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Results for “scale development”

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PubMed2006

Development of a rating scale to predict the severity of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

AIM: Various factors that may influence the severity of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) have been identified. We tested the predictive value of these factors compiled in a newly developed scale, LARS (Luebeck alcohol withdrawal risk scale). METHOD: A total of 100 individuals (81 males, 19 females, mean age: 47.6 +/- 9.9 years) consecutively transferred to inpatient detoxification were included in this prospective study. All fulfilled the ICD-10 criteria for alcohol dependence. The LARS was applied at the time of admission. The course of the AWS was assessed by AWS-scale at least every 4 h. The maximum AWS-score was taken as indicator of the severity of AWS. RESULTS: The mean AWS-score(max) was 6.5 +/- 3.3. In all 20% of the patients developed a severe AWS (AWS-score(max) > or =10). The maximum score usually occurred within 36 h after the last drink. A short version, the LARS11, was developed by statistically grounded item reduction. The optimal cut-off of the LARS11 was calculated as 10. The positive predictive value for severe AWS was 76%, while the negative predictive value was 98.7%. The sensitivity and specificity were high (95 or 92.5%, respectively). CONCLUSION: LARS11 assessed immediately before detoxification appears to provide a useful estimate of mild/moderate versus severe AWS, and is now ready to be validated in an independent sample.

Alcoholism↗

PubMed1987

Sexual orientation and boyhood gender conformity: development of the Boyhood Gender Conformity Scale (BGCS)

Two hundred twenty-five [corrected] respondents (109 [corrected] heterosexuals and 116 [corrected] homosexuals) completed a survey containing a 20-item Boyhood Gender Conformity Scale (BGCS). This scale was largely composed of edited and abridged gender items from Part A of Freund et al.'s Feminine Gender Identity Scale (FGIS-A) and Whitam's "childhood indicators." The combined scale was developed in an attempt to obtain a reliable, valid, and potent discriminating instrument for accurately classifying adult male respondents for sexual orientation on the basis of their reported boyhood gender conformity or nonconforming behavior and identity. In addition, 33% of these respondents were administered the original FGIS-A and Whitam inventory during a 2-week test-retest analysis conducted to determine the validity and reliability of the new instrument. All the original items significantly discriminated between heterosexual and homosexual respondents. From these a 13-item function and a 5-item function proved to be the most powerful discriminators between the two groups. Significant correlations between each of the three scales and a very high test-retest correlation coefficient supported the reliability and validity assumption for the BGCS. The conclusion was made that the five-item function (playing with boys, preferring [corrected] boys' games, imagining self as sports figure, reading adventure and sports stories, considered a "sissy") was the most potent and parsimonious discriminator among adult males for sexual orientation. It was similarly noted that the absence of masculine behaviors and traits appeared to be a more powerful predictor of later homosexual orientation than the traditionally feminine or cross-sexed traits and behaviors.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Development of an interval scale of anxiety response.

This paper reports the development of an interval scale of anxiety response. Magnitude estimation procedures were used with three different groups of subjects to develop a suitable scale of seven anxiety descriptors. The ratio of the highest to lowest descriptor magnitudes was 21 to 1. Analyses of the descriptor sets in the various groups indicated high reliability of meaning and high objectivity. In addition, high agreement on meaning was shown for groups of differing education and socioeconomic status. A preliminary study using the scale indicates appropriate preliminary construct validity. Further reliability and validity research is needed. This scale may be useful for assessing anxiety response changes in a variety of contexts.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

A comparison of hydrocortisone and triamcinolone inhibition of scale and feather development.

