ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 9 2007
John C. Woodfield
Background: Wound infection occurs when bacterial contamination overcomes the hosts' defences against bacterial growth. Wound categories are a measurement of wound contamination. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification of physical status may be an effective indirect measurement of the hosts' defence against infection. This study examines the association between the ASA score of physical status and wound infection. Methods: A retrospective review of a prospective study of antibiotic prophylaxis was carried out. Patients with a documented ASA score who received optimal prophylactic antibiotics were included. The anaesthetist scored the ASA classification of physical status in theatre. Other risk factors for wound infection were also documented. Patients were assessed up to 30 days postoperatively. Results: Of 1013 patients there were 483 with a documented ASA score. One hundred and one may not have received optimal prophylaxis, leaving a database of 382 patients. There were 36 wound infections (9.4%). Both the ASA classification of physical status (P = 0.002) and the wound categories (P = 0.034) significantly predicted wound infection. The duration of surgery, patient's age, acuteness of surgery and the organ system being operated on did not predict wound infection. On logistic regression analysis the ASA score was the strongest predictor of wound infection. Conclusion: When effective prophylactic antibiotics were used the ASA classification of physical status was the most significant predictor of wound infection. [source]

TUMOUR SIZE AS A PREDICTOR OF AXILLARY NODE METASTASES IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 11 2006
Sharon Laura
Background: The ability to predict the behaviour of breast cancer from its dimensions allows the clinician to inform a woman about the absolute benefits of adjuvant therapies or further surgery to control her disease. Tumour size and grade are independent predictors of nodal disease. This study aims to generate a tool, using Australian data, allowing surgeons to calculate the probability of axillary lymph node involvement in a preoperative setting. Methods: The histological reports of patients with breast cancer treated in 1995 in New South Wales were examined and tumour size, grade and nodal status recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified predictors of node positivity and, using linear regression analysis, a simple formula to predict nodal involvement was derived. Results: In a 6-month period, 754 women had non-metastatic, unifocal breast cancer treated with surgery and complete axillary dissection and 283 (37.5%) had positive nodes. Tumour size remained an independent predictor of node positivity and the probability (%), y, of nodal involvement may be predicted by the formula y = 1.5 × tumour size (mm) + 7, r = 0.939 and P = 0.001. Conclusions: This paper shows the need to assess the axilla in every patient because even patients with small tumours (0,5 mm) have the possibility of axillary involvement (7,14.5%). Use of this simple formula allows clinicians and patients to make informed decisions about the possible need for a full axillary dissection to reduce the chance of understaging and potentially undertreating a woman's breast cancer. [source]

ANTERIOR TONGUE CANCER: AGE IS NOT A PREDICTOR OF OUTCOME AND SHOULD NOT ALTER TREATMENT

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 11 2003
Michael J. Veness
Background: Mucosal head and neck cancers usually occur in older males after years of smoking and alcohol abuse. Despite this, approximately 5% of cases occur in young adults. The aetiology remains unclear and the anterior tongue is a prevalent site. Prognosis has been reported as worse in young patients and some have proposed a more aggressive treatment approach. Methods: Patients diagnosed with previously untreated anterior tongue squamous cell carcinoma and treated with curative intent were identified. Retrospective and prospective data were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were undertaken using Cox regression analysis. The outcome of patients treated with anterior tongue cancer using a cut-off age of 40 years was compared. Results: Between 1980 and 2000, 106 males and 58 females with anterior tongue squamous cell carcinoma were treated at Westmead Hospital. Median follow up was 47 months (6,210 months). Twenty-two patients (13.4%) were aged ,40 years. Other than age, patient demographics, TNM stage and treatment approach were similar between the two groups. Eighty-one per cent had either a T1 or T2 primary. In total, 139 patients (84.8%) had surgery or surgery and radiotherapy. A total of 56 (34%) patients experienced a recurrent event, with nodal recurrence occurring most often as the first site (n = 33, 59%). Young patients had a higher recurrence rate (45.5% vs 32.4%; P = 0.23). Relapse-free survival at 5 years was 62% versus 81% (P = 0.27). Overall survival at 5 years was 65% versus 67% (P = 0.74). Conclusions: In keeping with recently published evidence, young age at diagnosis with anterior tongue cancer did not portend worse outcome. There is therefore currently no strong evidence to support a different treatment approach in young patients. [source]

PATIENT AGE IS A STRONG INDEPENDENT PREDICTOR OF 13C-AMINOPYRINE BREATH TEST RESULTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY WITH HISTOLOGY, DUPLEX-DOPPLER AND A LABORATORY INDEX IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS C VIRUS INFECTION

