bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Strategies for Semi‐folding Fractional Factorial Designs
Authors: Wang P. C. , Lee Carl 
Published: December 2005

AbstractEngineers utilize screening experiments to find significant main effects of factors for quality improvement. After the analysis of the data resulting from this type of experiment, further investigation into the significance of some two‐factor interactions might be desirable. Repeating an experiment of the same size can be costly and time consuming. A follow‐up experiment with half the number of runs from the initial experiment is a good alternative. In this article, we propose two strategies for selecting additional runs to investigate the significance of two‐way interactions that are important to the experimenter. These strategies are based on the findings from the initial experiment. Two examples are presented to illustrate the application of these strategies. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimating the Change Point of a Poisson Rate Parameter with a Linear Trend Disturbance
Authors: Perry Marcus B. , Pignatiello Joseph J. , Simpson James R. 
Published: December 2005

AbstractKnowing when a process changed would simplify the search and identification of the special cause. In this paper, we compare the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of the process change point designed for linear trends to the MLE of the process change point designed for step changes when a linear trend disturbance is present. We conclude that the MLE of the process change point designed for linear trends outperforms the MLE designed for step changes when a linear trend disturbance is present. We also present an approach based on the likelihood function for estimating a confidence set for the process change point. We study the performance of this estimator when it is used with a cumulative sum (CUSUM) control chart and make direct performance comparisons with the estimated confidence sets obtained from the MLE for step changes. The results show that better confidence can be obtained using the MLE for linear trends when a linear trend disturbance is present. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Hybrid SPC Method with the Chi‐Square Distance Monitoring Procedure for Large‐scale, Complex Process Data
Authors: Ye Nong , Parmar Darshit , Borror Connie M. 
Published: December 2005

AbstractStandard multivariate statistical process control (SPC) techniques, such as Hotelling's T2, cannot easily handle large‐scale, complex process data and often fail to detect out‐of‐control anomalies for such data. We develop a computationally efficient and scalable Chi‐Square ($\chi^2$) Distance Monitoring (CSDM) procedure for monitoring large‐scale, complex process data to detect out‐of‐control anomalies, and test the performance of the CSDM procedure using various kinds of process data involving uncorrelated, correlated, auto‐correlated, normally distributed, and non‐normally distributed data variables. Based on advantages and disadvantages of the CSDM procedure in comparison with Hotelling's T2 for various kinds of process data, we design a hybrid SPC method with the CSDM procedure for monitoring large‐scale, complex process data. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Setup Error Adjustment: Sensitivity Analysis and a New MCMC Control Rule
Authors: Lian Z. , Colosimo B. M. , del Castillo E. 
Published: December 2005

AbstractIn this paper, we focus on the performance of adjustment rules for a machine that produces items in batches and that can experience errors at each setup operation performed before machining a batch. The adjustment rule is applied to compensate for the setup offset in order to bring back the process to target. In particular, we deal with the case in which no prior information about the distribution of the offset or about the within‐batch variability is available. Under such conditions, adjustment rules that can be applied are Grubbs' rules, the exponentially‐weighted moving average (EWMA) controller and the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) adjustment rule, based on a Bayesian sequential estimation of unknown parameters that uses MCMC simulation. The performance metric of the different adjustment rules is the sum of the quadratic off‐target costs over the set of batches machined. Given the number of batches and the batch size, different production scenarios (characterized by different values of the lot‐to‐lot and the within‐lot variability and of the mean offset over the set of batches) are considered. The MCMC adjustment rule is shown to have better performance in almost all of the cases examined. Furthermore, a closer study of the cases in which the MCMC policy is not the best adjustment rule motivates a modified version of this rule which outperforms alternative adjustment policies in all the scenarios considered. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Low mRNA levels of RGS4 splice variants in Alzheimer's disease: Association between a rare haplotype and decreased mRNA expression
Authors: Emilsson L. , Saetre P. , Jazin E. 
Published: December 2005

AbstractRegulator of G‐protein signaling 4 (RGS4) showed decreased mRNA levels in Alzheimer's disease in a large collection of human brain autopsies from prefrontal cortex. The expression levels of three RGS4 splice variants were examined in the same samples, and the association between RGS4 gene expression and/or the disease with single nucleotide polymorphisms located in this gene was explored. We show that all splice variants are down‐regulated in patients. We also demonstrate that one rare haplotype (ATAG) is associated with decreased mRNA levels in both cases and controls. Our results suggest that an altered regulation in transcription initiation may be an important mechanism for low RGS4 protein levels in Alzeimer's disease. Synapse 59:173–176, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Utilisation of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the generation and isolation of non‐lethal ricin A chain variants
Authors: Allen Stuart C. H. , Byron Adam , Lord J. Michael , Davey John , Roberts Lynne M. , Ladds Graham 
Published: December 2005

