Likelihood Ratio Chi-square Research Articles

Determining When It Is Safe to Remove the External Fixator: Results From a Survey of the Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society.

Thousands of external fixators are applied for distraction osteogenesis each year. Determining when it is safe to remove the fixator can be difficult. The purpose of this study was to survey an international group of external fixation surgeons to determine their current practice patterns surrounding external fixator removal. A 10-question, open-ended survey was emailed to members of the Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society. Responses were recorded, and statistical analysis was performed. Pearson's chi-square test and likelihood ratio were used when indicated. A total of 124 surveys were sent, and 44 responses were received (35% response rate). The top 5 responses for determining when it is safe to remove a fixator were full weight bearing (75%), 3 cortices (71%), no pain (55%), after dynamization (55%), and duration of time (30%). Forty-eight percent of respondents routinely dynamized the frame prior to removal. Significantly fewer surgeons who dynamized the frame protected the limb after removal (P=.046). Physicians who dynamized the frame tended to use a less-constricting device for protection (boot or brace vs cast) than those who did not dynamize (P=.016). This study showed that most surgeons used radiographs and clinical evaluation to determine timing of fixator removal. Only 23% reported using computed tomography. Most surgeons dynamized the fixator prior to removal. Those who dynamized the frame were more confident in the regenerate healing. Although this study offers insight into what experienced surgeons do in their daily practice, it reveals many areas for improvement in the literature. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(5):e876-e879.].

A Statistical Approach to Determine Factors that Influence Students Academic Performance

This paper provides answer to the following question. Does the performance of students depend on the location of accommodation and facilities? The Chi square and the likelihood ratio Chi square statistics based on the contingency table are applied to answer the above question. The statistical analysis using the above techniques revealed that students performance depends on the location of the accommodation and the facilities. Result based on the odd ratio indicated that there is no association between accommodation location and facilities.

Abstract 5282: Comparison of a public versus private hospital in New York City in delivering timely adjuvant chemotherapy among stage III colon cancer patients

Abstract Background: Although the optimal timing of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) for stage III colon cancer patients has been debated, most studies recommend initiating AC within approximately 60 days of surgery. Significant disparities in timeliness of AC initiation in colon cancer have been reported in public versus private hospitals, with longer time to AC at public hospitals. We evaluated whether timeliness of AC differed between a public and a private hospital, both affiliated with the same major academic institution in New York City. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Stage III colon cancer patients who underwent surgery and received AC at the same institution from 2008-2015 at NYU Langone Medical Center’s affiliated public hospital (Bellevue) or its private hospital (Tisch). Patient data were obtained through review of hospital tumor registry and electronic medical records. Patient characteristics were compared by hospital. We defined timeliness as receipt of AC within 60 days postoperatively. Univariate and stepwise multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with timely AC. Results: Forty three patients at Bellevue Hospital and 79 patients at Tisch Hospital who underwent surgery and received AC at the same institution were included. Median number of days to AC was significantly greater among patients receiving care at Bellevue (53, range 31-231) compared to Tisch (43, range 25-105; p=0.002). However, the percentage of patients who received timely AC did not differ substantially at Bellevue and Tisch (74% vs 81%, p=0.40). Individual characteristics significantly associated with timely initiation of AC were non-Hispanic ethnicity (OR: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.06-6.95), married (OR: 2.89, 95%CI: 1.15-7.30), and laparoscopic (vs open) surgery (OR: 4.30, 95%CI: 1.64-11.25). The odds of receiving timely AC at Bellevue compared to Tisch was not significant (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.28-1.65). When hospital and other factors were examined jointly, only age (OR: 0.95/year, 95% CI: 0.91-0.99) and laparoscopic (vs open) surgery (OR: 5.65, 95% CI: 1.92-16.62) remained as important factors associated with receiving timely AC (Likelihood Ratio Chi-Square=14.95, p=0.0019). When hospital was omitted from multivariable analysis, age and surgery type still remained the only significant factors associated with timely AC (OR’s unchanged, Likelihood Ratio Chi-Square=14.81, p-value=0.0006). Conclusions: The proportion of patients receiving timely AC within 60 days of surgery was similar at both an affiliated public and private hospital at NYU Langone Medical Center. Age and type of surgery were significant predictors of timeliness in our population. Further research should be conducted to understand how system-level factors may promote timely receipt of care. Citation Format: Daniel Lin, Benjamin Levinson, Judith D. Goldberg, Tsivia Hochman, Lawrence P. Leichman, Heather T. Gold. Comparison of a public versus private hospital in New York City in delivering timely adjuvant chemotherapy among stage III colon cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5282. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5282