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2006
Arne RJ Schneider
SUMMARY 1Noninvasive tests for the staging of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection would be an attractive alternative to liver biopsy. The 13C-aminopyrine breath test (ABT) has been proposed for the noninvasive assessment of hepatic function and partly correlates with fibrosis. We aimed to investigate causes for the lack of discriminatory power for different degrees of hepatic fibrosis. 2Eighty-three patients (median age 49 years (28,78 years)) with chronic HCV infection underwent the ABT after an oral load of 75 mg N,N-dimethyl- 13C-aminopyrine. Portal vein flow was assessed by duplex-Doppler and a laboratory index (aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index or APRI) was calculated. Parameters were compared with liver histology. 3The cumulative 13C-recovery differed significantly between patients without relevant fibrosis (fibrosis score 0,2) and cirrhosis (5,6), beginning after 30 min of sampling (P < 0.05). The ABT did not discriminate patients with fibrosis scores 3,4 from the remaining two patient groups. Sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of cirrhosis was 73.4,82.8% and 63.2,68.4%, depending on the sampling time. Compared with the fibrosis score (P = 0.04), patient age was a highly significant independent predictor for the 13C-recovery (P < 0.0001). Aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index and duplex-Doppler predicted cirrhosis with 76.6%vs. 87.5% sensitivity and 63.2%vs. 68.4% specificity. 4Our data suggest an age-dependent decrease of cytochrome P450 activity which probably accounts for the large overlap of ABT results that preclude clear differentiation. This is also consistent with former pharmacodynamic trials. Age-adapted reference ranges could improve ABT results. [source]

A NEW METHOD FOR STUDYING THE EXTENT, STABILITY, AND PREDICTORS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIALIZATION IN VIOLENCE,

CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
D. WAYNE OSGOOD
Specialization in violence is an important scientific and policy topic, and over the past several decades, many analysis techniques for studying specialization have emerged. Research in this area continues to be hampered, however, by remaining methodological problems. To overcome these problems, we propose a new method for studying specialization in violence based on an item-response theory measurement approach that is implemented through a multilevel regression model. Our approach defines specialization as an individual level latent variable, takes into account the inherent confounds between specialization and overall level of offending, and gauges specialization relative to the population base rates of each offense. Our method also enables researchers to 1) estimate the extent and statistical significance of specialization, 2) assess the stability of specialization over time, and 3) relate specialization to explanatory variables. Using data from three studies, we found substantial levels of specialization in violence, considerable stability in specialization over time, and several significant and relatively consistent relationships of specialization to explanatory variables such as gender, parental education, and risk-seeking. [source]

THE INTERACTION OF ANTISOCIAL PROPENSITY AND LIFE-COURSE VARYING PREDICTORS OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR: DIFFERENCES BY METHOD OF ESTIMATION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THEORY,

CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
GRAHAM C. OUSEY
Recent criminological research has explored the extent to which stable propensity and life-course perspectives may be integrated to provide a more comprehensive explanation of variation in individual criminal offending. One line of these integrative efforts focuses on the ways that stable individual characteristics may interact with, or modify, the effects of life-course varying social factors. Given their consistency with the long-standing view that person,environment interactions contribute to variation in human social behavior, these theoretical integration attempts have great intuitive appeal. However, a review of past criminological research suggests that conceptual and empirical complexities have, so far, somewhat dampened the development of a coherent theoretical understanding of the nature of interaction effects between stable individual antisocial propensity and time-varying social variables. In this study, we outline and empirically assess several of the sometimes conflicting hypotheses regarding the ways that antisocial propensity moderates the influence of time-varying social factors on delinquent offending. Unlike some prior studies, however, we explicitly measure the interactive effects of stable antisocial propensity and time-varying measures of selected social variables on changes in delinquent offending. In addition, drawing on recent research that suggests that the relative ubiquity of interaction effects in past studies may be partly from the poorly suited application of linear statistical models to delinquency data, we alternatively test our interaction hypotheses using least-squares and tobit estimation frameworks. Our findings suggest that method of estimation matters, with interaction effects appearing readily in the former but not in the latter. The implications of these findings for future conceptual and empirical work on stable propensity/time-varying social variable interaction effects are discussed. [source]

CLIMATE PREDICTORS OF LATE QUATERNARY EXTINCTIONS

EVOLUTION, Issue 8 2010
David Nogués-Bravo
Between 50,000 and 3,000 years before present (BP) 65% of mammal genera weighing over 44 kg went extinct, together with a lower proportion of small mammals. Why species went extinct in such large numbers is hotly debated. One of the arguments proposes that climate changes underlie Late Quaternary extinctions, but global quantitative evidence for this hypothesis is still lacking. We test the potential role of global climate change on the extinction of mammals during the Late Quaternary. Our results suggest that continents with the highest climate footprint values, in other words, with climate changes of greater magnitudes during the Late Quaternary, witnessed more extinctions than continents with lower climate footprint values, with the exception of South America. Our results are consistent across species with different body masses, reinforcing the view that past climate changes contributed to global extinctions. Our model outputs, the climate change footprint dataset, provide a new research venue to test hypotheses about biodiversity dynamics during the Late Quaternary from the genetic to the species richness level. [source]

