Forward-backward Method Research Articles

Validation of the Internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy scale among Romanian technical students.

This study's aim is to evaluate the Romanian version of the Internet Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Scale (IESES), a new assessment scale for online entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and estimate its psychometric properties in a sample of engineering students (N = 644; 317 females). The scale was translated and adapted into Romanian through a forward-backward method. The factorial structure was investigated using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and multigroup-CFA for gender invariance. The scale was associated with instruments that measure entrepreneurial intention both traditionally and in the online environment (Individual Entrepreneurial Internet Scale and Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire) and components from the Theory of Planned Behavior (attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control). McDonald's omega and Cronbach's alpha coefficients were used to assess reliability. Traditional statistics are complemented by network analysis. Results show that adequate matching items for the 3-factor model and complete gender invariance is maintained. The three factors are associated with the internet and traditional entrepreneurial intention, and the components from the theory of planned behavior (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control). Internal consistency is excellent because α and ω values range between 0.834 and 0.919. In addition, discriminant validity was demonstrated. The network analysis suggests the relevance of technology utilization in the self-efficacy of online businesses in the case of engineering students. Overall, findings enable us to conclude that the Romanian version of the IESES is a valid, accurate instrument that can be implemented to evaluate self-efficacy related to the successful execution of an online business.

Cross-cultural and psychometric validation of the Fraboni scale of ageism in Peruvian nursing students

Background & Aim: The elderly population has increased in the last decades and they are often discriminated against in society due to their age. This study aimed to perform the cross-cultural and psychometric validation of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism in Peruvian nursing students. Methods & Materials: This is a cross-sectional methodological study, carried out in four universities in Peru in which 959 nursing students participated. For the adaptation process, the forward-backward method of the original English version into Spanish was used. For the content analysis, the study was carried out with the participation of specialist judges, while confirmatory factor analysis was used for the internal structure of the construct as invariance of measurement. Reliability was estimated by internal consistency for categorical items. Results: The total content validity estimated with CVI was 0.97. The internal structure of the construct was found to be appropriate for the respecified 20-item model (CFI and TLI=0.94, RMSEA=0.07, and SRMR=0.05). The 20-item bi-factor model presented excellent fit indices (CFI=0.96 and TLI=0.95, RMSEA=0.06 and SRMR=0.04), being the best model for construct validity. Measurement invariance by sex was confirmed for all four models (configural, metric, strong, and strict). The three-dimensional model (ω=0.93) as well as the bi-factor model (ωH=0.88) showed high reliability for the scale scores. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the 20-item Peruvian version of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism shows validity and reliability for its scores. In addition, the scale score is invariant by sex.

Psychometric properties evaluation of the Persian version of the self-report outcome scale for lupus disease Lupus_PRO version 1.7.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) significantly affects both the quality of life related to health and non-health aspects. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Lupus_PRO questionnaire, version 1.7. The questionnaire serves as a specific self-report outcome scale for assessing the treatment outcomes of Lupus disease. The Lupus_PRO questionnaire, version 1.7, was translated into Persian using the standard forward-backward method. After being completed by 218 patients with Lupus, the psychometric properties of the instrument were examined. The Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the scale were assessed using Average Variance Extracted and Cross Loadings, respectively. The construct validity of the questionnaire was also evaluated through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess the reliability of the questionnaire dimensions. Out of the 218 patients with lupus who participated in the current study, 13 (6%) were male, and 205 (94%) were female. The mean (SD) age of participants was 40.29 (10.94) years. The Average Variance Extracted (AVE) for HRQOL and Non-HRQOL constructs, except for the Coping and Cognition dimension, was greater than 0.50, indicating satisfactory convergent validity. The interdimensional correlation coefficient (Discriminant Validity) for each dimension with other questionnaire dimensions was less than 0.10, indicating that the questionnaire has good convergent and discriminant validity. Additionally, the results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicated that the questionnaire was a suitable fit. In terms of reliability, Cronbach's alpha for the various questionnaire dimensions ranged from 0.51 to 0.91, indicating good internal consistency. The Persian version of the Lupus_PRO questionnaire, version 1.7, demonstrates acceptable validity and reliability in the Iranian population. This instrument can effectively measure various aspects of the quality of life in patients with lupus.

