bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting mitochondria with methylene blue protects mice against acetaminophen‐induced liver injury
Authors: Lee Kang Kwang , Imaizumi Naoki , Chamberland Sally R. , Alder Nathan N. , Boelsterli Urs A.
Published: August 2014

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is a frequent cause of drug‐induced liver injury and the most frequent cause of acute liver failure in the Western world. Previous studies with mouse models have revealed that impairment of mitochondrial respiration is an early event in the pathogenesis, but the exact mechanisms have remained unclear, and therapeutic approaches to specifically target mitochondria have been insufficiently explored. Here, we found that the reactive oxidative metabolite of APAP, N‐acetyl‐p‐benzoquinoneimine (NAPQI), caused the selective inhibition of mitochondrial complex II activity by >90% in both mouse hepatic mitochondria and yeast‐derived complexes reconstituted into nanoscale model membranes, as well as the decrease of succinate‐driven adenosine triphosphate (ATP) biosynthesis rates. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that methylene blue (MB), a mitochondria‐permeant redox‐active compound that can act as an alternative electron carrier, protects against APAP‐induced hepatocyte injury. We found that MB (<3 µM) readily accepted electrons from NAPQI‐altered, succinate‐energized complex II and transferred them to cytochrome c, restoring ATP biosynthesis rates. In cultured mouse hepatocytes, MB prevented the mitochondrial permeability transition and loss of intracellular ATP without interfering with APAP bioactivation. In male C57BL/6J mice treated with APAP (450 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [IP]), MB (10 mg/kg, IP, administered 90 minutes post‐APAP) protected against hepatotoxicity, whereas mice treated with APAP alone developed massive centrilobular necrosis and increased serum alanine aminotransferase activity. APAP treatment inhibited complex II activity ex vivo, but did not alter the protein expression levels of subunits SdhA or SdhC after 4 hours. Conclusion: MB can effectively protect mice against APAP‐induced liver injury by bypassing the NAPQI‐altered mitochondrial complex II, thus alleviating the cellular energy crisis. Because MB is a clinically used drug, its potential application after APAP overdose in patients should be further explored. (Hepatology 2015;61:326–336)
Chronic passive venous congestion drives hepatic fibrogenesis via sinusoidal thrombosis and mechanical forces
Authors: Simonetto Douglas A. , Yang Hui‐yin , Yin Meng , de Assuncao Thiago M. , Kwon Jung Hee , Hilscher Moira , Pan Shuchong , Yang Liu , Bi Yan , Beyder Arthur , Cao Sheng , Simari Robert D. , Ehman Richard , Kamath Patrick S. , Shah Vijay H.
Published: August 2014

Chronic passive hepatic congestion (congestive hepatopathy) leads to hepatic fibrosis; however, the mechanisms involved in this process are not well understood. We developed a murine experimental model of congestive hepatopathy through partial ligation of the inferior vena cava (pIVCL). C57BL/6 and transgenic mice overexpressing tissue factor pathway inhibitor (SM22α‐TFPI) were subjected to pIVCL or sham. Liver and blood samples were collected and analyzed in immunohistochemical, morphometric, real‐time polymerase chain reaction, and western blot assays. Hepatic fibrosis and portal pressure were significantly increased after pIVCL concurrent with hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation. Liver stiffness, as assessed by magnetic resonance elastography, correlated with portal pressure and preceded fibrosis in our model. Hepatic sinusoidal thrombosis as evidenced by fibrin deposition was demonstrated both in mice after pIVCL as well as in humans with congestive hepatopathy. Warfarin treatment and TFPI overexpression both had a protective effect on fibrosis development and HSC activation after pIVCL. In vitro studies show that congestion stimulates HSC fibronectin (FN) fibril assembly through direct effects of thrombi as well as by virtue of mechanical strain. Pretreatment with either Mab13 or Cytochalasin‐D, to inhibit β‐integrin or actin polymerization, respectively, significantly reduced fibrin and stretch‐induced FN fibril assembly. Conclusion: Chronic hepatic congestion leads to sinusoidal thrombosis and strain, which in turn promote hepatic fibrosis. These studies mechanistically link congestive hepatopathy to hepatic fibrosis. (Hepatology 2015;61:648‐659)
REPORT ON THE STUDY OF ADAPTABILITY RATINGS OF CADETS IN THE CLASS OF 1949 AT THE U. S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY
Authors: French J. W.
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

From this study and the one on the class of 1947 it is very clear that the instructors and cadets at the Coast Guard Academy have in mind a very consistent and measurable trait when they make their ratings on adaptability. The same can be said for ratings in the Department of Physical Education. Both these traits are unrelated to academic grades, and they have little relation to each other. Suggestions are given for combining the measures of each of these two traits. It is also clear that the entrance tests analyzed in these studies fail to measure or predict these traits. The traits are so clear and present prediction so absent, that the development of suitable prediction tests promises to be difficult but worth‐while.

