Background: Diagnosis of Cushing’s Syndrome (CS) at the right time and with the right method is getting more important for the patients and clinicians due to high mortality rate. The most appropriate laboratory test ...Background: Diagnosis of Cushing’s Syndrome (CS) at the right time and with the right method is getting more important for the patients and clinicians due to high mortality rate. The most appropriate laboratory test will provide great benefits in terms of cost-effectiveness in the well-chosen group of patients. Selection of the high risk group is of crucial importance for the true diagnosis and treatment on time. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the worth of the midnight salivary cortisol and to establish other effective factors in the graduation of clinical suspect of CS. Material and Methods: 115 patients were evaluated in weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist/hip ratio, systolic, diastolic blood pressures, hirsutism, weight gain, purple-stria, plethore, buffalo-hump, supraclavicular fullness, temporal fat cushion, acnea, moonface, proximal muscle weakness, lower limb edema, ecchymosis, loss of libido, depression, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, allopecia of all patients were noted in the evaluation forms (23 findings). Patients were grouped according to clinical scores, low (16). Results: When we compare the groups in terms of midnight salivary cortisol, morning salivary cortisol after overnight dexamethasone suppression test, we found statistically significant relationship between the low and high clinical score groups, as well as between medium and high score groups (p: 0.0001). Urinary free cortisol was statistically significant only between low and high clinical score groups (p: 0.0001). Conclusion: This clinical scoring system which includes clinical signs and laboratory findings both, can be used for selection of the high risk group.展开更多
Q-methodology was introduced more than 80 years ago to study subjective topics such as attitudes, perceptions, preferences, and feelings and there has not been much change in its statistical components since then. In ...Q-methodology was introduced more than 80 years ago to study subjective topics such as attitudes, perceptions, preferences, and feelings and there has not been much change in its statistical components since then. In Q-methodology, subjective topics are studied using a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques. It involves development of a sample of statements and rank-ordering these statements by study participants using a grid known as Q-sort table. After completion of Q-sort tables by the participants, a by-person factor analysis (i.e., the factor analysis is performed on persons, not variables or traits) is used to analyze the data. Therefore, each factor represents a group of individuals with similar views, feelings, or preferences about the topic of the study. Then, each group (factor) is usually described by a set of statements, called distinguishing statements, or statements with high or low factor scores. In this article, we review one important statistical issue, i.e. the criteria for identifying distinguishing statements and provide a review of its mathematical calculation and statistical background. We show that the current approach for identifying distinguishing statements has no sound basis, which may result in erroneous findings and seems to be appropriate only when there are repeated evaluations of Q-sample from the same subjects. However, most Q-studies include independent subjects with no repeated evaluation. Finally, a new approach is suggested for identifying distinguishing statements based on Cohen’s effect size. We demonstrate the application of this new formula by applying the current and the suggested methods on a Q-dataset and explain the differences.展开更多
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Members of the Committee, First of all, I would like to extend, on behalf of the Chinese delegation, our greetings and respects to all the distinguished members of the Committee. The Commit...Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Members of the Committee, First of all, I would like to extend, on behalf of the Chinese delegation, our greetings and respects to all the distinguished members of the Committee. The Committee has made enormous efforts and played an important role in promoting the purposes and principles of the Convention and reinforcing the global efforts to ban and prevent torture. The Chinese Government appreciates your endeavor and will continue to support the work of the Committee.展开更多
The variational statement of synthesis problem is generalized in order to account the additional requirements to the synthesized radiation pattern (RP) and field distribution in the specified points of near zone. For ...The variational statement of synthesis problem is generalized in order to account the additional requirements to the synthesized radiation pattern (RP) and field distribution in the specified points of near zone. For this aim, the minimizing functional is supplemented by term providing the possibility to minimize the values of field in these points;creating the deep zeros in the RP for the certain angular coordinates is realized too. The approach foresees reduction of an explicit formula for field values in a near zone. The results of computational modeling testify the possibility to create zeros in the given RP and to minimize the values of field in a near zone of plane arrays in a great extent.展开更多
文摘Background: Diagnosis of Cushing’s Syndrome (CS) at the right time and with the right method is getting more important for the patients and clinicians due to high mortality rate. The most appropriate laboratory test will provide great benefits in terms of cost-effectiveness in the well-chosen group of patients. Selection of the high risk group is of crucial importance for the true diagnosis and treatment on time. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the worth of the midnight salivary cortisol and to establish other effective factors in the graduation of clinical suspect of CS. Material and Methods: 115 patients were evaluated in weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist/hip ratio, systolic, diastolic blood pressures, hirsutism, weight gain, purple-stria, plethore, buffalo-hump, supraclavicular fullness, temporal fat cushion, acnea, moonface, proximal muscle weakness, lower limb edema, ecchymosis, loss of libido, depression, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, allopecia of all patients were noted in the evaluation forms (23 findings). Patients were grouped according to clinical scores, low (16). Results: When we compare the groups in terms of midnight salivary cortisol, morning salivary cortisol after overnight dexamethasone suppression test, we found statistically significant relationship between the low and high clinical score groups, as well as between medium and high score groups (p: 0.0001). Urinary free cortisol was statistically significant only between low and high clinical score groups (p: 0.0001). Conclusion: This clinical scoring system which includes clinical signs and laboratory findings both, can be used for selection of the high risk group.
文摘Q-methodology was introduced more than 80 years ago to study subjective topics such as attitudes, perceptions, preferences, and feelings and there has not been much change in its statistical components since then. In Q-methodology, subjective topics are studied using a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques. It involves development of a sample of statements and rank-ordering these statements by study participants using a grid known as Q-sort table. After completion of Q-sort tables by the participants, a by-person factor analysis (i.e., the factor analysis is performed on persons, not variables or traits) is used to analyze the data. Therefore, each factor represents a group of individuals with similar views, feelings, or preferences about the topic of the study. Then, each group (factor) is usually described by a set of statements, called distinguishing statements, or statements with high or low factor scores. In this article, we review one important statistical issue, i.e. the criteria for identifying distinguishing statements and provide a review of its mathematical calculation and statistical background. We show that the current approach for identifying distinguishing statements has no sound basis, which may result in erroneous findings and seems to be appropriate only when there are repeated evaluations of Q-sample from the same subjects. However, most Q-studies include independent subjects with no repeated evaluation. Finally, a new approach is suggested for identifying distinguishing statements based on Cohen’s effect size. We demonstrate the application of this new formula by applying the current and the suggested methods on a Q-dataset and explain the differences.
文摘Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Members of the Committee, First of all, I would like to extend, on behalf of the Chinese delegation, our greetings and respects to all the distinguished members of the Committee. The Committee has made enormous efforts and played an important role in promoting the purposes and principles of the Convention and reinforcing the global efforts to ban and prevent torture. The Chinese Government appreciates your endeavor and will continue to support the work of the Committee.
文摘The variational statement of synthesis problem is generalized in order to account the additional requirements to the synthesized radiation pattern (RP) and field distribution in the specified points of near zone. For this aim, the minimizing functional is supplemented by term providing the possibility to minimize the values of field in these points;creating the deep zeros in the RP for the certain angular coordinates is realized too. The approach foresees reduction of an explicit formula for field values in a near zone. The results of computational modeling testify the possibility to create zeros in the given RP and to minimize the values of field in a near zone of plane arrays in a great extent.