Original Version Research Articles

Development and Validation of the 17-Point Brazilian Portuguese Translated Version of the Modified Japanese Orthopedic Association Score (mJOA-BR17).

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the most common degenerative dysfunction of the spinal cord in the cervical spine in patients older than 55 years. The Japanese Orthopedic Association developed a scoring system to quantify clinical impairment of CSM patients, allocate them according to the degree of impairment, and suggest best timing for surgery. The original version evaluates the upper limb motor function through the ability of feeding with chopsticks, which are not intrinsic in western populations. To compare severity and treatment improvement of any diseases, it is preferable to have modified and translated versions of questionnaires and scores closest to the original ones. The authors present a prospective cohort study to validate the 17-point Brazilian Portuguese translated version of the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA-BR17) survey. Patients with CSM (n = 36) were allocated to the disease group, while age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers (n = 34) were recruited for the control group. Comparison of statistical analysis of mJOA-BR17 domains for each group was established. After the translation and adaptation of mJOA-BR17, the validation was made through application to the 2 groups. There were statistical differences between groups in total mJOA-BR17 score (CSM, 14.14 ± 2.92; control, 16.68 ± 0.59: P < 0.001), lower limbs motor function (CSM, 3.25 ± 1.02; control, 3.91 ± 0.29: P < 0.001), upper limbs sensory function (CSM, 1.17 ± 0.81; control, 1.86 ± 0.36: P < 0.001), lower limbs sensory function (CSM, 1.62 ± 0.64; control, 2.0 ± 0.0: P < 0.001), and bladder function (CSM, 2.69 ± 0.52; control, 2.97 ± 0.17: P = 0.005). The receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.81, indicating usefulness of the mJOA-BR17 score to identify patients with CSM from healthy controls. The mJOA-BR17 demonstrated similarity, applicability, and good understanding in comparison to the English-modified version of 17-point JOA score for CSM, becoming a valuable tool to quantify and differentiate CSM patients from healthy individuals.

Development and Validation of Research Instrument Conceptual Understanding of STEM Skills Questionnaire for Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals

This study aimed to develop a questionnaire for assessing students' conceptual comprehension of the connection between STEM skills and the achievement of sustainable development goals across three major categories: general skills (GS), social skills (SS), and academic skills (AS). Conceptual understanding of the Stem Skills Questionnaire (CUSSQ) would be used to assess students' understanding of this relationship across three broad categories. Following a thorough literature review and focus group discussions, the tool's original version was pilot-tested with 350 students from public secondary schools. The final tool had 47 items total, each with a Likert scale of 5 points. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using PLS smart version 4 and a factor loading of less than 0.5 was carried out. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was employed to evaluate the model's precision. The test results confirmed that the model is accurate and valid. The overall study's findings supported the use of the CUSSQ in assessing students' conceptual understanding and readiness for 21st-century abilities necessary for accomplishing sustainable development goals.

Dental caries and oral health-related quality of life in Preschoolers – introducing the Swedish version of the early childhood oral health impact scale (ECOHIS)

Objective: Experience of caries has a clearly negative impact on the quality of life in preschool children. The instrument Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) measures the oral health-related quality of life in preschool children (Child Impact Section) and their families (Family Impact Section). The aims of the study were to develop a Swedish version of ECOHIS and to evaluate the instrument’s reliability, validity, and internal consistency. Additionally, to analyse the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among preschool children who have experienced caries. Methods: The original ECOHIS questionnaire was translated into Swedish. Caregivers of preschool children aged 2–5 years were recruited at dental clinics in Sweden, to participate in the study and answer the Swedish version of the ECOHIS (S-ECOHIS). The internal consistency and reliability were assessed by using Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient. In order to measure the consistency of the study, the questionnaire was re-tested two weeks later for 10 of the caregivers and assessed by using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). The results from S-ECOHIS were described as descriptive data and independent t-test was performed. All data were calculated using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Results: S-ECOHIS was developed by translating the original English version using a double-blinded technique. A total of 274 caregivers participated in the study and completed the questionnaire. Cronbach’s Alpha was 0.84 for S-ECOHIS, 0.83 for CIS, and 0.66 for FIS. The ICC was 0.95 for the test-retest of S-ECOHIS. Among the respondents, 117 (43%) had children diagnosed with caries, while 157 (57%) had children without caries. The children with caries reported a higher total score of 5.97 (SD 6.16) of S-ECOHIS, compared to the score of the non-caries children 0.77 (SD 1.38) (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The Swedish version of ECOHIS that was developed demonstrates good validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency. The findings show that the oral health-related quality of life is adversely affected in preschool children with caries, with particular vulnerability observed among children with untreated caries. These results indicate that S-ECOHIS is suitable for use in future clinical and research endeavors.

