direct deductions can be misleading. The main objective was to explore discrepancies between the predictive performance of a landslide susceptibility model and the geomorphic plausibility of subsequent landslide susceptibility maps while a particular emphasis was placed on the influence of incomplete landslide inventories on modelling and validation results. The study was conducted within the Flysch Zone of Lower Austria (1,354 km2) which is known to be highly susceptible to landslides of the slide-type movement. Sixteen susceptibility models were generated by applying two statistical classifiers (logistic regression and generalized additive model) and two machine learning techniques (random forest and support vector machine) separately for two landslide inventories of differing completeness and two predictor sets. The results were validated quantitatively by estimating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) with single holdout and spatial cross-validation technique. The heuristic evaluation of the geomorphic plausibility of the final results was supported by findings of an exploratory data analysis, an estimation of odds ratios and an evaluation of the spatial structure of the final maps. The results showed that maps generated by different inventories, classifiers and predictors appeared differently while holdout validation revealed similar high predictive performances. Spatial cross-validation proved useful to expose spatially varying inconsistencies of the modelling results while additionally providing evidence for slightly overfitted machine learning-based models. However, the highest predictive performances were obtained for maps that explicitly expressed geomorphically implausible relationships indicating that the predictive performance of a model might be misleading in the case a predictor systematically relates to a spatially consistent bias of the inventory. Furthermore, we observed that random forest-based maps displayed spatial artifacts. The most plausible susceptibility map of the study area showed smooth prediction surfaces while the underlying model revealed a high predictive capability and was generated with an accurate landslide inventory and predictors that did not directly describe a bias. However, none of the presented models was found to be completely unbiased. This study showed that high predictive performances cannot be equated with a high plausibility and applicability of subsequent landslide susceptibility maps. We suggest that greater emphasis should be placed on identifying confounding factors and biases in landslide inventories. A joint discussion between modelers and decision makers of the spatial pattern of the final susceptibility maps in the field might increase their acceptance and applicability.
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Cross-cultural adaptation of the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire.
Koopmans, Linda; Bernaards, Claire M; Hildebrandt, Vincent H; Lerner, Debra; de Vet, Henrica C W; van der Beek, Allard J
2015-01-01
The Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ), measuring task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behavior, was developed in The Netherlands. To cross-culturally adapt the IWPQ from the Dutch to the American-English language, and assess the questionnaire's internal consistency and content validity in the American-English context. A five stage translation and adaptation process was used: forward translation, synthesis, back-translation, expert committee review, and pilot-testing. During the pilot-testing, cognitive interviews with 40 American workers were performed, to examine the comprehensibility, applicability, and completeness of the American-English IWPQ. Questionnaire instructions were slightly modified to aid interpretation in the American-English language. Inconsistencies with verb tense were identified, and it was decided to consistently use simple past tense. The wording of five items was modified to better suit the American-English language. In general, participants were positive on the comprehensibility, applicability and completeness of the questionnaire during the pilot-testing phase. Furthermore, the study showed positive results concerning the internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas for the scales between 0.79-0.89) and content validity of the American-English IWPQ. The results indicate that the cross-cultural adaptation of the American-English IWPQ was successful and that the measurement properties of the translated version are promising.
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Sun, Jiangming; Carlsson, Lars; Ahlberg, Ernst; Norinder, Ulf; Engkvist, Ola; Chen, Hongming
2017-07-24
Conformal prediction has been proposed as a more rigorous way to define prediction confidence compared to other application domain concepts that have earlier been used for QSAR modeling. One main advantage of such a method is that it provides a prediction region potentially with multiple predicted labels, which contrasts to the single valued (regression) or single label (classification) output predictions by standard QSAR modeling algorithms. Standard conformal prediction might not be suitable for imbalanced data sets. Therefore, Mondrian cross-conformal prediction (MCCP) which combines the Mondrian inductive conformal prediction with cross-fold calibration sets has been introduced. In this study, the MCCP method was applied to 18 publicly available data sets that have various imbalance levels varying from 1:10 to 1:1000 (ratio of active/inactive compounds). Our results show that MCCP in general performed well on bioactivity data sets with various imbalance levels. More importantly, the method not only provides confidence of prediction and prediction regions compared to standard machine learning methods but also produces valid predictions for the minority class. In addition, a compound similarity based nonconformity measure was investigated. Our results demonstrate that although it gives valid predictions, its efficiency is much worse than that of model dependent metrics.
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Tilov, Boris; Dimitrova, Donka; Stoykova, Maria; Tornjova, Bianka; Foreva, Gergana; Stoyanov, Drozdstoj
2012-12-01
Health-care professions have long been considered prone to work-related stress, yet recent research in Bulgaria indicates alarmingly high levels of burnout. Cloninger's inventory is used to analyse and evaluate correlation between personality characteristics and degree of burnout syndrome manifestation among the risk categories of health-care professionals. The primary goal of this study was to test the conceptual validity and cross-cultural applicability of the revised TCI (TCI-R), developed in the United States, in a culturally, socially and economically diverse setting. Linguistic validation, test-retest studies, statistical and expert analyses were performed to assess cross-cultural applicability of the revised Cloninger's temperament and character inventory in Bulgarian, its reliability and internal consistency and construct validity. The overall internal consistency of TCI-R and its scales as well as the interscale and test-retest correlations prove that the translated version of the questionnaire is acceptable and cross-culturally applicable for the purposes of studying organizational stress and burnout risk in health-care professionals. In general the cross-cultural adaptation process, even if carried out in a rigorous way, does not always lead to the best target version and suggests it would be useful to develop new scales specific to each culture and, at the same time, to think about the trans-cultural adaptation. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Cross-cultural adaptation of instruments assessing breastfeeding determinants: a multi-step approach
2014-01-01
Background Cross-cultural adaptation is a necessary process to effectively use existing instruments in other cultural and language settings. The process of cross-culturally adapting, including translation, of existing instruments is considered a critical set to establishing a meaningful instrument for use in another setting. Using a multi-step approach is considered best practice in achieving cultural and semantic equivalence of the adapted version. We aimed to ensure the content validity of our instruments in the cultural context of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitudes Scale, Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form and additional items comprise our consolidated instrument, which was cross-culturally adapted utilizing a multi-step approach during August 2012. Cross-cultural adaptation was achieved through steps to maintain content validity and attain semantic equivalence in the target version. Specifically, Lynn’s recommendation to apply an item-level content validity index score was followed. The revised instrument was translated and back-translated. To ensure semantic equivalence, Brislin’s back-translation approach was utilized followed by the committee review to address any discrepancies that emerged from translation. Results Our consolidated instrument was adapted to be culturally relevant and translated to yield more reliable and valid results for use in our larger research study to measure infant feeding determinants effectively in our target cultural context. Conclusions Undertaking rigorous steps to effectively ensure cross-cultural adaptation increases our confidence that the conclusions we make based on our self-report instrument(s) will be stronger. In this way, our aim to achieve strong cross-cultural adaptation of our consolidated instruments was achieved while also providing a clear framework for other researchers choosing to utilize existing instruments for work in other cultural, geographic and population settings. PMID:25285151
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Cognitive-Motor Interference in an Ecologically Valid Street Crossing Scenario.
Janouch, Christin; Drescher, Uwe; Wechsler, Konstantin; Haeger, Mathias; Bock, Otmar; Voelcker-Rehage, Claudia
2018-01-01
Laboratory-based research revealed that gait involves higher cognitive processes, leading to performance impairments when executed with a concurrent loading task. Deficits are especially pronounced in older adults. Theoretical approaches like the multiple resource model highlight the role of task similarity and associated attention distribution problems. It has been shown that in cases where these distribution problems are perceived relevant to participant's risk of falls, older adults prioritize gait and posture over the concurrent loading task. Here we investigate whether findings on task similarity and task prioritization can be transferred to an ecologically valid scenario. Sixty-three younger adults (20-30 years of age) and 61 older adults (65-75 years of age) participated in a virtual street crossing simulation. The participants' task was to identify suitable gaps that would allow them to cross a simulated two way street safely. Therefore, participants walked on a manual treadmill that transferred their forward motion to forward displacements in a virtual city. The task was presented as a single task (crossing only) and as a multitask. In the multitask condition participants were asked, among others, to type in three digit numbers that were presented either visually or auditorily. We found that for both age groups, street crossing as well as typing performance suffered under multitasking conditions. Impairments were especially pronounced for older adults (e.g., longer crossing initiation phase, more missed opportunities). However, younger and older adults did not differ in the speed and success rate of crossing. Further, deficits were stronger in the visual compared to the auditory task modality for most parameters. Our findings conform to earlier studies that found an age-related decline in multitasking performance in less realistic scenarios. However, task similarity effects were inconsistent and question the validity of the multiple resource model within ecologically valid scenarios.
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Khairullah, Shasha; Mahadeva, Sanjiv
2017-05-25
We aimed to adapt, translate and validate the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) in Malaysian patients with chronic liver diseases of various aetiologies. Tertiary level teaching institution in Malaysia. The validation process involved 211 adult patients (English language n=101, Malay language n=110) with chronic liver disease. Characteristics of the study subjects were as follows: mean (SD) age was 56 (12.8) years, 58.3% were male and 41.7% female. The inclusion criteria were patients 18 years or older with chronic hepatitis and/or liver cirrhosis of any aetiology. The exclusion criteria were as follows: presence of hepatic encephalopathy, ongoing treatment with interferon and presence of other chronic conditions that have an impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A cross-sectional study was conducted. Cultural adaptation of the English version of the CLDQ was performed, and a Malay version was developed following standard forward-backward translation by independent native speakers. Psychometric properties of both versions were determined by assessing their internal consistency, test-retest reliability and discriminant and convergent validity. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency across the various domains of the CLDQ was 0.95 for the English version and 0.92 for the Malay version. Test-retest analysis showed excellent reliability with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.89 for the English version and 0.93 for the Malay version. The average scores of both the English and Malay versions of the CLDQ demonstrated adequate discriminant validity by differentiating between non-cirrhosis (English 6.3, Malay 6.1), compensated cirrhosis (English 5.6, Malay 6.0) and decompensated cirrhosis (English 5.1, Malay 4.9) (p<0.001). Convergent validity showed that correlation was fair between the English (ρ=0.59) and Malay (p=0.47) CLDQ versions with the EQ-5D, a generic HRQOL instrument. The English and Malay versions of the CLDQ are reliable and valid disease-specific instruments for assessing HRQOL in Malaysian patients with chronic liver disease. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.
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Agrawal, Vijay K; Sharma, Ruchi; Khadikar, Padmakar V
2002-09-01
QSAR studies on modelling of biological activity (hCAI) for a series of ureido and thioureido derivatives of aromatic/heterocyclic sulfonamides have been made using a pool of topological indices. Regression analysis of the data showed that excellent results were obtained in multiparametric correlations upon introduction of indicator parameters. The predictive abilities of the models are discussed using cross-validation parameters.
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Chou, Cheng-Chen; Pressler, Susan J; Giordani, Bruno; Fetzer, Susan Jane
2015-11-01
To evaluate the validity of the Chinese version of the CogState battery, a computerised cognitive testing among patients with heart failure in Taiwan. Cognitive deficits are common in patients with heart failure and a validated Chinese measurement is required for assessing cognitive change for this population. The CogState computerised battery is a measurement of cognitive function and has been validated in many languages, but not Chinese. A cross-sectional study. A convenience sample consisted of 76 women with heart failure and 64 healthy women in northern Taiwan. Women completed the Chinese version of the CogState battery and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Construct validity of the Chinese version of the battery was evaluated by exploratory factor analysis and known-group comparisons. Convergent validity of the CogState tasks was examined by Pearson correlation coefficients. Principal components factor analysis with promax rotation showed two factors reflecting the speed and memory dimensions of the tests. Scores for CogState battery tasks showed significant differences between the heart failure and healthy control group. Examination of convergent validity of the CogState found a significant association with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. The Chinese CogState Battery has satisfactory construct and convergent validity to measure cognitive deficits in patients with heart failure in Taiwan. The Chinese CogState battery is a valid instrument for detecting cognitive deficits that may be subtle in the early stages, and identifying changes that provide insights into patients' abilities to implement treatment accurately and consistently. Better interventions tailored to the needs of the cognitive impaired population can be developed. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Identification of DNA-Binding Proteins Using Mixed Feature Representation Methods.
Qu, Kaiyang; Han, Ke; Wu, Song; Wang, Guohua; Wei, Leyi
2017-09-22
DNA-binding proteins play vital roles in cellular processes, such as DNA packaging, replication, transcription, regulation, and other DNA-associated activities. The current main prediction method is based on machine learning, and its accuracy mainly depends on the features extraction method. Therefore, using an efficient feature representation method is important to enhance the classification accuracy. However, existing feature representation methods cannot efficiently distinguish DNA-binding proteins from non-DNA-binding proteins. In this paper, a multi-feature representation method, which combines three feature representation methods, namely, K-Skip-N-Grams, Information theory, and Sequential and structural features (SSF), is used to represent the protein sequences and improve feature representation ability. In addition, the classifier is a support vector machine. The mixed-feature representation method is evaluated using 10-fold cross-validation and a test set. Feature vectors, which are obtained from a combination of three feature extractions, show the best performance in 10-fold cross-validation both under non-dimensional reduction and dimensional reduction by max-relevance-max-distance. Moreover, the reduced mixed feature method performs better than the non-reduced mixed feature technique. The feature vectors, which are a combination of SSF and K-Skip-N-Grams, show the best performance in the test set. Among these methods, mixed features exhibit superiority over the single features.
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A closer look at cross-validation for assessing the accuracy of gene regulatory networks and models.
Tabe-Bordbar, Shayan; Emad, Amin; Zhao, Sihai Dave; Sinha, Saurabh
2018-04-26
Cross-validation (CV) is a technique to assess the generalizability of a model to unseen data. This technique relies on assumptions that may not be satisfied when studying genomics datasets. For example, random CV (RCV) assumes that a randomly selected set of samples, the test set, well represents unseen data. This assumption doesn't hold true where samples are obtained from different experimental conditions, and the goal is to learn regulatory relationships among the genes that generalize beyond the observed conditions. In this study, we investigated how the CV procedure affects the assessment of supervised learning methods used to learn gene regulatory networks (or in other applications). We compared the performance of a regression-based method for gene expression prediction estimated using RCV with that estimated using a clustering-based CV (CCV) procedure. Our analysis illustrates that RCV can produce over-optimistic estimates of the model's generalizability compared to CCV. Next, we defined the 'distinctness' of test set from training set and showed that this measure is predictive of performance of the regression method. Finally, we introduced a simulated annealing method to construct partitions with gradually increasing distinctness and showed that performance of different gene expression prediction methods can be better evaluated using this method.
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Dobbin, Nick; Hunwicks, Richard; Jones, Ben; Till, Kevin; Highton, Jamie; Twist, Craig
2018-02-01
To examine the criterion and construct validity of an isometric midthigh-pull dynamometer to assess whole-body strength in professional rugby league players. Fifty-six male rugby league players (33 senior and 23 youth players) performed 4 isometric midthigh-pull efforts (ie, 2 on the dynamometer and 2 on the force platform) in a randomized and counterbalanced order. Isometric peak force was underestimated (P < .05) using the dynamometer compared with the force platform (95% LoA: -213.5 ± 342.6 N). Linear regression showed that peak force derived from the dynamometer explained 85% (adjusted R 2 = .85, SEE = 173 N) of the variance in the dependent variable, with the following prediction equation derived: predicted peak force = [1.046 × dynamometer peak force] + 117.594. Cross-validation revealed a nonsignificant bias (P > .05) between the predicted and peak force from the force platform and an adjusted R 2 (79.6%) that represented shrinkage of 0.4% relative to the cross-validation model (80%). Peak force was greater for the senior than the youth professionals using the dynamometer (2261.2 ± 222 cf 1725.1 ± 298.0 N, respectively; P < .05). The isometric midthigh pull assessed using a dynamometer underestimates criterion peak force but is capable of distinguishing muscle-function characteristics between professional rugby league players of different standards.
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[Prediction equations for fat percentage from body circumferences in prepubescent children].
Gómez Campos, Rossana; De Marco, Ademir; de Arruda, Miguel; Martínez Salazar, Cristian; Margarita Salazar, Ciria; Valgas, Carmen; Fuentes, José Damián; Cossio-Bolaños, Marco Antonio
2013-01-01
The analysis of body composition through direct and indirect methods allows the study of the various components of the human body, becoming the central hub for assessing nutritional status. The objective of the study was to develop equations for predicting body fat% from circumferential body arm, waist and calf and propose percentiles to diagnose the nutritional status of school children of both sexes aged 4-10 years. We selected intentionally (non-probabilistic) 515 children, 261 children and 254 being girls belonging to Program interaction and development of children and adolescents from the State University of Campinas (Sao Paulo, Brazil). Anthropometric variables were evaluated for weight, height, triceps and subscapular skinfolds and body circumferences of arm, waist and calf, and the% fat determined by the equation proposed by Boileau, Lohman and Slaughter (1985). Through regression method 2 were generated equations to predict the percentage of fat from the body circumferences, the equations 1 and 2 were validated by cross validation method. The equations showed high predictive values ranging with a R² = 64-69%. In cross validation between the criterion and the regression equation proposed no significant difference (p > 0.05) and there was a high level of agreement to a 95% CI. It is concluded that the proposals are validated and shown as an alternative to assess the percentage of fat in school children of both sexes aged 4-10 years in the region of Campinas, SP (Brazil). Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.
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Cross-Link Guided Molecular Modeling with ROSETTA
Leitner, Alexander; Rosenberger, George; Aebersold, Ruedi; Malmström, Lars
2013-01-01
Chemical cross-links identified by mass spectrometry generate distance restraints that reveal low-resolution structural information on proteins and protein complexes. The technology to reliably generate such data has become mature and robust enough to shift the focus to the question of how these distance restraints can be best integrated into molecular modeling calculations. Here, we introduce three workflows for incorporating distance restraints generated by chemical cross-linking and mass spectrometry into ROSETTA protocols for comparative and de novo modeling and protein-protein docking. We demonstrate that the cross-link validation and visualization software Xwalk facilitates successful cross-link data integration. Besides the protocols we introduce XLdb, a database of chemical cross-links from 14 different publications with 506 intra-protein and 62 inter-protein cross-links, where each cross-link can be mapped on an experimental structure from the Protein Data Bank. Finally, we demonstrate on a protein-protein docking reference data set the impact of virtual cross-links on protein docking calculations and show that an inter-protein cross-link can reduce on average the RMSD of a docking prediction by 5.0 Å. The methods and results presented here provide guidelines for the effective integration of chemical cross-link data in molecular modeling calculations and should advance the structural analysis of particularly large and transient protein complexes via hybrid structural biology methods. PMID:24069194
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Farokhnezhad Afshar, Pouya; Foroughan, Mahshid; Vedadhir, AbouAli; Ghazi Tabatabaie, Mahmood
2017-01-01
The Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS) is used to measure social function and social motivation in depressed patients. There is little attention to social function in the treatment of depression. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of SASS (P-SASS) for older adults. This is a cross-sectional and methodological study. The participants were 550 community-dwelling older adults living in Tehran who were selected randomly from the primary health care centers. To assess the psychometric properties of SASS, we first did translation and cross-cultural adjustment on SASS and then used P-SASS and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) for gathering data. A number of analyses, including Pearson's correlation, exploratory factor analysis, and Cronbach's α , and receiver operating characteristic curve were used to manage the data with the IBM SPSS Statistics V.22. The mean age of the participants was 66.09±6.67 years, and 58.9% of them were male. The Cronbach's α was 0.97. The test-retest reliability correlation coefficient was 0.78. Principal component analysis showed that P-SASS consists of two components. P-SASS score showed a significant negative correlation with GDS ( r =-0.91, P <0.01), which suggests good convergent validity. The P-SASS cutoff point was 28 (sensitivity: 0.97 and specificity: 0.94). P-SASS has good reliability and validity for older adults. So, it can be considered as an appropriate tool to evaluate the social function and social motivation of older persons with and without depression.
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de Heer, K; Kok, M G M; Fens, N; Weersink, E J M; Zwinderman, A H; van der Schee, M P C; Visser, C E; van Oers, M H J; Sterk, P J
2016-03-01
Currently, there is no noninvasive test that can reliably diagnose early invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IA). An electronic nose (eNose) can discriminate various lung diseases through an analysis of exhaled volatile organic compounds. We recently published a proof-of-principle study showing that patients with prolonged chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and IA have a distinct exhaled breath profile (or breathprint) that can be discriminated with an eNose. An eNose is cheap and noninvasive, and it yields results within minutes. We determined whether Aspergillus fumigatus colonization may also be detected with an eNose in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Exhaled breath samples of 27 CF patients were analyzed with a Cyranose 320. Culture of sputum samples defined the A. fumigatus colonization status. eNose data were classified using canonical discriminant analysis after principal component reduction. Our primary outcome was cross-validated accuracy, defined as the percentage of correctly classified subjects using the leave-one-out method. The P value was calculated by the generation of 100,000 random alternative classifications. Nine of the 27 subjects were colonized by A. fumigatus. In total, 3 subjects were misclassified, resulting in a cross-validated accuracy of the Cyranose detecting IA of 89% (P = 0.004; sensitivity, 78%; specificity, 94%). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89. The results indicate that A. fumigatus colonization leads to a distinctive breathprint in CF patients. The present proof-of-concept data merit external validation and monitoring studies. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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Remelhe, Mafalda; Teixeira, Pedro M; Lopes, Irene; Silva, Luís; Correia de Sousa, Jaime
2017-01-12
Enabling patients with asthma to obtain the knowledge, confidence and skills they need in order to assume a major role in the management of their disease is cost effective. It should be an integral part of any plan for long-term control of asthma. The modified Patient Enablement Instrument (mPEI) is an easily administered questionnaire that was adapted in the United Kingdom to measure patient enablement in asthma, but its applicability in Portugal is not known. Validity and reliability of questionnaires should be tested before use in settings different from those of the original version. The purpose of this study was to test the applicability of the mPEI to Portuguese asthma patients after translation and cross-cultural adaptation, and to verify the structural validity, internal consistency and reproducibility of the instrument. The mPEI was translated to Portuguese and back translated to English. Its content validity was assessed by a debriefing interview with 10 asthma patients. The translated instrument was then administered to a random sample of 142 patients with persistent asthma. Structural validity and internal consistency were assessed. For reproducibility analysis, 86 patients completed the instrument again 7 days later. Item-scale correlations and exploratory factor analysis were used to assess structural validity. Cronbach's alpha was used to test internal consistency, and the intra-class correlation coefficient was used for the analysis of reproducibility. All items of the Portuguese version of the mPEI were found to be equivalent to the original English version. There were strong item-scale correlations that confirmed construct validity, with a one component structure and good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha >0.8) as well as high test-retest reliability (ICC=0.85). The mPEI showed sound psychometric properties for the evaluation of enablement in patients with asthma making it a reliable instrument for use in research and clinical practice in Portugal. Further studies are needed to confirm its responsiveness.
