External Reliability Research Articles

Psychometric Properties of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Self-Efficacy Questionnaire in Heart Failure Patients: A Cross Sectional Study Using Health Action Process Approach Perspective.

The present study aimed to develop and psychometrically evaluate the exercise self-efficacy tool within the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) framework among heart failure patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. This study assessed 205 patients who had suffered heart attacks at the Shahid Chamran Cardiac Rehabilitation Center of Isfahan. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to evaluate the construct. Internal reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha. Additionally, external reliability was measured through a test-retest approach. EFA identified four factors within the self-efficacy questions (task self-efficacy 1, task self-efficacy 2, coping self-efficacy, and recovery self-efficacy), which accounted for 70.1% of the total variance explained. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients were as follows: 0.836 for the first factor, 0.896 for the second factor, 0.921 for the third factor, 0.914 for the fourth factor, and 0.9 for the overall instrument. The intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.901 for the first factor, 0.887 for the second factor, 0.826 for the third factor, and 0.885 for the fourth factor. The cardiac rehabilitation self-efficacy questionnaire exhibited high validity, reliability, and desirable item commonalities. Therefore, it can be effectively employed in pertinent HAPA-based studies involving heart failure patients.

Reliability and economic evaluation of energy storage as backup and load regulation power supply in data centers

AbstractThe battery energy storage system (BESS) combines backup and load regulation functions, making it a potential alternative to the diesel generator (DG) as the backup power source for data centers. Some studies have been conducted on the reliability and cost–benefit of equipping data centers with BESS, but the impact of the reliability of external utility power and the expected outage losses have not been considered. Therefore, this study established a power supply reliability model that included the external utility power reliability and the electrical equipment reliability, and a cost–benefit model that took into account the BESS construction and replacement cost, the outage loss reduction, and the load regulation benefits. A case study was conducted on a data center in Beijing. The results indicate that: (a) the reliability and cost–benefit of BESS significantly vary with the reliability of the external utility power; (b) based on the 2022 utility power reliability data from various regions in China, in over 48% of the regions, the objective function value of BESS, the annual net income considering power outage losses, and the investment payback period are all superior to those of DG; and in over 27% of regions, the BESS–DG parallel system can serve as a suboptimal alternative to DG; (c) in regions with reliable utility power, BESS exhibits the potential as a feasible substitute for DG in providing backup and load regulation power to data centers.

Development, assessment and validation of a novel nomogram model for predicting stroke mimics in stroke center：A single-center observational study

BackgroundEarly recognition and prediction of stroke mimics (SM) can avoid inappropriate recanalization therapy and delay in the management of SM etiology. The purpose of this study is to screen the predictors for SM and develop a novel predictive nomogram model for predicting SM. Meanwhile, the diagnostic performance of the nomogram model was evaluated and validated. The diagnostic efficacy of the nomogram model was also compared with four other SM structured scales. MethodsThe clinical data of eligible patients were retrospectively enrolled as training datasets from January 2020 to December 2021; and the clinical data of eligible patients were prospectively enrolled as validation datasets from February to December 2022 in stroke center, Shengjing hospital, respectively. Univariate analysis and Lasso regression were used to select the optimal predictors for the training set, and a nomogram model was constructed by multivariate logistics regression, predictive scoring based on nomogram model is performed for each subject suffering from suspected acute ischemic stroke. Area under the curve (AUC), Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, Calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), clinical impact curve (CIC) analysis and bootstrap sampling were performed to assess and validate the predictive performance and clinical utility of the nomogram model, and the DeLong test was used to compare the overall diagnostic performance of the nomogram model with the other four structured SM scales. The Delong test was also conducted to assess the external reliability of the SM nomogram model by comparing the predictive diagnostic performance of the validation set with the training set. Additionally, the Calibration curve was utilized to evaluate the diagnostic calibration capability of the SM nomogram model in the validation set. Results703 eligible patients (68 with SM, accounting for 9.7 %) were assigned to the training set, while 301 patients (26 with SM, accounting for 8.6 %) were assigned to the validation set. A nomogram model was then developed using these six parameters (SBP, history of epilepsy, isolated dizziness, isolated sensory impairment, headache, and absence of speech impairment symptoms), a dynamic web-based version of the nomogram was subsequently created. Comparing with four other scales, the nomogram model showed the highest overall diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.929, 95%CI = 0.908–0.947). The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test was conducted to assess the agreement between the predicted SM values from the model and the observed SM values. The results of the test indicated a favorable consistency (χ2 = 9.299, P = 0.3177) between the predicted and observed SM. The results obtained from the analysis of the Calibration curve, DCA curve, and CIC analysis suggested that the nomogram possesses a favorable predictive capacity and superior clinical usefulness. Furthermore, the external validation demonstrated that there is no significant difference in the overall predictive diagnostic performance between the validation set and training set (0.929 vs 0.910, P > 0.05), thereby confirming the favorable stability of the nomogram model. ConclusionOur study firstly proposed a nomogram prediction approach based on the clinical features of SM, which could effectively predict the occurrence of SM. The utilization of the nomogram in stroke center proves advantageous for the identification and evaluation of SM, thereby enhancing diagnostic decision-making and strategies employed for suspected acute stroke patients.

