Overall Distribution Of Scores Research Articles

Research on the Optimization Path of College Education and Teaching Based on Big Data Analysis

Abstract Educational big data analytics can provide data support and decision-making reference for the optimization of education and teaching in colleges and universities by mining the daily behaviors of college and university students, searching for the data features that affect college students’ academic performance, and establishing corresponding prediction and early warning models. In this paper, we constructed a college student performance prediction model based on the CNNBiLSTM-Attention algorithm, integrating the advantages of bi-directional long- and short-term memory neural networks and attention mechanisms, introducing the 1-tanh function after the forgetting gate to make the output value of the forgetting gate in a more obvious range, retaining the features of the input data as much as possible, and improving the learning ability of LSTM. In the context of teaching in colleges and universities, we observed that the model in this paper achieved an accuracy of 86.39% and an F1 value of 83.59% on two dataset tasks, Principles of Microcomputer and News Editing, respectively. When predicting the results of the 2022 academic year grade performance points, the prediction accuracy of seven different score levels exceeded 80%. Three students in the experimental class had midterm scores below 40, but after teacher communication and targeted counseling, there were no students with scores below 40 at the end of the semester. In the midterm prediction, no student scored higher than 90. After the teachers adjusted the teaching plan and optimized the teaching arrangement based on the prediction results, six students had scores above 90 at the end of the final term. Students’ scores in all subsections have improved, and the overall distribution of scores has moved significantly toward the higher-scoring sections. From 68 points in the midterm prediction to 72 points in the final test, the number of sub-segments increased the most. The use of big data technology has had an optimizing effect on existing universities’ traditional education and teaching models.

A Data-Driven Approach for Assessing Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Applied to Puget Sound, Washington State, USA

Sea level rise (SLR) will exert pressures on assets with social value, including things such as infrastructure and habitats, in the coastal zone. Assessing and ranking the vulnerability of those assets can provide insights that support planning and projects that can reduce those vulnerabilities. In this study, we develop a quantitative, data-drive framework for calculating a sea level rise vulnerability score, using publicly available spatial data, for 111,239 parcels in Puget Sound, Washington State, USA. Notably, our approach incorporates an assessment of coastal erosion, as well as coastal flooding, in an evaluation of the exposure of each parcel, and impacts to habitats are quantified alongside impacts to existing infrastructure. The results suggest that sea level rise vulnerability in Puget Sound is widely distributed, but the overall distribution of scores is heavily skewed, suggesting that adaptation actions directed at a relatively small number of parcels could yield significant reductions in vulnerability. The results are also coupled with a concurrently developed social vulnerability index, which provides additional insight regarding those people and places that may be predisposed to adverse impacts from SLR-related hazards. We find that the proposed approach offers advantages in terms of advancing equitable SLR-related risk reduction, but also that the results should be carefully interpreted considering embedded assumptions and data limitations.

A Systematic Quality Scoring Analysis to Assess Automated Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Segmentation Algorithms.

BackgroundThe quantitative measures used to assess the performance of automated methods often do not reflect the clinical acceptability of contouring. A quality-based assessment of automated cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) segmentation more relevant to clinical practice is therefore needed.ObjectiveWe propose a new method for assessing the quality of machine learning (ML) outputs. We evaluate the clinical utility of the proposed method as it is employed to systematically analyse the quality of an automated contouring algorithm.MethodsA dataset of short-axis (SAX) cine CMR images from a clinically heterogeneous population (n = 217) were manually contoured by a team of experienced investigators. On the same images we derived automated contours using a ML algorithm. A contour quality scoring application randomly presented manual and automated contours to four blinded clinicians, who were asked to assign a quality score from a predefined rubric. Firstly, we analyzed the distribution of quality scores between the two contouring methods across all clinicians. Secondly, we analyzed the interobserver reliability between the raters. Finally, we examined whether there was a variation in scores based on the type of contour, SAX slice level, and underlying disease.ResultsThe overall distribution of scores between the two methods was significantly different, with automated contours scoring better than the manual (OR (95% CI) = 1.17 (1.07–1.28), p = 0.001; n = 9401). There was substantial scoring agreement between raters for each contouring method independently, albeit it was significantly better for automated segmentation (automated: AC2 = 0.940, 95% CI, 0.937–0.943 vs manual: AC2 = 0.934, 95% CI, 0.931–0.937; p = 0.006). Next, the analysis of quality scores based on different factors was performed. Our approach helped identify trends patterns of lower segmentation quality as observed for left ventricle epicardial and basal contours with both methods. Similarly, significant differences in quality between the two methods were also found in dilated cardiomyopathy and hypertension.ConclusionsOur results confirm the ability of our systematic scoring analysis to determine the clinical acceptability of automated contours. This approach focused on the contours' clinical utility could ultimately improve clinicians' confidence in artificial intelligence and its acceptability in the clinical workflow.

