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Analyzing
Terms modified by Analyzing Selected AbstractsCOMPARISON OF METHODS FOR ANALYZING REPLICATED PREFERENCE TESTSJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 6 2005CHUN-YEN CHANG COCHRANE ABSTRACT Preference testing is commonly used in consumer sensory evaluation. Traditionally, it is done without replication, effectively leading to a single 0/1 (binary) measurement on each panelist. However, to understand the nature of the preference, replicated preference tests are a better approach, resulting in binomial counts of preferences on each panelist. Variability among panelists then leads to overdispersion of the counts when the binomial model is used and to an inflated Type I error rate for statistical tests of preference. Overdispersion can be adjusted by Pearson correction or by other models such as correlated binomial or beta-binomial. Several methods are suggested or reviewed in this study for analyzing replicated preference tests and their Type I error rates and power are compared. Simulation studies show that all methods have reasonable Type I error rates and similar power. Among them, the binomial model with Pearson adjustment is probably the safest way to analyze replicated preference tests, while a normal model in which the binomial distribution is not assumed is the easiest. [source] Analyzing and monitoring of phage,bacteria interaction using CEELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 20 2009Esra Acar Soykut Abstract The utilization of CE for monitoring bacteria,phage interaction was investigated in this study. Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus strains and their phages were used as model bacteria and phages for the purpose of validation in this study. CE with heterogeneous polymer polyethylene oxide was utilized for the separation of intact bacteria and investigation of phage,bacteria interaction. An intact phage detection was carried out with CZE by adding SDS in the running buffer. Calibration graphs of bacteria and phages were obtained with R2 values of 0.963 and 0.937, respectively. S. thermophilus strain was infected with its virulent phage B3-X18 for investigation of phage,bacteria interaction. It was observed in capillary electropherogram that the culture was lysed depending on the multiplicity of infection value and it showed to be completely lysed when the multiplicity of infection value was 10. The interaction of S. thermophilus strain with L. bulgaricus phage was also investigated by using a CE and a microbiological method and it was observed that the L. bulgaricus phage attached itself to the cell wall of S. thermophilus strain without damaging the cell. [source] Strain Hardening Behavior of Ultrafine- Grained Cu by Analyzing the Tensile Stress-Strain Curve,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 5 2008C.-X. Huang UFG Cu was found to experience two stages of strain hardening processes under uniaxial tensile stress, which was similar to the Stage,IV and V of CG Cu after large plastic deformation. The storage of dislocations in small grains and dynamic recovery caused by annihilation of dislocations and GB-mediated processes were responsible for the different stages of strain hardening behavior. Improvement of strain hardening capability for UFG metals should be based on the mechanisms of strain hardening. [source] MODAL SPACE: Is There Any Problem Running a Modal Test to 2 KHz but Only Analyzing up to 500 Hz?EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES, Issue 4 2006Pete Avitabile No abstract is available for this article. [source] Globalization and the Boundaries of the State: A Framework for Analyzing the Changing Practice of SovereigntyGOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2001Edward S. Cohen The impact of globalization on the sovereignty of the modern state has been a source of great controversy among political scientists. In this article, I offer a framework for understanding the state as a boundary-setting institution, which changes shape and role over time and place. I argue that, rather than undermining the state, globalization is a product of a rearrangement of the purposes, boundaries, and sovereign authority of the state. Focusing on the United States, the article traces the changing shape of state sovereignty through a study of the patterns of immigration policy and politics over the past three decades. Immigration policy, I argue, provides a unique insight into the continuities and changes in the role of the state in an era of globalization. [source] Capabilities, processes, and performance of knowledge management: A structural approachHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 1 2007Young-Chan Lee The purpose of this study is to examine structural relationships among the capabilities, processes, and performance of knowledge management, and suggest strategic directions for the successful implementation of knowledge management. To serve this purpose, the authors conducted an extensive survey of 68 knowledge management-adopting Korean firms in diverse industries and collected 215 questionnaires. Analyzing hypothesized structural relationships with the data collected, they found that there exists statistically significant relationships among knowledge management capabilities, processes, and performance. The empirical results of this study also support the well-known strategic hypothesis of the balanced scorecard (BSC). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 21,41, 2007. [source] More Kin, Less Support: Multipartnered Fertility and Perceived Support Among MothersJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 1 2007Kristen Harknett Recent research has documented the high prevalence of having children with more than 1 partner, termed multipartnered fertility. Because childbearing is an important mechanism for building kin networks, we theorize that multipartnered fertility will influence the availability of social support for mothers. Analyzing 3 waves of data from the Fragile Families study (N = 12,259), we find that multipartnered fertility is negatively associated with the availability of financial, housing, and child-care support. Our longitudinal evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship in which multipartnered fertility reduces the availability of support, and the availability of support inhibits multipartnered fertility. We conclude that smaller and denser kin networks seem to be superior to broader, but weaker kin ties in terms of perceived instrumental support. [source] Analyzing and interpreting NSSE dataNEW DIRECTIONS FOR INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 141 2009Pu-Shih Daniel Chen Drawing on their experience, current and former NSSE research analysts offer helpful tips and recommendations for institutional researchers on how to analyze student engagement data, including ways to work with multiple years of results and interpret effect sizes. [source] The harsh life on the 15th century Croatia-Ottoman Empire military border: Analyzing and identifying the reasons for the massacre in ,epinAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Mario Abstract Excavation of the historic period cemetery in ,epin, Croatia revealed the presence of a large number of perimortem injuries distributed among males, females, and subadults. Archaeological and historical data suggest these individuals were victims of a raid carried out by Turkish akinji light cavalry in 1441. Comparisons with the frequencies of perimortem trauma in 12 other, temporally congruent skeletal series from the Balkans (n = 2,123 skeletons) support this assumption. The role of the akinji in the Ottoman army was twofold: to supply war captives, and to terrorize and disperse local populations before the advance of regular troops. This article tests the hypothesis that the purpose of the 1441 raid was the latter. To accomplish this, perimortem trauma in the series were analyzed by sex, age, location, and depth of the injury. A total of 82 perimortem injuries were recorded in 12 males, 7 females, and 3 subadults. The demographic profile of the victims suggests that young adults were specifically targeted in the attack. Significant sex differences are noted in the number, distribution, and pattern of perimortem trauma. Females exhibit significantly more perimortem injuries per individual, and per bone affected, than males. The morphology and pattern of perimortem trauma in females is suggestive of gratuitous violence. Cumulatively, analysis of the osteological data suggest that the objective of the 1441 akinji raid was to spread terror and panic in the ,epin area, either as revenge for recent military setbacks, or as part of a long-term strategy intended to depopulate the area around Osijek. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Analyzing unreplicated 2k factorial designs by examining their projections into k -1 factorsQUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2010P. Angelopoulos Abstract Unreplicated factorial designs are widely used as experimental designs because of the economy they offer in run size. However, they are difficult to analyze because there are no degrees of freedom left to estimate the experimental error. Many methods have been proposed for the analysis of such designs with Lenth's (Technometrics 1989; 31:469,473) and Dong's (Statist. Sinica 1993; 3:209,217) being the most popular. In this paper we take advantage of the projective property of factorial designs and we propose a simple yet effective method for analyzing unreplicated factorial designs. The results are compared through a simulation study with Lenth's and Dong's methods. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A Semiparametric Method for Analyzing Matched Case,Control Family Studies with a Continuous Outcome and Proband SamplingBIOMETRICS, Issue 3 2004Molin Wang Summary We consider matched case,control familial studies which match a group of patients, called "case probands," with a group of disease-free subjects, called "control probands," using a set of family-level matching variables. Family members of each proband are then recruited into the study. Of interest here is the familial aggregation of the response variable and the effects of subject-specific covariates on the response. We propose an estimating equation approach to jointly estimate the main effects and intrafamilial correlations for matched family studies with a continuous outcome. Only knowledge of the first two joint moments of the response variable is required. The induced estimators for the main effects and intrafamilial correlations are consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. We apply the proposed method to sleep apnea data. A simulation study demonstrates the usefulness of our approach. [source] The Effects of the 1999 Turkish Earthquake