On the Relationship Between Carcinogenicity and Acute Toxicity

Parodi et al. ⁽¹⁾ and Zeise et al. ⁽²⁾ found a surprising statistical correlation (or association) between acute toxicity and carcinogenic potency. In order to shed light on the questions of whether or not it is a causal correlation, and whether or not it is a statistical or tautological artifact, we have compared the correlations for the NCI/NTP data set with those for chemicals not in this set. Carcinogenic potencies were taken from the Gold et al. database. We find a weak correlation with an average value of TD₅₀/LD₅₀= 0.04 for the non-NCI data set, compared with TD₅₀/LD₅₀= 0.15 for the NCI data set. We conclude that it is not easy to distinguish types of carcinogens on the basis of whether or not they are acutely toxic.     

Measurement errors in survey questions: Explaining response variability

In this paper, the response variability in questions from the Swedish Survey of Living Conditions, is studied. A multivariate study of the variation over questions has been done. This study uses questions as statistical units. The questions have been classified in a number of respects, dealing with question character and structure, what the questions ask about and what they require from the interviewee. The study shows that a substantial part of the response variability, i.e., the variation in reliability, can be explained by a few characteristics of the questions.     

Subjective health,intimacy, and perceived self-efficacy after heart attack: Predicting life quality five years afterwards

Social Indicators Research - In a national sample of some 400 cardiac patients and their wives, changes in quality of life were investigated during an extended period of physical and psychosocial...     

Therapy with male pathological gamblers: Between self help group and group therapy—Report of a developmental process

A therapy project was developed for pathological gambling patients and, within a three year period, more than 60 gamblers were studied and treated. Diagnostic evaluation was made according to DSM-III. In addition to individual and family therapy, we designed a voluntary group setting. In this report, we concentrate first on the development of group work, then on some psychodynamic hypotheses about the personality of the gambler. We also try to show the correspondence between these hypotheses and the group process. Pathological gambling is seen as an attempt at self-healing and a strategy of conflict-solving; the slot machine, as an inanimate object, offers a temporary symbiosis with clear limitations; the gambling will come to a guaranteed end, either when all of the money is lost, or when gaming ends at night. Finally, we list some recommendations for the treatment of gamblers in group therapy.This research was supported by the Ärztliche Psychologische Beratungsstelle für Studierende der Universität Göttingen, Chairman: Prof. E. Sperling, M.D.Since one author (J.H.) worked alone in the first period of the project, passages referring to this period are written in the first person singular.This article is an extension of the special issue on Gambling in Europe edited by Iver Hand, M.D.     

Strikes and the real wage-employment nexus: A hicksian analysis of industrial disputes and pay

This paper advances and analyzes a simple model of industrial conflict and pay dynamics. In addition to its account of these endogenous variables, the model exhibits a potential to account for stagflationary episodes of the type experienced by large parts of the world economy in the 1970s. The analysis also contributes to a central but still unsettled question in business cycle theory (and empirics): namely, whether real-wage movements respond systematically to fluctuations in employment and output. With some success the model is applied to the West German economy. Institut für Sozialwissenschaften, University of Basel. I should like to thank Peter Bernholz for comments on an earlier draft of this paper. Financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is gratefully acknowledged. More recent contributions to this discussion are Scarth and Myatt (1980) and McDonald and Solow (1981).     

Investigation of age–treatment interaction in the SPACE trial using different statistical approaches

Selection of treatments to fit the specific needs for a certain patient is one major challenge in modern medicine. Personalized treatments rely on established patient–treatment interactions. In recent years, various statistical methods for the identification and estimation of interactions between relevant covariates and treatment were proposed. In this article, different available methods for detection and estimation of a covariate–treatment interaction for a time-to-event outcome, namely the standard Cox regression model assuming a linear interaction, the fractional polynomials approach for interaction, the modified outcome approach, the local partial-likelihood approach, and STEPP (Subpopulation Treatment Effect Pattern Plots) were applied to data from the SPACE trial, a randomized clinical trial comparing stent-protected angioplasty (CAS) to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients with symptomatic stenosis, with the aim to analyse the interaction between age and treatment. Time from primary intervention to the first relevant event (any stroke or death) was considered as outcome parameter. The analyses suggest a qualitative interaction between patient age and treatment indicating a lower risk after treatment with CAS compared to CEA for younger patients, while for elderly patients a lower risk after CEA was observed. Differences in the statistical methods regarding the observed results, applicability, and interpretation are discussed.     

A trajectory analysis of body mass index for Finnish children

The aim of this study is to investigate the early development of body mass index (BMI), a standard tool for assessing the body shape and average level of adiposity for children and adults. The main aim of the study is to identify the primary trajectories of BMI development and to investigate the changes of certain growth characteristics over time. Based on our longitudinal data of 4223 Finnish children, we took anthropometric measurements from birth up to 15 years of age for birth years 1974, 1981, 1991 and 1995, but only up to 11 years of age for the birth year 2001. As a statistical method, we utilized trajectory analysis with the methods of nonparametric regression. We identified four main trajectories of BMI growth. Two of these trajectories do not seem to follow the normal growth pattern. The highest growth track appears to yield to a track that may yield to overweight and the low birth BMI track shows that the girls’ track differs that of boys on the same track, and on the normal tracks. The so-called adiposity rebound time decreased over time and started earlier for those on the overweight track. According to our study, this kind of acceleration of growth might be more of a general phenomenon that also relates to the other phases of BMI development. The major change seems to occur especially for those children on high growth tracks.