Low Level Of Agreement Research Articles

Enhancing Detection of Glaucoma Progression: Utility of 24-2 Visual Field Central Points vs. 10-2 Visual Fields

PurposeTo test the hypothesis that a summary index derived from the central 12 points of the 24-2 visual field (MD12) could provide complementary information to that provided by the 24-2 visual field (VF) mean deviation (24-2 MD). DesignLongitudinal observational study Participants125 eyes (125 patients) with central damage or moderate to severe glaucoma from the Advanced Glaucoma Progression Study with four or more pairs of 10-2 and 24-2 SITA standard VFs. MethodsBaseline 10-2 and 24-2 VF dates were within six months, and the remaining pairs of VF tests were done in the same session. The MD12 index was calculated by averaging total deviation (TD) values from the central 12 points of 24-2 VF. Simple linear regression of MD against time was used to estimate 24-2 MD, 10-2 MD, and MD12 rates of change (RoC). Progression at the final follow-up visit was defined as a RoC <0 dB/year with p<0.05 for any summary index with confirmation. Main Outcome MeasuresProportion of progressing eyes based on 24-2 MD, 10-2 MD, and MD12 rates of change. ResultsThe average (SD) baseline 24-2 and 10-2 MD were –9.0 ± 6.2 and –8.5 ± 5.4 dB, respectively. The mean follow-up time was 5.7 (±1.6) years. The 3 summary indices were highly correlated at baseline: r (95% CI) =0.62 (0.52-0.74) between 10-2 MD and 24-2 MD, 0.84 (0.78-0.90) between MD12 and 24-2 MD, and 0.86 (0.80-0.92) between 10-2 MD and MD12. The corresponding correlations between RoC were weaker: r=0.41 (0.37-0.45), 0.80 (0.78-0.82), and 0.49 (0.45-0.53). Glaucoma progression was detected in 29 (23.2%), 22 (17.6%), and 23 eyes (18.4%) based on the 24-2, 10-2, and MD12 RoC, respectively; 7 eyes (9.6%) exhibited progression based on MD12 RoC and not with 24-2 MD; only 3 of these eyes progressed according to 10-2. ConclusionsMD12 rates of change and detection rates have a low level of agreement with those of 10-2 and hence do not replace the need for 10-2 VF MD to monitor central damage.

Perceptions and attitudes toward artificial intelligence among frontline physicians and physicians' assistants in Kansas: a cross-sectional survey.

This survey aims to understand frontline healthcare professionals' perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and assess how AI familiarity influences these perceptions. We conducted a survey from February to March 2023 of physicians and physician assistants registered with the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts. Participants rated their perceptions toward AI-related domains and constructs on a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating stronger agreement. Two sub-groups were created for analysis to assess the impact of participants' familiarity and experience with AI on the survey results. From 532 respondents, key concerns were Perceived Communication Barriers (median = 4.0, IQR = 2.8-4.8), Unregulated Standards (median = 4.0, IQR = 3.6-4.8), and Liability Issues (median = 4.0, IQR = 3.5-4.8). Lower levels of agreement were noted for Trust in AI Mechanisms (median = 3.0, IQR = 2.2-3.4), Perceived Risks of AI (median = 3.2, IQR = 2.6-4.0), and Privacy Concerns (median = 3.3, IQR = 2.3-4.0). Positive correlations existed between Intention to use AI and Perceived Benefits (r = 0.825) and Trust in AI Mechanisms (r = 0.777). Perceived risk negatively correlated with Intention to Use AI (r = -0.718). There was no difference in perceptions between AI experienced and AI naïve subgroups. The findings suggest that perceptions of benefits, trust, risks, communication barriers, regulation, and liability issues influence healthcare professionals' intention to use AI, regardless of their AI familiarity. The study highlights key factors affecting AI adoption in healthcare from the frontline healthcare professionals' perspective. These insights can guide strategies for successful AI implementation in healthcare.

An exploratory qualitative study on factors influencing the level of agreement in symptom reports in child-caregiver dyads.

