Conduct Validation Studies Research Articles

The Effect of Financial Education on Increasing Financial Literacy

That financial literacy is part of economic literacy that is important to develop through educational activities. Financial literacy is very important especially for individuals because this financial aspect is a determinant in finding individual life needs. although there are still individuals who have not implemented good financial literacy in their lives. As is the case with students of SMK Negeri 1 Tugala Oyo which is one of the vocational schools in Tugala Oyo District, North Nias Regency. This study aims to determine how much influence Financial Education has on improving Financial Literacy at SMK N 1 Tugala Oyo, North Nias Regency. This study uses a quantitative method, respondents are students of SMK Negeri 1 Tugala Oyo as many as 65 people, where researchers collect data using questionnaires, then conduct validity studies, and data reliability tests, correlation coefficients, classical assumption tests (normality test, multicollinearity test, heteroscedasticity test), simple linear regression, coefficient of determination, and t-test. The results of the study showed that the influence of financial education on increasing financial literacy at SMK Negeri 1 Tugala Oyo was 22.4% and 77.6% was influenced by other factors that were not influenced by this study.

Microstate Analyses to Study face Processing in Healthy Individuals and Psychiatric Disorders: A Review of ERP Findings.

Microstates represent brief periods of quasi-stable electroencephalography (EEG) scalp topography, offering insights into dynamic fluctuations in event-related potential (ERP) topographies. Despite this, there is a lack of a comprehensive systematic overview of microstate findings concerning cognitive face processing. This review aims to summarize ERP findings on face processing using microstate analyses and assess their effectiveness in characterizing face-related neural representations. A literature search was conducted for microstate ERP studies involving healthy individuals and psychiatric populations, utilizing PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, PsychInfo, and Scopus databases. Twenty-two studies were identified, primarily focusing on healthy individuals (n = 16), with a smaller subset examining psychiatric populations (n = 6). The evidence reviewed in this study suggests that various microstates are consistently associated with distinct ERP stages involved in face processing, encompassing the processing of basic visual facial features to more complex functions such as analytical processing, facial recognition, and semantic representations. Furthermore, these studies shed light on atypical attentional neural mechanisms in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), facial recognition deficits among emotional dysregulation disorders, and encoding and semantic dysfunctions in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In conclusion, this review underscores the practical utility of ERP microstate analyses in investigating face processing. Methodologies have evolved towards greater automation and data-driven approaches over time. Future research should aim to forecast clinical outcomes and conduct validation studies to directly demonstrate the efficacy of such analyses in inverse space.

Comment on Functional landscape connectivity for a select few: Linkages do not consistently predict wildlife movement or occupancy. Autumn R. Iverson, David Waetjen, Fraser Shilling

Ecological connectivity is increasingly acknowledged as crucial for biodiversity conservation. Iverson et al. suggest that increasing stewardship to ensure permeability is a better approach than protecting linkages between protected areas. We argue that the optimal approach depends on the landscape context, conservation goals, and species involved and suggest that linkage plans can prioritize specific places for protection and improved management. However, when using connectivity models as predictive tools, model validation is vital. We commend Iverson et al. for assessing whether modeled linkages were important predictors of species presence. We disagree, though, with the authors’ conclusion that their findings challenge the theory and practice of modeling linkages and explain that the reason may be the misalignment of the validation assumptions with model objectives. We offer our perspective on best practices for conducting validation studies and note factors to consider with respect to data used for model validation and model expectations.

Artificial Intelligence in Dermatopathology: a systematic review.

Medical research, driven by advancing technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), is transforming healthcare. Dermatology, known for its visual nature, benefits from AI, especially in dermatopathology with digitized slides. This review explores into AI's role, challenges, opportunities, and future potential in enhancing dermatopathological diagnosis and care. Adhering to PRISMA and Cochrane Handbook standards, this systematic review explored AI's function in dermatopathology. It employed an interdisciplinary method, encompassing diverse study types and comprehensive database searches. Inclusion criteria encompassed peer-reviewed articles from 2000 to 2023, with a focus on practical AI use in dermatopathology. Numerous studies have investigated AI's potential in dermatopathology. We reviewed 112 papers. Notable applications include AI classifying histopathological images of nevi and melanomas, although challenges exist regarding subtype differentiation and generalizability. AI achieved high accuracy in melanoma recognition from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples but faced limitations due to small datasets. Deep learning algorithms showed diagnostic accuracy for specific skin conditions, but challenges persisted, such as small sample sizes and the need for prospective validation. This systematic review underscores AI's potential in enhancing dermatopathology for better diagnosis and patient care. Addressing challenges like limited datasets and potential biases is essential. Future directions involve expanding datasets, conducting validation studies, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and creating patient-centred AI tools to enhance dermatopathology's accuracy, accessibility, and patient-focused care.

