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PubMedDate not supplied

Consistency of delusions in schizophrenia and affective disorder.

The content of delusions were studied in a group of schizophrenics and affective disorder patients who had an episodic course to ascertain if the content of delusions remained similar or became dissimilar during different episodes. There were 18 schizophrenics and 30 affective disorder cases in this study. Consistency of delusional content was noted in one third of the cases in each group. Delusional content was consistent over episodes more often in Hindus (P less than 0.04), those married (P less than 0.03), and those from a rural background in the schizophrenic group. These differences were not observed in the affective disorder cases. Possible reasons for the consistence or non-consistence of delusional content are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Quebec-French version of the Survey of Pain Attitudes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Quebec-French version of the Survey of Pain Attitudes (QAD/F-SOPA). DESIGN: Measurement of test-retest reliability (2-wk interval) and internal consistency. SETTING: Five rehabilitation settings that offer services to chronic pain patients. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 69 Francophone adults (having either French as the mother tongue or a good mastery of French) with musculoskeletal pain for a minimum of 6 months and stable pain condition during the test-retest interval. INTERVENTIONS: Completion of the QAD/F-SOPA twice within a 2-week interval. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Test-retest reliability (Pearson r , 2-tail paired t test, P <.001) and internal consistency (Cronbach alpha at time 1). RESULTS: Fifty-six subjects completed the QAD/F-SOPA on both occasions. Except for the disability subscale, the r values fell between 0.7 and 0.9 (high correlation). For the paired t test, all subscales (except for control and medication) had a P value greater than .05, confirming their test-retest stability. All subscales showed satisfactory internal consistency estimates (0.7-0.9) except for the harm (.67) and disability (.64) subscales. CONCLUSIONS: Globally, the QAD/F-SOPA has good reliability and validity properties and meets the prerequisites for use for clinical and research purposes. The disability subscale shows weaker properties; further studies would help determine how it could be improved.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Consistency between most important reasons for using contraception and current method used: the influence of health care providers.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors related to consistency between women's "most important" reason for using contraception and their current contraceptive method. METHODS: A sample of 433 women completed a written questionnaire on demographics, contraceptive use history and the "most important" reason for using contraception. Women were grouped by whether their current contraceptive method "agreed" or "disagreed" with their "most important" reason for contracepting. Multivariable regression was used to identify factors associated with consistency between stated "most important" reason and current method used ("agreed"). RESULTS: Current contraceptive method was inconsistent with the "most important" reason for using a method in 25% of women. Demographic characteristics and knowledge of contraceptive effectiveness did not differ between the "agreed" and "disagreed" groups. Women using a method consistent with their reason were more likely to have discussed contraception with a health care provider (RR=1.59, 95% CI 1.13-2.25) even after adjusting for source of contraceptive method or source of contraceptive information (RR=1.57, 95% CI 1.10-2.23). CONCLUSION: Contact with a health care provider was the only factor associated with consistency between birth control method and reasons for initiating contraception. This association appears to be independent of knowledge about contraceptive effectiveness.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Effects of orthographic consistency, frequency, and letter knowledge on children's vowel spelling development.

This study investigated children's sensitivity to spelling consistency, and lexical and sublexical (rime) frequency, and their use of explicitly learned canonical vowel graphemes in the early stages of learning to spell. Vowel spellings produced by 78 British children at the end of reception year (mean age 5 years, 7 months) and 6 months later in mid-Year 1 were assessed. Regression analyses revealed that, at both test times, knowledge of sound-letter correspondences influenced spelling performance; however, unconditional consistency of vowel spellings affected children's spelling most strongly, over and above additional effects of word and rime frequency and the complexity of the target vowel grapheme. The effect of conditional consistency of vowel spellings given coda contexts was not significant. Thus, young children are sensitive to various statistical properties of the orthography from the earliest phases of spelling development and, in particular, to the unconditional consistency of the vowel spelling pattern.

Awareness↗

PubMed2006

The incidence of pre-eclampsia among couples consisting of Japanese women and Caucasian men.

