Existence results for partial neutral functional differential equations with state-dependent delay

In this paper we study the existence of mild solutions for a class of first order abstract partial neutral differential equations with state-dependent delay. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

State-dependent microstructural white matter changes in bipolar I depression

Abnormalities in fronto-limbic-striatal white matter (WM) have been reported in bipolar disorder (BD), but results have been inconsistent across studies. Furthermore, there have been no detailed investigations as to whether acute mood states contribute to microstructural changes in WM tracts. In order to compare fiber density and structural integrity within WM tracts between BD depression and remission, whole-brain fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were assessed in 37 bipolar I disorder (BD-I) patients (16 depressed and 21 remitted), and 26 healthy individuals with diffusion tensor imaging. Significantly decreased FA and increased MD in bilateral prefronto-limbic-striatal white matter and right inferior fronto-occipital, superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi were shown in all BD-I patients versus controls, as well as in depressed BD-I patients compared to both controls and remitted BD-I patients. Depressed BD-I patients also exhibited increased FA in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Remitted BD-I patients did not differ from controls in FA or MD. These findings suggest that BD-I depression may be associated with acute microstructural WM changes.

Factors determining normal adult height in girls with gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty treated with depot gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs

Context: Several factors can affect adult height (AH) of patients with gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty (GDPP) treated with depot GnRH analogs. Objective: Our objective was to determine factors influencing AH in patients with GDPP treated with depot GnRH analogs. Patients: A total of 54 patients (45 girls) with GDPP treated with depot GnRH analog who reached AH was included in the study. Design: Univariate and multivariate analyses of the factors potentially associated with AH were performed in all girls with GDPP. In addition, clinical features of the girls who attained target height (TH) range were compared with those who did not. Predicted height using Bayley and Pinneau tables was compared with attained AH. Results: In girls the mean AH was 155.3 +/- 6.9 cm (-1.2 +/- 1 SD) with TH range achieved by 81% of this group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the interval between chronological age at onset of puberty and at the start of GnRH analog therapy, height SD scores (SDSs) at the start and end of therapy, and TH explained 74% of AH variance. The predicted height at interruption of GnRH therapy, obtained from Bayley and Pinneau tables for average bone age, was more accurate than for advanced bone age in both sexes. In boys the mean AH was 170.6 +/- 9.2 cm (-1 +/- 1.3 SDS), whereas TH was achieved by 89% of this group. Conclusions: The major factors determining normal AH in girls with GDPP treated with depot GnRH analogs were shorter interval between the onset of puberty and start of therapy, higher height SDS at the start and end of therapy, and TH. Therefore, prompt depot GnRH analog therapy in properly selected patients with GDPP is critical to obtain normal AH.

Prediction in Multilevel Logistic Regression

The purpose of this article is to present a new method to predict the response variable of an observation in a new cluster for a multilevel logistic regression. The central idea is based on the empirical best estimator for the random effect. Two estimation methods for multilevel model are compared: penalized quasi-likelihood and Gauss-Hermite quadrature. The performance measures for the prediction of the probability for a new cluster observation of the multilevel logistic model in comparison with the usual logistic model are examined through simulations and an application.

Aleitamento materno, alimentação complementar, sobrepeso e obesidade em pré-escolares

OBJETIVO: Analisar a associação do sobrepeso e da obesidade com o aleitamento materno e a alimentação complementar em pré-escolares. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal envolvendo 566 crianças matriculadas em escolas particulares no município de São Paulo, SP, 2004-2005. A variável dependente foi sobrepeso e obesidade. Para a classificação do estado nutricional das crianças foram utilizadas as curvas de percentis do Índice de Massa Corporal para idade, classificando como sobrepeso valores e"P85 e

Subchondral Cystlike Lesions Develop Longitudinally in Areas of Bone Marrow Edema-like Lesions in Patients with or at Risk for Knee Osteoarthritis: Detection with MR Imaging-The MOST Study

Purpose: To assess the association of prevalent bone marrow edema-like lesions (BMLs) and full-thickness cartilage loss with incident subchondral cyst-like lesions (SCs) in the knee to evaluate the bone contusion versus synovial fluid intrusion theories of SC formation. Materials and Methods: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis study is a longitudinal study of individuals who have or are at risk for knee osteoarthritis. The HIPAA-compliant protocol was approved by the institutional review boards of all participating centers, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Magnetic resonance images were acquired at baseline and 30-month follow-up and read semiquantitatively by using the Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score system. The tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joints were subdivided into 14 subregions. BMLs and SCs were scored from 0 to 3. Cartilage morphology was scored from 0 to 6. The association of prevalent BMLs and full-thickness cartilage loss with incident SCs in the same subregion was assessed by using logistic regression with mutual adjustment for both predictors. Results: A total of 1283 knees were included. After adjustment for full-thickness cartilage loss, prevalent BMLs showed a strong and significant association with incident SCs in the same subregion, with an odds ratio of 12.9 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.9, 18.6). After adjustment for BMLs, prevalent full-thickness cartilage loss showed a significant but much less important association with incident SCs in the same subregion (odds ratio, 1.4; 95% CI: 1.0, 2.0). There was no apparent relationship between severity of full-thickness cartilage loss at baseline and incident SCs. Conclusion: Prevalent BMLs strongly predict incident SCs in the same subregion, even after adjustment for full-thickness cartilage loss, which supports the bone contusion theory of SC formation. (C) RSNA, 2010