Reliability and validity of a Hindi version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-EDENT-H) for edentulous subjects: A Cross-Sectional study

AimThe study aimed to translate the OHIP-EDENT into Hindi and assess its validity and reliability. MethodsThe study included 150 participants whose demographic information was collected using the Modified Kuppuswamy Socio-economic Scale. The Oral Health Impact Profile in Edentulous (OHIP-EDENT) was translated into Hindi using the standard forward-backward method. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett's test of sphericity coefficient were used to conduct Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and confirm the Construct validity. To establish Convergent validity, the relationship between the global question and the OHIP-EDENT-H subscale scores was observed. ResultsThe data was analyzed with a confidence level of 95 %, and statistical significance was interpreted as a p-value of less than 0.05. The Cronbach's alpha score for OHIP-EDENT-H was 1.00, indicating high internal consistency. The corrected item-total correlations ranged from 0.665 to 0.923, and the total ICC score was 0.763, demonstrating good reliability. The subscales' intra-class correlation coefficient values ranged from 0.968 to 0.997, indicating high reliability. However, items 4, 6, 13, 17, 18, and 19 had factor loadings below the acceptable threshold of 0.40 in the factor analysis. Additionally, the total and subscale scores of the OHIP-EDENT-H showed significant correlations with global question, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.665 to 0.923. ConclusionThe Hindi version of OHIP-EDENT is a reliable and valid tool for evaluating the OHRQoL of Hindi-speaking edentulous individuals.

Examination of the validity of the Chinese version of the Language Mindsets Inventory among Chinese university students.

With the growing interest in the psychological basis of language learning, this study aims to validate the Chinese version of the Language Mindset Inventory (LMI) among Chinese university students. A sample of 476 students from various universities in mainland China was used. The translation process followed the forward-backward method. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted to evaluate the factor structure. The internal consistency of the LMI was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and convergent validity was examined through correlations with established mindset measures. Compared with the one-factor model, the two-factor model which distinguishes between fixed and growth mindsets, showed an acceptable and better fit index. The overall Cronbach's alpha for the full scale was 0.954, with 0.929 for the fixed mindset dimension and 0.903 for the growth mindset dimension. AVE values for the fixed and growth dimensions were 0.597 and 0.510, respectively. Correlations showed that the growth mindset dimension was significantly positively associated with the 8-Item Growth Mindset Scale (r = 0.186, p < 0.01) and the Mindset Scale for Learning English (r = 0.149, p < 0.01), while the fixed mindset dimension was negatively associated with both scales (r = -0.228 and r = -0.169, p < 0.01). This study confirms the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the LMI, making it a relevant tool for assessing language learning mindsets among Chinese university students. The findings support the integration of LMI into educational strategies to promote resilience and adaptability, enhancing language education outcomes.

Psychometric validation of the Chinese version of the empowerment scale for pregnant women.

Empowering pregnant women is a crucial process that healthcare providers should evaluate, as empowerment is a meaningful indicator that can reflect the impact of health promotion and education in antenatal care. The Empowerment Scale for Pregnant Women (ESPW) is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring empowerment. The cross-sectional study was conducted to translate and validate the psychometric properties of the ESPW among 526 pregnant women in China. The forward-backward method was used to translate the English version of the ESPW into the Chinese version. Reliability was examined with the internal consistency and test-retest coefficients. Validity was analyzed with structural, dimensionality, convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity. The Cronbach's α value of 0.97 and the intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI], [0.96, 0.99]) demonstrated excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that five factors with eigenvalues > 1 explained 68.41% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis verified an acceptable model that fit the data exceptionally. The Chinese-translated version of the ESPW (CV-ESPW) had acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. Concurrent validity was supported by the correlation between the total scores of the CV-ESPW and the Chinese version of the Patient Perceptions of the Empowerment Scale (r = 0.64, p < 0.001). The CV-ESPW is a valid and reliable assessment tool for measuring pregnant women's empowerment in China and can potentially contribute to evaluating the effectiveness of programs that empower pregnant women.