Combined therapy of intensive statin plus intravenous rt-PA in acute ischemic stroke: the INSPIRE randomized clinical trial.

To investigate the safety and efficacy of intensive statin in the acute phase of ischemic stroke after intravenous thrombolysis therapy. A total of 310 stroke patients treated with rt-PA were randomly scheduled into the intensive statin group (rosuvastatin 20mg daily × 14days) and the control group (rosuvastatin 5mg daily × 14days). The primary clinical endpoint was excellent functional outcome (mRS ≤ 1) at 3months, and the primary safety endpoint was symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) in 90days. The intensive statin users did not achieve a favorable outcome in excellent functional outcome (mRS ≤ 1) at 3months compared with controls (70.3% vs. 66.5%, p = 0.464). Intensive statin also not significantly improved the overall distribution of scores on the modified Rankin scale, as compared with controls (p = 0.82 by the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test). The incidence of primary safety endpoint events (sICH) in 90days did not significantly differ between the intensive statin group and control group (0.6% vs. 1.3%, p > 0.999). The INSPIRE study indicated that intensive statin therapy may not improve clinical outcomes compared with the low dose of statin therapy in AIS patients undergoing intravenous thrombolysis, and the two groups had similar safety profile. URL: http://www.chictr.org . Unique identifier: ChiCTR-IPR-16008642.

Abstract 3516: Commercial gene expression tests for prostate cancer outcome risk in men of West African ancestry

Abstract Both incidence and mortality data show that the burden of prostate cancer (PrCa) is greater for African Americans (AA) than for European Americans (EAs), with AAs about 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with PrCa than EAs and about 2.4 times more likely to die of this disease. Molecular testing of prostate cancer tissue is increasingly being incorporated into patient management. Current National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines recommend three commercially available gene expression based tests for PrCa prognosis: Decipher (GenomeDX), Oncotype GPS (Genomic Health) and Prolaris (Myriad). All three of these tests were developed in predominantly EA patient populations and subsequent studies in AA patients have not included ancestry genotyping to assess genetic admixture. In a pilot study we used the Genomics Resource Information Database (GRID) to compare the research versions of these three commercial gene expression tests for PrCa outcome risk in 157 cancer positive biopsy cores from 55 patients. We also performed ancestry genotyping to estimate each patients European, West African and Native American Ancestry. The overall distribution of scores predicting average, higher than average and lower than average outcome risk differed for the three tests, with higher risk scores in 17%, 7% and 27% and lower risk scores in 69%, 73% and 43% of the cores for the Decipher, GPS and Prolaris tests, respectively. Interestingly, 25%, 37%, and 16% of 56 Cores with high risk pathology (grade group 3-5) were classified as low risk by the Decipher, GPS and Prolaris tests, respectively. In the 21 cores from men with > 70% WA ancestry, 100%, 80% and 30% of cores with intermediate and high risk pathology (grade group 2-5) were paradoxically classified as low risk by the research Decipher, GPS and Prolaris tests, respectively. These preliminary results are consistent with the evidence recently published by Creed et al (2019) suggesting that the currently available commercial genomic tests may underestimate prostate cancer outcome risk in AAs. Ancestry genotyping may be useful in rescaling genomic prostate cancer outcome risk tests that were developed in predominantly EA cohorts for use in AA patients. Reference: Creed JH et al. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, published online 2019. Citation Format: Sandra M. Gaston, Rick A. Kittles, Radka Stoyanova, Teresa M. Giret, Saba A. Ansari, Sanoj Punnen, Alan Pollack. Commercial gene expression tests for prostate cancer outcome risk in men of West African ancestry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3516.

Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ): адаптація на українській вибірці

The aim of the article is to describe and analyze Children’s Sleep HabitsQuestionnaire (CSHQ), to consider the problem of sleep disturbances of typicalchildren and children with autism spectrum disorders and to present the resultsof adaptation and approbation of the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire(CSHQ) in a sample of Ukrainian children using parent reports.Methods. To achieve the aims of the article, we used methods of theoreticalanalysis of modern research on the topic of the article, methods for assessingpsychometric data using statistical criteria. To calculate the points, the Excel 2016was used, and to check the psychometric characteristics of the questionnaire,the statistical program IBM SPSS Statistics 23 was used.The results of the research. The results of adaptation and approbation of theChildren’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) in a sample of Ukrainian childrenare presented. The scale was translated into Ukrainian from the original language(English) by a professional translator. In the adaptation of the questionnaire theparents of 506 children took part (293 typical children and 213 children withautism spectrum disorders), who filled in a questionnaire about their children’ssleep patterns. To check the psychometric characteristics of the questionnairethe determination of indicators of reliability (reliability as internal consistencyand reliability of repeated testing) and validity (apparent validity, criterionvalidity and constructive validity) were carried out. Psychometric characteristicsshowed a high and sufficient level. The procedure and interpretation of thestudy results were standardized. The frequency distribution was calculated bythe general indicator and additionally by age groups to determine the severityof sleep disturbances in children and adolescents. According to the results offrequency distribution, it was determined the overall distribution of scores,which gave the possibility to determine the presence and severity of the sleepdisorders among children.Conclusions. According to the objectives of the article, the problem of sleepdisturbances of typical children and children with autism spectrum disorderswas consided, the original questionnaire of Childhood Habits Questionnaire(CSHQ) was analyzed, translated into Ukrainian, and successfully adapted,tested and standardized on a sample of Ukrainian children and adolescents withand without autism.

«СЕНСОРНИЙ ПРОФІЛЬ (КОРОТКА ВЕРСІЯ)»: АДАПТАЦІЯ НА УКРАЇНСЬКІЙ ВИБІРЦІ НОРМОТИПОВИХ ДІТЕЙ ТА ДІТЕЙ З РОЗЛАДАМИ АУТИСТИЧНОГО СПЕКТРУ

The article describes and analyzes the questionnaire “Short Sensory Profile (SSP)”. The original variant of the Profile, its features and advantages in using as a diagnostic tool and as an informational material describing for parents the specifics of their children’s disorders are described. The impaired processing and integration of sensory information characteristic for healthy children and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is examined. Attention is drawn that sensory features and its violations characteristic for healthy and ASD children should be researched with a Ukrainian sample. The results of SSP adaptation and validation with the sample of Ukrainian children are presented. The questionnaire was translated into Ukrainian language from the original one (English) by a professional interpreter. The adapted version passed an asymmetrical translation, which helped to preserve the meanings of used statements and comply with the requirements of language clarity and certainty. The parents of 506 children (293 healthy children and 213 children with autism spectrum disorder) took part in the questionnaire adaptation; they filled the questionnaire about their children’s sensory patterns. Children were further divided into 6 groups by age and the presence / absence of a diagnosed autism spectrum disorder. Excel 2016 was used to calculate the scores, and IBM SPSS v.23 statistical application was used to check the psychometric characteristics of the questionnaire. The SSP psychometric characteristics, such as internal consistency of the statements, retest reliability, obvious validity, validity by the criteria and constructive validity, were at high and sufficient levels. The procedure and interpretation of the study results were standardized. For this, the frequency distribution was calculated by the general indicator and additionally by age groups to determine the severity of sensory disturbances in children and adolescents. According to the results of frequency distribution, the overall distribution of scores was determined, which gave the possibility to determine the presence and severity of the violations in processing and integration of sensory information by children and adolescents.

Early continuous renal replacement therapy during infant extracorporeal life support is associated with decreased lung opacification.

