Perceptions of acceptable conducts by university students.

PubMed

Marques, Dora Nazaré; Macedo, António Filipe

2016-01-01

To determine perceptions of acceptable conducts amongst under and postgraduate optometry students and to compare them with students from other disciplines. Students (under/postgraduate) of optometry (n=156) and other courses (n=54) from University of Minho participated in a voluntary online questionnaire about perception of conducts, classifying as acceptable or unacceptable 15 academic or professional scenarios. 210 questionnaires were analyzed. Differences in perceptions were found between optometry under and postgraduates in scenario 5, Chi-square(2,156)=4.3, p=0.038, and scenario 7, Chi-square(2,156)=7.0, p=0.008 (both with cheating more acceptable for postgrads). Differences between under and postgraduates from other courses were found in scenario 9 (taking supplies from classroom more acceptable for undergrads), Chi-square(1,54)=5.0, p=0.025, and scenario 14 (forging a signature more acceptable for postgrads), Chi-square(1,54)=3.9, p=0.046. Differences between optometry and other courses undergraduates were observed in scenario 2 (plagiarism more acceptable for optometry undergrads), Chi-square(1,154)=8.3, p=0.004 and scenario 9 (taking supplies from classroom more acceptable for other undergrads), chi-square(1,54)=7.8, p=0.005. Differences between optometry and other courses postgraduates were observed in scenario 7, Chi-square(1,56)=5.8, p=0.016, scenario 10 (both with cheating more acceptable for optometry postgrads), chi-square(1,54)=8.1, p=0.004 and scenario 14 (forging a signature more acceptable for other postgrads), Chi-square(1,54)=6.1, p=0.026. Academic misconducts were mainly considered more acceptable than professional misconducts. Our results show that perceptions of acceptable conducts amongst optometry students are not very different from other students, and, against our initial prediction, do not show a general change in misconduct perception when students become more mature. Universities should pay more attention to this problem and take action. Copyright © 2014 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

An accurate test for homogeneity of odds ratios based on Cochran's Q-statistic.

PubMed

Kulinskaya, Elena; Dollinger, Michael B

2015-06-10

A frequently used statistic for testing homogeneity in a meta-analysis of K independent studies is Cochran's Q. For a standard test of homogeneity the Q statistic is referred to a chi-square distribution with K-1 degrees of freedom. For the situation in which the effects of the studies are logarithms of odds ratios, the chi-square distribution is much too conservative for moderate size studies, although it may be asymptotically correct as the individual studies become large. Using a mixture of theoretical results and simulations, we provide formulas to estimate the shape and scale parameters of a gamma distribution to fit the distribution of Q. Simulation studies show that the gamma distribution is a good approximation to the distribution for Q. Use of the gamma distribution instead of the chi-square distribution for Q should eliminate inaccurate inferences in assessing homogeneity in a meta-analysis. (A computer program for implementing this test is provided.) This hypothesis test is competitive with the Breslow-Day test both in accuracy of level and in power.

An Extension of the Chi-Square Procedure for Non-NORMAL Statistics, with Application to Solar Neutrino Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sturrock, P. A.

2008-01-01

Using the chi-square statistic, one may conveniently test whether a series of measurements of a variable are consistent with a constant value. However, that test is predicated on the assumption that the appropriate probability distribution function (pdf) is normal in form. This requirement is usually not satisfied by experimental measurements of the solar neutrino flux. This article presents an extension of the chi-square procedure that is valid for any form of the pdf. This procedure is applied to the GALLEX-GNO dataset, and it is shown that the results are in good agreement with the results of Monte Carlo simulations. Whereas application of the standard chi-square test to symmetrized data yields evidence significant at the 1% level for variability of the solar neutrino flux, application of the extended chi-square test to the unsymmetrized data yields only weak evidence (significant at the 4% level) of variability.

The Impact of Parent-Child Discussions and Parent Restrictions on Adolescent Alcohol Consumption

PubMed Central

Williams, Rebecca J; Kittinger, Daniela S; Eller, LaShanda N

2010-01-01

The impact of parent influence on adolescent drinking behavior has been extensively researched, but remains unclear. This assessment used data from a survey administered in after school programs in Maui County to further examine parents' role in preventing underage drinking. Two factors were explored for their impacts on drinking behavior: parent-child discussions and perceived parent sanctioning of alcohol use. Separate analysis was conducted for all respondents and for those who are drinkers. Youth ages 12–17 (n = 572; 46.7% female; 25.2% alcohol drinkers; 16.4% binge drinkers) participated in the study. No significant differences for the reported number of days of drinking (chi-square = 1.38, p > 0.05) and the number of days of binge drinking (chi-square = 0.31, p > 0.05) between those that did and did not have parent-child communications was found. A significant difference was found, however, for the number of drinking days (chi-square = 38.6, p < 0.05) and the number of binge drinking days (chi-square = 39.4, p < 0.05), for “all respondents” between those who perceived parent restriction and those who did not. These findings suggest that parent-child communication may be most influential when characterized in such a way as to include well-defined restrictions against alcohol use. PMID:20535688

Comparison of delinquents and nondelinquents in ethnicity, ordinal position, and self-perception.

PubMed

Calhoun, G; Connley, S; Bolton, J A

1984-01-01

Compared three groups of black, white, and Mexican-American delinquent and nondelinquent males, aged 11 to 18, on measures of self-concept, self-esteem, and ordinal position by groups (N = 135). Data were analyzed with analysis of variance and Chi-square test. Significant main effects were found with respect to delinquency, self-concept, and self-esteem. A significant interaction was present for delinquency and ethnicity for both self-concept and self-esteem. Chi-square results found birth-order and ethnicity to be related significantly.

A Theorem on the Rank of a Product of Matrices with Illustration of Its Use in Goodness of Fit Testing.

PubMed

Satorra, Albert; Neudecker, Heinz

2015-12-01

This paper develops a theorem that facilitates computing the degrees of freedom of Wald-type chi-square tests for moment restrictions when there is rank deficiency of key matrices involved in the definition of the test. An if and only if (iff) condition is developed for a simple rule of difference of ranks to be used when computing the desired degrees of freedom of the test. The theorem is developed exploiting basics tools of matrix algebra. The theorem is shown to play a key role in proving the asymptotic chi-squaredness of a goodness of fit test in moment structure analysis, and in finding the degrees of freedom of this chi-square statistic.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Variable Stars in the Galactic Center (Dong+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, H.; Schodel, R.; William, B. F.; Nogueras-Lara, F.; Gallego-Cano, E.; Gallego-Calvente, T.; Wang, Q. D.; Morris, R. M.; Do, T.; Ghez, A.

2017-06-01

We use the 'DOLPHOT' to detect sources and extract photometry from the HST WFC3/IR observations at the F127M and F135M bands of the Galactic Centre from 2010 to 2014. The F153M observations, which are used to identify variable stars, include 290 dithered exposures from six HST programs. The detailed description of the HST dataset are given in Table 1 of the paper. We identified 33070 sources. Their F127M and F153M magnitudes, as well as their uncertainties, are given in Table 3. For each star, we used the least chi square method to identify whether it is variable or not. The output from the least chi square method are chi2y and chi2d, which are calculated from all the 290 dithered exposures and the exposures in March and April, 2014, respectively, to examine whether the star varies among years and/or days. In order to reduce the potential variation among dithered exposures, which could be potentially introduced by instrument effects, we also bin the dithered exposures and use the least chi square method to calculate chi2y,b and chi2{d,b}. We classify stars with chi2y>3 and chi2y,b>2 are variables among years and stars with chi2d>3 and chi2d,b>2 are variables among days. The detailed description about the data analysis is given in the paper. In Table 4, we gives the magnitudes of sources in individual dithered exposures, as well as the photometric uncertainties and the quality control parameters provided by 'DOLPHOT', such as signal-to-noise ratio, sharpness^2, crowd and flag. We also cross-correlated our variables with previous variable studies taken by ground-based telescopes in Table 8 and spectroscopic observations in Table 9. (4 data files).

Measurement invariance via multigroup SEM: Issues and solutions with chi-square-difference tests.

PubMed

Yuan, Ke-Hai; Chan, Wai

2016-09-01

Multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) plays a key role in studying measurement invariance and in group comparison. When population covariance matrices are deemed not equal across groups, the next step to substantiate measurement invariance is to see whether the sample covariance matrices in all the groups can be adequately fitted by the same factor model, called configural invariance. After configural invariance is established, cross-group equalities of factor loadings, error variances, and factor variances-covariances are then examined in sequence. With mean structures, cross-group equalities of intercepts and factor means are also examined. The established rule is that if the statistic at the current model is not significant at the level of .05, one then moves on to testing the next more restricted model using a chi-square-difference statistic. This article argues that such an established rule is unable to control either Type I or Type II errors. Analysis, an example, and Monte Carlo results show why and how chi-square-difference tests are easily misused. The fundamental issue is that chi-square-difference tests are developed under the assumption that the base model is sufficiently close to the population, and a nonsignificant chi-square statistic tells little about how good the model is. To overcome this issue, this article further proposes that null hypothesis testing in multigroup SEM be replaced by equivalence testing, which allows researchers to effectively control the size of misspecification before moving on to testing a more restricted model. R code is also provided to facilitate the applications of equivalence testing for multigroup SEM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Diabetic Prevalence in Bangladesh: The Role of Some Associated Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imam, Tasneem

2012-12-01

The study attempts at examining the association of a few selected socio-economic and demographic characteristics on diabetic prevalence. Nationally representative data from BIRDEM 2000 have been used to meet the objectives of the study. Cross tabulation, Chi-square and logistic regression analysis have been used to portray the necessary associations. Chi- square reveals significant relationship between diabetic prevalence and all the selected demographic and socio-economic variables except ìeducationî while logistic regression analysis shows no significant contribution of ìageî and ìeducationî in diabetic prevalence. It has to be noted that, this paper dealt with all the three types of diabetes- Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational.

Reconnaissance On Chi-Square Test Procedure For Determining Two Species Association

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marisa, Hanifa

2008-01-01

Determining the assosiation of two species by using chi-square test has been published. Utility of this procedure to plants species at certain location, shows that the procedure could not find "ecologically" association. Tens sampling units have been made to record some weeds species in Indralaya, South Sumatera. Chi square test; Xt2 = N[|(ad)-(bc)|-(N/2)]2/mnrs (Eq:1) on two species (Cleome sp and Eleusine indica) of the weeds shows positive assosiation; while ecologically in nature, there is no relationship between them. Some alternatives are proposed to this problem; simplified chi-square test steps, make further study to find out ecologically association, or at last, ignore it.

A revisit to contingency table and tests of independence: bootstrap is preferred to Chi-square approximations as well as Fisher's exact test.

PubMed

Lin, Jyh-Jiuan; Chang, Ching-Hui; Pal, Nabendu

2015-01-01

To test the mutual independence of two qualitative variables (or attributes), it is a common practice to follow the Chi-square tests (Pearson's as well as likelihood ratio test) based on data in the form of a contingency table. However, it should be noted that these popular Chi-square tests are asymptotic in nature and are useful when the cell frequencies are "not too small." In this article, we explore the accuracy of the Chi-square tests through an extensive simulation study and then propose their bootstrap versions that appear to work better than the asymptotic Chi-square tests. The bootstrap tests are useful even for small-cell frequencies as they maintain the nominal level quite accurately. Also, the proposed bootstrap tests are more convenient than the Fisher's exact test which is often criticized for being too conservative. Finally, all test methods are applied to a few real-life datasets for demonstration purposes.

The chi-square test of independence.

PubMed

McHugh, Mary L

2013-01-01

The Chi-square statistic is a non-parametric (distribution free) tool designed to analyze group differences when the dependent variable is measured at a nominal level. Like all non-parametric statistics, the Chi-square is robust with respect to the distribution of the data. Specifically, it does not require equality of variances among the study groups or homoscedasticity in the data. It permits evaluation of both dichotomous independent variables, and of multiple group studies. Unlike many other non-parametric and some parametric statistics, the calculations needed to compute the Chi-square provide considerable information about how each of the groups performed in the study. This richness of detail allows the researcher to understand the results and thus to derive more detailed information from this statistic than from many others. The Chi-square is a significance statistic, and should be followed with a strength statistic. The Cramer's V is the most common strength test used to test the data when a significant Chi-square result has been obtained. Advantages of the Chi-square include its robustness with respect to distribution of the data, its ease of computation, the detailed information that can be derived from the test, its use in studies for which parametric assumptions cannot be met, and its flexibility in handling data from both two group and multiple group studies. Limitations include its sample size requirements, difficulty of interpretation when there are large numbers of categories (20 or more) in the independent or dependent variables, and tendency of the Cramer's V to produce relative low correlation measures, even for highly significant results.

Simulation of Autonomic Logistics System (ALS) Sortie Generation

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-03-01

84 Appendix B. ANOVA Assumptions Mission Capable Rate ANOVA Assumptions Constant Variance SSR # X cols SSE n Breusch - Pagan Chi-square 3.57E...85 Flying Scheduling Effectiveness ANOVA Assumptions Constant Variance SSR # X cols SSE n Breusch - Pagan Chi-square 2.12E-10 3 0.000816 270...Constant Variance SSR # X cols SSE n Breusch - Pagan Chi-square 1.86E-09 3 0.003758 270 3.20308814 0.9556957 Independence Durbin-Watson

[Music therapy and regional anesthesia in orthopedic surgery].

PubMed

Rupérez Ruiz, Ma Pilar; De San José, Isabel; Hermoso Montoya, Anna; Ferreira Valencia, Teresa; Gómez Sanz, Amelia; López Gutiérrez, Anna

2014-06-01

To evaluate the sedative effects, intra-operation, of music therapy in orthopedic surgery patients with locoregional anesthesia in the Hospital Clínic i Provincial of Barcelona. Prospective comparative study on a random sample of 110 patients undergoing or not music therapy. The degree of anxiety was assessed with the Questionnaire STAIC. The application of the music was done with a MP3 player and headphones. The collected data were analyzed with Excel. For the statistical analysis we used the SPSS-18 software and Chi-square test to test the hypothesis of whether there was relationship between the level of peace and music therapy. After the analysis, the results of Chi-square were in the group of no sedation with/without music Chi2 = 2.01, P = 0.35. The statistical significance level was p < 0.05. No relationship was found between hearing music or not and the patient's comfort level. Most patients recommend listening to music in the operating room despite the sounds around do not bother them.

On the appropriateness of applying chi-square distribution based confidence intervals to spectral estimates of helicopter flyover data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rutledge, Charles K.

1988-01-01

The validity of applying chi-square based confidence intervals to far-field acoustic flyover spectral estimates was investigated. Simulated data, using a Kendall series and experimental acoustic data from the NASA/McDonnell Douglas 500E acoustics test, were analyzed. Statistical significance tests to determine the equality of distributions of the simulated and experimental data relative to theoretical chi-square distributions were performed. Bias and uncertainty errors associated with the spectral estimates were easily identified from the data sets. A model relating the uncertainty and bias errors to the estimates resulted, which aided in determining the appropriateness of the chi-square distribution based confidence intervals. Such confidence intervals were appropriate for nontonally associated frequencies of the experimental data but were inappropriate for tonally associated estimate distributions. The appropriateness at the tonally associated frequencies was indicated by the presence of bias error and noncomformity of the distributions to the theoretical chi-square distribution. A technique for determining appropriate confidence intervals at the tonally associated frequencies was suggested.

Filter Tuning Using the Chi-Squared Statistic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lilly-Salkowski, Tyler B.

2017-01-01

This paper examines the use of the Chi-square statistic as a means of evaluating filter performance. The goal of the process is to characterize the filter performance in the metric of covariance realism. The Chi-squared statistic is the value calculated to determine the realism of a covariance based on the prediction accuracy and the covariance values at a given point in time. Once calculated, it is the distribution of this statistic that provides insight on the accuracy of the covariance. The process of tuning an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) for Aqua and Aura support is described, including examination of the measurement errors of available observation types, and methods of dealing with potentially volatile atmospheric drag modeling. Predictive accuracy and the distribution of the Chi-squared statistic, calculated from EKF solutions, are assessed.

Chi-squared and C statistic minimization for low count per bin data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nousek, John A.; Shue, David R.

1989-07-01

Results are presented from a computer simulation comparing two statistical fitting techniques on data samples with large and small counts per bin; the results are then related specifically to X-ray astronomy. The Marquardt and Powell minimization techniques are compared by using both to minimize the chi-squared statistic. In addition, Cash's C statistic is applied, with Powell's method, and it is shown that the C statistic produces better fits in the low-count regime than chi-squared.

Chi-squared and C statistic minimization for low count per bin data. [sampling in X ray astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nousek, John A.; Shue, David R.

1989-01-01

Results are presented from a computer simulation comparing two statistical fitting techniques on data samples with large and small counts per bin; the results are then related specifically to X-ray astronomy. The Marquardt and Powell minimization techniques are compared by using both to minimize the chi-squared statistic. In addition, Cash's C statistic is applied, with Powell's method, and it is shown that the C statistic produces better fits in the low-count regime than chi-squared.

Measurement of sigma chi c2 B(chi c2-->J/psi gamma)/sigma chi c1 B(chi c1 -->J/psi gamma) in pp collisions at square root s=1.96 TeV.

PubMed

Abulencia, A; Adelman, J; Affolder, T; Akimoto, T; Albrow, M G; Ambrose, D; Amerio, S; Amidei, D; Anastassov, A; Anikeev, K; Annovi, A; Antos, J; Aoki, M; Apollinari, G; Arguin, J-F; Arisawa, T; Artikov, A; Ashmanskas, W; Attal, A; Azfar, F; Azzi-Bacchetta, P; Azzurri, P; Bacchetta, N; Badgett, W; Barbaro-Galtieri, A; Barnes, V E; Barnett, B A; Baroiant, S; Bartsch, V; Bauer, G; Bedeschi, F; Behari, S; Belforte, S; Bellettini, G; Bellinger, J; Belloni, A; Benjamin, D; Beretvas, A; Beringer, J; Berry, T; Bhatti, A; Binkley, M; Bisello, D; Blair, R E; Blocker, C; Blumenfeld, B; Bocci, A; Bodek, A; Boisvert, V; Bolla, G; Bolshov, A; Bortoletto, D; Boudreau, J; Boveia, A; Brau, B; Brigliadori, L; Bromberg, C; Brubaker, E; Budagov, J; Budd, H S; Budd, S; Budroni, S; Burkett, K; Busetto, G; Bussey, P; Byrum, K L; Cabrera, S; Campanelli, M; Campbell, M; Canelli, F; Canepa, A; Carillo, S; Carlsmith, D; Carosi, R; Carron, S; Casarsa, M; Castro, A; Catastini, P; Cauz, D; Cavalli-Sforza, M; Cerri, A; Cerrito, L; Chang, S H; Chen, Y C; Chertok, M; Chiarelli, G; Chlachidze, G; Chlebana, F; Cho, I; Cho, K; Chokheli, D; Chou, J P; Choudalakis, G; Chuang, S H; Chung, K; Chung, W H; Chung, Y S; Ciljak, M; Ciobanu, C I; Ciocci, M A; Clark, A; Clark, D; Coca, M; Compostella, G; Convery, M E; Conway, J; Cooper, B; Copic, K; Cordelli, M; Cortiana, G; Crescioli, F; Cuenca Almenar, C; Cuevas, J; Culbertson, R; Cully, J C; Cyr, D; DaRonco, S; Datta, M; D'Auria, S; Davies, T; D'Onofrio, M; Dagenhart, D; de Barbaro, P; De Cecco, S; Deisher, A; De Lentdecker, G; Dell'Orso, M; Delli Paoli, F; Demortier, L; Deng, J; Deninno, M; De Pedis, D; Derwent, P F; Di Giovanni, G P; Dionisi, C; Di Ruzza, B; Dittmann, J R; DiTuro, P; Dörr, C; Donati, S; Donega, M; Dong, P; Donini, J; Dorigo, T; Dube, S; Efron, J; Erbacher, R; Errede, D; Errede, S; Eusebi, R; Fang, H C; Farrington, S; Fedorko, I; Fedorko, W T; Feild, R G; Feindt, M; Fernandez, J P; Field, R; Flanagan, G; Foland, A; Forrester, S; Foster, G W; Franklin, M; 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Paramonov, A A; Parks, B; Pashapour, S; Patrick, J; Pauletta, G; Paulini, M; Paus, C; Pellett, D E; Penzo, A; Phillips, T J; Piacentino, G; Piedra, J; Pinera, L; Pitts, K; Plager, C; Pondrom, L; Portell, X; Poukhov, O; Pounder, N; Prakoshyn, F; Pronko, A; Proudfoot, J; Ptohos, F; Punzi, G; Pursley, J; Rademacker, J; Rahaman, A; Ranjan, N; Rappoccio, S; Reisert, B; Rekovic, V; Renton, P; Rescigno, M; Richter, S; Rimondi, F; Ristori, L; Robson, A; Rodrigo, T; Rogers, E; Rolli, S; Roser, R; Rossi, M; Rossin, R; Ruiz, A; Russ, J; Rusu, V; Saarikko, H; Sabik, S; Safonov, A; Sakumoto, W K; Salamanna, G; Saltó, O; Saltzberg, D; Sánchez, C; Santi, L; Sarkar, S; Sartori, L; Sato, K; Savard, P; Savoy-Navarro, A; Scheidle, T; Schlabach, P; Schmidt, E E; Schmidt, M P; Schmitt, M; Schwarz, T; Scodellaro, L; Scott, A L; Scribano, A; Scuri, F; Sedov, A; Seidel, S; Seiya, Y; Semenov, A; Sexton-Kennedy, L; Sfyrla, A; Shapiro, M D; Shears, T; Shepard, P F; Sherman, D; Shimojima, M; Shochet, M; Shon, Y; Shreyber, I; Sidoti, A; Sinervo, P; Sisakyan, A; Sjolin, J; Slaughter, A J; Slaunwhite, J; Sliwa, K; Smith, J R; Snider, F D; Snihur, R; Soderberg, M; Soha, A; Somalwar, S; Sorin, V; Spalding, J; Spinella, F; Spreitzer, T; Squillacioti, P; Stanitzki, M; Staveris-Polykalas, A; St Denis, R; Stelzer, B; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stentz, D; Strologas, J; Stuart, D; Suh, J S; Sukhanov, A; Sun, H; Suzuki, T; Taffard, A; Takashima, R; Takeuchi, Y; Takikawa, K; Tanaka, M; Tanaka, R; Tecchio, M; Teng, P K; Terashi, K; Thom, J; Thompson, A S; Thomson, E; Tipton, P; Tiwari, V; Tkaczyk, S; Toback, D; Tokar, S; Tollefson, K; Tomura, T; Tonelli, D; Torre, S; Torretta, D; Tourneur, S; Trischuk, W; Tsuchiya, R; Tsuno, S; Turini, N; Ukegawa, F; Unverhau, T; Uozumi, S; Usynin, D; Vallecorsa, S; van Remortel, N; Varganov, A; Vataga, E; Vázquez, F; Velev, G; Veramendi, G; Veszpremi, V; Vidal, R; Vila, I; Vilar, R; Vine, T; Vollrath, I; Volobouev, I; Volpi, G; Würthwein, F; Wagner, P; Wagner, R G; Wagner, R L; Wagner, J; Wagner, W; Wallny, R; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Waschke, S; Waters, D; Weinberger, M; Wester, W C; Whitehouse, B; Whiteson, D; Wicklund, A B; Wicklund, E; Williams, G; Williams, H H; Wilson, P; Winer, B L; Wittich, P; Wolbers, S; Wolfe, C; Wright, T; Wu, X; Wynne, S M; Yagil, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamaoka, J; Yamashita, T; Yang, C; Yang, U K; Yang, Y C; Yao, W M; Yeh, G P; Yoh, J; Yorita, K; Yoshida, T; Yu, G B; Yu, I; Yu, S S; Yun, J C; Zanello, L; Zanetti, A; Zaw, I; Zhang, X; Zhou, J; Zucchelli, S

2007-06-08

We measure the ratio of cross section times branching fraction, Rp=sigma chi c2 B(chi c2-->J/psi gamma)/sigma chi c1 B(chi c1-->J/psi gamma), in 1.1 fb(-1) of pp collisions at square root s=1.96 TeV. This measurement covers the kinematic range pT(J/psi)>4.0 GeV/c, |eta(J/psi)<1.0, and pT(gamma)>1.0 GeV/c. For events due to prompt processes, we find Rp=0.395+/-0.016(stat)+/-0.015(syst). This result represents a significant improvement in precision over previous measurements of prompt chi c1,2 hadro production.

The Impact of School Socioeconomic Status on Student-Generated Teacher Ratings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agnew, Steve

2011-01-01

This paper uses ordinary least squares, logit and probit regressions, along with chi-square analysis applied to nationwide data from the New Zealand ratemyteacher website to establish if there is any correlation between student ratings of their teachers and the socioeconomic status of the school the students attend. The results show that students…

Risk analysis in cohort studies with heterogeneous strata. A global chi2-test for dose-response relationship, generalizing the Mantel-Haenszel procedure.

PubMed

Ahlborn, W; Tuz, H J; Uberla, K

1990-03-01

In cohort studies the Mantel-Haenszel estimator ORMH is computed from sample data and is used as a point estimator of relative risk. Test-based confidence intervals are estimated with the help of the asymptotic chi-squared distributed MH-statistic chi 2MHS. The Mantel-extension-chi-squared is used as a test statistic for a dose-response relationship. Both test statistics--the Mantel-Haenszel-chi as well as the Mantel-extension-chi--assume homogeneity of risk across strata, which is rarely present. Also an extended nonparametric statistic, proposed by Terpstra, which is based on the Mann-Whitney-statistics assumes homogeneity of risk across strata. We have earlier defined four risk measures RRkj (k = 1,2,...,4) in the population and considered their estimates and the corresponding asymptotic distributions. In order to overcome the homogeneity assumption we use the delta-method to get "test-based" confidence intervals. Because the four risk measures RRkj are presented as functions of four weights gik we give, consequently, the asymptotic variances of these risk estimators also as functions of the weights gik in a closed form. Approximations to these variances are given. For testing a dose-response relationship we propose a new class of chi 2(1)-distributed global measures Gk and the corresponding global chi 2-test. In contrast to the Mantel-extension-chi homogeneity of risk across strata must not be assumed. These global test statistics are of the Wald type for composite hypotheses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Selecting predictors for discriminant analysis of species performance: an example from an amphibious softwater plant.

PubMed

Vanderhaeghe, F; Smolders, A J P; Roelofs, J G M; Hoffmann, M

2012-03-01

Selecting an appropriate variable subset in linear multivariate methods is an important methodological issue for ecologists. Interest often exists in obtaining general predictive capacity or in finding causal inferences from predictor variables. Because of a lack of solid knowledge on a studied phenomenon, scientists explore predictor variables in order to find the most meaningful (i.e. discriminating) ones. As an example, we modelled the response of the amphibious softwater plant Eleocharis multicaulis using canonical discriminant function analysis. We asked how variables can be selected through comparison of several methods: univariate Pearson chi-square screening, principal components analysis (PCA) and step-wise analysis, as well as combinations of some methods. We expected PCA to perform best. The selected methods were evaluated through fit and stability of the resulting discriminant functions and through correlations between these functions and the predictor variables. The chi-square subset, at P < 0.05, followed by a step-wise sub-selection, gave the best results. In contrast to expectations, PCA performed poorly, as so did step-wise analysis. The different chi-square subset methods all yielded ecologically meaningful variables, while probable noise variables were also selected by PCA and step-wise analysis. We advise against the simple use of PCA or step-wise discriminant analysis to obtain an ecologically meaningful variable subset; the former because it does not take into account the response variable, the latter because noise variables are likely to be selected. We suggest that univariate screening techniques are a worthwhile alternative for variable selection in ecology. © 2011 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Environmental justice assessment for transportation : risk analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-04-01

This paper presents methods of comparing populations and their racial/ethnic compositions using tabulations, histograms, and Chi Squared tests for statistical significance of differences found. Two examples of these methods are presented: comparison ...

Generalizing Terwilliger's likelihood approach: a new score statistic to test for genetic association.

PubMed

el Galta, Rachid; Uitte de Willige, Shirley; de Visser, Marieke C H; Helmer, Quinta; Hsu, Li; Houwing-Duistermaat, Jeanine J

2007-09-24

In this paper, we propose a one degree of freedom test for association between a candidate gene and a binary trait. This method is a generalization of Terwilliger's likelihood ratio statistic and is especially powerful for the situation of one associated haplotype. As an alternative to the likelihood ratio statistic, we derive a score statistic, which has a tractable expression. For haplotype analysis, we assume that phase is known. By means of a simulation study, we compare the performance of the score statistic to Pearson's chi-square statistic and the likelihood ratio statistic proposed by Terwilliger. We illustrate the method on three candidate genes studied in the Leiden Thrombophilia Study. We conclude that the statistic follows a chi square distribution under the null hypothesis and that the score statistic is more powerful than Terwilliger's likelihood ratio statistic when the associated haplotype has frequency between 0.1 and 0.4 and has a small impact on the studied disorder. With regard to Pearson's chi-square statistic, the score statistic has more power when the associated haplotype has frequency above 0.2 and the number of variants is above five.

Pearson-type goodness-of-fit test with bootstrap maximum likelihood estimation.

PubMed

Yin, Guosheng; Ma, Yanyuan

2013-01-01

The Pearson test statistic is constructed by partitioning the data into bins and computing the difference between the observed and expected counts in these bins. If the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of the original data is used, the statistic generally does not follow a chi-squared distribution or any explicit distribution. We propose a bootstrap-based modification of the Pearson test statistic to recover the chi-squared distribution. We compute the observed and expected counts in the partitioned bins by using the MLE obtained from a bootstrap sample. This bootstrap-sample MLE adjusts exactly the right amount of randomness to the test statistic, and recovers the chi-squared distribution. The bootstrap chi-squared test is easy to implement, as it only requires fitting exactly the same model to the bootstrap data to obtain the corresponding MLE, and then constructs the bin counts based on the original data. We examine the test size and power of the new model diagnostic procedure using simulation studies and illustrate it with a real data set.

Herd-level risk factors for bovine viral diarrhea infection in cattle of Tamil Nadu.

PubMed

Kumar, Subbiah Krishna; Palanivel, K M; Sukumar, K; Ronald, B Samuel Masilamoni; Selvaraju, G; Ponnudurai, G

2018-04-01

A cross-sectional study was carried out to identify risk factors for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in 62 randomly selected dairy herds which were tested for BVD serum antibodies by using an indirect ELISA kit (IDEXX). Results from the chi-square test analysis were interpreted by analyzing by chi-square test. A sum of 500 sera samples were screened and 66 animals (13.20%) showed positive for BVDV antibody. Within herd, BVD seroprevalence was 12-65%. This study concluded that epidemiological risk factors like location, herd size, housing patterns like, tail to tail system, roofing pattern, distance between the manure pit and farm, and distance between farms were significantly associated with BVDV serological status (P < 0.05).

Double asymptotics for the chi-square statistic.

PubMed

Rempała, Grzegorz A; Wesołowski, Jacek

2016-12-01

Consider distributional limit of the Pearson chi-square statistic when the number of classes m n increases with the sample size n and [Formula: see text]. Under mild moment conditions, the limit is Gaussian for λ = ∞, Poisson for finite λ > 0, and degenerate for λ = 0.

Chronobiology of acute aortic rupture or dissection: a systematic review and a meta-analysis of the literature.

PubMed

Vitale, Josè; Manfredini, Roberto; Gallerani, Massimo; Mumoli, Nicola; Eagle, Kim A; Ageno, Walter; Dentali, Francesco

2015-04-01

Identification and quantification higher risk incidence of aortic rupture or dissection (AARD) could be of clinical interest and improve preventive strategies. Several studies and subsequent meta-analyses have shown chronobiologic variations in the timing of occurrence of myocardial infarction, stroke, and pulmonary embolism. Conversely, such evidences are currently lacking for AARD despite a number of studies available dealing with periodicity. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched up to July 2013. Temporal variation in the incidence of AARD was analyzed including all studies analyzing seasonal, monthly, weekly, and circadian aggregations. Two authors independently reviewed and extracted data. Forty-two studies for a total of more than 80 000 patients were included. Our results showed a significantly increased incidence of AARD in Winter (Chi-square 854.92, p < 0.001), with a relative risk (RR) of 1.171 (99% CI 1.169, 1.172), in December (Chi-square 361.03, p < 0.001), RR of 1.142 (99% CI 1.141, 1.143), on Monday (Chi-square 428.09, p < 0.001), RR of 1.214 (99% CI 1.211, 1.216), and in the hours between 6 am and 12 pm (Chi-square 212.02, p < 0.001), RR of 1.585 (99% CI 1.562, 1.609). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses confirmed the results of principal analyses. Our data strongly support the presence of evident rhythmic patterns in the incidence of acute aortic events, characterized by significantly higher risk in Winter, in December, on Monday and between 6 am and 12 pm. Future studies are needed to better clarify the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications.

The Chi-Square Test: Often Used and More Often Misinterpreted

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franke, Todd Michael; Ho, Timothy; Christie, Christina A.

2012-01-01

The examination of cross-classified category data is common in evaluation and research, with Karl Pearson's family of chi-square tests representing one of the most utilized statistical analyses for answering questions about the association or difference between categorical variables. Unfortunately, these tests are also among the more commonly…

Principles and Practice of Scaled Difference Chi-Square Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Fred B.; Satorra, Albert

2012-01-01

We highlight critical conceptual and statistical issues and how to resolve them in conducting Satorra-Bentler (SB) scaled difference chi-square tests. Concerning the original (Satorra & Bentler, 2001) and new (Satorra & Bentler, 2010) scaled difference tests, a fundamental difference exists in how to compute properly a model's scaling correction…

Calibration of Self-Efficacy for Conducting a Chi-Squared Test of Independence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmerman, Whitney Alicia; Goins, Deborah D.

2015-01-01

Self-efficacy and knowledge, both concerning the chi-squared test of independence, were examined in education graduate students. Participants rated statements concerning self-efficacy and completed a related knowledge assessment. After completing a demographic survey, participants completed the self-efficacy and knowledge scales a second time.…

Gender Differences in Students' Mathematics Game Playing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowrie, Tom; Jorgensen, Robyn

2011-01-01

The investigation monitored the digital game-playing behaviours of 428 primary-aged students (aged 10-12 years). Chi-square analysis revealed that boys tend to spend more time playing digital games than girls while boys and girls play quite different game genres. Subsequent analysis revealed statistically significant gender differences in terms of…

Examples of Data Analysis with SPSS-X.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacFarland, Thomas W.

Intended for classroom use only, these unpublished notes contain computer lessons on descriptive statistics using SPSS-X Release 3.0 for VAX/UNIX. Statistical measures covered include Chi-square analysis; Spearman's rank correlation coefficient; Student's t-test with two independent samples; Student's t-test with a paired sample; One-way analysis…

ATLAS particle detector CSC ROD software design and implementation, and, Addition of K physics to chi-squared analysis of FDQM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawkins, Donovan Lee

In this thesis I present a software framework for use on the ATLAS muon CSC readout driver. This C++ framework uses plug-in Decoders incorporating hand-optimized assembly language routines to perform sparsification and data formatting. The software is designed with both flexibility and performance in mind, and runs on a custom 9U VME board using Texas Instruments TMS360C6203 digital signal processors. I describe the requirements of the software, the methods used in its design, and the results of testing the software with simulated data. I also present modifications to a chi-squared analysis of the Standard Model and Four Down Quark Model (FDQM) originally done by Dr. Dennis Silverman. The addition of four new experiments to the analysis has little effect on the Standard Model but provides important new restrictions on the FDQM. The method used to incorporate these new experiments is presented, and the consequences of their addition are reviewed.

Study of Spiritual Intelligence and Adjustment Among Arts and Science College Students.

PubMed

Devi, R Kalpana; Rajesh, Nakulan V; Devi, M Anisha

2017-06-01

A study to evaluate the relationship between the spiritual intelligence and adjustment among the college students was conducted on a sample of 250 students in six various colleges of Tuticorin district, Tamil Nadu, India. Gender, religion, community, major subject, educational qualification of father and mother, student locality, college type, father and mother's occupation and monthly family income (n = 11 variables) were chosen for the study. Test of significance for spiritual intelligence and adjustment was studied and found them nonsignificant except student locality, found to be significant. Two valid and reliable instruments were used to assess student's spiritual intelligence and adjustment. Correlation and Chi-square analysis using structural equation model were used to analyze these data. Correlation analysis showed significant relationship between the variables among the college students (n = 250). Chi-square analysis of association between adjustments of college students showed that most variables are nonsignificant unlike father's educational qualification and mother's occupation. The results disclosed the significant positive relationship with spiritual intelligence and adjustment among adolescents.

Aircraft accidents by older persons.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1967-10-01

During 1965 there were 450,494 certificated general aviation pilots in the United States, of which 9,826 were over sixty years old. Within this group there were 108 accidents, 17 of which were fatal. Statistical analysis (chi square) revealed that th...

ACCURACY OF SELF-REPORTED FOOT STRIKE PATTERN IN INTERCOLLEGIATE AND RECREATIONAL RUNNERS DURING SHOD RUNNING

PubMed Central

Bade, Michael B.; Aaron, Katie

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Background Clinicians are interested in the foot strike pattern (FSP) in runners because of the suggested relationship between the strike pattern and lower extremity injury. Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of collegiate cross-country runners and recreational runners to self-report their foot strike pattern during running. Study Design Cross-sectional Study Methods Twenty-three collegiate cross-country and 23 recreational runners voluntarily consented to participate. Inclusion criteria included running at least 18 miles per week, experience running on a treadmill, no history of lower extremity congenital or traumatic deformity, or acute injury three months prior to the start of the study. All participants completed a pre-test survey to indicate their typical foot strike pattern during a training run (FSPSurvey). Prior to running, reflective markers were placed on the posterior midsole and the vamp of the running shoe. A high-speed camera was used to film each runner in standing and while running at his or her preferred speed on a treadmill. The angle between the vector formed by the two reflective markers and the superior surface of the treadmill was used to calculate the foot strike angle (FSA). To determine the foot strike pattern from the video data (FSPVideo), the static standing angle was subtracted from the FSA at initial contact of the shoe on the treadmill. In addition to descriptive statistics, percent agreement and Chi square analysis was used to determine distribution differences between the video analysis results and the survey. Results The results of the chi-square analysis on the distribution of the FSPSurvey in comparison to the FSPVideo were significantly different for both the XCRunners (p < .01; Chi-square = 8.77) and the REC Runners (p < .0002; Chi-square = 16.70). The cross-country and recreational runners could correctly self-identified their foot strike pattern 56.5% and 43.5% of the time, respectively. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that the clinician cannot depend on an experienced runner to correctly self-identify their FSP. Clinicians interested in knowing the FSP of a runner should consider performing the two-dimensional video analysis described in this paper. Level of Evidence 3 PMID:27274421

Predictors of Relapse after Discontinuing Systemic Treatment in Childhood Autoimmune Chronic Uveitis.

PubMed

Simonini, Gabriele; Bracaglia, Claudia; Cattalini, Marco; Taddio, Andrea; Brambilla, Alice; De Libero, Cinzia; Pires Marafon, Denise; Caputo, Roberto; Cimaz, Rolando

2017-06-01

To identify clinical predictors of relapse in childhood autoimmune chronic uveitis after stopping systemic treatment. A retrospective, multicenter, cohort study. Ninety-four children in remission, receiving no treatments and with at least a 6-month followup, were enrolled. A higher probability of maintaining remission after discontinuing treatment was shown in idiopathic compared with juvenile idiopathic arthritis uveitis (Mantel-Cox chi-square = 23.21) if inactivity had been obtained within 6 months from starting systemic treatment (Mantel-Cox chi-square = 24.17) and by antitumor necrosis factor-α treatment (Mantel-Cox chi-square = 6.43). Type of disease, time, and type of systemic therapy to achieve inactivity predict different duration of uveitis remission after treatment withdrawal.

Performance of the S - [chi][squared] Statistic for Full-Information Bifactor Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Ying; Rupp, Andre A.

2011-01-01

This study investigated the Type I error rate and power of the multivariate extension of the S - [chi][squared] statistic using unidimensional and multidimensional item response theory (UIRT and MIRT, respectively) models as well as full-information bifactor (FI-bifactor) models through simulation. Manipulated factors included test length, sample…

Normal versus Noncentral Chi-Square Asymptotics of Misspecified Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chun, So Yeon; Shapiro, Alexander

2009-01-01

The noncentral chi-square approximation of the distribution of the likelihood ratio (LR) test statistic is a critical part of the methodology in structural equation modeling. Recently, it was argued by some authors that in certain situations normal distributions may give a better approximation of the distribution of the LR test statistic. The main…

F-Test Alternatives to Fisher's Exact Test and to the Chi-Square Test of Homogeneity in 2x2 Tables.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Overall, John E.; Starbuck, Robert R.

1983-01-01

An alternative to Fisher's exact test and the chi-square test for homogeneity in two-by-two tables is developed. The method provides for Type I error rates which are closer to the stated alpha level than either of the alternatives. (JKS)

Optimal iodine-131 dose for eliminating hyperthyroidism in Graves' disease

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nordyke, R.A.; Gilbert, F.I. Jr.

1991-03-01

Since hypothyroidism is commonplace after treatment of Graves' disease with radioiodine, the goal should be cure of hyperthyroidism rather than avoidance of hypothyroidism. To find the optimal dose to accomplish cure, we treated 605 patients with stepwise increasing doses of 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 mCi, analyzing the relationship of dose, age, sex, gland weight, and thyroidal uptake to cure. Estimates of cure at doses above 10 mCi were made from the literature. Cure was directly related to dose between 5 and 10 mCi. There was no significant relationship between cure and age (chi-square, p = 0.74), sexmore » (chi-square, p = 0.12), and 24-hr uptake if over 30% (chi-square for slope, p greater than 0.10). Cure and gland weight had an inverse relationship (chi-square for slope, 0.01 less than p less than 0.02). We concluded that the optimal 131I dose for curing hyperthyroidism is approximated by starting with 10 mCi and increasing it for unusually large glands or for special patient circumstances.« less

False star detection and isolation during star tracking based on improved chi-square tests.

PubMed

Zhang, Hao; Niu, Yanxiong; Lu, Jiazhen; Yang, Yanqiang; Su, Guohua

2017-08-01

The star sensor is a precise attitude measurement device for a spacecraft. Star tracking is the main and key working mode for a star sensor. However, during star tracking, false stars become an inevitable interference for star sensor applications, which may result in declined measurement accuracy. A false star detection and isolation algorithm in star tracking based on improved chi-square tests is proposed in this paper. Two estimations are established based on a Kalman filter and a priori information, respectively. The false star detection is operated through adopting the global state chi-square test in a Kalman filter. The false star isolation is achieved using a local state chi-square test. Semi-physical experiments under different trajectories with various false stars are designed for verification. Experiment results show that various false stars can be detected and isolated from navigation stars during star tracking, and the attitude measurement accuracy is hardly influenced by false stars. The proposed algorithm is proved to have an excellent performance in terms of speed, stability, and robustness.

Cost Growth in Weapons Systems: Re-examining Rubber Baselines and Economic Factors

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

committee members for their support in this endeavor. They allowed me to test my econometric limits without performing the analysis for me. I...Bruesch-Pagan Het Test Ramsey Omitted Variable Test 6 The adjusted r-squared value indicates that this model explains nearly 16% of the factors...Observations 1150 Chi2(1) 69.01 P(Chi) 0.0000 F(3, 1139) 7.22 P(F) 0.0001 Bruesch-Pagan Het Test Ramsey Omitted Variable Test The results of these two

FORESEE: Fully Outsourced secuRe gEnome Study basEd on homomorphic Encryption

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background The increasing availability of genome data motivates massive research studies in personalized treatment and precision medicine. Public cloud services provide a flexible way to mitigate the storage and computation burden in conducting genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, data privacy has been widely concerned when sharing the sensitive information in a cloud environment. Methods We presented a novel framework (FORESEE: Fully Outsourced secuRe gEnome Study basEd on homomorphic Encryption) to fully outsource GWAS (i.e., chi-square statistic computation) using homomorphic encryption. The proposed framework enables secure divisions over encrypted data. We introduced two division protocols (i.e., secure errorless division and secure approximation division) with a trade-off between complexity and accuracy in computing chi-square statistics. Results The proposed framework was evaluated for the task of chi-square statistic computation with two case-control datasets from the 2015 iDASH genome privacy protection challenge. Experimental results show that the performance of FORESEE can be significantly improved through algorithmic optimization and parallel computation. Remarkably, the secure approximation division provides significant performance gain, but without missing any significance SNPs in the chi-square association test using the aforementioned datasets. Conclusions Unlike many existing HME based studies, in which final results need to be computed by the data owner due to the lack of the secure division operation, the proposed FORESEE framework support complete outsourcing to the cloud and output the final encrypted chi-square statistics. PMID:26733391

Chi-square-based scoring function for categorization of MEDLINE citations.

PubMed

Kastrin, A; Peterlin, B; Hristovski, D

2010-01-01

Text categorization has been used in biomedical informatics for identifying documents containing relevant topics of interest. We developed a simple method that uses a chi-square-based scoring function to determine the likelihood of MEDLINE citations containing genetic relevant topic. Our procedure requires construction of a genetic and a nongenetic domain document corpus. We used MeSH descriptors assigned to MEDLINE citations for this categorization task. We compared frequencies of MeSH descriptors between two corpora applying chi-square test. A MeSH descriptor was considered to be a positive indicator if its relative observed frequency in the genetic domain corpus was greater than its relative observed frequency in the nongenetic domain corpus. The output of the proposed method is a list of scores for all the citations, with the highest score given to those citations containing MeSH descriptors typical for the genetic domain. Validation was done on a set of 734 manually annotated MEDLINE citations. It achieved predictive accuracy of 0.87 with 0.69 recall and 0.64 precision. We evaluated the method by comparing it to three machine-learning algorithms (support vector machines, decision trees, naïve Bayes). Although the differences were not statistically significantly different, results showed that our chi-square scoring performs as good as compared machine-learning algorithms. We suggest that the chi-square scoring is an effective solution to help categorize MEDLINE citations. The algorithm is implemented in the BITOLA literature-based discovery support system as a preprocessor for gene symbol disambiguation process.

FORESEE: Fully Outsourced secuRe gEnome Study basEd on homomorphic Encryption.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuchen; Dai, Wenrui; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Xiong, Hongkai; Wang, Shuang

2015-01-01

The increasing availability of genome data motivates massive research studies in personalized treatment and precision medicine. Public cloud services provide a flexible way to mitigate the storage and computation burden in conducting genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, data privacy has been widely concerned when sharing the sensitive information in a cloud environment. We presented a novel framework (FORESEE: Fully Outsourced secuRe gEnome Study basEd on homomorphic Encryption) to fully outsource GWAS (i.e., chi-square statistic computation) using homomorphic encryption. The proposed framework enables secure divisions over encrypted data. We introduced two division protocols (i.e., secure errorless division and secure approximation division) with a trade-off between complexity and accuracy in computing chi-square statistics. The proposed framework was evaluated for the task of chi-square statistic computation with two case-control datasets from the 2015 iDASH genome privacy protection challenge. Experimental results show that the performance of FORESEE can be significantly improved through algorithmic optimization and parallel computation. Remarkably, the secure approximation division provides significant performance gain, but without missing any significance SNPs in the chi-square association test using the aforementioned datasets. Unlike many existing HME based studies, in which final results need to be computed by the data owner due to the lack of the secure division operation, the proposed FORESEE framework support complete outsourcing to the cloud and output the final encrypted chi-square statistics.

Fatigue during treatment with antiepileptic drugs: A levetiracetam-specific adverse event?

PubMed

Mula, Marco; von Oertzen, Tim J; Cock, Hannah R; Yogarajah, Mahinda; Lozsadi, Dora A; Agrawal, Niruj

2017-07-01

To examine the prevalence and clinical correlates of fatigue as an adverse event (AE) of antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment in patients with epilepsy. Data from 443 adult outpatients with epilepsy assessed with the Adverse Event Profile (AEP) and the Neurological Disorder Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDIE) were analysed. Fatigue is reported by 36.6% of patients as always a problem during AED treatment. Fatigue is more likely to be reported by females (64.8% vs. 35.2%; Chi-Square=16.762; df=3; p=0.001) and during treatment with levetiracetam (42.3% vs. 33.2%; Chi-Square=11.462; df=3; p=0.009). The associations with the female gender and levetiracetam treatment were not mediated by depression, as identified with the NDDIE, and could not be simply explained by the large number of subjects on levetiracetam treatment, as analogous figures resulted from the analysis of a monotherapy subsample (41.7% vs. 30.3%; Chi-Square=11.547; df=3; p=0.009). One third of patients with epilepsy reports fatigue as a significant problem during AED treatment. Fatigue is more likely to be reported by females and seems to be specifically associated with LEV treatment. However, fatigue is not mediated by a negative effect of LEV on mood. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Search for WIMP Dark Matter Using an Optimized Chi-square Technique on the Final Data from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search Experiment (CDMS II)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Manungu Kiveni, Joseph

2012-12-01

This dissertation describes the results of a WIMP search using CDMS II data sets accumulated at the Soudan Underground Laboratory in Minnesota. Results from the original analysis of these data were published in 2009; two events were observed in the signal region with an expected leakage of 0.9 events. Further investigation revealed an issue with the ionization-pulse reconstruction algorithm leading to a software upgrade and a subsequent reanalysis of the data. As part of the reanalysis, I performed an advanced discrimination technique to better distinguish (potential) signal events from backgrounds using a 5-dimensional chi-square method. This dataanalysis technique combines themore » event information recorded for each WIMP-search event to derive a backgrounddiscrimination parameter capable of reducing the expected background to less than one event, while maintaining high efficiency for signal events. Furthermore, optimizing the cut positions of this 5-dimensional chi-square parameter for the 14 viable germanium detectors yields an improved expected sensitivity to WIMP interactions relative to previous CDMS results. This dissertation describes my improved (and optimized) discrimination technique and the results obtained from a blind application to the reanalyzed CDMS II WIMP-search data.« less

CHAID Analysis to Determine Socioeconomic Variables That Explain Students' Academic Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Önder, Emine; Uyar, Seyma

2017-01-01

This study aims to determine students' characteristics that predict their academic success. The study group consisted of 4,229 students studying at middle schools in Burdur. The data were collected using a questionnaire in the 2014-2015 academic year and analyzed using CHAID (Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection) analysis, a type of…

Patterns of Library Use by Undergraduate Students in a Chilean University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jara, Magdalena; Clasing, Paula; Gonzalez, Carlos; Montenegro, Maximiliano; Kelly, Nick; Alarcón, Rosa; Sandoval, Augusto; Saurina, Elvira

2017-01-01

This paper explores the patterns of use of print materials and digital resources in an undergraduate library in a Chilean university, by the students' discipline and year of study. A quantitative analysis was carried out, including descriptive analysis of contingency tables, chi-squared tests, t-tests, and multiple linear regressions. The results…

A comparison of the prognostic value of preoperative inflammation-based scores and TNM stage in patients with gastric cancer.

PubMed

Pan, Qun-Xiong; Su, Zi-Jian; Zhang, Jian-Hua; Wang, Chong-Ren; Ke, Shao-Ying

2015-01-01

People's Republic of China is one of the countries with the highest incidence of gastric cancer, accounting for 45% of all new gastric cancer cases in the world. Therefore, strong prognostic markers are critical for the diagnosis and survival of Chinese patients suffering from gastric cancer. Recent studies have begun to unravel the mechanisms linking the host inflammatory response to tumor growth, invasion and metastasis in gastric cancers. Based on this relationship between inflammation and cancer progression, several inflammation-based scores have been demonstrated to have prognostic value in many types of malignant solid tumors. To compare the prognostic value of inflammation-based prognostic scores and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage in patients undergoing gastric cancer resection. The inflammation-based prognostic scores were calculated for 207 patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgery. Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and prognostic index (PI) were analyzed. Linear trend chi-square test, likelihood ratio chi-square test, and receiver operating characteristic were performed to compare the prognostic value of the selected scores and TNM stage. In univariate analysis, preoperative serum C-reactive protein (P<0.001), serum albumin (P<0.001), GPS (P<0.001), PLR (P=0.002), NLR (P<0.001), PI (P<0.001), PNI (P<0.001), and TNM stage (P<0.001) were significantly associated with both overall survival and disease-free survival of patients with gastric cancer. In multivariate analysis, GPS (P=0.024), NLR (P=0.012), PI (P=0.001), TNM stage (P<0.001), and degree of differentiation (P=0.002) were independent predictors of gastric cancer survival. GPS and TNM stage had a comparable prognostic value and higher linear trend chi-square value, likelihood ratio chi-square value, and larger area under the receiver operating characteristic curve as compared to other inflammation-based prognostic scores. The present study indicates that preoperative GPS and TNM stage are robust predictors of gastric cancer survival as compared to NLR, PLR, PI, and PNI in patients undergoing tumor resection.

A comparison of the prognostic value of preoperative inflammation-based scores and TNM stage in patients with gastric cancer

PubMed Central

Pan, Qun-Xiong; Su, Zi-Jian; Zhang, Jian-Hua; Wang, Chong-Ren; Ke, Shao-Ying

2015-01-01

Background People’s Republic of China is one of the countries with the highest incidence of gastric cancer, accounting for 45% of all new gastric cancer cases in the world. Therefore, strong prognostic markers are critical for the diagnosis and survival of Chinese patients suffering from gastric cancer. Recent studies have begun to unravel the mechanisms linking the host inflammatory response to tumor growth, invasion and metastasis in gastric cancers. Based on this relationship between inflammation and cancer progression, several inflammation-based scores have been demonstrated to have prognostic value in many types of malignant solid tumors. Objective To compare the prognostic value of inflammation-based prognostic scores and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage in patients undergoing gastric cancer resection. Methods The inflammation-based prognostic scores were calculated for 207 patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgery. Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and prognostic index (PI) were analyzed. Linear trend chi-square test, likelihood ratio chi-square test, and receiver operating characteristic were performed to compare the prognostic value of the selected scores and TNM stage. Results In univariate analysis, preoperative serum C-reactive protein (P<0.001), serum albumin (P<0.001), GPS (P<0.001), PLR (P=0.002), NLR (P<0.001), PI (P<0.001), PNI (P<0.001), and TNM stage (P<0.001) were significantly associated with both overall survival and disease-free survival of patients with gastric cancer. In multivariate analysis, GPS (P=0.024), NLR (P=0.012), PI (P=0.001), TNM stage (P<0.001), and degree of differentiation (P=0.002) were independent predictors of gastric cancer survival. GPS and TNM stage had a comparable prognostic value and higher linear trend chi-square value, likelihood ratio chi-square value, and larger area under the receiver operating characteristic curve as compared to other inflammation-based prognostic scores. Conclusion The present study indicates that preoperative GPS and TNM stage are robust predictors of gastric cancer survival as compared to NLR, PLR, PI, and PNI in patients undergoing tumor resection. PMID:26124667

Tests of Independence in Contingency Tables with Small Samples: A Comparison of Statistical Power.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parshall, Cynthia G.; Kromrey, Jeffrey D.

1996-01-01

Power and Type I error rates were estimated for contingency tables with small sample sizes for the following four types of tests: (1) Pearson's chi-square; (2) chi-square with Yates's continuity correction; (3) the likelihood ratio test; and (4) Fisher's Exact Test. Various marginal distributions, sample sizes, and effect sizes were examined. (SLD)

One year comparative clinical evaluation of EQUIA with resin-modified glass ionomer and a nanohybrid composite in noncarious cervical lesions

PubMed Central

Vaid, Deepa Sunil; Shah, Nimisha Chinmay; Bilgi, Priyanka Shripad

2015-01-01

Aims: Comparative evaluation of EQUIA with a resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC; GC Gold Label glass ionomer light cured universal restorative cement) and a nanohybrid composite (Tetric N-Ceram) in noncarious cervical lesions (NCCLs). Background: To establish the most suitable material for the restoration of NCCLs. Settings and Design: In vivo study. Materials and Methods: Eighty-seven NCCLs were randomly restored with EQUIA, a RMGIC, and a nanohybrid composite. Clinical evaluation of the restorations was done following the Unites States Public Health criteria by a single-blinded investigator. Data were formulated, and statistical analysis was done by Chi-square test. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi-square test. Results: No significant difference was found between EQUIA, RMGIC, and nanohybrid composite at 1-month, at 6 months, and at 1-year (P > 0.05). Conclusions: EQUIA, resin-modified glass ionomer, and nanohybrid composite performed equally at 1-month, 6 months, and 1-year follow-up periods. PMID:26752837

On the Likelihood Ratio Test for the Number of Factors in Exploratory Factor Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayashi, Kentaro; Bentler, Peter M.; Yuan, Ke-Hai

2007-01-01

In the exploratory factor analysis, when the number of factors exceeds the true number of factors, the likelihood ratio test statistic no longer follows the chi-square distribution due to a problem of rank deficiency and nonidentifiability of model parameters. As a result, decisions regarding the number of factors may be incorrect. Several…

Examples of Data Analysis with SPSS/PC+ Studentware.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacFarland, Thomas W.

Intended for classroom use only, these unpublished notes contain computer lessons on descriptive statistics with files previously created in WordPerfect 4.2 and Lotus 1-2-3 Version 1.A for the IBM PC+. The statistical measures covered include Student's t-test with two independent samples; Student's t-test with a paired sample; Chi-square analysis;…

Substance Use in Urban and Rural Texas School Districts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxwell, Jane Carlisle; Tackett-Gibson, Melissa; Dyer, James

2006-01-01

The aim of this study is to compare substance use between urban and rural secondary school districts in Texas between 1998 and 2003. The differences were analyzed using chi-square and analysis of variance. The analysis found that rural schools had students who reported higher rates of use of tobacco, frequent binge drinking, and driving while…

Using statistical process control for monitoring the prevalence of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers.

PubMed

Kottner, Jan; Halfens, Ruud

2010-05-01

Institutionally acquired pressure ulcers are used as outcome indicators to assess the quality of pressure ulcer prevention programs. Determining whether quality improvement projects that aim to decrease the proportions of institutionally acquired pressure ulcers lead to real changes in clinical practice depends on the measurement method and statistical analysis used. To examine whether nosocomial pressure ulcer prevalence rates in hospitals in the Netherlands changed, a secondary data analysis using different statistical approaches was conducted of annual (1998-2008) nationwide nursing-sensitive health problem prevalence studies in the Netherlands. Institutions that participated regularly in all survey years were identified. Risk-adjusted nosocomial pressure ulcers prevalence rates, grade 2 to 4 (European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel system) were calculated per year and hospital. Descriptive statistics, chi-square trend tests, and P charts based on statistical process control (SPC) were applied and compared. Six of the 905 healthcare institutions participated in every survey year and 11,444 patients in these six hospitals were identified as being at risk for pressure ulcers. Prevalence rates per year ranged from 0.05 to 0.22. Chi-square trend tests revealed statistically significant downward trends in four hospitals but based on SPC methods, prevalence rates of five hospitals varied by chance only. Results of chi-square trend tests and SPC methods were not comparable, making it impossible to decide which approach is more appropriate. P charts provide more valuable information than single P values and are more helpful for monitoring institutional performance. Empirical evidence about the decrease of nosocomial pressure ulcer prevalence rates in the Netherlands is contradictory and limited.

Statistical hypothesis tests of some micrometeorological observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

SethuRaman, S.; Tichler, J.

Chi-square goodness-of-fit is used to test the hypothesis that the medium scale of turbulence in the atmospheric surface layer is normally distributed. Coefficients of skewness and excess are computed from the data. If the data are not normal, these coefficients are used in Edgeworth's asymptotic expansion of Gram-Charlier series to determine an altrnate probability density function. The observed data are then compared with the modified probability densities and the new chi-square values computed.Seventy percent of the data analyzed was either normal or approximatley normal. The coefficient of skewness g/sub 1/ has a good correlation with the chi-square values. Events withmore » vertical-barg/sub 1/vertical-bar<0.21 were normal to begin with and those with 0.21« less

On Insensitivity of the Chi-Square Model Test to Nonlinear Misspecification in Structural Equation Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mooijaart, Ab; Satorra, Albert

2009-01-01

In this paper, we show that for some structural equation models (SEM), the classical chi-square goodness-of-fit test is unable to detect the presence of nonlinear terms in the model. As an example, we consider a regression model with latent variables and interactions terms. Not only the model test has zero power against that type of…

Can the Presence of Crystalluria Predict Stone Formation in Patients with Cystinuria?

PubMed

Wong, Kathie A; Pardy, Caroline; Pillay, Soma; Athanasiou, Thanos; Rottenberg, Giles; Bultitude, Matthew; Chandra, Ashish; Thomas, Kay

2016-05-01

To determine the feasibility of crystalluria as a biomarker for stone disease in patients with cystinuria. All patients attending a multidisciplinary cystinuria clinic provided early morning urine (EMU) and clinic urine (CU) samples for crystal measurement over a 2-year period (August 1, 2010, to July 31, 2012). Association between presence of crystals, presence of stone(s), and new stone growth (NSG) was determined using the chi-square test. Crystal numbers in EMU and CU were compared in patients with stones/NSG and no stones/stable disease using the Mann-Whitney U test. There was a statistically significant difference between the presence of crystalluria and presence of stones for CU (chi-square test = 5.86, df = 1, p = 0.02) but not EMU (chi-square test = 1.92, df = 1, p = 0.17) and between the presence of crystalluria and NSG for CU (chi-square test = 8.10, df = 1, p = 0.004) but not EMU (chi-square test = 1.32, df = 1, p = 0.25). Patients with stones and NSG have higher levels of crystalluria in CU than patients with no stones or stable disease (stones, median = 41, interquartile range [IQR] = 600 vs median = 0, IQR = 21, p = 0.01; NSG, median = 49, IQR = 525 vs median = 0, IQR = 40, p = 0.01). The presence of crystalluria in CU samples is associated with the presence of stones. Crystalluria is comparable to ultrasound and may serve as a useful adjunct to predict whether a patient with cystinuria has stones, which could guide the frequency of clinic review and imaging.

Interdependence of PRECIS Role Operators: A Quantitative Analysis of Their Associations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahapatra, Manoranjan; Biswas, Subal Chandra

1986-01-01

Analyzes associations among different role operators quantitatively by taking input strings from 200 abstracts, each related to subject fields of taxation, genetic psychology, and Shakespearean drama, and subjecting them to the Chi-square test. Significant associations by other differencing operators and connectives are discussed. A schema of role…

Segmenting Student Markets with a Student Satisfaction and Priorities Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borden, Victor M. H.

1995-01-01

A market segmentation analysis of 872 university students compared 2 hierarchical clustering procedures for deriving market segments: 1 using matching-type measures and an agglomerative clustering algorithm, and 1 using the chi-square based automatic interaction detection. Results and implications for planning, evaluating, and improving academic…

African-American Female Student Experiences in Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dozier, Nedra

2016-01-01

This is a mixed method study focusing on African-American Female (AAF) student experiences and success in the community college. This study was focused at a large southeastern, comprehensive community college. A chi-squared analysis of extant data concerning questions from the Community College Survey for Student Engagement (CCSSE) instrument was…

The Effectiveness of Edgenuity When Used for Credit Recovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eddy, Carri

2013-01-01

This quantitative study used descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and chi-square analysis to determine the impact of using Edgenuity (formerly Education 2020 Virtual Classroom) to assist students in the recovery of lost credits. The sample included a North Texas school district. The Skyward student management system provided archived…

Chi-Square Statistics, Tests of Hypothesis and Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rochowicz, John A.

The use of technology such as computers and programmable calculators enables students to find p-values and conduct tests of hypotheses in many different ways. Comprehension and interpretation of a research problem become the focus for statistical analysis. This paper describes how to calculate chisquare statistics and p-values for statistical…

Children's Judgments of Parental Fairness: An Indian Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laddu, Nandini; Kapadia, Shagufa

2007-01-01

The study examined children's moral reasoning with specific reference to adult interventions, across age and gender. Seventy-two children from the age groups 6-8 years and 10-12 years respectively were presented with two hypothetical vignettes pertaining to Piaget's justice framework of moral reasoning. Chi-square analysis and descriptive analysis…

Genetic structure of populations and differentiation in forest trees

Treesearch

Raymond P. Guries; F. Thomas Ledig

1981-01-01

Electrophoretic techniques permit population biologists to analyze genetic structure of natural populations by using large numbers of allozyme loci. Several methods of analysis have been applied to allozyme data, including chi-square contingency tests, F-statistics, and genetic distance. This paper compares such statistics for pitch pine (Pinus rigida...

Teachers and Operant Conditioning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frey, Sherman

A survey was conducted of 406 elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers to determine their understanding, acceptance, and use of the principle of operant conditioning. The treatment of data was by percent and chi square analysis primarily according to sex, experience, degree, and position. Subjects reported that a) they believed that the…

Computer Aided Segmentation Analysis: New Software for College Admissions Marketing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lay, Robert S.; Maguire, John J.

1983-01-01

Compares segmentation solutions obtained using a binary segmentation algorithm (THAID) and a new chi-square-based procedure (CHAID) that segments the prospective pool of college applicants using application and matriculation as criteria. Results showed a higher number of estimated qualified inquiries and more accurate estimates with CHAID. (JAC)

An Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of Three Different Forms of Daly and Miller's Writing Apprehension Test through Rasch Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Güler, Nese; Ilhan, Mustafa; Güneyli, Ahmet; Demir, Süleyman

2017-01-01

This study evaluates the psychometric properties of three different forms of the Writing Apprehension Test (WAT; Daly & Miller, 1975) through Rasch analysis. For this purpose, the fit statistics and correlation coefficients, and the reliability, separation ratio, and chi-square values for the facets of item and person calculated for the…

Factors affecting access to head and neck cancer care after a natural disaster: a post-Hurricane Katrina survey.

PubMed

Loehn, Bridget; Pou, Anna M; Nuss, Daniel W; Tenney, Justin; McWhorter, Andrew; DiLeo, Michael; Kakade, Anagha C; Walvekar, Rohan R

2011-01-01

Our aim was to survey the factors affecting access to cancer care in patients with head and neck cancer after Hurricane Katrina. In this cross-sectional survey, 207 patients with head and neck cancer were identified post-Hurricane Katrina, but only 83 patients completed the questionnaires and were analyzed. Clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic data were recorded. Chi-square test and t test were used for comparisons. Patients who felt that there was a lack of access to cancer care would have sought treatment earlier had they had better access to cancer care (chi-square[1] = 32; p < .0001). Patients who felt that there was a lack of access to cancer care also had difficulty receiving treatment (chi-square[1] = 48; p < .0001). Availability of transportation affected access to cancer care in patients with early-stage cancers (chi-square[1] = 4; p < .035). In the postdisaster environment, patients who felt the lack of access to cancer care post-Hurricane Katrina would have sought treatment earlier with better access to cancer care. These patients also reported difficulty obtaining cancer treatment. Availability of transportation affected access to cancer care in patients with early-stage cancers. Clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic factors did not influence access to cancer care. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2011.

A hybrid feature selection method using multiclass SVM for diagnosis of erythemato-squamous disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maryam, Setiawan, Noor Akhmad; Wahyunggoro, Oyas

2017-08-01

The diagnosis of erythemato-squamous disease is a complex problem and difficult to detect in dermatology. Besides that, it is a major cause of skin cancer. Data mining implementation in the medical field helps expert to diagnose precisely, accurately, and inexpensively. In this research, we use data mining technique to developed a diagnosis model based on multiclass SVM with a novel hybrid feature selection method to diagnose erythemato-squamous disease. Our hybrid feature selection method, named ChiGA (Chi Square and Genetic Algorithm), uses the advantages from filter and wrapper methods to select the optimal feature subset from original feature. Chi square used as filter method to remove redundant features and GA as wrapper method to select the ideal feature subset with SVM used as classifier. Experiment performed with 10 fold cross validation on erythemato-squamous diseases dataset taken from University of California Irvine (UCI) machine learning database. The experimental result shows that the proposed model based multiclass SVM with Chi Square and GA can give an optimum feature subset. There are 18 optimum features with 99.18% accuracy.

Statistical Tutorial | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Recent advances in cancer biology have resulted in the need for increased statistical analysis of research data.  ST is designed as a follow up to Statistical Analysis of Research Data (SARD) held in April 2018.  The tutorial will apply the general principles of statistical analysis of research data including descriptive statistics, z- and t-tests of means and mean differences, simple and multiple linear regression, ANOVA tests, and Chi-Squared distribution.

Prospective Molecular Characterization of Burn Wound Colonization: Novel Tools and Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-01

from patients with endocarditis and wound/soft tissue infections, have been sequenced and an initial analysis performed. Finally, enrollment in the...Price LB. Analysis of S. aureus isolates from endocarditis and skin/soft tissue infections A strict blast search was performed on the S. aureus...targets differentiating the cellulitis and endocarditis isolates. This was followed with a basic Pearson’s Chi-squared test with Yates’ continuity

Study of Factors Related to Army Delayed-Entry Program Attrition

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-11-01

level, gender , and tenure in DEP. Military classification and assignment are determined almost solely on cognitive factors, physical examinations...Between Gender and Responses to Question 13 for Voluntary DEP Losses . . . . . , . . . , . . . . o , o . ° . 99 P-2. Chi-square Tests for Independence...Between Gender and Responses to Question 13 for DHP Aooession/ Voluntary Active Duty Losses . . 9 0 4 . 0 0 0 0 a a 0 106 B-9. Chi-square Tests for

Interactive application of quadratic expansion of chi-square statistic to nonlinear curve fitting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Badavi, F. F.; Everhart, Joel L.