Validated Tools Used to Assess Musculoskeletal Injuries in Dancers: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Dance is a physically demanding art form that often results in musculoskeletal injuries. To effectively treat these injuries, standardized and reliable assessment tools designed to the dancer's needs are required. Thus, the aim of this review is to identify studies that have employed validated tools to assess musculoskeletal injuries in ballet, modern, and contemporary dancers, focusing on describing the content and psychometric quality of the tools used. Methods: This systematic review is registered at PROSPERO (CRD42022306755). PubMed, Cochrane, LILACS, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus databases were searched by two independent reviewers. Articles assessing musculoskeletal injuries with validated tools in ballet, modern and/or contemporary dancers and written in English, Portuguese, or Spanish were included. Non-peer reviewed articles, books, conference abstracts, thesis/review articles, or case design studies were excluded. The original validation studies were compiled when necessary. Two independent reviewers conducted a standardized data extraction and evaluated the methodological quality using an adapted Downs and Black checklist. Results: From the 3933 studies screened, 172 were read to verify if they met the inclusion criteria, resulting in 37 studies included accounting for 16 unique validated tools. Two were imaging exams, one was an injury classification system, and 13 were self-reported injury questionnaires. Only four injury assessment tools were validated for dancers, emphasizing the need for further validation studies for the dance population. Most of the articles (57%) achieved high-quality methodological scores and the remaining (43%) reported medium-quality scores. Conclusions: Valid, reliable, and specific tools to assess dance injuries are lacking in general. For enhanced methodological rigor in future studies, the incorporation of validated tools is recommended to improve methodological quality and facilitate cross-study comparisons. Researchers may consider conducting validation studies, involving processes such as translation into another language, validation of modifications to the original tool, or reporting reliability within the article itself.

Invited commentary: five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred calories, how do you measure diet in a year?

Nearly 4 decades after its landmark validation study, researchers undertook a major comprehensive reevaluation of the semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Although it has evolved with trends in science and our expanding food environment, this FFQ has been administered continuously to over 250,000 US cohort participants for several decades and has contributed enormously to our understanding of the role long-term diet plays in health and disease across the lifespan. Nonetheless, it is critical that the field takes time to validate, recalibrate, and reassure researchers that the FFQ continues to generate useful estimates of dietary intake. There are persistent misconceptions among both nutritional epidemiologists and its critics about what the FFQ can and cannot measure that require regular re-education on the principles underlying FFQ development and validation. Thus, the carefully conducted validation study by Gu et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2024;193(1):170-179) provides an important benchmark for nutrition science, underscoring the continued value and utility that the FFQ brings to epidemiologic research.

Unraveling the genetic landscape of pulmonary arterial hypertension in Indian patients: A transcriptome study

BackgroundPulmonary hypertension (PH) is the abnormal elevation of pressure in the pulmonary vascular system, with various underlying causes. A specific type of PH is pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a severe condition characterized by high pulmonary arterial pressure resulting from structural changes in distal pulmonary vessels, altered arterial tone, and inflammation. This leads to right ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure. The molecular mechanisms behind PAH are not well understood. This manuscript aims to elucidate these mechanisms using the genetic tool, aiding in diagnosis and treatment selection. MethodIn our present study, we have obtained blood samples from both patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and healthy individuals. We conducted a comparative transcriptome analysis to identify genes that are either upregulated or downregulated in PAH patients when compared to the control group. Subsequently, we carried out a validation study focusing on the log2-fold downregulated genes in PAH, employing Quantitative Real-Time PCR for confirmation. Additionally, we quantified the proteins encoded by the validated genes using the ELISA technique. ResultsThe results of the transcriptome analysis revealed that 97 genes were significantly upregulated, and 6 genes were significantly downregulated. Among these, we chose to focus on and validate only four of the downregulated genes, as they were directly or indirectly associated with the hypertension pathway. We also conducted validation studies for the proteins encoded by these genes, and the results were consistent with those obtained in the transcriptome analysis. ConclusionIn conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that the four validated genes identified in the context of PAH can be further explored as potential targets for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Experiments with Combining LiDAR and Camera Data Acquired by UAS and Smartphone to Support Mapping

