The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) Generic-30 (Rehabilitation) Set is a tool used to assess the functioning of a clinical population in rehabilitation. The ...ICF Generic-30 consists of nine ICF categories from the component "body functions" and 21 from the component "activities and participation". This study aimed to develop a rating reference guide for the nine body function categories of the ICF Generic-30 Set using a predefined, structured process and to examine the interrater reliability of the ratings using the rating reference guide.
The development of the first version of the rating reference guide involved the following steps: (1) a trial of rating patients by several raters; (2) cognitive interviews with each rater to analyze the thought process involved in each rating; (3) the drafting of the rating reference guide by a multidisciplinary panel; and (4) a review by ICF specialists to confirm consistency with the ICF. Subsequently, we conducted a first field test to gain insight into the use of the guide in practice. The reference guide was modified based on the raters' feedback in the field test, and an inter-rater reliability test was conducted thereafter. Interrater agreement was evaluated using weighted kappa statistics with linear weights.
The first version of the rating reference guide was successfully developed and tested. The weighted kappa coefficient in the field testing ranged from 0.25 to 0.92. The interrater reliability testing of the rating reference guide modified based on the field test results yielded an improved weighted kappa coefficient ranging from 0.53 to 0.78. Relative improvements in the weighted kappa coefficients were observed in seven out of the nine categories. Consequently, seven out of nine categories were found to have a weighted kappa coefficient of 0.61 or higher.
In this study, we developed and modified a rating reference guide for the body function categories of the ICF Generic-30 Set. The interrater reliability test using the final version of the rating reference guide showed moderate to substantial interrater agreement, which encouraged the use of the ICF in rehabilitation practice.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
No studies have evaluated both the time-to-isolation (TTI) and the sequence of pulmonary vein (PV) potentials in cryoballoon ablation (CBA) for atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to ...prospectively evaluate the acute results of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using a novel CBA technique—the earliest potential (EP) of PV-guided CBA—in paroxysmal AF. We pressed a balloon against the earliest PV potential site during PVI when TTI could not be achieved within 60 s (EP-guided CBA group). We compared 32 patients consecutively treated by EP-guided CBA to 32 patients treated without pressing the balloon against the EP site (conventional CBA group). The cryoapplication protocol was the same, except with regard to the pressing of the balloon. All 256 PVs (EP-guided CBA group, 128 PVs; conventional CBA group, 128 PVs) were isolated successfully. The TTI observation rate was similar in both groups. Compared with conventional CBA, EP-guided CBA was associated with a lower non-success rate of TTI ≤ 90 s (9% vs. 26%;
P
= 0.040) and shorter left atrial dwell time (38 ± 9 vs. 46 ± 19 min;
P
= 0.036), total procedure time (76 ± 15 vs. 87 ± 23 min;
P
= 0.043), and fluoroscopy time (23 ± 8 vs. 30 ± 11 min;
P
= 0.006). This novel EP-guided CBA approach may help facilitate the ablation procedure.
•A home environment checklist (HEC) was developed as a simple screening tool to evaluate the mismatch between functioning ability and the home environment.•Inter-rater reliability of the HEC was ...substantial to excellent.•Rasch analysis provided evidence for the construct validity of the HEC.•The HEC reflects the restriction of daily activities in the given environment.
Modification of the home environment, together with rehabilitative interventions, is important for maximizing the level of functioning after an individual with disability undergoes rehabilitation in the hospital.
We developed a simple screening scale – the home environment checklist (HEC) – to identify any mismatch between an individual's abilities and their home environment to help clinicians monitor the appropriateness of the home environment to which individuals with disability will be discharged. We also examined the psychometric properties of the HEC.
The HEC was developed by a multidisciplinary panel of rehabilitation experts using information routinely collected in rehabilitation clinics before discharge. The reliability of the checklist was assessed in 60 individuals undergoing rehabilitation. The inter-rater agreement and internal consistency of the scale were assessed by weighted kappa statistics and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. Rasch analysis was performed with 244 rehabilitation individuals to evaluate the internal construct validity, and the known-groups validity was confirmed by a comparison of the daily activity levels of 30 individuals with disabilities under rehabilitation to the HEC score.
The HEC was developed as a simple, 10-item checklist. The weighted kappa statistics ranged from 0.73 to 0.93, indicating excellent inter-rater reliability. Cronbach's alpha was 0.92, indicating high internal consistency. Rasch analysis with a testlet approach on 3 subscales demonstrated a good fit with the Rasch model (χ2=13.2, P=0.153), and the demonstrated unidimensionality and absence of differential item functioning supported the internal construct validity of the HEC. HEC scores were significantly different (P<.01) among individuals with disability and 3 levels of restrictions in their activities (no limitation, home-bound, and bed-bound), which demonstrates the known-groups validity of the HEC.