AbstractKnowledge of the uptake, membrane translocation, refolding and ribosome interaction of the ribosome‐inactivating toxin ricin is incomplete at the present time. Ricin A chain (RTA) is the catalytic subunit of holotoxin and is also of particular interest as a vaccine candidate. For many studies into the uptake and immunological applications of ricin, it is essential to have inactive variants. Here, following error‐prone polymerase chain reaction of the RTA open reading frame, we have used a modified gap‐repair protocol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to show that it is possible to rapidly generate a panel of inactive RTA mutants. Since yeast cells have ribosomes that are highly sensitive to RTA, we utilized a genetic selection based on the viability of transformants. This enabled the recovery of a number of mutations, some not previously identified, which permitted production of full‐length but non‐toxic RTA proteins. Such disarmed toxins may have utility as tools to study the cytosolic entry and action of RTA, and as potential vaccine candidates. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interactions between Psilocybe fasciata and its companion fungus Acremonium strictum
Authors: He Peixin , He Xinsheng , Zhang Changkai 
Published: December 2005

AbstractInteractions between Psilocybe fasciata and its companion fungus Acremonium strictum were analysed. The conidia of A. strictum were observed on stipe, flesh and gill of P. fasciata, which suggested that A. strictum is the fungicolous fungi or mycophilic fungi of P. fasciata. The microscopic observations of the interacting hyphae of P. fasciata and A. strictum in dual culture and the negligible activities of chitinase and β‐1,3‐glucanase in inducing or non‐inducing media of the pure and mixed cultures of the two fungi indicated that A. strictum is not the mycoparasite of P. fasciata. In addition, the co‐existence, no pigmentation and dew formation in dual culture of both fungi were observed, which implied that the interference competition between the two fungi is weak. The activities of cellobiase, filter paper enzyme, endoglucanase and xylanase of pure and mixed cultures of P. fasciata and A. strictum were the same or similar, which may allow the co‐existence of the two fungi. As a consequence of coevolution, the relationship between P. fasciata and A. strictum is commensalism: A. strictum showed no clear benefit to P. fasciata; however, P. fasciata may shelter A. strictum by its psychoactive tryptamines and may be helpful to conidium dispersal of A. strictum. The relationship between P. fasciata and A. strictum is different from that of A. strictum and other fungi.
Exploring depression in schizophrenia
Authors: Maggini Carlo , Raballo Andrea 
Published: December 2005

AbstractBackgroundA consistent amount of empirical research suggests that depression, besides interfering with quality of life and social functioning, may influence other symptom dimensions in schizophrenia, thus constituting an important domain for treatment strategies, outcome, and prognosis.Aim. –This study investigated the factorial structure of the Calgary depression scale for schizophrenia (CDSS) in a sample of schizophrenic patients and explored the relationships between such factors, major symptom dimensions and subjective experiences.MethodsOne hundred and sixty-one subjects were examined to assess the severity of schizophrenic symptoms (scored according to the five-dimensional model of Toomey et al. [28]), the distress due to the subjective experience of negative symptoms, and the degree of subjectively-felt cognitive-affective vulnerability (i.e. basic symptoms).ResultsPrincipal component analysis revealed CDSS to include three main factors, namely: “depression-hopelessness” (factor I), “guilty idea of reference-pathological guilt” (factor II) and “early wakening” (factor III).Whereas the last factor did not correlate with any of the other psychopathological domains, the first two factors revealed multiple correlations with both diagnostic symptoms and subjective experiences.ConclusionsThe results confirm the threefold factorial structure of the CDSS previously reported by the authors of the scale and could shed further light on the psychopathological nature of the components of depression in schizophrenia. The specific correlation patterns with diagnostic and subjective psychopatholgy substantiate the clinical distinction between a general depression factor (“depression-hopelessness”) and a cognitive-guilt factor (“guilty idea of reference-pathological guilt”).
Knowledge as a strategic resource in supply chains
Authors: Hult G. Tomas M. , Ketchen David J. , Cavusgil S. Tamer , Calantone Roger J. 
Published: December 2005

AbstractDespite the importance of supply chains to firms, we know little about the intangible aspects of why some supply chains excel while others struggle. Building on the resource‐based view, strategic choice theory, and configurational research, we suggest that the relative fit among strategy and eight knowledge elements is a key to achieving superior supply chain performance. Using data from 913 entities in supply chains, we conducted a profile deviation analysis by using ideal “knowledge profiles” for five strategy types as the benchmarks. Separate analyses were conducted based on the ideal profiles derived from qualitative, quantitative, and theoretical inputs. Overall, the results indicate that the strategy‐knowledge fit is associated with chain performance. Our findings lend support to the notion that capitalizing on knowledge can create superior performance in supply chains, but only if the relative emphasis on various knowledge elements matches strategy.
Delineation of precipitation areas from MODIS visible and infrared imagery with articial neural networks
Authors: Capacci D. , Conway B. J. 
Published: December 2005