Neural tracking measures of speech intelligibility: Manipulating intelligibility while keeping acoustics unchanged.

Neural speech tracking has advanced our understanding of how our brains rapidly map an acoustic speech signal onto linguistic representations and ultimately meaning. It remains unclear, however, how speech intelligibility is related to the corresponding neural responses. Many studies addressing this question vary the level of intelligibility by manipulating the acoustic waveform, but this makes it difficult to cleanly disentangle the effects of intelligibility from underlying acoustical confounds. Here, using magnetoencephalography recordings, we study neural measures of speech intelligibility by manipulating intelligibility while keeping the acoustics strictly unchanged. Acoustically identical degraded speech stimuli (three-band noise-vocoded, ~20 s duration) are presented twice, but the second presentation is preceded by the original (nondegraded) version of the speech. This intermediate priming, which generates a "pop-out" percept, substantially improves the intelligibility of the second degraded speech passage. We investigate how intelligibility and acoustical structure affect acoustic and linguistic neural representations using multivariate temporal response functions (mTRFs). As expected, behavioral results confirm that perceived speech clarity is improved by priming. mTRFs analysis reveals that auditory (speech envelope and envelope onset) neural representations are not affected by priming but only by the acoustics of the stimuli (bottom-up driven). Critically, our findings suggest that segmentation of sounds into words emerges with better speech intelligibility, and most strongly at the later (~400 ms latency) word processing stage, in prefrontal cortex, in line with engagement of top-down mechanisms associated with priming. Taken together, our results show that word representations may provide some objective measures of speech comprehension.

Teamwork and safety climate in Polish long-term care facilities: questionnaire reliability and usability

The Teamwork and Safety Climate Survey (TSCS) is one of the questionnaires used to measure patient safety. The questionnaire includes two scales: teamwork climate and safety climate. The objective of the study is the linguistic and cultural adaptation of the TSCS to Polish conditions and checking the reliability and usability of the tool in long-term care facilities. Firstly, the TSCS was translated into Polish. Then, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among the medical and auxiliary personnel of long-term care facilities all over Poland. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were analysed (including Cronbach’s alpha coefficient). Correlations between the areas of the questionnaire and individual variables relating to facility parameters were also calculated. Respondents (n = 558) working in 26 different long-term care facilities participated in the study. The analysis has provided four scales instead of two of the original version of the questionnaire (teamwork climate, safety climate, ability to speak up and following the rules, work organisation). Correlation analysis revealed a number of significant correlations between the scales and individual variables corresponding to the parameters of long-term care facilities and respondents themselves. In conclusion, the Polish version of the TSCS may be a useful tool to measure aspects related to patient safety culture in long-term care facilities.

Assessing the need to use sport supplements: The mediating role of sports supplement beliefs

AimSport supplement use by athletes can lead to unintentional anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) due to the contamination of prohibited substances. This phenomenon underscores the need for athletes to reconsider their supplement use and assess their safety, efficacy, and necessity—a process we referred to as ‘reconsideration of supplement use’. Additionally, a body of research using the Sport Supplement Beliefs Scale (SSBS) has shown that when an athlete believes that supplements improve performance, they may be more likely to progress to doping in the future. However, most research is conducted in English speaking countries and there is a lack of validated measures in other languages. Therefore, in this multi-study research, we validated a Japanese version of the SSBS (Study 1) and examined relationships between perceived risk of ADRV due to supplements, reconsideration of supplement use, sports supplement beliefs and sport supplement use (Study 2). MethodsIn Study 1, we created a Japanese version of the SSBS (SSBS-J) using back-translation. In order to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale, we utilized data from 356 university athletes, which were divided into two distinct cohorts, who reported their frequency and number of supplements used. Internal consistency and fit of the SSBS-J were evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the scale's ability to determine supplement use was assessed using linear regression analysis and t-tests. In Study 2, 525 university athletes (64.6 % men, Mage = 18.7 ± 0.7 years) were asked to complete measures related to the perceived risk of committing an ADRV due to supplement use, SSBS-J and sport supplement use. ResultsIn Study 1, the SSBS-J showed high internal consistency (α = 0.876), a one-factor structure similar to the original version, and good model fit. Linear regression indicated that the SSBS-J scores were significantly associated with the frequency and number of supplements used and differences were found between scores of supplement users (21.51 ± 6.54) and non-users (16.48 ± 6.14) (p < .001). Discriminant analysis correctly classified 64.7 % of supplement users and 61.0 % of non-users. In Study 2, ADRV awareness was indirectly related to sport supplement use via sport supplement beliefs (p < .001). ConclusionsOur findings suggest that ADRV awareness can influence reconsideration of supplement use and subsequently deter supplement use mediated by sport supplement beliefs. These insights emphasize the importance of promoting doping risk awareness, revisiting supplement use, and mitigating sport supplement beliefs to reduce inappropriate or unnecessary supplement use among athletes. From an anti-doping perspective, this insight is valuable in guiding athlete education regarding supplement use.