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Lee, Jung Sub; Shin, Jong Ki; Son, Seung Min; An, Sung Jin; Kang, Sung Shik
2014-07-01
We aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the adapted Korean version of the Quality-of-Life Questionnaire of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis (QUALEFFO-26). Translation/retranslation of the English version of QUALEFFO was conducted, and all steps of the cross-cultural adaptation process were performed. The Korean version of the visual analog scale measure of pain, QUALEFFO-26 and the previously validated Short Form-36 (SF-36) were mailed to 162 consecutive patients with osteoporosis. Factor analysis and reliability assessment by kappa statistics of agreement for each item, the intraclass correlation coefficient and Cronbach's α were conducted. Construct validity was also evaluated by comparing the responses of QUALEFFO-26 with the responses of SF-36 using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Factor analysis extracted 3 factors. All items had a kappa statistics of agreement greater than 0.6. The QUALEFFO-26 showed good test/retest reliability (QUALEFFO-26: 0.8271). Internal consistency of Cronbach's α was found to be very good (QUALEFFO-26: 0.873). The Korean version of QUALEFFO-26 showed good significant correlation with SF-36 total score and with single SF-36 domains scores. The adapted Korean version of the QUALEFFO-26 was successfully translated and showed acceptable measurement properties and, as such, is considered suitable for outcome assessments in the Korean-speaking patients with osteoporosis.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cortesi, N.; Trigo, R.; Gonzalez-Hidalgo, J. C.; Ramos, A. M.
2012-06-01
Precipitation over the Iberian Peninsula (IP) is highly variable and shows large spatial contrasts between wet mountainous regions, to the north, and dry regions in the inland plains and southern areas. In this work, a high-density monthly precipitation dataset for the IP was coupled with a set of 26 atmospheric circulation weather types (Trigo and DaCamara, 2000) to reconstruct Iberian monthly precipitation from October to May with a very high resolution of 3030 precipitation series (overall mean density one station each 200 km2). A stepwise linear regression model with forward selection was used to develop monthly reconstructed precipitation series calibrated and validated over 1948-2003 period. Validation was conducted by means of a leave-one-out cross-validation over the calibration period. The results show a good model performance for selected months, with a mean coefficient of variation (CV) around 0.6 for validation period, being particularly robust over the western and central sectors of IP, while the predicted values in the Mediterranean and northern coastal areas are less acute. We show for three long stations (Lisbon, Madrid and Valencia) the comparison between model and original data as an example to how these models can be used in order to obtain monthly precipitation fields since the 1850s over most of IP for this very high density network.
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Huang, Hui-Chuan; Shyu, Meei-Ling; Lin, Mei-Feng; Hu, Chaur-Jong; Chang, Chien-Hung; Lee, Hsin-Chien; Chi, Nai-Fang; Chang, Hsiu-Ju
2017-12-01
The objectives of this study were to develop a cross-cultural Chinese version of the Emotional and Social Dysfunction Questionnaire (ESDQ-C) and test its validity and reliability among Chinese-speaking stroke patients. Various methods were used to develop the ESDQ-C. A cross-sectional study was used to examine the validity and reliability of the developed questionnaire, which consists of 28 items belonging to six factors, anger, helplessness, emotional dyscontrol, indifference, inertia and fatigue, and euphoria. Satisfactory convergence and known-group validities were confirmed by significant correlations of the ESDQ-C with the Profile of Mood States-Short Form ( p < .05) and with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale ( p < .05). The internal consistency was represented by Cronbach's alpha, which was .96 and .79 to .92 for the entire scale and subscales, respectively. Appropriate application of the ESDQ-C will be helpful to identify critical adjustment-related types of distress and patients who experience difficulty coping with such distress.
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Rosen, Allyson; Weitlauf, Julie C
2015-01-01
A screening measure of capacity to consent can provide an efficient method of determining the appropriateness of including individuals from vulnerable patient populations in research, particularly in circumstances in which no caregiver is available to provide surrogate consent. Seaman et al. (2015) cross-validate a measure of capacity to consent to research developed by Jeste et al. (2007). They provide data on controls, caregivers, and patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. The study demonstrates the importance of validating measures across disorders with different domains of incapacity, as well as the need for timely and appropriate follow-up with potential participants who yield positive screens. Ultimately clinical measures need to adapt to the dimensional diagnostic approaches put forward in DSM 5. Integrative models of constructs, such as capacity to consent, will make this process more efficient by avoiding the need to test measures in each disorder. Until then, cross-validation studies, such as the work by Seaman et al. (2015) are critical.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nolet, G.; Mercerat, D.; Zaroli, C.
2012-12-01
We present the first complete test of finite frequency tomography with banana-doughnut kernels, from the generation of seismograms in a 3D model to the final inversion, and are able to lay to rest all of the so-called `controversies' that have slowed down its adoption. Cross-correlation delay times are influenced by energy arriving in a time window that includes later arrivals, either scattered from, or diffracted around lateral heterogeneities. We present here the results of a 3D test in which we generate 1716 seismograms using the spectral element method in a cross-borehole experiment conducted in a checkerboard box. Delays are determined for the broadband signals as well as for five frequency bands (each one octave apart) by cross-correlating seismograms for a homogeneous pattern with those for a checkerboard. The large (10 per cent) velocity contrast and the regularity of the checkerboard pattern causes severe reverberations that arrive late in the cross-correlation window. Data errors are estimated by comparing linearity between delays measured for a model with 10 per cent velocity contrast with those with a 4 per cent contrast. Sensitivity kernels are efficiently computed with ray theory using the `banana-doughnut' kernels from Dahlen et al. (GJI 141:157, 2000). The model resulting from the inversion with a data fit with reduced χ2red=1 shows an excellent correspondence with the input model and allows for a complete validation of the theory. Amplitudes in the (well resolved) top part of the model are close to the input amplitudes. Comparing a model derived from one band only shows the power of using multiple frequency bands in resolving detail - essentially the observed dispersion captures some of the waveform information. Finite frequency theory also allows us to image the checkerboard at some distance from the borehole plane. Most disconcertingly for advocates of ray theory are the results obtained when we interpret cross-correlation delays with ray theory. We shall present an extreme case of the devil's checkerboard (the term is from Jacobsen and Sigloch), in which the sign of the anomalies in the checkerboard is reversed in the ray-theoretical solution, a clear demonstration of the reality of effects of the doughnut hole. We conclude that the test fully validates `banana-doughnut' theory, and disqualifies ray theoretical inversions of cross-correlation delays.
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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 < .001, and the 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 < .001, and captured 98.5% of consumers' seating-mobility goals. The cross-validation study identified new categories of seating-mobility goals for inclusion in FEW Version 2.0, and the 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.
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Initial Reliability and Validity of the Perceived Social Competence Scale
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Anderson-Butcher, Dawn; Iachini, Aidyn L.; Amorose, Anthony J.
2008-01-01
Objective: This study describes the development and validation of a perceived social competence scale that social workers can easily use to assess children's and youth's social competence. Method: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on a calibration and a cross-validation sample of youth. Predictive validity was also…
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Factorial validity of the Job Expectations Questionnaire in a sample of Mexican workers.
Villa-George, Fabiola Itzel; Moreno-Jiménez, Bernardo; Rodríguez-Muñoz, Alfredo; Villalpando Uribe, Jessica
2011-11-01
The aim of this study was to examine the factorial validity of the Job Expectations Questionnaire (Cuestionario de Expectativas Laborales CEL) in a sample of Mexican workers. Following a cross validation approach, two samples were used in the study. The first sample consisted of 380 professionals who mainly performed administrative work in the Health Services in Puebla-Mexico. The second sample comprised 400 health professionals from the Hospital de la Mujer in Puebla-Mexico. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a three-factor solution, accounting for 51.8% of the variance. The results of confirmatory factorial analysis indicate that the three-factor model provided the best fit with the data (CFI = .96, GFI = .95, NNFI = .95, RMSEA = .04), maintaining the structure with 12 items. The reliability of the questionnaire and the diverse subscales showed high internal consistency. Significant correlations were found between job expectations and autonomy, vigor, dedication, and absorption, providing evidence of its construct validity. The evaluation of the psychometric qualities confirms this questionnaire as a valid and specific instrument to measure job expectations.
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A Metric-Based Validation Process to Assess the Realism of Synthetic Power Grids
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Birchfield, Adam; Schweitzer, Eran; Athari, Mir
Public power system test cases that are of high quality benefit the power systems research community with expanded resources for testing, demonstrating, and cross-validating new innovations. Building synthetic grid models for this purpose is a relatively new problem, for which a challenge is to show that created cases are sufficiently realistic. This paper puts forth a validation process based on a set of metrics observed from actual power system cases. These metrics follow the structure, proportions, and parameters of key power system elements, which can be used in assessing and validating the quality of synthetic power grids. Though wide diversitymore » exists in the characteristics of power systems, the paper focuses on an initial set of common quantitative metrics to capture the distribution of typical values from real power systems. The process is applied to two new public test cases, which are shown to meet the criteria specified in the metrics of this paper.« less
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A Metric-Based Validation Process to Assess the Realism of Synthetic Power Grids
Birchfield, Adam; Schweitzer, Eran; Athari, Mir; ...
2017-08-19
Public power system test cases that are of high quality benefit the power systems research community with expanded resources for testing, demonstrating, and cross-validating new innovations. Building synthetic grid models for this purpose is a relatively new problem, for which a challenge is to show that created cases are sufficiently realistic. This paper puts forth a validation process based on a set of metrics observed from actual power system cases. These metrics follow the structure, proportions, and parameters of key power system elements, which can be used in assessing and validating the quality of synthetic power grids. Though wide diversitymore » exists in the characteristics of power systems, the paper focuses on an initial set of common quantitative metrics to capture the distribution of typical values from real power systems. The process is applied to two new public test cases, which are shown to meet the criteria specified in the metrics of this paper.« less
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Validation of Cross Sections for Monte Carlo Simulation of the Photoelectric Effect
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Han, Min Cheol; Kim, Han Sung; Pia, Maria Grazia; Basaglia, Tullio; Batič, Matej; Hoff, Gabriela; Kim, Chan Hyeong; Saracco, Paolo
2016-04-01
Several total and partial photoionization cross section calculations, based on both theoretical and empirical approaches, are quantitatively evaluated with statistical analyses using a large collection of experimental data retrieved from the literature to identify the state of the art for modeling the photoelectric effect in Monte Carlo particle transport. Some of the examined cross section models are available in general purpose Monte Carlo systems, while others have been implemented and subjected to validation tests for the first time to estimate whether they could improve the accuracy of particle transport codes. The validation process identifies Scofield's 1973 non-relativistic calculations, tabulated in the Evaluated Photon Data Library (EPDL), as the one best reproducing experimental measurements of total cross sections. Specialized total cross section models, some of which derive from more recent calculations, do not provide significant improvements. Scofield's non-relativistic calculations are not surpassed regarding the compatibility with experiment of K and L shell photoionization cross sections either, although in a few test cases Ebel's parameterization produces more accurate results close to absorption edges. Modifications to Biggs and Lighthill's parameterization implemented in Geant4 significantly reduce the accuracy of total cross sections at low energies with respect to its original formulation. The scarcity of suitable experimental data hinders a similar extensive analysis for the simulation of the photoelectron angular distribution, which is limited to a qualitative appraisal.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Morris, Cody E.; Owens, Scott G.; Waddell, Dwight E.; Bass, Martha A.; Bentley, John P.; Loftin, Mark
2014-01-01
An equation published by Loftin, Waddell, Robinson, and Owens (2010) was cross-validated using ten normal-weight walkers, ten overweight walkers, and ten distance runners. Energy expenditure was measured at preferred walking (normal-weight walker and overweight walkers) or running pace (distance runners) for 5 min and corrected to a mile. Energy…
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pecorella, Patricia A.; Bowers, David G.
Multiple regression in a double cross-validated design was used to predict two performance measures (total variable expense and absence rate) by multi-month period in five industrial firms. The regressions do cross-validate, and produce multiple coefficients which display both concurrent and predictive effects, peaking 18 months to two years…
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
van den Broek, Anneke; Golden, Charles J.; Loonstra, Ann; Ghinglia, Katheryne; Goldstein, Diane
1998-01-01
Indicated excellent cross-validations with correlation of 0.99 for past formulas (J. L. Woodard and B. N. Axelrod, 1995; B. N. Axelrod et al, 1996) for estimating the Wechsler Memory Scale- Revised General Memory and Delayed Recall Indexes. Over 85% of the estimated scores were within 10 points of actual scores. Age, education, diagnosis, and IQ…
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Teo, Timothy
2010-01-01
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the cross-cultural validity of the technology acceptance measure for pre-service teachers (TAMPST) on a Malaysian sample. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 193 pre-service teachers from a Malaysian university completed a survey questionnaire measuring their responses to five constructs in the…
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Measuring Nigrescence Attitudes in School-Aged Adolescents
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gardner-Kitt, Donna L.; Worrell, Frank C.
2007-01-01
In this study, we examined the reliability and validity of Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS; Vandiver, B. J., Cross Jr., W. E., Fhagen-Smith, P. E., Worrell, F. C., Swim, J. K., & Caldwell, L. D. (2000). "The Cross Racial Identity Scale." Unpublished scale; Worrell, F. C., Vandiver, B. J., & Cross Jr., W. E., (2004). "The Cross Racial Identity…
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Finding Furfural Hydrogenation Catalysts via Predictive Modelling
Strassberger, Zea; Mooijman, Maurice; Ruijter, Eelco; Alberts, Albert H; Maldonado, Ana G; Orru, Romano V A; Rothenberg, Gadi
2010-01-01
Abstract We combine multicomponent reactions, catalytic performance studies and predictive modelling to find transfer hydrogenation catalysts. An initial set of 18 ruthenium-carbene complexes were synthesized and screened in the transfer hydrogenation of furfural to furfurol with isopropyl alcohol complexes gave varied yields, from 62% up to >99.9%, with no obvious structure/activity correlations. Control experiments proved that the carbene ligand remains coordinated to the ruthenium centre throughout the reaction. Deuterium-labelling studies showed a secondary isotope effect (kH:kD=1.5). Further mechanistic studies showed that this transfer hydrogenation follows the so-called monohydride pathway. Using these data, we built a predictive model for 13 of the catalysts, based on 2D and 3D molecular descriptors. We tested and validated the model using the remaining five catalysts (cross-validation, R2=0.913). Then, with this model, the conversion and selectivity were predicted for four completely new ruthenium-carbene complexes. These four catalysts were then synthesized and tested. The results were within 3% of the model’s predictions, demonstrating the validity and value of predictive modelling in catalyst optimization. PMID:23193388
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Impact of Cross-Axis Structural Dynamics on Validation of Linear Models for Space Launch System
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Pei, Jing; Derry, Stephen D.; Zhou Zhiqiang; Newsom, Jerry R.
2014-01-01
A feasibility study was performed to examine the advisability of incorporating a set of Programmed Test Inputs (PTIs) during the Space Launch System (SLS) vehicle flight. The intent of these inputs is to provide validation to the preflight models for control system stability margins, aerodynamics, and structural dynamics. During October 2009, Ares I-X program was successful in carrying out a series of PTI maneuvers which provided a significant amount of valuable data for post-flight analysis. The resulting data comparisons showed excellent agreement with the preflight linear models across the frequency spectrum of interest. However unlike Ares I-X, the structural dynamics associated with the SLS boost phase configuration are far more complex and highly coupled in all three axes. This presents a challenge when implementing this similar system identification technique to SLS. Preliminary simulation results show noticeable mismatches between PTI validation and analytical linear models in the frequency range of the structural dynamics. An alternate approach was examined which demonstrates the potential for better overall characterization of the system frequency response as well as robustness of the control design.
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Assessment of Magical Beliefs about Food and Health.
Lindeman, M; Keskivaara, P; Roschier, M
2000-03-01
The Magical Beliefs About Food and Health scale (MFH) was developed to assess individual differences in the tendency to adopt eating and health instructions that many magazines, health care books and food ideologies regard as valid but which obey universal laws of similarity and contagion. In a study of 216 individuals, the total MFH score showed good internal consistency and it was associated with various validity criteria as hypothesized (e.g. vegetarianism and other ideological commitments to food choice, female gender, increased neuroticism, experiential thinking, positive attitudes towards alternative medicine, low sensation seeking and endorsement of universalism values). Factor analysis yielded two factors: General Magical Beliefs and Animal Products as Food Contaminants. In addition, three other items (the Animal Products as Personality Contaminants scale) cross-loaded on the two factors. The factor structure and test-retest reliability were confirmed with separate samples. The results showed that the total MFH score is a reliable and valid measure of magical food and health beliefs, and that the subscales may prove useful when a multidimensional assessment of magical beliefs is needed.
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Carbon dioxide electron cooling rates in the atmospheres of Mars and Venus
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Campbell, L.; Brunger, M. J.; Rescigno, T. N.
2008-08-01
The cooling of electrons in collisions with carbon dioxide in the atmospheres of Venus and Mars is investigated. Calculations are performed with both previously accepted electron energy transfer rates and with new ones determined using more recent theoretical and experimental cross sections for electron impact on CO2. Emulation of a previous model for Venus confirms the validity of the current model and shows that use of the updated cross sections leads to cooling rates that are lower by one third. Application of the same model to the atmosphere of Mars gives more than double the previous cooling rates at altitudes where the electron temperature is very low.
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Particle physics on ice: constraints on neutrino interactions far above the weak scale.
Anchordoqui, Luis A; Feng, Jonathan L; Goldberg, Haim
2006-01-20
Ultrahigh energy cosmic rays and neutrinos probe energies far above the weak scale. Their usefulness might appear to be limited by astrophysical uncertainties; however, by simultaneously considering up- and down-going events, one may disentangle particle physics from astrophysics. We show that present data from the AMANDA experiment in the South Pole ice already imply an upper bound on neutrino cross sections at energy scales that will likely never be probed at man-made accelerators. The existing data also place an upper limit on the neutrino flux valid for any neutrino cross section. In the future, similar analyses of IceCube data will constrain neutrino properties and fluxes at the theta(10%) level.
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Beekman, Emmylou; Theunissen, Kyra; Braun, Susy; Beurskens, Anna J
2018-01-01
Background Measuring physical activity with commercially available activity trackers is gaining popularity. People with a chronic disease can especially benefit from knowledge about their physical activity pattern in everyday life since sufficient physical activity can contribute to wellbeing and quality of life. However, no validity data are available for this population during activities of daily living. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of 9 commercially available activity trackers for measuring step count during activities of daily living in people with a chronic disease receiving physiotherapy. Methods The selected activity trackers were Accupedo (Corusen LLC), Activ8 (Remedy Distribution Ltd), Digi-Walker CW-700 (Yamax), Fitbit Flex (Fitbit inc), Lumoback (Lumo Bodytech), Moves (ProtoGeo Oy), Fitbit One (Fitbit inc), UP24 (Jawbone), and Walking Style X (Omron Healthcare Europe BV). In total, 130 persons with chronic diseases performed standardized activity protocols based on activities of daily living that were recorded on video camera and analyzed for step count (gold standard). The validity of the trackers’ step count was assessed by correlation coefficients, t tests, scatterplots, and Bland-Altman plots. Results The correlations between the number of steps counted by the activity trackers and the gold standard were low (range: –.02 to .33). For all activity trackers except for Fitbit One, a significant systematic difference with the gold standard was found for step count. Plots showed a wide range in scores for all activity trackers; Activ8 showed an average overestimation and the other 8 trackers showed underestimations. Conclusions This study showed that the validity of 9 commercially available activity trackers is low measuring steps while individuals with chronic diseases receiving physiotherapy engage in activities of daily living. PMID:29610110
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Baradaran, Aslan; Ebrahimzadeh, Mohammad H; Birjandinejad, Ali; Kachooei, Amir Reza
2016-04-01
Prospective study. We aimed to validate the Persian version of the modified Oswestry disability questionnaire (MODQ) in patients with low back pain. Modified Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire is a well-known condition-specific outcome measure that helps quantify disability in patients with lumbar syndromes. To test the validity in a pilot study, the Persian MODQ was administered to 25 individuals with low back pain. We then enrolled 200 consecutive patients with low back pain to fill the Persian MODQ as well as the short form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Convergent validity of the MODQ was tested using the Spearman's correlation coefficient between the MODQ and SF-36 subscales. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's α coefficient were measured to test the reliability between test and retest and internal consistency of all items, respectively. ICC for individual items ranged from 0.43 to 0.80 showing good reliability and reproducibility of each individual item. Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.69 showing good internal consistency across all 10 items of the Persian MODQ. Total MODQ score showed moderate to strong correlation with the eight subscales and the two domains of the SF-36. The highest correlation was between the MODQ and the physical functioning subscale of the SF-36 (r=-0.54, p<0.001) and the physical component domain of the SF-36 (r=-0.55, p<0.001) showing that MODQ is measuring what it is supposed to measure in terms of disability and physical function. Persian version of the MODQ is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of the disability following low back pain.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cao, Guangxi; Zhang, Minjia; Li, Qingchen
2017-04-01
This study focuses on multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis of the different volatility intervals of Mainland China, US, and Hong Kong stock markets. A volatility-constrained multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis (VC-MF-DCCA) method is proposed to study the volatility conductivity of Mainland China, US, and Hong Kong stock markets. Empirical results indicate that fluctuation may be related to important activities in real markets. The Hang Seng Index (HSI) stock market is more influential than the Shanghai Composite Index (SCI) stock market. Furthermore, the SCI stock market is more influential than the Dow Jones Industrial Average stock market. The conductivity between the HSI and SCI stock markets is the strongest. HSI was the most influential market in the large fluctuation interval of 1991 to 2014. The autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average method is used to verify the validity of VC-MF-DCCA. Results show that VC-MF-DCCA is effective.