Lung opacification on chest radiography (CXR) is common during extracorporeal life support (ECLS), often resulting from pulmonary edema or inflammation. Concurrent use of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) during ECLS is associated with improved fluid balance and cytokine filtration; through modification of these pathologic states, CRRT may modulate lung opacification observed on CXRs. We hypothesize that early CRRT use during infant ECLS decreases lung opacification on CXR. We conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing CXRs from infants receiving ECLS and early CRRT (n = 7) to matched infants who received ECLS alone (n = 7). The CXR obtained prior to ECLS, all CXRs obtained within the first 72h of ECLS, and daily CXRs for the remainder of the ECLS course were analyzed. The outcome measure was the degree of opacification, determined by independent assessment of two, blinded pediatric radiologists using a modified Edwards et al.'s lung opacification scoring system (from Score 0: no opacification to Score 5: complete opacification). 220 CXRs were assessed (cases: 93, controls: 127). Inter-rater reliability was established (Cohen's weighted к = 0.74; p < 0.0001, good agreement). At baseline, the mean opacification score difference between cases and controls was 1 point (cases: 1.8, controls 2.8; p = 0.049). Using mixed modeling analysis for repeated measures accounting for differences at baseline, the average overall opacification score was 1.2 points lower in cases than controls (cases: 2.1, controls: 3.3; p < 0.0001). The overall distribution of scores was lower in cases than controls. Early CRRT utilization during infant ECLS was associated with decreased lung opacification on CXR.

Reach and knowledge change among coaches and other participants of the online course: "concussion in sports: what you need to know".

To describe the reach of the Heads Up "Concussion in Sports: What You Need to Know," online course and to assess knowledge change. Online. Individuals who have taken the free online course since its inception in May 2010 to July 2013. Descriptive, uncontrolled, before and after study design. Reach is measured by the number of unique participants and the number of times the course was completed by state and sport coached and the rate of participation per 100,000 population by state. Knowledge change is measured by the distribution and mean of pre- and posttest scores by sex, primary role (e.g., coach, student, and parent), and sport coached. Between May 2010 and July 2013, the online concussion course was completed 819,223 times, reaching 666,026 unique participants, including residents from all US states and the District of Columbia. The distribution of overall scores improved from pre- to posttests, with 21% answering all questions correctly on the pretest and 60% answering all questions correctly on the posttest. Online training can be effective in reaching large audiences and improving knowledge about emerging health and safety issues such as concussion awareness.

A practical tool for locomotion scoring in sheep: reliability when used by veterinary surgeons and sheep farmers

A four-point locomotion scoring tool for sheep was developed and tested on 10 general practice veterinary surgeons (VS) and 10 sheep farmers. Thirty-four video clips of sheep displaying different locomotion...

The Reading the Mind in the Eyes test: validation of a French version and exploration of cultural variations in a multi-ethnic city

IntroductionThe first aim of our study was to validate the French version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test, a theory of mind test. The second aim was to test whether cultural differences modulate performance on this test.MethodsA total of 109 participants completed the original English version and 97 participants completed the French version. Another group of 30 participants completed the French version twice, one week apart.ResultsWe report a similar overall distribution of scores in both versions and no differences in the mean scores between them. However, 2 items in the French version did not collect a majority of responses, which differed from the results of the English version. Test-retest showed good stability of the French version. As expected, participants who do not speak French or English at home, and those born in Asia, performed worse than North American participants, and those who speak English or French at home.ConclusionsWe report a French version with acceptable validity and good stability. The cultural differences observed support the idea that Asian culture does not use theory of mind to explain people's behaviours as much as North American people do.

Circadian Rhythms in the Efficacy of Intravenous Alteplase in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke and Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion

Circadian rhythm interactions of hemostatic factors can modify tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) effects. We assess the relationship of the time frame of intravenous tPA administration with the outcome of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We studied 135 consecutive patients with AIS and transcranial duplex documented middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion treated with intravenous tPA. Complete recanalization was defined as total improvement on thrombolysis in brain ischemia (TIBI) grades 2 h after tPA infusion. Clinical response was evaluated by the modified Rankin scale at 90 days. We determined plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels in 33 patients with available plasma samples before treatment. Our results are follows: 92 (68.1%) patients were treated in the diurnal (9:00–21:00) and 43 (31.8%) in the nocturnal period (21:00–9:00). Complete recanalization was recorded in 52/135 (38.5%) patients. Both the rate of complete recanalization (45.6% vs. 23.2%; p = .01) and good clinical outcome (64.1% vs. 44.2%; p = .02) were significantly higher in the group of diurnal tPA administration compared with those treated in the nocturnal period. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of diurnal tPA treatment for complete MCA recanalization was 2.37 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–5.52; p = .045). Diurnal tPA infusion significantly improved the overall distribution of scores on the modified Rankin scale, as compared with nocturnal treatment (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.16–4.64 by ordinal regression analysis). Low PAI-1 levels were associated with complete recanalization but did not significantly differ between the two time frames. In conclusion, diurnal administration of tPA is associated with complete MCA recanalization and better functional outcome at 90 days in patients with AIS. (Author correspondence: mgomis.germanstrias@gencat.cat, meritxellgomis@gmail.com)