Application of the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Method to Assess Factors Influencing the Development of Cycling Infrastructure in Cities

Sustainable development and environmental considerations have resulted in many cities around the world recognising the importance of non-motorised modes of transport. Problems related to the proper development and maintenance of cycling infrastructure have already been the subject of various studies. However, they have mainly dealt with the identification of factors influencing the development of cycle paths and the optimisation of the design of safe and comfortable cycle routes. The influence of individual factors on each other and on the development of cycling infrastructure has not been studied. The research aims of this article are to identify which factors influence the development of bicycle infrastructure, their role and interdependence, and their prioritisation. It also looks at whether there are differences between the opinions of bicycle users and experts professionally involved in the development of bicycle paths in assessing the importance of the factors indicated. As a result of the study, eight factors influencing the development of bicycle infrastructure were identified. Based on the opinions of cyclists and experts, the nature of each factor was analysed. Taking into account the complex relationships between the factors, the key factors contributing to the development of bicycle infrastructure were shown: (1) the planning of bicycle paths, taking into account the separation of individual paths and their continuity, consistency, and length; (2) legal regulations promoting cycling in terms of transportation policy; (3) the elimination of obstacles; and (4) the design of bicycle paths, taking into account the safety, space management, terrain, and attractiveness of the surroundings. The results for both groups of respondents were compared. They indicate that both groups of respondents reported the same factors as the most important, with the only differences being in the order of the importance of the factors. The academic value of this work lies in showing the usability of the underrated original version of DEMATEL methodology in the considered area for key factors. The practical significance of this paper is the provision of a rather simple, yet reliable, tool for addressing the complexity of interrelated issues that make the development of urban infrastructure a cumbersome task.

Algorithm for the Accelerated Calculation of Conceptual Distances in Large Knowledge Graphs

Conceptual distance refers to the degree of proximity between two concepts within a conceptualization. It is closely related to semantic similarity and relationships, but its measurement strongly depends on the context of the given concepts. DIS-C represents an advancement in the computation of semantic similarity/relationships that is independent of the type of knowledge structure and semantic relations when generating a graph from a knowledge base (ontologies, semantic networks, and hierarchies, among others). This approach determines the semantic similarity between two indirectly connected concepts in an ontology by propagating local distances by applying an algorithm based on the All Pairs Shortest Path (APSP) problem. This process is implemented for each pair of concepts to establish the most effective and efficient paths to connect these concepts. The algorithm identifies the shortest path between concepts, which allows for an inference of the most relevant relationships between them. However, one of the critical issues with this process is computational complexity, combined with the design of APSP algorithms, such as Dijkstra, which is 𝒪n3. This paper studies different alternatives to improve the DIS-C approach by adapting approximation algorithms, focusing on Dijkstra, pruned Dijkstra, and sketch-based methods, to compute the conceptual distance according to the need to scale DIS-C to analyze very large graphs; therefore, reducing the related computational complexity is critical. Tests were performed using different datasets to calculate the conceptual distance when using the original version of DIS-C and when using the influence area of nodes. In situations where time optimization is necessary for generating results, using the original DIS-C model is not the optimal method. Therefore, we propose a simplified version of DIS-C to calculate conceptual distances based on centrality estimation. The obtained results for the simple version of DIS-C indicated that the processing time decreased 2.381 times when compared to the original DIS-C version. Additionally, for both versions of DIS-C (normal and simple), the APSP algorithm decreased the computational cost when using a two-hop coverage-based approach.