Multiple Jobholding Associated with the Wellbeing of Physical Education Teachers in Southern Brazil

Objetivo: se evaluó cómo el pluriempleo se asocia con el bienestar de los profesores de Educación Física en las instituciones públicas estatales en el sur de Brasil, teniendo en cuenta los parámetros individuales (estilo de vida) y socio-ambiental (de trabajo). Métodos: 1645 profesores respondieron a un cuestionario sociodemográfico y profesional, además de los instrumentos: QVT-PEF y PEVI. La prueba de chi-cuadrado, razón de verosimilitud y la regresión logística multinomial fueron utilizadas. Resultados/Discusión: los resultados mostraron diferencias significativas en las características socio-demográficas y profesionales de los profesores que trabajan sólo en escuelas públicas estatales y profesores con pluriempleo. Los profesores con pluriempleo están menos satisfechos con la promoción profesional y eltiempo equilibrado entre el ocio y el trabajo. Conclusión: las políticas públicas deben estimular a los profesores de educación física para trabajar exclusivamente en las escuelas públicas, con el fin de promover un mejor bienestar.

Variations in Cervical Cytology Testing Among Women of Different Ethnicities [29G

INTRODUCTION: Current information about ethnic differences in the progression and regression of intraepithelial lesions on cervical cytology is undefined, with existing studies looking solely at ethnic differences in compliance with follow-up and treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate variation in progression and regression of cervical cytology screening results among an ethnically diverse population. METHODS: A retrospective review of was conducted for women receiving cervical cytology evaluation from January 1, 2006 through September 30, 2015. Differences in intraepithelial lesion diagnoses on cervical cytology for patients were reviewed. We fit Markov multi-state models to estimate self-reported race/ethnicity-specific expected wait times and hazard rates for each possible regression and progression, and compared a model with race to an intercept-only model using a chi-square likelihood ratio test. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 7635 patients, with mean baseline age 34±12, and was 31% Hispanic, 26% White, 17% Black, and 9% Asian, Middle Eastern or other. We estimated a total of 24 hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals comparing rates of transition to and from ASCUS, ASCH, LGSIL, and HGSIL, for the race/ethnicity categories of Black, Hispanic, and a category for Asian, Middle Eastern, or other, compared to White. The model including race fit significantly better than the intercept-only model (p < 0.001). Visual inspection of expected wait time curves indicated that Black and Hispanic women had a slower progression as well as a slower regression. CONCLUSION: Preliminary analysis suggests that the progression/regression of precancerous lesions on cervical cytology may behave differently among women of different ethnicities.

MP62-19 CROSS VALIDATION OF A PREDICTIVE ANALYTIC MODEL WHICH PREDICTS SUCCESS AND COMPLICATIONS OF SHOCKWAVE LITHOTRIPSY

