Real-time and video-recorded pain assessment in beef cattle: clinical application and reliability in young, adult bulls undergoing surgical castration.

Bovine pain assessment relies on validated behavioral scales related to normal and pain-related behaviors. This study investigated the reliability and applicability of real-time and video-recorded pain assessment, and their agreement, in young, adult bulls undergoing surgical castration. Ten Nelore and nine Angus bulls underwent general anesthesia and surgical castration. Three-minute real-time observations and simultaneous videos were recorded at - 48 h (M0), before sedation, under fasting (M1), after surgery, 3 h after sternal recumbency (M2), after rescue analgesia (M3) and at 24 h (M4). Animals received morphine (after M2), dipyrone (after M3), and flunixin meglumine after surgical castration (M4). Two trained evaluators assessed real-time (n = 95) and video-recorded time-points (n = 95) using the Unesp-Botucatu Cattle Pain Scale (UCAPS). Both assessment methods inferred 'very good' reliability (≥ 0.81) with minimal bias, however, video-recorded assessment (4.33 ± 2.84) demonstrated slightly higher scores compared to real-time (3.08 ± 2.84). The results from this study suggest that UCAPS can be used in real-time or video-recorded to assess pain and guide analgesic therapy in cattle.

Interexaminer agreement among pediatric dental specialists in assessment of tonsil size, Friedman tongue position, and Friedman staging of obstructive sleep apnea in children: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: The evaluation of tonsil size, Friedman Tongue Position (FTP), and Friedman staging in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) holds significant clinical importance, offering manifold advantages in diagnosis and surgical management. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the reliability of pediatric OSA evaluation by determining inter-examiner agreement among pediatric dental specialists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Conducted at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, PMS College of Dental Science and Research Hospital (2023-2024), this observational study utilized conventional consulting rooms, headlights, and examination chairs. Thirteen medical practitioners reviewed video recordings of the oropharyngeal regions of twelve pediatric patients exhibiting mouth breathing. Friedman staging was determined based on tonsil size and tongue position gradings.Inter-examiner agreement was evaluated using Fleiss kappa analysis. RESULTS: Observers, including residents and practitioners in pediatric dentistry, demonstrated poor agreement regarding FTP and tonsil grading. CONCLUSION: Understanding the nuances of tonsil size and FTP in pediatric OSA evaluation, along with identifying avenues for refinement, can enhance medical decision-making among healthcare providers, including pediatric dentists.

Empirical validation of integrated stock assessment models to ensuring risk equivalence: A pathway to resilient fisheries management.

The Precautionary Approach to Fisheries Management requires an assessment of the impact of uncertainty on the risk of achieving management objectives. However, the main quantities, such as spawning stock biomass (SSB) and fish mortality (F), used in management metrics cannot be directly observed. This requires the use of models to provide guidance, for which there are three paradigms: the best assessment, model ensemble, and Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE). It is important to validate the models used to provide advice. In this study, we demonstrate how stock assessment models can be validated using a diagnostic toolbox, with a specific focus on prediction skill. Prediction skill measures the precision of a predicted value, which is unknown to the model, in relation to its observed value. By evaluating the accuracy of model predictions against observed data, prediction skill establishes an objective framework for accepting or rejecting model hypotheses, as well as for assigning weights to models within an ensemble. Our analysis uncovers the limitations of traditional stock assessment methods. Through the quantification of uncertainties and the integration of multiple models, our objective is to improve the reliability of management advice considering the complex interplay of factors that influence the dynamics of fish stocks.

Utilidad y confiabilidad del cuestionario PreViAs para la evaluación de la visión en neonatos y lactantes turcos / The utility and reliability of the PreViAs questionnaire for the assessment of vision in Turkish neonates and infants

Introducción. La evaluación de la visión en los niños durante el periodo preverbal, con un método fácil de usar y basado en la evidencia, permitiría el diagnóstico temprano y la intervención en los trastornos visuales. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la utilidad y confiabilidad de la versión en idioma turco del cuestionario Preverbal Visual Assessment (PreViAs), desarrollado para evaluar la visión en niños preverbales. Población y métodos. El cuestionario PreViAs se administró a los cuidadores primarios de niños nacidos de término, antes de los 24 meses de edad. Se registraron sus respuestas. Resultados. Se analizaron los datos de 278 participantes para evaluar la consistencia interna del cuestionario PreViAs. Se encontró un alto nivel de consistencia con un alfa de Cronbach de 0,958 para el puntaje total, lo que sugiere una fuerte coherencia interna. Los valores del alfa de Cronbach para cada dominio fueron: 0,890 ­ 0,913 ­ 0,951 y 0,922 para la atención visual, la comunicación visual, el procesamiento visual y la coordinación visomotora respectivamente; esto indica una buena consistencia interna para cada subdominio. Conclusión. La versión en idioma turco del cuestionario PreViAs es útil y confiable para evaluar la visión durante el periodo preverbal.