Clinicians often rely on caregiver proxy symptom reports to treat cancer-related symptoms in children. Research has described disagreement between children's and caregivers' symptom reports. Factors influencing the level of agreement is an understudied area. Thus, this study aimed to examine potential factors contributing to the level of agreement between symptom reports provided by children and their caregivers. Sixteen child-caregiver dyads participated separately in semi-structured interviews after completing a brief symptom measure independently using an electronic device. Child and caregiver quantitative symptom responses were reviewed in real-time and incorporated into the semi-structured interview. Sample characteristics and the level of agreement between symptom reports were calculated using descriptive statistics. Transcribed participant interviews were analyzed using content analysis. Nearly half of child-caregiver dyads exhibited a moderate (37.5%, n = 6) or low (18.75%, n = 3) level of agreement on the abbreviated symptom measure. Qualitative analysis identified 5 themes: recognizing symptoms, experiencing symptoms, communicating symptoms, re-assessing and treating symptoms, and influencing individual and relationship factors. Influencing individual, including a child's tendencies or personality traits, and relationship factors intersected the other themes, partially explained their symptom perceptions, and served to facilitate or hinder symptom communication. Symptom communication is an important part of the symptom cycle, comprised of symptom recognition, experience, and management. Individual and relational factors may influence discrepancies in symptom perceptions between the child and caregiver. Clinicians and researchers should consider developing interventions to enhance symptom communication and promote collaboration between children and their caregivers to address symptom suffering during cancer treatment.

Evaluation of molecular and bacteriological detection methods performed on the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy samples collected from endometrial and lymph node tuberculosis suspected patients

BackgroundEndometrial Tuberculosis is one of the most common gynecological problems known to have serious implications for the quality of life like infertility. The commonly practiced histopathology solely relies on the suggestive feature of Tuberculosis (TB) with low specificity. Regarding the alternative bacteriological and molecular detection tools, little evidence was generated on their utility in the diagnosis of endometrial tuberculosis in Ethiopia. Therefore, we aim to investigate the detection rate of molecular and bacteriological detection methods on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy samples for the diagnosis of endometrial and lymph node TB.MethodsA retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 90 formalin fixed paraffin embedded biopsy samples from patients with gynecologic and lymph problems collected between 2018 and 2022 at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. SPSS version 26 was used for statistical analysis. The diagnostic performance was calculated using the histopathology method as the reference standard. Cohen’s Kappa value was used to measure the level of agreement. A test with a P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 90 samples were analyzed in the current study. Auramine O, GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay, and Real-Time PCR tests have shown a detection rate of 32/90 (36%), 43/90 (47.8%), and 54/90 (60%) respectively (P ≤ 0.01). The sensitivity and specificity of AO were 38.1% and 95% respectively. RT PCR showed superior sensitivity followed by GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay, 70% and 58.6%. AO and molecular methods have shown a similarly low level of agreement with histopathology (Kappa value = 0.2).ConclusionsIn a resource-limited setting, the selection of diagnostic tools needs careful attention. Putting the patients on anti-TB treatments based solely on histopathological findings may lead to undesired and adverse complications. Therefore, applying molecular and bacteriological detection methods along with histopathology, could help minimize inappropriate antimicrobial use.

Evaluation of the feasibility of equine in-vivo ultrasound technique for the medial branch of the dorsal ramus of the cervical spinal nerves

Ultrasound-guided local anaesthesia is commonly used in veterinary orthopaedics for horses. This study aimed to assess an in vivo ultrasound technique for the medial branch of the dorsal branch of the cervical spinal nerves (MB-DBCSNs) in horses and compare the performance of clinicians with different experience levels. Ten healthy, skeletally mature horses were examined using radiographic and ultrasound (US) techniques in the cervical area (C3–C7). Four operators with varying experience conducted US examinations using a 10 MHz linear and 6 MHz curvilinear transducer over ten training sessions. The number of cervical nerves visualized was recorded. A chi-square test was used to analyse the impact of training, anatomical location, and operator experience on the identification of facet joints. Operator agreement was evaluated with Cohen’s K test. The operators assessed 80 MB-DBCSNs, with radiographs and identified 70 healthy and 10 pathological facet joints. Training significantly improved visualization success, reaching 90% in later sessions. Cranial facet joints (C3–C5) were more frequently visualized (81%) than caudal ones (C5–C7) were (59%). US performance was influenced by the operator’s skill, and agreement among operators ranged from slight to fair. Overall, practice improved cervical nerve visualization in vivo, particularly for cranial nerves, but the technique requires a long learning curve because of low levels of operator agreement.