Ginsenoside‐Rd improves outcome of acute ischaemic stroke – a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, multicenter trial

Ginsenoside-Rd is a receptor-operated calcium channel antagonist and has shown promise as a neuroprotectant in our phase II study. As an extended work, we sought to confirm its efficacy and safety of Ginsenoside-Rd in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 390 patients with acute ischaemic stroke in a 3:1 ratio to receive a 14-day intravenous infusion of Ginsenoside-Rd or placebo within 72 h after the onset of stroke. Our primary end-point was the distribution of disability scores on the modified Rankin scale (mRs) at 90 days. The efficacy analysis was based on 386 patients (Ginsenoside-Rd group: 290; placebo group: 96). Ginsenoside-Rd significantly improved the overall distribution of scores on the mRs, as compared with the placebo (P = 0.02; odds ratios [OR], 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.78). There were significant differences between the two groups when we categorized the scores into 0-1 vs. 2-5 (P = 0.01; OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.23-4.38; 66.8% vs. 53.1%). It also improved the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at 15 days [P < 0.01; least squares mean (LSM), -0.77; 95% CI, -1.31 to -0.24]. Mortality and rates of adverse events were similar in the two groups. Ginsenoside-Rd improved the primary outcome of acute ischaemic stroke and had an acceptable adverse-event profile.

Dimensions Underlying the Mini-Mental State Examination in a Sample With Low-Education Levels: The Bambuí Health and Aging Study

To investigate the validity of previously suggested dimensions underlying the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and differences in associations of these dimensions with sociodemographic and health characteristics in an older Latin-American community sample with low levels of education. Secondary analysis of baseline data from a population-based cohort study. Bambuí, Brazil. Of 1,742 total residents aged 60 years or older, 1,558 (89.4%) participated at this study. A standard Brazilian version of the MMSE. A five-factor solution (Concentration, Language/Praxis, Orientation, Attention, and Memory) for the MMSE was generated from Principal Components Analysis, and the five-factor solutions proposed in previous studies of developed nation samples were tested in this sample by Confirmatory Factor Analysis. In the adjusted linear regression models, MMSE factors varied in their correlates: for example, female gender was associated with higher concentration, orientation, and attention but lower Language/Praxis; increased age was inversely associated only with language and attention; and activity of daily living impairment was principally associated with lower Language/Praxis. This study provides support for the cross-sectional equivalence of the MMSE, suggesting that most of the items and underlying constructs remain meaningful after alteration and translation in a low-education sample with lower overall distribution of scores.

NXY-059 for acute ischemic stroke

Conclusion: The administration of NXY-059 ≤6 hours of the onset of acute ischemic stroke reduces disability at 90 days but does not significantly improve other outcomes measures of stroke. Summary: NXY-059 is an agent that traps free radicals. It has neuron-protective effects in animal models of stroke. This study tested whether NXY-059 could reduce disability after acute ischemic strokes in humans. This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in which 1722 patients with acute ischemic stroke were randomly assigned to treatment with NXY-059 or placebo. Patients were treated with intravenous infusions for 72 hours beginning ≤6 hours of the onset of stroke. The modified Rankin scale for disability was used as the primary outcome measure of disability at 90 days. There were 1699 subjects in the efficacy analysis. NXY-059 improved overall distribution of scores using the modified Rankin scale compared with placebo (P = .038). Odds ratio for improvement across all categories of the Rankin scale was 1.2 (95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.42). No differences were noted in serious and nonserious adverse events or mortality comparing the placebo and NXY-059 groups. NXY-059 did not improve neurologic function according to the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (P = .86). Also, no differences were observed in the Bartho index in the two treatment groups (P = .14). In a post hoc analysis of patients who also received Alteplase, NXY-059 was associated with a lower incidence of hemorrhagic stroke transformation (P = .001) and a lower incidence of symptomatic intercranial hemorrhage (P = .036). Comment: This study shows a modest but statistically significant benefit of NXY-059 for neuron protection after ischemic stroke. With NXK-059, and using the modified Rankin scale, 4.4% more patients became asymptomatic and 3.7% more patients were able to walk without help. Although other parameters were not statistically significant in this study, this is the first study in humans to show a neuroprotective effect of drug therapy for ischemic stroke. Stroke is an extraordinarily disabling condition and has huge personal and social costs. The number of patients is huge, and therefore any improvement, even if modest, is progress.

