Disparities In Combination Drug Therapy Use In Older Adults With Coronary Heart Disease: A Cross-Sectional Time-Series In A Nationally Representative Us Sample, 2012 University of Massachusetts Medical School
Disparities In Combination Drug Therapy Use In Older Adults With Coronary Heart Disease: A Cross-Sectional Time-Series In A Nationally Representative Us Sample, Jennifer Tjia, Becky Briesacher, Dawei Xie, Jason Fu, Robert Goldberg
Jennifer Tjia
BACKGROUND: Despite evidence of effective combination drug therapy for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD), older adults with this condition remain undertreated.
OBJECTIVE: To describe time trends (1992-2003) in the adoption of combination cardiac drug therapies (beta-blockers [beta-adrenoceptor antagonists], ACE inhibitors or angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists [angiotensin receptor blockers; ARBs], and lipid-lowering agents) among older adults in the US with CHD and to identify factors associated with not using combination therapy.
METHODS: The study took the form of a cross-sectional time-series. The study population consisted of a nationally representative sample of adults aged >or=65 years with CHD …
A Doubling Method For The Generalized Lambda Distribution, 2012 Southern Illinois University Carbondale
A Doubling Method For The Generalized Lambda Distribution, Todd C. Headrick, Mohan D. Pant
Mohan Dev Pant
This paper introduces a new family of generalized lambda distributions (GLDs) based on a method of doubling symmetric GLDs. The focus of the development is in the context of L-moments and L-correlation theory. As such, included is the development of a procedure for specifying double GLDs with controlled degrees of L-skew, L-kurtosis, and L-correlations. The procedure can be applied in a variety of settings such as modeling events and Monte Carlo or simulation studies. Further, it is demonstrated that estimates of L-skew, L-kurtosis, and L-correlation are substantially superior to conventional product-moment estimates of skew, kurtosis, and Pearson correlation in terms …
Effect Of Nutrition Changes On Foods Selected By Students In A Middle School-Based Diabetes Prevention Intervention Program: The Healthy Experience, 2012 University of Nevada Las Vegas
Effect Of Nutrition Changes On Foods Selected By Students In A Middle School-Based Diabetes Prevention Intervention Program: The Healthy Experience, Connie Mobley, Diane D. Stadler, Myrlene A. Staten, Laure El Ghormli, Bonnie Gillis, Jill Hartstein, Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Amy Virus, Healthy Study Group
GW Biostatistics Center
No abstract provided.
Repeat Prenatal Corticosteroid Prior To Preterm Birth: A Systematic Review And Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis For The Precise Study Group (Prenatal Repeat Corticosteroid International Ipd Study Group: Assessing The Effects Using The Best Level Of Evidence) - Study Protocol, 2012 Women and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
Repeat Prenatal Corticosteroid Prior To Preterm Birth: A Systematic Review And Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis For The Precise Study Group (Prenatal Repeat Corticosteroid International Ipd Study Group: Assessing The Effects Using The Best Level Of Evidence) - Study Protocol, Caroline A. Crowther, Fariba Aghajafari, Lisa M. Askie, Elizabeth V. Asztalos, Peter Brocklehurst, Elizabeth A. Thom, +22 Additional Authors
GW Biostatistics Center
Background
The aim of this individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis is to assess whether the effects of repeat prenatal corticosteroid treatment given to women at risk of preterm birth to benefit their babies are modified in a clinically meaningful way by factors related to the women or the trial protocol.