This study confirms the conclusions of other studies that the academic entrance tests used by the Academy do an excellent job in predicting the specific course grades which they are supposed to predict.
REPORT ON A FACTOR ANALYSIS OF ENTRANCE TESTS AND GRADES FOR THE CLASS OF 1949 AT THE U. S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY
Authors: French John W.
Published: August 2014

Factor analysis of entrance test scores sad grades for the Class of 1949 has identified a number of factors or psychological fractions responsible for a large part of the variations in test scores and grades within the cadet group. The factors which are important in predicting academic success at the Coast Guard Academy are mathematics ability, verbal ability, reading, and spatial ability, in that order. There is also some factor which greatly affects course grades, but which is not measured at all by the entrance tests use in this study. This factor is indicated because the cadets tend to get similar grades in every subject. This could be a result of a factor of interest or of effort or it could be something in the grading system itself. The admissions procedure already tends to give weight to the factors in nearly their correct order of importance. An attempt to measure the last factor mentioned would be an important further step. Another step would be to compare the entrance test scores of those who graduated with those who failed. The use of cutting scores might be found appropriate.
IMAGE FACTOR ANALYSIS1,2
Authors: Jo̎reskog K. G.
Published: August 2014

A factorial study is usually concerned with two kinds of inference: psychometrical and statistical. Psychometrical inference is the generalization of results to some universe of tests representing the psychological domain under study. Statistical inference is the generalization to some population of examinees. The image factor analytic model is designed for both types of inference and is related to Guttman's image theory. A maximum likelihood solution is developed for this model. The number of factors question is discussed. The method is illustrated using Harman's 13 psychological tests.
INDUSTRIAL THERAPY1
Authors: Gerjuoy Herbert , Fessenden Bruce , Goril Robert B. , Price Leighton A.
Published: August 2014

This Research Bulletin is based upon a chapter from Administration of activity therapies, edited by G. O'Morrow (Springfield, Ohio: Charles C. Thomas, 1965, in press). The purpose of this chapter is to encourage organization of hospital industrial therapy programs to meet the highest professional standards. Modern techniques of selection, classification, and evaluation of staff and patients are emphasized.
IMPLICIT PERSONALITY THEORY: IS IT ILLUSORY?
Authors: Jackson Douglas N. , Chan David W. , Stricker Lawrence J.
Published: August 2014

Several studies have found a substantial association between subjects' judgments about the co‐occurrence of personality items and the items' actual co‐occurrence, lending support to the validity of implicit personality theory. This work has recently been called into question by an investigation of Mirels that reported a nonsignificant relationship between judged probabilities of coendorsement of items pairs and the pairs' empirical coendorsement probabilities (actually calculated conditional probabilities) derived from self‐report responses. Using Mirels' data as well as our own, we found an appreciable and highly significant association between the judgments and empirical coendorsement, when the latter was measured by correlational‐type indexes instead of conditional probability. This outcome indicates that the divergent results in the Mirels investigation were due to its use of the conditional probability index as a measure of empirical coendorsement and adds to the body of evidence pointing to the validity of implicit personality theory.
INDEXES OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION: WHAT DO THEY MEASURE?
Authors: Stricker Lawrence J.
Published: August 2014

This study is concerned with the ability of standard indexes of socioeconomic status and similar devices to measure major dimensions of social stratification for whites and blacks. Factor analyses of survey data for samples of both races uncovered five matching factors and two others unique to a single sample, all of which seem to represent important components of stratification. Most of the indexes were relevant to three matching factors, and some of these measures consistently loaded them in both samples. However, several of the pertinent indexes only loaded white versions of these factors, and some failed to load any. Few, if any, indexes were relevant to or loaded the remaining factors. Additionally, some indexes were not pertinent to and did not load any factor. In contrast to the indexes, other variables loaded all but one of the factors. The main conclusions are that (a) the coverage of the indexes is restricted; (b) the devices are not uniformly applicable to blacks; and (c) the complexity of this domain requires separate measures of each factor, achievable by combining standard indexes and new variables.
MATERNAL TEACHING STRATEGIES IN CHICANO AND ANGLO‐AMERICAN FAMILIES: THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE AND EDUCATION ON MATERNAL BEHAVIOR
Authors: Laosa Luis M.
Published: August 2014

The study examined (a) whether differences exist between Chicano and Anglo‐American families in the strategies that mothers use to teach their own children and (b) whether such differences, if they exist, are likely to persist or disappear as a result of effective social change toward increased educational and occupational equality in the society where the two groups coexist. Eighty‐three Chicano and Anglo‐American mothers were observed in their homes teaching cognitive‐perceptual tasks to their own five‐year‐old children. Significant differences in maternal teaching strategies were found between the two cultural groups. Results also showed that these differences appear to be the result of differences in the average level of formal education attained by the mothers in the two cultural populations. These results suggest that the observed differences in maternal teaching strategies may disappear as women in the two cultural groups attain similar levels of formal education.
COMPUTER‐ASSISTED GUIDANCE: DESCRIPTIONS OF SYSTEMS
Authors: Shatkin Laurence
Published: August 2014

Eighteen currently operating computer‐assisted guidance systems are described on the same set of topics: scope and content, structure, and procedures.
ANALYSIS OF THE SUBSCALE STRUCTURE OF TEST BATTERIES: A CONFIRMATORY STUDY OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF CGP AND N.J. BASIC SKILLS SUBSCORES
Authors: Grandy Jerilee
Published: August 2014

This analysis exemplifies a method for investigating the construct validity of the subscales of one or more test batteries. In this study, the structures of the Comparative Guidance and Placement Test (CGP) and New Jersey Basic Skills test were examined to see if the subscales designed to measure the same skills were doing so, and to see if the nontraditional subscales (Mosaic Comparisons, Year 2000, and Letter Groups) were measuring something different from the traditional subscales (Reading, Sentences, and Mathematics).

