Goodness of fit tests for random multigraph models

Goodness of fit tests for two probabilistic multigraph models are presented. The first model is random stub matching given fixed degrees (RSM) so that edge assignments to vertex pair sites are dependent, and the second is independent edge assignments (IEA) according to a common probability distribution. Tests are performed using goodness of fit measures between the edge multiplicity sequence of an observed multigraph, and the expected one according to a simple or composite hypothesis. Test statistics of Pearson type and of likelihood ratio type are used, and the expected values of the Pearson statistic under the different models are derived. Test performances based on simulations indicate that even for small number of edges, the null distributions of both statistics are well approximated by their asymptotic χ2-distribution. The non-null distributions of the test statistics can be well approximated by proposed adjusted χ2-distributions used for power approximations. The influence of RSM on both test statistics is substantial for small number of edges and implies a shift of their distributions towards smaller values compared to what holds true for the null distributions under IEA. Two applications on social networks are included to illustrate how the tests can guide in the analysis of social structure

An Exploration of the Relationships between Chronic Pain, Inflammation, and Herbal Medicine

Introduction: Inflammation is often a component of chronic pain, yet its potential role in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) remains inconclusive. FMS is a complex chronic pain condition affecting ~2% of the population; management is challenging and treatment options remain limited. Many herbs contain anti-inflammatory properties, and herbs indicated for analgesia and rheumatic conditions have traditionally been used in Appalachia. Despite the popularity of herbs in the US, determinants and patterns of herbal use with regard to pain management have not been well studied, particularly in Appalachia, where prevalence of chronic pain and related comorbid conditions is high and access to medical care is often reduced. In this series of three studies, we investigate the: 1) relation of FMS to serum C-reactive protein (CRP) in a large Appalachian population; 2) demographic, lifestyle, and health-related correlates of herbs and other complementary health approaches (CHAs) used for pain in a sample of Appalachian chronic pain patients, using a newly developed survey instrument; and, 3) the relation of herbal supplement use to FMS in two nationally representative samples of U.S. adults (NHIS 2007 and 2012), as well as trends in patterns of herbal use over time.;Methods: All participants completed comprehensive health surveys in these three cross-sectional studies. To investigate the relation between diagnosed FMS and serum levels of the proinflammatory marker CRP (Study 1), we used data on 52,535 adult Ohio Valley residents (FMS =1,125), collected in 2005-2006 as part of the C8 Health Project. Medical history, including physician diagnosis of FMS, was ascertained via self-report. To determine the correlates and patterns of herbal and other CHAs used specifically for pain in an Appalachian chronic pain population (Study 2), we collected data on 301 patients from four WV pain and rheumatology clinics using our newly developed survey instrument, the Complementary Health Approaches for Pain Survey (CHAPS) (2014-2016); correlates relating specifically to pain were measured using the Short-Form Global Pain Scale (SF-GPS). To assess the relation of diagnosed FMS to herbal supplement use (at 30 days, past 12 months, and ever) and to examine potential changes in the patterns of use over time (Study 3), we used data from the 2007 and 2012 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) (N = 20127 and N = 30672 adults, respectively). Logistic and linear regression (complete-case analysis) were used to examine associations and to evaluate the potential modifying influence of gender and number of health conditions; multivariate models were adjusted for an array of demographic, lifestyle, and health factors. To account for missing data (Study 2), we also conducted additional sensitivity analyses using multiple imputation.;Results: Study 1. In this large Appalachian population, mean serum CRP was significantly higher among participants reporting a diagnosis of FMS than those without FMS (5.54+/- 9.8 vs.3.75+/-7.2 mg/L, p\u3c0.0001)). CRP serum level showed a strong, positive association with FMS (unadjusted OR for highest vs. lowest quartile=2.5 (CI 2.1,3.0; P for trend(p\u3c0.0001); adjustment for demographics and lifestyle factors attenuated but did not eliminate this association (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for highest vs. lowest quartile = 1.4, (CI 1.1, 1.6). The addition of body mass index (BMI) and comorbidities to the model further weakened the relationship between CRP and FMS (AORs, respectively, for highest vs lowest CRP quartile=1.2 (CI 1.0,1.4) and 1.1 (CI 0.9, 1.3), suggesting that these factors may partially explain the observed associations. Study 2: In our sample of 301 WV chronic pain patients, 8% reported using herbs and 58.8% reported using other CHAs, including mind-body practices (28.9%),; acupuncture, manipulative treatments, massage, and/or movement therapies (28.1%), and non-herbal dietary supplements (53.6%). Herbal use in this sample was marginally, inversely associated with age (OR adjusted for education=0.97 (CI 0.94,1.01) and positively associated with education (OR adjusted for age=4.94 (CI 1.6,15.3); Herbal use also showed strong positive associations with use of other CHAs ( (AOR=11.5 (CI 1.5,87.9); specific CHA AORs ranging from 2.4 to 10.3). Use of other CHAs was marginally, inversely associated with age (OR adjusted for education/exercise=0.98 (CI 0.96,1.0), and significantly and positively associated with education and physical activity (AOR\u27s for Bachelor\u27s+ vs

