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Indices Used (index + used)
Selected AbstractsIdentifying target groups for the prevention of anxiety disorders in the general populationACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2010N. M. Batelaan Batelaan NM, Smit F, de Graaf R, van Balkom AJLM, Vollebergh WAM, Beekman ATF. Identifying target groups for the prevention of anxiety disorders in the general population. Objective:, To avert the public health consequences of anxiety disorders, prevention of their onset and recurrence is necessary. Recent studies have shown that prevention is effective. To maximize the health gain and minimize the effort, preventive strategies should focus on high-risk groups. Method:, Using data from a large prospective national survey, high-risk groups were selected for i) the prevention of first ever (n = 4437) and ii) either first-ever or recurrent incident anxiety disorders (n = 4886). Indices used were: exposure rate, odds ratio, population attributable fraction and number needed to be treated. Risk indicators included sociodemographic, psychological and illness-related factors. Results:, Recognition of a few patient characteristics enables efficient identification of high-risk groups: (subthreshold) panic attacks; an affective disorder; a history of depressed mood; a prior anxiety disorder; chronic somatic illnesses and low mastery. Conclusion:, Preventive efforts should be undertaken in the selected high-risk groups. [source] A SIBTEST Approach to Testing DIF Hypotheses Using Experimentally Designed Test ItemsJOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 4 2000Daniel M. Bolt This paper considers a modification of the DIF procedure SIBTEST for investigating the causes of differential item functioning (DIF). One way in which factors believed to be responsible for DIF can be investigated is by systematically manipulating them across multiple versions of an item using a randomized DIF study (Schmitt, Holland, & Dorans, 1993). In this paper: it is shown that the additivity of the index used for testing DIF in SIBTEST motivates a new extension of the method for statistically testing the effects of DIF factors. Because an important consideration is whether or not a studied DIF factor is consistent in its effects across items, a methodology for testing item x factor interactions is also presented. Using data from the mathematical sections of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), the effects of two potential DIF factors,item format (multiple-choice versus open-ended) and problem type (abstract versus concrete),are investigated for gender Results suggest a small but statistically significant and consistent effect of item format (favoring males for multiple-choice items) across items, and a larger but less consistent effect due to problem type. [source] Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in oral tissues: possible relevance to angiogenesis, tumour progression and field cancerisationJOURNAL OF ORAL PATHOLOGY & MEDICINE, Issue 8 2001J. Carlile Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in oral tissues is associated with angiogenesis, disease progression or field cancerisation. Vascularity and VEGF immunoreactivity were quantified in 68 archival specimens including normal oral mucosa (NOM), dysplasia (DYS) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Vascularity increased significantly with disease progression; it was also higher in NOM adjacent to SCC than in NOM from healthy tissue, suggesting an association with field cancerisation. VEGF expression in epithelial cells was evaluated using two antibodies and three indices. VEGF indices and vascularity were not directly correlated. The expression of VEGF was similar in all DYS and NOM specimens, whether or not adjacent to a concurrent lesion. A comparison of SCC with NOM or DYS led to opposite results, depending on the VEGF antibody and index used. We conclude that VEGF expression in the oral mucosa may play a physiological role, but does not appear to be associated with angiogenesis, field cancerisation or transition to dysplasia. Further studies concerned with tumour development require examining specific VEGF isoforms and standardisation of the methodology. [source] A Comparison of Income and Expenditure Inequality Estimates: The Australian Evidence, 1975,76 to 1993,94THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 4 2000Paul Blacklow Using Australian unit record data this paper compares income and expenditure inequalities over the period 1975,76 to 1993,94. The study finds inconsistencies between the two inequality movements over much of this period. We also observe differences in the nature of income and consumption disparities. Both approaches show that the ,within group' inequality dominates the ,between group' component when the population is divided into household types. The inequality estimates are sensitive to the equivalence scale used as the household size deflator but not to the cost of living index used as the price deflator. [source] Evaluation of the scientific impact, productivity and biological age based upon the h-index in three Latin American countries: the materials science caseANNALEN DER PHYSIK, Issue 4 2009A.H. Romero Abstract We discuss the scientific impact of Latin American scientists