PREDICTORS OF SUBSTANCE USE AND FAMILY THERAPY OUTCOME AMONG PHYSICALLY AND SEXUALLY ABUSED RUNAWAY ADOLESCENTS

JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 3 2006
Natasha Slesnick
There is a dearth of research that examines the impact of family systems therapy on problems among sexually and/or physically abused youth. Given this void, differential outcome and predictors of substance use change were evaluated for abused, as compared with nonabused, runaway adolescents who were randomly assigned to family therapy or treatment as usual. Abused adolescents reported lower family cohesion at baseline, although both abused and nonabused adolescents showed similar substance use reductions. Utilizing hierarchical linear modeling, we found that substance use changed with change in cohesion over time. These findings link change in family functioning to change in adolescent substance use, supporting family systems theory. Findings suggest that a potent target of intervention involves focus on increasing positive communication interactions. [source]

PREDICTORS OF OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE CAREER SUCCESS: A META-ANALYSIS

PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2005
THOMAS W. H. NG
Using the contest- and sponsored-mobility perspectives as theoretical guides, this meta-analysis reviewed 4 categories of predictors of objective and subjective career success: human capital, organizational sponsorship, sociodemographic status, and stable individual differences. Salary level and promotion served as dependent measures of objective career success, and subjective career success was represented by career satisfaction. Results demonstrated that both objective and subjective career success were related to a wide range of predictors. As a group, human capital and sociodemographic predictors generally displayed stronger relationships with objective career success, and organizational sponsorship and stable individual differences were generally more strongly related to subjective career success. Gender and time (date of the study) moderated several of the relationships examined. [source]

PREDICTORS OF JOB SEARCH BEHAVIOR AMONG EMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE

PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2004
EDWIN A. J. VAN HOOFT
This study investigated job search behavior and its predictors among employed and unemployed people. Ajzen's (1985) theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to predict job search intention and behavior in both groups. In addition, we examined the indirect effects of several other variables (i.e., job satisfaction, organizational commitment, work valence, expectancy, and financial need). Data were collected in a 2-wave longitudinal design, using a sample of employed individuals (N = 989) and a sample of unemployed individuals (N= 317). Results supported the applicability of the TPB in the 2 groups. The attitude-intention-behavior relationship was stronger in the unemployed group than in the employed group. The TPB variables partially mediated the effects of the additional variables studied. [source]

SELF- VERSUS OTHERS' RATINGS AS PREDICTORS OF ASSESSMENT CENTER RATINGS: VALIDATION EVIDENCE FOR 360-DEGREE FEEDBACK PROGRAMS

PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2002
Paul W. B. Atkins
Although 360-degree feedback programs are rapidly increasing in popularity, few studies have examined how well ratings from these programs predict an independent criterion. This study had 2 main aims: First, to examine the validity of ratings from a 360-degree feedback program using assessment center ratings as an independent criterion and to determine which source (i.e., self, supervisor, peers, or subordinates) provided the most valid predictor of the criterion measure of competency. Second, to better understand the relationship between self-observer discrepancies and an independent criterion. The average of supervisor, peer, and subordinate ratings predicted performance on the assessment center, as did the supervisor ratings alone. The self-ratings were negatively and nonlinearly related to performance with some of those who gave themselves the highest ratings having the lowest performance on the assessment center. Supervisor ratings successfully discriminated between overestimators but were not as successful at discriminating underestimators, suggesting that more modest feedback recipients might be underrated by their supervisors. Peers overestimated performance for poor performers. Explanations of the results and the implications for the use of self-ratings in evaluations, the design of feedback reports, and the use of 360-degree feedback programs for involving and empowering staff are discussed. [source]

THE BIG FIVE PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS AS PREDICTORS OF EXPATRIATE'S DESIRE TO TERMINATE THE ASSIGNMENT AND SUPERVISOR-RATED PERFORMANCE

PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2000
PAULA M. CALIGIURI
Applying the evolutionary theory of personality, this study proposed and tested the hypotheses that each of the Big Five personality characteristics (Extroversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Openness or Intellect) predict two criteria of expatriate success: (a) desire to prematurely terminate the expatriate assignment, and (b) supervisor-rated performance on the expatriate assignment. The participants were 143 expatriate employees (and 94 supervisors) from a U.S.-based information technology company. Results from correlation and regression analyses suggest that Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Emotional Stability are negatively related to whether expatriates desire to terminate their assignment. Conscientiousness is positively related to the supervisor-rated performance on the expatriate assignment. Practical implications for expatriate management (e.g., self-selection) are given. [source]

