High Percentage Of Agreement Research Articles

Waste not, want not: diagnostic material found in suction syringe aspirate during endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial needle aspiration.

Endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a frequently performed procedure. Suction is utilized during this procedure and may occasionally result in the collection of aspirated material, the diagnostic utility of which is uncertain. This study aims to determine the contents of the suction syringe aspirate and its diagnostic value. The suction syringe aspirate was pooled in a container and sent for analysis. We retrospectively reviewed the cytological outcomes of these specimens in comparison to the diagnosis determined by EBUS-TBNA between 2015-2018. The primary outcome was the percent agreement between the diagnostic material found in the suction syringe aspirate, and the final diagnosis established by EBUS-TBNA. Forty-four patients were included. Percent agreement was calculated as the percent in which the suction syringe aspirate diagnosis agreed with the EBUS-TBNA diagnosis. The percent agreement of any diagnosis was 90.9% (95% CI: 78.7-97.2%). Two of the 44 diagnoses (4.5%) were established based solely on the suction syringe aspirate, both cases of granulomatous inflammation. Our results suggest that material collected in the suction syringe has a very high percent agreement with the final diagnosis established by EBUS-TBNA. Furthermore, the suction syringe aspirate may represent the sole diagnostic material in nearly 5% of cases. Given the additional diagnostic material in the suction syringe aspirate, it is reasonable to pool the aspirate with the primary specimen in an effort to enrich the overall diagnostic specimen. This practice may improve the likelihood that the specimen will be sufficient for additional molecular analysis, although further study is necessary. Care must be taken when more than one needle is involved to ensure that a new suction syringe is also used to avoid inadvertent upstaging by specimen contamination.

Evaluating Selection Methods for Carthamus Interspecific Crosses under Different Water Conditions

Core Ideas Wild relatives of safflower are suitable source of genes for improvement of cultivated species.Single plant selection is simple and results in genetic gain in safflower interspecific hybridization under both water stress and non‐stress conditions.Indirect selection is more efficient than direct selection for tolerance to water limited conditions in safflower interspecific crosses. Wild relatives of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) are a potential source of favorable genes for its further improvement through interspecific crosses. Therefore, two wild safflower species (C. palaestinus and C. oxyacanthus) were crossed with the cultivated counterpart in 2011. Three interspecific population progenies including C. palaestinus × C. tinctorius (PT), C. tinctorius × C. oxyacanthus (TO), and C. oxyacanthus × C. palaestinus (OP) were developed. Three selection methods including single plant selection (SPS), modified selected bulk (MSB) and modified bulk (MB) were applied at F3 generation in 2013. Selected lines were evaluated in F4 and F5 generations under water stress and non‐stress conditions during 2014 and 2015. The SPS and MSB methods resulted in higher genetic gain compared to MB under both moisture conditions. Even though, SPS and MSB were equally efficient in selecting better genotypes. SPS was much easier, less laborious, faster and cost‐effective method than MSB. A high percentage of agreement was observed between visual selection and selection based on actual yield only for SPS method by evaluating 2920 single plants. Capitulum diameter (CD) was a good criterion for visual selection of superior genotypes in the field condition under both moisture environments. The PT and TO lines that were produced by SPS and MSB methods showed slightly higher values for most measured traits when compared to the lines which were produced by MB selection method. The SPS‐derived lines were slightly earlier on maturity compared to the lines resulted from other selection methods.

Analysis of Dental Case Reports in the Context of Court Decisions: Causal Nexus and Aspects of Fault.

The purpose of expert reports is to support the judge in his decisions, by providing technical information. However, it remains uncertain as to what extent the content of these reports is used, and if they are effectively associated with judicial decisions. The aim of this study was to perform a qualitative analysis of case reports in relation to the judicial decisions rendered in association with these reports, by determining the connection between causal nexus and aspects of fault. The case reports included lawsuits against dentists, issued by the Medical Justice Department of the State Court of Appeals of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, between 2010 and 2013. Comparing the percentage of agreement between case report and judicial decision, causal nexus was 79.9% and fault was 86.7%. The high percentages of agreement found in relation to fault and causal nexus highlight the relevance of expert reports in weighing the judge's decision.