The development of electrochemical biosensors for cholesterol

Coronary vascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death worldwide. According to a WHO report and global and regional projections of mortality and burden of disease, by 2030, the number of people dying from heart disease and stroke will increase to reach 23.3 million. Non-HDL cholesterol, determined by subtracting the high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration from the total cholesterol (TC) content, has been recommended as a target for preliminary CVD prevention. In recent times, single-step homogeneous assays have been developed which allow simple and selective measurement of cholesterol fractions. Electrochemical sensors have also been developed which are based on the electrocatalysis of hydrogen peroxide using low cost printed sensor methodologies and such platforms would have the potential to be used as the basis of fabricating cholesterol biosensors for point of care use.Here, the development of electrochemical biosensors for the selective measurement of HDL-C, TC, and by subtraction non-HDL-C was explored. A spectrophotometric assay for use at room temperature and with minimal sample dilution was first established in order to optimise the assay reagent components for the development of selective cholesterol assays. Assay chemistries based on polyoxyethylene tribenzylphenyl ethers (Emulgen B-66) and Triton X-100 for the selective measurement of HDL-C and TC, respectively, were developed. The impact of these reagents on the electrocatalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide at silver paste screen printed electrodes was also evaluated and optimised.Electrochemical biosensors for HDL-C and TC using externally added assay reagents were developed by combining the homogeneous assay methodologies with the printed electrocatalytic electrodes. The effects of assay reagents such as surfactants, enzymes, HDL-C sample and delipidated serum on the electrode behaviour were assessed amperometrically in the presence of hydrogen peroxide solutions. The electrodes showed increases in their catalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide in the presence of both selective and non-selective surfactant and decreases in the presence of cholesterol oxidase and HDL-C samples. Despite the negative effects of cholesterol oxidase and sample matrix on electrode behaviour, the electrode response was linear within the clinically relevant ranges of HDL-C and TC. The modified electrodes were evaluated for their ability to selectively measure HDL-C and TC in clinical serum samples. The resulting HDL-C biosensor yielded a sensitivity of 3.32×10-8 A/mM with a linear range of 0 to 4 mM (r2=0.999), LOD of 0.5 mM and average RSD of 9.5% (n=5) while the TC biosensor had a sensitivity of 2.24×10-8 A/mM and a linear range of 0 to 10 mM r2=0.984), LOD of 2 mM and average RSD of 10.8% (n=3). The correlation between the HDL-C sensor and a commercial laboratory assay in clinical serum samples had a slope of 0.87 and a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.76 (n=13) while the correlation for TC measurement had a slope of 1.07 and a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.87.Finally, in order to develop a disposable biosensor suitable for point of care testing, integrated biosensors for HDL-C and TC were fabricated by inkjet-print deposition of assay reagents on the electrode surface. Integrated biosensors for the measurement of HDL-C were optimised and yielded a sensitivity of 4.55×10-8 A/mM with a linear range of 0 to 4 mM (r2=0.993) with an LOD of 0.25 mM and average RSD of 6.6% (n=3). The integrated TC biosensor had a sensitivity of 9.38×10-9 A/mM and linear range of 0 to 9 mM (r2=0.982), LOD of 0.5 mM and average RSD of 9.5% (n=3)