Validation of the European Portuguese Version of the Yale Pharyngeal Severity Rating Scale.

This study aimed to validate the Yale Pharyngeal Residue Severity Rating Scale's European Portuguese version and investigate the impact of rater experience. The scale measures the severity of residue in the vallecula and pyriform sinus. Ninety Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing images were selected after consensus and proposed to 13 raters who were asked to assess the severity of pharyngeal residue (PR) in each image in two moments with an interval of two weeks. The raters were divided by years of experience conducting the Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing and in experience using severity scales for residues. Construct validity, inter-rater, and intra-rater reliability were assessed by kappa statistics. The original English scale was translated into European Portuguese using a forward-backward method for validation. The scale reliability was strong, with an elevated intra-rater internal consistency for vallecula (Cronbach's alpha = 0.982) and pyriform sinus (Cronbach's alpha = 0.922). Inter-rater reliability for raters was equally significant and high for vallecula (0.613 for first assessment and 0.604 for second assessment) and pyriform sinus (0.558 for first assessment and 0.509 for second assessment) or for raters with experience using Yale Pharyngeal Severity Rating Scale (vallecula with 0.832 for first assessment and 0.717 for second assessment and pyriform sinus with 0.856 for first assessment and 0.714 for second assessment).The European Portuguese version of the Yale Pharyngeal Severity Rating Scale is a valid, reliable instrument for scoring the location and severity of pharyngeal residue in the context of fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing.

Validity and Reliability Assessment of the Complete Persian Version of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Auto-Questionnaire in an Iranian Population.

Objective: The Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego - Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A) assesses five affective temperaments and has been translated into 32 languages. A 35-item short version is available in Persian, but the complete version is not yet translated. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the complete Persian version of the TEMPS-A in an Iranian population. Method : This descriptive study translated the TEMPS-A questionnaire from English to Persian using a standard forward-backward method. The translation was evaluated for face and content validity by 10 psychiatry specialists, with quantitative content validity assessed through content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) calculations. The Persian TEMPS-A was completed twice, with a two-week interval, by 30 individuals out of the 319 medical staff of Imam Hossein Hospital in Tehran, Iran, who participated in the study, and its reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. The questionnaire was then distributed to the entire sample (n = 319) for the analysis of temperament frequencies and statistical indices by a statistician. Results: The Persian version of the TEMPS-A, consisting of 110 items across five factors (depressive, cyclothymic, hyperthymic, irritable, and anxious), demonstrated excellent reliability with Cronbach's alpha values of 0.910, 0.909, 0.911, 0.910, and 0.909, respectively. The questions related to cyclothymic and hyperthymic temperaments exhibited the highest and lowest correlation coefficients with the general scale, respectively. Most subscales in the Persian TEMPS-A version showed correlation coefficients ranging from 0.28 to 0.68. An ANOVA with Cochrane's test revealed a significant difference in the mean scores of the questionnaire items (P < 0.001), with a grand mean score of 1.73 across all questions. Conclusion: The Persian version of the TEMPS-A, consisting of 110 items, showed good internal consistency and a strong correlation with the original version. This suggests that it is suitable for use in temperament studies among the Iranian population.

Perceived Injustice and Anger in Fibromyalgia With and Without Comorbid Mental Health Conditions: A Hebrew Validation of the Injustice Experience Questionnaire.