1987-01-01

This report contains a detailed theoretical description of an all-purpose, interactive curve-fitting routine that is based on P. R. Bevington's description of the quadratic expansion of the Chi-Square statistic. The method is implemented in the associated interactive, graphics-based computer program. Taylor's expansion of Chi-Square is first introduced, and justifications for retaining only the first term are presented. From the expansion, a set of n simultaneous linear equations is derived, then solved by matrix algebra. A brief description of the code is presented along with a limited number of changes that are required to customize the program of a particular task. To evaluate the performance of the method and the goodness of nonlinear curve fitting, two typical engineering problems are examined and the graphical and tabular output of each is discussed. A complete listing of the entire package is included as an appendix.

Rural-Urban Disparities in Child Abuse Management Resources in the Emergency Department

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choo, Esther K.; Spiro, David M.; Lowe, Robert A.; Newgard, Craig D.; Hall, Michael Kennedy; McConnell, Kenneth John

2010-01-01

Purpose: To characterize differences in child abuse management resources between urban and rural emergency departments (EDs). Methods: We surveyed ED directors and nurse managers at hospitals in Oregon to gain information about available abuse-related resources. Chi-square analysis was used to test differences between urban and rural EDs.…

A Survey of Proportional Reasoning and Control of Variables in Seven Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karplus, Robert; And Others

1977-01-01

Thirteen to fifteen year-old students from Denmark, Sweden, Italy, United States, Austria, Germany, and Great Britain were the subjects on this study of formal thought processes. Socioeconomic status, sex, and school organization provided additional categorization upon which the subjects were divided. Chi square analysis revealed some differences.…

Survival and Hematopoietic Recovery in Mice after Wound Trauma and Whole-Body Irradiation

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

approp- riate line transformation of doie to insure an increasing dose meta - meter. Chi square analysis for linearity and paralleliss of the data were made...conceivable that the splenic myeloproliferative response in wounded mice in the post-irradiation period could account for the enhancement of survival. Splenic

Promoting College Students' Problem Understanding Using Schema-Emphasizing Worked Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yan, Jie; Lavigne, Nancy C.

2014-01-01

Statistics learners often bypass the critical step of understanding a problem before executing solutions. Worked-out examples that identify problem information (e.g., data type, number of groups, purpose of analysis) key to determining a solution (e.g., "t" test, chi-square, correlation) can address this concern. The authors examined the…

Advanced Categorical Statistics: Issues and Applications in Communication Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denham, Bryan E.

2002-01-01

Discusses not only the procedures, assumptions, and applications of advanced categorical statistics, but also covers some common misapplications, from which a great deal can be learned. Addresses the use and limitations of cross-tabulation and chi-square analysis, as well as issues such as observation independence and artificial inflation of a…

Adult Prostitution Recidivism: Risk Factors and Impact of a Diversion Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roe-Sepowitz, Dominique E.; Hickle, Kristine E.; Loubert, Martha Perez; Egan, Tom

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the risk factors and the impact of a prostitution diversion program on prostitution recidivism. Risk factors and recidivism were explored using chi-square, t tests, and survival analysis. Participants were 448 individuals who were arrested for prostitution and attended a prostitution-focused diversion…

Assessing the Effectiveness of Statistical Classification Techniques in Predicting Future Employment of Participants in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montoya, Isaac D.

2008-01-01

Three classification techniques (Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection [CHAID], Classification and Regression Tree [CART], and discriminant analysis) were tested to determine their accuracy in predicting Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program recipients' future employment. Technique evaluation was based on proportion of correctly…

The Relationship between Food Insecurity and Obesity in Rural Childbearing Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Christine M.; Strawderman, Myla S.

2008-01-01

Context: While food insecurity and obesity have been shown to be positively associated in women, little is known about the direction of the causal relationship between these 2 constructs. Purpose: To clarify the direction of the causal relationship between food insecurity and obesity. Methods: Chi-square and logistic regression analysis of data…

Video Lecture Watching Behaviors of Learners in Online Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozan, Ozlem; Ozarslan, Yasin

2016-01-01

This paper examines learners' behaviors while watching online video lectures to understand learner preferences. 2927 students' 18,144 video events across 13 courses on Sakai CLE LMS, which were integrated with Kaltura Video Platform and Google Analytics, were analyzed. For the analysis of the quantitative data, one-way ANOVA, Chi-square test of…

Doing More with Less: A Preliminary Study of the School District Investment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacPhail-Wilcox, Bettye

1983-01-01

Changes in cash management practices from 1978 to 1981 were investigated in a random sample of 145 North Carolina school districts, stratified by attendance size. Analysis using chi-square tests indicated the level of investment sophistication (as measured by the proportion of cash invested) has increased, especially for large districts. (RW)

The Impact of Micronutrient Supplementation in Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancies on Information Processing Skills in Ukrainian Infants

PubMed Central

Kable, J. A.; Coles, C. D.; Keen, C. L.; Uriu-Adams, J. Y.; Jones, K. L.; Yevtushok, L.; Kulikovsky, Y.; Wertelecki, W.; Pedersen, T. L.; Chambers, C. D.

2015-01-01

Objectives The potential of micronutrients to ameliorate the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure was explored in a clinical trial conducted in Ukraine. Cardiac orienting responses during a habituation/dishabituation learning paradigm were obtained from 6–12-month-olds to assess neurophysiological encoding and memory of environmental events. Materials and methods Women who differed in prenatal alcohol use were recruited during pregnancy and assigned to a group (no study-provided supplements, multivitamin/mineral supplement, or multivitamin/mineral supplement plus choline supplement). An infant habituation/dishabituation paradigm was used to assess outcomes in the offspring. Ten trials were used for the habituation and five for the dishabituation condition. Heart rate was collected for 30 sec prior to stimulus onset and then 12 sec post-stimulus onset. Difference values (ΔHR) were computed for the first three trials of each condition and aggregated for analysis. Gestational blood samples were collected to assess maternal nutritional status and changes as a function of the intervention. Results Choline supplementation resulted in a greater ΔHR on the visual habituation (Wald Chi-Square (1, 149) = 10.9, p < .001, eta-squared = .043) trials for all infants and for the infants with no prenatal alcohol exposure on the dishabituation (Wald Chi-Square (1, 139) = 6.1, p < .013, eta-squared = .065) trials. The latency of the response was reduced in both conditions (Habituation: Wald Chi-Square (1, 150) = 9.0, p < .003, eta-squared = .056; Dishabituation: Wald Chi-Square (1, 137) = 4.9, p < .027, eta-squared = .032) for all infants whose mothers received choline supplementation. Change in gestational choline level was positively related (r = .19) to ΔHR during habituation trials, and levels of one choline metabolite, dimethylglycine (DMG), predicted ΔHR during habituation trials (r = .23) and latency of responses (r = −.20). A trend was found between DMG and ΔHR on the dishabituation trials (r = .19) and latency of the response (r = −.18). Multivitamin/mineral or multivitamin/mineral plus choline supplementation did not significantly affect cardiac orienting responses to the auditory stimuli. Conclusion Choline supplementation when administered together with routinely recommended multivitamin/mineral prenatal supplements during pregnancy may provide a beneficial impact to basic learning mechanisms involved in encoding and memory of environmental events in alcohol-exposed pregnancies as well as non- or low alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Changes in nutrient status of the mother suggested that this process may be mediated by the breakdown of choline to betaine and then to DMG. One mechanism by which choline supplementation may positively affect brain development is through prevention of fetal alcohol-related depletion of DMG, a metabolic nutrient that can protect against overproduction of glycine, during critical periods of neurogenesis. PMID:26493109

Evaluation of the VIDAS Listeria (LIS) immunoassay for the detection of Listeria in foods using demi-Fraser and Fraser enrichment broths, as modification of AOAC Official Method 999.06 (AOAC Official Method 2004.06).

PubMed

Silbernagel, Karen M; Jechorek, Robert P; Kaufer, Amanda L; Johnson, Ronald L; Aleo, V; Brown, B; Buen, M; Buresh, J; Carson, M; Franklin, J; Ham, P; Humes, L; Husby, G; Hutchins, J; Jechorek, R; Jenkins, J; Kaufer, A; Kexel, N; Kora, L; Lam, L; Lau, D; Leighton, S; Loftis, M; Luc, S; Martin, J; Nacar, I; Nogle, J; Park, J; Schultz, A; Seymore, D; Smith, C; Smith, J; Thou, P; Ulmer, M; Voss, R; Weaver, V

2005-01-01

A multilaboratory study was conducted to compare the VIDAS LIS immunoassay with the standard cultural methods for the detection of Listeria in foods using an enrichment modification of AOAC Official Method 999.06. The modified enrichment protocol was implemented to harmonize the VIDAS LIS assay with the VIDAS LMO2 assay. Five food types--brie cheese, vanilla ice cream, frozen green beans, frozen raw tilapia fish, and cooked roast beef--at 3 inoculation levels, were analyzed by each method. A total of 15 laboratories representing government and industry participated. In this study, 1206 test portions were tested, of which 1170 were used in the statistical analysis. There were 433 positive by the VIDAS LIS assay and 396 positive by the standard culture methods. A Chi-square analysis of each of the 5 food types, at the 3 inoculation levels tested, was performed. The resulting average Chi square analysis, 0.42, indicated that, overall, there are no statistical differences between the VIDAS LIS assay and the standard methods at the 5% level of significance.

An Analysis of Turnover Intentions: A Reexamination of Air Force Civil Engineering Company Grade Officers

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

edu 75 Appendix C Factor Analysis of Measurement Items Interrole conflict Factor Analysis (FA): Table: KMO and Bartlett’s Test Kaiser-Meyer...Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. 77 POS FA: Table: KMO and Bartlett’s...Tempo FA: Table: KMO and Bartlett’s Test Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. .733 Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity Approx. Chi-Square

Power of tests for comparing trend curves with application to national immunization survey (NIS).

PubMed

Zhao, Zhen

2011-02-28

To develop statistical tests for comparing trend curves of study outcomes between two socio-demographic strata across consecutive time points, and compare statistical power of the proposed tests under different trend curves data, three statistical tests were proposed. For large sample size with independent normal assumption among strata and across consecutive time points, the Z and Chi-square test statistics were developed, which are functions of outcome estimates and the standard errors at each of the study time points for the two strata. For small sample size with independent normal assumption, the F-test statistic was generated, which is a function of sample size of the two strata and estimated parameters across study period. If two trend curves are approximately parallel, the power of Z-test is consistently higher than that of both Chi-square and F-test. If two trend curves cross at low interaction, the power of Z-test is higher than or equal to the power of both Chi-square and F-test; however, at high interaction, the powers of Chi-square and F-test are higher than that of Z-test. The measurement of interaction of two trend curves was defined. These tests were applied to the comparison of trend curves of vaccination coverage estimates of standard vaccine series with National Immunization Survey (NIS) 2000-2007 data. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Data Reduction Pipeline for the CHARIS Integral-Field Spectrograph I: Detector Readout Calibration and Data Cube Extraction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Groff, Tyler; Rizzo, Maxime; Greco, Johnny P.; Loomis, Craig; Mede, Kyle; Kasdin, N. Jeremy; Knapp, Gillian; Tamura, Motohide; Hayashi, Masahiko; Galvin, Michael;

Evaluation of the Edinburgh Post Natal Depression Scale using Rasch analysis

PubMed Central

Pallant, Julie F; Miller, Renée L; Tennant, Alan

2006-01-01

Background The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a 10 item self-rating post-natal depression scale which has seen widespread use in epidemiological and clinical studies. Concern has been raised over the validity of the EPDS as a single summed scale, with suggestions that it measures two separate aspects, one of depressive feelings, the other of anxiety. Methods As part of a larger cross-sectional study conducted in Melbourne, Australia, a community sample (324 women, ranging in age from 18 to 44 years: mean = 32 yrs, SD = 4.6), was obtained by inviting primiparous women to participate voluntarily in this study. Data from the EPDS were fitted to the Rasch measurement model and tested for appropriate category ordering, for item bias through Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis, and for unidimensionality through tests of the assumption of local independence. Results Rasch analysis of the data from the ten item scale initially demonstrated a lack of fit to the model with a significant Item-Trait Interaction total chi-square (chi Square = 82.8, df = 40; p < .001). Removal of two items (items 7 and 8) resulted in a non-significant Item-Trait Interaction total chi-square with a residual mean value for items of -0.467 with a standard deviation of 0.850, showing fit to the model. No DIF existed in the final 8-item scale (EPDS-8) and all items showed fit to model expectations. Principal Components Analysis of the residuals supported the local independence assumption, and unidimensionality of the revised EPDS-8 scale. Revised cut points were identified for EPDS-8 to maintain the case identification of the original scale. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that EPDS, in its original 10 item form, is not a viable scale for the unidimensional measurement of depression. Rasch analysis suggests that a revised eight item version (EPDS-8) would provide a more psychometrically robust scale. The revised cut points of 7/8 and 9/10 for the EPDS-8 show high levels of agreement with the original case identification for the EPDS-10. PMID:16768803

Patterns of multi-drug resistant bacteria at first culture from patients admitted to a third level University hospital in Calabria from 2011 to 2014: implications for empirical therapy and infection control.

PubMed

Reale, Mariaconcetta; Strazzulla, Alessio; Quirino, Angela; Rizzo, Claudia; Marano, Vito; Postorino, Maria Concetta; Mazzitelli, Maria; Greco, Giuseppe; Pisani, Vincenzo; Costa, Chiara; Cesana, Bruno Mario; Liberto, Maria Carla; Torti, Carlo; Focà, Alfredo

2017-06-01

Surveillance of antimicrobial drug resistance is fundamental to guide empirical treatment. However, the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network provides a general picture, which might not be applicable to clinical settings that are excluded from this survey. We evaluated resistance patterns of ESKAPE isolates over a four-year period in a third level University hospital in the province of Catanzaro (Southern Italy). In this retrospective study, we evaluated the frequency of ESKAPE isolates with different resistance patterns (group 1=low-resistant bacteria; group 2=multi-drug and extremely drug-resistant bacteria; group 3=pan-resistant bacteria), stratified by year (2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014), hospital units (intensive care units, medical and surgical units) and by sample type (urine, blood, wound swabs, respiratory samples, other samples). Chi square test was applied to find differences between isolates with different resistance patterns by hospital unit and by organs and systems. Cochran-Armitage trend test was applied to assess the trend in resistance patterns during the four years analyzed. Amongst 2385 isolates, Escherichia coli (38%) was the most frequent, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (14%), Staphylococcus aureus (13%), Acinetobacter baumannii (9%), Enterococcus faecalis (8%) and Enterococcus faecium (3%). From 2011 to 2014, frequency of isolates in group 2 plus 3 decreased from 23% to 14% (chi square=55.093; p<0.0001), particularly for E. coli and K. pneumoniae, but the trend increased for S. aureus (from 5% in 2011 to 10% in 2014), and remained stable for the other species. Frequency of isolates in group 2 plus 3 was higher in intensive care units for K. pneumoniae (chi square =32.292; p<0.0001), A. baumannii (chi square =6.947; p<0.0001) and S. aureus (chi square =22.079; p<0.0001). It was also higher from blood than from different sources for most species.

Trends in sociodemographic and drug abuse variables in patients with alcohol and drug use disorders in a Nigerian treatment facility.

PubMed

Adamson, T A; Onifade, P O; Ogunwale, A

2010-01-01

Globally, patterns of the use of psychoactive substances have been changing. To evaluate the trend in two five year periods, 1992 to 1997 versus 2002 to 2007, of alcohol and substance use disorders and associated variables in patients admitted to a drug abuse treatment facility. This was a comparative cross-sectional study involving all patients admitted into Drug Abuse Treatment, Education, and Research (DATER), Unit of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Nigeria within the study period. All subjects had a structured psychiatric interview, a physical examination, laboratory investigations and DATER Questionnaire protocols that elicited socio-demographic, drug and family variables. The patients in 2002 to 2007 versus those of 1992 to 1997 were younger (chi squared 13.29; p,0.01). More last borns were using drugs by 2002 to 2007 (chi squared, 11.37; p,0.01). Cannabis was the most abused drug in 2002 to 2007 (53.5%) as compared to cocaine (44%) in 1992 to 1997 (chi squared 35.5; p,0.001). Polydrug abuse was high in the two periods but significantly the drug combination changed to cannabis in combination with alcohol in 2002 to 2007 as against cocaine in combination with opiates in 1992 to 1997 chi squared 45.3, p 0.001). More patients had co-morbid psychiatric disorders in 2000 to 2007 (67.6% as against 38.5% in 1992 to 1999 chi squared 28.32, p,0.001). In both periods, co-morbidity associated with cannabis use rather than any other drug of abuse as the odds ratio was greater than one. The findings in the trend in the two five year periods underscore the imperatives of continuous evaluation of the drug abuse patient population in treatment which may help drive changes in treatment inputs.

As-built design specification for PARHIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tompkins, M. A. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The program is part of the CLASFYG package. It produces histograms of the greeness profile derived parameters alpha, beta, t sub o, and chi squared, which are computed by the CLASFYG program. Alpha is the approximate greeness rise time, beta is the approximate greeness decay time, t sub o is the spectral crop emergence date, and chi squared per degree of freedom is the goodness of fit of the actual data to the computed greeness profile. The program also produces statistical information concerning the parameters.

IUE observations of the Jovian dayglow emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgrath, M. A.; Feldman, P. D.; Ballester, G. E.; Moos, H. W.

1989-01-01

IUE spectra of Jupiter are examined in light of recent models put forward to explain the anomalously bright ultraviolet emissions seen from the upper atmospheres of the outer planets. Chi-squared fits of the IUE spectra with model spectra produced by two proposed excitation mechanisms, electron impact and fluorescence of solar radiation, result in consistently higher chi-squared values for the solar fluorescence model. No conclusive evidence is found in the IUE data for the dominance of solar fluorescence over electron excitation in producing the Jovian dayglow emission.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the female sexual function index.

PubMed

Opperman, Emily A; Benson, Lindsay E; Milhausen, Robin R

2013-01-01

The Female Sexual Functioning Index (Rosen et al., 2000 ) was designed to assess the key dimensions of female sexual functioning using six domains: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. A full-scale score was proposed to represent women's overall sexual function. The fifth revision to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) is currently underway and includes a proposal to combine desire and arousal problems. The objective of this article was to evaluate and compare four models of the Female Sexual Functioning Index: (a) single-factor model, (b) six-factor model, (c) second-order factor model, and (4) five-factor model combining the desire and arousal subscales. Cross-sectional and observational data from 85 women were used to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis on the Female Sexual Functioning Index. Local and global goodness-of-fit measures, the chi-square test of differences, squared multiple correlations, and regression weights were used. The single-factor model fit was not acceptable. The original six-factor model was confirmed, and good model fit was found for the second-order and five-factor models. Delta chi-square tests of differences supported best fit for the six-factor model validating usage of the six domains. However, when revisions are made to the DSM-5, the Female Sexual Functioning Index can adapt to reflect these changes and remain a valid assessment tool for women's sexual functioning, as the five-factor structure was also supported.

DIF Detection Using Multiple-Group Categorical CFA with Minimum Free Baseline Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Yu-Wei; Huang, Wei-Kang; Tsai, Rung-Ching

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to assess the efficiency of using the multiple-group categorical confirmatory factor analysis (MCCFA) and the robust chi-square difference test in differential item functioning (DIF) detection for polytomous items under the minimum free baseline strategy. While testing for DIF items, despite the strong assumption that all…

Using Mixed Methods Research to Examine the Benefits of Culturally Relevant Instruction on Latino Students' Writing Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Joel P.; Murphy, Shirley A.

2016-01-01

A convergent mixed methods research design addressed the extent of benefit obtained from reading culturally inclusive prompts (i.e., four brief essays written by Latino authors) to improve essay writing in a developmental (pre-college) English course. Participants were 45 Latino students who provided quantitative data. Chi square analysis showed…

Promoting College Students' Construction of Problem Schemata in Statistics Using Schema-Emphasizing Worked Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yan, Jie

2010-01-01

In this study, the effectiveness of worked examples that emphasizes problem features (data type, number of groups, purpose of analysis) associated with specific problem types (t-test, chi-square, correlation) were examined on students' construction of problem schemata compared to traditional solution-only worked examples. A sample of 96 students…

Child Rearing Antecedents of Identification Model in Young Adult Men: Dominance and Emotional Intimacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luetgert, M. J.; Greenwald, Barry S.

Seventy-five male Ph.D. candidates were interviewed individually to determine which parent seemed more influential as an identification model. The interview also yielded judgments as to which parent offered more emotional intimacy and which parent was dominant in the family. A chi-square analysis between these characteristics and judged…

Describing the Labor Sectors in Jordan--The Factors That Attract Employees from Graduated Students' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AL-Zou'bi, Dalal Mohamad

2014-01-01

This study aimed at exploring perceptions of Jordanian graduating students for the factors that attract them in the work environment based on porter's theory in motivation. A Questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 807 graduating students at three universities. Means, Frequencies, Percentage, Variance analysis and chi-square test were used to…

Quantitative comparison of the absorption spectra of the gas mixtures in analogy to the criterion of Pearson

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kistenev, Yu. V.; Kuzmin, D. A.; Sandykova, E. A.; Shapovalov, A. V.

2015-11-01

An approach to the reduction of the space of the absorption spectra, based on the original criterion for profile analysis of the spectra, was proposed. This criterion dates back to the known statistics chi-square test of Pearson. Introduced criterion allows to quantify the differences of spectral curves.

Search for pair production of scalar bottom quarks in pp collisions at square root of s = 1.96 TeV.

PubMed

Abazov, V M; Abbott, B; Abolins, M; Acharya, B S; Adams, M; Adams, T; Agelou, M; Ahn, S H; Ahsan, M; Alexeev, G D; Alkhazov, G; Alton, A; Alverson, G; Alves, G A; Anastasoaie, M; Andeen, T; Anderson, S; Andrieu, B; Anzelc, M S; Arnoud, Y; Arov, M; Askew, A; Asman, B; Jesus, A C S Assis; Atramentov, O; Autermann, C; Avila, C; Ay, C; Badaud, F; Baden, A; Bagby, L; Baldin, B; Bandurin, D V; Banerjee, P; Banerjee, S; Barberis, E; Bargassa, P; Baringer, P; Barnes, C; Barreto, J; Bartlett, J F; Bassler, U; Bauer, D; Bean, A; Begalli, M; Begel, M; Belanger-Champagne, C; Bellantoni, L; Bellavance, A; Benitez, J A; Beri, S B; Bernardi, G; Bernhard, R; Berntzon, L; Bertram, I; Besançon, M; Beuselinck, R; Bezzubov, V A; Bhat, P C; Bhatnagar, V; Binder, M; Biscarat, C; Black, K M; Blackler, I; Blazey, G; Blekman, F; Blessing, S; Bloch, D; Bloom, K; Blumenschein, U; Boehnlein, A; Boeriu, O; Bolton, T A; Borissov, G; Bos, K; Bose, T; Brandt, A; Brock, R; Brooijmans, G; Bross, A; Brown, D; Buchanan, N J; Buchholz, D; Buehler, M; Buescher, V; Burdin, S; Burke, S; Burnett, T H; Busato, E; Buszello, C P; Butler, J M; Calfayan, P; Calvet, S; Cammin, J; Caron, S; Carvalho, W; Casey, B C K; Cason, N M; Castilla-Valdez, H; Chakraborty, D; Chan, K M; Chandra, A; Charles, F; Cheu, E; Chevallier, F; Cho, D K; Choi, S; Choudhary, B; Christofek, L; Claes, D; Clément, B; Clément, C; Coadou, Y; Cooke, M; Cooper, W E; Coppage, D; Corcoran, M; Cousinou, M-C; Cox, B; Crépé-Renaudin, S; Cutts, D; Cwiok, M; da Motta, H; Das, A; Das, M; Davies, B; Davies, G; Davis, G A; De, K; de Jong, P; de Jong, S J; De La Cruz-Burelo, E; De Oliveira Martins, C; Degenhardt, J D; Déliot, F; Demarteau, M; Demina, R; Demine, P; Denisov, D; Denisov, S P; Desai, S; Diehl, H T; Diesburg, M; Doidge, M; Dominguez, A; Dong, H; Dudko, L V; Duflot, L; Dugad, S R; Duggan, D; Duperrin, A; Dyer, J; Dyshkant, A; Eads, M; Edmunds, D; Edwards, T; Ellison, J; Elmsheuser, J; Elvira, V D; Eno, S; Ermolov, P; Evans, H; Evdokimov, A; Evdokimov, V N; Fatakia, S N; Feligioni, L; Ferapontov, A V; Ferbel, T; Fiedler, F; Filthaut, F; Fisher, W; Fisk, H E; Fleck, I; Ford, M; Fortner, M; Fox, H; Fu, S; Fuess, S; Gadfort, T; Galea, C F; Gallas, E; Galyaev, E; Garcia, C; Garcia-Bellido, A; Gardner, J; Gavrilov, V; Gay, A; Gay, P; Gelé, D; Gelhaus, R; Gerber, C E; Gershtein, Y; Gillberg, D; Ginther, G; Gollub, N; Gómez, B; Goussiou, A; Grannis, P D; Greenlee, H; Greenwood, Z D; Gregores, E M; Grenier, G; Gris, Ph; Grivaz, J-F; Grünendahl, S; Grünewald, M W; Guo, F; Guo, J; Gutierrez, G; Gutierrez, P; Haas, A; Hadley, N J; Haefner, P; Hagopian, S; Haley, J; Hall, I; Hall, R E; Han, L; Hanagaki, K; Harder, K; Harel, A; Harrington, R; Hauptman, J M; Hauser, R; Hays, J; Hebbeker, T; Hedin, D; Hegeman, J G; Heinmiller, J M; Heinson, A P; Heintz, U; Hensel, C; Herner, K; Hesketh, G; Hildreth, M D; Hirosky, R; Hobbs, J D; Hoeneisen, B; Hoeth, H; Hohlfeld, M; Hong, S J; Hooper, R; Houben, P; Hu, Y; Hubacek, Z; Hynek, V; Iashvili, I; Illingworth, R; Ito, A S; Jabeen, S; Jaffré, M; Jain, S; Jakobs, K; Jarvis, C; Jenkins, A; Jesik, R; Johns, K; Johnson, C; Johnson, M; Jonckheere, A; Jonsson, P; Juste, A; Käfer, D; Kahn, S; Kajfasz, E; Kalinin, A M; Kalk, J M; Kalk, J R; Kappler, S; Karmanov, D; Kasper, J; Kasper, P; Katsanos, I; Kau, D; Kaur, R; Kehoe, R; Kermiche, S; Khalatyan, N; Khanov, A; Kharchilava, A; Kharzheev, Y M; Khatidze, D; Kim, H; Kim, T J; Kirby, M H; Klima, B; Kohli, J M; Konrath, J-P; Kopal, M; Korablev, V M; Kotcher, J; Kothari, B; Koubarovsky, A; Kozelov, A V; Kozminski, J; Krop, D; Kryemadhi, A; Kuhl, T; Kumar, A; Kunori, S; Kupco, A; Kurca, T; Kvita, J; Lammers, S; Landsberg, G; Lazoflores, J; Le Bihan, A-C; Lebrun, P; Lee, W M; Leflat, A; Lehner, F; Lesne, V; Leveque, J; Lewis, P; Li, J; Li, Q Z; Lima, J G R; Lincoln, D; Linnemann, J; Lipaev, V V; Lipton, R; Liu, Z; Lobo, L; Lobodenko, A; Lokajicek, M; Lounis, A; Love, P; Lubatti, H J; Lynker, M; Lyon, A L; Maciel, A K A; Madaras, R J; Mättig, P; Magass, C; Magerkurth, A; Magnan, A-M; Makovec, N; Mal, P K; Malbouisson, H B; Malik, S; Malyshev, V L; Mao, H S; Maravin, Y; Martens, M; McCarthy, R; Meder, D; Melnitchouk, A; Mendes, A; Mendoza, L; Merkin, M; Merritt, K W; Meyer, A; Meyer, J; Michaut, M; Miettinen, H; Millet, T; Mitrevski, J; Molina, J; Mondal, N K; Monk, J; Moore, R W; Moulik, T; Muanza, G S; Mulders, M; Mulhearn, M; Mundim, L; Mutaf, Y D; Nagy, E; Naimuddin, M; Narain, M; Naumann, N A; Neal, H A; Negret, J P; Neustroev, P; Noeding, C; Nomerotski, A; Novaes, S F; Nunnemann, T; O'Dell, V; O'Neil, D C; Obrant, G; Oguri, V; Oliveira, N; Oshima, N; Otec, R; Y Garzón, G J Otero; Owen, M; Padley, P; Parashar, N; Park, S-J; Park, S K; Parsons, J; Partridge, R; Parua, N; Patwa, A; Pawloski, G; Perea, P M; Perez, E; Peters, K; Pétroff, P; Petteni, M; Piegaia, R; Piper, J; Pleier, M-A; Podesta-Lerma, P L M; Podstavkov, V M; Pogorelov, Y; Pol, M-E; Pompos, A; Pope, B G; Popov, A V; Potter, C; Prado da Silva, W L; Prosper, H B; Protopopescu, S; Qian, J; Quadt, A; Quinn, B; Rangel, M S; Rani, K J; Ranjan, K; Ratoff, P N; Renkel, P; Reucroft, S; Rijssenbeek, M; Ripp-Baudot, I; Rizatdinova, F; Robinson, S; Rodrigues, R F; Royon, C; Rubinov, P; Ruchti, R; Rud, V I; Sajot, G; Sánchez-Hernández, A; Sanders, M P; Santoro, A; Savage, G; Sawyer, L; Scanlon, T; Schaile, D; Schamberger, R D; Scheglov, Y; Schellman, H; Schieferdecker, P; Schmitt, C; Schwanenberger, C; Schwartzman, A; Schwienhorst, R; Sekaric, J; Sengupta, S; Severini, H; Shabalina, E; Shamim, M; Shary, V; Shchukin, A A; Shephard, W D; Shivpuri, R K; Shpakov, D; Siccardi, V; Sidwell, R A; Simak, V; Sirotenko, V; Skubic, P; Slattery, P; Smith, R P; Snow, G R; Snow, J; Snyder, S; Söldner-Rembold, S; Song, X; Sonnenschein, L; Sopczak, A; Sosebee, M; Soustruznik, K; Souza, M; Spurlock, B; Stark, J; Steele, J; Stolin, V; Stone, A; Stoyanova, D A; Strandberg, J; Strandberg, S; Strang, M A; Strauss, M; Ströhmer, R; Strom, D; Strovink, M; Stutte, L; Sumowidagdo, S; Sznajder, A; Talby, M; Tamburello, P; Taylor, W; Telford, P; Temple, J; Tiller, B; Titov, M; Tokmenin, V V; Tomoto, M; Toole, T; Torchiani, I; Towers, S; Trefzger, T; Trincaz-Duvoid, S; Tsybychev, D; Tuchming, B; Tully, C; Turcot, A S; Tuts, P M; Unalan, R; Uvarov, L; Uvarov, S; Uzunyan, S; Vachon, B; van den Berg, P J; Van Kooten, R; van Leeuwen, W M; Varelas, N; Varnes, E W; Vartapetian, A; Vasilyev, I A; Vaupel, M; Verdier, P; Vertogradov, L S; Verzocchi, M; Villeneuve-Seguier, F; Vint, P; Vlimant, J-R; Von Toerne, E; Voutilainen, M; Vreeswijk, M; Wahl, H D; Wang, L; Wang, M H L S; Warchol, J; Watts, G; Wayne, M; Weber, M; Weerts, H; Wermes, N; Wetstein, M; White, A; Wicke, D; Wilson, G W; Wimpenny, S J; Wobisch, M; Womersley, J; Wood, D R; Wyatt, T R; Xie, Y; Xuan, N; Yacoob, S; Yamada, R; Yan, M; Yasuda, T; Yatsunenko, Y A; Yip, K; Yoo, H D; Youn, S W; Yu, C; Yu, J; Yurkewicz, A; Zatserklyaniy, A; Zeitnitz, C; Zhang, D; Zhao, T; Zhou, B; Zhu, J; Zielinski, M; Zieminska, D; Zieminski, A; Zutshi, V; Zverev, E G

2006-10-27

A search for direct production of scalar bottom quarks (b) is performed with 310 pb(-1) of data collected by the D0 experiment in pp collisions at square root s = 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The topology analyzed consists of two b jets and an imbalance in transverse momentum due to undetected neutralinos (chi(1)0), with chi(1)0 assumed to be the lightest supersymmetric particle. We find the data consistent with standard model expectations, and set a 95% C.L. exclusion domain in the (m(b), m(chi(1)0)) mass plane, improving significantly upon the results from run I of the Tevatron.

SLIDER: a generic metaheuristic for the discovery of correlated motifs in protein-protein interaction networks.

PubMed

Boyen, Peter; Van Dyck, Dries; Neven, Frank; van Ham, Roeland C H J; van Dijk, Aalt D J

2011-01-01

Correlated motif mining (cmm) is the problem of finding overrepresented pairs of patterns, called motifs, in sequences of interacting proteins. Algorithmic solutions for cmm thereby provide a computational method for predicting binding sites for protein interaction. In this paper, we adopt a motif-driven approach where the support of candidate motif pairs is evaluated in the network. We experimentally establish the superiority of the Chi-square-based support measure over other support measures. Furthermore, we obtain that cmm is an np-hard problem for a large class of support measures (including Chi-square) and reformulate the search for correlated motifs as a combinatorial optimization problem. We then present the generic metaheuristic slider which uses steepest ascent with a neighborhood function based on sliding motifs and employs the Chi-square-based support measure. We show that slider outperforms existing motif-driven cmm methods and scales to large protein-protein interaction networks. The slider-implementation and the data used in the experiments are available on http://bioinformatics.uhasselt.be.

Bioenergy and Breast Cancer: A Report on Tumor Growth and Metastasis

PubMed Central

Greenwood, Mark; Schmidt, Jade

2016-01-01

As many as 80% of the 296,000 women and 2,240 men diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States will seek out complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments. One such therapy is Healing Touch (HT), recognized by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) as a treatment modality. Using a multiple experimental groups design, fifty-six six- to eight-week-old Balb/c mice were injected with 4T1 breast cancer tumor cells and randomly divided into intervention and positive control groups. Five days after tumor cell injection, mice in the intervention groups received HT either daily or every other day for 10 minutes by one HT practitioner. At 15 days after tumor cell injection, tumor size was measured, and metastasis was evaluated by a medical pathologist after necropsy. Tumor size did not differ significantly among the groups (F(3,52) = 0.75, p value = 0.53). The presence of metastasis did not differ across groups (chi-square(3) = 3.902, p = 0.272) or when compared within an organ (liver: chi-square(3) = 2.507, p = 0.474; lungs: chi-square(3) = 3.804, p = 0.283; spleen: chi-square(3) = 0.595, p = 0.898). However, these results did indicate a moderate, though insignificant, positive impact of HT and highlight the need for continued research into dose, length of treatment, and measurable outcomes (tumor size, metastasis) to provide evidence to suggest application for nursing care. PMID:27688787

Sociodemographic and attitudinal factors to blood donation in the urban population of Dakar, Senegal.

PubMed

Duboz, Priscilla; Macia, Enguerran; Cunéo, Bernard

2010-12-01

The objectives of this analysis were 1) to compare the sociodemographic characteristics of donors and nondonors, 2) to describe the channels through which Dakar's population is made aware of blood donation, and 3) to analyze the motivations and barriers to blood donation expressed by donors and nondonors. A survey of 600 individuals age 20 and older representative of Dakar's population was conducted in 2009 to analyze awareness of blood donation, donor characteristics, and barriers and motivations to blood donation. A total of 94.7% of the respondents had already heard of giving blood and 25.8% had already donated. Men and individuals age 40 and over are overrepresented among donors (chi-square [1ddl]= 19.54, p<0.001; chi-square [3ddl]=14.24, p<0.01). Those with higher education were also more likely to be donors (chi-square [4ddl]=38.91, p<0.001). Main motivations to blood donation are altruism (43%) and awareness of a blood shortage (20.33%). Never having been contacted to give blood is the number one obstacle to blood donation (37.31%). In Dakar, the vast majority of people are familiar with the practice of giving blood. The sociodemographic characteristics of blood donors, and the main motivations and barriers to blood donation are the same in Dakar as in other countries, but this study also demonstrates the importance to inform Dakarites that blood donation does not amount to a blood test, that donating is not harmful for one's health, and that the blood donated is quickly regenerated. © 2010 American Association of Blood Banks.

A combined analysis of D22S278 marker alleles in affected sib-pairs: Support for a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia at chromosome 22q12

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gill, M.; Vallada, H.; Collier, D.

1996-02-16

Several groups have reported weak evidence for linkage between schizophrenia and genetic markers located on chromosome 22q using the lod score method of analysis. However these findings involved different genetic markers and methods of analysis, and so were not directly comparable. To resolve this issue we have performed a combined analysis of genotypic data from the marker D22S278 in multiply affected schizophrenic families derived from 11 independent research groups worldwide. This marker was chosen because it showed maximum evidence for linkage in three independent datasets. Using the affected sib-pair method as implemented by the program ESPA, the combined dataset showedmore » 252 alleles shared compared with 188 alleles not shared (chi-square 9.31, 1df, P = 0.001) where parental genotype data was completely known. When sib-pairs for whom parental data was assigned according to probability were included the number of alleles shared was 514.1 compared with 437.8 not shared (chi-square 6.12, 1df, P = 0.006). Similar results were obtained when a likelihood ratio method for sib-pair analysis was used. These results indicate that there may be a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia at 22q12. 27 refs., 3 tabs.« less

Validation of the Hong Kong Liver Cancer Staging System in Determining Prognosis of the North American Patients Following Intra-arterial Therapy.

PubMed

Sohn, Jae Ho; Duran, Rafael; Zhao, Yan; Fleckenstein, Florian; Chapiro, Julius; Sahu, Sonia; Schernthaner, Rüdiger E; Qian, Tianchen; Lee, Howard; Zhao, Li; Hamilton, James; Frangakis, Constantine; Lin, MingDe; Salem, Riad; Geschwind, Jean-Francois

2017-05-01

There is debate over the best way to stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We attempted to validate the prognostic and clinical utility of the recently developed Hong Kong Liver Cancer (HKLC) staging system, a hepatitis B-based model, and compared data with that from the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system in a North American population that underwent intra-arterial therapy (IAT). We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 1009 patients with HCC who underwent IAT from 2000 through 2014. Most patients had hepatitis C or unresectable tumors; all patients underwent IAT, with or without resection, transplantation, and/or systemic chemotherapy. We calculated HCC stage for each patient using 5-stage HKLC (HKLC-5) and 9-stage HKLC (HKLC-9) system classifications, and the BCLC system. Survival information was collected up until the end of 2014 at which point living or unconfirmed patients were censored. We compared performance of the BCLC, HKLC-5, and HKLC-9 systems in predicting patient outcomes using Kaplan-Meier estimates, calibration plots, C statistic, Akaike information criterion, and the likelihood ratio test. Median overall survival time, calculated from first IAT until date of death or censorship, for the entire cohort (all stages) was 9.8 months. The BCLC and HKLC staging systems predicted patient survival times with significance (P < .001). HKLC-5 and HKLC-9 each demonstrated good calibration. The HKLC-5 system outperformed the BCLC system in predicting patient survival times (HKLC C = 0.71, Akaike information criterion = 6242; BCLC C = 0.64, Akaike information criterion = 6320), reducing error in predicting survival time (HKLC reduced error by 14%, BCLC reduced error by 12%), and homogeneity (HKLC chi-square = 201, P < .001; BCLC chi-square = 119, P < .001) and monotonicity (HKLC linear trend chi-square = 193, P < .001; BCLC linear trend chi-square = 111, P < .001). Small proportions of patients with HCC of stages IV or V, according to the HKLC system, survived for 6 months and 4 months, respectively. In a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent IAT for unresectable HCC, we found the HKLC-5 staging system to have the best combination of performances in survival separation, calibration, and discrimination; it consistently outperformed the BCLC system in predicting survival times of patients. The HKLC system identified patients with HCC of stages IV and V who are unlikely to benefit from IAT. Copyright © 2017 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Impact of the College Assistance Migrant Program on Migrant Student Academic Achievement in the California State University System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramirez, Adrian D.

2012-01-01

The 7-year longitudinal study examined the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) impact on migrant student achievement in the California State University system. Participants included migrant students, Latinos, and general student populations from 2002-2009. The analysis of variance and chi-square test of independence were used to explore…

Long-Term Effects of Environment on Health and Performance of Antarctic Winter-Over Personnel.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-01

and increased psychological disturbances (Gunderson, 1963; Gunderson, 1968; Mullin, 1960; Palmai, 1963). The environments of Antarctic research...diagnostic categories of first hospitalizations were calculated using the direct method of adjustment ( Lilienfeld and Lilienfeld , 1980). The standard...analysis of variance and chi-square tests were employed to S".... ..... ...................-... ... "’:" determine levels of significance for observed

3-Year-Olds' Perseveration on the DCCS Explained: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landry, Oriane; Al-Taie, Shems; Franklin, Ari

2017-01-01

The Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task is a widely used measure of preschoolers' executive function. We combined data for 3,290 3-year-olds from 37 unique studies reporting 130 experimental conditions. Using raw pass/fail counts, we computed the pass rates and chi-squared value for each against chance (50/50) performance. We grouped data…

A Decade's Difference: Research Revisited on Family Influence of Rural High School Students' Postsecondary Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Legutko, Robert S.

2008-01-01

This study is a quantitative descriptive research design which compared 1995 and 2005 data regarding family influence on rural Pennsylvania high school seniors' postsecondary decisions. A chi-square analysis at p less than 0.05 determined that there was (a) an increase in students planning college attendance, (b) a decrease in students not…

Research design and statistical methods in Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences (PJMS).

PubMed

Akhtar, Sohail; Shah, Syed Wadood Ali; Rafiq, M; Khan, Ajmal

2016-01-01

This article compares the study design and statistical methods used in 2005, 2010 and 2015 of Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences (PJMS). Only original articles of PJMS were considered for the analysis. The articles were carefully reviewed for statistical methods and designs, and then recorded accordingly. The frequency of each statistical method and research design was estimated and compared with previous years. A total of 429 articles were evaluated (n=74 in 2005, n=179 in 2010, n=176 in 2015) in which 171 (40%) were cross-sectional and 116 (27%) were prospective study designs. A verity of statistical methods were found in the analysis. The most frequent methods include: descriptive statistics (n=315, 73.4%), chi-square/Fisher's exact tests (n=205, 47.8%) and student t-test (n=186, 43.4%). There was a significant increase in the use of statistical methods over time period: t-test, chi-square/Fisher's exact test, logistic regression, epidemiological statistics, and non-parametric tests. This study shows that a diverse variety of statistical methods have been used in the research articles of PJMS and frequency improved from 2005 to 2015. However, descriptive statistics was the most frequent method of statistical analysis in the published articles while cross-sectional study design was common study design.

Risk Factors Analysis and Death Prediction in Some Life-Threatening Ailments Using Chi-Square Case-Based Reasoning (χ2 CBR) Model.

PubMed

Adeniyi, D A; Wei, Z; Yang, Y

2018-01-30

A wealth of data are available within the health care system, however, effective analysis tools for exploring the hidden patterns in these datasets are lacking. To alleviate this limitation, this paper proposes a simple but promising hybrid predictive model by suitably combining the Chi-square distance measurement with case-based reasoning technique. The study presents the realization of an automated risk calculator and death prediction in some life-threatening ailments using Chi-square case-based reasoning (χ 2 CBR) model. The proposed predictive engine is capable of reducing runtime and speeds up execution process through the use of critical χ 2 distribution value. This work also showcases the development of a novel feature selection method referred to as frequent item based rule (FIBR) method. This FIBR method is used for selecting the best feature for the proposed χ 2 CBR model at the preprocessing stage of the predictive procedures. The implementation of the proposed risk calculator is achieved through the use of an in-house developed PHP program experimented with XAMP/Apache HTTP server as hosting server. The process of data acquisition and case-based development is implemented using the MySQL application. Performance comparison between our system, the NBY, the ED-KNN, the ANN, the SVM, the Random Forest and the traditional CBR techniques shows that the quality of predictions produced by our system outperformed the baseline methods studied. The result of our experiment shows that the precision rate and predictive quality of our system in most cases are equal to or greater than 70%. Our result also shows that the proposed system executes faster than the baseline methods studied. Therefore, the proposed risk calculator is capable of providing useful, consistent, faster, accurate and efficient risk level prediction to both the patients and the physicians at any time, online and on a real-time basis.

Pedigree data analysis with crossover interference.

PubMed Central

Browning, Sharon

2003-01-01

We propose a new method for calculating probabilities for pedigree genetic data that incorporates crossover interference using the chi-square models. Applications include relationship inference, genetic map construction, and linkage analysis. The method is based on importance sampling of unobserved inheritance patterns conditional on the observed genotype data and takes advantage of fast algorithms for no-interference models while using reweighting to allow for interference. We show that the method is effective for arbitrarily many markers with small pedigrees. PMID:12930760

Product Quality Research Institute evaluation of cascade impactor profiles of pharmaceutical aerosols: part 2--evaluation of a method for determining equivalence.

PubMed

Christopher, David; Adams, Wallace P; Lee, Douglas S; Morgan, Beth; Pan, Ziqing; Singh, Gur Jai Pal; Tsong, Yi; Lyapustina, Svetlana

2007-01-19

The purpose of this article is to present the thought process, methods, and interim results of a PQRI Working Group, which was charged with evaluating the chi-square ratio test as a potential method for determining in vitro equivalence of aerodynamic particle size distribution (APSD) profiles obtained from cascade impactor measurements. Because this test was designed with the intention of being used as a tool in regulatory review of drug applications, the capability of the test to detect differences in APSD profiles correctly and consistently was evaluated in a systematic way across a designed space of possible profiles. To establish a "base line," properties of the test in the simplest case of pairs of identical profiles were studied. Next, the test's performance was studied with pairs of profiles, where some difference was simulated in a systematic way on a single deposition site using realistic product profiles. The results obtained in these studies, which are presented in detail here, suggest that the chi-square ratio test in itself is not sufficient to determine equivalence of particle size distributions. This article, therefore, introduces the proposal to combine the chi-square ratio test with a test for impactor-sized mass based on Population Bioequivalence and describes methods for evaluating discrimination capabilities of the combined test. The approaches and results described in this article elucidate some of the capabilities and limitations of the original chi-square ratio test and provide rationale for development of additional tests capable of comparing APSD profiles of pharmaceutical aerosols.

Estimating gene function with least squares nonnegative matrix factorization.

PubMed

Wang, Guoli; Ochs, Michael F

2007-01-01

Nonnegative matrix factorization is a machine learning algorithm that has extracted information from data in a number of fields, including imaging and spectral analysis, text mining, and microarray data analysis. One limitation with the method for linking genes through microarray data in order to estimate gene function is the high variance observed in transcription levels between different genes. Least squares nonnegative matrix factorization uses estimates of the uncertainties on the mRNA levels for each gene in each condition, to guide the algorithm to a local minimum in normalized chi2, rather than a Euclidean distance or divergence between the reconstructed data and the data itself. Herein, application of this method to microarray data is demonstrated in order to predict gene function.

NLINEAR - NONLINEAR CURVE FITTING PROGRAM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Everhart, J. L.

1994-01-01

A common method for fitting data is a least-squares fit. In the least-squares method, a user-specified fitting function is utilized in such a way as to minimize the sum of the squares of distances between the data points and the fitting curve. The Nonlinear Curve Fitting Program, NLINEAR, is an interactive curve fitting routine based on a description of the quadratic expansion of the chi-squared statistic. NLINEAR utilizes a nonlinear optimization algorithm that calculates the best statistically weighted values of the parameters of the fitting function and the chi-square that is to be minimized. The inputs to the program are the mathematical form of the fitting function and the initial values of the parameters to be estimated. This approach provides the user with statistical information such as goodness of fit and estimated values of parameters that produce the highest degree of correlation between the experimental data and the mathematical model. In the mathematical formulation of the algorithm, the Taylor expansion of chi-square is first introduced, and justification for retaining only the first term are presented. From the expansion, a set of n simultaneous linear equations are derived, which are solved by matrix algebra. To achieve convergence, the algorithm requires meaningful initial estimates for the parameters of the fitting function. NLINEAR is written in Fortran 77 for execution on a CDC Cyber 750 under NOS 2.3. It has a central memory requirement of 5K 60 bit words. Optionally, graphical output of the fitting function can be plotted. Tektronix PLOT-10 routines are required for graphics. NLINEAR was developed in 1987.

Influence of Leadership Style on Teacher's Job Productivity in Public Secondary Schools in Taraba State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shamaki, E. B.

2015-01-01

The main aim of this study was to find out the appropriate leadership style that could make teachers to be effective in their job productivity. One hundred and sixty-five teachers were used in the study. Frequency counts, percentage and chi-square test were used in data analysis. Research survey was used as a method of research and stratified…

Examining the Relationship between School Sports Participation and Alcohol Use among Middle School and High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Keith A.; Merianos, Ashley L.; Vidourek, Rebecca A.; Oluwoye, Oladunni A.

2017-01-01

The study purpose was to examine the relationship between sports participation and recent alcohol and past-year alcohol use among students. A secondary data analysis of the PRIDE survey (N = 37,616) was performed. A series of chi-square analyses and odds ratios were conducted. Results indicated sports participation reduced the odds for past-year…

Factors Contributing to Successful Employment Outcomes for Hispanic Women Who Are Deaf: Utilization of Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detector and Logistic Regression Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feist, Amber M.

2013-01-01

Hispanic women who are deaf constitute a heterogeneous group of individuals with varying vocational needs. To understand the unique needs of this population, it is important to analyze how consumer characteristics, presence of public supports, and type of services provided influence employment outcomes for Hispanic women who are deaf. The purpose…

Plant selection for ethnobotanical uses on the Amalfi Coast (Southern Italy).

PubMed

Savo, V; Joy, R; Caneva, G; McClatchey, W C

2015-07-15

Many ethnobotanical studies have investigated selection criteria for medicinal and non-medicinal plants. In this paper we test several statistical methods using different ethnobotanical datasets in order to 1) define to which extent the nature of the datasets can affect the interpretation of results; 2) determine if the selection for different plant uses is based on phylogeny, or other selection criteria. We considered three different ethnobotanical datasets: two datasets of medicinal plants and a dataset of non-medicinal plants (handicraft production, domestic and agro-pastoral practices) and two floras of the Amalfi Coast. We performed residual analysis from linear regression, the binomial test and the Bayesian approach for calculating under-used and over-used plant families within ethnobotanical datasets. Percentages of agreement were calculated to compare the results of the analyses. We also analyzed the relationship between plant selection and phylogeny, chorology, life form and habitat using the chi-square test. Pearson's residuals for each of the significant chi-square analyses were examined for investigating alternative hypotheses of plant selection criteria. The three statistical analysis methods differed within the same dataset, and between different datasets and floras, but with some similarities. In the two medicinal datasets, only Lamiaceae was identified in both floras as an over-used family by all three statistical methods. All statistical methods in one flora agreed that Malvaceae was over-used and Poaceae under-used, but this was not found to be consistent with results of the second flora in which one statistical result was non-significant. All other families had some discrepancy in significance across methods, or floras. Significant over- or under-use was observed in only a minority of cases. The chi-square analyses were significant for phylogeny, life form and habitat. Pearson's residuals indicated a non-random selection of woody species for non-medicinal uses and an under-use of plants of temperate forests for medicinal uses. Our study showed that selection criteria for plant uses (including medicinal) are not always based on phylogeny. The comparison of different statistical methods (regression, binomial and Bayesian) under different conditions led to the conclusion that the most conservative results are obtained using regression analysis.

The Effect of Communication Skills Training for Generalist Palliative Care Providers on Patient-Reported Outcomes and Clinician Behaviors: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Selman, Lucy Ellen; Brighton, Lisa J; Hawkins, Amy; McDonald, Christine; O'Brien, Suzanne; Robinson, Vicky; Khan, Shaheen A; George, Rob; Ramsenthaler, Christine; Higginson, Irene J; Koffman, Jonathan

2017-09-01

As most end-of-life care is provided by health care providers who are generalists rather than specialists in palliative care, effective communication skills training for generalists is essential. To determine the effect of communication training interventions for generalist palliative care providers on patient-reported outcomes and trainee behaviors. Systematic review from searches of 10 databases to December 2015 (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ERIC, CINAHL, CENTRAL, Web of Science, ICTRP, CORDIS, and OpenGrey) plus hand searching. Randomized controlled trials of training interventions intended to enhance generalists' communication skills in end-of-life care were included. Two authors independently assessed eligibility after screening, extracted data, and graded quality. Data were pooled for meta-analysis using a random-effects model. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Nineteen of 11,441 articles were eligible, representing 14 trials. Eleven were included in meta-analyses (patients n = 3144, trainees n = 791). Meta-analysis showed no effect on patient outcomes (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.10, 95% CI -0.05 to 0.24) and high levels of heterogeneity (chi-square = 21.32, degrees of freedom [df] = 7, P = 0.003; I 2  = 67%). The effect on trainee behaviors in simulated interactions (SMD = 0.50, 95% CI 0.19-0.81) was greater than in real patient interactions (SMD = 0.21, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.43) with moderate heterogeneity (chi-square = 8.90, df = 5, P = 0.11; I 2  = 44%; chi-square = 5.96, df = 3, P = 0.11; I 2  = 50%, respectively). Two interventions with medium effects on showing empathy in real patient interactions included personalized feedback on recorded interactions. The effect of communication skills training for generalists on patient-reported outcomes remains unclear. Training can improve clinicians' ability to show empathy and discuss emotions, at least in simulated consultations. Personalized feedback on recorded patient interactions may be beneficial. CRD42014014777. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification of O-Linked Glycoproteins Binding to the Lectin Helix pomatia Agglutinin as Markers of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

PubMed

Peiris, Diluka; Ossondo, Marlène; Fry, Simon; Loizidou, Marilena; Smith-Ravin, Juliette; Dwek, Miriam V

2015-01-01

Protein glycosylation is an important post-translational modification shown to be altered in all tumour types studied to date. Mucin glycoproteins have been established as important carriers of O-linked glycans but other glycoproteins exhibiting altered glycosylation repertoires have yet to be identified but offer potential as biomarkers for metastatic cancer. In this study a glycoproteomic approach was used to identify glycoproteins exhibiting alterations in glycosylation in colorectal cancer and to evaluate the changes in O-linked glycosylation in the context of the p53 and KRAS (codon 12/13) mutation status. Affinity purification with the carbohydrate binding protein from Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA) was coupled to 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis with mass spectrometry to enable the identification of low abundance O-linked glycoproteins from human colorectal cancer specimens. Aberrant O-linked glycosylation was observed to be an early event that occurred irrespective of the p53 and KRAS status and correlating with metastatic colorectal cancer. Affinity purification using the lectin HPA followed by proteomic analysis revealed annexin 4, annexin 5 and CLCA1 to be increased in the metastatic colorectal cancer specimens. The results were validated using a further independent set of specimens and this showed a significant association between the staining score for annexin 4 and HPA and the time to metastasis; independently (annexin A4: Chi square 11.45, P = 0.0007; HPA: Chi square 9.065, P = 0.0026) and in combination (annexin 4 and HPA combined: Chi square 13.47; P = 0.0002). Glycoproteins showing changes in O-linked glycosylation in metastatic colorectal cancer have been identified. The glycosylation changes were independent of p53 and KRAS status. These proteins offer potential for further exploration as biomarkers and potential targets for metastatic colorectal cancer.

Geographic Information Systems to Assess External Validity in Randomized Trials.

PubMed

Savoca, Margaret R; Ludwig, David A; Jones, Stedman T; Jason Clodfelter, K; Sloop, Joseph B; Bollhalter, Linda Y; Bertoni, Alain G

2017-08-01

To support claims that RCTs can reduce health disparities (i.e., are translational), it is imperative that methodologies exist to evaluate the tenability of external validity in RCTs when probabilistic sampling of participants is not employed. Typically, attempts at establishing post hoc external validity are limited to a few comparisons across convenience variables, which must be available in both sample and population. A Type 2 diabetes RCT was used as an example of a method that uses a geographic information system to assess external validity in the absence of a priori probabilistic community-wide diabetes risk sampling strategy. A geographic information system, 2009-2013 county death certificate records, and 2013-2014 electronic medical records were used to identify community-wide diabetes prevalence. Color-coded diabetes density maps provided visual representation of these densities. Chi-square goodness of fit statistic/analysis tested the degree to which distribution of RCT participants varied across density classes compared to what would be expected, given simple random sampling of the county population. Analyses were conducted in 2016. Diabetes prevalence areas as represented by death certificate and electronic medical records were distributed similarly. The simple random sample model was not a good fit for death certificate record (chi-square, 17.63; p=0.0001) and electronic medical record data (chi-square, 28.92; p<0.0001). Generally, RCT participants were oversampled in high-diabetes density areas. Location is a highly reliable "principal variable" associated with health disparities. It serves as a directly measurable proxy for high-risk underserved communities, thus offering an effective and practical approach for examining external validity of RCTs. Copyright © 2017 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genotyping and drug resistance patterns of M. tuberculosis strains in Pakistan.

PubMed

Tanveer, Mahnaz; Hasan, Zahra; Siddiqui, Amna R; Ali, Asho; Kanji, Akbar; Ghebremicheal, Solomon; Hasan, Rumina

2008-12-24

The incidence of tuberculosis in Pakistan is 181/100,000 population. However, information about transmission and geographical prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains and their evolutionary genetics as well as drug resistance remains limited. Our objective was to determine the clonal composition, evolutionary genetics and drug resistance of M. tuberculosis isolates from different regions of the country. M. tuberculosis strains isolated (2003-2005) from specimens submitted to the laboratory through collection units nationwide were included. Drug susceptibility was performed and strains were spoligotyped. Of 926 M. tuberculosis strains studied, 721(78%) were grouped into 59 "shared types", while 205 (22%) were identified as "Orphan" spoligotypes. Amongst the predominant genotypes 61% were Central Asian strains (CAS ; including CAS1, CAS sub-families and Orphan Pak clusters), 4% East African-Indian (EAI), 3% Beijing, 2% poorly defined TB strains (T), 2% Haarlem and LAM (0.2). Also TbD1 analysis (M. tuberculosis specific deletion 1) confirmed that CAS1 was of "modern" origin while EAI isolates belonged to "ancestral" strain types.Prevalence of CAS1 clade was significantly higher in Punjab (P < 0.01, Pearsons Chi-square test) as compared with Sindh, North West Frontier Province and Balochistan provinces. Forty six percent of isolates were sensitive to five first line antibiotics tested, 45% were Rifampicin resistant, 50% isoniazid resistant. MDR was significantly associated with Beijing strains (P = 0.01, Pearsons Chi-square test) and EAI (P = 0.001, Pearsons Chi-square test), but not with CAS family. Our results show variation of prevalent M. tuberculosis strain with greater association of CAS1 with the Punjab province. The fact that the prevalent CAS genotype was not associated with drug resistance is encouraging. It further suggests a more effective treatment and control programme should be successful in reducing the tuberculosis burden in Pakistan.

In vitro evaluation of the sealing ability of three newly developed root canal sealers: A bacterial microleakage study

PubMed Central

Sobhani, Ehsan; Samadi-Kafil, Hossein; Pirzadeh, Ahmad; Jafari, Sanaz

2016-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to compare the sealing ability of MTA Fillapex, Apatite Root Canal Sealer and AH26 sealers. Material and Methods The present in vitro study was carried out on 142 extracted single-rooted human mature teeth. The teeth were randomly divided into three experimental groups (n=44) and two control groups (n=5). Three root canal sealers were MTA Fillapex, Apatite Root Canal Sealer and AH26. The teeth in the control groups were either filled with no sealer or made completely impermeable. The root canals were prepared and obturated with gutta-percha and one of the sealers. The teeth were sterilized with ethylene oxide gas prior to the bacterial leakage assessment using Enterococcus faecalis. Leakage was evaluated every 24 hours for 90 days. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistical methods and chi-squared test. If the data were significant, a proper post hoc test was used. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Results The positive control specimens exhibited total bacterial penetration whilst the negative control specimens showed no evidence of bacterial penetration. At the end of the study, the analysis of microleakage with chi-squared test showed no significant differences between the experimental groups (P<0.05). The results of chi-squared test analyzing the pair-wise differences between the groups considering the numerical values for leakage day indicated the lowest leakage with AH26 and the highest with Apatite root sealer. Conclusions According to the results of the present study, sealing ability of AH26 was significantly higher than that of MTA Fillapex and Apatite Root Canal Sealer. Key words:Mineral Trioxide aggregate, root canal obturation, dental seal. PMID:27957271

Profile of non-fatal injuries due to road traffic accidents from a industrial town in India

PubMed Central

Bayan, Pankaj; Bhawalkar, J. S.; Jadhav, S. L.; Banerjee, Amitav

2013-01-01

Background: India has one of the highest road traffic accident rates in the world. To lessen this burden, information on the contributing factors is necessary. Materials and Methods: We studied a series of cases of non-fatal road traffic accidents in two tertiary care hospitals in Pimpri, Pune, India. A total of 212 non-fatal road traffic accidents admitted over a period of one year in these two hospitals constituted the study sample. The study variables were, the gender of the accident victims, mode of accident, days of week on which the accident took place, time of day when the injury was sustained, part of the body injured, nature of injury, and self-reported reasons for the accident. Statistical Analysis: data were summarized using percentages. The Chi-square test for goodness of fit was applied, to see whether there was any association between the different weekdays or time of day and the accidents. Results: Male : female ratio was almost 5 : 1, which was statistically significant (Chi-Square for goodness of fit = 95.11, df = 1, P < 0.0001). The maximum accidents occurred on Sundays and Mondays and the least around midweek (Wednesday). This pattern was also statistically significant (Chi-square for goodness of fit = 30.09, df = 6, P < 0.001). Pedestrians were the most vulnerable group, followed by drivers and pillions of two wheelers. These categories of road users contributed to almost 80% of the cases of Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs). Accidents were more likely in the time zone of 8 pm to midnight, followed by 4 pm to 8 pm (Chi-square for goodness of fit = 89.58, df = 5, P < 0.0001). A majority of the patients sustained multiple injuries followed by injuries to the lower limbs. A majority reported impaired visibility and fatigue as the cause of accident. Almost half (46.22%) of the injured admitted to drinking alcohol on a regular basis. Conclusion: Wide pavements and safe zebra crossings should be provided for pedestrians, as the highest casualty in this study were pedestrians. More accidents occurred on Sundays and Mondays and in the late evenings. Extra supervision by traffic police may be considered on Sundays / Holidays and the day following. Roads should be well lit to improve visibility after sunset. PMID:23724378

Thermostability of heterophile antibodies from human sera infected with Schistosoma mansoni and geo-helminths. An immuno-metric statistical analysis.

PubMed

Chamone, Munir; Atuncar, Gregorio S; Coelho, Paulo Marcos Zech

2006-01-01

Antibody in human sera that induces lysis of sheep erythrocytes in hemolytic assay was investigated. The present study showed that the presence in serum of the thermostable cytolytic anti-sheep red blood cells antibodies is dependent on the Schistosoma mansoni infection, and this is more frequent in adults than in children. The thermostable characteristic of hemolysins in normal sera was not dependent on the presence of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura or hookworm geo-helminths. Further, thermostable complement-activating heterophile antibodies were noticed in children in association with massive number of S. mansoni eggs. The results were obtained by using the z- and the chi-square tests. The z-test allows us to formulate a one-sided alternative, i.e., a tendency of one of the attributes. On the other hand, the chi-square test analyzes the independence between attributes by using a contingency table. Besides the obtained results being interesting in the field of schistosomiasis mansoni, they can provide a new insight into the use of statistics in medical science.

Gender and laterality in semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome.

PubMed

Karimnejad, K; Czerny, M S; Lookabaugh, S; Lee, D J; Mikulec, A A

2016-08-01

To determine if there is gender or laterality predilection in patients with semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome. A multi-institutional chart review was performed to identify patients diagnosed with semicircular canal dehiscence between 2000 and 2015. A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed to further identify patients with semicircular canal dehiscence. Age, gender and laterality data were collected. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate for gender or laterality preponderance. A total of 682 patients with semicircular canal dehiscence were identified by literature and chart review. Mean age of diagnosis was 49.75 years (standard deviation = 15.33). Semicircular canal dehiscence was associated with a statistically significant female predominance (chi-square = 7.185, p = 0.007); the female-to-male ratio was 1.2 to 1. Left-sided semicircular canal dehiscence was most common, followed by right-sided then bilateral (chi-square = 23.457, p < 0.001). Semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome is most commonly left-sided and exhibits a female predominance. This may be secondary to morphological cerebral hemisphere asymmetries in both sexes and a predilection of women to seek more medical care than men.

Fracture pattern interpretation in the skull: differentiating blunt force from ballistics trauma using concentric fractures.

PubMed

Hart, Gina O

2005-11-01

There have been several anthropological studies on trauma analysis in recent literature, but few studies have focused on the differences between the three mechanisms of trauma (sharp force trauma, blunt force trauma and ballistics trauma). The hypothesis of this study is that blunt force and ballistics fracture patterns in the skull can be differentiated using concentric fractures. Two-hundred and eleven injuries from skulls exhibiting concentric fractures were examined to determine if the mechanism of trauma could be determined by beveling direction. Fractures occurring in buttressed and non-buttressed regions were examined separately. Contingency tables and Pearson's Chi-Square were used to evaluate the relationship between the two variables (the mechanism of trauma and the direction of beveling), while Pearson's r correlation was used to determine the strength of the relationship. Contingency tables and Chi-square tests among the entire sample, the buttressed areas, and the non-buttressed areas led to the null hypothesis (no relationship) to be rejected. Pearson's r correlation indicated that the relationship between the variables studied is greater than chance allocation.

Racial/ethnic variation in mental health correlates of substance use among college students.

PubMed

Sumstine, Stephanie; Cruz, Sheena; Schroeder, Cassandra; Takeda, Summer; Bavarian, Niloofar

2018-01-01

This study investigated mental health indicators, substance use, and their relationships, by race/ethnicity. A probability sample of 1,053 students at two California universities self-reported their frequency of substance use and rated their experience with indicators of mental health. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square tests, and multivariate censored regression models were estimated to examine which indicators of mental health were associated with each substance use form by race/ethnicity. Results from the one-way ANOVA and chi-square tests showed differences in substance use prevalence and mental health by race/ethnicity. For example, students who identified as White demonstrate a higher prevalence for every form of substance use in comparison to the Asian, Latino, and "All other" categories. Results from the regression showed, among Whites, inattention was associated with prescription stimulant misuse, and psychological distress was associated with marijuana use. Among Latinos, inattention was associated with cocaine and prescription stimulant use. Among Asians, psychological distress was associated with tobacco use and the misuse of prescription painkillers. Findings highlight the need to ensure subpopulations receive needed services.

Some applications of categorical data analysis to epidemiological studies.

PubMed Central

Grizzle, J E; Koch, G G

1979-01-01

Several examples of categorized data from epidemiological studies are analyzed to illustrate that more informative analysis than tests of independence can be performed by fitting models. All of the analyses fit into a unified conceptual framework that can be performed by weighted least squares. The methods presented show how to calculate point estimate of parameters, asymptotic variances, and asymptotically valid chi 2 tests. The examples presented are analysis of relative risks estimated from several 2 x 2 tables, analysis of selected features of life tables, construction of synthetic life tables from cross-sectional studies, and analysis of dose-response curves. PMID:540590

Landslide susceptibility mapping using decision-tree based CHi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) and Logistic regression (LR) integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Althuwaynee, Omar F.; Pradhan, Biswajeet; Ahmad, Noordin

2014-06-01

This article uses methodology based on chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID), as a multivariate method that has an automatic classification capacity to analyse large numbers of landslide conditioning factors. This new algorithm was developed to overcome the subjectivity of the manual categorization of scale data of landslide conditioning factors, and to predict rainfall-induced susceptibility map in Kuala Lumpur city and surrounding areas using geographic information system (GIS). The main objective of this article is to use CHi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) method to perform the best classification fit for each conditioning factor, then, combining it with logistic regression (LR). LR model was used to find the corresponding coefficients of best fitting function that assess the optimal terminal nodes. A cluster pattern of landslide locations was extracted in previous study using nearest neighbor index (NNI), which were then used to identify the clustered landslide locations range. Clustered locations were used as model training data with 14 landslide conditioning factors such as; topographic derived parameters, lithology, NDVI, land use and land cover maps. Pearson chi-squared value was used to find the best classification fit between the dependent variable and conditioning factors. Finally the relationship between conditioning factors were assessed and the landslide susceptibility map (LSM) was produced. An area under the curve (AUC) was used to test the model reliability and prediction capability with the training and validation landslide locations respectively. This study proved the efficiency and reliability of decision tree (DT) model in landslide susceptibility mapping. Also it provided a valuable scientific basis for spatial decision making in planning and urban management studies.

