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Results for “Consistency”

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PubMed2004

Comparison of sexually transmitted disease prevalence by reported condom use: errors among consistent condom users seen at an urban sexually transmitted disease clinic.

BACKGROUND: The protective effect of condom use is controversial as a result of limited data. GOAL: The goal of this study was to assess the association between condom use errors in consistent condom users and the prevalence of various sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). STUDY: We conducted a cross-sectional study of visits to an urban STD clinic between January 2001 and January 2003, by women, men who have sex with women (MSW), and men who have sex with men (MSM) by consistent condom users with or without a condom use error. METHODS: Prevalence rates were calculated for gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomonas, nongonococcal urethritis (NGU), and pelvic inflammatory disease. Rates were stratified by reported errors in condom use over the past 4 months for consistent users with adjusted odds ratios calculated by logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 1973 consistent condom users with error information available, any condom use error was reported more commonly among women (57%) than MSW (48%), or MSM (P <0.001 for each comparison), with breakage being the most frequently reported error. Among MSW, having a condom use error was associated with gonorrhea (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 5.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.48-12.35), chlamydia (AOR, 3.19; 95% CI, 1.80-5.65), and NGU (AOR, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.45-3.01), whereas, for women and MSM, no associations were seen for any STD. CONCLUSIONS: Condom use errors were common among subjects reporting consistent condom use and for MSW, condom error was associated with a significant increased risk of STD. These data support the premise that correctness of condom use is an important methodologic issue in studies assessing condom effectiveness.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Regulatory network of Escherichia coli: consistency between literature knowledge and microarray profiles.

The transcriptional network of Escherichia coli may well be the most complete experimentally characterized network of a single cell. A rule-based approach was built to assess the degree of consistency between whole-genome microarray experiments in different experimental conditions and the accumulated knowledge in the literature compiled in RegulonDB, a data base of transcriptional regulation and operon organization in E. coli. We observed a high and statistical significant level of consistency, ranging from 70%-87%. When effector metabolites of regulatory proteins are not considered in the prediction of the active or inactive state of the regulators, consistency falls by up to 40%. Similarly, consistency decreases when rules for multiple regulatory interactions are altered or when "on" and "off" entries were assigned randomly. We modified the initial state of regulators and evaluated the propagation of errors in the network that do not correlate linearly with the connectivity of regulators. We interpret this deviation mainly as a result of the existence of redundant regulatory interactions. Consistency evaluation opens a new space of dialogue between theory and experiment, as the consequences of different assumptions can be evaluated and compared.

Databases, Genetic↗

PubMed2003

Diffusive transport and self-consistent dynamics in coupled maps.

The study of diffusion in Hamiltonian systems has been a problem of interest for a number of years. In this paper we explore the influence of self-consistency on the diffusion properties of systems described by coupled symplectic maps. Self-consistency, i.e., the backinfluence of the transported quantity on the velocity field of the driving flow, despite of its critical importance, is usually overlooked in the description of realistic systems, for example, in plasma physics. We propose a class of self-consistent models consisting of an ensemble of maps globally coupled through a mean field. Depending on the kind of coupling, two different general types of self-consistent maps are considered: maps coupled to the field only through the phase, and fully coupled maps, i.e., through the phase and the amplitude of the external field. The analogies and differences of the diffusion properties of these two kinds of maps are discussed in detail.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Self-consistent generalized Langevin equation for colloidal mixtures.

A self-consistent theory of collective and tracer diffusion in colloidal mixtures is presented. This theory is based on exact results for the partial intermediate scattering functions derived within the framework of the generalized Langevin equation formalism, plus a number of conceptually simple and sensible approximations. The first of these consists of a Vineyard-like approximation between collective and tracer diffusion, which writes the collective dynamics in terms of the memory function related to tracer diffusion. The second consists of interpolating this only unknown memory function between its two exact limits at small and large wave vectors; for this, a phenomenologically determined, but not arbitrary, interpolating function is introduced: a Lorentzian with its inflection point located at the first minimum of the partial static structure factor. The small wave-vector exact limit involves a time-dependent friction function, for which we take a general approximate result, previously derived within the generalized Langevin equation formalism. This general result expresses the time-dependent friction function in terms of the partial intermediate scattering functions, thus closing the system of equations into a fully self-consistent scheme. This extends to mixtures a recently proposed self-consistent theory developed for monodisperse suspensions [Yeomans-Reyna and Medina-Noyola, Phys. Rev. E 64, 066114 (2001)]. As an illustration of its quantitative accuracy, its application to a simple model of a binary dispersion in the absence of hydrodynamic interactions is reported.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Perceived structure from optic flow: consistent versus variable mapping of 3-D Euclidean structure.

