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Results for “list randomization”

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PubMed1991

Semantic organization and verbal episodic memory in patients with mild and moderate Alzheimer's disease.

The objective of the present research was to investigate the relationship between semantic organization and cue utilization in mildly and moderately demented patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In Experiment 1, subjects were presented with two lists of words: a list with semantically unrelated words and a list with words from four semantic categories presented randomly intermixed. Free recall was assessed and following the organizable list, subjects received a cued recall test. Normal controls, as opposed to mildly and moderately demented patients, showed higher performance in the organizable list as compared to the random list. In addition, normal controls and mildly demented patients benefited from semantic cues in the organizable list and performed at a higher level in total recall as compared to free recall. In Experiment 2, subjects were presented with two lists of words: a list with words from four semantic categories presented randomly intermixed and a list with words from four semantic categories presented clustered, together with information about the organization of the list. Free recall and cued recall, with the category names serving as cues, were assessed. Free recall performance of normal controls was higher in the clustered than in the organizable list, whereas no such effect was observed for the AD patients. Normal controls and mildly demented patients performed at a higher level in total as compared to free recall in both lists, whereas this effect was present only in the clustered list for the moderately demented patients. The overall pattern of results indicates that there are conditions under which memory facilitation from semantic organization may be obtained in AD.

Aged↗

PubMed1980

Knowledge acquisition in oncology from randomized therapeutic trials.

Appreciating the impact, on the progress of our knowledge, of randomized therapeutic trials performed over a period of thirty years leads to a two-fold approach: a) Drawing up the list of randomized trials and assessing the impact of their conclusions on the progress of our knowledge and on the improvement of standard therapy; b) from recognised progress in oncology, appraising the part played by randomized trials in the acquisition of that knowledge.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

PubMed1978

Color context as a factor in encoding and as an organization device for retrieval of word lists.

One hundred twenty female undergraduates were presented hierarchically organized or randomly arranged word lists within a context of hierarchically organized or randomly arranged color patterns. Recall scores were significantly higher with a hierarchic color pattern than with a random color pattern; this facilitating effect occurred for both hierarchic organizations and random arrangements of the word lists. The results suggest that Ss may use context as both a cueing of differentiating factor in encoding and as an organizational device for retrieval.

Color Perception↗

PubMed1998

The Delphi list: a criteria list for quality assessment of randomized clinical trials for conducting systematic reviews developed by Delphi consensus.

Most systematic reviews rely substantially on the assessment of the methodological quality of the individual trials. The aim of this study was to obtain consensus among experts about a set of generic core items for quality assessment of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). The invited participants were experts in the field of quality assessment of RCTs. The initial item pool contained all items from existing criteria lists. Subsequently, we reduced the number of items by using the Delphi consensus technique. Each Delphi round comprised a questionnaire, an analysis, and a feedback report. The feedback report included staff team decisions made on the basis of the analysis and their justification. A total of 33 international experts agreed to participate, of whom 21 completed all questionnaires. The initial item pool of 206 items was reduced to 9 items in three Delphi rounds. The final criteria list (the Delphi list) was satisfactory to all participants. It is a starting point on the way to a minimum reference standard for RCTs on many different research topics. This list is not intended to replace, but rather to be used alongside, existing criteria lists.

Delphi Technique↗

PubMed1987

A microcomputer program for the generation of random grid squares in quantitative analysis.

Subjectivity in selecting random grid squares for routine quantitative analysis can be circumvented through a combination of finder grids and a computer program. The simple BASIC program described in this paper generates a list of random grid-square numbers, which are sequentially analyzed. The concept was applied in the quantitation of asbestos and other microparticles in environmental samples. The use of finder grids and this program can also be useful in quality-control programs and in cross-referencing analyses, as well as in the study of biological specimens.

Asbestos↗

PubMed1995

Use of Spanish surnames to identify Latinos: comparison to self-identification.

