Reliability and validity of the Italian version of Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology 2.0 (QUEST-IT 2.0) with users of mobility assistive device.

OBJECTS: The aim of the study is the translation, culturally adaptation and validation of the Italian version of Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology 2.0 (QUEST-IT 2.0) in an Italian population with users of mobility assistive device, through a cross sectional study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To evaluate internal consistency and test-retest reliability, Cronbach's? and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were respectively calculated. The WheelCon-M is administered together, and Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated for validity. RESULTS: The scale was submitted to 130. The mean QUEST-IT 2.0 score in this study was 37.39 ± 9.35. Cronbach's? was 0.740 (p < 0.01) and ICC was 0.853 and >0.994 in each domain. The correlation with WheelCon-M short form a was 0.30 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: the QUEST-IT 2.0 showed out good consistent results for reliability and validity. This scale will be very useful for doctors, researchers and occupational therapist in the valuation and management of mobility assistive device.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe Italian version of the QUEST 2.0 (QUEST-IT 2.0) in now available and health professionals can use it with more confidence.The QUEST-IT 2.0 is a valid and reliable assessment tool when used with a sample of assistive mobility device users.

Construct validity, test-retest reliability, and the ability to detect change of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure in a spinal cord injury population.

Study design: Cross-sectional study. Objectives: To examine the construct validity and the ability to detect change, of the Italian version of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) in a spinal cord injury (SCI) population. Settings: Rehabilitation service of the Paraplegic Center of Ostia, Italy. Methods: Thirty-nine spinal cord injury participants were recruited. The clinimetric properties of the measure were assessed following international guidelines. Cronbach's alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient were assessed for internal consistency and test-retest reliability, respectively. Construct validity was evaluated, by calculating correlation between COPM and the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) through Pearson's correlation coefficient and Spearman's Rho. The ability to detect change was evaluated on the overall sample. Results: The COPM was shown to be reliable in a spinal cord injury sample with positive and statistically significant results for Cronbach's alpha (0.89) and ICC (0.99 for the performance subtest and 0.98 for the satisfaction subtest). Correlation coefficients did not show a correlation between the COPM total score and the SCIM. The COPM scores improved significantly during in-patient rehabilitation, moreover the mean change between the start of treatment and the end of the therapy as evaluated with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was -4.25 points for the performance score and -2.96 points for the satisfaction score. Conclusions: This study showed that the COPM is a reliable tool for assessing SCI clients' perceived performance of daily activities and their satisfaction with their performance.

Italian Version of the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test for the Assessment of Hand Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study.

IMPORTANCE: Having a test to evaluate hand function is fundamental to occupational therapy practice. OBJECTIVE: To assess the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Three health care institutions in Rome, Italy. PARTICIPANTS: 136 people with injuries, burns, or neurological diseases of the hand. INTERVENTION: No intervention was provided. OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: We administered the JTHFT, an assessment of fine motor skills during performance of activities of daily living, and compared results with dynamometer readings. RESULTS: The mean ± standard deviation total time required to perform all subtests was 89.47 ± 67.98 s for the dominant hand (DH) and 167.11 ± 257.58 s for the nondominant hand (NDH). Reliability procedures were applied to data from 51 participants; mean intrarater intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was .814 for the DH and .981 for the NDH, and mean interrater ICC was .818 for the DH and .821 for the NDH. Pearson's correlation coefficients were significant. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Results support the use of the Italian version of the JTHFT as a measure of functional dexterity in people with upper limb disorders. WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS: The JTHFT is a valid and reliable assessment tool for nonspecific hand diseases. Italian health professionals can now use the JTHFT with more confidence.

Validation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Van Lieshout test in an Italian population with cervical spinal cord injury: a psychometric study.

STUDY DESIGN: Psychometric study. OBJECTIVE: To assess the reliability and validity of the Italian-translated and adapted version of the Van Lieshout test (VLT) in a population of people with cervical spinal cord injury (C-SCI). SETTING: Multicenter study in multiple hospitals in Italy. METHODS: The original scale was translated from English to Italian according to international guidelines. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and responsiveness of the Italian version of the VLT (IT-VLT) were examined. The IT-VLT was administered to 50 individuals with C-SCI, and its construct and convergent validity were evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients with the Italian version of the Spinal Cord Injury Measure version III (SCIM III). RESULTS: All psychometric properties of the IT-VLT showed significant values, including the Cronbach's α, which was 0.95 (left hand) and 0.94 (right hand). Furthermore, the test-retest reliability showed an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.89, 0.81, and 0.87 for the right hand, left hand, and total value, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient of the IT-VLT and the Italian version of the SCIM III showed all significant results r = 0.559 (p < 0.01). The IT-VLT score improved significantly during in-patient rehabilitation In fact the mean (95% CI) change between T0 and T1 was - 13.2 ± 28.6 (- 21.38; - 5.10). CONCLUSIONS: The IT-VLT was a reliable and a valid outcome measure for assessing hand function in the Italian population with C-SCI. The present study lays the grounds to investigate the psychometric properties of the short version of the IT-VLT.

