4,654 research outputs found
The SF-36: a simple, effective measure of mobility disability for epidemiological studies
No full textBackgroundMobility disability is a major problem in older people. Numerous scales exist for the measurement of disability but often these do not permit comparisons between study groups. The physical functioning (PF) domain of the established and widely used Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire asks about limitations on ten mobility activities.ObjectivesTo describe prevalence of mobility disability in an elderly population, investigate the validity of the SF-36 PF score as a measure of mobility disability, and to establish age and sex specific norms for the PF score.MethodsWe explored relationships between the SF-36 PF score and objectively measured physical performance variables among 349 men and 280 women, 59-72 years of age, who participated in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study (HCS). Normative data were derived from the Health Survey for England (HSE) 1996.Results32% of men and 46% of women had at least some limitation in PF scale items. Poor SF-36 PF scores (lowest fifth of the gender-specific distribution) were related to: lower grip strength; longer timed-up-and-go, 3m walk, and chair rises test times in men and women; and lower quadriceps peak torque in women but not men. HSE normative data showed that median PF scores declined with increasing age in men and women.ConclusionOur results are consistent with the SF-36 PF score being a valid measure of mobility disability in epidemiological studies. This approach might be a first step towards enabling simple comparisons of prevalence of mobility disability between different studies of older people. The SF-36 PF score could usefully complement existing detailed schemes for classification of disability and it now requires validation against them
Morphology of H2O dosed monolayer MgO(001)/Ag(001)
No full textCombining scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) as well as Auger spectroscopy, we establish a direct relationship between the morphology and the excitation spectra of ultrathin MgO(0 0 1) films on Ag(0 0 1), and we show that monolayer MgO(0 0 1) films do not exhibit significant morphology changes upon H2O dosage, with the constituent islands remaining monoatomically flat up to exposures of tens of Langmuir
SF Gospel: Blog contents, 2006-2015
No full textSF Gospel (2006-2015) was a blog exploring religious and theological themes in science fiction and popular culture by Gabriel Mckee, author of The Gospel According to Science Fiction. The primary PDF contains the textual content of the blog, along with most images that accompanied the original posts. The appendix PDF contains guest posts written by Mckee for other blogs and websites (including SF Signal, Holy Heroes, Nerve.com, and Religion Dispatches) during the course of SF Gospel's existence
Initial stages of cobalt film growth on MgO(001) surface
No full textThe initial stages of cobalt film growth on a MgO(001) surface was studied by methods of sample surface structure imaging by reflected electrons, low-energy electron diffraction, and Auger electron spectroscopy. The measurements were performed at room temperature for cobalt layer thicknesses up to 40 angstrom. It is established that cobalt film growth proceeds according to the island mechanism. In the interval of cobalt film thicknesses below similar to 10 angstrom, the dominating surface phase has the form of cobalt islands with an fcc structure; at greater layer thicknesses, the surface film consists predominantly of cobalt grains with an hcp structure
Additional Files for Master Thesis "Framing Diets for Policy to Fight Climate Change"
No full textAdditional files for Master Thesis "Framing Diets for Policy to Fight Climate Change: Using video messages to measure the effect of goal framing on attitudes and intentions to reduce beef and dairy consumption to fight climate change"
Datasets
Intervention Framed Videos
Written within the M.Sc. Public Policy and Human Development at Maastricht University MGSoG/UNU-MERIT
Author: Sten Ritterfeld
Supervisor: Michelle González Amador
Submission date: July 12, 202
The Dance Functional Outcome Survey: Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Validation in Italian (DFOS-IT)
No full textObjective: To translate, culturally adapt, and validate the psychometric characteristics of the Italian version of the Dance Functional Outcome Survey (DFOS-IT) in adult dancers.
Design: Clinical measurement study.
Methods: The DFOS-IT was forward translated, reconciled, backward translated, and reviewed by an expert committee to establish optimal correspondence with the original English DFOS. We examined test-retest reliability in 58 dancers within a 10-day period, using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC2,1). In a sample of 265 healthy and injured dancers, the following were examined: 1) construct validity, comparing the DFOS-IT to SF-36 using Pearson correlations; 2) exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency; and 3) sensitivity, by generating receiver operating characteristic curves and determining area under the curve (AUC). In a subgroup of 44 dancers, we determined internal responsiveness across three time-points using repeated measures ANOVA (p<0.05). Injured dancers' scores were analyzed for floor and ceiling effects.