Deep neural networks for external corrosion classification in industrial above-ground storage tanks

This paper uses transfer learning and fine-tuning approaches to explore EfficientNet smaller models for a multiclassification task of corrosion types in above-ground storage tanks. Data augmentation was used to increment the data an oil and gas company provided, reaching a dataset of around 5000 images. The images were stored in Google Drive and imported into Colab to train the models using TensorFlow and Keras. After the hyperparameters’ tuning a transfer learning model was selected and explored with fine-tuning. The EfficientNetB0 model delivered from fine-tuning accomplished 94 % performance. This work is the first attempt to deploy an artificial vision automatic tool for being implemented during tank inspection in the industrial sector. In further development, this model can be coupled with one based on object detection to remotely identify failures due to external corrosion issues, improving safety and reliability in oil and gas operations.

Is it premature to formulate recommendations for policy and practice, based on culture and health research? A robust critique of the CultureForHealth (2022) report.

Arts and health practice and research has expanded rapidly since the turn of the millennium. A World Health Organization scoping review of a large body of evidence claims positive health benefits from arts participation and makes recommendations for policy and implementation of arts for health initiatives. A more recent scoping review (CultureForHealth) also claims that current evidence is sufficient to form recommendations for policy and practice. However, scoping reviews of arts and health research-without critical appraisal of included studies-do not provide a sound basis for recommendations on the wider implantation of healthcare interventions. We performed a detailed assessment of 18 Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) on arts-based interventions included in Section 1 of the CultureForHealth report using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool for RCTs (2023). The 18 RCTs included demonstrated considerable risks of bias regarding internal and statistical conclusion validity. Moreover, the trials are substantially heterogeneous with respect to settings, health-issues, interventions, and outcomes, which limits their external validity, reliability, and generalisability. The absence of a critical appraisal of studies included in the CultureForHealth report leads to an overinterpretation and overstatement of the health outcomes of arts-based interventions. As such, the CultureForHealth review is not a suitable foundation for policy recommendations, nor for formulating guidance on implementation of arts-based interventions for health.

Japanese cultural adaptation and validation of the Social Emotional Health Survey-Higher Education

ABSTRACT Objectives Educators in both Western and non-Western contexts are increasingly acknowledging the necessity of screening for students’ psychological dispositions to identify and effectively support at-risk students. The Social-Emotional Health Survey-Higher Education (SEHS-HE) has the potential to offer a practical yet comprehensive measure of positive psychological dispositions among Japanese higher education students. Methods The present study validated the SEHS – HE with a sample of 434 Japanese undergraduate university students aged 19–25 (Male = 184; Female = 247; gender not identified = 3). Results The confirmatory factor analyses supported the internal validity, concurrent validity, and internal and external reliability of the SEHS-HE with a second-order model. Higher covitality scores were associated with higher subjective wellbeing and lower psychological distress, which provided evidence of concurrent validity. These findings support further research into using the SEHS – HE as a universal wellness screener in Japanese higher education students to identify the social-emotional strengths of all students. It can also help identify students vulnerable to developing mental health disorders and needing extra social-emotional support services. Conclusions Further study is required to confirm the findings and establish how to use the SEHS – HE most effectively with Japanese higher education students in a culturally sensitive manner.

