Number Of Items Research Articles

Predicting Work Disability Related to Spinal Pain: A Systematic Review of the Most Clinically Relevant Tools.

Musculoskeletal disorders, especially spinal conditions, are leading causes of disability, contributing significantly to work absenteeism and socio-economic burden. Rehabilitation is essential for promoting sustainable return to work (RTW). However, clinicians need reliable tools with appropriate psychometric properties to determine patients' risk of persistent work disability and tailor interventions. This systematic review objectives were to (1) identify clinically useful questionnaires that enable clinicians to identify individuals with spinal pain (back or neck pain) at risk of work disability, and (2) document the psychometric properties of the identified questionnaires. A systematic search was conducted in three databases from inception to 01/10/2025, to retrieve relevant studies. Studies were included if they reported self-administered questionnaires with ≤ 15 items predicting RTW outcomes in spinal disorders. Tools were evaluated based on psychometric properties (calibration, discrimination), and pragmatic characteristics (number of items, readability). Seventeen studies were retrieved including 16 unique questionnaires of which four demonstrated sufficient discrimination capability. From these, the Örebro musculoskeletal pain questionnaire 10-items (ÖMPQ- 10), STarT Back screening tool (SBST), and a single item from the ÖMPQ- 25 demonstrated acceptable to excellent discrimination for low back pain populations, but showed lower discrimination for mixed or neck pain populations. The SBST, ÖMPQ- 10, and single items from the ÖMPQ- 25 performed best in predicting RTW outcomes for low back pain. No questionnaire had sufficient discriminatory capability for neck pain. These results should be interpreted with caution, as the overall risk of bias assessment remains unclear for the OMPQ- 10 and high for the SBST. Further research is necessary to develop or validate tools specific to neck pain and mixed populations.

Cross-language phonological activation in bilingual visual word recognition: A meta-analysis.

Numerous studies have investigated whether phonological activation in the bilingual lexicon is selective or non-selective, using the classic masked priming paradigm that manipulates the phonological relatedness between primes and targets across two languages. The priming effects, however, are mixed: some studies reported reduced reaction times due to the homophone primes, while others observed non-significant priming. In this meta-analysis, we sought to systematically examine whether there is indeed cross-language phonological priming and to identify the factors that may moderate its magnitude. Analyzing 75 effects from 23 articles, we observed a significant, facilitative phonological priming effect (standardized mean difference Hedge's g = 0.45, SE = 0.07, p <.0001, 95% CI = [0.32, 0.58]), hence supporting the hypothesis of non-selective activation. The moderators examined included priming direction (L1-to-L2 vs. L2-to-L1), task type (lexical decision vs. word naming), script distance (within- vs. cross-script), stimulus-onset-asynchrony (SOA), inter-stimulus interval (ISI), number of participants, as well as number of items per condition. Results revealed a significant effect of task type in cross-script studies. Specifically, the word-naming task produces a smaller priming effect than the lexical decision task. Moreover, the priming effect increases as the number of items in a condition increases. These results collectively suggested that phonological activation in the bilingual lexicon is nonselective, and the effect size is dependent upon task demands and statistical power, essential to a dual-language setting and in cross-language studies.

Future Sight and Tough Fights: Revolutionizing Sequential Recommendation with FENRec

Sequential recommendation (SR) systems predict user preferences by analyzing time-ordered interaction sequences. A common challenge for SR is data sparsity, as users typically interact with only a limited number of items. While contrastive learning has been employed in previous approaches to address the challenges, these methods often adopt binary labels, missing finer patterns and overlooking detailed information in subsequent behaviors of users. Additionally, they rely on random sampling to select negatives in contrastive learning, which may not yield sufficiently hard negatives during later training stages. In this paper, we propose Future data utilization with Enduring Negatives for contrastive learning in sequential Recommendation (FENRec). Our approach aims to leverage future data with time-dependent soft labels and generate enduring hard negatives from existing data, thereby enhancing the effectiveness in tackling data sparsity. Experiment results demonstrate our state-of-the-art performance across four benchmark datasets, with an average improvement of 6.16% across all metrics.