Introduction: Evaluating the visual functions of children with an easy-to-use and evidence-based method during the preverbal period will enable early diagnosis and intervention of visual impairments. The aim of this study is to determine the utility and reliability of the Turkish version of the Preverbal Visual Assessment (PreViAs) questionnaire, which was developed to evaluate the visual functioning of preverbal infants. Population and Methods: The PreViAs questionnaire was administered to primary caregivers of term infants under 24 months of age, and their responses were recorded. Results: Data from the 278 participating infants were analyzed to assess the internal consistency of the PreViAs questionnaire. Results showed a high level of consistency with Cronbach's alpha value of 0.958 for the total score, suggesting strong internal coherence. In addition, the Cronbach's alpha values for each domain were 0.890, 0.913, 0.951, and 0.922 for visual attention, visual communication, visual processing, and visual-motor coordination, respectively, indicating good internal consistency for each subdomain. Conclusion: The Turkish version of the PreViAs questionnaire is useful and reliable for assessing functional vision during the preverbal period.

Assessing Real-World Data From Electronic Health Records for Health Technology Assessment: The SUITABILITY Checklist: A Good Practices Report of an ISPOR Task Force.

This ISPOR Good Practices report provides a framework for assessing the suitability of electronic health records data for use in health technology assessments (HTAs). Although electronic health record (EHR) data can fill evidence gaps and improve decisions, several important limitations can affect its validity and relevance. The ISPOR framework includes 2 components: data delineation and data fitness for purpose. Data delineation provides a complete understanding of the data and an assessment of its trustworthiness by describing (1) data characteristics; (2) data provenance; and (3) data governance. Fitness for purpose comprises (1) data reliability items, ie, how accurate and complete the estimates are for answering the question at hand and (2) data relevance items, which assess how well the data are suited to answer the particular question from a decision-making perspective. The report includes a checklist specific to EHR data reporting: the ISPOR SUITABILITY Checklist. It also provides recommendations for HTA agencies and policy makers to improve the use of EHR-derived data over time. The report concludes with a discussion of limitations and future directions in the field, including the potential impact from the substantial and rapid advances in the diffusion and capabilities of large language models and generative artificial intelligence. The report's immediate audiences are HTA evidence developers and users. We anticipate that it will also be useful to other stakeholders, particularly regulators and manufacturers, in the future.

Quantitative Assessment of Lid Margin Vascularity Using Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

Purpose: To evaluate the ability of swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) to assess lid margin vascularity. Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional trial enrolled 125 participants, including 15 control subjects and 110 meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) patients. Lid margin blood flow density (LMBFD) was obtained using SS-OCTA. LMBFD was assessed for repeatability in 54 of 125 participants and for reproducibility in 23 of 125 participants. The efficacy of LMBFD was validated in the 125 participants, who were divided into mild (n = 46), moderate (n = 42), and severe groups (n = 37) according to the lid margin vascularity severity shown in the slit-lamp photographs. Correlations between LMBFD and MG-related parameters, such as ocular surface disease index (OSDI), fluorescein tear break-up time (FTBUT), cornea fluorescein staining (CFS), lid margin score (LMS), and meibomian gland expressibility (ME), were analyzed in all 125 participants. Results: Repeatability and reproducibility coefficients were satisfactorily high in the scan mode with a scan area of 6 mm × 6 mm (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] repeatability = 0.905; ICC reproducibility = 0.986) and a scan area of 9 mm × 9 mm (ICC repeatability = 0.888; ICC reproducibility = 0.988). The LMBFD gradually increased in the mild, moderate, and severe groups (P < 0.001). LMBFD was significant correlated with OSDI (r = 0.290, P = 0.001), FTBUT (r = -0.195, P = 0.030), CFS (r = 0.352, P < 0.001), ME (r = 0.191, P = 0.033), and LMS (r = 0.370, P < 0.001). Conclusions: LMBFD may be a noninvasive, repeatable, reproducible, and efficient index for the quantitative evaluation of eyelid margin vascularity in the future. Translational Relevance: We demonstrated that SS-OCTA has the potential to evaluate the eyelid margin vascularity in MGD patients and guide future treatment strategies in clinics.

