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The purpose of the study was to determine what factors affect success in passing the General Education Development (GED) exam. Using data gathered between 1960 and 1972 from 200 successful GED students at the Mattoon Area Adult Education Center, Ill., the authors developed frequency distribution charts to characterize the students and scattergrams to reveal correlations among: age, hours spent in GED classes, GED scores, arithmetic computation, Stanford Arithmetic Reasoning scores, and language usage. The population was primarily midwestern, rural, and white and was classified as public aid recipient or non-public aid trainee. Findings indicated that age is not relevant to GED success, and there were high correlations between language usage and reading, reading and arithmetic reasoning, and reading and arithmetic computation. (MDW)

Background & Aims: It is important to identify patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE), the precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Patients with BE usually are identified by endoscopy, which is expensive. The Cytosponge, which collects tissue from the esophagus noninvasively, could be a cost-effective tool for screening individuals with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who are at increased risk for BE. We developed a model to analyze the cost effectiveness of using the Cytosponge in first-line screening of patients with GERD for BE with endoscopic confirmation, compared with endoscopy screening only. Methods: We incorporated data from a large clinical trial of Cytosponge performance into 2 validated microsimulation models of EAC progression (the esophageal adenocarcinoma model from Massachusetts General Hospital and the microsimulation screening analysis model from Erasmus University Medical Center). The models were calibrated for US Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results data on EAC incidence and mortality. In each model, we simulated the effect of a 1-time screen for BE in male patients with GERD, 60 years of age, using endoscopy alone or Cytosponge collection of tissue, and analysis for the level of trefoil factor 3 with endoscopic confirmation of positive results. For each strategy we recorded the number of cases of EAC that developed, the number of EAC cases detected with screening by Cytosponge only or by subsequent targeted surveillance, and the number of endoscopies needed. In addition, we recorded the cumulative costs (including indirect costs) incurred and quality-adjusted years of life lived within each strategy, discounted at a rate of 3% per year, and computed incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) among the 3 strategies. Results: According to the models, screening patients with GERD by Cytosponge with follow-up confirmation of positive results by endoscopy would reduce the cost of screening by 27% to 29% compared with screening b

1 december 2010, Item does not contain fulltext

01 december 2010, Item does not contain fulltext, Breast density and the use of hormone therapy (HT) for menopausal symptoms alter the risk of breast cancer and both factors influence screening mammography performance. The International Cancer Screening Network (ICSN) surveyed its 29 member countries and found that few programs record breast density or the use of HT among screening participants. This may affect the ability of programs to assess their effectiveness in reducing breast cancer mortality. Seven countries recorded the use of HT at screening, and some were able to link screening records to individual prescribing records of HT. Eight countries reported recording breast density at screening mammography for some or all women screened. The recommendations of the ICSN for recording information about breast density and HT are presented.