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Solomon, W M; Burrell, K H; Feder, R; Nagy, A; Gohil, P; Groebner, R J
2008-10-01
Measurements of rotation using charge exchange recombination spectroscopy can be affected by the energy dependence of the charge exchange cross section. On DIII-D, the associated correction to the rotation can exceed 100 kms at high temperatures. In reactor-relevant low rotation conditions, the correction can be several times larger than the actual plasma rotation and therefore must be carefully validated. New chords have been added to the DIII-D CER diagnostic to view the counter-neutral-beam line. The addition of these views allows determination of the toroidal rotation without depending on detailed atomic physics calculations, while also allowing experimental characterization of the atomic physics. A database of rotation comparisons from the two views shows that the calculated cross-section correction can adequately describe the measurements, although there is a tendency for "overcorrection." In cases where accuracy better than about 15% is desired, relying on calculation of the cross-section correction may be insufficient.
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Hauer, Klaus A; Kempen, Gertrudis I J M; Schwenk, Michael; Yardley, Lucy; Beyer, Nina; Todd, Chris; Oster, Peter; Zijlstra, G A Rixt
2011-01-01
Measures of fear of falling have not yet been validated in patients with dementia, leaving a methodological gap that limits research in a population at high risk of falling and fall-related consequences. The objectives of this study are to determine: (1) the validity of the 7-item Short Falls Efficacy Scale International (Short FES-I) in geriatric patients with and without cognitive impairment, and (2) the sensitivity to change of the 10-item Falls Efficacy Scale (FES), the 16-item FES-I and the 7-item Short FES-I in geriatric patients with dementia. Cross-sectional data of community-dwelling older adults and geriatric rehabilitation patients (n = 284) collected during face-to-face interviews were used to determine construct and discriminant validity by testing for differences within variables related to fear of falling. Sensitivity to change was studied in an intervention study including patients with mild to moderate dementia (n = 130) as determined by standard response means (SRMs). The Short FES-I showed excellent construct and discriminant validity in the total group and subsamples according to cognitive status. Sensitivity to change was adequate to good in the FES (range SRM: 0.18-0.77) and FES-I (range SRM: 0.21-0.74), with the Short FES-I showing the highest peak sensitivity to change (range SRM: 0.18-0.91). The Short FES-I is a valid measure to assess fear of falling in frail older adults with and without cognitive impairment, yet it may show floor effects in higher functioning older people. All scales, including the Short FES-I, were sensitive to detecting intervention-induced changes in concerns about falling in geriatric patients with dementia. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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Carvalho, Flávia A; Morelhão, Priscila K; Franco, Marcia R; Maher, Chris G; Smeets, Rob J E M; Oliveira, Crystian B; Freitas Júnior, Ismael F; Pinto, Rafael Z
2017-02-01
Although there is some evidence for reliability and validity of self-report physical activity (PA) questionnaires in the general adult population, it is unclear whether we can assume similar measurement properties in people with chronic low back pain (LBP). To determine the test-retest reliability of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) long-version and the Baecke Physical Activity Questionnaire (BPAQ) and their criterion-related validity against data derived from accelerometers in patients with chronic LBP. Cross-sectional study. Patients with non-specific chronic LBP were recruited. Each participant attended the clinic twice (one week interval) and completed self-report PA. Accelerometer measures >7 days included time spent in moderate-and-vigorous physical activity, steps/day, counts/minute, and vector magnitude counts/minute. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) and Bland and Altman method were used to determine reliability and spearman rho correlation were used for criterion-related validity. A total of 73 patients were included in our analyses. The reliability analyses revealed that the BPAQ and its subscales have moderate to excellent reliability (ICC 2,1 : 0.61 to 0.81), whereas IPAQ and most IPAQ domains (except walking) showed poor reliability (ICC 2,1 : 0.20 to 0.40). The Bland and Altman method revealed larger discrepancies for the IPAQ. For the validity analysis, questionnaire and accelerometer measures showed at best fair correlation (rho < 0.37). Although the BPAQ showed better reliability than the IPAQ long-version, both questionnaires did not demonstrate acceptable validity against accelerometer data. These findings suggest that questionnaire and accelerometer PA measures should not be used interchangeably in this population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Macias, Nayeli; Alemán-Mateo, Heliodoro; Esparza-Romero, Julián; Valencia, Mauro E
2007-01-01
Background The study of body composition in specific populations by techniques such as bio-impedance analysis (BIA) requires validation based on standard reference methods. The aim of this study was to develop and cross-validate a predictive equation for bioelectrical impedance using air displacement plethysmography (ADP) as standard method to measure body composition in Mexican adult men and women. Methods This study included 155 male and female subjects from northern Mexico, 20–50 years of age, from low, middle, and upper income levels. Body composition was measured by ADP. Body weight (BW, kg) and height (Ht, cm) were obtained by standard anthropometric techniques. Resistance, R (ohms) and reactance, Xc (ohms) were also measured. A random-split method was used to obtain two samples: one was used to derive the equation by the "all possible regressions" procedure and was cross-validated in the other sample to test predicted versus measured values of fat-free mass (FFM). Results and Discussion The final model was: FFM (kg) = 0.7374 * (Ht2 /R) + 0.1763 * (BW) - 0.1773 * (Age) + 0.1198 * (Xc) - 2.4658. R2 was 0.97; the square root of the mean square error (SRMSE) was 1.99 kg, and the pure error (PE) was 2.96. There was no difference between FFM predicted by the new equation (48.57 ± 10.9 kg) and that measured by ADP (48.43 ± 11.3 kg). The new equation did not differ from the line of identity, had a high R2 and a low SRMSE, and showed no significant bias (0.87 ± 2.84 kg). Conclusion The new bioelectrical impedance equation based on the two-compartment model (2C) was accurate, precise, and free of bias. This equation can be used to assess body composition and nutritional status in populations similar in anthropometric and physical characteristics to this sample. PMID:17697388
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Validation of a French Version of the Quality of Life “Celiac Disease Questionnaire”
Pouchot, Jacques; Despujol, Carole; Malamut, Georgia; Ecosse, Emmanuel; Coste, Joël; Cellier, Christophe
2014-01-01
Background and Objective Celiac disease (CD) is a common chronic autoimmune disorder. Both the manifestations of the disease and the burden of the compulsory life-long gluten-free diet (GFD) have been shown to be associated with impairment of health-related quality of life. The objectives of this study were to provide a cross-cultural adaptation of the specific quality of life “Celiac Disease Questionnaire” (CDQ) and to analyze its psychometric properties. Materials and Methods A cross-cultural French adaptation of the CDQ (F-CDQ) was obtained according to the revised international guidelines. The questionnaire was administered at baseline to 211 patients with biopsy proven CD followed-up in a single tertiary referral centre. The questionnaire was also administered after 7 days and 6 months. Reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Cronbach's alpha and Bland and Altman graphical analysis), validity (factorial structure and Rasch analysis, convergent validity), and responsiveness (effect size) of the F-CDQ were studied. Results The reliability of the F-CDQ was excellent with ICC and Cronbach's alpha coefficients being between 0.79 and 0.94 for the four subscales and the total score. The factorial structure and the Rasch analysis showed that the four dimensions of the original instrument were retained. Correlations with external measures (a generic measure of quality of life, an anxiety and depression instrument, a self-assessed disease severity, and clinical manifestations) were all in the expected direction confirming the validity of the instrument. Responsiveness was studied and effect sizes ≥0.20 were demonstrated for most of the subscales for patients who reported improvement or deterioration after 6 months. Conclusion The F-CDQ retains the psychometric properties of the original instrument and should be useful in cross-national surveys and to assess outcome in clinical trials involving patients with CD. PMID:24788794
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Lopes, F B; Wu, X-L; Li, H; Xu, J; Perkins, T; Genho, J; Ferretti, R; Tait, R G; Bauck, S; Rosa, G J M
2018-02-01
Reliable genomic prediction of breeding values for quantitative traits requires the availability of sufficient number of animals with genotypes and phenotypes in the training set. As of 31 October 2016, there were 3,797 Brangus animals with genotypes and phenotypes. These Brangus animals were genotyped using different commercial SNP chips. Of them, the largest group consisted of 1,535 animals genotyped by the GGP-LDV4 SNP chip. The remaining 2,262 genotypes were imputed to the SNP content of the GGP-LDV4 chip, so that the number of animals available for training the genomic prediction models was more than doubled. The present study showed that the pooling of animals with both original or imputed 40K SNP genotypes substantially increased genomic prediction accuracies on the ten traits. By supplementing imputed genotypes, the relative gains in genomic prediction accuracies on estimated breeding values (EBV) were from 12.60% to 31.27%, and the relative gain in genomic prediction accuracies on de-regressed EBV was slightly small (i.e. 0.87%-18.75%). The present study also compared the performance of five genomic prediction models and two cross-validation methods. The five genomic models predicted EBV and de-regressed EBV of the ten traits similarly well. Of the two cross-validation methods, leave-one-out cross-validation maximized the number of animals at the stage of training for genomic prediction. Genomic prediction accuracy (GPA) on the ten quantitative traits was validated in 1,106 newly genotyped Brangus animals based on the SNP effects estimated in the previous set of 3,797 Brangus animals, and they were slightly lower than GPA in the original data. The present study was the first to leverage currently available genotype and phenotype resources in order to harness genomic prediction in Brangus beef cattle. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Nakamura, T.; Fukuda, N.; Aoi, N.
2009-03-15
The neutron capture reaction on {sup 14}C leading to the {sup 15}C ground state, which plays an important role in various nucleosynthesis processes, has been studied using the Coulomb breakup of {sup 15}C on a Pb target at 68 MeV/nucleon. The breakup cross section has been converted into the energy-dependent neutron capture cross section using the principle of detailed balance. The energy spectrum shows typical p-wave neutron capture characteristics, which is explained by the fact that the ground state of {sup 15}C possesses a strong single-particle s-wave component and a moderate-sized neutron halo structure. The capture cross section for themore » {sup 14}C(n,{gamma}){sup 15}C reaction derived from the present experiment has been found to be consistent with the most recent data, directly measured using a {sup 14}C target. This result assures the validity of the Coulomb breakup method in deriving the neutron capture cross section for neutron-rich nuclei.« less
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Safety assessment on pedestrian crossing environments using MLS data.
Soilán, Mario; Riveiro, Belén; Sánchez-Rodríguez, Ana; Arias, Pedro
2018-02-01
In the framework of infrastructure analysis and maintenance in an urban environment, it is important to address the safety of every road user. This paper presents a methodology for the evaluation of several safety indicators on pedestrian crossing environments using geometric and radiometric information extracted from 3D point clouds collected by a Mobile Mapping System (MMS). The methodology is divided in four main modules which analyze the accessibility of the crossing area, the presence of traffic lights and traffic signs, and the visibility between a driver and a pedestrian on the proximities of a pedestrian crossing. The outputs of the analysis are exported to a Geographic Information System (GIS) where they are visualized and can be further processed in the context of city management. The methodology has been tested on approximately 30 pedestrian crossings in cluttered urban environments of two different cities. Results show that MMS are a valid mean to assess the safety of a specific urban environment, regarding its geometric conditions. Remarkable results are presented on traffic light classification, with a global F-score close to 95%. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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The Clinical Impression of Severity Index for Parkinson's Disease: international validation study.
Martínez-Martín, Pablo; Rodríguez-Blázquez, Carmen; Forjaz, Maria João; de Pedro, Jesús
2009-01-30
This study sought to provide further information about the psychometric properties of the Clinical Impression of Severity Index for Parkinson's Disease (CISI-PD), in a large, international, cross-culturally diverse sample. Six hundred and fourteen patients with PD participated in the study. Apart from the CISI-PD, assessments were based on Hoehn & Yahr (HY) staging, the Scales for Outcomes in PD-Motor (SCOPA-M), -Cognition (SCOPA-COG) and -Psychosocial (SCOPA-PS), the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatrics, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The total CISI-PD score displayed no floor or ceiling effects. Internal consistency was 0.81, the test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.84, and item homogeneity was 0.52. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.07) confirmed CISI-PD's unifactorial structure. The CISI-PD showed adequate convergent validity with SCOPA-COG and SCOPA-M (r(S) = 0.46-0.85, respectively) and discriminative validity for HY stages and disease duration (P < 0.0001). In a multiple regression model, main CISI-PD predictors were SCOPA-M, disease duration, and depression. The results obtained were not only comparable to but also extended those yielded by the preliminary validation study, thus showing that the CISI-PD is a valid instrument to measure clinical impression of severity in PD. Its simplicity and easy application make it an attractive and useful tool for clinical practice and research.
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Cross-cultural adaptation of the EMIC Stigma Scale for people with leprosy in Brazil
Morgado, Fabiane Frota da Rocha; da Silveira, Erika Maria Kopp Xavier; Sales, Anna Maria; do Nascimento, Lilian Pinheiro Rodrigues; Sarno, Euzenir Nunes; Nery, José Augusto da Costa; Oliveira, Aldair J; Illarramendi, Ximena
2017-01-01
ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Describe the process of cross-cultural adaptation of the “Explanatory Model Interview Catalog – Stigma Scale” for people affected by leprosy in Brazil. METHODS After being authorized by the author of the scale to use it in the national context, we initiated the five steps process of cross-cultural adaptation: (1) translation, (2) synthesis meeting, (3) back-translation, (4) committee of experts and (5) pre-test. The internal consistency of the scale was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. RESULTS The 15 items of the scale’s original version were translated into Brazilian Portuguese. The adapted scale showed evidence of a good understanding of its content, attested both by experts and members of the target population. Its internal consistency was 0.64. CONCLUSIONS The adapted instrument shows satisfactory internal consistency. It may be useful in future studies that intend to provide broad situational analysis that supports solid public health programs with a focus on effective stigma reduction. In a later study, the construct’s validity, criterion, and reproducibility will be evaluated. PMID:28876410
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[Validity and reliability of the Culture of Quality Health Services questionnaire in Mexico].
Herrera-Kiengelher, L; Zepeda-Zaragoza, J; Austria-Corrales, F; Vázquez-Zarate, V M
2013-01-01
Patient Safety is a major public health problem worldwide and is responsibility of all those involved in health care. Establishing a Safety Culture has proved to be a factor that favors the integration of work teams, communication and construction of clear procedures in various organizations. Promote a culture of safety depends on several factors, such as organization, work unit and staff. Objective assessment of these factors will help to identify areas for improvement and establish strategic lines of action. [corrected] To adapt, validate and calibrate the questionnaire Culture of Quality in Health Services (CQHS) in Mexican population. A cross with a stratified representative sample of 522 health workers. The questionnaire was translated and adapted from Singer's. Content was validated by experts, internal consistency, confirmatory factorial validity and item calibration with Samejima's Graded Response Model. Convergent and divergent construct validity was confirmed from the CQHS, item calibration showed that the questionnaire is able to discriminate between patients and represent different levels of the hypothesized dimensions with greater accuracy and lower standard error. The CQHS is a valid and reliable instrument to assess patient safety culture in hospitals in Mexico. Copyright © 2013 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.
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The city of hope-quality of life-ostomy questionnaire: persian translation and validation.
Anaraki, F; Vafaie, M; Behboo, R; Esmaeilpour, S; Maghsoodi, N; Safaee, A; Grant, M
2014-07-01
Since there is no disease-specific instrument for measuring quality-of-life (QOL) in Ostomy patients in Persian language. This study was designed to translate and evaluate the validity and reliability of City of Hope-quality of life-Ostomy questionnaire (COH-QOL-Ostomy questionnaire). This study was designed as cross-sectional study. Reliability of the subscales and the summary scores were demonstrated by intra-class correlation coefficients. Pearson's correlations of an item with its own scale and other scales were calculated to evaluated convergent and discriminant validity. Clinical validity was also evaluated by known-group comparisons. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for all subscales was about 0.70 or higher. Results of interscale correlation were satisfactory and each subscale only measured a single and specified trait. All subscales met the standards of convergent and discriminant validity. Known group comparison analysis showed significant differences in social and spiritual well-being. The findings confirmed the reliability and validity of Persian version of COH-QOL-Ostomy questionnaire. The instrument was also well received by the Iranian patients. It can be considered as a valuable instrument to assess the different aspects of health related quality-of-life in Ostomy patients and used in clinical research in the future.
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Benchmarking protein classification algorithms via supervised cross-validation.
Kertész-Farkas, Attila; Dhir, Somdutta; Sonego, Paolo; Pacurar, Mircea; Netoteia, Sergiu; Nijveen, Harm; Kuzniar, Arnold; Leunissen, Jack A M; Kocsor, András; Pongor, Sándor
2008-04-24
Development and testing of protein classification algorithms are hampered by the fact that the protein universe is characterized by groups vastly different in the number of members, in average protein size, similarity within group, etc. Datasets based on traditional cross-validation (k-fold, leave-one-out, etc.) may not give reliable estimates on how an algorithm will generalize to novel, distantly related subtypes of the known protein classes. Supervised cross-validation, i.e., selection of test and train sets according to the known subtypes within a database has been successfully used earlier in conjunction with the SCOP database. Our goal was to extend this principle to other databases and to design standardized benchmark datasets for protein classification. Hierarchical classification trees of protein categories provide a simple and general framework for designing supervised cross-validation strategies for protein classification. Benchmark datasets can be designed at various levels of the concept hierarchy using a simple graph-theoretic distance. A combination of supervised and random sampling was selected to construct reduced size model datasets, suitable for algorithm comparison. Over 3000 new classification tasks were added to our recently established protein classification benchmark collection that currently includes protein sequence (including protein domains and entire proteins), protein structure and reading frame DNA sequence data. We carried out an extensive evaluation based on various machine-learning algorithms such as nearest neighbor, support vector machines, artificial neural networks, random forests and logistic regression, used in conjunction with comparison algorithms, BLAST, Smith-Waterman, Needleman-Wunsch, as well as 3D comparison methods DALI and PRIDE. The resulting datasets provide lower, and in our opinion more realistic estimates of the classifier performance than do random cross-validation schemes. A combination of supervised and random sampling was used to construct model datasets, suitable for algorithm comparison.
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Spatio-temporal modeling of chronic PM 10 exposure for the Nurses' Health Study
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yanosky, Jeff D.; Paciorek, Christopher J.; Schwartz, Joel; Laden, Francine; Puett, Robin; Suh, Helen H.
2008-06-01
Chronic epidemiological studies of airborne particulate matter (PM) have typically characterized the chronic PM exposures of their study populations using city- or county-wide ambient concentrations, which limit the studies to areas where nearby monitoring data are available and which ignore within-city spatial gradients in ambient PM concentrations. To provide more spatially refined and precise chronic exposure measures, we used a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based spatial smoothing model to predict monthly outdoor PM10 concentrations in the northeastern and midwestern United States. This model included monthly smooth spatial terms and smooth regression terms of GIS-derived and meteorological predictors. Using cross-validation and other pre-specified selection criteria, terms for distance to road by road class, urban land use, block group and county population density, point- and area-source PM10 emissions, elevation, wind speed, and precipitation were found to be important determinants of PM10 concentrations and were included in the final model. Final model performance was strong (cross-validation R2=0.62), with little bias (-0.4 μg m-3) and high precision (6.4 μg m-3). The final model (with monthly spatial terms) performed better than a model with seasonal spatial terms (cross-validation R2=0.54). The addition of GIS-derived and meteorological predictors improved predictive performance over spatial smoothing (cross-validation R2=0.51) or inverse distance weighted interpolation (cross-validation R2=0.29) methods alone and increased the spatial resolution of predictions. The model performed well in both rural and urban areas, across seasons, and across the entire time period. The strong model performance demonstrates its suitability as a means to estimate individual-specific chronic PM10 exposures for large populations.