Research design and statistical methods in Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences (PJMS)

PubMed Central

Akhtar, Sohail; Shah, Syed Wadood Ali; Rafiq, M.; Khan, Ajmal

2016-01-01

Objective: This article compares the study design and statistical methods used in 2005, 2010 and 2015 of Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences (PJMS). Methods: Only original articles of PJMS were considered for the analysis. The articles were carefully reviewed for statistical methods and designs, and then recorded accordingly. The frequency of each statistical method and research design was estimated and compared with previous years. Results: A total of 429 articles were evaluated (n=74 in 2005, n=179 in 2010, n=176 in 2015) in which 171 (40%) were cross-sectional and 116 (27%) were prospective study designs. A verity of statistical methods were found in the analysis. The most frequent methods include: descriptive statistics (n=315, 73.4%), chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests (n=205, 47.8%) and student t-test (n=186, 43.4%). There was a significant increase in the use of statistical methods over time period: t-test, chi-square/Fisher’s exact test, logistic regression, epidemiological statistics, and non-parametric tests. Conclusion: This study shows that a diverse variety of statistical methods have been used in the research articles of PJMS and frequency improved from 2005 to 2015. However, descriptive statistics was the most frequent method of statistical analysis in the published articles while cross-sectional study design was common study design. PMID:27022365

Recurrence risk model for esophageal cancer after radical surgery.

PubMed

Lu, Jincheng; Tao, Hua; Song, Dan; Chen, Cheng

2013-10-01

The aim of the present study was to construct a risk assessment model which was tested by disease-free survival (DFS) of esophageal cancer after radical surgery. A total of 164 consecutive esophageal cancer patients who had undergone radical surgery between January 2005 and December 2006 were retrospectively analyzed. The cutpoint of value at risk (VaR) was inferred by stem-and-leaf plot, as well as by independent-samples t-test for recurrence-free time, further confirmed by crosstab chi-square test, univariate analysis and Cox regression analysis for DFS. The cutpoint of VaR was 0.3 on the basis of our model. The rate of recurrence was 30.3% (30/99) and 52.3% (34/65) in VaR <0.3 and VaR ≥0.3 (chi-square test, (χ) (2) =7.984, P=0.005), respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS of esophageal cancer after radical surgery was 70.4%, 48.7%, and 45.3%, respectively in VaR ≥0.3, whereas 91.5%, 75.8%, and 67.3%, respectively in VaR <0.3 (Log-rank test, (χ) (2) =9.59, P=0.0020), and further confirmed by Cox regression analysis [hazard ratio =2.10, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2649-3.4751; P=0.0041]. The model could be applied for integrated assessment of recurrence risk after radical surgery for esophageal cancer.

Recurrence risk model for esophageal cancer after radical surgery

PubMed Central

Tao, Hua; Song, Dan; Chen, Cheng

2013-01-01

Objective The aim of the present study was to construct a risk assessment model which was tested by disease-free survival (DFS) of esophageal cancer after radical surgery. Methods A total of 164 consecutive esophageal cancer patients who had undergone radical surgery between January 2005 and December 2006 were retrospectively analyzed. The cutpoint of value at risk (VaR) was inferred by stem-and-leaf plot, as well as by independent-samples t-test for recurrence-free time, further confirmed by crosstab chi-square test, univariate analysis and Cox regression analysis for DFS. Results The cutpoint of VaR was 0.3 on the basis of our model. The rate of recurrence was 30.3% (30/99) and 52.3% (34/65) in VaR <0.3 and VaR ≥0.3 (chi-square test, χ2 =7.984, P=0.005), respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS of esophageal cancer after radical surgery was 70.4%, 48.7%, and 45.3%, respectively in VaR ≥0.3, whereas 91.5%, 75.8%, and 67.3%, respectively in VaR <0.3 (Log-rank test, χ2 =9.59, P=0.0020), and further confirmed by Cox regression analysis [hazard ratio =2.10, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2649-3.4751; P=0.0041]. Conclusions The model could be applied for integrated assessment of recurrence risk after radical surgery for esophageal cancer. PMID:24255579

Perceptions of Student Misconduct, Perceived Respect for Teachers, and Support for Corporal Punishment among School Teachers in South Korea: An Exploratory Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Ben

2009-01-01

This article provides an analysis of survey data on perceptions of student misconduct, perceived respect for teachers, and support for corporal punishment among school teachers in South Korea. The data were gathered from a survey of 110 middle and high school teachers in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Descriptive, chi square, logistic regression,…

Digital terrestrial photogrammetric methods for tree stem analysis

Treesearch

Neil A. Clark; Randolph H. Wynne; Daniel L. Schmoldt; Matt Winn

2000-01-01

A digital camera was used to measure diameters at various heights along the stem on 20 red oak trees. Diameter at breast height ranged from 16 to over 60 cm, and height to a 10-cm top ranged from 12 to 20 m. The chi-square maximum anticipated error of geometric mean diameter estimates at the 95 percent confidence level was within ±4 cm for all heights when...

[Numerical analysis of inter-specific relationships in the estuary salt marsh plant community of southern Chongming Dongtan, Shanghai.

PubMed

Ding, Wen Hui; Li, Xiu Zhen; Jiang, Jun Yan; Huang, Xing; Zhang, Yun Qing; Zhang, Qian; Zhou, Yun Xuan

2016-05-01

The salt marsh plant communities were investigated with quadrats in the southern Chongming Dongtan. Based on the vegetation coverage and the 2×2 contingency table, 8 common species among the 17 higher plants recorded were analyzed. The variance ratio of overall association, Chi-square test and Spearman rank correlation coefficient were used to describe the relevance and correlations between species pairs. The results showed that W (48.61), a statistical index to test the variance ratio (VR=0.61), fell outside of the range of Chi-square test, indicating that the overall correlation of all vegetation species was significantly negative. According to the environment adaptation mode of dominant species and the main influencing factors, the species were divided into 4 ecological groups, i.e., Phragmites australis, Carex scabrifolia-Scirpus triqueter - Juncellus serotinus, Spartina alterniflora - Scirpus mariqueter, Echinochloa crusgalli - Imperata cylindrica, based on the ranking of Spearman correlation coefficient. The inter-specific relationships in the salt marsh plant community of southern Chongming Dongtan were complicated and extremely unstable with species sensitive to environmental impacts. According to the analysis of relationships between the species and their pre-sent distribution, we suggested using S. mariqueter as target species to provide strategies for protecting native species based habitats.

Social Impact of Stigma Regarding Tuberculosis Hindering Adherence to Treatment: A Cross Sectional Study Involving Tuberculosis Patients in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Md Rocky Khan; Rahman, Md Shafiur; Mondal, Md Nazrul Islam; Sayem, Abu; Billah, Baki

2015-01-01

Stigma, considered a social disease, is more apparent in developing societies which are driven by various social affairs, and influences adherence to treatment. The aim of the present study was to examine levels of social stigma related to tuberculosis (TB) in sociodemographic context and identify the effects of sociodemographic factors on stigma. The study sample consisted of 372 TB patients. Data were collected using stratified sampling with simple random sampling techniques. T tests, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression analysis were performed to examine correlations between stigma and sociodemographic variables. Approximately 85.9% of patients had experienced stigma. The most frequent indicator of the stigma experienced by patients involved problems taking part in social programs (79.5%). Mean levels of stigma were significantly higher in women (55.5%), illiterate individuals (60.8%), and villagers (60.8%) relative to those of other groups. Chi-square tests revealed that education, monthly family income, and type of patient (pulmonary and extrapulmonary) were significantly associated with stigma. Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that stigma was influenced by sex, education, and type of patient. Stigma is one of the most important barriers to treatment adherence. Therefore, in interventions that aim to reduce stigma, strong collaboration between various institutions is essential.

Growth indicators in orthodontic patients. Part 1: comparison of cervical vertebral maturation and hand-wrist skeletal maturation.

PubMed

Litsas, G; Ari-Demirkaya, A

2010-12-01

The purpose of this study was to predict the skeletal maturation status based on the assessment of cervical vertebrae from lateral cephalometric radiographs and to compare these findings with the skeletal maturity of the same individuals judged from the hand-wrist radiographs. Lateral cephalometric and left hand-wrist radiographs of 393 Caucasian children from 8 to 18 years old were evaluated. On the hand-wrist radiographs the classification of Bjork [1972] and Grave and Brown [1976] was used to assess skeletal maturity (HWSS). Cervical vertebral maturation was also evaluated on lateral cephalometric radiographs using the improved CVMS method described by Baccetti, Franchi, and McNamara [2002]. These methods were correlated using the chi-square test. The chi-square test showed that skeletal maturational values obtained by the CVMS method were significantly correlated with the skeletal values obtained from the hand-wrist analysis for both genders (p<0.05). However, gender differentiation exists in CVMS method regarding the peak of growth spurt. The results of this study show that the CVMS method was compatible with a commonly used hand-wrist analysis method. The lateral cephalometric radiograph belonging to the standard set of records would be sufficient to evaluate skeletal maturity.

Geometric effects resulting from the asymmetry of dipping fault: Hanging wall/ footwall effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dong; Xie, Li-Li; Hu, Jin-Jun

2008-05-01

Root-mean-square distance D rms with characteristic of weighted-average is introduced in this article firstly. D rms can be used to capture the general proximity of a site to a dipping fault plane comparing with the rupture distance D rup and the seismogenic distance D seis. Then, using D rup, D seis and D rms, the hanging wall/footwall effects on the peak ground acceleration (PGA) during the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake are evaluated by regression analysis. The logarithm residual shows that the PGA on hanging wall is much greater than that on footwall at the same D rup or D seis when the D rup or D seis is used as site-to-source distance measure. In contrast, there is no significant difference between the PGA on hanging wall and that on footwall at the same D rms when D rms is used. This result confirms that the hanging wall/footwall effect is mainly a geometric effect caused by the asymmetry of dipping fault. Therefore, the hanging wall/footwall effect on the near-fault ground motions can be ignored in the future attenuation analysis if the root-mean-square distance D rms is used as the site-to-source distance measure.

Has there been a change in the knowledge of GP registrars between 2011 and 2016 as measured by performance on common items in the Applied Knowledge Test?

PubMed

Neden, Catherine A; Parkin, Claire; Blow, Carol; Siriwardena, Aloysius Niroshan

2018-05-08

The aim of this study was to assess whether the absolute standard of candidates sitting the MRCGP Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) between 2011 and 2016 had changed. It is a descriptive study comparing the performance on marker questions of a reference group of UK graduates taking the AKT for the first time between 2011 and 2016. Using aggregated examination data, the performance of individual 'marker' questions was compared using Pearson's chi-squared tests and trend-line analysis. Binary logistic regression was used to analyse changes in performance over the study period. Changes in performance of individual marker questions using Pearson's chi-squared test showed statistically significant differences in 32 of the 49 questions included in the study. Trend line analysis showed a positive trend in 29 questions and a negative trend in the remaining 23. The magnitude of change was small. Logistic regression did not demonstrate any evidence for a change in the performance of the question set over the study period. However, candidates were more likely to get items on administration wrong compared with clinical medicine or research. There was no evidence of a change in performance of the question set as a whole.

V3885 Sagittarius: A Comparison With a Range of Standard Model Accretion Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linnell, Albert P.; Godon, Patrick; Hubeny, Ivan; Sion, Edward M; Szkody, Paula; Barrett, Paul E.

2009-01-01

A chi-squared analysis of standard model accretion disk synthetic spectrum fits to combined Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectra of V3885 Sagittarius, on an absolute flux basis, selects a model that accurately represents the observed spectral energy distribution. Calculation of the synthetic spectrum requires the following system parameters. The cataclysmic variable secondary star period-mass relation calibrated by Knigge in 2006 and 2007 sets the secondary component mass. A mean white dwarf (WD) mass from the same study, which is consistent with an observationally determined mass ratio, sets the adopted WD mass of 0.7M(solar mass), and the WD radius follows from standard theoretical models. The adopted inclination, i = 65 deg, is a literature consensus, and is subsequently supported by chi-squared analysis. The mass transfer rate is the remaining parameter to set the accretion disk T(sub eff) profile, and the Hipparcos parallax constrains that parameter to mas transfer = (5.0 +/- 2.0) x 10(exp -9) M(solar mass)/yr by a comparison with observed spectra. The fit to the observed spectra adopts the contribution of a 57,000 +/- 5000 K WD. The model thus provides realistic constraints on mass transfer and T(sub eff) for a large mass transfer system above the period gap.

Nucleon form factors in dispersively improved chiral effective field theory: Scalar form factor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alarcon Soriano, Jose Manuel; Weiss, Christian

We propose a method for calculating the nucleon form factors (FFs) ofmore » $G$-parity-even operators by combining Chiral Effective Field Theory ($$\\chi$$EFT) and dispersion analysis. The FFs are expressed as dispersive integrals over the two-pion cut at $$t > 4 M_\\pi^2$$. The spectral functions are obtained from the elastic unitarity condition and expressed as products of the complex $$\\pi\\pi \\rightarrow N\\bar N$$ partial-wave amplitudes and the timelike pion FF. $$\\chi$$EFT is used to calculate the ratio of the partial-wave amplitudes and the pion FF, which is real and free of $$\\pi\\pi$$ rescattering in the $t$-channel ($N/D$ method). The rescattering effects are then incorporated by multiplying with the squared modulus of the empirical pion FF. The procedure results in a marked improvement compared to conventional $$\\chi$$EFT calculations of the spectral functions. We apply the method to the nucleon scalar FF and compute the scalar spectral function, the scalar radius, the $t$-dependent FF, and the Cheng-Dashen discrepancy. Higher-order chiral corrections are estimated through the $$\\pi N$$ low-energy constants. Results are in excellent agreement with dispersion-theoretical calculations. We elaborate several other interesting aspects of our method. The results show proper scaling behavior in the large-$$N_c$$ limit of QCD because the $$\\chi$$EFT includes $N$ and $$\\Delta$$ intermediate states. The squared modulus of the timelike pion FF required by our method can be extracted from Lattice QCD calculations of vacuum correlation functions of the operator at large Euclidean distances. Our method can be applied to the nucleon FFs of other operators of interest, such as the isovector-vector current, the energy-momentum tensor, and twist-2 QCD operators (moments of generalized parton distributions).« less

Nucleon form factors in dispersively improved chiral effective field theory: Scalar form factor

DOE PAGES

Alarcon Soriano, Jose Manuel; Weiss, Christian

2017-11-20

We propose a method for calculating the nucleon form factors (FFs) ofmore » $G$-parity-even operators by combining Chiral Effective Field Theory ($$\\chi$$EFT) and dispersion analysis. The FFs are expressed as dispersive integrals over the two-pion cut at $$t > 4 M_\\pi^2$$. The spectral functions are obtained from the elastic unitarity condition and expressed as products of the complex $$\\pi\\pi \\rightarrow N\\bar N$$ partial-wave amplitudes and the timelike pion FF. $$\\chi$$EFT is used to calculate the ratio of the partial-wave amplitudes and the pion FF, which is real and free of $$\\pi\\pi$$ rescattering in the $t$-channel ($N/D$ method). The rescattering effects are then incorporated by multiplying with the squared modulus of the empirical pion FF. The procedure results in a marked improvement compared to conventional $$\\chi$$EFT calculations of the spectral functions. We apply the method to the nucleon scalar FF and compute the scalar spectral function, the scalar radius, the $t$-dependent FF, and the Cheng-Dashen discrepancy. Higher-order chiral corrections are estimated through the $$\\pi N$$ low-energy constants. Results are in excellent agreement with dispersion-theoretical calculations. We elaborate several other interesting aspects of our method. The results show proper scaling behavior in the large-$$N_c$$ limit of QCD because the $$\\chi$$EFT includes $N$ and $$\\Delta$$ intermediate states. The squared modulus of the timelike pion FF required by our method can be extracted from Lattice QCD calculations of vacuum correlation functions of the operator at large Euclidean distances. Our method can be applied to the nucleon FFs of other operators of interest, such as the isovector-vector current, the energy-momentum tensor, and twist-2 QCD operators (moments of generalized parton distributions).« less

A review of recent methods for efficiently quantifying immunogold and other nanoparticles using TEM sections through cells, tissues and organs.

PubMed

Mayhew, Terry M; Mühlfeld, Christian; Vanhecke, Dimitri; Ochs, Matthias

2009-04-01

Detecting, localising and counting ultrasmall particles and nanoparticles in sub- and supra-cellular compartments are of considerable current interest in basic and applied research in biomedicine, bioscience and environmental science. For particles with sufficient contrast (e.g. colloidal gold, ferritin, heavy metal-based nanoparticles), visualization requires the high resolutions achievable by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, if particles can be counted, their spatial distributions can be subjected to statistical evaluation. Whatever the level of structural organisation, particle distributions can be compared between different compartments within a given structure (cell, tissue and organ) or between different sets of structures (in, say, control and experimental groups). Here, a portfolio of stereology-based methods for drawing such comparisons is presented. We recognise two main scenarios: (1) section surface localisation, in which particles, exemplified by antibody-conjugated colloidal gold particles or quantum dots, are distributed at the section surface during post-embedding immunolabelling, and (2) section volume localisation (or full section penetration), in which particles are contained within the cell or tissue prior to TEM fixation and embedding procedures. Whatever the study aim or hypothesis, the methods for quantifying particles rely on the same basic principles: (i) unbiased selection of specimens by multistage random sampling, (ii) unbiased estimation of particle number and compartment size using stereological test probes (points, lines, areas and volumes), and (iii) statistical testing of an appropriate null hypothesis. To compare different groups of cells or organs, a simple and efficient approach is to compare the observed distributions of raw particle counts by a combined contingency table and chi-squared analysis. Compartmental chi-squared values making substantial contributions to total chi-squared values help identify where the main differences between distributions reside. Distributions between compartments in, say, a given cell type, can be compared using a relative labelling index (RLI) or relative deposition index (RDI) combined with a chi-squared analysis to test whether or not particles preferentially locate in certain compartments. This approach is ideally suited to analysing particles located in volume-occupying compartments (organelles or tissue spaces) or surface-occupying compartments (membranes) and expected distributions can be generated by the stereological devices of point, intersection and particle counting. Labelling efficiencies (number of gold particles per antigen molecule) in immunocytochemical studies can be determined if suitable calibration methods (e.g. biochemical assays of golds per membrane surface or per cell) are available. In addition to relative quantification for between-group and between-compartment comparisons, stereological methods also permit absolute quantification, e.g. total volumes, surfaces and numbers of structures per cell. Here, the utility, limitations and recent applications of these methods are reviewed.

Parameter Estimation in Astronomy with Poisson-Distributed Data. 1; The (CHI)2(gamma) Statistic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mighell, Kenneth J.

1999-01-01

Applying the standard weighted mean formula, [Sigma (sub i)n(sub i)ssigma(sub i, sup -2)], to determine the weighted mean of data, n(sub i), drawn from a Poisson distribution, will, on average, underestimate the true mean by approx. 1 for all true mean values larger than approx.3 when the common assumption is made that the error of the i th observation is sigma(sub i) = max square root of n(sub i), 1).This small, but statistically significant offset, explains the long-known observation that chi-square minimization techniques which use the modified Neyman'chi(sub 2) statistic, chi(sup 2, sub N) equivalent Sigma(sub i)((n(sub i) - y(sub i)(exp 2)) / max(n(sub i), 1), to compare Poisson - distributed data with model values, y(sub i), will typically predict a total number of counts that underestimates the true total by about 1 count per bin. Based on my finding that weighted mean of data drawn from a Poisson distribution can be determined using the formula [Sigma(sub i)[n(sub i) + min(n(sub i), 1)](n(sub i) + 1)(exp -1)] / [Sigma(sub i)(n(sub i) + 1)(exp -1))], I propose that a new chi(sub 2) statistic, chi(sup 2, sub gamma) equivalent, should always be used to analyze Poisson- distributed data in preference to the modified Neyman's chi(exp 2) statistic. I demonstrated the power and usefulness of,chi(sub gamma, sup 2) minimization by using two statistical fitting techniques and five chi(exp 2) statistics to analyze simulated X-ray power - low 15 - channel spectra with large and small counts per bin. I show that chi(sub gamma, sup 2) minimization with the Levenberg - Marquardt or Powell's method can produce excellent results (mean slope errors approx. less than 3%) with spectra having as few as 25 total counts.

Signal Statistics and Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation in Intensity Modulated Fiber Optic Links Containing a Single Optical Pre-amplifier.

PubMed

Alić, Nikola; Papen, George; Saperstein, Robert; Milstein, Laurence; Fainman, Yeshaiahu

2005-06-13

Exact signal statistics for fiber-optic links containing a single optical pre-amplifier are calculated and applied to sequence estimation for electronic dispersion compensation. The performance is evaluated and compared with results based on the approximate chi-square statistics. We show that detection in existing systems based on exact statistics can be improved relative to using a chi-square distribution for realistic filter shapes. In contrast, for high-spectral efficiency systems the difference between the two approaches diminishes, and performance tends to be less dependent on the exact shape of the filter used.

Quality of residential care for older people: does education for healthcare assistants make a difference?

PubMed

Smith, Barbara; Kerse, Ngaire; Parsons, Matthew

2005-05-06

To determine the impact of a healthcare assistant education programme on the quality of care for older people living in a residential home in Auckland, New Zealand. A pre- and post-intervention evaluation study was undertaken within a residential home for older people. Quality of care was established by two periods of non-participant time-sampling observation of residents, separated by a programme of 10 interactive teaching sessions for healthcare assistants. Informed consent was gained from all observed residents and staff. Using the Quality Assessment Project (QAP) quality measure, the non-participant time-sampling observation data identified a 12.5% increase in resident care that was considered appropriate and adequate (chi-squared=12.05) and an 11.53% decrease in resident care that was considered inappropriate and inadequate (chi-squared=11.43). The intermediate grades did not alter significantly. Residents with low functional activity scores (Barthel Index) received better care after the education intervention (chi-squared=32.99), as did residents with moderate cognitive impairment (Abbreviated Mental Test Score [AMTS]<8/10). Healthcare assistant education can positively impact on the quality of care given to older people in residential care.

Genome-scan analysis for genetic mapping of quantitative trait loci underlying birth weight and onset of puberty in doe kids (Capra hircus).

PubMed

Esmailizadeh, A K

2014-12-01

The objective of this study was to locate quantitative trait loci (QTL) causing variation in birth weight and age of puberty of doe kids in a population of Rayini cashmere goats. Four hundred and thirty kids from five half-sib families were genotyped for 116 microsatellite markers located on the caprine autosomes. The traits recorded were birth weight of the male and female kids, body weight at puberty, average daily gain from birth to age of puberty and age at puberty of the doe kids. QTL analysis was conducted using the least squares interval mapping approach. Linkage analysis indicated significant QTL for birth weight on Capra hircus chromosomes (CHI) 4, 5, 6, 18 and 21. Five QTL located on CHI 5, 14 and 29 were associated with age at puberty. Across-family analysis revealed evidence for overlapping QTL affecting birth weight (78 cM), body weight at puberty (72 cM), average daily gain from birth to age of puberty (72 cM) and age at puberty (76 cM) on CHI 5 and overlapping QTL controlling body weight at puberty and age at puberty on CHI 14 at 18-19 cM. The proportion of the phenotypic variance explained by the detected QTL ranged between 7.9% and 14.4%. Confirming some of the previously reported results for birth weight and growth QTL in goats, this study identified more QTL for these traits and is the first report of QTL for onset of puberty in doe kids. © 2014 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Risk, Politics, and Money: The Need for a Value-Based Model for Financing Public Health Preparedness and Response

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

determine the proper investment in public health preparedness to assure value for money spent? A. PROBLEM STATEMENT Our federal, state, and local...in the survey. It assured the respondent that their identity would be protected and their responses remain anonymous and confidential. Questions two...preparedness level. D. DATA ANALYSIS The Pearson Chi-square test was used to examine the significance of the association (contingency) between

Performance Effects of Measurement and Analysis: Perspectives from CMMI High Maturity Organizations and Appraisers

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

models 13 The Chi-Square test fails to reject the null hypothesis that there is no difference between 2008 and 2009 data (p-value = 0.601). This...attributed to process performance modeling 53 Table 4: Relationships between data quality and integrity activities and overall value attributed to... data quality and integrity; staffing and resources devoted to the work; pertinent training and coaching; and the alignment of the models with

Comparison for aphasic and control subjects of eye movements hypothesized in neurolinguistic programming.

PubMed

Dooley, K O; Farmer, A

1988-08-01

Neurolinguistic programming's hypothesized eye movements were measured independently using videotapes of 10 nonfluent aphasic and 10 control subjects matched for age and sex. Chi-squared analysis indicated that eye-position responses were significantly different for the groups. Although earlier research has not supported the hypothesized eye positions for normal subjects, the present findings support the contention that eye-position responses may differ between neurologically normal and aphasic individuals.

Women at Sea: Welcome Aboard.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-01

should be familiar with typical military/navy terms, and elementary statistical tests (T-test, Chi Square, and One-Way Analysis of Variance). The ...and the media. One theory is that the gradual internalization or acceptance of values and ideals (which is influenced by the individual’s class, family...completed with a comparison of the two. A similar format is followed for the commanding officer’s data. Three sets of statistical tests were done on the

Treatment needs and impact of oral health screening of athletes with intellectual disability in Belgium.

PubMed

Fernandez, C; Declerck, D; Dedecker, M; Marks, L

2015-12-30

Special Olympics Special Smiles (SOSS) is an initiative created for oral health data collection and education in oral hygiene for athletes with an intellectual disability. The aims of this study were to evaluate treatment needs of participants of Special Olympics in Belgium 2013 in comparison with those from 2008 and to assess the impact of screening and referral within the SOSS in a group of athletes who participated in two consecutive events, 2012 and 2013. Data were collected following a standardized protocol developed by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Oral Health. Oral hygiene habits, treatment urgency and reports of oral pain, gingival signs, sealants, untreated caries, missing and filled teeth were recorded. Data analysis of data from 2013 consisted in descriptive statistics followed by the analysis of the data by univariable and multivariable logistic regression. This data was compared with data from 2008 published by Leroy et al., 2012 using Chi square tests. Data from athletes who participated in both Special Olympics events (2012 and 2013) were compared using Exact McNemar's test and Chi-square test for homogeneity of proportions. The level of significance for all tests was set at a p-value < 0.05. A total of 627 athletes with intellectual disability participated to the SOSS program in 2013, while 132 athletes met the inclusion criteria of being a participant at both SO Belgium 2012 and 2013. The prevalence of gingival signs was 44.3 % in 2013, slightly higher than in 2008 (42.4 %). The burden of untreated decay affected 27.1 % of the population showing a net increase in comparison to 2008 (20.9 %). McNemar's test and Chi-square test revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in the proportions of all compared parameters between 2012 and 2013. Special Olympics results from 2013 indicate a considerable unmet treatment need among Belgian Special Olympics Athletes, persistent from 2008 to 2013. Moreover, SO intervention had no impact in the oral health of athletes who participated in 2012 and 2013 events. Continuous efforts for preventive and restorative oral health care are needed for this population.

A Comparison of Normal and Elliptical Estimation Methods in Structural Equation Models.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schumacker, Randall E.; Cheevatanarak, Suchittra

Monte Carlo simulation compared chi-square statistics, parameter estimates, and root mean square error of approximation values using normal and elliptical estimation methods. Three research conditions were imposed on the simulated data: sample size, population contamination percent, and kurtosis. A Bentler-Weeks structural model established the…

An Examination of Statistical Power in Multigroup Dynamic Structural Equation Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prindle, John J.; McArdle, John J.

2012-01-01

This study used statistical simulation to calculate differential statistical power in dynamic structural equation models with groups (as in McArdle & Prindle, 2008). Patterns of between-group differences were simulated to provide insight into how model parameters influence power approximations. Chi-square and root mean square error of…

The influence of type 2 diabetes and gender on ventricular repolarization dispersion in patients with sub-clinic left ventricular diastolic dysfunction

PubMed Central

Jani, Ylber; Kamberi, Ahmet; Xhunga, Sotir; Pocesta, Bekim; Ferati, Fatmir; Lala, Dali; Zeqiri, Agim; Rexhepi, Atila

2015-01-01

Objective: To assess the influence of type 2 DM and gender, on the QT dispersion, Tpeak-Tend dispersion of ventricular repolarization, in patients with sub-clinic left ventricular diastolic dysfunction of the heart. Background: QT dispersion, that reflects spatial inhomogeneity in ventricular repolarization, Tpeak-Tend dispersion, this on the other hand reflects transmural inhomogeneity in ventricular repolarization, that is increased in an early stage of cardiomyopathy, and in patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, as well. The left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, a basic characteristic of diabetic heart disease (diabetic cardiomyopathy), that developes earlier than systolic dysfunction, suggests that diastolic markers might be sensitive for early cardiac injury. It is also demonstrated that gender has complex influence on indices of myocardial repolarization abnormalities such as QT interval and QT dispersion. Material and methods: We performed an observational study including 300 diabetic patients with similar epidemiological-demographic characteristics recruited in our institution from May 2009 to July 2014, divided into two groups. Demographic and laboratory echocardiographic data were obtained, twelve lead resting electrocardiography, QT, QTc, Tpeak-Tend-intervals and dispersion, were determined manually, and were compared between various groups. For statistical analysis a t-test, X2 test, and logistic regression are used according to the type of variables. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant for a confidence interval of 95%. Results: QTc max. interval, QTc dispersion and Tpeak-Tend dispersion, were significantly higher in diabetic group with subclinical LV (left ventricular) diastolic dysfunction, than in diabetic group with normal left ventricular diastolic function (445.24±14.7 ms vs. 433.55±14.4 ms, P<0.000; 44.98±18.78 ms vs. 32.05±17.9 ms, P<0.000; 32.60±1.6 ms vs. 17.46±2.0 ms, P<0.02. Prolonged QTc max. interval was found in 33% of patients, indiabetic group with subclinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction vs. 13.3% of patients in diabetic group with normal left ventricular diastolic function, (Chi-square: 16.77, P<0.0001). A prolonged QTc dispersion, was found in 40.6% of patients, in diabetic group with subclinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction vs. 20% of patients in diabetic group with normal left ventricular diastolic function Chi-square: 14.11, P<0.0002). A prolonged dispersion of Tpeak-Tend interval was found in 24% of patients in diabetic group with subclinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction vs. 13.3% of patients in diabetic group with normal left ventricular diastolic function (Chi-square: 12.00, P<0.005). Females in diabetic group with subclinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in comparison with males in diabetic group with subclinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, have a significantly prolonged: mean QTc max. interval (23.3% vs. 10%, Chisquare: 12.0, P<0.005), mean QTc dispersion (27.3% vs. 13.3%, Chi-square: 10.24, P<0.001), mean Tpeak-Tend interval (10% vs. 3.3%, Chi-square: 5.77, P<0.01), mean Tpek-Tend dispersion (16.6% vs. 6.6%, Chi-square: 8.39, P<0.003). Conclusion: The present study has shown that influences of type 2 diabetes and gender in diabetics with sub-clinical left-ventricular diastolic dysfunction are reflected in a set of electrophysiological parameters that indicate a prolonged and more heterogeneous repolarization than in diabetic patients with normal diastolic function. In addition, it demonstrates that there exist differences between diabetic females with sub-clinic LV dysfunction and those with diabetes and normal LV function in the prevalence of increased set of electrophysiological parameters that indicate a prolonged and more heterogeneous repolarization. PMID:26550530

The influence of type 2 diabetes and gender on ventricular repolarization dispersion in patients with sub-clinic left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.

PubMed

Jani, Ylber; Kamberi, Ahmet; Xhunga, Sotir; Pocesta, Bekim; Ferati, Fatmir; Lala, Dali; Zeqiri, Agim; Rexhepi, Atila

2015-01-01

To assess the influence of type 2 DM and gender, on the QT dispersion, Tpeak-Tend dispersion of ventricular repolarization, in patients with sub-clinic left ventricular diastolic dysfunction of the heart. QT dispersion, that reflects spatial inhomogeneity in ventricular repolarization, Tpeak-Tend dispersion, this on the other hand reflects transmural inhomogeneity in ventricular repolarization, that is increased in an early stage of cardiomyopathy, and in patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, as well. The left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, a basic characteristic of diabetic heart disease (diabetic cardiomyopathy), that developes earlier than systolic dysfunction, suggests that diastolic markers might be sensitive for early cardiac injury. It is also demonstrated that gender has complex influence on indices of myocardial repolarization abnormalities such as QT interval and QT dispersion. We performed an observational study including 300 diabetic patients with similar epidemiological-demographic characteristics recruited in our institution from May 2009 to July 2014, divided into two groups. Demographic and laboratory echocardiographic data were obtained, twelve lead resting electrocardiography, QT, QTc, Tpeak-Tend-intervals and dispersion, were determined manually, and were compared between various groups. For statistical analysis a t-test, X(2) test, and logistic regression are used according to the type of variables. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant for a confidence interval of 95%. QTc max. interval, QTc dispersion and Tpeak-Tend dispersion, were significantly higher in diabetic group with subclinical LV (left ventricular) diastolic dysfunction, than in diabetic group with normal left ventricular diastolic function (445.24±14.7 ms vs. 433.55±14.4 ms, P<0.000; 44.98±18.78 ms vs. 32.05±17.9 ms, P<0.000; 32.60±1.6 ms vs. 17.46±2.0 ms, P<0.02. Prolonged QTc max. interval was found in 33% of patients, indiabetic group with subclinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction vs. 13.3% of patients in diabetic group with normal left ventricular diastolic function, (Chi-square: 16.77, P<0.0001). A prolonged QTc dispersion, was found in 40.6% of patients, in diabetic group with subclinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction vs. 20% of patients in diabetic group with normal left ventricular diastolic function Chi-square: 14.11, P<0.0002). A prolonged dispersion of Tpeak-Tend interval was found in 24% of patients in diabetic group with subclinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction vs. 13.3% of patients in diabetic group with normal left ventricular diastolic function (Chi-square: 12.00, P<0.005). Females in diabetic group with subclinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in comparison with males in diabetic group with subclinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, have a significantly prolonged: mean QTc max. interval (23.3% vs. 10%, Chisquare: 12.0, P<0.005), mean QTc dispersion (27.3% vs. 13.3%, Chi-square: 10.24, P<0.001), mean Tpeak-Tend interval (10% vs. 3.3%, Chi-square: 5.77, P<0.01), mean Tpek-Tend dispersion (16.6% vs. 6.6%, Chi-square: 8.39, P<0.003). The present study has shown that influences of type 2 diabetes and gender in diabetics with sub-clinical left-ventricular diastolic dysfunction are reflected in a set of electrophysiological parameters that indicate a prolonged and more heterogeneous repolarization than in diabetic patients with normal diastolic function. In addition, it demonstrates that there exist differences between diabetic females with sub-clinic LV dysfunction and those with diabetes and normal LV function in the prevalence of increased set of electrophysiological parameters that indicate a prolonged and more heterogeneous repolarization.

The Effect of Number of Ability Intervals on the Stability of Item Bias Detection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loyd, Brenda

The chi-square procedure has been suggested as a viable index of test bias because it provides the best agreement with the three parameter item characteristic curve without the large sample requirement, computer complexity, and cost. This study examines the effect of using different numbers of ability intervals on the reliability of chi-square…

A New Algorithm to Optimize Maximal Information Coefficient

PubMed Central

Luo, Feng; Yuan, Zheming

2016-01-01

The maximal information coefficient (MIC) captures dependences between paired variables, including both functional and non-functional relationships. In this paper, we develop a new method, ChiMIC, to calculate the MIC values. The ChiMIC algorithm uses the chi-square test to terminate grid optimization and then removes the restriction of maximal grid size limitation of original ApproxMaxMI algorithm. Computational experiments show that ChiMIC algorithm can maintain same MIC values for noiseless functional relationships, but gives much smaller MIC values for independent variables. For noise functional relationship, the ChiMIC algorithm can reach the optimal partition much faster. Furthermore, the MCN values based on MIC calculated by ChiMIC can capture the complexity of functional relationships in a better way, and the statistical powers of MIC calculated by ChiMIC are higher than those calculated by ApproxMaxMI. Moreover, the computational costs of ChiMIC are much less than those of ApproxMaxMI. We apply the MIC values tofeature selection and obtain better classification accuracy using features selected by the MIC values from ChiMIC. PMID:27333001

[Comparison of thromboelastography and routine coagulation tests for evaluation of blood coagulation function in patients].

PubMed

Chen, Guan-Yi; Ou Yang, Xi-Lin; Wu, Jing-Hui; Wang, Li-Hua; Yang, Jin-Hua; Gu, Li-Nan; Lu, Zhu-Jie; Zhao, Xiao-Zi

2015-04-01

To investigate the correlation and consistency between thromboelastography(TEG) and routine coagulation tests, and to evaluate the value of the two methods in determining the blood coagulation of patients. The TEG, routine coagulation tests and platelet counts of 182 patients from the Intensive Care Unit(ICU) and Department of Gastroenterology in our hospital from January to September 2014 were performed and analyzed retrospectively for their correlation, Kappa identity test analysis and chi-square test, and the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of both methods in the patients with bleeding were evaluated. The TEG R time and PT, R time and APTT showed a linear dependence (P<0.01). The relationship between the TEG K value, α-Angle, MA and Fibrinogen showed a linear dependence (P<0.001). And the relationship between the TEG K value, α-Angle, MA and the platelet count were in a linear dependent way (P<0.001). The Kappa values of the TEG R time with PT and APTT were 0.038 (P>0.05) and 0.061 (P>0.05), respectively. The chi-square test values of the TEG R time with PT and APTT were 35.309 (P<0.001) and 15.848 (P<0.001), respectively. The Fibrinogen and the TEG K value, α-Angle, MA value had statistical significance (P<0.001), with a Kappa value of 0.323, 0.288 and 0.427, respectively. The chi-square test values between Fibrinogen and the TEG K value, α-Angle, MA value were not statistically significant, with X2=1.091 (P=0.296), X2=1.361 (P=0.243), X2=0.108 (P=0.742). The Kappa values of the platelet count and the TEG K value, α-Angle, MA value were 0.379, 0.208 and 0.352, respectively, which were also statistically significant difference (P<0.001). The chi-square test values between the platelet count and the TEG K value, α-Angle, MA value showed a statistically significant difference (P<0.001), with X2=37.5, X2=37.23, X2=26.630. The diagnostic sensitivity of the two methods for the patients with bleeding was less than 50%. There was a significant correlation between some TEG parameters and routine coagulation tests, but the consistency is weak. Moreover, the diagnostic sensitivity of two methods in the patients with bleeding is low. It was concluded that the TEG cannot replace the conventional coagulation tests, and the preferable method remains uncertain which could reflect the risk of bleeding.

The changing epidemiological pattern of Dengue in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

PubMed

Khan, Jehangir; Ghaffar, Abdul; Khan, Shujaat Ali

2018-01-01

Pakistan is suffering from dengue fever since 1994. In the country, major dengue outbreaks have been documented in 2010, 2011 and 2013 in Punjab (Lahore) and Sindh (Karachi) Provinces. District Swat was hit for the first time by dengue virus in 2013, claiming 57 deaths and 8000 morbidities. The molecular and entomological aspects along with the ecological and social context of the dengue outbreaks were investigated in this study. In addition to entomological survey, the data collected from patients' files (Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital, Swat) and by directly questioning the patients (field data) was analyzed for epidemiological trends, molecular identification (RT-PCR based serotyping of DENV), clinical profile, socioeconomic status (SES) and demographic features. The peak prevalence of dengue was documented in September (56% in 2013, 38% in 2014) and October (33% in 2013, 24% in 2014), whereas in 2015, in October (54.5%) and November (30.5%). The serotype 3 (≤60%) and serotype 2 (≤40%) were found dominant in the area. Among the reported patients (5513), 69% were males and 31% females. Majority of them were found in the age of 14-30 years (52.5%) as compared to 31-60 years (34.5%) (Chi-square: 3219.463, p-value: 0.00). About 63% cases reported in low SES. Among the different categories of government employees affected with dengue, majority (4%) were belonging to health department (Chi-square: 4541.011, p-value: 0.00). Similarly, dengue targeted the dwellers living in multiple-storey houses (65%) as compared to those in the single-storeyed houses (35%) (Chi-square: 495.630, p-value: 0.00). The overall death toll observed was of 57 persons. Dengue prevailed more (38.4%) among low qualified individuals as compared to high qualified (11.5%) (Chi-square: 884.315, p-value: 0.00). Our analysis indicated a decrease in the epidemiological trend of dengue (now) in the area, though initially it was observed affecting all types of communities on a larger scale. However, the DENV-2 and DENV-3 were dominantly circulating in the area and the prevalence (with usual peaks in post-monsoon) found high in males, illiterate (less educated) individuals and in those with low SES. Urbanization, infected human travelling, climate change, socioeconomic, sociodemographic as well as the wide range adaptation of vector mosquitoes, altogether, are the important factors playing role in the expansion of dengue. Further studies are needed to determine the association of these variables with the dengue spread in the area.

Clinical Skills Passport: A Method to Increase Participation in Clinical Skills by Medical Students During a Surgery Clerkship.

PubMed

Read, Thomas E

To prospectively evaluate the effect of introducing a clinical skills "passport" on medical students' reporting of their experience with basic clinical skills. A prospective longitudinal intervention study was conducted. Medical students were administered a questionnaire at the conclusion of their 12-week surgery clerkship regarding their experience with 15 clinical skills, inquiring whether they had "learned on surgery clerkship", "learned before surgery clerkship", or "not learned". Preintervention baseline data were obtained for 2 consecutive academic years (n = 213 students). In the third year, students (n = 124) were given a clinical skills passport to document performance of 8 of the 15 skills under the supervision of a surgical resident or faculty member. After excluding from analysis those students who learned a skill before their surgery clerkship, the fraction of students who reported learning clinical skills during their surgery clerkship before and after the introduction of the clinical skills passport was compared using Fisher exact test and chi-squared test, where appropriate (p ≤ 0.003 was considered significant; Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons). Washington University School of Medicine. A total of 337 medical students completing the junior surgery clerkship over a 3-year period were included in the study. All 337 students completed a survey. Considering each skill individually, survey response rate was 5045/5055 (99.8%). Combining all responses for all skills, the fraction of students reporting that skills were learned on the surgery clerkship increased after the introduction of the clinical skills passport (1498/1938 [77%] preintervention vs. 974/1109 [88%] postintervention, p < 0.0001, chi square). After the introduction of the clinical skills passport, the fraction of students reporting that a skill was "learned on surgery clerkship" significantly increased for the 8 skills listed on the passport (1026/1699 [83%] preintervention vs. 685/714 [96%] postintervention, p < 0.0001, chi square), but did not increase for the 7 skills not listed on the passport (472/695 [68%] preintervention vs. 289/395 [73%] postintervention, p = 0.08, chi square). Considering each skill individually, after the introduction of the clinical skills passport, the fraction of students reporting that a skill was "learned on surgery clerkship" significantly increased for 4/15 skills (all listed on the clinical passport) and decreased for 0/15 skills (p < 0.003, Fisher exact test, 2 tailed). Institution of a clinical skills passport system during a surgery clerkship increased medical student reporting of their performance of basic clinical skills. Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Seroprevalence of transfusion transmitted infection among blood donors at Jijiga blood bank, Eastern Ethiopia: retrospective 4 years study.

PubMed

Mohammed, Yusuf; Bekele, Alemayehu

2016-02-27

A transfusion transmissible infection (TTI) is any infection that is transmissible from person to- person through parenteral administration of blood or blood products. The magnitude of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTI) varies from country to country depending on TTI's load in that particular population. Measuring their severity, WHO (World Health Organization) has recommended pre-transfusion blood test for Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Syphilis as mandatory. The aim of the current study was to assess the trend and prevalence of TTI among blood donors in Jijiga Blood Bank between 2010 and 2013. A Retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted by reviewing the records from 2010 to 2013 at Jijiga Blood Bank. All blood donors who presented to the blood bank and screened for TTI during the study period were included. The data was collected, entered and analyzed using Epi Info 3.5.1 & Microsoft Excel 2007. The descriptive statistics were determined in means of percentages. Chi-square was used for trend analysis and p-value was used to declare the statistical significance between the variable. There were a total of 4224 people donated blood during study period. Males formed the majority of the donor population accounting for 4171 (98.7%). Majority 4139 (98%) of donors were Replacement donors. The overall prevalence of transfusion-transmitted infection was 487/4224 (11.5%). The prevalence for HBsAg, HCV, HIV, & Syphilis antibodies was 460 (10. 9%), 17 (0.4%), 6 (0.1%) and 4 (0.1%) respectively. Majority 460/487 (94.5%) of infection was HBsAg. Statistically significant difference was observed in number of donation as well as sero-positivity from year 2010 to 2013 (Chi-square 9.24, p value = 0.02), in Trends of HBsAg from year to year (Chi-square 11.14, p value = 0.01), HIV virus was seen as the age of donors increases (Chi-square 8.37, p value = 0.01) and There was also statistically significance difference (p value = 0.01) in prevalence of HBsAg distribution by sex. The present study clearly documents high Seroprevalence (487 out of 4,224, 11.5%) of TTI, low percentage of voluntary donors and low participation of female donors. Promoting the culture of voluntary donors, recruitment of female blood donors and proper testing of donor's blood by using standard methods are recommended.

Fitting a function to time-dependent ensemble averaged data.

PubMed

Fogelmark, Karl; Lomholt, Michael A; Irbäck, Anders; Ambjörnsson, Tobias

2018-05-03

Time-dependent ensemble averages, i.e., trajectory-based averages of some observable, are of importance in many fields of science. A crucial objective when interpreting such data is to fit these averages (for instance, squared displacements) with a function and extract parameters (such as diffusion constants). A commonly overlooked challenge in such function fitting procedures is that fluctuations around mean values, by construction, exhibit temporal correlations. We show that the only available general purpose function fitting methods, correlated chi-square method and the weighted least squares method (which neglects correlation), fail at either robust parameter estimation or accurate error estimation. We remedy this by deriving a new closed-form error estimation formula for weighted least square fitting. The new formula uses the full covariance matrix, i.e., rigorously includes temporal correlations, but is free of the robustness issues, inherent to the correlated chi-square method. We demonstrate its accuracy in four examples of importance in many fields: Brownian motion, damped harmonic oscillation, fractional Brownian motion and continuous time random walks. We also successfully apply our method, weighted least squares including correlation in error estimation (WLS-ICE), to particle tracking data. The WLS-ICE method is applicable to arbitrary fit functions, and we provide a publically available WLS-ICE software.

Search for supersymmetry with gauge-mediated breaking in diphoton events with missing transverse energy at CDF II.

PubMed

Aaltonen, T; Adelman, J; Alvarez González, B; Amerio, S; Amidei, D; Anastassov, A; Annovi, A; Antos, J; Apollinari, G; Apresyan, A; Arisawa, T; Artikov, A; Asaadi, J; Ashmanskas, W; Attal, A; Aurisano, A; Azfar, F; Badgett, W; Barbaro-Galtieri, A; Barnes, V E; Barnett, B A; Barria, P; Bartos, P; Bauer, G; Beauchemin, P-H; Bedeschi, F; Beecher, D; Behari, S; Bellettini, G; Bellinger, J; Benjamin, D; Beretvas, A; Bhatti, A; Binkley, M; Bisello, D; Bizjak, I; Blair, R E; Blocker, C; Blumenfeld, B; Bocci, A; Bodek, A; Boisvert, V; Bortoletto, D; Boudreau, J; Boveia, A; Brau, B; Bridgeman, A; Brigliadori, L; Bromberg, C; Brubaker, E; Budagov, J; Budd, H S; Budd, S; Burkett, K; Busetto, G; Bussey, P; Buzatu, A; Byrum, K L; Cabrera, S; Calancha, C; Camarda, S; Campanelli, M; Campbell, M; Canelli, F; Canepa, A; Carls, B; Carlsmith, D; Carosi, R; Carrillo, S; Carron, S; Casal, B; Casarsa, M; Castro, A; Catastini, P; Cauz, D; Cavaliere, V; Cavalli-Sforza, M; Cerri, A; Cerrito, L; Chang, S H; Chen, Y C; Chertok, M; Chiarelli, G; Chlachidze, G; Chlebana, F; Cho, K; Chokheli, D; Chou, J P; Choudalakis, G; Chung, K; Chung, W H; Chung, Y S; Chwalek, T; Ciobanu, C I; Ciocci, M A; Clark, A; Clark, D; Compostella, G; Convery, M E; Conway, J; Corbo, M; Cordelli, M; Cox, C A; Cox, D J; Crescioli, F; Cuenca Almenar, C; Cuevas, J; Culbertson, R; Cully, J C; Dagenhart, D; Datta, M; Davies, T; de Barbaro, P; De Cecco, S; Deisher, A; De Lorenzo, G; Dell'Orso, M; Deluca, C; Demortier, L; Deng, J; Deninno, M; d'Errico, M; Di Canto, A; di Giovanni, G P; Di Ruzza, B; Dittmann, J R; D'Onofrio, M; Donati, S; Dong, P; Dorigo, T; Dube, S; Ebina, K; Elagin, A; Erbacher, R; Errede, D; Errede, S; Ershaidat, N; Eusebi, R; Fang, H C; Farrington, S; Fedorko, W T; Feild, R G; Feindt, M; Fernandez, J P; Ferrazza, C; Field, R; Flanagan, G; Forrest, R; Frank, M J; Franklin, M; Freeman, J C; Furic, I; Gallinaro, M; Galyardt, J; Garberson, F; Garcia, J E; Garfinkel, A F; Garosi, P; Genser, K; Gerberich, H; Gerdes, D; Gessler, A; Giagu, S; Giakoumopoulou, V; Giannetti, P; Gibson, K; Gimmell, J L; Ginsburg, C M; Giokaris, N; Giordani, M; Giromini, P; Giunta, M; Giurgiu, G; Glagolev, V; Glenzinski, D; Gold, M; Goldschmidt, N; Golossanov, A; Gomez, G; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Goncharov, M; González, O; Gorelov, I; Goshaw, A T; Goulianos, K; Gresele, A; Grinstein, S; Grosso-Pilcher, C; Group, R C; Grundler, U; Guimaraes da Costa, J; Gunay-Unalan, Z; Haber, C; Hahn, K; Hahn, S R; Halkiadakis, E; Han, B-Y; Han, J Y; Happacher, F; Hara, K; Hare, D; Hare, M; Harr, R F; Hartz, M; Hatakeyama, K; Hays, C; Heck, M; Heinrich, J; Henderson, C; Herndon, M; Heuser, J; Hewamanage, S; Hidas, D; Hill, C S; Hirschbuehl, D; Hocker, A; Hou, S; Houlden, M; Hsu, S-C; Huffman, B T; Hughes, R E; Hurwitz, M; Husemann, U; Hussein, M; Huston, J; Incandela, J; Introzzi, G; Iori, M; Ivanov, A; James, E; Jang, D; Jayatilaka, B; Jeon, E J; Jha, M K; Jindariani, S; Johnson, W; Jones, M; Joo, K K; Jun, S Y; Jung, J E; Junk, T R; Kamon, T; Kar, D; Karchin, P E; Kato, Y; Kephart, R; Ketchum, W; Keung, J; Khotilovich, V; Kilminster, B; Kim, D H; Kim, H S; Kim, H W; Kim, J E; Kim, M J; Kim, S B; Kim, S H; Kim, Y K; Kimura, N; Kirsch, L; Klimenko, S; Knuteson, B; Kondo, K; Kong, D J; Konigsberg, J; Korytov, A; Kotwal, A V; Kreps, M; Kroll, J; Krop, D; Krumnack, N; Kruse, M; Krutelyov, V; Kuhr, T; Kulkarni, N P; Kurata, M; Kwang, S; Laasanen, A T; Lami, S; Lammel, S; Lancaster, M; Lander, R L; Lannon, K; Lath, A; Latino, G; Lazzizzera, I; LeCompte, T; Lee, E; Lee, H S; Lee, J S; Lee, S W; Leone, S; Lewis, J D; Lin, C-J; Linacre, J; Lindgren, M; Lipeles, E; Lister, A; Litvintsev, D O; Liu, C; Liu, T; Lockyer, N S; Loginov, A; Lovas, L; Lucchesi, D; Lueck, J; Lujan, P; Lukens, P; Lungu, G; Lys, J; Lysak, R; MacQueen, D; Madrak, R; Maeshima, K; Makhoul, K; Maksimovic, P; Malde, S; Malik, S; Manca, G; Manousakis-Katsikakis, A; Margaroli, F; Marino, C; Marino, C P; Martin, A; Martin, V; Martínez, M; Martínez-Ballarín, R; Mastrandrea, P; Mathis, M; Mattson, M E; Mazzanti, P; McFarland, K S; McIntyre, P; McNulty, R; Mehta, A; Mehtala, P; Menzione, A; Mesropian, C; Miao, T; Mietlicki, D; Miladinovic, N; Miller, R; Mills, C; Milnik, M; Mitra, A; Mitselmakher, G; Miyake, H; Moed, S; Moggi, N; Mondragon, M N; Moon, C S; Moore, R; Morello, M J; Morlock, J; Movilla Fernandez, P; Mülmenstädt, J; Mukherjee, A; Muller, Th; Murat, P; Mussini, M; Nachtman, J; Nagai, Y; Naganoma, J; Nakamura, K; Nakano, I; Napier, A; Nett, J; Neu, C; Neubauer, M S; Neubauer, S; Nielsen, J; Nodulman, L; Norman, M; Norniella, O; Nurse, E; Oakes, L; Oh, S H; Oh, Y D; Oksuzian, I; Okusawa, T; Orava, R; Osterberg, K; Pagan Griso, S; Pagliarone, C; Palencia, E; Papadimitriou, V; Papaikonomou, A; Paramanov, A A; Parks, B; Pashapour, S; Patrick, J; Pauletta, G; Paulini, M; Paus, C; Peiffer, T; Pellett, D E; Penzo, A; Phillips, T J; Piacentino, G; Pianori, E; Pinera, L; Pitts, K; Plager, C; Pondrom, L; Potamianos, K; Poukhov, O; Prokoshin, F; Pronko, A; Ptohos, F; Pueschel, E; Punzi, G; Pursley, J; Rademacker, J; Rahaman, A; Ramakrishnan, V; Ranjan, N; Redondo, I; Renton, P; Renz, M; Rescigno, M; Richter, S; Rimondi, F; Ristori, L; Robson, A; Rodrigo, T; Rodriguez, T; Rogers, E; Rolli, S; Roser, R; Rossi, M; Rossin, R; Roy, P; Ruiz, A; Russ, J; Rusu, V; Rutherford, B; Saarikko, H; Safonov, A; Sakumoto, W K; Santi, L; Sartori, L; Sato, K; Savoy-Navarro, A; Schlabach, P; Schmidt, A; Schmidt, E E; Schmidt, M A; Schmidt, M P; Schmitt, M; Schwarz, T; Scodellaro, L; Scribano, A; Scuri, F; Sedov, A; Seidel, S; Seiya, Y; Semenov, A; Sexton-Kennedy, L; Sforza, F; Sfyrla, A; Shalhout, S Z; Shears, T; Shepard, P F; Shimojima, M; Shiraishi, S; Shochet, M; Shon, Y; Shreyber, I; Simonenko, A; Sinervo, P; Sisakyan, A; Slaughter, A J; Slaunwhite, J; Sliwa, K; Smith, J R; Snider, F D; Snihur, R; Soha, A; Somalwar, S; Sorin, V; Spreitzer, T; Squillacioti, P; Stanitzki, M; St Denis, R; Stelzer, B; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stentz, D; Strologas, J; Strycker, G L; Suh, J S; Sukhanov, A; Suslov, I; Taffard, A; Takashima, R; Takeuchi, Y; Tanaka, R; Tang, J; Tecchio, M; Teng, P K; Thom, J; Thome, J; Thompson, G A; Thomson, E; Tipton, P; Ttito-Guzmán, P; Tkaczyk, S; Toback, D; Tokar, S; Tollefson, K; Tomura, T; Tonelli, D; Torre, S; Torretta, D; Totaro, P; Tourneur, S; Trovato, M; Tsai, S-Y; Tu, Y; Turini, N; Ukegawa, F; Uozumi, S; van Remortel, N; Varganov, A; Vataga, E; Vázquez, F; Velev, G; Vellidis, C; Vidal, M; Vila, I; Vilar, R; Vogel, M; Volobouev, I; Volpi, G; Wagner, P; Wagner, R G; Wagner, R L; Wagner, W; Wagner-Kuhr, J; Wakisaka, T; Wallny, R; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Waters, D; Weinberger, M; Weinelt, J; Wester, W C; Whitehouse, B; Whiteson, D; Wicklund, A B; Wicklund, E; Wilbur, S; Williams, G; Williams, H H; Wilson, P; Winer, B L; Wittich, P; Wolbers, S; Wolfe, C; Wolfe, H; Wright, T; Wu, X; Würthwein, F; Xie, S; Yagil, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamaoka, J; Yang, U K; Yang, Y C; Yao, W M; Yeh, G P; Yi, K; Yoh, J; Yorita, K; Yoshida, T; Yu, G B; Yu, I; Yu, S S; Yun, J C; Zanetti, A; Zeng, Y; Zhang, X; Zheng, Y; Zucchelli, S

2010-01-08

We present the results of a search for supersymmetry with gauge-mediated breaking and chi(1)(0) --> gammaG in the gammagamma + missing transverse energy final state. In 2.6+/-0.2 fb(-1) of pp collisions at square root(s) = 1.96 TeV recorded by the CDF II detector we observe no candidate events, consistent with a standard model background expectation of 1.4+/-0.4 events. We set limits on the cross section at the 95% C.L. and place the world's best limit of 149 GeV/c2 on the chi(1)(0) mass at tau(chi(1)(0)) < 1 ns. We also exclude regions in the chi(1)(0) mass-lifetime plane for tau(chi(1)(0)) approximately < 2 ns.

Distributional Tests for Gravitational Waves from Core-Collapse Supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szczepanczyk, Marek; LIGO Collaboration

2017-01-01

Core-Collapse Supernovae (CCSN) are spectacular and violent deaths of massive stars. CCSN are some of the most interesting candidates for producing gravitational-waves (GW) transients. Current published results focus on methodologies to detect single GW unmodelled transients. The advantages of these tests are that they do not require a background for which we have an analytical model. Examples of non-parametric tests that will be compared are Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney, chi squared, and asymmetric chi squared. I will present methodological results using publicly released LIGO-S6 data recolored to the design sensitivity of Advanced LIGO and that will be time lagged between interferometers sites so that the resulting coincident events are not GW.

Ensuring Positiveness of the Scaled Difference Chi-square Test Statistic.

PubMed

Satorra, Albert; Bentler, Peter M

2010-06-01

A scaled difference test statistic [Formula: see text] that can be computed from standard software of structural equation models (SEM) by hand calculations was proposed in Satorra and Bentler (2001). The statistic [Formula: see text] is asymptotically equivalent to the scaled difference test statistic T̄(d) introduced in Satorra (2000), which requires more involved computations beyond standard output of SEM software. The test statistic [Formula: see text] has been widely used in practice, but in some applications it is negative due to negativity of its associated scaling correction. Using the implicit function theorem, this note develops an improved scaling correction leading to a new scaled difference statistic T̄(d) that avoids negative chi-square values.

Adaptive optimisation-offline cyber attack on remote state estimator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xin; Dong, Jiuxiang

2017-10-01

Security issues of cyber-physical systems have received increasing attentions in recent years. In this paper, deception attacks on the remote state estimator equipped with the chi-squared failure detector are considered, and it is assumed that the attacker can monitor and modify all the sensor data. A novel adaptive optimisation-offline cyber attack strategy is proposed, where using the current and previous sensor data, the attack can yield the largest estimation error covariance while ensuring to be undetected by the chi-squared monitor. From the attacker's perspective, the attack is better than the existing linear deception attacks to degrade the system performance. Finally, some numerical examples are provided to demonstrate theoretical results.

Socio-Economic Status and Prevalence of Self-Reported Osteoporosis in Tehran: Results from a Large Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study (Urban HEART-2).

PubMed

Asadi-Lari, M; Salimi, Y; Vaez-Mahdavi, M R; Faghihzadeh, S; Haeri Mehrizi, A A; Jorjoran Shushtari, Z; Cheraghian, Bahman

2018-04-10

Osteoporosis is a widespread disease among older peoples. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of self-reported osteoporosis and assessing its association with socio-economic status. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Tehran, Iran in 2011. Participants were 45,990 individuals aged above 20 years from 22 urban districts. Osteoporosis was measured by self-administrative questionnaire. Wealth index was constructed using principal component analysis based on household assets. Chi-square test, chi square test for trend, and crude odds ratio were used to assess associations in univariate analysis. Multiple logistic regression utilized to estimate adjusted associations between self-reported osteoporosis and socio-economic status.The overall estimated prevalence of self-reported osteoporosis was 4% (95% CI 3.88-4.13), 1.19% in men, and 6.84% in women (P < 0.001). The prevalence increased considerably as age increased (P for trend < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, education and wealth status were negative, and smoking was positively associated with the prevalence of self-reported osteoporosis. No association was found between participants' skill levels and Townsend deprivation index with the prevalence of self-reported osteoporosis.The findings of the present study have improved understanding of the association between socioeconomic status and osteoporosis in the Iranian population. It is important to consider socioeconomic status in screening and prevention programs.

The correlation between albumin levels with 30 days mortality in community acquired pneumonia patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damayanti, N.; Abidin, A.; Keliat, E. N.

2018-03-01

The assessment of level severity ofCommunity-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) patient at the early admission to the hospital is critical because it will determine the severity of the disease and the subsequent management of the plan. Albumin can be used as a biomarker to assess the severity of CAP. To identify the correlation between albumin level at early admission in hospital with 30-day mortality in patients with CAP. It was a cohort study. We had examined of 50 CAP subject with theCURB-65 score (Confusion, Urea, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, Age >65years), albumin, sputum culture at the early admission at Emergency Room (ER). Then, albumin levels associated with 30-day mortality was assessed using Chi-Square test. Analysis with chi-square test found a significant correlation between albumin level with 30-day mortality (p=0.001) and Relative Risk was 2.376 (95% CI 1.515-3.723). It means that patients with CAP who has severe hypoalbuminemia have a higher risk ofdying in 30 days with 2,376 times more significant than patients with mild to moderate hypoalbuminemia. In conclusion, albumin levels at early admission in the hospital correlate with 30-day mortality in CAP patients.

Season of birth and multiple sclerosis in Tunisia.

PubMed

Sidhom, Youssef; Kacem, Imen; Bayoudh, Lamia; Ben Djebara, Mouna; Hizem, Yosr; Ben Abdelfettah, Sami; Gargouri, Amina; Gouider, Riadh

2015-11-01

Recent studies on date of birth of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed an association between month of birth and the risk of developing MS. This association has not been investigated in an African country. We aimed to determine if the risk of MS is associated with month of birth in Tunisia. Data concerning date of birth for MS patients in Tunisia (n = 1912) was obtained. Birth rates of MS patients were compared with all births in Tunisia matched by year of birth (n = 11,615,912). We used a chi-squared analysis and the Hewitt's non-parametric test for seasonality. The distribution of births among MS patients compared with the control population was not different when tested by the chi-squared test. The Hewitt's test for seasonality showed an excess of births between May and October among MS patients (p = 0.03). The peak of Births of MS patients in Tunisia was in July and the nadir in December. Our data does support the seasonality hypothesis of month of birth as risk factor for MS in Tunisia. Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy could be a possible explanation that needs further investigation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Socioeconomic factors affecting infant sleep-related deaths in St. Louis.

PubMed

Hogan, Cathy

2014-01-01

Though the Back to Sleep Campaign that began in 1994 caused an overall decrease in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) rates, racial disparity has continued to increase in St. Louis. Though researchers have analyzed and described various sociodemographic characteristics of SIDS and infant deaths by unintentional suffocation in St. Louis, they have not simultaneously controlled for contributory risk factors to racial disparity such as race, poverty, maternal education, and number of children born to each mother (parity). To determine whether there is a relationship between maternal socioeconomic factors and sleep-related infant death. This quantitative case-control study used secondary data collected by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services between 2005 and 2009. The sample includes matched birth/death certificates and living birth certificates of infants who were born/died within time frame. Descriptive analysis, Chi-square, and logistic regression. The controls were birth records of infants who lived more than 1 year. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses confirmed that race and poverty have significant relationships with infant sleep-related deaths. The social significance of this study is that the results may lead to population-specific modifications of prevention messages that will reduce infant sleep-related deaths. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prognostic value of heart rate turbulence for risk assessment in patients with unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction

PubMed Central

Harris, Patricia RE; Stein, Phyllis K; Fung, Gordon L; Drew, Barbara J

2013-01-01

Background We sought to examine the prognostic value of heart rate turbulence derived from electrocardiographic recordings initiated in the emergency department for patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or unstable angina. Methods Twenty-four-hour Holter recordings were started in patients with cardiac symptoms approximately 45 minutes after arrival in the emergency department. Patients subsequently diagnosed with NSTEMI or unstable angina who had recordings with ≥18 hours of sinus rhythm and sufficient data to compute Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk scores were chosen for analysis (n = 166). Endpoints were emergent re-entry to the cardiac emergency department and/or death at 30 days and one year. Results In Cox regression models, heart rate turbulence and TIMI risk scores together were significant predictors of 30-day (model chi square 13.200, P = 0.001, C-statistic 0.725) and one-year (model chi square 31.160, P < 0.001, C-statistic 0.695) endpoints, outperforming either measure alone. Conclusion Measurement of heart rate turbulence, initiated upon arrival at the emergency department, may provide additional incremental value in the risk assessment for patients with NSTEMI or unstable angina. PMID:23976860

Dental Erosion and its Associated Factors In 11-16-Year Old School Children.

PubMed

Kirthiga, M; Poornima, P; Praveen, R; Sakeena, B; Disha, P

2015-01-01

Dental erosion currently stands as a great challenge for the clinician, regarding the diagnosis, identification of the etiological factors, prevention and execution of an adequate treatment. To evaluate the prevalence, severity, and associated factors on dental erosion in 11-16-years old. A cross sectional study was conducted among 2000 school children who were randomly selected. A questionnaire was given to the children that included personal demographic details and habit of consuming acidic foods and drinks. An index specific for dental erosion given by O Sullivan was used to assess every affected tooth. The values were subjected to chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of dental erosion was found to be 1.4%. Females (1.6%) were slightly more affected than males (1.3%). Public school children (2.1%) were found to be affected a little more than private children (0.7%). Chi square test showed significant association between type of school and erosion prevalence (p = 0.015). Most commonly affected teeth were lateral incisor (59.72%). The prevalence of dental erosion was found to be low when compared to various studies done all over the world.

Utilization of information technology in medical education: a questionnaire survey of students in a Malaysian institution.

PubMed

Nurjahan, M I; Lim, T A; Yeong, S W; Foong, A L S; Ware, J

2002-12-01

The objective of this survey was to obtain a self-reported assessment of the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by medical students at the International Medical University, Malaysia. Students' perceived skills and extent of usage of ICT were evaluated using a questionnaire. Chi-square analysis were performed to ascertain the association between variables. Further statistical testing using Chi-square test for trend was done when one of the variables was ordered, and Spearman rank correlation when both variables were ordered. Overall, (98%) of students responded to the questionnaire. Twenty seven students (5.7%) did not use a computer either in the university or at home. Most students surveyed reported adequate skills at word processing (55%), e-mailing (78%) and surfing the internet (67%). The results suggests that in order to increase the level of computer literacy among medical students, positive steps would need to be taken, for example the formal inclusion of ICT instruction in the teaching of undergraduate medicine. This will enhance medical students' ability to acquire, appraise, and use information in order to solve clinical and other problems quickly and efficiently in the course of their studies, and more importantly when they graduate.

Association between litterers' profile and littering behavior: A chi-square approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asmui, Mas'udah; Zaki, Suhanom Mohd; Wahid, Sharifah Norhuda Syed; Mokhtar, Noorsuraya Mohd; Harith, Siti Suhaila

2017-05-01

Littering is not a novelty, yet a prolonged issue. The solutions have been discussed for a long time; however this issue still remains unresolved. Littering is commonly associated with littering behavior and awareness. The littering behavior is normally influenced by the litter profile such as gender, family income, education level and age. Jengka Street market, which is located in Pahang, is popularly known as a trade market. It offers diversities of wet and dry goods and is awaited by local residents and tourists. This study analyzes association between litterers' profile and littering behavior. Littering behavior is measured based on factors of trash bin facilities, awareness campaign and public littering behavior. 114 respondents were involved in this study with 62 (54.39%) are female aged more than 18 years old and majority of these female respondents are diploma holders. In addition, 78.95% of the respondents have family income below than RM3,000.00 per month. Based on the data analysis, it was found that first-time visitors littered higher than frequent visitors, lack of providing trash bin facilities contributes to positive littering behavior and there is a significant association between litterers' age and littering behavior by using chi-square approach.

Relationship between depression and glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes in Medan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amelia, R.; Yunanda, Y.

2018-03-01

Depression is a mental problem whichifnot handled properly will cause uncontrolled diabetes that affects the quality of life and increase the risk of complications. This study aimed to determine the relationship between depressionwith glycemic control among patients with type 2 Diabetes in Amplas Primary Health Care (PHC) Medan. The study design was a cross-sectional analytic approach. The study population was patients with Type 2 diabetes that is in the region Amplas PHC with a sample of 100 people with consecutive sampling method. We collected data by interviewing and blood analysis. Adapted CES-D questionnaire assessed the depression status. AFull Automatic Spectrophotometer Colorimeter method measured the Blood Sugar Level (BSL),and a Modified HPLC with Doronad affinity measured the HbA1c in avenous blood sample. We used Chi-square test and SPP to analyze and process the data. The results showed 57 (57%) subjects had depression, based on BSL as many as 69 subjects (69%) were not well-controlled diabetes, HbA1c levels showed that 79 subjects (79%) were uncontrolled diabetes. Chi-Square test found a significant relationship between the incidence of depression with glycemic control in diabetic patients in the Amplas PHC (p <0.05).