Abstract. Aerial mapping using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), such as the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise, has revolutionized photogrammetry, enabling efficient data capture for small-scale projects. The typical nadir perspective of UAS mapping, however, imposes limitations on capturing critical details of features due to its predominantly vertical viewpoint. Overcoming this challenge often requires manual, low-altitude flights by experienced UAS pilots to achieve high-angle oblique perspectives, unless gimbled camera mount is used. This study explores the integration of high oblique angle perspectives using the iPhone 15 Pro, which boasts advanced camera capabilities and an integrated LiDAR sensor, to complement UAS imagery. The iPhone 15 Pro's camera sensors provide a Ground Sampled Distance (GSD) comparable to UAS cameras, while its LiDAR sensor, with about five meters of range, enhances mapping capabilities by delivering accurate depth measurements in close range. By utilizing various georeferencing options for the imagery and LiDAR data from the iPhone 15 Pro with UAS nadir imagery, we can achieve a more comprehensive object space reconstruction, significantly improving the accuracy of geospatial mapping. Both the Mavic 3 Enterprise and the iPhone 15 Pro, though operating independently on their respective platforms, support Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) corrections, facilitating precise positioning for the entire system trajectory. Strategic placement and utilization of Ground Control Points (GCPs) aid in the georeferencing of the complete dataset, enhancing its overall accuracy. To validate the accuracy of the acquired data, checkpoints are established on-site. The positions derived from the integrated UAS and iPhone 15 Pro data are compared against these checkpoints to quantify the accuracy and reliability of the data. Additionally, Post-Processed Kinematic (PPK) techniques are employed to validate the trajectories of all data collection systems, ensuring the reliability of the acquired data, especially in instances where RTK corrections may be lacking. In summary, this research showcases comprehensive, multi-dimensional geospatial datasets by conducting validation studies that assess the accuracy and reliability of georeferenced datasets against known ground truth checkpoints. Such validation studies are crucial for identifying gaps in current methodologies and suggesting areas for improvement, thereby aiming to enhance the quality and accuracy of geospatial mapping applications. Through the integration of UAS and smartphone mapping, complemented by rigorous validation efforts, we aspire to achieve improved geospatial mapping accuracy.

Abstract 6830: Xenium in situ analysis and reproducibility study of multiple carcinomas for clinical studies

Abstract 10x Genomics’ Xenium is the newest in situ spatial transcriptomics platform offering sub-cellular resolution in frozen and FFPE tissue sections for a deeper study of cellular mechanisms and interactions. Mapping RNA targets at high specificity with fully customizable assays and quick workflow, it uses rolling circle amplification and interpretation-ready data is available immediately after the run. At BioChain Institute, Inc. (BioChain), we are conducting validation studies for reproducibility of results with the Xenium platform using BioChain’s oncology biospecimen.FFPE tissues from BioChain’s repository were screened by our pathologist for tumor content above 30%. Four carcinoma tissues from Breast, Colon, Lung, and Kidney with high DV200 scores were selected. An array was constructed with these tissues to fit the Xenium slide’s imageable area. Two serial sections were used for the Xenium run per 10x Genomics’ protocol. The Off-the-shelf Human Multi-Tissue and Cancer Panel was used for targeting 377 genes. H&E staining and imaging was performed, and the image was integrated with the data on the Xenium platform. The results were found to be reproducible between two different operators. For example, in the breast section, over 96,000 cells were detected and median transcripts per cell were 70 in both the runs. There were 20 clusters representing different cell types/states, 99% transcripts were within cells, and ~85% of the transcripts were found to be high quality. Furthermore, we are analyzing the expression of unique tumor type and immune transcripts to map the heterogeneity of the tissues, as well as sensitivity, and standard deviation between the runs. The Xenium platform is a powerful tool for the sub-cellular spatial transcriptomics study of tissues with targeted gene panels. However, one of the four tissues used here failed to show enough transcripts. Further investigation is underway to examine the issue and conclude best practices thereafter. Our future studies will include accuracy and concordance validation with Xenium run on different days and Visium whole transcriptome assay post- Xenium. Citation Format: Elim Cheung, Baowen Zhang, Lutong Zhang, Tong Lu, Rikita Gakhar, Vidyodhaya Sundaram. Xenium in situ analysis and reproducibility study of multiple carcinomas for clinical studies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 6830.