Diagnosing Elementary School Students' Representation of Light Concept Through the Five-tier Diagnostic Test

Elementary school students do not yet have a scientific understanding of light. For example, they represent vision as the process of objects being hit by light and the eye being automatically able to see them. Their verbal and visual representations present irrelevance to scientific beliefs. Students need to understand science more comprehensively through multiple-representation learning. The relevant diagnostic tests are needed to find out student multiple-representation profiles. However, diagnostic tests identifying multiple-representation profiles of elementary school students are still rare. This paper aims to communicate the results of development, validity, and reliability, as well as trials of the five-tier diagnostic test (5TDT) in measuring multiple representations of elementary school students about light concepts. The 5TDT is a developed version of the four-tier where there are answer choices and reasons and the level of student confidence in answering both. A package of 15 questions was developed, tested for readability by elementary school teachers and students, and then piloted. Two hundred twenty-seven elementary school students who had studied the concept of light attempted this test. Internal validity was submitted to five experts and showed valid results with several improvement notes. Meanwhile, the results of statistical tests on external validity and reliability show that the five-tier diagnostic test is valid and reliable. The five-tier diagnostic test can measure the diversity of students' representation of their ideas regarding the light concept with more precision. It is shown that they are dominating the Lack of Representation (LOR) level of 39% and Misconception (MIS) level of 31%.

Validity and reliability of the Persian version of food preferences questionnaire (Persian-FPQ) in Iranian adolescents

The assessment of dietary intakes and habits using reliable and youth-specific measurement tools during adolescence is essential. The aim of the present study was to culturally adapt and investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the food preferences questionnaire (Persian-FPQ) among Iranian adolescents. This methodological cross-sectional study was conducted among 452 Persian-speaking adolescents, living in Isfahan, Iran. Translation of the FPQ was performed using forward–backward method. Intra Class Correlation (ICC) and Cronbach’s α were used to assess test–retest reliability and internal consistency, respectively. Construct validity was investigated by using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Divergent validity was determined using correlation analysis with Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10). Known-group validity was assessed based on differences in mean food preference score between boys and girls and different categories of body mass index (BMI). The internal and external reliabilities for the Persian-FPQ were in the range of good to excellent in all domains (Cronbach’s α: 0.76–0.96 and ICCs: 0.982–0.998). Boys had higher scores of food preferences than girls, indicating good known-group validity. Construct validity evaluated by EFA led to extraction of seven factors (“Vegetables”, “Fruit”, “Dairy”, “Snacks”, “Meat/Fish”, “Starches” and “Miscellaneous foods”), explaining 37.8% of the variance. Divergent validity revealed significant negative correlations between five sub-scales of the Persian-FPQ and psychological distress. The Persian version of the FPQ is a reliable and valid instrument with applicability in a broad range of the population of Persian-speaking adolescents for assessing food preferences in community-based research projects.

Design and psychometric evaluation of the collaborative coping with infertility questionnaire in candidate of assisted reproductive techniques

Evaluating couples’ coping with infertility and its impact on their mental health is valuable in designing supportive programs. Since infertility is a shared problem in married life, coping with it requires collaborative coping strategies. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to design and psychometrically evaluate the collaborative coping with infertility questionnaire (CCIQ) in candidates of assisted reproductive techniques (ART). The exploratory factor analysis of a 27-item questionnaire designed based on the Likert scale in the Persian language was evaluated through the principal component analysis method in a cross-sectional study conducted on 200 couples who volunteered for ART. The cut-off point of factor loadings was considered 0.4. Furthermore, the criterion validity of the questionnaire was evaluated using a 12-item revised Fertility Adjustment Scale (R-FAS) and its relationship with the score of the CCIQ. Moreover, the internal consistency of the questionnaire was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha correlation coefficient. In the exploratory factor analysis, 20 items with a factor loading above 0.4 were extracted under three factors. The three extracted factors with a value above one explained 43.78% of the variance of CCIQ. The factor loading of the accepted items ranged between 0.402 and 0.691. External reliability was confirmed with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.98. The relationship between CCIQ and R-FAS score was significant (p < 0.0001). The results of the study showed that the 20-item CCIQ enjoyed acceptable validity and reliability in the three dimensions of ‘dynamic interaction,’ ‘reorganizing married life goals,’ and ‘perception about infertility,’ which can be used to evaluate collaborative coping with infertility questionnaire in ART candidates.