Deuteronomic Redaction and the Evolution of the Decalogues in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5

This paper examines the development and evolution of the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) based on a comparison of the Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 versions. It reviews past scholarly theories about the original form and composition of the Decalogue. The paper then analyzes the unique features in each biblical version to hypothesize about later Priestly and Deuteronomic editions. After removing these proposed additions, an attempt is made to reconstruct a more original core version. The analysis suggests the Decalogue went through multiple stages of evolution and redaction by various tradents. While Exodus 20 appears older overall, both versions contain editing that shapes them for their literary contexts. The study supports Blum’s theory of an early Deuteronomic edition of Tetrateuch texts, but with recognition that further development occurred before the final forms of Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. The paper illustrates the complex traditio-historical process in the formation of biblical texts.

Developing an Algorithm to Better Identify Pregnant Women with Inherited Bleeding Disorders within Electronic Health Records

Background: When using electronic health records (EHRs) to conduct population-based studies on inherited bleeding disorders (IBDs), multiple studies demonstrated that using diagnoses codes alone result in a high number of false positive identifications (J Blood Med. 2017 Aug 30;8:131-139). To improve data integrity, in-depth chart reviews are often required which typically can only be done from a local institutional level. This limits the potential to use national research infrastructure such as the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet) which draws its data from millions of EHRs across healthcare institutions in the United States. Objective: The objective of this study was to test the diagnostic accuracy of an algorithm that utilized common data definitions and multiple data elements in EHR to identify pregnant women with IBDs. Methods: We used data for pregnant women with IBDs who delivered at our institution from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2020 to test the accuracy of the algorithm. Women with IBD included those with the following diagnoses: hemophilia and hemophilia carriers, von Willebrand disease and rarer bleeding disorders including factor II, V, VII, X, XI and XIII deficiencies. We did not include the following diagnoses: Platelet function disorder, fibrinogen disorder or hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. We used EHR data elements from EPIC Clarity data model that conformed to those from the PCORnet Common Data Model (CDM). The PCORnet CDM can help ensure consistent data definitions and formats across multiple sites to facilitate large-scale patient-centered research. The original version of our algorithm included the following: (i) ICD-9/10 codes for an inherited bleeding disorder (Table 1) based on discharge diagnosis of any patient encounter visit types including inpatient, outpatient and emergency visits (criterion 1); (ii) Medications used for management of IBD (criterion 2); and (iii) Coagulation factor test and results (criterion 3). A validated diagnosis of IBD required fulfilling either criteria (1) and (2) or criteria (1) and (3). To develop our algorithm in an iterative fashion, we ran sequential queries (queries 1.0-1.1) with revisions to our initial criteria. The results of our retrospective queries were confirmed to have an IBD (true positive) using our local registry and by manual chart review. The local registry is a clinical database that is housed with EPIC and includes accurate demographic, phenotypic, and laboratory data of all persons with a confirmed diagnosis of IBD seen at our federally-funded adult hemophilia treatment center. Sensitivity and the positive predictive value of the algorithm to identify pregnant women with IBDs were calculated. Results: Using our original algorithm (query 1.0), there were 301 pregnant women who fulfilled criterion 1 and had at least one live birth or fetal death (&amp;gt;20 weeks gestation) at our institution during the study period. Of these, only 25 fulfilled criteria 2 and/or criteria 3. For the 276 cases that did not fulfill criteria 2 or 3, we verified the diagnosis through our local registry or through a manual review of the charts. We found that the following ICD-diagnosis codes for IBD - Z14.8; 286.9/D68.8/D68.9; 286.3/D68.2 - resulted in contamination and could not be used to diagnose carriers of IBD or the rarer bleeding disorders. These diagnoses codes were removed and we added a fourth criteria in our revised algorithm (Table 2). For cases that did not fulfill criteria 2 or 3, a case was considered as having a diagnosis of IBD if they had at least two identical ICD diagnosis code for an IBD in at least 2 separate patient encounter visit types (criterion 4). The revised algorithm (query 1.1) identified 35 pregnant women with IBD, of which 32 were confirmed to be true positive. The 3 women incorrectly identified (false positive) by our revised algorithm had seen a hematologist for work-up for a possible IBD which was eventually ruled out. From the original cohort of 301 pregnant women who had an ICD diagnosis code of an IBD, one patient who was a carrier for hemophilia A was missed (false negative) by our revised algorithm. The sensitivity of the revised algorithm was 97.0% and the PPV was 91.4% Conclusion: This study demonstrates the feasibility of an algorithm to accurately identify pregnant women with specific types of IBD within an EHR.

Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (PMHQ) for Healthcare Workers: A Psychometric Evaluation

The Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (PMHQ) has been validated across various populations but has displayed diverse psychometric structures depending on the procedures used. The original version of the PMHQ includes 39 items organized into 6 factors, although there are reports that indicate a reduced structure of between 1 and 4 factors. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the PMHQ with 1, 4 and 6 factors. A total of 360 healthcare workers aged 23 to 77 (M = 37.06; SD = 10.79) participated. Construct validity was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis using weighted root mean square residual. The original 6-factor (χ2/df: 3.40; RMSEA: 0.085; CFI: 0.913; TLI: 0.906) and a reduced 4-factor (χ2/df: 2.90; RMSEA: 0.072; CFI: 0.931; TLI: 0.926) structure showed acceptable fit. The fit of the 1-factor model was unacceptable. The internal consistency was evaluated through McDonald’s ω, and it was acceptable for 4 of 6 factors of the original structure and for 3 of 4 factors of the reduced structure. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the 6-factor and 4-factor models are valid for measuring positive mental health. However, issues with internal consistency must be investigated.

A multimethods randomized trial found that plain language versions improved adults understanding of health recommendations

ObjectivesTo make informed decisions, the general population should have access to accessible and understandable health recommendations. To compare understanding, accessibility, usability, satisfaction, intention to implement, and preference of adults provided with a digital “Plain Language Recommendation” (PLR) format vs. the original “Standard Language Version” (SLV). Study Design and SettingAn allocation-concealed, blinded, controlled superiority trial and a qualitative study to understand participant preferences. An international on-line survey. 488 adults with some English proficiency. 67.8% of participants identified as female, 62.3% were from the Americas, 70.1% identified as white, 32.2% had a bachelor's degree as their highest completed education, and 42% said they were very comfortable reading health information. In collaboration with patient partners, advisors, and the Cochrane Consumer Network, we developed a plain language format of guideline recommendations (PLRs) to compare their effectiveness vs. the original standard language versions (SLVs) as published in the source guideline. We selected two recommendations about COVID-19 vaccine, similar in their content, to compare our versions, one from the World Health Organization (WHO) and one from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The primary outcome was understanding, measured as the proportion of correct responses to seven comprehension questions. Secondary outcomes were accessibility, usability, satisfaction, preference, and intended behavior, measured on a 1-7 scale. ResultsParticipants randomized to the PLR group had a higher proportion of correct responses to the understanding questions for the WHO recommendation (mean difference [MD] of 19.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 14.7–24.9%; P < 0.001) but this difference was smaller and not statistically significant for the CDC recommendation (MD of 3.9%, 95% CI −0.7% to 8.3%; P = 0.096). However, regardless of the recommendation, participants found the PLRs more accessible, (MD of 1.2 on the seven-point scale, 95% CI 0.9–1.4%; P < 0.001) and more satisfying (MD of 1.2, 95% CI 0.9–1.4%; P < 0.001). They were also more likely to follow the recommendation if they had not already followed it (MD of 1.2, 95% CI 0.7–1.8%; P < 0.001) and share it with other people they know (MD of 1.9, 95% CI 0.5–1.2%; P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the preference between the two formats (MD of −0.3, 95% CI −0.5% to 0.03%; P = 0.078). The qualitative interviews supported and contextualized these findings. ConclusionHealth information provided in a PLR format improved understanding, accessibility, usability, and satisfaction and thereby has the potential to shape public decision-making behavior.

Writing matters

For papers to have scientific impact, they need to impress our peers in their role as referees, journal editors, and members of conference committees. Does better writing help our papers make it past these gatekeepers? In this study, we estimate the effect of writing quality by comparing how 30 economists judge the quality of papers written by PhD students in economics. Each economist judged five papers in their original version and five different papers that had been language edited. No economist saw both versions of the same paper. Our results show that writing matters. Compared to the original versions, economists judge edited versions as higher quality; they are more likely to accept edited versions for a conference; and they believe that edited versions have a better chance of being accepted at a good journal.

