scholarly journals The Russian Aphasia Test: The first comprehensive, quantitative, standardized, and computerized aphasia language battery in Russian

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0258946
Author(s):  
Maria V. Ivanova ◽  
Yulia S. Akinina ◽  
Olga A. Soloukhina ◽  
Ekaterina V. Iskra ◽  
Olga V. Buivolova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Auditory Comprehension ◽  
Specific Level ◽  
Cutoff Values ◽  
Wide Range

The lack of standardized language assessment tools in Russian impedes clinical work, evidence-based practice, and research in Russian-speaking clinical populations. To address this gap in assessment of neurogenic language disorders, we developed and standardized a new comprehensive assessment instrument–the Russian Aphasia Test (RAT). The principal novelty of the RAT is that each subtest corresponds to a specific level of linguistic processing (phonological, lexical-semantic, syntactic, and discourse) in different domains: auditory comprehension, repetition, and oral production. In designing the test, we took into consideration various (psycho)linguistic factors known to influence language performance, as well as specific properties of Russian. The current paper describes the development of the RAT and reports its psychometric properties. A tablet-based version of the RAT was administered to 85 patients with different types and severity of aphasia and to 106 age-matched neurologically healthy controls. We established cutoff values for each subtest indicating deficit in a given task and cutoff values for aphasia based on the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis of the composite score. The RAT showed very high sensitivity (> .93) and specificity (> .96), substantiating its validity for determining presence of aphasia. The test’s high construct validity was evidenced by strong correlations between subtests measuring similar linguistic processes. The concurrent validity of the test was also strong as demonstrated by a high correlation with an existing aphasia battery. Overall high internal, inter-rater, and test-retest reliability were obtained. The RAT is the first comprehensive aphasia language battery in Russian with properly established psychometric properties. It is sensitive to a wide range of language deficits in aphasia and can reliably characterize individual profiles of language impairments. Notably, the RAT is the first comprehensive aphasia test in any language to be fully automatized for administration on a tablet, maximizing further standardization of presentation and scoring procedures.

scholarly journals The Russian Aphasia Test: The first comprehensive, quantitative, standardized, and computerized aphasia language battery in Russian

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Ivanova ◽  
Akinina Yulia ◽  
Olga Soloukhina ◽  
Ekaterina Iskra ◽  
Olga Buivolova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Auditory Comprehension ◽  
Specific Level ◽  
Cutoff Values ◽  
Wide Range

The lack of standardized language assessment tools in Russian impedes clinical work, evidence-based practice, and research in Russian-speaking clinical populations. To address this gap in assessment of neurogenic language disorders, we developed and standardized a new comprehensive assessment instrument – the Russian Aphasia Test (RAT). The principal novelty of the RAT is that each subtest corresponds to a specific level of linguistic processing (phonological, lexical-semantic, syntactic, and discourse) in different domains: auditory comprehension, repetition, and oral production. In designing the test, we took into consideration various (psycho)linguistic factors known to influence language performance, as well as specific properties of Russian. The current paper describes the development of the RAT and reports its psychometric properties. A tablet-based version of the RAT was administered to 85 patients with different types and severity of aphasia and to 106 age-matched neurologically healthy controls. We established cutoff values for each subtest indicating deficit in a given task and cutoff values for aphasia based on the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis of the composite score. The RAT showed very high sensitivity (> .93) and specificity (> .96) substantiating its validity for determining presence of aphasia. The test’s high construct validity was evidenced by strong correlations between subtests measuring similar linguistic processes. The concurrent validity of the test was also strong as demonstrated by a high correlation with an existing aphasia battery. Overall high inter-rater and test-retest reliability were obtained. The RAT is the first comprehensive aphasia language battery in Russian with properly established psychometric properties. It is sensitive to a wide range of language deficits in aphasia and can reliably characterize individual profiles of language impairments. Notably, the RAT is the first comprehensive aphasia test in any language to be fully automatized for administration on a tablet, maximizing further standardization of presentation and scoring procedures.

scholarly journals The assessment of paranoia in young people: Item and test properties of the Bird Checklist of Adolescent Paranoia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Charlotte Bird ◽  
Bao Sheng Loe ◽  
Miriam Kirkham ◽  
Emma C Fergusson ◽  
Christina Shearn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Test Reliability ◽  
Psychotic Experiences ◽  
Wide Range