Inter- and Intrarater Reliability of the Gap-Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form Among Occupational Therapy Interns.

IMPORTANCE: Effective communication skills (CS) are essential for occupational therapists. The Gap-Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form (GKCSAF) is a standard tool for assessing the CS of medical residents. However, the interrater reliability for the nine CS domain scores ranges from poor to good. The intrarater reliability remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To examine the inter- and intrarater reliability of the GKCSAF's nine domain scores and total score among occupational therapy interns. DESIGN: Repeated assessments with the GKCSAF. SETTING: Medical center psychiatry department. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five interns and 49 clients with mental illness, recruited from August 2020 to December 2021. OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The transcripts of 50 evaluation interviews between clients and interns were used. Three independent raters assessed each transcript twice, at least 3 mo apart. RESULTS: The GKCSAF demonstrated poor interrater reliability for the nine domain scores (weighted κ = .08-.30) and the total score (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = .22, 95% confidence interval [CI] [.10, .35]). The GKCSAF showed poor to intermediate intrarater reliability for the nine domain scores (weighted κ = .27-.73) and fair reliability for the total score (ICC = .69, 95% CI [.60, .77]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The GKCSAF demonstrates poor interrater reliability and poor to intermediate intrarater reliability for the nine domain scores. However, it demonstrates fair intrarater reliability in assessing the overall CS performance of occupational therapy interns. Significant variations were observed when different raters assessed the same interns' CS, indicating inconsistencies in ratings. Consequently, it is advisable to conservatively interpret the CS ratings obtained with the GKCSAF. Plain-Language Summary: It is essential for occupational therapists to effectively communicate with clients. The Gap-Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form (GKCSAF) is a standard tool that is used to assess the communication skills of medical residents. The study authors used the GKCSAF with occupational therapy interns in a medical center psychiatry department to assess how effectively they interviewed clients with mental illness. This study aids occupational therapy personnel in the interpretation of GKCSAF results. The study findings also highlight the importance of developing reliable and standardized measures to assess communications skills in the field of occupational therapy.

How automated techniques ease functional assessment of the fetal heart: Applicability of two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography for comprehensive analysis of global and segmental cardiac deformation using fetalHQ®.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal echocardiographic assessment of fetal cardiac function has become increasingly important. Fetal two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) allows the determination of global and segmental functional cardiac parameters. Prenatal diagnostics is relying increasingly on artificial intelligence, whose algorithms transform the way clinicians use ultrasound in their daily workflow. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of whether less experienced operators can handle and might benefit from an automated tool of 2D-STE in the clinical routine. METHODS: A total of 136 unselected, normal, singleton, second- and third-trimester fetuses with normofrequent heart rates were examined by targeted ultrasound. 2D-STE was performed separately by beginner and expert semiautomatically using a GE Voluson E10 (FetalHQ®, GE Healthcare, Chicago, IL). Several fetal cardiac parameters were calculated (end-diastolic diameter [ED], sphericity index [SI], global longitudinal strain [EndoGLS], fractional shortening [FS]) and assigned to gestational age (GA). Bland-Altman plots were used to test agreement between both operators. RESULTS: The mean maternal age was 33 years, and the mean maternal body mass index prior to pregnancy was 24.78 kg/m2. The GA ranged from 16.4 to 32.0 weeks (average 22.9 weeks). Averaged endoGLS value of the beginner was -18.57% ± 6.59 percentage points (pp) for the right and -19.58% ± 5.63 pp for the left ventricle, that of the expert -14.33% ± 4.88 pp and -16.37% ± 5.42 pp. With increasing GA, right ventricular endoGLS decreased slightly while the left ventricular was almost constant. The statistical analysis for endoGLS showed a Bland-Altman-Bias of -4.24 pp ± 8.06 pp for the right and -3.21 pp ± 7.11 pp for the left ventricle. The Bland-Altman-Bias of the ED in both ventricles in all analyzed segments ranged from -.49 mm ± 1.54 mm to -.10 mm ± 1.28 mm, that for FS from -.33 pp ± 11.82 pp to 3.91 pp ± 15.56 pp and that for SI from -.38 ± .68 to -.15 ± .45. CONCLUSIONS: Between both operators, our data indicated that 2D-STE analysis showed excellent agreement for cardiac morphometry parameters (ED and SI), and good agreement for cardiac function parameters (EndoGLS and FS). Due to its complexity, the application of fetal 2D-STE remains the domain of scientific-academic perinatal ultrasound and should be placed preferably in the hands of skilled operators. At present, from our perspective, an implementation into clinical practice "on-the-fly" cannot be recommended.