Difficulties in identification of Latinos from secondary datasets have often been addressed by the use of a Spanish surname list. To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the 1980 U.S. Census Spanish surname list in correctly identifying Latino ethnicity, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of adult members of a prepaid health plan in the San Francisco Bay Area. We compared a randomly selected list of 1345 Spanish surnames and 717 non-Spanish surnames from health plan membership lists with their self-identified race and ethnicity obtained by telephone interviews. The sample was stratified according to surname group (Spanish or non-Spanish), sex, age, and county. Compared with self-identified ethnicity, a Spanish surname was 88.4% sensitive in identifying Latino men and 70.4% sensitive in identifying Latina women. The non-Spanish surname list was 94.1% sensitive and 95.0% specific in correctly identifying non-Latinos. Although the overall negative predictive value was 97.8%, the positive predictive value of a Spanish surname was only 68.3% for men and 55.7% for women. The low positive predictive value was largely due to the 316 (61%) Filipinos among the 517 persons with Spanish surnames who were not Latinos. We conclude that the use of the Spanish surname list alone to ascertain race and ethnicity in the San Francisco Bay Area both falsely identifies a large number of non-Latino persons as Latino and fails to identify a small proportion of Latinos. Although the level of sensitivity and specificity for Spanish surnames will vary with the area under study, this source of inaccuracy must be considered in studies that plan to use data based on Spanish surnames.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

A randomized double-blinded comparison of the antiemetic efficacy of ondansetron and droperidol in patients receiving high-dose interleukin-2.

Emesis and nausea are common toxicities seen during high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy (720,000 IU/kg i.v. every 8 h). A growing list of randomized studies have documented the efficacy of ondansetron, a potent antagonist of the 5-hydroxytryptamine3 receptor, in preventing acute chemotherapy-induced emesis and nausea. However, no study has evaluated the efficacy of ondansetron in preventing IL-2-induced emesis and nausea. This double-blinded, randomized trial was performed to compare the antiemetic and antinausea efficacy of ondansetron with that of droperidol, a butyrophenone, in patients receiving high-dose IL-2 on protocols at the National Cancer Institute. Ondansetron or droperidol was given intravenously, 30 min prior to the first dose of IL-2 and then every 8 h for the duration of IL-2 treatment. No significant differences were seen between the two agents in complete freedom from emesis (p2 = 0.51), level of nausea (p2 = 0.17), antiemetic treatment failure (p2 = 0.89), and time to first emetic episode (p2 = 0.44). Equivalent doses of IL-2 were administered on each arm of the study, with a similar incidence of liver dysfunction (p2 = 0.15) and diarrhea (p2 = 0.64). Finally, there was no significant difference in the response rates to metastatic disease in either arm of the antiemetic study (p2 = 0.67), and these response rates were similar to those in other patients treated under immunotherapy protocols in the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute with high-dose IL-2. We conclude that droperidol is equally effective in preventing emesis and controlling nausea when compared with ondansetron for patients receiving high-dose IL-2.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Prevalence and treatment of chronic airways obstruction in adults over the age of 45.

BACKGROUND: Chronic airways obstruction is common in adults and the elderly. To investigate the possibility that older adults with obstructive airways disease frequently do not receive appropriate treatment, the respiratory symptoms, medication use, and pulmonary function were studied in a random sample of white adults aged over 45 living in central Manchester, UK. METHODS: A postal questionnaire survey was performed on 783 men and women aged 45 years and over selected from GP lists by random number tables. Subjects completing the questionnaire were invited to attend for pulmonary function testing and methacholine challenge (Newcastle dosimeter method). RESULTS: The questionnaire response rate was 92.3% (723 subjects). The mean age of the population was 66.1 years and 57.2% were women; 29.2% were current smokers and 37.3% were ex-smokers. Asthma or bronchitis was reported by 30.0%. Two hundred and forty seven representative subjects attended for pulmonary function testing and spirometric evidence of chronic airways obstruction was found in 26.4%. Respiratory symptoms were reported by 76.6% of subjects with chronic airways obstruction; 55.0% had features which may predict potential improvement on treatment (increased non-specific bronchial responsiveness or significant bronchodilator reversibility). However, only 55.4% of subjects with airways obstruction had received a diagnosis of asthma or chronic bronchitis and only 36.9% were using inhaled bronchodilators or steroids. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic airways obstruction is very common in adults in this inner city population, but is frequently overlooked. Most subjects with chronic airways obstruction are not receiving appropriate treatment.