in the field of materials science. The analysis is based on the h-index as the scientometric index used to quantify the scientific productivity of an individual. In particular, we focus our analysis in México, Chile and Colombia. We compare the level of productivity between all these countries. We also analyzed the h-index as function of the biological age, by using the first year of publication of a given scientists as a reference and discussed the general distribution of its quantification. We do not find a clear relationship between these two quantities. Based in our results we propose some political measures that these countries could implement to improve productivity as well as scientific development in this field. [source] Night sampling improves indices used for management of yellow perch in Lake ErieFISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2010P. M. KOCOVSKY Abstract, Catch rate (catch per hour) was examined for age-0 and age-1 yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchill), captured in bottom trawls from 1991 to 2005 in western Lake Erie: (1) to examine variation of catch rate among years, seasons, diel periods and their interactions; and (2) to determine whether sampling during particular diel periods improved the management value of CPH data used in models to project abundance of age-2 yellow perch. Catch rate varied with year, season and the diel period during which sampling was conducted as well as by the interaction between year and season. Indices of abundance of age-0 and age-1 yellow perch estimated from night samples typically produced better fitting models and lower estimates of age-2 abundance than those using morning or afternoon samples, whereas indices using afternoon samples typically produced less precise and higher estimates of abundance. The diel period during which sampling is conducted will not affect observed population trends but may affect estimates of abundance of age-0 and age-1 yellow perch, which in turn affect recommended allowable harvest. A field experiment throughout western Lake Erie is recommended to examine potential benefits of night sampling to management of yellow perch. [source] Determining trophic niche width: a novel approach using stable isotope analysisJOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2004STUART BEARHOP Summary 1Although conceptually robust, it has proven difficult to find practical measures of niche width that are simple to obtain, yet provide an adequate descriptor of the ecological position of the population examined. 2Trophic niche has proven more tractable than other niche dimensions. However, indices used as a proxy for trophic niche width often suffer from the following difficulties. Such indices rarely lie along a single scale making comparisons between populations or species difficult; have difficulty in combining dietary prey diversity and evenness in an ecologically meaningful way; and fail to integrate diet over ecological time-scales thus usually only comprise single snapshots of niche width. 3We propose an alternative novel method for the comparison of trophic niche width: the use of variance of tissue stable isotope ratios, especially those of nitrogen and carbon. 4This approach is a potentially powerful method of measuring trophic niche width, particularly if combined with conventional approaches, because: it provides a single measure on a continuous axis that is common to all species; it integrates information on only assimilated prey over time; the integration period changes with choice of tissue sampled; and data production is theoretically fast and testing among populations simple. 5Empirical studies are now required to test the benefits of using isotopic variance as a measure of niche width, and in doing so help refine this approach. [source] Pseudoinvasion of the colorectal polypoid tumors: Serial section study of problematic casesPATHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 9 2003Tohru Tanizawa Ten cases of endoscopically removed colorectal polypoid tumors exhibiting lobular growth patterns in the submucosa without prominent desmoplastic changes in the interstitium were investigated using serial sections, and four cases were confirmed to be pseudoinvasion. The growth pattern of these four cases (pseudoinvasive tumors) was morphologically compared with the other six tumors (microinvasive tumors) in which obviously infiltrating foci were seen in minimal ranges. In the pseudoinvasive tumors, intramucosal tumor tissue spread into the submucosa through the narrow gap of the muscularis mucosae and formed a lobulated nodule larger than the gap of the muscularis mucosae. This suggested that squeezing of the herniated tumor tissue by muscularis mucosae at the gap was crucial to forming a typical feature of pseudoinvasion. The maximum diameters of the gap of the muscularis mucosae (G) and the submucosal tumor nodule (N) were measured under a microscope and compared between both groups. The mean N/G ratio of the pseudoinvasive tumors (1.73 ± 0.46) indicated a significantly higher value than that of the microinvasive tumors (1.04 ± 0.06; P < 0.01). The N/G ratio could be one of the indices used to distinguish a pseudoinvasive tumor from a microinvasive tumor in colorectal polypoid tumors. [source] A critical comparison of stratosphere,troposphere