Validity of Routine Health Data To Identify Safety Outcomes of Interest For Covid-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics in the Context of the Emerging Pandemic: A Comprehensive Literature Review.

Regulatory guidance encourages transparent reporting of information on the quality and validity of electronic health record data being used to generate real-world benefit-risk evidence for vaccines and therapeutics. We aimed to provide an overview of the availability of validated diagnostic algorithms for selected safety endpoints for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and therapeutics in the context of the emerging pandemic prior to December 2020. We reviewed the literature up to December 2020 to identify validation studies for various safety events of interest, including myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, myocarditis, acute cardiac injury, vasculitis/vasculopathy, venous thromboembolism, stroke, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), pneumonitis, cytokine release syndrome (CRS), multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and renal failure. We included studies published between 2015 and 2020 that were considered high quality assessed with QUADAS and that reported positive predictive values (PPVs). Out of 43 identified studies, we found that diagnostic algorithms for cardiovascular outcomes were supported by the highest number of validation studies (n=17). Accurate algorithms are available for myocardial infarction (median PPV 80%; IQR 22%), arrhythmia (PPV range >70%), venous thromboembolism (median PPV: 73%) and ischaemic stroke (PPV range ≥85%). We found a lack of validation studies for less common respiratory and cardiac safety outcomes of interest (eg, pneumonitis and myocarditis), as well as for COVID-specific complications (CRS, RDS). There is a need for better understanding of barriers to conducting validation studies, including data governance restrictions. Regulatory guidance should promote embedding validation within real-world EHR research used for decision-making.

Development and validation of a rabbit model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa non-ventilated pneumonia for preclinical drug development.

New drugs targeting antimicrobial resistant pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, have been challenging to evaluate in clinical trials, particularly for the non-ventilated hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia indications. Development of new antibacterial drugs is facilitated by preclinical animal models that could predict clinical efficacy in patients with these infections. We report here an FDA-funded study to develop a rabbit model of non-ventilated pneumonia with Pseudomonas aeruginosa by determining the extent to which the natural history of animal disease reproduced human pathophysiology and conducting validation studies to evaluate whether humanized dosing regimens of two antibiotics, meropenem and tobramycin, can halt or reverse disease progression. In a rabbit model of non-ventilated pneumonia, endobronchial challenge with live P. aeruginosa strain 6206, but not with UV-killed Pa6206, caused acute respiratory distress syndrome, as evidenced by acute lung inflammation, pulmonary edema, hemorrhage, severe hypoxemia, hyperlactatemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and hypoglycemia, which preceded respiratory failure and death. Pa6206 increased >100-fold in the lungs and then disseminated from there to infect distal organs, including spleen and kidneys. At 5h post-infection, 67% of Pa6206-challenged rabbits had PaO2 <60 mmHg, corresponding to a clinical cut-off when oxygen therapy would be required. When administered at 5h post-infection, humanized dosing regimens of tobramycin and meropenem reduced mortality to 17-33%, compared to 100% for saline-treated rabbits (P<0.001 by log-rank tests). For meropenem which exhibits time-dependent bactericidal activity, rabbits treated with a humanized meropenem dosing regimen of 80 mg/kg q2h for 24h achieved 100% T>MIC, resulting in 75% microbiological clearance rate of Pa6206 from the lungs. For tobramycin which exhibits concentration-dependent killing, rabbits treated with a humanized tobramycin dosing regimen of 8 mg/kg q8h for 24h achieved Cmax/MIC of 9.8 ± 1.4 at 60min post-dose, resulting in 50% lung microbiological clearance rate. In contrast, rabbits treated with a single tobramycin dose of 2.5 mg/kg had Cmax/MIC of 7.8 ± 0.8 and 8% (1/12) microbiological clearance rate, indicating that this rabbit model can detect dose-response effects. The rabbit model may be used to help predict clinical efficacy of new antibacterial drugs for the treatment of non-ventilated P. aeruginosa pneumonia.