You have accessJournal of UrologyStone Disease: Shock Wave Lithotripsy1 Apr 2017MP62-19 CROSS VALIDATION OF A PREDICTIVE ANALYTIC MODEL WHICH PREDICTS SUCCESS AND COMPLICATIONS OF SHOCKWAVE LITHOTRIPSY Blake Hamilton, Ryan Seltzer, Donald Gleason, Stephen Nakada, and Glenn Gerber Blake HamiltonBlake Hamilton More articles by this author , Ryan SeltzerRyan Seltzer More articles by this author , Donald GleasonDonald Gleason More articles by this author , Stephen NakadaStephen Nakada More articles by this author , and Glenn GerberGlenn Gerber More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2017.02.1950AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) is a primary treatment for nephrolithiasis that has been used widely for the past 3 decades. Recently, this technology has come under fire because of declining outcomes in the face of improving alternative technologies. Multiple authors have described pre-operative parameters that improve the success of SWL, including stone size, location, density, and skin-to-stone distance. Using these and other parameters, we present a predictive analytic model to help urologists select the most effective treatment modality with the highest likelihood of success and lowest likelihood of complication. METHODS We performed a random 70/30 split of 7,000 SWL treatment records for renal and ureteral stones from 2010-2016 to train and validate a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) using statistical software (PROC GLIMMIX in SAS 9.4). This model uses 9 parameters: stone size, Hounsfield Units (HU), body mass index (BMI), stone location, anesthesia type, SWL machine type, anticoagulant use, age, and gender to predict treatment success, defined as stone free or fragments = 4mm, and to predict treatment complications. Actual treatment success and complications were obtained from self-reported physician follow-up surveys tied to the original SWL treatment record. Both treatment and follow-up data are housed in The Stone Disease Registry. RESULTS The training model was significantly related to treatment success, Likelihood Ratio (LR) Chi-square = 1136.02, p < .0001, Area under the curve (AUC) = .82. This model was in turn a good predictor of success in the validation dataset, AUC = .81. The training model was also significantly related to complications, Likelihood Ratio Chi-square = 538.75, p < .0001, AUC = .91. This model was a fair predictor of complication rate in the validation dataset, AUC = .77. CONCLUSIONS This novel predictive analytic model provides accurate prediction of treatment success and complications for SWL. Given the robust model fit to the validation data, we conclude that this model will be useful in prospectively predicting success for the treatment of urinary stones with SWL. This has the potential to assist urologists in prospectively making evidence-based decisions on which treatment modality will be most effective in maximizing success and minimizing complications and costs for treatment of urinary stones. © 2017FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 197Issue 4SApril 2017Page: e834 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2017MetricsAuthor Information Blake Hamilton More articles by this author Ryan Seltzer More articles by this author Donald Gleason More articles by this author Stephen Nakada More articles by this author Glenn Gerber More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Mortalidade infantil: análise de fatores associados em uma capital do Nordeste brasileiro

Resumo Objetivo Analisar os fatores associados à mortalidade infantil, em Fortaleza, Ceará. Métodos Estudo do tipo caso-controle, com amostra de 147 casos e 441 controles. O desfecho estudado foi a ocorrência de óbito em menores de um ano e as variáveis explicativas foram dispostas em blocos hierárquicos. Adotou-se como critério de entrada das variáveis no modelo p &lt; 0,20 e para permanecerem p &lt; 0,05. Foram realizados testes de associação, por meio do qui-quadrado e razão de máxima verossimilhança, ao nível de significância de 5%. Na regressão logística não condicional, utilizou-se a medida da força de associação entre as variáveis pela Odds Ratio (OR) bruta e ajustada. O controle dos fatores de confusão nas associações da análise univariada foi conseguido pela OR ajustada. Finalmente, realizou-se a regressão logística múltipla, apenas com as variáveis significativas, de cada nível hierarquizado. Resultados Os fatores que estiveram associados com o óbito infantil foram: gestação gemelar (OR: 78,1; IC 95%: 22,1; 275,6) e idade gestacional ≤ 36 semanas (OR: 18,8; IC 95%: 6,2; 57,0). O parto cesáreo apresentou-se como fator associado de proteção. Conclusão A prevenção dos fatores associados identificados nesta pesquisa, como gestação gemelar e idade gestacional ≤ 36 semanas, poderá significar maior redução na taxa de mortalidade infantil.

Geriatric nutritional risk index as a nutritional and survival risk assessment tool in stable outpatients with systolic heart failure

Background and aimsMalnutrition is frequent in heart failure (HF). However, the best tool for evaluating malnutrition in geriatric patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the incremental prognostic value of the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) in stable geriatric outpatients with HFrEF compared with a clinical/laboratory prognostic model. Methods and resultsA total of 143 outpatients with HFrEF, aged >65 years, a LVEF <40%, and who were stable and on optimal therapy were studied. Follow-up lasted 3 years. The outcome was all-cause death. The GNRI was calculated as follows: [(1.489 × serum albumin (g/L)) + (41.7 × (current body weight/ideal weight)]. The 3-year death rate was 36.4% and 16 (11.2%) patients were at risk of malnutrition (GNRI ≤98). Deceased patients had a lower GNRI (113.6 ± 9.1 vs. 105.6 ± 9.2; p < 0.001) than did survivors. Greater values of the GNRI (hazard ratio = 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.90–0.95; p < 0.001) and GNRI >98 (hazard ratio = 0.29, 95% CI 0.15–0.57; p < 0.001) were associated with better survival. These factors remained significant after adjustment of significant confounders. The GNRI was a better discriminator of death than weight and albumin. Adding the GNRI to the clinical/laboratory predictor survival model significantly increased the c-statistics from 0.93 to 0.95 (p < 0.001) and the chi-square likelihood ratio test from 106.15 to 119.9. ConclusionThe risk of malnutrition, as assessed by the GNRI, in stable geriatric outpatients with HFrEF is a strong independent predictor of survival. The GNRI adds significant prognostic information to the clinical/laboratory model.

