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Objectives: To compare data based on computerized and paper versions of health status questionnaires (HSQs) for sampling patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). In addition, to examine associations between patient characteristics (age, education, computer experience) and differences between versions. Finally, to evaluate the acceptability of computer-based questionnaires among patients with FM.Method: The study population comprised female patients diagnosed with FM. All patients completed six HSQs: the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Major Depression Inventory (MDI), the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the painDETECT questionnaire (PDQ), the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Self-Assessment Questionnaire (GAD-10), both on paper and using a touch screen. One HSQ was tested at a time in a repeated randomized cross-over design. The two versions were completed with a 5-min interval and between each HSQ the participants had a 5-min break. Means, mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), medians, median differences, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for all HSQs, including relevant subscales. Associations between patient characteristics and differences between versions were explored using Spearman's correlation coefficients.Results: Twenty women, mean age 48.4 years, participated in the study. Except for one item, ICCs between touch-screen and paper versions of the HSQs examined indicated acceptable agreement (ICC = 0.71-0.99). Overall, mean and median differences revealed no differences between versions. No significant associations were observed for patient characteristics. None of the participants preferred paper questionnaires over computerized versions.Conclusions: The computerized HSQs using a touch screen gave comparable results to answers given on paper and were generally preferred by the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to provide a scientific basis for a unified standard of the reference value of young people's erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in China. The reference values of healthy young people's ESR were collected according to the Wintrobe method, and the relationship between the reference value of young people's ESR and altitude was tested in this paper. It was found that the reference value of young people's ESR decreases when the altitude gradually increases, and the relationship is significant. The method of mathematical univariate regression analysis was used to deduce two regression equations: Y(1) = 10.92-0.00183X +/-2.59 and Y(2) = 18.58-0.00319X +/-4.37. If the altitude value of a particular area of China is known, the reference value of young people's ESR can be calculated by means of the regression equations. Furthermore, depending on the altitude, China can be divided into three districts: Qingzang, Central and Eastern districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion that sex offender treatment does not work fuels public outrage and demands for protective legislation. This paper will respond to a recent meta-analysis reporting major weaknesses in research designs that preclude drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of sex offender treatment. Methodological and ethical challenges exist in the investigation of counselling interventions in general and sex offender treatment specifically, and we argue that the medicalization of psychotherapy research may have inherent flaws. Alternatives to dichotomous recidivism outcomes are proposed, including harm reduction measures and reduction of maladaptive behaviours. Future clinical directions for sex offender treatment are explored, including application of risk-needs-responsivity models, a focus on process as well as content and incorporation of principles of trauma-informed care. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Fluid-solid interaction is a primary feature of cardiovascular flows. There is increasing interest in the numerical solution of these systems as the extensive computational resource required for such studies becomes available. One form of coupling is an external weak coupling of separate solid and fluid mechanics codes. Information about the stress tensor and displacement vector at the wetted boundary is passed between the codes, and an iterative scheme is employed to move towards convergence of these parameters at each time step. This approach has the attraction that separate codes with the most extensive functionality for each of the separate phases can be selected, which might be important in the context of the complex rheology and contact mechanics that often feature in cardiovascular systems. Penrose and Staples describe a weak coupling of CFX for computational fluid mechanics to ANSYS for solid mechanics, based on a simple Jacobi iteration scheme. It is important to validate the coupled numerical solutions. An extensive analytical study of flow in elastic-walled tubes was carried out by Womersley in the late 1950s. This paper describes the performance of the coupling software for the straight elastic-walled tube, and compares the results with Womersley's analytical solutions. It also presents preliminary results demonstrating the application of the coupled software in the context of a stented vessel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]