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Schadl, Kornél; Vassar, Rachel; Cahill-Rowley, Katelyn; Yeom, Kristin W; Stevenson, David K; Rose, Jessica
2018-01-01
Advanced neuroimaging and computational methods offer opportunities for more accurate prognosis. We hypothesized that near-term regional white matter (WM) microstructure, assessed on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), using exhaustive feature selection with cross-validation would predict neurodevelopment in preterm children. Near-term MRI and DTI obtained at 36.6 ± 1.8 weeks postmenstrual age in 66 very-low-birth-weight preterm neonates were assessed. 60/66 had follow-up neurodevelopmental evaluation with Bayley Scales of Infant-Toddler Development, 3rd-edition (BSID-III) at 18-22 months. Linear models with exhaustive feature selection and leave-one-out cross-validation computed based on DTI identified sets of three brain regions most predictive of cognitive and motor function; logistic regression models were computed to classify high-risk infants scoring one standard deviation below mean. Cognitive impairment was predicted (100% sensitivity, 100% specificity; AUC = 1) by near-term right middle-temporal gyrus MD, right cingulate-cingulum MD, left caudate MD. Motor impairment was predicted (90% sensitivity, 86% specificity; AUC = 0.912) by left precuneus FA, right superior occipital gyrus MD, right hippocampus FA. Cognitive score variance was explained (29.6%, cross-validated Rˆ2 = 0.296) by left posterior-limb-of-internal-capsule MD, Genu RD, right fusiform gyrus AD. Motor score variance was explained (31.7%, cross-validated Rˆ2 = 0.317) by left posterior-limb-of-internal-capsule MD, right parahippocampal gyrus AD, right middle-temporal gyrus AD. Search in large DTI feature space more accurately identified neonatal neuroimaging correlates of neurodevelopment.
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Fernandes, Linda; Storheim, Kjersti; Lochting, Ida; Grotle, Margreth
2012-06-22
Pain catastrophizing has been found to be an important predictor of disability and days lost from work in patients with low back pain. The most commonly used outcome measure to identify pain catastrophizing is the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). To enable the use of the PCS in clinical settings and research in Norwegian speaking patients, the PCS had to be translated. The purpose of this study was therefore to translate and cross-culturally adapt the PCS into Norwegian and to test internal consistency, construct validity and reproducibility of the PCS. The PCS was translated before it was tested for psychometric properties. Patients with subacute or chronic non-specific low back pain aged 18 years or more were recruited from primary and secondary care. Validity of the PCS was assessed by evaluating data quality (missing, floor and ceiling effects), principal components analysis, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), and construct validity (Spearman's rho). Reproducibility analyses included standard error of measurement, minimum detectable change, limits of agreement, and intraclass correlation coefficients. A total of 38 men and 52 women (n = 90), with a mean (SD) age of 47.6 (11.7) years, were included for baseline testing. A subgroup of 61 patients was included for test-retest assessments. The Norwegian PCS was easy-to-comprehend. The principal components analysis supported a three-factor structure, internal consistency was satisfactory for the PCS total score (α 0.90) and the subscales rumination (α 0.83) and helplessness (α 0.86), but not for the subscale magnification (α 0.53). In total, 86% of the correlation analyses were in accordance with predefined hypothesis. The reliability analyses showed intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.74 - 0.87 for the PCS total score and subscales. The PCS total score (range 0-52 points) showed a standard error of measurement of 4.6 points and a 95% minimum detectable change estimate of 12.8 points. The Norwegian PCS total score showed acceptable psychometric properties in terms of comprehensibility, consistency, construct validity, and reproducibility when applied to patients with subacute or chronic LBP from different clinical settings. Our study support the use of the PCS total score for clinical or research purposes identifying or evaluating pain catastrophizing.
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Marchese, C; Cristalli, G; Pichi, B; Manciocco, V; Mercante, G; Pellini, R; Marchesi, P; Sperduti, I; Ruscito, P; Spriano, G
2012-02-01
Shoulder syndrome after neck dissection is a well known entity, but its incidence and prognostic factors influencing recovery have not been clearly assessed due to the heterogeneity of possible evaluations. The University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) Shoulder Scale, the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and the Simple Shoulder Test (SST) are three English-language questionnaires commonly used to test shoulder impairment. An Italian version of these scales is not available. The aim of the present study was to translate, culturally adapt and validate an Italian version of UCLA Shoulder Scale, SPADI and SST. Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the SPADI, the UCLA shoulder scale and the SST was performed according to the international guidelines. Sixty-six patients treated with neck dissection for head and neck cancer were called to draw up these scales. Forty patients completed the same questionnaires a second time one week after the first to test the reproducibility of the Italian versions. All the English-speaking Italian patients (n = 11) were asked to complete both the English and the Italian versions of the three questionnaires to validate the scales. No major problems regarding the content or the language were found during the translation of the 3 questionnaires. For all three scales, Cronbach's α was > 0.89. The Pearson correlation coefficient was r > 0.91. With respect to validity, there was a significant correlation between the Italian and the English versions of all three scales. This study shows that the Italian versions of UCLA Shoulder Scale, SPADI and SST are valid instruments for the evaluation of shoulder dysfunction after neck dissection in Italian patients.
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Beaulieu, J; Doerksen, T; Clément, S; MacKay, J; Bousquet, J
2014-01-01
Genomic selection (GS) is of interest in breeding because of its potential for predicting the genetic value of individuals and increasing genetic gains per unit of time. To date, very few studies have reported empirical results of GS potential in the context of large population sizes and long breeding cycles such as for boreal trees. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of marker-aided selection in an undomesticated white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) population of large effective size using a GS approach. A discovery population of 1694 trees representative of 214 open-pollinated families from 43 natural populations was phenotyped for 12 wood and growth traits and genotyped for 6385 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mined in 2660 gene sequences. GS models were built to predict estimated breeding values using all the available SNPs or SNP subsets of the largest absolute effects, and they were validated using various cross-validation schemes. The accuracy of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) varied from 0.327 to 0.435 when the training and the validation data sets shared half-sibs that were on average 90% of the accuracies achieved through traditionally estimated breeding values. The trend was also the same for validation across sites. As expected, the accuracy of GEBVs obtained after cross-validation with individuals of unknown relatedness was lower with about half of the accuracy achieved when half-sibs were present. We showed that with the marker densities used in the current study, predictions with low to moderate accuracy could be obtained within a large undomesticated population of related individuals, potentially resulting in larger gains per unit of time with GS than with the traditional approach. PMID:24781808
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Benavent, Jose Vicente; Igual, Celedonia; Mora, Enrique; Antonio, Rosa; Tenias, Jose Maria
2016-12-01
The lack of specific prosthetic-related outcome instruments for Spanish amputees must be addressed. To elaborate a culturally equivalent version of the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire in the Spanish language. Cross-cultural questionnaire validation. Two-step process for cultural adaptation: forward and backward translations of English original and Spanish translated versions; assessment of both construct and criterion validity and reliability in a group of vascular amputees. A total of 61 patients were recruited, 44 men (72.1%) and 17 women (27.9%), with a median age of 71.1 years (standard deviation: 7.7 years; range: 51-87 years). In the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire-Spanish, the lowest scores were for gait and frustration, and the highest scores were for noise and stump health. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was acceptable (>0.70) for four of the scales used in the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire but poor (<0.50) for the scales relating to appearance and stump health. Correlations with the quality-of-life levels as measured by the Short Form-36 were positive and mostly significant. Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire-Spanish could assess the quality of life in patients who have undergone vascular amputations and then been fitted with a prosthetic limb. The questionnaire shows adequate criteria validity when compared with other instruments for measuring quality of life. The Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire-Spanish could be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing adaptation to prostheses in vascular amputees. The questionnaire adds information relevant to the patient and the physician and may identify cases with poor expected adaptation to the prosthesis. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2015.
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Transcultural Adaptation and Validation of the German Version of the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale.
Lukaschyk, Julia; Brockmann-Bauser, Meike; Beushausen, Ulla
2017-03-01
Currently, there is no standardized German questionnaire to assess vocal tract discomfort in voice patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal consistency, reliability, and validity of the German version of the Vocal Tract Discomfort (VTD) Scale. This is a cross-sectional study. First, a cross-cultural translation and adaptation from English to German was performed. One hundred seven patients between the ages of 18 and 76 with voice disorders were divided into two different diagnosis-related groups (organic and functional voice disorder) and 50 vocally healthy adults were included. All participants completed the VTD Scale and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). The internal consistency of the VTD Scale was analyzed through Cronbach's α coefficient. Pearson correlation between the VDT Scale and VHI total scores was used to determine criterion validity. The VDT Scale score differences related to diagnosis groups were assessed with analysis of variance. Excellent internal consistency was found (α = 0.919, P < 0.05), and criterion validity was confirmed by a high correlation between the total VTD Scale and VHI (r = 0.674). There was a significant difference between the diagnosis groups' total VTD Scale score (F[4.135] = 15.114, P = 0.000). Furthermore, the vocally healthy adults had significantly lower values than the two diagnosis groups (x¯: 11.48, s = 8.340). The German version of the VTD Scale has an excellent internal consistency and reliability, and shows high clinical validity. Thus, it is a useful instrument in voice diagnostics. Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Diagnostic accuracy of eye movements in assessing pedophilia.
Fromberger, Peter; Jordan, Kirsten; Steinkrauss, Henrike; von Herder, Jakob; Witzel, Joachim; Stolpmann, Georg; Kröner-Herwig, Birgit; Müller, Jürgen Leo
2012-07-01
Given that recurrent sexual interest in prepubescent children is one of the strongest single predictors for pedosexual offense recidivism, valid and reliable diagnosis of pedophilia is of particular importance. Nevertheless, current assessment methods still fail to fulfill psychometric quality criteria. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of eye-movement parameters in regard to pedophilic sexual preferences. Eye movements were measured while 22 pedophiles (according to ICD-10 F65.4 diagnosis), 8 non-pedophilic forensic controls, and 52 healthy controls simultaneously viewed the picture of a child and the picture of an adult. Fixation latency was assessed as a parameter for automatic attentional processes and relative fixation time to account for controlled attentional processes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, which are based on calculated age-preference indices, were carried out to determine the classifier performance. Cross-validation using the leave-one-out method was used to test the validity of classifiers. Pedophiles showed significantly shorter fixation latencies and significantly longer relative fixation times for child stimuli than either of the control groups. Classifier performance analysis revealed an area under the curve (AUC) = 0.902 for fixation latency and an AUC = 0.828 for relative fixation time. The eye-tracking method based on fixation latency discriminated between pedophiles and non-pedophiles with a sensitivity of 86.4% and a specificity of 90.0%. Cross-validation demonstrated good validity of eye-movement parameters. Despite some methodological limitations, measuring eye movements seems to be a promising approach to assess deviant pedophilic interests. Eye movements, which represent automatic attentional processes, demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy. © 2012 International Society for Sexual Medicine.
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Flosadottir, Vala; Roos, Ewa M; Ageberg, Eva
2017-09-01
The Activity Rating Scale (ARS) for disorders of the knee evaluates the level of activity by the frequency of participation in 4 separate activities with high demands on knee function, with a score ranging from 0 (none) to 16 (pivoting activities 4 times/wk). To translate and cross-culturally adapt the ARS into Swedish and to assess measurement properties of the Swedish version of the ARS. Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2. The COSMIN guidelines were followed. Participants (N = 100 [55 women]; mean age, 27 years) who were undergoing rehabilitation for a knee injury completed the ARS twice for test-retest reliability. The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Tegner Activity Scale (TAS), and modernized Saltin-Grimby Physical Activity Level Scale (SGPALS) were administered at baseline to validate the ARS. Construct validity and responsiveness of the ARS were evaluated by testing predefined hypotheses regarding correlations between the ARS, KOOS, TAS, and SGPALS. The Cronbach alpha, intraclass correlation coefficients, absolute reliability, standard error of measurement, smallest detectable change, and Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients were calculated. The ARS showed good internal consistency (α ≈ 0.96), good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.9), and no systematic bias between measurements. The standard error of measurement was less than 2 points, and the smallest detectable change was less than 1 point at the group level and less than 5 points at the individual level. More than 75% of the hypotheses were confirmed, indicating good construct validity and good responsiveness of the ARS. The Swedish version of the ARS is valid, reliable, and responsive for evaluating the level of activity based on the frequency of participation in high-demand knee sports activities in young adults with a knee injury.
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Validating LES for Jet Aeroacoustics
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bridges, James; Wernet, Mark P.
2011-01-01
Engineers charged with making jet aircraft quieter have long dreamed of being able to see exactly how turbulent eddies produce sound and this dream is now coming true with the advent of large eddy simulation (LES). Two obvious challenges remain: validating the LES codes at the resolution required to see the fluid-acoustic coupling, and the interpretation of the massive datasets that are produced. This paper addresses the former, the use of advanced experimental techniques such as particle image velocimetry (PIV) and Raman and Rayleigh scattering, to validate the computer codes and procedures used to create LES solutions. This paper argues that the issue of accuracy of the experimental measurements be addressed by cross-facility and cross-disciplinary examination of modern datasets along with increased reporting of internal quality checks in PIV analysis. Further, it argues that the appropriate validation metrics for aeroacoustic applications are increasingly complicated statistics that have been shown in aeroacoustic theory to be critical to flow-generated sound, such as two-point space-time velocity correlations. A brief review of data sources available is presented along with examples illustrating cross-facility and internal quality checks required of the data before it should be accepted for validation of LES.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Chapman, Bryan Scott; Gough, Sean T.
This report documents a validation of the MCNP6 Version 1.0 computer code on the high performance computing platform Moonlight, for operations at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) that involve plutonium metals, oxides, and solutions. The validation is conducted using the ENDF/B-VII.1 continuous energy group cross section library at room temperature. The results are for use by nuclear criticality safety personnel in performing analysis and evaluation of various facility activities involving plutonium materials.
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1989-04-20
International business Machines Corporati,:i IBM Development System for the Ada Language, CMS/MVS Ada Cross Compiler, Version 2.1.1, Wright-Patterson AFB, IBM...VALIDATION SUMMARY REPORT: Certificate Number: 890420W1.10075 International Business Machines Corporation IBM Development System for the Ada Language CMS...command scripts provided by International Business Machines Corporation and reviewed by the validation team. The compiler was tested using all default
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A novel method to estimate the affinity of HLA-A∗0201 restricted CTL epitope
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Xu, Yun-sheng; Lin, Yong; Zhu, Bo; Lin, Zhi-hua
2009-02-01
A set of 70 peptides with affinity for the class I MHC HLA-A∗0201 molecule was subjected to quantitative structure-affinity relationship studies based on the SCORE function with good results ( r2 = 0.6982, RMS = 0.280). Then the 'leave-one-out' cross-validation (LOO-CV) and an outer test set including 18 outer samples were used to validate the QSAR model. The results of the LOO-CV were q2 = 0.6188, RMS = 0.315, and the results of outer test set were r2 = 0.5633, RMS = 0.2292. All these show that the QSAR model has good predictability. Statistical analysis showed that the hydrophobic and hydrogen bond interaction played a significant role in peptide-MHC molecule binding. The study also provided useful information for structure modification of CTL epitope, and laid theoretical base for molecular design of therapeutic vaccine.
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Self-Stigma in Substance Abuse: Development of a New Measure
Luoma, Jason B.; Nobles, Richard H.; Drake, Chad E.; Hayes, Steven C.; O’Hair, Alyssa; Fletcher, Lindsay; Kohlenberg, Barbara S.
2012-01-01
Little attention has been paid to the examination and measurement of self-stigma in substance misuse. This paper aims to fill this gap by reporting on the development of a new scale to measure self-stigma experienced by people who are misusing substances, the Substance Abuse Self-Stigma Scale. Content validity and item refinement occurred through an iterative process involving a literature search, focus groups, and expert judges. Psychometric properties were examined in a cross-sectional study of individuals (n = 352) receiving treatment for substance misuse. Factor analyses resulted in a 40-item measure with self devaluation, fear of enacted stigma, stigma avoidance, and values disengagement subscales. The measure showed a strong factor structure and good reliability and validity overall, though the values disengagement subscale showed a mixed pattern. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for studies of stigma impact and intervention. PMID:23772099
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The Cross-Cultural Loss Scale: development and psychometric evaluation.
Wang, Kenneth T; Wei, Meifen; Zhao, Ran; Chuang, Chih-Chun; Li, Feihan
2015-03-01
The Cross-Cultural Loss Scale (CCLS), a measure of loss associated with crossing national boundaries, was developed across 2 samples of international students. With Sample 1 (N = 262), exploratory factor analyses were used to select the 14 CCLS items and to determine 3 factors: Belonging-Competency (α = .87), National Privileges (α = .68), and Access to Home Familiarity (α = .72). With Sample 2, confirmatory factor analyses (N = 256) cross-validated the 3-factor oblique model as well as a bifactor model. Cronbach alphas of CCLS subscale scores in Sample 2 ranged from .73 to .87. The validity of the CCLS scores was supported by its associations with related variables in the expected directions. Perceived cross-cultural losses were positively associated with negative affect, migration grief and loss, and discrimination and were negatively associated with life satisfaction, positive affect, general self-efficacy, and social connection with mainstream society. Moreover, the CCLS total and 2 subscale scores added significant incremental variance in predicting subjective well-being over and above related constructs. The results indicated measurement invariance and validity equivalency for the CCLS scores between men and women. The overall results from these 2 samples support CCLS as a psychometrically strong measure. 2015 APA, all rights reserved
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Bohu, Y; Klouche, S; Lefevre, N; Webster, K; Herman, S
2015-04-01
The aim of this study was to translate, adapt and validate in French the Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI), a 12-item English language scale assessing the psychological impact of returning to sports after ACL reconstruction. The ACL-RSI scale was forward and back translated, cross-culturally adapted and validated using international guidelines. The study population included all patients who were active in sports and underwent primary arthroscopic ACL reconstruction. The control group included subjects with no history of knee trauma. At the 6-month follow-up, the study population completed the ACL-RSI scale twice within 3-4 days, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores. Statistical tests assessed the construct validity, discriminant validity, internal consistency, reliability and feasibility of the ACL-RSI scale. Ninety-one patients with ACL tears and 98 control subjects were included: mean age 31.7 ± 8.1 and 21.8 ± 2, respectively. The ACL-RSI scores were correlated with all KOOS sub-categories (r = 0.22-0.64, p < 0.05) as well as the subjective IKDC score (r = 0.42, p < 0.00001). The mean scores of the study and control groups were significantly different (62.8 ± 19.4 vs. 89.6 ± 11.5, p < 0.00001), and scores were significantly better in patients who returned to the same sport (72.1 ± 21.4 vs. 60.3 ± 18.1, p = 0.008). Internal consistency was high (α = 0.96). Test-retest reproducibility was excellent: ρ = 0.90 (0.86-0.94), p < 0.00001. Administration time was 1.32 ± 0.7 mn, and all items were answered. This study showed that the cross-cultural adaptation of the English version of the ACL-RSI was successful and validated in a French-speaking population. The discriminant capacity of the scale between patients who underwent reconstruction and healthy subjects was confirmed. II.
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Outermans, Jacqueline C; van de Port, Ingrid; Kwakkel, Gert; Visser-Meily, Johanna M; Wittink, Harriet
2018-03-12
Reports on the association between aerobic capacity and walking capacity in people after stroke show disparate results. To determine (1) if the predictive validity of peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) for walking capacity post stroke is different from that of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and (2) if postural control, hemiplegic lower extremity muscle strength, age and gender distort the association between aerobic capacity and walking capacity. Cross-sectional study. General community in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Community-dwelling people more than three months after stroke. Measurement of aerobic capacity were performed with cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and differentiated between the achievement of VO2peak or VO2max. Measurement of walking capacity with the Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT), postural control with the Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) and hemiplegic lower extremity muscle strength with the Motricity Index (MI-LE). Fifty-one out of 62 eligible participants, aged 64.7 (±12.5) years were included. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed a nonsignificant difference between the predictive validities of VO2max (N = 22, β = 0.56; 95%CI 0.12 - 0.97) and VO2peak (N = 29, β = 0.72; 95%CI 0.38 - 0.92). Multiple regression analysis of the pooled sample showed a significant decrease in the β value of VO2peak (21.6%) for the 6MWT when adding the POMA as a covariate in the association model. VO2peak remained significantly related to 6MWT after correcting for the POMA (β = 0.56 (95%CI 0.39 - 0.75)) CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest similar predictive validity of aerobic capacity for walking capacity in participants achieving VO2max compared to those only achieving VO2peak. Postural control confounds the association between aerobic capacity and walking capacity. Aerobic capacity remains a valid predictor of walking capacity. Aerobic capacity is an important factor associated with walking capacity after stroke. However, to understand this relationship, postural control needs to be measured. Both aerobic capacity and postural control may need to be addressed during interventions aiming to improve walking capacity after stroke.
