Tools to assess the measurement properties of quality of life instruments : a meta-review

Objective: This meta-review aims to discuss the methodological, research and practical applications of tools that assess the measurement properties of instruments evaluating Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) that have been reported in systematic reviews. Design: Meta-review. Methods: Electronic search from January 2008 to May 2020 was carried out on PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, WoS, Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) database, Google Scholar, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. Results: A total of 246 systematic reviews were assessed. Concerning the quality of the review process, some methodological shortcomings were found, such as poor compliance with reporting or methodological guidelines. Regarding the procedures to assess the quality of measurement properties, 164 (66.6 %) of reviewers applied one tool at least. Tool format and structure differed across standards or scientific traditions (i.e. psychology, medicine and economics), but most assess both measurement properties and the usability of instruments. As far as the results and conclusions of systematic reviews are concerned, only 68 (27.5 %) linked the intended use of the instrument to specific measurement properties (e.g. evaluative use to responsiveness). Conclusions: The reporting and methodological quality of reviews have increased over time, but there is still room for improvement regarding adherence to guidelines. The COSMIN would be the most widespread and comprehensive tool to assess both the risk of bias of primary studies, and the measurement properties of HRQoL instruments for evaluative purposes. Our analysis of other assessment tools and measurement standards can serve as a starting point for future lines of work on the COSMIN tool, such as considering a more comprehensive evaluation of feasibility, including burden and fairness; expanding its scope for measurement instruments with a different use than evaluative; and improving its assessment of the risk of bias of primary studie

Polydron

El Polydron esta diseñado para fomentar la investigación y la creatividad y la puesta en práctica de ideas. En el aula se pueden aprovechar las oportunidades ofrecidas por el material con posibles focos de atención, animando a los alumnos/as para que investiguen. Dicho material proporciona no solo ese estímulo al aprendizaje sino también un foco de comentarios, un medio para afianzar una actividad mediante la construcción de un objeto y, fundamentalmente, una forma de que el alumnado quede satisfecho después de haber superado un reto. Al utilizar el Polydron, siempre hay que intentar ir más allá de la construcción inmediata (Ansell, 1998). Por medio de la experiencia "interactiva" en un aula los niños/as pueden llegar a comprender los principios subyacentes. Así, es importante que se les proporcione una gama amplia de actividades que les estimulen y despierten su curiosidad, ofreciéndoles la posibilidad de comentar lo que se hace y descubre con otros niños y niñas y con los docentes

Efectos de un programa de formación de padres para reducir conductas perturbadoras infantiles

Abstract. Effects of a parent-training program to reduce children’s disruptive behaviors. This study evaluates the results of a parent training program incorporating some additional components to the traditional programs (emotional communication and problem solving) to be applied in the socio-community context. Eighteen parents comprised the control group and 21 the treatment group, with children 4 to 8 years old with disruptive behavior. The treatment group assisted to 7 sessions directed at improving parenting practices, registering their application and receiving feedback. Significant increases were found in the treatment group in parental use of appropriate discipline, incentives, and expectations. The treatment group reduced the application of severe discipline and the use of physical punishment, as well as the number and frequency of child behavior problems.  The results persisted at the 1-year follow-up.Resumen. Este estudio evalúa los resultados de un programa de entrenamiento de padres aplicado en el contexto socio-comunitario que añade algunos componentes a los programas tradicionales (comunicación emocional y solución de problemas).  Participaron 18 progenitores en el grupo control y 21 en el grupo de tratamiento con hijos de entre 4 y 8 años con conductas perturbadoras. El grupo de tratamiento asistió a 7 sesiones dirigidas a mejorar las pautas de crianza, registrar su aplicación y recibir retroalimentación. Se encontraron incrementos significativos en el grupo de tratamiento en la aplicación de disciplina apropiada, el empleo de elogios y las expectativas. El grupo de tratamiento redujo la aplicación de disciplina severa y el empleo del castigo físico y disminuyeron el número y la frecuencia de problemas de conducta de sus hijos. Los resultados se mantuvieron en el seguimiento un año después

Tools to assess the measurement properties of quality of life instruments : a meta-review protocol

Introduction: Using specific tools to assess the measurement properties of health status instruments is recommended both to standardise the review process and to improve the methodological quality of systematic reviews. However, depending on the measurement standards on which these tools are developed, the approach to appraise the measurement properties of instruments may vary. For this reason, the present meta-review aims to: (1) identify systematic reviews assessing the measurement properties of instruments evaluating health-related quality of life (HRQoL); (2) identify the tools applied to assess the measurement properties of HRQoL instruments; (3) describe the characteristics of the tools applied to assess the measurement properties of HRQoL instruments; (4) identify the measurement standards on which these tools were developed or conform to and (5) compare the similarities and differences among the identified measurement standards. Methods and analysis: A systematic review will be conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols Guidelines. Electronic search will be carried out on bibliographic databases, including PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Psychological Information, SCOPUS, Web of Science, COSMIN database and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, being limited by time (2008-2018) and language (English). Descriptive analyses of different aspects of tools applied to evaluate the measurement properties of HRQoL instruments will be presented; the different measurement standards will be described and some recommendations about the methodological and research applications will be mad