Recent data from Hiby (2004) have suggested that a combination of maternal killer immunoglobulin receptor (KIR) AA genotype and fetal HLA-C2 genotype increases the risk of pre-eclampsia. Different human populations have a reciprocal relationship between KIR AA frequency and HLA-C2 frequency. Japanese people have highest frequency of KIR-AA alleles and lowest frequency of HLA-C2 alleles. However, Caucasians have a moderate frequency of KIR-AA and HLA-C2 alleles. If this hypothesis is correct, the incidence of pre-eclampsia among couples consisting of Japanese women and Caucasian men should be higher than that among couples consisting of Japanese women and Japanese men. Therefore, we investigated the incidence of pre-eclampsia among 324 couples consisting of Japanese women and Caucasian men. The incidence of pre-eclampsia in these couples consisting of Japanese women and Caucasian men was similar to that in Japanese women and Japanese men. Our data do not support that of Hiby et al. [Hiby, S.E., Walker, J.J., O'Shaughnessy, K.M., Redman, C.W.G., Carrington, M., Trowsdale, I., Moffett, A., 2004. Combinations of maternal KIR and fetal HLA-C genes influence the risk of pre-eclampsia and reproductive success. J. Exp. Med. 200, 957-965], although we did not check the haplotypes for HLA-C and KIR.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Evaluation of a multimodality image (CT, MRI and PET) coregistration procedure on phantom and head and neck cancer patients: accuracy, reproducibility and consistency.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In radiotherapy planning of head and neck tumors, coregistration of various anatomical (e.g. CT and MRI) and functional (e.g. PET) images is a promising way to improve the delineation of the target volumes. In this paper, we report data on accuracy, reproducibility and consistency of an interactive coregistration procedure in a specifically designed phantom and in a group of patients with primary head and neck tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A phantom and a group of four patients with pharyngo-laryngeal tumors were imaged by CT scan (taken as the reference image), MRI (T1- and T2-weighed sequences) and PET (transmission and FDG emission). Sets of images were coregistered using an interactive rigid coregistration method based on interactive surface segmentation. Translational and rotational displacements relative to the reference CT scan were measured and expressed in terms of accuracy, reproducibility (inter- and intra-observer variation) and consistency (between T1- and T2-weighed MRI). RESULTS: Coregistration accuracy was in the range of 0.8-6.2 mm and 1.2-4.6 mm for the phantom and the patients, respectively. Accuracy was slightly worse in the z direction, and was significantly correlated with the spatial resolution of the imaging modalities, at least for the phantom. Inter- and intra-observer variations were very small and always far below the residual variance. Consistency was perfect except in the y direction. CONCLUSION: Providing adequate set-up is chosen, accurate coregistration of CT, MR and FDG-PET images can be obtained in the head and neck area. Coregistration was consistent and highly reproducible among observers.

Head and Neck Neoplasms↗

PubMed2006

Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Chinese version of the self-report health-related quality of life measure for children and adolescents with epilepsy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this validation study was to evaluate the internal consistency (internal reliability) and test-retest reliability (external reliability) of the Chinese version of the self-report health-related quality of life measure for children and adolescents with epilepsy. METHODS: Children and adolescents with epilepsy between the ages of 8 and 18 years were conveniently sampled in two regional hospitals in Hong Kong. They were requested to complete the 25-item questionnaire twice, with a test-retest interval of 10 to 14 days. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were measured with Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient, respectively. RESULTS: A sample of 50 patients completed the first questionnaire. Internal consistency was adequate on four of five subscales and marginal in the remaining one. Forty-two subjects repeated the questionnaire. The test-retest reliability was acceptable for all five subscales. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the health-related quality of life measure for children and adolescents with epilepsy demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Further studies are required to study other psychometric properties such as construct validity and factor analysis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Low accuracy and low consistency of fourth-graders' school breakfast and school lunch recalls.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy and consistency of fourth-graders' school breakfast and school lunch recalls obtained during 24-hour recalls and compared with observed intake. DESIGN: Children were interviewed using a multiple-pass protocol at school the morning after being observed eating school breakfast and school lunch. SUBJECTS: 104 children stratified by ethnicity (African-American, white) and gender were randomly selected and interviewed up to 3 times each with 4 to 14 weeks between each interview. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Match, omission, and intrusion rates to determine accuracy of reporting items; arithmetic and/or absolute differences to determine accuracy for reporting amounts; total inaccuracy to determine inaccuracy for reporting items and amounts combined; intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) to determine consistency. RESULTS: Means were 51% for omission rate, 39% for intrusion rate, and 7.1 servings for total inaccuracy. Total inaccuracy decreased significantly from the first to the third recall (P=0.006). The ICC was 0.29 for total inaccuracy and 0.15 for omission rate. For all meal components except bread/grain and beverage, there were more omissions than intrusions. Mean arithmetic and absolute differences per serving in amount reported for matches were -0.08 and 0.24, respectively. Mean amounts per serving of omissions and intrusions were 0.86 and 0.80, respectively. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: The low accuracy and low consistency of children's recalls from this study raise concerns regarding the current uses of dietary recalls obtained from children. To improve the accuracy and consistency of children's dietary recalls, validation studies are needed to determine the best way(s) to interview children.

Child↗

PubMed1996

Consistency and softness of soft liners.