Technique for interrater reliability evaluation of a mobile game aimed for executive functions stimulation

This work presents an interrater reliability evaluation of a mobile game aimed for the executive function’s stimulation, specifically the inhibitory control. The educational Exergame “The Incredible Adventures of Apollo & Rosetta in the Space” was presented in a previous piece of work, which showed the development of the game and its application in a researching intervention with children, in the 6 to 10 age-group, in a school environment. Subsequently, the game had its code reworked for being able to be used across different platforms, hence culminating in the present work. The methodology in this paper consists in a mixed qualitative-quantitative evaluation through questionnaires with four domain professionals experienced in the executive functions field. The statistical measurement used was based on the Kappa coefficient and average percentage among the judges. As the results indicate, there was a substantial agreement (k=0,659; P-value=0,000) between the raters, as well as a high percentage of agreement in general on the mobile game’s capability of Executive Functions stimulation for children.

Early Reading Skills in English as a Foreign Language Via ICT in Greece: Early Childhood Student Teachers’ Perceptions

ICT is an effective tool which can support young children’s reading skills in English as a foreign language (EFL), while teachers’ perceptions influence their classroom practices; however, there is limited empirical evidence on students’ perceptions on the use of ICT to enhance early reading skills in EFL. This study investigated early childhood student teachers’ perceptions regarding children’s reading skills in EFL via ICT, in Greece. A questionnaire was administered to 110 students. Students expressed positive perceptions indicating their willingness-intention to use ICT in teaching reading in EFL to young children. The skills and strategies most reported were that they will use computers (high percentage of agreement, over 70%) in their classrooms for the extension of children’s vocabulary and the motivation of children to read and to like reading. Students perceived as major barriers the technical support and the availability of resources. The greater the year of study, the more positive were their perceptions. Implications for early childhood pre-service teacher training and educational policy are discussed.

Comparison of different equations for estimated glomerular filtration rate in Han Chinese patients with chronic kidney disease.

To understand the agreement, precision, and accuracy between other estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) equations and the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) creatinine-cystatin C equation (EPI_Cr_CysC). We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,913 CKD patients. The eGFRs were calculated separately by creatinine clearance rate and Cockcroft-Gault equation corrected for standard body surface area (Ccr_BSA and eCcr_BSA); CKD-EPI creatinine equation (EPI_Cr); CKD-EPI cystatin C equation (EPI_CysC); EPI_Cr_CysC equation; Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation with standardized serum creatinine; and full-age spectrum creatinine equation (FAS). The EPI_Cr_CysC equation was used as the reference. When compared with the EPI_Cr_CysC equation, the EPI_Cr equation achieved the highest agreement in eGFRs (Lin's concordance correlation coefficient = 0.936, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.930, 0.941). eCcr_BSA and EPI_Cr equations achieved the first and second highest percentage agreement in the accurate classification of CKD stage (72.55 vs. 71.25%). The MDRD equation had minimal bias and was closely followed by the EPI_Cr equation (median difference = -1.3, 95% CI = -2.0, -0.8 vs. median difference = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.7, 3.3 mL/min/1.73m2). The EPI_CysC and EPI_Cr equations achieved the first and second highest precision (interquartile range (IQR) of the difference = 12.2, 95% CI = 11.6, 12.9 vs. IQR of the difference = 15.5, 95% CI = 14.7, 16.3 mL/min/1.73m2). The EPI_Cr and MDRD equations performed similarly and both had the highest accuracy at 30% (1 - P30 = 18.6, 95% CI = 16.9, 20.4 vs. 1 - P30 = 18.6, 95% CI = 16.8, 20.3%). For assessment of renal function, the EPI_Cr equation performed the best and remained an acceptable alternative to the EPI_Cr_CysC equation in the absence of cystatin C. .

Correlation Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Surgical Exploration of the Anterolateral Structures of the Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Injured Knee