Women's experiences during childbirth: a systematic review protocol

Review question / Objective: General aim of this systematic review is to synthesize available evidence on women's experiences during childbirth in health institutions and formal care settings. Specific objectives are to: 1. Describe women's experiences during childbirth in institutional health centers. 2. Classify women's experiences according to the Mother and Baby Friendly Birth Facility (MBFBF) criteria. 3. Describe prevalence of these experiences across different countries and cultures. 4. Determine the impact of childbirth experiences on self-perceived women's health on aspects related to physical, psychological and social domains. Condition being studied: This review will be framed within the context of the Mother and Baby Friendly Birth Facility (MBFBF). Women's experiences during childbirth will be classified according to the categories defined by the MBFBF. Other actions or experiences, as interventionism or different procedures applied during childbirth, will also be analyzed (Mena-Tudela et al., 2020)

Learning potential assessment and adaptation to the educational context: the usefulness of the acfs for assessing immigrant preschool children

The objective of this study was to test the usefulness of dynamic assessment for determining cognitive abilities such as classification, auditory and visual memory, pattern sequences, perspective taking, verbal planning, learning potential, andmetacognition in immigrant preschool childrenwith and without competence in the dominant language (Spanish). One hundred seventy-six preschoolchildren were distributed in three groups according to the cultural background of their parents (native Spanish/Spanish-speaking immigrants/non-Spanish speaking immigrants). The children were assessed by means of the K-BIT, the Application of Cognitive Functions Scale (ACFS), and metacognition, language competence and academic performance estimates. The results show that although there are initial differences in execution between the two groups (Spanish/immigrants), there are no differences with regard to learning potential. The study also demonstrates the importance of behavioral, attitudinal, and metacognitive variables in children’s test execution and academic performance.

Benefits of the humidified low-flow oxygen therapy in infants with mild-moderate bronchiolitis

Aims and objectives: To investigate the clinical benefits of using humidification in low-flow oxygen therapy. Specific objectives were to investigate via an assessment of the number of nasal lavages whether humidification can help to decrease the nasal mucus viscosity, to determine whether it can relieve feeding difficulties by comparing the weight gain in infants, to ascertain whether it can relieve respiratory distress by assessing the heart and respiratory rates and contribute to improved clinical outcomes, measured by the length of stay and oxygen requirements. Background: There is no evidence to support the use of humidification in low-flow oxygen therapy as a usual clinical practice in the management of bronchiolitis. Design: A controlled quasi-experimental study. Methods: A total of 97 infants were included, aged ≤6 months, with bronchiolitis, low-flow oxygen therapy and bronchodilators nebulised with hypertonic saline 3%. Data from the control group (nonhumidified) were gathered from 2010-2012 (49 infants), and data from the group with humidification from 2012-2014 (48 infants). Linear and Poisson regressions were performed adjusting for relevant characteristics of patients. Results: Humidification was shown to be associated with significant reductions in the number of nasal lavages in infants with Sant Joan de Déu Bronchiolitis Scores of BROSJOD≤7, in the heart rate of infants with mixed bronchodilators treatment, and in the length of stay and oxygen requirements of infants with Score BROSJOD≤5. No differences in weight and respiratory rate were found. Conclusions: Humidification in low-flow oxygen therapy is an effective nursing intervention to improve the clinical outcomes of infants with mild-moderate bronchioliti

Phosphatidylserine-Liposomes promote tolerogenic features on dendritic cells in human type 1 diabetes by apoptotic mimicry

