A statistical approach to aid examiners in the forensic analysis of handwriting.

We develop a statistical approach to model handwriting that accommodates all styles of writing (cursive, print, connected print). The goal is to compute a posterior probability of writership of a questioned document given a closed set of candidate writers. Such probabilistic statements can support examiner conclusions and enable a quantitative forensic evaluation of handwritten documents.

A clustering method for graphical handwriting components and statistical writership analysis.

Handwritten documents can be characterized by their content or by the shape of the written characters. We focus on the problem of comparing a person's handwriting to a document of unknown provenance using the shape of the writing, as is done in forensic applications. To do so, we first propose a method for processing scanned handwritten documents to decompose the writing into small graphical structures, often corresponding to letters.

Planning Nutritionally Adequate Diets for Groups: Methods Used to Develop Recommendations for a Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Planning nutritionally adequate intakes for large groups of people presents many challenges. Because of between-person variations in both food choices and nutrient requirements, it is necessary to examine nutrient intake distributions and select a Target Median Intake (TMI) that will lead to a low prevalence of inadequate nutrient intakes. The TMI may then be used to guide a feeding or education program.

Perspective: Proposed Harmonized Nutrient Reference Values for Populations.

Two core nutrient intake reference values (NRVs) are required for assessing the adequacy and safety of nutrient intakes for population groups: the average requirement (AR) and the tolerable upper level of intake (UL). Applications of such assessments include providing advice to improve intakes, formulating complementary foods, estimating the amounts of nutrients to be added to fortified foods and monitoring changes in intake, and product labeling at the global, national, or regional level. However, there is a lack of unity across country-level organizations in the methodological approach used to derive NRVs, and ARs and ULs are lacking in many compilations, thus limiting the ability to assess nutrient intakes for their population groups.

Inadequate nutrient intakes in Filipino schoolchildren and adolescents are common among those from rural areas and poor families.

Background: Adequate nutrition during childhood and adolescence is essential to promote growth and development.

Objective: This study evaluated usual energy and nutrient intakes of Filipino schoolchildren and adolescents.

Design: Food and beverage intakes were collected from a nationally representative sample of schoolchildren aged 6-9 and 10-12 years ( = 3,594 and = 2,971, respectively) and adolescents aged 13-18 years ( = 5,447) using 24-h dietary recalls.

Energy Intake Derived from an Energy Balance Equation, Validated Activity Monitors, and Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry Can Provide Acceptable Caloric Intake Data among Young Adults.

Background: Assessments of energy intake (EI) are frequently affected by measurement error. Recently, a simple equation was developed and validated to estimate EI on the basis of the energy balance equation [EI = changed body energy stores + energy expenditure (EE)].

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare multiple estimates of EI, including 2 calculated from the energy balance equation by using doubly labeled water (DLW) or activity monitors, in free-living adults.

Application of Response Surface Methods To Determine Conditions for Optimal Genomic Prediction.

An epistatic genetic architecture can have a significant impact on prediction accuracies of genomic prediction (GP) methods. Machine learning methods predict traits comprised of epistatic genetic architectures more accurately than statistical methods based on additive mixed linear models. The differences between these types of GP methods suggest a diagnostic for revealing genetic architectures underlying traits of interest.

Options for basing Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) on chronic disease endpoints: report from a joint US-/Canadian-sponsored working group.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are used in Canada and the United States in planning and assessing diets of apparently healthy individuals and population groups. The approaches used to establish DRIs on the basis of classical nutrient deficiencies and/or toxicities have worked well. However, it has proved to be more challenging to base DRI values on chronic disease endpoints; deviations from the traditional framework were often required, and in some cases, DRI values were not established for intakes that affected chronic disease outcomes despite evidence that supported a relation.

Associations between iodine intake, thyroid volume, and goiter rate in school-aged Chinese children from areas with high iodine drinking water concentrations.

Background: Excessive iodine intake may have adverse effects on the thyroid, particularly in children, but the safe upper iodine intake concentration in children is unclear.

Objective: We assessed the adverse effects of high iodine intake from iodine-rich drinking water on thyroid size in children by examining associations between thyroid volume (Tvol), total goiter rate (TGR), and iodine intake.

Design: In a multistage cross-sectional survey, we collected two 24-h urine samples on 2 nonconsecutive days and determined 24-h urinary iodine excretion, then calculated habitual daily iodine intake.

Variation in the iodine concentrations of foods: considerations for dietary assessment.

Background: Food-composition tables typically give measured nutrient concentrations in foods as a single summary value, often the mean, without providing information as to the shape of the distribution.

Objective: Our objective was to explore how the statistical approach chosen to describe the iodine concentrations of foods affects the proportion of the population identified as having either insufficient or excessive iodine intakes.

Design: We used food intake data reported by the 2009-2010 NHANES and measured iodine concentrations of Total Diet Study (TDS) foods from 4 US regions sampled in 2004-2011.

Comparison of 2 methods for estimating the prevalences of inadequate and excessive iodine intakes.

Background: Prevalences of iodine inadequacy and excess are usually evaluated by comparing the population distribution of urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in spot samples with established UIC cutoffs. To our knowledge, until now, dietary intake data have not been assessed for this purpose.

Objective: Our objective was to compare 2 methods for evaluating the prevalence of iodine inadequacy and excess in sex- and life stage-specific subgroups of the US population: one that uses UIC cutoffs, and one that uses iodine intake cutoffs.

High Prevalence of Inadequate Calcium and Iron Intakes by Mexican Population Groups as Assessed by 24-Hour Recalls.