coupling indicesTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 644 2009Mark P. Baldwin Abstract Assessing stratosphere,troposphere coupling in observational data or model output requires a multi-level index with high time resolution. Ideally, such an index would (1) represent spatial patterns in the troposphere that are most strongly coupled with stratospheric variability and (2) be robust and computationally feasible in both observations and standard model output. Several of the indices used to diagnose extratropical stratosphere,troposphere coupling are based on the Northern and Southern Hemisphere annular modes. The annular mode indices are commonly defined as the leading empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of monthly-mean, hemispheric geopotential height. In the lowermost troposphere, the structure of the annular modes is defined as the leading EOF of the near-surface geopotential height field, and these patterns correspond well to the patterns of variability induced by stratospheric circulation changes. At pressure levels above the surface, the structure of the annular modes is typically found by either calculating the local EOF or regressing geopotential height data onto the leading principal component time series of near-surface geopotential height. Here we make a critical comparison of the existing methodologies used to diagnose stratosphere,troposphere coupling, including EOF-based indices as well as measures based on zonal-mean wind at a fixed latitude and geopotential height over the polar cap. We argue in favour of an alternative methodology based on EOFs of daily zonally-averaged geopotential. We find that (1) the daily evolution of stratosphere,troposphere coupling events is seen most clearly with this methodology, and (2) the methodology is robust and requires few subjective choices, making it readily applicable to climate model output available only in zonal-mean form. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Continuous-time stochastic modelling of capital adequacy ratios for banksAPPLIED STOCHASTIC MODELS IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, Issue 1 2006Casper H. Fouche Abstract Regulation related to capital requirements is an important issue in the banking sector. In this regard, one of the indices used to measure how susceptible a bank is to failure, is the capital adequacy ratio (CAR). We consider two types of such ratios, viz. non-risk-based (NRBCARs) and risk-based (RBCARs) CARs. According to the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), we can further categorize NRBCARs into leverage and equity capital ratios and RBCARs into Basel II and Tier 1 ratios. In general, these indices are calculated by dividing a measure of bank capital by an indicator of the level of bank risk. Our primary objective is to construct continuous-time stochastic models for the dynamics of each of the aforementioned ratios with the main achievement being the modelling of the Basel II capital adequacy ratio (Basel II CAR). This ratio is obtained by dividing the bank's eligible regulatory capital (ERC) by its risk-weighted assets (RWAs) from credit, market and operational risk. Mainly, our discussions conform to the qualitative and quantitative standards prescribed by the Basel II Capital Accord. Also, we find that our models are consistent with data from FDIC-insured institutions. Finally, we demonstrate how our main results may be applied in the banking sector. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Living alone, lack of a confidant and psychological well-being of elderly women in Singapore: the mediating role of lonelinessASIA-PACIFIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2010Lena L. Lim Abstract Background: The "feminization of aging" and nuclearization of families calls for research to examine the mental health and well-being of elderly women living alone. This study examined a proposed heuristic model whereby the relationship between living alone and lack of a confidant and psychological well-being is mediated by feeling of loneliness. Methods: Path analysis was performed on data of 1,205 community-living older women aged 55 and above with psychological well-being assessed by depressive symptoms (15-items Geriatric Depression Scale) and SF-12 MCS (mental component summary scale of the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey) quality of life scores assessed at baseline and follow-up 1.5 years later. Results: Goodness-of-fit indices used for the model showed good fits. All of the path coefficients were meaningful in absolute magnitude and significant at P<0.001. Living alone was associated concurrently with lack of a confidant (r=0.11), both of which predicts loneliness (path co-efficient=0.09). Loneliness predicts more depressive symptoms (path coefficient=0.25) and SF-12 MCS (path coefficient=,0.28) at baseline, as well as at follow-up. Conclusion: The findings suggest that loneliness mediates the relationship between living alone, lack of a confidant, and psychological well-being. Living alone becomes detrimental when it leads to loneliness. Social programs directed at elderly women who are living alone should alleviate loneliness through satisfactory interpersonal relationships, and emotional and spiritual support. [source] | |||||||||||||