Search results for "Chi-Square Distribution"
showing 10 items of 246 documents
Ankylosing spondylitis in monozygotic twins: studies on immunological parameters
1999
OBJECTIVE—To examine immunological parameters that might explain disease discordance in monozygotic twin pairs with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS—11 monozygotic twin pairs (nine with AS, two with undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy) were investigated. The peripheral T cell receptor Vβ repertoire was investigated using FACS analysis and 14 different Vβ antibodies. In addition serum samples were tested for antibodies to Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Candida albicans, Proteus mirabilis, and Escherichia coli. Peripheral blood lymphocyte reactivity against a number of bacteria was investigated by interferon γ ELISPOT assays. RESULTS—Twins suffering from AS showed cellula…
Changes in At-Risk Behavior for HIV Infection among HIV-Positive Persons in Italy
2009
Many HIV-positive persons reportedly continue to engage in at-risk behavior. We compared the sexual and drug-using practices of HIV-positive persons before and after the diagnosis of HIV infection to determine whether their behavior had changed. To this end, in 2006, we conducted a cross-sectional study involving clinical centers in five Italian cities. Each center was asked to enroll 100 persons aged 18 years or older who had a diagnosis of HIV infection that dated back at least 2 years. Data were collected with a specifically designed questionnaire, administered during a structured interview. The McNemar chi2 test was used to compare the data before and after the diagnosis. A total of 497…
Two-year clinical performance of a packable posterior composite with and without a flowable composite liner
2003
The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical performance of a packable fine hybrid dental composite (Prodigy Condensable) and the influence of the additional application of a flowable resin composite (Revolution, SDS Kerr) layer on marginal integrity after 2 years in stress-bearing posterior cavities according to the Ryge criteria. In 50 patients (40.5+/-17.5 years of age), 116 class II fillings (metal matrix system, glass ionomer-cement-base in 36%, rubberdam isolation in 70%) were placed, with at least two restorations per patient. The adhesive Optibond Solo Plus was used for all the restorations. In one of the two fillings in each patient, an additional layer of the flowable composi…
Analysis of genetic variations of protein tyrosine kinase fyn and their association with alcohol dependence in two independent cohorts.
2003
Abstract Background Decreased sensitivity to and increased tolerance for the effects of alcohol is a phenotype, which was shown to be associated with an increased risk for alcoholism in humans and was observed in protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) fyn knockout mice. Methods We performed an association study of genetic variations of PTK fyn in 430 alcohol-dependent patients and 365 unrelated control subjects from two independent samples. Results In a combined analysis, we found an association of alcohol dependence with the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) T137346C in the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of the gene. A relevant association could be excluded for the remaining two informative SNPs. …
Plaque removal efficacy of power and manual toothbrushes: a comparative study
2009
The aim of this study was to compare the plaque removal efficacy of a new oscillating/rotating/pulsating toothbrush [Oral-B® Professional Care® 8500 (PC 8500)] with two manual toothbrushes [Oral-B® CrossAction™ Vitalizer (CAV) and Oral-B® Indicator™ (IND), respectively]. The safety of the PC 8500 was also assessed. The study was a single-use, observer-masked, randomised 3×3 Latin square crossover design balanced for carryover effects. The enrolled subjects (n=66) refrained from brushing for 23–25 h before each clinical examination. Plaque scores were recorded before and after brushing with the allocated toothbrush using the Turesky et al. modification of the Quigley and Hein plaque index. T…
Unconscious processing of Arabic numerals in unilateral neglect
2005
This study explores the processing of Arabic numerals in three patients with dense left unilateral neglect. Three tasks have been used: a test of visual awareness (is the stimulus on the left, on the right or on both sides?), a number comparison task (is the number larger or smaller than 5?), a number parity judgment task (is the number odd or even?). The test of visual awareness indicated that all three patients were completely unaware of the stimuli presented in the left hemifield. Despite this, the number comparison and number parity judgment tasks clearly indicated that Arabic numerals were unconsciously processed at semantic level (i.e. quantity). These results show that patients with …
Cross validation of the factor structure of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: An Italian multicenter study
1996
The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) has been shown in previous research to measure a general dimension of alexithymia with three intercorrelated factors. This study evaluated the reliability and factorial validity of an Italian translation of the TAS-20 in a group of normal adults (N = 206) and in a mixed group of medical and psychiatric outpatients (N = 642). Using confirmatory factor analyses, the previously established three-factor model of the TAS-20 was found to be replicable in both groups. In addition, the Italian TAS-20 demonstrated adequate estimates of internal reliability and test-retest reliability. Although evaluation of the convergent, discriminant, and concurrent v…
Sexuality in autism: hypersexual and paraphilic behavior in women and men with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder
2017
Like nonaffected adults, individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) show the entire range of sexual behaviors. However, due to the core symptoms of the disorder spectrum, including deficits in social skills, sensory hypo- and hypersensitivities, and repetitive behaviors, some ASD individuals might develop quantitatively above-average or nonnormative sexual behaviors and interests. After reviewing the relevant literature on sexuality in high-functioning ASD individuals, we present novel findings on the frequency of normal sexual behaviors and those about the assessment of hypersexual and paraphilic fantasies and behaviors in ASD individuals from our own study. Individuals with ASD see…
High definition plus colonoscopy combined with i-scan tone enhancement vs. high definition colonoscopy for colorectal neoplasia: A randomized trial
2014
High definition endoscopy is the accepted standard in colonoscopy. However, an important problem is missed polyps.Our objective was to assess the additional adenoma detection rate between high definition colonoscopy with tone enhancement (digital chromoendoscopy) vs. white light high definition colonoscopy.In this prospective randomized trial patients were included to undergo a tandem colonoscopy. The first exam was a white light colonoscopy with removal of all visualized polyps. The second examination was randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio as either again white light colonoscopy (Group A) or colonoscopy with tone enhancement (Group B). Primary endpoint was the adenoma detection rate during t…
The prevalence of medically unexplained symptoms in primary care.
2011
Objective There is only a small number of studies dealing with the prevalence of medically unexplained symptoms and somatoform disorder in German primary care practices. Therefore, we aimed to study the prevalence of medically unexplained symptoms and the prevalences and comorbidities of somatoform and other mental disorders. Method In the initial stage of a two-stage prevalence study, 620 consecutive patients were first screened with a PHQ-15 questionnaire. In the second stage, 308 selected persons were then interviewed in detail. Results Medically unexplained symptoms made up two-thirds of all reported symptoms with women, younger persons, and non-native speakers having the highest rates.…