on Young Children: Analyzing Traumatized Children's Completion of Short StoriesCHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2010Elif Celebi Oncu The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine whether projective techniques could identify long-term consequences among children stemming from exposure to a traumatic event. The first group of children (n = 53; 26 female, 27 male) experienced 2 major earthquakes at age 7, 3 months apart, in Turkey, while a similarly matched control group (n = 50; 25 female, 25 male) did not. Both groups of children (current age: 9) completed a series of short stories related to disastrous events. Results indicated that the traumatized group evinced a range of trauma-related symptoms 2 years after experiencing the earthquakes. [source] Multilingualism and the City: The Construction of Urban Identities in Dakar (Senegal)CITY & SOCIETY, Issue 2 2008ELINE VERSLUYS Abstract Although place and language are two key elements in the composition of social identities, they are often studied in separate academic enterprises. This article brings them together, and examines their role in the construction of multiple urban identities. Analyzing how urbanites in Dakar shape their identities, I illustrate how linguistic and geographical criteria contribute to the formation of "we" versus "they" alliances, which in turn produce a specific sense of spatiality. Examining the case of the suburban neighborhood of Yoff, I show how residents construct fluid identities that range from "urbanites" to "village people," each one of which is linked to a particular linguistic and cultural context. This article contributes to an understanding of how life in a multilingual city like Dakar offers a broad choice of identities that urban resident employ and maneuver on a daily level. [source] Investigative Visual Analysis of Global TerrorismCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 3 2008Xiaoyu Wang Abstract Recent increases in terrorist activity around the world have made analyzing and understanding such activities more critical than ever. With the help of organizations such as the National Center for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), we now have detailed historical information on each terrorist event around the world since 1970. However, due to the size and complexity of the data, identifying terrorists' patterns and trends has been difficult. To better enable investigators in understanding terrorist activities, we propose a visual analytical system that focuses on depicting one of the most fundamental concepts in investigative analysis, the five W's (who, what, where, when, and why). Views in our system are highly correlated, and each represents one of the W's. With this approach, an investigator can interactively explore terrorist activities efficiently and discover reasons of attacks (why) by identifying patterns temporally (when), geo-spatially (where), between multiple terrorist groups (who), and across different methods or modes of attacks (what). By coupling a global perspective with the details gleaned from asking these five questions, the system allows analysts to think both tactically and strategically. [source] Fractal analysis of Daphnia motion for acute toxicity bioassayENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Nobuaki Shimizu Abstract To quantify individual behavioral responses to toxic chemicals, the swimming motion of individual Daphniamagna was continuously monitored using a motion analysis system. The fractal dimension was introduced to compare the straightness or complexity of the swimming trajectory before and after exposure to toxic chemicals. Analysis indicated that the swimming trajectory of individual Daphnia has a fractal structure. The basal fractal dimension in the control medium was 1.35±0.01 (n = 50 Daphnia). Exposure to CuSO4 (10 ,g/L), organophosphorus (Dichlorvos; 10 ,g/L), and carbamate (Propoxur; 500 ,g/L) pesticide caused a significant increase in the fractal dimension with a latency of 60 min, reaching a maximal level of 2.26±0.34, 2.43±0.19, and 2.51±0.21, respectively, after a 120-min exposure. The magnitude of the change in the fractal dimension was related to the toxic chemical concentration and the exposure time. Threshold concentrations determined at 60 min of exposure were 10 ,g/L for CuSO4, 5 ,g/L for Dichlorvos, and 500 ,g/L for Propoxur. The toxicity index (EC50) values after 120 min of exposure were 6.31 ,g/L, 7.64 ,g/L, and 466 ,g/L for CuSO4, Dichlorvos, and Propoxur, respectively. Thus, the fractal dimension seems useful for analyzing and comparing complex trails, such as swimming trajectories, which could be used as the endpoint for an acute bioassay. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 17: 441,448, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/tox.10077 [source] Growth curve models for stochastic modeling and analyzing of natural disinfection of wastewaterENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 8 2006Wolfgang Bischoff Abstract This work is motivated by a study on the natural disinfection of wastewater in marine environment for ocean outfall systems without chlorination. In the study of the disinfection on wastewater in marine environment two natural factors, consisting of light intensity and salinity, one controllable factor, the volumetric mixing ratio of seawater to wastewater, and one random effect factor, the existence of predators, were investigated. Our problem and data are modeled by a growth curve model with an unknown random parameter that can be described by a mixed model with the factors mentioned above as covariates. For our model we determine the optimal variance estimations. Finally, we apply our model with these optimal estimated variance components to the data obtained from the real experiments. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Influence of climatic factors in the incidence of multiple sclerosis relapses in a Portuguese populationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 4 2009A. C. Fonseca Background and purpose:, Environmental factors are thought to be important in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathophysiology. We aimed to evaluate if there was an association between MS relapses and some climatic factors in a Portuguese population. Methods:, Four year retrospective study analyzing 414 MS relapses in 249 consecutive relapsing,remitting patients. Non-parametric statistics were used to compare the distribution of relapses across months and seasons. Spearman's coefficient was determined to evaluate the correlation between relapses frequency and maximum and minimum atmospheric temperatures, humidity and atmospheric pressure. Results:, The mean number of relapses was not significantly different between months or seasons. No correlation was found between relapse frequency and any climatic factor. Conclusion:, Our series is one of the largest addressing the influence of specific climatic factors on MS relapses. The number of clinical MS relapses seems to be unrelated to climatic factors. [source] Investigation of 17 candidate genes for personality traits confirms effects of the HTR2A gene on novelty seekingGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 4 2009A. Heck Genes involved in serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission have been hypothesized to affect different aspects of personality, but findings from genetic association studies did not provide conclusive results so far. In previous studies, however, only one or a few polymorphisms within single genes were investigated neglecting the possibility that the genetic associations might be more complex comprising several genes or gene regions. To overcome this limitation, we performed an extended genetic association study analyzing 17 serotonergic (SLC6A4, HTR1A, HTR1B, HTR2A, HTR2C, HTR3A, HTR6, MAOA, TPH1, TPH2) and dopaminergic genes (SLC6A3, DRD2, DRD3, DRD4, COMT, MAOA, TH, DBH), which have been previously reported to be implicated with personality traits. One hundred and ninety-five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within these genes were genotyped with the Illumina BeadChip technology (HumanHap300, Human-1) in a sample of 366 mentally healthy Caucasians. Additionally, we tried to replicate our results in an independent sample of further 335 Caucasians. Personality traits in both samples were assessed with the German version of Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. From 30 SNPs showing associations at a nominal level of significance, two intronic SNPs, rs2770296 and rs927544, both located in the HTR2A gene, withstood correction for multiple testing. These SNPs were associated with the personality trait novelty seeking. The effect of rs927544 could be replicated for the novelty seeking subscale extravagance, and the same SNP was also associated with extravagance inthe combined samples. Our results show that HTR2A polymorphisms modulate facets of novelty seeking behaviour in healthy adults suggesting that serotonergic neurotransmission is involved in this phenotype. [source] TGFB1 and TGFBR1 polymorphic variants in relationship to bladder cancer risk and prognosisINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 3 2009Adela Castillejo Abstract The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-,) signalling pathway plays an important role in tumor development and progression. We aimed at analyzing whether 7 different common variants in genes coding for 2 key members of the TGF-, signalling pathway (TGFB1 and TGFBR1) are associated with bladder cancer risk and prognosis. A total of 1,157 cases with urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder and 1,157 matched controls where genotyped for 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TGFB1 (rs1982073, rs1800472, rs1800471) and an additional 3 SNPs and 1 indel polymorphism in TGFBR1 (rs868, rs928180, rs334358 and rs11466445, respectively). In the case-control study, we estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for each individual genetic variant using unconditional logistic regression adjusting for age, gender, study area and smoking status. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox models. The endpoints of interest were tumor relapse, progression and death from bladder cancer. All the SNPs analyzed showed a similar distribution among cases and controls. The distribution of the TGFBR1*6A allele (rs11466445) was also similar among cases and controls, indicating no association with bladder cancer risk. Similarly, none of the haplotypes was significantly associated with bladder cancer risk. Among patients with muscle-invasive tumors, we found a significant association between TGFBR1- rs868 and disease-specific mortality with an allele dosage effect (p -trend = 0.003). In conclusion, the genetic variants analyzed were not associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. The association of TGFBR1- rs868 with outcome should be validated in independent patient series. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Rough reduction in algebra view and information viewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 6 2003Guoyin Wang Rough set (RS) is a valid theory to deal with imprecise, uncertain, and vague information. It has been applied successfully since it was developed by Professor Z. Pawlak in 1982 in such fields as machine learning, data mining, intelligent data analyzing, control algorithm acquiring, etc. The greatest advantage of the RS is its great ability to compute the reductions of information systems. Many researchers have done a lot of work in developing efficient algorithms to compute useful reductions of information systems. There also are some researchers working on the relationship between rough entropy and information entropy. They have developed some efficient reduction algorithms based on conditional information entropy. In this article, the relationship of the definitions of rough reduction in algebra view and information view is studied. Some relationships such as inclusion relationship under some conditions and equivalence relationship under some other conditions are presented. The inclusion relationship between the attribute importance defined in algebra view and information view is presented also. Some efficient heuristic reduction algorithms can be developed further using these results. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Representation of the subjective evaluation of the fabric hand using fuzzy techniquesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 3 2003Xianyi Zeng This article presents a fuzzy logic,based method for representing and analyzing results of subjective evaluation on the fabric hand given by experts in fashion or quality inspection. This method permits the generation of a quantitative criterion characterizing the quality of textile products and modeling relationships between the subjective fabric hand evaluation and objective numerical data measured on the Kawabata evaluation system (KES). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Malfunction due to Mechanical Failure of the Header ConnectionJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 9 2004R. ANDREW PICKETT III M.D. Four cases of ICD system malfunction occurring within the Medtronic Marquis family over a limited time frame are reported. These cases shared a common element of defective connections between the header post and the right ventricular pace/sense terminal pin that required intervention and reconnection. Inappropriate shocks occurred in two cases. The circumstances of these cases provide important information about the potential difficulties with these devices and highlight the deficiencies of the current system in tracking and analyzing device-related problems. [source] Deconvolution of femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy data in multivariate curve resolution.JOURNAL OF CHEMOMETRICS, Issue 7-8 2010Application to the characterization of ultrafast photo-induced intramolecular proton transfer Abstract In femtosecond absorption spectroscopy, deconvolution of the measured kinetic traces is still an important issue as photochemical processes that may possess shorter characteristic times than the time resolution of the experiment are usually considered. In this work, we propose to perform deconvolution of the time-dependent concentration profiles extracted from multivariate curve resolution (MCR) applied to spectrokinetic data. The profiles are fitted with a model function including a description of the instrumental response function (IRF) of the experiment. The method combines the potential benefits of soft-modeling data analysis with the ones of hard-modeling for parameter estimation. The potential of the method is demonstrated first analyzing five synthetic data sets for which IRF of different widths are simulated. It is then successfully applied to resolve femtosecond UV-visible transient absorption spectroscopy data investigating the photodynamics of salicylidene aniline, a photochromic molecule of wide interest. Considering a time resolution of 150,fs for the IRF, a characteristic time of 45,fs is recovered for the first step of the photo-induced process which consists of an ultrafast intramolecular proton transfer. Our results also confirm the existence of an intermediate species with a characteristic time of 240,fs. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Coupled atomic charge selectivity for optimal ligand-charge distributions at protein binding sitesJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 16 2006Sathesh Bhat Abstract Charge optimization as a tool for both analyzing and enhancing binding electrostatics has become an attractive approach over the past few years. An interesting feature of this method for molecular design is that it provides not only the optimal charge magnitudes, but also the selectivity of a particular atomic center for its optimal charge. The current approach to compute the charge selectivity at a given atomic center of a ligand in a particular binding process is based on the binding-energy cost incurred upon the perturbation of the optimal charge distribution by a unit charge at the given atomic center, while keeping the other atomic partial charges