Methods/Design
The Prenatal Repeat Corticosteroid International IPD Study Group: assessing the effects using the best level of Evidence (PRECISE) Group will conduct an IPD meta-analysis. The PRECISE International Collaborative Group was formed in 2010 and data collection commenced in 2011. Eleven trials with up to 5,000 women and 6,000 infants …
Physiologic Noise Regression, Motion Regression, And Toast Dynamic Field Correction In Complex-Valued Fmri Time Series, 2012 Medical College of Wisconsin
Physiologic Noise Regression, Motion Regression, And Toast Dynamic Field Correction In Complex-Valued Fmri Time Series, Andrew D. Hahn, Daniel B. Rowe
Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications
As more evidence is presented suggesting that the phase, as well as the magnitude, of functional MRI (fMRI) time series may contain important information and that there are theoretical drawbacks to modeling functional response in the magnitude alone, removing noise in the phase is becoming more important. Previous studies have shown that retrospective correction of noise from physiologic sources can remove significant phase variance and that dynamic main magnetic field correction and regression of estimated motion parameters also remove significant phase fluctuations. In this work, we investigate the performance of physiologic noise regression in a framework along with correction for …
Sample Size Calculations For Roc Studies: Parametric Robustness And Bayesian Nonparametrics, 2012 Baylor Health Care System
Sample Size Calculations For Roc Studies: Parametric Robustness And Bayesian Nonparametrics, Dunlei Cheng, Adam J. Branscum, Wesley O. Johnson
Dunlei Cheng
Methods for sample size calculations in ROC studies often assume independent normal distributions for test scores among the diseased and non-diseased populations. We consider sample size requirements under the default two-group normal model when the data distribution for the diseased population is either skewed or multimodal. For these two common scenarios we investigate the potential for robustness of calculated sample sizes under the mis-specified normal model and we compare to sample sizes calculated under a more flexible nonparametric Dirichlet process mixture model. We also highlight the utility of flexible models for ROC data analysis and their importance to study design. …
Trends And Outcomes Associated With Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, 2012 University of Massachusetts Medical School
Trends And Outcomes Associated With Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, Chyke Doubeni, Carol Bigelow, Darleen Lessard, Frederick Spencer, Jorge Yarzebski, Joel Gore, Jerry Gurwitz, Robert Goldberg
Chyke A. Doubeni
BACKGROUND: Limited recent data are available describing the patterns of use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), particularly from the more generalizable population-based setting. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in the receipt of ACEIs and associated short-term outcomes in patients hospitalized with AMI in a large Northeastern community.
METHODS: We conducted a community-wide study of 7991 patients hospitalized with AMI in all metropolitan Worcester, Massachusetts, medical centers during 8 annual periods between 1990 and 2003.
RESULTS: Among all patients, 44% received ACEI therapy during their acute hospitalization. There …
Treatment Practices And Outcomes Of Patients With Established Peripheral Arterial Disease Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction In A Community Setting, 2012 McMaster University
Treatment Practices And Outcomes Of Patients With Established Peripheral Arterial Disease Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction In A Community Setting, Frederick Spencer, Darleen Lessard, Chyke Doubeni, Jorge Yarzebski, Joel Gore, Robert Goldberg
Chyke A. Doubeni
BACKGROUND: There are little contemporary data available describing the hospital and long-term outcomes of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) who are hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The objectives of our population-based study were to examine the hospital and long-term outcomes, as well as the use of different treatment practices, among patients with established PAD who were hospitalized with AMI. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 4480 patients hospitalized with AMI at all Worcester, Mass, medical centers in 4 alternate years between 1997 and 2003. RESULTS: Among the metropolitan Worcester residents hospitalized with AMI, 13.5% had a history of …
Estimation Of Performance Indices For The Planning Of Sustainable Transportation Systems, 2012 University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Estimation Of Performance Indices For The Planning Of Sustainable Transportation Systems, Pankaj Maheshwari, Alexander Paz, Pushkin Kachroo
Graduate Publications & Presentations
What is sustainable transportation system?