Assessing the Validity of Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels for Evaluating the Healthiness of Mediterranean Food Choices: A Global Comparison.

In response to growing public health concerns, governments worldwide have implemented various nutrition labelling schemes to promote healthier eating habits. This study aimed to assess the consistency and effectiveness of these labels in an out-of-home context, specifically focusing on restaurant, hospitality, and institutional food service settings. In total, 178 different dishes from Spain were analysed using labels from the Mazocco method, the UK's traffic light system, the Health Star Rating (Australia), Nutri-Score (France), multiple traffic lights (Ecuador), and warning labels (Chile and Uruguay). The results demonstrated a generally low level of agreement among these labels (K < 0.40), indicating notable variability and a lack of consensus, which could hinder consumers' ability to make informed food choices in out-of-home settings. Nutri-Score classified the highest number of dishes as unhealthy (38%). This study underscores the need for an easy-to-understand labelling system tailored to each country's culinary and socio-cultural contexts to improve consumer decision-making in various dining environments. Future research should focus on developing and testing qualitative methods to more accurately gauge the nutritional quality of cooked dishes in diverse out-of-home settings, thereby enhancing public health outcomes. By addressing the specific needs of the home, restaurants, hospitality, and institutional food services, tailored labelling schemes could significantly improve consumers' ability to make healthier food choices.

Geospatial and common methods for the assessment of land suitability for wheat production in Iran

Wheat is considered the most important crop in Iran; however, not all of the land in Iran is equally suitable for growing wheat. This study aimed to apply a spatial model for land suitability assessment integrated with geographic information system (GIS) techniques for the wheat crop. Climate and Soil parameters were recognized as factors affecting land suitability for wheat crop in the study area. Three indices were used in assessing land suitability, soil fertility, chemical and physical quality indices. The results of the proposed model (LSI) were compared with the square root and Storie methods. The results showed that most of the units fall within the Moderate suitable class (S2) and the Marginally suitable class (S3) which together represent 88.66% of the total area. About 7.08% of the study area was High suitable and About 2.37% of the study area was unsuitable for wheat crops and those areas correspond to the adverse physical and chemical properties of the soil. The comparison of the results of the three approaches used showed that the present model has a Moderate level of agreement with the square root method (0.516) and showed that the present model has a low level of agreement with the Storie method (0.243). Comparing the results showed that the story model has a high agreement with the square root method (0.884). In the current model, the use of different indicators allows for obtaining results that seem to be more consistent with the current conditions of the region.

Avoidable emergency admissions: defining the concept.

The transfer of end-of-life patients to hospital via admission to an emergency service mainly happens because of a lack of community support nearby and a lack of resources in palliative care. This study aimed to define the concept of avoidable admission to an emergency department for palliative patients. An integrative literature review was performed. The results of this were put to a panel of palliative care experts via a Delphi process to determine their consensus and agreement with the statements. The results of the two-step Delphi process reached a high level of consensus and agreement that patients with palliative needs accompanied by home palliative care teams should not go to the emergency department. There was a low level of consensus and agreement about the appropriate admission of a patient in pain in the absence of any information about previous community support. The findings allowed the definition of an 'avoidable emergency admission', which is an emergency admission for any symptom or condition that could be supported in a home context or primary health care, or any emergency admission that does not require immediate nursing or medical intervention, nor leads to greater comfort or quality of life for the patient.

Provider Implicit Racial Bias in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease.