Background: Precise assessment tools for psychotic experiences in young people may help identify symptoms early and facilitate advances in treatment. In this study we provide an exemplar - with a paranoia scale for youth – for improving measurement precision for psychotic experiences using item response theory (IRT). We evaluate the psychometric properties of the new measure, test for measurement invariance, and assess its potential for computerised adaptive testing (CAT). Method: The 18-item Bird Checklist of Adolescent Paranoia (B-CAP) was completed by 1103 adolescents including patients with mental health problems (n=302) and those from the general population (n=801). IRT was used to examine the item properties, test reliability, and measurement invariance. The efficiency of an adaptive B-CAP was assessed in a simulation of 10,000 responses.Results: All B-CAP items were highly discriminative (a=1.15-2.76), whereby small shifts in paranoia led to a higher probability of item endorsement. Test reliability was high (a>0.90) across a wide range of paranoia severity (θ= -0.46-3.36). All items were invariant for gender, age, and population groups. Test-retest reliability was good (r=0.95). The simulated adaptive B-CAP performed with high reliability with an average of 10.9 items and only 5-6 items at higher levels of paranoia severity. Conclusions: The B-CAP is a reliable assessment tool with excellent psychometric properties to assess both non-clinical and clinical levels of paranoia in young people, with potential as an efficient adaptive test. In future, these approaches could be used to develop a multidimensional CAT to assess the full range of psychotic experiences in youth

scholarly journals Comparison of content and psychometric properties for assessment tools used for brain tumor patients: a scoping review

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lelde Ģiga ◽  
Anete Pētersone ◽  
Silva Čakstiņa ◽  
Guna Bērziņa
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Brain Tumors ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Functional Status ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Status Assessment ◽  
Eortc Qlq

Abstract Aims To determine the most frequently utilized functional status assessment instruments for patients with brain tumors, compare their contents, using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), and their psychometric properties. Methods A scoping review was conducted to explore possible assessment instruments and summarize the evidence. A systematic literature search was performed for identification of the frequently used functional assessment tool in clinical trials in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and ProQuest databases. The content of most used instruments was linked to the ICF categories. The psychometric qualities of these assessment tools were systematically searched and analyzed. Results Nine most used assessment tools in clinical trials were identified. The most frequently used assessment instrument is the Karnofsky Performance Scale, which is developed for a general assessment of oncological patients. Out of four self-assessment tools, two were disease-specific (EORTC QLQ-BN20 and FACT-Br), EORTC QLQ-C30 has been shown good psychometric properties in patients with brain tumors as well as in patients with various oncological diseases, similar to the SF-36, it is used in patients with brain tumors as well as in patients with various diseases. The Functional Independence Measure and the Barthel Index were two objective assessment tools that described functioning, but two were neuropsychological tests (MMSE and Trial Making Test). Two hundred eighty-three meaningful concepts were identified and linked to 102 most relevant second-level categories covering all components of the ICF. Forty-nine studies reporting psychometric properties of those nine assessment tools were identified, indicating good reliability and validity for all the instruments. Conclusion Nine most frequently utilized functional status assessment instruments for patients with brain tumors represent all components of the ICF and have good psychometric properties. However, the choice of the tool depends on the clinical question posed and the aim of its use.

Stress, anxiety, depression and burnout in frontline health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic: a brief systematic review and new data from Russia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Mosolova ◽  
Dmitry Sosin ◽  
Sergey Mosolov
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Associated Risk Factors ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
The Impact

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) have been subject to increased workload while also exposed to many psychosocial stressors. In a systematic review we analyze the impact that the pandemic has had on HCWs mental state and associated risk factors. Most studies reported high levels of depression and anxiety among HCWs worldwide, however, due to a wide range of assessment tools, cut-off scores, and number of frontline participants in the studies, results were difficult to compare. Our study is based on two online surveys of 2195 HCWs from different regions of Russia during spring and autumn epidemic outbreaks revealed the rates of anxiety, stress, depression, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and perceived stress as 32.3%, 31.1%, 45.5%, 74.2%, 37.7% ,67.8%, respectively. Moreover, 2.4% of HCWs reported suicidal thoughts. The most common risk factors include: female gender, nurse as an occupation, younger age, working for over 6 months, chronic diseases, smoking, high working demands, lack of personal protective equipment, low salary, lack of social support, isolation from families, the fear of relatives getting infected. These results demonstrate the need for urgent supportive programs for HCWs fighting COVID-19 that fall into higher risk factors groups.

