Search results for "confidence interval"
showing 10 items of 1297 documents
Elements of Significance Testing with Equivalence Problems
1991
AbstractThe paper outlines an approach to the general methodological problem of equivalence assessment which is based on the classical theory of testing statistical hypotheses. Within this frame of reference it is natural to search for decision rules satisfying the same criteria of optimality which are customarily applied in deriving solutions to one- and two-sided testing problems. For three standard situations very frequently encountered in medical applications of statistics, a concise account of such an optimal test for equivalence is presented. It is pointed out that tests based on the well-known principle of confidence interval inclusion are valid in the sense 1 of guaranteeing the pre…
Mortality attributable to COVID-19 in nursing home residents: a retrospective study
2021
AbstractAimCoronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) is a widespread condition in nursing home (NH). It is not known whether COVID-19 is associated with a higher risk of death than residents without COVID-19. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess whether COVID-19 is associated with a higher mortality rate in NH residents, considering frailty status assessed with the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI).MethodsIn this retrospective study, made in 31 NHs in Venice, Italy, the presence of COVID-19 was ascertained with a nasopharyngeal swab. Frailty was evaluated using the MPI, modified according to the tools commonly used in our NHs. A Cox’s regression analysis was used reporting the resul…
A twin study on the heritability of walking ability among older women
2006
BACKGROUND This study examined the role of genetic and environmental factors explaining individual differences in women's walking ability in old age. METHODS A maximal walking speed test over 10 meters and a 6-minute walking endurance test were done under standard conditions among 92 monozygotic and 105 dizygotic pairs of twin sisters reared together, aged 63-75 years. RESULTS The mean maximum walking speed was 1.73 +/- 0.32 m/s and the mean distance covered in the 6-minute walking test was 525.6 +/- 77.3 m. Multivariate genetic modeling showed that a minor part of the variances in walking speed (16%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0%-54%) and endurance (20%, 95% CI: 0%-56%) were accounted f…
Role of Crassicauda sp. in natural mortality of pantropical spotted dolphins Stenella attenuata: a reassesment
2014
Evaluating the effect of parasites on population size is essential for designing management and conservation plans of wild animal populations. Although knowledge in this area is scarce in cetaceans, current evidence suggests that species of the nematode genus Crassicauda may play an important regulatory role in some populations. In the present study, a semiparametric regression technique is applied to a previously published dataset to re-examine the role of Crassicauda sp. in natural mortality of pantropical spotted dolphins Stenella attenuata. The resulting model indicated parasite-induced mortality at ages between 6.5 and 9 years and at roughly 12 years. The maximum mortality estimates ob…
Prophylactic or therapeutic doses of heparins for COVID-19 infection? A retrospective study
2020
Background: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a global outbreak. COVID-19 patients seem to have relevant coagulative abnormalities, even if they are not typical of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) of the kind seen in septicaemia. Therefore, anticoagulant therapy with heparins is increasing in interest for a clinical approach to these patients, particularly if older. Studies comparing if prophylactic doses are more effective than therapeutic ones are still missing. Methods: Data were collected in the Geriatric Section of the Dolo Hospital, ULSS 3 “Serenissima”, Venice from 31st March to 01st May 2020. Heparins (calciparin, fondaparinux, enoxaparine) were divided into prophyla…
Hearing as a Predictor of Falls and Postural Balance in Older Female Twins
2009
BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to examine, first, whether hearing acuity predicts falls and whether the potential association is explained by postural balance and, second, to examine whether shared genetic or environmental effects underlie these associations. METHODS: Hearing was measured using a clinical audiometer as a part of the Finnish Twin Study on Aging in 103 monozygotic and 114 dizygotic female twin pairs aged 63-76 years. Postural balance was indicated as a center of pressure (COP) movement in semitandem stance, and participants filled in a fall-calendar daily for an average of 345 days after the baseline. RESULTS: Mean hearing acuity (better ear hearing threshol…
Association between the multidimensional prognostic index and mortality during 15 Years of Follow-up in the InCHIANTI Study
2020
Abstract Background Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI) is recognized as a prognostic tool in hospitalized patients, but data on the value of MPI in community-dwelling older persons are limited. Using data from a representative cohort of community-dwelling persons, we tested the hypothesis that MPI explains mortality during 15 years of follow-up. Methods A standardized comprehensive geriatric assessment was used to calculate the MPI and to categorize participants in low-, moderate-, and high-risk classes. The results were reported as hazard ratios (HRs) and the accuracy was evaluated with the area under the curve (AUC), with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and the C-index. We also report…
Genetic and environmental influences on hearing in older women.
2007
Background. This study examined the relative contribution of genetic and environmental effects on the air-conducted hearing threshold level (0.5‐4 kHz) and speech recognition threshold level of the better ear as well as self-reported hearing in older women. Methods. Hearing was measured as a part of the Finnish Twin Study on Aging in 103 monozygotic (MZ) and 114 dizygotic (DZ) female twin pairs aged 63‐76 years. Audiometric measured hearing was tested using standardized methods in soundproof conditions. Self-reported hearing was assessed by a structured question. Quantitative genetic modeling was used for data analyses. Results. No significant differences in age, exposure to noise, hearing-…
Physical Function and All-Cause Mortality in Older Adults Diagnosed With Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
2020
Abstract Background Physical function is an independent predictor of numerous chronic diseases, but its association with all-cause mortality in older adults diagnosed with cancer has received little attention. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prospective association between physical function and all-cause mortality in older adults diagnosed with cancer. Methods Two authors systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and SPORTDiscus databases. Prospective studies reporting associations of baseline physical function with all-cause mortality in patients aged 60 years or older diagnosed with any type of cancer were included. Hazard ratios (HR) with …
Genetic and environmental contribution to postural balance of older women in single and dual task situations
2005
Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of a second task on postural balance and to determine the role of genetic influences on postural balance when dual tasking among 206 monozygotic and 227 dizygotic female twins, aged 63–76 years. Balance was measured as medio-lateral and antero-posterior velocity of the centre of pressure (COP) (mm/s) and velocity moment (mm2/s) while standing on a force platform. Doing an arithmetic task increased movement of the COP while the hand motor task had no effect on movement of the COP. The genetic contribution to balance in the single task situation was minor (14%, 95% confidence interval, CI: 11–35%) whereas in the dual task sit…