This study is to (1) assess implicit racial bias among pediatric providers and (2) use virtual patient (VP) vignettes to determine the impact of implicit racial bias on clinical decision-making in pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD) pain care. This cross-sectional study was conducted at a mid-sized, freestanding children's hospital in the northeast. Participants (N = 52) were pediatric SCD providers (87% cisgender female, 90% White, M age = 38.78). Providers completed a demographic questionnaire, the race Implicit Association Test (IAT) with adult and child faces, and a measure of SCD explicit bias (5-point Likert scale). Providers also made clinical decisions for four VP vignettes depicting Black and White youth in the emergency department (ED) with either SCD or cancer pain. Frequency tables were calculated. On the race IAT, providers demonstrated a pro-White implicit bias for both adult (81%) and child (89%) faces. Responses to the explicit bias measure reflected low levels of agreement with negative stereotypes about SCD patients. No significant differences emerged in providers' pain treatment decisions for Black vs. White, or SCD vs. cancer VPs. Findings indicate pediatric providers harbor implicit racial bias similar to the general population. Findings from VP vignettes did not demonstrate that pain treatment decision-making differed based on race or diagnosis. This may be due to standardized protocols and procedures in the pediatric emergency setting. Future research is needed to clarify the role of implicit bias in clinical decision-making and the potential efficacy of treatment protocols in preventing biases from interfering with pediatric SCD pain care.

Flavonoid content of selected foods – A comparison of four international composition tables

The content of flavonoids, widely found in plant-based foods, might differ depending on which food composition table (FCT) is being used. In this study, we investigated the variation and comparability in the flavonoid content of selected foods across four international food composition tables. Flavonoid estimates were derived for all foods available in each table, and comparisons were carried out for foods common between tables. Bias percentage, 95 % limits of agreement, and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs; 95 % confidence intervals [95 %CI]) were estimated. Phenol-Explorer and Indian FCT showed moderate level of agreement for total flavonoid (ICC 0.50 and 0.57 respectively) when compared to the USDA table. eBASIS for total flavonoids and anthocyanidins (ICC 0.67 and 0.85, respectively), and Indian FCT for flavanols and flavanones (ICC 0.71 and ICC 0.85, respectively) showed moderate-to-good level of agreement, and low level of agreement for other subclasses when compared to Phenol Explorer. Several flavonoid subclasses showed low to moderate levels of agreement between FCTs, whilst others (including total flavonoid intake) had lower levels of agreement. Methodological approaches in the measurement of flavonoid content of foods across tables, and continued efforts to improve harmonization of these databases would contribute to improve quantification of flavonoid content.

Students’ Attitudes of Motivational Strategies in EFL Secondary School Contexts in Iraqi Kurdistan

Motivation plays a vital role in the second language learning process (Gardner, 1985), urging many researchers to look into strategies for generating and maintaining students' motivation in language teaching classes. The current study aims to investigate students' attitudes towards motivational strategies in EFL secondary school contexts in Iraqi Kurdistan. The design of the study followed a quantitative approach. The study's primary tool for collecting data was a questionnaire. Three hundred and ninety-one students (221 females and 170 males) from eleven public secondary schools in Shaqlawa district participated in the study. The data was analyzed through SPSS. The study's results demonstrated that Iraqi-Kurdistan secondary school students have positive attitudes towards the motivational strategies employed by their teachers. Moreover, the findings revealed that the teacher's behaviour scale is the motivational scale with the highest level of agreement among students, followed by the goals scale. In contrast, second language-related values and group work emerged as the motivational scales with the lowest level of agreement.

Monitoring Bar Velocity to Quantify Fatigue in Resistance Training.