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The Self-Stigma of Depression Scale: Translation and Validation of the Arabic Version
Darraj, Hussain Ahmed; Mahfouz, Mohamed Salih; Al Sanosi, Rashad Mohamed; Badedi, Mohammed; Sabai, Abdullah
2017-01-01
Background: Self-stigma may feature strongly and be detrimental for people with depression, but the understanding of its nature and prevalence is limited by the lack of psychometrically validated measures. This study is aimed to validate the Arabic version self-stigma of depression scale (SSDS) among adolescents. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study involved 100 adolescents randomly selected. The analyses include face validation, factor analysis, and reliability testing. A test–retest was conducted within a 2-week interval. Results: The mean score for self-stigma of depression among study participants was 68.9 (Standard deviation = 8.76) median equal to 71 and range was 47. Descriptive analysis showed that the percentage of those who scored below the mean score (41.7%) is shown less than those who scored above the mean score (58.3%). Preliminary construct validation analysis confirmed that factor analysis was appropriate for the Arabic-translated version of the SSDS. Furthermore, the factor analysis showed similar factor loadings to the original English version. The total internal consistency of the translated version, which was measured by Cronbach's alphas ranged from 0.70 to 0.77 for the four subscales and 0.84 for the total scale. Test–retest reliability was assessed in 65 respondents after 2 weeks. Cronbach's alphas ranged from 0.70 to 0.77 for the four subscales and 0.84 for the total scale. Conclusions: Face validity, construct validity, and reliability analysis were found satisfactory for the Arabic-translated version of the SSDS. The Arabic-translated version of the SSDS was found valid and reliable to be used in future studies, with comparable properties to the original version and to previous studies. PMID:28149090
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Kwan, Yu Heng; Fong, Warren Weng Seng; Lui, Nai Lee; Yong, Si Ting; Cheung, Yin Bun; Malhotra, Rahul; Østbye, Truls; Thumboo, Julian
2016-12-01
The Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) is a popular health-related quality of life (HrQoL) tool. However, few studies have assessed its psychometric properties in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA). We therefore aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the SF-36 in patients with SpA in Singapore. Cross-sectional data from a registry of 196 SpA patients recruited from a dedicated tertiary referral clinic in Singapore from 2011 to 2014 was used. Analyses were guided by the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments framework. Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was assessed through 33 a priori hypotheses by correlations of the eight subscales and two summary scores of SF-36 with other health outcomes. Known-group construct validity was assessed by comparison of the means of the subscales and summary scores of the SF-36 of SpA patients and the general population of Singapore using student's t tests. Among 196 patients (155 males (79.0 %), median (range) age: 36 (17-70), 166 Chinese (84.6 %)), SF-36 scales showed high internal consistency ranging from 0.88 to 0.90. Convergent construct validity was supported as shown by fulfillment of all hypotheses. Divergent construct validity was supported, as SF-36 MCS was not associated with PGA, pain and HAQ. Known-group construct validity showed SpA patients had lower scores of 3.8-12.5 when compared to the general population at p < 0.001. This study supports the SF-36 as a valid and reliable measure of HrQoL for use in patients with SpA at a single time point.
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High yields of hydrogen production from methanol steam reforming with a cross-U type reactor
Zhang, Shubin; Chen, Junyu; Zhang, Xuelin; Liu, Xiaowei
2017-01-01
This paper presents a numerical and experimental study on the performance of a methanol steam reformer integrated with a hydrogen/air combustion reactor for hydrogen production. A CFD-based 3D model with mass and momentum transport and temperature characteristics is established. The simulation results show that better performance is achieved in the cross-U type reactor compared to either a tubular reactor or a parallel-U type reactor because of more effective heat transfer characteristics. Furthermore, Cu-based micro reformers of both cross-U and parallel-U type reactors are designed, fabricated and tested for experimental validation. Under the same condition for reforming and combustion, the results demonstrate that higher methanol conversion is achievable in cross-U type reactor. However, it is also found in cross-U type reactor that methanol reforming selectivity is the lowest due to the decreased water gas shift reaction under high temperature, thereby carbon monoxide concentration is increased. Furthermore, the reformed gas generated from the reactors is fed into a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In the test of discharging for 4 h, the fuel cell fed by cross-U type reactor exhibits the most stable performance. PMID:29121067
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High yields of hydrogen production from methanol steam reforming with a cross-U type reactor.
Zhang, Shubin; Zhang, Yufeng; Chen, Junyu; Zhang, Xuelin; Liu, Xiaowei
2017-01-01
This paper presents a numerical and experimental study on the performance of a methanol steam reformer integrated with a hydrogen/air combustion reactor for hydrogen production. A CFD-based 3D model with mass and momentum transport and temperature characteristics is established. The simulation results show that better performance is achieved in the cross-U type reactor compared to either a tubular reactor or a parallel-U type reactor because of more effective heat transfer characteristics. Furthermore, Cu-based micro reformers of both cross-U and parallel-U type reactors are designed, fabricated and tested for experimental validation. Under the same condition for reforming and combustion, the results demonstrate that higher methanol conversion is achievable in cross-U type reactor. However, it is also found in cross-U type reactor that methanol reforming selectivity is the lowest due to the decreased water gas shift reaction under high temperature, thereby carbon monoxide concentration is increased. Furthermore, the reformed gas generated from the reactors is fed into a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In the test of discharging for 4 h, the fuel cell fed by cross-U type reactor exhibits the most stable performance.
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Smerecnik, Chris M R; Mesters, Ilse; Candel, Math J J M; De Vries, Hein; De Vries, Nanne K
2012-01-01
The role of information processing in understanding people's responses to risk information has recently received substantial attention. One limitation of this research concerns the unavailability of a validated questionnaire of information processing. This article presents two studies in which we describe the development and validation of the Information-Processing Questionnaire to meet that need. Study 1 describes the development and initial validation of the questionnaire. Participants were randomized to either a systematic processing or a heuristic processing condition after which they completed a manipulation check and the initial 15-item questionnaire and again two weeks later. The questionnaire was subjected to factor reliability and validity analyses on both measurement times for purposes of cross-validation of the results. A two-factor solution was observed representing a systematic processing and a heuristic processing subscale. The resulting scale showed good reliability and validity, with the systematic condition scoring significantly higher on the systematic subscale and the heuristic processing condition significantly higher on the heuristic subscale. Study 2 sought to further validate the questionnaire in a field study. Results of the second study corresponded with those of Study 1 and provided further evidence of the validity of the Information-Processing Questionnaire. The availability of this information-processing scale will be a valuable asset for future research and may provide researchers with new research opportunities. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.
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Development and Validation of a Unidimensional Maltreatment Scale in the Add Health Data Set
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Marszalek, Jacob M.; Hamilton, Jessica L.
2012-01-01
Four maltreatment items were examined from Wave III (N = 13,516) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Item analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, cross-validation, reliability estimates, and convergent validity coefficients strongly supported the validity of using the four items as a unidimensional composite. Implications for…
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The development of a probabilistic approach to forecast coastal change
Lentz, Erika E.; Hapke, Cheryl J.; Rosati, Julie D.; Wang, Ping; Roberts, Tiffany M.
2011-01-01
This study demonstrates the applicability of a Bayesian probabilistic model as an effective tool in predicting post-storm beach changes along sandy coastlines. Volume change and net shoreline movement are modeled for two study sites at Fire Island, New York in response to two extratropical storms in 2007 and 2009. Both study areas include modified areas adjacent to unmodified areas in morphologically different segments of coast. Predicted outcomes are evaluated against observed changes to test model accuracy and uncertainty along 163 cross-shore transects. Results show strong agreement in the cross validation of predictions vs. observations, with 70-82% accuracies reported. Although no consistent spatial pattern in inaccurate predictions could be determined, the highest prediction uncertainties appeared in locations that had been recently replenished. Further testing and model refinement are needed; however, these initial results show that Bayesian networks have the potential to serve as important decision-support tools in forecasting coastal change.
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Peterson, Candida C; Wellman, Henry M
2018-04-16
Longitudinal tracking of 107 three- to-thirteen-year-olds in a cross-sequential design showed a 6-step theory of mind (ToM) sequence identified by a few past cross-sectional studies validly depicted longitudinal ToM development from early to middle childhood for typically developing (TD) children and those with ToM delays owing to deafness or autism. Substantively, all groups showed ToM progress throughout middle childhood. Atypical development was more extended and began and ended at lower levels than for TD children. Yet most children in all groups progressed over the study's mean 1.5 years. Findings help resolve theoretical debates about ToM development for children with and without delay and gain strength and weight via their applicability to three disparate groups varying in ToM timing and sequencing. © 2018 Society for Research in Child Development.
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Dewitt, James; Capistrant, Benjamin; Kohli, Nidhi; Mitteldorf, Darryl; Merengwa, Enyinnaya; West, William
2018-01-01
Background While deduplication and cross-validation protocols have been recommended for large Web-based studies, protocols for survey response validation of smaller studies have not been published. Objective This paper reports the challenges of survey validation inherent in a small Web-based health survey research. Methods The subject population was North American, gay and bisexual, prostate cancer survivors, who represent an under-researched, hidden, difficult-to-recruit, minority-within-a-minority population. In 2015-2016, advertising on a large Web-based cancer survivor support network, using email and social media, yielded 478 completed surveys. Results Our manual deduplication and cross-validation protocol identified 289 survey submissions (289/478, 60.4%) as likely spam, most stemming from advertising on social media. The basic components of this deduplication and validation protocol are detailed. An unexpected challenge encountered was invalid survey responses evolving across the study period. This necessitated the static detection protocol be augmented with a dynamic one. Conclusions Five recommendations for validation of Web-based samples, especially with smaller difficult-to-recruit populations, are detailed. PMID:29691203
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Park, Jinsung; Shin, Dong Wook; Yun, Seok Joong; Park, Sung-Woo; Jeon, Seong Soo; Kwak, Cheol; Kwon, Tae Gyun; Kim, Hyung Jin; Ahn, Hanjong
2013-01-01
We evaluated the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-PR25 when applied to Korean prostate cancer (PC) patients. A total of 172 patients who underwent curative radical prostatectomy (RP) with or without adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy were asked to complete the Korean version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and PR25 questionnaires 3 times (before and 3 and 6 months after RP). Psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire was conducted. Multitrait scaling analysis showed satisfactory construct validity in most scales except for bowel symptoms and hormonal treatment-related symptoms. Internal consistency tested by Cronbach's α coefficient met the 0.70 criterion for the urinary symptom, sexual activity and sexual functioning scales at the all 3 time points. Known-group comparison analyses showed better quality-of-life (QOL) scores in patients with higher performance status, and higher hormonal treatment-related symptom scores in patients on hormonal treatment. Responsiveness to changes was in line with clinical implications over time after RP. Our results show that the EORTC QLQ-PR25 questionnaire has adequate levels in cross-cultural validity. The Korean version of the EORTC QLQ-PR25 is a generally reliable and robust instrument for the assessment of various QOL aspects that can be self-administered to Korean PC patients undergoing RP. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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SERS quantitative urine creatinine measurement of human subject
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, Tsuei Lian; Chiang, Hui-hua K.; Lu, Hui-hsin; Hung, Yung-da
2005-03-01
SERS method for biomolecular analysis has several potentials and advantages over traditional biochemical approaches, including less specimen contact, non-destructive to specimen, and multiple components analysis. Urine is an easily available body fluid for monitoring the metabolites and renal function of human body. We developed surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique using 50nm size gold colloidal particles for quantitative human urine creatinine measurements. This paper shows that SERS shifts of creatinine (104mg/dl) in artificial urine is from 1400cm-1 to 1500cm-1 which was analyzed for quantitative creatinine measurement. Ten human urine samples were obtained from ten healthy persons and analyzed by the SERS technique. Partial least square cross-validation (PLSCV) method was utilized to obtain the estimated creatinine concentration in clinically relevant (55.9mg/dl to 208mg/dl) concentration range. The root-mean square error of cross validation (RMSECV) is 26.1mg/dl. This research demonstrates the feasibility of using SERS for human subject urine creatinine detection, and establishes the SERS platform technique for bodily fluids measurement.
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Barbosa, Hermes de Freitas; Nogueira, Antonio Alberto; e Silva, Júlio César Rosa; Poli Neto, Omero Benedicto; dos Reis, Francisco José Candido
2016-01-01
Patient autonomy has great importance for a valid informed consent in clinical practice. Our objectives were to quantify the domains of patient autonomy and to evaluate the variables that can affect patient autonomy in women with chronic pelvic pain. This study is a cross sectional survey performed in a tertiary care University Hospital. Fifty-two consecutive women scheduled for laparoscopic management of chronic pelvic were included. Three major components of autonomy (competence, information or freedom) were evaluated using a Likert scale with 24 validated affirmatives. Competence scores (0.85 vs 0.92; p = 0.006) and information scores (0.90 vs 0.93; p = 0.02) were low for women with less than eight years of school attendance. Information scores were low in the presence of anxiety (0.91 vs 0.93; p = 0.05) or depression (0.90 vs 0.93; p = 0.01). Our data show that systematic evaluation of patient autonomy can provide clinical relevant information in gynecology. Low educational level, anxiety and depression might reduce the patient autonomy in women with chronic pelvic pain.
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Fast scattering simulation tool for multi-energy x-ray imaging
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sossin, A.; Tabary, J.; Rebuffel, V.; Létang, J. M.; Freud, N.; Verger, L.
2015-12-01
A combination of Monte Carlo (MC) and deterministic approaches was employed as a means of creating a simulation tool capable of providing energy resolved x-ray primary and scatter images within a reasonable time interval. Libraries of Sindbad, a previously developed x-ray simulation software, were used in the development. The scatter simulation capabilities of the tool were validated through simulation with the aid of GATE and through experimentation by using a spectrometric CdTe detector. A simple cylindrical phantom with cavities and an aluminum insert was used. Cross-validation with GATE showed good agreement with a global spatial error of 1.5% and a maximum scatter spectrum error of around 6%. Experimental validation also supported the accuracy of the simulations obtained from the developed software with a global spatial error of 1.8% and a maximum error of around 8.5% in the scatter spectra.
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The Multidimensional Loss Scale: validating a cross-cultural instrument for measuring loss.
Vromans, Lyn; Schweitzer, Robert D; Brough, Mark
2012-04-01
The Multidimensional Loss Scale (MLS) represents the first instrument designed specifically to index Experience of Loss Events and Loss Distress across multiple domains (cultural, social, material, and intrapersonal) relevant to refugee settlement. Recently settled Burmese adult refugees (N = 70) completed a questionnaire battery, including MLS items. Analyses explored MLS internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, and factor structure. Cronbach alphas indicated satisfactory internal consistency for Experience of Loss Events (0.85) and Loss Distress (0.92), reflecting a unitary construct of multidimensional loss. Loss Distress did not correlate with depression or anxiety symptoms and correlated moderately with interpersonal grief and trauma symptoms, supporting divergent and convergent validity. Factor analysis provided preliminary support for a five-factor model: Loss of Symbolic Self, Loss of Interdependence, Loss of Home, Interpersonal Loss, and Loss of Intrapersonal Integrity. Received well by participants, the new scale shows promise for application in future research and practice.
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Supersonic, nonlinear, attached-flow wing design for high lift with experimental validation
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Pittman, J. L.; Miller, D. S.; Mason, W. H.
1984-01-01
Results of the experimental validation are presented for the three dimensional cambered wing which was designed to achieve attached supercritical cross flow for lifting conditions typical of supersonic maneuver. The design point was a lift coefficient of 0.4 at Mach 1.62 and 12 deg angle of attack. Results from the nonlinear full potential method are presented to show the validity of the design process along with results from linear theory codes. Longitudinal force and moment data and static pressure data were obtained in the Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel at Mach numbers of 1.58, 1.62, 1.66, 1.70, and 2.00 over an angle of attack range of 0 to 14 deg at a Reynolds number of 2.0 x 10 to the 6th power per foot. Oil flow photographs of the upper surface were obtained at M = 1.62 for alpha approx. = 8, 10, 12, and 14 deg.
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Dynamic modelling and experimental validation of three wheeled tilting vehicles
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Amati, Nicola; Festini, Andrea; Pelizza, Luigi; Tonoli, Andrea
2011-06-01
The present paper describes the study of the stability in the straight running of a three-wheeled tilting vehicle for urban and sub-urban mobility. The analysis was carried out by developing a multibody model in the Matlab/SimulinkSimMechanics environment. An Adams-Motorcycle model and an equivalent analytical model were developed for the cross-validation and for highlighting the similarities with the lateral dynamics of motorcycles. Field tests were carried out to validate the model and identify some critical parameters, such as the damping on the steering system. The stability analysis demonstrates that the lateral dynamic motions are characterised by vibration modes that are similar to that of a motorcycle. Additionally, it shows that the wobble mode is significantly affected by the castor trail, whereas it is only slightly affected by the dynamics of the front suspension. For the present case study, the frame compliance also has no influence on the weave and wobble.
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Brosseau, Lucie; Laroche, Chantal; Sutton, Anne; Guitard, Paulette; King, Judy; Poitras, Stéphane; Casimiro, Lynn; Tremblay, Manon; Cardinal, Dominique; Cavallo, Sabrina; Laferrière, Lucie; Grisé, Isabelle; Marshall, Lisa; Smith, Jacky R; Lagacé, Josée; Pharand, Denyse; Galipeau, Roseline; Toupin-April, Karine; Loew, Laurianne; Demers, Catrine; Sauvé-Schenk, Katrine; Paquet, Nicole; Savard, Jacinthe; Tourigny, Jocelyne; Vaillancourt, Véronique
2015-08-01
To prepare a Canadian French translation of the PEDro Scale under the proposed name l'Échelle PEDro, and to examine the validity of its content. A modified approach of Vallerand's cross-cultural validation methodology was used, beginning with a parallel back-translation of the PEDro scale by both professional translators and clinical researchers. These versions were reviewed by an initial panel of experts (P1), who then created the first experimental version of l'Échelle PEDro. This version was evaluated by a second panel of experts (P2). Finally, 32 clinical researchers evaluated the second experimental version of l'Échelle PEDro, using a 5-point clarity scale, and suggested final modifications. The various items on the final version of l'Échelle PEDro show a high degree of clarity (from 4.0 to 4.7 on the 5-point scale). The four rigorous steps of the translation process have produced a valid Canadian French version of the PEDro scale.
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A Swedish cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Tinnitus Functional Index.
Hoff, Maria; Kähäri, Kim
2017-04-01
The Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) is a recent self-report instrument for tinnitus with potential advantages over other existing instruments, including a demonstrated high responsiveness. The objectives of this study were to translate and cross-culturally adapt the TFI into Swedish and to investigate its validity and reliability. The development of the Swedish version (TFI-SE) followed published guidelines on cross-cultural adaptation of health questionnaires. Validity and reliability was investigated by correlating responses on the TFI-SE with other tinnitus measures [Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and visual analogue scale (VAS)] and a scale measuring anxiety and depression (HADS). Consecutively recruited tinnitus patients (n = 100) from four Swedish clinics completed the questionnaires. The mean age of the sample was 51 years (SD =17). The internal consistency of the TFI-SE was good (α = 0.95) and the test-retest reliability was high (ICC =0.93). Our results supported the eight-factor structure proposed for the original TFI, and a high correlation between the TFI-SE and the THI (r = 0.8; p < 0.01) and lower correlations between the TFI-SE and the HADS-D (r = 0.60; p < 0.01) and HADS-A (r = 0.59; p < 0.01) confirmed satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. We found that the Swedish translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the TFI is valid and reliable for use with adult tinnitus patients.
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Duarte Bonini Campos, J A; Dias do Prado, C
2012-01-01
The cross-cultural adaptation of the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment is important so it can be used with confidence in Portuguese language. To perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the Portuguese version of the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment and to estimate its intrarater reliability. This is a validation study. Face Validity was classified by 17 health professionals and 10 Portuguese language specialists. Idiomatic, semantic, cultural and conceptual equivalences were analyzed. The questionnaire was completed by 20 patients of the Amaral Carvalho Hospital (Jaú, São Paulo, Brazil) in order to verify the Comprehension Index of each item. Therefore, 27 committee members classified each item into "essential", "useful, but not essential" and "not necessary", in order to calculate the Content Validity Ratio. After, this version of the questionnaire was applied twice to 62 patients of the hospital cited above. The intrarater reliability of the nutritional status analyzed by Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment was estimated by Kappa statistics. The Portuguese version of the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment presented 10 incomprehensible expressions. The items "a year ago weight" and "dry mouth symptom" presented the lowest Content Validity Ratio. Substantial intrarater reliability (k = 0.78, p = 0.001) was observed. The cross-cultural adaptation of the Portuguese version of the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment became simple and understandable for Brazilian patients. Thus, this version of the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment was considered a valid and a reliable method.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zhu, Zheng; Chen, Peijie; Zhuang, Jie
2013-01-01
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and cross-validate an equation based on ActiGraph accelerometer GT3X output to predict children and youth's energy expenditure (EE) of physical activity (PA). Method: Participants were 367 Chinese children and youth (179 boys and 188 girls, aged 9 to 17 years old) who wore 1 ActiGraph GT3X…
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald
2011-01-01
In this technical report, we document the results of a cross-validation study designed to identify optimal cut-scores for the use of the easyCBM[R] mathematics test in the state of Washington. A large sample, randomly split into two groups of roughly equal size, was used for this study. Students' performance classification on the Washington state…
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A Cross-Validation of easyCBM[R] Mathematics Cut Scores in Oregon: 2009-2010. Technical Report #1104
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald
2011-01-01
In this technical report, we document the results of a cross-validation study designed to identify optimal cut-scores for the use of the easyCBM[R] mathematics test in Oregon. A large sample, randomly split into two groups of roughly equal size, was used for this study. Students' performance classification on the Oregon state test was used as the…
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pescarini, M.; Sinitsa, V.; Orsi, R.; Frisoni, M.
2013-03-01
This paper presents a synthesis of the ENEA-Bologna Nuclear Data Group programme dedicated to generate and validate group-wise cross section libraries for shielding and radiation damage deterministic calculations in nuclear fission reactors, following the data processing methodology recommended in the ANSI/ANS-6.1.2-1999 (R2009) American Standard. The VITJEFF311.BOLIB and VITENDF70.BOLIB finegroup coupled n-γ (199 n + 42 γ - VITAMIN-B6 structure) multi-purpose cross section libraries, based on the Bondarenko method for neutron resonance self-shielding and respectively on JEFF-3.1.1 and ENDF/B-VII.0 evaluated nuclear data, were produced in AMPX format using the NJOY-99.259 and the ENEA-Bologna 2007 Revision of the SCAMPI nuclear data processing systems. Two derived broad-group coupled n-γ (47 n + 20 γ - BUGLE-96 structure) working cross section libraries in FIDO-ANISN format for LWR shielding and pressure vessel dosimetry calculations, named BUGJEFF311.BOLIB and BUGENDF70.BOLIB, were generated by the revised version of SCAMPI, through problem-dependent cross section collapsing and self-shielding from the cited fine-group libraries. The validation results on the criticality safety benchmark experiments for the fine-group libraries and the preliminary validation results for the broad-group working libraries on the PCA-Replica and VENUS-3 engineering neutron shielding benchmark experiments are reported in synthesis.