The methodology employed was a confirmatory factor analysis. Data from 822 students who had taken both batteries were used to test a hypothesized four‐factor model (Reading, Sentences, Mathematics, and Mosaic Comparisons); this model was found to fit the data. It was concluded that Mosaic Comparisons, Year 2000, and Letter Groups each measure something uniquely different from Reading, Sentences, and Mathematics.

Although technically complex, this methodology is easily and inexpensively applied to this type of problem. It can be particularly useful in criterion‐referenced test development for testing whether a priori subscales are actually measuring different skills.
A SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OF THE GRADUATE MANAGEMENT ADMISSION COUNCIL (GMAC) VALIDITY STUDY SERVICE FOR 1979–1980
Authors: Powers Donald E. , Moss Pamela A.
Published: August 2014

The GMAC Validity Study Service was created to enable graduate schools of management to investigate the adequacy of the devices and procedures they use for selection purposes and to facilitate the accumulation and summary of data from many individual graduate management schools. Participating schools are required to provide information on three standard predictors (GMAT‐V, GMAT‐Q, and undergraduate grade point average) and one standard criterion (first year average in management school). In addition, each school may specify optional subgroupings, predictors, and criteria relevant to its admissions process. In the 1979–80 academic year, 38 schools participated in the Validity Study Service. This report provides (a) a descriptive summary of the validity of GMAT scores and undergraduate grade point average as predictors of first year grade point average in management school, (b) a categorization of optional variables designated by individual schools along with the correlational analyses for the most frequently specified variables, and (c) a comparison of the results of the 1979–80 Validity Study Service with the results from previous years.
INTERPRETING LEAST SQUARES WITHOUT SAMPLING ASSUMPTIONS
Authors: Beaton Albert E.
Published: August 2014

Least squares fitting is perhaps the most commonly used tool of statisticians. Under sampling assumptions, statistical inference makes possible the estimation of population parameters and their confidence intervals and also the testing of hypotheses. In this paper the properties of least squares fitting is examined without sampling assumptions. It is shown that some of the output (e.g. standard errors, t, F, and p statistics) from standard regression programs can be interpreted as (approximate) measures of goodness‐of‐fit of a model to the observed data. The interpretation is also applicable in weighted least squares situations such as robust regression.
INTERNAL CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF THE CAREER SKILLS ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
Authors: Rock Donald A.
Published: August 2014

The primary purpose of this study was to provide evidence for or against the construct validity of the Career Skills Assessment Program (CSAP) instrument. A secondary purpose was to present a systematic procedure for carrying out internal construct validity studies in any testing instrument. Construct validation using confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the CSAP instrument reliably measured what it purported to measure, and five of its six subscales provided sufficiently unique information to make it a useful tool for program and/or individual diagnosis.
UNBIASED ESTIMATORS OF ABILITY PARAMETERS, OF THEIR VARIANCE, AND OF THEIR PARALLEL‐FORMS RELIABILITY
Authors: Lord Frederic M.
Published: August 2014

Given known item parameters, unbiased estimators are derived 1) for an examinee's ability parameter θ and for his proportion‐correct true score ζ, 2) for s2θ the variance of θ across examinees in the group tested, also for s2ζ, and 3) for the parallel‐forms reliability of the observed test score, the maximum likelihood estimator, .
ON DERIVING INSTITUTIONAL NORMS FROM DATA COLLECTED THROUGH COMPLEX SAMPLE SURVEYS
Authors: Braun Henry I.
Published: August 2014

In this paper we examine several methods for reweighting survey data so that they are appropriate to a purpose unforeseen in the original design. Specifically, data from a survey of students is reanalyzed to reflect characteristics of colleges
PSYCHOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CHICANO AND NON‐HISPANIC WHITE CHILDREN'S PERFORMANCE ON THE PRESCHOOL INVENTORY
Authors: Laosa Luis M.
Published: August 2014

Two studies are reported that independently examined the psychometric characteristics of children's performance on the Preschool Inventory. The sample in study I consisted of 100 Chicano children tested longitudinally at ages 3½ and 4 years. The sample in study II consisted of 200 Chicano and non‐Hispanic White children matched on mothers' schooling level in a cross‐sectional design involving two age levels‐prekindergarten‐age children and children enrolled in kindergarten. Comparisons were made by ethnic group, sex, and age level with regard to item characteristics, internal‐consistency reliabilities, test‐retest stability, standard errors of measurement, validity, and performance level. Comparisons also were made between the psychometric characteristics of the Chicano children's performance on the Preschool Inventory and the psychometric characteristics reported by other investigators for the same instrument administered to children of other ethnic, socioeconomic, and sociolinguistic backgrounds. The results provide impressive evidence of the Preschool Inventory's psychometric strengths and demonstrate that the examined psychometric characteristics of the Preschool Inventory are as exemplary when the test is administered to Chicano children as they are exemplary when it is administered to children of other ethnic backgrounds. Certain limitations of the Preschool Inventory are identified. Recommendations are made regarding possible avenues for future test development efforts.
ARE WE CORRECTING FOR GUESSING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION?
Authors: Wainer Howard
Published: August 2014