In an earlier study (Börjesson & Lind, 1996), the perception of Euclidean structure from polar projected two-frame apparent motion sequences was studied. The results showed that Euclidean structure is not perceived. However, at larger visual angles a certain consistency in the mapping between distal and perceived structure exists. The aim of the present study was to more precisely examine how this degree of consistency varies as a function of visual angle. In Experiments 1 and 2, slant judgments of simulated and real planes indicated that the degree of consistency is a positive function of visual angle. No definite sign of a Euclidean mapping could, however, be found even in the full view condition. Experiment 3 examined texture gradients and the response method used. The results showed that texture gradients did not influence the degree of consistency of the mapping between distal and judged depth and that the response method was both reliable and valid. However, texture gradients did influence the absolute values of the slant judgments. The role of Euclidean and affine mappings of distal structure is discussed and it is proposed that the perceptually important distinction is not between affine and Euclidean mapping, but rather between two types of affine mappings--consistent and variable.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1989

Patterns of personality consistency and change from childhood through adolescence.

Consistency and change in personality development is typically studied through examination of correlations indexing the consistency of individual differences over time. Despite well-known difficulties which inherently limit this approach, few empirical efforts take advantage of alternative methods. We utilize a "person-centered" approach which permits separate and independent measurement of consistency and change for each person studied. Such measures were obtained covering four intervals between ages 3 and 18 in a longitudinally studied sample. These analyses and subsequent results extend and elaborate earlier results reported in Lives through Time (Block, 1971). It is apparent that there are wide individual differences in the degree of personality consistency and change manifested by subjects, and that the degree and timing of change permit the description of various different developmental trajectories. These pathways are described and compared to results obtained by Block (1971). This research is intended as an illustration of the possibilities obtained through person-centered approaches to the study of personality consistency and change.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1997

The achievement and maintenance of inter-examiner consistency in the assessment of plaque and gingivitis during a multicentre study based in general dental practices.

This study set out to demonstrate that it was possible to train general dental practitioners (gdps) to achieve and maintain high levels of inter-examiner consistency in the use of simple periodontal indices over a 12-month period. The gdps were trained by one trainer in the use of the plaque index (PII) and a modified version of the gingival index (mGI) which assessed gingival bleeding only. All the gdps underwent intensive training and employed a technique, when assessing inter-examiner consistency in the use of the PII, such that the 1st examiner did not disturb in situ plaque from 50% of the circumference of a tooth. The problem of variation due to repeat probing, when assessing inter-examiner consistency for mGI, was overcome by one examiner lightly probing gingival margins and both examiners scoring the results. The problems relating to the multicentre nature of the study included: distance between the centres, the need for strict adherence to the study protocol, consistency in the use of forms and instruments, in the application of periodontal indices, and of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Techniques for overcoming these problems included: the planning and application of a coherent study design, which employed simple indices, a detailed protocol, the recruitment of very well-motivated gdps of similar age and experience as examiners, the recruitment of an experienced trainer who trained the gdps thoroughly and monitored their performance throughout the study, and repeat visits to the practices involved to explain the nature of the study to all their staff members. Initially, the gdps achieved inter-examiner kappa scores of 0.78-0.85 (mean 0.81) for PII and of 0.73-0.94 (mean 0.87) for mGI when assessing 168 sites for each variable. During the following 12 months, individual kappa scores, assessed every 3 months at 42 sites, ranged from 0.51-0.90 for PII and from 0.73-1.00 for mGI. Mean kappa for PII scores achieved by the five gdps fell during the study from 0.81 to 0.76, whereas that for mGI rose from 0.87 to 0.92. It is concluded that it is possible to train gdps to achieve high levels of inter-examiner consistency in the use of PII and mGI and for these high levels to be maintained during a 12-month multicentre study.