Development and Validation of Performance-Based Assessment of Daily Living Tasks in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: To establish the reliability and validity of five performance-based activities of daily living task tests (ADLTT), to correlate structure to function, to evaluate the impact of visual impairment (VI) on age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and to develop new outcome measures. Methods: A multidisciplinary team developed five ADLTTs: (1) reading test (RT); (2) facial expression (FE) recognition; (3) item search (IS) task; (4) money counting (MC) task; and (5) making a drink (MD), tested with binocular and monocular vision. ADLTTs were tested for known-group (i.e., difference between AMD group and controls) and convergent (i.e., correlation to other measures of visual function), validity metrics, and test-retest reliability in 36 patients with VI (visual acuity (logMAR VA > 0.4) in at least one eye caused by AMD versus 36 healthy controls without VI. Results: Compared to controls, AMD patients had a slower reading speed (-77.41 words/min; P < 0.001); took longer to complete MC using monocular worse eye and binocular vision (15.13 seconds and 4.06 seconds longer compared to controls, respectively; P < 0.001); and MD using monocular worse eye vision (9.37 sec; P = 0.033), demonstrating known-group validity. Only RT and MC demonstrated convergent validity, showing correlations with VA, contrast sensitivity, and microperimetry testing. Moderate to good test-retest reliability was observed for MC and MD (interclass correlation coefficient = 0.55 and 0.77; P < 0.001) using monocular worse eye vision. Conclusions: Real-world ADL functioning associated with VI-related AMD can be assessed with our validated ADLTTs, particularly MC and MD. Translational Relevance: This study validates visual function outcome measures that are developed for use in future clinical practice and clinical trials.

Assessment of Temporal Somatosensory Discrimination in Females with Fibromyalgia: Reliability and Discriminative Ability of a New Assessment Tool.

We assessed the test-retest reliability and discriminative ability of a somatosensory temporal discrimination (SSTD) assessment tool for fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and determined if pain-related variables were associated with SSTD performance. Twenty-five women with FMS and twenty-five asymptomatic women were assessed during two sessions 7 to 10 days apart. The proportion of correct responses (range 0-100) was calculated. Sociodemographic information was collected for both groups. The participants with FMS also completed the widespread pain index and the Brief Pain Inventory. Test-retest reliability was verified by calculating intraclass correlation coefficients. Discriminative ability was verified by a between-group comparison of scores using a t-test. Associations between SSTD score and pain variables were tested using Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficients. The test-retest reliability of the SSTD score was excellent (ICC > 0.9, CI: 0.79-0.96) for the asymptomatic group and good for the FMS group (ICC: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.62-0.91). The median (Q1-Q3) test session SSTD score differed significantly between the FMS 84.1 (71-88) and the asymptomatic 91.6 (83.4-96.1) groups (p < 0.001). Only pain duration was associated with the SSTD score. In conclusion, the new SSTD test seems reliable for people with FMS and is discriminative. Further studies should examine its sensitivity to change and correlations with other SSTD tests.

Precision Balance Assessment in Parkinson's Disease: Utilizing Vision-Based 3D Pose Tracking for Pull Test Analysis.

Postural instability is a common complication in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) associated with recurrent falls and fall-related injuries. The test of retropulsion, consisting of a rapid balance perturbation by a pull in the backward direction, is regarded as the gold standard for evaluating postural instability in PD and is a key component of the neurological examination and clinical rating in PD (e.g., MDS-UPDRS). However, significant variability in test execution and interpretation contributes to a low intra- and inter-rater test reliability. Here, we explore the potential for objective, vision-based assessment of the pull test (vPull) using 3D pose tracking applied to single-sensor RGB-Depth recordings of clinical assessments. The initial results in a cohort of healthy individuals (n = 15) demonstrate overall excellent agreement of vPull-derived metrics with the gold standard marker-based motion capture. Subsequently, in a cohort of PD patients and controls (n = 15 each), we assessed the inter-rater reliability of vPull and analyzed PD-related impairments in postural response (including pull-to-step latency, number of steps, retropulsion angle). These quantitative metrics effectively distinguish healthy performance from and within varying degrees of postural impairment in PD. vPull shows promise for straightforward clinical implementation with the potential to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of postural instability assessment and fall risk prediction in PD.

Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of Patient Satisfaction with Pharmacist Services Questionnaire (PSPSQ) 2.0 into the Arabic language among people with diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Understanding patient satisfaction is key to advancing pharmacy services and improving health outcomes. There is a lack of a translated and psychometrically validated tool in the Arabic language to measure patient satisfaction with pharmacy services. OBJECTIVE: To translate the English version of the PSPSQ 2.0 into Arabic language, culturally adapt, and verify its reliability and validity. SETTING: A community pharmacy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted between April 2021 and June 2022 among patients with diabetes attending a community pharmacy. The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research good practice guidelines for linguistic translation and cultural adaptation were used to translate and culturally adapt the English version of PSPSQ 2.0 into Arabic. The Arabic version of PSPSQ 2.0 was subjected to factor analysis using principal component analysis with varimax rotation to evaluate its validity and Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the reliability of PSPSQ 2.0. RESULTS: A total of 129 (68.2% male, and mean age 50 (SD: 11.9) years) patients with diabetes participated in the study. The analysis was undertaken for the items in each of the three domains of PSPSQ 2.0: quality of care, interprofessional relationship and overall care. Exploratory factor analysis revealed validity of 92.7%, 80.5% and 96.2%, respectively. The Arabic version of PSPSQ 2.0 had high internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha scores 0.99, 0.95 and 0.98 for the three measured domains, respectively. The sample adequacy was 0.924. CONCLUSION: The PSPSQ 2.0 was successfully translated and culturally adapted into the Arabic language and had acceptable validity and reliability to measure patient satisfaction with services provided by pharmacists in community pharmacies.

Development of a survey to support assessment of safety learning systems.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety learning systems play a critical role in supporting safety culture in healthcare organisations. A lack of explicit standards leads to inconsistent implementation across organisations, causing uncertainty about their roles and impact. Organisations can address inconsistent implementation by using a self-assessment tool based on agreed-on best practices. Therefore, we aimed to create a survey instrument to assess an organisation's approach to learning from safety events. METHODS: The foundation for this work was a recent systematic review that defined features associated with the performance of a safety learning system. We organised features into themes and rephrased them into questions (items). Face validity was checked, which included independent pre-testing to ensure comprehensibility and parsimony. It also included clinical sensibility testing in which a representative sample of leaders in quality at a large teaching hospital (The Ottawa Hospital) answered two questions to judge each item for clarity and necessity. If more than 20% of respondents judged a question unclear or unnecessary, we modified or removed that question accordingly. Finally, we checked the internal consistency of the questionnaire using Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: We initially developed a 47-item questionnaire based on a prior systematic review. Pre-testing resulted in the modification of 15 of the questions, 2 were removed and 2 questions were added to ensure comprehensiveness and relevance. Face validity was assessed through yes/no responses, with over 80% of respondents confirming the clarity and 85% the necessity of each question, leading to the retention of all 47 questions. Data collected from the five-point responses (strongly disagree to strongly agree) for each question were used to assess the questionnaire's internal consistency. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.94, indicating a high internal consistency. CONCLUSION: This self-assessment questionnaire is evidence-based and on preliminary testing is deemed valid, comprehensible and reliable. Future work should assess the range of survey responses in a large sample of respondents from different hospitals.

