Validation of the 34-item Supportive Care Needs Survey and 8-item Breast module French versions (SCNS-SF34-Fr and SCNS-BR8-Fr) in breast cancer patients.

This study aimed to assess the psychometric robustness of the French version of the Supportive Care Needs Survey and breast cancer (BC) module (SCNS-SF34-Fr and SCNS-BR8-Fr). Breast cancer patients were recruited in two hospitals (in Paris, France and Lausanne, Switzerland) either in ambulatory chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or surgery services. They were invited to complete the SCNS-SF34-Fr and SCNS-BR8-Fr as well as quality of life and patient satisfaction questionnaires. Three hundred and eighty-four (73% response rate) BC patients returned completed questionnaires. A five-factor model was confirmed for the SCNS-SF34-Fr with adequate goodness-of-fit indexes, although some items evidenced content redundancy, and a one-factor was identified for the SCNS-BR8-Fr. Internal consistency and test-retest estimates were satisfactory for most scales. The SCNS-SF34-Fr and SCNS-BR8-Fr scales demonstrated conceptual differences with the quality of life and satisfaction with care scales, highlighting the specific relevance of this assessment. Different levels of needs could be differentiated between groups of BC patients in terms of age and level of education (P < 0.001). The SCNS-SF34-Fr and SCNS-BR8-Fr present adequate psychometric properties despite some redundant items. These questionnaires allow for the crucial endeavour to design appropriate care services according to BC patients' characteristics.

Comparative study of the LC-MS/MS and UPLC-MS/MS for the multi-residue analysis of quinolones, penicillins and cephalosporins in cow milk, and validation according to the regulation 2002/657/EC

The aim of this study was to develop and validate an analytical method to simultaneously determine European Union-regulated beta-lactams (penicillins and cephalosporins) and quinolones in cow milk. The procedure involves a new solid phase extraction (SPE) to clean-up and pre-concentrate the three series of antibiotics before analysis by liquid chromatography¿tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography¿tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). LC-MS/MS and UPLC-MS/MS techniques were also compared. The method was validated according to the Directive 2002/657/EC and subsequently applied to 56 samples of raw cow milk supplied by the Laboratori Interprofessional Lleter de Catalunya (ALLIC) (Laboratori Interprofessional Lleter de Catalunya, Control Laboratory Interprofessional of Milk of Catalunya).

Control of Concrete Deterioration Due to Trace Compounds in Deicers, HR-299 Phase I, 1988

This report presents the results of research on the influence of trace compounds from rock salt deicers on portland cement mortar and concrete. An evaluation of the deicers in stock throughout the state showed that about ninety-five percent contained enough sulfate to cause accelerated deterioration of concrete. Of the impurities found in rock salts, sulfate compounds of calcium and magnesium were found to be equally deleterious. Magnesium chloride was found to be innocuous. Introduction of fly ash eliminated the damage to portland cement mortar caused by sulfates. When used with frost resistant Alden aggregate in fly ash concrete and exposed to a variety of deicer brine compositions, the concrete did not deteriorate after exposure. With the exception of a high calcium brine, the behavior of the frost-prone Garrison aggregate was independent of deicer treatment; the high calcium brine reduced frost damage with this aggregate. Two approaches to reducing sulfate deterioration from deicers are suggested as (1) limiting the amount of sulfate to about 0.28 percent, and (2) making concrete sulfate-resistant by using fly ash. Techniques for making existing concrete deicer-sulfate-resistant are essential to a practical solution.

Control of Concrete Deterioration Due to Trace Compounds in Deicers, Phase II, HR-299, 1989

This report presents results of research on ways to reduce the detrimental effects of sulfate-tainted rock salt deicers on portland cement concrete used for highway pavements. Repetitious experiments on the influence of fly ash on the mortar phase of concrete showed significant improvement in resistance to deicing brines is possible. Fifteen to twenty percent by weight of fly ash replacement for portland cement was found to provide optimum improvement. Fly ashes from five sources were evaluated and all were found to be equally beneficial. Preliminary results indicate the type of coarse aggregate also plays an important role in terms of concrete resistance to freeze-thaw in deicing brines. This was particularly true for a porous ferroan dolomite thought to be capable of reaction with the brine. In this case fly ash improved the concrete, but not enough for satisfactory performance. An intermediate response was with a porous limestone where undesirable results were observed without fly ash and adequate performance was realized when 15% fly ash was added. The best combination for making deicer-resistant concrete was found to be with a non-porous limestone. Performance in brines was found to be adequate without fly ash, but better when fly ash was included. Consideration was given to treating existing hardened concrete made with poor aggregate and no fly ash to extend pavement life in the presence of deicers, particularly at joints. Sodium silicate was found to improve freeze-thaw resistance of mortar and is a good candidate for field usage because of its low cost and ease of handling.