MONETARY POLICY INDICATORS AS PREDICTORS OF STOCK RETURNS

THE JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2008
David A. Becher
Abstract We explore the linkage between stock return predictability and the monetary sector by examining alternative proxies for monetary policy. Using two complementary methods, we document that failure to condition on the Fed's broad policy stance causes a substantial understatement in the ability of monetary policy measures to predict returns. Industry analyses suggest that cross-industry return differences are also linked to changes in monetary conditions, as monetary policy has the strongest (weakest) relation with returns for cyclical (defensive) industries. Overall, we find that monetary conditions have a prominent and systematic relation with future stock returns, even in the presence of business conditions. [source]

NON-PARAMETRIC ESTIMATION OF DIRECTION IN SINGLE-INDEX MODELS WITH CATEGORICAL PREDICTORS

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF STATISTICS, Issue 2 2005
Xiangrong Yin
Summary This paper proposes a general dimension-reduction method targeting the partial central subspace recently introduced by Chiaromonte, Cook & Li. The dependence need not be confined to particular conditional moments, nor are restrictions placed on the predictors that are necessary for methods like partial sliced inverse regression. The paper focuses on a partially linear single-index model. However, the underlying idea is applicable more generally. Illustrative examples are presented. [source]

Usefulness of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide as a Predictor of Treatment Outcome in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, Issue 5 2004
Myung H. Park MD
We examined the utility of early modulation B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in 20 pulmonary arterial hypertension patients as a marker of response to epoprostenol therapy. The baseline BNP level was 828±217 pg/mL. A total of 19 hospitalizations and one death occurred in nine patients during 11.0±1.8 months. At baseline, a trend toward higher BNP level was observed among the event-free (Group A) as compared with clinical event patients (Group B) (1090±372 vs. 510±235 pg/mL, respectively; p=0.08). After 3 months on epoprostenol, a significant reduction among Group A occurred while Group B demonstrated an increase (288±92 vs. 610±121 pg/mL, p=0.04). A comparison of percent reduction in BNP level demonstrated a ,70±7% change among Group A and an 11±19% increase in Group B (p=0.005). A decrease in BNP level of ,50% during the first 3 months on epoprostenol was strongly predictive of event-free survival (p=0.003). This investigation establishes the utility of BNP for predicting response to epoprostenol therapy in pulmonary arterial hypertension. [source]

Aortic Root Dimension as an Independent Predictor for All-Cause Death in Adults <65 Years of Age (from The Chin-Shan Community Cardiovascular Cohort Study)

ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 5 2010
Chao-Lun Lai M.D.
Background: Evidence on aortic root dimension for predicting cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is inconclusive. This cohort study sought to characterize the predictive power of aortic root dimension on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in an ethnic Chinese population. Methods: We recruited 1,851 participants in the Chin,Shan Community Cardiovascular Cohort (CCCC) study who had received echocardiography without previous cardiovascular events. Aortic root dimension was measured by M-mode echocardiography and indexed by body surface area to obtain aortic root dimension index (AOI). The end points were all-cause death and incident cardiovascular events including coronary heart disease and stroke over a median follow-up of 11.9 years. Results: Although tertiles of AOI was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause death in univariate analysis, the significance diminished after adjusting for age variable (P for trend = 0.11 for cardiovascular events; P for trend = 0.23 for all-cause death). In subgroup analysis, we found a significant association between tertiles of AOI and risk of all-cause death in the final multivariate Cox regression model in adults <65 years. The adjusted relative risk was 1.88 (95% CI, 1.04 to 3.40) in participants in the upper tertile of AOI compared with participants in the lower tertile (P for trend = 0.037). In adults ,65 years, tertile of AOI was not associated with all-cause death (P for trend = 0.14). Tertiles of AOI was not associated with cardiovascular events throughout this study. Conclusion: Our study showed a significant association between AOI and all-cause death in adults <65 years in an ethnic Chinese population. (Echocardiography 2010;27:487-495) [source]

Mothers' Trait Verbal Aggressiveness as a Predictor of Maternal and Child Behavior During Playtime Interactions