Background: Combined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and anterolateral ligament (ALL) reconstruction is associated with improved clinical outcomes as compared with isolated intra-articular reconstruction, but the indications are not precisely defined. It may be the case that patients with proven anterolateral injury on preoperative imaging are most likely to benefit, but the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is not known. Purpose/Hypothesis: To evaluate the correlation between MRI and surgical exploration in acute ACL-injured knees. The hypothesis was that a positive correlation would be identified between imaging and surgical findings for ALL/capsule and iliotibial band (ITB) injuries and that MRI would be highly sensitive, specific, and accurate. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: Between January and May 2016, patients presenting with acute ACL injuries were considered for study eligibility. Included patients underwent 1.5-T MRI, which was evaluated by 3 investigators who attributed a Ferretti grade of injury to the anterolateral structures. At the time of ACL reconstruction, a lateral exploration was undertaken, and macroscopic injuries were identified. An evaluation of correlation between MRI and surgical exploration findings was performed. Results: Twenty-six patients participated in the study, and 96% had an ALL/capsule injury. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI and the correlation (K) with surgical exploration findings were as follows, respectively: any ALL/capsule abnormality—88%, 100%, 88.5%, and 0.47; differentiating partial or complete ALL/capsule tears—78.6%, 41.7%, 61.5%, and 0.23; ITB injuries—62.5%, 40%, 50%, and 0.27. The percentage agreement between MRI and surgical findings was 88% for ALL/capsule injury, 65% for ITB injury, and 53% for Ferretti grading. Conclusion: Surgical exploration demonstrates that injuries occur to the anterolateral structures in almost all acute ACL-injured knees. MRI is highly sensitive, specific, and accurate for detection of abnormalities of the ALL/capsule and shows a high percentage of agreement with surgical findings. MRI has low sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for the diagnosis of ITB injury. The Ferretti grade could not be reliably established from MRI, and there was only fair agreement between MRI and surgical findings with respect to ITB abnormalities and determination of whether ALL/capsular tears were partial or complete.

Translation, inter-rater reliability, agreement, and internal consistency of the Spanish version of the cumulated ambulation score in patients after hip fracture

Purpose: To translate the Cumulated Ambulation Score into Spanish, and to examine its inter-rater reliability, agreement and internal consistency.Materials and Methods: Two occupational therapists independently used the Spanish version of the Cumulated Ambulation Score (three activities scored from 0–2 points) to assess 60 consecutive patients with hip fracture within the first post-surgery week at a traumatology service of a public hospital. We used linear weighted kappa (κ) statistics to determine inter-rater reliability, percent agreement to assess measurement error, Cronbach’s α coefficient to establish the internal consistency, and the McNemar–Bowker test to evaluate for systematic between-rater differences.Results: The κ was ≥ 0.83 for the three individual activities and the total score, the percent agreement was ≥ 0.87, and Cronbach’s α was 0.89 with no observed systematic between-rater difference.Conclusions: This study provides evidence for almost perfect inter-rater reliability, excellent internal consistency, and high percent agreement of the Spanish version of the Cumulated Ambulation Score. Due to the strong psychometric properties, and its ease of use, we suggest it be used in Spanish speaking countries to assess early basic mobility status of patients with hip fracture until independence is reached.Implications for rehabilitationThe Spanish version of the Cumulated Ambulation Score is a reliable outcome measure to assess basic mobility of patients with hip fracture.We suggest the Spanish version of the Cumulated Ambulation Score be used in Spanish speaking settings to indicate small changes in basic mobility of patients with hip fracture until an independent level is reached.The Spanish version of the Cumulated Ambulation Score can be used with a high reliability by experienced and inexperienced occupational therapists, corresponding to the already established reliability when used by physicians and physiotherapists.

Field testing of the revised neuropathic pain grading system in a cohort of patients with neck and upper limb pain.