Aged↗

PubMed1981

Practice effects for normal listeners' performance on a nonsense syllable test.

Each of 4 groups (N: 5) of normal-hearing young adults responded to the consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel Nonsense Syllable Test (Edgerton and Danhauer, 1979). Groups I and II on any one day for 5 consecutive days received one presentation of both Lists A and B at 16 and at 56 db re individual SRT, with (Group II) or without (Group I) visual reinforcement as to the correctness of the response. Groups III and IV received 15 randomizations of List A (non-reinforced) in a single session at 16 or 56 db SL, respectively. S's were tested individually diotically; verbal responses were phonetically transcribed using both audio and visual cues, and were scored phonetically. There were no significant differences in means between Groups I vs II as a result of reinforcement, but differences were noted in both groups for presentation levels and trials (days). No practice effects were noted in Groups III and IV. The NST may be used for multiple administrations within a single session, as in deriving performance-intensity functions, or in hearing aid evaluations, without biases due to practice.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Evaluation of a prototype esophageal detection device.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the ability of a prototype esophageal detection device (EDD) to identify esophageal misplacement of an endotracheal (ET) tube. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, blinded study of detection of esophageal intubation was conducted using 51 elective surgical patients who met inclusion criteria. A squeeze-bulb aspirator that creates a negative pressure of -80 to -90 torr was used for detection of esophageal intubation. The bulb should reinflate rapidly if the tube is in the noncollapsible trachea, but should not reinflate if the tube is in the collapsible esophagus. Each patient was prepared for surgery in the usual manner. The anesthesiologist placed an ET tube into the trachea. An identical tube was advanced the same distance into the esophagus. The tubes were labeled "A" or "B" according to a computer-generated random number list. An evaluator, who was blinded to the placement of the tubes, assessed one tube with the EDD. For most patients, a second evaluator, who was blinded to both tube placement and the results of the first evaluator, assessed the other tube. During evaluation, the tube cuffs were deflated. After data collection, the esophageal tube was removed and surgery was completed. RESULTS: All 45 esophageal tube placements were correctly identified. Thirty-five of the 40 ET tubes were correctly identified. Of the five ET tubes mislabeled, three were found in a mainstem bronchus. All had delayed bulb re-expansion. CONCLUSION: This prototype EDD is a useful method of identifying esophageal misplacement of an ET tube in anesthetized adult surgical patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Strenuous physical activity in young adulthood and risk of breast cancer (United States).

The epidemiologic data on the relation between strenuous physical activity and breast cancer are limited and inconsistent. Because risk of breast cancer may be influenced by ovarian function which, in turn is modulated by physical activity, the hypothesis that exercise may be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer merits further investigation. We, therefore, conducted a large case-control study in 1988-1991, and interviewed 6,888 women (17 to 74 years of age) with breast cancer in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin (United States). Interviewed controls (9,539 women, 18 to 74 years of age) were selected randomly from lists of licensed drivers (for younger women) or from a roster of Medicare enrollees (for older women). We used multivariate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95 percent confidence intervals (CI) from logistic regression models to estimate relative risks between self-reported physical activity when 14 to 22 years of age and breast cancer. When compared with sedentary controls, women who reported any strenuous physical during ages 14 to 22 years had a modest reduction in the risk of breast cancer (OR = 0.95, CI = 0.93-0.97). However, those who exercised vigorously at least once a day had a 50 percent reduction in risk of breast cancer (OR = 0.5, CI = 0.4-0.7). These data support the hypothesis that women who are physically active have a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Patients' interpretations of probability terms.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the meaning ascribed by patients to qualitative expressions of probability commonly used in medical care and to determine patient preferences for obtaining information when communicating with their physicians about medical risk numerically and/or qualitatively. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of consecutive patients. SETTING: A university-based Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. PARTICIPANTS: 133 patients sequentially seen in a general medicine clinic. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Subjects were given a randomly ordered list of 12 common terms, each a qualitative expression of probability. They were asked to indicate what they understood to be the numerical meaning of each word. The patients' probability estimates were found to comprise two groups of five terms each, with high intercorrelations among the probabilities assigned to the terms in each group. Mean probabilities assigned to terms in the first group all were greater than 60%, and mean probabilities assigned to terms in the second group all were below 50%. When asked whether they wanted chance information to be provided in numerical or qualitative terms, 32% reported that they wanted it only numerically; 35.3% wanted it only qualitatively; 21.8% wanted the information either way; and 8.3% wanted the information both ways. CONCLUSIONS: The numerical meanings that patients ascribe to probability terms fall into identifiable patterns. While patients vary in the actual values they assign to terms, the relative meanings of terms show consistent trends.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1994