Results: The DFOS-IT demonstrated very high test-retest reliability (ICC≥0.98). Single-factor loading in exploratory factor analysis supported unidimensionality of the scale, with high internal consistency (a=0.93). DFOS-IT total, activities of daily living (ADL), and Dance Technique scores had strong construct validity compared with scores on the SF-36 PCS (r≥0.71). There was excellent sensitivity, with high AUC values (AUC≥0.80). There were significant differences across time for DFOS-IT scores (p<0.001), demonstrating responsiveness to change, and no floor or ceiling effects.
Conclusion: The DFOS-IT is a valid, reliable, and responsive tool that can be used as an outcome and screening measure for Italian adult ballet and modern dancers following lower extremity or low back injury
Additional Files for Master Thesis "Framing Diets for Policy to Fight Climate Change"
No full textAdditional files for Master Thesis "Framing Diets for Policy to Fight Climate Change: Using video messages to measure the effect of goal framing on attitudes and intentions to reduce beef and dairy consumption to fight climate change"
Datasets
Intervention Framed Videos
Written within the M.Sc. Public Policy and Human Development at Maastricht University MGSoG/UNU-MERIT
Author: Sten Ritterfeld
Supervisor: Michelle González Amador
Submission date: July 12, 202
Systematic investigation of gastrointestinal diseases in China (SILC): validation of survey methodology
No full textBackground: Symptom-based surveys suggest that the prevalence of gastrointestinal diseases is lower in China than in Western countries. The aim of this study was to validate a methodology for the epidemiological investigation of gastrointestinal symptoms and endoscopic findings in China. Methods: A randomized, stratified, multi-stage sampling methodology was used to select 18 000 adults aged 18-80 years from Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, Wuhan and Guangzhou. Participants from Shanghai were invited to provide blood samples and undergo upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. All participants completed Chinese versions of the Reflux Disease Questionnaire (RDQ) and the modified Rome II questionnaire; 20% were also invited to complete the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). The psychometric properties of the questionnaires were evaluated statistically. Results: The study was completed by 16 091 individuals (response rate: 89.4%), with 3219 (89.4% of those invited) completing the SF-36 and ESS. All 3153 participants in Shanghai provided blood samples and 1030 (32.7%) underwent endoscopy. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.89, 0.89, 0.80 and 0.91, respectively, for the RDQ, modified Rome II questionnaire, ESS and SF-36, supporting internal consistency. Factor analysis supported construct validity of all questionnaire dimensions except SF-36 psychosocial dimensions. Conclusion: This population-based study has great potential to characterize the relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms and endoscopic findings in China.Xiaoyan Yan, Rui Wang, Yanfang Zhao, Xiuqiang Ma, Jiqian Fang, Hong Yan, Xiaoping Kang, Ping Yin, Yuantao Hao, Qiang Li, John Dent, Joseph Sung, Duowu Zou, Saga Johansson, Katarina Halling, Wenbin Liu and Jia H
RESIDUAL SOLUBILITY OF SF-GROUPS
No full textSeifert Fibre Groups (SF-Gps) have been introduced and their first derived groups have been worked out in an earlier paper by the author [2,3]. Now we aim to prove that they are residually soluble and residually finite
The Author, the IRS and Prepublication Expenditures
No full textAuthors have customarily deducted expenditures incurred in preparing a book for publication. The IRS has taken the position that such expenditures should be capitalized and then amortized. In the recent case of Faura v. Commissioner, the Tax Court allowed authors to deduct prepublication expenditures rather than capitalize them. In 1976, section 280 was added to the Internal Revenue Code by the 1976 Tax Reform Act. This section appears to require authors to capitalize prepublication expenditures for books. The Tax Reform Act of 1976 also contained section 2119 which allows authors to deduct prepublication expenditures until regulations are promulgated concerning them. To date, there is no solid authority on whether an author should capitalize post-1976 prepublication expenditures
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