Exploring Validity, Reliability, and Factor Analysis of the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology in an Italian Population: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study explores validity, reliability, and factor analysis of the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (IT-QUEST) for users of assistive technology devices in an Italian population. It was administered to 75 people to determine which of the 24 original items were relevant to the Italian context using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFAs and CFAs) were conducted with internal consistency and test-retest reproducibility also evaluated. The EFA and CFA showed that the 24-item survey may have limited relevance to the Italian context. We individuated 12 significative items, divided into two subscales, as well as the original validation. The test-retest showed high values of the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) (0.7-0.9), with a 0.812 ICC for the total scale providing support and evidence for Italian professionals to evaluate user satisfaction with assistive technology devices. This research also lays the foundation for developing a validation study of the IT-QUEST 2.0 that is relevant to the Italian culture. Further research may investigate psychometric properties involving more participants and different users of assistive technology devices.

Cytoskeletal proteins associate with components of the ribosomal maturation and translation apparatus in Xenopus stage I oocytes.

Actin-based cytoskeleton (CSK) and microtubules may bind to RNAs and related molecules implicated in translation. However, many questions remain to be answered regarding the role of cytoskeletal components in supporting the proteins involved in steps in the maturation and translation processes. Here, we performed co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence to examine the association between spectrins, keratins and tubulin and proteins involved in 60S ribosomal maturation and translation in Xenopus stage I oocytes, including ribosomal rpl10, eukaryotic initiation factor 6 (Eif6), thesaurins A/B, homologs of the eEF1α elongation factor, and P0, the ribosomal stalk protein. We found that rpl10 and eif6 cross-reacted with the actin-based CSK and with tubulin. rpl10 co-localizes with spectrin, particularly in the perinuclear region. eif6 is similarly localized. Given that upon ribosomal maturation, the insertion of rpl10 into the 60S subunit occurs simultaneously with the release of eif6, one can hypothesise that actin-based CSK and microtubules provide the necessary scaffold for the insertion/release of these two molecules and, subsequently, for eif6 transport and binding to the mature 60S subunit. P0 and thesaurins cross-reacted with only spectrin and cytokeratins. Thesaurins aggregated at the oocyte periphery, rendering this a territory favourable site for protein synthesis; the CSK may support the interaction between thesaurins and sites of the translating ribosome. Moreover, given that the assembly of the ribosome stalk, where P0 is located, to the 60S subunit is essential for the release of eif6, it can be hypothesised that the CSK can facilitate the binding of the stalk to the 60S.

Neo: an object model for handling electrophysiology data in multiple formats.

Neuroscientists use many different software tools to acquire, analyze and visualize electrophysiological signals. However, incompatible data models and file formats make it difficult to exchange data between these tools. This reduces scientific productivity, renders potentially useful analysis methods inaccessible and impedes collaboration between labs. A common representation of the core data would improve interoperability and facilitate data-sharing. To that end, we propose here a language-independent object model, named "Neo," suitable for representing data acquired from electroencephalographic, intracellular, or extracellular recordings, or generated from simulations. As a concrete instantiation of this object model we have developed an open source implementation in the Python programming language. In addition to representing electrophysiology data in memory for the purposes of analysis and visualization, the Python implementation provides a set of input/output (IO) modules for reading/writing the data from/to a variety of commonly used file formats. Support is included for formats produced by most of the major manufacturers of electrophysiology recording equipment and also for more generic formats such as MATLAB. Data representation and data analysis are conceptually separate: it is easier to write robust analysis code if it is focused on analysis and relies on an underlying package to handle data representation. For that reason, and also to be as lightweight as possible, the Neo object model and the associated Python package are deliberately limited to representation of data, with no functions for data analysis or visualization. Software for neurophysiology data analysis and visualization built on top of Neo automatically gains the benefits of interoperability, easier data sharing and automatic format conversion; there is already a burgeoning ecosystem of such tools. We intend that Neo should become the standard basis for Python tools in neurophysiology.