Background: A National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT) conducted in Mexico in 1999 identified a high prevalence of inadequate mineral intakes in the population by using 24-h recall questionnaires. However, the 1999 survey did not adjust for within-person variance. The 2012 ENSANUT implemented a more up-to-date 24-h recall methodology to estimate usual intake distributions and prevalence of inadequate intakes.

Estimation of the Prevalence of Inadequate and Excessive Iodine Intakes in School-Age Children from the Adjusted Distribution of Urinary Iodine Concentrations from Population Surveys.

Background: The urinary iodine concentration (UIC), a biomarker of iodine intake, is used to assess population iodine status by deriving the median UIC, but this does not quantify the percentage of individuals with habitually deficient or excess iodine intakes. Individuals with a UIC <100 μg/L or ≥300 μg/L are often incorrectly classified as having deficient or excess intakes, but this likely overestimates the true prevalence.

Objective: Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of inadequate and excess iodine intake in children (aged 4-14 y) with the distribution of spot UIC from iodine surveys.

Three 24-Hour Recalls in Comparison with One Improve the Estimates of Energy and Nutrient Intakes in an Urban Mexican Population.

Background: Population surveys often collect dietary intake data by using one or two 24-h recalls (24HR), mainly to minimize cost and respondent burden. However, in order to increase accuracy in estimating usual intake distributions, a larger number of 24HRs may be advisable.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify whether estimates of the intake and prevalence of nutrient inadequacy based on 3 d are better than those that are based on 1 d of information.

Total Iron Bioavailability from the US Diet Is Lower Than the Current Estimate.

Background: Total (heme and nonheme) iron bioavailability from the US diet has been estimated to be 18% based on a single human absorption study. New data, however, suggest that it may be time to revisit this estimate.

Objective: We estimated total iron bioavailability from the US diet with the use of our recently reported algorithm that estimates nonheme iron absorption and a conservative value for heme iron absorption.

Use of Folate-Based and Other Fortification Scenarios Illustrates Different Shifts for Tails of the Distribution of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations.

Background: The purpose of food fortification is to affect those at the lower end of the distribution curve for nutrient status while avoiding unintended consequences for those at the high end of the distribution. Vitamin D presents challenges in this regard.

Objectives: We used scenarios to model changes in concentrations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] based on increases made because of assumptions about fortification.

Usual Dietary Energy Density Distribution Is Positively Associated with Excess Body Weight in Mexican Children.

Background: Studies suggest a positive association between dietary energy density (DED) and body weight in adults, but evidence in children is inconclusive.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare usual DED distributions of nonoverweight vs. overweight or obese (OW/O) Mexican children.

Estimating the population distribution of usual 24-hour sodium excretion from timed urine void specimens using a statistical approach accounting for correlated measurement errors.

Background: High US sodium intake and national reduction efforts necessitate developing a feasible and valid monitoring method across the distribution of low-to-high sodium intake.

Objective: We examined a statistical approach using timed urine voids to estimate the population distribution of usual 24-h sodium excretion.

Methods: A sample of 407 adults, aged 18-39 y (54% female, 48% black), collected each void in a separate container for 24 h; 133 repeated the procedure 4-11 d later.

Difference between 24-h diet recall and urine excretion for assessing population sodium and potassium intake in adults aged 18-39 y.

Background: Limited data are available on the accuracy of 24-h dietary recalls used to monitor US sodium and potassium intakes.

Objective: We examined the difference in usual sodium and potassium intakes estimated from 24-h dietary recalls and urine collections.

Design: We used data from a cross-sectional study in 402 participants aged 18-39 y (∼50% African American) in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area in 2011.

Parametric and nonparametric statistical methods for genomic selection of traits with additive and epistatic genetic architectures.

Parametric and nonparametric methods have been developed for purposes of predicting phenotypes. These methods are based on retrospective analyses of empirical data consisting of genotypic and phenotypic scores. Recent reports have indicated that parametric methods are unable to predict phenotypes of traits with known epistatic genetic architectures.

Comparison of population iodine estimates from 24-hour urine and timed-spot urine samples.

Background: Median urine iodine concentration (UIC; μg/L) in spot urine samples is recommended for monitoring population iodine status. Other common measures are iodine:creatinine ratio (I/Cr; μg/g) and estimated 24-hour urine iodine excretion (UIE; I/Cr × predicted 24-hour Cr; μg/day). Despite different units, these measures are often used interchangeably, and it is unclear how they compare with the reference standard 24-hour UIE.

Association between usual sodium and potassium intake and blood pressure and hypertension among U.S. adults: NHANES 2005-2010.

Objectives: Studies indicate high sodium and low potassium intake can increase blood pressure suggesting the ratio of sodium-to-potassium may be informative. Yet, limited studies examine the association of the sodium-to-potassium ratio with blood pressure and hypertension.

Methods: We analyzed data on 10,563 participants aged ≥20 years in the 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who were neither taking anti-hypertensive medication nor on a low sodium diet.

Validity of predictive equations for 24-h urinary sodium excretion in adults aged 18-39 y.

Background: Collecting a 24-h urine sample is recommended for monitoring the mean population sodium intake, but implementation can be difficult.

Objective: The objective was to assess the validity of published equations by using spot urinary sodium concentrations to predict 24-h sodium excretion.

Design: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted from June to August 2011 in metropolitan Washington, DC, of 407 adults aged 18-39 y, 48% black, who collected each urine void in a separate container for 24 h.