Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Exponential Models (exponential + models)
Selected AbstractsHow accurately can parameters from exponential models be estimated?CONCEPTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE, Issue 2 2005A Bayesian view Abstract Estimating the amplitudes and decay rate constants of exponentially decaying signals is an important problem in NMR. Understanding how the uncertainty in the parameter estimates depends on the data acquisition parameters and on the "true" but unknown values of the exponential signal parameters is an important step in designing experiments and determining the amount and quality of the data that must be gathered to make good parameter estimates. In this article, Bayesian probability theory is applied to this problem. Explicit relationships between the data acquisition parameters and the "true" but unknown exponential signal parameters are derived for the cases of data containing one and two exponential signal components. Because uniform prior probabilities are purposely employed, the results are broadly applicable to experimental parameter estimation. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 27A: 73,83, 2005 [source] Human impacts on the species,area relationship in reef fish assemblagesECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 9 2007Derek P. Tittensor Abstract The relationship between species richness and area is one of the oldest, most recognized patterns in ecology. Here we provide empirical evidence for strong impacts of fisheries exploitation on the slope of the species,area relationship (SAR). Using comparative field surveys of fish on protected and exploited reefs in three oceans and the Mediterranean Sea, we show that exploitation consistently depresses the slope of the SAR for both power-law and exponential models. The magnitude of change appears to be proportional to fishing intensity. Results are independent of taxonomic resolution and robust across coral and rocky reefs, sampling protocols and statistical methods. Changes in species richness, relative abundance and patch occupancy all appear to contribute to this pattern. We conclude that exploitation pressure impacts the fundamental scaling of biodiversity as well as the species richness and spatial distribution patterns of reef fish. We propose that species,area curves can be sensitive indicators of community-level changes in biodiversity, and may be useful in quantifying the human imprint on reef biodiversity, and potentially elsewhere. [source] Gene-dropping vs. empirical variance estimation for allele-sharing linkage statisticsGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 8 2006Jeesun Jung Abstract In this study, we compare the statistical properties of a number of methods for estimating P -values for allele-sharing statistics in non-parametric linkage analysis. Some of the methods are based on the normality assumption, using different variance estimation methods, and others use simulation (gene-dropping) to find empirical distributions of the test statistics. For variance estimation methods, we consider the perfect variance approximation and two empirical variance estimates. The simulation-based methods are gene-dropping with and without conditioning on the observed founder alleles. We also consider the Kong and Cox linear and exponential models and a Monte Carlo method modified from a method for finding genome-wide significance levels. We discuss the analytical properties of these various P -value estimation methods and then present simulation results comparing them. Assuming that the sample sizes are large enough to justify a normality assumption for the linkage statistic, the best P -value estimation method depends to some extent on the (unknown) genetic model and on the types of pedigrees in the sample. If the sample sizes are not large enough to justify a normality assumption, then gene-dropping is the best choice. We discuss the differences between conditional and unconditional gene-dropping. Genet. Epidemiol. 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Towards a better QALY modelHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 7 2006José-Marķa Abellįn-Perpińįn Abstract This paper presents a test of the predictive validity of various classes of QALY models (i.e. linear, power and exponential models). We first estimated TTO utilities for 43 EQ-5D chronic health states and next these states were embedded in nonchronic health profiles. The chronic TTO utilities were then used to predict the responses to TTO questions with nonchronic health profiles. We find that the power QALY model clearly outperforms linear and exponential QALY models. Optimal power coefficient is 0.65. Our results suggest that TTO-based QALY calculations may be biased. This bias can be corrected using a power QALY model. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] In vitro toxicity of several dithiocarbamates and structure,activity relationshipsJOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 6 2002N. Segovia Abstract Dithiocarbamates (DTCs) are chemicals featuring a great chelating capacity. The toxicological study of DTCs is very important in view of their relatively simple synthesis and wide array of sanitary and industrial applications. In this study, the toxicity of some of the more recently synthesized DTCs is determined using an extremely simple bioassay, described in previous studies, based on the inhibition of growth of Escherichia coli (IGEC). The lowest-observed-effect concentration (LOEC), the median effective concentration (EC50) and no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) of the following sodium dithiocarbamates was determined: N -benzyl- N -methyldithiocarbamate·2H2O, N -benzyl- N -isopropyldithiocarbamate·3H2O, N -benzyl- N -ethyldithiocarbamate·2H2O, N -butyl- N -methyldithiocarbamate·2H2O, N,N -dibenzyldithiocarbamate·2H2O and N -benzyl-2-phenethyldithiocarbamate·4H2O. Our results showed N,N -dibenzyl-DTC to be the least toxic of the tested substances, with an EC50 value of 1269.9 µg ml,1, whereas N -butyl- N -methyl-DTC and N -benzyl- N -methyl-DTC, with respective EC50 values of 14.9 µg ml,1 and 23.5 µg ml,1, were the most toxic. Regression analysis showed, through exponential models, that the degree of toxicity of this group of substances correlated with the molecular weight of the compound, the molecular weight of the smallest chemical radical linked to the dithiocarbamate group and the number of benzene rings present in the molecule. The consideration of these models allows us to establish that in general terms the toxicity of DTCs decreases exponentially with a greater molecular weight and the number of benzene rings. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Is Post-War Economic Growth Exponential?THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 2 2006Sören Wibe In this article, we argue that there are strong reasons for using linear instead of exponential models when analysing post-war economic growth. Incorrect model specifications will lead to misinterpretations of the underlying economic reality and to erroneous economic forecasts. Our argument is based on an empirical investigation of real GDP per capita growth in 25 OECD countries (and three country aggregates) during the post-war period using the Box-Cox transformation method. The conclusion is that per capita growth is generally (more or less) linear (and definitely not exponential) for the level of economic development represented by these countries. Based on this we argue that analyses of growth should use linear instead of exponential models. This change of model could give new insights into problems connected with economic growth. [source] An investigation of the relationship between hullability and morphological features in grains of four oat varietiesANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2010E. White Milling of oats involves separation of the kernel from its enclosing husk. The ease with which this happens is termed ,hullability'. The association between morphological characteristics measured using image analysis and hullability was examined in oat varieties sampled from Recommended List variety trials conducted at AFBI Crossnacreevy, Belfast, UK in 2000 and 2006. Grain features of the varieties were distinctive and showed differing relationships with weight, Barra changing only slightly, whilst Mascani showed the maximal changes with increasing grain weight. Hullability was poorer in larger grain, and better in Barra and Mascani than in Gerald and Tardis. Fitting of exponential models for the percentage of hulled grain with dehulling duration identified features associated with different aspects of dehulling behaviour. Greater width of grains of Mascani and Tardis was associated with a more rapid increase in hullability at shorter durations of dehulling. Greater roundness in Barra and Gerald in 2000 was associated with better hullability at very short durations of dehulling relative to other varieties. It is concluded that these features of the grain could be of use in selecting high hullability in breeding programmes. [source] Evaluation of macrofaunal effects on leaf litter breakdown rates in aquatic and terrestrial habitatsAUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2006AUGUSTO C. DE A. RIBAS Abstract Decomposition of the organic matter is a key process in the functioning of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, although different factors influence processing rates between and within these habitats. Most patterns were described for temperate regions, with fewer studies in tropical, warmer sites. In this study, we carried out a factorial experiment to compare processing rates of mixed species of leaf litter between terrestrial and aquatic habitats at a tropical site, using ,ne and coarse mesh cages to allow or prevent colonization by macroinvertebrates. The experiment was followed for 10 weeks, and loss of leaf litter mass through time was evaluated using exponential models. We found no interaction between habitat and mesh size and leaf litter breakdown rates did not differ between ,ne and coarse mesh cages, suggesting that macroinvertebrates do not influence leaf litter decomposition in either habitat at our studied site. Leaf breakdown rates were faster in aquatic than in terrestrial habitats and the magnitude of these differences were comparable to studies in temperate regions, suggesting that equivalent factors can influence between-habitat differences detected in our study. [source] Generalised regressions provide good estimates of insect and spider biomass in the monsoonal tropics of AustraliaAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 3 2006Christopher J Brady Abstract, The estimation of arthropod biomass is often important in studies of terrestrial ecosystem structure and function, including analyses of the relative importance of different arthropod taxa in the diet of insectivorous animals. In order to estimate arthropod biomass in eucalypt woodlands and rehabilitated mine-land in the monsoonal tropics of northern Australia, insect morpho-species (n = 693) and spider morpho-species (n = 100) were collected, sorted, then weighed and measured. Body length,weight regressions were determined for spiders, nine insect orders and all insects combined. There was a significant relationship between body length and weight for all taxonomic groups, with the power model being a better predictor than linear or exponential models for all groups except Diptera (which was best predicted by the linear model). Whilst Schoener (1980) found that the length,weight regression slopes of neotropical insects (all orders combined, as well as several individual orders) differed from those of their temperate North American counterparts, our comparisons between monsoon-tropical and temperate Australian arthropods suggested differences among Dipterans and spiders only. We conclude that generalised regressions provide adequate estimates of arthropod biomass across Australia, providing that the body proportions of the dominant taxa do not vary substantively. [source] | |||||||||||||