Community Design Impacts on Health Habits in Low-income Southern Nevadans.

PubMed

Coughenour, Courtney; Burns, Mackenzie S

2016-07-01

The purposes of this exploratory study were to: (1) characterize selected community design features; and (2) determine the relationship between select features and physical activity (PA) levels and nutrition habits for a small sample of low-income southern Nevadans. Secondary analysis was conducted on data from selected participants of the Nevada Healthy Homes Partnership program; self-report data on PA and diet habits were compared to national guidelines. Community design features were identified via GIS within a one-mile radius of participants' homes. Descriptive statistics characterized these features and chi-square analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between select features and habits. Data from 71 participants were analyzed; the majority failed to reach either PA or fruit and vegetable guidelines (81.7% and 93.0%, respectively). Many neighborhoods were absent of parks (71.8%), trailheads (36.6%), or pay-for-use PA facilities (47.9%). The mean number of grocery stores was 3.4 ± 2.3 per neighborhood. Chi-square analyses were not statistically significant. Findings were insufficient to make meaningful conclusions, but support the need for health promotion to meet guidelines. More research is needed to assess the impact of health-promoting community design and healthy behaviors, particularly in vulnerable populations.

The influence of different footwear on 3-D kinematics and muscle activation during the barbell back squat in males.

PubMed

Sinclair, Jonathan; McCarthy, Derek; Bentley, Ian; Hurst, Howard Thomas; Atkins, Stephen

2015-01-01

The barbell back squat is commonly used by athletes participating in resistance training. The barbell squat is typically performed using standard athletic shoes, or specially designed weightlifting footwear, although there are now a large number of athletes who prefer to squat barefoot or in barefoot-inspired footwear. This study aimed to determine how these footwear influence 3-D kinematics and muscle activation potentials during the barbell back squat. Fourteen experienced male participants completed squats at 70% 1 rep max in each footwear condition. 3-D kinematics from the torso, hip, knee and ankle were measured using an eight-camera motion analysis system. In addition, electromyographical (EMG) measurements were obtained from the rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, erector spinae and biceps femoris muscles. EMG parameters and joint kinematics were compared between footwear using repeated-measures analyses of variance. Participants were also asked to subjectively rate which footwear they preferred when performing their squat lifts; this was examined a chi-squared test. The kinematic analysis indicated that, in comparison to barefoot the running shoe was associated with increased squat depth, knee flexion and rectus femoris activation. The chi-squared test was significant and showed that participants preferred to squat barefoot. This study supports anecdotal evidence of athletes who prefer to train barefoot or in barefoot-inspired footwear although no biomechanical evidence was found to support this notion.

Analysis of maxillofacial prosthetics at university dental hospitals in the capital region of Korea

PubMed Central

Lee, Jong-Ho

2016-01-01

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the demographic patterns of maxillofacial prosthetic treatment to identify the characteristics and geographic distribution of patients with maxillofacial prosthetics in the capital region of Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective analytical multicenter study was performed by chart reviews. This study included patients who visited the department of prosthodontics at four university dental hospitals for maxillofacial prosthetic rehabilitation. Patients with facial and congenital defects or with insufficient medical data were excluded. The patients were classified into three categories based on the location of the defect. Patients' sex, age, and residential area were analyzed. Pearson's chi-square test with a significance level of 0.05 was used to analyze the variables. RESULTS Among 540 patients with maxillofacial prosthetics, there were 284 (52.59%) male patients and 256 (47.41%) female patients. The number of the patients varied greatly by hospital. Most patients were older than 70, and the most common defect was a hard palate defect. Chi-square analysis did not identify any significant differences in sex, age, and distance to hospital for any defect group (P>.05). CONCLUSION The results of this study indicated that there was imbalance in the distribution of patients with maxillofacial prosthetic among the hospitals in the capital region of Korea. Considerations on specialists and insurance policies for the improvement of maxillofacial prosthetics in Korea are required. PMID:27350859

Equivalence of binormal likelihood-ratio and bi-chi-squared ROC curve models

PubMed Central

Hillis, Stephen L.

2015-01-01

A basic assumption for a meaningful diagnostic decision variable is that there is a monotone relationship between it and its likelihood ratio. This relationship, however, generally does not hold for a decision variable that results in a binormal ROC curve. As a result, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve estimation based on the assumption of a binormal ROC-curve model produces improper ROC curves that have “hooks,” are not concave over the entire domain, and cross the chance line. Although in practice this “improperness” is usually not noticeable, sometimes it is evident and problematic. To avoid this problem, Metz and Pan proposed basing ROC-curve estimation on the assumption of a binormal likelihood-ratio (binormal-LR) model, which states that the decision variable is an increasing transformation of the likelihood-ratio function of a random variable having normal conditional diseased and nondiseased distributions. However, their development is not easy to follow. I show that the binormal-LR model is equivalent to a bi-chi-squared model in the sense that the families of corresponding ROC curves are the same. The bi-chi-squared formulation provides an easier-to-follow development of the binormal-LR ROC curve and its properties in terms of well-known distributions. PMID:26608405

Classifier for gravitational-wave inspiral signals in nonideal single-detector data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kapadia, S. J.; Dent, T.; Dal Canton, T.

2017-11-01

We describe a multivariate classifier for candidate events in a templated search for gravitational-wave (GW) inspiral signals from neutron-star-black-hole (NS-BH) binaries, in data from ground-based detectors where sensitivity is limited by non-Gaussian noise transients. The standard signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and chi-squared test for inspiral searches use only properties of a single matched filter at the time of an event; instead, we propose a classifier using features derived from a bank of inspiral templates around the time of each event, and also from a search using approximate sine-Gaussian templates. The classifier thus extracts additional information from strain data to discriminate inspiral signals from noise transients. We evaluate a random forest classifier on a set of single-detector events obtained from realistic simulated advanced LIGO data, using simulated NS-BH signals added to the data. The new classifier detects a factor of 1.5-2 more signals at low false positive rates as compared to the standard "reweighted SNR" statistic, and does not require the chi-squared test to be computed. Conversely, if only the SNR and chi-squared values of single-detector events are available, random forest classification performs nearly identically to the reweighted SNR.

Comparative Evaluation of the Etching Pattern of Er,Cr:YSGG & Acid Etching on Extracted Human Teeth-An ESEM Analysis

PubMed Central

Mazumdar, Dibyendu; Ranjan, Shashi; Krishna, Naveen Kumar; Kole, Ravindra; Singh, Priyankar; Lakiang, Deirimika; Jayam, Chiranjeevi

2016-01-01

Introduction Etching of enamel and dentin surfaces increases the surface area of the substrate for better bonding of the tooth colored restorative materials. Acid etching is the most commonly used method. Recently, hard tissue lasers have been used for this purpose. Aim The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the etching pattern of Er,Cr:YSGG and conventional etching on extracted human enamel and dentin specimens. Materials and Methods Total 40 extracted non-diseased teeth were selected, 20 anterior and 20 posterior teeth each for enamel and dentin specimens respectively. The sectioned samples were polished by 400 grit Silicon Carbide (SiC) paper to a thickness of 1.0 ± 0.5 mm. The enamel and dentin specimens were grouped as: GrE1 & GrD1 as control specimens, GrE2 & GrD2 were acid etched and GrE3 & GrD3 were lased. Acid etching was done using Conditioner 36 (37 % phosphoric acid) according to manufacturer instructions. Laser etching was done using Er,Cr:YSGG (Erbium, Chromium : Ytrium Scandium Gallium Garnet) at power settings of 3W, air 70% and water 20%. After surface treatment with assigned agents the specimens were analyzed under ESEM (Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope) at X1000 and X5000 magnification. Results Chi Square and Student “t” statistical analysis was used to compare smear layer removal and etching patterns between GrE2-GrE3. GrD2 and GrD3 were compared for smear layer removal and diameter of dentinal tubule opening using the same statistical analysis. Chi-square test for removal of smear layer in any of the treated surfaces i.e., GrE2-E3 and GrD2-D3 did not differ significantly (p>0.05). While GrE2 showed predominantly type I etching pattern (Chi-square=2.78, 0.05

0.10) and GrE3 showed type III etching (Chi-square=4.50, p<0.05). The tubule diameters were measured using GSA (Gesellschaft fur Softwareentwicklung und Analytik, Germany) image analyzer and the ‘t’ value of student ‘t’ test was 18.10 which was a highly significant result (p<.001). GrD2 had a mean dentinal tubule diameter of 2.78μm and GrD3 of 1.09μm. Conclusion The present study revealed type I etching pattern after acid etching, while type III etching pattern in enamel after laser etching. The lased dentin showed preferential removal of intertubular dentin while acid etching had more effect on the peritubular dentin. No significant differences was observed in removal of smear layer between the acid etched and lased groups. Although diameter of the exposed dentinal tubules was lesser after lased treatment in comparison to acid etching, further long term in vivo studies are needed with different parameters to establish the usage of Er,Cr:YSGG as a sole etching agent. PMID:27437337

Genotyping and drug resistance patterns of M. tuberculosis strains in Pakistan

PubMed Central

Tanveer, Mahnaz; Hasan, Zahra; Siddiqui, Amna R; Ali, Asho; Kanji, Akbar; Ghebremicheal, Solomon; Hasan, Rumina

2008-01-01

Background The incidence of tuberculosis in Pakistan is 181/100,000 population. However, information about transmission and geographical prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains and their evolutionary genetics as well as drug resistance remains limited. Our objective was to determine the clonal composition, evolutionary genetics and drug resistance of M. tuberculosis isolates from different regions of the country. Methods M. tuberculosis strains isolated (2003–2005) from specimens submitted to the laboratory through collection units nationwide were included. Drug susceptibility was performed and strains were spoligotyped. Results Of 926 M. tuberculosis strains studied, 721(78%) were grouped into 59 "shared types", while 205 (22%) were identified as "Orphan" spoligotypes. Amongst the predominant genotypes 61% were Central Asian strains (CAS ; including CAS1, CAS sub-families and Orphan Pak clusters), 4% East African-Indian (EAI), 3% Beijing, 2% poorly defined TB strains (T), 2% Haarlem and LAM (0.2). Also TbD1 analysis (M. tuberculosis specific deletion 1) confirmed that CAS1 was of "modern" origin while EAI isolates belonged to "ancestral" strain types. Prevalence of CAS1 clade was significantly higher in Punjab (P < 0.01, Pearsons Chi-square test) as compared with Sindh, North West Frontier Province and Balochistan provinces. Forty six percent of isolates were sensitive to five first line antibiotics tested, 45% were Rifampicin resistant, 50% isoniazid resistant. MDR was significantly associated with Beijing strains (P = 0.01, Pearsons Chi-square test) and EAI (P = 0.001, Pearsons Chi-square test), but not with CAS family. Conclusion Our results show variation of prevalent M. tuberculosis strain with greater association of CAS1 with the Punjab province. The fact that the prevalent CAS genotype was not associated with drug resistance is encouraging. It further suggests a more effective treatment and control programme should be successful in reducing the tuberculosis burden in Pakistan. PMID:19108722

Identification of O-Linked Glycoproteins Binding to the Lectin Helix pomatia Agglutinin as Markers of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

PubMed Central

Peiris, Diluka; Ossondo, Marlène; Fry, Simon; Loizidou, Marilena; Smith-Ravin, Juliette; Dwek, Miriam V.

2015-01-01

Background Protein glycosylation is an important post-translational modification shown to be altered in all tumour types studied to date. Mucin glycoproteins have been established as important carriers of O-linked glycans but other glycoproteins exhibiting altered glycosylation repertoires have yet to be identified but offer potential as biomarkers for metastatic cancer. Methodology In this study a glycoproteomic approach was used to identify glycoproteins exhibiting alterations in glycosylation in colorectal cancer and to evaluate the changes in O-linked glycosylation in the context of the p53 and KRAS (codon 12/13) mutation status. Affinity purification with the carbohydrate binding protein from Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA) was coupled to 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis with mass spectrometry to enable the identification of low abundance O-linked glycoproteins from human colorectal cancer specimens. Results Aberrant O-linked glycosylation was observed to be an early event that occurred irrespective of the p53 and KRAS status and correlating with metastatic colorectal cancer. Affinity purification using the lectin HPA followed by proteomic analysis revealed annexin 4, annexin 5 and CLCA1 to be increased in the metastatic colorectal cancer specimens. The results were validated using a further independent set of specimens and this showed a significant association between the staining score for annexin 4 and HPA and the time to metastasis; independently (annexin A4: Chi square 11.45, P = 0.0007; HPA: Chi square 9.065, P = 0.0026) and in combination (annexin 4 and HPA combined: Chi square 13.47; P = 0.0002). Conclusion Glycoproteins showing changes in O-linked glycosylation in metastatic colorectal cancer have been identified. The glycosylation changes were independent of p53 and KRAS status. These proteins offer potential for further exploration as biomarkers and potential targets for metastatic colorectal cancer. PMID:26495974

Adverse drug reactions induced by cardiovascular drugs in outpatients.

PubMed

Gholami, Kheirollah; Ziaie, Shadi; Shalviri, Gloria

2008-01-01

Considering increased use of cardiovascular drugs and limitations in pre-marketing trials for drug safety evaluation, post marketing evaluation of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) induced by this class of medicinal products seems necessary. To determine the rate and seriousness of adverse reactions induced by cardiovascular drugs in outpatients. To compare sex and different age groups in developing ADRs with cardiovascular agents. To assess the relationship between frequencies of ADRs and the number of drugs used. This cross-sectional study was done in cardiovascular clinic at a teaching hospital. All patients during an eight months period were evaluated for cardiovascular drugs induced ADRs. Patient and reaction factors were analyzed in detected ADRs. Patients with or without ADRs were compared in sex and age by using chi-square test. Assessing the relationship between frequencies of ADRs and the number of drugs used was done by using Pearson analysis. The total number of 518 patients was visited at the clinic. ADRs were detected in 105 (20.3%) patients. The most frequent ADRs were occurred in the age group of 51-60. The highest rate of ADRs was recorded to be induced by Diltiazem (23.5%) and the lowest rate with Atenolol (3%). Headache was the most frequent detected ADR (23%). Assessing the severity and preventability of ADRs revealed that 1.1% of ADRs were detected as severe and 1.9% as preventable reactions. Women significantly developed more ADRs in this study (chi square = 3.978, P<0.05). ADRs more frequently occurred with increasing age in this study (chi square = 15.871, P<0.05). With increasing the number of drugs used, the frequency of ADRs increased (Pearson=0.259, P<0.05). Monitoring ADRs in patients using cardiovascular drugs is a matter of importance since this class of medicines is usually used by elderly patients with critical conditions and underlying diseases.

A consumer informed workshop can improve knowledge and attitude to patient-centered care among hospital clinicians-in-training

PubMed Central

Bentley, Sharon A.; Tellis, Betty; Michel, Kelly L.; O’Connor, Patricia; Clarke, Caroline; Keeffe, Jill E.

2015-01-01

Purpose: Patient and family involvement in the education and training of medical practitioners increases the likelihood that the care delivered will meet the needs of service users and carers. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a consumer informed educational program on knowledge and attitude to patient-centered care among hospital clinical trainees. Methods: A total of 66 junior medical staff and 35 orthoptists in training were invited to participate in a controlled before-and-after trial at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital from October to November, 2011. Thirty-eight participants were allocated to the intervention program (interactive workshop) and 63 to the control program (assigned reading). Questionnaires regarding knowledge, attitude, and practice, patient-practitioner orientation and communication were administered. Differences between groups and differences before and after the program were evaluated using the t-test or Chi-square test, as appropriate. Narrative data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed using Grounded Theory qualitative analysis techniques. Results: A total of 24 participants (63%) completed the intervention program and eight (13%) the control program. The intervention group felt more prepared to introduce themselves and their role (Chi-square = 11.19, P = 0.01) and to acknowledge patients’ waiting time prior to consultation (Chi-square 8.52, P = 0.04) compared with the control group. For the intervention group, there was an improvement in mean score on the Communication Assessment Tool (mean change = 0.55, P = 0.01). Conclusion: There were minor improvements in self-perceived knowledge and attitude to patient-centered care and communication among hospital clinicians-in-training following a consumer informed education program. The majority of participants who received this program agreed it would influence how they conducted future consultations. Further work is required to determine if these improvements translate to sustainable changes in clinical practice and patient satisfaction. PMID:27462646

Relationships Among Teacher Preparedness and Instructional Approaches to Secondary Student Achievement in STEM: A Secondary Analysis of TIMSS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller-Ricks, Karen A.

Educational reform efforts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) place emphasis on teachers as conduits for student achievement. The purpose of this study was to use TIMSS 2011 data to examine relationships between Science-Technology-Society (STS) instructional practices (student-centered instruction established to promote learning through real-world applications) teacher preparedness, and student achievement and identify variations of achievement between and among eighth-grade science and math classes. The research was framed by both Harper's Anti-Deficit Achievement Theory and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (BEST). 501 U.S. schools contributed to the TIMSS 2011 data from both the teacher questionnaires and student booklets. Chi-Square, Spearman Correlation, and 2-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) were used to analyze data about teachers' preparedness to teach science and math, frequency of using STS instructional practices, and student achievement. The chi-square null hypothesis for math teachers was rejected, providing the assumption that there was an association between the frequency of using STS instruction in math and teacher preparedness. However, the chi-square null hypothesis for science teachers failed to be rejected, providing the assumption that there was no significant association between the frequency of using STS instruction in science and science teacher preparedness. The Spearman Correlation revealed statistically positively significant differences between STS instruction and science achievement, as well as between teacher preparedness and science achievement. The HLM results suggested that 33% of the variance of mathematics achievement was at the individual level and 66% was at the group level. The results for science teachers suggested that 54% of the variance of science achievement was at the individual level and 46% of the variance was at the group level. The data findings support the conclusion that secondary STEM teachers who are more prepared to teach within the STEM content domains and implement STS instructional practices into lessons have higher achievement scores.

Public secondary school teachers' attitude to family life education in two geopolitical zones of Nigeria: a comparative analysis.

PubMed

Okusanya, B O; Isabu, P A

2010-03-01

This qualitative study was conducted to assess and compare the attitude of teachers in two geopolitical zones of Nigeria to family life education. Multi stage sample selection was used to pick 6 public secondary schools (3 junior, 3 senior) in each zone. All teachers (221) in the selected schools were surveyed. Pre-tested questionnaires were self administered, responses analyzed and results presented using descriptive frequencies. Where appropriate statistical evaluation was done with Yates corrected Chi square at 95% confidence interval. Katsina respondents were mostly Muslims (92.4%), married (64.8%) and had the National Certificate of Education (62.9%). Ekpoma teachers were mostly Christians (97.4%), married (93.1%) and 67.2% had a University degree. Attendance at a seminar on family life education was by 19% and 25.9% of respondents from Katsina and Ekpoma respectively. Teachers' knowledge of family life education was very good and most teachers in both regions considered it useful but there were geographical disparities in perception and attitude. While teachers in Katsina discussed HIV/AIDS twice more with their students than sexuality (54.3% vs 28%) those in Ekpoma discussed sexuality more than HIV/AIDS (80.2% vs 72.4%). Respondents in Katsina reported three times (60% vs 19.8%) more that parents would object to FLE in schools than those in Ekpoma and also that its introduction would encourage promiscuity amongst the students (53.3% vs 21.6%). While being married positively influenced respondents' perception, their attitude was influenced positively by having university degree and teaching at the senior secondary school. Christians significantly discussed sexuality (Chi square 58.60; RR: 3.03) and HIV/AIDS (Chi square 15.01; RR: 1.50) with students than Muslims. Policy makers need to be aware of the regional differences in teachers' attitude to family life education as this may hinder the implementation of curriculum.

Search for gravitational waves from LIGO-Virgo science run and data interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswas, Rahul

Search for gravitational wave events was performed on data jointly taken during LIGO's fifth science run (S5) and Virgo's first science mn (VSR1). The data taken during this period was broken down into five separate months. I shall report the analysis performed on one of these months. Apart from the search, I shall describe the work related to estimation of rate based on the loudest event in the search. I shall demonstrate methods used in construction of rate intervals at 90% confidence level and combination of rates from multiple experiments of similar duration. To have confidence in our detection, accurate estimation of false alarm probability (F.A.P.) associated with the event candidate is required. Current false alarm estimation techniques limit our ability to measure the F.A.P. to about 1 in 100. I shall describe a method that significantly improves this estimate using information from multiple detectors. Besides accurate knowledge of F.A.P., detection is also dependent on our ability to distinguish real signals to those from noise. Several tests exist which use the quality of the signal to differentiate between real and noise signal. The chi-square test is one such computationally expensive test applied in our search; we shall understand the dependence of the chi-square parameter on the signal to noise ratio (SNR) for a given signal, which will help us to model the chi-square parameter based on SNR. The two detectors at Hanford, WA, H1(4km) and H2(2km), share the same vacuum system and hence their noise is correlated. Our present method of background estimation cannot capture this correlation and often underestimates the background when only H1 and H2 are operating. I shall describe a novel method of time reversed filtering to correctly estimate the background.

Biometric Analysis – A Reliable Indicator for Diagnosing Taurodontism using Panoramic Radiographs

PubMed Central

Hegde, Veda; Anegundi, Rajesh Trayambhak; Pravinchandra, K.R.

2013-01-01

Background: Taurodontism is a clinical entity with a morpho–anatomical change in the shape of the tooth, which was thought to be absent in modern man. Taurodontism is mostly observed as an isolated trait or a component of a syndrome. Various techniques have been devised to diagnose taurodontism. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze whether a biometric analysis was useful in diagnosing taurodontism, in radiographs which appeared to be normal on cursory observations. Setting and Design: This study was carried out in our institution by using radiographs which were taken for routine procedures. Material and Methods: In this retrospective study, panoramic radiographs were obtained from dental records of children who were aged between 9–14 years, who did not have any abnormality on cursory observations. Biometric analyses were carried out on permanent mandibular first molar(s) by using a novel biometric method. The values were tabulated and analysed. Statistics: Fischer exact probability test, Chi square test and Chi-square test with Yates correction were used for statistical analysis of the data. Results: Cursory observation did not yield us any case of taurodontism. In contrast, the biometric analysis yielded us a statistically significant number of cases of taurodontism. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the number of cases with taurodontism, which was obtained between the genders and the age group which was considered. Conclusion: Thus, taurodontism was diagnosed on a biometric analysis, which was otherwise missed on a cursory observation. It is therefore necessary from the clinical point of view, to diagnose even the mildest form of taurodontism by using metric analysis rather than just relying on a visual radiographic assessment, as its occurrence has many clinical implications and a diagnostic importance. PMID:24086912

Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection Decision Tree Analysis of Risk Factors for Infant Anemia in Beijing, China

PubMed Central

Ye, Fang; Chen, Zhi-Hua; Chen, Jie; Liu, Fang; Zhang, Yong; Fan, Qin-Ying; Wang, Lin

2016-01-01

Background: In the past decades, studies on infant anemia have mainly focused on rural areas of China. With the increasing heterogeneity of population in recent years, available information on infant anemia is inconclusive in large cities of China, especially with comparison between native residents and floating population. This population-based cross-sectional study was implemented to determine the anemic status of infants as well as the risk factors in a representative downtown area of Beijing. Methods: As useful methods to build a predictive model, Chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) decision tree analysis and logistic regression analysis were introduced to explore risk factors of infant anemia. A total of 1091 infants aged 6–12 months together with their parents/caregivers living at Heping Avenue Subdistrict of Beijing were surveyed from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014. Results: The prevalence of anemia was 12.60% with a range of 3.47%–40.00% in different subgroup characteristics. The CHAID decision tree model has demonstrated multilevel interaction among risk factors through stepwise pathways to detect anemia. Besides the three predictors identified by logistic regression model including maternal anemia during pregnancy, exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months, and floating population, CHAID decision tree analysis also identified the fourth risk factor, the maternal educational level, with higher overall classification accuracy and larger area below the receiver operating characteristic curve. Conclusions: The infant anemic status in metropolis is complex and should be carefully considered by the basic health care practitioners. CHAID decision tree analysis has demonstrated a better performance in hierarchical analysis of population with great heterogeneity. Risk factors identified by this study might be meaningful in the early detection and prompt treatment of infant anemia in large cities. PMID:27174328

Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection Decision Tree Analysis of Risk Factors for Infant Anemia in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Ye, Fang; Chen, Zhi-Hua; Chen, Jie; Liu, Fang; Zhang, Yong; Fan, Qin-Ying; Wang, Lin

2016-05-20

In the past decades, studies on infant anemia have mainly focused on rural areas of China. With the increasing heterogeneity of population in recent years, available information on infant anemia is inconclusive in large cities of China, especially with comparison between native residents and floating population. This population-based cross-sectional study was implemented to determine the anemic status of infants as well as the risk factors in a representative downtown area of Beijing. As useful methods to build a predictive model, Chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) decision tree analysis and logistic regression analysis were introduced to explore risk factors of infant anemia. A total of 1091 infants aged 6-12 months together with their parents/caregivers living at Heping Avenue Subdistrict of Beijing were surveyed from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014. The prevalence of anemia was 12.60% with a range of 3.47%-40.00% in different subgroup characteristics. The CHAID decision tree model has demonstrated multilevel interaction among risk factors through stepwise pathways to detect anemia. Besides the three predictors identified by logistic regression model including maternal anemia during pregnancy, exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months, and floating population, CHAID decision tree analysis also identified the fourth risk factor, the maternal educational level, with higher overall classification accuracy and larger area below the receiver operating characteristic curve. The infant anemic status in metropolis is complex and should be carefully considered by the basic health care practitioners. CHAID decision tree analysis has demonstrated a better performance in hierarchical analysis of population with great heterogeneity. Risk factors identified by this study might be meaningful in the early detection and prompt treatment of infant anemia in large cities.

Biometric Analysis - A Reliable Indicator for Diagnosing Taurodontism using Panoramic Radiographs.

PubMed

Hegde, Veda; Anegundi, Rajesh Trayambhak; Pravinchandra, K R

2013-08-01

Taurodontism is a clinical entity with a morpho-anatomical change in the shape of the tooth, which was thought to be absent in modern man. Taurodontism is mostly observed as an isolated trait or a component of a syndrome. Various techniques have been devised to diagnose taurodontism. The aim of this study was to analyze whether a biometric analysis was useful in diagnosing taurodontism, in radiographs which appeared to be normal on cursory observations. This study was carried out in our institution by using radiographs which were taken for routine procedures. In this retrospective study, panoramic radiographs were obtained from dental records of children who were aged between 9-14 years, who did not have any abnormality on cursory observations. Biometric analyses were carried out on permanent mandibular first molar(s) by using a novel biometric method. The values were tabulated and analysed. Fischer exact probability test, Chi square test and Chi-square test with Yates correction were used for statistical analysis of the data. Cursory observation did not yield us any case of taurodontism. In contrast, the biometric analysis yielded us a statistically significant number of cases of taurodontism. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the number of cases with taurodontism, which was obtained between the genders and the age group which was considered. Thus, taurodontism was diagnosed on a biometric analysis, which was otherwise missed on a cursory observation. It is therefore necessary from the clinical point of view, to diagnose even the mildest form of taurodontism by using metric analysis rather than just relying on a visual radiographic assessment, as its occurrence has many clinical implications and a diagnostic importance.

Analysis of Radiation Effects in Digital Subtraction Angiography of Intracranial Artery Stenosis.

PubMed

Guo, Chaoqun; Shi, Xiaolei; Ding, Xianhui; Zhou, Zhiming

2018-04-21

Intracranial artery stenosis (IAS) is the most common cause for acute cerebral accidents. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is the gold standard to detect IAS and usually brings excess radiation exposure to examinees and examiners. The artery pathology might influence the interventional procedure, causing prolonged radiation effects. However, no studies on the association between IAS pathology and operational parameters are available. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 93 patients with first-ever stroke/transient ischemic attack, who received DSA examination within 3 months from onset in this single center. Comparison of baseline characteristics was determined by 2-tailed Student's t-test or the chi-square test between subjects with and without IAS. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between IAS pathology and the items with a P value <0.05 in Student's t-test or chi-square test. There were 93 candidates (42 with IAS and 51 without IAS) in this study. The 2 groups shared no significance of the baseline characteristics (P > 0.05). We found a significantly higher total time, higher kerma area product, greater total dose, and greater DSA dose in the IAS group than in those without IAS (P < 0.05). A binary logistic regression analysis indicated the significant association between total time and IAS pathology (P < 0.05) but no significance in kerma area product, radiation dose, and DSA dose (P > 0.05). IAS pathology would indicate a prolonged total time of DSA procedure in clinical practice. However, the radiation effects would not change with pathologic changes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethnic differences in glycaemic control and complications: the adult diabetes control and management (ADCM), Malaysia.

PubMed

Chew, B H; Mastura, I; Lee, P Y; Wahyu, T Sri; Cheong, A T; Zaiton, A

2011-08-01

Ethnicity is an important factor in diabetes care. The understanding of its effect in this country may help to improve diabetes care, glycaemic control and diabetic complication rates. This study was to determine the diabetes control profile in relation to complication rates between the three main ethnics group in Malaysia. This nested cross-sectional study was part of the Audit of Diabetes Control and Management (ADCM), an ongoing cohort patient registry focused on diabetes control and management in the primary care setting in Malaysia. This registry registers all diabetes patients aged 18 years old and above. Demographic data, diabetes duration, treatment modalities, as well as various risk factors and diabetes complications are reported. Data was handled by statisticians using STATA version 9. A total of 20330 patients from 54 health centers were registered at the time of this report. The majority were type 2 diabetics (99.1%) of whom 56.6% were female. The mean age was 57.9 years (SD 11.58). Malay accounted for 56.3%, Chinese 19.5% and Indian 22.5%. There were 30.3% who attained HbA1c < 7%. Among three main races more Chinese had HbA1c < 6.5% (Chi-square: X2 = 71.64, p < 0.001), but did not show less complications of nephropathy (Indian suffered significantly more nephropathy, Chi-square: X2 = 168.76, p < 0.001), ischaemic heart disease (Chi-square: X2 = 5.67, p = 0.532) and stroke (Chi-square: X2 =15.38, p = 0.078). This study has again emphasized the existence of ethnic differences in glycaemic control and complication profiles. The Chinese diabetics suffer as many diabetes-related complications despite better glycaemic control. Further studies will need to look into other socio-genetic factors in order to provide a more personalized effective diabetes care.

Is it safe to combine abdominoplasty with elective breast surgery? A review of 151 consecutive cases.

PubMed

Stevens, W Grant; Cohen, Robert; Vath, Steven D; Stoker, David A; Hirsch, Elliot M

2006-07-01

This study was designed to evaluate and compare the complication rates of patients having abdominoplasty without breast surgery with the rates of those having abdominoplasty with various types of elective breast surgery, including breast augmentation, breast reduction, mastopexy, and mastopexy combined with simultaneous augmentation. The data collected represent a retrospective chart review of consecutive abdominoplasty procedures performed at a single outpatient facility by the senior surgeon (W.G.S.) over a 15-year period (1989 to 2004). Two groups were compared: patients who underwent abdominoplasty without breast surgery and those who had abdominoplasty with breast surgery. The second group was subdivided by the various types of breast procedures noted above. The minor complications assessed included seromas, hematomas, infections, and small (<5 cm) wound breakdowns. Major complications evaluated included large (>5 cm) flap necrosis, need for blood transfusion, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolus, myocardial infarction, and death. Additional data compiled included age, sex, tobacco use, body mass index, past medical history, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status level, and operative times. Of the 415 abdominoplasty procedures, 264 (group 1) did not include simultaneous breast surgery. One hundred fifty-one procedures (group 2) involved simultaneous breast surgery, representing 36 percent of the total. Group 2 was further subdivided into those who had breast augmentation surgery (group 2A, n = 50), those who had breast reduction surgery (group 2B, n = 31), those who had mastopexy surgery (group 2C, n = 28), and those who had simultaneous mastopexy and breast augmentation surgery (group 2D, n = 42). Removal and replacement of implants and capsulectomy/capsulotomy procedures were included in the augmentation group (group 2A). There were no major complications, including flap necrosis (open wound >5 cm), blood transfusions, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolus, myocardial infarction, or death. No patients required hospitalization. No statistically significant associations with complications were noted between groups 1 and 2 (chi-square, 0.0045; p > 0.95, not significant). Furthermore, when subdivided by type of breast surgery, no statistically significant associations were noted among subgroups: group 1 versus 2A (chi-square, 0.96; p > 0.05, not significant), group 1 versus 2B (chi-square, 0.032; p > 0.9, not significant), group 1 versus 2C (chi-square, 0.003; p > 0.975, not significant), and group 1 versus 2D (chi-square, 0.83; p > 0.5, not significant). The results of this retrospective review indicate that combining elective breast surgery with abdominoplasty does not appear to significantly increase the number of major or minor complications.

Personality profiles and risk diet behaviors--a case-control study on teenagers from Timis County, Romania.

PubMed

Petrescu, Cristina; Vlaicu, Brigitha

2014-01-01

In the study we conducted we aimed at investigating the relation between personality profiles and risk diet behaviors in teenagers. This study was a case-control one and we applied 2 questionnaires (Freiburg Personality Inventory--FPI with 212 items) and CORT 2004 (items Q94-Q116 of diet behavior) on a sample of 2908 teenagers (51.5% girls and 48.5% boys). Cronbach's alpha index was 0.802 for FPI and 0.730 for items Q101-Q109 of CORT. Personality profiles were built by an Excel 2003 Program. Statistical analysis was realized with SPSS 16 program applying Chi square (chi2) and gamma (gamma) correlation. Personality features of teenagers with high and without risk diet behavior were analyzed. Results obtained: personality profiles and statistical results indicated the existence of a significant statistical difference of aggressiveness and domination between teenagers with high and no consumption of butter and/or lard (Q103) (chi2 = 6.872, Sig. 0.032 and chi2 = 6.922, Sig. 0.031 respectively), of juices from the market (Q106) (chi2 = 9.055, Sig. 0.011 and chi2 = 14.571, Sig. 0.001 respectively). Aggressiveness correlated with consumption of fried potatoes (Q109) (chi2 = 6.144, Sig. 0.046) too. Correlation gamma indicated direct proportional relations of aggressiveness with: Q103 (gamma = 0.215, Sig. 0.017), Q106 (gamma = 0.224, Sig. 0.004), Q109 (gamma = 0.242, Sig. 0.012); and of domination with: Q103 (gamma = 0.234, Sig. 0.008), Q106 (gamma = 0.073, Sig. 0.000). In conclusion, there is a direct proportional relation between consumption of: butter/lard, juices from the market and teenagers' aggressiveness, domination; and a similar relation between consumption of fried potatoes and aggressiveness.

[Analysis of the impact of job characteristics and organizational support for workplace violence].

PubMed

Li, M L; Chen, P; Zeng, F H; Cui, Q L; Zeng, J; Zhao, X S; Li, Z N

2017-12-20

Objective: To analyze the effect of job characteristics and organizational support for workplace violence, explore the influence path and the theoretical model, and provide a theoretical basis for reducing workplace violence. Methods: Stratified random sampling was used to select 813 medical staff, conductors and bus drivers in Chongqing with a self-made questionnaire to investigate job characteristics, organization attitude toward workplace violence, workplace violence, fear of violence, workplace violence, etc from February to October, 2014. Amos 21.0 was used to analyze the path and to establish a theoretical model of workplace violence. Results: The odds ratio of work characteristics and organizational attitude to workplace violence were 6.033 and 0.669, respectively, and the path coefficients were 0.41 and-0.14, respectively ( P <0.05). The Fitting indexes of the model: Chi-square (χ(2)) =67.835, The ratio of the chi-square to the degree of freedom (χ(2)/df) =5.112, Good-of-fit index (GFI) =0.970, Adjusted good-of-fit index (AGFI) =0.945, Normed fit index (NFI) =0.923, Root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) =0.071, Fit criterion (Fmin) =0.092, so the model fit well with the data. Conclusion: The job characteristic is a risk factor for workplace violence while organizational attitude is a protective factor for workplace violence, so changing the job characteristics and improving the enthusiasm of the organization to deal with workplace violence are conducive to reduce workplace violence and increase loyalty to the unit.

A simple test of association for contingency tables with multiple column responses.

PubMed

Decady, Y J; Thomas, D R

2000-09-01

Loughin and Scherer (1998, Biometrics 54, 630-637) investigated tests of association in two-way tables when one of the categorical variables allows for multiple-category responses from individual respondents. Standard chi-squared tests are invalid in this case, and they developed a bootstrap test procedure that provides good control of test levels under the null hypothesis. This procedure and some others that have been proposed are computationally involved and are based on techniques that are relatively unfamiliar to many practitioners. In this paper, the methods introduced by Rao and Scott (1981, Journal of the American Statistical Association 76, 221-230) for analyzing complex survey data are used to develop a simple test based on a corrected chi-squared statistic.

Does observer bias contribute to variations in the rate of retinopathy of prematurity between centres?

PubMed

Darlow, Brian A; Elder, Mark J; Horwood, L John; Donoghue, Deborah A; Henderson-Smart, David J

2008-01-01

We aimed to indirectly assess the contribution from observer bias to between centre variability in the incidence of acute retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network (ANZNN) collected data on the highest stage of acute ROP in either eye in 2286 infants born at less than 29 weeks in 1998-1999 and cared for in one of 25 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Chi-squared analysis was used to detect differences in the proportion of stages of ROP for each neonatal intensive care unit. These proportions were compared with those reported in two large studies of treatment for ROP. The incidence of acute ROP in the ANZNN cohort was 42% and the ratio of stage 1:2:3 ROP was 1.5:1.9:1. There was considerable variation in both the incidence of acute ROP and the proportions with stage 1:2:3 ROP between centres. A chi-squared test determined that the assignment of stages 1, 2 and 3/4 ROP was not independent of centre (chi(2)(48) = 165.2; P < 0.0001). Treatment of stage 3 ROP varied between 15% and 120%, indicating some eyes were treated at less than stage 3. The data are highly suggestive of observer bias contributing to the observed between centre variation in the incidence of acute ROP. In neonatal intervention studies where acute ROP is an outcome it would seem important to have an accreditation process for examining ophthalmologists, and there are similar arguments for neonatal networks which collect these data.

The Effect of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Noise on the Habituation of Neonatal Chicks

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-05-01

loss is 0.1% in healthy term newborns (Simmons, 1980), 9% to 12.4% of all low birth weight infants develop a hearing deficit (Abramovich et al., 1979...chi-square analysis, mean birth weight , mean gestational age, mean length of incubator care, and use of ototoxic drugs were not significantly...As with the previous study, 9% of the subjects had a hearing deficit. Also, mean birth weight , mean gestational age, mean length of incubator care

Group Influences on Young Adult Warfighters’ Risk Taking

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

Statistical Analysis Latent linear growth models were fitted using the maximum likelihood estimation method in Mplus (version 7.0; Muthen & Muthen...condition had a higher net score than those in the alone condition (b = 20.53, SE = 6.29, p < .001). Results of the relevant statistical analyses are...8.56 110.86*** 22.01 158.25*** 29.91 Model fit statistics BIC 4004.50 5302.539 5540.58 Chi-square (df) 41.51*** (16) 38.10** (20) 42.19** (20

SGR 1822-1606 (Swift J1822.3-1606): X-ray spectrum and refined spin period from Swift XRT analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esposito, P.; Rea, N.; Israel, G. L.

2011-07-01

We have analysed 1.6 ks s of Photon Counting (PC) XRT data of the new SGR/magnetar candidate Swift J1822.3-1606 (Cummings et al. GCN #12159), including the first 0.6 ks on which Pagani et al. reported in GCN #12163. We found that the source spectrum is well described by a power-law plus blackbody model, modified for the interstellar absorption (reduced chi-squared = 1.04 for 97 degrees of freedom).

Statistical analysis of Thematic Mapper Simulator data for the geobotanical discrimination of rock types in southwest Oregon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrissey, L. A.; Weinstock, K. J.; Mouat, D. A.; Card, D. H.

1984-01-01

An evaluation of Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) data for the geobotanical discrimination of rock types based on vegetative cover characteristics is addressed in this research. A methodology for accomplishing this evaluation utilizing univariate and multivariate techniques is presented. TMS data acquired with a Daedalus DEI-1260 multispectral scanner were integrated with vegetation and geologic information for subsequent statistical analyses, which included a chi-square test, an analysis of variance, stepwise discriminant analysis, and Duncan's multiple range test. Results indicate that ultramafic rock types are spectrally separable from nonultramafics based on vegetative cover through the use of statistical analyses.

Modified Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation (M3AE) for Simultaneous Parameter and State Estimation

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-03-01

Contents Page Dedication : iv Acknowledgments v Table Of Contents vi List of Figures . . ; x List of Tables xv Abstract xvii Chapter 1 ...INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Overview 1 1.2 Background 7 1.2.1 The Chi-Square Test 9 1.2.2 Generalized Likelihood Ratio (GLR) Testing 10 1.2.3 Multiple...M3AE Covariance Analysis 115 4.1.3 Simulations and Performance Analysis 121 4.1.3.1 Test Case 1 : aT = 32.0 124 4.1.3.2 Test Case 2: aT = 37.89, and

Frequency of in-hospital acquired staphylococcus bacteremia/sepsis within ten-year period.

PubMed

Pitic, Aida; Lukovac, Enra; Koluder, Nada; Baljic, Rusmir

2013-01-01

Analyzing data in the literature, it is noted that in-hospital acquired infections are an increasing problem even in more developed countries. This increasing trend is related to the progress of medical science and introduction of new invasive diagnostic-therapeutic methods, as well as increase of multiresistant types of bacteria, including staphylococci in big percentages. To analyze frequency of in-hospital acquired staphylococcus bacteremia/sepsis. Anamneses of patients who were diagnosed with staphylococcus bacteremia/sepsis were analyzed within a ten-year period. Within the analyzed period from 2001 to 2011, there were 87 patients with diagnosis of staphylococcus bacteremia/sepsis, out of which (20) 77% were diagnosed with sepsis, and (67) 23% with bacteremia. In-hospital outcome was present with 32 (36.8%) patients, while 55 (63.2%) were out of hospital. The chi-square test for independence showed that the diagnosis of bacteremia/sepsis and the place of the infection origin (in hospital/ out of hospital) were independent chi2 = 1.951 df= 1 p=0.162. The cause isolated from hemoculture depends on the place of the infection origin (out of hospital/in hospital); larger percentage of methicillin-resistant types was presented in in-hospital acquired infections chi2 11.352 df=1 p=0.001. And the chi-square test for independence showed both dependence of the preceding antibiotic treatment and the place of the infection origin in both categories of patients. Sepsis: chi2 = 22.92 df=1 p<0.0005; Bacteremia: chi2 = 9.89 df=1 p= 0.005. The results showed larger percentage of methicillin-resistant types in in-hospital acquired infections, as well as significantly larger percentage of hospital infections with the preceding antibiotic therapy, which puts in focus possible rationalization of including antibiotic therapy.

Comparison of the multiple mini-interview with the traditional interview for U.S. emergency medicine residency applicants: a single-institution experience.

PubMed

Soares, William E; Sohoni, Aparajita; Hern, Herbert G; Wills, Charlotte P; Alter, Harrison J; Simon, Barry C

2015-01-01

The multiple mini-interview (MMI) is a validated interview technique used primarily to evaluate medical school applicants. No study has compared MMIs with traditional interviews (TIs) in the evaluation of U.S. emergency medicine residency (EMR) applicants. During the 2011-2012 interview season, a four-station MMI was incorporated into the interview process for EMR applicants at Alameda Health System-Highland Hospital (AHS). A postinterview anonymous questionnaire was offered to all applicants after they submitted their rank lists but prior to release of National Residency Matching Program results. Respondents rated their perceptions of the MMI and TI on a five-point Likert scale. McNemar chi-square test was used to explore differences in respondents' perceptions of interview styles. One hundred ten interviewees completed the survey (73%). Overall, applicants found the TI more enjoyable than the MMI process (98 [89%] compared with 48 [44%], McNemar chi-square=28.66, P<.01) and preferred the TI process to the MMI (66 [60%] compared with 9 [10%], McNemar chi-square=40.81, P<.01). Sixteen applicants (14%) indicated that the use of the MMI would negatively affect their ranking of the program. In contrast to prior studies, U.S. EMR applicants to AHS preferred the TI to the MMI. Further investigation into the use of the MMI for selecting U.S. EMR applicants is warranted.

Empirical Correction to the Likelihood Ratio Statistic for Structural Equation Modeling with Many Variables.

PubMed

Yuan, Ke-Hai; Tian, Yubin; Yanagihara, Hirokazu

2015-06-01

Survey data typically contain many variables. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is commonly used in analyzing such data. The most widely used statistic for evaluating the adequacy of a SEM model is T ML, a slight modification to the likelihood ratio statistic. Under normality assumption, T ML approximately follows a chi-square distribution when the number of observations (N) is large and the number of items or variables (p) is small. However, in practice, p can be rather large while N is always limited due to not having enough participants. Even with a relatively large N, empirical results show that T ML rejects the correct model too often when p is not too small. Various corrections to T ML have been proposed, but they are mostly heuristic. Following the principle of the Bartlett correction, this paper proposes an empirical approach to correct T ML so that the mean of the resulting statistic approximately equals the degrees of freedom of the nominal chi-square distribution. Results show that empirically corrected statistics follow the nominal chi-square distribution much more closely than previously proposed corrections to T ML, and they control type I errors reasonably well whenever N ≥ max(50,2p). The formulations of the empirically corrected statistics are further used to predict type I errors of T ML as reported in the literature, and they perform well.

The distance function effect on k-nearest neighbor classification for medical datasets.

PubMed

Hu, Li-Yu; Huang, Min-Wei; Ke, Shih-Wen; Tsai, Chih-Fong

2016-01-01

K-nearest neighbor (k-NN) classification is conventional non-parametric classifier, which has been used as the baseline classifier in many pattern classification problems. It is based on measuring the distances between the test data and each of the training data to decide the final classification output. Since the Euclidean distance function is the most widely used distance metric in k-NN, no study examines the classification performance of k-NN by different distance functions, especially for various medical domain problems. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate whether the distance function can affect the k-NN performance over different medical datasets. Our experiments are based on three different types of medical datasets containing categorical, numerical, and mixed types of data and four different distance functions including Euclidean, cosine, Chi square, and Minkowsky are used during k-NN classification individually. The experimental results show that using the Chi square distance function is the best choice for the three different types of datasets. However, using the cosine and Euclidean (and Minkowsky) distance function perform the worst over the mixed type of datasets. In this paper, we demonstrate that the chosen distance function can affect the classification accuracy of the k-NN classifier. For the medical domain datasets including the categorical, numerical, and mixed types of data, K-NN based on the Chi square distance function performs the best.

Is there a relationship between periodontal disease and causes of death? A cross sectional study.

PubMed

Natto, Zuhair S; Aladmawy, Majdi; Alasqah, Mohammed; Papas, Athena

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is any correlation between periodontal disease and mortality contributing factors, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus in the elderly population. A dental evaluation was performed by a single examiner at Tufts University dental clinics for 284 patients. Periodontal assessments were performed by probing with a manual UNC-15 periodontal probe to measure pocket depth and clinical attachment level (CAL) at 6 sites. Causes of death abstracted from death certificate. Statistical analysis involved ANOVA, chi-square and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The demographics of the population sample indicated that, most were females (except for diabetes mellitus), white, married, completed 13 years of education and were 83 years old on average. CAL (continuous or dichotomous) and marital status attained statistical significance (p<0.05) in contingency table analysis (Chi-square for independence). Individuals with increased CAL were 2.16 times more likely (OR=2.16, 95% CI=1.47-3.17) to die due to CVD and this effect persisted even after control for age, marital status, gender, race, years of education (OR=2.03, 95% CI=1.35-3.03). CAL (continuous or dichotomous) was much higher among those who died due to diabetes mellitus or out of state of Massachusetts. However, these results were not statistically significant. The same pattern was observed with pocket depth (continuous or dichotomous), but these results were not statistically significant either. CAL seems to be more sensitive to chronic diseases than pocket depth. Among those conditions, cardiovascular disease has the strongest effect.

Appointment length, psychiatrists' communication behaviors, and medication management appointment adherence.

PubMed

Cruz, Mario; Roter, Debra L; Cruz, Robyn F; Wieland, Melissa; Larson, Susan; Cooper, Lisa A; Pincus, Harold Alan

2013-09-01

The authors explored the relationship between critical elements of medication management appointments (appointment length, patient-centered talk, and positive nonverbal affect among providers) and patient appointment adherence. The authors used an exploratory, cross-sectional design employing quantitative analysis of 83 unique audio recordings of split treatment medication management appointments for 46 African-American and 37 white patients with 24 psychiatrists at four ambulatory mental health clinics. All patients had a diagnosis of depression. Data collected included demographic information; Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores for depression severity; psychiatrist verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors during medication management appointments, identified by the Roter Interaction Analysis System during analysis of audio recordings; and appointment adherence. Bivariate analyses were employed to identify covariates that might influence appointment adherence. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were employed to assess the relationship between appointment length, psychiatrist patient-centered talk, and positive voice tone ratings and patient appointment adherence, while adjusting for covariates and the clustering of observations within psychiatrists. Wald chi square analyses were used to test whether all or some variables significantly influenced appointment adherence. GEE revealed a significant relationship between positive voice tone ratings and appointment adherence (p=.03). Chi square analyses confirmed the hypothesis of a positive and significant relationship between appointment adherence and positive voice tone ratings (p=.03) but not longer visit length and more patient-centered communication. The nonverbal conveyance of positive affect was associated with greater adherence to medication management appointments by depressed patients. These findings potentially have important implications for communication skills training and adherence research.

Automatically inserted technical details improve radiology report accuracy.

PubMed

Abujudeh, Hani H; Govindan, Siddharth; Narin, Ozden; Johnson, Jamlik Omari; Thrall, James H; Rosenthal, Daniel I

2011-09-01

To assess the effect of automatically inserted technical details on the concordance of a radiology report header with the actual procedure performed. The study was IRB approved and informed consent was waived. We obtained radiology report audit data from the hospital's compliance office from the period of January 2005 through December 2009 spanning a total of 20 financial quarters. A "discordance percentage" was defined as the percentage of total studies in which a procedure code change was made during auditing. Using Chi-square analysis we compared discordance percentages between reports with manually inserted technical details (MITD) and automatically inserted technical details (AITD). The second quarter data of 2007 was not included in the analysis as the switch from MITD to AITD occurred during this quarter. The hospital's compliance office audited 9,110 studies from 2005-2009. Excluding the 564 studies in the second quarter of 2007, we analyzed a total of 8,546 studies, 3,948 with MITD and 4,598 with AITD. The discordance percentage in the MITD group was 3.95% (156/3,948, range per quarter, 1.5- 6.1%). The AITD discordance percentage was 1.37% (63/4,598, range per quarter, 0.0-2.6%). A Chi-square analysis determined a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P < 0.001). There was a statistically significant improvement in the concordance of a radiology report header with the performed procedure using automatically inserted technical details compared to manually inserted details. Copyright © 2011 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microwave Spectrum, Structure, and Nuclear Quadrupole Coupling Constants of 1-Bromo-1-fluoroethane.

PubMed

Tatamitani; Kuwano; Fuchigami; Oe; Ogata

1999-08-01

The microwave spectrum of 1-bromo-1-fluoroethane, CHBrF-CH(3) and CHBrF-CH(2)D ((79/81)Br), has been studied for the first time from 8 to 41 GHz. A least-squares analysis of the observed a- and b-type transition frequencies gave rotational and centrifugal distortion constants and components of the bromine nuclear quadrupole coupling constant tensor in the principal axes system as follows: A = 8979.428(5) MHz, B = 2883.898(3) MHz, C = 2310.535(3) MHz, Delta(J) = 0.74(2) kHz, Delta(JK) = 2.49(3) kHz, Delta(K) = 5.3(5) kHz, delta(J) = 0.146(1) kHz, delta(K) = 2.75(4) kHz, chi(aa) = 493.49(29) MHz, chi(bb) - chi(cc) = -38.89(11) MHz, and ||chi(ab) || = 161.8(28) MHz for the CH(79)BrF-CH(3) species; A = 8979.257(5) MHz, B = 2859.072(3) MHz, C = 2294.572(3), Delta(J) = 0.76(2) kHz, Delta(JK) = 2.51(3) kHz, Delta(K) = 4.5(4) kHz, delta(J) = 0.145(1) kHz, delta(K) = 2.70(4) kHz, chi(aa) = 412.42(27) MHz, chi(bb) - chi(cc) = -32.56 (11) MHz, and ||chi(ab) || = 133.3(3) MHz for the CH(81)BrF-CH(3) species. The structural parameters are calculated from the 24 observed rotational constants, and electronic properties of the carbon-bromine bond in 1-bromo-1-fluoroethane are evaluated from the observed nuclear quadrupole coupling constants. These molecular properties are compared with those of other related molecules. The molecular structure of 1-bromo-1-fluoroethane is found to be very close to that of 1,1-difluoroethane except for the C-Br bond. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Modelling of the batch biosorption system: study on exchange of protons with cell wall-bound mineral ions.

PubMed

Mishra, Vishal

2015-01-01

The interchange of the protons with the cell wall-bound calcium and magnesium ions at the interface of solution/bacterial cell surface in the biosorption system at various concentrations of protons has been studied in the present work. A mathematical model for establishing the correlation between concentration of protons and active sites was developed and optimized. The sporadic limited residence time reactor was used to titrate the calcium and magnesium ions at the individual data point. The accuracy of the proposed mathematical model was estimated using error functions such as nonlinear regression, adjusted nonlinear regression coefficient, the chi-square test, P-test and F-test. The values of the chi-square test (0.042-0.017), P-test (<0.001-0.04), sum of square errors (0.061-0.016), root mean square error (0.01-0.04) and F-test (2.22-19.92) reported in the present research indicated the suitability of the model over a wide range of proton concentrations. The zeta potential of the bacterium surface at various concentrations of protons was observed to validate the denaturation of active sites.

Maternal and congenital syphilis in rural Haiti.

PubMed

Lomotey, Chaylah J; Lewis, Judy; Gebrian, Bette; Bourdeau, Royneld; Dieckhaus, Kevin; Salazar, Juan C

2009-09-01

A study was conducted to assess the prevalence of maternal syphilis and estimate the rate of congenital syphilis in five rural villages surrounding Jeremie, Haiti. This research was a retrospective observational study. Data were extracted from the Haitian Health Foundation's public health database and verified through original clinical paper records, death certificates, midwife reports, and discussions with community health workers. Data were analyzed by chi-square analysis, bivariate correlations, and two-tailed t-test for independent samples. Of the 410 women tested for syphilis, 31 (7.6%) were sero-reactive. Average gestation at time of testing was 25 weeks, which correlated with entry into prenatal care at an average of 23 weeks. Women who tested positive during pregnancy were more likely to have had a negative pregnancy outcome than those who did not (chi square = 16.4; P < 0.0001). The estimated rate of congenital syphilis in the region was 767 per 100,000 live births. Maternal syphilis is prevalent in rural Haiti. This prevalence combined with late entry into prenatal care contributes to adverse pregnancy outcomes and a high estimated rate of congenital syphilis. More research is needed on congenital syphilis and prenatal-careseeking practices of rural Haitian women in order to understand the impact of maternal syphilis in the region and improve pregnancy outcomes.

[Reliability and validity of Professional Quality of Life Scale among government staff in earthquake - stricken areas in China].

PubMed

Dang, Weimin; Cheng, Wenhong; Ma, Hong; Lin, Jin; Wu, Baoming; Ma, Ning; Wang, Rongke; Xu, Junting; Zhou, Tianhang; Yu, Xin

2015-06-01

To evaluate the reliability and validity of Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL-30, 4th version, 30 items) among government staff in the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken areas A total of 1,175 members of government staff in the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken areas were selected by convenience sampling and required to complete the ProQOL and Self-Reporting Questionnair (SRQ). The reliability and validity of the scale was evaluated by correlation analysis, t-test, and confirmatory factor analysis. Item-total correlation coefficients of the three subscales were 0.590 - 0.752, 0.389 - 0.603, and 0.340 - 0.647, respectively (P<0.05), and the average coefficients were 0.672, 0.482, and 0.555 respectively (P<0.05). The Cronbach's α coefficients of the three subscales were 0.864, 0.569, and 0.742 respectively, and the split-half reliabilities were 0.829, 0.490, and 0.677, respectively. P value was 0.88 in thE chi-square test of confirmatory factor analysis model. Goodness-of-fit indices of ProQOL-30 included GFI=0.895 NFI=0.856, CFI=0.895, RMSEA=0.063, and AGFI=0.912. For the ProQOL-28 as an optimized version o ProQOL-30, the Cronbach's a coefficients for burnout and trauma/compassion fatigue increased to 0.616 and 0.757, respectively. P value was 0.91 in the chi-square test of confirmatory factor analysis model test. Goodness-of-fit indices of ProQOL-28 were GFI =0.913, AGFI =0.924, NFI =0.900, CFI =0.913, and RMSEA =0.031 CONCLUSION: ProQOL-28 has good reliability and validity among government staff in the earthquake-stricker areas in China.

Is there an association between astrological data and personality?

PubMed

Hume, N

1977-07-01

A test was made of the hypothesis that personality characteristics can be predicted on the basis of various features of the individual's astrological chart. Astrological charts were prepared for 196 college-age Ss who also were administered the MMPI and the Leary Interpersonal Check List. Ss were divided into those who had extreme scores on any of the 13 personality variables studied and those who did not. For each personality variable, comparisons were made on a large number of astrological dimensions between distributions of Ss with and without extreme test scores. Six hundred thirty-two such comparisons were made and evaluated with chi-square tests. In that the obtained number of statistically significnat chi-squares was less than what would be expected on a chance basis, the hypothesis was rejected.

Using latent class analysis to model prescription medications in the measurement of falling among a community elderly population

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Falls among the elderly are a major public health concern. Therefore, the possibility of a modeling technique which could better estimate fall probability is both timely and needed. Using biomedical, pharmacological and demographic variables as predictors, latent class analysis (LCA) is demonstrated as a tool for the prediction of falls among community dwelling elderly. Methods Using a retrospective data-set a two-step LCA modeling approach was employed. First, we looked for the optimal number of latent classes for the seven medical indicators, along with the patients’ prescription medication and three covariates (age, gender, and number of medications). Second, the appropriate latent class structure, with the covariates, were modeled on the distal outcome (fall/no fall). The default estimator was maximum likelihood with robust standard errors. The Pearson chi-square, likelihood ratio chi-square, BIC, Lo-Mendell-Rubin Adjusted Likelihood Ratio test and the bootstrap likelihood ratio test were used for model comparisons. Results A review of the model fit indices with covariates shows that a six-class solution was preferred. The predictive probability for latent classes ranged from 84% to 97%. Entropy, a measure of classification accuracy, was good at 90%. Specific prescription medications were found to strongly influence group membership. Conclusions In conclusion the LCA method was effective at finding relevant subgroups within a heterogenous at-risk population for falling. This study demonstrated that LCA offers researchers a valuable tool to model medical data. PMID:23705639

[Cardiovascular risk in children from 6 to 15 years with exogenous obesity].

PubMed

Escudero-Lourdes, Gabriela Virginia; Morales-Romero, Luz Viridiana; Valverde-Ocaña, Concepción; Velasco-Chávez, José Fernando

2014-01-01

The cardiovascular risk (CVR) is increasing and it is related to life style and dietary habits; one of the age groups at risk of developing this disease are the obese children. The objective of this study was to assess the CVR in the obese pediatric population in a secondary care unit of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in San Luis Potosí, México. A cross-sectional study, in which we used Alústiza's scale to measure CVR. We included the total of cases of pediatric obese population in a year. We performed the analysis by each of the variables included in the scale (age, sex, body mass index, family history of diabetes and obesity, alcohol, blood pressure, cholesterol). High CVR was correlated to HDL and glucose, through a statistical analysis with chi-squared. We reviewed a total of 100 medical records of children from 6 to 15 years (52 girls, 48 boys). CVR was low in 26 %, moderate in 14 % and higher in 60 %. A positive history of obesity was found in 26 %; obesity plus diabetes, 16 %; obesity and dyslipidemia, 13 %; hypertension, 11 %. None of the children practiced excercise. We found hypercholesterolemia in 46 %, and hyperglycemia in 34 %. By using chi-squared we found that all variables were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Validated scales are useful to measure CVR in children, in order to take action in a timely fashion and avoid the persistence of risk in adulthood.

Applicability of action planning and coping planning to dental flossing among Norwegian adults: a confirmatory factor analysis approach.

PubMed

Astrøm, Anne Nordrehaug

2008-06-01

Using a prospective design and a representative sample of 25-yr-old Norwegians, this study hypothesized that action planning and coping planning will add to the prediction of flossing at 4 wk of follow-up over and above the effect of intention and previous flossing. This study tested the validity of a proposed 3-factor structure of the measurement model of intention, action planning, and coping planning and for its invariance across gender. A survey was conducted in three Norwegian counties, and 1,509 out of 8,000 randomly selected individuals completed questionnaires assessing the constructs of action planning and coping planning related to daily flossing. A random subsample of 500 participants was followed up at 4 wk with a telephone interview to assess flossing. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the proposed 3-factor model after respecification. Although the chi-square test was statistically significant [chi(2) = 58.501, degrees of freedom (d.f.) = 17), complementary fit indices were satisfactory [goodness-of-fit index (GFI) = 0.99, root mean squared error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.04]. Multigroup CFA provided evidence of complete invariance of the measurement model across gender. After controlling for previous flossing, intention (beta = 0.08) and action planning (beta = 0.11) emerged as independent predictors of subsequent flossing, accounting for 2.3% of its variance. Factorial validity of intention, action planning and coping planning, and the validity of action planning in predicting flossing prospectively, was confirmed by the present study.

Reporting health-related quality of life scores to physicians during routine follow-up visits of pediatric oncology patients: is it effective?

PubMed

Engelen, Vivian; Detmar, Symone; Koopman, Hendrik; Maurice-Stam, Heleen; Caron, Huib; Hoogerbrugge, Peter; Egeler, R Maarten; Kaspers, Gertjan; Grootenhuis, Martha

2012-05-01

The aim of the current study is to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention that provides health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores of the patient (the QLIC-ON PROfile) to the pediatric oncologist. Children with cancer participated in a sequential cohort intervention study: intervention N = 94, control N = 99. Primary outcomes of effectiveness were communication about HRQOL domains (t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test) and identification of HRQOL problems (chi-squared test). Secondary outcomes were satisfaction (multilevel analysis), referrals (chi-squared test), and HRQOL (multilevel analysis). The QLIC-ON PROfile increased discussion of emotional functioning (control M = 32.9 vs. intervention M = 47.4, P < 0.05) and psychosocial functioning (M = 56.9 vs. M = 63.8, P < 0.05). Additionally more emotional problems remained unidentified in the control compared to the intervention group, for example, anger (control 26% vs. intervention 3%, P < 0.01), fear (14% vs. 0%, P < 0.01), and sadness (26% vs. 0%, P < 0.001). The intervention had no effect on satisfaction and referrals, but did improve HRQOL of patients 5-7 years of age with respect to self-esteem (P < 0.05), family activities (P < 0.05), and psychosocial functioning (P < 0.01). We conclude that a PRO is a helpful tool for systematic monitoring HRQOL of children with cancer, without lengthening the duration of the consultation. It is recommended to be implemented in clinical practice. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Discriminant of validity the Wender Utah rating scale in Iranian adults.

PubMed

Farokhzadi, Farideh; Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza; Salmanian, Maryam

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is the normalization of the Wender Utah rating scale which is used to detect adults with Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Available sampling method was used to choose 400 parents of children (200 parents of children with ADHD as compared to 200 parents of normal children). Wender Utah rating scale, which has been designed to diagnose ADHD in adults, is filled out by each of the parents to most accurately diagnose of ADHD in parents. Wender Utah rating scale was divided into 6 sub scales which consist of dysthymia, oppositional defiant disorder; school work problems, conduct disorder, anxiety, and ADHD were analyzed with exploratory factor analysis method. The value of (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) KMO was 86.5% for dysthymia, 86.9% for oppositional defiant disorder, 77.5% for school related problems, 90.9% for conduct disorder, 79.6% for anxiety and 93.5% for Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also the chi square value based on Bartlett's Test was 2242.947 for dysthymia, 2239.112 for oppositional defiant disorder, 1221.917 for school work problems, 5031.511 for conduct, 1421.1 for anxiety, and 7644.122 for ADHD. Since mentioned values were larger than the chi square critical values (P<0.05), it found that the factor correlation matrix is appropriate for factor analysis. Based on the findings, we can conclude that Wender Utah rating scale can be appropriately used for predicting dysthymia, oppositional defiant disorder, school work problems, conduct disorder, anxiety, in adults with ADHD.

A description of the content of army family practice.

PubMed

Blount, B W; Hart, G; Ehreth, J L

1993-01-01

For decisions about residency curricula and downsizing the US Army medical corps, decision makers must know the practice content of the various specialties. Little is known about the content of Army family practice. The purpose of our study was to describe the content of Army family practice. We analyzed a random sample of 28,849 family practice encounters from the US Army Ambulatory Care Data Base Study. Variables included patient demographics, diagnoses, visit duration, procedures, and medical facility. Patient age and visit duration were compared using analysis of variance; facility profiles were compared by age category and sex of patients, family member position, and procedure frequency using chi-square analysis. Diagnostic content of the facilities was compared by both chi-square and Kendall's tau B tests. The typical patient was a 26-year-old woman. The 25 most frequent diagnoses accounted for three-fourths of all encounters, with variation by patient age. The majority of visits did not include a procedure, but procedure frequency varied by patient age and diagnostic certainty. Mean visit duration was 16.4 minutes and varied by age. There were differences among the sites for all variables. Army family physicians see patients of all ages, of whom more are the family members of soldiers than the soldiers themselves; they frequently do procedures and are usually certain of their diagnoses, which include a broad spectrum of illnesses. Army family physicians are flexible, adapt to local patient and environmental needs, and are uniquely qualified to form the basis of Army medicine.

Tissue Doppler Imaging Combined with Advanced 12-Lead ECG Analysis Might Improve Early Diagnosis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Childhood

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Femlund, E.; Schlegel, T.; Liuba, P.

2011-01-01

Optimization of early diagnosis of childhood hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is essential in lowering the risk of HCM complications. Standard echocardiography (ECHO) has shown to be less sensitive in this regard. In this study, we sought to assess whether spatial QRS-T angle deviation, which has shown to predict HCM in adults with high sensitivity, and myocardial Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) could be additional tools in early diagnosis of HCM in childhood. Methods: Children and adolescents with familial HCM (n=10, median age 16, range 5-27 years), and without obvious hypertrophy but with heredity for HCM (n=12, median age 16, range 4-25 years, HCM or sudden death with autopsy-verified HCM in greater than or equal to 1 first-degree relative, HCM-risk) were additionally investigated with TDI and advanced 12-lead ECG analysis using Cardiax(Registered trademark) (IMED Co Ltd, Budapest, Hungary and Houston). Spatial QRS-T angle (SA) was derived from Kors regression-related transformation. Healthy age-matched controls (n=21) were also studied. All participants underwent thorough clinical examination. Results: Spatial QRS-T angle (Figure/ Panel A) and septal E/Ea ratio (Figure/Panel B) were most increased in HCM group as compared to the HCM-risk and control groups (p less than 0.05). Of note, these 2 variables showed a trend toward higher levels in HCM-risk group than in control group (p=0.05 for E/Ea and 0.06 for QRS/T by ANOVA). In a logistic regression model, increased SA and septal E/Ea ratio appeared to significantly predict both the disease (Chi-square in HCM group: 9 and 5, respectively, p less than 0.05 for both) and the risk for HCM (Chi-square in HCM-risk group: 5 and 4 respectively, p less than 0.05 for both), with further increased predictability level when these 2 variables were combined (Chi-square 10 in HCM group, and 7 in HCM-risk group, p less than 0.01 for both). Conclusions: In this small material, Tissue Doppler Imaging and spatial mean QRS-T angle deviation, particularly when combined, appear to be sensitive in predicting the risk for developing childhood HCM. Large-scale, prospective studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Association of single Nucleotide Missence Polymorphism Val109Asp of Omentin-1 gene and coronary artery disease in Pakistani population: Multicenter study

PubMed Central

Nazar, Shazia; Zehra, Sitwat; Azhar, Abid

2017-01-01

Background & Objective: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a most important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide as well as in Pakistan. Recent studies have shown that the combination of obesity, insulin resistance and fluctuation in circulating adipocytokines levels is associated with the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease. Omentin-1 is recently found adipocytokine that is highly expressed in visceral adipose tissue. It has anti- inflammatory properties and is negatively correlated with ischemic heart disease. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the relationship between omentin-1 Val109Asp polymorphism and CAD in Pakistani population. Methods: A total of 350 subjects were included in the study. Two hundred fifty were diagnosed with coronary artery disease while 100 served as healthy controls. PCR-RFLP was performed at Dr. A Q. Khan Institute of Biotechnology (KIBGE) to analyze Val109Asp polymorphism. In this, case control study SPSS software version 16 (Chicago, IL, USA) was used for data analysis. Continuous variables and categorical variables were presented as mean±SD or in percentage. Independent sample test and chi-square test was performed to compare the differences in means between cases and controls. Genotype distribution was analyzed by chi-square test and results were presented as percentage and frequency. Multivarible regression analysis indicated that Val109Asp SNP might be an independent risk factor for CAD susceptibility after adjustment for some well- known CAD risk factors including age, gender, body mass index, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and lipid abnormalities. There was estimation of odd ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the correlation between genotypes and the risk of CAD. (p> 0.05). Genotype frequencies were compared by Chi-square test. Results: There was prevalence of Omentin-1 Val109Asp polymorphism in both case and control groups. However, Val/Asp (heterozygous mutant) genotype was detected more frequently in patients with CAD, OR(95%)=1.921; CI=1.173-3.1469 in comparison of Asp/Asp and Val/Val genotypes. Conclusion: Individuals having Val/Asp heterozygous gemotype of omentin-1 gene polymorphism are at more risk of developing CAD in Pakistani population, further studies are required in different populations and ethnicities to confirm our findings. PMID:29142551

Effects of a 12-week program of Tai Chi exercise on the kidney disease quality of life and physical functioning of patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis.