Perceived injustice (PI), assessed by the Injustice Experience Questionnaire (IEQ), is an important trigger of anger. Both PI and anger are associated with adverse chronic pain outcomes, and with comorbid mental health severity. We aimed examined the roles of PI and anger in mediating pain across Fibromyalgia patients, with and without comorbid anxiety/depression (FM+A/D, FM-A/D, respectively), as well as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and pain-free controls (PFC). We hypothesized the highest levels of PI, anger, and pain in FM+A/D patients, followed by FM-A/D, RA, and PFC, thus also validating a Hebrew version of the IEQ. We translated the IEQ using the forward-backward method and collected data online. Based on self-reported anxiety/depression, the sample comprised 66 FM+A/D patients, 64 FM-A/D, 34 RA, and 32 PFCs. Assessments included the IEQ, state and trait anger, pain intensity, anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing. The structure and reliability of the Hebrew IEQ were examined using factor analysis and Cronbach alpha. Bootstrapped-based modeling was used to test the roles of state and trait anger in mediating and moderating the relationship between PI and pain intensity. We confirmed a one-factor structure of the IEQ, with excellent reliability. FM+A/D patients demonstrated the highest scores in all measures. Within this group, trait anger moderated the mediating effect of state anger in the relationship between PI and pain intensity. Our findings validate a Hebrew IEQ and highlight the importance of PI and state and trait anger in the differential manifestation of mental health comorbidity in FM.

Translation and psychometric evaluation of composite feedback-seeking behavior questionnaire among Iranian medical residents

BackgroundProactively seeking feedback from clinical supervisors, peers or other healthcare professionals is a valuable mechanism for residents to obtain useful information about and improve their performance in clinical settings. Given the scant studies investigating the limited aspects of psychometrics properties of the feedback-seeking instruments in medical education, this study aimed to translate the feedback-seeking behavior scales (frequency of feedback-seeking, motives of feedback-seeking, and promotion of feedback-seeking by supervisors) into Persian and evaluate the psychometric properties of the composite questionnaire among medical residents at Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, feedback-seeking behavior scales were translated through the forward–backward method, and its face validity and content validity were assessed by 10 medical residents and 18 experts. The test-retest reliability was evaluated by administering the questionnaire to 20 medical residents on two testing occasions. A convenience sample of 548 residents completed the questionnaire. Construct validity was examined by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis and concurrent validity was determined by Pearson’s correlation coefficient.ResultsContent validity assessment showed that the CVR (0.66 to 0.99) and CVI (0.82 to 0.99) values for items and S-CVI values (0.88 to 0.99) for scales were satisfactory. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the models were confirmed with eight items and two factors (explaining 70.98% of the total variance) for the frequency of feedback-seeking scale, with 16 items and four factors (explaining 73.22% of the total variance) for the motives of feedback seeking scale and with four items and one factor (explaining 69.46% of the total variance) for promotion of feedback-seeking by supervisors. AVE values greater than 0.5 and discriminant validity correlations significantly less than 1.0 demonstrated that the total scores of the composite feedback-seeking behavior questionnaire had a favorable fit and the questions could fit their respective factors, and the latent variables were distinct. We found positive and significant correlations between the three scales and their subscales.ConclusionThe results of the present study supported the validity and reliability of the Persian composite feedback-seeking behavior questionnaire for assessing feedback-seeking behaviors in medical residents. Applying the questionnaire in residency programs may enhance the quality of clinical education.

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.

Translation, adaptation, and validation of a Chinese version of the Hypertension Self-Care Activity Level effects (H-SCALE) for patients with hypertension.

