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Several Instruments (several + instruments)
Selected AbstractsA comparison of two instrumental techniques used to discriminate the cooking quality of spaghettiINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2008Mike Sissons Summary Pasta is a popular food whose quality can be measured by appearance, flavour and texture. Several instruments have been devised to measure texture but there is little comparative information. This study compared the TA.XT2i texture analyser with the viscoelastograph of thirty spaghetti samples. There was a high correlation between these instruments and good agreement in ranks. While both instruments provide comparable data it is not the same. Two laboratories used the texture analyser to measure cooked spaghetti firmness using their own procedures. There was good agreement in firmness, however; there were differences in the ranks for samples that fell between the extremes in firmness. We attributed these differences to variations in the instrument settings, cooking method and sample presentation used by the laboratories indicating the need to standardise the method. Using a standard method greatly improved the correspondence between the laboratories improving the r2 to 0.99 with excellent agreement in the ranking of ten samples. [source] Older people specific health status and quality of life: a structured review of self-assessed instrumentsJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 4 2005Kirstie L. Haywood DPhil Abstract Objectives, To review evidence relating to the measurement properties of older people specific self-assessed, multi-dimensional measures of health status. Design, Systematic literature searches to identify instruments. Pre-defined criteria relating to reliability, validity, responsiveness, precision and acceptability. Results, A total of 46 articles relating to 18 instruments met the inclusion criteria. Most evidence was found for the OARS Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire (OMFAQ), CARE, Functional Assessment Inventory (FAI) and Quality of Life Profile , Seniors Version (QOLPSV). Most instruments have been evaluated in single studies. Four instruments have evidence of internal consistency and test,retest reliability , LEIPAD, Philadelphia Geriatrics Centre Multilevel Assessment Inventory, Perceived Well-being Scale, Wellness Index (WI). Two instruments lack evidence of reliability , Brief Screening Questionnaire, Geriatric Quality of Life Questionnaire (GQLQ). Older people contributed to the content of the GQLQ, QOLPSV and WI. Most instruments were assessed for validity through comparisons with other instruments, global judgements of health, or clinical and socio-demographic variables. Limited evidence of responsiveness was found for five instruments , GQLQ, OMFAQ, PGCMAI, QOLPSV, Self-Evaluation of Life Scale (SELF). Conclusion, Although most evidence was found for the OMFAQ this was largely for the ADL domain; evidence for reliability and responsiveness is limited. Limited evidence of reliability, validity and responsiveness was found for the PGCMAI, QOLPSV and SELF. The lack of evidence for measurement properties restricts instrument recommendation. Instrument content should be assessed for relevance before application and the concurrent evaluation of specific and widely used generic instruments is recommended. Several instruments, including the BSQ and EASY-Care, were developed recently and further evidence of instrument performance is required. [source] Prevalence of Alcohol-Related Problems in an Elderly Population and Their Association With Cognitive Impairment and DementiaALCOHOLISM, Issue 4 2010Marcos A. Lopes Background:, Studies investigating the association between alcohol use and cognitive disorders in the elderly population have produced divergent results. Moreover, the role of alcohol in cognitive dysfunction is not clear. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of alcohol-related problems in an elderly population from Brazil and to investigate their association with cognitive and functional impairment (CFI) and dementia. Methods:, A community-based cross-sectional study was performed. A sample of 1,145 elderly people was examined in 2 phases. Several instruments were utilized in the first phase: the CAGE questionnaire was used to identify potential cases of alcohol-related problems, and a screening test for dementia was used to estimate CFI. The CAMDEX interview (Cambridge Examination) and DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition) criteria were used for the clinical diagnosis of dementia in the second phase. Results:, "Heavy alcohol use" (CAGE , 2) was found in 92 subjects (prevalence: 8.2%). It was associated with gender (males, p < 0.001), low education (only in females, p = 0.002), and low socioeconomic level (p = 0.001, in females; p = 0.002, in males). The Mini Mental State Examination exhibited a nonlinear relationship with alcohol-related problems in females; "mild,moderate alcohol use" (CAGE < 2) presented the highest score. A significant association between alcohol-related problems and cognitive dysfunction was found only in females. "Heavy alcohol use" was associated with higher CFI and dementia rates compared to "mild,moderate alcohol use" (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively). "Mild,moderate alcohol use" had a tendency of association with lower CFI and dementia rates when compared to "no alcohol use" (p = 0.063 and 0.050, respectively). Conclusion:, Our findings suggest that alcohol use does not have a linear relationship with cognitive decline. [source] Polar low le Cygne: Satellite observations and numerical simulationsTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 598 2004Chantal Claud Abstract A polar low (PL) which occurred in October 1993 over the Norwegian Sea is investigated from an observational and a numerical point of view. This PL has several unique features: it developed early in the season, it lasted for about 3 days, and its trajectory was such that it passed over weather stations so that ,conventional' observations of the low are available. The conditions of the formation, development and decay of the PL are investigated using a double approach: satellite data from several instruments are used together to document the mesoscale structure of the low, and two versions of a limited-area model are run to investigate the dynamics of the low. Numerical model fields are compared to quantities derived from TIROS-N Operational Vertical Sounder, the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager, and satellite radar altimeter data. In spite of a better spatial resolution of the models, humidity and surface wind speeds are less organized in the simulations than in satellite retrievals. The number of vertical levels, especially for the lowest layers of the atmosphere, appears to be an essential component for a good simulation of the trajectory of the low. There is, however, good overall agreement between modelled and satellite-derived fields, and the good quality of the simulations allows inferences to be made regarding the essential physical and dynamical processes taking place during the formation and development of the PL. We find that the PL was the result of favourable flow conditions at the surface in the form of a shallow arctic front established south of the ice edge, together with an upper-level potential-vorticity anomaly setting the stage for a positive interaction. Later on, the strong surface sensible- and latent-heat fluxes contributed to the extensive vertical development. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the approach adopted here, which relies not only on simulations but also on observations to get a very complete description of such disturbances. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] | ||||||||||