Hydrocortisone (30-40 micrograms on day 10) and triamcinolone (10-20 ng on day 7-8) both inhibit or alter morphogenesis of scales and feathers. However, there are marked temporal and region-specific differences in the effects induced by these two glucocorticoids. Triamcinolone (TAC) is most teratogenic on day 7 or 8, inhibiting formation of spurs and feathers and inducing club feather formation. Hydrocortisone is most teratogenic later in development, on day 10. Unique hydrocortisone-induced responses are complete inhibition of scutellate scale formation, bent feathers, and apteria around the external auditory meatus. Altered synthesis of keratin polypeptides follows inhibition of scale morphogenesis by hydrocortisone and TAC. These in vivo data suggest that heterogeneity of glucocorticoid binding occurs in embryonic chick metatarsal skin. Survival data indicate that TAC is 2,000 times more embryotoxic than hydrocortisone.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Toward a global picture of development: lessons from genome-scale analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans embryonic development.

Development is the result of complex events, including cascades of transcriptional programs and numerous molecular interactions. Traditionally, research focus has been given to the characterization of individual mutants, regulators, or interactions. With the availability of complete genome sequences and high-throughput (HT) experimental techniques, probing development on a system level has become feasible. Pioneering work initiated in invertebrate model systems such as Caenorhabditis elegans has provided first drafts of catalogs of essential components, transcriptional regulatory diagrams and molecular interaction networks underlying developmental processes. Integrating these drafts approximates a system-level picture of development and provides local models for protein/gene functions. Here we summarize the progress toward elucidating developmental processes on a system level, including the applications of genomic technologies and computational analyses. We discuss C. elegans embryonic development in case studies to illustrate how various HT approaches can be integrated and how biological insights can be gained from these approaches.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

The Drug Attitudes Scale (DAS): its development and evaluation.

Five studies were conducted, employing three independent samples of high school students, leading to the development and assessment of the reliability and validity of a Drug Attitudes Scales. The results of these studies support the conclusions that this scale shows substantial reliability and validity, and promises considerable utility in drug treatment and education research. The Drug Attitudes Scale consists of 60 attitude items dealing with drugs and drug use, and is comprised of 10 six-item subscales referring to tranquilizers, barbiturates, heroin, opiates other than heroin, "speed," alcohol, cannabis, hallucinogens, tobacco, and general drug use.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Development of mother-infant attachment scale.

A 15 item mother-infant attachment scale was developed. It is a simple, brief and easy to comprehend even by the illiterate rural woman. The split half reliability was found to be 0.83 and there was high internal consistency. It has high face and construct validity. The babies separated for longer period had shown lesser attachment subsequently, compared to those who had no separation.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

[Development of a perceived social support scale: for a Japanese population].

Social support is increasingly attracting interest in as a factor in epidemiological research of disease risks. However, at present, few methods for measuring social support that can be credited as having reliability and validity exist in Japan. Therefore a perceived social support scale was developed in relation to a population study of a town in Fukuoka prefecture. A method for measuring functional support from several external sources was designed consisting of a self-administered test provided with only two available response options--yes & no. Pretests were conducted twice in order to evaluate content validity and adjust the number of determinants and resulted in spouse, family members, and friends being selected to be primary sources of support. A factor analysis was applied to select 10 conditions with high internal consistency for each of the sources. Responses were scored 0 or 1, for 'no' or 'yes,' respectively. Subsequently each set of 10 variables was summed into an index ranking social support conditions for each of the three sources. The three highest ranking indicators from each of the respective sources were then integrated into a single comprehensive total social support score of the individuals. The inquiry method was applied on 277 adults, aged from 40 to 69 years, in the town. Intercorrelation between the indicators of support derived from the three sources was low and coefficients of reliability ranged from 0.892 to 0.978. The score of each set of the 10 variables were incorporated into a principal components analysis in order to determine factorial validity. All of the first factor loadings of the items measuring support from both spouse and family were greater than 0.7 and high eigenvalues were obtained. Therefore the methods applied to spouse and family were considered adequate to measure a given construct. The items measuring support from friends were divided into two factors, emotional support and tangible support.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Measuring the social climate of congregate residences for older people: Sheltered Care Environment Scale.