PubMed

Chang, Jo-Han; Koo, Malcolm; Wu, Sheng-Wen; Chen, Chiu-Yuan

2017-02-01

Previous studies have shown that exercise training in patients with end-stage renal disease could improve their physical functioning and quality of life. Nevertheless, few studies have evaluated the effects of Tai Chi exercise in patients on hemodialysis. To investigate the effects of a Tai Chi exercise intervention on the quality of life and physical functioning in end-stage renal disease patients on hemodialysis. A pre-post experimental design. Patients, aged 20 years or older, on hemodialysis recruited from the hemodialysis unit at a medical center in central Taiwan were assigned, based on their own preference, to either a control group (n=25) or an intervention group (n=21). A weekly one-hour short-form Yang style Tai Chi session for a total of 12 weeks. Physical functioning and Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL) at the baseline and at the end of the intervention. The least square means of repetition of sit-to-stand cycles in one minute (STS-60), 6-min walk test, and gait speed test were significantly improved in the intervention group. In addition, the least square means of the five different dimensions of the KDQOL were all significantly higher in the intervention group, except the SF-12 physical health score. Improvements in the kidney disease quality of life and physical functioning were observed in Taiwanese patients on hemodialysis with a 12-week Tai Chi exercise intervention. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Intervention for Delayed Psychological Effects in Snakebite Victims.

PubMed

Wijesinghe, Chamara A; Williams, Shehan S; Kasturiratne, Anuradhani; Dolawaththa, Nishantha; Wimalaratne, Piyal; Wijewickrema, Buddhika; Jayamanne, Shaluka F; Isbister, Geoffrey K; Dawson, Andrew H; Lalloo, David G; de Silva, H Janaka

2015-01-01

Snakebite results in delayed psychological morbidity and negative psycho-social impact. However, psychological support is rarely provided to victims. To assess the effectiveness of a brief intervention which can be provided by non-specialist doctors aimed at reducing psychological morbidity following snakebite envenoming. In a single blind, randomized controlled trial, snakebite victims with systemic envenoming [n = 225, 168 males, mean age 42.1 (SD 12.4) years] were randomized into three arms. One arm received no intervention (n = 68, Group A), the second received psychological first aid and psychoeducation (dispelling prevalent cultural beliefs related to snakebite which promote development of a sick role) at discharge from hospital (n = 65, Group B), while the third received psychological first aid and psychoeducation at discharge and a second intervention one month later based on cognitive behavioural principles (n = 69, Group C). All patients were assessed six months after hospital discharge for the presence of psychological symptoms and level of functioning using standardized tools. At six months, there was a decreasing trend in the proportion of patients who were positive for psychiatric symptoms of depression and anxiety from Group A through Group B to Group C (Chi square test for trend = 7.901, p = 0.005). This was mainly due to a decreasing trend for symptoms of anxiety (chi-square for trend = 11.256, p = 0.001). There was also decreasing trend in the overall prevalence of disability from Group A through Group B to Group C (chi square for trend = 7.551, p = 0.006), predominantly in relation to disability in family life (p = 0.006) and social life (p = 0.005). However, there was no difference in the proportion of patients diagnosed with depression between the three groups (chi square for trend = 0.391, p = 0.532), and the intervention also had no effect on post-traumatic stress disorder. A brief psychological intervention, which included psychological first aid and psychoeducation plus cognitive behavioural therapy that can be provided by non-specialist doctors appeared to reduce psychiatric symptoms and disability after snakebite envenoming, but not depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Sri Lanka Clinical Trials Registry: SLCTR/2011/003.

Use of anti-tuberculosis drugs among newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis inpatients in China: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Huang, Fei; Zhang, Hui; Lv, Qing; Sato, Kaori D; Qu, Yan; Huan, Shitong; Cheng, Jun; Zhao, Fei; Wang, Lixia

2016-01-21

China's national tuberculosis control program (NTP) provides free, first-line anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs to pulmonary TB patients. This treatment regimen follows the World Health Organization's (WHO) guideline. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the current status of anti-TB drug use for newly diagnosed pulmonary TB inpatients treated in prefecture- and county-level designated hospitals. Three prefecture-level hospitals and nine county-level hospitals were selected for the study. All newly diagnosed pulmonary TB inpatient medical records from 2012 were reviewed and doubly examined by two national senior physicians. The rational use of anti-TB drugs was evaluated based on criteria in line with WHO's guideline. Of the 2,060 total treatment regimens for TB, 53.1 % were found to be rational (1093/2060). The percentages in prefecture-level and county-level hospitals were 50.3 % (761/1513) and 60.7 % (332/547), respectively. The difference between the two levels of hospitals was statistically significant (Chi-square value = 17.44, P < 0.01). The percentages of rational treatment regimens for first-time hospitalizations and for two or more hospitalizations were 59.5 % (983/1653) and 27.0 % (110/407), respectively, with a statistically significant difference (Chi-square value = 138.00, P < 0.01). The overall use of second-line drugs (SLD) was 54.9 % (1131/2060). The percentages for prefecture-level and county-level hospitals were 50.6 % (766/1513) and 66.7 % (365/547), respectively. A statistically significant difference was found (Chi-square value = 42.06, P < 0.01). The use of SLD for inpatients hospitalized once and inpatients hospitalized twice or more was 58.4 % (966/1653) and 40.5 % (165/407), respectively, with a statistically significant difference (Chi-square value = 42.26, P < 0.01). Half of inpatients might be treated with irrational regimens, and the use of SLD was more appropriately dispensed in city-level hospitals than in county-level hospitals. Trainings and guidelines for health personnel, supervision led by health authorities and increased investment to designated hospitals may help to improve the rational use of anti-TB drugs.

Analysis of Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) and Classification and Regression Tree (CRT) for Classification of Corn Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susanti, Yuliana; Zukhronah, Etik; Pratiwi, Hasih; Respatiwulan; Sri Sulistijowati, H.

2017-11-01

To achieve food resilience in Indonesia, food diversification by exploring potentials of local food is required. Corn is one of alternating staple food of Javanese society. For that reason, corn production needs to be improved by considering the influencing factors. CHAID and CRT are methods of data mining which can be used to classify the influencing variables. The present study seeks to dig up information on the potentials of local food availability of corn in regencies and cities in Java Island. CHAID analysis yields four classifications with accuracy of 78.8%, while CRT analysis yields seven classifications with accuracy of 79.6%.

BrightStat.com: free statistics online.

PubMed

Stricker, Daniel

2008-10-01

Powerful software for statistical analysis is expensive. Here I present BrightStat, a statistical software running on the Internet which is free of charge. BrightStat's goals, its main capabilities and functionalities are outlined. Three different sample runs, a Friedman test, a chi-square test, and a step-wise multiple regression are presented. The results obtained by BrightStat are compared with results computed by SPSS, one of the global leader in providing statistical software, and VassarStats, a collection of scripts for data analysis running on the Internet. Elementary statistics is an inherent part of academic education and BrightStat is an alternative to commercial products.

Differences in perceptions of managerial roles by gender among southern business students.

PubMed

Smith, J O; Schellenberger, R E

1991-12-01

Perception of the roles necessary for managerial success based on the 10 verbal descriptors of the Mintzberg roles were gathered from 128 business students at a southern U.S. university. The objective was to assess whether these 72 men and 56 women viewed the importance of the roles differently. Ratings were collected on the 10 roles for each of four different types of managers. The data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, chi-squared analysis, and Spearman rank-order correlation. No differences were observed in the perception of men and women in these roles or of their relative importance.

Investigation of detection limits for diffuse optical tomography systems: II. Analysis of slab and cup geometry for breast imaging.

PubMed

Ziegler, Ronny; Brendel, Bernhard; Rinneberg, Herbert; Nielsen, Tim

2009-01-21

Using a statistical (chi-square) test on simulated data and a realistic noise model derived from the system's hardware we study the performance of diffuse optical tomography systems for fluorescence imaging. We compare the predicted smallest size of detectable lesions at various positions in slab and cup geometry and model how detection sensitivity depends on breast compression and lesion fluorescence contrast. Our investigation shows that lesion detection is limited by relative noise in slab geometry and by absolute noise in cup geometry.

Sex-role orientation of gay fathers versus gay nonfathers.

PubMed

Robinson, B E; Skeen, P

1982-12-01

This study compared the sex-role orientation of 30 gay fathers and 30 gay nonfathers from the Northeastern, Midwestern, Southern, Southwestern, and Western United States. Scores from the Bem Sex-role Inventory were analyzed by a chi squared test of independence. Analysis indicated that gay men who father children are no more masculine than gay men who do not father children. The myth linking masculinity and gay fatherhood was refuted, and these findings were presented as further evidence that sexual behavior and sex-role orientation are unrelated phenomena and develop out of separate experiences.

Empirical likelihood-based confidence intervals for the sensitivity of a continuous-scale diagnostic test at a fixed level of specificity.

PubMed

Gengsheng Qin; Davis, Angela E; Jing, Bing-Yi

2011-06-01

For a continuous-scale diagnostic test, it is often of interest to find the range of the sensitivity of the test at the cut-off that yields a desired specificity. In this article, we first define a profile empirical likelihood ratio for the sensitivity of a continuous-scale diagnostic test and show that its limiting distribution is a scaled chi-square distribution. We then propose two new empirical likelihood-based confidence intervals for the sensitivity of the test at a fixed level of specificity by using the scaled chi-square distribution. Simulation studies are conducted to compare the finite sample performance of the newly proposed intervals with the existing intervals for the sensitivity in terms of coverage probability. A real example is used to illustrate the application of the recommended methods.

[Hospitalization period and nutritional status in hospitalized patients].

PubMed

Merhi, V A Leandro; de Oliveira, Ma R Marques; Caran, A L; Tristão, T Menuzzo Graupner; Ambo, R Miante; Tanner, M A; Vergna, C Marton

2007-01-01

With the objective of studying the nutritional status and its relationship with hospitalization period, a cross-sectional study was done with patients from a private hospital representing a population with a better socioeconomic condition. The anthropometric data of 267 patients, 46% males and 54% females ranging from 20 to 80 years of age, were assessed on the second day of hospitalization. Hospitalization period associated with nutritional status. The data were analyzed by the software Excel and Sigma Stat, using Fisher's exact test and the chi-square test. The studied population presented a body mass index of 25.9 +/- 5.3 and most patients lost weight during hospitalization. The longest hospitalization periods were found among patients with lung diseases (13 days), some being pre-obese (40%) with a small prevalence of undernutrition (4%). The percentage distribution of nutritional status among the groups according to diagnosis was different (P < 0.01) when assessed by the Fisher's exact test and the percentage distribution in weight variation between men and women was different (P < 0.02) when assessed by the chi-square test. When the population was segmented according to age, the percentage distribution of the nutritional status between > 60 and < or = 60 did not present a difference when assessed by the chi-square test. The results of this study show that the nutritional status in some diseases deserves special attention given the greater risk found in these situations, contributing to a longer hospitalization period.

Organochlorine-induced histopathology in kidney and liver tissue from Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus).

PubMed

Sonne, Christian; Wolkers, Hans; Leifsson, Pall S; Jenssen, Bjørn Munro; Fuglei, Eva; Ahlstrøm, Oystein; Dietz, Rune; Kirkegaard, Maja; Muir, Derek C G; Jørgensen, Even

2008-04-01

The effects of persistent organic pollutants on renal and liver morphology in farmed arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) were studied under experimental conditions. Control animals received a diet containing pork (Sus scrofa) fat with low amounts of persistent organic pollutants, while the diet of the exposed animals contained whale blubber, 'naturally' contaminated with persistent organic pollutants. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and organochlorine pesticide (OCP) concentrations in the whale blubber were 488 and 395 ng/g wet weight, respectively. Animals were sacrificed and sampled when they were at their fattest (winter) as well as their lowest body weight (summer). The results show that PCB and OCP exposure causes renal (and probably also liver) lesions in arctic foxes. The prevalence of glomerular, tubular and interstitial lesions was significantly highest in the exposed group (chi-square: all p<0.05). The frequency of liver lesions (steatosis, intravascular granulocyte accumulations, interstitial cell infiltrations, lipid granulomas, portal fibrosis and bile duct hyperplasia) were also highest in the exposed group, although not significantly (chi-square: all p>0.05). The prevalence of lesions was not significantly different between lean (winter) and fat (summer) foxes for any of the lesions (chi-square: all p>0.05). We suggest that wild arctic foxes exposed to an environmental cocktail of persistent organic pollutants, such as PCBs and OCPs, in their natural diet are at risk for developing chronic kidney and liver damage. Whether such lesions may have an impact on age and health of the animals remains uncertain.

Lysine clonixinate in minor dental surgery: double-blind randomized parallel study versus paracetamol.

PubMed

Martí, M L; De los Santos, A R; Di Girolamo, G; Gil, M; Manero, E O; Fraga, C

1993-01-01

Lysine clonixinate (LC), an effective and well tolerated non-morphinic analgesic whose mechanism of action is basically due to the inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase, was assessed with a double-blind randomized dummy design versus paracetamol (P) on 200 patients suffering from pain after minor dental surgery. Patients received according to their needs 1 or 2 tablets of 125 mg lysine clonixinate or 500 mg paracetamol every 8 h during 48 h or until pain relief. Both groups, each composed of 100 patients, were comparable in terms of demographic conditions (t test), initial symptoms (chi-square test), characteristics of the extracted dental pieces, surgical complications and wound treatment (chi-square test). Pain intensity scores and daily average intake of tablets (3.4/day) documented in the patients' diary revealed no statistically significant differences between the two treatments (chi-square test). It was found that spontaneous pain measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS) decreased significantly in both treatment groups at the 24-h control examination. The following values were observed in the LC group: baseline 4.38 +/- 1.7; 24-h * 1.20 +/- 1.4; 48-h * 0.36 +/- 1.2. In the P group the values were: baseline 4.28 +/- 1.6; 24-h * 1.11 +/- 1.4; 48-h * 0.30 +/- 0.7 (*p < 0.05). Other variables like facial swelling and night pain, evaluated on a score from 0 to 4 and symptom presence or absence respectively, showed a similar response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Substance use during pregnancy and postnatal outcomes.

PubMed

Irner, Tina Birk; Teasdale, Thomas William; Nielsen, Tine; Vedal, Sissel; Olofsson, May

2012-01-01

Substance exposure in utero has been associated with physical birth defects and increased risk of regulatory and neuropsychological difficulties. The aims of this study were to describe women who use substances and are in treatment with respect to the type and number of substances used during pregnancy, as well as their background, and to examine the effect substance use has on gestational age, birth weight, and the development of neonatal abstinence syndrome at birth. A sample of 161 pregnant women and their 163 newborn children were included. The results indicate that the children whose mothers continued to use substances throughout their pregnancies were born at a lower gestational age (Chi-Square = 15.1(2), P < .01); children exposed to poly-substances in utero were more affected than those exposed to only alcohol and those with no substance exposure. The same children were more vulnerable to the development of neonatal abstinence syndrome at birth (Chi-Square = 51.7(2), P < .001). Newborns who were exposed primarily to alcohol in utero were at a significant risk of being born with low birth weight (Chi-Square = 8.8(2), P < .05) compared with those exposed to other types of substances. More than 50% of the mothers ceased using any substances (with the exception of tobacco) by birth, indicating that the treatment program did have an interventional effect on the mothers. The mothers' ability to either cease or decrease the use of substances during pregnancy appears to have direct positive effect on their newborns.

Numerical recovery of certain discontinuous electrical conductivities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryan, Kurt

1991-01-01

The inverse problem of recovering an electrical conductivity of the form Gamma(x) = 1 + (k-1)(sub Chi(D)) (Chi(D) is the characteristic function of D) on a region omega is a subset of 2-dimensional Euclid space from boundary data is considered, where D is a subset of omega and k is some positive constant. A linearization of the forward problem is formed and used in a least squares output method for approximately solving the inverse problem. Convergence results are proved and some numerical results presented.

Infant and Child Oral Health Risk Status Correlated to Behavioral Habits of Parents or Caregivers: A Survey in Central Italy.

PubMed

Vozza, Iole; Capasso, Francesca; Marrese, Elisa; Polimeni, Antonella; Ottolenghi, Livia

2017-01-01

The aim of this survey was to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of parents and caregivers about potential oral health risk factors for their children in their first months of life (3-30 months). The participation to the survey was proposed to all parents or caregivers of children attending the public consulting service in Latina for mandatory vaccinations during the period of June to August 2014. A self-administered questionnaire was completed to obtain information regarding demographic variables, infant feeding practice, maternal oral health during and after pregnancy, children's oral hygiene habits and risk behaviors (e.g., sharing cutlery, tasting of baby food, nightly using of baby bottles with sugared beverages, or sugared pacifier), and knowledge about caries and its transmission. The analysis of the data was performed using SPSS 14.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The variance analysis and chi-square test were used to investigate the relationship between the variables. Overall, the parents of 304 children consented to fill the questionnaire. Data analysis showed that about 50% of respondents considered dental caries an infectious disease, however, 53.6% was not aware of the potential vertical transmissibility of cariogenic bacteria through contaminated saliva. It is a common trend in the early stages of weaning to taste the baby food (53%) and sharing cutlery (38.5%). With regard to children oral health care, parents reported no toothbrushing for 53.1% of the children in their first 3 years of life. The relationship between the two variables concerning caries transmissibility and tools sharing carried out on through Pearson chi-square test identified P = 0.32. From this survey, the need for parental oral health promoting program emerged to control children oral health risk status.

Effect of Massage Therapy on Labor Pain Reduction in Primiparous Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials in Iran.

PubMed

Ranjbaran, Mehdi; Khorsandi, Maahboobeh; Matourypour, Pegah; Shamsi, Mohsen

2017-01-01

Pain is a common experience for women during labor. Therefore, pain relief care for mothers during labor is very important. This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of massage therapy on labor pain reduction in primiparous women. In this meta-analysis, the databases of Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Iranmedex, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Magiran were searched for published articles in English and Persian language up to January 2016. Among the studies, with regard to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 studies were selected. Data were analyzed by using Stata software version 11, and standard mean difference (SMD) of effects of massage therapy was calculated. The heterogeneity among studies was evaluated by the Chi-square based Q-test and I 2 statistics. The results of Chi-square based on Q-test and I 2 statistics showed heterogeneity among studies in the latent phase ( Q = 63.52, P value < 0.001 and I 2 = 87.4%), active phase ( Q = 26.42, P value < 0.001, and I 2 = 77.3%), and transitional phase ( Q = 104.84, P value <0.001, and I 2 = 95.2%). Results showed that massage therapy reduces labor pain in the latent phase (SMD = -1.23, 95% CI: -1.73 to -0.74), active phase (SMD = -1.59, 95% CI: -2.06 to -1.12), and transitional phase (SMD = -1.90, 95% CI: -3.09 to -0.71). This study provides valid evidence for the effect of massage therapy in Iran for labor pain relief. Therefore, the use of massage therapy can be recommended in the primiparous women.

Analysis of medical litigation among patients with medical disputes in cosmetic surgery in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lyu, Shu-Yu; Liao, Chuh-Kai; Chang, Kao-Ping; Tsai, Shang-Ta; Lee, Ming-Been; Tsai, Feng-Chou

2011-10-01

This study aimed to investigate the key factors in medical disputes (arguments) among female patients after cosmetic surgery in Taiwan and to explore the correlates of medical litigation. A total of 6,888 patients (3,210 patients from two hospitals and 3,678 patients from two clinics) received cosmetic surgery from January 2001 to December 2009. The inclusion criteria specified female patients with a medical dispute. Chi-square testing and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Of the 43 patients who had a medical dispute (hospitals, 0.53%; clinics, 0.73%), 9 plaintiffs eventually filed suit against their plastic surgeons. Such an outcome exhibited a decreasing annual trend. The hospitals and clinics did not differ significantly in terms of patient profiles. The Chi-square test showed that most patients with a medical dispute (p < 0.05) were older than 30 years, were divorced or married, had received operations under general anesthesia, had no economic stress, had a history of medical litigation, and eventually did not sue the surgeons. The test results also showed that the surgeon's seniority and experience significantly influenced the possibility of medical dispute and nonlitigation. Multiple logistical regression analysis further showed that the patients who did decide to enter into litigation had two main related factors: marital stress (odds ratio [OR], 10.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-94.73) and an education level below junior college (OR, 9.33; 95% CI, 1.01-86.36). The study findings suggest that the key characteristics of patients and surgeons should be taken into consideration not only in the search for ways to enhance pre- and postoperative communication but also as useful information for expert testimony in the inquisitorial law system.

Model Fit and Item Factor Analysis: Overfactoring, Underfactoring, and a Program to Guide Interpretation.

PubMed

Clark, D Angus; Bowles, Ryan P

2018-04-23

In exploratory item factor analysis (IFA), researchers may use model fit statistics and commonly invoked fit thresholds to help determine the dimensionality of an assessment. However, these indices and thresholds may mislead as they were developed in a confirmatory framework for models with continuous, not categorical, indicators. The present study used Monte Carlo simulation methods to investigate the ability of popular model fit statistics (chi-square, root mean square error of approximation, the comparative fit index, and the Tucker-Lewis index) and their standard cutoff values to detect the optimal number of latent dimensions underlying sets of dichotomous items. Models were fit to data generated from three-factor population structures that varied in factor loading magnitude, factor intercorrelation magnitude, number of indicators, and whether cross loadings or minor factors were included. The effectiveness of the thresholds varied across fit statistics, and was conditional on many features of the underlying model. Together, results suggest that conventional fit thresholds offer questionable utility in the context of IFA.

Titanic: A Statistical Exploration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takis, Sandra L.

1999-01-01

Uses the available data about the Titanic's passengers to interest students in exploring categorical data and the chi-square distribution. Describes activities incorporated into a statistics class and gives additional resources for collecting information about the Titanic. (ASK)

Aesthetic Evaluation in Oncoplastic and Conservative Breast Surgery: A Comparative Analysis

PubMed Central

Meszaros, Paolo; Baldelli, Ilaria; Bisso, Nadia; Franchelli, Simonetta

2015-01-01

Background: In conservative breast surgery, the achievement of a satisfactory cosmetic result could be challenging; oncoplastic techniques may be helpful in many cases. A comparative analysis was performed among 3 groups of patients undergoing oncoplastic techniques plus external radiation therapy or intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) and breast conservative surgery plus external radiation therapy; long-term oncologic results in terms of disease relapse and aesthetic outcomes were compared. Methods: Ninety-six patients were considered: 32 patients treated with oncoplastic surgery, 16 then subjected to radiotherapy (group 1) and another 16 treated with IORT (group 2); 64 patients treated by conservative surgery and radiotherapy formed the control group (group 3). Patients were asked to give a judgment on the cosmetic result considering the following parameters: breast symmetry, appearance of the residual scar, symmetry between the 2 nipple-areola complexes, global aesthetic judgment, and satisfaction about the result. Results: With respect to the oncological and aesthetic outcome, the statistical significance of the results obtained in the 3 groups was calculated using the chi-square test. The results, processed by the chi-square test, were not statistically significant; however, the overall judgments expressed by the patients of all 3 groups were more than satisfactory (scores greater than or equal to 6). Conclusions: In our experience, when the inclusion criteria are satisfied and the equipment is available, oncoplastic techniques associated with IORT should be considered the treatment of choice for breast cancer in early stage. The excellent cosmetic results and patient’s satisfaction encourage us to continue on this way. PMID:26034646

Measuring the Nursing Work Environment in Mainland China: Further Development of the Chinese Nursing Work Environment Scale.

PubMed

Shao, Jing; Tang, Leiwen; Ye, Zhihong

For the stabilization of the nursing profession in mainland China, a valid and reliable nursing work environment instrument, grounded in China's context, should be developed to better provide rigorous evidence for policy makers. The purpose of the current research was to further develop a scale that could capture the characteristics of the nursing work environment in mainland China. A convenience sample of 542 nurses employed in a tertiary hospital of mainland China completed the 108-item Chinese Nursing Work Environment (C-NWE) Scale (1st ed.). Items that did not differentiate between respondents with the highest and lowest 27% of total scores and those that did not meet criteria for factor loadings were set aside. Exploratory factor analysis based on the maximum likelihood method was used to identify the structure of the scale. The chi-square test was used to evaluate model fit, and expert review was conducted to test content validity. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The revised C-NWE Scale, which consists of nine subscales and 47 items, is a simplified version of the C-NWE (1st ed.). Using exploratory maximum likelihood factor analysis, the normed chi-square fit index for a nine-factor solution was 1.97. The content validity index for the total scale was 0.93; Cronbach's alpha was .94. Initial evidence of the psychometric properties of C-NWE scores was presented. Further studies could be conducted in various settings to identify the C-NWE Scale's validity and reliability.

A comparison of antenatal classifications of 'overweight' and 'obesity' prevalence between white British, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi pregnant women in England; analysis of retrospective data.

PubMed

Garcia, Rebecca; Ali, Nasreen; Guppy, Andy; Griffiths, Malcolm; Randhawa, Gurch

2017-04-11

Maternal obesity increases women's risk of poor birth outcomes, and statistics show that Pakistani and Bangladeshi women (who are born or settled) in the UK experience higher rates of perinatal mortality and congenital anomalies than white British or white Other women. This study compares the prevalence of maternal obesity in Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and white British women using standard and Asian-specific BMI metrics. Retrospective cross-sectional analysis using routinely recorded secondary data in Ciconia Maternity information System (CMiS), between 2008 and 2013. Mothers (n = 15,205) whose ethnicity was recorded as white British, Bangladeshi, Pakistani or Indian. Adjusted standardised residuals and Pearson Chi-square. Percentage of mothers stratified by ethnicity (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and white British) who are classified as overweight or obese using standard and revised World Health Organisation BMI thresholds. Compared to standard BMI thresholds, using the revised BMI threshold resulted in a higher prevalence of obesity: 22.8% of Indian and 24.3% of Bangladeshi and 32.3% of Pakistani women. Pearson Chi-square confirmed that significantly more Pakistani women were classified as 'obese' compared with white British, Indian or Bangladeshi women (χ 2  = 499,88 df = 9, p < 0.001). There are differences in the prevalence of obese and overweight women stratified by maternal ethnicity of white British, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi. Using revised anthropometric measures in Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women has clinical implications for identifying risks associated with obesity and increased complications in pregnancy.

Personalized Medicine Enrichment Design for DHA Supplementation Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Lei, Yang; Mayo, Matthew S; Carlson, Susan E; Gajewski, Byron J

2017-03-01

Personalized medicine aims to match patient subpopulation to the most beneficial treatment. The purpose of this study is to design a prospective clinical trial in which we hope to achieve the highest level of confirmation in identifying and making treatment recommendations for subgroups, when the risk levels in the control arm can be ordered. This study was motivated by our goal to identify subgroups in a DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) supplementation trial to reduce preterm birth (gestational age<37 weeks) rate. We performed a meta-analysis to obtain informative prior distributions and simulated operating characteristics to ensure that overall Type I error rate was close to 0.05 in designs with three different models: independent, hierarchical, and dynamic linear models. We performed simulations and sensitivity analysis to examine the subgroup power of models and compared results to a chi-square test. We performed simulations under two hypotheses: a large overall treatment effect and a small overall treatment effect. Within each hypothesis, we designed three different subgroup effects scenarios where resulting subgroup rates are linear, flat, or nonlinear. When the resulting subgroup rates are linear or flat, dynamic linear model appeared to be the most powerful method to identify the subgroups with a treatment effect. It also outperformed other methods when resulting subgroup rates are nonlinear and the overall treatment effect is big. When the resulting subgroup rates are nonlinear and the overall treatment effect is small, hierarchical model and chi-square test did better. Compared to independent and hierarchical models, dynamic linear model tends to be relatively robust and powerful when the control arm has ordinal risk subgroups.

Factors influencing use of analgesics among construction workers in the Ga-Eastmunicipality of the Greater Accra region, Ghana.

PubMed

Badzi, Caroline D; Ackumey, Mercy M

2017-12-01

Analgesics also known as painkillers are widely used for pain relief. There are severe health implications associated with excessive use of analgesics. This paper examines factors influencing the use of analgesics among construction workers in the Ga-East Municipality (GEM) of the Greater Accra region of Ghana. This is a cross-sectional study involving 206 construction workers randomly sampled from 7 construction sites in the GEM. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit responses on knowledge of analgesics, types of analgesics used and factors influencing the use of analgesics. Chi-square test analysis was used to examine factors influencing analgesic use. The majority of workers were aged between 15 to 44 years (89.8%) and 51.9 percent of respondents had completed Junior high school. Many respondents (68.0%) used Brand 1 a locally manufactured analgesic with paracetamol, aspirin and caffeine as the active ingredients and 31.6 percent of respondents had no knowledge of possible side effects of continuous use of analgesics. Chi square analysis showed that age was significantly associated with use of analgesics (p<0.01). Knowledge of the types of analgesics, dosage and side effects did not influence use (p>0.05). Television and radio advertisements influenced use of analgesics (p<0.01). Knowledge on analgesic use and knowledge of probable serious side effects was inadequate. Pharmacists and chemists involvement in education of clients of the side effects of analgesics is highly recommended to minimise misuse. The Food and Drugs Authority should regulate the proliferation of advertisements for analgesics in the media. None declared.

Developing and Testing a Model to Predict Outcomes of Organizational Change

PubMed Central

Gustafson, David H; Sainfort, François; Eichler, Mary; Adams, Laura; Bisognano, Maureen; Steudel, Harold

2003-01-01

Objective To test the effectiveness of a Bayesian model employing subjective probability estimates for predicting success and failure of health care improvement projects. Data Sources Experts' subjective assessment data for model development and independent retrospective data on 221 healthcare improvement projects in the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands collected between 1996 and 2000 for validation. Methods A panel of theoretical and practical experts and literature in organizational change were used to identify factors predicting the outcome of improvement efforts. A Bayesian model was developed to estimate probability of successful change using subjective estimates of likelihood ratios and prior odds elicited from the panel of experts. A subsequent retrospective empirical analysis of change efforts in 198 health care organizations was performed to validate the model. Logistic regression and ROC analysis were used to evaluate the model's performance using three alternative definitions of success. Data Collection For the model development, experts' subjective assessments were elicited using an integrative group process. For the validation study, a staff person intimately involved in each improvement project responded to a written survey asking questions about model factors and project outcomes. Results Logistic regression chi-square statistics and areas under the ROC curve demonstrated a high level of model performance in predicting success. Chi-square statistics were significant at the 0.001 level and areas under the ROC curve were greater than 0.84. Conclusions A subjective Bayesian model was effective in predicting the outcome of actual improvement projects. Additional prospective evaluations as well as testing the impact of this model as an intervention are warranted. PMID:12785571

Prevalence of depressive symptoms among college students and the influence of sport activity.

PubMed

Uglesić, Boran; Lasić, Davor; Zuljan-Cvitanović, Marija; Buković, Damir; Karelović, Deni; Delić-Brkljacić, Diana; Buković, Nevia; Radan, Mirjana

2014-03-01

The present study asses the prevalence of depressive symptoms among college students in Split, Croatia, and positive influence of sport activity on decreasing the depression symptoms. Authors screened all 664 college students of the first year of study. All of them were over the 18 years and the mean age was 19.4 +/- 1.2 years. There were 466 females (70.2%) and 178 (26.8%) males. They answered The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and questionnaire about their sport activity (no sport activity, recreational and active in sports). For the purpose of the analysis depressive symptoms were defined as a score of > 11. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney test were used for data analysis. 9.4% of the students had significant depression symptoms (score > 11). No one student had score > 26 (symptoms of major depression). Statistically significant lower score on BDI have students who are active in sports (score median = 3) compared to group of recreational (score median = 4) and in correlation to group who are not active in sports (score median = 5) (Kruskal-Wallis: p < 0.001). In the group of active in sports (N = 254) there are only 5.5% with depressions symptoms, while in the group of non active in sports (N = 60) are 18 depressive (chi2-test: p = 0,005). Females are statistically more depressed than males (chi2-test: p = 0.01). In the female group 49 (10.5%) are depressed, and in the male group are 9 (5%). Compared to gender in separate analysis we did not find correlation of decreasing depression symptoms and sport activity among males (chi2-test: p = 0.47), while in females we find that sport activity has significant effect (chi2-test: p = 0.026). Our results shoved moderate values of depression symptoms among college population in Split, Croatia. More females than males experienced depressive symptoms. While sport activity did not have significant influence on the depression in male population, it has significant influence in reducing the depression symptoms among females.

Cone-beam computed tomography in the assessment of periapical lesions in endodontically treated teeth

PubMed Central

Gambarini, Gianluca; Piasecki, Lucila; Miccoli, Gabriele; Gaimari, Gianfranco; Nardo, Dario Di; Testarelli, Luca

2018-01-01

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the quality of the coronal restoration and the root canal filling on the periapical status of endodontically treated teeth using CBCT. Materials and Methods: CBCT data were obtained from the records of patients who deny any dental treatment in the 2 years prior to the CBCT examination. CBCT images (90 kVp and 7 mA, exposure time of 23 s, and a voxel size of 0.2 mm, with a field of view of 13 cm × 13 cm) of 1011 endodontically treated teeth were observed. A score was given to the quality of the root filling and the quality of the coronal restoration. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were statistically analyzed to correlate the periapical status with gender, dental group. and quality of endodontic treatment and restoration (Chi-square test with a significance level of P < 0.001). Results: Absence of periapical periodontitis was found in 54.9% of the cases. The periapical outcome was not related to gender or dental group (P > 0.05). A statistically significant factor (Chi-square test, P < 0.0001) resulted when different qualities of sealing were compared. Conclusions: CBCT showed that high-quality root canal treatments followed by an adequate coronal sealing restoration avoid the presence of periapical periodontitis in time. PMID:29657539

Visually Evoked Potentials after Panretinal Photocoagulation in Omani Patients with Uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus

PubMed Central

Shenoy, Radha; Al-Belushi, Habiba; Al-Ajmi, Sadiqa; Al-Nabhani, Susan Margaret; Ganguly, Shyam Sunder; Bialasiewicz, Alexander A.

2008-01-01

Aim: To report on the changes of latency and amplitudes of the pattern VEP in patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus II and I before and after panretinal laser treatment. Design: Single center hospital based comparative study. Methods: One hundred eyes of patients with proliferative diabetic vitreoretinopathy, and HbA1C ≥ 10 percent were subjected to Pattern Visually Evoked Potentials (Medtronic keyopint system, Nicolet) prior to and 4 weeks after PRP. Results were compared to age-matched non-diabetic controls. Chi-Square test, and paired ‘t’ test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Preoperative mean VEP amplitude was 8.35mV±3.71, and not significantly different to the control group (mean 10.51mV±3.34) (chi square test p=1). Mean preoperative P100 latency was 106.93±7.90ms and significantly different to the control group (103.21±7.65ms) (paired t-test p=0.001). After laser treatment, VEP amplitudes decreased in 48/100 eyes (mean total 5.11mV±2.4), and P100 latency increased in 75/100 eyes (mean total 110.47±7.35ms). Conclusion: In this study, PRP was followed by a significant decrease in VEP amplitudes in 48 percent and increase in latency in 75 percent of eyes. PMID:21346837

Psychometric characteristics of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General when applied to Brazilian cancer patients: a cross-cultural adaptation and validation.

PubMed

Campos, Juliana Alvares Duarte Bonini; Spexoto, Maria Cláudia Bernardes; Serrano, Sergio Vicente; Maroco, João

2016-01-13

The psychometric properties of an instrument should be evaluated routinely when using different samples. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) when applied to a sample of Brazilian cancer patients. The face, content, and construct (factorial, convergent, and discriminant) validities of the FACT-G were estimated. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted the ratio chi-square by degrees of freedom (χ (2)/df), the comparative fit index (CFI), the Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) as indices. The invariance of the best model was assessed with multi-group analysis using the difference of chi-squares method (Δχ(2)). Convergent validity was assessed using Average Variance Extracted (AVE) and discriminant validity was determined via correlational analysis. Internal consistency was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficient, and the Composite Reliability (CR) was estimated. A total of 975 cancer patients participated in the study, with a mean age of 53.3 (SD = 13.0) years. Of these participants, 61.5 % were women. In CFA, five correlations between errors were included to fit the FACT-G to the sample (χ (2)/df = 8.611, CFI = .913, TLI = .902, RMSEA = .088). The model did not indicate invariant independent samples (Δχ(2): μ: p < .001, i: p < .958, Cov: p < .001, Res: p < .001). While there was adequate convergent validity for the physical well-being (AVE = .54) and social and family Well-being factors (AVE = .55), there was low convergent validity for the other factors. Reliability was adequate (CR = .76-.89 and α = .71-.82). Functional well-being, emotional well-being, and physical well-being were the factors that demonstrated a strong contribution to patients' health-related quality of life (β = -.99, .88, and .64, respectively). The FACT-G was found to be a valid and reliable assessment of health-related quality of life in a Brazilian sample of patients with cancer.

Analyzing patient's waiting time in emergency & trauma department in public hospital - A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roslan, Shazwa; Tahir, Herniza Md; Nordin, Noraimi Azlin Mohd; Zaharudin, Zati Aqmar

2014-09-01

Emergency and Trauma Department (ETD) is an important element for a hospital. It provides medical service, which operates 24 hours a day in most hospitals. However overcrowding is not exclusion for ETD. Overflowing occurs due to affordable services provided by public hospitals, since it is funded by the government. It is reported that a patient attending ETD must be treated within 90 minutes, in accordance to achieve the Key Performance Indicator (KPI). However, due to overcrowd situations, most patients have to wait longer than the KPI standard. In this paper, patient's average waiting time is analyzed. Using Chi-Square Test of Goodness, patient's inter arrival per hour is also investigated. As conclusion, Monday until Wednesday was identified as the days that exceed the KPI standard while Chi-Square Test of Goodness showed that the patient's inter arrival is independent and random.

Four-Dimensional Golden Search

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fenimore, Edward E.

2015-02-25

The Golden search technique is a method to search a multiple-dimension space to find the minimum. It basically subdivides the possible ranges of parameters until it brackets, to within an arbitrarily small distance, the minimum. It has the advantages that (1) the function to be minimized can be non-linear, (2) it does not require derivatives of the function, (3) the convergence criterion does not depend on the magnitude of the function. Thus, if the function is a goodness of fit parameter such as chi-square, the convergence does not depend on the noise being correctly estimated or the function correctly followingmore » the chi-square statistic. And, (4) the convergence criterion does not depend on the shape of the function. Thus, long shallow surfaces can be searched without the problem of premature convergence. As with many methods, the Golden search technique can be confused by surfaces with multiple minima.« less

A method for meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.

PubMed

Einarson, T R; Leeder, J S; Koren, G

1988-10-01

This article presents a stepwise approach for conducting a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies based on proposed guidelines. This systematic method is recommended for practitioners evaluating epidemiological studies in the literature to arrive at an overall quantitative estimate of the impact of a treatment. Bendectin is used as an illustrative example. Meta-analysts should establish a priori the purpose of the analysis and a complete protocol. This protocol should be adhered to, and all steps performed should be recorded in detail. To aid in developing such a protocol, we present methods the researcher can use to perform each of 22 steps in six major areas. The illustrative meta-analysis confirmed previous traditional narrative literature reviews that Bendectin is not related to teratogenic outcomes in humans. The overall summary odds ratio was 1.01 (chi 2 = 0.05, p = 0.815) with a 95 percent confidence interval of 0.66-1.55. When the studies were separated according to study type, the summary odds ratio for cohort studies was 0.95 with a 95 percent confidence interval of 0.62-1.45. For case-control studies, the summary odds ratio was 1.27 with a 95 percent confidence interval of 0.83-1.94. The corresponding chi-square values were not statistically significant at the p = 0.05 level.

The impact of prism adaptation test on surgical outcomes in patients with primary exotropia.

PubMed

Kiyak Yilmaz, Ayse; Kose, Suheyla; Guven Yilmaz, Suzan; Uretmen, Onder

2015-05-01

We aimed to determine the impact of the preoperative prism adaptation test (PAT) on surgical outcomes in patients with primary exotropia. Thirty-eight consecutive patients with primary exotropia were enrolled. Pre-operative PAT was performed in 18 randomly selected patients (Group 1). Surgery was based on the angle of deviation at distance measured after PAT. The remaining 20 patients in whom PAT was not performed comprised Group 2. Surgery was based on the angle of deviation at distance in these patients. Surgical success was defined as ocular alignment within eight prism dioptres (PD) of orthophoria. Satisfactory motor alignment (± 8 PD) was achieved in 16 Group 1 patients (88.9 per cent) and 16 Group 2 patients (80 per cent) one year after surgery (p = 0.6; chi-square test). There were no statistically significant differences in demographic parameters, pre-operative and post-operative angle of deviation between the two groups (p > 0.05; Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests). Nine patients in Group 1 (50 per cent) and two patients in Group 2 (10 per cent) had increased binocular vision one year post-operatively. A statistically significant difference was determined in terms of change in binocular single vision between the two groups (p = 0.01; chi-square test). Although the prism adaptation test did not lead to a significant increment in motor success, it may be helpful in achieving a more favourable functional surgical outcome in patients with primary exotropia. © 2014 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Optometry © 2014 Optometrists Association Australia.

Reasons for the increasing Hispanic infant mortality rate: Florida, 2004-2007.

PubMed

Sauber-Schatz, Erin K; Sappenfield, William; Hernandez, Leticia; Freeman, Karen M; Barfield, Wanda; Bensyl, Diana M

2012-08-01

Assess whether the 55% increase in Florida's Hispanic infant mortality rate (HIMR) during 2004-2007 was real or artifactual. Using linked data from Florida resident live births and infant deaths for 2004-2007, we calculated traditional (infant Hispanic ethnicity from death certificates and maternal Hispanic ethnicity from birth certificates) and nontraditional (infant and maternal Hispanic ethnicity from birth certificate maternal ethnicity) HIMRs. We assessed trends in HIMRs (per 1,000 live births) using Chi-square statistics. We tested agreement in Hispanic ethnicity after implementation of a revised 2005 death certificate by using kappa statistics and used logistic regression to test the associations of infant mortality risk factors. Hispanic was defined as being of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central/South American, or other/unknown Hispanic origin. During 2004-2007 traditional HIMR increased 55%, from 4.0 to 6.2 (Chi-square, P < 0.001) and nontraditional HIMR increased 20%, from 4.5 to 5.4 (Chi-square, P = 0.03). During 2004-2005, agreement in Hispanic ethnicity did not change with use of the revised certificate (kappa = 0.70 in 2004; kappa = 0.76 in 2005). Birth weight was the most significant risk factor for trends in Hispanic infant mortality (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.10-1.61). Differences in Hispanic reporting on revised death certificates likely accounted for the majority of traditional HIMR increase, indicating a primarily artifactual increase. Reasons for the 20% increase in nontraditional HIMR during 2004-2007 should be further explored through other individual and community factors. Use of nontraditional HIMRs, which use a consistent source of Hispanic classification, should be considered.

Clinical variables related to antidepressant-induced mania in bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Mundo, Emanuela; Cattaneo, Elisabetta; Russo, Michela; Altamura, A Carlo

2006-06-01

The development of mania or hypomania during antidepressant treatment is a serious complication of the clinical management of bipolar disorder (BP). The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical variables related to antidepressant-induced mania or hypomania (AIM) in patients with BP. DSM-IV BP-I or BP-II patients who had had at least one depressive episode treated with antidepressants were considered. Patients were subdivided into two groups according to the presence (n = 30) or absence (n = 106) of manic or hypomanic episodes occurring during antidepressant treatment. Possible predictive clinical variables of AIM were considered: gender, diagnostic subtype, age at onset, duration of illness, duration of untreated illness, type of antidepressant administered, number of previous spontaneous hypomanic or manic episodes, number of previous depressive episodes, presence of lifetime suicide attempts, presence of mood stabilizer treatments, presence of psychotic symptoms during spontaneous episodes, family history for psychiatric disorders in first degree relatives. Data were compared between the two groups, with (AIM+) and without (AIM-) antidepressant-induced mania, using Student's t tests and chi-square tests. The lack of mood stabilizer treatments during antidepressant therapy (chi-square = 37.602, df = 1, p < 0.001) and the exposure to tricyclic antidepressants (chi-square = 4.901, df = 1, p < 0.05) resulted significantly associated to the development of AIM. This study was not done under controlled conditions and the relatively small sample studied warrants further replications. These results point out the risk of mania induction associated to the use of tricyclic antidepressants in BP patients, mainly in absence of adequate mood stabilizers.

Exploring the role of quantitative feedback in inhaler technique education: a cluster-randomised, two-arm, parallel-group, repeated-measures study.

PubMed

Toumas-Shehata, Mariam; Price, David; Basheti, Iman Amin; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia

2014-11-13

Feedback is a critical component of any educational intervention. When it comes to feedback associated with inhaler technique education, there is a lack of knowledge on its role or its potential to solve the major issue of poor inhaler technique. This study aims to explore the role of feedback in inhaler technique education and its impact on the inhaler technique of patients over time. A parallel-group, repeated-measures study was conducted in the community pharmacy in which the effectiveness of current best practice inhaler technique education utilising qualitative visual feedback (Group 1) was compared with a combination of qualitative and quantitative visual feedback (Group 2). The impact of these two interventions on inhaler technique maintenance was evaluated. Community pharmacists were randomly allocated to recruit people with asthma who were using a dry powder inhaler. At Visit 1 their inhaler technique was evaluated and education delivered and they were followed up at Visit 2 (1 month later). Both educational interventions resulted in an increase in the proportion of patients with correct inhaler technique: from 4% to 51% in Group 1 and from 6% to 83% in Group 2 (Pearson's Chi-Squared, P=0.03, n=49, and Pearson's Chi-Squared, P=0.01, n=48, respectively). The magnitude of improvement was statistically significantly higher for Group 2 compared with Group 1 (n=97, P=0.02, Pearson's Chi-Square test). The nature of feedback has an impact on the effectiveness of inhaler technique education with regard to correct inhaler technique maintenance over time.

Participant characteristics of users of holistic movement practices in Australia.

PubMed

Vergeer, Ineke; Bennie, Jason A; Charity, Melanie J; van Uffelen, Jannique G Z; Harvey, Jack T; Biddle, Stuart J H; Eime, Rochelle M

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of users of holistic movement practices in Australia to people who were physically active but not using holistic movement practices. A second aim was to compare characteristics of users of specific holistic movement practices (yoga/Pilates and t'ai chi/qigong). We performed a secondary data analysis on pooled data of a nationally-representative physical activity survey conducted yearly 2001-2010 (n = 195,926). Australia-wide Exercise, Recreation, and Sport Survey (ERASS). A range of socio-demographic and participation characteristics were documented and compared between users and non-users of holistic movement practices and between yoga/Pilates and t'ai chi/qigong users, employing descriptive statistics, chi square, and multiple logistic regression analyses. Users of holistic movement practices (n = 6826) were significantly more likely than non-users to be female, older, have fewer children at home, and have higher levels of education, socio-economic background, and physical activity involvement (p < 0.001). Yoga/Pilates (n = 5733) and t'ai chi/qigong (n = 947) users were also found to differ on a number of characteristics, including age, sex, socioeconomic background, and marital status. As a group, Australian users of holistic movement practices differ on a range of characteristics from those Australians active in other types of physical activities. However, differences between yoga/Pilates and t'ai chi/qigong users suggest these practices attract somewhat different sub-populations. To what extent these differences are due to characteristics inherent to the practices themselves or to differences in delivery-related parameters needs to be examined in future research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biology Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1983

1983-01-01

Describes laboratory procedures, demonstrations, and classroom activities/materials, including chi-square tests on a microcomputer, an integrated biology game, microscope slides of leaf stomata, culturing soil nematodes, technique for watering locust egg-laying tubes, hazards of biological chemicals (such as benzene, benzidene, calchicine,…

Pasta Predation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waugh, Michael L.

1986-01-01

Presents a predator-prey simulation which involves students in collecting data, solving problems, and making predictions on the evolution of prey populations. Provides directives on how to perform the chi-square test and also includes an Applesoft BASK program that performs the calculations. (ML)

Profile of non-fatal injuries due to road traffic accidents from a industrial town in India.

PubMed

Bayan, Pankaj; Bhawalkar, J S; Jadhav, S L; Banerjee, Amitav

2013-01-01

India has one of the highest road traffic accident rates in the world. To lessen this burden, information on the contributing factors is necessary. We studied a series of cases of non-fatal road traffic accidents in two tertiary care hospitals in Pimpri, Pune, India. A total of 212 non-fatal road traffic accidents admitted over a period of one year in these two hospitals constituted the study sample. The study variables were, the gender of the accident victims, mode of accident, days of week on which the accident took place, time of day when the injury was sustained, part of the body injured, nature of injury, and self-reported reasons for the accident. data were summarized using percentages. The Chi-square test for goodness of fit was applied, to see whether there was any association between the different weekdays or time of day and the accidents. MALE : female ratio was almost 5 : 1, which was statistically significant (Chi-Square for goodness of fit = 95.11, df = 1, P < 0.0001). The maximum accidents occurred on Sundays and Mondays and the least around midweek (Wednesday). This pattern was also statistically significant (Chi-square for goodness of fit = 30.09, df = 6, P < 0.001). Pedestrians were the most vulnerable group, followed by drivers and pillions of two wheelers. These categories of road users contributed to almost 80% of the cases of Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs). Accidents were more likely in the time zone of 8 pm to midnight, followed by 4 pm to 8 pm (Chi-square for goodness of fit = 89.58, df = 5, P < 0.0001). A majority of the patients sustained multiple injuries followed by injuries to the lower limbs. A majority reported impaired visibility and fatigue as the cause of accident. Almost half (46.22%) of the injured admitted to drinking alcohol on a regular basis. Wide pavements and safe zebra crossings should be provided for pedestrians, as the highest casualty in this study were pedestrians. More accidents occurred on Sundays and Mondays and in the late evenings. Extra supervision by traffic police may be considered on Sundays / Holidays and the day following. Roads should be well lit to improve visibility after sunset.

Search for sterile neutrinos at RENO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeo, In Sung; RENO Collaboration

2017-09-01

The RENO experiment was designed to measure a neutrino mixing angle, θ13, by detecting electron antineutrinos emitted from the Hanbit nuclear reactors in Korea, and succeeded to measure θ13 from the disappearance mode in three neutrino frame. We investigate the possibility of sterile neutrinos existence at RENO experiment and compare data with Monte Carlo generated in four neutrino frame. In this talk, we present some recent results using chi-square analysis method. The probability deficit curve as a function of an effective baseline and the excluded contour plot in sin2(2 θ14) - Δ(m41)2 space will be shown.

Using Computer-Adaptive Quizzing as a Tool for National Council Licensure Examination Success.

PubMed

Pence, Jill; Wood, Felecia

This study examined the relationship between using computer-adaptive quizzing (CAQ) and first-time National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) success. A retrospective, descriptive, correlational design was used to analyze the relationship between use of a CAQ program and first-time NCLEX results of 194 baccalaureate graduates. Chi-square analysis suggested that there was an association between using the software and NCLEX success (p < .001, df = 1), with 16 percent of those without access compared to 1 percent with access being unsuccessful on the licensure exam. Results support using CAQ as formative preparation for the NCLEX.

An Analysis of the Relationship of Military Affiliation to Demographics, New Sailor Survey Responses, and Boot Camp Success

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

recruit to indicate his or her level of awareness regarding various Navy sponsorships (e.g. NFL, NASCAR, NBA etc.) The responses with respect to military...awareness of the Navy’s sponsorship of the following: NCAA Basketball Chi-Squared Statistic 2.4811 p-value 0.6480 Question 20e: The Navy...following: NCAA Basketball 50.2% 51.4% 16.3% 14.3% 14.7% 7.4% 8.8% 11.7% 9.9%15.3% 0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0% Military Affiliation No Military

Multivariate normality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crutcher, H. L.; Falls, L. W.

1976-01-01

Sets of experimentally determined or routinely observed data provide information about the past, present and, hopefully, future sets of similarly produced data. An infinite set of statistical models exists which may be used to describe the data sets. The normal distribution is one model. If it serves at all, it serves well. If a data set, or a transformation of the set, representative of a larger population can be described by the normal distribution, then valid statistical inferences can be drawn. There are several tests which may be applied to a data set to determine whether the univariate normal model adequately describes the set. The chi-square test based on Pearson's work in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is often used. Like all tests, it has some weaknesses which are discussed in elementary texts. Extension of the chi-square test to the multivariate normal model is provided. Tables and graphs permit easier application of the test in the higher dimensions. Several examples, using recorded data, illustrate the procedures. Tests of maximum absolute differences, mean sum of squares of residuals, runs and changes of sign are included in these tests. Dimensions one through five with selected sample sizes 11 to 101 are used to illustrate the statistical tests developed.

An evaluation of the structural validity of the shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) using the Rasch model.

PubMed

Jerosch-Herold, Christina; Chester, Rachel; Shepstone, Lee; Vincent, Joshua I; MacDermid, Joy C

2018-02-01

The shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) has been extensively evaluated for its psychometric properties using classical test theory (CTT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate its structural validity using Rasch model analysis. Responses to the SPADI from 1030 patients referred for physiotherapy with shoulder pain and enrolled in a prospective cohort study were available for Rasch model analysis. Overall fit, individual person and item fit, response format, dependence, unidimensionality, targeting, reliability and differential item functioning (DIF) were examined. The SPADI pain subscale initially demonstrated a misfit due to DIF by age and gender. After iterative analysis it showed good fit to the Rasch model with acceptable targeting and unidimensionality (overall fit Chi-square statistic 57.2, p = 0.1; mean item fit residual 0.19 (1.5) and mean person fit residual 0.44 (1.1); person separation index (PSI) of 0.83. The disability subscale however shows significant misfit due to uniform DIF even after iterative analyses were used to explore different solutions to the sources of misfit (overall fit (Chi-square statistic 57.2, p = 0.1); mean item fit residual 0.54 (1.26) and mean person fit residual 0.38 (1.0); PSI 0.84). Rasch Model analysis of the SPADI has identified some strengths and limitations not previously observed using CTT methods. The SPADI should be treated as two separate subscales. The SPADI is a widely used outcome measure in clinical practice and research; however, the scores derived from it must be interpreted with caution. The pain subscale fits the Rasch model expectations well. The disability subscale does not fit the Rasch model and its current format does not meet the criteria for true interval-level measurement required for use as a primary endpoint in clinical trials. Clinicians should therefore exercise caution when interpreting score changes on the disability subscale and attempt to compare their scores to age- and sex-stratified data.

Pedagogical monitoring as a tool to reduce dropout in distance learning in family health.

PubMed

de Castro E Lima Baesse, Deborah; Grisolia, Alexandra Monteiro; de Oliveira, Ana Emilia Figueiredo

2016-08-22

This paper presents the results of a study of the Monsys monitoring system, an educational support tool designed to prevent and control the dropout rate in a distance learning course in family health. Developed by UNA-SUS/UFMA, Monsys was created to enable data mining in the virtual learning environment known as Moodle. This is an exploratory study using documentary and bibliographic research and analysis of the Monsys database. Two classes (2010 and 2011) were selected as research subjects, one with Monsys intervention and the other without. The samples were matched (using a ration of 1:1) by gender, age, marital status, graduation year, previous graduation status, location and profession. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test and a multivariate logistic regression model with a 5 % significance level. The findings show that the dropout rate in the class in which Monsys was not employed (2010) was 43.2 %. However, the dropout rate in the class of 2011, in which the tool was employed as a pedagogical team aid, was 30.6 %. After statistical adjustment, the Monsys monitoring system remained in correlation with the course completion variable (adjusted OR = 1.74, IC95% = 1.17-2.59; p = 0.005), suggesting that the use of the Monsys tool, isolated to the adjusted variables, can enhance the likelihood that students will complete the course. Using the chi-square test, a profile analysis of students revealed a higher completion rate among women (67.7 %) than men (52.2 %). Analysis of age demonstrated that students between 40 and 49 years dropped out the least (32.1 %) and, with regard to professional training, nurses have the lowest dropout rates (36.3 %). The use of Monsys significantly reduced the dropout, with results showing greater association between the variables denoting presence of the monitoring system and female gender.

Guided tissue regeneration for periodontal infra-bony defects.

PubMed

Needleman, I G; Giedrys-Leeper, E; Tucker, R J; Worthington, H V

2001-01-01

Conventional treatment of destructive periodontal (gum) disease arrests the disease but does not regain the bone support or connective tissue lost in the disease process. Guided tissue regeneration (GTR) is a surgical procedure that aims to regenerate the periodontal tissues when the disease is advanced and could overcome some of the limitations of conventional therapy. To assess the efficacy of GTR in the treatment of periodontal infra-bony defects measured against the current standard of surgical periodontal treatment, open flap debridement. We conducted an electronic search of the Cochrane Oral Health Group specialised trials register and MEDLINE up to October 2000. Hand searching included Journal of Periodontology, Journal of Clinical Periodontology, Journal of Periodontal Research and bibliographies of all relevant papers and review articles up to October 2000. In addition, we contacted experts/groups/companies involved in surgical research to find other trials or unpublished material or to clarify ambiguous or missing data and posted requests for data on two periodontal electronic discussion groups. Randomised, controlled trials of at least 12 months duration comparing guided tissue regeneration (with or without graft materials) with open flap debridement for the treatment of periodontal infra-bony defects. Furcation involvements and studies specifically treating early onset diseases were excluded. Screening of possible studies was conducted independently by two reviewers (RT & IN) and data abstraction by three reviewers (RT, IN & EGL). The methodological quality of studies was assessed in duplicate (RT & IN) using both individual components and a quality scale (Jadad 1998) and agreement determined by Kappa scores. Methodological quality was used in sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of the conclusions. The Cochrane Oral Health Group statistical guidelines were followed (HW) and the results expressed as weighted mean differences (WMD and 95% CI) for continuous outcomes and relative risk (RR and 95% CI) for dichotomous outcomes calculated using random effects models where significant heterogeneity was detected (P < 0.1). The final analysis was conducted using STATA 6 in order to combine both parallel group studies and intra-individual (split-mouth) studies. The primary outcome measure was gain in clinical attachment. Any heterogeneity was investigated. We initially included 23 trial reports. Twelve were subsequently excluded. Of these, seven presented six-months data only, three were not fully randomised controlled trials, one used a non-comparable radiographic technique. Eleven studies were finally included in the review, ten testing GTR alone and two testing GTR+bone substitutes (one study had both test treatment arms). For attachment level change, the weighted mean difference between GTR alone and open flap debridement was 1.11 mm (95% CI: 0.63 to 1.59), chi-square for heterogeneity 31.4 (df = 9), p<0.001) and for GTR+bone substitutes was 1.25 mm (95% CI: 0.89 to 1.61, chi-square for heterogeneity 0.01 (df = 1), p=0.91). GTR showed a significant benefit when comparing the numbers of sites failing to gain 2 mm attachment, with relative risk 0.58 (95% CI: 0.38, 0.88, chi-square for heterogeneity 5.72 (df = 3), p=0.13). The number needed to treat (NNT) for GTR to achieve one extra site gaining 2 mm or more attachment over open flap debridement was 8 (95% CI: 4, 33), based on an incidence of 32% of sites in the control group failing to gain 2 mm or more of attachment. For baseline incidences in the range of the control groups of 10% and 55% the NNTs are 24 and 3. Probing depth reduction demonstrated a small but statistically significant benefit for GTR, weighted mean difference 0.80 mm (95% CI: 0.14,1.46, chi-square for heterogeneity 10.0 (df = 4), p=0.04) or GTR+bone substitutes, weighted mean difference 1.24 mm (95% CI: 0.89, 1.59, chi-square for heterogeneity 0.03 (df = 1), p=0.85). No significant difference was noted for gingival recession between GTR and open flap debridement. Regarding hard tissue probing at surgical re-entry, a statistically significant greater gain was found for GTR compared with open flap debridement. This amounted to a weighted mean difference of 1.39 mm (95% CI: 1.08, 1.71, chi-square for heterogeneity 0.85 (df = 2), p=0.65). For GTR+bone substitutes the difference was greater, with mean difference 3.37 mm (95% CI: 3.14, 3.61). Heterogeneity between studies was highly statistically significant for all principal comparisons and could not be explained satisfactorily by sensitivity analyses. The quality of study reporting was poor with seven out of 11 studies graded as poor using the Jadad score. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Sentinel node biopsy status is strongly predictive of survival in cutaneous melanoma: Extended follow-up of Oxford patients from 1998 to 2014.

PubMed

Thomson, David R; Rughani, Milap G; Kuo, Rachel; Cassell, Oliver C S

2017-10-01

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is widely used as a key investigatory tool for cutaneous melanoma, with results incorporated into the latest AJCC staging guidelines. We present the results of our extended follow-up of sentinel lymph node biopsy for melanoma over a sixteen-year period. Data were collected prospectively from June 1998 to December 2014 from a single tertiary skin cancer referral centre. Chi-squared analysis was used to analyse patient demographics and primary tumour pathology. Survival analysis was conducted using Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Over a sixteen-year period 1527 patients underwent SLNB in 1609 basins, with 2876 nodes harvested. 347 patients (23%) had a positive biopsy. The most common primary tumour sites for males was the back (32%); women had a significantly higher number of melanomas occurring on the lower and upper limbs (45% and 26% respectively) [all p < 0.0001, Chi-squared]. Mean follow-up time was 4.9 years. Patients with a positive SLNB at diagnosis were significantly more likely to die from melanoma (subhazard ratio 5.59, p = 0.000, 95% CI 3.59-8.69). Breslow thickness and ulceration were also significant predictors of melanoma-specific mortality. For patients with a primary Breslow >4.0 mm ten-year disease free survival was 52% for SLNB negative and 26% for SLNB positive patients. For Breslow thicknesses of 2.01-4 mm these values were 66% and 32% respectively. Sentinel lymph node biopsy status is strongly predictive of survival across all thicknesses of primary cutaneous melanoma. Copyright © 2017 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of depressive disorders in the elderly.

PubMed

Barua, Ankur; Ghosh, Mihir Kumar; Kar, Nilamadhab; Basilio, Mary Anne

2011-01-01

Community-based mental health studies have revealed that the point prevalence of depressive disorders in the elderly population of the world varies between 10% and 20%, depending on cultural situations. A retrospective study based on analysis of various study reports was conducted, to determine the median prevalence rates of depressive disorders in the elderly population of India and various other countries in the world. All the studies that constituted the sample were conducted between 1955 and 2005. Included are only community-based, cross-sectional surveys and some prospective studies that had not excluded depression at baseline. These studies were conducted on a homogenous community of the elderly population in the world, who were selected by a simple random sampling technique. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria on published and indexed articles, 74 original research studies that surveyed a total of 487,275 elderly individuals, in the age group of 60 years and above, residing in various parts of the world, were included for the final analysis. The median prevalence rate and its corresponding interquartile range were calculated. The chi-square test and chi-square for linear trend were applied. A P value of <.05 was considered as statistically significant. The median prevalence rate of depressive disorders in the world for the elderly population was determined to be 10.3% (interquartile range [IQR], 4.7%-16.0%). The median prevalence rate of depression among the elderly Indian population was determined to be 21.9% (IQR, 11.6%-31.1%). Although there was a significant decrease in the trend of world prevalence of geriatric depression, it was significantly higher among Indians, in recent years, than the rest of the world.

Salivary proteins and early childhood caries: A gel electrophoretic analysis

PubMed Central

Bhalla, Sumati; Tandon, Shobha; Satyamoorthy, K.

2010-01-01

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a common disease process that afflicts a large proportion of the child population worldwide. Extensive research in past indicates that it is the result of bacterial infection, also influenced by host and dietary factors. Current caries research seeks to identify risk factors as well as natural oral defenses that may protect against or prevent caries development. Saliva, in spite of being the strongest defense system, still has a wide array of properties and proteins whose role is yet not clearly known. Aim: To compare the resting human whole salivary characteristics in children with ECC and those who are caries free. Settings and Design: The study was conducted over a period of 9 months in 4- to 6-year-old 100 children comprising two groups – 50 with ECC and 50 caries free. Materials and Methods: The whole salivary flow rate, pH, mean protein concentration, and the electrophoretic profile of salivary proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) were compared among both groups. Statistical Analysis: The SPSS (version 11.0) software package was used to conduct the chi-square, Fisher's exact and Pearson's chi-square tests to compare the data. Results: On gel electrophoresis, there was a significant difference among both groups with caries-free subjects having a higher number of proline-rich protein bands, substantiating the protective role of this protein. A significantly higher number of glycoprotein bands were observed in the whole saliva of subjects with ECC. A significant inverse correlation between the mean protein concentration and the whole salivary flow rate was observed in both groups. PMID:22114372

Diverse nucleotide compositions and sequence fluctuation in Rubisco protein genes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holden, Todd; Dehipawala, S.; Cheung, E.; Bienaime, R.; Ye, J.; Tremberger, G., Jr.; Schneider, P.; Lieberman, D.; Cheung, T.

2011-10-01

The Rubisco protein-enzyme is arguably the most abundance protein on Earth. The biology dogma of transcription and translation necessitates the study of the Rubisco genes and Rubisco-like genes in various species. Stronger correlation of fractal dimension of the atomic number fluctuation along a DNA sequence with Shannon entropy has been observed in the studied Rubisco-like gene sequences, suggesting a more diverse evolutionary pressure and constraints in the Rubisco sequences. The strategy of using metal for structural stabilization appears to be an ancient mechanism, with data from the porphobilinogen deaminase gene in Capsaspora owczarzaki and Monosiga brevicollis. Using the chi-square distance probability, our analysis supports the conjecture that the more ancient Rubisco-like sequence in Microcystis aeruginosa would have experienced very different evolutionary pressure and bio-chemical constraint as compared to Bordetella bronchiseptica, the two microbes occupying either end of the correlation graph. Our exploratory study would indicate that high fractal dimension Rubisco sequence would support high carbon dioxide rate via the Michaelis- Menten coefficient; with implication for the control of the whooping cough pathogen Bordetella bronchiseptica, a microbe containing a high fractal dimension Rubisco-like sequence (2.07). Using the internal comparison of chi-square distance probability for 16S rRNA (~ E-22) versus radiation repair Rec-A gene (~ E-05) in high GC content Deinococcus radiodurans, our analysis supports the conjecture that high GC content microbes containing Rubisco-like sequence are likely to include an extra-terrestrial origin, relative to Deinococcus radiodurans. Similar photosynthesis process that could utilize host star radiation would not compete with radiation resistant process from the biology dogma perspective in environments such as Mars and exoplanets.

Two-year survival analysis of twisted wire fixed retainer versus spiral wire and fiber-reinforced composite retainers: a preliminary explorative single-blind randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Sobouti, Farhad; Rakhshan, Vahid; Saravi, Mahdi Gholamrezaei; Zamanian, Ali; Shariati, Mahsa

2016-03-01

Traditional retainers (both metal and fiber-reinforced composite [FRC]) have limitations, and a retainer made from more flexible ligature wires might be advantageous. We aimed to compare an experimental design with two traditional retainers. In this prospective preliminary clinical trial, 150 post-treatment patients were enrolled and randomly divided into three groups of 50 patients each to receive mandibular canine-to-canine retainers made of FRC, flexible spiral wire (FSW), and twisted wire (TW). The patients were monitored monthly. The time at which the first signs of breakage/debonding were detected was recorded. The success rates of the retainers were compared using chi-squared, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox proportional-hazard regression analyses (α = 0.05). In total, 42 patients in the FRC group, 41 in the FSW group, and 45 in the TW group completed the study. The 2-year failure rates were 35.7% in the FRC group, 26.8% in the FSW group, and 17.8% in the TW group. These rates differed insignificantly (chi-squared p = 0.167). According to the Kaplan-Meier analysis, failure occurred at 19.95 months in the FRC group, 21.37 months in the FSW group, and 22.36 months in the TW group. The differences between the survival rates in the three groups were not significant (Cox regression p = 0.146). Although the failure rate of the experimental retainer was two times lower than that of the FRC retainer, the difference was not statistically significant. The experimental TW retainer was successful, and larger studies are warranted to verify these results.

Two-year survival analysis of twisted wire fixed retainer versus spiral wire and fiber-reinforced composite retainers: a preliminary explorative single-blind randomized clinical trial

PubMed Central

Sobouti, Farhad; Rakhshan, Vahid; Saravi, Mahdi Gholamrezaei; Zamanian, Ali

2016-01-01

Objective Traditional retainers (both metal and fiber-reinforced composite [FRC]) have limitations, and a retainer made from more flexible ligature wires might be advantageous. We aimed to compare an experimental design with two traditional retainers. Methods In this prospective preliminary clinical trial, 150 post-treatment patients were enrolled and randomly divided into three groups of 50 patients each to receive mandibular canine-to-canine retainers made of FRC, flexible spiral wire (FSW), and twisted wire (TW). The patients were monitored monthly. The time at which the first signs of breakage/debonding were detected was recorded. The success rates of the retainers were compared using chi-squared, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox proportional-hazard regression analyses (α = 0.05). Results In total, 42 patients in the FRC group, 41 in the FSW group, and 45 in the TW group completed the study. The 2-year failure rates were 35.7% in the FRC group, 26.8% in the FSW group, and 17.8% in the TW group. These rates differed insignificantly (chi-squared p = 0.167). According to the Kaplan-Meier analysis, failure occurred at 19.95 months in the FRC group, 21.37 months in the FSW group, and 22.36 months in the TW group. The differences between the survival rates in the three groups were not significant (Cox regression p = 0.146). Conclusions Although the failure rate of the experimental retainer was two times lower than that of the FRC retainer, the difference was not statistically significant. The experimental TW retainer was successful, and larger studies are warranted to verify these results. PMID:27019825

Consumer motivations toward buying local rice: The case of northern Iranian consumers.