Development and validation of a clinical prediction rule for chest wall syndrome in primary care.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Chest wall syndrome (CWS), the main cause of chest pain in primary care practice, is most often an exclusion diagnosis. We developed and evaluated a clinical prediction rule for CWS. METHODS: Data from a multicenter clinical cohort of consecutive primary care patients with chest pain were used (59 general practitioners, 672 patients). A final diagnosis was determined after 12 months of follow-up. We used the literature and bivariate analyses to identify candidate predictors, and multivariate logistic regression was used to develop a clinical prediction rule for CWS. We used data from a German cohort (n = 1212) for external validation. RESULTS: From bivariate analyses, we identified six variables characterizing CWS: thoracic pain (neither retrosternal nor oppressive), stabbing, well localized pain, no history of coronary heart disease, absence of general practitioner's concern, and pain reproducible by palpation. This last variable accounted for 2 points in the clinical prediction rule, the others for 1 point each; the total score ranged from 0 to 7 points. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.80 (95% confidence interval 0.76-0.83) in the derivation cohort (specificity: 89%; sensitivity: 45%; cut-off set at 6 points). Among all patients presenting CWS (n = 284), 71% (n = 201) had a pain reproducible by palpation and 45% (n = 127) were correctly diagnosed. For a subset (n = 43) of these correctly classified CWS patients, 65 additional investigations (30 electrocardiograms, 16 thoracic radiographies, 10 laboratory tests, eight specialist referrals, one thoracic computed tomography) had been performed to achieve diagnosis. False positives (n = 41) included three patients with stable angina (1.8% of all positives). External validation revealed the ROC curve to be 0.76 (95% confidence interval 0.73-0.79) with a sensitivity of 22% and a specificity of 93%. CONCLUSIONS: This CWS score offers a useful complement to the usual CWS exclusion diagnosing process. Indeed, for the 127 patients presenting CWS and correctly classified by our clinical prediction rule, 65 additional tests and exams could have been avoided. However, the reproduction of chest pain by palpation, the most important characteristic to diagnose CWS, is not pathognomonic.

Validation of real-time methylation-specific PCR to determine O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase gene promoter methylation in glioma.

Epigenetic silencing of the DNA repair protein O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) by promoter methylation predicts successful alkylating agent therapy, such as with temozolomide, in glioblastoma patients. Stratified therapy assignment of patients in prospective clinical trials according to tumor MGMT status requires a standardized diagnostic test, suitable for high-throughput analysis of small amounts of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue. A direct, real-time methylation-specific PCR (MSP) assay was developed to determine methylation status of the MGMT gene promoter. Assay specificity was obtained by selective amplification of methylated DNA sequences of sodium bisulfite-modified DNA. The copy number of the methylated MGMT promoter, normalized to the beta-actin gene, provides a quantitative test result. We analyzed 134 clinical glioma samples, comparing the new test with the previously validated nested gel-based MSP assay, which yields a binary readout. A cut-off value for the MGMT methylation status was suggested by fitting a bimodal normal mixture model to the real-time results, supporting the hypothesis that there are two distinct populations within the test samples. Comparison of the tests showed high concordance of the results (82/91 [90%]; Cohen's kappa = 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.95). The direct, real-time MSP assay was highly reproducible (Pearson correlation 0.996) and showed valid test results for 93% (125/134) of samples compared with 75% (94/125) for the nested, gel-based MSP assay. This high-throughput test provides an important pharmacogenomic tool for individualized management of alkylating agent chemotherapy.

The use of uniaxial accelerometry for the assessment of physical-activity-related energy expenditure: a validation study against whole-body indirect calorimetry.