We developed the Sheltered Care Environment Scale (SCES) to provide researchers and practitioners with a practical means of assessing the social climate in congregate residential settings for the elderly. The SCES, a 63-item yes/no questionnaire that can be completed by residents and staff members of a facility, taps their perceptions of seven dimensions of the social environment. These dimensions concern the quality of relationships, the personal growth orientation present in the facility, and maintenance and change of the social system. The SCES discriminates among settings, has moderate to high internal consistency and split-half reliability, and is sensitive to environmental change against a backdrop of relative stability over time. The SCES reflects actual, agreed-on qualities of a setting and is relatively unaffected by characteristics of the respondent. Normative data are available from a national sample of 244 facilities representing the variety of residential settings available to the elderly.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1994

[Development of a scale of attitudes toward the roles of liberated men (SARLM)].

A ten-item Scale of Attitudes toward the Roles of Liberated Men (SARLM) based on the factor analysis was developed in order to provide a measure of attitudes toward the roles of liberated and traditional men. The scale was administered to 109 men and 93 women and was examined for its reliability and validity. The goodness-of-fit test indicated that the distribution of the scale scores was very close to the normal distribution. The reliability coefficient was .75, the test-retest coefficient with a four-week interval was .94, and the coefficients of the item-total correlations ranged from .43 to .62. These results support the reliability of SARLM. Evidence of the construct validity was derived from the confirmation of five hypotheses regarding sex, educational attainment, age, women's employment status, and husbands' participation in household tasks. SARLM appears to provide a reliable and valid measure for assessing attitudes toward the roles of liberated and traditional men.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The Calgary Depression Rating Scale for Schizophrenia: development and interrater reliability of a German version (CDSS-G).

A German version of the Calgary Depression Rating Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS-G) approved by the author of the original scale is presented comprising a semi-structured interview for 9 items to sensitively and specifically assess depression in schizophrenia and related disorders. The process of translation is outlined and the finally derived CDSS-G was investigated with respect to interrater reliability in three studies. To keep comparability with the CDSS source version a standard procedure was used. Two trained raters jointly assessed ten schizophrenic patients (study I). In a second study, videotapes with the CDSS-G were presented to clinically inexperienced raters (study II, N = 14/15) to test the agreement on the CDSS-G in this sample. Finally, in a third study clinically experienced researchers participated in a rater training (study III, N = 34). They carried out CDSS ratings on three patients with mild depressive symptoms. The dependence of interrater reliability on depression severity was investigated for all studied patients. Both intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and weighted kappa coefficients (kappa(w)) were calculated. The results revealed a high ICC = 0.97 in study I for the total CDSS-G score. Single item ICC values were all above 0.70. The results of study II revealed somewhat lower agreement on CDSS-G items and total scores in psychiatric novices with however acceptable values of kappa(w)>0.50 for the total scores. Study III yielded satisfactory results (0.66<kappa(w)<0.76) for clinically experienced psychiatrists in schizophrenic patients with mild depression. The results demonstrate adequate to excellent interrater reliability of the CDSS-G corroborating the results of the original version in different settings.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Edmonton Quality Assessment Tool for Drug Utilization Reviews: EQUATDUR-2: the development of a scale to assess the methodological quality of a drug utilization review.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop an instrument that will assist in evaluating the methodological quality of drug utilization reviews (DURs) and studies of prescribing appropriateness. DESIGN: An expert committee followed accepted steps for developing and testing new instruments. Consultations on content, face validity, and scoring of items were solicited from external experts. Seven raters tested an initial version; subsequently, a refined instrument was designed. The Edmonton Quality Assessment Tool for Drug Utilization Reviews (EQUATDUR-2) evaluates 3 domains: sample selection (1 item), data collection (1 item), and data analysis (3 items). Sixteen raters tested EQUATDUR-2 on a random sample of DURs. MEASURES: The study measures were reliability-using random effects interclass correlation coefficients for ratings by individual raters (ICC2,1) and the mean of ratings (ICC2,k)-and variability between DUR quality levels and rater groups. RESULTS: There were significant differences in methodological quality (P <0.001) and in mean scores comparing low-, moderate-, and high-quality DURs. Nonmethodologists' ratings exhibited significant variability (P = 0.03) and tended to be higher. Agreement varied for individual items (ICC2,1, 0.22 to 0.44; ICC2,k, 0.81 to 0.91) and for mean summary ratings (ICC2,1, 0.42 [95% CI, 0.28 to 0.61]; ICC2,k, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.86 to 0.96]). The average time to rate each DUR was 10.0 minutes (95% CI, 9.2 to 10.9). CONCLUSIONS: EQUATDUR-2 is a succinct, self-administered instrument with evidence of validity and reliability. We recommend that > or =2 raters independently assess each DUR and resolve disagreements by consensus. EQUATDUR-2 will help clinicians and decision makers to evaluate the quality of DUR studies and provide a framework for enhancing rigor in the design, conduct, and reporting of DURs.