We analyzed the effects of load magnitude and bar velocity variables on sensitivity to fatigue. Seventeen resistance-trained men (age=25.7±4.9 years; height=177.0±7.2 cm; body mass=77.7±12.3 kg; back-squat 1RM=145.0±33.9 kg; 1RM/body mass=1.86) participated in the study. Pre- and post-exercise changes in the mean propulsive velocity (MPV) and peak velocity (PV) in the back-squat at different intensities were compared with variations in the countermovement jump (CMJ). CMJ height decreased significantly from pre- to post-exercise (∆%=-7.5 to -10.4; p<0.01; ES=0.37 to 0.60). Bar velocity (MPV and PV) decreased across all loads (∆%=-4.0 to -12.5; p<0.01; ES=0.32 to 0.66). The decrease in performance was similar between the CMJ, MPV (40% and 80% 1RM; p=1.00), and PV (80% 1RM; p=1.00). The magnitude of reduction in CMJ performance was greater than MPV (60% 1RM; p=0.05) and PV (40% and 60% 1RM; p<0.01) at the post-exercise moment. Low systematic bias and acceptable levels of agreement were only found between CMJ and MPV at 40% and 80% 1RM (bias=0.35 to 1.59; ICC=0.51 to 0.71; CV=5.1% to 8.5%). These findings suggest that the back-squat at 40% or 80% 1RM using MPV provides optimal sensitivity to monitor fatigue through changes in bar velocity.

Disagreements in risk of bias assessment for randomized controlled trials in hypertension-related Cochrane reviews

BackgroundThe inter-reviewer reliability of the risk of bias (RoB) assessment lacked agreement in previous studies. It is important to analyse these disagreements to improve the repeatability of RoB assessment. The objective of the study was to evaluate the frequency and reasons for disagreements in RoB assessments for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that were included in multiple Cochrane reviews in the field of hypertension.MethodsA cross-sectional study was employed. We retrieved any RCTs that had been included in multiple Cochrane reviews in the field of hypertension from ARCHIE. The results of the RoB assessments were extracted, and the distributions of agreements and possible reasons for disagreement were analyzed.ResultsTwenty-six Cochrane reviews were included in this study. A total of 78 RCTs appeared in more than one Cochrane review. The level of agreement ranged from domain to domain. “Blinding of outcome assessment” showed a reasonably high level of agreement (94.9%), while “incomplete outcome data”, “selective outcome reporting” and “other sources of bias” showed moderate levels of agreement (74.6%, 79.2% and 75.6%, respectively). However, the domains of “allocation concealment”, “random sequence generation” and “blinding of participants and personnel” showed low levels of agreement (24.4%, 23.5%, and 47.4%, respectively). In the domains of “allocation concealment” and “blinding of participants and personnel”, the agreement group had higher proportion of publication year ≤ 1996 than the disagreement group (P = 0.008 and P < 0.001, respectively). In the “blinding of participants and personnel”, the impact factor was higher in the agreement group (P < 0.001). By analyzing the support text, we found that the most likely reason for disagreement was extracting different information from the same RCT.ConclusionFor Cochrane reviews in the field of hypertension using the 2011 version of the RoB tool, there was a large disagreement in the RoB assessment. It is suggested that the results of RoB assessments in systematic reviews that used the 2011 version of the RoB tool need to be interpreted with caution. More accurate information from RCTs needs to be collected when we synthesize clinical evidence.

Consistency of Physical Therapist Discharge Recommendations in Acute Care

Introduction: Physical therapists assist with discharge planning for hospitalized patients by making recommendations regarding a patient’s optimal discharge location and ongoing rehabilitation needs. The purpose of this study was to examine the consistency of discharge recommendations made by physical therapists with experience working in an acute care setting, when provided with a set of clinical vignettes describing hospitalized patients. Review of Literature: Considering the complex/multifactorial nature of making discharge recommendations, one would expect there to be inconsistencies among physical therapists. However, we are not aware of a previous study examining the level of consistency for discharge recommendations made by physical therapists, when reviewing a set of clinical vignettes. Subjects: Nineteen physical therapists working in an acute care setting. Methods: The physical therapists were provided with 10 clinical vignettes describing hospitalized patients via an electronic survey distributed across three rehabilitation departments. Each vignette described the patient’s medical condition, past medical history, prior level of function, living situation, key examination findings, and other general characteristics. After independently reviewing each case, the physical therapists selected a discharge recommendation from a list of standard options. Fleiss’ kappa was examined to assess the level of agreement among the physical therapists. Results: Overall, Fleiss’ kappa was 0.28, which reflects fair agreement among the physical therapists. Discussion and Conclusion: The 19 physical therapists who participated in this study only exhibited fair agreement with respect to their discharge recommendations. This relatively low level of agreement suggests that efforts to improve the consistency of discharge recommendations should be explored.

