Objective: This study investigated the inter- and intra-rater reliability of the Australian Spasticity Assessment Scale (ASAS) in adults with unilateral hypertonia following acquired brain injury. The ASAS has been sh...Objective: This study investigated the inter- and intra-rater reliability of the Australian Spasticity Assessment Scale (ASAS) in adults with unilateral hypertonia following acquired brain injury. The ASAS has been shown to be superior to other clinical tools for the assessment of spasticity in children with cerebral palsy but reliability has not been previously examined in adults. Method: Four muscle groups were rated on one occasion by four assessors using the ASAS in sixteen adults with unilateral hypertonia following acquired brain injury. Twelve participants returned one week later for reassessment by the same assessors. Results: Overall inter-rater reliability of the ASAS using a quadratic weighted Kappa was moderate (Kqw 0.58) with ranges from moderate to good (Kqw 0.42 - 0.70). Agreement between raters was greatest for soleus muscle and least for wrist flexors. Overall intra-rater reliability of each of the four raters was moderate to good (Kqw 0.48 - 0.79). Agreement within raters was greatest for soleus muscle and least for biceps muscle. Conclusions: The ASAS may represent an appropriate alternative to the clinical scales currently used to assess spasticity;however inter and intra-rater reliability data from this investigation are lower than those which have previously been reported by experienced users of the ASAS in children with cerebral palsy. Further investigation with a larger sample size is warranted before any firm conclusions may be drawn about the reliability and validity of this tool to assess spasticity in adults with acquired brain injury.展开更多
AIM To investigate the inter-and intra-rater reliability of the vertebral fracture classifications used in the Swedish fracture register.METHODS Radiological images of consecutive patients with cervical spine fracture...AIM To investigate the inter-and intra-rater reliability of the vertebral fracture classifications used in the Swedish fracture register.METHODS Radiological images of consecutive patients with cervical spine fractures(n = 50)were classified by 5 raters with different experience levels at two occasions. An identical process was performed with thoracolumbar fractures(n = 50). Cohen's kappa was used to calculate the inter-and intra-rater reliability.RESULTS The mean kappa coefficient for inter-rater reliability ranged between 0.54 and0.79 for the cervical fracture classifications, between 0.51 and 0.72 for the thoracolumbar classifications(overall and for different sub classifications), and between 0.65 and 0.77 for the presence or absence of signs of ankylosing disorder in the fracture area. The mean kappa coefficient for intra-rater reliability ranged between 0.58 and 0.80 for the cervical fracture classifications, between 0.46 and0.68 for the thoracolumbar fracture classifications(overall and for different sub classifications) and between 0.79 and 0.81 for the presence or absence of signs of ankylosing disorder in the fracture area.CONCLUSION The classifications used in the Swedish fracture register for vertebral fractures have an acceptable inter-and intra-rater reliability with a moderate strength of agreement.展开更多
The normalized weighted capacity reliability index of a sub-domain interconnection large scale communication network is defined and a new algorithm to calculate the reliability index is proposed, The proposed algorith...The normalized weighted capacity reliability index of a sub-domain interconnection large scale communication network is defined and a new algorithm to calculate the reliability index is proposed, The proposed algorithm can be performed using logical or algebraic operation by means of computer-aided programming and the correctness of each key step is validated in detail. This paper takes the sub-domain interconnection symmetrical topologi- cal network for a typical example to calculate the network reliability index and verifies the correctness of the proposed algorithm us- ing the real measured statistical data. The real measured results are well in accordance with the results obtained by the proposed algorithm. The result shows that the proposed algorithm is a valid means to estimate the reliability index of a sub-domain intercon- nection large-scale communication network.展开更多
Adding buckling restrained braces(BRB)of reinforced concrete frame structure can effectively improve the safety performance of the structure.The dynamic reliability analysis based on Poisson continuous process assumpt...Adding buckling restrained braces(BRB)of reinforced concrete frame structure can effectively improve the safety performance of the structure.The dynamic reliability analysis based on Poisson continuous process assumption and the first exceeding failure probability can be used to obtain the failure probability of the buckling restrained brace frame system under earthquake load,and the relationship between the failure probabilities of each floor of the structure is analyzed to obtain the frame system reliability interval of frame structure.The results show that the reliability of BRB frame structure is higher than that of pure frame structure,and the discrete failure probability is lower.展开更多