Consistency is evaluated by an initial flow test that allows the clinician to select the material of choice for relining procedures according to the size and shape of the ridge and the condition of the soft tissue. In this study, the consistency of four autopolymerized soft liners was compared and tested to determine whether they meet the new International Standards Organization (ISO) 10139-1 specifications. Softness, assessed with a Shore A durometer, was compared with that of two heat-cured silicone soft liners, because the latter are known for their steady softness over long periods of time. The consistencies of all four autopolymerized soft liners complied with ISO specifications and their disk diameter ranged from 41.3 to 72.2 mm. The softness of all four soft liners changed with time, unlike the silicones whose softness remained consistent. Softness readings varied significantly with sample thickness and indicated the need to develop criteria for measuring softness properties and determining the minimal thickness required for clinical performance.

Acrylic Resins↗

PubMed1999

Consistency in the amount of linear polymerization shrinkage in syringe-type composites.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the composite resin in a syringe showed a consistent shrinkage through its content. Additionally, the amount of linear shrinkage was compared between materials. METHODS: Five brands of syringe-type and one brand of carpule-type composite resins were used in this study. To each brand, two to three syringes were assigned. In the carpule-type composite, 15 carpules were used. The linear polymerization shrinkage was measured using a custom-made linometer. In this linometer, the amount of displacement of an aluminum disk, which was caused by the linear shrinkage of composite resin, was recorded by a computer every second for 90 s. RESULTS: The syringe-type composites showed similar consistencies in the amount of linear shrinkage except one. The linear shrinkage of the carpule-type Tetric Ceram showed more consistency compared with syringe-type composites. The amount of linear polymerization shrinkage varied between materials. SIGNIFICANCE: This investigation demonstrates that the use of carpule-type composites is recommended instead of syringe-types, because of the consistency in its linear shrinkage. The custom-made linometer provides an effective way to study polymerization shrinkage.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1997

Internal consistency of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ).

We examined the consistency reliability of the widely used Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). In total, 587 questionnaires from a random sample of the general population were analysed. The 6 items of the Seasonality Scale Index (SSI) correlated fairly well, and consequently this scale proved to have a high internal consistency (alpha = 0.82). Items from the SSI that measure seasonal variations in sleep and weight were consistent with other SPAQ scales that also measure these dimensions. Since the questionnaires analysed were from an epidemiological study, the high consistency reliability shows that the symptoms probed for by the SSI, tend to cluster in susceptible individuals in the general population.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The consistent use of condoms among intravenous drug users and their regular partners].

OBJECTIVE: To describe consistent condom use between drug injectors and their regular sexual partners and to identify factors associated to its use which may be amenable to intervention. METHODS: Information was collected by personal interviews of drug injectors in 13 sampling points of the city of Granada, Spain. A bivariate analysis of factors identified in the literature was carried out and a multivariate logistic regression was fitted to the data to test the hypothesized associations. RESULTS: The proportion of drug injectors who report consistent condom use with their regular partners was 26. 4%. Talking about condoms with other injectors and with their regular sexual partners, professional sources of information and counselling when receiving results of HIV testing are independently associated with the use of condoms. In terms of social indicators, those with the highest and lowest levels of social integration use condoms less than those who belong to the middle social group. Sociodemographic characteristics and history of drug injection are not associated with consistent condom use with the regular partner. CONCLUSION: The use of condoms between drug injectors and their regular sexual partners is associated with communication with other drug injectors, the sexual partner and hearth professionals, on this topic. Promoting consistent condom use with regular partners among intravenous drug users is best accomplished through peer groups and during HIV counseling.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Consistency of Carbopol 971-P NF gels and influence of soluble and cross-linked PVP.

A study is made of the polymerization process of polyacrylic acid, commercially known as Carbopol 971 NF, assessing its consistency as a function of the degree of neutralization at pH values from 3 to 12, approximately. Percentage concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1.4% (w/w) were studied. The gels obtained were non-Newtonian, and pseudoplastic. As concentration and pH rise, the consistency of the gels increase to a maximum, which appears between pH 6 and 8, allowing their use as vehicles in bioadhesive formulations for mucosal application. Over the increasing viscosity interval, functions were obtained to indicate the consistency of the gel as a function of pH and concentration. Since the correlation between the theoretical and experimental results is excellent, the equation found can be used to theoretically calculate the working concentration and pH required to secure the necessary consistency for a given vehicle. The addition of soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and cross-linked PVP (PVPP) does not substantially modify the rheological behavior of the gels, thus permitting their addition to usual vehicles.

Acrylic Resins↗

PubMed2002

How consistently do women report lifetime mammograms at successive interviews?