Alberta↗

PubMed1995

The development of disability scales for childhood and adolescent injuries.

Scales for the study of injury-induced disabilities among 0-17 year olds were developed. Telephone interviews were conducted among parents of injured children (n = 432) 6 months after hospitalization in the three main hospitals of Jerusalem, about disabilities immediately following and 6 months after the injury. The scale for 4-17 year olds included 25 items derived from the International Classification of Disabilities, Impairments and Handicaps. Factor analysis revealed three dimensions of disability: personal care and daily activities; motor activities; and communication and sensory activities. The scale and the derived subscales on personal care and daily activities, and on motor activities showed high Cronbach's alpha, especially for disabilities immediately after the injury. The scale or subscales are easy to use, related to everyday activities performed by children in all cultures, are not related to the characteristics of the respondents, and have high consistency-reliability and construct validity. They may be used to assess the prevalence of disabilities in population studies.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Development of scale-down techniques for investigation of recombinant Escherichia coli fermentations: acid metabolites in shake flasks and stirred bioreactors.

We have developed shake-flask screening conditions that are predictive of specific expression of the chimeric toxin, TGF alpha-PE40, by recombinant Escherichia coli JM109 in stirred bioreactors. When a nutrient-rich stirred bioreactor medium was used in shake flasks, neither the extent of growth nor the specific level of recombinant protein expression duplicated the performance in stirred bioreactor fermentations. Incomplete oxidation of glucose and concomitant accumulation of organic acid metabolites, as well as oxygen limitation and lack of pH control, were examined as contributors to the poorer performance in the flask. The medium buffering capacity, initial glucose level, and flask aeration were evaluated to establish the limits of "scale-down" conditions for expression both in a complex nutrient medium (M101) similar to that used in stirred bioreactors and in a defined (FM) medium. Acid metabolites and ethanol were measured as indicators of carbon flow from glucose as well as indirect indicators of oxygen limitation. For the complex M101 medium, optimal shake-flask performance in 250-mL, nonbaffled flasks at 37 degrees C occurred with 0.3 x medium strength, supplementation with 0.3 m HEPES buffer (pH 7.5), and 10 mL of medium per flask. Cultures grown under these conditions produced a maximum density of 3.6 g of dry cell weight/L (as estimated by absorbance measurements at 600 nm) and maintained a pH near neutrality. Additionally, metabolite markers of anaerobic or microaerobic conditions, such as ethanol, lactate, and pyruvate, were not detected, and specific expression of TGF alpha-PE40 was comparable to stirred bioreactors induced for expression at various biomass levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Biotechnology↗

PubMed1997

The development of a forgiveness scale.