Near-optimal Algorithms for Stochastic Online Bin Packing

We study the online bin packing problem under two stochastic settings. In the bin packing problem, we are given \(n\) items with sizes in \((0,1]\) and the goal is to pack them into the minimum number of unit-sized bins. First, we study bin packing under the i.i.d. model, where item sizes are sampled independently and identically from a distribution in \((0,1]\) . Both the distribution and the total number of items are unknown. The items arrive one by one and their sizes are revealed upon their arrival and they must be packed immediately and irrevocably in bins of size \(1\) . We provide a simple meta-algorithm that takes an offline \(\alpha\) -asymptotic approximation algorithm and provides a polynomial-time \((\alpha+\epsilon)\) -competitive algorithm for online bin packing under the i.i.d. model, where \(\epsilon{\gt}0\) is a small constant. Using the AFPTAS for offline bin packing, we thus provide a linear time \((1+\epsilon)\) -competitive algorithm for online bin packing under i.i.d. model, thus settling the problem. We then study the random-order model, where an adversary chooses the instance, but the order of arrival of items in the instance is drawn uniformly at random from the set of all permutations of the items. Kenyon’s seminal result [SODA ’96] showed that the Best-Fit algorithm has a competitive ratio of at most \(3/2\) in the random-order model, and conjectured the ratio to be \(\approx 1.15\) . However, it has been a long-standing open problem to break the barrier of \(3/2\) even for special cases. Recently, Albers et al. [Algorithmica ’21] showed an improvement by proving that in the special case when all the item sizes are greater than \(1/3\) , Best-Fit has a competitive ratio of at most \(5/4\) in the random-order model. In this work, we settle this special case by showing that Best-Fit has a competitive ratio of exactly \(1\) , i.e., Best-Fit performs almost optimally in this special case in the random-order model. We also make further progress by breaking the barrier of \(3/2\) for the 3-Partition problem, a notoriously hard special case of bin packing, where all item sizes lie in \((1/4,1/2]\) .

On the Power of Randomization for Obviously Strategy-Proof Mechanisms

We investigate the problem of designing randomized obviously strategyproof (OSP) mechanisms in several canonical auction settings. Obvious strategyproofness, introduced by Li [American Economic Review 2017], strengthens the well-known concept of dominant-strategy incentive compatibility (DSIC). Loosely speaking, it ensures that even agents who struggle with contingent reasoning can identify that their dominant strategy is optimal. Thus, one would hope to design OSP mechanisms with good approximation guarantees. Unfortunately, Ron [SODA 2024] has showed that deterministic OSP mechanisms fail to achieve an approximation better than the minimum of the number of items and the number of bidders, even for the simple settings of additive and unit-demand bidders. We circumvent these impossibilities by showing that randomized mechanisms that are obviously strategy-proof in the universal sense obtain a constant factor approximation for these classes. We show that this phenomenon occurs also for the setting of a multi-unit auction with single-minded bidders. Thus, our results provide a more positive outlook on the design of OSP mechanisms and exhibit a stark separation between the power of randomized and deterministic OSP mechanisms. To complement the picture, we provide lower bounds on the performance of randomized OSP mechanisms in each setting. This further demonstrates that OSP mechanisms are significantly weaker than dominant-strategy mechanisms: it is well known that the deterministic VCG mechanism outputs an optimal allocation in dominant-strategies, whereas we show that even randomized OSP mechanisms cannot obtain more than 87.5% of the optimal welfare.

Computational Aspects of L0 Linking in the Rasch Model

The L0 linking approach replaces the L2 loss function in mean–mean linking under the Rasch model with the L0 loss function. Using the L0 loss function offers the advantage of potential robustness against fixed differential item functioning effects. However, its nondifferentiability necessitates differentiable approximations to ensure feasible and computationally stable estimation. This article examines alternative specifications of two approximations, each controlled by a tuning parameter ε that determines the approximation error. Results demonstrate that the optimal ε value minimizing the RMSE of the linking parameter estimate depends on the magnitude of DIF effects, the number of items, and the sample size. A data-driven selection of ε outperformed a fixed ε across all conditions in both a numerical illustration and a simulation study.

