Diagnostic Accuracy of the Rome IV Criteria for the Diagnosis of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children.

ABSTRACT: The diagnosis of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) centers on symptoms-based criteria (Rome criteria). The last edition of the criteria was published in 2016. Still, few data on its validity support its use in children. We conducted a study aimed at determining the diagnostic accuracy of the Rome IV criteria through the application of questionnaires (Questionnaire of Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome IV QPGS-IV) to diagnose FGIDs in children. We hypothesized that the Rome IV criteria has adequate diagnostic accuracy supporting its use for diagnosing FGIDs in children. METHODS: School children ages 10 to 18 years from Cali (Colombia) completed the Spanish version of the QPGS-IV. Children with FGIDs were matched with a group of children without FGIDs. Both groups had a medical consultation with a blinded experienced pediatric gastroenterologist (criterion standard) who provided his diagnosis. The questionnaire-based diagnoses were compared with the consultation's diagnoses. RESULTS: Of 487 schoolchildren surveyed with the QPGS-IV, 97 (20.8%) had FGIDs. Eighty-nine with FGIDs were matched with 92 children without FGIDs (mean age 13.1 years [±1.3]). We found a higher prevalence of FGIDs during the medical visit than using the self-report QPGS-IV (66.3% vs 49.2%, P = 0.001), mainly in abdominal pain disorders (19.3% vs 10.5%, P = 0.013). The Rome IV diagnostic criteria using the QPGS-IV had a sensitivity of 75% (95% confidence interval, 59-79) and 90% specificity (95% confidence interval, 83-98). Positive predictive value is 85.8%, and negative predictive value is 79.9%. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that the QPGS-IV has adequate diagnostic accuracy.

[Application of alternative parametric models for the survival analysis of cancer patients]. / Aplicación de modelos paramétricos alternativos para el análisis de supervivencia de pacientes con cáncer.

This article describes a methodology that allows an approach to alternative right-censored probabilistic models for the analysis of survival, different to those usually studied (exponential, gamma, Weibull, and log-normal distribution) since it is possible that the data do not always fit with sufficient precision due to existing distributions. The methodology used allows for greater flexibility when modeling extreme observations, generally located in the right tail of data distribution, which admits that some events still have the probability of occurring, which is not the case with traditional models and the Kaplan-Meier estimator, which estimates for the longest times, survival probabilities approximately equal to zero. To show the usefulness of the methodological proposal, we considered an application with real data that relates survival times of patients with colon cancer (CC).

En el presente artículo se describe una metodología que permite tener un acercamiento a modelos probabilísticos alternativos para el análisis de supervivencia, con censura por la derecha, distintos a los que usualmente se estudian (distribución: exponencial, gamma, Weibull y log-normal), ya que es posible que los datos no se ajusten siempre con suficiente precisión por las distribuciones existentes. La metodología utilizada permite mayor flexibilidad de modelar observaciones extremas, ubicadas generalmente en la cola derecha de la distribución de los datos, lo cual admite que algunos eventos aún tengan la probabilidad de ocurrir, lo que no sucede con los modelos tradicionales y el estimador de Kaplan-Meier, el cual estima para los tiempos más prolongados, probabilidades de supervivencia aproximadamente iguales a cero. Para mostrar la utilidad de la propuesta metodológica, se consideró una aplicación con datos reales que relaciona tiempos de supervivencia de pacientes con cáncer de colon.

Aplicación de modelos paramétricos alternativos para el análisis de supervivencia de pacientes con cáncer / Application of alternative parametric models for the survival analysis of cancer patients

RESUMEN En el presente artículo se describe una metodología que permite tener un acercamiento a modelos probabilísticos alternativos para el análisis de supervivencia, con censura por la derecha, distintos a los que usualmente se estudian (distribución: exponencial, gamma, Weibull y log-normal), ya que es posible que los datos no se ajusten siempre con suficiente precisión por las distribuciones existentes. La metodología utilizada permite mayor flexibilidad de modelar observaciones extremas, ubicadas generalmente en la cola derecha de la distribución de los datos, lo cual admite que algunos eventos aún tengan la probabilidad de ocurrir, lo que no sucede con los modelos tradicionales y el estimador de Kaplan-Meier, el cual estima para los tiempos más prolongados, probabilidades de supervivencia aproximadamente iguales a cero. Para mostrar la utilidad de la propuesta metodológica, se consideró una aplicación con datos reales que relaciona tiempos de supervivencia de pacientes con cáncer de colon.

ABSTRACT This article describes a methodology that allows an approach to alternative right-censored probabilistic models for the analysis of survival, different to those usually studied (exponential, gamma, Weibull, and log-normal distribution) since it is possible that the data do not always fit with sufficient precision due to existing distributions. The methodology used allows for greater flexibility when modeling extreme observations, generally located in the right tail of data distribution, which admits that some events still have the probability of occurring, which is not the case with traditional models and the Kaplan-Meier estimator, which estimates for the longest times, survival probabilities approximately equal to zero. To show the usefulness of the methodological proposal, we considered an application with real data that relates survival times of patients with colon cancer (CC).

The Game and Creative Cognition. A Proposal of Intervention / El juego y la cognición creativa: una propuesta de intervención

This paper is aimed at investigating the effects of the intervention through coupled variant games on the creative skills of a group of children. Coupled variant games refers to a group of games ed that meet the characteristic of being preferred by a group of children and, in addition, they were amended by the coupling of a variant designed for the purpose of promoting creative abilities. We worked with a group of children between the ages of 8 and 10 who were divided into two groups: experimental group and control group. Initially both groups participated in a pretest of creativity; then an intervention with coupled variant games was held for eight weeks with the experimental group. At the end of the process, both groups were evaluated with the same measures of creativity. The results that children who participated in the intervention increased their performance in tasks that the use of creative skills

El presente estudio tiene como propósito investigar los efectos de la intervención mediante juegos con variante acoplada en las habilidades creativas de un grupo de niños. Los juegos con variante acoplada se refieren a un grupo de juegos que se caracterizan por ser preferidos por los niños y que además han sido modificados para que desde sus demandas cognitivas promuevan las habilidades creativas. Se trabajó con un grupo de niños con edades entre 8 y 10 años, quienes fueron divididos en dos grupos: uno experimental y otro de control. Inicialmente, ambos grupos participaron en un pretest de creatividad para establecer una línea de base; posteriormente, se realizó una intervención con juegos con variante acoplada durante ocho semanas con el grupo experimental. Al finalizar el proceso, ambos grupos fueron evaluados con las mismas medidas de creatividad. Los resultados de esta investigación muestran que los niños que participaron del proceso de intervención con juegos con variante acoplada incrementaron significativamente su desempeño en tareas que requieren el uso de habilidades creativas