PubMed

Rahnama, Hassan

2017-07-01

This research had two purposes. The first aim was to identify Iranian and Non-Iranian rice consumers based on demographic characteristics and examine difference of these features with buying behaviors. The second purpose of study was to investigate consumer's motivation to buy local rice in Iran. The sample were 1500 people (men and women). The data was collected by using questionnaire based on a face-to-face survey. Chi-square, confirmatory factor analysis, and multiple linear regression were applied to assess collected data by a questionnaire survey. Regarding Iranian local rice buyers, 884 people buy local rice. Chi-square test showed that there is a significant difference between gender, having children, and marital status in buying local rice. Habitual Iranian local rice buyers include: female (51%), people who are more than 45 years old (51%), people with children (63%), people who are living urban (61%), married people (48%) and individuals that their monthly income is between 321.5 and 625 Dollars (53%). Regarding non-Iranian rice buyers, 616 people buy it. Also there is a significant difference between gender, location, marital status, and income in buying local rice. For considering consumers motivation toward buying local rice the econometrical model is used. Model had three aspects including; quality aspects (taste, good appearance), economic aspects (price, convenience, consumer's ethnocentrism), and safety aspects (health, not using pesticides and environment protection) and seven subset. The results of analysis indicated that quality aspects, economic aspects and safety aspects have positive effects on buying Iranian local rice. Also, indicative variables including; taste, good appearance, price, convenience, consumer's ethnocentrism, health, not using pesticides and environment have significant effects on buying it. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Statistical Analysis And Treatment Of Accident Black Spots: A Case Study Of Nandyal Mandal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudharshan Reddy, B.; Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, L.; Sreenivasa Reddy, G., Dr

2017-08-01

Background: Increased, economic activity raised the consumption levels of the people across the country. This created scope for increase in travel and transportation. The increase in the vehicles since last 10 years has put lot of pressure on the existing roads and ultimately resulting in road accidents. Nandyal Mandal is located in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh and well developed in both agricultural and industrial sectors after Kurnool. 567 accidents occurred in the last seven years at 143 locations shows the severity of the accidents in the Nandyal Mandal. There is a need to carry out some work in the Nandyal Mandal to improve the accidents black spots for reducing the accidents. Methods: Last seven years (2010-2016) of accident data collected from Police Stations. Weighted Severity Index (WSI), a scientific method is used for identifying the accident black spots. Statistical analysis has carried out for the collected data using Chi-Square Test to determine the independence of accidents with other attributes. Chi-Square Goodness of fit test conducted for test whether the accidents are occurring by chance or following any pattern. Results: WSI values are determined for the 143 locations. The Locations with high WSI are treated as accident black spots. Five black spots are taken for field study. After field observations and interaction with the public, some improvements are suggested for improving the accident black spots. There is no relationship between the severity of accidents and the other attributes like month, season, day, hours in day and the age group except type of vehicle. Road accidents are distributed throughout the Year, Month and Season. Road accidents are not distributed throughout the day.

Strategies in maintenance for patients receiving long-term therapy (SIMPLE): a study of MMX mesalamine for the long-term maintenance of quiescent ulcerative colitis.

PubMed

Kane, Sunanda; Katz, Seymour; Jamal, M Mazen; Safdi, Michael; Dolin, Ben; Solomon, Dory; Palmen, Mary; Barrett, Karen

2012-06-01

This was a phase IV, multicenter, open-label, 12-14-month study to assess clinical recurrence in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who received maintenance treatment with MMX Multi Matrix System (MMX) mesalamine. A secondary outcome was the relationship between long-term efficacy and adherence. Patients with quiescent UC (no rectal bleeding; 0-1 bowel movements more than normal per day) were enrolled directly into a 12-month maintenance phase of the study during which they received MMX mesalamine 2.4 g/day given once daily (QD). Patients with active, mild-to-moderate UC at screening were enrolled into a 2-month acute phase; those who achieved quiescence could continue into the maintenance phase. The primary endpoint was clinical recurrence at Month 6. Of the 290 patients enrolled, 208 entered the maintenance phase; 152 directly and 56 via the acute phase. Following 6 and 12 months of treatment, 76.5% and 64.4% of evaluable patients, respectively, were recurrence-free. The majority of evaluable patients at Month 6 (81.6%) and Month 12 (79.4%) in the maintenance phase were ≥ 80% adherent to MMX mesalamine. At Month 6, clinical recurrence was observed in 20.6% of patients who were ≥ 80% adherent and 36.1% of patients with <80% adherence (P = 0.05 [post-hoc chi-square analysis]); 31.2% and 52.5% at Month 12 (P = 0.01 [post-hoc chi-square analysis]). MMX mesalamine 2.4 g/day QD is effective for maintaining quiescence in patients with UC. Furthermore, adherence to prescribed treatment yielded lower rates of clinical recurrence. Continued education regarding the importance of long-term 5-aminosalicylic acid therapy is warranted. Copyright © 2011 Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, Inc.

The impact of socio-economic deprivation on burn injury: A nine-year retrospective study of 6441 patients.

PubMed

Marsden, N J; Battle, C E; Combellack, E J; Sabra, A; Morris, K; Dickson, W A; Whitaker, I S; Evans, P A

2016-03-01

Low socio-economic status is thought to be associated with increased burn risk, however the significance and generalisability across different populations and cultures has been questioned. A nine-year retrospective study of burn presentations to a large teaching hospital (2005-2014) was performed to investigate the association between socio-economic status and burns. Demographic and injury data was collected via the trust 'Information portal'. The Welsh Index of Multiple: Deprivation 2011 was used to score for socio-economic status. Chi-squared test and Odds Ratios were calculated and statistical significance defined as p<0.05 throughout. 6441 burns were identified, with 755 (11.7%) admitted. Overall incidence rates were the highest published in the UK (0.35/1000/year) with sub group analysis showing the highest rates in under fives and males. Significant relationships between both age and burn mechanism and gender and burn mechanism (p=0.0005) were identified. Scald (67.1%) was the most common mechanism with the upper limb (48%) most commonly burned. Chi square analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between socio-economic deprivation, age and burn incidence (p≤0.0005), with a disproportionately high number of burns in patients under the age of 16 in the most deprived quintile (OR 1.23; 95% CI 1.06-1.44). This study specifically highlights patients under the age of 16 living in poorer socio-economic areas as the most at risk of suffering burns receiving hospital attention. This study demonstrates burns as a significant public health issue, and the results should aid in designing specific burn prevention strategies to target high-risk groups. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Surface topography analysis and performance on post-CMP images (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jusang; Bello, Abner F.; Kakita, Shinichiro; Pieniazek, Nicholas; Johnson, Timothy A.

2017-03-01

Surface topography on post-CMP processing can be measured with white light interference microscopy to determine the planarity. Results are used to avoid under or over polishing and to decrease dishing. The numerical output of the surface topography is the RMS (root-mean-square) of the height. Beyond RMS, the topography image is visually examined and not further quantified. Subjective comparisons of the height maps are used to determine optimum CMP process conditions. While visual comparison of height maps can determine excursions, it's only through manual inspection of the images. In this work we describe methods of quantifying post-CMP surface topography characteristics that are used in other technical fields such as geography and facial-recognition. The topography image is divided into small surface patches of 7x7 pixels. Each surface patch is fitted to an analytic surface equation, in this case a third order polynomial, from which the gradient, directional derivatives, and other characteristics are calculated. Based on the characteristics, the surface patch is labeled as peak, ridge, flat, saddle, ravine, pit or hillside. The number of each label and thus the associated histogram is then used as a quantified characteristic of the surface topography, and could be used as a parameter for SPC (statistical process control) charting. In addition, the gradient for each surface patch is calculated, so the average, maximum, and other characteristics of the gradient distribution can be used for SPC. Repeatability measurements indicate high confidence where individual labels can be lower than 2% relative standard deviation. When the histogram is considered, an associated chi-squared value can be defined from which to compare other measurements. The chi-squared value of the histogram is a very sensitive and quantifiable parameter to determine the within wafer and wafer-to-wafer topography non-uniformity. As for the gradient histogram distribution, the chi-squared could again be calculated and used as yet another quantifiable parameter for SPC. In this work we measured the post Cu CMP of a die designed for 14nm technology. A region of interest (ROI) known to be indicative of the CMP processing is chosen for the topography analysis. The ROI, of size 1800 x 2500 pixels where each pixel represents 2um, was repeatably measured. We show the sensitivity based on measurements and the comparison between center and edge die measurements. The topography measurements and surface patch analysis were applied to hundreds of images representing the periodic process qualification runs required to control and verify CMP performance and tool matching. The analysis is shown to be sensitive to process conditions that vary in polishing time, type of slurry, CMP tool manufacturer, and CMP pad lifetime. Keywords: Keywords: CMP, Topography, Image Processing, Metrology, Interference microscopy, surface processing [1] De Lega, Xavier Colonna, and Peter De Groot. "Optical topography measurement of patterned wafers." Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology 2005 788 (2005): 432-436. [2] de Groot, Peter. "Coherence scanning interferometry." Optical Measurement of Surface Topography. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2011. 187-208. [3] Watson, Layne T., Thomas J. Laffey, and Robert M. Haralick. "Topographic classification of digital image intensity surfaces using generalized splines and the discrete cosine transformation." Computer Vision, Graphics, and Image Processing 29.2 (1985): 143-167. [4] Wang, Jun, et al. "3D facial expression recognition based on primitive surface feature distribution." Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 2006 IEEE Computer Society Conference on. Vol. 2. IEEE, 2006.

Improvement of Raman lidar algorithm for quantifying aerosol extinction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russo, Felicita; Whiteman, David; Demoz, Belay; Hoff, Raymond

2005-01-01

Aerosols are particles of different composition and origin and influence the formation of clouds which are important in atmospheric radiative balance. At the present there is high uncertainty on the effect of aerosols on climate and this is mainly due to the fact that aerosol presence in the atmosphere can be highly variable in space and time. Monitoring of the aerosols in the atmosphere is necessary to better understanding many of these uncertainties. A lidar (an instrument that uses light to detect the extent of atmospheric aerosol loading) can be particularly useful to monitor aerosols in the atmosphere since it is capable to record the scattered intensity as a function of altitude from molecules and aerosols. One lidar method (the Raman lidar) makes use of the different wavelength changes that occur when light interacts with the varying chemistry and structure of atmospheric aerosols. One quantity that is indicative of aerosol presence is the aerosol extinction which quantifies the amount of attenuation (removal of photons), due to scattering, that light undergoes when propagating in the atmosphere. It can be directly measured with a Raman lidar using the wavelength dependence of the received signal. In order to calculate aerosol extinction from Raman scattering data it is necessary to evaluate the rate of change (derivative) of a Raman signal with respect to altitude. Since derivatives are defined for continuous functions, they cannot be performed directly on the experimental data which are not continuous. The most popular technique to find the functional behavior of experimental data is the least-square fit. This procedure allows finding a polynomial function which better approximate the experimental data. The typical approach in the lidar community is to make an a priori assumption about the functional behavior of the data in order to calculate the derivative. It has been shown in previous work that the use of the chi-square technique to determine the most likely functional behavior of the data prior to actually calculating the derivative eliminates the need for making a priori assumptions. We note that the a priori choice of a model itself can lead to larger uncertainties as compared to the method that is validated here. In this manuscript, the chi-square technique that determines the most likely functional behavior is validated through numerical simulation and by application to a large body of Raman lidar measurements. In general, we show that the chi-square approach to evaluate aerosol extinction yields lower extinction uncertainty than the traditional technique. We also use the technique to study the feasibility of developing a general characterization of the extinction uncertainty that could permit the uncertainty in Raman lidar aerosol extinction measurements to be estimated accurately without the use of the chi-square technique.

What are the most important factors determining different vegetation types in the Chapada Diamantina, Brazil?

PubMed

Neves, S P S; Funch, R; Conceição, A A; Miranda, L A P; Funch, L S

2016-06-01

A transect was used to examine the environmental and biological descriptors of a compact vegetation mosaic in the Chapada Diamantina in northeastern Brazil, including the floristic composition, spectrum of plant life forms, rainfall, and soil properties that defined areas of cerrado (Brazilian savanna), caatinga (seasonally dry tropical forest thorny, deciduous shrub/arboreal vegetation) and cerrado-caatinga transition vegetation. The floristic survey was made monthly from April/2009 to March/2012. A dendrogram of similarity was generated using the Jaccard Index based on a matrix of the species that occurred in at least two of the vegetation types examined. The proportions of life forms in each vegetation type were compared using the chi-square test. Composite soil samples were analyzed by simple variance (ANOVA) to examine relationships between soil parameters of each vegetation type and the transition area. The monthly precipitation levels in each vegetation type were measured and compared using the chi-square test. A total of 323 species of angiosperms were collected distributed in 193 genera and 54 families. The dendrogram demonstrated strong difference between the floristic compositions of the cerrado and caatinga, sharing 2% similarity. The chi-square test did not demonstrate any significant statistical differences between the monthly values of recorded rainfall. The organic matter and clay contents of the soilsin the caatinga increased while sand decreased, and the proportions of therophyte, hemicryptophyte, and chamaephyte life forms decreased and phanerophytes increased. We can therefore conclude that the floristic composition and the spectrum of life forms combined to define the cerrado and caatinga vegetation along the transect examined, with soil being the principal conditioning factor determining the different vegetation types, independent of precipitation levels.

Open versus laparoscopic approach in the treatment of abdominal emergencies in elderly population

PubMed Central

COCORULLO, G.; FALCO, N.; TUTINO, R.; FONTANA, T.; SCERRINO, G.; SALAMONE, G.; LICARI, L.; GULOTTA, G.

2016-01-01

Aim To evaluate the role of laparoscopy in the treatment of surgical emergency in old population. Patients and Methods Over-70 years-old patients submitted to emergency abdominal surgery from January 2013 to December 2014 were collected and grouped according to admission diagnoses. These accounted small bowel obstruction, colonic acute disease, appendicitis, ventral hernia, gastro-duodenal perforation, biliary disease. In each group it was analyzed the operation time (OT), the morbidity rate and the mortality rate comparing open and laparoscopic management using T-test and Chi-square test. Results 159 over 70-years-old patients underwent emergency surgery in the General and Emergency surgery Operative Unit (O.U.) of the Policlinic of Palermo. 75 patients were managed by a laparoscopic approach and 84 underwent traditional open emergency surgery. T-Test for OT and Chi-square test for morbidity rate and mortality rate showed no differences in small bowel emergencies (p=0,4; 0,250,9; p>0,95) and in gastro-duodenal perforation (p=0,9; p>0.9; p>0.95). In cholecystitis, laparoscopy group showed lower OT (T-Test: p= 0,0002) while Chi-square test for morbidity rate (0,1

Impact of nursing interventions on adherence to treatment with antituberculosis drugs in children and young people: A non-randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Guix-Comellas, Eva Maria; Rozas-Quesada, Librada; Velasco-Arnaiz, Eneritz; Ferres-Canals, Ariadna; Estrada-Masllorens, Joan Maria; Force-Sanmartín, Enriqueta; Noguera-Julian, Antoni

2018-05-03

To evaluate the association of a new nursing intervention on the adherence to antituberculosis treatment in a pediatric cohort (<18 years). Tuberculosis remains a public health problem worldwide. The risk of developing tuberculosis after primary infection and its severity are higher in children. Proper adherence to antituberculosis treatment is critical for disease control. Non-randomized controlled trial; Phase 1, retrospective (2011-2013), compared with Phase 2, prospective with intervention (2015-2016), in a referral center for pediatric tuberculosis in Spain (NCT03230409). A total of 359 patients who received antituberculosis drugs after close contact with a smear-positive patient (primary chemoprophylaxis) or were treated for latent tuberculosis infection or tuberculosis disease were included, 261 in Phase 1 and 98 in Phase 2. In phase 2, a new nurse-led intervention was implemented in all patients and included two educational steps (written information in the child's native language and follow-up telephone calls) and two monitoring steps (Eidus-Hamilton test and follow-up questionnaire) that were exclusively carried out by nurses. Adherence to antituberculosis treatment increased from 74.7% in Phase 1 to 87.8% in Phase 2 (p=0.014; Chi-square test), after the implementation of the nurse-led intervention. In Phase 2, non-adherence was only associated with being born abroad (28.6% versus 7.8%; p=0.019; Chi-square test) and with foreign origin families (27.3% versus 0%; p<0.0001; Chi-square test). The nurse-led intervention was associated to an increase in adherence to antituberculosis treatment. Immigrant-related variables remained major risk factors for sub-optimal adherence in a low-endemic setting. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the efficacy of rotary vs. hand files in root canal preparation of primary teeth in vitro using CBCT.

PubMed

Musale, P K; Mujawar, S A V

2014-04-01

This in vitro study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of rotary ProFile, ProTaper, Hero Shaper and K-files in shaping ability, cleaning efficacy, preparation time and instrument distortion in primary molars. Sixty extracted primary mandibular second molars were divided into four equal groups: Group I K-file, Group II ProFile, Group III ProTaper file and Group IV Hero Shaper file. The shaping ability was determined by comparing pre- and post-instrumentation CBCT scans and data analysed with SPSS program using the Chi-square test. Cleaning efficacy was evaluated by the degree of India ink removal from the canal walls under stereomicroscopy. Instrumentation times were calculated for each tooth and instrument distortion was visually checked and duly noted. The cleaning efficacy and instrumentation time were determined using ANOVA with Tukey's correction. Instrument distortion was analysed using Chi-square test. The canal taper was significantly more conical for rotary files as compared to K-files with Chi-square test (p < 0.05). Cleaning efficacy of rotary files with average scores (Groups II- 0.68, III- 0.48 and IV- 0.58) was significantly better than K-files (Group I- 0.93) (p < 0.05). Mean instrumentation time with K-file (20.7 min) was significantly higher than rotary files (Groups II 8.9, III 5.6, and IV 8.1 min) (p < 0.05). Instrument distortion was observed in Group I (4.3%), while none of the rotary files were distorted. Rotary files prepared more conical canals in primary teeth than manual instruments. Reduced preparation time with rotary files enhances patient cooperation especially in young children.

Exploring the seasonality of birth defects in the New York State Congenital Malformations Registry.

PubMed

Caton, Alissa R

2012-06-01

Examining seasonal patterns of birth defects may help to identify environmental risk factors. Because the teratogenic window for most birth defects is during gestational weeks 3 to 8, investigating exposures closer to the timing of conception is important. However, studies are usually based on month of birth, which is not the biologically relevant exposure period and does not account for differences in gestational length. We aimed to determine whether the occurrence of birth defects varied by month of conception using the population-based New York State Congenital Malformations Registry (CMR). We merged live birth certificates (n = 2,044,091) with CMR records for mothers residing in New York State, excluding New York City, for the years 1992 through 2006. We categorized birth defects according to the National Birth Defects Prevention Network guidelines and performed Cochran-Armitage trend, Hewitt-Rogerson, and Walter-Elwood tests on month of conception and chi-square tests on season of conception. We graphed seasonal distributions and seasonality test results. We performed stratified analyses by maternal and infant characteristics. Of 42 groups examined in the 15-year period, 24 (57%) had at least one statistically significant test result, suggesting a trend or seasonal variation: Cochran-Armitage (18), Hewitt-Rogerson (17), Walter-Elwood (4), and chi-square (5). Ventricular septal defect showed the most consistent results: Cochran-Armitage (p = 0.0006), Hewitt-Rogerson (December to May; p = 0.0130), Walter-Elwood (March 14; p = 0.0027), and chi-square (winter; p = 0.0046). Congenital cataract, pulmonary valve atresia/stenosis, coarctation of aorta, biliary atresia, and renal agenesis or hypoplasia had at least three significant tests. These results may help to generate hypotheses about environmental factors that vary by season for further studies. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Relation of aortic valve calcium detected by cardiac computed tomography to all-cause mortality.

PubMed

Blaha, Michael J; Budoff, Matthew J; Rivera, Juan J; Khan, Atif N; Santos, Raul D; Shaw, Leslee J; Raggi, Paolo; Berman, Daniel; Rumberger, John A; Blumenthal, Roger S; Nasir, Khurram

2010-12-15

Aortic valve calcium (AVC) can be quantified on the same computed tomographic scan as coronary artery calcium (CAC). Although CAC is an established predictor of cardiovascular events, limited evidence is available for an independent predictive value for AVC. We studied a cohort of 8,401 asymptomatic subjects (mean age 53 ± 10 years, 69% men), who were free of known coronary heart disease and were undergoing electron beam computed tomography for assessment of subclinical atherosclerosis. The patients were followed for a median of 5 years (range 1 to 7) for the occurrence of mortality from any cause. Multivariate Cox regression models were developed to predict all-cause mortality according to the presence of AVC. A total of 517 patients (6%) had AVC on electron beam computed tomography. During follow-up, 124 patients died (1.5%), for an overall survival rate of 96.1% and 98.7% for those with and without AVC, respectively (hazard ratio 3.39, 95% confidence interval 2.09 to 5.49). After adjustment for age, gender, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and a family history of premature coronary heart disease, AVC remained a significant predictor of mortality (hazard ratio 1.82, 95% confidence interval 1.11 to 2.98). Likelihood ratio chi-square statistics demonstrated that the addition of AVC contributed significantly to the prediction of mortality in a model adjusted for traditional risk factors (chi-square = 5.03, p = 0.03) as well as traditional risk factors plus the presence of CAC (chi-square = 3.58, p = 0.05). In conclusion, AVC was associated with increased all-cause mortality, independent of the traditional risk factors and the presence of CAC. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Relation of knowledge and level of education to the rationality of self-medication on childhood diarrhea on the Code River banks in Jogoyudan, Jetis, Yogyakarta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dania, H.; Ihsan, M. N.

2017-11-01

Self-medication as an alternative is used to reduce the severity of diarrhea. Optimal treatment can be done by increasing the rationalization of self-medication on diarrhea. This can be achieved with good knowledge about self-medication, which is in turn influenced by level of education. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of knowledge and education level to rationality of self-medication on childhood diarrhea around the Code River in Jogoyudan, Jetis, Yogyakarta. The study was conducted by cross-sectional analytical observational design. The subjects were mothers who had children aged 2-11 years who had experienced diarrhea and had self-medication. Questionnaires were used to assess the rationality of self-medication on children's diarrhea by the parents. The respondents were askeds to fill out about indications, right drugs, doses, time intervals and periods of drug administration. Data were analyzed using chi- square. It was showed that of 40 respondents, 14 respondents (35%) performed rational self-medication on children's diarrhea and 26 respondents (65%). did not rationalize the treatment. The results of a bivariate test obtained a chi-square value of 9.808 (> 3.841) and a p value of 0.002 (<0.05) on the relationship between education level and rationality of self-medication and a chi-square value of 19.476 (> 3.841) and a p value of 0.000 (<0.05) on relationship between knowledge and rationality of self- medication. The conclusion of this study is that there is a correlation between knowledge and level of education and rationality of self-medication on childhood diarrhea on the Code River banks in Jogoyudan, Jetis, Yogyakarta.

Evaluation of an educational activity in the oral health of students.

PubMed

Barros, Vj de A; Costa, S M; Zanin, L; Flório, F M

2017-02-01

To investigate the influence of educational activity in the school environment based on prescriptive and subjective oral health indicators. Cross-sectional, comparative study involving students between 9 and 12 years of age, from schools that have educational activities and those that do not, designated schools A and B. The oral health indicators used were the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) and the Community Periodontal Index (CPITN). Knowledge and attitudes with regard to oral health were evaluated using a structured questionnaire. A total of 289 schoolchildren took part, 50.5% from school A and 49.5% from school B, in the town of Montes Claros, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. In school A, the schoolchildren's OHI-S was satisfactory for 9.6%, normal for 78.8% and deficient for 11.6%, while in school B, the respective percentages were 3.5%, 17.5% and 79% (chi-squared, P < 0.001). The students in school A showed better CPITN results, namely lack of bleeding for 61.6%, the presence of bleeding for 29.5% and presence of tartar for 8.9%, while in school B, the respective results were 25.2%, 45.5% and 29.4% (chi-squared, P < 0.001). Students in school A achieved more correct answers in questions that evaluated knowledge of oral health. The account of daily use of dental floss in school A was 21.7% and in B, 3.6% (chi-squared, P < 0.001). It is believed that educational activity in the school environment had a positive effect on oral health conditions, the consolidation of knowledge and incorporation of oral hygiene habits. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characterization of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 p17 matrix protein motifs associated with mother-to-child transmission.

PubMed Central

Narwa, R; Roques, P; Courpotin, C; Parnet-Mathieu, F; Boussin, F; Roane, A; Marce, D; Lasfargues, G; Dormont, D

1996-01-01

In order to determine if viral selection occurs during mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), we used a direct solid-phase sequencing method to sequence the p17 matrix protein-encoding regions of viral isolates from 12 HIV-1-infected mother-and-child pairs, 4 infected infants, 4 transmitting mothers, and 22 nontransmitting mothers and compared the sequences. The blood samples were collected during the delivery period for the mothers and during the first month of life for most of the children. The p17 nucleic sequences were distributed among several clades corresponding to the HIV-1 A, B, and G subtypes. At the amino acid level, no significant differences within the known p17 functional regions were observed among the subtypes. Statistical analyses could be performed with the B subtype. Within the major p17 antibody binding site, a constant KIEEEQN motif (amino acids 103 to 109) was found in all mother-and-child isolates from the B subtype. On the other hand, 9 of 17 nontransmitting mother isolates were variable in this 103 to 109 region. Thus, this motif was significantly associated with the transmitting status (chi square, P = 0.0034). A valine residue at position 104 was significantly associated with the nontransmitting phenotype (chi square, P = 0.014), suggesting that it has a protective role during vertical transmission. The C-terminal end of p17 was globally conserved among nontransmitting mother isolates (chi square, P = 0.0037). These results might improve the understanding of the pathogenesis of HIV-1 vertical transmission and might allow the screening of seropositive mothers by a rapid molecular or peptide test. PMID:8676472

Habitual sleep duration and predicted 10-year cardiovascular risk using the pooled cohort risk equations among US adults.

PubMed

Ford, Earl S

2014-12-02

The association between sleep duration and predicted cardiovascular risk has been poorly characterized. The objective of this study was to examine the association between self-reported sleep duration and predicted 10-year cardiovascular risk among US adults. Data from 7690 men and nonpregnant women who were aged 40 to 79 years, who were free of self-reported heart disease and stroke, and who participated in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2012 were analyzed. Sleep duration was self-reported. Predicted 10-year cardiovascular risk was calculated using the pooled cohort equations. Among the included participants, 13.1% reported sleeping ≤5 hours, 24.4% reported sleeping 6 hours, 31.9% reported sleeping 7 hours, 25.2% reported sleeping 8 hours, 4.0% reported sleeping 9 hours, and 1.3% reported sleeping ≥10 hours. After adjustment for covariates, geometric mean-predicted 10-year cardiovascular risk was 4.0%, 3.6%, 3.4%, 3.5%, 3.7%, and 3.7% among participants who reported sleeping ≤5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and ≥10 hours per night, respectively (PWald chi-square<0.001). The age-adjusted percentages of predicted cardiovascular risk ≥20% for the 6 intervals of sleep duration were 14.5%, 11.9%, 11.0%, 11.4%, 11.8%, and 16.3% (PWald chi-square=0.022). After maximal adjustment, however, sleep duration was not significantly associated with cardiovascular risk ≥20% (PWald chi-square=0.698). Mean-predicted 10-year cardiovascular risk was lowest among adults who reported sleeping 7 hours per night and increased as participants reported sleeping fewer and more hours. © 2014 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Affected sib pair tests in inbred populations.

PubMed

Liu, W; Weir, B S

2004-11-01

The affected-sib-pair (ASP) method for detecting linkage between a disease locus and marker loci was first established 50 years ago, and since then numerous modifications have been made. We modify two identity-by-state (IBS) test statistics of Lange (Lange, 1986a, 1986b) to allow for inbreeding in the population. We evaluate the power and false positive rates of the modified tests under three disease models, using simulated data. Before estimating false positive rates, we demonstrate that IBS tests are tests of both linkage and linkage disequilibrium between marker and disease loci. Therefore, the null hypothesis of IBS tests should be no linkage and no LD. When the population inbreeding coefficient is large, the false positive rates of Lange's tests become much larger than the nominal value, while those of our modified tests remain close to the nominal value. To estimate power with a controlled false positive rate, we choose the cutoff values based on simulated datasets under the null hypothesis, so that both Lange's tests and the modified tests generate same false positive rate. The powers of Lange's z-test and our modified z-test are very close and do not change much with increasing inbreeding. The power of the modified chi-square test also stays stable when the inbreeding coefficient increases. However, the power of Lange's chi-square test increases with increasing inbreeding, and is larger than that of our modified chi-square test for large inbreeding coefficients. The power is high under a recessive disease model for both Lange's tests and the modified tests, though the power is low for additive and dominant disease models. Allowing for inbreeding is therefore appropriate, at least for diseases known to be recessive.

The distribution of the indicator height for age of Mexican children and adolescents with Down syndrome according to different reference standards.

PubMed

Peña Rivera, Adriana Graciela; Vásquez Garibay, Edgar Manuel; Troyo Sanromán, Rogelio; Romero Velarde, Enrique; Caro Sabido, Erika; Ramírez Díaz, Joanie

2015-06-01

To compare the indicator height for age in Mexican children with Down Syndrome (DS) with two different reference patterns of growth (American and Spanish) that might be suitable for the Mexican population. A cross-sectional study was performed including 235 Mexican children and adolescents of both sexes with DS aged 45 days to 16 years enrolled in two specialized schools in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara. The dependent variables were weight/age; height/age; weight/ height and BMI. The data expressed was percentiles and the chi-square test was used to compare the distribution of the height/age index with American and Spanish reference patterns. In addition, a chi-square test was performed for the goodness of fit of the height/age index, with breakpoints lower and greater than the 50th percentile. The percentage of participants who were below the 50th percentile in the height/age index was significantly higher with the Spanish vs. the American reference pattern. The chi-square test for goodness of fit showed that the frequency of cases located below the 50th percentile in the height/age index was significantly higher with the American pattern in the age groups of 0 to 36 months (p = 0.022) and 37 to 72 months (p <0.001), but it was not significant (p = 0.225) in the older than 72 months age group. The American reference pattern is a better fit for the growth of Mexican children with DS compared with the Spanish reference pattern, and the distribution profile obtained with the standard growth and WHO reference was not suitable for the assessment of children with Down syndrome. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Does the adolescent patellar tendon respond to 5 days of cumulative load during a volleyball tournament?

PubMed

van Ark, M; Docking, S I; van den Akker-Scheek, I; Rudavsky, A; Rio, E; Zwerver, J; Cook, J L

2016-02-01

Patellar tendinopathy (jumper's knee) has a high prevalence in jumping athletes. Excessive load on the patellar tendon through high volumes of training and competition is an important risk factor. Structural changes in the tendon are related to a higher risk of developing patellar tendinopathy. The critical tendon load that affects tendon structure is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate patellar tendon structure on each day of a 5-day volleyball tournament in an adolescent population (16-18 years). The right patellar tendon of 41 players in the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup was scanned with ultrasound tissue characterization (UTC) on every day of the tournament (Monday to Friday). UTC can quantify structure of a tendon into four echo types based on the stability of the echo pattern. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to test for change of echo type I and II over the tournament days. Participants played between eight and nine matches during the tournament. GEE analysis showed no significant change of echo type percentages of echo type I (Wald chi-square = 4.603, d.f. = 4, P = 0.331) and echo type II (Wald chi-square = 6.070, d.f. = 4, P = 0.194) over time. This study shows that patellar tendon structure of 16-18-year-old volleyball players is not affected during 5 days of cumulative loading during a volleyball tournament. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Science dual enrollment: An examination of high school students' post-secondary aspirations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berry, Chelsia

The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in science dual enrollment courses influenced African American high school students' post-secondary aspirations that will lead to college attendance. The investigation examined the relationship between African American students' learning experiences and how their self-efficacy and outcome expectations impact their goal setting. The goal was to determine the impact of the following variables on African American students' plan to pursue a bachelor's or advanced degree: (a) STEM exposure, (b) Algebra 1 achievement, (c) level of science class, and (d) receiving science college credit for dual enrollment course. The social cognitive career theory framed this body of research to explore how career and academic interests mature, are developed, and are translated into action. Science dual enrollment participation is a strategy for addressing the lack of African American presence in the STEM fields. The causal comparative ex post facto research design was used in this quantitative study. The researcher performed the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric analysis of variance and Pearson's chi-square tests to analyze secondary data from the High School Longitudinal Study first follow-up student questionnaire. The results indicate that STEM exposure and early success in Algebra 1 have a statistically significant impact on African American students' ambition to pursue a bachelor's or advanced degree. According to the Pearson's chi-square and independent sample Kruskal-Wallis analyses, level of students' science class and receiving college credit for dual enrollment do not significantly influence African American students' postsecondary aspirations.

Hepatitis C Virus: Unnoticed and on the Rise in Blood Donor Screening? A 5 Years Cross-sectional Study on Seroprevalence in Voluntary Blood Donors from Central India.

PubMed

Saini, Purti Agrawal; Chakrabarti, Preeti Rihal; Varma, Amit V; Gambhir, Shankhini; Tignath, Gargi; Gupta, Priyanka

2017-01-01

The ultimate goal of a blood transfusion service is the provision of safe and adequate supply free from transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs). TTIs not only threaten the recipient's safety, but they also increase disease burden. Seroprevalence of TTIs in healthy blood donors indirectly reflects the prevalence of these infections in the general healthy population. To study the seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in healthy donors at a tertiary care hospital-based blood bank. To know the yearly and age-group prevalence of these TTIs as compared with other studies across India. This is 5 years observational cross-section study conducted in a tertiary hospital-based teaching institute of Central India (Malwa region). The results of serological testing of TTIs and donor variables were analyzed during 2011-2015. Chi-square test and Chi-square for trend analysis on TTIs prevalence. A total of 58,998 donors were screened for TTIs with dominance of male donation (99.7%). The overall cumulative seroprevalence was 1.14% in our study. The seroprevalence of HIV, HBV, and HCV was 0.09%, 0.98%, and 0.07%, respectively. We found a statistically significant increasing trend for HCV seropositivity during the study. Our study reflects an increasing trend of HCV seroprevalence over time. Thus, efforts are needed to increase the awareness and to educate the population in reducing risk factors for HCV infection.

Work related stress and coping mechanisms among bankers in Lagos, Nigeria.

PubMed

Olatona, F A; Ezeobika, E N; Okafor, I P; Owoeye, O B A

2014-03-01

This study assessed knowledge, prevalence, associated factors and mechanisms of coping with stress among bankers in Lagos State. It was a descriptive cross sectional study. A two stage sampling technique was used to select two hundred and twenty seven (227) respondents. Data was collected using a structured self administered questionnaire. The analysis was done using Epi-info version 2002 software and Chi Square was used to determine association between variables at p value 0.05. Fischer's Exact test was used where Chi-square was not valid. The age range of respondents was between 20 and 49 years while the mean age was 31.3 +/- 5.0 years. Only 3.6% had good level of knowledge about stress, 42.2% had fair level while more than half of the respondents had poor level of knowledge about stress (54.3%). Majority (67.0%) of the respondents were moderately stressed while one quarter (24.7%) were highly stressed. Majority (92.4%) of the respondents used good coping mechanisms though 69.5% of the respondents also used bad coping mechanisms. A greater proportion of those who had poor knowledge about stress were stressed or highly stressed (p = 0.002). A statistically significant association was also found between the departments in the bank and level of stress of the respondents (p = 0.002). The prevalence of stress was high among the bank workers studied. It is recommended that effective stress management programmes are implemented to address the problem of stress among bank workers.

Effect of black tea on enteral feeding tolerance in ICU patients

PubMed Central

Mojdeh, Soheila; Shahin, Samire; Khalili, Gholamreza

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Tea consumption has been known mostly as a well-drink after water in the world. Tea drink can affect balance of fluids and renal function. In addition, it can cause loss of many viruses in the stomach and can increase or decrease gastrointestinal movements. This research was done to determine the effect of tea on increasing enteral feeding tolerance in ICU patients in Alzahra Hospital. METHODS: In this clinical trial study, 45 patients were enrolled in two groups, tea consumption group and the standard method of nutrition as control group. Tea gavage was performed two times in the morning; 100 cc tea used for the study group and the same volume of water was used for the control group. Residual volume was measured before gavage. Data collected for one week. Information sheet had two pages; the first page described how to complete the form and the method of tea gavage and the second page was for data collection. Data were analyzed by t-student test, chi-square, and analysis of variance. RESULTS: In two groups, 92% of patients tolerated liquid gavage. Their difference by chi-square test was not significant. Average urine volume after black tea gavage was 783.3 L in the study group and 802.2 L in the control group. ANOVA test showed no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: Although the difference was not statistically significant between the two groups, but in study group consumption of tea was acceptable by patients. PMID:21589775

Epidemiological characteristics and deaths of premature infants in a referral hospital for high-risk pregnancies

PubMed Central

de Freitas, Brunnella Alcantara Chagas; Sant'Ana, Luciana Ferreira da Rocha; Longo, Giana Zarbato; Siqueira-Batista, Rodrigo; Priore, Silvia Eloiza; Franceschin, Sylvia do Carmo Castro

2012-01-01

Objective To analyze the process of care provided to premature infants in a neonatal intensive care unit and the factors associated with their mortality. Methods Cross-sectional retrospective study of premature infants in an intensive care unit between 2008 and 2010. The characteristics of the mothers and premature infants were described, and a bivariate analysis was performed on the following characteristics: the study period and the "death" outcome (hospital, neonatal and early) using Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test or a chi-square test for linear trends. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using a stepwise backward logistic regression method between the variables with p<0.20 and the "death" outcome. A p value <0.05 was considered to be significant. Results In total, 293 preterm infants were studied. Increased access to complementary tests (transfontanellar ultrasound and Doppler echocardiogram) and breastfeeding rates were indicators of improving care. Mortality was concentrated in the neonatal period, especially in the early neonatal period, and was associated with extreme prematurity, small size for gestational age and an Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes after birth. The late-onset sepsis was also associated with a greater chance of neonatal death, and antenatal corticosteroids were protective against neonatal and early deaths. Conclusions Although these results are comparable to previous findings regarding mortality among premature infants in Brazil, the study emphasizes the need to implement strategies that promote breastfeeding and reduce neonatal mortality and its early component. PMID:23917938

A time to be born: Variation in the hour of birth in a rural population of Northern Argentina.

PubMed

Chaney, Carlye; Goetz, Laura G; Valeggia, Claudia

2018-04-17

The present study aimed at investigating the timing of birth across the day in a rural population of indigenous and nonindigenous women in the province of Formosa, Argentina in order to explore the variation in patterns in a non-Western setting. This study utilized birth record data transcribed from delivery room records at a rural hospital in the province of Formosa, northern Argentina. The sample included data for Criollo, Wichí, and Toba/Qom women (n = 2421). Statistical analysis was conducted using directional statistics to identify a mean sample direction. Chi-square tests for homogeneity were also used to test for statistical significant differences between hours of the day. The mean sample direction was 81.04°, which equates to 5:24 AM when calculated as time on a 24-hr clock. Chi-squared analyses showed a statistically significant peak in births between 12:00 and 4:00 AM. Birth counts generally declined throughout the day until a statistically significant trough around 5:00 PM. This pattern may be associated with the circadian rhythms of hormone release, particularly melatonin, on a proximate level. At the ultimate level, giving birth in the early hours of the morning may have been selected to time births when the mother could benefit from the predator protection and support provided by her social group as well as increased mother-infant bonding from a more peaceful environment. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The effect of case-based discussion of topics with experts on learners' opinions: implications for spinal education and training.

PubMed

Berjano, Pedro; Villafañe, Jorge Hugo; Vanacker, Gerard; Cecchinato, Riccardo; Ismael, Maryem; Gunzburg, Robert; Marruzzo, Daniele; Lamartina, Claudio

2018-02-01

This investigation aimed to examine the extent to which case-based discussion with experts could influence the audience's opinions on the treatment of patients during a continuing medical education event for spine surgeons. We conducted a prospective controlled crossover study of 90 surgeons. During a continuing medical education activity using case-based discussion, quiz questions were used which asked participants (attendants and faculty group) their opinions on the best choices about diagnosis and treatment in a number of cases. No answer was considered correct, but we evaluated the number of participants choosing each specific answer among a number of valid options. Quiz questions were collected with an automated response system at the entry and at the end of each case discussion. Change in participant's opinions was estimated from the change in the preferred answers between the entry and exit quizzes. Chi-square analysis was performed to determine significance. Sixty-two attendants out of eighty three (75%) and six faculties out of twelve (50%) responded to the survey. After the case discussion, 68.2% (p < 0.04, Chi-square test) of the attendants changed their opinion on the appropriate treatment. The faculty answers, however, showed no significant change in opinions regarding the identification of the appropriate treatment. On the basis of our results, case-based discussion driven by experts, as a form of teaching, has a measurable effect in terms of changes in the learners' opinions.

The effect of case-based discussion of topics with experts on learners' opinions: implications for spinal education and training.

PubMed

Berjano, Pedro; Villafañe, Jorge Hugo; Vanacker, Gerard; Cecchinato, Riccardo; Ismael, Maryem; Gunzburg, Robert; Marruzzo, Daniele; Lamartina, Claudio

2017-10-01

This investigation aimed to examine the extent to which case-based discussion with experts could influence the audience's opinions on the treatment of patients during a continuing medical education event for spine surgeons. We conducted a prospective controlled crossover study of 90 surgeons. During a continuing medical education activity using case-based discussion, quiz questions were used which asked participants (attendants and faculty group) their opinions on the best choices about diagnosis and treatment in a number of cases. No answer was considered correct, but we evaluated the number of participants choosing each specific answer among a number of valid options. Quiz questions were collected with an automated response system at the entry and at the end of each case discussion. Change in participant's opinions was estimated from the change in the preferred answers between the entry and exit quizzes. Chi-square analysis was performed to determine significance. Sixty-two attendants out of eighty three (75%) and six faculties out of twelve (50%) responded to the survey. After the case discussion, 68.2% (p < 0.04, Chi-square test) of the attendants changed their opinion on the appropriate treatment. The faculty answers, however, showed no significant change in opinions regarding the identification of the appropriate treatment. On the basis of our results, case-based discussion driven by experts, as a form of teaching, has a measurable effect in terms of changes in the learners' opinions.

Ethnic Differences in Nonverbal Pain Behaviors Observed in Older Adults with Dementia.

PubMed

Ford, Brianne; Snow, A Lynn; Herr, Keela; Tripp-Reimer, Toni

2015-10-01

Research supports using nonverbal pain behaviors to identify pain in persons with dementia. It is unknown whether variations exist among ethnic groups in the expression of nonverbal pain behaviors in this special population. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine ethnic differences in the presentation and intensity of nonverbal pain behaviors among African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic older adults with dementia when screened for pain by certified nursing assistants. Six certified nursing assistants were trained to review and score 28 video recordings of subjects with dementia for nonverbal pain behaviors using the Non-Communicative Patient's Pain Assessment Instrument. Chi-square was used to examine differences among ethnic groups with regard to the display of nonverbal pain behaviors, and ANOVA was used to evaluate differences in the intensity of overall pain across ethnic groups. Of the 168 assessments, pain words (28%), pain noises (29.8%), and pain faces (28%) were observed most often as indicators of pain. Rubbing, bracing, and restlessness were rarely noted. Chi-square analysis revealed ethnic differences in the expression of pain words (χ(2) = 19.167, p < .001). No significant differences were noted across ethnic groups with regards to overall pain intensity. These findings are the first to examine ethnic differences in nonverbal pain behaviors for older adults with dementia. However, future work should examine assessment tendencies of providers in a larger, more diverse sample. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. All rights reserved.

[C677T-SNP of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene and breast cancer in Mexican women].

PubMed

Calderón-Garcidueñas, Ana Laura; Cerda-Flores, Ricardo Martín; Castruita-Ávila, Ana Lilia; González-Guerrero, Juan Francisco; Barrera-Saldaña, Hugo Alberto

2017-01-01

Low-penetrance susceptibility genes such as 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR) have been considered in the progression of breast cancer (BC). Cancer is a result of genetic, environmental and epigenetic interactions; therefore, these genes should be studied in environmental context, because the results can vary between populations and even within the same country. The objective was to analyze the allelic and genotypic frequencies of the MTHFR C667T SNP in Mexican Mestizo patients with BC and controls from Northeastern Mexico. 243 patients and 118 healthy women were studied. The analysis of the polymorphism was performed with a DNA microarray. Once the frequency of the polymorphism was obtained, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test was carried out for the genotypes. Chi square test was used to compare the distribution of frequencies. The allele frequency in patients was: C = 0.5406; T = 0.4594 and in controls C = 0.5678, T = 0.4322. Genotype in BC patients was: C / C = 29.9%, C / T = 48.3% and T / T = 21.8. The distribution in controls was: C / C = 31.4%, C / T = 50.8%, T / T = 17.8% (chi squared 0.77, p = 0.6801). Northeastern Mexican women in this study showed no association between MTFHR C667T SNP and the risk of BC. It seems that the contribution of this polymorphism to BC in Mexico varies depending on various factors, both genetic and environmental.

An analysis of the positional distribution of DNA motifs in promoter regions and its biological relevance.

PubMed

Casimiro, Ana C; Vinga, Susana; Freitas, Ana T; Oliveira, Arlindo L

2008-02-07

Motif finding algorithms have developed in their ability to use computationally efficient methods to detect patterns in biological sequences. However the posterior classification of the output still suffers from some limitations, which makes it difficult to assess the biological significance of the motifs found. Previous work has highlighted the existence of positional bias of motifs in the DNA sequences, which might indicate not only that the pattern is important, but also provide hints of the positions where these patterns occur preferentially. We propose to integrate position uniformity tests and over-representation tests to improve the accuracy of the classification of motifs. Using artificial data, we have compared three different statistical tests (Chi-Square, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and a Chi-Square bootstrap) to assess whether a given motif occurs uniformly in the promoter region of a gene. Using the test that performed better in this dataset, we proceeded to study the positional distribution of several well known cis-regulatory elements, in the promoter sequences of different organisms (S. cerevisiae, H. sapiens, D. melanogaster, E. coli and several Dicotyledons plants). The results show that position conservation is relevant for the transcriptional machinery. We conclude that many biologically relevant motifs appear heterogeneously distributed in the promoter region of genes, and therefore, that non-uniformity is a good indicator of biological relevance and can be used to complement over-representation tests commonly used. In this article we present the results obtained for the S. cerevisiae data sets.

Using Markov Chains to predict the natural progression of diabetic retinopathy.

PubMed

Srikanth, Priyanka

2015-01-01

To study the natural progression of diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. This was an observational study of 153 cases with type 2 diabetes from 2010 to 2013. The state of patient was noted at end of each year and transition matrices were developed to model movement between years. Patients who progressed to severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) were treated. Markov Chains and Chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. We modelled the transition of 153 patients from NPDR to blindness on an annual basis. At the end of year 3, we compared results from the Markov model versus actual data. The results from Chi-square test confirmed that there was statistically no significant difference (P=0.70) which provided assurance that the model was robust to estimate mean sojourn times. The key finding was that a patient entering the system in mild NPDR state is expected to stay in that state for 5y followed by 1.07y in moderate NPDR, be in the severe NPDR state for 1.33y before moving into PDR for roughly 8y. It is therefore expected that such a patient entering the model in a state of mild NPDR will enter blindness after 15.29y. Patients stay for long time periods in mild NPDR before transitioning into moderate NPDR. However, they move rapidly from moderate NPDR to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and stay in that state for long periods before transitioning into blindness.

A study of time management: the correlation between video game usage and academic performance markers.

PubMed

Anand, Vivek

2007-08-01

This study analyzes the correlation between video game usage and academic performance. Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and grade-point average (GPA) scores were used to gauge academic performance. The amount of time a student spends playing video games has a negative correlation with students' GPA and SAT scores. As video game usage increases, GPA and SAT scores decrease. A chi-squared analysis found a p value for video game usage and GPA was greater than a 95% confidence level (0.005 < p < 0.01). This finding suggests that dependence exists. SAT score and video game usage also returned a p value that was significant (0.01 < p < 0.05). Chi-squared results were not significant when comparing time spent studying and an individual's SAT score. This research suggests that video games may have a detrimental effect on an individual's GPA and possibly on SAT scores. Although these results show statistical dependence, proving cause and effect remains difficult, since SAT scores represent a single test on a given day. The effects of video games maybe be cumulative; however, drawing a conclusion is difficult because SAT scores represent a measure of general knowledge. GPA versus video games is more reliable because both involve a continuous measurement of engaged activity and performance. The connection remains difficult because of the complex nature of student life and academic performance. Also, video game usage may simply be a function of specific personality types and characteristics.

Effect of age and social connection on perceived anxiety over radiation exposure among decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

PubMed

Hidaka, Tomoo; Kakamu, Takeyasu; Hayakawa, Takehito; Kumagai, Tomohiro; Jinnouchi, Takanobu; Sato, Sei; Tsuji, Masayoshi; Nakano, Shinichi; Koyama, Kikuo; Fukushima, Tetsuhito

2016-05-25

To reveal the effect of age and other factors on perceived anxiety over radiation exposure among decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. A survey questionnaire was sent to 1505 workers, with questions regarding age, presence of a written employment contract, previous residence, radiation passbook ownership, presence of close persons for consultation, knowledge of how to access public assistance, and a four-point scale of radiation-related anxiety (1= "Very much," 2= "Somewhat," 3= "A little bit," and 4= "None" ). The relationships between the degree of anxiety and variables were analyzed using the chi-square test and residual analysis. In all, 512 participants responded to the questionnaire. The mean age of participants was 46.2 years (SD: 13.1, range: 18-77). Of them, 50, 233, 168, and 61 workers chose "Very much," "Somewhat," "A little bit," and "None," respectively, on the anxiety scale. Chi-square test showed that participants aged 61 years and over had higher degrees of anxiety (p<0.001). Ordinal logistic regression showed that the degree of anxiety increased if they did not have a written contract (p=0.042) or persons to consult (p=0.034) and if they routinely checked the dose rate (p=0.046). Decontamination workers who do not have a written contract or who are in socially isolated situations have greater anxiety over radiation exposure. Thus, it is important to both create supportive human relationships for consultation and enhance labor management in individual companies.

Food and Drug Administration tobacco regulation and product judgments.

PubMed

Kaufman, Annette R; Finney Rutten, Lila J; Parascandola, Mark; Blake, Kelly D; Augustson, Erik M

2015-04-01

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act granted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco products in the U.S. However, little is known about how regulation may be related to judgments about tobacco product-related risks. To understand how FDA tobacco regulation beliefs are associated with judgments about tobacco product-related risks. The Health Information National Trends Survey is a national survey of the U.S. adult population. Data used in this analysis were collected from October 2012 through January 2013 (N=3,630) by mailed questionnaire and analyzed in 2013. Weighted bivariate chi-square analyses were used to assess associations among FDA regulation belief, tobacco harm judgments, sociodemographics, and smoking status. A weighted multinomial logistic regression was conducted where FDA regulation belief was regressed on tobacco product judgments, controlling for sociodemographic variables and smoking status. About 41% believed that the FDA regulates tobacco products in the U.S., 23.6% reported the FDA does not, and 35.3% did not know. Chi-square analyses showed that smoking status was significantly related to harm judgments about electronic cigarettes (p<0.0001). The multinomial logistic regression revealed that uncertainty about FDA regulation was associated with tobacco product harm judgment uncertainty. Tobacco product harm perceptions are associated with beliefs about tobacco product regulation by the FDA. These findings suggest the need for increased public awareness and understanding of the role of tobacco product regulation in protecting public health. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Nuclear matter parameters and optical model analysis of proton elastic scattering on the doubly magic nucleus 40Ca

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalaf, A. M.; Khalifa, M. M.; Solieman, A. H. M.; Comsan, M. N. H.

2018-01-01

Owing to its doubly magic nature having equal numbers of protons and neutrons, the 40Ca nuclear scattering can be successfully described by the optical model that assumes a spherical nuclear potential. Therefore, optical model analysis was employed to calculate the elastic scattering cross section for p +40Ca interaction at energies from 9 to 22 MeV as well as the polarization at energies from 10 to 18.2 MeV. New optical model parameters (OMPs) were proposed based on the best fitting to experimental data. It is found that the best fit OMPs depend on the energy by smooth relationships. The results were compared with other OMPs sets regarding their chi square values (χ2). The obtained OMP's set was used to calculate the volume integral of the potentials and the root mean square (rms) value of nuclear matter radius of 40Ca. In addition, 40Ca bulk nuclear matter properties were discussed utilizing both the obtained rms radius and the Thomas-Fermi rms radius calculated using spherical Hartree-Fock formalism employing Skyrme type nucleon-nucleon force. The nuclear scattering SCAT2000 FORTRAN code was used for the optical model analysis.

Properties of the probability density function of the non-central chi-squared distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

András, Szilárd; Baricz, Árpád

2008-10-01

In this paper we consider the probability density function (pdf) of a non-central [chi]2 distribution with arbitrary number of degrees of freedom. For this function we prove that can be represented as a finite sum and we deduce a partial derivative formula. Moreover, we show that the pdf is log-concave when the degrees of freedom is greater or equal than 2. At the end of this paper we present some Turán-type inequalities for this function and an elegant application of the monotone form of l'Hospital's rule in probability theory is given.

Gender differences in use of prayer as a self-care strategy for managing symptoms in African Americans living with HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Coleman, Christopher Lance; Holzemer, William L; Eller, Lucille Sanzero; Corless, Inge; Reynolds, Nancy; Nokes, Kathleen M; Kemppainen, Jeanne K; Dole, Pam; Kirksey, Kenn; Seficik, Liz; Nicholas, Patrice; Hamilton, Mary Jane

2006-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore the association of gender to use of prayer as a self-care strategy for managing the HIV-related symptoms of fatigue, nausea, depression, and anxiety among African American men and women who are HIV-seropositive. To accomplish this, data were determined using convenience sampling from a sample of 448 African American men and women from the United States who were participants in a national study on self-care symptom management of HIV/AIDS. Chi-square analyses were used to examine the potential relationships between gender and the use of prayer for managing the four symptoms. The mean age of the sample was 42.69 +/- 7.93 years (range, 20-66). Results showed the following gender differences in the use of prayer as a self-care strategy: fatigue-men 46% (n = 62), women 54% (n = 74); nausea-men 52% (n = 33), women 48% (n = 30); depression-men 55% (n = 90), women 45% (n = 73); and anxiety-men 77% (n = 83), women 87% (n = 73). Chi-square analyses determined that significant differences exist between African American men and women in the frequency of the use of prayer for managing HIV-related fatigue (chi(2) = 14.81, 1 df, p = .000), nausea (chi(2) = 4.10, 1 df, p =.043), and depression (chi(2) = 5.21, 1 df, p = .022). There was no gender difference in the use of prayer to manage anxiety. Prayer was reported as a self-care strategy by over 50% of the respondents for three of the four symptoms and was rated highly efficacious. The authors conclude that the African American men and women differed in their selection of prayer as a self-care strategy for managing HIV-related depression, fatigue, and nausea. A higher proportion of women than men used prayer to manage fatigue, and more men than women reported using prayer to manage nausea and depression.

Open-Ended Laboratory Investigations with Drosophila.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mertens, Thomas R.

1983-01-01

Background information, laboratory procedures (including matings performed), and results are presented for an open-ended investigation using the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. Once data are collected, students develop hypotheses to explain results as well as devise additional experiments to test their hypotheses. Calculation of chi-square for…

The Contribution of Art Therapy to the Dissociative Disorders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Patricia S.

1994-01-01

Explored concepts of brain hemispheric lateralization and distinct right brain functioning in extensive dissociation by administering Dissociative Experiences Scale to 114 engineering students and 92 university drawing students. Chi-square calculation found differences in dissociative scoring levels between groups that approached significance at…

Some Small Sample Results for Maximum Likelihood Estimation in Multidimensional Scaling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsay, J. O.

1980-01-01

Some aspects of the small sample behavior of maximum likelihood estimates in multidimensional scaling are investigated with Monte Carlo techniques. In particular, the chi square test for dimensionality is examined and a correction for bias is proposed and evaluated. (Author/JKS)

Error Analyses of the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koshak, W. J.; Solokiewicz, R. J.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Goodman, S. J.; Christian, H. J.; Hall, J. M.; Bailey, J. C.; Krider, E. P.; Bateman, M. G.; Boccippio, D. J.

2003-01-01

Two approaches are used to characterize how accurately the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) is able to locate lightning VHF sources in space and in time. The first method uses a Monte Carlo computer simulation to estimate source retrieval errors. The simulation applies a VHF source retrieval algorithm that was recently developed at the NASA-MSFC and that is similar, but not identical to, the standard New Mexico Tech retrieval algorithm. The second method uses a purely theoretical technique (i.e., chi-squared Curvature Matrix theory) to estimate retrieval errors. Both methods assume that the LMA system has an overall rms timing error of 50ns, but all other possible errors (e.g., multiple sources per retrieval attempt) are neglected. The detailed spatial distributions of retrieval errors are provided. Given that the two methods are completely independent of one another, it is shown that they provide remarkably similar results, except that the chi-squared theory produces larger altitude error estimates than the (more realistic) Monte Carlo simulation.

Emergency physician evaluation of PA and NP practice patterns.

PubMed

Phillips, Andrew W; Klauer, Kevin M; Kessler, Chad S

2018-05-01

The unprecedented surge in physician assistants (PAs) and NPs in the ED developed quickly in recent years, but scope of practice and practice patterns are not well described. We conducted two cross-sectional electronic surveys of the American College of Emergency Physicians' council. Survey construction was informed by interviews and evaluated with validity and reliability studies. Univariate analyses to establish associations also were performed. Most councilors' departments employ PAs and NPs (72.4% of 163 responses). Supervisory requirements varied greatly among respondents for the same emergency severity index (ESI) level. Regardless of experience level, NPs were reported to use significantly more resources than PAs; chi-square(4) = 105.292, P < .001 for less-experienced PAs or NPs; chi-square(4) = 120.415, P < .001 for more experienced PAs or NPs. Councilors reported great variation in PA and NP scope of practice. The results also suggest that new graduate PAs may be more clinically prepared to practice in the ED than new graduate NPs.

Use of Pearson's Chi-Square for Testing Equality of Percentile Profiles across Multiple Populations.

PubMed

Johnson, William D; Beyl, Robbie A; Burton, Jeffrey H; Johnson, Callie M; Romer, Jacob E; Zhang, Lei

2015-08-01

In large sample studies where distributions may be skewed and not readily transformed to symmetry, it may be of greater interest to compare different distributions in terms of percentiles rather than means. For example, it may be more informative to compare two or more populations with respect to their within population distributions by testing the hypothesis that their corresponding respective 10 th , 50 th , and 90 th percentiles are equal. As a generalization of the median test, the proposed test statistic is asymptotically distributed as Chi-square with degrees of freedom dependent upon the number of percentiles tested and constraints of the null hypothesis. Results from simulation studies are used to validate the nominal 0.05 significance level under the null hypothesis, and asymptotic power properties that are suitable for testing equality of percentile profiles against selected profile discrepancies for a variety of underlying distributions. A pragmatic example is provided to illustrate the comparison of the percentile profiles for four body mass index distributions.

A note on the SG( m) test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López, Fernando A.; Matilla-García, Mariano; Mur, Jesús; Páez, Antonio; Ruiz, Manuel

2016-01-01

López et al. (Reg Sci Urban Econ 40(2-3):106-115, 2010) introduce a nonparametric test of spatial dependence, called SG( m). The test is claimed to be consistent and asymptotically Chi-square distributed. Elsinger (Reg Sci Urban Econ 43(5):838-840, 2013) raises doubts about the two properties. Using a particular counterexample, he shows that the asymptotic distribution of the SG( m) test may be far from the Chi-square family; the property of consistency is also questioned. In this note, the authors want to clarify the properties of the SG( m) test. We argue that the cause of the conflict is in the specification of the symbolization map. The discrepancies can be solved by adjusting some of the definitions made in the original paper. Moreover, we introduce a permutational bootstrapped version of the SG( m) test, which is powerful and robust to the underlying statistical assumptions. This bootstrapped version may be very useful in an applied context.

Health risk behaviors in smoking and non-smoking young women.

PubMed

Kelley, Frances J; Thomas, Sue Ann; Friedmann, Erika

2003-04-01

To compare the health, health risk behaviors and stress levels of college female smokers and non-smokers. Forty-one college women, ages 18-21 years, participated in an interview and completed a health survey and the Derogatis Stress Profile. The smokers perceived themselves to be more overweight (Chi square, p = < .001). Smokers used more marijuana (Chi square, p = < .003) and had higher scores on depression [t (39) = 2.29, p = .028], hostility [t (39) = 2.562, p = .014] and perceived quality of health [t (39) = 2.72, p = .01]. In the interview, smokers identified social situations involving alcohol as the time they would most likely smoke. Smokers did not smoke when ill and all were interested in quitting. The non-smoking women support smoking cessation for their peers. College alcohol and substance use prevention and treatment programs should address tobacco cessation. The majority of college women are not smokers and could be resources to encourage smoking cessation among their peers. Smoking cessation at this age has dramatic implications for future health.

The first human infection with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in Shaanxi Province, China.

PubMed

Wei, Jing; Li, Shen; Dong, Jian-Hua; Tian, Hui; Chowell, Gerardo; Tian, Huai-Yu; Lv, Wen; Han, Zong-Qi; Xu, Bing; Yu, Peng-Bo; Wang, Jing-Jun

2015-06-01

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease discovered in China in 2009. In July 2013, the first human infection with SFTS virus (SFTSV) was detected in Shaanxi Province, Western China. A seroprevalence study among humans was carried out in an SFTS endemic village; specifically, serum samples were collected from 363 farmers in an SFTS endemic village in Shaanxi Province. The presence of SFTSV antibodies in serum was determined using an ELISA. SFTSV antibodies were found in a total of 20 people (5.51%), with no significant difference between males and females (6.93% and 4.42%, respectively; Chi-square=1.29, p=0.25). Moreover, the SFTSV antibody positive rate was not significantly different across different age groups (Chi-square=2.23, p=0.69). SFTSV readily infects humans with outdoor exposure. The results of the serological study indicate that the virus circulates widely in Shaanxi Province. SFTSV represents a public health threat in China. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Pearson's chi-square test and rank correlation inferences for clustered data.

PubMed

Shih, Joanna H; Fay, Michael P

2017-09-01

Pearson's chi-square test has been widely used in testing for association between two categorical responses. Spearman rank correlation and Kendall's tau are often used for measuring and testing association between two continuous or ordered categorical responses. However, the established statistical properties of these tests are only valid when each pair of responses are independent, where each sampling unit has only one pair of responses. When each sampling unit consists of a cluster of paired responses, the assumption of independent pairs is violated. In this article, we apply the within-cluster resampling technique to U-statistics to form new tests and rank-based correlation estimators for possibly tied clustered data. We develop large sample properties of the new proposed tests and estimators and evaluate their performance by simulations. The proposed methods are applied to a data set collected from a PET/CT imaging study for illustration. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Review analysis of medullary carcinoma thyroid--15-year Indian experience.

PubMed

Dorairajan, N; Saravanakumar, P; Karthikeyan, S; Siddharth, D; Kanna, Srinivasulu

2005-08-01

To emphasize the importance of adequate primary surgery in cases of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, 44 cases of treated medullary carcinoma of thyroid were retrospectively reviewed in Government General Hospital, Chennai between 1987 and 2002. Patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with only central compartment dissection were compared with those who had undergone total thyroidectomy with meticulous triple compartment (bilateral lateral and central groups) nodal dissection. The group of total thyroidectomy with only central compartment dissection had high rate of lymph nodal recurrence and persistent hypercalcitoninaemia when compared with the group of total thyroidectomy with meticulous triple compartment nodal dissection. (Chi square value 4.503 with p<0.05).

Smoking and intention to quit among a large sample of black sexual and gender minorities.

PubMed

Jordan, Jenna N; Everett, Kevin D; Ge, Bin; McElroy, Jane A

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to more completely quantify smoking and intention to quit from a sample of sexual and gender minority (SGM) Black individuals (N = 639) through analysis of data collected at Pride festivals and online. Frequencies described demographic characteristics; chi-square analyses were used to compare tobacco-related variables. Black SGM smokers were more likely to be trying to quit smoking than White SGM smokers. However, Black SGM individuals were less likely than White SGM individuals to become former smokers. The results of this study indicate that smoking behaviors may be heavily influenced by race after accounting for SGM status.

Feature Screening for Ultrahigh Dimensional Categorical Data with Applications.

PubMed

Huang, Danyang; Li, Runze; Wang, Hansheng

2014-01-01

Ultrahigh dimensional data with both categorical responses and categorical covariates are frequently encountered in the analysis of big data, for which feature screening has become an indispensable statistical tool. We propose a Pearson chi-square based feature screening procedure for categorical response with ultrahigh dimensional categorical covariates. The proposed procedure can be directly applied for detection of important interaction effects. We further show that the proposed procedure possesses screening consistency property in the terminology of Fan and Lv (2008). We investigate the finite sample performance of the proposed procedure by Monte Carlo simulation studies, and illustrate the proposed method by two empirical datasets.

Problem gambling in the workplace, characteristics of employees seeking help.

PubMed

Hawley, Carolyn E; Glenn, Margaret K; Diaz, Sebastian

2007-01-01

Few rigorous research studies exist to define the impact problem gambling may have on the workforce and the workplace. This study is an initial attempt to address this void by exploring the vocational patterns and demographics of callers with self report gambling problems to a state helpline. It utilizes Chi-squared Automatic Interaction (CHAID) Technique analysis to assess 1072 working age callers with gambling related problems. The goal of this exploratory investigation is to determine if the issue of problem gambling in the workplace warrants further research and, potentially, design of interventions. Discussion centers on the use of the information for development of employer based prevention and intervention efforts.

Testing for independence in J×K contingency tables with complex sample survey data.

PubMed

Lipsitz, Stuart R; Fitzmaurice, Garrett M; Sinha, Debajyoti; Hevelone, Nathanael; Giovannucci, Edward; Hu, Jim C

2015-09-01

The test of independence of row and column variables in a (J×K) contingency table is a widely used statistical test in many areas of application. For complex survey samples, use of the standard Pearson chi-squared test is inappropriate due to correlation among units within the same cluster. Rao and Scott (1981, Journal of the American Statistical Association 76, 221-230) proposed an approach in which the standard Pearson chi-squared statistic is multiplied by a design effect to adjust for the complex survey design. Unfortunately, this test fails to exist when one of the observed cell counts equals zero. Even with the large samples typical of many complex surveys, zero cell counts can occur for rare events, small domains, or contingency tables with a large number of cells. Here, we propose Wald and score test statistics for independence based on weighted least squares estimating equations. In contrast to the Rao-Scott test statistic, the proposed Wald and score test statistics always exist. In simulations, the score test is found to perform best with respect to type I error. The proposed method is motivated by, and applied to, post surgical complications data from the United States' Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) complex survey of hospitals in 2008. © 2015, The International Biometric Society.