Psychometric properties of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Short Form (OHQ-SF) in a Greek student sample

BackgroundThe purpose of the current study was to adapt and explore the psychometric properties of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Short Form (OHQ-SF) in a Greek student sample.AimThis quantitative cross-sectional study was applied in order to translate and validate the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Short Form (OHQ-SF) into Greek and to assess the psychometric properties.MethodThe English version of OHQ-SF was translated into Greek using the forward and backward translation. The sample was consisted of 88 adult students from the Public Educational Training Institution in Thessaloniki. Two self-report measures the Greek version of OHQ-SF and the Greek version of the Life Orientation Test Revised (LOT-R—to check the construct validity) were completed twice, for test and retest assessment, in full anonymity and confidentiality.Statistical analysisThe psychometric properties of OHQ-SF/GR, namely the internal–external reliability and construct validity, were assessed, and the expected unidimensional structure was tested with Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).Results and discussionThe Greek version of OHQ-SF (OHQ-SF/GR), for both test and retest, has adequate internal reliability, satisfactory structural validity, and adequate construct validity. The CFA indicated the unidimensional structure of the OHQ-SF/GR, and the fit indexes displayed good fit with the data. One item was removed due to poor correlation with the latent factor of happiness. The current study reveals that the final seven-item OHQ-SF/GR has very satisfactory psychometric properties being useful instrument to measure happiness levels in Greek adult students and is a valid tool that can be utilised in research field.

Psychometric evaluation of a new instrument to hookah tobacco smoking-related factors in the Iranian female university students based on the Extended Parallel Process Model.

The higher prevalence of hookah tobacco smoking (HTS) has become worrisome in women. Thus, it is essential to identify and measure the perceptions associated with this unhealthy behavior as well as the type of response to risk messages to design the effective programs. This study aimed to psychometric evaluation of a new instrument, named the Extended Parallel Process Model-Hookah Tobacco Smoking Questionnaire (EPPM-HTSQ), for female university students. This methodological study was conducted in 2019-2020 in central and western Iran. The first version of the instrument was developed with 97 items. Face, Content, and construct validity methods were used to assess the EPPM-HTSQ validity. The data viability for factorability was guided through Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sample adequacy (Values >0.7) and Bartlett's test of Sphericity (P < 0.05). The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) method with varimax rotation and SPSS software was performed to identify the main factors of the questionnaire and interpretable factors. The internal consistency and external reliability were determined. The test-retest was used for evaluating the stability of tools. During the assessment of the face and content validity 71 items remained in the questionnaire. EFA led to the extraction of nine dimensions: "Focusing on superior rewards," "Response Efficacy," "Perceived physical threat," "Perceived social threat," "Self-efficacy," "Fear control," "Attitude," "Fear," and "Intention" Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test (0.957) and Bartlett's test (P < 0.001). Cronbach's alpha (0.871-0.951) and ICC (0.985-0.998) were approved for scale dimensions. Important findings of the present study were the development and validation of the EPPM-HTSQ for measuring EPPM variables in relation to HTS; introducing a new variable "focusing on superior rewards"; as well as, the new classification of the concept of "perceived threat." The final version of the EPPM-HTSQ is a valid and reliable tool, but it is suggested to be re-evaluated in other studies with different populations and sample sizes.