Constraints on multi-item working memory access: performance costs and retrieval dynamics

To support goal-directed behavior, working memory (WM) must flexibly access relevant information. While the mechanisms underlying single-item WM access are comparatively well-studied, less is known about the principles governing multi-item access. Some studies have suggested that dual-item retrieval can be as efficient as single-item access, but it remains unclear whether this reflects reduced inhibitory demands or truly parallel, cost-free retrieval. In Experiment 1, we manipulated the number of relevant vs. irrelevant items in a pre-and retro-cuing WM task. The rationale was that if reduced inhibitory demands benefit multi-item access, then having fewer irrelevant items to suppress would enhance performance. Instead, we found that selecting two out of three items was slower and less accurate than selecting one, arguing against the idea that diminished inhibition underlies multi-item retrieval efficiency. Experiments 2a and 2b further probed retrieval efficiency using a modified dual-access paradigm that leveraged object repetition benefits. By including a control condition to prevent temporal associations between repeated targets and non-targets, we observed that repetition benefits for each item were additive—consistent with serial or limited parallel retrieval—rather than overadditive, which would be expected under fully parallel, cost-free retrieval. These findings clarify key limitations of multi-item WM, with important implications for complex tasks such as language comprehension, decision-making, and problem solving.

Association of the Oral Frailty Index-8 With the Diagnosis and Results of Oral Hypofunction Testing.

Oral frailty is associated with physical frailty and the risk of requiring nursing care and death in older people. The Oral Frailty Index-8 (OFI-8) was developed for self-assessment of oral frailty, assuming that high-risk patients will visit a dentist for oral hypofunction tests. However, the screening utility of the OFI-8 for oral hypofunction and the relationship between them remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the relationship between the OFI-8 and the diagnosis and results of oral hypofunction tests through a cross-sectional survey of older outpatients visiting dental clinics. Outpatients (n = 120) who underwent diagnostic tests for oral hypofunction were enrolled. The survey items encompassed age, sex, oral hypofunction test results and the OFI-8 score. The relationships between oral hypofunction diagnosis and the OFI-8 score and between the oral hypofunction test and OFI-8 scores were analysed. Binomial logistic regression analysis showed that the higher the total OFI-8 score was, the more likely the diagnosis of oral hypofunction (odds ratio = 1.76) was. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified a cut-off OFI-8 score of 3 for detecting oral hypofunction (area under the curve = 0.77). Multiple regression analysis showed that oral dryness, occlusal force, number of teeth, masticatory function, swallowing function and number of items with functional decline were significantly associated with high OFI-8 scores. Oral hygiene, tongue-lip motor function and tongue pressure were less sensitive to the OFI-8. The OFI-8 is useful for screening oral hypofunction, exhibiting considerable potential effectiveness in detecting oral dryness, occlusal, masticatory and swallowing dysfunctions.

Breakdown of the compositional data approach in psychometric Likert scale big data analysis: about the loss of statistical power of two-sample t-tests applied to heavy-tailed big data

Bipolar psychometric scale data play a crucial role in psychological healthcare and health economics, such as in psychotherapeutic profiling and setting standards. Creating an accurate psychological profile not only benefits the patient but also saves time and costs. The quality of psychotherapeutic measures directly impacts grant funding decisions, influencing managerial choices. Moreover, the accuracy of consumer data analyses affects costs, profits, and the long-term sustainability of decisions. Considering psychometric bipolar scale data as compositional data can enhance the statistical power of well-known paired and unpaired two-sample t-tests, supporting managerial decision-making and the development or implementation of health interventions. This increase in statistical power is observed when the central limit theorem (CLT) holds true in statistics. Through stochastic simulation, this study explores the impact of violating the CLT on statistical power of the unpaired t-test under heavy-tailed data generating processes (DGPs) with finite variance. The findings reveal a reduction in statistical power based on specific parameters like the psychometric limit of quantification, the number of items in a questionnaire, the response scale used, and the dispersion of the DGP.

Symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and emotional behavioral problems: The mediating effect of executive function

The aim was to investigate the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and emotional behavioral problems, with focus on studying the mediating effect of executive function. A total of 240 children with ADHD aged 6–10 years old participated. They all met the diagnostic criteria for ADHD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition. SPSS 26.0 was used for statistical analysis. Mean interpolation was used to interpolate missing values of a small number of questionnaire items. One-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used for correlation between variables. The results of this study showed that inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity scores of children with ADHD were positively correlated with the scores of emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs), that is, the more severe the attention deficit and hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms were, the more severe the EBPs were. The hyperactivity-impulsivity score of children with ADHD positively predicted their behavioral regulation index (BMI) and metacognition index (MI) scores. The BMI score positively predicted the emotional and behavioral problem scores of children with ADHD, while the MI score had no statistically significant predictive effect on the emotional and behavioral problem scores of children with ADHD. These findings suggest that interventions targeting executive function—particularly behavioral regulation—may help mitigate emotional and behavioral difficulties in children with ADHD.

Is the Force Concept Inventory biased across the intersections of gender and race?

Research-based assessments (RBAs) allow researchers and practitioners to compare student performance across different contexts and institutions. In recent years, research attention has focused on the student populations these RBAs were initially developed with because much of that research was done with “samples of convenience” that were predominantly white men. Prior research has found that the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) behaved differently for men and women using differential item functioning (DIF) analysis. We extend this research in two ways. First, we test the FCI for DIF across the intersection of gender and race for Asian, Black, Hispanic, White, and White Hispanic men and women. Second, we apply the Eaton and Willoughby five-factor model of the FCI to interpret the results of the DIF analysis. We found large DIF on a large number of FCI items. The patterns of items with large DIF follows the five-factor model. The alignment of DIF with this factor structure, along with the measurement invariance of this factor structure across these ten social identities, indicates that the items on the FCI are likely not biased but are instead measuring real differences in physics knowledge among these groups. We frame these differences as educational debts that society owes to these marginalized groups that physics instruction needs to actively repay. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Evaluation of Pharmacy Service Implementation in Class C Hospitals in Kebumen and Improvement Strategies

Health is a fundamental human right, and pharmacy services are a vital component of the healthcare system, especially in hospitals. The Ministry of Health Regulation No. 72 of 2016 serves as a guideline for implementing pharmacy services to ensure optimal healthcare delivery. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the implementation of Ministry of Health Regulation No. 72 of 2016 regarding pharmacy services in three class C hospitals in Kebumen Regency and to formulate improvement strategies using the Hanlon method. Method: A descriptive-analytical approach with a cross-sectional design was used. Data were collected through observations and interviews with the heads of pharmacy departments in the three hospitals. Results: The implementation of pharmaceutical supply management and clinical pharmacy services achieved 72.7% of the established standards. Key activities such as prescription review, medication history tracking, and counseling were conducted. However, activities like Drug Use Evaluation, sterile dispensing, and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring were not implemented due to limited facilities and skilled personnel. Hanlon analysis identified priority issues, including drug procurement accuracy, the number of items per prescription, and the lack of Drug Use Evaluation and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring. Conclusions: To improve service quality, recommendations include increasing budget allocation, training medical staff, and improving infrastructure. Addressing these issues is expected to enhance patient safety, drug use efficiency, and overall service satisfaction in the hospitals.

Machine Learning-based World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule for persons with Parkinson's disease.

Machine Learning-based World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule for persons with Parkinson's disease.

Will the reexpansion of American Eel reduce Brook Trout populations or affect fish stocking in mountain streams?