Psychometric assessment of the Runyankole-translated Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale among persons with HIV in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Social desirability can negatively affect the validity of self-reported measures, including underreporting of stigmatized behaviors like alcohol consumption. The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (SDS) is widely implemented and comprised of Denial and Attribution Domains (i.e., tendencies to deny undesirable traits or attribute socially desirable traits to oneself, respectively). Yet, limited psychometric research has been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, where the prevalence of unhealthy alcohol consumption is high as well as religiosity and hierarchical social norms. To address this gap, we (a) conducted an exploratory study assessing certain psychometric properties of the 28-item SDS (Runyankole-translated) among persons with HIV (PWH) in Uganda, and (b) examined the relationship between social desirability and self-reported alcohol use. METHODS: We pooled baseline data (N = 1153) from three studies of PWH engaged in alcohol use from 2017 to 2021. We assessed the translated scale's construct validity (via confirmatory factor analysis), internal consistency, item performance, differential item functioning by gender, concurrent validity with the DUREL religiosity index domains, and the association between social desirability and self-reported alcohol use. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 40.42 years, 63% were men, and 91% had an undetectable HIV viral load. The 28-item SDS had satisfactory construct validity (Model fit indices: RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.84, TLI = 0.82) and internal consistency (Denial Domain ΩTotal = 0.82, Attribution Domain ΩTotal = 0.69). We excluded Item 14 ("I never hesitate to help someone in trouble") from the Attribution Domain, which mitigated differential measurement error by gender and slightly improved the construct validity (Model fit indices: RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.86, TLI = 0.85) and reliability (Attribution Domain ΩTotal = 0.72) of the 27-item modified SDS. Using the 27-item SDS, we found that social desirability was weakly correlated with religiosity and inversely associated with self-reported alcohol use after adjusting for biomarker-measured alcohol use and other confounders (ß = -0.05, 95% confidence interval: -0.09 to -0.01, p-value = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: We detected and mitigated measurement error in the 28-item Runyankole-translated SDS, and found that the modified 27-item scale had satisfactory construct validity and internal consistency in our sample. Future studies should continue to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Runyankole-translated SDS, including retranslating Item 14 and reevaluating its performance.

Pharmacokinetic assessment of low dose decitabine in combination therapies: Development and validation of a sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS method for murine plasma analysis.

Decitabine is a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor used in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. The notion that ongoing trials are presently exploring the combined use of decitabine, with or without the cytidine deaminase inhibitor cedazuridine, and other antileukemic drugs necessitates a comprehensive understanding of pharmacokinetic properties and an evaluation of drug-drug interaction liabilities. We report here the development and validation of a sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS method for quantifying decitabine in mouse plasma, which should be useful for such studies. The method involved a one-step protein precipitation extraction, and chromatographic separation on an XBridge HILIC column using gradient elution. The method was found to be robust, accurate, precise, and sufficiently sensitive (lower limit of quantitation, 0.4 ng/mL) to determine decitabine concentrations in microvolumes of plasma from mice receiving the agent orally or intravenously in the presence or absence of cedazuridine.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the hidden curriculum assessment scale in nursing education: A validity and reliability study.

AIMS: The study aimed to develop and psychometrically evaluate a measurement scale for identifying and assessing the hidden curriculum in undergraduate nursing education. BACKGROUND: The hidden curriculum is a general term for educational information that exists outside of the teaching program and mainly affects students' knowledge, emotions, behaviors, beliefs, values and professional ethics. However, a specific instrument to comprehensively define and assess the hidden curriculum in nursing education has not yet been developed in China. DESIGN: A descriptive and explorative study design was used. METHODS: We developed the initial scale through a literature review, focus group discussion, Delphi expert consultation and pre-survey. From February to April 2023, the data were collected from a convenient sample of 512 nursing students enrolled in five medical universities in China to conduct exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis for validity testing. In addition, reliability analysis was conducted by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficients, split-half reliability and test-retest reliability. The nursing students' responses were evaluated using a five-point Likert scale. RESULTS: The Hidden Curriculum Assessment Scale in Nursing Education (HCAS-NE) was formulated, consisting of 4 dimensions and 35 items. Exploratory factor analysis extracted four factors, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 66.863 % and confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the fit indices values of the scale structure model met the criteria for an ideal level. the Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.965, the Guttman split-half was 0.853 and the test-retest reliability was 0.967. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the Hidden Curriculum Assessment Scale in Nursing Education (HCAS-NE) has ideal reliability and validity, which provides a valid and reliable tool for identifying and assessing the hidden curriculum in nursing education.