Calibration↗

PubMed2006

The consistency of emergency physicians' and cardiologists' ECG interpretation and likelihood classification of chest pain patients.

Patients presenting to the emergency department with chest pain are evaluated by emergency physicians in hospitals without cardiology cover 24 h a day. The purpose of this study is to determine the consistency of electrocardiography (ECG) interpretation and chest pain likelihood classification between emergency physicians and cardiologists. This randomised prospective cross-sectional study was performed in a tertiary care university hospital emergency department. The study form included ECG interpretation and chest pain likelihood classification according to American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guideline which were recorded by emergency physicians and cardiologists separately in a blinded fashion. All chest pain patients who consulted with a cardiologist were enrolled into the study during the study period. The consistency between the two groups and the kappa value were calculated. Recorded study forms of 133 patients with cardiology consultations were evaluated. The consistency in the interpretation of ECG between the emergency physicians and cardiologists was found to be 94.6% (kappa = 0.85) for ST segment elevation, 78.6% (kappa = 0.57) for ischaemic ECG findings and 79.3% (kappa = 0.36) for dynamic ECG changes. The consistency for the likelihood classification between two groups for predicting the pain as angina or non-cardiac was 90.8% (kappa = 0.30), for classifying as acute coronary syndrome or stable angina pectoris (SAP) was 95.6% (kappa = 0.26) and for classifying patients as low likelihood or intermediate-high likelihood was 86.3% (kappa = 0.61). A strong consistency was shown between the emergency physicians' and cardiologists' ECG interpretation especially in determining the ST segment elevation. And also, there is a strong concordance in the likelihood classification of chest pain patients.

Angina Pectoris↗

PubMed1989

Strength properties of three zinc phosphate cements mixed to two different consistencies.

When hand-mixing is used, clinicians mix zinc phosphate cement to consistencies which allow proper seating of restorations. Slump tests have indicated that the same two preferred consistencies (one for cementing a single unit restoration, the other for cementing a multiple unit restoration) could be obtained at different slab temperatures for three cements by mixing to certain powder-liquid ratios which were different for each cement. Each cement could be repeatedly mixed to the preferred consistency by using the appropriate powder-liquid ratio. The compressive and tensile strengths of the cements varied, although mixed to the same consistency. Selection of a cement for clinical use should be based on its strength properties when mixed to a preferred consistency.

Dental Stress Analysis↗

PubMed2006

Pituitary macroadenomas: preoperative evaluation of consistency with diffusion-weighted MR imaging--initial experience.

PURPOSE: To prospectively evaluate use of diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) images and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps for determination of the consistency of macroadenomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study protocol was approved by the institutional ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. Twenty-two patients with pituitary macroadenoma (10 men, 12 women; mean age, 54 years +/- 17.09 [standard deviation]; range, 21-75 years) were examined. All patients underwent MR examination, which included T1-weighted spin-echo and T2-weighted turbo spin-echo DW imaging with ADC mapping and contrast material-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo imaging. Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn in the macroadenomas and in normal white matter on DW images, ADC maps, and conventional MR images. Consistency of macroadenomas was evaluated at surgery and was classified as soft, intermediate, or hard. Histologic examination was performed on surgical specimens of macroadenomas. Mean ADC values, signal intensity (SI) ratios of tumor to white matter within ROIs on conventional and DW MR images, and degree of enhancement were compared with tumor consistency and with percentage of collagen content at histologic examination by using analysis of variance for linear trend. RESULTS: The mean value of ADC in the soft group was (0.663 +/- 0.109) x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec; in the intermediate group, (0.842 +/- 0.081) x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec; and in the hard group, (1.363 +/- 0.259) x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec. Statistical analysis revealed a significant correlation between tumor consistency and ADC values, DW image SI ratios, T2-weighted image SI ratios, and percentage of collagen content (P < .001, analysis of variance). No other statistically significant correlations were found. CONCLUSION: Findings in this study suggest that DW MR images with ADC maps can provide information about the consistency of macroadenomas.