ABSTRACT Objective With dam removal and the reexpansion of eel populations back into headwater streams of the northeastern United States, there are concerns over the potential for competition and predation between Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis and American Eel Anguilla rostrata. Methods This case study directly assessed predation and competition between these top predators through an analysis of stomach contents, preferred prey, and diet overlap throughout the summer in reaches of stream above and below Crabtree Falls in Nelson County, Virginia. Brook Trout are present above and below the waterfall, but American Eel are only present below the falls, providing an ideal setting to assess the effect of American Eel on Brook Trout. Results This study was the first to estimate the efficiency for gastric lavage on American Eel, which was determined to be 89% by number of prey items; however, this result was size dependent and no prey items that exceeded 10% of the eel’s length were extracted by lavage. Brook Trout abundance, size, and body condition (for adults and young of the year) did not differ significantly between the sample reaches, suggesting that the presence of American Eel did not reduce the abundance or size of Brook Trout. An analysis of similarity indicated that Brook Trout preferred terrestrial invertebrates, with no significant difference in diet where they co-occurred with American Eel (R = 0.07, P = 0.50). American Eel preferred crayfish and no Brook Trout were observed in the diet samples from American Eel, so there was no evidence for predation. Conclusions As conservation efforts increase the co-occurrence of trout and eel, there appears to be limited potential for predation or competition for prey, as demonstrated by the results of this regionally novel case study.

Community Warriors: Development and Validation of a Social and Emotional Well-Being Tool for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Youth.

To develop and validate two age-specific, strength-based measures of social and emotional well-being (SEWB) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth. Following development of a conceptual framework comprising six domains of SEWB and identification of existing SEWB tools, an iterative process of item refinement took place. Items were assigned to corresponding SEWB domains, and their content validity and face validity were examined. Community-Controlled Health Services provided expert feedback. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess floor and ceiling effects, item redundancy, network structure, item stability, model fit and reliability. An ant colony optimisation (ACO) algorithm was employed to identify a reduced number of items with adequate model fit. Data on SEWB were generated as part of the baseline assessment for a national study involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities. 11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities from six states and territories. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth aged 2-18 years. Network structure, item stability, model fit and reliability and reduced scales. Different sets of items were developed to accommodate the needs of different age groups. A total of 235 participants and 162 guardians answered the self-report and the carer-report tool, respectively. A unidimensional structure was identified for both scales. Adequate item stability, model fit and reliability were obtained. The short versions of the SEWB tools offer a friendly, age-appropriate and time-efficient approach while capturing all relevant domains of SEWB.

Construction of Validity and Reliability of The SBAR-Based Assessment Scale among Nurses

Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) is a communication tool used to convey information clearly and in a structured manner, especially in the context of health services. The implementation of this assesment scale consideration has not been carried out optimally for nurses in the hospital. This study aims to analyze the validity and reliability of the SBAR-based weighing evaluation instrument from primary nurses and associate nurses. Multivariate validity and reliability test using the Exploratory Factors Analysis (EFA) test. The results aim to validate the instrument content. The numbers in the table show the loading factor values for each statement item which have been sorted from the largest value to the smallest value for each component. Statement items are valid and have an important correlation in the handover implementation instrument if they have a factor loading value of &lt;0.40. Of the 25 statement items, 8 items were invalid, namely item numbers 2,3,4,6,10,12,17,19 while the other 17 items were declared valid and formed 4 components (Component 1; Situation indicator, Component 2; Backgound indicator, Component 3; Assessment indicator, Component 4; Assesment) which were used as indicators for compiling the SBAR-based handover implementation instrument. CFA test results were the relative chi-square value (CMIN/df) shows a fairly good fit with a ratio &lt;5, the comparative fit index (CFI) value indicates marginal fit because it is in the range 0.80&lt;CFI &lt;0.90, The root mean square error (RMSEA) value indicates a reasonable agreement with a value of &lt;0.08, the goodness-of-fit (GoF) value indicates a good fit because it is &gt;0.80. It can be interpreted that based on the results of the CFA analysis it has fulfilled the construct feasibility test so that in general it can be said that the handover evaluation instrument by primary nurses and associate nurses is fit to be used in measuring handover implementation.