Poisson and Negative Binomial Regression Models Application to Model the Factors of Car Ownership in Akure, South West, Nigeria

Increase in number of cars without commensurate increase in the number of transport facilities and infrastructures has led to diverse traffic problems in many Nigerian cities like Akure. Factors which contribute to increase in the numbers of cars owned in Akure metropolis were investigated in this study. The study area was divided into three density zones namely High, Medium and Low while, data was collected using well-structured household questionnaire survey distributed amongst residents; with the survey yielding a return of 1002 questionnaire out of the 1181 distributed. Results from field findings gave the average number of cars owned per household in the study area as 0.62. Results of the Poisson Regression Model show that a change in the number of employed household members will decrease the number of cars owned in the study area by 9% while, a unit increase in the number of driver’s license holders in the household, academic qualification and average monthly income of the household will increase the number of cars owned by 60%, 26% and 30% respectively. The negative binomial model indicates that a change in the number of employed household members will decrease the number of cars owned by 10% whereas a change in the number of driver’s license holders in the household and monthly income will lead to an increase in the number of cars owned by 101% and 24% respectively. The test of model effects affirm that all the predictor variables are statistically significant indicating a good fit for the model predicted. Out of the two models, Poisson regression model is found to be a superior model due to a higher log likelihood ratio Chi Square and improved statistically significant variables. The findings in this research will assist government agencies to plan future transportation infrastructure development.

Systematic evaluation of circulating inflammatory markers for hepatocellular carcinoma.

A number of circulating inflammatory factors are implicated in the pathogenesis and prognostication of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aim to evaluate the prognostication of multiple serum inflammatory factors simultaneously and develop an objective inflammatory score for HCC. A prospective cohort of 555 patients with HCC with paired serum samples was accrued from 2009 to 2012. The blood levels of conventional inflammatory markers, namely C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, neutrophils, lymphocytes and platelet, were determined, and 41 other exploratory markers were measured by a multiplex assay. The prognostication and interaction of markers were determined by univariate and multivarite analyses. The cohort was randomly divided into training cohort (n=139) and validation cohort (n=416). There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the two cohorts. In the training cohort, independent prognostic factors for overall survival included CRP (hazard ratio [HR] 1.107; P=.003), albumin (HR 0.953; P=.032) and interleukin-8 (HR=5.816; P<.001). We have modified the existing inflammation-based index (IBI) by adding serum interleukin-8 level. The modified IBI could stratify patients into four groups with distinct overall survival (P<.001). The results were also validated in the validation cohort. When compared with IBI and other conventional inflammatory markers, the modified IBI had better prognostic performance with higher c-index and homogeneity likelihood ratio chi-square. Among the conventional and exploratory circulating inflammatory markers, higher CRP, lower albumin and higher interleukin-8 were independent prognosticators. By combining these factors, a simple and accurate inflammatory index could be constructed.

Possible Barriers towards Seeking Dental Treatment for the Indian Elders: A Questionnaire Study

This is a study to determine the possible barriers towards seeking dental treatment for the Indian elders and get an insight into the attitude of the elders towards their dental health problem. A total of 100 geriatric patients seeking oral health care above the age of 60 years were enrolled for the study from the outpatient Department of Prosthodontics and Geriatric dentistry, SDM College of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka. A questionnaire consisting of one key question and 12 questions categorized into 4 sections as a) attitude towards oral health, b) family dental history, c) family attitude and d) finance was given to each participant. Results obtained were put to statistical analysis. Pearson chi-square and Likelihood-ratio chi-square were carried out and it was observed that there is a strong association between the four barriers as p = 0.000 < 0.05. It was concluded that there is a low ‘felt need’ which calls for improving the awareness among elders and motivating them to use the services available for them so that they lead a socially and economically productive life. Also the family attitude towards the patient especially with regard to the presence or absence of spouse has been identified as a major barrier in our study.