Influence of dental glove type on the penetration of liquid through experimental perforation: a spectrophotometric analysis.

This study was made to assess whether the physical structure or the commercial make of a glove has any influence on the penetration of liquid through perforations in the glove during work. A comparison was made between three types of gloves (10 for each brand name and type): vinyl (Peha Fit, Paul Hartmann), latex (without ASTM certification), and Biogel D (Regent Dental Division) for a total of 30 gloves. Of the 10 gloves for each type, five were worn tightly adhering to the operator's hand and five were worn relatively loosely. Holes of a predetermined size (0.40 mm) were made in each glove on the index, middle, and ring fingers, for a total of 90 holes. A randomized preprogrammed list ensured a perfect balance of the three variables: type of glove, adherence to the hand, and fingers having holes. The amount of liquid that penetrated the gloves through the holes was determined by placing the gloved hand in a tank containing a colored substance for 3 minutes and then analyzing the colored substance that had penetrated the glove with an ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometer. The results clearly showed that the amount of liquid that penetrated through the holes varied significantly (p < 0.001) according to the type of glove tested. The mean quantity of liquid penetrating the vinyl gloves (6.24 microL) was approximately five times higher than that of the latex gloves (1.20 microL), and 100 times higher than that of the Biogel D gloves (0.05 microL). The statistical differences between the three types of gloves were even more significant in the cases in which the glove adhered closely to the hand (12.44 microL in vinyl, 2.37 microL in latex, and 0.09 microL in Biogel D), whereas no significant difference was found when the gloves were loose (0.03 microL in vinyl, 0.04 microL in latex, and 0.00 microL in Biogel D).

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1985

Acceptability and intelligibility of tracheoesophageal speech.

The original Blom-Singer voice prosthesis, introduced in 1979, has been recently modified to provide lower airway resistance. A tracheostoma breathing valve, introduced in 1982, permits unrestricted two-way breathing, yet eliminates the need for manual occlusion of the stoma. To date, the acceptability and intelligibility of tracheoesophageal (TE) speakers, using these prostheses, has not been extensively studied. Forty-six naive listeners rated the acceptability and intelligibility of 15 TE speakers, all of whom were wearing the tracheostoma breathing valve and a prototype low-pressure prosthesis. Acceptability was judged on an equal-appearing interval scale. Intelligibility judgments were based on randomized word lists of 50 items. Results suggest a high level of acceptability and intelligibility among both male and female TE speakers.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