BACKGROUND: Little data exist on the reliability of self-reported regular mammography use measures. We used data from two successive interviews of 892 women aged 50 to 74 years without a history of abnormal mammograms to investigate how consistently women report their lifetime number of mammograms. METHODS: We added an estimated number of mammograms obtained between interviews to the baseline report to create a revised baseline report for comparison with the follow-up report. We then examined the correlation in paired reports, the level of agreement between paired reports, and factors associated with consistent reporting. RESULTS: Spearman rank correlation between paired reports was 0.73. Agreement between paired reports dropped with increasing lifetime number of mammograms. After adjustment for mammography use, women's characteristics did not appear to be strongly associated with consistent reporting. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported lifetime number of mammograms is a reasonably consistent measure for younger women or women with less mammography experience, but it is less reliable for women with long mammography histories. In these women, it may be useful to distinguish those who obtain regular screening from those who do not. Assessing reliability as well as validity for other measures of regular mammography use will allow additional measures to be identified.

Black or African American↗

PubMed2000

Consistency of posterior distributions for neural networks.

In this paper we show that the posterior distribution for feedforward neural networks is asymptotically consistent. This paper extends earlier results on universal approximation properties of neural networks to the Bayesian setting. The proof of consistency embeds the problem in a density estimation problem, then uses bounds on the bracketing entropy to show that the posterior is consistent over Hellinger neighborhoods. It then relates this result back to the regression setting. We show consistency in both the setting of the number of hidden nodes growing with the sample size, and in the case where the number of hidden nodes is treated as a parameter. Thus we provide a theoretical justification for using neural networks for nonparametric regression in a Bayesian framework.

Bayes Theorem↗

PubMed2003

Comparing methodological quality and consistency of international guidelines for the management of patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines (GLs) for the management of heart failure (HF) are of great importance in order to define and disseminate therapeutic recommendations based on scientific evidence. The aim was to analyse and to compare the methodological quality of HF GLs as well as to evaluate the consistency of therapeutic recommendations. METHODS: Eleven international GLs for the management of chronic HF were identified by search of the internet, electronic databases and references of published literature. Their methodological quality was assessed by two different appraisal instruments: (1) according to the US National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) on a scale from 0 to 17 points, (2) according to the German Guideline Clearinghouse (Agency for Quality in Medicine, AQUMED) on a scale from 0 to 44 points. Clinical criteria for assessment of the consistency of the recommendations included diagnostic testing, pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment. RESULTS: The quality scores of the GLs varied substantially with a range of 1.5-15.5 points (NGC) and 8-30 points (AQUMED). The greatest variation was found in the dimensions "development" and "evidence". Only 3 of the 11 GLs (approximately 30%) were rated as methodologically well prepared. The recommendations on diagnostic procedures and medical management were rather consistent among the different GLs. CONCLUSIONS: Published international GL recommendations on medical management of patients with chronic HF are broadly consistent. The methodological quality of the GLs, however, varies to a great extent. Improvement is needed in most methodological aspects, especially in the dimensions "evidence" and "applicability".

Chronic Disease↗

PubMed2005

Batch-to-batch consistency of human-derived gonadotrophin preparations compared with recombinant preparations.

Different gonadotrophin preparations derived from human urine or manufactured by recombinant technology are currently used in clinical practice for the treatment of infertility. It has been widely assumed that gonadotrophin products manufactured by recombinant technology have better batch-to-batch consistency compared with human-derived preparations and that this potentially will be shown to provide a more constant clinical response, but there is little evidence for either statement. This study compared the batch-to-batch consistency between urinary-derived and recombinant manufactured gonadotrophin preparations using standard analytical techniques, as well as a novel in-vitro follicle bioassay to evaluate the consistency of the biological response at the target organ. Oligosaccharide isoform profiling, immunoassay testing, size exclusion chromatography analysis and in-vitro bioassay testing of urinary derived gonadotrophin preparations (MENOPUR and BRAVELLE) confirm that these products display a high degree of batch-to-batch consistency, similar to recombinant FSH (GONAL-f) either filled by mass or bioassay. The data also suggest that the batch-to-batch variation is independent of the manufacturing procedure (filled-by-bioassay or filled-by-mass) for the recombinant preparation (Gonal-f), but that the total FSH bioactivity delivered from a single dose preparation after reconstitution differs between the two manufacturing procedures.

Biological Assay↗

PubMed2000

Mothers' ability to identify infants' communicative acts consistently.

A mother's ability to identify consistently what she perceives to be communicatively salient behaviours is considered to be fundamental to the process of responding sensitively to prelinguistic infants. The present study investigated the ability of 35 mothers to identify consistently what they perceived to be communicative acts by infants at three ages (0;6, 0;9, and 1;0). Each mother coded the same videotape of her infant's behaviour on two occasions, three months apart, and observed measures of agreement (consistency) between coded records were obtained. A randomization procedure was used to provide distributions of chance levels of agreement between coded records with which observed measures were compared. Comparisons of the mothers' coded records indicated that they were able to identify infants' communicative acts consistently at each age.

Communication↗