Association of Helicobacter Pylori Infection with Iron Deficiency in Asians and Pacific Islanders but not in Caucasians, African Americans, or Hispanics

It is well-recognized that Helicobacter pylori infection causes gastrointestinal blood loss and iron deficiency. H. pylori gastritis has also been implicated in iron deficiency refractory to oral iron replacement therapy. Although H. pylori infection is common in multiple populations, less is known about the extent to which H. pylori contributes to iron deficiency in different racial/ethnic groups. To address this question, we tested the serum collected from men aged ≥ 25 y and women ≥ 50 y in the Hemochromatosis and Iron Overload Screening (HEIRS) Study to identify those with iron deficiency (defined as serum ferritin ≤ 12 mg/L [cases]) and iron-replete controls (serum ferritin > 100 mg/L in men, serum ferritin > 50 mg/L in women).All samples were tested for H. pylori IgG antibodies and for antibodies to CagA (cytotoxin-associated gene-bearing strain). We tested 571 cases and 1142 controls. Participants were considered to have evidence of H. pylori infection if they had positive results for both antibodies or for either antibody alone. Participants who did not have a result for either test were excluded. We examined the association between the presence of H. pylori in cases and controls among Caucasians, Asian/Pacific Islanders, African Americans, and Hispanics.Among Caucasians, evidence of H. pylori infection was comparable in cases and controls; 170 of 735 controls (23.1%) and 97 of 363 cases (26.7%), respectively, were positive. Similar results were found in African Americans (56.3% of 144 controls; 55.8% of 77 cases) and Hispanics (66.7% of 159 controls; 59.5% of 79 cases). However, in Asian/Pacific Islanders, the prevalence of H. pylori was higher among cases (62.8% of 51) than controls (44.1% of 102), p=0.029 by the likelihood ratio Chi-Square test. The relative risk (RR) of iron deficiency among those with H. pylori-positivity was significantly greater than in those without (RR, 1.66; 95% CI [1.04, 2.66]). A comparison of subgroups by positivity for IgG or CagA showed that the relative risk of iron deficiency was increased among those with IgG positivity, with or without Cag A positivity (RR, 1.80 and 1.90, respectively), but not among those with CagA positivity alone (RR, 1.00).H. pylori infection is a frequent contributor to iron deficiency but is also common in the general population. Our results indicate that among HEIRS Study Asian/Pacific Islander participants, H. pylori infection is more prevalent in cases with iron deficiency than in controls. In contrast, there was no difference in the prevalence of H. pylori infection between cases and controls among Caucasians, African Americans, and Hispanics. These results have implications for the investigation of iron deficiency in Asians and Pacific Islanders. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Quality versus queasy: Trends in the use of antiemetics.

203 Background: The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) launched the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) program in 2010, to promote quality cancer care. Subsequently, ASCO has influenced the use of the neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor antagonists aprepitant/fosaprepitant through peer-reviewed publications and the Choosing Wisely Campaign. These agents increase cost and, via CYP3A4 inhibition, may lead to drug interactions. Here we report our survey results that explored prescribing patterns of these agents among QOPI-certified and non-certified oncologists. Methods: An anonymous online survey was distributed to oncologists in four states. Respondents were asked 12 questions about the use of aprepitant/fosaprepitant in their clinical practice. Responses were analyzed in aggregate using likelihood ratio Chi-square tests. P-values of &lt; 0.05 are significant. Descriptive statistics describe differences between groups. Results: We analyzed 157 responses and excluded 10 respondents that did not identify themselves as medical oncologists. 62.1% of the practitioners practice in a QOPI-certified practice (90/145). Compared with non-QOPI practitioners, QOPI physicians are significantly more likely to use NK1 antagonists with intermediate/low emetogenicity regimens like weekly cisplatin for head &amp; neck cancer (83.3 vs. 28.0%, p: &lt; 0.001), cervical &amp; bladder cancer (85.2 vs. 34.0%, p: &lt; 0.001), and with CHOP ± rituximab for lymphoma (82.4 vs. 18.0%, p: &lt; 0.001). Significantly, the majority of QOPI-certified physicians report using these agents for the sole purpose of earning/maintaining QOPI certification (81.4-85.4%). QOPI-certified physicians are also significantly more likely to appropriately prescribe NK1 antagonists with doxorubicin ≥ 60 mg/m2 (86.4 vs. 51.9%, p: &lt; 0.001), cisplatin ≥ 50 mg/m2 (96.3 vs. 76.9%, p: &lt; 0.001) and dacarbazine (84.6 vs. 55.8%, p: &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: Although QOPI-certified physicians are significantly more likely to use NK1 antagonists than non-QOPI physicians, our findings indicate that their motivation is to satisfy QOPI guidelines instead of perceived necessity. A prospective study may be beneficial to further define the role of NK1 antagonists with intermediate/low emetogenicity regimens.