Effects of errors-in-variables on the internal and external reliability measures

The reliability theory has been an important element of the classical geodetic adjustment theory and methods in the linear Gauss-Markov model. Although errors-in-variables (EIV) models have been intensively investigated, little has been done about reliability theory for EIV models. This paper first investigates the effect of a random coefficient matrix A on the conventional geodetic reliability measures as if the coefficient matrix were deterministic. The effects of such geodetic internal and external reliability measures due to the randomness of the coefficient matrix are worked out, which are shown to depend not only on the noise level of the random elements of A but also on the values of parameters. An alternative, linear approximate reliability theory is accordingly developed for use in EIV models. Both the EIV-affected reliability measures and the corresponding linear approximate measures fully account for the random errors of both the coefficient matrix and the observations, though formulated in a slightly different way. Numerical experiments have been carried to demonstrate the effects of errors-in-variables on reliability measures and compared with the conventional Baarda's reliability measures. The simulations have confirmed our theoretical results that the EIV-reliability measures depend on both the noise level of A and the parameter values. The larger the noise level of A, the larger the EIV-affected internal and external reliability measures; the larger the parameters, the larger the EIV-affected internal and external reliability measures.

The Institutional and Social Support Survey (ISS‐10): Quantifying international faculty language support

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to develop and test the internal and external reliability of a novel research instrument which measures language support for international faculty members and its effects on integration. While previous research has focused on the contributions of international faculty and efforts to attract them, growing concerns about negative experiences and low rates of retention have led scholars to focus on institutional linguistic support. Specifically in emerging host countries, interest exists for the role of support for learning the local language. In this context, this study substantiates an instrument, the Institutional and Social Support Survey (ISS‐10) which quantifies social support and language support provided by host universities. The instrument was first refined using Rasch rating scale analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Subsequent linear mixed effects (LME) regression on a second administration of the instrument revealed that the ISS‐10 significantly predicts the integration of international faculty as quantified by the IPL‐12, an often‐used measure of migrant integration. The ISS‐10 may, therefore, be of interest to scholars researching international faculty integration where local language proficiency is a concern.

IRB challenges in multisite studies: A case report and commentary from the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA).

A shift from single to multi-site health studies enabled a range of research benefits including faster recruitment of larger and more diverse samples; increased statistical power, greater rigour, generalisability, and external reliability; and increased likelihood of impacting policy and clinical practice. However, ethical review of multi-site studies by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) raises specific challenges compared with single site studies, with requirements to apply to multiple local IRBs increasing the burden on research, possibly endangering the integrity of the research process or inhibiting development of multi-site studies. The option of a single centralised IRB may offer a clearer, more consistent and efficient review process. This study presents a case report and commentary from 15 years engaging with IRBs in multiple sites in Ireland by the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA). It examines the ethics review process for IDS-TILDA through its first four waves. While the majority of 48 IRBs granted ethical approval within 13 weeks, six IRBs took 21-47 weeks to approve, leading to delays in data collection of up to 11 months. Despite additional review time, no changes were required to the study protocol. Therefore, a critical impact of the process was the delay in starting data collection within a small number of organisations, and reduced involvement in the study for one organisation. The ethical review process with multiple IRBs increased the degree of complexity of the process, with added bureaucracy and far greater communication required across 48 IRBs, substantially adding to the resource commitment for the review process. The relatively quick approval from the majority of IRBs was partially a result of the longitudinal study building relationships with organisations throughout multiple waves. That other health studies may not accrue this benefit supports calls for a single IRB system for multi-site health studies.

The Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure the Learning of Context University Skills and Workplace-recognized Skills Test among Students WIE in Rural College Thailand