Single‐nuclei transcriptomic identifies type‐specific neuronal cell vulnerability and non‐neuronal molecular changes in Amnestic and Logopenic Variant Primary Progressive Aphasia Alzheimer’s disease

AbstractBackgroundIndividuals with neuropathological criteria for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may manifest with atypical clinical syndromes. Past work showed that the neurobiological basis for these differences is related to specific neuronal vulnerabilities for tau pathology. For instance, amnestic cases have a higher burden of neurofibrillary changes in CA1. In contrast, logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA) cases have a higher tau burden in the superior temporal gyrus (STG). Single‐cell technology enables investigations on the molecular basis of differential neuronal vulnerability in AD. Therefore, we investigated factors underlying selective vulnerability using brain samples from individuals with pure AD with different clinical manifestations.MethodsnRNA Sequencing using the Chromium Single Cell 3′ (10X Genomics, USA) on nuclei cells extracted from the CA1 sector and posterior STG of postmortem brain tissue of 24 individuals either meeting pathological criteria for AD (A3B3C3; 12 amnestic and eight lvPPA) and healthy controls (A≤1B≤1C≤1; n = 4) (Table 1, Fig. 1A/B). Bioinformatics analyses were conducted using Cell Ranger and R software. Comparisons between cell subpopulations were conducted with Wald statistical test, and p‐values &lt; .05 were considered significant.ResultAfter quality control, we recovered 98,180 nuclei with a mean of 2,130 genes per nuclei. Upon cross‐sample alignment and t‐stochastic neighborhood embedding clustering (Fig. 1C), we found 21 excitatory neuronal subpopulations (Exc‐sub) in CA1 and 26 in STG, and 22 and 27 inhibitory neuronal subpopulations (Inh‐sub) in CA1 and STG, respectively; 16 astrocytes subpopulations in both areas and 20 microglia subpopulations in CA1 and 17 in STG (Fig. 2). One STG Exc‐sub, expressing CUX2 and LAMP5 genes showed vulnerability in lvPPA patients. Also, one STG Inh‐sub, expressing the ADARB2 gene, showed vulnerability for all AD patients. Furthermore, two astrocytes subpopulations (one in both areas and one in STG) and three STG microglia subpopulations showed proportional composition changes comparing AD patients and HC.ConclusionOur preliminary study identified a vulnerable population of excitatory neurons related to lvPPA. We are conducting validation studies using quantitative pathology to confirm these results. Furthermore, analysis of a higher number of cases is ongoing and will continue to inform on factors associated with neuronal vulnerability.

Measurement Efficiency for Technology‐Enhanced and Multiple‐Choice Items in a K–12 Mathematics Accountability Assessment

AbstractThe increasing use of computerization in the testing industry and the need for items potentially measuring higher‐order skills have led educational measurement communities to develop technology‐enhanced (TE) items and conduct validity studies on the use of TE items. Parallel to this goal, the purpose of this study was to collect validity evidence comparing item information functions, expected information values, and measurement efficiencies (item information per time unit) between multiple‐choice (MC) and technology‐enhanced (TE) items. The data came from K–12 mathematics large‐scale accountability assessments. The study results were mainly interpreted descriptively, and the presence of specific patterns between MC and TE items was examined across grades and depth of knowledge levels. Although many earlier researchers pointed out that TE items were not as efficient as MC items, the results from the study point to ways that TE items might provide more information and were more than or equally efficient as MC items overall.