Determination the Proportion of Refractory Epilepsy and Some Associated Factors in Epileptic Patients in the North East of Iran

Article type: Original Article Background: Epilepsy is the second common neurologic disorder. Although many antiepileptic drugs have been formulated to control the seizures, but not all seizures have been controlled by them. Uncontrolled epilepsy can actually reduce the patients’ quality of life. Objectives: Identifying the proportion of adult intractable epilepsy among epileptic patients in an area in the North East of Iran Materials and Methods: All epileptic patients who admitted to neurology clinic of a teaching hospital associated with Islamic Azad University of Mashhad in 2014 that were eligible for inclusion criteria enrolled this crosssectional study. After fulfilling the informed consent, interview, examination and EEG were done. The data was expressed and analyzed by using Mean±Standard deviation and the Likelihood Ratio Chi-Square test in SPSS software version 22. Significance level was considered as less than 0.05%. Results: From 171 patients, 59 patients with epilepsy (34.5%) met the criteria for intractable epilepsy (37.5% male, 31.3% female) with mean age of 28.2±8.5 years. The mean duration of disease was 14.5±8.4 and 11±8.8 years in patients with refractory epilepsy and controlled epilepsy respectively (t-test=2.5 and p=0.013). The seizure frequency was significantly higher in pharmacoresistant patients than pharmacoresponsive ones (7.15±8.4 vs. 0.29±7 per month p=0.0001). Also taking Carbamazepin and Clobazam and Primidone were associated with intractable epilepsy (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our results accounted that about one-third of patients with epilepsy are categorized in refractory epilepsy with higher duration of disease.

Occurrence of fingerprint patterns in the Moroccan population

This paper focuses on the distribution of basic fingerprint patterns in the Moroccan population. The study was performed on a random sample of 2000 individuals (1000 females and 1000 males) selected independently of their ethnic group. The results obtained show a classic distribution represented by ulnar loops (∼58%), whorls (∼32%), radial loops (∼5%) and arches (∼5%). Statistical methods (likelihood ratio Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests) demonstrated significant differences between males and females: whorls and radial loops were found in slightly higher frequencies for male (34.75% and 5.81%, respectively) than for females (29.46% and 4.86%, respectively) but ulnar loops and arches were less predominant (55.30% vs. 60.40% and 4.14% vs. 5.28%, respectively). More differences were observed on the right hand for males compared with females, by higher frequencies of whorls on the ring finger (46.7% vs. 34.3%) and ulnar loops on the index finger (12.3% vs. 7%) as well as lower frequencies of radial loops on the ring (47.7% vs. 60.4%) and the index (39.2% vs. 50.2%) fingers. We can note also that for both sexes, the radial loops are quite rare as they were observed only on a maximum of three fingers.

A comparison of homogeneity tests in Poisson distribution based on Mont Carlo simulation

Abstract. In this article, we introduce tests for examining the hypothesis of whether the observations in a Poisson distribution with the same parameters fit with the observations of Poisson distribution with different parameters. When Poisson parameter is small, and the sample volume is large, homogeneity tests like Conditional Chi-square test, Likelihood ratio, and Nymen-Scott test are not efficient enough. Therefore, in this article, another test which is efficient enough in these conditioned is introduced, named Anscombe test. At last, based on Mont Carlo simulation we compare these tests in terms of performance and accuracy, and we illustrate use of them through a real example.