Adenoma↗

PubMed2006

Internal consistency reliability of the self-report antisocial process screening device.

The self-report version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) has become a popular measure for assessing psychopathic features in justice-involved adolescents. However, the internal consistency reliability of its component scales (Narcissism, Callous-Unemotional, and Impulsivity) has been questioned in several studies. This study evaluates the internal consistency reliability of the self-report APSD by examining various indices (e.g., Cronbach's alpha, mean interitem correlation) across 11 studies. Whereas the Narcissism and Impulsivity scales display moderate to good reliability, internal consistency indices for the Callous-Unemotional scale are consistently poor across studies. Suggestions are made for revisions to this scale that would substantially improve its internal consistency reliability.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗

PubMed2000

Quality of life in schizophrenia: development, reliability and internal consistency of the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile--European Version. EPSILON Study 8. European Psychiatric Services: Inputs Linked to Outcome Domains and Needs.

BACKGROUND: This paper, part of the European Psychiatric Services: Inputs Linked to Outcome Domains and Needs (EPSILON) Study, reports the development, reliability and internal consistency of the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile--European Version (LQoLP-EU) in a representative sample of people with schizophrenia from five European sites. METHOD: The LQoLP-EU was administered to a total sample of 404 patients to check its internal consistency, and a sub-sample of 294 patients was interviewed a second time within 7-15 days to verify its test-retest reliability. RESULTS: Internal consistency of the total domains, perceived QoL scale (Life Satisfaction Scale, LSS) was good at 0.87. Of the nine subjective QoL domains Work and Leisure showed the lowest internal consistency (0.30 and 0.56 respectively), the values of the remaining sub-scales ranging between 0.62 and 0.88. The pooled ICC score for LSS was 0.82, and for the nine subjective QoL domain sub-scales it ranged from 0.61 (Safety) to 0.75 (Living Situation). There were significant differences between the sites in alpha and ICCs for sub-scales, but not for the LSS. CONCLUSION: The LQoLP-EU has good internal consistency and reliability in the five European centres.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Consistency of responses on retesting among head-injured subjects in litigation versus head-injured subjects not in litigation.

The consistency of responses to individual items of the Wechsler Information, Comprehension, Arithmetic, Similarities, and Vocabulary subtests on two separate testings were compared for two groups of 20 head-injured subjects. One group of subjects was involved in litigation to recover damages for deficits allegedly resulting from the head injury; the other group was not involved in any litigation. A scoring system was devised to reflect responses that were different on the second testing, and this raw score was converted to a scaled score. The Response Consistency Index represents the sum of the scaled scores for the five subtests. The Response Consistency Index scores showed that retest responses were less consistent in the litigation group than in the non-litigation group. The best cutoff point separated the groups with accuracies of 90% (litigation group) and 100% (non-litigation group). These results suggest that the approach described in this study provides an objective method that significantly differentiates between litigants and non-litigants among head-injured subjects. It would appear that litigants, either deliberately or for other reasons, fail to produce consistent responses on successive examinations.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1977

Personality characteristics related to cross-situational consistency of interpersonal distance.

Explored the relation of personality dimensions to cross-situational consistency in interpersonal distance. Sixty-five male and 52 female undergraduates were given the Personality Research Form A and the Maudsley Personality Inventory as well as four forms of a measure of interpersonal distance preference which covered 10 different situations. The relationship between the personality dimensions and the consistency of interpersonal distance choice was measured by multiple regression. Neuroticism emerged as having the most reliable relation to consistency, confirming previous data in this area. Multiple Rs ranging from .36 to .53 indicated that consistency may be reliably related to personality dimensions and that conceptualizing consistency as an individual difference or moderating variable may partially explain the difficulty in predicting directly from personality dimensions as the situation varies.

Female↗

PubMed1998

Gender-related correlates and predictors of consistent condom use among young adult African-American women: a prospective analysis.