Fulfill the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations
Utilize resources without compromising their health and productivity Leads to development that improves quality of life
Assimilate economic, ecological, social, and bio-physical components of resource ecosystems
Minimize the use of renewable and non-renewable resources, provide affordability and equity between generations
Alternate Estrogen Receptors Promote Invasion Of Inflammatory Breast Cancer Cells Via Non-Genomic Signaling, 2012 George Washington University
Alternate Estrogen Receptors Promote Invasion Of Inflammatory Breast Cancer Cells Via Non-Genomic Signaling, Kazufumi Ohshiro, Arnold M. Schwartz, Paul H. Levine, Rakesh Kumar
Epidemiology Faculty Publications
Although Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is a rare and an aggressive type of locally advanced breast cancer with a generally worst prognosis, little work has been done in identifying the status of non-genomic signaling in the invasiveness of IBC. The present study was performed to explore the status of non-genomic signaling as affected by various estrogenic and anti-estrogenic agents in IBC cell lines SUM149 and SUM190. We have identified the presence of estrogen receptor α (ERα) variant, ERα36 in SUM149 and SUM190 cells. This variant as well as ERβ was present in a substantial concentration in IBC cells. The treatment …
Statistical Methods For Normalization And Analysis Of High-Throughput Genomic Data, 2012 Virginia Commonwealth University
Statistical Methods For Normalization And Analysis Of High-Throughput Genomic Data, Tobias Guennel
Theses and Dissertations
High-throughput genomic datasets obtained from microarray or sequencing studies have revolutionized the field of molecular biology over the last decade. The complexity of these new technologies also poses new challenges to statisticians to separate biological relevant information from technical noise. Two methods are introduced that address important issues with normalization of array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) microarrays and the analysis of RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) studies. Many studies investigating copy number aberrations at the DNA level for cancer and genetic studies use comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) on oligo arrays. However, aCGH data often suffer from low signal to noise ratios resulting …
Targeted Maximum Likelihood Estimation Of Natural Direct Effects, 2012 University of California - Berkeley
Targeted Maximum Likelihood Estimation Of Natural Direct Effects, Wenjing Zheng, Mark Van Der Laan
Wenjing Zheng
In many causal inference problems, one is interested in the direct causal effect of an exposure on an outcome of interest that is not mediated by certain intermediate variables. Robins and Greenland (1992) and Pearl (2001) formalized the definition of two types of direct effects (natural and controlled) under the counterfactual framework. The efficient scores (under a nonparametric model) for the various natural effect parameters and their general robustness conditions, as well as an estimating equation based estimator using the efficient score, are provided in Tchetgen Tchetgen and Shpitser (2011b). In this article, we apply the targeted maximum likelihood framework …
Characterizing Tukey H And Hh-Distributions Through L-Moments And The L-Correlation, 2012 Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Characterizing Tukey H And Hh-Distributions Through L-Moments And The L-Correlation, Todd C. Headrick, Mohan D. Pant
Mohan Dev Pant
This paper introduces the Tukey family of symmetric h and asymmetric hh-distributions in the contexts of univariate L-moments and the L-correlation. Included is the development of a procedure for specifying nonnormal distributions with controlled degrees of L-skew, L-kurtosis, and L-correlations. The procedure can be applied in a variety of settings such as modeling events (e.g., risk analysis, extreme events) and Monte Carlo or simulation studies. Further, it is demonstrated that estimates of L-skew, L-kurtosis, and L-correlation are substantially superior to conventional product-moment estimates of skew, kurtosis, and Pearson correlation in terms of both relative bias and efficiency when heavy-tailed distributions …
A Bayesian Model For Pooling Gene Expression Studies That Incorporates Co-Regulation Information, 2012 University of Massachusetts - Amherst
A Bayesian Model For Pooling Gene Expression Studies That Incorporates Co-Regulation Information, Erin Conlon, Bradley L. Postier, Barbara Methé, Kelly Nevin, Derek Lovley
Microbiology Department Faculty Publication Series
Current Bayesian microarray models that pool multiple studies assume gene expression is independent of other genes. However, in prokaryotic organisms, genes are arranged in units that are co-regulated (called operons). Here, we introduce a new Bayesian model for pooling gene expression studies that incorporates operon information into the model. Our Bayesian model borrows information from other genes within the same operon to improve estimation of gene expression. The model produces the gene-specific posterior probability of differential expression, which is the basis for inference. We found in simulations and in biological studies that incorporating co-regulation information improves upon the independence model. …
Spatial And Temporal Correlations Of Freeway Link Speeds: An Empirical Study, 2012 University of Massachusetts Amherst
Spatial And Temporal Correlations Of Freeway Link Speeds: An Empirical Study, Piotr J. Rachtan
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
Congestion on roadways and high level of uncertainty of traffic conditions are major considerations for trip planning. The purpose of this research is to investigate the characteristics and patterns of spatial and temporal correlations and also to detect other variables that affect correlation in a freeway setting. 5-minute speed aggregates from the Performance Measurement System (PeMS) database are obtained for two directions of an urban freeway – I-10 between Santa Monica and Los Angeles, California. Observations are for all non-holiday weekdays between January 1st and June 30th, 2010. Other variables include traffic flow, ramp locations, number of lanes and the …
Childhood Body Mass Index Trajectories: Modeling, Characterizing, Pairwise Correlations And Socio-Demographic Predictors Of Trajectory Characteristics, 2012 University of Massachusetts Amherst
Childhood Body Mass Index Trajectories: Modeling, Characterizing, Pairwise Correlations And Socio-Demographic Predictors Of Trajectory Characteristics, Xiaozhong Wen, Ken Kleinman, Matthew W. Gillman, Sherly L. Rifas-Shiman, Elsie M. Taveras
Public Health Department Faculty Publication Series
BACKGROUND:
Modeling childhood body mass index (BMI) trajectories, versus estimating change in BMI between specific ages, may improve prediction of later body-size-related outcomes. Prior studies of BMI trajectories are limited by restricted age periods and insufficient use of trajectory information.