Traditional corrections for guessing tend to penalize the testee. Various arguments from a substantive and statistical point of view are proposed that would tend to alter the direction of most guessing corrections. A statistical procedure that takes an intermediate stance is discussed and its consequences for testing in general, and computerized adaptive testing in particular, are examined.
A GENERAL BAYESIAN MODEL FOR TESTLETS: THEORY AND APPLICATIONS
Authors: Wang Xiaohui , Bradlow Eric T. , Wainer Howard
Published: August 2014

This paper extends earlier work (Bradlow, Wainer, & Wang, 1999; Wainer, Bradlow, & Du, 2000) on the modeling of testlet‐based response data to include the situation in which a test is composed, partially or completely, of polytomously scored items and/or testlets. A modified version of commonly employed item response models, embedded within a fully Bayesian framework, is proposed, and inferences under the model are obtained using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques. Its use is demonstrated within a designed series of simulations and by analyzing operational data from the North Carolina Test of Computer Skills and Educational Testing Service's Test of Spoken English (TSE). Our empirical findings suggest that the North Carolina Test of Computer Skills exhibits significant testlet effects, indicating significant dependence of item scores obtained from common stimuli, whereas the TSE exam does not.
THE RECENTERING OF SAT® SCALES AND ITS EFFECTS ON SCORE DISTRIBUTIONS AND SCORE INTERPRETATIONS
Authors: Dorans Neil J.
Published: August 2014

The history of SAT® score scales is summarized, and the need for realigning SAT score scales is demonstrated. The process employed to produce the conversions that take scores from the original SAT scales to recentered scales in which reference group scores are centered near the midpoint of the score‐reporting range is laid out. For the purposes of this paper, SAT verbal and SAT mathematical scores were placed on recentered scales, which have reporting ranges of 920 to 980, means of 950, and standard deviations of 11. (The 920‐to‐980 scale is used in this article to highlight the distinction between it and the old 200‐to‐800 scale. In actuality, recentered scores were reported on a 200‐to‐800 scale.) Recentering was accomplished via a linear transformation of normally distributed scores that were obtained from a continuized, smoothed frequency distribution of original SAT scores that were originally on augmented two‐digit scales, i.e., discrete scores rounded to either 0 or 5 in the third decimal place. These discrete scores were obtained for all students in the 1990 Reference Group using 35 different editions of the SAT taken between October 1988 and June 1990. The performance of this 1990 Reference Group on the original and recentered scales is described. The effects of recentering on scores of individuals and the 1990 Reference Group are also examined. Finally, recentering did not occur solely on the basis of its technical merit. Issues associated with converting recentering from a possibility into a reality are discussed.
INFLUENCE OF IRRELEVANT SPEECH ON STANDARDIZED TEST PERFORMANCE
Authors: Powers Donald E. , Albertson Wendy , Florek Thomas , Johnson Kathy , Malak John , Nemceff Bill , Porzuc Mark , Silvester Donna , Wang Minhwei , Weston Richard , Winner Edward , Zelazny Aleksander
Published: August 2014

The aims of this study were to (1) estimate the likely degree of any such distraction as well as its impact on test performance and (2) evaluate the prospects of reducing the distraction to a level that is acceptable to test takers.

Study participants were volunteers (N = 171) who had previously taken the Graduate Management Admission Test® (GMAT®), the Graduate Record Examinations® (GRE®) General Test, or the Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL®). They were invited to retake a different form of the same test under either distracting conditions or standard, distraction‐free conditions. To reduce distraction, some participants used either headsets or headsets plus masking noise.

Attempts to reduce distraction to an acceptable level were largely unsuccessful. The impact on actual test performance, however, was slight in the GMAT sample and negligible in both the GRE and TOEFL samples.

The conclusion was that intermingling examinees with others who are taking a speaking test remains a concern, primarily because of strong negative perceptions by test takers. More effective means need to be devised to reduce or control distraction.
SELECTING SUCCESSFUL GRADUATE STUDENTS: IN‐DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH GRE® USERS
Authors: Walpole MaryBeth , Burton Nancy W. , Kanyi Kamau , Jackenthal Altamese
Published: August 2014