The present study examined the correlates of consistent condom use among African-American women and prospectively evaluated the stability of these significant variables to predict consistent condom use at 3-month follow-up. A sample of 128 African-American women, 18-29 years of age completed a baseline interview and 3 months later completed a similar follow-up interview (n = 100). Compared to women who were inconsistent condom users, women who were consistent condom users were more likely to: have high assertive communication skills (OR=13), desire not becoming pregnant (OR=8.6), have high sexual self-control over condom use (OR=7.6), perceive having control over their partners' use of condoms (OR=6.6), be younger (OR=5.8), and report having a partner that was not committed to the relationship (OR=3.3). Prospective analyses identified baseline level of condom use as the best predictor of condom use at 3-month follow-up. Women who were consistent condom users at baseline were 6.3 times as likely to be consistent condom users at 3-month follow-up. In conclusion, HIV prevention programmes for women need to be gender specific and need to be implemented before high-risk behaviours are established and may be more difficult to modify.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Social-cognitive predictors of consistent condom use among young people in Moscow.

CONTEXT: Russia is experiencing an explosive HIV epidemic, and young people aged 15-29 have the highest incidence of infection. Understanding factors associated with condom use in this age-group is important in developing effective prevention interventions. METHODS: Telephone interviews were conducted with 1,203 Muscovites aged 15-29 in September 2002 to assess condom use, HIV knowledge and sexual behavior. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine independent predictors of consistent condom use. RESULTS: Forty-four percent of sexually experienced respondents reported using condoms consistently. In multivariate analysis, the likelihood of consistent use was elevated among single women and men (odds ratios, 1.8 and 2.6, respectively), those who considered condoms reliable protection against unwanted pregnancy (2.4 and 1.6) and those who believed that most of their peers use condoms (2.9 and 4.6). For women, having recently had multiple partners was associated with increased odds of consistent use, and consistent use declined with age. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies to promote condom use should increase awareness about their effectiveness against not only unwanted pregnancies but also HIV and other STDs. Condoms should be recommended for married couples and people with one permanent partner as a contraceptive option as well as for disease prevention.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Evaluation of a device for objective determination of cervical consistency: a pilot study of device's validity on uterine specimens obtained by total abdominal hysterectomy for benign uterine disease.

A new device in assessment of cervical consistency by means of resistance to electrical current was compared to observations made by traditional clinical assessment of the cervix. The cervix of 50 specimens obtained consecutively at a series of total abdominal hysterectomies done for benign disease was evaluated for cervical consistency first by palpation preoperatively and then by the new device, using 5 prototypes, after the specimen was removed. Obtained results showed that intra-observer error for all five prototypes averaged 1.28 +/- 2.5% (mean +/- standard deviation), whereas inter-observer error was 8.44 +/- 7.9%. Stratified by clinical cervical consistency as soft, moderate and firm, there was a statistically significant difference in the resistance to electrical current (f = 29.0, r2 = 0.19, p < 0.0001). Resistance to electrical current was highest for firm cervices, less for those of moderate consistency, and least for soft ones (21.8 +/- 2.73, 19.6 +/- 2.91 and 15.6 +/- 4.09 ohms, respectively). In conclusion, measurements of cervical resistance obtained objectively by a new device reliably correlated with traditional clinical assessment of cervical consistency.

Cervix Uteri↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Predicting consistency of pain over a 10-year period in persons with spinal cord injury.

This longitudinal study was designed to test the hypothesis that persons who consistently report pain at three (women) or four (men) measurement points across 10 years (1988 to 1998) are different both physically and psychologically from those who inconsistently or never report pain. Participants were 96 persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) living in the community who participated at every measurement point. Measures included consistency of reports of pain (i.e., reported having had problems with pain in the 12 months prior to all, some, or no measurement points); demographic and injury-related data; and measures of physical and psychological health, function, and social support. Of the 96 participants, approximately half of the men and three-fourths of the women consistently reported pain at each point. Phase 1 predictors of the consistency of pain reports for men were being less impaired, being more independent, experiencing more stress, and receiving less social support. Women consistently reporting pain had more stress at Phase 1 than women inconsistently reporting pain. Persons with SCI at risk for chronic pain should be identified and referred to a multidisciplinary pain management program.

Adult↗