Assessment of physical literacy in 8- to 12-year-old Pakistani school children: reliability and cross-validation of the Canadian assessment of physical literacy-2 (CAPL-2) in South Punjab, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: The increasing prevalence of physical inactivity, declining fitness, and rising childhood obesity highlight the importance of physical literacy (PL), as a foundational component for fostering lifelong health and active lifestyle. This recognition necessitates the development of effective tools for PL assessment that are applicable across diverse cultural landscapes. AIM: This study aimed to translate the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy-2 (CAPL-2) into Urdu and adapt it for the Pakistani cultural context, to assess PL among children aged 8-12 years in Pakistan. METHOD: The Urdu version of CAPL-2 was administered among 1,360 children aged 8-12 from 87 higher secondary schools across three divisions in South Punjab province, Pakistan. Statistical analysis includes test-retest reliability and construct validity, employing confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the tool's performance both overall and within specific subdomains. RESULTS: The Urdu version of CAPL-2 demonstrated strong content validity, with a Content Validity Ratio of 0.89. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure proposed by the original developers, evidenced by excellent model fit indices (GFI = 0.984, CFI = 0.979, TLI = 0.969, RMSEA = 0.041). High internal consistency was observed across all domains (α = 0.988 to 0.995), with significant correlations among most, excluding the Knowledge and Understanding domains. Notably, gender and age significantly influenced performance, with boys generally scoring higher than girls, with few exceptions. CONCLUSION: This study marks a significant step in the cross-cultural adaptation of PL assessment tools, successfully validating the CAPL-2 Urdu version for the Pakistani context for the first time. The findings affirm the tool's suitability for assessing PL among Pakistani children, evidencing its validity and reliability across the Pakistani population.

Assessment and process optimization of high throughput biofabrication of immunocompetent breast cancer model for drug screening applications.

Recent advancements in 3D cancer modeling have significantly enhanced our ability to delve into the intricacies of carcinogenesis. Despite the pharmaceutical industry's substantial investment of both capital and time in the drug screening and development pipeline, a concerning trend persists: drug candidates screened on conventional cancer models exhibit a dismal success rate in clinical trials. One pivotal factor contributing to this discrepancy is the absence of drug testing on pathophysiologically biomimetic 3D cancer models during pre-clinical stages. Unfortunately, current manual methods of 3D cancer modeling, such as spheroids and organoids, suffer from limitations in reproducibility and scalability. In our study, we have meticulously developed 3D bioprinted breast cancer model utilizing decellularized adipose tissue-based hydrogel obtained via a detergent-free decellularization method. Our innovative printing techniques allows for rapid, high-throughput fabrication of 3D cancer models in a 96-well plate format, demonstrating unmatched scalability and reproducibility. Moreover, we have conducted extensive validation, showcasing the efficacy of our platform through drug screening assays involving two potent anti-cancer drugs, 5-Fluorouracil and PRIMA-1Met. Notably, our platform facilitates effortless imaging and gene expression analysis, streamlining the evaluation process. In a bid to enhance the relevance of our cancer model, we have introduced a heterogeneous cell population into the DAT-based bioink. Through meticulous optimization and characterization, we have successfully developed a biomimetic immunocompetent breast cancer model, complete with microenvironmental cues and diverse cell populations. This breakthrough paves the way for rapid multiplex drug screening and the development of personalized cancer models, marking a paradigm shift in cancer research and pharmaceutical development.

Validation of the COmprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) in Vietnamese patients with cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The COmprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) has proven to be a reliable tool for quantifying the impact of financial toxicity (FT) in patients with cancer in clinical and public health settings. However, the COST has not yet been validated in Vietnam. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate its reliability and validity among Vietnamese patients with cancer. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 300 patients with cancer aged 27-95 years (mean: 58.5±11.2) in a tertiary hospital. The COST was translated into Vietnamese and English and adjusted to suit the local culture. Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients. The construct and convergent validities were also assessed. RESULTS: The COST demonstrated good internal consistency and reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.913; McDonald's omega = 0.915). The exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors that explained 64.9% of the variance. The adjusted fit indices indicated a good fit of the model (χ2 (39) = 67.78, p = 0.003; standardized root mean squared residual = 0.042; Tucker-Lewis index = 0.971; comparative fit index = 0.979; root mean square error of approximation = 0.061, 90% confidence interval = 0.035-0084). Higher COST scores were significantly correlated with higher health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L utility score: r = 0.21, p = 0.002; EQ VAS: r = 0.28, p < 0.001). Multivariate quantile regression analysis revealed that female sex, rural residence, and unstable job/unemployment were associated with lower COST scores. There was no statistically significant difference in other factors, including clinical factors (types of cancer, staging, and treatment modalities). CONCLUSIONS: The COST is reliable and valid, making it suitable for assessing FT severity in Vietnamese patients with cancer.