title: Posterior sloping angle as a predictor of contralateral slip in slipped capital femoral epiphysis

authors: Phillips, Paul M.

subjects: Polynesian

abstract: Background: Slipped capital femoral epiphysis is a condition with potentially severe complications. Controversy remains as to when to undertake prophylactic pinning. We aimed to assess the utility of the posterior sloping angle as a predictor for contralateral slip in a large, multi-ethnic cohort including Polynesian children with a high incidence of slipped capital femoral epiphysis.
Methods: All patients presenting to our hospital between 2000 and 2009 were identified and records were reviewed to determine demographic data and determine whether they subsequently developed a contralateral slip. The presenting radiographs were reviewed and the posterior sloping angle was measured. Patients with bilateral slips at presentation and those without initial radiographs were excluded.
Results: Records and radiographs of 132 patients were analyzed for the posterior sloping angle in the unaffected hip. Forty-two patients who had subsequently developed a contralateral slip had a mean posterior sloping angle (and standard deviation) of 17.2 degrees +/- 5.6 degrees, which was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that of 10.8 degrees +/- 4.2 degrees for the ninety patients who had had a unilateral slip. Children who had developed a subsequent contralateral slip were significantly younger (11.1 years) than those who had developed a unilateral slip (12.2 years) (p < 0.001). If a posterior sloping angle of 14 degrees were used as an indication for prophylactic fixation in this population, thirty-five (83.3%) of forty-two contralateral slips would have been prevented, and nineteen (21.1%) of ninety hips would have been pinned unnecessarily. The number needed to treat to prevent one subsequent contralateral slip is 1.79.
Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date that confirms that the posterior sloping angle is a reliable predictor of contralateral slip and can be used to guide prophylactic pinning. The posterior sloping angle is applicable in the high-risk Polynesian population and could be useful in preventing future slips in populations that are difficult to follow up.

text: Posterior sloping angle as a predictor of contralateral slip in slipped capital femoral epiphysis Background: Slipped capital femoral epiphysis is a condition with potentially severe complications. Controversy remains as to when to undertake prophylactic pinning. We aimed to assess the utility of the posterior sloping angle as a predictor for contralateral slip in a large, multi-ethnic cohort including Polynesian children with a high incidence of slipped capital femoral epiphysis.
Methods: All patients presenting to our hospital between 2000 and 2009 were identified and records were reviewed to determine demographic data and determine whether they subsequently developed a contralateral slip. The presenting radiographs were reviewed and the posterior sloping angle was measured. Patients with bilateral slips at presentation and those without initial radiographs were excluded.
Results: Records and radiographs of 132 patients were analyzed for the posterior sloping angle in the unaffected hip. Forty-two patients who had subsequently developed a contralateral slip had a mean posterior sloping angle (and standard deviation) of 17.2 degrees +/- 5.6 degrees, which was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that of 10.8 degrees +/- 4.2 degrees for the ninety patients who had had a unilateral slip. Children who had developed a subsequent contralateral slip were significantly younger (11.1 years) than those who had developed a unilateral slip (12.2 years) (p < 0.001). If a posterior sloping angle of 14 degrees were used as an indication for prophylactic fixation in this population, thirty-five (83.3%) of forty-two contralateral slips would have been prevented, and nineteen (21.1%) of ninety hips would have been pinned unnecessarily. The number needed to treat to prevent one subsequent contralateral slip is 1.79.
Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date that confirms that the posterior sloping angle is a reliable predictor of contralateral slip and can be used to guide prophylactic pinning. The posterior sloping angle is applicable in the high-risk Polynesian population and could be useful in preventing future slips in populations that are difficult to follow up.

year: 2013

title: Modelling and simulation: An overview

authors: McAleer, Michael

subjects: modelling

abstract: The papers in this special issue of Mathematics and Computers in Simulation cover the following topics: improving judgmental adjustment of model-based forecasts, whether forecast updates are progressive, on a constrained mixture vector autoregressive model, whether all estimators are born equal: the empirical properties of some estimators of long memory, characterising trader manipulation in a limit-order driven market, measuring bias in a term-structure model of commodity prices through the comparison of simultaneous and sequential estimation, modelling tail credit risk using transition matrices, evaluation of the DPC-based inclusive payment system in Japan for cataract operations by a new model, the matching of lead underwriters and issuing ﬁrms in the Japanese corporate bond market, stochastic life table forecasting: a time-simultaneous fan chart application, adaptive survey designs for sampling rare and clustered populations, income distribution inequality, globalization, and innovation: a general equilibrium simulation, whether exchange rates affect consumer prices: a comparative analysis for Australia, China and India, the impacts of exchange rates on Australia’s domestic and outbound travel markets, clean development mechanism in China: regional distribution and prospects, design and implementation of a Web-based groundwater data management system, the impact of serial correlation on testing for structural change in binary choice model: Monte Carlo evidence, and coercive journal self citations, impact factor, journal inﬂuence and article inﬂuence

text: Modelling and simulation: An overview The papers in this special issue of Mathematics and Computers in Simulation cover the following topics: improving judgmental adjustment of model-based forecasts, whether forecast updates are progressive, on a constrained mixture vector autoregressive model, whether all estimators are born equal: the empirical properties of some estimators of long memory, characterising trader manipulation in a limit-order driven market, measuring bias in a term-structure model of commodity prices through the comparison of simultaneous and sequential estimation, modelling tail credit risk using transition matrices, evaluation of the DPC-based inclusive payment system in Japan for cataract operations by a new model, the matching of lead underwriters and issuing ﬁrms in the Japanese corporate bond market, stochastic life table forecasting: a time-simultaneous fan chart application, adaptive survey designs for sampling rare and clustered populations, income distribution inequality, globalization, and innovation: a general equilibrium simulation, whether exchange rates affect consumer prices: a comparative analysis for Australia, China and India, the impacts of exchange rates on Australia’s domestic and outbound travel markets, clean development mechanism in China: regional distribution and prospects, design and implementation of a Web-based groundwater data management system, the impact of serial correlation on testing for structural change in binary choice model: Monte Carlo evidence, and coercive journal self citations, impact factor, journal inﬂuence and article inﬂuence

year: 2013

title: The Māori language revitalisation agenda and Te Whakapiki Reo and Te Whakapiki i te Reo: Meeting the needs of teachers

authors: Kahukura, Hine

subjects: Te reo Māori

abstract: Since 1994, and under contract to the New Zealand Ministry of Education, the University of Waikato has provided teacher professional development programmes in the context of kaupapa matauranga Māori. Because these programmes are designed to play a role in the Māori language revitalisation agenda as it relates to the teaching and learning of te reo Māori in school contexts, we believe that it is important to share our experiences with others. In this article, we discuss the context in which these programmes are delivered, some of the ways in which they have changed over time, and what we have learned from them.

text: The Māori language revitalisation agenda and Te Whakapiki Reo and Te Whakapiki i te Reo: Meeting the needs of teachers Since 1994, and under contract to the New Zealand Ministry of Education, the University of Waikato has provided teacher professional development programmes in the context of kaupapa matauranga Māori. Because these programmes are designed to play a role in the Māori language revitalisation agenda as it relates to the teaching and learning of te reo Māori in school contexts, we believe that it is important to share our experiences with others. In this article, we discuss the context in which these programmes are delivered, some of the ways in which they have changed over time, and what we have learned from them.

year: 2005