AbstractAn important phase in a nowcasting system is the diagnosis of the forecast variables. This work focuses on the diagnosis of precipitation. The Nimrod automatic nowcasting system at the Met Office (UK) has long used Meteosat visible and infrared data to supplement the data it receives from the UK weather radar network to produce rainfall analyses. With the advent of Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) attention has focused on how best to use the larger range of spectral information from MSG to improve the rainfall analyses. Earlier work at the Met Office had suggested artificial neural networks (ANNs) to be a useful tool for such applications. Pending the availability of data from MSG, ANNs were used to process data from appropriate visible and infrared channels on the MODIS instrument. Sixty daytime winter cases were collected, and Nimrod radar rainfall analyses provided ‘ground truth’ for both training and testing the ANNs. The optimal combination of MODIS channels was investigated and it was found that almost all the skill in rain/no rain discrimination was provided by the radiance values from six selected spectral channels. A notable result was that the 1.64 µm channel had no value as a discriminator when used alone, but produced a large increase in skill when used in conjunction with a visible channel. The ANN with MODIS data was found to outperform the corresponding Nimrod look‐up table technique applied to Meteosat data. Application of the technique to SEVIRI data is proposed, as is extension to other seasons. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society
The use of numerical weather forecast model predictions as a source of data for irrigation modelling
Authors: Venäläinen A. , Salo T. , Fortelius C. 
Published: December 2005

AbstractThe use of numerical weather forecast model data as a source of data for soil moisture modelling was tested. Results show that the potential evaporation calculated using the Penman‐Monteith equation can be estimated accurately using data obtained from the output of a high resolution numerical atmospheric model (HIRLAM, High Resolution Limited Area Model). The mean bias error was 0.26 mm for a 36‐hour sum and the root mean square error was 2.14 mm. The evaporation obtained directly from HIRLAM was systematically smaller because this direct model output represents the real evaporation rather than the potential evaporation. The precipitation forecasts were less accurate. When the accuracy of parameters required for the calculation of potential evaporation were studied for one station, no serious bias was found. When two different irrigation models (AMBAV and SWAP) were run over one summer using either measured or HIRLAM data as the input, the results given by the models were quite similar regardless of input data source. The largest differences between the model outputs were caused by the formulation of crop and soil characteristics in the irrigation models. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society
Using dew points to estimate savings during a planned cooling shutdown
Authors: Friedlein Matthew T. , Changnon David , Musselman Eric , Zielinski Jeff 
Published: December 2005

AbstractIn an effort to save money during the summer of 2003, Northern Illinois University (NIU) administrators instituted a four‐day working week and stopped air conditioning buildings for the three‐day weekends (Friday through Sunday). Shutting down the air conditioning systems caused a noticeable drop in electricity usage for that part of the campus that features in our study, with estimated total electricity savings of 1,268,492 kilowatt‐hours or 17% of the average usage during that eight‐week period. NIU's air conditioning systems, which relied on evaporative cooling to function, were sensitive to dew point levels. Greatest savings during the shutdown period occurred on days with higher dew points. An examination of the regional dew point climatology (1959–2003) indicated that the average summer daily dew point for 2003 was 14.9°C(58.8°F), which fell in the lowest 20% of the distribution. Based on the relationship between daily average dew points and electrical usage, a predictive model that could estimate electrical daily savings was created. This model suggests that electrical savings related to any future three‐day shutdowns over summer could be much greater in more humid summers. Studies like this demonstrate the potential value of applying climatological information and of integrating this information into practical decision‐making. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society
eQTL Explorer: integrated mining of combined genetic linkage and expression experiments
Authors: Mueller Michael , Goel Anuj , Thimma Manjula , Dickens Nicholas J , Aitman Timothy J. , Mangion Jonathan 
Published: December 2005

Abstract
Summary: The development of computational resources to visualize and explore data from combined genome-wide expression and linkage studies is essential for the development of testable hypotheses. eQTL Explorer stores expression profiles, linkage data and information from external sources in a relational database and enables simultaneous visualization and intuitive interpretation of the combined data via a Java graphical interface. eQTL Explorer provides a new and powerful tool to interrogate these very large and complex datasets.
Availability: The application is freely available for non-commercial research.
Contact: jon.mangion@csc.mrc.ac.uk
Supplementary Information: Documentation, source code and a demonstration version are available at
Mixed effects of habitat fragmentation on species richness and community structure in a microarthropod microecosystem
Authors: Hoyle Martin , Harborne Alastair R. 
Published: December 2005