Random multigraphs and aggregated triads with fixed degrees

AbstractRandom multigraphs with fixed degrees are obtained by the configuration model or by so called random stub matching. New combinatorial results are given for the global probability distribution of edge multiplicities and its marginal local distributions of loops and edges. The number of multigraphs on triads is determined for arbitrary degrees, and aggregated triads are shown to be useful for analyzing regular and almost regular multigraphs. Relationships between entropy and complexity are given and numerically illustrated for multigraphs with different number of vertices and specified average and variance for the degrees.</jats:p

Nonvitamin, Nonmineral Dietary Supplement Use among Adults with Fibromyalgia: United States, 2007–2012

Background. Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a pain condition affecting 2–6% of US adults; effective treatment remains limited. Determinants of nonvitamin, nonmineral dietary supplement (NVNM) use among adults with FMS are not well-studied. We investigated the relation of NVNM use to FMS, and trends, in two nationally representative samples of US adults ≥18 years. Methods. Data were drawn from 2007 and 2012 National Health Interview Surveys (’s = 20127 and 30672, resp.). Logistic regression was used to examine associations of FMS to NVNM use (past 12 months) and evaluate potential modifying influences of gender and comorbidities. Multivariate models adjusted for sampling design, demographic, lifestyle, and health-related factors. Results. FMS was significantly higher in 2012 than in 2007 (1.7% versus 1.3%), whereas NVNM use decreased (57% versus 41%; ). Adults reporting diagnosis were more likely to use NVNMs within 12 months, 30 days, or ever relative to adults without; positive associations remained significant after controlling for demographics, lifestyle characteristics, medical history, and other confounders (ranges: 2007 and 2012 AORs = 2.3–2.7; 1.5–1.6, resp.; ’s \u3c 0.0001).Conclusion. In this cross-sectional study of two national samples, NVNM use was strongly and positively associated with FMS, highlighting the need for further study

Self-Care Level in Diabetic Patients

Objective The present study was done with the objective of assessing the self-care practices among diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in hospital of Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 314 Iranian patients older than 18 years of age with type 2 diabetes were completed Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire. Data was analyzed by ANOVA, t-test, correlation and liner regression. Results A significant association was found between the diabetes self-management sum scale and body mass index, Dietary control subscale and body mass index, Physical activity subscale and body mass index &amp; job and Healthcare use subscale and diabetes treatment (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion Due to the high BMI in respondents, Overweight and obese respondents need to be advised by health professionals on physical activities and proper diet to achieve healthy weights to avoid complications related to diabetes mellitus. Keywords Diabetes self-management, Type 2 diabetes, Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire DOI: 10.7176/JMPB/63-02 Publication date: January 31st 202

Children’s Health and Maternal Work Activities

I estimate the effect of poor child health on maternal labor force participation. Mothers of health-impaired children may decide not to work and stay at home to take care of their children. Alternatively, mothers may choose to enter the labor force to pay for these children’s additional resources. Which action dominates is the empirical question I answer in this paper. I control for the potential endogeneity of a child’s health status by using an instrumental variables approach. I find that if mothers have a child in poor health, the probability that the mother works is decreased by thirteen percentage points, and the work hours of employed mothers are reduced by approximately nine percent

Multiplexity analysis of networks using multigraph representations

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2021-08-30, registration 2021-09-02, pub-electronic 2021-09-30, online 2021-09-30, pub-print 2021-12Publication status: PublishedAbstract: Multivariate networks comprising several compositional and structural variables can be represented as multigraphs by various forms of aggregations based on vertex attributes. We propose a framework to perform exploratory and confirmatory multiplexity analysis of aggregated multigraphs in order to find relevant associations between vertex and edge attributes. The exploration is performed by comparing frequencies of the different edges within and between aggregated vertex categories, while the confirmatory analysis is performed using derived complexity or multiplexity statistics under different random multigraph models. These statistics are defined by the distribution of edge multiplicities and provide information on the covariation and dependencies of different edges given vertex attributes. The presented approach highlights the need to further analyse and model structural dependencies with respect to edge entrainment. We illustrate the approach by applying it on a well known multivariate network dataset which has previously been analysed in the context of multiplexity

Potential Mediators between Fibromyalgia and C-Reactive protein: Results from a Large U.S. Community Survey.