Assessing the total energy expenditure (TEE) and the levels of physical activity in free-living conditions with non-invasive techniques remains a challenge. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the accuracy of a new uniaxial accelerometer for assessing TEE and physical-activity-related energy expenditure (PAEE) over a 24 h period in a respiratory chamber, and to establish activity levels based on the accelerometry ranges corresponding to the operationally defined metabolic equivalent (MET) categories. In study 1, measurement of the 24 h energy expenditure of seventy-nine Japanese subjects (40 (SD 12) years old) was performed in a large respiratory chamber. During the measurements, the subjects wore a uniaxial accelerometer (Lifecorder; Suzuken Co. Ltd, Nagoya, Japan) on their belt. Two moderate walking exercises of 30 min each were performed on a horizontal treadmill. In study 2, ten male subjects walked at six different speeds and ran at three different speeds on a treadmill for 4 min, with the same accelerometer. O2 consumption was measured during the last minute of each stage and was expressed in MET. The measured TEE was 8447 (SD 1337) kJ/d. The accelerometer significantly underestimated TEE and PAEE (91.9 (SD 5.4) and 92.7 (SD 17.8) % chamber value respectively); however, there was a significant correlation between the two values (r 0.928 and 0.564 respectively; P<0.001). There was a strong correlation between the activity levels and the measured MET while walking (r(2) 0.93; P<0.001). Although TEE and PAEE were systematically underestimated during the 24 h period, the accelerometer assessed energy expenditure well during both the exercise period and the non-structured activities. Individual calibration factors may help to improve the accuracy of TEE estimation, but the average calibration factor for the group is probably sufficient for epidemiological research. This method is also important for assessing the diurnal profile of physical activity.

Validation et normes du SF-36 dans la population du canton de Vaud

[Table des matières] 1. Patients et méthodes. 1.1. Enquête dans la population générale : population, modalités d'envoi, taux de réponse. 1.2. Questionnaire SF-36 et questionnaire Medical Outcome Study (MOS) : PF physical functioning = activité physique (fonctionnement) ; RP role physical = limitations (du rôle) liées à la santé physique ; BP bodily pain = douleur physique ; GH General Health = santé générale ; VT vitality = vitalité (énergie/fatigue) ; SF social functioning = fonctionnement ou bien-être social ; RE role éemotional = limitations (du rôle) liées à la santé mentale ; MH mental health = santé mentale ; CF cognitive functioning = fonctionnement cognitif (dimension absente du SF-36 classique) ; HT eported health transition = modification perçue de l'état de santé ("dimension" annexe, = item 2 ou Q2). 1.3. Analyse : calcul des scores du SF-36 et du SF-36 + CF, cohérence des réponses, fiabilité de l'instrument, validité. 1.4. Analyse statistique. 2. Résultats commentés de l'enquête dans la population générale. 2.1. Fréquence des non-réponses par item et par question. 2.2. Cohérence des réponses. 2.3. Scores d'état de santé par dimension : description et comparaison avec une population américaine, comparaison des scores vaudois et genevois. 2.4. Existe-t-il une concentration des bons et des mauvais scores chez les mêmes répondants ? 2.5. Fiabilité. 2.6. Validité : validité convergente et discriminante, analyse factorielle, validation en fonction de variables externes. 3. Discussion. 3.1. Evaluation du questionnaire. 3.2. Mesure de la qualité de vie liée à l'état de santé perçu dans la population générale. 3.3. Adjonction de la dimension "fonctionnement cognitif". 3.4. Conclusions et recommandations.

DRIS norms validation for sugarcane crop

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the relationship between the diagnosis and recommendation integrated system (DRIS) indices and foliar nutrient concentrations, to establish optimum foliar nutrient concentrations with DRIS and to validate the DRIS norms for sugarcane crop. Foliar nutrient concentrations from 126 sugarcane commercial fields were analyzed during the 1996/97 season, to calculate DRIS indices. Regression analysis was used to fit a model relating DRIS indices to nutrient concentrations. Experiments were carried out during the 1997/98 season, whose treatments consisted of the addition of the most limiting nutrients according to DRIS. A new diagnosis was performed. At the end of 1997/98 season, the yields of each plot were collected. Analysis of variance and Duncan test (5%) were used for the evaluation of the collected data. There was a positive and significant relationship between sugarcane foliar nutrient concentrations and DRIS indices. The optimum foliar nutrient concentrations for sugarcane are: 13.4 g ha-1 for N, 1.91 g ha-1 for P, 12.2 g ha-1 for K, 2.99 g ha-1 for Ca, 2.15 g ha-1 for Mg, 1.61 g ha-1 for S, 4.48 mg ha-1 for Cu, 67.8 mg ha-1 for Mnand 11.7 mg ha-1 for Zn. DRIS norms evaluated are useful to correct nutritional imbalances and to increase sugarcane yield.