Background and aims In 2008, the International Association for the Study of Pain Special Interest Group on Neuropathic Pain (NeuPSIG) proposed a clinical grading system to help identify patients with neuropathic pain (NeP). We previously applied this classification system, along with two NeP screening tools, the painDETECT (PD-Q) and Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs pain scale (LANSS), to identify NeP in patients with neck/upper limb pain. Both screening tools failed to identify a large proportion of patients with clinically classified NeP, however a limitation of our study was the use of a single clinician performing the NeP classification. In 2016, the NeuPSIG grading system was updated with the aim of improving its clinical utility. We were interested in field testing of the revised grading system, in particular in the application of the grading system and the agreement of interpretation of clinical findings. The primary aim of the current study was to explore the application of the NeuPSIG revised grading system based on patient records and to establish the inter-rater agreement of detecting NeP. A secondary aim was to investigate the level of agreement in detecting NeP between the revised NeuPSIG grading system and the LANSS and PD-Q. Methods In this retrospective study, two expert clinicians (Specialist Pain Medicine Physician and Advanced Scope Physiotherapist) independently reviewed 152 patient case notes and classified them according to the revised grading system. The consensus of the expert clinicians' clinical classification was used as "gold standard" to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the two NeP screening tools. Results The two clinicians agreed in classifying 117 out of 152 patients (ICC 0.794, 95% CI 0.716-850; κ 0.62, 95% CI 0.50-0.73), yielding a 77% agreement. Compared to the clinicians' consensus, both LANSS and PD-Q demonstrated limited diagnostic accuracy in detecting NeP (LANSS sensitivity 24%, specificity 97%; PD-Q sensitivity 53%, specificity 67%). Conclusions The application of the revised NeP grading system was feasible in our retrospective analysis of patients with neck/upper limb pain. High inter-rater percentage agreement was demonstrated. The hierarchical order of classification may lead to false negative classification. We propose that in the absence of sensory changes or diagnostic tests in patients with neck/upper limb pain, classification of NeP may be further improved using a cluster of clinical findings that confirm a relevant nerve lesion/disease, such as reflex and motor changes. The diagnostic accuracy of LANSS and PD-Q in identifying NeP in patients with neck/upper limb pain remains limited. Clinical judgment remains crucial to diagnosing NeP in the clinical practice. Implications Our observations suggest that in view of the heterogeneity in patients with neck/upper limb pain, a considerable amount of expertise is required to interpret the revised grading system. While the application was feasible in our clinical setting, it is unclear if this will be feasible to apply in primary health care settings where early recognition and timely intervention is often most needed. The use of LANSS and PD-Q in the identification of NeP in patients with neck/upper limb pain remains questionable.

Diagnostic accuracy and safety of 16α-[18F]fluoro-17β-oestradiol PET-CT for the assessment of oestrogen receptor status in recurrent or metastatic lesions in patients with breast cancer: a prospective cohort study

A biopsy of first recurrence or metastatic disease is recommended to re-evaluate oestrogen receptor status in patients with breast cancer and to select appropriate treatment. However, retesting for oestrogen receptor status with rebiopsy is not always feasible, depending on lesion location and the risk associated with biopsy, and in these cases clinicians continue to treat patients according to the oestrogen receptor status of the primary tumour. Consequently suboptimal therapy might be offered to these patients. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy and safety of 16α-[18F]fluoro-17β-oestradiol (18F-FES) PET-CT to assess oestrogen receptor status in patients with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. We did a prospective cohort study at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea. Eligible patients had breast cancer, with first recurrence or metastatic disease at presentation, were 19 years or older, and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2. The primary objective was to show the agreement between qualitative 18F-FES PET-CT interpretation and the results of oestrogen receptor expression by immunohistochemical assay, a non-reference standard test. Whole-body 18F-FES PET-CT imaging was done after intravenous injection of 111-222 MBq of 18F-FES, with dosing primarily determined by radiation dosimetry analysis. 18F-FES uptake above background intensity was interpreted as positive. Efficacy was assessed in all patients with histologically confirmed recurrent or metastatic breast cancer who received 18F-FES and had PET-CT images available (intention-to-diagnose analysis), and safety was assessed in all patients who received 18F-FES. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01986569. Between Nov 27, 2013, and Nov 10, 2016, 93 patients were enrolled. Of the 85 patients included in the efficacy analysis, 47 (55%) were oestrogen receptor-positive and 38 (45%) were oestrogen receptor-negative. Positive status percent agreement between the 18F-FES PET-CT results and oestrogen receptor status by immunohistochemical assay was 76·6% (95% CI 62·0-87·7) and the negative status percent agreement was 100·0% (90·8-100·0). Patients who were oestrogen receptor-positive and had a positive 18F-FES PET-CT result had a significantly higher progesterone receptor expression than those who were oestrogen receptor-positive and had a negative 18F-FES PET-CT result (23 [68%] of 34 patients vs 0 of 11 patients; p<0·0001). The most common adverse event was procedural pain in nine (10%) of 90 patients injected with 18F-FES. No adverse events were related to the study drug except injection site pain in one (1%) patient. No serious adverse events were recorded. The high negative percent agreement between 18F-FES PET-CT and oestrogen receptor status by immunohistochemical assay in this cohort suggests that positive 18F-FES uptake by recurrent or metastatic oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer lesions could be an alternative to oestrogen receptor assays in this setting. Staging assessment should include 18F-FES PET-CT when retesting oestrogen receptor status is not feasible. Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Ministry of Health and Welfare, South Korea.