METHODS:
Among 3,289 children seen at 81,550 pediatric well-child visits from infancy to 18 years between 1980 and 2008, we fit individual BMI trajectories using mixed effect models with fractional polynomial functions. From each child's fitted trajectory, we estimated age and BMI at infancy peak and adiposity rebound, and velocity and area under curve between 1 week, infancy peak, adiposity …
Estimation Of Newborn Risk For Child Or Adolescent Obesity:Lessons From Longitudinal Birth Cohorts, 2012 University of Massachusetts Amherst
Estimation Of Newborn Risk For Child Or Adolescent Obesity:Lessons From Longitudinal Birth Cohorts, Anita Morandi, David Meyre, Stephane Lobbens, Ken Kleinman, Marika Kaakinen, Sheryl L. Rifas-Shiman, Vincent Vatin, Stefan Gaget, Anneli Pouta, Anna-Liisa Hartikainen, Jaana Laitinen, Matthew W. Gillman, Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin, Philippe Froguel
Public Health Department Faculty Publication Series
OBJECTIVES:
Prevention of obesity should start as early as possible after birth. We aimed to build clinically useful equations estimating the risk of later obesity in newborns, as a first step towards focused early prevention against the global obesity epidemic.
METHODS:
We analyzed the lifetime Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC1986) (N = 4,032) to draw predictive equations for childhood and adolescent obesity from traditional risk factors (parental BMI, birth weight, maternal gestational weight gain, behaviour and social indicators), and a genetic score built from 39 BMI/obesity-associated polymorphisms. We performed validation analyses in a retrospective cohort of 1,503 Italian children …
Measuring Human Rights: A Review Essay, 2012 University of Connecticut
Measuring Human Rights: A Review Essay, David L. Richards
Human Rights & Human Welfare
A review of:
Measuring Human Rights. By Todd Landman & Edzia Carvalho. New York, NY: Routledge, 2010. 163pp.
The Analysis Of Image Feature Robustness Using Cometcloud, 2012 The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
The Analysis Of Image Feature Robustness Using Cometcloud, Xin Qi, Hyunjoo Kim, Fuyong Xing, Manish Parashar, David J. Foran, Lin Yang
Biostatistics Faculty Publications
The robustness of image features is a very important consideration in quantitative image analysis. The objective of this paper is to investigate the robustness of a range of image texture features using hematoxylin stained breast tissue microarray slides which are assessed while simulating different imaging challenges including out of focus, changes in magnification and variations in illumination, noise, compression, distortion, and rotation. We employed five texture analysis methods and tested them while introducing all of the challenges listed above. The texture features that were evaluated include co-occurrence matrix, center-symmetric auto-correlation, texture feature coding method, local binary pattern, and texton. Due …
Categoricity And Topological Graphs, 2012 Marquette University
Categoricity And Topological Graphs, Paul Bankston
Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications
Let X be a topological graph, with arcs joined only at end points. If Y is any locally connected metrizable compactum that is co-elementarily equivalent to X, then Y is homeomorphic to X. In particular, X and Y are homeomorphic if some lattice base for one is elementarily equivalent to some lattice base for the other.