Factorial, Construct, and Predictive Validity of the Motivation for Treatment Scale in Alcohol-Use Disorder Withdrawal Treatment

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to examine for the first time the factorial, construct, and predictive validity of the motivation for treatment (MfT) scale in a cohort of patients undergoing inpatient-qualified alcohol withdrawal treatment with the goal of referring patients to further treatment. The MfT scale has previously been evaluated in different settings of substance abuse treatment, revealing factorial ambiguity. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first study that conducted comprehensive factor analyses versus separate analyses of the factors conducted in prior studies in order to clarify the aforementioned factorial ambiguity. Methods: A total of 249 patients (mean age 45.2 years (SD = 10.3); 34.4% females) with alcohol dependence were assessed. Data were obtained from four inpatient clinics specialized in qualified alcohol withdrawal treatment in Germany. First, confirmatory factor analyses were carried out to examine the fit of the four models discussed in the literature. Second, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. Correlations of the new factors with other motivational constructs and referral to a subsequent treatment were investigated as measures of construct and predictive validity. Results: None of the four models showed an acceptable fit to the data in confirmatory analyses. The exploratory analysis suggested to eliminate seven items because of inappropriate factor loadings and resulted in a shortened MfT scale, which consists of three factors based on 17 items. For the latent variables “problem recognition,” “desire for help,” and “treatment readiness,” satisfactory composite reliability was found with 0.82, 0.80, and 0.78, respectively. Evidence for predictive validity was found in the correlation between “treatment readiness” and referral to a subsequent treatment. Discussion/Conclusion: The new shortened MfT scale exhibited remarkable parsimony, which is desirable in settings such as withdrawal treatment, where patients frequently are cognitively or physically impaired. Despite its briefness, construct and predictive validity were better than in the original version of the MfT scale. The factorial validity of the suggested scale needs to be corroborated in further research.

An empirical study on the performance and energy costs of ads and analytics in mobile web apps

Context:As the use of mobile devices has increased immensely through the years, the presence of analytics and advertisements on web and native applications has become prevalent. However, serving ads and analytics comes with costs, as they are associated with additional code and network requests to execute properly. Subsequently, more computing resources are used, having an impact on the energy consumption and the performance of web applications. Previous work has focused only on native Android applications, has used different metrics for performance, or has focused on other aspects of web applications. Goal:This paper aims to investigate the costs of including advertisements and analytics in web applications. This is done in terms of energy consumption and performance. For energy, the consumption is measured in Joules. For performance, the following metrics are used: first contentful paint and full page load time. The results of this study could influence the decisions of web developers and web browser vendors related to ads and analytics usage, while providing the foundation for further research on this topic. Method:To collect reliable and population-representative results, the research focused on 9 popular web applications included in the Tranco list. Energy consumption and performance metrics were gathered for 3 versions of each web application — original version with ads and analytics, without ads, and without analytics. A cross-over paired comparison design is conducted. Multiple executions of each run were performed in random order to ascertain rigorous measures. The experiment is carried out on an Android tablet using two browsers, Google Chrome and Opera. Results:Ads significantly impact the energy consumption of mobile web apps for both browsers, with a large effect size; analytics have a significant impact on the energy consumption of Chrome (with a medium effect size), but not on Opera. In terms of performance, both ads and analytics do not significantly impact the first contentful paint metric on both browsers; differently, both ads and analytics significantly impact the full page load time of the mobile web apps on both browsers, but with a small effect size. Conclusions:This study provides evidence that both ads and analytics can have a significant impact on the energy consumption and performance of mobile web apps loaded either on Opera or Chrome. Depending on the requirements of the mobile web app, it is advisable to limit both ads and analytics in a mobile web app in order to reduce its energy consumption and improve its full page load time. Special attention should be paid to the presence of ads since they resulted to be the most impactful in terms of energy consumption.

A multi-step linguistic validation for cultural adaptation of the German-language Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire

The four-dimensional Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) is an original English self-report questionnaire aimed for detection of postpartum mother–infant bonding disorders. The aim of this study was to create a German version of the PBQ that corresponds conceptually and linguistically to the original questionnaire. The systematic multistep translation process followed the guidelines of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, consisting of forward and backward translations, pilot testing, and cognitive interviews of mothers and a panel of experts. Cognitive interviews with users (n = 10) resulted in 15 changes that improved the completeness and accuracy of the translation. The translation was reviewed by a panel of four experts for practicality, resulting in two changes. As a result of the translation process and cognitive interviews, the German PBQ is linguistically equivalent to the original English version and can be evaluated in psychometric validation for further use in primary care.