『조선어배우기(러시아어판·중국어판)』와 『조선어(류학생용)』의 문법 항목 비교

This study investigates aspects of grammar education in “Joseoneo education as a foreign language” byexamining the grammatical items in Learning Joseoneo (Russian Edition and Chinese Edition) and Joseoneo (for International Students), both published in North Korea. The analysis indicates that Volumes 1-2 of Learning Joseoneo correspond to Volumes2-3 of Joseoneo, and Volume 3 is similar to Volumes 4-5, respectively. Revisions were made to organize and systematize the grammatical items more thoroughly, and the presentation of grammatical items reflects differences in target learners and educational purpose- Learning Joseoneo being a self-study textbook for overseas learners and Joseoneo being a textbook designed for international students in North Korea. Specifically, Learning Joseoneo included relatively more colloquial expressions compared with Joseoneo, which was also revised to enhance learner comprehension by reducing the number of grammatical items presented and considering the learning environment.

Standard of care in advanced HIV disease: review of HIV treatment guidelines in sub-Saharan African countries—an extension study of eight countries

IntroductionThe World Health Organization (WHO) has published guidelines for the management of patients with advanced HIV disease (AHD) but mortality remains high. Adoption of WHO recommendations by national guidelines is poorly documented. We aimed to extend our prior review of six national management guidelines by including additional countries from sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsWe identified guidelines of eight additional countries participating in a multicountry trial of azithromycin prophylaxis for AHD. Data was extracted in five domains including definition of AHD (1 item), screening (6 items), prophylaxis (6 items), supportive care (1 items), and HIV treatment (4 items) and scored agreement of each national guideline with the WHO guidelines.ResultsSix of the eight national guidelines had a designated section for AHD. Compared with the WHO guideline, the agreement score for national guidelines was between 7 and 17 out of 18, whereby disagreement is mainly driven by missing information. None of the national guidelines had more than three items not in agreement with the WHO guidelines, and the maximum number of items not addressed by any one guideline was eight. Main areas of disagreement were the targeted population for start of ART in presence of tuberculosis meningitis (1/8 in agreement) and urine lipoarabinomannan screening (2/8 in agreement). The targeted population group for cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and its discontinuation was in line with the WHO recommendations in 3/8 national guidelines. Except one guideline, all documents showed similar overall agreement, irrespectively of publication date.ConclusionNational guidelines for the management of people with AHD are broadly in agreement with WHO guidelines. Main areas of disagreement are recommendations regarding urine lipoarabinomannan screening, cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and start of antiretroviral therapy in presence of tuberculosis.

Development, Validation, and Application of the Electronic Frailty Index: A Scoping Review.

Development, Validation, and Application of the Electronic Frailty Index: A Scoping Review.

A mixed methods study exploring food insecurity and diet quality in households accessing food clubs in England

BackgroundFood clubs are a higher-agency food aid intervention that charge a small fee for a set number of items. Some incorporate longer-term solutions such as budgeting support and cooking skills. These are in place in England to help address inadequate reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. We used a convergent parallel mixed methods design to describe the food insecurity households accessing food clubs experience and to assess diet quality and wellbeing at the start and after at least three months of using food clubs in the South of England.MethodsParticipants accessing food clubs in Wessex from March 31 to November 3, 2022 were recruited after providing informed consent. They completed a survey at recruitment that collected data on diet and health. Food security was assessed using the modified six-item US Department of Agriculture (USDA) food security survey module, and wellbeing using the short form Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS). Follow-up surveys were conducted after participants used the clubs for at least three months. Participants were invited to take part in a semi-structured interview.ResultsOf the 90 participants recruited at baseline, 52% were aged 35–54 years, 74% were female, 81% were of White ethnicity, and 71% reported having at least one dependent child. Food security status was calculated in 69 participants who answered all six questions of the USDA module, with 42% reporting low and 43% very low food security. Among participants with follow-up (n = 52), low food security was 41% and very low food security was 18% at follow-up. Eleven participants were interviewed. Two themes explored impact and experiences of food club. Impact illustrated how participants consumed a more varied diet, experienced less financial pressure, and improved health, wellbeing and social interaction. Experiences of food clubs explored limitations of time and food range at clubs, developing a sense of community and overcoming stigma.ConclusionThis study is the first in the UK to explore potential diet, food security and wellbeing impacts of food clubs. Ongoing impact evaluation will enable optimisation of interventions for the populations they serve, such as inviting other organisations/groups to attend/be available for members.