Comparison of two methods for collecting antimicrobial usage in large dairy farms in Ohio and California

Quantification of on-farm antimicrobial use (AMU) is critical to correlate with patterns of antimicrobial resistance, surveil­lance programs and formulate interventions to optimize its use. Prior studies have used the empty drug container (EDC) method to quantify AMU; however, the method is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Therefore, this study aimed to compare it against farm treatment records (FTR) as a reliable method to collect on-farm AMU. We hypothesized a low level of agreement in on-farm treatment incidence (TI) obtained between these 2 different collection methods.

Physician and Adolescent Hirsutism Score Ratings and Their Concordance to Androgen Levels [ID 2683618

INTRODUCTION: Hirsutism affects 5–15% of reproductive-aged women. The gold standard for quantifying hirsutism is the modified Ferriman–Gallwey (mFG) score. This study explores whether adolescent and physician ratings of hirsutism using the mFG score, correlate with androgen levels in the setting of confounders like depilation. METHODS: Hispanic adolescent females with irregular menstruation and suspected polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were recruited from obstetrics and gynecology clinics at TTUHSC El Paso between September 2021 and May 2023. Patients completed an intake questionnaire, completed PCOS laboratory testing, and rated their hair growth using the mFG visual scoring method. Providers used same the methods for rating hirsutism during the same visit. We estimated Lin’s concordance correlation and Bland–Altman agreement between patient and provider mFG ratings. Linear regression explored factors affecting score changes. Statistical analysis was done by STATA 17.0. RESULTS: Forty females participated in this study. The average age at enrollment was 16.19 with a mean (SD) mFG score of 10.55 (5.95) (physicians) and 18.29 (5.78) (adolescents). Adolescents reported higher mean mFG scores than physicians. There is a low level of agreement between the two groups (−7.95; 95% CI: −23.02, 7.12). Specifically, physicians underrated hirsutism scores for arm hair. Using unadjusted linear regression, DHEAS and 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels demonstrate the hormonal influence on hirsutism. CONCLUSION: Preliminary findings indicate discordance between physicians’ and patients’ mFG scores, possibly influenced by examination precision and patient perception. Physician-scored mFG, and evaluation of androgen levels, may serve as precise hirsutism markers for Hispanic adolescents.

Morphological Differentiation of Corneal Inflammatory Cells.

Corneal confocal microscopy is a noninvasive imaging technique to analyze corneal nerve fibers and corneal inflammatory cells (CICs). The amount of CICs is a potential biomarker of disease activity in chronic autoinflammatory diseases. To date, there are no standardized criteria for the morphological characterization of CICs. The aim was to establish a protocol for a standardized morphological classification of CICs based on a literature search and to test this protocol for applicability and reliability. A systematic review of the literature about definitions of CICs was conducted. Existing morphological descriptions were translated into a structured algorithm and applied by raters. Subsequently, the protocol was optimized by reducing and defining the criteria of the cell types. The optimized algorithm was applied by 4 raters. The interrater reliability was calculated using Fleiss kappa (K). A systematic review of the literature revealed no uniform morphological criteria for the differentiation of the individual cell types in CICs. Our first protocol achieved only a low level of agreement between 3 raters (K = 0.09; 1062 rated cells). Our revised protocol was able to achieve a higher interrater reliability with 3 (K = 0.64; 471 rated cells) and 4 (K = 0.61; 628 rated cells) raters. The indirect use of criteria from the literature leads to a high error rate. By clearly defining the individual cell types and standardizing the protocol, reproducible results were obtained, allowing the introduction of this protocol for the future evaluation of CICs in the corneal confocal microscopy.