Background: Fibromyalgia, a potentially debilitating chronic pain syndrome of unknown etiology, may be characterized by inflammation. In this study, we investigated the relation of FMS to serum C-reactive protein (CRP) in a large population of adults (18+) and investigated the influence of other factors on this relationship, including BMI, comorbidities, as well as mood and sleep disturbance. Methods: Participants were 52,535 Ohio Valley residents (Fibromyalgia n = 1125). All participants completed a comprehensive health survey (2005–2006) part of the C8 Health Project; serum levels of CRP were obtained, as was history of Fibromyalgia physician diagnosis. Logistic and linear regressions were used for this cross-sectional analysis. Results: Mean CRP was higher among participants reporting Fibromyalgia than those without (5.54 ± 9.8 vs.3.75 ± 7. 2 mg/L, p \u3c .0001)). CRP level showed a strong, positive association with FMS (unadjusted odds ratio (OR) for highest vs. lowest quartile = 2.5 (CI 2.1,3.0;p for trend \u3c .0001)); adjustment for demographic and lifestyle factors attenuated but did not eliminate this association (AOR for highest vs. lowest quartile = 1.4 (CI 1.1,1.6;p for trend \u3c .0001)). Further addition of body mass index (BMI) and comorbidities to the model markedly weakened this relationship (AORs, respectively, for highest vs lowest CRP quartile = 1.2 (CI 1.0,1.4) and 1.1 (CI 0.9,1.3). In contrast, inclusion of mood and sleep impairment only modestly reduced the adjusted risk estimate (AORs for highest vs. lowest quartile = 1.3 (CI 1.1,1.5) for each)). Conclusions: Findings from this large cross-sectional study indicate a significant positive cross-sectional association of Fibromyalgia to serum C-reactive protein may be explained, in part, by BMI and comorbidity. Prospective research is needed to confirm this, and clarify the potential mediating influence of obesity and comorbid conditions on this relationship

On saturation effect for linear shape-preserving approximation in Sobolev spaces

Objectives Little is known about patterns and correlates of Complementary Health Approaches (CHAs) in chronic pain populations, particularly in rural, underserved communities. This article details the development and implementation of a new survey instrument designed to address this gap, the Complementary Health Approaches for Pain Survey (CHAPS). Design Following pilot-testing using pre-specified criteria to assess quality and comprehension in our target population, and after feedback regarding face-validity from content experts and stakeholders, the final cross-sectional self-report survey required 10–12 minutes to complete. It contained 69 demographic, lifestyle and health-related factors, and utilized a Transtheoretical Model (TTM) underpinning to assess short- and long-term use of 12 CHAs for pain management. Twenty additional items on pain severity, feelings, clinical outcomes, and activities were assessed using the Short-Form Global Pain Scale (SF-GPS); Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Settings/location Investigators conducted consecutive sampling in four West Virginia pain management and rheumatology practices. Participants 301 Appalachian adult patients seeking conventional care for pain management. Results Response rates were high (88% ± 4.1%). High quality and comprehension deemed the CHAPS an appropriate measurement tool in a rural population with pain. Missing data were unrelated to patient characteristics. Participants predominantly experienced chronic pain (93%), had five or more health conditions (56%, Mean = 5.4±3.1), were white (92%), female (57%), and middle-aged (Mean = 55.6 (SD = 13.6) years). Over 40% were disabled (43%) and/or obese (44%, Mean BMI = 33.4±31.5). Additionally, 44% used opioids, 31% used other prescription medications, and 66% used at least one CHA for pain, with 48% using CHAs for greater than 6 months. There was high internal reliability of the SF-GPS (alpha = .93) and satisfactory internal reliability for each of the five TTM stages across (all) twelve CHAs: precontemplation (0.89), contemplation (0.72), preparation (0.75), action (0.70), and maintenance (0.70). Conclusions The CHAPS is the first comprehensive measurement tool to assess CHA use specifically for pain management. Ease of administration in a population with pain support further use in population- and clinic-based studies in similar populations