See "through the front line": reliability of questionnaires in wartime

Diagnosis and screening of individuals, both civilian and military, is typically done through a clinical interview and\or self-report questionnaires. This information is used to adjust treatment strategies, psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions, and to predict the patient's condition. In modern science, methods that have been shown to be effective and have satisfactory test validity and reliability are considered the gold standard for testing. Adhering to this standard ensures that the tool being used is performing its intended functions to a certain degree of quality providing decent results. Many Ukrainian studies are based on methods that were adapted or created during the era of the Soviet Union and have not been reviewed since. On the other hand, we have methods that were translated from another languages without going through the proper adaptation process. These questionnaires are used in a clinical practice too, by psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists. Moreover, there is no known or open data about the performance of these tests amid the war, both in original and in translated versions.&#x0D; The aim of this article was to explore the reliability of the most frequently used screening tools. The study took place in one of the rehabilitation center in Kyiv, Ukraine. Overall, 28 participants joined, all of whom were soldiers who are currently enrolled in the Armed forces of Ukraine. Measurements were taken 3 times with a one week gaps. GAD-7 and STAI (modified by Hanin) were used to screen anxiety, PCL-5 for PTSD screening and ISI helped us to determine sleep problems. The GAD-7, ISI, and PCL-5 questionnaires, in the versions we tested, demonstrated more than satisfactory levels of reliability and are recommended by the authors for use in clinical conditions and for screening soldiers in the armed forces. The STAI, on the other hand, showed unsatisfactory indicators and is not recommended for use in screening procedures or for research purposes. In conclusion, it is recommended that Ukrainian researchers adopt international methods properly, conducting validation studies adhering to so-called “golden standards”.

Методы генотипирования крупного рогатого скота для post-GWAS аннотирования SNPs

Abstract. Genome-wide association analysis is one of the key tools for elucidating the genetic etiology of various phenotypes, including diseases and the degree of predisposition to them. Subsequently, for statistically significant genetic markers, it is necessary to conduct validation studies on independent cohorts. These post-GWAS validation studies test genetic markers that are strongly associated with the phenotype, regardless of sample size, allowing to identify false-positive results from the initial association analysis. When choosing a genotyping technique for post-GWAS validation studies, consideration should be given to the sample size and the number of genetic markers planned to be studied, since genotyping techniques differ in throughput und cost. The aim of this paper is to describe modern methods of genotyping depending on their performance and to carry out genotyping of cattle for the SNPs rs137396952 and rs134055603, for which a high degree of association with the development of ketosis was shown in previous GWAS studies. Utilized genotyping methods include TaqMan and High-Resolution Melt Analysis; genotype analysis was performed using the SNPStats web tool. When comparing the results of genotyping using these technologies, the specifity of allelic discrimination carried out using these methods was demonstrated. Testing of the genotyping results had shown that rs134055603 does not obey the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the studied cohort of animals. Scientific novelty. Obtained genotyping results will be used in further association tests with physiologically valuable parameters of dairy cattle, including resistance to diseases.

Barotolerance of Acid-adapted and Cold-adapted Bacterial Isolates of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and L. monocytogenes in an Acidic Buffer Model

The fruit and vegetable juice industry has shown a growing trend in minimally processed juices. A frequent technology used in the production of functional juices is cold pressure, which refers to the application of high pressure processing (HPP) at low temperatures to inactivate foodborne pathogens. HPP juice manufacturers are required to demonstrate a 5-log reduction of the pertinent microorganism to comply with FDA Juice HACCP. However, there is no consensus on validation study approaches for bacterial strain selection or their preparation. Individual bacterial strains were grown using three different growth conditions: neutral, cold-adapted, and acid-adapted. Approximately 6.0–7.0 log CFU/mL of the matrix-adapted bacterial strains were inoculated individually into buffered peptone water (BPW) at pH 3.50 ± 0.10 (HCl adjusted) and treated at sublethal pressures of 500 MPa for Escherichia coli O157:H7 and 200 MPa for Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes (180 s, 4°C). Analyses were conducted at 0, 24, and 48 h (4°C storage) post-HPP on nonselective media. E. coli O157:H7 exhibited greater barotolerance than Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes. In neutral growth conditions, E. coli O157:H7 strain TW14359 demonstrated the greatest resistance (2.94 ± 0.64 log reduction), and E. coli O157:H7 strain SEA13B88 was significantly more sensitive (P < 0.05). Salmonella isolates, neutral and acid-adapted, expressed similar barotolerance to one another. Cold-adapted S. Cubana and S. Montevideo showed greater resistance compared to other cold-adapted strains. Acid-adapted L. monocytogenes strain MAD328 had <1.00 ± 0.23 log reduction while acid-adapted L. monocytogenes strains CDC and Scott A were significantly more sensitive (P < 0.05) with reductions of 2.13 ± 0.48 and 3.43 ± 0.50 log CFU/mL, respectively. These results suggested, under the conditions tested, bacterial strain and preparation methods influence HPP efficacy and should be considered when conducting validation studies.