Diagnostic tools in beta regression with varying dispersion

We consider the issue of performing residual and local influence analyses in beta regression models with varying dispersion, which are useful for modelling random variables that assume values in the standard unit interval. In such models, both the mean and the dispersion depend upon independent variables. We derive the appropriate matrices for assessing local influence on the parameter estimates under different perturbation schemes. An application using real data is presented and discussed.

Wavelet regression with correlated errors on a piecewise Holder class

This paper generalizes the methodology of Cat and Brown [Cai, T., Brown, L.D., 1998. Wavelet shrinkage for nonequispaced samples. The Annals of Statistics 26, 1783-1799] for wavelet shrinkage for nonequispaced samples, but in the presence of correlated stationary Gaussian errors. If the true function is a member of a piecewise Holder class, it is shown that, even for long memory errors, the rate of convergence of the procedure is almost-minimax relative to the independent and identically distributed errors case. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of equine Piroplasmosis and its association with tick infestation in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Serum samples were collected from 582 horses from 40 stud farms in the State of Sao Paulo and tick (Acari: Ixodidae) infestations were evaluated on them. Serum samples were subjected to the complement fixation test (CFT) and a competitive inhibition ELISA (cELISA) for Babesia caballi and Theileria equi. Logistic regression analyses were performed to construct multivariate models that could explain the dependent variable (horses positive for B. caballi or T equi) as a function of the independent variables (presence or abundance of each one of the rick species found on the farms). A higher overall prevalence of B. caballi (54.1%) than of T equi (21.6%) was found by the two tests. The ticks Dermacentor nitens Neumann, 1897, Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) and Rbipicephalus (Boopbilus) microplus (Canestrini, 1887) were present on horses on 38 (95%), 20 (50%), and 4 (10%) farms, respectively. Infestations by D. nitens were statistically associated with B. caballi-positive horses on the farms by either the CFT or cELISA. Infestations by A. cajennense were statistically associated with T equi-positive horses on the farms by either CFT or cELISA.

Optimizing the CAMCOG test in the screening for mild cognitive impairment and incipient dementia: saving time with relevant domains

Objective: To identify the CAMCOG sub-items that best contribute for the identification of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and incipient Alzheimer`s disease (AD) in clinical practice. Methods: Cross-sectional assessment of 272 older adults (98 MCI, 82 AD, and 92 controls) with a standardized neuropsychological battery and the CAMCOG schedule. Backward logistic regression analysis with diagnosis (MCI and controls) as dependent variable and the sub-items of the CAMCOG as independent variable was carried out to determine the CAMCOG sub-items that predicted the diagnosis of MCI. Results: Lower scores on Language, Memory, Praxis, and Calculation CAMCOG sub-items were significantly associated with the diagnosis of MCI. A composite score obtained by the sum of these scores significantly discriminated MCI patients from comparison groups. This reduced version of the CAMCOG showed similar diagnostic accuracy than the original schedule for the identification of patients with MCI as compared to controls (AUC = 0.80 +/- 0.03 for the reduced CAMCOG; AUC = 0.79 +/- 0.03 for the original CAMCOG). Conclusion: This reduced version of the CAMCOG had similar diagnostic properties as the original CAMCOG and was faster and easier to administer, rendering it more suitable for the screening of subtle cognitive deficits in general clinical practice. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Log-Burr XII regression models with censored data

In survival analysis applications, the failure rate function may frequently present a unimodal shape. In such case, the log-normal or log-logistic distributions are used. In this paper, we shall be concerned only with parametric forms, so a location-scale regression model based on the Burr XII distribution is proposed for modeling data with a unimodal failure rate function as an alternative to the log-logistic regression model. Assuming censored data, we consider a classic analysis, a Bayesian analysis and a jackknife estimator for the parameters of the proposed model. For different parameter settings, sample sizes and censoring percentages, various simulation studies are performed and compared to the performance of the log-logistic and log-Burr XII regression models. Besides, we use sensitivity analysis to detect influential or outlying observations, and residual analysis is used to check the assumptions in the model. Finally, we analyze a real data set under log-Buff XII regression models. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Diagnostic and clinical factors associated with pulpal and periapical pain