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Gabrani, Adriatik; Hoxha, Adrian; Simaku, Artan; Gabrani, Jonila (Cyco)
2015-01-01
Objective To establish the reliability and validity of the translated version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) by evaluating its psychometric properties and to determine possible differences among nurses and physicians regarding safety attitudes. Design A cross-sectional study utilising the Albanian version of the SAQ and a demographic questionnaire. Setting Four regional hospitals in Albania. Participants 341 healthcare providers, including 132 nurses and 209 doctors. Main outcome measure(s) The translation, construct validity and internal validity of the SAQ. The SAQ includes six scales and 30 items. Results A total of 341 valid questionnaires were returned, for a response rate of 70%. The confirmatory factor analysis and its goodness-of-fit indices (standardised root mean square residual 0.075, root mean square error of approximation 0.044 and comparative fit index 0.97) showed good model fit. The Cronbach's α values for each of the scales of the SAQ ranged from 0.64 to 0.82. The percentage of hospital healthcare workers who had a positive attitude was 60.3% for the teamwork climate, 57.2% for the safety climate, 58.4% for job satisfaction, 37.4% for stress recognition, 59.3% for the perception of management and 49.5% for working conditions. Intercorrelations showed that the subscales had moderate-to-high correlations with one another. Nurses were more hesitant to admit and report errors; only 55% of physicians and 44% of nurses endorsed this statement (χ2=4.9, p=0.02). Moreover, nurses received lower scores on team work compared with doctors (N 45.7 vs D 52.3, p=0.01). Doctors denied the effects of stress and fatigue on their performance (N 46.7 vs D 39.5, p<0.01), neglecting the workload. Conclusions The SAQ is a useful tool for evaluating safety attitudes in Albanian hospitals. In light of the health workforce's poor recognition of stress, establishing patient safety programmes should be a priority among policymakers in Albania. PMID:25877270
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Neuro-QoL health-related quality of life measurement system: Validation in Parkinson's disease.
Nowinski, Cindy J; Siderowf, Andrew; Simuni, Tanya; Wortman, Catherine; Moy, Claudia; Cella, David
2016-05-01
Neuro-QoL is a multidimensional patient-reported outcome measurement system assessing aspects of physical, mental, and social health identified by neurology patients and caregivers as important. One of the first neurology-specific patient-reported outcome measure systems created using modern test development methods, Neuro-Qol enables brief, yet precise, assessment and the ability to conduct both PD-specific and cross-disease comparisons. We present results of Neuro-QoL clinical validation using a sample of PD patients. A total of 120 PD patients recruited from academic medical centers were assessed at baseline, 1 week, and 6 months. Assessments included Neuro-QoL and general and PD-specific validity measures. Participants were 62% male and 95% white (average age = 66); H & Y stages were 1 (16%), 2 (61%), 3 (18%), and 4 (5%). Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of Neuro-QoL ranged from Cronbach's alphas = 0.81 to 0.94 with intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.66 to 0.80. Pearson's correlations between Neuro-QoL and legacy measures were generally moderate and in expected directions. UPDRS Part 2 was moderately correlated with Neuro-QoL Upper Extremity and Mobility, respectively (r's = -0.44; -0.59). Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 and Neuro-QoL measures of similar constructs showed strong-to-moderate correlations (r's = 0.70-0.44). Neuro-QoL measures of fatigue, mobility, positive emotion, and emotional/behavioral control showed responsiveness to self-reported change. Neuro-QoL is valid for use in PD clinical research. Reliability for all but two measures is sufficient for group comparisons, with some evidence supporting responsiveness to change. Neuro-QoL possesses characteristics, such as brevity, flexibility in administration, and suitability, for cross-disease comparisons that may be advantageous to users in a variety of settings. © 2016 Movement Disorder Society. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Tschopp, M; Swanenburg, J; Wertli, M W; Langenfeld, A; McCabe, C S; Lewis, J; Baertschi, E; Brunner, F
2018-05-07
Besides the classical clinical manifestations, body perception disturbances are common among patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The Bath Body Perception Disturbance Scale (BBPDS) represents a useful tool to assess these changes in CRPS patients; however, to date no validated German version is available. The aim of this study was to translate the BBPDS into German, to perform a cross-cultural adaptation and linguistic validation in patients with acute (symptoms <3 months) and stable (symptoms ≥3 months) CRPS. The original English version of the BBPDS was translated into German according to published guidelines (translation and back translation) and tested on 56 patients (mean age 50.9 ± 13.1 years) with acute (n = 28) or stable (n = 28) CRPS. The relative reliability, intraclass correlation and test-retest reliability were excellent overall and in the groups with acute and stable CRPS. The smallest detectable change was at 10 points. In the test-retest 48 points lay within the 95% confidence interval and visual inspection showed no tendency towards heteroscedasticity. Spearman's ρ‑coefficient values showed no correlation between the total score of the BBPDS-D with the numerical rating scale (NRS, ρ = -0.19) and the EuroQol-5 D (ρ = 0.16). There were no significant differences between patients with acute and stable CRPS (p = 0.412). There were also no floor or ceiling effects. This German translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the original English version of the BBPDS is a valid instrument to assess body perception disturbances in German speaking CRPS patients. Future research should further assess the impact of body perception disturbance on treatment outcome and prognosis.
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Rosales, Roberto S; Martin-Hidalgo, Yolanda; Reboso-Morales, Luis; Atroshi, Isam
2016-03-03
The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and construct validity of the Spanish version of the 6-item carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms scale (CTS-6). In this cross-sectional study 40 patients diagnosed with CTS based on clinical and neurophysiologic criteria, completed the standard Spanish versions of the CTS-6 and the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (QuickDASH) scales on two occasions with a 1-week interval. Internal-consistency reliability was assessed with the Cronbach alpha coefficient and test-retest reliability with the intraclass correlation coefficient, two way random effect model and absolute agreement definition (ICC2,1). Cross-sectional precision was analyzed with the Standard Error of the Measurement (SEM). Longitudinal precision for test-retest reliability coefficient was assessed with the Standard Error of the Measurement difference (SEMdiff) and the Minimal Detectable Change at 95 % confidence level (MDC95). For assessing construct validity it was hypothesized that the CTS-6 would have a strong positive correlation with the QuickDASH, analyzed with the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). The standard Spanish version of the CTS-6 presented a Cronbach alpha of 0.81 with a SEM of 0.3. Test-retest reliability showed an ICC of 0.85 with a SRMdiff of 0.36 and a MDC95 of 0.7. The correlation between CTS-6 and the QuickDASH was concordant with the a priori formulated construct hypothesis (r 0.69) CONCLUSIONS: The standard Spanish version of the 6-item CTS symptoms scale showed good internal consistency, test-retest reliability and construct validity for outcomes assessment in CTS. The CTS-6 will be useful to clinicians and researchers in Spanish speaking parts of the world. The use of standardized outcome measures across countries also will facilitate comparison of research results in carpal tunnel syndrome.
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Wang, Dan; Liu, Chenxi; Zhang, Zinan; Ye, Liping; Zhang, Xinping
2018-03-27
With the impressive advantages of patient-pharmacist communication being advocated and poor pharmacist-patient communication in different settings, it is of great significance and urgency to explore the mechanism of the pharmacist-patient communicative relationship. The King's theory of goal attainment is proposed as one of the most promising models to be applied, because it takes into consideration both improving the patient-pharmacist relationship and attaining patients' health outcomes. This study aimed to validate the King's transaction process and build the linkage between the transaction process and patient satisfaction in a pharmaceutical context. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four tertiary hospitals in two provincial cities (Wuhan and Shanghai) in central and east China in July 2017. Patients over 18 were investigated in the pharmacies of the hospitals. The instrument for the transaction process was revised and tested. Path analysis was conducted for the King's transaction process and its relationship with patient satisfaction. Five hundred eighty-nine participants were investigated for main study. Prior to the addition of covariates, the hypothesised model of the King's transaction process was validated, in which all paths of the transaction process were statistically significant (p < 0.001). The transaction process had direct effects on patient satisfaction (p < 0.001). After controlling the effects of covariates, the Multiple Indicators, Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model showed good fit to data (Tucker-Lewis index [TLI] = 0.99, comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.99, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.05, weighted root mean square residual [WRMR] = 1.00). The MIMIC model showed that chronic disease and site were predictors for both identifying problems and patient satisfaction (p < 0.05). Based on the well-fitting path analytic model, the transaction process was established as one valid theoretical framework of healthcare provider-patient communication in a pharmaceutical context. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Adaptation and validation of the Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale to Brazilian Portuguese 1
Pace, Ana Emilia; Gomes, Lilian Cristiane; Bertolin, Daniela Comelis; Loureiro, Helena Maria Almeira Macedo; Bijl, Jaap Van Der; Shortridge-Baggett, Lillie M.
2017-01-01
Objective: to perform the cultural adaptation and validation of the Diabetes Management Self-efficacy Scale for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with a Brazilian population sample. Method: cross-sectional methodological study in which the adaptation and validation process included the stages recommended in the literature. Construct validity and reliability were assessed with 200 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results: the items indicated by the panel of judges and by the target population were adjusted in the cultural adaptation to improve clarity and understanding. The instrument's four factors remained in the confirmatory factor analysis with factor loadings of items greater than 0.30, except for factor 4; convergent validity, verified by the multitrait-multimethod analysis, presented inter-item correlations from 0.37 to 0.92, while for discriminant validity, 100% of the items presented greater correlation in their own factors. Cronbach's coefficient alpha for the total scale was 0.78, ranging from 0.57 to 0.86 among factors. Conclusion: semantic, cultural, conceptual and idiomatic equivalences were achieved and the instrument's Brazilian version also presented psychometric properties that showed evidence of reliability and validity. Thus, it can be applied both in clinical practice and research. Self-efficacy is useful for planning and assessing educational interventions, as well as predicting behavior modification in self-care. PMID:28562700
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Validation of virtual reality as a tool to understand and prevent child pedestrian injury.
Schwebel, David C; Gaines, Joanna; Severson, Joan
2008-07-01
In recent years, virtual reality has emerged as an innovative tool for health-related education and training. Among the many benefits of virtual reality is the opportunity for novice users to engage unsupervised in a safe environment when the real environment might be dangerous. Virtual environments are only useful for health-related research, however, if behavior in the virtual world validly matches behavior in the real world. This study was designed to test the validity of an immersive, interactive virtual pedestrian environment. A sample of 102 children and 74 adults was recruited to complete simulated road-crossings in both the virtual environment and the identical real environment. In both the child and adult samples, construct validity was demonstrated via significant correlations between behavior in the virtual and real worlds. Results also indicate construct validity through developmental differences in behavior; convergent validity by showing correlations between parent-reported child temperament and behavior in the virtual world; internal reliability of various measures of pedestrian safety in the virtual world; and face validity, as measured by users' self-reported perception of realism in the virtual world. We discuss issues of generalizability to other virtual environments, and the implications for application of virtual reality to understanding and preventing pediatric pedestrian injuries.
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Trauma Coping Self-Efficacy: A Context Specific Self-Efficacy Measure for Traumatic Stress
Benight, Charles C.; Shoji, Kotaro; James, Lori E.; Waldrep, Edward E.; Delahanty, Douglas L.; Cieslak, Roman
2015-01-01
The psychometric properties of a Trauma Coping Self-Efficacy (CSE-T) scale that assesses general trauma-related coping self-efficacy perceptions were assessed. Measurement equivalence was assessed using several different samples: hospitalized trauma patients (n1 = 74, n2 = 69, n3 = 60), three samples of disaster survivors (n1 = 273, n2 = 227, n3 = 138), and trauma exposed college students (N = 242). This is the first multi-sample evaluation of the psychometric properties for a general trauma-related CSE measure. Results showed that a brief and parsimonious 9-item version of the CSE performed well across the samples with a robust factor structure; factor structure and factor loadings were similar across study samples. The 9-item scale CSE-T demonstrated measurement equivalence across samples indicating that the underlying concept of general post-traumatic CSE is organized in a similar manner in the different trauma-exposed groups. These results offer strong support for cross-event construct validity of the CSE-T scale. Associations of the CSE-T with important expected covariates showed significant evidence for convergent validity. Finally, discriminant validity was also supported. Replication of the factor structure, internal reliability, and other evidence for construct validity is a critical next step for future research. PMID:26524542
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Back, Ki-Joon; Williams, Robert J; Lee, Choong-Ki
2015-09-01
Most research on the assessment, epidemiology, and treatment of problem gambling has occurred in Western jurisdictions. This potentially limits the cross-cultural validity of problem gambling assessment instruments as well as etiological models of problem gambling. The primary objective of the present research was to investigate the reliability and validity of three problem gambling assessment instruments within a South Korean context. A total of 4,330 South Korean adults participated in a comprehensive assessment of their gambling behavior that included the administration of the DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling (NODS), the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI), and the Problem and Pathological Gambling Measure (PPGM). Cronbach alpha showed that all three instruments had good internal consistency. Concurrent validity was established by the significant associations observed between scores on the instruments and measures of gambling involvement (number of gambling formats engaged in; frequency of gambling; and gambling expenditure). Most importantly, kappa statistics showed that all instruments have satisfactory classification accuracy against clinical assessment of problem gambling conducted by South Korean clinicians (NODS κ = .66; PPGM κ = .62; CPGI κ = .51). These results confirm that Western-derived operationalizations of problem gambling have applicability in a South Korean setting.
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Yang, J; McCrae, R R; Costa, P T; Yao, S; Dai, X; Cai, T; Gao, B
2000-01-01
We examined the reliability, cross-instrument validity, and factor structure of Chinese adaptations of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ-4+; N = 1,926) and Personality Disorders Interview (PDI-IV; N = 525) in psychiatric patients. Comparisons with data from Western countries suggest that the psychometric properties of these two instruments are comparable across cultures. Low to modest agreement between the PDQ-4+ and PDI-IV was observed for both dimensional and categorical personality disorder evaluations. When the PDI-IV was used as the diagnostic standard, the PDQ-4+ showed higher sensitivity than specificity, and higher negative predictive power than positive predictive power. Factor analyses of both instruments replicated the four-factor structure O'Connor and Dyce (1998) found in Western samples. Results suggested that conceptions and measures of DSM-IV personality disorders are cross-culturally generalizable to Chinese psychiatric populations.
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Drying Affects the Fiber Network in Low Molecular Weight Hydrogels
2017-01-01
Low molecular weight gels are formed by the self-assembly of a suitable small molecule gelator into a three-dimensional network of fibrous structures. The gel properties are determined by the fiber structures, the number and type of cross-links and the distribution of the fibers and cross-links in space. Probing these structures and cross-links is difficult. Many reports rely on microscopy of dried gels (xerogels), where the solvent is removed prior to imaging. The assumption is made that this has little effect on the structures, but it is not clear that this assumption is always (or ever) valid. Here, we use small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to probe low molecular weight hydrogels formed by the self-assembly of dipeptides. We compare scattering data for wet and dried gels, as well as following the drying process. We show that the assumption that drying does not affect the network is not always correct. PMID:28631478
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Liang, Yunyun; Liu, Sanyang; Zhang, Shengli
2016-12-01
Apoptosis, or programed cell death, plays a central role in the development and homeostasis of an organism. Obtaining information on subcellular location of apoptosis proteins is very helpful for understanding the apoptosis mechanism. The prediction of subcellular localization of an apoptosis protein is still a challenging task, and existing methods mainly based on protein primary sequences. In this paper, we introduce a new position-specific scoring matrix (PSSM)-based method by using detrended cross-correlation (DCCA) coefficient of non-overlapping windows. Then a 190-dimensional (190D) feature vector is constructed on two widely used datasets: CL317 and ZD98, and support vector machine is adopted as classifier. To evaluate the proposed method, objective and rigorous jackknife cross-validation tests are performed on the two datasets. The results show that our approach offers a novel and reliable PSSM-based tool for prediction of apoptosis protein subcellular localization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Provo, Judy; Lamar, Carlton; Newby, Timothy
2002-01-01
A cross section was used to enhance three-dimensional knowledge of anatomy of the canine head. All veterinary students in two successive classes (n = 124) dissected the head; experimental groups also identified structures on a cross section of the head. A test assessing spatial knowledge of the head generated 10 dependent variables from two administrations. The test had content validity and statistically significant interrater and test-retest reliability. A live-dog examination generated one additional dependent variable. Analysis of covariance controlling for performance on course examinations and quizzes revealed no treatment effect. Including spatial skill as a third covariate revealed a statistically significant effect of spatial skill on three dependent variables. Men initially had greater spatial skill than women, but spatial skills were equal after 8 months. A qualitative analysis showed the positive impact of this experience on participants. Suggestions for improvement and future research are discussed.
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Fluorescence imaging of tryptophan and collagen cross-links to evaluate wound closure ex vivo
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, Ying; Ortega-Martinez, Antonio; Farinelli, Bill; Anderson, R. R.; Franco, Walfre
2016-02-01
Wound size is a key parameter in monitoring healing. Current methods to measure wound size are often subjective, time-consuming and marginally invasive. Recently, we developed a non-invasive, non-contact, fast and simple but robust fluorescence imaging (u-FEI) method to monitor the healing of skin wounds. This method exploits the fluorescence of native molecules to tissue as functional and structural markers. The objective of the present study is to demonstrate the feasibility of using variations in the fluorescence intensity of tryptophan and cross-links of collagen to evaluate proliferation of keratinocyte cells and quantitate size of wound during healing, respectively. Circular dermal wounds were created in ex vivo human skin and cultured in different media. Two serial fluorescence images of tryptophan and collagen cross-links were acquired every two days. Histology and immunohistology were used to validate correlation between fluorescence and epithelialization. Images of collagen cross-links show fluorescence of the exposed dermis and, hence, are a measure of wound area. Images of tryptophan show higher fluorescence intensity of proliferating keratinocytes forming new epithelium, as compared to surrounding keratinocytes not involved in epithelialization. These images are complementary since collagen cross-links report on structure while tryptophan reports on function. HE and immunohistology show that tryptophan fluorescence correlates with newly formed epidermis. We have established a fluorescence imaging method for studying epithelialization processes during wound healing in a skin organ culture model, our approach has the potential to provide a non-invasive, non-contact, quick, objective and direct method for quantitative measurements in wound healing in vivo.
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Uchoa, Priscila Regina Candido Espinola; Bezerra, Thiago Freire Pinto; Lima, Élcio Duarte; Fornazieri, Marco Aurélio; Pinna, Fabio de Rezende; Sperandio, Fabiana de Araújo; Voegels, Richard Louis
The concept of quality of life is subjective and variable definition, which depends on the individual's perception of their state of health. Quality of life questionnaires are instruments designed to measure quality of life, but most are developed in a language other than Portuguese. Questionnaires can identify the most important symptoms, focus on consultation, and assist in defining the goals of treatment. Some of these have been validated for the Portuguese language, but none in children. To validate the translation with cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Sinus and Nasal Quality of Life Survey (SN-5) into Portuguese. Prospective study of children aged 2-12 years with sinonasal symptoms of over 30 days. The study comprised two stages: (I) translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the SN-5 into Portuguese (SN-5p); and (II) validation of the SN5-p. Statistical analysis was performed to assess internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and sensitivity, as well as construct and discriminant validity and standardization. The SN-5 was translated and adapted into Portuguese (SN-5p) and the author of the original version approved the process. Validation was carried out by administration of the SN-5p to 51 pediatric patients with sinonasal complaints (mean age, 5.8±2.5 years; range, 2-12 years). The questionnaire exhibited adequate construct validity (0.62, p<0.01), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.73), and discriminant validity (p<0.01), as well as good test-retest reproducibility (Goodman-Kruskal gamma=0.957, p<0.001), good correlation with a visual analog scale (r=0.62, p<0.01), and sensitivity to change. This study reports the successful translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the SN-5 instrument into Brazilian Portuguese. The translated version exhibited adequate psychometric properties for assessment of disease-specific quality of life in pediatric patients with sinonasal complaints. Copyright © 2016 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.
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Sivan, Sree Kanth; Manga, Vijjulatha
2012-02-01
Multiple receptors conformation docking (MRCD) and clustering of dock poses allows seamless incorporation of receptor binding conformation of the molecules on wide range of ligands with varied structural scaffold. The accuracy of the approach was tested on a set of 120 cyclic urea molecules having HIV-1 protease inhibitory activity using 12 high resolution X-ray crystal structures and one NMR resolved conformation of HIV-1 protease extracted from protein data bank. A cross validation was performed on 25 non-cyclic urea HIV-1 protease inhibitor having varied structures. The comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) models were generated using 60 molecules in the training set by applying leave one out cross validation method, r (loo) (2) values of 0.598 and 0.674 for CoMFA and CoMSIA respectively and non-cross validated regression coefficient r(2) values of 0.983 and 0.985 were obtained for CoMFA and CoMSIA respectively. The predictive ability of these models was determined using a test set of 60 cyclic urea molecules that gave predictive correlation (r (pred) (2) ) of 0.684 and 0.64 respectively for CoMFA and CoMSIA indicating good internal predictive ability. Based on this information 25 non-cyclic urea molecules were taken as a test set to check the external predictive ability of these models. This gave remarkable out come with r (pred) (2) of 0.61 and 0.53 for CoMFA and CoMSIA respectively. The results invariably show that this method is useful for performing 3D QSAR analysis on molecules having different structural motifs.