文摘Objective: This study investigated the inter- and intra-rater reliability of the Australian Spasticity Assessment Scale (ASAS) in adults with unilateral hypertonia following acquired brain injury. The ASAS has been shown to be superior to other clinical tools for the assessment of spasticity in children with cerebral palsy but reliability has not been previously examined in adults. Method: Four muscle groups were rated on one occasion by four assessors using the ASAS in sixteen adults with unilateral hypertonia following acquired brain injury. Twelve participants returned one week later for reassessment by the same assessors. Results: Overall inter-rater reliability of the ASAS using a quadratic weighted Kappa was moderate (Kqw 0.58) with ranges from moderate to good (Kqw 0.42 - 0.70). Agreement between raters was greatest for soleus muscle and least for wrist flexors. Overall intra-rater reliability of each of the four raters was moderate to good (Kqw 0.48 - 0.79). Agreement within raters was greatest for soleus muscle and least for biceps muscle. Conclusions: The ASAS may represent an appropriate alternative to the clinical scales currently used to assess spasticity;however inter and intra-rater reliability data from this investigation are lower than those which have previously been reported by experienced users of the ASAS in children with cerebral palsy. Further investigation with a larger sample size is warranted before any firm conclusions may be drawn about the reliability and validity of this tool to assess spasticity in adults with acquired brain injury.
文摘AIM To investigate the inter-and intra-rater reliability of the vertebral fracture classifications used in the Swedish fracture register.METHODS Radiological images of consecutive patients with cervical spine fractures(n = 50)were classified by 5 raters with different experience levels at two occasions. An identical process was performed with thoracolumbar fractures(n = 50). Cohen's kappa was used to calculate the inter-and intra-rater reliability.RESULTS The mean kappa coefficient for inter-rater reliability ranged between 0.54 and0.79 for the cervical fracture classifications, between 0.51 and 0.72 for the thoracolumbar classifications(overall and for different sub classifications), and between 0.65 and 0.77 for the presence or absence of signs of ankylosing disorder in the fracture area. The mean kappa coefficient for intra-rater reliability ranged between 0.58 and 0.80 for the cervical fracture classifications, between 0.46 and0.68 for the thoracolumbar fracture classifications(overall and for different sub classifications) and between 0.79 and 0.81 for the presence or absence of signs of ankylosing disorder in the fracture area.CONCLUSION The classifications used in the Swedish fracture register for vertebral fractures have an acceptable inter-and intra-rater reliability with a moderate strength of agreement.
文摘The normalized weighted capacity reliability index of a sub-domain interconnection large scale communication network is defined and a new algorithm to calculate the reliability index is proposed, The proposed algorithm can be performed using logical or algebraic operation by means of computer-aided programming and the correctness of each key step is validated in detail. This paper takes the sub-domain interconnection symmetrical topologi- cal network for a typical example to calculate the network reliability index and verifies the correctness of the proposed algorithm us- ing the real measured statistical data. The real measured results are well in accordance with the results obtained by the proposed algorithm. The result shows that the proposed algorithm is a valid means to estimate the reliability index of a sub-domain intercon- nection large-scale communication network.
文摘Adding buckling restrained braces(BRB)of reinforced concrete frame structure can effectively improve the safety performance of the structure.The dynamic reliability analysis based on Poisson continuous process assumption and the first exceeding failure probability can be used to obtain the failure probability of the buckling restrained brace frame system under earthquake load,and the relationship between the failure probabilities of each floor of the structure is analyzed to obtain the frame system reliability interval of frame structure.The results show that the reliability of BRB frame structure is higher than that of pure frame structure,and the discrete failure probability is lower.
