reliable assessment
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2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Antimo Natale ◽  
Ludovico Mineo ◽  
Laura Fusar-Poli ◽  
Andrea Aguglia ◽  
Alessandro Rodolico ◽  
...  

The debate on mixed states (MS) has been intense for decades. However, several points remain controversial from a nosographic, diagnostic, and therapeutic point of view. The different perspectives that have emerged over the years have turned into a large, but heterogeneous, literature body. The present review aims to summarize the evidence on MS, with a particular focus on mixed depression (MxD), in order to provide a guide for clinicians and encourage the development of future research on the topic. First, we review the history of MS, focusing on their different interpretations and categorizations over the centuries. In this section, we also report alternative models to traditional nosography. Second, we describe the main clinical features of MxD and list the most reliable assessment tools. Finally, we summarize the recommendations provided by the main international guidelines for the treatment of MxD. Our review highlights that the different conceptualizations of MS and MxD, the variability of clinical pictures, and the heterogeneous response to pharmacological treatment make MxD a real challenge for clinicians. Further studies are needed to better characterize the phenotypes of patients with MxD to help clinicians in the management of this delicate condition.


Diagnostics ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 142
Author(s):  
Georgios Krekoukias ◽  
George A. Koumantakis ◽  
Vasileios S. Nikolaou ◽  
Konstantinos Soultanis

Early detection of scoliosis with school screening and quick, easy, and reliable assessment of its progress are of paramount importance in the management of patients. There have been several tools described, with the most common being the analog scoliometer. Most recently, smartphone applications have entered this area with and without the use of sleeves for the device. There is no research that has evaluated the accuracy of measurements both left and right in either digital or analog devices. In this study, we evaluated the reliability and validity of a new digital scoliometer called the Scolioscope. Thirty subjects were included for the intra-rater reliability study. ICC values >0.9 were calculated both for same-day and between-day measurements. The device was highly accurate with an average difference from the ones set on the sine bar of 0.03° for right-side measurements and 0.18° for the left. These measurements suggest a highly accurate and reliable tool.


2022 ◽  
pp. 183-210
Author(s):  
Raquel Amaro ◽  
Susana Correia ◽  
Matilde Gonçalves ◽  
Chiara Barbero ◽  
Miguel Magalhães

This chapter presents research on the teaching-learning of Portuguese as a host language, based on the exploration of authentic informational and institutional texts targeting migrant and refugee people, and considering that successful host language teaching must correspond to the needs of its target audience. The chapter discusses methods of defining and identifying criteria and features to monitor official texts with regard to inclusiveness and bias. It provides insights on how to select real texts to be used in task-based language teaching approaches for inclusive host language teaching. Departing from a real corpus analysis, the potential and the limitations of existing guidelines to inclusiveness for the assessment of real texts are shown, as well as other still neglected issues. Furthermore, this chapter provides future research directions to an effective and reliable assessment of inclusive texts that can serve as inclusive host language teaching materials through NLP and machine learning approaches.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 397
Author(s):  
Avirut Puttiwongrak ◽  
Ratha Men ◽  
Sakanann Vann ◽  
Kiyota Hashimoto ◽  
Thongchai Suteerasak

Phuket is well-known around the world as a popular tourist destination. Tourism-related population growth depends more on groundwater as the only available source of potable water in Phuket. The proper precautions must be taken to reduce the risk of spending large sums of money in sinking abortive boreholes, and a groundwater potential map would enhance the success rate of future groundwater exploration and exploitation in the study area. Geoelectrical surveys were carried out in this study to collect electrical properties of the subsurface, and the Dar-Zarrouk parameters (DZP) were calculated using the geoelectrical data. The first thematic groundwater potential map was constructed using the interpretation of DZP, while the second thematic groundwater potential map was created using the basis maps of the depth-of-basement and aquifer thickness parameters. Finally, two thematic maps based on geographic information system (GIS) environments were overlaid on a groundwater potential map of Phuket. However, in order to provide a reliable assessment of groundwater potential, time-lapse electrical resistivity imaging was used to confirm the area of the high-potential zone indicated on the map. The map created by this study is aimed to act as a reference for future groundwater exploration and exploitation, preventing water supplies from becoming unsustainable through botched borehole drilling for groundwater production.


2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Jiang ◽  
Christopher M. Ferguson ◽  
Roger C. Grimm ◽  
Xiangyang Zhu ◽  
James F. Glockner ◽  
...  

Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1431
Author(s):  
Justyna Auguścik-Górajek ◽  
Jacek Mucha ◽  
Monika Wasilewska-Błaszczyk ◽  
Wojciech Kaczmarek

As a result of the exploitation of ore deposits, in addition to the main elements, the accompanying elements are also partially recovered. Some of them increase the profitability of exploitation, while others reduce it because they hinder the recovery of the main elements and thus increase the costs of the recovery process. A comprehensive economic calculation to assess the profitability of ore mining depends on an appropriately accurate estimation of the resources of both the main and associated elements. This issue was analyzed with the example of the Cu-Ag Rudna ore deposit (LGCD, Poland). The subject of the assessment was the resources prediction accuracy of the main element (Cu) and four (4) accompanying elements (Co, Ni, Pb, and V) using geostatistical estimation method, in particular the ordinary kriging after the estimation of the relative variograms for describing the spatial variability structures of elements abundance. It was found that the standard kriging errors (deviations) in accompanying elements resources that are scheduled for exploitation within a one-year period in some parts of deposits are drastically greater (2 to 5 times) than the estimation errors of the main element resources. This is due to the sparse sampling pattern for their determinations and/or the high variability (among others nugget effect) of their abundance. In this situation, without additional sampling and a denser sampling pattern, the possibilities of a reliable assessment of the influence of accompanying elements on the economic consequences of exploitation are very limited.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Chen ◽  
Lijuan Yan ◽  
Weiliang Zheng ◽  
Bixia Lin ◽  
Linjing Wu ◽  
...  

For lack of effective and reliable assessment tools of nursing informatics competencies (NIC), we used literature research method, nominal group technology (NGT) and delphi technique to construct an evaluation index system of NIC for clinical nurses, which can provide reference for establishing a training system of talents of nursing informatics.


2021 ◽  
pp. 295-311
Author(s):  
Szymon Pawelec

This paper canvasses the problem of adequacy of time limit of 24 hours (as defined in art. 248 § 2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Art. 41 sec. 3 of the Constitution) for the court to assess the prosecutor’s request for pre-trial detention. Starting from the historical analysis of such a solution and then going through the characteristics of the scope of activities necessary to be taken by the court in such a short time and recalling selected procedural problems, visible mainly in the extensive penal economic cases, it was indicated that such a short deadline does not create general conditions for a reliable assessment of the legitimacy of the conclusion drawn. At the same time, the risk of transferring the effects of such inability to the suspect was indicated. Against this background, two main directions of possible normative changes are presented, including both the time limit itself and the accompanying solutions, allowing to create conditions for a more effective use of this inherently short period.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 18-29
Author(s):  
T. A. Burtseva ◽  
A. A. Frenkel ◽  
B. I. Tikhomirov ◽  
A. A. Surkov

The article is devoted to laying out methodological foundations for assessing the level of inflation in modern Russia. It justifies using aggregate (integral) indices to characterize price processes and determine strategic development priorities.The use of inflation indicators used in the international practice in Russia does not provide the necessary level of reliability of information about the ongoing inflationary processes in various sectors of the national economy. It does not allow us to objectively assess the current state of socio-economic development to timely capture and account for changes in the trends of strategic development. As a result, the quality of analytical work, first and foremost carried out by real sector development institutions, is reduced, which affects the effectiveness of decisions made by economic entities and public administration bodies.The authors argue that the aggregate inflation index shows a higher degree of variability in the dynamics of inflationary processes than the consumer price index since it accounts for changes in the most significant sectors of the economy, the social sphere and the financial sector.The article proposes an improved method for constructing an aggregate inflation index based on mathematical and statistical methods. It is shown that the use of an aggregated inflation index increases the objectivity of the assessment of economic growth and social progress, which makes it possible to more quickly predict the dynamics of costs and results with a sufficiently high degree of forecast accuracy.The need for regular adjustment of the composition of private indicators taken into account in the formation of the aggregate inflation index is justified by including new, more relevant indicators and excluding those that have lost their relevance.Results of the study are the conclusions obtained by analyzing the dynamic series of aggregate and partial inflation indices formed on the basis of the methodology proposed by the authors.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohyun Kim ◽  
Wen Liu

Abstract Background and Objectives A valid and reliable assessment of dementia dyadic communication and environment is essential to understand and facilitate social interaction and quality care. This review described the characteristics and evaluated psychometric properties of instruments that assess dyadic communication and environment between persons living with dementia and their caregivers. Research Design and Methods A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Guideline. Literature published until June 30 th, 2021, was searched. Ten psychometric properties and the ratio of sample size to the number of items were evaluated using the Psychometric Assessment for Self-report and Observational Tool. Results A total of 3,708 scholarly records was identified, and 24 eligible instruments from 48 scholarly records were evaluated. Twenty-two instruments assessed dyadic communication, and two assessed both dyadic communication and environment. Eighteen instruments were developed to assess task-related communication and fifteen for paid (professional) caregivers. All instruments were scored as low psychometric quality (score range = 0 - 7). Behavioral Observation Scoring System was scored the highest (total score = 7), followed by Dyadic Dementia Coding System, Grid for observation of physical and verbal behaviors of caregiver and resident, and Trouble-Indicating Behaviors and Repair (total score = 6, respectively). These instruments had low psychometric evidence for internal consistency, content validity, and structural validity. Discussion and Implications Existing instruments are in the early stages of development and validation in dementia population. Further testing is needed in diverse communication types in paid and unpaid dementia caregiver populations.


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