Unusual test score combinations and unusual test score differences

Vocabulary and Abstraction scores on the Shipley Institute of Living Scale are used to illustrate the relation between unusual test score combinations and unusual test score differences. It is demonstrated that a combination of two scores can be unusual even though the corresponding difference is not and that a difference between two scores can be unusual even though the corresponding combination is not. Clinicians should be aware that although the two methods of pattern analysis generally will lead to the same conclusion, they need not do so.     

TW3 bone age: RUS/CB and gender differences of percentiles for score and score increments

BACKGROUND: Longitudinal data on bone age progression is scarce. AIM: The study aimed to present reference values for Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) bone age score and score increments, and to provide means and standard deviations of appearance time for all TW3 stages. Gender differences and differences between radio ulna and short bones (RUS) and carpal bone (CB) scores were studied. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Bone age data collected for ages 3 months to 20 years in 232 subjects during the First Zurich Longitudinal Study (1954-1976) were used. Smoothed empirical percentiles of TW3 RUS and CB scores for age, of score increments for age and of score increments for attained score are presented. Means and standard deviations of the appearance times are calculated by parametric censored regression. RESULTS: There are clear differences between the RUS and CB scores and between the genders. Boys are delayed with respect to girls, with different delays for RUS and CB. For RUS, differences in maturation reflect the known differences of physical growth, with a later and more intense peak in boys. For CB, there is little difference in timing and intensity. However, girls reach the final score about 2 years earlier than boys. The consistently earlier mean appearance times in girls indicate that skeletal maturation is, already in childhood, more rapid in girls than in boys. There are significant gender differences in the sequence of appearance. CONCLUSION: Reference values for TW3 score and score increments and mean appearance times for stages add to existing knowledge and indicate important RUS/CB and gender differences, whose sources are largely unknown.     

Reliability and abnormality of test score differnces

An attempt is made to clarify the distinction between the reliability and the abnormality of a difference between a Ss scores on two measures. The evaluation of Verbal-Performance IQ discrepancies on the WISC-R is used as an illustrative example.     

TW3 bone age: RUS/CB and gender differences of percentiles for score and score increments

Background: Longitudinal data on bone age progression is scarce.

Aim: The study aimed to present reference values for Tanner–Whitehouse 3 (TW3) bone age score and score increments, and to provide means and standard deviations of appearance time for all TW3 stages. Gender differences and differences between radio ulna and short bones (RUS) and carpal bone (CB) scores were studied.

Subjects and methods: Bone age data collected for ages 3 months to 20 years in 232 subjects during the First Zurich Longitudinal Study (1954–1976) were used. Smoothed empirical percentiles of TW3 RUS and CB scores for age, of score increments for age and of score increments for attained score are presented. Means and standard deviations of the appearance times are calculated by parametric censored regression.

Results: There are clear differences between the RUS and CB scores and between the genders. Boys are delayed with respect to girls, with different delays for RUS and CB. For RUS, differences in maturation reflect the known differences of physical growth, with a later and more intense peak in boys. For CB, there is little difference in timing and intensity. However, girls reach the final score about 2 years earlier than boys. The consistently earlier mean appearance times in girls indicate that skeletal maturation is, already in childhood, more rapid in girls than in boys. There are significant gender differences in the sequence of appearance.

Conclusion: Reference values for TW3 score and score increments and mean appearance times for stages add to existing knowledge and indicate important RUS/CB and gender differences, whose sources are largely unknown.     

慢性鼻-鼻窦炎患者嗅觉功能与鼻内镜评分、鼻窦CT评分的相关性

目的:研究慢性鼻-鼻窦炎(chronic rhinosinusitis,CRS)患者嗅觉功能与Lund-Kennedy鼻内镜评分、Lund-Mackay鼻窦CT评分的相关性研究分析.方法:选择CRS住院患者200例.其中CRS(不伴鼻息肉)患者:95例;CRS(伴有鼻息肉)患者:105例,每组患者均进行病史采集,嗅觉功能检测、鼻内镜评分以及鼻窦CT评分.应用SPSS 13.0统计软件,对以上两个评分结果与嗅觉功能进行相关性分析.结果:CRS(不伴鼻息肉)或(伴有鼻息肉)患者中,Lund-Mackay鼻窦CT评分结果和Lund-Kennedy鼻内镜评分结果均是:随着嗅觉功能的下降,分数逐渐增加(P<0.01).结论:CRS患者与Kennedy鼻内镜评分和Lund-Mackay鼻窦CT评分均具有相关性;与CRS(不伴鼻息肉)患者的嗅觉功能最密切相关的是Lund-Mackay鼻窦CT评分;与CRS(伴有鼻息肉)患者的嗅觉功能最密切相关的是与Lund-Kennedy鼻内镜评分.     