High Subset Homogeneity Impairs Structural Validity of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale

Abstract: Problems in providing evidence of structural validity of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) are addressed. As the German translation of a short version of the scale (BIS-15) included pairs of items with highly similar item statements, like the original English version, we hypothesized high subset homogeneity (HSH) as the source of these problems. HSH denotes a situation in which a subset of items shows a larger degree of homogeneity than the remainder of the items of the scale. In a sample of 287 university students, we investigated BIS data by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models including BIS factors only and models additionally including HSH factors. Whereas the models without HSH factors yielded model misfit, good model fit was observed for the models with HSH factors. These results suggested that BIS items basically showed structural validity, but this validity was impaired by HSH.

Adaptation and Validation of the Mental Health Continuum Long Form (MHC-LF) in Indonesia: A Psychometric Analysis

The study aims to adapt and validate the MHC-LF in Indonesia. The sample used was 315 participants (29 client group and 286 general group. Psychometric property analysis was carried out, including item analysis, reliability estimation using test-retest and internal consistency, and collecting validity evidence based on test content, internal structure, and relationships with other variables. The results showed that psychological well-being item number 10 and social well-being number 3 had insignificant loading factor values. MHC-LF reliability is high, with r= 0.85-0.94. This shows that the score produced by the MHC-LF is stable over time, and the items that compose it have internal consistency and are unidimensional. The expert panel judgment provides evidence that all MHC-LF items are relevant to measured aspects. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the three-factor model of emotional, psychological, and social well-being. MHC-LF is positively correlated with WEMWBS and negatively correlated with BDI-II. The difference in the mean scores of each subscale and the total significantly differed between the general and client groups. The validity evidence proves that the MHC-LF is a measuring tool that measures subjective well-being. The systematic judgmental scale provides evidence that the measurement tool for the translation results is equivalent to the original version.

Translation of Children's Literature from the Perspective of Reception Aesthetics

Children's literature, as the name suggests, is a literary work created for children and teenagers, and it plays an important role in their growth process, accompanied by the functions of education, entertainment and cognitive formation. In recent years, China's translation research has been greatly improved, but the research on children's literature translation is still lacking. The translators of children's literature are mostly adults, but the audience is children. Under the guidance of aesthetic theory, the author, from the perspective of children's readers, puts children at the center, aiming to meet their reading needs. so, this paper explores the translation of children's literature on the basis of acceptance aesthetics from the original text-centered to reader-centered, and take the Su Nong's translation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and the original version as an example to explore the vocabulary, rhetoric and translation of magic spells. In terms of rhetoric, the author skillfully uses metaphors, rhymes, and parallelism techniques to make the translation reflect the stylistic style of the original text as much as possible, simultaneously increasing literary talent and bringing pleasant artistic enjoyment to children. This paper aims to popularize different perspectives and interpretations of children's literature translation for the general public, and better enable children to appreciate the aesthetics and charm of Chinese and English texts so that they can grow up healthily and develop comprehensively.

Validation of the Malay version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-M) among patients with cancer in Malaysia.

The well-being and adaptive functioning of patients with cancer depend on their perception of social support. To accurately assess and understand the impact of social support in a diverse population, validated measurement tools are essential. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Malay version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-M) among patients with cancer in Malaysia. A total of 346 cancer patients with mixed disease types were recruited and completed the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire and the MSPSS-M. The MSPSS-M was assessed for internal consistency, construct validity, face, content, convergent, discriminant validity, and confirmatory factor analyses. The MSPSS-M and its three domains demonstrated good internal consistency with Cronbach's α ranging from 0.900 to 0.932. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the MSPSS-M supported the three-factor model of the original English version of the MSPSS. The MSPSS-M also exhibited good convergent validity and discriminant validity. The MSPSS-M demonstrates favorable psychometric properties among patients with cancer in Malaysia. The validation of the MSPSS-M provides a culturally adapted and linguistically valid instrument to assess perceived social support among Malay-speaking patients with cancer in Malaysia.