HUMAN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH, Issue 3 2008
Steven R. Wilson
This article explores associations between mothers' trait verbal aggressiveness (VA) and maternal and child behavior during playtime interactions. Forty mothers completed a 10-minute play period with one of their children (range = 3,8 years) and then responded to D. A. Infante and C. J. Wigley's (1986) trait VA scale. Mothers' trait VA was associated positively (r = .48) with their rate of directing and inversely (r =,.44) with their child's rated cooperation. Qualitative analyses of a subset (n = 8) of interactions suggest that mothers high in trait VA used directives to control the choice, rate, and duration of activities, and used physical negative touch along with directives, more than low-VA mothers. Behaviors associated with trait VA occur even during brief mother,child interactions in which triggers for aggressive behavior largely are absent. Résumé Le trait d,agressivité verbale des mères comme variable explicative des comportements maternels et infantiles lors d'interactions de jeu Cet article explore les associations entre le trait d,agressivité verbale (AV) des mères et le comportement maternel et infantile lors d'interactions de jeu. 40 mères ont participéà une période de jeu de 10 minutes avec l,un de leurs enfants (tranche d'âge = 3-8 ans) puis ont répondu à l'échelle de trait d'AV d,Infante et Wigley (1986). Le trait d'AV des mères fut associé positivement (r= 0,48) à leur taux de contrôle et inversement (r= -0,44) au taux de coopération de leur enfant. Des analyses qualitatives d,un sous-ensemble (n= 8) d'interactions donnent à penser que les mères au trait d,AV élevé ont fait usage de directives pour contrôle le choix, le rythme et la durée des activités et qu'elles ont utilisé le toucher physique négatif en même temps que les directives, plus que ne l,ont fait les mères au trait d'AV faible. Les comportements associés au trait d'AV surviennent même lors de brèves interactions mère-enfant au cours desquelles les déclencheurs de comportements agressifs étaient largement absents. Abstract Das Müttermerkmal verbale Aggression als Prädiktor für Mutter-Kind-Verhalten in spielerischen Interaktionen Dieser Artikel untersucht den Zusammenhang zwischen dem Müttermerkmal verbale Aggression (VA) und dem Mutter-Kind-Verhalten in spielerischen Interaktionen. 40 Mütter spielten 10 Minuten lang mit einem ihrer Kinder (zwischen 3-8 Jahren) und beantworteten dann die VA-Eigenschaftsskala nach Infante & Wigley (1986). Das Müttermerkmal VA war positiv assoziiert (r= .48) mit der Häufigkeit des führenden Eingreifens und umgekehrt assoziiert (r= -.44) mit der vom Kind beurteilten Kooperation. Qualitative Analysen eines Teils (n= 8) der Interaktionen deuten darauf hin, dass Mütter mit hoher VA führendes Eingreifen nutzen, um die Wahl, Häufigkeit und Dauer von Aktivitäten zu kontrollieren. Sie nutzten außerdem häufiger physisch negative Berührungen zusammen mit dem führenden Eingreifen als Mütter mit niedriger VA. Mit dem Merkmal VA verbundene Verhaltensweisen finden sogar in kurzen Mutter-Kind-Interaktionen statt bei denen Auslöser für aggressives Verhalten weitestgehend fehlen. Resumen El Rasgo de la Agresividad Verbal de las Madres como Vaticinador del Comportamiento Materno y del Niño Durante las Interacciones en el Recreo Este artículo explora la asociación entre el rasgo de agresividad verbal de las madres (VA) y el comportamiento maternal y del niño durante las interacciones en el recreo. Cuarenta madres completaron un período de 10-minutos de juego con uno de sus hijos (oscilando = 3-8 años) y luego respondieron a la escala sobre el rasgo VA de Infante y Wigley (1986). El rasgo VA de las madres fue asociado positivamente (r= .48) con el grado de direccionamiento e inversamente (r= -.44) con el grado de cooperación de su niño. Los análisis cualitativos de un subset (n= 8) de interacciones sugieren que las madres con rasgos altos de VA usaron directivas para controlar la selección, el tipo, y la duración de las actividades, y usaron el contacto físico negativo junto con directivas, más que las madres con rasgos bajos de VA. Los comportamientos asociados con el rasgo VA durante las interacciones breves entre la madre y su niño que provocan el comportamiento agresivo se encuentran mayormente ausentes. ZhaiYao Yo yak [source]

The Demand/Withdraw Pattern of Communication as a Predictor of Marital Satisfaction Over Time