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Eastwood, Sophie V; Tillin, Therese; Wright, Andrew; Heasman, John; Willis, Joseph; Godsland, Ian F; Forouhi, Nita; Whincup, Peter; Hughes, Alun D; Chaturvedi, Nishi
2013-01-01
South Asians and African Caribbeans experience more cardiometabolic disease than Europeans. Risk factors include visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous abdominal (SAT) adipose tissue, which vary with ethnicity and are difficult to quantify using anthropometry. We developed and cross-validated ethnicity and gender-specific equations using anthropometrics to predict VAT and SAT. 669 Europeans, 514 South Asians and 227 African Caribbeans (70 ± 7 years) underwent anthropometric measurement and abdominal CT scanning. South Asian and African Caribbean participants were first-generation migrants living in London. Prediction equations were derived for CT-measured VAT and SAT using stepwise regression, then cross-validated by comparing actual and predicted means. South Asians had more and African Caribbeans less VAT than Europeans. For basic VAT prediction equations (age and waist circumference), model fit was better in men (R(2) range 0.59-0.71) than women (range 0.35-0.59). Expanded equations (+ weight, height, hip and thigh circumference) improved fit for South Asian and African Caribbean women (R(2) 0.35 to 0.55, and 0.43 to 0.56 respectively). For basic SAT equations, R(2) was 0.69-0.77, and for expanded equations it was 0.72-0.86. Cross-validation showed differences between actual and estimated VAT of <7%, and SAT of <8% in all groups, apart from VAT in South Asian women which disagreed by 16%. We provide ethnicity- and gender-specific VAT and SAT prediction equations, derived from a large tri-ethnic sample. Model fit was reasonable for SAT and VAT in men, while basic VAT models should be used cautiously in South Asian and African Caribbean women. These equations will aid studies of mechanisms of cardiometabolic disease in later life, where imaging data are not available.
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Mbada, Chidozie Emmanuel; Adeogun, Gafar Atanda; Ogunlana, Michael Opeoluwa; Adedoyin, Rufus Adesoji; Akinsulore, Adesanmi; Awotidebe, Taofeek Oluwole; Idowu, Opeyemi Ayodiipo; Olaoye, Olumide Ayoola
2015-09-14
The Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) is a valid quality of life tool often employed to determine the impact of medical intervention and the outcome of health care services. However, the SF-36 is culturally sensitive which necessitates its adaptation and translation into different languages. This study was conducted to cross-culturally adapt the SF-36 into Yoruba language and determine its reliability and validity. Based on the International Quality of Life Assessment project guidelines, a sequence of translation, test of item-scale correlation, and validation was implemented for the translation of the Yoruba version of the SF-36. Following pilot testing, the English and the Yoruba versions of the SF-36 were administered to a random sample of 1087 apparently healthy individuals to test validity and 249 respondents completed the Yoruba SF-36 again after two weeks to test reliability. Data was analyzed using Pearson's product moment correlation analysis, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, multi trait scaling analysis and Intra-Class Correlation (ICC) at p < 0.05. The concurrent validity scores for scales and domains ranges between 0.749 and 0.902 with the highest and lowest scores in the General Health (0.902) and Bodily Pain (0.749) scale. Scale-level descriptive result showed that all scale and domain scores had negative skewness ranging from -2.08 to -0.98. The mean scores for each scales ranges between 83.2 and 88.8. The domain scores for Physical Health Component and Mental Health Component were 85.6 ± 13.7 and 85.9 ± 15.4 respectively. The convergent validity was satisfactory, ranging from 0.421 to 0.907. Discriminant validity was also satisfactory except for item '1'. The ICC for the test-retest reliability of the Yoruba SF-36 ranges between 0.636 and 0.843 for scales; and 0.783 and 0.851 for domains. The data quality, concurrent and discriminant validity, reliability and internal consistency of the Yoruba version of the SF-36 are adequate and it is recommended for measuring health-related quality of life among Yoruba population.
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GEOMETRIC CROSS SECTIONS OF DUST AGGREGATES AND A COMPRESSION MODEL FOR AGGREGATE COLLISIONS
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Suyama, Toru; Wada, Koji; Tanaka, Hidekazu
2012-07-10
Geometric cross sections of dust aggregates determine their coupling with disk gas, which governs their motions in protoplanetary disks. Collisional outcomes also depend on geometric cross sections of initial aggregates. In a previous paper, we performed three-dimensional N-body simulations of sequential collisions of aggregates composed of a number of sub-micron-sized icy particles and examined radii of gyration (and bulk densities) of the obtained aggregates. We showed that collisional compression of aggregates is not efficient and that aggregates remain fluffy. In the present study, we examine geometric cross sections of the aggregates. Their cross sections decrease due to compression as wellmore » as to their gyration radii. It is found that a relation between the cross section and the gyration radius proposed by Okuzumi et al. is valid for the compressed aggregates. We also refine the compression model proposed in our previous paper. The refined model enables us to calculate the evolution of both gyration radii and cross sections of growing aggregates and reproduces well our numerical results of sequential aggregate collisions. The refined model can describe non-equal-mass collisions as well as equal-mass cases. Although we do not take into account oblique collisions in the present study, oblique collisions would further hinder compression of aggregates.« less
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Dragomir-Daescu, Dan; Buijs, Jorn Op Den; McEligot, Sean; Dai, Yifei; Entwistle, Rachel C.; Salas, Christina; Melton, L. Joseph; Bennet, Kevin E.; Khosla, Sundeep; Amin, Shreyasee
2013-01-01
Clinical implementation of quantitative computed tomography-based finite element analysis (QCT/FEA) of proximal femur stiffness and strength to assess the likelihood of proximal femur (hip) fractures requires a unified modeling procedure, consistency in predicting bone mechanical properties, and validation with realistic test data that represent typical hip fractures, specifically, a sideways fall on the hip. We, therefore, used two sets (n = 9, each) of cadaveric femora with bone densities varying from normal to osteoporotic to build, refine, and validate a new class of QCT/FEA models for hip fracture under loading conditions that simulate a sideways fall on the hip. Convergence requirements of finite element models of the first set of femora led to the creation of a new meshing strategy and a robust process to model proximal femur geometry and material properties from QCT images. We used a second set of femora to cross-validate the model parameters derived from the first set. Refined models were validated experimentally by fracturing femora using specially designed fixtures, load cells, and high speed video capture. CT image reconstructions of fractured femora were created to classify the fractures. The predicted stiffness (cross-validation R2 = 0.87), fracture load (cross-validation R2 = 0.85), and fracture patterns (83% agreement) correlated well with experimental data. PMID:21052839
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Dazard, Jean-Eudes; Choe, Michael; LeBlanc, Michael; Rao, J. Sunil
2015-01-01
PRIMsrc is a novel implementation of a non-parametric bump hunting procedure, based on the Patient Rule Induction Method (PRIM), offering a unified treatment of outcome variables, including censored time-to-event (Survival), continuous (Regression) and discrete (Classification) responses. To fit the model, it uses a recursive peeling procedure with specific peeling criteria and stopping rules depending on the response. To validate the model, it provides an objective function based on prediction-error or other specific statistic, as well as two alternative cross-validation techniques, adapted to the task of decision-rule making and estimation in the three types of settings. PRIMsrc comes as an open source R package, including at this point: (i) a main function for fitting a Survival Bump Hunting model with various options allowing cross-validated model selection to control model size (#covariates) and model complexity (#peeling steps) and generation of cross-validated end-point estimates; (ii) parallel computing; (iii) various S3-generic and specific plotting functions for data visualization, diagnostic, prediction, summary and display of results. It is available on CRAN and GitHub. PMID:26798326
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Direct Validation of Differential Prediction.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lunneborg, Clifford E.
Using academic achievement data for 655 University students, direct validation of differential predictions based on a battery of aptitude/achievement measures selected for their differential prediction efficiency was attempted. In the cross-validation of the prediction of actual differences among five academic area GPA's, this set of differential…
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fix, A.; Ehret, G.; Flentje, H.; Poberaj, G.; Gottwald, M.; Finkenzeller, H.; Bremer, H.; Bruns, M.; Burrows, J. P.; Kleinböhl, A.; Küllmann, H.; Kuttippurath, J.; Richter, A.; Wang, P.; Heue, K.-P.; Platt, U.; Wagner, T.
2004-12-01
For the first time three different remote sensing instruments - a sub-millimeter radiometer, a differential optical absorption spectrometer in the UV-visible spectral range, and a lidar - were deployed aboard DLR's meteorological research aircraft Falcon 20 to validate a large number of SCIAMACHY level 2 and off-line data products such as O3, NO2, N2O, BrO, OClO, H2O, aerosols, and clouds. Within two main validation campaigns of the SCIA-VALUE mission (SCIAMACHY VALidation and Utilization Experiment) extended latitudinal cross-sections stretching from polar regions to the tropics as well as longitudinal cross sections at polar latitudes at about 70° N and the equator have been generated. This contribution gives an overview over the campaigns performed and reports on the observation strategy for achieving the validation goals. We also emphasize the synergetic use of the novel set of aircraft instrumentation and the usefulness of this innovative suite of remote sensing instruments for satellite validation.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fix, A.; Ehret, G.; Flentje, H.; Poberaj, G.; Gottwald, M.; Finkenzeller, H.; Bremer, H.; Bruns, M.; Burrows, J. P.; Kleinböhl, A.; Küllmann, H.; Kuttippurath, J.; Richter, A.; Wang, P.; Heue, K.-P.; Platt, U.; Pundt, I.; Wagner, T.
2005-05-01
For the first time three different remote sensing instruments - a sub-millimeter radiometer, a differential optical absorption spectrometer in the UV-visible spectral range, and a lidar - were deployed aboard DLR's meteorological research aircraft Falcon 20 to validate a large number of SCIAMACHY level 2 and off-line data products such as O3, NO2, N2O, BrO, OClO, H2O, aerosols, and clouds. Within two validation campaigns of the SCIA-VALUE mission (SCIAMACHY VALidation and Utilization Experiment) extended latitudinal cross-sections stretching from polar regions to the tropics as well as longitudinal cross sections at polar latitudes at about 70° N and the equator were generated. This contribution gives an overview over the campaigns performed and reports on the observation strategy for achieving the validation goals. We also emphasize the synergetic use of the novel set of aircraft instrumentation and the usefulness of this innovative suite of remote sensing instruments for satellite validation.
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Helou, Khalil; El Helou, Nour; Mahfouz, Maya; Mahfouz, Yara; Salameh, Pascale; Harmouche-Karaki, Mireille
2017-07-24
The International Physical Actvity Questionnaire (IPAQ) is a validated tool for physical activity assessment used in many countries however no Arabic version of the long-form of this questionnaire exists to this date. Hence, the aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate an Arabic version of the long International Physical Activity Questionnaire (AIPAQ) equivalent to the French version (F-IPAQ) in a Lebanese population. The guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation provided by the World Health Organization and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire committee were followed. One hundred fifty-nine students and staff members from Saint Joseph University of Beirut were randomly recruited to participate in the study. Items of the A-IPAQ were compared to those from the F-IPAQ for concurrent validity using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Content validity of the questionnaire was assessed using factor analysis for the A-IPAQ's items. The physical activity indicators derived from the A-IPAQ were compared with the body mass index (BMI) of the participants for construct validity. The instrument was also evaluated for internal consistency reliability using Cronbach's alpha and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Finally, thirty-one participants were asked to complete the A-IPAQ on two occasions three weeks apart to examine its test-retest reliability. Bland-Altman analyses were performed to evaluate the extent of agreement between the two versions of the questionnaire and its repeated administrations. A high correlation was observed between answers of the F-IPAQ and those of the A-IPAQ, with Spearman's correlation coefficients ranging from 0.91 to 1.00 (p < 0.05). Bland-Altman analysis showed a high level of agreement between the two versions with all values scattered around the mean for total physical activity (mean difference = 5.3 min/week, 95% limits of agreement = -145.2 to 155.8). Negative correlations were observed between MET values and BMI, independent of age, gender or university campus. The A-IPAQ showed a high internal consistency reliability with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.769-1.00 (p < 0.001) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ranging from 0.625-0.999 (p < 0.001), except for a moderate agreement with the moderate garden/yard activity (alpha = 0.682; ICC = 0.518; p < 0.001). The A-IPAQ had moderate-to-good test-retest reliability for most of its items (ICC ranging from 0.66-0.96; p < 0.001) and the Bland-Altman analysis showed a satisfactory agreement between the two administrations of the A-IPAQ for total physical activity (mean difference = 99.8 min/week, 95% limits of agreement = -1105.3; 1304.9) and total vigorous and moderate physical activity (mean difference = -29.7 min/week, 95% limits of agreement = -777.6; 718.2). The modified Arabic version of the IPAQ showed acceptable validity and reliability for the assessment of physical activity among Lebanese adults. More studies are necessary in the future to assess its validity compared to a gold-standard criterion measure.
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Hamamoto, Yosuke; Ito, Hiromu; Furu, Moritoshi; Ishikawa, Masahiro; Azukizawa, Masayuki; Kuriyama, Shinichi; Nakamura, Shinichiro; Matsuda, Shuichi
2015-09-01
The purposes of this study were to translate the new Knee Society Score (KSS) into Japanese and to evaluate the construct and content validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of the Japanese version of the new KSS. The Japanese version of the KSS was developed according to cross-cultural guidelines by using the "translation-back translation" method to ensure content validity. KSS data were then obtained from patients who had undergone total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The psychometric properties evaluated were as follows: for feasibility, response rate, and floor and ceiling effects; for construct validity, internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha, and correlations with quality of life. Construct validity was evaluated by using Spearman's correlation coefficient to quantify the correlation between the KSS and the Japanese version of the Oxford 12-item Knee Score or Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaires. The Japanese version of the KSS was sent to 93 consecutive osteoarthritic patients who underwent primary TKA in our institution. Fifty-five patients completed the questionnaires and were included in this study. Neither a floor nor ceiling effect was observed. The reliability proved excellent in the majority of domains, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.65-0.88. Internal consistency, assessed by Cronbach's alpha, was good to excellent for all domains (0.78-0.94). All of the four domains of the KSS correlated significantly with the Oxford 12-item Knee Score. The activity and satisfaction domains of the KSS correlated significantly with all and the majority of subscales of the SF-36, respectively, whereas symptoms and expectation domains showed significant correlations only with bodily pain and vitality subscales and with the physical function, bodily pain, and vitality subscales, respectively. The Japanese version of the new KSS is a valid, reliable, and responsive instrument to capture subjective aspects of the functional symptoms and abilities of patients who undergo TKA.
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Duruturk, Neslihan; Tonga, Eda; Gabel, Charles Philip; Acar, Manolya; Tekindal, Agah
2015-07-26
This study aims to adapt culturally a Turkish version of the Lower Limb Functional Index (LLFI) and to determine its validity, reliability, internal consistency, measurement sensitivity and factor structure in lower limb problems. The LLFI was translated into Turkish and cross-culturally adapted with a double forward-backward protocol that determined face and content validity. Individuals (n = 120) with lower limb musculoskeletal disorders completed the LLFI and Short Form-36 questionnaires and the Timed Up and Go physical test. The psychometric properties were evaluated for the all participants from patient-reported outcome measures made at baseline and repeated at day 3 to determine criterion between scores (Pearson's r), internal consistency (Cronbachs α) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient - ICC 2.1 ). Error was determined using standard error of the measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change at the 90% level (MDC 90 ), while factor structure was determined using exploratory factor analysis with maximum likelihood extraction and Varimax rotation. The psychometric characteristics showed strong criterion validity (r = 0.74-0.76), high internal consistency (α = 0.82) and high test-retest reability (ICC 2.1 = 0.97). The SEM of 3.2% gave an MDC 90 = 5.8%. The factor structure was uni-dimensional. Turkish version of LLFI was found to be valid and reliable for the measurement of lower limb function in a Turkish population. Implications for Rehabilitation Lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders are common and greatly impact activities among the affected individuals pertaining to daily living, work, leisure and quality of life. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures have advantages as they are practical, cost-effective and clinically convenient for use in patient-centered care. The Lower Limb Functional Index is a recently validated PRO measure shown to have strong clinimetric properties.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Xin, L.; Markine, V. L.; Shevtsov, I. Y.
2016-03-01
A three-dimensional (3-D) explicit dynamic finite element (FE) model is developed to simulate the impact of the wheel on the crossing nose. The model consists of a wheel set moving over the turnout crossing. Realistic wheel, wing rail and crossing geometries have been used in the model. Using this model the dynamic responses of the system such as the contact forces between the wheel and the crossing, crossing nose displacements and accelerations, stresses in rail material as well as in sleepers and ballast can be obtained. Detailed analysis of the wheel set and crossing interaction using the local contact stress state in the rail is possible as well, which provides a good basis for prediction of the long-term behaviour of the crossing (fatigue analysis). In order to tune and validate the FE model field measurements conducted on several turnouts in the railway network in the Netherlands are used here. The parametric study including variations of the crossing nose geometries performed here demonstrates the capabilities of the developed model. The results of the validation and parametric study are presented and discussed.
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Cross-Cultural Validation of the Patient Perception of Integrated Care Survey.
Tietschert, Maike V; Angeli, Federica; van Raak, Arno J A; Ruwaard, Dirk; Singer, Sara J
2017-07-20
To test the cross-cultural validity of the U.S. Patient Perception of Integrated Care (PPIC) Survey in a Dutch sample using a standardized procedure. Primary data collected from patients of five primary care centers in the south of the Netherlands, through survey research from 2014 to 2015. Cross-sectional data collected from patients who saw multiple health care providers during 6 months preceding data collection. The PPIC survey includes 59 questions that measure patient perceived care integration across providers, settings, and time. Data analysis followed a standardized procedure guiding data preparation, psychometric analysis, and included invariance testing with the U.S. dataset. Latent scale structures of the Dutch and U.S. survey were highly comparable. Factor "Integration with specialist" had lower reliability scores and noninvariance. For the remaining factors, internal consistency and invariance estimates were strong. The standardized cross-cultural validation procedure produced strong support for comparable psychometric characteristics of the Dutch and U.S. surveys. Future research should examine the usability of the proposed procedure for contexts with greater cultural differences. © Health Research and Educational Trust.
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Bullinger, Monika; Quitmann, Julia; Silva, Neuza; Rohenkohl, Anja; Chaplin, John E; DeBusk, Kendra; Mimoun, Emmanuelle; Feigerlova, Eva; Herdman, Michael; Sanz, Dolores; Wollmann, Hartmut; Pleil, Andreas; Power, Michael
2014-01-01
Testing cross-cultural equivalence of patient-reported outcomes requires sufficiently large samples per country, which is difficult to achieve in rare endocrine paediatric conditions. We describe a novel approach to cross-cultural testing of the Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth (QoLISSY) questionnaire in five countries by sequentially taking one country out (TOCO) from the total sample and iteratively comparing the resulting psychometric performance. Development of the QoLISSY proceeded from focus group discussions through pilot testing to field testing in 268 short-statured patients and their parents. To explore cross-cultural equivalence, the iterative TOCO technique was used to examine and compare the validity, reliability, and convergence of patient and parent responses on QoLISSY in the field test dataset, and to predict QoLISSY scores from clinical, socio-demographic and psychosocial variables. Validity and reliability indicators were satisfactory for each sample after iteratively omitting one country. Comparisons with the total sample revealed cross-cultural equivalence in internal consistency and construct validity for patients and parents, high inter-rater agreement and a substantial proportion of QoLISSY variance explained by predictors. The TOCO technique is a powerful method to overcome problems of country-specific testing of patient-reported outcome instruments. It provides an empirical support to QoLISSY's cross-cultural equivalence and is recommended for future research.
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Arnold, R; Ponnusamy, V; Zhang, C-Q; Gucciardi, D F
2017-08-01
Organizational stressors are a universal phenomenon which can be particularly prevalent and problematic for sport performers. In view of their global existence, it is surprising that no studies have examined cross-cultural differences in organizational stressors. One explanation for this is that the Organizational Stressor Indicator for Sport Performers (OSI-SP; Arnold, Fletcher, & Daniels, 2013), which can comprehensively measure the organizational pressures that sport performers have encountered, has not yet been translated from English into any other languages nor scrutinized cross-culturally. The first purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the cross-cultural validity of the OSI-SP. In addition, the study aimed to test the equivalence of the OSI-SP's factor structure across cultures. British (n = 379), Chinese (n = 335), and Malaysian (n = 444) sport performers completed the OSI-SP. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the cross-cultural validity of the factorial model for the British and Malaysian samples; however, the overall model fit for the Chinese data did not meet all guideline values. Support was provided for the equality of factor loadings, variances, and covariances on the OSI-SP across the British and Malaysian cultures. These findings advance knowledge and understanding on the cross-cultural existence, conceptualization, and operationalization of organizational stressors. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Integration and validation testing for PhEDEx, DBS and DAS with the PhEDEx LifeCycle agent
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Boeser, C.; Chwalek, T.; Giffels, M.; Kuznetsov, V.; Wildish, T.