NXY-059 for Acute Ischemic Stroke

NXY-059 is a free-radical-trapping agent that is neuroprotective in animal models of stroke. We tested whether it would reduce disability in humans after acute ischemic stroke. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 1722 patients with acute ischemic stroke who were randomly assigned to receive a 72-hour infusion of placebo or intravenous NXY-059 within 6 hours after the onset of the stroke. The primary outcome was disability at 90 days, as measured according to scores on the modified Rankin scale for disability (range, 0 to 5, with 0 indicating no residual symptoms and 5 indicating bedbound, requiring constant care). Among the 1699 subjects included in the efficacy analysis, NXY-059 significantly improved the overall distribution of scores on the modified Rankin scale, as compared with placebo (P=0.038 by the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test). The common odds ratio for improvement across all categories of the scale was 1.20 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.42). Mortality and rates of serious and nonserious adverse events were each similar in the two groups. NXY-059 did not improve neurologic functioning as measured according to the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS): the difference between the two groups in the change from baseline scores was 0.1 point (95 percent confidence interval, -1.4 to 1.1; P=0.86). Likewise, no improvement was observed according to the Barthel index (P=0.14). In a post hoc analysis of patients who also received alteplase, NXY-059 was associated with a lower incidence of any hemorrhagic transformation (P=0.001) and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (P=0.036). The administration of NXY-059 within six hours after the onset of acute ischemic stroke significantly improved the primary outcome (reduced disability at 90 days), but it did not significantly improve other outcome measures, including neurologic functioning as measured by the NIHSS score. Additional research is needed to confirm whether NXY-059 is beneficial in ischemic stroke. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00119626.).

Depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment and functional impairment in a rural elderly population in India: a Hindi version of the geriatric depression scale (GDS-H)

Objective To measure depressive symptomatology in a largely illiterate elderly population in India, using a new Hindi version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-H), and to examine its distribution and associations with age, gender, literacy, cognitive impairment and functional impairment. Design A Hindi version of the Geriatric Depression Scale was developed and administered to participants along with measures of demographic characteristics, cognitive functioning and functional ability. Setting The rural community of Ballabgarh in northern India. Participants A community sample of 1554 mostly illiterate Hindi-speaking residents of Ballabgarh aged 55+. Measures The Hindi version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-H); the Hindi Mental State Exam (HMSE); the Everyday Abilities Scale for India (EASI); age, gender and literacy. Results The GDS-H had high internal consistency and a factor structure comparable to the original English language version. The overall distribution of scores was higher than reported from other populations. Greater numbers of depressive symptoms, as measured by higher scores on the GDS-H, were associated with older age and illiteracy. Among the illiterate, there was no gender difference while among the literate, higher GDS-H scores were found among women. Cognitive impairment and functional disability were independently associated with higher scores on the GDS-H after adjustment for age, gender and literacy. Conclusion A reliable and valid Hindi version of the GDS has been developed. Depressive symptoms as measured by the GDS-H were prominent in this elderly illiterate northern Indian population and strongly associated with both cognitive and functional impairment. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment and functional impairment in a rural elderly population in India: a Hindi version of the geriatric depression scale (GDS‐H)

