180 research outputs found
Needs and preferences among patients with highâgrade glioma and their caregivers â A longitudinal mixed methods study
Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142983/1/ecc12806_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142983/2/ecc12806.pd
The development and initial validation of the Breast Cancer Recurrence instrument (BreastCaRe)âa patient-reported outcome measure for detecting symptoms of recurrence after breast cancer
Purpose: Patient-reported outomes (PRO) may facilitate prompt treatment. We describe the development and psychometric properties of the first instrument to monitor for symptoms of breast cancer (BC) recurrence. Methods: This study is nested in the MyHealth randomized trial of nurse-led follow-up based on electronically-collected PROs. We constructed items assessing symptoms of potential recurrence through expert interviews with six BC specialists in Denmark. Semi-structured cognitive interviews were carried out with a patient panel to assess acceptability and comprehensibility. Items were subsequently tested in a population of 1170 women 1â10 years after completing BC treatment. We carried out multiple-groups confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch analysis to test dimensionality, local dependence (LD) and differential item functioning (DIF) according to sociodemographic and treatment-related factors. Clinical data was obtained from the Danish Breast Cancer Group registry. Results: Twenty-two items were generated for the Breast Cancer Recurrence instrument (BreastCaRe). Cognitive testing resulted in clearer items. Seven subscales based on general, bone, liver, lung, brain, locoregional and contralateral recurrence symptoms were proposed. Both CFA and Rasch models confirmed the factor structure. No DIF was identified. Five item pairs showed LD but all items were retained to avoid loss of clinical information. Rasch models taking LD into account were used to generate a standardized scoring table for each subscale. Conclusions: The BreastCaRe has good content and structural validity, patient acceptability and measurement invariance. We are preparing to examine the predictive validity of this new instrument
The Hidradenitis Suppurativa Quality of Life (HiSQOL) score: development and validation of a measure for clinical trials
Background
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, inflammatory condition that can have a large negative impact on healthârelated quality of life (HRQOL). A reliable and validated measure of HSâspecific HRQOL in clinical studies is needed.
Objective
To develop and validate the Hidradenitis Suppurtiva Quality Of Life (HiSQOL©) scale, for clinical trial measurement of HSâspecific HRQOL.
Methods
Stage 1: Qualitative concept elicitation (CE) interviews were conducted with HS patients in Denmark (DK) (n = 21) and the United States (US) (n=21). Stage 2: Cognitive debriefing (CD) interviews were performed with US HS patients (n = 30) and Danish HS patients (n=30). Stage 3: Observational study of 222 HS patients in the US was conducted for item reduction, measure validation and assessment of psychometric properties. Stage 4: Observational study of 215 HS patients in Denmark was conducted to confirm the psychometric structure derived in stage 3. In both studies â the Dermatology Life Quality Index, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and numerical rating scale for pain â were also included.
Results
In CE, 99 items were generated and reduced to 41 after removing duplicates. In CD, 2 items were added and 1 items removed. A 42âitem instrument was psychometrically assessed. Based on psychometric analyses and patient input, the instrument was reduced to 17 items that had strong psychometric properties in both US and DK samples
Extreme magnification of an individual star at redshift 1.5 by a galaxy-cluster lens
Galaxy-cluster gravitational lenses can magnify background galaxies by a total factor of up to ~50. Here we report an image of an individual star at redshift zâ=â1.49 (dubbed MACS J1149 Lensed Star 1) magnified by more than Ă2,000. A separate image, detected briefly 0.26âł from Lensed Star 1, is probably a counterimage of the first star demagnified for multiple years by an object of âł3 solar masses in the cluster. For reasonable assumptions about the lensing system, microlensing fluctuations in the starsâ light curves can yield evidence about the mass function of intracluster stars and compact objects, including binary fractions and specific stellar evolution and supernova models. Dark-matter subhaloes or massive compact objects may help to account for the two imagesâ long-term brightness ratio
Atomistic characterization of the active-site solvation dynamics of a model photocatalyst
The interactions between the reactive excited state of molecular photocatalysts and surrounding solvent dictate reaction mechanisms and pathways, but are not readily accessible to conventional optical spectroscopic techniques. Here we report an investigation of the structural and solvation dynamics following excitation of a model photocatalytic molecular system [Ir 2 (dimen) 4 ] 2+, where dimen is para-diisocyanomenthane. The time-dependent structural changes in this model photocatalyst, as well as the changes in the solvation shell structure, have been measured with ultrafast diffuse X-ray scattering and simulated with Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics. Both methods provide direct access to the solute-solvent pair distribution function, enabling the solvation dynamics around the catalytically active iridium sites to be robustly characterized. Our results provide evidence for the coordination of the iridium atoms by the acetonitrile solvent and demonstrate the viability of using diffuse X-ray scattering at free-electron laser sources for studying the dynamics of photocatalysis. © The Author(s) 201617111sciescopu
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