Lifestyle modification is an essential component of prevention and management of hypertension. Existing instruments in Taiwan focus on assessing lifestyle modifications by evaluating medication adherence or confidence in controlling blood pressure. However, other self-care activities, such as diet, physical activity, weight management, smoking, and alcohol consumption are also important. The Hypertension Self-Care Activity Level Effects (H-SCALE) is one such instrument, but there are no similar tools available in Taiwan. This study aimed to translate the H-SCALE into Chinese and test its validity, and reliability in a sample of adults with hypertension. The English version of the 31-item H-SCALE was translated into Chinese using the forward-backward method. The content validity index (CVI) of the translated scale was determined by five experts in hypertension. Item analysis was conducted with a pilot sample of 20 patients with hypertension. Cronbach's α was used to establish the internal consistency reliability for the Chinese version of the H-SCALE (H-SCALE-C). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) explored the structure of the H-SCALE-C. Additionally, construct validity was examined with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Patients with hypertension were recruited by convenience sampling from a cardiovascular outpatient clinic of a medical center in northern Taiwan. A total of 318 patients met the inclusion criteria and participated in factor analysis in the study. Pilot testing of the scale items indicated most patients could not accurately estimate the number of days of alcohol consumption for the previous week. Therefore, three alcohol-related items were removed. The adaptation resulted in a 28-item H-SCALE-C. EFA revealed a 4-factor solution with 13 items that explained 63.93% of the total variance. CFA indicated a good fit for a 4-factor model and construct validity was acceptable. Internal consistency reliability was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha for the four subscales ranged from 0.65 to 0.94). Convergent validity was acceptable, and discriminant validity was significant. The H-SCALE-C is a valid, reliable tool for promptly assessing life-style activities for patients with hypertension in Taiwan. The instrument is suitable for assisting healthcare providers in evaluating self-care activities, which could be used to facilitate lifestyle modifications for patients with hypertension.

Validity and Reliability of the Swedish Version of the Gugging Swallowing Screen for use in Acute Stroke Care.

The purpose of this study was to cross-culturally validate the Swedish version of the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS-S) for use in the acute phase of stroke. Further, to evaluate the inter-rater reliability between different healthcare professionals. GUSS was translated into Swedish using a forward-backward method followed by expert rating to obtain content validity. For criterion validity, the GUSS-S score was compared with Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) assessed with the Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) in acute stroke patients (≤ 96h after stroke onset). Convergent validity was calculated by comparison with the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) as per the comprehensive FEES assessment, the Standardized Swallowing Assessment (SSA), and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). To evaluate inter-rater reliability, a nurse and a speech-language pathologist (SLP) independently assessed 30 patients. In total, 80 patients (32 women, median age 77 years (range 29-93) were included, mean 1.7 ± 0.9 days after admission. With a cut-off value of 14 points, the GUSS-S identified aspiration with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 73% (area under the curve: 0.87, 95% CI 0.78-0.95). Spearman rank correlation showed very strong correlation between the GUSS-S and PAS (rs=-0.718, P = < 0.001) and FOIS (rs=0.720, P = 0.001) and strong correlation between the GUSS-S and SSA (rs=0.545, P = < 0.001) and NIHSS (rs=-0.447, P = 0.001). The inter-rater agreement for GUSS-S was substantial (Kw=0.67, P = < 0.001). The results indicate that the GUSS-S is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of dysphagia in acute stroke patients by different healthcare professionals.

Cross-cultural adaption, validity, and reliability of the Japanese version of the Central Aspects of Pain in the Knee (CAP-Knee-J) questionnaire in patients with knee pain: a validation study

BackgroundKnee pain is a prominent concern among older individuals, influenced by the central nervous system. This study aimed to translate the Central Aspects of Pain in the Knee (CAP-Knee) questionnaire into Japanese and investigate its reliability and validity in older Japanese individuals with knee pain.MethodsUsing a forward–backward method, CAP-Knee was translated into Japanese, and data from 110 patients at an orthopedic clinic were analyzed. The Japanese version (CAP-Knee-J) was evaluated regarding pain intensity during walking, central sensitization inventory, and pain catastrophizing scale. Statistical analyses confirmed internal validity and test–retest reliability. Concurrent validity was assessed through a single correlation analysis between CAP-Knee-J and the aforementioned measures. Exploratory factor analysis was employed on each CAP-Knee-J item to examine structural validity.ResultsCAP-Knee-J showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.86) and excellent test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.77). It correlated significantly with pain intensity while walking, central sensitization inventory scores, and pain catastrophizing scale scores. Exploratory factor analysis produced a three-factor model.ConclusionsCAP-Knee-J is a reliable and valid questionnaire for assessing central pain mechanisms specific to knee pain in older Japanese individuals, with moderate correlations with the CSI and weak with the PCS, thus indicating construct validity. This study supports the development of effective knee pain treatments and prognosis predictions.