This study analyzed interviews with over 100 graduate school staff and faculty in 26 disciplines and 20 institutions who use the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE®). The interviews covered admissions and admissions‐related topics, such as recruitment, retention, and measurement of student success in graduate school. Interviewees consider the GRE General Test to be a useful common standard for students with widely differing backgrounds. In contrast, GRE Subject Tests, although considered to be strong evidence of discipline‐specific knowledge, are being used less in a competitive environment. Graduate programs want more information about the language skills – particularly writing and speaking skills – and personal qualities of applicants, and better information about international students.
ADAPTIVE TESTING WITHOUT IRT IN THE PRESENCE OF MULTIDIMENSIONALITY
Authors: Yan Duanli , Lewis Charles , Stocking Martha
Published: August 2014

It is unrealistic to suppose that standard item response theory (IRT) models will be appropriate for all of the new and currently considered computer‐based tests. In addition to developing new models, we also need to give some attention to the possibility of constructing and analyzing new tests without the aid of strong models. Computerized adaptive testing currently relies heavily on IRT. Alternative, empirically based, nonparametric adaptive testing algorithms exist, but their properties are little known. This paper introduces a nonparametric, tree‐based algorithm for adaptive testing and shows that it may be superior to conventional, IRT‐based adaptive testing in cases where the IRT assumptions are not satisfied. In particular, it shows that the tree‐based approach clearly outperformed (one‐dimensional) IRT when the pool was strongly two‐dimensional.
ELECTRONIC SOURCES AS INPUT TO GRE® READING COMPREHENSION ITEM DEVELOPMENT: SOURCEFINDER PROTOTYPE EVALUATION
Authors: Passonneau Rebecca , Hemat Lisa , Plante Jan , Sheehan Kathleen M.
Published: August 2014

This evaluation study compares the performance of a prototype tool called SourceFinder against the performance of highly trained human test developers. SourceFinder — a specialized search engine developed to locate source material for Graduate Record Examinations (GRE®) reading comprehension passages — employs a variety of shallow linguistic features to model the search criteria employed by expert test developers, to automate the source selection process, and to reduce source‐processing time. The current evaluation provides detailed information about the aspects of source variation that are not well modeled by the current prototype. Approaches for enhancing performance in identified areas are discussed. The present study also provides a more explicit description of the source selection task, and a rich data set for developing a less subjective, more explicit definition of the types of documents preferred by test developers.
Characterization and improved quantification of left ventricular inflow using streamline visualization with 4DFlow MRI in healthy controls and patients after atrioventricular septal defect correction
Authors: Calkoen Emmeline E. , Roest Arno A.W. , Kroft Lucia J.M. , van der Geest Rob J. , Jongbloed Monique R.M. , van den Boogaard Pieter J. , Blom Nico A. , Hazekamp Mark G. , de Roos Albert , Westenberg Jos J.M.
Published: August 2014

Purpose

To evaluate trans‐left atrioventricular valve (LAVV) blood flow and optimize left ventricular inflow quantification in healthy controls and patients after atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) correction.

Materials and Methods

Twenty‐five patients after AVSD correction and 25 controls underwent 4DFlow MRI. Using streamline visualization in four‐ and two‐chamber views, inflow direction at early and late filling was defined at the annulus level and at the peak inflow velocity (PIV) level. Trans‐LAVV flow volume and velocity were assessed from a static 2D‐multiplanar‐reformat (MPR), a 4D‐MPR tracking LAVV annulus and a 4D‐MPR tracking the PIV‐level, angulated perpendicular to the inflow.

Results

In patients, on average 9° more laterally directed inflow was found at the PIV‐level compared to controls. In controls, 4DFlow velocity mapping with LAVV annulus tracking resulted in lower absolute error with aortic flow (3 (1–8) mL) than with static 2D‐MPR (7 (4–16) mL, P = 0.001). In patients, 4D‐MPR tracking the PIV‐level, resulted in lower absolute error with aortic flow (2 (1–4) mL) than with 4D‐MPR LAVV annulus tracking (6 (2–10) mL, P = 0.003).

Conclusion

Streamline visualization of 4DFlow MRI data revealed dynamic trans‐LAVV inflow and more lateral flow after AVSD correction. Streamline visualization improved trans‐LAVV flow quantification as the positioning and angulation of the measurement plane was optimized, allowing an accurate assessment of left ventricular inflow. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;41:1512–1520. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Comparison Study of Distribution‐Free Multivariate SPC Methods for Multimode Data
Authors: Grasso Marco , Colosimo Bianca Maria , Semeraro Quirico , Pacella Massimo
Published: August 2014

The data‐rich environments of industrial applications lead to large amounts of correlated quality characteristics that are monitored using Multivariate Statistical Process Control (MSPC) tools. These variables usually represent heterogeneous quantities that originate from one or multiple sensors and are acquired with different sampling parameters. In this framework, any assumptions relative to the underlying statistical distribution may not be appropriate, and conventional MSPC methods may deliver unacceptable performances. In addition, in many practical applications, the process switches from one operating mode to a different one, leading to a stream of multimode data.