The Sources of Happiness in Preadolescence and Adolescence: A Multi-Method and Multi-Informant Perspective

Research on happiness in preadolescence and adolescence has been limited regarding the sources of happiness. The present study aims to explore such sources in preadolescents and adolescents through a multi-method and multi-informant approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 77 family triads: children (age range: 11–19; M = 13.90, SD = 2.70; 61% female), mothers (M = 47.50, SD = 4.35), and fathers (M = 50.53, SD = 5.30). The triads were asked to define happiness from children’s perspective, describe what makes children happy, and indicate children’s levels of happiness. Using quantitative data, preadolescents exhibited higher individual happiness levels than adolescents, and fathers reported higher levels of children’s happiness than mothers. Through Thematic Analysis, five primary sources of happiness emerged: Social relationships, Family relationships, Personal interests, Achievement, and Entertainment. Social relationships was the most recurring theme across the narratives of both preadolescents/adolescents and parents. The second most recurring theme was Personal interests for preadolescents/adolescents and Family relationships for parents. Parents notably more frequently mentioned Achievement than children. Males displayed a higher propensity to report the Entertainment theme than females, while females reported the Family relationships and Social relationships themes more frequently. Preadolescents exhibited a higher occurrence of the Entertainment and Family relationships themes than adolescents. Regarding the concordance of themes between children and their parents, low overall levels of agreement were observed, all below 40%. The highest levels of concordance were found between mothers and fathers rather than between parents and children. The results could provide valuable insights to parents and educators on how to help youth promote their happiness.

Do Caregivers and Patients With Early-Onset Scoliosis Share the Same Perspective on Health-Related Quality of Life? A Comparison of 24-item Early-Onset Scoliosis Questionnaire and 22-item Scoliosis Research Society Questionnaire Scores.

The 24-item Early-Onset Scoliosis Questionnaire (EOSQ-24) is validated in patients with early onset scoliosis (EOS) aged 0 to 18 years and the 22-item Scoliosis Research Society (SRS-22) questionnaire is validated in idiopathic scoliosis patients 10 years and older. EOSQ-24 is completed by the caregiver and SRS-22 is completed by the patient. A prior study comparing patient-reported outcome measures completed by older pediatric patients and their parents showed a low level of agreement. Our purpose was to compare EOSQ-24 and SRS-22 scores completed at the same time point and at subsequent time points, in patients aged 5 to 18 years with idiopathic or congenital EOS without developmental delay. This was a multicenter retrospective study. We identified pairs of EOSQ-24 and SRS-22 completed on the same day or within 6 months. Some patients had multiple pairs of surveys over time. EOSQ-24 and SRS-22 questions were matched and domain scores for Pain, Function, Mental Health, and Satisfaction were compared. Patients with a change in treatment between surveys were excluded. Pearson correlation coefficients ( r ) were used to compare domain scores, with r ≥0.7 indicating a strong relationship. There were 228 patient-caregiver dyads who completed 411 pairs of EOSQ-24 and SRS-22 on the same day. A strong correlation was found only for the Pain domain ( r =0.77). Function, Mental Health, and Satisfaction domains had positive but not strong correlations ( r = 0.58, r = 0.50, r = 0.41, respectively). Subanalysis based on age also showed a strong correlation only for Pain. There were 76 patient-caregiver dyads who completed 134 pairs of surveys with SRS-22 completed within 6 months after an EOSQ-24. All domains demonstrated a positive but not strong correlation, with Pain showing the highest correlation ( r = 0.64). EOSQ-24 and SRS-22 had a strong correlation only for Pain when completed at the same time point. EOSQ-24 and SRS-22 completed within 6 months lacked a strong correlation for all domains. Our findings suggest that parents and children with EOS may not share the same perspective on their health. Self-reported questionnaires should be used when possible to assess health-related quality of life in older children and adolescents with EOS who are developmentally neurotypical. Level III-diagnostic.

Detection of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in alternative irrigation water by culture and qPCR-based methods in the Mid-Atlantic U.S.

Detecting foodborne pathogens in irrigation water can inform interventions and management strategies to reduce risk of contamination and illness associated with fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. The use of non-culture methods like qPCR has the potential to accelerate the testing process. Results indicated that pond and reclaimed water showed higher levels of agreement between culture and qPCR methods than river water, perhaps due to specific physiochemical characteristics of the water. These findings also show that season and sample volume affect the agreement of qPCR and culture results. Overall, qPCR methods could be more confidently utilized to determine the absence of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in irrigation water samples examined in this study.