A questionnaire for measuring Context University Skills and Workplace-Recognized Skills (LCUS-WRS) requires a validated and reliable instrument. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire to measure learning of context university skills and workplace-recognized skills, in order to carry out an advanced psychometric properties analysis of Work-Integrated Education (WIE) students and the skills of LCUS-WRS, including internal and external reliability. Methods: We conducted multi-stage random sampling, with a sample consisting of 728 students WIE from 20 rural colleges in Thailand. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed on a subset of the sample (n = 279), and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted on another subset (n = 449), both in different subgroups. Additionally, the researcher analyzed the internal consistency and temporal reliability of the scale in the instrument.&#x0D; &#x0D; Results: Using exploratory factor analysis with 39 items 6 factors and accounted for 55.881% of variance was identified of the variance for the CFA model. The model achieved a goodness-of-fit of chi-square (c2 ) = 582.907, df = 308, p = .000, c2 /df = 1.90, GFI = .979, AGFI = .985, RMSEA = .030, SRMR = .030 &#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusion: LCUS-WRS scale has solid construct of validity and excellent internal consistency which to analyze psychometric properties It has optimum temporal reliability. Therefore, the indicated that the dimensions of measuring of LCUS-WRS guaranteed its use in higher education institutions.

Psychometric Performance of the Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale and SCAR-Q Questionnaire in Dutch Children after Pediatric Surgery.

Introduction: The growing population of survivors following pediatric surgery emphasizes the importance of long-term follow-up. The impact of surgical scars on daily life can be evaluated through patient-reported outcome measurements. The Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale (SBSES) and SCAR-Q questionnaire are two interesting instruments for this purpose. We evaluated their psychometric performance in Dutch children after pediatric surgery. Methods: After English-Dutch translation, we evaluated-following the COSMIN guidelines-the feasibility, reliability (internal and external), and validity (construct, criterion, and convergent) of the SBSES and SCAR-Q in Dutch patients < 18 years old with surgical scars. Results: Three independent observers completed the SB for 100 children (58% boys, median age 7.3 (IQR 2.5-12.1) years) in whom surgery had been performed a median of 2.8 (0.5-7.9) years ago. Forty-six of these children (61% boys, median age 12.1 (9.3-16.2) years) completed the SCAR-Q. Feasibility and internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha > 0.7) was good for both instruments. For the SB, external reliability was poor to moderate (interobserver variability: ICC 0.46-0.56; intraobserver variability: ICC 0.74). For the SCAR-Q, external reliability was good (test-retest agreement: ICC 0.79-0.93). Validity tests (construct, criterion, and convergent) showed poor to moderate results for both instruments. Conclusions: The Dutch-translated SBSES and SCAR-Q showed good feasibility and internal reliability. External reliability and validity were likely affected by differences in conceptual content between the questionnaires. Combining them would provide insight in the impact of scars on patients. Implementation of these instruments in longitudinal follow-up programs could provide new insights into the long-term psychological outcome after pediatric surgery.

External validation and reliability assessment of posterior urethral morphology on initial voiding cystourethrogram as a predictor for infants with posterior urethral valves

The morphology of the bladder and posterior urethra on initial voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) in posterior urethral valve (PUV) has been proposed as a meaningful early metric for short- and long-term kidney outcomes. Here, we seek to externally validate the proposed association and assess the reliability of PUV morphology characteristics. We reviewed our institutional database for patients managed for PUV between 2000 and 2022 and included those treated with primary ablation with at least 1 year of follow-up for kidney function. Each VCUG was evaluated by three independent raters for the height-width ratio of the bladder (HW-B), height-width ratio of the posterior urethra (HW-PU), and posterior-anterior urethral ratio (PA-UR), and trabeculation (none, fine, or coarse). We assessed the reliability in these with intra-class coefficient and Fleiss kappa for continuous and categorical data, respectively. We performed univariate analysis with nadir creatinine and five-year follow-up glomerular filtration rate (GFR). In total, 98 patients met inclusion criteria. The median age at diagnosis and ablation was 10 and 21 days, respectively. Patients with nadir creatinine <0.8mg/dL had higher follow-up GFR (101 vs. 20ml/min/1.73m2, p=0.04), and lower risk of CKD (odds ratio 14.7, p=0.002). The median value for HW-B was 1.4, median HW-PU was 2.1, and median PA-U was 4.7, There was significant inter-class agreement between all three measures of 0.80, 0.51, and 0.70 (p<0.001). The inter-rater agreement for bladder trabeculation was fair (Fleiss K=0.40, p<0.001). There was no statistically significant correlation between HW-B, HW-PU, PU-A with nadir creatinine (p=0.07, 0.33, 0.91) or 5-year GFR (0.27, 0.45, 0.62), respectively. There is significant interest in determining prognostic factors and metrics in PUV. The morphological characteristics on VCUG are reliable and is available information for all boys diagnosed with PUV, resulting in an attractive metric. While we do not demonstrate correlation with kidney outcomes, VCUG features warrant further attention as prognostic factors in PUV. PUV morphology on initial VCUG is a reliable metric of lower urinary tract deformity but is not associated with 5-year kidney outcomes.

