Objective This study aims to test the acceptance, feasibility, and usefulness of the Arabic version of the revised Edmonton Symptom AssesSment System （ESAS-r） among Egyptian patients with advanced cancer and to comp...Objective This study aims to test the acceptance, feasibility, and usefulness of the Arabic version of the revised Edmonton Symptom AssesSment System （ESAS-r） among Egyptian patients with advanced cancer and to compare the rates of symptoms documented by patients and physicians. Methods Between August 2014 and February 2015, a total of 140 patients at Ain Shams University Hospitals in Cairo, Egypt received the Arabic version of the ESAS-r. For each patient, the ESAS-r was completed twice, first by the treating physician （as part of the basic assessment） and a second time by the patient, with a maximum of 2 hours between the two assessments. An additional survey was included to assess patients＇ acceptance of the survey and their preferences. Results Out of 140 enrolled patients in the study, 11 patients refused to complete the questionnaire, and 10 patients were excluded due to incomplete records in their medical records. Complete data was retrieved for 119 patients who were included for further analyses. The 78 （65%） patients declared that the test was clear and easy to complete. They were able to answer the test without help. Collectively, tiredness and sense of well-being were the most commonly encountered symptoms in ratings obtained by both patients and physicians. Tiredness was the only symptom showing a significant difference between the two rating methods, patient-rated scores being higher （P = 0.032）. Cronbach＇s alpha showed that both tests com- pleted by the physician and the patients were internally consistent： the physician-rated test had a coefficient of 0.877, and the patient-rated test had a coefficient of 0.863. All ESAS scores had good internal consis- tency, with a Cmnbach＇s alpha coefficient of 0.88. The internal consistency remained high after removal of individual symptom scores, with Cronbach＇s alpha coefficients ranging from 0.823 to 0.902, indicating that no individual question had undue influence on the total ESAS score. Conclusion The ESAS-r was easily understood by and applicable to patients. There was no significant discrepancy in the rates of symptoms reported by the patients and physicians, apart from tiredness. Based on this, the test could be applied on a larger scale with in-home patients. This test can be cost-effective and can decrease the number of hospital visits among advanced cancer patients in need of supportive treat- ment rather than active cancer therapy.展开更多
For the abnormal ice condition in 2009-2010 winter, sea ice samples were collected in a tide ditch outside a port in the east coast of Liaodong Bay, and ice specimens were prepared. Experimental study was carried out ...For the abnormal ice condition in 2009-2010 winter, sea ice samples were collected in a tide ditch outside a port in the east coast of Liaodong Bay, and ice specimens were prepared. Experimental study was carried out with a temperature-control precision of 0.1℃, and 117 columnar-grained ice specimens were loaded along the direction parallel to ice surface under different test temperatures （-4, -7, -10, -13, -16℃） and strain rates ranging from 10^-6 to 10^-2 s^-1 within which the ductile region, duetile-brittle transition and brittle region are contained. The uniaxial compressive strengths, density and salinity of the ice specmens were measured. The results support the curved-surface relationship between the uniaxial compressive strength and porosity within a wide range of strain rate. The curved-surface relationship gives a quantitative description about the variations of the mechanical behavior transition point with ice porosity, and supplies a uniform mathematical representation of uniaxial compressive strength under different failure modes. Besides, it is deduced that abnormal ice condition in 2009-2010 winter will not result in a change of the uniaxial compressive strength of sea ice in Bohai Sea.展开更多
文摘Objective This study aims to test the acceptance, feasibility, and usefulness of the Arabic version of the revised Edmonton Symptom AssesSment System （ESAS-r） among Egyptian patients with advanced cancer and to compare the rates of symptoms documented by patients and physicians. Methods Between August 2014 and February 2015, a total of 140 patients at Ain Shams University Hospitals in Cairo, Egypt received the Arabic version of the ESAS-r. For each patient, the ESAS-r was completed twice, first by the treating physician （as part of the basic assessment） and a second time by the patient, with a maximum of 2 hours between the two assessments. An additional survey was included to assess patients＇ acceptance of the survey and their preferences. Results Out of 140 enrolled patients in the study, 11 patients refused to complete the questionnaire, and 10 patients were excluded due to incomplete records in their medical records. Complete data was retrieved for 119 patients who were included for further analyses. The 78 （65%） patients declared that the test was clear and easy to complete. They were able to answer the test without help. Collectively, tiredness and sense of well-being were the most commonly encountered symptoms in ratings obtained by both patients and physicians. Tiredness was the only symptom showing a significant difference between the two rating methods, patient-rated scores being higher （P = 0.032）. Cronbach＇s alpha showed that both tests com- pleted by the physician and the patients were internally consistent： the physician-rated test had a coefficient of 0.877, and the patient-rated test had a coefficient of 0.863. All ESAS scores had good internal consis- tency, with a Cmnbach＇s alpha coefficient of 0.88. The internal consistency remained high after removal of individual symptom scores, with Cronbach＇s alpha coefficients ranging from 0.823 to 0.902, indicating that no individual question had undue influence on the total ESAS score. Conclusion The ESAS-r was easily understood by and applicable to patients. There was no significant discrepancy in the rates of symptoms reported by the patients and physicians, apart from tiredness. Based on this, the test could be applied on a larger scale with in-home patients. This test can be cost-effective and can decrease the number of hospital visits among advanced cancer patients in need of supportive treat- ment rather than active cancer therapy.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.50921001,50879008)State Key Laboratory of Fro-zen Soil Engineering(Grant No.SKLFSE200904)+1 种基金Vilho,Yrj and Kalle Visl Fund of the Finnish Academy of Sciences and Lettersthe Norwegian Research Council Project AMORA(Grant No.193592/S30)
文摘For the abnormal ice condition in 2009-2010 winter, sea ice samples were collected in a tide ditch outside a port in the east coast of Liaodong Bay, and ice specimens were prepared. Experimental study was carried out with a temperature-control precision of 0.1℃, and 117 columnar-grained ice specimens were loaded along the direction parallel to ice surface under different test temperatures （-4, -7, -10, -13, -16℃） and strain rates ranging from 10^-6 to 10^-2 s^-1 within which the ductile region, duetile-brittle transition and brittle region are contained. The uniaxial compressive strengths, density and salinity of the ice specmens were measured. The results support the curved-surface relationship between the uniaxial compressive strength and porosity within a wide range of strain rate. The curved-surface relationship gives a quantitative description about the variations of the mechanical behavior transition point with ice porosity, and supplies a uniform mathematical representation of uniaxial compressive strength under different failure modes. Besides, it is deduced that abnormal ice condition in 2009-2010 winter will not result in a change of the uniaxial compressive strength of sea ice in Bohai Sea.