An inexact variable metric variant of incremental aggregated Forward-Backward method for the large-scale composite optimization problem

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the large-scale composite optimization problem, which is the sum of a finite number of smooth (possibly nonconvex) functions and a convex (possibly nonsmooth) function. A common method to solve this problem is proximal incremental aggregated gradient (PIAG) method (N. D. Vanli, M. Gurbuzbalaban and A. Ozdaglar, SIAM Journal on Optimization, 2018, 28(2): 1282–1300), which exploits the gradient information from previous iterations to approximate the gradient at the current point. However, as many first-order algorithms, it may suffer from slow convergence. To address this issue, this paper proposes an inexact variable metric variant of incremental aggregated Forward-Backward (iVMFB-IAG) method. This methods incorporates a variable metric strategy to accelerate the PIAG method and introduces an inexact criterion to enhance its practicality. Under the Kurdyka-Łojasiewicz (KL) property and the uniformly bounded positive definiteness of the scaling matrix, the sequence generated by the iVMFB-IAG method converges globally to the critical point of the problem. Additionally, the convergence rate is established under the KL framework. Moreover, under certain restrictive conditions, the method exhibits local superlinear convergence. Through the numerical experiments on image reconstruction applications, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the iVMFB-IAG method by restoring two distinct images.

Translation and Determination of Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Measuring the Caring Behaviors Scale for Health Care Students and Providers

Introduction: Measurement of caring behavior can not only be useful for the measurement of the caring behavior of students and employees of the healthcare system but can also be used to identify and provide timely information about the status of these behaviors in students and employees to carry out interventions and modify policies. The present study aimed to translate and determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the caring behavior scale on healthcare students and providers. Methods: This methodological study was carried out in 2023 with the participation of 330 students and employees of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran who were selected using the convenience sampling method. The instrument was translated using the forward-backward method. The final version of the scale was checked in terms of validity (content, face, and construct validity [using confirmatory factor analysis]) and reliability (Cronbach's alpha, test-retest, and intraclass correlation) in SPSS software (version 25) and AMOS software (version 24). Results: In reviewing the face validity, scores of all items were higher than 1.5. content validity of all items was accepted, and the factor loading of all the items was higher than 0.4; therefore, all the items were retained. The goodness of fit indices of the model indicated the approval of the model and its good fit (GFI: 0.884, NFI: 0.911, CFI: 0.921, and RMSEA: 0.07). Reliability of the scale was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient, test-retest, and intra-cluster correlation of 0.84, 0.86, and 0.83, respectively. Conclusion: Psychometric features of the Persian version of the CBS-HSP scale were favorable. Therefore, it can be used in future studies to measure the care behaviors of the Persian population and also evaluate effective interventions on this outcome.

Self-adaptive Technique with Double Inertial Steps for Inclusion Problem on Hadamard Manifolds

AbstractIn this article, we investigate monotone and Lipschitz continuous variational inclusion problem in the settings of Hadamard manifolds. We propose a forward–backward method with a self-adaptive technique for solving variational inclusion problem. To increase the rate of convergence of our proposed method, we incorporate our iterative method with double inertial steps and establish a convergence result of our iterative method under some mild conditions. Finally, in order to illustrate the computational effectiveness of our method, some numerical examples are also discussed. The result present in this article is new in this space and extends many related results in the literature.

