Psychometric properties of Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders-Clinician Version (SCID-5-CV)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of Structured Clinical Interview Version for DSM-5 (R) Clinical Version (SCID-5-CV) in a population of patients with psychiatric disorders in Tehran. Method: The study population included all outpatients and inpatients referred to three psychiatric centers in Tehran, namely Iran Psychiatric Hospital, Rasoul Akram Hospital, and Clinic of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Psychiatric Institute). Inclusion criteria included age between 16 and 70 years, informed consent to study, ability to understand and speak Persian, and no specific physical problems that interfere with the conduct of the interview. Also, exclusion criteria included inability to communicate, mental retardation or dementia, severe symptoms of acute psychosis, and severe restlessness. In addition to demographic questionnaire, Persian version of SCID-5-CV was used in this study. Finally, diagnostic validity, test�retest reliability, and inter-rater reliability were used to evaluate the information. Results: In terms of the kappa criterion, for all diagnoses except for anxiety disorders, kappa was above 0.4 as a result of agreement above average, but in anxiety disorders with kappa 0.34 there was a moderate agreement between psychiatrist and SCID interviewer reports. Also, according to the psychiatrist's diagnosis as the gold standard, in most diagnoses, except for anxiety disorders, kappa was higher than 0.80, indicating the desirable characteristic of this tool in the diagnosis of disorders. Sensitivity of all diagnoses was higher than 0.80. Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study, SCID-5-CV can be used for diagnostic purposes in psychiatric clinics and hospitals and to evaluate the treatment process of patients. In general, this version is suitable especially the schizophrenia spectrum and other psychiatric disorders; however, using SCID-5-CV for anxiety-related disorders should be done with caution. © 2021 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LL

Validity and Reliability of the Persian Version of the Food Thought Suppression Inventory for Obese University Students

Objectives: To determine the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Food Thought Suppression Inventory (FTSI) in overweight university students in Iran. Methods: A sample of 233 overweight students were recruited from five universities in Tehran. Participants were asked to complete the Persian versions of FTSI, Binge Eating Scale, Thought Control Questionnaire, Rumination Response Scale, and Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Sociodemographic characteristics of participants were also collected. Results: Validity of the Persian version of the FTSI was verified by the fitting indices of the proposed single-factor model of the main makers (Χ2= 112.75, df = 90, p = 0.052, Χ2/df = 1.25, goodness-of-fit index = 0.93, comparative fit index = 0.96, non-normed fitness index = 0.96, root mean score of error approximation = 0.032, and standardised root mean residual = 0.052). Internal consistency of the instrument was high, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.88. Conclusion: The Persian version of the FTSI is a valid and reliable tool for screening patients in obesity clinics and for evaluating treatment outcomes. © 2020 Hong Kong Academy of Medicine Press. All rights reserved

Country development and manuscript selection bias: a review of published studies

BACKGROUND: Manuscript selection bias is the selective publication of manuscripts based on study characteristics other than quality indicators. One reason may be a perceived editorial bias against the researches from less-developed world. We aimed to compare the methodological quality and statistical appeal of trials from countries with different development status and to determine their association with the journal impact factors and language of publication. METHODS: Selection criteria: Based on the World Bank income criteria countries were divided into four groups. All records of clinical trials conducted in each income group during 1993 and 2003 were included if they contained abstract and study sample size. Data sources: Cochrane Controlled Trials Register was searched and 50 articles selected from each income group using a systematic random sampling method in years 1993 and 2003 separately. Data extraction: Data were extracted by two reviewers on the language of publication, use of randomization, blinding, intention to treat analysis, study sample size and statistical significance. Disagreement was dealt with by consensus. Journal impact factors were obtained from the institute for scientific information. RESULTS: Four hundred records were explored. Country income had an inverse linear association with the presence of randomization (chi2 for trend = 5.6, p = 0.02) and a direct association with the use of blinding (chi2 for trend = 6.9, p = 0.008); although in low income countries the probability of blinding was increased from 36% in 1993 to 46% in 2003. In 1993 the results of 68% of high income trials and 64.7% of other groups were statistically significant; but in 2003 they were 66% and 82% respectively. Study sample size and income were the only significant predictors of journal impact factor. CONCLUSION: The impact of country development on manuscript selection bias is considerable and may be increasing over time. It seems that one reason may be more stringent implementation of the guidelines for improving the reporting quality of trials on developing world researchers. Another reason may be the presumptions of the researchers from developing world about the editorial bias against their nationality

Characterization of the behavior of carotenoids from pitanga (Eugenia uniflora) and buriti (Mauritia flexuosa) during microemulsion production and in a dynamic gastrointestinal system