Various nonparametric approaches have been proposed for the design of multivariate control charts, but the monitoring of multimode processes remains a challenge for most of them. In this study, we investigate the use of distribution‐free MSPC methods based on statistical learning tools. In this work, we compared the kernel distance‐based control chart (K‐chart) based on a one‐class‐classification variant of support vector machines and a fuzzy neural network method based on the adaptive resonance theory. The performances of the two methods were evaluated using both Monte Carlo simulations and real industrial data. The simulated scenarios include different types of out‐of‐control conditions to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods. Real data acquired during a roll grinding process provide a framework for the assessment of the practical applicability of these methods in multimode industrial applications. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Robustness properties of a sequential test for vaccine safety in the presence of misspecification
Authors: Franks Riley , Sandhu Sukhminder , Avagyan Armen , Lu Yun , Hong Han , Garcia Bruno , Worrall Christopher , Kelman Jeffrey , Ball Robert , MaCurdy Thomas
Published: August 2014

The Updating Sequential Probability Ratio Test (USPRT) developed by MaCurdy et al.. (2009, Updating sequential probability ratio test for real‐time surveillance of vaccine safety, unpublished working paper) has been used by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for near real‐time surveillance of the safety of the flu vaccine since 2008. This procedure was the first method developed to account for data delay in pharmacovigilance studies. However, the current implementation is based on the strong assumption that the clinical and reporting delays do not vary from previous years. When this assumption does not hold, size distortion of the USPRT procedure might result. The goal of this article is to numerically investigate the robustness of the detection probabilities of the USPRT method with respect to possible misspecification of the clinical and reporting delay distributions through extensive simulations. We find that if the delay distribution used in calibrating the critical bound is lengthier than the delay distribution in the data generating process, then there is a higher rate of false signaling and vice versa. This is an inherent property of a real‐time testing procedure. However, the distortion created by misspecifying the reporting delay distribution appears to be insignificant when compared to the overall power generated by an elevation of the adverse event rate. The size distortion is unevenly distributed across the interim tests, so the effect of misspecification of the delay distributions is more prominent in the median time‐to‐signal. In summary, although a misspecified delay distribution induces size distortion, we find that it does not erode the overall power.
Survival analysis with electronic health record data: Experiments with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Hagar Yolanda , Albers David , Pivovarov Rimma , Chase Herbert , Dukic Vanja , Elhadad Noémie
Published: August 2014

This article presents a detailed survival analysis for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The analysis is based on the electronic health record (EHR) data comprising almost two decades of clinical observations collected at New York‐Presbyterian, a large hospital in New York City with one of the oldest electronic health records in the United States. Our survival analysis approach centers around Bayesian multiresolution hazard modeling, with an objective to capture the changing hazard of CKD over time, adjusted for patient clinical covariates and kidney‐related laboratory tests. Special attention is paid to statistical issues common to all EHR data, such as cohort definition, missing data and censoring, variable selection, and potential for joint survival and longitudinal modeling, all of which are discussed alone and within the EHR CKD context.
Utilizing hunter harvest effort to survey for wildlife disease: A case study of West Nile virus in greater sage‐grouse
Authors: Dusek Robert J. , Hagen Christian A. , Franson J. Christian , Budeau David A. , Hofmeister Erik K.
Published: August 2014

Greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage‐grouse) are highly susceptible to infection with West Nile virus (WNV), with substantial mortality reported in wild populations and in experimentally infected birds. Although sage‐grouse are hunted throughout much of their range, they have also recently been considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act. We used blood samples collected on filter‐paper strips during the 2006–2010 Oregon, USA, annual sage‐grouse hunt to survey for specific WNV‐neutralizing antibodies that indicate a previous infection with WNV. During this period, hunters submitted 1,880 blood samples from sage‐grouse they harvested. Samples obtained were proportional for all 12 Oregon sage‐grouse hunting units. Laboratory testing of 1,839 samples by the WNV epitope‐blocking enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (bELISA) followed by plaque reduction neutralization test on bELISA‐positive samples yielded 19 (1%) and 1 (0.05%) positive samples, respectively. These data provided early baseline information for future comparisons regarding the prevalence of WNV‐specific neutralizing antibodies in sage‐grouse in Oregon. This methodology may provide other states where sage‐grouse (or other species) populations are hunted and where WNV constitutes a species conservation concern with a viable option to track the relative prevalence of the virus in populations. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
A New Side‐on End‐On Ditantalum Dinitrogen Complex and Its Reaction with BuSiH3
Authors: Yeo Alyssa , Shaver Michael P. , Fryzuk Michael D.
Published: August 2014

The formation of the P‐cyclohexyl dinitrogen complex, (CyPh[NPN]Ta)2(μ‐η2:η1‐N2)(μ‐H)2 (CyPh[NPN] = [CyP(CH2SiMe2NPh)2], and Cy = C6H11) is described and its reaction with butylsilane (BuSiH3) explored. The reaction was monitored by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and showed the formation of a number of intermediates. The final product is a hydride‐bridged imido‐amido silyated species that has the imido bridging between the two central tantalum atoms. The origin of the bridging hydrides in the product is likely to arise from the excess silane present, on the basis of labeling studies.
Structures and Properties of Coordination Polymers based on 5‐Nitroisophthalic Acid and N,N′‐bis(4‐pyridyl‐methyl) Piperazine
Authors: Xu Bo , Zhang Tao , Zhang Lei , Li Cun Cheng
Published: August 2014