Abstract. 1. Theory is unclear about the optimal degree of isolation of habitat fragments where the aim is to maximise species richness. In a field‐based microecosystem of Collembola and predatory and non‐predatory mites, moss patches of the same total area were fragmented to varying degrees. The habitat was left for several months to allow the communities to approach a new state of equilibrium.2. The species richness (in particular of predatory mites) of a given area of habitat was greater when it was part of a large mainland area than part of an island, in agreement with theory.3. Conversely, species richness and abundance were largely unaffected by fragmentation of a fixed area of island habitat. In this case, it is suggested here that the advantages of several small patches (e.g. reduced impact of environmental stochasticity, wider range of habitats overall) were equally balanced by the advantages of a single large patch (e.g. reduced effect of demographic stochasticity, wider range of habitats within a single patch, reduced edge effect), or that both effects were small.4. The shapes of rank–abundance curves were similar among the levels of fragmentation of a fixed area of island habitat, implying that fragmentation had little impact on community structure. Conversely, the species composition of non‐predatory mites varied weakly, but significantly, by fragmentation.
Profitable self‐superparasitism in an infanticidal parasitoid when conspecifics are present: self‐superparasitism deters later attackers from probing for infanticide
Authors: Ito Emi , Yamada Yoshihiro Y. 
Published: December 2005

Abstract.  1. To reveal the profitability of self‐superparasitism when conspecifics are present, the total combined fitness returns from the first and second ovipositions under triple parasitism were compared with fitness returns from the first oviposition under double parasitism, using the small brown hopper Laodelphax striatellus and its semi‐solitary infanticidal parasitoid Echthrodelphax fairchildii.2. The total combined survival rate of the first and second comers under triple parasitism with oviposition intervals of 1/24 h (where 1 and 24 h represent the first‐to‐second and second‐to‐third oviposition intervals respectively) was nearly double the survival rate of the first comer under double parasitism with a 25‐h oviposition interval, although there was no difference between these triple and double parasitisms in terms of head width and developmental time. Under the conditions of other oviposition intervals, self‐superparasitism produced null (1/1‐ and 24/24‐h intervals) or negative fitness returns (24/1‐h intervals). This suggests that self‐superparasitism on hosts that were self‐parasitised 1 h previously is profitable when conspecifics are present.3. When the female parasitoid laid an egg on a host harbouring the earlier comer(s) on the non‐oviposition side, she often probed the non‐oviposition side for infanticide, i.e. killing the first offspring. When the first and second comers were on different sides, the probing frequency at the third oviposition in triple parasitism with 1/24‐h oviposition intervals was lower than that at the second oviposition in double parasitism with a 25‐h oviposition interval. This difference was responsible for the above difference in survival rate between the triple and double parasitisms.
The extent of the ‘prevention paradox’ in alcohol problems as a function of population drinking patterns
Authors: Rossow Ingeborg , Romelsjö Anders 
Published: December 2005

ABSTRACTAims To assess to what extent use of various criteria for high‐risk groups and analyses from subpopulations with different drinking patterns may affect the extent of the prevention paradox (that most alcohol‐related harm in populations arises within the drinkers at low risk).Data sets Two national surveys of Norwegian adult samples (n = 4321 current drinkers) and one register linkage of Swedish armed forces conscripts (n = 45 839 current drinkers) with in‐patient hospital data.Measures High‐risk groups were categorized as the upper 10% of drinkers by annual alcohol intake or by intoxication frequency. Acute alcohol‐related harms comprised number of quarrels and fights in the Norwegian surveys and number of hospital admissions for attempted suicide and violent injuries over a follow‐up period (3 and 25 years) in the Swedish conscript study.Results The majority of acute alcohol problems were found among the majority of drinkers with low or moderate risk (the lower 90%) by drinking volume, suggesting empirical support for the prevention paradox. By applying frequency of intoxication rather than annual volume of consumption to determine the high‐risk group, a somewhat larger proportion of acute alcohol‐related harms was found within the high‐risk group, and the number of alcohol‐related harms tended to be distributed more evenly between high‐risk drinkers and other drinkers. The proportion of alcohol‐related harms within the risk groups was significantly lower in the younger age group, where the majority drinks to intoxication compared with other drinkers.Conclusion The extent of the prevention paradox with respect to acute alcohol problems may be more prominent in drinking in subpopulations where intoxication is a common part of the drinking pattern compared with those where intoxication occurs less frequently and among a smaller fraction of the drinkers.