Uncommon tropical fruits are emerging as raw-material for new food products with health benefits. This work aimed at formulating and processing microemulsions from pitanga (Eugenia uniflora) and buriti (Mauritia flexuosa) fruits, since they are very rich in carotenoids (particularly lycopene and -carotene), in order to encapsulate and increase carotenoids bioaccessibility. Pitanga and buriti microemulsions were produced by applying a direct processing (high-speed homogenization at 15,000 rpm and ultrasound with 20 kHz probe at 40% amplitude) of the whole pulp together with surfactant (Tween 80 or Whey Protein Isolate at 2%) and corn oil (5%). All treatments (HSHUS for 04, 40, 44, 48 minmin) applied were able to increase the amount of carotenoid released. However, the processing also decreased the total amount of carotenoids in the whole pulp of studied fruits. The impact of processing during microemulsion production was not severe. The overall data suggest that the presence of surfactant and oil during processing may protect the carotenoids in fruits and microemulsions. Final recovery of total carotenoids, after passing the samples through a dynamic gastrointestinal system that simulates the human digestion, was higher for microemulsions than for whole pulps. High losses of total carotenoids in buriti and -carotene and lycopene in pitanga occurred during jejunum and ileum phases. The present work confirms that it is possible to increase -carotene and lycopene bioaccessibility from fruits by directly processing microemulsions (p<0.01).This work was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation—FAPESP through research funding [Grant #2015/15507-9] and Ph.D. scholarship for Paulo Berni [Grant #2014/15119-6] and a Research Internships Abroad (BEPE) support [Grant #2016/13355-0]. The author Ana C. Pinheiro is recipient of a fellowship from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) [Grant SFRH/BPD/101181/2014]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Low level laser therapy for nonspecific low-back pain.

BACKGROUND: Low-back pain (LBP) and related disabilities are major public health problems and a major cause of medical expenses, absenteeism and disablement. Low level laser therapy (LLLT) can be used as a therapeutic intervention for musculoskeletal disorders such as back pain. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of LLLT in patients with non-specific low-back pain and to explore the most effective method of administering LLLT for this disorder. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2005, Issue 2), MEDLINE and CINAHL from their start to January 2007 and EMBASE, AMED and PEDro from their start to 2005 with no language restrictions. We screened references in the included studies and in reviews of the literature and conducted citation tracking of identified RCTs and reviews using Science Citation Index. We also contacted content experts. SELECTION CRITERIA: Only randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs) investigating low level laser therapy as a light source treatment for non-specific low-back pain were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently assessed methodological quality using the criteria recommended by the Cochrane Back Review Group and extracted data. Consensus was used to resolve disagreements. Clinically and statistically homogeneous studies were pooled using the fixed-effect model; clinically homogeneous and statistically heterogeneous studies were pooled using the random-effects model. MAIN RESULTS: Six RCTs with reasonable quality were included in the review. All of them were published in English. There is some evidence of pain relief with LLLT, compared to sham therapy for subacute and chronic low-back pain. These effects were only observed at short-term and intermediate-term follow-ups. Long-term follow-ups were not reported. There was no difference between LLLT and comparison groups for pain-related disability. There is insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of LLLT on antero-posterior lumbar range of motion compared to control group in short-term follow-up. The relapse rate in the LLLT group was significantly lower than in the control group at six months follow-up period according to the findings of two trials. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: No side effects were reported. However, we conclude that there are insufficient data to draw firm conclusions. There is a need for further methodologically rigorous RCTs to evaluate the effects of LLLT compared to other treatments, different lengths of treatment, different wavelengths and different dosages. Comparison of different LLLT treatments will be more reasonable if dose calculation methods are harmonized

Hybrid Modeling and Control of Switching DC-DC Converters via Mixed Logical Dynamical Systems

Modeling and control of DC-DC converters is a non trivial problem in power electronics. Such converters exhibit both autonomous and non-autonomous switching phenomena which are commonly modeled by general classes of hybrid systems. This paper addresses the modeling and control of a DC-DC buck converter via Mixed Logical Dynamical (MLD) systems and hybrid predictive control based on Mixed Integer Quadratic Programming. The main contribution of the paper is the novel concept of Forward MLD as opposed to the classical modeling approach that we call Backward MLD. The advantage of the proposed method is to introduce a prediction of the continuous behavior at a the switching instant. This results in a more accurate model and allowing to reduce by one step the prediction horizon necessary to compute the optimal control. The proposed technique reduces the complexity of the resulting MIQP program. The transient and steady state performances of the closed-loop control system over a wide range of operating points show satisfactory operation of the proposed modeling and control scheme