scholarly journals Utility of recombinant human TSH stimulation test in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer depending on basal thyroglobulin results

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amaia Sandúa ◽  
Monica Macias ◽  
Carolina Perdomo ◽  
Juan Carlos Galofre ◽  
Roser Ferrer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Differentiated Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Stimulation Test ◽  
Human Thyroid ◽  
Antithyroglobulin Antibodies ◽  
Structural Disease

AbstractBackgroundThyroglobulin (Tg) is fundamental for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) monitoring. Tg detection can be enhanced using recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (rhTSH). This study is aimed to evaluate the use of the rhTSH stimulation test when using a high-sensitivity Tg assay.MethodsWe retrospectively studied 181 rhTSH tests from 114 patients with DTC and negative for antithyroglobulin antibodies (anti-TgAb). Image studies were performed in all cases. Serum Tg and anti-TgAb were measured using specific immunoassays.ResultsrhTSH stimulation in patients with basal serum Tg (b-Tg) concentrations lower than 0.2 ng/mL always resulted in rhTSH-stimulated serum Tg (s-Tg) concentrations lower than 1.0 ng/mL and negative structural disease. In patients with b-Tg concentration between 0.2 and 1.0 ng/mL, s-Tg detected one patient (1/30) who showed biochemical incomplete response. Patients with negative images had lower s-Tg than those with nonspecific or abnormal findings (p<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of the s-Tg to detect altered images showed an area under the curve of 0.763 (p<0.05). With an s-Tg cutoff of 0.85 ng/mL, the sensitivity was 100%, decreasing to 96.15% with an s-Tg cutoff of 2 ng/mL.ConclusionsPatients with DTC with b-Tg concentrations equal or higher than 0.2 ng/mL can benefit from the rhTSH stimulation test.

scholarly journals Gold–Carbon Nanocomposites for Environmental Contaminant Sensing

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 719
Author(s):  
Shahrooz Rahmati ◽  
William Doherty ◽  
Arman Amani Babadi ◽  
Muhamad Syamim Akmal Che Mansor ◽  
Nurhidayatullaili Muhd Julkapli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Pollutants ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Environmental Crisis ◽  
World Population ◽  
Chemical Contaminants ◽  
Carbon Nanocomposites ◽  
Minimal Sample ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Control ◽  
Analytical Tools

The environmental crisis, due to the rapid growth of the world population and globalisation, is a serious concern of this century. Nanoscience and nanotechnology play an important role in addressing a wide range of environmental issues with innovative and successful solutions. Identification and control of emerging chemical contaminants have received substantial interest in recent years. As a result, there is a need for reliable and rapid analytical tools capable of performing sample analysis with high sensitivity, broad selectivity, desired stability, and minimal sample handling for the detection, degradation, and removal of hazardous contaminants. In this review, various gold–carbon nanocomposites-based sensors/biosensors that have been developed thus far are explored. The electrochemical platforms, synthesis, diverse applications, and effective monitoring of environmental pollutants are investigated comparatively.

Analytical assessment of ortho clinical diagnostics high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I assay

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Kavsak ◽  
Tara Edge ◽  
Chantele Roy ◽  
Paul Malinowski ◽  
Karen Bamford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Troponin ◽  
Troponin I ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Clinical Performance ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Cardiac Troponin I ◽  
Clinical Diagnostics ◽  
Ortho Clinical Diagnostics