PubMed1995

Task force on recurrent respiratory papillomas. A preliminary report.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain pilot data about the incidence, need for surgical intervention, and demographics of recurrent respiratory papillomas in the United States. DESIGN: Otolaryngologists were surveyed using a questionnaire with structured and open-ended questions. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand board-certified otolaryngologists practicing in the United States as of January 1, 1993, through a random mailing list provided by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and all active US members of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology and the American Bronchoesophagological Association. A total of 1346 questionnaires were distributed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Physician's responses to questions about their current patient load of children and adults with recurrent respiratory papillomas, their surgical and anesthetic management of the disease, and their clinical experiences with risk factors for developing recurrent respiratory papillomas. RESULTS: Projected totals for recurrent respiratory papillomas among children were 2354 new cases (95% confidence interval [CI], 1448 to 3260) and 5970 active cases (95% CI, 3465 to 8474), requiring 16,597 surgical procedures (95% CI, 6938 to 26,255) at a cost of $109 million (95% CI, $45 to 172 million) for March 1, 1993 to March 31, 1994. Projected totals for adult recurrent respiratory papillomas were 3623 new cases (95% CI, 2359 to 4887) and 9015 active cases (95% CI, 6435 to 11,591) requiring 9284 surgical procedures (95% CI, 6003 to 12,565) at a cost of $42 million (95% CI, $27 to $59 million) for March 1, 1993 to March 31, 1994. The incidence of recurrent respiratory papillomas among children is estimated at 4.3 per 100,000; among adults, 1.8 per 100,000. The carbon dioxide laser was favored by 92% of respondents. No consensus was reached on the role for cesarean section. Forty-six percent of respondents favored the use of a laser-safe endotracheal tube for anesthetic management. CONCLUSION: A registry of patients with recurrent respiratory papillomas would benefit future research protocols and provide long-term follow-up of patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Accuracy of references in nursing journals.

The purpose of this study was to quantify and classify errors in reference lists of randomly selected, recently published issues of nursing journals (n = 17) and to assess whether these errors prevented retrieval of the cited documents. Randomly selected references, 65 from clinical journals and 47 from non-clinical journals, were compared to the original sources for accuracy. Errors were classified as minor (not preventing retrieval) and major (preventing retrieval). Errors occurred more frequently in references in clinical journals, 38.4% of those reviewed, as compared to 21.3% in of non-clinical journals. Additionally, 4.6% of the clinical references contained major errors, but no major errors were located in references from the non-clinical journals. These findings have implications for all readers.

Bibliographies as Topic↗

PubMed1996

Recent oral contraceptive use and risk of breast cancer (United States)

We examined the association between recent oral contraceptive (OC) use and the risk of breast cancer in data from a large population-based case-control study in the United States. Cases (n = 6,751) were women less than 75 years old who had breast cancer identified from statewide tumor registries in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire. Controls (n = 9,311) were selected randomly from lists of licensed drivers (if aged under 65 years) and from lists of Medicare beneficiaries (if aged 65 through 74 years). Information on OC use, reproductive experiences, and family and medical history was obtained by telephone interview. After adjustment for parity, age at first delivery, and other risk factors, women who had ever used OCs were at similar risk of breast cancer as never-users (relative risk [RR] = 1.1, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 1.0-1.2). Total duration of use also was not related to risk. There was a suggestion that more recent use was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer; use less than two years ago was associated with an RR of 1.3 (CI = 0.9-1.9). However, only among women aged 35 to 45 years at diagnosis was the increase in risk among recent users statistically significantly elevated (RR = 2.0, CI = 1.1-3.9). Use prior to the first pregnancy or among nulliparous women was not associated with increased risk. Among recent users of OCs, the risk associated with use was greatest among non-obese women, e.g., among women with body mass index (kg/m2) less than 20.4, RR = 1.7, CI = 1.1-2.8. While these results suggest that, in general, breast cancer risk is not increased substantially among women who have used OCs, they also are consistent with a slight increased risk among subgroups of recent users.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

Desamino-D-arg8-vasopressin (DDAVP), unlike ethanol, has no effect on a boring visual vigilance task in humans.

It has been suggested that vasopressin (VP) and its analogues such as desamino-D-arg8-vasopressin (DDAVP) affect cognitive (including mnemonic) and attentional processes in man. We describe the effects of DDAVP and ethanol (EtOH) on young, healthy human volunteers, using a recently developed visual search task which assesses attention and vigilance. Over a 1-h session, the subject has to detect the occurrence of certain digits in a long list of random characters. A low dose of EtOH (0.33 ml/kg) tended to improve, and a higher dose (1.0 ml/kg) disrupted performance. DDAVP (20 or 60 micrograms/subject) had no effect whatsoever. It is concluded that intranasal administration of the peptide analogue does not markedly affect attention performance in human subjects.

Anxiety↗