Two coordination polymers constructed from N,N′‐bis‐(4‐pyridyl‐methyl) piperazine (bpmp) linker and 5‐nitroisophthalic acid (H2nip) of the formula {[Co2.5(bpmp)2(nip)2(Hnip)(H2O)]·3H2O}n (1) and {[Cd(bpmp)(5‐nip)(H2O)]·3H2O}n (2) were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Single crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis revealed that complex 1 has trinuclear and mononuclear units, which are further extended to a 3D framework, whereas complex 2 has a 2D 44‐sql [also called (4,4)‐net] layer structure. The compounds were characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and powder X‐ray diffraction. Furthermore, the magnetic measurement of 1 reveals that it exhibits antiferromagnetic coupling interactions. The photoluminescent study on a solid sample of 2 indicates fluorescent emission at room temperature.
Serum phosphate levels reflect responses to cardiac resynchronization therapy in chronic heart failure patients
Authors: Kamiyama Yoshiyuki , Suzuki Hitoshi , Yamada Shinya , Kaneshiro Takashi , Takeishi Yasuchika
Published: August 2014

Background

Recent studies have shown that high levels of serum phosphate are associated with adverse cardiovascular events. However, little is known about the relation between phosphate levels and improvement of cardiac function in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients who underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The purpose of this study was to examine whether serum phosphate levels were able to predict responders to CRT and adverse cardiac events.

Methods

The study population consisted of 30 CHF patients (24 males, mean age 65.7±8.5 years) who received CRT with defibrillator (CRT‐D) implantation. Levels of serum phosphate were measured before, and 6 months after, CRT‐D implantation. Left ventricular end‐diastolic volume and end‐systolic volume were assessed simultaneously by echocardiography. In addition, the rate of re‐hospitalization due to worsening of heart failure was investigated. All patients were divided into 2 groups: responders (Group‐R, n=18) and non‐responders (Group‐NR, n=12) to CRT‐D. Responders were defined as patients who showed >15% reduction in left ventricular end‐systolic volume. We compared these parameters between the 2 groups.

Results

Serum phosphate levels were significantly lower in Group‐R than in Group‐NR (3.3±0.2 vs. 3.7±0.4 mg/dL, p=0.01). The rate of re‐hospitalization was lower in Group‐R than in Group‐NR (0% vs. 33%, p=0.018). Multivariate analysis showed that serum phosphate levels had a predictive power to determine responders to CRT (odds ratio 0.008, 95% confidence interval 0.000–0.348, p=0.015).

Conclusions

These results suggest that serum phosphate levels might predict both responders to CRT, and adverse cardiac events, in CHF patients with CRT‐D.
Alternative splicing of TIA‐1 in human colon cancer regulates VEGF isoform expression, angiogenesis, tumour growth and bevacizumab resistance
Authors: Hamdollah Zadeh Maryam A. , Amin Elianna M. , Hoareau-Aveilla Coralie , Domingo Enric , Symonds Kirsty E. , Ye Xi , Heesom Katherine J. , Salmon Andrew , D'Silva Olivia , Betteridge Kai B. , Williams Ann C. , Kerr David J. , Salmon Andrew H.J. , Oltean Sebastian , Midgley Rachel S. , Ladomery Michael R. , Harper Steven J. , Varey Alexander H.R. , Bates David O.
Published: August 2014

The angiogenic capability of colorectal carcinomas (CRC), and their susceptibility to anti‐angiogenic therapy, is determined by expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) isoforms. The intracellular protein T‐cell Intracellular Antigen (TIA‐1) alters post‐transcriptional RNA processing and binds VEGF‐A mRNA. We therefore tested the hypothesis that TIA‐1 could regulate VEGF‐A isoform expression in colorectal cancers. TIA‐1 and VEGF‐A isoform expression was measured in colorectal cancers and cell lines. We discovered that an endogenous splice variant of TIA‐1 encoding a truncated protein, short TIA‐1 (sTIA‐1) was expressed in CRC tissues and invasive K‐Ras mutant colon cancer cells and tissues but not in adenoma cell lines. sTIA‐1 was more highly expressed in CRC than in normal tissues and increased with tumour stage. Knockdown of sTIA‐1 or over‐expression of full length TIA‐1 (flTIA‐1) induced expression of the anti‐angiogenic VEGF isoform VEGF‐A165b. Whereas flTIA‐1 selectively bound VEGF‐A165 mRNA and increased translation of VEGF‐A165b, sTIA‐1 prevented this binding. In nude mice, xenografted colon cancer cells over‐expressing flTIA‐1 formed smaller, less vascular tumours than those expressing sTIA‐1, but flTIA‐1 expression inhibited the effect of anti‐VEGF antibodies. These results indicate that alternative splicing of an RNA binding protein can regulate isoform specific expression of VEGF providing an added layer of complexity to the angiogenic profile of colorectal cancer and their resistance to anti‐angiogenic therapy.
Eighteen years of Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus releases in Brazil: lessons learnt
Authors: Normande Iran Campello , Luna Fabia De Oliveira , Malhado Ana Cláudia Mendes , Borges João Carlos Gomes , Viana Junior Pitágoras Carlos , Attademo Fernanda Löffer Niemeyer , Ladle Richard J.
Published: August 2014

The Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus was once widespread from the south-eastern coast of Brazil to Central America and the Caribbean. In Brazil habitat destruction and overhunting severely reduced and fragmented the wild population, restricting extant subpopulations to the north and north-east coast. In response to these threats an ambitious government-led programme was initiated in 1994, with the aim of rehabilitating orphaned manatee calves and releasing them into the southernmost subpopulation. The programme is unique within Brazil, and has invested unprecedented resources in post-release monitoring. So far 30 manatees have been released at three sites, with a high rate of success (> 75%). Time in captivity appears to be a key variable determining post-release success: too long or too short a time in captivity decreasing the probability of survival. We describe the main features of this long-term programme and identify six key lessons learnt: (1) close monitoring, health assessments and rescues can significantly increase the success of releases, (2) combining different monitoring techniques results in high-quality data and reduces tracking costs, (3) long-term studies are needed to effectively evaluate the results, (4) releasing manatees at c. 5 years of age can increase chances of success, (5) soft-release is important to aid acclimatization, and (6) the programme has been effective in raising awareness among the general public, supporting education and fund-raising.
Ratio of anogenital warts between different anatomical sites in homosexual and heterosexual individuals in Australia, 2002–2013: implications for susceptibility of different anatomical sites to genital warts
Authors: CHOW E. P.F. , LIN A. C. , READ T. R. H. , BRADSHAW C. S. , CHEN M. Y. , FAIRLEY C. K.
Published: August 2014

There is little known regarding the transmissibility of human papillomavirus (HPV) between different sites in men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexual individuals. We conducted a retrospective analysis investigating all new patients attending the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre in Australia between 2002 and 2013. We describe the prevalence and ratio of the first episode of anogenital warts in MSM and heterosexual males and females. The proportion of new MSM clients with anal and penile warts was 4·0% (362/8978) and 1·6% (141/8978), respectively; which gave an anal-to-penile wart ratio of 1:2·6. About 13·7% (1656/12112) of heterosexual males had penile warts and 10·0% (1121/11166) of females had vulval warts, which yielded a penile-to-vulval wart ratio of 1:0·7. Penile–anal transmission has a higher ratio than penile–vulval transmission, suggesting that the anal epithelium may be more susceptible to HPV infection than the vulval epithelium in females; these ratios are important in modelling the control of HPV in MSM.
Description of the Celestial Globe belonging to Major-General Sir John Malcolm, G.C.B., K.L.S., &c. &c., deposited in the Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Authors: Dorn Bernhard
Published: August 2014

Amongst those sciences which, after a long interval of ignorance and barbarity, were revived by the Mahomedan Arabs, astronomy ranks very high; and it cannot be denied, that had not the Arabs applied themselves to it with great assiduity and zeal, and encouraged all that served to promote its dissemination and advancement, after it had remained almost totally forgotten from the time of Ptolemy, the application to its study would, perhaps, never have extended over so large a portion of the globe as it has done. Although the pagan inhabitants of Arabia, before the time of Islamism, were in the habit of observing the stars, many of which they knew, and denominated by names taken from pastoral life, and several of which they even worshipped as visible gods, yet of a scientific knowledge of astronomy among them no traces can be discovered. The revival, therefore, of this celestial science, was principally attributable to their Mahomedan successors, who introduced its study into Arabia, at a time when the countries around them were immersed in the most deplorable state of mental darkness, which could only be dissipated by slow degrees.
Can More Be Less? An Experimental Test of the Resource Curse
Authors: Al-Ubaydli Omar , McCabe Kevin , Twieg Peter
Published: August 2014

Several scholars have argued that abundant natural resources can be harmful to economic performance under bad institutions and helpful when institutions are good. These arguments have either been theoretical or based on naturally occurring variation in natural resource wealth. We test this theory by using a laboratory experiment to reap the benefits of randomized control. We conduct this experiment in a virtual world (Second Life™) to make institutions more visceral. We find support for the theory.
Tissue multifractality and Born approximation in analysis of light scattering: a novel approach for precancers detection
Authors: Das Nandan , Chatterjee Subhasri , Kumar Satish , Pradhan Asima , Panigrahi Prasanta , Vitkin I. Alex , Ghosh Nirmalya
Published: August 2014

Multifractal, a special class of complex self-affine processes, are under recent intensive investigations because of their fundamental nature and potential applications in diverse physical systems. Here, we report on a novel light scattering-based inverse method for extraction/quantification of multifractality in the spatial distribution of refractive index of biological tissues. The method is based on Fourier domain pre-processing via the Born approximation, followed by the Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis. The approach is experimentally validated in synthetic multifractal scattering phantoms and tested on biopsy tissue slices. The derived multifractal properties appear sensitive in detecting cervical precancerous alterations through an increase of multifractality with pathology progression, demonstrating the potential of the developed methodology for novel precancer biomarker identification and tissue diagnostic tool. The novel ability to delineate the multifractal optical properties from light scattering signals may also prove useful for characterizing a wide variety of complex scattering media of non-biological origin.