HUMAN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH, Issue 1 2002
Future Directions, Unresolved Issues
There is ample evidence that marital dissatisfaction is associated concurrently with demand/withdraw, the marital pattern of communication in which one spouse nags or criticizes while the other avoids. However, the connection between demand/withdraw and changes in satisfaction is less clear. Some studies suggest that demand/withdraw is associated with low but steady marital satisfaction; other studies imply that demand/withdraw predicts declines in satisfaction; and still others indicate that demand/withdraw foreshadows increases in marital satisfaction. The current longitudinal study of married couples (N = 46) examined the connection between demand/withdraw and changes in satisfaction. The results suggest that the correlation between demand/withdraw and dissatisfaction endures to some extent, but also that demand/withdraw predicts increases in wives' satisfaction. Comparisons of the current study to previous studies of demand/withdraw imply that the association between demand/withdraw and marital satisfaction may be more complex than heretofore assumed, suggesting that future research ought to consider whether different ways of enacting demand/withdraw vary in their impact on marriage. [source]

Predictor-based repetitive learning control for a class of remote control nonlinear systems

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBUST AND NONLINEAR CONTROL, Issue 16 2007
Ya-Jun Pan
Abstract In this paper, a repetitive learning control (RLC) approach is proposed for a class of remote control nonlinear systems satisfying the global Lipschitz condition. The proposed approach is to deal with the remote tracking control problem when the environment is periodic or repeatable over infinite time domain. Since there exist time delays in the two transmission channels: from the controller to the actuator and from the sensor to the controller, tracking a desired trajectory through a remote controller is not an easy task. In order to solve the problem caused by time delays, a predictor is designed on the controller side to predict the future state of the nonlinear system based on the delayed measurements from the sensor. The convergence of the estimation error of the predictor is ensured. The gain design of the predictor applies linear matrix inequality (LMI) techniques developed by Lyapunov Kravoskii method for time delay systems. The RLC law is constructed based on the feedback error from the predicted state. The overall tracking error tends to zero asymptotically over iterations. The proof of the stability is based on a constructed Lyapunov function related to the Lyapunov Kravoskii functional used for the proof of the predictor's convergence. By well incorporating the predictor and the RLC controller, the system state tracks the desired trajectory independent of the influence of time delays. A numerical simulation example is shown to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

The Preliminary Employment Interview as a Predictor of Assessment Center Outcomes

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT, Issue 2 2008
Kobi Dayan
The current study examined the relationships between personnel employment interview scores (PEI), cognitive ability test scores (CAT) and assessment center (AC) scores, as well as the potential to circumvent the costly AC method for some of the candidates by using these less expensive selection methods. A total of 423 Israeli police force candidates participated in the study. Their PEI and CAT scores were collected in the first stage of the selection process. They subsequently participated in an AC and a final decision was made regarding their acceptance to the police force. It was found that PEI and CAT scores significantly correlated with the AC scores and the recruitment decision, although the PEI scores demonstrated stronger correlations with the criteria. An actuarial analysis demonstrated the benefit of using the AC procedure for those achieving middle range scores on the PEI and CAT, circumventing the costly ACs for those achieving high and low scores. This strategy resulted in minor costs of both , and , errors. Organizations can adopt this economical strategy when the AC costs exceed the manpower costs incurred by disposing of the AC. [source]

The Situational Interview as a Predictor of Academic and Team Performance: A Study of the Mediating Effects of Cognitive Ability and Emotional Intelligence

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT, Issue 4 2004
Sue-Chan Christina
The criterion-related and construct validity of the situational interview (SI) was examined. Both the SI and cognitive ability had predictive validity for the academic performance of managers and professionals (n=75) in an executive MBA course. Only the SI predicted teamplaying behavior assessed by peers (r=.32, p<.05). The correlation between the SI and cognitive ability was not significant. Emotional intelligence completely mediated the relationship between the SI and teamplaying behavior. [source]

Why Openness to Experience is not a Good Predictor of Job Performance

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT, Issue 3 2004
Barbara Griffin
Recent meta-analyses investigating the relationship between personality and job performance have found that openness to experience is the least predictive of the Big Five factors. Unlike other research that has sought to explain the low criterion-validity with relation to job performance, this study explores the actual construct of openness to experience, suggesting that it consists of two dimensions that relate differentially to job performance thus reducing correlations between overall measures of openness to experience and performance criteria. Exploratory factor analysis of the six sub-dimensions, or facets, of the NEO PI-R (a popular measure of the Big Five factors) produced two factors of openness to experience corresponding to different areas to which people are open. A confirmatory factor analysis on a second set of data provided some support for this result. A pattern of differential relationships between the two factors and other variables including personality, biodata and supervisor-rated performance offered further support for the multidimensionality of openness to experience. The implications of these findings for future research in the selection context are discussed. [source]