AbstractObjectivesTo analytically evaluate Ortho Clinical Diagnostics VITROS high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay in specific matrices with comparison to other hs-cTn assays.MethodsThe limit of detection (LoD), imprecision, interference and stability testing for both serum and lithium heparin (Li-Hep) plasma for the VITROS hs-cTnI assay was determined. We performed Passing-Bablok regression analyses between sample types for the VITROS hs-cTnI assay and compared them to the Abbott ARCHITECT, Beckman Access and the Siemens ADVIA Centaur hs-cTnI assays. We also performed Receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses with the area under the curve (AUC) determined in an emergency department (ED)-study population (n=131) for myocardial infarction (MI).ResultsThe VITROS hs-cTnI LoD was 0.73 ng/L (serum) and 1.4 ng/L (Li-Hep). Stability up to five freeze-thaws was observed for the Ortho hs-cTnI assay, with the analyte stability at room temperature in serum superior to Li-Hep with gross hemolysis also affecting Li-Hep plasma hs-cTnI results. Comparison of Li-Hep to serum concentrations (n=202), yielded proportionally lower concentrations in plasma with the VITROS hs-cTnI assay (slope=0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.83–0.88). In serum, the VITROS hs-cTnI concentrations were proportionally lower compared to other hs-cTnI assays, with similar slopes observed between assays in samples frozen <−70 °C for 17 years (ED-study) or in 2020. In the ED-study, the VITROS hs-cTnI assay had an AUC of 0.974 (95%CI:0.929–0.994) for MI, similar to the AUCs of other hs-cTn assays.ConclusionsLack of standardization of hs-cTnI assays across manufacturers is evident. The VITROS hs-cTnI assay yields lower concentrations compared to other hs-cTnI assays. Important differences exist between Li-Hep plasma and serum, with evidence of stability and excellent clinical performance comparable to other hs-cTn assays.

scholarly journals Relationship between serum angiopoietin-like 4 levels and recurrence of atrial fibrillation

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 030006052098839
Author(s):  
Zhongping Ning ◽  
Xinming Li ◽  
Xi Zhu ◽  
Jun Luo ◽  
Yingbiao Wu
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Catheter Ablation ◽  
Operating Characteristic ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
New Onset

Objective To investigate the association between serum angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) levels and recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter ablation. Methods This retrospective study recruited patients with AF undergoing catheter ablation and they were divided into two groups (new-onset AF group and recurrent AF group). Demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were collected. Results A total of 192 patients with AF were included, including 69 patients with recurrence of AF. Serum ANGPTL4 levels were lower in patients with recurrent AF than in those with new-onset AF. Serum ANGPTL4 levels were positively correlated with superoxide dismutase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, and negatively correlated with the CHA2DS2-VASC score, left atrial diameter, and levels of brain natriuretic peptide, malondialdehyde, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the best cut-off for recurrent AF was serum ANGPTL4 levels  < 19.735 ng/mL, with a sensitivity and specificity of 63.9% and 74.5%, respectively. Serum ANGPTL4 levels were significantly associated with recurrence and new onset of AF (odds ratio, 2.241; 95% confidence interval, 1.081–4.648). Conclusions Serum ANGPTL4 levels are lower in patients with recurrent AF than in those with new-onset AF, and are associated with cardiac hypertrophy, oxidative stress, and inflammation.

scholarly journals Detecting cybersecurity attacks across different network features and learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joffrey L. Leevy ◽  
John Hancock ◽  
Richard Zuech ◽  
Taghi M. Khoshgoftaar
Keyword(s):  
Feature Selection ◽  
Intrusion Detection ◽  
Operating Characteristic ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Feature Selection Technique ◽  
Impact Performance ◽  
Detection Model ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Research Questions

AbstractMachine learning algorithms efficiently trained on intrusion detection datasets can detect network traffic capable of jeopardizing an information system. In this study, we use the CSE-CIC-IDS2018 dataset to investigate ensemble feature selection on the performance of seven classifiers. CSE-CIC-IDS2018 is big data (about 16,000,000 instances), publicly available, modern, and covers a wide range of realistic attack types. Our contribution is centered around answers to three research questions. The first question is, “Does feature selection impact performance of classifiers in terms of Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC) and F1-score?” The second question is, “Does including the Destination_Port categorical feature significantly impact performance of LightGBM and Catboost in terms of AUC and F1-score?” The third question is, “Does the choice of classifier: Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), Naive Bayes (NB), Logistic Regression (LR), Catboost, LightGBM, or XGBoost, significantly impact performance in terms of AUC and F1-score?” These research questions are all answered in the affirmative and provide valuable, practical information for the development of an efficient intrusion detection model. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to use an ensemble feature selection technique with the CSE-CIC-IDS2018 dataset.

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