at their optimal values. A limitation of this method is that it does not take into account the possible concerted changes in the other atomic charges that may incur a lower energetic cost than perturbing a single charge. Here, we describe a novel approach for characterizing charge selectivity in a concerted manner, taking into account the coupling between the ligand charge centers in the binding process. We apply this novel charge selectivity measure to the celecoxib molecule, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent binding to cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2), which has been recently shown to also exhibit cross-reactivity toward carbonic anhydrase II (CAII), to which it binds with nanomolar affinity. The uncoupled and coupled charge selectivity profiles over the atomic centers of the celecoxib ligand, binding independently to COX2 and CAII, are analyzed comparatively and rationalized with respect to available experimental data. Very different charge selectivity profiles are obtained for the uncoupled versus coupled selectivity calculations. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2006 [source] Pyrotechnic Reaction Residue Particle AnalysisJOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 2 2006Kenneth L. Kosanke Ph.D. ABSTRACT: Pyrotechnic reaction residue particle (PRRP) production, sampling and analysis are all very similar to that for primer gunshot residue. In both cases, the preferred method of analysis uses scanning electron microscopy to locate suspect particles and then uses energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy to characterize the particle's constituent chemical elements. There are relatively few times when standard micro-analytical chemistry performed on pyrotechnic residues may not provide sufficient information for forensic investigators. However, on those occasions, PRRP analysis provides a greatly improved ability to discriminate between materials of pyrotechnic origin and other unrelated substances also present. The greater specificity of PRRP analysis is the result of its analyzing a large number of individual micron-sized particles, rather than producing only a single integrated result such as produced using standard micro-analytical chemistry. For example, PRRP analyses are used to demonstrate its ability to successfully (1) discriminate between pyrotechnic residues and unrelated background contamination, (2) identify that two different pyrotechnic compositions had previously been exploded within the same device, and (3) establish the chronology of an incident involving two separate and closely occurring explosions. [source] Recent advances in non-invasive prenatal DNA diagnosis through analysis of maternal bloodJOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY RESEARCH (ELECTRONIC), Issue 6 2007Akihiko Sekizawa Abstract Prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidy and single-gene disorders is usually performed by collecting fetal samples through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. However, these invasive procedures are associated with some degree of risk to the fetus and/or mother. Therefore, in recent years, considerable effort has been made to develop non-invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures. One potential non-invasive approach involves analysis of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma or serum. Another approach utilizes fetal cells within the maternal circulation as a source of fetal DNA. At the present time, fetal gender and fetal RhD blood type within RhD-negative pregnant women can be reliably determined through analysis of maternal plasma. Furthermore, genetic alterations can be diagnosed in the maternal plasma when the mother does not have the alterations. However, the diagnosis of maternally inherited genetic disease and aneuploidy is limited using this approach. Non-invasive prenatal diagnosis through examination of intact fetal cells circulating within maternal blood can be used to diagnose a full range of genetic disorders. Since only a limited number of fetal cells circulate within maternal blood, procedures to enrich the cells and enable single cell analysis with high sensitivity are required. Recently, separation methods, including a lectin-based method and autoimage analyzing, have been developed, which have improved the sensitivity of genetic analysis. This progress has supported the possibility of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of genetic disorders. In the present article, we discuss recent advances in the field of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. [source] INTERRELATIONS AMONG LIKING ATTRIBUTES FOR APPLE PIE: RESEARCH APPROACHES AND PRAGMATIC VIEWPOINTSJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 4 2001HOWARD MOSKOWITZ ABSTRACT Liking is a key measure for applied product development. All too often, however, the liking attributes are simply reported, but other than analyzing overall liking ratings no other analysis is done on the ratings. Much more remains for applied product testers to learn from these liking attributes. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the interrelations among different liking attributes for apple pie. It shows that panelists discriminate among samples using different liking scales, but many of these scales correlate with each other creating a great deal of redundancy in the list of attributes. Factor analysis reveals one major dimension for liking of the entire pie, and three dimensions for liking of slices. A different way of analysis shows potentially more utility for developers. A linear model relating overall liking to each attribute liking reveals different slopes, suggesting different importance levels for the attribute liking scales. Furthermore, one can create an integrated liking model. The liking ratings can be combined into a single, overall product model, allowing the researcher to understand how changes in one liking attribute simultaneously affect all other liking attributes. [source] Measuring the complexity of class diagrams in reverse engineeringJOURNAL OF SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AND EVOLUTION: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE, Issue 5 2006Frederick T. Sheldon Abstract Complexity metrics for object-oriented systems are plentiful. Numerous studies have been undertaken to establish valid and meaningful measures of maintainability as they relate to the static structural characteristics of software. In general, these studies have lacked the empirical validation of their meaning and/or have only succeeded in evaluating partial aspects of the system. In this study we have determined, through limited empirical means, a practical and holistic view by analyzing and comparing the structural characteristics of UML class diagrams as those characteristics relate to or impact maintainability. Class diagrams are composed of three kinds of relation, association, generalization, and aggregation, which make their overall structure difficult to understand. We propose combining these three relations in such a way that enables a comprehensive measure of complexity. Theoretically, this measure is applicable among different class diagrams (including different domains, platforms or systems) to the extent that the measure is widely comparative and context free. Further, this property does not preclude comparison within a specific class diagram (or family) and is therefore very useful in evaluating a given class diagram's strengths and weaknesses. We are reporting empirical results that provide a small measure of validity to enable an objective appraisal of both complexity and maintainability without equating the two. Therefore, to evaluate our structural complexity metric, we determined the level of understandability of the system by measuring the time needed to reverse engineer source code into class diagrams including the number of errors produced while creating the diagram. The number of errors produced offers one indicator of maintainability. The results, as compared with other complexity metrics, indicate that our metric shows promise especially if proven to be scalable. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Human Rights in an Era of Neoliberal Globalization: The Alien Tort Claims Act and Grassroots Mobilization in Doe v. UnocalLAW & SOCIETY REVIEW, Issue 2 2009Cheryl Holzmeyer This article examines a widely publicized corporate accountability and human rights case filed by Burmese plaintiffs and human rights litigators in 1996 under the Alien Tort Claims Act in U.S. courts, Doe v. Unocal, in conjunction with the three main theoretical approaches to analyzing how law may matter for broader social change efforts: (1) legal realism, (2) Critical Legal Studies (CLS), and (3) legal mobilization. The article discusses interactions between Doe v. Unocal and grassroots Burmese human rights activism in the San Francisco Bay Area, including intersections with corporate accountability activism. It argues that a transnationally attuned legal mobilization framework, rather than legal realist or CLS approaches, is most appropriate to analyze the political opportunities and indirect effects of Doe v. Unocal and similar litigation in the context of neoliberal globalization. Further, this article argues that human rights discourse may serve as a common vocabulary and counterhegemonic resource for activists and litigators in cases such as Doe v. Unocal, contrary to overarching critiques of such discourse that emphasize only its hegemonic potentials in global governance regimes. [source] Conventional DTI vs. slow and fast diffusion tensors in cat visual cortexMAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE, Issue 5 2003Itamar Ronen Abstract Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) uses water diffusion anisotropy in axonal fibers to provide a tool for analyzing and tracking those fibers in brain white matter. In the present work, multidirectional diffusion MRI data were collected from a cat brain and decomposed into slow and fast diffusion tensors and directly compared with conventional DTI data from the same imaging slice. The fractional anisotropy of the slow diffusing component (Dslow) was significantly higher than the anisotropy measured by conventional DTI while reflecting a similar directionality and appeared to account for most of the anisotropy observed in gray matter, where the fiber density is notoriously low. Preliminary results of fiber tracking based on the slow diffusion component are shown. Fibers generated based on the slow diffusion component appear to follow the vertical fibers in gray matter. DslowTI may provide a way for increasing the sensitivity to anisotropic structures in cortical gray matter. Magn Reson Med 49:785,790, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||