Job Requirements Biodata as a Predictor of Performance in Customer Service Roles

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT, Issue 3 2000
Elizabeth Allworth
A job requirements approach to biodata item specification, similar to the content-valid job analysis approach developed by Pannone (1984), is used to predict customer service. Applicants rate the extent to which their current and previous jobs involve tasks and behaviours that have been identified through an analysis of the target job. On a sample of 245 employees in an international hotel, the criterion-related validity of job requirements biodata compares favourably with traditional construct-oriented biodata measures of customer service, cognitive ability and personality (Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Extroversion). The job requirements approach provides a simple, direct and content-valid method of biodata item specification. As the approach can also be tailored for particular jobs or organizations, validity is also potentially optimized. [source]

They Killed Our Lord: The Perception of Jews as Desecrators of Christianity as a Predictor of Anti-Semitism

JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 2 2007
KENNETH I. PARGAMENT
Drawing on religious coping theory, we examined whether the appraisal that Jews desecrate Christian values (the stressor) is linked to anti-Semitic attitudes (the response). Further, we considered whether religious ways of understanding and dealing with this stressor (religious coping) mitigate or exacerbate the ties between religious appraisals of Jews and anti-Semitic responses. College students completed measures of desecration, anti-Semitism, and religious ways of coping with appraisals of Jews as desecrators of Christianity. Greater desecration was associated with greater anti-Semitism, after controlling for demographic variables and dispositional measures (e.g., particularism, pluralism, church attendance, Christian orthodoxy, fundamentalism, and authoritarianism). Religious coping in ways that emphasized expressions of Christian love were associated with lower anti-Semitism; ways of coping that emphasized being punished by God and Jews as demonic were tied to greater anti-Semitism. Perceptions of Jews as desecrators were predicted by higher levels of authoritarianism and religious orthodoxy, less closeness to Jews, greater exposure to messages of desecration, and less exposure to messages that counter the perception of desecration. [source]

Religious Fundamentalism as a Predictor of Prejudice: A Two-Component Model

JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 4 2002
Brian Laythe
The present study aims to determine whether the empirical relationship between religious fundamentalism and prejudice can be accounted for in terms of the mutually opposing effects of Christian orthodoxy and right-wing authoritarianism using multiple regression. Three separate samples (total n = 320) completed measures of religious fundamentalism, right-wing authoritarianism, Christian orthodoxy, ethnic prejudice, and homosexual prejudice. Consistent with previous research, fundamentalism (1) was essentially unrelated to ethnic prejudice when considered alone; (2) was positively related to ethnic prejudice when orthodoxy was statistically controlled; and (3) was negatively related to ethnic prejudice when authoritarianism was statistically controlled. Finally, when both authoritarianism and orthodoxy were controlled simultaneously, fundamentalism was again unrelated to prejudice, whereas orthodoxy was negatively related and authoritarianism positively related. In contrast, fundamentalism was a significant positive predictor of prejudice against gays and lesbians irrespective of whether authoritarianism and/or orthodoxy were statistically controlled. [source]

Hyperglycemia as a Predictor of In-Hospital Mortality in Elderly Patients without Diabetes Mellitus Admitted to a Sub-Intensive Care Unit

JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 6 2008
Intissar Sleiman MD
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between hyperglycemia and in-hospital and 45-day mortality in acutely ill elderly patients. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Hospital medical patients admitted to a sub-intensive care unit (sub-ICU) for elderly patients, which is a level of care between ordinary wards and intensive care. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand two hundred twenty-nine patients (mean age 79.6±8.4) admitted to the sub-ICU from January 2003 to January 2006. Forty patients with acute myocardial infarction and 34 patients with extreme fasting glucose values (<60 or >500 mg/dL) were excluded. Eight hundred twenty-two patients without a history of diabetes mellitus (DM) and 333 patients with a diagnosis of DM were selected and subdivided into three categories according to serum fasting blood glucose: 60 to 126 mg/dL (Group A), 127 to 180 mg/dL (Group B), and 181 to 500 mg/dL (Group C). MEASUREMENTS: Age, sex, mental and functional status, Acute Physiology Score, comorbid conditions, serum albumin, serum cholesterol, fasting serum glucose, and length of stay. In-hospital mortality was the primary outcome, and 45-day mortality was the secondary outcome. RESULTS: Total in-hospital mortality was 14.5%. In patients with and without DM, mortality was 8.8% and 11.3%, respectively, in Group A; 13.6% and 17.3% in Group B, and 12.6% and 34.3% in Group C. After controlling for confounders, newly recognized hyperglycemia (>181 mg/dL) was independently associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio=2.7, 95% confidence interval=1.6,4.8). Forty-five-day mortality in newly recognized hyperglycemic patients was 17.5%, 25.7%, and 42% in Groups A, B, and C, respectively, whereas it was 21.2% in patients with DM. CONCLUSION: In elderly patients, newly recognized hyperglycemia was associated with a higher mortality rate than in those with a prior history of DM. These data suggest that further randomized clinical trials are needed to assess the efficacy and the risk of a target glucose of greater than 180 mg/dL. [source]