Asthma classification by score calculated from clinical findings and examinations. Comparison between clinical diagnosis and score diagnosis]

Asthma classification by clinical symptoms and signs (clinical diagnosis) was compared with the classification by score calculated from clinical findings and examinations (score diagnosis) in 25 patients with bronchial asthma. 1. Ten subjects classified as Ia (simple bronchoconstriction type) by clinical diagnosis were divided into 6 cases with expectoration of less than 49 ml a day and 4 cases with expectoration of between 50 and 99 ml. The level of serum IgE and number of eosinophils in BALF were significantly higher in the latter cases than in the former cases. The cases whose expectoration was from 50 to 99 ml a day were classified as Ib (bronchoconstriction with hypersecretion type) by score diagnosis. 2. The six subjects who were classified as type Ib by clinical diagnosis were also evaluated as type Ib by score diagnosis. 3. Nine of the 10 subjects classified as type II by clinical diagnosis were evaluated as type II by score diagnosis. One case, whose score was under 12 points, was evaluated as questionable type II by score diagnosis.     

Posterior probability of linkage and maximal lod score

To detect linkage between a trait and a marker, Morton (1955) proposed to calculate the lod score z(θ₁) at a given value θ₁ of the recombination fraction. If z(θ₁) reaches +3 then linkage is concluded. However, in practice, lod scores are calculated for different values of the recombination fraction between 0 and 0·5 and the test is based on the maximum value of the lod score Zmax. The impact of this deviation of the test on the probability that in fact linkage does not exist, when linkage was concluded, is documented here. This posterior probability of no linkage can be derived by using Bayes' theorem. It is less than 5% when the lod score at a predetermined θ₁ is used for the test. But, for a Zmax of +3, we showed that it can reach 16·4%. Thus, considering a composite alternative hypothesis instead of a single one decreases the reliability of the test. The reliability decreases rapidly when Zmax is less than + 3. Given a Zmax of +2·5, there is a 33% chance that linkage does not exist. Moreover, the posterior probability depends not only on the value of Zmax but also jointly on the family structures and on the genetic model. For a given Zmax, the chance that linkage exists may then vary.     

Array-based diagnostic gene-expression score for atopy and asthma

Whether gene expression is useful in discriminating different atopic phenotypes is unclear. The aim of the study was to evaluate a gene-expression score for the diagnosis of atopy and asthma and to assess disease activity as a guide for therapeutic decisions. Purified mRNA from PBMCs of 18 atopic asthmatic subjects, 8 atopic nonasthmatic subjects, and 14 healthy control subjects was hybridized to cDNA membranes. A composite atopy gene expression (CAGE) score was determined by using 10 genes dysregulated in atopic individuals according to a specific algorithm. The CAGE score was better than total IgE in differentiating atopic from nonatopic subjects (sensitivity, 96%; specificity, 92%). Correlation between the CAGE score and total IgE (P <.001) was found, and there was a trend for correlation with asthma severity (P =.051). The CAGE score was able to quantify phenotype-specific alteration in gene expression of atopic individuals. The CAGE score might be used as a diagnostic tool or to monitor the effects and side effects of therapy.     

学生成绩处理子系统的设计和实现

作为网络教务系统的一个子模块,学生成绩处理子系统主要完成学生成绩下发,输入,评价,调整,打印,提交等功能。本文结合广东医学院教务处的实际情况,针对如何实现这些功能做了详细阐述。     

Asthma score: predictive ability and risk factors

BACKGROUND: Definition of asthma as a continuous score is a promising tool for population studies that has not yet been fully evaluated. OBJECTIVE: We assessed (i) the predictive ability of an asthma score against the occurrence of different asthma-related outcomes and (ii) the risk factors identified when using an asthma score. METHODS: The European Community Respiratory Health Study II included subjects from the general population randomly studied during 1991-1993 who were followed up in the years 1998-2001, from 29 centres in 14 countries. A total of 8956 subjects were included. The asthma score consisted of a simple sum of the positive answers to five respiratory symptoms. RESULTS: Asthma score at baseline showed a linear relationship with incidence of asthma, the occurrence of asthma attacks, use of asthma medication and bronchial reactivity at the end of the follow-up. Asthma score at the end of follow-up was associated with known risk factors at baseline such as IgE to grass, rhinitis or body mass index, in addition to passive smoking in men [average score ratio (RR) = 1.30; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-1.50] or changes in body mass index (RR = 1.27; 95% CI 1.05-1.27, per each kg/m(2)). CONCLUSION: The asthma score had good predictive ability against outcomes related with asthma and also good ability to detect risk factors. This encourages the use of the score as a measure of asthma in epidemiological studies on aetiology of asthma.