Socio-demographic factors relating to mothers' self-efficacy in preventing childhood diarrhea: a longitudinal study

Aim: To determine the association between socio-demographic data of mothers living in risk micro-areas and their self-efficacy in preventing childhood diarrhea. Methods: his is a longitudinal study conducted in Fortaleza, with 90 mothers of children under five years of age. Data collection was performed through the use of the Maternal Self-efficacy Scale for Children Diarrhea Prevention (EADPI) and by telephone. Data were analyzed by chi-square tests and likelihood ratio. Results: It was found significance in self-efficacy levels with the following variables: age between 15 and 29 (ρ <0.001); married (p=0.035), consensual union (ρ=0.039), single (p=0.033); more than five years of schooling (ρ<0.001); per capita income lower than R$ 169.50 (ρ<0.001), more than R$ 169.50 (ρ<0.001); housewife (ρ<0.001), other occupations (ρ<0.001) and number of children (ρ<0.001). Conclusion: When nurses use the EAPDI they can monitor self-efficacy and associate it to the socio-economic conditions of mothers that influence the occurrence of diarrhea in order to intervene with educational activities.

Defence Efficacy in Practice and Competition. A Case Study in Women’s Volleyball

The aim of this study was to compare the player positions, situations, techniques, and efficacy in defence between practice and competition for a women’s professional volleyball team. The sample was a Spanish professional women’s volleyball team. The defence actions carried out in three sessions of the competitive season and two in-season matches were studied (794 rallies in practice and 166 rallies in competition). The variables studied were: actions done, defence zone, player role, type of attack, court defence technique, game phase, situations, level of execution of the defence team system, block efficacy, defence efficacy, and result of the rally for the analysed team. Descriptive and inferential analyses of the data were done (Mann-Whitney U, and Chi-Square Test and likelihood ratio). Differences in defence systems and efficacies were found between practice and competition. A higher collective efficacy was found in competition, and higher levels of individual block and defence efficacies were found in practice. The results show the need to reconsider the way match analysis is done. Consideration should not only be given to the actions done with the ball when analysing players’ performance.

A Multivariate Test for Three-Factor Interaction in 3-Way Contingency Table under the Multiplicative Model

Two test statistics that have been commonly used in analysing interactions in contingency table are the Pearson’s Chi-square statistic, χ2, and likelihood ratio test statistic, G2. Both test statistics, in tables with sufficiently large sample size, have an asymptotic chi-square distribution with degrees of freedom (df) equal to the number of free parameters in the saturated model. For example under the hypothesis of independence of the row and column conditioned on the layer in an I × J × K contingency table, the df is K(I –1)(J– 1). These test statistics, in large sized tables, will have less power since they have large degrees of freedom. This paper proposes a product effect model, which combines the advantages of the multiplicative models over the additive, for analysing the interaction between the row and column of the 3-way table conditioned on the layer. The derived statistics is shown to be asymptotically chi-square with a small degree of freedom, K – 1, for the I × J × K contingency table. The performance of the developed statistic is compared with the Pearson’s chi-square statistic and the likelihood ratio statistic test using an illustrative example. The results show that the product effect test can detect interaction even when some of the main effects are not significant and can perform better than the other competitors having smaller degree of freedom in large sized tables.

The expression of disabled-2 is common reduced in meningiomas

Disabled-2 (Dab2) is frequently down-regulated in several types of cancers. We examined the expression level of Dab2 in human meningiomas and meningioma cells, aimed to investigate its role in the oncogenesis and development of meningiomas. Western blot analysis was employed to detect Dab2 expression in 90 fresh tissues of meningiomas, 10 leptomeninges and two kinds of human malignant meningioma cell lines. Independent samples t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson Chi-square test and likelihood ratio test were used to analyze the expression level of Dab2 and its relations to clinic-pathological characteristics of meningiomas. Dab2 was significantly down-regulated in classic meningiomas than the atypical or anaplastic meningiomas. The reduced or loss of expression of Dab2 were significantly correlated with the lower classification of meningiomas and negatively correlated with the invasive ability of adjacent tissues. Furthermore, it was reduced or lost in malignant meningioma cell lines (IOMM-Lee and KT21-MG1). The lower classification of meningiomas correlated with previous comorbidities; not with the gender, age of patients and smoking. Dab2 is expressed at variable level in meningiomas with different grade of malignancy and probably plays a pivotal role in the early stage of oncogenesis of malignant meningiomas.