Age and Growth of Spotted Snakehead, Channa punctata from the Ganga River

The present study was undertaken to estimate age and growth of the spotted snakehead Channa punctata (Bloch, 1793) from the Ganga River, based on 390 fish samples collected during August 2016 to July 2017. Each of the 3 otoliths (lapillus, asteriscus and sagitta) were dissected out, cleaned and observed to identify the annual rings. Based on clarity of annuli and ease of reading, sagittae (whole as well as sectioned) were selected for age estimation. Standard procedures were followed to prepare and study the age structures viz., the otoliths and scales. The alternating opaque and translucent bands present on the ageing structures were interpreted as annuli. Amongst the 3 methods used for age estimation, the sectioned otolith exhibited highest percentage of agreement (92.4) between readers, and least values of average percent of error (2.68) and coefficient of variation (2.36). Age estimates from sectioned otoliths were taken to develop the von Bertalanffy growth equation [Lt = 31.5(1 – e–0.29(t+ 1.06))] for the target fish species. The observed and calculated lengths in the fish did not vary significantly. Thus, the sectioned otoliths may be used for precise age estimation as well as calculation of various age-based population parameters of C. punctata inhabiting the river Ganga.

The diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil: Confronting old problems

In Brazil, the main strategy adopted to contain Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is the controversial culling of dogs with reagent serology for Canine VL (CVL). Despite there are studies showing that significant reduction of human cases has not been observed, as well as there are works demonstrating the occurrence of false-positive results in the confirmatory test, the protocol has been maintained. Researches that can reinforce the existence and persistence of this problem, as well as bring concrete alternatives are pivotal. In this context, the aim of this work was to evaluate and compare the serological, molecular and parasitological methods employed for CVL detection in Brazil, in dogs with diverse clinical profiles, from two endemic areas of Pernambuco state. Comparisons among TR-DPP®, EIE-LVC and qPCR (animals from Goiana-PE: 91) demonstrated that agreements varied from ‘poor’ to ‘moderate’ (kappa = 0.162–0.442), and a triple agreement occurred in 61.36% (54/88) of the samples. The highest percentage of agreement was obtained between TR-DPP® and EIE-LVC within the polysymptomatic group (93.33%; 14/15). Of the 34 dogs with reagent serology from Caruaru-PE, 17 (50%) and 29 dogs (85.29%) were positive for qPCR and parasitological exam, respectively. By comparing serology, qPCR and parasitological exam, the lowest percentage of agreements were obtained within the asymptomatic group (40%–72.72%). It was possible to observe that the percentage of agreement tended to decrease according to the absence of clinical manifestations in the dogs. Thus, from the fact that all diagnostic tools evaluated have their limitations, it is very important to be careful before to propose an alternative set of diagnostic criteria. Besides, the answer for better results in the control of CVL may not be in the choose of the best set of diagnostic tools, but it may be in the strategy of culling itself. In this context, it is very important to invest in alternative control measures, such as mass vaccination and treatment of dogs, thus reducing the transmission to the vector and helping to avoid new canine and human cases.

The Italian Words and Sentences MB-CDI: normative data and concordance between complete and short forms.

One of the most popular and widely used parent report instruments for assessing early language acquisition is the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MB-CDI). This study compares normative data of the Italian Words and Sentences complete form (WS-CF) and short form (WS-SF). The samples included 752 children for the WS-CF and 816 children for the WS-SF designed for children aged 18-36 months. The concordance between WS-SF and WS-CF is analyzed in a subgroup of 65 children. The results revealed strong correlations between WS-CF and WS-SF in both lexical and grammar skills as well as strong relationship between lexical and grammar skills. There was a high percentage agreement (97%) between the two forms for scores below the 10th percentile, suggesting that the two forms may be used interchangeably in order to describe vocabulary and grammatical development.

The Correlation of Shoe Size and Component Size of Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Preoperative planning is an important phase of total joint arthroplasty. Current template programs and methods only provide moderate accuracy for implant size prediction. Recently, a relationship between shoe size and implant size was found. We hypothesized that shoe size shows a high percentage of agreement for implant size of both femoral and tibial component size in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation and agreement between shoe size and TKA implant size. We performed a retrospective cohort study. Of all patients, who underwent primary TKA between September 2013 and March 2016, shoe size and knee implant sizes were collected. Cross-tabulation was used to determine the correlation and agreement between shoe size and implant size. A total of 489 patients (498 TKA) were included. The correlation coefficient for femoral and tibial component with shoe size was 0.751 and 0.759, respectively. When a deviation of ± 1 component size was allowed, shoe size gave at least 94% agreement score for femoral component and at least 86% agreement score in tibial component. We conclude that both femoral and tibial component size have a good correlation with shoe size. Therefore, shoe size may be used as a valuable predictor in preoperative implant size planning for primary TKA. The level of evidence for this study was Level IV.