2014-06-01
The ever-increasing amount of data handled by the CMS dataflow and workflow management tools poses new challenges for cross-validation among different systems within CMS experiment at LHC. To approach this problem we developed an integration test suite based on the LifeCycle agent, a tool originally conceived for stress-testing new releases of PhEDEx, the CMS data-placement tool. The LifeCycle agent provides a framework for customising the test workflow in arbitrary ways, and can scale to levels of activity well beyond those seen in normal running. This means we can run realistic performance tests at scales not likely to be seen by the experiment for some years, or with custom topologies to examine particular situations that may cause concern some time in the future. The LifeCycle agent has recently been enhanced to become a general purpose integration and validation testing tool for major CMS services. It allows cross-system integration tests of all three components to be performed in controlled environments, without interfering with production services. In this paper we discuss the design and implementation of the LifeCycle agent. We describe how it is used for small-scale debugging and validation tests, and how we extend that to large-scale tests of whole groups of sub-systems. We show how the LifeCycle agent can emulate the action of operators, physicists, or software agents external to the system under test, and how it can be scaled to large and complex systems.
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Karimi, Leila; Karanika-Murray, Maria; Meyer, Denny
2016-03-01
The main aim of this study was to examine the measurement invariance of the Work Organization Assessment Questionnaire (WOAQ) across genders in a group of health care employees, using bifactor modeling. There is a very limited research that uses invariance testing of bifactor models, despite their usefulness. Establishing validity of the WOAQ in this way is important for demonstrating its relevance for both men and women. A bifactor modeling procedure was used here to examine the validity of the WOAQ with a sample of 946 paramedics employed in a large Australian organization in the health care sector. The results of this study show that the WOAQ has good psychometric properties across genders in health care settings. In addition, there were significant mean differences between men and women in their perceptions of "quality of relationships with colleagues," and "reward and recognition." There were no differences between men and women in the remaining factors: "quality of relationships with the management," "quality of relationships with colleagues," and "quality of the physical environment." The use of bifactor modeling to establish the cross-validity of the WOAQ across male and female paramedics adds to evidence for the measure's good psychometric properties. The findings confirm those of previous research that has used higher order confirmatory factor analysis. Moreover, mean differences between men and women were found to be significant in two of the five WOAQ subscales. These findings have practical implications for health care organizations, in terms of assessing work characteristics and developing activities to support the health and well-being of their employees.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Li, Xiaowen; Janiga, Matthew A.; Wang, Shuguang; Tao, Wei-Kuo; Rowe, Angela; Xu, Weixin; Liu, Chuntao; Matsui, Toshihisa; Zhang, Chidong
2018-04-01
Evolution of precipitation structures are simulated and compared with radar observations for the November Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) event during the DYNAmics of the MJO (DYNAMO) field campaign. Three ground-based, ship-borne, and spaceborne precipitation radars and three cloud-resolving models (CRMs) driven by observed large-scale forcing are used to study precipitation structures at different locations over the central equatorial Indian Ocean. Convective strength is represented by 0-dBZ echo-top heights, and convective organization by contiguous 17-dBZ areas. The multi-radar and multi-model framework allows for more stringent model validations. The emphasis is on testing models' ability to simulate subtle differences observed at different radar sites when the MJO event passed through. The results show that CRMs forced by site-specific large-scale forcing can reproduce not only common features in cloud populations but also subtle variations observed by different radars. The comparisons also revealed common deficiencies in CRM simulations where they underestimate radar echo-top heights for the strongest convection within large, organized precipitation features. Cross validations with multiple radars and models also enable quantitative comparisons in CRM sensitivity studies using different large-scale forcing, microphysical schemes and parameters, resolutions, and domain sizes. In terms of radar echo-top height temporal variations, many model sensitivity tests have better correlations than radar/model comparisons, indicating robustness in model performance on this aspect. It is further shown that well-validated model simulations could be used to constrain uncertainties in observed echo-top heights when the low-resolution surveillance scanning strategy is used.
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[Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory: Argentine version].
Caldara, Betina; Asenzo, Adriana I; Brusotti Paglia, Gabriela; Ferreri, Eliana; Gomez, Ramiro S; Laiz, Mariela M; Luques, María L; Mangoni, Ana P; Marazzi, Carla; Matesa, María A; Peker, Guillermo; Pratto, Romina A; Quiroga, Cecilia E; Rapela, Laura; Ruiz, Vanesa R; Sanchez, Noelia; Taglioretti, Célide L; Tana, Andrés M; Zandstra, Ingrid V
2012-01-01
The Dizziness Handicap Inventory is a useful tool for quantifying self-perceived handicap in patients with vertigo, dizziness or unsteadiness and its impact on daily living activities. The Dizziness Handicap Inventory identifies functional, physical and emotional disorders related to balance disturbance. Our objective was to cross-culturally adapt the Peninsular Spanish version of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory for use in Argentina and validate the adapted Argentinian version. We included both healthy subjects and patients with vertigo, dizziness or unsteadiness, aged 18 to 85 years, native Spanish-speaking Argentinians. We introduced linguistic and cultural modifications to the Peninsular Spanish version to obtain the Argentinian one. This version was given twice to 108 patients, 24 to 72 h apart. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability and construct validity were assessed using a visual analogue scale, the Romberg test, the tandem Romberg test and the tandem gait test. We found high internal consistency (α=0.87) and very high test-retest reliability for the total Dizziness Handicap Inventory score (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.98) and its subscales. The total Dizziness Handicap Inventory and the functional subscale were found to correlate significantly with the Romberg and tandem Romberg tests. The emotional subscale showed a significant correlation with the Romberg test and the eyes-open tandem Romberg test (P<.05) The Argentinian version of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory proved to be a reliable and valid tool to quantify self-perceived handicap resulting from vertigo, dizziness or unsteadiness. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.
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Parenting styles and child behavior in African American families of preschool children.
Querido, Jane G; Warner, Tamara D; Eyberg, Sheila M
2002-06-01
Examined the relations between parenting styles and child behavior problems in African American preschool children. Participants were 108 African American female caregivers of 3- to 6-year-old children. Correlational analysis showed that parent-reported child behavior problems were associated with maternal education, family income, and parents' endorsement of authoritative parenting, authoritarian parenting, and permissive parenting. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the authoritative parenting style was most predictive of fewer child behavior problems. These results are consistent with previous findings with European American families and provide strong support for the cross-cultural validity of the authoritative parenting style.
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Preti, Antonio; Sheehan, David V; Coric, Vladimir; Distinto, Marco; Pitanti, Mirko; Vacca, Irene; Siddi, Alessandra; Masala, Carmelo; Petretto, Donatella Rita
2013-10-01
The Sheehan Suicidality Tracking Scale (S-STS) is a patient self-report or clinician-administered rating scale that tracks spontaneous and treatment-emergent suicidal ideation and behaviors. This study set out to evaluate the reliability, convergent and divergent validity of the S-STS in a sample of college students, a population with a high risk of completed and attempted suicide. Cross-sectional, survey design. Participants (303 undergraduate students; males: 42%) completed several measures assessing psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire; GHQ); self-esteem (Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale; RSES); social support (Modified Social Support Survey; MOSSS); and suicidal behavior, including ideation and attempts (S-STS). Both internal consistency and test-retest stability were excellent for the S-STS-global score. The S-STS subscale on suicide ideation also showed good reliability, while the subscale on suicidal behavior showed some inconsistency at retest. Convergent and divergent validity of S-STS was confirmed. All S-STS items loaded on a single factor, which had an excellent fit for the unidimensional model, thus justifying the use of the S-STS as a screening tool. In a mediation model, self-esteem and social support explained 45% of the effects of psychological distress on suicide ideation and behavior as measured by the S-STS-global score. This study provided promising evidence on the convergent, divergent, internal consistency and test-retest stability of the Sheehan Suicidality Tracking Scale. The cross-sectional design and lack of measures of hopelessness and helplessness prevent any conclusion about the links of suicidal behavior with self-esteem and social support. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Canine hip dysplasia is predictable by genotyping.
Guo, G; Zhou, Z; Wang, Y; Zhao, K; Zhu, L; Lust, G; Hunter, L; Friedenberg, S; Li, J; Zhang, Y; Harris, S; Jones, P; Sandler, J; Krotscheck, U; Todhunter, R; Zhang, Z
2011-04-01
To establish a predictive method using whole genome genotyping for early intervention in canine hip dysplasia (CHD) risk management, for the prevention of the progression of secondary osteoarthritis (OA), and for selective breeding. Two sets of dogs (six breeds) were genotyped with dense SNPs covering the entire canine genome. The first set contained 359 dogs upon which a predictive formula for genomic breeding value (GBV) was derived by using their estimated breeding value (EBV) of the Norberg angle (a measure of CHD) and their genotypes. To investigate how well the formula would work for an individual dog with genotype only (without using EBV), a cross validation was performed by masking the EBV of one dog at a time. The genomic data and the EBV of the remaining dogs were used to predict the GBV for the single dog that was left out. The second set of dogs included 38 new Labrador retriever dogs, which had no pedigree relationship to the dogs in the first set. The cross validation showed a strong correlation (R>0.7) between the EBV and the GBV. The independent validation showed a moderate correlation (R=0.5) between GBV for the Norberg angle and the observed Norberg angle (no EBV was available for the new 38 dogs). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the genomic data were all above 70%. Prediction of CHD from genomic data is feasible, and can be applied for risk management of CHD and early selection for genetic improvement to reduce the prevalence of CHD in breeding programs. The prediction can be implemented before maturity, at which age current radiographic screening programs are traditionally applied, and as soon as DNA is available. Copyright © 2010 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Dégano, Irene R; Subirana, Isaac; Torre, Marina; Grau, María; Vila, Joan; Fusco, Danilo; Kirchberger, Inge; Ferrières, Jean; Malmivaara, Antti; Azevedo, Ana; Meisinger, Christa; Bongard, Vanina; Farmakis, Dimitros; Davoli, Marina; Häkkinen, Unto; Araújo, Carla; Lekakis, John; Elosua, Roberto; Marrugat, Jaume
2015-03-01
Hospital performance models in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are useful to assess patient management. While models are available for individual countries, mainly US, cross-European performance models are lacking. Thus, we aimed to develop a system to benchmark European hospitals in AMI and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), based on predicted in-hospital mortality. We used the EURopean HOspital Benchmarking by Outcomes in ACS Processes (EURHOBOP) cohort to develop the models, which included 11,631 AMI patients and 8276 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients who underwent PCI. Models were validated with a cohort of 55,955 European ACS patients. Multilevel logistic regression was used to predict in-hospital mortality in European hospitals for AMI and PCI. Administrative and clinical models were constructed with patient- and hospital-level covariates, as well as hospital- and country-based random effects. Internal cross-validation and external validation showed good discrimination at the patient level and good calibration at the hospital level, based on the C-index (0.736-0.819) and the concordance correlation coefficient (55.4%-80.3%). Mortality ratios (MRs) showed excellent concordance between administrative and clinical models (97.5% for AMI and 91.6% for PCI). Exclusion of transfers and hospital stays ≤1day did not affect in-hospital mortality prediction in sensitivity analyses, as shown by MR concordance (80.9%-85.4%). Models were used to develop a benchmarking system to compare in-hospital mortality rates of European hospitals with similar characteristics. The developed system, based on the EURHOBOP models, is a simple and reliable tool to compare in-hospital mortality rates between European hospitals in AMI and PCI. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Lupi, Jaqueline Basilio; Carvalho de Abreu, Daniela Cristina; Ferreira, Mariana Candido; Oliveira, Renê Donizeti Ribeiro de; Chaves, Thais Cristina
2017-08-01
This study aimed to culturally adapt and validate the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) to Brazilian Portuguese, by the use of analysis of internal consistency, reliability, and construct and structural validity. A total of 100 female patients with fibromyalgia participated in the validation process of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the FIQR (FIQR-Br).The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used for statistical analysis of reliability (test-retest), Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency, Pearson's rank correlation for construct validity, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for structural validity. It was verified excellent levels of reliability, with ICC greater than 0.75 for all questions and domains of the FIQR-Br. For internal consistency, alpha values greater than 0.70 for the items and domains of the questionnaire were observed. Moderate (0.40 < r < 0.70) and strong (r > 0.70) correlations were observed for the scores of domains and total score between the FIQR-Br and FIQ-Br. The structure of the three domains of the FIQR-Br was confirmed by CFA. The results of this study suggest that that the FIQR-Br is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing fibromyalgia-related impact, and supports its use in clinical settings and research. The structure of the three domains of the FIQR-Br was also confirmed. Implications for Rehabilitation Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal disorder characterized by widespread and diffuse pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and depression. The disease significantly impairs patients' quality of life and can be highly disabling. To be used in multicenter research efforts, the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) must be cross-culturally validated and psychometrically tested. This paper will make available a new version of the FIQR-Br since another version already exists, but there are concerns about its measurement properties. The availability of an instrument adapted to and validated for Brazilian Portuguese may make it possible to reliably verify the effects of rehabilitation programs on disability from fibromyalgia. The FIQR-Br showed results comparable with other versions of the FIQR in other languages, thereby enabling comparison of effects of rehabilitation interventions on disability from fibromyalgia conducted in Brazil with results of studies carried out in other parts of the world.
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Creating and validating cis-regulatory maps of tissue-specific gene expression regulation
O'Connor, Timothy R.; Bailey, Timothy L.
2014-01-01
Predicting which genomic regions control the transcription of a given gene is a challenge. We present a novel computational approach for creating and validating maps that associate genomic regions (cis-regulatory modules–CRMs) with genes. The method infers regulatory relationships that explain gene expression observed in a test tissue using widely available genomic data for ‘other’ tissues. To predict the regulatory targets of a CRM, we use cross-tissue correlation between histone modifications present at the CRM and expression at genes within 1 Mbp of it. To validate cis-regulatory maps, we show that they yield more accurate models of gene expression than carefully constructed control maps. These gene expression models predict observed gene expression from transcription factor binding in the CRMs linked to that gene. We show that our maps are able to identify long-range regulatory interactions and improve substantially over maps linking genes and CRMs based on either the control maps or a ‘nearest neighbor’ heuristic. Our results also show that it is essential to include CRMs predicted in multiple tissues during map-building, that H3K27ac is the most informative histone modification, and that CAGE is the most informative measure of gene expression for creating cis-regulatory maps. PMID:25200088
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Tuomikoski, Anna-Maria; Ruotsalainen, Heidi; Mikkonen, Kristina; Miettunen, Jouko; Kääriäinen, Maria
2018-06-05
Mentors require competence at a diverse array of skills to mentor students during clinical practice. According to the latest evidence, competence at mentoring includes: knowledge, skills and attributes of individual students' learning objectives, core elements of nursing, learning processes, a reciprocal and trustful relationship, feedback, evaluation, cooperation with stakeholders, and the mentor's personal qualities. The purpose of the study was to test psychometric properties of a mentor's competence instrument developed to self-evaluate mentors' competence at mentoring nursing students in clinical practice. A cross-sectional, descriptive, explorative study design was used. Data were collected from mentors at five university hospitals in Finland in 2016. A total of 576 mentors participated in this study. The instrument was developed through systematic review, experts' evaluations, and pilot versions of the instrument tested in previous studies. The construct validity and reliability of the instrument were tested using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with promax rotation and Cronbach's alpha. A 10-factor model showed that the instrument has acceptable construct validity. Cronbach's alpha values for the subscales observed ranged from 0.76 to 0.90. The instrument exhibited acceptable psychometric properties, thereby proving itself a valuable tool for evaluating mentors' competence at mentoring students. Further assessments of its reliability, validity and generality for measuring mentor's competence for mentoring students in different contexts and cultures are recommended. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Budget Online Learning Algorithm for Least Squares SVM.
Jian, Ling; Shen, Shuqian; Li, Jundong; Liang, Xijun; Li, Lei
2017-09-01
Batch-mode least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) is often associated with unbounded number of support vectors (SVs'), making it unsuitable for applications involving large-scale streaming data. Limited-scale LSSVM, which allows efficient updating, seems to be a good solution to tackle this issue. In this paper, to train the limited-scale LSSVM dynamically, we present a budget online LSSVM (BOLSSVM) algorithm. Methodologically, by setting a fixed budget for SVs', we are able to update the LSSVM model according to the updated SVs' set dynamically without retraining from scratch. In particular, when a new small chunk of SVs' substitute for the old ones, the proposed algorithm employs a low rank correction technology and the Sherman-Morrison-Woodbury formula to compute the inverse of saddle point matrix derived from the LSSVM's Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) system, which, in turn, updates the LSSVM model efficiently. In this way, the proposed BOLSSVM algorithm is especially useful for online prediction tasks. Another merit of the proposed BOLSSVM is that it can be used for k -fold cross validation. Specifically, compared with batch-mode learning methods, the computational complexity of the proposed BOLSSVM method is significantly reduced from O(n 4 ) to O(n 3 ) for leave-one-out cross validation with n training samples. The experimental results of classification and regression on benchmark data sets and real-world applications show the validity and effectiveness of the proposed BOLSSVM algorithm.
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Bahl, Gautam; Cruite, Irene; Wolfson, Tanya; Gamst, Anthony C.; Collins, Julie M.; Chavez, Alyssa D.; Barakat, Fatma; Hassanein, Tarek; Sirlin, Claude B.
2016-01-01
Purpose To demonstrate a proof of concept that quantitative texture feature analysis of double contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can classify fibrosis noninvasively, using histology as a reference standard. Materials and Methods A Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved retrospective study of 68 patients with diffuse liver disease was performed at a tertiary liver center. All patients underwent double contrast-enhanced MRI, with histopathology-based staging of fibrosis obtained within 12 months of imaging. The MaZda software program was used to compute 279 texture parameters for each image. A statistical regularization technique, generalized linear model (GLM)-path, was used to develop a model based on texture features for dichotomous classification of fibrosis category (F ≤2 vs. F ≥3) of the 68 patients, with histology as the reference standard. The model's performance was assessed and cross-validated. There was no additional validation performed on an independent cohort. Results Cross-validated sensitivity, specificity, and total accuracy of the texture feature model in classifying fibrosis were 91.9%, 83.9%, and 88.2%, respectively. Conclusion This study shows proof of concept that accurate, noninvasive classification of liver fibrosis is possible by applying quantitative texture analysis to double contrast-enhanced MRI. Further studies are needed in independent cohorts of subjects. PMID:22851409
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Naghdi, Soofia; Ansari, Noureddin Nakhostin; Raji, Parvin; Shamili, Aryan; Amini, Malek; Hasson, Scott
2016-01-01
To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) into the Persian language and to test the reliability and validity of the Persian FIM (PFIM) in patients with stroke. In this cross-sectional study carried out in an outpatient stroke rehabilitation center, 40 patients with stroke (mean age 60 years) were participated. A standard forward-backward translation method and expert panel validation was followed to develop the PFIM. Two experienced occupational therapists (OTs) assessed the patients independently in all items of the PFIM in a single session for inter-rater reliability. One of the OTs reassessed the patients after 1 week for intra-rater reliability. There were no floor or ceiling effects for the PFIM. Excellent inter-rater and intra-rater reliability was noted for the PFIM total score, motor and cognitive subscales (ICC(agreement)0.88-0.98). According to the Bland-Altman agreement analysis, there was no systematic bias between raters and within raters. The internal consistency of the PFIM was with Cronbach's alpha from 0.70 to 0.96. The principal component analysis with varimax rotation indicated a three-factor structure: (1) self-care and mobility; (2) sphincter control and (3) cognitive that jointly accounted for 74.8% of the total variance. Construct validity was supported by a significant Pearson correlation between the PFIM and the Persian Barthel Index (r = 0.95; p < 0.001). The PFIM is a highly reliable and valid instrument for measuring functional status of Persian patients with stroke. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is an outcome measure for disability based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The FIM was cross-culturally adapted and validated into Persian language. The Persian version of the FIM (PFIM) is reliable and valid for assessing functional status of patients with stroke. The PFIM can be used in Persian speaking countries to assess the limitations in activities of daily living of patients with stroke.
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Goh, Rachel L Z; Kong, Yu Xiang George; McAlinden, Colm; Liu, John; Crowston, Jonathan G; Skalicky, Simon E
2018-01-01
To evaluate the use of smartphone-based virtual reality to objectively assess activity limitation in glaucoma. Cross-sectional study of 93 patients (54 mild, 22 moderate, 17 severe glaucoma). Sociodemographics, visual parameters, Glaucoma Activity Limitation-9 and Visual Function Questionnaire - Utility Index (VFQ-UI) were collected. Mean age was 67.4 ± 13.2 years; 52.7% were male; 65.6% were driving. A smartphone placed inside virtual reality goggles was used to administer the Virtual Reality Glaucoma Visual Function Test (VR-GVFT) to participants, consisting of three parts: stationary, moving ball, driving. Rasch analysis and classical validity tests were conducted to assess performance of VR-GVFT. Twenty-four of 28 stationary test items showed acceptable fit to the Rasch model (person separation 3.02, targeting 0). Eleven of 12 moving ball test items showed acceptable fit (person separation 3.05, targeting 0). No driving test items showed acceptable fit. Stationary test person scores showed good criterion validity, differentiating between glaucoma severity groups ( P = 0.014); modest convergence validity, with mild to moderate correlation with VFQ-UI, better eye (BE) mean deviation, BE pattern deviation, BE central scotoma, worse eye (WE) visual acuity, and contrast sensitivity (CS) in both eyes ( R = 0.243-0.381); and suboptimal divergent validity. Multivariate analysis showed that lower WE CS ( P = 0.044) and greater age ( P = 0.009) were associated with worse stationary test person scores. Smartphone-based virtual reality may be a portable objective simulation test of activity limitation related to glaucomatous visual loss. The use of simulated virtual environments could help better understand the activity limitations that affect patients with glaucoma.