Cultural adaptation to Spanish and psychometric analysis of the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) in Peruvian adult women

BACKGROUND: Partner violence is a public health problem. In Peru, women with spouses are vulnerable to suffering it. The Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) is a widely recommended instrument for the early identification of these cases. Therefore, our objective was to adapt and analyse the psychometric properties of the WAST scale in adult Peruvian women. METHODOLOGY: This was an instrumental study, with a sample of 628 women who were in a marital condition of cohabitation or married at the time of the study. The mean age was 35 years (M = 35.58; SD = 10.92) and on average they were living with their partner for 9 years (M = 9.93; SD = 8.41). This sample was selected by non-probabilistic snowball sampling. The Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used. The validity of the internal structure was verified with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergent validity by correlation coefficients between the WAST, GAD-7 and PHQ-9, while reliability was verified using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega coefficient. RESULTS: Factorial analysis indicated that the one-dimensional model showed adequate goodness-of-fit indices (CFI = 0.998; TLI=0.991; RMSEA=0.103; SRMR=0.075), and reliability coefficients (α = 0.899 and ω = 0.916) were optimal. Additionally, the WAST showed strong external validity based on the relationship with the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores (Rho &gt; 0.50). CONCLUSIONS: The Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) scale demonstrated solid evidence of internal and external validity and optimal reliability in adult Peruvian women. Its use will benefit the early identification of victims of intimate partner violence in primary health care and further research.

Improvement of Baarda’s external reliability measure

ABSTRACT The reliability theory has been an important element of the classical geodetic adjustment theory and methods in a linear Gauss-Markov model since Baarda invented reliability in 1968. Although geodetic reliability has been widely investigated and applied to a variety of geodetic, photogrammetric, and remote sensing problems, there is no report of theoretical progress to improve further Baarda’s reliability measures among linear models. We propose the power of the effect of the minimum detectable outlier on parameters as an alternative external reliability measure, present a regularized external reliability, and demonstrate for the first time that the external reliability measure of Baarda’s type is not the best and can be significantly improved through regularization for inverse ill-posed problems. An ill-posed regression example is used to illustrate the regularized external reliability measure, which is shown to perform much better than the external reliability measure of Baarda’s type.

Analysis of Onboard Verification Flight Test for the Salinity Satellite Scatterometer.

The upcoming Salinity Satellite, scheduled for launch in 2024, will feature the world's first phased array radar scatterometer. To validate its capability in measuring ocean surface backscatter coefficients, this paper conducts an in-depth analysis of the onboard verification flight test for the Salinity Satellite scatterometer. This paper provides a detailed introduction to the system design of the Salinity Satellite scatterometer, which utilizes phased array radar technology and digital beamforming techniques to achieve accurate measurements of sea surface scattering characteristics. The paper elaborates on the derivation of backscatter coefficients, system calibration, and phase amplitude correction for the phased array scatterometer. Furthermore, it describes the process of the onboard calibration flight test. By analyzing internal noise signals, onboard calibration signals, and external noise signals, the stability and reliability of the scatterometer system are validated. The experiment covers both land and ocean observations, with a particular focus on complex sea surface conditions in nearshore areas. Through the precise analysis of backscatter coefficients, the paper successfully distinguishes the different backscatter coefficient characteristics between ocean and land. The research results effectively demonstrate the feasibility of the Salinity Satellite scatterometer for measuring backscatter coefficients in a phased array configuration, as well as its outstanding performance in complex marine environments.