The App Behavior Change Scale: Creation of a Scale to Assess the Potential of Apps to Promote Behavior Change.

BackgroundUsing mobile phone apps to promote behavior change is becoming increasingly common. However, there is no clear way to rate apps against their behavior change potential.ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop a reliable, theory-based scale that can be used to assess the behavior change potential of smartphone apps.MethodsA systematic review of all studies purporting to investigate app’s behavior change potential was conducted. All scales and measures from the identified studies were collected to create an item pool. From this item pool, 3 health promotion exerts created the App Behavior Change Scale (ABACUS). To test the scale, 70 physical activity apps were rated to provide information on reliability.ResultsThe systematic review returned 593 papers, the abstracts and titles of all were reviewed, with the full text of 77 papers reviewed; 50 papers met the inclusion criteria. From these 50 papers, 1333 questions were identified. Removing duplicates and unnecessary questions left 130 individual questions, which were then refined into the 21-item scale. The ABACUS demonstrates high percentage agreement among reviewers (over 80%), with 3 questions scoring a Krippendorff alpha that would indicate agreement and a further 7 came close with alphas >.5. The scale overall reported high interrater reliability (2-way mixed interclass coefficient=.92, 95% CI 0.81-0.97) and high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha=.93).ConclusionsThe ABACUS is a reliable tool that can be used to determine the behavior change potential of apps. This instrument fills a gap by allowing the evaluation of a large number of apps to be standardized across a range of health categories.

An Evaluation of Colour Change in Abrasion and its Correlation to Time: A Cross-Sectional Study From a Tertiary Care Centre

Ageing of abrasions among Indian population compared to the West has a wide range of variations. There is not much reported work from India as to the healing pattern and morphological appearance of abrasions in correlation to time since injury. A cross sectional study of patients randomly selected for a naked eye examination of the abrasions compared with standard colour-charts. Comparison was then made between the standard literature and the data gathered to ascertain the applicability of the Western findings on Indian population. It is observed that fresh injuries and injuries which are more than 7 days old have a high percentage of agreement with the available literature. The Spearman's rho showed positive correlation between time since injury and colour of abrasion to be 0.902 (p value<0.001). However those abrasions which age between 12 hours to 7 days have a lesser percentage agreement with the available literature in the standard text. The Spearman's test of correlation for abrasions between 12 hours-7 days, after excluding extreme intervals which correlated completely with literature, still showed high correlation (Correlation Coefficient-0.749, p value <0.001).

Agreement between diagnostic imaging methods for the evaluation of lymphadenopathies in HIV-infected/AIDS patients.

ObjectiveTo assess the percent agreement between diagnostic imaging modalities for the evaluation of lymphadenopathies in HIV-infected/AIDS patients.Materials and MethodsThis was an open, comparative, prospective study of diagnostic imaging methods for lymphadenopathy evaluation. We evaluated 30 patients (19 men and 11 women). All underwent ultrasound and computed tomography (CT). Twenty of the patients also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We determined the percent agreement between two examiners using the various imaging methods to evaluate lymphadenopathies.ResultsCT had the highest percent agreement, at 93.3%, with a kappa coefficient of 0.85, corresponding to 28 of the 30 examinations. When we compared the percent agreement between the two examiners and between CT and ultrasound, examiner 1 had an observed rate of 80.0%, with a kappa of 0.49, corresponding to 24 of the 30 examinations, whereas examiner 2 had a rate of 70.0%, with a kappa of 0.31, corresponding to 21 of the 30 examinations. Between MRI and CT, the percent agreement for examiner 1 was 50.0%, with a kappa of −0.18, corresponding to 10 of the 20 examinations, whereas that for examiner 2 was 85.0%, with a kappa of 0.69, corresponding to 17 of the 20 examinations. For MRI and ultrasound, examiner 1 had a percent agreement of 70.0%, with a kappa of 0.20, corresponding to 14 of the 20 examinations, and examiner 2 had a percent agreement of 75.0%, with a kappa of 0.38, corresponding to 15 of the 20 examinations.ConclusionThis study indicates that intermethod agreement is highly dependent on the way in which the research is conducted, rather than on the level of experience of the examiner.