Kidney Function as a Predictor of Loss of Lean Mass in Older Adults: Health, Aging and Body Composition Study

JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 10 2007
Linda F. Fried MD
OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between kidney function and change in body composition in older individuals. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Two sites, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Memphis, Tennessee. PARTICIPANTS: Three thousand twenty-six well-functioning, participants aged 70 to 79 in the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. MEASUREMENTS: Body composition (bone-free lean mass and fat mass) was measured using dual x-ray absorptiometry annually for 4 years. Kidney function was measured at baseline according to serum creatinine (SCr). Comorbidity and inflammatory markers were evaluated as covariates in mixed-model, repeated-measures analysis. RESULTS: High SCr was associated with loss of lean mass in men but not women, with a stronger relationship in black men (P=.02 for difference between slopes for white and black men). In white men, after adjustment for age and comorbidity, higher SCr remained associated with loss of lean mass (,0.07±0.03 kg/y greater loss per 0.4 mg/dL (1 standard deviation (SD)), P=.009) but was attenuated after adjustment for inflammatory factors (,0.05±0.03 kg/y greater loss per SD, P=.10). In black men, the relationship between SCr and loss of lean mass (,0.19±0.04 kg/y per SD, P<.001) persisted after adjustment for inflammation and overall weight change. CONCLUSION: Impaired kidney function may contribute to loss of lean mass in older men. Inflammation appeared to mediate the relationship in white but not black men. Future studies should strive to elucidate mechanisms linking kidney disease and muscle loss and identify treatments to minimize loss of lean mass and its functional consequences. [source]

Highlights of Papers in Clinical Investigations Section: Depressive Disorder as a Predictor of Physical Disability in Old Age

JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 3 2001
S-L Kivela
In this longitudinal study with a 5-year follow-up, 786 subjects were assessed for the impact of depression on physical disability. Depression present at baseline did not predict lowering of functional abilities during the follow-up period. However, new-onset depression that was relapsing or long-term in course was associated with increased risk for lowering functional abilities, even when age, sociodemographic factors, physical diseases, and baseline disabilities were controlled. Depressed older people should be placed on a program to maintain their functional abilities through physical exercise and training in activities of daily living and intermediate activities of daily living. [source]

Femoral Neck BMD Is a Strong Predictor of Hip Fracture Susceptibility in Elderly Men and Women Because It Detects Cortical Bone Instability: The Rotterdam Study,

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 11 2007
Fernando Rivadeneira
Abstract We studied HSA measurements in relation to hip fracture risk in 4806 individuals (2740 women). Hip fractures (n = 147) occurred at the same absolute levels of bone instability in both sexes. Cortical instability (propensity of thinner cortices in wide diameters to buckle) explains why hip fracture risk at different BMD levels is the same across sexes. Introduction: Despite the sexual dimorphism of bone, hip fracture risk is very similar in men and women at the same absolute BMD. We aimed to elucidate the main structural properties of bone that underlie the measured BMD and that ultimately determines the risk of hip fracture in elderly men and women. Materials and Methods: This study is part of the Rotterdam Study (a large prospective population-based cohort) and included 147 incident hip fracture cases in 4806 participants with DXA-derived hip structural analysis (mean follow-up, 8.6 yr). Indices compared in relation to fracture included neck width, cortical thickness, section modulus (an index of bending strength), and buckling ratio (an index of cortical bone instability). We used a mathematical model to calculate the hip fracture distribution by femoral neck BMD, BMC, bone area, and hip structure analysis (HSA) parameters (cortical thickness, section modulus narrow neck width, and buckling ratio) and compared it with prospective data from the Rotterdam Study. Results: In the prospective data, hip fracture cases in both sexes had lower BMD, thinner cortices, greater bone width, lower strength, and higher instability at baseline. In fractured individuals, men had an average BMD that was 0.09 g/cm2 higher than women (p < 0.00001), whereas no significant difference in buckling ratios was seen. Modeled fracture distribution by BMD and buckling ratio levels were in concordance to the prospective data and showed that hip fractures seem to occur at the same absolute levels of bone instability (buckling ratio) in both men and women. No significant differences were observed between the areas under the ROC curves of BMD (0.8146 in women and 0.8048 in men) and the buckling ratio (0.8161 in women and 0.7759 in men). Conclusions: The buckling ratio (an index of bone instability) portrays in both sexes the critical balance between cortical thickness and bone width. Our findings suggest that extreme thinning of cortices in expanded bones plays a key role on local susceptibility to fracture. Even though the buckling ratio does not offer additional predictive value, these findings improve our understanding of why low BMD is a good predictor of fragility fractures. [source]