Infant and Child Oral Health Risk Status Correlated to Behavioral Habits of Parents or Caregivers: A Survey in Central Italy

PubMed Central

Vozza, Iole; Capasso, Francesca; Marrese, Elisa; Polimeni, Antonella; Ottolenghi, Livia

2017-01-01

Aim: The aim of this survey was to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of parents and caregivers about potential oral health risk factors for their children in their first months of life (3–30 months). Materials and Methods: The participation to the survey was proposed to all parents or caregivers of children attending the public consulting service in Latina for mandatory vaccinations during the period of June to August 2014. A self-administered questionnaire was completed to obtain information regarding demographic variables, infant feeding practice, maternal oral health during and after pregnancy, children's oral hygiene habits and risk behaviors (e.g., sharing cutlery, tasting of baby food, nightly using of baby bottles with sugared beverages, or sugared pacifier), and knowledge about caries and its transmission. The analysis of the data was performed using SPSS 14.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The variance analysis and chi-square test were used to investigate the relationship between the variables. Results: Overall, the parents of 304 children consented to fill the questionnaire. Data analysis showed that about 50% of respondents considered dental caries an infectious disease, however, 53.6% was not aware of the potential vertical transmissibility of cariogenic bacteria through contaminated saliva. It is a common trend in the early stages of weaning to taste the baby food (53%) and sharing cutlery (38.5%). With regard to children oral health care, parents reported no toothbrushing for 53.1% of the children in their first 3 years of life. The relationship between the two variables concerning caries transmissibility and tools sharing carried out on through Pearson chi-square test identified P = 0.32. Conclusions: From this survey, the need for parental oral health promoting program emerged to control children oral health risk status. PMID:28462177

Comparison of athletic training professional preparation to the prevalence of injury occurrence in the collegiate setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westerman, Beverly Jean

1999-10-01

This study investigated the relationship between the frequency of injuries that occur to certain body areas in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes and the percentage of time teaching about the same subject areas in Athletic Training Education Programs (ATEP). Directors of Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited and National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) approved programs were surveyed. Randomly selected ATEP directors were interviewed by telephone to collect information on estimated teaching time, the strengths and weaknesses of their programs, and preferred teaching methods. Data were collected from the NCAA Injury Surveillance System to calculate the frequency of injury. Chi-square 'goodness-of-fit' tests were used to determine if a 'good fit' existed between injury frequency and teaching time in two categories: general body areas (head and face, upper extremity, lower extremity, spine, and abdomen and thorax) and specific body areas (head, face, upper arm and shoulder, elbow and forearm, wrist and hand, hip and pelvis, thigh, knee, lower leg, ankle and foot, cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, abdomen, and thorax). Standardized residuals were used to assist in determining the location of statistical significance within the same two categories. The chi-square values calculated for both the general and specific body areas were greater than the critical value set at a significance level of .05 with 4 and 14 degrees of freedom respectively. Therefore, it was found that a 'good fit' does not exist between injury frequency and teaching time. The standardized residuals were calculated for each variable within the categories. One out of five general body areas and 10 out of 15 specific body areas were less than 2.00 in absolute value and were found not to contribute to the high chi-square value. Although the chi-square values showed a lack of fit between injury frequency and teaching time in the general and specific body areas, the standardized residuals indicated a relationship exists between some variables (body areas) within each category. In other words, the percentage of teaching time may correspond with injury frequency in some general and specific body areas. The responses from the program directors indicated they thought their academic programs were spending the appropriate amount of time teaching about the general and specific body areas. However, the percentages of teaching time reported for each of the body areas varied greatly among the responders. Further study is indicated to examine the relationship between teaching time/content and injury frequency.

Calculation of the number of Monte Carlo histories for a planetary protection probability of impact estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barengoltz, Jack

2016-07-01

Monte Carlo (MC) is a common method to estimate probability, effectively by a simulation. For planetary protection, it may be used to estimate the probability of impact P{}_{I} by a launch vehicle (upper stage) of a protected planet. The object of the analysis is to provide a value for P{}_{I} with a given level of confidence (LOC) that the true value does not exceed the maximum allowed value of P{}_{I}. In order to determine the number of MC histories required, one must also guess the maximum number of hits that will occur in the analysis. This extra parameter is needed because a LOC is desired. If more hits occur, the MC analysis would indicate that the true value may exceed the specification value with a higher probability than the LOC. (In the worst case, even the mean value of the estimated P{}_{I} might exceed the specification value.) After the analysis is conducted, the actual number of hits is, of course, the mean. The number of hits arises from a small probability per history and a large number of histories; these are the classic requirements for a Poisson distribution. For a known Poisson distribution (the mean is the only parameter), the probability for some interval in the number of hits is calculable. Before the analysis, this is not possible. Fortunately, there are methods that can bound the unknown mean for a Poisson distribution. F. Garwoodfootnote{ F. Garwood (1936), ``Fiduciary limits for the Poisson distribution.'' Biometrika 28, 437-442.} published an appropriate method that uses the Chi-squared function, actually its inversefootnote{ The integral chi-squared function would yield probability α as a function of the mean µ and an actual value n.} (despite the notation used): This formula for the upper and lower limits of the mean μ with the two-tailed probability 1-α depends on the LOC α and an estimated value of the number of "successes" n. In a MC analysis for planetary protection, only the upper limit is of interest, i.e., the single-tailed distribution. (Smaller actual P{}_{I }is no problem.) {}_{ } One advantage of this method is that this function is available in EXCEL. Note that care must be taken with the definition of the CHIINV function (the inverse of the integral chi-squared distribution). The equivalent inequality in EXCEL is μ < CHIINV[1-α, 2(n+1)] In practice, one calculates this upper limit for a specified LOC, α , and a guess of how many hits n will be found after the MC analysis. Then the estimate of the number of histories required is this upper limit divided by the specification for the allowed P{}_{I} (rounded up). However, if the number of hits actually exceeds the guess, the P{}_{I} requirement will be met only with a smaller LOC. A disadvantage is that the intervals about the mean are "in general too wide, yielding coverage probabilities much greater than 1- α ." footnote{ G. Casella and C. Robert (1988), Purdue University-Technical Report #88-7 or Cornell University-Technical Report BU-903-M.} For planetary protection, this technical issue means that the upper limit of the interval and the probability associated with the interval (i.e., the LOC) are conservative.

Brazilian cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the List of Threatening Events Questionnaire (LTE-Q).

PubMed

Abreu, Patrícia B de; Cogo-Moreira, Hugo; Pose, Regina A; Laranjeira, Ronaldo; Caetano, Raul; Gaya, Carolina M; Madruga, Clarice S

2017-01-01

To perform a construct validation of the List of Threatening Events Questionnaire (LTE-Q), as well as convergence validation by identifying its association with drug use in a sample of the Brazilian population. This is a secondary analysis of the Second Brazilian National Alcohol and Drugs Survey (II BNADS), which used a cross-cultural adaptation of the LTE-Q in a probabilistic sample of 4,607 participants aged 14 years and older. Latent class analysis was used to validate the latent trait adversity (which considered the number of events from the list of 12 item in the LTE experienced by the respondent in the previous year) and logistic regression was performed to find its association with binge drinking and cocaine use. The confirmatory factor analysis returned a chi-square of 108.341, weighted root mean square residual (WRMR) of 1.240, confirmatory fit indices (CFI) of 0.970, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) of 0.962, and root mean square error approximation (RMSEA) score of 1.000. LTE-Q convergence validation showed that the adversity latent trait increased the chances of binge drinking by 1.31 time and doubled the chances of previous year cocaine use (adjusted by sociodemographic variables). The use of the LTE-Q in Brazil should be encouraged in different research fields, including large epidemiological surveys, as it is also appropriate when time and budget are limited. The LTE-Q can be a useful tool in the development of targeted and more efficient prevention strategies.

Psychometric Properties of the Heart Disease Knowledge Scale: Evidence from Item and Confirmatory Factor Analyses

PubMed Central

Lim, Bee Chiu; Kueh, Yee Cheng; Arifin, Wan Nor; Ng, Kok Huan

2016-01-01

Background Heart disease knowledge is an important concept for health education, yet there is lack of evidence on proper validated instruments used to measure levels of heart disease knowledge in the Malaysian context. Methods A cross-sectional, survey design was conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the adapted English version of the Heart Disease Knowledge Questionnaire (HDKQ). Using proportionate cluster sampling, 788 undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia, were recruited and completed the HDKQ. Item analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used for the psychometric evaluation. Construct validity of the measurement model was included. Results Most of the students were Malay (48%), female (71%), and from the field of science (51%). An acceptable range was obtained with respect to both the difficulty and discrimination indices in the item analysis results. The difficulty index ranged from 0.12–0.91 and a discrimination index of ≥ 0.20 were reported for the final retained 23 items. The final CFA model showed an adequate fit to the data, yielding a 23-item, one-factor model [weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted scaled chi-square difference = 1.22, degrees of freedom = 2, P-value = 0.544, the root mean square error of approximation = 0.03 (90% confidence interval = 0.03, 0.04); close-fit P-value = > 0.950]. Conclusion Adequate psychometric values were obtained for Malaysian undergraduate university students using the 23-item, one-factor model of the adapted HDKQ. PMID:27660543

Psychometric Properties of the Heart Disease Knowledge Scale: Evidence from Item and Confirmatory Factor Analyses.

PubMed

Lim, Bee Chiu; Kueh, Yee Cheng; Arifin, Wan Nor; Ng, Kok Huan

2016-07-01

Heart disease knowledge is an important concept for health education, yet there is lack of evidence on proper validated instruments used to measure levels of heart disease knowledge in the Malaysian context. A cross-sectional, survey design was conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the adapted English version of the Heart Disease Knowledge Questionnaire (HDKQ). Using proportionate cluster sampling, 788 undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia, were recruited and completed the HDKQ. Item analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used for the psychometric evaluation. Construct validity of the measurement model was included. Most of the students were Malay (48%), female (71%), and from the field of science (51%). An acceptable range was obtained with respect to both the difficulty and discrimination indices in the item analysis results. The difficulty index ranged from 0.12-0.91 and a discrimination index of ≥ 0.20 were reported for the final retained 23 items. The final CFA model showed an adequate fit to the data, yielding a 23-item, one-factor model [weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted scaled chi-square difference = 1.22, degrees of freedom = 2, P-value = 0.544, the root mean square error of approximation = 0.03 (90% confidence interval = 0.03, 0.04); close-fit P-value = > 0.950]. Adequate psychometric values were obtained for Malaysian undergraduate university students using the 23-item, one-factor model of the adapted HDKQ.

What is the superior surgical strategy for bi-level cervical spondylosis-anterior cervical disc replacement or anterior cervical decompression and fusion?: A meta-analysis from 11 studies.

PubMed

Zhao, He; Duan, Li-Jun; Gao, Yu-Shan; Yang, Yong-Dong; Tang, Xiang-Sheng; Zhao, Ding-Yan; Xiong, Yang; Hu, Zhen-Guo; Li, Chuan-Hong; Yu, Xing

2018-03-01

Nowadays, anterior cervical artificial disc replacement (ACDR) has achieved favorable outcomes in treatment for patients with single-level cervical spondylosis. However, It is still controversial that whether or not it will become a potent therapeutic alternation in treating 2 contiguous levels cervical spondylosis compared with anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF). Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of ACDR and ACDF in patients with 2 contiguous levels cervical spondylosis. According to the computer-based online search, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for articles published before July 1, 2017 were searched. The following outcome measures were extracted: neck disability index (NDI), visual analog scale (VAS) neck, VAS arm, Short Form (SF)-12 mental component summary (MCS), SF-12 physical component summary (PCS), overall clinical success (OCS), patient satisfaction (PS), device-related adverse event (DRAE), subsequent surgical intervention (SSI), neurological deterioration (ND), and adjacent segment degeneration (ASD). Methodological quality was evaluated independently by 2 reviewers using the Furlan for randomized controlled trial (RCT) and MINORS scale for clinical controlled trials (CCT). The chi-squared test and Higgin I test were used to evaluate the heterogeneity. A P < .10 for the chi-squared test or I values exceeding 50% indicated substantial heterogeneity and a random-effect model was applied; otherwise, a fixed-effect model was used. All quantitative data were analyzed by the Review Manager 5.2 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark). Nine RCTs and 2 CCT studies containing 2715 patients were included for this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis indicated that the ACDR group is superior to ACDF in NDI, VAS neck, PCS score, OCS, PS, DRAE, ASD, and SSI. However, the pooled results indicate that there was no significant difference in the ND, VAS arm and in MCS score. The present meta-analysis suggests that for bi-level cervical spondylosis, ACDR appears to provide superior clinical effectiveness and safety effects than ACDF. In the future, more high-quality RCTs are warranted to enhance this conclusion.

[Percutaneous surgery for plantar fasciitis due to a calcaneal spur].

PubMed

Apóstol-González, Saúl; Herrera, Jesús

2009-01-01

Determine the efficacy of percutaneous surgical treatment for talalgia due to a calcaneal spur. This is an observational, descriptive, clinical series analyzing the outcomes of 10 patients with a diagnosis of talalgia due to plantar fasciitis with a calcaneal spur treated with percutaneous foot surgery. The end result was assessed with a visual analog scale (VAS) to measure pain, the patients' opinion and their return to activities of daily living. Central tendency and scatter measurements were calculated. The inferential analysis was done with the non-parametric chi square (chi2) test. Most patients were females (90%) and mean age was 40.5 years. Follow-up was 12 months. One patient had bleeding of the approached area. Pain was reduced from 8 to 1.5 in the VAS. Nine patients returned to their activities. Two patients had occasional mild pain upon prolonged bipedestation. Ninety percent of results were satisfactory. Percutaneous foot surgery in talalgias caused by plantar fasciitis due to a calcaneal spur is a simple and effective method. It reduces the operative time and allows for an early return of patients to their activities of daily living.

Consistency of Rasch Model Parameter Estimation: A Simulation Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van den Wollenberg, Arnold L.; And Others

1988-01-01

The unconditional--simultaneous--maximum likelihood (UML) estimation procedure for the one-parameter logistic model produces biased estimators. The UML method is inconsistent and is not a good alternative to conditional maximum likelihood method, at least with small numbers of items. The minimum Chi-square estimation procedure produces unbiased…

Effects of Linking Methods on Detection of DIF.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Seock-Ho; Cohen, Allan S.

1992-01-01

Effects of the following methods for linking metrics on detection of differential item functioning (DIF) were compared: (1) test characteristic curve method (TCC); (2) weighted mean and sigma method; and (3) minimum chi-square method. With large samples, results were essentially the same. With small samples, TCC was most accurate. (SLD)

Reliability Engineering Handbook

DTIC Science & Technology

1964-06-01

Figure 6-18(a). The Chi-Square (X 2) Test compares the observed values against the Expected Am = 1 A = &. 0002 ) expected values in the tables. 5C 5...9382 .9394 .9406 .9418 .9429 .9441 1.6 .9452 .9463 .9474 .9484 .9495 . 9505 .9515 .9525 .9535 .9545 1.7 .9554 .9564 .9573 .9582 .9591 .9599 .9608

Physical Activity Patterns among U.S. Adults with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Chung-Yi; An, Ruopeng

2016-01-01

Purpose: To characterize physical activity patterns among people with disabilities using data from a nationally representative health survey. Method: Individual-level data came from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2011 survey. Pearson's chi-squared tests were conducted to assess the difference in the proportion distribution of…

STUDIES IN RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. IV. A SAMPLING STUDY OF THE CENTRAL LIMIT THEOREM AND THE ROBUSTNESS OF ONE-SAMPLE PARAMETRIC TESTS,

DTIC Science & Technology

iconoclastic . Even at N=1024 these departures were quite appreciable at the testing tails, being greatest for chi-square and least for Z, and becoming worse in all cases at increasingly extreme tail areas. (Author)

Availability of Vending Machines and School Stores in California Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cisse-Egbuonye, Nafissatou; Liles, Sandy; Schmitz, Katharine E.; Kassem, Nada; Irvin, Veronica L.; Hovell, Melbourne F.

2016-01-01

Background: This study examined the availability of foods sold in vending machines and school stores in United States public and private schools, and associations of availability with students' food purchases and consumption. Methods: Descriptive analyses, chi-square tests, and Spearman product-moment correlations were conducted on data collected…

The Evaluation and Selection of Adequate Causal Models: A Compensatory Education Example.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanaka, Jeffrey S.

1982-01-01

Implications of model evaluation (using traditional chi square goodness of fit statistics, incremental fit indices for covariance structure models, and latent variable coefficients of determination) on substantive conclusions are illustrated with an example examining the effects of participation in a compensatory education program on posttreatment…

Do College Faculty Embrace Web 2.0 Technology?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siha, Samia M.; Bell, Reginald Lamar; Roebuck, Deborah

2016-01-01

The authors sought to determine if Rogers's Innovation Decision Process model could analyze Web 2.0 usage within the collegiate environment. The key independent variables studied in relationship to this model were gender, faculty rank, course content delivery method, and age. Chi-square nonparametric tests on the independent variables across…

Relationship between Service Quality, Satisfaction, Motivation and Loyalty: A Multi-Dimensional Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subrahmanyam, Annamdevula

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to identify and test four competing models with the interrelationships between students' perceived service quality, students' satisfaction, loyalty and motivation using structural equation modeling (SEM), and to select the best model using chi-square difference (??2) statistic test. Design/methodology/approach: The study…

What Do Teachers Need to Support English Learners?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomez, Marjorie N.; Diarrassouba, Nagnon

2014-01-01

This study explored K-8 teachers' perceptions of their preparation and the challenges they encountered in delivering instruction to culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Using a mixed method research design, data were collected through a web-based survey from teachers in the state of Michigan. Researchers used chi-square tests to…

Public Opinion toward Sexuality Education: Findings among One South Florida County

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard-Barr, Elissa; Moore, Michele Johnson; Weiss, Josie A.; Jobli, Edessa

2011-01-01

As part of a community plan to implement abstinence-based sexuality education, this study assessed opinions toward sexuality education among residents. Respondents (N = 1,090) were selected by random digit dialing. The survey, adopted from previous national studies, assessed attitudes towards sexuality education. Chi-square tests of significance…

A simple method for comparing immunogold distributions in two or more experimental groups illustrated using GLUT1 labelling of isolated trophoblast cells.

PubMed

Mayhew, T M; Desoye, G

2004-07-01

Colloidal gold-labelling, combined with transmission electron microscopy, is a valuable technique for high-resolution immunolocalization of identified antigens in different subcellular compartments. Whilst the technique has been applied to placental tissues, few quantitative studies have been made. Subcellular compartments exist in three main categories (viz. organelles, membranes, filaments/tubules) and this affects the possibilities for quantification. Generally, gold particles are counted in order to compare either (a) compartments within an experimental group or (b) compartmental labelling distributions between groups. For the former, recent developments make it possible to test whether or not there is differential (nonrandom) labelling of compartments. The methods (relative labelling index and labelling density) are ideally suited to analysing label in one category of compartment (organelle or membrane or filament) but may be adapted to deal with a mixture of categories. They also require information about compartment size (e.g. profile area or trace length). Here, a simple and efficient method for drawing between-group comparisons of labelling distributions is presented. The method does not require information about compartment size or specimen magnification. It relies on multistage random sampling of specimens and unbiased counting of gold particles associated with different compartments. Distributions of observed gold counts in different experimental groups are compared by contingency table analysis with degrees of freedom for chi-squared (chi(2)) values being determined by the numbers of compartments and experimental groups. Compartmental values of chi(2)which contribute substantially to total chi(2)identify the principal subcellular sites of between-group differences. The method is illustrated using datasets from immunolabelling studies on the localization of GLUT1 glucose transporters in cultured human trophoblast cells exposed to different treatments.

Effect of streptokinase on reperfusion after acute myocardial infarction and its complications: an ex-post facto study.

PubMed

Taheri, Leila; Boroujeni, Ali Zargham; Kargar Jahromi, Marzieh; Charkhandaz, Maryam; Hojat, Mohsen

2015-01-01

Emergency treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction is very important. Streptokinase in Iran is often as the only clot-busting medication is used. The purpose of using streptokinase medication is to revive the ischemic heart tissue, although has dangerous complications too. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effect of streptokinase on reperfusion after acute myocardial infarction and its complications, has been designed and conducted. This is an Ex-post facto study. The study population included patients who suffer from acute myocardial infarction. The sample size was 300 patients, and 2 groups were matched, in variables of age, sex, underlying disease, frequencies and area of MI. Data collection did by researcher making questionnaire, that accept face and content validity by 10 expert researcher, the reliability was conducted with Spearman's test (r=0.85) by Test-retest method. Data analysis did by SPSS software: V 12. Mean of EF in SK group was (46.15±8.11) and in control group was (43.11±12.57). Significant relationship was seen between SK, arrhythmia occurring and improve EF reperfusion by chi-square test (p=0.028), (p=0.020).The most arrhythmia in SK group was Ventricular Tachycardia (20.7%). Significant statistical relation between SK and mortality were found by Chi-square test (p=0.001). But a meaningful statistical relation was not found between SK and pulmonary edema incidence (p=0.071). Nurses of CCU should be aware about SK complications such as hypotension, bleeding and arrhythmias. Proposed compare SK and tissue plasminogen drug in reperfusion and complications effect.

Effects of buprenorphine and hepatitis C on liver enzymes in adolescents and young adults.

PubMed

Bogenschutz, Michael P; Abbott, Patrick J; Kushner, Robert; Tonigan, J Scott; Woody, George E

2010-12-01

The purpose of this study was to explore changes in transaminase values associated with buprenorphine treatment and hepatitis C status among opioid dependent subjects aged 15-21. 152 subjects seeking treatment for opioid dependence were randomized to 2-week detoxification with buprenorphine/naloxone (DETOX) or 12 weeks buprenorphine/naloxone (BUP). Liver chemistries including transaminases were obtained baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. 111 patients had at least one set of transaminases during treatment and were included in analyses of treatment effects. Overall, 8/60 BUP participants vs. 12/51 DETOX participants had at least one elevated ALT value during follow-up (Chi-square n.s.). 5/60 BUP participants vs. 11/51 DETOX participants had at least one elevated AST value (Chi-square = 3.194, p = .048). Twenty-eight out of 152 participants were hepatitis C (HCV) positive at baseline, and 4 seroconverted within 12 weeks, 2 in each group. HCV status was significantly associated with transaminase abnormalities (p = .009 and p = .006 for ALT an AST, respectively). HCV status had a strong effect on transaminase abnormalities among participants assigned to DETOX, but not among those assigned to BUP. No evidence was found for hepatotoxicity of buprenorphine in this exploratory analysis. HCV was present in a significant minority of participants and was a significant predictor of transaminase elevation. Results suggest that stabilization on buprenorphine may decrease the frequency of transaminase abnormalities associated with HCV in opioid dependent young people. The high rate of seroconversion underscores the importance of effective treatment and prevention.

Effects of Buprenorphine and Hepatitis C on Liver Enzymes in Adolescents and Young Adults

PubMed Central

Bogenschutz, Michael P.; Abbott, Patrick J.; Kushner, Robert; Tonigan, J. Scott; Woody, George E.

2010-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to explore changes in transaminase values associated with buprenorphine treatment and hepatitis C status among opioid dependent subjects aged 15–21. Methods 152 subjects seeking treatment for opioid dependence were randomized to 2-week detoxification with buprenorphine/naloxone (DETOX) or 12 weeks buprenorphine/naloxone (BUP). Liver chemistries including transaminases were obtained baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. 111 patients had at least one set of transaminases during treatment and were included in analyses of treatment effects. Results Overall, 8/60 BUP participants vs. 12/51 DETOX participants had at least one elevated ALT value during follow-up (Chi-square n.s.). 5/60 BUP participants vs. 11/51 DETOX participants had at least one elevated AST value (Chi-square = 3.194, p = .048). Twenty-eight out of 152 participants were hepatitis C (HCV) positive at baseline, and 4 seroconverted within 12 weeks, 2 in each group. HCV status was significantly associated with transaminase abnormalities (p = .009 and p = .006 for ALT an AST, respectively). HCV status had a strong effect on transaminase abnormalities among participants assigned to DETOX, but not among those assigned to BUP. Conclusions No evidence was found for hepatotoxicity of buprenorphine in this exploratory analysis. HCV was present in a significant minority of participants and was a significant predictor of transaminase elevation. Results suggest that stabilization on buprenorphine may decrease the frequency of transaminase abnormalities associated with HCV in opioid dependent young people. The high rate of seroconversion underscores the importance of effective treatment and prevention. PMID:21170166

A shape-based statistical method to retrieve 2D TRUS-MR slice correspondence for prostate biopsy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitra, Jhimli; Srikantha, Abhilash; Sidibé, Désiré; Martí, Robert; Oliver, Arnau; Lladó, Xavier; Ghose, Soumya; Vilanova, Joan C.; Comet, Josep; Meriaudeau, Fabrice

2012-02-01

This paper presents a method based on shape-context and statistical measures to match interventional 2D Trans Rectal Ultrasound (TRUS) slice during prostate biopsy to a 2D Magnetic Resonance (MR) slice of a pre-acquired prostate volume. Accurate biopsy tissue sampling requires translation of the MR slice information on the TRUS guided biopsy slice. However, this translation or fusion requires the knowledge of the spatial position of the TRUS slice and this is only possible with the use of an electro-magnetic (EM) tracker attached to the TRUS probe. Since, the use of EM tracker is not common in clinical practice and 3D TRUS is not used during biopsy, we propose to perform an analysis based on shape and information theory to reach close enough to the actual MR slice as validated by experts. The Bhattacharyya distance is used to find point correspondences between shape-context representations of the prostate contours. Thereafter, Chi-square distance is used to find out those MR slices where the prostates closely match with that of the TRUS slice. Normalized Mutual Information (NMI) values of the TRUS slice with each of the axial MR slices are computed after rigid alignment and consecutively a strategic elimination based on a set of rules between the Chi-square distances and the NMI leads to the required MR slice. We validated our method for TRUS axial slices of 15 patients, of which 11 results matched at least one experts validation and the remaining 4 are at most one slice away from the expert validations.

A randomised, controlled trial of circumpatellar electrocautery in total knee replacement without patellar resurfacing: a concise follow-up at a mean of 3.7 years.

PubMed

van Jonbergen, H P W; Scholtes, V A B; Poolman, R W

2014-04-01

In the absence of patellar resurfacing, we have previously shown that the use of electrocautery around the margin of the patella improved the one-year clinical outcome of total knee replacement (TKR). In this prospective randomised study we compared the mean 3.7 year (1.1 to 4.2) clinical outcomes of 300 TKRs performed with and without electrocautery of the patellar rim: this is an update of a previous report. The overall prevalence of anterior knee pain was 32% (95% confidence intervals [CI] 26 to 39), and 26% (95% CI 18 to 35) in the intervention group compared with 38% (95% CI 29 to 48) in the control group (chi-squared test; p = 0.06). The overall prevalence of anterior knee pain remained unchanged between the one-year and 3.7 year follow-up (chi-squared test; p = 0.12). The mean total Western Ontario McMasters Universities Osteoarthritis Indices and the American Knee Society knee and function scores at 3.7 years' follow-up were similar in the intervention and control groups (repeated measures analysis of variance p = 0.43, p = 0.09 and p = 0.59, respectively). There were no complications. A total of ten patients (intervention group three, control group seven) required secondary patellar resurfacing after the first year. Our study suggests that the improved clinical outcome with electrocautery denervation compared with no electrocautery is not maintained at a mean of 3.7 years' follow-up.

Health-related needs of people with multiple chronic diseases: differences and underlying factors.

PubMed

Hopman, Petra; Schellevis, François G; Rijken, Mieke

2016-03-01

To examine the health-related needs of people with multiple chronic diseases in the Netherlands compared to people with one chronic disease, and to identify different subgroups of multimorbid patients based on differences in their health problems. Participants were 1092 people with one or more chronic diseases of a nationwide prospective panel study on the consequences of chronic illness in the Netherlands. They completed the EQ-6D, a multi-dimensional questionnaire on health problems (October 2013). Chi-square tests and analyses of variance were performed to test for differences between multimorbid patients and patients with one chronic disease. To identify subgroups of multimorbid patients, cluster analysis was performed and differences in EQ-6D scores between clusters were tested with Chi-square tests. Multimorbid patients (51 % of the total sample) experience more problems in most health domains than patients with one chronic disease. Almost half (44 %) of the multimorbid people had many health problems in different domains. These people were more often female, had a smaller household size, had a lower health literacy, and suffered from more chronic diseases. Remarkably, a small subgroup of multimorbid patients (4 %, mostly elderly males) is characterized by all having cognitive problems. Based on the problems they experience, we conclude that patients with multimorbidity have relatively many and diverse health-related needs. Extensive health-related needs among people with multimorbidity may relate not only to the number of chronic diseases they suffer from, but also to their patient characteristics. This should be taken into account, when identifying target groups for comprehensive support programmes.

Effect of age and social connection on perceived anxiety over radiation exposure among decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan

PubMed Central

Hidaka, Tomoo; Kakamu, Takeyasu; Hayakawa, Takehito; Kumagai, Tomohiro; Jinnouchi, Takanobu; Sato, Sei; Tsuji, Masayoshi; Nakano, Shinichi; Koyama, Kikuo; Fukushima, Tetsuhito

2016-01-01

Objectives: To reveal the effect of age and other factors on perceived anxiety over radiation exposure among decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Methods: A survey questionnaire was sent to 1505 workers, with questions regarding age, presence of a written employment contract, previous residence, radiation passbook ownership, presence of close persons for consultation, knowledge of how to access public assistance, and a four-point scale of radiation-related anxiety (1= "Very much," 2= "Somewhat," 3= "A little bit," and 4= "None" ). The relationships between the degree of anxiety and variables were analyzed using the chi-square test and residual analysis. Results: In all, 512 participants responded to the questionnaire. The mean age of participants was 46.2 years (SD: 13.1, range: 18-77). Of them, 50, 233, 168, and 61 workers chose "Very much," "Somewhat," "A little bit," and "None," respectively, on the anxiety scale. Chi-square test showed that participants aged 61 years and over had higher degrees of anxiety (p<0.001). Ordinal logistic regression showed that the degree of anxiety increased if they did not have a written contract (p=0.042) or persons to consult (p=0.034) and if they routinely checked the dose rate (p=0.046). Conclusions: Decontamination workers who do not have a written contract or who are in socially isolated situations have greater anxiety over radiation exposure. Thus, it is important to both create supportive human relationships for consultation and enhance labor management in individual companies. PMID:27010088

Relationships Analysis and Public Perception of the Healthy Plastic as One Solution to Healthy Living

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartatik; Hartono, R.; Purnomo, A.; Riasti, B. K.; Munawaroh, H.

2017-02-01

Direct Plastics are used for various human purposes, ranging from household to industry. Tableware and drink made of plastic is very practical to use, easy to clean, durable and cost far less than tableware made of the other material. However, must also be considered in terms of security in the use of plastic containers for food storage because there are adverse effects. There are seven types of plastic based material used, namely Polyethylene, Terephthalate, High Density Polyethylene, Polyvinyl Chloride or V/PVC, Low Density Polyethylene or LDPE, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, Plastics others including polycarbonate. Experts claims that the plastic code numbers 2, 4 and 5 are used for equipment safely eat/drink because it is more stable and safe if used correctly. In this study will analyze the relationship between the recent education, family income to perception and behavior in the use of plastics in food storage daily as one solution to healthy living. The population of this research is all the people in the Solo area particularly housewife and all the people in the productive age. Data were obtained through a survey with cluster random sampling method. Statistical method used is a parametric method and Chi Square test This method is used as an alternative method of parametric when some assumptions are not met. Based on the results of Chi Square test with α = 15% was concluded that recent education and income related to the behavior of people using plastic products as one of the solutions to Healthy Living.

The influence of family adaptability and cohesion on anxiety and depression of terminally ill cancer patients.

PubMed

Park, Young-Yoon; Jeong, Young-Jin; Lee, Junyong; Moon, Nayun; Bang, Inho; Kim, Hyunju; Yun, Kyung-Sook; Kim, Yong-I; Jeon, Tae-Hee

2018-01-01

This study investigated the effect of family members on terminally ill cancer patients by measuring the relationship of the presence of the family caregivers, visiting time by family and friends, and family adaptability and cohesion with patient's anxiety and depression. From June, 2016 to March, 2017, 100 terminally ill cancer patients who were admitted to a palliative care unit in Seoul, South Korea, were surveyed, and their medical records were reviewed. The Korean version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales III and Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale was used. Chi-square and multiple logistic regression analyses were used. The results of the chi-square analysis showed that the presence of family caregivers and family visit times did not have statistically significant effects on anxiety and depression in terminally ill cancer patients. In multiple logistic regression, when adjusted for age, sex, ECOG PS, and the monthly average income, the odds ratios (ORs) of the low family adaptability to anxiety and depression were 2.4 (1.03-5.83) and 5.4 (1.10-26.87), respectively. The OR of low family cohesion for depression was 5.4 (1.10-27.20) when adjusted for age, sex, ECOG PS, and monthly average household income. A higher family adaptability resulted in a lower degree of anxiety and depression in terminally ill cancer patients. The higher the family cohesion, the lower the degree of depression in the patient. The presence of the family caregiver and the visiting time by family and friends did not affect the patient's anxiety and depression.

Using Markov Chains to predict the natural progression of diabetic retinopathy

PubMed Central

Srikanth, Priyanka

2015-01-01

AIM To study the natural progression of diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS This was an observational study of 153 cases with type 2 diabetes from 2010 to 2013. The state of patient was noted at end of each year and transition matrices were developed to model movement between years. Patients who progressed to severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) were treated. Markov Chains and Chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS We modelled the transition of 153 patients from NPDR to blindness on an annual basis. At the end of year 3, we compared results from the Markov model versus actual data. The results from Chi-square test confirmed that there was statistically no significant difference (P=0.70) which provided assurance that the model was robust to estimate mean sojourn times. The key finding was that a patient entering the system in mild NPDR state is expected to stay in that state for 5y followed by 1.07y in moderate NPDR, be in the severe NPDR state for 1.33y before moving into PDR for roughly 8y. It is therefore expected that such a patient entering the model in a state of mild NPDR will enter blindness after 15.29y. CONCLUSION Patients stay for long time periods in mild NPDR before transitioning into moderate NPDR. However, they move rapidly from moderate NPDR to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and stay in that state for long periods before transitioning into blindness. PMID:25709923

Immunohistochemical study of p53 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in odontogenic keratocyst and periapical cyst.

PubMed

Sajeevan, Thara Purath; Saraswathi, Tillai Rajasekaran; Ranganathan, Kannan; Joshua, Elizabeth; Rao, Uma Devi K

2014-07-01

p53 protein is a product of p53 gene, which is now classified as a tumor suppressor gene. The gene is a frequent target for mutation, being seen as a common step in the pathogenesis of many human cancers. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is an auxiliary protein of DNA polymerase delta and plays a critical role in initiation of cell proliferation. The aim of this study is to assess and compare the expression of p53 and PCNA in lining epithelium of odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) and periapical cyst (PA). A total of 20 cases comprising 10 OKC and 10 PA were included in retrospective study. Three paraffin section of 4 μm were cut, one was used for routine hematoxylin and eosin stain, while the other two were used for immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test. The level of staining and intensity were assessed in all these cases. OKC showed PCNA expression in all cases (100%), whereas in perapical cyst only 60% of cases exhibited PCNA staining. (1) OKC showed p53 expression in 6 cases (60%) whereas in PA only 10% of the cases exhibited p53 staining. Chi-square test showed PCNA staining intensity was more significant than p53 in OKC. (2) The staining intensity of PA using p53, PCNA revealed that PCNA stating intensity was more significant than p53. OKC shows significant proliferative activity than PA using PCNA and p53. PCNA staining was more intense when compared with p53 in both OKC and PA.

A comparative analysis of Science-Technology-Society standards in elementary, middle and high school state science curriculum frameworks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobias, Karen Marie

An analysis of curriculum frameworks from the fifty states to ascertain the compliance with the National Science Education Standards for integrating Science-Technology-Society (STS) themes is reported within this dissertation. Science standards for all fifty states were analyzed to determine if the STS criteria were integrated at the elementary, middle, and high school levels of education. The analysis determined the compliance level for each state, then compared each educational level to see if the compliance was similar across the levels. Compliance is important because research shows that using STS themes in the science classroom increases the student's understanding of the concepts, increases the student's problem solving skills, increases the student's self-efficacy with respect to science, and students instructed using STS themes score well on science high stakes tests. The two hypotheses for this study are: (1) There is no significant difference in the degree of compliance to Science-Technology-Society themes (derived from National Science Education Standards) between the elementary, middle, and high school levels. (2) There is no significant difference in the degree of compliance to Science-Technology-Society themes (derived from National Science Education Standards) between the elementary, middle, and high school level when examined individually. The Analysis of Variance F ratio was used to determine the variance between and within the three educational levels. This analysis addressed hypothesis one. The Analysis of Variance results refused to reject the null hypothesis, meaning there is significant difference in the compliance to STS themes between the elementary, middle and high school educational levels. The Chi-Square test was the statistical analysis used to compare the educational levels for each individual criterion. This analysis addressed hypothesis two. The Chi-Squared results showed that none of the states were equally compliant with each individual criterion across the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The National Science Education Standards were created with the input of thousands of people and over twenty scientific and educational societies. The standards were tested in numerous classrooms and showed an increase in science literacy for the students. With the No Child Left Behind legislation and Project 2061, the attainment of a science literate society will be helped by the adoption of the NSES standards and the STS themes into the American classrooms.

Ex-post-facto analysis of competitive employment outcomes for individuals with mental retardation: national perspective.

PubMed

Moore, Corey L; Harley, Debra A; Gamble, David

2004-08-01

Disparities in proportions of competitive job placements and provision of vocational rehabilitation services by level of mental retardation were identified for 28,565 individuals. Chi-square results reveal that consumers with mild mental retardation are significantly more likely to achieve competitive jobs compared to those with more severe levels. Logistic regression indicated that the odds of achieving a competitive job for consumers receiving job placement services, business/vocational training, and counseling were nearly two times that of individuals not receiving such services. Findings suggest that a significantly lower proportion of these services were provided to consumers with severe/profound mental retardation. Implications of findings for service, research, and policy are discussed.

Endodontic flare-ups: a prospective study.

PubMed

Alves, Vanessa de Oliveira

2010-11-01

The objective of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate the incidence of flare-ups (pain and/or swelling requiring endodontic interappointment and emergency treatment) and identify the risk factors associated with their occurrence in patients who received endodontic treatment from June 2006 to June 2007 at the endodontics clinic of the São Paulo Dental Association (APCD), Jardim Paulista branch, São Paulo, Brazil. The incidence of flare-ups was 1.71% out of 408 teeth that had received endodontic therapy. Statistical analysis using the chi-squared test (P < .05) indicated a direct correlation between the flare-up rate and the presence of a periradicular radiolucency. Copyright © 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sentiment analysis of feature ranking methods for classification accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joseph, Shashank; Mugauri, Calvin; Sumathy, S.

2017-11-01

Text pre-processing and feature selection are important and critical steps in text mining. Text pre-processing of large volumes of datasets is a difficult task as unstructured raw data is converted into structured format. Traditional methods of processing and weighing took much time and were less accurate. To overcome this challenge, feature ranking techniques have been devised. A feature set from text preprocessing is fed as input for feature selection. Feature selection helps improve text classification accuracy. Of the three feature selection categories available, the filter category will be the focus. Five feature ranking methods namely: document frequency, standard deviation information gain, CHI-SQUARE, and weighted-log likelihood -ratio is analyzed.

Attitudes toward physical education and class preferences of Turkish adolescents in terms of school gender composition.

PubMed

Koca, Canan; Aşçi, F Hülya; Demirhan, Giyasettin

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes toward physical education (PE and PE class preferences of high school Turkish students in terms of school gender composition; 213 girls and 249 boys from coeducational public schools, and 196 girls and 210 boys from single-sex vocational schools participated in the study. The Attitudes Toward Physical Education Scale was administered and the results of 2 x 2 (Gender x School Type) ANOVA indicated that students in coeducational schools in general, and boys had more favorable attitudes. Additionally, chi-square analysis demonstrated significant differences in PE class preferences between students from single-sex and coeducational schools and between girls and boys.

Coronal temperatures of unusually active K-dwarf binary systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stern, Robert A.

1994-01-01

We report the results of a ROSAT pointed study of 4 BY Dra systems. Good quality pulse-height spectra are available from all four systems. Except for a required interstellar absorption component in HD 319139, the four systems have remarkably similar x-ray spectra; the two systems BD +22deg.669 and BD +23deg.635 look virtually identical in x rays. Analysis of the 4 x-ray spectra reveals that, in all cases, a single-temperature hot plasma (RS or Mewe) spectra is inadequate to fit the data, and two temperatures are required. We present examples of fitted pulse-height spectra and chi squared contours in kT(sub 1)-kT(sub 2) space.

Unhealthy Lifestyle Behaviors in Korean People with Metabolic Syndrome.

PubMed

Moon, Seongmi

2017-01-01

This study identified factors associated with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors in people with metabolic syndrome in South Korea. The sample consisted of 1,207 subjects with metabolic syndrome from the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2014. High-risk alcohol consumption, smoking, aerobic physical activity, leisure physical activity, excessive carbohydrate intake, and fat intake were measured. A secondary data analysis was performed using chi-square tests and logistic regression. Gender was associated with all unhealthy behaviors. The number of metabolic syndrome components, a poor perceived health status, and attempts to control weight were associated with physical inactivity. Those findings may be helpful to develop a tailored lifestyle modification programs for people with metabolic syndrome.

[Physical activity practice by adolescents from Fortaleza, CE, Brazil].

PubMed

de Freitas, Roberto Wagner Júnior Freire; da Silva, Ana Roberta Vilarouca; de Araújo, Márcio Flávio Moura; Marinho, Niciane Bandeira Pessoa; Damasceno, Marta Maria Coelho; de Oliveira, Marcos Renato

2010-01-01

It aimed to learn the daily habits related to the physical activity practice among private state schools adolescents in Fortaleza-Brazil. We investigated 307 students between 12 and 17 years old from six private schools, in the months March to June 2007. We applied a form which recorded sedentarism, BMI, blood pressure and blood glucose. The chi-squared test was used for to analysis the proportions. About 68% of young people were sedentary. The sedentarism was higher in females surveyed (p=0, 000) and those with over-weight (p=0,001). Among adolescents active exercise was the most practiced football (42%) and weights (19%). The health education in schools can assist in combating the sedentarism of the adolescents.

A Comparison of Drug Use between Prostitutes and Other Female Arrestees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yacoubian, George S., Jr.; Urbach, Blake J.; Larsen, Kristine L.; Johnson, Regina J.; Peters, Ronald J., Jr.

2000-01-01

In this study, drug use data were collected from 3,587 female arrestees surveyed through Houston's Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program. Chi-square statistics indicated females arrested for prostitution were significantly more likely to test positive for cocaine than the non-prostitutes. Implications for drug treatment and public health…

A General Family of Limited Information Goodness-of-Fit Statistics for Multinomial Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joe, Harry; Maydeu-Olivares, Alberto

2010-01-01

Maydeu-Olivares and Joe (J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 100:1009-1020, "2005"; Psychometrika 71:713-732, "2006") introduced classes of chi-square tests for (sparse) multidimensional multinomial data based on low-order marginal proportions. Our extension provides general conditions under which quadratic forms in linear functions of cell residuals are…

Incentives and barriers to physical activity for working women.

PubMed

Jaffee, L; Lutter, J M; Rex, J; Hawkes, C; Bucaccio, P

1999-01-01

A questionnaire was completed by 393 working women to examine incentives and barriers to physical activity based on the stages of change from the transtheoretical model. Using Chi Square tests, differences were found across the five stages suggesting that work site programs be designed and tailored for women at different stages of readiness.

Bem Sex Role Inventory Undifferentiated Score: A Comparison of Sexual Dysfunction Patients with Sexual Offenders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dwyer, Margretta; And Others

1988-01-01

Examined Bem Sex Role undifferentiated scores on 93 male sex offenders as compared with 50 male sexually dysfunctional patients. Chi-square analyses revealed significant difference: offenders obtained undifferentiated scores more often than did sexual dysfunctional population. Concluded that Bem Sex Role Inventory is useful in identifying sexual…

An Examination of Construct Validity for the EARLI Numeracy Skill Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Weiyi; Lei, Pui-Wa; DiPerna, James C.

2017-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to examine dimensionality and concurrent validity evidence of the EARLI numeracy measures (DiPerna, Morgan, & Lei, 2007), which were developed to assess key skills such as number identification, counting, and basic arithmetic. Two methods (NOHARM with approximate chi-square test and DIMTEST with DETECT…

A Comparison of Latent Growth Models for Constructs Measured by Multiple Items

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leite, Walter L.

2007-01-01

Univariate latent growth modeling (LGM) of composites of multiple items (e.g., item means or sums) has been frequently used to analyze the growth of latent constructs. This study evaluated whether LGM of composites yields unbiased parameter estimates, standard errors, chi-square statistics, and adequate fit indexes. Furthermore, LGM was compared…

Ensuring Positiveness of the Scaled Difference Chi-Square Test Statistic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Satorra, Albert; Bentler, Peter M.

2010-01-01

A scaled difference test statistic T[tilde][subscript d] that can be computed from standard software of structural equation models (SEM) by hand calculations was proposed in Satorra and Bentler (Psychometrika 66:507-514, 2001). The statistic T[tilde][subscript d] is asymptotically equivalent to the scaled difference test statistic T[bar][subscript…

Fearful and Distracted in School: Predicting Bullying among Youths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewer, Steven Lawrence, Jr.; Meckley-Brewer, Hannah; Stinson, Philip M.

2017-01-01

Bullying and aggression in schools can have a traumatic and lasting effect on the well-being of children and youths. Using data from the 2013 National Crime Victimization Survey's School Crime Supplement, this study uses a chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID) decision tree and logistic regression models to identify factors that…

Private Middle School Parents' Perspectives Regarding School-Located Immunization Programs (SLIPs)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Venkatesh, Sheila R.; Acosta, Amy B.; Middleman, Amy B.

2013-01-01

The perspectives of parents of private middle school students regarding the use of school-located immunization programs (SLIPs) are unknown. Parents of private middle school students in a large, urban setting were surveyed "N" = 1,210) regarding their willingness to use SLIPs. Analyses included frequencies and chi-square analyses. Data…

Latino High School Students' Perceptions of Caring: Keys to Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garza, Rubén; Soto Huerta, Mary Esther

2014-01-01

This mixed methods investigation specifically examined Latino high school adolescents' perceptions of teacher behaviors that demonstrate caring. A chi-square test was conducted to analyze the frequency of responses, and focus group interviews were conducted to expand on the results. The data indicated that although Latino male students were as…

In Their Own Voices: Latino Student Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longerbeam, Susan D.; Sedlacek, William E.; Alatorre, Helen M.

2004-01-01

In a study of 2,991 college students, researchers found significant differences between Latino and non-Latino students using MANOVA and chi-square statistics. Latino students were more likely to embrace diversity than non-Latino students, and were more likely to be concerned about financing their college educations. In addition, they were more…

Some Exact Conditional Tests of Independence for R X C Cross-Classification Tables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agresti, Alan; Wackerly, Dennis

1977-01-01

Exact conditional tests of independence in cross-classification tables are formulated based on chi square and other statistics with stronger operational interpretations, such as some nominal and ordinal measures of association. Guidelines for table dimensions and sample sizes for which the tests are economically implemented on a computer are…

Impact of Physical Activity on Obesity and Lipid Profile of Adults with Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gawlik, Krystyna; Zwierzchowska, Anna; Celebanska, Diana

2018-01-01

Introduction: This study assessed overweight, obesity and lipid profiles in adults with intellectual disability and compared these metrics with their physical activity. Materials and Method: Basic somatic parameters, lipid profile and weekly physical activity were examined in 27 adults with moderate intellectual disability. Chi-square independence…

A Probability Based Framework for Testing the Missing Data Mechanism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Johnny Cheng-Han

2013-01-01

Many methods exist for imputing missing data but fewer methods have been proposed to test the missing data mechanism. Little (1988) introduced a multivariate chi-square test for the missing completely at random data mechanism (MCAR) that compares observed means for each pattern with expectation-maximization (EM) estimated means. As an alternative,…

A Monte Carlo Approach to Unidimensionality Testing in Polytomous Rasch Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Karl Bang; Kreiner, Svend

2007-01-01

Many statistical tests are designed to test the different assumptions of the Rasch model, but only few are directed at detecting multidimensionality. The Martin-Lof test is an attractive approach, the disadvantage being that its null distribution deviates strongly from the asymptotic chi-square distribution for most realistic sample sizes. A Monte…

Preliminary Drivers Associated with Household Food Waste Generation in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramukhwatho, Fhumulani; duPlessis, Roelien; Oelofse, Suzan

2018-01-01

This study assessed the potential drivers of household food wastage in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. A total of 210 participants were interviewed face-to-face using structured questionnaire. The acquired data were captured in Microsoft Excel, and analyzed using the chi-square statistical test and SAS statistical software. The main…

Perspectives of Teachers Regarding Inclusive Education in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deku, Prosper; Vanderpuye, Irene

2017-01-01

The study explored teachers' perspectives on the curriculum, the physical environment and their preparation for the inclusive education programme. Data was collected using questionnaires. A sample of 120 teachers from schools identified as inclusive was used for the study. The t-test of independent samples and chi-square test were used to analyse…

On the null distribution of Bayes factors in linear regression

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We show that under the null, the 2 log (Bayes factor) is asymptotically distributed as a weighted sum of chi-squared random variables with a shifted mean. This claim holds for Bayesian multi-linear regression with a family of conjugate priors, namely, the normal-inverse-gamma prior, the g-prior, and...

The Effects of Selection Strategies for Bivariate Loglinear Smoothing Models on NEAT Equating Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moses, Tim; Holland, Paul W.

2010-01-01

In this study, eight statistical strategies were evaluated for selecting the parameterizations of loglinear models for smoothing the bivariate test score distributions used in nonequivalent groups with anchor test (NEAT) equating. Four of the strategies were based on significance tests of chi-square statistics (Likelihood Ratio, Pearson,…

HIV/AIDS-Anxiety among Adolescent Students in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onyewadume, Mary Adeola

2008-01-01

This research investigated the incidence of HIV/AIDS anxiety among students in Botswana. The sample comprised 240 randomly selected students from six schools in three districts in Botswana, with data collected via a questionnaire. Percentages and Chi-square were used to analyze the extent to which the students were anxious about HIV/AIDS and if…

Inactive Hepatitis B Carrier and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Keramat, Afsaneh; Younesian, Masud; Gholami Fesharaki, Mohammad; Hasani, Maryam; Mirzaei, Samaneh; Ebrahimi, Elham; Alavian, Seyed Moaed; Mohammadi, Fatemeh

2017-04-01

We aimed to explore whether maternal asymptomatic hepatitis B (HB) infection effects on pre-term rupture of membranous (PROM), stillbirth, preeclampsia, eclampsia, gestational hypertension, or antepartum hemorrhage. We searched the PubMed, Scopus, and ISI web of science from 1990 to Feb 2015. In addition, electronic literature searches supplemented by searching the gray literature (e.g., conference abstracts thesis and the result of technical reports) and scanning the reference lists of included studies and relevant systematic reviews. We explored statistical heterogeneity using the, I2 and tau-squared (Tau2) statistical tests. Eighteen studies were included. Preterm rupture of membranous (PROM), stillbirth, preeclampsia, eclampsia, gestational hypertension and antepartum hemorrhage were considerable outcomes in this survey. The results showed no significant association between inactive HB and these complications in pregnancy. The small amounts of P -value and chi-square and large amount of I2 suggested the probable heterogeneity in this part, which we tried to modify with statistical methods such as subgroup analysis. Inactive HB infection did not increase the risk of adversely mentioned outcomes in this study. Further, well-designed studies should be performed to confirm the results.

Making Nasopalatine Blocks Comfortable: A Randomised Prospective Clinical Comparison of Pain Associated with the Injection Using an Insulin Syringe and a Standard Disposable 3 mL Syringe.

PubMed

Prabhu, Sundararaman; Faizel, Syed; Pahlajani, Vedant; Prabhu, Shweta Jha

2013-12-01

This study was conducted to compare and evaluate the pain associated with administration of Nasopalatine blocks using a disposable insulin syringe and the conventional disposable 3 mL syringe. Forty patients requiring intraalveolar extractions of maxillary central incisors were randomly assigned to two groups of 20 patients each; one (Group A) received the nasopalatine block with a standard 3mL syringe and the other (Group B) received the block with an insulin syringe. Patients were asked to rate the pain associated with the injection on a visual analog scale (VAS) and the results were analysed using a Chi Square Test. The mean VAS score for Group A and B was 1.55 and 1 respectively. Chi Square value was calculated to be 8.603 (degree of freedom= 3, P value= 0.0351). There were no differences in the effectiveness of anesthesia between the groups. Pain associated with administration of the nasopalatine blocks may be significantly mitigated by using the Insulin syringe.

Power and sensitivity of alternative fit indices in tests of measurement invariance.

PubMed

Meade, Adam W; Johnson, Emily C; Braddy, Phillip W

2008-05-01

Confirmatory factor analytic tests of measurement invariance (MI) based on the chi-square statistic are known to be highly sensitive to sample size. For this reason, G. W. Cheung and R. B. Rensvold (2002) recommended using alternative fit indices (AFIs) in MI investigations. In this article, the authors investigated the performance of AFIs with simulated data known to not be invariant. The results indicate that AFIs are much less sensitive to sample size and are more sensitive to a lack of invariance than chi-square-based tests of MI. The authors suggest reporting differences in comparative fit index (CFI) and R. P. McDonald's (1989) noncentrality index (NCI) to evaluate whether MI exists. Although a general value of change in CFI (.002) seemed to perform well in the analyses, condition specific change in McDonald's NCI values exhibited better performance than a single change in McDonald's NCI value. Tables of these values are provided as are recommendations for best practices in MI testing. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

Classifying galaxy spectra at 0.5 < z < 1 with self-organizing maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmani, S.; Teimoorinia, H.; Barmby, P.

2018-05-01

The spectrum of a galaxy contains information about its physical properties. Classifying spectra using templates helps elucidate the nature of a galaxy's energy sources. In this paper, we investigate the use of self-organizing maps in classifying galaxy spectra against templates. We trained semi-supervised self-organizing map networks using a set of templates covering the wavelength range from far ultraviolet to near infrared. The trained networks were used to classify the spectra of a sample of 142 galaxies with 0.5 < z < 1 and the results compared to classifications performed using K-means clustering, a supervised neural network, and chi-squared minimization. Spectra corresponding to quiescent galaxies were more likely to be classified similarly by all methods while starburst spectra showed more variability. Compared to classification using chi-squared minimization or the supervised neural network, the galaxies classed together by the self-organizing map had more similar spectra. The class ordering provided by the one-dimensional self-organizing maps corresponds to an ordering in physical properties, a potentially important feature for the exploration of large datasets.

Smile line and occlusion: An epidemiological study

PubMed Central

Harati, Mahsa; Mostofi, Shahbaz Naser; Jalalian, Ezzatollah; Rezvani, Gholamreza

2013-01-01

Background: The purpose of the present study was to discuss some new concepts of the desirable characteristics of smile tooth display. Due to the increasing application of cosmetic dental treatments, there is an increasing need for better understanding of the esthetic principles. Materials and Methods: In the present descriptive study, with 212 participants, included were patients with no history of orthodontic treatment, loss or prosthetic replacement of anterior teeth, extracted teeth, lips with asymmetry or a history of trauma. Chi-square test was used to determine possible significances in the relation of smile line to Angle occlusion class, overbite and overjet and arch form. A P level of <0.05 was set as to be significant. Results: Chi-square test indicated that there was a significant difference between the smile design and overbite, overjet and gender but no statistically significant association was found between the smile design and crossbite, molar Angle classification and arch form. Conclusion: Within the limitations of such studies, it might be concluded that there is a significant and important relation between some occlusal parameters and smile design, which must be considered. PMID:24379858

Smile line and occlusion: An epidemiological study.

PubMed

Harati, Mahsa; Mostofi, Shahbaz Naser; Jalalian, Ezzatollah; Rezvani, Gholamreza

2013-11-01

The purpose of the present study was to discuss some new concepts of the desirable characteristics of smile tooth display. Due to the increasing application of cosmetic dental treatments, there is an increasing need for better understanding of the esthetic principles. In the present descriptive study, with 212 participants, included were patients with no history of orthodontic treatment, loss or prosthetic replacement of anterior teeth, extracted teeth, lips with asymmetry or a history of trauma. Chi-square test was used to determine possible significances in the relation of smile line to Angle occlusion class, overbite and overjet and arch form. A P level of <0.05 was set as to be significant. Chi-square test indicated that there was a significant difference between the smile design and overbite, overjet and gender but no statistically significant association was found between the smile design and crossbite, molar Angle classification and arch form. Within the limitations of such studies, it might be concluded that there is a significant and important relation between some occlusal parameters and smile design, which must be considered.

Prediction of protein subcellular localization by weighted gene ontology terms.

PubMed

Chi, Sang-Mun

2010-08-27

We develop a new weighting approach of gene ontology (GO) terms for predicting protein subcellular localization. The weights of individual GO terms, corresponding to their contribution to the prediction algorithm, are determined by the term-weighting methods used in text categorization. We evaluate several term-weighting methods, which are based on inverse document frequency, information gain, gain ratio, odds ratio, and chi-square and its variants. Additionally, we propose a new term-weighting method based on the logarithmic transformation of chi-square. The proposed term-weighting method performs better than other term-weighting methods, and also outperforms state-of-the-art subcellular prediction methods. Our proposed method achieves 98.1%, 99.3%, 98.1%, 98.1%, and 95.9% overall accuracies for the animal BaCelLo independent dataset (IDS), fungal BaCelLo IDS, animal Höglund IDS, fungal Höglund IDS, and PLOC dataset, respectively. Furthermore, the close correlation between high-weighted GO terms and subcellular localizations suggests that our proposed method appropriately weights GO terms according to their relevance to the localizations. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A chi-square goodness-of-fit test for non-identically distributed random variables: with application to empirical Bayes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Conover, W.J.; Cox, D.D.; Martz, H.F.

1997-12-01

When using parametric empirical Bayes estimation methods for estimating the binomial or Poisson parameter, the validity of the assumed beta or gamma conjugate prior distribution is an important diagnostic consideration. Chi-square goodness-of-fit tests of the beta or gamma prior hypothesis are developed for use when the binomial sample sizes or Poisson exposure times vary. Nine examples illustrate the application of the methods, using real data from such diverse applications as the loss of feedwater flow rates in nuclear power plants, the probability of failure to run on demand and the failure rates of the high pressure coolant injection systems atmore » US commercial boiling water reactors, the probability of failure to run on demand of emergency diesel generators in US commercial nuclear power plants, the rate of failure of aircraft air conditioners, baseball batting averages, the probability of testing positive for toxoplasmosis, and the probability of tumors in rats. The tests are easily applied in practice by means of corresponding Mathematica{reg_sign} computer programs which are provided.« less

A note on the misuses of the variance test in meteorological studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazra, Arnab; Bhattacharya, Sourabh; Banik, Pabitra; Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi

2017-12-01

Stochastic modeling of rainfall data is an important area in meteorology. The gamma distribution is a widely used probability model for non-zero rainfall. Typically the choice of the distribution for such meteorological studies is based on two goodness-of-fit tests—the Pearson's Chi-square test and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Inspired by the index of dispersion introduced by Fisher (Statistical methods for research workers. Hafner Publishing Company Inc., New York, 1925), Mooley (Mon Weather Rev 101:160-176, 1973) proposed the variance test as a goodness-of-fit measure in this context and a number of researchers have implemented it since then. We show that the asymptotic distribution of the test statistic for the variance test is generally not comparable to any central Chi-square distribution and hence the test is erroneous. We also describe a method for checking the validity of the asymptotic distribution for a class of distributions. We implement the erroneous test on some simulated, as well as real datasets and demonstrate how it leads to some wrong conclusions.

Relationship between risk factors and activities of daily living using modified Shah Barthel Index in stroke patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusumaningsih, W.; Rachmayanti, S.; Werdhani, R. A.

2017-08-01

Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are the most common risk factors of stroke. The study aimed to determine the relationship between hypertension and diabetes mellitus risk factors and dependence on assistance with activities of daily living in chronic stroke patients. The study used an analytical observational cross-sectional design. The study’s sample included 44 stroke patients selected using the quota sampling method. The relationship between the variables was analyzed using the bivariate chi-squared test and multivariate logistic regression. Based on the chi-squared test, the relationship between the Modified Shah Barthel Index (MSBI) score and hypertension and diabetes mellitus as stroke risk factors, were p = 0.122 and p = 0.002, respectively. The logistic regression results suggest that hypertension and diabetes mellitus are stroke risk factors related to the MSBI score: p = 0.076 (OR 4.076; CI 95% 0.861-19.297) and p = 0.007 (OR 22.690; CI 95% 2.332-220.722), respectively. Diabetes mellitus is the most prominent risk factor of severe dependency on assistance with activities of daily living in chronic stroke patients.

On the treatment of ill-conditioned cases in the Monte Carlo library least-squares approach for inverse radiation analyzers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meric, Ilker; Johansen, Geir A.; Holstad, Marie B.; Mattingly, John; Gardner, Robin P.

2012-05-01

Prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) has been and still is one of the major methods of choice for the elemental analysis of various bulk samples. This is mostly due to the fact that PGNAA offers a rapid, non-destructive and on-line means of sample interrogation. The quantitative analysis of the prompt gamma-ray data could, on the other hand, be performed either through the single peak analysis or the so-called Monte Carlo library least-squares (MCLLS) approach, of which the latter has been shown to be more sensitive and more accurate than the former. The MCLLS approach is based on the assumption that the total prompt gamma-ray spectrum of any sample is a linear combination of the contributions from the individual constituents or libraries. This assumption leads to, through the minimization of the chi-square value, a set of linear equations which has to be solved to obtain the library multipliers, a process that involves the inversion of the covariance matrix. The least-squares solution may be extremely uncertain due to the ill-conditioning of the covariance matrix. The covariance matrix will become ill-conditioned whenever, in the subsequent calculations, two or more libraries are highly correlated. The ill-conditioning will also be unavoidable whenever the sample contains trace amounts of certain elements or elements with significantly low thermal neutron capture cross-sections. In this work, a new iterative approach, which can handle the ill-conditioning of the covariance matrix, is proposed and applied to a hydrocarbon multiphase flow problem in which the parameters of interest are the separate amounts of the oil, gas, water and salt phases. The results of the proposed method are also compared with the results obtained through the implementation of a well-known regularization method, the truncated singular value decomposition. Final calculations indicate that the proposed approach would be able to treat ill-conditioned cases appropriately.

Development of a scale to measure consumer perception of the risks involved in consuming raw vegetable salad in full-service restaurants.

PubMed

Danelon, Mariana Schievano; Salay, Elisabete

2012-12-01

The importance of the number of meals taken away-from-home represents an opportunity to promote consumption of vegetables in this context. However, the perception of risk may interfere with the food consumption behavior. The objective of this research was to develop a scale to measure consumer perception of the risks involved in consuming raw vegetable salad in full-service restaurants. The following research steps were carried out: item elaboration; content validity; scale purification (item-total correlation, internal consistency and exploratory factor analysis); and construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis). Non-probabilistic samples of consumers were interviewed (a total of 672 individuals) in the city of Campinas, Brazil. Several analyses were carried out using the Predictive Analytics Software 18.0 and LISREL 8.80. The final scale contained 26 items with an adequate content validity index (0.97) and Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.93). The confirmatory factor analysis validates a six risk type factor model: physical, psychological, social, time, financial and performance (chi-square/degrees of freedom=2.29, root mean square error of approximation - RMSEA=0.060 and comparative fit index - CFI=0.98). The scale developed presented satisfactory reliability and validity results and could therefore be employed in further studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The relationship between the availability of the supporting elements of pedestrian with pedestrian crossing facility usage based on user preferences (Case Study corridor of Sumbersari Street, Gajayana Street, MT. Haryono Street, Malang City)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soetrisno, D. P.

2017-06-01

Pedestrian crossing facilities are effective enough to avoid pedestrians with vehicles, but its utilization is still quite low. It indicated that safety is not the only factor that influences a person to utilize the pedestrian crossing facilities. In addition, the availability of supporting elements of the pedestrian is still not quite attention, which is also became a factor that causes the pedestrians doesn’t utilize the pedestrian crossing facilities. Therefore, this research was structured to examine the relationship between the availability of the supporting elements of the pedestrian with pedestrian crossing facility usage based on user preferences. Data collection method used is primary survey consist of observation and the questionnaire. Sampling techniques used is purposive sampling with the number of respondents as many as 211 respondents by using questionnaire with ordinal scales to identify respondents’ consideration level of supporting elements pedestrian and crossing facility utilization factors. The survey is done on 15 crossing facilities area in 3 different locations with the same characteristics of land use in the form of higher education area (university area) and trades and services activities area. The analysis technique used is frequency distribution analysis in order to identify preference pedestrian on the availability of supporting elements of pedestrian and pedestrian crossing facility utilization factors, and chi square analysis is used to analyze the relationship between the availability of the supporting elements of the pedestrian with pedestrian crossing facility utilization. Based on the chi square analysis results with significance 5 % obtained the result that there are six supporting elements of pedestrian having correlation to the factors of pedestrian crossing facility utilization consist of the availability of sidewalk, pedestrian lights, Street Lighting Lamps, Pedestrian Crossing Markings Facilities, Sign Crossings Facilities, vegetation, and dustbin. So the result of this research can be considered for the government as main stakehoder especially the local government in preparing policy to provide supporting elements of pedestrian that should be on the area of pedestrian crossing facilities.

Factors affecting planned return to work after trauma: A prospective descriptive qualitative and quantitative study.

PubMed

Folkard, S S; Bloomfield, T D; Page, P R J; Wilson, D; Ricketts, D M; Rogers, B A

2016-12-01

The use of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in trauma is limited. The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate qualitative responses and factors affecting planned return to work following significant trauma, for which there is currently a poor evidence base. National ethical approval was obtained for routine prospective PROMs data collection, including EQ-5D, between Sept 2013 and March 2015 for trauma patients admitted to the Sussex Major Trauma Centre (n=92). 84 trauma patients disclosed their intended return to work at discharge. Additional open questions asked 'things done well' and 'things to be improved'. EQ-5D responses were valued using the time trade-off method. Statistical analysis between multiple variables was completed by ANOVA, and with categorical categories by Chi squared analysis. Only 18/68 of patients working at admission anticipated returning to work within 14days post-discharge. The injury severity scores (ISS) of those predicting return to work within two weeks and those predicting return to work longer than two weeks were 14.17 and 13.59, respectively. Increased physicality of work showed a trend towards poorer return to work outcomes, although non-significant in Chi-squared test in groups predicting return in less than or greater than two weeks (4.621, p=0.2017ns). No significant difference was demonstrated in the comparative incomes of patients with different estimated return to work outcomes (ANOVA r 2 =0.001, P=0.9590ns). EQ-5D scores were higher in those predicting return to work within two weeks when compared to greater than two weeks. Qualitative thematic content analysis of open responses was possible for 66/92 of respondents. Prominent positive themes were: care, staff, professionalism, and communication. Prominent negative themes were: food, ward response time, and communication. This pilot study highlights the importance of qualitative PROMs analysis in leading patient-driven improvements in trauma care. We provide standard deviations for ISS scores and EQ-5D scores in our general trauma cohort, for use in sample size calculations for further studies analysing factors affecting return to work after trauma. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of rotational speed, torque and operator's proficiency on ProFile failures.

PubMed

Yared, G M; Bou Dagher, F E; Machtou, P

2001-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of rotational speed, torque, and operator experience with a specific Ni-Ti rotary instrumentation technique on the incidence of locking, deformation and separation of instruments. ProFile Ni-Ti rotary instruments (PRI) sizes 40-15 with a 6% taper were used in a crown-down technique. In one group of canals (n = 300) speeds of 150, 250 and 350 rpm (subgroups 1, 2 and 3) were used. Each one of the subgroups included 100 canals. In a second group (n = 300) torque was set at 20, 30 and 55 Ncm (subgroups 4, 5 and 6). In the third group (n = 300) three operators with varying experience (subgroups 7, 8 and 9) were also compared. Each subgroup included the use of 10 sets of PRI and 100 canals of extracted human molars. Each set of PRI was used in up to 10 canals and then sterilized before each case. NaOCl 2.5% was used as an irrigant. The number of locked, deformed, and separated instruments for the different groups, and within each part of the study was analysed statistically for significance with chi-squared tests. In group 1 only one instrument was deformed in the 150-rpm group and no instruments separated or locked. In the 250-rpm group instrument separation did not occur, however, a high incidence of locking, deformation and separation was noted in the 350-rpm group. In general, instrument sizes 30-15 locked, deformed and separated. Chi-squared statistics showed a significant difference between the 150 and 350 rpm groups but no difference between the 150 and 250 rpm groups with regard to instrument separation. Overall, there was a trend toward a higher incidence of instrument deformation and separation in smaller instruments. Locking and separation occurred during the final passage of the instruments, in the last (tenth) canal in each subgroup. In the second group, neither separation nor deformation and locking occurred during the use of the ProFile instruments, at 150 rpm, and at the different torque values. In the third group, chi-squared analysis demonstrated that significantly more instruments separated with the least experienced operator. Instrument locking, deformation, and separation did not occur with the most experienced operator. Preclinical training in the use of the PRI technique with crown-down at 150 rpm were crucial in avoiding instrument separation and reducing the incidence of instrument locking and deformation.

Monte Carlo Shower Counter Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, H. David

1991-01-01

Activities and accomplishments related to the Monte Carlo shower counter studies are summarized. A tape of the VMS version of the GEANT software was obtained and installed on the central computer at Gallaudet University. Due to difficulties encountered in updating this VMS version, a decision was made to switch to the UNIX version of the package. This version was installed and used to generate the set of data files currently accessed by various analysis programs. The GEANT software was used to write files of data for positron and proton showers. Showers were simulated for a detector consisting of 50 alternating layers of lead and scintillator. Each file consisted of 1000 events at each of the following energies: 0.1, 0.5, 2.0, 10, 44, and 200 GeV. Data analysis activities related to clustering, chi square, and likelihood analyses are summarized. Source code for the GEANT user subprograms and data analysis programs are provided along with example data plots.

[Analysis on genetic polymorphism of 5 STR loci selected from X chromosome].

PubMed

Liu, Qi-ji; Gong, Yao-qin; Zhang, Xi-yu; Gao, Gui-min; Li, Jiang-xia; Guo, Yi-shou

2005-02-01

To select short tandem repeats(STR) from X chromosome. STR is a universal genetic marker that has changeable polymorphism and stable heredity in human genome. It is a specific DNA segment composed of 2-6 base pairs as its core sequence. It is an ideal DNA marker used in linkage analysis and gene mapping. In this study, 8 short tandem repeats were selected from two genomic clones on X chromosome by using BCM Search Launcher. Primers amplifying the STR loci were designed by using Primer 3.0 according to the unique sequence flanking the STRs. Polymorphisms of the short tandem repeats in Chinese population were evaluated by PCR amplification and PAGE. Five of these STRs were polymorphic. Chi-square test indicated that the distribution of genotypes agreed with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P>0.05). Five polymorphic short tandem repeats have been identified on chromosome X and will be useful for linkage analysis and gene mapping.