Structured Multidisciplinary Work Evaluation Tool (SMET): Reliability testing of a multidisciplinary/multifactorial work questionnaire.

Occupational health services (OHS) are rarely involved in preventive issues and systematic work environment management. The Structured Multidisciplinary Work Evaluation Tool (SMET) questionnaire was created to address the lack of multidisciplinary/multifactorial OHS tools with the aim to be used in preventive issues and systematic work environment management. The aim of this study was to evaluate trustworthiness of the inter-rater reliability in the qualitative analysis of the open-ended items and intra-rater reliability of the self-estimated items in the SMET questionnaire. A qualitative comparison of the inter-rater reliability in the qualitative analysis of the open-ended items was performed to evaluate trustworthiness. The intra-rater reliability of the self-estimated items in the SMET questionnaire were analysed with Elisabet Svensson method. Qualitative analysis of the open-ended items showed good trustworthiness. The self-estimated items showed a high percent agreement (PA), 0.98-0.99 in the physically, 0.99 in the environmentally and 0.98-1.0 in the psychosocially demanding items. A low degree of systematic errors and individual variability were found. The SMET questionnaire shows good trustworthiness and intra-rater reliability and can be used to follow up and evaluate work environmental interventions.

Validation d'un questionnaire auto-administré sur les valeurs en politique publique de santé.

The aims of this article are to describe the development of a self-administered questionnaire assessing the core values in the field of public health ( radardesvaleurs.com ) and to report the results of a study testing the questionnaire's test-retest reliability, internal consistency and construct validity. A 24-item questionnaire grounded in the conceptual framework of Shalom H. Schwartz (2000) was developed by a group of international experts in public health. Six scores were generated, each linked to a specific value and put on three axes: individualism-equity, autonomy-conformity and risk-security. The questionnaire was submitted to students attending the School of Public Health of the Université de Montréal (ESPUM) (n = 700). A total of 401 students completed the questionnaire, 52 of whom completed it again onemonth later. For the test-retest reliability, all percentages of agreement were equal or superior to 60% except for a single question (50%). All Cohen's kappa coefficients of individual items were strong (> 0.60) except for three questions which presented a very high percentage of agreement. The Intraclass Correlation coefficients of the values' scores varied between 0.27 and 0.77. The three axes' internal consistency was estimated by Cronbach's alphas (between 0.46 and 0.74). The exploratory factorial analysis only partially confirmed the questionnaire's theoretical structure. Despite the limits of the results, the questionnaire has an interesting level of reliability and validity, which makes its pedagogical use pertinent to pursue. The limitation to four items/value, as well as the representativeness of the sampling (ESPUM students), could explain certain empirical shortcomings of the questionnaire.

Prevalence of fibromyalgia in physicians in training: a cross-sectional study.

The prevalence of fibromyalgia (FM) in physicians in training (PIT) in Saudi Arabia is unknown. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of FM in PIT using different screening tools and factors associated with its development. We also aimed at evaluating the level of agreement and correlation between screening tools. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a single academic institution. PIT were invited to fill three questionnaires: Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening tool (FirST), Fibromyalgia Survey Questionnaire (FSQ), and London Fibromyalgia Epidemiology Study Screening Questionnaire (LFESSQ). A total of 182 PIT completed the questionnaire. They were predominantly males (57.1%), single (56.0%), and at resident level (86.7%). The median age was 28 (interquartile range = 4). The average number of house-calls/month was 3.2 (SD = 2.3). The prevalence of FM using the FirST, FSQ, and LFESSQ was 6.0%, 8.2%, and 11.6%, respectively. Six (3.3%) fulfilled the three criteria concurrently. After adjusting for different variables using the FSQ, PIT with family history of FM had 23.6 times the odds for testing positive (95% CI = 3.12, 178.37), and every extra house-call/month was associated with a 50% increase in the odds for testing positive for FM (95% CI = 1.00, 2.25). Percent agreement between tools was high (all > 86%). Results for kappa coefficient showed moderate agreement between FSQ scores and each of FirST and LFESSQ. There was poor agreement between FirST and LFESSQ. FM is prevalent among PIT. There is a high percent agreement and poor to moderate correlation between the screening tools used.