Disagreements in physical activity monitor validation study guidelines create challenges in conducting validity studies.

Disagreements in physical activity monitor validation study guidelines create challenges in conducting validity studies.

Investigating and Developing a Practical Domestic-Medication System of Public Health for Chinese Family.

(1) Background: The main research aim of this paper is to investigate the commonly stocked medicines in Chinese households. Firstly, a large number of questionnaires were collected to uncover the problem: most Chinese families have the habit of stocking their family medicine boxes. However, there is a lack of a standardized, systematic, and scientific list of household medicine stockpiles. As a result, there are major problems in stocking medicines in households: (1) There is little connection between the type and quantity of medicines stocked and real life; (2) The expiration date of medicines leads to misuse and waste of medicines; (3) The existing list of medicines can provide little help. (2) Methods: The preliminary drug stock list was summarized through case studies; the authenticity of the questions and the credibility of the list were verified through interviews; the number of different types of drugs and the relationship between the resident's perception of the importance of drugs and their frequency of use was determined through questionnaires; the authenticity of the list was verified through interviews with senior doctors. (3) Results: We finally composed a scientific and practical list of common household medicines, developed a practical domestic-medication system for Chinese families, and conducted validation studies, which received the approval of senior doctors. (4) Conclusions: (1) Chinese families need to prepare medicines according to the actual composition of the family; (2) Chinese families need a scientific and systematic list of commonly prepared medicines; and (3) in addition to the types of medicines, it is also necessary to consider the number of individual types of medicines to be stocked.

Validation of automated scoring for learning progression-aligned Next Generation Science Standards performance assessments

IntroductionThe Framework for K-12 Science Education promotes supporting the development of knowledge application skills along previously validated learning progressions (LPs). Effective assessment of knowledge application requires LP-aligned constructed-response (CR) assessments. But these assessments are time-consuming and expensive to score and provide feedback for. As part of artificial intelligence, machine learning (ML) presents an invaluable tool for conducting validation studies and providing immediate feedback. To fully evaluate the validity of machine-based scores, it is important to investigate human-machine score consistency beyond observed scores. Importantly, no formal studies have explored the nature of disagreements between human and machine-assigned scores as related to LP levels.MethodsWe used quantitative and qualitative approaches to investigate the nature of disagreements among human and scores generated by two approaches to machine learning using a previously validated assessment instrument aligned to LP for scientific argumentation.ResultsWe applied quantitative approaches, including agreement measures, confirmatory factor analysis, and generalizability studies, to identify items that represent threats to validity for different machine scoring approaches. This analysis allowed us to determine specific elements of argumentation practice at each level of the LP that are associated with a higher percentage of misscores by each of the scoring approaches. We further used qualitative analysis of the items identified by quantitative methods to examine the consistency between the misscores, the scoring rubrics, and student responses. We found that rubrics that require interpretation by human coders and items which target more sophisticated argumentation practice present the greatest threats to the validity of machine scores.DiscussionWe use this information to construct a fine-grained validity argument for machine scores, which is an important piece because it provides insights for improving the design of LP-aligned assessments and artificial intelligence-enabled scoring of those assessments.

Developing a reference standard for pertussis by applying a stratified sampling strategy to electronic medical record data

Pertussis surveillance remains essential in Canada, but ascertainment bias limits the accuracy of surveillance data. Introducing other sources to improve detection has highlighted the importance of validation. However, challenges arise due to low prevalence, and oversampling suspected cases can introduce partial verification bias. The aim of this study was to build a reference standard for pertussis validation studies that provides adequate analytic precision and minimizes bias. We used a stratified strategy to sample the reference standard from a primary care electronic medical record cohort. We incorporated abstractor notes into definite, possible, ruled-out, and no mention of pertussis classifications which were based on surveillance case definitions. We abstracted eight hundred records from the cohort of 404,922. There were 208 (26%) definite and 261 (32.6%) possible prevalent pertussis cases. Classifications demonstrated a wide variety of case severities. Abstraction reliability was moderate to substantial based on Cohen's kappa and raw percent agreement. When conducting validation studies for pertussis and other low prevalence diseases, this stratified sampling strategy can be used to develop a reference standard using limited resources. This approach mitigates verification and spectrum bias while providing sufficient precision and incorporating a range of case severities.