The HEC has good reliability and validity, which supports its utility in rehabilitation clinics.
Potassium niobate (KNbO
3) crystals were grown in a platinum crucible by directional solidification from stoichiometric starting materials. The solidified boules were approximately 10
mm in diameter ...by 50
mm in length. It was confirmed that KNbO
3 melts incongruently, so that the initial, intermediate and final regions of the boules consisted, respectively, of a mixture of K
4Nb
6O
17 and KNbO
3, pure KNbO
3, and a mixture of KNbO
3, K
2CO
3 and K
8Nb
6O
19. The KNbO
3 crystals in the intermediate region were polycrystalline with a grain size of several millimeters, and the crystal colorations changed from pale red, through milk white to blue with increasing K concentration in the melt. It was concluded that differences in the lattice parameters and the transition temperatures between the pale red, milk white and blue KNbO
3 crystals resulted from the existence of non-stoichiometry in KNbO
3.
The effect of solvent and feed rod composition on optical and electrical properties of KNbO3 crystals grown by the traveling solvent floating zone (TSFZ) method was studied. As-grown crystals were ...crack-free, blue, semiconductive and had a multidomain structure. Optical transmission decreased with increasing K content in the solvent and feed rod, while the absorption edge remained unchanged at 380 nm. Two discontinuities of electrical conductivity over the range from RT to 500 C were observed. These transition temperatures decreased with increasing K content, whereas the activation energy over the range from RT to 100 C remained unchanged at 0.2 eV. 9 refs.
Single crystals of potassium niobate (KNbO
3
) were grown by the vertical Bridgman method. The crystal was cut into 3 × 3 × 0.7 mm
3
plates, and dielectric constants and resonance characteristics ...were observed as a function of the magnitude of the electric field used in the poling treatment. With 001
pc
poled crystal, which stands for 001 direction in pseudocubic crystal lattice, no large change in properties resulted even if the electric field was changed. However, with 101
pc
poled crystal, a reduction in the dielectric constant, a shift to a higher resonance frequency, and an increase in the phase angle in the inductive reactance region were observed when the electric field became larger than approximately 70 V/mm. These results can be systematically explained by the relative directions of the dipole moment and the electric field, and the resulting movement.
Sphingolipids constitute a class of bio‐reactive molecules that transmit signals and exhibit a variety of physical properties in various cell types, though their functions in cancer pathogenesis have ...yet to be elucidated. Analyses of gene expression profiles of clinical specimens and a panel of cell lines revealed that the ceramide synthase gene CERS6 was overexpressed in non–small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues, while elevated expression was shown to be associated with poor prognosis and lymph node metastasis. NSCLC profile and in vitro luciferase analysis results suggested that CERS6 overexpression is promoted, at least in part, by reduced miR‐101 expression. Under a reduced CERS6 expression condition, the ceramide profile became altered, which was determined to be associated with decreased cell migration and invasion activities in vitro. Furthermore, CERS6 knockdown suppressed RAC1‐positive lamellipodia/ruffling formation and attenuated lung metastasis efficiency in mice, while forced expression of CERS6 resulted in an opposite phenotype in examined cell lines. Based on these findings, we consider that ceramide synthesis by CERS6 has important roles in lung cancer migration and metastasis.
Objectives Real-world evidence on the safety and effectiveness of direct-acting antivirals in patients infected with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes (GTs) 3, 4, 5, or 6 in Japan is limited. ...This prospective observational study assesses the real-world safety profile and treatment effectiveness among patients prescribed sofosbuvir with ribavirin (SOF+RBV) for HCV GT3-6 infection in Japan. Methods Adults receiving 24-week SOF+RBV treatment for HCV GT3-6 infection were prospectively enrolled and observed through 24 weeks post-treatment for treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) considered related to SOF and/or RBV by treating physicians and for a sustained virologic response at 12 and 24 weeks post-treatment (SVR12, SVR24). Incidence rates of related AEs and serious AEs (SAEs) were calculated. Proportions of patients experiencing related AEs/SAEs and those achieving SVR12 and SVR24 were assessed overall and by baseline characteristics, including treatment experience and cirrhosis status. Results Among the 50 patients included in the safety analysis, 92% had GT3 infection. The incidence rates of related AEs and SAEs were low overall (1.52 and 0.25 per 100 person-weeks, respectively), with 6.0% and 14.0% patients experiencing AEs related to SOF or RBV, respectively. There were no marked differences in the occurrence of related AEs/SAEs by patient baseline characteristics. SVR12 and SVR24 were achieved in 83.7% (41/49) and 82.2% (37/45) of patients, respectively. Lower effectiveness was observed among treatment-experienced patients and patients with cirrhosis at baseline. Conclusion This study demonstrated that SOF+RBV treatment for HCV GT3-6 infection was safe, effective, and an important treatment option for this difficult-to-treat patient population in Japan.
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