To measure depressive symptomatology in a largely illiterate elderly population in India, using a new Hindi version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-H), and to examine its distribution and associations with age, gender, literacy, cognitive impairment and functional impairment. A Hindi version of the Geriatric Depression Scale was developed and administered to participants along with measures of demographic characteristics, cognitive functioning and functional ability. The rural community of Ballabgarh in northern India. A community sample of 1554 mostly illiterate Hindi-speaking residents of Ballabgarh aged 55+. The Hindi version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-H); the Hindi Mental State Exam (HMSE); the Everyday Abilities Scale for India (EASI); age, gender and literacy. The GDS-H had high internal consistency and a factor structure comparable to the original English language version. The overall distribution of scores was higher than reported from other populations. Greater numbers of depressive symptoms, as measured by higher scores on the GDS-H, were associated with older age and illiteracy. Among the illiterate, there was no gender difference while among the literate, higher GDS-H scores were found among women. Cognitive impairment and functional disability were independently associated with higher scores on the GDS-H after adjustment for age, gender and literacy. A reliable and valid Hindi version of the GDS has been developed. Depressive symptoms as measured by the GDS-H were prominent in this elderly illiterate northern Indian population and strongly associated with both cognitive and functional impairment.

A double-masked comparison of naprelan ® and nabumetone in osteoarthritis of the knee

The efficacy and safety of Naprelan ® (naproxen sodium) 1000 mg once daily (QD) and nabumetone 1500 mg QD were compared in a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, double-masked, 4-week study of adult outpatients with active osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Nabumetone 1500 mg was chosen for comparison because it is commonly prescribed in a QD dosing regimen for OA. After a washout period free of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, 279 patients were enrolled and assigned randomly to treatment with either Naprelan 1000 mg QD (n = 92), nabumetone 1500 mg QD (n = 93), or placebo (n = 94). All treatments were evaluated for efficacy and safety at baseline and at weeks 2 and 4 of the treatment period or at discontinuation. Demographic characteristics were comparable among all treatment groups. As might be expected in a study of OA of the knee, a majority of patients enrolled were women (68.8%), and many were obese (mean weight, 195.6 lb; mean height, 66 in). Significantly fewer patients (13) treated with Naprelan prematurely discontinued the study than did patients treated with placebo (27); there was a lower rate of discontinuation for insufficient therapeutic effect in the Naprelan group compared with the nabumetone and placebo groups. Using an intent-to-treat model, the overall distribution of scores in all three primary efficacy assessments (investigator's global assessment of OA, patient's global assessment of OA, and walking pain) at week 2 and at the last visit was significantly better for the Naprelan group compared with both the nabumetone and placebo groups. The mean improvement from baseline was also significant for Naprelan compared with the nabmetone and placebo groups for all three assessments at week 2 and for investigator's global assessment of OA and walking pain at the last visit. The nabumetone-treated group showed significant improvement over the placebo-treated group in only one primary assessment: mean change from baseline in patient's global assessment of OA at week 2. At week 2, significant differences favoring Naprelan versus nabumetone and placebo were measured in overall distribution of scores for joint tenderness and nighttime pain. Distribution of quality of sleep and inactivity stiffness scores also improved relative to placebo at week 2. At the last visit, nighttime pain scores were still significantly better for patients receiving Naprelan versus nabumetone and placebo. Patients receiving nabumetone had statistically significant improvement from baseline in inactivity stiffness compared with placebo at week 2. There were no clinically important differences among treatment groups in the occurrence of adverse events or laboratory abnormalities. The results of this 4-week study of Naprelan 1000 mg QD compared with nabumetone 1500 mg QD demonstrate at least equal efficacy (superior efficacy was demonstrated for several parameters) and equal safety in adult outpatients with active OA of the knee.

Long-Term Effects of Food Supplementation and Psychosocial Intervention on the Physical Growth of Colombian Infants at Risk of Malnutrition

280 Colombian infants at risk of malnutrition were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental groups formed by the presence/absence of 2 interventions: (1) food supplementation for the entire family, from mid-pregnancy until the target child was 3 years old, and (2) a twice-weekly home-visiting program to promote cognitive development, from birth until age 3. All families received free medical care and were studied prospectively. At 3 years of age, children who had received food supplementation averaged 2.6 cm and 642 grams larger than controls. Home visiting and supplementation together reduced the number of children with severe growth retardation. 3 years after intervention (age 6), supplementation effects remained. Children in the home visit condition had become larger than controls, by 1.7 cm and 448 grams. The interactive effect to reduce stunting was marginally significant at this age, and the overall distribution of scores was improved. Other results suggest that changes in family functioning as well as biological mechanisms account for the observed pattern of results.