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a metabolic disease caused by the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing β-cells. With its incidence increasing worldwide, to find a safe approach to permanently cease autoimmunity and allow β-cell recovery has become vital. Relying on the inherent ability of apoptotic cells to induce immunological tolerance, we demonstrated that liposomes mimicking apoptotic β-cells arrested autoimmunity to β-cells and prevented experimental T1D through tolerogenic dendritic cell (DC) generation. These liposomes contained phosphatidylserine (PS)-the main signal of the apoptotic cell membrane-and β-cell autoantigens. To move toward a clinical application, PS-liposomes with optimum size and composition for phagocytosis were loaded with human insulin peptides and tested on DCs from patients with T1D and control age-related subjects. PS accelerated phagocytosis of liposomes with a dynamic typical of apoptotic cell clearance, preserving DCs viability. After PS-liposomes phagocytosis, the expression pattern of molecules involved in efferocytosis, antigen presentation, immunoregulation, and activation in DCs concurred with a tolerogenic functionality, both in patients and control subjects. Furthermore, DCs exposed to PS-liposomes displayed decreased ability to stimulate autologous T cell proliferation. Moreover, transcriptional changes in DCs from patients with T1D after PS-liposomes phagocytosis pointed to an immunoregulatory prolife. Bioinformatics analysis showed 233 differentially expressed genes. Genes involved in antigen presentation were downregulated, whereas genes pertaining to tolerogenic/anti-inflammatory pathways were mostly upregulated. In conclusion, PS-liposomes phagocytosis mimics efferocytosis and leads to phenotypic and functional changes in human DCs, which are accountable for tolerance induction. The herein reported results reinforce the potential of this novel immunotherapy to re-establish immunological tolerance, opening the door to new therapeutic approaches in the field of autoimmunity

Phosphatidylserine-liposomes Promote Tolerogenic Features on Dendritic cells in human Type 1 Diabetes by apoptotic Mimicry

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a metabolic disease caused by the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing β-cells. With its incidence increasing worldwide, to find a safe approach to permanently cease autoimmunity and allow β-cell recovery has become vital. Relying on the inherent ability of apoptotic cells to induce immunological tolerance, we demonstrated that liposomes mimicking apoptotic β-cells arrested autoimmunity to β-cells and prevented experimental T1D through tolerogenic dendritic cell (DC) generation. These liposomes contained phosphatidylserine (PS)—the main signal of the apoptotic cell membrane— and β-cell autoantigens. To move toward a clinical application, PS-liposomes with optimum size and composition for phagocytosis were loaded with human insulin peptides and tested on DCs from patients with T1D and control age-related subjects. PS accelerated phagocytosis of liposomes with a dynamic typical of apoptotic cell clearance, preserving DCs viability. After PS-liposomes phagocytosis, the expression pattern of molecules involved in efferocytosis, antigen presentation, immunoregulation, and activation in DCs concurred with a tolerogenic functionality, both in patients and control subjects. Furthermore, DCs exposed to PS-liposomes displayed decreased ability to stimulate autologous T cell proliferation. Moreover, transcriptional changes in DCs from patients with T1D after PS-liposomes phagocytosis pointed to an immunoregulatory prolife. Bioinformatics analysis showed 233 differentially expressed genes. Genes involved in antigen presentation were downregulated, whereas genes pertaining to tolerogenic/ anti-inflammatory pathways were mostly upregulated. In conclusion, PS-liposomes phagocytosis mimics efferocytosis and leads to phenotypic and functional changes in human DCs, which are accountable for tolerance induction. The herein reported results reinforce the potential of this novel immunotherapy to re-establish immunological tolerance, opening the door to new therapeutic approaches in the field of autoimmunity.This work has been funded by a grant from the Spanish Government (FIS PI15/00198) co-financed with the European Regional Development funds (FEDER), by Fundació La Marató de TV3 (28/201632-10), by Catalan AGAUR (project 2014 SGR1365) and by CERCA Program/Generalitat de Catalunya. CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM) is an initiative from Instituto de Salud Carlos III. ICN2 acknowledges the support of the Spanish MINECO through the Severo Ochoa Centers of Excellence Program, under grant SEV-2013-0295. This work has been supported by positive discussion through A FACTT network (Cost Action BM1305: www.afactt.eu). COST is supported by the EU Framework Program Horizon 2020. SR-F is supported by the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) of the Generalitat de Catalunya

Deficient endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial phosphatidylserine transfer causes liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver is the most common liver disease worldwide. Here, we show that the mitochondrial protein mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) protects against liver disease. Reduced Mfn2 expression was detected in liver biopsies from patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Moreover, reduced Mfn2 levels were detected in mouse models of steatosis or NASH, and its re-expression in a NASH mouse model ameliorated the disease. Liver-specific ablation of Mfn2 in mice provoked inflammation, triglyceride accumulation, fibrosis, and liver cancer. We demonstrate that Mfn2 binds phosphatidylserine (PS) and can specifically extract PS into membrane domains, favoring PS transfer to mitochondria and mitochondrial phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) synthesis. Consequently, hepatic Mfn2 deficiency reduces PS transfer and phospholipid synthesis, leading to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the development of a NASH-like phenotype and liver cancer. Ablation of Mfn2 in liver reveals that disruption of ER-mitochondrial PS transfer is a new mechanism involved in the development of liver disease