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BACKGROUND The ability correctly to identify species in a rapid and reliable manner is critical in many situations. For insects in particular, the primary tools for such identification rely on adult-stage morphological characters. For a number of reasons, however, there is a clear need for alternatives. This paper reports on the development of a new method employing DNA biochip technology for the identification of pest species within the family Tephritidae. RESULTS The DNA biochip developed and tested here quickly and efficiently identifies and discriminates between several tephritid species, except for some that are members of a complex of closely related taxa and that may in fact not represent distinct biological species. The use of these chips offers a number of potential advantages over current methods. Results can be obtained in less than 5 h using material from any stage of the life cycle and with greater sensitivity than other methods currently available. CONCLUSIONS This technology provides a novel tool for the rapid and reliable identification of several major pest species that may be intercepted in imported fruits or other commodities. The existing chips can also easily be expanded to incorporate additional markers and species as needed. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese version of Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II-C) is one of the most used instruments to measure the severity of depression in Taiwan. The scarce literature regarding its psychometric properties (e.g., measurement invariance) highlighted the need and significance for such an investigation. The purpose of this study was to examine the gender-related measurement invariance of the BDI-II-C in an adolescent sample facing an entrance examination in the following two ways: (a) examining configurai, metric, and scalar invariance using multigroup confirmatory factor analyses and (b) estimating the effects of any detected noninvariance on mean differences. The participants included 827 (416 boys and 41 I girls) Taiwanese adolescents. Results indicate that measurement invariance was established at the level of configurai, metric, and partial scalar invariance. Seven noninvariant intercepts (Items 2, 3, 7,9, 10, 12, and 19) were identified, showing that there was differential additive response style bias for the BDI-II-C across gender groups. Additionally, the results demonstrated that the noninvariance had significant effects on interpretation based on gender latent mean difference as well as observed mean difference [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence and prevalence rates of end-stage renal disease in Taiwan rank among the highest in the world. The quality of life of these patients deserves close attention. Purpose: The purposes of this study were to explore the relationships among biological functions, symptoms, functional status, general health perceptions, and health-related quality of life in patients undergoing regular hemodialysis at a regional teaching hospital in central Taiwan. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study design was conducted and 137 valid questionnaires were collected. The 5 structured questionnaires used to collect data included the Biological Function, Symptom Scale, Karnofsky Performance Scale, General Health Perceptions Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) scale. Date was analyzed using SPSS 20.0 software. Results: Study results found a mid-range score for WHOQOL. Symptoms correlated negatively with WHOQOL, while functional status and general health perceptions correlated positively with WHOQOL. Participant symptoms, functional status, general health perceptions, and duration of hemodialysis were the important predictors of WHOQOL, explaining 53.5% of WHOQOL variance. Conclusions / Implications for Practice: Having fewer symptoms, better functional status, and better general health perception correlated with higher WHOQOL scores. Symptoms, functional status, and general health perception were significant predictors of WHOQOL. Health professionals must focus greater attention on the health perceptions of their patients and treat patient symptoms and compromised functional status as early as possible in order to improve quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the uncertainties regarding thyroid nodule assessment and management, physicians require systematically and transparently developed recommendations. This systematic review assesses the quality and consistency of the recommendations of international clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules and cancer to assist physicians in making appropriate recommendations. Methods: The CPGs on the management of thyroid nodules and cancer published before June 2013 were retrieved. All the reviewed guidelines were in English. Four reviewers independently assessed the rigor of guideline development by using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II (AGREE-II) instrument, and their reported evidence was evaluated. Results: Ten eligible guidelines were included: nine had been developed by professional organizations, and the remaining guideline was endorsed by an independent regional body. Three guidelines achieved a score of greater than 50% in all six AGREE-II domains. Guidelines scored highest on the measurement of 'scope and purpose' (≥61.1% for eight CPGs) and lowest on the measurement of 'applicability' (≤38.5% for five CPGs). The overall quality ranged from 3.0 to 6.25 on a seven-point scale on the AGREE-II tool. Most CPG recommendations on the management of thyroid cancer were relatively consistent. Guidelines varied regarding the indication of fine-needle aspiration for thyroid nodules, as well as in their suggestions for postoperative radioiodine ablation. Conclusions: Our analysis showed that the current CPGs varied in methodological quality. More effort is needed to improve the quality of recommendations on the diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules and cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher-made tests have recently gained attention because of their functions of formative assessment in students' learning. This study aimed at examining the quality of a teacher-made test and diagnosing students' learning misconceptions on fractions and decimals based on a classroom-based cognitive diagnostic BW model that provides four person-facet aberrance indices (capability, misconception, guessing, and carelessness) and four item-facet ones (difficulty, indistinctness, disturbance, and hint). A teacher-made test on the unit of fractions and decimals containing 22 items on five concepts was taken by 32 students in a fourth-grade mathematics class in Taiwan. The results showed that students were classified into four classes with normal, guessing, careless, and complex based on their response patterns. With a good agreement between persons and items, the BW model showed effective examinations for the misfit of items and individuals in the small-sample classroom scenario. The concepts of equivalent fractions and transferring fractions into decimals were most and least mastered for the current sample, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymphedema is a common complication of axillary dissection for breast cancer. We investigated whether manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) could prevent or manage limb edema in women after breast-cancer surgery. Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness of MLD in the prevention and treatment of breast-cancer-related lymphedema. The PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), SCOPUS, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials electronic databases were searched for articles on MLD published before December 2012, with no language restrictions. The primary outcome for prevention was the incidence of postoperative lymphedema. The outcome for management of lymphedema was a reduction in edema volume. Results: In total, 10 RCTs with 566 patients were identified. Two studies evaluating the preventive outcome of MLD found no significant difference in the incidence of lymphedema between the MLD and standard treatment groups, with a risk ratio of 0.63 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.14 to 2.82. Seven studies assessed the reduction in arm volume, and found no significant difference between the MLD and standard treatment groups, with a weighted mean difference of 75.12 (95% CI, -9.34 to 159.58). Conclusions: The current evidence from RCTs does not support the use of MLD in preventing or treating lymphedema. However, clinical and statistical inconsistencies between the various studies confounded our evaluation of the effect of MLD on breast-cancer-related lymphedema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]