A retrospective survey was designed to identify diagnostic subgroups and clinical factors associated with odontogenic pain and discomfort in dental urgency patients. A consecutive sample of 1,765 patients seeking treatment for dental pain at the Urgency Service of the Dental School of the Federal University of Goiás, Brazil, was selected. Inclusion criteria were pulpal or periapical pain that occurred before dental treatment (minimum 6 months after the last dental appointment), and the exclusion criteria were teeth with odontogenic developmental anomalies and missing information or incomplete records. Clinical and radiographic examinations were performed to assess clinical presentation of pain complaints including origin, duration, frequency and location of pain, palpation, percussion and vitality tests, radiographic features, endodontic diagnosis and characteristics of teeth. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were used to analyze association between pulpal and periapical pain and independent variables. The most frequent endodontic diagnosis of pulpal pain were symptomatic pulpitis (28.3%) and hyperreactive pulpalgia (14.4%), and the most frequent periapical pain was symptomatic apical periodontitis of infectious origin (26.4%). Regression analysis revealed that closed pulp chamber and caries were highly associated with pulpal pain and, conversely, open pulp chamber was associated with periapical pain (p<0.001). Endodontic diagnosis and local factors associated with pulpal and periapical pain suggest that the important clinical factor of pulpal pain was closed pulp chamber and caries, and of periapical pain was open pulp chamber.

Wives of pathological gamblers: personality traits, depressive symptoms and social adjustment

Objective: Wives of pathological gamblers tend to endure long marriages despite financial and emotional burden. Difficulties in social adjustment, personality psychopathology, and comorbidity with psychiatric disorders are pointed as reasons for remaining on such overwhelming relationships. The goal was to examine the social adjustment, personality and negative emotionality of wives of pathological gamblers. Method: The sample consisted of 25 wives of pathological gamblers, mean age 40.6, SD = 9.1 from a Gambling Outpatient Unit and at GAM-ANON, and 25 wives of non-gamblers, mean age 40.8, SD = 9.1, who answered advertisements placed at the Universidade de São Paulo hospital and medical school complex. They were selected in order to approximately match demographic characteristics of the wives of pathological gamblers. Subjects were assessed by the Social Adjustment Scale, Temperament and Character Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results: Three variables remained in the final Multiple Logistic Regression model, wives of pathological gamblers presented greater dissatisfaction with their marital bond, and higher scores on Reward Dependence and Persistence temperament factors. Both, Wives of pathological gamblers and wives of non-gamblers presented well-structured character factors excluding personality disorders. Conclusion: This personality profile may explain wives of pathological gamblers emotional resilience and their marriage longevity. Co-dependence and other labels previously used to describe them may work as a double edged sword, legitimating wives of pathological gamblers problems, while stigmatizing them as inapt and needy.

Determinantes individuais da utilização de serviços odontológicos por adultos e idosos de baixa renda

A utilização de serviços odontológicos resulta da interação de determinantes biológicos com fatores socioculturais, familiares e comunitários, bem como de características dos sistemas de saúde. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar os fatores individuais associados à utilização de serviços odontológicos por parte de adultos e idosos de baixa renda residentes na área de abrangência da Estratégia Saúde da Família, em Ponta Grossa, PR. A amostra constou de 246 indivíduos, com 35 anos de idade ou mais, que responderam a um questionário sobre condições socioeconômicas, necessidade percebida e acesso a serviços odontológicos. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio de regressão logística, segundo referencial teórico baseado no Modelo Comportamental de Andersen, considerando a consulta odontológica não recente como variável dependente. Verificou-se elevada prevalência de problemas bucais auto-referidos e de perdas dentárias. Cerca de 40% dos adultos e 67% dos idosos não iam ao dentista há mais de três anos. Indivíduos que não residiam em domicílios próprios, realizavam higiene bucal com menor frequência e utilizavam próteses totais apresentaram maiores chances de haver utilizado os serviços odontológicos há mais tempo. O fato de possuir um dentista regular foi identificado como fator de proteção na análise. Concluindo, os determinantes individuais mostraram-se importantes indicadores de acesso aos serviços de saúde bucal. O modelo teórico confirmou a presença de desigualdades sociais e psicossociais na utilização de serviços odontológicos entre os adultos e idosos de baixa renda.

Desenvolvimento de pré-escolares na educação infantil em Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brasil

O objetivo foi avaliar o desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor de pré-escolares na educação infantil. Estudo de corte transversal, utilizando 38 itens do teste de Denver II. Foram avaliados todos os pré-escolares com idade entre quatro e seis anos incompletos matriculados na Rede Pública Municipal de Ensino de Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brasil, no período de agosto 2002 a novembro 2003. Nesse período havia 960 pré-escolares matriculados em 27 creches e duas escolas públicas. Para a análise estatística foi aplicado o teste Ç2 com intervalo de 95% de confiança e ± = 5%. Para calcular os percentis da idade em que os pré-escolares passaram em cada prova foi realizada uma regressão logística. Dos 960 pré-escolares avaliados, 67% apresentaram desempenho normal, 30,2% questionável e 2,8% anormal. Em 27/38 itens avaliados, o percentual de acertos ultrapassou 90%. O desempenho alterado predominou no sexo masculino, no grupo de cinco a seis anos. O desempenho dessa população foi muito semelhante ao dos pré-escolares norte-americanos de Denver, Colorado. O melhor resultado segundo o gênero ocorreu no sexo feminino e segundo a idade no grupo de quatro anos.