Reliability, validity, and sensitivity of the Japanese version of the University of California Los Angeles scleroderma clinical trial consortium gastrointestinal tract instrument: Application to efficacy assessment of intravenous immunoglobulin administration.

This study aimed to develop and assess the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of the Japanese version of the University of California Los Angeles Scleroderma Clinical Trial Consortium gastrointestinal tract (GIT) Instrument 2.0 (the GIT score), as an evaluation tool for GIT symptoms in systemic sclerosis (SSc). The Japanese version of the GIT score was constructed using the forward-backward method. The reliability and validity of this instrument were evaluated in a cohort of 38 SSc patients. Correlation analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between the GIT score and existing patient-reported outcome measures. Additionally, the sensitivity of the GIT score was examined by comparing GIT scores before and after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) administration in 10 SSc-myositis overlap patients, as IVIG has recently demonstrated effectiveness in alleviating GIT symptoms of SSc. As a result, the Japanese version of the GIT score exhibited internal consistency and a significant association with the Frequency Scale for the Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Furthermore, the total GIT score, as well as the reflux and distention/bloating subscales, displayed moderate correlations with the EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) pain/discomfort subscale and the Short Form-36 body pain subscale. Notably, following IVIG treatment, there was a statistically significant reduction in the total GIT score and multiple subscales. We first validated the Japanese version of the GIT score in Japanese SSc patients in real-world clinical settings. This instrument holds promise for application in future clinical trials involving this patient population.

Composite Scattering Study of Layered Rough Surface withTarget based on CCIA

In this paper, a fast Cross Coupling iterative Approach (CCIA) is proposed for studying the composite scattering of the layered rough surfaces with buried target, which uses forward backward method (FBM) to solve the electric field integral equations (EFIE) of the layered rough surface and bi-conjugate gradient method (BI-CG) to solve the EFIE of the target, and the interaction between the rough surface and the target is achieved by updating the excitation term. The algorithm is applied to calculate the composite scattering coefficients of the rough surface with a buried target, the results match with those of the traditional numerical algorithm MOM while the error can be reduced to 10−3 by 6 iterations, and the convergence speed and calculation accuracy meet the requirements. The composite scattering coefficients and Angular Correlation Function (ACF) amplitudes of layered rough surface and dielectric targets with different conditions are calculated, and the effects of various factors such as target size and burial depth on the composite scattering characteristics are discussed. It is found that the buried targets will have a great influence on the scattering characteristics, weakening or neglecting the coupling between them will lead to larger errors. Moreover, the results show that ACF can suppress scattering from rough surfaces well, making the scattering characteristics of the target more obvious, which is important for detecting underground targets.

Malay Language Translation of an Instrument to Assess Perception of Lean Adoption in Healthcare Service

Based on thorough literature search, Lean in Healthcare Questionnaire (LiHcQ) has not yet been validated in Malay, so the purpose of this study was to create a validated Malay version of LiHcQ for the purpose of assessing perceptions of lean adoption among healthcare workers. The translated LiHcQ could encourage more studies to examine the perception of lean adoption in Malaysia. The translation using forward-backward method was carried according to the established guideline available involving multiple committee members. Ten respondents involved in face validity assessment with universal face validity index was 0.91. Assessment of construct validity was done using 251 Emergency Department personnel which included doctors, nurses and medical assistants. The goodness of fit indices for the four LiHcQ-M factors were good. The composite reliability of the four domains ranged from 0.784 to 0.902 and average variance extracted (AVE) ranged from 0.547 to 0.653. The internal consistency ranged from 0.750 to 0.905 and stability reliability was acceptable. LiHcQ-M is a suitable instrument for measuring the perception of lean adoption among medical staff based on the results of its validity and reliability assessments. It is highly recommended for additional validity study to be carried out in order to validate LiHcQ-M’s credentials.