Surgeons in Difficulty: An Exploration of Differences in Assistance-Seeking Behaviors between Male and Female Surgeons.

PubMed

Sanfey, Hilary; Fromson, John; Mellinger, John; Rakinic, Jan; Williams, Michael; Williams, Betsy

2015-08-01

Physician burnout is associated with diminished ability to practice with requisite skill and safety. Physicians are often reluctant to seek help for an impaired colleague or for impairment that affects their own ability to practice. To better support surgeons in difficulty, we explored sex differences in assistance-seeking behaviors under stress. Surgeons in 3 national societies completed an IRB-approved anonymous multiple-choice and free-text response survey. Responses were explored with the general linear model using item-specific continuous and categorical methods. Two hundred and twelve surgeons (n = 79 [37.3%] male, n = 133 [63%] female) responded. Although men and women worked similar hours (p > 0.05), women worked more clinical (p < 0.01) and fewer administrative hours (p < 0.01) in later age (F = 7.88; degrees of freedom [df] 4/145; p < 0.01). Women were less satisfied with work-life balance, as identified by aggregate variables related to emotional/decisional partnership, non-work-related chore support, and personal fulfillment (F = 15.29; df 3/16; p < 0.01), but change jobs less frequently (F = 4.23; df 1/201; p < 0.05). Males are more likely to seek help from colleagues (chi-square 107.5; p < 0.01) or friends (chi-square 123.8; p < 0.01) and women are more likely to seek support from professional counselors (chi-square 146.8; p < 0.01). Almost one-third of surgeons would ignore behaviors that adversely impact well being and could result in potential personal or patient safety. The differences between the assistance-seeking and reporting behaviors of male and female surgeons in distress could have implications for identification and treatment of this population. These findings can be used to develop educational activities to teach surgeons how to effectively handle these challenging situations. Copyright © 2015 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Considerations for Altering Preparation Designs of Porcelain Inlay/Onlay Restorations for Nonvital Teeth.

PubMed

Homsy, Foudda; Eid, Rita; El Ghoul, Wiam; Chidiac, Jose Johann

2015-08-01

The aim of this study was to compare all ceramic inlay/onlay survival rates in vital and nonvital teeth having the same cavity design. Filling the pulp chamber with ceramic materials or not was also discussed. Ceramic class II inlays/onlays were made on 11 premolars and 30 molars: 14 vital, 27 endodontically treated. The same tooth preparation design was performed on vital and nonvital teeth: In nonvital teeth the pulp chambers were covered by a glass ionomer cement until the pulpal floor depths were between 2 and 2.5 mm, more likely similar to the vital teeth preparations. In vital teeth, glass ionomer was used as a liner to achieve pulpal floor depths between 2 and 2.5 mm when needed. The restorations were assessed (at baseline, 6 months, 1 and 2 years) according to three criteria: marginal discoloration, marginal integrity, and fracture of teeth/restorations, consistent with United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria. Eight teeth (19%) showed minor marginal discolorations, while three molars (7%) had loss of marginal integrity. These margins were adjusted using rubber polishing cups and were then judged clinically acceptable. From these three molars, one was vital and two were endodontically treated. No fracture of teeth or restorations was observed. Chi square and exact probability tests were used. There was no statistical difference between vital and nonvital teeth (p = 0.719 chi-squared and Fisher) or between premolars and molars (p = 0.564 chi-squared; 1.000, Fisher). Within the limitations of this study there was no difference for the same inlay/onlay cavity design between vital and nonvital teeth. In nonvital teeth, it seems that filling the pulp chamber with a ceramic core material is not important. Long-term observation periods are needed to reinforce the clinical behavior outcome. © 2015 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

The interns' learning assessment in obstetrics and gynecology department of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences.

PubMed

Roudbari, Masoud; Yaghmaei, Minoo

2007-09-01

One of the aims of management priorities in medical universities is the evaluation of learning in educational departments in order to prevent educational retardation and to improve the quality of education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interns' learning in the obstetrics and gynecology (O&G) department at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences (ZUMS). The study was performed in ZUMS, Iran, in 2002-2003 on all interns at the O&G department, including 30 men and 40 women. For data collection, a questionnaire was used and included some questions regarding the common emergencies and diseases in O&G, together with different learning indicators such as reading, observation, hearing, management, and the capability of management. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, tables, t test, and chi-square test using the SPSS software. The mean percentages of learning indicators of observation, bedside teaching, supervised management, and personal management in the common emergencies and diseases of O&G in male interns were significantly lower than those in female interns. Also, the mean percentages of managing capabilities were 12% and 70.5% in common emergencies and 14.2% and 59.3% in common diseases for male and female interns, respectively. The chi-square test showed a significant difference between the mean percentages of the managing capabilities in male and female interns for the majority of the common emergencies and diseases. Also, the chi-square test revealed a significant relationship between the learning indicators and the interns' managing capabilities for common emergencies and diseases. Some learning indicators in the male interns were very low. This needs urgent improvement of the learning quality in the O&G department, especially for the male interns, particularly those who are supposed to work in the deprived areas of the country after graduation in the public service.

On-line telemetry: prospective assessment of accuracy in an all-volunteer emergency medical service system.

PubMed

Hollander, J E; Delagi, R; Sciammarella, J; Viccellio, P; Ortiz, J; Henry, M C

1995-04-01

To evaluate the need for on-line telemetry control in an all-volunteer, predominantly advanced emergency medical technician (A-EMT) ambulance system. Emergency medical service (EMS) advanced life support (ALS) providers were asked to transmit the ECG rhythms of monitored patients over a six-month period in 1993. The ECG rhythm interpretations of volunteer EMS personnel were compared with those of the on-line medical control physician. All discordant readings were reviewed by a panel of physicians to decide whether the misdiagnosis would have resulted in treatment aberrations had transmission been unavailable. Patients were monitored and rhythms were transmitted in 1,825 cases. 1,642 of 1,825 rhythms were correctly interpreted by the EMS providers (90%; 95% CI 89-91%). The accuracy of the EMS providers was dependent on the patient's rhythm (chi-square, p < 0.00001), the chief complaint (chi-square, p = 0.0001), and the provider's level of training (chi-square, p = 0.02). Correct ECG rhythm interpretations were more common when the out-of-hospital interpretation was sinus rhythm (95%), ventricular fibrillation (87%), paced rhythm (94%), or agonal rhythm (96%). The EMS providers were frequently incorrect when the out-of-hospital rhythm interpretation was atrial fibrillation/flutter (71%), supraventricular tachycardia (46%), ventricular tachycardia (59%), or atrioventricular block (50%). Of the 183 discordant cases, 124 (68%) involved missing a diagnosis of, or incorrectly diagnosing, atrial fibrillation/flutter. Review of the discordant readings identified 11 cases that could have resulted in treatment errors had the rhythms not been transmitted, one of which might have resulted in an adverse outcome. In this all-volunteer, predominantly A-EMT ALS system, patients with a field interpretation of a sinus rhythm do not require ECG rhythm transmission. Field interpretations of atrial fibrillation/flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, and atrioventricular blocks are frequently incorrect and should continue to be transmitted.

Prevalence of alveolar bone loss in healthy children treated at private pediatric dentistry clinics

PubMed Central

GUIMARÃES, Maria do Carmo Machado; de ARAÚJO, Valéria Martins; AVENA, Márcia Raquel; DUARTE, Daniel Rocha da Silva; FREITAS, Francisco Valter

2010-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of alveolar bone loss (BL) in healthy children treated at private pediatric dentistry clinics in Brasília, Brazil. Material and Methods The research included 7,436 sites present in 885 radiographs from 450 children. The BL prevalence was estimated by measuring the distance from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) to alveolar bone crest (ABC). Data were divided in groups: (I) No BL: distance from CEJ to ABC is ≤2 mm; (II) questionable BL (QBL): distance from CEJ to ABC is >2 and <3 mm; (III) definite BL (DBL): distance from CEJ to ABC ≥3 mm. Data were treated by the chi-square nonparametric test and Fisher's exact test (p<0.05). Results Among males, 89.31% were classified in group I, 9.82% were classified in group II and 0.85% in group III. Among females, 93.05%, 6.48% and 0.46% patients were classified in Group I, II and III, respectively. The differences between genders were not statistically significant (Chi-square test, p = 0.375). Group composition according to patients’ age showed that 91.11% of individuals were classified as group I, 8.22% in group II and 0.67% in group III. The differences among the age ranges were not statistically significant (Chi-square test, p = 0.418). The mesial and distal sites showed a higher prevalence of BL in the jaw, QBL (89.80%) and DBL (79.40%), and no significant difference was observed in the distribution of QBL (Fisher’s exact test p = 0.311) and DBL (Fisher’s exact test p = 0.672) in the dental arches. The distal sites exhibited higher prevalence of both QBL (77.56%) and DBL (58.82%). Conclusions The periodontal status of children should never be underestimated because BL occurs even in healthy populations, although in a lower frequency. PMID:20857009

Prevalence of alveolar bone loss in healthy children treated at private pediatric dentistry clinics.

PubMed

Guimarães, Maria do Carmo Machado; de Araújo, Valéria Martins; Avena, Márcia Raquel; Duarte, Daniel Rocha da Silva; Freitas, Francisco Valter

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of alveolar bone loss (BL) in healthy children treated at private pediatric dentistry clinics in Brasília, Brazil. The research included 7,436 sites present in 885 radiographs from 450 children. The BL prevalence was estimated by measuring the distance from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) to alveolar bone crest (ABC). Data were divided in groups: (I) No BL: distance from CEJ to ABC is <2 mm; (II) questionable BL (QBL): distance from CEJ to ABC is >2 and <3 mm; (III) definite BL (DBL): distance from CEJ to ABC >3 mm. Data were treated by the chi-square nonparametric test and Fisher's exact test (p<0.05). Among males, 89.31% were classified in group I, 9.82% were classified in group II and 0.85% in group III. Among females, 93.05%, 6.48% and 0.46% patients were classified in Group I, II and III, respectively. The differences between genders were not statistically significant (Chi-square test, p = 0.375). Group composition according to patients' age showed that 91.11% of individuals were classified as group I, 8.22% in group II and 0.67% in group III. The differences among the age ranges were not statistically significant (Chi-square test, p = 0.418). The mesial and distal sites showed a higher prevalence of BL in the jaw, QBL (89.80%) and DBL (79.40%), and no significant difference was observed in the distribution of QBL (Fisher's exact test p = 0.311) and DBL (Fisher's exact test p = 0.672) in the dental arches. The distal sites exhibited higher prevalence of both QBL (77.56%) and DBL (58.82%). The periodontal status of children should never be underestimated because BL occurs even in healthy populations, although in a lower frequency.

Associations among sella turcica bridging, atlas arcuate foramen (ponticulus posticus) development, atlas posterior arch deficiency, and the occurrence of palatally displaced canine impaction.

PubMed

Haji Ghadimi, Mona; Amini, Fariborz; Hamedi, Shayesteh; Rakhshan, Vahid

2017-03-01

Head and neck skeletal anomalies or normal variants might predict the occurrence of palatally displaced impacted maxillary canines. Despite their clinical importance, studies in this regard are rare, especially when it comes to vertebral anomalies. This case-control study was performed on cephalographs of 35 orthodontic patients (11 male, 24 female) with palatally displaced canines (PDC) and 75 patients without them (29 male, 46 female). PDC were diagnosed on panoramic and lateral cephalographs and from clinical reports. The occurrence and severity of sella turcica bridge and the atlas ponticulus posticus, and deficiency of the posterior atlas arch were evaluated twice on lateral cephalographs. The associations between the occurrence and level of these skeletal anomalies and variations of PDC occurrence as well as additional correlations were assessed using multivariable and bivariate statistics (α = 0.05; β ≤0.2). The patients' mean age was 18.4 ± 1.9 years. In the control and patient groups, 23 (30.7%) and 21 subjects (60%) had sella turcica bridging, respectively (chi-square, P = 0.003). Ponticulus posticus was observed in 14 (18.7%) controls and 15 (42.9%) patients (chi-square, P = 0.007). Posterior atlas arch deficiency was observed in 4 (5.3%) controls and 5 (14.3%) patients (chi-square, P = 0.111). The presence of ponticulus posticus and sella turcica bridging might be associated with increased odds of PDC occurrence for about odds ratios of 3.1 and 3.5 times, respectively (binary logistic regression). PDC is positively associated with the occurrence and severity of sella turcica bridging and ponticulus posticus. The association between PDC and posterior atlas arch deficiency was inconclusive. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of simulated narratives that leverage EMR data on shared decision-making: a pilot study.

PubMed

Zeng-Treitler, Qing; Gibson, Bryan; Hill, Brent; Butler, Jorie; Christensen, Carrie; Redd, Douglas; Shao, Yijun; Bray, Bruce

2016-07-22

Shared decision-making can improve patient satisfaction and outcomes. To participate in shared decision-making, patients need information about the potential risks and benefits of treatment options. Our team has developed a novel prototype tool for shared decision-making called hearts like mine (HLM) that leverages EHR data to provide personalized information to patients regarding potential outcomes of different treatments. These potential outcomes are presented through an Icon array and/or simulated narratives for each "person" in the display. In this pilot project we sought to determine whether the inclusion of simulated narratives in the display affects individuals' decision-making. Thirty subjects participated in this block-randomized study in which they used a version of HLM with simulated narratives and a version without (or in the opposite order) to make a hypothetical therapeutic decision. After each decision, participants completed a questionnaire that measured decisional confidence. We used Chi square tests to compare decisions across conditions and Mann-Whitney U tests to examine the effects of narratives on decisional confidence. Finally, we calculated the mean of subjects' post-experiment rating of whether narratives were helpful in their decision-making. In this study, there was no effect of simulated narratives on treatment decisions (decision 1: Chi squared = 0, p = 1.0; decision 2: Chi squared = 0.574, p = 0.44) or Decisional confidence (decision 1, w = 105.5, p = 0.78; decision 2, w = 86.5, p = 0.28). Post-experiment, participants reported that narratives helped them to make decisions (mean = 3.3/4). We found that simulated narratives had no measurable effect on decisional confidence or decisions and most participants felt that the narratives were helpful to them in making therapeutic decisions. The use of simulated stories holds promise for promoting shared decision-making while minimizing their potential biasing effect.

Filter Tuning Using the Chi-Squared Statistic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lilly-Salkowski, Tyler

2017-01-01

The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) performs orbit determination (OD) for the Aqua and Aura satellites. Both satellites are located in low Earth orbit (LEO), and are part of what is considered the A-Train satellite constellation. Both spacecraft are currently in the science phase of their respective missions. The FDF has recently been tasked with delivering definitive covariance for each satellite.The main source of orbit determination used for these missions is the Orbit Determination Toolkit developed by Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI). This software uses an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to estimate the states of both spacecraft. The filter incorporates force modelling, ground station and space network measurements to determine spacecraft states. It also generates a covariance at each measurement. This covariance can be useful for evaluating the overall performance of the tracking data measurements and the filter itself. An accurate covariance is also useful for covariance propagation which is utilized in collision avoidance operations. It is also valuable when attempting to determine if the current orbital solution will meet mission requirements in the future.This paper examines the use of the Chi-square statistic as a means of evaluating filter performance. The Chi-square statistic is calculated to determine the realism of a covariance based on the prediction accuracy and the covariance values at a given point in time. Once calculated, it is the distribution of this statistic that provides insight on the accuracy of the covariance.For the EKF to correctly calculate the covariance, error models associated with tracking data measurements must be accurately tuned. Over estimating or under estimating these error values can have detrimental effects on the overall filter performance. The filter incorporates ground station measurements, which can be tuned based on the accuracy of the individual ground stations. It also includes measurements from the NASA space network (SN), which can be affected by the assumed accuracy of the TDRS satellite state at the time of the measurement.The force modelling in the EKF is also an important factor that affects the propagation accuracy and covariance sizing. The dominant force in the LEO orbit regime is the drag force caused by atmospheric drag. Accurate accounting of the drag force is especially important for the accuracy of the propagated state. The implementation of a box and wing model to improve drag estimation accuracy, and its overall effect on the covariance state is explored.The process of tuning the EKF for Aqua and Aura support is described, including examination of the measurement errors of available observation types (Doppler and range), and methods of dealing with potentially volatile atmospheric drag modeling. Predictive accuracy and the distribution of the Chi-square statistic, calculated based of the ODTK EKF solutions, are assessed versus accepted norms for the orbit regime.

Comparison of shear bond strength and surface structure between conventional acid etching and air-abrasion of human enamel.

PubMed

Olsen, M E; Bishara, S E; Damon, P; Jakobsen, J R

1997-11-01

Recently, air-abrasion technology has been examined for potential applications within dentistry, including the field of orthodontics. The purpose of this study was to compare the traditional acid-etch technique with an air-abrasion surface preparation technique, with two different sizes of abrading particles. The following parameters were evaluated: (a) shear bond strength, (b) bond failure location, and (c) enamel surface preparation, as viewed through a scanning electron microscope. Sixty extracted human third molars were pumiced and divided into three groups of 20. The first group was etched with a 37% phosphoric acid gel for 30 seconds, rinsed for 30 seconds, and dried for 20 seconds. The second and third groups were air-abraded with (a) a 50 microm particle and (b) a 90 microm particle of aluminum oxide, with the Micro-etcher microabrasion machine (Danville Engineering Inc.). All three groups had molar stainless steel orthodontic brackets bonded to the buccal surface of each tooth with Transbond XT bonding system (3M Unitek). A Zwick Universal Testing Machine (Calitek Corp.) was used to determine shear bond strengths. The analysis of variance was used to compare the three groups. The Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI) was used to evaluate the residual adhesive on the enamel after bracket removal. The chi square test was used to evaluate differences in the ARI scores among the groups. The significance for all tests was predetermined at p < or = 0.05. The results indicated that there was a significant difference in shear bond strength among the three groups (p = 0.0001). The Duncan Multiple Range test showed a significant decrease in shear bond strength in the air-abraded groups. The chi square test revealed significant differences among the ARI scores of the acid-etched group and the air-abraded groups (chi(2) = 0.0001), indicating no adhesive remained on the enamel surface after debonding when air-abrasion was used. In conclusion, the current findings indicate that enamel surface preparation using air-abrasion results in a significant lower bond strength and should not be advocated for routine clinical use as an enamel conditioner at this time.

Bounds on Nonsymmetric Divergence Measure in terms of Other Symmetric and Nonsymmetric Divergence Measures

PubMed Central

Jain, K. C.; Chhabra, Praphull

2014-01-01

Vajda (1972) studied a generalized divergence measure of Csiszar's class, so called “Chi-m divergence measure.” Variational distance and Chi-square divergence are the special cases of this generalized divergence measure at m = 1 and m = 2, respectively. In this work, nonparametric nonsymmetric measure of divergence, a particular part of Vajda generalized divergence at m = 4, is taken and characterized. Its bounds are studied in terms of some well-known symmetric and nonsymmetric divergence measures of Csiszar's class by using well-known information inequalities. Comparison of this divergence with others is done. Numerical illustrations (verification) regarding bounds of this divergence are presented as well. PMID:27437464

Is breast cancer in young Asian women more aggressive than in Caucasians? A cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Tea, Muy-Kheng M; Fan, Lei; Delancey, James W; Staudigl, Christine; Steurer, Stefan; Lang, Christina; Shao, Zhi-Ming; Singer, Christian F

2013-08-01

Ethnic differences in breast cancer are well described in studies comparing Hispanic and African-American populations to Caucasian populations. The aim of this study was to analyze the biological characteristics of breast cancer (BC) in the young Asian/Han Chinese population compared to Caucasians/Central Europeans. Histopathologies of 642 invasive BC in women at the age of 40 years and younger were analyzed in China and Austria. Pearson's chi-squared test was used to assess differences in the analyzed populations. Significantly larger BC >2 cm (p < 0.0001) and poorly differentiated BC (p = 0.02) as well as more triple-negative BC (p = 0.002) were identified among the Han Chinese group compared to the Central European group. This analysis will provide ethnic-specific insight into the biological characteristics of BC in young patients worldwide.

Profiles in coping: responses to sexual harassment across persons, organizations, and cultures.

PubMed

Cortina, Lilia M; Wasti, S Arzu

2005-01-01

This study explicates the complexity of sexual harassment coping behavior among 4 diverse samples of working women: (a) working-class Hispanic Americans, (b) working-class Anglo Americans, (c) professional Turks, and (d) professional Anglo Americans. K-means cluster analysis revealed 3 common harassment coping profiles: (a) detached, (b) avoidant negotiating, and (c) support seeking. The authors then tested an integrated framework of coping profile determinants, involving social power, stressor severity, social support, and culture. Analysis of variance, chi-square, and discriminant function results identified significant determinants at each of the 4 levels of this ecological model. These findings underscore the importance of focusing on whole patterns of experience--and considering influences at the level of the individual employee and multiple levels of the surrounding context--when studying how women cope with workplace sexual harassment.

Comparison of early maladaptive schemas and parenting origins in patients with opioid abuse and non-abusers.

PubMed

Jalali, Mohammad Reza; Zargar, Mohammad; Salavati, Mojgan; Kakavand, Ali Reza

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the difference of early maladaptive schemas and parenting origins in opioid abusers and non-opioid abusers. The early maladaptive schemas and parenting origins were compared in 56 opioid abusers and 56 non-opioids abusers. Schemas were assessed by the Young Schema Questionnaire 3rd (short form); and parenting origins were assessed by the Young Parenting Inventory. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The analysis showed that the means for schemas between opioid abusers and non-opioid abusers were different. Chi square test showed that parenting origins were significantly associated with their related schemas. The early maladaptive schemas and parenting origins in opioid abusers were more than non-opioid abusers; and parenting origins were related to their Corresponding schemas.

A closure test for time-specific capture-recapture data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanley, T.R.; Burnham, K.P.

1999-01-01

The assumption of demographic closure in the analysis of capture-recapture data under closed-population models is of fundamental importance. Yet, little progress has been made in the development of omnibus tests of the closure assumption. We present a closure test for time-specific data that, in principle, tests the null hypothesis of closed-population model M(t) against the open-population Jolly-Seber model as a specific alternative. This test is chi-square, and can be decomposed into informative components that can be interpreted to determine the nature of closure violations. The test is most sensitive to permanent emigration and least sensitive to temporary emigration, and is of intermediate sensitivity to permanent or temporary immigration. This test is a versatile tool for testing the assumption of demographic closure in the analysis of capture-recapture data.

A meta-analysis of in vitro antibiotic synergy against Acinetobacter baumannii.

PubMed

March, Gabriel A; Bratos, Miguel A

2015-12-01

The aim of the work was to describe the different in vitro models for testing synergism of antibiotics and gather the results of antibiotic synergy against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-Ab). The different original articles were obtained from different web sites. In order to compare the results obtained by the different methods for synergy testing, the Pearson chi-square and the Fischer tests were used. Moreover, non-parametric chi-square test was used in order to compare the frequency distribution in each analysed manuscript. In the current meta-analysis 24 manuscripts, which encompassed 2016 tests of in vitro synergism of different antimicrobials against MDR-Ab, were revised. Checkerboard synergy testing was used in 11 studies, which encompasses 1086 tests (53.9%); time-kill assays were applied in 12 studies, which encompass 359 tests (17.8%); gradient diffusion methods were used in seven studies, encompassing 293 tests (14.5%). And, finally, time-kill plus checkerboard were applied in two studies, encompassing 278 tests (13.8%). By comparing these data, checkerboard and time-kill methods were significantly more used than gradient diffusion methods (p<0.005). Regarding synergy rates obtained on the basis of the applied method, checkerboard provided 227 tests (20.9%) with a synergistic effect; time-kill assays yielded 222 tests (61.8%) with a synergistic effect; gradient diffusion methods only provided 29 tests (9.9%) with a synergistic effect; and, finally, time-kill plus checkerboard yielded just 15 tests (5.4%) with a synergistic effect. When comparing these percentages, synergy rates reported by time-kill methods were significantly higher than that obtained by checkerboard and gradient diffusion methods (p<0.005). On the basis of the revised data, the combinations of a bactericidal antibiotic plus Tigecycline, Vancomycin or Teicoplanin are not recommended. The best combinations of antibiotics are those which include bactericidal antibiotics such as Carbapenems, Fosfomycin, Amikacin, Polymyxins, Rifampicin and Ampicillin/Sulbactam. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Prevalence of Pulmonary Hypertension and its Influence on Survival in Patients With Advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Prior to Lung Transplantation.

PubMed

Hayes, Don; Black, Sylvester M; Tobias, Joseph D; Mansour, Heidi M; Whitson, Bryan A

2016-01-01

Prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and its influence on survival in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are not well studied in the lung allocation score (LAS) era. The UNOS database was queried from 2005 to 2013 to identify first-time adult lung transplant candidates with COPD who were tracked from wait list entry date until death or censoring to determine both prevalence and influence of PH. Using right heart catheterization measurements, mild PH was defined as mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) ≥ 25 mmHg and severe ≥ 35 mmHg. Of 1315 COPD candidates not transplanted, 1243 were used for survival analysis using Cox proportional hazards models, and 1010 (mild PH) and 244 (severe PH) were used for propensity score matching, respectively. A total of 52% (652) of subjects had PH mPAP ≥ 25 mmHg. Univariate analysis revealed significant differences in survival for mild PH (HR = 1.769; 95% CI: 1.331, 2.351; p < 0.001) and severe PH (HR = 3.271; 95% CI: 2.311, 4.630; p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival function demonstrated significant disparities for mild PH (Log-rank test: Chi-square1: 15.87, p < 0.0001) and severe PH (Log-rank test: Chi-square1: 50.13, p < 0.0001). Multivariate Cox models identified significant risk for death for mild PH (HR = 1.987; 95% CI: 1.484, 2.662; p < 0.001) and severe PH (HR = 3.432; 95% CI: 2.410, 4.888; p < 0.001). Propensity score matching confirmed increased mortality hazard associated with mild PH (HR = 2.280; 95% CI: 1.425, 3.649; p = 0.001) and severe PH (HR = 7.000; 95% CI: 2.455, 19.957; p < 0.001). PH is highly prevalent in advanced COPD and associated with a significantly higher risk for mortality.

Development and Validation of a Novel Scoring System for Predicting Technical Success of Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: The PROGRESS CTO (Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention) Score.

PubMed

Christopoulos, Georgios; Kandzari, David E; Yeh, Robert W; Jaffer, Farouc A; Karmpaliotis, Dimitri; Wyman, Michael R; Alaswad, Khaldoon; Lombardi, William; Grantham, J Aaron; Moses, Jeffrey; Christakopoulos, Georgios; Tarar, Muhammad Nauman J; Rangan, Bavana V; Lembo, Nicholas; Garcia, Santiago; Cipher, Daisha; Thompson, Craig A; Banerjee, Subhash; Brilakis, Emmanouil S

2016-01-11

This study sought to develop a novel parsimonious score for predicting technical success of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) performed using the hybrid approach. Predicting technical success of CTO PCI can facilitate clinical decision making and procedural planning. We analyzed clinical and angiographic parameters from 781 CTO PCIs included in PROGRESS CTO (Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention) using a derivation and validation cohort (2:1 sampling ratio). Variables with strong association with technical success in multivariable analysis were assigned 1 point, and a 4-point score was developed from summing all points. The PROGRESS CTO score was subsequently compared with the J-CTO (Multicenter Chronic Total Occlusion Registry in Japan) score in the validation cohort. Technical success was 92.9%. On multivariable analysis, factors associated with technical success included proximal cap ambiguity (beta coefficient [b] = 0.88), moderate/severe tortuosity (b = 1.18), circumflex artery CTO (b = 0.99), and absence of "interventional" collaterals (b = 0.88). The resulting score demonstrated good calibration and discriminatory capacity in the derivation (Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-square = 2.633; p = 0.268, and receiver-operator characteristic [ROC] area = 0.778) and validation (Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-square = 5.333; p = 0.070, and ROC area = 0.720) subset. In the validation cohort, the PROGRESS CTO and J-CTO scores performed similarly in predicting technical success (ROC area 0.720 vs. 0.746, area under the curve difference = 0.026, 95% confidence interval = -0.093 to 0.144). The PROGRESS CTO score is a novel useful tool for estimating technical success in CTO PCI performed using the hybrid approach. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Determinants of Prakriti, the Human Constitution Types of Indian Traditional Medicine and its Correlation with Contemporary Science

PubMed Central

Rotti, Harish; Raval, Ritu; Anchan, Suchitra; Bellampalli, Ravishankara; Bhale, Sameer; Bharadwaj, Ramachandra; Bhat, Balakrishna K.; Dedge, Amrish P.; Dhumal, Vikram Ram; Gangadharan, G. G.; Girijakumari, T. K.; Gopinath, Puthiya M.; Govindaraj, Periyasamy; Halder, Swagata; Joshi, Kalpana S.; Kabekkodu, Shama Prasada; Kamath, Archana; Kondaiah, Paturu; Kukreja, Harpreet; Kumar, K. L. Rajath; Nair, Sreekumaran; Nair, S. N. Venugopalan; Nayak, Jayakrishna; Prasanna, B. V.; Rashmishree, M.; Sharanprasad, K.; Thangaraj, Kumarasamy; Patwardhan, Bhushan; Satyamoorthy, Kapaettu; Valiathan, Marthanda Varma Sankaran

2014-01-01

Background: Constitutional type of an individual or prakriti is the basic clinical denominator in Ayurveda, which defines physical, physiological, and psychological traits of an individual and is the template for individualized diet, lifestyle counseling, and treatment. The large number of phenotype description by prakriti determination is based on the knowledge and experience of the assessor, and hence subject to inherent variations and interpretations. Objective: In this study we have attempted to relate dominant prakriti attribute to body mass index (BMI) of individuals by assessing an acceptable tool to provide the quantitative measure to the currently qualitative ayurvedic prakriti determination. Materials and Methods: The study is cross sectional, multicentered, and prakriti assessment of a total of 3416 subjects was undertaken. Healthy male, nonsmoking, nonalcoholic volunteers between the age group of 20-30 were screened for their prakriti after obtaining written consent to participate in the study. The prakriti was determined on the phenotype description of ayurvedic texts and simultaneously by the use of a computer-aided prakriti assessment tool. Kappa statistical analysis was employed to validate the prakriti assessment and Chi-square, Cramer's V test to determine the relatedness in the dominant prakriti to various attributes. Results: We found 80% concordance between ayurvedic physician and software in predicting the prakriti of an individual. The kappa value of 0.77 showed moderate agreement in prakriti assessment. We observed a significant correlations of dominant prakriti to place of birth and BMI with Chi-square, P < 0.01 (Cramer's V-value of 0.156 and 0.368, respectively). Conclusion: The present study attempts to integrate knowledge of traditional ayurvedic concepts with the contemporary science. We have demonstrated analysis of prakriti classification and its association with BMI and place of birth with the implications to one of the ways for human classification. PMID:25336848

The Impact of Body Mass Index on Heterotopic Ossification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mourad, Waleed Fouad, E-mail: Waleed246@gmail.com; Department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY; Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY

2012-04-01

Purpose: To analyze the impact of different body mass index (BMI) as a surrogate marker for heterotopic ossification (HO) in patients who underwent surgical repair (SR) for displaced acetabular fractures (DAF) followed by radiation therapy (RT). Methods and Materials: This is a single-institution retrospective study of 395 patients. All patients underwent SR for DAF followed by RT {+-} indomethacin. All patients received postoperative RT, 7 Gy, within 72 h. The patients were separated into four groups based on their BMI: <18.5, 18.5-24.9, 25-29.9, and >30. The end point of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of RT {+-} indomethacinmore » in preventing HO in patients with different BMI. Results: Analysis of BMI showed an increasing incidence of HO with increasing BMI: <18.5, (0%) 0/6 patients; 18.5-24.9 (6%), 6 of 105 patients developed HO; 25-29.9 (19%), 22 of 117; >30 (31%), 51 of 167. Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the correlation between odds of HO and BMI is significant, p < 0.0001. As the BMI increased, the risk of HO and Brooker Classes 3, 4 HO increased. The risk of developing HO is 1.0 Multiplication-Sign (10%) more likely among those with higher BMI compared with those with lower BMI. For a one-unit increase in BMI the log odds of HO increases by 1.0, 95% CI (1.06-1.14). Chi-square test shows no significant difference among all other factors and HO (e.g., indomethacin, race, gender). Conclusions: Despite similar surgical treatment and prophylactic measures (RT {+-} indomethacin), the risk of HO appears to significantly increase in patients with higher BMI after DAF. Higher single-fraction doses or multiple fractions and/or combination therapy with nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs may be of greater benefit to these patients.« less

Comparison of refractive errors and factors associated with spectacle use in a rural and urban South Indian population

PubMed Central

Prema, Raju; Sathyamangalam Ve, Ramesh; Hemamalini, Arvind; Baskaran, Mani; Kumaramanickavel, Govindaswamy; Catherine, McCarty; Vijaya, Lingam

2008-01-01

Purpose: To compare the prevalence of refractive errors and factors associated with spectacle use in a rural and urban south Indian population. Materials and Methods: Four thousand eight hundred subjects (age >39 years) each from rural and urban Tamil Nadu were enumerated for a population-based study. All participants underwent a complete ophthalmic evaluation including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), objective and subjective refraction. Out of 3924 rural responders 63.91% and out of 3850 urban responders 81.64% were phakic in the right eye with BCVA of 20/40 or better and were included in the study. Association of spectacle use and refractive errors with different parameters were analysed using logistic regression. Statistical Analysis: Chi square, t test, Chi square for trend and Pearson′s correlation coefficient were used for analysis. Results: Spectacle use was significantly higher and positively associated with literacy and employment in the urban population. The age and gender-adjusted prevalence of emmetropia, myopia of spherical equivalent (SE) ≤-0.50 diopter sphere (DS), high myopia (SE ≤-5.00DS), hyperopia (SE >0.50DS) and astigmatism ≤ 0.50 diopter cylinder (DC) were 46.8%, 31.0%, 4.3%, 17.9% and 60.4% respectively in the rural population and 29.0%, 17.6%, 1.5%, 51.9%, 59.1% respectively in the urban population. The prevalence of emmetropia decreased with age (p < 0.001); prevalence of myopia and high myopia increased with age (p = 0.001) and were associated with nuclear sclerosis (p = 0.001) in both populations. Hyperopia was commoner among women than men (p = 0.001); was positively associated with diabetes mellitus (p = 0.008) in the rural population and negatively with nuclear sclerosis (p = 0.001) in both populations. Conclusion: Spectacle use was found to be significantly lower in the rural population. The pattern of refractive errors was significantly different between both populations. PMID:18292625

Compulsory military service as a measure of later physical and cognitive performance in male survivors of childhood cancer.

PubMed

Ahomäki, Ritva; Harila-Saari, Arja; Parkkola, Kai; Matomäki, Jaakko; Lähteenmäki, Päivi M

2017-12-01

Compromised physical fitness and cognitive difficulties have been reported as late effects of cancer treatment during childhood. To assess this issue, the military rankings of cancer survivors in medical checkups at call-up, and conscripts' physical and cognitive performance during the first weeks of compulsory military education were compared to those of matched population controls without a history of cancer. A total of 1680 male patients born between 1960 and 1992 with a malignancy diagnosed before the age of 16 who were alive at the call-up age (18 years) were identified using the Finnish Cancer Registry, and five age, sex and place of residence matched controls for each patient using the Population Register Centre. Data on military service were gathered from Finnish Defense Forces. A conditional logistic regression analysis, the GEE-method with the cumulative logit link function, the chi-square test, the chi-square test for trend and a one-way analysis of variance were used in different analyses. Cancer survivors were exempted from military service more often than the controls (p < .001). The fit-for-service frequency was highest for survivors of kidney tumors (68%) and lowest after irradiated brain tumors (19%). In service, the results of the 12-min running test were poorer than those of controls for leukemia/non-Hodgkin lymphoma (p = .03) and brain tumor (p = .01) survivors. Interestingly, the standing long-jump test was the only muscle test for which survivor groups performed worse than controls. Performance on cognitive tests only differed from controls in brain tumor survivors. Exemption from service is still common under the current guidelines, but fit-for-service survivors do well in military education. These results can be used for reassuring survivors that completion of military service is possible for those fulfilling the national general guidelines for military fitness.

A Nationwide Learning-Style Assessment of Undergraduate Athletic Training Students in CAAHEP-Accredited Athletic Training Programs

PubMed Central

Stradley, Stephanie L.; Buckley, Bernadette D.; Kaminski, Thomas W.; Horodyski, MaryBeth; Fleming, David; Janelle, Christopher M.

2002-01-01

Objective: To identify the learning styles and preferred environmental characteristics of undergraduate athletic training students in Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)-accredited athletic training education programs and to determine if learning-style differences existed among geographic regions of the country. Design and Setting: Fifty CAAHEP-accredited athletic training programs were randomly selected in proportion to the number of programs in each geographic region. Ten students from each school were selected to complete the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI) and the Productivity Environmental Preference Survey (PEPS). Subjects: A total of 193 undergraduate athletic training students (84 men, 109 women) with a mean age of 22.3 ± 2.8 years completed the PEPS, while 188 students completed the LSI. Measurements: We used chi-square analyses to determine if differences existed in learning-style type and if these differences were based on geographic location. We calculated analysis of variance to determine if there were any geographic differences in the mean overall combination scores of the LSI. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the PEPS. Results: The overall return rate was 38%. The chi-square analyses revealed no significant difference in learning-style type for athletic training students, regardless of the geographic region. The LSI yielded a relatively even distribution of learning styles: 29.3% of the students were accommodators, 19.7% were divergers, 21.8% were convergers, and 29.3% were assimilators. The overall mean combination scores were 4.9 (abstract-concrete) and 4.9 (active-reflective), and analysis of variance indicated no significant difference in the mean combination scores among the geographic regions. The PEPS revealed that undergraduate athletic training students demonstrated a strong preference for learning in the afternoon. Conclusions: Undergraduate athletic training students demonstrated great diversity in learning style. Educators must strongly consider this diversity and incorporate teaching methods that will benefit all types of learners. PMID:12937535

Study of intraventricular hemorrhage in VLBW neonates admitted in Al-Zahra Hospital, Tabriz, Iran.

PubMed

Jodeiry, B; Heidarzadeh, M; Sahmani-Asl, S; Hoseini, M; Javaherizadeh, H; Eliasi, S; Abedini, K

2012-01-01

Intra-ventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is an important predictor of adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. IVH risk factor identification may conduct improvement of quality of care in neonatal intensive care units. The aim of the current study was to determine possible risk factors associated with IVH in VLBW neonates admitted in our hospital. All neonates with birth weight below 1500 gr admitted to NICU. Cranial ultrasonography was done for premature neonates weighed <1000 g in 3 to 5 days and in 1 month again. In premature infants weighed >1000 g, sonography was done in 7 days and 30 days of life respectively. If there is any conditions such as apnea, seizure, significant decrease in level of hemoglobin, increased head circumference, increased oxygen consumption, and other significant changes another sonography was done again. Exclusion criteria were cerebral malformations, metabolic disturbances, chromosomal anomalies, central nervous system infection, and genetic syndromes. Data was analyzed by SPSS ver 16.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA). In this study 64 cases with IVH and without IVH were included. Mean of gestational age was 28.78 +/- 12.08. From neonates, 54.6% were boys and 45.4% were girls. Vaginal delivery and cesarean section was done in 56 (32.2%) and 118 (67.8%) cases respectively. Mean +/- SD of pH in cases with IVH and without IVH was 7.19 +/- 0.22 and 7.30 +/- 0.12 respectively (p = 0.001). Mean ISD of pco2 in cases with IVH and without IVH was 65.15 +/- 29.89 and 49.88 +/- 40.89 respectively(p = 0.001). Mean of 5th min APGAR score in patients required CPR was 7.36 +/- 1.57 and in patients without CPR was 8.68 +/- 1.25 (P = 0.001). From cases with IVH, hydrocephaly was detected in 20 cases. From cases without IVH, hydrocephaly was detected in 6 cases. Result of chi-square show significant correlation between IVH and prematurity (chi2 = 21.94, df=1, P < 0.001). From cases with IVH, 18 cases (28.1%) expired. From cases without IVH, 11 cases (10%) expired (chi2 = 9.398, df=1, P = 0.002). Results of chi-square test showed that there were a corelation between IVH and PDA, pressure support, surfactant therapy drug administration, vaginal delivery, neonatal resuscitation, and antenatal corticosteroid therapy (p < 0.05). Hyaline membrane disease, history of preclampsia in mother was significantly higher in cases without IVH (chi-square, p < 0.05). PDA, pressure support, surfactant therapy, inotrop drug administration, vaginal delivery, neonatal resuscitation, and antenatal corticosteroid therapy were significantly higher in cases with IVH. Hyaline membrane disease and preeclampsia in mother was significantly higher in cases without IVH.

Measuring implementation behaviour of menu guidelines in the childcare setting: confirmatory factor analysis of a theoretical domains framework questionnaire (TDFQ).

PubMed

Seward, Kirsty; Wolfenden, Luke; Wiggers, John; Finch, Meghan; Wyse, Rebecca; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Presseau, Justin; Clinton-McHarg, Tara; Yoong, Sze Lin

2017-04-04

While there are number of frameworks which focus on supporting the implementation of evidence based approaches, few psychometrically valid measures exist to assess constructs within these frameworks. This study aimed to develop and psychometrically assess a scale measuring each domain of the Theoretical Domains Framework for use in assessing the implementation of dietary guidelines within a non-health care setting (childcare services). A 75 item 14-domain Theoretical Domains Framework Questionnaire (TDFQ) was developed and administered via telephone interview to 202 centre based childcare service cooks who had a role in planning the service menu. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was undertaken to assess the reliability, discriminant validity and goodness of fit of the 14-domain theoretical domain framework measure. For the CFA, five iterative processes of adjustment were undertaken where 14 items were removed, resulting in a final measure consisting of 14 domains and 61 items. For the final measure: the Chi-Square goodness of fit statistic was 3447.19; the Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) was 0.070; the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) was 0.072; and the Comparative Fit Index (CFI) had a value of 0.78. While only one of the three indices support goodness of fit of the measurement model tested, a 14-domain model with 61 items showed good discriminant validity and internally consistent items. Future research should aim to assess the psychometric properties of the developed TDFQ in other community-based settings.

Predicting Vocational Rehabilitation Outcomes for People with Alcohol Abuse/Dependence: An Application of Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brickham, Dana M.

2012-01-01

People with alcohol abuse/dependence disabilities are often faced with a complex recovery process due to the exacerbating and chronic aspects of their condition. Vocational rehabilitation for people with alcohol abuse/dependence can help individuals access and maintain employment, and through employment can enhance physical and psychological…

An Evaluation of Statistical Strategies for Making Equating Function Selections. Research Report. ETS RR-08-60

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moses, Tim

2008-01-01

Nine statistical strategies for selecting equating functions in an equivalent groups design were evaluated. The strategies of interest were likelihood ratio chi-square tests, regression tests, Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, and significance tests for equated score differences. The most accurate strategies in the study were the likelihood ratio tests…

Covariance Structure Model Fit Testing under Missing Data: An Application of the Supplemented EM Algorithm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cai, Li; Lee, Taehun

2009-01-01

We apply the Supplemented EM algorithm (Meng & Rubin, 1991) to address a chronic problem with the "two-stage" fitting of covariance structure models in the presence of ignorable missing data: the lack of an asymptotically chi-square distributed goodness-of-fit statistic. We show that the Supplemented EM algorithm provides a…

Motivation towards Medical Career Choice and Future Career Plans of Polish Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gasiorowski, Jakub; Rudowicz, Elzbieta; Safranow, Krzysztof

2015-01-01

This longitudinal study aimed at investigating Polish medical students' career choice motivation, factors influencing specialty choices, professional plans and expectations. The same cohort of students responded to the same questionnaire, at the end of Year 1 and Year 6. The Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U tests and logistic regression were used in…

Relative Performance of Rescaling and Resampling Approaches to Model Chi Square and Parameter Standard Error Estimation in Structural Equation Modeling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevitt, Johnathan; Hancock, Gregory R.

Though common structural equation modeling (SEM) methods are predicated upon the assumption of multivariate normality, applied researchers often find themselves with data clearly violating this assumption and without sufficient sample size to use distribution-free estimation methods. Fortunately, promising alternatives are being integrated into…

Evaluating selected demographic factors related to consumer preferences for furniture from commercial and from underutilized species

Treesearch

David Nicholls; Matthew Bumgardner

2007-01-01

This technical note describes consumer preferences within selected demographic categories in two major Pacific Northwest markets for six domestic wood species. These woods were considered for construction of four furniture pieces. Chi-square tests were performed to determine species preferences based on gender, age, and income. Age and income were statistically...

Evaluating selected demographic factors related to consumer preferences for furniture from commercial and from underutilized species.

Treesearch

David Nicholls; Matthew Bumgardner

2007-01-01

This technical note describes consumer preferences within selected demographic categories in two major Pacific Northwest markets for six domestic wood species. These woods were considered for construction of four furniture pieces. Chi-square tests were performed to determine species preferences based on gender, age, and income. Age and income were statistically...

Assessing the Temporal Relationship between Race and Ecstasy Use among High School Seniors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yacoubian, George S., Jr.

2002-01-01

Analyzes data from 10,088 high school seniors surveyed through the Monitoring the Future study between 1996 and 1999. Chi-square statistics are used to explore the temporal relationship between ace and the use of ecstasy during this time frame. Statistically significant relationship between race and ecstasy use are discerned. (Contains 46…

Presenteeism Attitudes and Behavior among Missouri Kindergarten to Twelfth Grade (K-12) School Nurses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rebmann, Terri; Turner, James Austin; Kunerth, Allison K.

2016-01-01

Working while ill (presenteeism) with symptoms of influenza-like illness can contribute to outbreaks, but little is known about school nurse presenteeism. Missouri Association of School Nurses members (N = 396) were sent a survey in 2013/2014. A chi square test was conducted to compare having a school culture that encourages presenteeism versus…

Correlates of Alaska Native Fatal and Nonfatal Suicidal Behaviors 1990-2001

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wexler, Lisa; Hill, Ryan; Bertone-Johnson, Elizabeth; Fenaughty, Andrea

2008-01-01

Factors correlated with suicidal behavior in a predominately Alaska Native region of Alaska are described, and the correlates relating to fatal and nonfatal suicide behaviors in this indigenous population are distinguished. Suicide data from the region (1990-2001) were aggregated and compared to 2000 U.S. Census Data using chi-squared tests.…

Stress Management Strategies of Secondary School Teachers in Nigeria. Short Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arikewuyo, M. Olalekan

2004-01-01

The study provides empirical evidence for the management of stress by teachers of secondary schools in Nigeria. A total of 3466 teachers, drawn from secondary schools in Ogun State of Nigeria, returned their questionnaire for the study. Data were analysed using simple percentage and chi-square. The findings indicate that teachers frequently use…

A Tutorial for the Student Edition (Release 1.1) of Minitab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacFarland, Thomas W.; Hou, Cheng-I

This guide for using Minitab requires DOS version 2.0 or greater, 512K RAM memory, two double-sided diskette drives, and a graphics monitor. Topics covered in the tutorial are Getting started; Installation; Making a data diskette; Entering data; Central tendency and dispersion; t-test; Chi-square test; Oneway ANOVA test; Twoway ANOVA test; and…

Belonging to and Exclusion from the Peer Group in Schools: Influences on Adolescents' Moral Choices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feigenberg, Luba Falk; King, Melissa Steel; Barr, Dennis J.; Selman, Robert L.

2008-01-01

This paper reports on a mixed methods study of adolescents' responses to case material about social exclusion. First, a qualitative coding method is presented that describes the way adolescents choose and justify strategies to negotiate such situations. The responses were then analysed quantitatively using chi square tests and multinomial logistic…

Characteristics of Teachers Nominated for an Accelerated Principal Preparation Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rios, Steve J.; Reyes-Guerra, Daniel

2012-01-01

This article reports the initial evaluation results of a new accelerated, job-embedded principal preparation program funded by a Race to the Top Grant (U.S. Department of Education, 2012a) in Florida. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and chi-square analyses were used to describe the characteristics of a group of potential applicants nominated to…

Study on the University Students' Self-Expressive Tendency in Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jagdag, Davaa; Dembereldorj, Zoljargal

2017-01-01

The study aimed to explore Mongolian students' tendency of self-expression and a conduct of self-study at one university of Mongolia. It employed quantitative research method to explore the relationship between self-expression and self-study and examined them in terms of age, gender, years of study and field of study. The chi-squared test found…

Who Is Not Using the Library? A Comparison of Undergraduate Academic Disciplines and Library Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridges, Laurie M.

2008-01-01

This study examines the differences in undergraduate library use by academic discipline at Oregon State University (OSU). In the winter of 2006, an online questionnaire about physical and virtual library use was distributed to 3,227 OSU undergraduates; 949 responses were received. Chi-square tests were used to distinguish differences between user…

Trends in Freshman Attitudes and Use of Drugs. Research Report No. 4-74.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Beverley R.; Sedlacek, William E.

An anonymous questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of incoming freshmen at the University of Maryland, College Park (N=491; 53 percent male, 47 percent female). Data were compared with previous surveys at Maryland (Horowitz and Sedlacek, 1973; Fago and Sedlacek, 1974 a,b) and analyzed by percentages, chi-square, F and Friedman…

Technological Modeling: Faculty Use of Technologies in Preservice Teacher Education from 2004 to 2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Joan E.; Liu, Sa; Lim, Mihyun

2016-01-01

This 7-year, cross-sectional study of a 1:1 laptop teacher preparatory program in the United States examined the nature and change in faculty technological modeling. Using survey methods, preservice teachers (n = 932) reported their faculty's use of technological activities in coursework. Through descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and…

Relationship between Body Image and Body Mass Index in College Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Julia A.; Christie, Catherine; Chally, Pamela

2008-01-01

Objective and Participants: The authors examined cognitive and affective dimensions of body image of a randomized sample of 188 college men on the basis of body mass index (BMI). Methods: They conducted chi-square tests and ANOVAs to determine differences between 4 BMI groups (underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese) on demographics and…

Characteristics and Psychosocial Predictors of Adolescent Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Residential Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallant, Jason; Snyder, Gregory S.; von der Embse, Nathaniel P.

2014-01-01

This study examined characteristics and biopsychosocial predictors of nonsuicidal self-injury in a sample (N = 753) of youth in residential care admitted between 2005 and 2010. To model the data, the authors used t-tests, chi-square tests, and multiple logistic regressions stratified by gender. Results suggested that 12% of youth engaged in…

Advanced Placement English Exam Scores: A Comparison of Scores for Hispanic Students from California, Texas, and Arizona

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koch, Bevan; Slate, John R.; Moore, George W.

2016-01-01

We compared the performance of Hispanic students from California, Texas, and Arizona on the two Advanced Placement (AP) English exams (i.e., English Language and Composition and English Literature and Composition) using archival data from the College Board from 1997 through 2012. Pearson chi-square tests yielded statistically significant…

Factors Associated with Motorcycle Risk Behavior in Thai University Students, Khon Kaen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puratmaja, Yudha; Handayani, Lina; Sunardi, Kartika Setyaningsih

2017-01-01

The aim of this research was to assess motorcycle risk behavior (MRB) among Thai students in Khon Kaen University. The research used a cross sectional study. Fifty Thai students recruited using purposive sample technique and the chi-square test was used to analyze relationship between characteristic associated with MRB. The most common MRB were…

The Relationship between Retention and College Counseling for High-risk Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishop, Kyle K.

2016-01-01

The author used an archival study to explore the relationship between college counseling and retention. The cohort for this study was a college's 2006 class of full-time, 1st-year students (N = 429). The results of chi-square analyses and regression analyses indicated (a) a significant difference in retention between high-risk and low-risk…

Changing the World: Tolerance and Creativity Aspirations among American Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moran, Seana

2010-01-01

Having a purpose is a form of intrapersonal giftedness. An even rarer giftedness is motivation to positively change society or culture. This exploratory chi-square and ANOVA study reports the prevalence, age distribution, stability over time, and characteristics of two change oriented aims in American adolescents. In a sample of 270, 12%, who tend…

Educators' Understanding of the Mediation Role in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngidi, D. P.

2012-01-01

This study investigated educators' understanding of the mediation role in the classroom. A quantitative research approach was used in a survey of a sample of 261 participants. To this end, a questionnaire was used for collecting data. The Chi-square test was used to analyse data and to test the hypotheses of the study. The findings indicated that…

The Identification of Teacher Opinion Leaders: An Element in a Change Strategy for Agricultural Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Cecil Heyward

To gain some insight and understanding of the opinion leadership phenomenon as an element of a change strategy for agricultural education, a means of identifying and investigating the personal and social characteristics of teachers identified as opinion leaders was developed. Chi square, "t" test, and Spearman's rank order correlation…

Residuals and the Residual-Based Statistic for Testing Goodness of Fit of Structural Equation Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foldnes, Njal; Foss, Tron; Olsson, Ulf Henning

2012-01-01

The residuals obtained from fitting a structural equation model are crucial ingredients in obtaining chi-square goodness-of-fit statistics for the model. The authors present a didactic discussion of the residuals, obtaining a geometrical interpretation by recognizing the residuals as the result of oblique projections. This sheds light on the…

Task Design and Skill Level Perceptions of Middle School Students toward Competition in Dance-Related Active Gaming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Eve; Gibbone, Anne; Rukavina, Paul

2015-01-01

In this study, we drew upon McCaughtry, Tischler, and Flory's (2008) reconceptualized ecological framework to examine middle school students' perceptions (N = 391) of competition in physical education, specifically after participating in noncompetitive and competitive active gaming (AG) sessions. Chi-square tests of independence were computed on…

Initial results from a video-laser rangefinder device

Treesearch

Neil A. Clark

2000-01-01

Three hundred and nine width measurements at various heights to 10 m on a metal light pole were calculated from video images captured with a prototype video-laser rangefinder instrument. Data were captured at distances from 6 to 15 m. The endpoints for the width measurements were manually selected to the nearest pixel from individual video frames.Chi-square...

A superstatistical model of metastasis and cancer survival

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leon Chen, L.; Beck, Christian

2008-05-01

We introduce a superstatistical model for the progression statistics of malignant cancer cells. The metastatic cascade is modeled as a complex nonequilibrium system with several macroscopic pathways and inverse-chi-square distributed parameters of the underlying Poisson processes. The predictions of the model are in excellent agreement with observed survival-time probability distributions of breast cancer patients.

Channel simulation for direct detection optical communication systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tycz, M.; Fitzmaurice, M. W.

1974-01-01

A technique is described for simulating the random modulation imposed by atmospheric scintillation and transmitter pointing jitter on a direct detection optical communication system. The system is capable of providing signal fading statistics which obey log normal, beta, Rayleigh, Ricean or chi-squared density functions. Experimental tests of the performance of the Channel Simulator are presented.

Channel simulation for direct-detection optical communication systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tycz, M.; Fitzmaurice, M. W.

1974-01-01

A technique is described for simulating the random modulation imposed by atmospheric scintillation and transmitter pointing jitter on a direct-detection optical communication system. The system is capable of providing signal fading statistics which obey log-normal, beta, Rayleigh, Ricean, or chi-square density functions. Experimental tests of the performance of the channel simulator are presented.

Effects of T'ai Chi on Serotonin, Nicotine Dependency, Depression, and Anger in Hospitalized Alcohol-Dependent Patients.

PubMed

Oh, Chung-Uk; Kim, Nam-Cho

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of t'ai chi on blood serotonin levels, nicotine dependence, depression, and anger in hospitalized alcohol-dependent patients. This study followed an experimental and nonequivalent control group in a non-synchronized design. It was performed in a hospital located in Young Ju city, Korea, from April to August 2013. Thirty-eight patients who were hospitalized with alcohol dependence were included. They were randomly divided into an experimental and a control group, with 19 patients in each group. Patients in the experimental group practiced the 24-posture yang style t'ai chi for 50 min three times per week for 8 weeks as part of the routine hospital rehabilitation program, and those in the control group followed only the routine hospital rehabilitation program. The effect of treatment was measured using blood serotonin levels and a questionnaire on nicotine dependence, depression, and anger. Both measurements were performed before and after 8 weeks of intervention. Data were analyzed using the t-test, chi-square test, and paired t-tests. The experimental group showed a significantly increased blood serotonin level (p = 0.001) and significantly reduced nicotine dependence, depression, and anger (p = 0.001) than the control group did after 8 weeks of treatment. T'ai chi was shown to be an effective nursing intervention in hospitalized alcohol-dependent patients.

Structure of four executive functioning tests in healthy older adults.

PubMed

de Frias, Cindy M; Dixon, Roger A; Strauss, Esther

2006-03-01

The authors examined the factor structure of 4 indicators of executive functioning derived from 2 new (i.e., Hayling and Brixton) and 2 traditional (i.e., Stroop and Color Trails) tests. Data were from a cross-sectional sample of 55- to 85-year-old healthy adults (N=427) from the Victoria Longitudinal Study. Confirmatory factor analysis (LISREL 8.52) tested both a 2-factor model of Inhibition (Hayling, Stroop) and Shifting (Brixton, Color Trails) and a single-factor model. The 2-factor model did not fit the data because the covariance matrix of the factors was not positive definite. The single-factor model fit the data well, chi(2)(2, N=427)=0.32, p=.85, root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA)=.00, comparative fit index (CFI)=1.00, goodness-of-fit index (GFI)=1.00. Moreover, the single-factor structure of executive functioning was invariant (configural and metric) across gender, and invariant (configural with limited metric) across age. Structural relations showed that poorer executive functioning performance was related to older age and lower fluid intelligence, chi(2)(11, N=418)=23.04, p=.02, RMSEA=.05, CFI=.97, GFI=.98.

Helicobacter pylori Infection Rates in Patients Undergoing Endoscopy in the Interior of Borneo.

PubMed

Chai, Feng Yih; Chong, Hock Chin; Tan, Yew Eng; Heng, Sophia Si Ling; Asilah, Siti Mohd Desa; Ridwan, Hashim

2016-04-01

Very limited data are available on the Helicobacter pylori infection among the population of interior Borneo. We aimed to investigate the H. pylori infection rate among an endoscoped interior Borneo population and to report the differences between the infected and noninfected patients. We retrospectively analyzed the data of the rapid urease test (RUT) records in Endoscopy Unit Hospital Keningau from January 2009 to May 2014. Student's t-test, chi-square test or Fisher's exact test were used accordingly. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for H. pylori infection. Birth cohort was analyzed against H. pylori infection rate with chi-square test. Overall, there were 215 of 774 (27.8%) positive RUTs. Patients with H. pylori infection were younger (47.66 ± 14.93 vs 50.50 ± 15.02 years, p = .019), more likely to be female (OR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.12-2.13, p = .008) and originated from the Pensiangan district (OR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.01-2.64, p = .047). Chinese patients were less likely infected with H. pylori (OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.16-0.80, p = .013). Birth cohort was significantly associated with H. pylori infection rate (χ(2) (7) = 14.71, p = .040) with an increasing trend of H. pylori infection rate in patients born later (χ(2) (1) = 5.26, p = .022). The overall H. pylori infection rate in this population was unexpectedly low. Accordingly, it may be a recent arrival in this community. Gender, age, dietary practice, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity were among the factors associated with H. pylori infection. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Prognostic Factors and Oncologic Outcome Analysis

PubMed Central

Magge, Deepa; Zenati, Mazen S.; Austin, Frances; Mavanur, Arun; Sathaiah, Magesh; Ramalingam, Lekshmi; Jones, Heather; Zureikat, Amer H.; Holtzman, Matthew; Ahrendt, Steven; Pingpank, James; Zeh, Herbert J.; Bartlett, David L.; Choudry, Haroon A.

2014-01-01

Background Most patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) present with late-stage, unresectable disease that responds poorly to systemic chemotherapy while, at the same time, effective targeted therapies are lacking. We assessed the efficacy of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC) in MPM. Methods We prospectively analyzed 65 patients with MPM undergoing CRS/HIPEC between 2001 and 2010. Kaplan–Meier survival curves and multivariate Cox-regression models identified prognostic factors affecting oncologic outcomes. Results Adequate CRS was achieved in 56 patients (CC-0 = 35; CC-1 = 21), and median simplified peritoneal cancer index (SPCI) was 12. Pathologic assessment revealed predominantly epithelioid histology (81 %) and biphasic histology (8 %), while lymph node involvement was uncommon (8 %). Major postoperative morbidity (grade III/IV) occurred in 23 patients (35 %), and 60-day mortality rate was 6 %. With median follow-up of 37 months, median overall survival was 46.2 months, with 1-, 2-, and 5-year overall survival probability of 77, 57, and 39 %, respectively. Median progression-free survival was 13.9 months, with 1-, 2-, and 5-year disease failure probability of 47, 68, and 83 %, respectively. In a multivariate Cox-regression model, age at surgery, SPCI >15, incomplete cytoreduction (CC-2/3), aggressive histology (epithelioid, biphasic), and postoperative sepsis were joint significant predictors of poor survival (chi square = 42.8; p = 0.00001), while age at surgery, SPCI >15, incomplete cytoreduction (CC-2/3), and aggressive histology (epithelioid, biphasic) were joint significant predictors of disease progression (Chi square = 30.6; p = 0.00001). Conclusions Tumor histology, disease burden, and the ability to achieve adequate surgical cytoreduction are essential prognostic factors in MPM patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC. PMID:24322529

FGFR2 mutations are associated with poor outcomes in endometrioid endometrial cancer: An NRG Oncology/Gynecologic Oncology Group study

PubMed Central

Jeske, Yvette W.; Ali, Shamshad; Byron, Sara A; Gao, Feng; Mannel, Robert S; Ghebre, Rahel G; DiSilvestro, Paul A; Lele, Shashikant B; Pearl, Michael L; Schmidt, Amy P; Lankes, Heather A; Ramirez, Nilsa C; Rasty, Golnar; Powell, Matthew; Goodfellow, Paul J; Pollock, Pamela M

2017-01-01

Purpose Activating FGFR2 mutations have been identified in ~10% of endometrioid endometrial cancers (ECs). We have previously reported that mutations in FGFR2 are associated with shorter disease free survival (DFS) in stage I/II EC patients. Here we sought to validate the prognostic importance of FGFR2 mutations in a large, multi-institutional patient cohort. Methods Tumors were collected as part of the GOG 210 clinical trial “Molecular Staging of Endometrial Cancer” where samples underwent rigorous pathological review and had more than three years of detailed clinical follow-up. DNA was extracted and four exons encompassing the FGFR2 mutation hotspots were amplified and sequenced. Results Mutations were identified in 144 of the 973 endometrioid ECs, of which 125 were classified as known activating mutations and were included in the statistical analyses. Consistent with FGFR2 having an association with more aggressive disease, FGFR2 mutations were more common in patients initially diagnosed with stage III/IV EC (29/170;17%) versus stage I/II EC (96/803; 12%; p = 0.07, Chi-square test). Additionally, incidence of progression (progressed, recurred or died from disease) was significantly more prevalent (32/125, 26%) among patients with FGFR2 mutation versus wild type (120/848, 14%; p < 0.001, Chi-square test). Using Cox regression analysis adjusting for known prognostic factors, patients with FGFR2 mutation had significantly (p < 0.025) shorter progression-free survival (PFS; HR 1.903; 95% CI 1.177–3.076) and endometrial cancer specific survival (ECS; HR 2.013; 95% CI 1.096–3.696). Conclusion In summary, our findings suggest that clinical trials testing the efficacy of FGFR inhibitors in the adjuvant setting to prevent recurrence and death are warranted. PMID:28314589

Effect of Streptokinase on Reperfusion After Acute Myocardial Infarction and Its Complications: An Ex-Post Facto Study

PubMed Central

Taheri, Leila; Zargham-Boroujeni, Ali; Jahromi, Marzieh Kargar; Charkhandaz, Maryam; Hojat, Mohsen

2015-01-01

Introduction: Emergency treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction is very important. Streptokinase in Iran is often as the only clot-busting medication is used. The purpose of using streptokinase medication is to revive the ischemic heart tissue, although has dangerous complications too. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effect of streptokinase on reperfusion after acute myocardial infarction and its complications, has been designed and conducted. Materials and Methods: This is an Ex-post facto study. The study population included patients who suffer from acute myocardial infarction. The sample size was 300 patients, and 2 groups were matched, in variables of age, sex, underlying disease, frequencies and area of MI. Data collection did by researcher making questionnaire, that accept face and content validity by 10 expert researcher, the reliability was conducted with Spearman’s test (r=0.85) by Test-retest method. Data analysis did by SPSS software: V 12. Findings: Mean of EF in SK group was (46.15±8.11) and in control group was (43.11±12.57). Significant relationship was seen between SK, arrhythmia occurring and improve EF reperfusion by chi-square test (p=0.028), (p=0.020). The most arrhythmia in SK group was Ventricular Tachycardia (20.7%). Significant statistical relation between SK and mortality were found by Chi-square test (p=0.001). But a meaningful statistical relation was not found between SK and pulmonary edema incidence (p=0.071). Conclusions: Nurses of CCU should be aware about SK complications such as hypotension, bleeding and arrhythmias. Proposed compare SK and tissue plasminogen drug in reperfusion and complications effect. PMID:25946921

Prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and its relationship to depressive symptoms in first-year university students

PubMed Central

Acikgoz, Ayla; Dayi, Ayfer; Binbay, Tolga

2017-01-01

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of and factors influencing premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in first-year students at a university health campus and to evaluate the relationship between depression and PMS. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on a population of 618 university students from March to June 2016 at Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir, Turkey. Data were collected using the Premenstrual Syndrome Scale (PMSS), Beck Depression Inventory and Student Identification Form. The data were analyzed with Version 20.0 of the Statistical Package for the Social Science. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-square test, and Chi-square test for trend, and independent samples t test and logistic regression analysis were used. Results: The prevalence of PMS in the university students was 58.1%. Premenstrual syndrome was significantly higher in students who smoked, drink alcohol, and consumed a large amount of fatty and high-calorie foods, in students who had a bad to very bad perception of their economic situation, and those who had any chronic disease or anemia (p<0.05). Premenstrual syndrome was significantly higher in students who had a risk of depression (p<0.01). A statistically significant relationship was determined between the risk of depression and PMSS total score and all PMSS subscale scores except for appetite changes (p<0.01). Conclusion: Premenstrual syndrome was found in more than half of the students who participated in the study. Premenstrual syndrome was higher in students who had a chronic disease and/or an unhealthy lifestyle. There was a statistically significant relationship between PMS and risk of depression. Students who have PMS symptoms should be evaluated for the risk of depression. PMID:29114701

Who Guards the Guards: Drug Use Pattern Among Medical Students in a Nigerian University

PubMed Central

Babalola, EO; Akinhanmi, A; Ogunwale, A

2014-01-01

Background: Several studies have examined the prevalence and pattern of substance use among medical students in Nigeria. Few of these studies have specifically examined the relationship between the psychological distress and psychoactive substance use among these students. Yet, evidence world-wide suggests that substance use among medical students might be on the rise and may be related to the level of stress among them. Aim: The present study is the first study aimed to determine the prevalence, pattern and factors associated with psychoactive substance use among medical students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: The World Health Organization student drug use questionnaire was used to evaluate for substance use among 246 clinical medical students between September and October 2011. General health questionnaire (GHQ) 12 was used to assess for psychological distress among these students. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS version 16. (Chicago, USA). Proportions were compared using the Chi-square test while a value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Fisher exact test was used instead of Chi-square when the number in the cell is less than 5. Results: Lifetime prevalence of substance use among medical students was 65% (165/246). It was found that the most commonly used substances were alcohol 63.4% (156/246), mild stimulants 15.6% (38/246), tobacco 15% (37/246) and sedatives 6.1% (15/246). Substance use was associated with gender, frequency of participation in religious activities and GHQ scores. Conclusion: Psychoactive substance use is a major problem among medical students. Psychological well-being plays a significant role in substance use among these students. There is a need for adequate screening and assessment for substance use disorders among these students and incorporating stress management strategies in their curriculum. PMID:24971216

Do MCAT scores predict USMLE scores? An analysis on 5 years of medical student data.

PubMed

Gauer, Jacqueline L; Wolff, Josephine M; Jackson, J Brooks

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the associations and predictive values of Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) component and composite scores prior to 2015 with U.S. Medical Licensure Exam (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores, with a focus on whether students scoring low on the MCAT were particularly likely to continue to score low on the USMLE exams. Multiple linear regression, correlation, and chi-square analyses were performed to determine the relationship between MCAT component and composite scores and USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores from five graduating classes (2011-2015) at the University of Minnesota Medical School ( N =1,065). The multiple linear regression analyses were both significant ( p <0.001). The three MCAT component scores together explained 17.7% of the variance in Step 1 scores ( p< 0.001) and 12.0% of the variance in Step 2 CK scores ( p <0.001). In the chi-square analyses, significant, albeit weak associations were observed between almost all MCAT component scores and USMLE scores (Cramer's V ranged from 0.05 to 0.24). Each of the MCAT component scores was significantly associated with USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores, although the effect size was small. Being in the top or bottom scoring range of the MCAT exam was predictive of being in the top or bottom scoring range of the USMLE exams, although the strengths of the associations were weak to moderate. These results indicate that MCAT scores are predictive of student performance on the USMLE exams, but, given the small effect sizes, should be considered as part of the holistic view of the student.