This paper reports on the development, validity, and reliability of a self-report instrument designed to assess a respondent's perspective of pain resulting from relational violations and work toward relational forgiveness based on a framework proposed by Hargrave (1994a). Presented here is the five-stage procedure used in the development of the Interpersonal Relationship Resolution Scale. Construct validity and reliability were determined from an initial sample of 164 subjects. Concurrent validity of the scale was supported by another sample of 35 respondents who took the Interpersonal Relationship Resolution Scale, the Personal Authority in the Family System Questionnaire, the Relational Ethics Scale, the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior scale, and the Burns Depression Checklist. Finally, a predictive validity study of the scale was performed with a clinical and nonclinical sample of 98 volunteers. Data are presented that support the validity and reliability of the instrument, as well as the final version of the scale.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Development and pilot testing of four desired health outcomes scales.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To develop and pilot test scales to measure desired health outcomes hypothesized to result from high-quality cancer nursing care: Fortitude Scale, Trust in Nurses Scale, Cancer Patient Optimism Scale, and Authentic Self-Representation Scale. DESIGN: Instrument development. SETTING: Community cancer support organization. SAMPLE: 66 recently treated patients with cancer who attended a cancer support organization workshop. The sample was predominately white, middle-aged, well-educated females. METHODS: Items for each scale were generated from qualitative data and the literature. The scales properties were evaluated using expert panel assessment of content validity, cognitive interviews of patients with cancer, and reliability and validity testing of each scale with the Multitrait/Multi-Item Analysis Program Revised (MAP-R) statistical program. FINDINGS: Participant responses to the four scales did not include the lowest possible score. Responses yielded evidence of adequate Cronbachs alpha internal consistency reliability for each scale: 0.81 for the Fortitude Scale; 0.81 for Trust in Nurses Scale, 0.75 for Cancer Patient Optimism Scale, and 0.71 for Authentic Self-Representation Scale. The MAP-R statistics yielded evidence of acceptable convergent validity and discriminant validity. CONCLUSIONS: The data provided preliminary evidence of acceptable psychometric properties for four scales designed to measure desired outcomes of cancer nursing care. Support was found for careful use of scales. Further psychometric testing with large samples is recommended. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: These scales represent an initial effort toward providing measures of the desired health outcomes that patients with cancer attributed to high-quality cancer nursing care.

Female↗

PubMed2006

Analysis of spatial genetic structure in an expanding Pinus halepensis population reveals development of fine-scale genetic clustering over time.

We analysed the change of spatial genetic structure (SGS) of reproductive individuals over time in an expanding Pinus halepensis population. To our knowledge, this is the first empirical study to analyse the temporal component of SGS by following the dynamics of successive cohorts of the same population over time, rather than analysing different age cohorts at a single time. SGS is influenced by various factors including restricted gene dispersal, microenvironmental selection, mating patterns and the spatial pattern of reproductive individuals. Several factors that affect SGS are expected to vary over time and as adult density increases. Using air photo analysis, tree-ring dating and molecular marker analysis we reconstructed the spread of reproductive individuals over 30 years beginning from five initial individuals. In the early stages, genotypes were distributed randomly in space. Over time and with increasing density, fine-scale (< 20 m) SGS developed and the magnitude of genetic clustering increased. The SGS was strongly affected by the initial spatial distribution and genetic variation of the founding individuals. The development of SGS may be explained by fine-scale environmental heterogeneity and possibly microenvironmental selection. Inbreeding and variation in reproductive success may have enhanced SGS magnitude over time.

Biomarkers↗

PubMed1993

Development of a scale for measuring impaired control over alcohol consumption: a preliminary report.

Impaired control over drinking has occupied a central place in explanations of alcohol dependence since the late 18th century. Despite this key theoretical role, no instrument has been developed to directly assess the construct. This article describes the development of a three-part Impaired Control Scale (ICS), in which Part 1 measures the degree to which a subject has attempted to exercise control over drinking in the past 6 months; Part 2 measures the degree of success in controlling drinking over the past 6 months; and Part 3 measures the subject's belief in his or her ability to control drinking if it were attempted. Psychometric analysis showed that, despite difficulties reported in the literature, impaired control could be measured in a reliable fashion, with satisfactory discriminant and concurrent validity. Preliminary investigation of the relationship between the ICS and elements of the alcohol dependence syndrome suggests that the construct of impaired control is related to, but may be distinguished from, a general factor of alcohol dependence. While more research is needed to replicate these findings and to examine interrelationships among the various parts of the ICS, the scale may have both theoretical and practical value in research and treatment for alcohol dependence and its related problems.

Adult↗